Chapter 24: Confronting and Hiding the Truth
"Why are you involving me again?" Armin asked.
"I need someone I can trust." Eren said as he got out of the car and walked towards the abandoned warehouse.
Eren was meeting with the Yakuza bosses in the Kanto Region that Sergei scheduled the meeting for. He brought with him Armin since he was the only ones he could fully trust with this job, and he was willing. He felt bad about bringing Armin but realized that it was necessary.
The building has been abandoned for a while and was on the outskirts of the city. Sergei picked this spot specifically to avoid CCTV cameras since it was still unknown how much resources the Hokkaido group, and by extension, the Marleyans had.
"You do realize that the Government will get angry if they find you making deals with the Yakuza behind their back." Armin said.
"I'm aware, and I don't care." Eren said. "This isn't the first time I've had to go against the Government."
While Eren had his whole journey a decade ago about accepting consequences, it didn't change his desire to protect his family. He would gladly die or be imprisoned if it meant they are safe. These are the consequences he's willing to accept.
"I'm well aware." Armin chuckled. "At least this time you're not going to beat me up again, at least I hope."
"Not this time Armin." Eren said with a small smirk.
It was strange to work with his old friend again, especially since the last time Eren saw Armin was when they fought each other as Titans. Armin really changed during the latter years of the conflict with Marley into a capable and inspirational commander. Eren hoped Armin wouldn't have to go down that route again and can simply enjoy a normal life.
Eren walked up to a doorway leading into the main conference room of the warehouse, which were guarded by two Yakuza men. They noticed Eren and he could tell that they got worried when they saw him.
Eren walked past them and entered into the room. Sitting around a table were the ten Yakuza bosses in the Kanto Region. Eren knew these were the biggest ones since they wouldn't dare to refuse his call. Eren recognized one as the current heads of the Isagawa-Kai, the same one that he spoke to at the start of his investigation.
He looked worried, and so did the rest of the Yakuza Oyabuns. They tried to visibly maintain their composure, but Eren could tell they were failing. The last time Eren involved himself directly resulted in the near destruction of the Isagawa, and now he was getting involved again.
"Eren." One of the Oyabuns said.
"Listen, I'll keep this brief." Eren said. "A group from Hokkaido is moving in and targeting me and my family."
There was a pause. Who would be dumb enough to try and target Eren Yeager, especially his family? Eren could tell that the Oyabun's were piecing together why Eren called them here.
"You want us to fight them?" The leader of the Isagawa said.
"Exactly." Eren nodded. "They're being used by old enemies of mine to strike at me as a kind of proxy. So, you will be my proxies in this."
"And if we don't?" A younger Oyabun asked.
"Then I'll kill you." Eren said.
"Hehe, really?" The Isagawa leader chuckled. "If this group and your old enemies are a threat to you, then how do you expect us to fight them?"
"The Marleyan's, my old enemies, will be left to me. I just need you to keep the Hokkaido group off of me." Eren said.
"Is there any reason we shouldn't join them?" The younger boss asked.
"I can think of a few." Eren said. "Do you know those monsters that have been fighting recently?"
There was another pause. It was clear that they were realizing that Eren was bringing this up for a reason. Just like every other aspect of society, the Yakuza were terrified of these new monsters. No one knew where they came from or even what they are. There is a public outcry about it, but the yakuza were as much afraid as everyone else.
"We've heard about them." One boss said.
"I am able transform into a Titan, as we call them." Eren said, causing the men to go silent again. "Armin here can turn as well, he was the massive one on the mall."
"If you could-" One boss said.
"At the time, when I took down Yoshida, all I had was my ODM gear, that repelling gear which is used to fight Titans. I couldn't transform." Eren explained. "The Marleyans can transform as well, and we've been at war with them for a while."
"You want us to fight monsters?" The younger Oyabun asked.
"The alternative is I kill you now." Eren said, holding up his hand that had a cut on his palm.
