Vol. 2 Chapter 20 – First Time Comes Suddenly

Perhaps matching the store’s name and cosmic theme, the jet-black outer walls were studded with countless glittering, flashing decorative lights.

“Wow… looks intense. Super Galactic Fortune-Telling, huh…” (Hikaru)
“Ah, yeah… You can really feel the cosmic vibrations… or something…” (Reiya)

Or rather, it feels shady beyond belief…

I keenly felt that I might have made the wrong choice.

“…Let’s just get in line for now.” (Reiya)
“R-Right…” (Hikaru)

Even Hikaru seemed slightly put off, but having come this far, we had no choice.

Steeling ourselves, we joined the end of the line together.

“By the way, Reiya-kun, what are you planning to ask the fortune teller?” (Hikaru)
“What…? Now that you ask, I hadn’t thought about it at all… Maybe what questions will be on the upcoming final exams?” (Reiya)
“That’s something you should be studying for, not asking a fortune teller.” (Hikaru)
“What about you, Hikaru? What are you planning to ask?” (Reiya)
“Hmm… For me, it’s probably about tennis. Like, what should I do to win Wimbledon?” (Hikaru)
“Isn’t that also something you should be practicing hard for rather than relying on fortune-telling?” (Reiya)
“Hey…! If you say that, then everything ends up like that.” (Hikaru)

She laughed out loud, but that’s probably what fortune-telling boils down to.

Hearing positive words about your worries, a guideline to strive towards making them real.

As we talked, the line gradually moved forward…

“Next person, please enter.”

Finally, our turn arrived.

“Okay! Excuse us~!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru went ahead first, disappearing behind the entrance curtain.

I followed her, ducking under the curtain as well.

The small room we were led into was excessively dim, perhaps mimicking outer space.

Only faint, stardust-like lights twinkled on the walls and ceiling.

In the center was a long table, and sitting on the other side, separated by chairs placed in front, was a person.

They wore overly elaborate clothing and a face covering adorned with strange patterns.

…They looked exactly like someone involved in a suspicious cult.

“Please, have a seat.”

A whispering voice echoed from beneath the cloth.

I couldn’t tell the age, but it seemed to be a woman.

“Nice to meet you~!” (Hikaru)

Without a hint of suspicion, Hikaru sat down cheerfully.

“…Nice to meet you.” (Reiya)

Following her lead, I sat down and saw numerous cards laid out on the table.

“What brings you here today?”

Again, the whispering… yet somehow resonant voice spoke.

“Um, we came to have our fortunes told about the future!” (Hikaru)
“I see… The future, you say…”
“Yes! Actually, I play tennis, and I’d like you to tell me if I’ll be able to turn pro and have a successful career!” (Hikaru)

Despite the bizarre atmosphere, Hikaru wasn’t intimidated at all.

“Understood… Then, let us begin the divination immediately… O Brahma, residing in the center of the great cosmos… mumble mumble…”

While chanting some grand spell, the cards on the table were rearranged.

“Reveal unto me this soul’s future, their path forward!!”

With a final raised voice, three cards were flipped over.

“…It is revealed.”
“Is this… the Sun?” (Hikaru)

The face-up cards each depicted a sun-like celestial body.

“No, from left to right, these are Betelgeuse… WOH G64… and Stephenson 2-18, currently the largest observable star in the universe.”

That’s quite a niche selection…

“Huh~… So, what does this mean?” (Hikaru)
“Extremely large stars, all in the upright position… This indicates that your future is filled with immense hope. Regarding tennis as well, you will undoubtedly build a smooth and successful career.”
“Really!?” (Hikaru)
“Yes… To be honest, I may have never encountered one possessing such destiny force in my entire life.”

From beneath the cloth-covered face, a genuinely surprised tone of voice leaked out.

However, for anyone who knows Asahi Hikaru, including myself, it wasn’t that surprising.

It wasn’t an exaggeration; everyone knew she was born under such a star.

“If things continue smoothly, becoming the first foreign-born female President of the United States is also… possible, it says.”

Now that’s definitely an exaggeration.

“By the way, your lucky item for today is a donut.”

Suddenly, it dropped to the level of a morning news show’s horoscope corner.

“See? Aren’t I amazing?” (Hikaru)
“Amazing. So, you gonna become president in the future?” (Reiya)
“Hmm… I don’t really care about being president~…” (Hikaru)

Well, obviously.

“Next… what divination do you seek?”

As I was making various mental retorts, it became my turn.

