A/N: Welcome, readers, to Affliction! It's been a year since I updated, and for the past few nights, I've busied myself with writing and making this fic even better. Just a few days ago, I revised the first chapter of this fic, mostly because I saw how bad it was. Now I've decided to work on this fic before I head back to school (…Yeah, I'll be back in school at around the first or second week of June) since I know I'll have a hard time making this once school starts again (Along with my other fics).

That's not the only thing I've been doing, though… I also made fanart of the two of them (In fact I spent one whole night doing it), and I felt so great after I made it that I felt compelled to write this chapter! X3

Well, let's get on with the fic then!

Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden Tierkreis… And the song I thought about while I wrote a certain quote in this chapter.

The harbor by the lake was unusually quiet except for the sounds of the waves on the shore, what with the absence of Dromon and his crew. Apparently, the three of them were sent on an errand somewhere at the isles of Lonomakua, and for the farmer Yadima, who worked on his crops nearby, it felt quite strange that he wasn't able to hear the voices of the pirate trio. Somehow, he had grown used to their presence, even though they were quite loud at times. The Furious Roar child, Autar, felt quite depressed with their absence; he told the farmer that it didn't feel the same when they weren't around. Even Rekareka found it odd that they were gone, and he could also tell that Tuhululu seemed to miss them as well; he was even quieter than usual. Despite this, it was also a great opportunity for them to enjoy the silence while they could, because they knew that the pirates would return from their errand after a few weeks. Also, with their absence, the lake had become quite peaceful, and it started to become the way it once was before Dromon and his crew first came to the castle.

Quiet… Peaceful… Just the perfect place to take a load off from any kind of burden… Or take a long nap. …Or maybe sing.

"Let us all sing a song~ A happy, cheery, and merry song~ A song that makes me smile with glee~ One that makes us all carefree~"

Nemne sang another one of her songs as she walked out of the dining hall with a sandwich in hand. It was a simple sandwich she made by herself, after she had asked for some of the ingredients from Wustum. The castle chef was quite hesitant to her request, and he told her that he should make the sandwich instead of her. But she told him that she wished that she would try something she learned from Sisuca, but he continued to insist against it and continued to persuade her into allowing him to do it for her. It went on for a few minutes, until their leader came and told him that if she wanted to try it, then he should let her; no one knew how good it would turn out unless she tried, right?

"Let's come together and sing as one~ Let's share our happiness to everyone~ Don't sit around and worry all day~ Get up and sing your troubles away~"

The chef hesitantly gave her some of the foodstuffs she requested, and after a while, she had come up with the same sandwich she held in her hand. She had put some fresh lettuce, slices of tomato, and an evenly sliced portion of a fish that was one of the few leftovers from breakfast. When their leader had asked her what it tasted like, she replied that it was alright and even offered him to have a taste. He accepted, and agreed that it certainly wasn't at all bad after he gave it a try himself. After which she then cleared the air with Wustum after saying that she still wanted him to cook for her, and to this, the chef felt quite happy at her statement and said it was still fine with him; at least she wasn't like a certain prince whose taste buds were out of whack.

"So come on and sing along~ Sing with us; it isn't wrong~ Be rid of your frown and put on a smile~ Live your life and make it all worthwhile~"

She paused from her song, apparently out of words to sing. Turning to her right, her eyes caught sight of the lake nearby. The lake was never there once before, she knew, and so did everyone else. After the Company had broken away from the Magedom and returned along with Asad and the Blades of Night's Veil, they encountered a white light that came from the direction of the castle. When they went to see it, she became just as surprised as their leader, who claimed to Asad and the Blades that the lake was never there before and the castle was much smaller than it was now. But instead of pondering how the lake appeared and how the sudden growth of the castle came to happen, she, like the Commander, became just as overjoyed as he was at the appearance of the lake. It certainly felt like a reminder of their home of Naineneis.

She walked towards the fork that led to either the nearby farm or the small harbor by the lake. She stopped, though, as her eyes caught sight of someone she didn't expect to see there.

