In the luxury living room, the twins fixed their gaze on the couple, their expressions filled with shock.
"How is it?! Hmmmn~?"
Ai proudly displayed her wedding ring while clutching Minoru's hand, showing off his ring as well. Aqua, Ruby, and Miyako stared at the couple, taking in Ai's beaming smile and Minoru's sly grin as they flaunted their rings.
"Ahaha... those are some nice rings. Congratulati—"
"Wait!" Aqua interrupted Miyako. "Don't tell me Mom is going to retire? What about B-Komachi's new project?"
"That's right! How could Mama possibly quit being an idol!?"
Ruby sported a mix of unamused and disappointed expressions, narrowing her eyes cutely at Yanagin, the prime suspect. Ai tilted her head in confusion.
"Um~ Who said I'll quit being an idol?"
"Hu—whaat?"
The twins looked dumbfounded.
"Of course, I'll still be an idol for the time being since we have a great song to sing. Anyway, don't worry~!"
Ai reassured them, holding her wrist and blinking cheerfully. Minoru smiled and checked the time.
"Alright then! If the misunderstanding is cleared up, I need to head out now."
Ai gasped.
"Oh! You're right. Let us get going too, right?"
Ai glanced at the twins, who nodded and began packing their stuff, while Miyako sighed, reflecting on her somewhat dull marriage.
'To begin with, our marriage is for work and I shouldn't complain about it.'
She nodded and wanted to say something to Ai but hesitated, feeling guilty as Ai still gazed at her ring finger with sparkling eyes. After all, it was a special moment for her, and Ai was just a woman like her, so it was a normal reaction. But still...
"Ai-san, please refrain from wearing the ring in public."
"Eh? Ah! You're right..." Ai pouted at her while embracing Ruby in a hug. "It's troublesome, nee~ Ruby."
But she didn't expect Minoru to swiftly remove her ring and place it back in the wooden box, causing her pout to deepen.
"Hey!"
"What? Isn't this a good place to keep things like these?"
He placed his ring in the box and handed it to her. She snatched it back as if it would be taken from her again. Minoru smirked, and they all made their way to the basement parking lot.
Ting!
As the door opened wide, it revealed Minoru's impressive collection of cars, which always left Ai, Miyako, Aqua, and Ruby dazzled by their splendor.
'How sparkling... sigh. What's this man's actual job, really? He said he's working as a teacher now, huh...'
Miyako glanced at Minoru, her mind racing as if she were conducting a mental background check. Meanwhile, Aqua silently listed the names of the cars in his head, as he had already done his research.
'Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Ferrari Enzo, Koenigsegg Agera R, Pagani Huayra, Mercedes SLS AMG and G-Class AMG for his daily use, a Porsche 911 that I already knew, Aston Martin DB5, Ford Mustang '69, Nissan GT-R R35... and he bought a Tesla Model X? By the way, where's Ai's car?'
Aqua wondered about the Toyota hatchback he had bought for Ai. More importantly, he was in awe of his dad's deep pocket.
'Wait, what kind of job does he have to afford all of this? It's a joke that he's teaching when he's already this rich...'
Aqua recalled the first time they moved here. The basement was empty, with only a Porsche 911 parked, the car he used at the time. Over time, this place had become a sanctuary for supercars.
"Ahem! So..."
Ai raised her left eyebrow as she inspected Minoru's car collection. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on two new cars—a white and gray Tesla Model X with all the options.
"I was sure those cars are new here."
She glanced back at Minoru, seeking clarification.
"Yes. I decided to sell that Toyota, and you'll use the Tesla from now on."
"Wait—what...? Why didn't you ask me first?"
"Hahaha—no. Anyway, the gray one is yours, Miyako-san."
Minoru handed the key to Miyako, who was taken aback.
"Eh—huh!? W-Wait! I can't accept something this fancy just like that."
Miyako waved her hands, feeling overwhelmed by the grand gesture.
"Just take it. Did you forget that you work for me now?"
"Ah... um."
