sweetdevil | 73rd ♫ | the one and only idol for you

AI HOSHINO ★ BIRTHDAY CMO

Ai Hoshino from Oshi no Ko

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[ Ai hadn't expected to wake up here – or, well, anywhere after what'd happened to her. At first, she'd thought that this place might have been a dream she was due to wake up from at any time. After that, she'd suspected maybe it was some sort of... afterlife. After all, if she was here, then what did it mean for everybody else?

But the more time that had gone by and the more settled she'd become, the what began to matter less than the plain fact of the matter. She was here and she didn't really have a choice but to deal with it. It's been a little tough settling in, but she's had help along the way and...

Maybe it's selfish to enjoy herself here when she's left Ruby and Aqua behind. But if she really has no choice but to eventually go back to that horrible, ugly final moment eventually... maybe it's okay to be a little selfish just for now. ]

Ichiro...! [ Huff, puff. She'd been running just fashionably late enough that she'd had to pick up the pace on the way over. In her defence, she'd had to make sure she was dressed up cute today. She slows a little once she spots him – and comes to a halt altogether when she realizes just how much stuff is on the picnic blanket. ] I– h–hold on a second... why is there so much here?

Well...

[ He laughs sheepishly, rubbing at the side of his neck. That's the million yen question, isn't it? With a grin, he looks up at her. If he's a little pink in the cheeks, that's because he's embarrassed, and definitely not because she's especially cute today. ]

I couldn't decide what I wanted to make, so I decided not to decide.

[ There's one thing he's keeping a secret, though. What's a birthday without a cake, right? ]

It's not too much, right? I guess we'll have leftovers either way.

I mean, we'll definitely eat all of it eventually [ and by 'we' she means 'I' because Ichiro should know by now that Ai Hoshino would only ever leave leftovers on pain of death ] but– this is still way too much!

[ She sounds sort of pleased and caught off guard rather than disapproving, though. This is the sort of thing she'd expect a fan to throw themselves into and make – the whole point of being an idol is to stir up their feelings to that kind of fever pitch. But she hasn't been doing any of that to Ichiro... or, uh, as far as she knows, anyway.

She tentatively sits herself down at the picnic blanket, still blinking like a deer in headlights. ]

Did you seriously make all this yourself?

Yeah.

[ He grins. So maybe he goes overboard sometimes. Ichiro's the kind of guy who likes taking care of people. A little kindness can go a long way, after all. ]

If you're worried that it was too much of a burden or whatever, I don't see it that way. I like cooking. And if my brothers' opinions are anything to go by, I'm really good at it.

Honestly, more than anything, I was worried about where you even got all this food in the first place... like, you're not going to be living off cup ramen and riceballs for the rest of the month, are you?

[ She's trying to make it into more of a joke, like if she can disarm some of the sincerity that comes with a big gesture like this than she can accept it a little more comfortably – but with Ichiro smiling at her like that, she feels weirdly thrown off her game. ]

Well... since you're the chef, where do you recommend I start first?

[ At first, he's caught off guard. Ichiro's not used to people taking care of him. It's something he's just gotten used to, and it doesn't bother him. Making sure those he loves and cares about -- that's more than enough for him.

He rubs at the back of his neck. Ichiro's too transparent to hide his embarrassment. A couple of moments later, he gives her a smile, bright and genuine. ]

Nah, don't worry. I've kind of got a reputation for being the guy who'll lend a hand to anyone, so...

[ ... Anyway! ]

Heh, pretty much anywhere? But how about the miso-stewed mackerel. I don't make it as well as someone I knew a long time ago, but it's pretty good.

When you say it like that, it sounds like you're the neighbourhood stray and everyone takes it in turns feeding you...

[ Which is not, strictly speaking, dissimilar to Ai's current mode of operation. Every time people find out about the contents of her fridge, they start cooking for her for some reason. ]

Alright then, mackeral aaand... [ She scoops up some chopsticks and hovers them around a little. She's not just going to start with one dish when she's got this whole feast in front of her. ] What else, what else?

[ He laughs, ducking his head slightly. It's not exactly incorrect. He's glad for it, though. Keeps him centered and in a routine. ]

Let's see... the pickled vegetables, the yakitori, aaaaand... the ginger pork.

Hmm, I'll take the chef's pick then! [ She grabs a few more things, transferring them a little clumsily to her plate with her chopsticks, then gives him a little grin before digging in. Maybe it's rude to start eating without him, but she's starved and this all looks so good, she can't make herself wait. ] Thanks for the food!

[ As he'd recommended, she pops the mackerel into her mouth first and...

Well, she's polite enough not to talk with her mouth full, but going by the way her whole face just lit up, it's safe to say she approves. ]

[ She doesn't have to worry about being rude, at least. Ichiro's digging in, too, taking a bit of the mackerel and fried rice. ]

So it's Ai approved, huh?

[ It's not like Ichiro is the kind of guy who's down all the time. The opposite: He's an optimist, and maybe too idealistic--

(Ideals can only be realized through power. This holds no meaning to family matters.)

--but he's seen the worst of humanity and what people will do to get what they want. If he didn't keep his head up, he'd have collapsed under the weight of it all long ago. ]

Keep liking my food, and I'm gonna have to cook for you more often.

Absolutely! If you ever get famous, feel free to market yourself as approved by Ai of B-Komachi. Ah, but make sure you go through Strawberry Productions first. People get pretty nasty about image rights.

[ She says that quite casually, piling more food onto her plate as she goes, but the angle of the grin on her face makes it clear she's joking with him – and the sparkle in her eyes when she glances up to meet his gaze makes it clear she thinks he's joking with her. ]

Heehee, is that a threat? If you're not careful, I'll be putting orders in with you every day.

73rd ♫ | the one and only idol for you

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