[https://i.imgur.com/9B9nKWd.jpg]
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- S-Seriously?!!
- I swear it’s true... Don't shout in my ears.
Gatito sighs and takes a sip of his coffee as he accompanies Deshya back home. The teenager starts biting her thumb and her father gives her a quick glance.
She's just told her that the person who shot at them has been found dead in an alley, five minutes from the bus.
After a bullet in the head of 'Mathieu Desudo', the culprit of the murder of 'Roger Taketa' and 'Maurine Kissana', Korone's adoptive parents, and another bullet that almost killed the little girl, the man fled and lost his life with a simple stab wound to the carotid artery. Deshya bites down even harder on her thumb, because it's what she learned afterwards that bothers her even more.
A man in an eagle hood was observed fleeing the scene.
No one could see his physique behind his long clothes, but he must have been a man of average height. Unfortunately, they have no further information on him.
- I don't think it's anyone related to your case," admits Gatito.
Father and daughter are both in the policeman's police car, returning home after a long day and a complicated start to the evening. Fortunately, Korone escaped without injury and remained at the police station, questioned and protected, while Mathieu's body was transported by Annie and other members of the police force. It has now been over three hours since they emerged safely from the bus, after a few minutes without moving, lying on the ground. Korone was the one who protected Deshya by pushing her along…
- My reflexes…
- You can't blame yourself.
- But if Korone hadn't been quick enough, then…
- I think Korone was the target, not you.
- ... It's because of what Mathieu said, isn't it?
Gatito nods and Deshya frowns. The last words of this man, bus driver and murderer of Roger and Maurine, were :
- IF I DON'T KILL THIS LITTLE GIRL, THEN... THEN!!!
From what Gatito could gather from these words, he would have been obliged to kill Korone... for one reason or another. The bullet he took in the head must have been to prevent him from revealing everything to the police, which makes the case more mysterious than expected. Although the murderer of Roger Taketa and Maurine Kissana has been confirmed and arrested, Gatito blames himself for failing to protect him. Some criminals try to maintain their innocence until the very end, even when all the evidence points to them: Gatito has already faced many such murderers and culprits. He has to stay strong and take them to the police station: there, he'll agree to listen to them. It's up to him and the other police officers to judge the veracity of the culprit's words, as well as deciding whether the case is solved or whether there's a possibility that another culprit is behind it all, having managed to deceive the police's vigilance.
- A bit like Mary Blushark…
He turns his gaze to his daughter, who is deep in thought. It's clear that this affair has left him an aftertaste, especially as it grazed a sniper's bullet... A 'Remington 700' model in .223 caliber was found with the body, without even the slightest fingerprint on it. The corpse that was found has yet to be identified by the police... Gatito is waiting for answers, but perhaps he'll get them tomorrow or next week. Whatever happens, the policeman has to wait, hoping to understand why Mathieu was shot in the head... What could he have said to the police that made him deserve such a death? Who hired him... and why did he want to end little Korone's life? What's more, her adoptive parents were killed simply because they had a connection with her, and this upsets Gatito enormously.
- What I don't understand, Dad…
Gatito parks precisely in front of their house while listening to his daughter.
- Is why that man hired a man like Mathieu to commit the murder, when he had a precision weapon on him?" she asks.
Gatito stops the car and turns the key before giving Deshya a quick look.
- What's more, when he saw that Korone hadn't been killed, he shot her... It would have been simpler to finish off the three of them directly, rather than by this... rather strange method.
- Why did…
Gatito gets out of the car at the same time as his daughter before clicking the button on his key, locking the doors. Deshya moves to his side and his father pats him on the back.
- Really, don't think about it too much. Maybe we'll get some answers when we know who this man is," he told her as he opened the door to his house.
Deshya wants to reply, but finally closes her mouth and nods in defeat. She knows very well that he's right: she can think for hours, she's unlikely to come up with a conclusive answer on her own. Most likely, it's far too complicated for her to understand, or simply a case that can't be solved with more clues. What worries her most about this story is the man in the eagle hood. She doesn't believe that this person, who is the prime suspect in the sniper's death, is like her, but it bothers her all the same. She still doesn't know if she was kidnapped a few years ago, but it's the most likely theory... and unfortunately, she has no leads on a potential culprit. She's aware that this is probably paranoia, but if this man has anything to do with her case... she needs to know more. Even if it's a red herring, she promises herself that she'll discover the identity of the man in the eagle hood one day. Even if it takes months or even years, she won't go back to her grave until she's figured out why she has fox ears and a fox tail.
