The days following the school festival drifted by in a warm afterglow. The campus was still buzzing with chatter about the performances, decorations, and laughter that had filled those unforgettable hours. Yet, for the Cosmic STAR Club, life hadn't slowed down — it had simply shifted into a new rhythm.
Posters of constellations still hung unevenly on the clubroom walls, half-taken down but too cherished to remove completely. The scent of dried paint and coffee from the festival booth still lingered faintly. It was a beautiful kind of chaos — a sign of something accomplished, something loved.
"Alright, team!" Souta's cheerful voice cut through the hum of the projector fan. "Now that we've officially proven ourselves as the most stellar club in school—"
"You mean luckiest," Haruto interrupted, smirking.
"—we're taking the next step!" Souta continued, ignoring him. "Aira's idea for a stargazing event! It's happening, people!"
Cheers erupted across the room.
Beru's eyes sparkled with excitement. "A stargazing night… that sounds beautiful. It feels like the perfect way to end the semester."
Luna nodded with her usual calm grace, her voice soft yet full of quiet certainty. "It's something that will remind everyone what our club truly stands for — not competition, not perfection, but connection. Between the stars, and between us."
Aira Mizunashi smiled shyly from where she sat near the window. "I think it's lovely. Maybe we can let visitors look through the telescopes too. I used to watch the stars with my grandpa when I was little… it always made me feel peaceful."
Ren Ito, seated beside her, adjusted his glasses. "If we're inviting students, we'll need proper safety measures — distance markers, light control, and stable telescope mounts. I'll handle that part."
Haruto grinned. "You're already acting like the club's engineer."
Ren gave a small shrug, a ghost of a smile forming. "Someone has to keep you all from breaking something."
Beru giggled. "We'll try not to set anything on fire this time."
Souta placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "That was one small flame and one marshmallow incident!"
The entire room burst into laughter. Even Luna, who usually maintained her serene composure, couldn't resist a small smile.
That afternoon, the Cosmic STAR Club gathered in the courtyard to plan the layout. The gentle warmth of early autumn sun washed over the field as they spread out their sketches and notes.
Beru knelt on the grass, drawing the arrangement with chalk. "So, the telescopes here, the snack corner over there… and maybe a little stage?"
Souta leaned over her shoulder. "Stage for what? You planning to sing, Beru?"
Beru's cheeks flushed. "N-No! I meant for the narration part!"
Haruto smirked. "I'd pay to hear that, honestly."
"Haruto!" she pouted, giving him a playful glare that made everyone laugh.
Aira, who had been collecting small fairy lights from the art club's storage, looked at the group fondly. "You all really get along well."
Ren looked up from his measuring tape. "You'll get used to it soon enough. It's… organized chaos."
"Emphasis on chaos," Haruto added.
The gentle teasing, the shared laughter, the soft breeze — it all blended into a perfect kind of harmony that could only exist between friends.
A few days later, preparations officially began.
The clubroom transformed into a bustling workshop. Souta handled the large projection cloths while Beru and Aira painted cosmic patterns across them — galaxies, nebulae, and silver stars that shimmered under the light.
Luna organized a list of constellations to highlight during the event, her delicate handwriting filling the pages of her notebook. "Each constellation has a story," she said softly one afternoon, as everyone took a short break. "And I think that's what makes them so precious — they're not just stars. They're memories of those who looked up before us."
Haruto looked at her, intrigued. "You really think the stars remember?"
Luna smiled faintly. "Maybe not in words. But in light, perhaps."
Across the room, Souta was attempting to tie banners with Ren, who seemed seconds away from losing his patience.
"You can't just use duct tape for everything!" Ren scolded, holding a roll of silver tape in disbelief.
"Sure I can! Duct tape is the universe's solution to all problems," Souta argued.
Aira covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "That might actually be Souta's motto in life."
Beru sighed, holding her head. "I can't believe we're trusting them with the main structure."
Haruto chuckled. "It's fine. It's only a 30% chance it collapses."
"Don't joke about that!"
By evening, their laughter echoed down the empty school corridors. They stayed late, fueled by instant noodles and convenience store snacks, surrounded by tangled wires, paintbrushes, and glitter that seemed to appear from nowhere.
And through it all, their bond grew — steady and warm, like the glow of the stars they loved so much.
One evening, Haruto was helping Beru test the telescopes on the rooftop. The sky was a deep indigo, painted with the faint shimmer of early stars.
Beru peered through the eyepiece, adjusting the focus. "It's clearer than before," she murmured.
"Try aligning it with Orion's Belt," Haruto suggested, standing close enough for their shoulders to brush.
Beru nodded, her fingers trembling slightly as she turned the dial. "There… got it."
She stepped back, offering the telescope to him. Haruto leaned down to look, and when he did, Beru found herself watching him instead — the way his expression softened in the starlight, how his usually calm eyes reflected the sky.
When he looked up, their gazes met.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke. The quiet between them felt fragile — like a thread made of light.
Then Beru laughed softly. "You always look different when you're looking at the stars."
Haruto tilted his head. "Different how?"
"Peaceful," she said simply. "Like you're home."
Haruto didn't respond — just smiled, a faint, knowing curve of his lips that made her heart flutter.
The next few days flew by. The entire Cosmic STAR Club threw themselves into final touches — Aira and Beru perfected the stage layouts, Souta and Ren handled the lighting and sound setup, Luna recorded her narration for the constellation show, and Haruto designed the posters and digital map for visitors.
When the evening before the event arrived, the school's back field looked like something out of a dream. Telescopes stood neatly aligned, fairy lights wrapped around poles like glimmering constellations, and hand-painted signs read "Reach for the Stars with Us — Cosmic STAR Club."
Beru clasped her hands, her eyes wide with awe. "It's… perfect."
Aira nodded, smiling gently. "It really feels like magic."
Ren gave a small hum of approval. "Everything's in place. Just don't touch the power cord, Souta."
Souta grinned mischievously. "No promises."
Luna stood at the center, gazing up at the first stars appearing in the twilight. Her voice, calm and full of quiet meaning, floated through the air.
"Every light above us is ancient — and yet, it reaches us even now. Just like the moments we create… they might fade, but they never truly disappear."
Beru and Haruto looked at her, then at each other.
Tomorrow, they would share this beauty — the stars, the laughter, the friendship — with the entire school.
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To be continued...