/Aqua's Pov/
*In Akane's car*
"We've been going to Akari's house quite often during our free time," Akane said while driving the car.
"Well, it is quite comfortable to hang out there after all. Isn't that right Aqua?" Kana looks at the back seat towards me.
"I guess."
Thought it was a bit uncomfortable since I'm the only guy who usually stays there.
Our situation right now, between the 3 of us is just friends. Though I know deep down I have taken a bit of liking to Kana, knowing Hikaru is still alive out there, I can't help but still have this unsettling feeling in my heart.
I looked upon towards Akane, feeling a bit of guilt inside of my heart.
Maybe I should properly apologize to Akane. She helped me so much to find Hikaru, and yet I gave her a harsh break up in return. I'm such an idiot.
I sighed. Gathering the attention of the two girls in front of me.
"You're such a gloomer Aqua." Kana teases me.
"Sigh, I wonder why you're starting to pick on me. I wonder if it's your day today."
Kana starts blushing and yelling at me.
I guess I was a bit much. But still...
I looked at her adorable embarrassed face and couldn't help but smile.
She's funny to tease at.
"We've arrived," Akane said as she parked in front of the house.
As we all left the car, she then noticed a motorbike in front and asked, "Is there a visitor here?"
"I guess?" Kana replied, also feelin curious.
As we all entered through the front gates, we then heard a loud glass breaking coming inside the house.
"Ai!" I shouted.
I quickly ran and went inside the house. I looked around and saw the living room in a mess.
"Someone broke in!" Akane explained as she pointed at a broken window.
I immediately ran towards the second floor to Ai's room. As I arrived, I saw her crying and quickly gently picked her up. As Kana came, I gently handed Ai towards her arms. "Watch over her for me."
Kana nods in response.
"Akari is coming, it seems the alarm notified her already. But I think the person who broke in is still here." Akane quickly tells me.
"The dogs are gone too," I said.
We then heard a huge crash in the first floor, so I quickly grapped a broom and we hurriedly ran down the stair. I then took the charge, carefully watching over around the area.
As I slowly head towards the living room, a young looking man, who looked half American and Japanese suddenly shows up at my left.
"Who are y-" Akane quickly hit his head with a pan without letting him finish.
"A foreigner?!" Kana exclaimed.
Then Ai started crying loudly.
"Let go of her!" A man wearing a cloth that covers his mouth, but his eyes and hair was seen, suddenly charges towards Kana, about to throw a punch. I then blocked it with my bare hands and pushed him away.
As I looked at him, he looked like someone near my age level. Almost 6ft tall, black hair but with blue eyes. It made me wonder whether he was half or he was wearing lenses.
The young man in front of me then looked over to his friend who got knocked out and suddenly glared at me. "Let go of her."
"Her?" I was confused.
He then pointed at Ai as he said, "Give her to me."
As I angrily stared at him, I noticed something immediately, and it was his eyes.
His eyes look like...
As the young man in front of me starts to approach us. Akane whispered, "What are we going to do Aqua?"
I replied, "While I distract him, you and Kana quickly run out the door and drive away safely."
As he got closer, my hands started shaking a bit. I started to feel this heavy scary presence. It's like facing Hikaru before but without murder intent.
I yelled, "Get away from-!"
"Nazo?!"
I looked towards the entrance door and saw Akari, her expression full of worry.
"Akari..." I panted.
___________
/Akari Pov/
I ran as quickly as I could. As I arrived at my house, I noticed Akane's car parked in front and an unfamiliar motorbike.
I felt a bit of relief, but quickly ran inside. As I entered the house, I immediately stopped in shocked, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Nazo?!"
The man stuttered, "A-Akari!!!". His face starts to brighten up. His serious angry smile turns to a happy one.
I quickly ran towards him, and as I got close, he then gave me a big hug, carrying me off the ground. I couldn't help but be filled with joy.
The man I fell in love with, and the father of my daughter has finally arrived.
After the hug, I realized that Aqua and the rest were just staring at me, shocked.
Kana then questioned, "U-Um Akari, who is this person?"
Without hesitation, I quickly introduced him, "Kana, everyone, meet Nazo, my boyfriend."
Ruby stuttered, "Y-Your..."
Then everyone yelled in unison except Aqua, "Your boyfriend?!"
Ahh... I guess I have a lot of explaining to do.
Immediately, Aqua and Ruby went towards Ai, trying to protect her.
Nazo scratched his head and asked, "Umm?"
I couldn't help but laugh.
Then Akane asked, "Umm, Mr. Nazo..."
"Ahh... you can just call me Nazo. I'm just 18 years old. Calling me 'Mr' is a bit too formal."
"Alright," Akane smiles. "So if you're her boyfriend, are you actually the father of Ai?"
"Ahh... yes I am. Sorry if I worried you all, it seems the dogs got a bit hectic when they saw my bird. They are currently outside in the backyard." Nazo apologizes. He then looks towards Aqua and Ruby, looking like he wants to see Ai.
