15 Minutes Ago
"Hershe!" the knight slammed the glass doors open. His eyes frantically scanned for a familiar librarian as his voice echoed throughout the library. But Hershe wasn't anywhere among the tables or shelves. The few people that were there looked up in surprise, eyeing the knight with a weird look. One of them even shushed him, since screaming at the top of your lungs was kind of taboo in a library.
But frankly, Min couldn't give any less of a shit and quickly ran up the stairs, shouting the librarian's name again.
"Hershe!"
This time, he heard a faint response from the room at the very end — one of the library's storage rooms. Immediately, Min ran forth and turned the doorknob, eyes resting upon a surprised librarian and equally shocked maid, who were both looking at a book in Hershe’s hands. While the room had a bunch of metal storage shelves against the walls, messy stacks of books were scattered all over the floor. Min couldn’t tell if they were on the 'to-read' list or if this was the room’s normal condition.
"...Joy?" the knight panted, confusion sweeping across his face. "Wha... what are you doing here?"
"Oh! H-hello, Sir Min!” she gave him a sweet smile. “I was just asking Master Hershe to show me some books on humans and Earth. What about you? Why are you here?" Joy noticed his haggard breathing and sweat-covered face. "Are you alright? You seem awfully panicked!"
"I'm-" he halted.
Wait, Joy had a point. Why was he so panicked? Min blinked and straightened his posture, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. He was one to never lose his composure, always having a clear head in the face of danger. Yet here he was, tripping over his feet to find a woman he hadn't even known for a week.
His eyes widened. Wait...that's right! Mayor Twix had personally asked him to protect the human, only for him to lose sight of her moments later. He felt shame and embarrassment creeping up on him. How could he call himself a proper knight — much less the mayor’s personal one — if he couldn't even complete a simple task? He shook his head, disappointed. But he could reprimand himself later, there was still the urgent situation at hand.
Min took in a deep breath. Then he told Hershe and Joy a summary of what happened.
"The mayor asked me to escort [Name] around town. However, I...got too caught up in my thoughts. When I turned around, she was already gone. To make matters worse, it was especially busy today since the townsfolk all wanted a peek at the 'infamous' human." Min sighed. "I came here to ask for your help, Hershe. I know you're able to find anyone with your magic."
Joy became wide-eyed, her pale skin somehow turning a shade paler. On the other hand, Hershe blinked in surprise. Then he chuckled, not missing even a beat to tease him.
"My, my, Min! I never took you for someone who gets lost in their daydreams~" The knight felt a surge of annoyance rising to his chest. "What were you fantasizing about? Love? Could our little Min actually be a hopeless romantic?" Hershe grinned mischievously as Min clenched his jaw.
"I'm not. I was just thinking about recent situations." He huffed, glaring at him. "Are you going to continue provoking me or actually be useful?"
At his words, Joy quickly turned to the librarian and shook his arm.
"Please Master Hershe! I'm worried for my lady! This is her first time being in town by herself..." seeing the maid panic, Hershe's face turned slightly more serious.
"You shouldn't worry, Miss Joy. Stress is poison for the body after all." He placed the book he was holding on top of one of the stacks. "Miss [Name] is smart, I'm sure she can handle herself. Why, I'm even certain she's already captured the hearts of our people, laughing joyously and sharing stories from Earth!" Min rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. That couldn't have been further from what had actually happened.
"Y-you think so?" Joy perked up, slightly relieved. If that was true, she definitely wanted to hear those stories as well.
"Mmhm. But to ease your worries, I'll track her with my magic." His chocolate eyes darted up to the knight. "However, this spell is limited to a radius of fifty miles. If, by chance, she's somewhere as faraway as the castle, I won't be able to find her then."
"That's fine. Just do it already." Hershe smiled and clicked his tongue.
"As impatient as ever, Min~"
He closed his eyes and chanted words the other two couldn't quite decipher. After a quick flash of light, [Name] appeared as a floating image in the air, just like one from a crystal ball. The librarian opened his chocolate eyes and peered into the picture.
"There she is! Look, she's perfectly fin-" he froze, eyes widening. Min felt a mix of anger and desperation rushing up on him as he stared into the image with shaking hands.
"M...my lady!" Joy shrieked. Her hands reached out, only to pass through the image. "Why—why on earth is she tied to a chair?! Is she hurt?!"
"I...I have no clue. Out of all the things, I didn't expect for Miss [Name] to have been—" Hershe paused, blinking rapidly. "Hold on. Let me try to pinpoint her location." He shut his eyes tight again, eyebrows furrowing as Joy looked on in horror.
"Who's the bastard who did this?" the knight next to her spoke. Although his voice was eerily calm, it was obvious he was lucid. Joy's body shook with anger next to him, appearing as if she was going to race out the library any second. "...Hershe? Hershe!”
"Quiet Min!" the librarian shouted, taking the two by surprise. It was super strange to see the mischievous male do a 180 of his usual persona, but then again, the knight wasn't exactly like himself either.
Then, Hershe’s eyes snapped open.
"There—it's there! She's at that rose-colored two-story house near the very end of town. There's a garden in the back. It seems like they're growing cocoa beans." Hershe paused. "You two should hurry. Since the mayor's residence is near here, you should use one of his carriages. That'll be much faster than traveling on foot."
"Got it, thanks." Min nodded before looking at the maid. "Let's go!"
Joy glanced back. “I’ll be back here another time, Master Hershe! My lady's safety takes utmost importance right now!"
The librarian smiled, “Obviously. Please make sure Miss [Name] is safe for me. She still has to give me a tour of her world when the time comes.”
"Min? Miss Joy? What's wrong? Why are you two in such a hurry?" Twix asked, standing in front of a golden carriage. He blinked as the two ran up to him. The desperation on their faces making an alarm go off in the mayor’s head.
"Ha...my liege, [Name]'s in trouble!" Min panted. Twix's eyes widened.
"Trouble?” he frowned. "What exactly happened?"
"My lord, with all due respect, there's no time to explain!" Joy frantically exclaimed, opening the carriage doors and climbing inside. "Please get in! My lady has been kidnapped! We must save her right away!"
Upon hearing that, Twix's face turned deadly serious.
"Where is she right now?"
"At—near the end of town. It's a two story house, the walls are rose colored. There are large, cocoa bean trees in the backyard." Min answered. The mayor nodded his head as Min got inside, sitting across from Joy. Then, Twix quickly strutted over to the driver, exchanged a few words, and entered the carriage..
