“Hey, hey! Slow down!” March 7th said with a look of utter resignation.
…
The researchers on the space station had long lost any sense of day and night.
Their only measure of time came from “Herta Standard Time,” established by Herta herself.
“Ah, I’m so tired!” After a full day of fighting and touring the space station, Stelle was completely exhausted.
She yawned and looked at Phainon beside her.
“Hey, Phainon, where are we sleeping tonight?”
“Uh…” Phainon hadn’t actually thought about that.
“If you don’t have anywhere to stay, you can come to the Astral Express. There are plenty of spare rooms,” March 7th said, looking at the two.
“Can I sleep with you?” Stelle blurted out, looking at March 7th with a wolfish grin.
A lovely blush instantly spread across March 7th’s face.
She flicked Stelle’s forehead.
“What are you even thinking about all day?”
“Oww.” Stelle rubbed her forehead.
“You’re the one with the dirty mind! I just wanted to sleep next to the beautiful, elegant, brilliant, and adorable March 7th”
“Ahhh, don’t talk like that!” March 7th waved her hands shyly and fled the scene.
Before long, Dan Heng walked up to the two.
“The conductor has already prepared your rooms. But you’ll need to buy your own furniture—that part’s up to you.”
“Got it. Thanks for everything,” Phainon said with a nod, following Dan Heng toward the train.
On the way, Stelle came up with another question.
“Phainon, the Stellaron inside me was put there by Kafka, but it was the Lord Ravager Celenova who spread the Stellarons in the first place. So which one of them is my real mom?”
“Seriously? How do you even come up with these questions?” Phainon felt a headache coming on.
“I’m just curious! It’s not like I don’t have a mom at all,” Stelle said, feigning grievance.
“Fine, whatever you say!”
“In that case, Kafka gets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Celenova gets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!”
“And Sunday?”
“Sunday’s reserved for listening to the interstellar idol, Robin, sing!”
“Partner, you’re something else… haha!” Phainon didn’t even know what to say anymore.
When they arrived at the train, they didn’t see the conductor the crew had mentioned.
“Pom-Pom must have gone to rest. You’ll meet him tomorrow,” Himeko said, sitting elegantly on a barstool with a cup of coffee in hand.
“Care for a cup?”
“Maybe next time!”
Stelle, however, was already captivated by the rich aroma wafting from Himeko’s cup.
She immediately declared she wanted one.
Delighted to find someone else who appreciated her coffee, Himeko shot a warning glare at Dan Heng, who had been about to say something.
In under a minute, she had brewed a fragrant cup.
“It smells amazing!” Stelle gave it a little sniff, then downed the entire cup in one gulp.
The moment it hit her tongue, the enticing aroma vanished completely, replaced by an intense burning sensation radiating from within.
Then she collapsed flat on the floor.
There’s always someone out to get me!
That was Stelle’s last thought before she blacked out.
Phainon, who had his back to everyone, was startled by the thud.
He turned around to see Stelle unconscious and foaming at the mouth.
“Ah, to be young… out like a light.” He yawned.
“At least rinse your mouth before sleeping—the foam’s still there.”
Watching this from the monitor room, Welt sighed helplessly.
He rushed over and gave Stelle a hard pinch on her philtrum, finally rousing her from her daze.
“You’re awake! Congratulations, you’ve turned into a boy!” March 7th teased the groggy Stelle.
“Really? Does that mean I can be with little March now?” Stelle’s eyes immediately sparkled.
“You’re impossible!” March 7th’s face flushed red again.
“Go wash up! It’s already late—staying up will ruin your skin!”
Scanning the room, Stelle’s body involuntarily shuddered when her gaze passed over Himeko.
“Well, uh… everyone’s here. Nothing else, so I’ll be heading back.”
With Stelle’s departure, everyone else returned to their own rooms.
Phainon shed the robe Aglaea had tailored for him and stepped into the bathroom, washing away the day’s exhaustion.
He changed into the pajamas he’d bought on Blue Star.
Just then, a knock came at his door.
“Phainon, it’s me, Stelle.” Her voice came from outside.
He opened the door and looked down at Stelle, who was also in her pajamas.
Her hair was still damp, crystalline droplets glistening on her collarbones.
“What’s up?” Phainon asked when Stelle didn’t say anything.
Then she burst out laughing.
“Phainon, what are you even doing with that face? Hahaha!” Stelle clutched her stomach, then pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
“How can you wear pajamas in those colors?! Oh my god, I can’t even.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and finally straightened up.
“Anyway, let’s go see Herta tomorrow after we wake up.”
“That’s it? I thought it was something important.” Phainon waved his hand.
“Got it. Now get back to bed.”
“Hold on.” She blocked the door, looking him up and down.
“You’re coming with me and March to buy a new set of pajamas.”
After she closed the door, Phainon stood before the mirror, scratching his head in slight doubt.
“It can’t be that bad, right? I trust my own taste.”
Clutching the stuffed toy he’d bought on Blue Star, Phainon closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.
He put on his robe and stepped out of his room, running straight into a bleary-eyed March 7th.
“Morning, Phainon.” March 7th rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“I’m about to order some stuff on the Interastral Logistics network. Need me to get you anything?”
“Actually, yeah.” Phainon suddenly remembered.
“Stelle and I don’t have phones yet.”
Back in Amphoreus, they’d had communication tablets, but those had become nothing more than useless bricks the moment they left.
“Oh, right, good point!” March 7th’s eyes lit up.
“I’ll place the order now. I’ll hand them to you in a few days when they arrive.”
“Thanks, partner!” Phainon said, then walked toward Stelle’s room.
“Stelle and I will head over to Herta’s place now.”
With that, he knocked on Stelle’s door.
“Wake up, Stelle. We promised Herta we’d see her today.”
“Got it, Phainon.” Hearing her voice from inside, Phainon turned and waited in the parlor car.
There, he saw a strange creature with long ears, wobbling as it walked.
“Greetings, Passenger Phainon,” the little rabbit-like being said.
“Pom-Pom is the conductor of the Astral Express. Would you like some breakfast?”
Phainon studied Pom-Pom with curiosity.
“Hello, Conductor. If breakfast is available, I’d love some.”
Pom-Pom soon returned with an exquisitely crafted sandwich platter.
“Here you go, Passenger Phainon.”
“It looks delicious. Thank you, Conductor.”