Actor(Oshi no ko)

In an Instant, He Stole the Spotlight

"What's up, guys?" Aikara tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. "You all look like you've just seen a ghost." With a slight lean and his hands nonchalantly behind his back, he peered at them, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Ai," Ruby muttered under her breath.

Perplexed, Aikara cocked his head even further upon hearing her response. "Ai? It's unusual for you to refer to Mom by her name," he remarked. Then, striding forward with long steps, he kept his gaze ahead and swung his arms. "What are you waiting for?" He glanced back, realizing they weren't following him. "We're going to be late, you know?"

"Oh, right," Aqua replied absentmindedly, still in shock. He mechanically followed Aikara, who continued walking with a smile on his face, taking big strides and swinging his arms while humming a tune.

As Ruby watched their retreating figures, she quickly shook off her astonishment and sprinted after them. "Wait for me!" she shouted, hastening her pace in an attempt to catch up.

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(Aqua POV)

As we trailed behind the teacher, who guided us to our classroom, I couldn't help but find my attention drawn towards Aikara. With a cheerful smile, he hummed a tune while effortlessly engaging the teacher in conversation, eliciting laughter from her without any difficulty.

Ruby, lost in her own thoughts, occasionally stole glances at Aikara, mirroring my own distraction. Before I could delve deeper into my contemplation, the teacher abruptly halted, pointing towards the door. "Here's your classroom," she announced.

Aikara, standing beside her, expressed his gratitude before opening the door, while the students inside paid no attention, continuing to play with their friends. Unfazed by the lack of notice, he confidently walked to the center of the room, his hands clasped together, flashing a radiant smile as he playfully twirled. "I'm Aikara Hoshino, but you can call me Aka!" he beamed, extending both his hands forward. "I'll be your new classmate from now on." His warm smile never left his face as he proceeded to share details about himself.

However, my mind was elsewhere, deeply engrossed in my own thoughts. In an instant, he seized the spotlight. The students, the assistant teachers, even the teacher herself—all were captivated by the magnetic presence he exuded. That undeniable charm that Ai possessed... Aikara possessed it too. Not to suggest that he lacked it before; he always had it. It's just that its potency now was unparalleled.

What in the world, Aikara? Why do you remind me so much of her right now?

"You should introduce yourselves too," the teacher's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I realized that I still hadn't introduced myself, despite Ruby and Aikara already doing so. "Okay," I replied absentmindedly, introducing myself to the class as my mind continued to be preoccupied by Aikara.

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(Aqua POV)

It had only been a few hours since school began, and now it was already lunchtime. Seated at my assigned chair, I eagerly devoured the bento prepared by Miyako. Normally, during this time, I would have been engrossed in my phone, attempting to unlock it.

You might be wondering why I was so determined to unlock it. Well, the reason was quite simple. Ai had left behind three cell phones, two of which were for work and personal use and contained records of other group members and agency staff. Ai appeared careless, but I soon realized she was much more cautious than I had imagined, going to great lengths to keep us hidden.

Now, the predicament lay with the other phone. This particular device was used by Ai before her pregnancy, and it was an outdated model that proved challenging to find a replacement battery for. Thankfully, I managed to locate one a few days ago.