As he took off her shoes and headed for the kitchen, she vows to find the truth, with even more determination than before.
CHAPTER 17
⎾Like A Little Sister⏌
A ringtone as beautiful as it is unbearable sounds. A girl grunts, but after a while, mostly because of the light shining through the glass and illuminating her closed eyelids, she opens her eyes with a grumble. The teenager would have liked a little more sleep, especially as the weekend has just begun, but she's aware that if she doesn't keep a regular rhythm, she'll have trouble getting it back when she goes to school. She turns over and turns off her alarm clock with a sigh, before getting out of bed and stretching. Right arm, then left; right leg, then left. She gently cracks her neck and back before running a hand through her long red hair, noticing that she already has several knots forming in it.
- What's the point of detangling my hair at night if it gets tangled up while I'm sleeping?
Such is the fate she must accept, having long, curly hair. She leaves her room at a slow pace and descends the stairs without worrying about the noise she makes. She skips the last few steps and both feet land on the wooden hallway, which could do with a complete makeover: the age is clearly visible on the floor, which is at least 10 years old. Deshya moves a little to the left before opening the bathroom door and flicks the light switch outside, but sighs and flicks it again to turn off the light.
- No need when it's morning..." she said to herself, sighing inwardly.
It's a reflex she's caught and can't get out of her brain: why turn on the light if daylight is enough? She'd just be wasting energy... Yet she always makes the same mistake in the morning. She closes the door behind her and looks at herself in the mirror before taking the brush head out of its little box, placing it on the black and white toothbrush. Deshya turns the toothpaste cap several times before gently applying some to the soft bristles of the brush head, a gesture she could do in her sleep. Without even replacing the cap, she places the toothbrush in her mouth and activates it by pressing the top button once. As she watches her red hair and wide awake face in the mirror, she tries to remember what she dreamt last night... but she can't. She's convinced, though, that she's not the only one. Yet she's convinced she remembered when she woke up…
- The human mind fascinates me..." she thinks as a first sweet smile shows up on her face.
After the three minutes of morning brushing, she spits into the sink and puts the toothbrush away, removing the brush head with ease, placing it back in its little box, which she gently closes. She drinks a little water and spits it out, then shows her teeth to the mirror to check for cavities or gunk. Reassured that her teeth are showing their everyday whiteness, she takes out her brush from her usual drawer and starts running it through her hair, detangling it without making the slightest noise from her mouth. Sometimes she hums a tune in her head or even talks to herself a little, but given that she had to get up quite early this Saturday, she's not in the mood for that. After a relatively quick brushing, she puts away her fuchsia-pink brush and checks the condition of her hair before nodding. She takes another brush out of the same drawer and sits cross-legged beside the bathtub before looking into the large mirror that stands on the wall, allowing her to see behind her. Thanks to this, she brushes her fox tail for a few moments before standing up. She moves it from left to right and runs her hands through it before smiling: her morning cleaning is now complete! She puts the brush away and grabs the bra she sometimes wears to sleep, in the same style as the panties she wears as pajamas. She's not quick to get cold in bed, so she sleeps with nothing but a single pair of underwear, weakly protecting her genitals. After fastening her bra, taking care that her hair doesn’t get caught in it, she leaves the bathroom and descends the stairs without even putting socks on her feet. She quickly regrets this when she touches the cold first floor in the entrance hall of her house. She shivers a little, but that doesn't stop her from running to her kitchen and opening the door by turning down the handle. Deshya looks at the large dining room window and notices that her dog is resting outside, lying on the terrace. However, with senses sharper than any human's — even Deshya's — he notices that his mistress has just arrived in the kitchen and looks up, opening his eyes. Deshya closes the door behind her and greets her dog with a smile, before noticing that her mother, 'Pera Dimera', is eating breakfast on the table.
- Hi, Mom!
- Oh, good morning, Deshya. You're up awfully early for a Saturday.
