The morning sunlight spilled through the windows of Class 2-A, painting soft golden streaks across the floor. The usual hum of chatter filled the air — laughter, sleepy yawns, the clatter of desks. It was a peaceful morning at Sakura High, until the intercom crackled to life.
"Attention, students! This is your principal speaking. As tradition goes, we're happy to announce that preparations for our annual Sakura High Cultural Festival will begin this week!"
The classroom erupted instantly. Excited cheers, gasps, and whispers burst like fireworks.
"School Festival! Finally!"
"I can't wait to try all the food stalls again!"
"We should do something fun this year—maybe a haunted house?"
Beru blinked in surprise, setting down her pen. The words School Festival echoed in her mind, sending a wave of nostalgia and excitement rushing through her chest. It had been years since she'd looked forward to something this much.
At the front of the room, Luna's face lit up like a star. "Oh! This is wonderful!" she said, already pulling out a notebook to jot down ideas. "We can finally show everyone what our club's capable of."
Souta practically jumped from his chair. "YES! Finally, a chance for us to shine! I can already see it — fireworks, laughter, and me in a hero costume!" he declared dramatically, earning a few laughs from classmates.
Tadao raised an eyebrow, chuckling under his breath. "You? A hero costume? The only thing you'll rescue is the food stand from leftovers."
"Hey! That's cruel, man!" Souta shot back, though his grin didn't fade.
Meanwhile, Haruto leaned back in his chair, hands folded behind his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "A festival, huh… sounds like fun."
Beru, sitting by the window, glanced outside, watching the clouds drift lazily across the blue sky. For some reason, she imagined paper lanterns, laughter echoing down the hallways, the smell of sweet food in the air — and Haruto's laughter blending into it all. Her heart fluttered just a little.
That afternoon, the Cosmic S.T.A.R. Club gathered in their clubroom, the sunlight slanting warmly across the telescope and posters of galaxies and constellations pinned on the walls.
Luna stood at the front, tapping a pen against her clipboard. "Alright! The School Festival is in three weeks, and we need to decide what our club will present."
Souta immediately shot up his hand. "We should totally make a spaceship simulation! Like — a full-on cockpit where people can pretend they're flying through space!"
Tadao shook his head, ever the realist. "Do you have any idea how much equipment that would take? And how expensive it would be?"
"Ugh, details, details," Souta groaned. "You're always crushing my dreams, Tadao."
Haruto laughed softly. "He's just saving you from accidentally turning the gym into a rocket launch site."
Even Luna couldn't help but giggle. "Let's list down ideas first," she said patiently. "Then we can decide what's practical later."
Beru had been quiet, listening as ideas bounced around — space exhibit, cosmic café, astrology fortune-telling corner, and even a mock alien invasion performance suggested by Souta (which Luna quickly vetoed). Finally, she raised her hand slightly. "Um… what if we create something that really shows what our club is about? Like… something that captures how we see the stars."
Luna tilted her head, curious. "What do you mean, Beru?"
Beru hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her notebook. "Well… when I look at the stars through our telescope, I feel… calm. Like I'm closer to something beautiful and far away at the same time. Maybe we can make something that lets others feel that too. Something peaceful, where they can… dream."
Her words hung in the air for a moment — soft, gentle, and sincere.
Haruto watched her closely, his gaze softening. "That actually sounds… pretty amazing."
Luna's eyes sparkled with inspiration. "A place where people can experience the beauty of the cosmos," she murmured. "Wait… what if we make a Mini Planetarium Café?"
Everyone looked up.
"A what now?" Souta asked.
Luna clasped her hands together excitedly. "Think about it! We can use the old music room — it's dark and has space. We decorate the ceiling with projected stars and constellations using LED lights, maybe even small holographic effects. People can come in, order simple drinks or sweets, and enjoy a calm, starry atmosphere."
Beru's eyes widened with delight. "That's… perfect."
Haruto nodded, intrigued. "A café under the stars… sounds like something out of a dream."
Tadao smiled faintly. "And it's actually doable. We could borrow equipment from the science department for projections."
Souta pumped his fist. "Yes! Finally, something cool AND not impossible!"
Luna flipped open her notebook, already sketching ideas. "We can divide into teams — decorating, menu, music, and visual effects. And maybe…" She turned toward Beru and Haruto with a playful smirk. "You two can handle the main theme — the emotional heart of it. The story behind the café."
Beru blinked, cheeks reddening. "S-story?"
