Extra: The Sun, Moon, and Star Gods as Children

Many creatures were at their cutest when they were little, but sometimes, once they grew up, they became strange, as if they had mutated.

The Sun God, Moon God, and Star God were like that when they were little too. They were exceptionally adorable.

At the beginning of the universe, there was nothing.

And everything still slumbered in silence.

Then, in the deepest depths of that silence, something stirred, as if a thought had just taken shape.

Then it began to grow hot.

At first, there was only a faint warmth, so slight it was almost nonexistent.

It began to devour the void around it, transforming those things that were nothing into part of itself, bit by bit.

It burned ever more fiercely, ever hotter, ever brighter.

From an inconspicuous spark, it became a flickering flame, and from a flickering flame, a roiling ball of fire.

The ball of fire churned and swelled in the very center of the void.

Golden flames spread in every direction, tearing an opening in the darkness.

The void around the flames glowed with a dazzling light.

Golden, scorching, overbearing, impossible to refuse...

It was the first light in the universe.

Then the ball of fire stopped.

It began to draw inward.

Layer by layer, the golden flames curled back, wrapping around something taking shape at the center.

The flames grew thinner and more translucent, gradually condensing from a mass of churning molten gold into a hazy outline.

First came a head, then shoulders, then curled-up arms and legs.

The flames were molded into a tiny, round human shape.

A round head, short arms, short legs...

He curled into a ball, immersed in the very center of the flames, like an egg that had yet to hatch.

Then the egg cracked open. No, it was just that his golden eyes opened.

His golden lashes trembled and parted.

A pair of golden eyes appeared, bright and scorching, with a clarity found only in the newly born. The eyes blinked, as if he was not quite used to the light radiating from his own body.

Though he had only just been born, he knew that he was the Sun God, the god who brought light and warmth to all things.

The little golden-haired dumpling looked down at himself and saw a gleaming golden little body, with short arms and legs and chubby fingers. A few little flames still flickered at his fingertips, not yet drawn back in.

He raised his head again and looked around.

There was nothing around him.

The light he had just burned into existence had gradually faded again when he drew in his flames, leaving only a thin golden halo around him.

Beyond the halo lay boundless darkness, silent and empty, without even an echo.

He was all alone in a place where there was nothing.

The little golden-haired dumpling's mouth turned down.

A thin layer of moisture welled up in his ever-blazing golden eyes.

He discovered that he could move, but his legs were too short, his body too round, and he was not used to walking upright. The slightest effort sent him pitching forward.

The little golden-haired dumpling took a step, stumbled, and, unable to catch his balance, went rolling away.

He tumbled through the void for several turns, leaving a trail of golden sparks.

When he finally rolled to a stop

The little golden-haired dumpling lay sprawled there, glittering fragments caught in his golden hair, his short arms and legs spread out as his golden eyes gazed at the empty space above him.

Pouting, he lay there like that for a while.

It was silent all around, and there was no concept of time at all. Quite a while passed, or perhaps a very, very long time.

He rolled over onto his stomach, stuck his bottom in the air, and braced himself on his short arms, pushing himself up bit by bit.

He got to his feet, lifted a leg, and took a step forward.

His short leg stepped out, his body tipped forward, and he almost fell again.

The little golden-haired dumpling swayed, then steadied himself.

He took another step, and then another.

He walked through this place where there was nothing, fragments caught in his golden hair and his golden eyes shining. He walked for a long time, so long that he felt he had come a very, very long way.

But when he looked back, there was only a string of tiny golden footprints behind him, and nothing else.

He stopped and turned to look at the footprints.

He looked at them for a long time.

Then the little golden-haired dumpling sat down at the end of the trail, buried his face in his knees, and curled up glumly into a golden ball.

It was dark all around. Only the ring of golden light around him shone.

Suddenly, he felt a cool touch beneath his knees.

The coolness was completely different from the warm, scorching heat of his own body.

The little golden-haired dumpling lowered his head and blinked his golden eyes. By his feet, he saw a tiny speck of silvery-white light. It had landed there at some point and was twinkling away.

He reached out, pinched the speck of light between his short little fingers, and placed it in his palm.

It was cool, like a mint.

He cupped the silvery-white speck of light in his hands, and the hurt clouding his golden eyes slowly faded, leaving them sparkling.

The little golden-haired dumpling raised his head and looked in the direction from which the speck of light had fallen.

