It was an October morning, and the breeze had finally begun to turn chilly.
Across Japan, the press and broadcasting stations began churning out articles filled with sympathy and regret for Ai and Hide, the leader of Enfants Terribles.
Even though they were public figures, the media was now lecturing the public, questioning whether the romance between Hide and Ai—both minors—was truly an immoral act deserving of such a "terrorist" attack.
"Let's get married."
"Eh?"
This shift in sentiment was accompanied by a leaked video from hospital staff showing the blonde young man's clumsy, unpolished proposal. The sight of him—having rushed to the hospital in a disheveled state upon hearing his lover was in critical condition—confessing his sincerity was enough to send a wave of deep emotion through the hearts of the public.
"Hide."
"Yeah?"
"Is that proposal for real?"
Because the bleeding had been significant due to an arterial wound, Ai was currently lying in her hospital bed, staring quietly at the television. Ai wanted to escape the loop of Hide's proposal scene that kept repeating infinitely. Even when she switched the channel, every station was running "Special Features" on her and Hide's story; no matter where she turned, she could not escape his proposal.
"Yeah, it's for real."
I spoke while interlacing my fingers with Ai's as she fidgeted in my hand. Looking into those starry eyes that always shone so brilliantly, I spoke with all the sincerity I could muster.
"I want to start a family with you."
Experiencing that attack had taught me a bitter, bone-deep lesson. I realized I had to love with everything I had, so that if I were ever separated from those dear to me, I wouldn't have any regrets. Initially, the idea of marriage was something I considered primarily to protect Ai's safety, but that was no longer the case.
Hide caressed Ai's cold, soft cheek, his smile filled with pure sincerity.
"Hee... So Hide got scared that Ai might just disappear into thin air after getting hurt? Is that why you felt you had to propose to me?"
"Something like that."
Ai's intuition was remarkably accurate. Since witnessing the attack, I had been gripped by the fear that the things I had taken for granted might suddenly cease to exist. That fear was precisely what led me to make up my mind about marriage.
"Yeah, that's exactly it. So... will you marry me?"
Upon hearing my sincerity, Ai looked surprised yet happy, staring intently at me for a long time.
"If an answer doesn't come to mind, you can choose from 'Yes,' 'No,' or 'Could you please get out of my life?'"
"Then I'll go with... 'Yes.' Ai didn't want anyone other than Hide, anyway."
Though she had possessed a vague certainty that it would happen someday, Ai had never imagined she would be promising her hand to Hide so soon.
It was a dream that the once-lonely girl had nurtured her entire life.
For a cowardly girl who was only just beginning to learn what love was, predicting that the dream of forming a loving family could be realized so easily and so quickly had been an impossible task.
"Whoooo!!! From now on, I'm...!!!"
Hearing Ai's answer, Hide kissed the girl on the bed deeply. Then, utilizing the robust muscles he had built up while traveling with the muscular mixed-race drummer, he scooped Ai up and began to spin her around.
"I'm Hoshino Ai's husband!!!"
In the private room of Tanaka Hospital, with no one else around, Hide's electrified shout echoed loudly for quite some time.
"But Hide... I don't think I'm legally old enough yet. Can we actually get married?"
"Ah."
"Now! You, the high school student in the black clothes! What do you think about these dating rumors?"
While Hide's second proposal was taking place, citizen interviews were being broadcast on the news.
General public opinion regarding the dating scandal was favorable toward Hide and Ai. Although a tiny minority of fans, who supported their star through the lens of a pseudo-romantic relationship, were venting their rage in the dark corners of the internet, their numbers were negligible.
The majority of fans sent their support for the story of two young minors nurturing a beautiful love—the kind of story that would make any adult beam with a fatherly or motherly smile.
"Ah, well, I was a huge fan of Ai. Her personality was my ideal type. I've got her picture in my wallet right now, and I used to scrimp and save my allowance just to go to her handshake events."
"Heh—you really must have been a devoted fan. In that case, what are your thoughts on this situation?"
"Well, it's a total shock. But if Ai is happy, it's totally OK with me."
In contrast to the obsessive and twisted attitude of the psychopath who had attacked Ai, this high schooler's "model attitude of a true fan"—delivered with a bright smile and a thumbs-up to the camera—became a massive talking point across Japan.