[A Quick Guide for Readers] In Japan, July 7th is a festival called Tanabata (the Star Festival). According to legend, Orihime (the Weaver Star, Vega) and Hikoboshi (the Cowherd Star, Altair) were a couple so madly in love that they neglected their work. This angered the Heavenly King, who separated them on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Now, they are allowed to cross the river of stars to see each other only once a year—on the night of July 7th. People celebrate by writing wishes on colorful paper strips and hanging them on bamboo branches.
"I mean, even Orihime and Hikoboshi must want to skip work and slack off sometimes, right?"
It was the night of July 7th. On a balcony where the bamboo leaves rustled gently in the breeze, a college student named Ren muttered to himself, holding a can of beer.
In front of him was a plate of yakitori chicken—bought at half-price from the local supermarket—and his smartphone, which displayed a depressing row of rejection emails from his job hunt.
Even when he looked up, the city night sky was so cloudy that not a single star was visible. A romantic reunion once a year? That was a distant fairy tale that had absolutely nothing to do with a broke, jobless guy like him. Ren let out a deep sigh and stared blankly at his paper wish strip hanging on the bamboo. It read: “I hope I get a job offer.”
Right then, a strange voice yelled from directly above his head.
"Whoa, whoa, watch out!"
The laundry pole on his balcony rattled violently, and something came crashing down with a heavy thud.
A burglar? A giant bird? As Ren braced for impact, a guy wearing a ridiculously flashy, neon-gradient kimono stood up in front of him.
"Man, my bad! I was speeding a bit and couldn't make the turn on that cloud curve."
The guy scratched his head. Looking closer, Ren noticed a literal cow floating in mid-air behind him, looking utterly bored as it chewed its cud in empty space.
"…Uh, who exactly are you?" "Can’t you tell? I’m Hikoboshi, the celestial cowherd. I’m on my way to my big anniversary date with Orihime, but I’m running late. I was rushing and got totally caught on your laundry pole."
The self-proclaimed deity laughed without a hint of shame. Ren rubbed his eyes, doubting his own sanity. But looking at the floating cow and the magical—yet somehow sketchy—aura radiating from the guy, he had no choice but to accept reality.
"Sounds tough, being a star. But isn't Orihime going to be furious if you're late?" "Oh, absolutely! When she gets mad, she floods the Milky Way! By the way, buddy, could you hold onto this for a second?"
Hikoboshi reached into his robe, pulled out a small, glowing golden pouch, and shoved it into Ren’s hands.
"That's a 'Luck Seed' packed with stardust. I’m a bit overweight right now and my cloud doesn't have enough lift, so keep it for me until my date is over! I'll come pick it up tomorrow morning!"
"Wait, what? Hold on—"
Before Ren could protest, Hikoboshi hopped onto the cow's back, shouted, "Alright, I'm off!" and vanished into the night sky. For a split second, the cloudy sky seemed to flash in the shape of a brilliant river of stars.
Left behind, Ren stood dumbfounded, staring at the golden pouch in his hand, which was radiating a cozy, magical warmth. "…What on earth just happened?"
He went back inside and placed the pouch on his desk. Then, lo and behold, his smartphone began to buzz frantically.
He checked the screen. It was an email from the HR department of his dream company. “Regarding the rejection notice we sent you earlier, it was sent in error due to a system glitch. We sincerely apologize. We are pleased to inform you that you have passed the final interview and we would like to offer you the position. Regarding the next steps—”
"…No way."
As Ren stood there paralyzed, the golden pouch on his desk began to glow even brighter. Right after, a year-old lottery ticket—completely forgotten and buried deep in his desk—slid out from a gap in the drawer and fluttered to the floor. When he looked up the winning numbers on his phone, he discovered he had won a third-place prize of 100,000 yen (about $700)!
In Japan, there is a famous proverb: "A rice cake falling from a shelf," which means getting an unexpected stroke of good luck. For Ren, it was a literal windfall from the heavens.
The next morning. When Ren woke up to a beautifully clear blue sky, the golden pouch on his desk had vanished without a trace.
In its place was a single, five-colored paper wish strip. Written on it in a terribly messy scrawl was a note:
“Keep the holding fee! Orihime and I made up. — Hikoboshi”
Ren couldn't help but burst out laughing. He carefully tucked the paper strip into his wallet like a lucky charm. This year's Tanabata became the most unforgettable, luckiest day of his life.
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日本語版はこちら
https://blog.kuma-farm-japan.jp/article/521064655.html?1783135163
