The twins’ video was released, and within two hours it had broken 3 million views, setting a remarkable record.
Far from dropping over time, the view count and mentions kept surging upward. Riding the algorithm, people all over the world watched the video, left comments in their own languages, and cheered for the twins’ happiness and for Kaoru and Ai as a couple.
The shocking news of their marriage had somehow been buried under a new, hotter topic: the sudden reveal of the twins. People were clamoring to see more of the twins’ cute, adorable faces.
And then, at 5:30 p.m., three hours after the YouTube video had been uploaded to Kaoru’s official channel.
■ YouTube
< First Steps. The Days of Happiness and Joy That Can Never Be Forgotten, Part 2. >
※ 60 minutes until premiere
When the video was uploaded so it would be released after sixty minutes instead of immediately, the public waiting for the twins’ video erupted in a mix of complaints about having to wait and excitement at the chance to see them.
Even before it had been released, as soon as the news broke, nearly 30,000 people had already crowded in and were noisily demanding that the doors be opened.
- Waaaaaaaaaah!!!
- I installed the YouTube app just for this.
- I’m so excited!!!
- They showed up and immediately became a disruptive species threatening the YouTube ecosystem.
- No, seriously, can you please just release it now??? T_T
- I can walk my dog and come back to watch this~
- No apology, just profiting off the kids wwwww
- Honestly, make a Facebook too... Ai only uses Twitter, so why not Facebook? Upload some pictures of the babies!!!!
- Wow~ not releasing it right away and making us wait sixty minutes. This teasing is insane.
- I’m really looking forward to it too (YouTube Official)
- ?
- ????
- What?
- Why are you there?
When even the YouTube administrator couldn’t resist chiming in, the excitement burned even hotter. At last, the long-awaited sixty minutes passed, and the video was released.
■ YouTube
< First Steps. The Days of Happiness and Joy That Can Never Be Forgotten, Part 2. >
A piano BGM with a slightly lighter, more cheerful feel than the first episode played, and the first thing to appear was Aqua and Ruby, now a little older than newborns and able to sit on the bed.
They still had their plump baby cheeks, but viewers clutched their chests at the sight of them wearing baby clothes printed with cute blue and pink puppy designs and waving both hands around.
【 Taa! 】
【 Taa~ 】
Aqua sat quietly with a pacifier in his mouth, staring at the camera with a sullen expression, while Ruby waved at the camera with bright, lovely eye-smiles.
Even though they were twin siblings, each one had their own distinct charm. Miyako, filming with a digital camera, spoke in an excited voice.
【 Do you like Ai? Is she pretty? 】
【 Hngh-! Hih-! Hee-! 】
【 Kyaaa!! 】
At Ruby’s adorable, coquettish laugh, Miyako’s delighted voice burst out.
Kaoru’s blond hair and face and smile, so much like Ai’s. Ruby’s lovable, cute laughter, her chubby baby cheeks, and the pacifier in her mouth made viewers rush to the comments again.
- I’m sleeping here.
- Recruiting members for the "Akurubi" auntie squad (1/9999)
- There’s no room in the "Akurubi" uncle squad. I’m the only member.
- Rubyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!
- Wow, she’s so pretty
- Even as a baby, her eyes are so bright and her double eyelids are so deep? She really has Ai’s eyes.
- Her nose is exactly like Kamiki’s. The siblings’ noses are basically a copy of Kamiki Kaoru’s.
- If this is before her first birthday, how pretty must she be now that she’s four?
- My daughter was that cute too once...
- Ah, I’m tearing up
- Aqua is a dead ringer for Kaoru, and Ruby is a dead ringer for Ai, wow;
- This family’s DNA should be protected by law (serious-face emoji)
【 Pweeeeh~ 】
Right after Ruby’s sweet smile, the screen cut to Aqua crying because he was hungry.
When the screen came back, it showed Kaoru sitting on a sofa holding the twins and staring intently at the TV.
The twins, too, strained their eyes and glared at the television. Their chubby mouths were clamped shut as they stared at the screen.
What on earth were they watching?
At the time, Miyako had been secretly filming with her digital camera while munching on chocolate cake. What moment was this?
As viewers wondered, a familiar voice finally came from the TV.
