At 10:30, two hours before the articles were published.
Twins came to the hospital room with Miyako. The moment the twins and Ai saw each other, they burst into tears all over again and clung to one another. Aqua, though calmer than Ai and Ruby, eventually ended up wiping tears from his own arms.
Miyako didn’t scold Ai. Instead, she hugged her and comforted her. Ai held Miyako tightly too and apologized, saying she was sorry.
Because of her decision to run out of the concert hall, many people—including President Ichigo and the fans—had suffered serious damage and confusion.
Ai knew that well, so she couldn’t feel at ease. Even so, if that moment came again, she would make the same choice. She was an adult now, and the time had come for her to take responsibility for the choices she made.
But—
"If Ai says she wants to retire or take a break from activities, please stay by her side and comfort her, Miyako. I’ll do everything I can to minimize the rest of the risk."
"...Kaoru."
On the terrace of the VIP ward, a cold breeze drifted in and stirred Miyako and Kaoru’s hair. Miyako let out a long breath and shook her head.
The fans’ outrage had already spiraled out of control, burning so hot that the word fit perfectly.
It was like being stabbed in the back by the very axe you trusted. The fact that Ai, who had captivated fans as the undisputed ace of [B Komachi], had done something so irresponsible was simply unbearable to them.
The fans could not accept it. Of course, there were some who sympathized with Ai as a fan, but they were still a minority.
As someone who understood that clearly, Miyako couldn’t see any real exit strategy for getting through this crisis.
Even if they held a press conference and made a statement, it seemed obvious that either Kaoru or Ai would never be able to step back into the entertainment industry again.
But Kaoru’s thoughts were completely different from Miyako’s—no, from everyone in this world.
"Soon, the media will simultaneously report my marriage to Ai and the existence of the twins."
"...W-what? Whaaat?!"
Shocked by Kaoru’s words, Miyako’s face went pale in an instant.
As if he had expected that reaction, Kaoru explained everything in a detached, almost cold voice.
The rumors were already rampant among reporters, and the two famous news organizations and magazine houses had already started moving in sequence.
And when he explained that he had anticipated all of this and was planning to seize the issue first, taking the upper hand in the battle over the narrative—
"...Haa. Hah. Haa."
Miyako’s legs trembled so badly she could barely stand. Even after hearing everything Kaoru had said, she still couldn’t properly understand it, and didn’t want to accept it either.
This was madness. A gamble that put his life on the line and could never be taken back.
She didn’t know everything about Kaoru, but even if it was him, she thought this time there was no way the fight itself could be made to stand.
But Miyako had misunderstood one thing. Kaoru knew that, and with his usual indifferent smile, he said,
"Miyako. I’m not trying to win."
"......"
"Of course we’ll take damage. Unless you’re an absolute monarch or a dictator, there’s no way around that, no matter who comes in.
"If damage is inevitable, then reducing it as much as possible is also a form of risk management.
"Minimizing the fallout from what’s already happened and calming the situation down is the smartest choice I can make here."
"......So, huh. So what you’re saying, Kaoru, is that this article release is also part of your risk management?"
"Yes. It was going to come out eventually anyway."
With a headache that felt like it might split her skull, Miyako was left speechless, opening and closing her mouth.
She had always thought he was an extraordinary boy, but she never dreamed he’d have nerve that far exceeded her expectations.
"Ai... knows too?"
"Not the details. I only gave her a hint that rumors were circulating and an article would be coming out soon."
"......Kaoru."
"I absolutely do not want her to know what’s going to happen next. Please understand, Miyako."
"......"
In Kaoru’s blue eyes, red [starlight] flared up like flames.
He already knew better than anyone that the time ahead held nothing but a future where she would be hurt.
And yet—
As Miyako stared into those blue eyes, filled only with the conviction that he would never let anyone stand in the way of his wife’s [dream] and [happiness], she suddenly let out a deep sigh.
