Chapter 65: Wanting to See Him Right Now
"I'm so sorry, Ai. NHK suddenly notified me that there's been a personnel shift for the music festival, so they had to schedule a last-minute rehearsal," Hikaru's voice came through the other end of the line.
"Oh... I see."
The energy drained from Ai's voice instantly.
She had spent the entire morning preparing for tonight's date. She had picked out the perfect shapes and colors for the balloons with Ichigo, double-checked their reservation time at the amusement park, and even gotten special permission from the park management to release the balloons during the fireworks show. She had run through her confession in her head a thousand times.
But now, a single phone call had turned all those expectations into dust.
Seeing the light suddenly fade from Ai's face, Ichigo's temper flared instantly. He snatched the phone right out of her hand and roared into the receiver, "No way! What kind of man flakes on a girl for a date?! Do you have any idea—"
Miyako was quick enough to swipe the phone back, giving her husband a sharp glare before switching to a much softer tone. "Sorry, Hikaru. Ichigo got a little carried away because Ai was really looking forward to tonight."
"...Is that so? Then I'll head over anyway. I don't think it's a huge deal at the station, missing one rehearsal shouldn't matter too much," Hikaru said after a brief pause, deciding to drop his evening work.
Miyako's expression instantly turned serious. "If you skip out on an event like this, people in the industry are going to label you as a diva. Especially since you only debuted as a singer six months ago, you really need to show respect to your seniors. If it were next year's festival and you were already established, missing a rehearsal would be one thing. But this year... personally, I suggest you go."
"It's for the sake of your future."
Hearing that, Ai quickly leaned closer to the phone.
She forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile. "Yeah, Hikaru. The show is way more important. I'm totally fine over here."
Miyako nudged Ichigo over, gesturing for him to say something too.
Under the pressure of both their glares, Ichigo spoke up reluctantly, "I wasn't thinking straight just now. The Kohaku festival holds massive weight in the industry. From a practical standpoint... you should probably go. It'd be a massive shame if something went wrong and you missed out on this opportunity."
Since Hikaru didn't know about the plans Ai had made, he ultimately decided to head to the TV station.
Once the call disconnected, the three of them stood there in silence.
Ichigo slumped heavily onto a bench near the amusement park. "A practical standpoint... to hell with practicality. He should've just come out here for a proper date."
"There'll be plenty of chances, it's no big deal," Ai said, her voice dropping low.
Miyako defended Hikaru once again. "Sometimes it's hard to balance your career and your love life. Didn't you ignore me for years for the sake of the company, Ichigo?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to argue but ultimately accepted defeat. "You win. That really was my fault."
He shrugged helplessly. "What now? Looks like tonight's schedule is canceled."
He was still clutching a bunch of balloons in his hand, never having let them go.
"No! We can't let it all go to waste," Ai said, suddenly snapping her head up as a spark returned to her eyes.
Even if she couldn't go on her date, there was still a perfectly good couple right here.
Ai stepped forward, gently taking Miyako's hand and placing it squarely into Ichigo's other hand. "I'm leaving my dream in your hands, President!"
She took a few steps back, tucking her hands behind her back as she tilted her head with a mischievous grin. "Why doesn't the President take this chance to confess to Auntie Miyako?"
Ichigo's face instantly turned bright red, stuttering over his words like a fully cooked lobster.
Miyako gently squeezed Ichigo's hand. "It seems like that might be the best option."
Ichigo really did owe her a romantic date, Miyako thought.
"Thank you for the gift, Ai. We'll make sure to enjoy ourselves tonight."
After saying goodbye to the Saitou couple, Ai headed back home alone. The second she stepped through the door, she collapsed onto the sofa like a marionette with its strings cut. She stared blankly at the ceiling, a heavy, suffocating weight pressing down on her chest.
"What's wrong?" Aqua noticed her unusual state, setting his phone down as he walked over.
"Hikaru has rehearsal for the music festival, so he can't make it tonight," Ai said, suddenly feeling a sharp tang of bitterness.
Her nose twitched a couple of times before she flipped over to bury her face in the sofa cushions, leaving only her lower legs dangling off the edge.
*How could Hikaru dare flake on her?* Aqua thought instinctively, but immediately countered himself in his head: *But it's the Kohaku Song Festival!* Even if the ratings dropped year after year, the festival still held a massive place in the hearts of Japanese citizens, especially for an industry insider like Hikaru.
Besides, Ai most likely hadn't told Hikaru about her confession plans, so Aqua could understand his choice.
Understanding was one thing, but he obviously couldn't say that out loud. Aqua sat down beside Ai to comfort her. "It's fine. It's his loss for not showing up. We'll spend Christmas Eve with you."
Ruby leaped over as well, wrapping herself around Ai's legs. "We'll stay with Mama forever!"
"And I planned so much for tonight..." Ai's voice was still muffled by the cushions.
"Plans can't keep up with changes," Aqua racked his brain to console her. "Besides, it's not like you're never going to see him again. Isn't tomorrow Christmas? Why not just move your plans to tomorrow?"
Ai rolled over to face them, lying flat on the couch. Ruby let go of her legs just in time to avoid getting flung onto the floor.
"I guess I could do that," Ai murmured to herself.
"Of course you can, there'll be plenty of chances," Ruby said, sitting on the floor. "And there's no way he'll be busy tomorrow too, right?"
"Plus, you get to stay with me and Aqua tonight!" She crawled back up, clinging to Ai's legs again to act cute.
"Alright, alright," Ai said, her smile returning.
Time crawled by as they waited. Night fell quietly, and the streets of Tokyo were transformed into a dreamscape by the Christmas lights. Couples strolled down the avenues together everywhere you looked, and many of the shops along the streets were blasting Hikaru's Christmas Song. For this special occasion, the guys had dressed up nicely, and the girls were styled flawlessly from head to toe, looking gorgeous wherever one looked.
While the outside world was loud and bustling, Ai's little villa was tucked inside a quiet residential neighborhood with excellent soundproofing. It remained completely peaceful, forming a stark contrast to the commercial districts.
During the exact hours meant for a romantic date, Ai could only curl up on her living room sofa, mindlessly watching TV with the twins.
She picked up her phone from the side table. Flashing on the screen was a message Hikaru had sent a few minutes ago: *I'm about to go on stage. Let's talk more later.*
They had exchanged hundreds of messages within the span of just a few dozen minutes, only stopping once Hikaru's performance was about to begin.
It kept Ai's loneliness at bay to some extent, but in a way, it only made her miss him more.
Ai stared at those few short words, and her mind automatically conjured up an image of Hikaru on stage—the spotlight washing over him, while the place his gaze landed...
—was right on her.
*I want to see Hikaru.*
The thought rushed into her mind out of nowhere. Like a spark hitting dry hay, it set her soul ablaze in an instant.
The flames of desire burned her entire heart into golden ash, and from those ashes, an even brighter fire erupted.
Ai snapped upright on the sofa, the light in her eyes turning brighter than ever before. The six-pointed stars in her purple eyes shined with unprecedented brilliance, looking like two genuine stars.
"Mama?" "Ai?" Aqua and Ruby looked over in confusion.
Ai stood up, her posture straight and resolute like a knight ready to charge.
"I'm going to see Hikaru," she said.
She looked out the window, past the festive, glowing streets, as if she could actually see Hikaru at the rehearsal venue. To see clearer, she took a step closer, pressing her palm against the glass, only to feel a biting chill.
Aqua tugged at his hair. "Right now?"
Ai nodded seriously, pulling her damp right hand back. "Right now."
And outside, the snow had finally begun to fall.
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