Chapter Text
“Is everyone ready? The meteor shower will start soon!” Haiji called to the nine other members of Aotake. They were all gathered outside, under the night sky. It was a brisk night, so they were all rugged up with coats, scarves, gloves and beanies.
It was about a month since their little team had made it all the way to Hakone, and though they hadn’t won or even gotten in the top ten, Haiji was more than satisfied with the memories they had all built together. He just wondered now what they could all do, now that their running venture had ended.
“Nothing beats a meteor shower,” Nico-chan said with a sigh, leaning back against his hands as he sighed in satisfaction, staring up at the stars.
“There’ll be so many chances to make a wish tonight with all the shooting stars!” Shindou added excitedly, clutching a hot mug of cocoa in his hands.
“Shooting stars usually burn up before they hit the ground, so it’s rare that they survive the high speed plunge to the earth. But the ones that do become meteorites,” Tazaki, their landlord, explained, to which the others hummed in muted awe.
But then, Tazaki got this impish gleam in his eye as he added, “That’s how we humans explain it anyway,”
“Why is the old man going on about this? Is he already drunk?” King asked, because yes , they had gotten lots of snacks and drinks ready as well - and some of those drinks were alcoholic, naturally.
“Who knows? It doesn’t help that Haiji’s encouraging it,” Musa commented, a mix of disapproval and concern on his face.
“Haiji and him get along well, you never know what those type of guys are thinking,” Yuki added, eyeing Haiji and Tazaki skeptically.
“Do you know what a star child is?” Tazaki asked vaguely, and seemingly out of the blue.
“No, I haven’t heard of them. Can you tell us, Tazaki-san?” Hana leaned forward with a hopeful smile.
“Yeah! Tell us, please!” both the twins nodded enthusiastically, clearly on board if Hana was wanting to hear about it.
“I know about them, but you better explain it for the plebs,” Prince muttered under his breath, looking up briefly before turning back to his manga.
Tazaki nodded, then glanced up at the sky as he began to speak, “They are born with human and extra-terrestrial qualities. The human qualities are only physical though, such as their physical appearance and anatomical structure. But, they also take on the form of a star in the sky.”
“ If they are sent falling to earth, they look just like a shooting star. They can live and blend in among regular humans if they survive the fall, which means the skies have intended for them to thread some of their knowledge amongst the human race.”
“Their knowledge? What do you mean?” Haiji questioned, curious.
“You see, a star child has profound knowledge of the earth, vastly intellectual in the workings of the land, sea and sky. Each one possesses a unique special power, usually a distinct physical ability that is far beyond the level of what any normal human could achieve. Since they are the embodiment of a ‘shooting star’, they can also grant people’s wishes. Nothing like revival from death or evil wishes can be made. The wish must be pure for it to come true,” Tazaki said,
“If a star child can make stars fall from the sky, why do the stars become wishes? Wouldn’t it just be a star child making another star child fall from the sky?” Shindou reasoned, his head tilted to the side in confusion.
Tazaki shook his head, and continued on, “A star child can make a star from the sky fall, but no star child has the power of making another star child fall from the skies. Every star that a star child makes fall becomes a vessel upon which humans can make a wish. Only the spirits of the skies can make a star child fall to earth.”
“This wishing power is not limitless, though. If a star child is granting too many people’s wishes in their first year on earth, the sky will take back the star they’ve lost, and never let it fall to the earth again,” Tazaki finally finished his story, and the others were all quiet, admittedly intrigued by such a concept.
“But wait, how do you know so much about star children in the first place, Tazaki-san?” Shindou asked as he peered over at him, and Tazaki waved him off.
“Oh, just call it an old man’s enjoyment of all things magical and unknown."
“Uh huh,” Yuki grinned at him placatingly, then covered his hand over his mouth and murmured so only the other members of Aotake could hear him, “ Yeah, he’s definitely been drinking too much.”
“Look, look! It’s starting!” King pointed up at the sky eagerly, and caught everyone’s attention as they too looked up.
“There they are!” Musa beamed, cheeks flushed in happiness up at the sky above.
“Wow, so many shooting stars!” Hana gushed, her hands clasped in front of her chest dreamily.
“Everyone, don’t forget to make a wish!” Haiji reminded him, as he stood up to fully take in the beautiful sight.
“Just one? I’m gonna make lots, then at least one or two of them should come true!” Joji said, and Jota grinned and agreed.
“Yeah, you can’t argue with those odds!”
