"When even perfection trembles, love must decide where to stand."
Scene 1 – A Morning Almost Too Peaceful
May 13, 2011 – 6:41 AM – Hoshino Household, Tokyo
A bird chirped outside the window, its song threading through the quiet hum of the morning.
Ai stood in the kitchen, the gentle rhythm of her humming blending with the sizzling of grilled fish and the warmth of fresh miso soup curling into the air. Her apron was snug around her waist, the triplets' neatly ironed school uniforms hanging by the door—still warm, still perfect.
Ruby peeked in, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Morning, Mama…"
Ai turned with a teasing smile.
"Who said you could call me that in the house, huh?"
Ruby pouted.
"Ehhh?! Even in private?!"
"Rules are rules, Ruby-chan~" Ai sang.
Meanwhile, Aqua sat at the table, methodically replacing the batteries in the remote with an almost surgical precision—his focus unwavering, his movements careful.
Souta, in contrast, lounged beside Happy, chin resting on his palms, watching with fascination as the plush bear delicately speared a pancake onto a fork.
"I put cinnamon this time!" Souta announced proudly. "That makes it divine, right?"
Happy tilted his head in assessment.
"This pleases me."
Souta lit up.
"Yayyy!! Happy liked it! He liked it!"
Ai watched him, her eyes soft—watching Souta beam over a stuffed bear like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe, for them… it was.
Scene 2 – School Bell and Subtle Shadows
8:23 AM – High School Entrance, Tokyo
The city buzzed around them, commuters rushing past, students filing in through the school gates. Ai walked alongside her children, disguised behind sunglasses, her hand loosely clasping Ruby's.
Souta slowed mid-step.
"Ne, Ruby… do you think people would still like me if I wasn't funny?"
Ruby blinked.
"Huh? What brought that up?"
Souta shrugged.
"Just wondering... what if I was just normal? Not a weirdo, not a genius, not scary…"
Ruby exhaled through her nose and pinched his cheek.
"Dummy. If anyone doesn't like you, that's their flaw, not yours."
Aqua, walking ahead, didn't even hesitate.
"If anyone hurts him, I'm hurting them back."
Ai turned, her voice sweet, her eyes sharp.
"Violence is never the answer."
A pause.
"Unless they're rude to my kids."
Ruby gasped.
"Mama you're not supposed to say that—!"
They laughed.
But a shadow loomed above the school gates.
A transfer student. Male. Glasses. Quiet.
Smiling too calmly for someone so unnoticed.
Scene 3 – The Transfer Student and the Twitch of Truth
10:14 AM – Classroom 2-B
Souta stared at the new boy sitting beside him.
"Hi, I'm Hoshino Souta! What's your name?"
The boy adjusted his glasses.
"Inugami Kei. Nice to meet you."
Souta leaned in, curious.
"Ne, Kei-kun, you smell like the moon."
Kei blinked.
"...What?"
"Like, secrets and loneliness. It's a nice smell. But it makes my tummy feel weird."
Kei chuckled softly.
"You're very perceptive, Souta-kun."
Souta grinned.
"I'm not! I just love too hard sometimes!"
Kei didn't respond to that.
But beneath the desk, his fingers twitched, forming a faint, intricate symbol.
And far away—
Deep in the god-prison—
A being in chains stirred.
"Found him…"
Scene 4 – Cracks in the Mask
2:02 PM – Rooftop
For once, Souta was alone.
Not because he lacked company—but because he'd chosen to be. Even Happy hadn't followed him this time.
His hands trembled slightly as he flipped through the worn pages of a small notebook.
Stars. Equations. Dreams. Fragments of ideas that made too much sense and not enough at all.
His breath was steady. But his thoughts?
Unraveling.
"Undoing… feels easy now."
"But what if I undo something… I didn't mean to…?"
His eyes lifted to the sky.
"Mama… Aqua… Ruby… what if I fix the wrong thing?"
Then—
A voice, smooth and deliberate.
"You can't fix people, Souta."
Souta snapped around, eyes sharp.
Kei stood against the doorway, watching.
"You can only love them as they break."
Souta's breath caught.
"Why do you know that?"
Kei stepped closer.
"Because I broke once. Just like you."
Souta stiffened.
"...I didn't break."
Kei's gaze didn't waver.
"Then why are you trying so hard not to lose anyone?"
The wind shifted.
The silence between them wasn't empty.
It was heavy.
Scene 5 – A Decision in the Dark
11:41 PM – Hoshino Household
The city slept.
Souta didn't.
He sat on the balcony, legs dangling, hair ruffled by the soft breeze. Happy curled up beside him, silent, watching.
"I met someone today," Souta whispered.
"Someone who reminded me of what I used to be."
Happy stirred.
"Do you miss it?"
Souta exhaled.
"...No."
Happy tilted his head.
"Then why do you look like you're about to cry?"
Souta didn't answer.
He just looked at the stars.
Then—
"I want to give Ruby the power to protect herself."
"And Ai. And Aqua too."
"Even if it means… I lose what makes me special."
Happy pressed his forehead to Souta's arm.
"That's what does make you special."
And the stars twinkled.
Final Scene – A Crack Behind the Eyes
Somewhere—
Kei stood before a mirror.
His own reflection grinned wider than it should have.
"He's close to breaking the system."
A voice hummed from the glass.
"Then what?"
Kei's pupils dilated, something dark flickering underneath.
"Then we can start."
The mirror rippled.
And slowly—
A pair of starry eyes blinked open on the wrong face.
A breath.
A whisper.
"Let's play, Hoshino Souta."