Chapter 7 : The truth is out?
Chapter Summary : One little trip to Ai's concert with the twins, came back to be a problem for Saitou, Miyako and Ai. Apparently, the viral video didn't just capture the twins, but a glimpse of "their mother" who was with them.
The practice hall of Strawberry Productions hummed with the quiet murmur of post-rehearsal fatigue. Members of B-Komachi lingered in small groups, recovering from another intense session. Watanabe and Takamine slouched on the couch, catching their breath as they toweled off sweat. A few girls wandered the room, fetching water or pacing to the restroom. While others slipped out craving fresh air.
Watanabe idly scrolled through her social media feed, eyes half-focused. She paused momentarily when yet another video of the once-viral "fan-babies" popped up. She tapped play and watched the usual heart-melting antics of the toddlers. But halfway through, something unexpected caught her eye. For a fleeting second, the camera panned to their mother behind them.
Taking a close look at the familiar looking woman, she wondered out loud "Is that.. Miyako?" Catching the attention of Takamine beside her, who glanced over.
After a second she raised her eyebrow in surprise "She does look like her"
"Wait, does this mean they are her kids?" Watanabe exchanged a confused look with her friend before both their gazes turned to President Saitou at the other end of the hall, who was deep in conversation with their choreographer, discussing the group's progress on the new song.
"President Saitou is a father?" Watanabe whispered in disbelief.
"That would explain why he spends less time in the office nowadays" Takamine commented.
Just as Saitou finished his discussion, they both shot up from the couch and rushed to him.
"President Saitou!" Watanabe called, holding her phone up to show him the video. "That's Miyako with the babies right?"
Saitou's face stiffened the moment he realized what he was watching 'This is.. she is in one of the videos?! I thought this had died out by now '
"Uh…you see…" he tried to figure out how to deal with the situation, but before he could come up with a believable lie, they both exclaimed enthusiastically as if they had uncovered a huge secret. "Are these two your kids?!"
Hearing the commotion, Ari walked over to see what was going on. One glance at the video playing on the phone and her eyes widened in surprise. "The famous fan-babies are your kids?!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Why did you never tell us you were a father?"
"I.. prefer to keep my personal life, well, personal" he said, still recovering from mild panic.
Ari went on, as if everything made sense now "Is that why your wife hasn't been working with you all this time? She's been busy taking care of the babies."
Takamine congratulated "You both are parents now! Congratulations Mr. Saitou!"
Other girls overheard and gathered around, adding to the pressure already on him.
"Thank you" he laughed nervously, playing along.
"I want to meet them!" Ari chirped, her eyes lighting up.
"Me too" Watanabe said, just as excited.
"They are so cute in the video!" Takamine squealed.
Ai was at the back, a few steps away from the group that surrounded him, quietly watching all the girls begging him to meet the babies. A hint of nervousness was apparent on her face.
Saitou tried deflecting the topic. "Don't you guys have rehearsals to get back to? I don't think–"
"We all want to meet them! Please, Mr Satiou! Let us meet them!" Ari pleaded with the group's excitement growing. The others chimed in too "We are on break. Come on Mr. Saitou" Watanabe added.
He saw no way out, as the girls wouldn't let him be unless they met the babies. They all kept pushing him and he finally gave in.
"Alright… I'll ask Miyako to bring them down for a little while. But after that you guys will go back to work. Understood?" he said and a collective cheer rose from the group.
The girls dispersed, except for Ai, who stepped closer to him and asked in a hushed voice "Are you sure it's okay to bring them here?"
"I don't have much of a choice." he looked at the girls behind her, "Make an excuse to leave when the kids are here. Ruby will come running to you if she sees you" He said nervously.
She nodded "I'll think of something"
Back in the modest apartment on the third floor of the building, Miyako was trying her best to make the kids eat their lunch at their small table. Aqua was calmly eating his vegetables, but Ruby was fussing over drinking her milk.
"I don't wanna!" she whined, pushing her sippy cup away.
Miyako gently pushed it back to her. "Good girls drink their milk" she coaxed, her patience wearing thin.
The door clicked open, grabbing everyone's attention and Saitou stepped in. Tension radiated from his every movement.
"Is everything okay?" Miyako asked him as he walked over to them.
Ruby quietly pushed her cup away again, and threw her little hands up, cheerfully greeting him "Hi Mr. Sato!"
He waved at little Ruby with a faint smile as he answered Miyako "Remember that little video of the kids getting viral?"
She nodded "Yeah? That was 3 months ago"
"The girls found you in one of those videos" he sighed.