- I can't sleep too horribly, or I won't be okay…
She grabs a glass from its usual place and places it under the sink before running water into it. When it's full, she drinks it in one gulp and sighs with relief.
- How good it feels to drink a glass of water in the morning!" she thinks out loud.
She sets the glass down on the worktop and heads for the table, where her mother is eating a crepe she's made herself. Others wait in a round blue tupperware, the transparent lid on the side.
- How are you?" asks Deshya.
- I'm fine. I'm fine. Sleep well?
- Hm, it was fine! I hate myself for not sleeping more, though....
She sighs and sits down in her usual chair, but is careful not to crush her fox tail. Her ears twitch softly as she sees all the jams in front of her: she's going to eat well this morning! She grabs a cold crepe and puts it on her plate before spreading strawberry jam on it. Pera smiles.
- Don't you want to heat up your crepe?" she asks.
- They're really good when cold, you know!
- Moh. You have strange tastes sometimes.
- My mother telling me that…
They start laughing together and Deshya bites into her crepe when she has finished spreading the jam on it. Pera looks at her with a small but sweet smile, while 'Néro', their German shepherd, barks from outside. Deshya tells him to calm down by turning towards him, but the kitchen door opens and draws Deshya's attention. She is surprised to see that it is her father who has just entered.
- Aren't you at work, Dad?
Gatito notices that his daughter is already awake and stops immediately.
- And you, up so early?
Deshya gives a petty smile.
- Eeeh, avoiding my question...?
- You do the same.
- Hewwooooo!
- Oh, hello Korone. So, Dad, why aren't you... at...... wo........ ek.........
Deshya blinks and looks down. The little girl points at Deshya's fox ears with a big, innocent smile.
- It’s real!
Deshya blinks again, the crepe in both hands. Pera scratches her cheek while Gatito sighs.
- I told you to stay by my side, Korone.
The little girl with the long, snow-white hair crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
- Mooooh!
She sulks at the policeman, who sighs and starts walking. Deshya drops her crepe and screams before jumping out of her chair.
- W-W-W-W-Wha-What's she doing here?!" she screams.
She hides behind her chair and trembles.
- Dad !!!! B-But she'll—
- I know, I know.
Gatito places a hand on Korone's shoulder and looks at his daughter.
- No matter how much she knows about your ears and fox tail, she'll figure it out eventually. Plus—
- When I touched your fox tail, you reacted like it was the real thing!!!! I didn't know fox girls really existed, hihi!
Korone waves both legs before jumping into Deshya's arms, but in reality she's cuddling the teenager's fox tail. She flinches and struggles, which forces Korone to back off, and Deshya now hides behind her mother.
- W-W-Why is she here?! S-She knows about my fox attri-attr-attri-attributes?!
Gatito sighs as he rolls his eyes, beginning to get fed up with his daughter's almost exaggerated reaction. He picks up Korone and puts her on the chair where Deshya was a few seconds ago, and the little girl smiles as she takes the crepe in her hands and bites into it. Deshya points at her.
- That's my crepe!!!
- Who goes hunting loses its place!
Deshya clenches a fist and grits her teeth, but her mother strokes her hair to calm her down.
- Come on, come on.
Deshya turns her attention to herself and takes a deep breath of air. Her heart beats less and less rapidly and she manages to calm down, even if it takes a while. Her two parents wait patiently for her to listen to them, while Korone eats a second crepe without even spreading anything on it. Deshya sits down opposite the little girl and observes her for a long moment before turning her gaze to her father.
- Shall I have it explained to me, then...?" she asks with incomprehension.
Gatito sits down next to the little girl, who eats her crepe with a smile. Pera gets up from her chair to warm one up, while Deshya looks at the little girl, squinting.
- It's a complex yet very simple situation," admits Gatito.
- What do you mean?" asks Deshya.
Korone swallows the piece of crepe and flashes Deshya an even brighter smile.
- I'm like your little sister now!" she replies instead of Gatito.
- My little sister…
Deshya doesn't have time to finish her sentence as Gatito cuts her off.
- After what happened yesterday, my boss called me. You know the police have held and questioned Korone, but they can't just keep her there or send her to an orphanage, because that would be dangerous.
He crosses his arms and looks at his only daughter.
