While Kaoru’s [Wolf Tail] and Ai’s [Cheerful Girl] were dominating theaters and television respectively, riding a wave of box-office success, posts once again began trending online that traced and compiled the past history(?) of the Kaoru-Ai couple.
- They’d been showing it off to each other without even realizing it, lol
- Honestly, I was a little confused when he wore that necklace on his wrist during the comeback stage for [Sign Is B!].
ㄴ I saw an article saying that necklace was a birthday present.
ㄴ Re: Ha...
- Wow, Ai even said she liked donburi on the radio, and Kaoru said the same at a fan meeting?
- Here’s the clip of Ai talking about her two baby angels and her type on the radio (YouTube link)
ㄴ Don’t click that link, for real. I clicked it and some old guy in a sailor uniform popped up, damn it.
ㄴ That’s a lie.
ㄴ Re: This bastard is lying. A real old guy in a sailor uniform shows up, lol
- Seriously, how good is that donburi place near the troupe that they keep going on and on about donburi?
ㄴ It’s insanely good. Go try it, lol
ㄴ If you look around online a little, there are so many reviews you can’t possibly not know.
ㄴ I once saw Kaoru and Ai eating together there back when I was eating oyakodon...
ㄴ Re: Wow, damn, I’m so jealous;;; You should’ve gotten an autograph or something.
ㄴ Re:Re: Yeah... that’ll haunt me forever, damn it. They weren’t that famous back then, so I just watched and left...
- Between this, Kaoru saying his type at the fan meeting, and the old lon-lo interview where he said his favorite singer was B Komachi, the foreshadowing is insane.
- Why isn’t there a gif of the eye contact from [Together with Together]? That one caused a ton of talk for a while too.
ㄴ Fans just kept their mouths shut on purpose, so it didn’t spread much.
ㄴ Re: Bullshit? It was a huge topic on fan forums for a while.
ㄴ Re:Re: Oh, really? The actor fandom really does a better job of cleaning up the trolls. The B Ko fan side was a mess for a while.
ㄴ You know your stuff, lol. [Together with Together] really was legendary, lol. Looking back, that was honestly the most heart-fluttering thing of all, lol.
ㄴ I saw in an article that even that pig bastard from [3 Seconds Cut] committed the crime because he got so pissed off after watching [Together with Together], lolololol
The results of the fans of Kaoru and Ai becoming internet detective squads, tracking every move the two of them had ever made and gathering evidence, were beyond imagination.
The fans really... really had no choice but to groan once they learned the truth and saw the countless signals between the two of them in a new light.
Before the twin nickname [Aquaruby] had even been established, there had been the old nickname “Otage Baby.” The video of Ai beaming at the twins with a huge smile had been the single most talked-about clip after their marriage and childbirth were revealed.
But as time passed, the fans were treated to an endless stream of delicious material as old activities were dug up and tiny signals were reexamined and brought back into the spotlight.
In particular, the photos and GIFs from the [Together with Together] broadcast site, where Kaoru and Ai secretly exchanged glances, became a recurring goldmine that periodically swept through Twitter and online communities whenever people nearly forgot about it.
And naturally... the official Twitter account of the [Rararai Theater Troupe] and President Toshiro’s own Twitter account, both affected by the algorithmic wave of that tweet frenzy, were...
"...Honestly, you really did go around advertising it."
"...Ahem. The coffee tastes a little bitter today."
Even as the guy in front of him awkwardly cleared his throat and made excuses, Toshiro, visibly irritated, let out a long sigh, slapped his iPhone down on the table, and stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth.
He’d gone on and on about how it was supposed to stay hidden and all that... but they’d done everything they wanted anyway.
President Toshiro downed his iced Americano in one shot and shook out both hands. As expected, dessert after lunch really did have the best effect for soothing this unpleasant mood.
Kaoru took a sip of coffee, then set the cup down and pointed at the script book he was holding.
"The script looks fine as is. I don’t think there’d be any problem with giving it the green light... so why did you specifically ask for my approval?"
At Toshiro’s request, Kaoru had taken the newly recruited playwright’s stage script home and gone over it carefully overnight in his private study.
He had concluded there was nothing wrong with it.