The darkness there seemed a little less dense, as though something were slowly taking shape. He stood up, cupped the speck of light in his hands, and set off in that direction on his short legs.

The string of golden footprints was still behind him.

And the silvery-white speck twinkled in his palm like a very, very small lamp, lighting his way forward.

The silvery-white speck of light in the little golden-haired dumpling's palm was cool against the pads of his fingers, its light trembling as it shone.

Every so often, he lowered his head to look at it.

Only after making sure it was still shining did he continue forward.

He held the speck of light tightly, afraid it would fly away if he loosened his grip.

The darkness ahead gradually grew less dense.

Bit by bit, it thinned and became more transparent, its edges slowly taking on a silvery-white glow.

The light was faint, as faint as a layer of mist.

But to the Sun God, who had walked through the void for so long, that light was unmistakable.

He stopped at the edge of the silvery-white glow and looked ahead with wide golden eyes.

Deep in the silvery-white mist of light, something was spinning.

At the center of the vortex was a very small, curled-up figure, silky silver hair wrapped tightly around a body that had not yet grown. With both hands around his knees and his head buried in the crook of his arms, he floated there.

The little golden-haired dumpling tightened his grip on the speck of light and stepped into the silvery-white mist.

The mist brushed over his round little body, like a hand sweeping across his cheek.

The little golden-haired dumpling walked to the center of the vortex and stopped in front of the small, curled-up figure. He looked down at the speck of light in his palm, then at the little silver-haired dumpling before him.

He brought his face very close, but the little silver-haired dumpling did not move.

He reached out and poked the other's cheek with a short little finger.

It was soft and cool.

The little silver-haired dumpling's eyelashes trembled, and his silvery-white eyes opened.

He blinked and saw a gleaming golden, round little fireball crouching in front of him, golden eyes sparkling and mouth spread in a grin that was both silly and radiant.

"You're awake!"

The gleaming golden little dumpling held the silvery-white speck of light up in front of the little silver-haired dumpling and waved it as if presenting a treasure.

"This is yours! You dropped it! I'm giving it back!"

The little silver-haired dumpling looked at the speck of light, then at the round golden face grinning so carefree in front of him.

He let go of his knees, reached out a silvery-white little finger, and touched the other's fingertip.

Cool met hot.

The silvery-white eyes widened a little.

At that touch, the loneliness that had lingered in the little golden-haired dumpling's golden eyes melted away the moment his fingertip met that coolness.

"I'm the Sun God, your older brother."

Having made his declaration, he lunged forward and swept the still-dazed little silver-haired dumpling into his arms.

Heat enveloped coolness, gold tangled with silver.

Pinned beneath him, the little silver-haired dumpling pushed with his small hands, but could not budge him. He tried pushing his face instead, making the Sun God giggle.

The Sun God buried his face in the crook of his neck and nuzzled back and forth, making the little silver-haired dumpling shrink his neck from the heat.

The little silver-haired dumpling lost the will to resist his nuzzling. His small hands clutched the fabric on the Sun God's back, and his eyes narrowed halfway.

He said softly, "I'm the Moon God, big brother."

The Sun God raised his head, his golden eyes sparkling, and leaned over to plant a smack of a kiss on his cheek.

"All right, little brother."

The tips of the Moon God's ears turned pink. He raised a little hand to wipe his cheek and shot him a glare. But there was no force behind it at all, and it only made the Sun God laugh harder.

He hugged his little brother and rolled over again.

Later, when they crawled out of the silvery-white area, the Sun God could still see the string of golden footprints he had left earlier. He looked at them, then suddenly turned to the Moon God standing behind him.

"Little brother, look. I walked for a long time before I found you."

The Moon God looked at him and touched the Sun God's cheek with one tiny finger.

"Mm. Thank you, big brother. Thanks for going to all that trouble."

The Sun God froze for a moment, then broke into a grin even brighter than before.

He reached out and scooped his little brother into his arms, found a place to sit, and settled him on his lap.

"From now on, we'll be together. I'll lead you. It doesn't matter if you don't know the way; I do. I'll walk it for you to see."

The two gods set out on a journey.

It was called a journey, but really, they had no destination at all. They simply went wherever they happened to go.

The little golden dumpling held the little silver dumpling's hand.

