18 chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Concert

"You two ready for preschool?" I ask.

"Un!" Ruby replies with a smile.

"Haa... yes." And Aqua as well.

"Don't sound too enthusiastic, Aqua. Anyways, let's get going."

It's been a few days since our return from Hakone, which means Ai and the kids' week off has ended.

With her having left for work after our morning run, it meant that I would be taking Aqua and Ruby to their preschool for the first time.

Oh! And I was now officially a member of Strawberry Productions.

Yay.

Although I still am still very lost on the whole production side of music, I could now leave it to the professionals... hopefully.

I still don't really know what's going on, but as Ai always says, 'let the president handle it. Teehee~'

"But wow, you two really do look cute." I say with a smile.

Ai was right, their paired dark blue uniforms were quite simply, adorable.

They even have a little hat to go with it!

"R-Really? Mama's cuter though..." Ruby says.

Crouching down, I lightly pat her head.

"Sure, sure. You really do love your Mama, don't you?"

"Of course!"

Smiling at her enthusiastic response, I raise myself to my feet before heading out the door, ensuring it's locked behind me.

"Have you guys taken the train to school yet?" I ask them.

"No, Miyako usually drives us." Aqua responds.

"Oh? Then this will be new for you, huh? Make sure to hold my hand, okay?"

"Okay~!"

"Fine..."

Walking to the station, I can't help but feel my smile stretch as Ruby skips and dances her way down the street.

It seems that she's conquered whatever fear she had.

And from what I could tell, she wants to be an idol like Ai.

With Ruby's looks, her apparent talent for dancing, and her pure charisma... yeah, she'll have no trouble in the entertainment world.

Aqua too, from the acting I've seen him use in everyday life and that movie, he's definitely talented for a three-year-old, and like his sister, he has the looks.

Now, all he needs is motivation, but I haven't seen him be passionate about... anything, really, much less acting.

It's almost as if he's on a vacation or something.

Well, I guess that's childhood for you, and he's smart enough to easily coast by.

I just hope he doesn't grow bored or anything.

"Cassius."

Breaking my train of thought, I look down at Aqua to meet his eyes.

"What's up?" I ask.

Turning his head forward, he continues.

"What will you be doing today?"

Is... is he making fun of me for not having work?

No, he can't be, right?

He's only three after all.

"W-Well, I'm gonna start moving my stuff in, not that I have a lot. After that, I'm hoping to talk with Ichigo about, well, what I'll be doing in the company."

That sounds productive, right?

"Interesting..." Was Aqua's response.

Ignoring the pain in my heart that caused me, we eventually made our way to their preschool, the two running- well, Ruby running while Aqua walked into their class.

Their teacher then turned toward me.

"I'm glad to see that Aqua and Ruby are back. Though I haven't seen you before..."

"Ah, I'm their father, or rather, stepfather." I respond to her unasked question.

"Ah! Wonderful. Well, the class will be performing a dance in a week and we're hoping for their parents to come to watch them."

Ending her words by bringing her hands together, I nod in response.

"I'll be sure to be there!"

I bet Ai would love a recording of it, even if she can't come in person.

"That's wonderful. It was nice to meet you..."

"Cassius. And it was nice to meet you too."

Giving a small wave to the two, which Ruby avidly returns, I then start my walk back home.

Ah, shit. I didn't put my contact as the primary one over Miyako's, did I?

Well, I guess I can do that later.

----- 6 Days Later -----

"So the colour of the glowstick represents which idol you support?" I ask.

Ruby nods her head enthusiastically before replying.

"Yep! And red is for Mama!"

Hmm... a little weird.

I mean, can't you just support the group as a whole or something?

But I guess it makes sense to have favourites, like buying a jersey of a specific player of a sports team.

"And you can only wave around one? Not two or three?" I further inquired.

Her jaw slackens in surprise before she starts pounding her little fists against my thigh.

"Absolutely not! That's cheating! I'll tell Mama if you do that!"

"Alright, alright, I get it, jeez."

Covering her face with my palm, I laugh as she tries to remove it with no effect.

"Haa, aren't we supposed to not draw attention to ourselves?" Aqua says with exasperation.

Before we could respond, the lights suddenly dim as the glowsticks rise into the air, lighting up the room in red.

