I live a very normal life. A wife, a mum to super active and cheeky 4 years old son, 9-5 jobs, those kind of normal life. I am not regretting my life choice nor willing to trade it with anything. Just recently I like to imagine that I live a different life - the version which I am outgoing, turn my hobby into a job, less responsibility, no worries in life, lot of energy. In my dream, I can see myself from the back enjoying a field full of yellow flowers. And I found that it is really calming. Now, whenever I am feeling down and overwhelmed I will close my eyes and enjoy the yellow flower field scenery in my head. I even have a yellow flower field photo set on my phone wallpaper. I hope I will be able to enjoy that scenery in my real life someday. And by that time I have less things to worry about.

I know it's not exactly fan art, but it's the most fitting for this kind of thing. Another fanfiction has it as its flair when it was posted here. Anyway, this is my output for the OnK fanfic train. I hope you guys enjoy! The link to the fanfiction.net page will be at the bottom.
***
With the rise of violence against celebrities also comes the rise of elements that protect against them. A rookie agent finds himself assigned to a famous idol with a promise to defend. And what was supposed to be a training assignment would eventually grow to so much more.
***
The young man grumbled as he trudged the halls of his home towards his father’s office. His hand would rake through his black hair in his face in annoyance while his two emerald eyes with four-point star-shaped irises focused forward. He already knew what was gonna happen and he wished he could refuse. He had been hoping to devote his time to honing his gaming skills with the hope of maybe one day joining a pro-E-sports team. But, because his father was an old man with a small scope of the modern world, he laughed and told him to do something real with his life. And something real meant taking over the family business one day.
Kurosawa Security Services, or simply KSS, is a Japanese family-owned security company based in Kyoto although they have offices all over the country and even abroad. KSS provides everything from security guards for convenience stores to close protection agents for top government figures. They can also provide security consultation and training. The service is rated as the best Japan has to offer with highly trained agents. KSS agents regularly train with the police and military elements like the Security Police and Special Forces Group. And in rare occasions, they would even train with the US Secret Service abroad. KSS is also the best because of the long history of the organization which dates back to the feudal era when Kurosawa Saitō picked up the sword and protected the local Daimyo from an attack. In other words, they had a long time to hone their craft.
Now, what makes a security company like KSS so big in a country where crime is almost non-existent? Isn’t Japan a safe nation? Those would be your first mistakes if you thought of them. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re on, good and evil exist everywhere. And good must be protected from evil. That’s why KSS exists.
And soon enough, the company will be in Akio’s hands when it's his father’s time to retire. That’s how the system works, despite what he thinks of it. So, now his ultimate tests will begin. His first assignment.
After walking for what seemed like hours he reached a pair of large doors. He knocked on them and was asked to come in by a voice on the other side, so he complied. Entering, he was greeted with a fairly large office for only one man. And that man was currently seated behind a desk reading through some papers.
“Hey, Dad,” He greeted as he sat down on one of the chairs before across from him.
Kurosawa Tadao put the papers down and then looked at his son before smiling. He was an aging man with black hair that was already greying and blue eyes that had four-point star-shaped irises.
“Hey, Son! How’re ‘ya doing?” He asked.
“Just fine. I was finally getting my KDR up in Black Ops and I was planning on getting my skills up in CSGO later. But, here we are,” Akio answered.
“Staying inside is not good for your body you know.”
“I planned to play basketball tomorrow and I have band with the boys this weekend.”
“It’s still unhealthy because it’s exactly anything productive. You’re 17, Son, you need to start shaping up for your career,” Tadao said.
“I’ve been shaping it up since I was five,” Akio muttered.
“And that’s why we’re here right now. Your first assignment, son! It’s the moment of truth! Aren’t you excited?” Tadao asked with a wide grin as he picked up a folder from the side.
“No, not really,” Akio answered flatly.
“Well, maybe you’ll be excited once you find out who I’m assigning you to. Spoiler alert, she’s an idol,” He said with a grin, whispering that last part as he handed him the file.
“I’m not into idols, Dad,” He said flatly as he took the file.
“Your little brother a good chunk of this company’s personnel, and hell, a good chunk of the population are though,” He commented.
“That doesn’t make sense. Everyone can have different interests. And Goro, well, I guess being tied to a hospital bed for years does that to you,” He said sadly.
“You’re one weird kid, you know.”
“Well, I was raised by the likes of you, Dad,” Akio retorted with a sly grin which made his father laugh.
“Well, you got me there,” He chuckled and promptly silenced himself to let his son read.
“Hoshino Ai? Never heard of her. Although I admit she is pretty cute,” He mumbled as read through the file with her picture on it. He took in her personal information like date of birth, age, physical appearance, and all the usual things. And then he got to a part that listed her status— “What the fuck?! She’s pregnant?!”
“Language, Akio!” Tadao scolded. “Anyway, officially, she’ll be taking a break from showbiz for a while due to ill health. Actually, she’s pregnant and they’re trying to keep it under wraps. Bad for business, because a lot of fans are a bunch of lonely losers, they’ll drop her just because she has kids.”
“Language, Dad,” Akio retorted and shook his head. “Well, teen pregnancy is bad, but it’s unfair for her to be hated for that reason.”
“Yeah, the life of a celebrity is a lot shittier than most people would think. I know, your mother was a singer, she dealt with that too when we were found out,” Tadao said with a frown before smiling a bit. “She
“Please don’t tell me about your romances, Dad,” Akio cringed. “Anyway, Hoshino-sama will be my protectee, huh?”
“Yes. She’ll be heading here with her management agency soon to settle the contract. And then you’ll be heading to the countryside where she can lay low until she gives birth. That’s the basics of it.”
“Alright. Babysit a pregnant teenager and keep her from doing anything dumb. Should be easy enough,” He said.
“Do not underestimate the dangers tied to the entertainment world, Akio,” Tadao reminded. “As I’ve said, a lot of them are a bunch of lonely losers or generally just of questionable character. Some of them will go to great lengths just for attention. Fans can get really wacky after all. It’s already happened before. Not to mention, all the snakes in the industry. Someone might want to up their game so they think about eliminating the competition. You get the point.”
“I’m very aware, Dad, don’t worry,” He assured then sighed. “Just doing this and my studies at the same time? What am I gonna do?”
“That’s rich coming from someone who was planning on just lazing around all day. Besides, you’ve been homeschooling for more than a year already, right? I’m sure you can get a read in every day without compromising your job.”
“Well, it’s not impossible, but it’s gonna suck,” He said then sighed. “Alright, I’ve got this. Not much of a choice anyway. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Remember this, you do not ever let your protectee out of your sight. Wherever she goes, you go. That being said, don’t be too overbearing, and make sure to give her room to breathe. She is a woman, she will want her space. Also, try not to set such a tight atmosphere. Try being her friend, and she’ll be easier to work with. Tomita will meet you tomorrow too to evaluate you. You’ll also be reporting to him your progress during your task.”
“Noted, Dad. In that case,” Akio stood then positioned himself directly in front of the table before bowing. “I shall see this task to the end.”
***
Idol music was not his cup of tea and Hoshino Ai was a complete stranger to him till that moment. He’d spend a whole week with the pre-preparations with one of the senior agents until it was time to meet the latest customers. Then he would meet Hoshino Ai for the first time and they’d make their first impressions of one another.
***
“Are you really sure about this?”
“We’re going to need a shield just in case. Lot’s of wackos around here. Besides, we’ve already agreed to meet.”
“It’s just, there’s a lot of shady dealings in the security world.”
“Are we any better? Besides, KSS is the best this country can offer. I also know the company head personally too, we went to high school together, and he owes me. We’ll be just fine.”
“Um, o-okay…”
“I didn’t understand any of that, but okay!”
“Never change, Ai…”
