The Last Tuffle: Chapter 6

The world slowly came back into focus. Enoki stared at the sky, which was now completely gray with storm clouds. He noticed that the part of the sky was surrounded by dark planks of wood that had once been a complete roof. Shaking his head, he observed his surroundings. He seemed to be on the outskirts of the Tuffle city, in an abandoned building that may have been a warehouse. Indeed, there was a large hole in the roof toward the center. Enoki looked to see that he was lying on an old mattress with a straw-filled bag for a pillow. To his right and left, there were rows of people lying on mattresses and some on blankets. Some were treated for their wounds by other people standing around them. Suddenly, a burning sharp pain was throbbing under his right foot. Enoki looked down and gasped in horror. His foot had been bandaged tight with brown cloth, a spot of dark red still visible. He rose up fast, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Easy there son, you need to regain your strength a little more.”

“Dad?” he asked in shock. Sure enough, it was Endo, and this time, he was wearing light brown clothing that reminded Enoki of animal pelts from cavemen. In fact, all of the people nearby wore similar clothing. Men and women alike were handing out cans of soup to the side. A woman with long black hair was helping her husband walk. A group of four younger men were busy fighting near one corner. Strangely enough, they seemed to be enjoying it. Enoki noticed that they were all enormous in height and had long curvy brown tails…

“Saiyans?!” Enoki gasped out loud, earning several glares. He was surprised that none of them came over to break his face in half. “What…What are we doing here? What’s going on?”

“Calm down, I will explain soon enough,” Endo replied. “In the meantime, eat this.” He placed a senzu bean in his hand, which was a natural green. Enoki popped it into his mouth and swallowed. Almost immediately, the throbbing in his foot ceased and he could feel himself waking up. He looked down at the floor and saw pieces of bloodstained metal that had one been in a square shape. Endo came back with a tin can of regular beans. He opened it and handed it to his son. “I suggest you eat up,” he said. Enoki looked at the beans in disgust. “It’s all we have,” said another voice. Endo’s friend whom Enoki had seen earlier came toward them. He had long spiky black hair, a large fat build, and a black beard and mustache. “This is Collibro,” said Endo.

Collibro greeted Enoki with a playful punch to his right shoulder. Enoki grimaced more in shock than pain. “You sure he’s strong enough for this?” he asked Endo with concern. “He looks weaker than a starving Saiyan boy, and that’s ‘saiyan’ something!” He giggled at his own joke, but nobody else laughed. Endo cleared his throat, and Collibro went silent. “I assure you that he is capable of handling his own, even without proper experience.”

Collibro stretched and perked up. “Well, he is going to get experience first-hand soon because of…”

“I know,” Endo interrupted abruptly. “He doesn’t need to know right now.”

“Know about what?” Enoki asked.

Endo sighed and glared at his friend. Taking the hint, Collibro slouched off and joined a group of men doing arm wrestling at an old table.

Endo knelt down next to Enoki so they were at eye level. Endo briefly stared at the ground and then looked at him. “First, I have to apologize for what happened earlier. You may be wondering where we are and I will tell you. We are at a Saiyan refugee place, just in front of the border between the Tuffle city and the badlands. I have been helping fellow Saiyans who resided in the city and needed a place to go. I could have ended up here had I not met your mother earlier.”

“Did you…” Enoki started to ask.

“Yes, son. I knocked you out. It was easier for me to bring you here that way. If you were awake, you would have resisted eventually. My friend and I brought you here while trying not to get caught by the patrolling drones and androids. At one time we did, but thanks to Collibro’s blasts and punches, we managed to make it here.”

“But my foot…”

“Oh that reminds me…”

Endo reached down and carefully removed the bloodstained cloth from around his foot. A red scar was all that was left. “When you were knocked out, I cut the tracking chip out of your foot and then I stomped on it.” He briefly mentioned to the metal scraps that were on the ground. “That was to ensure that our location could not be tracked.”

“But how will mom find us?” Enoki asked with worry.

“That’s the thing,” Endo said, with sadness in his eyes. “I don’t want her too.”

Enoki only stared with his mouth agape.

“Why Dad? Why did you kidnap me like that?”

“I was only doing it for your own safety.”

“What?! You honestly think I need to be watched all the time like a little kid? I’m getting tired of you and mom getting in my space like that.”

