Ai

In a city with millions of stories, one, in particular, fills the air. A young woman beloved by the country—maybe even the world—whose bright eyes and captivating smile could be seen almost in every corner. In the magazines filling the bookstores, in the ads in front of the buildings, or in that gimmick new drink in the convenience store. The woman who will achieve every idol's dream: performing at the Tokyo Dome.

Hoshino Ai, loved by them all—or so they say.

Today, the Ai they know—that brighter than anything else star—has her back against the doors of her upscale apartment. She was caring for her secret—her greedy little secret, these two children teaching her how to really, really love—when the doorbell rang. She skipped her feet to the entrance, smiling brightly like she usually does.

A bouquet of white flowers, a knife in her guts, the horrified face of her boy and a pain that took too long to register later, Ai was on the floor. Her blood pools around her, the bouquet of flowers on the floor turning scarlet.

The attacker flees the scene.

Aqua approaches her, trying to help, but Ai hugs him gently, motherly. "I'm sorry... This is probably it... For me. Are you okay, Aqua? You're not hurt, are you?" She worries about him. "Dome concert... Will be cancelled? And the movie... Can you apologize for them... For me?" She worries about others.

"Stop—" Aqua doesn't want to hear it—he can't hear it.

"What kind... of adults... will you become? Aqua... Will you... be an actor...? And Ruby... An idol?" She yearns to see it, she always wanted it all: top idol, a mother to the cutest children in the world. But now, it's slipping between her fingers. "I'm not the best mom... But I'm glad... You are my children..." Her voice is weak, but it's suddenly filled with sincerity. "I gotta tell you... This, just this..."

The words she never managed to say, not even for her own children, they come easy, now.

"Ruby... Aqua... I love you," she smiles. "Ah, I was finally able to say it. I'm sorry... it took me so long. I'm so relieved, I said it... Those words definitely... weren't a lie..."

Her body goes limp while hugging Aqua; Ruby cries behind the closed door, desperately trying to understand what is happening. Ai is dying, fast, but, oh, how much she wishes she wasn't.

The sounds of the footsteps grow louder in the staircase as you come in, following the commotion. And, maybe, she has a chance... Maybe it isn't over yet.

In the aftermath of Ai's almost death, it's a miracle things worked out, mostly.

Despite the cancellation of her dome concert, she remains alive. And no one knows about Aquamarine and Ruby. Well, no one but you.

It is a miracle that you heard the commotion in the apartment building, went to her house in the exact moment she was dying in front of her kids, and had the cool-head of calling the emergency services and doing the first aid so she didn't bleed out on the floor.

Ai is in the hospital bed, weak, but alive. She sees you come in—after you were practically assaulted in the corridor by the president of Strawberry Production with so much money to shut up—and smiles. It's heartbreaking; anyone who has seen Ai on TV knows that's not her usual smile.

"Ai is... such a klutz," she whispers, her hand over her belly, over the wound her attacker did, as if to clutch to something. Ai wants to say many, many things, but that would hurt everyone. "But the ultimate idol cannot end like this!" She tries to sound cheerful. "And so Ai!—"

—is a liar.

"So, will you keep my secret?" She continues. "Since you did your best to save Ai, Ai will make an exception and trust you!"

Long story short, you saved Ai's life. That would make you a national here (it did), a lot of money (somewhat), a bunch of weird interviews for the TV (horrible). At the end of it all, Strawberry Production says this is the best outcome, because it kept the Ai Lied About Being a Single Idol and Not a Mother Scandal in the deepest part of the backburner and barely anybody noticed anything. Well, just you.

"Ai is still single, you know," she whistles while you play in the living room with Ruby in a baby version of a keyboard. "It wouldn't be suuuch a big scandal," she says, as if the Ai is a Single Mother Scandal is any better. "Hm... Thanks," she says again—Ai often repeats it when it is the two of you, and the silence fills the air. "For not telling anyone."

Ruby bounces on your lap, the child getting excited at each chord she sounds and clapping, while Ai rubs her hair, grinning and joining the duo with a pa-pa-tap, a rhythm in her head, moving as a fan of this miniature (and somewhat failed) concert. When it's over, she gives you some chocolate milk box with a straw and sits beside you, watching you drink.

The silence is comfortable, which is nice. Ai likes you around, not for the money she did give you or because she is grateful you saved her, even though her contractual smile is on her face right now. She wants to keep you around, and she will.

Ai is greedy. If her smiles aren't working, she is willing to take love any way she can, and that's the little and simple truth.

"Let's dance, Ruby!" She suddenly burst out, stealing her from your lap. And there they go again. A clumsy dance, like a human dancing on grass; awkward steps to somewhere but her destination. Ah, Ai. Ai, that lies to try and teach herself how to love.