The little Moon God let the little Sun God lead him along. His short silvery-white hair hung beside his ears, and every so often, he lifted his silvery-white eyes to look at his older brother's back before lowering them to the path beneath his feet.

In truth, there was no path beneath their feet. The void was simply lit a little brighter by their light, and stepping on it felt like treading on a thin layer of mist.

Wherever the little Sun God walked, a patch of darkness lit up.

Wherever the little Moon God walked, the illuminated patch was coated in a layer of silver-white.

The little Sun God looked down at the band of light and grinned.

He glanced back at the little silver dumpling and held his hand a little tighter.

"Little brother, look! Everywhere we've walked has lit up!"

The little Moon God watched for a while, then turned back and softly murmured, "Mm."

In fact, he had noticed it earlier, when his older brother told him that he had walked a long way before finding him.

But his brother seemed very happy.

So he would just pretend he had only noticed it now.

The little Sun God was overjoyed. Holding his little brother's hand, he walked with even more enthusiasm, hopping every two steps. Whenever he hopped, the fragments in his golden hair shook loose and scattered over the ground.

The little Moon God was pulled into hopping along with him. At first he stumbled a little, but after a couple of hops, he found his balance.

His short little legs rose and fell, keeping time with the rhythm.

The two little dumplings, one taller and one shorter, one golden and one silver, hopped and skipped forward through the void.

The band of light behind them stretched longer and spread wider, gradually changing from a thin line

Into a river of mingled gold and silver.

The little Sun God felt that his entire journey was filled with laughter and joy.

As he walked, he chattered on, pointing to the left and saying, "Little brother, look how dark it is over there," pointing to the right and saying, "Little brother, look, it's dark over there too," and then pointing straight ahead and saying, "But everywhere we've walked has lit up."

When he grew tired of chattering, he stopped, turned to the little silver dumpling, and, his golden eyes sparkling, asked, "Little brother, are you tired?"

What he really meant was that if the other was tired, he could carry him. Unfortunately, at this point, his clever and adorable little brother did not seem to understand what he meant.

The little Moon God shook his head.

The little Sun God had no choice but to turn back around and continue walking, still holding his hand, humming a little tune he had made up himself.

Even the surrounding darkness no longer seemed so dull, as if there were something in it that drew him.

Before, when he walked alone, he had thought the darkness so vast and empty, and the longer he walked, the more frightened he felt.

But now things were different.

The darkness was still the same darkness, but he was holding the hand of a cool, soft little silver dumpling.

The darkness was no longer darkness.

It had become a place waiting for them to light it up.

With every step he took, there was a little less void and a little more light.

The little Sun God suddenly felt that this world was so interesting, so worth walking through, so worth seeing.

Was this what it felt like to have family?

Everywhere they went was filled with light.

After an unknown number of years, the world was finally illuminated.

The little Sun God and the little Moon God met many other gods on their journey.

After the void was opened up, other lights gradually appeared.

A ball of light shone in the east, a cluster flared in the west, scattered here and there like a handful of tiny diamonds strewn across a black cloth.

Gods like them also emerged from those lights.

Some were bigger than them, some were smaller, some had golden hair, and some had red eyes...

The first time the little Sun God met other gods, he was overjoyed. Holding his second brother's hand, he ran over, his golden eyes shining, and opened his mouth to greet them.

At first, those gods were very friendly with the little Sun God too.

But later, though the little Sun God didn't know why, they all turned their eyes to his brother.

"What a beautiful moon."

"So cool and soft. Let me touch him."

"Can I touch him?"

The smile froze on the little Sun God's face, and he looked back at his brother.

His brother showed no reaction to the unfamiliar gods crowding around him. But to the little Sun God, that reaction seemed like tacit permission for them to come closer.

The little Sun God abruptly turned around and spread his arms, shielding his brother behind him. He glared at the gods with his golden eyes and bared his teeth.

"Go away. He's my brother."

The gods were taken aback. Some laughed, some paid him no mind, and some kept moving closer.

The little Sun God didn't repeat himself.

He attacked them outright. Little golden fireballs rolled into the crowd of gods, burning one's feet, singeing another's clothes, striking one in the chest and ramming another in the knee.

He charged wildly through them, sending the gods scattering.

By the time he stopped, some had already fled far away.

Others remained.

Those who had been burned and were hopping about clutched their bottoms and fled as soon as they felt his gaze.

Panting, the little Sun God looked back at his second brother.

