Kei pressed the last keys which ended the melody he was playing. He looked at Keito and frowned. "I'm done. Will you study now?" 

 

"Your performance was great. But next time, stop looking like you don't want what you're doing!" Keito laughed. 

 

Kei pushed all the reviewers to the guy beside him. "You're not going to pass if you don't study!" 

 

The younger took all the reviewers and put those inside the bag. "Nah. I'll review tomorrow. I want us to go somewhere." 

 

"What?!" He exclaimed. "But your examination is the day after tomorrow!"

 

The younger grinned. "We'll stargaze." 

 

His expression softened. He loves stargazing. But Keito has an exam...

 

He sighed which made Keito laugh. "Okay. But be sure to study well tomorrow." 

 

Keito took his hand and dragged him out of his own room. They walked out of their apartment and toward the empty field. They spend most of their nights there since Kei loves stargazing and Keito loves being with Kei. 

 

As soon as they arrive, Keito lied down the grassy field. Kei sat beside the younger and fixed his gaze at the sky full of stars. Even though the stars don't change their appearance, he's still amazed whenever he sees those. 

 

"Kei-kun, I can already imagine what my life will be when I get in your university. I don't need to wait for you at the small park near your uni anymore because we'll go home together from the same school. You don't need to drop me to school anymore because we'll be entering the same uni." 

 

Kei kept his eyes on the sky but from the sound of Keito's voice, he knew the guy is smiling. 

 

"I'm really excited! And hey, you'll be auditioning in an agency near your university right? After my exam, I'll watch you," Keito added. 

 

"Give your best in the test first," Kei chuckled. "I don't see you studying." 

 

"That's not true! You've actually seen me a couple of times. And yup! I'll do my best." 

 

He closed his eyes and felt the night breeze. "I'll do mine too."

 

 

Kei was walking home from his part time job when he noticed someone in front of him. He looked up and saw a lady wearing a corporate uniform. He knew he hadn't seen her before. However, her face looks familiar. 

 

"You must be Inoo Kei," the lady smiled.

 

He nodded but he's still staring at the lady. 'She really looks familiar..'

 

The lady handed him a brown envelope. 

 

He just stared at it. Of course, she's a stranger. He doesn't take anything from a stranger. "Sorry but, who are you?"

 

The lady looked at him. "I'm Okamoto Keito's mother." 

 

His jaw dropped. "Keito's mom?" 

 

The lady nodded. Her face suddenly turned serious. "I have an offer." She showed the envelope. "You want to be a musician right? I have here a contract from the best agency in Japan. I know you have the talent and the agency saw you play once. I'll give this to you if you make Keito go with me in England." Keito's mother showed him a paper. It was an admission letter from a university in England. "Keito passed but he doesn't want to go." 

 

"I'm sorry Okamoto-san but don't you think Keito doesn't want to be there? Maybe he wants to finish studying here," he calmly said. 

 

"You know nothing!" Keito's mom exclaimed. "It's his dream school."

 

He frowned. "If it is his dream school, then why doesn't he want to study there?" 

 

"Because of you!" 

 

His lips parted. "What?" 

 

"Whenever I ask him why, he tells me he wants to be with you." She paced back and forth. "I... I just want the best for him. If he studies there, he'll have more opportunities because it's a bigger university. Aside from that, he'll be able to help our family business there. Inoo-san, he wants to be there. His dream is to study there and be the heir of our company. Please make his dream come true." 

 

"I'm really sorry but I can't do anything about it. I'm Keito's friend. I know that if he wants to achieve something, he'll pursue it," he shook his head. "I think it's best if you just let him stay where he wants to." 

 

She placed her hands on his shoulders. "You know nothing about what's best for him. You're just a friend. I am his family. We are his family." A tear suddenly flowed from her eyes. "Please bring him back to us. I'll give you anything. Don't take him away from us." 

 

He felt something clutching his heart. He felt guilty. Is he unconsciously taking away Keito from his family?

 

 

"Are you done practicing?" 

 

Kei immediately threw the brown envelope beneath his keyboard when Keito barged into his room. He faced the younger who was smiling at him. "Uh.. yeah." 

 

"I'm done reviewing!" Keito exclaimed. "Let's stargaze." 

