Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ XXXVIII. KUMARI ❆ ❆

Kumari was very excited!

As it turns out, Qiluca was even bigger than her mind could imagine, than the books she read could describe, than the drawings she saw could show. The buildings were all tall, scraping the sky, crawling all the way up to the great beyond. The roads were dark, not like the dirt paths of the other countries that she'd only just gotten used to — after all, she's been stepping outside of marble tiles and stone floors for only a very short time.

She was still in the lead, dragging Jae and Chiro all around, trying to drink in all the sights and sounds — so much metal, endless construction, but as she passes another strange shopping center (almost a bazaar, but more bizarre) like the one Yasmin had taken her to yesterday, she very nearly tries to go in...

"Kumariii," Chiro calls softly. "Where are we going?"

"I don't," she turns back towards him. "Know."

"We have to go see my sister," he reminds gently. "Remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Kumari nods. "Let's go!"

She starts pulling them off in the opposite direction, and once again she's interrupted by Chiro's voice, except this time he's laughing.

"Kumari, you don't know where she lives! How about I lead the way?"

She debates.

"Okayyy," she relents in the end. And Chiro takes the middle position instead, now taking hold of Kumari's hand and Jae's as well, leading them along the side of a road at a brisk but leisurely place.

"I hope she hasn't moved or anything," he mumbles to himself. "Then again, last time she sent a letter was a month ago, and it still had the same return address..."

"I'm sure she's still there," Jae says.

"Me too!" Kumari nods. "I'm really excited to meet her. Qiluca's such a nice place, and Chiro's so sweet, I'm sure she'll be lots of fun!"

Chiro turns his head to smile softly at her, "I think you two will get along. You have so much in common — you're the same age, and dear to me."

Kumari blushes and Jae laughs, "What am I, chopped gan? Am I not dear to you?"

Chiro laughs too, "Of course. You're both dear to me and I'm sure Naomi'll like you both."

Kumari hums, imagining what she must be like... Jae said Chiro has a photo of her, but Kumari never bothered to look, she wanted it to be a surprise. Would she have the same red hair as Chiro, the same gold eyes...?

"It's this street," Chiro says, leading them along yet another winding road. It's lined with lots of houses, long and tall houses, with many windows and balconies.

"These houses are so big!" Kumari gawks. "She lives in one all by herself? With no servants or anyone?"

"She doesn't live in the whole thing," Chiro chuckles, letting go of Jae's hand to ruffle Kumari's hair. "Just one apartment."

"Oh! So this is what an apartment building looks like."

"Uh-huh."

"Interesting."

"Kumari stop being silly," Jae rolls his eyes, but it's playful. "You read so many books..."

"Not all books have illustrations! Don't get mad at me for not knowing."

"It's okay," Chiro says softly, as if Kumari might cry, even though Kumari feels fine. "Don't feel bad. You don't have to know everything."

"I don't feel bad! But thank you..."