❝ 𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄! ❞ . AETHER HAREM

## 𝐜𝐡 . 𝟓

❝ 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭? ❞
୨୧ ꒱ 　i stood still as it felt like i spinning　;

Aether
IM NOT READY
IM NOT READY,,, TT
I THINK DCKZ KNOWS / AYATO TOLD THEM WERE GONNA HAVE A MEETING TMRW IRL ;;
AND
IM
GONNA
HAVE
TO
SEE
AYATO
AGAIN

Lumine
IS THAT NOT A GOOD THING????

Aether
NO
NOT FOR ME

Lumine
WHAT
YK IM STILL IN CONTACT W AYA
SHE LITERALLY SAYS SHES GONNA SNEAK JS TO SEE U AGAIN
BC SHE MISSES U

Aether
YES
BECAUSE
I,,,
yk,,,
ghosted ,,,
them,,,
left them,,,
to focus on idoling,,,,
:((

Lumine
Oh

Aether
please, don't.

Lumine
uta

Aether
reddit reference,, ?

Lumine
yes
<3

Aether
imm ssorrryy
they commentws onnmy post
and i feel bad,,,
ayato is the reason i was even able to be an idol in the first place
ayaka doesn't knoq i'm doing this on purpose ;; shw just thinks i'm really busy
ayato knows though
he greeted me a long goodbye after he gave up on trying to text me daily
i think that was when 3ternal or something,,,
i only replied to ayaka's comment not ayatoo hwhshsiswj

Lumine
aether...

Aether
NAO
NO SCOLDING
I ALREADY DO IT MYSELF

Lumine
I DONT WANT U TO DO THAT EITHER???

━━━━━━━━━━

Truth be told, Aether didn’t want to be part of this collaboration either. Given his complicated history with Ayato and Ayaka, it was something he had been quietly dreading since the idea first came up. Memories of their past lingered in the back of his mind, and he knew it wouldn’t be easy to set them aside. Still, he didn’t want to make a scene or turn it into a big deal; he was the angel after all, the one who was always calm, composed, and agreeable.

So, his own feelings shall not be considered.

After 3ternal disbanded, Ayato and the others simply started working for them, largely because Raiden "insisted" on it.

Of course, Aether never meant to leave anyone behind on purpose—heavens, no! It was just that... he was such a dedicated, hardworking person, always focused on his responsibilities and goals.

He gave everything he had into this idol life, dedicating himself fully and giving it his heart and soul.

And that had to come with a price.

Pushing others away, working himself to the bone, rarely having a moment for himself or anyone else—Aether endured it all. He was constantly exhausted, every step feeling like an obstacle he had to overcome. This was the weight he carried to pursue his dreams.

Aether never replied to Ayato’s comment, but he did respond to Ayaka’s.

Ayato knew it was intentional.

He knew Aether wasn’t simply “too busy”—but Ayaka didn’t. That was the trouble with Ayato. He was too clever, too observant, catching onto every little sign. It was a quality Aether once admired. Ayato had always been thoughtful, caring, and inclusive, making sure Aether felt like he belonged. But now, given everything between them, that same sharp intuition was something Aether resented.