"Tomorrow's the Tokyo Dome concert."
"I'm surprised you're not getting drunk to celebrate like you usually do."
Miyako Saitou glanced at her husband Ichigo Saitou, who sat brooding before his computer, stroking his chin as if wrestling with some dilemma.
"You just said why," Ichigo Saitou replied, leaning back in his chair and removing his glasses with a weary sigh.
"Tomorrow's the Tokyo Dome concert."
"You drank a whole bottle of Morizo when they played Budokan and when their album broke records. Why not now?"
Miyako couldn't comprehend her husband's uncharacteristic hesitation. This wasn't the demeanor of a man whose idol group was about to perform at Japan's most prestigious venue—it was more like someone awaiting judgment day.
Ichigo Saitou didn't answer immediately. His thoughts drifted to years earlier when Ai Hoshino had proposed that fateful deal.
How old had she been then? Fifteen? Sixteen?
She'd barged in with all the naive fervor of a lovestruck teenager making eternal promises, demanding that verbal agreement—no contracts, no witnesses, just words.
Technically, Ai's contract still bound her to Ichigo Productions for several more years. As president, Ichigo Saitou could legally force her to remain in B-Komachi—deny her "graduation," freeze her career, or demand exorbitant penalties if she quit.
By all rights, Ai had been recklessly trusting.
Or perhaps she'd known exactly how he'd react.
Ichigo Saitou smiled wryly.
Childless, he and Miyako had practically raised Ai these past eight years. He'd taught her everything about surviving the idol industry—handling media, fans, production crews. Miyako had schooled her in womanhood—Ai's first real makeup kit, her first lipstick, all gifts from Miyako.
"Tomorrow's the Tokyo Dome concert," Ichigo Saitou repeated, clicking print. The machine whirred to life, spitting out pages titled Contract Termination. "And Ai's last day as an idol."
"What?"
Miyako's eyes widened.
"Ai will announce her graduation after the show. She's leaving B-Komachi—no, leaving the idol industry entirely."
"Is this sudden?"
"Planned for years. Only she and I knew."
Ichigo Saitou fished out a cigarette, letting it dangle unlit from his lips.
"But without Ai, B-Komachi can't survive."
As Ichigo's first lady, Miyako knew the harsh truth—B-Komachi's success hinged entirely on Ai.
What astonished her was how effortlessly Ai had managed group dynamics despite this imbalance. Since that watershed single Dissonance, Ai had mended fences with founding members Takamine and Watanabe, then gradually unified the expanded seven-member roster. Not once had the infighting or sabotage of earlier years resurfaced.
"Why would she quit now?" Miyako pressed. "Twenty years old, performing at Tokyo Dome—this is her prime!"
It felt like abandoning ship at full sail.
"Is she switching careers?"
Instead of answering, Ichigo Saitou posed his own question:
"You've been Ryo Kitagawa's assistant. What's he like?"
"Ryo? A wonderful boy—humble, principled. Didn't he help Ai through her mother's ordeal?"
"Hmph."
Ichigo Saitou finally understood how fathers felt meeting their daughter's boyfriends.
"If I had to guess, Ai's quitting because of him."
He remembered recruiting Ai all those years ago—how she'd joined seeking love and validation. Now she'd found both. There was no reason to continue.
That Ai had stayed this long was partly gratitude; she knew Ichigo Saitou's dream was guiding his idols to Tokyo Dome. Without him plucking her from that orphanage, none of this would exist.
The other reason—
"Ai's waiting for that boy to grow up," Ichigo Saitou said, finally lighting his cigarette.
"She's confessing tomorrow?!" Miyako gasped.
Ichigo Saitou choked on smoke. "What fairy tales have you been reading?"
"Even after graduating, she won't immediately confess. That'd be admitting she loved him while still an idol."
"Can you imagine the backlash?"
He took a long drag.
"Besides, Ryo couldn't respond either. Agreeing would mean confirming a years-long secret relationship."
