Authors Note: I do not own Oshi No Ko, all rights belong to their original copyright holder.
I'm back from break, though daily updates still sadly won't be a thing as I still have work, I was just able to get this done in the meantime. Chapter 8 will likely be July4th-5th, though not entirely sure.
Also wanted to share in case anyone missed it, I have a new subreddit up called "Church_Of_AquaxRuby" if anyone wishes to join and share Fanart, Fanfiction or just discuss our fav twins.
Also shoutout to the "OshiNoKoMemes" subreddit for giving me a good laugh, go check them out, it's a fun place.(Also if you're reading this from said subreddit...I'm a girl, FYI lol)
Chapter 7 is rated NSFW for the following reasons: Sexual Descriptions, Detailed Body Descriptions.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy
"Huh? Chili Peppers?" Twelve year old Sarina Tendouji gave a suspicious look to her doctor, Gouro Amamiya, as he held some kind of wrap in his hand as he offered it to her. She had asked him if he could pick her breakfast up since her legs were extra weak today, and while he agreed, he took longer than he usually did. When he finally returned, he had something wrapped up on a plate, as he told her all the ingredients in it. Eggs, Rice, Cheese…And Chili Peppers.
Sarina wasn't convinced, to say the least.
"Why would you put Chili Peppers in breakfast, sensei?" Sarina asked with disbelief and slight annoyance, her stomach already grumbling from no food as she already began to think about how long it would take for him to go and grab a normal breakfast for her to eat.
For his part however, Gouro just gave a small laugh as he walked over and placed the wrap on her lap. "Come on now, have I ever done something you've not liked before?"
"Hm…When we first met, you made fun of me for watching an idol because you called them the plague of society."
"Well, let's just say I have more confidence in my cooking than my words on stuff I don't understand." Gouro said with a smile, as he picked up his own wrap and brought it to his face as he took a bite from it, and laid it on the plate.
Sarina just watched him eat the peppered breakfast with a look of disgust, her face turning down to the wrap in front of her as she gently picked it up and looked it over. "Do I have to, sensei…?"
"Well, as your doctor, then yes I recommend you eat…But, as your friend, I can't exactly force you to eat it. If you really don't want it, I'll go make something else."
"...Friend huh? Can't remember the last time I had a friend, especially since I came here." Sarina said with sadness in her voice, her fingers running over the wrap as Gouro's smile slipped away into a more neutral look.
"You had people come here early on I remember, other kids I mean…But I've not seen them in a while."
"Yeah, those were my friends from school, they often came here to visit me to check in on how I was doing, but…Lately, I might get a letter or two, but that's it…" Sarina said as tears threatened to form in her eyes, as Gouro gave a small sigh and patted her back.
"People, when they feel powerless, choose to avoid situations when they can and pretend nothing bad is going on. Your friends sadly can't do anything to help you physically, so over time, they get scared and just…Avoid this place."
"That…Doesn't make it any easier, sensei…"
"I know, and it doesn't make it right either." Gouro said softly, as pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to Sarina as he placed an arm around her. "But…No matter how your condition may be, on both good days and bad days, I'll be here to see you. Because that's what true friends are there for, we stick by one another, right?"
Sarina looked up and met Gouro's eyesight as he smiled at her, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. "S-Sensei…"
"Besides, I'll be an old man sooner than I like to admit." Gouro suddenly said, lifting his arm up from Sarina and placing it behind his head. "When that time comes, I expect you to repay the favor by tending to me and watching over me. Especially when it comes to making me breakfast in the morning."
Gouro looked down and gave a smirk to Sarina, who glared at him…Before starting to laugh. "Geez Sensei…Hehe…"
Sarina began laughing at Gouro's remarks, who could only laugh back with her. Her laughing didn't last long before coughing threatened to interrupt it, but she still pushed on as long as she could.
"Thank you sensei…If I do live long enough to see you be an old man, I promise you I'll make you a better breakfast than some Chili Pepper Wrap!"
"Hey now, get it right, that's a Green Chili Pepper Wrap. Also, not if Sarina, but when you live long enough to see me be a frail old pathetic man." Gouro kept his smile as have another chuckle, which Sarina returned the best she could. "Besides, you haven't even tried it yet, and you're already saying you're going to make a better breakfast? You could atleast do me the honor of trying my cooking."
"Sheesh, fine sensei, I'm going to like it, but fine." Sarina complained as she looked down at the wrap, a look of disgust on her face as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth as she bit down on the wrap.
As soon as she did, her eyes shot open and glowed, the fresh taste washing over the insides of her mouth as all of the flavors blended perfectly, to make something unique she had never tasted before.
"S-Sensei! T-This is…D-Delicious!" Gouro's smile only grew at her words, as he gave a small nod.
"See? Told you."
"I-It doesn't make sense, I-I've never liked peppers but this…It's perfect sensei! I love this!" Sarina said as she began to chow down on the wrap, as Gouro gently rubbed her back.
"Easy there, slow down or you'll get choked. Make sure you drink water with it to wash it down." Gouro handed her the glass of water beside her bed as she grabbed it and drank some, before placing it back down as she finished off the rest of her wrap just like that.
"I-It's so good sensei! C-Can you make me another one?"
"You sure change your tone quickly, you know that?" Despite his words, Gouro's smile never left his face as he just handed her his wrap. "Here you can have mine, I'll just grab something from the vending machine."
"H-Huh? Are you sure? I don't want to take your breakfast sensei…"
"Ah it's fine, you need it more than I do. Besides I can make more, it just takes a bit of time is all."
"I-I see…" Sarina looked down at the new wrap she had been handed, a smile on her face as she then looked back up at Gouro. "Hey Sensei, can you…Make this wrap for me again? Like…Every single morning?"
"Needy, are we?" Gouro gave a small laugh, as he patted Sarina on the back once again. "Sure, I don't mind. Every morning, whenever you're feeling down, whenever you have a bad day…Just tell me, and I'll make you one, alright?"
"Yay! Thank you sensei! I love you!" Sarina wrapped her arms around Gouro's waist as she laid her head on his stomach, as he just laughed and patted her once again.
"Yeah yeah, anytime, Sarina."
….
..
..
