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"Y’know, I heard there will be a rare comet visible tonight."
"Really? Where did you hear that from? You don’t seem like someone who is into stuff like space."
"Well, I don’t. I heard this from my Physics teacher. He’s very passionate when it comes to astronomy. Anyway, he recommended us at school to go and see it, and after that he just told us more stuff about comets. Heh, at least I didn’t have to tell him the last lesson."
"I see. And are you going to do this? With who?"
"That’s the reason why I wanted to call you in the first place, but I’m glad you called me first, though. I was actually planning to see that comet with you, in the park."
"Like a date?"
"Well, you can call it that. I mean, we’re dating."
“How come you haven’t asked your friends?"
"... I wanted to spend more time with you. That’s all."
"Understood... alright. Sure, why not? Let’s meet at 8PM. Is it good for you?"
"Heh, why wouldn’t it be? That's perfect! Well then, see ya there!"
After the call, Mafuyu closes her phone and places it on the desk, next to her opened notebooks. Even though weekend starts just now, she already finished her homework for next week, but she still needs to repeat the lessons learnt today. All that’s left were only two lessons from Geography and Physics. And yet, the only thing she can think about right now is totally something else.
A rare comet visible tonight and an opportunity to hang out with her boyfriend, after a long time. If she were fair, it’s been over a month since they started dating, almost two, but she and Akito managed to see each other only twice. The first time it was really awkward, since it was the first date ever between them as a couple, and they really didn’t know what to do. The second time wasn’t any less awkward, because they caught Mizuki and An stalking them at the mall. Further explanations are not needed.
Besides that, they had too little time to even chat to each other. There were the Nightchord meetings, the weekly meetings with her dad, shopping with Kanade and her friends, school and its exams, the archery club, a lot of activities therefore. And Akito doesn’t have that much free time either. In fact, after finally surpassing Rad Weekend, one of his main achievements, his schedule got even busier with all the practices and street performances he has with Vivid Bad Squad.
“...I want to spend more time with you.”
Akito wants to spend more time with his girlfriend. And Mafuyu would only lie if she said she disagrees. Does she miss him? Does she long for him? No, longing is a quite strong feeling; it will take a while until she can long for someone. The girl doesn’t know, but maybe that’s true. Maybe she should really thank this comet for letting her spend time with Akito.
5:32PM. That’s what the clock shows right now. There are two hours and a half left. The duration of the walk between the park where they will meet and Kanade’s place is of about half an hour. Getting ready will also take twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, too. So, with an hour already taken, there’s one and a half left to spend her time freely. But how?
There’s no point in repeating her lessons; it’s Friday. Weekend has already started. But she has no one to talk to either: Ena is at school having one of the tests she was recently talking about during the Nightchord meetings, Mizuki is going to a restaurant to celebrate their mother’s birthday, and Kanade went with Honami to the supermarket to buy something to eat some minutes ago. That was one reason why she called Akito, just for a talk, after days of not chatting at all. Maybe if he didn’t invite her, they would have talked for more minutes. But that would mean they wouldn’t get the chance to meet tonight.
Mafuyu stands up from the desk, ready to do something else, only to fall on the bed and just lay there. And she stays there, eyes aimed to the ceiling and arms resting next to her body, for an eternity. This eternity actually meaning about three minutes. Oh, that feeling of short periods of time passing with such a difficulty. It makes her lose her patience. Patience...
Now if she thinks about it, Mafuyu has never really felt impatient. Or if she has, then she doesn’t remember; it must’ve happened a long time ago. But now, she does feel like time is moving too slow. Like that date seems to happen in few months, not hours. It’s weird, and the girl doesn’t understand why.
Maybe all she needs to do is to kill that time by herself. And Mafuyu does indeed so. She grabs a book and reads about 20 pages, in fifteen minutes. She takes a shower; another five minutes. She tries two of those hairstyle tutorials Mizuki shares on their group chat on Nightchord, but gives up; another fifteen minutes. She works on the lyrics for the new song the group is working on (somehow those lyrics turned out more fitting for a lovey-dovey romance song than for one about toxic friendships, what the hell is wrong with her?); twenty minutes. She walks around the apartment, finds some sudoku puzzles and solves them; thirteen minutes.
