Alterations

by akatsukiRinne

Summary:

Aqua kills Hikaru ensuring that the bastard doesn’t lay a finger on his sister. But then what happens to him? . He has his freedom at last but although he finds some kind of closure. He can’t deny the proposal made by Crow girl
A chance that is too tempting

A chance to fix everything before it even started

Chapter 1: Back to the Start

" I’ve been thinking about what Ai said… about how to save you but it seems like it’s too late ” Aqua said to the man standing with his back to him

Hikaru turned to face him . Aqua never felt so disgusted looking at someone. His biological father showed no remorse instead sporting a maniacal smile with black stars in his eyes

“ You tried to kill Ruby , didn’t you ?"Aqua said in a low tone
"You manipulated Nino Fuyuko despite knowing about her mental state .
Even as Aqua said this , Hikaru seemed to widen his maniacal smile

“ You kept your hands clean and made others do your dirty work , You are nothing but a Selfish and despicable liar who does everything to save your own skin" Aqua spat

A cackle escaped from Hikaru
“ I see … I see . So that’s how you perceive me but you’re just as bad as ME. We’re both cut from the same cloth. Dear Son of mine , Have you looked in a mirror, hm ? Your EYES are the proof of that !! Hikaru bursts into laughter

Aqua fixes the man before him with a cold stare. His lone Black Star mirroring the monster “ I am You ” he replies. His voice deathly calm

There was the crazed grin again “ I AM SO HAPPY AQUA , I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE AS TWISTED AS ME .” Hikaru
roared
“ I may be like you but Ruby isn’t and that’s Why I have to get rid of you because it’s my responsibility to protect my sister.

It’s time for you to disappear, Hikaru Kamiki . For the sake of Ruby’s future, You Must VANISH" . With that said,Aqua spared no time stabbing his father in the chest. Aqua watches as the monster that is his father sinks in a pool of red

The deed is done

Aqua lets the adrenaline leave his body
Taking a breath ,he basks in the feeling of relief .
“ You did it ” came a voice behind him “ How does achieving vengeance feel, Aquamarine Hoshino ? Do you feel satisfied? She questioned

“ This is not about me, it’s about Ruby”

“ Oh please, drop the act you may be able to fool people and even yourself but you can’t fool me “

Aqua cuts to the chase not wanting to play games “ What is it that you want with me? “

The crow girl smirked “ Ever so shrewd , are you ?”

” If you don’t have anything important to say , I’ll be leaving " Aqua turns to leave

“ I came to make a proposal. I’ll give you a chance to fix everything . A chance to save your dear mother “ Her words had the desired effect. Aquamarine stopped in his tracks

A single question

“ What do I have to do ”?

 

—-

Aqua finds himself in a very familiar place.The very same place where his mother died He was transported back in time back to when Ai Hoshino was still breathing

The rules were simple
1 Aqua can’t be seen by anyone to avoid unwanted alterations
2 He can only stay for a limited time otherwise it will result in a paradox

That was it according to crow girl anyway

 

So Aqua clad in a black hoodie waits for the stalker to arrive

It doesn’t take long before the Stalker arrives holding a bouquet of flowers with a knife hidden walks up the stairs

Aqua comes out from his hiding spot and trips the stalker

The bouquet of flowers falls to the ground revealing the knife

Aqua kicks the knife away however that gave the stalker the time to punch him . Staggering back Aqua grabbed the stalker‘s arm before the second punch landed and threw him against the wall
He then pulls the stalker by the hair
“ What do you think you were going to do? ” he snarled
The stalker widens his eyes in fear

Aqua makes short work of knocking him out and calls the cops As soon as he did that the ground beneath him disappeared and so did everything else . Darkness pulled him into its embrace

Aqua was lying on a bed , he felt lighter and smaller too .He tried to move but something was stopping him from moving . He was a toddler again but all his thoughts faded away when he looked up at the person cuddling him. The face of his sleeping mother greeted him. Tears started flowing down his cheeks and sobs rocked his body. He was mentally fifty by now but seeing his mother ‘s sleeping figure ,warm and alive reduced him to a little child . At some point, his crying must have woke his mother despite his efforts to keep it down because Ai Hoshino stirred and upon seeing her son cry she hugs him and asks “ What’s wrong, Aqua?” Her tone gentle
“ Had a bad dream? ”Aqua gave a nod

Ai was an idiot but it didn’t take an idiot to figure out that whatever dream he had was bad enough to make him cry

So she does what a mother would do . She comforts her child whispering sweetly into his ears and lulls him back to sleep

Ai Hoshino is Alive and all is well

Chapter 2: Scandal

Summary:

Fluff and plot in one chapter

Aqua woke up several hours later , He turned, hoping to find his mom perhaps to confirm that the events that happened were real . He found no one in the bedroom. “ She must have woken up “ he thought . He tries to get out of bed but finds it hard to get down from the bed
The bed was too huge or rather he was just too small . Regardless, he tries again
The attempt ended with him on the floor with his head hurting.

Aqua groaned “ it sucks to be a toddler again “He rubs his head. Just then, Ai Hoshino came bursting through the door with a worried expression on her face and started to scan him thoroughly for any injuries , asking questions like “ Are you okay ?“and the lot to which he replies that he’s fine and that it was just a accident.