"Found me? But, I never showed up in any of them" said a surprised Miyako
"You don't know how many people were recording these little guys cheering that day" he said, gesturing to the babies eating their lunch. "And in one, you're visible enough that they recognized it's you… Could have been worse. Remember?" he mocked.
Miyako's face softened "I said I was sorry" she said in a guilty voice.
He sighed and said "So.. now they all think, Aqua and Ruby are our kids and they all want to meet them"
Her eyes shot back, alarmed "You didn't say yes, did you?"
He glanced at the kids and then back at his wife, "I didn't have much of a choice" he ran a hand over his neck "Well, I guess it's better that they are seen with you and not with Ai. If everyone knows them as our kids then at least we won't have to worry about Ai getting into any scandal" he said, trying to find some positives in the situation.
He explained further "We will take them for a few minutes and bring them back. Ai will leave when we are there, we can't risk them calling her Mama in front of everyone"
Miyako crouched down beside Ruby, who was fidgeting with her cup and gently patted her head. "They are smart, If we tell them to call me Mama instead of Ai for today, they would listen"
Saitou was dumbfounded. "They're babies–" he said, trying to make a point.
"Just watch" She cut him off and excitedly pointed at herself "Okay kids for today I am your Mama!" she said with a smile.
Ruby blinked and then shook her head in disagreement. Miyako's face told Saitou she wasn't expecting that reaction.
"Uh– I'll give you ice cream if you call me Mama today" she tried a different approach.
"Ice-cream?" Ruby's eyes sparkled as she repeated in an eager tone. She threw both her hands up happily and chirped "Okay! Mama!"
Miyako picked her up and booped her nose, making her giggle. "See. I told you" she said with a playful smirk.
Saitou bent down to Ruby's level "You are a smart one, aren't you?"
"I am Mr. Sato!" she said, beaming.
"It's Saitou. Sa-I-To-U." he corrected.
"I know Mr. Sato!" she giggled.
"You really take after Ai" he chuckled, gently patting her head, and stood up straight "Well, better be safe than sorry. Just in case if anything goes wrong, I'll be ready with a believable explanation"
Miyako set Ruby back down at the table, the twins were still not finished with their lunch yet. "Alright kids, finish your meal"
Ruby pouted "Okay~"
Miyako gave her an encouraging smile "Good girl" before leaving with Saitou momentarily to discuss the weight of the situation.
After the babies were alone, Ruby squealed "Aa~! Can you believe it! We are going to meet Mama's Idol Group!"
"Ai's Idol Group. Don't call her Mama in front of everyone" Aqua told her as he ate.
"I know I know. I won't" she said, her excitement still up "I can't believe I'm going to meet all of B-komachi! This is the best day of my life!"
Aqua chuckled "Yeah. Mine too. But first, Ruby, finish your milk"
Ruby pouted again "Don't ruin the mood"
A while later, Miyako and Saitou returned to the dining area, just as the twins had finished their lunch. Miyako cleared the small plates and cups, and helped them clean up.
Saitou waited, stressed and impatient. He scooped up Aqua into his arms when they were done. "You guys understood right? We are your mama and papa for today"
Aqua said solemnly "Yes "
He looked at his wife who had little Ruby in her arms and said "Lets pray nothing gets out of hand"
"Relax, you worry too much." She reassured him. "We will be fine, won't we Ruby?" she said, playing with the baby girl.
"Yes Mama!" Ruby giggled, lightening his stress.
They headed down, back to the first floor in the hall where all the B-komachi girls were warming up for their next rehearsal. Just as they spotted Saitou and his wife walk in with the babies, they dropped what they were doing and rushed over.
Right on cue, Ai discreetly pulled out her phone, feigning an important call as she slipped out to the balcony on the other side.
The other six girls swarmed them almost instantly. Aqua clung to Saitou's shirt, his calm demeanor unchanged, while Ruby's face lit up with excitement. She waved enthusiastically at the girls as they approached.
"They're adorable!" Watanabe gushed.
"They totally take after you, Miyako!" Takamine added, her voice full of awe.
"What are their names?" Kyun asked, adoring them both.
The couple exchanged quick glances, clearly overwhelmed by all the attention, but the twins were basking in it. Aqua observed quietly, while Ruby giggled as the girls fussed over her.
Ari, practically bouncing on her toes, held out her hands. "Can I hold her? Please?"
Miyako hesitated for a moment, but seeing Ari's excitement, she smiled softly and passed Ruby over with care. "Alright, just be careful. Don't drop her."
Ari cradled Ruby as if she were a treasure. "You're so cute! What's your name?"
"I'm Ruby!" she replied giggling, in her sweet baby voice.
