We know They Live¹

Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

Mhm, I ordered a hishio-don for everyone! Shodoshima’s pretty well known for them.

It seems to contain soy sauce and moromi sourced directly from Hishio-no-Sato. How very exciting.

Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

(Akuta-kun seems to get really hyped up for delicious food. He can’t stop swinging his body around.)

*bump* Isotake, that hurts.

*bump* …Ugh… Ow…

(And he keeps bumping into Muneuji-kun and Kiroku-kun…)

Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi… Oh?!

Kiroku, dude, what’s your wallpaper? Some kinda drawing?

Hm…?

It kinda threw me for a loop. C’mon, show me.

…’Kay.

Yo, that’s crazy… It really sticks out and it’s, like, kinda new wave and profound and ominous and shocking and cool as fudge!

Guys, look!

Wow…! It’s so colorful and creative.

Who made this?

…I… I did…

That’s amazing! I didn’t know you were so talented.

…I’m not…talen…ted…

You don’t see this kinda masterpiece every day! There’s gotta be a word for this, like… Unprecedented? Peerless?

Dude, I’m SO jealous! Maybe I can draw somethin’ like this too if started practicing.

…You’re…being…

Huh? Peeing? Nah, I don’t think I am.

…Being…serious…?

Kinugawa, Isotake doesn’t lie about this type of thing.

……

(Ah, Kiroku-kun looks kind of happy… He usually has such a stiff expression on his face.)

……

(And he’s trying to casually show Akuta-kun his phone screen…!)

Oh, are you sayin’ I can have your appetizer? Thankya! I’ll take it!

……

(But Akuta-kun misunderstood…)

(But still, I think these two could become great friends!)

Ah, I forgot. Muneuji-kun, I should’ve told you this before, but thank you so much for earlier.

For what?

For flipping Ushio-kun over when everyone was making a fuss. That really helped to calm the situation.

Ah, you don’t need to thank me for that. I was only doing what I had to.

Kiroku-kun’s really talented, but so are you, Muneuji-kun! Did you pick Aikido up from somewhere?

No, my family is very important in the world of martial arts… Kyudo, to be specific.

We also specialize in Kobudo and equestrianism, among other disciplines. Most members of my family are well versed in martial arts, so I was taught Aikido as a result. It would be presumptuous of me to say that I only “picked it up”.

That’s amazing…! You’re always wearing that helmet, so I thought you were really into science, but I guess your family’s pretty traditional.

I wear that helmet to get closer to my future goals. I…want to become an astronaut.

You are very well known in school for your helmet, Kaguya-kun.

Many students wonder if you continue to wear it even in the bath or when you go to bed.

Well, astronauts have to constantly keep them on when they’re in outer space.

I’m trying to wear it as much as I can, so I can get used to the feeling. I consider it training.

(The helmet did seem kind of old. He must have been working at this for a long time.)

Did you hear about that millionaire who had a house made out of ice built on Mars the other day?

I wonder if the space industry and space tourism are gonna continue evolving like this…

If normal guys like us could go to space, I’m gonna meet an alien and make him the lead in my movie!

…I want…to draw an alien…

That sounds great! I’m sure you’ll both be able to do that!

And I bet you’re gonna be a key figure in the space industry when you become an astronaut, Munueji-kun!

……

(Hm? He doesn’t really seem all that excited about that…)

Umm… So why do you wanna be an astronaut, Muneuji-kun?

…I promised my father.

Huh? That’s it?

That’s enough of a reason.

(Things got awkward all of a sudden. Maybe that’s a sensitive topic for him…)

……

(H-His face is getting more and more tense. Should I say something…?)

……

Does everyone happen to know what the Fermi paradox is?

Oh, I know! It’s the contradiction where we’re supposedly sure that extraterrestrials exist, but we somehow still haven’t made contact with them.

It’s possible that we’ve encountered aliens who snuck onto Earth without us kno⁠—

……

……

……

Why are you looking at each other?

No reason! Right?

Right.

…Mm.

(I feel like they’re up to something… Or maybe not…?)

Sorry for the wait! I got five large hishio-dons here for you!

(I really don’t get teenagers, but…)

Woahhhh! The sashimi’s so plump!

These hishio-dons are amazing…!

We’re baaaaack!

…The hishio-don…was good.

For real! My jaw hit the floor, like, 30 times! Bet those dummies regret not comin’ with us now!

Oh, speak of the devil! There’s dummy #1!

(Haha. Looks like they’re having fun.)

(Woah! They left a mess with the fried somen. I gotta clean it up.)

(Trash goes in a bag outside, right…?)

Hup… Hm?

That works… Exactly, right here.

Okaaay…

(It’s Nanaki-kun and Muneuji-kun…)