Chapter Text
“Oh, you’re looking better!” Shindou said, sending Kakeru a bright smile as he came padding down the stairs.
“Say, why don’t we have a party tonight?” King suggested with a grin, and the twins met his suggestion with much enthusiasm.
"Yeah, yeah! A party sounds great!" Jota nodded his head quickly, eyes sparkling.
“To celebrate Kakeru getting well and the arrival of spring!” Joji cheered, as he punched a fist in the air.
And in no time at all, they were all set up in the twin's room, with streamers and party hats and a big table of food before them. Some food Haiji had whipped up, and other things were bought at the last second from the konbini nearby. Overall, it looked delicious, inviting and welcoming - just like a party should.
“KANPAI!!!” they all cheered, as rowdy and excited as ever. Kakeru didn’t cover his ears tonight, though. He wanted to soak in all the sounds, sights and everything before he left. He’d never have a chance to experience them again, so he had to make the most of moments like this.
And this...this was probably his last time he would be sitting together with all of them.
The perfect imperfections, the laughs that boomed around the room, and the smile on his face that Kakeru couldn’t keep down no matter how hard he tried.
He was no closer to understanding why humans lived the way they did. But, he could understand a little better now why they could continue on even when faced with hardships and despair: it was because other humans exist. They reached out to each other, stretching out a hand when someone feels like they’re sinking, and pull them back to the surface. For the moments they share together, big or small, and the memories they make with each other. The bonds they have make them stronger, and give them strength to go on. Of course, humans were still selfish, and that would probably never change. But, even amongst all that selfishness, those same humans were capable of great acts of selflessness. Acts which would serve no benefit to them at all, but they do them anyway.
Just like these people with him right now. These people, who had been complete strangers to him a year ago, now considered him one of their closest friends - almost like family. And Kakeru in turn had come to care for each and every one of them so deeply, it was like nothing he had experienced before. Though his time on earth is being cut short, it was not wasted time. Every day, every moment, Kakeru had truly lived and felt what it was like to belong somewhere. To be accepted, and to accept others, unconditionally.
.
.
It was just past 11 PM, and it was just him and Haiji left in the kitchen cleaning up. Everyone else had gone to bed already, some of them passed out from drinking while others were tired, happy and full from the good company and the good food. Kakeru had deliberately stayed behind until he and Haiji were alone, just the two of them. Before Kakeru disappeared, he had to make at least one more wish come true. For Haiji, he would absolutely make sure it did.
“Haiji-san,” Kakeru began, his voice soft and thoughtful, “if you had one wish, would you wish that you could run again?”
“Hmm,” Haiji hummed, “yeah, I would. More than that, I just wish I could run fast enough to keep up with you. Like I did before we met. Pretty impossible, right?” Haiji chuckled and shook his head, as he placed another dripping dish in the rack to dry.
“But that’s okay, not all wishes are meant to come true. Don’t worry, Kakeru. I’m fine with things just the way they are,” he turned to Kakeru with a sincere smile, and Kakeru felt his chest constrict at the sight as he paused in drying the dish. Why does he have such a beautiful smile, even when he's in pain?
“Hey, let’s go on a trip soon. You can take a nice rest, and see a little more of Japan. I can even drive the whole way!” Haiji suggested, now finished with washing everything as he moved over to help Kakeru pack things away with a spring in his step.
“I don’t think that will help me relax, Haiji-san,” Kakeru deadpanned, and cringed a little just at imagining such a trip.
“What? Come on, I’ve gotten a lot better! And I don’t mind! I want you to see all the beautiful sights, take in the clean air and just breathe. I think you’d definitely feel happy if we did that,” Haiji grinned, as they packed away the last of the dishes into the cupboards.
