Chapter 52: The Half-True Past
"Do you have anything you want to say?"
Hikaru Hoshino had to admit that when he heard those words, his mind went blank for a few seconds.
*Am I exposed?*
*Did Aqua discover the terrible things Kamiki did? Did he find out about the connection between me and Ryosuke?*
After all, he was the protagonist; it wouldn't be strange if he had uncovered something. In the original story, Aqua's IQ was naturally high. Even if he often behaved in confusing ways, it didn't change his character setting as a high-IQ genius.
*His deviation score must be around 80, right?* If Hikaru had his way, he'd tell the boy to forget medical school and acting—just go straight to Tokyo University. His future would be a smooth road to becoming a social elite.
After all, in Japan, being an actor isn't nearly as respectable as being a doctor or a lawyer.
An image flashed before Hikaru's eyes: accompanied by the intro to *Mephisto*, Aqua draws Frostmourne and coldly plunges it into his chest. Then the scene shifts, freezing on a page titled "Episode 9: A Devoted Father and Filial Son."
To be honest, it was a bit terrifying. But reality certainly wouldn't play out that way.
After thinking it over, Hikaru realized where the problem lay. Whether it was stopping Ryosuke at the very last second or leaving a bodyguard behind just as Ai was attacked yesterday, his actions smelled of precognition. It was only natural for Aqua to be suspicious.
Despite these thoughts, Hikaru certainly wouldn't say them out loud. Maintaining a stoic face, he looked down at Aqua. "I have nothing to say."
"You're only four years old. Even if I told you everything, what could you possibly do?"
Aqua fell silent.
*Right. Even if I knew, what could I do?*
*It's nothing but added frustration.*
Even he had to admit that this child's body was incapable of doing anything. He wasn't Conan; he didn't have a bunch of strange gadgets. It was hard to resist an adult male, and his weak body couldn't even perform basic first aid on someone else. If someone wanted to attack Ai, the most he could do was stand in front of her to buy two seconds.
As for deduction... perhaps there was potential there, but how could he make anyone believe what he said? Adults would only listen on the surface; they would never truly take it to heart, let alone follow the instructions of a four-year-old.
But Aqua still wanted to help. He was sick of the past where he could do nothing but watch from the sidelines. He wanted to do something—anything within his power, even if it was just a little bit.
Looking at the man in front of him, he felt a sudden impulse to spill everything. If he told Hikaru about his past life as Goro Amamiya, would Hikaru be willing to tell him everything in return? Proving it wouldn't be an issue, as long as he stopped hiding the "otherness" about him that didn't match his age...
Aqua took a deep breath.
To help Ai, he was willing to do anything.
Just a second before Aqua could speak, Hikaru preempted him.
Hikaru seemed to have sensed something, and the look he gave Aqua was quite intrigued.
"Even though you can't really help, as an involved party, it's not right to keep you in the dark forever. Come with me. Let's talk somewhere else."
The two took the elevator all the way up and climbed onto the hotel's rooftop. It was early, so there was no one around, and the space was wide and empty. The distant sun was halfway up, casting orange-yellow light across the concrete floor and stretching long shadows behind them.
The midsummer morning was already carrying a hint of stifling heat. Aqua stood behind the railing, but due to his height, he couldn't see anything. Hikaru, however, could see the two connected mountains in the distance. He subconsciously looked for the spot where Goro Amamiya had died, but unfortunately, he couldn't find it.
"Four years ago, a sudden notice of pregnancy led to the breakup between Ai and me."
"She was an idol, I was an actor. Having children at that time was undoubtedly a major blow to our futures. I suggested she have an abortion, but she insisted on giving birth to you. Unable to reach an agreement, we eventually parted on bad terms." A touch of melancholy colored Hikaru's gaze. "Back then, I was a scumbag. I felt that since she decided to give birth, it had nothing to do with me. So, for the next four years, I ignored you both and continued my twisted climb upward in the industry."
Aqua's right eye instantly turned pitch black: "Stop. Any more and I'll want to take a swing at you."
Hikaru reached out and covered Aqua's right eye. "For four years, I drifted through different cities. Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto, even China—I left my footprints everywhere. After drifting for so long, I finally had an epiphany..."
Aqua's voice remained cold: "And after this 'epiphany,' you came back to find us?"
"No." Hikaru shook his head. "I finally realized I was a scumbag through and through, with no room for change. Thus, the God of this world couldn't stand it anymore and dealt a heavy blow to my soul, finally allowing me to turn over a new leaf."
"God? What God..." Aqua, about to scoff, remembered his own reincarnation and shut his mouth.
"Doesn't Ai change what she calls me all the time? I truly did lose my memory. 'Kamiki' is what the old me was called, while 'Hoshino' is for the current me. Does that make sense?"
"I see..." Aqua realized, but then immediately voiced his doubt: "If you lost your memory, how can you talk about 'four years ago' so specifically? You don't act like someone with amnesia."
"Not at all, not at all. Memory isn't the only way to understand the past. As a person walks through this world, they always leave traces in various places; that's the only way to prove you've been here. Social media accounts, old acquaintances, diaries, various details of daily life... there are many ways to understand the past. You just need to pick up the small fragments of life and carefully fill in the blanks in your memory."
Aqua seemed convinced, the black star in his eye gradually fading. "I see."
Hikaru suddenly said out of the blue, "But to this day, I haven't been able to fill the holes in my memory. I don't know much more about the past than you do."
"Then how did you describe it so clearly?"
"I made it up." Hikaru looked perfectly nonchalant.
Aqua took another deep breath, feeling himself nearly choking with anger.
"I've realized it now—you really are a man full of lies."
"Thank you for the compliment." Hikaru smiled slightly. "For someone in the entertainment industry, that is truly a wonderful word of praise."
*Lies...* Aqua immediately thought of Ai. Having lived with her for four years, he knew that she too was a person full of lies, which made him even angrier.
"I'm not very clear on things from the past either. I'm just calculating based on the available intelligence. Ai often says that I am a completely different person from the past. It would be best if you could see me that way too."
Hikaru looked at Aqua cheerfully, but Aqua turned his face away. "We'll see."
"Now, back to the topic of yesterday's attack. I know what you want to ask—you want to know if I had advance warning."
Hikaru's expression became serious.
"My answer is: No. I did not have advance warning. Regarding yesterday's attack, I am still feeling a lingering fear even now."
"I simply happen to know the mastermind behind this. He sent me a challenge before launching the attack."
"Shin'ichiro Ishigami." Hikaru uttered the name expressionlessly.
"He is likely the same person who instigated Ryosuke to murder Dr. Amamiya and attempt to assassinate Ai."
As Hikaru's words fell, Aqua froze completely on the spot.
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