Chapter 32:

Something Is Off

We Are ☆ Star Club!


 Arisu looked out of it.

Instead of her usual, cheery appearance, she kept glancing at PURIRIN, mumbling to herself in a distressed voice. At first, I didn't want to ask her about it since she didn't share what troubled her, but it got so much that I couldn't simply ignore it any longer. I put my pen away, and while I was glad I could procrastinate on my homework for a bit, it was more important to know what was going on with her.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

I tried to keep my voice light and unconcerned, but it didn't help much. Arisu flinched at my question, quickly hiding PURIRIN in her hair.

"Oh. Yeah."

A forced smile appeared on her face. So there really is something troubling her. And whatever it is, she doesn't want to tell me about it. I crossed my arms.

"No, it's not."

She tried to keep that smile on her face, but underneath that fake, cheerful expression, she almost looked like a kicked puppy.

"Please, Arisu. What's wrong? Why can't you tell me?"

We've been through this much. Why don't you trust me?, was what I wanted to say. But I stayed silent. I wouldn't force her to say something she didn't want to share.

"No, it's..." She sighed. "It's complicated."

I shrugged, sitting next to her on the floor.

"Everything is complicated, right?" I leaned against her. "And that's okay. That's what friends are for, the make the complicated things easier."

For a moment, we were silent. Outside, I heard a bird sing its song.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I added.

Arisu hesitated for a moment.

"I guess not." She sighed, again. "As I said, it's complicated. Or not. I don't know anymore."

"Hmmm."

I looked outside the window. Somehow, the reality there seemed far away.

"It's not getting easier to understand you."

With those words, Arisu flinched, her hair coiling around her.

"Well..." she said, her hair wrapping tighter and tighter around her arms, "My parents have located me."

I blinked.

"Wait, what?"

She let out a breath, but didn't come out of her hair cocoon.

"They found out I'm here, on Earth."

I shook my head.

"No, I mean- they didn't know that already?"

"Of course not!"

Arisu pouted.

"I was trying to get away from them! It's not like they have time fore me, anyways, with their big wars and trade agreements and whatnot- all that boring stuff! But oh, now they act all worried for their daughter, when I'm just here having fun!"

Her anger didn't sound fake. I stayed where I was, still looking out of the window, still leaning against her.

"That sounds a little complicated."

"It's super complicated," she corrected me. "Also, I think they're going to visit me."

Only then, her words really sunk in.

"You just mentioned... a war?"

Arisu nodded.

"Yeah. You have those too, right?"

Okay, I don't want to worry, but...

"Yes, but not on a... galactic scale."

I didn't even understand it fully, but it sounded bad. Really bad. But Arisu seemed to be quite unaffected by it.

"As I said. It's complicated. I never really understood it. It's just so boring, you know? It mostly means that my dad has to fill out loads of paperwork and be in meetings."

That wasn't what I had expected. Maybe she did mean something else than war? But on the other hand, I also didn't know how it worked here on Earth.

"That... sounds really lame."

But I also was relieved to hear that. At least our planet wouldn't get destroyed just for having Arisu here, right? They couldn't do that, I was sure. Still, I had to check with her.

"Also, it means that Earth is not in danger, right?"

But Arisu shrugged.

"I don't know. My parents are not easy to understand, so I don't know what they will do."

It got more and more difficult not to be nervous.

"Uh, so, what happens if they come here and get you back?"

"Nothing, probably."

Just as a bit of pressure lifted inside of me, Arisu added: "Or at least it will feel like nothing should they decide to vaporize Earth."

"Whaaaaat?"

This was too much for me. I didn't know how to react, how to feel, what to think. Is there really an alien threat on its way to us, in the form of concerned parents collecting their daughter?

"Can't you do anything?"

But again, Arisu shrugged. Somehow, I suspected that this was affecting her more than she let on.

"Not really. I lost my ship, remember?"

"Oh."

That was something that I hadn't considered.

"But, uh... can't you just call them? Tell them everything is alright?"

At least, that's what I would do with my parents. But maybe her space-parents were different. At least, that's what I got from the frown she displayed now.

"No."

That sounded more decisive than I liked.

"Well, what are we going to do, then?"

Again, Arisu shrugged, and her whole hair shrugged with her.

"Just have fun, I'd say. I mean, maybe nothing will happen. They could get distracted again. Or forget about me. Again."

I huddled closer to her, resting my head against her hair.

