Prologue: A Confession In The Recording Booth

"This part is where you come in…nananana…nana…right here!"

"Uh-huh…nananana…naNA…right here, right?"

"Yeah! So, basically that's when you harmonize with Takamine-chan, understand?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"And after that, there's a change in key from an E Major to an A Major…you know, just like in…uh…um…"

"Like in "Shockwave Love"?"

"Yeah! It's the same as that. Those are basically the parts you haven't practised yet, Ai-chan."

"Understood! So, Hanada-kun, we can go through all of this tonight, right?"

"Of course we can. The studio's gonna be open till midnight."

"That's a relief. Thank you for being so considerate!"

"Hehe…it's nothing."

On a couch inside of the recording booth, Yamasaki Hiroshi, a 20 year veteran of the country's music industry watched intently as the casually dressed idol, Hoshino Ai was briefed on the structure of the new song B-Komachi had started their demo recording on. Next to the sixteen year old sensation was Hanada Taiki, a composer who was recently under the payroll of Strawberry Productions, the main company under which Ai and the rest of B-Komachi worked.

For the chronically observant thirty-eight year old man, watching his younger colleague try his best to not be star-struck by the presence of an idol next to him was a rather entertaining sight. He too, used to be giddy and jittery back in his earlier days when he started focusing on music composition instead of being an artist.

That was about a couple of years before he had started a family.

As part of a short lived but popular band, he had experience in the limelight and was used to being around celebrity figures for more than a decade. In the end, he became the only one to continue working extensively in the music industry, quickly earning a reputation as one of the best composers of songs within the genre of pop.

"Yamasaki-san?"

Hiroshi blinked a couple of times to get out of his thoughts and remember where he was currently.

He was sitting in an enclosed area surrounded by guitars of different brands and hues, amplifiers stacked on top of each other and a sophisticated computer supplemented with microphones, keyboards and mixers which made up the battle station he often manned when given a new task to fulfil.

In front of him were Taiki, his protégé and the one who had called him, Ai.

"Mm?" he then turned to her.

"Will you be at the studio tonight?" she asked in her patented cheery voice.

Even the simple act of asking a question was enough for the girl's charm to shine through. The older man could instantly tell that Taiki was hanging onto every word that Ai was speaking, bedazzled by the idol's voice.

Hiroshi shook his head to answer.

"I can't be here tonight" he said in a calm voice, pushing his glasses up, "I have to take my wife to the doctor for a check-up."

The couple were expecting their third child which required frequent trips to the doctor to make sure both the mother and baby were healthy and well.

"A doctor?" a confused expression formed on Ai's face.

"Ah! You may not have heard it yet, Ai-chan" Taiki quickly chimed in, "But sensei here is about to be a father for the third time!"

"Don't be smitten by an idol's charm, Hanada-kun. Don't make that mistake."

Hiroshi subtly chuckled upon seeing Taiki's enthusiasm to be the provider of an answer for Ai.

"How can I be a father for the third time, Hanada-kun?" the man asked, crossing his arms while smirking, "Do you think that having another child renews my fatherhood like it's some sort of a contract?"

A giggle from Ai preceded an embarrassed laugh from Taiki.

"I think it's really nice that you'll be having another addition to your family, Yamasaki-san" the girl smiled, "So, how many will be there in your house then? Is it five?"

"Six if you count the dog we adopted the other day" Hiroshi replied with a smile as well.

"Oh! Right!" Ai beamed, "You did tell me that you had a new dog! You have to show me pictures of that cute pooch, okay?"

The wink given his way would've melted his heart had he been a couple of decades younger but Hiroshi was able to tank it with just a simple nod.

Years and years of working with performers whose images ranged from cute to glamorous had basically granted him a barrier which prevented him from being infatuated with any of them or their actions.

Although, he always had a soft spot for Ai who was the first idol he ever worked with who had the mind to always ask about him and his family at every chance she got. That small thing was enough to earn his appreciation for her and her works and he always made sure to give more than his 100% when working on projects she was a part of.

And in some way, she felt like a daughter he never had…probably due to the fact that his two children were both boys. It was a sentiment he unconsciously shared with another man who was close to Ai as well.

