The lie won't become the truth

2022 year. Saturday. Christmas is approaching. It was a sunny day, rarely a cloud appeared in the sky. A couple was walking along on a not very crowded street. A beautiful young girl with short haircut, she had red hair and eyes that resembled ruby colored space, she was dressed in a school uniform. Her school uniform consisted of a blue beret, a short blue jacket that covered her torso to the end of her ribs, a black loose vest, from the neckline of which the collar of a white shirt peeked out, as well as a gray skirt that covered two thirds of her thigh, white long socks and low black shoes. The peeking out collar of the shirt was decorated with a red bow made of ribbon. Today she was wearing glasses. Simple big dark glasses with square lenses. Next to the girl was a guy who was about half a head taller than her. He was blond with blue eyes in which darkness reigned. He was wearing similar clothes, a school uniform: also a blue jacket, but long, a black loose vest, from the neckline of which a collar was visible, around which was tied a red tie. He was missing a beret. Instead of a gray skirt, he was wearing gray formal trousers that completely covered his legs. Today he was wearing a black mask. To their surprise and happiness, no one recognized them, which made both of them breathe a sigh of relief. The couple were Arima Kana and Hoshino Aqua, two showbiz stars who were dangerous to be seen in public together. Aqua walked silently next to Kana, looking away. He was trying to figure out what had happened yesterday. When Kana texted him last night: «Are you free on Saturday?», he replied positively. However, he was surprised by the next message that followed: «Then let's meet tomorrow? Don't forget to wear the school uniform we wore in high school. And find some kind of accessory to hide part of your face.» During the correspondence, Aqua was unable to find out about the actress's plans. To all his questions, she answered «it was a secret» that was needed so as not to spoil some surprise, thereby interesting him. Perhaps it was Aqua's curiosity that brought him to this meeting. The silence that reigned between the two of them gradually began to press on their ears. Everyone was waiting for someone to start talking first, to break the silence. And Aqua was the first to speak. He turned his head towards Arima and said in a calm voice: — «I was wondering what was going on when you asked me to come in uniform. Why?» Hearing this, Kana smiled slightly. She raised her hands and began to adjust the bow on her uniform. — «Don't you feel nostalgic when you see me in a school uniform?» Aqua asked back with a hint of confusion in his voice: — «If a senior wears it, it’s nothing but cosplay, right?» Not paying attention to it, she waved the question away: — «Don’t be so picky.» Then she sighed slightly and gave a small explanation with a serene smile: — «I wanted to do it properly. Going on a date in a school uniform, that’s it.» Aqua looked away and thought for a moment, but realizing what she had just said, he turned his gaze back to the girl who was already walking in front of him with her hands behind her back. — «Date.? You said ‘date’?» Kana paused after hearing another question. Aqua couldn’t see her face because he was walking behind her, but she was embarrassed. Overcoming her shyness, she turned around, took off her glasses, and looked him straight in the eye, saying: — «Yes.» Her dark red eyes, which were shining from the rays of the sun falling on them, seemed to be looking into Hoshino Aquamarine's soul. She exuded confidence as she flirted with him, while her cheeks were colored with a slight blush. Another awkward silence ensued as the two actors once again looked away from each other in embarrassment. Kana put her glasses back on, afraid of being recognized by passersby. Closing her eyes, Aqua hummed to herself, — «Hmm… I see. Well… Then… Do you have any plans for our date?» Unlike the previous questions, Kana responded to this one with interest. She must have been waiting for this question from Aqua's lips for a long time, and it finally came. With a flustered expression and a confident voice, she reached into the kraft paper bag she had been carrying all this time. — «Of course. I know what I'm doing.» A moment later, she pulled out a slightly dirty, scuffed baseball. The young actress's face once again lit up with confidence, but also with a certain childishness. — «Ta-dah!» Aqua stood rooted to the spot for a moment, wondering what was going on. Kana had managed to confuse him once again. — «A baseball game on a date? What a weird date.» With a slightly unperturbed, but just a little grumpy tone, Arima replied, — «I could have said the same thing to Aqua two years ago.» At that moment, Aqua was flooded with forgotten memories that exuded a youthful spirit and brought out the feeling of nostalgia that Kana was trying to evoke in Aqua.