Kakeru really wanted to go on a trip with Haiji. He wanted it so badly , and he’d never even thought of it until Haiji had mentioned it just now. Maybe what he really wanted was just...more time with Haiji. Though he cared about them all so much, his feelings for Haiji were stronger in a different way...and Kakeru knew why. The blushing and stuttering when he sees Haiji smile or laugh (especially when Kakeru is the reason for either of those things happening), the way that his eyes shine brighter when he looks at Haiji, and the longing to stay by his side all the time - to run with him to the ends of the earth. If Kakeru could grant himself one wish, it would be to stay here, forever.
But, there was nothing he could do about any of that now.
It was inescapable. Even if he tried to stay, all the wishes he had granted would gradually become undone, every single one, and he couldn’t bear to take away all the joy he had given to so many people. Giving his last wish away to the person who had always believed in him was all he needed to be able to leave happily.
The towering wave of his emotions was about to topple over, so Kakeru rushed in quickly, throwing his arms around Haiji’s neck and hugging him close.
“Whoa! Kakeru, hey?” Haiji’s arms come to wrap around him securely despite the hesitation in his words. Kakeru bites down on his bottom lip to stifle the sob he feels welling up inside him.
“Thank you. I’m glad I fell from the sky, and I’m glad you were there when I did. Haiji-san, thank you so much,” Kakeru’s throat tightens and his eyes burn, as he holds onto Haiji with everything he has. He buries his face against Haiji’s shoulder, and he doesn’t want to let go.
“I’ll never stop being grateful, you...you saved me, Haiji-san. All of you saved me,” he murmured, meaning absolutely every word from the bottom of his heart.
Then, he felt warm, strong hands rub his back, as Haiji spoke softly, “I’m so glad I met you, too.”
Haiji pulled back from him, but kept his hands holding onto Kakeru's arms, as he smiled comfortingly at him, “You’re amazing, you know? Every time I see you I think ‘that’s our star’, and I can’t stop myself from grinning. Because you are. You’re our real life star, Kakeru, and nobody shines brighter than you. You light the path ahead for us, and give us so much hope.”
Kakeru's eyes widened and shimmered, brimming with emotion, "Haiji-san..."
"Ah, anyway, it's far too late. You must be tired, so go and rest, okay? You've been through a lot over the past few days," Haiji squeezed his arms and gave him an encouraging nod paired with another smile, and Kakeru smiled shakily back at him and nodded.
Just after midnight, once he was certain Haiji had fallen asleep, Kakeru decided it was time. As he walked past Haiji's door on his way out, he stopped and stared at it for a long time.
“I’m sorry, Haiji-san,” Kakeru smiled tearfully, reaching out and stroking gentle fingers down the door, then pressing his palm flat against it, as if he could reach through it and get to Haiji that way, “I don’t think I can stay much longer. I hope I can still see your smile from up there.”
Kakeru has to force himself to let go, and once he does he quickly lets his hand fall away and doesn’t look back as he leaves the room. If he does, he won’t be able to do it. And he has to do it. Time was running out. Kakeru goes back to his room, and begins to tidy everything up. Then, he goes outside, puts on his running shoes, and runs.
He runs all the way back to the mountains, where he had first fallen to earth. Where he had first met Haiji. He doesn’t stop until he reaches the top, where he can see the shrine arching over the trees. Hardly out of breath, Kakeru gazes up at the night sky, which is shimmering with billions of stars. Inhaling deeply, Kakeru closes his eyes and lets it out, relaxing his body and calming his mind. Raising a hand to the sky with his eyes still closed, he extends his pointer finger and starts searching. A star eventually snags onto his finger, and Kakeru swallows past the lump in his throat. Breathing in deeply again, he recites Haiji’s wish with perfect clarity and clearness inside his mind, making sure not a single word is missed. Then, he drags his finger down in a sliding arc to the left, and opens his eyes.
The sky is blurry when he blinks them open, tears sliding down his cheeks. He makes out the shooting star, and feels a watery smile tremble on his lips as he watches it fall. Thank goodness , he had done it. As he stood underneath the shrine, he could see the star dust breaking off from his body. It was sparkly in the dark of night, and Kakeru closes his eyes. He pictures his friends smiling in his mind’s eye as he fades away.