- Even before they proposed anything to Korone, she told them directly—
- I want to live with Deshya the fox!" cries out Korone, raising her arms.
- ...there you go.
- B-But why?!
Deshya cuddles her own fox tail, looking at Korone and her father one after the other. The sound of the microwave breaks the short silence and Pera takes out the plate where the hot crepe lies, lying and eager to be devoured. Deshya's mother returns to her seat and offers the crepe to Korone, who accepts it with a big smile. Gatito finally answers Deshya's question, having been silent long enough.
- I'm a policeman, so I can take care of her, especially since when she played with your fox tail, she pulled on it a bit and was convinced it was real. She didn't want to go anywhere except here, but I'll let Korone tell you exactly why she wants you and not someone else.
The white-haired girl takes a bite out of the plain crepe and looks at the male policeman, chewing with big cheeks. She then turns to Deshya and swallows what's in her mouth before smiling.
- Well, I love Deshya! Deshya is very cute, very strong and very, very, very smart!!! I'm impressed with her, if I have to live with anyone, it's you or no one!
Korone sways her body with joy, hearts floating around her.
- Besides, if your dad hadn't screamed, my head would have KABOOOOOM!!!!
- H-Hey!
Gatito beckons him to calm down, but Korone chuckles before biting into his crepe.
- Me I wan’ to be wi’h De'hya the fo’y!!!
- Don't talk with your mouth full, Korone," Pera told her gently.
The little girl nods and swallows all at once before putting both hands on the table.
- I want to be with Deshya the fofox, no one else!!!! Otherwise, I sulk!!!!
She imitates the gesture by crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks, but then starts to laugh and hurriedly finishes her crepe. Deshya holds her head with a sigh, but a small smile can be seen there. Gatito exhales loudly before turning to his daughter.
- There's no guarantee that we're going to keep Korone here for very long," he admits. Until we learn a little more about the gunman, and if the danger continues to hang over Korone, we intend to keep her here.
He pulls out a piece of paper and shows it to Deshya. She stops stroking her fox tail and reads the paper, but quickly understands what it means.
- So we act as a home for her..." she says.
Gatito nods. Pera grabs the paper in turn and places it on the counter behind her. Then she turns to the little girl with a smile.
- Your father told me about it last night, while you were asleep, and also this morning, a few minutes ago. He'd gone to pick her up quite early, it seems," she said. We were going to tell you as soon as you woke up, but we didn't expect you to be up so early.
Deshya grabs a crepe and spreads it with a different jam, thinking it over. Gatito gets up from his chair and fetches a cup of coffee, while Korone drinks a glass of water served to him by Pera, thanks to the almost empty carafe on the table.
- Since Korone can't even remember her own surname, we've decided to call her 'Korone Daiski' for the time being," says Gatito as he prepares his coffee.
Deshya rolls her crepe and raises an eyebrow.
- Daiski...? In reference to the word 'Daisuki' which
means 'to love' or 'to adore' in Japanese...?
- It's the imaginary surname your father gave himself when he was younger, hihi!" confesses Pera.
- No need to admit that…
- I know that you are blushiiiiing, honey!
- I like it, Korone Daiskiiiii!" smiled Korone, placing the glass on the table.
- Hmmm, I see…
Deshya bites into her crepe and chews before squinting. She swallows noisily and rests an elbow on the table, blocking her head with her fist.
- But is it safe to admit to Korone that I'm a fox girl...?" she asks. Even if she was already sure, she's just a little girl who can probably be made to believe a lot of things…
- Moooh, you dare to lie to me?!
Korone pouted at her and Deshya bit into her crepe, chewing with her mouth closed. The little girl turns her head, puffing out her cheeks even harder, which makes Deshya giggle.
- It's not so bad, is it?" asks her mother.
- Do you think...? We do everything we can to prevent anyone from discovering the truth just to... admit it directly to her.
The sound of the coffee machine can be heard in the kitchen, the same room as the dining room: there are no doors separating them, which is much more convenient for the family. Gatito approaches the sink and looks at his daughter from the counter.
- I couldn't really refuse to keep Korone at home and I don't see the problem. Haven't you always wanted a little sister?
Deshya tenses up, but she can't deny the facts. Korone looks at the fox-eared girl and opens her mouth wide.