Endo grabbed his shoulders, hard. “This is serious son! There is a reason that I have trained you for all these years. A reason why your mother insists that you study and learn Tuffle mannerisms every day. The reason why your mother and all the Tuffles make us Saiyans take “calming pills” around the clock. And it’s one of the reasons why this family has been getting more and more unstable.”

“It’s the discrimination and the ongoing war isn’t it?”

Endo nodded, no longer able to hide the harsh fact from his son. “It is true indeed.” Endo explained. “The Saiyans beyond the border walls have fought against the Tuffles for a decade now. They manage to break through, but they are always pushed back into the badlands. Out there, they live in stone-like dwellings, hunting for food and gathering what they can. The Saiyans here act as messengers. We provide refugee for Saiyans in poverty in the city, and we also give information to the Saiyans outside. We are not allowed to join the other Saiyans since they don’t trust the “soft” Saiyans who live among the Tuffles. That includes me, of course.”

“Then why did you bring me here?” Enoki asked.

“I want to keep you safe here, free from the likes of them.”

“Who? The outside Saiyans or the Tuffles?”

“Both.”

“Now, you are just confusing me.”

“With your smarts and ever increasing strength, you could be a great asset to our side. You know the ins and outs of the city and how the Tuffles act. Taken together, you can, and will be, a powerful warrior.”

“But what about mom?”

“I hate to say this, but we have to leave her behind. Due to her being a Tuffle, the Saiyans here would kill her on sight if provoked enough. Also, now that you are at a secret location, you cannot leave.”

“But all this time, you’ve said that I wasn’t capable enough to fight!” Enoki protested.

Some of the Saiyans around them were whispering behind their backs.

“Endo must be stupid to bring his half-breed weakling son to a place like this.”

“Being around Tuffles makes a Saiyan pathetic and soft. He’s a prime example of that.”

A more rational Saiyan added,

“He should have come back to us and gotten permission to go meet the Saiyan tribes.”

“Take your chit-chat elsewhere,” said Collibro, clenching his fist in defense of his friend. The whispers stopped and the Saiyans moved away, but the damage had been done. Endo had heard everything.

Endo focused on his son again. “If I truly felt that way, I wouldn’t have bothered to train you in the first place. I know you have the potential in you, Enoki-san. And now, more than ever, I need you to find it and use it!”

“I can’t just become some Saiyan spy like you and fight against my own people! I know you and mom have been fighting, but if you wanted a divorce, you could have just told me!”

Endo slapped Enoki across the cheek. “This isn’t about that!” he yelled. “This is about saving my race from being oppressed by the Tuffles. I need you to man up and put all this talk behind. Do you understand?”

Enoki stared back in fear.

“I said do you understand?!”

“Yes, sir,” whimpered Enoki.

“Good. Now eat your beans and get some rest. You’ll have work to do soon.” By “work” Enoki meant fighting practice.

Tears started to fall from his eyes. “And no crying. Saiyans don’t cry,” added Endo with a glare. He turned and walked away toward the stand of food, earning nods of approval from the other Saiyans. ‘What have I done?’ he asked himself, the pleasure of peer acceptance quickly turning into guilt. He grabbed a can of meat and red berry soup and leaned against a wooden pillar to eat.

Collibro walked over and stood beside Endo. “Feel bad, yet?” He was referring to what Endo said about his son.

Endo scoffed. “You know we Saiyans aren’t supposed to talk about feelings.”

Collibro rolled his eyes. “I don’t give a fudge. To be honest, you were being a little too hard on him.”

Endo looked away.

“Deny it all you want. I know you wanted to get approval from them, but you’ve been away from us too long. I’m surprised you weren’t lecturing him on math equations.”

“I can’t do math to save my life. I only fight.”

“I can understand,” Collibro grinned. “How did you manage to stay in the city for so long and manage to come back here on occasion? Don’t you find it weird that the Tuffles would accept a Saiyan so quickly?” Endo sensed some envy in his friend’s voice.

“Perhaps,” he answered. “But it was also due to luck. “I found myself a wife, I had a son, taught him how to fight and life was good for a while. I was lucky to not be banished or forced to work in intense labor.”

“Or die of excruciating anxiety and boredom at a refugee center and a place with a family in the badlands.” Collibro added, only partially messing around.

“Yeah, that too,” said Endo, slightly embarrassed.

