"Aqua- Ruby- Mama’s home~!"
The Ai who had been cast in a supporting role for the drama opened the front door and came in with a brighter smile than usual, looking even more excited than normal.
"Mama! Mama~!"
"You’re home!"
From the living room, the twins’ cute voices rang out. Ai quietly took off the boots she was wearing and stepped inside the entryway, ready to scoop up the twins as they ran over to greet her.
Dududududu—
Little footsteps pattered rapidly as Ruby came running to see her mother. Seeing Ruby’s lovely, adorable smile—so cute it made you want to bite her—Ai felt all the fatigue that had built up over the day vanish in an instant.
Ai spread her arms and hugged Ruby, her starry eyes sparkling as a happy smile naturally bloomed on her face.
"Mama♥!!!"
"Ruby~♥ Did you have fun playing with your brother?"
"Yep! Yep! I listened to Miyako-chan and ate all my food too! Praise me, praise me~!"
"Mm~ okay. Ah, Aqua~♥ Mommy’s home-☆"
"Y-you’re back?"
Unlike Ruby, he had a completely opposite personality, so he didn’t act cute and clingy like her. But Aqua, like his father, quietly walked over and hugged her tightly, patting her back with a thoughtful, gentle embrace.
Ai was so delighted by the twins’ love that she forgot her disappointment at not having seen Kaoru, feeling as if she might float away.
When she headed into the living room with the twins, Miyako was in the kitchen taking a work call. She smiled at Ai and waved.
From the conversation, it seemed to be a call with President Ichigo.
Ai cheerfully returned Miyako’s greeting, washed her hands in the bathroom, and then sat down on the sofa with the twins to play and chat in earnest.
"Mama! Praise me, praise me!"
"Mm~ got it! Ruby-chan, praise, praise~"
"Ahh…! This is [paradise]!"
"……."
Aqua gave Ruby a quick side-eye, then immediately checked Ai’s reaction.
It was not at all the kind of line a two-year-old should be saying, but Ai, who used to ask where on earth she had learned that from, now seemed used to it. She simply thought, ‘My daughter really might be a genius!’ and, without suspicion, gently stroked Ruby’s head a little more affectionately so the clingy little girl would be happy.
"Hehe- Mama! I pressed the bunny doll, but it didn’t make any sound~ It must be broken."
"The bunny doll? Let me see it."
Ai took the bunny doll Ruby handed her and pressed the button, but sure enough, it didn’t make a sound.
Ai’s starry eyes sparkled as she held the bunny doll in her hands like it was a real living rabbit and made it hop around. Ruby, seeing that, lit up even more and burst into laughter.
"Hop! Hop! Hello, Ruby? I’m Mama Bunny! Let’s be friends!"
"Hehehe-♥ So cute! Mama Bunny!"
"……."
Aqua was jealous of the mother-daughter pair’s sweet little moment. He wanted to act cute like that too, the way Ruby did, but… he had tried a few times, and it really wasn’t easy.
Still, he took comfort in the fact that he had definitely improved a lot compared to before.
Besides, as the saying went, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even the way they played with the bunny doll was exactly the same as father and mother.
Aqua walked over with quick little steps, climbed onto the sofa, and sat down softly beside Ai.
"If I tell Papa, he’ll fix it! Let’s wait a little, okay?"
"Okay! I can wait!"
While Ai was patting Ruby’s cheek at her adorable, well-behaved answer, her personal phone suddenly vibrated.
When she checked who it was—
"Eek! It’s Papa! Papa’s calling!☆"
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"
"…Dad?"
Ai, thrilled by Kaoru’s call, showed the phone screen to the twins, and Ruby and Aqua’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Likewise, Ai’s own starry eyes shone as she answered the call with a pounding heart.
To let the twins hear Kaoru’s voice, she pressed the speaker button and playfully smiled with her index finger held over her lips for a surprise.
"Hello?"
His voice was warm and full of affection, with none of the usual indifference he showed to others.
Ruby was so excited just to hear Kaoru’s voice that she bounced in place, letting out a silent laugh.
Ai quietly spoke into the phone.
"Kaoru! I finished my schedule, so I came to see Aqua and Ruby! Where are you?"
The sound of the door lock opening mixed into the call, suggesting he had just arrived home.
"Oh. I just got home too after finishing the troupe performance. You had a hard day, didn’t you? Good work, Ai. What did you have for dinner?"
At her husband’s usual greeting, always praising her for working hard first, Ai forgot she was even in front of the twins and answered with a shy smile.
"Yep! I had ramen~! What about you?"
"Me? Haha! I had the troupe’s specialty donburi. Jealous?"
