--Finally, We Meet--

-"Mama... Don't worry.. I'll fulfill your dream..

I'll become the most perfect most beautiful idol everyone looks up to.."

Ruby was snapped back to reality when her brother made her face the truth, his words cold and cruel.

-"Be realistic, Ruby, just because Ai was able to become an idol, doesn't mean you'll have it easy at all."

Aqua was trying to be protective, and Ruby recognized that, she knew what he was trying to get at, it was not hard to figure out that he didn't want her to become an idol, that he wanted to protect her at all costs.

Ruby used her pouting face and looked at Aqua, her face aiming to be as cute as possible while also showing her annoyance with what he said.

"Don't take what I said wrong, you have the looks.

Other than that.."

One of Ruby's nerves tore apart at what he said, and she almost flipped out, he really had no qualms about roasting her whenever the chance presented itself.

Aqua was a master at word manipulation, he was unmatched in that area, but, sometimes, Aqua goes a teeny tiny bit too far, which signifies his enjoyment.

Yes, Aqua enjoys making fun of people.

Ruby, who had already figured that out a while ago, smiled, seeing that her brother is finally showing more of his real self.

And, to her smile, Aqua cleared his throat and went on ahead.

"Come on, we have to go to school, stop smiling like a psychic-ward patient."

Now that, that is something Ruby cannot stand down for.

-"Onii-Channn! Stoppp! You're so annoyiiing! Ughhhh!"

She ran after him, leaving the picture of their mother hugging them both.

Both the siblings were heading towards their new school, [Youtou High School], a school filled by celebrities and artists, basically all forms of entertainers.

Ruby was shuffling whilst moving out of sheer excitement, meanwhile Aqua was just staring at her trying to avoid any weird gazes he gets from on-lookers.

His look was that of genuine concern, he was starting to believe that his sister could very well qualify for being a psychiatric ward patient.

They moved through, until they came a strange alleyway they had to pass through.

The atmosphere in it was dark, creepy and unnerving.

-"Um... Say, Onii-San.. Eheh...

We don't have to go through here.. Do we..?"

Ruby was audibly scared, and Aqua agreed with her, sharing her view on this alleyway.

-"We can go around, we're not late anyways, let's go."

The siblings turned to move and walk away, walking with a pace equal to the other's, they could never be too careful with things like this, Ai or not, you don't know what kind of things can happen in alleyways like this.

Aqua pondered for a moment, losing his focus on the road.

<What if.. What if that man.. Ai's brother..< p>

What if he's out there right now.. Searching for the truth...?>

Aqua, who had buried that thought long ago, the thought of searching for the truth, suddenly dug it up again, and went into deep thinking.

That man, to  be honest, scared the ever living soul out of Aqua, even if it was brief, the brutality and violence scarred Aqua, even until now, even if he was a doctor in the past, being a child and in shock at what was also happening within that moment, it got to him.

Seeing Ryosuke's severely disfigured body lay there with a pool of blood around it still haunts Aqua's nightmares, and that man's eyes staring at him for just a second still makes Aqua shiver.

It was a moment to forget, and to never be thought of again.

Aqua by now had completely lost touch with reality, he was so deep into thinking he hadn't realized he was walking straight into traffic.

-"-QUA! STOP MOVING!"

Aqua turned to look at his sister whilst walking, but what he didn't realize was that he was one step from death.

But, stopping him from certain death, a hand grabbed his shoulder and harshly tugged back, causing Aqua's bag to fall on the ground and spill out a lot of school items.

A driver honked his car in rage while driving at high speeds, some cuss words could be made out in his speech.

Realizing what had happened, Aqua stands and looks up, going to thank whoever had just saved him.

But, horror was all that met him.

<No.. It can't be him..< p>

No..!>

-"Yo, you good?"

The man's voice sounded very confused as to why Aqua was just staring at him.

"Ah, your stuff, here."

The man picked up Aqua's fallen bag and put all the items back in it, handing it to Aqua, who took it while still silent.

A faint smile formed on the man's face.

"I know, it's shocking to almost die, be careful.

I don't want you to end your life so early on, go on, don't be late for school."

Warm smile..

Aqua didn't want to believe it, and for the moment, he didn't, he couldn't.

The man standing in front of him, and who had just left, was so similar, so eerily similar to the man he was just thinking of.

-"Aqua! Holy... You worried me!

Why did you just suddenly zone out? That's so weird of you!"

Ruby was worried, she stared at the man who had just walked off, waving in his direction, and he stared back once, waving back.

