Chapter Text
“I eat humans,” the man in front of her declared, matter-of-factly. A long stretch of silence was drawn between the two, their gungi match quickly forgotten as the words fell from his lips.
“Ehh?” Komugi was unsure if she heard him correctly. Wooden cogs slowly turned inside her brain as she tried to process his strange and unexpected claim.
“I…see…now…” she mumbled under her breath, the only answer she could conclude spilling from her whirling mind.
“You’re really a youkai!” She emphasized her absolute certainty by slamming a fist into her open palm.
“Absolutely not,” he shut her absurd thought down with zero indecision. He shifted slowly before speaking again, lost in thought before deciding to tell her something crucial. “I am a chimera ant. My kind evolved due to our diet plentiful in human flesh. I am the ultimate result of that perfect evolution.” He paused, and Komugi felt his judging gaze linger upon her face, analyzing her reaction. Assuming he had found himself satisfied with her response, she heard his thoughtful sigh as he continued to explain his inhuman origin.
“I, too, used to regard humans as nothing more than mere food for our species. There are rare humans, charged with immense energy,” Komugi felt his ardor shift as he embellished his words. “They were the most delectable food I have ever tasted.”
He idled in awkward silence, gazing at the human woman who was lost deep in thought. He searched for answers to the true questions driving his explanation, and hoped to find resolution in her unspoken features. So far, there was no reaction from her, and this pedantic exchange wrought frustration from within.
Filled with desperation but resolved to appear calm, he added, “I reveal this truth as it is not my desire to keep secrets from you, Komugi.” He could still hear the gears whirling and twirling within her. He swallowed as he continued, words pouring out of his throat raw and unfiltered.
“With this knowledge, if you harbor feelings of fear or repulsion towards me, you are free to go. I…” he hesitated, acknowledging the potential consequences to what he was about to unfold. With a shaky breath, he continued, “...I would understand. Just know that depriving myself of human meat is something I would do, without question, for you. Do you still wish to remain by my side, Komugi?” His throat tightened as he waited for the frail woman’s answer, quietly hoping she wouldn’t reject him. Eventually, after lost in her thoughts for what felt like minutes, she opened her mouth to respond.
“Meruem-sama, when I said I’d go with you, I meant it.” She started, holding each word out with emphasis, with meaning. “You might eat humans, but you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met. No one else ever cared for me. D-Don’t stop because of me, ple-please.” She stammered out the end of her thought quietly, fear of rejection apparent in her trembling voice. Before finishing, however, she stuttered out one final boundary, “A-And in case you’re starving one day, and you feel like eating parts of me, please spare my tongue and my right arm. Otherwise, I won’t be able to play gungi.”
The sincerity in her demeanor inspired the King to bellow a hearty laugh that echoed throughout the chamber, and Komugi felt befuddled by this novel reaction. When he had finished his jubilant outburst, she heard a smile tugging the corners of his lips while he sincerely vowed, “I would never dream of it.” The faintest trace of bluish blush spread across his cheeks. With great weight he added “I care for you, Komugi. You…You mean a great deal to me.”
Upon hearing these words of admiration, Komugi burst into a flood of hot tears. “Meruem-sama, you’re so nice!” she sniffled, her face heating up alongside his. She felt a delicate cloth on her wetted cheeks, the fabric dampening under his tender touch. She subconsciously leaned into the handkerchief, basking in his kindness until Meruem’s gentle words pulled her from her thoughts.
“Why do you cry?” He queried, peering down at the woman who was trying to breathe through her obstructed nose. He did not understand such nonsensical behaviors, but he knew that humans cried when upset. Furthermore, he just happened to know one thing that might quell her sadness. “Do you want to play gungi?”
She instantly beamed up at him, wiping away any excess tears as he discarded the soiled cloth. “Yes, please!”
Again, she settled herself down opposite the board and he allowed her to play her turn. The game they stopped halfway through was still in need of a champion. He observed as she called out her move. She was, impressively, still able to remember where all the pieces were even after he dropped such a heavy burden upon her shoulders. He hummed as he took his turn, as well, and reflected deeply on an absolute truth. One becoming more and more evident as he and the woman shared day after day. ‘I never understood what was truly important. Komugi…life would be bleak if you were not by my side.’
They continued to play, both secure in the knowledge they were safe, there, with someone whom they could truly trust.