It was a strange mix of emotions. She felt sorry for Ai, who had to suffer while living with such a terrifying man, and yet at the same time, she felt reassured that if he was that terrifying, then he would surely take responsibility for Ai and their children and live well with them for the rest of his life.
"Fine. In this situation, there’s nothing else to do but trust you. What’s done is done."
"Thank you, Miyako."
Kaoru, standing against the cold wind, caught Miyako by the shoulder as she swayed from the shock.
Her right hand was injured, but Miyako didn’t refuse his support. Rather, she couldn’t refuse. She was that exhausted.
When they went back into the hospital room, Rentaro had apparently just arrived as well, and he set a neatly wrapped box on the table, looking like he had bought expensive snacks for the twins and Ai.
"Ah, ma’am..."
"Please, just call me team leader. Really."
Rentaro used the honorific "ma’am" for Miyako, Ichigo’s wife, but every time she heard that awkward form of address, it made her cringe so hard she begged him not to call her that.
He was much older than her, so why did he also look so young? Being around him made him look like a coworker, which was even more uncomfortable. She worried people would look at them strangely.
"Ah, yes... Right, Kaoru. The wrap-up is done. The results should be out soon."
"Yeah. Good work, Brother. Thanks."
Rentaro’s face looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept all night, and dark circles sat beneath his eyes, but his gaze was sharp. Kaoru smiled at him in thanks for all the trouble he’d gone through.
Miyako, who had been leaning on Kaoru’s support, waved a hand as if to say she was fine and sat down in the chair by the table to catch her breath.
Compared to her husband, who was probably swamped at the company, she felt like the most exhausted person in the world at that moment.
Rentaro glanced at Miyako’s half-dead face, wet his dry lips with a little saliva, and cleared his throat before saying,
"Kaoru. Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure."
"Kaoru!!! Your coat!!! What if you catch a cold!"
"That’s right, Papa! You’ll catch a cold!"
Not missing a beat, Ai pointed at the coat hanging on the rack, her starlit eyes sparkling as she shouted.
Ruby chimed in too, climbing down from her chair and toddling over to tug at Kaoru’s coat hanging on the rack, grunting with effort as she tried to pull it down.
Kaoru smiled at their adorable concern and stroked Ruby’s head.
"Thanks, Ruby. I’ll make sure to wear my coat, just like Mama and Ruby said."
"Mm-hm!"
Rentaro lifted the coat for Kaoru and draped it over his shoulders in place of his injured hand.
As Kaoru straightened the coat with his left hand, Ai, who had been munching on snacks, looked at the TV and suddenly lit up.
"Waaah—baby, so cuteee♥"
"?"
Kaoru turned toward the TV.
A commercial was playing, showing a cute little baby being held in the arms of a woman who looked like its mother, smiling brightly and waving its tiny arms around.
The emotional music and the mother’s smile as she looked at the baby stirred the feelings of Kaoru and Ai, who had raised the twins from when they were newborns.
Kaoru recalled the marketing theory lecture he’d heard in his general education class.
He had to admit that the so-called "3B" strategy—using a Baby, a Beast, or a Beauty as an ad model to stir public emotions and spark interest—had worked exactly as intended.
Even after the commercial ended, Ai kept blinking her wistful, starlit eyes and looked at Aqua and Ruby, who were eating snacks, with a tender voice.
"Aqua and Ruby were that small once too."
"......They’ve grown a lot. They’re already four. Next year, wow, they’ll be five already."
"Yeah. If they grow up too fast, I think... I might feel a little lonely."
At Ai’s downcast words, Kaoru smiled and nodded.
That was right. He wanted the beautiful twins to grow up quickly, and yet when they did, he’d feel sad that he’d never be able to see this adorable side of them again.
He wanted time to move slowly.
So—Kaoru thought of the digital camera at the Saito family home...
"Ah!"
A flash of inspiration struck Kaoru’s mind.
Rentaro, Ai, Miyako, and the twins all looked at him and tilted their heads.
