Track 12

WOOOAH! We shook them off, Gii…!

To think that you can reach this kind of speed without the ‘Breaking through the Stratosphere Over-the-Rainbow Booster Engine’¹!

All the shortcuts I’ve discovered while making deliveries, and the bike skills I honed so I could be on time even with my bad luck… it’s all coming in handy now.

Maybe I’ve got a knack for helping people escape.

Gii, the getaway driver…!

A florist and laundromat owner, tourism ward mayor, and now a getaway driver… My character concept is all over the place.

Come to think of it, you’re the one who saved me back then when Renchi and I were being chased by Lulee.²

Yeah, I remember that.

…Gii. You said that we’re going home earlier, but HAMA House is in the opposite direction…

…

—Don’t worry. I know that.

Actually, I spoke to the fake Angelica-san last night—

So this is where Isotake got his autograph, huh?

Yeah. Sightings of Angelica-san in this area have been reported on Spinet too.

So, if we find that guy, we might know where Yowa’s hiding out?

Yup. Sorry it’s not foolproof.

Hah, bit late for that, seein’ as we’re here already. Let’s split up. I’ll take this side.

Roger. Then I’ll take this si—

!

(Huh…? I can’t… move…)

(This feeling… It’s just like when I formed that contract with Netaro in Hakodate—)

Um, is the voice speaking directly into my mind… Angelica-san…?

I’m honoured to have been of service to you as your chair. I’m Netaro’s donor.

Burns… like from a fire? So the news about the fire was actually…

(I see… Gii is… taking me back to my home planet…)

Oh, right. Don’t worry. I made sure to tell them that Laika’s a pet robot, not a pet alien.

Heh… So that’s what you’re most worried about, huh.

Laika was a dog name… that was popular on a planet that once existed… a long time ago…

…? I can’t hear you. Are there dogs on your planet too?

(…What am I even talking about, at a time like this? There was so much more… so many things I should’ve talked about…)

(I’m sleepy…)

(All thanks to Gii’s warmth flowing into me through his back, I feel all fuzzy inside… It’s because my body temperature is naturally lower…) 

(And because we’re different, and because there are boundaries between us, the warmth comes and goes. I wish I could tell everyone back on my home planet... That this is a really feel-good invention…)

……

…Netaro. Netaro?

(But somehow, I’m completely, exhausted…)

Let’s play Magical Panama³. When you think of Panama, you think of the tropics. And when you think of the tropics, you think of…?

Mm… Warm…

…

Netaro… Does it hurt?

My whole body hurts… The places I got hit are all tingly and numb…

(But…)

KYAAAAAAAAH!!

UWAHHHHH!? THE HELL IS THAT…!?

A… A MONSTER…!!!!!!!!!!

That… hurt... the most…

Netaro, don’t fall asleep. And hold on tight, it’s dangerous.

Mhm… Okay…

Just a little longer, Netaro. Stay awake.

……

*panting* Ah, Laika!

Pipipi. Arrival, at Point P.

Uugh… This place is…

Laika. Can you help Netaro?

Receiving system: all green. HEIYA.

Farawayyy~♪

Ah… Laika’s floating into the sky…

(…? Those clouds look kinda heavy…)

LA~~~ I~~~

KA!!

Ugh… There’s an intense beam of light shining from the clouds…

So bwight…

Huh? Oyoyo.

Netaro’s started floating with some rocks and debris…

Clean up ♪ Beginning. BOOM.

To think I’d be the one getting abducted… You never know what life as an alien is going to throw at you…

(—No, not right now. I have to get it together…!)

GII! HOLD OUT BOTH YOUR HANDS…!

Okay.

Don’t let go of my hands! If you send me back, Earth might be destroyed…!

My ex-boss found out that Earth is ripe for eating.

Right. Angelica-san eats a lot, doesn’t she?

They’ll report it back to our home planet tomorrow without a second thought. An advance force will arrive and launch surprise attacks on military installations before you know it…!

The leaders of every country and the most capable scientists will be the first to be killed, eaten, or taken away! And then… This planet will—

It’s not your fault.

!

