To create the feeling of a night sky, the brightness inside the entire planetarium was kept at the minimum level necessary to see one's feet and surroundings.
Under the guidance of the faint lights, Tetsuya chose a seat relatively towards the back.
Not being a starry sky enthusiast, he had no particular requirements for a stargazing spot. And compared to the more crowded central area, the emptiness and quiet of the back were more conducive to finding inspiration.
(Speaking of which, is this really a projection? It feels just like the real starry sky...)
Gazing at the deep starry sky on the dome, Tetsuya, who had never been to a planetarium before, let out the most simple and honest sigh of admiration in his heart.
(Modern technology is really amazing.)
Thinking of how he and his sister had only recently learned how to properly use a smartphone, he couldn't help but sigh with a sad expression.
(In comparison, I'm practically like a primitive man...)
It seemed there were still many things he had to learn...
Just as Tetsuya was lost in his wild thoughts, a rustling sound from beside him suddenly caught his attention—
Under the reflection of the starlight from the dome, Tetsuya could barely make out the figure standing frozen beside him.
It was a girl with short hair, wearing a Haneoka uniform, with a frame even more slender and smaller than Anon's.
At this moment, the girl was staring blankly at his seat, her expression seeming a little lost...
(...Hm? Ah, could it be that's what's happening...)
After a moment of thought, a possibility emerged in Tetsuya's mind. Then, instead of talking to the girl, he quietly stood up from his seat and moved to a new one some distance away.
Sure enough, after he left, the short-haired girl who had been standing there frozen also began to move. She was seen bowing several times towards his original seat before finally sitting down...
(...What an interesting child.)
Though she didn't say a word, her actions and expression were very easy to understand.
And her timid, cautious appearance couldn't help but remind Tetsuya of certain small animals...
...
No, no, he didn't come here to find inspiration from "small animals."
Compared to this girl, he should be focusing his attention on the starry sky above!
Thinking this, he immediately withdrew his gaze and looked up at the dome again, waiting for the narrator's "arrival."
In order to concentrate as much as possible, he tried hard to ignore the sounds and figures passing by his seat... However, even so, while waiting, his attention was once again drawn by a faint scent from behind him—
(...? The smell of hair dye?)
Although it was just a faint scent, Tetsuya was sharp enough to identify its source.
He had smelled it once in a dressing room when attending a fashion show with Director Hasegawa.
Because it was so unpleasant, he couldn't even wait in the dressing room for Director Hasegawa to finish exchanging pleasantries with others and fled in embarrassment. After that, Director Hasegawa teased him about it for quite a while...
(Who on earth would deliberately use this kind of stuff to dye their hair on a normal day?)
Out of curiosity, Tetsuya finally couldn't help but look in the direction the scent was coming from.
And at the end of his line of sight, a woman wearing a light trench coat, along with a hat and mask, was adjusting her seat.
Because the lighting was too dim and the other person was wearing a mask, Tetsuya couldn't determine her specific age, but... from the curve at the cinched waist of the trench coat, and the small face that was almost completely covered by the mask, she must be a woman who pays close attention to her figure...
Using hair dye because she's conscious of her appearance... right, that's not strange at all.
After dispelling all the doubts in his heart, Tetsuya finally focused his attention on the starry sky on the dome with peace of mind.
But just then, the woman in the trench coat, who had adjusted her seatback to be higher, also began to silently cast her gaze towards where Tetsuya was sitting...
...
Before long, the planetarium's narrator began the commentary for this afternoon's session.
Since it was approaching summer, the commentary naturally began with the most famous "Summer Triangle."
And speaking of the Summer Triangle, the well-known legendary tale would naturally be mentioned.
(The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.)
Following the narrator's introduction, Tetsuya cast his gaze towards the two stars that were specially highlighted.
(Ill-fated lovers, forced apart by destiny, who can only meet once a year on the Qixi Festival...)
So, how did they spend their time outside of Qixi?
Would they quietly wait for that day to arrive? Or would they try to find a way to cross the Milky Way and be together forever?
He subconsciously recalled the memory of searching for Hoshino Ai at the site of the old orphanage back then.
It's just that, compared to the Qixi legend, his experience seemed much more of a failure.
Even now, he still hadn't been able to see Hoshino Ai again.
On one hand, he wasn't mentally prepared to meet her; on the other hand, he wasn't sure if Ai would even want to see him again.
Waiting, searching, meeting...
Starry sky, constellations, astray...
Along with the slight conflict and pain in his heart, some inspiration seemed to emerge in Tetsuya's mind.
Immediately after, his designer's instincts made him immerse himself in his own world.
...
As the narrator's voice gradually faded, after nearly an hour of contemplation, Tetsuya's consciousness finally returned to reality.
Compared to being completely clueless at the beginning, he now had quite a few inspirations and ideas in his mind.
"This is a good place... the planetarium."
After sighing with this sentiment in his heart, Tetsuya stood up, preparing to leave.
And as he passed by his original seat, although it was very faint, he clearly heard a voice from the short-haired girl—
"Thank you."
"...You're welcome."
After replying with a smile, Tetsuya left the planetarium just like that.
...
"...He's gone."
After Tetsuya left, the "black-haired" woman in the trench coat murmured softly.
Then, she got up from her seat and went directly to the front row... to the very seat Tetsuya had just been sitting in.
After arriving at the seat, she first slowly untied the trench coat, revealing the summer clothes underneath, before carefully leaning against the seatback.
"As I thought... I can still feel Tetsu's warmth."
Feeling the warmth that was as if it were holding her in an embrace, a blissful smile appeared on her face.
"At this time, Tetsu should be heading to work... Be careful on your way, Tetsu."
As she spoke, she took out a notebook from the pocket of her trench coat.
And in that notebook, densely packed notes resembling a schedule were written.
"Not yet... wait for me a little longer, Tetsu."
Flipping the notebook to the last page, Hoshino Ai fixed her gaze on the two names that were specially marked.
"Togawa Sakiko, Chihaya Anon... I'll lend him to you for a little while longer."
Slap!
The notebook was snapped shut forcefully.
The lingering warmth from the seat was gradually being covered by her own body heat.
She had finally completed her "recharge."
"Mhm, I need to start working hard too."
With that, Hoshino Ai put on her trench coat again and left the planetarium with a lighter step than when she had arrived.
However, as she left, the short-haired girl in the Haneoka uniform was also quietly watching her retreating back...