The Warubozu Usagi

8:50 am

North of Busan, in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

The ban on travel to and from South Korea is indefinite and the crew of the Black Flea have decided to pursue their alternate plan to exit South Korea. A little fishing and farming village on the coast in Gyeongsangbuk-go is now their temporary base while the construct a boat to quietly transport their microship out of South Korea in the middle of the night.

WU: The Black Minnow, Syvil.

S: What?

WU: I've decided to name our clandestine boat The Black Minnnow.

S: Wu-chan, we haven't even started building the boat.

WU: I know, but I've finalized the design and specs and I figured I should come up with a name and a graphic for the boat.

S: (rolls eyes) Whatever. Did you include catamaran-type outriggers?

WU: Yup.

S: Did you leave room in the rear to keep the microship's platform open?

WU: Uh huh.

S: Did you include lights?

WU: Affirmative.

S: Did you add twin rudders?

WU: You betcha.

S: Did you design a floorboard elevation ten inches above the waterline?

WU: Of course!

S: Alright then, let's see it.

WU: Say hello to The Black Minnow, Syvil!

S: (studying it carefully) What's the deal with the constant black and white schemes?

WU: You don't like it?

S: Well, it's fine, but why can't you use a little color once in a while? Pink?

WU: Pink?!? What is this, a fashion show?

S: Or green?

WU: Green?!? Are we trying to blend into a forest?

S: Brown?

WU: Oh great, the color of dirt?

S: (giving Wu-chan the stink eye) ...

WU: (giving Syvil stink eye back) ...

S: Do you have a shopping list ready?

WU: Already sent it to Red and Shoko.

S: We only have three days to complete the boat and get out of here if we're going to make it to the Sapporo Ice Festival.

WU: Wakari masuka! But uh, Syvil, the festival goes for a week, you know?

S: Warui, when you put things off to the last minute, things go wrong and you miss the opportunity. A sudden warm break in the weather could ruin the festival.

WU: I have it on good authority that the ice will not melt next week, on account that the forecast calls for continuously freezing temperatures.

S: Fine. I'm just saying, you never know what'll happen.

WU: Hold on, Red's calling. Red, what up? No, no, the spray kind. Yeah, not, not cans we need the one big box. Has to be metallic polymer; we don't have an oven. Yeah, the multiband with infrared. I don't know, fifty yards to be on the safe side? Oh, and Red, don't forget a case of Choco Pies. Oh, you did already? Cool. Alright.

S: How many cases did he get?

WU: Three.

S: Call him back. We need six. And ask Red to ask Shoko how many more Speedballs she's got with her. I think we're going to need a dozen to get through the next two days.

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— The Warubozu Usagi