Chapter 29: Target

Chen could no longer hold it in.

A gale of laughter erupted from him, and he doubled over, clutching his stomach as he howled.

The sound echoed through the parlor car, a boisterous, undignified noise that created a surreal contrast with the mature, gentle, and elegant face of Himeko that he currently wore.

“Alright, alright, don’t be so angry,” Chen managed between gasps, waving a dismissive hand.

A hint of laughter still sparkled in the crimson eyes he’d borrowed.

“It was just an accident… maybe the proportions weren’t quite right?”

Hearing this, March 7th’s eyes widened until they were perfect saucers, and he looked ready to leap out of his skin.

“An accident?!

You think I’ll believe that?!” he shrieked.

As he spoke, he was frantically puffing out his cheeks, blowing raspberries into the air as if trying to physically expel the foul, lingering taste from his mouth.

By this time, Dan Heng had finished rinsing her own mouth.

She turned, her gaze falling upon the coffee cup that had been dropped onto the plush carpet.

She then looked at the still-pouting March 7th, sighed with a deep sense of helplessness, and stepped forward to retrieve the offending cup, setting it aside on a table.

Her expression remained as placid as ever, but a flicker of imperceptible weariness flashed in her eyes.

Clearly, the memory of that single sip of coffee had left a deep and unpleasant impression on her as well.

She even silently produced a small tin, unwrapped a mint, and placed it in her mouth, hoping the cool, sharp sensation could mask the persistent, strange flavor that clung to her palate.

Meanwhile, Caelus was still standing to the side, his little tongue stuck out in disgust.

Seeing that everyone’s attention was focused on the standoff between March 7th and Chen, he quietly sidled over to Ms.

Welt Yang.

He tugged on the corner of her coat and whispered, his voice small.

“Aunt Yang, there’s still a weird taste in my mouth…”

Ms.

Welt Yang looked down at him, and the tight line of her lips finally relaxed into something softer.

She raised a hand and gently ruffled Caelus’s hair, her voice softening considerably.

“It’s okay.

Let’s go get a cup of water to rinse your mouth, shall we?”

As she spoke, she stood and led the young Trailblazer toward the water dispenser.

On her way, she passed by Chen, and she didn’t forget to cast a deeply helpless glance in his direction.

As she walked past Uncle Himeko, she even gave a slight shake of her head, her eyes conveying a clear message: See?

This is another you.

Uncle Himeko surveyed the chaos before him and shook his head, a matching expression of weary resignation on his face.

He picked up his own cup of coffee, which was still more than half full.

He brought it to his nose, gave it a cautious sniff, and then, as if having made a life-or-death decision, pushed the cup far away from himself.

“Next time,” he said, looking at Chen, his tone laced with a dry, wry amusement.

“Next time, let me brew it.

I’d rather the members of the Astral Express not be taken out by a cup of coffee before they’ve even truly begun their journey.”

As he spoke, he casually took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabbed at the corner of his mouth, a picture of refined grace even in the face of caffeinated armageddon.

“Alright, March, I’ll make it up to you, okay?” Chen said, his eyes darting mischievously as he looked at the still-fuming boy with a deeply apologetic face.

He even tilted his head, letting that cascade of flame-like red hair slide gracefully over his shoulder.

Then, he subconsciously stuck out his tongue in a quick, playful gesture meant to be disarming.

This action, coming from the mature, gentle face and elegant temperament of Himeko, created an almost reality-bending sense of cognitive dissonance.

It was playful, innocent, and carried a distinct hint of ‘I know I was wrong, but I’ll definitely do it again’ childishness—all while being delivered by a face renowned for its poise and maturity.

March 7th had been about to demand, ‘Then tell me how you’ll compensate me,’ but the gesture choked the words in his throat.

He felt like he’d been short-circuited.

The raging fire of anger on his face was instantly extinguished, replaced by a rapidly spreading crimson blush.

He pointed a trembling finger at Chen, his face turning beet red.

It took him a long, sputtering moment to squeeze a broken complaint through his teeth.

“You… don’t make that kind of face with that appearance!!!”

“Doing that… how am I supposed to blame you like this?!”

March 7th clutched his pink hair in utter frustration, spinning around on the spot.

He was a whirlwind of anger, annoyance, and complete helplessness.

Facing the visage of ‘Sister Himeko,’ especially when she was flashing such a foul, playful, and utterly disarming expression, was simply unfair.

The entire stomachful of righteous anger and declarations of war he had been brewing for so long completely lost all momentum.

He couldn’t exactly start cursing at ‘Sister Himeko’ or chase her around the parlor car, could he?

The mere thought of such a scene was too bizarre to even contemplate.

Beside him, Dan Heng observed March 7th’s conflicted state, then glanced at the culprit, Chen, whose expression screamed ‘all according to plan.’ She simply shook her head again.

Ms.

Welt Yang returned with Caelus, whose expression had softened considerably after a thorough mouth-rinsing, just in time to witness this spectacle.

She took in March 7th’s predicament, then the mischievous, triumphant smile on the female Himeko’s face.

She couldn’t help but raise a hand to press against her temple, though her lips curled into a slight, helpless smile of her own.

She leaned down and whispered to Caelus, “It seems someone has found a very special way to deal with March.”

Caelus didn’t quite understand the nuances, but he just stared back and forth between ‘Sister Himeko’ and the frantic March 7th, his gray eyes filled with pure curiosity.

And the person whose ‘image was being misappropriated’—Uncle Himeko—had the most interesting expression of all.

Watching the female version of himself stick out her tongue and act cute toward March 7th, the muscles in his own face couldn’t help but twitch.

He cleared his throat lightly and addressed Chen directly.

“Chen, that’s enough.

Also, please refrain from using that appearance to… make such overly lively expressions.”

Hearing this, Chen immediately reined in his exaggerated performance, but the deep-seated amusement in his eyes was impossible to hide.

He did his best to adopt a more Himeko-like posture of serene dignity, then turned to the still-fidgeting March 7th.

“Then… as compensation, I’ll make you something delicious later.” Chen tried to make his voice sound sincere, even though the smile in his eyes hadn’t completely faded.

At the mere mention of delicious food, most of March 7th’s anger had already dissipated.

On the surface, however, he tried to maintain a pouting look and gave a defiant huff.

He didn’t immediately agree or refuse, which was his way of reluctantly accepting the olive branch.

Just then, Uncle Himeko, who had been calmly observing the resolution, clapped his hands together, the sound sharp and decisive.

“Alright, that’s enough of an interlude.”

His gaze swept over the crew, each with their different expressions: the pouting yet slightly hungry March 7th; Dan Heng, silently sucking on a mint to regain her composure; Ms.

Welt Yang, soothing Caelus with a helpless smile; and the ever-curious Caelus himself.

And finally, his eyes landed on Chen, who had just released his transformation and was now rubbing his nose a bit sheepishly in his own form.

“Everyone, return to your seats.”

“It is time to prepare for the coordinate jump for this leg of our journey.”

“The destination is a planet numbered [Jarilo-VI].

According to the Data Bank, it has been thousands of years since the Express last paid it a visit.”

[Elysian’s Note:

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