In the end, Valentina could no longer suppress her curiosity. She decided to lift her gaze and take a look at the star the boy had pointed out.

  That moment – when Valentina looked up – became one she would never forget. Like a precious book left to gather dust and sink into oblivion, the boy had opened it for her, revealing a new horizon within. A horizon filled with countless stars scattering shimmering light, with a few of them blinking softly, as if inviting her to a magnificent and extravagant banquet of the universe.

  As if the boy had been waiting precisely for that moment. Just as Valentina was absorbed in observing the stars scattered across the sky, he immediately spoke up:

  “Dr. Giang Tien once told me that the Big Dipper is the embodiment of Callisto – a gentle, beautiful girl dearly loved by the god Zeus. Maybe that’s why the constellation shines so brilliantly and is so easy to spot.”

  Then, quite suddenly, he sprang to his feet and turned to face Valentina, who was listening intently. The abrupt movement caught her off guard, leaving her flustered. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

  “To me, your eyes sparkle just like Callisto’s beauty. When I look into them, I can see an entire universe filled with stars.”

  With that, he broke into a wide, toothy grin. Valentina found herself instantly drawn to that optimistic smile, momentarily forgetting the fear of strangers she always carried with her. She lifted her head to gaze at the night sky once more – and realized there was something new she had long overlooked.

  Since childhood, Valentina had always walked with her head lowered, avoiding eye contact with strangers. She kept to herself and paid little attention to what happened around her. Her world had been confined to the lines of text on the pages of her books and the markings etched into the floor beneath her feet.

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  Yet now, the sky she had always avoided – the presence that had silently existed above her day after day, month after month – was radiating a shimmering light that captivated her. That light was like a faint oil lamp in the darkness, giving her the motivation to step out of the thick shadows of a long night. And the one who had shown her this light was none other than the mischievous boy now sitting beside her.

  Valentina smiled back at him, and the boy, ever playful, added one final remark for good measure:

  “Looks like I’m starting to like your smile too.”

  Everything happened so unexpectedly. Fate had brought the two together and turned them into close friends. In Valentina’s world now appeared a familiar pair of footsteps. The once-strange boy had grown close to her, often finding ways to visit whenever he could. Sometimes he came with a bag of candy in hand, sometimes with a brand-new comic book, and sometimes with a cloth superhero doll that he cherished like a priceless treasure. Thanks to him, Valentina gradually grew stronger – strong enough to endure the torment of both physical pain and emotional suffering.

  “V-O-S-T-O-K 27. Your code is Vostok 27, right? Mine is Soyuz 4.”

  As he spelled out each letter engraved on Valentina’s wrist, the boy held out his own arm for her to see the identification code etched there.

  “Dr. Giang Tien said this isn’t my real name – it’s just a project ID assigned to make it easier to tell us apart. I wonder what having a real name would feel like.”

  “Um… I don’t really know much about Dr. Giang Tien. Who is she?” Valentina asked.

  “Oh. It makes sense if you don’t know her. She’s super, super kind. I overheard people saying she volunteered to take care of me even though no one asked her to. The candy and snacks I bring over are from her, too. She even made this silver superhero doll for me with her own hands – and printed a really cool ‘V’ on his chest. I added two swords so he could fight bad guys better. What do you think? Doesn’t he look strong?” Soyuz 4 asked eagerly.

  “Ah… um… yeah. He’s strong,” Valentina replied.

  Her curt answer left Soyuz 4 momentarily stunned. He couldn’t believe there was someone in this world who failed to recognize the overwhelming, godlike power of the silver superhero in his hands. And so, a lecture began. From the hero’s origins and abilities to wildly exaggerated tales and Soyuz 4’s na?ve gestures, the performance was so earnest and animated that even a timid girl like Valentina burst into laughter. This might have been the first time she had laughed so freely and wholeheartedly.