The Oyabun's saw a small yellow spark from his hand as he threatened them. Eren's threat was clear, until his family was safe, he was willing to wipe them all out. He is literally putting them in a position to choose the more terrifying of two monsters to side with.
Normally, they wouldn't believe Eren's story, but after seeing the reports from their members on the monster attacks, they were much more inclined to believe. They also knew that when it came to his family, Eren would not hesitate to do what is necessary.
"Fine." The Isagawa Oyabun said. "We'll work with you, but what exactly do you want us to do?"
"The Hokkaido group is moving into Tokyo." Eren said. "They have maybe around a dozen members trained in ODM combat but the rest are regular grunts. I want you to disrupt their operations and make life in Tokyo hell for them. Avoid the Marleyans and these ODM using members."
"Seems simple enough." One Oyabun said.
"Of course it is." Eren said. "I'm not cruel, I won't have you send men needlessly to their deaths. I'll have you handle the simple threats, while Armin and I, with the Government, will handle the Marleyan's and ODM Yakuza."
The bosses all agreed that was the best course of action. While they were being compelled through fear to join Eren, Eren knew that they would eventually refuse or betray him if he started needlessly throwing their lives away. He just needed to disrupt the Hokkaido group's plan enough to weaken the Marleyans.
"Alright, we'll do this." One Oyabun said.
"Perfect." Eren said.
Over the next hour, Eren went into details to the Yakuza, specifically how they're going to deal with the Hokkaido group and potentially the shifters. Eren wasn't going to share information from the Government, but he was letting the Chinese spies pass information so they could effectively strike against them.
By figuring out their logistics, safe houses, and other important infrastructure being moved into Tokyo, Eren could effectively break their ability to operate. This will at least prevent the Hokkaido group from moving freely.
Once the plans were made, Eren and Armin left the room and went back to their car. Eren felt satisfied with how things went, but he knew that this was taking a huge gamble. If the Government found out, they were going to be mad.
Eren put his hand to his mouth and bit it enough to draw blood.
"You noticed too?" Armin asked Eren.
"Yes, we're being tailed." Eren said. "ODM gear, about fifty meters up on the building behind us."
Armin didn't need to glance to mentally map it in his head. He was just as experienced as Eren and had the same sixth sense that came with being a Scout. That feeling that something wasn't right, only to notice movement in the corner of his eye.
"What should we do?" Armin asked.
"Ignore him, I doubt he'll strike." Eren said. "They may know you're a shifter too, which will be a suicide mission for them if they attack. For now, let him tail us. I doubt he'll find out anything he doesn't already know."
"Fair enough." Armin said as he got in the car with Eren.
As they drove off, the figure in the distance moved with skill and precision, following behind Eren and Armin as they drove. The low light conditions made it easy for him to follow, but he kept his distance so as not to come off as a threat. Even if Eren noticed him, it didn't matter.
For now, the figure stayed back and simply watched and waited. He would wait at least another few days before striking.
"Your power will be mine Eren Yeager." The figure muttered to himself.
Ruby, Mem-Cho, Akane, and Kana were all sitting around a small kneeling table in their pajamas while eating some ice cream. Currently, they were in the middle of a very important conversation.
"I'm going with red, just like mama." Ruby said with a smile, getting the red glowstick.
"Awe." Ai gushed from her desk. "My baby is trying to be like mama? I feel so honored." She said in a baby like voice.
"Mama, don't do that." Ruby said, not liking being talked to like a baby.
"The glowsticks represent the idols?" Reiner asked, picking up a red one from his potion on the couch.
"Yup!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement. "It's how you can tell is the most popular idol, plus it looks pretty when everyone dances with them.
"I'm going to go with yellow." Mem-Cho said in excitement.
"I guess I'll go with white." Kana shrugged, grabbing her own glowstick.
"What about you Akane?" Ai asked. "What do you want to use?"
Akane grabbed a few of the remaining colors. Orange was too close to Mem-Cho's color, while green didn't really suit her well. She thought about maybe using blue but was a bit unsure.
