Hikaru Kamiki has been arrested.
The news spreads like wildfire across the entire entertainment industry.
Kana Arima is now focusing on her acting career after her final idol performance at the Tokyo Dome. Ruby-chan and Mem-cho are doing great, each shining brightly in their own worlds.
And Aqua…
Aqua has changed.
He acts cheerful and carefree now — smiling more often, laughing even.
It's as if he's become an entirely new person.
He's even dating Arima.
---
At Meguro Ward General Government Intersection
Akane Kurokawa stood silently by the roadside near the pedestrian bridge.
The evening air was still, broken only by the distant whisper of wind through the street.
She looked up at the bridge, her heart heavy with memories.
This is where you first saved me.
Since then, my whole life… my entire purpose was to protect you.
To make sure you were happy… safe.
And now you are.
She smiled faintly, her eyes reflecting the pale glow of the evening sky.
But what about me…?
Her voice barely left her lips. The air felt colder somehow.
After a long pause, she sighed softly and turned to leave.
---
"Hey, you're Akane Kurokawa, right?"
A voice called out from behind.
She turned around, surprised.
Standing there was an Asian boy — early twenties, maybe — wearing a trendy blue bomber jacket over a blue-and-white T-shirt with a bold red diagonal stripe. His outfit looked modern, almost futuristic — completed by slim black pants and casual black sneakers.
"Yeah," she replied cautiously. "That's me."
The boy froze for a moment, blushing. He scratched his head nervously.
"Ah, s-sorry! Are those… uh, are those real blue? I mean, your hair — is it naturally blue or dyed?"
Akane blinked, slightly confused.
"They're real," she answered after a moment.
The boy's eyes widened in delight.
"I knew it," he whispered, almost to himself. "These new worlds… they're way better than mine."
"New worlds?" Akane frowned. "What do you mean? And who are you?"
He stammered, "Actually, I'm your biggest fa— no, no, not a fan. I don't want a fan-type relationship. I want the real deal."
The last part he muttered so quietly she couldn't catch it.
"Anyway, my name is R—"
A sudden screech of a cat echoed through the alley.
Akane turned instinctively — but no one was there. When she looked back, the boy had vanished.
"Huh…?" she whispered. "What was that?"
For a moment, she just stood there, puzzled. Then, shaking her head, she smiled faintly.
He was weird… clumsy… but looked like an innocent kid.
She continued walking down the road.
---
Behind her — unseen — the boy reappeared, struggling in the grip of two others.
One of them, a guy in a black full-sleeved jacket with chain pockets and metal buttons, had thin-rimmed glasses and a cold expression. His hand was firmly pressed over the boy's mouth, keeping him from making a sound.
The other, wearing a white shirt tucked neatly into black pants, with a black analog watch on his wrist, held the boy tightly by the shoulder and arm, trying to keep him steady as he struggled.
"Bro, was there really a need to throw a cat there?" the guy in white shirt asks.
"That was the only way to distract her," the guy in black jacket replies flatly.
"She can't see us, right?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, she can't," a voice echoed faintly — not in the air, but inside their heads.
"Why's he acting so strange?" White shirt guy asked, his tone annoyed.
"He doesn't act like this normally."
"He's obsessed with blue-haired baddies," the guy in black sighed. "This idiot will ruin the balance of all worlds at this rate."
The boy struggled, muffled words spilling from his covered mouth.
"Mmff— no, let me go! I just wanted to ask her something!"
"Not happening," the guy in black jacket said coldly. "Before you cause more trouble— we're leaving."
A glowing portal opened behind them, swirling like liquid light.
The three of them were pulled in, disappearing in an instant.
The portal flickered once, made a soft whoosh sound — and vanished.
---
Akane stopped mid-step, turning around at the sound.
"…?"
There was nothing there. Just the empty street and the quiet rustle of wind.
She smiled softly.
"Today's been really weird," she whispered, shaking her head.
Then she turned away from the bridge, walking away with a calm, peaceful smile.
---
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: "A Star Is Born"
(Route Epilogue – Kana Ending)