The little silver ball was still standing where he had been. He seemed to disapprove somewhat as he said:

"Big brother, you shouldn't have done that."

He would offend a lot of gods that way. His brother was only one god. What if these gods joined forces to attack him?

But the little Sun God had clearly misunderstood what his brother meant.

He thought his brother liked those gods more than him.

What if his brother ran off with them later?

That wouldn't do!

From then on, the little Sun God changed.

Whenever another god came near, he would immediately step in front of his second brother.

If a god only wanted to say hello, he blocked them.

If a god was just passing by and glanced at them, he blocked them.

If a god merely smiled at them from a distance, he blocked them too.

Of course, blocking them wasn't enough. He had to drive them away too.

He burned them, rammed them, glared at them, roared at them...

In short, they couldn't stay.

His brother belonged to him. Why were they butting in?

Once, he encountered a particularly troublesome one.

It was a god who was taller and more mature than him.

The god had a lovely smile and a pleasant voice. As soon as he saw his brother, he bent down, held out a hand, and said:

"Little Moon, come with me. I'll take you somewhere more fun."

The little Sun God bristled on the spot.

He charged forward and shoved away the hand reaching for his brother.

"Don't touch him!"

The red-eyed god smiled and looked down at him, his tone somewhat unconcerned.

"It's not like I'm going to eat him. Why are you so worked up?"

"He's my brother!"

"Your brother can still make friends."

"He doesn't want a friend like you!"

The red-eyed god sighed and reached out to pat the little Sun God's head.

The little Sun God bit down on his finger.

The red-eyed god paused, pulled his hand back, and looked at the faint ring of teeth marks on his fingertip. He smiled, turned, and left.

As he left, he glanced back and said:

"What a possessive little fellow."

The little Sun God stood there, his chest heaving and every unruly strand of his golden hair standing on end.

He looked back at his second brother.

The little Moon God took the little Sun God's hand.

"They didn't mean any harm."

"They wanted to touch you," the little Sun God said sullenly.

"There's nothing wrong with letting them touch me."

The little Sun God held the little Moon God and only spoke after a long while.

"But you don't want them to touch you either."

This time, it was the little Moon God's turn to fall silent.

He put his arms around the little Sun God's waist and said softly:

"Big brother, if you keep this up, I won't be able to make friends."

"Those who like me will naturally be my friends. There's no use trying to force it with those who don't.

"Besides, I don't like people who don't like me either."

Later, the two gods found their youngest brother, the Star God.

One more joined them on their travels.

The Star God's arrival made the two gods' lives livelier.

When he was little, the Sun God loved chasing the Moon God.

Because the Moon God felt cool.

"Moon, Moon, let me hug you—"

The Moon God set his little face and ran off on his short legs.

He was silver-white all over, with short hair falling beside his ears like a thin layer of snow.

He couldn't run as fast as the Sun God, and he looked serious even when he ran. His short legs moved in a hurry, but his posture was perfectly proper.

"No! Big brother, you're too hot!"

But the Sun God was faster. He caught up in a few strides and wrapped his arms around him from behind. The two round little figures collided and tumbled into a fluffy pile of clouds nearby.

Golden flames and silver moonlight tangled together, rolling through the wisps and dyeing the entire cloud gold and silver.

The Moon God was pinned underneath again.

The Sun God chuckled and refused to let go.

He buried his face in the crook of the Moon God's neck, rubbing his little golden head back and forth. The Moon God's taut little face finally relaxed a little, revealing a trace of helplessness.

His big brother was as childish as ever.

In the distance, a beam of purple starlight drifted over.

It was the Star God, who had only recently taken form. He was an even smaller little ball, trailing a short starry tail as he searched the palace for his second brother, the Moon God.

At this point, the Star God wasn't yet so fond of competing with his eldest brother, the Sun God, for attention, and he still called the Moon God "second brother."

When he saw the gold and silver figures tangled up in the clouds, his eyes lit up. He took off on his short little legs and charged over.

"Big brother! Second brother!"

The Star God plunged into the clouds and crashed headfirst into the Sun God's back. The three little ones piled on top of one another and rolled out over the edge of the clouds and into the palace, knocking over two pillars, a lamp, and a book the Moon God hadn't finished reading along the way.

The Moon God was pinned at the very bottom. He reached out with a little hand and caught the book he hadn't finished reading.

The Sun God lay on top, laughing without a care.