- B-B…
However, nothing comes out. She finally closes her mouth, bowing her head, and Deshya asks her if everything's all right, but Korone soon smiles again.
- Hihi, sorry! I meant... B-b-b... Big…
Seeing that she can't, Korone closes her mouth again, lowering her eyelids, a sad expression on her face. Pera touches her shoulder, asking in turn if she's feeling well, but Korone nods and asks if she can have a crepe. Pera accepts without concern and goes to heat up another, while Gatito collects her now-ready cup of coffee. Deshya touches her fox ears: she doesn't yet know about her disappearance a few years ago and that she's probably been kidnapped: but they don't need to tell her in any case. She's just a little girl who hasn't turned 10 yet, so even if she were to tell someone that Deshya has fox ears or a fox tail, they'd probably think she was cute and innocent. Deshya should feel soothed to have someone else to show her fox ears to, but Korone's arrival is so brutal that she can't find that comfort... She'll surely feel it as the days go by.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
- Anyway, we won't keep her forever, it's probably just for a few weeks," Deshya thinks.
She finishes her crepe and her two parents arrive at the table. Gatito puts down her cup of coffee and Pera offers the plate where Korone's last crepe awaits her. The girl thanks the lady and spreads a little strawberry jam on it before rolling it up with her little hands. She goes to bite into the crepe, but stops just short. Deshya, Gatito and Pera look at her, wondering about her behavior, and Korone puts the crepe down.
- Aren't you hungry after all?" asks Deshya's mother.
- No, I'll eat it, I just wanted to say…
Deshya noticed that Korone was trembling slightly, but
it stops when she smiles.
- I wanted to tell Deshya 'Big sister', but I can't consider you my family, hihi…
Korone takes a bite out of his crepe and chews it happily. The family looks at each other silently, preferring not to say anything. Deshya's eyelids droop as she looks at the little girl.
- She's just lost both her beloved parents, after all..." she thinks.
Although Deshya may see her as her little sister, it's only temporary. She doesn't need to get too attached to her, even if she's happy to have someone like that by her side. Deshya sips the rest of her drink and sighs with relief.
Korone watches the dog barking outside.
- He's probably seen a neighboring dog or cat..." admits Pera.
- He's a cutie. What's his name?" asked Korone.
- His name is Néro.
- Nice name!
- Deshya called him that.
Korone turns to the teenager, who nods in agreement.
- I was eleven when we got him, and since I was learning a bit of Spanish, I decided to call him Néro," she explains.
- Does 'Néro' mean 'Black'? I thought it was a reference to the Roman emperor…
- Néro' is pretty close, but since Deshya couldn't pronounce it well, we decided to name him that!" smiles Pera.
- How do you know about the Roman emperor...?" asks Gatito, raising his eyebrows.
Korone doesn't answer Gatito's question and claps her hands.
- Néro, it's very cute !!! He's a big dog!
- A German shepherd who's very nice, but can be scary," admits Deshya.
- Hm, that's right!
Korone eats the entire crepe before jumping out of her chair, running to the large sliding window in the dining room. Deshya's mother leans over to her daughter and offers to show Korone around the house today, especially as she has time, given that it's the weekend. Deshya nods and tells her she'll do just that, but before she can get up, Gatito calls her.
- Yes ?
Deshya turns to her father, who is sipping his coffee. He places the cup on the small plate he has fetched and dips a speculoos into it.
- I've already told her that she mustn't tell anyone about your fox ears and tail, as it's a secret, but she confessed to me that she wasn't going to in any case," he says.
- She wasn't going to talk about it in any case...?" wonders Deshya.
He nods, gently shaking the speculoos into the black coffee.
- From what she's told me on the way here, she suspects that you don't want to show your ears to anyone or have anyone find out, because otherwise you wouldn't hide them behind a hood. She also suspects that you can't hide your fox tail, so you have to pretend it's a fake.
Deshya blinks in surprise and looks at the little girl, who shakes her hands, waving to the dog running around the big garden. Deshya is amazed at her intelligence... Even if it seems to be simply common sense that anyone could understand, Korone met her just yesterday in the early evening, in a simple bus ride and her deduction. To suspect all this in such a short space of time isn't given to everyone, especially for such a young girl…
- How old is she?" asks Deshya.
