Love Under The Spotlight | Oshi no Ko [Hoshino Aqua x OC]

Chapter 43

Luke was lying on his bed, watching Naoto, putting the souvenirs he had bought for his girlfriend in his suitcase. The cameras were still rolling for the day so all the members of Super Nova, who were sorted in two separate rooms, could talk without filters. However, even if they make a faux pas, it could still be cut from the final product since the reality show was produced by Diamond Entertainment.

"Are you sure it's all going to fit in your suitcase?" Luke asked. "You won't have enough place for your clothes with all those souvenirs."

Naoto had bought all sorts of average souvenirs, including Bangkok snowglobe, magnets, mugs, or keychains, and several garments too. At this point, Luke even doubted Naoto's girlfriend had enough space in her apartment to display all of that.

"Well, I know Kagura likes these kings of stuff so I can just buy another suitcase for my clothes later," Naoto replied. "Don't you plan on buying souvenirs for Hanabira-san?"

"Of course, I do," Luke said. "I just haven't decided what."

Naoto closed his suitcase and sat on his bed. "Don't you know what she wants?"

Luke averted his eyes away. "Is that a bad thing...?"

"Not necessarily, but at this point, shouldn't you know what she likes and doesn't like?"

Luke remained silent for a moment. Now that he thought about it, she and Himeka always talk about work. He knew that she liked learning new stuff and she was really into fashion, but did she like more specific things? What was her favorite food for instance?

"What... is attraction, exactly?" he instead asked.

Naoto was visibly surprised by the sudden question but still answered. "Well, it's when you feel drawn to someone. When you find them pretty and you want to know them more. When you are looking forward to seeing them or when you're happy just being in their presence. Eventually, you find yourself wanting to be with them always, kiss them, or more. Isn't it... what you feel for Hanabira-san?"

Luke remained silent. Himeka was the prettiest in his eyes, but he did not want to kiss her. He did not mind holding her hand or hugging her. He liked hanging out with her since they had similar hobbies. They both were creative people, they liked using their hands to craft things which was not the case with his bandmates or even Leo. But was it love?

He had noticed the special bond that linked Himeka and Aqua. He was no fool, ever since the blond often visited Himeka, he understood the true depth of his feelings for her. He had always known Aqua was special to Himeka, but it never bothered him. In fact, he found himself rooting for their friendship to be salvaged.

* * *

Sitting on the tatami mats, Himeka stared at the wall on which were pin photographs, printed screenshots, and notes all interconnected by a red string. In the center were four portraits, Ai's, Natsuhiko's, that of Misaki, a deceased actress, and one recently added, Yura Katayose's. Himeka pined her own portraits a bit further than theirs, but all were linked to Hikaru Kamiki's.

Ever since she found the file, she had been able to more or less guess Kamiki's modus operandi. Natsuhiko was even more extraordinary than she could ever think of. Now his strange behavior in the months that led to his death all made sense. He had been investigating Kamiki Hikaru and gathering evidence proving he was the cause of Ai's death. He must have maintained doubt about him. However, during his investigation, he ended up finding out that Ai had not been the only victim. And Kamonohashi Ron must have been the detective he was working on.

If she managed to finish what her brother had begun, Himeka may be able to put Kamiki behind bars. Unless he found a way to get to her first, that is. It was a race against time and the stakes were high. It did come to her attention that Kamiki's victims all shared one thing in common. They were all predicted to surpass Ai. In their respective generation, they were the best in the field. Yura Katayose disappeared months ago and was found dead in the mountains was said to be the best actress in Japan. The police concluded it was an accident, but after reading Natsuhiko's notes, Himeka suspected it was not. And if Hikaru Kamiki truly was targeting the brightest stars in the industry, then Akane but also Ruby were in danger. So before he makes a move on any of them, he must be stopped.