章 8: Chapter 5: Meeting the Kids
'It's been almost four years since I died and was reborn as Ai's child. At first, I couldn't believe in something so unexplainable, but honestly, who cares? I mean, being reborn with Ai as my mom – if this isn't some sort of heaven, then what is? Life was going pretty normally until Ai had a close call with her stalker and almost got stabbed. If not for my real dad... well, maybe I'd be without Ai now. But what's bothering me is why I'm feeling irritated by this whole scene. And these two decide to live together? Sure, he seems like he wants to take responsibility, and that's commendable, but...'
Aqua's thoughts raced as he eavesdropped on the 'newly married couple' sharing a moment while preparing breakfast.
"Hmm... what's that smell? Did Mama learn to cook?"
Ruby mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, clearly hungry.
The aroma of Minoru's cooking wafted through the rooms, waking Ruby up on her own.
She noticed Aqua peeking oddly from the doorway and decided to join in.
"UWAAA! WHO THE HELL IS TH---HMPH!" Ruby's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Minoru.
Quickly, Aqua covered Ruby's mouth with his hand and put a finger to his lips.
"Shhhh! No shouting, be quiet."
Aqua shook his head and removed his hand from Ruby's mouth.
"Onii-chan, who's that handsome guy flirting with Mom?"
Ruby wondered, gazing at Minoru, who seemed to be chatting flirtatiously with Ai.
"Sigh... of course, he's our dad. Just look at his face and silver hair."
"Wow, you're right. I see! Hm? But hey... this delicious smell is because he's making breakfast, right? Mom has quite the taste in men, huh? But it looks like they're getting along so well, Aqua."
"Of course, Ai couldn't have done all this herself. Wait a sec..." Aqua snapped, realizing it wasn't the time to discuss how great Minoru's cooking was. "I overheard them talking about living together," Aqua revealed.
Given that Aqua had overheard their conversation, he was grappling with complicated feelings about how to handle the situation.
Aqua didn't feel jealousy while observing them; rather, seeing this side of Ai brought him relief, as it seemed she was regaining her humanity.
His feelings for Ai were complex – a mix of maternal love and a commitment stemming from his past life's promise to support her, even after learning about her pregnancy when she was a famous idol. His reincarnation as her child was unexpected, but he still stood by her as Hoshino Aqua.
Still, he couldn't help feeling irked by the strong competition posed by the dashing man who was undoubtedly his father.
"What!?" Ruby began to exclaim before catching herself. "Ahem... sorry for that. But isn't this risky for Mama's idol career? I mean, he did save Mom yesterday, and it's a tough situation."
Truth be told, Ruby was somewhat skeptical about her old man's intentions.
'Maybe he's just after Mama because she's beautiful?' Ruby mused.
"I think we should kick him out... hm?" they both said in unison.
Aqua and Ruby exchanged glances.
They seemed to be on the same page.
"So, you also think we should kick him out?" Aqua raised an eyebrow.
"Kehehe~ not bad, Onii-chan. It's probably best for the two of us. I don't want Mama caught up in another scandal that'll make things difficult for her," Ruby stated with a wide grin.
"True, but..." Aqua's gaze shifted back to Minoru and Ai.
He watched Ai's genuinely happy expression, feeling reassured that she was regaining her sense of self.
"Sigh..." Aqua glanced back at Ruby.
"I think we should talk to Ai first instead of forcing our wishes on her. I hate admitting that I'm powerless to protect Ai, so let's see what he's capable of. But don't think I'm supporting him. If he's useless, I'd rather he stay away from Ai."
In other words, Aqua was ready to use him if necessary.
He was willing to do anything for Ai's sake.
However, if this man could genuinely bring happiness to Ai, Aqua would stand behind their relationship.
'That jerk. I want to tear that handsome masked face off and see what kind of person he is...' Aqua's gaze turned empty for a moment as he had this thought.
This darker side of Aqua wasn't an anomaly. After a harrowing experience, during which he almost lost Ai forever, Aqua had vowed to himself that anyone who posed a threat to Ai would face dire consequences.
"You're right. But hey, Onii-chan... let's get some money from him first! Kehehe~" Ruby grinned mischievously, rubbing her hands together like a devil.
"Well, let's not say anything suspicious, okay? Act like naive kids or just keep quiet," Aqua reminded Ruby.
"Got it! So how do we put pressure on him? Should we interview him about his job and stuff? We can't do that if we're just standing around like clueless kids."
