Authors Note: I do not own Oshi No Ko, all rights belongs to their original copyright holders.
I'm finally starting to get some idea of what I plan to do for this series, besides the Hoshino Fluff.
Anyone curious why other anime's/games are referenced, it's because Oshi already has a small main cast, and going back to the past when everybody is still a kid doesn't help things. The other references are to help have scenes that would otherwise be filled by an OC.
Thanks for reading as always!
The sound of a small fan atop the desk was the only thing that filled the small room with sound, as four year old Aquamarine Hoshino quietly sat at a desk in the main room, a notebook opened in front of him as he pondered.
The previous day, his life was almost horribly altered as Ai was attacked by the same man who had killed him in his previous life…Yet she was saved by a mysterious stranger, one that Ai only referred to as an 'Old friend.'
How did the attacker know where Ai lived?
How did he know the hospital she was staying at, as well as her last name for that matter?
Who was the person who saved her?
Aqua had all kinds of questions and no answers, and it frustrated him as he looked down at the various notes and drawings he had marked down in an attempt to piece everything together. "...Two in the morning, and I still can't come up with anything."
Aqua sighed, frustration mounting as he wrote down more small notes, shaking his head as he grabbed the coffee in front of him and downed it. Someone his age shouldn't be having coffee in any shape or form…But someone his age also shouldn't be awake in the middle of the night, attempting to solve riddles.
Placing his coffee back down, Aqua sighed as he circled Ai's name on the paper. "The person who attacked Ai was the same one who killed me four years ago…Meaning that not only was he able to track down Ai's home address, but he also knew where she was having kids and also knew her last name…"
Aqua tapped the pencil against the paper, drawing a line over between 'Ai' and 'Stalker', before extending the line to the side and drawing a question mark.
"What links them? From how the police were talking, he's just some teenage kid who lives with his mom…There's no way he can know all that about Ai himself, and nobody else…Someone has to be telling him the information, but who?"
Aqua looked over the other names on the paper, slowly crossing them off one by one.
"Ichigo and Miyako wouldn't, not since Ai is their cashcow…You could maybe make a case for Ichigo at the hospital, have Ai die and kill the scandal along with her…But at this point, she makes him way too much money. As for Miyako, maybe she would have reservations about Ai and is annoyed at having to babysit me and Ruby. But, she would have no motivation for the Hospital, and much like Ichigo, Ai makes her a ton of money as well." Aqua took another sip of his coffee, crossing the names off as he looked at the others. "Ai isn't close enough with any of the B-Komachi members to share information about me and Ruby with, Director Taishi Gotanda makes money off of Ai as well, and obviously Ruby would have no reason to leak it, not to mention she was likely already dead by the time Ai gave birth or even got pregnant going off of the information she remembers."
Aqua leaned back in his chair, looking the piece of paper over as he brought a hand to his chin and held it.
"The only person who would obviously knew Ai had children, and might have enough trust from her to tell them where she would be having kids and also where she lives…Would be my Biological father…" Aqua's eyes narrowed as he wrote down 'father' on the paper, circling it and drawing a line to both the stalker…And the person who saved Ai. "On one hand, killing Ai would ensure her secret would never get out, if our father is some old bastard of a producer who raped her, that potential blackmail would be silened…But if that was the case, why would she tell him where she's having her kids and where she lives? If she did that…Wouldn't it make more sense, that the person who saved her was our father? Especially considering she said it was an old friend…But then that leaves the question of again, who told the stalker all the information she knew?"
Aqua let out an annoyed sigh, leaning back in the chair as he looked out the window and to the moon hanging above in the sky.
"With how secretive Ai is, trying to find somebody, let alone two different people, knowing her information is…Practically impossible. Even if I try to assume it's somebody from before I was born, we moved into this apartment just a couple of years ago, so it would loop back to being somebody she still trusts to tell that information to." Aqua was almost at his wits end, and apart of him was thinking of closing the book and heading to bed for the night.
That however, was interrupted as a door opened up from behind and called out. "Oh, so you are still awake."
"Huh?" Aqua quickly shut the book he was writing in, and turned around. "A-Ai…"
Standing in the doorframe in her purple pajamas was Ai, a small smile on her face as she walked on her bare feet over to Aqua. "What are you drawing?"
"A-Ah nothing…" Aqua attempted to pull the book towards him, but that only made Ai even more curious as she placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward.
"Hm? Is it something so secret, you can't even show your mama?"
"Ah uh…Well…" Aqua looked towards the side, scratching the side of his face. "It's…A birthday gift?"
