Epilogue

January 6^th, 2:27 PM


“It’s your turn,” Izo spoke.

Carumati moved her queen. “Go.”

“One of these days you’re gonna lose, Mati. Then you’ll have to marry me.”

“That will never happen.”

“You never know. Hey! Don’t you think so too?” Izo called out to Kon, Blake and Cato who were sitting on the grass a ways off, but Cato didn’t respond, Blake mumbled, “Guys never win against girls,” and Kon shouted, “Who cares!”

“What’s with them?” Izo asked, his question having been torn down.

“Ah, that. Well, they all had a fight over Ally Kat. Blake and Cato are bummed because they lost and Kon is upset because he won to find out that Ally chose Ven over himself.

“Poor guys. They seem pretty beat up too.”

“Yeah.”

“Where are Ally and Ven now?”

“They’re off shooting fish in the river.”

“I see....”

Suddenly, Kon shouted, “It’s not fair! Ven didn’t even participate!”

“Ah, why must the sky be so blue? It makes me sad,” Cato sighed.

“I don’t know if I can stand to go back to work after this. I told my coworkers I would win. How can I face them now?” Blake muttered.

“Oh, stop being such sore losers,” Carumati called.

“Easy for you to say, you only play games you win at... and your prize never runs off with other people,” Kon said.

“That’s not-” Carumati started.

“Check mate.” Izo said.

“...true.... I... lost?”

Izo smiled brightly. “Now you have to marry me.”

Carumati stared at the table, then got up and joined the boys in the grass. “Oh, what a miserable wind that blows,” she said.