Chapter 3: Hikaru Hoshino
Inside the waiting hall of Miyazaki Airport, a flight attendant was politely verifying Hikaru's identity: "May I have your name, please?"
"...Hikaru Kamiki," Hikaru answered reluctantly.
If possible, he wanted to change his name as soon as possible. Hikaru didn't like living under someone else's identity; he preferred to be himself. Even if Kamiki weren't a cross-border criminal, Hikaru would still insist on changing it. A name is a person's code, the most intuitive distinction in modern society. While he was powerless over the physical body for now, he was determined to fight for a new name.
After verifying his name and checking his belongings, Hikaru boarded the plane with ease, which felt strange to him.
He really wanted to ask, "Isn't your passenger identification process a bit too lax?" But in the end, he was too embarrassed to say it, feeling it might be a matter of common sense he lacked.
Stepping out of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Hikaru looked around and saw a stocky man with glasses waving at him. He immediately realized this short, chubby man was Hikaru's manager, Keigo Miura.
Miura didn't look very tall, likely between 1.6 to 1.7 meters. He was slightly stout but not to the point of being "obese." He wasn't wearing a suit, opting instead for a black hoodie and light brown cargo pants, looking like a typical office worker.
Hikaru nodded inwardly. Based on his build and aura, he didn't look like Kamiki's accomplice...
Of course, it could all be an act. After all, a person's essence cannot be judged by their appearance. Judged solely by his skin, Kamiki didn't look bad either; in fact, that handsome face had helped him deceive many people.
Keigo Miura might not be trustworthy, but Hikaru himself wasn't exactly a cautious person. If one pursues a life of zero risk, they are destined to miss many opportunities. Besides, he had no time left for hesitation.
Hikaru's memory was excellent, so he still remembered the time displayed on Ai's phone in the anime before Ryosuke showed up at her door—6:00 AM.
The sky had darkened without him noticing. Outside Haneda Airport, the crowds were bustling. The streets were lined with various restaurants, most of them doing a roaring trade with a steady stream of customers. Businessmen carrying briefcases hurried past him, disappearing into the crowd in the blink of an eye without leaving a ripple.
Ah, so it was already dinner time.
Hikaru realized belatedly.
At most, he had fifteen hours of preparation time left. He had to pick up the pace.
For this, even taking some risks was worth it.
"Kamiki?" Keigo Miura called out tentatively.
Hikaru smiled and walked up, nodding to Miura.
He stretched his body and then covered his left eye with his right hand.
"I am a descendent who drifted here from the multiverse. So the previous owner of this body was named Kamiki? What a fine vessel."
"..."
Keigo Miura froze for a few seconds before quickly dragging Hikaru away.
"What on earth are you doing?" he said with a pained expression once they were away from the crowd. "Watch the time and place for your jokes."
"I was just afraid I'd startle you," Hikaru said with a smile. "So I gave you a little shock first."
"Why would I be startled?" Miura found it strange.
"Because I have amnesia," Hikaru said airily. "Yeah, the real deal. I'm not joking this time."
Looking at the familiar yet strange face before him, Miura's breath hitched.
After the phone call with Hikaru Kamiki, he had felt something was wrong, perhaps that an accident had occurred. As it turned out, was it really this kind of bizarre development?!
The former field manager who had followed Hikaru Kamiki for years had, after much tempering, become the second-in-command of the theater's production management department. He had stepped in to fill the vacant field manager position.
Although he was called a manager, it wasn't much different from being an assistant—the work was heavy, and the pay was low. Everyone knew field managers had little future, but as long as one accumulated experience, there was a chance to rise to Chief one day! It was precisely because he valued Kamiki's acting skills and future that Miura had proactively taken this job.
He had picked up a ticking time bomb!
"My God, I must be dreaming." Miura slapped his face hard, but he was still there.
"You can think of it as schizophrenia or multiple personalities, or just treat me as a simple amnesiac. Anyway..."
"I am no longer Hikaru Kamiki."
——————
Since things had come to this, it was time to eat.
So Hikaru pulled Miura and ducked into a nearby ramen shop. Although there were many customers, it wasn't overcrowded. The two sat down easily, followed by a heavy silence.
"The decor here is quite nice," Hikaru spoke first. "It has a vibrant feel to it."
Miura turned his head stiffly to look around. "Isn't this just a very normal ramen shop? The smell seems authentic, though."
"Oh, how would I know if it's authentic? After all, this is my first time eating Japanese ramen."
Hikaru said with a grin.
"Nice to meet you, my name is... Hikaru Hoshino."
After hesitating for dozens of seconds, he eventually chose this name, even though he knew well it would cause trouble. Using this surname gave him a strangely thrilling sensation, as if he were already family with Ai Hoshino.
Tsk, that was a bit cringe.
"I can understand the amnesia," Keigo Miura said while scribbling on the order sheet. "But is there a need to change your identity? Wouldn't it be better to just accept everything from the past and keep living?"
This was Miura's honest thought and the advice he gave as a manager. From a realistic perspective, making such a choice was more rational. After all, Kamiki was an actor who was already somewhat famous in the industry. Changing his name and identity so abruptly could likely flush all his accumulated fame down the drain. For someone in the entertainment industry, that was undoubtedly fatal.
"But I want a fresh start."
Miura's hand holding the menu froze. He slowly looked up at the blonde man across the table. Though the face was the same as before, the feeling it gave off was completely different. The old Kamiki was very approachable; he could quickly close the distance with anyone and was like a fish in water at the theater.
But he also seemed to lack personality, never losing his temper and never bothering others. He only helped others solve problems, never minding his own affairs.
It was almost... as if he wasn't a living human being.
Although he looked kind when he squinted his eyes, Miura felt a bit afraid for some reason—perhaps he just had a natural aversion to people who smiled with their eyes closed.
Looking now at this person calling himself "Hikaru Hoshino," he never squinted while talking. His wide-open sky-blue eyes held a bit of youthful sincerity—perhaps this was more fitting for his actual age.
"Fine," Miura sighed. "I'll help you start over. What exactly do you want to do?"
"First, help me contact the media to release a story. Publicly disclose my amnesia."
That certainly wasn't enough; amnesia doesn't grant legal immunity. It would be best to go to a proper hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. That way, if Kamiki's crimes were exposed, he wouldn't be completely without an exit strategy.
But that was for later. Right now, Ai's situation was more important.
—How to save Ai Hoshino?
Regarding this question, Hikaru Hoshino had thought long and hard on the plane.
The key didn't lie in stopping Ryosuke from assassinating Ai, but in Ryosuke himself. Even if the assassination failed, Ryosuke would definitely have a massive negative impact on Ai's life.
He might expose Ai's illegitimate children; he might harass her life; he might even strike again someday in the future, launching a surprise attack on the street with a homemade firearm.
Given existing precedents, Hikaru Hoshino fully believed this was possible.
Offense is the best defense.
Rather than living in fear every day, worrying when this ticking time bomb would go off, it was better to take the initiative and defuse the bomb.
"Do you have anything else to do later? Could you drop me off at the Lalalai Theatrical Company? I want to see Mr. Kindaichi and discuss my future path."
Miura looked a bit conflicted. "At this hour, Mr. Kindaichi should have finished work and won't be at the theater."
"Wait, didn't you say you have amnesia? How do you remember that so clearly?"
"Kamiki had a habit of keeping a diary on his phone. To be honest, it's helped me a lot." Hikaru Hoshino told a casual lie. "It doesn't matter if Mr. Kindaichi isn't there; I just want to go and take a look at the theater."
"Just to see if I still have a talent for acting."