/Ai Pov/
"Waaaaaaaa!"
Why hasn't Akari arrived yet? Four hours have passed!!! Isn't the film only an hour and a half long? Why hasn't she arrived yet? Is she in any danger? Has she been robbed? Or...
Did they discover out she is a teen mom and are now bullying her?! AHHHHHH!!! I'm worried!
"Waaaa! Waaaaa!"
"Isn't her caretaker supposed to pick her up two hours ago?" said one of the babysitters.
"We received a message that she will be extending the time due to something, but I heard she is on her way right now," said another babysitter.
Aghhh!!! I wish I could see Akari right now-
"I'm here!" exclaimed Akari as she rushed through the door. "Where is she?" she said, a worried expression on her face.
Akari is here!!! She looked incredibly beautiful when she walked in!
A babysitter gently lifted me from my crib and handed me to Akari, saying, "Here she is. She's quite an energetic little one..."
Akari carriedme lovingly in her arms, her face beaming with pure joy.
Akari, I miss you so much! What took you so long? Did you get attacked? Were you injured?
Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged Akari tightly, my small chubby baby hands grasping onto her shirt for comfort.
"Aww, it seems she really missed you," the babysitter remarked, smiling warmly at Akari.
Akari's eyes welled up with tears as she whispered, "I'm sorry I took so long, Ai."
She embraced me tightly, gently stroking my head as if to comfort me.
Then Akari turned to the babysitter and said, "Thank you for watching over her."
"That's what we do," the babysitter responds. "Say, you really like this baby. Are you her daily caregiver, by chance?"
I looked up at Akari, my eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of panic.
Ahhh! Don't say you're my mother! You'll be in big danger.
Akari was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly and replied, "Well... I suppose you could say that, hehe."
Phew!
"Safe travels!" the babysitter bid us farewell as we exited the building.
"Did you have fun?" Akari asks.
It wasn't much fun, considering I'm a 20-year-old adult inside of me. The other babies were all chewing on their fingers and screaming and crying the entire time! *You were crying the entire time too*
I gazed up at Akari and was captivated by her radiant smile. In that moment, I couldn't help but feel like the most special person in the world.
Akari, I really miss you.
Little by little, I began to realize just how special Akari was to me as well.
After that, we stepped in a cab and headed straight home.
On the way, Akari said to me, "We have a few fun guests at home, Ai."
A few visitors? So they must be aware that she has a child, right? It would be strange for Akari to have visitors at her home while she has a baby.
When we got home, I spotted a bunch of shoes right at the door.
We really do have guests here...
Akari swung open the door with excitement and called out, "I'm home!" Her voice filled the room with a sense of cheerfulness and anticipation.
We looked around but saw no one.
Akari stood in the doorway, looking around the empty house, and wondered aloud, "Where did they go?" Her voice carried a hint of curiosity and a touch of concern.
*Clang*
That sounds like it's coming from the music room!
Akari's ears caught a faint sound, drawing her attention towards the music room. She swiftly made her way there, only to find the door wide open and a group of people approaching her.
Akari's eyes narrowed with a mix of surprise and suspicion as she confronted the intruders. "What exactly are you guys doing in this room?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of authority.
Once they turned around and looked at us, my heart skipped a beat as I recognized the two familiar faces standing right in front of me.
Aqua... Ruby?
Small tears welled up in my eyes as I beheld their confused expressions. My gaze fell upon Aqua, his body marked with injuries, and a surge of concern washed over me.
Aqua?! What happened to your shoulder?!
Ruby stepped closer, her eyes fixed on my face, and a warm smile formed on her lips. "Aww! Whose baby is this? Are you babysitting? Can I hold her? She's absolutely adorable! Just look at her chubby little face."
She gently began poking my tiny cheeks, and Akane and Kana joined in, marveling at my overwhelming cuteness. Aqua, on the other hand, observed me with a bewildered expression, trying to make sense of the situation.
Oh, no! Say you're my babysitter, Akari.
Akari confidently declared, "Oh, she's my daughter," wearing a beaming smile that concealed any trace of nervousness.
Ruby exclaimed, "What?!" in a shocked tone, her eyes widening in surprise.
We are so busted.
