Track 2

(A 6 hour direct flight from JPN to Mongolia. From the sea of blue outside the plane window, within a blink of an eye, we had arrived—)

HELLOOOOOOOO MONGOLIA~~~!!

Whoa… No matter where I look it’s all grassy goodness… Wait, is this the rumoured horizon!?

Ahhh, wait, it's on the tip of my tongue. A… A-... All-you-can-eat!?

All you can eat, my ass! …As much as the nose can breathe? As far as the brain can think…?¹

A-Anyways, don’t get too crazy! The study tour’s just begun.

Renga-san, you’re so uptight!

Even on the plane you were, like, glued to the guidebook and your notebook.

It’s okay to chill out a little! If it slaps, it slaps!

Like look, this ain’t a set, nor CG. This is—NATURE!!

W-Well… I get what you mean…

*takes a breath* (The rich smell of the grass. The endless sky. …So this is Mongolia.)

First and foremost, the two of you should enjoy your stay here with us at the grasslands.

If I remember, the activities we have planned are horse riding, followed by hawk, camel, and yak petting.

Yak???

A-A cow looking animal found in Mongolia. It’s fluffy and goes moo!

(...Or at least that was what was written in the guidebook. I wanna hurry up and see a real one…!)

Indeed, it’s an indispensable existence to our lives.

I’ll be staying in the ger… the tent next to yours’ tonight. I’ll show you to you before it gets dark.

A yak… An encounter with the unknown…, Ooh!

Renga-san, look look! There’s horses! Over there! Munching on the grass!

Don’t raise your voice like that! Horses are more easily frightened than you think, they’re sensitive to sounds.

(...Or at least that’s what I read in the guidebook!)

Roger that, smol whispers…!

Yup, just like that. Try calling out to them like this.

They’re so big, but super wholesome, kinda reminds me of Kiroku.

Haha, I see it. …If they come over, it’s best to enter their field of view. And apparently when you pet them, you should gently tap thick areas like their necks.

Gentle taps, roger that. Gotta tell Nanaki about it when I get home.

Ah, it’s coming over…!

This one seems to have taken an interest in the two of you. Please, pet to your content.

Pheeeew… It’s so intimidating up close…!

Gentle taps… Ooooooh…! It’s so smooth and warm… Like I can really feel the “life” and aliveness it's giving…!

Unlike you, I’m not a kid, so this level of interaction is nothing for me—

Uwa.

W-Warm…!

(I wanna always be able to pet it… It’s looking at me with those cute, round eyes…!)

Looks like it likes you. Now then, shall we move onto horse riding?

Y-Yeah!

(...Looks like things are going well so far. We’re proceeding along schedule!)

(If we keep going at this pace, the study tour should end with no problems…)

WHERE. ARE. WE!?!?!??!

The Mongolian Grasslands!

Thanks, I couldn’t tell!!

(...I never thought we would get separated from the guide. I was so absorbed I didn’t notice.)

(Even though I was supposed to lead Akuta around—)

WHOAAAAA!! I’M ONE WITH THE MONGOLIAN WINDS!!

Wait Akuta! I’M gonna reach the sun first!

(After getting on the horses, I got too excited… And I don’t remember anything else after.)

(There’s nothing that shows the way we came from… either. And moving without knowing north from south is too dangerous…)

(We also left our phones behind for horse riding…)

ACHOO!!

Ain’t it getting kinda cold? Even though it was so warm earlier.

…According to the guidebook, it can snow in the summer in Mongolia. It’s not weird for the temperature to suddenly drop 30°C either.

30°C!?! The seasons’ ain’t playing! Well, I guess that’s their selling poin- CHOO!

(Fuck. The temperature’s starting to drop. If this keeps up…!)

…*snuggles up to Renga*

…Akuta?