"I am Ari" She said, slowly mimicking her tone.
Meanwhile, Saitou had carefully set Aqua down on the floor, he stood there for a moment before the other girls swarmed him, crouching down to his level. Despite the attention, he remained calm, looking as innocent as ever.
Saitou and Miyako stood back for a moment, watching the twins being adored by everyone. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But then, Ruby's voice pierced his ears.
"Where's Ai?" she asked, turning her head around to scan the room.
Ari was surprised "You know Ai?"
Ruby nodded and Ari looked behind her in the almost empty hall "She was here, I think she got a call. She will be back soon"
Saitou and Miyako froze for a moment, and they were surprised that she referred to Ai by her name. But still, they didn't want to risk it any more than they had to.
Saitou stepped forward "Alright, that's enough. You guys have rehearsals to get back to" he said as he gently reached for Ruby.
"But I want to see all of B-Komachi!" Ruby protested, pulling back into Ari's arms.
Aqua, nestled in Watanabe's arms, shot a quick, almost reprimanding look at his sister as if silently warning her not to push her luck.
Ari blinked, surprised by how well she can speak "She can talk so well, how old is she?"
"Yeah–, our baby girl's a genius" Saitou chuckled nervously, while Miyako added, "They're about 14 months old now"
Nino jumped between Saitou and Ari, "It's my turn to hold her" as she took the baby girl. She played with the baby girl showing her the panda hair pin of hers.
"I'll go call Ai" Ari said and turned around swiftly before Saitou could say anything. He and his wife exchanged nervous glances. This was the exact situation they were trying to avoid, they both hoped that this won't spiral out of control now.
Ari returned quickly with Ai and Aqua face lit up in excitement "Ai's here!" he yelled, almost as a reminder to Ruby not to call her Mama on accident.
"Ai!" Ruby exclaimed, matching his energy and scrambling in Nino's arms. Nino carefully set her down. As soon as Ruby's feet hit the floor, she bolted towards Ai, wrapping her arms around her leg. Ai scooped her up with motherly care.
"You are such a cute baby Ruby" Ai chirped, making her giggle. Ruby clung to her as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ari watched with curiosity "You know her name?" she asked Ai.
"Yeah, I see them all the time" she responded, playing with the baby girl.
Nino stepped closer, raising an eyebrow "And you never told us?" she asked as she played with Ruby nestled adorably in Ai's arms.
Ai laughed nervously. "I forgot, you know how busy things get around here."
"Of course you did-" laughed Ari as she joined Ai and Nino in pampering the baby girl.
Watching Ruby and Ai up close, Nino noticed there seemed to be a resemblance between the two. As if they had the same features, same eyes. She blinked and took a few steps back watching how Ruby clung to her. She glanced over at Miyako, who smiled watching the babies getting along with everyone, and back to Ruby. She didn't look much like Miyako at all.
She looked far more like Ai.
Aqua toddled over to Ai and quietly reached out for her, pleading to be held as well. Ai effortlessly scooped him up - without a second thought, and held the twins with ease, one in each arm.
The way she held them, the effortless way they clung to her, how easily they interacted with her.
How Aqua resembled him too…
"No–" Nino whispered to herself under her breath. Quietly, she slipped out of the hall and stood at the door. She peeked in, watching Ai handing the kids over to Saitou and Miyako.
"Ai… you idiot!" she whispered to herself. "You had them?! You are an Idol for god's sake. If he finds out.. what in the world were you thinking?!"
- x -
One afternoon, Nino received a call from Hikaru asking them to meet up when she could. He wanted to talk about something important. They had agreed to meet at a cafe.
Her curiosity, mixed with a tinge of excitement, got the better of her. She slipped into her best dress and rushed over, not wanting to be late for something Important.
But when she arrived, the cafe was rather empty. She took a seat and drummed her fingers on the table, glancing at her phone. Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty. Just as irritation started to creep in, she spotted him walking in, looking disheveled and distracted.
"You're late," she said with a teasing smirk. "You think keeping me waiting will make me fall for you harder?"
He didn't return her smile and sat across her quietly. Nino's grin faltered "And I thought you finally asked me out on a date. Is everything okay?"
Hikaru swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's about Ai."
She frowned, her playfulness instantly faded away replaced by a sense of jealousy "Really? If you want to talk to her. Talk to her directly–"
He cut her off "She won't talk to me" he said in a serious tone.
Nino was surprised, more by the way he said it "Huh? why? Did you two have a fight?"
A lot ran through his mind and it showed in his stammering voice "I dont… I dont know. Everything was good between us.. and one day.. she said she doesn't want to see me anymore."
