At the closing hour of a midsummer night.
The distant mountains resembled enormous beasts slumbering beneath the darkness.
Brilliant meteor trails.
Broke away from the vortex of silver filling the sky.
And fell into the deep-blue sea, its ripples shimmering beneath the stars.
Dressed in a school-style short skirt and a fitted white shirt.
The girl's cascading crimson hair.
Danced gently to the rhythm of the sea breeze.
Holding the hem of her black skirt lightly in both hands.
She strode forward on long, shapely legs.
With her white-jade ankles bare.
The girl reached the edge of the land.
Crossing the boundary of the beach, she waded into the slightly warm seawater.
Beneath the night sky, the tide ebbed and flowed.
The girl's short skirt fluttered amid the white waves.
The warm, clear seawater.
Soaked through the crimson-haired girl's.
Plain white lace panties.
An unusual sensation brushed against her full, fair thighs.
A hint of surprise surfaced in Himeko's beautiful amber eyes.
Still, she did not stop advancing.
Not until the midsummer seawater, set alight by the Astral Express.
Rose over her fitted white shirt.
Making the proud, full curves of her breasts sway amid the restless tide.
"Is this the legendary Astral Express?"
"To think it uses such an old-fashioned mechanical propulsion system..."
She extended her slender fingers.
And lightly touched the train's window.
Glimpses of countless strange and wondrous worlds filled her vision.
Making the exquisitely beautiful girl's.
Pupils abruptly contract, her face brimming with anticipation.
Himeko, who had studied interstellar aerospace dynamics during her university years.
At the moment she encountered the Astral Express.
Felt something stir within her.
Perhaps after tonight, her entire life would be completely different.
Several days later.
The fully repaired Astral Express.
Soared into the heavens once more.
Carrying a girl determined