The morning sun shone over Tokyo as the alarm clock beside Aqua's bed began to ring, signaling it was time to once again arise and begin another day anew. As it rang, Aqua's eyes slowly opened and looked at the ceiling above, before he slowly turned his head over and raised an arm as he placed it atop the clock and ended its internal beeping.
It had been two days since his incident with forcing himself out of bed and falling down the stairs, and in that time he had done nothing but lay in his bed and allow Miyako and Ruby to take care of him. He didn't like it of course, and when he could, he snuck out on his own to do things such as refill his water or grab a snack, but for the most part he allowed them to essentially become his caretakers.
As Aqua eyed the timer on the clock, he gave a small sigh as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed to relax. Though he still had some discomfort from the lack of energy for three straight days, he had mostly recovered. Going up and down the steps was still the hardest to do so far, but it wasn't anything he couldn't push through.
Afterall, all this pain was because of his own failures. He was like the way he was, because of his inability to save his mother, Ai.
Aqua's eye glowed with darkness as these thoughts crossed his mind, before he slowly closed them and breathed in and out, calming his nerves as he opened his eyes back up to reveal blankness. He kept remembering Ruby's words, that she could be his light.
Even still, he knew what had to be done when it came to his father.
Still…Perhaps the light Ruby had was something he could look forward to once his mission was complete.
As Aqua sat in bed, a knock came on his door before it suddenly opened to reveal his bubbly caretaker. "Ah, you're already awake, sensei."
Ruby said with a smile as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her, as she made her way over to Aqua with her hands behind her back. Aqua looked up as a fuzzy light shined in his eyes as he gave a nod. "Yeah, if I keep waiting for you or Miyako to wake me up, then my schedule revolving around school and work will start to be affected."
"Hmm I guess that's true, you've always been a stickler for that huh? I always kinda just wing my sleep and idol schedule." Ruby said with a laugh, as Aqua rolled his eyes though without any malice. "Anyway, what do you want for breakfast? Miyako said she's going to the Deli for all of us since it's Sunday."
"The deli huh…" Aqua said with a bit of laziness in his voice, still somewhat tired as he looked up at the ceiling and shrugged. "Not sure, never had breakfast from there."
"Hm, it's pretty basic stuff…Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits…Oh! They have this one really good wrap though! It's a spinach wrap with Egg, Rice and cheese in the middle and it's soooo good!" Ruby placed her hands together as she almost drooled from the thought, as Aqua looked at her as he raised an eyebrow.
"Wrap with Egg, Rice and cheese…" Aqua said in a low voice as if trying to remember something, his thoughts still a bit cluttered as Ruby collected herself and nodded.
"Yep! Want to try it?" Ruby looked down at Aqua expectintacily as he sat in bed, lost in thought, before he finally turned back towards her.
"Well…I'll just accompany her." Aqua said as he pushed the covers off of him and turned his legs to the side to hang off the bed…Only for Ruby to suddenly grab his shoulders as she stood in front of him.
"Where do you think you're going? Miyako said you shouldn't be walking around for atleast five days."
"I feel fine, and her five days of rest thing wasn't based on any medical data, it was just her own assumption. Thinking back on patients I had at the hospital who couldn't move from energy reduction, we typically kept them bedridden for one to three days before allowing them to walk around the hospital for another two to three days, before finally discharging them. I should be fine walking with Miyako down the street."
"Well still…" Ruby let her voice fade as if she didn't know how to respond, as she slowly just pushed herself onto his lap, sitting down on it sideways. "I just worry…"
"...You're a teenage girl who's pursuing a career as an idol, while I was once a middle aged doctor. When it comes to the medical stuff, you shouldn't worry, I know what-"
"It's not the medical stuff I worry about, it's just you in general Sensei…I used to worry before of course, but ever since we started…You know…Dating…You've been on my mind alot more, so everytime something happens, I assume the worst will follow." Ruby said with both a hint of embarrassment and a hint of sadness, as she laid her head onto Aqua's chest.
"...I see."
"A-Are you the same? D-Do you worry about me too sensei…?" Ruby said with genuine curiousness in her voice, as Aqua just looked down at her, the faint light in his eye flickering.
If he was to be truthful, he would say that he worried about everyone. Ruby, Miyako, Taishi, Kana, Akane, Mem-Cho, everyone he had ever met in his life, he was worried his father would target them next if he realized they were connected to him. His father surely knew Ruby and him were still alive, so he had to be extra vigilant when it came to everything.
Still, he suspected that a sixteen year old girl in love wouldn't appreciate that answer.
So instead, he raised a hand and placed it atop her head as he petted her and gave a small chuckle. "Yes, I worry about you Ruby. Especially when you're dancing on stage, because knowing your luck, one of your heels is going to break and cause you to fall and flash your panties to the world."
Aqua joked to Ruby, causing Ruby to blush a deep red as she raised her hand and attempted to slap Aqua in the face. "G-Geez sensei! Why did you have to say that!"
Aqua just chuckled as he raised his own hand to block Ruby's hand attack, before she pouted as she just buried herself back into his chest and looked away.
"...The only one who gets to see them is you sensei…" Ruby whispered, though Aqua barely caught her words as he looked down at her.
"...Ruby-"
"Ruby! Did Aqua tell you what he wanted? I'm ready to head on out!" Suddenly Miyako called from downstairs, as Ruby suddenly pushed herself off of Aqua's lap and called down.
"Y-Yeah um…Coming!" Ruby looked over at Aqua, as he gave a sigh and slowly pushed himself to his feet.
"Guess I better get dressed…Tell her I'll be down in a second and I plan to go with her."
"Are you sure sensei? If you-"
"Ruby, again…Who's the doctor here?" Aqua smirked as he spoke, as Ruby groaned.
"Sensei…That's cheating…" Despite her protest, she seemed resigned to his wishes as she slowly turned and left the room, as Aqua looked over at his closet and stretched.
"Alright then…Now what to wear?"
The perils of having your clothes picked out for you across two days.
"Are you really sure you're feeling alright enough to come with me?" Miyako looked over at the casually dressed Aqua, his expression still one of tiredness, as he trudged down the street with her. It was a rather wet morning thanks to a rainy night, so the pair avoided puddles and droplets off of nearby buildings as they walked.
Aqua looked over at Miyako with his blank eyes, as he gave a small nod towards her. "Yeah, as I told Ruby, I need to walk anyway. After resting for a couple days, it's good to walk once enough energy has returned to build back up any lost muscle tissue in the legs."
