Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ XI. KUMARI ❆ ❆

"Thank you."

Jae says a you're welcome in reply with a quick "Cheonman eyo!"

And then he promptly returns to the door, bolting it up, along with grabbing an extra lock from the pile of his junk — seeing as he'd broken one while opening it earlier.

Kumari scoots her cushion closer to Chiro, who's gazing around Jae's home curiously, taking it all in.

"Oh, Kumari," he notices when they brush shoulders. "Anything the matter?"

"I don't wanna stress Jae out because he's done so much," she whispers. "But I'm really scared, and really sad too."

"Aw," Chiro reaches out, hand hovering just a centimetre above hers, waiting, as if asking permission. She raises her hand ever so slightly, bumping her hand into his, and then he takes it, cupping her smaller hand in his larger palm. "I can imagine why."

"Kinda wanna go home," she sniffles, and scolds herself inwardly for crying. "To mom and dad. To my books. Where it's warm."

Jae has returned from his struggle with the locks and catches the tail end of what Kumari's saying, "Are you cold?"

Kumari nods in response.

"Okay. Uhhh... Here!" He grabs a jacket from a pile of clothes. "Don't make a face, this is the clean pile."

Kumari takes it gratefully, and is relieved when it smells like fresh air and not like dirty laundry. Then again, Jae always smells nice, like the spices in the bazaar and a little bit of a sea air, probably from living so close to the harbor. It's an interesting contrast to Chiro, who always smells like burnt firewood and flowers.

She wonders what she smells like to others. Hopefully nice, and not like sweat or death.

She realizes she's just been staring off into space, jacket still held loosely in her hands.

"Aren't you going to put it on? Sorry that it's not pink, but it's too small for me now so I figured it'd be your size."

"It's perfect, Jae," and she puts all her heart into saying that, because she means it. She quickly slips it on, sighing as she's immediately a little warmer, nuzzling her face into the fur-lined collar.

Jae beams, "Looks perfect, too. Nice... So anybody hungry?"

Chiro tentatively raises his hand while Kumari thrusts hers into the air.

"I see we have some takers! I'll warm it up. Kitchen's in the other cart, so I'll just..."

He moves over to another door, presumably the one that connects to the other train car, opening it up — they had been pushed right up against each other, no gap or outside! Just cart to cart.

Jae steps into the kitchen a big pot in hand, Kumari hears the clicking of a gas stove and Jae manages to get it working, a clang as he sets the pot down, then returning to the car, not bothering to shut the door so he can listen and know when the food has boiled.

"What now?" Chiro asks as Jae sits on the floor next to them.

"We hide out here for now."

"Kumari's worried though."

"Are you?" Jae looks at her, blue eyes full of concern.

But Kumari's annoyed.

"Chiro! I didn't want him to know..."

"Hey, why not?"

"Because you went to all the trouble to breaking me out and helping us."

"Friends tell each other their problems when they feel like it. I'll listen."