I guess Ai is quite popular, huh?

"No! I-I can't see!"

"Damn, this place isn't nearly as small as the last venue."

Smiling at the two pouting children, I bend down and set them on a shoulder each before rising.

"There. Can you see a little better now?"

Clutching onto my hair, Ruby soon realizes that I have a firm grip on her and relaxes.

"W-Whoa~! So tall!"

That's all you have to say? Really?

Well, at least they're happy.

"Yes... Foreigners are quite something."

...Thanks, Aqua.

But he was right, me being a bit taller than the average Japanese, I could easily see the entire stage, I couldn't imagine how the two kids felt.

Wait... they were definitely sticking out now, huh?

Sorry, Ichigo.

Suddenly, a spotlight shines onto the stage as seven girls run out, hands waving excitedly to the crowd.

Well, while there were seven, I could only keep my eye on a certain purple-haired beauty.

"Hello everyone~ Are you ready~?"

A cheer erupts at Ai's words.

"Alright~! Let's get this started then~"

Finishing her words with a wink, she then joins her fellow idols in a pose as the music starts.

"We! Are! Star! T-Rain!"

Oh shit, Ai looks really hot in that outfit, doesn't she?

"Check! Now! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!"

I wonder if in the future we could ever do some naughty things in that, or would it be weird for her?

Anyway, as the music continues, I soon realize something.

Even though this music is not my cup of tea... I can't look away.

Specifically, I can't look away from Ai, and going by everyone else's faces, neither can they.

She's pretty good at singing and dancing, but nothing crazy.

In fact, one of the other idols had her beat in both categories.

Is it her cuteness?

Maybe.

She is really easy on the eyes, after all.

But no, that's not what sets her apart.

Instead, it's her pure, overflowing charisma.

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!"

Finishing her words with a wink while pointing and looking at me, or rather, at us, I couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement.

She's quite the charmer, isn't she?

"Teehee~!"

Yeah... I don't think I'll be able to hold back tonight.

----- Ai POV -----

The sea of glowsticks cast a red hue on the crowd.

My fans frantically cheering as I sing.

It's... different, yet somewhat the same.

No longer on my frenzied search, I wasn't acting on stage in the hope of finding love.

After all, I had already found the three I needed in my life.

But I maintained my facade nonetheless.

I guess I really am an idol.

It was also much easier to continue the lies.

The subtle burden I felt every time I said 'I love you' or acted all cutesy was no longer there.

Perhaps it was due to me unconsciously thinking of my babies whenever I said it, and imagining trying to seduce Cassius every time I acted like that.

Or maybe because the pain of not being able to truly say it had weighed on my consciousness.

Each time I smiled, it was no longer forced.

Not the practiced perfection that I had used for all this time.

Instead, it felt... natural.

My true happiness beneath my lies doing the work for me.

Ahh, this feels so much better!

Now without a goal in mind, I can truly take in the moment.

The crowd roars as I twirl in place, my skirt lifting just enough for the crowd to catch a glimpse of my thigh.

Hehe, sorry boys, you can't have me, but you can think of me all you want~

Speaking of Cassius, where the heck was he?

Searching through the crowd, it doesn't take long to find him, but instead of him waving two glowsticks, he's holding something better.

Ruby with her wide smile, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Aqua, his usual stoic face nowhere to be found as he looks on in wonder.

My babies are so! Damn! Cute~!

And then there's Cassius, staring at us- no, at me with a small blush.

The thought of him looking at me with such intensity makes me ache.

That's it!

I have a new goal for being on this stage!

You, Cassius Anemoi, the one I love, I'm going to make sure you can't keep your mind off me!

I'll make myself irresistible, so much so that you can't keep your hands off me when we get back!

I'm already your girlfriend, but I'll be so much more.

I'm gonna be your idol, your star!

Your everything!

----- Cassius POV - 2 Hours Later -----

"Thanks for helping me with this Miyako." Ai says.

"Nonsense. Consider it a reward for a successful return show, the online comments are praising you nonstop. What changed?" Miyako says while cutting the last vegetable.

"Hmm... maybe I just needed a break?" Ai responds.

The show was... interesting, to say the least.

