Ch.129Pink Lipstick! (2)

#129

Himena, who had reached a lull after eating and enjoying herself on the boat until the sun was directly overhead, was leaning on the table.

“…I think I ate too much…”

Clutching her full stomach, Himena groaned as she turned toward Dexter.

“What am I supposed to do when you feed me until my stomach gets like this?”

“You’re not a child. How is that my fault?”

“It’s because Dexter cooks meat too well.”

Hearing Himena’s cute complaint, Dexter, who had been standing at the grill, sat down and said:

“Hmm, if that’s the kind of complaint, I’ll accept it.”

“You’re really funny.”

Watching Dexter take a sip of grape juice, Himena rested her chin on her hand and asked:

“By the way, when did you prepare all this?”

“About last week. I was going to make restaurant reservations, but I figured everywhere would be crowded. So I thought I’d look for something easier to charter entirely. Booking the boat, decorations, and preparations… well, this makes it easy, doesn’t it?”

Dexter rubbed his thumb and index finger together as he spoke.

“Sometimes when I see you preparing things like this, it’s clearly not your first time. Didn’t you date any women in space?”

“It would be a lie to say I didn’t during my 15 years in space… There were about three or four, but most ended quickly. From the beginning, I didn’t want to stay in space long, so when bodies grew distant, hearts did too. I didn’t want to form deep relationships either.”

“I think I understand what you mean.”

Moreover, Dexter’s work was dangerous, and he often had to deploy immediately, which meant that even girlfriends he was lucky enough to date didn’t last long.

“On any planet, people prefer those who prioritize love over work.”

“It’s natural to want someone who puts you above everything else.”

“Back then, I was in my early to mid-twenties, so I didn’t know much… and putting food on the table was what mattered most.”

At that time, survival was more important to Dexter than romance.

“That’s why I like the present much better.”

“Why?”

“Because I can talk about the future without any worries with someone I care about.”

“Then it’s fortunate you came to Earth, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is.”

Dexter and Himena looked at each other and grinned.

After sharing various stories, the two turned the boat around to head back to the dock for their next destination.

After returning the boat and getting back to the car, Dexter and Himena headed to the Venetian Resort, located near McCarran Airport at the entrance to the Strip.

The Venetian Resort, as its name suggests, is a hotel that replicates famous architectural structures from Venice, Italy.

In particular, the bridge at the resort entrance is an exact replica of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, and they also recreated the Campanile and Doge’s Palace, making it a worthy tourist attraction.

“Why a resort? Don’t tell me you’re going to gamble in the middle of the day?”

“…I’m not some gambling addict.”

After parking in the resort’s parking lot, Himena was intrigued by the canal inside the resort and the gondolas traveling along it.

“It’s a bit disappointing, but it really does feel like Venice.”

“Have you been there?”

“Once. But I went when I was young, so I don’t remember it clearly.”

One of Las Vegas’s strengths was that even a single hotel was too vast to explore completely in half a day.

Dexter headed to the shopping mall inside the resort, modeled after Venice’s St. Mark’s Square.

Despite being indoors, the ceiling painted with blue skies and the flowing canal made it feel like being outside.

However, there was one drawback.

“…It’s hotter than I expected.”

Himena had thought it would be cool because of the water, but she felt the stuffy indoor air.

“I didn’t know about this.”

Dexter had come here on recommendation, so he hadn’t expected it to be hot either.

Still, it was cooler than outside, so the two began strolling along the canal, browsing the shops lining it.

“There’s even a glass shop like the one I saw in Venice! They really nailed the concept.”

“Hmm, it’s quite elaborate.”

The mall was filled with colorful glass crafts and leather goods, both specialties of Venice.

-Che bella cosa e’ na jurnata ‘e sole— ♬

The gondoliers steering the canal boats were even singing Italian folk songs.

“Doesn’t Eliya run something like this?”

“That guy… he plays on a planetary scale, so he actually owns an entire planet just for vacation.”

While Himena was surprised by the unexpectedly large scale, a question suddenly occurred to her.

“…Why didn’t someone who owns a vacation planet give Dexter more money? I heard before that he owes you money?”

“I wanted to go home more than I wanted money, so I borrowed money from places Eliya wouldn’t know about and escaped on a spaceship.”

