Third-person: Hoshino Ai
"Hehe... Hehehehe★"
Five minutes after Yume left the house, Ai got up from the bed as if nothing was wrong. She moved carefully to stand in front of the full-length mirror in her room, checking the condition of her body.
Stroking her stomach with both hands, she smiled as if entranced. Her appearance, as she continuously caressed herself, resembled someone obsessed.
In the midst of this, she took something out of her bag. That item was none other than... a pregnancy test.
There was no way to know how such a tool ended up in the hands of a minor like Ai, but she stroked it slowly, as if it were a precious treasure, before quietly placing it in her desk drawer and locking it with a key.
She hid it as if it were a secret that Yume must never discover.
After hiding the item, Ai lay back down on the bed as if nothing had happened, recalling the events of the previous night. Even just thinking about it made Ai feel her body heat up. She began to think deeply; she wanted to do such things openly after she and Yume were truly together.
Ai began to realize that the feeling of love, which she hadn't experienced since childhood, might feel exactly like this.
"Yes, that's right. I love Yume."
And it was no wonder...
Because Hoshino Ai had never lied to Hoshino Yume even once since their time at the facility.
But have I ever lied to Yume even once?
That's right. Hoshino Ai changed the moment she met Hoshino Yume, who claimed to be her guardian at the facility. She felt the love she hadn't received from her mother. She felt herself becoming deeply happy inside, always having someone by her side to cheer her on.
Even if she told lies to the world, she was drawn back by Yume's words—that he would believe in her until the end.
When she became an idol and joined the theatrical troupe Lalaly, meeting Kamiki Hikaru and learning to lie from him, she realized a truth: even if her feelings toward others were false, she would never lie to Hoshino Yume.
As a result, Hoshino Ai came to understand what it meant to be in love with Hoshino Yume.
Actually, Hoshino Ai had started planning all of this since she was 14, and the person who helped with the plan was none other than Kamiki Hikaru.
Although she always observed Yume's actions, for the past year, she had started to grasp Hoshino Yume more seriously, deeply, and thoroughly than ever before. The result was yesterday's event.
"Hmm, honestly, I was going to lie naked next to Yume and make him take responsibility, but more than that... well, if Yume and I have a love child, it would be even more fun to talk about it★"
She knew that if she found out she was pregnant, he wouldn't get angry; instead, he would worry endlessly about her. Knowing this, Ai felt no hesitation about her actions yesterday.
Understanding Yume's personality better than anyone, Ai drifted into a pleasant nap, dreaming of the family that would come to her in the future. Her nap continued until Hoshino Yume arrived home.
First-person: Hoshino Yume
When I arrived home and opened the door, a sense of loneliness lingered. Thinking of Ai, who seemed to still be sleeping, I let out an unconscious sigh.
I thought to myself: whoever ends up taking her, I hope it's someone who can firmly handle her whimsical, my-pace attitude.
Although the birth of twins seemed inevitable in the future, I thought it would be good if Ai could continue to live happily with someone decent—someone other than Kamiki.
Seeing that lunchtime had already passed and it was almost time for dinner, I made a decision.
It might be better to just eat out today.
Conclusion: today, we are eating out.
"Ai, wake up. How long do you plan to keep sleeping?"
I entered the room where Ai was still sleeping. When I pulled back the blanket sticking out of the bed, I saw her.
"Ehehehe... Yume, are you here?"
"...What are you doing?"
There was Ai, curled up in a posture like a cat purring in a good mood. As I narrowed my eyes at the sight, she let out a sound.
"Nyaaah~★"
"From today on, just be a cat then."
Ai was trying to be cute for me, but since this level of cuteness didn't affect me at all, I grabbed the back of her collar and lifted her up like a real cat.
"....Ehet★"
"We're eating out, so put something on and come out."
"Wah~!"
Before Ai comes out, I should roughly decide what to eat... though even if I think about it, it's inevitable that we will end up eating what Ai wants.
"Yume, I'm all dressed~"
"I don't know about other things, but I wish you'd stop wearing my clothes all the time."
"It's not like we look alike, so what? And look at this, doesn't it look cuter when I wear it?"
"Sigh...."
Yeah, yeah, do as you please...
Although I always lose to Ai, it wasn't that bad. Still, I had a small worry that maybe I was spoiling her too much.
Ai was wearing my shirt, hot pants as always, and even the same type of hat and mask that I use. We probably should eat in a quiet place...
This time, we went to a restaurant I sometimes visit with the company director. We didn't go by motorcycle, but in a car provided by the company.
After finishing the meal and returning home, we started the overdue housework. Ai sometimes does the dishes, but I do most of the cleaning and laundry. I put the piled-up laundry in the washing machine, finished cleaning the living room and bathroom, and even scrubbed the tub.
"Hey, Ai, go in and wash first."
"Uhh~★ It's bothersome~!!"
"Then I'll wash first, so when the laundry is done, move it to the dryer."
"Yes~!"
When given specific tasks, Ai does them well, so I entrusted it to her and went to bathe with peace of mind.
After finishing my bath and coming out, I saw Ai holding clothes to change into.
"Going to wash?"
"Yeah."
"Wait a bit, then. I need to drain the bathtub first..."
"No, no, what are you saying! We should save water~"
"Save?"
Really? It might be a bit much, but aren't girls her age usually sensitive about showers or baths...?
Now that I think about it, since Ai always bathes after I finish, I assumed she handled the water herself. Ultimately, thinking she would just handle it however she liked this time too, I left her to it. While Ai was bathing, I took the laundry from the dryer, folded it neatly, separated Ai's clothes from mine, and placed them on the sofa. This way, Ai could take her clothes to her room herself.
After finishing her bath, as always, Ai brought the hairdryer and plopped down in front of me.
"Take care of me again today~♬"
"Yeah."
As always, I dried her hair.
I was in a state where I never expected this daily routine to break. But soon, Ai turned 16 and I turned 20.
And then, the incident occurred.