Chapter 180: Reunion
Andre stared at Kai.
Kai stared back.
Neither of them spoke.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Both of them slowly looked down.
Andre was still carrying Kai in a princess carry.
"..."
"..."
Andre immediately dropped him.
THUD.
"Ow!"
Kai rubbed the back of his head.
"The hell?!"
Andre pointed a finger at him.
"That's some gay shit."
"You were the one carrying me!"
"I know."
"And I fixed it."
Kai stared blankly.
"...You're unbelievable."
Andre laughed.
"Damn."
"You really are alive."
He stepped forward.
This time...
He held out his hand.
"Took you long enough to find me."
Kai looked at the offered hand.
"...Took me?"
"Where the heck have you been?"
He grabbed Andre's hand.
Andre pulled him to his feet with ease.
"It's..."
Andre scratched the back of his head.
"...A long story."
He glanced toward the open doorway.
"Come on."
"We'll talk inside."
The three entered the treehouse.
Kai immediately looked around.
"..."
It was...
Clean.
Spotless.
Books rested neatly on shelves.
The floor had been swept.
Weapons were hung perfectly against the wall.
A kettle quietly boiled over a small fire.
Everything had its place.
Kai slowly looked toward Andre.
"..."
"...Whose house is this?"
Andre raised an eyebrow.
"...Mine."
Kai looked around again.
"...No."
"It can't be."
"It is."
Kai turned toward Chocomint.
"...Did he rob someone?"
Chocomint chuckled.
"No."
"This is his."
"..."
Kai looked around one more time.
"..."
"This doesn't look like you at all."
Andre shrugged.
He pointed toward several cushions.
"Sit."
The three sat down cross-legged.
Andre walked toward the kettle.
"I'll make some tea."
Kai blinked.
"..."
He leaned slightly toward Chocomint.
Keeping his voice low...
"...Who is that?"
Chocomint smiled.
"Andre."
"No."
"I mean..."
Kai glanced toward Andre, who was carefully preparing tea.
"What happened to him?"
"He used to steal tea."
"Not make it."
Chocomint quietly laughed.
"He was very different when he first arrived."
Kai nodded slowly.
"...That's what I'm saying."
Andre's voice suddenly came from the other side of the room.
"So what about it?"
Kai immediately sat upright.
"..."
Andre carried three cups over before placing them on the table.
"People change, y'know?"
He handed one to Kai.
"And don't act so surprised."
"You changed too."
Kai frowned.
"...You can tell?"
Andre smiled.
"I can feel it."
He sat back down.
"...Well."
"No point beating around the bush."
"I'll start."
"It started in the desert."
"I kept walking."
"And walking."
"And walking."
Kai nodded.
"I figured."
Andre snorted.
"I also kept fighting."
"Giant worms."
"Big ones."
"They just wouldn't leave me alone."
"I don't even think they wanted to eat me."
"I think they were just assholes."
Kai couldn't help chuckling.
Andre continued.
"I eventually ran out of water."
"I don't remember much after that."
"I just remember collapsing."
"...Then..."
"I saw someone."
"A guy riding some weird floating thing."
"It looked like it'd fall apart any second."
"It was black."
"I thought I was hallucinating."
Chocomint quietly sipped his tea.
"I found him face-first in the sand."
Andre pointed at him.
"I knew it wasn't a hallucination."
"You looked ugly in real life too."
"...Thanks."
"I try."
Andre grinned.
"Next thing I knew..."
"I woke up here."
He spread his arms.
"In this hidden village."
"I thought I got teleported."
Chocomint shook his head.
"I carried you."
Andre looked at him.
"...No you didn't."
"I did."
"...No."
"You teleported me."
"I carried you."
"You were unconscious."
Andre stared at him.
"..."
"...You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You were heavy."
Kai laughed.
"I'd pay to see that."
"You would've owed me."
Chocomint replied.
Andre leaned back.
"After that..."
"I ate."
"A lot."
Kai nodded.
"That sounds more like you."
Andre proudly smiled.
"I think I ate enough for five people."
"Seven."
Chocomint corrected.
"The kitchen nearly ran out of food."
"They recovered."
"They complained."
"But they recovered."
Andre shrugged.
"I was starving."
"Then..."
"I met Zane."
Kai looked interested.
"You fought?"
Andre grinned.
"I won."
Chocomint slowly lowered his cup.
"...Allow me to correct that."
Andre sighed dramatically.
"Here we go."
"You lost."
"The fight hadn't even started."
"You were already inside Master Zane's illusion."
Andre folded his arms.
"So?"
"I still beat her."
"It doesn't count."
"It counts to me."
Kai laughed into his tea.
Andre pointed at him.
"Don't encourage him."
"I'm encouraging you."
"A win's a win."
Chocomint simply sighed.
"I've given up arguing with him."
Andre rested both hands behind his head.
"After that..."
"...Then..."
"..."
He blinked.
"...What happened after that?"
Chocomint answered.
"You demanded a rematch."
"Oh."
"Right."
"You trained."
"Every day."
"From sunrise until sunset."
"Mostly beneath the waterfall."
"You kept insisting you'd break Master Zane's illusion."
Andre nodded proudly.
"I almost did."
"You almost drowned."
"I call that progress."
Kai laughed again.
Chocomint continued.
"Eventually..."
"He stopped rushing into every fight."
Andre shrugged.
"Mostly."
"You still solve half your problems with your fists."
"Only half?"
Andre looked genuinely surprised.
"I thought it was less."
Kai smiled.
"No."
"That sounds about right."
Andre scratched his cheek.
"...Fair."
He lifted his cup.
"I learned something here."
"Sometimes..."
"You wait."
"You watch."
"You listen."
"..."
"And if that doesn't work."
He cracked his knuckles.
"You punch them."
Kai and Chocomint looked at one another.
"..."
"...Yeah."
"That's definitely Andre."
Andre suddenly glanced out the window.
"...Huh."
"Look at the sun."
Chocomint followed his gaze.
"...Ah."
"Right."
He looked toward Kai.
"Master Zane asked me to guide you to the hall."
Kai nodded.
"I know where it is."
"The big wooden building in the middle."
"That's the one."
Kai stood.
"I'll head there now."
"I'll come too."
Chocomint began standing.
Before he could...
A hand landed firmly on his shoulder.
Andre smiled.
"...Nah."
"You."
"Help me wash the dishes."
"...Andre."
"No."
"...Andre."
"No."
"You made the tea."
"So?"
"You drank it."
Chocomint sighed in defeat.
Kai couldn't help smiling.
"I'll see you two later."
Andre waved without looking back.
"Don't get lost."
Kai opened the door.
The evening breeze drifted into the treehouse.
With one last glance at his reunited friends...
He stepped outside.
The door quietly closed behind him.