"Uh…I see…" Miyako didn't quite know how Aqua knew that, for all she knew he had never expressed much interest in the medical field, but she pushed the issue away as she attempted to tune the mood positive. "Well in any event Aqua, I'm glad to see you're doing better. It was quite the shock to get a phone call from a crying Ruby that you had passed out in the restroom, and before that she heard you yelling to yourself."
"..." Aqua didn't anything right away, instead turning his head to look up at a nearby billboard that advertised the upcoming Tokyo Blade Play he was apart of. As Aqua looked at it as he walked, he finally opened his mouth to respond. "This industry is one that gets to you, whether you're an idol on stage, an actor on set or the man behind the camera. If you make one mistake, it will eat you alive and make you fall to your knees in shame…I guess that's what happened to me in the bathroom."
"I-I see…" Miyako replied in awkwardness, not knowing what to say as she reached up and scratched the side of her head. "Well, just know that from now on, you can always come to me if it gets to be too much for you, alright? I might not know what to say, but I can promise to lend you an ear."
"You shouldn't worry about me, your job is to manage and watch over B-Komachi. Those girls are the future of Strawberry Productions, not me."
"You say that, yet you're already becoming quite the popular actor, aren't you?" Miyako smirked as she looked around at the few teenagers who were out and about, as a couple of them recognized Aqua and were gossiping to each other as he walked down the street.
"Popular?" Aqua said the word to himself without emotion, before he gently shook his head side to side. "That won't last, it never does. That reality show I was a part of is the hot new thing, but it won't be long until another one comes along and replaces it. Reality television is a vicious cycle where people's lives are ruined by executives, all for the entertainment of the general public…And the crazy thing is, people are more than willing to ruin their lives if it means more Yen in their bank account."
"Well sure, if you simply don't take any more jobs, then you will be like any other normal civilian who walks these streets. But you already have a big role in Tokyo Blade, and assuming that goes well, I can already see more offers coming your way."
"You're assuming I accept those offers."
"Why wouldn't you? Especially if they further advance your career." Miyako said with a small smile, though Aqua merely looked away from her as Darkness threatened his eyes.
"...Then you're also assuming that advancing my career is what I want in life."
"Is it not?" Miyako asked as she tilted her head, as the darkness in Aqua's eyes only grew.
"...The roles I do now are for the sake of convenience and a singular goal…Once that goal is accomplished, then you'll never see my face on TV again, save for a few reruns of old shows. I'll even go as far and say that once I accomplish my goal, if I'm involved with any projects at the time, I'm not finishing them. I might not even tell them I'll quit, I'll just stop showing up and ignore their phone calls until they get the memo. If I'm the protagonist of a years-long show, and it's the final episode that needs to be shot and everyone can go home happy…If my goal is accomplished, then tough shit for them, cause I'll have exactly no reason to go back. I don't do this for others, money or fame, I do it for myself. That's why you need to look after Ruby, Kana and Mem-Cho, because they're the future of Strawberry Productions, not me."
"...I see." Miyako gave a short reply as she listened to Aqua, their conversation seemingly dying as Aqua's dark eyes moved from advertising event to advertisement. Some of them featured him, some didn't. "Yet, even if that happens Aqua…Even if you accomplish whatever this goal is and give up on acting for good…I'm still going to look out for you. Whether you quit tonight, next week, next year, whenever…I'll lend an ear for you, because while you may not see me as anything more than our Agency's president…I still tried to raise you as my own son."
Aqua's eyes softened some as he heard Miyako's words, though Darkness lingered as he kept his gaze away from her still. "Well, as long as you put the girls first, I'll let you watch out for me as long as I'm the lowest of your priorities."
Miyako gave a small laugh at his words, reaching over and patting his shoulder before she turned her attention to the Deli that was in sight. "Anyway, have you decided on what you're going to eat yet? Ruby told me about some wrap they have here, and I'm tempted to try it myself."
"The wrap huh…Do they sell Green Peppers at the Deli?"
"Huh? No I don't think so, why?"
"No? Alright then…" Aqua suddenly came to a stop, as Miyako turned around and tilted her head. "I'm going to head to the nearest market and grab some green peppers, I'll meet you back at the house."
"Eh? But-"
"I'll take the wrap as well." Was all Aqua said before he turned and began walking away, as Miyako held out a hand towards him.
"W-Wait Aqua!...What is he up to?" Miyako said lowly as she watched Aqua pushed through the morning crowd, his eyes determined as water splashed onto him from a puddle he walked into, though he paid it no mind.
As Aqua pushed through the crowd of people, he felt some discomfort in his legs as he walked quickly, attempting to get to the store so he could arrive at home on time. Ever since the wrap had been described to him by Ruby, he had been determined to buy Green Pepper with it.
Aqua walked through another puddle as his pants legs were soaked while he turned a corner, as a nearby market came into view. A few older folks seemed to be mostly visiting currently, likely attributed to them waking up rather early. Not too bad he thought, it was easier to get around old folks than it was middle aged businessmen or high school girls who recognized him.
Pushing himself through more people, Aqua came upon the automated doors to walk in as- "Huh? Aqua?"
Suddenly a voice came from his side, and for a moment an hint of annoyance ripped through him at the thought of having to deal with some fan of his. Ever since Ai, Aqua had a rather negative view on fans, especially ones who idolized him.
Especially, since he lied to them.
As Aqua turned his head towards the side, his fears began to quell as the sight of red hair entered into his line of vision. "Arima?"
Standing to the side dressed in a black raincoat, pants and hat, topped off with fake glasses, was none other than Kana Arima herself. She stared at Aqua like he was ghost, before she suddenly rushed over towards him. "A-Aqua are you…Alright?"
"Alright?...Oh, you mean…"
"Y-Yeah at school about five days ago when you…Had a meltdown at me." Kana gave an awkward laugh, yet Aqua closed his eyes and sighed as he shook his head.
"It wasn't at you, I just used you as an outlet is all…Sorry…" Kana seemed a bit taken aback by his apology, though she forced a small smile as she waved it off.
"A-Ah it's fine, atleast you didn't degrade me like some others in the past." Kana let out another awkward laugh, as Aqua just stared at her with blank eyes before she collected herself. "A-Anyway, what are you doing at the market this early in the morning? In fact, why are you not in disguise? Somebody might recognize you."