【 Hello! I’m Ai from B Komachi! 】
【 Taa, taaaah!!!!! Taah! 】
【 Ah! The necklace on her hand! 】
【 Taaah-aaaah! 】
【 Mom is pretty, right? 】
【 Taa- tada! 】
【 Tadaaa- taa! 】
The three of them all widened their eyes at the same time and stared at Ai’s comeback stage from "Sign Is B" on the TV.
In particular, Kaoru couldn’t even keep his mouth closed as he grinned and stared blankly at the screen. The twins shouted their own cute babbles, excitedly flailing both hands around.
The video even cut ahead for a moment—
【 Tadatat! Tadat! Tatta! 】
【 Hup! Tadat! Tatta! 】
【 Ah! 】
To the song from "Sign Is B" playing on the TV, the twins waved their arms and wriggled their bodies at the same time, as if doing otagei. Kaoru, startled by the astonishing sight, was shown breaking into a smile.
Viewers could only cover their mouths and doubt their own eyes.
- Hey, what is this?!
- This is insane
- Ah!!!!!!! I remember now!!!!! Aren’t they those "otagei babies"?! The otagei babies!!!
- Wait, could it be those otagei babies?
- The ones I saw on Twitter
- So that’s why Ai fell for them www
- They’re too cuteeeeeee ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
- Their love for their mother is incredible!?
- Sooooooooo cute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ XD !!!!!
- Hey, Kamiki. Did it never once occur to you that your kids were a little unusual?
- This is no time to laugh, you idiot.
- So it wasn’t just the fans who watched the comeback broadcast.
- Cuuuuuuute!
- Damn, Ai said the fan who sent her that letter was named 『Kaoru』, but that guy was really Kamiki Kaoru
On Twitter, the "otagei babies" video began spreading again at lightning speed, but the video kept going.
It cut to the next scene, and at the bottom of the screen, rounded, adorable text appeared: "It’s Aqua and Ruby’s first birthday!"
The twins moved on to the first-birthday ceremony. Ruby appeared on screen with a rice cake tied to her back and an expression that said she was utterly fed up.
【 Ruby! Come to Mama! 】
【 Taaahhhhhhhhh?!?!?! 】
When Ai clapped and opened her arms, Ruby’s eyes sparkled and she showed off a surprising sprinting ability, running forward on her short, plump little legs.
Ruby, now in her mother’s arms, let out a fierce roar.
【 Taaah-aaaah! Mama! Mama!!!!!!!! 】
【 Kyaaaaaaa-♥ Ruby! You did great! I knew you could do it! You’ll grow up healthy and never get sick from now on! That’s my daughter! 】
【 Now! Aqua! Come to Daddy! 】
While his sister was roaring, Aqua looked at Kaoru, who was clapping with an unmotivated expression. But in the video, Kaoru bit his lip hard and encouraged his son, cheering him on and giving him courage.
【 As you go through life, there’ll be plenty of trials harder than this! There’ll be times you want to collapse. But your dad will always be here in front of you! Aqua! You can do it! 】
【 Taaah-! 】
Was Kaoru’s sincere heart getting through to him? Aqua’s eyes suddenly blazed in the video, and he sprang to his feet with all his strength, running forward on his plump little legs.
But shockingly, instead of ending up in Kaoru’s arms, Aqua ended up in Ai’s arms, where she had secretly opened hers from behind her husband....
【 Kyaaaaaaaa-♥ Aqua~! Good job! Good job! Mama knew you could do it! You’re amazing, amazing♥ 】
【 Taaahhhhhhh! Cough! Taaahhhhh! 】
Aqua’s cute cough after roaring like a gold medalist in the Olympic 100-meter dash and then choking on it.
As Kaoru crumbled into pure white ash on screen, the number of live viewers on the premiere shot up in an instant.
The YouTube server lagged and shut down for a moment, but because the company had anticipated a server crash from excessive traffic and taken precautions, it was restored quickly.
And then, when it came to the "erabi tori," the first-birthday picking ceremony—
【 Tadatadada! 】
【 Y-you picked the microphone?! 】
【 Kyaaaaaaa♥ Ruby! Did you want to become an idol like Mama?! Mmm~?! 】
Along with Ai’s delighted expression as she hugged Ruby, who had picked up the microphone with her tiny hand—
【 Taa. 】
【 Ah, Aqua! My son! 】
And with Kaoru’s unbelievable sight of hugging Aqua, who had casually chosen a theater pamphlet, as if happier than winning the World Cup and then flopping onto the floor in triumph.