"Well…I just turned twenty! So let me see my gift then!" Ai flashed a wide smile towards Aqua, making him sink even lower as she giggled. "Remember Aqua, if you're going to lie, you have to believe the lie yourself! Otherwise, it will just come across as flat and hollow."
"R-Right…" Aqua could tell that, ironically, she was telling the truth when it came to that. Turning his eyes towards the side, he let a small breath escape his lips as he clenched his small hand. "I was just…Curious is all."
"Hm? Curious about what?"
"...How the one who attacked you knew where we lived…I-I mean, nobody knows…Right?" Aqua gave a side eye glance towards Ai, who seemed a bit taken aback by Aqua's question, before giving another smile.
"Well, how do you think he knew?" She turned the question back around on him, making Aqua sink a bit lower into the chair.
"...Somebody told him, that's the only way."
"Heh, yeah, I agree." Ai said without hesitation, causing Aqua to perk up and look towards her.
"You agree…?"
"I mean, it makes sense right?" Ai said with a laugh, as she placed a hand atop Aqua's head and gave it a soft pet. "Do you know who?"
"..." Aqua's eyes narrowed as he saw what appeared to be hints of darkness flash through Ai's normally bright gaze, as he felt his chest tighten some. "...Somebody you trusted enough to tell, but also someone who would gain more from you being gone than you being around."
"Ding ding ding! I always knew my kids were super smart!" Ai said as she suddenly picked Aqua up and held him high in the sky.
"W-Whoah! Ai-" Aqua's words caught in his throat, as his eyes locked with hers, as he saw darkness fully engrossing her bright eyes.
"You're right Aqua, it was someone I trusted…Someone I've…Made mistakes with before." She said with a smile, as she brought Aqua in for a hug in the air, holding him with one arm and petting his back with the other.
"Ai…"
"...But it's not something you should worry about." Ai said softly, kissing the side of his cheek. "Mama can take care of herself, as well as making sure you and Ruby are alright, K? I just want you to worry about growing up, and enjoying life…Because seeing you and Ruby happy, is the greatest thing in the world to me."
"..." Aqua's voice caught in his throat, as he gently reached up and wrapped his arms around Ai's neck. "A-Alright…"
He didn't know what to say to Ai's words, as she just gave a soft giggle and slowly turned back towards the door. "Let's get to bed, we have a long day tomorrow…I have a press conference lined up to talk about the attack, have to replan the Studio Dome concert…Oh, and Miyako texted and said Director Gotanda wants me and you to star in his next movie."
"Another movie?" Aqua with a bit of dread, as he just sighed and laid his head on Ai's shoulder, exhaustion suddenly attempting to overtake him.
"Hehe, you'll do great…You always do." Kissing the side of his cheek, Ai carried Aqua to the bedroom, as his eyelids got heavier and heavier in her embrace, before suddenly…
The sweet release of sleep took its hold.
"Goodnight Aqua, I love you."
The sounds of cameras flashing and reporters shouting out questions filled the room as Ai sat on a booth, microphones all around her with her manager Ichigo Saitou on one side, and his wife Miyako Saitou on the other.
The press conference was almost exclusively about the attempt on her life, with very little questions directed towards the rescheduling of the Tokyo Dome Concert.
'Ai-san, why do you think a rapid fan would attack you!?'
'Is there a reason the police refuse to release his motives for the attack!?'
'Is it true the fan was an ex-lover who wanted you dead!?'
One by one the reporters shouted out questions, and one by one Ai kept her facade perfectly intact as she answered each question with words of nothing. Her answers were empty and hollow, nothing more than to fill a newspaper page and generate clicks for online headlines.
As the questions were shouted out towards her, near the back of the room were two familiar twins, the two of them sitting next to one another with a security guard close by. To the general public, they were the children of Ichigo and Miyako, their secret identities as the children of Ai were known to very few.
As they sat there, Ruby looked almost starstruck as she clasped her hands. "Even with all these reporters trying to get her to trip up, Mama is still so awesome! Don't you think so, Onii-chan?"
Ruby turned her head towards Aqua, whose own eyes were directed down towards the ground as a hand covered his mouth. "Hm…But that raises another question…"
Aqua spoke softly to himself, causing Ruby's excitement to dissipate some as she poked his side. "Onii-chan?"
"Huh? Oh…Sorry Ruby, I'm…Just thinking…"
"About what?"
"...About the man who attacked Ai…And the man who saved her…" Aqua rubbed his hand across his chin in a thinking movement, as Ruby tilted her head sideways. "There's so many things that don't make sense, from how he knew where we lived, to the 'old friend' that saved Ai…Not to mention, the one who had already called the police before I could. How does it all add up, it's almost like it was staged yet…I can personally attest, that man had nothing but ill will towards her."
