"Grrmbl…"
Hoshino Ai tilted her head, glancing at Kitagawa Ruby seated across the dining table.
"Is there something on my face, Ruby?"
"No."
Ruby puffed out her cheeks and looked away, burying her face in her bowl as if determined to focus on eating. Yet her crimson eyes kept darting upward, scrutinizing Ai like a territorial little animal assessing an intruder. It had been nearly half a year since Ai last stepped into the Kitagawa household.
To Ruby, it felt like a giant [DANGER] sign was hovering over her brother's head.
Twenty years old—the threshold of adulthood.
Human imagination had a way of leaping to conclusions. Just as the sight of bare arms might lead some minds to wander toward more scandalous imagery, Ruby's thoughts immediately spiraled the moment she realized Ai was about to cross that line.
Dry wood meets fierce fire. A shotgun wedding. "Ruby can help babysit later!"
These phrases bubbled up in her mind like a relentless tide.
This future is way too terrifying.
"Grrr…"
The eight-year-old Ruby stared at her own tiny limbs, suddenly feeling the urgent need to grow up faster.
"Ruby, you didn't used to grind your teeth while eating. You should probably stop that."
Ryo shot his sister a glance, quietly reminding her.
"Mm."
Ruby nodded obediently, then turned to Ai with a question.
"Ai-nee, how long are you staying in Tokyo this time? Leaving right after the Tokyo Dome concert?"
"Hmm… I probably won't be leaving Tokyo for a while. The tour's basically over, so I'm giving myself a break."
Ai tapped her chopsticks thoughtfully before offering,
"I could teach you some singing and dancing techniques. A free private lesson from a top-tier idol—just for you."
Ruby forced a polite smile. Even across the table, she could practically hear the clatter of Ai's ulterior motives.
As if you're really here to teach me.
Noticing Ruby's lack of enthusiasm, Ai tilted her head.
"Did you change your mind about becoming an idol?"
"That's not it."
Ruby shook her head firmly, locking eyes with Ai.
"I'll definitely become an even greater idol than you."
"That'll take a lot of work, but having a goal is good."
Ai chuckled, dismissing it as childish competitiveness, then turned to Ryo.
"Ruby reminds me of you, Ryo. She's way more mature than other kids her age. When I was eight, I never thought about what I wanted to be."
"You haven't seen her whining about waking up for school."
Ryo disagreed entirely. To him, Ruby was still a clingy little kid—far from "mature."
Ai let the topic drop, though something still nagged at her. Maybe it was the clarity of an outsider's perspective, but she sensed Ruby carried a sensitivity beyond her years.
"By the way, Ryo, that movie you were in—Spider—seems to be doing well overseas?"
"Decently, at least. Director Gotanda finally won Best New Director, so he's happy."
Ryo chewed his rice slowly.
"The cinematography was solid, and the acting held up. A win was within expectations."
"Oh, about what you said earlier—Ruby being mature for her age? I'd say Arima Kana fits that description better."
"Arima Kana? The girl who played the second female lead?"
"Yeah. And… well, long story short, I had her sign with my agency."
"Because of her potential? Hmm… Her performance was impressive."
"Partly that."
Ryo paused, organizing his thoughts before explaining Kana's… complicated home situation.
"Having a mother like that… must be tough."
Ai sighed in sympathy—though it occurred to her that among the three of them, they couldn't scrape together a single functional maternal figure.
Noticing the mood dip, Ryo quickly added,
"But mothers like hers are rare. Remember the Kurokawas we met in Miyazaki? Their daughter's four now. They're regulars at LALALAI Theatre."
"Mm."
Ai nodded absently.
"How's LALALAI doing? I haven't heard much lately."
"They've bounced back from their slump."
Between his packed schedule, Ryo barely had time for theatre now—just three shows a year, occasional cameos.
LALALAI had been his debut stage, but inevitably, it became a stepping stone.
"They've branched out—other genres, actor training, rebranding. Uncle Kindaichi mentioned sending actresses to dating shows. Unthinkable a few years ago."
"And 2.5D stage plays. You know about those."
Ryo smiled wryly.
"Oooh! I remember! Big bro dyed his hair blond and spouted all these chuunibyou lines—but he looked so cool!"
Ruby shot her hand up before Ai could respond.
"Honestly, you looked straight out of a manga. No awkwardness at all."
Ai nodded in agreement.
"Glad you think so, but I'm not doing that again."
Ryo propped his cheek on his hand with a sigh.
His fanbase used to be mostly women in their thirties. But after that 2.5D play? A flood of middle and high school girls.
Their spending power couldn't match housewives', but their intensity? Unmatched.
And unlike his older fans, these girls firmly fell into the "girlfriend fan" category.
If he ever dared check his DMs, he'd find them packed with confessions and… suggestive photos.
Since it was just family here, Ryo vented freely.
Ai listened quietly, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
——
That night, Ryo received a DM from Ai.
He opened it without hesitation—only to be greeted by a photo:
A sailor-style school uniform with a pleated skirt. Pale thighs crossed at the knees. The angle from above highlighted delicate collarbones and the perfect curve of her chest, hugged by the fabric. Knee-high black stockings encased her calves, gleaming under the room's light. The top band dug slightly into her skin, leaving faint marks.
"If you want to look, Ryo… you only need to look at me."
Her declaration was absolute.
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