Authors Note: I do not own Oshi No Ko, all rights belongs to their original copyright holders.
Not going to lie, alot of this story was made up on the fly, so there is alot more improvisation compared to my other story "My Sensei". Still, considering this is something I'm writing purely for fun and fluff, because hot damn is Oshi depressing, I thought it would still fit quite well.
First real chapter I guess, most chapters will be in this word range.
Thanks as always for reading, hope you enjoy.
The muttering of shocked s filled the small cafe, as the newscaster read aloud the breaking news they had received just moments ago.
Earlier today, acclaimed Idol of the group B-Komachi, Ai, was attacked at her apartment complex by an assailant with a Knife. According to a written statement by Ai herself, as well as surveillance footage captured at the scene, the attacker was subdued by an unknown third party. The figure who saved Ai from the attack was wearing a black hoodie, and the only recognizable feature captured on camera was what appeared to be a strand of blond hair. Strawberry Productions, the managing company of B-Komachi, released a statement asking for any information on the figure who saved Ai, as they wish to personally thank them and supply them with a monetary reward. Tonight's B-Komachi concert at the Tokyo Dome has subsequently been canceled, and will be rescheduled at a later date.
The news blared through the cafe, murmurs filling the air as everyone whispered to each other, voices etched with fear and relief in equal measure. While the thought of Ai being attacked was horrifying, the fact that someone had saved her was equally as gratifying.
'I can't believe Ai was attacked! I just bought her new CD! I'm gonna listen to it as soon as I get home in support of her!'
'I don't really follow the idol scene, but I'm just glad a young girl's life wasn't taken from her so soon.'
'I wonder who saved her? Maybe it's a secret boyfriend?'
As everyone chatted amongst each other, in the corner of the cafe was a different figure, one who was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, with a black hoodie draped across the back of their chair. Their golden blond hair hung down in their face, as they looked down at the table with red eyes, as finally their tears had dried up.
It had been several hours now since they had saved Ai from being killed, changing the course of history for not only Ai herself, but for her two kids, Ichigo, Miyako, the future B-Komachi, everybody…
Was it the right decision?
They liked to believe it was.
Leaning back in the chair, the figure brought a hand up and wiped a stray strand of golden hair from their eyes and sighed.
"Do you want a refill sir?"
The figure looked up at a young waitress with black hair, a small smile gracing her face as she looked down at his empty coffee cup. Trailing her gaze towards it, the figure nodded as he pushed it towards her. "How much, four-hundred yen?"
"Hm? For a refill? I'm afraid you're doubling up." She gave a small laugh as she waved her hand. "Two-Hundred Yen even is all."
"...Things sure were cheaper back then…"
"Huh?"
"...Nothing, I'll take a refill." The waitress tilted her head, but simply smiled anyway as she grabbed his cup and took it away, leaving the figure alone as he closed his eyes and gave a small sigh.
This figure, the one who had saved Ai and changed history…
Was sixteen year old Aquamarine Hoshino, the son of Ai.
Or as he now went by…Gouro Amamiya.
How was it that Ai's sixteen year old son had saved her, considering he should only be around four years old at this given point?
It was all thanks…
To a girl of the crows.
The full moon hung in the night sky above, bathing Aqua in its pale light, his eyes almost neutral as he stared…
Stared at the corpse of Gouro Amamiya, his old life.
B-Komachi had come to his old hometown for a photoshoot, and he had decided to tag along for this reason…To find his corpse, which for sixteen long years had gone undiscovered. It wasn't where he thought it would be, he had checked all around the cliffside where he had been pushed off, but it yielded no results.
Even though Akane, his on air girlfriend had even come along the trip and assisted him, he still found nothing.
He had almost given up, thinking that either wild animals had long eaten his flesh and his bones were several feet underground, or that some sort of sick body snatcher had found him and took him to be a plaything.
Yet as he was heading to his hotel room for the night, he had suddenly been surrounded by crows.
It was strange to say the least, but what was even stranger was that they had seemingly begun to guide him. Whenever he went in a direction they didn't like, they forced him in another. Whenever he attempted to stop, they pestered him until he continued.
They did this for several minutes before he came upon this area, an old shrine hidden in the forest.
As soon as he did, the crows dispersed, leaving him alone. Figuring he would check on what exactly they were guiding him to, he went over to the shrine and checked it.
Which led to the discovery of his old body.
All he could do was stare, looking over the body a hint of both resentment and acceptance. He had long accepted that Gouro Amamiya was dead, and whether he liked it or not, he was now Aquamarine Hoshino, the son of Ai Hoshino.
Yet…He still resented the man who killed him…Who killed Ai.
He resented it all.
If he had never chased after the stalker that night.
If he had just stayed with Ai until she went into labor…
He could have stayed as Gouro Amamiya…
Instead of being born into a life he despised.
Letting a sigh escape his nose, Aqua took a step towards his old corpse…
Before a voice from behind stopped him. "A doctor whose life was snuffed out long ago, yet was given a second chance in life as an aspiring world famous actor…It's quite the fairy tale, don't you think so Aquamarine?"
Quickly turning around, Aqua's eyes landed on what appeared to be a young girl dressed in all black, her white hair fluttering in the wind as she looked at Aqua with a small smile. "Who…"
Aqua went to speak, yet immediately his eyes took in all of the crows that had gathered around the two of them, with a few of them landing on the young girl's shoulders.
"You…You're the one who led me here, aren't you?"
"Perhaps I am, though the crows often ensure fate stays on its intended course." The girl reached up and scratched under the beak of one of the crows, as she kept her small smile aimed towards Aqua. "I had fully intended to lead your sister, Ruby Hoshino, to this corpse…Yet it seems fate wished for you to see it instead."
"Ruby…Why here, she has no connection to my past."
