The sound of the bottom of his boots grinding against gravel resounded especially loud in the quiet park. Because he had been in the bustling and dazzling streets till now, the park in the middle of the night seemed too dark and quiet. It was supposed to be a park in the middle of the city, but today was one of those rare times where no one was around.

A week had already passed since the end of the celebratory event. A flame of excitement still smouldered within Noel’s chest and sometimes, he would leave his apartment in flurry, being unable to sit still. He had really intended to go to the studio but on a whim, his legs took him towards the park instead.

Just one person in the spacious park. Alone.

He had this stage known as the park to himself. For some reason or other, this thought made Noel smile.

When he was a child, he argued with others a lot. However, he never was up to mischief. Surely the mental state of children when they were up to mischief was what he was feeling now. That feeling of his blood vessels expanding when his heart contracted. He was excited. However at the base of that excitement was a feeling of security. Noel had never felt such a sense of security before. Whether he was alone or with other people he always only felt a frustration that could not be quelled in the depths of his heart. But now he could not recall that feeling unless he tried hard to remember it.

The wind blew. The smell of dried leaves was mixed within its chill. It was a smell that made people feel that winter was on its way.

(Now that I think about it….It hasn’t even been a year since I met that guy.)

He could not believe that it had been only close to ten months since the  night he encountered Revo. Though it had only been ten months, this was the richest period of time in his life.

Sitting on a bench, he slowly plucked his guitar’s strings and the sound spread gradually in the quiet park. In the midst of that, he could hear the sound of footsteps shuffling across the ground. He moved his gaze in that direction and a small figure that seemed panicked hid among the nearby hedges.

(A child? At this kind of time……?)

When he stared at the small head that hid in the hedge, the child looked over once more like he was peeking. When the child’s eyes met Noel’s, he turned away again and faced his back at Noel.

“You won’t see anything from there, come over here.”

Noel called out to the boy, who behaved like he was going to flee, with those words. After the boy made a surprised face, he stared at Noel’s face, suspicious. After repeating the action of averting his gaze then staring at Noel, he timidly left the cover of the hedges.

Confused and wary, the boy slowly closed the distance between him and Noel. Noel knew that mental state firsthand. That was why he waited for the boy to come to his side without saying anything more.

(I will protect myself. No one will help me….It’s like that, isn’t it?)

He asked within his heart. As though responding to that question, the boy stared at Noel with a glare and stood in front of him. He kept a certain distance away so that he could run away anytime.

Noel was about to ask the boy what he was doing here at this time. However he stopped himself when he saw the boy’s gaze and attire that could not be considered clean. He did not know the reason what a child such as that boy would be doing outside at this kind of time. He could only guess. Then about the mental state of the boy, Noel knew.

There was no one they could rely on even if they were alone and their nerves were stretched thin……If he did not get outside, he was going to collapse emotionally. This boy understood that he had to survive on his own. He understood that, but his current situation did not allow it. He understood that he was powerless.

Noel did not say anything and slowly made a sound on his guitar then the boy’s shoulders jolted in surprise before his eyes grew round. In that instant, his innocent eyes shone without defence, like a child’s.

Noel smiled at the boy’s pure eyes and patted the area next to himself. As expected, despite hesitating, the child still sat next to Noel.

Noel thought that he should say something, but in any case, if he started a conversation, he would not be able to say what the boy wanted to hear.

(It’s better if I sing.)

“I’ll aim straight for the skies to outrun my sadness—”

The boy made a cautious gaze again but it quickly returned to an innocent look and he stared at Noel’s actions. It was not just through his ears, Noel knew that the boy was experiencing the vibrations from Noel’s voice with his entire body.

“I’ll leave behind <the proof of my life engulfed in fire>[a star]-”

After singing slowly with just his voice, Noel looked down at the boy. Noel spoke to the boy who was staring between Noel and his guitar with twinkling eyes.

“Do you want to sing together?”

The boy lowered his head in response to Noel’s words.

“But, I……don’t know much songs……”

“I’ll sing anything that you know. Right now you’re the only audience.”

“Um, Um, then…….tw…….”

While waiting for the song request, the boy timidly spoke in a small voice.

“Twinkle twinkle little st….”

Noel’s eyes grew round and the boy shut his mouth.

Noel recalled that in the past that he had requested that song to the young man whom he met in the park. Seeing that Noel had a surprised expression, perhaps the boy thought that he had stunned Noel and his face became as red as a tomato.

“Ne, nevermind!”

The boy said frantically and stood up.

Noel did not say anything to stop the other party. Once he played his guitar, the boy stopped in his tracks.

“—Twinkle twinkle little…..”

