Oshi No Ko; You are my World (SEASON 2 BAYBEH)

49: A call

Aqua and Ruby watched helplessly from their cozy corner in the living room as Ai sat on the couch, her eyes seemingly lost in longing as she stared at her own reflection on the flat screen TV. The room was adorned with silver spears of moonlight that spilled across the smooth, pristine marble floor, while a soft purple carpet covered a good half of the room. The warm atmosphere, however, did nothing to lift Ai's spirits.

"What do we do... Mama has been like this for weeks now," Ruby whispered aggressively, holding up her chubby little hands to count the passing weeks.

Aqua furrowed his brows, not knowing how to offer solace. "I don't think there's anything we can do," he admitted, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a sigh. "As much as I hate to admit it, Y/N is the only one who can make her feel better, but..."

"The man is denser than you are."

Aqua and Ruby nodded in agreement to their words as they turned to look at Kana and Akane, who had yet to leave despite the lateness of the hour. They seemed to be in on a secret they couldn't quite grasp.

"You two have been staying over more often lately," Ruby accused, squinting at them suspiciously.

Kana and Akane exchanged glances, avoiding the accusation. "Hey, maybe we should help Ai-chan take her mind off things?" Kana suggested, running around Aqua and poking him in the back.

"Yeah, that's a good idea, right?"

Aqua hesitated but ultimately relented, sighing helplessly at Kana's persistence. "I guess so," he agreed reluctantly, knowing that once Kana set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

"I think he's worse than Y/N."

"Probably."

Ruby and Akane whispered to each other, making Aqua groan in frustration. He was a man of medicine, not psychology, and couldn't fathom their cryptic conversation. Deciding it was best to ignore them, Aqua stood up.

"How can we help Ai take her mind off things?" he asked Kana, who grinned mischievously and sent him a wink before running up to Ai.

"Auntie Ai!" Kana called out boldly, surprising everyone, including Ai herself. "What is it, Kana?" Ai replied, and the forlorn expression on her face vanished, replaced by a bright smile as Kana confidently plopped herself down on the sofa beside her.

"Well, uh... I was just wondering what you were thinking about," Kana innocently asked, leaning in with curious eyes.

Ai giggled nervously, screaming inwardly at the sudden attention. "Oh, you know, just thinking about what to cook for dinner, since you and Akane-chan are staying over," she replied, pretending to be deep in thought.

But the kids saw through her lie, and their innocent smiles turned into knowing ones.

"Mama! Mama! I heard from Kana and Akane that Y/N's almost done with their movie!"

Ruby couldn't help but blurt out the news, much to Aqua's dismay. But Ai's eyes immediately lit up with delight at the mention of Y/N.

"How is he? Is his acting good?" she eagerly asked, completely captivated by the topic.

"Yeah! The director said that Y/N might become the top of the industry in 5 years or so!"

"Woah, that's high praise. How did Y/N react?"

Kana scoffed and stood on top of the sofa, placing her hands on her waist as she imitated Y/N's prideful smile.

"Naturally." Kana muttered in a low voice before plopping herself down on the sofa once again.

"Like that."

"That's so like him," Ai giggled, and Aqua reluctantly joined in the conversation.

"But he keeps leaving me alone when I need him the most," Aqua sighed, hoping for some advice.

"Because you deserve it!" Kana and Akane exclaimed in unison, causing Aqua to fall off the back of the couch he was clinging to.

"You might need some help on that, but I'm not really sure if Y/N is the one you should be asking," Ai giggled anxiously before glancing at her phone.

"...it's late, I wonder why he hasn't come home yet."

Concern filled her voice, but it wasn't merely for Y/N's safety. What if he was out at a bar, flirting with other girls? The thought made her pout in salty frustration with tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment before dialing Y/N's phone, wanting to ask him to come home immediately and be with her. But as the phone rang, she whispered to herself, "Wait," and quickly ended the call. Her heart was in turmoil, wondering if it was really love that she felt for him, or if it was just an obsession.

Was it natural for her to act this way when they weren't even officially dating? Could she just be obsessed? What are the basis for loving someone in the first place?

"...I need to sort things out," Ai whispered to herself as she hurriedly stood up, leaving her phone on the table before running up the stairs to her room.

"Man, they're both hopeless." Aqua shrugged with a helpless sigh before flinching from the sudden aura he felt from Kana, who glanced at her with salty eyes.

"Don't say that, don't say that Aqua-kun." Akane advised him immediately, and Aqua wholeheartedly accepted it.