----- Aqua POV -----

Time passed, and I watched as my two little sisters grew up in front of my eyes.

It felt like just yesterday when Freya and Amethyst said their first words at the dinner table and how angry Ai got at Cassius.

That was a treat.

And now...

"Amethyst! Stop! Listen to your Mama!"

"Hehehe!"

"No! Haa, hoo, h-how is she faster than me?"

Reaching the end of the couch, Amethyst peeks her head over the cushion.

"Hehe. Mama. Slow."

Ai falls to her knees in response.

"How cruel!"

Well, as she's grown older, it's become apparent that Amethyst is a bit of a troublemaker.

She was very energetic and was cute enough to never come off as annoying, but she definitely liked playing around.

Freya, on the other hand, was quite the opposite.

She was quiet, relaxed, and a big cuddler.

"You two seem to be having some fun, eh? What about your poor old dad here? You're making me feel left out."

Cassius then appears from the stairs, holding Freya with her arms wrapped around his neck.

Ah, that's another thing about Freya.

She was definitely a daddy's girl.

"Ah! Dad! You're back!" 

Amethyst runs over to give him a hug, and Cassius naturally scoops her up with his other arm.

"What do you mean 'back'? I was just upstairs, silly."

He then starts tickling her side, making her twist and turn in his grasp.

"Hahaha! No! Stop Dad! Meanie!"

Gasping for breath, Amethyst is finally set free from her torture before being sat down on the couch, spreading out her arms and legs like a starfish.

Yeah, overall, things were good.

But... there was one thing that was constantly on my mind lately.

----- 2 Days Earlier -----

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"Uhh, you've got a call, apparently. Some... Goyanda?"

I hear a voice from Cassius' phone.

"Oh. Gotanda. My bad. Anyway, here you go."

He then hands me the phone.

Gotanda? Who was that?

I didn't know any 'Gotanda'... or at least I don't think I do.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Ah. Young Aqua. Good to hear you again. Seems like some things have changed since we last met, eh?"

Wait.

This voice...

This was that director!

But...

"Where'd you get this number." I say with a cold tone.

"Ah, right. Forgot you were such a creepy kid. Jeez, aren't children supposed to be gullible and cute?" He replies.

"Answer the question." 

He sighs before continuing.

"Well, I got it from your mother of course." He says.

I feel my blood run cold as the air seems to squeeze my lungs.

H-He knew...

Was he going to blackmail me?

Blackmail Ai?

"Calm down, kid. Knowing you, you're freaking out right about now. Listen, kid. Everyone in the industry knows that Ai definitely found a man and a family. Idols don't just disappear like that unless there's a damn good reason. Also, I knew from the day we met that Ai had some connection to you. But damn... honestly didn't expect she was your mom..."

Feeling a small amount of relief at his seemingly innocent tone, I started to wonder why he was calling me.

Just to say hello?

"Anyway, I called up your mother through her agency, asking if she wanted to star in my next film. She said no, of course, but imagine my surprise when she said you were available."

Huh?

Why would she say I was available?

I'm not... an actor...

At least not yet.

"Basically, you're the kid of the female lead. So? Wanna do it? Judging by your tone, you still got that unsettling factor I'm looking for."

...Did I want to do it?

I had already accepted my interest, but should I really do it?

I knew, from Ai's dinnertime stories and just being her son, that the entertainment world was tough.

It was fleeting, ruthless, and unstable.

But, the biggest difficulty was getting your foot in the door.

...And here I was being gifted it on a silver platter.

Thinking logically, even if I decided to take this role, I could quit after it.

And even if I continued, I didn't have to keep acting my whole life.

I did have my medical knowledge still, though I was getting rusty.

Plus, Cassius and Ai had been hounding me about doing something other than reading, hence why I was forced to take up badminton, even though I didn't care too much for it.

"I'll... think about it." I finally reply.

"Huh? Well, don't take too long, alright? Tsk. You know this usually is the other way around, right? Spoiled brat."

With those rude words, he hung up, leaving me in silence with my thoughts.

"So? Guess you're becoming an actor, eh?" Cassius says.

"No... didn't you hear me? I'll think about it." I reply.

"Sureeee. Anyway, come help your old man out with the veggies." He says.

