The morning Sakura High released the examination results, the air felt different—as though the sky itself was holding its breath.
Students flooded the corridors earlier than usual, their voices tangled in nervous laughter and whispered prayers. Some clutched lucky charms. Some pretended not to care. Some walked with forced confidence that cracked the moment they saw the notice board being pinned near the main hall.
Beru stood near the edge of the crowd, fingers twisted tightly together, her heart shaking with every passing second. Beside her, Haruto stood calm as ever, his quiet presence a strange island of peace in the storm of anxiety. Luna's posture was straight, composed, but the faint tension in her eyes betrayed what she refused to admit. Souta paced back and forth like a restless animal, muttering, "If I fail, I swear I'll transfer to another country." Tadao adjusted his glasses repeatedly. Ren and Aira hovered close, sharing glances full of raw nerves.
Then the board was revealed.
For a heartbeat, no one breathed.
Names blurred into chaos as students surged forward. Cheers erupted from one end. Cries shattered the air from another. Somewhere in the middle of it all, fate waited quietly.
Beru was the first among them to find her name.
She stared once.
Twice.
Then her shoulders sagged in sudden relief as tears welled into her eyes. "I— I passed…"
Haruto leaned over her shoulder, scanning quickly. His own name sat firmly among the successful. He gave a gentle nod. "You did well."
Luna stepped forward next, her eyes sharp, methodical. One glance was enough. She passed—cleanly. No hesitation. No doubt. The tension slipped from her face in a slow exhale.
Tadao followed. Passed.
Ren checked next. Passed—with a stunned smile that spread across his face like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Aira searched frantically, panic rising—
Then she screamed.
"I PASSED—! I PASSED!!"
She jumped so suddenly that Beru nearly fell over as Aira wrapped her in a crushing hug, laughing and crying at the same time.
Only one person hadn't checked yet.
Souta.
He stood frozen a few steps behind them, staring at the board like it was a death sentence waiting to be read.
Haruto turned. "Souta."
Souta gulped. "What if I failed one… just one is okay, right? I'll retake— No— I mean—"
Luna walked up, grabbed him by the wrist, and physically dragged him forward. "Stop stalling."
He squeezed his eyes shut and pointed blindly at the list. "Tell me. Don't let me look."
Tadao scanned the row quietly. Then spoke.
"You passed."
Silence.
Souta blinked once.
Twice.
Then he screamed louder than Aira had.
"I PASSED—?! I PASSED?!! I'M A GENIUS—!!"
He jumped so high that a second-year student actually ducked in fear. He spun wildly, grabbed Haruto, grabbed Beru, nearly tripped over Ren, and laughed like a madman while tears flew from the corners of his eyes.
They all passed.
Every single one of them.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then relief exploded.
They laughed too loudly. They hugged too tightly. They forgot the weight they had carried for weeks because it suddenly vanished.
The bell rang later that day for the final dismissal of the term.
And with that sound, summer fell into their hands.
That afternoon, the Cosmic STAR Club gathered in their familiar clubroom, windows thrown wide open as warm air poured inside. The sunlight painted soft gold across desks and scattered charts, reflecting off telescopes that stood quiet for now.
Souta collapsed dramatically onto the floor. "I have officially retired from thinking for at least three months."
Aira laughed, sitting cross-legged beside him. "I still feel like the results are fake."
Ren leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So… what now?"
That single question ignited everything.
Beru tilted her head. "Summer vacation…"
Tadao added quietly, "We've never traveled together."
Souta shot upright. "WAIT— THAT'S IT! SUMMER TRIP! A REAL ONE!"
Haruto glanced at Luna. "Your family has properties outside the city, don't they?"
Luna hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then nodded.
"There's an island."
The room went dead silent.
An island.
A whole island.
Aira's jaw dropped. "A— an island island?"
Ren whispered, "With… water?"
Souta slowly turned his head. "Like… beach… palm trees… ocean… island?"
Luna gave the smallest smile. "My family owns a private one. It's usually empty this time of year."
For three full seconds, no one spoke.
Then the room exploded.
"WE'RE GOING TO AN ISLAND?!" "A PRIVATE ISLAND?!" "IS THIS A DRAMA?!" "DOES IT HAVE A BEACH—?!" "CAN I FISH—?!" "CAN I SLEEP FOR A WEEK—?!"
Beru's eyes sparkled with disbelief and excitement tangled together. "Luna… are you serious?"
Luna nodded again. "If everyone agrees… I'll ask my parents."
Souta slammed his palms on the desk. "AGREED. SIGNED. SEALED. DESTINED."
Haruto watched them with quiet amusement, his eyes lingering just slightly on Beru's glowing expression.
And just like that—
Their summer gained a destination.
Two days later, before the sun even fully rose, a sleek jet waited silently on a private runway at the edge of the city.
The group arrived together, luggage in hand, eyes wide with disbelief.
Ren froze at the sight of the aircraft. "This… this is a real jet."
Aira whispered, "I've only seen this in movies…"
Souta pressed his face against the window. "I'M UPGRADING MY DREAMS."
Luna approached the steps calmly, her movements natural, familiar, as if this world had always belonged to her.
As they boarded, Beru hesitated at the entrance, gazing at the sky, then at Haruto. "It feels unreal."
Haruto stepped beside her. "That's what makes it real."
The doors closed.
Engines roared softly.
And within moments, the ground began to fall away.
Souta shrieked when the jet lifted. Aira grabbed Ren's arm in panic. Tadao watched the city grow smaller with quiet wonder. Luna sat composed, hands folded. Beru leaned toward the window, breath caught as clouds swallowed the world below.
Haruto watched her reflection in the glass.
White clouds stretched endlessly beneath them like oceans of light.
Time slipped differently in the sky.
Laughter filled the cabin. They played games. They shared snacks. Souta took at least a hundred photos. Aira pressed her forehead to the glass the entire time. Ren asked endless questions. Tadao quietly observed everything.
Beru and Haruto sat side by side, shoulders occasionally brushing in the narrow seats. At one point, turbulence jolted the plane and Beru instinctively grabbed his sleeve.
He didn't pull away.
Eventually, the captain's voice filled the cabin.
"We'll be descending shortly."
Below them—
Blue.
Endless, glowing blue.
The ocean stretched like a living jewel, sunlight dancing across its surface.
And then it appeared.
The island.
White shores curved like a crescent moon. Dense emerald forests hugged the land. Cliffs rose gently on one side, kissed by waves. The water around it shimmered in colors they had only ever seen in pictures.
Souta pressed his hands to the window like a child. "We flew into a postcard."
Aira's eyes filled with tears. "It's beautiful…"
The jet descended smoothly.
Wheels touched down.
And the moment the doors opened, warm sea air raced inside, heavy with salt and sunlight.
They stepped out one by one.
Bare earth.
Real wind.
Real waves in the distance.
For a second, none of them spoke.
Then Beru whispered, "We're really here…"
Luna turned to them with a soft smile. "Welcome… to our summer."
And as the waves crashed endlessly in the distance, their laughter rose to meet the sky.
The island had accepted them.
And their story was about to change.
---
To be continued...