The Distance Between Stars

"Yukinon, you have any plans later?"

"No, not particularly..."

As I sat reading in the club room, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were having a standard conversation. Ah, if only I had their conversational skills... Wait, weren't those skills the bare minimum? Well, at least I have this light novel... How do these characters have so much dialogue with each other? It's like they're actually friends instead of practicing for when they have real friends! [1]

"Then... you wanna go stargazing later?" I looked up from my book in surprise. Yukinoshita seemed shocked as well. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that..." As Yukinoshita trailed off, Yuigahama looked to me for an explanation.

"It's a bit surprising that you would suggest that."

"Huh? How so?" Yuigahama tilted her head. I see that Yukinoshita has rubbed off on you.

"Well, thinking of you... You'd probably suggest things like 'going to the mall' or 'singing karaoke' or 'eating at a cafe'. Things of that nature." As Yukinoshita said that, Yuigahama started to pout at her. Then she looked at me for a sense of confirmation. I nodded and she pouted even more.

"Why do you want to go stargazing?" In response to my question, Yuigahama looked at Yukinoshita.

"Well, I saw it in a magazine... And I thought it sounded like something Yukinon would like!"

"Well, it is true that I like to stargaze..." Yukinoshita looked away as if embarrassed. Ah, seeing this scene reminds me of Kyoko and Ayano. Although, I can't imagine Yukinoshita yelling "Yuigahama Yui!" everytime she sees her. [2]

"Then, let's go!"

"A-alright..."

"Yay!" Yuigahama went up to Yukinoshita and nearly suffocated her in a hug.

"Y-Yuigahama-san... you're too close." Yuigahama only got closer as she said that.

"Where are we gonna go?"

"Hmm... I usually look at the stars from my balcony..."

"Let's go there, then!" Yukinoshita nodded to that suggestion. Now that that's settled, I can go back to my light- Yuigahama suddenly turned to me and spoke. "Hikki is also coming... Right?"

"Huh?" I looked at Yukinoshita who also seemed surprised.

"Yuigahama-san... I don't know if I'm comfortable inviting that into my home." Hey, don't treat me like an object. Blood tastes like iron... I'm a person, not a robot! [3] Despite thinking that, I nodded in agreement.

"I don't really want to go."

"You don't have any plans, right?" Ugh... Hitting me where it hurts.

"N-no..."

"Then there's no reason not to come!" Yuigahama's logic... Was somewhat sound. However, I continued to reject the idea.

"I don't feel like it."

"Yuigahama-san, please don't force-"

Yuigahama looked at Yukinoshita intensely. From this angle I couldn't see her face. However, from Yukinoshita's reaction, I could tell that it was compelling.

"H-Hikigaya-kun, this time I'll allow you to come over."

"I don't want to."

"Hikki..." Yuigahama turned to face me. While Yukinoshita might have fallen to it, there's no way the sad puppy routine will work on-

As I thought of that, Yuigahama looked at me with one of the saddest faces I have ever seen on a human being. And contradictory to my earlier thought, I gave up all resistance.

"I-I guess I'll go. I really don't have anything better to do anyway."

"Yay!" That was a quick mood change... Yuigahama was nearing Isshiki-level slyness...

"Well, we should end early in that case."

"Hikigaya-kun is right. Let's close for today."

We locked up the room, gave the key to Hiratsuka-sensei (who smiled widely at us when we said we were closing early) and started making our way to Yukinoshita's apartment. We got on a crowded train. I felt a bit sick when entering the crowd, but as I felt a hand grab my blazer, I gathered all the willpower I could to make my way to a spot where the three of us could stand without being separated.

Eventually, I found a spot near the doors. I glanced over at Yukinoshita who was still gripping my blazer. How did she do this everyday without someone? Actually, she usually went home with Yuigahama, right? Yurinon and Yurigahama probably held hands the whole ride home. [4]

The train started with a jolt, and Yuigahama stumbled, leaning on me for support. I could smell her fruity shampoo from this position... Wait, what am I thinking?!

"A-ah, sorry."

"I-it's fine... It's crowded, after all." This dialogue seems pretty familiar... Wait! I'm Chitoge in this scene?! That means Yuigahama is Raku... Why am I even entertaining this idea? [5]

While that transpired, Yukinoshita's grip on my blazer tightened. I looked back at her. She looked up at the same time and our eyes met. She immediately looked away, seeming a bit flustered. I know that you call my eyes rotten, but does looking at them really make you sick? It's probably just the large crowd that's making her nervous.

We eventually arrived at her stop. As we walked onto the platform, I noticed that Yukinoshita was still gripping my blazer. As I stopped and looked at her, she realized what she was doing. She immediately let go and hurried over to Yuigahama, who was walking ahead.

Seeing Yukinoshita approaching Yuigahama on her own made me realize how close they had become. From the first time we met Yuigahama, Yukinoshita was cold and distant to her. But now she's almost constantly in her company... It's a bit impressive how much that relationship has grown.

Or has it grown much? I couldn't tell, since I didn't know how they acted when they were alone together. The only observation I can make is that they spent more time together, which could be more of Yuigahama's doing.