And at the centre of them all was Haiji. The person Kakeru loved more than anyone else.
The next morning, Haiji woke up, rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs, waiting for the usual stinging pain he felt moving the damaged muscles so early in the morning.
But nothing happened. His legs felt fine. They felt...normal.
Whipping upright in bed, Haiji yanked the covers off and pulled the pant legs of his pyjama bottoms up, searching for it. But it was not there. All he saw was the unblemished skin of his leg.
His scar…it was gone. The pain was gone. It felt completely normal.
And it all suddenly clicked for Haiji, as a telltale smile passed over his lips.
Kakeru.
Last night, he’d asked Haiji what his biggest wish was, and Haiji had told him. But, Haiji didn’t actually think he’d...that Kakeru would…
Changing faster than he ever had, Haiji pulled on his tracksuit and hurried into the genkan. With a smile pulling at his lips that he could not suppress even if he tried, he slipped on his running shoes and tied up the laces tightly so they wouldn’t come undone. His heart was beating faster in his chest, the adrenaline already coursing through his veins as he stood up and quickly went through his stretches.
Then, he started running.
Haiji kept running, building up to his regular speed. Once he was running at his usual pace, he dared to try increasing it a little. And there was no pain. His eyes growing wide, Haiji looked up to the sky and felt the sun on his face like it was the first time. Faster and faster, Haiji ran. His stamina had more to give, and for once, Haiji didn’t hold back.
It had been so long since he had run with the wind.
Laughs tumbled out of his mouth, as he ran out onto the street, and then all the way into the city. People looked at him in perplexion as he passed them by, but he didn’t care. God, he felt so free.
About an hour later, he returned back to Aotake. Everyone was waiting for him in the kitchen, and when he walked in, they all stopped what they were doing and stared.
“Haiji, your limp…” Yuki started, adjusting his glasses as if to help himself see better, worried he was seeing things.
“It’s gone!” Musa declared, and everyone gasped at the realisation as Haiji laughed.
“No way, this could only be possible if...” Prince mumbled, pinching his bottom lip between his finger and his thumb, and then he looked up at the exact moment everyone realised it:
“KAKERU!” They all cheered, excitement overflowing.
“Yeah, Kakeru,” Haiji smiled, his heart warming just from thinking about the other boy.
“Wow, this is amazing. Is there anything he can’t do?” Nico-chan asked, with an amused yet incredulous chuckle.
“Things have a way of becoming possible when it comes to Kakeru-kun, though,” Hana said happily, and they all nodded in agreement.
“Is he still asleep?” Haiji asked, and the lot of them exchanged curious looks with each other.
“Oh, I haven’t seen him yet,” Joji hummed, peering around as if to spot Kakeru at that moment. But, he was not there.
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t either.” Jota nodded, scratching at his cheek unsure.
“I don’t think he went on a run this morning. I guess even he needs a sleep in, sometimes,” Yuki sighed, shaking his head but with a smile on his face.
“Or maybe he’s too embarrassed to face Haiji after granting his wish,” King whisper shouted as he covered a hand over his mouth futilely, and a ripple of laughter passed through the group.
“Yeah! I mean, of course he would’ve known Haiji would be out running today,” Musa said teasingly, and Haiji rolled his eyes at their antics, but his good mood lingered. Nothing could bring him down today, he was sure of it.
“Haa, he has a cute side to him, huh?” Nico-chan snickered, and they all went back to what they were doing before.
Another hour passed, as everyone got dressed and helped out with breakfast. They had all prepared food, eaten it, washed up, and there was still no sign of Kakeru. Haiji tried to ignore the niggle of dread that gnawed away at his conscious, but it embedded itself within him, lying dormant and anxious.
Another hour went, and there was no Kakeru. Everyone was delaying their schedules a bit until they caught sight of him, so Haiji decided it was time to start actively looking. After knocking and waiting for a minute, he and Yuki entered his room to find the bed still made and everything tidied up.
