When I was a young child, I went on the town camping trip
and met a certain boy.
Hey!
What are you doing out here?
What am I doing?
Letting my anger cool off.
Hey, Ao, do you remember
the day we first met?
Of course. I'll never forget that summer night.
Thanks.
Look, over there.
Oh! The dot!
Dot...
Well, yeah.
You can't see it with binoculars,
but Jupiter has stripes and thin rings around it.
It also has about 70 moons.
You know a lot!
Hey, what's your name?
Ao.
I'm Mira!
The variable star!
Terrible start?
No, not that.
In the evening, the long-period variable star Mira of the Cetus constellation in the southwest sky will reach peak magnitude.
The variable star Mira.
It's a star in the Cetus constellation that's unusual because its brightness varies.
Wow! I have the same name as a star?
What about you, Ao?
Is there a star with your name?
There's no star with a weird name like that.
It's not weird! It's cool!
Huh?
Besides, if there isn't one, why not name one after you?
Name one?
An asteroid, maybe...
If I discover one of those, I should be able to name it.
Let's find one, then!
Huh?
Let's discover the star Ao!
That was the last time I saw that boy...
And now I'm in high school.
Starting today, I'm a high schooler!
And the one thing I wanted to do after starting high school is...
...gone!
Club Listings
Congratulations on Starting School
Huh? What's wrong, Mira?
Suzu-chan!
The astronomy club that was here until last year is gone!
I was totally set on joining it in high school! Why?!
Yeah, about that...
Oh, uh...
Endou-sensei.
Starting this year, the astronomy club and the geology club have been
merged into the earth sciences club.
Earth sciences club?
Hey, I've brought some girls here to observe you.
Earth
Man
Heaven
Sorry.
We haven't really adjusted to the merger yet.
I'm the club president, Morino.
I used to be in the astronomy club.
I'm the vice president, Sakurai.
I used to be in the geology club.
Oh, I'm Inose, a second-year on the geology side.
I'm Manaka, a first-year. I was hoping for the astronomy club.
There are other new students here! I was hoping for the astronomy club, too!
You like stars?
I do!
And there's something I want to do!
I want to discover an asteroid!
Oh? That's an awfully big goal.
Is that hard to do?
There is a record of a high schooler discovering one in the past, but...
It's practically impossible for a tiny club like ours.
You're being too harsh, Vice President!
Yes...
But I made a promise.
With a boy, a long time ago.
What?!
I never heard about this, Mira!
Well, if I told you about it, you'd dig into who he was, right?
Yes! I'd string him up! Gimme his name!
Ao.
We promised to discover an asteroid together and name it Ao.
I never saw him again after that, though.
Oh, dear. Could that possibly be...
I think it might...
You're bright red, Manaka.
Manaka Ao.
What?!
Ao? The Ao? You're a girl?!
My name's kind of boyish, and my hair was short...
I was really happy to see you then, Ao.
Same here.
If not for you, I don't think I would've joined the earth sciences club.
Y-Y-You remember me?!
Of course!
I've wanted to discover an asteroid ever since that day.
And then I wouldn't have gotten to know the others, either!
And this...
I don't want that!
A whale mascot?
So you wouldn't forget my name?
I wouldn't, either.
Hey, Ao, there's something I want to do.
Well, well.
What?
I want to make a special issue of our club newsletter, Sparkle.
Sounds like things are getting fun.
A special issue of Sparkle?
6.5 Recap: Sparkle's Special Issue
We've done all kinds of things in the earth sciences club, huh?
On this day, we had a barbecue and hunted for rocks!
The bread Suzu-chan brought from her family's store, Suzuya Bakery, was really good!
Yeah. We picked up a lot of stones.
That night, we had a stargazing party.
I was so happy I got to use a telescope and focus it on a star.
I'll work hard so I can do that, too!
Sparkle About the First Issue A4 Half-fold
So, our first printing will be half-fold, four pages.
This was the meeting for our first printing of Sparkle.
Each of us will have one column to write.
