Actor(Oshi no ko)

I Can't Give Up On It

(1 month later)

It had been a whole month since that fateful day when Ai departed, and the three siblings carried on with their lives. Currently, they found themselves in their apartment, with Aqua occupying a solitary spot in the corner, engrossed in an outdated cellphone. Aikara and Ruby, on the other hand, lay sprawled out on the floor, fixated on the television screen.

As they watched the adorable characters dancing across the screen, Ruby couldn't help but cast a questioning glance at Aikara. "Why are we watching kiddie shows? I thought you were all about anime."

Aikara turned to her, sporting a wide, carefree grin. "Well, you see, I auditioned for the live adaptation of this very show. Watching it while waiting for the results helps ease my nerves."

"Then why drag me into this?" Ruby inquired, her tone tinged with disapproval. "I'd rather watch something with action, preferably involving guns and killing."

Aikara let out a giggle, causing Ruby's cheeks to flush with embarrassment. She stared at him defiantly, crossing her arms and puffing out her chest. "What? Got a problem with my taste?" she retorted.

"Not at all," Aikara replied, his voice dripping with playful teasing. It was evident that he was purposefully provoking Ruby, and his tactic seemed to be working. Ruby's fists clenched tightly, ready to deliver a biting response, but before she could, a phone abruptly began to ring.

"Hmm?" Aikara tilted his head, perplexed by the ringing phone. Glancing at the device in front of him, he recognized the number and quickly stood up, grabbing the phone with excitement.

"Hello, this is Aikara," he spoke into the phone, while Ruby looked on curiously. "Yes," he paused, waiting for the response on the other end. "I see." He laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you for considering me." With those final words, he ended the call, lying back down on the floor and picking up the remote.

"What was that phone call about?" Ruby asked, her eyes fixed on Aikara as he changed the channel from the kids' show to a reality program.

"Oh, that?" Aikara replied with a smile. "It's not a big deal. I just got rejected for the role I auditioned for."

"Eh?!" Ruby exclaimed, shock evident on her face. "You got rejected?! How did that happen? You're so talented at acting."

"I'm not entirely sure, Ruby," Aikara replied nonchalantly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Ruby couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at his response. Aikara seemed so casual about it. Was he trying to hide his pain from rejection?

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, her concern evident.

"Huh? About what?" Aikara replied with a wide smile, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"About what? I'm obviously talking about-" Ruby began, before Aikara interrupted her.

"Ah, you mean about getting rejected!" he exclaimed, placing a finger on his cheek. "While it's disappointing, it happens to many actors. I just need to work harder, right?"

Aqua, who was at the corner of the room just a few meters away from them, looked up from his phone as he listened to Aikara and Ruby's coversation.

Meanwhile, Aqua, who had been quietly observing the conversation from his spot in the corner of the room, looked up from his phone. He had been keeping a close watch on Aikara for the past month, monitoring his actions to see if he had truly moved on. Although Aikara hadn't shown any signs of hatred or sought revenge, Aqua couldn't shake his suspicions regarding one thing. After the funeral, Aqua had informed Aikara that their father was involved in the entertainment industry. He distinctly remembered Aikara immediately diving into auditions for various roles, only to face rejection in the end.