Sort of. When I was at my acting classes, it was one of the plays they had us read.
[ Which is strange, when she thinks about it - Lalalie was a Japanese theater company. But they'd also been a dirt broke one at the time, too. Maybe they were just scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever they could afford the rights to.
She'd only really skimmed it at the time, but the names had stuck in her head. For whatever reason. ]
I guess your parents knew you were gonna be an actor, huh?
[ From behind her, Miyako clears her throat. Their hands are still linked, after all - Ai only realizes a moment too late that they've been holding on for too long. It doesn't feel at all uncomfotable for her hand to be in his, but she slips it free anyway. ]
I suppose so! I guess you could say it was my destiny.
[ Said with a playful wink before he lets go of her hand as well, quickly hiding it in his pocket to hide how it's trembling.
He hates this. He hates every second of this. She's right there... she's right there... and yet he says nothing. Not like there's much he can say that doesn't sound... well, completely insane. She doesn't remember him. The Ai he knows and loves is hidden behind that thick mask of lies that she had when they first met...
Is that it, then? The woman who greedily wished for everything... for him, for her children, for her own happiness... just going to forget him, just like that? Then what even is the point? Start over...!?
...Is it his fault? Is this his curse finally catching up to him? Since becoming human, his words have become worthy of the truth... but they weren't back then. Is this the result? Was their love... just a dream? Thoughtlessly cast aside as but a single night's revelry?
Is this his punishment, then? For daring to grasp what can never be his? ]
Don't worry, it'll be easy. Just be yourself! If nothing else, I can promise to watch out for you! It's the least I can do for another actor, right?
[ ...Except it doesn't matter, does it?
That's right, it doesn't matter anymore... it never has. Whether Ai remembered him or not was only ever secondary. He promised to fulfill her wish, didn't he?
Someone is after her life. Someone is going to kill Hoshino Ai... and he can't allow that.
He has a near-endless number of reasons to be pissed... hell, he probably is under that calm expression, but that's fine. It is what it is.
[ She laughs - perfectly rehearsed, her mouth at just the right angles and her eyes crinkling just so. No catlike flash of teeth, no mischief. It's not proper for an idol, after all. ]
I appreciate it! I dunno if I can really call myself an actor yet, though. [ she wrinkles up her nose a little, self-depricating in a good natured sort of way. ] Especially not compared to someone who's been doing it their whole life!
[ And she'd though she had it rough starting in B-Komachi at twelve - this guy's been doing some kind of acting gig since the moment he could walk and talk, it seems. She can't imagine having that much passion for anything at such a tiny age.
Then again, Aqua and Ruby are both full to the brim with opinions on just about everything. So maybe she's the weirdo here. ]
I'll definitely do my best though. So don't worry about me letting you down!
[ Surround yourself in enough weirdos and eventually you yourself end up becoming the weirdo... ]
Oh, it's nothing. I just had some extra motivation from an early age, is all.
[ He wants to see it. He wants to see it so badly... her genuine smile, her catlike mischief... he wants to see Ai Hoshino so badly it hurts. Is that Ai lost to him, now? That thought hurts even more.
To think that he might've been brought here only to save her... truly, what a selfish woman for him to fall for... to think that the goalpost would be both moved and changed just as he reached it. He'll have to learn where she lives, keep tabs on her in case of any changes in events. She died just before a concert at the dome, didn't she? At least that narrows down when it will happen... ]
Oh, I know you won't. Let's just say... like recognizes like, is all.
[ His eyes peer into her, trying to see the woman he loves hidden deep within, even without his faerie eyes... but alas, even if he could see her, she still wouldn't remember him.
So with those admittedly ominous parting words, he smiles his perfect smile before turning away. ]
[ Her smile doesn't slip but it does dim a bit - tempered, maybe, now that she doesn't need to dazzle him. She endures his gaze without flinching but it's meaningless. She's not knowingly inviting him to see. And yet, there's still something there - something wry, and tired and real. The slightest gleam of Hoshino Ai peeking out from inside, like she always does.
Like recognises like, huh? Of course it does.
People who lie can smell it on each other like rot. ]
"Ai, your hair and makeup..."
Oh, right! [ She turns to Miyako. ] I have to go get all prettied up, huh? I'm coming.
[ With that, they take their leave - but Ai pauses at the door just for a second to look back at him. The cautious curiosity in her eyes is that of an animal surveying what it thinks is a trap. Somehow, it's worse than if she hadn't looked at all.