Aqua gritted down on his teeth, as Ruby just side eyed him before placing her own hands together. "Hm…Maybe it was a guardian angel that saved Mama."
"Ruby, please, it's nothing as fantastical as that-"
"Why not though? I mean…We're pretty fantastic afterall."
"..." Aqua opened his mouth to speak, before closing it back and shaking his head. He couldn't argue with her on that, the fact reincarnation was a thing was something his mind still couldn't fully comprehend.
Still, if he started thinking about fantastical elements such as Guardian Angels, he would never come to a concrete answer that he could prepare for in the event…
In the event somebody attacked Ai again.
Even if by some miracle, a Guardian Angel had appeared to save Ai.
That still didn't discount the one who betrayed Ai, as evident by her answers last night, and the devil that wished to do her harm. Even if she had no intentions of sharing anymore information with this person, they were still clearly committed enough to kill her.
Committed enough that they waited four years in between attempts.
Was it because they didn't talk during that time?
Or did some event force their hand?
More questions he had no answers to…
Finally opening his mouth, Aqua looked looked Ruby in the eye. "Even if a Guardian Angel saved Ai, that still leaves the question of who sent the stalker to kill Ai and the only one I can think of…Is our father…"
"...Huh? What do you mean, afterall…" Ruby's voice dropped low, as she looked around and whispered. "We don't have a father, Mama had a virgin birth…"
"Ruby, please, if that had happened I think even Ai would have said something." Aqua replied in an annoyed tone, as he shook his head side to side. "But if the mastermind is our father, who is her savior? Who is this old friend?"
"Well, if you don't want to believe it's a Guardian Angel…" Ruby said with a pout. "Maybe Mama was just making it up when she said it was an old friend?"
"No, she wouldn't hesitate."
"Hesitate?" Aqua nodded, his eyes hazing over some as he looked up at Ai still taking questions.
"Ai is sharp, with her lies she can deflect any question aimed at her no matter the situation and comes up with lies as naturally as a fish swims…Yet when I asked who who had saved her, she seemed a bit taken aback, as if she was trying to find the words before finally deciding on something and replying. If it really was some stranger, she would have said so…Same applies if it was someone we know, like Ichigo or the Director…Whoever this was, was someone Ai…Someone she has some sort of history with, I just can't piece it together."
Aqua sighed once again in frustration, before pushing himself to his feet. "Where are you going?"
"Her press conference will be wrapping up soon, I'm going to the restroom before it gets filled with reporters afterwards."
"Oh…Ok…" Ruby said as she watched Aqua walk away and outside the door, her eyes a bit sad as she tilted her head. "Onii-chan…"
As Aqua made his way from his seat and out of the press conference, Ai watched on, conflicting emotions in her eyes as she continued to expertly lie.
"Huh? The park?" Aqua tilted his head to the side, as Ai stood in the backroom with the twins, a bright smile on her face as she nodded.
"Yep! A nice family trip to the park, just the three of us!" Ai smiled brightly at her own suggestion, a radiating presence as Aqua looked towards the side.
"You know we can't be seen with you in public though…"
"It's fine! I'll just wear a disguise, and if anybody does somehow recognize me, I'll tell them I'm taking my manager's kids out while he's busy getting drunk!" Aqua gave an awkward laugh, mostly at the tenacity of such a statement, especially as to why her manager would be getting drunk right after his star almost got murdered. "I got the perfect disguise too!"
Ai walked over to a backpack she owned as she unzipped it, and pulled out a blond wig as she quickly placed it over her head. "See? Now we have the same hair color!"
She boasted, as she placed on a pair of sunglasses along with it.
Aqua could only give another sigh, ready to protest the decision, yet before he could, his other half made her own thoughts very clear. "Mama! I want to go to the park with you!"
Ruby ran forward and wrapped herself around Ai's leg, causing her to chuckle and give a head pat. "It'll be a ton of fun! I can push you on the swing, we can play tag, and frisbee and all sorts of stuff!"
"Yay! Let's go Mama!" Ruby pulled on Ai's hand, towards the door, as Aqua walked over towards Ai's backpack and opened the front pouch, pulling out a book he had been reading as he placed it underneath his armpit.
"Huh? What are you doing with that?" Ai asked with a small smile, as Aqua shrugged in response.
"If we're going to the park, I'm sure I can find a good place to read at." Aqua attempted to dismiss her question, yet Ai only reached down and took the book from him. "H-Hey…"
"Now now, this is a family outing Aqua! You have to join in on the fun too!"
"M-Me…?" Aqua said, a bit taken aback, as Ai placed the book back in her bag and then grabbed Aqua's hand.