"Ehh-?! I want some too! That’s mean! You always eat without me!"
"Hahaha! Sorry. I’ll bring some home later. We can eat it with the babies. Are the twins doing okay? Ah, it’s almost bedtime, isn’t it?"
Ai held back her laughter while the twins stared at her with sparkling, impatient eyes, then whispered teasingly into the phone.
"Kaoru! Guess who’s sitting right next to me right now~?"
"Huh?"
Ai silently mouthed, ‘One! Two! Three!’ and Aqua and Ruby shouted together with all their might.
"Papa!!!"
"Dad!!!"
"Wha—!?"
"Heheh-♥ Surprise!"
Startled by the twins’ enormous volume, Kaoru let out a cry of surprise. Ai couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his reaction.
Ruby saw her chance and shouted loudly into the phone.
"Papa! The bunny doll is broken!"
"The bunny doll?"
"It doesn’t make any sound even when I press the button! Ai can’t fix it, so Kaoru, fix it like a doctor!"
"Oh, really? Ruby! Papa will fix it soon. In… three nights, okay?"
"Okay! Got it! Papa’s the best!"
"Good. Hearing Ruby say that makes Papa happy. Have you eaten—"
"Dad!"
"Aqua~! My son! You missed your dad, didn’t you? Hahaha!"
"Dad! Y-you worked hard!"
"Hahahaha~"
At Aqua’s thoughtful words, Kaoru’s happy laughter spilled through the phone. His face was burning with embarrassment, but Aqua still wanted to say it, even if he had to fidget with his fingers to do so.
Kaoru, hearing such a considerate line from his two-year-old son, spoke with pride.
"Yeah, our Aqua. Thank you. Because of you, Dad’s got tons of energy now."
"Papa! Ruby will cheer for you too! Do your best~!"
"Wow, Ruby too? Thank you, my daughter. I’m getting so much energy from your and your brother’s support! Aqua, Ruby, Dad loves you both so, so much!"
Not wanting to lose, Ruby immediately sent her own encouragement, and Kaoru answered in an emotional voice.
For the twins alone, his usual indifference completely melted away. Ai tried to suppress her giggles and said,
"Kaoru! I have something to tell you too! Or is this a surprise as well?"
"I love you too. I said it first this time."
"Nooo~ Ah, I love you too. Hmph. Actually, I got cast in a drama as a supporting role!"
"!?"
"?!"
At Ai’s sudden declaration, the twins looked up at their mother in shock at the same time.
Kaoru seemed just as stunned, his voice bursting out of the phone.
"Huh? Really? What drama? When?"
"Wait! You’re asking too many questions. You have to give me time to answer them one by one~"
"Ah, sorry. Are the babies listening too?"
"Yep. Why?"
"Aqua, Ruby! Give Mom a big hug and congratulate her for Dad!"
"Mama!!!"
"Congratulations!"
"Waaah♥"
When the twins, responding to Kaoru’s shout, threw themselves into Ai’s arms, she hugged them tightly with both arms. The warmth tripled, and Ai was so, so happy.
This was [family].
Good things. Happy things. Joyful things.
Sharing them with family was even happier than experiencing them alone.
Her husband’s reaction, happier than if it had been his own news, made her so grateful, and the twins’ hugs made her feel proud and happy too.
Her irreplaceable side. Ai felt the tip of her nose sting and gently touched the twins’ cheeks before giving them each a quick kiss.
"So, whose work is it?"
"Yep! The director whose business card you got a long time ago—wasn’t his name Director [Gotanda Taishi]? I looked it up online, and it’s a work directed by that director!"
Kaoru was silent for a moment, then spoke in an even voice.
"Ah, Director Gotanda Taishi. Right. He’s been working on a school drama. So you’re appearing in that!"
"Huh? You know him too?"
"It’s a drama made by someone I know, after all. I’d heard about it separately. But I really didn’t expect you to be cast in that project. Amazing, Ai. Congratulations! This is your first debut as an [actor], isn’t it?"
"Hehe…☆ Yeah. I think it’ll be fun. I’m nervous, but also excited, I guess? I’ve always only watched Kaoru acting, so it still doesn’t feel real that I’ll be on TV myself."
"You’ll do great. You’re the [ultimate idol], after all. And the mother of our Aqua and Ruby."
Ai met the gaze of Aqua and Ruby, who were looking at her, and smiled.
Yes. Just as Kaoru said, she would do well. The way she always had, the way she had learned. She would become the [ultimate idol] and capture the [camera].
"Yep! I’ll do my best!"
...