I tilted my head slightly and noticed that the music room door was open.
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! They found out! Akari do something!
Everyone's gaze shifted towards Akari, their faces filled with surprise and astonishment.
Kana's voice trembled as she asked the question, "W-Wait! How old are you?!"
"Oh, I'm 16 years old, and I'm turning 17 next month," Akari replies with a calm and composed demeanor.
*Sigh* Just like me.
Kana asks again awkwardly, "How old is y-your baby?" stuttering a little.
Akari smiles happily, "She is around 2 months old," her voice filled with joy.
Akari, don't just smile! Stop sharing more details!
"2 months?!" Kana exclaimed in shock.
Akane then said, "So your baby is around 2 months old, then...", and then the answer sprang into her thoughts, "AHK!"
Aqua quickly gathered them close and whispered, "Keep it low-key, okay?"
Ruby whispered back, her voice filled with surprise, "I'm in shock, okay! The person standing right in front of us is the creator of Light Music! And she... she has a baby! At such a young age!"
AHHH! Akari is in a lot of trouble! What am I supposed to do?! Should I attempt to be all cutesy with them so they don't reveal? Maybe they won't tell because Ruby and Aqua are here, right? Hehe... right?! AHHH! We're so screwed!
Akari's giggle caught our attention, and we all turned to look at her curiously.
"Seeing your reactions and how the door to my music room is open, I could already guess your shocked that the famous you*uber who made a lot of trendy music has a child, right?" Akari said.
Aqua, in a panicked tone, quickly apologized, "We're really sorry for barging into your room without permission, but please don't worry! We have no intention of telling anyone!"
The other three girls nodded in quick agreement.
I knew it! I knew my kids won't ever snitch on me, their my kids after all!
But then I remembered Aqua having told my secret, which is also considered a snitch.
Akari chuckled, "Hahaha, I knew you wouldn't, that's why I didn't hide my baby from you. I already trusted you guys since the beginning."
I could see a mix of emotions on Aqua and his friends' faces.
Akari looks at them and asks, "Hehe, am I weird?"
Aqua then looks at Akari and is reminded of Ai.
"N-No! We don't think of it as weird or anything! Me and Aqua were also born by a person who gave birth at a young age, so we kinda get it," Ruby replied.
Ruby's pov, "(I get it because I witnessed Mama working tirelessly and never hating us for being born even though we were slowly ruining her life.)"
Akari smiles, "Hehe, really?"
Aqua then asks, "Is that why you never revealed your identity?"
My heart dropped a little when I heard that. I began to feel sorry for Akari. What if she wants to sing in front of everyone on stage? What if she wants to attend fan meetings and parties without worrying about her career? I started feeling horrible because I know how it feels; getting to sing in front of everyone on stage was a lot of happiness.
Akari then looks at me and gently strokes my head, "No, she was never the reason why I didn't reveal my identity as Light Music. There's a different reason why I chose to keep it a secret. My Ai has never been a burden to me, hehe."
Aqua questions with a trembling voice, "Ai...?
Akari replies, "Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you that my baby girl's name is Ai."
Ruby and Aqua started experiencing a mix of emotions, feeling both confused and happy.
Akari noticed their expressions and apologized, "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."
Ruby asked, "Why did you choose the name Ai?"
Akari smiles and said, "There are multiple reasons why, and it's a bit awkward to say, hehe. But one of the reasons is that I want my Ai to always be reminded that love exists in the world."
Aqua and Ruby started smiling, and Ruby's eyes welled up with tears of joy.
Aqua replies, his voice filled with emotion, "That's a beautiful name, a truly wonderful choice."
Akari smiles back warmly, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."
When I heard Akari express those words, I couldn't help but cry, which worried them.
"WAAAAA!!!"
Akane's voice trembled with worry as she exclaimed, "Oh no! What do we do?!"
Kana suggested hesitantly, "U-Um, how about... peek-a-boo?"
Ruby chuckled and said, "Hahaha! Kana looks hilarious when she does that!"
Kana retorted with frustration, "Shut up, Ruby! I'm trying my best, okay!"
Aqua intervened, "Guys, the most important thing is to calm baby Ai down and stop her from crying!"