"Let's go! Time's a wastin!" Ai laughed as she pulled the two twins along with her at a steady pace, as Ruby began skipping along happily while Aqua just walked with a bit of an exasperated expression.
"I suppose it could be worse…" Aqua muttered under his breath, though he still wasn't particularly thrilled with this turn of events. He had expected that after the press conference, they would return to either the apartment or Strawberry Productions, and likely start planning out moving arrangements, as well as business concerning the rescheduling of the Tokyo Dome, along with whatever movie that Director Gotanda had lined up.
Speaking of which…
"Did you ever hear anything about the movie Director Gotanda is planning?" Aqua looked up and tilted his head at Ai, who bit down on her lip in thought.
"Hm…I think Miyako said it's some kind of romantic adventure movie, but I'm not entirely sure what it's about. She just mentioned that the Director wants as many people as he can get from his previous film to return, since it will make marketing easier."
"Makes sense…" Aqua trailed off, his mind going over all of the previous cast members.
Including…
"I guess…That means Arima will be included…"
Kana Arima, the Genius Child Actress who could flick a crying switch.
She had been the talk around town for the longest time, and even her role in the Director's last movie was highly praised.
Yet…
Please! Reshoot the scene! He can't be better than me!
Her breakdown during production stuck with him, as well as his talk with the Director afterward about what Kana needed to go through to have any sort of future in the industry.
Aqua wondered if that really did inspire her to change, or if she had dug her heels in even farther.
He supposed he would find out in short order.
"Ohh? That little red headed girl? Hehe, do you have a crush, Aqua?" Ai teased, causing Aqua to look up and her and shake his head.
"I-I'm a little too young for that…"
"Hmm maybe but…You always have been incredibly smart and mature for your age." Ai gave a wink down towards Aqua, causing him to stiffen some and avoid eye contact as the family emerged onto the busy Tokyo street, blending in seemingly thanks to Ai's simple yet effective disguise. "What about you Ruby, do you have a crush on a boy?"
"H-Huh?" Ruby looked up at Ai and blushed, before also avoiding eye contact though for different reasons. "W-Well, I mean…"
"Ohh? You do huh?" Ai had a mischievous glint in her eye, as she nudged Ruby along. "Come on, don't be shy, tell me!"
"A-Ah well…H-He's really smart…A-And kind…And always listened to my problem…A-And even though he didn't care for idols, he still watched your performances with me Mama!" Ruby stammered out, her blush deepening even more as Ai gave a small chuckle.
"Aww, that's adorable Ruby! You'll have to introduce me one day! What's his name?" Ai asked with her mischievous glint still present, as Ruby's blush reached a boiling point.
"A-Ah well, h-he doesn't really live around here…U-Um…A-As for his name…W-Well, I just called him sensei…Hehe…Heh…" Ruby barely pushed the words out as Ai raised an eyebrow, though her look didn't falter.
"Sensei? Ah, so it's someone older than you huh? Well, I guess kids do develop crushes on adults don't they? But hey, if he's still single when you get older, maybe you two can marry!" Ai started laughing as the trio turned a corner, as Aqua rolled his eyes with a small chuckle.
"Fantastic parenting Ai…Still…" Aqua thought to himself, as he turned his gaze towards Ruby. "She's likely talking about somebody in her past life…Not that I would know, she never talks about it…Granted, I guess I don't either…"
Ruby just chuckled alongside Ai, her face still a deep red as she rubbed the back of her head. "W-Well…He did say…When I reached Sixteen, he would consider it…"
"Hm?" Aqua let out a confused noise, tilting his head towards the side, yet he had no time to think on it as Ai hit back.
"Sixteen huh? So he's willing to wait that long for you…You have a keeper Ruby!"
"Y-You really think so, Mama?"
"Mhm, he has my full endorsement for your hand in marriage!"
"Should you really be giving your daughter away that easily!" Aqua yelled out towards her, yet Ruby just hugged Ai's legs.
"Thank you Mama! I love you so much!"
"Hehe, I love you too Ruby!" Ai took her hand off of Ruby's, and instead placed it on the young girl's head as they kept walking.
All the while, Aqua just looked up at the sky tiredly. "I suppose unusual kids, for an unusual mother…"
"Mama! Pass me the frisbee!" Ruby laughed as she ran along the grass of the park, laughing away as Ai pulled her hand back and threw it through the air, as it spun towards Ruby.
"Catch it Ruby! Go Go!" Ai cheered for Ruby as she ran across the grass of the park, as she reached up and wrapped her small fingers around the frisbee.
"Mama! I caught it!" Ruby cheered as Ai clapped her hands together, cheering alongside her.
