Suddenly, Rin spoke up, "Um..."
Hearing that, Kaya stopped mid-step and turned around. "Yes?"
Rin clenched his fists, clearly trying to gather courage. Then he finally asked, "What... what are we even doing here?"
A heavy silence followed his question.
Kaya looked at him for a mont, her expression unreadable. Then, after a small pause, she replied quietly, "We’re going to live here."
That only made them more confused. She could see it on their faces.
But Kaya didn’t explain further. She turned away and started walking again.
Truth was... even she wasn’t completely sure.
She just knew they had to survive. And for now, that ant following the plan. She didn’t trust them enough yet to tell them everything. And honestly, they didn’t need to know. Not yet.
---
By the ti the evening settled in, everything was more or less prepared.
Two huts had been built. One was a larger one, where all the Nikala beastn and the n would stay. The second was a smaller hut—simple, but sturdy—and that one was for Kaya.
After things were set, Cutie got ready to cook. he wanted to finish before it got too dark. Once night fell, bugs would be flying everywhere, and she didn’t want them falling into the food.
anwhile, Kaya was walking around, checking the surroundings again.
She’d found sothing important earlier—a pond nearby.
It wasn’t small either. A pretty big one, which ant they’d have water. That was a relief.
But even that ca with its own problem.
When the cold winds started blowing, the pond would freeze. Sure, she could boil the water to drink it—but walking out into the freezing cold every ti?
Yeah, no thanks.
She needed to figure out a better way. Sothing more permanent. Sothing smarter.
But for tonight... this was enough.
Suddenly, the sa beastman from earlier—the bear beastman, Kyuu—spoke.
"Umm..."
His voice was hesitant.
Kaya, who had been lost in her thoughts, rubbing her aching temples, looked up slowly. Her head was pounding, the pain sharp and constant.
"Yes?" she asked, her voice low.
Kyuu stepped forward carefully and raised his hand. Wrapped in a bundle of leaves, he held sothing out to her.
Kaya blinked in confusion. "What is it?"
He lowered his head, looking shy, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I... I thought it would look good on you. So I made it."
Kaya stared at him for a second, then gently took the bundle from his hands.
As she opened it, her eyes widened in surprise.
Clothes.
Beautiful, hand-crafted clothes.
On top lay a white, soft kurti—simple yet elegant. It wasn’t just a plain shirt. The bottom hem was decorated with delicate flower-like patterns, and the fabric looked light, loose, and flowing. It would fall just to her hips.
The neckline rose high enough to cover her collarbones but dipped just slightly over the upper chest—not too deep, just like the tops she used to wear. It reminded her of sothing from another ti... maybe the kind of clothes worn in old British era dramas or sothing she’d seen in Roo and Juliet styled plays.
There were no buttons, but at the neck, there was a ribbon—made from the sa cloth—threaded through like a soft drawstring. She could tighten or loosen it as needed.
Her fingers brushed over the fabric slowly, still surprised.
Then she looked down and saw the pants.
Not tight-fitting or fancy like the ones she wore back ho—but loose, comfortable-looking pants. The kind people still wore in her world, often seen in relaxed or casual fashion. And instead of a button at the waistband, there was a fabric ribbon to tie it.
Kaya was speechless.
She had never seen soone make clothes so well-crafted—especially not without any sewing tools or equipnt.
She looked up at Kyuu, stunned.
This... this was beautiful.
And it was made for her.
Kaya was still staring at the clothes in her hands, quiet, unreadable.
Seeing her expression, Kyuu suddenly panicked. His ears twitched slightly, and he began to fumble with his words.
"Um... if you don’t like it, I—I an, I can take it back, or maybe I—"
Before he could finish, Kaya suddenly stood up.
"I’m going to change into it," she said quickly, almost cutting him off.
And with that, she rushed to her hut.
There was a piece of hide hung over the entrance—serving as a curtain for privacy. She slipped behind it and disappeared inside. The sounds of light shuffling and fabric rustling ca from within.
Her old clothes were tossed carelessly to the floor.
After a short while, she stepped out.
And for a few seconds—everything went still.
Everyone stared.
Kaya looked... happy.
Not just smiling on the outside—but genuinely glowing from within.
She looked down at the clothes again and gave a little twirl. The loose white kurti flowed softly around her, the flower-like designs dancing with her movent.
"It’s so nice," she whispered to herself, her eyes a little glossy. "It’s loose, it’s light..."
And full of freedom.
Only she knew how much she’d missed clothes like these. Comfortable clothes. Feminine clothes. For too long, she had only worn her fitted pants and jackets—tough, practical, suffocating.
But she never had anything else to change into... until now.
Suddenly, with excitent bubbling in her chest, Kaya ran to Cutie’s hut. She stopped at the entrance, slightly breathless.
"Hey! How do I look?" she asked.
Cutie looked up, a bit startled. He blinked at her, clearly caught off guard. There wasn’t a mirror in sight—of course there wasn’t—but who needed one?
With so many eyes watching, who needed a reflection?
Kaya looked at Cutie quietly for a mont, eting his gaze.
"How is it?" she asked softly.
And at that mont, anyone who witnessed that scene would describe it the sa way for years to co:
A woman in a white, floral kurti, twirling lightly under the early night sky.
Short black hair brushing her cheeks, eyes black with a sapphire tint.
A mont of peace in a land forgotten by the world.
A mory so beautiful, it lived in stories—told and retold to children for generations.
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