Akari started laughing after seeing everyone flustered and reassured them, "Don't worry, I think my baby is just happy to have so many friends now!"
Yes, Akari, I am overjoyed. I'm relieved to see my children there in front of me.
I unintentionally made a lovely smile when I thought about how happy I am.
Akane couldn't help but exclaim, "Awww, so cute!"
Akari smiled and said, "See? She's happy."
Ruby squealed, "AHH SO CUTE! I WANNA SQUEEZE THOSE BABY CHEEKS!"
Aqua and Kana immediately chimed in, "No, Ruby! You can't squeeze the baby's cheeks!"
Akari began to smile and stare at me with loving eyes, saying, "This house will get a lot of noise now, Ai."
I guess it will.
All of my worries and problems vanished as I saw everyone's smile.
__________
/Akari's Pov/
After saying those words, I went to the playroom and retrieved Ai's baby chair, bringing it to the living room and gently placing her in it, before sitting down with the rest of the group.
Kana approached me and spoke with curiosity, "Oh! So that room is a playroom! I was wondering why it looked so vibrant and colorful when I saw the door slightly opened from afar."
Aqua chimed in with concern, "Having a room like that could potentially put you in danger if people find out about it."
I replied, "Well, I'm not planning to let just anyone enter the house so I guess it's fine, but just to be careful, I will lock the door next time."
Aqua's expression grew serious as he nodded in agreement. In a calm yet firm voice, he asked, "So, what can you tell us about Hikaru?"
Everyone started looking at me suspiciously.
Ai pov, "(Oh boy)"
"That's Aqua for you," I said, giving a calm smile. "I know almost everything about Hikaru, as well as all of you."
Ai pov, "(Akari literally knows everything, I can vouch for that, I saw her do it almost everyday.)"
Ruby questioned, "Almost everything?"
Akane also asked, "So you also research about us?"
I then answered, "Sorry for researching about you guys, but I wouldn't have been able to learn a lot about Hikaru's activities if I hadn't done my research. I focused more on some of you to gather more information."
Aqua then looked at me with a serious expression and asked, "Can you provide me with the details?"
I smirked and confidently replied, "I know everything you know about Hikaru, and even more. And yes, Akane was the one who discovered the identity of your father, wasn't she, Aqua?"
Ai pov, "(Ehh? It wasn't Aqua who found out; it was his ex-girlfriend?! Oh, I also wonder why they split up thought, hearing Akari, Akane must be pretty smart.)"
Aqua and Akane were stunned, their expressions frozen with a mix of surprise and nervousness. The other two girls exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what had just been revealed.
Aqua sighed, impressed by my knowledge. "It's surprising that you know so much about us but haven't intervened until now."
I explained, "I only recently discovered that Ai passed away about a month ago."
Akane was shocked and asked, "W-Wait! I thought you were doing this because you are a fan of Ai?"
"I was, but I moved out of the country when I was young, so I had no idea Ai died."
I lied to them that I knew Ai was an idol when I was young.
"So you researched all of that in like, a month?" Ruby questioned.
"Uh... If you're looking for an exact time on how long I researched, I'd say around 3 days-ish?"
Everyone else exclamated, "Just three days?!"
Aqua pov, "(This person is more extraordinary than Akane! Should I... Should I use her?... No! I should stop doing that, instead, I should work together with her. I shouldn't go back to that nasty behavior of mine.)"
Kana then questioned, "But isn't it a bit strange that you're going to such great lengths just for Ai? Wait, what is your goal exactly?"
I answered with a calm expression but an intimidating aura, "My goal is to see him behind bars for life. I have no interest in killing; the sight of blood terrifies me," I sighed, "There are multiple reasons why I'm pursuing this path. My mother was a devoted fan of Ai, and I only discovered her fandom after learning of Ai's death. There are other personal reasons driving me to go after Hikaru, but ultimately, it all centers around Ai."
The other four had the expression of wanting to ask me more questions, but when they realized how sad I was, they decided to remain silent.
"You really are a huge fan of Mama, huh?" Ruby asked, a sad expression on her face.
I responded in a soft voice, "Yes..."
Well after all, Ai...
Was my bestfriend in my past life.