"Yay Ruby! Here, throw it back to me!" As the mother and daughter pair threw the frisbee back and forth between one another, Aqua stood off to the side with a somewhat bored look. While he enjoyed seeing Ai and Ruby having fun, and actually doing something since this was a rarity, it still wasn't like he had much in the way of things to do.
He had long grown up past the age of throwing frisbees, and even though it had been four years since his death and rebirth, he still considered himself the same Gouro Amamiya as before. Just in a younger body, with a more…Unique family, one could say.
Not to mention his mind was still plagued about the attack on Ai's life, from whoever set the attack up, to who saved Ai.
It was all so confusing.
Giving a small sigh, Aqua went to look around for a place he could sit down and just enjoy the sun-
"Hey…" Suddenly a high pitched young voice spoke out from behind, as Aqua slowly turned around and locked eyes with a young girl. She had pink hair, which was adorned with what appeared to be fake horns, and was dressed in a black shirt that extended down to her ankles. The girl looked at him curiously, as she tilted her head sideways. "What's wrong?"
"Hm? Wrong?" Aqua said confused, as the girl nodded her head.
"That's your Mama over there, right?" The girl pointed at the disguised Ai, taking Aqua aback somewhat.
"Ah…Yeah…" Aqua wondered how the girl just immediately knew that, yet as soon as he thought that, she answered.
"You have the same color hair."
"O-Oh right…" The wig Ai wore did match his hair, so it was a logical conclusion he guessed. "Well…Yeah that is my mom, but how does that mean something is wrong?"
"You…Seem to be thinking alot, and you're not playing with her. You look kinda…Sad…" The girl said as her expression softened, as Aqua looked towards the side and sighed.
"It's…Nothing, just alot has happened is all." Aqua ran a hand over his face, as the girl just kept staring at him.
After a moment of silence, she raised her hands, in which she was holding some sort of stuffed animal, as she suddenly spoke. "Wanna play?"
"Huh? Play what?"
"Spies!" The girl said with a huge grin, as she beemed. "This is Director Chimera! He leads the spy agency! Agent Penguinman, Agent Mama, and Agent Papa and myself all work under him!"
The girl began to describe her fictional spy agency, as Aqua was even more confused as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh…Pretend huh…"
"Not pretend! Play!" The girl said with a glare, as Aqua gave a small awkward chuckle.
"R-Right, play…Well, I…Don't really know how to play spy, but my sister-"
"Oh it's easy! We have to find the bad guy and defeat him! According to Director Chimera, Sir Pancake has planted a bomb in this very park! Once it explodes, syrup will cover everything!"
"Pancake…Syrup…?" Aqua said with a deadpan tone, as the girl reached over and grabbed his hand.
"You can be Agent Blondie! Just call me Agent Anya!" The girl known as Agent Anya said with a smile, as she started pulling Aqua along. "Over here Agent Blondie! Agent Penguinman is waiting for us!"
"W-Wait! I never agreed to this!" As Aqua was pulled away by Agent Anya, Ai continued to throw the frisbee back and forth with Ruby, the two of them enjoying their time together as Ai looked over and saw Aqua being pulled away.
"Oh hey, Aqua made a friend!" Ai said with a smile, before a mischievous smile overtook her face. "Ruby has already found herself a devoted man, maybe Aqua has found my future daughter in law?"
"Mama?" Ruby came running over, a smile plastered on her face. "What do you want to play next?"
"Hm…Play next…?" A smirk overcame Ai's face as she suddenly poked Ruby in the face and winked. "Tag! You're it!"
"Ah! Mama surprised me!" Ruby said with a shocked expression, though a smile quickly overtook her face back as she began to chase after Ai, who slowly ran around the area they were in. "I'm going to get you Mama!"
"Nu uh! I'm too fast Ruby!" Despite Ai's words, she purposely slowed herself down, until finally Ruby pressed her hand against her.
"Tag! You're it Mama!" Ruby said as she began to run the other way, as Ai gave a fake shocked expression as she began running after Ruby.
"I can't believe you caught me Ruby, you're so fast!" Ai lied as she gave chase, more laughter coming from the pair as Ruby looked back at Ai…
Before running into something big and soft as she fell down to the ground. "Ow…Huh?"
"...Borf?" Standing over her was a giant Dog, a bowtie around its neck as it looked down at Ruby with a head tilt.
"Ah! A dog!" Ruby said as she pushed herself up, and nervously looked at the dog. "Are you…A nice dog?"
"Borf!" As if understood her question, the dog barked again as he walked towards her, and after a moment of hesitation Ruby reached out and began petting it.