“You know it’s not guaranteed, right?” Prince felt the need to ground them, but it was too late, since the twins were already making one wish after the other inside their heads.
Haiji closed his eyes, and made his wish.
I wish that we’ll find our missing piece. I just know there’s something great out there waiting for us. Whoever or whatever you are, I really wish we’ll find you soon.
***
When a star child fell to earth, the human age and gender they became was completely random. They were given a human name, clothes (but only on their body) and innate knowledge of some human concepts. That was it. No belongings, no family, no money and no home. Once on earth, it was their responsibility to make a life for themselves.
He had gone from being a supernatural entity, to a human being. He was now called Kurahara Kakeru, he was 23 years old, and he was a male. That was all he knew about himself, and that was enough information he needed to get by in this human form.
When Kakeru had fallen to earth, he’d landed up near a temple on a nearby mountainside at night time. When he stood up on shaky legs, not used to the act of walking, he peered over the edge and saw a large house with a smaller one next to it. All the lights were on, and glowed bright in the darkness.
His stomach rumbled, and Kakeru recognised without ever having felt the sensation before that he was hungry. He needed to eat and drink something to sustain this form. So, he made his way down the mountainside, the clothes moving against his skin as he walked, but it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. Just unusual.
Kakeru walked past the big house, and followed the road until he made his way into the shopping district. He entered a small food shop, and looked around to find it mostly deserted, except for the attendant.
When his stomach rumbled again, Kakeru went to peruse the shelves and pick out something to eat. He noticed a small sweet bread, and thought he’d try that. Though, he didn’t have any money on him. Kakeru knew that humans operated under the exchange of money for goods and services, and to take something without paying was a crime - it was stealing. But this was his first night as a human, he was starving, and if he only took something small, it couldn’t be that bad.
So, he grabbed the bread, the plastic crinkling as he held it in his hands and moved towards the exit.
Unluckily, the shop attendant had noticed, and moved over to him, “Wait! Where are you going? You need to pay for it first!”
And then, Kakeru took off down the street, running as fast as he could. It seemed this was his special physical ability, being able to run fast like this. It still resembled a human’s form while running, but the motions were smoother, more ethereal.
“Come back! Thief! Come back here, please!” the shop attendant tried to run after him, but they seemed to have trouble, leaning against the broom they had been sweeping the floor with.
Kakeru didn’t listen, and kept running. He ran back the way he came, back past the big house and up towards the temple in the mountains. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go anyway, and no one would find him up there.
What Kakeru didn’t notice, though, was that someone was standing outside the big house, and had watched him run past with glittering eyes.
When he finally reached the top, Kakeru breathed a sigh of relief and made to sit down on the steps. Funnily enough, he didn’t feel so hungry anymore. He wondered if it was because he’d done a bad thing, and this was his punishment. Kakeru sighed, and placed the bread down on the step next to him.
About ten minutes later, Kakeru heard footsteps approach, and he stood up defensively. Had someone seen him steal? Were they coming to confront him?
Then, a man with chestnut brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a checkered green hanten appeared.
He smiled upon seeing Kakeru, and walked over closer, “Ah, finally, made it! I followed you all the way up here, but you run so fast that it took me this long to catch up!”
Kakeru blinked at the strangely amiable greeting, having expected he would get yelled at or dragged away. He watched with wary eyes as the man looked around, hands on his hips as he surveyed the area.
“I like to run on these mountains, but I’ve never been up this far before. It’s so beautiful,” he said, the wind fluttering through his hair while he took in the view happily. Kakeru was still too stunned to speak, not sure where to go from here.
Just what did this man want from him?
“What’s your name?” the man asked, and Kakeru snapped back into focus.
“Kurahara…Kakeru,” he mumbled in a soft voice, and the man stepped closer.
“My name’s Kiyose Haiji. Nice to meet you,” the man - Haiji - introduced himself, then extended his hand out in a friendly manner.
Kakeru moved his own hand automatically, not familiar with the custom but having an innate knowledge inside him of what he needed to do. Their hands clasped together, and Haiji shook them up and down, his grasp firm and his skin warm against Kakeru’s palm.
Then, Haiji released his hand and tilted his head to the side, as he asked Kakeru, “So, why did you come up here?”
“I’m homeless,” Kakeru said, because it wasn’t untrue. On earth, he was homeless, “and…I stole that from a shop,” Kakeru pointed over to where the bread was still perched on the step.
“I see. Don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping up here,” Haiji said, his eyes turning sharp as he awaited Kakeru’s response.