Technically, Minoru was the new owner of Strawberry Production, and he was her boss's boss. She looked at the key and reluctantly accepted it.
"Thank you, sir."
"Okay. Since it's a new car, how about Mrs. Manager take a look first?"
Miyako smiled and nodded, albeit with nervousness as Minoru had a commanding presence.
"Y-Yes, I think I should check it out first. Excuse me."
With the click-clack of her heels, she made her way to the car, leaving Minoru's wife and kids staring at him with blank expressions.
'Why does it feel so awkward when he talks to Miyako/Miyaemon when Ai's around? Jerk. Tch. Tch.' x2
Aqua and Ruby could pick up on his smooth talking around women, and it somehow got on their nerves, especially when Ai was right there.
He cleared his throat, responding to their confused stares.
"What?"
Minoru raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation. Ai's smile twitched, a reflection of the bitterness she was feeling inside.
Now, about the Tesla, here's the backstory...
Minoru was a time traveler, and he wanted to invest in the company. However, in this universe, there was no Elon Musk. He had accumulated wealth while working as 001, but it came from a dark place - killing people. He felt the need to do something meaningful with that money, something like Tesla. However, without Elon, he faced an impossible task.
Despite being an engineer in his previous life, he realized he couldn't achieve what Elon had without the same focus as he's a hitman.
Everything changed when he met Eileen de Luxemburg, a striking red-haired girl in a plain dress, seven years ago. She turned out to be a genius, and he started referring to her as Eileen Musk, mentally.
That's why Minoru couldn't shake off this troublesome but necessary woman from his side, just as Eileen couldn't do without him. Apart from Tesla, he invested in numerous other companies and actively acquired shares during the US monetary crisis.
If you're wondering where his money is now, most of it is parked in a Luxemburg Bank, thanks to Eileen's tax-free privilege. This is also why he's always so busy, working day and night. But now, all that sweat and grind was finally starting to bear fruit, and he didn't feel guilt at all about providing for his family with this clean cash.
'It's been two years since the Model S. And we finally managed to release this new model.'
Minoru thought as he looked at his skeptical wife. And that's the story of how he became filthy rich.
"Hey, quit daydreaming when I'm talking to you. Anyhow... don't buy any more cars, got it? Ugh, boys."
She sighed but continued in a softer tone.
"Got it."
"Listen, Minoru-kun. I get it, this is your money, and I trusted that you've moved all of this to Japan. But I want you to think more about our children's future. So, please, save more money, okay? This lifestyle isn't sustainable, ya know."
"Copy that."
Ai smiled at him, planting a kiss on his left cheek. Can he ever confess that he's still a billionaire despite all these cars? Yet, he simply nodded in response.
'Well, I know she's not a gold digger. Even though she's tasted the good life, she hasn't changed a bit. Should I just tell them where I got the money? Hm...'
He thought for a moment. He'd never flaunted his riches like this with her before. And Minoru had gained some insights into Ai's down to earth way of life, which contrasted with his flashy one. Maybe she'd been putting money aside for the twins and sacrificing her desires all along.
"Sigh, don't worry about the money. By the way, you've got my credit card, right?"
Ai smiled and nodded, retrieving it from her bag. At that moment, the twins were taken aback.
"A b-black card!?"
Ruby exclaimed but quickly clamped her mouth shut. Her parents raised their eyebrows as they turned to her.
"Ruby, do you know what this is?" Ai asked.
"Uh, I... uh, I don't. It just looks cool, that's all."
Ruby managed to explain. Aqua was visibly relieved, and it seemed toddlers like them were blissfully unaware of the complexities of money. Minoru beamed with pride.
"As my sweet daughter mentioned," he reengaged them, "There's no limit to it. If you want something, just grab it all."
"Unlimited?"
Ai looked puzzled since she'd never used a credit card before.
Minoru nodded, glancing at his watch – 7:46 AM.
"I should go."
He said as he planted a kiss on Ai's forehead. Then, he knelt before Ruby, embracing her just like he had with her mommy. He shot a glance at Aqua.
