Authors Note: I do not own Oshi No Ko, all rights belong to their original copyright holder.

Remember back in Chapter 6 when I said Chapter 7 would be out on the 4th?

We're 2 days away from the 4th and this is Chapter 9.

Good times, Chapter 10 might be out on the 4th, not sure that one might take a bit longer cause it's going to be a bit...Spicy Pepper.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Some big revelations, as we're almost done with the story's First Arc.

As always, check out the subreddit at r/Church_Of_AquaxRuby

Thanks for reading.


The sound of clicks on a keyboard, and the occasional mouse, was the only thing that filled the small cramped bedroom of Director Taishi Gotanda. Two figures silently worked in the room, the Director himself and his understudy Aquamarine Hoshino. After heading to school and fulfilling his mandatory classes, Aqua came to the Directors house for some peace and quiet.

He knew Ruby was out and about with Kana and Mem-Cho, but after last night…

...S-Sensei I…I want to…To…

The words flashed through Aqua's head as he stopped working for a moment, his eyes flashing down for a split second before he raised them back to his screen and went back to work. Even though he had everything going on in his personal life, not to mention the continued rehearsals and the like of Tokyo Blade, he still made time when he could to come to the Directors office to work on whatever project the Director needed done at the time.

As he continued to work, he let another sigh exhale from his nostrils, which caused Taishi to finally stop his own work as he slowly turned his chair around and looked at Aqua. "Yo Kid…What's on your mind?"

"Hm? It's nothing, just…Teenage bullshit." Aqua replied, attempting to get Taishi off of his case before he could even begin, yet the older man persisted.

"Don't give me that kid, it should just be regular bullshit since you're a teen yourself." Taishi cracked back with a small joke, as he reached inside of his pocket and pulled his cigarettes out. "Has something to do with that girlfriend sister of yours?"

"...Something like that." Aqua said a bit hesitant, his focus still on his laptop as he continued to work on the project in front of him.

"You have a fight or something? Burying yourself in work is what I used to do back when me and my girls had issues, though back then it was burying your nose in a typewriter. Can't say it was that fun, especially since the keys on those things were so hard, you had to really press down on them to get them to stick."

"...Typewriters aren't so bad, but…Keyboards are more convenient." Aqua said with almost a hint of nostalgia to his voice, as Taishi raised an eyebrow.

"When the hell have you used a Typewriter kid? I can't imagine someone born in the early two-thousands knows jack shit about that." Well, Aqua had originally been born in the seventies, but that was neither here nor there. "But whatever, I'm not going to let you change the subject kid…What happened between you and Ruby?"

"..." Aqua gave a small sigh through his nose once again, shaking his head as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Last night, she made her intentions to sleep with me rather clear, seducing me in a way that I thought would be impossible for a girl as shy as her…"

Taishi didn't make any comments towards Aqua, simply lighting his cigarette as he placed it in his mouth as he took a puff. "So what? She sucks in bed or something?"

"Who knows, maybe she does, I didn't get that far. I turned her down, telling her that she doesn't want to lose her innocence to someone who isn't sure if they truly love her or not. I've seen…First hand the effects of that happening…" Aqua said as images of Ai began to flash through his head, as he gripped his hand hard and bit slightly onto his lip.

"Hm, you're more mature than most boys your age. You have those raging hormones, and an opportunity to lose your virginity to your own girl…Yet you turn it down because of old fashioned beliefs. Sometimes I wonder how a kid your age thinks like you do." Taishi said with a shake of the head, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the roof as he continued to smoke. "When I was your age, was around the time I slept with my first girl…Couldn't even tell you her name, it was at some party and after a few drinks, next thing I remember is finding an empty bedroom. After that, I got more confident, and sleeping with girls wasn't that uncommon."

"...Most guys are like that, once puberty hits, your hormones instinctively want to find a mate and begin the process of reproduction. It's why around the ages of ten to thirteen is when most males masturbate for the first time, and fourteen to sixteen when they actively start thinking about sleeping around. You start to notice features about people that you only might have glanced at before…Someone who was your best friend in one grade, suddenly you view them with more attraction, you notice the sway of their hips, the redness of their lips, the size of their bust…All features most straight males find desirable in a potential partner."

Aqua said with a hint of darkness clouding his eyes, memories of his college days returning as he looked to the side in almost disgust. "Geez kid, most guys your age also don't talk like a scientist at some American University you know."

Taishi said as he finished up his cigarette, throwing it over into a nearby trash bin as he placed his hands behind his head and relaxed in his chair, his stare not leaving Aqua as he did so.

"So, since you're keenly aware of your biology, do you view Ruby like that?" Aqua's darkness in his eyes only grew, as he shook his head side to side.

"I do, she is attractive without a shadow of a doubt. The gene's that Ai passed down are strong with her, from the way her eyes sparkle, to the glossy glow of her lips, to her natural curves, most men would jump at the opportunity to explore her body in bed. However, acting on primal lust is not something I can afford. Not only are we related by blood, which would cast a shadow over her idol career even if she kept it private, but we share a history with one another that few people share. From the moment she was abandoned, to now, I've known her and cared for her. I no doubt the love she feels for me is real…But is the love I have for her, anything more than a nostalgic longing for the past, before everything was so complicated…Before Aquamarine Hoshino even existed…"

Aqua whispered the words to himself, as Taishi just raised an eyebrow of absolute confusion as he scratched his chin. "There you go, not making sense again kid. One of these days, you're going have to tell me what you mean with that cryptic shit, you hear me?"