Ai pulls Aqua into a loving embrace
” Aqua’s such a klutz sometimes, at this rate , You’re going make me get heart attack ” Ai said endearingly

Aqua savors being in his mom’s warmth

“ Sorry , mom ”he said sheepishly

Ai froze for a moment

“ Mom?” Aqua asks again

Ai squeals with her eyes twinkling “ Aqua called me mom!!” “ Aqua, do it again please!!! She prompts giving him her best puppy dog eyes

Aqua swallows his embarrassment and decides to indulge her

“Mom ” he said again softly

“ Awwwww ” Ai pulled him into yet another hug making Aqua twitch his lips upwards

“ Mama—“ Ruby stopped when she saw what was going on . Excitement glowed in her eyes “ Oh, I want a hug too !” She chants excitedly . She practically jumps into the embrace. Ai giggles hugging her little stars

Her children means the world to her

She wants to say those words- to tell them she loves them . The fear of lying stops her from doing so. A lump in her throat . What if she lies again? She doesn’t want that. Ai felt like she was a failure as a mother being unable to utter three simple words .” Haven’t I waited long enough?”she asked herself

”Mom?”

”Mama?"

 

Ai snapped out of her thoughts, finding her beloved children looking up at her

 

Aqua’s face showed worry it makes sense he was always the mature one while Ruby had a puzzled look on her face

 

Ai’s lips formed a smile , they are the best things that ever happened to her. Unbeknownst to her, This smile was different from the other ones she’d given to her fans, A smile reserved for her little stars.

Days pass and it’s Tuesday, just like always, Ai Hoshino got up first, she walks out of the bedroom and goes to shower, After she’s done , she walks to the kitchen.Ai was not allowed in the kitchen because she set the kitchen ablaze that one time she did however today she was determined to try to make her children some breakfast . “ Toast with eggs should be easy to do “ she muttered to herself
Oh boy , how wrong she was .Ai searched up a tutorial and followed through

Minutes later, Ai came out of the kitchen which thankfully wasn’t set on fire, sucking her red fingers. The toast was quite simple to do . The problem was the eggs . She had to try many times to get them right and in the process she had burned her fingers. Even though her fingers hurt ,she still smiled feeling happy that she managed to make her children some breakfast to eat . With breakfast out of the way, she went to find the first aid kit. That’s when it hit her…. Where did she put the first aid kit ?
——
Aqua tiptoed into the living room, wanting to get some water to drink for some reason his throat doesn’t feel so good as he’s about to head to the kitchen, he spots his mother sucking her fingers which were red

“ Mom …. Your fingers …. what happened? “ his voice laced with concern

 

“ Oh, this? It’s nothing , I just burnt my fingers is all ” Ai said lightly hoping her son would buy it not wanting to worry him

Aqua didn’t buy it. He looked at her with concern “ Let me have a look at your fingers , mom” he insisted

Walking closer, he held her palm as he inspected her fingers . Aqua analyzed the situation and concluded that it wasn’t anything some bandage couldn’t fix

“ Wait for me, please ?” Aqua gave his best puppy dog eyes

Ai couldn’t resist her son so she waited

Aqua found the first aid kit on the shelf however he wasn’t tall enough to get it. Fortunately, there was a stool nearby
He positioned the stool before stepping on it. Balancing himself then reaching for it
Very slowly, he lowered himself down from the stool . He returned to Ai with medical kit in hand. He rummaged through the kit and upon finding the needed supplies he set them out and began to work
“ It’s going to hurt a bit ” he told his mother softly
Ai winced as pain coursed from her fingers
Aqua worked with his face screwed in concentration applying some sort of cream then started to wrap her fingers with bandages
Aqua was so concentrated, Ai found it adorable
“ Hey , Aqua where did you learn stuff like that?” Ai asked, curious
Aqua didn’t look up as he concentrated on wrapping the bandages around her fingers “ I read about it in an article online “ he lied smoothly. He didn’t want to lie to his mother but he didn’t want to tell her that he was reincarnated and was mentally an old man. A white lie told with no harm caused . Lucky for him, Ai bought it .

Aqua was disturbed so he decided to ask

“ What did you do to get your fingers hurt, mom ?”

“ I tried making breakfast and it worked… well except for these fingers ,hehe " came the reply

Aqua feels guilty when he hears this . His mother got hurt making breakfast for him and his sister

“ I’m sorry “

Ai heard the guilt in his voice and it made her sad” Don’t be, I wanted to make breakfast for you "

Aqua bore a small smile on his face
“ Thank you ”

Ai giggled “ You’re welcome, my little genius ”

——
“ Ruby, Ruby wake up” Aqua shook his sister

Ruby Hoshino ‘s eyes fluttered open and came into focus

“ Hm? Oniichan? She mumbled

“ Yes, it’s me and good morning to you, Ruby but that’s not the point anyways ,mom made us breakfast

Ruby explodes right away “ Eh, EH … For REAL???!!!” She squeals like an obsessed fan girl which she is

“ Yes , Ruby and please stop squealing you are going to burst my eardrums “ Aqua deadpanned

And so, the twins sat at the dining table and after a chorus of “ itadakimasu” started eating breakfast

Meanwhile , a beaming Ai had her arms propped on the table as she watched her children eat

Ai wishes to stay like this forever. Just her and her little stars in their small little world .

