Four hours before the YouTube video was uploaded.
"Phew."
"Ugh."
Rentarou and Miyako, who had just come back from an intense meeting outside about Kaoru’s plan, rubbed their wind-chilled cheeks and ears as they entered the hospital room.
Their expressions were even more serious than before they left. It wasn’t because the discussion had gone badly, but because they were burdened by the risks they would face if things went wrong after hearing Kaoru’s plan.
In the process, the three of them had shared data from their respective agencies on the age groups of the major fanbases and on marketing strategy.
In Ai’s case, since she was an idol, the main age group was mostly teens and people in their twenties, followed by people in their thirties and a small number in their forties. The gender ratio was 85 percent male and 15 percent female.
In Kaoru’s case, because he was an actor and appeared frequently in media, his age distribution was more even than Ai’s. Of course, the twenties, thirties, and forties were all more or less neck and neck, and the gender ratio was 45 percent male to 55 percent female.
Kaoru thought to himself.
It wasn’t right this second, but it was a certainty that the influence of video platforms like YouTube would eventually rise to the point where they could shake the status of the traditional, once-dominant legacy media.
(Rentarou was skeptical, but Miyako, surprisingly, understood and sympathized with that point to some extent.)
Even now, smartphones were spreading rapidly, and along with Nico Nico Douga, YouTube was already one of the most famous video platforms around.
His plan was to use the official Kaoru account to directly release videos and photos of Aqua and Ruby, the babies that fit one of marketing theory’s “3B” categories—Baby—and use them on YouTube and other platforms as part of an emotional marketing strategy to turn public opinion.
In fact, right now, interest and curiosity toward the twins were exploding at an exponential rate. So the plan was to use a platform that could reach the public more directly than the media, and to harness the active social media use of Ai’s core fanbase in their teens and twenties together with Kaoru’s more evenly distributed fanbase in their twenties, thirties, and forties to shape public opinion both online and offline.
Depending on whether it succeeded or failed, it would be heaven or hell. The outcome was certain to split sharply in one direction or the other.
"Haa."
"Hoo."
Rentarou and Miyako, their stomachs burning, bit their lips and looked at the twins playing happily with their mother on the hospital bed.
How many life-or-death bets had they already made in less than twenty-four hours? The feeling that their hair might start falling out in clumps made them sigh without meaning to.
Kaoru took off his coat, hung it on the rack, and sat down in the chair beside Ai’s bed to explain in detail the plan they had all discussed.
"So... you’re going to upload videos from when Aqua and Ruby were babies first? And you want my permission?"
"Yes. Ai is my wife and Aqua and Ruby’s mother. Of course I need your permission. And I’ll ask Aqua and Ruby too."
Kaoru smiled at the twins, who were looking up at him with bright, attentive eyes. They were still little, but they were smart kids, so they would understand what he was trying to say.
Ai fell into deep thought, very seriously, bringing a hand to her chin. Her beautiful eyebrows curved upward in an inverted V, and she even frowned between them.
Kaoru watched his wife’s solemn expression and swallowed dryly. Well, if this failed, there would definitely be personal attacks against the twins and people would accuse them of exploiting their children, so it made sense for Ai to be cautious...
"I want to do it-☆"
Ai finished thinking in just five seconds, her starlit eyes sparkling as she raised both arms high in the air in a victory pose.
Kaoru blinked blankly for a moment, then asked in surprise, "...Huh? Really? That easily?"
At her husband’s question, Ai smiled brightly and patted Aqua and Ruby’s heads over and over as she said, "Yep! I want everyone to see Aqua and Ruby’s "baby-baby☆ cuteness" properly~☆ I’m sure everyone will be so charmed by how adorable our babies are that their eyes will sparkle too! The comments will probably be full of heart emojis~!"
......
Well, if that was the reason, then he could agree too... though that wasn’t the main purpose... or was it included too?
Kaoru was briefly thrown off by his wife’s oddness and bright smile. He scratched his head and asked the twins, who were looking at him.
