Chapter 4: Moonlit Nights, Devoid of Warmth

August 30, 2009

For high school seniors, it's always time for self-study. Even in our class, which is usually quite lively, everyone is now quiet and focused on their studies.

But today feels like we've gone back to the atmosphere of our first year of high school. The class is unusually noisy, like something big is happening.

"Oh, good morning, Prince," one of my classmates notices me.

"Yeah, what are you all discussing?" I ask.

"Hey, Prince, do you know? We have a new transfer student joining our class, named Lunar. Must be a girl, right?"

It's rare for a senior student to transfer in, must be some family issue.

"Quiet down, everyone!" our teacher's voice cuts through the chatter. "We have a new student coming in, I heard he's really good at math. Could you please help him find his way, Dawn?"

"Sure, where is he?" I ask.

"He should be on the rooftop. Yesterday, when I showed him around the school, he seemed to really like it up there. He's quite a special kid."

I acknowledge and head towards the rooftop.

The main building of our school is the oldest structure, with four floors of classrooms. The fifth floor houses various clubs and activities. As the school expanded, a new special activities building was constructed, and all the club rooms were moved there.

The rooftop entrance is next to the room of The Psychic Club.

A faint light seeps through the windows, casting a tranquil atmosphere in the hallway, making my footsteps sound particularly loud.

At the entrance to The Psychic Club, I can tell that Lunar is probably inside, sipping tea and engrossed in deciphering the codes left by his aunt and uncle or preparing for the Comet competition. I don't want to disturb his studies, so I decide not to go in. After all, she's always studying, waking up only to continue studying. Sometimes I really wish she would take a break, though I'm not much different myself.

Next to it is the entrance to the rooftop. Climbing the stairs, I feel like I'm ascending to heaven.

 Monsoon High School is perhaps one of the few schools in the country with a rooftop.

Even though it's still summer, the rooftop breeze feels refreshing, leaving a cool sensation on my skin as it gently brushes past.

Looking up, the new student is right in front of me, sitting on... the railing of the rooftop?! It's very dangerous!

At times like this, don't shout or startle him, approach slowly and calmly.

When I reach his side, I intended to say something, but he speaks first, pointing to the building under construction across the way.

"The top floor of that building over there offers a spectacular view."

"Why is that?" I ask instinctively.

"Isn't it great to see the sunrise and sunset from there? Don't you think so?"

He holds up a brochure for the building, reading from it.

"I think it would be better to wait until the building is finished before promoting it."

"Is this untrustworthy then?"

"Not at all, but if you want to watch the sunrise and sunset, isn't this rooftop sufficient? Why go through the trouble of buying a house just to see the sun?"

Ah, that's my home.

"Oh, I see. No wonder..." he says, suddenly understanding, but his expression remains unchanged.

"What's the matter?"

He looks at me and says, expressionless, "So I like being here because I like the sun. But this rooftop isn't mine, after all. I guess I still want to buy the house across the way."

His words are inexplicable.

He's a boy, a bit absent-minded, with a delicate face, but there's something about him that makes me feel very uneasy.

I don't speak, and he carefully examines me, then says something even more inexplicable.

"You're a person with color."

I'm astonished, forgetting for a moment that he's in a very dangerous situation, not because of his inexplicable words, but because...

His tone remains calm, never changing.

His expression is cold and empty, never changing.

His gaze is vacant, never changing.

In every aspect, he feels devoid of any emotion, like a... ghost.

"Are you even human?"

I blurt out this extremely impolite question.

"What a strange way to ask. Are you asking for my name?"

He says with a tone that indicates curiosity, but I can't sense any curiosity in his gaze, movements, or emotions.

"Yeah. My name is Dawn."

"Indeed a fitting name for you. My name is Lunar, the brilliance of the moon."

"Your name suits you too," I think to myself.

On the moon, during the day, temperatures can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but at night, they can quickly drop below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the temperature difference seems huge, it doesn't have much impact on the human body because the moon is nearly a vacuum, without anything to transfer heat. On Earth, however, because of the presence of air, we can gain or lose heat from our surroundings at any time!

So, under the bright moon, you can't feel any temperature.