Chapter 16 : Time to celebrate
Author's Note : I typically don't explain why I make certain changes, but in this chapter, I want to keep the interactions the same and I don't want Ai to drink (just like in canon). And here it happens when Ai is turning 21. — So… in this universe, drinking under 21 is prohibited by law.
The reason Ai is 21 here and not 20 — In canon, when Aqua first acted (ch.6), the last line reads "After that 2 years passed", and in the next chapter, the first line reads "It's been 3 years since I was born." No way he was speaking that clearly and acting when he was around a year old and people didn't question it.
Just for that reason, in this version of the story that movie shoot happens much later, when Aqua is about 3 years old, and Ai is between 19-20. And after that we need some time for Ai to be successful, hence she secures the dome concert, is a successful actress, model, all that at 21 and not 20.
Chapter Summary : Ai had made it, few people ever aced in their fields, much less every field they stepped in. And Ai was everywhere, Billboards, concerts, magazines, shows and TV. This calls for a celebration!
The rooftop venue sparkled under Tokyo's city lights, a breathtaking view of the skyline stretching out in every direction. The soft hum of conversations and the clinking of glasses filled the air, a harmonious blend of celebration and camaraderie. The rooftop, lavishly decorated with fairy lights and elegant seating arrangements, felt like the perfect place to mark such an occasion.
Ai had made it — truly, unequivocally made it. Idol, model, actress. Few ever managed to balance it all and succeed, let alone dominate them like she had. Her face was on billboards, their songs played everywhere, and her acting drew critical acclaim.
The other members of B-Komachi were radiant with joy, laughing and toasting to their shared success with high spirits. Everyone buzzed around the room with excitement and pride, a well-earned moment of celebration for everyone who had poured their hearts into making the group a phenomenon.
Little Aqua and Ruby were there too, though their energy levels didn't quite match the adults'. Ruby had fallen fast asleep on Miyako's lap, her small form curled up peacefully amid the noise. Aqua, meanwhile, wandered the venue, wide-eyed and curious, taking in the glittering cityscape and the sheer scale of the celebration.
As the night wore on, the crowd began to thin. By midnight, the other six members of B-Komachi had said their goodbyes, along with the staff who stopped to congratulate Ai one final time before leaving.
Now, it was just Saitou, Miyako, Ai and her children.
Saitou leaned back on the plush couch, his cheeks rosy from the sake he had been steadily sipping. "I still can't believe we made it," he said, his voice rich with pride. He swirled his glass of sake before finishing it with one smooth gulp.
His gaze drifted toward Ai, who was trailing behind her son with quiet attentiveness. "Ai!" Saitou called, raising his empty glass in her direction. "You barely had anything to drink tonight! This is your celebration! Come on, at least have one drink!"
Ai scooped up Aqua, who had begun to rub his tired eyes, and turned toward Saitou with a small, wry smile. Before she could respond, Miyako reached over and smacked Saitou lightly on the arm.
"She is not 21 yet," Miyako said.
Saitou blinked, then waved a hand dismissively. "She'll be 21 next month. Same difference."
"Then she can drink next month," Miyako countered, her voice was playful, but her disapproval was clear.
Saitou groaned theatrically and poured himself another glass. "Come on, Miyako! Movies, endorsements, modeling gigs — offers are rolling in nonstop! And we got the Dome concert! There will never be a better time to celebrate!"
Ai chuckled nervously at their back-and-forth. "It's okay, I ate too much tonight anyway," she said, carrying Aqua over to the couch and settling down beside Miyako, watching Saitou getting a little too carried away in his celebrations. "He is really in a good mood tonight."
Miyako sighed, "He sure is. He always dreamed of having his Idols perform at the Dome. His dream finally came true." she said, gently brushing a strand of hair from Ruby's face. "It's not just him. Everyone at Strawberry Productions shares that dream."
Ai tilted her head. "Is the Dome really that big of a deal?"
Saitou wiped his mouth with his sleeve and leaned forward, setting his glass down with a thud. "The Dome isn't like any other venue. Not just anyone can perform there. You can't even reserve the damn place without going through a specialized intermediary."
"It's a huge place, so they don't let people book there, unless the higher ups are sure that they will pull a crowd big enough to fill the seats." Miyako added.
"Managing all that requires a lot of effort from the staff, and it takes more than just money to be able to perform there." Saitou said.
"Only great artists and talent ever get to perform there. The Dome is everyone's fantasy." Miyako said,
"I see." smiled Ai.
Miyako gave her a gentle nudge. "I hope you had fun tonight, it's back to busy schedules from tomorrow."
"I did!" Ai beamed, lowering her gaze to Aqua, who had finally stopped fidgeting. "Did you have fun too Aqua?"
The boy nodded sleepily, a small yawn escaping his mouth.
