Chapter 6: Going to the Concert

"Ruby. Pssst. Wake up." Ruby heard her biological brother call her quietly.

Ruby was nice and warm in her mother's arms and really didn't want to get up. That stupid otaku brother of hers was trying to wake her up wiithout waking up their mother. Ruby was getting slightly annoyed at it, but she compelled herself to get up.

"Ok, be quiet." She whispered back.

They agreed yesterday to talk at night when no one was around so that they could go over a thought Aqua had. She didn't know why this had to happen tonight since she was still tired from the excitement from yesterday.

Ruby started to carefully move her mother's arms so that she could get out of her grasp. She did so as carefully as possible so as not to wake her up. She managed to get one arms free and started to sit up.

Only for Ai to groan for a moment before wrapping her arms around Ruby again, this time fully pinning her to her mother's chest.

"Help!" She almost yelled but kept her voice down.

Aqua gently crawled over to give her a hand moving Ai's arms off of his sister. In his previous life, Aqua did actually workout and keep his body healthy. Nothing hard or anything to actually make him strong, but he did occasionally jog and do basic body weight exercises. After all, exercise was good for the body.

Aqua had no doubt that in his previous life he'd easily be able to overpower the young woman. But as it stands at being a newly aged up four-year-old, Aqua might as well be fighting a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter in terms of strength.

After finally getting one arm free, he motioned for Ruby to pry. Ruby managed to get the last arm trapping her free, before Aqua slid one of the pillows in Ai's arms. In her dreams, she must have thought it was Ruby because she instantly squeezed the pillow as if it was her own child.

Both kids were out of breath from the exchange. It was a good thing his mother was such a heavy sleeper, otherwise that would have gone poorly.

"Ok, come on." Aqua said as they moved away from their mother and into the main hallway.

"What's this about?" Ruby asked.

"Something was different about Ai yesterday." He said.

"Yea, she wanted to talk to that one guy." Ruby said.

"No, I mean, when you mentioned a father." Aqua said.

"So?" Ruby asked, causing Aqua to smack his own face.

"I think Ai contacted our father." He guessed.

"Do you think so?" Ruby asked.

"Yea, remember when she went to the pay phone?" He said.

"Yea, but she said she was calling Miyako." Ruby said.

"You believed that?" Aqua asked in astonishment. "If she wanted to contact Miyako, she would have used her cell phone."

"Maybe it was dead?" She countered.

"You played with it after she left the pay phone." He countered back.

"So, what's this about?" Ruby asked seriously.

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that in the past four years, we haven't once met the man who impregnated Ai?" Aqua said, refusing to call him his father after abandoning his family.

"Not really." Ruby said innocently.

"Never once did you think about it?" He asked.

"I mean, it was weird. But why should we care?" Ruby said. "All we need is mama."

"But maybe Ai thinks we're curious about our supposed father and want to have some kind of father in our lives." He said. "She looked sad when you brought it up."

"I see your point." She said. "But if that's the case, then what's the big deal? We meet our father and maybe get another family member."

"Because in four years we've never seen him." Aqua pointed out. "It's odd. Normally the father is in the picture in some way. Either through visitation rights or even child support."

"Ok?" Ruby said, unsure of the conversation.

How young was she to not know any other this?

"So, either he completely abandoned us and waived his rights as a parent, or Ai wanted nothing to do with him." He explained.

"Why wouldn't he want to be with Ai?" Ruby asked.

"Real life isn't all fun and games Ruby." Aqua said. "We don't know what kind of relationship they had. All we know is that they're distant enough to where she only felt comfortable calling him on a pay phone instead of her cell phone."

"Meaning...?" Ruby asked again.

"Meaning I don't think Ai fully trusted him with our information." He said.

"Then why contact him now?" She asked.

"I don't know." Aqua said honestly. "Maybe there was a spark there between them, or maybe she is willing to trust him now when she didn't before. There can be a million reasons."

"Have you dealt with this before?" Ah, his sister can be observant at times.

"Unfortunately, yes." Aqua said. "I've had to help people on occasion deal with these kinds of situations. So, this who situation with Ai strikes me as weird."

"Maybe he's not too bad." Ruby said. "Plus, mama probably got rid of all her old contacts when she had us. He also probably changed a lot of his contacts too because maybe he was also an actor or something."

