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Chapter 3 - Echoes and Evidence

30 MINITES BEFORE THE MAKE UP ARTISTS ARRIVE.

The scene changes in a rooftop, the view was foggy, and eerie, the storm is likely to hit...

Hikaru arrives

He sees Akira leaning on the railing, hands in coat pockets. Calm. Dangerous.

"Strange place to call me to, Akira-sama. After everything… I thought you'd vanished."

Akira was quite

"I did. From you, at least."

Hikaru smirking faintly

"Come on. I know you're upset. We both knew what she was becoming...Too curious. Too unstable, we can't control her anymore-"

Akira cuts of his line

"There is no we in your work."

She was becoming free. That's what scared you."

Hikaru face twitching

"She lied for a living. A perfect liar. Just like me, remember?"

Akira finally turns, calm but sharp

"No. She lied, to give happiness for others… Meanwhile, you lie to survive yourself."

Brief silence. Wind whips past. Hikaru narrows his eyes.

"So what is this? A warning? A goodbye?"

Akira glances at him sharply

"This is a wall. From today, you don't speak to me again."

Hikaru blinks, a rare moment of vulnerability

"…You're cutting me off?"

Akira:

"I'm giving you what you gave Ai. Silence."

Hikaru is shaken. His mouth opens, but no words come. He forces a smile, tries to mask the pain.

"You think you're righteous. But you were only watching. Always judging me. You never did a thing."

Akira walking past him, whispers

"And it scared you."

He walks away. Hikaru stands alone, storm clouds overhead. The first seed of paranoia grows.

Akira dresses in his hat and and packs thing like make-ups and a fake I.D and document of being a make-up artist in his bag.

He then looks at his laptop near him, a loading bar, saying "Complete!"

AFTER 30 MINUTES

Akira enters an hospital, dressed in his disguise, he went into the counter, smiling, and asked.

"Hello, I'm the make up artist for Ai's body, may I have her body now?"

The counter clerk-woman was suspicious and asked for his official I.D and documents.

She confirms his identity as the one assigned for Ai's body, The Clerk then called the administrative and mortuary funeral service staff. That the make-up artist has arrived.

THE RELEASE OF AI'S BODY.

Akira took Ai's body in his licensed SUV in the underground and then puts her in his trunk, leaving the trunk open, he went at the front seat and checks his laptop in the seat, the same loading bar showed up, (99%..... Success!) He shuts his laptop and closed the door, he went back on the truck and took out a syringe with a syrum in it already. He then injected it in Ai's body and quickly close the the trunk door. He went in his front seat and fix's his laptop and left.

The Scene changes into Ai's Perspective

Ai woke up in a hospital, she sat and heard a familiar voice.

Akira's voice echoes.

"Awake already?"

Ai was in shock, and was mentally not ready and confuse.

"But... I-i died... H-how?"

Akira holds his apple as he finishes skinning one, and gave it to Ai. He then picked up his Apple in his mouth, he took a bite then glances at Ai.

"Even I'm surprised that you were revived at the 7th defibrillation."

Ai catches the apple and took a small bite out of it.

"But... W-why? Where's my children? Aqua and Ruby? Are they alright?"

Akira walks towards Ai and sits beside her in a chair.

"They're are doing fine."

Ai sighs but tries to stand up, but the pain in her abdominal aotra was still painful.

Akira

"Don't, you'll get yourself hut."

Akira shows a news of Ai's public Death.

Ai takes the phone in confusion and lays her back on the bed, looking at the news.

"W-what? But... So... Am I... Really dead?"

Akira takes the phone.

"Then why are you still feeling pain?"

Ai tilts her head.

"Hell?"

Akira raises an eyebrow in confusion and clears his words.

"If you're in hell, you'd be burning in fire right now."

Awkward Silence for a moment

"You're clearly alive."

Ai puts a finger on her chin and looked at the ceiling.

"Oh... Is that so...?" Ai holds in words, Akira Anticipates.

"Then.. (She points her finger to Akira with the happily declared.) I Will continue being an idol! Mark my words Akira-san!"

Akira looked at her with disappointment and thought 💭

"Was his this girl even paying attention to the news I just- you know what... That doesn't matter, but after being given a second chance to live? Does she have a death wish?"

