Ch. 1: On the Night of Falling Stars
Meteobel in the Land of Falling Stars, Month of Air…-.
The night was filled with countless stars shooting across the sky…-.
??: “Who are…?”
Released from a ring, the prince who appeared seemed to shine with the light of the stars.
(He’s so beautiful…)
His silver hair looked as if it was dusted with starlight, and his eyes were a reflective blue that made me think of a sky full of stars.
And an hourglass necklace shone at his chest, filled with sand the same color as his eyes.
??: “You released me from my sleep, which means…you’re the Princess of Träumere?”
OO: “Nice to meet you, I’m OO. And you are?”
??: “Ster. Prince of Meteobel of the Land of Falling Stars.”
His hair shifted and it was like the sparkle of shooting stars caught in the surface of water.
Ster: “By the way, how long do you plan on standing there like that?”
I realized with a start that after I’d released him, I’d remained on my knees, looking up at him.
(How embarrassing…)
Ster held his hand out to me.
OO: “Thank you.”
His hand was surprisingly cold, and looking up I saw his cheeks were so pale they were almost transparent.
OO: “Um, are you alright? Your complexion is…”
Ster: “I’m fine.”
His words were cold and he let out a long, thin sigh.
OO: “Eh…!”
From his breath, a small shooting star was born, and his long fingers grabbed it.
OO: “That was amazing! How did you…?”
Ster: “…you sure do like asking questions.”
Ster quietly whispered something to the star held in his hand.
Then, the falling star shone ever more beautifully, and floated quietly atop his palm.
Ster: “Here. Release it into the night sky with a wish. Just one. No matter what it is, it will come true. It’s thanks for waking me up.”
The star he handed me was cold, and it reminded me of the feeling of his hand.
As I gazed at the star, Ster suddenly turned and walked away.
OO: “Ah, um…”
I touched his sleeve, trying to stop him from leaving when…
OO: “Ah!”
A dazzling light exploded from his body and we were beamed up to the stars.
As I realized what had happened, Ster and I were riding on a star shooting across the starry sky.
Ch. 2: Power of the Stars
Weaving our way between the stars, the shooting star Ster and I rode glided through the night sky…-.
My feet touched the ground and I looked into Ster’s eyes, forgetting to blink.
(Did I just ride a shooting star? I was surprised the first time I used the Moon Road to cross the sky too, but riding a star…)
Ster: “…”
Ster was looking at me, his expression full of disbelief.
OO: “I’m sorry, I…”
For the first time, I realized I had unconsciously wrapped my arms around myself.
(I-it’s cold.)
There was a layer of snow at my feet, and an intense cold enveloped my body.
Ster: “I can’t believe I brought someone along…”
Ster let out a small sigh and brushed the snow from my shoulders.
OO: “Ster, your hand…”
Ster: “It’s fine.”
He gently brushed away the snow that still clung to my cheeks.
OO: “So many strange things are happening, I’m just a little surprised…”
Ster: “Strange things?”
He curiously tilted his head to the side.
OO: “That was my first time riding a star. Can everyone in Meteobel do that?”
I was so embarrassed that the question came out too fast.
Ster: “Only members of the Meteobel royal family. On nights when there are falling stars, we can ride the shooting stars, coming and going between the worlds and Meteobel. If we’re going to the smaller planets though, we don’t need the falling stars.”
OO: “That’s amazing…”
I let out a sigh of wonderment, and Ster turned his gaze up to the stars in the sky.
Ster: “Just now…I suppose it was this star. There’s something I have to do. Once this is over I’ll send you back.”
OO: “Something you have to do?”
Ster: “I came because there’s a wish to be granted.”
OO: “A wish to grant?”
(Ah…I’m doing nothing but ask questions again.)
Ster: “…that’s right.”
Ster spoke calmly, without blaming me for what had happened.
Though his tone was cold, he casually walked over the snow in front of me and packed it down.
Ster: “People in my family borrow the power of the stars, and are given the power to grant people’s wishes. And in exchange for granting people’s wishes, the smaller planets are able to get more powerful. Today I could feel the earnest wish from this planet here. It was on my way to do my job that I was attacked by the Dream Eaters.”
OO: “So that’s what happened…I think it’s wonderful that you tell your wishes to the falling stars.”
However…-.
Ster: “Wonderful? Falling stars disappear sooner or later. Do you think that’s wonderful?”
OO: “Eh? I think it’s very wonderful but…”
The crunching of footsteps in the snow stopped as Ster froze.
OO: “Ster…?”
Ster: “…no, it’s nothing.”
