(Third POV)
"Hey, why don't we start an idol group again?" Ruby suddenly asked Miyako out of the blue while nibbling on her cupcake.
Miyako, engrossed in typing on the computer, turned to Ruby and responded, "You make it sound so simple." She went on to explain that she, too, wanted to pursue that dream, but success like Ai's was like winning the lottery—real life rarely goes that smoothly. "But despite that..." Miyako trailed off, causing Ruby to tilt her head in confusion.
"Despite that?" She asked.
Miyako hastily turned to the computer "Nothing. Anyway, its about time to hear the results of your audition. If you pass, by convention, you'll be affiliated with them. They're a better established office."
Miyako then turned her attention to Aikara, who was sitting on the floor watching TV. "And how about you, Aikara? How did your recent audition for that commercial go?"
Aikara paused the TV, looking at Miyako. "Are you referring to the commercial for the body spray or the swimsuit?" He asked, resting his chin on his hand and tilting his head. Before Miyako could answer, Aikara continued, "Well, it doesn't matter which one you ask about. The result is the same—I got rejected for both."
Miyako and Ruby cast their gaze downward upon hearing his explanation. "That's too bad, Aikara. I can't understand why you keep getting rejected, even though you're great at acting. All I can say is to keep trying, because your efforts will eventually pay off," Miyako said.
Aikara grinned slightly. "That's exactly what I plan to do! I'm going to keep trying until I'm accepted, and I'll become a star in the entertainment world! Everyone will know my name, just you wait!" He exclaimed cheerfully, eliciting a small smile from Miyako, proud of his perseverance.
"I'm proud of you, Aikara," Miyako said warmly.
"Thanks mother." Aikara replied, his smile growing as he clenched his fist and slowly raised it to the sky, basking in the room's light. "I'm going to fulfill mom's wish and become an actor. I'll make sure to shine even brighter than her." He lowered his fist, grinning. "After all, it's the children's duty to surpass their parents, right, Ruby?"
Ruby, who had been observing the entire conversation, was taken aback by Aikara's question, causing her to drop her cupcake. She managed to catch it just in time. "Phew," she breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at Aikara and smiled. "Of course!" She gave him a thumbs-up. "I'll strive to shine brighter than mama too!" She was about to continued but the ringing of a phone interrupted her.
She was about to continue when her phone rang, interrupting her.
Glancing at her phone, she saw it was from the audition. Hurriedly grabbing it, she walked to the end of the room and motioned for Aikara to be quiet, to which he nodded and mimed zipping his lips.
"Yes?" Ruby answered with a higher pitch than usual, her eyes squinting from excitement and nervousness. The conversation continued for a short while, with Ruby maintaining her nervousness throughout. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her previously high-pitched voice softened as she struggled to hold back tears. "Oh, I see. Thank you."
With those final words, she ended the phone call, leaving Aikara and Miyako concerned as they watched her.
"Ruby," Miyako said gently.
Ruby didn't respond at first, standing there with her shoulders shaking, emitting faint sniffles.
Suddenly, Ruby felt arms wrap around her as Aikara tightly hugged her from behind, speaking softly, "You'll be fine, Ruby. I know you're strong, and you'll get through this."
The tears trickling down her cheeks before now erupted violently as she began sobbing uncontrollably. "I didn't make it," she weakly uttered between sobs, tears mixing with nasal sniffles.
Aikara continued to comfort her, patting her head. "There, there," he repeated without fail until Ruby finally calmed down a few minutes later.
"Thank you, Aka-nii," she said, sniffling in between.
Aikara's smile brightened as he gently kissed Ruby's forehead—a tender gesture expressing his unconditional love and unwavering support. "No problem at all, Ruby," he whispered softly. "I love you, and I'll always be here to comfort you whenever you need me."
Ruby's heart swelled with warmth and affection as she held onto Aikara tighter, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. In that moment, she felt an immense sense of contentment, knowing she had a brother like Aikara who loved her unconditionally.
Leaning into the hug, Ruby couldn't help but think of their late mother, Ai. She closed her eyes momentarily, imagining what it would be like if Ai were there.
A wave of bittersweet emotions washed over Ruby. She yearned, with all her heart, for their mother to witness their achievements and hear her proud voice. She longed for the comfort of Ai's presence, her guidance, and the reassuring embrace only a mother could provide.
But in that moment, as Ruby clung tightly to Aikara, she found solace in the love they shared as siblings. She knew that their mother's spirit would always be with them, guiding them from within their hearts.
With a gentle sigh, Ruby released the hug, her eyes shimmering with a mix of emotions. She looked up at Aikara, her voice filled with a soft, heartfelt tone. "Thank you, Aka-nii," she whispered. "You're a great brother, you always comfort me during hard times. And when you're here, it makes me feel like mama with us, even though we all know she's not."
___
"Very well then, we eagerly anticipate your participation next time," Aqua responded to the phone call, ending it before casually tossing the device towards Gotanda. "Thanks, Director."
Gotanda caught the phone and placed it on the table, taking a puff of his cigarette. With a wry smile, he remarked, "You certainly have a talent for fooling your own sister. I'm curious, though, how did you manage to deceive your brother? He should have recognized you instantly with his talent."
Aqua, already seated on the floor in front of the computer, began editing the clip. "I was certain Aikara wouldn't listen to our conversation. Knowing Ruby's personality, she would never put it on loudspeaker for fear of worrying others in case of rejection."
Gotanda shook his head, disapproving of Aqua's calculated approach. "You know, trying to predict everyone's reactions based on their personality isn't healthy. You're gradually becoming more mechanical."
