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When Tsukasa woke up, the first thing he saw was the sea of stars.
He doesn’t remember when was the last time he saw so many stars. Light pollution makes the night sky look murky. Saki was always a little bit sad about it. She always loved the night sky more than he did. ‘ What a nice change of scenery’ he thought to himself. ‘I should take a picture and send it to others!’ He raised his hand to his bedside table, but instead of his phone, he only got a handful of sand. He groaned, tiredly. ‘Is this another stupid prank from Rui?’
Then he started to realise that something strange was happening to him. He couldn't feel the silky sheets beneath. There was no comforter that smelled like almond conditioner. He was laying on sand, and it was getting behind his shirt collar.
He never got on his legs so fast in life. Instead of his bedroom, he saw a vast desert, far away from civilization.
Tsukasa’s first reaction was to scream.
A thunderous “WHAAAAT” rolled over the desert, echoing so far and wide, he was still able to hear it for two good minutes.
This is a dream. A hyperrealistic dream. I’m going to pinch myself very hard, and I’ll immediately wake up.
Tsukasa did exactly that, pinching himself at his wrists, where his skin is the most sensitive. He yelped in pain, but nothing else happened. He was still standing barefoot in the middle of endless sand.
Tsukasa wondered if it was some sort of Sekai glitch, that he was somehow transferred somewhere while he was asleep. He reached to his phone again to realise that he doesn’t have it on himself. He was still in his pajamas. Panic was slowly rising within him.
“Get a grip, Tenma Tsukasa!” He clapped his cheeks, trying to ground himself, “This isn’t the worst situation you have found yourself in!”
He knows he is lying to himself. It is the worst situation he was in.
Even when he got stranded on an island, he wasn’t alone. His friends were with him. They had an adult helping them out. It was possible to forage food and make shelter. The situation was dire, but not hopeless.
Now he can’t even hope of finding water.
In the midst of him bemoaning his predicament, Tsukasa almost didn’t notice a small voice calling out to him somewhere from the side.
“Good evening.”
He turned his head and saw a little boy in an oversized cerulean jumper and golden muffler. In his hands, he tightly held a rose, hidden under a glass dome. Somehow, the rose was swinging left and right despite being shielded from the wind. A white snake with lilac eyes was resting on the boy's neck. Lastly, a strange, purple fox with cyan stripes on its head was sniffling Tsukasa with utmost curiosity.
But what was stranger was that this boy looked familiar. He doesn’t remember meeting this kid but can’t shake off the feeling that he saw him somewhere.
The little boy got closer to Tsukasa. He didn't look scared in the slightest.
“Can you please draw me a sheep?”
He asked it like it was the most normal thing to ask from a person you see for the first time.
On the first day in the desert, Tsukasa was learning more about his little companion.
The little boy called himself a “Prince” and claimed that he’s from a tiny asteroid that nobody discovered yet. The asteroid was so tiny, the prince could just easily walk around it in 10 minutes, never missing a sunset. It sounded somehow familiar. Tsukasa makes a mental note that this story could be good material for a show.
“I’m sure someone will discover it soon,” while the boy was telling his tale, Tsukasa was doing his best drawing the requested sheep, "It must be pretty lonely there.” He decided to give his sheep a cape to make it look more dignified. Also, some stars around his head, to make him look extra twinkling. The sheep had to be the best you see.
Tsukasa wonders for a minute how the Prince handled it – being on that tiny space rock, waiting for someone to come and find him. He remembers bits from science class, when they were talking about planets and space. Tsukasa wasn’t really interested in them, despite paying attention diligently. His attention was always aimed at stars and comets, at constellations and galaxies: mesmerising things that inspired poets and guided travellers. Why would someone pay attention to some space rock, when a shining star was illuminating the blackness of the universe!
Perhaps that's why nobody discovered the boy’s home. Asteroids are boring, not worthy of attention.
And the Prince was so small as well! All alone in the whole universe.
It makes him remember his own childhood for a second. How he would wander in his empty house, looking into every nook and cranny to find something new there. It would take him more than 10 minutes, their house is quite large, honestly. And sunset would never wait for him. He wishes it would. The darkness really scared him when he was a child.
He wants to ask the boy if he’s scared of the dark now.
“I’m not lonely,” the Prince brought his glass dome up for Tsukasa to see, “I have my Rose there with me.”
Tsukasa noticed that the Prince was very protective of his companions but especially so for the Rose. ‘ But it’s just a flower’ he thought to himself, ‘ There’s a million other roses just like that’ .
