While the monkey and spider were away, the pig and the monk needed to find a way to spend their day. If I'm being completely honest with you, Dear Traveler, one of the reasons our wise, old Ham Song wandered off was to clear his head. The scene at the cosmic bridge had left him frightened and deeply disturbed.

The monk, as you know by now, only really cared about getting drunk. They slept long and hard so that they wouldn't have to be aware of how much their body ached without the drink.

The monk woke up from their nap and was not pleased. For a while, they simply laid there on the cushioned mat, letting their mind wander.

What's the point of everything? Why am I here?

After a while, simple questions morphed into heavy, final declarations.

I have no purpose. I'm supposed to be in heaven, but this place is no different from every other fucking life I've lived! Except for Sun Ritsu... he's different.

Bodhi paused on the subject of Ritsu and wondered if the monkey's Radiant State might have some of the answers Bodhi so desperately longed for.

No. The monk buried their face in the flower-printed pillow. Stop looking for answers. Forget about them. Forget about your questions too. Find the pig and ride his Luck to your next drink.

Though their mind had steadied for now, Bodhi kept their face hidden in the cushion. Water threatened to rise up their throat and spring forth from their eyes, but they would be having none of that.

When they were ready, the monk dragged themself out of bed and sought out the community shower down the hall. After giving themself a nice, thorough wash, they donned a different set of clothing that they kept in their roll of supplies. These garments were not of a traditional cut, but they were the same familiar light gray.

Bodhi walked down to the common room of the inn wearing a gray hood, jogger shorts that opened wide at the knee, and white leg warmers that shrugged high enough to cover their legs. They had exchanged their tethered sandals for simple black sneakers.

The monk found Baobei, who they only remembered from her mint green aura, waiting at a small dining table. She seemed as if she was occupying herself with something small and ovoid. It was attached to a keychain and had a screen that lit up with simple pixelated shapes.

"What's that you got there?" Bodhi asked as they approached.

Baobei's bat-shaped ears twitched happily as she looked up from her toy.

"It's called a Tamagotchi!" She said brightly. "Usually retro stuff doesn't meet the Code, but this is one of the few exceptions." Then she turned it off and tucked it inside the breast pocket of her school uniform.

Folding her arms over the table and smiling amicably, Baobei gave Bodhi her full attention.

Bodhi cleared their throat. "So, fill me in on why Legs hired you again?"

Baobei cocked her head to the side. "Legs?"

The monk wandered over to the nearest cereal vending machine. Without looking over their shoulder, they clarified, "The spider."

"Ohhh. Yes, I can explain. I'm here to help guide you through Kawaii Village without any hiccups."

By now Bodhi had the miniature box of glazed flakes and a carton of milk in their possession. They grabbed a featureless plastic bowl from the counter and sat down across from the corgi.

"Hiccups, you say." Bodhi mused as they prepared their breakfast. "So where is everyone now?"

Baobei looked thoughtfully out of the window. "Anari and Sun Ritsu told me they were going sight seeing at the Hall of Perfect Light. Anari assured me that she knew the way and didn't require my services. The pig took a walk."

After eating the cereal, Bodhi brought the bowl of leftover milk to their lips. When they drank, they were careful not to slurp too loudly. Bodhi set down the empty bowl and accepted a yellow polka-dotted handkerchief that Baobei offered them.

"Thank you." The monk dabbed the milk away from their top lip before asking, "Would you mind escorting me to the pig?"

Ham Song was enjoying his solitude just off the side of a bike trail when the monk and the corgi decided to show up. He caught a bit of their conversation before he even saw them through the tall, swaying grass.

He heard Baobei's voice first. "A sun clone? Do you mean your friend, Sun Ritsu?"

"No," Bodhi said with their usual disaffected airiness. "Not him. And no tourists either. See if you can find me a local resident. Surely there are some monkey spirits who live around here. It can't all be bunnies and pooches in these parts."

There was a pause as Baobei considered. And then, "There are definitely a handful of sun clones that reside in the Village. I just... suppose I were to find one. What would I say to get them to come with me? Bribery is not a cute form of persuasion."

"Say whatever you want," the monk huffed. It sounded to Ham Song like they were trying to hide their agitation.

The corgi, however, didn't seem to notice. She told them that she would try her best before saying, "Your friend Ham Bone is right over there."

Sage, how many times do I have to tell that green dog that my name is Ham Song?

As soon as Bodhi pulled back the shoot of grass and fixed Ham Song with one of their lilting grins, he narrowed his eyes at them under the glare of the sun.

"How did you find me?"

You should know, Dear Traveler, that the pig's irises appeared more ruby than black in the sunlight. The only indication that Bodhi gave of noticing this was in the slight arch of their brow.

"Baobei has all of our scents stored away in her incredible olfactory nerves," Bodhi said as they tapped the side of their slight, freckled nose. "She can track us down with ease as long as we are within the limits of the Village. Which, if you don't think too hard about how creepy that is, makes for a rather convenient perk."

"What do you want, monk?"

"Alright, Ham Song," Bodhi said brightly. "You're going to help me snag some booze. I don't believe for one sweet immortal second that these button-eyed little furballs aren't hiding anything around here."

Ham Song snorted, "I'm going to help you snag what now?"

Bodhi dropped to their knees and tried to sling their arm around Ham Song's lumpy shoulders, but the pig shuffled backwards before the monk could lock him in.

"I don't think so." The pig spirit squealed. "The last time I tried to help you look for something, I ended up on a chopping block!"

Bodhi huffed and rolled their gray eyes, but their expression was nonetheless heavy with regret.

"What's it going to take, Ham Song? Hm?" The monk folded their knees under them. "I am sorry for what I did." They made sure to lock eyes with the pig before turning their gaze downward and slowly bowing towards the earth.

Ham Song watched in disbelief as Bodhi entered a complete state of supplication, their forehead resting humbly against the sandy bike path.

Ham Song felt his mouth go dry. The weighted silence between himself and the monk was broken by the sound of the pig's hooves shifting unevenly against the grass as he backed up.

"Great Sage. Monk, get up before you make me drop my Luck."

Bodhi took their time rising, but kept their gaze aimed at the ground. "Does this mean you'll help me?"

Ham Song sat back on his rump and brought his hoof up to the wrinkle of meat between his eyes. He did his best to pinch the flesh, if only to relieve a microscopic amount of tension.

"Fine," he groaned, convincing himself that they weren't going to find any alcohol anyway.

Hey Sweet Peaches! I've got another art teaser for you!!! With the drinks and the freckles, who else could it be?