Once Noel started singing, the boy looked over with an innocent gaze as though he was drawn to him. Then the boy opened his mouth and stopped.

After glancing at those eyes that were full of expectation, Noel changed the way he played his guitar. After singing in a rock style, the boy got surprised but continued to stare with an interested expression. After Noel finished singing, the boy chuckled.

“What was that? It’s strange.”

“Don’t call it strange.”

“But…it’s pretty cool.”

Finally the boy smiled after saying that. Then he sat down next to Noel again and kicked his legs like he was having fun. He asked Noel.

“What was the song that you sang earlier about? It seems….sad.”

“”The Nighthawk Star”. I made it.”

“”The Nighthawk Star”….can you sing it again?”

The one that replied was not Noel but Noel’s guitar, FLYING NIGHTHAWK.

Riding on the sound of the guitar, Noel sang “The Nighthawk Star: and it rang out throughout the park. Each and every phrase was sung, accompanied by the melody.

“even if I die– as long as I’m alive, I’ll burn until the end!”

The place where he usually sang strongly like he was releasing the energy from the depths of his heart was only powerful this time, singing such that it crossed over to the boy’s heart.

After Noel finished singing the last phrase, the boy stared at his own toes.

“As long as I’s alive, I’ll burn until the end….”

The boy muttered those words then he looked up at Noel, troubled.

“….Why did you sing for me? I….don’t have money.”

Looking at the boy’s troubled face, Noel let out a small chuckle, thinking that the boy was actually concerned about such a thing.

“Id-iot. I’m not expecting such a thing.”

“Then, why did you sing for me?”

After being asked that, Noel looked up at the sky and thought for a while.

“I wonder……”

The reason leapt to his mind immediately. Because the boy was just like him when he was a child. He wanted to encourage the boy. However he was careful to phrase his words more appropriately.

He recalled the time that Revo passed him the book called “The Nighhawk Star”. At that time, he was probably having the same sort of mental state.

“At this moment, you probably need this! That’s what I think.”

“What was that….?”

The boy furrowed his brows and tilted his head. However, there was a somewhat delighted expression there as well. Then, phrases from “The Nighthawk Star” could be heard softly coming from the boy’s mouth. He was only humming but when Noel met it with his singing, it became a clear song.

After the two sang, the boy smiled and swung his legs in a good mood.

Noel was relieved after seeing that the boy seemed to be having fun. The side of the boy’s heart that enjoyed things had not been killed yet. He had not lost to the anger and sadness that he tried to conceal.

“Hey.”

The boy turned his innocent gaze over to Noel’s direction after being called. Noel hesitated for a short while, wondering what he should say to the boy at this moment. However, there was something that he wanted this boy who was so much like himself in the past to remember.

“Right now…. you might only find these words annoying.”

Noel reached his hand out towards the boy and with a smile, stroked his head.

“There will definitely be someone who will acknowledge you. So, don’t give up on yourself, ever.”

Upon hearing Noel’s words, the boy’s eyes grew huge and he stared at Noel.

–Really?

Those eyes contained that question and anticipation. However, in a split second, they changed to agitation and anger. The boy stood up roughly and looked straight at Noel, eyes full of fury.

(Ah….You thought that I was the only one your side. Yet….you feel betrayed.)

If it were him from the past, he would have thought that it was useless to expect anything. He had predicted that the boy would have thought the same thing but he still could not say it properly.

“….I don’t need such a person!”

As though the energy in the boy’s body became his voice, the boy yelled loudly, his voice filled with anger and sadness. The boy slapped away Noel’s hand and turning his back to Noel, ran away.

Noel stared at the hand that got slapped away and then clenched it into a fist.

(Sorry.)

That boy was really so much like the past him. Hating and being furious at the world. Even so, he was unable to give up his connection to the world—

“There is definitely someone….There was someone like that…for someone like me.”

Noel closed his eyes and the faces of the people who acknowledged and supported the him that was here appeared in his mind.

(But you just haven’t met that “someone” yet.)

Therefore, he said those words. Noel stood up and shouted towards the boy’s retreating back.

“If things get too hard, just sing out loud!”

It felt like the boy’s small back wavered. However, he did not turn around. He ran off like he was escaping.

(No. That’s not it. He’s not running away.)

With his own will, the boy stood up and ran off. He was not running away, he was facing his harsh reality.

Today, during this night, it would be good if “The Nighthawk Star” gave that small back a little courage. Wishing as such within his heart, Noel looked up to the night sky.

One star with twinkling. It felt like that was a blue shine and without thinking, Noel stretched his arm upward.

“Can you reach there as well, Nighthawk?”

Clenching his outstretched hand, Noel then played his guitar.