Aqua had been a fool to hope for a peaceful reprieve from any more drama as LoveNow saw its final weeks of filming.

It wasn't even drama negatively affecting the show itself. Akane Kurokawa's prerogative to play the personality of an idol was sure to yield good tidings for the cast, crew, and the captivated audience alike.

No, it was Aqua alone who was suffering from inner turmoil sprung by Akane's performance, because the idol she chose to model herself after was none other than Ai.

The minute the cameras began rolling this morning, it was as if Akane flipped a switch to transform completely into Ai. The motions that followed were exactly what Aqua has seen endlessly whenever he worked with Ai on film or TV. Her charisma and beauty attracted everyone's attention. Her mere presence made people hang on to her every word. They could never avert their gazes for long. People hungered to receive a share of the love she naturally exuded, and she was more than willing to oblige them.

Of course, Aqua was self-aware enough to know Ai the actress was more or less intentionally using her intense allure to gain favors and loyal followers from the people she worked with. It wasn't necessarily her solely natural self she was always emanating. So, Aqua also objectively knew Akane the actress was consciously putting on a good show with a fabricated character to garner goodwill.

But damn it all if her showing didn't feel like the real thing to Aqua. He was pulled into Akane's mesmerizing tune the same as everyone around her, as if she was Ai.

As their session of filming ended and the lunch hour arrived, people were still gravitating toward Akane, who was maintaining character. Cobie was the first, of course, soon followed by Morimoto and then Kumano. Akane was seamlessly moving between conversations to them individually and collectively, never making a single one of them feel like an extra wheel butting in. The staff members on the cameras, the lighting and audio equipment, were still stealing glances at her, as well.

Aqua remained where he was seated at a desk in the classroom. When he was finally able to tear himself away from Akane, he spotted Mem-Cho and Sumi whispering conspiratorially to each other. His eyes met theirs, mischievous grins soon being sent in his direction.

The girls had noticed how flustered Akane had been making him. He could tell they were going to tease and grill him, probably drag Akane into it.

They were stopped by Kamiya, who casually draped her arms around Mem-Cho's and Sumi's shoulders. Her relaxed air spilled over to them as she dragged them away from Aqua and toward the rest of the cast. It was a different flavor of magnetism compared to Akane, but effective in its own way. Although Kamiya had her biases with Cobalt, she had been able to resist his attempts to charm her, and she was also able to maintain her cool around Akane.

Regardless, the look of pity Kamiya gave him was downright infuriating.

Kamiya knew about Aqua's former life's love of Ai. Today, Akane had revealed to Kamiya and to himself how potent that love still was. In a sense, it could be looked as a fair trade between reincarnated souls: Aqua learning of Kamiya's twisted perception of Cobalt, and Kamiya seeing Aqua's stunned reaction to Akane's Ai imitation. Aqua took it more as an unnecessary exposure of a personal fault of his which Kamiya could now freely exploit. Whatever comradery or relatability she might feel with Aqua, he no longer held more cards in his hand over hers.

Aqua watched the girls as they joined the boys bursting into laughter from a joke Akane gave. He froze when Akane directed her radiant eyes directly at him.

He didn't care if it looked like he was running away. Aqua stood up and briskly marched out of the classroom.

He was left alone with nothing else but his thoughts as he wandered the vacant halls. The image of Ai the idol surrounded by the LoveNow cast and her staring back at him simply wouldn't leave Aqua's head.

The only time Aqua has felt like this when watching a performance was…

The first time Cobalt acted as Aqua's character in Signal Lost with Yura Katayose. In that case, Aqua had felt a harsh whiplash at seeing his brother absolutely be someone else entirely. This persona being Cobalt's interpretation of Aqua had been its own shocking revelation.

Then there was Cobalt's depiction of the Stalker, which had caused a… bad reaction out of Aqua, and had horrified Ruby.

These portrayals were carefully crafted by Cobalt, built from his years of studying acting and observation of the people closest to him. For Akane to embody Ai with tremendous accuracy, without having lived for years as Cobalt had… Through her own research, even with whatever aid Cobalt provided her, Akane's ability to understand Ai and to breathe as she could was incredible.

Akane was the most brilliant actress Aqua has ever seen.

Greater than Cobalt, greater than Yura Katayose, Kana Arima…

Aqua stopped mid-step on a staircase and sat down, leaning against the wall. His imagination was going down too many places for him to adequately compose himself.

He found himself reliving a conversation Gorou Amamiya had with a co-worker so long ago, soon before Gorou first met his idol in-person. Gorou explaining to a nurse the reasons behind his adoration of Ai. The nurse accusing Gorou's devotion as impure. His refusal to answer whether or not he would accept a teenage Ai's confession and date her if the opportunity ever arose.

Ruby and Ai had, more than once, encouraged Aqua to pursue other girls as romantic interests. He hardly ever played their games with any seriousness. Ruby had stopped bothering him much on the matter after Cobie became the Blue Rose, but Ai hadn't let up making hints around Aqua about the various girls his age he worked with. Kana Arima was only the latest girl Ai tried pushing him toward.

But still Aqua kept his heart closed. There were many things Aqua took advantage of with his reincarnation. Enjoying a more frivolous diet, fooling adults who underestimated him for his physical age, and using Gorou's longer life experience to impart important lessons to Ruby and Cobalt, and even Ai on occasion. However, an honest teen romance wasn't something he longed for at all. It would serve no other purpose than his own self-gratification. Gorou's days of playing around with women were a thing of the past needing no revival compared to more important tasks Aqua could utilize his old memories for. Whatever private fantasies or meandering thoughts Aqua might have, he had to hold himself to a higher standard than an actual teenager. Discipline and self-control were necessary if Aqua was to complete his ultimate goal and continue safeguarding the prosperity of his family.

Yet Akane… She was making Aqua believe the fantasy was viable in reality.

His standards of the "perfect girl" were already influenced by Gorou's years as a fan of Ai the idol… Akane was already older than him, if only by one year… Her fantastic acting skills were made all the more obvious now, which was an admirable quality compelling Aqua to get closer to her to expand his own personal interest in the field…

"Hi, Aqua!"

He was shaken back to the real world by his reliable little brother.

