…
Backstage at the Grand Mall Auditorium…
A tired Ai stepped off the stage, tiny droplets of sweat covering her cute face. However, the smile she wore was proof of how happy she was. As she descended, a towel was draped over her head, and a familiar voice followed.
Yamai: "Looks like you had fun…" she said sweetly.
Ai: "Yamai-nee! I'm so happy you're here～" the little girl said, hugging her affectionately.
Yamai: "I'm happy to see you too, my little star～… How did it go? Did you have fun?"
Ai: "Yes!" the small idol nodded enthusiastically.
She then puffed out her chest proudly and declared:
Ai: "Ai once again showed her magnificence as an idol, and everyone cheered for me! Ai really shows why she's the top idol of Big Brother's company!" she said, hands on her hips in an elegant pose.
Yamai: "Hehe, I know Ai-chan wants to show how important and majestic she is. But remember not to get too arrogant, carelessness leads to failure…" Yamai said as she gently tugged on Ai's chubby cheeks.
Ai giggled at Yamai's care and nodded.
…
In the car…
Yamai was brushing Ai's hair while occasionally eating a cherry tomato from a container beside her, with Ai's help.
Ai: "You really seem to enjoy these, Yamai-nee. Are they really that tasty?" she asked curiously.
Ai tried one, but didn't like the taste, sticking out her tongue in disgust, though she swallowed it anyway.
Yamai laughed at Ai's reaction.
Yamai: "Hehe, it's okay if you don't like them. It's an acquired taste for me. I know Ai prefers the taste of strawberries."
Ai: "Oh! Are we going to get a parfait?" she asked excitedly.
Yamai: "No… It's too late, and you need to rest after putting in so much effort at the concert."
Ai seemed a little deflated upon hearing this.
Yamai: "Well, if it's not a parfait, how about this?" Yamai said as she silently handed over some strawberry-filled cookies.
Ai's eyes sparkled, and she quickly grabbed them, but before opening the package, she thought of something and spoke.
Ai: "But Yamai-nee, Big Brother won't like it if I eat this," she said, somewhat reluctant, eventually returning the cookies.
Yamai smiled, seeing how well-mannered Ai had become.
Yamai: "Hehe, it'll be just this once, since Ai-chan gave such an incredible performance at the concert. Consider it a little reward from me… and about your Big Brother, this will be our little secret～" she said, making a shushing gesture with her hand.
Ai smiled happily and mimicked the gesture as she took the cookies again.
…
A few hours later…
Ai was fast asleep in her bed, hugging a full-body Dakimakura with an image of Tadano.
One might wonder where she got such an item.
The answer is simple—it wasn't hers. It was specially made by Yamai, behind Tadano's back. One day, Ai entered her room and became quite attached to it.
Now, whenever Tadano wasn't around, she would bring it out to help her fall asleep.
…
In the bathroom…
Yamai sat on the toilet with a complicated expression.
"Is it really okay to continue with this…?"
"Is this a mistake?"
"What if he doesn't like it?"
"What should I do?"
"I should hate him, you know?"
"But I like him!"
"But he did this to us!"
"But I love him!"
"He took away what we loved most!"
"But now we can't live without him…"
Scratching her head in frustration, Yamai couldn't help but curse. She then walked over to a full-length mirror on one of the walls.
She stripped off all her clothes and observed her body.
Her breasts had become much larger—maybe double or more their original size? She wasn't sure.
She held them and observed.
When she applied a bit of pressure, a white, sweet-smelling liquid dripped out.
"…"
"I guess they could've grown because of that…" she thought.
She looked at her thighs, which were also larger than before, and her slightly bigger hips.
She shook her head, remembering how embarrassing it was to realize that her old underwear no longer fit.
Then, a silly smile crossed her face as she recalled how fun it was to have Tadano accompany her to buy new ones.
She then looked at her stomach.
It had grown slightly, protruding a little.
Until now, she'd managed to hide it with her slim figure and by wearing shapewear.
She knew this might be harmful to the individual growing inside her, but she simply couldn't help it. Yamai wasn't good at dealing with problems, at least not when they involved her directly.
She had delayed facing this issue for as long as possible. Yamai didn't want Tadano to know. At least not yet. She wanted to secure her position a bit more before giving him the news.
But each passing day, the anxiety began to consume her.
Her only relief was the little star sleeping in the other room.
One might think her behavior was irrational, but she simply couldn't help it.
She saw that little violet-haired girl more as a daughter than the being growing inside her.
However, she didn't want to get rid of it either. Her feelings for the individual in her womb were… complicated, to say the least. If she had wanted to get rid of it, she could have done so long ago, but she couldn't.
She didn't know exactly what she should do.
Until now, she had managed to suppress or hide the symptoms as much as she could. There had only been two incidents where she couldn't bear it.
One was when she had a gagging fit while tucking Ai-chan into bed a few days ago, and the other was this afternoon in class.
The first incident she had covered up with the excuse of a cold, and the second one she had blamed on overwork.
But time was running out.
She estimated that she wouldn't be able to hold on past the end of October.
With a swirl of emotions running through her mind, she finally decided to ignore it all and got dressed again.
Out of sight, out of mind.
All her confusing, negative thoughts were suppressed.
One dominant thought filled her mind.
"No matter… as long as I can stay close to him! Whatever happens, happens!"
Although she had improved thanks to Tadano and Ai's influence in her life, Yamai was still Yamai at her core.
If she had a goal in her heart, nothing else mattered.
However, she unconsciously rubbed her belly.
A small smile formed at the corner of her lips.
…
Author's Note: "Well, here's another chapter. Keep in mind that while Yamai has improved thanks to Tadano and Ai, she still has a dark personality at heart. That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and I love you all. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
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