I followed Marin and her father to the dining area, carrying a tray of sliders. The aroma of grilled beef and caramelized onions filled the air. Marin's father, Masumi, settled into his chair, his eyes darting around our apartment.
"This is quite a place you've got here," he said, his tone a mix of approval and skepticism.
I set the tray down on the table. "Thank you, sir. We're still getting used to it ourselves."
Marin beamed as she took her seat. "Isn't it amazing, Dad? Wait till you see the view from the balcony later."
Masumi nodded, his gaze settling on me. "So, Akira, tell me more about this show you're doing. Love... something?"
"LoveforReal," I said, passing him a plate. "It's a dating reality show. Not exactly high art, but it's been good exposure."
Marin chimed in, "Akira's amazing in it, Dad. He's got all these fan clubs now."
I felt my cheeks warm. "It's not that big a deal."
Masumi took a bite of his slider, chewing thoughtfully. "Hmm, this is good. You make these, Akira?"
"We both did," I said, gesturing to Marin. "She's quite the cook when she puts her mind to it."
Marin giggled. "Oh, stop. I just followed your lead."
Masumi's eyebrows raised slightly. "I didn't know you could cook, Marin."
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Dad," Marin said, her tone light but with an undercurrent I couldn't quite place.
An awkward silence fell over the table. I cleared my throat. "So, Mr. Kitagawa, Marin mentioned you're in finance. That must be interesting work."
He nodded, seemingly grateful for the change of subject. "It has its moments. Not as glamorous as show business, I'm sure."
"Trust me, it's not all glitz and glamour," I said. "There's a lot of waiting around, early mornings, long nights."
"And yet you chose it," Masumi said, his eyes boring into mine. "Why?"
I paused, considering my words carefully. "I guess... I've always been drawn to performing. There's something about bringing a character to life, or connecting with an audience through music. It feels right."
Marin reached under the table and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back, grateful for her silent support.
Masumi's expression softened slightly. "I suppose I can understand that. I just worry about the stability of it all. Especially now that you two are living together."
"Dad," Marin started, but I cut in.
"Your concern is valid, sir. I know the entertainment industry can be fickle. That's why I'm diversifying my skills and saving as much as I can. I want to make sure Marin and I have a secure future."
Masumi nodded slowly. "That's... more responsible than I expected, I'll admit."
Marin beamed at me before turning to her father. "See, Dad? We've got it all figured out."
"Well, not all figured out," I said with a chuckle. "We're still learning as we go. But we're in it together."
Masumi took another bite of his slider, chewing slowly. When he swallowed, he looked at Marin. "And what about you, sweetheart? What are your plans?"
Marin's eyes lit up. "Oh! I'm part of an idol group now, B-Komachi. We're just starting out, but it's so exciting."
I watched Masumi's face carefully, noticing the slight furrow of his brow. "An idol group? Is that... safe?"
"Of course it is," Marin said, her voice taking on a defensive edge. "Akira's agency is managing us, and they're really professional."
I nodded. "I can assure you, Mr. Kitagawa, that Marin's safety and well-being are top priorities. The industry has come a long way in terms of protecting young performers."
Masumi sighed. "I just worry. You hear stories..."
"I know," I said, my voice softening. "But I promise you, I'll always look out for Marin. Her happiness and safety mean everything to me."
Marin's eyes welled up slightly. "Akira..."
Masumi looked between us, his expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, he cracked a small smile. "Well, I can't argue with that. You two clearly care for each other."
The tension in the room seemed to dissipate. We continued eating, the conversation flowing more easily. Masumi asked about our daily routines, our friends, our hopes for the future. I found myself relaxing, even laughing at some of his dry jokes.
As we finished our meal, Marin stood up. "Who's ready for dessert? I made milkshakes!"
Masumi's eyebrows shot up. "You made milkshakes?"
"Well, Akira helped," Marin admitted with a grin.
I stood to help her clear the plates. "I just operated the blender. Marin's the creative genius behind the flavors."
As Marin bustled about in the kitchen, Masumi leaned in close to me. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"For what?" I asked, surprised.
He smiled, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "For taking care of my little girl. For encouraging her dreams. I may not always understand them, but... it's clear you do."
I felt a lump form in my throat. "She's pretty special," I managed to say.
Masumi nodded. "That she is."
Marin returned with three colorful milkshakes. "Ta-da! I present to you: the B-Komachi Special Blend!"
We spent the rest of the evening sipping our shakes and chatting. As the night wore on, I could see Masumi relaxing more and more. By the time he left, he was laughing at Marin's jokes and even asked to see some of her cosplay designs.
After we said our goodbyes and closed the door, Marin threw her arms around me. "That went so well!" she exclaimed.
I hugged her back, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Yeah, it really did."
I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted but content after Marin's father left. Marin snuggled upon my lap, her warmth a comforting presence.