How do you keep a secret from the world? Simple: you lie. You lie a lot. But then you realize it’s not so simple and every day is spent with fear that everything might fall apart. Just trying to get anywhere was a massive undertaking. For example, right now. Two adults and a pregnant teen in a car. Aside from the teen pregnancy, there’s nothing strange at all about it. But if you knew who the car’s passengers were, then you’d immediately understand.
After a couple of hours of driving (making occasional turns to make sure they weren’t followed and consequently getting lost a couple of times) they finally reached their destination which was a large estate in the outskirts of Kyoto. A guard met them at the gate, and after the driver talked and showed some credentials, they were let in. It took another minute or two until they reached the house where a group was waiting for them. The car group got out of their vehicle with the house group greeting them shortly after. A man with short blonde hair and yellowish-brown eyes underneath some shades stepped forward and led the group.
“Ichigo-san, you’re still about as ugly as when I last saw you,” Tadao greeted with a cheeky grin as he approached.
“Tadao-san, you’re clearly the most repulsive one here. I see you still haven’t taken my advice to get your face fixed,” Ichigo greeted with a snarky expression as he also approached.
Once close enough, they locked hands for a shake before pulling each other in for a hug.
“It’s nice to see you again, friend! How’re you doin', man? No troubles getting here?” Tadao asked.
“I’m just fine. Getting here was a lot smoother than we thought. But we are exhausted,” Ichigo replied.
“I imagine. Remember that time in Second Year when we bought booze with fake IDs and we had to run for it?”
“Ha, how can I forget?! I was terrified the cops would get us!”
As the two men shared stories and laughed, everyone else present could not help but be astonished at how casual the two were being. It almost was like this wasn’t a business meeting.
“Yeah, those were the days,” Tadao laughed and turned to the other two people to address them. “Before we continue any further, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurosawa Tadao, head of Kurosawa Security Services, and I welcome you all to my home. It’s nice to meet you!”
He then stepped toward the next person. She was a rather tall woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and pinkish-brown eyes.
“And you must be Miyako, his wife, yes?” He asked.
“Yes, I am,” She said with a polite smile as they shook hands.
“You know, I’ve always wondered how someone with a face like his could get married. But here we are,” He joked earning a laugh from her.
“I sometimes wonder why I decided to marry him too,” She commented and they both laughed.
“Huh? What?” Ichigo said but was ignored.
Then, Tadao moved to the last person. She was a short girl with long violet hair with matching eyes that have stars in them. But her most distinct feature was the bulge in her abdomen showing her pregnancy. Moreover, she looked like she wasn’t even 18. This observation made his gut wrench due to feeling pity for this poor girl’s bad decision. Regardless, he put on his best smile and took her hand.
“And you must be Hoshino Ai,” He greeted. “I’ve heard all about you, but since I’m the stereotypical old man, I’m not into your music. Regardless of that, and after listening to a couple of songs, I think you’re doing some very great work in your field.”
Her lips curved into a smile that cured souls as her eyes seemed to shimmer. Tadao kept himself from reacting, but at that moment he knew why she was so popular.
“Thank you so much, Tadao-san! You know, I don’t think I’m that popular to begin with but I’m always so happy to hear that someone like what I do!” She said happily.
He chuckled a bit. “I used to be in a band in middle school and high school, so I still try to stay up to date with the latest musical trends these days. Although, I still don’t know much. I mostly get my info on that from my own agents.”
He glanced to the side followed by Ai shortly after to see three younger agents standing stiffly as they tried to ignore them. They knew exactly who she was. All three of them have her as their phone’s lock screen wallpaper. And it’s clear that they wanted to talk to her, but they couldn’t. And even if they could, they didn’t know how. Ai giggled in amusement while Tadao just stared.
“Anyway, now that introductions have been made, let’s go inside where it’s more comfortable. I know you’re here for business, so let’s dive right in. We’ve also prepared snacks and refreshments inside in case you want some. Ichigo, my valet will take care of your car, so give him the keys please,” Tadao said as he gestured for them to follow.
“Do you have ice cream?” Ai asked.
“We sure do!”
“Yay! Let’s go!”
After Ichigo handed over the keys to a valet, Tadao began leading them into his home with the trio following shortly after. But before that, a mischievous thought entered Ai’s mind and she acted quickly. She suddenly turned to look at the trio of agents who tensed up even more under her gaze. Worse, they realized that she was up to no good just from her grin. But before they could even speculate what she was up to, she suddenly did her signature love heart hand pose with a smile. In a flash, the three agents felt their knees go weak in the presence of such moe cuteness that they struggled to stay upright as they covered their mouths to silence their ecstatic screams. Satisfied with her handiwork, Ai giggled as she left the scene of the crime.
“Um, are they gonna be alright?” Ichigo asked nervously as he saw one of them falling over.
“They’ll be fine.”
They entered the huge house and led them through a series of hallways that were decorated with all sorts of interesting stuff. One of them was some sort of cannon on a towed carriage, except, aside from one big barrel, it’s got multiple little ones arranged in a circle with a crank.
“Kurosawa-san, what’s that?” Ai asked.
“Oh, this? This is a Model 1874 Gatling Gun. It fires a .45-70 caliber round from top-loaded 20-round box magazines with a rate of fire of about a thousand rounds per minute, although, it really depends on how fast you can crank it. It was one of the most revolutionary weapons ever designed and it changed the battlefield forever. This specific weapon here was used by the Imperial Army against revolting samurai during their last stand in the Battle of Mount Shiroyama, the last action of the Satsuma Rebellion,” He explained. “Sometimes I wonder what the samurai were thinking in their last moments just before they were all gunned down.”
“Wow,” Ai whispered in awe.
“Indeed. I don’t even know where my father dug up this gun,” He said before tracing across the black-painted barrels of the old weapon.
“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed happily then fished out her phone from her hoodie pocket. “Can I take a picture with it?”
“Ai, we’re here in business and the man’s likely very busy, so let’s not take anymore—” Ichigo said but was cut off.
“Sure thing! Our meeting is the only thing I have on my schedule today, so I’m basically free to do anything!” Tadao interjected with a wide smile as she took her phone.
What followed next was a comedic scene which was basically an old man doting on his granddaughter while he took pictures of her doing cute things. Meanwhile, everyone else present just stared with blank expressions.
“So much for not being into idols,” Ichigo muttered.
“These are so good! Thank you so much, Kurosawa-san!” She thanked him with a wide smile after going over the pictures.
“You’re very welcome! And you know, we’ve got a lot of goodies in this house, maybe you’d like to take some pictures with them too?” He offered.
“I’d love to!” She squealed.
“Mhmm!” Someone cleared their throat.
Looking in that direction, they saw a young man dressed in a nice business suit who was basically a younger version of Tadao. He approached them with his hands in his pockets and regarded them with a straight expression.
“You’re getting off track here, Dad. We’re still conducting a business,” He said as a matter of factly. “And what happened to ‘no touching of the expensive decor’?”
“Oh come on, son, do you honestly believe I can refuse that?” Tadao complained as he gestured to Ai who maintained a happy expression as she looked at the photos.
“Don’t enable her, Dad. Ma’am, please stop touching the gun, it’s very old and very expensive,” He said.
“Ai, get off of it,” Ichigo ordered.
“Aw, okay,” She said sadly as she backed off.
“Sorry for the trouble, but this stuff is crazy expensive. And oh, I’m Kurosawa Akio, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” He greeted with a polite smile.
“This is my son. He’ll be taking care of the business one day, so I’m bringing him along more now,” Tadao said.
Another round of handshakes was exchanged as the group introduced themselves to Akio. Ai expected the tone and body language of a fan holding himself back, the same kind she’s gotten used to seeing, but was rather surprised when he shook her hands normally with nothing but politeness in his eyes. Strange, now she’s curious. Akio on his part thought that she was a rather normal-looking girl, except for the bulging stomach, and didn’t find anything very special from just looking at her.
