(Aqua POV)
It has been three years since I was reborn as Ai's child. The movie I participated in with the director appears to have received positive feedback. In fact, the director himself has been nominated for some kind of prestigious award.
Upon reflection, my performance in the film was rather outstanding. However, despite my achievements, Ai and Aikara managed to steal the limelight. I can't be entirely certain, but it seems that both of them have been receiving a significant increase in job offers.
Ai has landed more modeling gigs, quiz show appearances, and other similar opportunities. On the other hand, Aikara has been getting more acting roles in movies, TV shows, and even a few commercials. I distinctly remember him mentioning a musical commercial where he promoted toothbrushes. He also mentioned encountering a remarkably talented child actor, but due to his busy schedule, he wasn't able to interact with her. I can't recall her name precisely, but it sounded somewhat similar to Aikara's own name—Akan, if I'm not mistaken.
Anyway, returning to the main topic, it appears that the late-night talk show circuit is where Ai and Aikara have been most prominently featured. They have been invited to appear together on numerous occasions. Apparently, the audience adored them in the movie, considering them a great mother-son duo. They even joked about Aikara being Ai's real child. Luckily, Aikara has taken precautions by wearing a wig, making it more challenging for people to draw any connections between them.
Moreover, Aikara deliberately puts on an act during public appearances since his true personality resembles Ai's. He does this to avoid any potential associations between them, regardless of their differing hairstyles. So far, no one has managed to unravel this secret, and we continue to live our lives peacefully, free from unwanted attention.
Now, this may veer off-topic, but there's something that catches my eye on the screen in front of me. The search bar reads "Dr. Goro Disappearance," yet none of the articles displayed are linked to my deceased body. It appears that my physical remains still haven't been discovered.
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(Third POV)
Presently, Ai positioned herself near the doorway, casting a fond gaze upon the triplets who were all adorned in charming blue attire, bracing themselves for their inaugural day of preschool.
Aikara, with his flowing shoulder-length hair, spun around gracefully, proudly showcasing his outfit to Ai. His lustrous locks swayed in the breeze as he twirled.
"What do you think, Mom?" he inquired, momentarily pausing his rotation and directing a radiant smile at Ai.
"Do you think I'm cute?" He said before he brought his hand up in a playful stopping motion, his palm facing Ai. "Wait, hold on a sec," he said, tilting his head slightly, his expression serious for a moment.
"You don't need to tell me; I already know I'm cute. I mean, look at me!" He struck a pose, puffed out his chest, and grinned mischievously. "It's all thanks to your genes, Mom. I got the adorable factor from you!"
Amidst the mirthful exchange, Ai couldn't contain her giggles, while Aqua let out a sigh and Ruby pouted, sensing that Aikara had once again stole the attention of Ai.
"Mama!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone's attention to shift towards her. "Look at me too! Am I cute as well?" Anxiously, she mirrored Aikara's chest-puffing gesture, her hand tentatively placed over her heart, awaiting Ai's response.
Ai beamed brightly, gathering all three children into a swift embrace. "Of course, Ruby, you are also absolutely adorable!" she exclaimed, her words rekindling a radiant smile on Ruby's face. "In fact, the three of you are absolutely cute!" She concluded, loosening the embrace.
With a touch of pride, Ai puffed out her chest and spoke in a confident tone. "Although Mama is undoubtedly the cutest."
'What's with this peculiar rivalry?' Aqua mused, perplexed by the sudden turn of events.
___
(Third POV)
Presently, the triplets found themselves on the school premises, idling away in the playground while the other kids dashed about, while the adults attempted to keep them in check.
With nothing particular to occupy their time, Aqua grew bored and cast his gaze toward Ruby, who happened to be near the slide. "Hey Ruby," he interjected, his curiosity piqued. "What were you up to before you were reborn? And how old are you really?"
Ruby hesitated for a moment, uncertain of how to respond, as a distressing notion took hold in her mind. If she turned out to be the youngest among them, Aqua might start bossing her around, using his position as the eldest to his advantage.
