lumidescence

I rush into my room.

Sure enough, there was indeed a helmet on top of the desk.

I gently pick it up, illuminated by the light of the already-setting moon.

It has already been six years since my father disappeared, and even though it was built earlier than that, the helmet hasn't shown any signs of deterioration in the slightest.

My mother must have carefully stored this… Just like you would handle a treasured item.

“...”

This must be a sentiment from my mother.

That if I believe my father, that if I can still say that he had been abducted, then she'll surely allow me to go to space to get him back—that’s what I think she's trying to convey.

“Yeah, I'm sure of it.”

I want my mother to be at ease and continue on the path that she believes in.

I'll be who I am, and I will continue to follow the path that I myself have chosen.

I put on the helmet and tried to look around my surroundings through the shield.

It fits just right, as if I've been wearing it for a long time. My vision was clear, and I’m able to breathe naturally, as if it had been a part of my body from the beginning.

My stepfather is a good person.

I can see why my mother chose him. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful father.

I'm sure he'll be able to make my mother happy.

However, the father in my eyes will only be that person.

He was a strange person who really loved space, but for some reason, you can't help but still love him. Only that person will be my father.

“...”

About my newborn little sister.

I was quite shocked when I found out that my mother was pregnant, but now I feel very blessed that I'm able to have a little sister.

I get to have a sibling.

Which is why, I'll also properly take that first step towards the new chapter.

Once my little sister is born, I want to pamper her with lots of things and do all kinds of things to make her happy.

And—

Starting tomorrow, I'll wear this space helmet that my father gave me every day.

Going to space requires training. As part of that…

As it is the expression of my determination above anything else…

“Wait for me, father.”

I will definitely… become an astronaut.

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Uu-chan greeted me, Kinugawa, and our little sisters when we arrived at the living room of HAMA House.

He then gave us strawberry chocolate donuts as promised.

He seemed to be busy reading the thin book of someone he calls ‘Sensei’, so he quickly went back to our room without even saying goodbye.

“I wove Ushio-kun’s sweets! They're always so yummy!”

“Did Ushio-kun make these himself? If he did, I'm gonna become Ushio-kun’s wife!”

“No, you… can't... I absolutely… won't let you…”

Seeing Kinugawa shaking his head with a deep wrinkle forming between his eyebrows, our little sisters laughed.

“Kinugawa’s doting nature is quite impressive,” I commented with a laugh, making Kinugawa embarrassed.

After that, we gave our little sisters warm milk tea to drink after wiping their sticky mouths from eating the donuts.

I then listen to the cheerful chatter that our little sisters are having.

—A peaceful scenery.

“...”

Since the day that I decided to carry on my father's will and find him at all costs… several years have passed.

I still haven't successfully contacted someone or something in space, even to this day. There was even no new information about UFOs.

“To get my father back and get my life back on track.”

That is my long-cherished wish.

By joining the Community Revitalization Club, I have been able to focus on other things to a certain extent, however—

I feel that my time has stopped since the day my father disappeared on that grassy field.

That's why sometimes I think of something when I see a peaceful and cheerful scene unfolding right before my eyes.

If I get my father back, what happens after that…?

“...No.”

I should stop thinking about that now. I haven't even found where my father is yet.

If I keep on doing that, I'll surely waste time discovering anything in the future.

I should still have time to think about it…

“Do you like me, big brother?”

“Yes.”

“Am I cute?”

“Absolutely. You're my adorable little sister that I would want to go as far as to swallow you up whole.”

“...Your love… is scary…”

After that, Kinugawa sent his little sister home and went back to their house first. His little sister left a handwritten note for Uu-chan saying, “Thank you Ushio-kun”.

I, on the other hand, was trying to pass the time by waiting in the dorms until the archery class that my mother was teaching ended.

“Hey big brother, read me a picture book before mom’s done!”

I grant Hime’s request.

“Alright. Now, which book should I read for you today…”

“I want the one with Princess Kaguya!”

“Understood.”

After a short while, I started to read Hime's favorite picture book. That is, until…

“Oh~♪ If it isn't Princess Kaguya!”

Yowa-san appears while holding a bag with ‘Cafe369’ printed on it, like some kind of code.

“I had also read that story! The contents of it are to my liking, and it is profoundly memorable. It makes me think of a man that I met on a star juuust some time ago. He's also a descendant of Princess Kaguya, or so he claimed.”

“What?”

A flashing light filled my brain.

Questions started to swirl around in circles in my head, occupying everything inside it.

“A descendant of Princess Kaguya…?”

“Indeed, Indeed♪”

And then—Yowa-san’s smile made me feel like the pieces were starting to fall into place.

“He’s a traitor of the moon.”

I froze. I couldn't even seem to move my gaze away for a while.

—End of Track 5

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Masterlist / Track 1 / Track 2 / Track 3 / Track 4 / Track 5