Chapter 2
Hoshino Ruby stomped her feet angrily in the halls of her cozy home shared with her Mother and favored idol, Hoshino Ai.
She couldn't help it but she was a little bit jealous. Just a teensy tiny bit. As well as a smidge or two angry.
It was one thing to have Aqua, her brother, be a child actor in a movie her mother, her and Aqua's favored idol, she wanted to emphasize, is starring in. Honestly, she didn't think she was ready to act anyway, no matter what Aqua thought, so she let him do it. Especially since the director specifically asked for him.
It was also a thing for there to be another random genius child actor, starring in the exact same movie. She showed up with Aqua, and judging by what happened, Aqua completely crushed her! She could live with that brat appearing in the movie as long as she had evidence that the bloodline of Hoshino Ai surpassed that of that Hoshino Ai-doubting brat!
Well, she felt a little bad for her, that genius actor who licked baking soda super quick… Or something.
Wait, she was getting distracted. Gosh, baby bodies are so distractible.
There was one thing she had a suuuuuuuuuper big problem with, regarding her mother(and brother)'s debut movie, however.
Some brat was cast as Hoshino Ai's little brother! How dare some child actor brat be cast as her mother's bloodline when both her and Aqua, Ai's actual children, who were also available as child actors and are even part of the same movie, aren't cast in it?
The worst part, Ruby continued her thoughts as she annoyedly stomped her feet in the hallway, was that the kid was the brother of the other brat who insulted Hoshino Ai, only the most wonderful, most amazing, super EVERYTHING idol.
The same bloodline! Of that ungrateful, insufferable little demon.
She acknowledged that she was being a little petulant. Kind of a brat herself.
But apparently those brats' mother talked with Ai and had her forward a request to set up a play date with her supposed mother.
The thought made her a little nervous, even if it was quite innocent. That lady couldn't have figured out their family secret, right? She couldn't have.
Hoshino Ruby didn't think they did, but it was still possible that they could find out during the playdates, she decided. She strode boldly into the room where her mother, the president, and his wife discussed the matter.
"No. No way. They might find out, we can't do it." the president pushed firmly, his arms crossed in front of his torso.
Ever at least formal, if not professional to a fault, the president firmly defended his stance. Why wouldn't he? Risking the secret would risk everything he, his agency, and Ai had worked for.
It was true that neither Hoshino Ruby nor Hoshino Aquamarine needed playmates, really. Both were reincarnated babies, after all. Too bad the president couldn't use this in his defense because he didn't know that truth.
"But president…" Ai pouted. Hoshino Ruby's mother's thoughts went the other direction, completely opposite the president. She pushed for the play dates to happen. Ai did everything she could convince to president, using all types of manipulative tactics available to the single mother. Hoshino Ruby couldn't help smiling as she watched her mother argue in so many ways, from looking cute, to exclaiming her rights as a parent, to arguing logically about the benefits of socializing babies.
Ruby couldn't quite get it. Why on Earth did her mother push so hard for this playdate? She spotted Aqua sitting on the other side of the room and started the motion to join him so she could hopefully ask for his opinion, but Ai's deft hands swiftly grabbed her, using Ruby's cute face as a prop in her mission to convince the president to allow the playdate. Ruby peeked at Aqua's face throughout the whole ordeal but couldn't make out what he felt about that playdate, either.
Ruby only got more conflicted. She still didn't really want to allow the playdate, she thought, but as Ai kept doing her best to convince the president to allow the playdate, she couldn't bring herself to side against her mother who was doing her best.
It was after her mother started pulling out google-searched articles recommending that parents socialize their babies when the stalemate reached its peak, with both sides getting more and more heated in their debate. Finally, the two frustratedly broke it up and went to the tiebreaker.
Saitou Miyako, wife of Saitou Ichigo, was chosen to be tiebreaker. Ruby personally thought they should ask her and Aqua because it was them who would be forced to socialize with literal babies anyway but of course the adults in the debate wouldn't quite accept that.
Miyako-san looked quite uncomfortable being chosen as tiebreaker, actually. To the benefit of Ruby's preference, she was looking at the Hoshino twins as if to ask them for an answer to give.
Does she still believe that Aqua and I are avatars of Gods or something? The thought arose in Ruby like a bubble bursting forth from under the waters, and a little giggle escaped her. This giggle said nothing of her personal preferences regarding the playdate(she didn't want to play with brats who insult Hoshino Ai), nor did it say anything regarding her own conflicted opinion regarding whether she should support Ai in this debate or not (clearly biased to supporting her favored idol as usual).
Her expression showing a complex mix of disappointment and confusion, Miyako-san shook her head lightly, imperceptibly almost, before turning slowly to Ruby's twin, Hoshino Aquamarine. Aqua's face was as blank as it was when Ruby peeked at his face awhile ago, and Miyako-san's face turned more forlorn, starting to say something in support of someone, Ruby didn't know, but suddenly in the corner of both her and Miyako-san's eyes, Aqua stood up and walked over to sit beside his mother, opposite Ruby's own position.
"I think it would be okay to meet them, Ruby and I could maybe become friends with them." Aqua started, Ai's face lighting up in happiness with his words and Miyako-san slowly started gesturing in support of them.