Under the shade of a large and leafy tree was Nomno, lying down on the grass with his hands folded over his stomach. She could already tell that he was asleep and didn't bother to wonder why he was there. Taking a bite out of her sandwich, she approached him, and she could hear his calm breathing as she came closer to the sleeping Porpos. I'm not even surprised, She thought as she shook her head with a shrug of her shoulders.

Instead of just standing there, she decided to sit down next to her friend. She turned her head to look at him again, and she saw the tired look he often had on his face. Though she had almost always seen the gray Porpos sleeping all the time, this was the first time she ever thought that despite all that has happened to them during their stay in the Company, despite all the battles they've had against the Order, he still manages to sleep peacefully as though he didn't have a care in the world.

In all honesty, she couldn't help but say that she saw him cute when he was sleeping like that. Although she wasn't at all tired and it was only midday, when she looked at him, it sort of made her want to sleep as well. It was like one of those social influences; for example, when someone yawns, everyone else starts to yawn a while later, and so on. Speaking of yawns, she herself let out one. After a few seconds of thinking about it, she pulled out a clean napkin and neatly wrapped her sandwich with it, and proceeded to lie down next to him and doze off as well.

She could hear him snore lightly, and the pink Porpos let out a small chuckle. He suddenly stirred in his sleep, causing her to sit still. Nervously, she glanced towards his face, hoping that she didn't wake him as she watched him move his hand up to scratch the side of his head. He brought it down after a while and went back to sleep, much to her relief.

"Whew…" She sighed. "That was close."

Seeing that he had resumed his rest, Nemne laid herself down on the grass, her folded hands over the wrapped sandwich she placed over her stomach. Looking up, all she saw were the leaves that provided them both with shade. Along with the view of the lake, the calm sound of the waves, the warm weather, and the gentle breeze that blew, it was no wonder why Nomno chose to take a nap here. Even the lack of a crowd and the noise of people chattering away endlessly made it all the more a nice place to let herself doze off and fall asleep.

Another yawn escaped her mouth, and she was about to close her eyelids when…

What if someone sees you sleeping next to him?

To this, the pink Porpos' eyes widened at once, a blush flaring across her white cheeks. Her tiredness disappeared from her almost completely. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as the question echoed throughout the corners of her mind. She sat up, an anxious look on her face. She looked around, hoping that no one saw her lie down next to her companion. Thankfully, there was no crowd or any group of people who slowed down to look at them. She turned towards the small farm nearby; Yadima was busy with his crops, and Autar was tending to the animals. Megion and his company didn't seem to be around, either.

…But wait…! She turned towards Rekareka's tent. There was no sign of the Wanderer and her son anywhere. Anya was also nowhere in sight.

She let out an exasperated sigh. Not many people came out of the castle at this time of day, and though most of the Starbearers were either inside of the castle or away on a mission somewhere, she never knew whether there would be people who came out there or not. She recalled the words of her leader: "You won't know what will happen until the time comes." It would be alright to just lie down next to him and nap, but no one can really help it if there happens to be people who end up seeing them napping together and also start talking about them. The thought was also unbearable to Nemne, so the Porpos girl—though she was reluctant to do so—decided to just sit up and stay awake instead. She would be pessimistic instead of being optimistic for now; it was to also keep too many people from being involved in her affairs as much as possible.

From the corner of her eye she saw him yawn. When she shifted her eyes' attention to his face, he had already brought a hand up to rub his eyes. He then sat up and started looking around him. Nemne watched her companion and as she did, she began to wonder how in the world he manages to look around him despite the fact that she had always seen his eyes closed. Perhaps he had been so good at squinting his eyes that he always made himself look as though he were asleep. It would be very tactical should anyone attempt to sneak up on him as he goes off to sleep.

Thoughts about his eyes aside, Nemne decided to greet him.

"Good day, Nomno~" Nemne sang. With a loud snort, he jumped out of his sitting position and was on his feet in a few moments.

