Chapter 4: The Constellation of Almosts

The Autumn Festival posters plastered across Fujisawa Academy’s walls screamed in bold red letters: *"Starlit Revelations: Tonight Under the Meteor Shower!"* Hikari pressed a trembling hand against her chest as she walked past them, the star pendant cool against her skin. Last night’s conversation in the observatory played on loop in her mind—Ren’s poem, the way his voice had cracked on the word *"still,"* the silver thread that had glowed between them for one breathless moment.

A sharp laugh cut through her thoughts.

Yuuto Sakurada leaned against the shoe lockers, flanked by his usual group. His smirk widened as he spotted her. "Look who’s finally showing her face. Ghost Girl got a makeover?"

Hikari’s fingers instinctively flew to her hair—she’d actually tried braiding it properly today. Before she could retreat, a familiar leather jacket stepped into her periphery.

"Got a problem?" Ren’s voice was low, edged with something dangerous.

Yuuto’s eyes flickered to Ren’s wristband. "Still playing knight in shining armor for weaklings, Kurosawa? Some things never—"

"Walk away." Ren didn’t raise his voice, but the hallway fell silent anyway.

Hikari saw it then—the faintest tremor in Yuuto’s fingers before he shoved past them.

The bell rang.

Ren didn’t look at her. "Festival setup starts at four. Don’t be late."

---

**Stella Café, After School**

Kai balanced three trays of cinnamon rolls with practiced ease. "So let me get this straight," he said, nudging Ren with his elbow. "You wrote her a love poem in *astronomy metaphors*—"

"It wasn’t a love poem."

"—and now you’re volunteering for extra shifts to avoid her?" Kai plopped onto a stool. "Real smooth, Silver Streak."

Ren scrubbed a coffee stain harder than necessary. "She’s helping with the planetarium exhibit. With *Fujisaki.*"

Across the café, Hikari adjusted the projector in the makeshift planetarium booth, her tongue poking out in concentration. Aya handed her a star filter, their fingers brushing—

Ren’s rag tore.

Kai whistled. "Jealousy looks ugly on you."

"I’m not—"

"Then why’s your thread flickering like a bad neon sign?"

Ren froze. "...You can see it?"

"Nah." Kai grinned. "But *she* obviously can. And man, is she staring."

Hikari quickly looked away, cheeks flaming.

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**Twilight at the Starview Observatory**

The festival lights twinkled below like grounded stars. Hikari hugged her knees on the observation deck, listening to the distant laughter. She’d run away again—after seeing Ren and Aya laughing together by the cotton candy stand, after her thread with Ren had *dimmed*—

The door creaked open.

Ren stood silhouetted against the sunset, holding two paper cups. "You missed your shift."

Hot cocoa steamed between them as he sat beside her, not quite touching. The silence stretched, comfortable this time.

"You asked why I stopped stargazing," he said suddenly.

Hikari held her breath.

"My old man left on a night like this." Ren’s thumb traced his wristband. "Packed his telescope and said he’d found a new constellation to chase. Pathetic, right?"

The first meteor streaked across the sky.

Hikari’s hand found his. "The stars remember better people than him."

Ren turned her palm upward, drawing a slow circle—*Polaris.* Then laced their fingers together.

Above them, the threads blazed gold.

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