[ Oberon doesn't look back. He can't afford to, not when he knows how much it will hurt to do so. He leaves through another door, waving to one of the staff members and explaining that he needs to use the bathroom.
To his credit, that wasn't a lie. He does to go the bathroom... but only to slump against the wall in relative privacy. ]
Hah... hah...
[ He puts a hand to his forehead, clenching his fist in frustration as he does so. ]
Shit...
[ He knows what he has to do. He's going to do it, no matter what. But still... ]
[ As talk shows go, this one is entirely uneventful. In fact, it's pretty low key - Ai's used to variety spots where the energy is turned up to eleven, where everyone plays games and pranks and laughs until their sides are sore whether any of it's really funny or not. This is more low energy. It's engaging, sure, but they're just talking and that's about it. It's really just promotion for their projects and that's fine. It's just part of the grind.
The actor seems nice, too. Oberon, or something? She usually has a much harder time remembering names but this one's so unusual, it sticks in her brain.
There's a little time after the recording for everyone to mingle and wait on their rides and Ai's one of the people hanging around. Miyako, who definitely doesn't get paid enough, had the twins to take care of while Ai was busy so now she has to wait to be picked up. Like usual, nobody's bothering to try and talk to her and Ai's happy to keep to herself and wait.
But her eyes keep drifting up from her phone and, without her really realizing it, landing on that actor she'd just shared the stage with. Like recognises like, huh... ]
[ It's not like Oberon had made an effort to make the event an interesting one. He had just wanted to meet with her, that was all. The talk show itself was secondary to it all.
Her not remembering him... well, to call it a gut punch would be an understatement, but he forced his way through it anyway. It's his own fault, he's the one who set this up after all. He lacks the right to complain, at least outwardly.
If nothing else, he's resolved. He'll do whatever has to be done in order to grant Ai's wish, even now. He's deep in thought, even as he performs the bare minimum of engagement with everyone else here, smiling jovially as if nothing is wrong.
It's all controlled so perfectly... or at least, it should be. Nobody else has noticed how tired his eyes are. ]
[ Ah. Now that's a look she recognizes. How could she not when she sees it in the mirror so often? It's really not any of her business and if he's that exhausted (from just a talk show? huh) then he probably doesn't want to be pestered, especially not by her, but Ai finds herself drifting over to him anyway. It's not like either of them have anything better to do. ]
Talk shows take a lot out of you, huh? [ She flashes a weary, sympathetic smile. ] At least there's not an afterparty. Sometimes those are a little much!
[ There. It's just for a second, but something about the sympathetic slant to her smile is finally Ai Hoshino. ]
[ She's not wrong, he'd rather not be pestered at all, but this kind of thing is just a formality he's resigned himself to go through every time... but it's been a little rougher since, well...
...and speak of the devil and she will appear. Maybe it's because of how lost in thought he was, but he didn't notice her until she was right next to him, and... ]
Ah...
[ ...If only she realized how much that smile hurts him right now. That flash of the woman he loves, all in just a smile. ]
...Ahaha! Caught me, hm? Well, I wouldn't say the show was particularly tiring, but you're not wrong about afterparties.
[ She tilts her head. That curiosity in her eyes isn't quite as cautious, now. She's not quite as afraid of being bitten if she approaches anymore, it seems. ]
Really? You're looking a little worn out.
[ She keeps her voice low, just so no one else overhears. He wouldn't want her blabbing to everyone, obviously. ]
But I guess being an actor's just as exhausting as being an idol is... it's all pretty physical, huh?
[ He smiles again... or rather, he continues to smile, hiding the pained grimace his face wants to make, but he refuses to allow. ]
...Is that so? Maybe I have been pushing myself lately.
[ For most of his newfound life, actually... he's pushed himself constantly, all for her sake, before she could even speak. It's why it hurts so much to speak to her like this, and yet... he can't bring himself to walk away. ]
Oh? Being an idol is exhausting? Wow, what a surprising thing to hear from Ai herself.
[ He keeps his own voice similarly low, coupled with a wink. He wouldn't like her blabbing to everyone how tired he is, and she wouldn't like him blabbing to everyone about how exhausting being an idol is to her. Now they're even, aren't they? ]
Oh man, of course it is! Everything that goes into it takes a ton of hard work. What's that saying... I don't remember exactly, but it's something about how nothing that's worth doing is easy. But it makes it even better when you get it right.
