“Hidden Illness”
“Kal’tsit! It’s time to eat, stop cooping yourself up in the medical room.” Mon3tr shoved open the door to the medical room, her black hair swaying gently with the movement.
Kal’tsit paused mid-sip of her coffee, picked up the phone on the desk, and glanced at the time—6:07.
“Mm, let’s go.” She put down her coffee cup, her silver-white cat ears twitching slightly.
Mon3tr skipped over to the desk and grabbed Kal’tsit’s hand.
“Let’s go, go, go, Doctor Kal’tsit!” Her emerald eyes sparkled.
“Today Conductor Pom-Pom personally made Pom-Pom Pies, we haven’t had them in so long!”
Kal’tsit let herself be pulled along and suddenly asked, “By the way, how are the wounded rescued from the Space Station doing?”
Mon3tr pulled a piece of candy from her pocket and was about to unwrap it when a glance from Kal’tsit stopped her.
“We’re about to eat, no candy allowed.”
“Fine…” Mon3tr stuffed the candy back into her pocket with a wronged look.
“Those wounded are recovering quite well, and once we reach the next planet, we can send them to the local psychiatric department.”
The two arrived at the party carriage and ran straight into Dan Heng, who was lingering about.
“Ms. Kaltsit, Miss Mon3tr…” Dan Heng stopped with a hesitant look.
Kal’tsit put down her food tray.
“Speak if you have something to say.”
Dan Heng pondered for a moment and finally spoke, “I want to join the Astral Express.”
Kal’tsit nodded.
“You’ll have to ask the navigator Himeko and Conductor Pom-Pom about that.” She pointed toward the door.
“Right on cue, Himeko is here.”
Dan Heng turned his head and saw the red-haired navigator walking this way.
Kal’tsit picked up her food tray, inadvertently catching a glimpse of the two chatting happily by the door, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.
Mon3tr leaned in and whispered secretively, “Doctor, do you think Dan Heng can stay?”
Kal’tsit cut off a small piece of Pom-Pom Pie.
“It depends on Himeko’s decision.” She took a bite, her cat ears twitching happily.
“…Today’s pie is indeed not bad.”
Looking at Kal’tsit’s rare relaxed appearance, Mon3tr’s emerald eyes curved into crescents.
She quietly slipped a piece of candy into Kal’tsit’s lab coat pocket—after dinner, the Doctor would definitely find out.
At the other end of the carriage, the conversation between Dan Heng and Himeko seemed to be going very smoothly.
Pom-Pom skipped over to join them, its rabbit ears swaying excitedly.
The Astral Express thus carried new stories, continuing forward into the vast sea of stars…
“Miss Himeko.” Dan Heng stood in the corridor and politely called out to Himeko as she passed by.
Himeko stopped, her red hair gleaming with a warm luster under the light.
“Mm, is there something you need, passenger Dan Heng?”
Dan Heng nodded, his eyes beneath his black hair revealing determination.
“I would like to apply to join the Astral Express.”
Himeko showed a friendly smile.
“The Astral Express welcomes any passengers, but the final decision rests with Conductor Pom-Pom.” Just as her voice fell, Pom-Pom skipped over.
“You two passengers, what are you discussing pa?” Pom-Pom’s rabbit ears twitched with curiosity.
Himeko chuckled and explained, “We were chatting with passenger Dan Heng about joining the Astral Express.”
Dan Heng bent down and looked earnestly at Pom-Pom.
“Conductor, may I join the Astral Express?”
“Of course you can pa!
The Astral Express welcomes any passengers pa!” It suddenly added seriously, “Uh…
but not including those from the Masked Fools pa!”
Himeko raised an eyebrow with interest.
“Oh? Sounds like there are quite a few stories. Can you tell us about them, Conductor Pom-Pom?”
Pom-Pom nodded, its expression unusually solemn.
“Of course you can pa! There was once a Trailblazer who lurked on the Astral Express for over a year and ended up blowing up half of it pa! That was the worst Trailblazer in history pa!”
Himeko and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, their curiosity completely hooked.
“That Trailblazer is…?”
“The Aeon of Elation Aha!” Pom-Pom said angrily, “It is the worst Trailblazer in history pa!”
Himeko nodded knowingly.
“If it’s that Lord, blowing up the Astral Express wouldn’t be surprising at all.” She gracefully tidied her skirt hem.
“Alright, let’s end this topic here for now, I need to go dine.”
After greeting the two, Dan Heng headed alone to the Observation Car.
As Himeko carried her food tray into the dining car, she spotted the empty seat next to Kal’tsit at a glance.
“Doctor Kal’tsit, may I sit here?” Himeko asked softly.
Kal’tsit didn’t even raise her head.
“Whatever.”
After sitting down, Himeko looked thoughtfully at the silver-haired woman beside her.
“Speaking of which, Kal’tsit, you keep a straight face all day now, you’re not as cute as when you first boarded the Astral Express.”
Kal’tsit put down her chopsticks, her pale green eyes looking straight at Himeko.
“Words like ‘cute’, you should say to Mon3tr.” She calmly tidied her napkin.
“At that time, I was in a subconscious state influenced by the Remembrance, and the current me is my true appearance.”
Himeko sighed.
“Fine, let’s not talk about this anymore.” She lowered her head and began to eat, her red hair draping down both sides of her cheeks.