"The scandal would dwarf that sasaeng fan incident."
"And we've no idea how he truly feels about Ai."
Miyako flushed, realizing her naivete. As one of Ryo's few remaining "mom fans," she knew his current fanbase's temperament. The fallout would devastate Ai far worse than Issugi Rina's harassment.
"So what's the plan?"
Miyako now shared her husband's anxiety. Having watched both grow up, she'd love nothing more than to see them together.
"We wait," Ichigo Saitou said, producing another stack of documents from beneath the contracts.
"But not idly."
Stroking his stubble, he replaced his glasses:
"We shape public perception."
"Once online narratives solidify, they're near impossible to change. If Ryo announced a relationship now, his extremist fans would dominate the discourse, dragging bystanders into their wake."
"But with enough public goodwill, we can balance the scales from the outset—make PR manageable."
Miyako nodded. "So we prepare the audience first."
"Basic groundwork."
Ichigo Saitou spread the files like a poker hand:
"Ai and I have discussed this."
"Idol Ai graduates, but actress Hoshino Ai remains."
"I won't just condition the public—I'll make them root for them."
Miyako surveyed her suddenly energized husband, then the exhaustive plans:
["Art Imitates Life, Life Imitates Art"]—potential hit romance manga adaptations for future co-starring roles.
["Love Bus," "Terrace House," "Don't Be the Wolf"]—Japan's top dating shows.
["LALALAI Method Acting Curriculum"]—Shakespearean plays like The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet.
For the first time, Miyako felt profound gratitude that her husband happened to be the world's most obsessive shipper.
Next Day - Tokyo Dome
B-Komachi's long-awaited concert commenced without a hitch.
All 55,000 seats were filled. Fans clad in official merch jostled through the 47,000-square-meter venue's corridors, buzzing with shared excitement. Regardless of age or background, they were united by one name—
Ai.
Crimson glow sticks representing her dominated the sea of light.
Backstage, Ichigo Saitou coordinated feverishly with staff. Summer heat combined with the packed crowd necessitated multiple emergency medical stations.
The seven members of B-Komachi stood ready in their costumes, hands stacked together. As captain, Ai placed hers atop the pile.
A synchronized cheer.
After the opening act by Ichigo's junior group, Ai and B-Komachi finally took the stage to deafening applause.
They were the industry's most rebellious idols—a reputation owed entirely to their black sheep center.
While the other six wore white gowns, Ai stood out in head-to-toe black. The stark contrast instantly told the audience their first number—
Black Sheep.
The song reimagined the psychological "black sheep effect"—normally about ostracism—as an anthem of defiant individuality.
Yet as she sang, Ai found herself recalling Ryo's recent ordeal—that pure white lamb plush housing a hidden camera.
"I'd rather die than turn white like the rest."
"The moment I conform, I cease to be me."
Though unrelated to romance, the lyrics resonated differently tonight.
What Ai hadn't told Ichigo Saitou was her original plan—to publicly confess to Ryo after announcing her graduation.
That had been her intended gift.
Only after Issugi Rina's intrusion—and Ryo's consequent absence—did she abandon that reckless fantasy.
Passion could incinerate not just herself, but also the one she loved.
Thus, she'd adopted Ichigo Saitou's strategy.
Like something from a fairy tale, Ai now dreamed of becoming Ryo's bride with the world's blessing.
The thought sent electricity through every cell, igniting her performance with unprecedented brilliance.
As the final notes faded, Ai realized she'd achieved what she'd set out to do years ago. Her gasping teammates—now genuine friends—exchanged glances. They all knew: without Ai, they'd never have stood here bathed in 55,000 chants of "Encore!"
Taking the mic from the host, Ai felt the weight of every gaze.
In this defining moment, she could finally punctuate her coming-of-age story with one last act of defiance.
Amid stunned silence, Ai delivered her graduation speech, concluding with a deep bow to every corner of the stadium: "Idol Ai... is officially retired."
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