I Adore You
a few weeks have passed since Quartet Night entered Saotome Academy.
Though Ai is somehow having 'fun', he still wishes to be with Lily all the time.
At school..
"Ai-Ai~! Come on let's practice! ^0^~!" Reiji approached Ai
and pulled Ai's arms, dragging him along with him.
"Reiji, what can I do for Lily?" Ai asked Reiji with a
curious face while being dragged by Reiji.
"Eh..? What do you mean?" Reiji stopped dragging
Ai along and wondered.
"I mean, what can I do for her? Cause I'm right here,
having fun with everyone. But she's all alone at home."
Ai asked for Reiji's suggestion again.
"Hmm.. I get your point there, Ai-Ai. Hmm let me think..
Why not ask her out? Like you know hang out :D
Have fun~ something like that ^.^~"
Reiji suggested.
"Ask her out? How?"
Ai wondered.
"Err uhm.. ask her.. 'Lily-chan~ do you want to
hang out with me?' then go to the park or somewhere fun!~"
Reiji said.
"Ask her and go to somewhere fun... Okay, I got it.
Thank you Reiji." Ai nodded and thanked Reiji.
"Err you're welcome Ai-Ai~!" Reiji replied as
Ai turned back and walked away.
"Are you sure about that, Kotobuki? Mikaze might
develop feelings of love for her."
Camus said with a serious face.
"Ehh? No way, Ai-Ai knows the rules. He just wants
to make her happy since she's always been with him.
And besides.. so what if he falls for her? It can be
kept as a secret, right? ;)"
Reiji said in a naughty expression.
"REIJI!!! You will get us in trouble, you little bastard!"
Ranmaru raged and scolded Reiji, he strangled him
in a playful, joking manner.
"Uwaaa~! Camus-chan help me Ran-ran's killing me! ;A;"
Reiji begged for help while being strangled by Ranmaru.
"Sigh. Let's just hope for the best."
Camus sighed and said.
Ai went home after getting Reiji's suggestion.
Lily welcomed him home as she assisted in
putting his bag away. When she was about
to take his bag from him, Ai held her hand again
and stopped her from moving.
"A-Ai-kun?" Lily looked into Ai's eyes and
wondered why. Though she is starting
to get used with Ai holding her hand.
"Lily, do you want to hang out with me today?"
Ai asked her but still, like usual, expressionless.
"Hang out..? Where? Why?" Lily asked.
"Do you not want to? Do I need a reason to be
with Lily? We can go anywhere you want to have fun..
But for me, anywhere with Lily is fun."
Ai said as his expression went into "sad mode".
"H-Hey don't look so sad, it's not like that, of course I
want to and no, you don't need a reason. I also want
to be with Ai-kun after all... so if you want to go with me,
it's okay with Lily." Lily tried to change his mood and
finally accepted his offer.
"Really? Then let's go! I don't know but.. I think I
am happy to hear that."
Ai said as he smiled and dragged Lily outside.
"W-Wait Ai-kun! I'm not prepared.. my face,
my hair, my clothes, everything's a mess!
You're an idol now so I should atleast
dress up.." Lily said and stopped Ai from walking.
"What do you mean? I don't see a mess at all." Ai
placed his hands on Lily's cheeks as he faced her.
"It's okay, Lily. Everything is okay. You are perfect.
Shall we go now? I want to be with Lily."
Ai said and smiled.
"O-Okay.. thank you Ai-kun.." Lily thanked Ai
and started to walk with him. "(That's not true.. Ai-kun..)"
The two of them walked around the streets,
it was evening and the city lights were pretty.
They were having so much fun.
"Lily! Look at that!....thing..? That's a.. cat.. right..?"
Ai pointed to a cat and asked Lily to be sure.
"Yes it is, Ai-kun. It's very cute, isn't it?" Lily knelt
down with one knee and stroked the cat as it was being
sweet to Lily. "There, there, lovely kitty."
"C-Cute.. Y-Yeah it is. I've studied and learned about
cats.. but it's my first time to see one up close.. But
aren't cats supposed to be shy and somehow aggressive..?
this one is so close to humans......" Ai explained with
a very curious and wondering expression.
"Like humans, not all cats are alike. There are some
who are different and are close to humans. Come on,
you can touch her." Lily smiled at Ai and asked him
to touch the cat.
"Will it bite me? I know cats bite sometimes.."
Ai asked with a worried expression.
"No it won't. It's a very good kitty."
Lily laughed softly.
"...Okay..." Ai gulped and hesitatingly
reached out his arm to the kitty. "So warm.."
Ai muttered.
"See? She's very sweet, isn't she?"
Lily said in a cheerful tone.
"Yes." Ai nodded. "Lily, do you like cats?
You seem very fond of them." he asked.
"E-Eh? Yes, I like cats. Well not just cats..
I'm very fond of animals. They're adorable."
Lily answered Ai's question.
"Really? What about me? Am I not adorable to you?"
Ai asked Lily straightly with a serious expression.
"EH?!" Lily was surprised by his sudden question,
she looked away to hide her blushing face.
"No.. the truth is, I've always thought that Ai-kun
is very adorable. You're adorable to me.. I adore you."
Lily pouted while looking away & admitted her thoughts.
