Today's magic lamps were different from usual; each one lit up with a single color, creating a total of seven colors of light. If you looked a little further away, they seemed to cooperate to create a fantastic rainbow road.
"Hey, Yu. The Stardust Sky will start soon!"
"Yeah."
Alice seemed very excited, more than usual.
Stardust Sky.
It is the event synonymous with the Stardust Festival. On the night of the first day, massive magic is cast over Sacris. Then, countless stars in the sky are said to shine much more vividly than usual just for that day.
"It's... crowded."
Milia muttered with a tired face.
Once a year, this event limited to the first day of the Stardust Festival is very romantic, so it is especially popular among young men and women. Each street was packed with people trying to catch a glimpse of the shining night sky.
"That's why! I thought about it! Where is a place where we can enjoy the starry sky leisurely without being disturbed by anyone!"
"Let's go."
"Yes."
"Ah! Wait! It's just a little more, so listen until the end!"
While slightly ignoring the overly high-tension and noisy Alice, we pushed through the crowd and headed for the destination Alice thought of. That place was.
"How is it? The school rooftop is quite a hidden spot, isn't it!"
"This was a blind spot."
"It's empty... nice."
It was the rooftop of the First School Building of Sacris Magic Academy.
This school doesn't have strict security like schools in modern Japan, nor are there security guards. Setting aside the Second School Building, which has many experimental instruments and is strictly managed, the First School Building, mainly occupied by lecture rooms, is actually easy to enter if you want to. However, there are no people other than us students who would think of entering on purpose. It had turned into a perfect hidden spot.
"Indeed, that is true."
Suddenly hearing a familiar voice, I turned around, and there was an unexpected person.
"Eh, Sensei!?"
"Ah, Inea-san. Good evening."
"Good evening."
While I was taken aback, Alice and Milia greeted her without a hitch respectively.
"Good evening. So, what is it, Yu? That surprised face."
"No, I didn't think you would really come."
Knowing Sensei, honestly, I thought she wouldn't come.
"Was I not supposed to come? Even though you invited me."
Saying so, Sensei sighed deliberately.
"No. Of course, I'm happy you came."
"Is that so. Then, it was worth coming all the way."
Sensei smiled faintly, approached me, put her arm around my shoulder, and ruffled my head strongly. Washa washa. My black hair, which I had taken the trouble to arrange, gets messed up completely. But my feeling of happiness was stronger, so I let her do as she pleased. From Sensei's hand, I always feel a warmth and friendliness like being wrapped up.
"Yu and Inea-san are really close, aren't they?"
"Rather than student and teacher... it's like a master and disciple relationship, isn't it?"
I heard the two say so. Exactly. This person is more like a sword master than a teacher. And an exceptionally strict one at that.
After a while, there were visitors again. It was another familiar voice.
"This place is nice! Hm, what? Are there prior guests? Wait, isn't it Alice and the others!"
"It's Karla-san and Ketty-san! It's been a while since noon."
"Congratulations on your victory."
"Thanks. But, you guys got us good. For first-years... I'm sorry for saying such mocking things, Alice. It hurt, right?"
Ketty-senpai stares at Alice's right arm and apologizes apologetically. Alice, who was apologized to, showed a bright laugh, looking as if she didn't care at all about what was done to her.
"It's fine. We lost in ability. Besides, a match is a match. It's much better than being gone easy on poorly!"
"I see. You are really kind."
Ketty-senpai rounded her eyes with an impressed face.
"Is that so? I've never thought of myself like that, though."
"You are kind. I guarantee it."
"Ahaha. Being told that makes me kinda embarrassed."
After a little more time passed, this time a man appeared. He was someone I knew very well.
"Hey, hey. I thought I could enjoy it alone, but there are so many people. Moreover, all women... Ah-ah. It's tedious to look for another place now."
"Yo. Argus. Long time no see."
"Hm? Ou. I wondered who it was, it's Yu. How is the result of the special training?"
Argus asks with eyes full of expectation. Of course, I had no intention of betraying his expectation. With the help of Alice and Milia, the finish is excellent.
"Perfect."
"That's something to look forward to. Or rather, I didn't intend to meet until the match, though."
"Me too. But it can't be helped since we met."
"True."
Then, Alice and Milia, who noticed his presence, approached slowly. Karla-senpai and Ketty-senpai were excited over there and hadn't noticed us yet. Inea-sensei seemed to be watching over us quietly.
"It's true... That Argus Ozbein and Yu have become completely friends..."
"It was... true..."
The two were dumbfounded with faces saying they couldn't believe it.
"I told you so. Or rather, Argus is relatively friendly, so why don't Alice and Milia become friends with him too?"
"Eeeh!? That's a bit awe-inspiring, or rather."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"That is the normal sense... right?"
The two look at each other and nod greatly.
"I don't mind at all, though."
Argus said so smoothly without flinching even to girls he met for the first time. As expected of a handsome guy (Ikemen). Well, as expected.
"Seriously...!?"
"Really?"