While I didn't enjoy it as much Aqua and Ruby, I could definitely see the appeal of six cute girls dancing on stage.

I say six because Ai... well, she was just in a tier of her own.

A level beyond cuteness.

Hence my current predicament.

...I can't look her in the eyes.

Well, I could, it wasn't like I was an embarrassed schoolboy.

It's just... whenever I do, I remember how she looked on stage, dressed in that outfit, radiating such an alluring glow...

It was hard to hold back my... urges.

Especially now, as she's wearing an apron with her hair still wet from her shower.

"Seriously, haven't you been a mom for three years now? How can you still have trouble making miso soup." Miyako says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Mou! I can't even retort that!"

Ignoring the two's banter, I look over at Aqua and Ruby, who were both watching the TV intently.

Wait, isn't that the concert that we were just at?

Sitting down next to them, I tap Ruby on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, why are you two watching this? Didn't you just see it in person?" I ask.

Pausing the recording, Ruby then looks at me with a condescending expression, her hand caressing her chin.

"Fufufu! How blind... you really are but a rookie in the idol world!"

"Ruby, stop being ridiculous." Aqua says before looking over to me.

"While we were positioned on the left of the stage, think of all the angles we had missed. All the winks, all the smiles, all the perfected coordination!"

Umm, Aqua, aren't you getting too into this?

"Ahem! Yes, while we saw it in person, there were some things we missed." He finishes before turning back to the screen.

"Uhh, okay... You two really love Mama's idol work, don't you?" I say as Ruby resumes the concert.

"Of course! When I grow up, I'm gonna be an idol just like Mama!" Ruby says.

"Is that so? You'll have to work pretty hard. Maybe you can start dance practice soon?"

Ruby's smile dims slightly at my words.

"Well, Mama doesn't have that much money, and it would be hard for me to get there-"

She's interrupted by me placing my hand on her head before turning her to face me.

"Did you forget? I'm basically your stepdad now, well, if you don't mind. So money and time isn't a problem, to some extent." I say reassuringly.

As I continue, the glow of enthusiasm returns to her eyes and her lips then stretch out into a smile.

"So how about we look at some dance lessons tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes!"

Ruby then jumps toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

While it would take a while for them to truly accept me as their father, if they ever will, I'm glad that Ruby and I have grown closer, especially after that dance night in Hakone.

I suppose the trip was beneficial more than just giving Ai a break.

With Ruby sitting back down, I look over to Aqua.

"And you, Aqua? Do you have anything you want to do?"

Tilting his head, it takes a moment for him to respond.

"No... not really..."

That's a bit depressing.

Patting his head, I try to reassure the little guy.

"Well... don't worry about it. Just tell me if you find something, alright?"

"Okay..."

The two then return to watching the recorded concert, at least until Ai interrupts them.

"Guys~! Dinners ready~!"

Well, time to eat.

----- Ai POV - 1 Hour Later-----

With Miyako gone, and the kids put to bed, the only ones left were me and Cassius.

...I could tell.

His subtle glances, aversion of the eyes, how he had to hold himself back when we kissed...

My goal had been met.

Sleeping together for the past week and the make-out sessions during that, which had become increasingly... hot, Cassius was reaching his limit, barely holding himself back from ravaging me.

And it seems my performance had pushed him over the edge.

Just as planned~

The man in question was currently sitting beside me on the sofa, staring intently at the TV, but looking over at me every so often, only to return his gaze with a soft blush on his cheek.

How cute.

I decide to make my move, inching close to him and promptly leaning against his side, ensuring that my loose shirt hung low enough to show some cleavage.

He flinches at my touch, and his eyes turn to meet mine, this time not moving away.

"Cassius~ I'm ready, you know~"

Scooting closer, I wrap my arms around his neck and bring my mouth to his ear.

"Make me yours~"

While not anything physical, I could feel his... aura shift into something more... predatory.

His arm then wraps around my waist as his other cups my cheek, pulling my face to meet his.

Seeing how... heated his expression was, his eyes clouded in desire and his breathing deep, I couldn't help but feel a tingle down my spine.

Ah~ I'm wet already, aren't I~?

"Ai, I... won't be able to hold back."

Leaning forward, I crash my lips into his before whispering softly.

"I don't mind. I've been waiting for a while now~"