But then the Rose started speaking.
“Tsukasa-kun,” she said in a cute and energetic voice, “Is there anyone waiting for you?”
He stopped drawing and focused his attention on a talking plant.
“Of course. I have my family and my friends.”
“Why are they waiting for you?”
“What a silly question! They wait for me to guide and protect them!”
“So you always do something for them? What if they won’t need you anymore?”
Tsukasa opened his mouth, but then realised that he didn't have an answer for that. It sounds absurd – how can they not need him? Who else would remind them to sleep and eat well, to iron their clothes and to tuck their shirts? It always seemed obvious. It’s expected of him. For Tsukasa, being the caretaker is just as natural as breathing. It is something he always does without questioning.
But then again, can he do it forever?
Saki is growing up. Touya is growing up.
And his troupe will have to go their separate ways one day.
What will be of him then?
The Prince took notice of Tsukasa’s sudden silence. He put his Rose on sand.
“Do you think they have to love you for something?” He said it with a strange intonation. Like the boy was comforting him.
The question felt like a sharp cut.
“I can’t just not do anything, too." Tsukasa averted his eyes from the boy. He couldn't handle his gaze right now, "It’s my responsibility to look after them.”
The boy tilted his head, confused.
“Do you think they’ll stop loving you if you won't?”
Tsukasa doesn’t say anything to this. He finishes his drawing and gives the notebook back to the Prince.
“Here’s your sheep.”
The boy examines the drawing very carefully,
“What an arrogant sheep. I don’t think he’ll like my planet. Can you please draw another?”
On the second day, Tsukasa was trying to get in contact with the world.
While roaming in the desert, he had stumbled upon a crashed plane.
The plane had a radio inside that was still, somehow, functional. Well, Tsukasa thought it was – it was possible to turn it on and the sound of static would come out from it. So he has a chance to get rescued!
That’s what he’s hoping for, at least. He has no idea how this thing works.
He pushed the buttons and rotated the receiver, but it didn’t do anything. It just made the static sound break ever so slightly. Then he changed his tactic. Between three button pushes and one rotation, he punches the device slightly. His dad told him that it was how he used to fix the old TV at their grandma’s house. That man is never wrong about anything.
“Hey! Heeeeeyyyy! Over heeeereee!!”
He peeked from the plane’s cockpit to see Rose standing outside and waving at him. That’s strange, Tsukasa thought to himself, Where’s the Prince?
“What are you spacing out for, silly,” the flower screamed in its jolly manner. "A caterpillar is going to crawl into your mouth at this rate!”
A shiver ran down his spine. He tried to pretend like it didn't bother him: “You will not frighten me, you rambunctious plant. There are no caterpillars here.”
The Rose giggled. She was swinging to the sides, curiously observing how Tsukasa was messing with a strange machine, “What are you doing, Tsukasa-kun?”
“I’m trying to make the radio work.”
“Do you know how to do it?”
He doesn’t. He never paid attention to what Shosuke-san was doing back then.
“I have to try anyway. I also need to save the boy.”
At this, the Rose excitedly wiggled.
“You care for the Prince!”
“Of course I care. How can I not, he’s a little boy stranded in a desert. I have to save him.”
The strange flower looked elated, if her increased swinging and flapping of leaves could be an indicator of that. At any other time, he’d found this endearing.
“He’s going to be okay,” she said cheerily, “And so are you! Don’t push yourself so hard.”
Perhaps it was hunger, perhaps it was exhaustion, perhaps – desperation, but these words made Tsukasa boil with anger.
“Listen. I know you mean well, but you clearly don’t understand the situation. He and I are humans. You are a magic plant that can speak. You might be able to survive, somehow, but we can’t.” The radio almost caught the correct wave, but then it immediately went back to static. He was ready to smash the thing to pieces, “We need food, we need water. We can get a heatstroke and burn under the scorching sun. So don’t say things you know nothing about, or I'll just assume you want the boy dead.”
For a while, there was nothing but sounds of radio static. But then he heard soft sobs coming from the Rose. Is she crying? How can a flower cry?
He turned his head and sure enough, the sounds were coming from the Rose. She lifted her leafs to her flower, trying to wipe the invisible tears away.
Tsukasa felt bad. He didn’t want to make her cry.
He jumped from the cockpit and rushed to the upset flower.
“Why do you say such mean things?” the Rose cried even harder.
