[https://i.imgur.com/0hCMZCO.jpg]

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When Deshya went to class on this first Monday of the new school year, she was greeted by several of her friends: Amora, Frie, Lam, then Maruno and Tessa, and finally Abdoul and Minoru, brothers who are in the same class as her. Her two friends bring her back an envelope

from her locker addressed to her, but on reading the letter inside, Maruno and Tessa notice that it's addressed to them, the 'Associated Foxes'. After reading it aloud, Deshya pondered its meaning all morning and finally theorized that it's possible that this 'place' mentioned in the letter happens to be the headmistress' office... but that's unfortunately a red herring. All three searched the roof of the school, but found nothing there either. It's during the last few minutes of math class that Deshya thinks of something after hearing the teacher talk about 'sentence sense'. When class ends, Deshya hurries out of the building and joins Maruno and Tessa, who are walking together in the courtyard. She takes up her letter, left for Maruno to ponder on his own, and raises it to the sky. When she does, a revelation lights up in their minds. They all see it…

The fine dots that pierced the letter.

CHAPTER 27

⎾The Challenge's Letter ; Illumination⏌

- I-Invisible dots!" exclaims Maruno.

- Is that what 'look up and see' means, then...?" asks Tessa.

Deshya nods and Maruno looks closely at the dots that have been pierced. They're so fine they're impossible to see without the light shining through. Feeling them by running your finger over them is impossible too, but some of the dots are very close together, so those can be faintly felt if the person has sensitive fingers: like Deshya. She understands better what she felt when she touched the letter, even if she didn't understand it at the time.

- Is it a message... in Morse code?" asks Tessa.

Maruno nods and asks them to wait: he is reading the sentence that has been written 'invisibly' on this letter. Deshya holds it up, giggling, unable to believe that the real message is written this way. She's also a little embarrassed: she should have understood it long before. The 'invisible dots' were talking about that Morse code message impossible to observe without light. She's ashamed of having taken a whole day to figure it out.

- 'For your reward, join the pure angel after the end of the last class'," reads Maruno.

The three friends look at each other and then start laughing, which surprises some of the students in the playground. Deshya puts the letter in her pocket and waves to them, but Tessa tells her they'll wait for her in the playground to 'get their present'. The girl with the long fox tail joins the building to go to class, and Maruno sits down on a bench, sighing but smiling.

- It's a shame we took so long..." he says.

Tessa sits down and crosses her legs, taking her phone out of her pocket.

- Well, I'd never have thought of that, especially in a letter like this," she admits.

- It's true that I didn't think the message would be hidden away like this! Morse code inscribed with super fine dots? Rah.

- If you ever cheat on your girlfriend with another girl by sending her letters, you can use this method and she'll never know.

- What are you talking about? Aaah? Me, cheating on my girlfriend?! Are you crazy?

Tessa smiles at him, but keeps her gaze riveted on her phone.

- Just kidding, just kidding.

- I hope so, because I'm not cheating on my sweetheart.

- Too sweet.

- Don't care.

- I don't care if you don't care.

- You're impossible.

- My name isn't Kim, by the way.

Maruno grabs his phone and shakes his head: Tessa's sense of humor has never changed, even with the passing of time. He opens the 'Messages' application and warns one of his two mothers that he'll be a little late. Tessa happily admires the photos posted by one of her favorite cosplayers: she's dressed up in one of her favorite characters! Tessa had always wanted her to, so seeing him after all this time makes her so happy!

- Aren't you going to tell your parents you'll be back later?" asks Maruno.

- They don't really care, honestly," she replies, scrolling through her phone.

- I thought so…

Maruno knows her and her family well, so he finds his question silly, but he's always been like that. He spends his time on his phone watching Twatter and the news on the internet. They both have to wait for Deshya to finish her course before they can go and see this person and tell her that they've understood the letter's message. Maruno finds its content a little ridiculous now that he thinks about it, but he also finds it amusing and well thought out. The Morse message was very simple to solve, but Maruno doesn't see the connection with a 'place' or 'location'. Rather, it's a 'person' they have to meet…

The minutes pass quickly enough and the students leave the building talking amongst themselves, although some leave without starting any conversation, wishing only to get home as quickly as possible. Tessa puts her phone away and stands up, a gesture which Maruno imitates immediately afterwards. They notice Deshya chatting with Amora and Frie, Lam and the Ferino brothers behind them. Tessa moves towards her red-haired friend, who turns to face her. Deshya waves her hand and wishes Amora a good day as she turns around. She asks Lam if she can follow her and Lam accepts after greeting all her friends. Deshya and Lam head towards Tessa and Maruno, and the four of them look at each other. The dark-haired boy sighs with a smile and shakes his head, admiring Lam.

- I'm amazed that you'd make a Morse code message like that..." he says.

- It's clever, I admit," smiles Tessa.

Lam blinks and watches them silently. Deshya takes the letter out of his pocket and waves it in her hand.

- Don't try to lie to us. You wrote it, didn't you?

- Eeeh, why?

An innocent, cute smile gently settles on Lam's face. Tessa crosses her arms and closes her eyes.

- The 'invisible dots' you mention in the letter refer to the Morse code message you inscribed using fine dots.