"If you're so concerned about me, why not use that time to help me finish this edit?" Aqua responded nonchalantly.
Sighing, Gotanda rubbed the back of his head. "Look, kid, I just can't fathom why you'd go to such lengths to crush your sister's dream. She's a stunning girl who might actually have a chance."
"No need to remind me," Aqua replied, his gaze cast downward. Then, facing Gotanda with intensity, he declared, "But I won't let Ruby become an idol. I won't let her make the same mistake Ai made. Never."
Gotanda groaned, exasperated by Aqua's response. "You and your sister complex. You're overly protective."
___
(Aqua POV)
"I'm home," I announced upon entering the house, swiftly removing my shoes and placing them neatly in front of me.
As I walked inside, an unusual silence enveloped the surroundings. Usually at this time, Ruby and Aikara would be together, engaged in some random activities. Yet, the living room was empty, prompting me to continue my exploration.
Ruby is probably in her room, devastated by the rejection. I don't particularly care about her current emotional state, as long as she doesn't end up like Ai.
"Hey, Aqua." A sudden voice interrupted my thoughts, causing me to turn toward its source. There sat Aikara at the dining table, slurping his ramen, his chopstick-holding technique somewhat crooked.
"What?" I replied with a tone that made it clear I wasn't in the mood to talk. However, as always, he ignored my demeanor, his smiling expression retaining a hint of seriousness.
"I just want to ask you something, if you don't mind," he said, looking at me while pressing his finger against his cheek, tilting his head slightly.
"Fine, go ahead and ask."
"Do you have anything to do with Ruby's rejection? I just can't wrap my finger around it." Aikara made a frustrated yet cute expression as he pressed his forehead with his finger "Ruby's cute and good at dancing, she's sociable and charismatic too. So I'm confused why she got rejected."
Aikara expressed his frustration, his cute face contorted as he pressed his forehead with his finger. "Ruby is adorable, she's a great dancer, and she has a magnetic personality. So, I'm puzzled as to why she was rejected."
"I have nothing to do with it," I lied, ensuring my act remained emotionless so he couldn't discern whether I was telling the truth or not. I had practiced this indifference so he couldn't uncover my deception.
He seemed to believe me, nodding his head in understanding. "I see, I see," he mused, rubbing his chin. "My bad then, Aqua!" He exclaimed as he started to rub the back of his head "It's soooo embarrassing to suspect you and be wrong. I'm sorry about that, can you forgive me?" He asked while looking at me with expectant eyes.
"It's fine, misunderstandings happen." I replied, walking past Aikara and heading to my room, collapsing onto the bed. The softness beneath me enveloped me as I sank deeper, lost in my thoughts.
Aikara, the reason I'm lying to you right now is that I don't trust you with this information. I'm crushing Ruby's dream for her safety, and I know you wholeheartedly support her ambitions, regardless of what happened to Ai. If it doesn't concern matters related to our father's death, I won't disclose anything to you.
If you knew I had something to do with it, I'm sure you would demand an apology from me to Ruby, pouting in your own adorable way. That wouldn't do, as revealing my sabotage would undermine Ruby's trust in me, making it harder to convince her of my intentions in the future.
Despite embarking on revenge once again, you can't change who you are. You remain the same kind and empathetic person who brightens everyone's day.
That's why you don't support my plan to prevent Ruby from achieving her dream.
In fact, the same applies to our pursuit of revenge.
Despite both of us desiring to avenge our father, you're different from me. You refuse to involve or use anyone in your path; you want to shoulder the burden alone because you understand that revenge isn't the sole purpose of your life. I don't know what makes you comprehend that, but it's this understanding that allows you to retain your compassion and kindness.
As for me, I have nothing left. I don't care about existing in a world without Ai. I'll utilize anyone in my plans to achieve revenge, as long as I succeed. Call it selfish, but it doesn't matter. It's not like I'll remain in this world after I kill our father to face the consequences.
___
A.N
I watched ep 11 of oshi, and I absolutely loved it.
I loved when Aqua cheered for Kana.
Despite reading the manga, the panel really didn't impact me that much, I was just like 'Wow, nice one.'
But combined with the music, visuals, voice acting, I love it.
I rewatched it so many times.
Anyways, enough talking about that episode. Instead, I'll share to you some oshi no ko ideas I thought off that might be a good fanfic. I have nowhere else to share this, so I'll do it here.
1. Two bodies: This is like Lookism, where a fat and bullied kid during middle school finally transfers to performing arts high to pursue his passion for music. But before he can even begin, he already got beat up and became famous online. He then wakes up in a good looking body. So I think a personality and circumstance combination of DJ and Daniel Park, where he has no self worth and confidence but eventually learns to love himself, even in his real body.(Him x Ruby). It also will show the entertainment industry and how they are biased based on your appearance.
2. Ryosuke get's sent back in time after he dies but is the baby of Ai: That's right, I'm talking about the stalker. His backstory wasn't explained much, which I think is a good template to use for a good backstory. I'm thinking of something along the lines of Mushoku Tensei, where Ryosuke was just a normal human being until he pissed of the wrong people and became a shut in, with Ai being his only ray of hope and light. Which then continues until he becomes a full degenerate who shuts people away from his life even his friends that worry for him all for Ai, even until the moment of his death where he killed himself due to guilt. Then boom, he wakes up in the past as Ai's kid, and this is his path of living an actual good life and his own self redemption because he realizes just how pathetic his life was before. He will live life to it's fullest.(No romance)