October 12, 2019
[A/N: The song used is called 'Your Dog Loves You' by Colde. Listen to it with the chapter if you want.]
My apartment felt too quiet, the echoes of that electric night still ringing in my ears. I slumped onto the couch, worn out but vibrating with a strange, restless energy. That image of Ai on stage, pouring her heart out, wouldn't leave my head.
There was something addictive about that roar of the crowd, the way the whole universe seemed to center on her in those moments. For the first time, I understood the drive behind Ai's relentless pursuit, the sacrifices she made for that connection with her fans.
But that connection wasn't just with the audience. It was with Aqua and Ruby too, their faces aglow with pride in their mother. The way Ruby clung to me... it was like I'd become a stand-in for a part of their family. A temporary part, sure, but still... it meant something.
My gaze drifted to my computer, the familiar track of "Bad Habit" awaiting completion. But suddenly, it didn't feel like the only song that mattered. It was good, damn good even, but it was... mine, a reflection of my old world.
A flicker of an idea caught me, a melody tinged with some of the euphoria of the concert, but with a deeper thread, a resonance born from the connection I'd felt with those kids. I began to build it, chords blooming into a fragment of a song that felt like uncharted territory.
A line formed in my mind, tentative, almost whispered: "When I met you for the first time..." Time dissolved. I lost myself in the ebb and flow of notes, letting my hands translate this new language of emotions.
"I sometimes worry if we will be eternal..." The words flowed out of me, a vulnerability I'd never dared put into a song before. Yet with Ai, with her kids, there was this underlying fear of how fragile it all was.
The energy of the crowd, the tenderness on Aqua's face, even a hint of the spark in Ai's eyes when she looked at me... they swirled and intertwined, poured out onto the digital space.
This wasn't just a song. It was an offering, born from gratitude and a deep, almost overwhelming need to give something back. To show her, show them all, that I wasn't just some stranger who'd stumbled into their lives, but someone they'd changed.
"If I am born again, I will embrace you first..." The melody swelled, carrying the promise in the lyrics. With a final, decisive click of the mouse, I saved the file. Nervous anticipation thrummed under my skin. I had something for Ai, something I hoped would bridge the distance between our worlds just a little. It was time to share.
My footsteps echoed down the hallway to Ai's apartment. The closer I got, the more the knot in my stomach tightened. Sure, Ai had thanked me profusely, but was this overstepping? My music had always been my own sanctuary, never shared before it was perfect.
My fist was raised to knock when voices drifted from inside. Ai's familiar laughter, but also a deep male voice and a softer, feminine one. A flicker of disappointment cut through me. Was this a bad time?
Just as I turned to retreat back to my apartment, the door swung open. Ai stood there, surprise widening her eyes. "Akira! You weren't supposed to come over—"
"Oh, I can come back later," I smiled, already stepping away.
"No, wait!" She stepped into the hallway, her hand light on my arm. "It's okay. Come on in."
Reluctantly, I followed. The living room was transformed, the earlier feeling of cozy domesticity replaced by a tense formality. Seated stiffly on the couch were a man with a stern, polished air and a woman with strawberry blonde.
"Akira, I'd like to introduce you to—" Ai started.
"—President Ichigo Saitou," the man finished, appraising me with a critical eye. "And this is Miyako, Ai's manager and my wife"
To my surprise, Miyako stepped forward with a warm, welcoming smile. "Akira, it's so good to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you from Ai and the kids."
She grasped my hand in both of hers, her touch motherly and reassuring. I found myself relaxing slightly, even as Ichigo's assessing gaze stayed locked on me.
Before I could fully process this unexpected dynamic, a commotion from the hallway broke the moment. Aqua and Ruby burst into the room, their faces lighting up when they saw me.
"It's Akira!" Ruby squealed, waving her hands frantically.
Aqua, ever the little adult, approached more sedately. But there was a glimmer of genuine happiness in his eyes as he solemnly extended a hand for me to shake. "Welcome back," he said, his tone formal but his smile real.
As the initial excitement settled, I found myself shifting nervously. The weight of the song in my pocket, the reason for my visit, pressed heavily on my mind.