"Sounds like your parents are jerks."

A motion in the cocoon suggested that she was nodding.

"Same goes for my brother, really."

She sighed, and looked out of the window. Was she lost in thought, or did she simply watch the sky? I couldn't tell.

"You know how it is, right? Being forgotten?"

"Yeah," I answered quietly.

For a moment, we were both silent, not moving. I could only hear my heartbeat drumming in my ears. Should I say something? But what? I don't think my and her situation are comparable, so... But she shouldn't worry. At least not that much. Oh god, I'm worried, though... Will her parents really come? Or not? And what's worse? Urgh, I wish I had the answers...

"So we're just gonna continue like nothing's happening."

Suddenly, the bright, smiling Arisu was back again. Even though I knew that deep down, it was still off, I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Yeah. We can't do anything anyways, right?"

"Exactly."

Arisu nodded, before she stretched and stood up, finally emerging from her hair.

"We should get some icecream."

I, too, got up, brushing my clothes. There was still a small smile on my face. She was right.

"We really should."

Together, we went outside, walking to our favorite icecream parlor. It was a surprisingly busy spring afternoon, with the sun shining warm on my hair, and everything having a fresh glow to it. While we were queuing for the icecream, I saw Arisu glancing at PURIRIN a few times. But I didn't want to pressure her further. It wouldn't help. So why shouldn't we enjoy the rest of our spring semester, instead? There was enough in my life right now to worry about, I didn't need to think of a possible alien invasion. Or, whatever her parents would do.

After we got our icecream, we walked back. Today, the flavor I usually enjoyed couldn't quite excite me. I should just focus on enjoying myself.

"Is there something interesting in the sky tonight?"

Arisu asked her question between the two bites it took for her to wolf down her icecream cone.

"Oh, yeah. I think Erica mentioned a meteor or something?"

She nodded along with my words, but didn't let my icecream out of sight.

"So, hey, can I try yours?"

I looked at her, squinting my eyes. I wasn't sure if I could trust her, even though she tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Okay. Only a bit. Promise?"

"Promise."

With that, Arisu came up to me and took a big bite out of my icecream. I tried to jerk back, but it was already too late.

"Hey! You promised!"

"Hehee. I couldn't resist, sorry."

It was hard for me to stay mad at her, especially when there were so many things troubling her. And maybe, Arisu acted that way to cheer me up. On our way to the school, a cool breeze sang through the trees, making the first blossoms rain down on us. A few petals stuck to my icecream, but I didn't mind. To outsiders, we looked like two highschoolers living a normal life. And most of the time, it felt like that to me. And today, I desperately wished it was true. That we were normal, that we could simply have fun without having to worry about the future. Above us, the sky turned orange, then purple, until we arrived at the school gates.

"Let's head up," I said.

"Good idea."

We fell silent again. It felt horrible, but I didn't know what we should be talking about. Arisu didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, anyways, even though she was still wearing a smile on her face.

"Hey, you're worrying again."

She pushed her index finger lightly against my forehead. I sighed.

"I know, I know."

"You don't have to do that."

I smiled at her.

"I'll try to turn it off. Really."

But I didn't look at her. There were many things I wanted to say, but I didn't. I'm a coward.

"What is it?" Arisu pressed me further.

But I shook my head, going up the stairs.

"It's nothing."

I gave her a quick look.

"Or is there something to worry about?"

But she dodged my gaze.

"No...?"

"See? Then I'm not worrying."

With that, I cut her off. If she didn't want to be honest with me, then I didn't have to be honest with her. This felt horrible, like we were fighting. But this wasn't fighting, right? We were not arguing, so... it was hard to make out what this actually was. It felt scary, and new, and I was happy to ignore it as best as I could.

"Sara! Arisu!"

Erica saved me from further thinking about this, and caught up to us. Together, we went into our club room, the cozy atmosphere of it instantly relaxing me. This was home. Pudding and Maria, surprisingly, were already waiting inside.

Erica didn't waste any time, and went to her usual chair, looking at us all with excitement.

"We're so lucky, girls! Tonight, we'll see this new meteor that appeared quite suddenly. Isn't that amazing?"

I exchanged a nervous glance with Arisu. Usually, we would both be beaming with excitement, but today, the things Arisu had shared with me hung over my head like storm clouds, ready to burst into lightning and thunder at any moment.

Or rather, the exact moment we could see that meteor, or whatever it really was.