Gatito wolfed down the speculoos before answering.
- I wanted to tell you about it quickly, but Korone remembers almost nothing. She says she remembers being called Korone by her former father, but she doesn't know who he is. She also knows she's 8 years old and says her birthday is January 30, even though it was her adoptive parents who decided to set that date for her, since she didn't know anything about it beforehand.
Deshya squints.
- She remembers so little... What happened in her past...?
Gatito shrugs and turns his face to the little girl.
- Good question... She didn't want to talk about it because she doesn't remember much, but she remembers having a father who often stayed by her side.
- Almost nothing…
Gatito frowns, turning his face sharply towards his daughter.
- It's not amnesia like you. She's very young and has been taken in by her adoptive parents for quite some time and pretty early on, it must be complicated for her.
- Calm, darling…
- I'm calm, but I don't want Deshya to create unnecessary scenarios, especially after what happened on the bus yesterday…
Deshya smiles and thanks her father, reassuring him that she didn't think she was related to Korone in any case. This comforts Gatito, who sips his coffee. Pera rises from her chair.
- I'm going to buy more clothes for Korone this afternoon," she says. I'll need her size and measurements... I'll do that after she learns a bit about the house!
- Tomorrow's closed, so it's wise to pick this up today," says her husband.
- Yes.
Deshya looks at them with a small smile before heading towards Korone. She stops beside her and looks out over the garden with her.
- It's a very big garden!" admits Korone, raising both arms in the air.
- So true! The trampoline over there is a bit broken, but if I get my dad to fix it, we can play on it for a bit, if you like!
- Yeeeeay, I want to! I've never jumped on a trampoline before!
- It's a lot of fun, I promise.
- I believe you, Deshyshy!
- You're going to call me like Amora does, aren't you…
- Who's Amora?
Deshya crouches down beside Korone and looks at her.
- My best friend. Given the energy you two have, I'm sure you'd get along just fine," she replies.
- I'm sure too, hm, hm!
Deshya's parents look at their daughter together, smiling, before Gatito rises from his chair. He finishes his coffee and puts his cup back in the cupboard. dishwasher before kissing his wife.
- Are you going to work now?" she asks.
He nods.
- I had every right to stay a while to introduce Korone to Deshya, but since that's done, I'll get to work.
- Work well and hard!
Pera waves to her and her husband thanks her. Before leaving the kitchen, he looks at his daughter, who is chatting with Korone. He smiles and closes the door behind him, leaving them together and hoping for the best.
- So, I'll show you all the rooms, shall I?" suggests Deshya, rising to her feet.
Korone nods and grabs the teenager's hand, smiling.
- I follow the guide fox!" said Korone.
- Ahah!
Deshya laughed at her remark and moved forward with her, her hand in hers.
- So, this is the dining room. On the right is the door to the laundry room.
- What's an lound rie room?
Her innocent eyes and cute voice make Deshya laugh again as she strokes her hair.
- Let's just say that over there, we've got our own tumble dryer, our second fridge and plenty of supplies!" explains Deshya.
- Ooooh, I see!
- There's also the garage, although we use it more as a large storeroom, since our car stays outside most of the time. There's also a toilet behind the door there, but it's often cold, so I don't necessarily recommend going there.
Deshya opens the laundry room door and points to the wooden door at the back. Deshya starts to show off her kitchen, which makes Pera smile. She thought Deshya would take longer to get used to Korone, but just by looking at her happy face, her mother understands that she's very happy. Even without looking at her face, her fox tail wagging happily behind her back is enough to understand how she feels.
- Great and beautiful cuisine!" says Korone.
- You see? So follow me!
- I'll be right behind you!
Deshya opens the kitchen door and enters a room that's well lit by the sunlight streaming through the drapery free windows. The room consists of a wooden desk that faces them, but runs along the wall on the kitchen side. A computer from the 2010s, but working very well, waits to be used, its screen totally black and the tower turned off. On the right, a large piece of furniture with figurines of all kinds and a beautiful painting that Korone doesn't recognize.
- This is Mom and Dad's office!" Deshya explains.
- How often does your dad use it? He must have his own office at the police station, right?
