The city lights had begun their evening glow by the time I left the coffee shop. Daisuke's concerns about our Utacon performance had been simpler to address than I'd expected. For all his poetic soul, he sometimes overthought the mechanics of performance.
"Trust your instincts," I'd told him, watching him trace circles on the wooden table with his finger. "You've got the best emotional pitch in the group."
He'd nodded, that thoughtful furrow between his brows smoothing slightly. "It's just... after Tadashi, I keep waiting for the ground to fall out from under us again."
I understood that fear better than he knew. Second chances were precious things.
I climbed the six flights to my apartment—elevator out again—muscles protesting after the morning's intensive rehearsal. My key stuck in the lock, requiring the usual jiggle-and-shove combination that had become second nature. The door swung open to my spartan living space, untouched since yesterday morning.
Strange how quickly a place could start feeling less like home. One night away, and my apartment looked more like a storage unit than a living space. I tossed my practice bag onto the worn couch and headed for the bedroom, pulling out my phone.
Need anything picked up on my way over? I texted Ai.
Her response came almost immediately: Just yourself. Ruby's been talking about your promised story all day. I think Aqua's curious too, though he won't admit it.
I smiled, picturing Aqua's serious little face trying to hide his interest. The kid reminded me of someone, though I couldn't quite place who.
Heading out in 15, I wrote back, then grabbed a duffel bag from under my bed.
What does one pack for... whatever this was? Not quite a sleepover, not quite moving in. Something in between. I threw in a change of clothes, toiletries, a clean t-shirt to sleep in. After a moment's hesitation, I added a second change of clothes. Optimistic, maybe, but better than having to rush back here again.
My reflection caught my eye in the bathroom mirror as I grabbed my toothbrush. The mark on my neck that Ryota had spotted was fading but still visible. I touched it lightly, memory of Ai's mouth sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.
What the hell were we doing?
Whatever it was, it felt too right to question.
I locked up my apartment and headed out into the evening. The train was packed with the usual mix of commuters heading home and young people starting their nights out. I stood holding the overhead strap, swaying with the train's motion, my duffel bag pressed between my feet.
A group of high school girls across from me giggled over something on one of their phones. One glanced up, did a double-take, then nudged her friend. The whispers started.
"Isn't that—"
"From PRISM—"
"The new center—"
I pretended not to notice, keeping my eyes on the train map above their heads. This was still new—being recognized in public. Not yet at Ai's level, where disguises were a necessity rather than a precaution, but moving in that direction.
The girls never approached, just snapped a discreet photo they thought I didn't see. By tomorrow, it would be on social media. "PRISM's Toshiro spotted on Setagaya line." Harmless enough on its own.
I switched trains at Shibuya, the crowd thinning as I got farther from the entertainment districts. By the time I reached Ai's stop, the car was half-empty. I pulled my cap lower as I exited the station.
The walk to her building took me through quiet residential streets. Children's bicycles leaned against walls. Laundry hung from balconies. Normal lives being lived behind lit windows. Was that possible for people like us?
The security panel at her building's entrance looked newer than the building itself. I punched in the code she'd texted me earlier, feeling a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation as the door buzzed open.
Five floors up. No elevator issues here. I found her door and raised my hand to knock, then hesitated. This wasn't just about us anymore. Two small humans waited inside—innocent, impressionable, and far too perceptive for their age. Whatever happened between Ai and me would affect them too.
I knocked.
Footsteps approached. The door opened to reveal Ai in loose cotton pants and a faded t-shirt, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. No makeup, no idol persona, just Ai. She was more beautiful like this than in any perfectly styled photoshoot.
"Hi," she said, stepping back to let me in.
I moved past her into the apartment, catching the scent of her shampoo as I passed. She closed the door behind me, then stood with her back against it, hands behind her. The slight flush on her cheeks and the way she couldn't quite meet my eyes spoke volumes.
"How was your day?" she asked, the question falling between us like a placeholder for everything else we weren't saying.
"Long. Intense rehearsal. Coffee with Daisuke." I set my duffel bag down by the entrance. "Yours?"
"TV filming ran late. Got caught in the rain. Ruby spilled juice on my favorite shirt." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Normal chaos."
