Since the night of the patrol ship incident, a strange silence had settled over the Vagrants. That night, Kafka had closed the terminal as if nothing had happened. Sangatsu Nanoka still couldn't digest the text string "Test Subject: Sangatsu Nanoka." Seal Status: Maintained. Those words clung to her and wouldn't let go. But she couldn't ask. In that situation, what could she have possibly asked that Kafka? Approximately sixty hours remaining until Penacony. The Vagrants' jump route was quiet. Outside the window, pale blue bands of light streamed past—a completely different sight from normal space. The light wavered thinly. It's kind of like an illusion, Sangatsu Nanoka thought as she sprawled across the lounge sofa. She was bored. "[serious]There's nothing to do……" She eyed Silver Wolf's gaming console. "《Stella Breakers》Vol.12." She'd tried holding the controller once before, but the controls were too complicated and she'd given up immediately. Even now, she had no intention of trying. She pulled out her camera. But there was nothing in particular to photograph. The lounge had black and purple interior design—it had a calm atmosphere, but it wasn't photogenic. That's when she noticed. At the edge of the sofa—further back, in the window seat, someone was there. Sangatsu Nanoka approached slowly. It was Kafka. Lying in the window seat with a black coat draped loosely over her, one arm serving as a pillow, eyes closed. Her long hair spread across her face. The pale purple mesh caught the pale blue light of the jump route and glowed softly. ——She was sleeping. Sangatsu Nanoka froze in place. The usual Kafka would never make a face like this. That composed smile. Those silver eyes. That perfectly controlled expression that said "I suppose so" while telling her nothing. It was all gone. The tension had left her mouth, and there were faint shadows under her eyes. She looked……like a normal person. Something tightened in her chest. She couldn't quite explain it, but that's what it felt like. (This person has a face like this too.) Before she knew it, she'd raised her camera. Kafka in the viewfinder looked even more ordinary. A tired face. A mouth that seemed a little lonely. She wanted to capture this side of Kafka—it was the first time she'd thought that, and Sangatsu Nanoka was a little surprised at herself. The reason she carried a camera was to photograph things because she had no memories, wasn't it? She pressed the shutter. A small sound. Kafka's eyes opened. "……!" Sangatsu Nanoka hurriedly hid the camera behind her back. But she was a beat too slow. Kafka had already grasped the situation. Silver eyes looked at Sangatsu Nanoka, then moved to the camera——for just a moment, just one brief moment, they widened. Sangatsu Nanoka had rarely seen Kafka's expression crack. So that one moment was unmistakable. Sangatsu Nanoka nervously held out the camera screen. Kafka stared at the screen. "[cold]Delete it. It's embarrassing." Her voice trembled slightly. It wasn't an angry voice. Not a lying voice either. She was genuinely flustered——and that fact made Sangatsu Nanoka inexplicably happy. "[laughing]I won't delete it." "[sarcastic]……You're stubborn." A sigh. But she didn't reach out. She told her to delete it while not coming to delete it herself. Sangatsu Nanoka mentally tsukkomi'd. You're telling me to delete it but won't let me delete it. Kafka sat up and roughly straightened her hair with her hand. That usual composed expression slowly returned. But it didn't fully return—there was a faint "oops" kind of air lingering around her mouth. "[serious]If you have time after midday, learn to use it." She said that suddenly and stood up. Sangatsu Nanoka tilted her head. "[surprised]Use what?" "Yourself." --- After midday, Kafka cleared out the edge of the storage area and created a wide space. High ceiling, flat floor—plenty of room for some basic training. "Control of your ice power and the fundamentals of body movement. We'll do both." Sangatsu Nanoka stood by the wall and watched Kafka. Without her coat, Kafka was dressed for easy movement. At about one hundred eighty centimeters tall, her stance was striking. (I'm genuinely happy she's teaching me.) The moment she tried to take a stance, her feet were swept out from under her. Thud. She rolled across the floor. Fell on her back. It hurt. "[surprised]Huh!? Wait, you didn't say anything yet!!" "I said 'take a stance.'" "You didn't!!" "I did." A matter-of-fact reply. Sangatsu Nanoka got up from the floor. It hurt. Really hurt. A foot sweep—was she holding back? It didn't feel like it. She tried to take a stance. This time lowering her hips, being conscious of her center of gravity—— Thud. She rolled again. "[angry]You haven't explained anything yet!!!" "Learn while moving." "[scared]You're a demon!!" Third