After talking a little longer, Kaoru hung up and immediately went to find Director Gotanda’s contact information, almost pressing the call button—
"…Hoo."
He stopped himself. Excited by the fact that Ai was making her first acting debut, he had almost called to ask the director to take good care of her.
Kaoru bit his lip lightly and sat in his chair, thinking it over carefully.
If he suddenly called to say to please take care of Ai, it would become a complete disaster in the literal sense.
Given Director Gotanda’s personality, he probably wouldn’t care much, but on set he might definitely bring up Kaoru’s name to Ai.
Out there, they were acting like a couple who hadn’t even contacted each other since the dating rumor, never once speaking each other’s names through their own mouths.
How could he help? This was his wife’s first debut! He wanted to do something for her.
Should he send a coffee truck to the set anonymously, disguised as a fan, to boost his wife’s morale? Or hand out premium snack sets to the staff and cast?
'Ah! Come to think of it, I didn’t ask how big a supporting role it is.'
There were many levels of supporting roles. A supporting role that appeared in only one episode, one that appeared every episode and helped elevate the leads, one that showed up occasionally to add flavor to the story—the role varied wildly depending on the part.
'…It’s probably her first debut, so the screentime itself won’t be that much. In that case, giving her anything would be difficult. I guess all I can do is cheer her on.'
Having lost the chance to use his connections, Kaoru kept sighing in frustration.
From what he’d learned, that drama also seemed to have actors from powerful agencies competing for the lead roles. Based on his experience with Producer Sojiro, Director Gotanda was probably suffering terribly in the middle of all that too.
Trying to soothe his disappointment, Kaoru sent Ai a long text message.
[Congratulations, Ai. The result of all the effort you’ve put in so far…]
Ai would surely do well. Not only her looks, but even as an actor, the unique [aura] and gaze she gave off had a charm that made anyone watching feel their heart race and flutter.
Even if she hadn’t learned acting separately, that [aura] alone would have let her step into the world of acting without much trouble.
It was a rare opportunity for his wife, who had been born with such genius talent.
But with her unable to move freely and all sorts of restrictions holding her back, Kaoru could only sigh over and over in his own uncharacteristic way, trying to ease his frustration while wanting to support her even a little.
"I should shower."
It was a lonely moment. Deciding to take a shower, Kaoru stood up from his chair and shook off his thoughts.
-
"Phew……."
Director Gotanda, who had dozed off for a moment before waking up, let out a long sigh and clicked his tongue as he checked the casting list sent by the casting director in his email.
His opinion wouldn’t matter anyway. It was a rookie self-promotion drama, after all.
The supporting cast would definitely be from major agencies too. Gotanda opened the neatly separated Word file one by one and checked it with dull, uninterested eyes.
Then, just a few days later, he confirmed the face of the actress who would be playing the role of the heroine’s friend number one.
And then—
Ba-ba-ba-bam. Bam-bam-bam-bam……↗
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, the so-called [Fate Symphony], began ringing in his ears.
The cruel symphony of fate, with its grand and solemn melody.
Director Gotanda leaned back in his chair and stared so intently at the face on the monitor that it seemed almost like a hallucination, matching the melody echoing in his ears.
A familiar face reflected in his eyes. Why, out of all the countless girls, was it this one?
Long purple hair, a cute and pretty face, sparkling starry eyes.
The very profile that anyone who became a fan of the actress named Kamiki Kaoru—or even just learned about him—would inevitably come to know.
"Ha."
Director Gotanda leaned back again and gave a dry laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it.
There was no coincidence like this. The profile on the monitor was…
the member of the idol group [B Komachi], [Ai].
He had wanted to work with that boy so badly, and it seemed God had answered his wish in reverse.
He took out the cigarette pack he had reflexively set down, pulled out a cigarette, put it between his lips, and flicked the lighter.
"Damn it."
Director Gotanda scratched his head hard at the headache-inducing, completely uninspiring situation and clicked his tongue.
He puffed on the cigarette, staring at the girl on the monitor, then closed his eyes and sank into artistic contemplation.
"……."
Then, suddenly seized by artistic impulse, he opened his eyes, straightened up from the backrest, tapped ash into the ashtray, and picked up his phone to find Kaoru’s contact.
Without even a moment of hesitation, Director Gotanda called him. By the time the phone rang three times, the familiar boy’s indifferent voice came through.
"Yes, Director."
Maybe because of the power of nicotine, which was making his head spin.
Director Gotanda felt that Kaoru’s usual indifference had somehow… a slightly raised tension to it.
Was it his imagination? Something felt off.