"Aqua, Ruby. Are you two okay with Dad uploading photos and videos from when you were little up until a few days ago? Is that all right?"
"Yes! Since Mama wants to do it, Ruby agrees!"
"...I agree too. Like Dad said, I’m sure it’ll have good results."
At Ruby’s cute answer and Aqua’s composed one, Kaoru smiled and nodded.
He had worried that his wife and the twins might start by worrying, but he was deeply grateful for how much his family trusted him.
Now that he had their consent, Kaoru turned to Miyako and said, "Miyako."
"Mm-hm. I’ve already stored all the SD cards and backed up all the materials. All we need is the external hard drive. As for the video editing..."
"I’ll do it."
When Rentarou raised his hand, Miyako looked at him with a slightly doubtful expression and said, "President, aren’t you busy?"
"...I’ve edited videos for actors under my agency before. The views weren’t great, but... editing baby footage shouldn’t be hard, right? I just need to lay in some BGM—something emotional, sensitive, and free of copyright issues."
"Then please handle that, Brother. As for company work... let’s ask Rumiko to cover for a bit."
She had once been the accountant, but now she had become Rentarou’s right hand. She should be more than capable of filling in for the president for a little while.
At Kaoru’s words, Rentarou nodded and clapped once. "Then let’s get started!"
-
Time passed to 2:40 p.m. Ten minutes after the video was released on YouTube, the view count had already surged past 200,000, so overwhelmingly fast that YouTube’s counting system even showed a temporary freezing phenomenon.
■ YouTube
< Their Baby Days. Unforgettable days of happiness and joy. >
Views 200,544 / Likes 24,000 / Dislikes 945
From the very first moment, the cute thumbnail showing the two smiling, adorable twins seized people’s attention.
Miyako had thrown it together in Photoshop, which she had only learned in a hurry, but as the old saying goes, art comes from a moment of inspiration, and it was a perfect thumbnail that harmonized beautifully with the video.
As soon as the video began, soft, emotional piano accompaniment played in the background and the babies’ adorable infant images filled the screen.
Babble-bua
Taa...
The twins’ faces, as if all the best features of Kaoru and Ai had been gathered together and combined, and their bright smiles toward the camera delivered a thrilling cuteness that struck straight at human instinct.
Haaahm...
When Aqua opened his tiny mouth, scrunched up his face, and yawned, Ruby beside him followed her big brother and yawned too, just as adorably.
The way their chubby cheeks stretched out and their little eyebrows scrunched up was nothing short of fantastic.
Are you still filming?
Though it was four years ago, the owner of that same indifferent voice from now. When Kaoru’s voice came from off-screen, Miyako turned the camera and filmed him.
Kaoru looked a little younger and a little shorter than he did now. His hair was shorter too, but his trademark cool, detached impression was even stronger.
Leaning against the wall, Kaoru let out a small laugh and walked over, bending down to lightly tickle Aqua and Ruby’s cheeks as they rested in the baby bed.
I’m Dad. Ah, they’re so soft. Haha.
Pick them up, Kaoru!
I just fed them and laid them down a moment ago?
Ai-chan held them and they didn’t cry, did they?
Really? Hmm~ then I’ll hold Ruby. Aqua doesn’t seem to like me very much. He turns his head away whenever he looks at me...
At Kaoru’s dejected voice, Miyako burst out laughing and said from off-camera, Pffft— babies always like their mom more.
Haa, I should spend more time with them. Ouch— Ruby~ Dad’s going to hold you. It’s okay~
Waaah— waaah
The young father’s sincere smile as he held baby Ruby. The moment his daughter whimpered even a little, that cold, indifferent face changed in countless ways and was happily dyed with love and affection.
Even though he was a genius actor who had swept up countless awards at a young age and made his first film a box-office success.
Even though he had never shown much variety in emotion, not even in official appearances, always wearing that blunt, cold indifference.
Just like the many expressions he had only ever shown in TV and film.
