March 7th never dreamed she'd run into Asta waiting for her right around the corner.
After all, Asta's behavior earlier hadn't seemed like she'd noticed her at all!
Does she have eyes in the back of her head or something?!
…That's not impossible, is it?
Someone who could become the acting head of a space station… was probably anything but simple!
Three-eyed monster Asta… So scary!
Seeing March silent, Asta hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Back at the drinks stand, you were already watching Bai Ming and me, weren't you?"
"Eh—!" March cupped her cheeks, her mouth forming a small 'O'. "So you noticed me that early?! You saw me? Your head really does have a third eye!"
"Th-third eye?" Hearing this, Asta instinctively reached toward the back of her head. But she quickly realized this was just March's imagination running wild.
Asta sighed and continued, "It wasn't that I saw you. It was that your messages were too obvious… Who talks about cake one moment and jumps straight to don't drink that the next? The only one who would connect those two—" Asta looked at March and slowly revealed the conclusion, "—is someone who must have also seen something related to a drink at that exact moment. While I didn't know exactly where you were, your presence was almost certain."
"So that's how it was!" March wore an expression of sudden enlightenment. But she soon realized this wasn't really something to be proud of—because the one being exposed… was her! Who would have thought Asta, who didn't seem overly meticulous on the surface, had such a sharp mind…
"I… I was just passing by!" March insisted stubbornly. "Seeing Bai Ming about to drink something, I just remembered the earlier advice!"
"But you didn't go up and tell her directly, did you?" Asta said unhurriedly. "If you were truly worried about that… wouldn't pointing it out in person have been more effective? Why bother sending a message from hiding…" She didn't say everything outright, but the implication was clear enough.
March's expression, which had barely held up her excuse, immediately crumbled. "This…" Her eyes darted around, avoiding Asta's gaze, until she noticed something. "R-right! Where's Bai Ming?! Wasn't she with you just now? Why is it only you here after turning the corner?"
"You're asking about that," Asta smiled slightly and pointed to a room ahead. It was an area with décor completely different from the rest of the space station—predominantly dark, with materials that looked industrial or even military-grade. You could call it functional elegance. "Madam Herta took her inside. It'll be a while before she comes out."
"This!" March stared at the room Asta pointed to. "It's not another situation where Herta isn't wearing clothes and makes Bai Ming enter some pitch-black place, is it?"
"Eh?" Hearing this description, Asta's face reddened slightly. "Wh-what do you mean 'enter some pitch-black place'?"
"I mean the Simulated Universe," March clarified.
"Oh—" Asta breathed a sigh of relief. "So that's what you meant. I thought it had already reached that stage…"
"What did you think I meant?" March asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Asta shook her head, trying to shake off the blush. "This time, Madam Herta isn't sending Bai Ming into the Simulated Universe, but reviewing some Curios with her."
"Curios? What Curios?"
"I don't know either," Asta admitted. "Madam Herta didn't tell me… But that's what they're doing in there."
"Oh…" Hearing this, March didn't feel any relief. Even if Bai Ming was out of Asta's immediate reach, she had just exchanged one concern for another. What Herta was capable of was far more unpredictable than Asta. After all—she was the one who dared to stand in front of Bai Ming without any clothes on!
"So, how about it?" Asta's voice brought her back.
"How about what?" March looked at her, confused.
"That we have a little chat."
"…" March glanced at the tightly shut door even Asta wasn't allowed to enter. She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Let's talk."
---
Outside Herta's Curio Storage – Reception Room
March followed Asta inside. Though the room looked like it hadn't been used often, the dust-free tables and chairs showed it was well maintained. As acting station head, Asta's attention to detail was evident.
"Have a seat," Asta said gracefully. "What would you like to drink? We only have black tea here, but I can ask Arlan to prepare something else."
"No, no!" March waved her hands. "Don't trouble him. I'm not thirsty. Let's just start."
Seeing March so direct, Asta didn't press further. She nodded and sat across from her. In the spacious room, only the two of them remained—the atmosphere felt quietly charged.
"So," Asta began. "I'd like to ask you something, if that's alright?"
"Ask me?"
"Mhm," Asta nodded. "Something quite simple."
Though March had a feeling the question wouldn't be as "simple" as Asta claimed, since she'd come this far, there was no point avoiding it.
"Okay, go ahead, Miss Asta."
"It's—" Asta met March's eyes. "I wanted to ask, what is the average monthly income on the Astral Express?"
"Eh?" The question completely blindsided March. "This… how should I put it?"
"Is it difficult to say?" Asta pressed gently.
"No, no," March waved her hands again. "It's not that it's difficult… It's just that many things on the Express can't be measured by income. Like, Himeko's coffee is an incredibly powerful training tool for Dan Heng! You can't put a price on that!"