Aqua actually was surprised she thought of that. Now that she said that, it was a good point. Even if he was a normal guy, he could be attacked for being the guy to "Ruin the innocent Hoshino Ai". Plus, normally in entertainment, actors and singers typically associated with and dated other actors and singers. Meaning that there's a chance Ai's ex was an idol similar to her.

Or maybe he was an older man who was her director or producer that took advantage of a 15-year-old girl. That's a horrifying thought as well as would explain why they cut off from each other so much. Sadly, it's not all that uncommon for higher management to take advantage of the idols they employ.

"Man, who knew being an idol had so much drama." Ruby said innocently.

That's one way to put it. It's unfortunate that young idols like Ai end up either getting abused or attacked by not only fans, but production members as well. It's not a stretch to say that there could potentially be people in higher management or even basic laboring that can also be obsessed fans as well. It was always dangerous for Ai to work with anyone, which is why President Saitou often did all the negotiating and planning for her.

While it was good for her, it was also risky for many idols since these presidents could also abuse them since they're in such an authoritative position above them. Thankfully, President Saitou never showed anything like that. The only issue was his wife's gold digging, but that hasn't been a problem since they pretended to be Kami that one time as infants.

"For now, let's just see how it goes." Aqua said. "If we decide her ex will only be trouble in her life, we'll cry and say we hate him. That should ensure Ai cuts him out forever."

"Aren't there laws against that?" Ruby asked.

"Depends, but given the situation, he likely waived his parental rights. Which means that as far as the law is concerned, he is not our father. Even then, aside from the media backlash on him, he'd probably have to backpay four years of child support. There's no way he would try to fight against Ai with all that against him if he does turn out to be abusive."

"Awesome, now that that's done, I'm going back to mama." Ruby said, already letting all the responsibility fall on Aqua.

"Brat." He said out loud when she was out of earshot.

"Ruby!?" Ai screamed in concern as she noticed that the thing in her arms was not her daughter, but a pillow.

"Yea?" Her daughter sat up from her spot less than a meter from her.

"Oh." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Why am I cuddling a pillow?" She asked.

Ruby started to do her fake cry when she wanted attention again. Ai laughed as she realized maybe acting won't be her best career option when she gets older. Then again, as her mother she knew everything her baby girl was thinking.

"You pushed me away and grabbed the pillow." She fake sobbed, hoping to make Ai comfort her.

"Oh really?" Ai said, turning the act on its head.

"Yea, you don't love me anymore." Ruby sobbed again.

"Well, this pillow is so much more comfortable and better at cuddling. So, I decided I should try this." She smirked. "Maybe I should just hold this when I sleep from now on."

Ai almost broke character at her daughter's pout. Crocodile tears shifting into a scowl that would probably mean instant death if you looked at her too long.

"Come here." She laughed, putting the pillow down and holding out her arms. Ruby rushed in for a hug, though she was still upset at having her little joke flipped against her.

"You're mean mama." Ruby pouted.

"Yup, I'm as evil as they come." Ai joked while kissing the top of her daughter's head. "Come on, it's almost time to get ready. We'll have a lot of fun today at the concert."

"Yes!" Ruby screamed, running over to the washroom to bathe and get changed.

Ai normally didn't wash herself the morning of the concert since she was going to have to anyway when she arrived. The idols of B-Komachi always had to arrive hours early to wash, dress, apply makeup, and do last minute rehearsals before the big show.

Oh no... she remembered something from last night.

She invited Eren Yeager. The guy from next door after she talked with him. While she was excited to show him something he's never seen before, she did remember that she had to tell the President that she invited him and even gave him a backstage ticket. He was going to be very upset.

Oh well, it wasn't like Ai was a child anymore. She was 19-years-old now and a full-grown mother of two children. She could do whatever she wanted.

Ai got changed into her casual clothes so she would be ready to go to the concert when Miyako decided to pick them up.

Ai decided to wear something cute today for no particular reason. Looking at her wardrobe, she decided to put on a knee length black skirt with a white dress shirt. Due to the chilly weather, she also put on black leggings for warmth.

Aqua and Ruby put on casual clothes too. Mainly a pair of jeans and black sweater for Aqua and a cute dress and sweater for her daughter. She also had Ruby put on leggings since children typically get cold faster than adults so she can stay warm.

"When we finish breakfast, I'll go get Eren." She said.

"Who's Eren?" Aqua asked.

Oh right, she didn't tell her kids about the conversation last night since they fell asleep before it happened.

"He's our neighbor from next door." Ai explained. "We had a talk last night and I decided to give him a backstage pass."

