Chapter 31: March 7th · Summer Limited Edition
"..."
March 7th blinked. The rosy flush painting her cheeks hadn't quite faded, but the corners of her mouth were already betraying her, curling upward into an uncontrollable, triumphant little smirk.
"That's more like it." She turned her face away with a dramatic huff, crossing her arms. "However, I won't look down on you."
"Then I'll thank you in advance," Rekka replied dryly.
"What are you thanking me for? Wait until you actually become a complete idiot before you say that."
Rekka leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Weren't you just obsessing over the swimming pool on the Hyperion a minute ago?"
March 7th froze. Her eyes widened to comical proportions.
"Ah! That's right! I totally forgot!" She spun around on her heel, her skirt flaring out. "Wait right here! I'm going to go ask Dan Heng, Uncle Yang, and Himeko if they want to come!"
Before Rekka could even get a word out, the pink-haired girl was already sprinting down the corridor of the Express, her rapid footsteps echoing against the floorboards.
Barely two minutes later, a gust of wind announced her return. She skidded to a halt in front of him, panting slightly but beaming.
"Everyone is busy and isn't coming," she announced cheerfully, completely unbothered by the rejection. "So why don't we just go play first?"
Rekka gave her a flat look, slowly looking her up and down. "Did you actually buy clothes to wear for swimming?"
"Swimwear..." March 7th sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. She blinked once, then twice, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. "I actually haven't bought that."
A heavy silence descended between them.
She suddenly looked up, eyes gleaming with a suspicious amount of hope. "Don't you have women's swimsuits over there on your ship?"
"You can't wear Raiden's swimsuits," Rekka shot back without missing a beat.
"Who would want to wear that kind of thing anyway!" March 7th shrieked, her face contorting into a truly remarkable expression of sheer scandalized horror. The mere thought of squeezing into those dangerously high-cut, gravity-defying outfits seemed to short-circuit her brain.
"Then that settles it." Rekka spread his hands in a gesture of absolute helplessness. "You have to go buy one yourself."
March 7th slumped, her posture drooping pathetically. "Doesn't the Hyperion have any... uh, vending machines or something? A supply depot?"
"Well, there are some."
Her head snapped up. "Really?"
"They only sell Ai-chan merchandise." Rekka counted them off on his fingers. "Ai-chan plush dolls, Ai-chan holographic postcards, limited edition Ai-chan laser tickets, and maybe some cabbage-flavored energy drinks."
March 7th stared at him. Slowly, she clasped her hands together beneath her chin, widening her eyes into a devastatingly pathetic, pleading puppy-dog stare. "Then, could you..."
"Could I do what?"
"Could you conjure one up for me? Just like how you modified Uncle Yang's cane?"
"No. I'm not on the Path of Erudition today." Rekka shook his head, utterly immune to her optical assault.
This silly husky of a girl really treated him like some sort of all-powerful cosmic Doraemon.
"Then it can only be this way..." She sighed heavily, pulling out her smartphone with dramatic reluctance.
Online shopping.
The Interastral Peace Corporation's logistics department truly deserved their reputation. Barely an hour had passed, well before dinner time, when a sleek delivery drone dropped off a neatly wrapped package right at the Express's doorstep.
"The delivery from the IPC is terrifyingly fast," Rekka remarked, watching her tear into the outer wrapping.
"This tiny piece of clothing cost me more than half a month's allowance!" March 7th patted the pristine box with a deeply pained expression. However, the financial agony on her face was almost instantly overwritten by bubbling excitement. "But it is worth way more than the price! This is the absolute latest seasonal style. It sold out across the entire Interastral Network in seconds, and I managed to snag the very last one!"
Rekka leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of the label. "So, what style did you actually buy? It wouldn't be some strange, full-body one-piece diving suit, would it? Or one of those ridiculous sun-protective outfits that wraps you up like a giant dumpling?"
"It is not!" March 7th glared at him, immediately hugging the box tightly to her chest like a stray cat guarding its dinner. "My taste is excellent! I would never wear such unfashionable things. As for what style it actually is..."
She tilted her chin up, flashing him a dangerously smug smile.
"It is a secret! You will know when we get to the swimming pool later."
Outside the viewport, the Hyperion hung in the cosmic void. It looked like a colossal, mechanical whale surfacing from the abyssal depths of space, slowly revealing its majestic silhouette. The massive warship radiated an imposing presence, its hull lined with glowing energy conduits and advanced technological sophistication.
"Wow... no matter how many times I see it, it is always so spectacular!" March 7th leaned her hands against the glass window, her eyes sparkling with reflected starlight.
"Let's go. The Captain will now take you to experience the absolute top-tier leisure facilities of the Hyperion."
Stepping onto the Astral Express's teleportation pad, a flash of spatial light engulfed them. A split second later, the two materialized directly inside the expansive living quarters of the Hyperion.
"The changing rooms are over there." Rekka pointed toward a sleek row of frosted glass doors lining the left side of the massive indoor pool. "Go change. I'll adjust the water temperature and set up the environmental mode out here."
"Got it! Wait right there for me, and absolutely no peeking!" March 7th hugged her precious package and scurried toward the doors like a startled rabbit.
"Who would want to peek? I'm not a pervert," Rekka muttered to the empty air.
