Two days of travel had dragged by in slow stretches of water, uneven ground, and more than a few playful arguments. When they finally reached the outskirts of Cocoyashi Village, Nami was a bundle of nerves.
Kairos, of course, looked like he'd just stepped off a beach vacation. His shirt was loose, his grin was wide, and his hands rested lazily in his pockets as if he had no idea they were walking into enemy territory.
"You're too relaxed," Nami muttered, eyeing the rooftops in the distance. "This isn't some game."
He tilted his head at her, mock-offended. "Relaxed? I'll have you know this is me being serious."
"You're impossible."
He leaned closer, dropping his voice low and whispering in her ear. "Maybe. But you're still keeping me around, so what does that say about you?"
Her cheeks flared pink, and she turned sharply away. "Shut up."
Kairos chuckled under his breath but didn't push further. He could see her tension, the way her shoulders hunched, the way her eyes never stopped scanning. She was bracing herself for something, and for once, he kept his jokes tucked behind his teeth.
The village appeared around the bend—a collection of houses, their paint faded, their walls sagging under years of neglect. Some doors were cracked, others reinforced with hasty repairs. What really hit him, though, were the people.
They looked tired. Not the good tired after a long day's work. This was the hollow, drained kind of tired, where survival had whittled away anything resembling hope.
Kairos walked forward casually, but his sharp eyes didn't miss a thing. A man at the well paused with his bucket halfway drawn. A woman gathering laundry froze mid-fold. Kids peeked from behind a doorway, wide-eyed and silent.
Then all eyes shifted behind him—to Nami.
The change was immediate. Their gazes hardened, hostile and cold. A couple of them turned their backs altogether. Others whispered sharply, their voices like knives.
Kairos' brow furrowed. Hostility, yeah. But beneath it, in the tight jaws and flickering eyes, he saw something else. Worry. Sadness. Even… fear.
They're mad at her. But it's not the kind of anger that wants someone gone—it's the kind that comes from caring too much.
It reminded him of people he'd seen in other worlds, bearing burdens no one else could understand. The thought made his chest tighten.
The silence was choking, so he did what he always did—kick it to pieces.
Kairos raised his arms dramatically and shouted, "Cocoyashi Village! Wow, you guys really roll out the welcome wagon, huh? Where's the band? Where's the confetti? Hell, I'd settle for a fruit basket!"
A couple of villagers stiffened. An older man scowled openly. Nobody laughed.
Kairos looked around, dead serious. "Nothing? Not even a pity chuckle? Damn. Toughest crowd I've ever had." He shook his head with exaggerated disappointment. "Completely uncultured. No sense of humor."
Nami slapped a hand over her face. "Idiot. Let's go."
She grabbed his wrist and yanked him down a side path before the villagers could start throwing rocks. He let her drag him, still muttering under his breath, "Fruit basket, though. That was gold."
They stopped in front of a small house with a garden full of bright flowers. It stood out immediately against the drab village, stubbornly alive in a place suffocated by Arlong's shadow.
Nami hesitated for a heartbeat before stepping up to the door.
It opened before she could knock.
A young woman stood there, maybe a couple years older than Nami. Her hair was short and pale blue, her expression calm but sharp enough to cut glass. Her clothes were simple, but there was an elegance in the way she carried herself, an ease that came from strength, not arrogance.
For the first time since they arrived, Nami's whole face lit up. "Nojiko!"
The woman blinked, and then her face softened. She stepped forward and pulled Nami into a tight hug.
Kairos tilted his head, watching with mild curiosity. He hadn't known Nami had someone waiting for her here. But from the way she clung to the woman, and the way the woman held her with a mix of relief and worry, it was clear enough: someone Nami cared deeply for—or someone who cared deeply for her. Maybe both.
"Are you alright?" Nojiko asked, pulling back just enough to check Nami's face. "Did something happen? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Nami murmured into her shoulder. "I'm just… glad to see you."