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***

That day when Aqua and Kana were skipping classes together… In the park… Playing baseball… That day, Kana was the one who was confused. She stared at the baseball glove, confused by Aqua's choice of spending time .In a way, she was even disappointed, because they could have gone to Disneyland or Skytree. — «I think you’re weird», — Kana said in a quiet, annoyed tone. — «Seriously?» — «Seriously!» The girl began to prepare her swing, her movements uncertain, awkward… However, Aqua was not embarrassed or worried. — «A couple of kids finally broke out of the prison called school and just went to fool around in the park. And you even bought a ball and gloves for this. It’s weird.» The ball began to fly out of her hand. While it was in the air, it was already obvious to Aqua and Kana that its trajectory was wrong and it would land behind Aqua. Aqua turned to pick up the ball, and from behind him, Arima said: — «Sorry.» He didn't care about her bad throw, after all, they were fooling around here, not playing sports. So, without giving it much thought, he quickly replied: — «It's fine.» A strange feeling appeared inside Kana. She was bad at baseball, but he still invited her. Why? What was so special about her? As she asked herself these questions, she couldn't figure out the answer, which awakened a new feeling in her — curiosity. — «Instead of someone like me, why didn't you invite someone more suitable…» — «For example?» — «Hmm… Maybe… Ruby?» — «What kind of brother would ask his sister to skip school?» — «A siscon… Or someone from the show? You seem to get along, right?» As he prepared to swing and throw the ball, Aqua gave a small explanation: — «Our relationship is really good… But it's a working relationship, nothing more. We constantly deceive each other and act exclusively in our own interests. There aren't many people around me that I can talk to without any intentions… It's different with you, I don't worry about anything.» — «Oh…» That's all Kana could say at that moment. She was flattered and excited by the fact that Aqua had a special attitude towards her. She wanted to continue talking about it, to find out about his feelings… But that would be suspicious, she had already found out a lot with the leading question. If she continued asking questions about his attitude towards her, it would be suspicious… So she decided to change the subject. — «The show is finishing filming, am I right?» — «Yeah», — Aqua squeezed out, raising his hand high in the air, ready to receive another serve. — «Yuki is the most popular right now? Although Kurokawa seems to be gaining momentum too… To be honest, who are you interested in?» — «No one, I'm just doing my job.» — «Well… You have a type, right? Younger… Older…» — «You shouldn't ask me such difficult questions», — Aqua said with a gloomy expression. — «The line between 'me' and 'Hoshino Aqua' is quickly disappearing.» The actress's puzzled expression returned. She was taken aback. What did he even mean? Weren't that 'he' and Hoshino Aqua the same person? The puzzled expression turned into a worried, somewhat frightened and confused expression. — «Listen… I've been thinking about this for a long time, but I was afraid to ask… Are you delusional? Stop it. Just…» Before Kana could finish her last word, a powerful and accurate throw came flying into her hand. Fortunately, the ball hit her glove directly, but the momentum and wave spread throughout her arm and body, causing her to tremble. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if that ball had hit her in the face or eye. Ignoring Kana's seemingly off-balance state, Aqua continued the conversation, answering Kana's previous question: — «Well, the most important thing is that I'm in high school», — Aqua took on a more serious, thoughtful expression. — «I could potentially be attracted to people my age… But I prefer older girls. Anyone younger is out of the question.» Kana, trying to catch her breath and think about Aqua's words, narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. She was a second year, while Aqua was a first year… So Aqua could, in theory, find her attractive. — «Uh-huh…» — «Um… Are you going to dump me?» At that point, her hopes began to crumble, because she remembered that her rival in both her career and love life, Kurokawa Akane, was also a second year… She also fit Aqua's type. She began to breathe heavily, trying to hide her disappointment. — «What's wrong?» — «NOTHING!» — Kana shouted, throwing the ball, into which she put all her irritation and negativity. When the ball hit Aqua's glove, a very loud bang was heard. Surprise appeared on the boy's face, pleasant surprise. He looked at the ball with some satisfaction. — «Wow! Great throw.» — «Really?» A flattered laugh escaped Kana's lips. — «Are you sure you're a newbie?» — «Yeah», — a radiant smile blossomed on her face. At that moment, it seemed that she was much more beautiful than usual. A slight blush decorated her cheeks, and her red eyes with long eyelashes seemed to look straight into Aqua's soul, making his heart beat faster. — «My first time with you, Aqua. The very first time.»