"...If I told you, you'd put in a mental ward." Aqua said bluntly, sighing as he went back to his work. "Whatever, there's no point in talking about it Director. The conflicted feelings I have for Ruby isn't something someone else could ever understand."

"Geez kid, just throw me under the bus why don't you?" Taishi said as he rolled his eyes, as he pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to Aqua as he placed a hand atop his head. "I may not share the feelings you have when it comes to any particular girl in my past, but I can say the longer you keep her waiting, the more she's going to get hurt."

"..." Aqua didn't say anything in response, and it seemed that was where the conversation was going to end between the two of them.

However, suddenly Aqua's phone began to go off as he slowly pulled it out of his pocket and looked at who it was, raising an eyebrow.

"What does she want?" Aqua said with some worry in his voice, as he slid the green call button up and placed the phone to his ear. "Yeah?...Hm, Producer Kaburagi? No, I don't have his number on me, I have Akane-...Yuko Hata…?"

Aqua looked over at Taishi, who narrowed his eyes as he heard the name. "Yuko Hata…The Producer of First Stage…"

He responded with some bitterness in his voice, as Aqua just slowly nodded and responded back. "Yeah, the producer of First Stage, right?...Offering you a role as a background dancer?"

Aqua looked over at Taishi, who kept his eyes narrowed as he pointed at his ear, signaling for Aqua to put her on the phone.

"I see, Ruby do me a favor, and put Yuko on the phone." Ruby seemed surprised by his request, but did as he requested and after a moment, a different voice came over the phone. "Producer Hata, my name is Aquamarine Hoshino and-...Yes, that's right, you know Kaburagi?...A mentor huh…In any case, does this thing involve a contract?...I see…"

Aqua looked down for a second, an uneasy feeling in his gut from her tone, and the look that Taishi was giving, as all sorts of things ran through his head, before finally an idea hit him.

"...Do you have any medical personnel?" As soon as Aqua brought up the medical question, he could hear the dismissness of her voice, as he gripped his hand and got a bit more forceful. "Do you have any medical personnel, Producer Hata? The contract won't be signed unless you do."

After a moment of silence, he heard a sigh come from the other end, before she relented.

"...Good, just send the contract to Strawberry Productions and we'll look it over." After that, Yuko thanked him and then ended the call before he could talk to Ruby once again, as he pulled his phone away from his ear and glared at it. After a moment, he turned his glare over towards Taishi, who still looked displeased. "...You know her, don't you?"

"I do, yeah…" Taishi said with a low tone, as he brought a hand up to his chin. "Tried to get me to work on one of her projects…That sick bastard, I knew she got a light jail sentence, but…"

"Jail sentence? Director, what do you know?" Aqua said with a firm voice, his eyes glowing extremely dark as he turned and faced him.

After a moment of recounting, Taishi began to explain. "It was shortly after our horror film together, the one with Ai and Arima. I got an email from her studio, think it was called Stray Sheep Productions or something like that. Anyway, it was about some director's role for a movie, can't remember the name exactly but I do remember the details were…Sketchy, to say the least. Focusing on the girls, making sure they looked sexy, details that were borderline fetish like. Now, adult films are nothing new in the industry, but the casting details is what set alarm bells for me. Looking for actors of any age, and actresses of thirteen to sixteen…Tell me, what's your first thought if you see that."

Aqua's eyes only darkness, anger coursing through him as he shook his head. "Sick bastards…"

"Exactly, so I got the hell out and deleted anything that could have traced them to me. Sure enough, a couple months later, news in certain circles is that her company got busted for child pornography…Now, I believe she got a rather favorable judge, as some deals were made and the prison stint she served was laughable. Thought that be the end of it, but seems she's still active, and now…She's going after your girl and her friends."

Taishi's words lit a fire under Aqua, whose hand gripped hard. "I swear, I'll kill her if-"

"Kid, control yourself." Taishi said as he walked over and slapped a hand across Aqua's head. "What the hell can you do? Best bet is just to tell your sister not to sign that contract and report her to the police, right?"

"...Why, so some other idol group can be targeted by her?" Aqua said with more darkness in his voice, as he pushed himself to his feet, conviction in his heart. "No, I won't let that happen. Not if I can do something about it."

"Well, what the hell are you going to do kid? You're just an actor."

"No, I have more talents than that." Aqua said without hesitation, as he looked over and locked eyes with Taishi, making the director a bit uncomfortable under his gaze. "I've prepared myself for moments like these for the past decade, afterall."


A Few Hours Later

Aqua sat in Taishi's chair, his PC at his fingertips as he searched various search engines, archival results, court records, arrest reports and anything else he could get his hands on. After the phone call he received from Ruby, alongside Taishi's warning, Aqua had spent the past several hours meticulously planning everything.

While the easiest way out of this situation would just be to tell Ruby to reject the offer, this woman and her cronies would just go after some other poor idol group and do the exact same thing. No, she had to be stopped, and he was going to stop her one way or another.

So far in his search, he had discovered only a few things. He found the arrest report for Yuko Hata, though her case record was sparse and the only information he found out concerning her plea deal was a minimum jail sentence of a year, and some laughable fine associated with it.

Her arrest occurred six years ago, her sentencing about two months after that, and finally she was released eleven months after said sentencing, a month earlier than her plea deal ordered. Since then it seemed she had mostly been off the map, with only a few sparse photos from twitter accounts associated with idol groups, both disbanded and still active, though attempts to contact these groups about her had yielded nothing so far.

