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Knock, knock.
Although the streets of Boulder Town are usually quiet at this time of night, someone is knocking on the door of Natasha’s Clinic, despite visiting hours having already ended.
“Coming, one moment!”
Natasha walks downstairs and opens the door.
“Sorry, we’re outside visiting hours. If it’s an emergency, you’ll have to—”
When she opens the door and looks up, she sees the person she least expected at that hour.
“Stelle?”
“Sorry, Natasha. I thought the clinic would still be open. I’m sorry to bother you.”
“It’s alright. Are you feeling unwell?”
“I don’t know. I feel strange, and I couldn’t sleep, so I came to get myself checked.”
Natasha adjusts her white coat slightly.
“I don’t usually accept patients at this hour, but I can make an exception for the heroine of Belobog.”
“Really? Thank you so much!”
“But only this once. The heroine has to follow the rules like everyone else and set a good example.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The two of them go upstairs and enter the clinic. Stelle smiles slightly when she sees that there don’t seem to be any patients staying overnight because of a serious condition.
While she continues looking around, Natasha tidies her desk, putting away the medical records of the patients she had examined during the day, and sits in her usual spot.
“Alright, I’m ready. Have a seat, Stelle.”
“Coming!”
“For someone who’s sick, you look pretty cheerful.”
“It’s just that I didn’t expect there to be no patients staying overnight. I’m glad things seem to have calmed down lately.”
“We probably have our heroine to thank for that.”
Stelle scratches her head, blushing slightly.
“Hehe.”
Natasha gives her a soft smile.
“Anyway, could you tell me in a little more detail what’s wrong?”
“Um... I don’t know exactly what’s happening to me.”
“You said you felt strange and couldn’t sleep, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Try to describe what feels strange or out of place. I need a little more information before I can figure out what kind of examination you need.”
“Um...”
Stelle falls silent, thinking about her answer.
“...My heart starts racing at different times throughout the day.”
Natasha takes out a notebook and begins writing.
“Rapid pulse...”
“My hands are cold sometimes.”
“Cold hands...”
“I’ve been having some insomnia lately, like I mentioned before.”
“Insomnia...”
“Sometimes food tastes different to me...”
“Food tastes different...”
“I also feel something strange in my stomach. Sometimes it feels really empty, and other times it’s like something is tickling me, like there’s some kind of fluttering inside.”
“Empty stomach... Fluttering?”
Natasha looks at Stelle, somewhat perplexed.
“Yeah, something like that... I think.”
“Hmm...”
Natasha remains thoughtful, looking over her notes on the symptoms Stelle has been describing.
“Stelle...”
“Yes?”
“You once told me that you had something like amnesia, right?”
“Yeah. My memories begin when I woke up on the Herta Space Station. After that, I joined the Astral Express and then came here, to Jarilo-VI. But I don’t remember anything before that.”
“I see...”
Natasha frowns slightly, deep in thought.
“It’s obvious what’s happening to her. But given her condition, perhaps I should start with a more childish approach...”
After thinking about how to explain it given the circumstances, she resumes the conversation.
“Would you say that... sometimes you feel like you can’t stop thinking about something in particular, or that you’re generally distracted?”
“Now that you mention it... I think so.”
“Do you think you sometimes behave strangely depending on the situation? Like how Seele behaves when she’s with Bronya, for example.”
“Yes! Sometimes I feel like I’m not myself.”
“And is it possible that... you notice all these symptoms when you see or think about someone in particular, rather than with just anyone?”
Stelle falls silent, processing the question, until she suddenly has an epiphany.
“Yes! How did you know?!”
“Call it a doctor’s intuition.”
“Wow...”
Stelle’s eyes shine with genuine admiration for Natasha’s abilities. Natasha, meanwhile, closes her notebook, trying to maintain her composure.
“I have good news for you, Stelle. You’re not sick.”
“Really? And you know that without running any tests?”
“Y-yes. They’re symptoms of something specific, but it isn’t an illness.”