While he observed, the sixteen year old turned to Taiki.

"Hanada-kun…" she said enthusiastically, "I'll be here at 8:00pm sharp, alright?"

"Okay!" Taiki nodded before standing up from his seat, "I'll be ready for you then!"

"Thank you, Hanada-kun, you're the best!" she added.

"Haha…" he laughed nervously before gesturing to Hiroshi, "I can't accept that praise while sensei's here."

"Oh?" Hiroshi narrowed his eyes at his colleague, "Have you accepting those plaudits in my absence then?"

Ai giggled as Taiki gave a sheepish smile.

With that, the young man sauntered out of the recording booth, ready for his lunch break.

His exit would leave Hiroshi and Ai alone inside the walled room.

Instantly, the middle aged man understood that it was a rare occurrence for him to be at his place of work with a single member of B-Komachi.

Whenever the group was there, it was to either analyse the new music tracks he concocted or to record demo vocals and without fail, all of the members would be present, creating a blissful din that he would never tired of.

However, on that particular day, he found himself looking across the room and gazing at Ai, the only one from the group to show up.

It wasn't because the rest of B-Komachi were late or couldn't make it.

No, the reason for her being the sole member there was because the evaluation and recording sessions for the group as a whole had taken place the previous day…without her.

And the cause for her absence was-

"Ai-chan…" Hiroshi spoke, taking her full attention in an instant.

"Oh! Yes? What is it, Yamasaki-san?" she asked, smiling.

"I heard you missed yesterday's recording session because you had to visit a doctor. Is that true?" he inquired.

Without hesitation, Ai nodded.

"Ah! You heard right…" she grinned, "It was such a tough decision to make but I decided that since I was always so diligent and punctual in all of our previous sessions, I would give into a different important matter for a change" she finished with a playful smirk, "President Saitou approved it in case you're wondering."

Hiroshi then narrowed his eyes at her.

"They say you went to the doctor to get your throat checked…is that right?" he inquired.

"Yes! These check-ups are really necessary, you know. But I'm happy to tell you that I've passed everything!" she gave him a thumbs up.

Ai expected the man to smile in response to her spirited gestures but there was a nearly unreadable expression on Hiroshi's face instead.

Suddenly, the air inside of the soundproof area turned several degrees heavier and tensions steadily rose. The grin on Ai's visage failed to betray the puzzlement and confusion that swirled within her head as she kept her eyes on the bespectacled man who was yet to open his mouth to respond.

Briefly, Hiroshi stared at the wooden floor between him and Ai before he scanned his surroundings for the presence of an entity other than him and the girl.

A thorough examination would show that there was no one except for the two of them.

The perfect window to ask a question.

"Yamasaki-san?" Ai's voice broke the silence first, this time without a hint of mirth.

"Ai-chan…" Hiroshi straightened his sitting posture as she stared directly into the eyes of the girl he had known and worked with for most of her idol career.

He had his suspicions for a while now and the opportunity to address them had finally come about.

"No one will hear us through these panels"

Taking in a deep breath and putting his hands together, he prepared himself for what he was about to tell her.

"Ai-chan" he repeated before finally saying it, "I know that your throat wasn't the only reason you visited the doctor yesterday."

Whatever reply the girl gave, he already had a response prepared to make sure that he could pierce through the façade she kept up.

"Huh? Yamasaki-san, what are you talking about?" she predictably giggled, "It was really just an appointment to have my throat checked for any problems! There's nothing else! Were you that worried because I missed the recording session? It wasn't anything serious in the end, you know."

Ai maintained the smile on her face but she quickly understood that the man wasn't buying it.

The stoic expression he put on reflected the seriousness that gripped him within. Given the small window they had, he was determined to pry the answers he wanted out of her one way or another and as soon as possible.

"I even have a receipt for some vitamins I bought...hehe…" she made one last attempt.

It was an uncharacteristically bad attempt to sway his thoughts, a sure sign that she couldn't come up with a believable alibi to cover up the true reason behind her absence the previous day.

"Ai-chan, you can tell me the truth" he said with a heavy sigh, "This wasn't the only time in the previous months where you took a day off to see a doctor. It was the second. I know you and you know me well enough to understand that we can't lie to each other. Whatever it is, even if it is what I think it is, I won't judge you for it. That much I can promise to you."