"Isn't that a bad idea?" Aqua asked. "I know I said talk to him, but that's flat out admitting you're Hoshino Ai."

"Well, he already knew, kind of." She said, raising her eyebrow at another instance of her son being more intelligent than he should.

"And he'll keep our secret?" He asked again out of caution.

"Actually, he really didn't know who I was." Ai smiled.

"Really?" Ruby asked in surprise.

"Yup, not only that, but he's also never been to a concert before or even seen an idol." Ai explained.

"How can no one know what that is?" Ruby asked as if she got offended.

"I think he's from a rural part of overseas." She said. "They normally don't have access to the same things as we do. So, I'm going to invite him and show how amazing idols in Japan are." She made a cute pose in her idol act.

"So, he took the ticket?" Aqua asked.

"Actually, he refused it at first." She laughed.

"What!?" Ruby screamed. "How can he refuse it. It'll be so awesome. He's lucky to have it."

"Yea, but mama went in there and dragged him along." She laughed.

Aqua noticed something weird about the way Ai said that. Like she was disappointed about the way she was rejected but also somewhat proud of herself for taking the leap and almost forcing him to go. Aqua was wondering if the young idol was developing a crush on the stranger.

Honestly, he shouldn't be surprised. He's surprised it took so long to happen. Ai is still human and although he knew she loved her children, even if she would never say it, she still wanted to love someone that would make her feel like a woman. He didn't know the relationship she had with her ex, but Ai was clearly starved for companionship from someone other than her boss and children.

Aqua wondered if maybe this would be good for her. A chance to meet someone who can take care of her a little bit instead of her always being the one caring for them. Even if it ends up being a short relationship, Ai does deserve a chance to have a little romance after four years of nothing.

It was also kind of sad, since throughout the best years of her teenage life, she's been almost isolated from the world and unable to really form any kind of bonds with anyone outside of her children and work.

Knock Knock

Ai heard from the front door. She was a little unsure of who it could be. Miyako was still an hour away and she didn't give Eren a time to come over. She wondered if he decided to come over himself, but for some reason that didn't sound like something he would do.

"I'll get it." Ai said as she lightly jogged over to the door, ready to open it.

However, she stopped before she reached the door. She remembered what the President said. How he didn't want her opening the door at all, especially if it was for Eren. She wondered if even now she should follow that advice, but she wasn't too sure about it. After all, she was already inviting him over anyway and having him come to a concert. So it's only natural that he would want to come over.

Why did she even care exactly? She's a full-grown woman and should be able to make her own judgements on strangers. Eren didn't seem like a bad person so it's unfair to treat him in any specific way without first really getting to know him. She understands President Saitou's concerns, but Eren is fully aware of her identity. Even if he doesn't knows exactly who she is, he knows her name and knows she's an idol. There is no hiding from him.

Knock! Knock! Kock!

Ai jumped slightly while she was paused near the door. Those last knocks sounded violent, like whoever was at the door was getting frustrated. It struck her as odd since based on what she gathered from Eren; he didn't seem like the type to come over without being prompted. He also probably wouldn't get frustrated if she didn't answer.

But that's only her assumption of him and she hasn't spent nearly enough time getting to know him.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Now the banging was getting louder. Whoever was there was getting frustrated that she wasn't answering. She knew that neither Miyako or the President would get frustrated like that and it honestly kind of scared her.

She decided that she wouldn't answer the door and walked back towards her kids.

"Who was that mama?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know, but President Saitou said he doesn't want me opening the door for anyone but them." She said, the loud banging still making her heart flutter.

If it wasn't for her pause, she may have opened the door before whoever was there got frustrated. But something about those frustrated knockings just worried her.

Aid didn't like violence in any form, especially directed at her. There was just something odd about those knocks that scared her because it sounded aggressive. It brought up things in her past that she didn't want to think about and wanted to just avoid.

"So, are we going to eat?" Ruby asked. Ai smiled at her daughter for helping her mind calm down from the sudden scare.

"Yes, do you want salted salmon again?" She asked as her daughter cheered.

Aqua though was cautious. He didn't like how violent the person got on the other side of the door was getting. He knew from experience that whoever was there, got frustrated when she didn't answer. He wondered if it was this Eren guy, but it didn't make too much sense since apparently Ai had to almost drag him to the concert.

Could it be their father? It was likely, especially if he went with the idea that her ex was abusive, but he would have probably called first since if Ai was willing to share an address, she'd be willing to share her phone number as well.