"That went better than I expected," I said, running my fingers through her hair.
Marin hummed in agreement. "I think he's finally starting to see you as more than just some actor boy corrupting his daughter."
I chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I've been promoted from 'actor boy' to... what? Responsible boyfriend?"
"Mmm, how about future son-in-law?" Marin teased, looking up at me with a mischievous glint in her eye.
My heart skipped a beat. "Whoa there, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Although, that title does have a nice ring to it."
Marin giggled and buried her face in my chest. "I'm just kidding. Well, mostly."
I was about to respond when my phone rang. Marin groaned as I reached for it.
"Can't we just ignore it?" she mumbled.
I glanced at the screen. "It's Aqua. Might be important."
Marin sighed dramatically but sat up, allowing me to answer the call.
"Hey Aqua, what's up?"
"Akira." Aqua's voice was tense. "Can you meet me at the park near Strawberry Productions? Now?"
I frowned. "Now? It's pretty late, man. Everything okay?"
There was a pause on the other end. "I... I need to talk to you about something. It's important."
I glanced at Marin, who was watching me with concern. "Alright, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Thanks," Aqua said, then hung up without another word.
I stood up, stretching. "Sorry, babe. Duty calls."
Marin pouted. "What's going on?"
"Not sure," I said, grabbing my jacket. "Aqua wants to meet at the park. Sounded urgent."
"Want me to come with?"
I shook my head. "Nah, I'll handle it. You get some rest. I'll be back soon."
Marin nodded, her eyes heavy with sleep. "I'll wait for you to come back home. Be safe."
I kissed her forehead. "Always am."
The night air was cool as I made my way to the park. My mind wandered to Aqua's strange behavior lately. He'd been acting off ever since we started working together on LoveforReal. Always watching me, asking odd questions about my background. I'd brushed it off as nerves or maybe some weird method acting thing, but now...
I spotted Aqua sitting on a bench near the playground. His shoulders were hunched, hands clasped tightly in front of him. As I approached, he looked up, his eyes wide and uncertain.
"Hey," I said, taking a seat next to him. "What's going on?"
Aqua took a deep breath. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me."
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay... shoot."
"What do you know about Ai Hoshino?"
The question caught me off guard. "Ai Hoshino? The idol? Not much, honestly. I know she was big a few years back, died young. Tragic story."
Aqua nodded slowly. "And... you share her last name. Is that just a coincidence?"
I shrugged. "Probably. Hoshino's not that uncommon of a name. Why?"
Aqua's knuckles were white as he gripped his hands together. "Because... Ai Hoshino was my mother. And Ruby's."
My eyes widened. "Whoa, seriously? I had no idea."
"There's more," Aqua continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "You... you look just like her. The resemblance is uncanny. And with the shared last name..."
The pieces started falling into place. "Wait, are you saying you think we might be related?"
Aqua nodded, finally meeting my eyes. "It's possible. You could be our half-brother, or maybe an uncle we never knew about."
I leaned back, processing this information. "That's... a lot to take in."
"I know," Aqua said quickly. "And I'm sorry to dump this on you like this. I've been going crazy trying to figure out how to bring it up."
I ran a hand through my hair. "So that's why you've been acting so weird lately."
Aqua looked sheepish. "Yeah. Sorry about that."
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of this revelation hanging between us. Finally, I spoke.
"Look, Aqua. I appreciate you telling me this. But I gotta be honest... even if we are related, it doesn't really change anything for me."
Aqua's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
I sighed. "I grew up in an orphanage, man. Blood relations... they don't mean much to me. The people at Strawberry Productions, you included, you're the closest thing to family I've got now."
Aqua's expression softened. "I... I hadn't thought of it that way."
"Don't get me wrong," I continued. "If you want to look into this, get a DNA test or whatever, I'm not opposed. But don't expect some big emotional reunion or anything. That's not really my style."
Aqua nodded slowly. "I understand. And... I appreciate your honesty."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "That's what family's for, right? Even the weird, maybe-related-by-blood kind."
That got a small chuckle out of him. "Yeah, I guess so."
We sat there for a while longer, talking about lighter topics. Aqua filled me in on some of Ai's history, and I had to admit, her story was pretty fascinating. By the time we decided to call it a night, the tension had eased considerably.
As we stood to leave, Aqua hesitated. "Akira... thanks for meeting me. And for being so cool about all this."
I shrugged. "No big deal. We're in this crazy industry together, right? Gotta have each other's backs."
Aqua nodded, a small smile on his face. "Right."
We parted ways, and as I walked home, I thought about the strange changes in my life. From orphan to rising star, and now possibly related to a legendary idol. But as I thought about Marin waiting for me at home, about the friends and colleagues I'd made at Strawberry Productions, I realized that blood or not, I'd found my family.
And really, that was all that mattered.