"Are you sure about that, Aquamarine Hoshino? Surely you've had your suspicions…Suspicions about who Ruby Hoshino was before her life ended prematurely?" Aqua narrowed his eyes as the girl gave a low chuckle, shaking her head back and forth. "Well, I suppose I don't need to spell it out for you, you can put it together from that information alone."
Aqua kept his glare on the girl, before flickering his eyes to the ground and gripping his hands.
"In any event Aquamarine Hoshino, the emotions you feel for this corpse are intriguing…You resent your failures, yet you also hate this new life you have been given. You cannot deny this, I can sense everything about you. You may think of yourself as some great actor, yet you are quite easy to read." The girl gave a chuckle as a crow flew over to Aqua and landed on his shoulder, causing him to flinch somewhat. "I can understand your situation, blaming yourself for thinking that stalker had no chance of coming back to haunt you…Well, you're not wrong, you are very much responsible for Ai Hoshino's death."
Aqua gritted his teeth as he narrowed his eyes at the girl, turning his body fully to face her as she smirked.
"Are you angry? Do you hate hearing the truth? The truth that you failed as not only a doctor, but as a son, and allowed your own mother to be killed!?" The girl gave another low chuckle as another crow flew over and landed on Aqua's shoulder, as he could feel his anger boiling over as his hands shook. "Don't forget that anger, that hatred, Aquamarine Hoshino…Remember it, and cherish it…"
"W-What are you getting at!?" Aqua yelled over to her, his voice full of the same anger she mentioned, only making her smirk widen.
"That anger and hatred you carry, do you wish for it to fester and grow, only to be unleashed…When you kill your father." Aqua bit down onto his lip hard enough to draw blood, as the girl gently floated closer to Aqua. "Or…Do you wish to use it…For another purpose?"
"...What purpose? Killing the bastard that took Ai, that put Ruby through everything, that made this life of mine a living hell…That is the only purpose that I live for. As soon as he's dead by my hand…This life of mine, will be taken along with it."
"I sense no lie, you speak the truth…Yet, you hate it…You resent the fact that your life is nothing but a vehicle for revenge. Embrace it, Aquamarine Hoshino." The girl's voice grew to almost a whisper in his ears, as she reached out and touched his arm. "Embrace it…Use it for a second chance…"
"...Second chance at what?" Aqua spoke with bitterness, as the girl floated up into the air to match his gaze.
"A second chance at life…A life…Where Ai Hoshino lived." As soon as the words left her mouth, Aqua's eyes suddenly went wide.
"...What?"
"I can give you a second chance, a chance for your mother to live…Yet, undoing the past comes with consequences. A life for a life, if you will." The girl held out her hand, as a familiar knife appeared in it. "Take your life, free the soul of Aquamarine Hoshino, and allow me to take it. I will take your soul, and transport you back twelve years to the past, on the very day that Ai was killed and put you back together. You can change history forever, you can give her a second chance, let your sister and even your past life live like they always intended to…All it will cost you…Is this life right here, that you resent so much. Just know, even after you save her, you won't be brought back. Once history is altered, this timeline will cease to exist…The relationships and events that have been built up…Will no longer happen."
The world around Aqua went dark, as crows began to circle the two of them.
"You will remain in the past, living whatever life you want. Just know…Just because you save Ai that day, doesn't mean she's safe, far from it. If you fail to save her a second time, whether it be on the day I send you back to…Or a completely different day…There will be no third chance."
The girl's laugh was low and dark, as Aqua took in her words and brought his gaze down towards the knife in her hand. The knife was all too familiar, as it was already stained with blood…
It was the knife that Ryosuke had used to kill Ai, all those years ago.
Gulping, Aqua brought his hand up and grabbed the hilt of the knife as he held it up towards his face. "If you refuse my proposition, you will continue to live in this life, and I promise not to interfere…Just know, your ending in this life is not one of happiness."
"...And the ending if I go back?"
"Mmm…Who can say?" She gave another low dark chuckle as Aqua turned his gaze back towards the knife, looking it over and back as he gave a small sigh.
"Continue to live a life I resent…Or save a life that was never meant to end…" Aqua brought the knife up to his chest as he took a deep breath. "My answer is obvious."
"Then…Plung it deep, Aquamarine Hoshino…Or rather….Doctor Gouro Amamiya."
Gripping hard onto the knife, the crows continued to circle the two of them as Aqua closed his eyes, memories of everything he had ever experienced, the relationships he had formed, the people that meant everything to him…
Which only furthered his resolve.
Ai living…Would make all of their lives better.
Aqua readied the knife…
And plunged it deep into his chest…
….
..
..
"Very well, Doctor Gouro…May this time cease to exist, and may the future you create be a better one."
What felt like only moments after that was when Aqua awoke, and the first thing he saw was Ryosuke walking up the apartment steps with the flowers in hand.
He didn't have time to think or plan or anything…
He just gave chase.
And well…He had done it…He had saved Ai.
Now, he sat at a cafe, with absolutely no plans of what to do next.
As he sat there, Aqua reached inside of his pocket and pulled out his phone as he turned it on. It seemed the Crow Girl had brought all of his belongings back with him, so he had his phone, wallet, keys and a few other miscellaneous things.
Not that having his phone helped him.
Unsurprisingly, he had no service. It would be years before his phone was even created, people were just now switching from flip phones to touch screens, so a phone like his that was advanced enough to do video game emulation?
He had better luck connecting to a fast food joint's wifi.
Still, it wasn't all bad. He could still browse his contacts, and though most numbers were a few years from being active, there was still one he could use.
Taishi Gotanda.
In all the years he knew the Director, he didn't change his landline number even once, hell he never even got rid of the landline. He always claimed it was because his mom used it, but Aqua had a sneaking suspicion that the director still used it as well.