"I've got that covered," Aqua said, revealing a phone. "I've already reported this to them."
Ruby glanced at the phone and chuckled.
"Impressive, Onii-chan. You're quite the cunning fox."
"It's not that. It's all for Ai's sake."
Ruby smirked, and Aqua messaged Miyako about their father.
Instead of asking him directly, which is something not even a four-year-old would do, they will make Ichigo and Miyako do that on their behalf.
In summary, they both shared the same goal of supporting Ai, albeit with differing approaches.
---
"Wow, this looks amazing," Aqua and Ruby exclaimed, their eyes fixed on the table before them.
The spread was a traditional Japanese breakfast, featuring salted salmon, a rolled omelet, miso soup, chrysanthemum greens with mashed tofu salad, pickles, and rice. Yet, it appeared just as lavish as the breakfast served in high-end hotels.
"Thanks, as expected from me, right?"
Minoru chuckled with a self-satisfied grin.
"I'm not that serious, though. Anyway, Let's chat while we eat, and don't stress over table manners."
Minoru's victory smirk didn't go unnoticed by Aqua and Ruby.
They exchanged glances, thinking, 'He enjoys showing off.'
'Could he be a chef?' Aqua wondered.
'Maybe that's why he didn't meet us earlier, because of work? But this meal isn't enough to win me over,' Aqua thought, eyeing the food and then Minoru.
"Thanks for the food," Ai, Aqua, and Ruby said in unison as they picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
"Uwaaaa~! Nom! Nom! This is delicious!" both Aqua and Ruby exclaimed, shocked by the delightful flavors.
Could they still go through with their plan to confront Minoru?
"You guys enjoyed it? Remember, it's Minoru's cooking, so show some gratitude," Ai chimed in, her phone capturing their candid reaction as she chuckled.
Ai felt that this moment seemed to complete her wish after Minoru came here; it was her first time experiencing this family moment.
'Expected. Hm...? We should share a roof from now on,' she thought, closing her eyes and tilting her head.
Coughing slightly and reaching for his water, Aqua managed to gulp it down after eating too quickly.
"..."
He then turned to Minoru, whose smug expression seemed to be waiting for their appreciation.
"Thank you, Minoru-san," Aqua said.
After giving a thumbs-up, Ruby declared, "Thank you for this heavenly food! Ruby approves of this breakfast!"
At the moment, her initial intention to pressure Minoru was momentarily forgotten.
Laughter erupted from Minoru.
"Hahahaha! This is amusing. Hm? Hold on..." He paused, his laughter subsiding as he fixed his gaze on his kids. A hint of suspicion crept into his eyes as he pondered Ruby's use of a complex phrase. "How did you learn that sophisticated phrase?" he inquired, his eyes narrowing.
Aqua's anxiety spiked, his mouth agape as he thought, 'Didn't we discuss this already? Come on, Ruby, find a good excuse...'
Caught in Minoru's scrutinizing gaze, Ruby hesitated before offering a weak smile.
"Umm... Yo-Youtube?" she replied, tilting her head with a sheepish grin.
"Youtube..." Minoru repeated, trying to make sense of that explanation.
Ai, seated next to Minoru, leaned in with a proud grin.
"See~? I've been saying it all along. Our kids are geniuses. No surprise from my daughter!"
She nodded in affirmation and playfully clapped for Ruby.
Despite Ai's reassurance, Aqua and Ruby's apprehension lingered.
Minoru's gaze seemed to study them like a detective probing for clues.
"Ugh," Aqua and Ruby paused in their meal, awaiting Minoru's verdict.
A sudden realization flashed across Minoru's face as he touched his chin.
"Well, well! It looks like you were right about them being geniuses," he admitted with a touch of pride.
"I told you so~!" Ai said, wearing a self-assured grin.
At that moment, it seemed like Minoru's IQ had taken a dip, right?
Perhaps he didn't need a complex reason to explain their intelligence.
He was simply proud of having bright children.
Despite his training as an emotionless operative, Minoru found himself acting more like a regular dad lately.
'I used to be all business, suppressing my feelings during missions. Lately, though, I've been letting my emotions guide me,' he reflected.
He recalled airplane sabotage, stalkers, and an unusual dude with fetishes.
As he worked hard to reach this point, he realized that these simple moments with his children were worth it.
His humanity, which he had once kept hidden, was now more alive than ever.