"I think you should go with blue." Aqua said.
"Really?" Akane asked.
"Yea, I agree. Armin's favorite color is blue." Mem-Cho said in a sly voice.
"Y-you think so?" Akane asked.
"Yes, he told me once." She said.
Well... if Armin liked it, maybe she should go with the color. It would also match her dark colored hair very well as well as make her visually distinct from the other girls. Something she needed if she was going to salvage her reputation.
The door opened and Armin and Eren walked into the studio. Suddenly, both Kana and Mem-Cho stood up straight to attention when Eren walked in. Akane stayed seated, glancing shyly at Eren but no longer really afraid of the former criminal. Now she mostly felt embarrassed around him after how much of an affect he had on her, more like how a daughter would be embarrassed around a father.
"H-hello!" They both yelled.
"Stop." Eren said in a bored tone as he walked past them.
"U-understood." The girls said in unison.
"How was work darin?" Ai asked.
Eren shrugged. He knew he couldn't lie to his wife since she could always detect it somehow, so he simply avoided answering so he didn't lie. He'd rather keep the Yakuza part of his job away from them.
"You were with him?" Akane asked Armin.
"No, Eren picked me up." Armin lied. "What are you guys doing?" Armin changed the subject.
"They're picking out colors for their glowsticks." Reiner said. "Akane picked blue."
"Really?" Armin asked. "That's actually my favorite color." He said with a smile.
Akane blushed and brought her knees closer to her chest, glad that he liked her choice.
"You should dance with blue glowsticks for the performance." Mem-Cho said, hoping to help those two and play matchmaker.
"Sure, I never did before so I think it'll be fun." Armin said.
Akane blushed again.
Eren noticed that Akane and Kana had worried expressions on their faces. Weirdly enough, it was an expression he was used to seeing all the time. Back during his days in the Scouts, it was that same expression he saw on his comrades before they went out on a mission.
An expression that shows that a person is terrified of having to fight or go into Titan territory. Where one mistake could cost them their lives or their comrades lives. While the circumstances were different, he could tell that both girls were worried about the performance since it was their careers on the line.
"You two will be fine." Eren said to the girls.
"Eh?" Kana asked, suddenly nervous again as Eren talked to her.
"Being scared before doing something stressful is normal, but you don't have to worry about it. You two will do fine." Eren encouraged. "As long as you don't give up."
Eren shot Akane a small look. Not a condescending one but more as a friendly reminder to not let herself get to that point again. Akane looked down in slight shame.
"Hehe, I'll be fine." Kana tried to put on a more confident face. "I am the most experienced person here!"
Ai actually kind of agreed. Kana has technically been performing longer than her, but obviously never got to her level.
"Confidence is good, but pride can be destructive if you use it as a shield." Eren said cryptically.
"Eh?" Kana asked.
"I heard you have been struggling in your career lately, so I can understand that you're scared. I had a similar feeling before a mission when I was younger." Eren explained.
"I don't think we could compare you fighting monsters and us performing." Akane said logically.
"The feelings are the same, even if the intensity is different." Eren said.
"H-how did you get over the nerves?" Kana asked. While she has performed before, this was the first time she was really concerned about a performance.
"I'm not a good example." Eren said.
"Yea, his desire to kill all the Titans made him fearless." Armin chuckled.
"And reckless." Reiner said.
"True." Eren nodded. "I was cocky, arrogant, and felt invincible the day the Titan's broke through Trost. Or, I guess..." Eren glanced at Reiner.
Reiner looked down in shame, knowing full well that the comrades they lost in the 104th were killed due to his orders to break the gate.
"What happened?" Kana asked.
Eren and Armin both looked down as they remembered the first time they actually tried to fight a Titan.
"To be honest, I don't remember much of it." Armin said.
"Really?" Eren asked, surprised.
"I remember you were in the Titan's mouth, and then Connie was shaking me. It was traumatic, I guess I blocked the memories out." Armin said.
