The rhythmic and monotonous beeping from Ai's alarm vibrates her phone off the bedside table, eventually causing it to fall. Ai catches it just in time before it hits the floor. Frantically, she swipes her finger on the phone, turning it off before it can make another sound.

Ai looks over at the sleeping Hikaru, checking if he is disturbed by her alarm. His thin cheeks and sharp face fluster her a bit.

Time: 6:52 A.M.

Ai gets up, readies herself dutifully, strolling her way to the toilet, then the living room.

She checks her phone, her group chat, her messages. She scrolls to the very message containing the instructions on what to bring for the concert later that morning, taking a screenshot before proceeding to rummage through her drawers to gather them.

Ai's stomach growls a bit; does she have time for breakfast?

Time: 7:01 A.M.

All she has done right now is brush her teeth, wash her face, and change into her home clothes. Yikes, why is she so slow?

She bites her nails nervously, dispersing some of her growing stress. She laughs at herself nervously.

Time: 7:02 A.M.

Hesitantly, she rushes towards her room again, trying her best to collect her thoughts before they go manic again from panic. She quickly sifts through the various bland home clothing she has in her closet, grabbing her costume the moment it passes by her fingers.

Time: 7:09 A.M

She quickly stuffs it into her bag, before checking her phone again for the instructions. Ai's heart slightly races, her composure losing itself a bit to her growing headache.

Hair pin, water bottle, lipstick, scrunchies, script, lip balm, bandages, bags, costume. Hair pin, water bottle, lipstick, scrunchies, script, lip balm- Wait, where is all that?

Ai supports her head, rubbing her temples from her morning headache, if only she had prepared all of that yesterday! She was so busy with her family that she had forgotten to pack for the concert the day after.

Why do I have this annoying headache!?

Out of all the days where she could be suffering from a mental clog, why this day? Why this morning?

Time: 7:22 A.M

"Crap," Her words escape her lips as she glances over to the clock in the living room. She hasn't even started looking for the items yet; the drawers she scavenged were either empty or didn't have any of her needed items.

Ai takes a moment to just calm down; she has a little bit more time before Ichigo comes and fetches her. She takes a deep breath before turning her head to scan her house for the misplaced things. Ai feels frustrated; her mind is so clogged.

Time: 7:30 A.M.

Time left: 15 minutes.

Hikaru wakes up to an empty bedside, his arms clutching nothing but thin air. He lifts himself up from his sleeping position, his face troubled by her missing presence. Ai was clearly doing something important.

Rubbing his eyes, he can see the cluttered bedroom, littered with Ai's clothes. His face is indifferent to the mess.

He checks the bedroom clock.

Time: 7:33 A.M.

Time left: 12 minutes.

For a moment, Hikaru can see through the slightly opened bedroom door that Ai is running around the apartment frantically, her footsteps making soft vibrations, stopping momentarily to think, before immediately returning to a panic.

Hikaru places his foot on the ground, his feet stinging from the cold icy wooden floor.

Dragging his feet, he opens the bedroom door, almost hitting Ai in the process as she runs through.

"EH!? Hikaru? Why are you up so early in the morning?" Ai takes a moment to stop at the bedroom door, her hands carrying several hangers she'll need for her clothes.

"Why are you?" Hikaru's tired face, puzzled and frustrated.

"Sorry! I forgot to tell you I had a concert today…" Ai avoids his eyes, clearly embarrassed; drooping her shoulders.

"Well, then get going." Hikaru gently brushes Ai away from blocking the door, going to the kitchen to make himself and her breakfast.

Time: 7:34 A.M

Time left: 11 minutes.

Hikaru plops several eggs into the pot, kicking the refrigerator closed with his legs afterward. He turns on the stove, then picks up a cute egg clock and sets a timer for 6 minutes. Turning around and placing the egg timer on the counter, he asks Ai what she'll need for the concert later.

"Ai, what do you need?"

"I, Uhhh…" Ai was more focused on causing a mess around her as she digs through another set of drawers, her eyes darting around it to scan for the desired object.

"'Uhhh', what?" Hikaru mockingly imitates her with a teasing tone, strolling past the kitchen counter to her.

"HAIRPIN!" Ai shouts, her anxiousness peaking.

"Hairpin?" Hikaru tilts his head, never ever had he ever seen her wearing such a thing.