'Old man'...

You're 21.

If you had said that to me in my past life, I definitely would've cursed you right then.

----- Current Time -----

"Cassius. Mama." I say.

Both of them turn their heads toward me, with Amethyst and Freya following suit with wide eyes.

Suppressing the smile trying to come up at the two's cuteness, I continue.

"I..."

I had come to a decision.

In fact, I had been thinking about this for the past year or so, and director Gotanda's offer only jumpstarted my thoughts, forcing me to come to terms with myself.

I would never shine like Ai or Ruby.

I wasn't special, nor did I have their charisma.

I was a doctor, for Kami's sake.

But I knew what someone who shines can do.

How Ai lit up Sarina's life... and how Sarina lit up mine...

It was beautiful.

But again, I couldn't shine like that.

But... Ai liked my acting, didn't she?

And so did the Director, even though I didn't shine and wasn't anything special.

And then I realized... light only shined in the darkness.

...Although that sounded a bit more dramatic than what I was going for.

Not that I would become a bad actor or anything, but rather those with true talent, those with true charisma, needed actors to support them, did they not?

So couldn't I, someone normal, do that at least?

And if I happened to somehow, inconceivably, become someone's light... just one person's... wouldn't that be enough?

"I want to do it. I want to be an actor."

And again, if all else fails, I can go back to being a doctor.

Besides, I've been gifted with the genes of the most beautiful woman in the world... I should probably use them, no?

----- 2 Hours Later -----

"So, I'll be taking you to the studio in a couple of days, okay? Gotanda will be going over your role and stuff before the first rehearsal. You have a few more lines this time, after all. Plus, now that you're a bit older, being completely ignorant of the profession isn't acceptable, according to him. But he said he'd teach you." Cassius says from the side.

"Alright." I reply.

Honestly, as childish as it was, I was quite excited.

I could only keep thinking about how my little sisters might look up to me and how Ai would look on in glee, just like my last role.

Again, it was childish, but... it was nice too.

"Come on, Aqua~ Show some spirit! Ah, but Cas, will you be teaching him anything? You have the skills, after all..." Ai says while looking over to Cassius, who shrugs in response.

"If he wants, I guess. I didn't do acting for cameras and dramas but for people and everyday life. But I think I could teach him a few things. Don't think I'll ever find acting fun though..." He says with a sad look in his eyes.

Well, that's understandable.

His acting was a matter of life and death, and often the life and death of hundreds in the political scene.

That would sour anyone's view of acting.

"Oh boo~! You didn't seem that reluctant last week when I got to see 'Cassie' again~" Ai says while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Suggestively?

Wait.

'Cassie'... was that like a girl version of Cassius?

Was he acting like a woman?

Why would he do that-?

The answer comes to me at that moment, sending a shiver down my spine as I spit out my drink on reflex.

"Oh my, Aqua! Are you okay?"

Getting my coughing under control, I glance over at Ai and then Cassius.

The subtle glances they shared, the reddening of Cassius' cheeks, the glint in Ai's eyes...

To think they were so perverted!

And I guess Ai swings that way too, huh?

Or at least something like that.

I was learning many new things about my mother.

...Like how she was a closet pervert.

"I-I'm fine, Mama."

But I would greatly appreciate it if you could tone down the information.

I did not need to know any more about you two's sex life, especially with all the sounds I had heard in the previous apartment.

----- Cassius POV - 2 Days Later -----

I had taken up writing this past year.

Specifically, I was writing about my time as a hero, from childhood to, well, death.

And with all the shit in between.

Mostly because I needed a way to pass the time whenever I took Ruby and Aqua to their things and had to wait around, or when Freya or Amethyst wanted to sleep with me, but it was also a way to gain closure and a way to cement my memories.

Luckily, a fantasy hero story painted in realism seemed to be pretty popular online, so it might even become a second source of income.

But... if there was one complaint I had... it would have to be the comments.

'Lol. So dense. Did this dude not realize the Princess' feelings already? When it's so obvious? Maybe he's impotent or something?'

'Bruh. She literally kissed his cheek and he thinks it's a sign of tanks. I'd drop it if the worldbuilding wasn't good, dumbass MC.'