They were the same height, but the fallen Aqua had to raise his head to see Cobalt standing over him. He was on a few steps higher than him on the stairs and looked down at Aqua with his personally developed brand of unabashed love and acceptance.

"Sachi said you were brooding again? Anything I can help you with?"

Sending Cobalt to Aqua. Likely an olive branch from Kamiya for seeing Aqua's vulnerability in plain view.

"Does it have anything to do with Akane's acting today?"

Aqua was being too silent for too long. He had to say something, or else Cobalt will make his own wild conclusions.

Finding his voice, Aqua said, "You saw it, too, didn't you? Akane's flawless performance."

Sometimes, Aqua almost felt jealous at how Cobalt was freely able to smile all the time. It was never an act for him. "Yeah, Akane does a really good impression of mom. Why does it bother you so much?"

"Why doesn't it bother you?" Cobalt had been drawn to her just like everyone…

No. Aqua replayed what he had seen this morning in his head again. While Cobalt had been the first to attach himself close to Akane, he hadn't acted any differently from his normal self. He had still diverted his time separately to Kamiya, Kumano, and the rest.

Aqua supposed all the time Cobalt had spent working with Akane for her return to the show played a part in his controlled disposition. "You helped Akane. Taught her how to act like Ai?"

He frowned. "You're using mom's first name ag–"

"Answer me, Cobalt." Cobie won't mind the curt attitude from his brother, and Aqua needed to learn how Cobalt had helped create this new monster making Aqua so unsteady.

"I helped her, yeah. I gave her a bunch of notes and advice, but I didn't see her perform as mom for an extended period of time until today. She wanted her first live performance to be a huge surprise for everyone." Cobalt smiled proudly. "She taught me a bunch how she researches for a role, and I taught her how me and mom and Ruby act as idols to turn people into our fans. Akane and I both learned a lot!"

So Cobalt still saw Akane as an actress first before whatever character she played. "Then you must really understand both Akane and… mom, to be able to see the faults in Akane's emulation."

"Uh-huh! It also helps that Akane's voice, face, and body shape are all different from mom's. They also have different color hair, Akane's casual school outfit isn't really something mom would–"

Aqua could realize the differences should he put an effort in it, if only Akane's portrayal wasn't so strong. "But in everything else, in her intonations, her body language, the subtle mannerisms, even the way she looks at you…"

"But that's one of the big differences! Her eyes!"

Ridiculous. "What are you talking about? Ai the idol is looking straight at you, giving you all of her love, the kind of love…"

The love that had made Sarina smile right up until she closed her eyes forever. The love that had given Gorou Amamiya the motivation to get up in the morning, and to keep doing his job as a doctor, helping people just like Sarina. The love that had led Gorou right to Ai, let him stand by her throughout her pregnancy, guided him to be reborn as a loyal, good son to her.

"Ah," Cobalt said in understanding, "that might be where you're getting confused. You and Ruby were always bigger fans of mom as an idol than me. I think her as Ai the idol is cool, too, but I like mom more as our mom than as an idol."

… Cobalt was onto something. "Elaborate on that."

He looked excited to be explaining complexities to Aqua. "If I learned anything about idols over the years, it's that an idol's love is unconditional, powerful, but also temporary. They have to retire eventually. They can't keep up the love for so many people forever. A bunch of the original B-Komachi girls fell in love with boyfriends and had babies, so their love can only go so far before having to settle down and concentrate it on only a few people in their lives. Even mom only got as far as she did by lying about how much she loved her fans compared to us. Mom's love for us is going to last forever. She couldn't do that for her fans."

"You think the way Akane looks at the people is… a short-sighted love?"

Cobalt shook his head. "I wouldn't say short-sighted. The context is important. Mom looks at you, me, and Ruby, and grandpa Ichigo and aunt Miyako, as family. That makes us special to her. Akane the Idol is looking at you, me, and the cast and crew as… fans, or worshippers, or potential fans and would-be worshippers." Cobalt spread out his arms. "There's an entire planet of people like that out there, and she wants to make every single one of them feel loved. Akane's showing a little more attention to you, because as her real self, she wants you Aqua to feel good by working with a pretty girl she thinks you'll like. But her acting in intentionally using her smile to get everyone else to smile and believe in her love, whether or not the idol in her also believes in her own ability to feel love, is exactly what mom did as an idol! That's how Akane's doing a good job!"

The conviction Cobalt spoke with made things very clear to Aqua. "Of course you'd be able to see things differently."

Cobie never had a past life where he was a fan of Ai. Even if he did have one that was secretly hidden away, any memories or hints of a former life never manifested in Cobalt Hoshino as he lived today. Akane's resemblance to Ai wasn't made murky by any reincarnated baggage Aqua carried or by the innate allure the idol persona gave off. Akane was his friend and a fellow thespian. There was only one way Cobalt can ever see Ai as: his adoring mother, who had an amazing career which she retired from to spend the rest of her life loving her children. He would never feel… confused like Aqua when seeing Akane act as Ai.

Ai the idol inherently meant different things to Cobalt than to Aqua.

More to himself than anything, Aqua muttered, "This is also a reality dating show. There's no reasonable context for… for mom to be here using her idol charms to romance you or me." Akane was not Ai the idol. Aqua was going to have to repeat the declaration on a loop for the foreseeable future until it was seared into his brain.

"Yeah, mom romancing us would just be plain gross!"

Cobalt was still smiling as he said that. "If you think so, then why did you tell everyone my interests in women encompass qualities resembling our mom? Helped coach Akane how to mimic her?"

"Well, Akane wanted to copy mom because she wanted to copy the best idol in the universe." Cobie was looking smug now. "Sharing traits mom has doesn't actually make Akane our mom, Aqua. You should know this! You're the smartest person in the world and a way better actor than me! Akane is playing a character similar to mom that will hopefully have good chemistry with your character for the show. Everyone else liking her is a natural consequence of what her character is at her core." He snickered. "Akane might be an even better actor than you and mom!"

If only Aqua was able to avoid superimposing Ai onto Akane like Cobalt perfectly able to separate the two–

Another horrible idea striking Aqua at this moment made him slap his face with his hands, as if he could shroud his entire body, be whisked away from the world and everyone in it.

"What's wrong now, Aqua?"

