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Third Person: Hoshino Aqua.
"Sigh....."
After the noisy dinner ended and he returned to his room, Hoshino Aqua recalled the events from the filming set after hearing Ruby's words.
"So~ our family dog~"
"Uh-huh~"
"Look, isn't it cute~ look~"
"Uh-huh, it's cute~"
Hoshino Aqua and MEM-cho were sitting on chairs, chatting while looking at the phone MEM-cho showed him, but.
'I'm exhausted...'
Hoshino Aqua's true feelings were completely different.
'The typical back-and-forth chatter of young people is too draining..... How did I end up like this....'
Aqua sighed inwardly about why he was doing such filming, but.
[If you appear on this show, I'll tell you some hidden backstory that even Ai's agency and her manager, now her husband, Yume, don't know.]
[Right... For example, things like relationships with men from the past, not the current Yume.]
'Honestly, Ai (Mother) has always been a sunflower gazing only at Yume (Father), so male relationships aren't significant, but.'
'Aside from that, to extract as much other information about Ai from Kaburagi PD.'
'And by gathering that information and analyzing it with Yume (Father), it'll surely become a hint to find the culprit who tried to kill the two of them.'
Yes, Aqua had participated in this program to get as much information as possible from Kaburagi PD.
'Roughly, the flow of this broadcast goes like this.'
Aqua recalled the announcement the staff had sent before filming.
"Please feel free to chat freely. However, be mindful of the camera angles installed, and we'd appreciate it."
"And if a cameraman approaches, if possible, summarize what you were talking about in line with the conversation flow at that time."
'Dating reality shows have been around for almost 20 years, so there's some accumulated know-how.'
'A realistic directing method that guarantees entertainment for the broadcast while leaving it to each person's individuality.'
'And even though Yume (Father) hates this kind of variety show the most, I never thought I'd end up participating.'
'When I asked him the reason, he definitely....'
"Hmm? The show I least want to appear on? Well.... Variety shows, I guess?"
"Why? Well, sometimes I have to naturally reveal my information, and my information is pretty high-class."
"When they ask about my original job aside from acting, I have to talk about it to some extent, which is troublesome. But if I don't say anything, it might cause discomfort."
"So, there are people who fit variety shows and those who don't, and in my case, I don't fit."
"Hmm~? What about Ai? Well... she'd obviously draw attention, right?"
'He said he's an actor who doesn't fit variety shows, probably.....'
In reality, aside from his debut, Hoshino Yume had never appeared on any variety show or similar entertainment program even once.
Thinking that, Aqua watched the female student Kurokawa Akane approach the director.
"Um.... Director. Is this kind of feeling okay?"
Akane showed the note in her hand as she spoke.
"Ah~ for the first time, doing it like this might be good. Well, next time, if you talk with a bit more closeness, it'd be easier for us."
"The viewers watching this show probably want to feel excitement, you know."
"I see....."
'She's the first person I've seen who's this serious about a reality show.'
As Aqua thought that inwardly, the female student Sumi Yuki approached beside him.
"This kind of show really has no script, huh~? I have no idea what to talk about~"
"I agree~"
'Reality shows have no script.'
'But the absence of a script doesn't mean there's no direction.'
'Some people take the director's words as advice, others as instructions, so this method varies from person to person.'
"I'm too scared to push forward boldly~ and I'm not good at talk shows either~ I'll definitely get buried, right~?"
"........Why did you take this job?"
Aqua asked her reason for appearing without much thought.
"At our agency, the top person takes all the work that comes in, refusing nothing, so I've been idle all along."
"I kind of wanted to make a desperate move, and then Kaburagi-san...."
"I see."
'As expected, it's Kaburagi PD. Just as Yume (Father) isn't too fond of him, typical of that director.'
"Well, it worked out perfectly~ I've never been in a relationship even once, so I've never had a lover."
"Liar."
Aqua responded to Sumi Yuki's tone, which seemed obviously lying to anyone.
"I'm really not lying, I'm only a first-year in high school? It's a big mistake to think all talents are dating. Aren't you interested in love?"
'Well, normally, that might be the standard way to think, but then what about Ai (Mother)....?'
Ai came to Aqua's mind in an instant. Even now, the reason for her pregnancy that Yume (Father) mentioned when he was hospitalized was astonishing.
"..........How could I not be? I'm a guy too."
Aqua thought of the person who came to mind: Ai.
"But I'm dragging on past love..... No, thinking about it, I'm not even sure if that was love."
'Probably the love I have is for family, but honestly, I don't really know.'
Hoshino Aqua had changed in various ways after the stalker incident.
There was a moment when he almost lashed out in vengeance, but it was Yume who stopped him.
"Aqua, I know exactly what you're thinking. But that's not your role; it's the role of me, your guardian."
"You just need to live normally. Go to school normally, act normally, spend time with us normally, and fall in love normally."
".....Honestly, I don't really understand love, Father."
"Hmm.... In that part, you take after Ai, Aqua?"
"Huh?"
Yume patted Aqua's head and then.
"Love is difficult. Even Ai took a long time to realize that love. But you and Ai are different."
"You have Ai as your mother, me as your father, and Ruby as your sister."
"Just take it slowly, very slowly. So at least, stop making dark expressions in front of 'family,' okay?"
".....Okay."
From then on, Aqua could smile, at least when with family. He could feel love. But he still thought it was hard to feel loved outside.
Returning to the main topic.
"I still haven't fully processed it..... I don't know what to say...."
"Hmm? Complicated story?"
"Ah! Maybe you liked a school teacher or something?"
"Sigh... Well, that's pretty close."
'Since I once only gazed at Ai, well, now I love her as a mother and family, so it doesn't matter.'
"Then you need to overcome it, right?"
"You know? The couple from last season kissed at the end."
"Well, I've already practiced for that."
'Yume's (Father's) expression back then was no joke. But since Ai (Mother) was also next to him, Yume (Father) had a hard time stopping Ai (Mother) from trying to kiss.'
As he smiled inwardly, thinking of that situation.
"Hmm~ so you can smile like that too. I was worried if there was a good person."
Sumi Yuki slowly brought her mouth close to Aqua's ear and then.
"I think I could kiss you."
"....What...."
It was the first time a girl had approached him like this, aside from Ai (Mother), so Aqua looked flustered. Sumi Yuki watched him with amusement and then.
"The cameraman behind is filming. Don't look at the camera; this scene will definitely be used."
With those words, Sumi Yuki, who had leaned in on Aqua,
"Let's get along well."
said as she pulled away from Aqua. Aqua looked at Sumi Yuki and thought,
'Sigh.... what a personality, "too scared" my foot..... So this is the reality show Yume (Father) talked about.'
After that incident, he returned home, and after eating dinner with the family, the Hoshino family's day came to an end.