The Star God poked his head through the gap between his two brothers. His purple eyes shone as he grinned at the Moon God.

"Second brother, hug."

The Moon God hugged the Star God.

"Star, you've grown a little bigger again. That's wonderful."

The Star God was the youngest of the three. When he had just been born, he was small enough to fit in a palm. But his whole body was covered in lights like tiny diamonds, and he jingled as he walked.

When the Star God was newly born, his favorite thing to do was sneak onto his brothers' heads and hang himself there while they were playing together.

At such times, the Moon God would feel around on top of his head and find a tiny, fluffy ball that was still glowing.

"Star, you're hanging from my hair again!"

The Star God blinked his big eyes and said in his baby voice:

"Because your hair is the softest, big brother..."

The Sun God leaned over and poked the Star God's little cheek with a fingertip. "What about mine?"

The Star God thought very seriously. "Big brother's hair is too hot. If I hung on it, I'd turn into a roasted star."

The Sun God: ...

Once, the Moon God found a tiny bronze mirror somewhere, and the three little heads crowded together to look into it.

When the Sun God looked, the mirror showed a dazzling golden ball of light that made all three little gods squeeze their eyes shut.

When the Moon God looked, it showed a clear, silver-white glow.

When it was the Star God's turn, he stood on tiptoe and stretched for a long time before he could reach the mirror.

But the mirror reflected only a few tiny specks of light, so small they were almost invisible.

The Star God's mouth puckered, and his eyes filled with tears.

The Moon God hurriedly picked him up.

"Don't cry, don't cry. Star has the most lights of all. Each one is just too small, so the mirror can't hold them."

The Sun God leaned over too and lifted the Star God onto his head.

"That's right! Stand on my head, and the mirror will be able to see you!"

So a little star appeared in the mirror, sitting atop a ball of golden light, with a touch of silver-white moonlight supporting him from the side.

The Star God finally stopped crying and smiled, waving his little hand.

"Then we're the three brothers: the sun, the moon, and the stars!"

The Moon God smiled and nodded.

The Sun God grinned and objected, "We're the three heavenly kings!"

The Star God tilted his head. "Then... we're three pieces of candy!"

The three little gods looked at one another and burst out laughing, rolling together into the brightest streak of sunset glow on the horizon.

Later, at dusk, if you looked up, you might occasionally see a ball of golden light chasing a streak of silver-white across the horizon. And atop the golden light sat a little star, swaying and laughing with a jingling sound.

The Moon God came back from his memories.

He reached out and drew the Sun God and Star God into his arms together.

They were a family, a family that depended on one another in this divine domain and would never be separated.

At this time, the Sun God looked like a human of fifteen or sixteen, while the Star God was the size of a seven- or eight-year-old.

He himself was in between, as tall as an eleven- or twelve-year-old.

The Moon God looked down at himself, then at either side, and fell silent for a while.

His elder brother, the Sun God, had begun to grow into his features. He had shot up in height, his shoulders and back were broad, and his golden hair fell over his shoulders. Though his face still bore the greenness of youth, it already showed a hint of the blazing sharpness he would one day possess.

He stood on the left, radiating warmth.

On the right was the Star God, still a tiny little thing, with soft purple hair falling beside his ears and a short starry tail trailing behind him. A sparkling little star adorned the tip of his tail.

He was clutching the Moon God's clothes and looking up at him, his purple eyes round and bright, his cheeks still plump with baby fat.

As for the Moon God himself, he was the height of an eleven- or twelve-year-old, neither tall nor short.

His long silver-white hair fell to his waist. His features had begun to mature a little, but they had not yet entirely lost their childish contours.

He stood between his elder and younger brothers, with the Sun God's elbow pressing against him on the left and the Star God's head leaning against him on the right.

Seeing his brother sigh, the Sun God thought he was unhappy with his height and comforted him.

"Little brother, you could spend more time in the sun. Look at me. I bask in the sun every day, so I grow fast. You look at the moon every day, so of course you grow slowly."

The Moon God ignored this and turned to look at the Star God on his right.

The Star God was looking up at him, his purple eyes sparkling and his mouth spread in a grin. His little hands clutched the Moon God's clothes, and his starry tail swayed behind him. The Moon God was half a head taller than the Star God, and when he looked down, he could see the unruly tuft of hair sticking up on top of his head.