Shaking his head in annoyance, Aqua reached over and grabbed his bottle of water as he downed the rest of it, before chucking it behind him at a suddenly growing pile of empty water bottles he had indulged in.

Looking down at the bottles of water from the other side of the room, coffee cup in hand, was Taishi as he simply let Aqua do whatever he needed to do. He hadn't seen that look in Aqua's eye in a long, long time, so who was he to say anything to him?

Finally, after cross referencing something on the monitor, Aqua shook his head again as he took several screenshots and placed it into an email he had created that already had other documents and screenshots inside. "Find anything, kid?"

"More sketchy information, though nothing definite that we can give to the police. At this rate, I may have to just rely on audio and video evidence that I can obtain from inside."

"Inside? You planning to go with the girl's, kid?" Aqua shook his head, as he turned his chair around and looked at Taishi.

"No, I have a different plan…But it will require help, notably, I need a makeup artist, a really good one at that…One that is adept at hiding secrets." Aqua let the words linger, as Taishi brought the coffee up to his lips and took a small sip as he looked towards the side.

"You're asking a lot from me kid, you know that? Furthermore, it sounds like you're planning to sneak in, which is perhaps the stupidest thing you can do. Though knowing you, even putting you in a strat jacket might not stop you." Taishi said with a hint of a chuckle, though it quickly vanished as his brow furrowed. "I know someone, but she isn't one willing to do free work. She'll likely want something from you in the future, most likely if a project she's working as an artist on suddenly needs an actor replacement or something. The longer it takes to find an actor, the longer it takes to get paid, so she'll likely tell you immediately to nip any problems in the ass before they can begin."

"Doing acting favors seems to be a running theme for me it seems, so what else is new." Aqua replied with a monotone voice, his eyes glowing darkly as he kept his stare on Taishi. "Get in touch with her as soon as you can, I'm no artist, but the look I'll need can be achieved pretty easily."

"Tch, aye aye captain…" Taishi said with a hint of sarcasm, his own room being taken over by Aqua, who was now issuing orders to him.

"Oh and…Don't tell anyone I did this either, not Ruby, not Kana, not Mem, none of them…While I doubt my acting will be able to fool Ruby in the flesh, I'm confident that Mem and Kana won't be able to tell."

"Really now? You think you can fool Arima? You know she's been acting as long as you have kid, she'll be able to tell your voice the moment she hears it." Aqua didn't reply for a moment, turning his gaze to the side as he reached up and scratched his neck.

"Did you know that what you sound like to yourself, isn't how everyone else hears you?"

"Huh? Well yeah, it's always weird to hear yourself on recordings and stuff afterall, been told that plenty of times by actors."

"Why is that? Why does our brain make us hear our voice differently than it really is? I've thought about this for a long time, and I've determined that it's because what we're hearing is what we want to hear, what we want to imagine our voice really sounds like. But if you can get past that mental barricade, you can stretch your voice to new heights."

"Is that right? Sounding like a damn voice actor, and I don't need that around here…Give me people in front of a camera any day of the week over a damn cartoon." Taishi said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, as he raised his coffee back to his lips.

"That's not the point Director, the point is our mental barricade is preventing you from naturally hearing what your voice is truly like…But if you can not only get past that barricade, but even reverse it." Aqua said as his eyes started to shine somewhat, a light coming through the darkness. "You can sound like anybody you set your mind to if you practice!"

Suddenly, images began to flash through Aqua's mind, images of his past life.

Images of Gouro Amamiya.

"That's all well and good kid, but-"

"Director." Suddenly Aqua spoke, as Taishi shut up real quick and turned his head forward, his eyes a bit wide as Aqua gave a small smile. "I'm confident that Kana Arima won't be able to tell who I am by my voice."

Taishi just stared at Aqua, mouth agape at Aqua's voice.

It wasn't natural, it sounded a bit older though still one of a teenager. Still it wasn't his voice.

It wasn't the voice of Aqua Hoshino.

In that small moment, though it was of a younger version, Aqua was using an all too familiar voice.

The voice…Of Gouro Amamiya.

"Wouldn't you agree?" Aqua continued to speak in his Gouro voice, as the director just slowly nodded as he brought the coffee cup back up to his lips and shook his head.

"You damn kids are crazy nowadays, first that Akane girl imitating Ai on that reality show, now you sound completely different…What the hell." Aqua kept his small smile as he turned back to the monitor, grabbing the mouse as he hit send on the email and pushed himself to his feet.

"For now, I have everything I can find online, now it's time to start setting everything else up. First I'll talk to Miyako and convince her of this idol thing, I have to keep her home somehow because if she goes then they might not try anything…After that, I'll meet up with the makeup artist you talked about and then…" Aqua's voice went quiet, as he gave a small sigh through his nose. "I'll meet up with someone that can help me dig even further into this Stray Sheep Productions…"

"Huh? Who, Kaburagi?" Aqua shook his head back and forth, as he turned his attention back to Taishi.

"My on-air girlfriend, Akane Kurokawa."


That Night

"Sure thing…Sarina-Chan." Aqua said with a small smile as he saw Ruby go wide eyed in the bath, as he slowly turned around and opened the door and left the bathroom and closed it back. He stood there for a second, laying his head on the door as he shook it back and forth.