The public was once again swept up in the same tremendous shock as four hours earlier.
The twins’ cute and adorable growth, their many expressions and emotions, the way they walked around at their first-birthday party and made their parents laugh—
and the astonishing video of Kaoru and Ai, like any other parents, spending time with their children and showing off all kinds of happy, loving moments.
- This family... what on earth are they? (Likes 5600 / 98 replies)
Apparently exhausted from being shocked, a short one-line comment packed with so many emotions rose to the top of the comments in just five minutes after crossing 5,600 likes.
By now, it had been about 27 hours since the breaking news that Kaoru had gone to the emergency room.
The public had already lost interest in the issue of Kaoru and Ai’s marriage and the twins’ birth, and in their minds it already felt like something from long ago.
The media, cable broadcasts, and even terrestrial news...
" Good evening. This is Sunday’s 6 o’clock News. Kamiki Kaoru and Ai, the married couple, have become a hot topic after revealing their twins on their YouTube channel... "
< "And they’re this cute...!" Kamiki Kaoru♥Ai couple’s twin video surpasses 4 million views >
< "The adorable twins celebrating their first birthday and the delighted couple"... Why they’re confronting the controversy head-on >
" An unprecedented event is happening. Mr. Kamiki Kaoru and Ms. Ai. Even after the shocking news about the top-star couple, the reaction has been incredibly intense now that the twins have been revealed. "
" ...The YouTube server even went down for a while, showing just how huge the response was... "
" I think the government is probably watching this very closely as well. If this couple appeared in a government campaign or advertisement to encourage childbirth, the promotional effect would be enormous, of course... "
Already calling Kaoru and Ai a "married couple," the media had shifted its focus away from Kaoru and Ai as individuals and was now reporting them as a family: Kaoru, Ai, and the twins.
They quickly judged that the advantage of the original scandal—hiding the fact that Kaoru and Ai were married—had already begun to fade, and instead started centering the twins.
Given the media’s nature of reporting whatever information the public wanted, only twenty-four hours had passed, yet one major incident after another had exploded, and then at the very end, when the public was most eager and most responsive, the cute and lovable baby videos were released—
creating the phenomenon of 『a responsible couple who devoted themselves to protecting their family』
which instantly transformed their image into something positive and stamped itself into the public’s mind in real time.
- Deeply Regretful (photo)
Not long after the video was released, a famous B Komachi fan who had poured gasoline into his room and set it on fire posted a photo from a secondary account—since his main account had been suspended—of himself in an OTL pose, clutching a half-burned Ai poster and collapsing in despair, and the post surpassed 3,000 retweets in real time.
Along with mockery that he had not trusted Ai and didn’t deserve to be a fan, even cynical reactions that no one could have predicted just hours earlier began pouring in, including demands that he apologize to the twins. Fans and ordinary people who had started defending Ai began to dominate public opinion.
And even Kaoru, the one who had thought up this plan...
"......Tch."
At the overwhelming response that exceeded his expectations, he seriously began wondering whether he should upload the next video too.
Rather than himself and his wife, the intense attention and reaction were focused on the twins.... He even started worrying that if he kept uploading videos like this, the twins might end up with stalkers too.
"Grrrrr..."
Rentarou, who had been completely worn out editing the videos without even eating, was sprawled out on Kaoru’s hospital bed, snoring in deep sleep.
Miyako, who had discussed the video structure and editing with him, had also fallen asleep on the sofa.
Ai had played with the twins, eaten dinner with them, then lain down on the bed, put the twins on either side of her, and now she too was taking a brief nap.
In this room, only he was awake, working on his laptop at what needed to be done.
Kaoru let out a breath and raised his bandaged right hand to look at it. Thanks to the painkillers, the pain and throbbing were less severe, but the injured area still felt hot and swollen.
'Come to think of it... I haven’t contacted the others.'
Normally, all official communication and contact with acquaintances had been handled through his work iPhone, but the one he had on him had been crushed underfoot by the attacker at the scene, and his personal phone had been tied up with text messages for what needed to be done, leaving no time to contact anyone else.