Around 6:30, Kanade and Honami return, then prepare dinner as they tell Mafuyu how they accidentally got into an argument with an old lady because they took the last package of beef patties, and she tells them about that comet and that she will go out tonight. The girls were actually really happy for her.
But at last, it’s 7 o’clock. There’s one hour left until the date. One hour left until she will talk with Akito again.
Seeing a comet must be a unique experience that on no account must it be missed. Probably that’s why, after the sun has set, so many people have gathered on the streets, in restaurants, cafes, shops, bakeries and more hangout spots, too. With a friend, with a lover, with family, or even by oneself, there are still many people outside. That’s what Mafuyu notices as she makes her way to the park. She does understand their reasons very well, but that makes searching for her boyfriend more difficult.
When she enters the park, she realizes that this place is even busier than the streets. And by busier, she means a lot more crowded. She might get lost through the benches, fountains and colorful blankets on the grass. Mafuyu clearly doesn’t remember when was the last time this place was so crowded. It will take a while to find him...
"Mafuyu!"
Or maybe not. The girl soon hears her name being called, and when she looks around, she sees Akito, on a brown blanket and with a box next to him, waving at her. Mafuyu walks towards him, avoiding the other blankets and people laying on them, talking more or less loudly. When she arrives, the boy smiles.
"Hey!"
"Hi." That’s all she says, before waiting for him to offer her a seat next to him. And when she sits down, Mafuyu doesn’t say anything, just looks at him for a while.
"...And how are you?"
Of course, the trivial question used when meeting somebody. That's all she could think for.
"Pretty good. I just came from practice. By the way, I bought some sweets, if you want some."
When Akito opens the box, Mafuyu takes a small cake with vanilla and pistachio. She’s not hungry; she can’t even feel the taste of that cake, but she just nods and eats it. So does he. And as they are eating quietly and looking around, the girl is thinking. And she is thinking about how something is weird.
Today, when she called him, both of them were quite sociable; they talked for 20 minutes about how was at school, so they didn’t even finish talking. And after he asked her out on a date, Mafuyu tried to spend her time so she won’t get bored, making as many activities as she could. For the first time after so long she felt actually excited to spend time with someone, and couldn’t wait for that time to come. But if she really felt this way, then why now they aren’t talking at all? Both of them are acting like they were just starting to know each other. And even in those times, they were much more talkative. What happened?
The girl looks straight forward, and without realizing she starts to frown. No, she doesn’t know at all what is happening. Is there something wrong with her? Is there something wrong with him? With both of them? Why can’t they communicate how they used to do? The times when they were just friends, were those really better times? Should they break up?
So stuck in her thoughts she is, Mafuyu doesn’t realize when a hand reaches to her shoulder, until she hears Akito say something quite softly. "Are you okay? You look like something is bothering you."
Oh, she made him worry. How fantastic from her. Mafuyu turns around, facing him. "I’m fine. I was just thinking about... your practices."
"My practices?"
"Yes, I’ve been thinking of how busier you got with them in the last time. You barely had any free time, am I right?"
Akito stays silent for a while, then removes his hand over her shoulder and chuckles a little.
"You think I’m overworking myself?"
"No, I didn't mean to say this. It’s just that I sometimes think you need to relax, I don’t know if you get me. I do not think you are overworking, not at all, but I hope you won’t end up in this state."
When she says those words, Mafuyu gets reminded of Kanade, and of how she works continuously to save her with her music; of how she finds her sleeping on her desk, where she was working; of how little time she spends beside composing. She does appreciate what she’s doing, but not to the point where Kanade is overworking herself. And she doesn’t want this to happen with Akito, either. She cares a lot for him. Including for his habits.
