25th of December, PRESENT DAY, PRESENT TIME.
The frigid December winds blew through the streets of Tokyo, chilling everybody who was still out this late. Despite these hard conditions, the three B-Komachi girls gave their all. Bright glowsticks and glaring beams of light filled up the ground below just as much as the sky above. It was Kana's last show before graduating from being an idol and setting her sights on greater goals.
The stadium was filled by ecstatic faces, chanting their names while dancing the coldness, not even the stadium around them could keep out, away. They were her fans. She was supposed to love them, but she didn't. She just couldn't, not as long as he wasn't among them.
Kana's eyes darted from one person to the next. The red, yellow, and white glowsticks made her nauseous. 'Where is he?' she thought as she did her best to keep up the act. It might have been far colder than usual, but the sweat on Kana's forehead, specifically, was far more, too.
'Why isn't he here?' This was her last chance to impress Aqua as an idol before she had to try her luck as an actress once more. He even promised her he would be there, but he wasn't, and she knew. Her choreography turned from sporadic to downright clumsy as her mind replaced the lyrics of Star T Rain with the same question over and over again: "Where is Aqua?"
—
It was quiet, not only compared to the deafening sounds of the B-Komachi concert but also in general. The only noises came from hooting owls, occasional cars in the distance, low waves crashing into the nearby cliffside, and the few leaves that somehow withstood the harsh winter rustling in the wind.
Amidst all of this stood Aqua. He was well hidden a few rows of trees deep into the forest. Dressed in all black from head to toe, he fit perfectly into the surroundings. His eyes were the only thing that could have stood out. They gleamed blue like the ocean and black like the night, set on an observation deck about 30 meters in front of him.
It loomed over the vast Pacific Ocean beneath, with not more than a few rotten carriers keeping it from being swallowed by said ocean. Dim light from the moon that was brighter than the entire world around it lit it up, barely enough to see anything but just enough to see everything.
However, the second source of light that came off it piqued Aqua's interest more than the moon ever could. It was weak enough to be missed by someone who didn't know what they were looking for, but regardless of this, it was there. A phone, probably the newest model on the market. Its screen flashed with various colors in quick succession, enough to trigger an epileptic seizure in some.
Brightened ever so slightly by those flashing lights was the face of the reason why Aqua was here tonight, Hikaru Kamiki.
He leaned against the half-rotten guardrail, its frail-looking planks the only thing that kept him from plummeting 20 meters into the freezing waters below, all while he seemingly watched the B-Komachi stream on his phone. But Aqua knew better; he knew that Kamiki paid close attention to his surroundings.
"Kamiki… Tonight we're both going to die," Aqua growled below his breath, the nails of his right hand boring into the tree he held onto. "You won't steal Ruby's dream like you did with Ai."
"My only regret is that I didn't do this when I first had the chance." Aqua's right hand clamped around the knife he was gripping so tight his knuckles turned white before they busted open. Sweat pearled on his forehead, and his left hand shivered ever so slightly along with every word he spoke.
But what if the police can tell?
What if they analyze my wounds and find out they were self-inflicted?
If they rule this a homicide, Ruby would forever be the idol with the killer brother.
It would ruin her career.
I cannot think about this right now.
I just have to hope everything works out; it will surely go as planned.
It is not like I would have any other option, regardless.
Aqua was so focused on what lay ahead of him that he didn't notice the faint rustling of leaves and sticks or the quiet sounds of steps approaching to his right. When he finally did, it was already too late.
He almost jumped, every nerve of his screaming as he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. He caught himself at the last second. Instead of screaming and alerting Kamiki, he silently whipped around and roughly grabbed the person's arm with his free hand, pinning it against the large oak tree as he held his knife mere centimeters away from their throat.
The only thing thicker than the forest was the tense feeling in the air. Just a few silverish rays of the moon also reached the ground. Utter darkness engulfed the other person's face as well as Aqua, prompting both to just silently stare where they believed the other to be.
"Aqua… please." Quiet and cautious, the other voice spoke. Aqua's grip tightened for a second before his hands fell away completely and he turned his attention back to Kamiki.
Kamiki's cold eyes stared right into his soul. Aqua almost tumbled as if he were hit by a brick, but instead he stood as still as he possibly could, staring back while praying to the gods above that this was a mere coincidence.
Ten agonizing seconds later, Kamiki looked back down to his phone.
"What are you doing here, Akane? I told you to keep an eye out for Ruby, didn't I?" He mumbled, not paying the least amount of attention that could possibly ruin his entire plan to her.
"I am protecting Ruby…" Akane's voice sounded sad, like she was doing her best to contain each bottled up emotion deep within herself. "I know your plan… I am protecting her from your gruesome plan."
A cloud moved out of the way, which allowed for a small sliver of light to finally land on Aqua's face. He looked mortified; he looked like a man who had committed to a contract with the devil and was now asked to pay the dear price of it.
Akane gently placed one of her hands on his. It was too small to engulf it, but the warmth that was transferred was better than nothing. It was only now that he realized how tight he held the knife and how cold his hand turned due to this. But what was even worse was the shaking; his hand almost vibrated against Akane's comforting hand, a comfort he hadn't felt in such a long time.
She placed her other hand on his cold cheek. "I deduced that this would be your plan a while ago, but I thought that I couldn't possibly be right. I still don't really get it, since you have so many reasons to live, but please don't do this."
She didn't look up at him while talking; maybe she was scared his eyes would confirm her suspicion. "You are still hiding something from me, am I right? Well, too bad, because I don't allow you to die before I find out what it is…" Her voice sounded confident at first, but it quickly crumpled down again. "...and even if I find it out, I won't allow it," she mumbled.
