"Senku's looked strange lately?" Senku asked.

"He only talks half-heartedly," said Chrome. "Everyday he goes somewhere by himself."

"And now all he eats is rice sugar candy," said Kohaku.

"Senku," Ruri said. "You rarely go home and you're carefully reading those books?"

Senku looked at the book. "Well now," he thinks. "Princess Kaguya. A princess that comes from the moon, and then returns to the moon."

"I saw him near the house the other day," Ruri said. "Senku. Hey, Kohaku, are you just going to sit around again today?"

"He wasn't coming to meet me at all," thought Kohaku. "Just where was he going? That Senku. And plus, that ribbon..."

"What's with that ribbon?" Chrome asked.

"Er- Well... Nothing," said Senku.

Xxx

"The crystal's growing...!" said Kuri. "I don't believe it. I can't make a conclusion, but if this crystal came flying from the core of the comet, it could be a link to unraveling the mystery of the birth of the solar system. It's a good thing I got a sample returned from the comet before it disappeared, but it's still unfortunate."

Senku looked up from the microscope to find that Kuri had fallen asleep at her desk. He smiled. He took a blanket and pulled it over her.

As Senku approached home that night, he saw Chrome and Ruri outside.

"Ruri," Chrome said. "Thanks for taking me home."

"See you later." Ruri said.

Senku stared at them as they kissed.

Chrome entered his room later, drying his hair. "Ah, nice and clean. That smells good. Huh? Senku, you're back? Do you want to take one too? Tonight it's a citron bath."

"That smells good," said Senku. "It's not citron. What's that smell?"

"Potpourri," said Chrome. "Since I put it in my drawer, the scent is in my pajamas. Hehe, look, look. These pajamas are the same pattern as Ruri's."

"Chrome... When you're with Ruri, what do you usually talk about?"

Chrome paused. "We talk about art, and she watches me draw. Then she falls asleep on the sofa."

"That's just like Kuri," Senku thought.

"But still," said Chrome. "It's going at my pace like that, and I let it, so I love her."

"Really?" Senku thought. "Really..."

"The way Ruri looks when she's asleep, it's like a child! It's so cute!"

"Oh, I know!" Senku said. "Doesn't it? Doesn't it?"

"Senku..." said Chrome. "Who are you talking about? Kohaku?"

"N- No! It's nobody."

"Hmph."

"Say, Chrome... What does ki-... kissing taste like?"

Chrome's eyes widened. "Err! Well, it tastes... sweet."

Senku held the bag of potpourri. "It tastes sweet..."

Xxx

Senku sat in the office with Kuri. "It tastes sweet," he thought. "I wonder if it tastes like konpeito..."

"You're eating that stuff again! You'll become a diabetic, Senku!" Kuri said.

"Kuri," he said. "I like it. It's like eating bits of stars."

"It's 11 o'clock already," said Kuri. "Hurry and finish up, and go home. It's bothering me."

"What?" Senku thought. "That time already!?"

"Look out!" Kuri said. A pain struck her in the head, and they both fell to the floor.

"Kuri!?" said Senku. "What's wrong!?"

"Nothing... Just a little dizziness..."

"Have you been taking care of yourself? That's why it was impossible for you to be an astronaut."

"My duty was to become a scientist and recruit astronauts like you.."

"I don't know of that duty," said Senku. "No one's looking after me either." Senku turned on the television.

"Now that the four members of the Comet Task Force..." The screen showed a picture of four men. "The goal of this mission is to destroy the threat..."

"I was dropped," Senku said. "From the final cut. I'll go back to America start over. My father thinks that new people should be brought in."

"You have all the chances you want," said Kuri.

"Of course! I'm serious about it. Just because I was dropped once, I won't give up. I'm not like you. I don't forget my dreams!" Senku turned away.

"Are you hungry, Senku?" Kuri took his hand. "I can make you ramen…"

"Kuri..." Senku looked at her

"Powdery snow," said Kuri. "This year is cold. I think I have milk in the refrigerator..." A pain struck her and she dropped to her knees.

"Kuri!?" Senku shouted.

"It's okay, Senku," she said. "My medicine..."

Senku looked at the coffee table, which was covered with packages of medicine. "So much medicine...!" Senku said. He took a few to Kuri. "Kuri!?"

Kuri took one. "Thanks, Senku."

"What kind of medicine is it," Senku thought. "It's heavy hitters…for the heart. Is this why…?"

He watched as Kuri lay down on the couch and fell asleep. He saw a picture on the wall. "That's pretty," Senku thought. "The moment the sun rises."

Kuri opened her eyes. "Senku? You stayed with me until I woke up?"

"I...I did."

They looked out the window.

"The snow has stopped," Kuri said. "It's already dawn. Look at that, a beautiful Earth morning." Kuri yawned. "You smell good," he says. "Is that the scent of flowers? It's the smell of potpourri. Is it from Chrome? When I'm with you, I feel at ease. It seems like you understand everything."

She got into bed and closed his eyes.

"I feel that way too..." Senku said. He looked at her. He slowly walked over to her face and kissed her lips. He quickly covered his mouth. He ran out of the room, out of the building. "Oh..." he thought. "The world is so... beautiful... I kissed her. I... love... her... Kuri..."