"You are a nice dog!" Ruby said happily as she continued petting the dog, as Ai walked over and bent down towards Ruby's eye level.
"Made a new friend?"
"Ah yeah! This is a really nice dog! I don't see a name on his collar though…" Ruby looked over the bowtie around his neck, but it didn't have any mention of a name or anything of the sort.
However, her question of who the dog was wouldn't go unanswered for very long.
"That's Bond!" Looking past the dog, Ruby saw the girl who was playing with Aqua from earlier, known as Agent Anya, as she smiled. "He's one of my best friends in the entire world!"
"Oh wow, he's so nice!" Ruby continued to pet the dog known as Bond, as Agent Anya nodded.
"Mhm, he's really nice, but also…" Agent Anya looked around in various directions, before leaning in and whispering to Ruby. "He's also a secret agent! He's known as Agent Bond!"
"A-A secret agent?" Ruby said surprised, as Agent Anya quickly nodded.
"He's helping me and Agent Blondie look for the pancake bomb that's been planted here in the park, do you want to assist?"
"You mean…You want me to play with you?" Agent Anya quickly nodded, as Ruby smiled wide. "Sure, that sounds fun!"
Agent Anya giggled at Ruby's response, before quickly putting her serious face back on. "You will be known as Agent Star! Agent Blondie and I will look over by the swingset, you and Agent Bond inspect the slides!"
"Understood…Um…"
"The name's Anya, Agent Anya." She said with a smirk, as she turned around and ran over to Aqua, who was standing a few feet away and breathing hard from all the running they had been doing. "Come on Agent Blondie, we have to investigate the swingset!"
"W-Wait!" Aqua attempted to protest, but was pulled along anyway as Ruby looked back at AI.
"Can Bond…I mean…Agent Bond and I go investigate the Slides, Mama?" Ai raised a finger to her lips, as she pretended to think before smiling.
"Only if…You call me Agent Mama from now on."
"Mama's a spy too?!" Ruby said with a laugh, as her eyes glowed brightly as she nodded. "Got it, Agent Mama!"
"Hehe, go catch that villain!"
"I will! Come on Agent Bond!"
"Borf!"
Ruby and Bond ran off together towards the slides, as Ai just stood there with a smile on her face as she watched her kids go off and have fun.
As she did so, she wondered…How many of these moments had she missed? Usually it was Miyako who took them out to do stuff like have fun at the park, she wasn't allowed to do much with them.
Even coming to the park in her basic disguise would surely earn her a cussing out by Ichigo once he found out. All the attention was on her after thanks to that attack, yet…
With the way Aqua had been acting, and with her life flashing before her eyes in that moment before she was saved…
She vowed, she was going to be a better mother. Even if she had to lie the entire time…
She was going to be the mother they needed and wanted.
As she stood there watching the twins play, a new figure emerged beside. "Are those your kids?"
"Hm?" Ai looked over to a somewhat taller woman in a red shirt, black pants and with long black hair standing beside of her. "Oh…Yep! They're mine!"
"I see…Thank you for letting them play with my daughter, other kids usually don't play with her when we come to the park so…I really do appreciate it." The woman suddenly bowed towards Ai, catching her off guard as she raised her hands up and waved.
"Ah hey it's no big deal! I'm just happy my kids are having fun, I…I don't get to see that often…" Ai said with a somewhat sad tone, as the woman raised herself back up and tilted her head.
"Hm? Do you not do stuff together often?"
"...Not really I guess…My life is pretty busy, so…We don't get to hang out as much as I would like." Ai said with a sad undertone, as she continued to watch Aqua and Ruby play with Agent Anya and Bond, as the woman beside her seemed to contemplate what to say next.
"Hm, well…I still think you're a wonderful mother! I mean, your daughter especially looks like she's having alot of fun!" The woman placed her hands behind her back as she gently swayed side to side. "I sometimes wonder if my daughter is truly having fun…Whenever we come to the park, and the other kids ignore her, she usually just plays by herself with Bond. She seems to be having fun, but…It does make you wonder."
"Hm, I guess we both have those thoughts huh? Just comes with being a parent I guess."
"I-I guess, though I haven't been one for…Very long…" The woman said with a sad smile, though she attempted to hide. "My Husband does most of the parenting, I'm kinda…Just along for the ride I guess."
"Hmm…Husband huh…"
"Do you not have one?"
"Ah, no, I'm a single mother. I've been raising my kids since they were born by myself, with some help from close friends but it's mostly just me…" Ai reached up and brushed a hair off of her glasses, her eyes darkening some as she spoke. "I…Made a mistake a few years ago, and well…I was only sixteen when they were born."