A part of him didn't want to use Ruby and her friends as bait, he really didn't, but…It was either them as bait or someone else as a victim, and he had long made his mind up on which decision he was going with.

Pushing himself off the door, Aqua placed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the steps and to the kitchen, where Miyako was currently at as she was pouring herself a glass of green tea. "Miyako."

"Hm? Oh Aqua, you need something?" Miyako asked with a smile as she finished pouring her glass of green tea, as she turned and faced him.

After a moment of silence, Aqua nodded as he crossed his arms and began to pace back and forth. "I'm assuming Ruby has told you about that producer who scouted her and the other girls today?"

Miyako rolled her eyes at the mention, looking down at her tea as she used a spoon to stir it. "Yeah, I'm usually not against such things, but the way they described it to me…It's sketchy to say the least."

"It's more than sketchy, the entire thing is criminal." Aqua said without a hint of humor in his voice, as Miyako tilted her head to the side.

"Criminal?"

"Exploitation of minors, pushing the boundaries if you will of what is allowed in media, all for the sick fantasies of certain groups. The entire thing is illegal, yet it seems the courts don't care too much to handle it. I can think of a few reasons why, but that's neither here nor there…"

Miyako narrowed her eyes at Aqua, continuing to stir her tea as she raised it to her lips and took a small sip. "So we tell them we don't plan to ever do business with them."

"No, that's not it. If we turn them down, then some other idol group will be targeted and the cycle will be indefinite. The best we can do is agree to the offer, and use Ruby and the girls as bait of sorts."

"Bait? Aqua, are you insane?" Miyako said with a bit of shock in her voice, as she took a few steps towards Aqua as she glared at him. "To use your own sister as bait, what are you even thinking?"

"I'm thinking how we can get rid of these creeps for good, that's what I'm thinking. They chose B-Komachi to go after, so we have to use this opportunity to take them down."

"Aqua, we're not detectives, we're an entertainment company. I'm not going to risk something happening to them, do you understand me?" Miyako said with a firm voice, making her stand clear, yet the darkness only burned brighter in Aqua's eyes in response.

"Then you're willing for other young girls to be exploited then?" Aqua said coldly, as Miyako was a bit taken aback by his words before she shook her head.

"That's not what I meant-"

"That's exactly what's going to happen if we don't act on this. All I need the girls to do is go there and see what their orders are, I can promise nothing will happen to them there, that I'm sure of."

"How can you promise that, Aqua?"

"Because I have a friend who can do something about all of this, a doctor in training if you will." Miyako raised an eyebrow in confusion, as Aqua continued. "His name is Gouro Amamiya."

"Gouro Amamiya…Isn't that…?"

"Yes, Ruby's boyfriend. He's agreed to help me with this plan, alongside Director Taishi and I'm working on getting a few others. The only thing I need to do to set this plan off, is get you to agree as well Miyako, otherwise…So many young girls will be used and abused by this producer and her staff."

Miyako just stared at Aqua, listening to his words as she turned her gaze to the side slightly. "...How come you and Ruby both know this Gouro Amamiya, yet I've never met him? Also…Why does his name sound familiar?"

That last part was a whisper, yet Aqua heard it clearly. Of course, he thought, Miyako would know the name since the former president and her Ex-Husband would have told her during Ai's pregnancy.

Still, that was a matter to worry about for another day.

"Me and Ruby met him back in middle school, and we stayed in touch with skype for a while before rekindling once snapchat was invented. The two of them always had mutual affection for one another it seems, and she was finally the one to ask him out and he agreed."

"I guess…I'm a little disappointed she never brought her love life up with me…Though I guess teenage girls don't like their parents or guardians getting involved in affairs of the heart do they?"

"Usually no, most teenagers enter a rebellious phase due to hormonal increase, so it's only natural." Aqua explained as he pushed his hands into his pockets. "In any case, he's a medical expert and is already working on infiltrating their ranks to be the doctor on sight. If he can get it, then the girls will be even more protected. So please Miyako, trust me on this."

"..." Miyako was silent for a moment, before she raised her cup to her lips and drank some more before allowing another sigh to escape her lips. "What do you need me to do?"

"Sign the contract, and then send the girls on. I want you to follow them without them knowing and hang out outside to help them get away once we have the evidence, alright? The director and Gouro will be nearby if you need either of them."

"What about you?"

"...My role will be communications. I snuck a peek at the address on the business card that Ruby was given, so I plan to locate the building and get its infrastructure. If I can do that, then I can radio in to Gouro and Taishi where everything is located if need be."

"So while we head out and risk ourselves, you're going to be staying back nice and comfortable?" Miyako asked with a voice of disapproval, yet Aqua just shook his head.

"I'll be out also, just on the other side of the building in case they try to use the fire escape or anything like that." Miyako just raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced, yet she relented all the same.

"Fine…But I swear Aqua, if anything happens-"

"Trust me, I'll die before I let a hair on those girls get touched." Aqua said as the darkness in his eyes burned brightly, not a hint of joking in it.

He was dead serious.

"...Alright then…I'll do it I guess…" Though she didn't seem convinced, Miyako agreed all the same as Aqua nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you Miyako, I do appreciate it."

Now, onto the next step he thought.

He was still waiting for Taishi to get back to him on that makeup artist, so in the meantime it was his job to get even more information.