She reminded him of Emu, of her crying face and futile attempts to hide her tears. It makes his heart break and makes his cheeks red with shame. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think–”
“I don’t want the Prince to die.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“He means so much to me!”
“Just like you mean so much to him.” He reached out his hand and put it on the flower's head, as if trying to pat her. She flinched, and Tsukasa pretended that it didn’t make his heart sting even more.
“He always takes care of me so much that sometimes he loses sleep over it. He catches the caterpillars for me, even though he’s afraid of them. And when I want to tell him ‘thank you’ he’s already gone.”
It sounds silly, surreal even, telling anyone that you sat in the middle of the desert and comforted a flower, who was crying for the boy that was taking care of it. Tsukasa would have laughed at it. But when the said flower’s cries remind you of someone dear to you, it becomes hard to find humour in it.
“I want him to take care of himself too.”
He sang her a song he knows Emu likes. He danced in a way Emu found funny. No matter what Tsukasa did, the Rose wouldn’t stop crying. So he just stood by her side, listening to her weep. When the Prince found them, the Rose was still crying and Tsukasa looked at him with guilt in his eyes.
“I said something bad. I didn’t mean it.” he said, and he was truthful.
But the Prince's eyes were cold. He took his Rose and walked away, not looking back even once.
Tsukasa just sat there for some time, not knowing what to do.
He saw a notebook laying on the sand. It wasn’t there before.
The page with an arrogant sheep was torn.
He took a pencil and started drawing a new sheep.
On the third day he tried to find a source of water.
The white Snake that was always hissing at him decided to keep him company this time. As she said: ‘If I let you go alone, you will probably fall somewhere and die.’ Which was probably true, but he still didn’t appreciate it.
They walked in silence for that seemed like ages until the Snake finally spoke:
“You’re such a bore,” she said.
“And you are a very rude snake,” Tsukasa retorted.
And that was the end of it. For a while, they kept on like this, having no idea where to go but never stopping anyway. The fatigue was catching up to Tsukasa. He ignored it.
Then the Snake spoke again:
“I can help you go home faster.”
There weren't any rocks to stumble on but Tsukasa still managed to trip and fall flat on the ground, getting sand in his mouth.
“Really? And you were quiet about it all this time?” he squeaked, after spewing all the sand out.
The Snake giggled, and then it slithered closer to Tsukasa, slowly crawling up to his leg and then coiled on his left arm. She darted her tongue close to Tsukasa’s wrist.
“Really-really” she lulled, “and you wouldn’t even feel a thing. My poison is painless.”
Tsukasa jerked his arm in panic, but the snake’s grip was strong.
“So you just want to kill me?!” He kept swinging his arm trying to get the Snake to get off, but she didn't relent. On the opposite – she gripped even tighter, making Tsukasa hiss in pain.
“Not kill, dummy,” the Snake grumbled, offended, acting like she was speaking with a toddler. “You will just fall asleep and see your home in your dream.” She looked at him with her violet eyes, analysing, studying. “When was the last time you let yourself rest?”
What do you mean ‘rest’?!
How can he rest when he’s in this predicament? When someone’s life depends on him? How can he rest, when there’s so much he hadn’t done?
Every step he took, every decision he made – all of that was for a reason. He has a goal that he has to achieve.
To just abandon it all here? This is absurd.
“You want me to stay asleep forever,” he gritted with anger. He wished to never see this Snake again, to never hear her spit venom in his ears.
Why would you even go with me? You never had the courage to face me like that before. Always resting in the boy's muffler or hiding in sand.
Why did you come back on the surface despite your discomfort?
Clearly you had a reason. Just like I do.
So how can you suggest something like this?
“Nobody will be mad at you for this,” the Snake then said sadly. She finally eased her grip on Tsukasa’s arm and descended back to the ground.
“But what about my dream?!” He shouted.
The snake lazily blinked at him, unimpressed: “But what is your dream? Do you even know what it is?”
“To become a star.”
“But how will you know that you’ve become a star?”
I don’t know! He wants to scream in defeat. The stinging tears form in his eyes, but he doesn’t let them fall. He wanted to cover his ears so he wouldn’t have to listen to this cursed snake anymore.
But she kept on speaking.
“Don’t you think you’ve been chasing something you will never be able to catch?”
He doesn’t want to hear this. He doesn’t need to hear this.
‘To become a star’ was a childhood dream that became his life. Something he devoted himself to. He would never stop chasing it, no matter how much pain he had to endure, how much time it would take.
So why does she need to remind him about how little progress he made?