His own twisted way of thinking.

Really, it was a purely logical progression his mind followed. Cobalt understood his family, Ai included, with unreal precision and objectivity, allowing him to perfectly act as them, differences in gender when lacking a costume or makeup notwithstanding. With Cobalt's help, Akane utilized her superb acting talent to the fullest in successfully doing justice Ai the idol's character, even fooling Ai's reincarnated son with the faithful recreation.

If they continued working together, how much deeper can Cobalt and Akane get into Ai's head? What insights can they deduce about the man who gave Ai her children and later plotted her death?

Maybe if Aqua wasn't such a coward who always stopped himself from asking Ai directly the identity of his father, then perhaps he wouldn't so often drift toward these convoluted ideas. He wanted to preserve the happiness and stability of his family, but this new line of thinking risked hurting his brother a second time with Aqua's stupid schemes.

And yet…

This wasn't the same as making Cobalt act as the Stalker, and inadvertently forcing Cobalt to resurrect Gorou Amamiya's vengeful spirit.

Akane and Cobalt were already friends, worked well together… By Aqua's measure, Akane was a good person, no ill intent or unseemly ulterior motives to be found… She didn't judge Cobalt or talk down to him like Sumi or Mem-Cho, and Cobalt liked her as a human being and as an expert actress in her field…

With Kamiya already written off as a potential partner, Cobalt's best options for a girlfriend by the end of LoveNow was down to a single candidate.

"Was the homework last night really tiring for you? And now you want to take a nap?"

Aqua put his hands down and looked at Cobalt dead in the eye.

Yes, his brother deserved all the genuine love people were willing to give him. Gorou's mixed infatuation to his idol mattered far less than Aqua Hoshino's obligation to support his brother.

This new plan to make Cobalt happy will need some finesse, however. "You've said before," Aqua told him, "how you… want to make it up to me for our failed acting exercise."

Cobalt's concern shifted to a hardened determination, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes! Whatever more you need me to do, I'll do it!"

Previously, Aqua had briefly considered using this perceived debt Cobalt felt he owed him against Kamiya, make Cobie keep his distance with the interloper. Aqua had decided that was a step too far in overtly manipulating Cobalt, and the truce reached with Kamiya later made such an act unnecessary. Moreover, it was Aqua who shouldered the true burden to put Cobalt at ease. Guilt-tripping Cobie would be entirely unfair to him.

But this wasn't about manipulating Cobie. It was about opening Cobalt's eyes to a girl who would be perfect for him.

"You like Akane as a friend," Aqua said.

"Yeah! Once we're done with LoveNow, I want to ask her to voice act on Elemental Orel stuff!"

"Forget about the cameras for a second. Do you think you'd like Akane as a girlfriend?"

"… I don't know."

A return to a somber Cobie, second only to a crying teary-eyed Cobie in unnerving Aqua. The only other attitude from Cobalt that would probably break Aqua was a legitimately angry Cobie, which Aqua can't ever recall seeing. "Why can't you see yourself dating Akane?"

"… She tried to kill herself." He didn't say it as an insult. It was one of those topics that brought blatant discomfort to Cobie, making him visibly downtrodden. He hesitated from speaking about suicide in general, or about Akane's attempt in depth during the production of her video, but Aqua knew Cobalt would tell him everything no matter what if prompted.

"And that puts you off from courting her?"

"… If I can, I want to keep her from trying to kill herself again." A sensible compulsion. "She's… nice. She deserves to be happy. Everybody does. Especially Akane, when she works so hard to be the best at her job and uses her skills to make everyone around her happy. Like what she did today with her acting as mom. Everyone believes she's better now, and all the show viewers will love her, too."

"You can also make Akane happy by becoming a caring boyfriend to her."

Hope shone for a split-second in Cobie's eyes before he shook it away, his feet shuffling. "That's a Blue Rose way of thinking. I don't want to be as prideful about what me as a boyfriend can be for girls. We have to mutually want to be around each other equally for our own desire for love."

"But you do have a crush on Akane."

"... I like her," he reiterated, avoiding admitting to a crush outright. "I… respect her a lot for being able to do what she did. It still feels weird for me to think about the reasons why Ryosuke killed himself –" Aqua successfully prevented any reaction from showing at the mention of the Stalker – "but Akane lived through and got past her own suicidal thoughts. She's really cool. I still want to hang out with her, be her friend, but I don't know if becoming boyfriend and girlfriend is something either of us would really want at this point. Everyone still thinks I have a romantic crush on Sachi, even Akane, and I already have a plan to try seriously romancing the girls once the show's over, when there's no pressure from LoveNow deciding who should romance who."

Aqua took a deep breath, outlined his talking points in his head, and spoke firmly. "Think of the wider circumstances in your analysis on things, Cobalt. Every single person on set was put under Akane's spell when she transformed into… mom. Everyone except you." And Sachi, but she was a special case. "It's – It's not at all the same relationship you have with mom, but your ability to look beyond Akane's external shield and recognize it as a facade is something special in its own right. As we've already established, even I wasn't able to distinguish the lies from reality."

"I guess…"

Aqua appealed to the creative in Cobie. "And think of the show itself. You can already envision in your mind's eye the sharp increase in popularity Akane will have once her scenes go on the air. Filming is going to wrap up in only a few short weeks, so the romances will have to culminate in a glorious finale of a final episode this season. Realistically, the pairings for the oncoming confessions only come down to a few options." Playing to Cobie's habits, Aqua put forward his hands and formed a square in a faux camera with his thumbs and index fingers, placing the frame around Cobalt's face. "Spell them out for me, Cobie."

The pressure was on for Cobalt to prove his aptitude as a storyteller. His face scrunched up as he thought keenly on the options.

"Yuki and Nobu like each other a lot," he finally said. "They'll have a confession scene. Kengo didn't have any strong romantic chemistry with anyone, but he was paired a lot by viewers with Sachi and Mem-Cho. He can confess to either one. Sachi and Mem-Cho also aren't looking for a real boyfriend, so in either case, they'd amicably reject him."

