A few years had passed since Ai and I first met. I was now nine years old, while Ai was around eight, with her ninth birthday just around the corner.
We were eating an ordinary breakfast till...
"You two will be performing on stage for our Thanksgiving event."
"WHAT?!" Both Ai and I screamed in shock.
Ai grew flustered and stammered, "W-Why?!"
Our first ever performance...
I am very excited!
Nana appeared confused and responded, "What do you mean, 'why'? Everyone knows how much both of you want to be idols, and besides, I believe you would both excel in performing. My daughter is also very excited to see you two on stage."
Finally, we get to perform on stage! I can't wait to share the stage with-
I suddenly realized that Ai was feeling incredibly nervous about performing on stage. I glanced over at her, but to my astonishment, she looked up at Nana with determination and exclaimed, "We'll do it! You can count on us to make sure this Thanksgiving performance is amazing!"
Ai really has grown up. Ai has already learned to dance and sing really well during the last few years. The only thing she still needs to work on is her stage presence. Looking at Ai today, she has a good chance of succeeding, but she needs to work on her courage. Ai is still bullied by those neighborhood boys after all this time. Making me nervous, but I know that this performance will show them exactly what she is capable of!
As I contemplated our performance plans, Ai suddenly left without any notice, leaving me wondering where she had gone.
Lost in my thoughts for a few minutes, I eventually noticed Ai was no longer there. When I began to search for her, I looked up at Nana and asked, "Have you seen Ai?"
Nana replied, "She mentioned she had to go get something in the neighborhood."
The neighborhood?! But the-
I approached Nana and gently tugged at her dress, saying urgently, "But Nana! The boys-"
Nana looked at me with a reassuring smile and said, "I don't know why she went there alone without you, but there must be a reason, don't you think?"
I was filled with worry for Ai, making it difficult to think clearly. Without hesitation, I quickly left and ran toward the neighborhood in search of her.
Our orphanage was situated near the mountains and surrounded by trees, quite a distance away from the small town we referred to as the neighborhood, where the bully boys resided.
As I approached the entrance to the neighborhood, something caught my eye, causing me to slow from a run to a brisk walk and eventually come to a stop. There was a girl walking toward me, drenched in sweat. When our eyes met, she broke into a joyful smile, waving her hand in the air and shouting, "Akari! I did it! Hehe."
Recognizing that it was Ai, tears welled up in my eyes. Seeing her covered in dirt and sweat, yet radiating with joy, I couldn't help but smile back and shout to her, even though she was still a bit farther away, "Ai! Great job!"
She did it, she actually did it.
She smiled back, tears streaming down her face, and as I ran towards her, we embraced in a tight, heartfelt hug. Sniffling, I told her, "You're incredibly cool, Ai."
She chuckled and replied, hugging me back, "I really showed those boys how brave I am, just as you said, tee-hee."
I laughed, and looked at her face and said, "You will really become a great idol Ai!"
She smiled and replied cheerfully, "All thanks to you."
I smiled a bit and asked, "What was the reason behind your courage Ai?"
She went silent and giggled, then replied, "It's a secret, tee-hee."
I pouted a bit, and held her hand as we both walked back to the orphanage. On the way back, I told her, teasing her, "You really need a bath."
She sniffed herself and panicked, "Ahh! I really do smell!"
"Pfft! HAHAHAHA!", I laughed.
But... I really want to know what or who was the person behind her courage...
I am starting to be very, very curious.
__________
1 month later...
Today is a really special month.
You wanna know why?
Well... it's because...
It's Ai's Birthday!
"Happy Birthday, Ai!" echoed through the room as everyone joined in to wish her a joyous birthday during lunchtime.
Nana presented a gift to Ai, saying, "Here..."
Ai accepted the gift graciously and expressed her gratitude to Nana with a heartfelt, "Thank you."
As Ai unwrapped the gift, she discovered a stunning, sparkly pink dress inside.
Tears welled up in Ai's eyes, and she tightly embraced Nana, expressing her gratitude through joyful sobs. "Hic! Thank you, Nana!" she exclaimed.
Nana smiled warmly and encouraged Ai, saying, "I'm glad you like it. Now then, go ahead and blow out your candles."
Ai beamed brightly and responded, "Tee-hee, I will!" She went to make a wish and then blew out the candles. The room filled with the melody of "Happy Birthday" once more as everyone joined in to celebrate her special day.
Ai seemed happy with her present. I felt nervous looking at my small present and decided to hide it.
Seeing that Ai had noticed me, I hurried over and asked, "What wish did you make?"
She responded with a mischievous grin and replied with a playful smirk, "It's a secret."
I decided to playfully act hurt to see her reaction and said, "Aww, you won't even tell your best friend?"
Her expression softened into a poignant sadness, and she instinctively pulled me into a warm, apologetic embrace. "Ah, I'm so sorry," she whispered gently.
A chuckle escaped my lips in response to her reaction. I affectionately patted her head and reassured her, "It's okay if you'd rather not share."
In a hushed tone, she hesitated for a moment, leaning in to whisper in my ear, "Actually, I haven't made a wish yet. I thought I'd save it for another time."
A light-hearted laugh escaped me. "Haha, fair enough. It's your wish; you can use it whenever you want."
