The late afternoon sun spilled through the sliding glass door, casting a warm, burnt-orange glow across Aqua's small apartment. The room was quiet — too quiet — painted in shadows and soft light.
A low wooden table sat in the center of the room. Behind him, the couch rested against the far wall, cushions undisturbed. A few framed pictures hung neatly, and a small bookshelf stood quietly in the corner, untouched.
The whole room felt paused — like time had decided to wait.
Aqua sat on the floor, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone. He'd been quieter than usual these days—Kana's sudden departure from B-Komachi had left a hollow silence behind. She'd thrown herself into solo acting, her eyes lit with the same fire Aqua remembered from her childhood performances.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
Anonymous Caller
He frowned. Unknown number? He picked it up, and what he heard sent a chill through his spine.
"Hello, it's an emergency! Kana Arima has been shot! A man wearing a black cap and white mask did it. She's bleeding—we need help. She's at Sirius Line Studio!"
Aqua's blood ran cold. The voice... it was his own.
He choked. "Who... who's speaking?"
But the line had already gone dead.
Without wasting a second, Aqua dashed out of the apartment and raced to Sirius Line Studio.
---
[Scene: Sirius Line Studio]
The studio was chaos. The massive shooting space, once filled with controlled lighting and quiet directions, had become a storm of noise and movement. Tall filming lights still burned overhead, casting harsh shadows on the glossy floor.
Kana lay collapsed near the center of the set — her costume soaked in blood. A prop camera had been knocked over nearby, its tripod legs tangled in red tape. Crew members shouted into radios, circling the scene in confusion and fear.
Emergency responders pushed through folding stage walls and wheeled carts. Someone had knocked over a lighting panel, glass scattered near the edge of the frame. In the distance, a black cap lay discarded on the floor — and behind it, the emergency exit door swung half open.
Aqua's stomach turned. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and blood, sharp and suffocating.
"No… this can't be."
Hands trembling, Aqua pulled out his phone and called emergency services himself.
"Hello, it's an emergency! Kana Arima has been shot! A man wearing a black cap and white mask did it. She's bleeding—we need help. She's at Sirius Line Studio!"
And then—
A response from the other end.
"Who... who's speaking?"
Aqua froze.
That voice.
His voice.
Realization dawned like a sledgehammer to the chest. He had just repeated the call he'd received earlier. The voice he heard earlier was himself. He had been talking to his past self.
Suddenly, the world around him shimmered. Distorted. Pixelated. Like a glitch in reality.
Light twisted. Color drained and returned. The sirens vanished. Blood disappeared.
And then he was back. Same place.
But now, Kana stood before him. Alive. Smiling.
"Aqua, thank you... It's because of your warning that they caught him. The fake crew member tried to blend in, but the description helped everyone spot him."
He stared at her, speechless.
Cap and mask were in my subconscious mind because of attending the previous call—that's why I said them in the flow.
"You said someone called you, remember? Maybe they saw something," Kana offered.
But still one thing is bothering me... Aqua thought, how did the 'me' who called me earlier get that information in the first place? It's like a weird time loop that has no end.
"Police are investigating this," Kana added. "We should probably tell them about the caller. They could trace it. Might be connected to the attacker."
"No… It's fine. I'll handle it," Aqua said, his voice low. "You just focus on your acting. You said you were working on a new role, right?"
Kana brightened. "Yeah! I wanted to show you how much I've improved... But you look a little out of it. Are you okay?"
Just then, Aqua's phone buzzed again. A message from Mem-cho flashed across the screen.
"I need your help, Aqua-tan. Are you free right now?"
Aqua stared at the message, then locked the screen without replying.
He smiled faintly at Kana. "Just tired. I'll come see your performance next time. I promise."
"Then I'll be waiting. Get some rest, okay?"
---
Aqua started heading home, his footsteps echoing softly against the pavement. The sun had dipped lower now, streaking the sky with deep orange and violet.
Neon signs flickered on across quiet streets, casting color across wet sidewalks from a recent rain. Cars passed in the distance, muted by the stillness of early evening.
His phone buzzed again.
He glanced at the screen—then stopped in his tracks.
AI Hoshino
His breath caught. Eyes wide, his hands trembled.
"...How's this possible?" he whispered. "Is it… from the past?"
His fingers hovered, shaking, above the 'Accept' button.
Then, the voice came.
"You know, our kids have gotten pretty big."
It was unmistakably her voice.
Ai's voice.
Aqua stood frozen, heart pounding.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: "The Call from the Past"