“It only happened recently. I’ve only been here for one day,” Kakeru explained, hoping the vague answer would be enough.
“You can’t stay here, it’s cold tonight. You’d freeze out here by yourself,” Haiji shook his head, displeased at the idea of Kakeru sleeping in such a place.
This was Kakeru’s first real encounter with a human, and he silently admired the kindness this one was showing towards him. They were basically strangers, but he took the time to talk to Kakeru and find out what had happened to him. Even if Kakeru couldn’t tell him the whole truth, the fact that someone wanted to know was…unexpected.
“Are you a student at Kansei? Or any other university around here? You look like you’re a second, maybe a third year?” Haiji queried, his eyes squinting as he looked Kakeru up and down.
Kakeru shook his head, “Uh, no. I’m not a university student. I-I’m not unintelligent, or illiterate. I have lots of knowledge, I just...don’t know what to do with it,”
“Sounds like you’re pretty lost, huh?” Haiji remarked, but when Kakeru looked up at him, he was met with a smile.
“Yeah,” Kakeru nodded, not knowing what else to say.
“Hey, do you like running?” Haiji asked him, and the random question made Kakeru blink in puzzlement.
“...Eh?”
“Come back with me, you can stay at the university student house where I live,” Haiji told him, and he was so earnest that Kakeru nearly agreed on the spot.
He didn’t though, and shook his head in protest, “But, I’m not a student. And, I don’t have any money.”
“We just have to enrol you in one of our courses, then! And don’t worry about money, you can pay when you can. Trust me, I can make this work,” Haiji then rested a hand against his own chest, over his heart to show his sincerity.
And Kakeru found that…he just could not turn him down.
This was all a part of the human living experience, wasn’t it? Find a place to live, get himself an education so he can later be employed in a job (that’s where he would earn money from), and connect with other people.
“Alright, if you insist,” he bowed his head, and Haiji brightened.
Then, Haiji ambled over to the step and picked up the uneaten and unopened bread, “Let’s go back. We can explain what happened and I can pay for that for you,” he said, a kind smile in place as he looked at Kakeru.
“Okay.”
***
After going back to the shop and explaining everything, plus paying for the sweet bread, Haiji had taken him back to the big house with the smaller one next to it that Kakeru had seen when he’d first fallen to earth.
He was immediately introduced to all the members of the house, and…they all seemed just as eccentric and interesting as Haiji was, if not a little quirky. They all had their own traits and appearance that made them stand out, individualised.
Since all the rooms in Aotake were taken up and being used, Kakeru was moved to the attic. It was a little dusty, but there was enough room to fit a futon in there and there was space for an adult to move around in, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Kakeru finished bathing and retreated to the attic, feeling oddly exhausted even though he hadn’t done all that much. Did humans get this tired at the end of every day?
Just as he was getting ready to lie down, he heard someone climbing up the steps and Haiji’s head popped up.
“Here, I’ll lend you some of my clothes. These are a few sets to get through the next few days, and I’ll check to see if the other guys have any they can let you borrow,” Haiji came in with an armful of clothes, and Kakeru thanked him.
“Hope you sleep well. See you tomorrow morning,” Haiji waved him goodnight, smiled, and left.
His last thought before sleeping was that Haiji seemed to be someone who smiled a lot.
***
A week later, Haiji had accompanied him to take him to Kansei university’s campus. They spoke to a student advisor - or well, Haiji did most of the speaking and Kakeru answered a few questions here and there, and they found a few things out. Since he had no official school documentation or any credentials to go off of, Kakeru couldn’t actually enrol in any of the educational courses.
He had, however, applied for a position at the university’s library, which had been successful. It was only a traineeship, so he wasn’t really getting paid as such, but at least it would give him some experience in the meantime until he found a proper job. Also, having a job at the university qualified him to continue living at Aotake with the others, which was a relief.
“Well, that turned out great! Not in the way I expected, but still great! At least you can still stay with us for a while!” Haiji remarked, bubbly as if he was the one that had obtained a job that day instead of Kakeru.
“We should celebrate you getting the traineeship, I’ll go buy us some taiyaki, my treat!” Haii then rushed off before Kakeru had a chance to answer or even object, and he sighed.
Kakeru stood amongst the crowd, and did some people-watching as they passed him by. Then, he noticed an old man stop and stand next to him, taking a moment to rest.
“Hot day, isn’t it?” he asked Kakeru, taking his hat off and wiping the sweat off his brow.
“Yeah, it is,” Kakeru agreed, and the old man sighed.