[ Another laugh, a little warmer and a little more coy. ]
Not that I don't appreciate a little break now and then. If I couldn't catch a nice nap on my days off, I think I'd explode!
Hah... fair enough. I think I'm overdue for a few days off myself, now that you mention it...
[ He leans back against the wall, letting out a sigh. Nothing worth doing is easy, huh... well, she certainly didn't help in that regard, making a wish like this, but he can't say she's wrong. Even if he'd really like it if she was.
Still, does this count as being encouraged by her? Even though she doesn't even remember him? It's funny thing to think about. ]
...Hey, how's about one last question? Off the books, of course.
[ They've done nothing but answer questions today... what's one more, right? ]
[ There's a pause before she responds - a beat of her mulling it over, like she's trying to work out if this request is a trick question. It sounds like it should be.
But something in her heart feels oddly settled and at ease at the sight of his face. Whatever he wants to ask, she doesn't think it'll be a trick. ]
Hm. I guess it's fine.
[ And then, like the first peek of starlight as the sun sets - she grins. Catlike and mischievous, she puts a finger to her lips and winks. ]
Hah, of course. Answer however you like, or not at all. You can even lie, I won’t mind.
[ It’s still her. It’s undoubtedly her. Even though she’s not his Ai… she’s still Ai all the same. ]
Still, I wouldn’t worry, it’s a simple one. Say that you were given the opportunity to have any one wish granted, what would you wish for?
[ There’s no point to this… he knows there’s no point to asking such a question now. Hell, he doesn’t expect to get a real answer out of it either, but…
[ She stares at him in silence for a second. Her smile dims. Not in dismay, but a softening of the light. ]
... A wish, huh?
[ For some reason, the thought makes her throat go tight. It's been a long time since she felt it, but that ache of displaced nostalgia comes rushing back so suddenly that it's a little frightening. For a second, it feels like her heart is crying for her to take notice of something, that it's a risk of slipping between her fingers if she doesn't-
But then it fades. The ache lingers, softening her expression even more and even though she has a hundred and one blithe, thoughtless answers she could give...
What comes out is the truth. ]
I don't know for sure. Or I guess it's more like... there's not really any one thing I really want. But if I could have it granted... I think I'd just ask for happiness. Nothing wild or exciting - and I don't mean that I never want to be sad again. But... when I think about the thing I really want, I think a future where I'm happy with the people I care about most is it.
[ Sharp blue eyes meet hers, fully expecting something blithe like world peace or something like that. She has no reason to be honest with him, after all.
But she is. She IS honest with him… and he can’t help but smile. A real smile. It’d be nice if his real smile was a tad less on the creepy side, but… ]
Good… yes, good answer.
[ Somehow, some weight leaves his shoulders. Not completely, but… it’s definitely her. There was never any doubt, but… ]
I know it was a little strange to ask that out of the blue, but thank you for answering anyway.
[ His staged smile returns as he takes on the role of a stranger once more. ]
I hope to work with you again someday… preferably on something a little more interesting than a talk show, no?
[ The protest comes out of her in a laugh, and she folds her arms across her chest. Her smile is a little challenging and there's a familiar twinkle in her eyes. ]
Don't you think it's a little unfair to ask me that and not tell me what yours is?
[ Not that Ai should really care at all, of course. He's a stranger and the chances of them ever having a talk like this again - or talking at all, period - are pretty low.
[ It only lasts for a second, but something scrapes in her chest. Like a mismatched key trying to turn a lock it won't fit. It feels familiar - that sourceless deja vu that hasn't nipped at her heels in a while and yet here and now, she can't be rid of it.
She tells herself she's just being reminded of Hikaru - if any sort of remembrance would ache then surely, it would be that. She decides on it firmly, in the way you might settle on an alibi, and then tells herself not to dwell on it any further.
But even she knows it's probably a lie. ]
Jeez, that's kind of romantic. If the wrong person hears that, they're gonna get all sorts of ideas. That, or they're gonna want to turn it into a TV drama.
[ There's still mischief in her grin, but her eyes are gentle. ]
[ Kind of romantic... she doesn't realize how right she is, and he can't help but laugh a little at that. Imagine, their life back then as a TV drama... utterly ridiculous, but the time they spent together certainly was exactly that at times. ]
Here's to hoping, then... that our wishes are granted.
