stars. | tsukkiyama

01

as yamaguchi stepped into the nearly deserted bookstore, he was immediately met with the sound of the buzzing heater humming in the background, along with the soft, quiet murmurs of several customers huddled against the shelves.

"what's up, tadashi?" a familiar voice greeted him.

"hey, shouyo," yamaguchi responded with a smile.

hinata returned the smile, leaning over the wooden countertop to observe what yamaguchi had cradled in his arms.

"interesting choice!"

yamaguchi shot his friend a grin before walking towards the manga section of the shop. as he was skimming through the titles, he saw one that his other friend had recommended to him and brushed his fingers against the spine of the book, slowly taking it out from the shelf.

he carried the book to the front of the store, sliding it across the counter to his orange-haired friend.

"are you going to stay to read?" asked hinata as he scanned the book's barcode.

"you know me so well," yamaguchi replied with a small smile, handing over the cash for the manga.

hinata chuckled and slid the book back to yamaguchi as he ripped out the receipt from the machine and handed him his change.

yamaguchi slipped the manga inside his backpack, sitting down at a random table and opening up his book. he felt himself slowly drowning out the quiet sounds of the bookstore until his surroundings morphed into nothing but blurred colors twisting around one another. the only thoughts present in his mind were the words neatly printed on the pages, just how he liked it.

the freckled boy stayed in this tranquil state for hours, although he didn't realize it. his mind was too concentrated on the contents of the pages to notice the sun dip beyond the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. it wasn't until a stranger approached him that yamaguchi snapped out of his trance.

"excuse me, can you please move your bag?" a voice rang from above him. "this is the only available spot left in here."

yamaguchi looked up and spotted a boy towering over him. he looked somewhat familiar, with his short, blond hair and his thick glasses framing his eyes, but yamaguchi was too startled to try to remember. he broke out into a nervous sweat, frantically slamming his book shut and fumbling around with his belongings.

"i-im sorry!" the freckled boy stammered, yanking his bookbag from the seat next to him. he watched as the tall stranger muttered a "thank you" under his breath and sat down.

yamaguchi took this interruption as an opportunity to check his phone. his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he realized how late it had gotten since he'd opened up that book. he quickly scrambled away from the table and made his way to the exit to leave, but not before waving goodbye to hinata at the counter.

"bye, tadashi! text me later!" hinata exclaimed, waving back eagerly to his friend.

once he was outside, yamaguchi breathed out, watching the smoke escape from his lips. it was certainly becoming colder, as he noticed passersby donning jackets and scarves instead of shorts and loose-fitted tees. he looked up at the now indigo sky, spotting what had to be a million stars scattered across the vast stretch of blue.

stars.

shooting stars.

it was that time of year again; the annual shooting star was going to appear.

it was an event everyone looked forward to. according to the inhabitants of yamaguchi's town, the star usually brought good luck and prosperity to anyone who made a wish.

yamaguchi never found the star exceptionally interesting, and he only saw it as a tradition to make a wish. there was never any proof that it actually brought good luck or granted anyone's desires. frankly, he didn't understand the hype around it.

however, when yamaguchi thought about his life - the same mundane routines, the repetitive days that seemed to merge into one another, and the overall monotonous of it all - suddenly wishing on a star didn't seem so terrible.

yamaguchi shook the thought out of his head. what was he thinking, relying on a shooting star to solve all of his problems?

he began to make his way back home, the idea of making a wish lingering in the back of his mind.

after arriving home and greeting his mother at the entrance, yamaguchi stumbled upstairs and pushed open his bedroom door, flicking on the light switch and opening his laptop. he scrolled through the news articles regarding the annual shooting star.

"it seems to be appearing soon," yamaguchi muttered to himself as he shut his laptop.

he grabbed the telescope next to his dresser and set it up at his open window, pointing it towards the sky. he peeked into the lens and noticed how it had become even darker than the last time he studied it. not only that, the stars were more visible and abundant than before.

yamaguchi moved the telescope around in an attempt to position it more accurately. he continued to gaze into the lens, feeling as if he could drown in the sea of blues that painted the dimming sky.

suddenly, it appeared.

yamaguchi flinched when he caught a glimpse of the small yet noticeable speck glide across the sky, appearing for just a split second.

before he could think, the words slipped from his mouth:"i wish my life was more interesting."

as soon as the sentence escaped from his lips, an unfamiliar feeling coursed throughout his body. yamaguchi shuddered as the feeling twisted inside of his stomach, traveling to his arms, then his legs, and then finally, winding down his spine. it then vanished, leaving the perplexed boy feeling lighter than usual, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

yamaguchi's eyes trailed along his freckled arms, wondering what had just happened to him. he seemed to be physically normal, but he felt entirely different. it was as if he were born again into a different body.

he ignored the peculiar sensation and decided on heading to sleep. as he slipped into bed, he couldn't help but feel slightly hopeful. some part of him suspected that his wish wouldn't come true and that the star was just a hoax, but another part of him wanted to believe that something amazing would happen as a result of his wish.

yamaguchi didn't notice this as he was fast asleep, but for the first time in forever, the moon and the stars seemed to align perfectly in the sky.

note: ok i wanted to rewrite this book because i didn't like the original version of this so here y'all go! come get y'all juice 🏃‍♂️