“I wish it would rain. Everything has become so dry, so wilted. Not only the farmers, but our planet is struggling so much. If it could just rain non-stop for a fortnight, wouldn’t that be a miracle?” he said with a hopeful grin, though his eyes were more realistic, like he knew such a thing could never happen.
“Mhm,” Kakeru nods, and at that moment a wish was planted inside his mind.
He had been waiting for this moment, and it finally arrived. Time for him to grant his first wish as a human, for another human. When the old man wasn’t looking, Kakeru raised his hand up at face-level and pointed his finger to the sky. When he felt a star get caught on it, he dragged it through the air in a graceful, quick arc and the wish was made.
A few moments passed, and then, the clouds in the sky multiplied, and it turned grey. Shortly after, the first few drops of rain fell down, gradually getting heavier and heavier.
“Eh, rain?” the old man peered upwards when he felt the wetness on his cheek, and he practically beamed over at Kakeru, “Would ya look at that! What a coincidence, huh?”
Kakeru nodded, but didn’t say anything more. The old man bid him farewell and walked off into the rain, a spring in his step.
“Man, that’s crazy. This rain just came out of nowhere!”
Kakeru jolted in place, startled upon realising Haiji was back at his side, with two taiyaki pastries in hand and an awed expression on his face. When did he get there!?
“Haiji-san! You’re back,” Kakeru stated, and his heart picked up speed as he started to panic because he did not know how long Haiji had been next to him. How much did he see?
“It’s really coming down, and rain wasn’t even predicted for today. Wait a moment,” Haiji suddenly turned to him, and Kakeru instantly felt transparent, like Haiji could see right through him.
“Was that you!?” Haiji asked, and Kakeru stiffened at the words.
“What?”
“I heard the old man say he wished it would rain for two weeks. Then, you point your finger to the sky, wave it like this,” Haiji mimicked the action Kakeru had done just a few moments ago before continuing, “and all of a sudden it’s starting to rain!?”
“You were listening to that?” Kakeru balked, his stomach dropping. Oh no , he had been seen. This was not good.
“Yeah! I wasn’t that far away from you, so I overheard everything! Now tell me, am I crazy or am I right? This-this is more than just a coincidence, isn’t it!?” Haiji begged him, brown eyes pleading with Kakeru for the truth.
And after everything Haiji had done for him, expecting nothing in return and only acting on the goodness of his heart…Kakeru couldn’t believe Haiji would abuse this knowledge.
So he sighed, and gave in, “It...was me,” he admitted in a low voice, and it was quiet.
Then Haiji laughs, and before Kakeru can say anything more, he hands Kakeru the taiyaki pastries and runs out from beneath the cover of the awning. He stands freely under the rain and raises his arms out at his sides, his hands facing palm-up to catch the rain as it falls from the sky.
“You made it rain! You made someone’s wish come true!” he exclaimed breathlessly, and luckily there was no one else around them, with everyone scurrying to take cover from the downpour.
“Amazing! That’s amazing!” Haiji beamed at him, his hair and clothes getting soaked, but he looked so happy.
Humans were such odd creatures.
Eventually, Haiji came back under the awning, and before Kakeru could ask him if he wanted to go home and get a change of clothes, he asked, “How?”
Kakeru paused, then glanced up at the sky, “Do you know what a star child is?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I am one.”
“So, that night when I found you at the shrine, that was where you fell from the sky?” Haiji said, and despite his looks and demeanour, Haiji was actually quite shrewd. Kakeru simply nodded, and Haiji’s smile returned.
“It actually makes more sense to me now why you were up there. No normal human would plan to sleep there overnight. Ah, I can’t believe I actually fell for your act, I totally should have figured it out sooner! From the moment we met, I knew you were special! I just had no idea you were this special!”
Haiji seemed to light up at the knowledge that Kakeru was some kind of celestial being. Not that Kakeru had much experience himself, but when he had been an entity in the sky, it was agreed among all of them that humans did not like being lied to and steadfastly refused to believe in anything magical once they were grown.
But here was Haiji, proving him wrong and becoming the exception.
“Why are you so calm?” Kakeru frowned at him, confused.
“Hm? Why shouldn’t I be?” Haiji knitted his eyebrows together, as if Kakeru was the one acting weird.
“I’m not human. You shouldn’t...trust me. What if I’m just using you?” Kakeru pressed, unsure why this human was so oblivious and trusting.
“Using me? What could you possibly use me for? I’m just a regular human, there’s nothing special about me. Compared to you, I’m completely ordinary,” Haiji stated, so blunt and accepting of his limits.