Considering he had nowhere to sleep, eat, work, or really do anything, it was his only option. Obviously he couldn't say he was the kid but from the future…
But he could say that he was an actor wanting to try out for the Director's next film, which if the timeline stayed mostly accurate on that department, auditions for it would be soon.
Knowing how the director worked, Aqua was confident he could win him over in just a single meeting.
As Aqua searched through the rest of his contacts, the waitress returned as she sat the cup of coffee down onto the table. "Here's your refill sir!"
Aqua looked up at the waitress, and gave a small nod towards her as he reached inside of his pocket and pulled his wallet out as he quickly took out the change and handed it to her. "Here."
"Thank you sir!" She bowed towards Aqua, as she turned and made her leave. Aqua watched her as she walked away, giving a small sigh through his nose.
"She aged well…Or…Will age well, I guess." Aqua gave a low comment as he brought the cup to his lips and drank from it, as he leaned back in his chair. The chatter in the cafe still concerned Ai, though it seemed the talk had mostly died down as the news switched over to the weather forecast for the day, though the mention of her attempted murder still occasionally scrolled by at the bottom.
As Aqua sat at his table, simply trying to collect his thoughts, he heard the giggling of high school girls from behind him.
'Hey check out that guy over there, I've not seen him around.'
'Wow me neither, you think he's from out of town?'
'I don't know, but he's really cute!'
'You should go and talk to him, see if he needs…A tour around the city.' The girls continued their giggling as Aqua just let his eyes fall to the side, as he ran a hand over his chin. Even without being a semi famous actor, Aqua still knew that he possessed a genetic makeup that was pleasing to the female eye. Was it thanks to his bastard of a father, or could Ai take most of the credit?
Perhaps it was a little bit of both.
Either way, attracting the attention of nearby girls wasn't new, though a part of him had hoped that they would be too busy discussing Ai's attempted murder.
Since she lived, it seems like the populace, while shocked, brushed it off for the most part.
Not all that surprising, he guessed.
As Aqua sat there and brought the cup up to his lips, he heard the sound of heels approaching from behind as he gave a small sigh through his nose. It seemed like the girls actually had the confidence to approach him.
He gave them more credit than the girls of his time at the very least.
Finally after a moment, one of the girls stopped beside him as they spoke. "Um…"
"Hm?" Aqua turned his attention towards the girl, causing her to blush as he took in her features. She had white hair that extended down to her waist, as her petite, almost babylike face, had a faint blush on it as she smiled at him. "...Yes?"
"Ah um…S-Sorry if I come off as forward, but I don't think I've seen you around here before! I was just wondering if I could maybe…Show you around?"
"Show me around?" Aqua said in his low voice, causing the girl to stiffen and nod as she gazed into his aqua blue eyes. "I don't intend to be rude, but I live in Tokyo, so I can get around just fine."
"E-Eh? O-Oh um, of course! It is a big city, it makes sense I haven't seen you before, eheh…" She scratched the back of her head, clearly not expecting that response as she turned her head towards the side. "W-Well, how we go somehow and have a drink together?"
"...We're already at a cafe…" Aqua raised his cup towards her before bringing it to his lips, as her expression fell even more.
"O-Oh right…Um…C-Can I atleast have your name…?"
"...Aqu-" Aqua caught himself as his eyes widened some, before they dropped back down.
He couldn't call himself Aquamarine Hoshino, that name belonged to the current Aqua, the one…The one who now wouldn't go down the dark path he had.
In his haste with Ai, he had called himself Gouro Amamiya, but that was a whole other can of worms, especially if he took in the butterfly effect on things, it was possible some sort of chain event would now occur that would cause his body to be found.
His eyes scanned across the cafe, before they landed on an old man, who was reading over a history book and had flipped to a page about the assassination of Oda Nobunaga.
The one who killed him was…
Well, even though he had time traveled, his true goal remained the same.
To find and kill his father.
That much would never change, those memories would never be erased.
He had decided.
Moving his eyes back up at the girl, he gave a small wave of the hand. "Gouro Akechi…"
"A-Ah Akechi-kun, it's nice to meet you…I'm uh Kei Shirogane and um…Y-Yeah…" An awkward silence fell between the now Gouro Akechi and Kei Shirogane, as she scratched the back of her head. "A-Anyway um…I-I'll let you get back to your drink!"
She gave a quick bow before running back over towards her friend, a red embarrassed look on her face, leaving Gouro alone at his table.
"Gouro Akechi…Alright, I should get in contact with the Director, I'm a lame duck until then." Finishing up his coffee, Gouro pushed himself up from the table as he flung his hoodie over his shoulder, as he began to walk out of the cafe, as the whispers of the girl from behind could barely be heard.
'Well, how did it go?'
'That was a complete failure, he turned down every trick I read in the book! I guess operation 'Learn love to help my brother' is a bust, Fujiwara-chan.'
A cold breeze permeated through the air as Gouro made his way down the somewhat familiar street, as civilians made their way here and there, covering the streets as the rush to get home from work was in full gear.
As Gouro walked down the street, he continued on before he saw his destination.
A payphone.
In his time, the payphone he was heading to was worn down, the only people ever using it being elders or people whose cell phone battery was dead.
Even now in the past, nobody appeared to be using it, though the state it was in was much better.
Quickly arriving at it, Gouro pulled the door open and walked inside as he took out his own phone, quickly loading up his contacts and selecting the Director as he began to type in the saved number.
Once he paid, he brought the phone up to his ear as the line began to ring, before finally…
"Hello? Gotanda residence!" The all too familiar voice of the Director's mother, though younger, filled the line as Gouro took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Yes, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if Taishi Gotanda was available to speak?"
"Eh, Taishi? He's been pretty busy working on his script or whatever it is he does in his room, so I'm not sure if he's free to talk right now."
"Ah well, I'm actually calling about his script, I wish to work with him on his next movie, if he's willing." Gouro spoke in a fake friendly voice, making him come across as charming, even over a phone, to Taishi's mother.