Kaoru, who had suddenly cried out, let his blue eyes dart around as he thought hard about something.
Snap
Kaoru snapped his fingers and said to Miyako,
"Miyako. Sorry, but could you come outside and talk with me again? Brother too."
"Huh? Again?"
"Uh, y-yeah."
As Kaoru stepped out of the hospital room, Rentaro immediately followed, and Miyako slowly came out after them.
Ai, still munching on snacks, waved both arms at the people who had once again left her behind and shouted playfully,
"...I want to join the secret meeting too~!"
"Ruby too! Ruby too!"
"......"
—
At 12:50 p.m.
Once the shocking article was published, both online and offline exploded with reaction.
"- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"
In the comment section of the magazine’s online article, the first comment—a scream from one netizen—racked up tens of thousands of likes within ten minutes.
On Twitter, the real-time trending list from number one through number ten was entirely made up of trends about Kaoru and Ai.
"- This is even creepier than The Usual Suspects."
"- This crosses the line."
"- Holy shit, the world’s first married idol with a kid?"
"- A student council president with a wife and kids, lol. He really went off the rails."
"- He should’ve just been stabbed to death."
"- What face do either of them have left to come back?"
"- Actor and idol. People who make a living off popularity and attention really thought they could lie to us like this?"
"- So that’s why she ran all the way to the emergency room, lol. If her husband dies, she’s stuck as a widow with kids for life."
"- I’m honestly shocked."
"- If she canceled the concert and ran off like that, then I can kind of understand the marriage registration."
"- Honestly, I thought the two of them looked good together. I never thought it would be real."
"- Am I the only one who thought that if Kaoru had retired, I wanted them to really date? Dreams do come true, lol."
"- Show us the twins’ faces too. If they look like Kaoru and Ai, they might be angels?"
"- If they’re happy, isn’t that fine? Way better than hearing about trashy people cheating and getting drunk and causing scandals."
"- Seeing that they filed a lawsuit to confirm the existence of a biological parent-child relationship, I guess they were probably going to hold a press conference eventually even without the bladed attack."
"- What did the agency heads do wrong?"
On Twitter, videos and photos kept being uploaded in real time of Kaoru’s posters and merchandise, and Ai’s posters, albums, and merchandise, being burned and smashed.
"- DIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (5.0k likes / 10k retweets)
A male user famous in the [B Komachi] fan community poured gasoline over his room, which was decorated with Ai’s posters and merchandise, and set it on fire. Within five minutes, the video had surpassed 5,000 likes and 10,000 retweets.
Although the video was quickly deleted under platform policy because it contained antisocial content, it had already spread everywhere and caused a huge shock.
Thanks to that, Twitter’s servers became unstable, causing outages and lag, and the whole site descended into chaos.
Cable broadcasters even stopped their regular programming entirely, flashed emergency breaking news, and began covering the shocking news about Kaoru and Ai with reporters and panelists.
"Uh... just now, breaking news—more breaking news has come in, right? Critic Takagi, how do you see this case right now?"
"Well, if that report about them having twins is true, then of course fans are going to feel betrayed and furious. Still, can we really judge it morally? As parents and as adults, taking responsibility for their children is only natural, after all."
"Next news item. Popular actor Kamiki Kaoru and popular idol Ai..."
"...There are a great many breaking reports coming in right now about..."
"In the case of a lawsuit to confirm the existence of a biological parent-child relationship, the family register—right now, from the family register of the representative couple of Ichigo Production, it would be moved under the Kamiki couple’s family register. Yes, the couple’s family register."
"...Just how far should a public figure’s private life be protected..."
"The important thing is that trust has collapsed, isn’t it? How much will fans and the general public ultimately tolerate and accept..."
"Raising even one baby is hard enough, but even though they had twins, they didn’t go through abortion or adoption procedures. As parents, we absolutely should not criticize the fact that they took responsibility and raised them diligently from the time they were young students..."