It was a script of good enough quality to go on stage at the [Rararai Theater Troupe] as a formal production if they adjusted the pacing of each act a little, but there was no way President Toshiro wouldn’t know that already, so Kaoru wanted to know the real reason.
Toshiro shrugged at Kaoru’s question, clicked his tongue, and scratched his beard.
"Well... I guess once you get older, you can’t help tapping the stone bridge before you cross it."
"You’re long past the age where you’d be having a slump, aren’t you? Unless you’re having trouble seeing the text or something..."
"...You little brat. Don’t poke at the sore spot. You’ll understand when you get older too. Once you age, even familiar things... can leave you breathless like they’re brand-new challenges. Experience, judgment, instinct... your ‘eye for things’ keeps building up, but on the other hand, that same ‘eye’ starts blocking your view. You get more stubborn. You become reluctant to accept anything new."
Kaoru understood what President Toshiro was trying to say. As time passed, he was wary of becoming accustomed to inertia and a narrowed field of vision, and of observing and understanding phenomena through the fresh perspective of someone else he could trust.
Kaoru, who had lived to the same age as Toshiro in his past life, wasn’t unfamiliar with the feelings and nuance behind those words.
So instead of stringing together a long, roundabout consolation, Kaoru gave Toshiro a faint, indifferent smile and said,
"You’ll do fine. You’re someone I respect."
"...That’s a pretty heavy kind of encouragement, you know."
"I’m saying it because I want it to weigh on you."
Kaoru picked up his iced Americano, smiled, and drained the coffee. Then he stood up. Rolling his right shoulder and stretching his neck, he walked toward the window beside Toshiro’s office desk.
Tokyo summers were going to be brutal again this year.
Unlike Europe, Tokyo’s humid, sweltering heat still hadn’t become something he could get used to, even now that his memories had returned and he was the head of a family.
Kaoru looked out through the window at the road shimmering in the blazing sunlight, then suddenly turned his head and glanced at Toshiro’s desk.
As always, it was a desk where order and disorder coexisted. Just as he was wondering if he should buy the man a new office desk, Kaoru’s eyes caught on an unfamiliar business card.
"..."
It wasn’t as good as his wife’s, but Kaoru still had excellent eyesight, and he caught the card at a glance.
He memorized every word on it in an instant—the name, address, phone number, and all the rest. [Matsumoto Child Center], [Child Welfare Facility].
Then he wondered why a child welfare facility’s business card was on the troupe leader’s desk.
If he were planning a volunteer event at the troupe level, it was already the season when they were busy preparing for the next autumn production, so taking precious time out to do volunteer work would not be easy at all.
Why would he, already married and with two children of his own, suddenly have a business card from a child welfare facility?
He couldn’t know for sure yet, but Kaoru instinctively understood it was a personal matter for Toshiro, so he pretended not to notice, turned around, and walked back toward the table.
"I have to head out now because of my schedule, President. Please keep the rest of the donuts in the fridge."
"Yeah. Sure. Thanks for coming all the way out here in this heat. See you at rehearsal."
"Yes. I’ll be in touch."
After saying goodbye to Toshiro, Kaoru left the office at once.
"...Matsumoto Child Center..."
For some reason, he murmured the name of the child center from that business card, as if it had lodged itself deep in his mind.
-
< [Breaking News] 'Kamiki Kaoru stabbed with a weapon' 『Matsui Tadaomi』sentenced to life imprisonment... Supreme Court overturns second-trial death sentence and issues its own ruling... >
< [Breaking News] Supreme Court explains sentencing rationale: "Due to severe delusional disorder and diminished responsibility, the pre-attack murder cannot be considered a planned crime" >
< [Breaking News] Prosecutors leave after briefly stating, "We are deeply regretful..." Are they losing face after a string of defeats? >
< [Breaking News] 『Matsui Tadaomi』to be transferred under a "medical custody order"... likely sent to a treatment detention center in Chiba Prefecture... >
< [Breaking News] Stani-On says, "We respect the Supreme Court’s decision... We will do everything we can to help our actor recover and prevent further harm..." >
Two days later, on a rainy morning, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on the suspect who had murdered one person and attacked Kaoru with a weapon.
