SUNA RINTAROU WATCHED the girl before him–at least he assumed it was a girl–with no low levels of concern. She was obviously going through something–cussing up at the sky, yelling, then breaking down... laughing?

The professional middle blocker shivered at the somewhat disturbing sight. Society is getting crazier day by day, he thought silently to himself, beginning to trudge away since his usual spot for stargazing had been occupied by some... maniac. Possibly a mentally disturbed homeless person.

Suna turned his head woefully one last time towards his spot, disappointed he would be unable to appreciate his quiet time to himself today–then stopped. From the spot he stood at, he was able to catch a glimpse of the girl's face which was just barely illuminated by the pale moonlight that was streaming through. He sucked in a sharp breath when he realized that she was, at least by his standards, gorgeous.

The middle blocker blinked as he watched her lips tremble while wiping away stray tears that leaked out of her eyes–what color, from here, he couldn't tell.

By some unconscious instinct of his, he slowly stepped forward into the clearing. From the back of his mind, he could feel himself questioning what he was doing, what he was about to do, but some invisible force kept him going until he stood only a few feet away from the mysterious girl.

"Are... you okay...?"

He watched as the girl visibly flinched at his voice, turning to face the source of the new voice. "Um. Yeah! Totally fine, haha," she replied nervously, still wiping at her eyes. "Don't, um, know why you asked! Haha, lol!"

Suna rolled his eyes at the obvious lie and stepped forward. "You were screaming 'damn it all' at the sky ten seconds ago, started wailing, then concluded that session with maniacal laughter," he raised a brow, studying the girl's face. From their closer proximity, he could see that her eyes were a very pretty shade of velvet green. He watched as her eyes widened, the way so many of his fans did when they saw him–

The middle blocker froze. Shit, he thought frantically to himself. What am I doing? She's going to fucking recognize me–

"Who are you?" The girl took a step back, narrowing those charming green eyes of hers. Suna stilled, surprise clouding his mind. She doesn't know me? He internally breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been worried that she'd turn out to be one of his obsessive fans, yet it turned out she didn't. To her, he smiled, he was just another normal person.

Leaning back, Suna shrugged and straightened up. He then inhaled deeply and craned his neck up at the sky. "I'm whomever you want me to be," he replied vaguely, shrugging his shoulders, secretly enjoying the mystery man persona.

He could hear the girl beside him snort. "Whatever, star-boy," her tone was sarcastic and biting.

Suna blinked. "Star-boy?" he echoed the new name. His companion raised a brow, crossing her arms. "I assume you're here to stargaze?"

Suna chuckled. She's an interesting one. "Yeah, sure, but don't call me star-boy. Too weird," he scrunched up his nose. Turning, he faced the new girl once more. He looked over her figure once, then twice, summing her up. He decided she wasn't half bad, and seemed to be quite amusing after witnessing her tantrum from earlier.

He smiled and extended a hand for her to shake. "Call me Rin instead," he took the risk–if she didn't recognize him by sight, she wouldn't recognize his nickname, would she?

Turns out the volleyball pro had betted on the right side. The new girl merely accepted his hand and shook it with her own small smile. "Then I'm Hoshi," she replied.

They shared idle conversation after that, quipping wittily and offering up sarcastic remarks. Hoshi's cynical and crude personality–she seemed to be in the habit of cursing often–was a refreshing one that Suna found himself somewhat relating to.

He was even able to briefly geek out over his love for stars–although he must've seemed a little too eager, considering Hoshi revealed herself to be an astronomer, of all things. Eventually, the ravenette arose from her spot on the ground, dusting herself off. "It's getting late. I'm afraid I have to go," Suna blinked at the tightness in her voice.

He watched her for a moment before standing up himself, agreeing with her words. Better check up on the twins, he thought to himself.

Looking up, he met eyes with the astronomer before him–again, his breath hitched. She really was pretty.

I wonder if I'll see you again, he found himself wondering.

