“Ko, Ko-Ko, Koku, Koku, kuya, ya, Ko, Kokuya! Kokuyaaaa!” Yukihime crowed like a mad hen.
“What? What happened?!”
“In here! There’s one in here!”
“One... what?”
“One of the skittery things!”
“Skittery things?”
“They’re black!”
“Black?”
“Starts with a C!”
“C? ...Oh, you mean a cockro–”
“Don’t say it out louuud!” She punched me. “Koku-Koku-Kokuya! Kill! Now!”
I nodded sagely, embracing my new name. Yukihime was so panicked that she was speaking in baby talk.
“Okay, I’ll exterminate it for you. On one condition.”
“Wh-what?”
“You know what. ‘Master.’”
“...No. You must be out of your mind if you think–”
“I’m tired. Goodnight.” I feinted a heel turn.
“Please, master.”
“Will you obey me for the rest of your life?”
“The rest of my life?!”
“If not, then I’m going to sleep.”
“Okay! I will, I will...”
“So be it. Step aside.”
I pushed Yukihime out of the way, and prepared to do battle with the ‘creature’... Until I saw what had become of it.
“...Yukihime.”
“Wh-what?”
“Did you... freeze it?”
“Of course I did! Otherwise it would have kept moving!”
Well, yeah. Cockroaches move. Yep. I stared at the cockroach-cicle, then realized something.
“...Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.”
The ‘creature’ inside the fist-sized block of ice was just a toy. And not just any toy, but the one I bought yesterday. It wasn’t going anywhere, even without the ice.
Yesterday, I hid Yukihime’s present in the bathroom cupboard where we stored the laundry detergent, since I figured she’d never look there. I must have dropped the toy when I did... Besides, it was winter. You rarely saw cockroaches in winter.
I wrapped the frozen toy up in paper and threw it away. It was a waste of a good toy, but that was a small price to pay if it would allow me to turn the tables on Yukihime. I did feel a little guilty, though.
“K-Kokuya... Is it safe now?”
“Yep, totally safe.” I patted Yukihime on the head. “Now hurry up and get back in the shower, or you’ll catch a cold.”
The moment I said that, Yukihime finally realized the state she was in, and turned beet red.
“Don’t look at me!” After punching me, she ran into the bathroom. How dare she treat her master that way!
Afterwards, the three of us gathered and sat down at the dining table.
“Am I done being your servant now?” Yukihime asked nervously.
“Hmm...”
“H-hey, come on... We’re done, right?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“You’re such a...”
Towa chuckled softly as she watched us.
“Hey, Towa, this isn’t funny!”
“Oh, yes it is,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but you two are always so funny together,” Towa said. “You really get along so well!”
“What?!” Yukihime and I both shouted.
“See?” Towa laughed again.
“We’re just no match for you, Towa,” Yukihime joked.
“Yeah, I guess we are pretty close,” I added. “A master and his servant should strive to stay on good terms, right?”
“Would you knock it off already?” Yukihime growled.
“Wh-what are you planning to do? It’s not gonna work on me!”
“The promise you made for losing to me a thousand times is still in effect, isn’t it? Which means that you’re my servant!”
“Says who? That was just overturned back there in the bathroom. You’re my servant now!”
“No, you’re mine!”
“No, you!”
“Pfft...” Towa laughed again as she watched our futile bickering.
Yukihime and I glanced at her, then turned back to each other.
“...Want something to eat?”
“...Yeah.” I nodded.
I didn’t expect that these peaceful days would just continue on forever. Towa, Yukihime and I each had obligations that kept us from being completely free, but I did assume that we’d be able to go on living together for at least a little while longer.
I never would have imagined that destruction was waiting right around the corner.