It was a strange signal that kept brushing against his senses like a bug caught in a spiderweb, but for now Gotanda switched the hands holding the cigarette and the phone and said,
"I thought you’d complain about me calling at this hour."
"No. I just finished my schedule too. What’s up?"
There was something in the voice. Gotanda ignored the growing sense of strangeness and gave a snort of laughter.
"Nothing. Just felt like calling."
"…Did you have something to say?"
"……."
That eerie sense of incongruity brushed his senses again. Kaoru’s question, subtly pressing for an answer.
Gotanda, cigarette hanging from his lips, took a deep drag. Then he suddenly felt an irresistible surge of [curiosity].
His head felt a little foggy, but that didn’t matter.
Gotanda, who had smoked the cigarette all the way down to the filter in one go, crushed it into the ashtray, blew smoke from his nose and mouth, and asked in an indifferent voice,
"Kaoru. You’re still in contact with [Ai] of [B Komachi], right?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. She’s on the supporting cast list."
"…Yes. We talk sometimes. …So she got cast."
Hearing Kaoru’s slow reply, Gotanda’s eyes gleamed. He pulled another cigarette from the pack, put it in his mouth, and lit it.
He needed to boost the nicotine’s awakening effect.
The fact that Kaoru was still in contact with Ai—a detail that would make entertainment reporters faint if they heard it—was absolutely unimportant to Gotanda.
To be honest, whether they were in contact or the dating rumor was fake or real—
even if they were secretly living together, it had nothing to do with him, and he had no interest in it at all.
So this boy, too, must know Gotanda’s personality well and had calmly admitted it without hesitation.
The main target of the sniper named [Fate], as chosen by Gotanda, was the link between Kaoru and Ai that had remained firm even after all those storms.
The justification.
In order to carry out any action in the name of a greater cause, there must be a necessary justification.
But amusingly, one of the things he had learned with age was that a justification is something you make for yourself.
It didn’t need to be grand. It didn’t need to be logical. Even a beautiful-sounding sham was fine.
And so.
"Then how about a cameo appearance?"
"……What?"
Ai’s first reaction to the sudden offer of a cameo was a voice so bewildered it sounded like he had lost all sense of what was going on.
Director Gotanda, who had been looking at the girl on the monitor with a detached expression, blew cigarette smoke through his nose.
His old, stiff brain—doped up with a full charge of nicotine and burning artistic spirit—was running at full speed.
"Honestly, the screentime itself is fine. For a role in a first debut, it’s pretty nice. The visuals are excellent too. But it’ll be on the edge during editing. You’re already at a disadvantage in terms of agency size. The role she’s playing is the heroine’s friend, and you know from working with Director Sojiro that this industry doesn’t run on logical structures."
Without needing to mix in a single lie, if he told Kaoru only the 100 percent facts, the sharp-minded boy who had built his career step by step from the bottom up would already understand exactly what he meant.
Director Gotanda took another drag from the half-burned cigarette and inhaled deeply.
In just a few minutes, he was already on his second cigarette. His head was buzzing from the nicotine booster, and he hadn’t smoked this recklessly in a long time. His old lungs were begging him to stop smoking that damn stuff already.
"Cough-cough—kh! Wha—cough! Cough! Ke—are you going to do it? Cough! From my perspective too, it seems safer to have one insurance policy in place."
Not life insurance, but [Kamiki Kaoru]—you, as insurance.
At the artist Gotanda’s nicotine-charged persuasion, Kaoru’s silence stretched a little longer.
Unaware that he had just achieved the feat of making a genius actor bite at the bait, Gotanda idly spun his mouse with a detached look in his eyes.
The mouse cursor circled over Ai’s eyes.
"If it’s because of [that] issue, then we won’t even run into each other on set anyway. Besides, a common dating rumor from two years ago is nothing compared to the underage scandal of a famous actress that came out yesterday… Though that actress was the one from [Black Rose of the Mastermind], wasn’t she? Hm. What a rotten world."
"……."
The trigger aimed at [Fate] had been pulled, and the bullet…
"…Let me check my schedule for a moment, and I’ll call you back."
Hit exactly.
"!"
Thud—crash!
The call cut off.
Director Gotanda sprang to his feet like a spring, not even noticing the chair topple over, the electric thrill piercing straight through from the top of his head to his testicles and all the way to his little toe.
"Hah!"
The hunter who had finally seized [Fate]! Gotanda threw both arms up in a victory pose and quietly closed his eyes.
Ba-bam-bam-bam……↗
The performance of the first movement of [Symphony No. 5] had finally come to an end.
"……Tsk. I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly. What is this?"
Director Gotanda’s strange muttering echoed quietly through the office.
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