[ He notices the woman Ai came here with arrive, looking around for her with a truly exhausted expression. Their time together is at an end... for the best, really. It honestly still hurts to be with her right now, but at the same time... this ends up hurting a little more. ]
[ She turns and sure enough, there's Miyako-san. Glaring daggers at the man by her side. Yeesh. Ai can already tell just looking that she's going to get a bit of a lecture about not getting too friendly with guys on set on the way back but... for some reason, she feels like this was worth it.
She turns back just long enough to give him another of those smiles - not quite Hoshino Ai, but not the suffocating smile of an idol, either. Maybe it's the best either of them can hope for. ]
I guess I'd better go, then. It was good working with you!
[ That seems like it's going to be her final word but when she takes a few steps away, she pauses - then turns back to him once more.
This time, her gentle smile is the real thing. ]
Um... the person you're looking for... I hope you manage to find them.
[ And with that, she heads off to Miyako's side and the two of them are gone. ]
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no subject
[ Which is strange, when she thinks about it - Lalalie was a Japanese theater company. But they'd also been a dirt broke one at the time, too. Maybe they were just scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever they could afford the rights to.
She'd only really skimmed it at the time, but the names had stuck in her head. For whatever reason. ]
I guess your parents knew you were gonna be an actor, huh?
[ From behind her, Miyako clears her throat. Their hands are still linked, after all - Ai only realizes a moment too late that they've been holding on for too long. It doesn't feel at all uncomfotable for her hand to be in his, but she slips it free anyway. ]
Well... let's do our best today, yeah?
no subject
[ Said with a playful wink before he lets go of her hand as well, quickly hiding it in his pocket to hide how it's trembling.
He hates this. He hates every second of this. She's right there... she's right there... and yet he says nothing. Not like there's much he can say that doesn't sound... well, completely insane. She doesn't remember him. The Ai he knows and loves is hidden behind that thick mask of lies that she had when they first met...
Is that it, then? The woman who greedily wished for everything... for him, for her children, for her own happiness... just going to forget him, just like that? Then what even is the point? Start over...!?
...Is it his fault? Is this his curse finally catching up to him? Since becoming human, his words have become worthy of the truth... but they weren't back then. Is this the result? Was their love... just a dream? Thoughtlessly cast aside as but a single night's revelry?
Is this his punishment, then? For daring to grasp what can never be his? ]
Don't worry, it'll be easy. Just be yourself! If nothing else, I can promise to watch out for you! It's the least I can do for another actor, right?
[ ...Except it doesn't matter, does it?
That's right, it doesn't matter anymore... it never has. Whether Ai remembered him or not was only ever secondary. He promised to fulfill her wish, didn't he?
Someone is after her life. Someone is going to kill Hoshino Ai... and he can't allow that.
He has a near-endless number of reasons to be pissed... hell, he probably is under that calm expression, but that's fine. It is what it is.
She doesn't have to know. She just has to live. ]
no subject
I appreciate it! I dunno if I can really call myself an actor yet, though. [ she wrinkles up her nose a little, self-depricating in a good natured sort of way. ] Especially not compared to someone who's been doing it their whole life!
[ And she'd though she had it rough starting in B-Komachi at twelve - this guy's been doing some kind of acting gig since the moment he could walk and talk, it seems. She can't imagine having that much passion for anything at such a tiny age.
Then again, Aqua and Ruby are both full to the brim with opinions on just about everything. So maybe she's the weirdo here. ]
I'll definitely do my best though. So don't worry about me letting you down!
no subject
Oh, it's nothing. I just had some extra motivation from an early age, is all.
[ He wants to see it. He wants to see it so badly... her genuine smile, her catlike mischief... he wants to see Ai Hoshino so badly it hurts. Is that Ai lost to him, now? That thought hurts even more.
To think that he might've been brought here only to save her... truly, what a selfish woman for him to fall for... to think that the goalpost would be both moved and changed just as he reached it. He'll have to learn where she lives, keep tabs on her in case of any changes in events. She died just before a concert at the dome, didn't she? At least that narrows down when it will happen... ]
Oh, I know you won't. Let's just say... like recognizes like, is all.
[ His eyes peer into her, trying to see the woman he loves hidden deep within, even without his faerie eyes... but alas, even if he could see her, she still wouldn't remember him.
So with those admittedly ominous parting words, he smiles his perfect smile before turning away. ]
no subject
Like recognises like, huh? Of course it does.
People who lie can smell it on each other like rot. ]
"Ai, your hair and makeup..."
Oh, right! [ She turns to Miyako. ] I have to go get all prettied up, huh? I'm coming.