“He might’ve just been outside all night. You know, star child thing and all,” Yuki tries to reassure him, but the dread was ballooning bigger inside Haiji.
For some reason, at that moment Haiji remembered he had woken up from having a dream this morning. Slowly, he began to recall it, piecing it together in his mind. In the dream, Kakeru had been there. He had been standing outside, and it was night time. The sky was full of so many stars. He was alone, and his shoulders were set in a steady, firm resolve.
“No…” Haiji said out loud, and the others tried talking to him, but he wasn’t listening.
Kakeru had drawn his finger across the sky, making a wish for someone. After making a wish, when Kakeru opened his eyes he was crying. But, he was smiling. It was such a sad smile, but in Kakeru’s eyes he could see the boy was happy. Tears slid down his cheeks as he watched the shooting star fall across the night sky.
“No, no, no...” gripping his head in his hands, Haiji slumped down the wall and he vaguely registered some of the others coming closer to him, their voice increasing in loudness and concern.
As the shooting star disappeared, Kakeru’s body was becoming glittery and transparent. Then, those glitters gradually began breaking off his body, shimmering silvery-blue. Star dust. With every single shimmering dust particle that broke off Kakeru, more of his body disappeared. Until...until...
“Kakeru…!” Haiji cried out his name, full of despair, clutching a hand over his heart painfully.
Until he was gone.
“Haiji! Haiji, speak to us!” Nico-chan's voice grabbed his attention, and Haiji looked up to see them all crowded around him worriedly.
“What’s wrong, Haiji-san?” Shindou asked in concern, and Haiji shook his head.
“My leg, he…” his voice trembled, as he let out a shaky sigh and explained the hurtful explanation to the others, “It was the last wish he could make come true. He granted my wish and the skies took him back. It’s-It’s my fault, I lost him,”
“What do you mean? How is it your fault?” Jota asked, eyebrows upturned sadly at seeing Haiji in distress.
“Yeah, you couldn’t have known it would turn out like this.” Joji agreed, similarly downtrodden at the loss of one of their members.
“He asked about what my biggest wish was, and I told him. I didn’t think. For so long I avoided telling him about it, because I didn’t want him to think I was just waiting for my turn. It wasn’t like that, I never wanted anything from him. But, last night I...god, I’m such an idiot,” Haiji pressed a hand to his face, wishing he could close his eyes and when he opened them again it was all just a dream.
It wasn't though. It was nothing less than real.
Haiji had forgotten that night who he was speaking to. When he’d said the word ‘wish’, he’d meant it as an abstract thought. One that could never be achieved. When he’d said he wished he could run as fast as Kakeru, he hadn’t really meant it. Not in the literal sense. It had just been wistful thinking, a nice thought but nothing more. Kakeru had taken his thoughtless words and turned them into a meaningful, heartbreaking truth.
“There has to be a way we can get him back! There just...there just has to be...” Hana said, trying to gain back some spirit, but everyone seemed to droop in defeat.
None of them went to work or university that day, in too much shock and pain at the sudden loss of Kakeru. He had been a part of their everyday life for over a year now, and he was just gone. Vanished, without a trace. A precious part of their family was missing.
Soon enough, it was already evening, and they all had gathered outside on the front porch, staring up at the stars since they missed their own star too much.
“How could he just leave like that, without saying a word? I didn’t get to hug him goodbye," Yuki said, pursing his lips as he stared up at the sky, as if trying to pinpoint where in amongst it all Kakeru was.
“I didn’t even give him a hug once. Why didn’t I do that? So many times it looked like he needed a hug, but I would just pat him on the shoulder instead,” King bemoaned, and the others all nodded and agreed that Kakeru didn't receive nearly as much affection as he needed. They all still had so much to give to him, after everything he had done for all of them.
“I never told him,” Haiji whispered, drawing everyone’s attention to him, “I never got to tell him how much I...”