"R-Really....?" Ai was surprised too with her answer,
his eyes widened and his mouth were hanging a little.
The cat just sat in the middle of the two.
Both were just paused at the moment,
they were somehow shy and embarrassed for a moment.
But then Ai's surprised expression suddenly turned
into a warm smile.
Ai knelt down with one knee as well, and gently reached
his arm out to Lily's chin. He made her face him and he
saw her cute, blushing face. Causing him to smile even more.
"Thank you, Lily." Ai thanked her with a warm smile
and a very loving expression on his face.
"You're welcome.. Ai-kun.." Lily's embarrassed,
blushing face turned into a loving expression when
she faced Ai.
"Meow~! :3" The cat meowed and caused the
two to suddenly turn their attention to it.
"I forgot about her..." Ai said.
"......We did.." Lily added.
"Can we keep her? It doesn't seem like
someone already owns her. Please? Pleasee?"
Ai asked and begged in a cute manner.
"I want to.. but I can't decide for that. The
professor may not agree to this.." Lily said.
"The professor? But.. Lily really adores cats..
specially this one.. because of that, I adore
this cat too. So I want to keep it.." Ai said
as he gently picked up the cat.
"But we can't just take it home right away
without the professor's permission.."
Lily said.
While talking about the cat & the professor,
A few fans of Quartet Night/Ai saw the two
and started to fan girl over Ai.
"Kyaaa! You're Mikaze Ai-chan from
Quartet Night aren't you?! Waa! Kakkoi!~"
One of the fan girls asked him and squealed..
"Ah yes.. I am Ai." Ai said in a calm tone.
"OMG~! You look so adorable specially
while holding that cute kitty!! moeee!"
The other fan girl complimented Ai.
"Thank you.." Ai thanked them calmly.
"Hey, hey, can we take a picture with you?!"
the fan girls asked him.
Ai looked at Lily as if asking if he should.
Lily nodded as a respond and Ai faced
his fans and said "Sure."
His fans started to gather around him
Lily was just standing near Ai, and one
of the fans accidentally pushed her
and caused her to fall down by accident.
"Oh I'm so sorry!!" The fan who pushed
her apologized for being careless.
"Lily!!" Ai assisted her immediately and
help her stood up. "Are you alright? Did
it hit your head? Does it hurt?"
Ai checked and made sure if Lily was alright.
"I'm okay, Ai-kun. Don't worry!" Lily smiled
and looked at the fan who pushed her.
"It's okay it's just an accident" she smiled
at Ai's fan.
"Ah yokatta~! Wait, are you Ai-chan's girlfriend?"
The fan asked.
"I'm just Ai-kun's friend.. We're just really
very close to each other." Lily explained.
"Lily is an important person to me. Please
be careful with her.." Ai requested to his
fans to be careful.
"O-okay.. We're sorry again, Ai-chan!"
His fans apologized once again and left the two.
Ai sighed as his fans left "(It's nice to have fans
but I hope not all of them are troublesome..)
then faced Lily. "Do you want to go home now?
I'm sure you're tired.. and about this cat.."
Ai knelt down again, he picked up the cat stroked it,
"We can find her again once we've asked
permission from the professor, right?" Ai said.
Lily smiled and answered, "Yeah. Let's go home?"
Lily asked him as she walked up to him and
also stroked the cat.
"Okay :)" Ai nodded and smiled. He gently
put down the kawaii neko. "I hope to see
you again, kitty." Ai said to the cat.
"Meow~ :3" The cat meowed as if it was responding..
"Bye-bye kitty-chan" Lily waved good bye to the cat.
The two of them took a taxi to go home.
Lily fell asleep and Ai made her lean
on his shoulders. By the time they
reached the house, Ai paid the taxi
and carried Lily to her room for he did not
want Lily to wake up because he knew she was tired today.
Ai saw the professor the moment he came out of Lily's room.
"Professor.." Ai muttered as he slowly closed the door.
"Aine, how are you?" The professor asked Ai.
"(I am Ai..) I'm doing very well.." Ai answered.
"That's very good to hear. How do you feel?"
The professor kept on asking Ai.
"I don't feel at all. But I do believe I have my
own thinking. That's enough to make me
think I have 'feelings'.. It's complicated but
I do hope you understand what I mean.."
Ai explained to the professor.
"That's a good way of thinking, Aine.
Very good. Keep it up. And specially
in your career in music." The professor said.
"Thank you, professor, I will." Ai thanked him.
"By the way professor.. do you mind if we
keep a pet? Just one cat..?" Ai asked.
"A cat? Hmm.. You want a cat?"
The professor asked.
"Uh not just me.. Lily too." Ai said.
"Emily? I see. She's a very obedient
worker. I guess it won't hurt to reward
her with this request. Since she doesn't
ask for anything at all. Okay, I allow you
to keep one. Just make sure to look
after it and don't let it mess around."
The professor thought about it for a while
and finally granted permission.
"R-Really? Thank you so much professor!"
Ai thanked him with a cheerful expression.
"Uh it's nothing." The professor responded
as Ai walked into his room. "That's it,
keep that up. You're finally showing
expressions." The professor said to himself.
Chapter 7
I Adore You