~'¶\ Broken Lies \¶'~(Ai Hoshino X OC)

Chapter 7: Children

-Ai's residence-

"WHAT?!!!! He was aware that you were Ai?" President Saitou found it hard to believe. He had always advised her to keep her identity a secret, but it seemed she had only managed to do so for a few hours.

"I took no action. He recognized me right away," Ai replied with a sly smile, clearly amused by the situation.

As Ai explained that their neighbor was aware of her identity, Aqua and Ruby were seated on the couch, wide-eyed and confused. They had gone to bed early the previous evening and were completely unaware of the events that had unfolded.

They exchanged worried glances as the reality of the situation sank in. "What if he finds out about us?" Ruby thought anxiously. "Aqua, what are we going to do? If he finds out about us, Mom's toast!" she muttered.

Aqua took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "We can't do anything; we need to let Ai solve this problem," he replied, his voice steady despite his own concerns.

But then they heard Ai say, "How about I go tell him about Aqua and Ruby? There's no point in hiding them from him anymore. He's going to know sooner or later. Besides, he's nice. I doubt he will expose things about us." She assured them with confidence.

"Look, he even made me dinner last night! It was delicious," Ai added with a smile, holding up the Tupperware Kai had given her.

The president and the twins were astounded by Ai's optimism. Her cheerful attitude exceeded their expectations, leaving Saitou with little choice but to trust her judgment.

"Huhhh... I'll leave things in your hands," he finally said with a resigned sigh. "Do everything it takes to keep him from telling anyone—even bribing him if necessary." With that, President Saitou made his exit, leaving Ai and the twins alone in the living room.

"Bye, President Saitou!" shouted Ai cheerfully, only to be corrected by the president as he walked away. "It's Saitou, you damn idol!"

Once the door closed behind him, Ai turned to Aqua and Ruby, lifting them both into her arms. "How about we meet Kai right now?" she suggested enthusiastically as she headed toward her room to change her clothes.

"This is better than laying low forever," Aqua reasoned, glancing at Ruby, who nodded in agreement.
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"Hello... is anyone home?" Ai knocked on Kai's door but received no response. She had brought Aqua and Ruby along with her, as well as the Tupperware filled with food.

"Hmm... maybe he went out?" she reasoned, glancing at the door. With a gentle push, she tried the handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. "Perhaps he forgot about it?"

As they stepped inside, a strange noise caught her attention. It sounded like someone was fighting. "What’s going on?" Ai thought to herself as she entered the flat, her curiosity piqued.

They soon stumbled upon a small machine-like room adorned with a logo: Capsule Corporation. This discovery only heightened their intrigue. Just then, they heard a voice say, "Maybe I should take a break. Man, I'm starving!"

The door swung open, revealing Kai, who was covered in sweat and wearing only a sleeveless compact black shirt. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Ai and the twins standing there. Ai's eyes widened too as she took in his appearance, feeling utterly embarrassed at the unexpected sight.

The atmosphere grew tense and silent for a brief moment as they all processed the situation.

When Ai finally mustered the courage to speak, Kai quickly cut her off. "How about you sit down in my living room first?" he suggested, trying to regain some composure as he ushered them toward the comfy couch.As they settled in, he excused himself to go back to his room. He quickly grabbed his jacket and put it on before returning to join them in the living room.