Miyako stretched, shifting Ruby carefully in her arms. "We should probably call it a night. What do you think?" she asked, glancing at Saitou, who had clearly indulged a little too much but was handling himself surprisingly well.
Saitou pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly before steadying himself with one hand on the couch. "Yeah, let's go," he said, shooting Miyako a sheepish grin. "You'll have to drive, though."
Miyako sighed. "Of course I will," she said as she stood carefully with Ruby still fast asleep in her arms.
As they began to gather their things, Ai hesitated, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on Aqua's back. She looked down at her son, then back up at Saitou and Miyako. "I've been thinking…" she began softly, "now that I can afford to, maybe it's time I get an apartment of my own."
The room fell silent. Saitou froze mid-step, his expression flickering with disbelief, while Miyako's arms tightened around Ruby ever so slightly. Even Aqua lifted his head, his wide eyes blinking up at his mother as sleep faded momentarily.
"An apartment?" Saitou said at last, breaking the silence.
Ai nodded, "Nothing fancy. Just a small place for me and the kids."
Miyako blinked, "You've really been thinking about it, haven't you?"
Saitou let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I completely forgot you were planning to retire."
"I'm not sure about retiring just yet." Ai said, adjusting Aqua in her arms. "But I've been living with you both for so long. I think it's time I got a place of my own."
"That's a relief," Saitou muttered, relaxing slightly. "We can't lose our star Idol. You're literally the face of the group."
Ai laughed nervously as Miyako swatted Saitou's arm again before turning to Ai, "That sounds great, Ai," Miyako said with a small, encouraging smile. "Do you want help finding a place?"
"That would be really helpful," Ai replied with a smile as they all walked out.
- x -
Ai began house hunting.
Between work and spending time with her kids, her free hours were spent scouring through various apartment listings and circling potential options.
When she showed Saitou a few of the apartments she liked, he pushed back on the idea of leashing.
"No way, You can afford to own, and that'd be better. Think of it as security, for you and the kids," he had told her.
Ai had always deferred to his judgement, but this time, she hesitated. Owning a home sounded so permanent.
Miyako had agreed with her husband, "It's not just walls and a roof, Ai. A home is yours to shape. A place for your family to breathe and grow."
Ai wasn't sure she believed that, but she smiled and nodded anyway.
For the next week, the search consumed her. They combed through over twenty listings and visited six apartments. Some were too large and flashy, some too cramped, others poorly maintained and just didn't feel right. But on the sixth day, they found one that was almost perfect.
It was a modest apartment in a quiet corner of Tokyo. The space was small but charming. Two bedrooms, a cozy living room and a snug kitchen tucked into one corner. The balcony overlooked a narrow street lined with trees, their bare branches swaying gently in the winter breeze. A handful of pedestrians wandered below, going about their lives in calm anonymity.
Its simplicity spoke to her.
It wasn't far from Strawberry productions, which meant she could still balance work and family.
As she walked through the space, something clicked. She could see Aqua sitting up on the couch with a book, Ruby twirling around the living room, and herself cooking in the little kitchen.
Saitou noticed her quiet smile, "This is the one, huh?"
Ai nodded, "This is the one."
- x -
By Sunday, the house they had shared for five years was unrecognizable. Cardboard boxes were stacked in the living room, each labeled with a black marker — Clothes, Books, Toys, and the air smelled faintly of cardboard and duct tape.
Saitou knelt by the coffee table, sealing another box with a long strip of duct tape. His forehead gleamed with sweat as he leaned back on his heels, inspecting his work. "I never realised you had so much stuff," he said with a laugh, wiping his brow.
Ai emerged from her room with a box full of clothes. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, though a few strands fell free as she placed the box on the growing pile.
"Yeah," she admitted with a sheepish grin, "I didn't realize either, I guess I got too comfortable here."
Saitou glanced at her, pausing mid-reach for another box. "That's not a bad thing you know."
Before Ai could respond, Ruby zoomed into the room, clutching an armful of plushies and tossed them into an open box. She disappeared just as quickly, running back into the room to fetch more.
"I think you spoiled her," Saitou chuckled, nodding towards the pile of stuffed animals.
Ai smiled, shaking her head, "I guess I did."
In contrast to his sister, Aqua was calm and methodical. He sat cross legged on the floor, carefully stacking books into a box. "Mr Saitou," he said, sliding the full box towards him, "can you tape this one for me?"
"Sure thing, kid," Saitou said, reaching for the roll of tape.
Ruby burst back into the room, this time lugging a box nearly as big as she was. "This one too, please!"
Saitou laughed as he obliged, "Of course, Ruby."
By mid-afternoon, the boxes were packed and stacked neatly, ready to go.
