Track 9

(We are nearing the end of our preparations for the feature tour. I should get back early today to finalize our operations for the big day.)

Muu-chan.

Uu-chan. Are you here to see me?

You’re heading straight back after this, right?

Indeed, since Sachie-san will be picking up Princess for me.

Then let’s go together.

Yes—

Seriously, why did Mister Goody-Two-Shoes come to our class…

Prolly here for Kaguya or something. Being on the student council means having to rub shoulders with weirdos like that, huh? No way I could handle that crap.

…

…Koyama, Tawarada. Repeat what you said about Ushio just now.

Uh, w-we were just joking…

Doesn’t Kaguya sound seriously pissed off?

A-Are they gonna fight…?

What are you stuttering for? I simply asked you to repeat the slander you spouted just now.

…Erm, it’s fine, let’s just go.

Ushio, be quiet.

Let this be heard! Those who wish to belittle my childhood friend shall answer to me.

……

I do not care what you think deep down. However, as soon as those thoughts are vocalized, you best be prepared to face the consequences. Otherwise—

…I said it’s fine! We’re leaving!

Haa, to reveal his noble face and speak so boldly, all for the sake of friendship… Such poise, such grace…!

In all the land, there is no one with a heart more pure than our lord’s…! He was so beautiful, it nearly brought me to tears…!

He was… simply so radiant…!

Absolutely! He was truly splendid~!

Okaay, keep walking! No turning back!

Be at ease, Uu-chan. They are but apples rotten to the core. However, perhaps I should discard Koyama and Tawarada, just in case—

And how is that supposed to make me feel at ease!? Ugh, who cares about them, c’mon, let’s just get out of here already.

If you say so…

Arrgh, everyone’s making a fuss ‘cause you took off your helmet…! Put it on already!

Gah.

…Alright.

*sigh* I knew I shouldn’t have gone to your class.

Now that I think about it, that was quite unusual for you. Was there a reason why you came?

…

…You’ve been spacing out a lot lately, so I was just worried you might’ve missed the bell.

(He’s been acting kinda weird ever since that day I caught him staring at the moon… at least sometimes…)

Mm… this certainly is not the time to be worried about picking out bad apples. The feature tour is right around the corner.

However, I am perfectly healthy.

You have checked in on me on countless occasions and we even called in the family’s private doctor to see me. The results of that checkup returned all negative.

…I never said I was worried for your health. I just didn’t wanna waste time since I’m the subhost and all.

Is that so? I see.

We’re back.

—is what is important, for example, they sent an uncrewed spacecraft this time; however, JPN has already made impressive achievements regarding space exploration spacecrafts, which is why in the near future, I hope—

……

—they can participate more in not only sending more rockets to space, but also in lunar missions from the Gateway,¹ since missions to the inside of the moon will begin soon, so our participation would greatly determine the position we stand in terms of—

…Oh, missions to the inside of the moon.

Yes.

That’s the thing Idiotake was talking about, right? Like, Princess Kaguya being an alien and an underground city on the moon. Is that what’s inside?

No, well. Essentially, we have nearly completed our exploration of the moon’s surface, and although we have yet to explore the interior, the possibility of there being aliens is extremely low.

However, while the moon is a quarter of the Earth’s size, its mass is only one eighty-oneth of the Earth’s, which is unusually light; therefore, there have been speculations about whether there is actually a large space inside the moon which we have not yet explored—

……

Oh, Kaguya-kun, Kurama-kun. I didn’t realize you had returned already.

There was a package for you, Kaguya-kun. Here. Do be careful, it is rather heavy.

Thank y– oof.

Are you okay?

It was heavier than I anticipated.

Geez… You take that end, we’ll carry it together.

Alright. Thank you, Uu-chan.

Mm. There we go…!

Great. Let us head up slowly.

And there…!

Phew… my arms…! What did you even order? That was insanely heavy.

…

…Are these all books? Did you buy all of these?

……

(Ahh, he’s in his own world already.)

Let’s see… “Lunar Exploration, Now and the Future” and… “Artemis, A Scientific History of Humanity and the Moon”…

…

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

Hm? No, not in particular…

But like, you were yapping away about it earlier, and these books too are all about the moon.

…

…That is true now that you have pointed it out.

You didn’t even realize? No way, I’m crying—

……

Hey, are you okay?

…I’m…

……

Something did happen to you, didn’t it?

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