Akane and Mem-Cho looked sadly at Armin. Armin was always such a happy and kind person. Even though they knew he technically was a supernatural soldier from another world, it still never occurred to them that he was in traumatic situations.
"I remember you talked about this years ago." Ai said. "You were with Wagner Squad."
"A Titan bit my leg off and tried to swallow Armin." Eren said. "I barely had the strength to jump into its mouth and pull him out. After that, I don't remember much." Eren said.
"W-were you swallowed?" Kana asked.
Ruby and Ai looked at Eren in fear and concern. They never imagined Eren would have been eaten alive at any point. Sure, he fought man eating monsters, but they never imagined that he'd actually be eaten.
"It was the first time I transformed. Shifters never remember their first transformation." Eren explained, choosing not to elaborate more on his near death.
"You went crazy. At first, we thought you were an abnormal that fought other Titans. It was a shock to see you emerge." Armin said.
Both men looked down is sadness and regret as their minds went back to the battle of Trost. Out of all their battles, Eren and Armin felt like that was the worst. Well, technically for Eren his worst was the final battle when he had to fight his friends. But for Armin, it probably was Trost.
At least in later battles they were used to the death and loss of life.
"It does feel dumb to be concerned about a performance compared to that." Kana chuckled slightly.
"Y-yea." Akane agreed.
Eren walked over and placed a hand on each of the girl's shoulders. Both Kana and Akane got stiff as they looked up towards Eren's face. He had a small and subtle smile on his face as he reassured the girls.
"Don't worry, either of you. You will both do fine. It's nerve racking the first time you need to perform, but you can both relax and understand that you'll do good." He said.
For the first time since meeting him, Kana felt like she wasn't scared of the Akuma no Ko. Looking back on it, he never once tried to do anything to threaten her or hurt her in anyway.
If anything, he seemed like a man that was wise beyond his years. A man who's done it all and seen it all. A man who seemed like he was mentally much older than thirty years old. Oddly enough, a lot like an Ojiisan.
Akane and Kana both shared a look between each other. They smiled at each other slightly, their worries slowly fading away as they realized that it really wasn't so bad. They were confident in their abilities and practice, and even if they failed, at least they'll be alive and well afterwards.
"Thank you so much Yeager-San." Kana said as she gave Eren a deep bow of respect.
"Yes, thank you." Akane followed as well.
"Papa, where's my encouragement?" Ruby complained.
"Why would I encourage you?" Eren asked and chuckled at Ruby's pout.
"Because I'm your daughter and I want affirmation!" She pouted, giving Eren a glare you'd see on an angry puppy.
Eren reached out to his daughter and put his hand on her head. Ruby closed her eyes and smiled at the small show of affection from her papa.
"If I was worried, I'd give you encouragement. But you're better than your mother so you don't need it." Eren said.
"Eh?" Ai said in mock offense.
"It's true." Eren shrugged. "She has the benefit of learning from experience."
Ai smiled at that. Eren's smart in phrasing it that way.
"Still, give me encouragement." Ruby pouted.
"You'll do alright Ruby." Eren chuckled.
"Bleh." Ruby stuck her tongue out at Eren while he kept patting her head.
"Anyway, it's time for us to go home. We have a lot of preparing to do tomorrow." Ai said as she stood up and closed her laptop.
"It is getting late." Akane agreed.
"Ruby, Aqua, can you two ride with me and papa?" Ai asked. "I just need some help with something."
"Sure, what do you need?" Aqua asked.
"Nothing important, just need to talk." She smiled warmly at her two eldest children.
"Ok mama." Ruby said. "Bye everyone."
"Have a safe trip, Ruby." Reiner waved.
Ruby held up a peace sign and stuck her tongue out with a wink to Riener, a signature move she tried to copy from her okaasan during her days as a performer. It actually made Reiner blush at how cute she was.
"We'll escort them back home." Armin said, motioning towards Akane, Kana, and Mem-Cho.