Although Natasha understands what Stelle is going through and doesn’t consider it something to laugh about, the constant admiration is making it increasingly difficult for her not to laugh.
“Then... what’s wrong with me?”
“You’re suffering from something called love.”
“L-love?”
Stelle starts to blush.
“Yes. It’s very likely that you’re in love, or at least very interested in the person who makes you feel this way.”
“I-I know what love is. It was mentioned in some of the novels Pela recommended to me, but even so...”
“Do you find yourself thinking about that person or seeing them a lot throughout the day?”
“Y-yes.”
Stelle’s face becomes even redder.
“That explains the symptoms you mentioned. Cold hands, a racing pulse, feeling distracted... They’re clearly manifestations of the nerves and excitement you experience when seeing that person or thinking about them.”
“...”
“Although it doesn’t necessarily have to be love. It could be some other kind of interest.”
“...Is there any way to know?”
“She knows more about the subject than I expected, and if she’s read the novels Pela recommended... I’ll try taking the conversation a little further for someone her age.”
Natasha clears her throat.
“Tell me, Stelle...”
“Yes?”
“Do you think you’d like to spend all your free time with that person?”
“E-eh?”
“Do you feel like you want to hug them?”
“Do you want to hold their hand when you walk together?”
“Do you have trouble controlling yourself when you think about touching their hair or some other part of—”
“P-p-p-please, stop...”
Stelle curls into a ball, covering her face with her hands, practically steaming with embarrassment.
“Judging by your reaction... yes. You’re probably in love.”
Stelle remains silent for a few seconds.
“With no memories, I wasn’t sure whether to explain these things to her more like a child or like a young adult. I thought I could push her a little, but perhaps I went too far with her...”
“I...”
Stelle interrupts Natasha’s thoughts.
“What do I do now?”
“For now, take a deep breath and try to calm down.”
Following her instructions, Stelle slowly breathes in and out, gradually regaining her composure.
“I think... I’m okay now.”
“Listen, Stelle. Love doesn’t have to be a bad thing, so don’t be so nervous.”
“But I don’t know what to do...”
“You don’t have to do anything in particular if you don’t want to.”
Natasha gently takes both of Stelle’s hands and holds them between her own.
Then she looks her in the eyes, making sure Stelle pays attention to everything she is about to say.
“For now, you need to learn to accept what you’re feeling, not as an illness or as something bad, but simply as what it is. A new feeling for you.”
“Once you accept it, you can simply observe that feeling and see how it develops, without rushing. And once enough time has passed, you can decide what you want to do about it.”
“You can choose whether to confess to that person, keep it to yourself, or even try to let that feeling fade with time.”
“There are many ways to handle these feelings. Take all the time you need, and before you know it, you’ll have made some kind of decision about it.”
As Natasha explains what love is, Stelle keeps slowly nodding, trying to take everything in and committing all this new knowledge to memory.
“Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing.”
“The most important thing?”
“Enjoy it.”
Stelle opens her eyes in surprise.
“Enjoy it?”
“Yes. Being in love is a very beautiful feeling, so try to enjoy it with happiness and excitement, without letting yourself be overwhelmed by the fear and insecurities that may arise.”
“That doesn’t sound easy...”
“Everyone is different, so even I, with my knowledge of medicine and psychology, can’t know what will happen. What I can do for you is listen to you and help you with whatever you need while you’re still in Belobog.”
“Really?!”
“Of course. I’m a professional. Although if you want it to be private, you’ll have to let me know in advance.”
Stelle throws her arms around Natasha in a hug.
“Thank you so much, Natasha.”
“It’s nothing. Still, when the day comes for you to leave, remember that you also have adults on the Astral Express who can help you just as much as I can.”
“I’ll keep that in mind!”
She gives Stelle a couple of pats on the back.
“Alright, be careful not to get lost on your way back to your hotel room. It’s very late.”
“Don’t worry. The streets are still lit, and it’s nearby.”