 

They went out and walked toward the field. He looked up and was a bit disappointed when he saw the stars are few. They both sat down and stared at the sky. 

 

"Keito," he called. 

 

"Hmm?" Keito looked at him. 

 

"Don't you want to..." he cleared his throat. "..study in England?" 

 

He saw Keito's lips parted. The younger removed his gaze from him and fixed it on his legs. "Well, there's a school there that I really like.." 

 

"Why don't you study there, then?" Kei looked at Keito. 

 

The younger shook his head and looked at him. "I want to be with you." 

 

Suddenly, the scene with Keito's mother flashed in his mind. 'Am I taking Keito away from them? From his dream? From his family?' 

 

"Hey, look! A shooting star. Let's make a wish." 

 

He looked at where Keito is pointing. He saw Keito's eyes close. But he, instead of closing his eyes and making a wish, he leaned toward Keito and kissed the younger's lips. Because for him, a single wish on a shooting star cannot make everything okay. But a kiss can make him feel okay, even if nothing is alright.

 

 

'Do your best!'

 

Kei stared at his phone. It had been hours since he received that message from Keito but up to now, he isn't replying. He stared at the sky above him. The audition was already over and he decided not to come. Not because he accepted the offer of Keito's mother but because he felt that there are more things that he should prioritize. He wants to prioritize Keito first before his dream. It is unfair for him to chase his dream and let Keito let go of his own dream.

 

"Kei!"

 

He turned his back and saw Keito. The younger stopped in front of him, exhausted from running.

 

"You didn't go to the auditions? What happened?" Keito asked while wiping his sweat off his forehead. For some reason, the younger looked afraid.

 

"Keito..." He cleared his throat. "Go back to England and study there."

 

Keito's eyes widened. "Why?"

 

"It's your dream to study in a university there, right? Go. Chase your dream."

 

"Are you pushing me away because of this?!" 

 

He was startled when Keito threw him the brown envelope the younger's mother gave him. His jaw dropped. "No! It's just that...it's your dream. I don't want to stop you from achieving your dream. And your family... they miss you."

 

"Yes! It's my dream to study there. I've been dreaming about studying there since childhood." A tear fell from Keito's eyes but he immediately wiped it away. "But don't you know that to stay with you is a bigger dream than that dream? Kei, I want to stay with you."

 

Kei's heart broke. He wants to stay with Keito too. He was about to reply when the younger spoke again. "But you don't want to stay with me, do you? I heard what my mother told you. I believed that you won't accept it because I thought you want to be with me too." The younger looked away. "But it turns out that you don't. I chose you but you didn't choose me."

 

Keito turned around and started walking away. Kei just stared at the younger's back. Inside his heart, he begged for Keito to stay longer but he knew it's wrong to make him stay. He's a wrong dream. Keito shouldn't dream of being with him. Because he won't guarantee the younger a good future. But his family would. If Keito will stay with him, what will the younger's family do? Leave Keito? He doesn't want that. 

 

Even though it hurts, he turned to the other side and started walking away.

 

 

Kei stared at the sun as it sets. After being away with Keito, it was his first time to visit this field again. Even after many years, all memories they had stayed in the place where those should be--his heart. 

 

He placed his hand on his chest above the spot where his heart is. Keito is still there. But Keito's heart... it was the place where he used to be. He used to be there. 

 

'Did he achieved his dreams?' He wondered even though he knew the younger did. 

 

Sonehow, he regrets letting Keito leave. If he made the right decision, why is he regretting everything until now? But it's okay to him. He can endure. And in fact, he doesn't want to move on. He doesn't want to forget. Maybe for Keito, he is just a part of the past. But for him, Keito is still part of his present and maybe his future too. 

 

He watched as the sky turned into a night sky. As soon as the stars appeared, he left. He needs to attend to a meeting with an agency that is about to accept him as a talent. 

 

 

After an hour when Kei left, someone came to the field. The guy is wearing a formal attire. He looked up the sky and gazed at the stars lighting up the dark sky. Unlike the last time he was here with someone, there are so many stars. 

 

Keito is late for a meeting with a new talent. But seeing the place where the last memories he had with Kei made him stop by for a while. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest. In his heart, Kei is still there. But he knew that inside the heart of the person who never left his heart, he's already gone and forgotten. 

 

Or so he thought.