"I've informed the driver of the urgent situation. Please hold on tight. The ride ahead of us will be quite swift."
Present Time
“Guys?! What are you doing here? Also how’d you find me?” you ask, still gripping onto Kat’s weave. The brunette gives you one look of horror before scurrying off of you and bumping into Kit, who’s equally as shocked at the situation.
”Hershe helped us find you! Are you hurt, my lady? Wait, no need to answer that question, of course you are!” Joy sends a glare to Kat. Even with her adorable face, the maid still manages to look intimidating. “This girl was the one who kidnapped and tied you up, right?!
Technically Kit was the one who tied the ropes, but close enough.
”Well yeah but-“
“This is a major crime.” Min cuts in. “An ordinary kidnapping would’ve been bad, but a kidnapping of the prince’s personal guest?” He narrows his eyes at the twins, taking a step closer with his blade in front of him. “…You two would be utterly lucky if you left this room with your heads intact.”
Your eyes widen. Hold up, was Min implying that he was going to execute Kit and Kat?! Even though you were the victim, you still thought it was a tad too far. They were minors, and the main trait of almost every teenager was doing dumb things once or twice. You could relate, you had your fair share of embarrassing middle and high school memories. Ones you would very much like to chuck off a cliff. Of course, you obviously never kidnapped someone. Wait, who knows? Maybe you did. You’ll never find out unless your amnesia stops cockblocking your memories though.
”I’m pretty sure that’s super unnecessary, Min.” For the first time ever, you manage to catch the knight completely off guard.
”...What?" his stare on you hardens. “For crying out loud, they kidnapped you, woman! And now you’re trying to protect them? What kind of logic is that?” you were about to argue back when a certain mayor speaks first.
”Easy Min, I agree with [Miss Name].” Twix steps up, crouching down on one knee next to you. “While death may be excessive, a crime is still a crime. Especially one as serious as this. Since you were the unfortunate victim, Miss [Name], what punishment would you like to impose on them?” you smile at him as thanks for taking your side and turn back to the knight.
“First of all Min, I don’t have a savior complex. I literally wanted to snap Kat’s spine in half earlier when she came me that drugged DumDum.”
Joy’s eyes widen at your statement, her head turning toward the twins at the speed of light, who look visibly frightened at the sight of her. Even you’re suddenly starting to worry for them. You raise both your hands up, stopping Joy before she can snap their kneecaps in half.
“B-but just to clarify, besides that and tying me up, they didn’t hurt me! Kat did push me to the ground a few seconds ago, but I only have a small bump on my head from it! I’m fine! Knocked out a little bit of my brain cells, but they’ll regenerate....hopefully.”
Min and Joy don’t look too happy from your words. On the other hand, the mayor nods.
”I see. Thank you for explaining what happened, Miss [Name]." He rises and offers you a hand. You take it and he swiftly pulls you up.
“While I acknowledge my lady’s words, I still urge you to punish them my lord.” Joy suddenly says, grabbing your attention. Her eyes soften when she turns to you. “My….my lady is too kind. That’s why she’s insisting on sparing them.”
You blink from her words. Umm, no. That wasn't it. Besides, kind? Anybody back on Earth would've never used that adjective for you. Sometimes nice? Yeah, that fit you much better.
If Kit and Kat had tortured you or something, then you would have happily watched them get dragged away in handcuffs. But they didn’t. Plus, you felt bad for Kit, who was lumped into this situation because of his sister. And above all, you literally just wanted to return home, not give the twins the death penalty. You were not letting that be the source of your future nightmares and never-ending guilt back on Earth.
Your eyes fall to Joe Mama’s diary on the floor. Oh right. You dropped it because of Kat being possessed by Satan five minutes ago. Bending down, you pick it up, your mood instantly improving just from the sight of it. Even though getting kidnapped was a pretty dog water experience, at least you got this diary out of it! You were definitely going to confiscate this, and if a certain brunette said no, you would just list all the things she did today and guilt-trip her. Hopefully the other pages had some new info, that and an explanation for why Kat was so infatuated with you.
Actually, maybe it would be better to ask her directly.
“Yo Kat, why are you-“
Thud
A bajillion cocoa beans scatter around on the ceramic floor like marbles, a few of them rolling up to your feet. You peer down in confusion before whipping your head to the kitchen doorway.
“Dios mío...! What’s happening here?” Grandma calls out, holding an empty wooden basket, which would've been filled to the brim with cocoa beans seconds prior. When she finally notices the mayor, her eyes almost bulge out from shock. “P-Prince Twix?!” she immediately bows her head. “I-I pay my respects to the future king of Candy Land! I don’t understand what’s happening, but although we don't have much, may I offer you a cup of tea?"
Twix smiles politely at her.
“While tea does sound amazing, I’ll have to decline your offer señora. Perdona.” He glances back to the twins, who are still frozen in place. Wow, Min wasn’t kidding when he said Twix’s reputation was something else. All the confidence in Kat had been drained and now she stood there, frozen like a statue next to her brother.
With one gesture of his hand, the twins run up to him and bow their heads.
”Y-yes, Your Highness?” Kit stammers out. Twix peers down at them with a neutral expression before placing a hand on each of their shoulders. He sends them a gentle smile as they perk up in surprise.
“I would like to speak to you two outside. Please follow me. In the meantime, Min, Joy, Miss [Name] — would you three do me a favor and inform Kit and Kat’s abuela of the situation?” He gives you a small smile before turning around, his cape flickering behind him. The twins look at each other before hesitantly trailing after the mayor. You compare the image to two ducklings following their mother. But a gut feeling tells you that Twix had them go with him instead of Joy and Min for a reason. Probably for their safety...
In the meanwhile, Grandma looks to the three of you.
”Please sit down in the living room while I turn on the kettle. It won’t take too long, I promise.”
Min opens his mouth to seemingly protest but Joy speaks first, a soft smile on her lips.
“Thank you, ma’am!” she chirps.
You blink. Looks like polite and sweet Joy came back the moment the twins left the room.
The three of you enter the living room and plop down on the flower-patterned couch and sofas. There’s a familiar but odd scent in the air, like the smell you would expect from your grandma’s closet. Your eyes flicker to the kitchen doorway, where you can still see some cocoa beans spilling from the kitchen and rolling onto the living room’s carpet. You bend down to pick some up when Min takes you by surprise.
”....[Name], I sincerely apologize for the trouble I've caused you.”