Ai instantly recognized the gravity of the situation.

The secret she had attempted to keep under the rugs as best as she could since she learnt of it recently had been unearthed by a man who had worked with her for so long. The plans she had made in her head, all of the excuses she had accrued and all of the lies she was prepared to spew were rendered completely useless by Hiroshi's words.

Steadily, she lowered her head and her smile faded, giving way to the true Ai that rarely surfaced.

If it hadn't been for his promise of being understanding towards her, she might have continued futilely trying to deny any other reasons behind her frequent visits to the doctors.

But as he had mentioned, she had known him well enough to be certain that he could be trusted. Besides President Saitou, the perennial composer of B-Komachi's hits was the one person she could share her secrets with.

And such a heavy and significant secret it was!

But she understood it would only be heavier if she kept it from him.

Taking a deep breath and locking eyes with him, she opened her mouth to break the news to him.

"You're right…you're right…" her smile returned, "Yamasaki-san…I'm pregnant."

That time, her face would not reveal the terror, dread and anxiety dominating her thoughts. Her lips curving to form a smile was nothing more than a physical barrier to stop her true feelings from creeping through the cracks that were forming.

Even though she was confiding the truth to a man she trusted, she would never allow her emotions to be revealed. That was a skill that would never ever escape her.

As she continued staring at Hiroshi, his brown eyes widening ever so slightly would mirror the scenario she had imagined many times before; one where she finally revealed her secret to him.

"…there was a gynaecologist who worked at the same hospital…" he stated, removing the expression of surprise from his face, "That was a guess I didn't think I'd need to make but…"

He then rose from his seat and approached Ai.

The smile on the girl's face never faltered despite the immense anxiety over what he would say next.

"…that has become a reality, hasn't it?" he asked, gently patting her head.

Ai closed her eyes and allowed herself to accept the show of affection from a man she considered to be one of two valuable father figures within the ruthless musical world. It was…quite different from the "love" she wanted from her adoring fans and was a welcome change from the hollow chants of support that showered her whenever she went on stage.

No, Hiroshi's words had more value than anything she received from her admirers.

Her racing heart would calm down as she felt his hand on her head. The fear she harboured in a corner of her heart would have a part of it dissipate as realization set in regarding the revelation of her secret to Hiroshi. That non-verbal action was simply to put her nerves at ease and to assure her that he was still on her side.

"Who else knows this?"

"…only you" Ai replied without looking at him.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Hiroshi patted her on the head again as his sights fell upon a nearby guitar.

"What a web you have run into, Ai-chan…" he mumbled, moving his hand to her shoulder, "But…whatever this leads to…nothing will change between us…"

Ai tilted her head a bit to face him. There was a smile on his face.

"Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to you, would it?" he asked.

That was it…that was the confirmation she had feared wouldn't come to pass.

Ai would've understood him if he wanted to have nothing to do with an idol practically on the verge of an unprecedented scandal. There were dozens of reasons for him to no longer acknowledge her at a personal level. There was no cause for him to be involved with her any longer.

Yet, there he was…telling her he would stand by her.

Once more, she could feel her innermost feelings urging her to give into them, pushing her to break the façade she had expertly weaved to perfect the image she wanted.

In the end, she reached a compromise.

"Thank you so much, Yamasaki-san" she responded with a subdued smile, shelving her usual cheeriness for a more genuine show of gratitude.

He nodded in return.

"Thank you for being honest, Ai-chan. And I don't think I will explicitly need to make a promise to keep this only to myself" he chuckled.

Ai giggled, relieved that Hiroshi found the perfect time to lighten the tense mood.

"Hey! A verbal confirmation is usually reassuring, you know" she playfully replied.

"Haha! Maybe I'll save that for the next bombshell you drop" he smiled, "So, Ai-chan…I presume your baby's well? You have been visiting the doctor at the recommended intervals, right?"

For a moment, Ai almost allowed sa tear of joy to fall from her eyes.