“Still, even so…”

“Are you asking why I ran away in the first place?”

Dexter said with a bitter smile.

“If I had stayed with that guy Eliya, I probably would have died before turning 50. Either murdered or by suicide.”

“Why?”

“He’s more obsessive than you’d think. One reason I couldn’t come to Earth was that he kept holding me back, saying who would protect his life if I wasn’t there.”

“Then how did you end up on Eliya’s security team?”

“I told him I couldn’t take it anymore, and if he pushed me further, I’d just put a blaster to my head and end it all.”

As Dexter shrugged with those words, Himena made a disgusted expression.

“…That’s a threat with your life on the line.”

“He’s the kind who won’t listen unless you go that far.”

As the two conversed, the sky of St. Mark’s Square gradually darkened.

The ceiling lights dimmed slowly, while the streetlamps along the canal lit up.

The stomachs of the two walking along the canal were gradually emptying, and it was almost time for dinner.

“What would you like for dinner?”

“Hmm, I wonder?”

“Since lunch was a bit heavy, how about light Japanese food for dinner?”

“Oh, sashimi! That sounds delicious.”

Conveniently, there was a Japanese restaurant inside the Venetian Resort.

The two set off for the Japanese restaurant for dinner.

* * *

“The tiradito (Peruvian-style sashimi dish) was better than I expected.”

“That was my first time eating sashimi that way. I thought it was quite good too.”

Unlike Dexter, who was driving with a satisfied smile, Himena was a bit worried.

‘Will it be okay? Really?’

Today was her birthday and the day she had been waiting for so long.

Countless simulations were spinning frantically in Himena’s mind.

“…mena?”

“Yes? Oh, did you call me?”

“What were you thinking about so deeply that you couldn’t even hear me calling you?”

Dexter asked with a slight smile.

“Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought… But what is it?”

“I was thinking of showing you something special today, and wanted to ask if you’re ready.”

“…Shouldn’t you tell me what it is so I can prepare?”

“If I tell you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

With those words, Dexter headed toward Nellis Air Force Base near the Strip.

Seeing Dexter heading in a direction that was neither his home nor hers, Himena cautiously asked:

“Where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Soon after arriving at Nellis Air Force Base, Dexter showed his ID to the guard at the checkpoint and entered the base.

Himena’s expression was worth seeing.

“The more we go, the more confused I am. I feel like I might know, but I can’t quite figure it out.”

She seemed to be on the verge of realizing what was about to happen, yet couldn’t quite grasp it, her face full of question marks.

Dexter watched her with amusement.

“Didn’t your friends ever throw you surprise parties?”

“…I always managed to find out the day before, so they were never really surprises.”

“That makes sense.”

As Dexter drove through the base with the deeply contemplative Himena, he soon parked in front of a hangar.

Himena recalled something from a few weeks ago.

And she finally found the source of the déjà vu that had been floating in her mind.

“Dexter, you don’t mean…?”

“I just barely got permission.”

As the two entered the hangar, they saw the spaceship that should have been at Greench Air Force Base in Honeygood Springs.

“Don’t tell me your gift is…?”

“I got flight permission.”

Dexter said with a grin.

“Let’s get on the spaceship first. I’ll explain the details while driving.”

“What if we get caught?”

“Aren’t you an OSA agent?”

As Dexter asked smugly as if it were obvious, Himena stomped her feet even as she approached the spaceship.

“Ah, tell me already!”

“You’ll see when you get on.”

Despite Dexter’s refusal to explain properly, the indignant Himena boarded the spaceship.

Soon, standing at the control panel, Dexter pressed a few buttons and said quietly:

“Activate stealth mode.”

-Stealth mode will activate in 15 seconds.

Hearing the spaceship’s announcement, Himena finally realized and gaped.

“Ah, stealth mode! So the spaceship becomes invisible, right?”

“That’s right. It blends in with the surrounding scenery. Naturally, other people won’t detect us, so we can fly even within Las Vegas.”

“That’s just like an invisibility cloak.”

“Ah, now I know what you’re talking about. That’s from Harry Potter, right?”

As he spoke, Dexter pressed a few more buttons, and the hangar roof slowly began to open.

