Chapter 139: “The Pieces Begin to Assemble”.

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"I'm back…" said Ai-chan as she walked through the door.

"Oh! Welcome back, little star…" said Yamai with a gentle tone.

Sniff

"Oh! Is there curry for dinner?!" Ai asked with sparkling eyes.

"That's right, darling. Take a bath; the tub is ready, and your clothes are on the washing machine."

"Okay∼" Ai replied obediently as she ran toward the bathroom.

As Ai bathed, Yamai hummed happily while setting the table. From time to time, she rubbed her belly with a contented smile.

rub

Ai carelessly rubbed her hair with the towel she'd taken from the bathroom. Then, she sat at the table, setting the towel aside, about to start eating.

"Hm?"

As her mischievous hands were about to reach the chopsticks, she felt a dangerous gaze. She shivered, looking at Yamai a little embarrassed. Without needing to be told, she took the towel back to the bathroom and greeted before eating like a good girl. Yamai nodded and started eating too.

Her chopsticks quickly went to a small dish filled with cherry tomatoes. She had a particular taste for these tiny delights. If you looked closely, you'd notice that most of the dishes were made with fresh vegetables.

While eating, Ai asked, "Isn't Tadano-nii coming today?" She put a bit of rice in her mouth.

"Sigh Your older brother Tadano has to go home and take care of his family today. You know how those girls get," Yamai said, a little sad that she couldn't snuggle in the arms of her beloved tonight.

"Haha… they're a bit intense," Ai responded, a cold sweat forming on her forehead as she remembered her first encounter with that pair. Poor Ai was bombarded with questions, and not only that, Tadano-nii's sister clung to her and wouldn't let go. Ai couldn't escape at all; she was way stronger than she looked. If it weren't for her big brother, she feared she might never have escaped that house, though her big brother's mom seemed kind.

"By the way, how did it go at the Akihabara concert?" Yamai asked, snapping Ai out of her thoughts.

Ai lit up as she remembered her concert in Akihabara.

"It was amazing! Really incredible! So many people cheered for me, and I even saw lots of people with my merch. It really makes me feel proud," Ai said excitedly, waving her little arms up and down.

Yamai smiled, seeing how thrilled Ai was. She felt a bit guilty for not being able to go with her, but Tadano didn't let her get involved. Instead, he sent two clones to protect Ai at all times. However, Yamai still kept tabs on everything.

Ai-chan's merchandise sales had started almost a month ago, and now a small shop was opening in Akihabara. Tadano and Ichigo pulled some strings and got permission to hold a small concert outside the shop. This would just be a couple of songs, with the main concert held at a theater in Akihabara.

The small concert went smoothly, and the merch sold out before Ai even arrived. She was delighted when she found out.

The second concert, however, was a bit more complicated. It was important, as it was the launch of a new novel by Tadano, To Aru Majutsu no Index. With the help of Fujikawa Shoten and the commands of Editor-in-Chief Reika, thousands of copies of the first volume were prepared, along with a short animated PV for the novel, entirely created by Tadano.

Yamai still remembered how amazed she was to see such a professional PV made by just one person. This wasn't a joke—those few minutes could have cost hundreds of thousands if ordered from a company, and here was her beloved, pulling it out of his sleeve like Doraemon.

Ai-chan was also very surprised, watching it hundreds of times on her phone before the concert. Not to mention how excited she felt hearing the theme song she would sing for the first time.

"Only my Railgun can shoot it…" Ai hummed, the catchy lyrics still in her head.

"I see you liked it a lot…" Yamai teased, putting some veggies on Ai's plate.

"Yes! That song is so cool! Look! Look!" Ai said before pulling out her phone to show her the views the live version had on the official YouTube channel.

Yamai had already seen it while cooking, but it was still very impressive. In just a few hours, the video had hit a million views, and the number kept rising.

"Hehe, your big brother's advertising feedback plan is clearly a success to help you hit those numbers so quickly…" Yamai praised.

"Yep, so many people are watching, and all I see are positive comments… plus, all the copies sold out," Ai said, very happy and excited. Helping her big brother sell his works and make his songs popular made her feel a sense of accomplishment.

"Oh! I heard you even signed some books for a few lucky fans…" Yamai teased.

Ai blushed, a little embarrassed. Although she'd already gotten used to shaking hands and greeting the public, giving signatures just because of her role in something that wasn't her job, especially, made her feel a bit shy.

"B-But Auntie Reika s-said it'd be great publicity!" Ai defended herself, still a little flustered.

Yamai gave a sly smile, and Ai responded with a pout.

Dinner continued with chats and jokes in a good atmosphere.

Meanwhile, with Tadano…

"Onii-chan! I want a volume signed by Ai-chan! I want a volume signed by Ai-chan!!!" Hitomi complained with a spoiled tone.