“Sorry for messing around. It’s just a really cool-looking thing!” Ai said.
“It sure is, ‘can’t argue with that. They don’t make weapons like these anymore these days. It’s all just big bombs now, which is boring,” Akio remarked.
“I don’t think death and destruction are supposed to be nice to see,” Miyako remarked.
“Exactly,” Tadao stated with a firm voice. “And that’s what we strive for in KSS. Every day must always be boring. Now come on, we’ve got business to attend to.” He said before turning and walking away.
“Is he always like this?” Miyako asked with a sweatdrop, noting the man’s sudden change of face.
“You’ll get used to it,” Both Ichigo and Akio replied in a flat tone.
They finished the walk toward their destination which was a conference room inside the house. The place was quite spacious and cozy looking, especially since it has a fireplace. They all immediately took their seats with KSS taking one side of the table and Ichigo Productions sitting opposite of them.
“Snacks will be brought in a little bit, so let’s get down to business to business shall we,” Tadao said as he placed a briefcase on the table and pulled out some papers. “By the way, everything we talk about will not leave this room, you can trust us. I think I also know the reason why you need an extra pair of hands. Your reason for getting a bodyguard is because you’re worried that you’ll be attacked like that idol that got stabbed recently, yes?”
They all nodded at that. It was already a month old, but the memory of it was still fresh on everyone’s minds, especially since it was covered on national news.
An idol named Hirose Keiko, who was pretty popular and only 16 like Ai, was recently murdered by a crazy fan in her own home. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest from severe bleeding after being stabbed three times and that she died in minutes.
The police captured the killer before he could jump off a bridge and took him in for questioning. He said that a Twitter post showing Keiko being all friendly with some guy somewhere made people think she had gotten a boyfriend. This enraged him because he felt betrayed by her actions, therefore he stalked her and plotted her murder for weeks. So, it was pretty awkward for him to find out that Keiko’s supposed boyfriend was actually her cousin and she was at a family get-together at that time.
The news shocked everyone in the country and many celebrities started taking their personal security more seriously. Ichigo was worried for Ai, and Ai was a bit scared herself. She knew Keiko, they did some collaborations together in the past, and she was upset she couldn’t attend her funeral. So, Ichigo Productions, though a bit cash-strapped, decided that it would be a good idea to have some form of security with them to help out in the long run. Especially now that Ai was pregnant… they couldn’t stomach the thought of some deranged lunatic stabbing her to death like what happened to Keiko.
“I don’t think I can forget that. I knew the girl and her agency, they were good people. I hope that bastard gets the chair,” Ichigo muttered.
“You and me both. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you,” Tadao assured. “Alright, now, how do you want to be protected?”
“We just need someone with us to keep the creeps away, especially one that can lie low with us. Nothing flashy at all,” Ichigo answered.
“Hmm, I understand what you want. One or two agents on you at all times at least, covering your front and back. They’ll be in plain clothes too so as to not draw attention. Okay, I’ve got a lot of agents to spare for that kind of job,” Tadao said, as he wrote on a piece of paper.
“What else is there?” Ichigo asked.
“We’re gonna brief you on how we operate and how we intend to do this. None of them are hard to follow at all. The gist is that you need to tell us everything, your schedules, contacts, extra activities, etcetera.”
“So, I’ll basically be followed around everywhere?” Ai asked.
“Basically, yes. But the key difference is that it’ll be by people you can trust. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll be poking around your daily life and infringing on your space every day. We’ll create a system in which you’re safe but still comfortable. In fact, we even have methods to protect you without you or anyone seeing us, but that’s really expensive though,” Tadao explained. “We know our boundaries too, Hoshino-sama, you don’t have to worry.”
“Hmm,” Ai hummed as she considered his words before another thought occurred to her. “Will you kill people?”
“Only if they really force us to. Every agent has a loaded gun with him, but we’re also trained in ways to stop an attacker with non-lethal force. Besides, one of our tactics is that by simply being there, we can discourage anyone from trying anything funny. As I’ve said, the best days for us are the most boring ones.”
“I see.”
“What’s the price tag?” Miyako asked.
“Despite the low elements, you’re still looking at 500,000 yen per month. But…” He trailed off. “But… due to my debt to you, Ichigo, I’ve decided to give you half that price for six months. This is paid like a subscription service where you have to pay every month. Failure to pay means immediate termination of services.”
“Is there anything else?” Ichigo asked.
“There are a bunch more details that you need to know. Legality, protocols, company policy, and all that. But, there’s one detail that I threw in as a condition for this,” Tadao said then placed a hand on Akio’s shoulder who was sitting to his right. “My son will be the one to run point of your protection detail. This’ll also act as his first test, to prove his skill as a protection agent.”
“Although I’m inexperienced, I’m quick to learn and adapt, and I’m ready to take on whatever task is needed from me,” Akio said politely.
Ichigo and Miyako frowned at the prospect of being given someone who was inexperienced in the field. But if he was the son of the guy who runs the place, then he should be pretty good, right? Besides, this is possibly the best deal they’ll ever get, and they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Alright, that’s fine,” Ichigo said.
“I’m okay with it,” Ai said.
“Although, Akio will be running point so you’ll see him the most often, another rookie agent will also be there to learn too. He’ll be number two. A senior agent will also be dropping by occasionally to check on them and evaluate their performance, although you don’t need to pay him. And in case things get really bad, emergency services and other agents won’t be too far to assist,” Tadao added.
“Ah, alright,” Ichigo said.
“Now, for the rest of everything.”
They would spend the next thirty minutes getting into the details of how everything would be under their care. Snacks and refreshments were brought in at that time with Ai receiving a pint of ice cream, making her very happy. They got into some legal conditions that were implemented to protect both sides. They also got into how the protection detail would work and what to do under certain situations. And of course, company policy.
One such policy is that the client can sue the company for up to 30 million yen for disclosing any secrets entrusted to them without permission. And although KSS can definitely pay that amount, their reputation would be tarnished and they’d lose even more money. That was a fact that allowed Ichigo Productions to rest easier. Ai’s pregnancy needed to remain under wraps.
After a few more minutes and a couple more things were clarified, they finally moved on to the last piece of the puzzle. Tadao opened up his briefcase and pulled out one last set of papers.
“This is the contract. What’s is just a summary of everything we talked about, but I suggest you read it carefully so you’re not missing anything,” Tadao said.
Ichigo Productions took the document and carefully read through it to make sure they were not missing anything. It took another five minutes, but they confirmed that everything was in place.
“A service that tells you everything and makes you read the contract first? Finally!” Ichigo joked.
“We’re the guys that protect the Emperor, not some shady organization! We’ve got a reputation to uphold!” Tadao stated. “Anyway, if nothing is amiss, sign your name and seal on the space provided and we are officially under your employ.”
“Everything’s here. Let’s seal the deal,” Ichigo said.
He grabbed a pen that was provided to him and signed his name on the line at the bottom then stamped his seal on the side. Miyako did the same thing after him. And finally, Ai filled out the last line with her name and seal and even drew a little heart on it. Tadao took the document and looked through it before putting it down and giving them a smile.
“You are now under the protection of Kurosawa Security Services! With Hachiman, the divine protector of Japan, guiding our hands, you will not have to worry about anything as long as we are around! Rest assured that we will take care of you. And anyone that tries to harm you will die a horrible death!” He proclaimed.
“That’s… oddly specific,” Ichigo remarked.
“If you get hurt, we’ll cover the expenses of your medical bill. If you die under our watch, which you won’t, we’ll offer a full refund to your relatives, and we’ll even avenge you. That’s our policy, to treat our clientele as if they are our family,” He added.
