Little Black spent three days among the pile of fragments.
It hardly counted as settling down properly. Every day, he simply crawled out of the black light in Shuo's chest, shrank into a palm-sized little black ball, and mingled with the fragments of hands, feet, eyes, and ears.
The tiny figure stuck out amid the pale mass, with faint golden light drifting around him, making him especially conspicuous.
Hand Princess Big was a little awkward at first and sidled over to ask, "Where do you go at night?"
Little Black raised a hand and pointed at Shuo's chest, his voice soft. "Inside."
"Is it comfortable in there?"
Little Black tilted his little head and thought. "It's dark, but warm."
Hand Princess Big nodded and wiggled its pale fingers, the eye in its palm blinking. "We used to be inside too. Inside Kaguya's body."
As it spoke, it glanced toward the general store entrance, where Kaguya was chatting with Miyoko in a calm tone.
"Why did you come out?" Little Black followed its gaze.
"Because he gives us candy."
Hand Princess Big pointed straight at Shuo beside them, obvious satisfaction in its voice.
Little Black looked down at the faint golden light on his body and said softly, "He gave me my light too."
"All of us," Hand Princess Big replied.
Little Black looked at the fragments gathered around him, their pale bodies crowded together, faint light flickering around them. Every one of them radiated a quiet happiness, and he could not help saying, "You're pretty happy."
"Happy?"
Hand Princess Big did not quite understand the word, but the light on its body flickered gently, as though echoing the feeling. "You will be too."
Little Black lowered his head, and the golden light on his body brightened in turn. It counted