Chapter 5: Life is but a Play
Ai was awakened by the soft chime of her ringtone.
Wearing a pale lavender nightgown, she sat up with a yawn, rubbing her eyes groggily before picking up the phone from the nightstand.
"Mmm... is it the President? Time to get ready for the show."
Ai muttered to herself as she looked at the screen, only for an unexpected name to meet her eyes.
*Kamiki.*
She checked the time.
4:00 AM, Tokyo Time.
Ai froze slightly. Her hazy consciousness snapped awake as she stared at the ringing phone in silence.
...
A very strange time, and a slightly delicate caller.
A while ago, she had called Hikaru Kamiki to give him her current address, hoping he would find time to see the children. Kamiki hadn't explicitly agreed, only saying: "Thank you for telling me, Ai."
Ai could almost imagine him smiling on the other end of the line.
Is he coming now?
If he is, I suppose it's a good thing...
Ai thought of Aqua and Ruby, her eyes brightening. Hoshino Aquamarine and Hoshino Ruby—if possible, she truly wished for them to grow up in a complete family environment.
She had heard that children need a whole family; single-parent households supposedly had a huge impact on a child's development and could ruin their life if one wasn't careful.
That's what everyone said online, anyway.
So Ai hoped the twins could feel paternal affection, rather than just being stuck with a single mother.
*Does this single mother really love her children?* She sometimes found herself wondering.
Was her love for her children just another lie?
Only one thing was beyond doubt. Ai smiled with ultimate tenderness as she pondered.
—She wanted Aqua and Ruby to find their own happiness.
She picked up the phone, stepped out of the room, gently closed the bedroom door, and answered.
"Beep—"
A steady male voice came from the other end: "Good morning, Ai."
"I'd love to say good morning, but it's a bit too early, isn't it?" Ai said, feigning annoyance.
Hikaru Hoshino channeled his inner "apology artisan": "Sumimasen!"
Ai found this version of Kamiki's way of speaking a bit odd, but she didn't overthink it. "Are you planning to come over? It's early, but you're welcome to see the kids anytime."
Her voice drifted away, gradually disappearing into the depths of the hallway.
Meanwhile, on the large, silent bedroom bed, a pair of sea-blue eyes suddenly snapped open.
Aqua crawled out from under the thin blanket, shot a look of disdain at the snoring Ruby, and then stepped onto the floor barefoot. Like a tiny ghost, he slipped out of the bedroom.
——————
Twenty minutes later, Hikaru Hoshino knocked on Ai's front door.
*Ding-dong.*
"Coming, coming! Just a moment."
Appearing along with the bright words was a face just as radiantly beautiful. Deep violet hair, perfect features, and purple eyes that seemed to swallow everything whole—the six-pointed stars shining within them were like actual first-magnitude stars, constantly stealing the gaze of others.
Without a doubt, she was a natural-born idol, the perfect and ultimate star, a reincarnated Morning Star.
"Why are you just standing there? Come in."
"Long time no see, Ai. Happy 20th birthday. You're looking more and more like a mother."
It took Hikaru Hoshino a long time to regain his composure. Looking at the living, breathing Ai Hoshino, his lips curled up involuntarily.
"Thanks." Ai nodded politely, noticing the objects he was cradling behind his back.
Something white and bunched up... what could it be?
"What's that?" Ai leaned forward, asking curiously.
Hikaru Hoshino smiled. "A gift for you."
Then, he brought his right hand forward, holding the bouquet with both hands—a bunch of white roses in full bloom.
Ai was about to take them when she noticed Hikaru Hoshino muttering strange words under his breath.
"Congratulations on the Dome show. Are the kids okay?"
As if triggered by a signal, after asking that question, Hikaru Hoshino dropped the white roses and viciously plunged the hidden dagger into Ai's stomach.
Ai fell to the ground.
...At least, that's how it should have gone.
In reality, Ai didn't react much at all.
"Huh? Is this some new kind of prank? We haven't met in so long, and you've become quite the comedian, Kamiki."