"Sounds good." Eren said.
"I'll need to get home too, so I'll see you guys at the performance." Reiner said.
Ruby noticed that Reiner seemed sad, much sadder than usual. She wondered if it had to do with the talk they had about her papa's and Armin's past. She could piece together that Reiner attacked this Trost district, and he seemed really beaten up over it.
She reminded herself that soldiers sometimes have to do bad things to survive and follow orders, so she didn't really blame Reiner. So, Ruby decided she'd find a way to cheer him up after the performance, so he didn't look so sad.
Eren got into the driver's seat while Ai got into the passenger seat. Aqua and Ruby got in the back next to each other and got their seat belts on. Ai could see both of her children's faces in the rear-view mirror. They had a neutral expression, but Ruby seemed to be excited to perform.
"Are you excited Ruby?" Ai asked.
"Yes mama." Ruby said, her voice wavering slightly in excitement.
"There's something important that I want to ask you two." Ai said.
Aqua raised his eyebrow. This sounded important with how Ai sounded. He wondered if she was going to give some parental advice about concerts, being an idol, or something along those lines.
"Are you both reborn from Eren's world?" Ai asked.
.
.
.
Aqua and Ruby were stunned in silence. How did she find out? Granted, she was slightly off since they were never from Eren's world, but still, how did she figure it out?
"I'm not surprised you figured it out." Eren said.
"You knew?" Ai asked Eren in shock.
"Since they were four, yes." Eren nodded.
"Why did-" Ai paused.
"Because you wouldn't believe me or them." Eren said with a shrug.
"So... did you know them before?" Ai asked.
Aqua and Ruby stayed silent. They knew that Ai basically figured the truth out, even if slightly off, so was there really any harm in being honest? Aqua and Ruby looked at each other, wondering just how they were going to explain this.
"Aqua, Ruby, please tell me." Ai said, looking at them through the mirror as their faces expressed a range of emotions.
"How did you-" Aqua began to ask.
"Don't pretend I'm stupid, please." Ai said. "You both share the same exact birthdays as the other reborn people, so it's not hard to piece together once I accepted that this is possible. But above all else, when I think about how you acted as a child Aqua, everything started to make sense."
"Really?" Aqua asked.
"At first, I was worried that maybe you had mental problems. So, I prepared myself for that. But everything you did as a child was uncanny. Kawachi acts like I thought a boy would act, trying so hard to be a man and not understanding what that means. But you... you truly did act mature. It wasn't an inexperienced act."
Aqua and Ruby assumed it made sense. Once you accept that rebirth is possible, it's not hard to piece things together.
"We are reborn... but we're not from Eren's world." Aqua explained.
"Yea, we were Japanese in our last life." Ruby said in a low voice.
"We didn't want you to ever find out... because if you did then we were worried that things would be awkward or make you upset. Honestly, I wish you could have had normal kids." Aqua said.
"Are Kawachi and Mikasa-" Ai began.
"No, they're not reborn. We tried asking." Aqua said.
"I see." Ai said. "W-what about your old families? I mean... would you want to see them?"
Aqua could tell there was fear in Ai's voice. Aqua could see she was no longer looking at them through the mirror, too scared at the thought of her children abandoning her for their old lives.
"I have no family mama." Ruby said.
"You don't?" Ai asked.
"T-they abandoned me when I was in the hospital and died." She said sadly.
"You died?" Ai asked.
"I-I had cancer and I didn't get very old before I died." She explained.
Aqua was surprised. Ruby never talked about her old life before. She always kept it a secret. He could tell that Ruby didn't want Ai feeling sad about the situation just like him.
"I... I remember the first time I saw you perform mama." Ruby said, her voice cracking slightly. "I remember how amazing you were when I watched you in that hospital bed. I remember how I felt when you gave me hope. And being reborn as your daughter, it was the most amazing thing in the world to me." Ruby started to tear up.
"R-really?" Ai asked.