"What? Don't tell me I have to do the same to you?"
His grin dripping with mockery.
"Nah... Don't worry about it. I'm good."
Aqua wasn't thrilled about getting affection from a guy, even if it was his old man, Minoru. Minoru chuckled and poked Aqua's forehead. Hold up, it felt like he had just triggered a red flag.
"Okay, I'll help you get these pets into the trunk."
Minoru said, picking up the rabbit cage and the owl cage. He headed for Miyako's new car.
"Ah, thanks. Hmm... Let's get going too, right?"
Ai said, with the twins nodding in agreement.
"Man, I wish I could see my kids there. Anyway, Aqua, you already know what Hedwig can do, right?" Minoru inquired.
"Ah, um, she's obedient and tame..."
Aqua glanced at the snowy owl.
"Ohhh! It's Pet Day, isn't it!?"
Ai was thrilled about today's kindergarten special day.
"Kyaaa~~! I'm so excited to see them all dressed up in cute costumes!"
Ai exclaimed, walking beside Ruby and holding her hand. Minoru gestured toward the car's trunk, and it opened automatically, albeit with a personal and annoyed kick as he couldn't see his adorable Ruby in a bunny-hooded costume.
"Um, I'll be leaving school early since I'm still acting in the director's drama. So..."
Aqua said, a hopeful expression in his eyes. But there was another, more personal intention driving him.
'I'll find that man, no matter what...'
"Oh, it's okay, Aqua. Don't push yourself too hard, kaay~?"
Ai reassured Aqua, patting his head. Minoru's annoyance had turned into excitement, and he playfully slapped his son's back, mentally noting that he'd have a talk with him after his important business was done. Miyako emerged from the car, looking bewildered about various things regarding her new vehicle. Sensing her approach, Minoru glanced at her.
"Yanagi-san, my apologies. Can I ask you a few questions about the car?"
"Sure."
After a brief check to help Miyako understand the car better, Minoru headed to his G-Wagon.
"I'm going now. Y'll have fun."
He said, parting ways with them with a smile as he closed the car window. His mafia-looking SUV roared and then made its way to the basement exit.
"Ai-san, we have some time before taking the kids to school. What should we do?" Miyako asked.
"Eh?" Ai checked her phone. "Ah, it's still 7:52. Hm~ Since the school is so close to this apartment, we might get bored waiting at the kindergarten."
Then, a mischievous idea crossed Miyako's mind.
"How about we pick up the President from Shinagawa station? We might need him if we want to attend the Pet Day. It's risky if it's just us there."
Ai nodded seriously but with a hint of silliness, and she looked at the twins. She realized that Ruby was quieter than usual, more like an NPC than a named character.
"What's wrong, Ruby?"
Ruby flinched when called, then she saw her Mama's worried expression and managed to smile a bit.
"N-Nothing's wrong, Mama. Ruby's okay..."
Of course, she was lying.
It wasn't Pet Day she was concerned about, but that dance class right after this special one. Nevertheless, she was relieved that her parents wouldn't be able to see the next lesson after Pet Day.
"Ouch, come here," Ai hugged her. "Let's get in the car, alright? Uwah! Check out the car door, Ruby. Isn't Papa's amazing?"
The passenger door opened like a falcon's wings, astonishing Ai. However, Ruby was still anxious.
'The old me was terrible at dancing. I'm scared that I'll mess up again...'
She thought, glancing at Aqua. He was looking at her, deep in thought.
'When I think about it... I'm the only one here doing absolutely nothing.'
Ruby recalled Ai was busy with her new project, Miyaemon helping her Mama, and Yanagin seemed to be the busiest of all. Well, they were adults... But for Ruby, that seemed more like an excuse, as Aqua was busy with his drama acting, and he was turning four this Saturday, just like her.
Ruby, or rather Sarina, experienced a sense of worthlessness. She feared that her new family might, once again—forsake her, as had happened in her previous life.
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A/N:
I hope you have fun with this long chapter! If you toss stones and reviews. Maybe I'll find the energy to keep writing.