“That’s very nice,” Miyako said.
“Only the best we provide our clients,” Tadao said. “And aside from giving you a copy of the documents, this concludes our business. Thank you for choosing our services. We promised not to disappoint.”
“We’ll be watching closely then.”
Both groups then stood up and gave each other one last bout of handshakes to truly seal the contract that was just signed.
“I’ll make sure your men get tickets to one of my concerts in the future!” Ai said and looked at Akio. “Especially you, Akio-san.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Hoshino-sama. But, I’m not into idol music,” He replied politely.
“Huh?”
“Please excuse my son. We know he’s a weirdo,” Tadao jokingly said.
“I ain’t weird, Dad. I don’t hate idol music but I don’t exactly like it either. I just like other things,” Akio stated.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s a first for us. Everyone your age we’ve met is into idols,” Saitou said. “Looks like you’re the 10% we didn’t see coming.”
“Please just take it as less worry for you, since I won’t be prying for your attention all the time. I’ll always keep a respectful distance. I promise.”
“That’s all we can ever ask really. Thank you.”
“Now that business is concluded, we can all turn in for the night. But would you like something before you leave? Some more snacks or drinks perhaps? We’ve got a lot here,” Tadao offered but Ichigo shook his head.
“No, we’ve already been here too long, we don’t want to overstay our welcome. Besides, it’s late and we’re all tired. We should be getting back now,” he said.
“Alright. In that case, allow us to walk you out while I get the valet to get your car.”
“Alright then.”
Ichigo Productions prepared to leave while Tadao got on his phone. Ichigo and Miyako started discussing something with each other while Ai simply looked around the room. Her eyes would eventually land on Akio who was looking at his phone. He’d pocket it a moment later and his eyes would land on his protectee’s. She’d flashed him a wide smile, the kind that can captivate any man, while he returned with a simple smile and a nod. Ai began opening her mouth to speak before stopping short when there was a disturbance from Tadao.
“... Really? Alright, I’ll tell them,” He sighed before turning to the group.
“What’s wrong?” Ichigo asked.
Tadao smiled awkwardly. “A small problem just developed on your end.”
They’d find themselves outside again a moment later, watching a scene unfold before them. Ichigo Production’s car, a white rental Toyota Corolla, remained where Ichigo last left it although the hood was open and multiple guys were peering into the engine compartment with flashlights. One agent tried turning the key and starting the ignition, yet the engine remained quiet. A moment later, a middle-aged man with his sleeves rolled up walked up to Tadao while wiping his hands on a rag.
“I think it’s a broken sparkplug, Tadao-san. It just won’t start,” He reported.
“I told you it was broken!” Miyako scolded Ichigo in a hushed voice.
“Do we have spare parts, Hiro-san?” Tadao asked.
“No, we just ran out when our own rides needed maintenance and we haven’t resupplied yet,” He said with a shake of his head. “We can’t run to the shop too because it’s already closed at this time. This thing’s staying here till morning.”
Ichigo and Miyako groaned at their misfortune while the rest of them simply stared indifferently. Tadao then sighed and spoke again.
“Alright. In that case, Hiro-san, please get the van off the driveway and onto the side. We’ll deal with it tomorrow morning. Then please take one of the Land Cruisers and take them back to their hotel. The rest of you are free to leave for home too,” He ordered.
“Hai, Kurosawa-sama!” Everyone replied.
“Tadao-san, are you sure? This is probably too much—” Ichigo began but stopped when Tadoa raised a hand.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all. Just think of this as me helping a friend in need. And no, you don’t have to pay,” He replied.
Ichigo was unsure but ultimately allowed it and bowed a bit. “Alright, thank you.”
“No problem,” Tadao replied with a shallow nod.
While the adults addressed the issue of their ride, the two kids remained on the side and simply watched. Akio and Ai were still in their teens, so they were kids in the eyes of the adults present.
“So,” Ai began. “What kind of music do you listen to, Kurokawa-san?”
“Uh, I like rock music of all types from pop to death metal. I’ve been listening to them since I was five. And it’s Kurosawa, Hoshino-sama,” He replied, her sudden question and error of his name catching him off guard.
“Ah, really? Ahahaha, I’m so sorry! I'm not very good at memorizing people’s faces!” She laughed jovially.
“Ahaha, I can imagine. Since you probably see so many faces every day, it’s hard to keep track of them all, huh?” He laughed.
“Ah, yeah! It’s a bit of a problem for me, hehe. Sometimes, I even forget the President’s name too, haha!”
He laughed along with her but internally, he was cringing a bit.
Does every idol have such an airheaded personality? He wondered.
“It must be kinda hard for you too, having to work like this when you’re so young,” She remarked.
“Well, this is my first job ever, so it doesn’t seem hard at all right now. That’s definitely gonna change though,” He replied. “But, I don’t think my job will get anywhere as difficult as yours with you having to put up an act all the time. I don’t think I can handle that.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I really like my job, but sometimes it gets pretty tiring. Taking a break like this is gonna help out a lot!” She said happily before taking a deep breath and looking around. “I think I’ve already said this, but your place is really nice.”
“Mhmm, and this is just our place here in Tokyo. We’re only here now because we need to be closer to some of our clients at the moment. Our main house in Kyoto is even bigger and cooler!” Akio replied.
“You guys are really loaded, huh?”
“For the past few decades, Kurosawa has been branching to other things that make money. We need the cash to pay for our stuff after all. Although, we’re still inferior to zaibatsus like Shinomiya and Shijo (who we provide services to, by the way) but also still better than most.”
“Wow.”
“Mhmm, but money still isn’t everything. We try to take a humble approach to things too. Dad doesn’t like spending money on anything that isn’t important and I don’t buy a lot of things myself,” He added and kept his mouth open to continue when he was interrupted.
“Don’t believe him! He eats yakiniku at least once a week!” One of the younger agents stated as he walked by with a bag over his shoulder, likely on his way home.
“Look who’s talking, idiot! You spend the most out of all of us!” He retorted angrily but only got a laugh in response. He turned back to Ai who was holding a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, prompting him to sigh in annoyance. “Alright, I admit that part and also I spend a lot quite a lot on video games and band equipment, but only on special occasions. I’m not some pompous rich jerk that throws money around, I promise you.”
“Hmm, alright, I believe you,” She giggled and then thought of something. “You could’ve totally left that part out or outright lied. Why didn’t you?”
“Uh, it was already out, so there’s no point in trying to lie about it anymore. Besides, I don’t believe you deserve to be lied to, Hoshino-sama,” He answered.
Her smile wavered ever so slightly as she processed his answer. I don’t deserve to be… lied to?
“Um—”
“Ai, our ride’s here! Let’s head back to the hotel!” Ichigo called out as one of the company’s Land Cruisers had been brought out to take them.
“I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation some other time, but it’s been a nice talk. I look forward to working with you, Hoshino-sama,” He said with a wide smile and an outstretched hand.
“Ai.”
“Sorry?”
Ai smiled widely too, her eyes seemingly shimmering brighter as she took his hand and shook it. “Since we’ll be sticking so closely together for a while, you can just call me Ai, Akio-san.”
He blinked. “U-Uh, sure thing, Ai-san.”
“Just Ai,” She clarified.
“Just Ai,” He nodded and smiled widely, happy that she remembered his first know, even if he didn’t know why.
“If that’s what you want, you’re the boss,” Akio remarked, earning another laugh from her. “You have a good night, Ai, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“You too, Akio-san.”
She’d head back to her group a moment later and they were leaving the estate shortly. Akio waved at the car as it drove past him and he could just barely see a human figure waving back through the darkness. As he watched the SUV disappear, he put his hand down and looked up at the sky.
“Wow,” He breathed. “Her eyes are something else.”
He’d retire for the night shortly after without another thought. He’d sleep soundly not knowing that he had just stepped on the path that would define his life.
***
This is the link to the ff.net page. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it, and thank you even more if you decide to support it on ff.net! Please also tell me what you think and/or if you have any ideas you'd like to share here or there!
For now, have a great day, and peace out!
Veritas vos liberabit.
The Truth will set you Free.

