Oshi No Ko - ALMV

Chapter 1 - The Cost of Lies

The skyscrapers and high rise buildings were cast in a beautiful glow in the Japanese morning sun. Commuters made their way to work. Students went to school. Vendors set up their stands. It seemed like a normal day in Japan. The news rolled with the weather and public transport was on time. It was picture perfect just like any other day. Yet, below that facade of a perfect day, a storm and tragedy began to stir. A moment in history that would never be forgotten. The entertainment industry of Japan and possibly the world would never be the same, as in a condo on the outskirts of the city, a scene of horror began to unfold.

The perspective changes to Ruby Hoshino.

"Mama, you okay?" Ruby asked as she opened the door between the entrance area of the condo and the living room. What she saw would haunt her instantly.

Her mother, Ai, stood there clutching her stomach as blood dripped through the pure angelic white dress she was wearing. A hooded figure stood in the doorway holding a knife that was soaked in blood. The iron smell of it rushing into Ruby's nose. And as the smell stung her senses, the hooded figure ran away. As such, Ruby instantly called for an ambulance. As she finished making the call, her gaze moved to Ai.

"Ru..... by," Ai was barely able to get out before falling back against the door Ruby had just come through, blocking Aqua in the living room. Ai's body hit the ground with a loud thud and she continued to hold her stomach clutching her wound. Her eyes shook slightly as tears began to form and the Starigons in her eyes cracked.

"I am sorry Ruby. I let my guard... down." Ai's voice was now raspy as blood continued to exit her body via her stomach wound, making it hard to talk. "A.... are you okay? You did not get hurt, did you?"

Aqua banged on the other side of door that Ai was now blocking. "HEY! What's going on over there?!" Aqua's voice filled with desperation.

"Aq.... ua" Ai's voice was faltering with every word she said. "Thank God you're okay. You too, Ruby. I am glad neither of you are injured."

Ai continued as she used some of the strength she had left to pull a wide-eyed Ruby, who was now stood in front of Ai, into a tight embrace, as if trying to protect her and hide the truth of the scene unfolding by pulling her head into her chest. "I am sorry you two. I.... do not think I have much longer." Ai's raspy voice became filled with grief as small tears began to fall from her eyes. "I am so sorry. I wish I could stay to see you both grow up. What kind of adults you will be is what I wanted to see."

Ai moved her hand to start stroking Ruby's hair to comfort her, as she could feel Ruby's body shaking in grief and clinging to her now-blood stained dress. "Ruby. Your preschool performance was amazing. You know, I was thinking you would make an amazing idol one day. Aqua... your performance in the movie was amazing too. It sent shivers even down my spine when I watched it on the premiere night. Will you become an actor?"

"I am so sorry I won't be here to watch you grow up. I wanted to be there on your first day of school. See you in your backpacks. Be called out by parents and teachers alike at parents' evening for being such a young mother. Not like I was the best mom whatsoever," Ai said as tears streamed down her face and the stars in her eyes began to fade. As she began to feel her life slowly fade away, she kept one hand stroking Ruby's hair and her other hand on the door; Aqua stood on the other side, shaking and crying.

"Aqua, Ruby. I love you. I love you both. So, so much."

A small shaky smile appeared on Ai's face. "Ah. I finally said it. That was not a lie. I am sorry it took me so long to say it. I love you both so much." Her voice was now just above a whisper as blood began to leak from her mouth and her Starigons faded from her eyes. "I am sorry I'm leaving you. I guess this situation I am in now is the cost of all my lies."

In that very moment, both Ruby and Aqua's worlds crumbled. Ai's eyes closed and her hands fell limp to the side. The last tear from her tear ducts fell. Ai Hoshino, the S Tier Idol, their mother died in front of Ruby's own eyes.

In the living room, unable to open the door and get to his sister, Aqua fell to his knees and burst into tears. Grief and fear overcame his body as he became absolutely distraught, no longer able to hold in his emotions as the reality of his situation began to hit him like a freight train at full speed. He began to curl up in a ball on the living room floor and shield himself from reality as the stench of iron from Ai's blood overran his senses. Yet, in that moment, he lost his chance to save the mind of his sister who was right next to the corpse of their mother on the other side of the door.

As Ruby clung to Ai's body, she felt it begin to lose its temperature, go pale and lose the soul within it. She felt the cold seep through the white dress Ai wore when she died and it began to stink of death. Her mother, her mentor who helped her learn to dance, the one who helped her live, the one who gave her life, the one who gave her a meaning to live. All taken. Right in front of her eyes.

As the cold blood of Ai sat on Ruby's skin, hair and hoodie, all she could ask herself was why. Why did Ai have to die? Why did Ai die on such a beautiful day? Why did she and her brother lose their mother? She felt rage, sadness and pain all rush into her body at once. The smell of Ai's blood and dead body overwhelming her senses. The shaking of her eyes as she pulled away her head from Ai's chest once she no longer heard the heartbeat of her mother. What she saw was a pale shell of a human. A soulless vessel that was once her mother. And as she stared at the corpse of her mother, her face went neutral, all emotion she ever felt seemed to disappear and the single white Starigon that sat in her left eye went dull and cracked down the middle. She fell to her knees as her eyes sat wide and she blankly stared at her mother's lifeless body as the world seemed to reflect how she really felt but couldn't show it.

Grey clouds rolled in from the coast. The rain of the world began to fall against the windows, almost like it was shedding a tear for the Hoshino siblings. As the sound of the rain echoed through the now-silent condo, sirens blared in the distance, getting louder every second.

The entire world was about to learn of the passing of S Tier idol Ai Hoshino.