“So how is the plan?” Endo asked in a low voice.

“Still in motion,” Collibro replied. “His Majesty King Vegeta has had enough negotiating with the Tuffle king for so many years. He wants our people to live the luxurious lives that the Tuffles have kept from us. Instead of finding a way in, Vegeta ordered his men to wait for a while. It made many of the Saiyans impatient, but there is a method to his madness. In two nights, there will be, for the first time in a hundred years, a full moon. You know what that means right?”

Endo nodded, a breath escaping his lips. When a Saiyan looked at the full moon, it triggered an intense transformation. The Saiyan would turn into a Great Ape, and his power would increase tenfold. However, they would have no control over their power. As a result, they would give in to their primal rage, destroying everything in their path.

“The Tuffles won’t expect the surprise attack from us!” said Collibro. “We will move forward once King Vegeta gives the signal. Once we are Great Apes, the Tuffles won’t stand a chance. We’ll wipe them out and claim the land as ours!”

“That’s brilliant, and quite a miracle!” said Endo.

“Indeed it is.”

One of the older warriors, Pinach, marched to them, having heard the conversation. “Those two Tuffles must not know about the plan. If they do, the Tuffles will call for back up. They may be smaller, but they still outnumber us greatly. Also, they can still kill us with their technology.” Pinach turned to Endo. “Under no circumstance are you to reveal the plan to those Tuffles.” Endo felt a growl escape his lips. “In fact, we should eliminate both of them as soon as possible. I’ll leave that up to you. Unless you feel so inclined to visit the other world.”

Pinach walked away, leaving a worried Collibro and a tense Endo. “I’ll talk to him about it,” he offered, but as a Saiyan of higher rank, Pinach would not be accepting of his words. In addition, trying to fight Pinach, who was a skilled warrior with a higher power level, would be reckless for Endo to do. Collibro soon left Endo to his thoughts.

Endo tried to make himself go back to his son, to apologize, try to fix what he did. But his legs wouldn’t move. His mind had held them in place. He wasn’t sure if his nerves would allow him to wait for the Saiyans to clear out before talking to him. A tear crawled out from his eye, but he quickly wiped it away. To distract himself, he drank the soup clean in several gulps. It was cold, with little flavor remaining, but it was still food. Taking a deep breath, he walked from his spot with his head held high. When he got to Enoki’s bed, it was empty.

Endo scanned the room and saw Enoki almost at the door. “Where do you think you're going?” he called.

“I’m running away from you!” Enoki yelled back. “I’m not here to be your tool for this war. You fight it yourself. I’m going to find mom!”

Several figures appeared in front of them. “You don’t have to, son.” Enoki yelped and stepped back. Kinoko had arrived, surrounded by a force of androids. They wielded metallic clubs and had blasters with enough taser power to shock a fully grown Saiyan. Endo appeared next to them and lowered his fingers from his forehead. “What are you doing here?” Endo and Enoki said at the same time.

“Oh I’d thought I’d just stroll around and smell the cherry blossoms,” Kinoko said sarcastically. “Obviously to make sure you two were alright!” An android was already scanning the warehouse that had previously been unknown, or at least hadn’t been considered. “How did you find us?” Endo asked.

“It was due to Enoki’s tracking chip,” Kinoko explained. “The light from his chip showed up on my scouter and then it disappeared. I called the police the moment you two were gone. We were still able to find the location because it was close by.”

Endo turned red in the face, realizing his careless mistake.

Kinoko glared at him, suspiciously. “So you were hiding stuff from me this entire time? I had a bad feeling about that, but now it’s been confirmed.”

Caught in the act, Endo spilled out the truth. “I brought Enoki here to prepare him for an upcoming war. It’s supposed to occur…”

“In several weeks,” Collibro finished, winking at Endo.

“Exactly.”

“You refused to tell me?!” she screeched.

Endo flinched, as well as several other Saiyans. She leaned in, hands on her hips. “How could you be so stupid and careless? I told you that Enoki would have no part in this war, and I especially don’t want him anywhere near those Saiyans!” One of the Saiyans clenched his fists and stomped over to her, but Endo help up a hand.

“I am only doing what is best for my son, and for the sake of my race,” said Endo.

“What’s best for him? You don’t know what is best for him! You think he’s going to turn into a hero and fight a war for you? It doesn’t work like that.”

