[Short Story] The Season of Syzygy

I, Sora Takano, a student in the Faculty of Letters at Kyoto University, was suddenly possessed by the word "syzygy" one spring day.

"Syzygy"—it is an astronomical term referring to the phenomenon where the sun, Earth, and moon (or other celestial bodies) align in a straight line. Captivated by the sound of the word, I began scouring books on astronomy at the library.

One day, a friend from the same faculty, Ginga Hoshino (nicknamed "Galaxy-kun"), sat down next to me. He was an eccentric who knew a lot about astrophysics and always wore a star chart hanging from his neck like a pendant. That day, he was wearing an unusually conspicuous Saturn-patterned shirt.

“You seem to have been into syzygy lately, haven't you?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“Actually, a syzygy is going to happen the night after tomorrow. They say it's best to watch it from the Kyoto Tower observation deck.”

My face lit up involuntarily. “Really? Then let's go see it together.”

And so, the night of the syzygy arrived. We took our positions on the Kyoto Tower observation deck. However, it was cloudy, and the telescope didn't show a single star.

“This is no good,” I sighed, while Galaxy-kun suddenly shouted.
“Ah! It's a syzygy!”

I hurriedly looked up at the sky, but nothing had changed. “Where? I can't see it.”

Then he pointed at the streets of Kyoto. There, a convenience store oden, a takoyaki shop sign, and a stuffed rabbit holding a moon-viewing dumpling were lined up in a straight line, as if calculated.

“Look, it's a terrestrial syzygy.”

I burst out laughing. I hadn't realized there could be such a strange kind of syzygy.

At that moment, a strange sense of exhilaration washed over me. It felt as if the order of the universe had descended upon the streets of Kyoto. Galaxy-kun's eyes also seemed to shine brighter than usual.

“Hey, why don't we look for more?” I suggested impulsively.

Galaxy-kun nodded with a beaming smile. “That's right. Let's explore all of Kyoto!”

We walked around the streets of Kyoto, searching for every possible "terrestrial syzygy." The stage of Kiyomizu-dera, the cityscape of Kyoto spreading out below it, and Mount Hiei visible in the distance. The Sanjo Ohashi Bridge over the Kamo River, the full moon reflected on the water's surface, and a couple on the bridge.

As we continued our search, we had unexpected encounters. A fortune teller we met in Kawaramachi showed interest in our "syzygy hunt" and remarked that "life, too, is a coincidence of straight lines." At Nishiki Market, we discovered a magnificent "culinary syzygy" created by skewered foods. Furthermore, even the pattern on the obi of a maiko we encountered in a back alley of Gion traced a mysterious straight line.

And finally, there were us. As we sat on the grand staircase of Kyoto Station, resting our tired bodies, we suddenly realized. Me, Galaxy-kun, and the coffee cup between us. It was the completion of a perfect "human syzygy."

At that moment, I felt something change within my heart. Through this one-night adventure, I felt I had caught a glimpse of the cosmic order hidden in everyday life and the mystery of the connections between people.

On the way home, Galaxy-kun said.
“Hey, you're going to write a novel, right? How about the title 'The Season of Syzygy'?”

I nodded with a laugh. "Yeah, that sounds good. But I think I'll make you the protagonist."

Galaxy-kun shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Oh, stop it. But I guess I wouldn't mind appearing as a supporting character."

And so, this story was born. A record of the "Season of Syzygy" that truly existed in the streets of Kyoto, and in our hearts.

(End)

Short Story Collection