Kuri sat up. "Senku? Guess he went to NASA finally." She walked to the picture on the wall and took it down. She looked at the other side. It was a postcard.
"Kuri, how are you? I thought you'd like the picture on this postcard, so I sent it to you. The training is intense, but to capture Senku, I'll do it. Until next time. From Senku." - it stated.
"From Senku... If I remember correctly, I still have vacation time left." Kuri picked up the phone. "Hello? Space development team?"
"I wonder if Kuri is already at work," Senku thought. He went into the NASA building..
"Hello?" said the man inside. "Hikawa? A vacation until the day after tomorrow? I understand. It's fine. Where are you going? NASA?"
"Kuri...?"
"Kuri!?" a man said. "It is Kuri! When did you get here? Do you finally feel like being an astronaut again? Senku just got here too! Should I call him?"
"No..." said Kuri. "I'm on vacation, just came to look around a bit. I'll be going home soon."
She stared up over the lake.
Senku looked at her from behind a bush. "She just left..." he thought.
"Why did you suddenly come to the Space Center?" Senku approached her.
Kuri turned around. "Senku!? It can't be." Kuri stared at him. "It really is you. Meeting you here... Did you finally follow your dream?"
"Yes, I did..." Senku admitted.
"I'm attached too..." Kuri said. "Now that I've come to this place... Besides, I'm a bad person. When you weren't chosen for the crew, I was actually relieved."
Xxx
"Oh! Look at the stars!" Said young Kuri looking up at the sky. "When I grow up I wanna be an astronaut!"
Kuri mapped the constellations, doing star charts for all her friends.
When she was eighteen she entered the space program, and only six months later, she was discharged and returned to Japan.
Some dreams are better left forgotten… she thought.
Xxx
Kuri stared into the sky. "It's become a time when lots of people can become astronauts that easily."
"You haven't forgotten your dream," Senku realized. "You want to go to space, don't you, Kuri..."
Kuri doubled over and groaned.
"Kuri!?" Senku said in alarm. "What should I do? I have to call someone!" Senku started to run. "Kuri! Kuri!"
xxx
"A problem with heart dilation?" Senku said
"She has arrhythmia," Doctor said. "That's why she can't be an agent. There's no operation for her illness. She mustn't overwork herself. We must have her hospitalized quickly."
Senku sat down heavily in the chair beside her.
"I'm sorry, Senku. That you had to come here..."
"I guess it's only natural," said Senku. "There's no need to worry about it. You'll be in the hospital. I'll stay here for a while until you get all better."