Chapter 6 : Genius Kids
Chapter Summary : Aqua and Ruby are growing up fast - perhaps a little too fast. Ruby can talk clearly and both kids are a lot smarter for their age.
A week after B-komachi's live performance for N-Step, the group found themselves performing the same song again in a recording studio for their music video. This time, everything was polished, the lighting, the camera angles, their choreography was tighter than ever and even the tiniest of mistakes called for a re-take.
Ai's return had sparked a huge surge in the group's popularity, and it showed in their DVD and merch sales over the past 3 months. But the work of an Idol never truly ends.
In their usual practice hall of Strawberry Productions, all seven members of the group were rehearsing their new song. The room echoed with the music and breathless effort, their synchronized movements flowing like clockwork with each beat. At the song's final note, they held their final pose, chests heaving, fighting not to show their exhaustion.
The choreographer who had been watching their performance closely, stepped forward, arms folded. "Alright, you guys did good" he said pacing in front of them as his eye darted from one member to the other. "Ari, you need more energy. Nino, Same for you. The rest of you guys are solid, but you all still need to polish your timings and coordination"
"And Ai" He stopped in front of her "You were really off today, are you feeling alright?"
"Oh– I missed my lunch today, that's all" she chirped in her bubbly voice as always.
His eyes shifted to the clock on the wall, it was well past 5 pm "Alright. Let's call it a day"
After he turned away, Ari stepped forward and rested her hand on Ai's shoulder. "Don't push yourself so hard, you have just recovered, you know"
Ai flashed her familiar bubbly smile "I'm fine, I'm just super hungry!" she looked at everyone behind Ari "You guys want to go grab a bite?"
The group exchanged glances. One girl waved off the invitation. "I already have plans."
"Me too" added another quickly.
"If she is not coming, I'm not coming" muttered a third.
"That's okay guys" Ai chirped with a smile.
As others packed their belongings, Ai walked over to the couch and plopped down picking up a hand towel. She sighed 'I guess I'm not feeling it today…' she thought as she wiped the sweat off her face.
She picked up her phone and looked through B-komachi's social media page. Hoping a barrage of positive comments would help with her motivation as it has multiple times in the past. As she scrolled, among the sea of positive comments complimenting her performance, her looks and congratulating on her return, a few odd ones caught her attention.
"I don't know man, That's not the Ai I remember."
"That spark is gone."
"She's good, but… I don't know, it's not the same."
"Her smile looks fake."
'What are they talking about? Fake?' She wondered.
She stood up abruptly and walked to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she studied herself, putting on the perfectly polished smile she had put on a million times before.
"Isn't this cute?.. what do you mean fake?"
She tilted her head, and put up victory signs with both her hands and smiled again. "I think it looks good…"
On her phone she checked through photos of the group's old performances "mmmm… isn't this how I always smile? maybe it's something about my makeup?"
She held her phone up next to her reflection, with a year old photo of hers. Putting on the smile once again, she closely compared the photo's smile and the reflection's smile.
Her eyes locked onto her reflection and she whispered "I don't get it…" as her reflection stared back at her. Her breathing slowed and each breath grew deeper than the last.
'But you've always faked your smile' the thought whispered in the back of her head 'They're finally catching up to your lies'
She blinked and shook her head to bring herself back to reality and immediately turned to rush out, her breath still heavy and her heart still pounding.
The empty hall was quiet now, save for Ari, who was packing her bags, preparing to leave. Ai quickly grabbed a bottle of water and drank some, forcing herself to breathe slowly to calm herself down.
"Ai?" Ari walked over and asked in a soft, concerned voice "Are you feeling okay?"
She sipped some more water, giving herself time to calm down before responding "I'm feeling great! Just tired is all"
Ari looked at her for a moment "Are you sure? I mean, if you're not fully recovered yet, You don't need to push yourself so hard"
Ai chuckled lightly. "You guys have gotten so much better while I was away, I just want to catch up to the rest of the group"
Ari shook her head, laughing softly "What are you even talking about, you are still the most talented one among us"
"That's not true…" Ai trailed off but Ari pressed on with a cheerful grin. "It is! by the way… What happened to you? Was it serious?"