"When was that?" Nino questioned.
"Two months ago. And last month she announced her hiatus. I just want to know if she is okay."
Nino leaned back, looking away to the side, disappointed by what this meeting had turned out to be. "She didn't have any health issues, none that we were aware of. It was all of a sudden. She went to some far away hospital. In Miyazaki.. I think"
"That far?" He asked in a mix of curiosity and worry.
"Could be something serious, maybe she went to see a specialist, who knows" Nino said in an uncaring voice.
"I've been thinking…" he said and she raised a curious eyebrow.
She waited a long moment to speak further, but Hikaru went quiet, his fingers fidgeting on the table. A waitress approached, breaking the tension. "Would you like to order?"
Nino glanced at Hikaru, who seemed lost in thought. "A vanilla latte for me… and one for him too." The waitress nodded and disappeared.
"Hikaru" she said softly, leaning forward and placing her hand on his. "What's this about?"
He looked around as if the walls might be listening. His next words were barely audible "I may have gotten her pregnant"
Nino froze. She blinked at him, her mind scrambling to catch up with what he had just said. A lump came up her throat "You.. two were together?"
His eyes pleaded with her. "Please Nino, don't tell anyone"
She pulled her hand back slowly, her fingers curling into fists under the table. She sat straight, staring at him blankly.
He was jittery as he explained "I don't know honestly, but I think that's what happened. Maybe she is mad at me for that.. but she just left without explaining why. I've been trying to contact her, but she won't respond or pick up my calls"
He put his head down, in his folded arms. "I'm losing my mind.. What if she is really carrying my child.."
"What if?" Nino asked.
"I.. want to run away and have a normal family with her.." he said more to himself than to her.
Nino sat quietly as she processed everything. The guy she had known for a few years, had a crush on for a while. Was not only involved with her friend, but likely got her pregnant as well. Ai's sudden hiatus made a lot of sense now.
She held back the tears swelling up and wiped them before he could see them, and took a deep breath to compose herself. "She is an Idol. She won't have your child. If what you're telling me is true. She probably went to get an abortion"
He looked up, "It didn't occur to me then. If she had told me, I would have stopped her.." regret apparent in his voice.
"That wouldn't have changed anything. She is an Idol." Nino reiterated. "Do you have any idea what happens to idols when they're found out with boyfriends? Let alone with kids?"
Hikaru's heart sank, the thought had crossed his mind several times before, but still the words hit him like a blow.
"When was the last time you two talked?" Nino asked quietly.
"We never spoke after she left me." He whispered back.
- x -
The unsettling feeling after learning about Hikaru and Ai's secret relationship had gnawed at Nino for days, didn't seem to fade away. It had been affecting her rehearsals and performances. She had tried taking her mind off of it, but she knew Hikaru had been feeling worse than her about the whole situation. She had to keep tabs on him to make sure he was okay.
Today was a fan meetup event and she had to focus as one after another fans came into her booth for a greeting, or an autograph, or to take a picture together. The line stretched before her booth and she went through the motions, smiling through it.
"Hello, it's nice to see you again Nino" A familiar voice greeted her.
She looked up. It was Ryosuke, not a surprise since he had been showing up regularly to every fan meetup.
"It's lovely to see you too, Ryosuke" she greeted him back, forcing a smile, sitting at her small desk.
He handed her a poster to sign, "It's great seeing you in the spotlight now that Ai is on hiatus. You are really talented, I really like your singing." he complimented with a smile.
She smiled politely, giving him back his signed poster. "Thank you, I work hard to improve my singing voice each day. I'm glad you love it"
"Yeah I do, You've been overshadowed by Ai for so long" he added in a casual tone that made her stomach tighten "It's a shame, you deserve more attention"
She resisted the urge to frown, forcing that awkward smile. 'You didn't have to say it like that'
He leaned in closer, lowering his voice "Do you know what happened to her? Is she sick or something?"
Nino gave a light, dismissive chuckle "I thought you were here for me"
"I am!" he assured her quickly. "I'm just worried about Ai, since her hiatus was rather sudden".
She paused, trying to find the words to answer him. "I'm not at a liberty to say, but between you and me…" she trailed off, realizing what she was about to say. "Uh.. It's nothing serious, she is being treated in some hospital in Miyazaki. She will be back soon" she assured him halfheartedly.
He looked at her surprised, "Miyazaki? Why so far? There are good hospitals here in Tokyo"
She gave him a nervous smile, but before their conversation could continue, Security walked in since he had overstayed his welcome. "Hey- Times up"
Nino gave him an apologetic smile, "Ah– looks like we are out of time, we can continue this talk next time. Take care." she waved as Ryosuke was escorted out.
