Hello everyone! This is a new chapter! Chapter 4! I hope everyone will enjoy this story! Without further ado, let's start!
Normal POV
Ren opened his eyes after he came out of the portal as he looked around the unfamiliar surroundings.
" Where are we?" Ren ask
" The dorms..." Aichi replied
" It's the safest place to come back to." Kai said
" What's my schedule like?" Aichi ask
" I made it simple. Here." Kai replied as he showed Aichi his schedule
" Huh? But there's a concert today..." Aichi said
" I asked Tsubasa to not let you perform today. Don't make me remind you on why you can't." Kai said
" ... Okay..."
" I booked the room for the entire week. You have plenty of time to yourself now. I'll help you." Kai said
" Thank you..."
Ren followed them to the recording studio as he looked at the equipments inside while Kai wheeled Aichi to the table.
" Isn't this a studio?" Ren ask
" A recording studio, to be exact. Don't touch anything and just sit down." Kai said
Ren pouted as he sat down while Aichi started arranging a few instrumentals to make a new song.
" Music? I knew it. The way your conversations went sounded like you were a song writer or something." Ren said
" Not just a song writer." Kai said
He then took off his device and showed Ren a video of Aichi's performance while he helped Aichi with the arrangement.
" Is this for another solo?" Kai ask
" Yeah... For the mini album... I also want to finish up the ones that I want to perform with the others..." Aichi said
" Shouldn't you finish up the mini album first? You're at least two to three more songs away from your goal." Kai said
" That's true..." Aichi said
" Aichi-kun! Let me help too!" Ren exclaimed as his eyes sparkled
The two sweat dropped after seeing Ren's enthusiasm as they allowed him to arrange a new instrumental for another song while Aichi wrote lyrics.
" You wrote quite a bit already. That's about four songs worth of lyrics." Kai said
" Yeah... That's why I'm rushing with the instrumental..." Aichi said
" Done!"
Ren played the instrumental that he made as the two looked at each other in surprise.
" Ren-san... You're good at this!" Aichi exclaimed
" I studied music making in middle school until now! Don't underestimate me!" Ren boasted
" And you surprisingly had so much time for Vanguard..." Kai muttered
" I want to hurry and start on this recording..." Aichi said
" In your condition? You'll exhaust yourself." Kai said
" I'll be fine... It's not like I'm dancing..." Aichi said
Kai sighed and nodded as he pushed Aichi into the recording room and closed the door. He then walked over to the microphone and pressed the 'Speak' button while Aichi put on the headphones.
" I'll play the instrumental and you start singing. If there's any problems, just stop anytime." Kai said
Aichi nodded as Kai played the instrumental track and the music played in the speakers around them. As Kai had expected, Aichi had some problems singing from the strain coming from his injury as he stopped the instrumental.
" Aichi, you're too tired. Let's record this another day when you're feeling better." Kai said
" No... I don't want to delay this for the fans... I can keep going... Please, Kai-kun..." Aichi said
" ... Alright."
Aichi smiled as Kai played the instrumental again and Aichi began to sing a little better after relaxing. After the recording, Ren fiddled with the recorded music and arranged it a little more before replaying it for them to listen.
" ... Perfect!" Ren exclaimed
" You did well." Kai said
" I'm so glad... Let's hurry on the other songs..." Aichi said
" Alright, but no more singing for the day. We're just going to be arranging the instrumentals and writing lyrics." Kai said
" Okay..."
The three worked together to create the songs. While Aichi and Ren discussed about the songs and genre, Kai brought them lunch as they ate and continued discussing. For the next few days, they rushed to complete the songs as Kai collated all the completed songs into an album and sent it out to Tsubasa.
" I hope it's good..." Aichi said
" Your songs are great, Aichi-kun! I'm sure this album will be a success!" Ren said
" If it wasn't for both of your help, I wouldn't have been able to complete this so quickly." Aichi said
" It's time for you to take a break. Once this album gets released, you'll have many things to attend to." Kai said
" So it's high time you let that injury really start healing before your real job gets hectic." Ren said
" I understand. Thank you so much, both of you." Aichi said
" As celebration, let's go meet everyone at Card Capital. I'm sure they noticed our long absence." Ren said
" Not you, but probably Aichi's." Kai said
" That's mean!" Ren pouted
Aichi laughed lightly as they left to go back to their world. They arrived at Card Capital as everyone turned to them.