Fortunately, the false report had been corrected and people had likely breathed a sigh of relief, but it was clear they would be worried since he hadn’t been able to contact them himself.
Rentarou had apparently called Director Gotanda and Toshiro, the agency head, to let them know he was fine, but his high school friends had only been able to learn about it from the news, so unless he posted something separately on Twitter or YouTube, they would have no way of knowing the details.
For now, Kaoru logged into his official Twitter account on the laptop and left a short greeting, deliberately avoiding the controversy itself and instead thanking everyone for their support and saying he was receiving treatment, so not to worry.
Since Ai also hadn’t posted anything, Kaoru judged it would be best for her to wait until after discussing the concert matter with President Ichigo before tweeting.
First, he needed to apologize to President Ichigo about the concert issue and then properly...
Drreeak—
"......What. You’re all asleep?"
"President."
"Yeah. Kaoru. If you’d been asleep too, what would I have done?"
The hospital room door opened, and Ichigo, looking haggard and wearing sunglasses, came in muttering in his usual indifferent voice.
He had called Miyako so many times and she hadn’t answered, so he had wondered what was going on.... Ichigo set the box of drinks he had bought on the table.
He hadn’t shaved properly, so his beard was scruffy, and his eyes behind the sunglasses were bloodshot.
At the sight of Ichigo, worn down by exhaustion, Kaoru felt a pang of bitterness and put the box of drinks into the refrigerator.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yeah. More or less. Man... she’s sleeping so soundly someone could carry her off and she wouldn’t notice. I see why she wasn’t picking up."
Ichigo smiled faintly as he looked down at Miyako, who was sleeping deeply on the sofa.
He was exhausted too, but seeing his wife asleep like that made him feel a little relieved.
Kaoru looked at Ichigo for a moment, then carefully said,
"President. Sorry, but could I step out for a moment...?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Ichigo nodded readily and opened the hospital room door first, stepping outside.
Kaoru quickly slipped his coat over his shoulder with his left hand and followed, dragging the IV stand behind him.
-
Smoking on the terrace was forbidden, but Ichigo coolly took out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling smoke into the dark night sky.
Snow had been falling, but had now stopped, and white flakes still drifted and sparkled along the railing without melting completely.
After smoking for a while, Ichigo let out a sigh and spoke.
"I heard the full story. Your right hand is okay, right?"
"Yes. Fortunately, there’s no muscle or nerve damage. They had to... stitch it up a lot, but they said the scar will fade with time. I’ll do my best to erase it as much as possible."
"...Haa. That bastard wouldn’t have been worth killing and still not being satisfied."
Ichigo, too, seemed to have his insides rotted away as he spat out the curse through his cigarette. He thought it was a miracle that his son-in-law had survived after nearly crossing the road to the underworld just one year into the marriage.
When he heard from Rentarou that the huge attacker with the knife had been beaten down barehanded, Ichigo could only clutch his chest in relief.
How much pain and sorrow Ai must have felt... Ichigo let out another sigh at the thought, as if a spike had been driven through his heart.
"Hoo... Right. Focus only on recovering. Put everything else aside. You really went through a lot, and I’m... really, really glad, Kaoru."
"Yes. I’ll make sure I manage myself properly so I don’t worry you."
"Good. How’s Ai? Did you calm her down well?"
"Yes. She’s much calmer now. Thanks to the babies, she’s been smiling a lot and eating well too."
"...That’s enough."
"......About the concert—"
"Forget it. What’s done is done. As long as you’re safe, that’s enough."
As soon as Kaoru finally forced the words out, Ichigo said with a snort and a smile.
He shook the ashes from his finished cigarette into the case and leaned against the railing, exhaling.
"It’d be a lie to say I wasn’t shocked. And it’d be a lie to say I wasn’t angry either. It was absolutely maddening. How much time and money had been invested—there was no way I could have imagined the one I trusted most would run off like that... Even if God himself had come down and told me, I wouldn’t have believed it."
"......"
"I saw the article. I saw the photo of Ai hugging you and crying her eyes out in the emergency room. Her soles were all torn up and bleeding... Seeing her holding you and crying, that’s when it finally felt real to me."