The final decision was to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment due to diminished responsibility, and to transfer him not to prison but to a treatment detention center in Chiba Prefecture for treatment of his severe delusional disorder and permanent separation from society.
Public anger over the Supreme Court’s ruling boiled over both online and offline.
Setting aside the fact that the deceased victim had been a member of a violent organization, people shouted in unison that the man had brutally murdered one person and nearly killed one of the country’s most popular actors, so he should pay for his crimes. But once a verdict had been handed down, public opinion could not overturn it.
Legal circles assessed that the public defender’s strategy had worked: rather than risk a death sentence, they had argued diminished responsibility and steered the case toward medical custody, which was effectively a life sentence.
The media also rushed to break the news, stoking the flames by loudly amplifying criticism that diminished responsibility should never become a get-out-of-jail-free card.
It was a violation of the grand principle that judicial judgment based on a judge’s conscience must never be tied to public sentiment, but that sort of thing was not punishable by law.
"..."
But no matter how noisy the outside world became, Kaoru merely focused quietly on the photoshoot with his usual indifferent expression.
Click
It was exactly as he had expected. He had discussed the matter while dining with professors from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law, some of the most prominent legal minds in Japan.
There were even several alumni professors from Kaisei High School, so getting legal advice had been a piece of cake, and eight out of ten had confidently predicted that the second trial’s death sentence would be overturned and replaced with life imprisonment.
In fact, one retired senior professor who had attended with the department chair even laughed and said that two of the Supreme Court justices were his former students, so it was obvious they would overturn the lower court’s decision.
That prediction was exactly right.
Rather, for Kaoru, the Supreme Court’s ruling that the man should spend the rest of his life locked away in a treatment detention center could only be welcomed with both hands raised.
Taking into account the different supervisory authority from prisons, the nature of the civil servants involved, and the level of the facilities...
Click
Of course, the treatment detention center in Chiba Prefecture was the perfect stage for carrying out [the plan].
Click
There was no denying that it was something he had planned out of deeply personal feelings.
When he thought of his wife, more precious to him than his own life, crying her heart out in his arms... even more so.
It might well become the most private and sinister thing he had ever carried out.
Far more than breaking a wrist and shattering a jaw to leave someone permanently disabled.
Click
"Great! That look in your eyes! Keep it exactly like that!"
Click
Facing the camera as the flash went off, a dark glint of starlight briefly flickered through Kaoru’s cold blue eyes.
. . .
While Kaoru was focused on the photoshoot, Ai had finished her schedule early for once and had the afternoon free, so she headed to Shiroyama Gakuin Kindergarten with Miyako.
She had contacted the teacher in advance to say she would be picking the twins up by car instead of the shuttle bus, so she could meet them at dismissal time.
But shadows hung over both Miyako’s and Ai’s faces.
They were displeased with the Supreme Court’s ruling that had come out that morning.
- And now for the next news item. Regarding the stabbing attack on Mr. Kamiki Kaoru...
Beep
Miyako turned the radio off with the button on the steering wheel and let out a long sigh, glancing at Ai’s face.
Ai, with starlight in her eyes and a dark star’s shadow over them, merely stared stiffly out the passenger-side window.
"Haa..."
No matter how carefully and thoughtfully people smarter and better educated than me may have made that ruling, isn’t the punishment far too light for the crime?
Forget all the ethical considerations about the death penalty. Kaoru was practically my son-in-law, and he nearly got stabbed to death. Life imprisonment is all they give him?
After parking, Miyako pressed the electronic parking brake button and unfastened her seat belt. She kept sighing...
Ai also quietly put on a black bucket hat with a fairly wide brim and then wore glasses with no lenses before getting out of the car. She was about to meet the twins soon, and she had no intention of showing up with a gloomy face.
"Mama!!!!"
"Mom?"
Ai’s starlit eyes sparkled as she saw the twins waiting with their teacher at the kindergarten gate, and she ran toward them with a bright smile, arms open wide.
"Kyaaah-♥ Aqua! Ruby!"
"Mama!!!"
"Wow!"