Aqua and Ruby sighed inwardly, 'Phew...! safe,' relieved to have overcome that moment.
---
"Hey Minoru-kun, I'll take care of the dishes," Ai exclaimed cheerfully, rising from her seat.
"Oh, is that okay?" Minoru raised an eyebrow.
"No worries at all."
Ai replied with a wink that seemed to convey, 'Go ahead and strike up a conversation with them.'
Minoru simply nodded in silence, comprehending her intention.
As breakfast concluded, Minoru began to get a better grasp of Aqua and Ruby.
'These kids are... a little eccentric,' Minoru thought to himself.
"Aquamarine... let's just call you Aqua," Minoru said, directing his attention to the blue-eyed child.
"And Ruby..." He looked over at the red-eyed child, Ruby.
'They're cute, just like I thought they'd be, given my genes... But there's this weird sensation,' Minoru pondered, sensing a level of intelligence in their eyes that made him uneasy.
'It's like that feeling you get when you're over at your girlfriend's place, and her parent give you that assessing gaze, trying to figure out if you're the real deal or just a no-good guy. Is it just me sensing this? Nah, maybe they changed after Ai's murder attempt?'
He thought, feeling a pang of guilt towards his offspring.
'Yet, there's no way I can reveal the truth to them,' Minoru considered.
He wanted to share that he had already eliminated the stalker and the mastermind behind it all.
However, he refrained from doing so, concerned that revealing his work might lead to suspicion.
More than anything, Minoru didn't want his children to fear him.
'Aqua seems to have a desire to exact revenge... maybe on that stalker. But I already took care of that. Thus, I can't flex.'
He noted, recognizing Aqua's cautious gaze that seemed to convey.
I'm not giving you Ai.
I don't trust you.
What is your secret?
'Ruby appears more typical, with that 'I might be after your money' look. Should I go ahead and spoil her with my black card? Well, she's not even four yet. Maybe I'll give her a nice gift for their upcoming birthday,' Minoru contemplated, embracing his desire to spoil his cute daughter.
"Hey there, I'm Yanagi Minoru, as you probably know," Minoru greeted with a warm smile.
"Yes, we're aware," Aqua responded, while Ruby simply nodded.
"Alright then, let's clear things up, my dear kids. I apologize for not being around all these years... but now, Dad is here for you! Pretty cool, huh!?" Minoru announced, a proud smile on his face.
"We understand, Ai already told us about your situation."
Aqua acknowledged, prompting a light smile from Minoru.
'Seems like, they still got big hearts. Just as I'd expect from my kids,' he thought, his pride swelling.
"However, we're not interested in living together!!!" Ruby declared, crossing her arms and looking down her nose at him.
A rejection that hit him like a slap!
"Huh...?"
Minoru's expression turned to stone, cracking under the weight of his cute little daughter's rejection.
-Dingdong!
"Hold on... I'll be right there~!" Ai's voice rang out as she made her way to the door.
"STOP! DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!" 3x
They all yelled in unison, practically screaming at Ai to stay away from the goddamn door!
Their concern was so thick you could practically touch it, as they sensed a déjà vu that now seemed more like a huge red flag.
"I'll handle it," Minoru stated, a twitch in his smile revealing his annoyance that someone would choose such an inconvenient time to visit when he had pressing family matters to attend to.
"Um, sure~" Ai replied with a nod.
'Another stalker, perhaps? I'll dish out a friendly morning slap,' Minoru thought, a vein throbbing on his forehead as he forced a somewhat awkward smile.
Turning the knob, Minoru's face transformed worthy of a cartoon character. One brow reached for the heavens while the other plunged earthward. His jaw hung as if auditioning for slapstick comedy, a chandelier poised for a comedic plummet.
"Huh... Who's there?" Minoru asked.
"As Ai's guardian, I refuse!!! And, what's up with your face?" questioned the uncle-like man with blonde hair.
"Wow..." his wife gasped, admiring the strikingly young and hot daddy.
It was Satou Ichigo, who had come over after his wife Miyako received a message from Aqua that Minoru was visiting.
And once again, Ai's guardian dished out a refusal that felt like a punch to Minoru's good-looking face!
Do you think being good-looking is enough? No, indeed.
So, what's next for Minoru?
Can he secure custody of his child?
Poor him.
---
Cough! Cough!
As T'Challa once wisely said, get this man some child support!!!
More power stones for Minoru's custody child! 😂🤣🤣
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