The Day Subaru Oozora Searches for the Brightest Star
Everyone in Hololive, let's become astronauts! When Subaru Oozora suddenly announces this, a strangely hilarious 'Best Item Arrangement' tournament begins. Its a contest where you can supposedly receive a star from the universe. But Subaru is actually hiding a deeply sad secret. Without knowing it, everyone's small acts of kindness end up hurting Subaru... Yet she keeps acting cheerful. But when the biggest crisis arrives, Subaru realizes she isn't alone! It's a comfy daily life story that will
The Day Subaru Oozora Searches for the Brightest Star - Tears of the Brightest Star
A cold wind blew across the night rooftop terrace.
The city lights blurred in the distance, and more stars than expected were visible in the sky.
Noel leaned against the railing, her silver hair swaying in the wind. Fubuki stood a short distance away, arms crossed. Furea was beside Subaru, her pink hair fluttering as she gazed up at the sky.
At their feet lay a single small flashlight.
Its light cast a round shadow on the terrace floor.
"Alright, the rules are simple! The first one to find the brightest star wins!"
Subaru spread her arms wide as she spoke.
She raised her tone a notch, putting on a smile.
"...The brightest star, huh."
Fubuki's voice was quiet, almost lost in the night breeze. Her blue eyes were fixed not on the stars, but on Subaru's profile.
"Yeah! It's the first star you see at dusk! My grandma taught me about it."
Subaru made a gesture of pointing at a star.
"When I was little, I used to search for it with my grandma. We'd point together and say, 'Ah, that's the brightest star.' Then we'd make a wish three times. My grandma... she always wished for me to stay healthy and full of energy until the day she died."
Her voice trembled, just a little.
But immediately, Subaru pulled the corners of her mouth back up.
"So I made a promise to my grandma. I told her not to worry, because I'd always be full of energy! And so, every day, I find the brightest star and report to her that I'm doing great again today!"
Still leaning against the railing, Noel watched Subaru with her gray eyes.
Her lips held a gentle smile, but her eyes were not smiling.
"...Every day?"
"Yes! Even on rainy days and cloudy days, I believe the stars are there beyond the clouds!"
Subaru clenched her fist and gave a small shake in front of her chest.
Silence fell over the terrace.
Fubuki took a step forward.
Her white shirt fluttered in the night wind.
"Subaru-san."
Her voice was far stiffer than usual.
"Is that 'being full of energy' really what you want to do?"
Subaru's smile twitched faintly.
"Huh...?"
"Because of your promise to your grandmother, you put on a smile. Even when you're sad, even when it's painful, you force yourself to act cheerful. Is that what 'being full of energy' means to you?"
"Fubuki-senpai, what are you talking about? I'm just the same as always—"
"That's not true!!"
Fubuki's voice echoed across the terrace.
Furea's shoulders trembled. Noel closed her eyes.
Subaru couldn't make a sound.
The mask of her smile cracked.
"You're always like this! Hiding what you really feel, pushing everyone away! Is that your idea of 'being full of energy'!?"
Fubuki's blue eyes stared straight at Subaru.
Those eyes were angry.
But.
Deeper within them lay a different emotion.
"N-No... I was just... just..."
Her voice trembled.
Her fingertips trembled.
The star earring on Subaru's left ear caught the light of the flashlight, glinting sharply.
"My grandma... she passed away... last autumn..."
The words spilled out.
Noel looked up. Furea brought both hands to her mouth. Fubuki stared at Subaru as if she had forgotten to blink.
"It was... so hard. I wanted to cry. But I made a promise to my grandma... to always be full of energy, so..."
Tears streamed down Subaru's cheeks.
"On my streams, everyone would tell me, 'Subaru-chan, you're really always so energetic,' 'It's nice that you don't seem to have any worries.' I knew they didn't mean any harm. But—"
Subaru clutched her chest tightly.
"But it was painful. Even though I was sad, I couldn't tell anyone. All this time, alone, scared..."
She collapsed to her knees.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I couldn't keep my promise..."
Subaru sat down on the terrace floor and began to cry like a child.
Her sobs rode the night wind, melting into the distant lights of the buildings.
Fubuki couldn't move.
(What have I... been saying?)
The sight of Subaru breaking down in tears burned itself into her blue eyes.
'It's nice that you don't seem to have any worries.'
She had said that herself, once.
To think that behind that smile, Subaru had been suffering this much.
Noel slowly walked over.