The strategy seemed to work.
"Ahh well in that case, hold on one moment!...Taishi! You have a call!" Suddenly calling out loud enough for Taishi where even the phone picked it up, Gouro waited as he soon heard an argument, before finally the sound of footprints as the phone was picked back up.
"Yes…? Taishi Gotanda speaking…" No doubt that was the Director's voice, even back then, he had the voice of a man that was dead inside.
"Ah Gotanda-San, I apologize for the sudden call." Gouro kept his charming tone, radiating over the phone as he continued. "My name is Gouro Akechi, and I acquired your number from an acquaintance of mine who says you're holding auditions for your next film?"
"Eh…Well, audition is a strong word. I mostly plan to bring back most of the cast from my last film, so there are very few open spots." Gouro narrowed his eyes, confusion flickering before he understood. He barely remembered the Director asking him if he wanted to do a new movie a few weeks after Ai's death, but he turned it down.
This seemed to be the same movie, which if he was bringing over the entire cast of the last movie…
Well, not like he has anywhere else to go for the time being.
"I'm willing to audition for any role, I believe my acting skills are good enough to surpass even your low expectations."
"Cocky aren't you? Well I plan to have auditions in a couple of weeks once I get some of the roles finalized, so just come by-"
"Excuse me, Gotanda-san, but perhaps would we be able to do an audition today?"
"Huh? Today?" Taishi seemed taken aback, before a sigh escaped his lips. "Look, just because you went out of your way to find my number, doesn't mean I can throw my entire schedule into the trash and accommodate you."
"Of course, I understand…But Gotanda-san…" Gouro suddenly lowered his voice, taking on a darker tone as he continued. "I'm not like most other actors, I am confident my abilities will cause you to cast me on the spot."
"Tch…" Taishi seemed taken aback over the phone, a silence overcoming the two of them before he gave another sigh. "If you waste my time, I have enough connections to make sure you never get another job again you know."
An empty threat, Gouro knew that much, Taishi knew people in the industry but he wasn't famous enough to hold that kind of power.
At Least…Not in his original time anyway.
"Of course, one meeting is all I need to convince you." Silence followed once again after Gouro spoke, as he heard the brief lightning of a match, and then a puff from a cigarette as Taishi finally responded.
"Meet me at the Leblanc cafe in one hour, I expect you to pay." With that, the phone was hung up on Taishi's end as Gouro moved the phone from his ear and looked at it with a blank look.
Was he truly that confident in his acting ability? Who could truly say, but at the very least he knew it was the only thing he had going for him right now. He had little money, no connections, no relationships, hell he wasn't even legally a person.
All he had was his acting ability that allowed him to gain some roles in the future, and now it was time to put them to good use.
Hanging the phone back up, Gouro looked out over the people passing by as he sighed. "Leblanc huh? Predictable as always…"
The walk to Leblanc was simple enough, passing by a few streets before finally arriving in the Shibuya district, as he made his way down a few back alleyways before finally coming upon the cafe tucked away in the corner.
Making sure he had enough money to cover drinks, Gouro grabbed the handle and pulled the door open as the sound of a bell rang out as the man at the counter, a middle aged man with black hair and a fedora on, looked up from his newspaper. "Huh? Never seen you before…Welcome, I guess."
Still as unfriendly as ever, Gouro thought.
Gouro nodded towards him as he looked across the empty cafe as he walked towards the back, sitting down at the booth as the man called out once again. "Let me know when you want something."
"...Two coffees, one pure black, the other with a hint of cream and sugar."
"Hm, alright." The man behind the bar got to work, as Gouro sat against the booth silently, the only noise being the news channel as it touched upon all manners of topics, including once again, Ai's murder attempt.
Murder attempt.
The words were still hard to process, that the attempt was a failure and Ai was living and breathing right, when originally she was long dead…
Rubbing his hand across his face, Gouro's eyes moved across the cafe, looking it over to see how much it changed over the years.
Really, the only thing that seemed to be missing was a painting from beside of the door, but other than that, it was relatively the same.
As he looked it over, the man who ran the cafe walked over and sat the two coffees down onto the table. "Are you expecting someone?"
"I am, work related."
"Ah, so no girl huh? Figured someone like you would have someone."
"I'm afraid not." Gouro gave a small chuckle, albeit one that was forced, as he leaned back in his chair and brought his coffee to his lips. As he did so, the door to the cafe opened once again as a younger girl, one that appeared a couple of years younger than Gouro, walked in and held a hand up.
"Sojiro-kun! The usual please!"
"How exactly does a middle schooler like you get away with not only being informal, but having a usual? What are you, a grandma?" Despite the man's words, he could only give a small smile as he got to work, as the brown haired girl waved her hand at him.
"Oh come on Sojiro-kun, I've been coming here for over a year now, you should be used to me." The girl said with a wide smile, setting her backpack down on a chair beside of her as she sat at the bar counter.
As she sat there, Gouro looked over and noticed a B-Komachi keychain hanging off of her backpack, raising an eyebrow as he gave a small chuckle. "I guess Ai was famous among middle schoolers back then…"
Though Gouro intended to just mumble it to himself, the girl looked back from the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You know Ai?"
"Hm? Well…She is the most famous idol in Japan, isn't she?" Gouro gave a deadpanned response towards her, intending to shut her up, yet she persisted.
"I know right!? I want to be just like her, singing songs and inspiring others! Oh it would be so much fun!" How exactly she got that from his vanilla response was beyond him, but Gouro decided talking to her would kill the time at the very least.
"You want to be an idol also then?"
"Oh absolutely! I train everyday, and go to as many auditions as I can! Though uh, I haven't exactly gotten a call back yet…" The girl gave an awkward laugh as she scratched the back of her head, a hint of sadness seeping through her words.