-"I'm.. I'm sorry...

That was stupid of me, Ruby, I'm sorry."

Ruby, sensing that her brother was building up stress, immediately attempted to calm him down.

She had smoothed things over with him last time they fought, and found middle ground with him over what they had initially argued about.

While doing so, Ruby realized that her brother has no issue dealing with pressure that builds over time, but, when piled all at once, his systems break down and give way, thus, he breaks down crying, a panic attack if you will.

To deal with this, she devised an effective strategy,  which is to find the issue Aqua would face in the topic, and change it, maintaining the meaning, but making its texture different.

Ruby was proud of herself for coming up with a plan like that, even if it was with Miyako's help.

So, to deal with the problem at hand, Ruby reassured Aqua that things like this happen all the time, that we're all human.

-"Hey, don't worry! It happens! It's just a human characteristic! Let's go Aqua! We can't be late for first day in school!"

Giving the reasoning and immediately switching over to the next topic, Ruby skillfully dodged trouble on the street, and Aqua took a deep breath and moved forward.

Though, this encounter did leave Ruby thinking,

<Who was this man? Does Aqua know him?>

That question would repeat in Ruby's mind for a little bit, but it faded away shortly after.

It was not long until they had reached their new school, using Aqua's phone GPS, it was quite an easy task, and when they arrived, the scene was beautiful.

Immediately getting to work, Ruby rushed inside, telling Aqua that she'll tour the school first.

"Alright, I'll see you, don't be late!"

-"Okay."

Aqua looked around, opening the browser on his phone standing near the gate, he was texting Miyako, telling her that they had arrived at school and will commence the new year.

Soon enough, a girl walked along with her father, and she was bidding him farewell.

Aqua looked up for just a second, and he saw him again.

The same man, waving to his daughter.

The man's gaze met Aqua's in that second, and he smiled once more, before waving to him as well, and leaving.

Aqua's eyes widened seeing the girl look at him when her father waved at Aqua, he knew she was going to talk to him, so he put the phone away.

The girl, very much different from her father, donning long wavy red-tinted hair with silver-tinted eyes, approached Aqua.

She politely bowed to him, and started a conversation with him.

-"Hello!"

Her tone sounded nervous but firm at the same time, like she knew exactly what to say, just not how to deliver.

Aqua decided to relax himself a little bit and return to his normal attitude towards strangers, replying to this newcomer with a little more energy than normal.

-"Hello, I assume you're also a first year?"

The girl, relieved that the person in front of her is in the same year as her, and possibly even in the class, let go of the tension she was feeling a little bit.

-"Yes, I'm..

Uh.."

She was losing her wording, and Aqua decided to help her, even if slightly.

-"It's fine, we can talk while walking if that makes it easier."

-"T-Thank you.."

They both walked together towards the school, Aqua was very interested in knowing this girl, not for her personality, but for her father.

And to get her more comfortable faster, Aqua introduced himself first.

-"My name is Aqua, Aqua Hoshino."

The girl, finally finding the courage to speak up after Aqua does, tells Aqua her name.

-"My name is Hime, Hime Hoshi, nice meeting you, Aqua-San!"

Aqua thought to himself one thing and one thing only:

<He's definitely careful...>

He had changed his last name as to not be related to Ai in the public's eye, but that might have already been exposed.

Aqua decided to take the initiative on asking Hime about her father, he wanted to inquire as soon as possible about his origins, and possibly, if she knew anything about Ai that he himself hadn't.

Aqua had promised himself not to bring up things like this again, but, when an opportunity like this strikes, it's unavoidable.

-"So, was that man back there your father?"

Hime gets surprised by Aqua's sudden question, he skipped straight to the familial matters.

-"Ah, yes, that's my father, Kurai Hoshi, he's a strange one, heh.."

She trails off at the end of her sentence, her tone had joy in it however.

"He's kind of my guardian rather than my father..

I'll just be blunt to you.. He's my adoptive father.."

Aqua was a little shocked at this revelation, and decided to keep this in mind for later.

He burned the name into his mind.

Kurai Hoshi.

Getting back to talking to this girl to not make it seem like the conversation was spoiled by the awkwardness, Aqua quickly ends it.

-"Well, I'll look forward to meeting you in class, I'll see you later, Hime-San."

Aqua stops briefly telling her that, and walks off.

Hime stares at his path of movement, she was honestly quite happy she already made a friend.

She was oblivious to what Aqua was thinking during this entire conversation.