Maybe Eren leaked something and that was a fan? He guessed that was the most probable scenario, but he didn't want to make assumptions without first talking with him. Not that he fully could talk to Eren, since as far as everyone was concerned, he's a four-year-old. Ai might just make light of his worries and chalk it up to the cuteness of a child.

He hated being a kid sometimes.

A Few Minutes Prior

Eren was dressed in the only clothing he had once again. Last night he got them washed while he was in the bath so they smelled fresh and clean for today.

He wasn't really excited about going to this concert, but his hand was kind of forced to by that girl. Ai she said her name was. It's a strange name, even by Hizuru standards. Then again, Eren hadn't met many Hizuru people before, so he guessed it was possible it was more common than he thought.

The girl was still weird to him. She did that act again and when he called her out on it, she said she wouldn't do it again. It confirms to him that she is being disingenuous in how she's acting and making a whole fake persona. He had no idea why she does that, but he really didn't care.

If Eren wanted to, he could just leave for a few hours so she can't find him, and it would force her to leave without him. He really considered it, but he also felt bad about how sad she got last night. She looked really hurt when he said no, and he wasn't fully sure why.

So, if nothing else than to make her happy, he decided he would go along with it.

Eren went outside to get some fresh air before they went. He didn't exactly know when the event was, so he'd wait for her to come to him. After all, she was the one who practically dragged him to the event, so he'd just go on her timeline.

Eren took up his spot near the fence that he normally went when he wanted some alone time. It almost became a kind of ritual to come out to this spot to think. It was away from the apartments but still within view of it. It gave him space to think.

Thinking back on it, Eren hasn't really left the apartment much except on the two occasions with Sergei. The man seemed like he was frustrated so Eren wondered if he would call again for another job. Especially with how he felt Eren screwed up that last one, Eren wondered if he was out of a job. He didn't even get paid on the last one.

Eren has a month to figure it out, so he wasn't too worried right now. Especially if he rations his money, he could maybe go two months before going back onto the streets.

Eren noticed a guy walk up to Ai's apartment door. He was dressed in a hoodie and wearing simple jeans. His face was obscured by the hood, but he was holding flowers in his hand. Ai was a single mother, so it would make sense that there was at least a father in those kids' life. Or maybe he was a boyfriend to her. Eren truly didn't know. The guy seemed a bit suspicious, but who is Eren to judge?

After getting frustrated, the man walked away from the door. Ai either wasn't home or unable to open the door. The hooded man walked by him before noticing Eren.

"Hey, do you know who lives there?" He asked, pointing at ai's door.

"No." Eren said.

So, he wasn't affiliated with Ai. Eren knew this apartment was for people who didn't want to be traced, so out of respect for Ai's privacy he wouldn't say anything about it.

"Can you help me look for someone?" He asked. "I heard a friend of mine was here, but I don't know exactly."

"No." Eren said, wanting the guy to leave.

"It's really important, it's someone I care about." He tried again.

Eren ignored him and chose to go away. Eren walked past the man and went towards his own apartment door, keeping his senses directed at the man in case he tried anything. Eren did not care what he needed. Whatever reason Ai is trying to stay untraceable is her own business and Eren had no right or care to tell anyone where she was.

One odd thing he did notice is the man's frustration. He was looking for someone and was getting frustrated at not finding that person. Maybe he got the wrong address and isn't looking for Ai, but it was none of Eren's business.

He went back inside and laid down on his bed, ready to take a small nap before this concert thing.

"Ok, ready!" Ai said with a fist pump in her apartment. Miyako shook her head at the display but was glad Ai was getting motivated for the show.

"Once we get there, you and the other girls start getting ready." Miyako said, parroting what her husband told her. "Once you are, he wan't to do one more rehearsal before the event."

"Ok, before I go, I need to get Eren." Ai said, already knowing how Miyako was going to react.

"Eren?" Miyako asked.

Ai didn't say anything as she rushed outside the door and knocked on Eren's door. Miyako had a shocked expressions since she knew exactly who lived in that room. How is she on a named basis already? It's only been not even a full day. They should have had no time to talk!

"Hey Eren!" Ai said in her idol voice and pose as he entered the door, though slightly different since she was saying it in English.

Eren was wearing the same clothes he always did, though his hood was down, and his hair was actually somewhat styled.

"I like your hair." Ai said. "The disheveled bun looks good on you."

"You're going to still do that act?" Eren asked, though slightly annoyed.

