"Wake up, wake up, Pom-Pom!"
"Conductor… even if you shout, she won't hear you."
"Then what are we supposed to do, Pom-Pom?!"
"Conductor, please calm down. She may look fragile, but she's not in danger."
"Prolonged unconsciousness. Likely mental shock. Dan Heng?"
"I've checked her. She's fine physically. I think something else is affecting her."
The white-haired girl lay quietly on the Astral Express sofa. Not long ago, they had found her drifting through space, and Pom-Pom immediately brought her onboard.
Somewhere in the haze, Ena could hear them and immediately recognized every single voice.
Pom-Pom. the tiny conductor.
March 7th. Sugar content: dangerous.
Aunt Himeko. the Star Rail Coffee Engine.
Welt Yang. Professional sit-up enthusiast.
And Dan Heng. the matcha-flavored dragon.
Normally, she would have been able to stay awake.
But some things were difficult to truly understand without firsthand experience.
From a game interface, the Astral Express headlights didn't seem like much.
In reality-
Flashbang.
"I'm telling you, your methods are wrong! The Little Mermaid clearly says you need a handsome prince kiss combo!"
"Uh… March, I don't want to ruin your childhood logic, but I don't think it works like that."
"If you don't test it, you can't unlock the hidden route! Trailblazing is all about trial and error!"
March 7th crossed her arms, squinting like she had just uncovered the truth of the universe.
"Dan Heng, you go."
"But I refuse."
"Alright, alright, so you won't go? Fine, I'll be the prince!"
She leaned in, like she was chasing an achievement.
The white-haired girl lay defenseless on the sofa. Her delicate face made March 7th think that playing the prince for once might not be so bad.
Welt reached out.
"March-"
Too late. March 7th had already leaned in, her face dangerously close.
"What… are you doing?"
The girl opened her eyes.
Those eyes were vast and beautiful, like a starry sky watching the room.
Her soft voice carried an inexplicable sense of age and distance.
"You, you, you… don't misunderstand! I just wanted to test if that story method would wake you up!"
March 7th stood frozen.
Hands behind her back.
Avoiding eye contact.
Clearly caught in the act.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
"That method does work, but… you don't have to kiss."
She smiled, as if there was no reason to question anything at all.
"If you're feeling alright, may I ask you a few questions? I'm Himeko, navigator of the Astral Express."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ena. It's a pleasure, Miss Himeko."
"Then… Miss Ena. Where are you from? And what brought you into space?"
"My hometown is Earth. I was a hospital patient. I lost consciousness while watching the stars with a nurse… and when I woke up, I was already here. My memories are also starting to fade."
Ena wasn't lying. She simply stated what remained of her memory.
But even as she spoke, the memories felt less certain than before.
Her memories of Honkai: Star Rail were already beginning to fade after arriving in this reality.
If she gained abilities through simulation later, she would explain it as memory loss.
Himeko remained silent, listening carefully.
Ena trusted them. But the System, and everything tied to it, was not something she could reveal easily.
Just as every Trailblazer aboard the Astral Express carried secrets of their own.
After saying the word "Earth," she could feel a gaze fall upon her.
"Miss Ena, you said your hometown is Earth?" Welt Yang stepped forward. His gaze softened slightly, carrying something quiet and distant, like the echo of a place long left behind.
In this vast universe, Earth was not just a place, but a memory fragments of remembrance carried by those long separated from it.
"…To meet someone from there again" he said quietly, "is rare."
Of course, excluding a certain blonde.
"Yes, Mr. Welt. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Eh? Eh? Uncle Yang didn't even introduce himself? You two already have secret past interactions??" March 7th stared at them like she had discovered hidden lore.
"No, I know Mr. Welt, but Mr. Welt doesn't know me. Mr. Welt is quite a well known figure where I'm from."
"Ohhh, I see. Uncle Yang, I didn't know you were a celebrity!"
"Cough… not exactly. I'm just somewhat known in animation production."
"Animation production…? Wait, does that mean Uncle Yang is like behind the scenes boss level?!"
"hmm... what if Uncle Yang created an animation about our journey, like everything we've experienced?"
"or even making us the MC in one of his animations," March 7th said while striking a thinking pose.
"like a space adventure series where we all look super cool fighting together! with flashy explosions, epic music, and me doing a super cool pose in slow motion!"
"with dramatic camera angles, glowing weapons, and me landing from the sky like a hero" March's eyes sparkled when thinking of herself striking a cool pose.
Welt Yang stayed silent for a moment, adjusted his glasses, then imagined March 7th falling from the sky… landing perfectly in front of the heroine she had saved. Then she stepped forward and said, "Are you unharmed, my lady?"
From the heroine perspective, March was surrounded by a sea of flowers. Then the heroine, after accepting March hand, walked slowly with her toward the fading sun.
He began to think about the overall plot.
A simple sequence formed in his mind.
The heroine is kidnapped.
March arrives.
She wins the fight effortlessly.
Then-
The heroine looks at her with admiration.
They walk side by side toward the kingdom under a fading sunset.
Welt nodded slightly.
"...!" Hearing March imagination, Dan Heng froze.
In his mind, the scene immediately played out-
March 7th in a cringy hero costume drops from the sky.
BOOM! She lands perfectly.
Silence.
Then she strikes another ridiculous pose, flashes a silly grin, and delivers an overly dramatic one-liner.
His mind stalled.
Then he shuddered, pinching the bridge of his nose as the image refused to disappear.
"ahh~ just thinking about it makes me blush~" March said, hands on her cheeks.