"Well…Just keep at it, the day you give up will be the day you regret for the rest of your life. Ai was an orphan, and yet she was able to get to where she is, right? So just keep at it." Gouro gave some basic words of encouragement to her, as he brought the coffee up to his lips once again, though the girls eyes just shined brighter.
"Ohh, you know Ai was an orphan also!? You must be a fan too!" The girl said with a laugh as she hopped off from her seat, and walked over to Gouro's booth as she sat at it. "What's your favorite song by her?"
"Eh?..." Gouro was taken aback by the girl's forwardness, as he turned his gaze to the side and relaxed a little. "...I suppose Star T Rain."
"Star T Rain!? That's awesome, that's one of B-Komachi's oldest songs! You must have been a fan for a long time!" The girl's eyes shined brightly as she spoke, causing Gouro to scratch the side of his cheek as he nodded.
"I suppose I have, I've been listening to them since…Since Ai was twelve years old…" Gouro's words left his mouth a bit hestinly, as the girl squealed.
"That's so awesome! I've been a fan since I was about eight years old, so about six years now…You have me beat by seniority by two years." The girl said with a cat like wink, as she leaned back in the booth as the man known as Sojiro came over and placed her coffee in front of her. "Thank you Sojiro-kun!...You're not a fan of Ai, I can never talk about her with you…"
"No offense kid, but why would I have any interest in some teenage singer?" Sojiro said with a sigh as he turned and left, as the girl stuck her tongue out towards him.
"Yeah yeah…Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah! My favorite song would have to be Idol!I've always wanted to memorize the dance, but I've never been able to."
"The Idol dance? What part are you having trouble with?" Gouro said with a hint of interest, as the girl looked around the table as she reached over and picked up a pair of chopsticks.
"Um…It's like this right here, where you circle your arms and then go side to side, but I can never put it into full motion." Gouro watched as the girl attempted the part she was having trouble with, and while she was able to do it by taking her time, the moment she attempted to do it in one consecutive motion, she messed up.
"Hm, can I see those chopsticks?" The girl raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it as she handed the chopsticks over to Gouro, who grabbed them gently from her hands. "The reason you're messing up is because of this part right here, you want to move your arms out to the side more when doing one fluid motion, and keep them centered for when you move your body side to side, like this…"
Gouro explained to her what to do, before quickly doing the part of the dance himself as he sat down, effortlessly going through the motions and the part she was messing up on without issue, as the girl's eyes widened and shined. "W-Wow! You can do the dance perfectly!"
The girl looked at Gouro like he was some kind of rockstar, eliciting a small chuckle from him as he shrugged. "I've practiced a lot I guess, it's almost like muscle memory."
"W-Wow, I've not met a boy around my age who is such a big fan of Ai, at least openly about it! Y-You're really cool!"
"Huh? Ah…" Gouro looked to the side a bit taken aback, as he placed the chopsticks back onto the table. "Thanks I guess, but I'm not really one to compliment."
"Huh? Why not? I think it's awesome you're such a big fan of Ai, and aren't embarrassed to show it!" The girl kept her smile, continuing to compliment Gouro as he just sighed and accepted it.
"In any event, just take the advice I gave you, and you should be able to get that part of the dance down in no time." Gouro said with a small smirk, as he drank more from his coffee as the girl nodded.
"Thanks a bunch, it really does mean alot!" *The girl fidgeted in her seat, suddenly getting somewhat embarrassed as she looked towards the side. "Um, maybe we can meet again sometime?"
"Hm? Like-"
"S-So we can talk more about Ai of course, and how amazing she is!" The girl gave a small laugh, as Gouro seemed to contemplate her words before he resigned himself to it.
"Alright sure, do you have a number I can call you by?"
"Eh? A-Ah yeah!" The girl reached inside her pocket, pulling out a flip phone as she opened it up. "S-Sorry, I just got this, my first ever phone…Um…My number is…"
As the girl began to read out her number, Gouro opened his own phone and went to his contacts, as he began typing in the number. Although he didn't have any service, it was better than writing it down on a piece of paper and losing it.
"W-Wow, that's a really weird phone!" The girl exclaimed, as Gouro turned his gaze towards the side.
"Ah yeah, it's from…America." Gouro made up a lie on the spot as he kept typing the number in, before his phone gave an error.
Number already Recorded
Gouro stared at the message, before raising an eyebrow as he looked up at the girl and began taking in her features. "...If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
"Eh? Oh I guess we never told each other, haha…" Letting another awkward laugh escape, the girl gave a small bow as she spoke. "My name is Hazuki Kurashiki, but all my friends just call me Mem! It's a long story, haha."
Gouro's eyes widened as he heard her speak, a sense of disbelief coursing through him. "M-Mem…?"
"E-Eh? Y-Yeah…" Mem blushed a little as she looked to the side. "S-Sorry, caught off guard by you just casually calling me that, haha…"
"Huh…Oh right…Sorry, Kurashiki-chan."
"O-Oh no it's okay! Feel free to call me Mem!" Mem waved her hands back and forth, as Gouro just gave a small nod.
"My name is Gouro…Gouro Akechi." Gouro made sure to use the fake name he had come up with, as Mem nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Akechi-kun!"
"S-Same, Mem…" Gouro forced a smile as he pretended to put her info in, before placing his phone into his pocket.
"Um…Can I have your number too?" Mem asked a bit sheepishly, as Gouro's voice caught in his throat as he quickly thought of something.
His real number was at best not active, and at worst, currently used by someone else. He could tell her he didn't have one at the moment, but she might not take that the best.
Instead he had to improvise.
Taking his phone out once again, Gouro flipped through it before landing on a number he dialed not too long ago and gave it to her.
That number? Director Taishi Gotanda's number.
He was pretty much screwed if he couldn't convince the Director to not only give him a role in the film, but a place to stay also, so he might as well just put all of his eggs into the same basket.
