Over the following days, under Hiko's guidance, Yuki and March 7th accompanied her to various shops near her ho, picking out furniture, decorations, and all sorts of odds and ends.
Hiko bought whatever caught her eye, barely glancing at the prices. Not only did she purchase chairs, tables, and other furnishings for the Parlor Car, but she also stocked up on items to decorate her own room and March 7th's.
Once everything was delivered, the three of them set to work transforming the train.
Hiko handled the layout while March 7th assisted—and occasionally supervised—with enthusiasm. Yuki, naturally, was tasked with the heavy lifting.
Hours passed. By nightfall, the Parlor Car and the adjoining passenger cabins were fully furnished and decorated.
March 7th's room, true to her personality, had beco a pink paradise—stuffed animals everywhere, on the bed, on the shelves, even peeking out from corners.
She stood in the middle of it all, hands on her hips, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hehehe! Perfect! This room is perfect! I've decided—I'm sleeping here tonight!"
Hiko stepped out of her own room just then, a warm smile on her face. "Pom-Pom ntioned the Express needs a few days to prepare before we officially set sail. We'll be here for a little while longer."
Her gaze drifted to Yuki. "In the anti, how about I show you both around my ho planet?"
March 7th's eyes lit up. "Yes!"
"This totally makes up for getting interrupted last ti!" March 7th's face lit up with unrestrained excitent. She raised her arms in a triumphant cheer, her voice brimming with pure joy.
Hiko smiled at the display, curious about what had happened before but deciding not to pry.
She then turned to Yuki. "Which room would you like on the train?"
She suggested the one just down the hall from March 7th's.
Yuki paused, considering.
He had originally co here only to release March 7th from her seal and see her settled. He hadn't planned to join the Astral Express on its cosmic journey.
But Hiko's question made him think. Perhaps keeping a room here wasn't a bad idea. He could drop by now and then—treat it like a vacation ho among the stars.
With that in mind, he nodded. "I'll take that one."
He added, "I won't be here permanently, though. Just occasionally."
Hiko's curiosity deepened, but she didn't press. She simply nodded in understanding.
She had sensed from the beginning that Yuki was no ordinary man. Mysterious. Powerful. Unfathomably handso. Each layer she peeled back only revealed more questions.
She wanted to know more. To understand him.
But she also knew that would take ti.
March 7th, overhearing, pulled Yuki aside. Her brow furrowed.
"You're really staying? Like, actually staying? What about your world?"
Yuki's lips curved into a mischievous smile. Ti to have so fun.
"That's right. I've decided this place is pretty great. Exploring the universe, two beautiful companions by my side... why would I ever go back?"
He leaned in slightly, enjoying her reaction. "Surprised? Shocked?"
March 7th's face went through several emotions in rapid succession. "B-but... what about your family? Your friends? You can't just abandon them!"
Yuki's expression shifted to one of exaggerated hurt. "Ah... I see how it is. Now that you've got what you wanted—a spot on the Express—I'm just dead weight, aren't I?"
He clutched his chest dramatically. "You're casting aside! You heartless woman!"
"Hey! That's not what I ant at all!" March 7th's face flushed with panic. "I'm not that kind of person! Don't put words in my mouth!"
Yuki's Oscar-worthy performance had clearly worked. She floundered, trying to explain herself.
Finally, he let her off the hook. His expression smoothed back to calm amusent.
"I know. Just teasing."
He smiled. "I'm keeping a room here so I can drop by now and then. Like a vacation ho."
March 7th blinked. Then realization dawned. Then indignation.
"You—! You tricked !" She pounded his chest with her little fists. "Take that! And that!"
From the sidelines, Hiko watched the scene unfold. To her, it looked like nothing so much as a girl playfully hitting her boyfriend. A flicker of sothing—envy, perhaps—passed through her eyes.
After the playful scuffle, Yuki set up his room. Simple. A desk, a chair, a sofa, a bed. Nothing fancy.
Soon, Pom-Pom's fluffy footsteps pattered down the hallway, summoning them to dinner.
Conductor. Operator. Steward. Pom-Pom did it all.
At the newly furnished dining table in the Parlor Car, March 7th stared at the spread before her, eyes wide.
"Wow, Conductor! You can cook too?! Amazing!"
"Of course! Pom-Pom is the conductor of the Astral Express—skilled in all areas! After all, the Naless—"
Pom-Pom launched into a story about the good old days.
March 7th was already stuffing her face.
Yuki and Hiko sat down and began eating. Hiko, at least, listened politely to Pom-Pom's tales.
"Passenger March 7th! Are you even listening?!"
March 7th looked up, cheeks full. "Mmph—yes! This at is amazing! What is it?!"
"That's Pom-Pom's Fried Fowl! Made from a blend of poultry from different planets!"
"So good! Mmph!"
"Ahem. As Pom-Pom was saying..."
And so, over a delicious dinner, they listened to Pom-Pom recount the adventures of the Naless long past.
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