Chapter 63: Wanting to Take the Next Step
After returning to Tokyo from Chiba Prefecture, life seemed to slide right back into its usual routine. The chaos brought on by Kenichi Sato had completely blown over, and the three of them threw themselves back into their daily lives. The trip hadn't really brought any massive shifts to their world.
Except for Ai.
She was still thinking about what her mother, Ayumi Hoshino, had told her right before they parted ways.
"I just hope you don't let fear make you end up exactly like me."
*Am I really afraid of something?* Ai wondered.
*What do I have to be afraid of?* she told herself. *I'm perfectly happy with my life right now. I have my own family, and Hikaru is always by my side.*
Then, it suddenly clicked...
—She was afraid of changing the status quo.
The chilly December wind was a sharp reminder that winter had arrived. After a year of hard work, the year-end harvest season was finally here. And in their culture, a massive holiday was right around the corner: Christmas.
Ai stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, carefully checking her winter outfit. She picked out a beige wool coat, wrapped a red-and-white checkered scarf around her neck, and checked her makeup one last time in the glass. The girl in the mirror looked a bit nervous; she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
She tiptoed toward the entryway. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"Where are you going, Mama?"
Aqua walked out of his room, his blonde hair a bit messy, clearly having just rolled out of bed.
Ai's hand froze on the doorknob. When she turned around, she forced a slightly unnatural smile. "I'm just heading out to see the President."
"Why are you being so quiet if you're just visiting the President?" Aqua asked, thoroughly confused.
Ai scrambled for an excuse. "Because I didn't want to wake you guys up!" She completely missed her own slip-up, her voice sounding a little airy as she subconsciously twisted a corner of her scarf.
*Ah, makes sense.* Aqua thought that sounded reasonable enough, so he let out a yawn and shuffled back into his bedroom.
With that, Ai opened the front door and skipped out onto the sidewalk across the street.
The streets were already covered in Christmas decorations. The colorful lights in the shop windows blinked merrily, looking exceptionally warm under the winter sun. It was still early, so the streets weren't packed yet, but there were already a few early-rising couples flaunting their romance on the sidewalk.
"How about we go to that Italian place tomorrow night? I heard the vibe is super romantic," a girl murmured into her boyfriend's ear, burying her hands inside his coat pockets.
"Uh..." the guy resisted. "To be honest, I think it's a bit pricey. How about we just get sashimi instead?"
Ai quickened her pace.
She was planning to drop by Ichigo Saitou's place. With the holidays approaching, the President had generously given the entire agency time off, so he should be at home enjoying his vacation right now.
Ichigo didn't live far—just a twenty-minute walk. Ai reached their door in no time and gave it a high-energy knock.
The door swung open a moment later, and Miyako appeared in a pink pajama set. She looked visibly stunned when she saw Ai.
"My, what a rare surprise," Miyako said with a hint of delight in her voice. "What brings you over for a visit, Ai?"
Heavy footsteps hurried over inside the house, and Ichigo rushed out of the bedroom in a panic, his hair a total rat's nest.
"Ai?" Ichigo narrowed his small eyes. "There shouldn't be any work on the schedule today, right?"
Ai stepped inside and bowed to the couple first. "It's not about work, President! I actually came to ask for some advice on something else today."
The three of them sat down on the living room sofa. Ai rested her hands on her knees, acting incredibly shy as she finally confessed why she was there.
"What?! You're going to confess to that Hikaru brat?!" The second the words left her mouth, Ichigo bounced off the couch like he'd been electrocuted, his voice loud enough to blow the roof off the place.
"No way!" His face turned bright red. "I absolutely forbid it!"
Miyako gave him a helpless smack on the forehead. "What's there to forbid? It's clearly a natural progression. You're just getting in the way of a good thing for these kids."
Despite her words, Miyako's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "But Ai, what made you suddenly want to do this?"
Ai instinctively placed a hand over her heart, feeling it pounding wildly against her chest. "I really think I love Hikaru. I cherish every moment I spend with him, and I want days like these to last forever."
"Actually, this thought only crossed my mind recently," Ai continued. "Before this, I was planning to just keep living like this forever, until my mom told me not to be afraid."
"That's when I realized the only reason I didn't want to take the next step was because I was terrified of breaking the beautiful life we have now," Ai said softly, her tone dipping a bit lower.
"I'm scared that Hikaru doesn't actually like me that way. He's just gentle to everyone, and I'm just one of many."
Ai added anxiously, "Or maybe he just likes me as a fan pushing his favorite idol, and it doesn't go any deeper than that."
Ichigo clutched his forehead. "How is that possible? Ai, you are totally overthinking this!" He thought she was worrying over nothing.
But it hit Ichigo a second later—this was probably the ultimate proof that she was genuinely, deeply in love.
If that was the case... and if it was Hikaru...
Ichigo quietly sat back down, completely silent.
"But I can't keep acting like an ostrich, hiding away in a happy present," Ai cheered herself up. "I don't want to look back in the future and regret chickening out now."
Miyako's expression softened. "So you want to be the one to confess, Ai? I completely support you. If you want happiness, you have to be brave enough to chase it."
Ai nodded vigorously, her purple hair swaying gently over her shoulders. "I'm planning to ask Hikaru out on a date tomorrow night, on Christmas Eve, and take the chance to tell him how I feel. But I've never actually confessed to anyone before, so I wanted to ask how I should go about it."
Miyako clapped her hands together. "Well, you definitely came to the right place. The two of us are total relationship pros."
"Since when—" Ichigo started to say, but Miyako immediately pinched his thigh to shut him up.
Miyako turned back to Ai. "What kind of vibe are you going for? Confessions are super private, so most people choose a place where they can be totally alone. Plus, since both you and Hikaru are celebrities, you need to make sure you don't get caught by the paparazzi."
"I want a romantic vibe!" Ai raised her hand like an elementary school student.
Miyako nodded seriously. "That's completely normal. Do you have a location in mind? A romantic setting needs careful planning and preparation beforehand. Hmm, a lot of people set up a ring of roses or light candles. Oh, you could also use a bunch of heart-shaped balloons."
Ai bit her thumb thoughtfully. "Hikaru isn't really into anything too flashy or over-the-top. How would balloons work?"
"Balloons look best when you're looking down from somewhere high up, otherwise they just fly away in seconds."
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Ichigo's head. "How about a Ferris wheel? It's a total classic. It's perfectly private, you'll get a great view of the balloons, and the tight space makes it super easy to set a romantic mood."
Then he added a stern warning, "But don't you two dare cross the line up there."
Ai's eyes lit up instantly. "Great idea!"
The image of confessing inside a Ferris wheel cabin flashed through her mind, and her cheeks flushed a bright crimson.
Miyako crossed her arms, pondering. "Won't the amusement park be packed with tourists?"
Ichigo waved his hand dismissively. "That's fine, as long as there's no one else in their Ferris wheel car. We can arrange the balloons ahead of time and have them released right when they're about to reach the very top."
Ai clapped her hands in excitement. "It's a plan!"
"So, Ai, have you picked out a gift to give him? It'd be a little weird to show up empty-handed," Miyako asked.
"I don't really know what Hikaru actually likes," Ai sighed, slumping down like a withered plant. "This whole time, he's been the one constantly giving and doing things for me, and I don't even know his hobbies."
Ai sat there in silence, looking like a statue.
She spaced out for a long time before finally shaking herself out of it, a spark returning to her eyes. "That's why..."
"I'm going to make it up to him, little by little, in the days to come."
Ai couldn't wait for that future to begin.
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