"...Is it really a mistake though?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, I don't know the circumstances of course, but…" The woman gave a genuine smile to Ai. "You seem really happy watching them, that doesn't strike me as the type who regrets having kids."
"..." Ai stared at the woman in shock, before looking down at the ground and letting a small smile slip by. "Yeah…I guess you're right."
The woman giggled as she nodded, the two mothers sharing a moment together of understand, as the sound of footsteps approaching caught their attention as Agent Anya ran over. "Mama! We caught Sir Pancake! Can we celebrate with Peanut Flavored Pancakes?"
"Oh wow, congratulations Anya-san!" The Woman bent down and petted Anya's head, earning a giggle from the small girl as the woman looked up at AI. "Would you like to join us in getting something to eat?"
"Huh, well…" Ai looked over to Aqua and Ruby, and while Ruby seemed to still have energy, Aqua looked like he was on the verge of falling over. "Perhaps another time, I think my son is about to pass out."
The woman looked over and laughed when she saw Aqua, as Agent Anya looked up at Ai and yelled. "Agent Blondie is really good at playing spy, he's super smart!"
"Oh is he? I'm glad to hear, I'll be sure to reward him." Ai smiled as Ruby ran and hugged her leg, while Aqua finally made his way over to the pair. "I think we're going to head on for now, but it was nice meeting you! I hope out kids can play again!"
"Oh same! Anya-san had alot of fun it seemed!" The two mothers exchanged farewells as Ai led Ruby and Aqua, the latter she picked up and carried, out of the park as the woman, Anya and Bond made their way to another exit out of the park.
As the trio arrived at the other exit, a man in a green suit and hat pulled up in a car. "Fun day?"
"Papa!" Agent Anya ran over and opened the back seat of the car, letting Bond in first as she then jumped in and hugged around the man's neck, as the woman smiled and nodded.
"Loid-san! Anya-san made some new friends today, you're gonna have to meet them sometime!"
"Is that right, I'm happy to hear that, Anya." Anya giggled at the man's words, as he watched as the woman opened the door to the car and sat beside him. "Thank you for taking Anya out to the park again, Yor."
"Of course Loid, It's always really fun!"
The Next Day
"So, what role will Ai and Aqua be playing exactly?" Miyako Saitou, the Vice President of Strawberry Productions, fake mom of Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, and assistant manager of Ai, sat across from Director Taishi Gotanda. He had visited the studio to discuss his next movie project, with Miyako setting time aside to tend to him thanks to his movie being a big reason Ai got as big as she is in the first place.
Taishi laid back against the soft chair, papers in hand as he began to explain. "For Ai, it's pretty simple…She'll be playing the main girl, a character by the name of Kyoko Kirigiri. She's a Detective who is saved by the main character, a regular office worker, and the story is of them falling in love and Naegi having the confidence to confess to her."
"Hm…" Miyako placed her hand on her chin, as Ai and Aqua sat on chairs behind her, patiently watching the negotiations. "Who do you have playing as the male lead? It has to be someone that compliments Ai's beauty."
"Hm…I have a few actors in mind that I've reached out to, but I've not heard anything definitive."
"Well, I can't really have Ai accept the role without knowing who the other lead is, especially if their appearance is below par and they also can't act." Miyako was tough in her negotiation, she was personally taught by Ichigo after all, and her expression only hardened as Taishi ran a hand over his face.
"I have other actors signed onto smaller roles, if you think any of them work with Ai, then I can discuss with their agencies about a promotion to the lead part." Taishi said with a hint of frustration, though his experience from his previous movies prepared him for something like that.
"Do you have any reference pictures?"
"Hm…" Taishi reached over to a binder, as he opened it and handed it to Miyako. "That's most of my other cast…I signed somebody yesterday, don't have a picture of him yet. Although…I actually do need to talk to you about him."
"Hm…" Miyako looked over the pictures and sighed, as she set the book beside her. "None of them really fit…What about this other actor?"
"Well…His name is Akechi, Gouro Akechi." As soon as the name Gouro was said, Aqua and Ai both perked up, though for different reasons. "He's a new actor, only sixteen years old…He doesn't have an agency though, and he needs one if he wants to be in the film."
"Ok and…?"
"He was wondering if he could join Strawberry Productions, since you don't have any other actors other than the Kid and Ai, he could get more work here."
Miyako raised an eyebrow, crossing her legs as she sighed. "We don't sign actors because we're an Idol agency, his work here would still be minimal…Besides, ever since Ai has gotten big, we don't exactly take in newcomers anymore."
"Hm…Well, he is new, that's true, but…" Taishi scratched the side of his cheek, as he tried to find the words to say. "He's a natural, maybe the best actor I've ever met on the fly."