Despite his boasting and self-praise, he knows deep inside that his achievements were minute. With each step, the gap between him and his idol just felt bigger and bigger, and he doesn't know that he'll ever be able to catch up. He learns and learns and learns and still it's never enough, it can never be enough. He's always trailing, dragging everyone down.
He can’t tell this to anybody. He can hardly admit it to himself.
The phoenix is still so far away.
“It’s okay to give up sometimes. A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
For a second, he considers it. For a fleeting moment, he was ready to admit his weakness.
He then thinks of Nene – the once meek and timid girl, who almost ran away because of him. Who now turned into a beautiful songstress, able to shake everyone’s hearts with her voice.
Who inspired him.
Giving up here would be an insult to her. He wouldn't forgive him for that. He wouldn't either.
“I’m not going to give up. Who do you take me for?” he blinks his tears away and glares at the Snake. There was no real anger in his eyes anymore, “I’ve been on this path since I was a child. There’s no way I’ll stop now.”
It sounded like a challenge.
The Snake just solemnly nodded in return: “As you wish, then. I just hope you’ll figure out what you’re trying to achieve soon.”
She then disappeared under the sand, leaving Tsukasa alone.
He rubbed his eyes fiercely and took a deep breath.
Maybe I don’t know it yet. Maybe all this time I've been building castles in the air. But I will figure this out. I have to.
He takes another turn, only to realise he came back to the destroyed plane. The Prince was nowhere to see.
On the fourth day, Tsukasa realised he was dying.
He’d pat himself on the back for managing to survive this long with no food and water, but there’s nothing left in him besides bitterness and disappointment.
He failed to save himself and the boy.
Where is the boy? Is he okay, at least? He hadn’t seen him in a while.
He hoped that The Prince managed to go back to his small, undiscovered asteroid.
Selfishly, he wanted that boy to comfort in his final moments.
Tsukasa was leaning on the remnants of the plane, his strength slowly leaving, when that strange Fox waddled to him.
“Can I sit near, Tsukasa-kun?” he asked. His voice sounded familiar.
Tsukasa just waved tiredly, giving the Fox permission to do as he likes. Not that he can do anything about it anyway. The Fox nodded politely and took his place near the boy.
“How are you feeling, Tsukasa-kun?”
Tsukasa just glares at the animal. He didn’t need to be mocked in his last moments. The Fox at least had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed.
The Fox then asked a different question.
“When you look at this sky, who do you think of?”
Tsukasa wanted to scoff at first. He didn't care about stars. He didn't care about space, comets, planets and galaxies. Because he doesn’t have the strength to reach them at all. Maybe he never had. And still, he tilts his head to look at the starry sea one last time.
“My sister,” he decided to humour the Fox for a bit, “Because she loves stars.”
“Is that the only reason?”
Tsukasa looks at his furry companion with a poorly hidden disgust.
The Fox chuckled and the sound of it made Tsukasa feel slightly at ease. “Where I come from, there’s a vast field of wheat where I sometimes go to catch little rodents,” said the Fox. “I used to think nothing of that field. For me, it was just tall grass that got stuck in my fur. It’s very annoying, you know, trying to scratch it off my head – I don't have fingers to grab on anything!”
The Fox laughed to himself and Tsukasa wanted to join him.
“Then I met the Prince.”
His voice turned melancholic.
“I met him first when he was crying over roses,” there was a nostalgic lilt in the way he spoke about it. A dear distant memory, “He was so upset. He didn’t even look at them. Offended them greatly, I’ll tell you.” Tsukasa tried to laugh, but what came from his mouth was just a tired exhale. He can imagine. Roses can be quite sensitive.
”I realised that his heart belonged to one single Rose.” The Fox continued, "He couldn't admire the beauty of Earth flowers, because he longed for the one that was waiting for him, far, far away.”
He understands this feeling well. On his path to stardom, he met many people – all talented and skilled, unique and intriguing. Some accepted him with open arms, and some were wary of him at first. From each and one of them he learned something important. With each and one of them, he had lots of fun.
None of them ever made him feel like he belonged with them. That he wanted to stay forever with them. No matter how fun, interesting, exhilarating it was.
Because none of them could ever compare to his troupe.
The Fox was now laying on the sand and put his head on Tsukasa’s leg. He looked very cute like that. If his arms didn’t feel like they were made of lead, Tsukasa would have patted his head.
“I felt jealous.” Fox continued, “I wanted to belong to someone, too. I’ve never cried over someone, and it made me feel very lonely.”