Ai giggled, responding in her bubbly voice "...It's a little personal, but I'm all better now!"
Ari giggled with her "...Okay, if you say so. I never got to say this but, welcome back Ai"
"Happy to be back with you guys" Ai returned a soft smile.
"Alright, I've got to leave now, See you tomorrow!" Ari waved as she left.
Later, after everyone had left, Ai went out for a walk to clear her head. 'I'm just a little tired today…' she told herself. She wore her oversized hoodie, a mask and a cap pulled low to not be recognised.
She wandered the streets aimlessly until she walked past a 7-11 convenience store, eyeing it as she passed by it. She turned back and walked in, unable to resist the temptation of ice cream.
She returned home after her snack shopping, opening the door, she found her babies playing together in the hall. Ruby got up and walked to her, stumbling over on her two legs, happily yelling "mama-!"
The sight of her babies never failed to put a warm smile on her face. "Hi there Ruby~!" Ai cooed softly and bent down, putting her arm out for her to stumble into. Which she did.
She picked her baby girl up and walked to the kitchen to put all the ice-cream she bought into the freezer. And returned to the living room holding a small cup of vanilla ice-cream in one hand and Ruby in the other. She settled on the couch and Ruby on her lap.
She had a spoonful of the ice cream, savoring it "mmmm.. so good" All the while, Ruby gawked up at her mother. "You want some Ruby?" she asked
Ruby's eyes sparkled and she nodded eagerly. Ai picked out half a spoonful of ice cream and fed her "Say Aa~"
Ruby shivered the moment the sweet and cold hit her mouth and instinctively she said "yummy–" in her baby voice, making Ai giggle. She said with a smile "You like it?" Ruby happily nodded.
As Ai ate her ice cream, she fed Ruby tiny bits in between. Between the two of them, the small cup was empty quickly.
"ma-ma–" Ruby chirped with her hands up to get her mother's attention.
"Ru-by–" Ai whispered her name lovingly as if to imitate the baby girl.
She played with her baby girl, gently poking her forehead, nose, cheeks, making ruby giggle and laugh. And her laugh was contagious.
Even with the light and happy atmosphere, thoughts of earlier events creeped into her head. How her rehearsals were off the mark today, the off-putting comments calling her smile fake. It all weighed down on her.
Aqua crawled over to the, and gazed up at her mother with concerned eyes as if he could sense how she was truly feeling.
While Ruby always wants to be close to her, is always vocal about it, throws a tantrum every now and then demanding Ai's presence and affection.
Aqua seemed polar opposite. He is 10 months old, and he hadn't called her mama even once. He stopped breastfeeding so early, even the doctors were concerned. It always felt like he preferred to keep his distance in a way that's unnatural for a baby. And she could never understand why.
After a moment of Ruby's laugh filling the room, Aqua lifted his both hands up, quietly asking to be picked up. As she carefully scooped him up, he gently held onto her arm. She propped him up on her lap along with his sister. But, Aqua didn't let go of her hand.
His tiny fingers wrapped around her palm and pulled it closer to his chest. He hugged her hand ever so lovingly and leaned into it. Her palm pressed against his chest, she felt his little heart beating in a soft rhythm.
And all her stress, her worries, her exhaustion, melted away in that moment. As she watched her son with awe.
"mama-!" Ruby's jealous voice disturbed the moment, and she reached out for her other hand. Hugged it tightly, mimicking her brother.
Ai giggled and leaned down to kiss Ruby's forehead.
"And one for you too" she smiled and pecked Aqua's forehead.
- x -
The kids were growing up fast - perhaps a little too fast. Little Ruby was already forming small phrases whenever she wanted something. Luckily no one had questioned it too deeply. To everyone she was a baby genius, who not only speaks clearly at such a young age but would often show signs of intelligence far greater than someone her age.
