Astro felt like his CPU was smoking. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words for a long time.
He couldn't exactly say, "You have a one-hundred-percent girl's face and you're dressed exactly like one, who would've thought you were a man?!"
In his desperation, he could only scramble for an excuse:
"N-no! It's just that you're too... too good-looking, I mistook you for a moment!
And I'm from somewhere else, so maybe the aesthetics there are a bit different from here!"
"Somewhere else?"
March 7th's eyes lit up, instantly catching the keyword. Her previous teasing was immediately replaced by even stronger curiosity.
"Aren't you from the Herta Space Station? Then where are you from?"
Beside her, Dan Heng (Girl Version)'s cold gaze also held a bit more scrutiny.
Trailblazer (Stelle Version) tilted her head even further, looking at him blankly, clearly interested in the topic as well.
Astro's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that things were looking bad; his offhand explanation seemed to have backed him into a corner.
As he was frantically trying to figure out how to smooth things over, his mind racing, a word slipped out subconsciously:
"I... I'm from Earth."
"Earth?!"
It was as if a switch had been flipped for March 7th, her eyes instantly shining:
"Are you from the same planet as Aunt Yang?"
She almost jumped up, eager to share this major discovery.
"Aunt Yang received a communication earlier and heard that an Earthling was found. She was so excited!
We've never seen her like that before!"
Astro immediately felt a sense of relief. Great, he didn't have to make up an excuse himself!
He quickly nodded along with March 7th's words, a look of feigned emotion on his face:
"Y-yes! I didn't expect to meet a fellow countryman here... Is Ms. Welt really from Earth too?"
"Of course!"
March 7th nodded vigorously.
"Aunt Yang has told us many stories about Earth! Although some parts sound a bit strange..."
Before she could finish, the automatic doors of the Master Control Zone slid open again, and two figures walked in side-by-side.
Walking in front was a man with a tall, straight posture and a gentle aura.
He looked to be in his twenties, with a handsome and soft face. He wore a well-fitted white suit vest and a bowtie.
Over it, he casually wore the Astral Express's iconic golden shoulder-decorated coat.
His whole being exuded a mature and reliable charm.
Following closely behind was a lady with an intellectual and elegant aura.
She wore a proper dark suit skirt, her long brown hair tied up, and held a Cane.
Unlike Uncle Himeko's composure, her pace was clearly more hurried.
Her gaze locked onto Astro immediately, the look behind her lenses carrying an uncontrollable excitement.
"Aunt Yang! Uncle Himeko!"
March 7th greeted them cheerfully.
"Why are you both here?"
Uncle Himeko nodded gently to her, his voice tinged with a bit of helplessness:
"Little March 7th, isn't it because a certain lady is already impatient to learn about her hometown?"
Meanwhile, Ms. Welt Yang completely ignored the pleasantries.
She stepped up to Astro and spoke almost impatiently:
"Mr. Astro, please forgive my urgency.
But... please tell me, the Earth in your memory..."
Before Ms. Welt Yang could finish her question,
Astro had already taken a step forward, a solemn expression on his face as he extended his right hand.
"Ms. Welt!"
He interrupted her.
"In our hometown, there is an ancient etiquette between fellow countrymen who meet after a long separation—the handshake.
Please allow me..."
His movements were smooth and natural, as if this were truly an instinctive reaction etched into his DNA.
Ms. Welt Yang was momentarily stunned by this sudden gesture.
She looked at Astro's sincere eyes and that hand suspended in mid-air, representing the etiquette of his homeland.
Subconsciously, she lowered her guard slightly and raised her own white-gloved right hand, gently shaking it.
"Of course..."
Her voice was slightly calmer than before.
"This is... the proper etiquette."
The moment their hands touched,
Astro clearly saw the character icon in his mind that had been grayed out, representing [Welt Yang (Five-star • Imaginary • Nihility)].
As if injected with energy, it instantly flashed with a steady and heavy golden light, then lit up stably!
Success! A five-star obtained!
Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, Astro maintained a polite smile and released his hand after a light squeeze, appearing very well-mannered.
Without a moment's pause, he immediately turned to Uncle Himeko, who had been watching them with a gentle smile, and extended his hand just as solemnly:
"And you, Mr. Himeko! I have long heard of the Astral Express Navigator's great name. Seeing you today, you truly have an extraordinary bearing!
Please allow me to also pay my highest respects to you with the etiquette of my hometown!"
Uncle Himeko was clearly a bit surprised. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Ms. Welt Yang beside him, whose emotions hadn't fully settled yet.
Then he looked at the clear and admiring gaze of the young man before him and couldn't help but chuckle.
He elegantly switched his coffee cup to his left hand and then extended his right.
He shook Astro's hand firmly, his deep and gentle voice carrying a hint of teasing:
"An interesting etiquette. It seems your hometown is a place that places great importance on a sense of ritual.
Welcome, Mr. Astro."
The moment he grasped Uncle Himeko's warm and powerful hand, the icon in his mind representing [Himeko (Five-star • Fire • Erudition)] also burst into light!
Double five-stars! Both lit up!
Astro felt his heart skip a few beats. He forced himself to stay calm as he withdrew his hand, his face still showing gratitude and excitement:
"Thank you both so much for your understanding! To meet you in a foreign land is truly my greatest luck!"
Ms. Welt Yang also seemed to have calmed down slightly from her emotional fluctuations just now.
She looked at Astro with a complex gaze, but her urgent questioning was temporarily softened by this sudden etiquette from his homeland.
She took a deep breath, reclaiming some of her usual composure:
"Now, Mr. Astro,"
Her gaze became focused once more.
"Can we continue our conversation from earlier? About Earth, and everything you know..."
"Of course!"
Astro nodded immediately, feeling incredibly refreshed.