Chapter Forty-Four: Lover's Quarrel

                                    

                                          
"Mom..."
Ruby muttered as she took a look at the screen. Eyes shining from the screen. Brighter than any Star. It was the same ones her mother had. Ruby was left speechless, her mouth open in a state of shock. Was Akane acting like her mother? 
However, she was suddenly broken from her thoughts as the weight dropped next to her on the couch. Pink eyes turned, expecting to meet the red of Kana's, though they were met with purple eyes, a grinning face looking back at her.
"Hello, sweetie. Whatcha doing?~"
Though, instead of waiting for her daughter's response she looked towards the TV screen. Her eyebrow raised as she saw a girl with the same eyes she did. Ai leaned in slightly as the camera cut to Aqua who was, for lack of a better term, starstruck.
"Ohhhhh. Would you look at that Ruby, have you ever seen that kind of face on Aqua?"
"N-No..."
"Work work work... is that all you care about?"
Akane said from the screen. Ai couldn't take her eyes off the screen as she smiled uncontrollably. This girl had gotten her entire attitude completely correct. Ai was more than impressed.
"What you should be doing... is focusing on me~"
"Damn, this girl is good."
Ai muttered to herself. As she began to look more and more invested in the show. Ruby couldn't help but look at her mother from the side as she also tried to focus on the show, which was easier said than done with her mother's unnecessary commentary.
"I..."
"What is it? Cat got your tongue~"
The two Hoshino women watched as their brother/son was openly being flirted with in front of them. For one of them it felt... weird to watch her brother get flirted with, his composure completely broken. Meanwhile the other... was weirdly invested into all of this.
"Ohhhh the two should just shut up and kiss!"
Ai said as she pumped her fists up and down in front of her. She seemed like a little kid watching an intense action scene in a movie. Ruby, while she was interested in shows like this, being a romantic at heart... But even this was not something to get that hyped about.
"Why are you encouraging your son to kiss a random girl?"
"She's not a random girl! She's gonna be your sister-in-law!"
"Right..."
Ruby's focus then returned to the TV. She was trying to drown out her mother, this time for good. Why can't she just let a woman enjoy her TV time!?
"You said you wanted me to focus on you, right?"
The pair stared at the TV intensely. Their starry eyes shining brightly as they watched Aqua speak to the girl. Inching closer, and closer to the edge of the couch.
"Well... now you have it."
The two girls just stayed there in silence for a moment, processing what just happened. Ruby's face began to crumple up, as she started to cringe at what her brother had just said. The attempt to flirt was so bad, in her opinion, that she felt like she wanted to give her brother a lesson on how to talk to girls.
"I can't believe that he said that... it was so... so... cheesy! Right mom?"
Ruby asked as she turned to her mother. However, she knew something was off. Her eyes were black as she stared blankly at the TV.