It was a long, gentle hug.
A hug that felt completely natural.
When it ended, Sāmu was still a little reluctant to let go. But he didn't show it, nor did he ask for more. This wasn't just because Sāmu was a sensible boy; it was also because he was fully aware that this was not a fleeting dream. It was a real, repeatable part of his daily life.
Perhaps he could throw himself into Mother Himeko's arms again right now for another round of affection. But Sāmu's shy nature made him abandon such a greedy thought.
Himeko reached out and gently stroked his cheek. Like a cat, Sāmu comfortably squinted his light green eyes, letting his cheek fit the contour of the woman's hand.
"You're not hurt, are you, Sāmu?"
Sāmu shook his head and took the initiative to report back. "I met Sister Asta. She's very nice and brought me back to the Express."
"Asta... That girl is indeed wonderful," Himeko commented sincerely. But her eyes deepened at the same time. She thought of Asta's connection to Herta, and then of Herta's "interest" in Sāmu's existence.
This was a real headache.
She had originally wanted to keep the news of Sāmu's return more private, preferably circulating it only within the Astral Express. Now, it seemed they were about to face the crisis known as "Herta." That genius scientist was either completely indifferent to uninteresting things or would madly pursue and study anything that caught her fancy.
It feels like we might need to speed up the Express's departure, Himeko thought. On Herta's turf, she could never completely relax.
At that moment, she noticed Dan Heng, who looked somewhat astonished after overhearing her conversation with Sāmu. Himeko didn't explain further, simply smiling as she introduced him to Sāmu.
"This is Dan Heng, the guard on the Astral Express."
"He was also your... friend, just like Sister March 7th."
"As for things before you lost your memory, Mom will tell you about them little by little. But what's more important is the present."
"The Astral Express has set sail again, inheriting the will of Akivili, the Trailblaze. Looking back at the past isn't the 'Trailblaze' style."
Sāmu was pleasantly surprised to hear that Dan Heng was his friend. Hearing Himeko explain the essence of the Trailblaze, he felt a sense of longing. It was true. The here and now, every second with Mother Himeko in the future, was what mattered most.
As for the past...
Sāmu came back to his senses, determined not to dwell on it. Since he was a member of the Astral Express, Mother Himeko's child, and a friend to Sister March 7th and Brother Dan Heng, he should walk the Path of the Trailblaze!
Thinking back carefully, deep within his mind, the boy did manage to "salvage" a vague impression of a "group of four." It consisted of a mature and elegant woman, a handsome and silent man, a youthful and lively girl, and himself.
Oh, right, there seemed to be a fluffy creature too!
Didn't that perfectly correspond to Mother Himeko, Brother Dan Heng, and Sister March 7th?
As for the fluffy creature...
While Sāmu was pondering this, Himeko had already taken his hand and led him to the entrance of the Astral Express. The train door opened slowly with a golden glow.
Appearing at the doorway was a... fluffy little animal wearing a conductor's uniform!?
Now everything matched up. Sāmu was almost certain that he had been a member of the Astral Express in the past!
What amazed Sāmu even more was that this small, upright-walking animal, which looked like a lop-eared rabbit, was making a crying face while performing a military salute with its small, round hands and waving a white flag.
"Surrender! Pom-Pom surrenders!"
"Waaah, why even you, Himeko... Pom-Pom doesn't want to be isolated by the crew, Pom-Pom!"
"Pfft, what are you talking about, Pom-Pom?" Himeko chuckled, though she didn't understand the reason behind it.
As for March 7th and Dan Heng, they exchanged a glance and also smiled.
The crew brought Sāmu back onto the train. Uncle Welt, who had been in his room, heard the commotion and came out slowly, leaning on his cane. The man still had the air of a British gentleman in his trench coat.
When he saw Sāmu, Welt was the calmest among the entire crew—at least on the surface. He simply adjusted his glasses and nodded at Sāmu in acknowledgment.
But in reality... this uncle could probably finally let out a long sigh of relief, releasing the guilt he felt for creating the "pseudo black hole" that had turned good intentions into a disaster.
"This is Welt Yang, an important member of the Astral Express. You can call him 'Uncle Yang'."
"Hello, Uncle Yang."
"Hello."
Like a child being introduced to relatives for the first time, Sāmu politely used the titles Himeko taught him and greeted everyone.
"And this is Pom-Pom, the conductor of the Astral Express. Don't let its small size fool you, it's actually very capable~"
Hearing this, Sāmu's mouth opened slightly before closing again, his eyes filled with reverence. "Hello, Conductor Pom-Pom!"
"..."
Pom-Pom hadn't expected the boy it considered a great enemy of the Express to be such a well-behaved and polite child in private. Moreover, Himeko, March 7th, and Dan Heng showed no signs of being mind-controlled.
Then there was only one possibility...
Pom-Pom had misunderstood! But Sāmu wearing that mask was really suspicious, Pom-Pom! Sigh, I'll just have to observe him some more.
"Hello, Sāmu... passenger."
For the time being, Pom-Pom acknowledged Sāmu's passenger status. And with that, everyone was happy!
Seeing everyone gathered together and with Sāmu's return, Himeko thought there was no time like the present and happily announced that the Astral Express was about to depart for the next planet.
At this moment, March 7th proactively and anxiously raised her small hand.
"Wait! Miss Himeko, did we forget something, or rather, someone!"
"...Now that you mention it, I do seem to have a vague impression."
"Who was it again?"
March nearly fainted. "Stelle! It's Stelle!"
"Oh, that special child. We certainly can't just leave her behind."
"But I tried to find her several times before, and she refused me. It made me feel a bit down," Himeko said with a wry smile.
The corner of March 7th's mouth twitched, and she threw her hands up in a shrug. "Does Miss Himeko remember the reason Stelle refused?"
"The reason?"
"Let me help you recall..."
"She said—she was going to wait on the Herta Space Station for Sāmu to come back!!"
Now that Sāmu was a member of the crew, what reason did Stelle have to continue wandering the space station?
-------
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