(Third POV)
It has been a year since that day, and the triplets have matured enough so they can talk and walk without raising suspicion. Presently, the trio finds themselves gathered in the cozy living room alongside Ai.
"Mama!! Mama!! Gimme a pat!" Ruby's voice resonates with childlike enthusiasm, causing Aqua to sweatdrop in nervousness. It seems that his sister has evolved into a spoiled fan who calls their idol mama.
"Me too!" Aikara shouted while running toward Ai, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he jumped up and down, his hands waving in the air like colorful butterflies. His brilliant smile spread across his face, illuminating the room with a contagious energy that filled everyone's hearts with joy.
Witnessing his little brother's adorable display, Aqua can't help but feel a pang in his chest. Is this the indescribable joy one experiences from having a younger sibling? The happiness derived solely from witnessing their innocent smiles, a stark contrast to a certain someone who always grins and wears a blissful expression on their face whenever they look at their mother.
However, amid the overwhelming fondness, Aqua's mind wrestles with conflicting thoughts. He wonders if Aikara's actions are genuine or if he is simply putting on a façade. After all, such childlike behavior—jumping around and waving hands with abandon—seems incongruous for someone who lived seventeen years in their previous life. Yet, recalling Aikara's heartfelt confession that fateful day, admitting to never having experienced a mother's love, Aqua feels bad for suspecting his brother.
'What's the harm in embracing a bit of childlike behavior? Perhaps it's simply a result of his child physique, causing him to be more emotionally inclined and in constant motion. That's the same case for me too, so it would be unfair to single out Aikara as the sole culprit.' Aqua thought.
Lost in his thoughts, Aqua was abruptly jolted back to reality by Ruby's peculiar statement, delivered with a blissful expression on her face, as Ai affectionately patted her. "Haaaaaah" She sighed "The blissful pure land of Amitabha."
"'The blissful pure land of Amitabha'? Where'd you learn such a difficult term" Ai inquired, her voice brimming with curiosity. Aqua and Ruby exchanged nervous glances, their minds racing to conjure up a plausible explanation, lest Ai grows suspicious of their true identity.
"It's nothing much, Mom! Ruby and I learned it from YouTube!" Aikara, who was also being pat by Ai, exclaimed with a beaming smile. Unlike Ruby and Aqua, who appeared a bit anxious, Aikara seemed completely at ease as he gestured his hands wildly to emphasize his point.
"I see!!" Ai exclaimed, her expression filled with surprise. "YouTube sure is amazing!"
Aqua and Ruby let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful that their secret remained hidden for the time being.
"Great cover, Aka nii-chan," Ruby whispered, beaming at him and giving a thumbs up.
Aikara reciprocated with his own thumbs up, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
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Modeling, Radio Assistant, and numerous other roles—AI was steadily expanding her repertoire, and today's job seemed to encompass a culmination of all her previous experiences.
As they embarked on their journey to the location in a van, Ruby couldn't contain her excitement and eagerly exclaimed, "Mom's going to act in a drama for the first time! I'm so thrilled!" Her enthusiasm was palpable since her favorite idol is finally receiving the recognition she truly deserved.
"Thank you, Ruby!" AI replied with a smile. "Though, I'm only playing a small role.."
Miyako's head drooped, a clear sign of her concern. She addressed the triplets, commanding their attention. "Listen, all three of you," she began, "I agreed to bring you along because you insisted, but remember, on the set, Ai is not 'Mama.' You are supposed to be my children."
Peering out of the window, Aqua responded in a monotone voice, "Sure, sure. Mama, please pat me on the head."
"Mama, can I have an allowance?" Ruby chimed in, adopting the same deadpan tone.
AI and Aikara simultaneously raised their hands in the air and exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm, "Me too, Mama!"
This prompted both of them to exchange a momentary glance, their smiles widening before they burst into light chuckles.
"That coincidence sure is funny, right Aikara!" Ai giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She leaned back in the car seat, her charismatic energy filling the confined space. As she spoke, her hands danced in the air, adding a touch of playfulness to her words.
"It sure is, Mama!" Aikara exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. His face lit up with an infectious smile, revealing his playful nature. Sitting in the car, Aikara bounced up and down in his seat, unable to contain his energy.
"Kuhk," Miyako grunted, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel as their taunts reached her ears.
__________________
"I'm Ai from Strawberry Productions," Ai stated, gracefully bowing her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
The bustling crew, engrossed in their work around the film sets, momentarily shifted their attention to the new arrival. A chorus of greetings accompanied by a few nods and smiles followed before they returned to their respective tasks.
A middle-aged man, previously gazing out of the window, turned his focus towards the source of the voice. Intrigued, he began making his way towards Ai, his footsteps echoing across the floor.