I saw Ster’s pale cheeks turn slightly red.
Ster: “Let’s get this over with and send you back.”
Seeing his face in profile like that almost made it seem as if he would disappear into the night sky. I reflexively tugged on his sleeve.
Ster: “What?”
My thoughts spun frantically at his question.
OO: “Um…”
(I know…)
OO: “If it’s okay, would you take me with you for a little while? I want to see…what it’s like to travel and grant wishes.”
I had come up with the plan on the spot, but I realized it was true.
My heart had been pounding ever since that magical ride on a shooting star.
OO: “It’s wonderful, like a fairy tale…”
Ster gave a careful, yet hesitant nod.
Ster: “I can’t ignore the words of my benefactor.”
OO: “Are you sure?”
Ster: “It’d be a problem if I forced you to stay here.”
Though the way he spoke was cold, Ster still gently brushed off the snow that had continued to fall on my shoulders and hair.
Ster: “You’re shaking…if you stay out like this, you’ll catch a cold.”
Ster once again let out a thin, long sigh and created a shooting star.
This time he didn’t catch it and simply whispered something to it, then the hourglass at his chest lit up and…-.
OO: “Wow…!”
A thick, pure white coat appeared out of nowhere.
OO: “That’s amazing! Thank you.”
Ster: “…it was nothing.”
He put the coat over my shoulders and…it was like it had been made especially for me.
OO: “It’s warm.”
I smiled up at him, and Ster happily smiled back.
Ster: “…good.”
(Eh…)
He had always been expressionless, but this sudden disarming smile made my heart leap.
Ster: “Let’s go.”
He held his hand out to me.
It was hard, and cold as ice, but strangely my cheeks heated up.
Ch. 3: A Moment in Eternity
The pure-white snow absorbed the light of the stars…-.
As we walked, I realized this planet was actually quite small.
OO: “Look, it’s a snowman.”
I stopped, spying a small snowman on top of a stump.
Ster: “Snowman?”
OO: “You don’t know what a snowman is? It’s like this…-“
I made one and Ster looked down at it indifferently.
Ster: “What is that misshapen thing?”
OO: “M-misshapen…!? Well then, you try making one.”
I sulked a little as Ster elegantly got to his knees, then in the blink of an eye he’d made two perfectly round spheres.
(He’s way better than me…)
He had copied what I’d done in making the head, and yet no matter how I looked at it, he had made a snowman far cuter than the one I’d done.
Ster: “It’s not hard. You’re just surprisingly clumsy.”
(…!)
OO: “I-I am not.”
Ster: “Really? But your spheres look more like eggs.”
Ster seemed amused as he looked at the snowman I’d made.
OO: “I guess so…”
Ster: “…did I hurt your feelings?”
Ster appeared slightly troubled and looked at the snowman I’d made.
I looked away, embarrassed, and Ster took my misshapen snowman from my hand.
OO: “?”
Then in exchange, he put his beautiful snowman in the palm of my hand and once again started walking.
(Are we trading them…?)
OO: “Are you sure I can have it?”
Ster: “It’ll melt soon anyway.”
OO: “Thank you.”
For some reason I felt happy, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
Seeing me like that, Ster also smiled.
OO: “…”
(It’s that smile again…)
I placed my hand over my chest and took a breath when…
Ster: “…there it is. Over there.”
Ster pointed at someone through the snow.
(A girl?)
We approached the little girl, alone and squatting in the snow.
Ster: “What’s wrong?”
Ster spoke to her, and the girl appeared startled as she lifted her head.
Girl: “Who are you?”
Three little rabbits darted into the front of the girl’s coat.
Ster knelt down in the snow at eyelevel with the girl and spoke to her kindly.
Ster: “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m Ster, Prince of the Meteobel Royal Family. I came to grant your wish.”
Girl: “Um…you’re a prince that grants wishes?”
Ster: “That’s right.”
At that moment, the girl’s eyes started to sparkle.
Girl: “You know, I have to move, to a faraway place. So my wish is for them.”
Three rabbits poked their heads out of the coat for Ster to see.
Girl: “I was told I can’t bring them with me. But if I’m gone, they’ll freeze in the snow.”
Large tears fell from the girl’s eyes.
Girl: “Prince…”
Ster: “…”
Ster rested his hand on the little girls’ head, then brought forth a shooting star.
He then spoke the girl’s wish to the star, and the hourglass at his chest shone…-.
Girl: “Wow…!”
After the dazzling light had vanished, a flower field spread out around our feet.
In the distance I could see the snow still falling, but in this spot it was miraculously warm.
