From Xi P's perspective, though, the reason Min asks him to stop is not for any other reason, but because Min is genuinely frightened. Terrified by those space battleships and the high-energy lasers mounted on them.

  This makes him feel somewhat guilty. Showing off starships capable of easily destroying dozens (in theory) of space-aircraft to a civilisation still in the early space exploration phase is indeed rather inappropriate. It is practically a display of military might, reminiscent of the invaders in those allegorical sci-fi films.

  'Come to think of it,' thinks Xi P, 'if the Palirian Republic suddenly discovered this place, how would they treat this native civilisation?'

  'Sociologists never stop debating this, but they mostly focus on how we'd act when encountering vastly superior alien civilisations. Little attention paid to how we treat weaker ones. After all, the urgency is different. According to certain theories, missteps in communication with a powerful civilisation could mean national annihilation. As for the weaker ones... well, that's a question best left for the sociologists of those civilisations to debate.'

  'Hmm... Impossible. What good would that do...'

  Min notices that after he silences Xi P, the latter's mood suddenly sinks. This left him feeling a little flustered, fearing his words hurt Xi P's feelings. Just as the awkwardness thickens, the chime of an incoming email saves the day.

  Seizing the opportunity to withdraw, Min opens the message from the courier. Just as he'd anticipated, it contains details about the cloak and hood — already completed and delivered to his doorstep!

  With this outfit, and a little more preparation, Xi P can safely venture into areas with slightly more traffic. Theoretically, his appearance will resemble that of an Islamic woman: his entire body, save for his eyes, will be deeply concealed within the cloak. Although this would be somewhat comical and physically stifling, not to mention potentially cross-dressing, at least Xi P can go out. His eyes will still not look human, but a pair of sunglasses might do the trick.

  Min is certain Xi P is bored out of his mind staying at home. For the past month, aside from brief walks in the countryside at night time, he has been confined indoors. The extent to which he longs to experience alien society firsthand is beyond imagination.

  'Just wonder if it's appropriate for women to wear sunglasses according to Islamic customs...'

  'Ha, I guess that counts as 'male furry wearing female costume', funny tag to think about...'

  ***

  When Xi P learns the purpose of the cloak and hood, he reacts more intensely than Min had anticipated. He snatches the packaging and tears it open with his hands, before immediately trying to put on the clothing inside.

  Though Xi P has never worn clothing of this construction before, he manages to slip it on quickly. The coverage is indeed very high: in Xi P's perception, nothing but his eyes remain exposed. This fills him with an unusual sense of security.

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  'What was the original design intent for this garment? For stealth at night? With their lack of night vision, maybe that would even work.' Xi P ponders.

  Min has previously considered cutting two small slits in the hood to let his ears peek out and then concealing them with a headscarf. Otherwise, covering those long ears would surely be uncomfortable. However, after Xi P puts it on, the top doesn't bulge out — he seems to actively tuck his ears flat against his scalp. Xi P appears completely unconcerned about his ears being tucked flat.

  'Given his body proportions, those ears probably aren't primarily for heat dissipation. Whether he can hear clearly in this situation doesn't matter. He has no need to show emotion to other humans either. That must be why he doesn't mind...'

  Out of a twisted sense of humour, Min walks over and asks Xi P loudly if he can hear him speak. Xi P nods simply, indicating that he can still hear at this distance even with his ears covered.

  Min makes him walk a few steps. The cloak perfectly conceals the movement of his leg joints. Aside from the slight difference in the sway of gait compared to humans, Min can hardly tell that the figure ahead is an alien. Though walking alongside a "Middle Eastern woman" might attract some attention, as long as Min shrugs it off, he doubts anyone will gossip.

  'And if I dress like a Middle Eastern person as well, then forget attracting attention — people might simply avoid me like the plague. Prejudice against Middle Eastern ethnicities is pretty severe these days.' Min thought.

  Xi P's mouth is also a problem. Compared to a real red fox, it is much shorter: only about 10 cm long on such a larger frame. Yet this very snout still pushes the face mask slightly upwards, obstructing Xi P's breathing. It must be uncomfortable.

  While Min ponders the details, Xi P suddenly yanks the hood off. Although Xi P doesn't say anything, Min realises a possibility and asks: "Too hot?"

  Xi P sits down, panting with his mouth open, and nods vigorously.

  This is the first time that Min has seen Xi P pant like this. If he were a Kemonomimi, this might have been quite charming. But Xi P is closer to being a furry than that sort of thing. Not only is he expressionless, but when he sticks out his long tongue, it certainly reminds one of a dog panting.

  Glancing outside, the subtropical maritime climate of the South Pacific is usually quite mild. But today is a particularly hot day. Even humans wearing this outfit would not be comfortable walking outside, so Xi P must be suffering even more. Today is not windy. Fur itself provides better insulation than bare skin, and he doesn't seem to have the same ability to sweat as humans. Hmm...

  Heat dissipation is a critically important yet often overlooked factor. Interestingly, some current research suggests that early humans relied on their ability to dissipate heat when hunting animals such as ancient African antelopes. This involved relentlessly pursuing the antelope under the midday sun and preventing them from finding shade for prolonged rest. After being chased for less than 20 kilometres, most antelopes would become completely immobilised due to overheating. Humans, however, remained completely unaffected and did not even experience heatstroke. (Note 1)

  Note 1: Please note that the African environment at that time differed significantly from present-day conditions, featuring vast grasslands and much lower humidity and temperatures.

  Taking the opportunity, Min asks Xi P how he feels about the local climate. As expected, his response is "a bit hot". Contrasts sharply with Min's perception of it being quite comfortable.

  Solving this issue shouldn't be too difficult — stuffing some ice inside should do the trick, right?

  After some deliberation, the two come up with a solution. If Xi P slips the cloak on directly over his bare body, with ice packs strategically placed inside, it should keep him cool for a reasonable amount of time. However, the idea of stepping out like that leaves Xi P utterly mortified. Even knowing that others couldn't see, wearing nothing beneath the cloak felt unbearably awkward.

  Seeing Xi P hesitating, Min finally asks the question that has been gnawing at him: "If you have fur, why do you need clothes? What made your kind develop this moral code?"