20 - What is a Star Wish?

Hello, with me, handsome Nagi here.

Akane and I are sitting across from each other in the spiritual club room we established a while ago, illuminated only by the sunlight streaming through the window.

Akane called me here and said that she wanted to talk about something important regarding the message she sent me last Saturday.

Hints about the Star Wish.

I squinted slightly. Maybe with this hint, I could find a way to restore Yuichi's gender.

Honestly, I don't even know if Yuichi has the desire to return to being a man.

I can only guess her feelings. Even so, if she feels burdened to continue living as a woman, I will create two paths; to go back or not. No matter how difficult that path is, I will definitely do it.

I can't bear to see Yuichi suffer like before.

Holding my breath, I dared to ask, "So, what’s the hint you mean, Akane-san?"

Akane gave a faint smile, looking at me with her characteristic unreadable expression. "I have two pieces of good news. Take it slow, Nagi-kun. The good news won't go anywhere."

I furrowed my brow, two pieces of good news...?

I nodded slowly. "Okay... Can you start with the first one, Akane-san?"

As soon as she heard my request, Akane turned her face away for a moment and then looked at the laptop screen on the table. "Nagi-kun, take a look at this."

GAH!

My mouth fell open wide as I saw what appeared on the screen.

THIS—! A corn site that made Yuichi misunderstand..! My face suddenly flushed, especially after realizing that I had almost finished reading the entire doujin.

"Hey!" I shouted in frustration. "What does this mean, Akane-san?!"

Akane just shrugged, laughing softly. "Oops—! I think I accidentally opened the wrong tab. My bad! Sorry, Nagi-kun."

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my annoyance. "I know you did that on purpose, Akane-san..."

Akane chuckled softly. "Caught me, huh?" she replied, still maintaining her flat expression, acting as if nothing had happened.

I squinted my eyes in curiosity. "Akane-san, before that, I want to ask. Why did you send me that doujin last Saturday?"

"Do you want a straightforward answer or a joke?" Akane asked, with an inexplicable smile. I could sense something strange in her tone, but I decided to cut to the chase.

"Just get to the point."

She took a slow breath before answering. "That’s the first piece of good news. The plot of the doujin you read is similar to the Star Wish you described."

I paused for a moment, trying to digest what she meant. I had briefly explained the wish to her after Yuichi had interrupted our conversation a while ago.

But linking it to the doujin?

I looked at her suspiciously.

Without saying more, Akane opened a file on her laptop. "This is the second piece of good news," she said, showing me 30 pages of detailed documentation titled "Star Wish".

THIS—!

My eyes widened in disbelief at what I was seeing. This documentation was neatly written and detailed, complete with evidence from a story I had initially thought was just a myth.

It seemed impossible for some troll or a creepypasta writer to write something this precise.

"This documentation describes in detail how the Star Wish works. If you connect it with the plot of the doujin, it should make sense."

"Oh, right. Nagi-kun. Don't take it too seriously, just consider this information as a reference, okay?" Akane continued.

I could only nod slowly, still busy processing the information laid out before me.

***

After reading halfway through the documentation, I would summarize it in broad strokes and share some stories that might sound interesting.

"Star Wish" is a term created by modern people; simply put, it's a name made for easier remembrance.

The original name is far more complicated because this miracle didn't happen in just one era. There are even some parts that are difficult to translate because this miracle occurred in ancient times.

Although it sounds impossible, the first person to experience this miracle was the earliest descendant of the first human being to live on Earth.

They depicted it through stone media. The miracle itself isn’t entirely different from what happens to us.

A falling star in the sky, and a group of people surrounding fresh beef that fell from the heavens. Meanwhile, one person stood out among them, wearing a long robe made of animal skin, placing both of her palms together as if praying.

There are many other stories, like a thirsty traveler finding an oasis when he saw a falling star, or a beggar who suddenly became rich overnight because of witnessing that phenomenon.

I don't know where the source came from or how Akane obtained it. But—whether the documentation is true or not, we can still use it as a reference for a small picture of how the wish works.

One quote from the documentation that amazed me was in this part: "When the falling star passes, it becomes a pathway between our world and another world."

"This phenomenon can be seen through various branches, indicating that the existence of falling stars is an absolute thing."

It could be said that those "falling stars" happen in various alternate worlds. Moreover, when we make a Star Wish, the wish will take "something" from another universe to realize the wish we utter.

After reading the documentation, the only question left in my mind was, "What is a Star Wish?"

Is it just a game played by the Gods? Or merely a cosmic coincidence? Could it be that humanity is actually being pranked by some magical alien species?!

I scratched my head in embarrassment. It seems like I've caught Akane's way of thinking...

However, it would be amazing if the documentation turned out to be real. If only I could wish to go to an isekai...

I sighed, feeling half disappointed.

I turned my attention back to Akane. Yet, no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't find the connection between the plot of the doujin and the documentation she just showed me.

I frowned, my brain slowly starting to heat up. "So, what’s the connection with the plot of that doujin?"

"The two are related because they use the same concept."

"Like the main character of that doujin who can return, then there’s still a chance for Yuichi-san," Akane added.

THUMP.

I swallowed nervously. My heart raced upon hearing those words. Could there still be hope? "What if we make another Star Wish?" I asked curiously.

Akane nodded slowly. "But the chances are very small, Nagi-kun. You know that falling stars are quite a common phenomenon, right?"

Her words slapped all my logic away. I fell silent for a moment.

"That phenomenon happens almost every day all over the world. Think about it; if making a Star Wish was that easy, why hasn’t any of our wishes come true?"

I sighed in frustration. I couldn’t deny her words. If it ultimately dashed my hopes, then why was Akane talking as if there was a chance?

"So then, what...?" I asked again.

"Yeah, that," Akane replied briefly. It felt like she dropped a big bomb without any explanation.

"WHAT?!"

"What do you mean by "yeah, that"?!" I shouted in frustration.

Akane remained calm as usual, laughing softly, and she just shrugged slowly. "It seems like the Star Wish only occurs during certain falling stars. Nagi-kun, you can still outsmart it by making wishes every day while waiting for that specific falling star phenomenon to occur."

"But the problem is there. You don’t know when it happens. Even if it does happen, you have to compete with every wish from the entire human population around the world," Akane continued. Her voice remained flat, but each of her words felt very sharp.

"If that’s the case, it’s almost impossible, right..."

Akane nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

I took a deep breath.

Akane did say she would deliver good news, but what she just said felt more like bad news.

What’s the point of going through the trouble of searching for information if the result ends up like this?

I shook my head quickly, trying to dismiss those negative thoughts.

No—! I'm sure this will be useful... Maybe not now, but someday, it definitely will...

Even if Yuichi has already given up on returning into a guy, we can still use this information to make a wish for something else.

I glanced out the window, watching the students playing soccer in the schoolyard happily.

I guess... it’s not entirely bad is it..?

TO BE CONTINUED.