Before going to the next pairings, Cobalt bit his lip. The conclusion Aqua was guiding him towards was becoming clearer. "There was a lot of tension between you and Sachi throughout the show. Some fans called it sexual tension. I know you don't really care about Sachi sexually, and Sachi valued making friendships a lot more than finding a romantic partner, but a confession between you and Sachi while Kengo and Mem-Cho have their final scene would be a fitting end for LoveNow…"

Since Cobalt neglected to say anything more for too long, Aqua said, "Which leaves two cast members left to pour their hearts out to each other. Either of you can butt into another pair's confession scene. Or, to let the final episode flow smoothly…"

Unfortunately, Cobalt still looked unsure. "Since I want to get a real girlfriend, you think I should give Akane a real confession? Not just for show?"

"Precisely. I think you two look good together." Nothing useful to Aqua's ultimate goal was guaranteed to come from Cobalt and Akane dating, but them dating at all would be a boon for all parties involved.

Yet doubts were still weighing heavily on Cobalt. "After everything, would Akane want to have a real boyfriend? Being a boyfriend or a girlfriend can be difficult. I already learned that even before I was the Blue Rose. A real relationship would be like dumping more stress on her. Part of the point of her acting like mom was also for her to be an idol you would like, Aqua. It'd be a little weird for me to get in the way of that."

It was only natural for Akane to have developed an infatuation with Aqua, given what he had done for her, but for all of her mimicry of a glamorous idol, she had little chance of overpowering Cobalt's earnest love if he set his sights on her. Aqua need only nudge him in the right direction.

"Here are the key points staring right in your face, Cobie," Aqua said. "You came on this show ultimately to find a girlfriend. The creative in you wants to put out a good performance the people at home will love to see. You want to make Akane feel safe and happy, and you want to earn an acquittal for… mistakes made between us."

Using the acting exercise as part of the rationalization made Aqua feel disgusted with himself, but he reminded himself it was all ultimately for a good cause.

"In general, the path to forgiveness and redemption requires the offender to undertake a task they aren't wholly comfortable with. If not, it would be a poor penance to serve. It doesn't have to be totally unseemly to you, but I have just the idea that will allow you to accomplish all of these goals in one fell swoop."

Cobalt, arms crossed as he hugged himself, gave Aqua a hard stare.

Aqua stuck a stock smile on his face to encourage Cobalt.

"You don't want to try acting out a romance between yours and Akane's characters?" Cobalt asked.

"I do not. What do you think I really want?"

"Well, now that you've explained it clearly, I know what you're getting at."

Cobie blinked. Aqua wondered what kind of bright stars Kamiya constantly saw in the Hoshino brothers. He had to contend with merely imagining those shining eyes as he watched a blush grow on Cobalt's face. Cobie was finally letting his overactive imagination indulge in the possibilities of Akane as his girlfriend.

To really sell the idea to Cobalt, Aqua said, "Make Akane the Idol fall in love with you, Orel." Cobie immediately perked up. "Along the way, you might just fall in love with Akane Kurokawa the brilliant actress, in the same breath as her true self falling in love with you, Cobalt Hoshino."

"… Okay!" Gone was the hesitant, indecisive Cobalt. A confident, committed Cobalt was a monster Akane will be hard-pressed to resist, Aqua was sure. "If you think it'll make for a good show, make Akane happy, make you happy, and get me a girlfriend, then I'll do it!"

Cobalt hugged him. Aqua forced himself to reciprocate the embrace.

Producer Masaya Kaburagi better appreciate all of the work Aqua's put into this show, and have something worthwhile for Aqua to get closer to achieving his ultimate goal.

Aqua really needed a vacation…


Ruby was editing the latest video due for an upload on the B-Komachi channel by the end of the week when her phone vibrated. She swiped the screen and grinned at the newest set of photos Mama sent her.

In the distance, Aqua and Kana were at a vacant park playing catch with baseball equipment. Kana had just thrown an energetic swerve with gusto, the ball hitting Aqua's gloved hand with enough force to make him slide against the dirt before he regained his footing. The next couple of photos showed Mama walking into the scene, making Kana flustered and Aqua hide his previous smiles under a stoic deadpan. According to the accompanying texts, Mama dragged the two on a grocery run to restock the Strawberry office with snacks and other supplies.

At first glance, playing catch was a very mundane, even boring game for them to be playing. However, Ai and Ruby knew better. Kana wasn't particularly a fan of baseball, so Aqua wasn't trying to appeal to Kana's interests to improve his standing with her as he would do with other work associates. This was something he actually wanted to do. The only "friends" of Aqua's who would bother tossing balls with him would usually be Cobie's closest friends or Cobie himself who were already accustomed to Aqua's dull hobbies. Few people even knew Aqua enjoyed playing catch on a good spring day.

Yet Mama has gotten a confirmed sighting of Aqua successfully convincing a girl pining after him to play ball with him.

Truthfully, Ruby didn't like to make fuss about Aqua getting a girlfriend. She's done enough of that kind of talk with Cobie. She just appreciated the fact Aqua was going out of his way to spend time with someone his own physical age and honestly enjoying it. Mama was the one who's super excited at Aqua, however little it may appear, reciprocating the feelings of a girl infatuated with him by inviting her to a personal pastime of his not tied to work. That girl being one of the new B-Komachi idols was icing on the cake.

Of course, any boyfriends the girls decided to date required precautions to be taken, to keep the prying eyes of their fans and critics from ever discovering them, and to ensure these possible boyfriends weren't shallow men or taking advantage of the young idols. Teen pregnancies were also out the window, obviously, but Mama was still very supportive of Ruby, Kana, and Minami having content personal lives beyond their contributions to the idol group. It was the same series of life lessons and practical strategies Mama taught in her idol classes.

Minami wasn't looking for a boyfriend. Ruby's ultimate soulmate will come around eventually. For Kana, Mama got to have double the fun with teaching her how to be an exemplary idol and how to steal Aqua's heart.

Really, Aqua should embrace his second chance at youth while he still had it. Ruby knew Aqua would never misuse his greater life experience to prey on any naive girls, and Kana was far from naive. For being such a good brother to his siblings and a diligent son to Mama, Aqua deserved the chance to experience the special kind of love Cobie was searching for, and the kind Ruby was going to celebrate someday in the future with Sensei.

Ruby frowned as her mind drifted back to Sensei.