"Zzzz…" He sounded and looked surprised; he had a nervous hand on his chest and he was breathing heavily. Nemne crossed her arms and pouted a little, pretending that she was angry at what he just did. "And what was THAT supposed to mean?" She demanded, and she felt that she had intimidated him a little since he didn't answer right away.

After a few moments, she quitted doing her little drama and sang with a smile, "Don't worry about it~" He looked relieved and let out a sigh before he sat back down on the grass next to her.

"Speaking of sleeping~" She sang, apparently trying to start a conversation with him, "Did you sleep well~?" He nodded with a sheepish smile on his face as he gazed upon the lake, though she couldn't tell since his eyes were probably closed that time too. "Zzzz." He sounded content about his nap under the shade, and also maybe how comfortable the grass was while he slept. She smiled in return.

"That's a good thing~" She sang. "Did you have any dreams~?"

He looked upwards and seemed as though he was about to space out when he replied, "Zzzz." He let out another yawn.

"Were they good dreams~?"

"…Zzzz."

"Since your dreams were good, I'm sure it had lots of food~"

Nomno drooled as he recalled his dream. "Zzzz…" Nemne sweatdropped at him but smiled anyway.

"I'd like to know what else was in them~" Though it seemed strange, she was, honestly, intrigued and was curious to know what the gray Porpos' dream was. Before Nomno could reply with a snore, however, she paused and realized something. Nemne's smile turned into a frown and Nomno eyed her questioningly as he noticed her sudden change of facial expression.

"Zzzz?" He snored. Somehow, Nemne didn't even notice that Nomno let out a snore just now. It was only a few moments later, when the snore echoed in her mind, that she realized that she had spaced out and she looked up to see Nomno's face. "Zzzz?" He asked again. Nemne couldn't help but slightly blush in embarrassment.

"Oh, um… It's nothing, Nomno…" Her voice trailed off and became silent. She looked away from him, her cheery expression slowly fading. Nomno, who watched her, was about to snore again, but seeing how quiet the pink Porpos became, he decided to keep quiet as well.

Silence filled the atmosphere around them. In that silence, Nomno continued to study the pink Porpos who sat next to him, and Nemne began to think about the times she spoke with him. Whenever she talked to him, he would always speak with snores. Though it seemed crazy that she talked to someone who replies with snores, she would be lying if she said that she fully understood whatever he told her. Ever since she became a warrior of Naineneis, he was the one she went to when she had no one to talk to; the very first one she approached when she had no one to share her thoughts with since her first days as a member of the Porpos-kin warriors. And for a long time, he was always the person she went to when she had something in mind. She was the talker, he was the listener… And during that long period of time, perhaps she had begun to interpret his emotions and words through his snores. When he felt depressed or tired, his snores would be weak; when he was happy or whenever food was served to him, his snores would sound excited yet accompanied by a smile. Lastly, when he was angry, his snores would be loud and unbearable, and he was only like that when someone disturbed him from his sleep.

The gray Porpos' snores weren't anything bad to her. She felt gladdened when she heard his snores. The problem was that, sometimes, whenever she wanted to hear something from him—such as his dreams just now, what happened while she wasn't around, or even something about himself—she never found out what it was. Even if she were to ask him, the only things he would reply with were the snores he made.

She wondered if he ever spoke any words at all, or if he ever learned how to talk when he was young. Ever since they met, she had never heard him say a word. Did anyone even teach him how to speak? Then again, how come he was able to understand hers and other people's words just as well as everyone else? His exposure to everyone who knew how to speak properly may have been a factor to that, but…

When it all came down to it…

Was he only pretending to understand everyone, then? Was he only pretending to pay attention to whatever she had told him all these years? Did he just reply with those snores just so she could feel comforted by the idea that he was listening to her when in fact he didn't have a clue at all over what she just told him?

Nemne suddenly flinched at what she just thought. How could she possibly say that?