Her long silver hair was translucent in the moonlight.
She crouched down in front of Subaru.
"Subaru-san."
Subaru couldn't lift her face.
"This whole competition... it was all just to bring you here."
Noel's voice quietly seeped into the terrace.
"When I saw you looking down by the window in the morning sunroom, I thought to myself: this girl needs someone to help her right now. But I didn't know how to help. So—"
Noel took Subaru's hand.
"I planned the competition, got you involved, and brought you all the way here. It was my kind lie. I'm sorry."
Subaru's shoulders shook.
"Noel-senpai..."
Furea crouched down beside Subaru.
Her large ribbon swayed, and her pink hair brushed against Subaru's shoulder.
"Subaru-chan."
Furea's voice was slower than usual, and warm.
"When you're sad, it's okay to say you're sad."
Subaru lifted her face.
A face messy with tears.
"But... with my grandma..."
"Did your grandma only wish for Subaru-chan to smile?"
Subaru's tears stopped.
"Being full of energy and wearing a smile are probably a little different. That's what Furea thinks."
Furea hugged Subaru.
A soft, flower-like scent.
"Right now, Subaru-chan is very sad. And that's okay. You don't have to smile when you're sad."
The strength drained from Subaru's body.
"...Uu... aaaah..."
Subaru cried out loud against Furea's chest.
It was as if all the sadness she had been holding inside, all alone for so long, was overflowing.
Fubuki walked over slowly.
Her short white bob swayed in the night breeze, her fox-like hairstyle shifting slightly.
She knelt down in front of Subaru.
"...I'm sorry."
Her voice trembled faintly.
"I was the one forcing smiles on you. I'm sorry I didn't notice."
A film of tears covered Fubuki's blue eyes.
"I apologize for interrogating you too. ...I just... wanted you to tell me the truth."
Subaru lifted her face from Furea's chest.
Her gaze met Fubuki's.
"Fubuki-senpai..."
"I think of you like a little sister. So if you're hurting, I want you to tell me you're hurting too. ...Please."
By the end, Fubuki's voice was barely a whisper.
With her tear-streaked face, Subaru nodded over and over.
"Yes... yes..."
Noel placed a hand on Subaru's back.
"You don't have to carry it all by yourself anymore, Subaru-san."
"Noel-senpai... I've made everyone worry..."
"Let us worry. That's what friends are for, isn't it?"
Without even wiping her tears, Noel smiled brightly.
Still holding Subaru tightly, Furea looked up.
"Hey, hey, the stars are out! Maybe not the brightest star, but there are so many!"
The four of them looked up.
Above the terrace, in the Tokyo sky, countless stars were twinkling.
"...Beautiful."
Subaru murmured.
It wasn't a forced smile. It was her real voice.
"I want to go see the real stars with everyone."
At Subaru's words, the three exchanged glances.
"Well then, the winner hasn't been decided yet."
Fubuki forced in a straight-man retort.
"Is there even a competition this sloppy?"
Noel's face broke into a grin.
"Fufu... certainly, this is the first competition of its kind."
Furea spoke with a face that was half crying, half laughing.
"But the Weirdest Thing Competition is a huge success! Because Subaru-chan was able to say how she really feels!"
That was when it happened.
Noel's phone vibrated in her pocket.
"...Oh?"
Noel looked at the screen.
Fubuki peered over.
"It's from Korone."
The message was written in large letters:
'Don't you guys go crying on your own without me! I'm heading over there right now!'
The four of them looked at each other, faces still marked with tears.
"W-Wait. Korone-san is coming here...!?"
"This is a problem. If she gets here, she'll definitely make fun of us."
"How will that prankster react..."
Just then, a loud voice echoed up from below the studio.
"Subaru~! Get down here~! I went ahead and opened your duck savings bank for you~!"
Subaru jumped up.
"Eeeeeh!! Hey, Korone-senpai!? My savings bank!!"
"Damn it. Too soon."
"Run~! Korone-chan's coming~!"
Furea pulled Subaru's hand and dashed toward the terrace entrance.
Laughing, Noel put away her phone.
"Good grief... it's a mess right up to the very end!"
As she ran, Subaru looked back just once.
Above the terrace, countless stars looked down.
The stars her grandma had taught her about.
The stars that had taught her she wasn't alone anymore.
With the traces of tears still on her face, Subaru gave a small wave toward the stars.
"...Thank you."
Then, she ran inside the studio.
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