You stare at him, wide-eyed and in the process of placing a cocoa bean into your palm.
”Uhhh, what?” you dumbly say. Was this payback for catching him off guard a few minutes ago? Honestly, you were not expecting that, at all.
In your head, the idea of Min apologizing to you had the same probability of you winning the lottery, getting robbed, stabbed by a homeless guy, then isekai’d to the world of a webtoon and waking up in the body of some rando villainess. You knew Min was probably feeling guilty from you getting kidnapped, but it’s not like he wanted that to happen. Still, the knight lowers his head in shame.
”I’m sorry for rushing off without you earlier. Truthfully, I….did not know you weren’t behind me. I only realized when I turned around. Obviously, it was too late by then."
You raise a brow. Was Min saying the truth? You couldn’t really tell. While you did say you would cuss him out for leaving you, you were beyond exhausted by now and just wanted to sleep in your comfy, ant-filled marshmallow bed.
”Eh, apology accepted.” You respond, continuing to pick up the cocoa beans. Now it was Min’s turn to stare dumbly at you, mouth wide open like he was a fish out of water. The sight was pretty amusing actually. Joy, who’s next to him on the sofa, also stares at you in surprise.
“My lady….you’re far too kind for your own sake.” Although she says that with a hint of somberness, you laugh from her words.
“Pfft, thanks Joy! I don’t think you would say the same thing after seeing my takes on Twitter though.” She blinks.
“...Umm, pardon my question my lady, but what is ‘Twitter’?” you grin to yourself and quickly turn around to hide your snickering. Oh y gosh, she fell right into the trap! You would eventually tell Joy about that wonderful, wondrous website, but right now, you wanted to keep her innocence intact for a bit longer.
”Don’t worry about it!" you chirp. Joy frowns, obviously not forgetting the term 'Twitter' anytime soon. Min quirks his brow before fake coughing into his fist.
”[Name], are you seriously accepting my apology just like that?”
”Um…yeah! Why not?” you smile at him. “It’s not like you wanted me to get kidnapped. Wait...unless you did???” you stare at him with a faux expression of betrayal and his eyes widen.
“Wha- no! Of course not! I…” Min pauses, clasping the back of his neck with his hand. “…I know I haven’t exactly treated you that well since you’ve arrived here, but I would never want you to be in danger.” He lifts his hand and places it over his heart. “I swear by my oath as a knight.”
You and Joy stare at the minty knight with shocked expressions.
”Oh… alright. Okay. Thanks!” you then to proceed to immediately whip your head away from him. Cheesy, heartfelt lines were always your worst nightmare, and hearing it come out of the usual stoic knight made it even worse. Today was such a fever dream, you thought to yourself. A hour ago, you were in the mansion's kitchen with Sam, chomping on some fries. And now, you were bonding with Min after getting kidnapped by thing one and thing two? This day could not get weirder.
Grandma enters the room with the tea tray she had earlier. This time, there are four china tea cups on it. She places the tray on the glass table and smiles at the three of you. You slowly pick up a cup and take a sip, eyes widening from the pleasant surprise.
”Green tea?”
“Mmhm~" she sits down on one of the empty armchairs. “[Name] dear, was it? What a lovely name! I heard Sir Min from the kitchen, if you were wondering."
You’re about to say “Thanks, my mom gave me it!” but ultimately decide to spare the candy people from your corniness. Just for today though. Then, another person takes you by surprise. This time, Grandma lowers her head to you.
“I truly apologize for not helping you earlier and also on the behalf of my grandchildren’s actions. I...It's my job as their guardian to properly discipline them, and I will make sure to do so. I beg for your forgiveness first.”
You blink. Was today national apologize day? Wait, did that actually exist? If international nose picking day was a thing, why not national apologize day? If it didn't, then you would make it happen.
“Um it’s alright...please lift your head ma’am!” you clear your throat. Even though Kit and Kat's grandma was also kinda at fault, you would feel guilty if you didn't accept her apology. Holding out your palm full of cocoa beans to her, you grin. “I picked a few of these up for you. When you're old, I bet bending down is really tough so here!"
Her eyes widen.
“Oh! Thank you, dear…” for a second, Grandma almost looks overwhelmed by your kindness, like she’s about to tear up while staring at the cocoa beans in her palm. You don’t know why though, you only helped because you felt bad for the elderly with their weak ankle and elbow joints and all. She looks up at you. “I….understand this may be asking too much, but could you forgive my Kit and Kat for what they've done?”
Joy’s eyes widen.
“That’s—“ you hold up a hand and she closes her mouth. You appreciated Joy trying to speak for you, but you were the victim of this situation. Therefore, you were going to make sure your voice was heard.
"I’m sorry, I can't just instantly forgive your grandchildren. I'm not some kind of...saint. Sure, I don’t really want them to be punished, but what they did was pretty serious. If my friends hadn’t arrived, I’m certain Kat and I would have had a much more serious tussle. One that would include black eyes and maybe even broken ribs.” You leave out the part saying that you would've won.
Min and Joy seem to brighten up from your response. You look at them weirdly, making a note to question them later, before glancing back to Kit and Kat’s abuela. She somberly nods and your heart hurts a bit. No, [Name]! Don't you dare be a pushover.
"Although I can't change your mind, I believe I owe you a explanation about Kat's behavior — to the best of my abilities, of course.” Grandma softly sighs. "When His Highness returns, I'm sure you can ask her any of your remaining questions. Is that alright with you, Miss [Name]?"
Your eyes widen. Finally! You had already put most of the puzzle together, but there were still a few pieces missing. Hopefully Grandma's explanation would give you full the picture.
”Um, yeah! Yes please!” you grin, probably a little too excited. Though you couldn't help yourself. It was time to hear Kat’s tragic, anime villain backstory! You wish you had some buttery popcorn, maybe even soda. You could go for a Red Bull right about now. Maybe you could even sprout some wings from it and fly your way back to Earth.
Grandma’s eyes glance to something behind you. You, Joy, and Min all turn around to look at a large family portrait, most likely of Kit and Kat’s entire family. There, you see the twins, their parents, Grandma, and a senile man with a big grin next to her — most likely Grandpa. The old woman opens her mouth.
”A few years back, a tragic event occurred. It changed all of our lives but affected my dear Kat the most. This event was the death of my husband and Kat's abuelo, whom she loved very much.”