"Every great café needs a story!" Luna insisted. "Something that makes people feel connected. Like, maybe the café was built by two people who dreamed of touching the stars together."
Souta leaned back, grinning mischievously. "Ooooh, sounds romantic~."
Beru's blush deepened as Haruto chuckled softly beside her. "Sure," he said, his tone warm. "I can work with that."
The days that followed were filled with creative chaos.
Paint buckets lined the floor, brushes clattered, and laughter echoed through the clubroom. Luna guided the designs while Souta nearly tripped over wires trying to hang LED strands across the ceiling.
"Careful!" Tadao scolded, catching the wire before it fell. "You're going to electrocute yourself before the festival even starts."
"I'm testing gravity," Souta defended. "You wouldn't understand."
Meanwhile, Beru and Haruto sat together at the window desk, sketching out the concept art for the café. Haruto drew a faint outline of a night sky dome, while Beru painted over it with gentle watercolor hues.
She glanced sideways, smiling shyly. "You're pretty good at drawing."
Haruto shrugged lightly. "I used to doodle a lot when I was a kid. Guess it stuck."
"You must've drawn something important back then," she murmured, her tone curious.
Haruto paused — a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Maybe… something I wanted to remember."
Their eyes met briefly, and for a heartbeat, neither spoke. Then Luna's voice broke the moment.
"Haruto! Beru! Stop flirting and help with the lights!"
Beru's face turned crimson. "W-we're not—!"
Souta laughed so hard he nearly dropped a bulb. "Sure you're not!"
Haruto smirked. "Guess we're busted."
As the days passed, the old music room transformed into something magical.
Strings of soft LED stars shimmered across the ceiling.
A digital projector displayed constellations slowly drifting by.
Fabric painted deep indigo covered the walls, giving the illusion of a boundless night sky.
They even managed to borrow a sound system from the art department to play gentle ambient music — the hum of the universe.
Beru and Luna worked on the menu: Star-Dusted Cocoa, Meteor Macarons, and Cosmic Lemonade — each name bringing giggles and excitement.
Souta practiced his "stellar waiter" lines dramatically while Haruto just shook his head in amusement.
One afternoon, as the sunset painted the sky in streaks of orange and pink, Beru stood in the nearly finished room, gazing up at the glowing stars they had created. The twinkling lights reflected in her eyes.
Haruto entered quietly, holding two cans of soda. "You've been working nonstop," he said, handing her one.
She smiled, taking it. "I just… want it to be perfect. This café — it's like a little dream come true."
He looked up at the glowing ceiling. "It really is beautiful. You made this room feel alive."
Beru glanced at him softly. "We made it. All of us."
Haruto's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, then he looked away, smiling faintly. "You know," he said, "I think people are going to feel something special when they walk in here."
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"Because it's full of heart," he replied simply. "Yours."
Her breath caught — a warmth blooming inside her chest that words couldn't hold.
They stood there together in the twilight glow, stars above and silence between them — a silence that didn't need to be broken.
That evening, Luna gathered everyone for a final check of progress.
"Our decoration team is ahead of schedule," she announced proudly. "And the menu looks incredible. We just need to finalize shifts and maybe create a small story corner — you know, to match the café's theme."
Souta raised his hand eagerly. "I nominate Beru and Haruto to tell the story!"
Luna grinned. "Seconded!"
Beru's face turned pink again, but she didn't protest this time. She looked around the glowing room, the friends who had laughed and worked beside her, the stars they'd built together — and Haruto, whose quiet encouragement had become her strength.
"Alright," she said softly, smiling. "We'll tell it."
As the night fell over Sakura High, the club members finally stepped outside, the cool air brushing against their tired faces. They turned back to look at the music room — their creation — now shimmering faintly through the glass windows like a piece of the sky itself.
"It feels like we just built a little piece of space," Souta said in awe.
Tadao nodded. "A sky full of dreams."
Beru smiled, whispering, "Then that'll be our café's name."
Luna clapped her hands together, her voice bright and full of warmth. "Perfect. The Mini Planetarium Café — A Sky Full of Dreams."
Haruto looked up at the real stars above them — countless and eternal. Somewhere deep inside, something stirred — a faint memory, like an echo of another world where stars weren't just lights, but symbols of fate.
And beside him, Beru looked up too — their hands brushing briefly, neither pulling away.
The night wrapped around them softly, full of laughter, light, and the unspoken promise of something beautiful about to begin.
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To be continued...