The sight of him holding Ruby, smiling happily toward the camera and chatting casually with Miyako as a father, delivered an enormous shock to the public.
Then the screen changed again as Ruby started crying just ten seconds after Kaoru held her, and—
Hee...☆
Ai, with her understated beauty, was feeding Aqua from a bottle filled with breast milk, and she smiled with her usual bright cheer.
She wasn’t wearing makeup, and of course her hair and other styling were untouched, but her glossy, cute, beautiful face shone all the more naturally because of its plainness.
Ai, whose face was a little younger than it was now, smiled at Miyako filming her, then lowered her head and looked at Aqua, who was sucking on the bottle, and said with overflowing love, "Aqua, you were hungry, huh~?"
Suck, suck... hee...
"Eeeee! He smiled!"
"Waaah! Did you get that just now!?"
As Ai, her starlit eyes sparkling, spoke to Miyako behind the camera, the image shook as if Miyako had nodded and her voice came through.
"Yep. Got it. Oh my goodness— so cute! Peekaboo! That’s the best time for the milk Mama gives you!"
Suck, suck...
Aqua’s cute, lovable little face as he worked the bottle filled the screen.
Ai’s maternal smile, with her long purple hair tied back in one bundle by a hair tie, was a true mother’s expression, one infused with love and affection that stood in 180 degrees contrast to her usual bright, cheerful idol image.
And that made the public remember, all at once, the warm love of a mother that everyone had once experienced and kept buried deep inside.
When Miyako turned the camera, Kaoru was shown leaning against the wall, watching quietly with a bitter, jealous look and a faint smile.
The public had never imagined that someone with such a cold image would reveal emotions so openly, staring at his son suckling a bottle in his mother’s arms.
Then Kaoru’s gaze turned toward the camera, the screen changed, and ten photos from Aqua and Ruby’s baby days slowly passed by before the video ended.
It was only a short six-minute video, but the reaction was explosive beyond measure, causing an enormous ripple.
- ♥♥♥♥♥So cute♥♥♥♥♥
- Too cute♥♥♥
- lovely babies. It's so adorable.♥♥♥
- Aquamarine and Ruby? Who named them with Monster Hunter-style names like that, lol
- You should get at least 90 points just for not naming your daughter Princess Peach.
- For some reason, I feel like if I got a quest in Zelda, I’d have to take these two babies with me.
- Se parece mucho a su padre y a su madre. El bebé ve la cara de los padres. ♥♥♥ (^♥^)
- Don’t you know you’ll be punished for making money off your kids?
ㄴ Ugh... Aren’t you embarrassed to say that to babies?
ㄴ How unloved did you have to grow up to say something like that? (151 more replies)
- I burst into tears while watching this video... They’re such cute, lovely babies♥♥♥ It reminded me of my mother, who passed away and went to heaven not long ago. The way they love their children really hit home, and I cried for a long time... Even though they’re so young, they’re embracing and loving the twins as parents like this, and it hurts to see them getting so much criticism. I support your love, both of you. (1,600 likes / 36 more replies)
- I want to get married, damn it.
- Ai is holding a baby and smiling... It’s not the fake fan-service smile she used to force out back then, it’s a smile full of sincerity.
ㄴ 100% the same smile she made when she saw a baby during otagei
- These babies look kind of familiar... what is this?
- They’re so cute, I’m dying from how hard I’m smilingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ!! My cheeks are literally ascending to heavenㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
- Children are a blessing in themselves. Becoming a parent means becoming an adult. Kamiki Kaoru and Ai became parents while still minors, but they have already become more mature adults than anyone else. My support and applause for their love and devotion. (884 likes / 14 more replies)
- Wow... honestly, if they’d been ugly I was ready to trash them and hit dislike. I couldn’t take it and hit subscribe instead lolololol Aqua & Ruby, grow up healthy!!!
- The baby’s mother Ai is insanely beautiful.