"I see…" Asta nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. Then, may I rephrase the question?"
"Uh… sure."
"How does your income compare to… this number?" As she spoke, Asta slowly raised four fingers. "What would you say?"
March looked at the four fingers. "Hey! Forty thousand Credits is way too little for an Astral Express member! Not just Himeko—even I could save forty thousand!"
Asta shook her head. Clearly, forty thousand wasn't the answer.
"Four hundred thousand?" March muttered. "That's okay… but doesn't feel like a huge amount."
Another shake.
"Four million?!" March exclaimed. "I definitely don't have that! I couldn't even if I sold myself!"
Still no.
"Forty million?!"
"No."
"Then just how much is it?! Asta, just say it!"
"Four billion."
Buzz—
March felt her brain float into outer space. Honestly, past four hundred thousand, numbers just became… numbers. Four hundred million and four billion didn't feel meaningfully different to her.
"That much money… what's it for?" March asked with an awkward laugh. "Are you giving it to someone?"
"Mhm," Asta nodded seriously. "I do intend to give it to someone."
Boom. Another mental explosion. March's heart already had an answer ready to burst out—but that answer, for her…
"Wh-who?" March forced a smile, clinging to one last shred of hope. "Who could possibly take that many Credits from you?"
"Bai Ming." Asta said it without hesitation.
Though somewhat anticipated, hearing it aloud made March dizzy. But she managed to speak. "Why give her that much? Does going into the Simulated Universe pay that well?"
"Of course not," Asta said with a light laugh. "The pay for a Simulated Universe run isn't four billion. This is for a contract I want to sign with Bai Ming."
"A contract?" March's intuition tingled.
"You… want to keep Bai Ming here?"
"That's right." Asta didn't hide it. "Since she's only a temporary cleaner on the Astral Express, she might as well join the space station as a permanent employee. I've already thought of the title: 'Space Station Asset Protection and Management Special Operations Unit Invited Extraordinary Security Expert.'"
"Th-that's a really long name!" March blurted.
"I know. So you can abbreviate it to 'Security Guard.'"
"Doesn't that feel a bit… anticlimactic?"
"Wait," March shook her head. "How do you know she'd even agree?!"
"Of course I know." Asta spoke unhurriedly. "Bai Ming once told me that for eighty thousand Credits, I could buy her as a leg accessory. But I feel eighty thousand for a person's entire life is too cheap. So I've decided to value her at a higher price. Based on the salary range you hinted at, I think offering eight million a year isn't unreasonable."
"Eight million a year…" March mumbled the astronomical figure. "Asta, you just said four billion, right? One times three is three, two sevens are fourteen, March 8th Women's Day, May Day…"
"No need to calculate. Five hundred years." Asta interrupted March's mental math. "We might not reach that point, but it doesn't matter. The rest can be considered a bonus. Of course, if the Express requires compensation for contract breach, I will double that amount for you as well."
"…" After Asta finished, March's conviction grew stronger. Yes—the Asta before her wasn't speaking on a whim. She was fully prepared.
"So, what do you think?" Asta asked with a smile. "Benefits like these shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"I'm… not very sensitive to numbers." March tried to sound experienced. "But it's not very useful."
"Not useful?" Asta's brows furrowed slightly. "Why do you say that?"
"Because… because Bai Ming wouldn't stay!" March said nervously, wringing her hands. "Just forty billion… that's nothing to her!"
"Then four hundred billion? Or four trillion?" Asta pursed her lips thoughtfully. "To be safe… should it be even higher?"
"No amount is useful! She… she definitely won't stay!"
Listening to March's words, Asta slowly raised her head and looked at her, speaking in a polite but pointed tone, "Why are you so sure of that? You two… aren't even together, are you? As I recall, you've rejected Bai Ming several times. How can you still be so confident about her choices?"
"…"
It had to be said—though Asta's tone remained courteous, the underlying sharpness was unmistakable. More critically… every point she raised was grounded, not baseless.
But—a small voice inside March 7th spoke up.
Is that really how it is? Is doing it this way really right?
No! It's not like that! Absolutely not!
March's lips trembled slightly, then steadied into resolute words.
"No! It's not like that at all! Not being together now… doesn't mean we won't be in the future! You can't just dismiss that possibility!"
"…" Asta was silent for a moment before smiling. "I see. Well, in that case… how about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Mhm." Asta nodded, then extended her pinky toward March. "Let's bet on whether Bai Ming will stay at the space station or not. Since you're so confident, you wouldn't refuse, right?"
Looking at Asta's extended pinky, March didn't hesitate any longer. She hooked her own around it.
"I'm not afraid of you! I'll take that bet!"
-------
A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober