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Momo Ayase had mixed feelings toward the dark. The night to be specific. Growing up, she was taught that it was a time that spirits and yokai would come out, and take away naughty children. Then as she grew, the night became dangerous for different reasons. Bad things and bad people liked to hide in the dark. Over all though, her feelings toward the night was one of indifference. It was a feeling she felt would never really change.
"Miss Ayase!"
Until recently, that is.
The sun had just set on the humble temple home. Momo was sitting on a picnic blanket set out in the middle of the courtyard, setting up the snacks and drinks she had gotten ready for tonight.
"Okarun!~"
Momo sing songed his name, waving as her friend eagerly ran through the torii gate and up to the blanket, a large black case in his arms. Once he reached the blanket, he set the case down, excitedly opening it up to pull out what Momo had to admit, was a beautiful telescope.
"I'm so excited to try it out with you, Miss Ayase! Thank you again for this!" Okarun's voice was dripping with a child like glee that Momo found infectious.
"Heck yeah! The way you went off about this thing? I had to take a peek too!"
Momo thought back to their walk to school last week, where an excited Okarun ran up to her, grinning ear to ear, nearly bursting at the seams to tell her about how he finally saved up enough to buy the telescope of his dreams. Seeing him light up and go on and on about what you can see through it, of course she invited him over to try it out together!
"It's far off enough from the city. I bet we can see even more out there with that puppy!" Momo made sure to burn the memory of Okarun's over joyed face into her mind.
Which brings them to this night. Sitting on a picnic blanket under the stars, listening intently to her nerd go on about how the telescope worked and what they'd be able to see through it.
"So, Miss Ayase, what do you wanna see first?"
Momo sipped at her pampy, humming in thought. "How about…a planet? Maybe we'll see some nerdy aliens looking back!" Momo cackled, only smiling wider when she noticed the smirk on Okarun's face despite rolling his eyes.
"I'd say I doubt that, but after recently? I wouldn't be too surprised. Just hope they're not the banana hunting kind." Momo giggled, getting up and stepping closer to Okarun and the telescope as he adjusted it, staring through the lens as he looked.
"Okaaaay….and there! Oh wow…this was worth every yen!" Okarun's gushing honestly just got Momo even more excited.
"C'moooon! Me next!"
Okarun happily backed away from the telescope with a smile, letting Momo lean in for a look. She didn't know what she was expecting, maybe something like in those movies or photos in books, but despite not being quite as grand as she thought it'd be, there was something oddly beautiful about being able to see a planet like that.
"Whoa…is that Jupiter?" Okarun nodded happily.
"Yeah! Isn't it amazing? You can make out so much detail!" Momo nodded, pulling away to look up at the sky with her naked eye. Like this, it just looked like a star. A single glimmering speck of light, hung high in the night sky. Yet as she peeked back into the telescope, there was it's true form. A far away celestial body, that despite it's distance, shone it's light to the earth.
"Wow…" Momo was sold. Space was pretty cool.
As the night went on, they both took turns looking through the telescope between snacks and drinks. Momo listened to every bit of trivia that poured out of Okarun as naturally as water flowed in a stream. She loved seeing him like this. Talking excitedly and openly, no fear of judgment or ridicule. Momo relished these moments. Seeing and hearing Okarun. The real Okarun. She admitted that a small, selfish part of herself loved that only she got these bits of him.
"Hey, Okarun? Think we can look at the moon, next?" Okarun stopped mid-info dump, blinking a bit before answering with a smile.
"Of course, Miss Ayase! Here, give me a sec." Momo happily swayed back and forth on her heels as she waited for Okarun to give the telescope the necessary adjustments.
"There you go!"
"Thank you, my good sir~"
She giggled as Okarun gave her an over dramatic bow as she strolled over to peek at the moon. She knows you could just look up and get a good glance at the moon, but something about seeing it like this took her breath away. It looked both so close and so far away. Staring at it, it almost felt like she could reach out and touch it, feeling what she was sure it's cold and textured surface under palms. Through the telescope, it even looked like it shone even brighter than it normally did.
"Wow…" She uttered out in an awed breath. She pulled away, again wanting to look at it with her naked eye. It was still beautiful, but it felt like she was really seeing it for the first time.
After what felt like an appropriate amount of time dedicated to star gazing, the two sat down on the blanket and decided to eat a proper meal. Nothing like what her grandma cooked, but Momo liked to think she made a mean sandwich. They ate beside each other in a comfortable silence, both of them looking up between each mouthful.
"You're a lot like that, you know."
Okarun turned his gaze down back to Momo, who's own gaze stayed set on the sky. Okarun gave her a questioning hum, tilting his head in curiosity. Momo finally brought her gaze down, her eyes settling on Okarun. At this angle, in this lighting, she could make out the reflection of the moon in his lenses. And she swore, she saw the stars reflected in his eyes.
"Ya know…that." She looked back up to the sky, taking in the moon and stars. Momo kept her gaze upward, telling herself she was just that entranced by the night sky, and not because she couldn't bring herself to look at Okarun as she continued with her train of thought.
"Just….I don't know. The moon and stars are ALWAYS there, sitting in the night sky. But sometimes, it feels like no one completely notices them, you know? Everyone is either asleep, working late, partying, or whatever sort of night life. I mean, even tonight, I feel like I really saw the moon for the first time. Like…really saw it."
Momo finally brought her gaze back down, but settled her eyes on the half eaten sandwich in her hands.
"That just made me think of you, ya know? Here you are, this honestly sweet, caring, funny, smart person that just went unnoticed. Heck, bullied! And even when I stood up for you, I felt like I was just giving you a passing glance. But now? It really feels like I see you. Like how it just hit me how bright the moon actually is. How beautiful the stars are once you get past the superficial light they reflect. Really seeing them? It just makes them beautiful in a way I never thought possible. And…I don't know. It made me think of you."
When Momo finally gathered the nerve to finally look at Okarun, she nearly jumped out of her skin. He was staring at her, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, but what startled her the most were his tears. They poured heavily down his cheeks, dripping with just how much he had been shedding.
"O-oh crap! Okarun I-I'm so sorry I didn't mean to-!" She stopped when Okarun raised his hand, shaking his head.
"No! No…i-it's okay, Miss Ayase. That..that was just…the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. About me." Okarun rubbed at his eyes furiously, trying to will away his tears. "I-I guess I just don't know what to say?" Momo smiled softly, sighing with relief when she realized they were moved tears, and not the bad kind.
She dug through the picnic basket, pulling out one of the napkins she had placed in there for them. With one hand, she gently cupped Okarun's cheek, using the other to gently wipe away his tears. "Well, I'll make sure that's the first of many nice things said about Okarun." She felt her heart swell as he smiled, sniffling away more tears as he gently leaned into her hand.
"…Thank you."
This night would be one that Momo would never allow herself to forget. The night where she first truly saw the moon, cradling it's warmth in her hands.