" Brother Aichi!"
" Aichi!"
" It's been a long time! Where have you been?!" Miwa ask
" No kidding! I missed my student!" Morikawa exclaimed
" He's not your student. Anyway, are you okay? Why are you in a wheelchair?" Izaki ask
" I got hurt by accident and had to rest in the hospital... Sorry to worry everyone..." Aichi replied
" Emi-san never mentioned anything about that. She only said that you were staying over at Kai's place." Kamui said
" That's true too, but she doesn't know about this and I don't want to worry her. Please keep this a secret for me." Aichi said
" Got it!"
" Then let's fight! It's been awhile after all!" Miwa said
" Okay!"
Kai pushed Aichi to one of the tables as Ren tapped his shoulder.
" Take care of him. I'll be heading off too. Call me when you guys are heading back." Ren whispered
Kai huffed before nodding as Ren went off. Kai then walked over to Aichi and watched his fight with the others. Miwa sighed as he lost his fight.
" Yup, you're still the same old Aichi..." Miwa said
" I don't think I'll change after being absent for a week..." Aichi said
" My turn!" Kamui said
Aichi continued fighting the others until evening came as Kai pushed him out of the shop to head back home.
" Had fun today?" Kai ask
" Yeah!"
" ... You know, I've spared you for awhile now. But you forgot about calling my first name." Kai said
" U-Uh... I-I'm sorry... I'm just not used to it yet..." Aichi said
" Then from now on, if you don't call my first name, I might not respond to you." Kai said
" Huh?! That's just... O-Okay... T-Toshiki-kun..." Aichi muttered
" What? I can't hear you." Kai teased
" T... Toshiki-kun!"
" Much better." Kai said
Aichi pouted in embarrassment as Kai chuckled softly. Once they arrived back at the apartment, Kai folded the wheelchair and helped Aichi inside before locking the door.
" Do you still need me to help out in the bathroom?" Kai ask
" N-No! I can do it myself!" Aichi exclaimed, blushing
" Don't strain yourself. If you really can't take it, just call me." Kai said
Aichi took his clothes as Kai helped him to the bathroom and closed the door before heading off to prepare dinner. He soon heard a pained wince coming from the bathroom as he rushed over and knocked on the door.
" Aichi! You okay?" Kai ask
" Y-Yeah..."
Kai quickly opened the door as he helped Aichi remove his shirt without pulling on the injury too much.
" We really should get you some button shirts instead to lessen the burden on your injury." Kai said
" No, it's okay... I can get used to this..." Aichi said
" The doctor said not to strain it. Do you want to end up in the hospital again?" Kai ask
" No..."
" Once we go back to Akibastar, we're going to find some clothes for you." Kai said
" Okay..."
" Go and have a shower. Call me if you need any help." Kai said
" I understand."
Kai nodded as he closed the door and went back to cooking. His device then started beeping as he placed it on the table and let the screen show up before smiling. Tsubasa then showed up on screen.
" It's doing pretty well. It topped almost all the songs in 00 in a span of a few hours. Everyone is impatient for his next performance." Tsubasa said
" I know. I'll have to free up his schedule for practices and performances, right? I'm not letting him go anywhere overboard though. He's still recovering." Kai said
" There are fans asking on his fan page on whether there would be a day where they can see him dance. Although, it wouldn't be as soon as we think now." Tsubasa said
" Yeah. I'll bring him to the hospital tomorrow. The hospital said that he needed to get a weekly checkup to see if the blood clots were shrinking and whether his ribs were healing well." Kai said
" I'll leave his healthcare to you. Send me his new schedule once you're ready." Tsubasa said
" Okay."
Tsubasa hung the call up as Kai continued cooking while Aichi came out of the bathroom. That was when another call from Tsubasa came as Kai answered it.