And well…he did have a point. Of course, Kakeru had no plans to use Haiji or hurt him, but wasn’t that the way most humans thought?
“Besides, if there’s a little magic in the world and I managed to find it, I think I’m very lucky,” Haiji added, and the way he smiled so brightly while he was soaking wet was a complete juxtaposition.
Kakeru shook his head in disbelief, “How can you believe me so easily?”
“Because I want to. Because I have no reason not to believe you, and I saw with my own eyes how you changed the world in an instant,” Haiji explained, shrugging his shoulders as he reached out to snag one of the taiyaki from Kakeru’s hands. He started to eat it, and Kakeru just stared at him.
This guy was just…so unpredictable.
“If you’re okay with it, can I ask your permission for something?” Haiji asked around a mouthful of the pastry, while Kakeru’s was still clutched weakly in his hand.
“We should tell the rest of the guys,” Haiji said, and again, Kakeru was boggled.
“Huh?”
“Hear me out, I have an idea! You said you have no money, right? Even though you just got that traineeship, it’s already been a week and you still haven’t been able to find a proper job since you don’t have a lot of experience.”
Then, Haiji swallowed the food and smiled in a sly manner, “I think I’ve thought of a way that you can earn some money.”
“But, we need to talk it over with the guys. I’m a good big-picture thinker, but I really need help smoothing out the finer details,” Haiji admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his head.
“So? What do you say, Kakeru?”
***
And that was how he ended up back at Aotake, with the right other members all rounded up in the kitchen as he and Haiji explained everything. When he and Haiji had finished, the others were doubtful to say the least.
“This is a joke, right? You guys are joking,” Yuki said, a nervous smile in place like he hoped the answer would be yes but he knew it wasn’t going to be.
“How the hell can we know if this is true or not!?” King quizzed them, dubious as ever.
“This is something I’d expect from Haiji, but I thought the newbie was more sensible than that,” Nico-chan sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
This was sounding a lot more like the reaction Kakeru had initially expected. Seriously, Haiji seemed like the dark horse in this group, and the others appeared to recognise it too.
Shindou stepped closer to him, eyebrows upturned in uncertainty, “Isn’t there a way you can prove it to us, Kakeru?”
Kakeru pursed his lips as he took a moment to think. Then, it came to him, “Stars witness the birth of every human underneath them. Likewise, I know when each of you were born,” he said, looking at each of them deliberately.
“Has anyone told Kakeru their birthday?” Haiji questioned the group, and they all mumbled some form of ‘no’.
“Wait, wait! He could’ve just looked it up on Facebook?” Musa piped up, and the others all agreed.
“What’s that? A book with every human’s face in it? I don’t know how that would tell me your birthdays,” Kakeru shrugged, perplexed at the mere concept of such a thing.
“...”
The silence rang out so loud, as everyone realised that no modern human couldn’t have not heard of Facebook.
“Okay yeah he doesn’t have an account. I did a quick search and this guy has like, no social media at all,” Joji slumped in defeat, and Jota mirrored his expression.
“Seriously! What kind of person our age doesn’t have at least one?” Jota whined, and the others were at a stalemate.
“Maybe he’s telling the truth,” Prince offered his input, his voice soft and unassuming as it tended to be, but it made the others stop and listen.
Hana moved forward a bit, and smiled unsurely at him, “Can you tell us all our birthdays, Kakeru-san?”
Kakeru then goes through each of them, stating the date, month, year (even the specific day) that they were born.
“Okay, so we might be starting to believe you. But granting wishes, we’re gonna need more than your word for it,” Yuki said begrudgingly, and Kakeru knew exactly what he needed to do to show them that. So did Haiji apparently, because he perked up and turned to them all in excitement.
“Time to go look for a wish!” Haiji declares.
.
.
They returned to the street markets, because there were lots of people around. It was still raining, but not as heavily as before, it was a fine mist now. The group of them walked at a leisurely pace through the streets, as they were on the lookout and waiting for the right moment.
“I wonder how long it’ll take til someone makes a wish,” Nico-chan remarked idly, hands in his pockets as he looked around.
“Not long,” Kakeru answered, and the others gawked at him.
“Huh? Really?” King asked, blinking owlishly.
Kakeru nodded, “You’d be surprised. Humans make wishes as often as they breathe. Some consciously, some unconsciously, but they’re wishes all the same.”
