The golden eyes of Himeko settled on the hologram floating before the Astral Express, watching you, with the weight of a thousand unspoken words. You move among the crew with ease, discussing the details of a mission involving the Stellaron Hunters, your words carefully measured, your tone casual, though the stakes hide behind layers of secrecy. None could know, save the two of you, of the history and the lingering tension.

“We’re not here to get in bed with a Stellaron Hunter like you,” Himeko said, her voice polite yet laced with irritation, the steel beneath her words unmistakable. You could only chuckle at her, the sound light and teasing, brushing against the unhealed wounds of the past.

Another secret was added to the ever-growing list: a relationship that had always existed in shadow, away from the scrutiny of the world. A secret locked behind the walls of Himeko’s own heart, mirrored in your own mind. Each memory, each stolen moment, carefully preserved, untouchable to anyone else.

“There’s nothing we can gain from it, Stellaron Hunter,” Himeko continued, her tone sharper now, reverberating through the train’s corridors. “The Express crew may consider your offer, but do not expect our help in any of your crew’s… unsavory plans.” Her voice carried the weight of old pain, the lingering edge of heartbreak sharpened by years of betrayal and lost connection.

No one could blame Himeko for her resentment, for the careful walls she’d erected around herself. Not the crew, not the galaxy, and certainly not you—though you were the reason behind every fracture, every echo of grief and longing that lingered in her gaze. The hurt was yours and hers alone, a silent testament to what had once been, and what could never fully return.