She should be more grateful if that was truly the case; some people, when they are approached by others who have problems, they just get up and leave, not even caring about the people who came to them. And these same, insensitive people, whenever they are approached by people who voice out their thoughts regarding a certain thing or matter because no one else would pay attention, they would scorn them, and say their mindsets, ways of life, opinions, even cultures and beliefs… They were all wrong. And what's more…

People like them… They were no different from the Order; the very same thing their Company was fighting against.

"Zzzz…" She heard him snore. She turned back to him and saw a worried expression on his face. It was obvious that he was watching her all this time, but she could care less about that; she paid more attention to how he worried he looked as he watched her. He didn't know what was going on with her, nor did he know why she suddenly began to behave strangely, but he could see that she was feeling down and it seemed that he wanted to do something to cheer her up.

To be honest, she didn't know whether he looked worried for that reason or if he was just hungry and was silently pleading for her to get him something to eat.

Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. The important thing was he was there for her, asleep or not (And if he was asleep, then it wasn't something some food wouldn't be able to fix…). She was glad because no matter what she told him—her problems, her thoughts, her opinions and even her experiences—he didn't get up and leave her, nor did he tell her how stupid she was for thinking that way and for believing such things. He stayed there with her, and let her talk (or sing) to her heart's content about what she thought about. She felt a bit guilty, because she never knew his thoughts about the topics she brought up and she was always the one talking, but she understood why he was unable to say anything; he did reply with snores, after all.

But again, she could never tell, really, if that was the case or not.

Her black eyes looked straight at his closed (or squinted) ones. Her smile returned and she sang, "I'm alright now, don't worry about me~"

Nomno returned her smile. "Zzzz," He snored. Perhaps he was concerned for her after all…

They spent the next two hours under the shade of the leafy tree, with Nemne either talking or singing to him about random things every now and again, and the two of them laughing (even if it was mostly Nemne) about some things the Porpos girl brought up a few times. Nomno had lain down on the grass again after he got tired of sitting up, and Nemne, who felt tempted to lie with him, merely remained seated and with her head leaning against the tree instead. When Nemne ran out of things to say, she allowed herself to space out as she stared at the lake in the distance.

Random thoughts entered her mind as she spaced out. One of which was another song she had come up with about the lake; she hoped to sing them to Lady Neira later, that is, if the priestess wasn't busy giving Numnu another sermon. She made one about it when the lake first appeared, and sang it to their leader when he approached her to talk about it. This time the song was different; it was about how the lake made her feel calm and how it made her feel a tad light-headed. Light-headed… Somehow the tired feeling she had when she first saw Nomno under the tree returned to her. That or Nomno's love for sleeping even during the day was starting to rub off on the pink Porpos.

Her gaze at the lake was disturbed, however, as she caught sight of a familiar orange Porpos running along the path that led to the farm with a mischievous grin on his face. Obviously that boy was up to his pranks again, she knew. She recalled an earlier time before she joined the Company when he hid her boomerang somewhere in Naineneis which took her days to find. He left her notes throughout various places in the Porpos-kin city which had instructions that required her to do different tasks, most of which involved either food or sweets and having to spend her own potch. He was eventually found out when she saw him take the bag full of food away before she left to take a rest. After speaking with the Commander about it, the boy was sent to Neira, and he was punished with what the Porpos-kin saw as a severe form of punishment: a sermon from the sea god herself. After that, he apologized though not wholeheartedly, returned her boomerang, and was forced to work for the people Nemne bought food and sweets from so he would pay her back.

Her eyes squinted and she saw in his hands what seemed to be a bottle he held. He ran towards the animal shed, and Nemne could make out the laughter he tried to hold back as she wondered what he was doing. After a minute or so, he emerged from the animal shed and trotted back to the castle, covering his mouth with both hands as he did.

"Zzzz," She heard her companion snore, as though he called her attention. Nemne shifted her gaze towards the Porpos that lay on the grass. He probably saw him too, She thought.

"What's the matter?" She asked him. Nomno looked down the empty space of grass to his left, looked back at her again, and—after staring at the ground for what felt like a long time—placed a hand down the grass and turned back to her. "Zzzz…" He snored, and Nemne was taken aback at his sudden gesture.

