The telescope stood beside grandpa's grave. Waves crashed rhythmically below. Kaoru's hand hovered over the eyepiece, his fingers trembling ever so slightly, not from the chill in the air, but from the weight of memories pressing down on him like an invisible hand.
Aya stood a few steps away, her arms crossed against the evening breeze, her sharp eyes softened by the starlight. She had always been the anchor in their sea of creativity, the one who kept deadlines from devouring them whole. But tonight, under this canopy of stars, she felt something shift inside her. A vulnerability she rarely allowed to surface. She glanced at Kaoru, He was so focused, so lost in this fulfillment of a long buried promise, that it tugged at her heartstrings in ways she couldn't ignore.
"You know..." Aya spoke quietly, her voice barely rising above the wind's gentle howl, as if the elements themselves were conspiring to add drama to the scene. "I wonder since when did you start calling me by my first name and not my last anymore? 'Takahashi-dono.' It used to be all formalities with you."
Kaoru paused, his hand freezing just before slotting the final eyepiece into place. The 25mm wide-field lens glinted in his palm like a captured star. He turned his head slightly, his hair catching the moonlight, and met her gaze. For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them. The grave, the telescope, the friends watching from afar, all fading into the background. "That goes the same for you." he replied softly, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the emotional undercurrent. "But for me... I felt comfortable around you despite you always being strict, cold. Like, you'd glare at me over a missed deadline, but somehow, it made me want to do better. Not just for the mangas, but... yeah."
Aya's breath caught in her throat. Her mind raced, unbidden thoughts flooding in. 'That's why I fell in love with you... you always somehow break through every one of my defenses, straight into my heart.. damnit...' She muttered it to herself calmly, internally, her expression unchanging as she stared at the horizon where the sea met the sky. The confession was hers alone, locked away in the vault of her composure.
She wasn't ready to voice it, not here, not now, with the ghost of Grandpa lingering in the air. Returning to reality, she cleared her throat lightly. "I'll... suppose that's good enough for an answer."
Kaoru blinked, oblivious as ever, and chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks... Takahashi-dono...?"
Aya shook her head, a rare, genuine smile breaking through her usual stoic facade. It was small, but in the starlight, it warmed the chill around them. "No... you don't need to call me formally anymore. Just Aya is fine."
From a short distance away, where the group had clustered near the beat-up Honda to give Kaoru space, Kaede, Takeshi, and Naoki exchanged exasperated glances. Kaede, her black-painted arm now mostly scrubbed clean but still faintly smudged, slapped her forehead dramatically. "Oh my god, big bro is so clueless! Did you see that? She's practically screaming 'I like you' with her eyes!"
Takeshi facepalmed, his broad hand covering half his face as he groaned. "Yeah, and he's just standing there like a dense protagonist in one of his own mangas. How does he not get it? We've been shipping them for months, like he's literally the MAIN CHARACTER!" 'Exactly..' (Narrator.)
Naoki adjusted his glasses, which had slipped down his nose again, and sighed deeply, joining in the collective facepalm. "It's so painful to watch. Like, astronomically painful. Pun intended."
Emi leaned against the car's side, calmly chewing her bubblegum. She blew a slow bubble, letting it pop with a soft smack before shrugging. "Let 'em figure it out. Or not. More drama for the sequel."
"Anyways... back to the main topic...!" Kaoru announced, shaking off the moment with his trademark enthusiasm, though his voice cracked just a little. He turned back to the telescope, his hands steadying as he carefully slotted the eyepiece into the focuser. The click echoed softly, a final punctuation to their labor of love. But as the piece locked in, a surge of memories hit him like a tidal wave, crashing over the barriers he'd built to keep going.
He saw Grandpa's weathered face, lined with laughter and wisdom, sitting on this very cliff years ago. Kaoru had been a kid then, wide-eyed and full of questions, perched on a rickety folding chair while Grandpa pointed out constellations with a gnarled finger. "See that one, Kaoru? That's Orion, the hunter. And over there, the Big Dipper always pointing north, Nah just kidding kiddo! The Big Dipper itself isn't always pointing north! It rotates around the North Star 'Polaris!' like a clock hand, but the two stars at the end of its bowl the 'pointers' always point towards Polaris, which indicates true north, it's like a compass for dreamers." Grandpa's voice, gravelly from years of smoking cigars, had been full of stories. tales of galaxies far away, black holes that swallowed light, and the infinite possibilities of the universe. "One day, we'll build our own telescope, you and me. We'll chase the stars together."
But life had other plans. Grandpa's health faded faster than a shooting star. 'Hes dying, he lived a long life.. i'm sorry.' the doctors said. Kaoru remembered the hospital visits, the beeping machines, the sterile smell that clung to his clothes. Grandpa's last words, whispered through an oxygen mask: "Hey, kid… keep your dreams alive. You don't need to be a scientist, or force yourself to chase a promise… just be you. 'Each day has a better chance than yesterday.' That's all I request… and all I wish for you, my grandson…" Kaoru had merely nodded, shedding not a single tear, though his vision blurred, but the promise had sat heavy in his chest for years, buried under the demands of his manga career, the deadlines, the fans clamoring for more of his manga continuations.