I asked my sister for advice, but I just couldn't write anything well.
You're saying so many things I don't understand!
Mira!
Thanks to you, I got the idea of drawing a manga
That would hurt! I'd regret it!
I don't think that'll be a problem.
They'd have to be pretty hardcore.
and wrote a great article.
Thanks!
Let's Enjoy Spring's Constellations
Nice to meet you. I'm the astrofox, Condorde.
I'm your space guide, Kururu! Nice to meet you.
I see you're fine without a space suit. Are you an alien?
Oh, no, not so much... Wait!
There might be less information
Your article was cute.
I don't want to hear that from a talking fox!
Setting that aside, let's introduce the spring constellations this time!
First, there's the spring triangle! When you follow the handle of the Big Dipper, you can find Arcturus in Boötes, and Spica in Virgo!
If you follow west from there, you find Leo. You'll recognize it by the head that looks like an upside-down question mark. The light blue first magnitude star at its heart, Regulus, is very pretty!
Nights are gentler this time of year, too, so it's easier to go look at the stars. You should all give it a try, too!
See you again~!
than text would provide...
Sakura-senpai went with birthstones,
Birthstones How to Enjoy Natural Rocks
Birthstones!
and Ino-senpai wrote about the rocks we collected.
I'm planning to write about the rocks we collected at the riverside.
Monroe-senpai used lots of photos to describe what we'd done.
Now all that's left is the layout.
Newsletter Sparkle
Hoshizaki High School Earth Sciences Club
Nice to meet you! We're the earth sciences club!
Club Activities (April - June) From Barbecue to...?
There's an elegance to viewing the moon from a bath!
Hey, Mira, what were you saying about a special issue of Sparkle?
Oh, well...
Ah, it's the study session for our make-up tests!
It was tough, but I had fun studying with you and Suzu-san.
Yeah!
Penniless Squad Broke Rangers!
Sure.
It's pleasure to work with you.
Then we worked at Suzuya Bakery!
Thank you for always coming by.
Those uniforms really were a little embarrassing.
Have a sample.
B-Be careful.
Suzu-chan was super happy.
Wow!
She took lots of photos.
I got to take lots of photos, so I added extra as your modeling fee.
I'm used to it now, so it's fine.
I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry about my sister!
Then there was the time we happened to run into Ino-senpai and Suzu-chan in town!
Mira, look.
Ino-senpai and... Suzu-chan?
When did those two get so close?
Let's follow them for a bit!
Huh? Uh, okay...
I'm sorry we followed you.
We got caught nao.
Enough of the "nao" stuff already.
Mira-chan, Ao-san, good afternoon.
What were you doing in a place like this?
I wanted to come see the enclave today, so I asked Suzu-san to accompany me.
Enclave?
Yes! It's a part of a territory that lies within another territory, like this.
Huh. Is that interesting?
Yes, it is!
I've always loved maps, so every now and then, I go exploring like this.
That sounds fun.
Were maps something the geology group studied, too?
They're probably considered a slightly different field,
but they're pretty closely related.
Last year, I found a cute map in front the geology club room.
Colorful and pretty, isn't it?
It's a geological map.
It was a meeting with destiny.
Senpai, um...
Hmm?
I ended up agreeing to draw a treasure map for Mira-chan and the others,
but I was wondering what kind of map they might enjoy.
I see. You're sharing your fun with them.
Sharing my fun?
Whatever you find fun is the treasure.
If you draw a map to that, I'm sure those girls will love it.
Okay!
Class 1-1
Mira-chan, sorry to make you wait for it.
Here you go.
Wow! Thank you so much!
I wonder what Ino-senpai's treasure is. I can't wait!
Please try to find it together after school.
Okay!
Treasure hunting was fun!
We should have Ino-senpai draw us another map sometime.
Yeah.
Now, after Ino-senpai's treasure!
Oh, Mira, you were just about to say something.
Let's go!
Oh, about the special issue of Sparkle?