Mem quickly typed the number into her phone, before saving it as she smiled at Gouro. "Thank you Akechi-kun! I'll…Call tonight?"
Gouro was a bit caught off guard by her request, but just gave a small nod. "Sure, that's fine."
Mem gave a small giggle in response, before she looked over towards the clock. "Uh oh! I have to get home soon! Sorry Akechi-kun, I completely lost track of the time!"
"Ah, it's fine…" It worked out, the Director would be here soon enough.
Quickly grabbing her coffee, she drank the rest of it as quick as she could, before placing the change onto the counter and running out. "Thanks Sojiro-kun!"
"Yeah yeah, be careful on the way home kid!" Sojiro yelled out with a sigh as he grabbed her cup and brought it over towards the sink and placed it inside, before he looked over at Gouro and smirked. "You sure you only came here for something work related? You have quite the smooth tongue kid, I haven't seen her open up to someone like that in a while."
Gouro blushed slightly as he understood what Sojiro was implying, as he just drank more from his cup.
"Yeah…Just work…"
About twenty minutes after Mem left, the door to the cafe opened once again as a familiar looking middle aged man, though not as old as Gouro remembered, walked in as he looked over at Sojiro and gave a small wave. "Sojiro-san, the usual I guess."
"Ah, director?" Taishi looked up as Gouro waved towards him, as he held up a cup of coffee. "Already have you covered."
"Eh? You must be Akechi…" Taishi trailed off as he walked over and sat down in front of Gouro, as he looked at the coffee. "This is cold isn't it?"
"Well, you drink cold coffee don't you?"
"Eh, how do you know that?"
"If I want to be in your film, I might as well study up on every single detail I can find, shouldn't I?" Gouro said with a fake chuckle, as Taishi seemed a bit taken aback and shook his head.
"Damn actors, some of you can be pretty creepy." Taishi said with a sigh as he sipped from his coffee, his eyes going a bit wide. "You even know exactly what I put in it…Geez…"
Gouro gave another fake chuckle as Taishi shook his head and leaned back, as he reached inside of his coat pocket and pulled out a small script as he handed it to Gouro.
"Anyway, here's the rough draft of the script, figure you don't mind if we use this. There's a cafe scene so we'll just go over that for the audition, it fits the scenery." Taishi said a bit disinterested, flipping through the pages. "I'll play the role of the main character, and you can be his friend that he's talking to."
Gouro just nodded as he looked through the script, reading over the character descriptions quickly before turning to the page that Taishi instructed. Once he arrived, he quickly read over the scene, taking in the notes Taishi had wrote down, as well as using his vague memory of the movie to review how the final scene went down.
After a minute of doing all of that, Gouro nodded as he set the script down and forced a smile. "Ready whenever, Gotanda-san."
"Already? Well, the quicker we get done, the better…" Taishi said without much interest, before focusing his attention on the first line as he began to speak. "I don't know Makoto-kun, everytime I attempt to tell Kirigiri how I feel, I get nervous and pitter out…"
Taishi said with all the enthusiasm of a dying whale, yet Gouro kept a serious look on his face as he closed his eyes and pretended to ponder.
"Well…The longer you keep the act up, the higher a chance someone else steals her from you." Gouro opened his eyes at Taishi, and pretended to shake his head as he leaned back. "Come on Hinata-kun, you saved her life! Even if she turns you down, she won't be an asshole about it…Unless of course, you ask her out after she already says yes to someone else."
Gouro said what appeared to be genuine exhaustion at the character of Hinata, catching Taishi a bit off guard, yet he kept reading on.
"I just…I don't know, I guess I worry if I do ask her out, and she says no…The pain, I'll feel." Taishi once again said with almost no enthusiasm, yet Gouro continued to fully get into the role.
"Ok, and what about if she says yes? Think about how happy you'd be, and how much your life will change! You'll go from the dopey ass son of a bitch at work who's only redeeming quality is the same party you've been using since High school, to the dopey ass son of a bitch who snagged the catch of the century man. People always say it's hard work that gets you to the top, but that's all bullshit! It's appearances, like…You want to be the assistant manager, right!?"
"Huh? Well I-"
"Don't bullshit me Hinata, right?" Gouro continued his act, catching Taishi more and more off guard as he gave a small cough into his hand and nodded.
"Eh, yeah I do but-"
"Then go and ask her out man! Do you think Hagakure-san wants his assistant manager to be some nerd who goes to an empty home everyday and eats ramen cups, or do you think he wants a nerd who has a girl he can show off? It's all about appearances! Do you understand me man?"
"...I guess, but even still-"
"But nothing Hinata-san!" Gouro suddenly stood up from his booth and slammed a fist down onto the table, shocking Taishi and even making Sojiro look over in surprise. "Let me spell it out for you man, you either ask her out and turn your pathetic life around, or you continue to be a fucking nobody with no balls. Which is it, if you want to continue to be a nobody, then stop calling me over to have coffee with you, cause I'm tired of your cry baby ass when it comes to this shit."
Gouro spoke with what appeared to be genuine emotion in his voice, making Taishi look at him wide eyed, his mouth opening before closing again as he reached up and ran a hand over his face. "...Just who are you?"
Taishi finally pushed out, though Gouro didn't break character as he improvised the obvious non scripted line. "'I'm your best friend Hinata-kun, and I'm saying all this, because I can't stand seeing you throw this opportunity away."
Gouro spoke with more fake genuine emotion, as he reached down and grabbed Taishi's hands, as tears ran down his cheeks.
"So please man, please don't throw your life away…Please take what is given to you…" Gouro continued his improvisation as more tears continued to run down his face, making Taishi just completely shocked as he gave a small sigh and shake of the head.
"Geez, you actors…" Taishi pulled his hand away from Gouro and motioned for him to sit back down. "Alright, you're in."