He strolled over to the primary control console situated at the edge of the water. His fingers flew across the floating holographic screen, pulling up the environmental parameters.
"Ai-chan, adjust the water temperature to optimal leisure levels and dim the ambient lighting a bit."
A cheerful, synthesized voice chimed from the overhead speakers.
[Water temperature adjusting. Personalized environmental settings activated.]
The harsh, clinical lights of the ship dimmed into a warm, golden hue. Above them, the cold, hard metal dome of the ceiling gradually shifted, becoming entirely transparent to reveal the stunning expanse of the cosmos. The brilliant mix of stars reflected perfectly across the rippling surface of the pool.
Simultaneously, the metallic floor surrounding the water dissolved into a hard-light projection of fine, soft white sand. The gentle, rhythmic sound of ocean waves crashing against a shore began to echo softly through the massive chamber.
Rekka found a comfortable spot, sinking into a plush lounge chair positioned right at the edge of the artificial beach. He casually picked up a brightly colored tropical drink, complete with a tiny paper umbrella, that a service drone had just placed on the side table, taking a slow sip.
Time ticked by.
"Why isn't she out yet?"
He lowered his glass, glancing toward the tightly closed frosted door of the changing room.
He knew girls were generally slow when it came to changing clothes; he possessed at least that basic level of common sense. But it had been nearly forty minutes. Even if she were carefully strapping herself into a heavy-duty, void-rated combat spacesuit, she should have been finished by now, right?
Click.
The electronic lock disengaged with a soft chime. The door cracked open, just a fraction of an inch.
A small, fair foot poked out first. The toes curled restlessly, digging into the warm, artificial sand. Immediately after, March 7th's voice drifted through the narrow gap, heavily tinged with uncharacteristic shyness.
"Um... Rekka? Are you still out there?"
"I'm here. Always have been." Rekka set his cup down on the table and sat up straight. He kept his gaze fixed steadily on the door. "Come on out. There is no one else here, just the two of us."
"Stop rushing me! It's just... it's just that I am not really used to wearing something like this!"
The door finally slid open all the way.
It was a two-piece swimsuit, elegantly woven in alternating shades of light pink and pristine white. The design was incredibly ingenious. The top was a halter-style crop, bordered by a circle of delicate lace trim along the edges. It managed to look entirely playful and cute, while simultaneously doing an exceptional job of accentuating her youthful, energetic figure.
The bottom piece featured a short, ruffled skirt style. The fabric hem swayed gently with her hesitant movements, perfectly framing a pair of long, straight legs.
But the absolute best part of the ensemble was the semi-transparent white veil she had tied loosely around her waist, catching the artificial ocean breeze.
This was truly March 7th — Summer Limited Edition.
"How is it?"
March 7th held her hands behind her back, her fingers twisting together nervously. Two bright spots of crimson flush painted her cheeks, contrasting sharply with her fair skin.
One second passed.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"Hey!" March 7th finally snapped, unable to bear the heavy silence any longer. She planted her hands firmly on her hips and puffed out her cheeks in indignation. "Have you seen enough yet?! Give me some kind of reaction! I finally mustered up the courage to wear this thing, the least you could do is say something!"
"It looks good."
March 7th followed the trajectory of his gaze downward. Her face instantly ignited, turning a shade of red that rivaled Himeko's hair. She subconsciously threw her arms up to cover her chest, her eyes widening into massive saucers as she glared at him.
"Pervert! I knew you didn't have good intentions!"
Rekka raised an eyebrow, a slow, teasing smirk forming on his lips. "What, so it wasn't worn for me to see?"
"Who, who said it was worn for you to see?!" March 7th retorted stubbornly. However, the aggressive pitch of her voice completely lacked its usual confidence, wavering dangerously. "I am... I am wearing it for myself! Yes! I am wearing it to put myself in a good mood!"
"Fine, fine. You are wearing it for yourself." Rekka didn't bother exposing her terrible lying skills. He simply chuckled, turning toward the crystal-clear water of the pool. "Then, to celebrate Miss March 7th being in such a fantastic mood today, won't you come down for a swim?"
March 7th crept toward the edge of the water, her toes curling over the tiled lip as she hesitated.
"Is the water deep?"
"Not deep at all. It's about one point four meters, so it will sit just above your chest." Rekka waded into the pool, the warm water parting around his waist. He stopped and extended an open hand toward her. "Come on. Don't worry about actually drowning. If you sink, I will fish you out."
"Who needs you to fish me out! This girl knows exactly how to swim!"
March 7th huffed indignantly, slapping his hand away playfully. Despite her brave words, she still stepped forward with extreme caution. The moment her toes broke the surface of the water, she flinched slightly, expecting a chill. Instead, the perfectly regulated warmth wrapped around her skin, and she quickly adapted to the temperature.
"Wow—it really is comfortable!"
March 7th exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. All of her previous nervous reserve seemed to evaporate the moment she submerged herself. She tried paddling her arms twice, her slender body floating lightly to the surface with practiced ease.
"And this environment..." She tilted her head back, her pink hair fanning out across the water as she gazed up at the transparent dome and the endless starry sky beyond. A soft, genuine smile graced her lips. "It really does feel just like being at the seaside."
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