I don't think this is a kerning issue, but rather a software one that read "Kurn" as "Kum" when converting the book to Kindle format. There are a bunch of other similar errors like this throughout which had my inner perfectionist screaming in rage, but this one cracked me up because apparently I'm 11 years old.

Or maybe the author actually wrote "Kum" given the other actual typos that aren't kerning issues littered throughout the Kindle version ("Junie Lowery-Johnson", the "Jenolen", etc.).

Gather round, ye honored men I have a tale to tell Bout a Klingon named Kum And his battle with a mighty whale He ventured out upon the sea And unfurled his massive sail He travelled all round Kro'nos And ended in the east A mighty man, never once morose He sought out the vicious beast Searching high and low And when he found the great white thing Kum knew it was time to blow

That's the best I can do at 3am. Lol.

I had to kum to the comments to figure out what the hell was going on. That one’s rough!