We stood there, an awkward meter of space between us. Last night's intimacy seemed distant in the harsh light of evening reality. I'd held her, tasted her, heard her cry out my name—and now we were making small talk like strangers.
Fuck it.
I crossed the distance and pulled her into my arms. Her body tensed for half a second, then melted against mine, her head tucking perfectly under my chin.
"I missed you," I murmured into her hair. "Is that weird? After one night?"
Her laughter vibrated against my chest. "Very weird." She tilted her face up to mine, those gradient eyes catching the hallway light. "You've always been the weird one Toshi."
"I'll take that title." I lowered my mouth to hers.
The kiss started gentle but didn't stay that way. Her hands slid up my chest to my shoulders as she rose on her tiptoes, pressing herself closer. I backed her against the door, one hand bracing against the wood, the other at her waist. Her lips parted, inviting me deeper.
I broke the kiss to trail my lips along her jaw to her ear. "Your body remembers me," I whispered, feeling her shiver against me.
"Toshiro!" A high-pitched squeal shattered the moment. "You came!"
We sprang apart like guilty teenagers. Ruby stood in the hallway entrance, wearing pink pajamas covered in stars, her blonde hair in pigtails. Her red eyes widened with delight when she saw me.
"You promised a story!" she announced, bouncing on her toes. "With voices for all the characters!"
Ai smoothed her hair, cheeks flushed. "Ruby, honey, let Toshiro get settled first—"
"It's okay," I said, crouching down to Ruby's level. "I did promise, didn't I? And I never break promises."
Ruby beamed, then launched herself at me with the innocent trust only a child can offer. I caught her, surprised by the fierce little hug she gave me.
"Aqua's waiting too," she said as she pulled back. "He says he's not interested, but he's sitting on my bed already."
"Can't keep Aqua waiting, then," I said, standing with Ruby's hand in mine. I glanced back at Ai, who watched us with an unreadable expression.
"Go ahead," she said softly. "I'll make some tea."
Ruby tugged me down the hallway, chattering about her day at preschool and something about a frog she'd seen in a picture book. I let her lead me, this tiny blonde whirlwind with her mother's eyes and none of her reserve.
The twins' rooms were side by side at the end of the hall. Ruby's door stood open, revealing walls decorated with bright colors and several B-Komachi posters. Aqua sat cross-legged on her small bed, a book open in his lap. Unlike his sister, he didn't jump up when I entered. His blue eyes assessed me coolly.
"Hello, Aqua," I said.
He studied me for a moment longer than was comfortable. "You came back."
Not a question. An observation.
"I said I would." I sat on the edge of the bed as Ruby climbed up beside her brother.
"Adults say lots of things," Aqua replied, closing his book. "They don't always mean them."
Shit. What had this child already learned about disappointment?
"Well, I meant it."
A tiny nod. Acceptance, if not quite trust.
Ruby bounced impatiently. "Story time! You promised with voices!"
"So I did." I leaned back against the wall, making myself comfortable. "What kind of story would you like?"
"A princess story!" Ruby said immediately.
Aqua rolled his eyes. "Those are boring."
"Are not!"
"Are too. The princess always needs rescuing."
I intervened before the argument could escalate. "How about a story where the princess does the rescuing?"
Both children looked at me with interest.
"Can she rescue a dragon?" Ruby asked.
"Instead of the other way around?" Aqua added, skepticism in his voice.
"Exactly." I nodded. "And maybe the dragon isn't what everyone thinks, either."
Footsteps in the hallway signaled Ai's approach. She appeared in the doorway with two mugs of tea, her earlier awkwardness replaced by the calm competence of a mother. She handed me one mug, then sat on the small chair by Ruby's desk.
"What's the story about?" she asked.
"A princess rescuing a dragon," Ruby announced proudly.
Ai's eyebrows rose slightly. "That sounds like a story I'd like to hear too."
I took a sip of tea, organizing my thoughts. Three pairs of eyes watched me expectantly—Ruby's eager, Aqua's cautious, Ai's warm with something I wasn't ready to name.
"Okay then, once upon a time…"