"Mommy’s homeee-!"
"Daaahhh!"
"Pwaaaahhh!"
The twins, riding in their walkers, raced each other at top speed toward Ai, who had just gotten home from work.
Their speed was so absurd it was like watching the return of the world’s greatest 100-meter sprinter.
It was almost midnight, after all of her schedule had finally ended. Forgetting her exhaustion, Ai dropped to both knees and opened her arms wide to hug the two beautiful, adorable, lovable baby angels charging straight at her.
"Eeeek- Aquaaa~ Ruby~ Did you miss Mommy~?"
"Daaah!"
"Daa, daaaah!"
Still in their walkers and nestled in Ai’s arms, the twins’ eyes sparkled as they fired off their impressions of the day’s spectacular comeback stage like a machine gun.
They could only babble after self-censoring their speech—though they had already long since surpassed the level of mere babbling—but even so, the twins’ [sincerity] came through to Ai exactly as it was.
"Yes! Yes! I see! Our Aqua! You were so happy to see Mommy on TV today! And I sang so well you fell for me, huh?"
"Daa! Daa!"
Aqua nodded vigorously. Ai smiled and rubbed her cheek against his forehead.
"Daa! Daa! Daaah!!"
Left out while Aqua got all the attention, Ruby’s face turned bright red. She flailed her arms wildly and, in her excitement, showered Ai with praise(?) as well. Ai’s starry eyes glittered in response.
"Eeeh-? Really~? Mommy was the prettiest? And my dancing was as beautiful as a fairy’s?"
"Daaaaaa!!!!"
Ai beamed, kissed Ruby’s chubby cheek, and pulled both twins tight against her chest.
"Uuugh- You’re too cute-! Thank you for cheering Mommy on! The support from Aqua and Ruby is the very best-! Can I really be this happy?!"
"Daaah!"
"Aaaah!"
Kaoru and Miyako quietly watched the noisy reunion between mother and twins for a moment.
Kaoru, in particular, felt very complicated as he looked at the twins showering their mother with near-fanatical affection.
The fact that six-month-old babies were acting like they’d skipped ahead ten years was already no longer the point.
What mattered was this—unlike the reaction the twins had shown a little earlier when he’d come into the living room, the fierce welcome they gave Ai was... enviable.
As Kaoru grew dejected, Miyako gently lifted a hand and patted the young father’s shoulder before raising the digital camera in her right hand—
Click
She took a picture of Kaoru’s sulky face.
Even in a situation like this, Miyako was still dutifully recording everything like a court historian. Kaoru let out a small, helpless laugh at her behavior.
"......"
At his reaction, Miyako barely managed to hold back her laughter and checked the photo on the camera screen before saying, "Show this to the twins later, Kaoru. Tell them their dad was really hurt. That he loved Mommy so much he even got jealous, okay~?"
"...I think I will."
Playing along with Miyako’s joke, Kaoru took off his shoes and silently spread his arms wide as he watched Ai toddle over with the twins.
Ai, who had been bending down and gently pushing the twins’ walkers along, looked up and saw her beloved husband holding out his broad embrace with both arms open wide—
"Kaoruuuu-!"
"Ghk."
She called her husband’s name in a voice full of hearts and threw herself into his wide, sturdy chest.
Though she was small, the weight and momentum behind her made Kaoru swallow a groan as he bent his knees slightly and caught his balance with practiced ease.
Ai didn’t care in the slightest. Just like the twins had done a moment ago, she rubbed her face all over Kaoru’s chest. Since she had changed out of her outfit in the waiting room after filming and removed her makeup with cleansing water, Kaoru’s shirt was still perfectly fine.
"Haa... I missed this so much- Kaoru’s warm hug...."
"......"
How long had he waited for this exact moment?
After finishing every last part of her schedule and coming home with a tired body, the baby angels greeted her—and her beloved husband was waiting with both arms open wide.
With her husband’s embrace, the fatigue from everything that had happened today seemed to melt away. Ai lifted her face with a smile already blooming on it and looked up at Kaoru with affectionate, starry eyes.
"Did you watch Ai’s special stage?"
"Yeah. I did. You were so beautiful. Your singing was amazing, and your dancing was flawless. I couldn’t look at anyone but you. Honestly..."
"Reaally? Did you see this too? This."
Ai tilted her head back slightly and showed him the necklace chain around her neck.
Kaoru smiled broadly and looked at his mischievous wife with eyes dripping honey as he said, "I saw it. Wow, I was really surprised. How did you even think of such a surprise?"
"Se-cret-☆ Heheh- Kaoru being surprised means it was a total suc-cess-! Ahh, I’m so proud~ As expected, I’m a genius!"
As Ai happily rested her face against Kaoru’s chest again—
Click
"......Ha ha."
"What? Why? Why? I’m saving this so I can show it to the twins later. You two were so disgustingly lovey-dovey I nearly died!"