Kal’tsit nodded slightly and stood up to put her food tray into the sink.
When she turned around, she noticed Mon3tr hiding in the corner peeking over, her emerald eyes full of grievance.
Kal’tsit shook her head helplessly, felt in her pocket for the candy that had been sneakily stuffed in, and gently shook it.
Mon3tr’s eyes instantly lit up, floating over like a little kitten attracted by a teasing stick.
Kal’tsit stuffed the candy back into her pocket and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “After dinner.”
Mon3tr nodded happily, her shadow form unconsciously manifesting as she affectionately rubbed against Kal’tsit’s arm.
And all of this was silently watched by Welt sitting in the distance.
He pushed up his glasses, a thoughtful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth…
Kal’tsit and Mon3tr came to the Observation Car and immediately saw Dan Heng gazing alone at the starry sky.
Under the silver-white light, his back appeared somewhat lonely.
“Actually,” Kal’tsit spoke suddenly, her voice exceptionally clear in the empty carriage, “you deliberately gave a few untruthful answers during your psychological counseling.” She walked over slowly.
“I surmise that you already have psychological trauma, only it’s mild trauma just like Himeko’s.”
Dan Heng’s body visibly stiffened.
After a moment of silence, he turned around with a bitter smile.
“Sorry, Doctor Kal’tsit, I was just…” The words reached his lips and were swallowed back, a trace of pain flashing through his eyes beneath his black hair.
“Let it slide this time.” Kal’tsit’s cat ears twitched slightly.
Dan Heng nodded solemnly.
“I understand, next time I will definitely tell the truth.”
At this moment, Pom-Pom’s voice rang out from the broadcast: “Attention all passengers! We will soon arrive at the next planet, Malkropa!”
Kal’tsit turned around crisply.
“Prepare to transfer the wounded.” The hem of her lab coat swept out a capable arc.
With everyone’s assistance, it took only 7 minutes to safely transfer all the wounded to the rendezvous rescue spaceship.
Kal’tsit surveyed everyone, distributing the checklists she had prepared long ago: “Himeko and Dan Heng will be a group responsible for daily necessities, Welt and Mon3tr will purchase ingredients, and I will be solely responsible for medical supplies. Any objections?”
Mon3tr immediately raised her hand, her emerald eyes filled with grievance.
“Why can’t I be in a group with the Doctor?” Her voice carried obvious disappointment.
“Mon3tr.” Kal’tsit merely called her name indifferently, but the unquestionable tone in her voice caused the shadow girl to instantly wilt.
Although reluctant, she obediently left with Welt.
In the Interstellar Peace Corporation pharmacy, Kal’tsit expertly selected various types of medicine.
Her slender fingers drifted between the shelves, occasionally checking off items against the list.
After paying the credits, she carried the bag full of medicine out of the store, her silver-white short hair shimmering with a cold light under the sunlight of Malkropa.
Meanwhile, in a dark alley not far away, five pairs of eyes were closely watching her every move.
“Boss, look at that woman,” a scrawny man licked his lips, “being able to casually buy medicine in an Interstellar Peace store, she must be very rich.”
“Exactly,” another woman chimed in, “looking at her icy demeanor, she’s most likely from some research institute, and she definitely has valuable things on her.”
The burly man at the lead narrowed his eyes, the scar on his face looking exceptionally ferocious in the shadows: “Follow her, find somewhere deserted to make a move.”
Kal’tsit’s cat ears suddenly stood up alertly.
She calmly adjusted her route and turned into a secluded alleyway.
The footsteps behind her grew closer and closer; she sighed softly and placed the bag of medicine on a nearby step.
“Gentlemen,” she said without looking back, her voice as cold as ice, “you’ve followed me all this way, aren’t you tired?”
The five robbers were clearly startled, then sneered and surrounded her.
The scar-faced man pulled out a dagger: “Smart chick, then obediently hand over the valuable…”
Before he finished speaking, a shadow descended from the sky like lightning, Mon3tr’s sharp claws pressing directly against the throat of the scar-faced man.
“Who gave you permission,” Mon3tr’s emerald eyes burned with fury, “to point your filthy fingers at Doctor Kal’tsit?”
Kal’tsit shook her head helplessly.
“Didn’t I tell you to follow Mr. Welt?”
Mon3tr pouted aggrievedly.
“But… I was worried about the Doctor…”
Welt’s voice came from afar: “Mon3tr! How did you suddenly… Ah, it seems I worried for nothing.” He pushed a shopping cart over, looking at the robbers pinned to the ground by Mon3tr.
“Do you need help calling the police?”
Kal’tsit picked up the bag of medicine.
“No need, local law enforcement has already been contacted.” She glanced at Mon3tr.
“Let this be an exception.”
Mon3tr happily changed back to her human form, skipping along to catch up with Kal’tsit.
“The Doctor is the best!”
Welt watched the receding backs of the two, then looked at the shivering robbers on the ground, and pushed up his glasses.
“…I’d better go call an officer anyway.”
Under the setting sun, Kal’tsit’s lab coat was dyed a warm golden color.
Mon3tr followed closely by her side like a clingy little kitten, occasionally stealing glances at the Doctor’s profile.
Behind them, the sky of Malkropa was gradually turning a gorgeous purplish-red, drawing a perfect full stop to this ordinary day.