"A bunny hairpin, I remember bringing it home after the last event, but where did I place it?" Ai straightens her spine, closing the last drawer with great speed drawn from her growing frustration. Her body leans on the drawer to support her metaphorical weight, while beads of sweat drop from her face onto it.

"Oh, that hairpin. Uhh, you go look for other things; I'll find it myself." Hikaru squints his eyes as he tries to change his perspective to Ai, placing himself into her thinking to try and figure out where she might've placed it.

He walks a couple of steps away from Ai, his head in deep thought as he kneels down to check under the—

"AGH! Hikaru! I can't find it! Ichigo doesn't have a spare one to lend me!" Ai kicks the drawer with restrained anger, her left hand gripping her phone tightly.

Time: 7:35 A.M.

Time left: 10 minutes.

"Ai! I found it!" Hikaru yells with a hint of annoyance and playfulness. He had found the hairpin in the most trivial of places.

"It was right under the bed; I think you kicked it under there by accident." Hikaru dangled the dusted hairpin that had been sitting under their bed for several days now in front of Ai's face as he left the bedroom.

"Ew," Ai carefully took the hairpin from him, inspecting it thoroughly before immediately running off to the toilet to wash it. Her hands pinched it lightly, avoiding as much dust as she could.

Ai's posture when running is always funny to see; it's that kind of sweet as it shows her innocence. Seeing it, Hikaru reflected, his eyes growing darker as he realised her fragile situation.

Each day, he always has to intervene in her life in some way; if it weren't for Ichigo or Miyako taking care of her, she would be dead meat by now. Every day, Ai always needs something from him, and every day he provides. However, she's the lucky one,

always surrounded by people who are willing to help her , by people who are kind.

What happens if she wasn't?

That's the question, that's fate.

Time: 7:40 A.M

Time left: 5 minutes.

"Ai, hurry up; the soft-boiled egg is finished," Hikaru briskly walks towards the kitchen, the egg timer beeping its mechanical bell, interrupting his thoughts. As he stands there in front of the pot, he carefully scoops out the eggs one by one and onto two plates, the hot boiling water nearing the handle of the ladle.

"Tch, Ouch," Hikaru feels the boiling water splatter on his hand, making him lose his grip on the soft-boiled egg he carries.

"Crap-" The egg cracks, its shell splattering all over the plate meant for Ai.

"Shit, I forgot to turn off the stove," Hikaru turns it off quickly, his manner staying stoic and composed.

"Ah~, shit. I guess I'll be eating this one," Hikaru places both of their plates down on the counter, cleans up the mess on the plate, then switches Ai's plate with his.

"Oi! Ai, you done?" Hikaru yells with a hint of annoyance, his eyes still focusing on the eggs as he switches them around.

"Breakfast is ready!—" Hikaru turns around, his eyes meeting with Ai, dazzled by her profound beauty.

"Ai?" Hikaru says; the bunny pin on her hair is really cute.

"How do I look?" Ai flaunts the bunny pin and the lipstick she recently applied.

"Good?" His voice unsure as to how to respond.

"Hmph! Good is not enough," Ai pouts, her hand on her hip as she takes the bunny pin off. Afterward, she settles next to the dinner table.

"Here you go," Hikaru gently places the cracked soft-boiled eggs in front of Ai, giving her a spoon as well. Then, he places his own on the table, with his plate filled with shrapnels of the cracked eggshell.

"Hikaru, what happened to your hand?" Ai grabs it, holding his hand closer to her face, making Hikaru lean uncomfortably onto the table.

"I just had a little accident; you're going to be late," Hikaru gently, yet forcefully withdraws his hand, his tone signalling to Ai not to worry about it; he'll be fine.

Ai lowers her head, now in view of the lustrous and thick, spotless eggs that steamed beautifully. Ai raises her head, now in view of his lacklustre, cluttered, and 'dirty' eggs that had a dark hue.

… Ai sat there, her face riddled with worry.

She understands his concerns, but…

Isn't this too much? I too need to bear some of Hikaru's burden… Right? Hikaru…

"...How about your eggs?" Ai's eyes squint. The stark differences made Ai a little guilty, as if she was being treated more than she was worth.

"Don't worry about it, just eat." Hikaru pushes her plate closer to her, his face showing an affectionate smile, riddled with white lies.

"No, Hikaru, don't do this to yourself," Ai says, her voice course as her heart sinks.

"Ai! You're late."

Time: 7:46 A.M

Time left: -1 minute.

