MORNING — REI'S BEDROOM
I wake up five minutes before my alarm.
My body moves like I'm used to being disappointed.
Toothbrush. Rinse. Hoodie over the wrinkled uniform.
Microwave breakfast that tastes like freezer burn.
Nokko floats behind me, humming like an old fan with too much dust in its vents.
His glow is orange — still full from yesterday.
NOKKO (orange):
"Humans require 7 to 9 hours of sleep. You got 4.2."
REI:
"Wow. Thanks for the data."
NOKKO (orange):
"Today's forecast: medium social tension, low physical activity, 64% chance of being ignored by your crush."
I grunt. That's the only language I know in the morning.
NOKKO (orange):
"I was trying sarcasm again. How am I doing?"
REI:
"Like someone who read a joke book written by a printer."
INT. CLASSROOM – HOMEROOM
I walk in, trying to blend in with the back wall.
CLASSMATE 1:
"Yo, it's Quiz Bee Boy!"
CLASSMATE 2:
"Rei's a prodigy now, huh? What's next, valedictorian?"
CLASSMATE 3:
"Can he even spell that?"
The laughter is light, but I feel it stick like lint.
NOKKO (dim, disguised as bracelet):
"Fame is fleeting. So is dignity. You have neither, so you're safe."
I tap the bracelet lightly.
REI (muttering):
"If you keep glowing like that, someone's gonna see you."
NOKKO (dim):
"Not unless they're looking for me. And humans rarely see what they're not taught to notice."
TEACHER (O.S.):
"Alright, settle down. Two announcements."
The classroom sighs in synchronized dread.
TEACHER:
"First, we have a new transfer student joining us for the semester. Be kind."
The door slides open.
In walks a boy with silver-white hair, baggy uniform sleeves, and a single headphone dangling from one ear.
He grins like he's been here before — or like he built the school himself.
TEACHER:
"Introduce yourself."
?:
"My name is Monoma Hoshino, pleasure to be with you."
CLASSMATE 4 (whispering):
"…He looks like a protagonist."
CLASSMATE 5:
"Bet he gets perfect scores and writes poetry."
CLASSMATE 6:
"I bet he vapes star dust." (hoshino -> field of stars lol)
The teacher points him to the empty desk beside me.
Of course.
He drops into the seat with a loud thump and immediately leans toward me.
MONOMA HOSHINO:
"You're Rei, right? You look like a guy who's seen the edge of the universe and still failed a math test."
REI:
"...What?"
MONOMA HOSHINO:
"I like you."
NOKKO (dim):
"Burn him."
I close my eyes.
Today already feels illegal.
TEACHER:
"Second announcement. Field trip next week."
Collective groan from the class.
TEACHER:
"Science department approved it. We're heading to the Nagakawa Observatory for an overnight stargazing trip."
Now people are awake.
CLASSMATE 1:
"Wait, overnight?"
CLASSMATE 2:
"Are we actually gonna sleep under the stars?"
CLASSMATE 3:
"Do we have to share tents?!"
NOKKO (dim):
"This sounds like a poor idea. Stars are rarely safe."
REI:
"They're just dots in the sky."
NOKKO (dim):
"Some dots bite back."
INT. HALLWAY – AFTER HOMEROOM
Monoma walks beside me like we've been best friends for years.
He's balancing a juice box on his head.
MONOMA HOSHINO:
"So. Rei. You got a… bracelet that talks to you?"
I freeze.
REI:
"W-What?"
MONOMA HOSHINO:
"Kidding! Kidding. Probably. I just get vibes, you know?"
Nokko's bracelet form pulses blue — warning.
NOKKO (blue):
"Something's off with this one."
REI (quiet):
"Yeah. I noticed."
LUNCH – ROOFTOP
I sit alone on the ground again, trying to exhale yesterday.
NOKKO (dim):
"You know, stargazing might be therapeutic."
REI:
"Unless the stars are watching back."
NOKKO (dim):
"They usually are."
END OF CHAPTER 5