Sirius

“So you grabbed all the equipment and came here? It’s like you’re running away from home. You’re so cool, Muu-chan.”

“I’m honoured.”

As usual, my destination was Uu-chan’s house. There wasn’t anywhere else I could go, anyway.

When I suddenly arrived in the middle of the night, Uu-chan kindly made me feel welcome. He even treated me to some homemade chocolate cake.

“I was thinking we may as well eat it together before going through with the plan tomorrow.”

“I really can’t thank you enough, Uu-chan.”

Slightly embarrassed, Uu-chan turned away from me, and I could see Mamarobo folding laundry behind him.

She’s an old, outdated model, but I found myself surprisingly fond of this robot. While she may be a dull matt gold and have some wear, those just gave her a certain charm.

Uu-chan would often make insincere remarks about how she’s “silent and creepy”, but Mamarobo was always immaculately polished.

As if he had been waiting for Mamarobo to finish folding and leave the room, Uu-chan tilted his head and peered into my face.

“Won’t they be mad tomorrow?”

“I’m prepared for it.”

“Well, make yourself at home, then. You can use my house whenever, and talk about whatever you want. If it’s a request from you, anything goes.”

“You’re such a good friend. I’m sincerely thankful to have you.”

“I mean, compared to what you’ve done for me, Muu-chan, this isn't…”

Uu-chan muttered before snapping his mouth shut, embarrassed to say more.

“Well, whatever, I’m going to sleep so I’m ready for tomorrow.”

☆

…And just like that.

“Snore… mimimi…”

After preparing a futon for me with Mamarobo, Uu-chan promptly fell asleep.

I couldn’t rest at all, thinking of tomorrow—and of my father’s face.

☆

My father held a longing for space, but unlike others who devoted themselves to it, he didn’t belong to any of the country’s research institutions. He studied space all by himself.

It seemed natural that an official institution would make things easier. When I questioned why he didn’t join one despite that, he said:

“It seemed like a pain.”

“…It did?”

It was nothing special—he simply wanted to research as he pleased.

With all those rules and restrictions, he thought he wouldn’t be able to research the way he wished.

He was the type of person who wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut with his own actions, without relying on our country’s assistance.

“I’ve actually encountered an alien in the past. …And ever since, I’ve been unable to stop thinking about those three numbers.”

“Numbers?”

“We’ll research them non-stop as well.”

I respected that about my father, and believed in his methods.

“Excuse me, dear… why are you going around wearing a helmet?”

“To test it out. I made it with Muneuji.”

“You’re such an odd one, why did I ever… and yet, I still love you for some reason…”

“I’ll revise the design a bit more and make one for Muneuji.”

My father was such a weirdo that even my mother would wonder why she married him—

“It’s not everyday you see someone as beautiful as Kaguya-san’s husband.”

“He seems like he’d be popular. Though his weirdness probably scares everyone off.”

“Good day, madams.”

“Oh my, speak of the devil… if it isn’t Kaguya-san’s husband and Muneuji-kun! Good day~ are you on a stroll?”

“The mass of the Chandrasekhar limit.”

“Y-yes? Pardon?”

“Excuse me, I’m just thinking. …The Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit.”

“Father, let’s leave it there. The madams are backing away.”

“A-ahaha… well then, we’ll take our leave now…”

“Gamma ray burst.”

…He was known for his peculiar sensibilities that made the madams in the neighborhood keep a distance.

☆

Even so, he loved me a lot and treated me with care.

I’m certain he loved my mother too, from the bottom of his heart.

That’s why—I couldn’t just ignore the fact that my grandmother, that all the adults around me, had arbitrarily decided he’d run off with another woman.

Everyone had a disgraceful misunderstanding of him.

“Father…”

Tomorrow, I’ll definitely communicate with aliens—and clear up the misunderstanding about my dad.