“Your people are the ones who are truly dangerous. If you truly believe in peace for both races, why don’t you take a stand and be more considerate of my people?”

“Your people?” Kinoko asked. “You were hardly with them most of the time. You and Enoki are Tuffle citizens as much as I am.”

“Don’t try and sugarcoat things,” spat Endo. “I know what I have been through. I know what I have felt. Tuffles look at me and see nothing but a hairy creature that has escaped from some zoo. There is hatred and disgust in their calculating eyes. If you hadn’t been around, I would have lost my mind long ago.”

“Well, you seem to be losing it, right now,” she replied. “Can we all just go home and return to our lives like normal?”

“It’s too late for that,” Endo stated. “Enoki and I are a part of this war now.”

“No, I won’t.”

Enoki stepped up and faced his father. “I don’t care what you do, but mom and I are going back home.”

Kinoko held her son close. Enoki looked over at a group of Saiyans sitting around a map. “Hey, what’s that?” he asked. He appeared in front of the three men and noticed the chart. It was a blue-print like diagram of the border and the city. There were arrows pointing to openings in the border and other areas. Endo appeared behind him and held him back. In his struggle to break free, Enoki saw the drawing of a long tail, but the rest of the image was obscured by a large Saiyan hand. “You saw nothing boy,” one of them said.

''‘I didn’t see everything. But my scouter did,’'' Enoki thought. As if reading his thoughts, Endo loosened his hold on his son and grabbed Enoki’s green scouter. “Dad what are you doing?” he yelled. Enoki tried to pry his father’s hands off, but it was no use. Endo stopped for a moment, then used his hands to crush the scouter. Metal and green pieces of glass fell to the floor. Both Endo’s and Enoki’s hands were slightly burned. The Saiyans sighed in relief at not having visual evidence used against them. “Good thinking,” said Collibro. Enoki stared at his father in disbelief. When did he become traitorous so quickly? One thing was certain in his mind; he had to protect himself and his mother, and escape.

Kinoko walked over to the group, hands on her hips. “I’d suggest all of you Saiyans leave before the androids arrest you.”

“Big deal,” one of them muttered. In reply, one of the androids shot a beam of blue and purple electricity, knocking the yelping Saiyan to the ground. The android was soon blasted into bits from a ball of energy from another Saiyan. Chaos soon filled the area. The sounds of blasts, grunts, and battle screams echoed throughout the building. The human-shaped androids hovered forward, firing blasts of electricity from their guns. Many of the Saiyans dodged the blasts and blasted their metallic heads clean off. Those who were hit, were lying stiff on the ground, temporarily paralyzed. “All Saiyans, you are ordered to surrender immediately or face the consequences,” stated an android in a mechanical voice. ''“All Saiyans, you are ordered…”''

“Shut your metal mouth!” a slender woman replied, cutting the android in half with a slice of blue energy. She then proceeded to use one hand to blast the android to nothing, and the other hand to shoot a laser of lavender light. Her aim was true; the important plans that were on the ground, burst into flames. “What in Vegeta’s name was that for?” asked Collibro, annoyed. Kanta scoffed. “Obviously, we don’t want those Tuffles to know exactly what’s going on,” she answered. ‘Smart move’ thought Endo. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead.

Then an angry Pinach appeared behind Endo. “Kill those Tuffles now if you want to survive and be one of us,” he seethed. His right hand was glowing with green energy and Endo could feel the heat on his back. With his eyes closed, Endo fired a circle of golden energy at Kinoko. She gasped in shock. Fortunately, she dodged the blast, easily. “Was that your best aim?” Pinach yelled, his form briefly turning black by the flash of lighting. “Don’t miss this time, or else I most certainly won’t!”

As Ebdo was about to fire another blast, Enoki stepped in front of his mother. “Leave her alone!”

“Step out of the way, kid,” Pinach ordered. “You either die with her or join the Saiyans with your father.”

“I said leave her alone!”

A rising scream came out of Enoki’s mouth as he powered up. Sparks of energy flew around him and the force knocked back nearby Saiyans and androids. Pinach leaped and raised a fist at Enoki’s face. It made contact with his nose, but Enoki didn’t feel anything. In fact, the force of the Saiyan energy knocked the warrior back. “How could my punch have no effect on him?!” he asked. “He’s not even a pure Saiyan.”