As I noticed this, I said to Aqua and Ruby, "Nazo is not the same as he. He is a loving man and cares deeply for me and Ai."
Aqua then questions, "Then why isn't he here so often?"
I noticed how Aqua had this worried look on his face, and I knew that there was a deeper meaning behind it.
Ruby lets down her guard and whispers to Aqua, "Ai and his eyes look alike older brother. There's no doubt that they're related. Why are you so wary?"
Aqua whispers back, gently, "I know, I'm just worried a bit."
"Well, he-" As I tried to explain, Nazo stepped in, signaling me that he would be the one to explain everything.
"I know why you don't trust me right now is because of your traumatic experiences. But let me tell you one thing, don't you dare compare me to a serial killer like him," Nazo gave this scary disgusted look, like he was hurt.
"Nazo…" I held his hand softly, smiling at him.
When he saw my smile, he smiled back and let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sure Akari already told you about the different ranks of serial killers in the world."
Aqua and the others nodded in response.
"You could say I'm part of an organization that stops them."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Ruby asked.
"It is…" Nazo replied.
"It's such a dangerous job, but he won't listen to me when I tell him to stop," I said, irritation slipping into my voice. "It's unfair that you get to continue while I had to stop."
Nazo panicked. "You know I can't stop while he's still out there! I already promised I would quit once I put an end to him."
I couldn't deny that. I also wanted to put an end to him—the man who killed my mother.
I sighed.
"I won't ask any further about who this 'man' you're looking for," Aqua said. "But don't you think doing this kind of work puts your life at risk? What about your daughter?"
Ruby and the others stiffened at Aqua's words.
Aqua…
I looked at him and saw guilt written all over his face. "Aqua, it won't happen again. I promise."
As I said that, the tension in Aqua's face slowly eased.
His trauma was still there—I knew that—and he didn't want history to repeat itself.
Nazo then spoke up. "I guess I should just remove my mask…"
As he took it off, Akane and Ruby gasped.
"Y-You're Daring Jones!" Ruby exclaimed.
Aqua and Ruby both blinked. "Huh?"
"U-Um… who is that exactly?" Ruby asked.
Akane explained excitedly, "Daring Jones is a famous young actor—one of the top three most popular young actors in America. He's half Japanese and half German. In five years, he's only acted in four movies, but every single one ranked number one at the box office."
"It seems you know a lot about me," Nazo said, clearly impressed. "But that's just a stage name."
I continued, "His real name is Nazo Yuki."
Akane immediately pulled out a notebook and started writing. I looked at her and laughed lightly. "You really are something, huh?"
"Of course!" Akane replied without hesitation. "Daring Jones has been my idol ever since he auditioned for a theatrical play here in Japan. I was one of the contestants too. I don't know if you remember, but the play was called 'When I'm With You.'"
"Oh, that play!" Nazo said. "That was about three years ago, right?"
I froze.
Three years ago? He was here in Japan?
I turned to him, confused. "What do you mean three years ago? You were here?"
"U-Um, yeah," Nazo explained. "I had a business trip here, and after learning about the story, I wanted to try auditioning for the role."
I chose to trust him and brushed it off.
Nazo continued, "I was chosen for the main role—but I had to decline."
"Why?" Akane asked.
Nazo smiled gently. "I had more important matters to attend to."
Three years ago… I remembered him saying he had to go somewhere but returned almost immediately. The timing lined up perfectly.
"Anyway," Nazo said, "you can all call me Nazo. I hope this secret stays hidden—to protect Akari and my little Ai. Now that Akari is finally living her dream, I don't want to cause her any more trouble because of my career." He looked at me with so much care it made my chest ache.
"Alright!" Ruby said. "Though… haven't you kind of already messed it up because of, you know—"
Kana, Akane, and Aqua shot Ruby sharp looks.
Realizing what she'd said, Nazo panicked, his face turning red. "Ah! Don't follow me! This is all my fault, not Akari's!"
I frowned. "Don't say that. It's no one's fault. Saying things like that will only hurt Ai's feelings."
Nazo paused, then nodded, immediately understanding. "I'm sorry."
We all ended up laughing.
"Now then," I asked, "why were the glasses broken in the first place?"
"Umm…" Nazo scratched the back of his head nervously.
"It's my fault!"
Everyone turned toward the sofa. The man Akane had knocked out was finally awake.
"Uhh… hey, Akari."
That blond hair—
"Riyuko?!" I shouted. "What are you doing here?! Does Miya even know you're here?!"
"Haha… not yet," Riyuko replied nervously.
I glared at Nazo.
"It's not my fault!" he defended himself quickly. "Miya told us she was coming here, so Riyuko wanted to prank her. He forced me to wear those black outfits."
"And?" I pressed.
Nazo stared at Riyuko intensely.
"W-Well…" Riyuko stammered. "The dogs didn't recognize me and started chasing me all over the house. I trapped them in the basement, but that's when Aqua and the others showed up…"
I crossed my arms, furious. "What kind of prank is that?! You even scared our daughter!"
Riyuko immediately bowed deeply. "I'm sorry!"