"On the contrary, I think this is a positive issue. Setting fandom aside, fandom is fandom, but from the perspective of public opinion as a whole, there are controversies, yes, but morally this is absolutely not something with a stain on it. If anything, morally speaking, and in a way, it’s something that should be applauded by social standards..."
At 1:30 p.m., one hour after 12:30, several media outlets began pouring out exclusive reports again.
< Was this a struggle to protect his family? Kamiki Kaoru’s admission to the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law revisited >
< [Exclusive] We asked Kaisei High School graduates... "He was the best friend. I’ll support him to the end." >
< "If that was what Kaoru-kun did, there must have been a reason." Kaisei High School staff rush to send messages of support >
< [Exclusive] "He said he was happy to have built a family... that really stayed with me" ... heartfelt recollection from the nurse who cared for Ai >
< Was it a decision made to protect a beloved lover? Kamiki Kaoru’s sudden retirement revisited >
< Even a lawsuit to confirm the existence of a biological parent-child relationship? The legal world says, "He made the decision as a parent and took responsibility" - Kamiki Kaoru ♥ Ai couple >
"- Honestly, getting into the University of Tokyo while raising kids is something I have to respect."
"- Wow... so this was why Ai suddenly dropped out of high school."
"- Ai was in the class next door, and I’m kind of sad I never got her autograph."
"- My friend graduated from Kaisei, and they said Kamiki Kaoru was insanely good at studying. But he was also living with kids?"
"- ㄴ My older sister works there and got a free autograph. Took a photo too, lol."
"- The alumni association is out in full force, lol. This is exactly why the country’s elite’s disgusting academic pedigree and network power work so well. They go crazy for Tokyo University."
"- ㄴ So what high school did you go to? What university? Or are you on your nth attempt?"
"- ㄴ Re: How many times your mom met another man besides your dad"
"- Ai-chan having that figure even after giving birth to twins is absolutely insane, lol."
"- Check whether the nurse took bribes or not."
"- Cheer for them or don’t, lol."
"- I’m very surprised that both of them managed to raise twins while living such busy lives. (120th day of parenting)"
"- If he really gave up his entire career and retired, then as a man I respect that. But honestly, he shouldn’t have come back."
"- My mom only found out about Ai this time, and she’s really heartbroken that Ai gave birth to twins and kept working."
"- ㄴ My dad had me when he was young too. At first he cursed them for not thinking it through, but now he’s on their side."
"- Having to live while hiding your own children—those little kids couldn’t have been at ease either, right?"
"- This is getting too heated. Lying to fans was wrong, but having children, loving them, and filing a marriage registration is not a crime."
"- ㄴ Sir. Go out and play with your kids. Don’t butt in without reading the room."
"- ㄴ Re: You rude bastard. Do you talk to your parents like that too?"
"- Both of them are incredibly responsible. They just did what parents are supposed to do. What did the babies do wrong?"
"- I’m starting to lose track here. There’s a huge breaking story every hour."
As one piece of news after another exploded, more and more netizens began voicing fatigue. The truths revealed in less than twenty-four hours had caused a massive ripple effect.
As the hidden background details were gradually exposed, the questions that had followed Kaoru and Ai began to be resolved, and sympathy started to emerge little by little.
Some members of the public, already sick of celebrity cheating scandals and lurid private-life exposés, began to stop criticizing Kaoru and Ai and instead took a more cautious stance in response to their mature, responsible behavior at the height of their popularity.
However, the dominant current of public opinion was still one of criticism toward Ai and Kaoru.
As rumors spread that companies and advertisers were also beginning to make their decisions one by one—
At 2:30 p.m.
■ YouTube
< The days of happiness and joy we can never forget, from their newborn baby days. >
Video description: (none)
On the official YouTube channel whose account had been verified under Kamiki Kaoru’s name, never-before-seen footage of the twins as newborn babies was released to the public for the first time.
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