Turning, he started off. He was lost in thought, making several different choices, decisions of every shape and size before he paused for one last word–"See you later, Hoshi," he uttered without looking back. Then he continued off, not bothering to stay and hear the girl's response.

See you later. We will meet again, he knew the connotations and implications of his words. He didn't understand why he'd said so, or why he even wanted to, but Suna Rintarou never denied himself what he believed he needed.

Hoshi seemed to be something he needed.

Looking up into the night sky, Suna briefly stopped as he looked up at the new star that had made its dazzling debut in the heart of Aquarius–his star sign–amongst its companions. His pale amber eyes softened as he looked up at that lonely, yet dazzling star. He exhaled softly.

"Ochika..."

. . .

Suna usually only went out to stargaze about three or four times a week, but he found himself wandering the familiar path to the clearing in the park every night for the next few days.

He was realistic–he knew it was because he wanted to see Hoshi again, and found himself hoping that she would be there again.

She's cool, he explained to himself. Plus, she doesn't know who I am. And it's great! Someone finally treats me like a normal fuckin' person–

"Rin?" her voice wasn't exactly familiar–they'd known each other only 3 days, after all–but there was, obviously, only one person who it could be. Suna found himself smiling as he turned towards the astronomer. "Hey, Hoshi."

Said girl smiled up at him, patting the spot beside her on the grass. "Fancy seeing you again," there was a laugh in her voice as Suna took up her offer and sat down beside her. "Yeah? You sure you didn't come here just to see me?" he teased.

Hoshi rolled her eyes. "Big ego much? And to think that was what I was gonna ask you." In response, Suna laughed. "And what if I did?" he turned to look at her. Hoshi didn't flinch away from his charmingly narrowed eyes. "Then that just goes to fuel my bigass ego," she shot back, then laughed.

Suna joined her in her laughter, appreciating her humorous company. He barely knew her, he knew, knowing only that she was in her twenties and an astronomer, but he just felt so... comfortable with her. As if she was an old friend.

Turning, he looked at her over his shoulder. "...Are you feeling better?" he asked hesitantly. They'd only spoken of stars before, and he knew it wasn't really his place to ask–and yet, at the same time, some small part of him just... wanted to make sure she was ok.

It's a natural human reaction, he assured himself.

Hoshi looked down at the ground, not responding. It took a minute before she spoke up again. "Yeah... I guess," she shrugged melancholically.

Suna watched his feet as he rolled them side to side. "Is this about a guy?" he asked slowly, vaguely, giving Hoshi the chance to voice her opinions if she thought he was getting too personal. It's only the fourth day.

To his vague surprise, she actually chuckled, parting her lips to answer, "Hit the nail right on the head," she drew circles in the grass beneath her.

Suna tilted his head to the side, watching her actions. "Well, well, well. How's a girl as pretty as you getting her heart broken up?" His tone was mockingly surprised. In response, Hoshi rolled her eyes, chuckling at his sarcastic yet sweet comment. "I... don't know. It was just... all really confusing," she breathed out a sigh, and said nothing more. Suna turned back to face the front and nodded, understanding she no longer wished to speak of the matter.

"Well. I do hope it gets better for you," his wish was genuine and wholehearted. "Thanks," Hoshi nodded gratefully, then turned to him. "What about you? You look down."

Suna's eyes widened, then narrowed as he smiled at the girl beside him. "What makes you say that?" he asked curiously.

Hoshi shrugged, looking back up at the stars. "I don't know. It's just a sense," she answered indifferently.

Chuckling softly, the athlete also turned to face the star-studded sky. "Yeah? Well, I don't know. I have these two kids, and–well. I love them, but they can also be so fuckin' much. You know what I mean?"

Hoshi seemed surprised. "You have kids? I thought you were..."

Suna nodded. "Oh, they're young. Practically fetuses."

His word choice made the astronomer laugh. "Well, in that case, I can see where you're coming from. Kids can be endearing, but they're... a lot."

Humming in agreement, the middle blocker faced the astronomer. "You have any?"