"Yup." Ai sticked her tongue out at him. "Like I said, you're getting the full idol experience." She winked.

Miyako bent down to pick up her purse, which fell down after she saw the interaction. Idol experience? What was she talking about?

"Oh yea, this is Miyako. She's the wife of President Saitou of B-Komachi idol group." She introduced.

"Ai!" Miyako screamed. "What is wrong with you!? You can't just tell this guy everything!" She yelled in Japanese.

"It's ok Miyako-San." Ai waived off. "We spoke last night when you guys left."

"Ichigo said don't talk to him!" She yelled, before realizing he was right there. "No offense." She said, hoping not to offend the foreigner.

Eren just stood still and raised an eyebrow when Miyako addressed him. As if he didn't understand what she said.

"Eren doesn't know Japanese." Ai explained.

"Oh." Miyako said. "But still we told you not to talk to him."

"Actually, President said not to open the door for him." She said while wagging her fingers.

"Damn it girl, you know specifically what he meant!" She yelled. "Now he knows for a fact who you are!"

"Actually, he doesn't." Ai said. "Eren grew up in a rural town and never saw an idol group or a concert. So I decided to invite him. He's real excited, right Eren-San?" She said, looking at Eren.

Eren looked at her and said nothing, though he looked more confused than anything.

"Oh, right, sorry." Ai said, remembering she was speaking Japanese. "I said you're excited to go to the concert to Miyako-San, right?" She switched to English.

Eren shrugged.

Miyako again let her jaw drop. A halfhearted shrug at being asked if he's excited to go to a Hoshino Ai concert? That's it?

"Oh, and you need to meet my babies." Ai said excitedly.

Meet!? Ai, abort! You're telling him too much!

"This little guy is Aqua, and she's Ruby." She said, introducing the twins.

"Why'd you choose those names?" Eren asked. The words actually sounded vaguely familiar. It was different, but it sounded similar to words in Eldian.

"Well, his full name is Aquamarine, since that's the color of his eyes." She said, letting Eren see her kids a little closer. "And of course, you have Ruby for her eyes as well." She said.

Aqua looked indifferent at meeting Eren, while Ruby looked unsure.

"Kids, this is Eren Yeager. He's a westerner so they put family name in front." She said to her kids. "They don't speak English yet so they may not understand."

"Hi Yeager-San!" Ruby said excitedly, trusting that a friend of mama's will be a friend of hers.

"Hi." Aqua said.

While Ruby didn't know English, Aqua did. However, he knew he had to hide it since it would be almost impossible to explain why he knew English when his mother never taught him.

Eren waved his own hand but didn't say anything. He really wasn't too comfortable being around the family right now, but he decided he'd try to bear it for now.

"So you can get the front seat with Miyako-San while I'll be in the back with my kids." Ai said.

"Who said he's getting into my car? Miyako asked.

"Oh, I think my throat is starting to hurt." Ai faked in an innocent way.

Miyako shook her head at the display, knowing that she was just playing around but also that she was serious about Eren coming.

"Fine Ai, by all means let the stranger come to your concert." She said.

Eren got into the front passenger seat while everyone else got in their respective seats. Ai took a moment to make sure her kids were strapped into their seats and their seat belts were secured before giving the thumbs up to Miyako to start driving.

Eren leaned against the window as they started driving away, not really interested in starting a conversation with the older woman who clearly did not like him. She seemed to not like him for some reason.

"So Eren, where are you from?" Miyako asked.

"I'm from across the sea." He replied cryptically. "In a rural town."

"Does this town have a name?" She asked.

Eren remained silent at that, still not really wanting to talk to the older woman.

"Don't be so nosy Miyako-San." Ai said. "Eren is allowed to have some privacy."

This caused Miyako to grumble at her response.

"You'll enjoy the concert." Ai said to Eren. "It'll be one of the biggest I've done so far. And there will even be a little meet the idol event right after for all the fans. Maybe I'll give you an autograph if you come." She winked at Eren, even though he didn't see her.

"How many fans do you have?" Eren asked.

"Well, President Saitou said if we keep this pace up, in another month or two I'll be close to one million followers on Twitter." She said proudly.

"Twitter?" Eren asked.

"Yea, you know." Ai said. "Twitter on social media."

"What's that?" Eren asked.

Miyako glanced at Eren in confusion. How does he not know what social media is? She didn't think anyone outside of isolated tribes didn't know what social media was.

"How don't you know?" Ai asked.