Five Years Ago
Kat walked down the hallway on the second floor. She rubbed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, trying to steady her breathing. While she looked fine on the outside, maybe a bit paler than usual, on the inside... she was one giant, jumbled mess. In order to stop her tears from leaking out again, she chanted the follow phrases to herself:
Don't cry.
Don't cry.
You're too old to shed tears.
You're not a kid anymore.
Grow up.
You're not the only one who's sad.
Don't be such a wimp.
Think happy thoughts.
Only happy thoughts.
Like that time the neighborhood dog bit Kit's butt.
Pfft. She finally smiled at that last one.
Kat wouldn't cry anymore, she even swore it. But despite having poured her eyes out at the funeral, she still felt the annoying tears prick at her every time she thought about the situation, which is why she tried to think happy thoughts. And only happy thoughts. It was much easier said than done though.
Downstairs, Kit and Abuela were busy decorating the ofrenda for Abuelo, piling delicious fruits and foods onto plates, and putting flowers such as marigolds around the altar, with a picture of the smiling man on the very top. It had been two weeks since the death of her beloved grandpa, yet it felt like years in her perspective.
She hated feeling sad. Kat was the type of person who would never get depressed. Whenever Kit would tear up, she would tease him (it was her own way of trying to cheer Kit up) by saying "What's the point of drinking water if you're a crybaby? You're just gonna get dehydrated all over again!"
But then her brother would only cry harder, and she would get scolded by Abuela. Whoops.
Kat kind of regretted saying that now. But at the same time, she almost envied how Kit hadn't shed that many tears, and how he had already composed himself by now. She, on the other hand, was still an ugly, bitter mess. Kat bit her lips, feeling some of the skin on her bottom lip peel off and poke her upper lip. Kat hadn't been eating or drinking properly for a few days now, but she ignored her thirst and continued to walk down the hallway.
It was strange though. Her parents had also died a few years back, but the grief she felt back then was nothing like the one she felt now. Maybe it’s because she was too young at the time to properly understand what loss meant. Or maybe, because mere moments later, like a knight in shining armor, her abuelo entered into her life — instantly making it brighter. He was like the embodiment of the sun, warm, dazzling, his smile inextinguishable. And now...he's gone. Just like my folks. Great. Kat bitterly thought.
She pulled down the ladder to the attic, climbing up and pushing open the hatch. A wave of dust instantly hit her face in the face, making her cough and almost fall off.
"Crap!"
Luckily, she grabbed the handles of the ladder before that could happen. Then, she squinted and peered inside, trying to avoid any dust bunnies from hopping into her eyes.
Abuela had said that her husband was a bit of a hoarder, collecting anywhere from priceless to mere junk. He was the epitome of the phrase: "One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure". Scanning the room, just one look confirmed that her abuela was right. Kat prompted herself up and carefully stood up. Warm rays of light poured in through the attic window, yet it didn't manage to make her feel any better. She still felt cold. Really cold. Freezing, almost. Was this a side effect of grief? -2/10, Kat did not recommend. Wow, even the shitty jokes she would say out loud to herself didn't cheer her up. And they always did.
Had she eaten something sour earlier? If not...why was there such a bitter taste in her mouth that wouldn't go away?
Her eyes caught glimpse of sunlight reflecting against a shiny object. She lifted a dusty, golden globe out of one of the numerous cardboard boxes. Another one of Abuelo’s random treasures. Was it real gold? Kat didn't really care either way. Though if it took thousands of gold bars to bring her Abuelo back, she would gladly pay the price.
Despite the girl having a twin brother, when it came to her and Abuelo, they were like two peas-in-a-pod. No offense to Kit, but for Abuelo, jokes came to him as effortlessly as breathing did. Sometimes, she even believed he was born just to make her laugh. If he was here right now, Kat knew he would scold her for shedding so many tears over him.
"Ay de mí! What's this? Mi princesa is crying? Tell your abuelito who did this to you and he'll give them the ol' one-two punch!"
She smiled. At least she still had her imagination to envision happy scenarios with her beloved grandpa. Maybe she would dream of him again tonight, a dream setting place in another world, where Abuelo was still alive and well. And then they could smack talk people like usual, like Maria, the baker's daughter who lived down the street, listen to Abuelo's countless stories, or talk about Kat's favorite topic: Kit's embarrassing stories!
"Mija! Come downstairs, por favor! I need your help with something!" Abuela shouted faintly, cutting her daydreams into two. Kat sighed.
"Coming abuelita!"
She took one last glance around the room, and that's when she remembered something.
Abuelo would always talk about how he used to travel all over Candy Land to sight-see and to sample all the cuisine. At one point, he even told Kat an interesting story. He had the diary of a human that once stayed in Candy Castle, the very one reserved only for royalty. At first, Kat thought he was just making the word 'human' and the whole story up. It sure sounded funny. Who-man? Hoo-man? The word made her giggle non-stop at the time. But then, Abuelo elaborated.
"Humans are just like you and me, mija. They look really similar to us, except their faces and hair are a little... strange. Light barely reflects off of it! Compared to them, we have a bit of a shine — a glow to us, don't you agree? But what makes them so intriguing is that they're from a different world. One far, far away from ours. And no one, except for the king maybe, knows how to get there. Isn't that fascinating? ¿Entiendes?"
"Sí, abuelito! That's beyond cool! Do you think I could meet a hue-man one day?"
He laughed. "It's pronounced 'human', mija. But of course. If your own abuelito saw one, why can't you?But when you do see one, make sure I'm the first one to know about it. You can tell your hermano afterwards, okay?"
"Pfft, alright! I hope Kit won't be too sad though."
The brunette halted, eyes widening. Wait, if all of Abuelo's things had been moved up to the attic — a lightbulb went off in her head — that meant the diary was here! In this very room she was in!
"Mija!"
Kat snapped out of her thoughts, excitement bubbling in her stomach. She gave the attic one last look before descending down the ladder.
"Wait for me, diary. I'll be back for you soon."
The next day, Kat quickly pulled down the ladder, opened the attic's hatch, and climbed in. This time, her twin brother was right behind her. He had been dragged by Kat to help her search for the diary.
"I don't get it Kat, why are you so excited over a journal?" the boy asked, carefully climbing inside. Kat clicked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment.
"Diary. It's a diary, hermano. Besides, it's not just any plain, old, dusty diary. Abuelito told me it was owned by a human!" Kit frowned at her words.
"Human? As in that fabled species? Didn't the last one supposedly arrive like 45 years ago?"
