Chapter Text
Below is an excerpt from the most well-circulated article that relates to the murder of Kamiki Hikaru.
It was published five days after his death, in the fashion and lifestyle magazine Non-no.
Ruby gifted Akane and Aqua a framed copy as a joke a couple of months later.
They still have it to this day.
A Year On, Still in LoveNow
by Kino Karen
Kurokawa Akane spotted cozying up to boyfriend Hoshino Aqua outside Tokyo Wangnan Police Station. Picture courtesy of Kose Erika.
Many of us remember the wild ups and downs of The Beginning of My Love With An Idol; the seemingly strong and steady YukiYuki and the wildcard Aquaka storming into the finish on the back of that viral ‘behind the scenes’ video—you all know the one. Our hearts were crushed when we lost YukiYuki in the last episode. I think I finished a whole tub of icecream over it. But never fear, dear readers: by the looks of things, the Aquaka nation is still feasting!
The recent murder of Kamiki Hikaru has cast a brief pall over the entertainment world, but even tragedy can have a silver lining—especially when it gives us this adorable look on Akane’s face as she spots Aqua from across the street, and, of course, the tender embrace that’s the highlight of this article.
How are these two things related, you ask? Well, it's public record that Akane visited Kamiki on the day he died, and according to rumours, might have even been one of the last people to see him alive. How shocking! Naturally, if you’ve ever watched a crime drama—like the homegrown adaptation of the British classic Midsomer Murders that our girl starred in earlier this year—that means you’d know the police would want to bring her in for questioning.
Of course, because our proud Tokyo police are diligent and sensible, they realised that this girl (the one to your right, with the adorable Snap filter) would be one of the last people on Earth to do something so awful. My sources tell me that Akane was only interviewed once, as a formality, and the investigation has since moved on to far more believable suspects. But that’s not important here, is it, ladies and gentlemen?
No, what’s important here is the way Akane nearly fell into Aqua’s arms after she left the station—no doubt thankful for her boyfriend’s comfort after what must have been a harrowing ordeal for an eighteen-year-old girl. Just seeing a police car while I’m driving scares the bejeebers out of me, and I’ve never gone faster than eighty in my entire life! I can’t imagine what it must be like to be actively questioned by them, no matter how innocent you are.
Aqua seemed to agree with us; the way he cuddled her, whispering what must have been sweet reassurance into her ear, just melted my heart when I saw the photos. No doubt it melted Akane’s too—and I think I speak for all of us here at Non-no when I say I hope he keeps melting it for years to come!
With her recent win at the Japanese Film Festival, Akane is making huge strides into the big leagues her talent has always deserved (I’ve been a fan ever since I saw her in Kuwabara Yuko’s One Night, back when she was only fourteen), so it’s wonderful to see she has such a kind and caring boyfriend in Aqua to keep her grounded no matter how hectic things get.
Be grateful, Aquaka nation. It looks like they’re here to stay!
Kino Karen is an occasional guest writer for Non-no, when she’s not too busy with her role as President of Outreach at Kino Publishing. She can be found on Tweeter as @kaguyaiskino.