Chapter 20

Chapter 20 is the twentieth chapter of the Astra Lost in Space manga. It is the second chapter of the Arispade Arc and, in the compiled volumes, the second chapter of the third volume.

Synopsis
The Astra flies low over the surface of the ocean that covers the surface of Arispade as Aries notes in her diary that today marks the forty-fourth day of their journey. On the bridge, an annoyed Kanata complains to Zack about the lack of land on the planet. Aries spots a single island in the distance, establishing to the rest of the crew that she has very good eyesight. Moments later, they land the ship on the beach.

Several days pass in peace. Luca makes a bow for Ulgar, which he uses to hunt the planet's small, bird-like flying creatures, and gives the Luca lances he brought from Vilavurs to Kanata and Zack, who hunt fish-like creatures just off the beach. They also quickly find a freshwater lake on the island; as such, both the crew's food and water requirements for the journey to the next planet begin to fill quickly.

While the others fish or hunt or swim in the freshwater lake, Quitterie sunbathes on the beach, a small table covered in fruits and animal meat sitting at her left hand. The sound of Kanata and Zack arguing over who caught the bigger fish wakes her up, and she turns to Luca, weaving a basket next to her, asking if they are using his harpoons. When he confirms it, she asks him if he plans to go fishing as well, and he responds that he cannot swim.

Ulgar joins them, dropping a handful of bird-like animals at Luca's feet. He compliments Luca's handiwork with the bow and asks if Luca can tighten the draw on the bow. Charce and Funicia join as well, bringing a basket full of fruit with them; Quitterie uses an edibility tester and finds that all the fruit in the basket are edible. Charce cuts them into an artful arrangement and lets Quitterie taste them, and she finds them all to be delicious.

Immediately following this, Quitterie snaps, shocking the others around her. She loudly points out that, after all the things they have had to go through on Vilavurs and Shummoor, this planet is safe and pleasant, providing everything they need within arms' reach and having a warm, sunny climate. As she wonders if they even have a reason to continue traveling home and the others remark on her lack of adjustment, Funicia asks her where Aries and Yun-Hua are, and Quitterie decides to take Funicia to the lake to swim with them, ordering the boys to have a feast prepared when they return.

Aries runs to meet them; she, like Quitterie, is wearing a bikini. Quitterie awkwardly compliments her choice of swimsuit, but Aries does not understand what the word "hot" means in the context, believing it to be a reference to its actual temperature. Quitterie tries another approach, saying that the combination of the swimsuit and Aries' bust has the ability to attract the other boys to her. Aries, trying out Quitterie's word, replies that Quitterie's swimsuit is also "hot", leading Quitterie to counter that her own swimsuit is "sexy" as well. This triggers a bit of body-based insecurity from Aries, leading Quitterie to try changing the subject, but Aries persists, pointing out that Yun-Hua brought a very simple swimsuit. Yun-Hua then appears, wearing a dark one-piece swimsuit; the realization that Yun-Hua's bust puts all of them to shame, and Aries' subsequent use of Quitterie's word "sexy" to describe it, are enough to drive Quitterie to forcefully change the subject. She dares a terrified Aries to ask Kanata out.

At the "feast" later that day, Charce explains that every single animal he has found on the planet so far reproduces asexually via parthenogenesis; when he tries to explain the finer details of sex to a confused Funicia, Quitterie angrily cuts him off. Zack glosses over the whole issue by stating that the animals on Arispade clone themselves. Kanata wonders if there are any male animals on the planet at all, and Charce, while confident that they are a few somewhere, offers the conjecture that Arispade's animals may simply be non-gendered, a detail that catches Luca's attention. Charce continues that the ecosystem, having managed to survive any potentially devastating outbreaks of pathogens capable of wiping out animals that evolve in a non-gendered direction, may have evolved more perfectly than any of the other planets they have visited. Quitterie sarcastically remarks that a planet without boys would be wonderful, using the opportunity to casually torment Aries right in front of the still-clueless Kanata.

After nightfall, the girls all gather in the common room, where Quitterie playfully tries to pry a confession of love for Kanata out of Aries, to the endless amusement of Funicia and the moderate embarrassment of Yun-Hua. Aries tries explaining that anyone would feel something for the person who saved their life, but Quitterie pushes further, insisting that his dependability is more than enough to make someone fall for him. Blushing prominently, Aries looks away from Quitterie, who wraps her in a bear hug, apparently overcome by the contrast between the calm, collected Aries and the bashful, reticent Aries before her now.

Aries and Yun-Hua then turn the tables on Quitterie, asserting that she has a crush on Zack. Quitterie's hardened expression, as she insists that they are nothing but childhood friends, is betrayed by the blush in her cheeks, and they smirk at her smugly, leading her to counter by asking Aries when she plans to tell Kanata how she feels. She insists that she doesn't want to pry into his personal life, but several short minutes later, she finds herself standing at the door to the bathroom, where Kanata is brushing his teeth, while Quitterie eagerly eavesdrops from around the corner.

Aries tries asking questions about his popularity at school, and his popularity with girls there. He answers both questions with sweeping, casual generalities, claiming that he was friends with all his classmates, including all the girls. Torn by his failure to understand what she is trying to say, Aries angrily storms away, after which an equally angry Quitterie enters the bathroom and shoves Kanata's toothbrush up his nose. Aries retreats to her room, writing in her diary that she is going to bed for "personal reasons."