Both of them were thoroughly confused as if heaven and earth were overturned. Their eyes are dots. Super funny. After all, I'm always the one being shaken by them. Conversely, it might be the first time I've seen them so shaken.
"Yeah. In exchange, it's troublesome if you act too distant, so drop the honorifics mutually."
"Drop... honorifics..."
That was Alice's line just now. Haha. She's stuck for words, looking just like Milia. But that is Alice, who has a reputation for communication skills. Compared to Milia who has completely frozen, she had much better adaptability.
"Is adding '-san' no good? I make it a rule to add '-san' to seniors."
"Hmm, well, if it's just that, fine."
Argus accepted with a light vibe. For him, attitude is probably more of an issue than the way of calling itself.
"Thank you. Then Argus-san, nice to meet you."
"Ou."
The two finger-shook.
"Yay! I became friends with that Argus-san!"
Alice is jumping up and down pyon pyon like a small child, perhaps very happy to have become friends with the genius mage she admired. Watching her innocent and honest behavior makes me happy too.
"Good for you."
"Yeah!"
"Heh. So, what about this girl?"
Argus looked at Milia, who was still frozen, and said a bit lazily.
"Milia?"
"A, fua..."
I try moving my hand up and down in front of her eyes to block her vision but... No good. She was completely absent-minded, opening and closing her mouth paku paku. She's not coming back to this world.
Meeting Argus for the first time, and suddenly dropping honorifics was too high a hurdle?
"Milia is shy. I think she'll get used to Argus soon."
"Heh. Is that so. Then, I'll wait until she gets used to me."
It was at that moment. Karla-senpai seemed to finally notice Argus's presence.
"WHAAAAT!? ARGUS IS HERE———!?"
Running furiously towards us while shouting angrily for some reason. Her eyes, closing in right there, were bloodshot as if looking at her parents' enemy.
Argus made a face looking genuinely annoyed at her. It was distinct from his cool but friendly attitude towards us.
"What. I wondered who it was, it's Karla the Antique Dealer."
"Hey youuuu! You always call Lost Magic antiques like that! Mocking it!"
To Karla-senpai baring hostility, Argus also replied in an irritated tone.
"Antiques are antiques, right? I don't like it. You, and the Guief Lab too. Reeking of suspicion."
"What reeks of suspicion!?"
Karla-senpai's temple was twitching piku piku. Bad. Suddenly a touch-and-go situation. Were Karla-senpai and Argus on such bad terms? Argus smirked and continued with scornful eyes.
"Your Lost Magic supremacy. Worshipping such things is the same as the Masked Group."
Masked Group? Unknown words came out, but there was no time to think about it.
Karla-senpai snapped.
"I'm tooootally pissed off! Can I kill this guy!?"
With a face like a demon, Karla-senpai tries to grab Argus's chest. Perhaps unable to bear the danger, Ketty-senpai grabs her to stop her.
"Karla, calm down!"
"Ketty, let go! This guy is!"
"Hah. There's no way I'd be affected by you."
Judging that with Argus's words full of mockery, it wouldn't stop with just trading insults anymore. I also interrupt between the two to stop them.
"Argus, don't provoke her too much!"
He made a face looking a bit awkward, but didn't break his attitude of dislike.
"But you know, Yu. It's her fault for suddenly yelling at me."
"That might be true, but. Let's calm down and take a step back here. Let's be adults. Okay?"
"But still."
He doesn't seem to settle down easily. One more push?
"That's right! Fighting is not good!"
"That is right. The precious event will be... ruined."
Alice and Milia, who had recovered from freezing before I knew it, also joined in to persuade. Perhaps because many voices from the outfield entered, they could calm down a little, and Argus and Karla-senpai reluctantly admitted each other's fault.
"Well, I guess... My bad."
"Right... Let's put it on hold for now."
Phew. Seems the crisis was averted somehow. Inea-sensei, who had come right behind me before I knew it, said heartily.
"It's lively, which is fine."
"It was tough."
"Fuh. Is that what you call youth?"
Sensei was smiling deeply. For this person who has lived a long time, us getting heated and bickering must all reflect as something heartwarming.
"Sensei, aren't you still young in terms of species?"
"Ah. That was right. But I cannot be grouped with normal humans. Experience accumulates properly for age, after all."
Saying so, Sensei looked distant again as usual.
Although there was some trouble, the time for the Stardust Sky to begin finally came.
"Yes yes~! It's time to start soon~!"
When Alice declared so with great excitement, everyone who had been talking as they pleased stopped talking abruptly.
After a while, a light like an aurora hung over the sky. Probably magic to make stars shine. It illuminated the night sky with seven colors for only a short while, and eventually disappeared like mist.
Then, the night sky, which had only yellow lights scattered potsu potsu, changed its appearance greatly.
Countless stardust filled the black canvas called the night sky tightly. It felt like bringing a space telescope there and looking at it. Stars that are usually invisible due to lack of brightness also cooperated, sparkling in grains here and there, and shining faintly elsewhere, depicting a harmoniously beautiful art.
