Dan Heng put down his chopsticks and nodded calmly: “Mm, I’ll go.”
March 7th, having just finished washing her meal tray, came hopping over, her long pink-and-blue hair flying with her movements: “I want to go too! I want to go too!”
Himeko revealed a satisfied smile: “Then it’s settled, March 7th and Dan Heng will be in charge of this Trailblaze. If you encounter danger, call out in the group chat anytime; Welt and I will provide immediate backup.”
Welt nodded and stood up: “I’ll head back to my room to organize some data first.”
The broadcast suddenly sounded: “Attention all passengers, we are about to begin jumping. Please gather at the Observation Car immediately, pa~”
As soon as Dan Heng walked into the Observation Car, he saw March 7th standing in the center of the car in a horse stance, holding her hands out flat to maintain balance.
“What are you doing?”
March 7th didn’t even look back: “Oh, it’s Dan Heng! I’m going to challenge myself not to fall over during the jump!”
Dan Heng silently stood at his fixed position: “…I wish you success.”
Along with a violent shake, March 7th cried out in alarm and fell backward.
Just as she was about to crash flat on her back—
“Thud!”
A sofa cushion precisely slid beneath her.
March 7th landed flat on her buttocks onto the soft cushion, blinking blankly: “Ah? It doesn’t hurt at all…”
She looked up and saw Kal’tsit withdrawing her hand as if nothing had happened.
The gazes of everyone in the car were focused on this doctor.
“Thanks a lot, Mom~” March 7th waved happily.
Kal’tsit turned her face away: “…Mm.”
No one noticed that Mon3tr was leaning against Kal’tsit’s shoulder, its fingers resting quietly on her thigh.
If discovered, it would probably be hung at the front of the train for public display.
“Then Mom, we’re heading out!” March 7th hopped and skipped toward the car door, suddenly turning back: “Dan Heng! Hurry up!”
Dan Heng nodded in greeting to everyone and quickly followed.
Kal’tsit stood up: “I’m heading back to the medical room first.”
Dan Heng said expressionlessly: “…Focus on the mission.”
As soon as Kal’tsit closed the door, Mon3tr clung to her: “Doctor Kal’tsit~ They’ve all left, can we now…”
“Out.”
“Eh?! You’re so gentle toward March 7th…”
“Last time, out.”
“…Understood.”
Mon3tr floated out of the medical room crestfallen, looking exactly like an abandoned large dog.
Moonlight streamed through the porthole onto the floor of the medical cabin, casting a layer of silver frost across the metal ground.
The door of the medical room was gently pushed open a crack, and Mon3tr poked half its head in, its voice lowered to a whisper: “Kal’tsit… are you asleep?”
In the silent medical room, there was only the faint humming sound of medical equipment operating.
Mon3tr tiptoed in like a nocturnal feline, its pad-like footsteps making not the slightest sound.
It knelt by Kal’tsit’s bed, gazing by the moonlight at the doctor’s tired sleeping face—Kal’tsit’s long silver-white hair was scattered across the pillow, and her brows, which were usually tightly furrowed, had finally relaxed, but the pale cyan shadows beneath her eyes exposed her fatigue.
“You accompanied that little idiot for the whole night yesterday…” Mon3tr murmured softly, carefully holding Kal’tsit’s hand that hung by the bedside.
It pressed that slender palm against its own cheek, rubbing against it gently like a spoiled cat.
“Mm…?”
The sudden sound made Mon3tr’s entire body stiffen.
It looked up to meet Kal’tsit’s half-opened eyes, those amber-colored orbs brimming with fatigue and helplessness, piercing into Mon3tr’s heart like a fine needle.
“S-Sorry, Kal’tsit…” Mon3tr’s voice carried the panic of being caught red-handed.
Kal’tsit didn’t scold it; she merely gently pulled her hand back, ruffled the top of Mon3tr’s head, and then turned over.
Before long, her breathing became even and steady once again.
Confirming that Kal’tsit was truly fast asleep, Mon3tr climbed onto the bed quietly, gently wrapping its arms around the doctor’s waist from behind.
It buried its face into Kal’tsit’s hair, the familiar scent of disinfectant mixed with the fresh fragrance of shampoo lingering at the tip of its nose.
Sleepiness surged over like a tide, and Mon3tr’s consciousness gradually sank into darkness…
Himeko carried her coffee and pushed open the door to the medical room, leaving her frozen in place by the scene before her—
Kal’tsit was sleeping soundly for a rare change, even unconsciously leaning closer to the heat source behind her.
Himeko gently closed the door, a knowing smile curving the corners of her lips.
She returned to the Observation Car, sipping her coffee as she gazed at the flowing galaxy outside the window: “Youth is truly wonderful..”
Meanwhile, March 7th was walking unsteadily across an unfamiliar land: “Dan Heng! Look at this glowing mushroom!”
Dan Heng continued forward without even turning his head: “Don’t touch it, it might be poisonous.”
“Eh~ You’re so boring!” March 7th pouted as she pulled out her phone, “I’m going to take a picture and show Mom!”
In her sleep, Kal’tsit suddenly frowned, murmuring softly as if sensing something: “…troublemaker…”
Mon3tr tightened its arms in its sleep, hugging the person in its embrace even closer.
“Mn…” Kal’tsit furrowed her brows slightly in her sleep, feeling the tightening force around her waist.
She subconsciously leaned closer into the warm embrace behind her, her silvery-white hair brushing against Mon3tr’s nose tip.
Unconsciously, Mon3tr rubbed its cheek against the back of Kal’tsit’s neck in its sleep, letting out a satisfied purr from its throat.
Its slender fingers gently grasped the hem of Kal’tsit’s clothes, clutching it tightly like a child afraid of being abandoned.
“Dan Heng! Look what I found!” March 7th jumped around excitedly while holding up a glowing mushroom, her long pink-and-blue hair covered in fallen leaves.
Dan Heng sighed, reaching out to brush the debris from her hair: “How many times have I told you not to touch unknown plants randomly…”
“But it’s so pretty!” March 7th pulled out her phone, “I’m going to take a picture and show Mom!”
Kal’tsit suddenly sneezed in her sleep.
Mon3tr snapped awake instantly, subconsciously holding the person in its arms tighter: “Cold…?”
Half-asleep, Kal’tsit responded vaguely: “…stop messing around…”
Mon3tr gently kissed the top of her head and pulled the blanket further up.
Starlight filtered through the porthole, casting a layer of silvery radiance over the embracing pair.
Pom-Pom pushed the cleaning cart past the medical room, and just as it was about to knock, it suddenly heard even breathing coming from inside.
It pricked up its ears to listen and nodded knowingly: “Looks like we don’t need to clean today, pa~”