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***

Aquamarine gradually returned to reality as the veil of nostalgia fell from his eyes. The pleasant memories he had forgotten in pursuit of revenge, a smirk appeared on his face. However, the mask on his face hid this smirk. These memories… It seems like recently, but it seems like a long time ago. Two whole years have passed since that day, and in these two years a lot has happened, a lot has changed. It was this thought that knocked Aqua's smirk off, returning his face to its usual, neutral state. — «Oh, well, I don't mind. But now everything has changed. We are both famous. Society and tabloids are watching us closely. We can't just go to that park and play», — Aqua said, looking at another billboard with his face, where they advertised shampoo… His face flashes everywhere and very often. Sooner or later, someone might recognize Aqua as a star. — «Don't worry, I thought of everything», — Arima said confidently, smugly adjusting her glasses. — «That's why I asked you to come in uniform.»

***

After some time, the actors reached their destination. It turned out that all this time, Kana was leading Aqua to the place they graduated from together… Yoto High School. Aqua makes the first pitch to Kana. Kana, in turn, raises her hand high and prepares to receive the pitch. — «This is the complete opposite of two years ago, right? Back then, we ran away from here to play baseball, and today we're running here.» Slap! The ball is already in Kana's glove. Closing her eyes and thinking, looking at herself from the side, she smiles faintly, as if surprised at her naivety in the old days. — «School is a place that protects students, but I never thought about it before when I was a student.» — «You speak as if you understand.» A weak smile appeared on Aqua's face because of Kana's words and her smile. He raised his eyebrows and looked away. From the outside, it seemed as if Aqua already knew what she had said before she said it. However, the smile on the girl's face refused to go away. As if teasingly, or perhaps playfully, the smile transformed, and her eyebrows furrowed. Arima began to lift her leg with her knee up, preparing to return the serve. — «Hehe… You know, I'm a grown woman.» There was something in her voice… Something like a warm and soft insolence. The actor did not argue with this statement… Aqua was now seventeen years old, but the girl in front of him was a year older than him. One way or another, she would definitely be considered an adult by the state, albeit a young woman. A little while later, she made a serve. Frivolity, curiosity, and perhaps some serenity adorned her face. — «What are you going to do in the future? You're so smart, so you should be able to get into a good college, right?» Aqua's eyes widened slightly, and it was unclear whether it was because of the question or because of the memories of his past life… Goro Amamiya's life. Calmly looking at the ball in his glove, Aqua voiced his answer: — «For now… I'm going to medical school.» — «MEDICAL SCHOOL?! YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME A DOCTOR, AQUA-KUN?!» — Arima was taken aback by the answer. She was overwhelmed by confusion, surprise, and shock at the same time. However, from her face, it was clear that these emotions had a positive tint. At the same time, Aqua looked at her surprise with a calm face, as if he didn't care about Kana's overflowing emotions. — «It was my dream. To become a cardiac surgeon.» Slightly squinting his eyes, he began to remember his past life, his life before reincarnation, the life of Goro Amamiya, because that was his dream. — «Very old… Dream…» In response to the confidence that surrounded Aqua, Kana’s eyes sparkled. This sparkle seemed to consist of admiration and pride for Aqua. An enthusiastic smile spread across her face, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. — «That's cool! I think it suits you perfectly!» — The actress exclaimed dreamily. In turn, Aqua shifted the ball from one hand to the other and asked casually: — «Do you think so?» — «Yes», — Kana said affirmatively, closing her eyes. She was probably imagining Aqua in the future. Her face still showed pride and admiration, but they faded against the backdrop of tenderness and confidence. — «I’m sure you’ll save many lives and bring a ray of hope to many people. You can become a good doctor. This job is perfect for someone like you, who always wants to help others.» — «I understand», — Aqua said, looking away. His expression brightened a little: it wasn’t gloomy or thoughtful. The associations that came to mind were «pondering», «dreaming» or «confused». However, after a while, he covered his face with his hand and muttered under his breath: — «So that’s what you think…» Kana transformed. Mockingly, pointing her index finger at Aqua, she began to tease him: — «Oh, how unusual! Are you embarrassed? It seems so.» WHOOP!!! This whole mocking image was broken by the ball flying into her glove, which hit her with such speed that she was scared. Her heart skipped a beat from the unexpected serve, which was more like a shot. Luckily, everything ended with only a fright. Two years ago, Arima received a similar serve, and it seemed to Aqua that she recovered much faster this time. — «What about you? What's your dream? You want to be a national actress, after all?» — Aqua, looking irritated, began to shake off the hand with which he threw the ball. His eyebrows furrowed, and the intonation of his voice seemed to scream: «Will you leave me alone already, huh?» — «That dream came true when I was five», — Arima said, making a slightly creepy, dissatisfied grimace. — «Oh yeah… Right», — Aqua muttered under his breath. — «Obviously, the more I sell, the better… But now I don’t think I can call it a dream. In a way, it was a life without goals», — Kana’s face changed again. It seemed that now she was remembering her past with some sadness, or maybe longing. Aqua’s question distracted the girl from self-reflection: — «Was that your only dream?» She turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. A new blush appeared on her cheeks. Trying to gather strength and courage, the girl took a deep breath through her nose, and then said: — «No. I have… A new dream.» Aqua's eyes widened in surprise at her words. Her words intrigued him. However, it didn't take him long to come to his senses. Slightly narrowing his eyes, Aqua became more serious, but his curiosity was still evident. — «What is it?» The blush on Kana's cheeks did not disappear. Hiding her lips behind her glove, she began to think about her next words, choosing the right ones. Then she threw. In response to this, Aqua raised his hand high in the air with an emotionless face, preparing to receive the serve and… — «I want you to look only at me.» …Only to freeze in place in shock. Those words… No… Kana's new dream left him deeply shocked, as if he had momentarily escaped reality. The confession was so unexpected that Aqua couldn't even catch the ball. It just lay next to the boy, who didn't even try to pick it up, but stared… Or rather, stared at Arima. — «My current dream is to become your idol. I want you to come and watch… My… The last concert at B-Komachi on Christmas, the last day of our tour», — Kana continued with confidence and embarrassment. She had to make an effort to express her feelings. Her face darkened and dimmed for a moment… — «Maybe I won't be able to shine brighter than Ruby, or stir up the crowd better than Mem-Cho…» Before it lit up with hope. — «But I'll keep trying. If you say that I am Hoshino Aqua's favorite idol, then I will only become your star.»