"Yes, no, and yes. It's not some made up story Kit, humans are real! Besides, Abuelo even said he saw one in-person before."
"Okay...how come I've never heard him tell me that then?" Kat grinned.
"Cuz you're always glued to abuelita's side 24/7, duh! Now help me find the thing, the journal, diary, whatever." The older ten-year-old walked over to the end of the attic. "You can search over there while I'll be over here, m'kay?"
Kit sighed and crouched on the floor, sorting through the junk in the boxes.
"Fine, hermana."
Kit paused, hands hovering over a small leather object. Could it be? His heart pounded in excitement and he gingerly picked it up, coughing once the dust was blown off.
"Kat! C-come here!" his twin sister perked her head up in annoyance.
"Jeez, what is it? What's got you so panicke-" her eyes widened at Kit's awed face. Then, Kat dropped whatever she was holding and ran over, not caring if Abuela could hear her footsteps from downstairs. "Did you find it?!” she slid down next to him, carefully taking the leather-covered item from him. "Is—is this it?"
"I-I think so?” he took a peek out the window. The sun was slowly setting. "It's already been hours since we started looking, and I'm covered in dust! Ah jeez, I definitely need to take a shower. I hope that's the diary we're looking for though."
Kat didn't reply. Instead, she untied the string wrapped around the diary to force it shut. Once it was off, she quickly flipped to the first page.
Private Diary of Joy Seyfried
Her fast, excited breathing reminded Kit of the local neighborhood dog that would always run up to them and demand headpats. The same one that sunk his sharp teeth into his butt once. Ouch. Kit could still feel the pain he felt on that day. He held back his laughter when he looked back up, sparkles seemed to be dancing in his sister's eyes.
"This...THIS IS IT!" the brunette tackled Kit to the floor and hugged him with all her might. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" After a moment's surprise he laughed, patting his overjoyed sister on the back.
"O-of course! De nada, Kat!"
The two sat up and Kit smiled at how ecstatic she was. Then, he stood up and brushed the dust off of him.
"I'm going to go wash up and see if abuelita needs any help. See you at dinner, Kat!"
Kat didn't even hear his words or notice her brother had left the room. For her, she took one look at the page and already knew the diary would be the cause of her many, future, sleepless nights.
You blink as Grandma finishes retelling what happened five years ago. You were so invested in the story that you didn't realize you were on the edge of your chair, one inch away from falling off and bruising your ass. Quickly scooting back, you gape.
"Wow....I didn't know the diary came from Kit and Kat's grandpa! That's—well things certainly make a lot more sense now." Joy nods her head, glancing at you.
"My lady, ever since the...passing away of her beloved grandparent, do you think the diary...?" she pauses.
"That, er, the diary became a massive source of comfort for Kat?" you finish. She nods again. "Well...it sure sounds like it. To be obsessed with it for five years straight is definitely something though."
You peer down at leather item in your hands. The moment you get back to Twix's mansion, you were definitely going to flop on your marshmallow bed and binge the shit out of this. Then, Min speaks up.
"Ma'am, did your husband ever tell you about the diary?" Grandma blinks in surprise.
"I....I believe he mentioned it once to me before, a long, long time before my grandchildren came into this world. I never expected him to still have it, much less have it from the start. He was always such a jokester. That's why I thought he was also joking at that time." She smiles. "I suppose he wasn't."
The elderly woman takes a long sip from her cup.
"...Miss [Name], I must apologize again. A diary that my husband got a hold of many, many years ago, caused you so much trouble today."
"It's fine, grandma." Joy and Min whip their heads to you in surprise. The minty knight turns away, obviously trying to hide his laugh. You glare at him, heat hugging your cheeks. "I-I mean, 'ma'am'. I meant to say 'ma'am', not grandma. M-my bad." On the outside you were smiling, on the inside you wanted to throw yourself off a cliff. Ugh, this is just like calling your teacher mom, but way worse cause Min is totally going to use this against me now. "You—you just remind me of my grandma back home! Both of you are sweet old ladies, y'know?" you preferred your real one though. Her cookies were unrivaled. Not even Sam would be able to beat her.
Grandma softly smiles. "Is that so? It's a honor that I remind you of your abuela back home, mija." She glances at the front door. "It seems they're still not back yet. Could I entertain you three with some stories about my grandchildren? I promise they're quite funny! A few embarrassing ones are added to the mix after all. Hehe."
You glance at Min and Joy, who both nod. And then, you speak up.
"Yes, please!" if Kat ever tries anything after this, you wouldn't hesitate to expose some of her childhood secrets.
From the moment he was born, Kit was always in his sister’s shadow. Kat had been born five minutes prior to his birth. Little did he know she would use that against him until the day she died.
Later on, when they were toddlers, she was the one who learned to walk first, while Kit could only crawl after his beloved twin sister, not wanting to be left behind. Fortunately, Kat was a very perceptive child. She instantly caught on, stopping in her tracks so he could catch up. Yeah, she viewed herself as superior since she was born five minutes earlier. But still, Kat loved her baby brother with all her heart.
In elementary, Kat was always the outspoken, argumentative, often-times class clown. She was — for a lack of a better word — popular, and incredibly smart as well. Kat would always be elected class president, even when she would complain about how annoying the kids and the job were.
On the other hand, Kit was more hesitant to throw himself into the world of socialization. He needed time to ease into his new environment, one with loud, chaotic kids and boring school assignments. Truthfully, Kit wouldn’t have cared if he was homeschooled, he probably would’ve liked it better. Still, he was grateful that Kat was there with him, giving him a sense of security in an unknown world. Though sometimes, she would run off with her other friends and forget he existed. He didn’t mind though. It was nice seeing his sister being so happy.
When they lost their parents, Kit was the more devastated one. Seeing this, Kat gave him a long hug, one that was a little too tight. However, he liked that it was so warm.
Middle school was when they started growing apart — only slightly though. Kat would be busy with softball practice or debate club while Kit studied in his library or went to the garden club meetings. Miraculously, Kit had taken after his abuela and was born with nature magic. It wasn’t anything too impressive, but he could speed up the growth of crops by a lot. For example, it would take years for a cocoa tree to be fully grown. Kit could grow a full one in under a month.
Surprisingly, Kat was the one left with the end of the pocky stick. She was powerless, but did you really need powers when you were naturally charismatic, intelligent, and athletic? They were still worlds apart as always.