"You… You want me to lie down?" She asked, though she was unsure that was the case. However, a nod and a smile from Nomno made it clear enough; he wanted her to lie down with him. She didn't know why but Nomno started to remind her of a child asking his mother for something he wanted. The pink Porpos was speechless as she held a hand over her mouth.

"I… Um…" She said, before her voice trailed off. Another blush made her cheeks heat up, and almost instinctively, she bowed her head down to hide the blush, much to his surprise. His request was quite unexpected; usually he asked her to get her some food. But here he was, asking that she take a load off and relax. A part of her was overjoyed, while a part of her became worried and unsure. But of course she would lie down with him; this was like an amazing opportunity she wouldn't want to miss. She would have done it without him asking her to do so. And yet, there was the problem of people around them taking notice of the two of them and some later teasing her about it at every chance they got… She wouldn't be able to stand that…

Her emotions changed from happy to uncertain simultaneously, and it wasn't long before she became frustrated. Why did she even care about what they thought anyway? It wasn't something that hurt anyone or anything at all, was it? Besides, they should just mind their own business and let her do whatever she felt like making her feel happy and content with her life. When she sang songs that at times made her fellow Porpos-kin embarrassed (particularly Nimni or Numnu), she didn't care; she was happy singing her (sometimes) awkward songs and that was all that mattered to her.

Then why was she so conscious about something such as the public's opinion about her lying down next to her friend?

They were friends, weren't they? Nothing but friends. They were in no relationship other than friendship, so lying down next to him was nothing more than a friendly act.

And how was she even sure that the public would think that way once they saw the two of them lying down on the grass together? How sure was she that anyone would come around, see them, and tease her about it? How was she sure that the castle gossip lovers were going come out there, see them, start chanting their names, and call them lovebirds whenever they saw them together or alone? How was she even sure that Luvais was there, spying on them with Anya and a few other people like the time they spied on her and Sisuca (whom she was taking singing lessons from at the time)?

"You won't know that until the time comes," Echoed their leader's voice in her head again. He had a point; it wasn't like she could tell the future or anything… And she was behaving like someone from the Order.

But she wasn't as bold or as rash as their leader was, was she? And she wasn't at all fond of taking risks, either. When it came to a matter like this, it wasn't a good thing to be so daring. This wasn't like a game where you roll three dice in a bowl and see whether you win or lose all the potch you bet, and this wasn't like having to choose whether you would wear something colorful or something flashy for an audience you'd have with a king. This was more complicated than anyone thought… Even though she is the one making herself miserable and making it complicated by having to think this way.

Better safe than sorry… She decided although she felt reluctant. She looked up at him and forced herself to smile, her blush still on her cheeks but not entirely evident to the gray Porpos. "Thanks, but," She gulped. "No thanks, Nomno."

Nomno frowned slightly, a tiny hint of disappointment visible in his face. Nemne wondered if he was either concerned about her or he just wanted her to lie down next to him that badly when he asked her. After a while he nodded and lay on the grass again, apparently going back to sleep as he always did. Nemne felt relieved that he didn't take her refusal to his offer against her, and cast her eyes upon the lake again, falling into another reverie as everything became silent between them.

But just as Nomno was about to fall into unconsciousness…

"…Rrrr…"

Surprisingly, even for Nomno, his tiredness disappeared just as Nemne's did earlier. Nemne, who heard the low rumble, snapped out of her trance turned her head towards him. The gray Porpos felt awkward at the noise that broke the silence, while Nemne began to giggle, then broke out into a fit of laughter. He was hungry, and they both knew it.

"Zzzz?" He snored as he looked at the pink Porpos. She calmed down some seconds later, panting to catch her breath. Looking down at his face that looked up at her in curiosity, she decided to not say her words this time, but rather, sing them, as she always did whenever she felt chipper. "You're stomach sounds angry now that you're hungry~" She sang. He gave her a blank look before nodding with a sheepish grin. Nemne returned it with a smile.

