This chapter leans more on how characters act. Most things are shown through tone, pauses, and small gestures.
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The carriage felt quieter than usual.
March 7th sat near the window, chin on her hand, her camera lying dark beside her, her eyes on the drifting stars.
Dan Heng had a data slate in both hands, eyes moving steadily down it.
At the far table Welt Yang had a data slate in one hand, speaking in a low voice as he glanced down between sentences.
Himeko listened with her cup raised, taking a slow sip while he talked.
Welt Yang glanced up at Himeko, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as she sipped.
Himeko eyes flicked once toward him, then she took another quiet sip.
The door opened.
Ena and Stelle came through together, fingers loosely linked, Stelle slightly ahead.
March 7th was off her seat before they'd cleared the doorway, crossing the distance in quick, uneven steps.
"Are you okay?! Does anything hurt?!"
Her hands came up but stopped just short of touching her.
"Did the examination find anything... because if Herta did and didn't tell us-"
"March" Ena said softly.
March 7th stopped with her mouth slightly open.
"I'm fine" Ena reached out and took March 7th hand.
March 7th held her gaze for a second longer. "...okay… good"
her eyes swept over Ena once, then dropped to the linked hands, then slid up to Stelle.
Stelle looked back at her.
"Oh… you're here" March 7th looked at her briefly, then away.
"I was here before you noticed me" Stelle raised an eyebrow.
"I noticed" March 7th said flatly.
"You walked past me" Stelle gestured at herself.
"I was checking on Ena" March 7th said, her tone sharpening.
Stelle tilted her head slightly. "You looked straight at me"
"I was focused!" March 7th said quickly.
Stelle gaze narrowed slightly. "On walking past me?"
"You..." March 7th gritted her teeth and her fingers tightening at her side.
"If you hadn't gone into that energy…"
"I was protecting mom" Stelle said.
"She got hurt!" Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.
Stelle crossed her arms. "And whose fault is that?"
March 7th went still, her eyes dropping. "...Because of... you..."
her gaze lifted slightly. "That's… I wasn't trying to…"
her shoulders dropped. "...sorry…"
She looked down. "If I'd done... something faster..."
Stelle looked at her, then down at the floor between them.
"March"
March 7th slowly looked up, her face red
Ena hugged her.
March 7th went rigid, then her face pressed into Ena shoulder.
Ena patted her back slowly.
The sound March made faded, leaving only uneven breathing. Stelle watched.
Across the carriage Dan Heng had lowered the data slate.
Welt Yang had set his down.
Himeko took a quiet sip and looked into her cup.
"It wasn't your fault" Ena said softly.
"but you got hurt"
"I healed"
"You-"
"Healed." Ena said it quietly this time, her eyes dropping for a moment before coming back up.
The breathing against Ena shoulder stayed uneven.
"You still shouldn't have had to" March 7th said quietly.
"But I'd do it again" Ena tightened her hold slightly.
"And Uncle Yang could have stabilized things without me. Part of it was me being reckless."
Ena turned and looked at Stelle.
Stelle gaze flicked away. "If I do this, I want something in return"
Ena expression didn't change
"Something small. I just..." Stelle looked down.
"...she did start it" Stelle said under her breath.
Ena eyes staying on Stelle. "She was worried about me"
Stelle slowly looked at March 7th then looked back at Ena.
Stelle arms uncrossed and she took a small breath then stepped forward.
March 7th looked at Stelle warily when she stopped in front of her.
Stelle reached out and placed a hand on March 7th shoulder, a little stiff, her fingers adjusting before pressing slightly tighter.
"...You were worried about her... That's not bad" she said, her eyes on the floor close to March.
"...I was too" her eyes reaching March 7th as she said it.
March 7th lips pressed together, her gaze dropping to the floor.
Stelle hand loosened. "So... we both were worried"
She stepped back, her hands dropping to her sides before one of them moved slightly, then stopped.
"The Stellaron stabilized considerably faster than it would have otherwise" Welt Yang said calmly.
"The Abundance was the deciding factor" he glanced at Ena.
March 7th stilled. Then looked down at herself.
"umm...I want to...let go" her voice quiet.
Ena tightened her hold slightly.
March 7th looked up at her.
"Are you okay" Ena said softly.
"...yeah... I'm okay" March 7th said, her eyes somewhere past Ena shoulder
Ena studied her for a moment before letting go.
March 7th stepped back, not looking at anyone.
Dan Heng set the data slate face-down on the seat beside him.
"Are you alright" His eyes moved over Ena carefully, top to bottom.
Ena was quiet for a moment, then looked at him.
"I'm fine" Her hands were still.
Dan Heng kept his eyes on her for a moment, then his mouth opened slightly.
"That's good to hear" Himeko said from the table, not looking up from her cup.
Dan Heng mouth closed.
Himeko looked at Dan Heng over the rim of her cup.
Dan Heng picked his data slate back up.
"Going forward" Himeko set her cup down
"Stepping in front of things like that is something we should all be more careful about. We weren't attentive enough."
Her gaze moved across the carriage, Dan Heng, March 7th, then herself.
"That won't happen again"
Dan Heng nodded once.
Welt Yang gaze was already on Ena.
March 7th followed a moment later, her eyes on the floor between her and Stelle.
Ena looked around at all of them, her mouth opening slightly before she closed it again.
...
...
The carriage had settled when Ena phone went off.
She picked it up.
Herta: Ena, remember to test my Simulated Universe. Why haven't you come yet? There aren't many people in the universe who can make me wait like this. Don't make me beg you.
The examination results came back to her. She was fine.
She turned her head slightly. Stelle had already read it over her arm, unbothered.
"Oh!" Stelle eyes lit up. "The Simulated Universe. I forgot about that!"
The others had caught enough of the screen.
"You're not going into some Genius Society experimental setup right now" March said from across the carriage.
Dan Heng looked up from the data slate. "The results were clear. But it's still better to wait"
Welt Yang adjusted his glasses. "A favor from a Genius Society member is not negligible"
Himeko put down her cup. "You should be re-examined before entering anything like a Simulated Universe. In person. With appropriate equipment and Herta has the most appropriate equipment available."
Ena looked around at all of them, then at Stelle.
Stelle met her eyes. "I feel fine."
Her eyes moved briefly to March 7th before coming back to Ena
"And I want to see what it's like."
Ena looked at the phone.
Ena: Then beg me? (◦˙▽˙◦)
Herta: I beg you.
Ena: Can I say no?
Herta: …
Ena read it twice before she smiled.
Ena: Alright, alright. Just kidding. We're coming now.
She put the phone away and looked at Stelle.
"Examination first. We follow Himeko arrangement"
Himeko picked up her coffee. "Good"
Dan Heng gave a single nod.
Welt Yang adjusted his glasses.
"Be careful and read the terms and conditions before Herta runs anything on you... Check for hidden debuffs" March 7th said.
Dan Heng looked at her.
"What" March 7th gave Dan Heng a side eye.
He looked away.
"Be well" Welt Yang adjusted his glasses once more.
Himeko walked to the counter without explanation and came back with a cup of coffee she handed to Ena.
Ena accepted it and finished it in three sips.
Himeko watched her with the look of someone who had found something rare.
Stelle hand slipped into Ena.
At the threshold Ena looked back at Himeko. "I need a phone for Stelle"
"Already done"
Ena looked at her for a moment, then smiled.
Both Ena and Stelle stepped out.