Giving a small sigh, Aqua began walking away from the kitchen as he took out his phone and dialed a number, and after a moment… "Hey, Akane…"


As the nightly veil hung in the sky, Akane sat silently at her PC, a notebook in her hand as she wrote down varying theories on what was going on with Aqua. Why she was so interested in him wasn't terribly surprising, since even she could admit she loved him. Still, that wasn't the main reason she had taken a interest in finding out exactly what was going on with him.

Missing practice.

The photo by Yuki.

His apparent blackout.

His sudden remarks to both Kana and herself.

Ruby suddenly having a boyfriend…

Ruby suddenly having a boyfriend…..

Ruby suddenly having a boyfriend….

Akane gripped down on her pen, a tired sigh escaping from her mouth as she shook her head. There was no way, it was all just a coincidence. Afterall, if that really was the case, then both of them would be risking their careers and then some trying to protect such a secret.

Not to mention other questions such as moral questions, reproduction and other sorts…While Akane herself wasn't one to call someone evil because of who they choose to sleep with as long as it was all consensual, even she knew the risks of reproduction in such a scenario such as this.

And judging by her own thoughts regarding Aqua, Ruby would surely…

A small blush appeared on Akane's face as she shook her head, this was no time to get distracted. She might be overthinking all of this anyway, the truth might be more simple than she thought, it's just the evidence she had led to a certain direction is all…

Still, maybe she didn't have all the facts, she just had to keep researching.

Namely starting with the name of Ruby's apparent boyfriend.

Gouro Amamiya.

So far in her search, she had come up almost empty. The Amamiya family name wasn't prevalent much in Tokyo, and the few who did have it were all older folks.

Even then, none of them had the given name of Gouro, so that was a dead end.

From there, she began searching around the areas close to Tokyo, to see if any of them had someone by the name of Gouro Amamiya.

In her search, she found exactly one person by that name.

In the remote town of Takachiho in the Miyazaki prefecture, there was a profile that came up.

Name: Gouro Amamiya

Status: Missing

Age: Thirty Years Old Upon Filing of Missing Persons Report, filed in 2006

Description: Last Known appearance indicates Brown Hair, glasses, 175 CM, brown eyes.

Last Known Location: Takachiho Medical Facility

Akane just looked over the report, her eyes continuing to glance at it every so often. If she was being honest, it should hold nothing of value to her. After All this was about a middle aged man who went missing sixteen years ago, very unlikely that someone close to fifty would be Ruby's boyfriend.

Still it was the date that interested her the most.

Two-Thousand and Six…The year Aqua and Ruby were born.

It was likely just a coincidence but…Was it possible Gouro Amamiya…Was actually their father? Miyako was divorced after all, so was it possible she got divorced after it was found out the old president of Strawberry Productions wasn't the children's father?

Or, was it even stranger than that?

Perhaps she would look into the matter further…

….She sighed to herself.

What was the point, her and Aqua seemed like they would be breaking up soon and moving on.

What was the point of attempting to uncover the past of a love that wasn't reciprocated?

Running a hand over her face, she almost had to hold back tears as she went to set her notebook down.

Only for her phone to suddenly ring.

Looking over at it, she grabbed it and went wide eyed as she read the caller ID. "A-Aqua…?"

Quickly hitting the call button, she raised it to her ear.

"Y-Yes?...H-Hey Aqua, what's up…H-Huh? Stray Sheep Productions? Can't say I've ever heard about them, did you-...I see….W-What? Ruby and…Hm…I-I'll look into it and….Y-You want to come over!? But…But….W-We can meet somewhere and-...Oh um…Alright…S-See you then…"

Akane said with a bit of a downtrodden voice as she hit the end call button and looked at her phone, before pocketing it and shaking her head.

"Aqua's coming over…Oh boy…"


The Next Day

Akane tapped her fingers against her chair, an awkward silence filling the air as she looked at the boy standing in front of her, documents in hand and a neutral cold look on his face. This was the first time Aqua Hoshino had ever stepped foot into her room, yet the embarrassment that she thought she would suffer from it was instead replaced by a mix of conflicting feelings.

Feelings ranging from how cold he had been, to the information she had pieced together that could lead to a taboo relationship under her nose…She didn't know how to feel, doubly so since she had been posting to twitter on why her and Aqua had stopped posting couple photos online.

She made up excuses, but she knew the longer she played it, the more suspicious people would get until finally…The lie would come out for all to see.

As she sat there thinking, Aqua just allowed his eyes to wash over her room and take it all in. Any pictures Akane had hung up during her investigations had been removed the night prior and hidden away, so Aqua didn't didn't see any of those.

While Aqua looked out across the room, Akane licked her lips before giving a small nod to herself. "U-Um…What's this production company you mentioned, Aqua-kun…?"

Aqua suddenly shifted his gaze towards Akane, as he took a step towards her and handed her a document. "This is what I've been able to gather so far, but you're the expert when it comes to detective work, so I figured I would come to you."

"I see…" Akane took the documents and looked it over, her eyes completely blank as she did so. "Um, I'll see what I can find…I might have to explore the dark web a little bit, especially if you've already done most of the regular searching."

"That's fine, just tell me whatever you find." With that, Aqua walked over and sat down on the edge of Akane's bed, pulling his bag up to him before he pulled his laptop out and turned it on.

Akane just stared at him, her eyes filling with sadness as she did so. "Aqua-kun…Be honest with me…Do you only see me as someone for information?"

Aqua didn't look up from his laptop, as he typed his password in and the screen lit up. "What makes you think that?"