"Heh, thank you, Gotanda-san." Gouro gave a bow towards Taishi before sitting back down, as he wiped the tears off of his face. "I told you, I was serious."
"Yeah yeah, I'll give you credit, you came prepared." Taishi said with a sigh, as pulled a cigarette out and brought it up to his lips before lighting it. "What's your number? I'll set up a date for you to sign the contract and all, along with your agency."
"Ah about that, I don't exactly have an agency."
"Huh? An actor with no agency?" Gouro nodded, as he leaned back in the booth.
"It's why I personally called you and not my manager or anything, cause…I don't have one. Is that a problem?" Taishi puffed on his cigarette, as allowed a small sigh to seep through.
"Well, depends…How old are you?"
"...Sixteen."
"Fuck…You're the legal age in most territories, but most isn't all…Some of the prefectures require you to be eighteen if you want to act without an agency."
"Well, it should be fine as long as I'm eighteen by the time the movie comes out, right?"
"No, because you would be shooting the movie while you're underage. Last thing I want is the board of directors coming after my ass for casting someone underage…You really don't have an agency? Have you not acted before?"
"...No, never been in anything before this." Technically true, in this time period at least.
"Seriously? The way you were acting, you were a natural…Normally I'd tell you to come back later, but someone with your talent, can't exactly let you slip through my fingers like that. I have connections to the industry, I can ask around and see if any of them would be willing to sign you based on my recommendation alone."
"...What about Strawberry Productions?" Gouro asked with a bit of hesitancy, as Taishi raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Why them? They mostly handle Idol stuff, you know, not exactly an actors agency."
If Gouro was being honest, he wanted to be as far away from Ai as he could be, both for his own mental state and also so as not to interrupt the life she could now live.
But he also wasn't stupid, his father would continue to come after Ai in some form or another, and now that her apartment complex had been compromised, he doubt she would be living there much longer so he couldn't exactly just stalk outside of it and see who attempted to visit her.
Plus…
Just because you save Ai that day, doesn't mean she's safe, far from it. If you fail to save her a second time, whether it be on the day I send you back to…Or a completely different day…There will be no third chance.
The words of the Crow Girl hung in the air, as Gouro bit down onto his lip.
He didn't exactly know what to do around her, or in the event he met his past self or Ruby…
But he knew he needed some sort of access to her, because until that bastard of a father of his was found…
Ai was never safe.
Gouro's eyes shined pure darkness, as his father crept into his mind.
Whether it be the present…
Or the past…
That son of a bitch was his to kill.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked up at Taishi and forced a smile. "That's exactly why, mainly focusing on Idol's and not actors will only benefit me, since I won't have any others to compete with."
"Hm, true, even with that Idol Ai, she's in a completely different league compared to your own, so won't really be competition between you two there…Well, not at first atleast I guess." Taishi continued to puff on his cigarette, as he collected the script and placed it inside of his coat pocket. "In any event, I'll get in contact with them and see what they say, I'll put in a good word for you and everything."
"Actually, if they're willing, I'll even meet with whoever from there. I should take the initiative afterall." Plus he knew everybody there, he would know exactly how to get onto their good side and win them over.
"I like the attitude, you'll go far in this industry thinking like that." Taishi sat up from the booth, giving a stretch as his back popped. "Anyway, what's your number? I'll call you once I get everything set up."
"Ah, one more thing, Gotanda-san…" Gouro pushed himself up as well, as he gave a sudden bow towards Taishi. "I…Don't have anywhere to live."
"...Eh?...Eh!? No place to live?"
"No, I…Don't have any parents or family members still alive, I've kinda just been moving town to town, doing odd jobs here and there for the past couple of years to make it by. Considering my age, you can imagine they were the worst of the worst." Gouro expertly lied through his teeth, as Taishi rubbed the back of his head.
"I-I see…"
"But if I can get on as an actor, I can finally stop moving around and settle down, right? In that regard…Would you allow me to stay at your place apartment, Gotanda-san?"
"Eh, mine?"
"I'll help around with chores, and I'll even count it towards my payment so you can only pay me half, or even less, than what I would make from the movie. I won't be a bother, I'll even find a part time job on the side so I can help you out…Outside of rehearsal hours of course."
Taishi kept rubbing the back of his head, before shaking it. "Geez, I just met you and in that time you completely blew out my expectations, and also asked to move in with me…Just who the hell are you?"
"Heh, call me Gouro…Gouro Akechi."
"Tch, well…Don't exactly trust you enough to let you sleep in my apartment…But there's a hammock on the rooftop that I placed to write on during sunny days, you can sleep on it…Just, maybe buy a large umbrella or something for when it rains."
"Of course, thank you Gotanda-san." Gouro stepped back and bowed once again, before raising himself up. "May I atleast use your restroom and phone? I don't have one of my own that works."
"Tch, yeah I guess, just don't be making phone calls all the time alright? That shit's expensive." Taishi said with another sigh, as he turned to leave. "Well, come on then, I'll tell the landlord you'll be using my hammock on the roof…I expect you'll pay if he charges for it?"
"Naturally." Gouro gave a small smile, as he turned towards Sojiro and paid for both coffees, as he followed Taishi out of the small cafe and back into the city, as they began heading for his apartments.
While not quite the room he was hoping for, it was better than nothing, and at the very least, his plan hadn't completely fallen apart.
Not yet atleast, Gouro thought.
"Can you give us a detailed description of the person who saved you? Any defining characteristics?" An officer adorned in a blue uniform stood in the doorframe, as a young woman with purple hair placed a finger on her lips and hummed.
"Um…He was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, but that's about all I saw…Maybe black dress shoes also?" The woman tilted her head, as the officer nodded as he wrote it down on a piece of paper before looking back up.
"Did you get a name?"