Suddenly, we heard a small, cheerful laugh.
We all turned to see Ai giggling adorably in Kana's arms.
Seeing her laugh, I couldn't help laughing too. I took Ai into my arms and looked at Nazo.
"Ai," I said softly, "this is your Papa."
Ai stared at him with wide, curious eyes.
Nazo gently took her, and her tiny hand grabbed his nose, making him smile.
His eyes shimmered as he looked at her, on the verge of tears. "I love you, my little Ai."
My vision blurred. The man I love was finally meeting our baby girl.
__________
After Dinner
[YOU IDIOT!!!]
"Hehe… sorry, Miya," Riyuko said nervously into the phone.
[I said I would go there—but not this month! Didn't you see my schedule?! I'm in Dubai for three weeks! Did you even check the calendar?!]
"Sorry…"
[Don't 'sorry' me!]
I chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Miya. Everything's fine now."
[I'm sorry, Akari! When I get there, I'll make sure to properly scold my stupid boyfriend!]
Riyuko panicked and grabbed Nazo's arm. "Nazo! Please save me!"
Everyone at the table burst into laughter.
Aqua suddenly spoke up. "I've been wondering… why are you finally visiting after all these years, Nazo?"
His expression was serious.
Nazo folded his hands and looked at me gently. "My final job is to find the man who killed Akari's mother. Once I do, I can finally quit and live peacefully with her. After years of searching, we discovered he's here in Japan."
"What?!" I exclaimed.
Nazo squeezed my hand. "I'm telling you because I don't want to hide anything from you. But that doesn't mean I want you involved. You're too—"
"I'm not going to help you," I cut in.
"Huh?" Nazo stared at me in shock.
"I want you to stop hunting him," I said firmly.
"What?! But he killed your mother!"
I looked at him gently. "I know."
Nazo looked angry for a second—then worried."Do you know what you're asking of me?"
"I know. I know how much you want to find him—for me," I snapped, frustration spilling over. "But can't we just leave it alone?"
"This is the same as our last argument!" Nazo shot back. "He is a threat! A threat to you and to Ai!"
I cut into my meat too roughly, the sharp sound of the knife against the plate drawing everyone's attention."My existence is gone—wiped out!" I said through clenched teeth. "And you know who sacrificed everything for that!"
"But—!" Nazo tried to explain.
I stood up, my vision blurring with tears."Ten children died that day! Ten! Including Mom and Hana—just to protect me. This weak, useless body!"
I looked around at everyone, then bowed my head."I'm sorry you all had to see this. Please excuse me from the table."
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked upstairs. I checked Ai's room first—she was sleeping peacefully. Only then did I go to my own room, collapsing onto my bed as the tears finally broke free.
Memories flooded back.
Blood everywhere.Lifeless children.My mother's body lying in front of my bedroom door.
And then—
{Your secret is safe with me, Akari. Or should I say… Lila? Hehe.}
"Hic…"
I sobbed into my pillow.
"I'm so sorry, Hana. I'm so sorry."
/Aqua's POV/
I had seen Akari happy, laughing—even crying before. But seeing her angry like that felt… unknown.
So she can get angry.
How could she not? She's human—just like me.Is this what admiration does? Does it make you expect the people you love to be perfect?
A memory of Ai surfaced in my mind.
{I guess they like this kind of smile.}
I shook my head.
What am I thinking? Why am I remembering her now?
As Akari left the table, the atmosphere turned unbearably awkward. Everyone fell silent, waiting for someone—anyone—to speak.
"Well, what a great first greeting," Riyuko commented dryly as he continued eating.
Nazo slammed his hand on the table, irritated."Then what was I supposed to do? Not tell her? She would've figured it out anyway—and she'd be even angrier if she caught me hiding it! I already told her before that I wanted to find and kill him so he wouldn't hurt anyone else!"
Riyuko burped."Well, I don't think that excuse is working anymore, right? She knows that's not your main reason now."
Nazo stood up."I'll be in the backyard. Sorry for the commotion."
At that moment, I couldn't completely disagree with Nazo. Maybe it was just because I didn't understand what Akari was thinking.
I glanced at Kana and Akane.
My goal—to kill Hikaru.How did they feel about that, I wonder?
Ruby scratched the back of her head awkwardly."Well… that just happened."
"Don't worry," Riyuko said. "This rarely happens. Though lately… it's been happening a little more often."
Kana frowned."But why?"
Riyuko hesitated."Well…"
"I want to know too," I said quietly.
I don't know what kind of expression I made, but it must've convinced him—his eyes widened in shock.
Riyuko sighed, his face softening."I guess it won't hurt to tell you."
Akane looked uneasy."I feel like this is something really serious… something we shouldn't know."
Riyuko laughed weakly."Well, I'm a blabbermouth, so here goes. It happened on Akari's tenth birthday. No—actually, I think everything started going wrong a few years before that."
"What happened?" Kana asked.
"Akari's fourth birthday," Riyuko said quietly."The day she died… for 10 hours."
Akari… died?