"...You suddenly lose all contact with me, turn down our dates, and when you finally do contact me, it's for some type of work. How…How do you think that makes me feel?" As she spoke, Akane could feel her voice choke some, pure emotion threatening to escape.

Aqua for his part, still kept his eyes locked onto his screen as he began to type. "...I don't know…"

"...You don't know huh? The man who saved me from myself doesn't know how I feel? What…What kind of answer is that!?" Akane suddenly raised her voice, more emotion coming out as she gripped her hands. "I-I'm not a tool to be used you know! I-I'm…I'm your girlfriend and…"

"...It's just for work, our-"

"Are you that dense!?" Akane yelled out, tears falling down her cheeks as she gripped her hands. "D-Do you not realize that I…I love you…"

"...Of course I do."

"Then why do you play me on!? If you…Only see it as a work relationship, then why don't we just end things!? Instead of…Instead of hurting me, dammit!" Akane's voice raised her voice to a fever pitch, as Aqua stopped typing on his laptop and closed his eyes for a moment before he looked up at her.

"...Because I don't know how to end it."

"W-What do you mean?"

"If I end our work relationship, then I'll upset you rather badly for starters."

"Y-You've already crossed that bridge." She spat out.

"...And I don't want to lose you, as a friend and a fellow actress."

"..."

"It's hard to be friends with someone who loves you, yet you don't share the feelings back. I thought the best way to remain friends was to continue on this fake relationship of ours, yet…It seems I've just hurt you worse than if I was honest with you from the start…I'm sorry, Akane."

Akane didn't say anything for a moment, as she just hung her head down, tears falling from her eyes and onto the documents below. Softly, she began to cry, as Aqua just sat on the bed, his eyes moving down to the ground. Minutes passed, her soft crying only continuing, as Aqua just sat quietly, not interrupting.

Finally, her crying slowly came to a stop as she raised a hand and wiped her eyes, before moving her head up and looking to the distant. "...Dammit Aqua…W-Why did I have to fall in love with you…?"

"...A cruel trick by God, would be my answer. The one to save you, and in return to catch your feelings, is someone who is purely incapable of love. In that way, it was a trick on both of us."

"...Incapable of falling in love huh?" Akane reached up and wiped her eyes again, as she took a deep breath. "Be honest with me Aqua…Are you…"

Her voice caught in her throat, the question not wanting to come out as Aqua just raised an eyebrow as he stared at her.

Finally…

"...A-Are you and your own sister…T-Together?" The question hit Aqua out of nowhere, his eyes going wide as darkness filled them.

"W-What?"

"...Your behavior…Ruby suddenly getting a boyfriend…Ruby telling Kana she was going on a date, and that night…Yuuki sends me a picture of the two of you at the movies!" Aqua felt his voice catch in his throat, self hatred filling him from being so careless around that girl. "Also the boy Ruby claims she's dating, the one who goes by Gouro Amamiya, doesn't exist. I checked all the family registries around Tokyo, and the closest one I could find was a missing doctor from sixteen years ago in the small town of Takachiho."

"T-Takachiho…" Aqua said the name softly, shock in his voice that Akane had dug deep enough to even find that information.

"S-So be honest with me Aqua, just tell me the truth…For once in your life…" Akane looked at Aqua with puffy red eyes, her voice firm as Aqua just stared back with a darkness threatening him as he bit down onto his lip.

"E-Even if we are, what difference does it make to you?" Practically an admission of guilt, yet it was all Aqua could force out.

"I…I want us to trust each other…Y-You said you wanted to be friends right!? I-If you'll be honest with me, I'll…I'll tell you something equally damning about myself, so we both know something about each other we can't let out."

"..." Aqua shook his head, darkness overpowering him as her words stung like bullets. His clip about wanting to just be friends wasn't a lie, and whether intentional or not, she had hit a weak point of his by turning that around on him.

Still, he always knew if anyone were to find out, it would be Akane, yet so fast…

If he could get her on his side, then their secret was safe. But if she blabbered it to the world…

No…She wouldn't do that, she wasn't that type of girl.

But still she…

Fuck, he thought.

Raising a hand and bringing it down onto his leg, Aqua gritted his teeth before finally relenting. "Fuck…Fine…"

Akane stiffened some, ready for his answer, whatever it may be.

"...Yes, we are…The circumstances surround it, you would never believe, but the short answer is we don't truly view each as other siblings. Though we share blood, I can't say we ever did anything together growing up, not after…" Aqua's voice ran cold, as Akane just stared at him, a bit wide eyed yet not entirely surprised.

"Not after…?"

"...Some shit happened, you could say." Was all Aqua said, a low sigh emitting from his nose as he leaned back some and held a hand up. "There you go, now you know…"

"I-I see…" Though Akane had readied herself for it, the revelation was still…Shocking, she had to admit. She had her questions of course, ranging from the 'some shit happened' to the name of Gouro and how it links up with their ages, but she figured it would be best to broach those subjects at another time.

"Alright…Your turn." Aqua motioned for Akane to speak, her body stiffening some as she looked to the side, a small blush appearing on her face as she gave a small nod.

"R-Right, fair is fair…" Akane whispered as she reached up and began to twirl her hair, a bit of distress on her face as she looked towards the ground. "I-I want to start this off Aqua by saying I…I'm…Attracted to both…"

"...Both?" Akane gave a small nod, and after a moment, Aqua realized what she meant as he nodded. "I see, bisexual then?"