Miyako shouted, her eyes blazing with a fire of jealousy at the couple’s nauseating display of affection.
She was stuck doing childcare she had never expected, like a nun in a monastery, unable to even see her husband’s face while hearts were practically spilling out beside her. It felt like her insides were burning.
Kaoru, sweating nervously, was just about to awkwardly try to calm Miyako down when—
"Bleh- Miyako-chan, Kaoru and I were having a nice moment. Are you going to keep interrupting us?"
Ai was one step faster. She stuck out her tongue and made a face at Miyako, who had ruined their happy time.
"Daaah-!"
"...Daaah!!"
"Ah! Okay, okay~ Aqua, Ruby! Come on, let’s go to the living room!"
But then Ruby and Aqua, who had been watching the whole thing from right beside them, launched their own angry protest, and Ai had no choice but to leave Kaoru’s arms, push the twins’ walkers, and take them to the living room. And just like that, the situation was over.
"Sheesh... and my husband doesn’t even think about coming home."
"......"
Kaoru gently patted Miyako’s shoulder as she sniffled through her tears, offering silent comfort.
-
After [B Komachi]’s dazzling comeback, they still hadn’t regained the overwhelming popularity they’d once had. But as the saying goes, the first step is half the battle.
"Isn’t that her? The girl who had that dating scandal with the actor guy?"
"Oh, right. I think so. Her songs aren’t bad, so I guess I’ll buy one."
"Huh, [Ai] came back?"
"I didn’t know she’d returned. She’s gotten way prettier. She can actually sing pretty well now, too."
"Wow, really? If you buy all seven album versions, you get a bonus letter? Maybe I should try it."
"I hope there’s an Ai-chan letter!"
Like the saying that misfortune can turn into blessing, Ai’s comeback—still remembered by the public thanks to the noisy scandal from a year ago, when she’d been linked to Kaoru, falsely reported as retired from acting, and dragged through a dating rumor mess—gave [B Komachi] enough attention to just barely break even on album sales.
It hadn’t been intentional at all, but in a way, it had become delayed noise marketing.
"Phew... that was close...!"
President Ichigo, who had signed a contract with the record label for this album’s production and distribution while bracing himself for losses, was moved to tears.
It was time to bury in his heart the regret from a year ago, when instead of rowing while the tide was in, he’d taken the oars off, put wheels on the boat, and used it like a cart.
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as right after the Budokan performance, but there was no need to explain why restarting from 50 was better than restarting from zero.
All they had to do was keep climbing, step by step.
After Ai’s hiatus a year earlier and [B Komachi]’s continued decline, Ichigo had laid off staff until the office looked desolate. He gave a quiet nod.
And that determined nod wasn’t Ichigo’s alone.
"...So you actually settled things with the school?"
"Yes."
At Kaoru’s answer, Toshiro, his blue eyes glinting, leaned back in his chair and let out a low breath.
Toshiro, the head and director of the [Rararai Theater Troupe], was already riding high on the overwhelming success of the opening performance at [Grande Ensemble Tokyo], and even after moving the productions to the troupe’s own theater, he was still energized by the string of sold-out shows.
And hearing that Kaoru would be joining them regularly, like a reinforcement from heaven itself, he couldn’t help but clench his fist under the desk.
There was no way the media would miss the fact that [Kamiki Kaoru] was returning with a first performance that sold out all 2,500 seats.
Since his schoolwork had made it effectively impossible for him to keep joining after that, the sold-out streak they had going was, in a sense, a sandcastle that might collapse at any moment.
But today, hearing the good news that Kaoru had finally received permission from the school, Toshiro felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
"How did you convince them? It couldn’t have been easy to win over those strict, conservative teachers."
Kaoru delayed his answer for a moment and scratched his neck.
That was true. The prestige of the most elite high school in the Kanto region was not something to take lightly.
In fact, he himself had never expected to return this quickly. Honestly, it hadn’t even been part of the original plan. He’d intended to come back to the troupe only after entering university, but Hikaru’s death had brought that return forward by a full two years.
Some people worried that he would damage the school’s century-old academic atmosphere, a tradition of discipline and seriousness. Others asked why he was coming back if he’d retired from the entertainment industry, and even more aggressively, why he had enrolled in this school in the first place if that was the case.
Kaoru had no choice but to accept that all of those points were valid. If he thought about it from the other side, even some of his classmates were saying the same thing.
Even among the dazzling geniuses around him, his grades were excellent and his social relationships were good, but the wall of a hundred years of history was high when it came to accepting the alien field of [acting].
But he could never give up on his [dream].
He hadn’t returned because of some dark resolve to erase Hikaru’s existence.
What he realized while rehearsing at the troupe for two weeks for the opening of [Grande Ensemble Tokyo] was that he could never give up on the dream of [acting].