"You! Little rascal, you haven't even raised your grades, and you expect this father to give you something, huh? Do you think things are free in life?" Tadano grumbled.

"Onii-chan! Give me a volume signed by Ai-chan!!!" Hitomi complained, completely ignoring Tadano's words.

"Ah! For crying out loud! You're already a big girl; when are you going to grow up?" Tadano complained as he tried to pull Hitomi off his leg, to which she clung like a koala, refusing to let go.

"Give me a volume signed by Ai-chan, and I'll think about it! No, better make it two!" she demanded after a moment of thought.

Tadano was left speechless at his little sister's shamelessness.

"Alright, alright! Let go of my leg, or I won't be able to make dinner, darn it!" Tadano grumbled.

When Hitomi heard Tadano's agreement, she let go and, as if nothing had happened, sat in the living room and watched Ai-chan's concert broadcast on TV.

Meanwhile, his mother was drawing something on a graphics tablet. If you looked closely, you'd notice the drawing style was very similar to that of the Nakano sisters' keychains. Tadano was very happy about this. He had discovered a hidden talent in his mother.

This drawing style was incredible, and one would have to ask why Vtubers become so viral. The answer is community.

In his previous life, artists and animators were one of the main reasons people followed Vtubers. The small clips, drawings, and animations always went viral and attracted people's attention.

With this in mind, Tadano found in his mother a gem to boost his Hololive Initiative. His mother had a drawing style similar to a certain artist in his previous life, @hana87z, known for her unique style and little animations with clips of Hololive Vtubers.

So, Tadano decided to create an account for his mother and start sharing the drawings he requested about the Nakano sisters. Over time, this would begin to draw attention.

"Really, thank you for your help, Mom…" Tadano said.

"Hehe, no problem, sweetheart… if Mom can help, then just tell me, and she'll do her best to help you∼" she said gently.

Tadano smiled before asking what she wanted to eat tonight.

In the Komi household…

Open

"Shouko, darling, dinner's ready… Oh." Shuuko spoke in her usual cheerful tone before pausing for a moment upon seeing her daughter.

Shouko was surprised by her mother's sudden entrance, and as she was about to reply, she saw what was on her bed. With great embarrassment and a face as red as a tomato, she quickly took it and hid it under her bed.

Seeing her daughter's reaction, a sly smile formed on Shuuko's lips. From under her yellow shirt, she pulled out a card.

With a playful look and a teasing tone, she said, "You know, that's a bit outdated if you want to charm that boy, but I think you can find something more 'charming' if you go to this address. It's run by one of Mom's friends, and she always has good things… Now wash your hands and come down for dinner." Shuuko placed the card on the bed, along with a small envelope containing a credit card.

"I wonder where your father's credit card went? If you find it, don't tell anyone the password is your birthday, okay? We need to be wary of scammers…" she said with a serious tone, but her playful eyes and sly smile revealed her true intentions.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she went downstairs, taking some of Shouko's dirty clothes with her.

Shouko was stunned throughout the entire process, but after thinking about it, she saved the card and envelope. Then she pulled out the white lingerie set she had hidden under the bed.

She'd borrowed it from Agari. Although it wasn't bad, if you looked closely, you'd notice it was very simple. Given Agari's personality, it was to be expected. Plus, Shouko didn't know if it would even fit her. She only asked because she felt Agari was the only one she could ask for this favor.

When she tried asking Yamai, she felt a very bad premonition, and she was too shy to ask Kaede or Nene. So, Agari, with her calmer personality, was the best choice.

After packing both items in her bag and hiding the white lingerie, Shouko went to wash her hands for dinner.

While the family ate, Shuuko spoke up.

"Oh! By the way, sweetheart, your Aunt Ryouko and your cousin Akira will be staying with us for a while, so I'll ask you to sleep with her for a while, okay?" Shuuko said calmly as she ate a piece of fried tofu.

Masayoshi frowned and looked at his wife, to which Shuuko nodded. Masayoshi's expression grew somber for a moment as he gripped his chopsticks, but then he let out a sigh and said, "Please be kind to them."

Both children were surprised at how serious their father spoke, but they nodded.

"Mah∼ Mah∼ think of it as an opportunity for you to have fun together. The school festival is starting soon, right? Why not invite your cousin, and both of you can spend time together," Shuuko said in a cheerful tone, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere that had settled over their table.

Shouko nodded.

...

Author's note: "Fufufu... Little by little, all the pieces are falling into place. What could have happened between Aunt Ryouko and her husband… hehe, it's better for you to wait and find out. That said, remember to drink lots of water, and that I love you all. Sincerely, your favorite depressive author."

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