First Star After the Rain - 7: Ever Forward

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1

Tsukasa

Aha! It's you guys! Let me guess, you're here to check on
Saki?

2

Ichika

Y-Yes, that's right...

3

Tsukasa

Well, well! I'm going to be busy in my room, planning a new
show, so don't mind me and go right upstairs to Saki's
room.

4

Tsukasa

Ooh, I just had an idea for a show that's certain to be a
huge success! I am a genius after all!

5

Tsukasa

And once it's ready to be performed in front of an audience,
you're welcome to come and see it, of course!

6

Ichika

Haha... We'll be sure to.

7

Shiho

Saki's brother is the same as always.

8

Honami

Shiho, let's keep that to ourselves.

9

Tsukasa

I also have to thank you for walking Saki home yesterday.

10

Tsukasa

You're such great friends to her. Thank you for always being
there for her.

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11

Honami

Hehe. You're such a caring brother.

12

Tsukasa

So, Saki's in her room. She was awake just a while ago. I'm
sure she'll be happy to talk to you.

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13

Ichika

Saki, we're all here to visit you!

14

Ichika

Saki? Maybe she has nodded off? Saki, it's us.

Saki's Room

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15

Ichika

Oh... She's not here?

16

Shiho

Maybe she's in the bathroom.

17

Ichika

Could be. Let's wait for her here.

18

Honami

I need the bathroom too, so I'll be right back.

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19

Shiho

I always forget she has this cool ceiling with stars.

20

Ichika

Hehe. They're fluorescent, so it must look even prettier
when it's dark.

21

Ichika

This really takes me back. Remember, we were all helping her
stick the stars to the ceiling. Tsukasa lent us a hand too.

22

Shiho

Saki's so short but she insisted on sticking some stars
herself. It only took longer because of that.

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23

Honami

Well, this is strange. Saki wasn't in the bathroom.

24

Ichika

Huh?

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25

Honami

Tsukasa was sure she was upstairs.

26

Shiho

But she's obviously not. Could she have gone out?

27

Shiho

Don't tell me she went to the observatory on her own...

28

Honami

But in this weather she wouldn't be able to see the sky
anyway.

29

Ichika

She really wanted to see the stars...

30

Ichika

I think I know where she might have gone!

31

Ichika

Honami, Shiho, we're going to find her.

School SEKAI

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32

Saki

My stay at the hospital wasn't easy, but there were some
good moments, too.

33

Saki

The doctors and the other patients were very kind to me,
and taught me tricks like juggling.

34

Saki

But sometimes I felt really lonely. I'd look at the stars to
feel better.

35

Luka

Because it reminded you of the times when you stargazed
with your friends?

36

Saki

Yeah.

37

Miku

Where did Luka go... I've been looking for her everywhere.

38

Miku

Oh, there she is. Who's she talking to? Saki?

39

Miku

(Saki looks sad today. Maybe Luka is trying to cheer her up.)

40

Miku

(I should leave the two of them to talk.)

41

Saki

Thinking that I would stargaze with them again once I got
better helped me bear the really unpleasant medical exams.

42

Saki

But sometimes this anxiety would suddenly overwhelm me.

43

Saki

How to describe it...

44

Saki

It was a fear of...running out of time.

45

Luka

What do you mean?

46

Saki

I felt I was losing the time I had to be with my friends.

47

Luka

Oh...

48

Saki

I kept thinking, we should be having classes together instead of this.

49

Saki

Or, I should be on that school trip with them, having fun
and chatting late into the night.

50

Saki

I should have been with them, but the clock was ticking
away while I was in the hospital, unable to do anything.

51

Saki

I was so aware of losing the time I should be making the
most of.

52

Saki

Sometimes I'd feel as if the time I spent with my friends
before the hospital was also disappearing.

53

Saki

That made me really scared.

54

Luka

...

55

Saki

That's why now I'm doing all I can to make sure every
moment matters.

56

Saki

I decided I won't let any more time I should be spending
with my friends slip away.

57

Saki

This only led to me pushing myself past my limits, getting
everyone worried...

58

Saki

I acted...really stupid.

59

Luka

You couldn't help being anxious.

60

Saki

Huh?

61

Luka

You wanted to get back what you lost. That's perfectly
normal.

62

Luka

You felt that all those things couldn't wait.

63

Luka

But you don't need to be in such a hurry to make up for the
lost time. It's okay to do things slowly.

64

Saki

You think so?

65

Luka

I can feel it.

66

Luka

I think your friends would agree too. Wouldn't you? Ichika,
Honami, Shiho?

67

Saki

Huh?

68

Saki

Whaaat? When did you get here?!

69

Shiho

We went to visit you, but you weren't home. Ichika guessed
you had come over here.

70

Shiho

What are you doing out of bed, you dummy?

71

Saki

I-I'm sorry!

72

Shiho

No, I'm sorry.

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73

Saki

Huh?

74

Shiho

For being harsh towards you. I had no idea why you were
acting that way.

75

Shiho

You getting sick and being cooped up in bed the other time was also my fault since I pressed you to do more than you could handle.

76

Shiho

And I did this again, despite Luka's warning that you seemed
out of sorts.

77

Shiho

It makes me so angry at myself for not being a good friend
who'd notice when something's not right. I said some
really mean things to you.

78

Shiho

I'm really sorry.

79

Saki

You have nothing to apologize for, it's all my own fault!

80

Honami

No, Saki, it's not. I also blame myself for not having
realized what was going on with you. It wasn't that
hard to figure out, if I'd only given it some thought.

81

Honami

I'm sorry.

82

Saki

Oh, Hona...

83

Ichika

...
Saki.

84

Ichika

You can slow down. We're going to spend lots of time
together.

85

Ichika

It's like Luka said. There's no need to hurry.

86

Ichika

We're not going anywhere, you know. We're always going
to be your friends.

87

Saki

You're making me tear up...

88

Saki

I'll try to be less anxious.

89

Saki

Thank you, everyone!

Next Chapter: Our Starry Sky