As I was thinking that, I almost bumped into the girls who suddenly stopped. Yuigahama was pointing upwards.

"I found the first star of tonight!" Well done, Yuigahama. I looked up at the sky and saw it. It dimly shone in the orange sky. I looked down to see Yukinoshita looking at it with a melancholic gaze.

"What a lonely star..."

"What was that, Yukinon?" Yukinoshita shook her head at the question and continued walking. "Ah, there's another one!"

I looked up once more to see another star that was relatively close to the first one. Seeing that, Yukinoshita smiled a little and glanced over at me. She immediately turned away once she realized I was looking at her.

What, that lonely star reminded you of me? Ah, I suppose since the lonely star wasn't lonely anymore, there was also hope for me to find a friend... What a sad thought... I sighed after thinking of that.

"We'll get a better view of the stars from Yukinoshita's balcony. Besides, it's not even night yet."

"Hikigaya-kun is right, for once." You didn't need to add on "for once", you know...

Before going to Yukinoshita's apartment, we went shopping near her house for ingredients. Yukinoshita was apparently going to cook for us while we waited for night to come. I was opposed to Yukinoshita cooking for me and letting me into her apartment, as then I would owe her, and who knows what she'd make me do to repay her? However, I couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement, since I knew how good of a cook she was.

After Yukinoshita finished paying, Yuigahama grabbed the bags and walked over to me. I looked at her in confusion, until she held the bags out for me to hold.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Yuigahama pouted.

"You always do it for Iroha-chan, though..." Hearing that, I grabbed the bags from her. Due to a bit of clumsiness from both of us, our hands ended up brushing more than once.

"S-sorry."

"I-it's okay, Hikki." We stood there for a little. I looked at her to find her looking at me. We both turned away after our eyes met.

"What are you two doing?" Yuigahama and I looked over at Yukinoshita, who was tilting her head in curiosity.

"I-I was just getting Hikki to hold our bags."

"Ah, that's smart. After all, he doesn't amount to much other than a professional bag holder."

"Huh? I'm just being a gentleman. I'm surprised that this ojou-san doesn't even recognize that." [6]

"In any case, as long as the food doesn't rot in your hands, we should be fine." Yuigahama giggled a little at that one. Yukinoshita and I stopped after hearing that.

"You two are always like that. Well, should we go?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

Yuigahama served as a good mediator between Yukinoshita and me. Otherwise, we'd be arguing all day. Good job, Yuigahama. You don't even need a magical musket to break up this argument. Though, we aren't exactly swinging out fists at each other... [7]

Once we arrived at Yukinoshita's, I set the bags down on the counter, then looked at Yukinoshita and Yuigahama while they talked.

"So what are you making, Yukinon?"

"Hmm... Since it's cold, I'm making udon." Although I'm not Misaki Tobisawa, I was very excited. [8]

"Hey, Yukinon?"

"What is it?" Yuigahama shyly smiled and turned away. Oi, save that stuff for when I'm not here!

"Can I help?" Hearing that, I almost had a heart attack. I looked to Yukinoshita for her answer, hoping that it would be a "no". With a smile, Yukinoshita spoke gently.

"Absolutely not." She continued to smile while Yuigahama pouted at her. "Well, having some help would save some time... Hikigaya-kun."

"Yes?"

"I will allow you to help me tonight."

"Is that really how you're gonna ask someone to help you? How polite of you."

"Oh, 'someone' implies a person. You are beneath that, right?" Yuigahama's giggling stopped the insults once again. "Well, hurry up and wash those rotting hands of yours."

"Okay, okay." After washing our hands, we starting making udon. The tasks Yukinoshita asked me to do were pretty simple... Well, maybe not for Yuigahama. We finished quickly and efficiently. Yukinoshita started to prepare the table.

I thought it was a bit surprising that she let me help her at all. The old Yukinoshita would have preferred to do everything herself. I'm sure if Yuigahama wasn't a total klutz in the kitchen, Yukinoshita would have asked her to help as well. Maybe there was some form of trust built up between us three. Well, maybe not trust... But something different?

While thinking of that, I subconsciously looked over at Yuigahama.

"Uh... Hikki?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"You've just been staring over here for a little."

"A-ah, sorry." I turned away. Hopefully I didn't look too gross.

"W-well, it's not like it's a bad thing..."

"Dinner is served." Yukinoshita placed our bowls in front of us and sat down next to Yuigahama. Seeing that I smiled.

"What is it, Hikki?"

"Nothing. Let's eat!"

After dinner, which was delicious, we walked out onto the balcony. The starry sky was breathtaking.

"Wow it's pretty!" Yuigahama seemed a bit excited.

"I agree."

"So, the stars I read about were Deneb, Altair and Vega..." As Yuigahama unknowingly referenced the Bakemonogatari ED [9], I realized something. The magazine she read was probably referring to-

"That's the Summer Triangle. It's winter now, so we won't be able to see those stars." As Yukinoshita confirmed my thoughts, Yuigahama looked downwards.

"I-I see..." Uncharacteristically reading the mood, Yukinoshita spoke once more to cheer Yuigahama up.