“You underestimate me,” said Enoki. “Being cocky can be huge flaw.”

“Shut up!” Pinach yelled, powering up to Super Saiyan 2. “Let’s see how you like this!” He cupped his hands together in a circle.

“ka…me…”

A circle of white and blue light appeared in his hands.

“Enoki get out of there!” cried Kinoko.

“ha…me…”

Enoki ignored Pinach and decided to stand his ground, certain that his father would step in to help. He didn’t. Instead, Endo fired a blast of his own, a smaller version of a kamehameha energy beam.

"Dad? What are you doing?!" yelled Enoki in disbelief.

"I have to protect my people as well as my life. I have no other choice. My loyalty was always to my Saiyan brethren first."

"You coward! How could you?!"

He wasn’t sure whether it was his new Saiyan instincts, or whether he was fueled by emotion, but whatever the case, Enoki felt strangely calm and confident. He thrust out his hands and yelled his attack: “Sonic Beam Blast!” A jet of red light shot from his hands and met with Endo’s golden light beam. The two men faced each other, each trying to push the ball of energy onto the other. Enoki got the upper hand, until…

“Ha!” yelled Pinach.

Pinach’s kamehameha joined with Endo’s and pushed the ball of energy toward Enoki. When he felt a burning heat close to his body, he started to lose hope. “Almost there!” said Pinach in a triumphant voice. Enoki’s face strained and his hands started shaking. Enoki tried not to look at his mother, who had started to sob in the distance. “Father, you have to stop this madness!” Enoki screamed.

“What other choice do I have?!” Endo yelled. “I can’t afford the possibility of you Tuffles, turning us in and ruining our plan!”

Enoki feigned innocence. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” he said. “I won’t tell you anymore.”

“Whether it’s some kind of uprising or not,” Enoki said, “You have to put your family first!”

“My race is my family,” Endo stated. “Something that you Tuffles will never understand!”

“You will never understand how to live in harmony and care for other people!” argued Enoki.

“You will never understand what living in an oppressed class is like!” Endo fired back.

“Um…you lived with us for much of your life,” Enoki mentioned.

“That’s not the point!” Endo quickly stuttered.

Endo let out a long scream and the ball of energy inched close to Enoki’s face. Even stepping backwards did nothing. Enoki closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. He opened them and saw the energy ball not moving closer, but farther away. He felt new energy coursing through his body and easing his fear. But where was the energy coming from if he wasn’t having a senzu bean? Enoki turned his head and saw Collibro, hand out, transferring his energy to him. “What?” asked Endo in shock.

Enoki was stunned as well. “You got some spirit and strength in you, kid,” Collibro mentioned. “I can’t stand to see a father kill his own son. No matter what you decide to do…be sure it’s for the greater good. Make the Saiyans proud.” He gasped and coughed as a blade of light shot through his heart. After several  coughs of blood, he went down to the ground and became still. The fatal blow had come from Kanta.

The energy ball was now moving steadily toward Endo and Pinach. ‘No, no no,’ Enoki thought, trying to slow down his powers. But it was no good. Pinach managed to disappear at the last minute before the ball of energy hit Endo. His clothes and skin burned and his screams were deafening. After the light from his attack faded, Endo fell on his knees, gasping for air. “Dad!” Enoki cried. He was already twitching on the ground by the time Enoki arrived beside him. Tears were already falling from Enoki’s eyes. To his horror, Enoki noticed no senzu beans in sight. “Dad, how could you…you let him boss you around like a coward…you never cared for the Tuffles at all!” Endo took several fast breaths. “Remember… your Saiyan heritage. Never… forget it.” “Dad, I’ll always be a Tuffle. Can’t you understand that?” Endo grabbed hold of his right wrist. “You won… this battle, son. You will always… be a Saiyan inside.” He grinned and laughed, blood splashing from his mouth. Enoki felt Endo’s hand release his wrist. He took on last breath and then went still, his lifeless black eyes staring at the ceiling.

“Dad! Dad! Noooo!” Enoki yelled. He buried his face into his father’s chest and sobbed. He lifted his head when a voice spoke.