" By the way, his gravure photoshoot will be taking place soon. Can you find a way to cover the injury too?" Tsubasa ask
" Gravure? I'm not allowing this. Aichi can be in a swimsuit even without showing off his skin." Kai said
" It is a gravure photoshoot, after all. He's a boy too, I'm sure it wouldn't be as bad as the girls." Tsubasa said
" Aichi gets sunburns easily." Kai said
" Then isn't it your job as his manager to have all of that settled? He can choose whatever swimsuit he wants, but it should be appealing to his fans. I'll send you the date. The location will be at Atamistar. Also, there will be a guerilla live taking place at Tundrastar soon. Aichi will be busy once I bring the successors over for it. I might bring some understudies too. Just free up his schedule as much as you can." Tsubasa said
" You're a real slave driver..." Kai said
" Deal with it." Tsubasa said as she hung the call up again
Kai clicked his tongue as he set the table for dinner and helped Aichi dry his hair.
" Unbelievable. A gravure photoshoot in your condition? She must be crazy." Kai said
" It's for the fans, so I'm okay with it." Aichi said
" Kind of wish only I could look at that milky white skin of yours..." Kai muttered
Aichi blushed as his Kirara glowed pink.
" Hey, Kirara!"
" At least I'm the first person to see your full unclothed body." Kai teased
Aichi's blush deepened as he covered his face with his hands.
" Don't be so embarrassed. In this world, you're my lover. In Akibastar, I'm your manager and still your secret lover." Kai said
" You really didn't have to do that..." Aichi said
" It doesn't pay much, but as long as I have the authority to watch over you, I'm satisfied. Your safety will always be my priority, Aichi." Kai said as he set the hairdryer aside, " Let's eat dinner now."
" Okay."
Both ate dinner together and watched a few television shows before going to sleep for the night.
A few days later, Aichi, Kai and Ren were in the Katyusha and getting ready to head out to Atamistar.
" Wow! We're really going out to space?!" Ren exclaimed
" We barely managed to get permission to get you aboard here, so don't cause trouble." Kai said
" Okay~ So what did the doctor say at the last visit?" Ren ask
" He said that the blood clots and broken bones are slowly healing themselves. I'll be fine after a month or so." Aichi said
" As long as you don't do anything strenuous." Kai added
" I understand."
" I guess you'll have to stay on the wheelchair a little longer then." Ren said
" I'll stay on it until high school starts up. That's what I agreed with Toshiki-kun." Aichi said
Ren then raised and furrowed his eyebrows as he looked back at Kai before looking down at Aichi.
" ... Wow... I've never seen Kai being soft to the point that he would allow anyone to call him by his first name." Ren said
Aichi blushed while Kai shushed him. That was when they spotted the successors and understudies walking past them and greeted them.
" Looks like you're feeling better!" Yuuko said
" Yeah!"
" Hey." Kai said as he poked Aichi's injury lightly as he winced and sat back on his wheelchair before he could get up, " Stay seated or I will make you stay in bed for the rest of the month."
" You didn't have to do that...!" Aichi winced
" Will you really be alright for the photoshoot?" Yukirin ask
" I'll be fine, as long as he doesn't poke me again." Aichi assured
" Are you trying me, Aichi?" Kai ask
" N... No..."
" Hello! I'm Ren Suzugamori!" Ren greeted
" Hey, Ren!" Kai exclaimed
" Oh, hello..."
" He helped me with the music production in my album. If it wasn't for his help, I wouldn't have been able to finish making the album in time." Aichi said
" Wow! He produced all those songs?!" Nagisa exclaimed
" No. Aichi-kun gave me the base of the music, I just need to amplify and tweak it to make it sound better." Ren said
" Wow!"
" Alright, enough bragging. We're heading to the infirmary." Kai said
" Okay!"
Ren followed after Kai while he pushed Aichi to the infirmary as he settled Aichi onto the bed and sat beside him while the Katyusha finally took off to Atamistar. Kai did a final check on the things that Aichi needed before looking up.
" Kai's such a worrywart. He bought so much sunscreen and sun protection items, I thought he might clean off his money in an instant." Ren said
" Aichi's skin may be sensitive. These items will protect him from the sun's heat and rays." Kai said
" You didn't have to spend so much money on me, you know." Aichi said
" No. I don't want your skin to get harmed further. You already have such a huge mark on yourself, I'm not letting another scar you." Kai said
" It's not scarring..." Aichi said
" I still need to protect you. Once we get to your lounge, I will change you into your swimsuit and apply the creams." Kai said
" Okay..."
" You should be honored, Aichi-kun. Kai will never do this for anyone else." Ren said
" Shut up."
