When March 7th found Felicity and Stelle, the two were digging through a trash can tucked away in a corner of the space station.
"Hey, what are you two doing!?"
March 7th was stunned. She stared at her companions in disbelief, completely unable to comprehend why they looked so invested in a garbage bin.
"Perfect timing, March!"
Felicity's eyes sparkled the moment she heard March 7th's voice. She turned and waved energetically, calling out,
"Stelle always manages to find something good in the trash, but I never do! Can you help me figure it out? Is it me, or is she just special?!"
Her voice carried the tone of someone wronged by the world.
"You're seriously upset about that!?"
March 7th covered her face and let out a groan of exasperation.
As the two talked, Stelle had already moved on to the next bin. Her eyes gleamed as if the light of treasure shone just beneath the lid.
To her, this wasn't a trash can—it was a treasure chest waiting to be opened.
With practiced precision, she rummaged through its contents. Before long, she lifted her prize high above her head with both hands, revealing it to the world.
——Protein rice.
"This is what you call a good find?" March 7th shot Felicity a strange look.
"Hey now, March, where I come from, we have a saying: not a grain of rice comes easy."
Felicity wagged her finger, looking dead serious. "Rice protein is a blessing of nature, humanity's faithful ally, and a savior in times of need! If this doesn't count as a treasure, then what does?"
"That… kind of makes sense—wait, no! No, it doesn't!"
March 7th felt her thoughts slipping. She glared at Felicity in horror, realizing she'd almost been pulled into their madness.
"Tsk."
"You clicked your tongue! You definitely did! Are you seriously trying to drag me into your trash-picking squad?!"
"Nope."
Felicity averted her eyes, guilt written all over her face.
"…Whatever. That's not why I came looking for you."
March 7th sighed. Bold and impulsive as she was, even she felt powerless in front of Felicity and Stelle's unpredictable antics. She had no desire to stay on the topic any longer.
"Himeko said the Express is finally fixed up, so it's time to head back and clean up your rooms. We can go exploring together soon! Uh… what are you doing now?"
March 7th had been caught up in her excitement, imagining their upcoming journey. Her smile widened—until—
——Stelle returned from the trash, walked up to March 7th, and offered her both hands with a polite bow. Nestled in her palms was a thick stack of credit points.
"Friendship fee. Good friends do this. Felicity told me."
Stelle spoke as if it were common sense.
"You…"
March 7th looked at Felicity, completely speechless.
...
"Stop copying everything people tell you!"
March 7th pointed at Stelle with a helpless expression. It took considerable effort to convince her that friends didn't need to pay each other for being friends.
Stelle merely nodded, but it was unclear if she really understood.
Meanwhile, the true culprit, Felicity, was lounging on a sofa in the observation car, flipping through a comic book with great interest.
The Adventures of Homu? This series is actually pretty fun. Why haven't I seen it before?
"How's it going? Getting used to being around others?"
Himeko sat nearby, sipping coffee with poise, her gaze gentle as it landed on Felicity.
"Not bad. Stelle's easy to handle, and March 7th's pretty fun too."
Felicity answered casually, eyes still fixed on the comic.
"Hey! That's not how you describe your friends!"
March 7th immediately protested from across the room.
"She's right. I've been doing everything you said."
Stelle chimed in calmly.
"See? Even Stelle agrees—wait, huh?!"
March 7th had been gearing up for another complaint, but froze when she realized Stelle wasn't actually on her side. Her expression turned betrayed in an instant.
Seriously, Stelle?! You too?!
"Haha, youth really is something else."
Watching the group's antics, Welt chuckled softly and shook his head, a nostalgic look crossing his face as his eyes fell on the comic Felicity was holding.
"The Express is locked in its next destination. If there's anyone you still want to say goodbye to, now's the time."
Himeko's reminder was gentle.
"I've said what I needed to. No need to worry."
Felicity closed the comic and stretched, then turned her gaze out the observation car window. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Back on the space station, she'd rarely bothered with the platform. Her memories of drifting alone in the void before Herta rescued her weren't exactly fond ones.
But now, seated safely inside the Express and gazing quietly out into the stars, she could finally see a bit of its allure.
"Space is beautiful."
Himeko noticed the change in her expression and smiled. "Even after visiting countless worlds, there's still so much I don't know. That's how vast the universe is."
"It's absurdly vast."
Felicity replied without hesitation.
"Hehe, discovering those secrets across the stars is what the Nameless do."
March 7th joined in with a grin, grabbing Felicity's hand. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she'd been waiting forever for this moment.
"Your first time jumping with the Express, huh? Nervous? Heh, let me, the seasoned senior, teach you how to relax!"
She had always been the youngest on the Express. Now that she finally had peers, she wouldn't miss this chance to play the veteran.
Felicity blinked, paused, then nodded.
Partly because she didn't want to let March down, and partly because she was genuinely curious about what nonsense March had prepared.
"Hehe, leave it to your mature, dependable March-senpai! Stelle, you too! It's time for March's crash course!"
March 7th puffed up with pride, raising a finger and spinning it playfully as she shook her head in rhythm. With a dramatic voice, she declared:
"Step one: find the root of your anxiety!"
"..."
It was clear March 7th was doing her best to play the role of a proper senior.