OO: “How beautiful…”
The rabbits leaped out of the girl’s coat and hopped around the flower field in delight.
Ster: “…will this make you feel better about leaving?”
Girl: “Yeah! Thank you!”
Ster: “Sure.”
The girl smiled as she spoke, then chased after the rabbits in excitement.
Ster’s smile was kinder than I’d ever seen as he watched the girl.
(He’s a nice person…I’m really glad he can make people smile.)
Ster’s smile warmed my heart, but also pained it…
Ster: “…I’d forgotten.”
I looked up suddenly as he spoke to me.
He was looking at my misshapen snowman, melted at his feet.
(It melted because it got warm all of a sudden…)
OO: “But this one’s alright.”
I held out the beautiful snowman that Ster had made, but he calmly shook his head.
Ster: “…it’s alright.”
Saying as much, he took the snowman from my hand and gently placed it next to the melted one.
OO: “??”
Ster looked at the snowmen for some time, then slowly closed his eyes.
He opened them again after a while, and turned away from the snowmen.
Ster: “Let’s go.”
OO: “Eh? But the snowmen…?”
Ster: “It’s fine.”
Then he looked at the girl as she ran around with the rabbits, just like he’d looked at the snowmen…
Ster: “I committed it to memory so it won’t disappear…so it’s fine.”
OO: “Eh…?”
His words were swallowed up by the night sky, and for some reason I felt uneasy.
Rather than asking again, I deeply breathed in the scent of the flowers carried on the breeze.
OO: “…it smells nice.”
I spoke and smiled at Ster, who had once again fallen to silence.
Ster: “Do you like flowers?”
OO: “Yes.”
Ster: “Even though they die?”
OO: “I still love them.”
Ster: “…I see.”
For some reason, there was a pained look in Ster’s eyes.
OO: “I think that’s what makes them beautiful.”
Ster: “You’re…a strange one.”
I saw a faint smile play on his lips.
Ster: “Come on, we really do have to go.”
OO: “Eh? But we haven’t said goodbye to the girl.”
Ster: “The falling stars are coming.”
OO: “…alright.”
Ster didn’t look back.
Seeing him from behind, I felt an indescribable pain.
Ch. 4: In the Depths of One's Heart
Riding the shooting star, Ster and I alighted on the next planet…-.
(It’s so lively here.)
Cheerful sounds were pouring out of every corner, and the people were dancing in beautiful outfits.
Ster: “This place is popular for its festivals. They have one every day, for no reason.
OO: “I see…it’s kind of like being in a dream.”
(To think there’s a party like this every night, somewhere in the starry sky.)
I took in the sight of the festival, which looked quite fun, when…
Ster: “…look out.”
OO: “Eh?”
Suddenly, Ster pulled on me.
In the place I had been an orchestra of playing musicians passed by.
OO: “S-sorry.”
My cheek was close to Ster’s chest, and my heart started pounding at the suddenness of it all.
Ster: “…you’re like a kid. You immediately get distracted and lose track of what’s around you.”
OO: “I’m sorry…”
As Ster spoke, the many people on the street continued to walk around us.
(He’s kind…)
I tried to control the pounding in my chest, placing my hand over it when…
Ster: “But when I see you with that ridiculous dazed expression on your face, you look kind of happy.”
(Ridiculous…)
I knew my face was red. I frantically turned my head to change the subject.
OO: “Um…what were you like as a child Ster?”
Ster:” What was I like?”
OO: “You know, like, what kinds of things did you like?”
Ster: “What about you?”
OO: “I liked exploring around my neighborhood.”
Ster: “Exploring huh. So you were a pretty mischievous kid then.”
OO: “I remember trying my mother’s makeup and playing dress-up.”
Ster: “My older sister did that too… she got in a lot of trouble for it though.”
Ster looked to the starry sky that surrounded the bustling townscape.
Ster: “Sounds fun…I don’t really have any memories of playing like that.”
OO: “Eh?”
Ster: “I was always in bed. My body was weak, and the only thing I enjoyed was learning. I was just a useless good-for-nothing, making my mother cry as I existed between life and death.”
OO: “That’s…”
Ster: “When I was an adult, I went out into the palace for the first time, and I was really happy when I could grant someone’s wish. When I granted their wish and they smiled at me, it was the first time I’d actually felt alive.”
(That’s why he smiled so happily after he granted that wish…)
His expression was like clear water, and I felt a pressure on my chest.
I searched for the words to respond…
Townsperson: “Now young lady, it’s your turn!”
OO: “Eh?”
One of the townspeople called out to me, and forced me into a seat.
Ster: “Hey, what are you…?”
