Yuki, Sobbing
"I... want to quit guys."
Everybody was shocked — their eyes widened.
"What?!"
"In the middle of it?!" Tengo shouted
Nobuyuki insisted.
"Why did you say that?!"
Yuki looks down — tears streaming down her face.
"The boys at school... Have been making fun of me lately. They say 'You like this kind of guy, huh?' "
Yuki looks down on the ground — fearful.
"Nothing's scarier than... Showing our feelings of love... To others."
"I didn't know being the center of attention... Wasn't always a good thing until I actually stepped on it." Yuki said, trembling.
"People are making fun of my channel, too... So I understand. They think I'm stupid. Well, they're not wrong, but still...", Mem-cho replied, understanding the frustration of Yuki.
"A-Are you really going to quit?" Akane to Yuki.
Nobuyuki desperately tries to stop Yuki.
"You can always talk to me! I'll lend an ear!"
Yuki stares at Nobuyuki, feeling safer.
"Nobu-kun..."
Nobuyuki leans closer, begging her.
"Please! Don't leave. Let's keep going!"
TV- "What about their shocking developments? Will Yuki step down from the show?"
Meanwhile — Akira's house.
Ai's tears start streaming down her face.
"No...!! Yuki-chan is quitting?! No way! After everything they've gone through?"
Akira — sitting just right beside Ai. Crosses his legs and arms. Sighing — closing his eyes.
"It's rather a bit too exaggerated."
Ai turns her head Akira
"What are you? Plotting? How can you tell?" she said in a dry tone. Casually breaking the 4th dimension.
Akira stands and heads to the kitchen, casually preparing lunch.
"I studied psychology before. Her eyes are obvious if you look closer. It's real emotions but enhanced. In short she doesn't mind the bullying, but in the scene, she made it look like she was. It was probably a commercial technique to draw in more viewers."
Ai cuddles her legs. Sitting on the sofa.
"So that's why I couldn't see through her deceit?"
Akira (cutting spring onions):
"You're a professional liar yourself, but I guess as long as it's a truth, I guess you wouldn't be able to see through the lie."
Ai huffs — crossing her arms.
"Whatever...Well then, how about you guess my words, whether it's true or a lie." challenging Akira.
Akira —busy on washing the vegetables.
Ai stretches her arms and yawns, face first on the couch — hugging the pillow.
"You're the best Tōchan I could ever ask" she said in a bright and grateful tone.
Akira — stirring the pan.
"It's Tōsan for you."
Ai looks up. Staring at Akira.
"Well, first of all, you took me in. Second of all, (Shaking her envelope) I always receive ¥150,000 every once or 2 months. More than the agency ever did. And third of all, from the time you've taken me, you have always been like a father to me." smiling.
Akira looks at her, noticing her expression has a mix of sadness.
10 years ago — on the Shokudō Run of Mio-san and Hotaru-San
Ai sat at the usual table, her eyes dull and unfocused.
Akira placed a bowl of rice and egg in front of her.
She looked up, puzzled.
"Why...?"
Akira sat across from her, lifting an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Ai looked down, her voice soft, unsure.
"I mean... I'm not that big of a responsibility. You're just doing all this because you feel guilty about Hikaru's actions, right?"
"You don't have to go this far... giving me money every month, checking on me, feeding me. It's... too much."
Akira scooped a spoonful of rice with egg. Extending his arm to Ai to feed her.
"And what? Let you die?"
"Tokoro's punch didn't just knock that boy out — he died. Blood loss. Brain damage. And now after keeping you alive, do you think I'd just leave you to die again?"
Ai's eyes widened.
She stared deep into his.
There was no performance in them.
No sweet words, no flattery, no pretended kindness — just sincerity.
In that moment, Ichigo's image — standing beside Akira in her memory — faded away.
Ai's thoughts:
"Ichigo-san and I shared something... real, I think. But it was still tied to my value as an idol. He cared. So did the director. But the truth i...I just wanted someone who could not just look at me and see me as a treasure... But someone who could see me as a whole."
"But this man..."
She leaned forward and took a bite from Akira's spoon.
"This Akira... didn't look at me as 'just a responsibility'. Nor once called me a burden. He kept me because I was human too.."
Ai smiled, chewing the food, the warmth of the food spreading more in her heart than her body.
Akira kept a flat tone, not looking up.
"You do like being fed, huh?"
Present time — Akira's house.
Ai approached Akira, hugging him from behind.
"I just wanna say... Thank you." her smile fading. But her eyes... Softening, grateful for Akira's arrival in her life.
Meanwhile —
Echo-
Mem-cho:
"But... I'm more concerned about her." to Aqua — then glanced at Akane.
Later — Rashomon gate of Toji temple.
Akane — exercising and stretching. After her workout, she walked down the hallway where the manager is the return the lesson key room. She peaks the door.
"Manager... Here's the lesson room key."
President:
"Do you want me to fire you?! Huh?!"
Akane's eyes widened, she quickly hid in a wall — listening to the conversation.
"You said that the reality show Akane was in become popular, so I watched it, but what the hell was that?! She only showed up for less than 10 minutes!" the president continued — furious.
President:
"This is suppose to be a good chance for her, but she doesn't stand out at all!! You're her manager! You should've done a better job guiding her!!"
Akane's manager bows —
"But Mr. President... Akane is doing her best to keep at it..."
The president slams the table — shouting louder.
"You can't make money by just doing your best!! So many people were dying to get this gig, but we chose her! So she at least has to leave a mark now!!"
The Manager nods — leaving, Akane was just beside the door who was listening.
"I'm sorry, manager." Akane said in a whisper, frowning.
The manager was caught off guard — then turned to Akane.
"I'm sorry, did you hear that?" in a soft tone.
"You've been doing your all Akane, so don't worry about it. I'll protect you at all costs."
The Manager — walking away.
Akane broke down in tears.
"I'm... Just good for nothing..."
She wipes her tears — sobbing heavily.
"I have to do my best." looking down on her small notebook.
"I have to.... Leave a mark."
(Written on the paper: People are looking for something more radical these days.)
Meanwhile — at a dark, and mysterious room.
Hikaru's voice echo through the room, talking to a person.
"I'm leaving the rest up to you, Kuroha."