Chapter : 2 .
I'm seeing them... these beautiful colors. I'm seeing them with my own eyes for the very first time."
I looked around in a daze. Where am I? So, this is what the world looks like... A wave of confusion washed over me. I remembered dying; I felt the cold embrace of the end. So how am I alive? And more importantly, how can I see? This room... it feels so much grander and warmer than the one I called home.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Sachi stepped inside, and seeing me awake, a soft, relieved smile spread across his face.
"Oh, so you've finally regained consciousness. You're looking much healthier already."
I stared at him, my mind racing. That voice... it's the boy from the school grounds. The one who protected me from those bullies. Did he... did he save me from death itself?
"What are you thinking about?" Sachi asked, breaking my train of thought. "Don't be afraid. You're completely safe here with me."
"Where am I?" I asked, my voice trembling. "And how... how can I see? I was blind my entire life. I was dead! How am I standing here, looking at the world?"
"Calm down, Enahika," Sachi said gently. "Sit back. I'll explain everything—how you can see, and why you are still breathing. It started five hours ago, when I heard the news of your death on the TV..."
Is there any way? Any way at all to bring her back to life? I had asked myself as the news report ended.
Yes, there is a way, a voice in my head replied. But should a famous, elite guy like me really do it? If I do this, she lives, but I will become an ordinary human. I won't be 'perfect' anymore. Should I really give her the star in my right eye—the star of 'Love'?
I knew that if I bestowed this star upon her, she wouldn't just breathe again; she would gain the sight she was denied at birth. But the cost was my status. My identity. I would fall from the ranks of the elite fifty. I paced the room, clutching my head in frustration.
No, no! Don't remember those eyes! I scolded myself. Dead is dead. No one should come back from the grave. Why should I sacrifice my Love Star for a stranger? I slumped into a chair, burying my face in my hands. For five minutes, silence reigned in the house. Then, abruptly, I stood up. Something beyond logic was pulling me. I ran out of the house.
I reached the city's largest hospital, where Enahika's body had been taken for the post-mortem.
"Hello, I am Sachi," I told the receptionist. "The Two-Star boy of this city."
"Mr. Sachi! We know exactly who you are," the woman said, surprised. "How can we help you? Whatever you need, we will make it happen."
"It's not much. I just need to take the body of the girl who died in the road accident today. The one without stars in her eyes."
The receptionist blinked in confusion. "Mr. Sachi, what could you possibly want with a deceased girl? She's already gone."
"She is my cousin," I lied smoothly. "When I heard the news, I came to take her home. I will find a way to honor her, but for now, she belongs with me. Hand over the body."
"Mr. Sachi... you aren't thinking of... of giving her one of your stars, are you?"
"Look," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "I'm not here for a chat. Give me the body. What happens next is between me and her."
Because of my status as an 'Important Person,' they couldn't refuse. An ambulance delivered Enahika's body to my doorstep, and I carried her inside myself.
I laid her on my bed and sat beside her, staring at her pale, lifeless face. Why am I doing this? I thought. I don't even love her. Why did I bring her here? Why is my body moving on its own? Is it just so I can see those beautiful eyes one more time?
It was then that I realized the truth. Peace isn't found in power, money, or fame. Real peace comes from the things that pull at the human heart. And Enahika's eyes... they held a peace I couldn't describe. I have everything—strength, wealth, fame—yet peace has been dead in my life for a long time. But her eyes gave me a glimpse of it. They were my connection to the serenity I craved.
"I don't care about the fame," I whispered. "If there is no peace, everything is worthless. I've made my choice. I'm going to save you."
I placed one hand over my right eye and the other over hers. "I am transferring the Love Star of my right eye to this girl. Grant my wish."
My hands began to glow with an ethereal radiance. The Love Star left my eye and settled into Enahika's right socket. In that instant, life surged back into her cold veins.
"So, that's the story," I told her, looking at my now ordinary reflection in the window. "I'm just a common man now. No fame, no elite list. But I'm certain that when my parents find out I sacrificed a star to give someone a life, they'll be proud."
Enahika began to sob. "You shouldn't have done it! Why did you save me? I was dead... I was free! Why did you give me a new soul at the cost of your own star?"
"I did it for my own peace," I said softly. "I'm not famous anymore, but I have the peace of your eyes to look at. From today, you will live here with me. And don't get the wrong idea—I don't love you. I just find peace in your eyes. You're seeing things for the first time... tell me, how does it feel?"
"Be quiet!" Enahika cried through her tears. "Since when did I become so important that someone would sacrifice their star for me?"
I sat down beside her. "I didn't sacrifice my star for you. I sacrificed it for your eyes. I want them to stay open forever, only closing when you sleep. I have an obsession with them; I can't live without seeing them. And don't worry, I won't fall in love with you—it's just the eyes. Now, enough with the crying. Let's eat. Tomorrow, you're coming to school with me. I want the world to see that I'm just an ordinary man now."
I stood up to leave. "I'm going to eat dinner. If you're hungry, come out."
"But... bring me my stick," she called out. "How can I come out without it?"
I slapped my forehead. "What do you need a stick for? You can see now! Honestly, you are so strange."
"Oh... right," she whispered, her face turning red. "I'm sorry. I forgot... I forgot that I can see."
As I walked out, I thought to myself: Great. It looks like a very strange girl has entered my life. But then again... this strange girl brings me a lot of peace.