"Ah, um Gou-..." The woman stopped, her eyes narrowing before she suddenly shook her head. "No…No name…"
"I see…" The officer seemed unconvinced, but couldn't press the issue as he scratched the side of his head. "Well, we'll see if we can find him for you, but since he's not the victim or the culprit, there's not a whole lot we can do. At the very least, we're glad you're alright, Miss Ai."
The woman, the legendary idol Ai, gave a smile back and a nod. "Yes, I'm feeling fantastic! Just some shock is all!"
Ai gave a small laugh as the officer chuckled back, before he turned and reported to the other officers, who were still dusting around the scene but for the most part had collected everything they needed.
Once the officer left, Ai gave a small sigh as she shook her head and turned around…Only for a small crying child to slam into her leg. "Mama! I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Aw, it's okay Ruby, everything is A-Ok!" Ai gave a laugh as she bent down and pulled her daughter Ruby Hoshino into a hug, as she held her close, patting her back as her eyes sparkled. "A little old knife isn't enough to take me out after all!"
"M-Mama!" Ruby held on tighter to Ai's neck, as Ai continued to hug her back and pat her back. As she did so, her eyes moved up to a boy who was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed, a furrowed brow accompanying his face.
"Aqua? Is everything alright?"
"H-Huh? Ah yeah…" The small boy was Aquamarine Hoshino, Ai's son. Aqua turned his attention back towards the ground, his small fingers running over his chin. "How did he know about this place…?"
"..." Ai caught wind of his words but didn't say anything, insteading continuing to comfort the crying Ruby before gently standing up, hold Ruby close still as she walked over to the cough and sat down beside Aqua and pulled him into a hug.
"A-Ai?"
"I'm glad…" Ai interupted him, holding him close as a small smile accompanied her face as tears attempted to form in her eyes. "I'm glad you two are safe…"
"A-Ai…" Aqua gave a small sigh, before forcing a smile onto his head as he nodded. "Y-Yeah…"
"O-Onii Chan, of all times, you should call Mama…Well, Mama!" Ruby suddenly yelled out at him, yet Ai let a small laugh slip.
"It's fine Ruby, Aqua has never been one for manners." Ai said as she stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to lightly blush and look towards the side. "In any case, I guess I need to get a door lock, huh? If I hadn't been saved right, that…That could have been a tad worse!"
Changing her tone so not to scare her children, Ai kept her cheerful smile as Aqua looked up at her and tilted his head. "Who was that who saved you anyway? He seemed kinda young based on his voice."
"..." Ai looked down at the ground, as the name he gave rolled through her head.
Gouro Amamiya
Was it really the same one? The one who had spent almost the entire second half of her pregnancy with? The one…
Who vanished on the night she gave birth?
Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Ai simply gave a bright smile and a wink towards Aqua. "I guess you could say, he was an old friend!"
"Huh? Old friend?" Aqua tilted his head to the side, yet Ai quickly changed the subject to something else.
"In any event, what do you two want for supper tonight? Since the Dome concert was rescheduled, we can eat whatever we want!"
"H-Hey don't just change the sub-"
"I want Pizza Mama!" Ruby suddenly shouted out, as Ai giggled and ran a hand through her hair.
"I've never made it before, but I think there's a new restaurant downtown! We could send Saitou-san to go get some! Although…" Ai looked down at her stomach, running a hand over it. "I guess…It's never too late to learn a new trick or two!"
Aqua watched her movements, a twinge of sadness washing over him as he looked towards the door, where officers were standing around collecting any final pieces of evidence that they needed.
There was no doubt, the man who had attacked Ai was the same man who had killed him.
But how? How did he not only know where Ai gave birth…
But where she lived also?
It made no sense.
Someone had to have inside information, information directly from Ai.
But who? There was nobody that would be stupid enough to kill Ai, their cash cow…
Unless it was- "Aqua, wanna help me make pizza?"
"Huh?" Being dragged from his thoughts, Aqua glanced towards the side before glancing back at Ai, his eyes landing on the same spot she looked at…
The spot she would have been stabbed at.
"...S-Sure…" Aqua said hesitantly, as Ai gave a warm smile towards him, as Ruby perked up.
"Yay! Let's get to it, Onii-chan, I'll grab the flour!" Running over towards the kitchen, Ai only laughed before she reached over and laid a gentle hand onto Aqua's shoulder.
"Aqua, I promise, everything will be okay from now on, K?" Ai said with a grin, as Aqua could only look at her and nod.
"R-Right, of course it will…" Still, the thought of who leaked the information couldn't get out of Aqua's head, with the only possible person that had no immediate connections monetary wise to Ai being-
"Mama, I got the flour!" Suddenly running back over, Ruby suddenly tripped as the flour flung into the air and opened…
As all three of them were covered in the powdery substance.
Aqua's eyes widened as he shook his head. "R-Ruby! F-Flour isn't cheap you know!"
"I-I'm sorry! Mama, Please forgive me!" Ruby said with puppy dog eyes as Aqua gave a sigh, as he wiped the flour off of him the best he could.
Yet Ai…
"H-Hahaha!" Was laughing.
Covered suddenly in flour, her purple hair becoming a mixture of white, yet all Ai could do was laugh away.
A laugh, that Aqua swore, was the most genuine laugh he had ever heard from.
"Hahaha! R-Ruby, Aqua, I'm…" Tears came down Ai's face, as she gave a wide smile. "I'm so glad…We're a family!"
Aqua was taken aback by Ai's comment, as Ruby gasped as she suddenly ran forward and hugged Ai, tears coming down from her face also. "I'm glad we're a family too Mama!"
The mother and daughter laughed and cried together, as Aqua could only shake his head…Yet even a small smile graced his lips. "Geez, a family with the most unusual kids ever."
Aqua said with a chuckle, as the Hoshino family of three, relished their newfound time together.