Realising he had spoken aloud, Haiji’s eyes widened and he backtracked, “Ah. No. What I mean is-”
“Don’t try fooling us, Haiji,” Nico-chan held his hand up, not allowing Haiji to even make an excuse.
“Yeah, give us more credit than that,” King showed a half smile, but it wasn't completely there.
“Huh?” Haiji blinked, not following.
“Haiji-san, we all know how you feel about Kakeru,” Shindou said astutely.
“It’s kind of impossible not to notice it when you stare at him with massive heart eyes all the time,” Joji shrugged.
“Haiji-san started smiling a lot more since Kakeru came along,” Jota added, “And not his usual scary, ogre-like smile.”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You two are soulmates, like two halves of the same heart," Prince spoke up, no manga in his hands at all tonight. He stared up at the sky as a wind blew past, then turned to Haiji with a meaningful look.
“Even if you’re from two different worlds, you’re meant to be together. It’s my favourite kind of romance trope,” Prince smiled warmly, and everyone else did too.
“I see. I’m hopeless, aren’t I?” Haiji cracked a smile himself, even though it was tinged with sadness.
Then, off in the distance, fireworks started going off. They flew up high into the sky, a rainbow of colours and sparkles. It was probably some people celebrating the end of exams, or a birthday party display.
“...Fireworks?” Hana uttered in disbelief, as she stepped forward and gazed up at the sky with watery eyes.
Joji and Jota stepped forward, each of them standing by her on either side.
“Hana-chan?”
"What's wrong?"
“I told Kakeru-san I didn’t need a wish, that everyone being together was enough. I said the only way it could be b-better, was if everyone could see fireworks together every year from now on. I wished he could make it come true. He smiled at me and s-said he wished it would come true, too,” Hana sniffled, as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her jacket sleeve and tried to hold back tears.
“And we’re all here, except h-him,” but it was no good, and she let out a saddened sob, which tore through everyone else.
“He really had it all planned out,” Yuki said, the awe at Kakeru's thoughtfulness and love for them all palpable.
“He wanted to make sure we would be happy after he left,” Musa said with a wet voice, and it was clear he was starting to cry too.
And soon enough, everyone started to follow suit.
“What an idiot. You hear that? You’re an idiot, Kakeru!" King yelled at the sky angrily, as he rubbed furiously at his eyes that dripped with tears, "How can we be happy knowing that you’re g-gone? Huh!?”
“Y-Yeah, Kakeru is an idiot,” Shindou sniffed, also visibly crying.
“Right? He always had trouble speaking out loud, trying to let his actions do all the talking for him,” Yuki added, and Nico-chan sighed dismally.
"There's supposed to be another meteor shower tonight, but I don't even feel like watching it," Nico-chan muttered woefully, and everyone appeared to share his senitments.
Except for Haiji, who perked up at the mention of it.
"Meteor shower?" he asked, his mind conjuring up the memory of the last meteor shower they had. The one where old man Tazaki had told them about what a star child was-
Suddenly, Haiji knew what to do.
"We need to find Tazaki! Right now!!!"
"And that's what happened. So, what should we do to get him back?" Haiji asked, all of them gathered in Tazaki's small adjoining unit attached to Aotake. They had just told him the whole story of what happened, from the moment Haiji first met Kakeru up to what happened today.
“I see. Well, in order for Kakeru to return here, a sacrifice has to be made,” Tazaki said, as he rubbed at his chin.
“Sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice?” Yuki queried, skeptical as ever as he crossed his arms and waited for the catch.
“I do not know. Nobody really knows. But, it is something you must offer to the sky spirits. And if they accept it, you will never get it back,” Tazaki's brows lowered solemnly, and it made them wonder if the man was holding back a more personal experience about star children. But now was not the time to delve into that.
“I’ll do it,” immediately, Haiji volunteered, and everyone got their back up of course.
“Haiji-san!” Musa cried.
“Don’t just decide that on your own!” King blustered.
“Yeah! What about us?” Shindou added, as they all tried to protest.