"...Yes…"

"Hm, I can see why you would want that to be a secret." Though Japan wasn't as strict as it used to be concerning members of the gay community, it was still strict when it came to the people who represented it in the media. If Akane, a girl on a reality tv dating show, popular theater kid and possibly blooming star in entertainment as a whole was to be revealed as bisexual…

Then fair or not, producers and directors would pass her over, and her career would slowly spiral.

In that sense Aqua could understand why she considered it such a big deal, though he personally wouldn't put it on the same level as- "And…I'm in love with a woman, you know…"

"Hm? Is it…Ruby?"

"N-No but…" Akane closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face boiling red as she covered her face with her hands. "I-It would never be reciprocated…And I don't ever intend to pursue it, but…I…I…"

Akane was really beating herself up over this, her hands still covering her face as more tears ran down her face.

"I-I'm in love…W-With M-Miyako…Y-You're own mother Aqua…"

"...W-What?" Aqua said, both shock and genuine confusion in his voice as he was even more taken aback than when Akane was when he finally told her the truth.

"I-It's wrong, and I promise I never ever plan to tell her or pursue her or anything but…W-When I saw her for the first time, she was suddenly stuck in my mind and you know, I thought it was just because she's your mom and all but…She kept coming up in my thoughts more and more and…I-I don't know, I've thought about getting help but if it ever came out, I-I would be finished!"

Aqua listened to Akane's explanation, his wide eyes slowly returning to normal as he scratched the side of his face. "Well, I can tell you point blank it would never happen. That, I can be honest with. Even though she's divorced, she…I know she still harbors feelings for my…Dad…"

Aqua said that the best he could, both because of the lie of it, and also his hatred for his real dad.

"Plus, she doesn't swing that way, at all."

"Y-Yeah I know, I know, I know…I…Just had to tell someone…" Aqua continued to listen to Akane rant, just nodding along.

"I understand, and hey…There's someone out there for you, you have even more options than most. Maybe the guy or girl of your dreams is hiding in plain sight…Maybe even Kana, enemies to lovers and all."

"T-That sounds like a nightmare…" Though her tone was weak, she gave a small smile towards Aqua. "T-Thank you Aqua, I'm sad of course but…I feel like a few weights have been lifted off my shoulders today, for whatever that may be worth."

"Good, I'm glad, Akane." The two of them shared a small smile with each other, before Akane finally looked down at the documents in her lap.

"W-Well anyway, we have an agency to investigate, right?" Aqua nodded, turning his eyes back to his laptop as he began to search once again, as Akane turned herself to her own PC, loading up various forbidden websites to do her own research on.

A silence came between the two, yet it wasn't one of slander or awkwardness, but of a renewed friendship. They would still have difficulty at times of course, some wounds could only be healed by time, but for the time being, they were two friends who shared dark secrets with one another.

Two friends, who were determined to find the truth of this shady company, together.


The Next Day

"So, Kurokawa-chan, you know as well huh?"

"T-That's right, Gotanda-san." Director Taishi Gotanda and Akane Kurokawa stood side by side in a small apartment room, a lit cigarette in the Director's hand, a laptop in the hands of the young actress.

Although Akane had searched the reaches of the dark web for Aqua, nothing entirely new came up on Stray Sheep Productions and the two called it quits close to midnight.

The next morning when she awoke, Akane saw she had a text from Aqua. All that was in the text was an address, and a time to meet up.

As soon as she arrived at the apartment number given to her, she found Director Taishi Gotanda alone in the main room, and after some conversing she had learned that not only did the Director also know Aqua and Ruby's secret, but that he was the one who had pushed Aqua to give Ruby a firm answer on her love.

Once that information was exchanged between the two of them, the next question turned to where they were exactly. According to Taishi, this was the apartment of Mayoi Kirigiri, a makeup artist he knew. Currently, she was in her main room with Aqua going over some sort of makeup or disguise or whatever he needed her for.

So that was where the two of them currently were, as they silently stood next to each other for a few moments, before Akane made her way over to a lone chair and sat down, opening her laptop up with the intent to continue her search when it came in regards to Stray Sheep Productions.

As the silence deafened, Taishi raised his cigarette back to his mouth and gave another puff as he looked down at the blue haired actress and spoke. "I should apologize I guess…I pushed the kid to act on his feelings before it was too late, not even thinking that your relationship with him was more than a work one."

"E-Eh? What do you-"

"The kid told me this morning…That you took the 'breakup' rather hard." Akane was a bit taken aback, before she looked back down at her screen and shook her head.

"I-It's fine Gotanda-san, it's my fault for falling in love with someone who never even liked me back in the first place. I think…The only time Aqua-kun was telling the truth to me, was when he told me he admired my acting and that…Truly does still make me happy, that my years of hard work was noticed atleast."

"I see, well the kid has an eye for talent so that compliment of his was perhaps the highest one he could give to someone." Akane gave a small smile at his words, nodding slowly as she clicked through various links. "I think the only other person he's ever complimented was Ai."

"Huh? The Idol?"

"Yeah, the one who died about ten years ago. He's always comparing himself to her, to the point where he actually quit acting for a bit because he never saw himself good enough to continue in her footsteps."

"Her footsteps? Is it because she worked under Miyako?"

"...Yeah, something like that." Akane raised an eyebrow, as Taishi raised the bud back to his lips as a small sigh escaped them. "To be honest, Aqua is a better actor than Ai ever was, atleast when it comes to pure acting skills. She could lie, no doubt about that, but the kid has such a feel for the camera that's almost uncanny. Yet, he doesn't see that, or he can't see it, or he refuses, or whatever it is…Ever since I met him at a young age, he's been making me rethink what it's like to be an actor and what I should look for in actors. I sure would like to meet his father, to see who the hell the kid inherited it from."