The two pull apart, and after Stelle briefly helps tidy up the clinic before leaving, they go downstairs and head outside.
“Once you get into bed, if you find that you can’t sleep, think about what we talked about. Little by little, your mind will get used to it, and you’ll fall asleep without even realizing it.”
“Understood!”
Natasha waves goodbye to her. Afterward, she closes the door and goes to bed.
Stelle, meanwhile, heads toward the Goethe Grand Hotel, where her room is.
“Love...”
That night, although it still takes her a little while to fall asleep, she manages to sleep better than she had over the previous few days.
. . . .
The following morning, as usual during her stay on Jarilo-VI, Stelle sits on a bench in the Administrative District, waiting for an assignment that will let her help the people of Belobog that day.
“Love...”
She is still thinking about the discovery she made during her conversation with Natasha the previous day.
“I’m trying to follow yesterday’s advice, but...”
She sighs.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I see her—”
“Stelle!”
Stelle jumps up from the bench in surprise, losing her balance and falling to the ground.
As if by fate, the person she has been thinking about so much appears right in front of her.
“M-March?!”
“Y-yeah... Are you okay?”
March offers her hand to help her get back up. Stelle accepts it, still somewhat nervous.
“S-sorry. I was thinking about what assignment they’d give me today and got a little distracted.”
“Hehe, looks like the heroine of Belobog is as busy as ever.”
Stelle keeps her eyes fixed on March.
“That smile, the way she laughs, the warmth of her hand...”
She begins to blush.
“There’s definitely no doubt about my feelings...”
“Wow, you’re really red, Stelle. Do you have a fever?”
March places her hand on Stelle’s forehead.
“N-no, no.” Stelle gently moves her hand away. “It’s probably because I’ve been sitting here in the sun for so long.”
“I see... You need to be careful not to get sunburned.”
March grabs her arm.
“Do you want to go do something together while you’re waiting for your assignment?”
Stelle’s heart starts beating faster.
“S-s-sure. Like what?”
March looks at her somewhat strangely.
“Hey, Stelle, you seem a little weird today. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Stelle swallows.
“Y-yeah, it’s just that—”
Ring-ring.
Stelle’s phone begins ringing. Taking the opportunity, she discreetly pulls away from March’s grasp and takes her phone out of her pocket.
“Sorry, March. Give me a moment.” she answers the call. “Yes? What is it, Bronya?”
While Stelle answers the phone, March stares at her suspiciously.
“She’s definitely acting strange. I hope nothing bad happened to her, or that she’s hiding something from me...”
A few minutes later, Stelle hangs up.
“Sorry, March, but I think we’ll have to postpone our plans. Today’s assignment is a little urgent.”
“No problem, but... did something serious happen?”
“Not exactly, but apparently several potentially hostile illusory echoes in the Fragmentum have been spotted in Rivet Town and Backwater Pass. I have to deal with them before anything bad happens.”
“...I’ll go with you, then.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. That way we can finish sooner and go out afterward.”
Stelle smiles.
“Alright, let’s go.”
March follows her, still somewhat thoughtful.
“Lately, I get bored if I’m not with her... At least this way, I can help Stelle and spend some time together. Perfect.”
. . . .
Several hours have passed since the assignment began. They started by fighting the Fragmentum creatures in Rivet Town and have nearly finished clearing out the remaining areas there. Despite both of them having been fighting for the same amount of time, March is visibly more tired than Stelle.
“Ugh...”
“Here, March. Have some water.”
She hands her a bottle.
“Thanks... Do you usually fight for this long every day?”
“Not every day, but when there’s an assignment like this, yeah. And today I’m going faster thanks to having you here.”
“I see...”
Stelle opens her own bottle of water to drink, and March does the same.
“I didn’t expect Stelle to have this much stamina, although, to be fair...”
She looks at Stelle’s figure.
“She’s pretty strong too...”