"Since that's how you feel, I've got something for you~" She straightened herself and took out the wrapped sandwich she was eating earlier before handing it to him. Nomno sat up and stared at the gift she was giving him. "Zzzz?" He asked as he looked up at her. It was obvious that he was asking what he should do with it.

"Go on, Go on~ Take my sandwich~" She sang, insisting that he take it. After staring at it for a few moments, he took the sandwich in hand and unwrapped it. It was already bitten, but only a small portion of the whole sandwich was consumed. Shifting his eyes' attention back to Nemne's smiling face, he snored in gratitude, "Zzzz…"

"You're welcome~ I made it myself~" She then got up and stretched out her arms. Nomno looked up at her standing figure, and Nemne could tell that he was going to ask where she was going by making another snore. She didn't give him a chance to, as she already answered, "I'm going back inside. Do you want to come along with me?"

Nomno shook his head; it seemed that he wanted to stay outside some more. "Alright, if you say so~" She sang and spun around to head back in the castle, humming a tune while she did. But just as she was about to reach the entrance, she paused, then she turned around and went back to where her friend sat. He was about to eat the sandwich she gave him when he noticed her presence in front of him again.

He shifted his eyes from his sandwich towards her; his face was full of naiveté and she knew that he was asking why she returned all of a sudden. His "Zzzz?" confirmed her presentiment, and she locked her eyes upon his closed (or squinted… She never knew) ones before telling him with outmost sincerity in her voice, "Nomno… Thank you."

He gave her a blank look as he held the sandwich she gave him in his hands and probably wondered what he did that made her so grateful to him. She began to feel another blush creeping to her cheeks as she realized that he had been staring at her for so long (that or he dozed off again). Thankfully, he seemed to snap back to reality and replied with, "Zzzz." And by the smile on his face, she knew that it meant, "No problem."

She turned around and trotted back inside the castle. Nomno watched her leave, and when she was completely out of sight, he looked down at the sandwich she gave him. He stared at it silently for a few minutes, and then when he heard his stomach rumble again, he took a bite out of the sandwich. He allowed his taste buds to examine the sandwich's flavor, and he smiled when he found it quite appetizing. After swallowing what was in his mouth, he took another bite. Somehow he couldn't get enough of the taste it had. It wasn't just the taste; there was something else about the sandwich that made it taste so good.

He just couldn't put his finger on what it was, though…

In the distance, just by the doorway that led back to the dining hall and behind some barrels, a blushing Nemne smiled gleefully as she watched Nomno eat the sandwich she made.

She sighed as she smiled dreamily. "He likes it…" She giggled. "He actually likes it…"

"Nemne?"

The Porpos girl froze on the spot at the sound of the voice behind her. Slowly, her head turned around, and her black eyes caught sight of a black-haired girl who wore a blue-striped, white cloth on her head. Her dark gray eyes blinked as she had them fixed upon the pink Porpos, who was becoming redder and more nervous at the thought that her friend had probably been standing there this whole time.

"Nemne, are you alright?" Sisuca asked. "What are you doing here?"

Nemne gulped. Without thinking, she put a hand behind her head and put on a false grin. "Hi, Sisuca! …Um, I'm taking a little break. I was…" She scratched the side of her head absently. "I've been outside all day, you know? Ahaha…" She laughed nervously, her face becoming slightly redder as she tried to maintain her grin. Speaking of the blush, Sisuca also noticed the redness on her Porpos friend's face.

"Oh my…" She said, her voice sounded worried. "Your face is all red! What happened?"

"Ah… This?" Nemne sweatdropped. She knew she had to find some excuse that didn't make her seem suspicious. "It's…" She felt a warm breeze enter the dining hall from the large doorway behind her and an idea popped in her mind. "The weather!" She exclaimed. "The weather, it's… Pretty hot outside! I guess I, uh, worked up a sweat after being out all day, walking around the castle and all…"

Fortunately, Sisuca always saw Nemne bright and chipper, so the black-haired girl couldn't tell whether Nemne had a problem or not. "Is that right? You've been out for a stroll?" She asked. Nemne nodded at her friend's question. "It sure was hot while I was, err, walking around the castle, but it was pretty quiet and cool when I walked by the lake, though."