With the new B-Komachi's debut to the world only a few months ago, Ruby had done her best to temper her hopes of Sensei immediately recognizing reincarnated Sarina and making a mad dash for Tokyo. Ruby's B-Komachi still needed more time to get as widespread as Mama's generation had gotten. Realistically, the best Ruby can expect was for Sensei to finally meet her personally at one of the handshake events, where Ruby can finally explain how his intrinsic adulation of Ruby Hoshino was because Sarina Tendouji lived on through Ai's one and only daughter. Then they can live happily ever after.

But realistically… Sensei was probably in his fifties now. If the conspiracy theory about Nurse-chan had any weight to it, then Sensei might even have a kid or two to his name, at which point Ruby had to slam the brakes on that train of thought and go back to envisioning her perfect future with Sensei.

Of course Ruby has thought about the age gap between herself and Sensei, regardless of Ruby getting her clock reset with reincarnation. An age difference was a big cause for Aqua's hesitance on dating until he was older. More than a few older women have tried to exploit innocent Cobie. Mama, Miyako, and Ichigo always did everything in their power to ensure those women would never get near Cobie ever again.

So, realistically, with all the lessons they've drilled into Cobie's head and everything done to keep him safe from predators, no one was going to easily accept Ruby proposing marriage to Sensei, if Sensei didn't propose first. They'll hate Sensei right off the bat if he proposed first. It wasn't like the age difference between Ichigo and Miyako when they first married. Even when Ruby legally became an adult, a large age gap won't be something her family can overlook.

As Ruby continued to spearhead the glory of B-Komachi and support her brothers' romantic endeavors, she also needed to get them to start being agreeable to Ruby having a boyfriend and/or husband way older than her. Sensei didn't have an impure, villainous bone in his body. He was more than worthy to be blessed by all the love the Hoshino family can provide him, old man or not. If Ruby got her brothers on her side, then Aqua's genius brain and Cobalt's likeability can be used to get the proper adults in the family to see the light, too. See and understand what Sensei meant to Ruby.

She and Aqua will probably have to spill the beans about their reincarnation, but she'll do it if it means having Sensei for the rest of her new life. Sensei and Mama would make Ruby's already fortunate life a literal heaven on earth…

After swiping through more of Mama's photos, Ruby decided now was as good a time as any to have a short talk with Cobie, see if he had any conscious thoughts on an age threshold for relationships.

He already knew how to draw a line between himself and adult women, but the "wait until you're older" line the family tells him can only be justified for so long until Cobie did get older. Even on LoveNow, most of the girls were at least a year Cobie's senior. Ruby hadn't been blind to him crushing hard on Sachi Kamiya, and Cobie had let slip a while back how he knew Aqua's preference in women were those older than him. After his year or so off from dating, Cobie might have gotten emboldened to start looking at older girls as he also aged closer to an adult himself. LoveNow gave him ample opportunity to reevaluate and explore his romantic passions.

Today was B-Komachi's designated day off according to the revised schedule Mama and Pieyon had concocted. In the comfort of her own home, Ruby was supposed to be doing any non-idol activities at her leisure, as Minami and Kana were also supposed to do, to keep any of them from burning out on their idol work. She couldn't help herself from getting a little extra work done on the video on her computer, but Cobie should be home, too, catching up on Elemental Orel stuff. With her mind stewing on Sensei again, Ruby can spare a few minutes with Cobie.

When she strolled into the hall, Ruby found Cobie not in his room and instead in the upstairs bathroom. The door was open, and he was standing in front of the mirror over the sink, looking intently at his reflection.

More specifically, he was staring at his hair. He was using a comb to weave a set of bangs over the side of his forehead before flipping it back up, smoothing it down the top of his head. Then he undid the combover to let his bangs hang on top of his face again. He was going back and forth with his hairstyle.

Ruby scowled. "You're not going to cosplay as Aqua again," she called out to him. "Are you?"

"I'm thinking about it," he said, never turning away from his reflection.

"Why?"

"To pull a prank on Akane, and to test if she can tell us apart if I visually and behaviorally resemble Aqua exactly."

Akane Kurokawa, the unfortunate actress that had been poorly treated by LoveNow's fanbase before she returned to the show stronger than ever. It had become clear to Ruby that Cobie had finally decided to roll with wooing her instead of following Crown Nightshade like a lost puppy. Good on Cobie for knowing when to stop playing second fiddle and to put in a more concerted effort in making a girl realize how awesome her life would be if he chose her to be his special someone.

Between Ruby being so busy with B-Komachi and her promise to Mama not to interfere too much with Cobie's love life, she hadn't been able to investigate Akane's background and personality as much as she has for Cobie's previous girlfriends and crushes, but the stage actress had Aqua's approval. That was good enough for Ruby.

Which was why Ruby warned Cobie, "That's how at least three of your past girlfriends broke up with you." She didn't want to actively encourage Cobalt's attempts to unintentionally sabotage himself either.

"I'm not dating Akane yet, though."

Yet. Cobie was committed. One way or another, he was going to date this girl.

Ruby turned Cobalt around to face her. She clasped his cheeks and peered at his serious expression. With his hair down, you could see even less of his scar. Only a few minor adjustments here and there, and Cobalt would look exactly like Aqua.

"Please," she stressed to her brother. "Just be yourself. Be Cobie."

"I need – No, I want to make sure Akane likes me. For the show, I need to make sure Akane the Idol has fun with Elemental Orel. A silly prank will help with that."

God, did Shin get to Cobie again? Make a big deal about staying on-brand? "Orel and Cobalt are the same person," she reminded him. "Like how Ruby the Idol is just Ruby Hoshino living her dreams. You don't need to keep acting like there's a tangible difference between your real name and your online name."

"But Aqua said–"

"To exaggerate your real self. Yeah. I remember. And you're doing a good job doing just that." Ruby swiped the comb and readjusted his hair. The faded scar along Cobie's nose and his eye still sent a small chill through Ruby's shoulder whenever she was up close like this, but it was still a part of Cobalt, something he's embraced and accepted and which shouldn't seriously bother anyone who knows and understands Cobie, like his future girlfriend. "Add up the days you've spent filming with her and your days off together, you've known each other for longer than you've dated Frill, who was one of your favorite girlfriends. If Akane can't stick with your true self dialed up to eleven, then you're better off making Crown Nightshade swoon for you, or going with Mem-Cho."

