Stars Within Reach

It was nearly the middle of the month, so the moon was full and the night sky was clear.

Two petite Girl sat on the eaves, gazing up at the Starry Sky.

"What about that one? What's that one?" Tatsumaki asked, pointing at a bright star.

"That's Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky," Yoshiko answered.

Fubuki and the others still hadn't returned by evening, so Tatsumaki and Yoshiko had resorted to stargazing to pass the time.

Fortunately, Tatsumaki was fascinated by the Starry Sky, and Yoshiko was a walking encyclopedia. They kept up a steady stream of questions and answers, and neither felt bored.

"Sirius? Are there wolves up there?" Tatsumaki's large eyes sparkled with excitement.

"No," Yoshiko said flatly.

After living with the Mitarai Family for some time, Yoshiko knew that the Girl beside her, who looked only a few years older than she was, was actually twenty-five. But there was one thing Yoshiko couldn't understand.

Not only did Tatsumaki look nothing like her age, she also had a shocking lack of common knowledge. With her innocent, carefree nature, she seemed even more childlike than a child.

"What about those stars over there?" Tatsumaki asked, pointing elsewhere.

"That's the Big Dipper. Its seven stars form the shape of a ladle."

As Yoshiko spoke, she traced the shape in the air for Tatsumaki.

Tatsumaki counted the stars to herself, then copied Yoshiko's gesture. "You're right! That's kind of amazing."

"There are lots of amazing things in the Starry Sky. Those stars don't move, but there's another kind that moves very fast. They're called Meteor, though they're pretty rare..." Yoshiko launched into another explanation.

"Oh, those? I've caught some," Tatsumaki said.

Yoshiko froze. Caught Meteor? How was that possible?

But Tatsumaki didn't look as though she was joking.

"I