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

Chapter 18: Fated Day / Part 1

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I thought if I became an idol, I'd be able to love my fans.

I wanted to say "I love you" and have it come from the bottom of my heart, so I said the lie "I love you" all over the place.

I thought that if I became a mother, I'd be able to love my children.

But I have not yet once told my children I love them,

If I were to utter those words and realize I was in fact lying...

The thought of it scares me.

That's why today I will once again lie... believing the lies will become the truth.

Even if I end up paying for it one day...

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It was 6:00 a.m., and Ai and Aqua had just woken up from their slumber, leaving a sleeping Ruby on the bed. Ai was typing on her social media about her excitement for the dome concert when a ringing bell diverted their attention.

"Could that be the president and co.?" Ai questioned as she walked to the front door.

"Coming!" Ai called back.

As Ai opened the door, she was met not with the president or his associates, but with an unknown man standing before her. He held a bouquet of flowers, his face obscured by a hood. Ai initially thought it was Kai until the man spoke.

"Congrats on your dome concert. How are your twins?"

Ai's eyes widened in shock. This person was not Kai, but more importantly, how did he know about her children?

Her mind raced back to the day she became a mother—the day Aqua and Ruby were born. Memories flooded her: celebrating their first birthday, bathing Aqua, taking pictures on New Year's Eve, their school performances, and pointing at an evening star with them by her side. Those moments were precious and unforgettable.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The man had dropped the bouquet, revealing a knife in his right hand, which he used to stab her.

Blood spewed from Ai's mouth as she struggled to process what had just happened. It all happened in a flash.

Aqua, who was opening the door, froze at the horrifying scene unfolding before him. Panic surged through him.

Ai stumbled slightly, using her right hand to stop the bleeding while gripping the wall with her other arm, slowly sinking to the ground. Blood dripped from her wound, staining her clothes and the floor.

"Ai!!" Aqua rushed to his mother, fear etched across his face.

"Does that hurt?! I was hurt worse! It was incredibly painful! You went and had kids even though you're an idol!" shouted the man, his voice filled with rage.

"Ai! Ai!" Aqua cried out again as he tried to help her stand.

"You fan-betraying slut. You treated us fans like we didn't exist! I bet you mocked us behind our backs! You damn liar! You lured us in with your constant 'I love you! I love you!' crap! IT WAS ALL LIES!"

Aqua looked terrified at the man’s words. Ai shielded him with her hand as she spoke softly to the assailant.

"I've been irresponsible from the start... I'm not pure, and I'm dishonest and dirty." Her eyes were half-open as she spoke between labored breaths.