"Second brother, second brother," the Star God said, tugging at his clothes, his voice clear and loud. "When will you grow taller than big brother?"

"I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because big brother is older than me."

"What about me? What about me?" The Star God rose onto his toes and leaned his face closer. "When will I grow taller than you, second brother?"

The Moon God looked down at his little face, so full of expectation.

He placed a hand on the Star God's head and gently pressed down.

The Sun God spoke first. "Once you grow taller than big brother, you'll naturally be taller than your second brother."

The Star God pouted and turned to glare at the Sun God.

Sometimes he thought his big brother was so annoying.

He had asked his second brother, so why was big brother butting in?

And he was standing on tiptoe and looking up at his second brother, so why was big brother leaning over?

Star God puffed out his cheeks, tightened his fingers around the hem of Moon God's clothes, and tilted his head toward his second brother, turning the back of it to his eldest brother to make his displeasure perfectly clear.

Besides, his eldest brother liked their second brother more than him, too.

Star God had actually known that for a long time.

Although he liked his eldest brother a lot too, whenever he competed with his second brother for his affection, all his eldest brother's actions accomplished was making Star God dislike him more.

As time went on, Star God stopped competing with his second brother.

He started competing with his eldest brother instead.

That was when he discovered that his second brother seemed to treat him a little better than he treated their eldest brother.

The discovery made Star God a little pleased.

Now, Star God glanced at Sun God.

Sun God stood there with his arms folded, his golden eyes curved and his chin slightly raised, looking smugly as if to say, "I was right, wasn't I?"

The more Star God looked at that face, the more it annoyed him.

He suddenly released the hem of Moon God's clothes and marched on his short little legs over to Sun God. Tilting his head back and opening his purple eyes wide, he summoned all the imposing presence his seven- or eight-year-old body could muster, raised a hand, and pointed at his eldest brother's nose.

"Big brother is the worst."

Sun God looked down at him, blinked, and grinned. He bent down, scooped Star God up in one motion, and held him in his arms, rubbing his chin against his younger brother's purple hair.

"Put me down! Big brother, you're so annoying! I want second brother! Second brother, save me!"

Star God shouted at the top of his lungs.

His short little legs kicked back and forth in the air, and his purple tail whipped around like a windmill.

The little star on its tip flashed so brightly it was almost blinding.

But for all his shouting and kicking, he didn't put much force into it. His little feet went soft and drew back as soon as they touched Sun God's chest.

Sun God held Star God close and nuzzled him, lowering his golden head to rub his chin against the unruly tuft of hair on top of Star God's head, making the purple tuft stick up even more.

Star God kept ducking his head as Sun God rubbed against him, pushing at his eldest brother's face with both little hands and still shouting, "You're so annoying."

But he didn't really put any strength into his pushing either. After two pushes, he switched to clutching his eldest brother's collar, his little fists resting against his collarbone.

Sun God looked down at the purple fruit in his arms, his golden eyes curved.

He was very pleased with his two younger brothers.

His second brother went without saying: quiet and cool.

He wished he could carry him in his arms every day.

His third brother might be mischievous, annoying, and forever competing with him for their second brother, and although...

That little face, that purple hair, that starry tail swishing back and forth—the more he looked, the more pleasing they were to his eyes.

Sun God nuzzled Star God again.

At last, Star God couldn't take any more. He cupped his eldest brother's face in both little hands and pushed hard.

"Big brother! You're so gross! And your face is so hard!"

Sun God froze for a moment and raised his free hand to touch his face. He had also grown the fastest, and a thin layer of fine fuzz had appeared on it, though it was impossible to see without looking closely.

But Star God was several sizes smaller than him.

His skin was tender, and after all that rubbing against the fuzz, a small patch of faint red had appeared on his forehead.

Sun God looked at the red patch.

He suddenly lifted Star God up in front of him, golden eyes meeting purple, and studied him seriously for a while before offering a sincere assessment:

"You were most well-behaved when you were first born."

Held up in midair, Star God let his short legs and purple tail dangle and blinked his purple eyes.

Sun God looked at his little face, which plainly said, "What are you talking about?" and remembered what Star God had been like on the day he first took form.

Star God had been so very small that day, much smaller than he was now, with short purple hair and round eyes, as he clambered unsteadily out of a haze of purple starlight.

The first person he saw was his second brother,

and the second was his eldest brother.