Let's see... First we go through this passage and head toward the special classroom wing.
Yeah.
I want to organize the earth sciences club's past and future activities into it.
The anatomical model here is scary, so run!
Earth Sciences Lab
I think that's a great idea, but why?
The final landmark is... "The back of a cute map."
Sparkle always has photos that Monroe-senpai took in it, right?
This one!
It really is colorful and cute.
Monroe-senpai's good at taking photos.
Oh, there's something on the back.
Yeah.
But there are very few photos of Monroe-senpai, since she's taking them.
A letter and... the photo from yesterday!
That's true.
Ino-senpai!
So I want to take some photos with everyone in them
We found the treasure!
and leave a record of our earth sciences club.
It was fun hunting for treasure.
That sounds great.
Please draw another map again sometime!
Suzu-chan should be willing to help us, too!
You haven't decided on where to go yet, right?
Yeah, it'll be a good special issue of Sparkle.
I have a nice idea of my own.
Let's look at our summer camp next.
A nice idea?
We can't leave out the summer camp!
We're here!
This was the earth sciences club's summer camp.
We went to the Geological Museum and JAXA!
Requesting information!
We're looking for asteroids
Hello!
We're Hoshizaki High School's earth sciences club!
Even our senpai were excited about this trip.
A rocket!
What you saw yesterday was a model,
It's a place they'd been dying to visit!
but this is a real rocket, even on the inside.
A real one?!
I want to touch it!
Hey, Monroe, your astronomy group is getting carried away.
As our president, you need to watch... them...
I can't reach it!
Space is so far away!
Now I'll show you all to the astronaut training wing.
Normally, only staff are allowed into this area,
Monroe-senpai's looking more serious than usual.
so please attach the passes I gave you somewhere visible.
Well, I'm sure she has a lot of thoughts running through her mind.
She's always wanted to come here.
She has?
On the other side of this window is the closed-environment training facility.
The previous exams narrowed our 963 applicants down to the ten
who are taking their tests in here.
Um, what does it take to become an astronaut?
Well, first, you have to be healthy,
and also proficient in English.
And above all else, you need to be cooperative.
That's said to be the most important part.
Thank you.
No problem.
Over here we place astronauts in low pressure environments to measure how
You heard her.
Sakura-chan.
Thank you very much.
low oxygen supply will affect their bodies and conduct other training regimes.
You'll need to work more on your pronunciation.
You want to discover an asteroid?
D-Do you have any hints for us?
Any hints, eh?
Or do you know anyone who might be an expert in that field?
Well, this center is focused on space development,
so while we have some exhibits on the discovery of asteroids,
we don't know much about discovering new astronomical objects.
There might be a specialist in one of our other centers elsewhere in the country, but...
I see.
Thank you.
Not at all.
Thank you very much!
I couldn't find any clues.
Ao...
Me, neither. But I learned a lot today, and I did find out some things.
For example,
if we try each of the centers throughout Japan, we'll eventually meet an expert on it!
Oh, right. Here's what you asked us to look for, Yuki.
That night, we got an amazing tip at Endou-sensei's grandparents' house!
Oh, you found it? Thanks.
An old flyer?
For high schoolers... An astronomical object discovery program?
Shining Star Challenge
Recruiting Now
Huh? What is this?!
It's the Shining Star Challenge program held at the observatory during summer break.
I participated in it myself back in the day.
I couldn't find anything, though.
Wh-Wh-Why would you keep such incredible information a secret?!
Well, because I didn't know about your dream.
New Astronomical Object Discovery Program for High Schoolers Shining Star Challenge
Applications for this event are closed.
Add to list
Oh, the deadline for entering this year has already passed.
If only we had known about this sooner!
It's held on Ishigaki Island.
You're mad, aren't you?!
Okinawa?! That's great!
Ishigaki Island...
Okinawa...
Blue seas...
Mira?
The Shining Star Challenge.
It's open to all high schoolers in the nation.
Seven participants are selected based on their submitted assignment.