In the corner of the room, Aqua and Ruby sat quietly, playing with their toys. Across from them, Miyako lounged on the couch, with a bag of chips by her, staring at the TV. This had been her life for the past few months.
"I am worried about Mama, have you seen how gloomy she has been lately?" Ruby asked her brother in a hushed voice.
"I know. I can't figure out what's bothering her… I am concerned too" Aqua told her, trying to stand with his legs stumbling, and he walked slowly almost as if he was practicing.
Ruby's head turned as she watched him "I want to see Mama…"
"Yeah but how?" asked Aqua. "We cannot leave this damn house."
"We can ask her to take us." Ruby pointed her finger at Miyako on the couch.
"I don't think she will risk it." he said bluntly.
A mischievous smile formed on her lips "Just leave it to me~"
"Mama–!" Ruby suddenly wailed, her voice piercing through the room.
Her sudden outburst startled Miyako. The bag of chips fell on the floor as she rushed over to the baby girl "Ruby? What's wrong?" She picked her up and gently bounced her in arms, trying her best to calm her down. Ruby refused to quiet down. She threw her arms and legs around as her crying intensified "MAMA–! I want to see mama–!"
Aqua watched, sure that this wouldn't work.
"Ai will be back later Ruby, she is very busy." Miyako said. "She is performing at a promotion event today"
Ruby's tantrum persisted, and her shrill voice echoed in the whole room. Miyako rubbed her temple, feeling the beginning of a headache creeping in.
She let out a long, frustrated sigh "Alright fine!" she looked out the window as Ruby's crying softened. "I have been stuck here for too long anyway"
Aqua blinked in surprise 'wait- that worked?'
Miyako looked at Ruby in her arms "She might scream Mama, if she sees Ai though…" She glanced over at Aqua. "It will be too loud for anyone to hear anyway." She walked over to the stroller and carefully put Ruby in it "If she cries I can just get out. We should be fine if we keep a little distance"
She fetched pacifiers, diapers and whatever else they might need on their little trip.
Once both babies were safely strapped on the stroller, she popped a pacifier in their mouths hoping that would keep them quiet.
"There. All set" she admired the adorable babies for a moment before grabbing the keys and leaving.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the bustling outdoor venue where Ai was performing. On the way in, Ruby's eyes were fixated on the shiny red glow sticks being sold by a vendor. She took out her pacifier with one hand and pointed to them with the other. "I WANT IT!" she yelled.
Miyako sighed "Alright, I'll get you one if you'll be quiet" She went ahead and bought a pair. Dangling it an arms length away from Ruby she reiterated "Quiet. Promise."
Ruby gave an exaggerated nod "Promise!" and snatched the glow sticks gleefully.
Aqua watched the exchange and blinked up at Miyako with his big, innocent eyes and with the pacifier in his mouth. As she looked at him, he quietly pointed his tiny finger at the vendor. Miyako groaned but couldn't resist "Fine, I'll get you one too"
The vendor laughed watching them with amusement "Kids love shiny things after all. Really adorable babies you have." he said with a grin.
"They're a handful sometimes." Miyako deadpanned.
The event had started and up on the stage Ai, Nino and Ari performed with vigor, their movements precisely synchronized and their voices effortlessly blending together in harmony. They looked every bit the professional Idols they were, pulling off every step and every note with practiced ease. But despite the loud music and sea of glow sticks cheering them on, Ai's mind was elsewhere.
She went through the motions, each movement felt like muscle memory, each gesture perfected after countless rehearsals. Her perfect smile was plastered on her face, as flawless and as bright as always. The curve of her lip, the tilt of her head, the placement of her hands - everything was calculated, down to the millimeter.
'Perfection is what you all want'
Suddenly at the corner of the crowd, everyone turned their attention one by one to the pair of babies in a stroller among them. The babies were dancing with their glow sticks, enthusiastically and perfectly synchronized with the music. The babies cheering the Idols on the stage stole the show momentarily.
Ai recognised her kids immediately and the sight of her babies cheering her on sparked a bright and warm feeling in her heart, which quickly rose up to her face.