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Aqua was rooted, and for a long time, and all this time he was staring at Arima, while his eyes were the size of yen. Kana stared back at Aqua, trying to calm her beating heart. It seemed like it was about to jump out of her throat. Mostly, her heart was beating faster from excitement and fear… Although, her heart was already beating faster next to him. An oppressive, tense expectation hung between them. In many ways, everything depended on Aqua, on his answer. There were two possible scenarios: agreement or refusal. Aqua was also nervous, but he decided to remain calm and think rationally: he broke up with Akane, the filming of the movie was coming to an end, large-scale work was not expected in the near future, since he would be participating in editing the footage. In fact, Aqua had always been partial to Kana, since childhood. Aqua liked her unwavering character and purposeful gaze. Even now, she looked at Aqua in exactly the same way. Nothing could stop him now. Ai's wish would soon be fulfilled, just like revenge. A common revenge from him and Ruby. Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and then exhaling, the guy regained his former calm, after which he decided to break the silence. — «I'll come to your last concert, I promise», — Aqua said with a serious look, and then bent down to pick up the ball. Kana exhaled with relief and allowed herself to relax. However, at the same moment, she promised to give it her all in the upcoming concert. — «Do you want to continue?» — the blond asked, pointing with his gaze at the baseball in his hand. — «To be honest, no… I've already gotten hungry», — the actress answered. You could tell from the rumbling in her stomach how hungry she was. She even felt a little awkward because of the sounds in her stomach. — «Then maybe we should go to Parpania?»

