𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬; 𝙰𝚚𝚞𝚊 𝙷𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚘

𝟎𝟎𝟒

"There was an attempted murder of Ai-san from the idol team named B Komachi. Before dawn, the news of 'a guy stabbing a woman' spread from her house in Tokyo. Even though the police came immediately, the woman who was thought to be Ai-san and stabbed in the stomach was lying on the floor in blood. It was later announced that she had fallen into a coma at the hospital she was taken to. Doctors stated that they did not know when the woman would wake up.

"The man who was thought to be a criminal is thought to be a fanatical fan of Ai-san. He attempted suicide a few hours after the incident and it was found that the man set himself on fire in an old and ruined house. According to the metropolitan police, Ai-san had just moved in and during the investigation the criminal was found to have committed a crime. It has been announced that the planned dome concert has been canceled and the fans waiting in front of the venue were very upset."

I was impatiently watching the news. Ryosuke had indeed burned and killed himself.

Although I loathe myself for saying this, I found myself with unbelievably great joy. 

How could I think like that? My role in the death of a murderer I already knew was going to die was minor, I just convinced him of a more painful way to die. Should I have stopped him? But then it would be unfair to Ai. I didn't want the man to live while Ai was sleeping for a long time in his bed.

Would I be a monster because I didn't stop the man or didn't let him kill himself with a quick dead? Or would I be a monster because I found myself with a strange satisfaction when I thought the man died in pain?

I didn't know. But I didn't even care anymore.

Because I had succeeded, even though I was a child, I had saved Ai from death. Yes, she was in a coma, but it was better than dead, right? Besides, there was nothing I could do to since Ryosuke force into the house. That's all I could do.

Still, looking at Aqua and Ruby's sad faces, I felt like I needed to do more. 

Ruby was crying every day reading comments about Ai on her phone. No matter how many times I told her not to read it, it was as if Ruby was reading all these disgusting comments and trying to turn her pain into anger. 

I knew Ruby would come out of this situation. She would be back to her old cheerful self. Maybe even because Ai didn't die, she would heal faster than before. Although I wasn't sure exactly because while we weren't there and Ai was trying to hide with her children, Ruby was probably traumatized but there was still hope and it was enough.

Things weren't so good with Aqua though.

Not much was known about the twins' mental health after Ai's death, neither in the manga nor in the anime. It's true that they were both devastated and then sought revenge but I didn't know what they went through until they accepted Ai's death.

Until now.

Aqua looked empty before realizing that his father was after this. As if he had no reason to live. Although Aqua was a distant person who avoided contact, he was constantly holding my hand during this process, as if he was trying to remind himself that I was alive and hold on to life. The three of us stayed with Miyako, as my father couldn't take much care of me while arranging Ai's hospital expenses and accommodation for the twins. Aqua had nightmares every night, hugging me tightly and crying silently.