"Hm…"
Hiro Saitou glanced at Ai Hoshino as she approached, then pulled a book from his desk—Grammar of Film Language—and opened it.
It was the one he'd been reading lately.
"You're always so calm, Hiro-kun," Ai said, eyeing the book curiously. She still remembered his conversation with the president yesterday. Perfect grades, reading advanced books after class—this guy wasn't normal.
"I already previewed this chapter," Hiro replied, unfazed by her surprise.
Ever since he crossed into this world, his memory had never failed him. Junior high coursework was nothing now. He'd even copied the entire contents of Grammar of Film Language into his mind and could read it from memory whenever he wanted.
Still, he preferred listening to lectures and committing things in real time. Just relying on memory made his thoughts drift—and sometimes that led to forgetting details.
"A genius, huh?" Ai said with a smile, half teasing, half envious.
She reached into her desk… and paused.
"Uh-oh… Hiro-kun, I forgot my textbook…" She whispered, eyes guilty.
First day as a transfer student, and she forgot her book? Seriously?
Hiro sighed silently. How did she survive on her own like this?
But without a word, he scooted his desk closer and laid his textbook between them.
"Thanks," Ai beamed, reaching into her coat pocket to pull out a small pile of supplies—her notebook, a math book, two pencils, three pens, and a pouch of refills.
Hiro blinked.
She forgot one book… but brought everything else perfectly.
So she didn't really forget it. That excuse was a lie.
"Let me guess—you already passed the midterm and figured you didn't need the book anymore?"
"Sa—who knows?" Ai said playfully, then turned her attention to the front.
Clearly a lie.
But seeing her focus on the lecture again, Hiro let it slide and rested his head on the desk, half-watching Ai from the side.
She was taking notes seriously. Probably more than usual.
Was she expecting a different reaction from me?
As he listened to the teacher's voice and glanced at the book, the information began to piece itself together in his head.
He wasn't even trying to memorize it—but everything felt clearer than usual.
Weird… It wasn't like this before.
Was this another effect of the cultivation aura?
He had assumed it only boosted Ai's learning ability. But this—this felt like it was helping him too.
Two birds with one stone.
"The teacher's way of explaining things is similar to my old school," Ai said quietly. "But somehow, I actually want to listen now."
She turned to Hiro.
"You're staring. Do I have something on my face?" She touched her cheek, puzzled.
"Nope," Hiro said, lying on his arm. "Just wondering if the lecture's interesting."
He knew full well the teacher wasn't great.
"Now that you say it…" Ai thought for a moment. "Before, I didn't really get this stuff. My basics were kind of weak. But now it feels easier."
"It's japanese class," Hiro replied. "As long as you follow the words, you'll get the gist."
He pulled out his notepad and pen.
Ai blinked. "You're taking notes now? Isn't it a bit late?"
"I'm not taking notes," Hiro muttered, still scribbling.
"You're so distracted. Can you even follow the lecture? Your notes are a mess."
"You're distracted too…"
"Tch, annoying…" Ai pouted, biting her lip as she turned back toward the board.
Hiro watched her continue jotting things down, then glanced at his own notes.
Thanks to the aura, he could multitask now—split his attention in two directions. And his mind drifted.
Back to that guy.
The scumbag.
He pulled out his phone and opened the business card the president gave him last night.
Step one: eliminate all women.
Step two was harder. He didn't know the guy's age, job, or even appearance.
Still…
Ai's idol group had only been popular before she turned sixteen. After that, she started acting.
So it wasn't someone powerful in the film or TV industry.
Hiro scribbled "power" into his notebook and crossed it out.
The guy must've been charming—handsome or slick with words. Someone who knew how to play people.
Ugly and honest types? Out.
Men over forty? Too old to attract a teenage idol.
Rich heirs with flashy lifestyles? Nope—Ai once mentioned her low salary and how she had to do commercials just to pay bills.
So not someone rich.
Hiro frowned. This deduction isn't solid, but it's a start.
He jotted "rich heir" and crossed it out too.
In the story, when the president asked Ai about the father, she dodged the question.
Maybe the guy wasn't even part of the company.
Otherwise, they would've investigated when she got pregnant.
And after Ai died, the president was devastated. If the guy were someone they knew, there would've been some kind of revenge arc.
So—he wasn't from the company, wasn't a celeb, and wasn't rich.
Hiro looked down at his scribbles.
Then his eyes narrowed as he recalled their names.
In the anime, Ai's kids were named Aqua and Ruby.
Aquamarine and Ruby…
Their eye colors even matched their names.
He frowned, biting his pen.
There had to be more clues. Something he was missing. And if he couldn't find the truth—
He wouldn't be able to protect her.
Not this time.
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