Vibrations snapped her out of her thoughts

Her children turned to the source of the sound
Ai motioned for them for them to continue eating, she reached for her phone and looked at the Caller ID

President Saitou
Accept/Decline

“It’s the President . I wonder what he wants or did I forget something ?”Ai muttered to herself

“ Hello? President ?”

“ Ai ,is that you? Are you all right?!
The president sounds like he’s worried sick . It sounds urgent.Something told Ai it was not going to end well

“ Yes, it’s me . I’m fine, I’m with Aqua and Ruby, Is something wrong?”

“ You know about the stalker apprehended the other day nearby your place ? “

“Yes?”

“ He knows about you having children and he’s told the police . It’s all over the news “

 

Ai paled , blood frozen . Desperation blooming in her stomach

In a flash, she grasped the remote controller with shaking hands and switched on the television

Breaking news : Idol Ai has children ?
“ The stalker apprehended by the police divulges that B Komachi star has children “ says the woman on the news channel

 

Ai switched off the television before the woman could continue Fear coiled around her like a snake . For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
“ Ai! Ai! Are you there? It’s going to be alright…. Just pack your bags and get the kids , I’m on my way to your house “

Ai answers with the best calm voice she could muster

Aqua knew something was up when he saw his mom getting pale . His worst fears were confirmed shortly after ….
When his mother returned carrying a bag and said with a forced smile “ we’re leaving now

Chapter 3: Cornered

Summary:

The aftermath of the scandal. and a lot of hugging and comforting as well as Edgelord Aqua

A Few hours before the scandal broke out

Ryosuke was cuffed and doing his walk of shame to court— except he wasn’t ashamed .They had foresaw this scenario and planned it in the assumption that the plan to murder Ai Hoshino fell apart .

“ After you kill Ai , make sure to kill yourself , Kay? His girlfriend said sweetly

Normally, a normal person would be freaked out if their girlfriend told them to go off themselves .He nodded enthusiastically . Ryosuke however was different, he wouldn’t hesitate to jump off a cliff if he was told to. That’s how much he loves Nino. His death was a small price to pay for the fulfillment of THIER cause

“And if I fail?” He questioned

“ in the scenario that you fail and get arrested, you’ll just have to kill her socially “ said the man beside his girlfriend

He didn’t realize he had stopped moving
The forceful nudge of a riffle snapped him out of his dreamy state

“ Keep moving!!!” The officer barked

“ Heh” Ryosuke smirked .Fits of laughter left his mouth He was going nuts but he didn’t care

“Oi , keep moving and stop being crazy or I’ll put a bullet in your skull . The officer behind him threatened in a low voice
So Ryosuke did as he was told. He casted a glance , making sure every camera, every single person had their eyes on him before he made his move

“ AI HAS CHILDREN, THE BITCH LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING! SHE’S A WITCH AND SHE HAD US UNDER HER SPELL ,SHE WENT AND HAD CHILDREN !!!!

The police managed to restrain him but the damage was done . The murmurs started and soon everything was Chaos

He did his part now he just needs THEM to bail him out

So when he was asked if he was guilty of attempted murder , He doesn’t deny it and got sentenced to 6 years in imprisonment

(Back to the present )

President Saitou arrives just as Ai got her kids out of the house .
“ Hop in, kiddos ” President Saitou called
And so they did hurriedly. Ai visibly relaxed. Without hesitation, President Saitou stepped on the gas . Ai had to put out her hand to stop her daughter from falling . Needless to say, it was the worst ride she had ever been in, it didn’t help that everyone was silent . As strawberry production studio comes into view so does waves of paparazzi and reporters alike who are flocking in front of the studio, hoping to get a shot of the Idol with her children.

The president curses before driving straight into the studio forcing the crowd to make a way for the car .

The moment the engine died, Ai got out of the car with her arms wrapped around her children to avoid her children being caught by the cameras . They make a dash for the door followed in suit by the president himself. Once they got in ,the president barred the door and seals the windows shut

Ai slumps on the couch with hands covering her face , tears streaming down her face

“ How did this happen ? ” She laments

Ichigo couldn’t bear to see his star idol in such a pitiful state .She’s basically the daughter he never had . Pulling her into a hug while whispering “ it’s alright, it’s going to be okay “

Aqua looks at them, unmoving

His mother who’s always smiling has been reduced to a crying mess .

Anger boils in his veins at the one who caused this to happen

“It has something to do with HiM “he thought darkly .” The problem lies in how he leaked the information, there’s no way he would have gotten his own hands dirty “ Aqua muttered to himself “ He must have used someone “

Aqua started ruling out the suspects , one at a time

“B Komachi member Nino Fuyuko has a highest possibility of being the leaker “he concluded but if she was indeed the one who leaked it ,Wouldn’t the president have kicked her out of the idol group by now ?

 

Someone close to Nino, perhaps?