"... But I want Akane to–"

Want. Not I have to. That was a good sign. Cobie wanted to be with Akane. He wasn't solely bound by his duties to the reality show to have to romance her for the sake of good TV. It was still Cobie himself who–

Cobie's phone started ringing. Ruby grimaced. The tune playing was a special one meant for a specific person in Cobie's life.

She grabbed the phone out of Cobie's hand before he could answer it. He didn't try taking it back, letting Ruby hold it as the caller's voice message spoke.

"Orel, your favorite animation mentor extraordinaire needs to have a chat with ya." Damn it. From the tone, the asshole was drunk, too. "Call me back."

As Shin Hoshigami hung up, Ruby silenced the phone and went back to work prettying Cobie up, making sure he looked as reasonably distinct from Aqua as possible. She can take a picture and share it with Cobie as a reminder to be himself when cozying up with Akane. "Anyway, as I was saying–"

"Clay needs to talk with me."

"Later." When he wasn't drunk off his ass.

"... Aqua didn't like Sachi much, but they've gotten better with each other," Cobalt said in a hopeful tone. "Could you and Clay do the same, too?"

Ruby snorted. Maybe in a million years…

Cobalt reached for his phone. Ruby nearly swatted his hand away before catching herself. Going overboard in putting a wall between him and his precious Clayman would hurt Cobie far more than any physical pain would give him.

However, contrary to what Ruby was expecting, Cobie didn't unsilence his phone. He fiddled with its casing and pulled out a key – the key to Shin's apartment. Cobalt must keep it close to his phone so he'd always be ready to let himself into Shin's home if he ever called him over.

"Sachi wanted to be Aqua's friend," Cobie said, pressing the key onto Ruby's palm. "They kept talking to each other alone and did become friends. Can you talk more with Clay alone? Please? Then you might not have to dislike Clay so much, in the same way Aqua doesn't dislike Sachi so much now, too."

Ruby sincerely doubted spending any more time near Shin by their lonesome would improve her opinion of him.

But, Cobie was making a very earnest request, and Shin was due for a grilling from Ruby anyway. She hadn't found the time since starting high school, and doing it now under the guise of befriending Shin would appease her innocent little brother.

So, Ruby agreed to Cobie's proposal, cleaned herself up, and left their house to make her way to Shin's apartment.

She left her phone with Cobie and kept his phone on her. Shin was sending Cobie more calls. She listened on an earbud as Shin's insistence to speak with Cobie steadily deteriorated to nonsensical ramblings. He at least confirmed he was alone at his apartment, though his drunken state could mean he wasn't speaking coherently about that.

When Ruby made it to Shin's front door, she had her fingers crossed, hoping she wouldn't be encountering Shin's girlfriend or the guy porking his girlfriend again.

Entering, the stench of Shin's apartment assaulted Ruby's nose with air freshener and cologne, which meant Shin was likely holed up in either the bathroom or his bedroom after the latest bout of drinking. As Ruby moved through the living room, she found herself surprised by how everything was also clean and nicely organized. There weren't any old clothes or random animation tools scattered throughout the apartment. Furniture and table surfaces weren't stained with food scraps or torn plastic bags. It looked like Shin was putting in a good effort to keep the public area of his home presentable, but her pessimism won over her optimism when she came to the half-open bedroom door and was hit by the stingy smell of alcohol and… other unpleasant scents.

Inside, Shin was lying against his bed, supporting himself with his elbow on the floor as he stared at his phone. Bottles and beer cans, some empty and some not, were placed around him. He was wearing one of his nicer outfits, with a jacket and tie, though in less than stellar condition between the wrinkled fabric and blemishes all over his clothes. There was an almost comical splatter of red lipstick from a kiss on his cheek. Either he had been on a date with that Pearl Kurata girl, or he had just gotten back from one of his Sin Club outings.

Whatever the case, Shin pulled his eyes away from this phone screen and squinted at Ruby. "Why are you here?" he slurred out in confusion. "Where's Orel?"

He reached absently for one of his bottles. It was more instinct than anything on his part. Ruby caught the bottle before he could grab it and knocked the glass against his bed's footboard. The noise made Shin shudder. "Cobie is living his life," Ruby said pointedly. "You need to get your act together. What are you thinking, calling Cobie and telling him to come over when you're like this?"

"If he said that he was coming, I'd have cleaned up." He pressed his fingers on his phone. Ruby slapped it out of his hands. At Shin's whiny cry, Ruby jabbed the end of the bottle against his throat. Not with any real pressure, more hitting his chin than trying to cut off his breathing. He gasped as he sobered up enough to realize it was Ruby speaking to him and not any random person who hardly registered as worth listening to for a drunken Shin. "Alright. Alright! I should've cleaned up sooner."

"You should always be clean whenever you speak with Cobie. It doesn't matter whether it's on the phone or in-person."

Shin had been on a pretty good streak of not being an irritant to Ruby or a poor influence on Cobie ever since that housewarming get-together. It was nice while it lasted. If only Cobie's return to romance coincided with a redeeming reformation of Shin's lifestyle choices.

He let out an obnoxious groan. "Why are you still complaining about being clean? I already let you spruce up every other room in this place. Why can't you leave my room alone? We're not even doing anything tonight."

He let her spruce up…? Ruby held her fingers close to his face and snapped her fingers. "It's Ruby in front of you. Pearl Kurata isn't here."

Shin rapidly blinked his eyes. "Huh… Yeah. Pearl left earlier. I knew that."

Was Shin taking drugs or something? He better not. It was only mid-day, and she wouldn't think he'd have drunk enough to be this out of it.

"Don't be stupid," Ruby said flatly. "It's your job to give Cobie sensible advice. Using him as a soundboard to complain about your girlfriend is not an option." Shin's unhappiness would be a terrible distraction from the important things Cobalt was trying to accomplish.

Shin uttered a burst of hysterical laughter. Seeing Shin act without a care in the world, even for only a brief moment, was absolutely infuriating. "Oh, I know plenty of sensible advice I can give him."