Let the people of Earth worry about our planet. You should focus on recovering, resting, and living your own life.

~~~~~~!

Okay, I’ll let go n—

DON’T LET GO!!!! You always do this, Gii! You just accept everything and give up so easily…!

It was the same with our contract! You just took the whole thing lying down, and let yourself get worn out after I did ‘it’ to you…!

And yet you were happy about it, you idiot… YOU EXAWATT-CLASS IDIOT…!

Gii’s an idiot… and I’m… I’m a bad—

Okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t phrase that right.

I’m not giving up. I haven’t given up on anything. I’m just choosing to prioritise you right now, Netaro.

THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT~! Don’t you understand the situation you’re in!? If I go back, the invasion…

That’s exactly why you have to come back. You promised, didn’t you?

That I wouldn’t be alone during the end of the world.

......

…You still believe it, huh? That I’m a good alien.

It has nothing to do with you being an alien.

You’re my special friend that’s one of the first to confide a big secret to me, and a precious member of the Night team.

Even though you’re not human—

We’re the same. “The Outercasts.”

………

I, see…

(Ah… The warm fuzziness is spreading through my whole body…)

(Even though there’s barely any contact left between us… As long as we’re still connected, as long as the warmth keeps passing back and forth through our fingertips, we can stay like this forever—)

Now, go. Drink this on the way.

AH! YOU LET GO ONE HAND!!

This is…

It thawed, so the flavour might not be the best, but…

I’ve already imbued it with good luck.

……

(I thought I’d already gotten over my hay fever…)

My eyes… There’s something wrong with them.

Netaro—

Ah… Ngh.

Look! My tears are about to spill…!

Here, Gii. Look at them fall properly. You can lick them if you want.

I’m not going to lick them.

Laika, take him with you. People will gather here because of this light.

Ah, they fell. Because Gii wasn’t looking.

Puwapuwa, droplets, ploop.

Alright, Netaro—

…Dun wanna.

I am a seller of pork buns. I captured you in order to utilize you as an ingredient in my new recipe.

I…see.⁴

I don’t wanna. I don’t want to! Don’t wanna…!

In layman’s terms, you agree to be my donor and help me guard my secret. If not, you die.⁵

?!⁶

I don’t want to, no matter what…!

If you have someone who’ll always stay by your side, everything makes you happie⁠—

It makes you happier?! What is the logic behind that?!

Being together cuts sadness levels in half…!

On what grounds?!⁷

There’s still a ton of things I haven’t figured out…!

You only just came to Earth recently, so I should teach you all of these things as your representative for humanity.

How reliable! Thank you!

I still need you to be my teacher…!

Here you go, Gii.

(Chrysanthemums… They’re usually offered to Buddhist altars and graves, but that doesn’t mean they’re forbidden as gifts to people. Because they mean…)⁸

Because… you said…

…Will you keep being my friend from now on?

Ah… Of course!

YOU SAID WE’D BE FRIENDS FOREVER…!

I DON’T WANNA~~~!! I DON’T WANT TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE MY FRIEND’S DEAD FACE ANYMORE~~~!!

Netaro…

GII’S DEAD BODY IS MINE~~~!! I’M LONELY, IT’S LONELY! IT’S SO SO SOOOO LONELY~~~!!

WAAAAH—HACK, HACK—cough, cough!!

Hic, hic… hah…

Yeah, come see my dead face when you’re feeling better. See you.

Don’t just casually let go of my other hand too~~~!

THIS ISN’T THE SAME THING AS GOING TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE TO BUY SOME HARD CANDY~~~~~~…!!!

…Sigh.

I should go back too.

And so. Poor, lonely, and crushed by despair, Gii found himself facing scrutiny at HAMA Tours for having supposedly made the host disappear.

The Feature Tour that Gii carried out all by himself came to an end amid massive backlash and boos.

The following week, Earth was destroyed.

HAMA Tours also went bankrupt in the ensuing chaos.

~Fin~

Gyu…!? I just felt something press against my back: TAKE 2…

We had a perfectly legitimate contract, equivalent to a pinky promise! And to think that you unilaterally broke it just because I’m weakened…!

That’s grounds for appearing before the interstellar court! Are you prepared to swallow a thousand needles!?

Thousand needles! Prepared!?

Huh? Wait, what’s going on? You went home, right? Huh? It hasn’t even been a minute, has it?

Nooope! Gii-certified! 10 seconds of charging and I’m back good as new!

…

…Really?

Yep!

You’re not going back?

Thaaaat’s what I’ve been saying!

…..

…Oh. Huh…

Are your tears gonna fall too, Gii?

They’re glistening and sparkling…

Inside Gii’s eyes, there’s a beautiful night sky full of stars…

(So that’s why the boy from long ago kept putting it off.)

Uwoh. They’re close.

Laika, turn off the light~

Boop.

NOW LET THE NIGHT TIME GETAWAY BEGIN~~~!

Woaaaah~…