Starry Nights Pt. 1

Later that night, I walked through the entrance of an absurdly luxurious hotel, a couple of plastic bags dangling from my hands.

This place is way too bright and fancy, but considering it is where Sunayomi lived, I didn't expect anything less.

"Mister Yozora?"

I glanced around to see a tall man in a suit approaching me.

"Ah, it is you,” he said with a polite nod. "Sunayomi mentioned they were expecting you, sir."

"Oh—uh, yeah. But… you don't need to add all the honorifics," I replied. "Just Yozora is fine."

"No can do, sir. Right this way."

He turned on his heel, leading me through an endless stretch of corridors, into an elevator, and then through even more corridors until we finally stopped at a door beside a massive window.

Being a bodyguard must be exhausting. The whole way here, he kept scanning left and right, front and back, like he expected someone to jump out at any second.

"We're here, sir," he said.

And just like that, he walked off. Further down the hall, I spotted another man in a suit just standing there... Menacingly.

Guess they've got security covered. Not that I blame them. It wasn't that long ago that Sunayomi thought I was a stalker. And now, they're inviting me into their place. That's kinda funny.

Taking a deep breath, I rang the doorbell.

From the buzzer next to the door, a voice came through—gruff, deep, and way too forced.

"Who is it…?"

"Uh… I-it's me," I said hesitantly. "Yozora Noa?"

The most exaggerated gasp followed. "Ah! It's Noa! Quick, get the door!"

Yeah. That was definitely Suzu.

Before I could react, the door flung open, and Mira yanked me into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Clear?" she asked.

Nabi, who was already checking the security camera outside, gave a small nod. "I think we're good."

"Phew~ Not bad for the first time."

I groaned, picking myself up. "What the hell was that all about…?"

Yoko stepped over, patting my shoulder with an easygoing smile. "Like Mira said, this is the first time we've ever let someone else into our apartment. Had to be extra careful in case of potential stalkers."

"Uh… huh."

"Be grateful, Noa," Mira smirked. "Not even Manager Na has made it this far, and we've known him way~ longer than you."

"Is that really something to be grateful for?"

Mira suddenly took a step forward, feinting a punch. Instinctively, I flinched, raising my arms in defense.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath.

"Say that again."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Coward."

"I'd rather be a coward than an asshole."

Then, without warning, she really did smack my arm this time—hard. The sound cracked through the apartment like a whip. The pain didn't even register for a few seconds, so all I could do was stare at her in disbelief.

"Ow?!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, don't act so confused." She stuck out her tongue. "Call a girl an asshole, and that's basically asking for a death sentence."

I had a comeback lined up, but for the sake of my already stinging arm, I wisely chose to shut up.

Suddenly, Nabi swung into view, planting an icepack over the wounded area. Her expression was genuine, like was truly some kind of doctor.

"Uh... Nabi?" I called out. "It's not that serious."

"Eh? But you got hit by Mira. I'm surprised your arm isn't limping from just that."

Mira let out a stern, "Hey."

"Eep..."

Nabi planted herself behind me, peeking past my shoulder to check on Mira. But she wasn't the only one.

"S-scary..." Suzu mumbled, glancing over my other shoulder.

"What the?" I sighed. "When did you...? You know what—never mind."

Yoko let out a soft giggle. "Let me help you with those, Noa."

She reached for the plastic bags in my hand, which I had momentarily forgotten I was even holding. After setting them on the counter, she stood right in front of me, studying my face with that judgmental smile on hers—the one that makes me nervous.

"Hmm… You look good today, Noa," Mira said, eyeing me with a playful smirk. "Any reason you're all dressed up? Don't tell me you went all out just for a casual hangout with us."

"Definitely not," I scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean…?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes.

I leaned back, stretching my arms behind my head. "Exactly what it sounds like. I had a meeting with Manager Na and—believe it or not—the CEO of Yori Corp."

A beat of silence. Then, in perfect unison—"Wait, what?!"

"You mean… Taiyori Ayaka?" Nabi asked, her voice laced with surprise.

"Yeah. You know her?"

