Looking for a Club (2)

Ever since I was young I had an interest in astronomy. I could never put into words my interest, why I liked it, or what I liked about it, but I've always had a fascination with it. 

The astronomy club.

I seen the sign earlier when looking into clubs and decided to check out the club room.

This is probably the most extravagant looking decorations I've seen so far for a door. Or rather it most defiantly is the most extravagant. The entire door was decorated with arts and crafts to look like a starry sky. It gives off a bit of a calming aura.

Grabbing the door handle, I step in.

Immediately, the room takes me by surprise. This room is larger than most. There's blue carpet covering the entire floor. And hanging from the ceiling is a large model solar system. Beside the window I could see a telescope, however this brought my attention to another fact. There was no one in the room.

"Ah, a customer!?"

Customer?

Well, putting aside the fact that I was just referred to as a customer. I've once again mistaken a room with someone in it for an empty room. Two times in a row now. Perhaps I'm suffering from something like a '"This must be an empty room" disease'. 

"Oh, I've come to check out the astronomy club"

"Ooh?"

I now see where to source of the voice is coming from.

Behind a couch that looks too extravagant for something like a high school club room, there peeks out the tip of a head. 

It's a girl.

At least I think it's a girl. 

"Are you a member?"

"The president actually. And the only member in fact. All the senpai in the club graduated last year."

"Well, I was wondering what kind of activities-"

"Before that, could you close the door"

Hmm? She's been behind that couch since I walked in. What, is it something like she'll only show herself if the door is closed and it's the two of us alone? A situation like that? I've certainly met some odd characters thus far.

I close the door behind me.

With that, she finally stands up. 

That's not a school uniform.

Finally in full view, I can tell that she's not wearing a school uniform, instead it seems to have been replaced with a purple parka. 

In this weather? What's wrong with this girl?

Oh and her hair. It's cut very short and blond. I can't quite tell her figure from the coat.

"Aren't you supposed to be wearing a school uniform on campus?"

"No problem, I'll [Change] back soon"

What? I can't help but to feel that there was something special about what she just said. 

"What's with the jacket?"

"It's cold in space"

Is it?

"Is it?"

"Don't you remember Kin-kun?"

I almost had a heart attack.

Up until this point in high school, everyone has called me by a nickname like "Ryu" or "Kuro", but the sound "Kin" does actually appear in my real name. The only thing is, I haven't told anyone my real name this year.

Coincidence, maybe?

"Hmmm? Don't tell me you forgot."

Now standing in front of me, uncomfortably close to my face.

"Forgot? Forgot What?"

What the hell is this girl talking about?

"Onee-san told us"

Was there someone by that name?

"Huuuuuuh?"

Alright this is too close.

I take a step back.

"Wait, Kin-kun don't tell me you've forgotten about me?"

"Do I know you?"

What happened next was a rather dramatic showing of a girl spinning around the room and falling to her knees.

Maybe I do know her.

"Kin-kun, It's me, Nozomi, your childhood friend. How could you forget?"

What is this, one of those "It's me" scams?

"After we hung out everyday playing astronaut with onee-chan, you've done gone and forgot me"

"Sorry, I don't have the name "Nozomi" anywhere in my memory"

"AH!"

"Eh?"

"HOSHI!"

"Ho-?"

"HOSHI! YOU CALLED ME HOSHI!"

What an apt name. but still....

Oh wait. Maybe there was someone like that.

"Oh yeah, I kind of remember someone like that"

"KIN-KUN!"

The eccentric person was now back on her feet and coming towards me. I feel something might happen if I don't make her calm down.

"Ah, right, Hoshi-chan, now I remember. And onee-chan, right? Your older sister."

"Ah Kin-kun, how I've missed you"

She's now hugging me.

This embrace.....is familiar.

I won't exactly call her a liar.

This at least might explain my fascination with astronomy if her story is true.

But why don't I remember?

For now let's get out of this situation.

"Alright, Nozomi-san, that's enough, I came to look at the club after all"

""Nozomi-san"? Why don't you can me "Hoshi", like you used to?"

"Well, it's been so long, it'd be kind of embarrassing"

She stepped away with her hands behind her back. Slightly blushing.

"Well that's fine, but drop the "-san", we're not strangers after all"

"Alright, then Nozomi...-chan?"

She seemed happy about that.

"Oh, Kin-kun, if you didn't come to this club to see me-"

Narcissistic much?

"-then I guess that means you kept your interest in astronomy all these years"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that"

"That makes me happy.

Really happy"

......

"Well-"

"Oh yeah, you were asking about club activities earlier. Let me show you"

I was about to leave but I suppose I'll let her show me before she flips out over the fact that I won't be joining the club.

She walks over to the wall and hits the light switch.

It's dark.

She turned out the lights.

"Hey-"

Before I could complain, light reappeared in the room.

It was one of those lamps that projected stars onto the ceiling. 

It looked pretty.

"Sit"

She was now sitting on that out of place couch and patting the seat beside her.

I took her up on the offer.

"Sinking" is the best way I can describe it.

The couch's softness is unmatched.

This really is a relaxing atmosphere.

I was lost in the stars above me. I could really get used to this.

"Now for the special activities reserved especially for Kin-kun"

Hm?

I look over, but Nozomi wasn't there.

Surely I wasn't paying so little attention that I didn't notice her get up.

I get up.

Right then, I realized the lights were back on.

No.

The lights weren't on.

I'm just not in a room in which the lights were off.

In fact, I wasn't in a room at all.

Where am I standing?

I look down.

Stars.

I am standing on stars.

I look around.

There's nothing as far as my eyes could see.

I am standing on stars in the vast emptiness of space.

I run.

It's no longer space.

It's white.

Now it's a rainbow.

Now it's images.

Images of my life flashing before my eyes all around me.

I keep running.

Now it's nothing.

A star.

A single star appears in front of me.

"Ah, Kin-kun, I found you"

The star turned into Nozomi, who was now floating in the space above me.

"NOZOMI, WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

She grabs my hand and pulls me up.

We're now flying.

I can feel the breeze hit my face, even though there's nothing else around us.

The environment changes again.

This time I'm looking at earth, but from very far away.

Stars fill the emptiness around us.

"You know, I didn't believe you, when you said that you remembered me earlier"

Huh?

"So I thought this would jog your memory.

I'm an Abnormal."

"An Abnormal?"

"Surely you couldn't forget this. My ability is [Change], remember?"

I...

"I used to change the environment around us all the time when we were younger, to make it look like we were in space. 

Surely you couldn't forget it"

I remember

I was friends with an Abnormal. She's an abnormal.

I remember everything.

How could I forget.

THIS FUCKING BITCH. SHE-

We were back in the clubroom.

"I seen it on your face, you remembered"

What kind of expression was appearing on my face at this moment?

I didn't know.

But she was smiling.

"Your ability"

"Huh?"

"[Change], right? How exactly did you use it just now?"

"I changed the entire clubroom into a four dimensional labyrinth resembling space"

"Change me into an abnormal"

"What?"

"No, change me into a god!"

"Kin-kun, it doesn't work like that"

"Why"

"It.....doesn't work on people.....I've already tried"

....

"Kin-kun, your hurting me"

At some point, I had grabbed her arm without knowing.

I let go.

"Sorry"

Who apologized?

I couldn't tell if that was me or her.

I was still in a daze.

"I'll probably come back again. 

For now I'm still looking for a club to join"

I turn around to leave. 

I open the door and walk into the hall.

"Sorry"

I close the door.