March notices beads of sweat running down Stelle’s neck and the muscles visible beneath her slightly damp shirt. She also finds herself paying attention to the way Stelle brushes her hair away from her face, or how wet her lips are after drinking the water.
“March, you’re spilling your water on the ground.”
March had been so distracted that, even after finishing her drink, she was still holding the bottle tilted toward herself.
“S-sorry!”
She quickly closes the bottle, embarrassed.
“W-what was that?”
She stares at the ground.
“Since when do I pay this much attention to someone’s appearance?”
Stelle approaches her.
“Your face is red. Maybe you’re suffering from heat exhaustion.”
March quickly stands up.
“N-no, I’m fine. I was just a little distracted.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Besides, there’s only one location left, right?”
“Yeah. After that, we can finally rest.”
“Great. Let’s do it, then.”
March watches Stelle from behind as she follows her.
“Maybe I was the one acting weird...”
. . . .
After a short walk, they reach the final site.
But this time, there are no enemies in sight. Instead, there is a little girl crying, completely alone in the middle of nowhere.
“Stelle, there’s a little girl! We have to help her before—”
Stelle places a hand on March’s shoulder, stopping her.
“S-Stelle?”
Stelle, with her face completely serious, shakes her head.
“Let me handle this. Keep watch over the area, and don’t come any closer or listen to anything.”
She walks toward the little girl, while March remains somewhat stunned by her companion’s strange behavior.
“I’d never seen her look so serious... but...”
March watches her in silence.
“She also seemed a little sad.”
Stelle approaches the crying girl and kneels down.
Sob.
“Mom, Dad...”
“Hello, little one. Could you tell me what’s wrong?”
“I-I’m waiting for Mom and Dad...”
“I see... It's very dangerous here. You should head home. I can take you there if you want.”
“But... Mom and Dad haven’t come back yet. I can’t leave. T-they told me to wait for them here...”
“I understand.”
Stelle sits down on the ground beside the girl.
“By the way, I haven’t told you my name. I’m Stelle. What’s your name?”
“Ilisa...”
“Oh, what a pretty name.”
“M-my mommy gave it to me...”
“She must love you very much to have given you such a pretty name.”
“But... even though mom told me to wait here, they haven’t come back... What if they don’t love me anymore?”
Sob.
The girl’s tears don’t stop.
“You see, Ilisa, your parents...”
Stelle hesitates over what she is about to say, then shakes her head and instead gives the girl a warm smile to reassure her.
“I ran into your parents a little while ago!”
Sniff.
“R-really?”
“Why is she lying to her?”
While keeping watch over the area, March secretly listens in on the conversation between Stelle and Ilisa, despite Stelle’s warning.
Stelle thumps her fist against her chest.
“Yes, I promise. They said they’d be a little while longer, so they sent me to let you know and make sure you wouldn’t get scared.”
“…How much longer will they take?”
“Not much longer. Why don’t you sit next to me and we can wait for them while we talk?”
“Okay...”
Ilisa sits beside Stelle.
“While we wait, how about I tell you some of my adventures?”
“Adventures?”
“Yeah. I’m a great adventurer who came from outside Belobog.”
Ilisa’s eyes begin to light up.
“Really?”
“Really. Let me tell you about something that happened to me on a place called the Herta Space Station...”
For a while, Stelle tells her about some of her experiences on the Herta Space Station, or at least, the ones she thinks would interest a child. Meanwhile, Ilisa listens intently, clearly amazed.
March keeps watch over the area while they talk, unable to understand what’s going on.
“I understand that this is to comfort Ilisa, but this really isn't the best place for a story. Still, there don't seem to be any enemies nearby...”
She looks back at the two of them talking.
“Still... I didn’t know Stelle had such an adorable side...”
She notices Stelle’s smile, the way she gestures, and how animated she becomes while telling her story.
After a while, March shakes her head and focuses on keeping watch over the area again.
“Why am I looking at her so much today...?”
A few minutes pass, and Ilisa, now somewhat more relaxed, begins to look a little more tired.