"I'm already past that point, I've already had a few teenage girls giggle and talk about me behind my back. If I wasn't in a hurry, I would have sent a glare their way…Though I wonder if that would have just made their obsession with me worse."
"Considering girls like the dark brooding type, I would have to concur with that statement. Still, what can you be in a rush for this early in the morning? Especially since you've missed the last few days of school, I figured you would stay home all day and keep resting."
"...I'm here to pick up a pepper."
"...Eh?" Kana tilted her head in confusion, before a look of betrayal appeared on her face. "No way…You…You didn't come to pick up a Bell Pepper did you?"
"What? Why would I come and pick up something as disgusting as that?"
"Oh thank the heavens, you're normal!" Kana's look of betrayal suddenly vanished, as she clapped her hands together and smiled at Aqua. "Bell Peppers are so gross! I'm glad somebody finally agrees with me!"
Aqua looked at Kana's ridiculous stunt with an unimpressed look, before turning his attention back to the market. "I came here for Green Pepper, specifically a Green Chili Pepper. The Deli apparently doesn't have them, so I thought I would check the market."
"Chili Peppers huh? I think I've seen some in the fruit section before, want to look together?" Kana said as another smile came upon her face, yet Aqua just closed his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Arima, I told you, you need to drop your feelings-"
"Who said I'm offering to help you look because I have feelings for you?" Aqua opened his eyes and looked over at Kana, whose smile was still present even if her eyes were somewhat sad. "We're still friends right? And friends help each other look for Chili Peppers!"
It was Aqua's turn to tilt his head, as he gave a small chuckle. "Is that right? Can't say I ever remember hearing that."
"Well now you have! So come on! Let's get to searching!" Kana said as she turned and walked into the market, as Aqua rolled his eyes and followed after her into the small store, that was almost exclusively filled with elderly folks.
As Aqua followed her in, his eyes scanned around before almost immediately landing on a small fruit section in the corner. "I'm guessing they're over there."
He said nonchalantly as he began walking towards them, as Kana joined his side in a steady walk. "If you don't mind me asking Aqua, what exactly do you need Chili Peppers for? Don't exactly strike me as a guy who cooks."
"I've done some cooking before, mostly back when I worked at the hospital."
"Eh? Hospital? When did you work at a hospital?" Kana said in genuine surprise, as Aqua just shrugged his shoulders.
"Few years ago I guess…Anyway, I did some cooking here and there for both the patients and the nurses. It wasn't much, but they seemed to like it so I kept doing it. My grandma taught me how to cook when I was young, so I kind of just used family recipes, it wasn't anything official. Though when I could, I would mix the family stuff with food that the patients got from home, and it usually turned out pretty well."
"Oh, interesting…I didn't know you and Ruby had a grandma, or at least you've two never mentioned her, does she not live around here?"
"She…" Aqua words caught in his throat, as he was about to just lie and said she lived in a small town. But…It had been sixteen years, and his grandma was already of advanced age and failing health when he died.
So she was likely…
"...She died, I don't remember exactly when she passed away, but it's been a few years."
"O-Oh…" Kana's expression fell some as the two of them arrived at the fruit and vegetable section, as they looked for the basket of Chili Peppers. "S-Sorry, lately whenever I talk to you, I always remind you of death…"
"..." Aqua looked over at Kana as he saw her darkening expression, as he sighed and raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "People die, it's the natural way of things…Some are taken too early like Sarina, while others live long lives like my grandma. But no matter what or when or why…Once they're gone, instead of being sad, we should remember them for all the good things they have done in life. Like my grandma, I could be sad she's dead, or…"
Aqua took his hand off Kana's shoulder as he reached down and grabbed a green Chili pepper as he held it up.
"Or, I could remember her by making a recipe she taught me." Aqua smiled with blank eyes, as Kana was once again caught off guard by his attitude, but smiled back and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right…" Kana looked down at the Chili Peppers as she grabbed a few herself and held them, looking them over to make sure they were ripe. "What kind of recipe can you just make with Green Chili Peppers though?"
"Well, it's not just Green Chili Peppers, you also need Eggs, Rice and Cheese, along with either bread or a wrap…But the Deli has those already, so I just need this. I wanted to…Make Ruby my Grandma's wrap, she used to love it when she was younger."
"Aw, that's sweet. I bet your grandma used to make it for both of you quite a bit, huh?"
No that's not true, Aqua's grandma never met Ruby and she never made her wraps for her.
However…Gouro always made them for Sarina.
Still, not like he could say that, so he just nodded as a small smile graced his lips. "Yeah, you could say that. She hasn't had it since she was twelve years old, after all…"
Memories flushed through Aqua's head, as he closed his eyes and turned towards the register.
"Well, that's all I need, let's go."
"A-Ah um…Right." Kana walked beside Aqua as they headed towards the register, getting in line behind a few older people. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, I would like to try your Grandma's wrap sometime. I absolutely despise Bell Peppers, but maybe Chili Peppers wouldn't be so bad to eat…Maybe…Possibly…Hopefully…"
Aqua looked down at the flustered Kana, both from asking for Aqua to make her something to eat, along with her disgust of Bell Peppers, as he gave a small nod. "Sure, I don't mind, I guess. Just don't expect anything amazing, it's an old recipe from the war days after all."
"Yeah yeah, last time you told me not to expect anything amazing was when you acted on Sweet Today, and well…I was totally amazed!"
"Acting and cooking are different, one requires skill, while the other requires lying to people."
"You say that and-...Wait, are you saying what I do doesn't have any skill?" Kana glared at Aqua as he reached the cashier, hanging the peppers up to them as he looked down at her with his blank eyes.
"Depends what skill we're talking about I guess, but if you can master the art of lying…" Aqua's eye grew dark, as the cashier handed him a tied up bag with the peppers in it. "Then you can master acting."
"..." Kana just looked at Aqua quietly for a moment as he turned to leave, as she followed close behind as the two of them went to exit the store. "Aqua…"
"...It's raining again…" Aqua spoke almost roboticly as Kana looked out front with him, as a sudden downpour had indeed hit Tokyo.
"Aw man, this sucks! I was supposed to be meeting with someone at the park, but I guess those plans are squashed! Not even the gods are my fans!" Kana yelled out, as Aqua kept his blank look as he looked down the road.