It's hard to get in, and there's no guarantee we'll discover one, huh?
But I still feel
like we're a step or two closer to our goal.
Yeah.
This might be a huge leap forward for us.
Yeah!
I never expected Endou-sensei to be someone who hunted for new asteroids, though.
I never knew that, either.
My heart's been racing all day long.
I guess this means the astronomy group's gotten closer to their goals.
Goals?
I want to become an astronaut.
An astronaut?!
Really?!
Yeah.
So that's why you were acting so serious today.
It's such a big dream, it's really a bit embarrassing.
You shouldn't call it embarrassing.
Not if you're serious about pursuing it.
I still haven't found any solid goal to pursue, so if you ask me,
you're all amazing for having one.
You shouldn't hold back in pursuit of your dreams.
Sakura-chan, thank you.
Hmph.
Uh, meaning...
You're not mad at us?
Huh? I'm giving you lots of encouragement.
I-It was hard to tell...
Don't hold back on your dreams...
I think I might have figured out what I want to do.
The truth is, there's somewhere I'd like to go, too!
This is the headquarters of map-making, the Geospatial Informational Authority of Japan!
I didn't know Inose was into this field.
I know this is a change of plans. Are you all okay with this?
I don't mind at all.
Besides...
I don't think anyone can complain when they see that look on her face.
The summer camp was fun, wasn't it?
Yeah. We got to learn about our senpai's goals, too.
We also got closer to our own dream of discovering an asteroid.
Let's do our best and aim for the Shining Star Challenge, Ao!
And this wasn't the end of our summer break!
The beach is so fun!
You, Suzu-chan, Ino-senpai, and I went to the beach together.
It is.
A best-of-three match over who's Mira's best friend!
And for some reason, I ended up competing with Suzu-san over who was your best friend.
Huh?!
Mira!
Suzu-chan and I have been friends since childhood.
Sorry about that.
I managed to get closer to Suzu-san, too.
You girls just weren't coming, so I started swimming.
Ino-senpai was so excited about the strata.
You can see the strata so clearly!
That's a geology fan for you!
Sakura-senpai and Monroe-senpai couldn't come since they had summer classes.
Oh, it's from Monroe-senpai.
Huh?! Why's she in a swimsuit?!
It's tough having entrance exams.
And Sakura-senpai, too?!
Please give me those photos, as your best friend!
But I guess they do need a break now and then.
Oh, Sakura-senpai.
I'm going to a mineral show tomorrow. I'll send where to meet up later. Please let me know if you can make it.
Mineral show?
I wonder what that is. I'll totally go.
I'm sorry, I have other plans already.
What a shame. I have plans that day, too.
I'm sorry, I do, too.
Huh? No one else can come?
Which means... I'll be alone with Sakura-senpai?
What are you looking for here, Senpai?
I haven't settled on anything specific, actually.
I'm mostly here for a break from my studies.
It's fun enough just walking around and looking.
Wow, so you're window shopping for stones!
Oh! It's the chisel set I've been looking for!
I'll take this, please! And this! Oh, and give me this too, please!
Sorry for taking up your entire day.
No, I had fun!
Thank you so much!
Wh-What's this?
To thank you for inviting me out today.
I hope we can bring everyone else with us next time.
Well, my house is this way.
Huh?
Y-Yeah, see you later.
I forgot to thank her for coming with me, didn't I?
I want to go to the mineral show next time, too.
Yeah, let's both go!
It's still so hot.
Then the new term started, along with preparations for the cultural festival, but...
L-Look.
Wh-What?
Ibe-chan?!
Eve!
I told you to call me Eve, didn't I?!
She's one of my friends from class.
Friends?
Oh, it's Manaka-san!
Yoohoo!
Usami-san.
Someone you know?
A classmate.
Sorry, our Eve-chan-senpai is such a pain.
Reconnaissance?
That's right!
We're a secret squad within the newspaper club that's taking
covert action to crush the earth sciences club's newsletter!
So you're trying to stop the production of the earth sciences club's newsletter?
