After seeing Aqua's acting, a memory from the past suddenly flashed through my mind.
Yes, was that back when Aqua first performed for Ai's sake...?
"Aqua, that was amazing! You're a genius, a total genius!! It was such a disgustingly good performance!!"
"....Is that really the kind of feedback you give your own son, Ai?"
"Is that even feedback for a kid?"
I think Aqua and I said those words simultaneously in response to Ai's comment back then....
And after that, Ai grabbed hold of Aqua.
"Truly amazing! If it's Aqua, you could surely become a more incredible actor than anyone else!!"
That's right, since I had no intention of being an actor at the time, I agreed with Ai's thoughts. I had faith that Aqua would surely become an outstanding performer.
"Aqua....."
As my short trip down memory lane ended, I looked back at Aqua, who was still acting.
'To be honest, Aqua's emotional acting cannot be called clean, but it was perfect.'
'I think he fits the role of Toki—someone who loses a precious person and is consumed by anger and sorrow—incredibly well.'
'But.... Aqua, you still look like you're in pain and suffering.'
"Aqua..... is it still too hard for you to set down the burden in your heart...."
I lowered my head after those words, and Ai gently embraced me.
"It's okay, Yume.... Aqua will surely overcome it... after all."
Aqua is our precious son.
"Ah.... that's right... he will....."
At Ai's comfort.... for the first time, I shed tears in her arms.
Because it was so painful, because I couldn't handle it alone....
In Ai's arms, I simply prayed and prayed again that Aqua could win this fight.
SIDE: Hoshino Aqua
Hoshino Aqua's emotional acting was definitely good.
But because of that, Hoshino Aqua, who looked even more tormented, soon began to think.
[That's it. Suffer a bit more.]
[Did you think you saw light in Arima Kana?]
[Do you truly believe you found an understanding partner by meeting Akane Kurokawa?]
[Is this acting you're doing right now fun? Are you happy?]
[Are you thinking you want to forget everything like this and lead a fun life filled with romance and youth?]
[Or do you think your father, Hoshino Yume, will handle your revenge for you?]
[He surely could solve it. Yume has that kind of power. But I have no intention of allowing a conclusion worse than a third-rate novel.]
[Unless the person who drove Yume to his death is made to suffer the same fate as Yume, this emotion will not be released.]
[Until that person who tried to kill Ai is sliced to pieces and crushed, until his body and mind are tormented into tasting a hell more agonizing than death.]
You have no right to be happy.
Hearing those words, Aqua thought. No, it occurred to him naturally. He knew who the person speaking to him like this was.
"You....? No. You are me."
He could tell instinctively. The shadow slowly vanished, and the figure that emerged was none other than his past self.
"Myself, who was powerless and could do nothing. Myself, burning with regret."
That was right. In the past, Hoshino Aqua could do nothing while Hoshino Yume lay dying from a knife wound.
A doctor from a past life? But that was in his past life. Even if that knowledge remained, as a mere child, he could do nothing.
"The resentment. The sadness. I'll use those emotions of yours—the ones that never want to feel that way again."
To Hoshino Aqua.... what was acting?
"The battle is over! Take the wounded to the doctor!"
Blade shouted while holding out his sword, but unfortunately.
"It's too late. She's lost too much blood. 'Sayahime' cannot be saved."
Sayahime had lost too much blood; she was in no state to get up.
"Wait. This girl's sword is a blade that transfers wounds. A ruler's sword that can transfer one's own injuries to subordinates, but she..."
She used it to transfer her comrades' wounds to herself. That rings a bell, doesn't it? I have it, too.
This is the first time after a battle that nowhere on my body hurts. It's the first time I've received such mercy from an enemy."
Tsurugi spoke while caressing her own body.
"Could it be that from the start, she intended to settle the fight like this....."
"Seriously... the original way to use this scabbard is this!!!!"
Blade and Tsurugi grabbed the scabbard where Sayahime's sword was sheathed and just like that.....
'I had that selfish dream so many times.'
'Wishing for some convenient miracle, like in a novel.'
'If only I, who could do nothing then, had helped Yume.'
'That fleeting dream of something already passed that could never come true....'
As the bright light faded, Sayahime, who had her eyes closed, slowly opened them.
In Hoshino Aqua's eyes, another scene began to slowly manifest.
Yume's body, which had collapsed after being stabbed, began to slowly rise and then sat down on the floor.
Then, looking slowly at Aqua, he reached out both arms. As if telling him to come quickly.
Seeing that, Aqua could no longer hold back the overflowing emotions and ran crying toward Yume, who was holding out his arms.
"Ah... aaa........ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Yume!! YUMEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"
Yume comfortably embraced the rushing Aqua and said while slowly stroking his hair.