Townsperson: “Make-up and styling service of course! You have to dress up; it’s a party after all.”
OO: “Um, I…-.”
There was no chance for me to refuse, and in the blink of an eye they got on with the make-up, and a dressing robe was put over the coat I wore.
Ster: “…”
I watched as Ster didn’t make a move to stop them, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.
After a little while, the make-up and styling was finished…
Townsperson: “There, done! Quite the pretty girl! Don’t you think so buddy?”
I looked in a mirror, and saw myself with bright red cheeks, a harsh-colored lipstick, and wearing a funny-looking robe.
No matter how I looked at it…
(I look terrifying!)
Ster: “…”
I saw the corners of Ster’s mouth quiver as he tried to keep from laughing.
Townsperson: “She’s so pretty it’s left you speechless huh? Well good.”
The townsperson left and…
Ster: “…haha!!”
Ster let out a loud laugh.
Ster: “Hahaha!”
It was the first time I’d heard him laugh, and I felt the pressure on my chest.
However, I was still incredibly embarrassed and wanted to disappear right then and there…
Ster: “Let me see.”
Ster finally stopped laughing, and with tears still in his eyes, he gently lifted my chin.
Ster: “…they did quite the number on you. In a sense, it’s genius.”
(I’m so embarrassed…!)
OO: “I’m going to wash it off.”
I moved to turn my face away, but Ster still held my chin pinched between his fingers.
Ster: “It’s fine.”
OO: “Don’t look at me.”
Ster looked slightly malicious as he tilted his head.
Ster: “At any rate, I’ve already seen.”
Ster took out a handkerchief and gently wiped at my cheeks and the lipstick.
Then he untied the ribbon that wrapped around me and the robe.
OO: “Th-thank you…”
Ster: “I would have liked if you’d stayed like that a little longer but, well, this… suits you better I suppose.”
Saying as much, Ster created a shooting star and gently traced it on the nape of my neck…
Ster: “…you said you liked flowers.”
OO: “Eh…?”
I looked down and saw a necklace with a delicate flower crafted out of metal.
Ster: “Flowers wither, but this one won’t…”
OO: “It’s beautiful…! B-but why are you giving it to me…”
Ster: “Do you not like it?”
OO: “It’s not that, it’s just so beautiful…”
(I feel kind of guilty accepting it.)
Ster: “Then it’s fine. Put it on.”
Ster looked at me kindly.
(His eyes are so gentle…)
That made me happy, and I smiled.
Seeing me like that, Ster looked at me fondly and…
OO: “…!”
He picked up the necklace in his fingers and gently kissed it.
The sudden gesture made it so I couldn’t breathe.
My heart was pounding and I stood there speechless…
Ster: “I’d like to say we should dance now but…I think we should go. It’s been a while since I’ve laughed that hard and I’m a little…”
OO: “Are you alright!?”
I hadn’t noticed when he’d touched me that his hand was colder than before, and I reflexively gasped.
Ster: “To Meteobel Castle.”
Ster got on the star, his face pale, then as he finished telling the star where to go, he collapsed.
OO: “Ster!”
I could hear his labored breathing.
The time we spent flying through the stars felt excruciatingly long.
Ch. 5: Ster's Decision
Ster: “It’s been a while since I’ve laughed that hard and I’m a little…”
OO: “Are you alright!?”
Ster: “To Meteobel Castle.”
———————
The star we rode arrived at the planet where Meteobel Castle sat, and a butler and doctor had taken care of Ster, who was now breathing calmly as he slept.
(Ster was in bad health the whole time. I wonder if it was unreasonable of me to have asked to go with him and wander about…)
I grasped at the necklace Ster had given me.
Ster: “Nn…”
OO: “Ster?”
Ster opened his eyes and they were still unfocused as he looked at me.
Ster: “OO…?”
OO: “Thank goodness! How are you feeling?”
Ster: “I’m fine. Calm down.”
Ster’s voice was soothing as if he was trying to pacify me.
OO: “I’ll go call someone right away. Just wait…-.”
Ster: “It’s fine, come here.”
Ster gently pulled on my hand.
Ster: “Don’t look at me like that. This happens all the time.”
(All the time…he had said his body was weak when he was young, so it must still be.)
Ster: “…”
He ran his finger up his chest and uneasily grasped the stardust hourglass.
OO: “Ah…”
As I looked at the stardust hourglass, for the first time I realized there was something strange about it.
(Huh?)
The cause of the strange feeling…
It was that no matter what angle the hourglass was at, the stardust refused to adhere to the forces of gravity and stayed in the same side.