Ai crouched down and felt the twins’ weight as they ran into her arms, along with their warm body heat and scent. That softness washed away all the turbulent emotions that had been disturbing her heart.
"Ruby is really, really happy that Mama came to pick us up!"
"Hehe... Ruby is so happy about it that Mama is really, really happy too♥"
Ai hugged the twins even tighter at Ruby’s adorable nuzzling affection.
She had left home early in the morning for her schedule, so she had only seen them while they were asleep, which made her feel even more tender toward them.
At the twins’ tearful(?) reunion, Miyako and the kindergarten teacher could only smile warmly.
After greeting the teacher, Ai and the twins got into the back seat together, and as if by agreement, they all smiled and started chatting away.
"Mama! For lunch today, we had~"
"Mom. Want me to tell you the English words we learned today?"
"Hee? You learn things like that in kindergarten? Now I want to go to kindergarten too!"
Watching the three of them chatter happily in the back through the rearview mirror, Miyako suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands.
"Oh, right. Did you talk with Kaoru about the brand kids model offer from Hiiki?"
"Ah! I forgot~☆"
"Hehe... I thought so. Talk it over by the day after tomorrow and let me know."
"Okay~"
Hiiki’s brand kids model offer? Aqua and the twins blinked blankly and looked at each other.
Hearing that one of the world’s most famous brands had offered them a kids model job, Aqua stared dumbly at Ai.
How could a boy not know Hiiki? Aqua had relied on the slippers and sports shorts he’d often used even when he lived alone in his past life.
At her son’s expression, Ai burst out laughing as if he were adorable and patted Aqua on the head.
"Aqua! Ruby! Do you want to be kids models too?"
"Yes! Yes! If I can, I want to try! It’s a world-famous company!"
"Yeah! Yeah! If Mama comes with us too, Ruby wants to do it too!"
"Hee? Mama too? Miyako, do you think that’s possible?"
"...I-I’ll have to see if I can adjust the schedule, right? Of course a guardian would have to accompany them."
At Miyako’s sweaty answer, Ai and the twins all cheered.
Since kindergarten summer vacation would be starting soon anyway, as long as Ai’s own schedule could be adjusted, she should be able to accompany the twins to the kids model shoot without any trouble.
Since the twins wanted to do it too, they could talk it over with Kaoru and make the final decision.
As Ai smiled and looked out the window, she passed by a hospital and suddenly found her gaze drawn to a tall man in a doctor’s coat and glasses.
"Ah."
His hairstyle and appearance were completely different... but the impression he gave was enough to make her think of Goro.
Sadness, faint and distant, quickly welled up in Ai’s starlit eyes.
She and Kaoru had said they would go visit once the babies grew up, but she had kept putting it off with the excuse that she was busy.
"Miyako-chan. After the babies’ birthday passes, can you clear my schedule for the following week?"
"Huh? Why?"
"I’m going to visit now... even if it’s late. The place where the doctor is."
As Ai spoke while gently stroking Aqua and Ruby’s hair, Aqua’s face twitched and wavered for a moment.
"Ah... yeah... maybe... that might be difficult... I’m already fully booked through November..."
"...Really? Still... please. I’ll talk to Kaoru too."
Ruby noticed the sad look in Ai’s starlit eyes and remembered the doctor who had briefly come up during the press conference.
She had forgotten about it because she hadn’t cared, but it must have been the story about that doctor who had supposedly died after an unfortunate fall.
She wasn’t sure whether it was the same hospital by coincidence, but Ruby recalled the interview where Ai had said she gave birth in Miyazaki Prefecture.
Born as the child of her favorite idol, unlike in her past life, she was living a happy life showered with unconditional, boundless love from her father and mother, and for a moment she remembered a precious person she had gently set aside in a corner of her heart.
If he had stayed at that hospital, surely there would have been some interview or some other sign by now. But there had been nothing at all. Had he moved to another hospital?
"..."
Ruby’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. Since she had been reborn as the child of her favorite idol, she had to find that precious person again and meet him.
And then she would make sure to show him this happy everyday life, this happy laughter, this happy family, and hold him tightly once more.
Ruby surrendered herself to Ai’s warm hand as it stroked her hair, hugged her mother tightly, and smiled.
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