And when the death of Abuelo came, it came hard. Not only for Kat, but Kit as well. He was never as close to him as his sister was, but Kit loved him. Very much.
Kit wasn’t the most talkative person in the world (partly due to his anxiety he tried to suppress) but with Abuelo, he could feel his nervousness vanishing. As if it was never there in the first place. Every time they spoke, it was like having a conversation with the sun — one that didn’t burn his eyes every time he looked at him of course.
At Abuelo's funeral, tears flowed down his cheeks like a waterfall flowing down a cliff.
But then, he saw Abuela comforting his sister, who was curled up in a ball on the floor. Obviously, she was inconsolable. Her sobs pained the boy's heart.
And so, Kit's tears slowly came to a stop.
He was going to try to be strong for both Kat and Abuelita.
"KIT! Oh my gosh! I have SO MUCH to fill you in on!!!" she yelled, rapidly jumping up and down in place. Kit could only stare at his sister, dumbfounded.
"W-what is it?" he blinked, eyes widening. "H-hey, wait! Abuelita banned you from swearing, remember!"
"Awww, you'll cover for me, won't you Kit? But OMG, just LISTEN to what I have to say!" Kat beamed, dragging him into the living room. "Remember that diary we found a week ago?" Kit perked up.
"Y-yeah? Oh wait, did you ever finish reading it?"
His sister could only send him the smuggest look he had ever seen. He flinched, frowning in response.
"W-what's that look supposed to mean...?"
"Hehe...of course I did, you big dummy! I finished a long time ago, I just needed extra time to collect my thoughts and theorize! Now sit!" Kat firmly pushed him down on the sofa. "Your legs are going to be sore if you stand up through all of this~" Although Kit sighed, he couldn't help but smile at his sister's enthusiasm. He was glad she seemed to be fine again.
"Kit, Kat. I am extremely disappointed in you two." Twix sternly said, frowning as the two lowered their heads in shame. The two were outside, in front of the Nestlé family house. It was a good thing a lot of people didn't come to this part of town or else Kit would've been much more embarrassed. "Miss [Name] is a special guest who's been staying at my residence for the meantime, meaning she's been taken under my wing. Harming such an important person is utterly forbidden. I wouldn't be able to deny her wishes if she wanted you two to be sent to the dungeon for this." The twins perked up in surprise. Sweat covered Kit's face as he stared at the mayor with a panicked expression.
"B-but...!" he bit his lip. No. It was his decision to help his sister kidnap you. He tilted his head down again. This was the consequences of his actions, and he had to accept it.
"Your Highness," Kat said, making Kit and Twix turn to her. She had a determined look in her eyes, one Kit instantly recognized. It only ever showed up whenever she was going to do something rash. He frowned. "Instead of punishing us both, please penalize only me instead. I don't believe Kit deserves to punished, since I was the one who made him go along with my schemes. I ask that you let me take on his punishment as well."
His eyes widened.
What?
"K-Kat!" the boy shouted. "What—what are you talking about?"
"Don't worry Kit," she grinned. "Let your big sister take care of this, okay? It's my fault you were dragged into this situation. I might as well take all the blame. Plus, abuelita would be lonely if both of us were gone." he frowned, shaking his head.
"W....what are you talking about?! I-I chose to help instead of stopping you! I tied [Name] up....besides, you're only five minutes older! Stop trying to take all of the responsibility, and just listen to me for once in your life you—you idiota!"
Kit's sudden volume in his voice surprised both Kat and Twix. The brunette stepped back, blinking in utter surprise.
"Kit..." She looks away, cheeks darkening. "Listen up, alright? This is super embarrassing to say, so I'm not repeating myself." Kat glanced back, gaze softening under the stare of her little brother. "...I'm sorry. Ever since Abuelito's death, I know I've given you a pretty hard time. I've always known I wasn't the only one suffering from grief, but I refused to acknowledge anyone's pain. And then after we found that diary, I forced you to listen to my stupid rants about Earth and humans, I pranked and teased you nonstop, and now I've gotten both of us in serious trouble, with the prince, of all people." Kat looks away, wiping at her eyes. "...I've been a pretty shitty big sister, haven't I?"
"...."
For a lack of a better description, the boy was shook to the core. So shocked that when he tried opening his mouth, no words came out. Kat...apologizing? No way—he must've misheard that, right? Besides, why did she make it sound like a farewell? She wasn't actually leaving, right?
Mayor Twix stared at the two siblings with sympathetic eyes. In truth, he didn't want to severely punish them either. But it wouldn't be fair if you, the one who got kidnapped, didn't have a say in the matter. He cleared his throat and the twins instantly perked up.
"I'm glad at least one good thing came out of this situation. Kat, it seems to me that you knew you were causing trouble for your brother all along. But now, you look quite relieved that you got such a heavy weight off your shoulders." He gave her a gentle smile. "...Am I wrong?"
She glanced away. "No, Your Highness. You're....you're correct."
"Kat..." tears began to prick at Kit's eyes. If only he could go back in time and restart the entire day over again, then he'd prevent this mess from ever happening.
Twix gave him a sad smile and gently wrapped his arm around the boy, surprising him in the process.
"Don't fret too much, Kit. You as well, Kat. The punishment is still to be decided after all. We should go back inside now. I wouldn't want to keep your abuela waiting."
"Pfft, what?! No way!" you hug your stomach, bending down as you die from laughter. "I didn't know Kat was such a menace back then...I mean, she's still one now, but wow. I feel bad for Kit." Grandma chuckles at your words, smiling fondly at the memory.
"I agree. The poor boy was in tears afterwards, crying into my shoulder. I had to rub his back while Kat stood in the corner, looking very guilty. I remember Kit's hair and face looking quite the mess."
"I'm sure he looked quite cute wearing Kat's dress though!" Joy turns to you. "I don't think I've ever told you this my lady, but I actually have a lot of siblings. My younger sisters would always make our brothers play with them. And often times, they had to look the part as well." She giggles. "This meant they would have to put on my dresses to make our sisters happy~! They did look quite pretty. Though I'm not sure why they looked so annoyed when I told them that..."
You laugh. "Damn. For real? I'm pretty sure I'm an only child, but if I had an older brother I would definitely force him to play with me."
Min cracks a smile. "I would feel horrible for your hypothetical brother then. Dealing with you is already bad, but you would force him against his will too? How shameless." You gape at the knight's words.
"Rude as ever, Min! But isn't, isn't it like an unspoken rule for younger siblings to always bother their older ones? I'm pretty sure I'm right." Joy grins.