But Haiji shook his head as he stood up and faced the window, gazing out at the night sky, “No, I’m doing this. No one else.”
“You don’t even know what the sacrifice is!” Joji whined at him, and Haiji turned with that annoyingly neutral expression.
“Neither do any of you."
“This is crazy,” Jota sighed, rubbing at his forehead in exasperation.
“We’ll never be able to decide amongst ourselves. Why don’t we all just pull a name out of a hat?” Prince suggested, but Haiji waved him off, heading over to the genkan.
“No need for that. I’m going, and that’s final,” he said, as he pulled on his running shoes.
“Why are you being so stubborn? We all care about Kakeru. We all want to get him back just as much as you, and we’re prepared to take that risk - whatever it may be,” Yuki said, with everyone else standing behind him in solidarity.
“I know,” Haiji nodded, as he felt their sincerity.
“Then why should you be the one to go over any of us?” Nico-chan followed up, raising an eyebrow at him.
Haiji paused, as he finished tying his shoelaces and stood back up again. This time, a solemn expression was resting on his face, as he looked down at his legs, “It was my wish that turned him into star dust. I’m the reason he’s gone. If I hadn’t answered his question that night, he’d still be here. But I did, and if anyone has to pay a price to save Kakeru, it will be me. I won’t be able to forgive myself if I let any of you go, if I don’t go there myself. And I just...”
Then, Haiji looked up, that determined glitter appearing in his deep, brown eyes, “I just really want to see him, just once more.”
“Haiji-san,” Hana utterly, visibly moved by his determination.
Tazaki nodded, “You need to go back to where he met his beginning and his end, and you’ll have a chance to enter that realm yourself.”
And so, the others remained behind at the house, while Haiji headed off up towards the mountain - where he met Kakeru for the first time. Haiji ran as fast as he could, grateful he did not have to hold back or worry that his knee would give out on him. And the more he ran, the faster he went, the more the emotions piled up in his chest as he thought of Kakeru.
“Take my wish back! Take it back, I don’t want it!” Haiji yelled as he ran, and every step he took without pain made his heart ache in his chest. His leg didn’t hurt, but he was in more pain running right now than he had ever been before.
‘Haiji-san, if you had one wish, would you wish that you could run again?’
“It means nothing, if you’re not here!” Haiji cried out, as tears burned in his eyes as he kept running up the steep hill.
‘I-I’m really glad I met you!’
“Answer me!” Haiji called out to someone who was no longer there with him, but he knew that Kakeru was not gone completely.
He was still up there. And Haiji would see him soon. He had to...
‘Thank you. I’m glad I fell from the sky, and I’m glad you were there when I did. Haiji-san, thank you so much.’
“KAKERU!”
And once Haiji reached the top, he ran straight through the temple shrine, and all of sudden his body was weightless, and he could not see anything.
When Haiji opened his eyes, he was in a glittery, softly glowing blue dreamscape. He was standing on grassy ground, but this ground was luminous and not like what you saw on earth.
"I'm here, Haiji-san," a familiar voice met his ears, and Haiji spun around, looking for him.
"Kakeru?"
And there he was, standing under a nearby foxglove tree with that little, gorgeous smile he wore when he was happy.
“I saw you running. You looked so beautiful, and your smile was even more brilliant than I’d imagined it would be,” Kakeru said warmly, as he stepped away from the tree and moved closer to Haiji.
“Nevermind about that! I came here to tell you that...that the stars can’t have you!” Haiji grabbed him by the shoulders, determined to hold onto Kakeru now that he was within his sight once more.
“You asked me about my wish, but you never asked me what my dream was," Haiji continued, and at Kakeru's puzzled expression, Haiji lets a smile break across his face, as he moved his hands from Kakeru's shoulders. Instead, he holds both of his hands, and squeezes them tightly.
“Listen, okay, Kakeru? Every time I see you running, it’s like watching a star falling. A literal shooting star. When you run towards me, I never want you to stop. Just seeing you makes me think ‘there it is, there’s my dream running, I want to chase after it!’ Do you get it? I’ll keep chasing you, and I won’t stop until I’m by your side.”
