"Where are they?"
---
Nobody needed clarification.
---
That evening—
The original batch gathered again.
Or at least—
What remained of it.
---
Akshay.
Alice.
Raj.
Taai.
Tchoco.
---
Five.
---
The number felt wrong.
---
Tchoco listened quietly.
As they explained everything.
Even though he'd already heard parts of it through letters.
Hearing it directly was different.
---
Especially Brennan.
---
When they finished—
Nobody spoke.
---
Then Tchoco sighed.
---
"...That idiot."
---
Alice almost laughed.
Almost.
---
Because somehow—
That was exactly what Brennan would have wanted people to say.
---
"Remember when he tried cooking?"
Tchoco suddenly asked.
---
Raj immediately groaned.
---
"No."
---
"Remember when he almost burned down the village kitchen?"
---
Taai started laughing.
---