Aqua couldn’t think of anyone close to Nino Fuyuko who would do such a thing except—- —-Aqua’s thought process halted

The thought came crashing down on him like a freight train

The one suspect he overlooked

“The Stalker “ he realized

The Bloody Fucking Stalker

 

How could he have made such a simple mistake ?

Aqua ‘s white star loses its shine fading into the darkness ,a void replaces the light “ I should have gotten rid of him when I had the chance and stopped this from happening “

It’s all MY fault

There’s only one way to fix all of this and it requires ruining Hikaru Kamiki and exposing his crimes

It’s time to call in some favors
——

Gotanda was smoking a cigarette when his phone rang. Sighing, he reached for it and peered at the Caller ID

Precocious
Accept/ Decline

“ Oh?” He’s pleasantly surprised

“ What’s up , Precocious ? “ he asked lazily

Aqua’s next words got a shock out of the director so much so that the cigarette he had been smoking fell to the ground

“ You sure?” He asks again “ I thought you had no intention of being an actor?”

 

“I’m sure , I want to give it a shot “ Aqua affirms

Gotanda grins upon hearing the seriousness and determination in Aqua’s voice “ Alright Precocious, if that’s the case, I have a role for you “ You’ll be playing the role of a puppeteer , that should fit you considering you’re so creepy sometimes “ Gotanda chuckles

“That would work, Thank you director “

“ You’re welcome ,Precocious . I’ll send you the schedule later “

With that , the call ended
———
Ai seems to have regained some of her previous charisma , she’s not fully recovered yet but at least she’s smiling
even if it’s just a bit and that makes Aqua a little more happier than he had been

She took the situation rather well if you asked him

“Aqua , Can you please go get Ruby? It’s about time to eat dinner “ Ai asked softly

“Sure” Aqua obliges , setting off to find his sister

Aqua finds his sister engaging in heated arguments with the Ai haters online . Seeing her spamming the keyboard brings back memories. “ Somethings never change, huh ?” He smiled a small smile. The smile vanished the moment he saw a tear slip from Ruby’s eyes.

“ Just because she’s an idol , she doesn’t get to be happy?”

“Just because she has kids, you’re calling Mama a witch?!!!”

“You idiots are just jealous that she has skills you don’t!!!” Ruby retorts. Another tear slips down. Aqua decides he has had enough so he makes himself known

“ Ruby” he calls

“ Oniichan” Ruby‘s trembling voice acknowledges

Driven by impulse, Aqua seized his sister into a hug as if telling her it is okay to let it out. Ruby sobs in her brother’s embrace

“ Oniichan, t- t-the media it’s horrible “

“I know, Ruby “ he says soothingly
“That’s the media for you, they’re just a bunch of selfish idiots “ he explains not unkindly

“ I want it to stop “ Ruby pleads ,sobbing as she buries her face into his shoulder

First, His mom and now his sister.
Everything seems to fuel his hatred towards his Biological father and the Stalker

“Do you wish to destroy so badly? I’ll see to it personally —the undoing of you “ Aqua killed his father once, who’s to say he can’t do it again?He seethes, the void in his eye expands

“ I will clear mom’s name and bring ruin to yours “He vows to his very soul

—-
That night when Ai tries to smile and bid him good night . Her smile falters, He understands it has been hard on her

Aqua isn’t sure how to express himself so instead he uses his actions instead .He hugs her leg before flashing her a small smile .

——-
The door to his cell buzzed ,sending light flashing into the cell . He shields himself from the blinding light. A guard walks into his cell with cuffs dangling from his palm
“ Put these on, you’ve got yourself some visitors “The guard ‘s tone commanded total obedience .

He cuffed Ryosuke and let him out of his cell ,leading him to the room where he will meet the visitors

Ryosuke settled in his seat with his hands cuffed as the door locked behind him
He stares up at the glass and finds himself looking at his accomplices

“ Finally came to bail me out? “

Chapter 4: Peaceful times

Summary:

Mostly fluff and a little plot

It’s a few days after the scandal broke out
Strawberry Production has been doing their best to fend off the media

The Hoshino family are coping alright, Ai is getting better each day, Ruby has been avoiding touching social media since that night. Aqua feels relieved that everything’s getting back to normal

There’s one thing that weighs heavily on him though, he hasn’t convinced his mother to let him act or rather he didn’t even tell her anything about acting . It’s logical to hide it from her seeing as the scandal she’s been through so he seals his lips

He doesn’t want to ruin her recovery
, he doesn’t want to remind her of the entertainment industry at all. He knows that he can’t keep it a secret and he will have to tell her about it someday but until then, he’ll stall as long as possible

“ Oniichan, are you even listening to what I said ? Earth to Oniichan! “ waving her hand in front of him was his sister

“ Uh huh “ Aqua said absentmindedly. Ruby was probably just rambling about some idols or famous people

“ Great… What did I just say? “ Ruby asked skeptically

 

Aqua gave up ,She had him there.

“ Sorry, could you say that again?”he said apologetically

“ Geez , Quit being so formal, you’re acting like some old man. “ She complained

Aqua muttered some incomprehensible stuff under his breath

“ Are you sulking ? “ She asked ,perplexed and somewhat teasing

Not wanting to talk about this any longer than he has to , he brings them back to the main topic “ You were saying?”