“Um… As for me…” (Reiya)

Although I still found it suspicious, she had been somewhat accurate about Hikaru, albeit exaggerated.

Thinking she might be the real deal made me scared about what to ask.

My inherent negative thinking kept imagining the worst possible outcomes.

“Is… is anything okay…?” (Reiya)

However, I already knew that overcoming this emotion was what I needed most right now.

“Yes, please ask anything. Lord Brahma sees all.”
“Then, could you tell our fortune… about the two of us…?” (Reiya)
“The two of you…?”
“Yes, about our future together… or our compatibility… or something…” (Reiya)

As I mustered the courage to say it, Hikaru next to me also showed a slightly surprised reaction.

“As you wish. O Brahma, residing in the center of the great cosmos… mumble mumble…”

The spell was chanted again, just like for Hikaru.

It’s just fortune-telling; there’s no need to take it too seriously.

If the result is good, I should just be happy. If it’s bad, I just need to ignore it.

…Even thinking that, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Next to me, Hikaru seemed to feel somewhat the same, tightly gripping the hem of my clothes.

“Reveal unto me their future, their path forward!!”

Again, three cards were flipped over, and their meaning was explained.

“First… the Sun in the center, upright. This suggests a very good future.”
“A good future…” (Reiya)

At those words, a sense of relief washed over me, as if all the strength drained from my body.

Similarly relieved, Hikaru’s grip on my hem loosened.

“The Earth, also part of the solar system, appearing upright as well indicates good compatibility as a man and woman. You will likely become good partners, both mentally and physically.”
“Ph-Physically…” (Reiya)

Slightly flustered by the suggestive word, I was nevertheless relieved that it wasn’t a bad result, but—

“…However, there is also a point of concern.”

As if putting a stop to my relief, the fortune teller added more words.

“A point of concern…?” (Reiya)
“Yes, this reversed Dyson Sphere represents difficulties on the path leading there. I do not know what form they will take, but it seems… you must overcome several obstacles to grasp that good future.”
“I-I see…” (Reiya)

I instinctively held my breath at the statement that seemed to strike at the core of our current situation.

“However, there is no need to feel excessive anxiety. Believe in the future that should be realized, and if you maintain firm resolve in those moments, the path will naturally open for you.”
“…Yes, thank you very much!” (Reiya)

The words of gratitude came out naturally.

Akashic★Spira… maybe she’s the real deal after all—

“By the way, your lucky item for today is coffee with lots of milk.”

Nope, still shady.

Having finished the fortune-telling, we paid the fee and went outside the shop.

“So bright…!” (Reiya)

Perhaps because we had been in the dark for a while, the artificial light painfully stimulated my eyes.

I walked towards the shadow of a nearby pillar and stopped until my eyes adjusted—

“…Wh-What?” (Reiya)

Suddenly, Hikaru pressed herself right up against me.

“She said we have amazing compatibility…! Mentally and physically…!” (Hikaru)

As she spoke, she pressed her body snugly against mine as if to confirm it.

She was stuck to me as perfectly as an aimbot user’s reticle.

“Ah, yeah… um… apparently so…” (Reiya)
“Honestly? I wanted to ask the same thing.” (Hikaru)
“R-Really…?” (Reiya)
“But I was a little scared of getting a bad result, so I couldn’t ask… That’s why, when you asked, Reiya-kun… and the result was good, I was so happy…” (Hikaru)
“I-I see… Well, maybe it was worth asking then…” (Reiya)

A wave of embarrassment washed over me, and I averted my gaze.

But if she was this happy, maybe mustering my courage was worth it.

‘Believe in the future that should be realized, and if you maintain firm resolve in those moments, the path will naturally open for you.’

I repeated the words I had just heard in my mind.

I wasn’t simple enough to believe everything, but at that moment, I thought those words were certainly true.

“…Nn.”

A sensation on my left cheek, something soft and moist pressed against it with a smack.

A moment of bewilderment followed, then the thought, ‘No way…’ stirred my imagination.

Turning to my left, Hikaru was covering her lips with her finger, her cheeks flushed red.

Suspicion turned into certainty.

“…Wh-What was that just now?” (Reiya)
“I was just so happy, it kind of exploded… and I just… did it…” (Hikaru)

I asked while touching my cheek, where the sensation and heat still lingered, and Hikaru mumbled shyly.

“I see… you did it… right…” (Reiya)
“Yeah, I did it…” (Hikaru)

We both averted our gazes, faces flushed red.

It seems that happiness in my life doesn’t arrive when I’m braced for it, but always comes suddenly.