Ruby didn't like the way Shin was smirking at her. She was tempted to give him a whack with the bottle, but as she considered it, she realized Shin even in his drunken-addled mind never broke a smile whenever subjected to Ruby's disciplinary lectures. There was something giving him a sense of confidence outweighing his usual subservience to her. "Like what?"

He pointed a shaky arm to his phone. Ruby could see a clip of LoveNow being played. "Have you seen Orel on that show? Talking up all those pretty girls…"

"What about it?"

Shin lost his smirk, moaning as he grabbed his head and cracked his neck.. "Ah! It's… off. It's all wrong."

"How exactly is it any different from him finding and dropping girlfriends in middle school?"

"It's that one girl he keeps talking to."

"Sachi Kamiya?"

"No!" Like a child, he threw a fit and flailed his limbs. Ruby stepped back as Shin jammed his elbows against the side of the bed frame. "Ow! I mean, no! Who gives a fuck about her? I'm talking about Ai."

It took a second for Ruby to figure out who he was talking about. "You mean Akane Kurokawa?" Maybe Kana had been underselling Akane's acting ability. While Ruby did have some whiplash when first seeing Akane copy Mama for her new LoveNow persona down to even the cheeky chuckle, of course Ruby who has lived and breathed as Ai's daughter for all her reincarnated life can tell the difference with an adequate amount of scrutiny. At its core, Akane was just doing a better version of Cobie adjusting his voice and in full costume acting as Mama. "Akane does a really good impression of Mama, but I didn't think even you were stupid enough to confuse the two of them."

Shin kept talking as if he didn't hear a thing Ruby said. "But Orel… He's going about it all goddamn wrong. That's not how the guy who gets into Ai's pants is supposed to act like."

Not how… Wait. "You're jealous of Cobie?" Sure, Shin has let his eyes linger on some of Cobie's old girlfriends for a little too long in the past, but he was man-whore. Of course he would do that. He's never acted on those feelings, even after Cobie's break-ups with the girls who had caught Shin's interest. "You already have a girlfriend." One who was cheating on him, granted, but he should be throwing himself at her or his other girls instead of running to Cobie and bitching to him.

Then Shin went in a completely different direction she hadn't been expecting. "Haven't you ever thought about it, Ruby? What your dad is like?"

No.

"What he must've done to get Ai to let him be the one to… y'know."

He was smiling again. This must be what Shin wanted to discuss with Cobie: his own ideas on how to get Akane's depiction of Ai the idol to fall in love with him. The anonymous figure who was able to give Ai her precious children was exactly the type of logical jump Cobie would make to use as a proven example to follow in courting Akane's character. Too bad for Shin that Cobie was already finding alternative methods to woo the character and the person behind it. "I'm sure Cobie has told you his thoughts about this kind of stuff," Ruby said. "I don't care about my non-existent father, so you can shut your mouth and never talk to me about this again."

Once more, Shin expressed a frustrating whine. "No. No! You're not getting it. All the girls in the world, and Orel finds one that acts exactly like Ai the idol? And he can't even romance her right? Can't be the man who was lucky enough to have been the only one in the world to get inside her, and–"

Feeling sicker with each word that came out of Shin's mouth, Ruby slapped him across the face. "What did I just say? I don't want to talk about this with you."

Shin rubbed his reddened face, his eye twitching. "You should. You're gonna be an idol like Ai. Millions of boys are gonna be looking at you, too, like how they looked at Ai in her heyday." The bastard grinned again. "You should watch your back. If Orel likes the Akane chick as a discount idol so much, he just might turn to you and pour his–"

Ruby saw red. She socked Shin in the jaw.

Cobie's soul was the purest one to have ever existed on this earth. He would never confuse their precious sibling love as anything else. It wasn't something that went beyond conventional relationships like her unique bond with Sensei and her chance to reunite with him. What Ruby and Cobie shared had no business being the subject of tasteless comments like what Shin was trying to say.

"I'm not one of your crass dumbasses who pretends to be your friend, Hoshigami," she growled. "Drunk or not, don't ever make crude jokes like that around me or Cobie. Understand?"

Shin wrapped his arms around his head, rocking his entire body back and forth. With a muffled voice, Ruby made out, "... It's not a joke."

He sounded a lot less cocky and a lot more humbled. "What isn't a joke?"

"Your dad." Shin lowered his arms, revealing a fresh bruise opposite the lipstick kiss. "He exists. He's out there."

"... Do you know him?"

"He's…" Shin's lips quivered before he sighed. "He gave Ai her babies, gave her you, and Aqua, and Orel. He helped make three miracles happen. So many miracles… So, with Orel meeting a girl who can act like Ai to a perfect T… With how down bad Orel is for a girlfriend… You get the idea."

Okay, now Ruby was certain Shin was just projecting his bullshit onto Cobalt. "Do you really think Aqua would have let Cobie get so close to a girl if he thought she was some freak going to make Cobie knock her up before they're married?"

"How do you think Ai's little miracles happened?"

"..." Ruby punched him again. He was lying on his side against the floor now, caressing his second bruise. Ruby looked him over and stated plainly, "I think I see what your problem is this week: You had a crush on Mama, but she was never going to be your girlfriend. You don't like your actual girlfriend, and you're jealous of Cobie getting back in the dating game."

Shin made more pitiable sounds as he stared up at her. "I know things, Ruby. I do know who your dad is. I know how Orel is supposed to find his perfect girlfriend. I need to tell him. I need to tell him everything."

As if an honest Shin Hoshigami would help anyone. And if Shin did have any substantial information on their father… "You'll tell him nothing," Ruby commanded.

"Come on! I've been good to him!" An inappropriate amount of bravado echoed from Shin's voice. He was such a petulant child. "I'm not even talking about the Sin Club. I've kept the bad girls away from him. I haven't let him invite himself to my apartment since I moved here, like you told me to. I've been helping him with his channel since he started doubling down on the Ai lookalike. I can help him a whole lot more if you just let me."

"Help him ruin his chances with Akane, more like, before he gets anywhere worthwhile with her." Cobalt hadn't asked Mama about his father in a long time. Shin reigniting that old passion of Cobie's wasn't going to help his romance with Akane any.

"Ruby, please…" The bravado was completely gone now. He was back to being a miserable sack of garbage who didn't have the balls to stand on his own two feet against Ruby.