“ Oh right ! We should give Mama a surprise for her birthday “

“ That’s surprisingly thoughtful of you “ he noted

“ Are you mocking me?!” Ruby puffed her cheeks and tried her best to sound indignant

Aqua couldn’t help himself , he chuckled.

Ruby shot him a look “ Oniichan, you big bully “ Somehow that made him want to laugh even harder . Aqua stifled his laughter ,pretending to cough
“ Sorry , sorry. It’s just that you remind me of someone I used to know “ That’s not a lie . No matter what alternative timeline he’s in , Ruby is still the same as always

Ruby made an “ o” with her mouth

“ About the surprise, We should go ask Miyako san to teach us about how to bake a cake or let us help in making it.” Aqua suggested

 

“That works! Let’s go ask her now “Ruby yells excitedly

“ Shhhh “ Aqua hissed “ we don’t want her to find out “ he reminded

“Don't want who to find out about what ? “A curious voice asked, Ai Hoshino looked at her children with an eyebrow raised

Ruby found it hard to turn around , her back creaking as she turned
“ Eh—-“
Aqua cut his sister off by forming a convincing smile on his face and delivering the words smoothly “ It’s nothing, Right, Ruby?”

“Please play along “Aqua prayed hard in his mind

“ Yeah!! It’s nothing really “ Ruby finished

 

Ai would have bought the act if she hadn’t seen Ruby’s awkward movement earlier

She decides to drop it though

“ Hey, Mama Let’s watch tv together ! “

“ Sure!!!” She agreed immediately

Taking a break from idol work freed her from the hellish schedule that she was in, allowing her to spend time with her children. It’s a breath of fresh air and she intends to savor every moment she has with her children

Aqua sees this opportunity and grasps it , Taking a few steps towards Miyako’s office

“ Won’t you join us , Aqua ?“ Ai asked

Aqua turned and gave her one of his usual smiles

“ I’ll be there in a while “

——-
“ First things first, I must say you did a great job Ryosuke kun “ Kamiki Hikaru commended

“ Thank you , Kamiki san ! “ he responded eagerly

Hikaru‘s next words sent him chills
“ however this is just merely a visit”

Ryosuke’s eagerness subsided
“ You guys are going to bust me outta here, Right?” Trying hard to keep the rising uneasiness out of his voice

 

The man’s snakelike cobalt eyes told him otherwise

Ryosuke looks to his girlfriend for assurance. only to be avoided by her as she looks everywhere but him

“ You guys aren’t going to leave me here, are you ? Ryosuke repeated again . This time ,the words came out less like a question . It’s sounded as if he’s trying to convince himself “

There’s no response

Before he knows it, he’s banging his hands frantically against the glass.

“ T-This can’t be “ he shook with desperation, despair ever present in his eyes

“ Ryosuke kun, it’s sad to say but your usefulness has expired. To put it simply, We don’t need you anymore .” Said the man with golden locks of hair cheerily albeit the cold edge present in his voice

Ryosuke realizes then he had been used and now discarded promptly

Hikaru walks away with a twisted grin on his face. He feels ecstatic having ruined yet another life although it doesn’t hold a candle to killing someone , it feels good just the same.

—-
Ai was scrolling her phone, she hasn’t been out since the day of the scandal. The media becomes the only way that connects her to what’s happening in the world.
She stops when she comes across an article about a famous actor who was killed in a car accident. The actor had a bright future ahead. Apparently, he was going to get married if it wasn’t for the accident that happened.

That’s sad “ she muttered

Ai thinks back to the scandal and can’t help but think if the stalker hadn’t been stopped , he would have killed her in the worst case scenario then she would’ve died without telling her children how much she loved them. That’s just how life is, it comes and goes without warning. She frowns thinking about this, She has to tell them soon otherwise it’ll be too late , Before her sins catches up to her .

——-
Night arrives sooner than she thought it would . The twins have been acting strangely lately and when she asks if they are having trouble with something, they decline. So she decided to ask , out of worry for her children

The president smiled and told her it was a surprise and there was nothing to worry about

So , She waits albeit with a heavy feeling in her chest.

“Happy Belated Birthday ,Mom/ Mama !”

Ai was taken aback when her children threw themselves at her . Fortunately she recovered quickly and wrapped her arms around her little stars

Ai is at a loss of words

She never cared much about her birthdays. No one had gone out of their way to wish her happy birthday. She had an abusive mother who didn’t even want anything to do with her so she learned not to expect anything from anyone.

Hearing her children wish her happy birthday made her emotional

She didn’t think such words would make her feel so happy

She looks down at her children and smiled a watery smile ,Warmth filled her chest.Finally, she feels ready to say those words and she does

“ I love you, Aqua, Ruby “

Chapter 5: Back with the masks

Summary:

Aqua gets back to acting

Ai knows she can’t keep running forever. The past two weeks had been the best of her life. No idol work , spending time with her children and for the first time ever she experienced the joy of celebrating her birthday . If it was up to her, she would want to forget about all the mess that the scandal caused and more on to a new chapter of her life . The thing is she can’t because her career isn’t the only one hanging in the balance. The scandal had affected the other girls of B Komachi too .