“Haiji-san...” Kakeru's eyes were wide and illuminated in the soft blow light. Then, he shook his head, but still did not let Haiji go.
“I made so many wishes come true. If I come back with you like this, the skies will give out punishment for my selfishness by undoing every wish I granted. I can’t...I don’t want to undo them, not a single one."
Haiji had a feeling he would say something like that, and had already accepted what he had to do next, “Then, if I sacrifice my wish in exchange for you, will the balance be restored?”
One wish was literally nothing against the thousands of wishes Kakeru had granted. Even if Kakeru hadn’t granted Haiji’s wish, the skies still would have taken him, because he had started living so selfishly when he was supposed to be a selfless being among the humans - helping them to become better people.
But, if one person retracted their wish that Kakeru had granted, the single sacrifice of that person giving up something they had wished so desperately for was enough to appease the spirits of the skies.
Just one pure, unselfish act from a human was valued that deeply.
But Kakeru...Kakeru didn’t want that. Of all people, he didn’t want to make Haiji give up his once-in-a-lifetime wish.
“No! You can’t – I won’t let you! I finally made your wish come true, it’s-it’s the wish I wanted to grant the most!” Kakeru gripped Haiji's hands tightly in his, as he shook his head desperately. Like he couldn't bear the thought of Haiji losing the thing he had wished for the most.
“Kakeru,” Haiji's thumb swiped across the back of Kakeru's palm, as he soothed him, “I want you more than I want any wish to come true.”
“Didn’t I say it before? Not every wish can be granted. But, if I can have my dream instead, that’s more than enough. Actually, that’s all I want in the world right now," Haiji grinned brightly.
Tears slipped down his cheeks, and Kakeru felt like the fallen star child that he was: the humans had taught him to cry, after all. They all felt so much pain, each in their own way, but they continued living anyway.
“Y-You deserve it. You deserve them both, and I-I wanted you to have both,” Kakeru said tearfully, and Haiji reached one of his hands up to wipe away the tear tracks lining his face.
“That would be perfect, right? But, it wouldn’t be very fair. Even just having one of them is amazing, but if I can choose, I already have my answer. Instead of my wish of a lifetime, can I have my dream?”
“Can I have...you?” their foreheads pressed together, Haiji’s eyes closed and Kakeru shuts his against the tears.
If that was what Haiji wanted, if he was what Haiji dreamed of and desired more than anything else...then Kakeru would not deny him.
Because Haiji was also...his dream.
“I will give you my everything, forever," Kakeru murmured, as he cupped Haiji's cheeks in his and their lips met in a sweet embrace.
And they fell to earth, never letting each other go. Even after they lost consciousness, they held on tightly. When they landed back on earth, the two of them were lying underneath the shrine. They were lying on their backs, their heads turned towards each other and their hands loosely intertwined. The sun is just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over them like a blanket.
“Kakeru…?” Haiji says sleepily, peeling his eyes open and looking to his left. Relief floods his chest at seeing the boy lying next to him who had still not come to. In a moment of slight panic and disbelief, Haiji squeezes his fingers tighter around Kakeru’s, hoping that he won’t disappear before his eyes again…
Nope. He was still there. This was real.
Haiji smiled from the depths of his heart. A sudden, familiar dull ache of pain shot up his leg, and he grimaced at the feeling. Using his other free hand, Haiji bent his right leg at the knee and tugged at his shorts. Sure enough, his scar was there. In the exact same spot, and having the exact same shape and appearance he had come to know so well.
“Haiji...san…?”
“Hey,” Haiji smiled upon seeing him, and hearing him. It had worked. It had truly worked.
“Welcome home, Kakeru."