She squealed internally 'My Babies are so Cute~' her smile grew even wider as she gripped the mic with both hands. Her cheeks flushed with joy and affection.
Miyako flinched as she and the kids became the center of attention, frozen in panic by the eyes of the crowd suddenly shifting to her.
"Oh no…" she muttered under her breath, recovering from the overwhelming shock. She leaned down quickly and pulled the stroller back, getting out from the event. "I'm in trouble" her voice panicked.
Aqua and Ruby exchanged guilty looks as they realized what they had done. Their fan instincts had taken over. They knew they were supposed to stay out of the spotlight, but the excitement of seeing Ai perform live was too much to resist.
Later that night, Ai sat on the couch, her children perched on her lap and Miyako and Saitou behind the couch. Ai held her phone as everyone watched the video clip of the babies and assessed the damage.
The kid's existence was now public knowledge, and everyone knew them as the adorable fan babies. Video clips of the babies dancing with the glow sticks were all over social media and had gathered thousands of likes and hundreds of shares.
"It could have been worse..." Miyako said quietly, her voice shaking a little as she glanced at Saitou from the corner of her eye.
"It certainly could have" Saitou replied in a dry voice with his eyes still glued to Ai's phone. His eyes flickered with annoyance as he looked at Miyako. "Let's have a little chat, just you and me." Before she could answer, he grabbed her by the arm with a firm but non-aggressive grip and led her out.
As they left, Ai scrolled through the videos of her adorable babies and today's event. One post caught her eye - a picture of her smiling when she saw her babies among the crowd. The top comment read - "Look at her smile! She is so adorable!" and others chimed in about how radiant and cute she looked.
Ai stared at the image, studying her own smile. "Ahh~ so, that's what you guys like~" she said to herself "I'll remember that~"
- x -
Ai sat in the middle of the couch and her babies sat by her on each side, with an excited smile on their faces. Balloons of every color dotted the living room, gently swaying as the gentle breeze from the open window nudged them across the floor. A large "1" balloon floated by the wall behind the couch, in the middle of the banner that read "Happy Birthday" in bright glittering letters.
Saitou and Miyako had joined in the celebration and they brought a small rich chocolate cake. It sat on the low table in front of Ai and her kids with a single flickering candle on it.
As they sang Happy Birthday, Miyako held up a video camera, capturing the moment. Ai leaned forward and with a soft breath, blew out the candle. Ruby giggled as she cut the cake, watching with hungry eyes as the smell of sweet chocolate found her nose.
Ai scooped up a little frosting with her finger and offered Ruby a taste. "Just a little" she said, knowing babies aren't supposed to have too much sugar.
Saitou stood off to the side with his arms folded and watched them with a warm, amused smile. "I never would have thought you'd make a good mother, but now look at you"
Ai glanced up with a playful glint in her eyes "What do you mean Mr. Sato~?"
He chuckled, aware that she was messing with him "It's Saitou you shitty Idol" he said with a grin before crouching down to the twins level, and spoke softly "Your mother has really taken good care of you two. Don't tell her I said this, but I'm proud of her" He gently patted the babies heads "Happy Birthday you two"
Ai watched them with a big smile on her face.
"Now" Saitou added, standing up "cut me a slice, I want to enjoy some good Birthday cake"
Laughter filled the room as they enjoyed the cake, and played with the twins. Saitou and Miyako had brought them a bunch of presents, the babies watched their mother opening them one by one with excitement in their eyes. Colorful Blocks, soft plush animals and a small music box that chimed a gentle melody when wound up.
Before they knew it, night had fallen. The exhausted babies had fallen asleep and a tired Saitou and Miyako had left as well. Ai cleaned up the room a little, she put the toys away and the leftover cake in the fridge. The balloons drifted lazily to the corners and the excitement prior had faded into a peaceful calm.
She watched her babies sleeping on the couch. Feeling a sudden urge to preserve the moment, she set up the camera atop of the TV across the couch. She pressed the record button and the camera beeped "Is this recording now?", the blinking led confirmed so.
