"No need to apologize. I never doubted you."
Stelle gently shook her head as she spoke to Firefly, who had apologized to her.
Everyone aboard the Astral Express was quite willing to trust others, and the Seven-Star Fish happened to be the three least wary among them.
"...Thank you."
Firefly looked at Stelle with a complicated gaze, unable to help worrying about her a little.
Still, that answer lifted her spirits considerably.
"I... did hide some things from you... For example, I'm indeed not from around here, and the Hound Family isn't pursuing me for no reason... I also had some other reasons for traveling with you..."
The girl gently pressed a hand to her chest and spoke softly amid the swaying glow of the city's neon lights. She seemed to have made up her mind to be honest with the person before her about certain things.
But the words reached her lips, only to be swallowed back down. She said, "...But my gratitude for your help is real.
"And my admiration for the Nameless is real, too. You've visited so many worlds and encountered all kinds of people and things. Every day is a fresh start..."
"You can board the Express, too." Stelle blinked and said sincerely, "The Astral Express won't turn anyone away. That's how Little Fish and I got aboard back then."
"..." Firefly fell silent for a few seconds, then smiled. "I'd like to take you somewhere else. Would that be all right? This time, it's not a tourist attraction. Quite the opposite... You could probably call it my secret hideout.
"There, I'll tell you everything I know... as much as I can."
"Okay." Stelle nodded. "I trust you."
"Thank you..." Firefly's brows relaxed a little.
Just as when they had first met, Firefly once again