She then gave me a cheerful smile.
I gazed at her, struck by the remarkable transformation since our first encounter.
She used to look unhappy and gloomy, but today she appears to be a bright happy child, and you would never guess she had any troubles.
Ai, happy birthday. I hope to be able to stand by your side and see you grow in the future and become an amazing idol.
Nana suddenly winked at me, urging me to sing a song for Ai.
With a smile, I stepped forward and addressed the gathering, "Hello everyone. I don't usually sing in front of others, but today, for Ai's special day, I'll give it a try. This song is 'Clock' by Akemi."
As I picked up the guitar and took a seat, I couldn't help but notice the excitement in Ai's sparkling eyes. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, ready to begin.
With every note, I poured my heart and soul into the song, making this moment truly special. "~When the world keeps spinning, but my heart keeps racing, but my mind is aching. Maybe because of you. As I see you change, as the clock arms ticking, as the time goes by, I could see the change in you...~"
As the song concluded, I opened my eyes to the sound of applause filling the room. Ai rushed up to me, bubbling with excitement, and exclaimed, "Lila, your voice sounds even better than before! I couldn't take my eyes off you."
A warm smile graced my lips as I responded, "Thank you! I'm really glad my hard work paid off."
Ai nodded enthusiastically and said, "Absolutely! You sang Akemi's song beautifully! Is it a new one? Why didn't you tell me about it?"
Because Ai does not have a phone to hear Akemi's music, I would frequently visit the city to check for updates on Akemi. Since I don't have a phone, I'd travel around the neighborhood looking for public television and learn Akemi's songs and lyrics to sing to Ai when I got home.
I chuckled nervously and replied, "Hehe, it was a surprise."
Ahh! I can't say that I wrote it! I was so shy that I thought the song my end up bad but I'm glad everyone liked it.
Ai smiled happily and gave me a hug.
I was overjoyed that she enjoyed the song; perhaps in the future, I'll tell her I made it for her.
__________
As a few hours passed, nightfall arrived. Ai and I made our way to our cherished spot beneath the old tree, settling in to gaze at the twinkling stars above.
Under the starry sky, I wrestled with the decision of whether to give her the gift. After much contemplation, I mustered the courage to overcome my nerves and present it to her.
I handed Ai the small gift and said, "Here, it's small and not that expensive, but I hope you like it."
Ai's excitement bubbled over as she exclaimed, "Really?! A gift for me? Thank you so much, Lila!"
She hugged me right away, and when she opened the gift, she found a cute bunny hair clip inside.
Feeling nervous, I began, "I know you love rabbits, and I've always wanted to see one with you. So, I got you this bunny hair clip. It's not fancy or expensive, but I hope you-"
"I love it!"
"Huh?"
She started crying a little and held the hair clip gently. "I really love it, and I'll wear it every day! Hic."
Seeing the excitement in her eyes, I declared, "I promise I'll get you a real bunny someday! Just wait and see!"
Ai wiped away her tears and replied, "Can't wait!"
After putting the hair clip in her hair, she stood up in front of me to proudly display it.
"I'm glad it suits you."
Ai beamed, "Of course it does! The person who gave it to me always knows what I like."
I grinned and said, "First one to climb the tree gets the last slice of cake!"
I wasted no time and started climbing. Ai followed closely, playfully complaining, "Hey! You always get to the top first!"
While I climbed the tree, I said, "No more complaints, just climb!" and let out a giggle.
Ai came behind me, panting, as I sat on the large, sturdy branch of the tree.
I laughed.
She pouted and sat down beside me.
Suddenly, the surroundings grew hushed. I glanced at Ai, and she wore an unusual somber expression.
In a soft voice, she asked, "We'll always be together, won't we?"
"Of course we will!"
"Being an idol...what if, you know, we work separately in the future? Just like Akemi did to her old group?"
I could see the concern in her eyes. "I understand that in the future, we might have to go our own paths, but that won't mean our friendship disappears, right? We'll still talk late at night, visit each other often, explore new places together. We'll do all of that, won't we?"
"Right! Ahh... I can't wait once we will be idols together. It's making me worried."
"Speaking of worried, shouldn't you be worried for the upcoming thanksgiving presentation?"
Ai gasped, "Oh right! Let's practice tomorrow, alright?"
I giggled and replied, "Okay." I gazed up at the stars, and smiled at it's beauty. Then, I turned to Ai and said, "Let's make a promise, a promise we'll never break."
"What promise?"
"A promise to not leave each other and always be best friends. But umm, I know in the future we will go our separate ways but, before that time comes, let's always be with each other, okay?"
Ai grinned widely and declared, "Okay! Let's pinky promise that we'll never leave each other!"
"Yeah!"
We both sealed our promise with a pinky swear, and suddenly, fireworks burst forth in the night sky before us.
Ai exclaimed, "Wow! Maybe someone in the neighborhood is having a party. I'm so happy I got to see this on my birthday."
I smiled and added, "Yeah, it's quite a coincidence, but..." I looked at her and playfully smirked. "I'm even happier to see you happy."
Fireworks really makes the night sky filled with colors.
But your eyes...
I giggled.
They shine even brighter when you let me see them like this.
Happy 9th Birthday Ai.