Ever since she discovered she was carrying a baby, she had secretly feared not being able to openly discuss motherhood with her closest confidants. Sure, President Saitou was ever-present in her life but he had too much of the business side of things on his hands to handle so they could not connect as much on a personal level.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, would never shy away from a conversation she'd pull him into and as she overcame the huge hurdle of bringing her situation to light in front of him, she no longer had to worry about lacking someone to casually discuss the road to being a mother with.

And so, with palpable excitement, she answered.

"I looked up when I should meet a doctor and I've been trying to follow that without fail" she explained, "Although, I…"

"You'll have to take a break soon" Hiroshi finished her sentence.

Ai nodded and continued smiling.

"It's weird…I don't find myself wanting to get myself out of this now that I had time to think about it" she told him, "As much as this mother stuff is new and…scary…" she briefly glances at him, "…I'm almost completely convinced that I want to carry this baby until it's born."

She then ran her fingers through her hair before staring right into Hiroshi's eyes.

"So, yes, I'll have to take a break" she giggled, "Before that, I'll have to find a way to tell President Satou."

"Don't you mean, President "Saitou"?" Hiroshi laughed a bit, "He won't be too pleased if you mess up his name in his presence."

"Hehe…"

Witnessing her continue to exude the usual lively aura of an idol even in the face of such a daunting situation made Hiroshi wonder just how many layers of fake images she had piled underneath her smile. At the same time though, he had to commend how brave the girl was despite being only sixteen years of age.

That only served to strengthen his resolve to unconditionally support her though.

Given her status within both the industry and in the eyes of the public, he knew straightaway that the support she would receive would be extremely limited. Sure, the observable side of her might find the loving words of her fellow B-Komachi members and from President Saitou to be enough but no one knew what the enigma underneath would desire.

Hiroshi then stole a glance at her abdomen once more.

"Be sure to inform him before your pregnancy becomes too apparent" he advised her.

"Oh! Yeah…" she scratched her head while grinning, "I wonder how he'll react…"

"My bet is he'll flip his lid…but he wouldn't be opposed to helping her…at the very least, for the sake of the company."

"He's always been supportive of you so you won't have any problems regarding that."

"Mm-hmm!" she nodded, "You know…" she laughed a bit, "He was actually the first person I wanted to tell this about but you had to go and steal his thunder!"

Hiroshi knew he'd never tire of marvelling at her uncanny ability to stay unwaveringly cheery at any given moment.

"Apologize to him on my behalf when you do tell him" he said jokingly.

The clock on the wall struck exactly 1 o'clock.

With a smile, Hiroshi turned to her once more.

"You should get something to eat, Ai-chan" he told her.

"I should do that" she sheepishly smiled as well, rubbing her belly.

Steadily, she stood up from her chair, fixed the creases on her hoodie and pants before pulling down the cap she wore so it obstructed a significant portion of her face.

"What about you? Are you coming as well?" Ai asked him.

"I have some tea in my flask" he explained briefly.

"Ah! Gotcha!" she then bolted out of the recording booth, "Enjoy your grandpa drink then…hehe!"

Hiroshi shook his head and smirked, trying not to burst out laughing at her antics. He couldn't exactly use that to scold her or anything though, after all she was still only sixteen.

"I'm not even forty yet and she sees me as a "grandpa", huh? That's messed up" he chuckled to himself.

As soon as she left the area though, so did the springy aura that made the place seem fuller than it actually was. In a couple of seconds, it dawned upon him that he was left to his thoughts, given time to assess all that had transpired between him and Ai.

He exhaled audibly, loosening his muscles before sitting back down on the couch. It had taken a lot out of him to supress his emotions when Ai dropped the bombshell on him. Had he not contained himself, he knew he would've been exclaiming loudly in surprise and astonishment.

It was the first time he had heard of an idol being pregnant while they were still in their teens! And not only that, it was the one idol he had grown fond of.

But there was no changing the past and it was clear that Ai was about to embark on one specific journey that no one would expect she would tread on until much later in her life. With determination in his heart, Hiroshi understood that while current circumstances might not permit him to support her as much as he wanted to, he meant every word that he told her.

As he had already deduced, no one knew what the true Ai needed so being there for her during a turbulent period was a must.

And perhaps, after as well…