Nervously, she started to twirl the end of her hair, mustering up the courage to reply. "Um... Well," she began with a shy, feeble voice. "I'm actually a grown woman!" She asserted, defiantly flicking her hair in the air and striking a pose that exuded 'maturity'. "What an inconsiderate brat, asking a woman her age!"
Suddenly, Aikara, who had precariously positioned himself atop the nearby wall, energetically leaped onto Ruby's back, nearly causing her to lose her balance as she struggled to steady herself.
"What the heck, Aka nii-chan?" Ruby exclaimed, prying Aikara off her back.
Aikara giggled mischievously as Ruby wrestled him away, before casually draping his arm around her shoulder. "Why does her previous life age even matter?" He questioned, a warm smile adorning his face. "Regardless of whether she was an old woman in her past life, she's still my adorable little sister!" He proclaimed, causing Ruby to grow more self-assured as she proudly puffed out her chest.
"He's right. Why does my previous life age even matter?" Ruby asked rhetorically before darting off toward the slide as fast as her legs could carry her, effectively evading any further discussion.
With only the two of them left, Aikara approached Aqua, noticing the somber expression etched on his face. Concern filled his voice as he gently inquired, "Hey Aqua nii, you seem quite down. Is everything okay?"
Aqua dismissed his worry with a dismissive wave. "I'm fine," he replied, albeit with a hint of melancholy. "Just reminiscing about my past life—it was quite gloomy."
Understanding dawned on Aikara as he nodded in acknowledgment. "I see, I see," he murmured before settling down next to Aqua and taking in the surrounding scenery.
Aqua contemplated asking Aikara about his thoughts, but decided against it upon witnessing his pensive gaze.
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(Aikara POV)
My past life.
To be honest, I'm not sure what to think of it.
I'm grateful for the experiences it taught me, but at the same time, I hate it because it made me who I am today, a greedy liar who has no problem deceiving people just to receive love.
It's a love hate relationship.
After reincarnating, I sometimes have stray thoughts. What if I wasn't reincarnated with my memories intact? Would I be happier than I am now? My flaws, my imperfections, everything wrong about me wouldn't be here if I have simply forgotten my previous life.
Well, it's just some useless dwelling at the end of the day, I'm happy at my current life, and even though I still deceive everyone, it's fine for me, because at the end of the day, my lie doesn't hurt anybody.
Suddenly, my mind shifts to Ellie. Darn it, I forgot, what do I mean my lie doesn't hurt anybody? I clearly hurted Ellie.
About a week after the movie, Ai insists that we start interacting again, and because of those repeated meetings, we eventually become close. Ellie opens up to me and shares her life story. It hits me hard, realizing the negative impact I've had on her life simply by existing.
Should I have never been born? That thought crosses my mind when I hear Ellie's story. Curious, I ask her if she wishes Noah had never been born so she wouldn't have to go through all of this. Surprisingly, she says no. Noah is her light in the dark and gloomy orphanage where she faced bullying for being different.
It dawns on me how biased my view of the world was as a kid. I used to think I was the only one suffering, but it turns out many kids had it worse than me. The world wasn't singling me out as I believed.
My thoughts are interrupted by the preschool teacher's voice. "Okay, guys, break's over!" she shouts, grabbing the attention of the playing children. They obediently turn towards her and head back to the classroom.
I glance at Aqua, who is still engrossed in his book titled 'Natsuhiko Kyogoku's Tome.' I remember Aqua lending it to me once, but I ended up quitting after a few days because I had a hard time understanding it. Can't blame me, though. Despite conversing with the others in Japanese, I've only been learning for two years.
"Hey, Aqua, they're calling us," I say as he looks at me. "Let's go back; we don't want to get scolded." I slide down and notice Aqua calmly climbing down.
"Don't be so boring, Aqua-nii!" I shout, catching his attention. He looks at me, confused. "Use the slide!" I point at it, and he lets out a sigh before continuing his descent.