When it came to people older and physically larger than her, man or woman, who threatened Ruby and her family, she always had to play it smart to beat them. The schoolyard tough guys hoping to pool the wool over their celebrity classmates. Unscrupulous agents and producers trying to get to Aqua, Cobalt, or Strawberry Productions' top leadership by using Ruby as their in. The harlots and womanizers wanting to exploit Ruby and her brothers for their own ends. If Ruby didn't play her cards right, she knew the kind of trouble she risked when picking a fight with these kinds of people, and she couldn't count on making miraculous escapes or recoveries like Cobie was able to do.

Yet with Shin, Ruby hardly ever needed to use any of her finely tuned techniques of intimidation to get him to obey. He gave in all too easily after Ruby threw a few punches. Legal retaliation or social revenge was hardly something he could do against a member of the Hoshino family. His token attempts at resisting Ruby, begging for her to give him leeway, would be almost funny if they weren't the actions of the man Cobie desperately wanted to be his role model.

Ai was the eternal constant in the lives of Ruby, Aqua, and Cobalt, but now that Ruby's grown older, she can admit in hindsight to the merits of having a mature male figure in their lives. Ichigo as their "grandpa" only did so much for them. At least for Aqua, his past life had evidently helped him make peace with not having a true paternal figure for his rebirth. The only man beyond Ruby's immediate family she needed was Sensei, who will be with her in due time. For Cobalt, he'll always look up to Aqua, appreciate Ichigo's presence, but Shin had unfortunately filled a hole Cobalt hadn't realized he had in his heart. Shin became the male equivalent to Yura Katayose, and Shin squandered that opportunity every time he devolved into this sniveling coward.

Cobie deserved so much better. Ruby's beautiful family deserved so much more than to have to entertain the whims of this sorry excuse of a man.

"You still don't understand," Ruby said with a snarl. "Three years you had to make something half-decent out of yourself, and you still haven't gotten any less pathetic."

Ruby was still holding the glass bottle. She tested its weight, deemed it suitable, and rolled up her sleeves. When Shin tried pulling himself up, she hit him again. And started hitting him again, and again, and again.

The last time she went this far… was probably when Ruby overheard him making one too many "joking" suggestions to Cobalt to sleep with Frill back when they were dating.

Once Ruby was satisfied with her work, she let the bottle drop on Shin's broken body. He had enough energy to give another wail at the last hit. She kneeled down, clutched the side of Shin's head, and made him look at her.

"I don't care," she said, "whether you do or don't know the unimportant face that donated his DNA for Mama to use as she needed. I only care about me and the only family that I have."

Including Sensei. Cobalt was going to get a proper surrogate older brother figure in Sensei. Shin will wish Cobie loved him as much as he will love Sensei.

"You're very lucky that Cobie still looks at you like you're his idol, and I don't want his heart broken and his head distracted with you getting thrown out of his life."

Misguided hope lit up in Shin's foggy eyes. "S-So you'll let me–"

"Cobie might have told you this story before," Ruby cut in. "When we first started pre-school, he was the first to make new friends with the other kids. Then they lied to him and made him hurt himself. I had to beat them up to make sure they never tried to trick Cobie like that again. It's unfortunately a story that's been repeated again and again in Cobie's life. I've had to knock down more than a few bullies over the years. Then there were the ones who got past me, like your Sin Club slut or the B-Komachi traitor. They lied to take advantage of him."

"I've never lied to him!" Shin stammered. "Or, or, I've only lied to him when you told me to. I want to tell him the truth, abo–about his dad!"

Ruby applied pressure to one of Shin's injuries, making him wince hard. "That's the twist. Cobie's gotten much smarter now. Unfortunately, he's still too naive, in denial of how he doesn't need you to teach him about life or animation anymore. If you let yourself be too honest, you'll shatter Cobie's image of you as his infallible mentor. Telling Cobie the truth of you being a horny slimeball without any real friends or personal value to your loathsome self will destroy him, which is why you need to keep lying and pretend to be a decent human being in the faint hope the lies will become reality."

"You… You mean… like what Ai did?"

Ruby granted him a condescending smile he's liable to mistake as the genuine article of a loving idol. "If it helps you to think of it like that, sure! As long as, at the end of the day, Cobie is safe and sound from your deluded obsession with him."

The smile was likely what sealed the deal. After Ruby released her grip, it didn't take him long to bow his head with deference. "I… I can keep lying," he choked out, struggling to speak clearly. "Keep Orel–"

"Keep Cobie."

"Keep Orel happy." Eh, Ruby was in a better mood now. She can let the name slip-up pass. "I'll keep you happy… but what about your father?" And down went her mood all over again. "You all love Ai, and she loves you. She's a great mother. Imagine how much happier you can all be if Orel had his dad in his life."

No matter what past friendship he might have had with Sensei, Ruby silently wished Kumada Hoshigami had never sired this man-child before her. "Your shitty family life doesn't make it your responsibility to 'fix' mine. You need to properly fix yourself up before you even think about turning Cobie's world upside down by bringing a deadbeat who is not our family into it." To emphasize the point, she reached into her pocket and brandished her knife. Shin's eyes followed the twirls of the blade she made between her fingers. "If you do, you know what happens next. Even if your absurd idea of Cobie meeting his father had the slimmest chance of doing something beneficial, I'll make sure you never get to see Cobie's smile ever again."

"… What am I supposed to say to Pearl when she sees me all beat up like this?"

Ruby kept up her smile as she released Shin and stood up. He was pacified now. "You're drunk. You got mugged, you fell down the stairs, or you pissed off the wrong guy and got into a fight. Figure it out."

She pocketed her knife, washed her hands in Shin's bathroom, and made herself adequately presentable before taking her leave. The constant stream of messages to Cobie's phone stopped, so Ruby was free to hum along to the B-Komachi single due for a cover the next time she and the girls were at the office.

… Against her will, her thoughts drifted back to Shin. Him somehow digging up the identity of their father… he must have some legitimate sleuthing skills to be able to learn that, assuming he was telling the truth.

He can still be a useful tool Ruby can keep in her back pocket, until Ruby felt it was an appropriate time for the contemptible Shin Hoshigami as he was now to finally be expelled from Cobie's life.