Back then, he hadn't known how to walk. After crawling a couple of steps, he'd flopped onto the ground and tilted up his little face, his eyes newly opened and knowing nothing, reaching two short arms toward them and making a muffled syllable.

What had that syllable been again?

Sun God thought about it. It had probably been "up."

How well-behaved he'd been back then.

Tsk, tsk. Too bad he'd changed as he grew up.

Sun God lowered Star God onto his knee.

He looked down at the little face that had matured quite a bit and was filled with emotion.

Back then, Star God hadn't competed with him for Moon God,

hadn't talked back to him, hadn't shouted, "Big brother is the worst," and hadn't kicked him in the chest with his little feet...

Back then, Star God had only lain obediently in his arms, clutching his finger, his purple eyes half closed as he drifted off to sleep with a soft rumble.

Back then, Sun God had held him and felt like the greatest big brother in the whole world.

And now...

"Big brother, put me down."

Star God's voice pulled him out of his memories.

Sun God looked down to see Star God gazing up at him, his purple eyes saying, "What strange thing are you thinking about now?" His little hands gripped Sun God's knee, and his short legs had already reached the ground. He was getting ready to slide down.

Sun God didn't let go. He merely drew the younger brother on his knee closer into his arms and lightly touched his chin to the top of his head. This time, he deliberately held back and didn't rub.

"No. Say I'm annoying one more time, and I'll lift you up and spin you around three times."

Star God promptly shut his mouth.

He knew his eldest brother too well. If he said he'd spin him three times, he really would, and afterward Star God would be so dizzy he wouldn't even know which direction his second brother was in.

He buried his face in Sun God's chest, gave a muffled huff, and stopped struggling.

Sun God looked at him with satisfaction and stood up again.

He said:

"Little brother, even though you've become annoying, I'm still your brother, so I won't hold it against you."

Star God rolled his eyes.

See? This was why he disliked his eldest brother.

Who wouldn't?

Moon God walked beside them, his long silver-white hair falling over his shoulders. Looking at the purple bundle in their eldest brother's arms, he smiled slightly.

"Second brother, hold me."

Star God poked half his face out from Sun God's chest and reached for him.

Moon God turned to look at him. Sun God looked over too, his gaze seeming to say, "Don't agree."

"Star, let our eldest brother hold you a little longer."

Star God pouted.

Sun God glanced down at the little face pouting in his arms, and his golden eyes curved even more.

He bounced Star God up a little to settle him more securely, then swaggered forward.

Star God lay against his shoulder, his chin resting on his eldest brother's collarbone, his purple eyes fixed on their second brother walking beside them.

After watching him for a while, he suddenly muttered something.

"What did you say?" Sun God asked.

Star God turned his face back, buried it in the crook of Sun God's shoulder, and mumbled it again.

This time, Sun God heard him clearly.

Star God had said, "Big brother, you're so warm."

Sun God paused, looking at the purple bundle in his arms, and the light in his golden eyes softened.

He freed one hand and gently patted Star God's back.

"Of course. I'm the sun."

"Well, I'm a star."

The three gods flew for a while.

Star God lifted his head from Sun God's shoulder again.

This time he neither shouted nor kicked. He merely looked quietly at his eldest brother's profile, then suddenly let go of his collar and slipped his whole little body out of Sun God's arms. With a flick of his purple tail, he flew straight toward Moon God beside them.

Like a purple fruit shot from a slingshot, he landed against Moon God with a smack, wrapped his little arms around his second brother's waist, and pressed his face to his chest.

"Second brother, you hold me. I like you best. Big brother is too stupid."

Sun God's arms were still suspended in midair in the position they'd held Star God, but they were suddenly empty.

He looked down at his empty arms, then up at the purple bundle hanging off his second brother, and the light in his golden eyes froze for a moment.

Moon God picked Star God up, supporting his back with one hand and gently patting him with the other, while looking at Sun God.

There was a teasing note in his gaze, which seemed to say,

"Brother, it looks like I'm more popular than you."

Sun God turned his head. He actually treated this younger brother quite well too, only a little less well than he treated Moon.

But he searched his conscience and felt he treated him quite well.

Yet Star God didn't seem to like him much. Every time Sun God wanted to hug, touch, or kiss him, he had to force him.

By now, Star God was nestled comfortably in Moon God's arms.

His second brother's temperature was close to his own, both pleasantly cool, making it a little more comfortable than being in his eldest brother Sun God's arms.