It’s unfair to the other girls, they have their careers jeopardized because of her meanwhile she’s enjoying her time with her children.

She has to fix this somehow

—-
Aqua noticed something about his mom today . “She’s deep in her thoughts .something must have happened during breakfast.” It’s rare to see someone as carefree as his mother being so lost in thought .

Onichan, Mama’s been out of it today “

“ I’ve noticed “ Aqua nods

“ Is it her menstrual cycle?” Ruby gasped

Aqua facepalms . “ She’s missed the mark entirely.” It’s hopeless . Aqua surrendered.

“ Hey!! Why’re you looking at me like that.”Ruby protested.” PMS is a real thing you know? It’s not like I’ve said something dumb “

“ you’re contradicting yourself , Ruby” Aqua deadpans internally but decided to keep his mouth shut .

Don’t you think if it was menstrual cycle then saitou san would be fussing over mom instead of sitting there and doing work?”

Like a light bulb lighting up ,understanding dawned on Ruby
“ You’re right. Onichan’s so smart! “Ruby praised.

Aqua sweat drops “ Eh, isn’t that just common sense?” .

That’s besides the point, Aqua has to find out what’s going on .

There’s only one way to figure things out and that’s to tail ichigo san or better put as sneaking around the studio .

—————-
Miyako Saitou walks into her husband’s office to see him putting down his phone with a sigh

Setting down the cup of coffee she’d made for him on his desk

“ Good work today “ she began

“Thanks “ he gave her a tired smile.

“Hang in there, The media will calm down soon enough and we’ll be fine. “ She says “ I’ll be able to go meet some handsome actors “ She joked playfully

“ Yeah, yeah but you’ll always come back to me “ Ichigo rolls his eyes dramatically.

It was the couple’s inside joke

 

(At first, Miyako had thought of finding a hot actor to remarry but Ichigo had managed to make her fall for him thus the birth of the joke )

 

“ As much as I would love for the media to stop making theories . That’s the least of our problems here. . Ai wants to hold a press conference and pin all the responsibility on herself. “

ichigo scratches his head frustrating “ Ai heard me talking on the phone during breakfast” Ichigo said helplessly , silently cursing at his own carelessness

If he’d been more careful then she wouldn’t have overheard him

Miyako said something comforting to ease Ichigo but Aqua couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation anymore. His mother was still recovering from everything that had transpired.

Holding a press conference now and shouldering all that burden would crush her. “Im sorry ,Mom but I can’t have that.” Aqua thought

A Diversion. Something to divert the media’s focus from Ai Hoshino . A piece that is capable of turning the tables.

The final piece is Aqua Hoshino .

His( return ) Debut will be turn the media’s eyes onto himself. The new birth of a “ Genius “ would work in his favor . The news of the scandal is going to fade as if it never happened. Sure, some people are bound to remember but it won’t be as many as now . After all, the media loves new toys.

 

Aqua made preparations earlier, now all there is left is for him to return to the limelight

Aqua hated how much he resembles the monster that is his father. This type of manipulation is one the man would pull off without any blinking an eye, the same goes for Aqua too . His brain tells him it’s the most logical way to take control of the situation even if it meant going behind someone’s back .That someone being his mother

“ Have you looked at a mirror? Dear son of mine , you and I…. We’re are cut from the same cloth. “ Hikaru had taunted . Aqua hated that he spoke the truth . He’s his father’s son as much as he is his mother’s .

A part of him screams at himself for even thinking of doing this . A cry from far away.

Aqua shook his head and clenched his hands, digging crescents into his palms shaking off the guilt that built in his stomach.

“ I have to do this, it’s the only way “ He repeated to himself over and over again.

He steeled his wavering gaze and walks away.

Making his way to his room, Aqua pulls out his phone and sends a message to the Director
—————————————————————
Director
—————————————————————
(Today )
———

 

Aqua
———-
Director , could you give me a lift to the filming site ?

 

Aqua didn’t have to wait long for his reply

 

Director Gotanda
————————-
Sure Precocious , I’ll come to pick you up around 9 am next Thursday. That okay with you?

Aqua
———-
Yes , Thank you Director

 

——————

 

That night ,Ai tucked Aqua into bed before she says “ I love you “ to Aqua and pecks him on the forehead lovingly.

Aqua found it hard to look his mom in the eye. The guilt he thought he’d gotten rid of took hold of him once more , slowly and painfully creeping back to him

All he could do was force a smile while pretending he was tired when he wished his mom good night .

After his mother closed the door, Aqua’s expression fell apart. A look of guilt overcame his features.

Sleep didn’t come to him at all so he stayed awake with a sinking feeling in his gut

Chapter 6: Red strings

Summary:

Too lazy to write a summary….sorry guys.

Aqua woke up at 7:30 am . Rubbing his eyes as this toddler body of his can’t keep up with his mind. Getting up from bed was hard enough, he had to get up without waking his mother or else it would ruin everything he’s set in motion.