"Yes. I remember seeing you perform on that stupid old TV and thought you were amazing. You gave me the inspiration to keep going." Ruby said.
Ai began to tear up. Aqua and Eren could tell that the sudden change in her fans a decade ago always left a hole in her heart. Ai felt so hated during that time and told herself that fans don't care. But to hear Ruby's opinion, how she gave inspiration to a poor dying girl made Ai feel like she did have people who cared for her.
Eren placed a hand on her knee while he drove, wordlessly saying that he was here for her.
"I'm glad you got to be reborn to me." Ai smiled.
"It's not awkward mama?" Ruby asked.
"If I found out when you were young, maybe. But who cares now? You're still my kids, and at least I could give you two a mother you never had." She smiled at them through the mirror.
"Interesting opinion." Eren chimed in with a small smirk.
"It makes sense now why you and Aqua never seemed like you had a papa and son relationship." Ai said.
"It's weird to see someone reborn as a kid. Ruby was easy since she was young when she was reborn." Eren shrugged.
Aqua agreed. Still, it was weird finally learning a little bit about Ruby's past. Died in a hospital from cancer. It reminded him of Sarina's death. She was a fan of Ai's and died in a hospital as well at a young age. She even complained about the old TV the hospital had-
Aqua glanced at Ruby, piecing together her past. There was no way... no way at all. Sarina was sweet, kind, and innocent. Ruby was always mischievous and argued with him. She was innocent, but Ruby was always kind of a brat and a tsundere. There's no way she could be Sarina.
"Oh yea!" Ai remembered something. he shot a small glare at Aqua. "You would always bite me when I used to breastfeed you."
Aqua had the decency to blush when she brought that up. His train of thought was also derailed.
"It was weird being breastfed by a sixteen-year-old." Aqua defended. "I figured if I made it uncomfortable then you'd start bottle feeding me. It worked." He shrugged.
"But I loved breastfeeding all my children." Ai looked down sadly. "It was an amazing feeling."
"Breast feeding releases special hormones that helps bond an okaasan to her child, so that's not surprising." He said logically. "Not so fun for the baby when he has the memories of an adult.
Aqua was really amazed how they could have this conversation and it didn't feel awkward. He was always concerned that if she learned the truth, their relationship would change. Weirdly, it felt like a weight in the family dynamic was finally lifted.
"Don't make it sound like a health lecture." Ai said in mock sadness. "It's a beautiful moment."
"He wants to be a doctor. Doctors are like that, always so serious." Ruby giggled. "At least until I convinced mine to fall in love with you."
"Really?" Ai asked.
"Yea. He was amazing and so kind to me. I remember he always made me feel important." Ruby blushed a bit.
"Ara?" Ai asked, smiling as she saw her daughter had a little crush in an older man in her past life. "Who was he?"
"His name was Amamiya Goro." Ruby said with a smile.
There was now no doubt. Ruby was Sarina. The girl he failed to save, the girl who gave him a love for idols, the same girl who he unfairly held Ai to the same standards because of his paternal love for her.
Aqua couldn't speak. He was in shock, so much so that he couldn't even emote. He kept an entirely blank stare as he listened into their conversation.
"Amamiya Goro?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "He was the doctor who helped me when I was pregnant with you two!" Ai yelled out.
"Really!?" Ruby yelled out.
"It seems he was looking out for you even when you died." Ai smiled.
"Wow... what was he like?" Ruby asked. "Did he change at all?"
"Well, he was kind and sweet. He was very helpful and was professional. I can see why you had a crush on him." Ai giggled.
"Nani?" Ruby blushed. "I never had a crush on him!" She covered her face in her obvious lie, her trauma from her okaasan's past still weighing on her to act like the shy idol she was supposed to be.
While they talked, Eren glanced at Aqua through the mirror. Aqua's blank stare was a familiar thing to him. A stare of shock, one of a revelation so shocking it brings everything into question. Eren knew Ai didn't notice, but Eren was piecing things together.
