[From the observation deck of Enoshima Shrine, you gaze out over the quiet beach.]
[Ryo Yamada begins talking about the story of the Tower of Babel. She says that foolish and ignorant humans once tried to challenge the authority of the gods by building a tower that would reach the heavens. You're struck by how knowledgeable she is, but when you glance at Toru Kitahara, you notice that his mind seems to be elsewhere.]
[He's staring into the distance, wearing the same expression you've seen before in the music room. You know he's once again lost in his own world. With his extraordinary musical talent, perhaps the world a genius sees is different from what ordinary people do.]
[After leaving the observation deck, you visit the shrine on the hill. Everyone tosses in a few coins and makes a wish.]
[You wish for your dreams to come true, for Kessoku Band to keep moving forward, for your friendship to last forever, and, of course, for Toru Kitahara to finally get a taste of his own medicine.]
[On the way back, everyone shares what they wished for.]
[Hitori Gotoh mumbles and can't seem to say hers aloud.]
[Nijika Ijichi's wish is simple. She just wants her family and friends to live long, healthy lives.]
[Ryo Yamada clutches her stomach. Her gastritis has flared up again, so she says she's in desperate need of divine healing.]
"Huh, Ryo-senpai's stomach really hurts that much? Maybe it's because of her eating habits."
[Finally, all eyes turn to Toru Kitahara.]
[When asked about his wish, he answers casually. Life is too short, he says. If possible, he'd like to live a few years longer.]
It's true. A few decades of life go by too quickly.
Kita understands how he feels. All humans fear death. Maybe for a genius like Toru Kitahara, that fear is even stronger.
[As soon as he says it, Ryo Yamada stops walking.]
[Hitori Gotoh falls silent.]
[Nijika Ijichi's face fills with concern.]
Huh?
Kita can't understand why everyone looks as if Toru is already halfway to the afterlife.
He's clearly still alive and full of energy. They're just worrying too much.
[Ikuyo Kita looks down as Kitahara-kun continues. Life is short, he says again. That's why he wants to enjoy every moment and live in the present, without worrying about the future. He's like a little bird singing its last song before winter, enjoying what might be its final days.]
[In the end, you never find out what he truly wished for.]
[Did he ask the gods to extend his life? Or something about love? All you remember is him gazing into the distance, his eyes fixed not on the sea or the city but on something far beyond. You don't know why, but it makes your heart ache a little.]
["Kita, he's such a mysterious person," you think to yourself.]
[Even more carefree than Ryo Yamada, and completely unreadable.]
[…And kind of cool, actually.]
[The summer break of your first year of high school quickly passes. None of you have plans to go out again. The weather is far too hot, and only a water park might tempt anyone, but because of a certain someone…]
Let me guess. Gotoh-san?
[Unfortunately, Hitori Gotoh refuses to wear a swimsuit. She insists she doesn't look good and says that if she did wear one, she'd look like Sadako climbing out of a well, terrifying and stiff.]
That's not true at all. Gotoh-san is cute. She just needs more confidence.
[During the break, Ryo Yamada often visits Toru Kitahara's house to play games with him whenever she has free time between practice sessions.]
Eh?
Ryo-senpai, what are you doing?
Going to a boy's house out of the blue like that... it's dangerous! He might eat you alive!
Wait, don't tell me you want him to?
[Nijika also goes out shopping with Toru a few times. You often see their photos together on Instagram.]
"What… I've been abandoned?"
Why isn't anyone inviting me out?
Ikuyo Kita starts to wonder if she's being quietly left out by everyone.
[As for you, being a school idol, your schedule is completely packed with meetups and hangouts.]
Ikuyo Kita: "…"
[Toru Kitahara often teases you, saying, "If you keep this up, forget winning first place at the Chopin competition, you won't even make it through the preliminaries."]
"I'm sorry!"
[To make it up to him, you all agree to meet in the piano room and practice during the second half of summer break.]
When Kita checks her own stats in the simulator, she notices her piano skill has reached Level 4, almost at the limit of what ordinary people can achieve.
[But for a genius, that same limit takes only two months to reach.]
It's kind of terrifying when you think about it.
All roads lead to Rome, but some people are simply born there.
[During practice, Toru Kitahara keeps teasing you as usual. He lies through his teeth and makes up ridiculous stories. One day, he even fools you over a dozen times in a row.]
[Eventually, you learn to tell when he's lying, though your method works only half the time, like some strange superstition.]
[Maybe once you two grow closer, you'll finally be able to see through all his lies.]
"Come on, other me," Kita cheers herself on in the simulator.
It would be way too embarrassing to keep letting Kitahara-kun bully her like this.
[By the end of summer break, your relationship with him has grown much closer.]
[Then the new semester begins.]
[Something soon catches your attention.]
[Toru Kitahara has been visiting the teachers' office a lot lately, as if he's preparing something.]
[After practice one afternoon, you ask him what it's about.]
[The truth turns out to be quite simple... ]
[He's heard that the autumn night sky is especially beautiful and wants to see it for himself, but he can't find the right spot.]
[After some thought, he realizes that Shuka High School's rooftop, once used by the astronomy club, is perfect for stargazing.]
[Unfortunately, by the time he tries to submit an application to join, he discovers that the club was disbanded years ago and now exists only in name.]
[Once you hear this, everything clicks.]
[Toru Kitahara has been busy preparing documents because he plans to revive the astronomy club.]
"The astronomy club?" you think.
He really acts before he thinks. You can never predict what he'll do next.
[After explaining, he invites you to join as a member.]
[You think for a moment, then nod. At Shuka High, all you need to join a club is to fill out an application form and hand it to the student council.]
[And so, the Shuka High Astronomy Club is officially reborn, with three founding members: Toru Kitahara, Hitori Gotoh, and Ikuyo Kita.]
Eh?
Gotoh-san too?
Well, that makes sense. With her social anxiety, she probably couldn't say no.
Poor thing.
—
At the Gotoh household.
Inside a dim little closet.
Heheheheh…
Hitori Gotoh lets out a villainous laugh straight out of a boss scene.
"Hahahaha! This time, the stage belongs to me!"
"Everyone, cheer for me! The heavens have fallen, and only I shall rise!"
"Ryo-senpai and Nijika-chan aren't at Shuka High, which means I hold the advantage of terrain! I make Kitahara-kun's bento every day, so that's human favor! The simulation has only just begun, and there's still plenty of time, that's timing!"
"With heaven, earth, and humanity all on my side, tell me... how could I possibly lose?"