She walked back to the couch and carefully scooped up her kids on her lap. She settled in, with a sleeping baby nestled in each arm, their breath soft in their sleep, completely oblivious to the world around them.
"Aqua, Ruby… Happy first Birthday!" she said softly, in her warm voice.
"Time flies when you're having fun, right? You both are one year old already" she looked at her babies sleeping peacefully in her arms.
"You both are so adorable"
She looked up at the camera with a smile "Aqua, you are always so quiet and well-behaved. Come to think of it. You've rarely ever cried. You are a very strong boy"
Her gaze shifted to her baby girl in the other arm "Ruby, it's amazing how you can talk so much already. I can tell you'll grow up to be a very smart and talented girl" she smiled.
"It would be fun to watch this when you two grow up. I would be a retired Idol by then" she giggled.
"You two could be Idols or something of your own too, you both are my children after all" She lowered her head and hugged them gently.
"Grow up healthy and strong, you two. That's my only wish as your mother"
- x -
Miyako had taken Aqua out on a little shopping trip. She thought about taking Ruby too, but the little girl was playing with Ai's smartphone and wouldn't budge. She figured that Ai would be back soon, and there's no harm in leaving the baby girl alone for a little while.
About once a month, whenever Ruby could sneak Ai's phone, she would call the hospital. And ask the same question about 's whereabouts. Everytime she wanted to hear that he had been found and is doing well, but the answer was the same – he was still missing.
Ruby sat quietly on the couch staring at the phone in her small hands, and the anxiety gnawed at her more than usual. She had also been wrestling the urge to contact her previous parents. Everytime she would hesitate and couldn't bring herself to call.
This time she called in with little hesitation, despite her anxiety.
The phone rang.
Ruby's breath caught in her throat as the voice on the other end answered.
"Hello, Tendouji Residence."
A voice she immediately recognised as her Father's. "I.. uh.." She stammered, her heart pacing up. "I… It's Sarina…"
"Who is this?" His voice hardened. "Are you from the Hospital?"
Ruby startled "No… I mean.. I am.. S–"
"Look, I had explained everything to that doctor five years ago. Please don't call us again." He said firmly. But before she could respond, the line went dead.
The silence of the room pressed down on her as she stared at the phone, clutched tightly in her hand. What had she expected?
She replayed the brief conversation in her head, dissecting every word, every tone. She whispered to herself, "Hi, this is your daughter who has been reincarnated… It's me, Dad. I'm Sarina…" The absurdity of that line made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
'What would he have said if I had just told him?' she wondered, even though she knew deep down he wouldn't have believed her.
Her thoughts spiraled, replaying everything until the door creaked open, breaking her chain of thoughts. Ruby lifted her head to look at the door. It was Ai who walked in, back from her long day of work.
She spotted her baby girl sitting on the couch, and was surprised she didn't run to her screaming Mama like she always does. Ruby's face looked gloomy in a way she had never seen before.
"Ruby?" She walked close to her. Ruby looked at her mother as she picked her up and hugged her. "What's wrong? Are you hungry?"
Without a word, Ruby wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her face in her shoulder.
"Did you miss me? Im sorry Im late tod–"
Ai froze the moment she felt her shoulder getting wet.
She sat down on the couch, hugging her daughter.
"What's wrong Ruby?" she whispered, her soft voice filled with care and concern. Her daughter's silence and barely audible whimper clenched at her heart.
She stroked Ruby's soft hair gently, her fingertips lightly pressing against her scalp. "Mama's right here"
Her mind raced, unsure of what was bothering her daughter. 'Was Ruby scared? Did something happen while I was gone? Where's Miyako? Did she leave her alone for too long? No she wouldn't leave her like that.'
But none of that mattered right now, Ai cradled Ruby in a loving embrace, letting her know her mother was there for her. Stroking her head gently, she held her close for as long as she needed.
Author's Notes : Cracks are now starting to show. Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.
Up Next - Chapter 7 : Aren't Idols Rich?