___
(Aikara POV)
Today was just another typical day at preschool, nothing out of the ordinary. But then, something happened that caught everyone's attention. The teacher's words echoed through the room, filling the air with anticipation.
"Everyone, it's time for dance!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands and flashing us a warm smile. "Your families will be coming to watch you dance soon, so let's all give it our best effort during practice." Her announcement sparked excitement among the kids around me, and their cheers filled the room.
Honestly, I've never been particularly skilled when it comes to dancing. Connecting those fluid movements together has always been a challenge for me. If we were to compare it to a game, it's like I allocated all my stat points into Acting instead.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. "No!" I turned my head to locate the source, and there was Ruby, running away from the scene. "I don't want to!" Those were her final words before disappearing, leaving Aqua and me standing there, concerned.
Without hesitation, Aqua gestured for me to follow him as he led the way. I willingly complied, driven by my curiosity to understand the reason behind Ruby's sudden outburst.
Ignoring the teacher's protests, we sprinted outside and found Ruby crouched by a tree, visibly distressed.
"Why did you run away?" Aqua asked in his usual straightforward manner, yet beneath his blunt tone, I could sense genuine concern.
"Yeah, Ruby, that wasn't very polite," I added, lowering myself to her eye level. "But I know you well. Despite your flaws—being stupid, clumsy, creepy, and perhaps even overly fixated on Ai—you're not mean to others. So, care to share why you acted that way?"
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(Third POV)
In the midst of the seriousness, Aqua couldn't contain his amusement and let out a chuckle, inadvertently spitting out a bit of saliva. Did he really have to describe Rubt as stupid, clumsy, creepy, and obsessed?
Ruby seemed to share the same sentiments as she briefly shot Aikara a glare before casting her gaze downward with a hint of sadness. "I can't dance. Actually, I've never danced before," she confessed.
Aikara remained silent, lost in his own thoughts, while Aqua, sounding puzzled, interjected, "Huh?" He then sighed and walked towards Ruby. "Have you always been cooped up in your room?" Shaking his head, he sighed once more. "Kids these days."
Ruby's head drooped even lower as she reminisced about her past past. No matter how much she tried to move, at the end, she always fell down."I was basically like a shut-in," she admitted, her gaze sinking even lower. "I gave it a few tries, but it just didn't work out. I doubt I'm cut out for anything athletic."
Aqua paused, realizing the gravity of the situation, and struggled to find the right words to respond. However, before he could speak, Aikara beat him to it.
"Hey, Ruby," Aikara began, his eyes filled with compassion as he addressed her. "I'm genuinely sorry to hear that. I won't assume or pretend to understand, because I probably won't. But there's something I want to tell you." Ruby looked up, meeting his gaze.
"Don't you aspire to be an idol?" Aikara asked. He didn't say anything more, knowing that those words alone would plunge Ruby deep into her thoughts.
And just like he expected, Ruby dived into her thought as she started to think. She had always admired Ai, who had been her beacon of light during her lonely days in the hospital when her parents never visited. Becoming an idol was her deepest desire.
She knew that without the ability to dance, her dream would remain out of reach. Despite her logical understanding, her heart was paralyzed with fear. Memories of failure haunted her, and she was afraid of falling once again if she tried.
Those memories were an unwelcome burden.
Therefore, despite comprehending Aikara's explanation and her burning passion to become an idol, Ruby's heart stubbornly clung to its fears, chaining her down and preventing her from standing up.
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A.N
Hey, author-san here.
I know I said I won't upload, but I decided too, since I want to finish up the childhood arc soon.
It's been 20 chapters!
And most of the main cast wasn't even introduced.
Akane, Mem-cho, Melt, Frill, Minami, when will you guys get introduced?
I'm waiting for the day Aikara meets them.
And, I recently realized something. I check my statistics, and it turns out the majority of the viewers are women?
It surprised me.
Anyway, that's all, bye guys.