(Wales)
Hi all,
This may well end up being long winded but I’m at the end of my tether.
I live next to an airbnb and share an off road parking area with them. 3 and a bit cars wide, airbnb in space one on left, me in the middle, and another resident on the right.
More than once (as recently as yesterday) my car has had a door opened into it by the person staying in the airbnb. There are no cameras currently and not really any suitable vantage points to install one. I’ve taken a photo of the way the car is parked (awfully and at an angle with their rear drivers side being about a foot closer to my car than the front driver’s side) which includes their VRN along with what is pretty obviously a fresh mark on the edge of their rear driver’s side door and the dent left on my car’s rear passenger side quarter.
What can I do in this situation? As it stands it’s entirely my word against theirs but anyone that would look at the situation would probably come to the same conclusion. The guests have checked out now so speaking to them directly is now not an option, however I have spoken to the management company of the airbnb previously about multiple other issues so there is an avenue of communication there.
Images:
Dent on my car: https://i.imgur.com/cK0ssxd.jpg
Fresh scratch on their door: https://i.imgur.com/pzpK3b8.jpg
Parking situation: https://i.imgur.com/6CoALPI.jpg

Morning Buildapc!
I’m currently on a I7-6700 and looking to upgrade CPU and MB.
My budget is around £400-500 on the upper end.
I’m looking to upgrade in the next two months.
So far I‘ve only have had experience with intel in recent years, hence asking for advice.
Currently looking at an I7-12700, is there better bang for buck? Used for heavily modded MC and photo-editing.
MBs I’m open to suggestion on, WiFi would be nice but not required, avoiding ASUS
Many thanks Reddit!