The exhilaration and electric thrill of stepping onto a stage and telling a story with all his heart, captivating the audience.
The excitement of stripping away himself entirely and becoming a fictional person who existed only in words, living that person’s life and emotions for a limited time.
He had never known [acting] in his past life, and only in this one had he realized both his talent for it and how much fun it was. Kaoru had no intention of giving it up.
So...
"Well... I... managed to... convince them."
"......"
Seeing the slight reluctance on Kaoru’s face to explain, Toshiro fell silent for a moment, struck by a strange sense of déjà vu.
When had he felt this before?
Toshiro recalled the wild, bizarre performance the boy in front of him had once put on as an entrance test about four years ago.
It was a little different from that time, but the feeling was... definitely similar. Just what kind of outrageous thing had he done in the name of convincing them?
He was genuinely curious, but Toshiro decided not to ask any further and comforted himself with one thought.
Sometimes, there are truths in this world that you really don’t need to know.
As the troupe’s head, all he needed to do was be glad that his ace had returned and focus on future performances.
"I see... Well, don’t push yourself too hard. I trust you got everything sorted out. So, can you join starting next week?"
"Yes. No problem."
"Good. Welcome back."
"...Thank you."
Toshiro sniffed a little and said with his usual stubborn look, "When are you planning to return to broadcasting? You know the moment the article about your comeback went out, scripts started coming in. The media was pretty noisy about your return too."
"Yes. I’m still thinking about it. If I take that on too, I think it’ll interfere with school a bit. And I’ve got some personal matters too."
Personal matters. Kaoru thought of the adorable twins who were so cute it hurt to even look at them and gave a bitter smile.
In truth, the school issue was just a convenient excuse. He also had to help Miyako with raising the twins so that Ai, who had just restarted her activities, could focus fully on them.
"...Have you considered transferring to another school?"
At Toshiro’s question, Kaoru shook his head.
"Not yet. I suppose I’ll have another chance to think about it seriously. I’m also considering trying to persuade the school one more time."
"I see. Well, you’ll make your own choice and do what you need to. What I’ve learned in this world is... when an opportunity comes, you have to seize it.
No matter how genius your talent may be, this is a world where people with stars in their eyes are everywhere underfoot.
You might think I’m being cold, but never forget that opportunities don’t wait for people. If you think about it, they don’t even wait for the people who want them most."
After thinking for a moment at Toshiro’s advice, Kaoru nodded.
"Yes. Thank you for the advice, sir."
"Alright, go on then."
At Toshiro’s dismissal, Kaoru stood from his chair, bowed politely, and left the office.
The troupe return had been brought forward by two years, but Kaoru had ultimately revised his plan for going even higher—meaning his return to broadcasting and film would happen after he entered university in two years.
By then, the twins would be a little older, and Ai would likely also have settled into her place.
There was no need to rush. Kaoru believed in his own potential, and time was on his side anyway.
With a calm face, Kaoru quietly sorted out his thoughts and headed toward the rehearsal room.
But Kaoru didn’t know.
"......"
"......Hmm! The weather’s a bit hot, isn’t it?"
[Gotanda Taishi].
That this eccentric director was still eyeing him.
That his plan to return to broadcasting and film in two years might also be brought forward by two years!
Director Gotanda, with his blunt and rough impression, showed a trace of awkwardness as he lifted his coffee cup and sipped hot Americano.
What was this?
Seeing a grown man act like he was on a blind date made Kaoru deeply uncomfortable.
‘Was he really that happy I didn’t throw away his business card?’
Kaoru recalled the shy phone call from Director Gotanda, who had asked whether they could meet once and talk about acting, and took a sip of iced Americano to settle his churning stomach.
Director Gotanda smacked his dry lips and said to Kaoru, "I’ll get straight to the point, Kaoru-kun."
"What is it?"
"You kept that business card because you were interested in me too, right?"
Kaoru set his coffee cup down on the table with a cool expression and said, "Why would you think that?"
"Because I had a feeling. We connected. You know what I mean?"
"No."
"When we first met, both you and I thought the other was a weirdo, didn’t we?"
"......"
Kaoru pressed his temple as he listened to Director Gotanda’s serious-faced nonsense and let out a long sigh.
Was he always this twisted?
It was true that Kaoru had been interested, but only to that extent. He’d looked up information on Gotanda Taishi online and asked around discreetly to learn more.
- Exceptionally skilled, but someone who compromised with reality because his ambitions were small.
He had planned to build a moderate connection and deal with him casually before leaving, so he could introduce him to Ai later... but.
"What exactly do you want to say?"
Honestly, he was very curious about what that damned director would say next.
At the boy’s words, the director deepened his blunt smile, took a small synopsis booklet from inside his coat, and placed it on the table.
"...Work with me on something."
Kaoru’s blue eyes moved to the synopsis, and then they shone with brilliant interest.
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