"That rule is definitely true for me and my siblings back home!"
"See Min, I was correct. But now I kinda wanna meet your family, Joy! Where do you live-"
The front door swings open and a tall mayor-prince and the two halves of a Kit-Kat bar walk into the room. You snicker to yourself. Sounds like a set up for a shitty joke. But then, your happy expression turns sour as you realize what just happened.
Are you shitting me? you think to yourself. Why is it that you always get interrupted when you're trying to ask a question? Were the candy gods trolling your ass right now? You ignore Min doing the try-not-to-laugh challenge and glance at Joy instead, noticing a look of relief on her face. You raise a brow but don't point it out.
"Hello everyone. We've returned~" Twix flashes a pearly white smile. Wow, literal humanized candies with diets consisting of pure sugar had perfect, shiny teeth but you didn't? You were definitely calling BS on that one. "I hope we didn't make you wait too long, señora."
Grandma gives him a blissful smile. "Don't worry, Your Highness. These three have been excellent company! Haha, I'm even tempted to invite them over for tea again soon." She slowly prompts herself up, strolling over to the twins before enveloping them in her arms. Their somber expressions turn to surprise, and they immediately hug her back.
While Joy aww's at the scene, you theorize about what happened outside. Man, you would've paid at least ten bucks to know what he said to them. You glance at Twix, but unfortunately, he catches you staring. He quickly shoots you another polite smile as if asking 'do you need something?'
You look away in embarrassment. Nah, it probably wasn't anything too intense. He probably just scolded the twins like a mom would. Moms were already scary enough though, and Mayor Twix definitely gave off motherly vibes in your opinion. An image of him in a bright, pink apron with a white heart in the middle flickers in your mind. You stifle your laughter with the back of your hand in hopes of not looking insane, though you're sure you can still feel the mayor's stare on you.
"Miss [Name]..." Kat says. You lower your arm, looking at the twins who are staring at you with puppy dog eyes.
"What's up?"
They bow their heads to you.
"I sincerely apologize for my actions today. I know what I did was severely serious, and that just apologizing is no where near enough to repent." Kat glances up, a look of shame on her face. "I wholeheartedly accept any form of punishment you decide. But please, leave my brother out of this. He was just roped into this situation by me, so...I don't mind if you give me his punishment as well."
Your eyes widen. It felt really weird to hear a teenage girl speaking so formally. Especially the one that kidnapped you an hour ago. But what really shocked you was that Kat was being so....selfless. Under her crazed infatuation with humans and Earth, maybe there was a decent person.
"K-Kat!" Kit says, sending her a desperate look. She gives him a sad smile before looking back at you, surprisingly full of confidence.
"Well, Miss [Name]? Have you decided my punishment? Are you going to send me to the dungeon?" you stare at her weirdly.
"Uhhh, no?" Kat blinks, registering your words. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no. I'm not gonna do that."
"Huh? But...why? If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bat an eyelash in sending me off to a prison cell. Even if it was for the rest of my life." The brunette gives you a look of pure confusion. Though you give them a smile, in reality, you're finally at your wit's end.
"Kat, there's something you don't understand. I literally just want to go home. Back to Earth. I'm tired as fuck right now and all I want to do is sleep. Sending you two to the dungeon isn't going to bring me home any faster, so why would I? Plus, your abuela already told me your sad, tragic backstory, and now I finally understand why you kidnapped me in the first place." The brunette turns to Grandma in shock, who just gives her a smile and a wave in return. "Besides" you continue, "my self-conscious wouldn't allow me to send you there anyways." You physically cringe and shudder for emphasis. "Ugh, do you have any idea how spooky that dungeon is?!" The twins flinch at your volume. "Like damn, Mickey Mouse almost ate me alive! That's how bad it is. Trust me, you do not want to go down there."
Twix stares at you in surprise while Min raises a brow. They for sure knew you were capping. Well, maybe you wereexaggerating, but that was what happens when you get tired. You give less of a shit and start freely voicing your thoughts, not caring if you sounded insane or not. With that, you rub your temples and sigh.
"Don't think you two are off the hook just yet though. Yeah, I'm nice enough not to give you your own prison cell, doesn't mean I'm not extremely annoyed at what you've both done. Pfft, no. You guys are not getting away scot-free. Like for fuck's sake Kat, think about your actions before you actually do them! And Kit, don't be such a pushover. Stand up to your sister now and then, especially when she's trying to kidnap someone." You breathe heavily as the twins and everyone else in the room stare at you in shock. "Jeez...I haven't gotten that riled up in a while." Your head snaps back to the now-sweating twins. You put your hands on your hips. "Kat, you said you would take both yours and Kit's punishment? I just wanna confirm that before I do anything."
She nods. "Y-yeah..."
You give her an innocent smile.
"Okay. Do me a favor and stay still then!" Kat's eyes widen.
"What are you-"
SLAP
The room went completely silent. The brunette blinks, bringing her hand up to her left cheek, which is now covered in a giant, red handprint. And then, before she can say anything or anyone can stop you, you raise your other hand for round two, making sure to put your back in this one.
SLAP x2
If Kit's jaw wasn't wide before, it drops even further after your second slap. You smile and dust off your hands. In the background, Joy's eyes are practically sparkling, Twix and Min stare in utter surprise, and Grandma looks like she wants to faint any second.
"There. Punishment done. You're free to go now!"
Kat's eyes move up to you, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Now, her cheeks were both completely red, like someone dusted way too much blush on her face. But then she turns around. You half expect to see her stomp off in anger. Instead of doing that, Kat halts, turning around - giving you a surprisingly soft expression.
"....Thank you, miss. For giving me Kit's punishment." You're surprised she's not cussing at you.
"Umm...you're welcome?" was she secretly a masochist? "But hey...Kat?"
"Yeah?"
You hold up the diary, wiggling it back and forth in hopes of taunting her.
"I hope you don't mind if I take this with me~" you pause. "I mean, even if you say no, I'm still going to anyways so...you don't really have a choice, lol." Kat rolls her eyes, though you can see her fighitng back a smile. Kit deviates between looking at both his sister to glancing at you every time one of you speak.
"That's fine with me, Miss [Name]. After today, I..." she pauses. "...I think it'll be for the better. I hope it'll help you on your journey to get home."
"Same! I'm going to go now, but I have one last request for you." Kat blinks.
"What is it?"