The president's face started getting red in its own way, in anger or disappointment, Ruby didn't know, but Aqua continued with his statement. "As long as we meet them in a neutral place, never at the house so that we can lessen any chance that they find out the secret." Aqua's statement seemed to do a lot to mollify the president, who started to look thoughtful and suddenly, Ruby realized they were starting to convince him.
Miyako-san landed the final blow to convince the president. "I think Aqua makes a good point. Not to mention, now that he is an official member of Strawberry Productions, improving Aqua's ability to socialize and developing his network in the entertainment industry only benefits us. As long as we follow the correct safety precautions, I think we can maximize benefit with minimal risk. The risk isn't any more than Aqua's activities as a child actor, anyway." Miyako-san summarized professionally, sounding more like she was presenting in a meeting rather than talking at home with her husband and the family friends.
It was exactly what was needed to convince the president, however, whose arguments were all based on his fear that the risks to his business were too great. The president conceded the round to the combined efforts of the coalition of Ruby's beloved idol Hoshino Ai, Ruby's twin brother Hoshino Aqua, and Ruby's caretaker Saitou Miyako.
Ruby couldn't help but be impressed. Miyako-san pulled all of that off super professionally sounding, and even she, a reincarnated child, didn't understand everything she was talking about. Well, her previous life did end when she was 12, and its not like she sought out high education in between all her checkups, operations, physical therapy, general suffering, and of course, her sensei and Hoshino Ai times. But she could tell it was in support of Ai.
As Ruby glanced at her mother who was grinning victoriously at her children, she couldn't help but wonder. Seriously, why did she push so hard for this anyway?
Hoshino Aquamarine peeked at his mother who was grinning victoriously.
Honestly, he had no idea if he should've helped his mother like that. This whole thing could risk everything they had, after all. But he helped her because…
"Happiness as an idol… Happiness as a mother… Hoshino Ai is greedy, so she wants them both!"
A memory of Ai popped up in his head. It wasn't a memory he had as Hoshino Aquamarine, his current form, but as the doctor and idol fan he was in his previous life, Goro.
As much as Ai cared for and doted on him and Ruby both, this was the first time she had been quite so… adamant, he hesitated to say, about something regarding the kids.
She primarily defaulted to the president and Miyako-san's wisdom regarding the two of them, after all. Not that doing so is quite the knock against her, but, well, just from what he could gather from her publicly available backstory and the time he'd spent both as Hoshino Ai's doctor as well as her son, he could tell that she didn't experience the best parenting, if much of any of it at all. She wouldn't quite know how to parent as an orphanage kid, after all.
Not that Hoshino Aquamarine was much better off. He wasn't raised by his parents, only his grandmother, but he supposed that counted. That, and, well, the care of his new mother.
But if you included his experience as an OB-GYN doctor in his past life, perhaps he would be better at fostering and taking care of kids than he thought?
Speaking of this experience, Hoshino Aquamarine segued to himself in his own head. That's another reason to support this play date.
He found himself glancing at his twin sister, who was still staring starry-eyed at his mother.
Not that he couldn't relate with her. Hoshino Ai, his mother and favored idol is, of course, the cutest in the world.
I'm not the best person to say this. Hoshino Aqua thought to himself as he kept glancing at his twin sister. But, uh…
"Oniichan, let's crush that brat who thought himself good enough to play a role of being related to Hoshino Ai." Ruby spoke, her eyes smoldering with untold fanatic rage."
"Even I'm not that parasocial… Right?" he found himself mumbling his thoughts out accidentally.
His mother beside him seemed not to notice his mumbling, too caught up in her victory pose and planning the schedule for the coming days and weeks with the play dates in mind, but his sister had somehow heard him. Or at least a part of what he said.
Ruby crawled over to him and pulled at his face. "You… I don't really get what you said, but I have a feeling you said something rude about me."
Seriously? Aqua groaned as he pulled at her cheeks back. Why does she only get perceptive at times like this?
As the twins got into their sibling fight, their mother Hoshino Ai finally noticed, intervening finally and stopping their cheek pulling. "AAAAA, you two…" Hoshino Ai pouted as she scolded them. "You won't fight like this on the play dates will you? You'll be nice and behaved kids, right?"
Sorry, mom. Hoshino Aqua apologized in his head, while Hoshino Ai scolded them.
Sorry, because I'm pretty sure Ruby's not listening at all and just enjoying your pouting and scolding face. Aqua sweat dropped.
Hoshino Ruby looked like she was staring attentively at her mother during her scolding, but Aqua could tell in her gaze and expression that she was definitely just fangirling at seeing her idol's pouting and scolding face.
Not that I'm not enjoying it myself though, Aqua smiled to himself.
Please guys, every time I look at the Oshi no ko fanfic section and see my own fanfic is the latest one updated or posted, my heart shrivels a little more inside. I want to read Oshi no ko fanfics damn itttttttttttttttttttt
By the way, I edited chapters 1 and 2 just now to fix some minor errors, I hope nobody noticed anything ahaha
If you did, please write a better fanfic so I can read it. Please. I need more Oshi no ko fanfics.