OO: “That’s…”
Ster: “Yeah…”
Ster spoke in a quiet voice, having guessed the question written on my face.
Ster: “…this isn’t an hourglass. It’s called a Stardust Clock. It drops the stardust to count how much time I have left.”
OO: “Eh…? What…does that mean…?”
There seemed to be a mere pinch of stardust left in the top of the Stardust Clock.
He spoke so casually that I wondered if I’d misheard, but his words tumbled over and over in my head.
Ster: “Well… it’s made when a member of the royal family is born, and it’s designed to measure our lifespan.”
(Then…that’s all that’s left of Ster’s life…?)
Ster: “Since my body is weak, my amount of stardust was less from the beginning. With this…there’s one, maybe two left.”
Ster held the Stardust Clock up to the light of the chandelier as he spoke.
(He’s lying, right…?)
Ster: “Well, it’s fine. If I can die having done what I wanted, I won’t have any regrets.”
No matter how I looked at them, his eyes were filled with earnest.
My thoughts whirled about and I could scarcely remember to breathe.
OO: “Why are you so casual about it…!? And the thing you want to do…? Does this have something to do with why you collapsed earlier?”
Ster: “…I was defective from the start. The stardust of the Stardust Clock only falls when a person’s wish is granted, and people in my family usually have incredible longevity. No matter how many wishes they grant, they can still live longer than the average person. I was defective and born into that royal family. My body is weak, and so I started with a great deal less stardust.”
OO: “Then if you didn’t grant any more wishes…”
Ster: “And live in fear of death, as a coward doing nothing? I can’t live like that. I don’t want to go back to when I couldn’t do anything and only made people cry. I love when people smile.”
Ster’s voice was quiet, yet astonishingly resonate and clear.
Within the whirl of thoughts, I realized a single thing.
OO: “Then this…!? Is this also part of your life!?”
I took out the shooting star he’d given me when we’d first met.
OO: “And these…!”
I pointed at the coat and necklace Ster had asked the shooting stars for…
(And the flower field…everything was in exchange for Ster’s life?)
OO: “Why…!?”
I was distressed as Ster looked me right in the eyes.
His eyes were so overwhelmingly beautiful that I felt a pain, like my heart breaking.
Ch. 6: A Kind Person
Beyond the curtain of the quiet room, the stars whispered to each other.
The light of the chandelier flickered, casting a shadow over Ster’s face from his long eyelashes.
Ster: “…why are you mad?”
OO: “How could you do this…!?”
Ster: “There wasn’t anything else to do. You saved me. So I should thank you. You were shivering with cold. I wanted to warm you up. There was a crying child. I wanted to help her. You said you liked things that are fleeting, like flowers, so I wanted to give you a flower that wouldn’t wilt. …I don’t know how else to make people happy other than granting wishes. That’s always how I’ve been.”
OO: “Ster…”
I couldn’t do anything to stop the tears from falling.
Ster: “Why are you crying? Will you smile if I make you more flowers? Or should I make you more falling stars?”
He slowly extended his finger and wiped at the tears on my cheek.
The coldness of his fingers clamped even more firmly on my heart.
Ster: “I’ll make more…-“
OO: “Stop! Ster…please, stop. If that little girl, if I… had known that our wishes were in exchange for your life, do you think we’d have been happy? Did you ever think that maybe everyone would have been more delighted to see you happy rather than having their wishes granted?”
Ster: “…I never thought of it that way.”
OO: “Ster…”
I gently took his hand, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
Ster: “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I touched his cheek as he peered into my eyes.
Ster: “Please don’t cry…”
OO: “Ster…what is your wish?”
Ster: “What am I supposed to do…! No one ever taught me another way. Wouldn’t anyone be happy to have their wish granted? Didn’t you smile when yours was too?”
He tightly clutched at the Stardust Clock pendant in his hand.
———————
Ster: “I committed it to memory so it won’t disappear…so it’s fine.”
Ster: “Do you like flowers?”
OO: “Yes.”
Ster: “Even though they die?”
———————
Ster’s words once again sounded in my mind.
(Will Ster…disappear?)
The ground swam beneath me, and everything sounded very far away.
Ster: “What is your wish? How can I make you stop crying?”
(My wish…?)
I could hear his voice in the distance…
———————
Ster: “Release it into the night sky with a wish. Just one. No matter what it is, it will come true. It’s thanks for waking me up.”
———————
(Any wish…?)
He was kinder than anyone else. But just now, that made me quite sad.
(My wish…)
Grasping the necklace around my neck, I held the shining fallen star in my right hand.