And Kaede... his little sister had been even younger, clinging to Grandpa's stories like lifelines. She'd draw pictures of aliens and spaceships, inspired by his tales, but the loss had hit her hard too. They'd both promised to keep his memory alive, but life moved on until now.
Kaoru endured every single memory, biting his lip to hold back the flood. His hands gripped the tube tighter, knuckles whitening. It was a bridge to the past, a fulfillment etched in starlight. "It's... finished." he said, his voice barely above a whisper, thick with emotion.
Kaede bounced over from the group, her energy a stark contrast to the solemn air. She punched his arm lightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement despite the tears she blinked away, tears for Grandpa, for the family they'd lost. "What are you waiting for, big bro? Watch the stars! Grandpa and grandma probably up there yelling at you to hurry up!"
Kaoru laughed, a watery sound that broke the tension. "Yeah... yeah, okay." He leaned down, adjusting the finder scope one last time to align with a bright point in the sky Jupiter, hanging low like a lantern. Then, with a deep breath, he pressed his eye to the eyepiece.
The view exploded into clarity, stars sharp as diamonds, clusters of light dancing in the void. He adjusted the focuser slightly, and the Milky Way came into focus a river of cosmic dust and distant suns. But in his mind's eye, it wasn't just astronomy it was Grandpa and Grandma, finally together. Grandma had passed years before, from a heart condition that stole her away too soon, leaving Grandpa to tell them with stories and stargazing. Now, Kaoru imagined them hand in hand, twinkling among the constellations, watching over him and Kaede. The stars aligned perfectly, as if the universe itself was nodding in approval.
"See...? I've finally finished your request.." he whispered to the night, his voice cracking as he held back tears that threatened to spill. "Sorry it took so long, Gramps... Life got in the way, but... here it is."
The group gathered closer now, sensing the shift. Takeshi placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, a silent show of support. Naoki fiddled with his glasses, uncomfortable with the raw emotion but staying put. Emi stopped chewing for a moment, her usual sarcasm replaced by quiet respect. Aya stepped nearer, her presence a comforting warmth.
Kaoru continued stargazing, losing himself in the view. "Look at that.. Cassiopeia, the queen. And there's Polaris, the North Star. Steady as ever." He named them all perfectly, reciting from memory what Grandpa had taught him. Andromeda, the chained princess. Pegasus, the winged horse. the Pleiades,seven sisters huddled together. Each name carried a story, a piece of Grandpa's legacy.
But then, unconsciously, words slipped from his lips, words Grandpa had said a thousand times, a mantra for tough days. "Each day has a better chance than yesterday." Kaoru blinked, surprised at himself, but ignored it, chalking it up to the moment. He kept gazing, the telescope revealing nebulae like colorful clouds, planets with their faint rings, and galaxies spiraling into infinity.
Tears finally escaped, tracing hot paths down his cheeks. He didn't wipe them away. Instead, he let them fall, mingling with the dew on the grass. This wasn't just about building a telescope, it was about healing, about honoring the man who'd shaped him into the artist, the dreamer, the brother he was today. Kaede sidled up beside him, peering through the finder scope. "Hey, bro... can I look too?"
Kaoru stepped aside, smiling through his tears. "Of course. Grandpa would want you to see this."
As Kaede gasped at the view. "Whoa, it's like a fireworks show up there!" The group took turns, each sharing quiet reflections. Takeshi marveled at the moon's craters, Naoki pointed out a satellite streaking by, Emi joked about spotting her alien crush but her voice was soft. Aya went last, her eye to the lens, and for a moment, she saw not just stars, but the depth of Kaoru's heart laid bare.
When she pulled back, their eyes met again. "It's.. beautiful." she said simply.
"Yeah." Kaoru replied, his voice steadier now. "He'd love it."
The night wore on, the telescope becoming a portal to shared memories. They talked about Grandpa's terrible jokes, his obsession with black coffee, the way he'd sneak them candy when Mom wasn't looking. Laughter mixed with tears, comedy giving way to catharsis. Kaede shared a drawing she'd made as a kid, tucked in her pocket, a crude telescope with stars and "Gramps Forever!!" scrawled below. Takeshi admitted he'd learned about constellations just to keep up with Kaoru's ramblings.
Emi, popping her gum again, broke the heaviness with a grin. "Alright, saps. Who's up for spotting UFOs? Kaede's alien hubby might be watching."
The group chuckled, the emotional tide ebbing into warmth. But for Kaoru, the real magic was here. Friends turned family, a promise kept, stars bearing witness. As the first hints of dawn crept over the horizon, diluting the night sky, he packed up the telescope with care. Grandpa's grave seemed less lonely now, bathed in the fading starlight.
Driving back, the car filled with sleepy chatter, Kaoru glanced at Aya in the rearview mirror. She caught his eye, and for the first time, he wondered if there was more to their banter than met the eye. But that was a story for another day another chance, better than yesterday.