“Real life begins after the storm has passed — when everything is still damp and wet.”

Her words lingered in my mind even after she had left.

Now sitting in class, my head resting on my hand, I stared blankly at the board while the teacher’s voice faded into meaningless noise.

This day has been too long.

I sighed quietly, watching raindrops still gathered on the window edge, trembling but refusing to fall.

Maybe I was the same— stuck between falling and staying still.

By the end of the lecture, the teacher made a special announcement.

“Tonight, there will be a rare star sighting. Students who wish to see the spectacular sight can come to the school roof. Bring your friends and enjoy the view.”

The class erupted in excitement.

Stars,wishes, laughter — the kind of things people cling to when they still believe the sky listens.

A star sighting, I thought.

Maybe a great thing for people looking to find light in darkness. It’s beautiful to look at the stars — but painful if you truly understand them.

To me…stars only remind us of the truth —

that there is light but we can never reach it. It is a desperate desire, just too far away from us. Small light of hope to keep us in the edge.

We can just stare and wish, like stupid child.

The bell rang.

Finally Freedom.

I packed my bag quickly and walked toward the exit, ready to escape this day, when I heard her voice again.

“Araaa~ Arisu!”

Aira.

Blocking my path again like a calm storm in human form. She was standing their like a guard stopping a prisoner from escaping.

"Oh God. What now?"

She stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, the sunlight from the window catching the edges of her hair.

The teasing smile was back— soft, knowing, impossible to ignore.

“Leaving already?” she asked.

I sighed, half in defeat.

“I survived today.I think I’ve earned the right to go home.”

She giggled softly. “You’re always running away from something.”

“Maybe,” I said, brushing past her, “but at least I’m fast.”

She watched me for a moment, her smile fading into something unreadable.

“See you tonight then…at the roof.”

I froze.

“Who said I’m going?”

“I didn’t say you were. But tonight something special will be happening.”

She went on.

"Today my friend Aika will be confessing her love to Giyu under the starlight. How romantic."

More like how irritating.

Do these teenagers all have to treat life like some romcom?

Aika, she is a shy blonde hair girl in our class. She is actually quite cute that is what other boys say. And Giyu, he is a friend of the class prez. A tall guy with black hair and who likes helping everyone and he is always smiling. It's not a bad combination for the both.

She stared at me.

"You seem to know the two."

Even though I don't talk to anyone it doesn't mean I am closed to my surroundings. I believe those who stay silent are more aware of their surroundings than other social people. We just don't like talking that's all.

But.

"Well what do they have to do with me?"

I asked looking away as if not caring at all.

"Because I will be there. So you will come."

"You are too confident."

I said with a slight hesitation.

She smiled again and walked away,her voice trailing behind like an afterthought, yet with a certainty that felt less like a guess and more like a fact she already knew.

“But somehow,I think you will.”

---

The evening came faster than I expected.

The city sky dimmed into violet,the world holding its breath between night and light.

I found myself back at the school gates— for no reason I could explain.

“Maybe I’ll find a quiet corner and actually enjoy the view.”

The rooftop was quiet when I arrived.

A few groups of students laughed, lying on blankets, phones raised, waiting for the sky to perform.

And then there was him.

Miyamura.

Sitting alone near the far railing, his bag beside him, face turned upward as if he were talking to the stars before they even appeared.

He noticed me instantly, that familiar smile returning like it was waiting for me.

“Hey, Arisu.”

I tried to act like I didn't saw him but I was too late. So in defeat I went up to him.

I groaned. “You again.”

He laughed. “What? You didn’t think I’d miss the chance to see the universe’s spotlight, did you? And also she is here.”

He looked towards Aira with soft eyes. She was laughing and enjoying herself with her friends while preparing Aika for the confession.

“I didn’t think you’d ever sit still long enough to see anything that isn’t your reflection,” I muttered.

He chuckled softly. “You’re surprisingly good at insults for someone who barely talks.”

I didn’t answer. I just stood beside him, leaning on the railing. The city lights below flickered like trapped stars that had fallen too low.

For a few seconds, silence hung between us — not awkward, just… quiet.

He again looked at Aira and smiled. Staring at her with sincerity.

Then, I asked without looking at him,

“Why do you like her?”

Miyamura blinked and hesitated for a moment. “Aira?”

“Yeah. You said you liked her. Why?”

His smile didn't fade, but it changed. It became quieter, more personal. He was silent for a moment, as if deciding whether to give a casual answer or the real one. He

“It's just that I already told her you know.”

I turned to him, slightly surprised. “You confessed?”

He nodded. “Yeah. And she said no.”

He said with a smile.

Something in me stilled but I hid it well.“She did?”

He laughed softly — but it wasn’t the playful one I was used to. It was gentler, tired.

“Yeah. Said it without hesitation too. Most people don’t do that to me.”

“What do you mean?”

He leaned back against the railing, his smile thinning into something real.

“You know, Arisu… when you’re always first — when you’re the top of everything — people stop seeing you.

They just see that.The medal. The number one spot.

I smile, they laugh. I say something wrong, they still agree. I feel like being recognized but not seen.

Sometimes I wonder if they even hear what I’m saying.”

I didn’t respond. I didn't need to. He kept going.

“When you’re always at the top, you can’t tell if people like you or just your place there. They want to be friends with you or the number one guy."

His voice softened with a gentle smile.

"So when someone tells you no…it hits different.

It feels like for once, someone actually looked at you — not above you.”

He smiled faintly, looking down at his hands.

“I grew up that way.My parents were very rich. They gave me everything — except their time.

They’d rather send gifts than themselves.

People always called me special,ever since I was a kid. So I was always the center of attention. Someone people wanted to get close to for purpose.

But all that does is make you realize how alone you are in a room full of admirers.”

He looked at me then — really looked — his eyes softer than ever before.

“That’s why I like Aira. She said no. Like she saw me… not the first-place medal. Just me as human being.”

He turned back toward the sky, and I followed his gaze.

The first star blinked faintly in the distance,trembling in the night.

After a moment, he added quietly, almost like an afterthought,

“And maybe…that’s why I like you too, Arisu.”

“What?”

The word 'like' landed between us, fragile and unexpected. He wasn't talking about Aira anymore.

“You don’t care who I am. You don’t treat me like I’m something special.

You make me feel ordinary.”

He smiled again— a sad, honest smile.

“But somehow ,that makes me feel… special.”

The words hung in the cool night air, heavier than I expected.

I didn’t say anything. I just watched the stars begin to appear — faint, unreachable lights scattered across the dark.

Maybe he was right.

He made me realize that loneliness is not always in silence but it can also exist in a room full of people.

He was alone just like me even though it was completely different.

I looked up at the shining stars.

Maybe the stars aren’t meant to be touched.

Maybe they’re meant to remind us that light still exists— even far away.

And maybe, just maybe, real connection begins

when two lonely people stop pretending they’re not.

I didn’t want to admit it — but I felt every word he said.