Ai takes out her phone, her worry catching up again. She hesitantly checks her messages, but there was none waiting for her. Her face, shocked yet content.

"Ichigo is late," Ai places her phone down next to her. Her heart finally releases some of the tension within her body. If Ichigo is late… she can have more time with Hikaru, and possibly finish her breakfast.

"Ichigo is late?"

"He's late to pick me up…," Ai's voice was composed, calm. A stark contrast from her previous tone when she was running all around the house.

"I can drive you there," Hikaru added.

"No need, I think I can—"

"Ai, you shouldn't be taking work like that, you're the leader, you're setting an example," Hikaru said with a stern voice, his face stoic as ever.

"Right, right." Ai looks elsewhere, her guilt rising up within her as she made another mistake.

"Alright, finish up, I'll grab the car-keys," He picks up his plate, his demeanour showing signs of fatigue. Possibly from dealing with Ai's antics, and the fact that he woke up too early.

Time: 7:47 A.M

Time left: -2 minutes.

— [B Komachi, in the van] —

"Good morning, Nino~!" Watanabe teases, leaning toward the van door that opens for her. The rest of the B Komachi members reside next to and behind Watanabe. Takamine was texting, Kyun was silently talking to Ari, and Meimei was looking out the window.

"Good morning," Nino replies slightly shaky, her arms sore from carrying the heavy luggage up and into the van.

"You need help?" Watanabe outstretched her hands, lending Nino the helping hand needed to pull the luggage up.

Soon, they closed the door, with Miyako launching the van off towards Ai's apartment to pick her up.

The van grows a bit quiet, only disturbed momentarily when Kyun makes Ari laugh, or vice versa. The white noise of the rumbling engine served as a catalyst for deeper thought, for conversations to spark.

"Hey, Meimei." Watanabe whispered into her ear, as Meimei continued to look towards the bustling roads outside.

"Hmm?" Meimei seemed out of it.

"What happened between—"

"No," Meimei side-eyed Nino, giving a straightforward answer, shooting down the conversation from going any further.

"Oh, okay. I don't see the reason why you're so upset about it though…" Watanabe backed off a bit, her eyes drifting off into thought.

"Quiet," Meimei gritted her teeth lightly, the conversation wasn't meant to continue.

"You understand the job, don't you…? You don't have to get so worked up," Watanabe poked at her with words again, her voice curious.

"I said, quiet." She mumbled with disdain.

… The low rumblings of the engine undertone their unease …

"Bzzz" Ichigo's phone rang in his pocket, the noise piercing through the silent environment that the van was previously in.

Time: 7:49 A.M

"Ai?" Ichigo read aloud the name of the caller, confused as to why she was calling. The confusion then turns into worry as thoughts of Ai being sick on this concert day propping up and poking at this conscience. He quickly answers it.

"Ai! What happened?" His worry slips into a few of his words.

"..."

"Ah, Okay, I understand…" Ichigo places his phone down, the call was swift, only serving to converse information.

"What did she say?" Miyako asked, her head still locked onto the road.

"She mentioned you don't have to pick her up; Hikaru will drive her there," Ichigo laid his head on the headrest, placing his arms behind it to stretch his back and alleviate the tension induced by the call.

"Why did she call now? I was just about to reach her apartment," Miyako's voice was tinged with frustration, her breathing slightly unsteady.

"I believe she simply wants more time with Hikaru—" Ichigo stated, realising he had uttered something that might trigger a certain individual to argue once more. He turned his head toward the back of the van to promptly gauge their members' reactions. Immediately, he observed Meimei furrowing her eyebrows and rolling her eyes.

Ichigo sighs, returning back to his usual sitting position before letting out a few words, "Meimei, I am sorry you had to break up with Yuki 'kay? There was already a lot of controversy—"

"Can you all just shut up!" Meimei grips her ears closed, her heart pierced by his words. 'I am sorry, I am sorry' Ichigo is always sorry yet he never does anything about it.

"But you understand it right!?" Ichigo raises himself off his chair out of mild irritation to face Meimei at the back, only bound onto it by his seatbelt pulling him down.

"I DO! But, why does Ai get the privilege to keep hers!?"

"Meimei, it's—" Miyako tries to cut in.

"Ai literally has a full-fledged family, are we not going to talk about how she's placing the entire organisation at stake if she doesn't take care of it properly!?"

"Meimei!" Watanabe tries to calm her down, pushing her from standing up any further.