"Some hospital in Miyazaki huh?" he said to himself.
As soon as he was back home, he sat in front of his computer with "Hospital's in Miyazaki" typed into the search bar. He made a list of all the hospitals, big or small, in cities or around small towns.
It's been over 3 months since Ai's hiatus was announced and there had been no updates on her health on social media since. With the information of her whereabouts, he had decided to go check up on her himself.
He planned out his trip with the most efficient route to hit all the major hospitals. He did what he needed to do, and left the following week.
On his journey he visited dozens of hospitals, staying near each one for a couple of days, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ai. Even with fruitless visits to hospital after hospital, his resolve didn't falter. He kept on, onward to the next one. While keeping an eye on the news and social media for any update on her.
After about a month on this journey, he reached Ebihara hospital in the outskirts of a remote town. While he explored the hospital grounds, a familiar singing voice reached his ears - faint but unmistakable, it was Ai's voice.
His eyes darted to the source, and there she was, walking in the front yard of the hospital with a man in a white coat - her doctor, it seemed.
His eyes widened, in complete shock. That girl looked pregnant. "Is that… really her?" he questioned himself.
He couldn't possibly mistake someone else's voice for Ai's. He walked nonchalantly, closing the distance between them to get a better look at her face. He passed by them, catching only a glimpse of her and he was sure.
It was really her.
Heart racing, he rushed out of the hospital as quickly as he had arrived. Back to the hotel room he was staying in. He paced in his room, processing what he had just witnessed and he was very confused with mixed emotions, unsure how he felt about this.
"This was her health condition?" he muttered to himself, his voice shaking with disbelief. "She had a boyfriend all this time?!" His confusion quickly morphed into anger and frustration. He slammed his fist on the desk "She betrayed me! She was supposed to be a pure Idol. She was supposed to be perfect!"
But then, where was this supposed boyfriend of hers? Shouldn't he be with her? There was no one else he saw in the hospital who looked to be her romantic interest.
Why wasn't he with her? Was she abandoned? Had she been taken advantage of? His mind raced, trying to find a possible scenario where all this made sense. "Such scum for corrupting the pure Idol, You will pay for this. When I find out who you are, You are Dead!"
Many days passed, and Ryosuke lingered around the hospital, observing. Ai was 9 months in, and she was going to be a mother.
Every time he saw her, needles stung at his heart. Never once she seemed stressed about the situation, quite the contrary - she seemed to be enjoying herself. And he was more confused and frustrated than before. But, it was clear that she chose to be a mother.
'Why.. Ai.. I don't understand. Why would you do this? How could you do this? You were supposed to be a pure Idol - the greatest Idol...'
He wandered around the hospital one evening. Ai would usually walk around this time, but evening turned to night and she never came out.
"Did she go into labor? Is she okay? Her young body might suffer complications…" he wondered, walking around in the empty front yard of the hospital. "She… she deserves to suffer for the choices she made.." he whispered.
Night grew darker and he was still around the hospital, until he spotted that same doctor walk out of the hospital.
"Hey!" He called out. "Are you the doctor in charge of Hoshino Ai?"
The doctor turned to him. "Are you a relative of hers?" he asked in a calm voice.
"So you are the one" his voice was a lot more ominous than he had intended.
"How did you know she was here? Have you seen her around the hospital?" The doctor immediately got defensive as his voice rose "What's your name?" he yelled.
Panic shot through Ryosuke as the doctor stepped closer, he turned and sprinted to the woods. The doctor chased after him. Trees in the night blurred around him, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He slowed down and hid among the trees.
The doctor wasn't far behind, and he barely caught himself from falling over a steep cliff.
This doctor - he had seen him out on walks with Ai. Chatting for hours as if they had known each other for eternity. How was this nobody closer to Ai than her biggest fan? Was he the one helping her deliver the baby too?
Emotions of jealousy and anger mixed in him, and without another thought, he tackled the doctor down the cliff.
He stood frozen for a moment, his chest heaving. He stared down into the darkness, his mind blank. Then, as the gravity of what he had just done sank in, he turned and fled the scene.
Author's Notes : This was originally supposed to be a part of Chapter 7 : Aren't Idols Rich?, as a small scene, but it ballooned to over 4k and I felt it deserves to be its own chapter.
Enjoy. Let me know what you think of it, or if you have any theories on what could happen next.
I'm totally not asking because I have a writers block and I need Ideas. Totally not it.
Next chapter may be a small one.
Up next - Chapter 8 : Aren't Idols Rich?