Chapter : 1 .
It happened in a single, heart-shattering moment. As the news flickered across the TV screen, reporting her death, a void opened within me. It felt as if someone incredibly vital had been ripped away from my life. My heart, once steady, began to sink into a darkness as cold and desolate as a moonless night. And to think... this all began just this afternoon.
The school bell had rung, signaling the end of the day. I was making my way out, intent on heading home without speaking to anyone. But as usual, the girls of the school wouldn't let me pass in peace. They threw glances and catcalls my way, and one of them went as far as grabbing my arm.
"Oh, handsome Sachi!" she chirped, her eyes wide with admiration. "Why don't I walk you home today?"
With an air of cold arrogance and a subtle flare of my ego, I firmly pulled my arm from her grasp. "There's no need for that," I replied flatly. "I'll go home alone."
I left her standing there and pushed forward, but I hadn't gone a few steps before another girl caught my arm. "Oh, my Two-Star Hero! Let me walk with you today. We have so much to talk about!"
I rejected her as well and kept moving, a cynical thought crossing my mind: In this entire world, there are only fifty people born with two stars in their eyes. I am one of them. Is there anyone out there born without a single star? Is this world just overflowing with 'perfect' people?
In this school, I was the most important person, the sun around which everyone revolved. Most of the boys hated me—their resentment fueled by the two stars in my eyes that made every girl swoon. But how could I make them understand? I didn't care for any of them.
As I descended the stairs from the second floor, I ran into the only person in school I actually liked—my friend, Hachan.
"Sachi! I didn't see you at all today," Hachan said. "You weren't even out in the grounds during break time."
"Yeah, man," I replied, my voice heavy with exhaustion. "I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed in the classroom."
"Hey, just because we're in different classes doesn't mean you keep things from me! Besides, I'm shocked. How can someone with two stars ever feel 'unwell'? I heard those with stars in both eyes can do anything in this world."
"Hachan, listen to me," I said, looking at him. "Have you ever actually felt that? That having two stars makes you capable of everything?"
"No... I guess I haven't."
"You haven't felt it because you only have one star in one eye," I explained. "What I'm trying to say is... even with two stars, I am not a perfect being in this world."
Secretly, I thought: That's a lie. I was born perfectly. There isn't a single thing in this world I cannot achieve with these two stars. I'm only lying to Hachan so he doesn't feel inferior. If I act perfect in front of him, he might lose hope in his own potential.
"Can you really not do everything?" Hachan asked, genuinely surprised.
Changing my expression to look more relatable, I nodded. "Exactly, Hachan. I have my limits too."
"Hmm, if you say so, I believe you," Hachan said. "Anyway, I'm sorry I can't walk home with you. I have to take my sister to the market. Oh, look, here she comes."
"Hachan! Where were you?!" Miren, Hachan's sister, stormed up in a fit of rage. But the moment her eyes fell on me, she froze. Her anger vanished, replaced by a shy, crimson blush. "Oh... Sachi. You're here too."
It felt strange seeing her blush like that. "Hello, Miren. How are you?"
The moment those words left my lips, she began to jump and cheer right there in the school hallway. "Wow! The most famous boy in school just asked me how I am! I'm the happiest girl alive!"
"Hachan, shut her up," I muttered. "She's screaming in the middle of the school."
Hachan grabbed his sister. "Sachi, you go ahead. I'll handle her."
I hurried away, shaking my head. What a strange girl. Honestly, every girl in this school is weird. As I reached the school gate, I noticed a commotion in a corner of the grounds. Four boys were surrounding someone, clearly bullying them. I'm not usually one to get involved, but as I looked closer, I saw they were picking on a girl.
"Kick her! I don't even know why she comes to this school!" one of the boys shouted, landing a kick on her.
Another boy spotted me. "Look! Sachi is coming! We have to get out of here before he beats us all up!" Terrified of my reputation, the bullies scrambled away.
I approached the girl. "Truly heartless," I muttered. "They should be ashamed of bullying a girl. And you... why were you just taking it silently?"
She kept her head down, her body trembling with fear. I reached out my hand. "Are you alright? Take my hand and stand up."
When she finally lifted her head, I froze. My breath caught in my throat. So... not everyone in this world is perfect.
The girl had no stars in her eyes. Not even one. I had heard rumors that those born without stars were blind. Can she not see?
"Could you... please help me find my stick?" she asked in a voice so soft and fragile it felt like silk. "I can't go home without it. And besides... today is my last day. Please, help me find it."
I didn't understand why she called it her 'last day,' but I searched until I found her walking stick. Up close, I realized something startling—even without stars, her eyes were the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
She took the stick and started to walk away without a word. "My name is Sachi," I called out after her. "It was nice meeting you. If those boys bother you again, tell me. I'll protect you. But... I don't understand. Why did you say today is your last day?"
She stopped in her tracks. After a long silence, she spoke without turning back. "There's no need for that. After today, I will be free. That is what 'last day' means. My name is Enahika. Goodbye."
Her voice was thick with a pain she refused to share. On my way home, I couldn't stop thinking. I am one of the top fifty people in the world, the most famous guy in the city, and I didn't even know a blind girl was studying at my school? How was she even allowed here without stars? She must be from a very wealthy family to afford the tuition.
I tried to shake it off. Why am I worrying about her? She's probably just some rich girl. But... those eyes. Why can't I get them out of my head? No, no way. A girl can't take up space in my heart that easily—especially a blind girl.
A short while later, I reached my house. I lived alone; my parents resided in another city. My home was grander and more beautiful than any in the neighborhood. I grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and slumped down in front of the TV. As I flipped through the channels, a breaking news report caught my eye.
"Wait... has someone died?"
[TV News]: "Tragedy today at Star Training School. A young girl, born without stars in either eye and completely blind, was killed in a road accident this afternoon. Reports suggest she had no one left; her parents died in a similar accident two years ago. They had enrolled her in the prestigious school in hopes that the environment might spark a star in her eyes... but today, her journey ended."
The water bottle slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor. My heart stopped.
So... that's what she meant by 'free' and 'last day.' She knew. She gave up.
A crushing weight settled in my chest. I felt as if a part of my soul had just vanished. I looked at my trembling hands and whispered to the empty room: "Is there any way... any way I can give her back her life?"