Akane held Aqua's hand tightly; her eyes were fixed on the shiny knife in it. Aqua could literally feel Akane's protectiveness seep over into his body. Yet, he also felt that her small hands were almost shaking as much as his own.
Her eyes were filled with newfound vigor as she looked up again. "There are other ways, but for them to work, you finally have to let others in."
"Just think of how devastated Ruby would be. I don't know what you said to her, but I noticed the shift in her behavior. What I'm saying is, she loves you Aqua. The possibility of your death pushing her back into the hole, destroying everything beyond repair, is just too high."
"Or think about Kana. You are the most important person in her life, and if you'd die now, it would ruin her as well."
"Think about Miyako. She's the woman who raised you. Sure, she isn't your biological mother, but she is still your mother, and no mother should have to bury her child."
"And I… think about me… I know, I'm being selfish, but I need you to live. I couldn't forgive myself if I couldn't save the person that saved me."
The salty breeze of the ocean blew through his hair and into his nose. The uneven ground of the forest pressed against his feet. The cold sweat slowly made its way down his forehead and upper back. The shivers in Akane's hand ran into his body like an electrical current. But Aqua, he noticed none of this. He wasn't even there anymore. Sure, his body stood right where it belonged, with its gaze hanging low, but he was trapped inside his own mind.
Akane is right…
If I were to die today, all these people would be hurt.
It was so egoistic of me to ever get this close to them…
This changes nothing.
Their pain would be temporary and eventually fade.
Eventually it will be nothing more than a faint memory.
I will fade out of their minds as if I never existed.
…It has to be…
The sliver of light stayed for another moment before another cloud plunged Aqua's expression back into utter darkness. But this moment was enough. Akane already saw it. His eyes; his mouth; his nose. It terrified even her. The way he looked back at her was barely human. He looked as if the concept of desperation had taken human form.
"I cannot stop now," he said in a voice that was definitely too loud for their current situation. "I cannot risk anyone being hurt because of my ego ever again."
Akane wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh louder than she ever laughed before. She wanted to laugh louder than anyone had ever laughed before. She wanted to laugh, cry, and scream at him. But the sheer thought of Kamiki finding them made her settle with a quiet whimper instead.
It was almost over; B-Komachi had burnt through almost the entirety of their usual setlist. "Where is he?" Kamiki mumbled to himself as he looked around, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible while doing so.
Aqua wasn't the only one that came with a plan tonight. Kamiki had it all figured out perfectly. There was no way in which Aqua would've approached him and lived while he himself didn't. However, as even the very first step of Aqua approaching him failed and crashed down onto him, even someone as cold as Kamiki couldn't completely contain his emotions.
He shifted left and right, trying less to keep the agenda up and more to actually find Aqua, who he was sure hid himself somewhere close.
Is Aqua trying to trick me?
No, it's impossible. He cannot harm me, and he knows it.
But what is it then?
Why is he not here?
I was certain he would fall for the bait.
Kamiki dropped the facade entirely and shoved his phone into his pocket. He was completely oblivious to what was going on just a few meters away from him.
Akane had, by now, both hands placed on Aqua's cheeks, cupping them while staring up at him where his eyes should be.
"You really don't get it…" she mumbled. "You are egoistic, and this time you would never be able to fix it afterward… You don't deserve to die, and Ruby, Kana, and Miyako don't deserve the pain this would bring them either."
With a hollow thud, Aqua's knife hit the desolate forest ground, the sound of it barely loud enough for even Akane to hear.
Aqua's surroundings suddenly began to feel eerily quiet. The rustling disappeared, and the distant waves merely whispered. The world around him dipped into more darkness than ever before.
She is right. I would cause pain.
But it's for the greater good.
I'm doing this for the others, for Kana, for Ruby…
I am doing this for them.
I am not an egoist…
Akane pulled Aqua's limp body into a tight hug as she felt him slowly start to collapse in on himself. She gasped quietly, holding his body up with all her might, the weight almost being too much for her.
Aqua's mind raced with thoughts. Possibilities and probabilities shot through his head while his body hung limp. The only reason he was not lying on the ground was because of Akane, who was still holding him. He didn't even notice what was going on around him.
NO,
I can't.
I can't drag Akane, or anyone for that matter, into this.
Sure, I would hurt them if I died.
Their pain will be temporary; once I'm gone, they will move on eventually.
They will occasionally think back in melancholy, but they will make it…
…
…But what if I'm wrong?
Suddenly, the rustling wind turned thunderous like a raging storm. The once whispering waves exploded against the corroded cliffs. The hooting owl nearly split his ear in two. Aqua was back, and that was just in the right moment, as Akane noticed Kamiki standing far closer than before, carefully searching through the thicket around them.
She shook Aqua, first gently, then rough. Her own eyes had begun to fill up with genuine fear. "Aqua, it's time to go," she whispered as she peeked past him.
Kamiki walked along the first layer of trees, carefully peeking behind each one of them. He was still way off last time Akane saw him, but she actually lost him, and it terrified her to death. Seeing Kamiki was bad, but not seeing him was a trillion times worse.
Akane groaned quietly before whispering into Aqua's ear. "You never trusted anyone other than yourself, Aqua. What I mean is, please try it, try trusting me and the others too, just this once."
She carefully took a step, tugging on Aqua's hand. Much to her surprise, he actually followed. This was a good thing, right? Then, if that's the case. Why did her heart sink into the ground?
He is not resisting at all.
I was in time to save his flesh.
Let's hope I was also in time to save his soul.