You stroll over to join Min, Joy, and Twix, who are already camped in front of the door, waiting for you. You give the twins one last grin.
"...Take care of your brother, alright? Also, please touch grass from now on." With that, you turn the doorknob, getting hit with a beautiful view of the sun setting and... "Oh my gosh, a carriage?! Phew! I did not want to walk back to the mansion. Thanks, Mayor Twix!" you excitedly shout, running outside. The candy gang all look at you with amused faces, before saying their respective goodbyes to the Nestlé family.
"Farewell ma'am, please forgive me for intruding earlier." He bows. "Kit, Kat, I hope you've learned a lot from today. I wish you all a pleasant evening and a good night." Twix smiles, walking out. After also bowing, Min swiftly departs, hurrying after the mayor. The last one to stay is a turquoise-haired maid.
"Thank you so much for the tea, ma'am! It was quite delicious." Joy beams at the elderly woman, turning to the twins. They flinch, but soon relax once they realize she's not glaring at them. "...I do believe my lady should've been harder on you two, but I agree with the mayor. I hope you two have learned your lesson. Have a lovely night~" with that, Joy curtsies and makes her way over to the carriage.
Grandma smiles, gently closing the door. Then, she turns to the two of them.
"Well, mis hijos, you've heard them. I also hope you've both have learned a valuable lesson today. I'm still a bit angry at you two though." She says, sighing and earning a look of surprise from the twins. "...Phew, I suppose I only have myself to blame. Maybe I should discipline you two harder from now on. Vámonos, help your abuelita prepare dinner, and then maybe she'll forgive you." As Grandma disappears into the kitchen, Kit turns to look at his sister.
"...Are your cheeks okay, hermana? That looked like a pretty hard slap." He frowned, feeling guilty.
"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry!" Kat grins, pulling him by the arm. "Now come on! Let's help abuelita. I'm literally going to collapse if I don't eat anything soon."
Kat stares at her. And then he laughs, allowing his sister to drag him into the cocina.
"Pfft, me too, Kat."
The moment you got into the carriage, you instantly knocked the fuck out. Leaning against the window, you comfortably adjusted yourself on the velvet cushions before entering your slumber. Sitting next to you, Joy watches you with a smile on her face.
"...Is it really alright that Lady [Name] didn't punish them further?" she gently asked the other two, careful not to wake you up. Well, the gumdrops on the way back probably would've done that anyways. An airy chuckle comes out of the knight across from her. The mayor next to him sends him an intrigued look.
"Who knows? We could always go back if she changes her mind." Min states.
"That's true but still..."
"Miss Joy, did you not see?" Twix suddenly asks. She blinks.
"See what, exactly...?"
"Miss [Name], back there, she—" he chuckles, leaning on his hand. "—I could tell she didn't hold back against Kat. Don't fret, Miss Joy. I'm sure Miss [Name] is satisfied enough." Twix's eyes trail to your sleeping figure. Soft snores came out of your slightly agape mouth, while drool was slowly making its way down your chin. It was definitely an amusing sight to say the least. Joy and Min follow his gaze, smiles appearing on their faces as well.
"I guess you're right, my lord." The maid giggles. "It definitely surprised me though, my lady's action, I mean."
"Same. I didn't think she had the courage to do it." Min crosses his arms. "...I guess I was wrong." He whispered the last part, though the other two still caught it.
"I'm still shocked how a simple diary was the cause of all of this." Twix glances at the diary in lap. He tries to pry it out of your hands, but you have such a tight grip on it, making him give up. He leans back against the carriage with a smile on his lips. "...I should ask Miss [Name] if I can borrow it, after she's finished reading it, of course." Joy gasps, bringing her hands to her lips
"That's unfair, my liege! I was planning on doing the same thing." She frowns, fluttering her long lashes, slightly pouting. Twix blinks in surprise, then chuckling at her words.
"Alright then, Miss Joy. You can read it before me." Min abruptly sits up, turning to look at both of them. They return his stare, waiting for him to speak.
"I..." his red irises glance to the side. "...Can—can I also?"
"Hmm?" The male frowns, raising his voice.
"...Can I also see it after you two?"
Twix and Joy make eye-contact and immediately both burst into laughter. The knight stares at them in shock, his pale cheeks turning a dark red as he crosses his arms in annoyance.
"Haha, of course Min!" The mayor wipes a tear from his eye. "Looks like we're all interested in knowing more about Miss [Name]'s world~"
Min huffed, facing the carriage window. Joy smiled at his grumpy reflection in the glass.
"Indeed!"
In the midst of all their conversation, you lay there — still drooling — while dreaming about your life back on Earth. Your lips curve up and you faintly chuckle to yourself. Oh, you couldn't wait to get home. But at the same time, maybe you didn't mind staying in Candy Land for a bit longer...
A/N:
😭😭😭 holy shit this is the longer chap ive ever written awosjoiaws its literally 3 am here sooo im definitely going to sleep soon! but before that, let me just type up a quick author's note. Oh yeah, BTW, if I misused any of the Spanish in this chapter, please let me know! I love POC rep but in my opinion, bad POC rep is worse than no rep at all
Anyways the original ending I planned for this chapter was that MC was going to bitch-slap both Kat andKit. But then think to herself: "Huh, since Kat is so obsessed with Earth stuff, why don't I punish her ad Kit a different way!" And then cue another cutscene with Sam, Joy, Min, and Twix all sitting in the kitchen, eating some sweets and Sam saying "Omg, I can't believe MC got kidnapped!" and then Joy would be like "Ikr! Those sons of- I mean, how rude! Btw, have you heard of the punishment my lady thought of?" then it would cut to MC sitting in Kat's room with her, Kit also sitting on the bed. And then MC would be ranting her absolute ass off, from subjects such as elite PBS Kids shows to anime, manga, k-pop, and even telling the twins any childhood memories and school drama she remembers. And after a week of this nonstop, Kat's like:
"....Maybe I wouldn't like Earth as much as I thought I would."
And this whole time, Abuelita is just watching the three of them from a small crack in the door, laughing her ass off.
But I decided not to do that because 1) to save time, this chapter is already super long 😭 and 2) I prefer this ending because now Kat isn't so obsessed with Earth/Humans anymore. She can finally, properly touch grass, and can spend some wholesome family time with Kit and abuelita.
So yeah! TYSM if you've read up to this point and just know that I appreciate all your comments and hearts! <3 til next chap (im taking a long break tho LOL)