And then, just as silence fell over the group, at that moment, a little girl and her mother walked past them. The girl was gazing up at the sky wistfully, and had a plush bunny toy in her hand which she held up to the sky too.
“I wish I could see a cloud shaped like a bunny!” she wished, and everyone almost gasped at the suddenness of it all.
“Wow, you were right. We got a wish already,” Shindou said, mildly impressed.
“Eh!? You’re doing it now? Doesn’t it have to be night time or something?” Yuki glanced to his left and then his right quickly, but no one was even looking in their direction.
“It can be day or night, since the stars are always in the sky. Although none of you can see them right now, they’re perfectly clear to me.”
Kakeru then closes his arm, lifting his hand up and extending his pointer finger out. He slowly drags it in a circle, searching for a willing star to attach to it. When he snags one, he repeats the wish of the young girl in his mind, and traces a zig-zag pattern across the sky, sliding his finger down and arching a path for the star to follow.
“No way...” Jota grabbed Joji’s arm, shock painted all over his face.
“That...that really just happened, didn’t it? I’m not seeing things, am I?” Joji said, grabbing onto his twin as well as he pointed a shaky finger up at the sky.
“Nope. It’s there,” Musa said, equally as stunned.
“A bunny-shaped cloud...” Prince’s dreamy voice said, and they all stared up in muted astonishment at the sight of it.
The girl had noticed as well, and was jumping up and down, ecstatic as she tugged on her mother’s dress, “Look, mama, look! The cloud, it looks just like a bunny!”
“E-Eh? It really does,” the mother peered up with wide eyes.
“It’s so pretty! Can you take a picture, mama? Please?”
“Of course! Let me get my phone...”
Then, none of them talked any further until they all returned to the privacy of Aotake.
Yuki was the first one to speak up, clearing his throat, “Okay. We believe you.”
“Sorry for doubting you, Kakeru,” Shindou apologised, and Musa nodded eagerly to show he expressed similar sentiments.
“Thanks for telling us. We’ll keep your secret, Kakeru-san, we promise,” Hana told him with a sweet smile, and the others all acknowledged him too. It felt strangely good to have earnt their trust, and have their acceptance.
“I think we can make something of this,” Haiji said, his eyes glittering with excitement.
“If we make a website, people can post their wishes and have them granted by Kakeru. If we charge a small amount for a wish, we can earn enough money to go towards our club, as well as fixing up Aotake,” Haiji told them, waiting to hear their thoughts.
“Hmm, I don’t think people will go for it if they see they have to pay for a wish. They’ll think it’s some kind of money scam,” Shindou hummed, rubbing his chin.
“But if we don’t put a price value on there, they could just blow it off as just some dumb project. They won’t take us seriously if we give it for free,” King advised them, and that was true, "also, this was supposed to help Kakeru make money, remember?"
“Then, how about we make it 550 Yen per wish?” Haiji offered the idea up, which was met with enthusiasm.
“Oh, that’s not too bad! Everyone has 550 Yen lying around, so it’s cheap enough that they’d be willing to try it out but won’t feel too bad about losing it if they’re a little skeptical about the whole thing,” Nico-chan grinned, and they all nodded their agreement.
“You’re all going to help me?” Kakeru asked, looking around at all of them in astonishment.
“Of course! You need us,” the twins said in unison, jabbing their thumbs at themselves and everyone else proudly.
“Yeah, we can act like a filter. Humans can be really sneaky, and we don’t want you to get manipulated by someone else’s twisted actions and bad intentions,” Prince said, as he turned a page in his manga. But he looked up to give Kakeru a brief, encouraging smile.
“We’ll make sure you’re only granting wishes that are good and pure, with no underlying motives,” Hana nodded, her hands on her hips decisively.
Later that afternoon, Shindou came out with his laptop, with a dazzling smile in place, “I’ve finished setting up the website!”
All of them had a look, and it was set up super clearly and nicely. Shindou had even printed out some posters and flyers, which the twins and Hana had gone out to pin up and distribute all over the area.
“You wanted to understand how humans live, right? If you see the way we live, all the different lives we lead, maybe you’ll get closer to finding your answer,” Yuki told him, and he seemed to be a person that was good at stating the facts of a situation clearly.
“Imagine how many people’s lives we can make better,” Haiji added with a warm smile, then he turned to face all of them happily, “We can make a difference in this world. With Kakeru, we have a chance to really change things!”
***
And so began the whirlwind that was Kakeru’s wish granting venture. Actively seeking out wishes…it wasn’t something he’d ever considered before, but he wasn’t against it. Not one bit. This made it easier for him actually.