Aqua had planned to sleep in his own room the night prior but he ended up watching a drama with his mom and sister which led to him waking up in his mother’s room

A warm feeling filled Aqua to the brim. He could already imagine his mother carrying his sleeping body into her room then falling asleep with her cuddling him.

Normally ,he would let sleep take him and sleep blissfully cuddled by his mom but not today of all days. He can’t stay

One smile from her would make him hesitate . It was why , in a past lifetime, he’d put distance between himself and everyone he cared about especially Kurokawa Akane . Akane had the same effect on him, she made him weak in his resolve( to destroy himself ). His mother was no different from his girlfriend or Ex girlfriend if you will

Aqua got out of his mother’s room quickly and goes to the bathroom for a change of clothes and to freshen up.

When he went to get himself some breakfast . A voice spoke behind him

“ Aqua? Why’re you all dressed up? Where are you going?”

Aqua turned around reflexively to see President Saitou. Keeping his face straight, he answered “ Director Gotanda wants my help with something so I’m getting ready “
Ichigo wondered what Director Gotanda Taishi would want Aqua’s help with. Though he’d heard from Ai that the Director was fond of Aqua

“ Need a lift to the studio?” Ichigo asked

“ No, Thank you. The director will be here to pick me up “ Aqua declined politely

“ Alright, Be careful kiddo “ The president calls after him

———————-

“ Precocious, we’ve arrived “

Aqua pushes the door open and gets out. Taking in the new environment. Bowing politely to the staff when he got introduced and receiving smiles back .Not long after getting a makeover , he was called to start acting

 

He’d gotten a read of the script , he knew what he was getting into. The role he was playing was easily up his alley. A ghost who haunts the person who abandoned him.
“ We’re going Live!” The crew announced.

The narration begins “ There was a man who had a child. The man was Shigeo Takamura . …..

Basically, The man’s wife died giving birth to their son but the son had a grotesque face. The man left the boy for dead because he hated how he looked and was the cause of his wife’s death.

Years later, Shigeo would return home where the boy’s soul dwelled

The opening of the door spurred Aqua on .

 

It was time to act .

The creaking of the floorboards all the way down to the squeaking of his shoes as he dragged his feet slowly towards his destination. The lighting showing his shadow before he walked so slowly forward. His hair shadowed his eyes. When he looked up, A black star was gleaming maniacally in dark turbulent waters He’d been expressionless but that too was gone . Instead a creepy , twisted smile spread across his pale face.

“Ten years “ he began quietly

A mirthless laugh escaped his mouth A cruel and evil laugh that sent shivers

“ It’s Been Ten Years, Father “ he finished with malice

——————-
Ai woke up late….scratch that, it was 11 :00 . She has to hurry out of her room to make breakfast for her kids

“ Where’s Aqua? Did he wake up already “

Thank goodness for Miyako making breakfast. Ai didn’t know what she would do without the caretaker of her kids .

Strangely, Aqua was nowhere to be found

So she decided to ask her daughter “ Hey , Ruby have you seen your brother?”

“ Onichan? Isn’t he still sleeping?”

“ If you are wondering about Aqua , he went to help Mr Gotanda with something “The president said

Ai was relieved to know that her son was safe .
——————-
Meanwhile on social media…..

@Tanaka_ Nishida
“That was the most unnerving smile I’ve ever seen from a child . Hoshino’s acting gave me goosebumps.

@SJWGlazer
The kid’s a creep( in a good way)

@Dman21
It’s impressive that this is his first time acting in general !

@Horrorhater001
That kid has to be the creepiest kid on earth…I hope he doesn’t get on screen again.

@SigmaFans69 replying to @ Horrorhater001
What do you mean? The kid was brilliant!

@Horrorhater001 replying to SigmaFans69
Look, Hoshino is not normal. No acting would make such a smile .

< Scroll down for more >
———————
Director Taishi Gotanda watched as Hoshino Aqua acted “ You creepy precocious boy” he couldn’t help but chuckle “ So full of surprises , eh?” Precocious went above his expectations again.
After everything was wrapped up, The director saw Aqua approaching and asked

“ How was acting?”

Aqua smiled “ Pretty fun”

“ So , precocious. Did you let your mother know where you were going?”

Aqua gave a shook of his head

The director was taken aback “ kids these days…. The times have changed “ He sighed in disbelief

Notes:

A pretty short chapter! Feel free to give me feedbacks on how you think the story should go next…. I’m conflicted whether I should make Ai supportive or against Aqua being an actor

Chapter 7: Reaction

Summary:

Ai finds out what her son was up to while he was gone. It felt like she was seeing double. The ghost of her Ex lingers in her son . Sometimes, genetics can be so cruel.

Imagine seeing your own kid on the big screen, it’d be one hell of a shocker . Ai was more than happy to oblige when her daughter suggested that they watch tv together to kill time for her son to come back from whatever he was doing.

They turn on the television and settled on a film called Silent Throes . The movie was highly praised by most critics and audiences. Ai was not surprised to find that it was directed by Gotanda. .Ruby seemed a bit reluctant to watch horror films but when Ai brought that up, she
insisted it was fine .