Kakeru’s eyes travelled to his leg, which Haiji still had bent, his scar in full view. Those deep blue eyes widened, before welling with tears. Haiji rolled onto his left side, closer to Kakeru, and brought his hand up to cradle his cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” Haiji murmured, brushing away the tears leaking from Kakeru’s eyes gently, “never leave my side from now on, okay?”
Kakeru curls a hand around Haiji’s wrist, keeping his hand pressed to his cheek and leaning into his touch.
“I won’t. I’ll never leave you again."
As they made their way down the mountain and arrived out the front of Aotake, they were greeted by their very own welcoming party.
“KAKERU!”
“HAIJI!/HAIJI-SAN!”
They were immediately assaulted with a barrage of hugs from all sides, and spent at least 20 minutes consoling and comforting all their friends.
“Were you all waiting for us? Didn’t you guys sleep at all?” Haiji asked, his hand entwined with Kakeru's as they stood side by side.
“Are you crazy!? How could we sleep knowing you two were gone, maybe forever if it didn’t work?” Musa asked, stressed out as always, but tenfold given the seriousness of the situation.
“We were worried sick! Damn it, why couldn’t you come back quicker!?” King huffed, trying to hide his worry but it was obvious he was relieved to see them.
“Haiji-san, your leg...it’s...” Shindou started as he looked down, his voice trailing off sadly.
Yuki seemed to catch on quickly, his head whipping over to Haiji in shock, “The sacrifice. Don’t tell me-”
“Haiji, did you really-” Nico-chan tried to ask, but Haiji just chuckled and then let out a happy sigh.
“The wishes we make can really move us. If we see them come true, they give us so much hope. But, even though my wish came true, I wasn’t satisfied,” he shrugged, and still did not let go of Kakeru's hand. Kakeru stared at him from the side, his heart swelling in his chest, full of love for this human. This one man, the love of his life...
“Did you guys know that a dream can be just as powerful as a wish? I didn’t realise it, but my dream was already moving my heart," Haiji explained, and then he looked at Kakeru, and the fondness in his expression made Kakeru's heart skip a beat.
“Your dream?” Prince asked, eyes narrowed at the cryptic words.
“In the end, my dream was more important to me. That’s why I don’t need my wish to come true. As long as I’m with Kakeru, nothing else matters,” Haiji reaffirmed, and that was when everyone realised it.
“Right, of course,” Nico-chan nodded, a pleased grin stealing over his face.
“That’s so Haiji-like! He never acts the way you expect!” Hana chirped, her bubbly personality back in full force now that their friendship group was reunited once more.
“Didn’t I tell you guys before? You can never know what he’s thinking,” Jota said, pointing at Haiji accusingly.
“Kakeru, you better watch out! Haiji-san is pretty sly when he wants to be!” Joji added shrewdly.
“I accept full responsibility,” Kakeru replied with a genuine smile, happiness radiating within him and shining outwards on them all.
“Ohh, hear that? Kakeru’s getting bold!” King joked, as he nudged at Nico-chan and Yuki scoffed.
“Maybe the great demon Kiyose Haiji has finally met his match?”
“I couldn’t imagine it being anyone else,” Haiji said, as his eyes once again found Kakeru's, while a gentle breeze fluttered between them.
It was the start of new beginnings for them.
.
.
Haiji’s leg had returned to the state it was before Kakeru had granted his wish. No better or worse, and although it was disappointing, Haiji couldn’t find it in himself to be too upset about it. The pain he felt in his leg was really nothing compared to how much pain he had been in without Kakeru on this earth. He never wanted to feel like that again, and luckily for Haiji, the solution to avoiding that was simple: stay with him forever.
Kakeru was now, truly, a fallen star child. He could no longer grant anyone’s wishes. He could no longer run in the majestic, otherworldly way that he used to, but he could still run. And it was still breathtakingly beautiful, at least to Haiji. He was fast enough that he could match Haiji’s pace, and they jogged together every day. Haiji was sure that Kakeru would gradually build up his speed the more they ran together, and soon enough he’d overtake Haiji again.
But, he could count on the fact that Kakeru would always return to his side.