"Ai, you don't really like it here, do you?"
Hiro Saitou walked alongside Hoshino Ai. When he glanced around and saw no one nearby, he finally asked.
"This is where I grew up. How could I not like it?" Ai answered with a polite smile.
But it was a lie.
So fake... Hiro thought the corners of her lips were too perfect and her voice was just a little too bright.
There's no warmth behind that smile at all.
He didn't press further. He could hear the emptiness in her tone, and instead of exposing it, he simply changed the subject.
"So… Have you signed a contract with the president yet?"
"Not yet… The president said I need a legal guardian first."
Ai wandered aimlessly through the yard. The children nearby ran past her without a second glance—like she didn't exist.
She's still a ghost here... Hiro realized. Even in the place she grew up.
No contract yet? That surprised him.
The president must be desperate to train her. She's already got star potential. Maybe that's why so many people suddenly want to be her guardian.
But looking at Ai now, confusion clouding her eyes, Hiro couldn't help but wonder—did the president know she was an orphan? And after seeing how beautiful she was, had he decided to act as her guardian?
Is this... daughter control?
Or something worse?
From Ai's casual answer, Hiro caught a glimpse of the president's true nature.
He's not doing this out of kindness.
He remembered from the anime: Ai had once complained that even though her single ranked third on the Oricon charts, her income was only 208,000 yen.
That's barely the same as a part-time worker.
For context, the average salary for full-time workers in Japan was 323,900 yen, and for part-timers, 209,400 yen. Ai, a center idol, earned less than someone working at a convenience store.
Ridiculous. A shining star making pennies.
Even worse, in Japanese, a daily income of 2.08 million RMB existed in entertainment. The gap between the two was like heaven and earth.
If the president really saw her as his daughter, wouldn't he give her pocket money?
She's sixteen.
He even remembered hearing the president's wife once complain about how expensive Ai's favorite ice cream was.
So much for treating her like family.
Still, Hiro recalled how devastated the president looked after Ai's death—how he drowned himself in alcohol for months.
There had to be something there. Right?
"Even if you've decided to become an idol, you should learn as much as possible," he said.
Seeing Ai fall silent, Hiro spoke again—more serious now.
"If someone knocks, check the peephole first. If it's a stranger, don't open the door all the way. Use the chain lock. Never put your body near the gap. If someone has a knife, it could be over in one second."
He stepped closer, tone grim. "When you become an idol, stalkers will come. You have to be careful. Always."
"Good~" Ai chirped, suddenly clasping her hands behind her back and walking backward to face him. Her voice was teasing. "Are you caring about me?"
Always teasing. Hiro's mouth twitched. But I guess I walked into that.
"I just don't want to see your name in the papers after being stabbed by some lunatic."
He tried to brush off the worry in his voice, but Ai saw through it. Her eyes glittered with something unreadable.
"Yes. I care about you."
"So the peace talisman you gave me… That wasn't just casual, was it?" she asked suddenly.
So she noticed after all... Hiro thought, scratching the back of his neck.
"Yeah. It wasn't casual."
"You cared that much the first time we met? Gave me a charm? Looks like you really like me~"
She spun on her heel, her long hair fluttering like an idol's on stage.
I never know if she's serious or just deflecting again... Hiro bit his tongue.
But even now, I don't regret it.
He looked her straight in the eye. Took a breath.
"That's right. I'm a prisoner of 'love'!"
He emphasized the word—both a joke and a confession. His heart pounded.
Ai didn't laugh.
She stopped walking and stared at him for a moment. Her voice, when she spoke, was low and steady.
"I remember… I always said I was from a single-parent family. My mom beat me a lot. No reason. Just hit me."
ドクン...
(Thump...)
"I don't even remember when she got arrested. Theft, I think. That's when I got sent here."
Her voice didn't tremble. But that made it worse.
"Later, I heard she got released. But she never came back."
Even if it meant going back to the abuse… Had she still waited?
She waited for love that never came.
Hiro didn't know why she was telling him this. Maybe even she didn't know.
"So… thanks."
She turned away and walked normally now.
"I don't really understand what love is. But it feels good… having someone care. I can't return your feelings now. Maybe I'll fall for you someday, but not yet."
What a complicated way to say it.
Hiro didn't know what to do with her honesty. It wasn't rejection—it wasn't acceptance either.
Still… it made something stir inside him. Something warm.
She had shared the darkest part of her childhood… and still gave him that sliver of hope.
She might not believe in love now... but she's trying.
And maybe that's more than enough.
He recalled her words from the anime:
"Do you know what an idol is? A creature that uses a magic called 'lies' to shine. Lies are also a kind of love. Stacking lies on lies, no matter the pain or sadness… As soon as you step on stage, you can sing happily. What a joy it is."
Ai was transforming into that shining idol.
And Hiro could only watch… and protect her however he could.
But first—
The scumbag who started all this... he has to be found.