"If I run, I should be able to get home in ten minutes…Assuming the line at the Deli was average, and then Miyako walking slower once the rain hit…Yeah, I should be able to make it."
"Huh?" Kana stopped her tantrum as she looked at Aqua, as he lifted his shirt to place the bag of peppers underneath it, before readying himself. "W-Wait Aqua! I have an umbrella, we can um…Share it if you want…"
"As I said Arima…" Aqua looked over at her, a hint of darkness returning to his eyes as he spoke. "Get over your feelings for me."
With that, Aqua suddenly ran off away from Ruby, the rain pouring down on him as Kana stuck her hand out. "W-Wait, Aqua!"
She called out to him, yet Aqua ignored her the entire time as he ran, as he her hand slowly fell back down to her sigh, a small sigh escaping her mouth.
"I know but…It's not easy getting over your first love…Then again…" Kana reached up and wiped a tear from her eye as she shook her head. "Guess if anybody should know that, it should be Aqua considering he lost that Sarina girl…"
Kana looked up towards the sky as she reached inside of her jacket, pulling out her umbrella as she undid the cord around it and placed it above her head.
"The gods must really not be fans of mine…After All, they made me fall in love with someone like him…" Kana wiped away one more tear from her face, as she slowly walked from the market and to her original destination.
The rain continued at a steady pace as Aqua ran down the street, his breathing rough as jolts of pain rocketed through his legs and overall body. He had felt fine walking with Miyako and Kana, that he was confident enough he could run back to the house without any problems.
However, even though he was getting closer to his home, his legs were proving otherwise. The muscles in them burned hotly, and he could feel every muscle in his body begging him to just take a break. But even still, he couldn't, not when he had to get home before Miyako.
He ran with almost reckless abandon, his chest tightening as he turned a corner and ran by a middle aged man, the view of his house slowly coming into view.
Faster and faster he pushed himself, before finally…
He reached the steps to his house as he tumbled onto them, catching himself with his hands as he pulled himself up onto his porch and sat down for a second. His clothes were soaked, as his wet blond hair hung down in his face.
A raging fire spread through his legs, as he bit down on his lip and balled his fist as he hit against the house. "...J-Just a little bit more…"
Forcing himself back to his feet, Aqua struggled some as he grabbed the door handle and opened the door as he walked inside and closed the door behind him, as he wiped his feet off on the mat inside.
As he did so, he heard the sound of footsteps running from around the corner and soon his twin made herself known. "Welcome home Miyako, Aqua…Huh? Where's Miyako? A-And Aqua, why are you soaked?"
Aqua looked up at Ruby, a small light shining in his eyes as he did so as he just gave a small smirk. "S-She's coming with the food…I just…Ran ahead."
"R-Ran ahead? Y-You need to get changed!" Ruby ran over to Aqua, though he just held a hand up to stop her as he gently pressed his palm against her shoulder.
"It's fine, I just need to cook something and the heat from the stove should be enough to dry me off." Despite Aqua's words, Ruby kept a firm tone as she shook her head side to side.
"Sensei, I know I'm not a doctor like you, but it's just common sense not to work in wet clothes! I mean your sweatshirt is drenched! You could get sick from that." As Ruby protested, Aqua raised a hand and swiped a piece of wet blond hair out from his eyes as he popped his neck and gave a shrug.
"Fine, fine…" Ruby smiled, glad that Aqua was apparently going to go change…What she did not expect, was Aqua laying the bag he had him down in the kitchen before he grabbed not only the sides of his sweatshirt, but his shirt as well as he pulled them both off, throwing the wet clothes down to the ground.
"...U-Um…" Ruby was speechless as she now looked at the wet and shirtless Aqua standing in front of her, as droplets of water ran down his neck and onto his chest. Though Aqua wasn't ripped, he was still in shape and had light muscle adorning his chest and abs. Ruby's face began to go a deep red, as she stared at her shirtless brother and boyfriend with increasing embarrassment. "S-Sensei…U-Um…"
"Hm? What?" Aqua looked over at her in confusion, before he quickly noticed her embarrassed look as she quickly turned her face away when he looked over, though she kept stealing looks back towards him. Quickly realizing why she was embarrassed, Aqua was somewhat taken aback as he reached up and scratched the side of his head. "Ruby…Are you embarrassed because…You're physically attractive to me?"
"E-Eh? W-Well thats…" Ruby looked away once again, shifting her bare foot back and forth against the ground as her eyes kept looking up and taking in every inch of Aqua's waist as she gave a small nod. "O-Obviously…Sensei…"
Aqua was somewhat surprised by her answer, giving a small cough into his hand as he slowly turned towards the kitchen. "I see…I admit, I am a little surprised."
"H-Huh? Why?"
"Well…You're in love with Gouro Amamiya, not Aqua Hoshino. I figured this body wouldn't offer anything of substance to you, other than being the vessel my mind now resides in." Aqua raised a hand and clenched it, thoughts of his reincarnation flashing through his mind. As he did so however, Ruby seemed perplexed by his words as she slowly walked towards him, her face still red with embarrassment as she did so.
"Sensei, I'm not just in love with Gouro Amamiya…I'm in love…" Ruby gently reached over and grabbed Aqua's hand with both of hers as she gave an embarrassed smile. "I-I'm in love with you, both for who you used to be and who you are now. W-When you were a doctor, you weren't some hot sexy model sure…But you cared for me, looked after me, and even promised to be my fan when I became an idol. Now that you're an actor, you still care for me and well…Y-You'll really handsome now sensei."
Aqua's felt a tinge of heat rush to his cheeks, before he flushed it back down and gave a small nod. "I see…"
Silence overcame the two of them, with the only thing attempting to break it was the downpour of rain outside. Finally, with her hands still wrapped around Aqua's singular hand, Ruby opened her mouth. "S-Sensei are you…Attracted to me?"
"..." Aqua was silent for a moment, not immediately answering as Ruby felt dread building up in the pit of her stomach, not entirely sure what Aqua would say. The few seconds he didn't answer felt like an eternity to her, as the dread kept building. "...I don't know."
"Y-You don't know?" Ruby asked with a timid voice, both sadness but also relief in her voice as Aqua nodded.