"But there are plenty of things to see. Do you know about the Pleiades?"

"...Play?" Not even close, Yuigahama...

"Pleiades. Well, look at those three stars in a row. That's Orion's Belt. We can trace Orion's belt and make a line that points to the head of Taurus. Right there, that really bright star is a part of it. If we go a bit further... There's the Pleiades cluster."

"Wow, it's pretty. Right, Hikki?"

"Ah, yeah they are."

"The Pleiades were named after..." As Yukinoshita explained the origin of the cluster's name, eventually turning into an explanation of Greek mythology (Yukipedia really does know everything), Yuigahama listened intently. What Yukinoshita didn't mention is that the Japanese name for the Pleiades was Subaru [10]. Imagining driving around the stars made me smile a bit. Or maybe I was thinking of flying around on my drive shaft... [11]

"All the stars there are close together, huh?" Yukinoshita thought about that question for a bit.

"I suppose they are when you compare those distances with the distances between other stars..." To that, I decided to speak up.

"But they're still very far away from each other." Yuigahama seemed satisfied with the answer. However, Yukinoshita looked downwards after hearing what I said. Then she looked up to the Pleiades.

"The stars seem so close in the sky, yet they're separated by distances it would take eternity to travel..." As Yukinoshita said that, I could feel the sadness in her gaze towards the sky. She continued speaking, the sadness lingering. "People are like that, as well."

She wasn't wrong. People who seemed close could be not close at all. Even more prevalent was our inability to approximate the distance between us. Were we close or far? To the naked eye, we might seem close, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are that way.

The distance between the three of us was an example of this. We were in the same club, spent time together (after all, we were currently stargazing together) and shared some sense of trust, yet I wouldn't say we were close. In fact, there was so much we misunderstood about each other. Those misunderstandings naturally created distance. Thinking of that, I heard Yukinoshita speak once more.

"We're all so lonely..."

"That's wrong." I looked at Yuigahama, who was trembling slightly. "Remember, when I spotted the first star of the night? It was alone in the beginning... but other stars started to appear around it until the sky was full." Yukinoshita looked over at her in surprise. After speaking, Yuigahama rushed over to Yukinoshita and smothered her in a hug.

"Y-Yuigahama-san... you're-"

"Just let me do this... Please." To that Yukinoshita smiled slightly and stopped resisting. Yuigahama squeezed tighter.

What Yuigahama said reminded me of Yukinoshita. She was alone in the Service Club until Yuigahama and I showed up. Then we received many requests and interacted with many people. While none of us may be close, it is hard to say that we're all alone. Despite this, it is still quite difficult to judge the distance between each other. As I was thinking about that, Yuigahama looked over at me.

"Hikki, are you cold over there?" To that question, I smiled.

"Not at all."

At that moment, that inability didn't matter to me. Because on that balcony, in the cold winter night, I felt warm at the sight of those two embracing. However, it seemed that Yuigahama wasn't pleased at my answer. She dragged Yukinoshita over to where I was standing. Then she went to my other side and got closer to me.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I-it's for warmth!" After saying that, Yuigahama got even closer. The fruity smell of her shampoo made me a bit flustered. Yukinoshita grabbed my sleeve and moved towards me. I looked at her to question what she was doing. To that, she looked away and moved slightly closer.

While embarassing, I did feel a bit warmer. I eventually gave in and relaxed a bit more. I stayed like that for a while, made small chat, listened to Yukinoshita explain astronomy and mythology, watched Yuigahama nod vigorously and gazed at the beautiful night sky.

Eventually, the heat we were sharing ran out, depleted by the winter cold. We went back inside and talked for a little. Yuigahama decided to stay over, and I realized it was time to leave. After leaving Yukinoshita's apartment, I went home. It had been a long, yet enjoyable night. Time to relax!

Or so I had thought, until...

"Onii-chan, where have you been?!" Komachi was standing there, blocking the path to my room.

And seeing no possible way to escape, I realized that the already long night was about to get longer.

Hey, all. Thanks for reading this fic. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.

I apologize for all of the references... It got out of hand before I knew it. Oh well. Oh, if you got the Hokago no Pleiades reference then I am impressed. This fic was influenced by it pretty heavily...

Please let me know if anyone is OOC. I tried to capture their personalities, so if you notice any mistakes, please write a review about it. I want to be as true to the characters as I can.

Well, thanks again,

Bchets

Footnotes (A/N: There's a lot):

[1]: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai

[2]: Yuru Yuri

[3]: Ping Pong the Animation. Smile.

[4]: Yuri is love between girls. Mixed the word yuri into Yuigahama and Yukinon.

[5]: Nisekoi. Nisekoi 200 specifically.

[6]: The ojou character is usually a girl who treats people as if they're below her. Her personality is often guided by the thought that she is better than people around her.

[7]: Amagi Brilliant Park. Senia and Moffle argue with each other, often turning into a fist fight. Sento shoots them with her musket.

[8]: Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm

[9]: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (A/N: AHHHH Yanaginagi is amazing!)

[10]: Like the car company...

[11]: Hokago no Pleiades

Huh... I guess there weren't as much as I thought.