Looking into Kaoru’s blue eyes, Ichigo smiled faintly and said,
"Ai’s recklessness—running down below the stage on her own just to see you—was the most 『Ai』 thing she could have done. In that situation, how many people in this world could make such a reckless choice even after hearing that the person they loved had been hurt? I can say for sure there aren’t even ten in all of Tokyo."
"......"
"That incredible girl is my 『daughter』 and your 『wife』, Kaoru. So instead of apologizing, be proud. It’s a blessing to meet a woman who treasures you that much."
"......I’ll keep that in mind."
Kaoru could only grit his teeth at the depth of Ichigo’s sincerity, which he felt all the way in his chest. Ichigo’s affection and love for Ai were just as genuine as his own.
Though they weren’t blood-related, that only made Ichigo’s paternal love all the more tender. Kaoru felt the deep resonance of it once again and steadied the emotions stirring inside him.
"Hoo. It’s cold. Damn. I only had cup noodles for dinner."
"Ah! Let’s head back inside, President."
"Yeah. Sheesh."
Ichigo pulled his coat closed and started walking, trailing along with Kaoru back into the building.
As they went in, Kaoru quietly asked,
"How are the B Komachi members? About Ai..."
"Of course they’re shocked out of their minds. I’d be the same way. Takamine, you don’t know, do you?
The ones who’ve been with Ai since the time B Komachi was formed still wouldn’t believe me even if I showed them the twins’ photos.
They were really upset. Hoo... I’ve got no excuse for this one, not even if I had ten mouths. But what can I do?
If they say they can’t keep working together like this... then it’s either disband the team or patch up the conflict. I’ll do everything I can to handle it on my end."
In the hospital corridor, Ichigo answered in detail, even covering things Kaoru hadn’t asked, clearly because he was having a hell of a headache over it. Kaoru pressed his lips together bitterly.
From a third-party perspective, no matter how much President Ichigo defended Ai and covered for her, it would still only be a stopgap measure.
In the end, what was needed was Ai’s heartfelt apology and explanation. But Kaoru could already tell that the burden and self-reproach she was feeling must be immense.
She had improved so much, changed so much, and matured so much compared to before, but Kaoru still worried whether Ai could truly handle such a major issue wisely and resolve the conflict with an appropriate explanation.
Still—he had to trust his wife.
"I’ll talk it over properly with Ai."
"Good. I’m counting on you."
"Yes. President. And... about the concert compensation issue, I also—"
"Tch. Forget it, idiot. I’m never going to come begging you for money. This is my problem, and I’ll handle it myself. I appreciate the sentiment, but you just take care of Ai. Got it?"
"...Yes. President. I was careless."
At Kaoru’s apology, Ichigo nodded and pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket, checking the caller ID and clicking his tongue.
His brow furrowed, and stress showed through even behind the sunglasses. Letting out a long sigh, Ichigo turned around and said,
"Well, I was hoping to at least see your face. I’ve got to go. Kaoru. Take good care of Ai. Make sure she’s okay."
"Yes. Don’t worry."
"Yeah. Yes, this is Ichigo Pro. Yes, yes."
Kaoru silently watched Ichigo’s back as he walked away quickly while talking on the phone, then lifted his blue eyes.
After sending a text message to someone on his phone, Kaoru smiled and then opened the hospital room door and went back inside.
-
"Hoo. Damn it."
After hanging up, Ichigo scratched his head and let out a sigh.
They had already paid penalties related to breach of contract, and with the dome rental fees and compensation for the canceled concert, the deficit had climbed into the tens of millions of yen, even reaching into the hundreds of millions.
He might have to take out a loan using the mansion Kaoru had transferred into his name as collateral. He had bragged to Kaoru, but there was no helping it.
With no way of knowing when Ai would be active again, they had to gather every possible source of money they could find.
Then—Ichigo’s phone received a text message.
"What?"
After checking the message, Ichigo tilted his head and said,
"『RIKA Investment』? What the hell is this all of a sudden..."
Out of nowhere, at this hour of the night, this mysterious company had sent him a message saying they had seen the potential and growth power of Ichigo Production and wanted to invest, and to contact them anytime.
Ichigo’s face twisted into a grotesque expression, as if he had just seen something bizarre.
"Is this spam?!"
Heavy snow fell in thick flakes.
It was a Sunday night, and Christmas was drawing closer and closer.
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