Chapter One: Mop, Melody, and Mayhem
The fluorescent lights of the Tokyo Grand Performing Arts Stadium flickered faintly, buzzing like tired cicadas. For most people, the night was winding down. Fans had long since spilled into the subway, chattering about their favorite songs and moments. But for Ai Ishikawa, the night was just beginning.
Armed with a mop in one hand and a spray bottle in the other, Ai pushed her cleaning cart down the backstage corridor. Her uniform smelled faintly of lemon disinfectant, her sneakers squeaked on the polished floor, and her back ached from picking the trash from the miles of stadium seats.
Still. she smiled.
“This is only temporary,” she whispered to herself. “Just one more year, then I can focus on music school.” She readjusted her bandana and swept the sweat from her brow.
Music had been Ai’s refuge since childhood. She played piano until her fingers grew numb. She sang when she washed dishes, when she studied, she sang as if it was like breathing. But dreams didn’t pay for tuition or Tokyo rent. So here she was, twenty years old, mopping up after idols and fans alike, her paycheck funneled straight into her college.
The boys’ restroom backstage was her final stop for the evening. Ai propped the door open with her cart, dipped her mop, and began humming. At first, it was a tiny thread of sound—barely audible over the swish of the mop. But the quiet emptiness of the restroom encouraged her.
She closed her eyes.
Her voice slipped into melody, soft and clear, wrapping around the tiled walls like silk. An original tune—one she had written in the solitude of her apartment late at night.
🎵 ““I’ve been chasing echoes in the night,
Dreams that fade before the morning light.
But in the silence, a melody starts,
A song of love written among the stars.
Every note a whisper, pulling me near,
A symphony of hope only I can hear.
And if the heavens are listening above,
They’ll guide me through music,
They’ll guide me to love.”…” 🎵
The acoustics were unexpectedly perfect. Every note echoed down the empty hallways, carrying the sound far beyond the restroom. Ai poured her heart into the song, her body swaying slightly as she scrubbed. For a few moments, she forgot the wash rag in her hands, forgot the lemon cleaner, forgot the world.
Meanwhile, down the hall, Hoshino Sora was wandering.
The lead vocalist of Stars Aligned, Japan’s most upincoming boy band, wasn’t supposed to be there. His manager had instructed him to stay put in the greenroom while staff loaded up the equipment. But Sora was restless. His fans screamed his name, his phone buzzed with admirers, and yet, everything felt empty.
Then he heard it.
A voice.
Not polished like a studio track, not forced into perfection by producers. Pure. Honest. Achingly beautiful.
Sora froze.
His heart tripped over itself as he followed the sound down the hall. It wasn’t coming from the stage or the rehearsal rooms. It was drifting out of… a bathroom?
He peeked around the doorway.
And there she was.
A cleaning girl, cleaning spray in one hand, eyes closed, singing like the universe had placed a spotlight just for her. Her voice danced in the air, unguarded and radiant.
For the first time in his life, Sora felt his chest tighten with something that wasn’t fleeting infatuation. Not the quick spark he felt when girls screamed his name, or when he winked at the cameras. This was… different.
Ai opened her eyes mid-chorus.
Standing in the doorway was Hoshino Sora. Yes, that Hoshino Sora—green-haired, glitter-eyed, infamous heartbreaker of Stars Aligned. His designer jacket shimmered under the fluorescent light.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” she blurted, bowing so low her ponytail nearly hit the mop bucket. “I didn’t know anyone was here. I’ll just—uh—step outside so you can, you know, use the restroom!”
She tried to dart past him, but fate—or the freshly mopped tile—had other plans.
Her sneaker slid.
“Ack—!”
In an instant, Ai toppled forward, mop clattering to the floor. Sora caught her—or at least tried to—but ended up crashing back against the wall. Ai landed right on top of him, faces barely an inch apart.
The world seemed to stop.
Her wide blue eyes locked with his striking blue ones. Their breaths mingled, her palm pressed against his chest, his heartbeat thundered in her ears. Somewhere outside, fireworks must have been exploding, because surely the sparks flying between them couldn’t just be her imagination.
“Uh…” Ai stammered, cheeks burning. “S-sorry! I’ll, um, come back later!”
She scrambled off him, bowing furiously. Her mop was abandoned, her dignity in tatters. She grabbed her cart and practically bolted out the door, muttering apologies like a prayer.
Sora stayed frozen on the floor, staring at the ceiling, completely dazed.
He didn’t even ask her name. All he knew was that she worked for a company called Scrubbing Up, judging by the bold lettering on her uniform.
His bandmates found him a few minutes later, still leaning against the wall like he’d been struck by lightning.
“Bro, what are you doing? We’ve been looking everywhere!” one of them groaned.
Sora blinked slowly, a smile tugging at his lips. For once, he ignored their teasing.
Maybe… just maybe… it was time he got himself a housekeeper.
I have been trying my luck with writing again. What do you think? Would you want to read chapter 2?
Mrs. Anime Mom 