Track 10

You’ve been hiding something even from before we left for Tanegashima… right?

…

Actually… right before we left, I received a mysterious message.

Huh? …A mysterious message?

It was by pure coincidence. I was fiddling around with my transceiver as per usual…

…When suddenly, it picked up a message. At first, there was too much static, so I could not make out what it was exactly. However, it seemed as if it was a person’s voice.

(That’s right, I thought it was some sort of interference at the time.)

I noticed that they were repeating the same words over and over again, and upon a closer listen, I began to decipher the contents.

…What did it say?

Well, I deciphered the message, but I could not understand what it meant, even after ruminating over it…

…Until the other day, when I finally solved the mystery…

So what did it say?

“My homeland shines silver. Coming in from Selene.”

…What does that mean?

Selene is the goddess of the moon, so in this case, it refers to the moon itself. And if the voice is calling the moon their homeland…

Then that means this message was sent from the moon. There is no other way of interpreting it.

*sigh*… Are you for real right—

And. What’s more, Uu-chan…

The voice sounded similar to my father’s…!

!?

So perhaps. No, that’s impossible…

However… However, if that really was my father’s voice…

(Then my father is currently on that silver “homeland.” On Selene… On the moon.)

If he has returned to his homeland—!?

Like, she committed some kinda crime on the moon and got exiled to Earth to repent, but then her crimes were pardoned and so she went back to her homeland!

(Then as his blood relative…?)

—MUU-CHAN!!

!

Stop… joking around…

I am not joking—

I’m…

I’m gonna ask Kamina-san to make something easy on the stomach for dinner today.

You should hurry and wash up and then go to bed. You can read your books another time.

But…

I guess I’ll use the baths downstairs today. Mind making sure it’s empty for me while I talk to Kamina-san?

…I’ll be right back. Make sure you put away your books before then!

He left…

…

(On our way home, we talked about lunar orbiting stations.)

(And all these books are related to the moon.)

Hey, I’ve been wondering, but are you more into the moon rather than space in general?

(My interests up until now have not been strictly limited to it.)

(Does that mean I am not propelled by my own free will, but rather through exposure to that mysterious message…?)

If that is the case.

…I WANT TO GO TOO!

I… WANT TO REACH FOR THE STARS!!

Was that dream not my own… either?

…

(I don’t know.)

(Uu-chan, Chief… After receiving reassurance from them, I’ve come to accept that I truly do love space.)

(However, how much of those interests were those of my own true self? Just what… just which path should I be taking?)

I do not know anymore—

Mhm… smells good. There’s just something exciting about opening a fresh bag of coffee beans.

Now… Pour the water slowly and…

Kamina-san!

!

Geez, you scared me. What’s up?

…It’s just you.

Wow. You just had to be rude, huh.

(Kamina-san… Chief, Karigane-san, quick, anyone, please…)

…Ushio? Are you okay?

Don’t touch me!

…What’s wrong? You look as pale as a ghost.

…Muu-chan is…

What’s the matter, my little brothers? I was just about to make dinner. Were you two hungry and wanted some snacks?

Kamina-san…!

…Ushio. What’s wrong?

Um, could you make something light for Muneuji today? For his dinner.

For Muneuji?

He’s been pushing himself too hard for the upcoming tour and he might not be feeling too good so…

I actually passed him at the front door earlier. I thought he didn’t want dinner, but was I wrong?

Huh…?

…!

Hey, wait! Where are you going…!?

Um, I’ll go after him! Here, you can have this coffee if you’d like!

…They’re gone.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but… it’ll be fine if Nanaki’s with him. I’ll go prepare dinner and wait for them.

Muu-chan, where did you go…!

Arrgh! Why won’t he pick up…!

Oh, so the store’s this way, right~?

Yep~ Just turn right at that corner.

…Shit…!

Ah, sorry!

Eyes up front when you’re walking~

(Ugh, for real. You almost ran into me.)

(…I should be careful too.)

Arrrgh, this is seriously all because of Muu-chan…!

Ushio!

! Why are you…

You looked all pale and in a rush for some reason… but I didn’t expect you to take off like that.

…Is it fun to trail after someone on a bike and take up their time even though you know they’re in a rush?

What, did you two have a fight or something?

Ugh, you’re so annoying. It’s none of your business, so hurry up and go away.

I will. But… take this.

…What are you doing?

I’m lending you my e-bike.

…

Well, I’m off.

Hey wait…

……

For the record!

Yeah?

Muu-cha… Muneuji and I are not fighting!!

I know.

…*sigh*

(…I should be able to catch up to Muu-chan faster like this. I’ll start by searching the kyudo hall…)

!

Muu-chan…!?

…Nope.

What even is this? Spam? The name’s just a bunch of garbled text.

Where our voices once tried to cross the stars…

……

(There was a time when Uu-chan and I came here to replicate the events of that day.)

(That day…)

(The day my father was abducted. The day my life met a turning point.)

(I have come a long way since that day. Yet, this place has remained unchanged.)

(Both the scent of the damp soil and grass carried in the night wind, and the sky enveloped in a myriad of stars—)

…

All there is left is to light…

—MUU-CHAN!!

!