- I don't know about the 'place of offering', but you've got us ask you to look up and observe the letter by placing it in front of the sun or the light of a lamp," explains Maruno.

- You're not saying it's a coded message that's invisible to idiots, but an invisible coded message that's made for idiots because you yourself think what you've done is silly, don't you?" speaks Deshya, offering the letter to Lam.

Her friend catches the piece of paper, staring at it, and finally giggles. She tucks the letter into her bag and rubs a lock of her hair with her other hand.

- I thought you'd find it quicker, but I was hopeful this plan would work," she admits.

- When the math teacher talked about the 'meaning of the sentence', I thought of the 'coded message invisible to idiots' and even though I'd already thought about this sentence, I didn't think it would be a message like that…

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

- So how did you find out?

- There wasn't really any other way, and it's a technique I've seen used before in some stories, so I just figured that must be the answer.

- Is that all?

- That's all there is to it.

Lam stares at her for a few moments, dumbfounded, but eventually laughs and starts rummaging through her bag with haste.

- Ahah, I see! Good thing I thought of that letter during my weekend, ahah!

- But why?" asks Tessa.

Lam beckons her to wait and grabs something from her bag. She hands them to Deshya, blushing faintly, a big smile on her face.

- Here are your presents!

- I-It's…

Lam nods.

- Chocolate!

Small pastel-colored bags with long ribbons that form the ears of an animal, probably a fox, containing a variety of chocolates. Some are white, others brown or black. Deshya grabs it and looks at the package, while Lam passes some to Tessa and Maruno.

- There are two chocolates of every taste inside! Two manon chocolates, two milk chocolates, two hazelnut chocolates, two caramel chocolates and two dark chocolates! My mother bought some for my father and I at the end of the vacation, so I thought I'd give you a present of my own with this letter!

Lam holds her hands behind her back, gently moving her pelvis out of shyness.

- Even if you hadn't managed to solve the letter, I was going to give you the chocolates, even though I'd have done it tomorrow morning..." she confesses.

- Oooh, thanks... but why?

Maruno analyzes the chocolates while asking the question. Lam questions him with her eyes.

- Why would you write a letter like that and offer us chocolates? I suppose that's the 'offering' you're talking about in the letter…

Lam nods. Deshya tucks them into her bag, thinking she'll taste them when she gets home. Tessa already opens it and quickly chooses a chocolate to eat, unable to be patient.

- Well, to be honest…

Lam wraps a few strands of her hair around her index finger, smiling at them.

- I just wanted to see the three of you together…

Tessa chews her chocolate, looking intently at Lam. The latter blushes even more.

- We all call you the 'Fox Incorporated', but we never see you working together... I thought this letter would bring you closer together... even more..." admits Lam.

- So you thought about it this weekend...?

- I was going to make a looooong coded message, but I thought of making thin holes in the letter while watching a certain anime! I thought it was a good idea, hihi.

The three members of the 'Fox Incorporated' look at each other. Deshya finally laughs and turns to Lam.

- I see, was it such a pure feeling that prompted you to write this letter?

Lam nods quickly and watches Tessa.

- After all, Tessa is super stylish! Maruno is super smart! And you, Deshya, are super cute!

- I'm not smart, am I?" says Tessa, raising an eyebrow.

- Oh? No, I don't mean that! It's not what I meant!!

Lam gently waves her hands in front of her.

- All three of you are intelligent, that's for sure! You don't have the same qualities, nor the same intelligence, but that's why the three of you are doing so well! However, you're rarely seen together, so…

Lam correctly puts the strap of her bag back on her shoulder and lets out a little chuckle.

- Even if it was just a silly letter like that, I thought it would be a pleasure for all of you to look around a bit together... I was happy to know that it took you the whole day, so you could enjoy it right to the end!

Lam pats the letter she's put away and turns on her heel, hands behind her back.

- I hope you'll work more often hand in hand, you're all too cute, the three of you.

It was with these words that Lam walked away from the 'Fox Incoporated' with a smile. Tessa swallows the chocolate and tucks the small bag into her bag before grabbing Maruno and Deshya and forcing them to approach her.

- Well, looks like we've got fans!" she tells them.

She holds them tighter before stepping between them and walking away, her hands in her pockets.

- Well, she's right, we should get together more often, all three of us…

Tessa stops suddenly and turns around with a petty smile.

- Right, boss?

Deshya recognizes herself immediately and touches the edge of her hood with a sigh. However, she answers with a smile.

- Yeah, Lam's right," she replies.

Maruno pats her on the back and gives her an amused nod.

- Your fox tail wags in all directions, Deshya,” he teases her.

Deshya blushes softly as she notices, and Maruno laughs as she walks alongside Tessa. Deshya admires them for a few moments before walking towards them in turn, but stops when a male voice calls her name. She turns part of her trunk and head and notices a boy running towards her. He stops a few steps from her and looks up.

- De-Deshya…

- Yes ?

She didn't recognize the boy. She's sure she doesn't know him. His expression proves to Deshya that he's worried and that something is weighing on his heart, but she doesn't know what. She blinks and the boy grits his teeth. A few seconds pass without anything happening, but finally the boy speaks.

- Deshya, could you help me...?

- Help you?

He nods and tears form in his brown eyes. He stares at Deshya and tries not to cry.

- Please... My little brother... has been kidnapped...