His eldest brother was too hot. Every time he held Star God, he felt like a purple sweet potato left by a stove, roasted crisp on the outside and tender inside.

His second brother was cool. Nestling in his arms was like soaking in a pool of cool water, comfortable from the inside out.

But every time this happened, his eldest brother would jump out and compete with him for their second brother.

Seeing Star God like this, Sun God turned his head to one side, feeling very jealous. His youngest brother liked his second brother best and didn't like his eldest brother at all.

He stood beside them, golden arms folded over his golden chest, pressing down the corners of his mouth again and again until his lips formed a rather unhappy line.

Hmph.

So he liked his younger brother Moon best, too.

By the time Star God reached the height of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, Sun God and Moon God had already taken on the full appearance of normal adult men.

Whenever Star God saw his eldest brother Sun God and second brother Moon God standing together, he would look at himself and touch his head, feeling like a little runt.

His eldest brother's shoulders were so broad, and his second brother was so tall. Only he, with his soft purple hair hanging down, was much shorter than both of them. Standing between them, the top of his head just reached his second brother's chest.

He tilted his head up to look at his eldest brother.

His eldest brother looked down at him, golden eyes curved, wearing the kind of smile that made his teeth itch.

He tilted his head up to look at his second brother, who looked down at him and raised a hand to press down on his head.

He pouted and puffed his cheeks out like a bun.

When would I grow taller?

When he grew taller, taller than his eldest brother, Star God would stand in front of him every day, measure their heights with his hand, and taunt him:

"Big brother, I'm taller than you. You're so short."

After taunting him, he would hold his second brother Moon God in his arms, gently stroke his head, and pat him on the back. Then he would say to him:

"Second brother, I'll protect you from now on."

And then every day he would kiss, hug, and lift his second brother up high.

This was a little obsession Star God had kept hidden in his heart since childhood.

Unfortunately, even now, that obsession had never been fulfilled.

But as gods, wasn't it easy for them to change their forms and heights?

Surely this little obsession was easy to fulfill, wasn't it?

But Star God and both his brothers were gods. If one of them tried to get by like that, the other two wouldn't let him have his way.

The moment Star God made himself an inch taller, his eldest brother Sun God would add an inch to his own height too, remaining half a head taller than him forever.

His second brother Moon God wouldn't make himself taller of his own accord, but whenever Star God tried to stretch himself taller than him...

His second brother only had to give him a look, and Star God would lose his resolve and obediently shrink back to his original size.

So he could only grow naturally, like a good boy.

But unfortunately, even a long, long, long time later, his little obsession still hadn't been fulfilled.

So long that the universe had unfolded, the stars had filled it, the solar disc had burned into an eternal, undying form, and moonlight had gathered into tides and dreams.

So long that the three brothers had taken up residence in their own divine domains.

So long that Star God had finally grown into an adult man, with long purple hair and a slender figure. Standing before his two brothers, he finally reached his second brother's forehead.

But he was still a little shorter than his eldest brother.

He stood before Sun God, looking up at his eldest brother's punchable smile, his teeth itching with resentment.

"Big brother, did you secretly grow taller again?"

"No," Sun God said with utter confidence. "I've always been this tall."

Star God didn't believe him.

Star God gritted his teeth.

Star God stood on tiptoe and wrapped his arms around his second brother, resting his chin on top of his head and giving his eldest brother a defiant smile.

Held in his arms, Moon God's silver-white eyes curved slightly.

Sun God watched his third brother holding their second brother, narrowed his golden eyes, then strode over and wrapped both younger brothers in his arms from behind.

Only children made choices. He wanted them both!

Wedged between his two brothers, Star God kept up his defiance.

"Big brother, next time I'll definitely be taller than you. Then I'll look down on you from above."

Sun God grunted, rested his chin on top of Moon God's head, and ignored him.

Moon God was sandwiched in the middle, his left shoulder against their eldest brother's chest and his right shoulder propped against their third brother's chin.

He reached to either side and stroked their two fluffy heads.

After delivering his taunt to Sun God, Star God looked at Moon God again.

"Second brother, brother, I'll definitely grow taller than you. It's a deal: when I do, you have to let me kiss you, hug you, and lift you up high."

Moon God couldn't dictate his younger brother's decision about this little obsession he had never given up, so each time he simply answered:

"All right."

END.