"When you were still Sarina Tendouji, I won't lie and say I was attracted to the body of a twelve year old. No, I was attracted to and admired your personality and the flame that body held. When I look at you now, as Ruby Hoshino, I do see not only a beautiful young girl, but one who is almost cheating with her beauty." Ruby blushed even harder from Aqua's words, looking away in embarrassment as Aqua continued. "But at the same time, does your beauty equal attraction and lust for me? I don't know if I could answer that, considering I've not felt lust for anybody since…"
Aqua closed his eyes, the image of Ai's cold dead eyes flashing through his mind, as Ruby just gave a small nod. "I-I get what you mean Sensei…I understand…"
Slowly Ruby let go of Aqua's hands, as she turned towards the living room as she walked over and sat down on the sofa, as she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it. Aqua just watched her walk over and sit, as he shook his head in disapproval at himself as he turned and walked into the kitchen, grabbing the bag of Chili Peppers as he just went to work cooking.
Time passed by silently between the couple, neither of them saying anything as Ruby typed in and looked at various articles online, while Aqua just began to cook the peppers and prepare them like he used to from memory.
Finally, the door to the house opened as Miyako walked in with her umbrella, food in hand as she sighed. "Sorry for the wait, the line at the Deli was longer than-...Oh Aqua, you're home and…Cooking shirtless?"
Miyako said in confusion as she looked over at the shirtless actor using her stove, as he gave a small nod and held his hand out. "Just in time, let me see that breakfast you have."
"H-Huh? Why?"
"I have something I want to add to it, don't worry, it will make it better." Miyako didn't seem entirely convinced, as she just handed the bag of food to Aqua, who began to take all of the wraps out and unfold them to begin applying the pepper to them.
As he did so, Miyako turned and walked over to where Ruby was sitting, before she caught a glimpse of Ruby's phone. "E-Eh? Ruby?"
"H-Huh? What?" Ruby looked up at Miyako with an raised eyebrow, as Miyako had a pink blush appear on her face as she turned away.
"I-I guess you are at that age…"
"H-Huh? I-I was just uh…Looking up clothing is all…"
"I-I was your age once too Ruby, I know exactly what that clothing is for!"
"Ehhh! Miyako!" The two of them bantered back and forth, as Aqua completely tuned them out as he applied the pepper to all three wraps equally, mixing in a few extra spices to really bring out the flavor before he rolled them all back up, and looked out to the two women.
"Alright, it's done." As soon as Aqua called out, Miyako looked back down at Ruby and sighed.
"Just…Come talk to me in my room after we eat, ok?"
"O-Ok…" Ruby said with a defeated sigh, as she pushed herself up and walked with Miyako over to Aqua, as she grabbed the plate from him and said almost tiredly. "What did you have to do to the breakfast, Onnichan?"
Aqua just gave a small smile and shrugged, as he grabbed a towel to wipe his hands off. "Just give it one bite, and you'll understand."
Ruby raised an eyebrow, as she looked down at the wrap on her plate as she scooped it up in her hand, and brought it to her mouth as she opened wide…
And took a bite.
As soon as her teeth sunk into the food, and her taste buds began to wrap around it, her eyes suddenly went wide. The food melted perfectly into her mouth, as memories began to flash through her mind.
Sure, I don't mind. Every morning, whenever you're feeling down, whenever you have a bad day…Just tell me, and I'll make you one, alright?
The memory flashed through Ruby's head in a flash, tears streaming down her face as she looked at the wrap she had just bitten into, as she opened her mouth and forced the words out. "Y-You Remembered…"
Aqua just gave a small smile, as he nodded. "Well, I did say I would make it every morning, didn't I?"
Tears continued streaming down Ruby's face as she reached up and wiped her eyes the best she could, as she gave a small laugh. "Y-You did…Y-You really did…"
Ruby cried and laughed from the taste alone, as Miyako looked over with wide eyes. "R-Ruby! What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing Miyako, I'm just…Remembering happier times!"
"Eh? Happier times?" As Miyako questioned Ruby, Aqua's expression fell somewhat, as he turned his face and looked down at his own wrap.
Happier times huh? He thought.
With that, Aqua brought the wrap up and took a bite of it as he savored the taste himself, the small smile re-appearing on his face as he nodded.
"Well, glad to see this old dog can remember his tricks." He whispered to himself, as the family ate the Chili Pepper wraps together, as Miyako continued to question Ruby exactly why breakfast would make her cry tears of joy.
Next day
Ruby casually scrolled through phone as she sat at her desk, various tabs opened with differing information. Ever since Aqua had told her he didn't know if he was attracted to her, Ruby had been scrolling the internet in search of something to allow her to help him find out.
She got some help yesterday, as Miyako kept her word and pulled her into her room to talk about what she was looking up, though if Ruby was being honest, it was more awkward than anything considering she viewed Miyako almost like a mother to her.
Still, at the very least it gave her some answers, though she still wasn't sure exactly what the true answer was.
It didn't help that Aqua was unreadable when it came to matters of the heart, and that was true even when he was Gouro. Whether he was the friendly doctor, or her brooding brother, it was almost like his view on love was nonexistent, only showing itself when he did things such as taking her on a date, or light teases here and there.
It was frustrating, to say the least.
Closing another tab on her phone, Ruby gave a long sigh through her nose, which attracted the attention of her best friend who sat beside her. "Hm? You sound upset."
Ruby looked over with an almost tired look at her best friend, Minami Kotobuki, as she complained. "Minami-chan, can I ask you a serious question?"
"A serious question? Is everything alright?" Minami narrowed her eyes to show she was listening, as Ruby nodded and gave a small sigh, until…
"Y-You have Big Boobs! Do you use them to seduce guys, or do you have some other technique!?"
"E-Ehhh!?" Minami's face flushed red, as she wiggled back and forth in her spot as she pressed her fingers together. "U-Um, I haven't really…"
"Y-You've never seduced a guy before!? E-Even with those G-Cups!?"
"R-Ruby-Chan!" Minami squirmed under Ruby's sudden sexual questioning, as she looked to the side with shaky eyes. "I-I've never done anything with a guy before, not even hold hands!"
"What!? A-Are you…Playing for the other team!?"
"N-No! It's not like that! I'm just…Shy around guys is all…"
"O-Oh…" The two of them went silent for a moment, awkwardness setting in as the two of them suddenly thought about their lack of experience when it came to men in general.