“Last time, Jessie nagged me so much about not having seen Harry Potter yet. Oh, right. Connect to OSA Control Center.”

-Connecting to OSA Control Center.

The spaceship’s announcement crackled briefly, then the voice of a control center staff member came through.

-OSA Control Center transmitting.

“Request from KLSV hangar. Requesting takeoff clearance.”

Himena was looking at Dexter with an excited expression, while Dexter sat down in the pilot’s seat and said:

-Confirmed. Is this Dexter Hughes?

“Confirmed. Ready for takeoff.”

-Confirmed… Takeoff cleared. Fly safely.

After pressing a few more buttons on the control panel, Dexter pointed to the seat beside him and said:

“Himena, please sit in this chair. And fasten your seatbelt.”

“A-are we really going to fly?”

Himena, who hadn’t expected to receive takeoff clearance so quickly, sat down and fastened her belt.

“Yes. But since I got permission in a hurry, we can only circle the Earth once.”

Unlike Dexter, who spoke lightly as if it were no big deal, Himena replied with an excited voice:

“Even so, going to space! Space tourism is such an incredible thing! Less than 100 OSA agents have ever been outside Earth!”

“Well, now you’ll be one of those hundred.”

Dexter smiled as he looked at Himena, who was excited about going to space for the first time in her life.

“Navigation system, stealth mode normal… Preparing for takeoff.”

The announcement responded to Dexter’s words:

-Engines activating in stealth mode… Takeoff in 10 seconds.

“Space, space…”

“Hold on tight.”

At Dexter’s instruction, Himena gripped the armrests with both hands and could feel the spaceship slowly taking off.

-Woooong…

“Switch to microgravity when we exit the atmosphere.”

-Will switch upon exit.

Dexter gave several other commands to the spaceship, but Himena couldn’t hear any of them.

Through the spaceship window, the night view of Las Vegas spread out before gradually changing angle toward the night sky, and the bright full moon filled her eyes.

“Ah…”

Himena could only gasp, unable to speak.

And the moon was coming closer and closer to her.

While driving the spaceship, Dexter, who was taking in Himena’s entranced expression, said in a small voice:

“…Toploader’s ‘Dancing in the Moonlight.'”

-Playing the song.

With the spaceship’s announcement, a bright and cheerful song began playing at a low volume inside the spaceship.

-…Everybody’s dancing in the moonlight♬

Distracted by the view outside the window, Himena glanced at Dexter with a bright smile as the song tickled her ears.

“Did you prepare this in advance…?”

“No. I just played what came to mind.”

Immersed in the song Dexter had played, Himena felt her body gradually becoming lighter.

This wasn’t a psychological effect from surrendering to the music—Earth’s gravity was losing its hold on Himena, gradually weakening.

“We’ll be leaving the atmosphere soon.”

At Dexter’s announcement, Himena responded in a surprised voice:

“My goodness, already? And there’s no need to fight gravity until your face distorts or anything like that?”

“What do you take space technology for?”

Dexter reduced the spaceship’s speed and slowly changed its angle for Himena, who was marveling to the point of frivolity.

The spaceship, which had been facing the sky, slowly rotated its hull to face Earth.

Dark shadows covered half the Earth, while bright lights illuminated various parts of the continents.

Himena spoke with a trembling voice:

“…It’s Earth.”

“Looking at it like this, Las Vegas seems like such a small place, doesn’t it?”

Dexter was right.

Las Vegas, where Himena had been trying so hard to get around, was just a light slightly larger than a fist.

“We’re about 20,000 miles (about 32,000 km) above Earth.”

With Dexter’s words, Himena’s eyes, already filled with various thoughts, began to moisten.

When Dexter first saw Earth’s night view, he was filled with confusion and fear.

It wasn’t joyful or moving at all.

Rather, he wanted to continue living among the night view that filled his eyes.

He wanted to become one of those small lights.

But that wish only came true 15 years later, and in between, there were truly many events.

Himena beside him probably felt the opposite of what Dexter had felt.

As tears flowed down from Himena’s eyes, Dexter handed her a handkerchief.

“…Thank you.”

“Let’s circle the Earth once and then go home.”

At Dexter’s words, Himena wiped her tears and grinned.