Hello everyone, hope you are all good and healthy!
Here are some of my attributes: - Male - 20 years old - occasional smoker - physically active - 68kg and 183cm
Recently I have started to develop sores on my bottom lip, this is the first time that this has happened in my life. It all started around 2 weeks ago, I practice mixed martial arts and took a bad beating, which resulted in a minor tear on my bottom lip. Over the next couple days, the wound was healing but suddenly decided to break my ankles; cue the first photo. Afterwards it started to bleed a lot, was painful to the touch with some additional weeping. After some research I decided to give Abreva a shot, upon application noticed that weeping and bleeding had decreased considerably. However the wound remained, sticking around for a week. As of now, when taking a look at the second photo, there is a pale patch of skin on my lip from where the initial sore scabbed over. There are also raised bumps around that initial injury that are still sensitive, albeit not open wounds. As for the second sore further up my lip, it formed a day or two after the lower one, and is still ‘healing’.
I understand that this is probably a cold sore, but my only concern is the pale patch left by the ‘healed’ sore. If there is anyone that can recommend anything for me, that would be greatly appreciated.
tldr; injured lip developed sores. A week and a half later the sore leaves behind a pale patch. Is this scarring or should I get it checked out?
Thank you for your time!

Hi folks, I recently switched to iPhone. I’ve been shocked to see how rapidly my google cloud space is being eaten up by iPhone photos. I can almost go through a GB of storage space in a day! What is the reason for this? Some points to note:

1. I have Live Photos disabled
2. My phone shoots heic file type. Should I change it?
3. the ‘number of items to be backed up’ is always increasing while the backup is in progress. I didn’t have this issue on android. Is it possible that google photos is backing up duplicates, or backing up inefficiently?

Thank you!

Recently I've found that my photos are taking an extraordinarily long time to sync on Lightroom. It also completely smashes my home internet and means virtually no other web-based tasks can be done.
I know this could be an issue with my internet, however, this seems to be the only time I'm encountering it and my internet speed is not too bad.
Just wanted to see if anyone else has had any issues with Lightroom taking an unusual amount of time to sync and there were any potential fixes.
TIA!

Hey Redditors
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Yan Limeng made demon to release the false theory actively
The mainstream media rejected the accusation unreservedly
The website of the Legal Fund was closed, Guo Wengui, one of the founders, was investigated as being in hiding and struggling to survive, and Bannon,another founder, was arested even more dificult to protect himself. The Legal Fund has no way out and exists in name only. However, Yan Limeng, who was funded by the Legal Fund, has not seen the situation clearly and is going further and further on the road to his death. On Sept 14, Yan published a paper on Zenodo, stating that "SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was produced in the laboratory". On Sept. 15, Yan Limeng appeared on the Fox News program "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and repeated the "Made in China" conspiracy theory. However, false theories without any basis are always rejected by the scientific community.
Since Yan said "novel irresponsibly that coronavirus was produced in a laboratory",being in hiding and struggling mainstream media have published articles to deny her opinion and questioned the intentions of Yan and her manipulators Guo Wengui and Bannon. On Sept.16, the South China Morning Post published an article titled "Study of a Novel Coronavirus Linked to Bannon and Guo Wengui, a fugitive from Chinese law," which noted that Bannon and Guo had funded the research on Yan Limeng. Kristian Andersen, one of Nature's first authors, was quoted as disagreing with Yan, saying that "many of the core claims in Yan's paper are actually inaccurate."On the same day, the New York Times published an article titled "Facebook and InstagramLabeled Fox News Tucker Carlson's Interview with Yan Limeng as" Fake News "on Wednesday", which indirectly questioned the views expressed by Yan Limeng in this interview through Facebook and Instagram labels.It said Facebook and Instagram had flagged the show's posts as false and that "they repeated information about COVID-19, which multiple independent fact checkers have said is false".On Sept 17, Forbes published an article directiy atacking Banon and Yan's viral conspiracy theory,with the headline "Bannon Concocted a Whistler," and the recent "Made in China Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory Is Unsupported by Scientific Data".The article explicitly chalenged al of Ms. Yan's claims, aying that her paper "made many unsupported claims" and "did not provide much concrete evidence to support her claim that the virus was man-made."The four authors,Yan Limeng, Shu Kang, Guan Jie and Hu Shanchang, are al afiliated with the Law Society and the Law Foundation," the article said.
The insider knows the ropes, while the outsider just comes along for the ride.Yan Limeng's stomach has no "content", an expert will know at a glance. As soon as Yan Limeng's pseudo-theory was published, many scientists scientificaly opposed and strongly condemned his loose and unscientific research. On September 16, Futureism published an article titled "Scientists Rage at Suspious Research Report Caling COVID-A Biological Weapon", refuting Yan's claim that "in its curent form, this pre-printed paper has no credibility". Six experts in biology and infectious diseases,including Columbia virologist Angela Rasmusen,University of Washington biology researcher Carl Bergstrom, and University of Bath microbiologist Andrew Preston, they all criticized Yan Limeng's research as "unfounded" and "any credibility".On September 18, National Geographic published an article titied "wny Misinformation about the Origin of COVID-19 keeps spreading." which comprehensively and scientificaly rebutts Yan's main claims.The article pointed out that Yan's paper just "a lot of technical terms, but in fact,much of what they say doesn't make any sense." Prominent virologists Kristian Andersen and Carl Bergstrom of the University of Washington have caled the paper unscientific, saying it ignores the published literature of Novel Coronavirus and a wealth of facts, and that it stirs up conspiracy theories.
Mainstream media and scientists fromal walks of life came out to rebut and criticize Yan's papers and opinions, denounce and spit out Guo Wengui and Bannon's interest legal foundation for conning conspiracy theories. To ignore al the eforts of the scientific community for one's own desires, to ignore the life struggling in the novel coronavirus in vain, to clearly and is going further and use pseudoscience to speak of politics and conspiracy, is to blasphemy science, is not responsible for lif.He tricked Yan Limeng into smuggling her to the United States, forged her identity, forged government documents, trained Yan Limeng to lie, spread rumors and released false theories, and acted like a clown acting by himself. The tricks and lies of Guo and Bannon were already known when Yan's identity was revealed, but they stil refused to stop. Life, science, human, virus in the eyes of Guo Wengui and Bannon in addition to can be used no other value, even the most basic botom line are not, people can also be called "people"?
Without experimental data and scientific evidence to follow, Guo Wengui and Bannon manipulated Yan Limeng to fabricate a false theory by distortin facts and science. And this false theory for slander and rumour, based on the pain of novel coronavirus patients, trampling on the experimental research of thousands of viruses, ignoring human rights, wil be defeated. The same is true of Guo Wengui and Bannon. Evil thought and rotten souls wil never be tolerated by the world. The judgment has come.

Hello!
I've recently had a long relationship end, and I'm now looking to meet some new friends. Most of my friends are over the Internet so it would be nice to know some more people to go out and meet.
I'm big into video games, and love watching or playing them with others.
I'm a hobbyist photographer so love taking photos of architecture, people and landscapes!
I have an allotment and love to grow fruit, veggies and even attempt to bonsai :)
I'm nervous around new people and a bit awkward but once I'm comfortable I don't think I give off awful vibes????
So if anyone's just looking to chat and vibe feel free to drop me a message :)

I just recently last year began contact with my mom after 6 years of not seeing or hearing from her..
I've recently (since February) been very busy and have let family know I won't be able to get on Facebook as much and as soon as her husband's (not my father)
Birthday rolls around, I wasn't online to say happy birthday to him (even though he never likes ANY of my posts or pics of my kids, but he hearts all my distant family and cousins shit )
So literally the next day she changed her profile pic to a picture of her ra**** son (he m******* me until I was 8 and finally grew a backbone) my mom has a rocky relationship with her son, so this pic was not recent (there was no other reason for her to change her profile pic to him!)
She doesn't like to talk About my real dad, she says it gives her PTSD..yet she knows exactly what her son did to me and she pulls this shit.
I pretended not to notice, and posted again that I was sorry I am not available as often and then she seen it and quickly changed her pic back....this was in March and I still feel sick thinking about it...
During the no contact period I did contact her in 2018 to finally tell her what her son did to me as I was growing up, because he showed up to my house and creepily left an old photo album on my porch and I thought it might have been my mom, I told her I don't want her weirdo so around my house or family
All she had to say when I told her was "things would have been different if you'd had told me"
So she basically victim blamed me on top of gaslighting because she has no fuckin spine and would have just said "don't tell your dad" back in the day even if I did tell her.
I feel like shit

Hi,
I recently came across some jewellery online that claimed to be made from crystallised dinosaur bones and got curious if that was true or just an unusual name. From all the photos I've seen of examples of gembones, they all seem to come from misshaped rough rocks that don't resemble the shape of a fossil to a laymen. So how did scientist connect the dots and conclude that gembones were formed from living dinosaurs?
Also, if gembones are rare fossils, why would anyone cut one into slabs, wouldn't it be preferred to keep it intact?

I’ve watched a clip of a show on Instagram recently and really want to find this show. Most of the comments said that it is on Netflix and one said it is a part from the Stranger Things. But I’m not sure and can’t even find that clip again. The part I watched was about a girl coming to a house and saying why didn’t you come to pick me up to the people who lived there. The family seemed to have no clue of what she was talking about and when the girl found out that she started to panic. She said that she lost her parents and was sent here to live with her far relatives. (She said the exact relationship with her and the family. It was really long and it meant they they were quite far relatives.) She also gave some documents proving her. Then the dad of the family recognized his grandmother from one of the photos she gave. I will be soooo grateful if anyone finds out this show!!

I’ve watched a clip of a show on Instagram recently and really want to find this show. Most of the comments said that it is on Netflix and one said it is a part from the Stranger Things. But I’m not sure and can’t even find that clip again. The part I watched was about a girl coming to a house and saying why didn’t you come to pick me up to the people who lived there. The family seemed to have no clue of what she was talking about and when the girl found out that she started to panic. She said that she lost her parents and was sent here to live with her far relatives. (She said the exact relationship with her and the family. It was really long and it meant they they were quite far relatives.) She also gave some documents proving her. Then the dad of the family recognized his grandmother from one of the photos she gave. I will be soooo grateful if anyone finds out this show!!

I'm a 13 year old with two great parents. My parents are married for 14 years now and have 2 kids, they were always happy and faced hardships together, but recently i have found out that my mom is cheating on my dad with multiple boys aged 20-25 my mom is 35 though. It all started when she asked me if i could introduce her to the online world i said ok and downloaded snapchat for her. She was very keen to become an online influencer and what would be better than snapchat for filters, she noticed a game i was playing "Ludo king" she aksed if i could download it in her phone that's when the game started she started to make online friends and told me about it i remained unbothered and even talked to her friends but this soon took an ugly turn when she started to lie about her age (she told em that she is 23 unmarried with no kids) i was told to act like her sister which i did but she soon started to distance me from them she closed the acc through which she played and started a new acc. She made atleast 20 bfs till now i knew abt it when i saw a notification pop up form snapchat i read those chats. It was disgusting.
I still never cared to tell my father abt it but now it's enough. Yesterday i randomly opened her snap acc i knew that would again found those disgusting chats but this time it was even more disgusting. It was private videos and photos of her i was disgusted again.
I'm thinking of telling my father about it but my mother abuses me sm i don't have the courage to tell him as he loves my mom very much he works 13 hours for us. I'm confused what to do and what not my family is in danger now.