At her question, the morning sun poured through the church window, filling the room with a warm golden glow.
Ginny stood there smiling widely, her eyes shining with excitement and expectation.
Kuma froze.
His eyes widened, and for a moment he simply stared at her in stunned silence.
A soft blush crept across his face.
But slowly...
The color faded.
The warmth in his expression disappeared, replaced by something quieter. Something heavy.
When he finally spoke, his voice was soft—but firm.
He couldn't.
The words hit harder than any shout could have.
Ginny's smile vanished instantly. For a brief moment she just stared at him, the hurt flashing across her face before anger quickly rushed in to replace it.
Ginny exploded.
Her voice filled the entire room.
She demanded to know why.
She demanded he marry her.
She grabbed a fistful of his clothes and shook him, the motion almost comical considering the massive difference in their size. Kuma towered over her, his huge frame barely moving despite how hard she pulled.
Ginny shouted that he loved her.
That she was great.
That she would make him happy whether he liked it or not.
She called him a big dumbass while trying to force the answer out of him.
Kuma looked incredibly uncomfortable.
He rubbed the back of his head nervously, clearly struggling to find the right words.
He told her that he knew she would make him happy.
He truly believed that.
But then the memories came flooding back.
His mother.
His father.
The chains.
The slavery.
Everything that had happened to his family simply because he was born a Buccaneer.
The thought of Ginny suffering because of him tore at his heart.
So he said the only thing he believed was right.
He apologized.
And told her he didn't want her to become unhappy because of him.
Ginny trembled.
Her voice softened as she spoke his name quietly.
But before she could say anything else—
Kuma panicked.
He grabbed a nearby newspaper and quickly tried to change the subject.
He pointed out an article about a group called the Freedom Fighters, who had been stirring protests across multiple countries.
The newspaper mentioned that they had now been placed on a wanted list.
The leader of the group was a man named Dragon.
Kuma spoke about him with genuine admiration.
He said the man sounded brave.
A hero to many people.
