'Is it... hinting it wants to go for a walk?'

  Hours later, after they have finished dinner, Xi P signals its desire to go outside. Considering that darkness has fallen, the area is indeed quiet, and as he hasn't let it go outside before, Min agrees. He tosses over its high-tech suit, which has been quickly washed and dried. Xi P then retreats into the bathroom to change.

  'Does it really need to wear clothes? Well, I guess I just can't mentally accept the idea of it going naked either...'

  ***

  It should have been Min accompanying Xi P on a walk around the residence, but it feels more like Xi P is dragging Min along at a sprint. The dim evening light makes Min reluctant to walk too fast, but Xi P doesn't care — to it, the brightness is probably just right. Excitedly, it drags Min all over the place, occasionally grabbing a plant or two to examine them up close, brimming with curiosity.

  But Min is starting to struggle. It is cold outside, and being pulled along like this has already made him nearly fall over several times.

  'Does it think I can see just as easily in the dark? At this rate, I'll eventually — '

  As his mind wanders, he finally loses his balance on a bump in the ground. Before he can react, he falls sideways onto the ground. After scrambling a few times, he manages to stand up again. His jacket has absorbed most of the impact and he barely feels any pain, let alone sufferes any injury.

  But Xi P probably doesn't see it that way. Seeing Min fall, it hurriedly helps him get up. Once he is standing, Min glares fiercely at Xi P,who understands the meaning behind the look without needing to be taught. Its ears droop, and it seems somewhat ashamed. After that, it slows its pace, switching from a trot to a normal walk.

  The cool wind is still blowing. Even at this slower pace, Min still doesn't want to linger any longer in this dark, chilly environment. The temperature difference between day and night here is truly unbearable. Fortunately, either Xi P has grown tired from wandering, or it has sensed that Min cannot see well in the darkness. It finally starts heading home.

  'Finally over. Doesn't this guy get cold? That fur probably keeps it pretty warm, but it's not wearing that much clothing either. Well, I bet it wouldn't feel cold even if it were completely naked...'

  However, events soon take an unexpected turn. Upon reaching home, Xi P doesn't go in straight away. Instead, it sits down on the doorstep and tilts its head to gaze at the starry sky.

  Even though its expression remains unchanged, Min can sense its sorrow. Being light-years away from home, in a place where it knows no one and might never return — any creature with a sense of longing for home would find that unbearable.

  Min decides to comfort it. He kneels down and sits quietly beside Xi P, gazing upward at the starry sky with it. Watching the countless stars beyond the clouds, the occasional meteor streaking across the sky and the bright moon, he soon finds himself lost in the moment.

  '...'

  Suddenly, Xi P reaches out and lifts a finger to points vaguely towards a spot in the sky. Min understands and nods softly in response.

  Xi P buries its head in its arms again, silent. If it expresses emotions through tears, its tears would surely be pooling on the ground now. Though it is difficult to see clearly, Min notices that its ears aren't pricking up softly as usual, but are instead drooping limply. Min can only sigh, unsure what to say.

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  Another ten minutes pass before Min slowly begins to notice something amiss. Why hasn't it reacted at all for so long? Turning his head to look up from below, Min discovers that Xi P... has fallen asleep.

  'Should have seen that coming...'

  ***

  Tonight, unsurprisingly, Xi P is suffering from insomnia again.

  He doesn't often have trouble sleeping, but when he does, he usually spends the time pondering various scientific puzzles. If boredom can lull him to sleep, it is ideal, but at the very least, it means he is doing something meaningful. Besides, since arriving here, the one thing he certainly hasn't lacked is questions.

  Of course, many of them are about Min. For instance...

  'How did Ye Min's kind evolve to sleep with their backs pressed against the ground? Is exposing their soft bellies to predators the norm on this planet? They don't seem like they'd ever top the food chain before developing civilisation either — being omnivores...' Pondering Min's sleeping posture, Xi P reflects.

  'Alright, I actually don't know if their bellies are soft or not. Guess I'll have to poke them later to find out. Wait... didn't they sleep in trees before? Then they really do sleep however they please. But for a species so adept at climbing trees, it's surprising how few climbing elements their structures incorporate...'

  '...And what a wonderful stroll that was. Exploring a planet with an entirely different biosphere and discovering all kinds of flora and fauna that have never been seen before. For an exobiologist, it's nothing short of ideal — a dream come true. Those alien plants, with their myriad shapes and forms — if only I had known about them sooner, then I... But it was precisely because I was in charge of exoplanetary exploration that I had the chance to witness these extraterrestrial wonders. It's wonderful to see them, but I don't think I'll ever get to return to Lierus. All those joys... Why must it be this way?'

  As he recalls his homeworld, the blue-green planet Lierus, a wave of despair and frustration washes over him. The more he learns about this civilisation, the more intense the wave of negativity becomes after each initial excitement. Though he can distract himself by telling himself that developing a faster-than-light engine shouldn't be impossible for these aliens, he knows this is mostly self-deception.

  Not to mention, even if these aliens do develop faster-than-light engines within his lifetime, would he even have the right to return?

  This time, those sorrowful thoughts finally overwhelm him. He curls up on the sofa, trembling and emitting soft, whimpering sounds.

  ***

  Min springs up from the bed when he hears the commotion from the living room. There is Xi P, curled up like a fox and emitting faint whimpers. Thinking that Xi P has finally fallen ill, Min is momentarily alarmed and reaches out to steady it.

  However, Xi P swats his hand away, nearly cutting him in the process. After waving at Min to signal that it doesn't want to be disturbed, Xi P stops struggling, leans against the sofa, closes its eyes, and begins to cry softly. Though no tears are visible, it doesn't take a genius to see that it is very sad.

  Seeing Xi P like this, it takes only a moment for Min to figure out what's going on. Sadness doesn't appear without reason, and homesickness is certainly one of them. If it is truly grieving for home right now, there isn't much he can do. It will just have to recover on its own.

  Returning to his bedroom, Min lies down and sighs softly. In truth, an outburst of homesickness is preferable to actually being ill. Psychologically, at least, it seems not so different from humans — likely experiencing the same love, hate, affection and resentment...

  ***

  After about ten minutes, Xi P gradually calms down. After sternly reminding himself that feeling sad won't instantly teleport him back to Lierus, he forces himself to think about things unrelated to Lierus in order to divert his attention.

  'I have to admit,' he thinks, 'this alien is far more kindly disposed than I ever imagined, at least towards me. To encounter such a bizarre creature as me and still be willing to help me so much — to do so much for me! Of course, my rarity plays a part, but treating me with such tolerance is truly remarkable. If it wanted to profit from me, handing me over to its government would have been the obvious choice. But instead, it seems to understand my reluctance to deal with the local authorities. It's truly hard to believe...'

  Unaware that Xi P has secretly identified him as a good guy, Min remains immersed in slumber.

  'The nights here are eerily silent... I've never experienced such quiet evenings before. Even if they're diurnal creatures, can't some other creatures make a sound? Aside from the wind rustling through the plants, there's almost nothing to be heard outside the window. Nights on Lierus weren't like this... Sigh, I'm thinking of Lierus again.'

  In the end, Xi P finds that no matter what he thinks, his mind always circles back to his homeworld. With no other choice, he tries to clear his thoughts, striving to fall asleep quickly.

  Fortunately, the earlier actions and contemplation have drained much of his energy. Sleepiness soon washes over Xi P, and his consciousness slowly sinks into darkness...