Chapter Text
The stars shine outside, always attracting me with their mesmerizing beauty. Even after so long on board the Astral Express, their light still captivates me, making me reflect on the paths ahead.
But not all of these paths are smooth. Sometimes there are unexpected bumps in the road, like the annoying message I received from Serval earlier today.
"Why didn't you tell me Caelus was a lady killer, Himeko?"
I massage my forehead, feeling the headache increase. I bring the cup of coffee to my lips, letting the sweet aroma calm my nerves as the annoyance builds.
"I kind of suspected it, but still, who knew!"
"Excuse me, Serval, but what are you talking about?"
"I'm doing volunteer work at the museum he's restoring, and it seems he's won over a fan, here I'll send you the photo."
...!!
"I see. She's... an acquaintance. I haven't seen her for a while. Could you tell me where the museum is?"
"Sure, it's just up the road."
"That lunatic... if I never saw her again, it would be too soon." I open my eyes, still seeing the image of that woman acting as if everything was a game, as if her actions didn't affect billions of lives.
As if she didn't care what her actions had caused him.
And to top it all off...
"How long are you going to sit in my seat?" I ask, setting the cup down on the table with a sigh escaping my lips. I watch her reflection in the window, laughing amusedly as she sits cross-legged on the sofa behind me.
"Isn't that my wine?" I feel a little twitch in my eyebrow when I see the glass in her hands and she takes a sip.
"Ah, I was just enjoying the view. This place has a certain charm." She stands up, uncrossing her legs. If she wanted to attack me, she would have already done so. But even if she did try to use that Spirit Whisper on me, I have ways of protecting myself.
Well, I have ways to prevent it.
"If you've enjoyed it, you might as well go." I raise my hands, checking my nail polish, but keeping a discreet eye on her as she approaches me, humming the Phonograph song.
"Now, don't be in such a hurry. After all, we have a lot to discuss~"
"Calm down, Himeko. Don't give her the satisfaction."
"We have nothing to discuss, unless you're ready to give yourself up." I turn around, meeting her opaque eyes through those contact lenses. She sits down next to me, placing her empty wine glass on the table, resting her elbows on the surface and her face in the palm of her hand, making me almost let my frown show.
"Oh no? But we have so much in common, like our dear Caelus." My grip on the cup increases as I bring a hand up to my curls, twirling one of them around my finger.
"No matter what you're up to, just know that Caelus is not a plaything for your games." I emphasize my last words more, making sure not to raise my voice at the end, as I squeeze my eyes towards her, who doesn't even seem affected.
"Especially when it was you who left him alone and without memories in the first place." Finally, ever since I saw that hologram of her, Kafka frowns, as if I've hit a nerve.
"Unfortunately, it's a necessary sacrifice. But I'm not kidding him... much. After all, he's free to decide what he wants." Although her words seem sincere, I sense that there's something more behind them. People like her are never that simple.
"With some convincing, right?" I still remember that lipstick mark of his and that photo Serval sent of Kafka clutching Caelus. This woman doesn't even need to use her Spirit Whisper to control him.
"Even if she does care about him... I can't trust someone that manipulative." Squeezing a bit of the flap of my cloth under the table, rubbing my thumb against my palm to release some of my agitation without her noticing.
"That was just a reward for him helping me. Good work deserves to be rewarded, don't you think?" She's trying to deflect the conversation, but I can't let it pass so easily and get more into her little games.
"No more beating around the bush." Taking a deep breath for a moment, I mentally channel my anger before pushing it into a box and locking it away. I can't afford to indulge her. With that, I rise, and Kafka does the same, and we engage in a silent staring contest.
"What do you want?"
"As I said, I just wanted to talk to you about Caelus, but why don't we make things more enjoyable?" Unexpectedly, she reaches out her hand toward me, the other on her back. Looking at her incredulously, I resist the urge to swat her hand away.
"Why don't we talk while we dance? It's a lovely evening, and I would love to see the dance skills of my Dear's partner..." She leans in a little further, her eyes gleaming under the carriage light.
"I already know good music to make things more enjoyable,” Her smile sharpens. "Let's call it ' Hunter's Intuition .'"
"You know, Honey, although dancing is about connection, it also holds another meaning." I watch amused as he stops sipping his coffee, blinking and looking at me confusedly, with a whipped cream mustache on his lips.
"Uh? What do you mean, Himeko?" He asks, as I grab a napkin to wipe it off, almost laughing at his reaction. He struggles for a moment before allowing me to clean his face with a slight blush.
"Secrets. During a dance, you can learn a lot about your partner, details that might otherwise go unnoticed, like the rhythm of their steps or their scent, indicating where they've been or who they've been with." Humming for a moment, I see that it's all clean and remove the napkin from his face.
"On some occasions, at gala parties, even secret information could be transmitted in the midst of a dance, to lessen suspicions."
"Like in spy movies. That sounds pretty cool."
"Cool, huh? Well, speaking of which, it's time for us to get back to practice." I feel my own smile widen as I see him returning the smile as he stands up and extends his hand.
"He really does have a beautiful smile."
"Very well, I'm looking forward to learning more from you."
"That vixen, playing her little games again, but..." I feel my lips tighten as I take off my coat, putting it on the chair before taking her hand, watching her smile grow. "I need more information. I'll play along for now."
"I knew you'd be reasonable. So, as a thank you for accepting my invitation, you can start with the questions." With that, she places her hand on my waist, and we begin to sway gently to the music. I can't help but compare Caelus's tender way of dancing to Kafka's firmer and more experienced one.
"His hands didn't go down that low..." I feel a vein pop as I give her hand a light slap and shoot her a warning look, which she feigns innocence in response.
"Why are you on this planet?" I ask as we spin left for a moment and then begin to sway to the right.
"To see Belobog, a planet that was doomed for destruction, but you prevented it. Congratulations, by the way~" In a smooth motion, she wraps herself around me from behind, her delicate touches finding my arms, gliding gently downward as if drawing a line along my skin.
Before we part with my hair swaying slightly backward in the motion.
She then takes my hand and pulls me back to her, while I watch her face expressionlessly.
"Why did you come to listen to our little chat? Didn't know you were into gossip." As we step back, I decide not to let her continue leading. I take a step forward, closing in on Kafka and placing my hand on her waist before lifting her hand up, spinning her, and pulling her back.
Before she can try to take the lead by putting her hand on my waist, I spin her again and move closer to her, picking up the pace to challenge her, with her seeming to enjoy it though a hint of annoyance crosses her features.
But from this distance, I can smell her.
Expensive perfume, dust, and a hint of burnt circuits, the remnants of their dance, and the scent of Caelus.
He had offered me a massage before leaving the express, so she must have noticed my scent on him...
"As a navigator, it's my duty to assist passengers, and I had told him that anything was to call me." In another swift movement, Kafka comes very close, making me step back. I try to push her away from the lead, but she tightens her grip on my wrist and throws me off balance, tilting me backward, holding my back with the free hand.
Our faces are close, with my hair almost touching the ground, and she holds my hand. For a moment, purple turns into gold as I remember this move he made more gently.
Unfortunately, it fades too quickly.
"You really don't lie that well, Lady Navigator~"
"It's the truth." I feel a slight scowl slip across my face.
"Maybe, but not all of it. You're thinking of him right now, aren't you?" She remarks as I furrow my brow, not hiding the scowl, our faces closer where our breaths mingle. I refuse to back down and put my hand on her shoulder, pushing her back and straightening up.
This time, I pull her more firmly, not minding our bodies pressed together as I grasp her hand and begin to lead her. I catch the slight scowl that disappears for a fraction of a second on her face. She really doesn't like letting others lead, does she? Too bad it's going to take more than that to stop her from looking at me like a doll.
"He dances much better than you." A slight taunt escapes my lips as confidence now bolsters my steps.
"What can I say, he learns very well~" Kafka's eyes gleam as if she knows something I don't, working to irritate my nerves but I know how to strike back.
"I know very well, we practice a lot." I wouldn't normally do this, but I let a more sensual tone slip into my voice, a subtle suggestion won't hurt anyone, but strangely she doesn't seem bothered by it...
She seems almost excited.
With the exchanged words, a brief silence settles between us as we pick up our steps to the rhythm of the music and spin, extending our free hands backward.
"Do you really care about him?" I press, taking back the lead in the conversation as I see something in her eyes. "He was scared, afraid, and confused for a good part of the journey and..." I swallow hard. I need to know what she truly feels about him.
"He missed you. You didn't even think to call him?" What am I saying? It would be better for Caelus to stay away from Kafka, but...
That sparkle in his eyes and the same bright smile he gave me were present as he looked at Kafka in the photo.
The way he seemed lighter when he returned that night.
Whenever her touch reaches him, it's like a new life invades him...
I swallow hard as a tightness fills my chest.
"Yes... I really care about Caelus. If there's one thing you can trust me on, it's that." She replies, her eyes closing without resistance as we spin together in broader steps across the carriage.
"I envy you." Her words make me furrow my brow once again as she opens her eyes to me. Words coming so naturally, yet so strange.
"I wish I could be by his side, wish I could hear his voice every day again and comfort him." With that, she spins me around and stands behind me, holding both of my hands crossed in front of my belly with her breath on my neck as I feel her press her breasts against my back.
"But I can't. For the sake of the future I desire, this path is necessary. That's why I wanted to know how you felt."
She spins me now, and we face each other with only a small distance as she brings her hand to my face where I dodge and take a step back, but she follows with one forward.
"Because you can do what I can no longer do, and I see that my intuition was right." We start walking back and forth, at a calmer pace as the music subsides, watching our reflection in the windows for a moment.
She's a headache I can't fully understand.
But as much as I hate to admit it, I see a bit of what he sees in her.
"What?"
"That you'll take as good care of him... thank you." The traces of anger begin to fade; it's hard to keep them in when she makes that expression.
A lunatic like her, who plays with people's lives.
Who does whatever she wants without a second thought.
Who hurt him...
It would be easier to hate her if she didn't care so much.
"I'm not doing this for you. He's my priority, and until he disembarks from his journey, it's my duty as a navigator to help him."
"I understand. In that case, we have nothing further to discuss." The music stops as we step away, and she hands me a piece of paper which I take curiously before seeing a number. "It's a direct line to my real phone. I've already given it to Caelus after our last dance."
"Why are you giving this to me?" Something like this could cause her quite a bit of trouble, I could even turn it over to IPC or throw it away.
A pair of golden eyes comes to mind.
...
"Isn't it obvious? Just because I left him at the station doesn't mean I won't stay close." She turns, starting to walk towards the door. "You can consider me a shadow. I'll always be near him, but to help him, I'll also need you to be his light, like the flame that you are."
I squeeze the number before tucking it away, watching her smile at me over her shoulder.
"The weak are truly worthy of pity, don't you think? They can't do anything, just accept the fate imposed upon them," Watching her back, Kafka seems to speak from personal experience, by the way her head bows. "Only by gaining strength can one push against the fate they desire."
"You all need to be strong for what's to come, especially him. But I know he'll be fine in your hands." For the first time since this conversation began, her smile becomes genuine without a hint of malice.
"Until the next lovely dance, Himeko." As she walks away, she casts me one last glance with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"By the way, biologically speaking, he's old enough, so don't worry about being a cougar~" With those words, the carriage door closes, leaving me speechless, staring into the emptiness that remains.
"That woman..."
Running my hand over my face, I feel the blush rising in my cheeks as I turn to face the cold coffee cup on the table next to the empty wine glass.
That conversation revealed what I needed... Kafka believes I'm falling for Caelus, and that's why she came here today.
Absurd, of course. We've been getting closer, and he's a charming young man, very kind and considerate. He would be a good match, but...
Could this work out? No, better not to think about it.
Walking back to my seat with the cold coffee, I gaze out at Belobog through the window.
Ah... Caelus, what do I do with you?
"I wondered when you would show up, Welt Yang." Kafka halts abruptly in her tracks down the corridor, and behind her, Welt adjusts his glasses with his cane on the ground, maintaining an impassive expression on his face.
"Only if you decided to speak the magic words." A small chuckle escapes Kafka's lips as she turns to face him.
"Well, I've spoken with the beautiful Himeko. Have you come to ask your own questions?" Welt clasps his hands on his cane, taking a deep breath before responding.
"Destiny may be something difficult to predict or avoid, but it's not impossible to change it, as I'm sure Caelus has shown you."
"But bear in mind, whatever that destiny you aim for... question yourself if it's worth what you're willing to sacrifice or do for it." Kafka's smile grows stiffer, a distant look reflected in her eyes as she turns and begins to walk.
"I've wondered that for a long time, Welt Yang. Keep Himeko and my Darling safe." She turns, continuing to walk as Welt tightens his grip on his cane, leaving him alone in the corridor, gazing at the door of the main carriage.
"I will."