Chapter 9: The Eve of the Performance
"These lyrics... they were written for me, weren't they?"
Ai turned around with a smile, looking at Hikaru Hoshino with anticipation.
"Yes," Hikaru Hoshino admitted candidly.
"Where did you get the material? There are so many things in here that even I don't remember clearly, yet you managed to put them into the lyrics." Ai continued with a grin, "Why didn't I notice before that you had such a stalker-like side?"
"Could it be... that you've watched every single one of my performances and livestreams?"
"Exactly."
Hikaru nodded.
"You creep!" The twins sitting on the sofa behind them were startled, not expecting to find someone who out-fanned even the most hardcore fans.
"You have so many memories of the past, yet you still claim to have amnesia? Mr. Hikaru Kamiki?"
Ai hadn't believed the "schizophrenia" narrative from the start, nor would she suddenly treat the boyfriend she had lived with for years as a different person based on a few words. At this moment, she had finally caught a loophole and began her interrogation.
Hikaru, however, pulled out his phone and checked the time.
"It's almost time," he murmured to himself.
At noon sharp, the Kamiki Agency released the news. Major media outlets immediately followed suit, occupying a corner of the entertainment news cycle.
*"Renowned actor Hikaru Kamiki accidentally fell off a cliff during a trip to Miyazaki. He is out of danger after emergency treatment but is suffering from amnesia and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. He has changed his name to 'Hikaru Hoshino' and is suspending all acting activities."*
"So you really do have mental health issues?"
Ai asked suspiciously.
"I've said it many times."
"Hikaru Kamiki is dead. I am a completely different person from him."
"Then why take my surname?"
"Because the meaning is good."
Hikaru Hoshino replied casually.
"Hoshino means 'to want.' If 'Ai Hoshino' means wanting to harvest love, then 'Hikaru Hoshino' means longing to become the light. Isn't that a wonderful meaning?"
"I never even thought of that explanation myself."
"That's because your education level isn't very high."
Hikaru blurted it out, only to find Ai looking at him with puffed-out cheeks.
"If you aren't Hikaru Kamiki, then why did you come to save me, and why did you write this song?"
Ai felt overwhelmed with confusion. If Hikaru Kamiki, as her former boyfriend and the father of her children, had a reason to do this, then from what perspective was Hikaru Hoshino acting?
Hikaru Hoshino took a step forward, standing beside Ai, and looked at the sky with a calm gaze.
Hikaru Kamiki believed his value was realized when talented women died because of him.
Hikaru Hoshino was the exact opposite.
"My value lies in the fact that talented people can *live* because of me."
"And you, Ai Hoshino."
He looked at the woman beside him and spoke slowly with the utmost gravity.
"Are the most valuable person in this world."
"Why is Ai's face so red?"
Half an hour later, the President returned to the top floor with Miyako, only to find Ai looking quite unusual. "Because this man was just saying cringey pick-up lines to her," Aqua complained relentlessly.
The President rolled his eyes. "Takamine and the others agreed to sing the song. Time is tight; we have to arrange and record the backing track this afternoon. You won't have much time to practice, so get ready."
"Did they say anything?"
Ai asked cautiously.
"They did." The President's expression was calm. "When they received the lyrics, they looked happy."
"They even shed tears."
"They were saying, 'Finally, I can say what's in my heart out loud,' and they were literally spinning around holding hands."
"I'm afraid after tonight's performance, B-Komachi will become history."
"How can that be..." Ai looked stunned. She cherished this group so much and hoped to reclaim their past relationship. Was this the only possible outcome?
"Don't worry about it." The President shook his head. "I've made peace with it too. Once you guys perform at the Dome, my life will have no regrets. Afterward, I'll likely retire behind the scenes."
"In any case, prepare well for the show. No matter what, make this the best performance ever!"
"I'll do my best!"
Infected by the President's emotions, Ai also felt a surge of interest in the night's show. Before, she only acted like it was important because everyone else did. But now, knowing B-Komachi might disband after this—and getting to sing a song she actually wanted to sing—she began to look forward to the evening.
"So, Kamiki... I mean Hoshino now, why did you pick that surname? You should at least try to hide it (whispering)... come with me. I need your input on the arrangement."
Although Hikaru Hoshino didn't know how to arrange music, he remembered the rhythm of the song perfectly. He knew exactly which instruments were used and when the drum beats hit, which provided significant help during the process.
By the time Hikaru Hoshino returned with the recorded backing track, it was already 4:00 PM. This was the result of him moving as fast as possible. Ai and the other group members were in the dance studio rehearsing other songs; hearing that the President was back, they rushed out to meet them.
"My initial plan is for this song to be a solo for Ai. We don't need choreography because there isn't enough time. As for the order, we'll put it at the very end of the show as the finale."
"The rap section in the song is written from the perspective of the other members, so I'll leave that to you girls."
Hikaru Hoshino began giving directions naturally, as if he were B-Komachi's artistic director.
"Hey, why are you making the arrangements? I'm the President!"
Ichigo Saitou questioned him angrily at first, but then immediately sighed. "Fine, fine, let's just do it. Time is of the essence; go practice a few more times."
They were already intimately familiar with the other tracks; the only new element was the mid-show insertion of *Idol*. The members of B-Komachi immediately began practicing the brand-new song.
Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to master a song well enough to perform it on stage in just a few hours. But this song was different; as the girls sang, they felt it was tailor-made for them. Their practice efficiency was unexpectedly high. Since Ai sang the bulk of it and the others only needed to master a small segment, the overall difficulty was manageable.
Ai's talent was beyond doubt. As a top-tier idol blessed by the god of entertainment, she possessed an innate "talent." To Hikaru, this "talent" was essentially a cheat code given to her by the author, a power of incomprehensible strength. With the help of this power, Ai Hoshino actually mastered the song in just a few short hours.
However, a problem arose at the very end. Ai Hoshino couldn't sing the final line: *"I love you all."*