Oshi no Ko Chapter 161: Aqua’s Perfect Deception to Shield Ruby from Hikaru

The release of Oshi no Ko chapter 161 marked a pivotal moment in the manga series, as Aqua Hoshino advanced his revenge plan with the intention to kill Hikaru Kamiki. Despite Hikaru’s attempts to manipulate Aqua, he discovered the ideal deception that would allow him to eliminate Hikaru and safeguard Ruby’s idol career.

In the previous chapter, Aqua confronted Hikaru Kamiki, accusing him of deceit. Hikaru had been exploiting Ryosuke and Niino to carry out illegal activities on his behalf, even prompting Niino to attempt to murder Ruby. Consequently, Aqua felt compelled to forgo his mother’s wishes and proceeded with his original plan to eliminate Hikaru Kamiki.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Oshi no Ko manga.

Oshi no Ko Chapter 161: Aqua Sacrifices His Dreams to Protect Ruby’s Idol Career

Hikaru Kamiki as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 161 (Image via Shueisha)

Oshi no Ko chapter 161, titled ‘Future,’ began with Crow Girl/Tsukuyomi elucidating the nature of Hikaru Kamiki. Driven by a fixation on eliminating anyone who might surpass Ai Hoshino, he utilized his charm to manipulate those around him into committing murder, seeking to elevate Ai’s status. He had lost all semblance of his once noble self, becoming a tortured soul whose only way to feel fulfilled was through taking lives. Thus, killing Ruby became his twisted fate.

The narrative then shifted to a confrontation between Hikaru Kamiki and Aqua Hoshino, where Hikaru argued that it was pointless to secure Ruby’s future. Unlike Ai Hoshino’s legacy, he claimed Ruby was destined to fade away. Nevertheless, Aqua remained resolute in his commitment to protect Ruby from Hikaru’s malevolent influence.

Ruby Hoshino as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 161 (Image via Shueisha)

Hikaru’s manipulation continued as he asserted that Aqua’s actions would bear no significance, emphasizing that killing him would ruin Ruby Hoshino’s idol career. He claimed the public would vilify Ruby, branding her as a murderer’s sister. He also pointed out that Aqua had dreams of his own—like becoming a surgeon, responding to Kana Arima’s feelings, spending time with friends, honoring Akane’s kindness, and witnessing Ruby perform at the Tokyo Dome.

Hikaru and Aqua as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 161 (Image via Shueisha)

However, with Ruby’s future hanging in the balance, Aqua was prepared to abandon all his aspirations. He knew that as long as Hikaru lived, Ruby would always be in jeopardy. To protect her career, Aqua devised a cunning lie; he believed that if he could convince others of his innocence, Ruby would be safe. In a shocking turn, Aqua stabbed himself.

By inflicting the wound upon himself, Aqua aimed to frame Hikaru Kamiki, whose criminal activities had already been unveiled in his biopic, resulting in a struggle between him and the film’s scriptwriter. This deception would suggest that after Hikaru stabbed Aqua, both of them plummeted off a cliff to their deaths. Aqua took Hikaru with him, embodying Hikaru’s assertion that the public was indifferent to the truth—a lie was all that mattered.

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