"Nah. I just... deal with them sometimes," Hoshi vaguely answered.

Suna hummed, smiling. "Cool."

They spent the rest of the night staring up at the sky, stargazing in silence.

. . .

The breakup with Akaashi was hitting Tsukimi particularly hard that specific day. She was in a bad mood the moment she woke up, grumbling and cursing all the while under her breath as she walked over to the lab–her new home was close enough to walk.

"Mornin'," she greeted her colleagues lazily while sipping her coffee. "Morning," the rest of the staff greeted her, many eyeing her with admiration and interest. Tsukimi had, after all, discovered a star.

And yet, the girl noticed with narrowed eyes, that everyone seemed a little nervous around her today. She was half-tempted to ask what was wrong but eventually decided against it. It's not as if they'd tell her if they were afraid of her, or something.

Fucking cowards, scoffed Tsukimi.

(Yeah. Maybe that attitude was why everyone was so weary.)

It was a slow day: Filing out reports, working out equations on the chalkboard, discussing and holding conferences with other researchers–Tsukimi was half-asleep when her advisor made his way to her. "Hoshiko!" his voice boomed, arousing her from her tired disposition.

"What is it, old man?" she drawled, looking up from her desk. Her velvet green eyes narrowed at the sheepish look Dr. Tanaka had. "Wait. You have that look on your face again."

The veteran researcher flinched at his disciple's words, scratching his head awkwardly. "Uh... What face? You don't know what you're talking about–it's the caffeine getting to you; Ah, yes, it's that and your sleep deprivation–"

"Shut it, old man," groaned Tsukimi as she plopped her head back into her hands. "Please don't tell me you exploded your nasty ass lunch in my microwave again." Her onlooking colleagues watched with impressed looks–with all the time they'd spent with her, they weren't strangers to her crude and cynical personality, but it always surprised her to speak so casually–even rudely with their senior. They knew that the pair was close, of course, but still–it was always something of a wake-up call when they witnessed it first hand.

Tsukiya laughed nervously, causing his disciple to peek up at him through her long fingers suspiciously. "No, no, I did nothing of the sort. It's just, uh..." he lowered his hand down to his sides, fiddling with his fingers nervously. "Have you heard of, um, that one company... Galactic Wish?"

Tsukimi didn't fail to notice how her fellow staff members almost immediately departed the scene, coming up with a plethora of reasons to leave. Murmurs of I need to heat up my lunch and I have something to complete up in the balcony filled the tense atmosphere. All this only furthered her suspicious attitude. Tsukimi looked up at her advisor with suspicious, narrowed eyes.

"...Yes? What about them?" she asked slowly, not knowing where exactly this conversation was going.

"Well, uh, haha," Dr. Tanaka's old brown eyes flitted side to side. "You know how they, um, basically sell stars? To people?"

"Yeah..?"

"Well, um, your star–it's. Um. It was on their market. And for quite the high price, of course, considering how new and... rare it is," Dr. Tanaka quickly added, almost in a frantic tone.

Crossing her arms, Tsukimi nodded. "Ok..? Thanks for letting me know? I guess?" she turned back to her work. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"No!"

At her advisor's outburst, Tsukimi turned back to the senior astronomer, now clearly irritated. She opened her mouth but was interrupted by her advisor.

"I mean–! It's, um, not something I wanted to just... let you know about. It's. Um." Tanaka Tsukiya took in a deep breath, silently praying that Tsukimi's wrath wouldn't be completely directed towards him.

"It'sbeenboughtbyafigureandsomemysteriousguyownsyourstarnow,haha,okaythat'sallIhavetosayhaveagreatday!"

Without giving a chance for his student to process his words, Dr. Tanaka Tsukiya quickly darted out of the room, leaving the premises so to remove himself from a one-mile radius of Tsukimi Hoshiko's explosive personality.

It was a good thing he did so, too. Because if Tsukimi was cartooned after her advisor left, her face would've been turning slowly red, smoke slowly filing out of her ears.

"What... the fuck!!!"