Hikaru Hoshino shrugged, tossed the plastic fake flowers aside, and handed the toy dagger to Ai. Ai took it, flipped it around curiously a few times, and lost interest.
"Your alertness is too low, Ai."
Hikaru Hoshino looked at her with a hint of helplessness. "If this knife were real, you'd be dead. You can't always be this careless; you need more safety awareness."
*Should I expect any less from Ai?* He thought. Still so "natural." Though she could be attentive to certain details, she often seemed airheaded in daily life.
Ai: *Are you calling me stupid? .jpg*
"I am not!" Ai instinctively retorted. "I'm very careful when I'm working. Forget my address, I haven't even exposed my surname!"
*True,* Hikaru Hoshino agreed mentally.
You didn't tell any suspicious people—you only told the children's father. Unfortunately, that man was a monster whose heart was filthier than anyone's, despite his harmless exterior.
Hikaru Hoshino took off his jacket, hung it on the hallway rack, kicked off his shoes, and entered the house.
"No matter how airtight you think you are, paparazzi or fans will eventually find their way to your door. It's better to stay vigilant. This is my 'professional experience' as a senior in the industry talking."
"Why do you feel different? You didn't used to nag like an old lady."
Ai stopped in her tracks, looking pensive.
"It's weird, but I can't quite put my finger on the feeling."
Hikaru Hoshino was surprised. "What's this? Girl's intuition?"
Ai blinked her large purple eyes, her long lashes fluttering, looking confused.
"It's because I have amnesia." Hikaru Hoshino walked into the living room and leaned back on the sofa in a comfortable position. "There will probably be news about it by noon today."
"Don't bother asking for details, because as an amnesia patient, I'm not too clear on them myself. Anyway, that's the situation." Hikaru Hoshino brushed the topic aside but added one more thing lightly at the end.
"By the way, I've changed my name to Hikaru Hoshino."
"?"
The stars in Ai's eyes widened a fraction, and her mouth hung open unconsciously.
Even to her, this move was quite remarkable.
"If possible, call me something else from now on. I don't like the name Kamiki. If all else fails, just call me by my first name."
"Just calling you Hikaru is a bit weird." Ai lightly bit her thumb. "I'll just call you Ah-Guang (Biyoo)."
Hikaru Hoshino felt a sense of familiarity with the name, even in a different language.
"Call me whatever you want, as long as you don't add 'Kamiki'."
"Let's get back to the initial topic—your safety."
Hikaru Hoshino sat up slowly, his expression turning serious. He stared intently into Ai's eyes, speaking every word deliberately.
"In two hours."
"You were going to be murdered right here."
——————
Hikaru Hoshino described the scene of her death to Ai.
—Massive abdominal bleeding, leaning weakly against the door, consciousness fading, a life-review flashing through her mind, and finally, the vision freezing on the future of her two children.
Ai imagined the scenario... and found it terrifying.
Dying meant leaving this world.
Wouldn't that mean she'd never see her two children again, or see what they would become?
"No," Ai spoke instinctively. "I don't want to die."
"If we call the police..."
"But the killer is your obsessed fan. He discovered your pregnancy four years ago. He couldn't accept it and has held a grudge ever since." Hikaru Hoshino's deep voice was like a dark cloud. "If he's simply arrested, your two illegitimate children will likely be exposed to the public."
Hikaru Hoshino wanted to continue explaining the severity, but Ai suddenly puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish, glaring at him indignantly.
"Aqua and Ruby aren't 'illegitimate' children! they are my very, very important children!"
"Alright," Hikaru Hoshino conceded. "Yes, they are cute and good kids."
"But precisely because of that, it cannot end here."
Seeing that Ai still hadn't fully grasped the stakes, Hikaru Hoshino frowned and dropped another bombshell.
"Also, this obsessed fan tracked you down to Miyazaki during your pregnancy and ultimately murdered your primary physician."
"Dr. Amamiya?" Ai's eyes glazed over for a moment. "No wonder he went missing at the last minute and couldn't be contacted afterward."
"Exactly. This fan named Ryosuke already has blood on his hands. He is neither innocent nor pitiable."
