As Ai Hoshino returns back to her apartment after her practice at the studio, she couldn't help but overhear what her two adorable children are talking about.

"I tried my best not to think about it," Aqua murmurs; his frown dimming his usually bright eyes. "But I do wonder who our father is. Just thinking about it makes my heart sink."

"You dummy, why would you let such a little thing get you down?" Ruby huffs before treating her brother to a monotonous stare. "It was obviously a virgin conception right? There was never any guy in the first place."

Oh dear, Ai thought to herself. Aqua and Ruby are definitely geniuses, but it is definitely not good if they're going to come to odd conclusions about it.

She subconsciously rubs her ring finger, feeling not bare skin but a memory of a promise told to her four years ago.

"I know I'm a bad guy for asking to wait for me, especially when you're so special to everyone," he had whispered to her, and she had vehemently denied it in her heart.

She wasn't that special, just someone who could only lie and lie. It was the only thing that could fill her up — because it didn't hurt as much as the truth — the hard truth that no one had really loved her, and she could not love anyone else in return.

But Ai could not deny that he had made her heart beat a different emotion that day.

"Even so, I want to be selfish just this once. I want to be the only one special to you."

As his fingers danced around in telltale signs of jitteriness, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, Ai couldn't help but gasp when she saw his eyes — star sapphires that shine brighter than any light she had seen.

He drew her hand, he made a circle with his hand, kneeling right before her.

"One day this will be a real ring, but now, it's the only thing I can offer. Would you marry me, Ai Hoshino?"

For the first time in God knows how long, tears dropped down from her face. She wanted to say yes, but she could not — if it was a lie, then it would not only break him, but it would break her too.

But her heart answered for her. Her finger inside his.

Inside the telephone booth, Ai glances down at the phone which held his contact number. The last time they had talked was when they found out Ai was pregnant.

He was overjoyed to hear the news but afraid for her safety. She had assured him that President Satou and the doctor they had found would be able to take care of her.

He told her that he was able to enlist with a governmental organization, but they were going out-of-country for a while, so he might not be able to contact her. He apologized to her a lot for not being able to make it back when she was expected to deliver.

"It's okay," she had lied to him. It was not. She wanted him next to her. She wanted him to see their children - to see what their love had brought forth.

But he didn't need to hear that. Not when he was about to embark on something that sounded important. She had worked around government officials before, and she definitely knew how hard it could be.

And she was an idol. They couldn't risk meeting each other, especially now.

They needed this lie to protect themselves.

Lies are a form of love after all.

"Papa has something to do, right? Mama will always wait for you."

Still, wasn't four years without any contact a bit too much?

As the phone rings, she twiddles with the tips of her hair. Somehow it is more nerve wracking than auditioning for any role — to be able to hear his voice again is worth it, no?

Yet her excitement halts when she hears an unfamiliar voice, a woman, answers the phone after the fourth ring.

"Hello, who is this?"

Ai exhaled, choking out the butterflies in her stomach.

"Hello, may I ask if Ritsuka Fujimaru is available? Tell him that it's Ai."

Ai could only hear several gasps and what sounded like something heavy dropping to the ground.

"Ai-san? You're Ai-san? Ritsuka-senpai's lover?"

"Yes? Who are you?" Ai asks; her confusion growing even deeper.

"Oh sorry, my name is Mashu Kyrielight! I'm Ritsuka-senpai's work partner! I didn't expect for Ai-san to call on this number!"

"Eh? Why is that?"

"Ritsuka-senpai only had Ai-san listed on his emergency contacts, but we couldn't reach it when we tried to contact it. And since he never gave us your full name, we didn't know what else to do."

Ai bites her lips. An unfortunate consequence of using burner phones and trying to safeguard her identity as an idol. But griping about those can wait until later.

"Emergency contact? What happened to Ritsuka?"

Years spent lying to forge a perfect facade, yet it cracks so easily as she drops the phone.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru is currently in a comatose state right now."