As the two of them sat in awkward silence, a new figure made her way over to them as she spoke. "If it's advice on guys you need, I can give it to you."
Ruby looked up at the sudden appearance of a green haired figure, as her eyes went wide. "E-Eh? Really, Shiranui-san!?"
Frill Shiranui, Ruby's classmate and friend, gave a nod as she crossed her arms. "I've had a few boyfriends in the past, and a couple of them got rather spicy at night."
She said with a serious expression and almost monotone voice, as Ruby and Minami both went wide eyed. "T-Then Please! Teach us your ways, Shiranui-sama!"
Suddenly changing her honorific, Ruby and Minami both looked up to Frill, who reached up and ran a hand through her hair as she looked at the two girls. "My first question is this, are you trying to get a boy to like you, or are you trying to take the next step with a boyfriend?"
Both girls went silent, the two of them looking at each other, silently begging for the other one to speak first, before Ruby finally relented. "I…I want to know if my boyfriend views me…That way…"
"E-Eh? You have a boyfriend, Ruby-chan?" Minami asked in surprise, as Ruby suddenly held a finger up to her own lips.
"S-Shh! Don't let anybody else know!" Ruby pleaded with Minami, yet Frill just gave a small nod.
"What about you, Kotobuki-chan?"
"I um…I've never had a boyfriend before…"
"I see…" Frill raised a finger to her lips to ponder, as she turned her attention towards Ruby. "Since Ruby spoke first, I'll give her advice first. How long have you two known each other?"
"K-Known each other?" She could say since birth, but that would be way too suspicious. "A-A few years now."
"Have you had feelings for each other that entire time?"
"I…Think so…I have on my part, atleast." Frill gave another nod, as she looked Ruby over and analyzed her body.
"You have a beautiful body, one that would make any guy turn his head towards you. The problem is, there's a difference between making a guy turn his head towards you, and making him become one with his primal urges." Both girls blushed deeply at Frill's words, despite her monotone voice, as she continued. "Most girls think that men just want to have sex whenever, but I've learned that getting them in the mood is often harder than the other way around. Their sex drive is much lower than ours, and oftentimes they're satisfied after ejaculating just once, which they can usually accomplish with any porn they find online."
Both of the girls were now steaming red as they continued to listen to Frill, as Ruby just looked up at her, avoiding Frills eyesight the best she could from how embarrassing this was to hear from her. "U-Um…D-Does that mean I should wait until he's um…You know…"
"Masturbating?" Frill said the words again without filter, as Ruby could only nod quickly as she completely turned her gaze away from Frill once more. "Hm, a strategy that could work, but knowing when a man is masturbating isn't easy, especially since many of them will wait until they're home alone. No, if you want to put him into the mood, then you need to act both innocent and aggressive at the same time."
"U-Um well, I-I don't really want him to be in the mood! I-I just want to know if he views me as someone he could um…Be in the mood with…" Ruby's words turned into a whisper, as Frill just tilted her head to the side.
"So…You want to know if he would sleep with you…But you don't want to sleep with him?"
"...I-I never said that…" Ruby said again as her entire face was redder than a tomato, as she just clapped her cheeks in her hands. "Oh this is embarrassing…"
"...Well, whether or not you go the full mile is up to you, but if you want to know if he can be in the mood with you, the best way to find out is to put yourself in a provocative situation with him." Frill took out her phone, and quickly looked something up before she turned it around to show the two girls. "The oldest trick in the book is revealing clothing, which is often accomplished by lingerie in this day and age."
On Frills' phone were various sets of lingerie, some more revealing than others, with various price points. The more bolder items, such as the see through bras, were more expensive than the standard basic sets. The two girls just looked at the articles of clothing with curious but embarrassed eyes, before Frill turned her phone back to herself.
"I have a few extra sets at my house, though I'm not sure if they might fit you two…Especially you, Minami." Frill said as she looked directly at the girl's bust, as Minami turned her face away.
"G-Geez! I already said I've not had a boyfriend, let alone do…That with one!"
"Well, in any case…Men are often seduced by Lingerie, though if you want to be even bolder, going completely nude is also an option, usually accompanied by something like a bath or the bed covers lightly covering you up, perhaps letting one of your nipples be exposed to take on the persona of an innocent girl who doesn't notice."
"I-I see! T-Thank you, Shiranui-sama…" Ruby spat the words out the best she could, everything running through her mind.
In the mood.
Lingerie.
Baths.
Naked.
Nipples.
Ruby ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head as she gave another sigh. "Why is love so complicated…"
The moon hung above Tokyo, silently illuminating the ground below as all of the rain clouds had finally moved out of the area, leaving a soft mist to hang in the air. A soft mist that crept against Aqua's window as he sat at his PC, various news articles opened as he typed away on an opened notepad folder.
What was he doing? The same as he always did, attempting to pinpoint any clues he had to see if he could get a lead on his father. To a point, it was almost a fool's errand what he was doing, especially since he was cross referencing info he already had.
But perhaps he missed something.
Perhaps a new comment on a news article had been added.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
Aqua's hand squeezed around his mouse, teeth grating as he leaned back in his chair, a silent curse escaping his lips. He had nothing, like always, and it pissed him off to high heaven.
His eyes illuminated a deep darkness, as thoughts of how he could get more information quickly seeped into his mind.
There was only one answer of course.
Akane.
She was the girl with all the answers, which was why he had kept her around as his 'girlfriend' afterall…
But…
I love you, I always will love you, and you can never be a burden to me.
Ruby's words echoed through his head as he placed a hand on his eyes, rubbing them as he shook his head. Love was such a foreign concept to him at this point, yet…
I love you sa-
He was going to say it, if it wasn't for Akane ringing the doorbell, the words would have come out of his mouth.
But why…He didn't choose to say the words at that moment, they just naturally began to come out.
Did he truly love Sarina?
Or…Was his mind just saying what a boyfriend should say?
It was much like the question when it came to his attraction level to Ruby.
He didn't know…
A part of him wanted to, a part of him wanted to feel love, but…
All you have to do is get revenge!
But…That other part of him rang out…Love wouldn't bring him happiness, only revenge would.
It was like an angel and devil on his shoulders fighting, and it pissed him off. He didn't know which his allegiance truly stood, and it was frustrating.