Kairos leaned casually against the doorframe, smiling faintly. For all of Nami's sharp edges and quick temper, this was different. Softer.
When they finally pulled apart, Nojiko's sharp gaze flicked past Nami to him. Her eyes narrowed slightly, weighing him up in a second flat.
Kairos, never missing a beat, stepped forward, gave a dramatic half-bow, and said in his smoothest voice, "A pleasure to meet such a vision. The name's Kairos. Traveler, gentleman, occasional lifesaver. At your service."
Nojiko raised one eyebrow. Her lips curved, just a little. "Traveler, huh? And what exactly are you traveling for?"
Kairos straightened and gave her a wink. "Oh, you know. Adventure, good company, the occasional beautiful woman at a flower-filled doorstep."
Nami groaned. "Don't encourage him, Nojiko."
Nojiko smirked, amused despite herself.
Nami pushed past both of them into the house, muttering, "I swear, he's impossible."
Kairos followed at a comfortable pace, hands still in his pockets, looking for all the world like he belonged there.
Inside, the place was modest but homey. The flowers outside carried through in little touches—a vase on the table, herbs drying in the corner.
Nami dropped the heavy bag she'd been carrying—the stolen treasure, Kairos realized, stashed carefully in a corner like it was both precious and dangerous. She turned back to her sister, her face bright again.
"Nojiko, this is Kairos. He's been… tagging along."
Kairos clutched his chest. "Tagging along? Harsh. I prefer indispensable partner. Brave defender. Occasional comedian. Excellent cook. Really, a true package deal."
Nami rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't get stuck. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
"Oh?" Kairos leaned in, lowering his voice with mock seriousness. "So all those nights by the fire, pouring our hearts out, meant nothing to you?"
Her cheeks went pink immediately. "Don't be ridiculous! You were just babbling about those insane stories."
Nojiko tilted her head. "Stories?"
Nami hesitated, then gave a sheepish little smile. "He, uh… says he's from another world."
The room went still. Nojiko's expression shifted into pure deadpan. She looked at Nami. Then at Kairos.
Kairos grinned, completely unbothered. "Nice to meet you again. I'm Kairos, your average, lovingly charming multiversal traveler."
There was a long pause. Then Nojiko chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Average, huh? You don't strike me as average."
Kairos wagged his eyebrows. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
Nami groaned loudly. "Don't flirt with my sister!"
"Hey, equal opportunity charmer here. Gotta spread the love."
Nojiko laughed again, though her eyes stayed sharp. She was amused, sure, but she was also watching. Measuring.
"Charming," she said lightly. "But you'll forgive me if I don't take you at face value just yet."
Kairos spread his hands. "Fair enough. Suspicion is healthy. But I promise, I'm exactly what I say I am."
"And what's that?"
"Ridiculously good company."
That got another laugh out of her. Even Nami, despite herself, cracked a tiny smile she immediately tried to hide.
Nojiko noticed, though. She noticed the way her sister's shoulders weren't quite as tense around him, the way her eyes softened even when she was annoyed with his antics.
So that's how it is, she thought, a small warmth blooming in her chest. Nami's found someone. Maybe just a friend. Maybe something more. But either way, she's not carrying it all alone anymore.
Still, she wasn't letting her guard down. Not yet.
"Why don't you stay for a while?" Nojiko said, looking between them. "If you're going to keep following her around, you might as well rest here."
Nami huffed. "He's not my friend."
"Yeah," Kairos said instantly, grinning wide. "We're way more than that. We're partners."
Nami groaned again, burying her face in her hands.
He turn back to Nojiko and gave her his most dazzling smile. "Like I said befpre, Multiversal traveler. Expert storyteller. Occasional heartthrob. Nice to meet you."
Nojiko blinked. Then she laughed, shaking her head. "You're insane."
"Probably," Kairos said cheerfully. "But hey, makes life interesting."