"Ah, now I understand." The boy sighs. "You are worried for me, aren’t you? Well, to answer your question from before, yes, I know my schedule gets busier, but I do get chances to relax. I go to a restaurant with my partners, I go jogging, I still have time to argue with my sister. So, don’t worry, I’m fine."
When he smiles, Mafuyu feels a little better. She trusts him, so she knows that if he is fine, then he really is. But now she doesn’t want the conversation to finish. And speaking of things to do in the free time...
"Have you heard a new bakery has opened in the city? Maybe we can go there sometimes."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The thing is, they are kind of expensive. I think one cupcake costs about 700 Yen."
"That much?! Now I wonder what would a portion of pancakes cost."
And with that, the conversation continues, with those cakes running out and with the time for the comet to appear coming closer, and then it moves from a subject to another. From a new bakery in Shibuya and its overly expensive desserts, to the delicious pancakes from Crase Café, to Akito’s idol who sometimes helps him improve his way of singing and performing, to actual idols and their industry, to More More Jump, and to more and more talk. And Mafuyu does not remember when was the last time she discussed so much (well, she couldn’t really say that she did speak a lot; statistically, she spoke in approximately 30% of the talk). Nevertheless, it was quite enjoyable. She likes Akito’s presence a lot, and she likes hearing him talk, too. Oh, who is she kidding, of course she likes him. A lot.
And just as they keep talking, they get interrupted by cheers from the other groups of people from the park. Some are cheering, others take their phones or cameras and start taking pictures or filming. Neither of the two know what is going on at first. Then, Akito looks up, and his gaze remains right there for a while.
"Mafuyu, it’s here."
When the girl looks up as well, she finds out why were everyone excited. It was the reason why she and Akito went on a date right here and right now in the first place. The comet. That tiny, shining point and its thin, cerulean line on the dark sky, making its way through the stars. Of course it catches everyone’s attention; including hers. Seeing a comet is a rare occasion, after all. And it’s interesting how, despite being the main character for tonight, the stars from behind seem to shine brighter than any night. Maybe because she hasn’t looked at them in a while.
This comet will move on the sky for more than two or five minutes, therefore looking away from the comet is no big deal. But when Mafuyu turns around to stare at Akito, she finds him looking at her, too. When their eyes meet, none of them dare to break the gaze away. They just look at each other for a while. That’s something that makes her heart a little bit warmer than usual. Her cheeks, too.
"Something the matter?" The boy asks her, whispering.
"No, it’s nothing. It’s just that..." she whispers back, and her voice goes out. She first looks at the sky, at the shiny line and at the less shiner dots, and then back at Akito. "Maybe it’s just because I haven’t looked at the stars in a long time, but today, the stars are very beautiful, aren’t they?"
Mafuyu doesn’t understand why, after she says something about how are the stars looking on the night sky, her boyfriend breaks the eye contact and looks down, smiling and blushing a little. And his next reply is even more confusing. "I like you too, Mafuyu."
"I’m glad to hear that; I mean I do like you, but what does it have to-"
“The stars are very beautiful, aren’t they.” Sounds similar with “The stars are beautiful tonight, isn’t it.” oh... Oh!
And that is when realization finally hits her, along with the main reason why he said that, making her turn away from him for a while. It’s one of those phrases with a secret romantic meaning; she read about this in an article one day. But she didn’t mean to use it that way. What a coincidence. A nice coincidence.
"I was referring to the stars. I didn’t think you would consider my words as that metaphor." Mafuyu murmurs, then she faces him again, this time the corners of her lips twitching a little. "But maybe it is true. I haven’t seen the stars in a while. And I haven’t seen you in a while either. It’s a shame. We have such a good time together. I like spending time with you; it makes me feel warmer than usual. I like you. I was actually excited to see you tonight."
"You really were?" Akito asks her, and she nods.
"I still have a long way until I will be able to finally find myself and my feelings, I know that. But Kanade and the others are helping me to find myself. So are you, Akito. It's nice to know that we are so close. Thank you."
"Anytime. Count on me."