"What is it, Aqua..... To show your father this kind of spoiled side that you never even showed Ai... I'm quite happy, you know?"
Aqua remained buried in Yume's embrace.
"Hahaha!! Our Aqua is such a worrier..... This father is not such a weak person that he'd die just from being hit by a knife like this~"
Hearing Yume's words, Aqua slowly raised his head to face him. And he could see it.
"So, our Aqua should stop dwelling on the past and move forward, too. Ah, it's a promise with Dad, okay?"
"Yes... yeah...!!! ...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
With those words, Aqua firmly smashed the 'wall' that prevented him from moving forward.
'How much had I wished.... for that impossible dream to maybe not be impossible after all.'
SIDE: Hoshino Yume
"Ah.... aaa..... AAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
I saw it. I saw it clearly. That our child, our precious family member and son, Aqua, finally became honest with his emotions.
That he had smashed whatever 'wall' was firmly blocking his way and that only walking proudly forward remained.
I realized it instinctively.
"Ai.... Ai....!"
"Yes. Yume, Ai sees it too. I don't think we need to worry about Aqua anymore."
"Ah.. that's right... our son doesn't have to suffer anymore....!! He doesn't have to suffer while acting anymore....!!"
I couldn't stop the streaming tears, and I noticed tears were falling from Ai's eyes as she held me.
"He's truly our son."
"....Yes!"
Although our tears wouldn't stop, we looked utterly ridiculous being unable to hide our bursts of laughter, but it was fine. It was just me and Ai here.
Since we could witness Aqua's growth, there was no reason to hide these overflowing emotions.
Eventually, by the time the stage of Tokyo Blade was nearing its end, Ai and I regained our composure, cleaned up our tear streaks, and walked out onto the stage for the final greetings.
After the stage ended and everyone headed to their respective waiting rooms, just as Ai and I were heading to ours.
".....Did you both cry?"
"Oh, did you catch us?"
"..As expected of our son?"
When Aqua, who was suddenly walking naturally behind us, asked, Ai and I couldn't even think about hiding it.
"That's right, Aqua. It's thanks to the acting you showed at the end."
"What!?"
"Mm-hmm! Truly the son of Yume and me!!"
"Don't say that so loud, you idiot!!!!"
Aqua said as he covered Ai's mouth, and I just watched the two of them.
"You've changed, Aqua. You've crossed... the wall."
"....It's not to that extent."
"Haha... then, is acting.... fun?"
Recognizing the intent behind my question, Aqua seemed to deliberate for a moment, but then.
".....'Not yet,' I suppose."
"I see. That answer is sufficient. Now, Aqua, go and get some rest in the waiting room."
".....Okay."
Aqua left our waiting room after those words, and Ai and I just.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahah!!"
"Hahahahaha!!"
Looked at each other and laughed.
SIDE: Arima Kana
"I'm so tireeeeeeeeed!!! I want to go home quickly, take off my socks, and just roll around the flooooooor!!!!!"
Having finished the stage, Arima Kana was in her dressing room with MEM-cho, Hoshino Ruby, and Miyako, who had come to visit.
"This fatigue is no joke for the first time in a while.... And I have to do this for another month!? It'll be hard to do even better than today!!!"
MEM-cho, watching Arima Kana grumble about being tired, soon chimed in.
"Sorry you're tired, but we're going to film a video for YouTube at the office after this, you know?"
"Whaaaaat~!!!"
She simply ignored Arima Kana's complaints with that statement.
Meanwhile, Hoshino Ruby looked at Arima Kana.
"Senpai... you really are an actress, aren't you?"
"I...... don't know much about the stage..... but you're a really incredible actress, right?"
"Why bring that up now out of the blue....."
"You're an acting genius, not an idol, right?"
"Hmph! That's right, I'm....."
Just as the corners of her mouth were about to turn up at Ruby's praise.
"I'm not a genius. Looking at Yume-senpai or Ai-senpai, who are actually called geniuses, naturally makes me realize it. I'm just desperately following those geniuses.
Acting like a genius while doing whatever you want on stage is quite a simple thing. Carefree acting is surprisingly easy to spot.
What's truly difficult is..."
Arima Kana suddenly remembered.
[Akane Kurokawa was alien back then.]
[It wasn't just the acting of 'Sayahime,' but 'something else' was carried within it.]
[A technique I could never hope to imitate.]
[A tremendous presence.]
[To the point where it triggered Aqua's acting to explode.]
"Being able to do it so nonchalantly is what talent is."
"Ugh... Argh!! It's frustrating!! It's annoying!! I'll definitely put her in her place during the run!!!!!!!"
SIDE: Hoshino Yume
What was that? I suddenly had a premonition that I heard Kana-chan's cry of anger....!?
And then, I slowly made my way toward the rooftop.