Katya Edition: Second Edition

Twenty Second Corpse: The Second Connection

❝I screwed up, I get that. Can you not be so weird with me anymore?❞

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Twenty Second Corpse | The Second Connection

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[Z-day +5 | Apr. 19 | 14:11hrs]

"Any sign of them?" I called up to Shiki. He was in a coconut tree, scanning the surrounding area for Saeko and Quin. They were two hours over Saya's estimated time and we were all getting a bit antsy now. If they didn't make it before three, we'd have to leave without them. Any later and we'd arrive on Minami Island til nighttime--which we wanted to avoid. We needed daylight to sweep the island and gather what supplies we could.

"No visual yet," Shiki called down to me and my shoulders tensed with worry.

I really didn't want to leave the mainland until I knew they were okay...

"They'll be here," Kohta reassured as he came to stand beside me. I looked at him and nodded even though worry still ate at me. It was all I could do to avoid going back out there to look for them myself.

"Kat! Kohta! Shiki! Thomson's done with lunch," Saya called out.

Yes. Thomson was our cook. Shiki even vouched for him when I said I didn't want to be poisoned.

Shiki made quick work of climbing down the tree, dusting of his hands and turning to us, "Come on, let's get some food."

As I followed behind them, I couldn't help but wonder if Saeko and Quinton had eaten lunch yet. I bit my lower lip in worry.

My mind remained on them even as I ate the stew Thomson had cooked.

"Come on, Calico, is my cooking that bad?" Thomson asked as he sat down beside me. "If you frown any deeper, you'll end up looking like Shiki and nobody wants that."

"Why do you always have to mention me whenever you open your mouth? Jealous?" Shiki asked coolly, arching an eyebrow at Thomson from on my other side.

Yep, I was once again sandwiched between them. Shizuka was on Shiki's other side, feeding Alice and Zeke while Saya was on Thomson's other side with Kohta beside her. We were all sat on a large blanket spread across the sand beneath the shade of a few palms. Rei and Takashi still refused to come outside and I briefly wondered if they'd continue sulking like a pair of brats.

Thomson snorted, "Please, what's there to be jealous of? You have the charisma of a piece of cardboard."

"At least I'm not some asinine man-child who deludes himself into thinking he's desired by the fairer sex," Shiki said smoothly, his words cool and collected.

They glared at each other over my head and I was struck with the horrifying realization that I was the Thomson in my relationship with Saya. I mean it wasn't exactly the same but I was always the openly insulting one and she was always the calm and collected one.

"Kat, are you okay? You look a bit green in the face..." Kohta murmured uneasily.

"Fine," I choked out, "Just some internal revelations I need to work through."

Saya smirked in my direction and I got the feeling she knew exactly what my internal revelations were. I pursed my lips and glared at her and her smirk widened.

Kohta looked between us, completely clueless.

"This is so nice!" Shizuka suddenly chirped, drawing everyone's attention to her. Alice was sat on her lap and she was hugging her close, while Zeke was settled on Alice's lap. She looked around at everyone, including Shiki and Thomson, and elaborated, "I've never gone to the beach with a large group of friends before! It was always just Rika and me, or Katya and me." A soft smile adorned her lips and her eyes turned moist, "I know the circumstances aren't too favourable but...there's honestly nowhere I'd rather be right now."