“What did you do then?”
“I decided to give my heart to the Prince. So every time I look at that wheat field, I see his golden hair.”
‘But this isn’t enough, is it?’ is what Tsukasa wanted to say. “But the Prince still has to go to his home. Wouldn’t it be lonely again?” He says instead.
It always came back to this. Loneliness. Separation. Things he always ignored, pretended they never existed.
The Fox snorted in response: “It’s true. I’d be lonely again. I’ll miss him dearly. In the darkest nights, I’ll cry and wish he was here with me.”
He looked directly into Tsukasa’s eyes.
“But my love for him would keep me warm. I love my Prince. Just like he loves his Rose, his snake… and me. So I’ll keep looking at the wheat field and wait for his return. ”
What a devoted fox. And I’m certain your Prince will always come back for you.
“Tsukasa-kun,” the Fox asked again, “When you look at this sky, who do you think of?”
Tsukasa looked once more at the sky. This time it was completely different. Instead of deep darkness illuminated by starry diamonds, the sky was glistening with nacre light. The endless twinkling miracle was looking back at him, colourful and bright. The shooting stars were falling down like rain. He wonders how many wishes were born today. He hopes they all will be fulfilled soon.
He lets himself wish one last time under the never-ending array of stars.
“I think of my sister. Because the stars remind me of her eyes: how they twinkle with love for life and with joy to be able to do things she always wanted. They remind me of the hope my sister gave me when I was feeling sad.”
I wish nothing but abundant happiness for Saki.
“I think of my brother, because their shine reminds me of his resolve. When I see a shooting star, I think of the long way he had to walk to achieve things he wanted. I think of him finally being free.”
I wish for Touya to keep smiling.
“I think of my friends. For me, their brilliance outshines the brightest stars. When I see the Milky Way, I feel like I can never be truly separated from them.”
I wish to be with them forever.
He didn't notice when his tears started rolling down his cheeks.
“I want to see my friends.” He choked on a sob. He couldn't hold them back anymore. “I miss them.”
His tears started to fall on the sand. It was like something broke inside him and all the emotions were pouring out of him. He doesn’t remember when was the last time he cried so hard. He’s not sure if this even happened.
The fox quietly snuggled on Tsukasa’s lap and started gently purring.
“The stars are beautiful tonight, aren’t they Tsukasa-kun?”
He wiped his tears away with his sleeve and let out a wet but content laugh. With no more energy to keep himself awake, he slowly closed his eyes.
“Yes. They are.”
When Tsukasa woke up, the first thing he saw was darkness.
While his eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, he started to feel the surface below him. Soft sheets and heavy comforter. There was a book sprawled on his chest. He was reading in his bed and fell asleep while at it.
Tsukasa, still reeling from his dream, tried to get up fast. Disoriented and confused, he got stuck in his own covers and fell down from his bed with a loud ‘ thud!’, dropping the book and his phone with him.
“Ow…what the heck…”
His phone lit up and started vibrating. He reached for it and shielded his eyes from a harsh blue light. Emu was calling him. In the middle of the night.
He picks it up and croaks a drowsy “hello”.
“Tsukasa-kun!!! You sleepyhead,” Emu's voice, that was too energetic despite it being way past midnight, ringed almost deafeningly, “We’ve been calling you for thirty minutes! Nene-chan is sneezing now!” He could hear a very displeased Nene complaining about ‘Tsukasa’s snores being so loud he couldn’t hear the phone calling’ accompanied by soft chuckles. Probably from Rui.
“Emu? What?”
“Come to your window!!!”
He grumbles a bit about how absurd it is and ‘why are they even here at this hour’ but still does as he was told. He’s not fully awake and slightly disoriented from his dream, so it takes him a while to get to the window and fully take in what is going on. At first, he didn’t even notice anything. Then he realises that something was moving in the air. He blinked once, twice, three times, until he finally blinked his sleep away.
Rui’s drones sprawled a giant “Happy Birthday!” poster right in front of his window. Below, Emu, Nene and Rui had Bengal lights and party poppers in their hands. Nenerobo was balancing a giant cake on her head. They ushered him to come outside to them. Tsukasa, bewildered and secretly elated, dashed out of his room. Trying to stomp not loudly to not wake up his family, he almost tripped on a book that was still laying around on the floor. He put on his slippers and hoodie and quietly, like a mouse, exited his house. Once his friends noticed him, they excitedly rushed to his side. The party poppers went off and Bengal lights lit up, which made Tsukasa squeal like a spooked cat.