- It's more for using the computer, doing research or just entertaining, honestly. In the bottom drawers over there, there are several board games.
Korone notices that the far wall of the room is actually not a wall, but several closed doors that are painted the same color as the walls and ceiling. The paving beneath them, however, is a slightly orange marble, a color totally different from the room's metallic gray. Deshya takes a few steps forward with Korone and arrives in the entrance hall. It's large and spacious, tidier than the office she's just seen. To the left is a small corridor with two different doors.
- What's over there?" asks Korone, pointing to the spot.
- Oh, there? A toilet for the door on the left, the one on the right leads to the cellar. They keep lots of different wines and ice creams in a fridge, but I avoid going there personally, because last time I had cobwebs all over my fox tail... I still shiver…
She doesn't want to remember that horrible moment when she felt a long-legged spider… She could get sick just thinking about it. Deshya passes by the front door, where a painting depicting a scene from the film 'The Green Line' reigns over the small piece of furniture beneath it. They move away from the door and arrive in front of a stairwell. Deshya opens the door on the right and Korone looks in.
- What's here?" asks Korone with wide eyes.
- This is the living room we sometimes use when we're with guests, but there's also Mom's computer. It's on that table there!
Hidden behind the half-open door is the table Deshya speaks of, and Korone observes it. It's very tidy, even if a few papers are scattered about. She sees Deshya's mother's gray laptop, closed and switched off. On the right, the windows let in daylight, but unlike the others in the corridor and office, there are stains waiting to be used. Deshya asks Korone if she'd like to see upstairs, and Korone accepts with a big nod. She closes the door on her own and climbs the stairs one by one, happy to discover her new home. Even if it's only temporary, she's overjoyed! At the top, Korone notices the long corridor leading to a door at the end that's a little newer than the others. On his left, the corridor continues and leads to a stairwell to the top floor, but also to two different doors. One is straight ahead on the left, but the other requires a slightly longer turn to the left, just above the ground-floor lounge.
- The door on the left is the bathroom we all use, while the one you see behind the stairwell is the guest bedroom. I think you'll sleep there!
- Oooh, I see!
Deshya turns towards the long corridor in front of them.
- The door over there is like a second living room with a big TV, but there's also my parents' bedroom. The door closest to us is still a toilet, while the one next to it is for storing our mess.
- Hihi, I see!
Korone hops around and notices that the floor beneath her is creaking. Deshya reassures her that even if it's old wood and one or two places are broken, there's no risk of falling through this one. Korone trusts Deshya and, still with her hand in his, climbs the stairs to the second and top floor. The steps are much newer and make more noise than those leading from the ground to the second floor. Metal rungs prevent them from falling, and the staircase winds its way up to the very top, after twelve long steps. Korone notices that there are only two doors: one on the right and one on the left. In front of her is a huge mess, but Deshya tells her that one day they'll tidy it all up.
- The door on the right is our old attic, but the one on the left... That's my bedroom!
She lets go of these last words as she opens the door, and Korone enters the room, letting go of Deshya's hand. A large bed that could at least hold three people — no, four — presents itself right in front of her. The ceiling is the roof of the house, so it slopes at around 45 degrees, even though the wall opposite is straight. To her right, where the skylight allows the room to be illuminated by natural light, is a somewhat oddly shaped desk, but one that has several items: a computer screen with keyboard and mouse, a large tower that must have cost some money, a half-filled bottle of water next to a glass that has numerous mouth marks around the edges and fingerprints. A console controller is wired to the tower, an electric blue color, right next to glasses that would accept being washed. Papers and even Deshya's phone lie next to the tower, while the space right next to the window is almost empty: Deshya's phone cable and a packet of tissues lie there. Korone notices that the computer screen is off, as is the tower, but that's not what interests her at the moment: she jumps onto Deshya's bed and smiles with great intensity.
- Your bed... is sooooo comfy!
She throws herself onto the mattress and grabs the blanket in her arms. Deshya leaves the door open behind and puts her hands behind her head, smiling.
- Comfortable and big, but I'm all alone in it, ahah!
- You're not alone! You have her!
Korone grabs the large cushion that makes Deshya blush. The little girl analyzes it, trying to figure out who the figure on the cushion is.