"How good?"
"...Good enough to compliment Ai with a proper script and rehearsal perhaps." Miyako narrowed her eyes, tapping her fingers against her arm.
"Are you just propping him up?"
"Who can say? He wants to meet you personally to sell himself, that's all." The two of them stared at one another, as Taishi slowly moved his gaze over towards the Kid. "I will say…He bears an uncanny resemblance to the Kid over there…Who knows, maybe he's a distant relative of your husbands?"
"R-Resemblance…?" Miyako said a bit uncomfortably, as Aqua narrowed his eyes.
All the while, Ai's own eyes widened with hints of darkness filling them.
Collecting herself, Miyako swallowed hard as she forced a smile. "I'll be sure to set up a meeting…Now what about Aqua's role?"
"Hm, I was thinking of having him play the role of a character named Byakuya Togami, a genius who-"
As the two of them continued to converse with one another. Aqua's eyes only stayed narrowed, taking in the director's words as he looked towards the side. "Could it be…?"
Earlier…
"This is your home…Not much, but it works." Taishi led Gouro up to the rooftop, the sun hanging low in the distance as the only thing on the roof was a hammock and a small radio beside it. "I use the radio for the weather, so you're free to use it…Just make sure you keep the batteries replaced, especially if you use it often."
"Right, I will, thanks." Gouro said with a nod as he walked over to the Hammock, looking it over with a small smile. He remembered the Director would often take him up here once they were done with work for the day, and just chilled.
That stopped after a bad storm destroyed the hammock…
But that would still be a few years from now, and hopefully he would have his own place by then.
"Ma said she'll make you breakfast and dinner and all that, she's always been the charitable type I suppose. Still, if you're going to be eating with us, then it's your job to help with the groceries." Taishi continued to list stuff off, that Aqua just took in stride as he nodded. "Finally, if you're going to be using the phone, I want help with the phone bill also."
"Of course." Gouro continued just agreeing to everything, having no room to protest with how he threw all of this onto the Director's plate at once.
"Well, other than that, nothing else I guess…I'll be meeting with Strawberry Productions in a couple of days to discuss the movie, and I'll see if I can atleast get you an interview. In the meantime, I expect you to be looking for a part time job and not just sitting on your ass up here the entire time."
"Don't worry, I have a few in mind." In truth, Gouro had never worked a part time job in his life thanks to all the money he inherited from Ai, but that didn't mean he couldn't quickly learn on the fly on how to do something.
And he had experience from his time as a doctor, even if that was forty something years ago…
Well, in his lifetime anyway.
"Speaking of the phone…Do you mind if I make a phone call?"
"Huh? Already."
"Sorry, something I have to take care of, I won't be long."
"Tch, geez…"
Taishi scratched the back of his head as he left the rooftop, as Gouro walked over and sat down on the Hammock by himself. After a couple of minutes of silence, Taishi came back holding the cordless.
"Here." Gouro nodded as he took the phone, as he opened his own phone and began scanning over his contacts. As he did so, Taishi turned around and stretched. "Just keep it up here once you're done…Ma basically threatened me if I didn't let you have something in case of an emergency."
With that, Taishi left the rooftop as Gouro found the number and dialed it, as he brought it up to his ear.
After a moment…
"Hello?"
"Is this Mem?" There was silence for a moment, before she replied.
"A-Akechi-kun!? I-I wasn't expecting you to call, I thought I would be calling you!"
"Is…Now a bad time?"
"No! No no not at all, haha…" Gouro heard the sound of Mem slamming her door suddenly, and then running, and then finally she started speaking normally. "S-So, what's up? Want to talk more about how amazing of an idol Ai is?"
"Sure if that's what you want to talk about, I'm all ears." Gouro laid back on the hammock, getting comfortable as he looked up at the darkening sky.
He wasn't entirely sure why he accepted the number swap with Mem or why he was the one to call her.
Was it because it was somebody he knew and related with?
Was it because he was lonely?
Was it something else entirely?
Who could say.
"Well we can talk about whatever I guess…"
"...Be honest with me, did you just use Ai to get my number?"
"W-What?! W-What makes you say that, haha…ha…"
"Very convincing response."
"S-Shush you!" Mem complained over the phone, though Gouro could hear the giggle escape her lips. "Well, we could get to know each other…Like…What's your favorite color, or favorite food or…Oh! I know! What do you have in mind for the future? I've always wanted to be an Idol like Ai, I think if I keep practicing, I can make it!"
"Hm…The future huh?" Gouro wanted to mentally chuckle, as he looked at the stars above. He already knew the future to some degree, but…"I guess…I plan to be the greatest Actor in this country's history…"