Although at first business had been slow, and people were doubtful of the truth behind the website, they soon changed their minds when their wishes were granted right before their eyes. Word spread, and sure enough they were getting over 15 requests a day.
And already, he’d granted so many worthwhile wishes. People wished for surprisingly unselfish things when given the chance. Some had wished for warm clothes and blankets, enough that they could donate to the homeless people around the area and to the shelters. Others had wished for better facilities for stray dogs and other unwanted animals.
A wish for sunshine the next day because they had plans they wanted to be perfect, a wish for better streetlights to help the elderly when they walked alone at night, a wish for someone with the flu to get better straight away. It all touched Kakeru, to see the lengths humans could go to for each other.
Of course, there were some selfish wishes that came to him. Kakeru refused any wishes that were self-centred, full of ill will or ones that were too materialistic. Wishes needed to be pure and good, that was the only way they could be granted.
Through it all, Haiji and his friends had stayed by his side, helping him with everything. Between his traineeship at the university’s library and granting wishes, Kakeru didn’t have time to look after the website or handle the money. Thank goodness they were all able to deal with that stuff.
“This is all the money people have donated to us through our website,” Shinzo showed them all as they crowded around the laptop, the amount was impressive.
“That’s the great thing about donations. Nobody is forced to make them. People only do it if they really believe in the cause, if they want to help it grow and prosper into something bigger,” Haiji commented, his optimism overflowing. Haiji especially had been a beacon of light over the past few months, leading them all forward.
“Generosity from others brings out our own generosity, making us want to give back to those who helped us expecting nothing in return,” Musa said, his words layered with warmth.
“It means they are grateful, and we can’t exactly refuse their tokens of thanks, can we?” Yuki asked with a cheeky half-grin, and the others chuckled.
Haiji turned to Kakeru then, eyes sparkling, “I was thinking we can use their money on you, Kakeru.”
“Me?” Kakeru blinked, taken aback at the suggestion.
“Yeah. We can buy you new clothes, little things for your room, and anything else you need!” Jota listed off all the options for him, bouncing with enthusiasm.
“This is kind of like your job, right? That means you should get paid in some way! We discussed this, don’t you remember?” Jota added, poking at Kakeru’s forehead which made the others laugh.
Kakeru shook his head, ready to decline, “Even if we did, that doesn’t matter. I don’t need to be paid. The clothes you’ve all given me are fine, so just use it to put towards the bills and the groceries.”
“Well, we want you to use it,” Nico-chan corrected, then dropped a hand on top of Kakeru’s head and ruffled it none too gently.
Then, King elbowed him in the ribs and joined in, “Yeah. You’re not gonna refuse us , are you?”
“Uh, n-no?” Kakeru answers, unsettled at the feeling like he was being tested. He seemed to have passed, though, seeing the faces of everyone light up.
“Good!”
***
The next day, Kakeru had gone with the group of them to buy some clothes and other things, Kakeru actually didn’t really choose most of the things, and was content to let the others pick out things for him. They’d already bought him new clothes for every season of the year, and were just starting to find little knick knacks to put in his room. There were already some plants, a small stack of manga, and some DVDs of movies and quiz shows in the pile.
“I’ll go and buy us some drinks,” Kakeru muttered to Haiji, taking a moment to slip away and take a break.
“Okay. Do you want me to come and help you carry them?” Haiji grinned, and that helpful, caring side of him never seemed to fade, no matter what day it was or who he was with. It was something Kakeru admired so much about him, among so many other things. Really, Haiji-san is just an incredible type of person.
Kakeru shook his head, then showed Haiji a small, amused smile, “No, I’ll just get them all put in a carry bag. Someone responsible has to stay and keep an eye on all of them.”
Haiji laughed and waved him goodbye, as Kakeru set off to the nearest convenience store to buy some cold drinks for them all. On his way out, he stopped in his tracks when a certain someone appeared in front of him.
“Sakaki!?” Kakeru whisper-shouted, staring in awe at the man in front of him. It was rare for two star children to come across each other on earth. He hadn’t known his name until now, but the familiarity in his presence was unmistakable.
Sakaki was a star child, but he was a level below Kakeru. He monitored other star children on earth, that was his life’s purpose. He could grant wishes, but was physically limited in his ability to do so. He had always envied Kakeru for his ability to grant endless wishes, and the amount of skill and knowledge Kakeru possessed of the human earth.