“What are you guys doing here?!”
“Happy Birthday Tsukasa(-kun!)”
The drones that were still hovering over them, launched confetti in the air as well and Nenerobo started blasting a “happy birthday” song, which the other three started to sing along too. Tsukasa was staring at them like they collectively lost their minds.
Emu launched at Tsukasa, tackling him in a suffocating hug,“We wanted to congratulate you as soon as midnight came, but you were sleeping, we are now 30 minutes late!”
“It’s fine, you are still the first ones,” he croaked, feeling his ribs slowly breaking. Then a realization dawned on him, “Wait, hold on!! What am I going to do with you now!!!”
“Whatever could you mean, Tsukasa-kun?” Rui crouched near them and gently took the pieces of confetti from Tsukasa’s hair. His mischievous grin was ever present on his face, but his expression was pure of fondness, “Are you going to report us for peace disturbance?”
“I should! You could have woken up the whole neighbourhood!”
“I think after living next to you they developed an immunity to noise,” Nene ignored Tsukasa’s offended sputters and snuggled in her light coat, “Can we come inside? It’s cold.”
Tsukasa only sighed in defeat: “Yeah, just be quiet, okay? I don’t want to disturb my family–”
At that exact moment, the entrance door got slammed open and a frantic, but a bit clumsy middle-aged man dashed from it, equipped with a ladle and ready to fight off the intruders. A blonde woman followed behind him, holding a frying pan and ready to strike.
They got scolded by his parents for making a ruckus in the middle of the night. It was quickly forgotten after his mom offered to brew some tea and have a late night tea party all together. It was the first time he had a birthday party like this. In the middle of the night, eating cake for breakfast. Tsukasa felt slightly guilty that everyone got up so late (or should he say early?) just for him. But also – he felt incredibly happy.
His mind wandered to the dream he had. He doesn’t remember much from it now, but he remembers the feeling of longing. Saki once told him that in some article that she browsed on the net, it said that dreams supposed to represent your inner desires. He never gave it too much thought, though. Analysing something as unexplainable as dreams felt like an unproductive way to spend your time.
And now his life is full of unexplainable things, which he learned just to simply accept. Maybe his brain is telling him that it’s time to start asking himself questions. Unpleasant and harsh questions that he has to figure out. Or maybe it’s telling him to treasure what he’s having now? There are so many interpretations, all of them have a merit.
He felt a light touch on his shoulder. It was Saki, gently pulling him from his mind palace back home, with a warm herbal tea in her hand. He takes it.
“Onii-chan, are you sleepy?” Saki was rubbing her eyes a little, trying to appear wide awake. Tsukasa knows this intonation: a question that hides behind an invitation. When Saki wanted to do something but was slightly embarrassed to ask directly, she would offer Tsukasa to join her, as if the idea just dawned on her. Tsukasa could never refuse her.
“You can go to bed, Tsukasa-kun,” Rui’s voice ringed somewhere from his left, “Your parents told us where to get guest futons, we will just crash in your living room.”
Logically, he should go back to bed. He was feeling tired, and they had a lot of plans for tomorrow (or was it today now?). He needed to be fully rested to give his birthday his all!
But he also doesn’t want to go yet.
“No, it’s okay,” he took a sip of his tea and rested his head on Saki’s shoulder, “I want to be with you a bit longer.”
Somewhere nearby, Tsukasa wasn’t sure where, Nene snorted, “What is it all of a sudden? You’re being so mushy.”
“Hmph! What’s wrong with me wanting to spend time with my wonderful friends?”
“Nothing, but you’re slowly conking out.”
The chatter went on and on, with Emu barraging her friends with last-time ideas for a birthday show and that they all need to come to Miyajo so they can amaze everyone with an unexpected surprise. A heated debate between Nene and Rui started after, wether it was a good idea or not.
It’s not often when Tsukasa wanted to be in the audience seat. He always craves for spotlight and attention, to be in the center of action. But at this moment, he didn’t want to take his eyes away from his troupe. He wanted for time to slow down, just this once, so he could stay like this a little longer.
He noticed Saki’s light snoring and sleepy mumbling. His eyelids started to feel heavy, too.
He thinks Emu brought blanked for them. He feels someone, maybe Nene, taking a tea cup from his hand. He thinks Rui is the one who turns off the lights. Before he went back to the kingdom of slumber, he says:
“I’m really happy to have you all in my life.”