The film starts, the narrator speaks as the screen pans to the decade old building that the man was returning to

The ominous vibes ,the spider dangling on the cobwebs by the windows ,the way the camera focuses in …. Ruby gulped once

“ Come on , Ruby …. It’s just a movie…… it’s not real. What’s not real can’t hurt —“
She tries telling herself . “ Maybe I shouldn’t have insisted on this……”

“Too late for that now, Ruby “ Her brother appears on her left shoulder as a chibi version with devil horns and a black trident to boot , his somewhat smug voice echoed in her brain.

“ Stop messing with my head, Onichan!” She suppressed a groan

Ruby shakes her head to get the image out of her head , it wasn’t helping that the film was getting darker by the second

She somehow managed to keep herself in check

Then……. …CREAK !!!!

Her resolve and bravado came crashing down like a tower of cards

“EEEeep!!!” Cried a startled Ruby , her fingers gripped the sleeves of her mother’s clothing

That got her mother’s attention. Ai turns to Ruby, concerned. “ Ruby?”

The wooden floorboards cried in protest as out of the dim light ,a silhouette trudged forward slowly . Their faces shrouded in the darkness .

Ruby couldn’t respond. She froze with her heart beating in her throat as shivers ran down her spine . She shut her eyes tightly.

 

Ai decided enough was enough and was about to calm her daughter and search for other shows

She opened her mouth to speak however the words died in her mouth

The figure revealed itself- no, himself

The blonde hair , those striking dark cobalt eyes that pierced through the soul

For a moment, Ai saw double .A taller figure with the same exact features in the shadow of her boy. Her breath hitched,

“ Hik— -—Aqua?” She murmurs softly, uncertain

“ Onichan?!” Ruby whisper- yelled in a mix of disbelief and amazement , her fears momentarily forgotten

They watched as he delivered the most creepy line perfectly ,

“ it’s been ten years, Father “ his lips curled up in a smile that didn’t reach his eyes

Ai felt like freaking out. “ It’s uncanny “

“Huh?”

Ai didn’t register her daughter talking

Aqua was the splitting image of her ex and even down to the way he acted. Her eyes saddened. How could genetics be so ,so cruel sometimes ?

Aqua returns home, the car slows down and stops when strawberry production comes into view . He thanks the director for dropping him off .which the director waves off .

“ I’ll see you next time , Precocious “

Aqua nodded “ Yes , goodbye director “

He heads inside and shuts the door,

Gotanda watched the kid until he’d gone before driving off

——————
“ I’m back “ Aqua announced, fully expecting to be scolded for sneaking out (he means the acting stunt )without telling anyone . Instead what he got was this :

Aqua was pulled into a hug

“ Mom, I’ ——“

“Aqua “ mother called out, so soothingly gentle

Surprised,All he could say was “ Yes?”

 

Ai broke the hug and looked up at him, eyes shining and beaming positively

“ I saw your acting , you nailed the role! You were so creeeeppppy” she exclaimed with a proud smile , ruffling his hair

How long has it been since he had heard those words?

Aqua flushed, eyes lighting up like it was Christmas

“ Eeeh, Mama should you be encouraging him ?” Ruby chipped in, “ Onichan is already creepy enough!”

“ It’s supposed to be creepy , Ruby” he informed his sister dryly

A dramatic gasp came from Ruby , her hand covering her mouth “ He brushed it off , what a creep” she feigned disgust

Aqua resisted the urge to roll his eyes

“ Am not “ he says

“ Are too ! “ Ruby returns

“ Drama queen “ Aqua sighed

“ Emo wannabe “ Ruby retorted

Aqua wants to put his hands up in mock surrender but decides not to egg Ruby ‘s dramatic antics on ,sighs internally

“ it only gets worse from here especially when she grows up “ Aqua could feel the migraine .

Ai couldn’t help but giggle, her little stars are so adorable

“ You two , don’t banter in the doorway “Ai chided the both of them

—————
The clock struck 10 pm , Ruby was already asleep leaving only Ai and Aqua in the same space ( Miyako went out to buy some groceries and ichigo was working late in his office)

Ai placed a blanket over Ruby, picking her daughter up from the couch and walking to her daughter’s room with Aqua trailing behind

“ Aqua, you should go to sleep , it’s getting late. She spoke softly

Aqua nodded, walking to his room before stopping at the door

“ Aqua?” She asked ,noticing her son had stopped moving

“ Um- can we talk a bit before I go to sleep, please?”

Ai seemed to know what her son was thinking

“ Is this about the little stunt you pulled?”she smiled reassuringly

“Mhmm” Aqua admitted that with a small voice . He seemed to have developed a sudden interest in his feet .

So that’s what bothers him , such a sweet boy .

Ai kept her smile , crouching down to her son’s level and caressed his cheek

“Does Aqua love Acting? Don’t worry I’m not mad”

The oceans met her gaze slowly “ I wouldn’t say I love it yet but I do have an interest in acting “

Hearing the earnestness in his voice , she decided his answer was good enough for her .

“ is that so?

She shouldn’t be letting him tread into the entertainment industry but despite all that she has gone through, she found it hard to shoot him down .

“ I think Aqua would make a good actor “