"Huh? But…His father is the old president of Strawberry Productions, Ichigo Saitou, right? Didn't you work with him back when he was the president?" Taishi went wide eyed, suddenly realizing his screw up, as he quickly gave a quick puff of his cigarette.

"W-Well, It was maybe a passing few words here or there, but nothing concrete or to get a feel of things…I-It was Miyako who brought them to the shoots and everything anyway."

"...I see…" Akane was suspicious of his words, but let the issue die out. That only added more questions to Aqua, namely when it came to Miyako and who this Gouro Anamiya was when it came to her theories about Aqua and Ruby being bastard children.

Still, an issue for another day.

For the time being, Akane went back to her research on the dark web, searching through everything she could find as the clock slowly ticked the minutes away, as Taishi just smoked in silence.

Finally…

"T-This is…" Akane's voice caught in her throat, causing Taishi to look over towards her and raise an eyebrow.

"What's up?" Taishi walked over to her and looked down at the monitor, before taking a step back. "The fuck…"

"I-I think I found their catalog." Akane said as she looked over the page in front of her.

On top of the website was the name 'Stray Sheep Productions' with various tabs.

All of them seemed fairly normal, Staff, Models, Videos, Pictures, ect…

Yet just below them were 'preview' videos and pictures, and they were anything but normal.

They were illegal in every sense of the word for a less exploitative definition.

Akane raised a hand up to her mouth in disgust, as Taishi gripped his hands and looked to the sides. "Those bastards…So the courts really didn't do anything, they didn't even take down the damn website!"

"That's…Assuming they didn't do this after their jail term was complete." Akane countered, clicking on a few links, holding her stomach in the best she could. "W-What was the name of that movie or whatever B-Komachi was going to be in?"

"I…I think the kid said it was called First Stage…" Akane nodded and typed the name into the search bar, and after a moment of loading, a video came up that just said 'coming soon'.

The listed models?

Ruby Hoshino, Kana Arima, and Mem-Cho.

There was no doubt this was the same company, and their video was already prepared in advance.

"Those sick bastards…" Taishi spat out with disgust reeking in his breath, as Akane just gave a slow nod in agreement. "W-We should report this to the police."

"Why? So they can fuck it up again?" Suddenly a new voice entered the fray as Taishi turned his head towards a door near the side, as Aqua walked out with his eyes full of pure darkness.

"K-Kid…This is…" Taishi attempted to explain, yet Aqua just raised a hand to stop him as he walked over and looked down at the monitor, taking in all of the details as he just gave a nod with his blank look.

"I see, so there's no doubt about it huh?" Taishi and Akane looked at him, before moving their attention to the sides and giving small head nods. "...Alright then, send me the link to that page Akane."

"T-The link? B-But the website is…" Akane trailed off, yet Aqua just gave a wave.

"Just the numbers at the end, I can use an onion search tool from there." Akane just kept her worried look, before slowly nodding as she took her phone out and sent a text, and after a moment Aqua's phone buzzed as he took it out and looked.

456266 -Akane

Giving a nod, Aqua pocketed his phone once again, as Taishi coughed into his hand. "A-Anyway, what did Kirigiri say?"

"...She's preparing everything now, but it looks like it won't be an issue. She measured my face for a face mask, in which she'll then apply the makeup to. When it comes to my hair, she has hair dye that can wash out with a single shower, as well as colored contacts also."

"I see, so your disguise as a doctor…"

"Will be perfect." Aqua said, as Akane tilted her head to the side.

"Doctor…?" Aqua nodded, as he reached inside of his pocket and pulled out a fake ID he had made the night before.

"Doctor Gouro Amamiya, the boyfriend of Ruby Hoshino."


That Night

The flickering of the bathroom light above was the only thing that illuminated the small room as various medicines were lined up in front of Aqua, ranging from pills to edibles to liquids.

Silently, Aqua mixed and matched various ones. It wasn't the work of an amateur, he was precise, measuring them, cutting the pills exactly how they needed to be cut, applying just the right amount of liquids.

In that moment, he was a doctor in every sense of the word.

Or perhaps, it would be better to call him a Plague Doctor.

His intentions with the medicine weren't pure afterall, he wasn't doing this to save lives…

Though, considering who he was preparing this medicine for, it was actually saving lives.

Just not the lives of his intended victims.

Early, he had used Akane to get into contact with Producer Kaburagi, and after much bargaining and the sort, Aqua was able to use him to get into Yuko Hata's contacts. It wasn't easy going from there, he had to do a ton of convincing and contractual signing but eventually, he had won them over in being the 'doctor' at their shoot.

It wasn't a real position, he had convinced them of his 'special talents' that he could help them with, and thanks to the contacts he was able to get in no problem.

Now, it was just time to-

I love you, I always will love you, and you can never be a burden to me. I don't want you to kill or get revenge on anybody.

Suddenly Ruby's words ran through his head, as well as her wide beautiful smile as Aqua stopped what he was doing for a moment, before he sighed and looked into the mirror with dark eyes.

"I won't kill them…I won't hurt Ruby…But…"

Aqua picked up a syringe, and looked it over before nodding to himself.

"I will make the rest of their lives a living hell, for what they plan to do to my Sarina…"