"there's no way Mr. Welt has time for that. he's either on the train or with us, remember?" Dan Heng sighed, feeling drained just from the thought, regretting letting March imagination take hold.
"indeed, unfortunately, I'm no longer an animation producer," Welt Yang said.
"ehehe," March let out an embarrassed laugh, scratching her head.
Ena said nothing further.
"If Miss Ena has nowhere to stay, would you consider joining us as a Trailblazer aboard the Astral Express? Life here may not be as stable as on Earth, but the journey is filled with unknowns, adventure, and a fair share of joy," Himeko said.
"Is that… really okay? I don't think I have any skills that would be useful right now. I might not be able to help much."
"Don't worry about that. The Astral Express never refuses guests who come without ill intent."
"...Still, if you're willing to take me in, I will accept. Thank you."
"WE GOT A NEW MEMBER?!" March 7th suddenly perked up, eyes sparkling. "New teammate unlocked?!"
"Wait, hold on!"
March 7th struck a thinking pose.
"We need role assignment first! Ena is DPS? Support? Or hidden SSR character?! We need proper team synergy!"
"Don't treat this like a game," Dan Heng replied flatly, sighing.
Ena let out a small, awkward laugh, unsure how to respond to that kind of enthusiasm.
Himeko smiled gently. "Don't worry about her. March 7th gets excited easily. You'll get used to it here."
"Now, to celebrate our new member, how about coffee personally brewed by me?"
To welcome Ena, the Astral Express decided on a small "ritual."
Himeko handed her a cup of coffee.
Under the watchful eyes of the crew, Ena accepted it and took a quiet sip.
The taste was strong, noticeably so, but still within acceptable limits.
So she continued drinking at a steady pace.
Cup after cup.
Silence slowly settled in.
The first to break it was March 7th.
"…I feel it."
She stopped mid-step.
Then slowly lifted her head.
"…I FEEL IT."
"Feel what?" Dan Heng asked immediately, already wary.
March 7th turned, eyes sparkling.
"ENERGY BOOST!"
A beat of silence.
Then-
She shot forward.
"I can run ten laps around the Express!! I can beat a doomsday enemy!! I can transcend limits!!"
"March, stop-" Dan Heng said, already exhausted.
But she was gone.
A loud crash echoed from somewhere down the corridor.
Then another.
Dan Heng exhaled slowly.
"…I regret agreeing to this."
Welt adjusted his glasses, watching the direction she vanished.
"Caffeine does tend to amplify behavioral output in younger individuals," he said calmly.
"That's not what I meant," Dan Heng replied.
Welt didn't respond immediately.
His gaze shifted.
To Ena.
She was still seated.
Perfectly still.
Calm.
Unchanged.
"…Interesting," Welt murmured.
Ena noticed the attention but did not react outwardly.
She placed her cup down neatly.
"I assume this reaction is normal," she said.
"It is not" Dan Heng replied instantly.
From the distance-
BANG!
"BOOSTING REAL LIFE STATS IS REAL!!" March voice echoed.
Welt continued observing Ena.
"Your tolerance is unusually high," he said. "Most first-time passengers would show some level of stimulation."
Ena blinked once.
"I don't think I did anything special."
"…That may be the most unusual part," Welt replied quietly.
Another crash.
Dan Heng closed his eyes.
"I'm pretending I didn't hear that."
At that moment-
"WHO LEFT ALL THESE EMPTY CUPS IN THE CORRIDOR?!"
Pom-Pom stormed in.
Small.
Furious.
Radiating authority far beyond its size.
"This is a TRAIN, not a CHAOTIC TEA PARTY!! WHO AUTHORIZED UNLIMITED COFFEE DISPENSING?!"
The entire carriage went silent.
Even the distant crashing paused.
Dan Heng didn't move.
Welt politely looked away.
Ena tilted her head slightly.
"…There appears to be another issue," she said calmly.
Pom-Pom locked onto her instantly.
"And YOU!"
Ena paused.
"…Yes?"
"You are not exempt from TRAIN RULES!"
Ena nodded.
"I understand."
Pom-Pom hesitated for a second, as if expecting resistance.
"…Good."
Then he stormed off.
Silence returned.
Dan Heng finally spoke.
"…This is going to be a long journey."
"I believe it already is" Welt replied.
Ena looked toward the corridor where March disappeared.
Then at the empty cup in front of her.
"…It is more lively than I expected," she said.
A pause.
She did not add anything else.
But for the first time-
something quiet and unfamiliar lingered in her gaze.
Not emotion.
Not understanding.
Just awareness.
===
===
Since she did not possess combat abilities, she initially took on logistical tasks under the Conductor guidance, cleaning the carriages and assisting in the kitchen.
Once they became more familiar, she would occasionally take the opportunity to gently pat the Conductor fluffy head when he was momentarily distracted.
"Next time, you're not allowed to do that in public, Pom-Pom!"
"Next time… next time."
Life moved forward in an orderly manner, yet she remained unsatisfied. She wanted to shoulder more of the burden alongside the Astral Express crew.
"System, can I start the simulation now?"
"Yes, Host."
"Then… let's begin the simulation."
"Random simulation event drawing in progress. Simulation event 'Taste of a Hundred Herbs' has been selected. Drawing initial skills for you."
For a brief moment, her thoughts felt slightly more "aligned" as if settling into place… then it was gone.
TBC
...
...
Quick note: Himeko coffee didn't cause any "incident". She just made it a bit weaker than usual like maybe a bit more because Ena was there.
Author note regarding the last segment.
Just a quiet slice-of-life moment on the Astral Express before things move forward.
Chapter 3 is in progress.
This section will be replaced once the chapter is complete.
Thanks for reading.