"Like I said, my home was somewhat isolated." Eren explained again. "We didn't have much in the way of technology."

Miyako was confused again. There he goes being vague and using non-specific terms to describe his home.

"Well, it's on the internet. It's a website where people can share videos, thoughts, and follow other people." She explained, though Ai was still confused why he didn't know that.

Aqua was also confused. He couldn't voice his thoughts since the conversation was in English, but who doesn't know about social media? Even rural areas had computers, phones, and even public libraries with computers.

Eren, although he didn't know what the internet was, decided not to ask any more questions since he could tell he was making himself standout more than he wanted to.

"So, these fans of yours, they follow you and do what exactly?" Eren asked.

"Well, as an idol it's my job to entertain them. So basically, I sing, dance, act, or do whatever I can to impress them and make them happy." She tried to explain.

"Is that why you act like the way you do?" Eren asked.

"What do you mean?" Ai asked.

"The way you act. That weird kind of cute thing you do. Is that why?" He clarified.

Miyako was actually surprised at that answer. Most people don't fully realize that the idol personality is an act that's meant to create a very specific persona. She was surprised someone who doesn't know what an idol is was able to see through her act. Especially with how good Ai is at it.

"Well, yes." Ai said. "It's basically a way for me to create a persona in order to be popular and help the President get money."

"Why do it?" Eren asked.

Ai put her finger to her chin for a moment before smiling again.

"I do it because I enjoy it. I love making people happy and making them smile." She said, though Eren could tell that it was only partially true.

"Guess it's a good reason." Eren said, still not fully understanding it.

"You'll see once we do the show." Ai said. "I'll make you a fan of idol after just one show. Wait and see." She smiled.

"What about you Eren?" Miyako asked. "What do you do?"

"I'm a mover." Eren said.

"What kind of things do you move?" She wanted to clarify.

"Antiques." He said.

She was worried for Ai again. He's a mystery. The way he just deflects questions or speaks so vaguely about himself makes him a mysterious man. Add to that, being covered in muscles and having that exotic western look, she knew Ai was going to easily fall for him.

"I'd like to see some of the stuff you move." Ai said, going along with the conversation.

Miyako wasn't sure if Ai was oblivious to how vague he was being or she just didn't mention it because she found it attractive. She could already tell Ai had a crush on him, and it honestly worried her.

There were so many red flags she noticed when Eren talked. Red flags that Ai was ignoring because she found him attractive. He's mysterious, and that brings a certain level of attractiveness, but she was also worried because that could bring other issues as well. He was clearly hiding something.

Ai and Eren continued to talk for the rest of the trip. Though mainly it turned into Ai hyping up an idol concert since Eren didn't really answer many questions. He was content to just listen to Ai explain in detail about her profession. It was honestly the first time she saw Ai enthusiatically explain her job. She looked really happy as she told him all the details and some of the downsides about it, such as all the makeup.

Though she didn't talk about the problems, such as crazed fans and having to maintain her idol personality at all times. She didn't blame Ai, since it wasn't a topic she wished to discuss to anyone. She always tried to focus on the benefits of being an idol since the drawbacks were extremely tough for her to endure.

Eren though, he honestly enjoyed talking with Ai. He still could barely understand half of what she was saying, but he enjoyed hearing her talk about it. She had so much passion and he could see her fake personality slipping as she expressed herself. Her personality went from overly cute for the sake of being cute, to just a girl explaining her favorite career passionately.

Miyako noticed it as well. Ai was acting as if she was around herself or her husband. She was just being a normal young woman right now. A young woman who spoke passionately about the thing she loved. She could even tell Eren was being sincere in his own enjoyment from just listening to her. He didn't talk much outside of simple responses, but she could tell he found Ai cute when she was passionate.

Miyako joked to herself if she needed to get some diapers ready again, because she was worried what would happen if those two continued to talk in the following days.

So, there's another chapter.

I'll be honest, I actually had a few ideas on how I wanted Ai and Eren to get along at first. At first, I thought about the tried and true save her from muggers or from getting hit by a car. But I felt like it took the agency out of their actions since it kind of forces them to get along. Instead, I just decided a simple talk. Ai had to work for it, especially when she got rejected.

I'm really glad it seems I made the right call lol.

Thanks for the reviews so far. It really lets me know how I'm doing and if I've been making the right choices.

Also, the laws regarding fathers, kind of basing it off of American law since I am not even going to try to talk on it about Japanese law lol. So I apologize if I'm wrong on that lol.