Eren remembered their talk a decade ago, after Aqua killed Hikaru. Aqua said how he was the doctor who helped Ai through her pregnancy. How he died protecting her from Ryo-something and Hikaru. He also mentioned how Ruby never talked about herself.
Apparently, Ruby's previous life was someone special to Aqua, someone he probably watched die. Aqua probably is piecing it together now, finally able to actually learn about Ruby's past.
Aqua glanced up, noticing Eren's look. Aqua could tell Eren realized it too, but Aqua and Eren decided to stay quiet for the moment. Aqua needed time to process this before he tried anything.
"Are you sure it's not weird mama?" Ruby asked.
"Of course not." Ai smiled. "I don't care who you two were. You're my babies. Even if you were technically older than me."
"Actually mama, we're the same age." Ruby joked.
Ruby and Ai kept talking. It was amazing how quickly Ai accepted the truth. Eren guessed she figured it out a while ago but didn't bring it up until now. So, she had time to process. Ruby of course was able to accept anything. She didn't care, as long as her mother showed her unconditional love.
Aqua though, Eren could tell Aqua was struggling with it. Eren would need to talk with him soon.
When they got home, Aqua stepped outside so he could take a call. He took his cell-phone and dialed a number he hasn't in a while.
"Raito?" Aqua asked.
"Aqua?" He asked. "It's been a while. We haven't talked since you were younger. What's up?"
Aqua explained a summarized version of what he learned. Raito was surprised that Ai believed the situation since Aqua didn't reveal anything about the Titans or anything like that. He only told Raito that Ai knows the truth and that Ruby was Sarina.
"That's probably not easy." Raito said.
"You think?" Aqua asked aggressively. "I spent so long with you to get over Sarina's death. I finally accepted it years ago. I got over it and moved on. But now she's back?"
"It would seem so, and not only is she reborn, you've known her for years." Raito said.
"I know, but it's just that Ruby is nothing like Sarina. They're very different." Aqua said.
"That's not surprising. If I recall, Sarina had a crush on you. Ruby always saw you as a rival. People often act differently depending on their relationship to them." Raito explained.
"I just... I don't know what to do." Aqua said, feeling a moment of vulnerability.
"It's smart to wait. To process before confronting it." Raito said.
"What do I do?" Aqua asked.
"For now, you'll need to calm down and let yourself feel these emotions. Let it run its course and wait for a moment where you are in a calm state of mind to address it. I can't tell you what the right course of action is, only that you should wait until you are in a mental state to address it. Whether that's keep it a secret or revealing it." He said.
"I just-" Aqua began.
"I know it's rough Aqua. I really do. But there is a sudden revelation and you need to let yourself process this." Raito said. "Before hand, you were suicidal in your devotion to Ai because she reminded you of Sarina. Imagine now that Sarina is alive."
"Y-yea." Aqua said.
"Above all else, keep it secret from my wife. I don't want to imagine the scenario's she'll suggest for you." Raito joked.
It was a dumb joke, but it was enough to make Aqua chuckle a bit. Kuro would be the one to start coming up with weird fetish suggestions if she learned. He hasn't seen her in a decade, but he was sure she didn't change.
"Thank you." Aqua said.
"Of course. Normally I'd start charging you again but considering the situation, I'll help you for free if you need it." Raito said.
"Thank you." Aqua said.
"Now get some rest and don't worry about this. You have all the time in the world to process this." He said.
Aqua hung up the phone and started to walk back inside. Raito was right, he needed to rest, calm down, and address this later with a level head.
Once again my prefered way of characters learning the truth. See, Ai actually knew since she learned about rebirth. It's not hard to figure out and characters do so naturally. But sometimes we wait for the right moment to decide.
Ai is smart, especially when it comes to her kids. And now, Aqua has just had his revelation thrown in his face. I understand the reveal is obviously different from the manga, and that is by design. Aqua confronted his trauma and accepted her death, only to have it thrown in his face. Now their relationship will change (Platonically).
Hope you guys enjoyed.