They collapsed on the couch, taking a well earned breather. Miyako appeared with a tray of iced tea, handing glasses to everyone, "All done?" she asked, smiling warmly.
"Yeah! I can't wait to see our new home!" Ruby exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. She swiftly turned to her mother, "Ai! What color are the walls? Is it like, one of the big houses like in the movies?"
Ai chuckled, brushing a hand through her daughter's hair. Before she could answer, Aqua chimed in, "It's an apartment, Ruby. A big house would be unrealistic for a small family like us," his tone pragmatic as always.
His comment didn't deter Ruby's excitement, "I bet it's a huge luxury apartment! Ai is a huge celebrity after all"
Ai smiled nervously, "It's a normal apartment, Ruby."
"You kids will love it," Saitou said with a grin, "You both will even have your own room this time."
Not long after, everything was loaded onto the moving truck and it was on its way.
So were they. Ruby pressed her nose to the van's window as they wound through the quiet streets. Her breath fogged the glass as she fidgeted with excitement. "Are we there yet?" she asked for the third time.
"Almost," Ai said, smiling faintly.
When they arrived, Ruby was the first to run inside. She paused in the doorway of the apartment, her gaze sweeping across the modest living room. The white walls seemed to glow in the late afternoon light. The kitchen, tucked into one corner, was small but functional. Two doors led to the bedrooms on either side of the apartment.
Ruby's face fell for the briefest moment. "It's... smaller than I thought," she muttered under her breath. But her disappointment vanished just as quickly, "I love it!" she declared and ran around checking the place out. "The bigger room is mine!"
"Hey, wait!" Aqua called after her, walking behind her at a calmer pace. "You can't just claim a room all to yourself."
Ruby stuck her tongue out at him and darted into the left bedroom. Aqua followed, his voice rising in mild protest.
From the doorway, Ai stood with Saitou and Miyako, watching the kids explore, Ruby's laughter echoing through the small space.
"It's a nice place," Miyako said as she stepped inside, her voice was warm, reassuring.
Ai turned back to her with a small smile on her lips, "You think so?"
Miyako nodded,
Saitou crossed his arms, "Of Course it is. I helped her pick it after all," he claimed proudly.
The truck arrived shortly after and the movers helped carry the boxes in. Everyone was in a rush to open everything as cardboard and tape flew everywhere.
Saitou assembled the furniture, Miyako helped set up the kitchen and Ai worked with the kids to organize their room.
Ruby insisted on hanging hee glow in the dark stickers immediately, plastering stars and moons across the white walls. Aqua, however, spent most of his time cleaning up after his sister rather than decorating his own side.
By the time the sun had dipped below the horizon, the beds were set, the kitchen half-organized and the air smelled faintly of cardboard and lemon-scented cleaner that Miyako had brought.
In the living room, Saitou and Miyako stood near the front door, watching Ai and the kids from afar. Aqua was helping Ruby put up a poster, their bickering playful rather than serious. Ai sat cross-legged on Ruby's bed, laughing at their antics.
Saitou exhaled deeply, slipping an arm around Miyako's shoulder. "It's strange," he said quietly. "I knew this day would come, but it still feels…"
"Hard?" Miyako finished, leaning into him, "Like watching a bird leave its nest."
"Yeah," he said with a proud smile, "Exactly."
"She has grown so much," she murmured, "I'll miss them. It will not be the same without the kids running around."
Saitou smiled, "We can come see them whenever you want, you know."
"Yeah," she smiled watching the kids finally put up the poster, "I guess I won't be their "official" mom anymore."
"All hell will break loose the day she tells the world," he said, shaking his head.
"That day isn't far. I hope you are prepared to deal with that shit-storm." Miyako chuckled.
"We'll handle it, and you know, Ai is right. She deserves to be a normal happy family with the kids without worrying about the world."
"That, she does." Miyako smiled.
Ai returned to the living room, her cheeks flushed and her smile radiant, "Thank you," she bowed humbly, "I couldn't have done this without you."
"Don't be so formal," Miyako waved her off, "Now, since the kitchen isn't ready yet, how about we go out for dinner? Your new home calls for a celebration."
"On us, and I know a great sushi restaurant." Saitou added.
"That sounds great!" Ai said, laughing lightly. She turned towards the kids' room, "Aqua, Ruby! We are going out for sushi!"
Ruby bolted into the living room, her brother trailing behind her.
"Sushi?!" she squeaked, "Yes!"
Miyako picked her up with a laugh, "Alright let's go then."
- x -
More Author's Note : I also wrote a scene showing Saitou negotiating for the Dome. But ultimately scrapped it, because it felt like it wasn't adding much and was more like padding to hit the word count.
It's a short chapter, regardless, I hope you all enjoyed it.
Up next - Chapter 17 : Who's the father?