Upon reaching Ai, he leaned in closely, carefully examining her. His response, a soft and ambiguous hum, left Ai uncertain as to whether it was positive or negative.
Uncertain on whether she has a good impression of her or not, Ai's voice quivered slightly as she inquired, "Is something wrong, Director?"
The man, now revealed as the director, straightened himself and shook his head. "No, not really," he replied.
Ruby, who stood behind Ai, glanced at Aqua and Aikara, leaning in to whisper to them, "He's kind of scary."
"His face is." Aqua whispered back.
"Don't you think it's really, really, really bad to judge a book by its cover?" Aikara whispered, a curious glimmer in his eyes.
The director's attention was suddenly drawn to the hushed whispers that reached his ears. "Huh?" he muttered, his confusion evident. "Who are these kids?" His gaze shifted towards the trio standing before him - Aqua, Ruby, and Aikara. In response, the Aqua and Ruby instinctively straightened their postures, while Aikara beamed brightly, emitting an air of confidence.
"I'm Miyako-san's son, and it's really, really nice to meet you," the child beamed, his smile shining brightly. With a hint of nervousness, he took a few steps forward towards the director. His movements were a mix of excitement and shyness, his hands fidgeting slightly as he spoke. Trying to be respectful, he extended his small hand for a handshake, hoping to make a good impression. "We'll try our best not to interrupt this session because we know how important film-making is," he added, his voice filled with sincerity and a touch of innocence.
The director, who was initially planning to reprimand the parent who had brought the children to the set, hesitated upon witnessing the young boy's polite introduction and his promise to refrain from causing any disturbances during filming. "Miyako-san? Are you referring to Ai's manager?" he inquired.
Miyako, caught off guard by Aikara's unexpected assertiveness, swiftly regained her composure and extended her hand toward him. ""Indeed, I am Miyako. As my son mentioned, I assure you that I will ensure there are no disruptions on the set."
"I see" the director said, promptly departing from their presence to engage in discussions with the crew.
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(Aqua POV)
As I observed Ai joyfully looking at the food provided to the crew with a radiant smile adorned on her face. Ruby and I found ourselves seated on the laps of renowned actresses, caught in a rather peculiar situation.
To be completely honest, this was not something I desired. After all, it felt quite out of place for a mentally thirty-year-old man like myself. However, circumstances forced my hand, as the three of us were whisked away before I could even contemplate an escape.
Glancing up at the person affectionately patting my head, I recognized her instantly. Wasn't she that gravure model who graced the pages of Glam Magazines? It appeared that fate had intertwined our paths in this unexpected encounter.
Turning my attention to Ruby, I noticed she was being showered with attention from a celebrity hailed as "the young actress whose cuteness surpasses her talent." Although I couldn't help but feel that our dear Ai possessed an even greater level of adorableness.
"Goo-goo! Ga-ga!" Ruby exclaimed, playfully resorting to baby-like noises in an attempt to accentuate her cuteness.
Stop trying to act cute.
Speaking of cuteness, I directed my gaze towards Aikara, who wasn't perched on a lap like Ruby and me. Instead, he sat on the floor, surrounded by no less than four actresses who seemed captivated by his presence.
"You're sooo cute!"
"Your eyes are so beautiful."
These and similar praises were lavished upon him, and Aikara responded to each compliment with a subtle smile of his own, appreciating the admiration that was bestowed upon him.
"Thanks for saying that, onee-chans. But, um... I think all of you are cuter and more beautiful than me." Aikara's eyes shimmered with a mixture of admiration and shyness. With a slight blush on his cheeks, he smiled earnestly, his body slightly shifting from side to side in a bashful manner.
Observing this scene, it felt as though an arrow had pierced the hearts of all the actresses present, including mine. Aikara's bashful and shy demeanor was simply too precious, a side of him I had never witnessed before.
But despite the enchanting sight before me, I found myself unable to endure my situation any longer. With a struggle, I attempted to escape from the embrace, and the person holding me seemed to understand my silent plea. She gently released me, before hastening toward Aikara's side.
Observing the multitude of females surrounding him, I couldn't help but wonder how many girlfriends the future held in store for Aikara.
(A.N: By girlfriends, I mean normal girlfriends. Not HAREM. So for all those people who thought this was harem, tough luck.)
With that lingering thought in my mind, I made my exit from the classroom, where the next scene was set to be filmed.
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Author's note
End of chapter.
I'm kinda excited to see how Aikara's existence would affect the movie?
And once more, Aikara is showing his excellent acting skills again.
Oh yeah, and it seems like Aqua is becoming a bro-con too just like he is a sis-con to Ruby(Not in a romantic way okay?)
I have nothing much else to say. Goodbye