Yeah!
I was just looking for any scandals that we could use as blackmail!
I know! Why don't you help us think of an exhibit for the cultural festival?
Sakura-senpai, do you think we could bring in some strata?
You mean a surface peel specimen?
I've never made one before,
and I'm not sure we have a rocky outcropping we could use as a specimen.
How about a boring survey of the campus, then?
Hmph!
I get it, but it's not "bowling."
You mean "boring" as in drilling holes, right?
Boring Survey
Pop
Right. You drive a pipe into the ground and bore out a sample.
So if you can add an explosion and a huge rock to that...
Yes, Eve-chan-senpai. You're embarrassing yourself, so we should be getting back now.
Boring does sound fun, though.
Let's give it some thought.
That's so cool!
It's a mock boring survey.
I know!
Why don't we serve this as a café?
Agar
Boring Agar
Strawberry Milk
Banana Milk
Milk Coffee
Agar!!
A café?
We could make other sweets and drinks with earth science themes.
A café where you can enjoy earth sciences along with tea and sweets...
A geocafé!
That might be nice!
It's settled, then.
Ao! Let's come up with some ideas for sweets and talk to Suzu-chan about them!
Yeah.
Then the geology group's exhibit for the café will be...
Actually boring into the campus?
We can't do that. It's not realistic.
We can't ask other businesses to help with the cultural festival.
Hey, Sakurai.
If you're interested in it,
why not just organize what data and findings you can dig up?
But without the real thing, it won't be a centerpiece for the exhibit,
and it'll just look haphazard.
And that's fine.
It'd be a waste to just decide it's impossible and completely scrap it all, right?
At the very least, I want to learn what you researched and what you thought of it.
I want to know, too.
Yeah.
Heave-ho!
Just a little more!
Heave-ho!
Then we began preparing for the cultural festival!
Ta-da! It's Earth!
The geology group worked hard on their display, too.
We're going to have a nice solar system.
Thank you!
Yeah! Then the Hoshizaki Festival began!
Hoshizaki Festival
Pegmatite Scone Milky Way Gelatin Boring Tiramisu Planet Cookies Waxing Moon Pancakes
Please order over here.
What do you recommend?
You can enjoy eight different flavors with these planet cookies.
I also recommend the Milky Way gelatin, since it's photogenic.
Pardon me! Try some of our geology group's sweets, too!
This tiramisu lets you try boring for yourself.
Enjoy it by sucking it through the straw.
This is our handmade model.
The sizes and distances involved in the solar system
would make it bigger than the classroom, so it's a bit distorted.
Are those lines shooting stars?
One is the habitable zone, and the other is the asteroid belt.
Then is that fluffy thing a cloud?
It's the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt.
Whee! You're on a journey through space!
Wow! Yay!
Go, go, go!
So fast!
I-It's over.
I'm worn out from talking to so many people.
This has been the funnest cultural festival ever, thanks to all of you.
Right, Sakura-chan?
Yeah.
Good work, everyone.
Sakura-senpai's being up-front.
It's an omen of natural disaster.
You two should accept it up-front, too.
I'm expressing gratitude.
Oh, right.
President, you had something important to discuss, right?
That's right. Everyone, listen up.
What is it?
As of today, we're both...
...stepping down as president and vice president.
Huh?
S-Stepping down?! You're quitting the earth sciences club?!
No, we're stepping down from our roles.
We'll still be part of the club until we graduate.
So, with that, I'd like to ask you to be the next president, Ino-chan.
We're counting on you, Ino!
Huh?
What?!
The special issue of Sparkle ends with
Monroe-senpai and Sakura-senpai's surprising retirement!
I never even imagined it.
Let's do what we can to make the earth sciences club fun with Ino-senpai!
We have to apply for the Shining Star Challenge, too.
That's right!
We're going to discover an asteroid together.
Yeah. Let's realize our dream together.
07. The Starry Sky Is a Time Machine
Next time, "The Starry Sky Is a Time Machine."