Clearing my throat, I stepped forward. "Actually, there's something I wanted to share with you all. Something I've been working on."
Ai's eyes widened, a flash of understanding and excitement crossing her face. She knew how much my music meant to me, how rare it was for me to voluntarily share my creations.
Ichigo and Miyako exchanged a curious look, but nodded for me to proceed. I could feel their interest, their assessment of me shifting to include this new facet.
With shaking hands, I pulled out my laptop, set it up on the coffee table. The familiar interface of my music software glowed on the screen.
I took a breath, trying to steady my nerves. This was more than just sharing a song. It was opening up a part of myself, exposing the raw, vulnerable underbelly of my emotions.
With a final, decisive click, I hit play.
The first notes filled the room, soft and tentative. But as the melody built, as the layers I'd so carefully crafted wove together, I felt a swell of pride. This was my heart, laid bare in musical form.
I watched their faces as they listened. Miyako's eyes had drifted closed, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she swayed to the beat. Ichigo was harder to read, but there was a sharpness to his gaze now, a calculating edge as he dissected the composition.
But it was Ai's reaction I was most focused on. Her eyes were wide, shining with unshed tears. Her hand had drifted to her heart, as if physically trying to hold in the emotions the song evoked.
And the kids... Ruby was bouncing in place, her little face alight with joy. Even Aqua, usually so stoic, had a look of wonder, his eyes tracking the movement of my hands on the keys as if trying to unravel the magic of the music.
As the final notes drifted into silence, I found myself holding my breath. This was the moment of truth, the tipping point between vulnerability and validation.
Miyako was the first to speak, her voice thick with emotion. "Akira, that was... that was incredible. The raw talent, the passion... it's unlike anything I've heard in a long time. Maybe ever."
She turned to Ichigo, a loaded look passing between them. I could practically see the gears turning, the silent communication of two people who had been in this business a long time.
Ichigo leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his gaze intense. "Akira," he said, his voice measured but tinged with something like excitement. "Have you ever considered joining Strawberry Productions?"
The world seemed to tilt, my heart pounding in my ears. Join Strawberry Productions? It was an offer I had waited two lives to fully realize, a validation of my music.
But even as the professional excitement swelled, my gaze was drawn back to Ai. To the kids. To this little family that had somehow, impossibly, become important to me.
This wasn't just about my music anymore. It was about them, about the bond we were forming, the way they were changing me in ways I was only beginning to understand.
I swallowed hard, tried to find my voice. "I... I would be honored," I managed, my words shaky but sincere. "But I need to know... would this change things?"
Ichigo's face softened, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. "Akira, this isn't just a business offer."
Beside him, Miyako nodded, her smile gentle. "We're a family at Strawberry Productions. And we'd be honored to have you join that family, in every sense of the word."
I felt Ai's hand rest on my shoulder, a warm, steadying presence. When I looked at her, her eyes were shining with pride, with gratitude for the bond I'd formed with her children.
"What do you say, Akira?" she asked, her voice soft but encouraging. "Ready to take this leap?"
I looked around the room, at these people who had become my world. At Ichigo and Miyako, offering me a chance to turn my passion into a career. At Aqua and Ruby, their faces alight with excitement.
And at Ai. My friend, my confidant, the person who had unexpectedly brought so much light into my life.
"I'm ready," I said, my voice ringing with certainty. "Let's do this. Together."
And as the room erupted in cheers, as Ruby danced around in glee and Aqua's grin threatened to split his face, I knew that this was just the beginning. The beginning of my new life, my new journey.
With Ai and her family by my side, supporting me and believing in me, I was ready to face whatever the future held. Our connection, the potential for what we could all build together, hung in the air between us, a shimmer of possibility that we all recognized but chose to let grow naturally, in its own time.
For now, this was enough. This moment, this family, this dream coming to life. The rest would come, in time. And when it did, I knew it would be all the richer for the wait, for the foundation of friendship and trust we'd built.
So I let myself get swept up in the celebration, in the laughter and the joy and the sense of belonging. Secure in the knowledge that no matter what the future brought, I had a place where I fit. A home, not just in a physical sense, but in the hearts of these incredible people.
And that was a gift beyond measure.