Aqua froze for a sec before turning his back to Akira.
"Who are you, really?"
Aqua turns away, covering 1/2 of his face. Trembling
"How much does that dog really know? Is he toying with me? Is he..."
Aqua looks at the empty energy drink on the table, he paused before approaching the empty energy drink; taking a DNA sample on the glass.
"...our Father."
An Hour Earlier
Ai brings him the last glass of milk, laying it beside his hand
"Here's the milk, Akira-sama."
She sits beside Akira, stretching her arms as she smiles weakly
"It's been a long day! Ruby-chan has grown too be like me. He he." chuckling
Akira turns his head to Ai, noticing her sleepy and tired face.
Ai takes out an energy drink
"You know what Akira-sama, you should also have a proper sleep rather than eating those red chili's almost every night just to keep yourself awake~"
Akira takes the energy drink from Ai, laying it aside; away from Ai
"Hey!" Ai shouted, saddened
Akira gave her the glass of milk
"You should sleep now. You're not used in this time of sleeps."
Ai's voice softened, insisting.
"But...I prepared it for you."
Akira shakes his head.
"Just take it before I change my mind."
Ai froze for a moment before taking the milk; drinking it
"Thanks."
Present time
Aqua leaves, wrapping the DNA sample in a plastic bag, he looks around before leaving.
Unkown to Aqua, Akira has seen Aqua taking on a DNA sample test on his can. Hiding beside a corner
He sighed, whispering to himself
"What is he doing... Have he found out? (For Akira know nothing about Aqua's intentions)"
He releases a sharp exhale, relieved
"What a coincidence...you've lucked out, Ai."
Akira walks unto his laptop, seeing the same account, but this time...the account had cracked 2 of his firewalls.
Akira was frozen, his eyes widened in panic.
He quickly covers it up with 1 extra thin layered defense. Trying to buy themselves a time.
"Not this time."
The Next Morning
Ai wakes up. She stretches her hand, yawning. She noticed Akira who's packing up their items.
"Good morning, Akira-sama~ Wait? Where are we going? Breakfast? Miyako-san can–"
"This is not breakfast, Ai. Just this midnight, someone infiltrated my firewalls. Considering we're on a public place, it could be that we're to vulnerable here. My defenses cannot hold it up for too long. We must go."
Akira shows her a screenshot of the attack.
Ai gasps, covering her mouth.
"That's bad news..."
Ai paused, looking at the stairs towards Ruby's room.
"But...how am I suppose to watch their performance? And also, we can't just disappear like nothing. Have you told this case to Miyako?"
Akira paused midway at the door — He turns his head back to Ai.
"I have already told her, earlier. If you want to wait for Ruby, you can. I'll be waiting outside."
Akira leaves.
Ai looks at the door for a moment before looking down at her lap in a mix of sorrow and hatred, clutching her fists
"Why now...? Hikaru."
An hour has passed —in the girls's room
Ruby yawns, stretching her arms — grinning widely as she sings.
"♪We're going to be real Idols! We're going to be real idols!♪
As Ruby finishes folding her blanket, she wondered
"I wonder if Airi-sama would love to see me perform? Keehee~ just thinking about her reaction last night, I'm sure she wants to." Ruby thought.
Ruby walks down the stairs, only to meet Airi on the door. Her face says it all. Something bad had happened.
Airi and Ruby talked at the living room
"What is it?" Ruby exclaimed — worried. Ruby had never seen that expression of Airi-sama before
Airi forces a smile; weakly, she said
"Uhm...we...Akira-sama and I are resigning..."
Ruby froze, looking down at her lap
"Oh, I see. But...why?"
"How can I put it in... How about like this. Akira-sama and I are actually having a chess match on a hacker that's trying to harm us. If we stay here for longer here, our positions will be exposed and we'll be in great danger. Especially me...then, Akira-sama's efforts will all be in vain." Airi replied; her coide softening in overwhelming sorrow
Ruby gulps,
"You know what Airi-sama...even if it's just 2 nights...I felt so close to you. Like someone who's been missing in my life...you remind me of someone."
Airi (Ai) froze (Did she find out? Ai thought)
Airi forces a smile
"Hmph? Really?"
Ruby rubs her shoulder, nervous, trying to not expose her identity to Airi
"Though, she's already been long dead. But I can feel her presence in you, Airi-sama."
Airi's eyes widened in shock and disbelief — her heart softened in expression
"Really? That's great to hear." she smiled softly
Ruby continues:
"If possible, I'd want you to attend our performance."
Airi nods, her eyes litting up in excitement
"Really? That'd be an honor! I'd love to, but I first have to get Akira-sama's permission."
Ruby crosses her arms, pouting
"You'vd always said Akira-sama, Akira-sama when you someone gives you a choice...
What is your relationship with 'Akira-sama' to have that much respect to trust his decisions for you?"
Airi went silent for a moment, before clutching her Abdominal Aorta
"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be able to touch and see your pretty face. Everyone of you."
She smiled, turning her head to Ruby.
Ruby felt the weight of Airi-sama's smile. She then hugs Airi
"Please, don't forget about us."
Airi was frozen, caught off guard by Ruby's sudden hug.
Airi smiles, after a while, after 13 years...she had finally felt her daughter's hug again.
"Of course not. I love you...all."
5 minutes had passed
Airi waves bye at Ruby from below. Ruby waves back at her. Mem-cho catched up, waving at her
"A-san! Let's...dance again together if you'd have the time!"
Airi's eyes widened, forcing a smile through her teary eyes.
"Yes, of course I will!"
Ai cries in sorrow while she and Akira walks to the bus station. Akira gives her a handkerchief to cry on
"Thank you." Ai replied.
"Akira-sama, don't you think it was also too soon? Can't we stay a little longer?"
Holding his nape, Akira replied
"First of all, my firewalls can no longer keep up if we stay there at least for a day. Second of all, I've already signed the resignation paper."
Ai frowns
"And what? Go back like from before and just watch them from afar?"
Akira sighed sharply
"That's a no brainier."
Ai groans irritably, crying.
"Argh! Akira-sama, you...!"
They walked past a woman. A long like white snow hair. Eyes that are like clear sky. Walks like majesty. She stares back at Akira and Ai, deeply wondering
"Am I seeing properly? I swear it, it was Kiyoshi-sama."