15 The Day of the Camp

Though slightly drawn to the mountain-top exclusive cube food, Jin began descending, thinking ahead to dinner.

"Coming down is easy."

"Actually, it's more tiring."

"Really? No way."

Mio didn't believe a word of it.

"True. You use different muscles than when climbing. Muscles you don't usually use—so they get more fatigued."

"Hmm?"

The same skeptical gaze remained.

When had she become so distrustful?

No incidents occurred on the descent, and they reached the campsite.

Just as they arrived, Mio crouched down.

"Tired…"

"…Yeah."

It had been a beginner's course, yet Jin felt a faint fatigue too.

For a six-year-old, it had been barely manageable.

Jin regretted not choosing something less physically demanding.

"Come on, Mio. Let's carry the gear to the tent. Then you can rest."

"Uh... I'll do my best."

She says it, but her energy is clearly gone.

While the registration is being handled, Jin lets Mio rest for a moment.

Having come this far, he takes her backpack and heads toward their assigned section.

The rental camping equipment is already set out.

A barbecue grill is placed beside the tent—preparations are complete.

"Ooh."

Mio perks up at the unfamiliar gear.

Jin sets down her backpack and loosens the tension in his own body.

"First, let's set up the tent..."

"I want to do it!"

Jin steadies Mio’s unsteady hands as they assemble the tent together.

Only once the tent is finished do they finally step inside and exhale.

"Right, this area should be—"

It's still too early for dinner.

She glances at the map, wondering if there’s somewhere nearby to play.

There are several possible locations.

Among them, one thing fixed Jin’s gaze.

"...Hot spring."

He’s heard of it.

A powered-up version of the bath he entered before.

They say the water wells up from underground.

Needless to say, that was on the home planet.

What’s here is a replica of that old design.

But what matters is the bathhouse itself.

"Good."

He decides on this place.

He doesn’t care about the time of day.

In the end, the nanomachines will clean it again anyway.

There are rental lockers scattered across the campsite.

"Mio, let’s go to the hot spring."

"Hot spring?"

"A powered-up bath."

"Let’s go!"

Mio’s eyes light up at the mention of a powered-up version.

Where did the fatigue from earlier go?

She jumps up and pulls Jin’s hand.

"Let’s go, hurry up, hurry up."

Wait, wait... that's enough.

Lock the tent and head toward the location indicated on the map.

Walking side by side with Mio, under gentle sunlight.

That moment.

If Mio hadn't reached out her hand.

Jin thinks he is not here now.

Such moments of leisurely time would not have existed for them.

But I—

Two years have passed, yet the absence in this chest remains unaccepted.

As proof of this, Jin has never once visited Rei's grave.

A crooked ring worn紧贴 the body at all times.

Clutching it as if clinging to a lifeline.

The space where my chest once was—only that much lighter, I think.

It was Mio who held him back with her own weight.

Sometime.

Could one admit it?

There is no law anywhere in this universe.

...Dad

Mio let out a slightly disgruntled voice, as if thinking vaguely about something.

What's wrong?

"Carry me."

The girl extends her arms, demanding to be lifted.

"Something wrong? Tired?"

There is no reason for Jin to refuse.

He lifts Mio, silent, as she urges him forward.

Slightly heavier. He feels her growth, and feels joy.

Mio buries her face into Jin's chest.

The place where they touch is warm.

"Dad, you were looking far away again."

Closer inspection reveals Jin slightly startled.

He meant it to be only a moment.

Or perhaps he thought it was only a moment—though it may have been longer.

"When you look far away, you hug tighter."

She declares this, as if to pull him back.

Jin feels nothing but gratitude for his daughter's care.

Holding Mio close, he no longer feels the emptiness within.

Even if he had told himself three months ago, he would not have believed it.

Even for a moment, to forget that coldness.

"Thanks, Mio."

"You're welcome."

Heading toward the hot spring in that state.

Perhaps because it was the Third Fleet.

Few people were used to soaking in the bath, so it wasn't crowded.

Fortuitously, a family bath was available—so they took it.

"Ah, this is bad... I'm gonna get addicted."

"Dad, wow. Bigger than Mio's room..."

The spacious bath.

Constructed from some unfamiliar wood, it was so wide that even when Jin stretched out, there was still room to spare.

As Mio had said, it was larger than her room.

"Could swim in this."

"Not allowed."

He制止 Mio, who was itching to do so.

Even if it was private, that would be improper.

"Never use the bath at home?"

"Yeah..."

Had planned to prepare for it, but then the humanoid assault happened right after—so it slipped his mind.

Jin decided to take advantage of the opportunity and complete the preparations during this break.

"Good. Then, we'll do the shopping the day after tomorrow."

"Got it."

Mio gave a small victory pose.

Seemed like that was her intention all along.

"Good. Mio. Don't get too absorbed. If you go back to how you were before, it'll be a problem."

"Right. I'll drink plenty of water!"

Suddenly. A sensation of trembling.

...Just my imagination?

He paused. No alarms sounded.

If it had been an attack, such a tremor would not have been the end of it.

Perhaps debris or something similar had struck.

Normally, such impacts would be incinerated before contact—but the defensive systems had sustained damage during recent combat.

Jin thought a repair mission for the colonist vessel, involving trainees, might arrive soon.

The return of flight qualifications means he won’t be left behind this time—some relief, at least.

He doesn’t want to be left behind again.

It might have just been dehydration causing the dizziness.

Soon enough, Jin lifted himself from the bath.

As he stepped out, Mio pressed a hand to her stomach, her face slightly flushed.

“Hungry…”

“Fine. Next time, barbecue, really.”

Supplies aside, some ingredients were difficult to obtain within the current convoy.

Money’s power was undeniable.

“…What’s barbecue, anyway?”

“Now that?”

He ran a hand over her head, amused—Mio, so enthusiastic despite not knowing.

“It’s a ritual—roasting meat and vegetables.”

“Ooh?”

She looked utterly uncomprehending.

In truth, Jin wasn’t sure himself.

Now asked again, what exactly was barbecue…?

Something about it feels oddly philosophical.

"Kind of like that barbecue festival last time."

"Meat in huge quantities!"

"Exactly."

Jin summarized it loosely—roasting and eating meat was the same either way.

They started cooking shortly before the convoy shifted to night mode, eating meat together, just Mio and him.

Delicious. Delicious, yet...

"Feels a little lonely, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..."

Being alone together felt slightly empty.

The barbecue festival they were comparing it to had been a large gathering, making the solitude more pronounced.

"Next time, we should do it with more people."

"Yeah..."

Jake would probably come if invited.

Sharon had already sneakily eaten meat last time—she’d likely come again.

In fact, Jin even thought she’d be annoyingly insistent about meat.

He paused mid-thought, trying to count who else might be invited.

Jin’s social circle seemed limited to drinking parties only.

"Maybe Mio could invite the people she wants next time."

"I want to invite Hasegawa-chan and Tōya-kun! And May-oneechan too!"

How should one go about inviting other people's children, anyway?

Jin jotted another note in his mental ledger, deciding to ask someone about it later.

"……Otōsan, wait. I think the meat would be better twelve seconds from now."

"O-oh."

Incidentally, Mio was quite the grill master.