Suzu let out a snicker. "Pfft~ How could we not know our number-one fan? She's the one who scouted us back when we were still trainees. Absolute goddess of a woman, but… really terrifying in a one-on-one setting."

"Yeah, I got that impression too. I had to sit across from her the entire time—felt like I was being dissected."

Yoko tilted her head. "So? What did she want from you?"

"Oh, nothing major." I waved a hand dismissively. "She just gave me a bonus because she thinks I had something to do with Sunayomi's recent success. Of course, I told her that wasn't the case, but she insisted."

Mira frowned. "Wasn't the case? What do you mean?"

The way they all stared at me made me feel like I had suddenly grown a second head.

"I mean… exactly what I said?" I scoffed. "What does your performance have to do with me? I'm just the lazy, unofficial assistant, right?"

Dead silence. They exchanged weird glances before turning back to me, eyes judging and full of cynicism.

Then Suzu blinked. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Is that... really what you think, Noa?" Nabi asked softly.

"...What else am I supposed to think?" I hesitated to say.

Yoko sighed, crossing her arms. "You really don't get it, do you? Why do you think we made such a big deal when you decided to renew your contract? Having you around all the time is one thing—and trust me... we wouldn't prefer it any other way. The other reason... is that we were afraid of losing you."

My brows furrowed. "But… why? Just being your friend doesn't seem like a strong enough reason."

"Is it not?" she challenged.

"W-well…"

Mira let out a subtly annoyed sigh while shaking her head. "You might not see it, but we do. The moment you came into the picture, our performance changed. We don't know if it was because we wanted to prove something to you, or because having you there just… gave us that extra push. Either way, the fact is... we don't want to imagine going forward without you."

"So stop downplaying yourself," Nabi said with a warm smile. "You matter to us, Noa. As a friend and as part of Sunayomi."

I didn't know what to say. They were all looking at me again, but this time, there was no teasing, no playful glances—just sincerity. The kind of warmth I used to think I'd never find in a place like this. It wasn't about numbers or stats or some grand contribution.

It was just… me. And for some reason, that made my chest feel lighter.

"Aww~ Look at Noa trying not to get all emotional," Suzu teased, nudging my side. "Come on, let loose! We're friends now, so show us your ugly side!"

"Absolutely not," I show down instantly. "And if I ever do, you'd be the last person I'd show it to, friend or not."

"Eh?! Why?!"

Yoko chuckled, clapping her hands. "Alright, that's enough emotional damage for one night. Let's get to the movie."

"I call dibs on sitting next to Noa!" Suzu declared, raising a hand like she was staking a legal claim.

"Nope. That spot's mine," Mira smirked, already making her move.

"Eh? B-but... me too..." Nabi mumbled, fidgeting slightly.

What is this? How do they expect me to react to this?! They were actually fighting over who got to sit next to me! How am I supposed to see this as anything other than…

Nae's words echoed in my head. 'They all like you, dude. One hundred percent.' If there was ever a moment to prove her right, this was probably it.

Yoko just wanted to watch the world burn, I guess. She simply sat back on the solo sofa, cracked open a can of soda, and watched the chaos unfold with a satisfied smirk. I shot her a pleading look, silently begging for some kind of intervention. She only stretched her smile wider, as if telling me I was on my own.

I swallowed. "H-how about I just sit alone…?"

"No!" came the resounding chorus of rejection.

"A-ah… okay."

After much bickering, Suzu claimed my right side and Mira settled in on my left. Despite Nabi's quiet insistence that she was fine, she sat on the far left next to Mira, clearly a bit disappointed.

I'll have to make a mental note. When I get the chance, I'll try to switch seats to be next to Nabi. No way I'm letting her feel left out in a hangout that's supposed to be fun.

Finally, it was time to sit back and enjoy the randomly selected movie. But honestly? None of us really paid attention—not even Suzu, and she was the one who picked it. Instead, the screen flickered in the background as we talked, one conversation slipping into another with laughter filling the gaps in between.

I was never the talkative type. Normally, I'd cut a conversation short before it could drag on too long. My social battery runs on fumes most days, and I never really saw the point in stretching a conversation when I knew I'd run out of things to say.

But with them? Hah... For some reason, it felt like I could talk forever.