ㄴ You socially maladjusted pervert
- Kaoru-kun is sooooo handsome♥♥♥ Aqua-chan’s eyes are exactly like his dad’s, they’re the spitting image♥♥♥
- My sister-in-law just gave birth recently, and she really looked exactly like Ai when she was feeding the baby. That’s not something you can fake with acting.
- I was angry... but now I’m not angry anymore... I feel weird...
- Please upload more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I liked and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Kaoru-kun, you should support Ruby-chan’s neck a little more when you hold her!!!!!!
ㄴ What are you talking about? He’s holding her perfectly so her neck doesn’t flop back. Don’t act like you know better.
- My heart feels so calm and soft ^^... Becoming a parent at such a young age is like a miracle, proof that happiness came to them that much earlier. The hardships they’re going through now will become memories someday. I support you.
- Why am I crying...
ㄴ Me too...
- Just seeing Aqua-chan’s milk smile got my report assignment done in no time. Thanks, Aqua-chan~ ^3^) b
- Wow... I thought Ai had plastic surgery, but she didn’t? Her bare face is insane lol
- Kamiki’s obnoxious personality is actually a lot better now.
There were comments of all kinds, but the majority were praise for the twins’ adorable looks and messages of surprise and support for the candid, sincere side of Kaoru and Ai as parents four years ago, something they had never shown in the media.
Twitter had already seen the top of its real-time trends replaced by keywords related to the YouTube video.
The YouTube video spread to other sites, along with GIFs and photos.
The media and TV stations also kept broadcasting live by capturing screenshots from the YouTube video and using them as reference footage.
< Surprise twin reveal on YouTube... their cute, adorable looks melt hearts >
< Ai feeding her son from a bottle and Kaoru smiling while holding his daughter. Video of their harmonious family life becomes a hot topic >
< "Their Baby Days" surpasses 700,000 views just 30 minutes after release. Can family sentiment break the crisis? >
< Public reaction splits sharply... sympathy grows stronger... applause and support pour in for the young parents’ love >
< Love can happen! You can have kids! Honest YouTube comments become a hot topic >
< What now? Companies and advertisers are agonizing... YouTube video release sparks a bright reaction? >
< Babies are invincible by nature... the hidden secret of advertising concealed within cuteness >
"Ah... right now, on the screen, yes. It’s up. It’s been released now? The video has been posted to Kamiki’s official YouTube channel, and..."
"I think this is a very trend-savvy way of steering public opinion. I’d evaluate this video as..."
"...And on the other hand, in a situation where the public has been growing increasingly exhausted by the entertainment industry’s over-the-top affairs and, well, various scandals and incidents that clash with their image, a video like this showing parental love and responsibility, along with the adorable childhood of the twins..."
"Some people are saying this was rushed out to cover things up and that it’s just a paternity lawsuit. But if you look at the video, the time stamp is four years ago, right? That was when Kamiki had retired and Ai had stopped activities... So, really, what kind of parent would exploit their children and have this ready four years in advance..."
"Morally, they certainly lied to their fans and did something wrong, but still, well..."
"It can probably reach not just the fandom, but also young adults who are about to get married and have children, middle-aged people in their forties like me, and even people in their fifties. The fact that they raised them with responsibility and love is something I personally think deserves a high evaluation, especially when low birthrates are such a major national and social issue right now."
......
......
As the world was shaken once again, Kaoru and Rentarou, who had been watching the view count carefully on the laptop in the hospital room, leaned back in their chairs and exhaled at the same time.
Then, as if they had agreed in advance, they looked at each other and said at the same time, "It worked."
"Kyahhh, so cute♥"
"Ruby, I want to see the other videos too! Show me the other ones!"
"...This is my life now."
Ai, sparkling with starlit eyes as she cheered, Ruby shouting for more videos, and Aqua seriously considering throwing himself into the blankets in embarrassment over seeing his younger self.
Even the video’s own stars were showing wildly different reactions.
Kaoru patted Rentarou on the shoulder and said, "Please take care of the next video too, Brother."
"...?"
Rentarou tilted his head, suddenly struck by the eerie feeling that he had become an editing slave.
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