Both of them smile at each other, then look at the sky again. That comet is still present, but is slowly fading. In very few minutes, it will disappear, and that moment everyone was searching for will be gone. And it is gone, after only one minute. After the disappearance of the comet, the people are gathering what they have and start leaving the park, but the two of them are still stargazing for a while, looking at the small shiny dots; more beautiful than ever.
Mafuyu lets her head fall on his shoulder. That’s something the girl has never done before, but she doesn’t find it uncomfortable; and Akito doesn’t mind it at all. She feels tired, like her eyelids are about to close in any moment. But now it feels too nice to fall asleep here. Just she and him, underneath the glowing stars.
"And that’s the place where you’re currently staying?"
"Yes, Kanade’s house. Right here."
Walking from the park back home lasts much longer than the other way around today, maybe just because this time Mafuyu has company. They’re walking slower, step by step, talking about that comet they just saw and how serene this night is. During the entire walk, not once did the girl let go from Akito’s hand. It’s warm.
And now, it feels weird to let go of his hand. She doesn’t know why; it’s just weird. But it has to be done.
"Well then, Akito, thank you again for inviting me here. I liked watching the comet and spending more time with you." Mafuyu tells him, as she eventually lets go of his hand to open the front door and enters inside, with her head turned at him. "I’ll hear more from you, alright?"
"Yeah, sure. No problem. I enjoyed it, too. I’ll see ya around." Akito responds with a smile, and then the girl waves once more before closing the door.
Then, Mafuyu rushes to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, where she sees Kanade, eating some cup ramen, so she sits next to her.
"Oh, you are back." The white haired girl lifts her head to her friend. "Do you want some tea?"
"No, thanks. Just some water."
"Alright." Kanade gets up from the table and grabs a glass to fill it with water, then offers it to her. "And how was watching the comet with Shinonome Kun?"
"It was good. I actually liked it."
"The comet or the date itself?"
"Both of them. The comet was beautiful, and the date was peaceful. You should have come with Mochizuki San, too." Mafuyu adds.
"I know, but Honami had to hang out with her friends. Eh, next time, I guess. Still, I’m happy that you managed to see it." Kanade chuckles, then notices something out of the window and goes out there. "Oh, the moon is here."
"Hm? I haven’t seen it on the sky in the park. It was probably hidden." The purple haired says and walks towards the window to see it. Kanade is right; the moon is here, a small, shiny curve visible, after the new moon phase. It’s less shiny than that comet, but at least it will be present for the rest of the night, making the sky more beautiful. Maybe she does need to look at the sky more often.
The girl softly smiles. Tonight, the stars are beautiful, isn’t it. And who knows, maybe one night, Mafuyu will consider the moon beautiful, too.
The door opening in such a fast manner makes Ena get startled a little. She was just watching her favorite romantic series when her brother enters inside. He doesn’t even take off his shoes, and he’s already lying on the couch next to her with the face in the pillows.
The older sister makes a fake smile, grabs the remote and pauses the episode. "So, tell me, how was your little date?"
Silence. Oh, it didn’t end good, did it?
"Did you two have your first fight?"
"What?" Now he starts talking. "No, we did-"
"It’s okay, fights can be quite shitty but it’s not the end of the world, y’know."
"We didn’t fight, Ena." He lifts his head to her, frowning.
"Oh? I thought you did. Did you not enjoy your time with her?" She asks him as she crosses her arms, now curious.
"I did enjoy it. A lot, actually."
"Then what’s the matter? You look like that time when your friend said that he doesn’t want to sing with you anymore."
Akito goes silent again for a while, until he turns with his gaze to the ceiling and mumbles something. She only understands what he says when he repeats.
"I fucking suck."
"An explanation would be very helpful."
"She’s worried for me."
"And? How does that make you suck?"
"To stop making her worry, I lied to her..."
"Ok, lying does suck. But lied to her about what?"
"You know well about what." He whispers.
That’s something that, despite being about something bad, it doesn’t make Ena any less surprised. She understands. Yes, she knows very well about what...