Chapter 5: Nineteen, with Three Children
Taiki Himekawa...
It's been a while since I crossed over into this world. Is it finally time for us to meet?
On paper, he is the child of the actors Seijuro Uehara and Airi Himekawa, but in reality...
—He is the child born from Airi Himekawa's affair with Hikaru Kamiki.
In other words, that boy shares a direct blood tie with this body. In the original story, once Aqua reached adulthood and performed a DNA test, it was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt: Taiki Himekawa is his half-brother.
Hikaru Kamiki didn't just leave behind a mess; he left behind three children.
Hikaru Hoshino truly didn't know how to face these kids. He had zero experience playing the role of a father. Since Aqua and Ruby possessed memories of their past lives, Hikaru treated them more like fellow adults—their dynamic was closer to being friends.
He let out a frustrated sigh before following in Kindaichi's footsteps.
Even if he wasn't sure how to handle Taiki Himekawa, he had to go. He couldn't keep hiding from the boy forever.
Soon, Kindaichi led the group to Taiki's dressing room. Since Taiki Himekawa was adopted by the troupe, he lived, ate, and breathed at the theater, and naturally had a room of his own.
Kindaichi knocked, the door swung inward, and Hikaru looked down to see a young boy with black hair appearing before them.
Taiki Himekawa had somewhat messy black hair and thick, downward-sloping eyebrows that gave him a slightly melancholy look. His eyes weren't large, but they were sharp, with black pupils that betrayed a sense of calm and maturity far beyond his years. He wore an oversized grey T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a pair of worn-out white sneakers.
He was four years older than Aqua, but still very much a child—no glasses, no beard yet.
Observing him closely, Hikaru noticed that Taiki's hair seemed to catch the light in a way that looked a bit greasy. It gave off a slightly unkempt vibe, though his clothes were clean. He wasn't messy to the point of looking like a vagrant, but he definitely left the impression of someone who didn't care much about his personal image.
Toshirou Kindaichi quickly stated their purpose, asking Taiki to teach Aqua a bit about acting. Taiki looked troubled.
"Even if you say that..." Taiki scratched his scalp. "I just know how to act. I've never tried teaching anyone else, so I wouldn't know where to start."
"Just let him watch from the sidelines," Kindaichi said with a smile. "Aqua is smart; he'll pick up the tricks on his own. From what I've seen, his acting style is very similar to yours—the 'make do with what you have' type. Usually, these actors don't have standout raw talent, but they often have a wealth of experience."
"Of course, I'm not saying you lack talent," Kindaichi added quickly, realizing he'd misspoke. "Aqua is clearly a Method actor, but you're different. You blend the strengths of both the Representational and Method schools."
"You're a genius, Himekawa."
"No need to over-analyze it. I don't really care about all that," Taiki shook his head. "Besides, both he and I are still just kids. If you ask me, now isn't the time to be obsessing over acting skills. I'd rather just enjoy school and date some *gyaru* in my class."
Aqua was left speechless. This guy didn't even have memories of a past life; he was only a few years older than him, yet he was already thinking about dating?
Not exactly reliable.
Taiki Himekawa picked up a script and motioned for Aqua to follow. "Let's get one thing straight: I don't guarantee that watching my training will do anything for you."
As the group walked off, Toshirou Kindaichi watched them with a look of paternal pride.
"You seem very fond of Himekawa, Mr. Kindaichi," Hikaru initiated the conversation, hoping to learn more about the boy.
Hikaru couldn't bring himself to simply ignore Taiki. From the perspective of severing ties with Hikaru Kamiki's past, it might have been better to stay away and pretend he knew nothing. But he had already used Kamiki's identity to build a life with Ai. If he deliberately avoided Taiki, it would mean keeping only the beneficial relationships and discarding the unwanted responsibilities. While self-interest is human nature, it felt wrong.
At the very least, within his power, Hikaru wanted to look out for Taiki.
"He's the troupe's child, after all, and a blue-chip prospect," Kindaichi said. Once the kids were out of earshot, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Hikaru.
Hikaru politely declined. "Thanks, but I'm not of age. I'll pass."
"Sorry, I keep forgetting," Kindaichi chuckled. "Kamiki always seemed so mature; I often forget his actual age. Even back then, despite that pretty-boy face, he kept getting more mature after Airi Himekawa died. He started giving off the vibe of a world-weary veteran."
Kindaichi exhaled a puff of smoke. "It's the same after the amnesia. You don't look nineteen at all."
"Come to think of it, Himekawa's parents—the Ueharas—used to be quite close to you. Seijuro Uehara taught you acting for a while, and Airi Himekawa looked after you quite a bit in the troupe."
He rubbed his bearded chin as he spoke. "I can't believe so many years have passed. Their kid is already this big."
"Is that so?" Hikaru played along. "I found some chat logs with the Himekawas on my phone. They really did help me a lot."
That was a lie.
There were no chat logs with those two on the phone. For whatever reason, Hikaru Kamiki had deleted all those social accounts. However, there were indeed bank transfer records from Airi Himekawa. Though the individual amounts weren't huge, they added up to a considerable sum.
It looked almost like pocket money given by Airi.
Hikaru Hoshino wasn't entirely sure what the nature of the relationship between Kamiki and Airi Himekawa had been; the manga hadn't updated to that part when he crossed over.
He thought for a moment and continued, "In that case, I want to help Taiki Himekawa. Would it be possible for me to fund a dedicated account specifically for his living expenses and education?"
Hikaru had been considering this for a while—thinking of ways to secretly help Taiki—and now he was putting the plan into action.
Taiki was adopted by the troupe and loved acting, so staying here was the right environment for him. Kindaichi might be a bit of a shark, but he treated his own people well and would cultivate Taiki's potential. However, since Taiki wasn't his biological child, his material conditions were inevitably lacking. Hikaru hoped his financial support would raise Taiki's quality of life.
Toshirou Kindaichi was surprised, but a gratified smile soon broke across his face. "If you're willing to do that, it's wonderful. While the troupe provides the basics, resources are limited. Extra funding for him would be a massive help."
"The old you wouldn't have done something like this," Kindaichi squinted, his lips curling into a grin, clearly happy about the influx of funds.
He spoke with genuine sincerity: "Well, compared to the old Hikaru Kamiki, I think I might like the current you much better."
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