'Sometimes reads more like a diary than a story, but that has its own charm. But damn... if this is a diary, that'd be pretty embarrassing. Emotional intelligence 0.'

I wasn't feeling embarrassed! I was a kid back then, dammit! 

Why the hell would I think Lili had a crush on me since we were kids!?

I was absolutely not dense!

Haa... yeah.

I suppose it was also a method of introspection.

Sometimes even unwilling introspection.

But that wasn't too important right now.

Rather, it was time for the gloomy son of mine to finally find his passion.

"So... an award-winning director lives in a place like this?" Aqua says with some doubt.

"Well... maybe he's very humble?"

We were currently in Gotanda's home, waiting as he prepared some tea.

It was very... homely.

Knit blankets, family portraits and all that stuff you would expect from a grandma.

Well, Gotanda did say he was glad his mother was out, so I guess it wasn't too far from the truth.

Of course, even if he had worked with my wife and kid before, I wasn't going to trust someone blindly, especially in an industry like this.

While I wasn't a master at contracts by any means, I could at least tell when someone was harbouring ulterior motives behind a practiced smile.

"Here you go, Mr. Hoshino."

"Ah, thanks. Just call me Cassius though, still not used to the new last name." I say while receiving my cup.

He then sits down across the table, his hands fiddling with his cup.

The silence was painful.

Haa... jeez, might as well get this over with.

"Gotanda." I say sternly.

"Y-Yes?" He replies shakily.

Haven't used this tone since I was negotiating with the Great Alliance about refugees.

"I'll keep this nice and short so that Aqua can start learning right away. So tell me honestly... do you have any intention of harming or exploiting my family?"

My voice was deep, oppressive, suffocating... 

Humans under pressure would reveal themselves nearly every time unless they were used to situations like these.

But this guy wasn't a politician nor a crude businessman, so any veils of lies would easily crumble in front of me.

An idiot somewhat good at swinging a sword around would never be able to truly be a hero, nor would they even have the political power that scared even the king of the strongest nation, so being able to do this much was natural.

...Although I suppose this strength of mine was what also led to me getting assassinated.

"N-No! Not at all! R-Rather we'd be exploiting each other. Give and take, right? Hehehe..."

He was... not lying.

That's a relief.

From all of Ai's horror stories, I was worried that my kids would be getting thrown to the wolves, especially with them being this young.

But with Strawberry Productions keeping a future idol group spot warm for Ruby, and this guy for Aqua, I could feel somewhat relieved about their futures.

"That's good then!" I say cheerfully, the previous awkward and oppressive mood from before vanishing into thin air.

"So? What's the plan for the little guy?" I ask.

"Ahem! Y-Yes, so. First, I'll be teaching him some basics of acting. The terms and basic knowledge you'd get with agencies, mentors, and performing arts schools. After that, I'll have him review his role and script before the filming starts."

Hmm... that's good.

It's not like I have any experience, and Ai wasn't exactly a pro in the acting field, so it was good Aqua would be learning the proper techniques and stuff.

But I was curious...

"Why?" I ask.

"Why what?" He asks in response.

Aqua, meanwhile, was simply thumbing through his book like this didn't concern him.

Little brat.

"Why are you doing all this for him? He's not your son or anything."

It was a bit weird.

Aqua even told me about how they met, and how Gotanda was initially quite cold to him, at least until Aqua showed he wasn't a normal child.

"Well... I think he has potential." He says.

I raise my eyebrow in response, prompting him to continue.

"He's... good at listening. Good at knowing what the director, or rather the film wants. And his acting, at least from back then, was damn good. Not at being the star or anything, but for holding up the piece as a whole." 

I see...

And not a hint of falsehood.

I guess Aqua has a good ally, huh?

"But-" He then says. "-I can see something more. I don't know exactly what just yet, but I promise I'll make him live up to his potential." 

Looking into his eyes, I could tell how serious he was taking this.

"I see... Well, I don't really care if Aqua lives up to his potential or not. Just keep his best interests in mind, alright?" I say casually.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see Aqua staring past his book with an intense glint in his eyes.

...I guess he really does have a passion for acting, huh?

I can only hope that his flame doesn't burn out in the future.