"Ai is known to make so many GODDAMN mistakes! She's bound to just spill the beans!"

"Well, you're not wrong…" Nino playfully adds, her ears perking up as she could feel the resentment towards Ai building up.

"Nino, you're not helping," Takamine replies, her eyes taken off the phone to side-eye her.

"Tell me why, Ai, the ambitious LITTLE SHIT, gets life to treat her like diamonds!?" Meimei exclaims, flailing her hands in a fit of rage.

"I'll tell you why. It's because Ai never openly posted about their relationship on social media!" Ichigo turned around, his eyes piercing through his sunglasses.

"It was just one picture, and there were no captions!" Meimei's voice starts to break down, her throat filling up with held tears.

"That's the reason, Meimei," Ichigo rubbed his temples before gesturing with his hands to explain it to her in an inoffensive manner.

"You gave people ammunition against you. Ai doesn't let her feelings overtake her actions. " Ichigo returned to his seat, his lecture complete. Sighing heavily.

"Ichigo! Just admit it! You prefer Ai, you like Ai, all you do is for Ai—"

"Can everyone please, respectfully, shut up," Miyako intervened, her temper reaching its breaking point.

The van settles into a contemplative silence, wrapping the members of B Komachi in their individual thoughts. Kyun and Ari cease whispering, their conversation halting to avoid the potential tension that could ignite another argument.

— [Ai, in the car] —

The back of the car slams shut, sending vibrations throughout. Hikaru swiftly slides into the driver's seat, adjusting until he's comfortable. He inserts the keys, sparking the engine to life, then placing his phone on the stand, activating its GPS.

... The low, soft rumbling noise subtly underscores the ensuing silence.

"Why aren't we moving?" Ai questions, glancing around, her eyes occasionally fixing on Hikaru.

"We need to let the engine warm up," Hikaru explains, resting his head on the headrest, letting himself get some shut-eye.

"Oh, they didn't teach us that," Ai leans forward, curious about the brief lesson.

Hikaru, counting down the seconds, straightens his neck. His gaze fixed on the parking road, feeling the engine quieten, signalling it's reaching its optimum temperature.

He presses the pedals gently, and the car glides smoothly from the parking lot, his commitment to turning and moving making his driving seem seamless.

"Woah," Ai moves a bit closer to Hikaru, her eyes drawn to his driving prowess, as if he were a master at work.

Soon, they navigate through the bustling masses of mechanical boxes in the heart of the city. The vibrant colours and eye-catching advertisements fail to distract Ai from Hikaru.

"Heh, look at that, you're on that billboard," Hikaru leans forward, his eyes focusing on the passing advertisement.

"Yeah, I know," Ai responds, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

GPS: 5 Kilometres away from destination.

"So, you see, at this point… When we're switching lanes on the highway, there's this neat thing called a blinker. You turn on the blinker towards the direction you want to change…" Hikaru gestures with his hands the controls of the steering wheel, his eyes occasionally switching between the road and the curious eyes Ai displayed.

"Then, what if you want to change more than one lane?" Ai asks, leaning uncomfortably towards the driver seat.

"Use it more than once," Hikaru says, pushing her slightly away from his position to allow himself more personal space.

GPS: 2.8 Kilometres away from destination.

"Alright, now this is the fun part," Hikaru grins, his hands adjusting on the steering wheel as the car merges onto the highway again. "We're going to accelerate to match the speed of the traffic."

Ai grips the edge of her seat, her eyes widening as the speedometer climbs. "Isn't this a bit fast?"

Hikaru chuckles, "Nah, it's normal highway speed. You'll get used to it."

As they smoothly blend into the flow of traffic, Hikaru continues, "Remember, keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. That way, if they brake suddenly, you have enough time to react."

"Got it," Ai nods, trying to hide her nervousness.

GPS: 1.5 Kilometres away from destination.

The low rumbling and quiet tones of the tires hauling the 2 ton vehicle emanate throughout the silent interior.

Ai was taking a short nap on her seat, her sleep, occasionally interrupted by a soft rumble as the car hit an uneven part of the road.

Hikaru, eyes still on the road, takes a moment to absorb the occasion; silence.

The peace.

Ai didn't get her coffee in the morning

GPS: 0.4 Kilometres away from destination.

The car skits along the narrow roads through the neighbourhood, with Hikaru swiftly turning the wheels in all sorts of directions to navigate the labyrinth of twists and turns.