[ With that, they take their leave - but Ai pauses at the door just for a second to look back at him. The cautious curiosity in her eyes is that of an animal surveying what it thinks is a trap. Somehow, it's worse than if she hadn't looked at all.
Then she's gone. ]
no subject
To his credit, that wasn't a lie. He does to go the bathroom... but only to slump against the wall in relative privacy. ]
Hah... hah...
[ He puts a hand to his forehead, clenching his fist in frustration as he does so. ]
Shit...
[ He knows what he has to do. He's going to do it, no matter what. But still... ]
no subject
The actor seems nice, too. Oberon, or something? She usually has a much harder time remembering names but this one's so unusual, it sticks in her brain.
There's a little time after the recording for everyone to mingle and wait on their rides and Ai's one of the people hanging around. Miyako, who definitely doesn't get paid enough, had the twins to take care of while Ai was busy so now she has to wait to be picked up. Like usual, nobody's bothering to try and talk to her and Ai's happy to keep to herself and wait.
But her eyes keep drifting up from her phone and, without her really realizing it, landing on that actor she'd just shared the stage with. Like recognises like, huh... ]
no subject
Her not remembering him... well, to call it a gut punch would be an understatement, but he forced his way through it anyway. It's his own fault, he's the one who set this up after all. He lacks the right to complain, at least outwardly.
If nothing else, he's resolved. He'll do whatever has to be done in order to grant Ai's wish, even now. He's deep in thought, even as he performs the bare minimum of engagement with everyone else here, smiling jovially as if nothing is wrong.
It's all controlled so perfectly... or at least, it should be. Nobody else has noticed how tired his eyes are. ]
no subject
Talk shows take a lot out of you, huh? [ She flashes a weary, sympathetic smile. ] At least there's not an afterparty. Sometimes those are a little much!
[ There. It's just for a second, but something about the sympathetic slant to her smile is finally Ai Hoshino. ]
no subject
...and speak of the devil and she will appear. Maybe it's because of how lost in thought he was, but he didn't notice her until she was right next to him, and... ]
Ah...
[ ...If only she realized how much that smile hurts him right now. That flash of the woman he loves, all in just a smile. ]
...Ahaha! Caught me, hm? Well, I wouldn't say the show was particularly tiring, but you're not wrong about afterparties.
no subject
Really? You're looking a little worn out.
[ She keeps her voice low, just so no one else overhears. He wouldn't want her blabbing to everyone, obviously. ]
But I guess being an actor's just as exhausting as being an idol is... it's all pretty physical, huh?
no subject
...Is that so? Maybe I have been pushing myself lately.
[ For most of his newfound life, actually... he's pushed himself constantly, all for her sake, before she could even speak. It's why it hurts so much to speak to her like this, and yet... he can't bring himself to walk away. ]
Oh? Being an idol is exhausting? Wow, what a surprising thing to hear from Ai herself.
[ He keeps his own voice similarly low, coupled with a wink. He wouldn't like her blabbing to everyone how tired he is, and she wouldn't like him blabbing to everyone about how exhausting being an idol is to her. Now they're even, aren't they? ]
no subject
Oh man, of course it is! Everything that goes into it takes a ton of hard work. What's that saying... I don't remember exactly, but it's something about how nothing that's worth doing is easy. But it makes it even better when you get it right.
[ Another laugh, a little warmer and a little more coy. ]
Not that I don't appreciate a little break now and then. If I couldn't catch a nice nap on my days off, I think I'd explode!
no subject
Hah... fair enough. I think I'm overdue for a few days off myself, now that you mention it...
[ He leans back against the wall, letting out a sigh. Nothing worth doing is easy, huh... well, she certainly didn't help in that regard, making a wish like this, but he can't say she's wrong. Even if he'd really like it if she was.
Still, does this count as being encouraged by her? Even though she doesn't even remember him? It's funny thing to think about. ]
...Hey, how's about one last question? Off the books, of course.
[ They've done nothing but answer questions today... what's one more, right? ]
no subject
But something in her heart feels oddly settled and at ease at the sight of his face. Whatever he wants to ask, she doesn't think it'll be a trick. ]
Hm. I guess it's fine.
[ And then, like the first peek of starlight as the sun sets - she grins. Catlike and mischievous, she puts a finger to her lips and winks. ]
No promises on if I'll answer, though.
[ But somehow, she thinks she will. ]
no subject
[ It’s still her. It’s undoubtedly her. Even though she’s not his Ai… she’s still Ai all the same. ]
Still, I wouldn’t worry, it’s a simple one. Say that you were given the opportunity to have any one wish granted, what would you wish for?
[ There’s no point to this… he knows there’s no point to asking such a question now. Hell, he doesn’t expect to get a real answer out of it either, but…
He can’t help but ask anyway. ]
no subject
... A wish, huh?
[ For some reason, the thought makes her throat go tight. It's been a long time since she felt it, but that ache of displaced nostalgia comes rushing back so suddenly that it's a little frightening. For a second, it feels like her heart is crying for her to take notice of something, that it's a risk of slipping between her fingers if she doesn't-
But then it fades. The ache lingers, softening her expression even more and even though she has a hundred and one blithe, thoughtless answers she could give...
What comes out is the truth. ]
I don't know for sure. Or I guess it's more like... there's not really any one thing I really want. But if I could have it granted... I think I'd just ask for happiness. Nothing wild or exciting - and I don't mean that I never want to be sad again. But... when I think about the thing I really want, I think a future where I'm happy with the people I care about most is it.
[ She flushes suddenly and laughs, sheepish. ]
Jeez, what an I even saying...
no subject
But she is. She IS honest with him… and he can’t help but smile. A real smile. It’d be nice if his real smile was a tad less on the creepy side, but… ]
Good… yes, good answer.
[ Somehow, some weight leaves his shoulders. Not completely, but… it’s definitely her. There was never any doubt, but… ]
I know it was a little strange to ask that out of the blue, but thank you for answering anyway.
[ His staged smile returns as he takes on the role of a stranger once more. ]
I hope to work with you again someday… preferably on something a little more interesting than a talk show, no?
no subject
[ The protest comes out of her in a laugh, and she folds her arms across her chest. Her smile is a little challenging and there's a familiar twinkle in her eyes. ]
Don't you think it's a little unfair to ask me that and not tell me what yours is?
[ Not that Ai should really care at all, of course. He's a stranger and the chances of them ever having a talk like this again - or talking at all, period - are pretty low.
But for some reason, she just...
She wants to know. ]
So what would it be? Your wish?
no subject
[ That makes him pause, stopping halfway in the middle of turning away from her. He's silent for a moment... ]
...Aha, that's right! That's only fair, isn't it? My bad.
[ He's lying to her just with the way he's acting, and well... it's not like he can just tell her what his wish is right now.
That said... ]
Well... I'm looking for someone. Someone important.
[ He can at least tell her what his wish was. ]
Truth be told, they probably don't remember me... but I'd wish to find them anyway, I think.
[ ...This 'telling the truth' thing still feels weird, even after all these years of being human. ]
no subject
She tells herself she's just being reminded of Hikaru - if any sort of remembrance would ache then surely, it would be that. She decides on it firmly, in the way you might settle on an alibi, and then tells herself not to dwell on it any further.
But even she knows it's probably a lie. ]
Jeez, that's kind of romantic. If the wrong person hears that, they're gonna get all sorts of ideas. That, or they're gonna want to turn it into a TV drama.
[ There's still mischief in her grin, but her eyes are gentle. ]
I'll keep it secret.
no subject
[ Kind of romantic... she doesn't realize how right she is, and he can't help but laugh a little at that. Imagine, their life back then as a TV drama... utterly ridiculous, but the time they spent together certainly was exactly that at times. ]
Here's to hoping, then... that our wishes are granted.
[ He notices the woman Ai came here with arrive, looking around for her with a truly exhausted expression. Their time together is at an end... for the best, really. It honestly still hurts to be with her right now, but at the same time... this ends up hurting a little more. ]
Seems like your ride is here.
no subject
[ She turns and sure enough, there's Miyako-san. Glaring daggers at the man by her side. Yeesh. Ai can already tell just looking that she's going to get a bit of a lecture about not getting too friendly with guys on set on the way back but... for some reason, she feels like this was worth it.
She turns back just long enough to give him another of those smiles - not quite Hoshino Ai, but not the suffocating smile of an idol, either. Maybe it's the best either of them can hope for. ]
I guess I'd better go, then. It was good working with you!
[ That seems like it's going to be her final word but when she takes a few steps away, she pauses - then turns back to him once more.
This time, her gentle smile is the real thing. ]
Um... the person you're looking for... I hope you manage to find them.
[ And with that, she heads off to Miyako's side and the two of them are gone. ]