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Being lucky isn’t exactly something to brag about. It isn’t skill-based at all, and you weren’t even sure if you were lucky on your own to begin with. It wasn’t something you thought about much, but after being trapped in school with 16 other prodigies, your “talent” seemed like a hoax. It was basically just a title you were given before being thrown into a “killing game” hosted by six bears and the game hasn’t even begun yet.
All you know about the situation now is that you have to help the others find an escape, so you walk out into the courtyard. While you search, you try to remember how you got here, but your memories feel almost like they were cut off, somehow. You begin to spiral slightly, overwhelmed by the situation, before your focus gets broken by the sound of footsteps.
“Hey! Hey!” You hear a voice shouting. You turn around to see a tall, handsome man sporting two jackets and purple hair approaching you. You remember seeing him in the gym with everyone else, but you really don’t know anything about him. He stops waving as soon as your eyes meet and he smiles. “You’re the ultimate lucky student, right?” He asks, stopping a few feet away.
“Yeah. I am. Um, who are you?” You ask back genuinely.
“I’m Kaito Momota! Luminary of the Stars! Around here, they’re calling me the ultimate astronaut though.” The confidence at the start of the statement feels as if he had that part rehearsed, and you wonder how many times he’s said it before.
“Ultimate astronaut…” you repeat, amazed, “but aren’t you a high school student just like everyone else here?”
“Well, technically I’m just a trainee, I haven’t actually gone to space yet,” he admits offhandedly before getting fired up again, “but someday soon you’ll see me up there with the greats! Anyway, that’s enough talking about me. Why are they calling you the ultimate lucky student?”
“I… don’t actually know. I mean, I have other interests, like writing, for example… but I don’t think I’m particularly lucky.” You state sheepishly.
“So they haven’t recognized your real talents yet, huh?” Kaito asks, scratching his neck.
“No. Guess not.” You reply, slightly saddened.
“I guess that settles it. You’re my newest sidekick!” He says excitedly. You aren’t sure what he means or what that entails, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t interested in the idea. His passionate attitude intrigued you, but you still had questions.
“What do you mean?” You ask, “I don’t really want to be an astronaut.”
“No, not that, I mean I’ll help you find your path and the recognition you deserve,” he responds. “You said you like writing, right?”
“Well yeah, but I’m far from ultimate level, clearly.” You reply with a nervous laugh, before a feeling of inferiority washes over you. His brow furrows as he tries to think.
“Hmm, you know what? Meet me back here at 10 tonight. I have something I want to show you.” He says, with a smile returning to his face.
“Ok. 10 o-clock. Got it.”
“Alright! I gotta get back to the investigation, but cheer up, alright?” He says with a wave before he walks away.
“Yeah! See you later.” You’re filled with nerves suddenly. Going out at night with an attractive guy? What’s he planning?
Later that day everyone met back up, having found no escape yet. By the end, you were all exhausted from the search, so you headed back to your dorms. Soon enough, 10pm rolled around.
You walk out into the courtyard to see Kaito already there, laying on the grass with his purple jacket under his body like a beach towel. He has one arm under his head, and the other on his stomach, looking at the night sky.
“…Kaito?” You call out, nervous that you’re interrupting something.
“Oh! Hey!” He calls out, sitting up and looking in your direction. “Come lay next to me. This is your first lesson as my sidekick!” You walk over and he lays back down.
“Can I lay on your jacket?” You ask, looking down at it, only having just noticed the beautifully intricate galaxy patterning on its interior.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have laid it out like this for myself.” He says, looking at you kindly, if not slightly confused as to why you’d ask.
You lay down next to him and you both go quiet for a minute or so, just looking at the sky. You turn to look at him, but he seems completely immersed in the cosmos above. The moonlight exposes a more quiet, considerate, and peaceful side of him. His eyes are full of wonder, but his body is totally calm. It feels like time has stopped just for the two of you. A chill breeze hits you, and as you take it all in, he breaks the silence.
“Isn’t it awesome?”
“Huh?” You look back at him.
“Space. There’s so much to explore. I mean, the possibilities are endless!” He turns his head away from the stars and looks into your eyes, “The world is full of adventure. You can do whatever you want with it!” He said, looking back up at the stars, determination in his eyes.
“You’re gonna go to the moon someday, right?” You ask him, also looking back up.
“Yeah, but that isn’t all I wanna do. I wanna be the first man on mars, and whatever else! I want to conquer space itself.” His words would be considered naïve and egotistical under normal circumstances, but seeing the look of determination and hope in his eyes, you can tell how real his dreams are to him. In fact, you get the feeling that his belief in his dreams may be what makes them real. You both sit in silence, contemplating his words for a bit longer.
“See that there? That star. Right in the middle of Leo.” He asks, scooting closer to you and pointing up.
“Yeah. I think so.” You reply, looking down his arm and toward the night sky.
“That’s actually not a star. That’s Jupiter.” He informs you with a smile. “It’s 11 times the size of Earth, and 318 times as massive.”
“Huh..” You try to focus on his words, but he himself distracts you. He continues to ramble about all the stars and possibilities and the future, but what you find more important than his words are his feelings behind them. You feel another small gust of cold wind hit your back, and can’t help but shiver.
“Hey, are you ok?” He asks, noticing your discomfort.
“Yeah, it’s just cold out here, and I’m a little tired,” you admit as he begins to sit up.
“Here, have my other jacket.” He says, taking off his white jacket that he had worn under the purple one. He puts it over you gently and you’re instantly warmer, then he lays back down. You snuggle into the second jacket. It’s comfortable yet weighty, and it smells like him. Your gaze lands back on him, now only wearing a t-shirt.
“But what about you?” You ask.
“Don’t worry about it. A good astronaut can withstand any conditions!” He says with a smile. You feel the breeze hit you again and see him shiver slightly. You inch your way to his side and put your head on his shoulder so you can toss the jacket over both of you. He looks like he’s about to say something, but he puts his head back down.
“Have you ever seen the rabbit on the moon?” He asks you gently.
“No, not really. I’ve never been able to see it.”
“Well, look,” he starts, lifting up his other arm to point at the full moon, “those two dark parts are the ears and he’s kinda bending backwards right here…”
You snuggle in closer to him to see exactly where he’s pointing and he wraps his arm around you to pull you closer. You feel how strong his grip is, and feel safer than you ever have before. You lay your arm across his chest and squeeze him slightly as he continues on talking about the moon and the stars. Soon enough, you don’t know what he’s saying anymore, you just care that he’s with you as you begin dozing off. Not long after, he stops talking, kisses the top of your forehead, and falls asleep right beside you.
Maybe you really were lucky after all.