The three continued their conversation after that as they soon arrived at Atamistar and they checked into their room before Kai started helping Aichi to change. He then took out the creams and applied them thinly on Aichi's skin to make them not as obvious on camera.
" That should do. You'll be going up after the successors finish up their photoshoots. I've asked a staff member to contact me once they're ready for you." Kai said
" Okay. I really am not used to wearing sleeveless things though... My shoulders feel exposed now." Aichi said
" It's an idol's job, so you can't really complain." Ren said
" I know. How's the instrumental for the group song coming along?" Aichi ask
" It's going smoothly. With your base music during the first few steps in producing the song, there was just a little bit of tweaking and adding needed. You really are amazing, Aichi-kun." Ren said
" It's thanks to the both of you too. If I had done everything alone, I would've never completed the album on time and wouldn't have the time to make that group song." Aichi said
" Once it's complete, the next step is creating the dance routine right?" Kai ask
" Yeah. I was thinking of discussing it with Ushiyama-sensei. With my condition, I would really need his help." Aichi said
" It's good that you know fully well about your condition." Kai said
" Come on. I take good care of myself too." Aichi said
" Sure you do." Kai said
" I can tell you're not serious about what I said." Aichi said
" Because that injury on your body is not proving otherwise." Kai said
Aichi huffed and pouted as Ren snickered at their interaction. Kai soon got a call to get Aichi to the beach as Mikako Minamino, the camerawoman, started directing Aichi to where he was supposed to start getting his photos taken.
" Hm... There's not much of a feel to this... Maybe it's because he's extremely shy in front of a camera." Ren said
" He has a right to be tense." Kai said
That was when an idea flashed in Ren's head as Kai continued to relax and wait for Aichi as Ren sneaked up to the ocean water. By the time Kai noticed him, he was too late. Ren started to playfully splash water onto Aichi as he yelped in surprise before laughing lightly.
" Ren-san! Stop it!" Aichi exclaimed
" Oh! Now's the time!" Mikako said as she quickly snapped a few shots
Kai was about to stop him, but since it was helping in the photoshoot, he decided to hold himself back. Aichi's Kirara, who'd been staying in Kai's pocket for awhile, flew out and over to Aichi as it glowed brightly. It blinded Aichi and Ren a little as they covered their eyes from the light before it faded away. Mikako had snapped one last shot beforehand.
" That was a great shot! You can go back and rest!" Mikako said
" Huh? I-I understand!" Aichi said as he bowed, " Thank you for today!"
" It was a huge success!" Ren said
" Jeez, Ren-san! Never did I think to get this wet..." Aichi said
" At least you have someone that enjoys this sight." Ren teased
Aichi blushed deep red as he splashed water on Ren before leaving the water. Kai led him back to their lounge and gave him clothes to change into while he washes off the cream.
" Are we heading to the common bathhouse to shower together? The private bathroom is small after all." Aichi said
" We'll head there at night. Just wash off the cream first. After that, we can head out to eat something and then to the bathhouse." Kai said
" Okay."
Once Aichi had finished cleaning off, the three headed to the bar area and got some drinks and food. While eating, they watched the understudies having their photoshoot.
" They aren't bad." Ren said
" Yeah."
" But I think the clincher for your shoot was that glow from your little one. That was amazing." Ren said
" I don't think they'll put that up. Kirara does that sometimes. Out of nowhere, it'll just glow brightly." Aichi said as Kirara floated around them
" It was reacting to you. If your heart was shining, it would too." Kai said
" That's true." Ren said
They stayed and chatted until it was evening as they got ready to go into the common bathhouse. Once the three were settled inside, they rinsed off in the shower and went into the hot spring.
" I've never been in a hot spring before. This feels nice." Aichi said
" We aren't going to soak for long. Your skin can gets hot easily after all." Kai said
" Alright."
They heard the understudies in the female common bathhouse as Kai sighed.
" There goes the quiet." Kai said
" Don't be so mean. This is their first time here too. Let them have some fun." Aichi said
" When are you going to announce the group song to the successors anyway? I'm sure they're all waiting for it." Ren said
" If we can get a dance routine out before I start high school, there should be enough time for them to practice." Aichi said
" You're almost there. You have us to help you after all." Kai said
" Yeah!"
The three enjoyed themselves for the rest of the night.
And that's the end of the chapter! Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see everyone in the next chapter!