Akira clears his throat.

"So you weren't -"

Ai suddenly remembers the news.

"Oh yeah! I forgot... I'm dead." She frowns

Akira got irritated in shouts.

"Publicly dead, but you're alive!"

Ai turns her head to Akira and asked.

"So.. what now? Where will I be living?

Akira stood up and went on the table, fixing his items.

"You'll be living with me..."

Ai became wary and asked in curiosity.

"But... Wouldn't your wife be mad? Akira-San?"

Akira spits blood, caught off guard by Ai's word. He regained his composure keeping his straight face, he walks to the door and stopped midway.

He replied to Ai, not turning back, but assuring her.

"I don't have a wife, nor a girlfriend."

The scene changes into Akira's perspective.

Akira sighed while he walks, he then went into the counter to pay up and release Ai soon.

Clerk women:

"You did a great job. Onii-chan."

Akira looks at his sister, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really, Ayame..." He slides the payment.

Ayame waves her hands and chuckles slightly.

"Oh, no need! It's totally free-"

Akira's look became sharper. Ayame chuckles and takes the payment.

"Ehehehe...hehe...."

Awkward Silence

"Sure, the hospital needs it. Why would I disagree."

Akira leaves after Ayame accept the payment, Ayame stopped Akira mid way.

"Onii-chan, Thank you."

Akira stops listening. He turns his head slightly behind and then turned his head upfront again and continued walking.

BACK TO AI'S ROOM.

Akira enters, and saw Ai. Eating another green apple. He then takes his stuffs and told Ai.

"We're leaving."

WHILE ON THE SUV

Akira drives silently. Ai looks on her lap, thinking of a way to start a conversation.

"Uhmm... Thank you, Akira-San" Ai smiles gently.

Akira nods. The atmosphere is cold.

Ai smiles in nervousness and turns her head back on her lap.

Ai's thought:

"What the heck Ai? What am I doing? Why are you nervous? He's scary."

AFTER AN HOUR OF DRIVE.

Akira guides Ai walk up the hill, Ai looks around the hill and saw the city not too far from here. She looks ahead and saw Akira's house, not too far ahead now.

Akira and Ai entered the house.

Akira drops off Ai there and warned her.

"Be careful, or your wound will hurt again. I'll just prepare your room."

Ai looks around the tiny yet neat modern house, she looks at the papers in the living room and slowly walks there, avoiding sudden movements to avoid her wound being shocked.

(Papers: Office works, Reports, Company needs, Rehearses.)

Ai looks at each papers in curiosity and was in awe in just how many words are there.

Akira calls Ai. Ai was sturttled but eventually walked towards where Akira was, Akira showed her the room.

"This is the guest room. No one uses it, so you can stay here."

Ai walks inside and looks around in awe by the cozy room

"Wow... It's so cozy..."

Akira walks inside and moves her stuffs inside.

"I have prepared and have some spare women dresses in my storage room, you can use those, but they are a little bigger, so we'll buy some more fitting clothes for you later."

Ai raises an eyebrow and then turns her head to Akira.

"Okay, thanks I guess? But whose clothes are these?"

Akira walks to the living room to continue his work on his laptop.

"Those are my younger sibling's clothes."

Ai sighs in relief and then fixes her items.

After 13 minutes of fixing.

Ai walks out of the room, closing the door behind her, she walks towards the living room where Akira was, Akira notices Ai and calls her.

"Ai. Can you look out for this downloading pdf, I'll just go to the bathroom."

Ai raises her eyebrows and smiles joyfully.

"Of course!"

Akira walks to the bathroom, and Ai, taking his place.

Ai couldn't help but be curious one specific folder... (Folder name: Karou-kun)

She opens the file and saw a picture of Hikaru and Akira. Ai's eyes widened, the whole atmosphere became eerie and she felt heavy, Akira just got back from the bathroom and then asked Ai.

"Has it been done yet?"

He looks at his laptop and saw the opened file-picture Ai recently opened. His eyes widened and got more sharp.

"Oh, it seems like I missed one."

Ai slowly turns her head to Akira.

"Akira-san... Care to explain?"

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