- The pillow is bigger than I am... Who's that giiiiiirl?
- A-Aah... Ahah…
Deshya scratches her hair before sitting on the edge of the bed. Korone passes the 1m60 cushion to Deshya, who takes it in her arms.
- Eheh, that's because sleeping with a human-sized cushion like this is comfortable…
- I believe you! I like to sleep with a pillow in my arms, hihi!
Deshya smiles and Korone repeats her question, pointing to the cushion in the fox-eared girl's arms.
- What's her name? Who's she?
- L-Liv... It's a character from a series that has gained a lot of popularity... called 'Gato Lana', eheh....
- Liv...? What a cute name!
A girl with green hair flowing down to yellow is depicted lying on the cushion, cat ears on her head and beautiful minnow eyes. Korone notices that there's another drawing of her on the back of the cushion, but Deshya turns as red as a tomato and refuses to show it to Korone. The little girl pouts, but Deshya changes the subject by pointing to the large, human-sized fox plush she won at school.
- That's because I solved a riddle before Tessa and Maruno during the first day of school!" Deshya told her.
- Sooo cooooool!!! Hello, foxy!
Korone catches the cushion in her arms and giggles, which reassures Deshya, who places the cushion on the bed.
- Your house is great!" Korone told her with a big smile.
Deshya agrees: she's lucky to live here. Not only does she have plenty of room, she also has supportive parents who can sometimes be a little too protective for her, but how can you blame them: after disappearing for 5 months, it's only natural that they want to make sure their daughter stays alive and well. If she were to disappear again, as she did when she was 13, she can't even imagine how her parents would react... Deshya chats a little with Korone, both illuminated by the sunlight, both smiling and laughing together.
- Yuuuuuum!
Korone stretches out both legs, holding the fork firmly in her right hand. She has just tasted the midday meal that Pera has prepared especially for Korone and her daughter. Deshya's fox tail sways in delight, the good smell caresses her nose and the good taste of the dish is appreciated by her taste buds. As usual, her mother prepares a real delicacy. Korone eats with great gusto, much to the delight of Pera, who looks on smiling.
- You like the house, don't you?" asks the woman.
Korone nods and takes another bite.
- Nyeees! Your house is so cool and it's so big!" she replies.
- For a family of three like us, I even wonder if it's too big," smiles Pera.
- Clearly, there's too much space for just the three of us, even with Korone, we'll have plenty of room," adds Deshya.
Néro approaches the table when he smells the good food, but Pera tells him not to get too close. Korone is surprised to see the dog understand the woman's words.
- He understands pretty quickly, he's a smart dog," Pera tells her.
- I can see that!
Korone smiled, shaking her head in high spirits.
Deshya gets up and goes to put her plate away when a certain sound is heard. Korone raises her head and turns her face all around, wondering where the noise is coming from, but Pera reassures her straight away by explaining what the melody is:
- It's just the sound of the doorbell!" she smiles.
- Oh, your doorbell noise is fun!
- Right?
They giggle together and Deshya says she'll open the door. She quickly runs down the corridor so that no one outside can see her with her fox ears and grabs the blue sweater she keeps on the coat rack before putting it on herself. Although she always remembers that with knickers on, the sweater is rather long, so the person won't see anything. After putting on the sweater, she opens the door by pulling the handle downwards.
- Hey, Deshya.
The person behind the door greets Deshya first. When the red-haired girl hears the voice, she immediately recognizes who has spoken her first name. She doesn't hide her surprise and tilts her head to look at the person who rang the doorbell.
- T-Tessa?!
A very close friend, an 18-year-old teenager with long purple hair and pink streaks. Unlike last time, she's not wearing a cap on her head, but her clothes remain relatively in the same style as usual. With one hand in her pocket, she makes a quick movement with her hand, smiling.
- You're cute, like that.
- A-Ah?!
Deshya starts to blush and runs away, which makes Tessa laugh.
- On a more serious note, I wanted to propose something to you, Deshya.
- P-Propose what...?
Tessa takes her hand out of her pocket and, with a sudden movement, makes something appear between her two fingers. Deshya looks at her in amazement and blinks in surprise.
- A joker card?
Tessa nods and smiles broadly.
- How about a game of poker between you and me, Deshya?