"I see. Would you like to sit with me over there?" Sisuca asked, pointing at one of the tables near the kitchen. "I have another song I thought about and I was hoping you'd listen to it."

Nemne's face brightened. "Really? That's great! Of course I'd listen to it!" The pink Porpos loved chatting with Sisuca about songs they made up. "I just made up one too, about the lake just a while ago!"

Sisuca smiled as the two of them began walking over the tables. "I wrote mine down again; I might forget them like the other time." A familiar memory came into the black-haired girl's mind.

The Porpos girl laughed as she recalled the same memory. One time before, Sisuca made up a song in her mind that she couldn't help but feel awestruck how the lyrics fit the tune so well. She became so excited to tell Nemne that the excitement took over her and she forgot most of the lyrics she came up with as soon as she had the chance to speak with the Porpos girl. Luckily, she still recalled how the tune went, but she still felt regretful that she was unable to write down the lyrics of her song. Since then, she made it a habit to write down the lyrics of the songs she came up with. Nemne didn't need to write her songs down, since she sang her songs on the spot.

"I can't wait to hear how it goes! I wonder what it's about!" Nemne spoke cheerfully. Before they both knew it, they had arrived at the table and Nemne sat down first before Sisuca, who sat on the other chair in front of her friend. Sisuca pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Nemne, who received it with a smile. "Is this the one you made today?" She asked, reading over the words written on the note.

"Yes," Sisuca answered. "And… Oh, I just remembered something!"

Nemne looked up from the paper she was reading from. "What is it?"

"That sandwich recipe I taught you before," The black-haired girl stated, "Was it good?"

Nemne blinked. "What are you… Oh!" She then realized. Sisuca was there earlier when she and Wustum had the dispute that started with Nemne asking the chef for some foodstuffs she needed to make the sandwich a few hours back. She also knew that she was there earlier when she was making it. It tasted good, Nemne admitted, but it wasn't just that…

"Yeah," She replied, a light, pink blush appearing on her cheeks and smiled gleefully as she recalled watching Nomno a while ago. "That really made my day, you know?" She added, looking back down at the note she held. Sisuca couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the Porpos, wondering how in the world a simple sandwich recipe was enough to make her so happy.

A/N: Whew! Chapter 2… And what's more, I'm already working on Chapter 3, even though I have this HUGE writer's block somewhere in the middle of the next chapter, which is keeping me from getting it done! X( Wait, wait… -calms down- It's best to take my time; we should always try to take everything nice and slow or else it'll go bad…

Moving on to my rant about today's current chapter… This chapter was originally supposed to be about something else, but I decided to put that off for a later chapter. I retained a part about Nomno's snoring, and the setting from the first draft (midday, at the harbor, then later at the dining hall).

Somehow I feel that the Nemne in this chapter is more similar to the Nemne in the game at the third part of the chapter (the one where she's with Sisuca, in case you didn't know). I probably made her really OOC since I revised the last chapter (Dammit… -smacks forehead-). But since she is (according to a certain Suikoden website her Star indicates this) a teenage girl, I tried to get her more into the character of a teenager with a crush on someone (and who doesn't want other people to know because she's afraid that people will tease her). At the same time, I try to keep her personality in the game as well.

And those songs at the first part… (ARGH!) Okay, okay. Since Nemne loved singing and she usually sang songs she makes up on the spot (which were also strange at the same time), I tried to put myself in her place and thought up a bunch of phrases that both sounded tacky and weird yet at the same time focused on one thing (which was crap about happiness and unity and… Blah).

And that song I thought about while I was writing down a certain quote in the story… I couldn't help myself. XD

Okay, what else do I need to say… I removed my A/N in the chapter; someone told me putting A/N there's like trying to make up for how bad people write or something similar to that. Thanks!

I feel good but unsure about this chapter. What do you think?

Thanks for reading! -Zip