***

At the entrance, the «schoolchildren» were met by a young woman, brown-haired, with a bun on the back of her head, freckles and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a white turtleneck, a black formal jacket with vertical white thin stripes, blue jeans and white sandals. She was sitting at a laptop on the administration desk made of dark wood. — «Welcome! How can I help you?» — the woman said in a polite voice, looking with a smile at Aqua and Kana, considering them a couple. — «I reserved a table in the name of Hoshino, would you like to show me there?» — Aqua asked in a calm tone, albeit with a hint of haste. — «Hmm…» — the woman turned her gaze to the screen of the device, after which the clicking of keys was heard. — «Uh-huh, come with me, please», — the woman stood up from her seat and, beckoning them with her hand, began to lead the couple to the table. Upon entering the restaurant, the rich aroma of roasted meat, mixed with subtle notes of spices, garlic and charcoal, immediately hit the nose. The smell was so appetizing that it immediately caused a hungry rumble in the stomach. In the background, calm relaxing music played from speakers hidden in the ceiling, consisting mainly of the sounds of a piano and saxophone, which created an atmosphere of coziness and relaxation. The interior was solidly expensive, but tasteful: facing ceramic bricks adorned the walls, adding a bit of industrial chic to the room. Black metal chairs with soft seats and red backs harmonized with wooden tables, whose surface was carefully polished, and in the center of each table there was a recess for frying barbecue. Shelves with small cacti and ferns in white pots added greenery and freshness to the space. Black framed photographs of cheerful and noisy groups hung on the walls, reminding of the many happy moments spent here. Yellow lanterns, reminiscent of Chinese paper lanterns, hung from the ceiling, with soft warm light from the bulbs inside, illuminating the space, creating a cozy and subdued atmosphere, perfect for a leisurely dinner. The floor was laid out with large slabs of dark marble, which added elegance to the room and complemented the overall style of the interior. The light shine of the marble reflected the warm lights of the lanterns, creating a soft glow throughout the room. On the table were napkins, toothpicks, salt, sugar, pepper and a menu. Aqua walked over to a chair and pulled it out, then motioned for Kana to sit down. When the seats were taken and the girl in the jacket left, Aqua and Kana took the menus, looking at the dishes and drinks, looking for what they would like to order. — «A lot has changed here», — the red—haired girl said, not looking up from her menu. — «Really?» — «Yes, especially the staff and their uniform.» Hoshino only made a sound of agreement in response. An awkward silence hung in the air, which Aqua ignored. However, this silence was pressing on Kana's ears. Unable to bear it, she lowered the menu onto the table so that it could be heard, then feigned a sigh, trying to attract attention. — «Have you made your choice yet?» — Aqua asked, turning his gaze to Arima, who was thoughtfully looking at the framed photos. — «Yeah», — Kana shook her head, and then, turning her gaze to Aqua, added: — «I don't get it… Do you reserve a table every time you meet me?» A barely noticeable laugh escaped Aqua's lips, after which the corners of his lips lifted slightly. — «Not at all, I just assumed that there would be something special today when you wrote about some kind of surprise.» — «Got it.» Kana was about to wait for the waiter to come to their table, but Aqua's gaze reminded her of something. — «I heard that it takes a long time to study to become a doctor… But how long?» — asked Arima, crossing her arms in a pyramid and resting her chin on them. — «Well…» — Aqua began, thoughtfully looking down at the table. — «Medical school can take about six years, initial residency for two years, residency in general surgery for three years and specialization in cardiac surgery also three years.» He turned his gaze to the girl sitting opposite. She, in turn, was trying not to let her jaw «meet» the floor. — «So you'll spend fourteen years on this?!» — the girl exclaimed in bewilderment, her eyes widening. — «You should be quieter, we're attracting attention», — the blond said, frowning. Looking around, Kana noticed that people were looking at them. — «But yes, you're right, it will take at least fourteen years», — Aqua said, looking from the girl who was blushing with shame to the menu. — «At least?!» — Kana was indignant, as if cursing under her breath. — «I'll try and keep to the minimum.» In one case, this was true, but if he did keep to the minimum, it would be mostly thanks to memories from his past life. Arima sighed heavily and, resting her cheek on her hand, sadly stared at the wall while waiting for the waiter.

***

Aqua returned home late. At the restaurant, Kana decided to take advantage of the fact that she was a «grown woman» and ordered a drink with alcohol. In the end, he couldn't let her go home alone in such a state, so he called a taxi and walked her home. They had a good time, especially Aqua, because it was funny to see a «grown woman» say whatever came into her head while drunk. But it wasn't funny to catch the looks of others. It was scary to imagine what people thought when they saw a drunk «schoolgirl». — «Um… Onii-chan.?» — Ruby's voice was heard from behind, puzzled. She was wearing pink pajamas with white stars. Apparently, she was almost in bed, but when she heard that her brother had arrived, she decided to meet him.