“What the hell are you doing, Kurahara?” Sakaki demanded, eyes narrowed and glaring at him, “You think I wouldn’t notice all the shooting stars? I can see them, every single one you make fall.”
He had forgotten all about Sakaki. Had forgotten that he would’ve been watching Kakeru’s every movement like a hawk, just waiting for him to make a mistake.
“I bet you’re granting all these wishes to make money off these ignorant humans,” Sakaki scoffed, and the assumption made something hot boil in Kakeru’s stomach. It was anger, something he hadn’t really experienced yet as a human.
“It’s not like that!”
“And you’re even living with them? Where’s your pride? I don’t know how you can stand being around these primitive idiots. Their only unique skill is crying, and what good does that do? Humans are just that useless,” Sakaki spoke so lowly of them, of Kakeru’s friends, and he just couldn’t stand it.
“Don’t talk about them like that!” Kakeru’s voice rose louder, the plastic bag full of drinks crinkling as he clenched his hand into a fist.
“They...They’re my friends,” he added softly, looking off to the side.
Sakaki did not seem to share his view, a disgusted expression on his face as he looked down his nose at Kakeru, “Humans are the stupidest, most selfish creatures to exist. Any notion of friendship with them is just an illusion.”
“You’re disrupting the balance. Soon enough, if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll get your rightful punishment,” he said in a foreboding tone, and when Kakeru blinked, Sakaki was gone.
***
The next morning, Kakeru woke up and felt something in his eyes. He rubbed at them, and sat up in his bed. When Kakeru looked down at his pillow, his eyes widened. Star dust .
A star child only ever saw stardust for two reasons: 1) after they first fell to earth, the remnants of their life in the sky still clinging to them for a few days before it stopped; and 2) if they were about to leave earth, and return to the skies for good. A star child was turned to star dust once more when they no longer served a purpose on earth.
Was he...fading away?
No, he wasn’t. He couldn’t be. He...he had so much more he wanted to do. Kakeru had only been on earth for six months. Half a year. What was going wrong? Was he sick? Had his body succumbed to a human illness? He thought he had been taking care of himself well, eating healthily and exercising regularly. He ran every day. To be sure, he’d make an appointment with the doctor to have a full body check up.
In any case, he’d have to keep carrying on like normal and keep this to himself. If any of the others found out he was dropping stardust all of a sudden, they wouldn’t rest until Kakeru explained why.
.
.
Kakeru had gone to see the doctor the next day, and he was impressed with himself that he had learned enough to be able to organise it all by himself. It wouldn’t have been good if the others found out, because they’d surely want to know why Kakeru was going and he just wasn’t prepared to have that conversation with them.
His check up results were normal. Better than normal, actually. The doctor said he was one of the healthier ones out of all the 23 year old males he had come across recently. Kakeru was not afflicted with any illness that would end his life, which meant that the skies themselves had decided his time on earth was over.
It was...the wishes. All these wishes he had been granting, he was reaching his limit. A star child could grant wishes, and was allowed to do so if they fell to earth. However, Kakeru was expected to only grant the wishes of those who happened to come across him by coincidence, and only if they were sincere enough to say their wish out loud to him without expecting it to come true. What Kakeru had been doing, actively seeking out and asking others what their deepest wish was and making it come true was not allowed. He had heard stories about it before, about fallen star children who had gotten carried away, making a profit out of becoming a ‘wish granter’ and being punished by the skies.
But...Kakeru hadn’t been doing it for money. If people were overly grateful and tried to give him money, he would politely refuse, and the particularly persistent ones would foist the money off onto someone else (usually King or Yuki). No, he had been doing it for...everyone. All those people, they had so many wishes buried deep in their hearts. He wanted to make them come true. He wanted to make them happy. All he gained from doing this was seeing the happiness of others, watching the joy on their faces as their wish came true. Why were the skies punishing him for that? Had he granted too many? Kakeru didn’t think there was such a thing as too many, if anything he wanted to grant many, many more.
If he was going to be taken away, he wouldn’t leave without giving back to the people he cared about the most. He would make each and every one of their wishes come true, he would do it. And he refused to turn to stardust until he had seen each of their smiling faces when their wish came true. How is it that he hadn’t granted any of their wishes yet? Had he accidentally ignored them, or forgotten them?
No, it was because none of them had ever asked Kakeru if he could grant their wishes. In all the time he’d known them, none of them ever thought about using him to make their wishes come true. He would have done it even if they had, but this proved to him all the more just how worthy they were not only as selfless human beings, but as his truest friends.