time. This time she tried to escape before being thrown off balance, but her direction was read, her shoulder was grabbed, and she was thrown. The floor echoed loudly. It hurt. Really hurt. But no bones were broken. At least she could confirm that. She got up. Kafka nodded once, slightly. It was an unremarkable gesture. But something in Sangatsu Nanoka flipped a switch. She wanted to go again. Fourth time. Fifth time. Sixth time. Each time she rolled, she got back up. Each time she was thrown, she recovered. Gradually, the pattern became clear. Kafka always aimed for the moment her center of gravity collapsed. So if she stabilized her center of gravity, she'd be fine. Simple. Seventh time. Her feet were swept. But this time she braced herself. She swayed, but didn't fall. "[serious]Good." Just one word. The voice had little emotional color. But that was enough to make Sangatsu Nanoka's face light up. Next came control of her ice power. When Sangatsu Nanoka focused her consciousness on her fingertips, a cool sensation spread. When Kafka corrected her wrist position, her fingers touched her shoulder. Thump—something beat in an odd rhythm. (……Huh?) It was necessary contact for combat training. She understood that. So why was her heart beating at such a strange pace? Because she didn't understand the reason, it bothered her even more. Kafka didn't seem to care, just saying things like "move your elbow a bit more inward." Sangatsu Nanoka had other things on her mind. "[serious]Concentrate properly." "[scared]I am!! I'm concentrating!!" She wasn't. --- When training ended, Sangatsu Nanoka slid her back down the wall and sat down. Her whole body was exhausted. Especially her legs. And her back. But strangely, her mood wasn't bad. Kafka silently handed her a water bottle. She took it and drank. It was cold. Kafka also leaned against the wall and sat. The two of them sat side by side, watching the pale blue light of the jump route through the window. Sangatsu Nanoka asked casually while drinking water. "[serious]Did you teach training like this often, Kafka?" Kafka paused for a moment. "……You're strong." Her voice was different from any voice during training. "[whispers]If that child had been like this……" She said it quietly, like talking to herself. Sangatsu Nanoka set the water bottle on her lap. "[serious]That child—who are you talking about?" Kafka didn't answer. She turned her gaze to the window. The pale blue light of the jump route illuminated Kafka's profile. And in that profile——there was the same shadow as in her sleeping face. Something always hidden. Tired. Lonely. Something. Sangatsu Nanoka remembered the text string "Test Subject: Sangatsu Nanoka." Seal Status: Maintained. Maybe she could bring up that conversation now. But. She didn't know if she should throw those words at this Kafka right now. "……Teach me again sometime." That's all she said. Kafka's gaze returned from the window. That usual smile returned. "[gentle]I could teach you. Though I'll need to make you roll on the floor another twenty times." "[angry]That's too many!!" They laughed together. And as she laughed, Sangatsu Nanoka felt the word "test subject" growing heavy in her chest. --- Evening. As Sangatsu Nanoka wandered around the lounge, she noticed Kafka confirming route data on a terminal. The screen displayed coordinates and numbers. She'd only come to get a bottle, but she drifted closer anyway. At the edge of the screen, a list of other vessels' navigation logs was displayed. Type, speed, destination. Sangatsu Nanoka's eyes stopped on one line. ——《Stellar Express》 Scheduled arrival at Penacony. Something moved heavily in her chest. Pam. Himeko. That lounge. Her room with the plushies. If she went to Penacony, she could meet them. "[surprised]Hey, is it true the Stellar Express is coming to Penacony?" Kafka answered without looking away from the terminal. "[gentle]Yes. If you want to meet your acquaintances, I won't stop you." It was a casual reply. ——I won't stop you. The lightness of those words made Sangatsu Nanoka move for just a moment. She should be happy, but it felt complicated. If she went, she'd have to leave Kafka's side like this? The mystery of being a test subject still wasn't solved. She still didn't know what Kafka was hiding. She never got to ask who "that child" was. The desire to see everyone and the desire to not end this time here swirled together. Sangatsu Nanoka pulled out her camera. She photographed the jump route outside the window. A pale blue band of light. Quiet, not like space, yet somehow more beautiful than space. The photo appeared on the small screen. Only light was captured. No answer came. The Vagrants continued forward through the pale blue light toward Penacony. The sound of Kafka closing the terminal echoed in the quiet lounge.