“You little brat!” yelled Pinach at Enoki, who had watched the battle after defeating the rest of the androids. He charged at Enoki, but was stopped in his tracks by loud gunshots. His body twitched in different directions from the static. He was knocked out of Super Saiyan form by a blast that blew his brown tail off. “Filthy Tuffle woman! You dare…” He was silenced by a blast to the head from Kinoko. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forward onto the ground. Enoki looked at his mother in shock. “How did you…” he asked, but couldn’t finish his sentence. “Let’s go!” called one of the Saiyans at the approach of incoming androids. “Why can’t we fight them?” asked Kanta. “Stick to the plan,” the Saiyan reminded her. They looked at the sullen Tuffles and grinned. “They’ll meet their demise soon enough.” Together, the Saiyans ran off and disappeared out a back door. Some flew right through the hole in the roof.

Kinoko put the safety on and placed the gun safely on the ground. She ran over to Enoki, who was sitting by his father’s body and embraced him. Rain had started to fall in heavy wet drops through the hole in the building. Enoki could feel his hair getting damp. “W-What have I done? I-I didn’t mean to…”

“I know, sweetheart,” said his mother, who was also crying a river of tears. “It’s not your fault. It was in self-defense. I never expected him to go crazy like that…”

An android hovered over and spoke to Enoki. ''“You have demonstrated your strength, courage and determination. With your decision, I invite you to join the ranks as soon as possible.” ''

Enoki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Apparently, he was being drafted into the Tuffle army. ''“Training will be provided, free of charge. We would normally require a longer process with more paperwork, but due to certain circumstances…” ''Enoki looked at the fallen bodies on the ground. “We need all the help we can get.” Enoki looked to his mother, who nodded in approval. Enoki gave a salute. “I accept your offer.”

“Excellent,” said the android. ''“Get some rest and be ready to get to work tomorrow morning.”'' Enoki hugged his mother and the two of them headed for home.

Enoki had spent much of that night packing, eating, and staring sadly into space. Dawn soon arrived and the two family members stood by the front door. ‘You’re really letting me do this?” Enoki asked. “As much as I don’t want you to go…I know it’s for the best. If it’s something that you want to do and are willing to do…”

“Yes,” Enoki answered right away.

“Then I will let you be on your way.”

Th-thank you,” stuttered Enoki. They shared a long hug and several kisses. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again,” said Enoki. “I hope that you can,” said Kinoko.

“Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t finished high school yet. Here I was worrying about impressing Guava earlier. And now look at me.”

Kinoko rubbed his black hair affectionately. “At least she will see you as a Tuffle hero in the future. You can add “fighting for my nation” in your resume.”

“If I ever come back,” Enoki added, his eyes downcast.

“I know you can do it,” she encouraged, gently lifting his chin up. “You are incredibly smart and a fast learner. And dare I say it, you have Saiyan instincts in your blood.”

“But I can’t kill any more people than I already did…”

“Just take deep breaths and pay attention to your instructors and the commander. None of us are perfect as we Tuffles like to believe. We may be dependent on technology, but deep down, we rely on each other more.” Enoki couldn’t argue with that.

“Here, I just bought this for you online,” said his mother. She handed Enoki a new blue scouter, an upgraded model from the previous green one that had been destroyed. “Thank you, mom,” he said. He took it and fitted it to his left ear. He pressed a button and a series of white shapes appeared on the lens. “It works!”

“Wow, a Tuffle is amazed that it works. I never would have known,”Kinoko joked. Both of them laughed long and hard. Enoki couldn’t remember the last time he had felt happy like this. Realizing the situation at hand, both of them calmed down and shared a long hug one last time.

“I’ll keep in touch with you before bed,” Enoki said. “Unless I’m on late night duty.”

“Do it when you can,” she replied. “I’m proud of you, Enoki-san, Tuffle, Saiyan, and all.”

Enoki gathered his suitcase and the rest of his belongings. The front door opened with the touch of his finger and he stepped outside. “Lularachi,” Kinoko said as she waved goodbye. Hearing her say “farewell” made his heart heavier than before.

As he walked, Enoki couldn’t figure out in his tired mind how to pronounce the Tuffle word for “farewell.” He tried in his head and said it out loud as he walked forward. “Lu…a…chi… no that’s not it. Su…la…matchi…no…” At last, he figured it out and said the word out loud, “subarashi!” He turned toward the house to say it, but his mother had already went inside. ‘I said it wrong again,’ he thought. Then he looked at the time shown on his scouter and made a run for it.