The rhythm of the conversation was firmly in Hikaru Hoshino's grasp, and Ai followed his lead instinctively.
"Then what should I do?" A trace of black appeared in her eyes.
"Become a murderer," Hikaru Hoshino repeated.
"Use your weapon, use your 'lies'—and kill him."
——————
6:01 AM
[@AI_Bkomachi][The Dome today!]
[So excited~~]
*Ding—dong—*
In the quiet bedroom, Aqua was putting on his shirt while Ruby was still fast asleep. Ai had finished editing her tweet and was about to send it when suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Is it the President and the others?"
"Coming~~"
Ai gently pushed the front door open and peeked out with a confused look, seeing a gloomy young man wearing a hoodie. His entire face was shrouded in shadow; he practically had the words "social recluse" written on his forehead.
A wave of fragrance hit her—blue, purple, and yellow flowers interspersed among pure white roses. It felt as if one could see pure and sincere love through the bouquet.
"Congratulations on the Dome show. Are those twins doing okay?"
Ryosuke suddenly cast aside the bouquet. Amidst the fluttering petals, he drove the dagger into Ai's abdomen and slowly pulled it out.
Thick blood packs coated the entire dagger, dripping down the blade drop by drop.
Crimson blood erupted instantly, staining the floor in vivid red.
Ai clutched her abdomen tightly, leaning against the wall behind her to keep from falling.
Ryosuke took a step forward, brandishing the knife.
"Haha, does it hurt!"
"I hurt way more than you! I've suffered so much more!"
"Even though you're an idol, you had kids. You're the one who betrayed the fans! You've always looked down on us, haven't you? Treating us like idiots behind our backs! You big liar, always talking about 'love' this and 'love' that..."
"It was all a lie!!!"
Ryosuke's features were contorted into a hideous, terrifying mask. Large beads of sweat slid down his chin, falling into the pool of "blood" at his feet.
"That's not true."
While Ryosuke was still hysterical, Ai's weak voice drifted over like a fragile bubble.
"It wasn't a lie."
Ai's voice was low, almost inaudible.
"I have always loved my fans. I sang those songs full of love with the intention of truly falling in love with you... even now, I still want to love you..."
Ai Hoshino stared intently into the eyes of the college student. In her dimming eyes, the pair of glowing six-pointed stars appeared incredibly dazzling.
"You're Ryosuke, right? You used to come to our handshake events all the time... the star sand you gave me, I still have it in the living room as a decoration... I really, really liked the gift you gave me."
Ryosuke looked as if he had heard something horrific. His face twisted inch by inch. He clutched his hair tightly with both hands, large tears streaming down his face.
"What is this..."
"It shouldn't be like this..."
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Finally, as if losing his mind, he ran out the door waving his twisted arms.
*That should do it, right...*
*I did it. The things I could do...*
Ai slowly closed her eyes and slumped to the floor.
She felt tired and couldn't open her eyes. But she felt a shadow appear before her, followed by a pair of strong arms pulling her up from the floor. Hikaru Hoshino crawled out from the nearby bushes, with two leaves still stuck to his head.
"Don't just lie there, you'll catch a cold."
Ai opened her eyes and let out a bitter laugh.
"Don't be like that. I'm really tired. This was more exhausting than filming a movie."
Hikaru Hoshino agreed: "True. Going from reading the script to a live performance with no chance for an 'NG'—the difficulty is probably higher than a stage play."
He took the slab of pork from Ai's arms and tossed it aside, disposing of the blood bags wrapped inside.
"Ryosuke was blinded by the heat of the moment. It's hard for the human brain to notice details in that state. He likely will never discover that he only stabbed a boneless piece of meat, nor will he know that the blood flowing out was just a theatrical prop with anticoagulants."
"However, despite the other factors involved, I still have to praise you."
As if a knot in his heart had been untied, Hikaru Hoshino showed a smile of relief. In the past, Kamiki's smiles were bright and dazzling, but Ai felt that none of them were nearly as real as the one he wore now.
"Ai, that was a great performance."