If only the answer would come easily to him, something to set him on the right path.
As Aqua pondered this, a knock suddenly came at his door, followed by a voice. "U-Um…Sensei?"
"Hm? Ruby?" What was she doing awake, he thought? It was after midnight, and they had school the next day. Turning his chair around, he yelled. "You can come in, I'm awake."
There was silence for a moment, before the handle to his door slowly turned and in walked Ruby, covered by a pink nightgown tied with a robe. Raising his eye, he relaxed as he questioned her.
"You're up late, can't sleep?"
"..." Ruby didn't answer, standing there in the bathrobe silently as Aqua tilted his head, waiting for her to say something. Finally…"S-Sensei…I…want…no…I-I need to know if you see me as attractive, and if I…G-Get you in the mood."
Her face was ruby red as she spoke, Aqua a bit taken aback by her wording as he raised a hand to his face and stroked his chin. "R-Right, I guess that would be weighing on your mind, considering I'm your boyfriend now. Funny, it's a question I've been asking myself also…"
"...I…Did some research and went to a store with Shiranui-san after school and…I think I'm ready to test you…If you still don't know after this, then…" Ruby went silent once again, as Aqua just waited for her to continue.
However…
Instead of speaking, Ruby raised her hands to her robe and began untying it, Aqua's eyes going wide. "R-Ruby, what are you-"
Aqua didn't finish before Ruby had untied the robe and gently allowed her robe to hang open, exposing her body. Though she had on tight pink panties, Aqua didn't see any trace of a bra, her breasts only covered by the robe barely hanging on.
Though Ruby's face was bright red, she didn't attempt to hide herself as she just stood there, as Aqua just stared on in stunned silence, only managing a gulp.
After several painful silent seconds, Ruby slowly began walking over towards Aqua, her hands swaying at her sides as the robe swayed in the wind, slipping more and more with each step before she was standing in front of him.
Aqua only looked up at her and gulped, turning his eyes to the side as he felt a faint blush creep onto his cheeks.
As she stood there, Ruby slowly reached up and grabbed the sides of her robe and slowly slid it off, as Aqua kept looking to the side.
Finally, he saw the robe fall completely to the ground, more blood rushing to his face as he closed his eyes and collected himself.
Come on Gouro, you've slept with plenty of women, you can handle one girl...so why is she affecting me this much!?
Opening his eyes and expelling a breath, Aqua turned his attention upwards.
As his eyes only widened more.
Ruby's hands continued to hang by her side as her eyes were closed, a deep red blush completely covering her face, ears and neck. In full view of Aqua, were her breasts.
Judging by their size, Aqua could guess they were around a C cup. They gently rubbed against one another as they didn't show any sign of sagging, as they were both topped off with bright pink small nipples.
Aqua could only stare at her breasts with a deep blush quickly forming, his right hand slowly starting to tap against his arm rest in nervousness.
Interpreting his tapping as something else however, Ruby squeaked out. "Y-Y-You can…T-Touch them sensei…"
"...!" Aqua was taken aback by her sudden confidence, yet cursed it all the same. Now that she said that, not doing so would only hurt her confidence.
That was his excuse, and he was sticking by it.
Taking a small breath, Aqua slowly raised one of his hands, inching it closer and closer before finally, his right hand cupped her left breast, emitting a small squeak out from Ruby as he held it.
It was soft, his hand sinking into her flesh as he held it. He gave a light squeeze to it, making Ruby twitch even more as her breathing became heavy, sweat rolling down her forehead as he did so. Slowly Aqua's fingers began to massage along her boob, causing her to let out small pants as he played around, almost like he was feeling out where she was weakest at.
As Aqua almost began to lose himself, he suddenly came back to reality as he felt his pants begin to tighten as he looked down, and gave a soft groan. "...Fuck me…"
"S-Sensei?" Ruby's words were soft and full of want, her breathing was panting as she looked down at Aqua and tilted her head. "W-Whats…Wrong?"
"...N-Nothing, Ruby…W-We should…" Before Aqua could finish, Ruby suddenly went forward and grabbed both of Aqua's shoulders, as she got up and sat onto his legs and began to pull herself full into his lap. "R-Ruby, don't-"
"S-Sensei, I love-" Once Ruby reached his groin to fully sit down, her eyes went wide as she felt something hard against her panties, as she looked down, panting harder as Aqua looked towards the side.
"...D-Does that answer your question…" Aqua spat out, his own face now a deep dark red as he tried his best to maintain eye contact with her.
"...S-Sensei I…I want to…To…" Ruby's words were horse and full of lust as she reached up to cup Aqua's face, yet he reached up and grabbed her hand with his own.
"Ruby…Listen to me…" Aqua spoke as serious as he could, biting down onto his lip as he tried to be as mature as he could. "If you insist…I'll do it, right here, right now…But…Do you really want to…With a guy who doesn't even know if he loves you?"
"...I…" Ruby seemed to be caught off guard at his words, as she shook her head. "B-But I love you…"
"But…I don't know if I love you, or not…If we were to do this, and later for whatever reason I tell you I don't love you….Do you want to spend the rest of your life, knowing that the one who took your innocence, didn't replicate the love you had for him?"
"..." Ruby took in his words, and slowly, she allowed her hand to fall to the side, her breathing still hot as she gave a small nod. "...Ok…I…You're right, sensei…"
Aqua could hear the hurt in her voice, so he continued. "But…I promise you, the day I say I love you…I'll take it…If you want."
That seemed to resonate with Ruby some, the life coming back in her eyes as she gave a slow nod towards him. "Ok…Thank you Sensei and…I-It's a promise…"
Ruby said, forcing a small smile as she leaned forward, allowing her breasts to get dangerously close to Aqua's face as she kissed his forehead and slowly pushed herself off of him and back to the ground.
Slowly reaching down, grabbed the bathrobe as she slowly placed it back on herself, as she just gave a small smile to Aqua as she turned and walked slowly over to the door, before turning her head back around.
"Night Sensei…I…I love you…" She said with a voice still breathing hard as she opened the door and left his room, as Aqua just sat in his chair, processing everything that had just happened.
Slowly, he turned himself back around to his Monitor, running a hand through his hair as he shook his head and grabbed his mouse as he opened up a new tab.
"...It's going to be a long night…"
He said, as he now had new urges to take care of before he slept.