“Are you sleepy, Ilisa?”
Ilisa yawns.
“A little...”
“How about you take a little nap?”
“But I have to wait... for Mom and Dad...”
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay right here with you until they arrive.”
She yawns again.
“...Really?”
Stelle tries to stroke the girl’s head, but her hand passes straight through her.
March is stunned by what she sees.
“W-wait, don’t tell me that girl is actually...”
Even though her hand doesn’t make contact with Ilisa, Stelle keeps it there, gently stroking the air.
“I promise you, when you wake up, you’ll be on your dad’s back on your way home. So don’t worry and sleep peacefully.”
“Okay... Good night, Stelle...”
“Good night, Ilisa.”
The girl falls asleep, and little by little, her form breaks apart and evaporates into tiny fragments.
Just like all the other illusory echoes in the Fragmentum they had defeated over the past several hours.
Stelle remains silent, staring at the spot where, only moments ago, a cheerful little girl had been listening to her adventures.
March stops keeping watch and approaches her.
When she begins hearing March’s footsteps approaching, she snaps back to reality and tries to prepare herself to act casual.
“Oh, you came at just the right time. Her parents came to get her.”
She keeps walking toward Stelle in silence.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. We can talk about what you wanted to do after the assignment now.”
When she reaches Stelle, March crouches down and collapses into her arms, pressing herself against Stelle’s chest.
“...”
“March?”
Sob.
Stelle feels her shirt starting to grow damp.
“...”
“...Did you hear everything?”
March nods.
“I told you not to listen...”
March lifts her head slightly from Stelle’s chest, still crying as she tries to look her in the eyes.
“... I-I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I just thought it would be better to talk to you about this another time. It’s not exactly a pleasant thing to experience.”
Sniff.
“T-this... Is this also part of your routine?”
“When it comes to illusory echoes in the Fragmentum... it’s either fighting, or cases like these. People who think they’re still alive, children waiting for their parents, sick people who believe they’re still recovering...”
March continues crying, unable to stop.
“It’s... too cruel.”
“I know, but at least I can help them find peace at last.”
“Even so...”
Stelle gently strokes March’s head, trying to comfort her.
“I know. Really. It’s okay. Let it all out for as long as you need. I’m here with you.”
Sob.
March curls up in Stelle’s arms, letting her feelings flow out as tears until she has nothing left.
. . . .
Night has fallen, and after briefly hanging out together once the assignment is over, the two say goodbye and go their separate ways for the night. Stelle decides to stay at the same hotel as the night before, while March returns to her room on the Astral Express.
“Ugh, that was so embarrassing...”
March is in bed, hugging her pillow and tossing and turning restlessly.
“Even though I tried not to think about it too much while we were hanging out... How did I end up crying so uncontrollably in her arms like that?”
She briefly remembers herself crying in Stelle’s arms as Stelle gently stroked her head.
“Although being in her arms felt really comforting...”
She shakes her head.
“W-what kind of nonsense am I thinking? I’d better wash my face...”
As she gets out of bed, she catches her reflection in the mirror.
“E-eh?!”
She runs toward the mirror.
“I-Is this real?”
Her face is completely flushed.
“N-no, no, no. It can’t be...”
She touches her face with both hands.
“It has to be because I was pressed against the pillow... Yeah, there’s no way that...”
Her mind begins remembering not only the warm moment they shared while she cried in Stelle’s arms, but also the rest of the moments they had throughout the day.
“Wait...”
The way Stelle protected her from the enemies, how radiant she looked while fighting, and how March felt when she watched her drink water.
“I-is that why I kept paying so much attention to her?”
How cute she looked while telling her stories to Ilisa or her smile while they hanging out together.
“...”
March slowly returns to the bed and buries her face in the pillow.
“It’s real...”
She hugs the pillow.
“I’m in love with Stelle...”
Even though they were apart, Stelle wasn’t the only one suffering from insomnia that night.