I was completely moved. I felt it must be a wonderful scenery worthy of the synonym of the Stardust Festival.
Suddenly, I wondered if Earth is somewhere in this starry sky. Suddenly missing my hometown, I became unable to bear it. So unable to watch the sky, I decided to shift my eyes to the people around me.
Everyone was looking at the sky in their own way. Most people looked happy. But, only one person looked different.
Eh? Karla-senpai, crying...?
Looking closely, tears were spilling poro poro from her eyes. Noticing my gaze, she hurriedly wiped her tears with her arm and said. With a somber voice unlike her usual self.
"It's nothing. Really, it's nothing."
And she turned away immediately. What happened on earth?
"Hey."
My shoulder was pulled by Ketty-senpai. As is, I am taken towards the entrance of the rooftop.
"What is it?"
Then Ketty-senpai said with an unusually serious face.
"About her... could you leave her alone for a bit?"
"Of course it's fine, but. Did something happen to Karla-senpai?"
"That is... I think she's remembering her boyfriend."
"Boyfriend, is it?"
"Yeah... Yu. The story I'm about to tell is a secret from her."
What Ketty-senpai told was Karla-senpai's shocking past.
"She... had an older boyfriend she had been dating since before coming to this school. They were really close, enough to be envious."
"Heh. There was such a person."
"Yeah. And he liked the Stardust Sky. Every year they found a good place and watched it together."
"Every year? But this year..."
The partner is not here. No way. Ketty-senpai nodded with a grave look.
"He died. In an accident when she was a first-year."
"Such a thing..."
I sympathized deeply with Karla-senpai. Just because I know the sadness of losing a close person well. That must be painful.
"After that, her depression was incredible. Without going to school, she always stayed in her room darkened. She even tried to commit suicide. Honestly, I couldn't watch..."
"That, Karla-senpai..."
I couldn't believe it. That Karla-senpai who is always full of energy and leading us, tried to commit suicide.
"I encouraged her too, but it was no use... I consulted Guief-sensei, who was our homeroom teacher at the time. Then Sensei prepared a special research post for Lost Magic for her."
"Why such a thing?"
"That is... Her boyfriend was also a Lost Magic lover. He was also a researcher who was expected to have a promising future in that field. Guief-sensei's proposal was, couldn't we give her some purpose in life by involving her in what he loved, to her who was despairing? Sensei seemed to talk to her kindly."
"I see."
"At first she said she didn't want to do anything, but eventually she started getting enthusiastic about inheriting his will. She started throwing herself into research strangely."
I couldn't say anything. I didn't know. Did Karla-senpai throw herself into Lost Magic with such feelings?
That's why she is so serious, so enthusiastic. That, she would get angry if mocked.
And yet I refused her invitation bluntly without thinking much. Even if I refused, I regretted that I should have refused a little more politely.
"Well, now she's completely energetic. But she became a research idiot instead, though. I'm worried she might ruin her health."
"That's right."
Karla-senpai certainly has a tendency to go out of control sometimes. I hope that doesn't connect forcibly in the direction of research.
"So that's how it is, so leave her alone for now."
"Yes. Understood."
Holding a strong feeling of sympathy for Karla-senpai, I returned to the original place with Ketty-senpai.
"What were you talking about with Ketty-san?" Alice asks.
"I'll tell you later. It's a heavy story."
"I see. Understood. By the way, Yu."
Alice started smiling happily niko niko.
"What?"
"It is said that if you make a wish to the Stardust Sky, it will come true."
A kind of shooting star? There's something like that in this world too.
"Heh. There is such a superstition."
"Superstition, you say! There are people whose wishes really come true!"
"Is that so?"
"That's right! Look. Let's pray too, Yu. Everyone is doing it!"
Looking as told, certainly everyone seemed to be offering some prayer of wish. Since Inea-sensei and Argus, who don't seem likely to do this kind of thing much, are also doing it, it might be quite a common practice.
"Okay. So, what are you wishing for, Alice?"
"Fufu. That's supposed to be a secret! If you say the wish, it runs away, you know~"
Saying so mischievously, Alice closed her eyes and started praying earnestly.
"I see."
I looked up at the sky. The starry sky was shining endlessly, and it seemed to continue forever.
A wish, huh.
Once again, I look around at everyone. Alice. Milia. Inea-sensei. Argus. Karla-senpai. Ketty-senpai.
Everyone is a precious companion since I came to this world. Earth is far away, but I was blessed with so many connections. I wasn't unhappy at all. Rather, I was happy.
That's why.
I wish fate wouldn't play pranks on me. To be swept away to another star again. To become unable to meet everyone. Just thinking about it was hateful.
I want to spend time with everyone forever from now on. I don't want to be separated from everyone. The more time passes, the stronger that thought becomes.
But.
No matter how much I wish, I probably can't stay together forever. Because that seems to be the fate of the Star-Walker, FabL. But at least. I couldn't help but think, as much as possible.
So, I wished this.
『May I be here next year too. May we all see this Stardust Sky again.』