Ai's limp and tired body shifts from side to side, her body swaying from the inertia of all the sharp turns.

GPS: 0.1 Kilometres away from destination.

The car comes to a halt, the engine turning off as the key twists around the socket. The radio abruptly shuts off, the quiet white noise of the car's movement disappearing.

"Alright Ai, we're here." Hikaru quickly unbuckles his seatbelt, slamming the car door. He rushes over to the rear of the car, opening the trunk and scrambling to carry all of Ai's heavy bags.

"Heh?" Ai's eyes slowly opened as she realised that she had slept through most of the car ride. Her energy was drained, as the car provided a comfortable environment for a nap, the white noise accentuating her tiredness.

"Hikaru? WAhhhh~" Ai's voice cackled as she started acting like a child.

Hikaru opens the passenger door Ai was behind, "Ai, quickly, Ichigo is about to be here anytime soon."

"3 more minutes…~" Ai snuggled herself deeper into the fabric.

GPS: 0 Kilometres away from destination.

"I forgot my phone at the driver's seat, Ai, can you grab it for me?" Hikaru nudges Ai, who curls into a ball on the seat in response.

Hikaru sighs, his hands are already full with all of her stuff, but he wouldn't mind just doing the extra work for her.

So, he makes his way over to the front gate of Strawberry production's office which is a few steps away from where they parked, placing the bags down at the front door. Then, strolling back to the car, ready to carry the sleeping beauty.

Hikaru grabs his phone from the driver's seat and places it in his pocket. Then, taking a moment to cradle Ai in his arms, he readies his hands below her body, preparing to lift her up.

"Hikaru~" Ai says playfully, her voice withered by her lack of energy.

"You smell nice," Hikaru whispers to himself, his head tilting downwards to look at her face, carrying Ai in his arms like a prince holding a princess. His skin, in contact with her body once more.

Taking his time to stroll towards the door, ensuring that Ai doesn't fall out of his arms, he found himself interrupted by another group of people...

The van halts, the tires skidding across the tarmac road, its inertia lifting the rear upwards, then crashing it down again. The doors swing open and…

"EH!? Hikaru?" Nino exits the vehicle, puzzled by what she sees. Then her voice darkens, "Oh, Hikaru," Nino's eyes squint, showing disapproval.

Hikaru flusters a bit as he realises that he's carrying Ai like a little princess, his cheeks showing a hue of red, before he breaks eye contact with Watanabe to hide it.

After Nino came out, the rest of B Komachi exited the vehicle, some of them already in costume, and some of them in home clothes. Then, the passenger and driver door opens, letting Ichigo and Miyako out of the van too.

Miyako exits the van, catching her breath and leaning on the hood. She expended a considerable amount of energy prioritising both speed and safety to ensure they reached their destination on time.

"Ichigo, you better wake the HELL up next time okay!?" Miyako says, her voice fuelled with frustration.

"Alright, alright," Ichigo says, climbing down the passenger seat of the van to place his sun-glasses on.

"Uh, hi everyone," Hikaru timidly says, his smile riddled with anxiousness.

"Oh, Hikaru, thanks for bringing Ai here—" Ichigo says—

"Hikaru, why are you holding Ai like that~?" Takamine asks, her voice a little teasing.

"You two had a lot of fun last night ehh?" Nino added, but with a mischievous intention.

"It's nothing like that," Hikaru says, his face stoic.

"C'mon, why is she so tired like that anyways?" Nino poked a bit more, her eyes like a viper.

"Enough, girls." Miyako's voice pierced the air as a stern warning.

"... As I was saying, thanks Hikaru," Ichigo strolls past him, patting him on the back lightly before opening the door to the Strawberry production's office.

"Not a problem," Hikaru reassures, scanning the members of B Komachi, his mind contemplating the dynamics between Ai and them. There appeared to be an unspoken tension among the group.

I better be careful with these people…

"Eck, Ai, you're getting heavy." Hikaru places Ai down on her feet, his arms are getting sore from carrying her for this long.

"Wake up Ai," Hikaru flicks his finger on her forehead, abruptly rousing Ai before she immediately falls back onto Hikaru's shoulder, gripping her arms around his to prevent herself from falling again.

"Wow, someone's falling for you~" Nino teased as she passed by Hikaru, making her way into the strawberry production building. Her eyes displayed a viper's intensity and sharp fangs once again.