Consequences: Afterward

Afterward:

Kururu flipped through the book on his lap, a bit bored but still glancing over the pages of ancient Keronian text.

The Romama Platoon. He hadn’t found much on them, aside from an ancient drawing or two and their names. Romama Shosa, platoon leader. Mahihi Chui, the weapons expert. Then there was Fujuju Soucho, who shared Kururu’s same position within the platoon. There was Lupapa Goucho, who had been a thief and assassin-for-hire but had been reassigned to act as bodyguard for the platoon. Then there was Chunini Gunso, who was a combat expert. The last member of the platoon had been the pilot, and also the lowest, class-wise, Kodada Nitohei.

“Tch,” he was bored by the names, and the little piece of information he’d been given. It had been such a while, though, so he was lucky to have even this. He tossed aside the dusty book out of his own boredom.

“Ow… Hot, hot!” he heard in a familiar small tone, and tossed aside the book as Kirere rushed in, two sweet potatoes wrapped in newspaper in her hands. “Here, I brought you one! What’re you doing?”

“Kuku, I suppose if there’s nothing else to eat,” Kururu took the sweet potato and unwrapped it.

“I already put some curry powder on it!” she announced proudly, and took a seat at his chair, and dug into her own sweet potato. “Mm, perfect!”

“Kuku, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Kururu said through his own mouthful, and worked with his free hand on his keyboard while he held the sweet potato in his other.

Kirere scooted over, opening the book and flipping through the pages, “So… You understand all of this?”

“Kuku, yes, but it’s not really useful,” Kururu answered.

“Hey, that’s Romama-san!” Kirere now held the book in her lap, and pointed to the hieroglyphic-looking picture of six Keronians standing in a row. “…And everyone else he knew…. He’s got to be so lonely now.”

“We all have our issues, kukuku!” Kururu answered, taking another bite of the sweet potato. “….I can feel your eyes.”

“Do you like having me around? Is that why you came, too, when I got caught? Do you care about me?”

“Kuku! Well, there was a lot of work done on your project. You keep things… Interesting, kukukuku!”

“So is there anything that makes you happy?”

“Kuku, what’s to gain from being an optimistic all the time?”

“Yeah… Well, I got something that might make you happy!” she lit up.
Kururu brushed this off, “You built another piece of junk?”

He then heard a jingling, and his blood froze, “Nope!” she answered brightly. “I filled my hug jar again!”

Even Giroro jerked his head up from where he had been staring into his fire as he heard the scream that followed.




The end