Promise to Sirius (An Utapri / Uta no Prince-sama Fanfiction)

Chapter 16: Dandelion

Ai Mikaze

Ai recalled a time when he was confronted and mocked by his own student. It was 8 months before Natsuki and Syo were assigned to him. Shining had tried to assign Ai students who aspired to be idols, hoping that Ai would learn from the experience of working together with people around his age. The professor who had created Ai had also thought that it was a good idea and Ai had no choice but to comply although he would have rather used the time to conduct his extensive research and play computer games. However, one by one, each and every student dropped out, all of them incompetent and incompatible with Ai, either too stressed or too unmotivated to keep up with Ai's tight schedule. His last student before Natsuki and Syo came was a boy named Gin Hikaru. He was passionate about pop and R&B and had quite the stamina and singing and dancing skills. However, his fundamental problem was his arrogance. He thought that talent was all that was required to be the best idol that he could be and often protested against the schedules and assignments that Ai gave, devoid of even the basic level of discipline. And this was precisely the type of person that Ai did not have the patience to work with.

Within 5 days, Ai decided to quit being Gin's mentor and told him directly when he came for his lesson in a secluded café. However, Gin scoffed at him and sneered.

"Finally you choose to drop me. I've been waitin' for you to give up. Not like anyone would wanna be your student anyway."

Ai narrowed his eyes slightly. "... excuse me?"

"You think I came here not knowing what I was in for?" Gin questioned with a sarcastic laugh. "My pals who were taught by you told me all that there is to know. You give ridiculous schedules; you make them work like animals; you give them insane punishments for the smallest of errors." He scoffed haughtily. "You think I came to be taught by someone like you? I just wanted to see how much truth their words held and wow, they were not exaggerating when they said that you were the absolute worst!"

"If you resent me that much," Ai stated bluntly, staring blankly at Gin, "then leave."

"They're all so right."

Gin laughed and pointed straight at Ai's chest, jeering.

"You have no heart."

Before Ai could speak, Ranmaru, who had come to intervene in case the situation ended up problematic and overheard everything, threatened that he would shove his fist against Gin's face if he did not leave. And with Ai placing an arm in front of Ranmaru, Gin laughed and taunted Ai with a mocking "Bye, teacher", before walking away, the sneer remaining on his face. However, Ai knew that he was not wrong about him not having a heart. A heart capable of producing human emotions; an actual, beating heart. Although Gin was referring to Ai's lack of display of emotions rather than his capabilities of having emotions; none of Ai's former students found out that he was a robot with the appearance of a human being. While Ai knew that most of Gin's words were untrue - he was simply doing his job - his last words, the ones that stated that he had no heart - stuck with him even after he met Natsuki, Syo and the rest of Starish, even after Natsuki and Reiji changed him. And he definitely could not forget those words as Gin and 3 other boys sauntered towards him, Natsuki and Reiji in the park, his former student's eyes filled with sheer scorn.

Not now.

Natsuki and Reiji turned to Ai with deep concern in their eyes and Ai knew that they had already been affected and that they would only be hurt even more when Gin opened his mouth.

I don't want to ruin... their bright day.

"Oh hey, teacher." Gin sneered, the arrogance in his voice unchanged. "How's it been ever since you gave up on me?"