image [https://i.imgur.com/shSA5cu.jpg]
----------------------------------------
September 10, 2022. An annual party organized by 'Colin Furas' and his beloved wife, 'Mona Furas' begins at around 5pm. Just afterwards, Deshya's family and little Korone arrive. All four go and greet those they know, but it's barely after that that an extravagant woman arrives: 'Mariah Sukeni', the new policewoman from Tetazo, a detective dressed only in a jumpsuit that only half hides her breasts. The muscular man accompanying her is 'Dash Tarway', a dark-skinned man who works as a receptionist at this town's police station. After this extravagant entrance, Deshya and Korone decided to grab something to eat... but that's when Korone started to panic. She first froze in place, feeling a terrifying gaze upon her, before going to the bathroom with Deshya's help to vomit, so unbearable was the pressure. It was when she returned to the party a few minutes later that she managed to calm down and ate some food from the buffet with Deshya. While chatting with Mariah, Dash and the parents of the girl in the fox dress, Colin Furas, organizer of the party, took the stage and explained that they were going to show a short 20-minutes film of their year. The curtains were closed, allowing no moonbeams through, and the lights were turned off: the room was therefore plunged into absolute darkness, with the projector emitting only a faint, insignificant light. At this very moment, however, disaster strikes: a man is shot dead in the back of the room, a bullet in his back piercing his heart and taking his life in one fell swoop. Before that, the sound of breaking glass is heard, followed b y another similar noise, but this time caused by a brick thrown from inside. When the lights come back on, the scene startles all the guests, but seven of them flee from the horrific sight. Dash manages to catch all seven, aided by two guards, and brings them back into the room. The victim is named 'Georges Hedown', the owner of a chain of candy stores. However, of the four main suspects who could have thrown the brick, none seems to have the slightest motive for murder. What's more, there's no trace of gunpowder on them, nor is anything strange found in their bags. In short, the murderer really must have come from outside... However, Deshya and Mariah realize at the same time who the culprit is. Someone who really did come from inside the room, the same person who threw the brick at the window! They're excited to catch the culprit and explain the truth of the matter…
But at the same time, Korone, who was in the bathroom at the time, was abducted by someone! This same person runs past the guard from outside... but the guard is actually a fake: it's the other person accompanying the one who kidnapped Korone!
Deshya and Mariah talk amongst themselves and, a few moments later, ask Dash to bring the guests back down here: they're going to explain the reality of the murder. He accepts and runs upstairs, while Annie asks them to explain. They remain silent, however, and Mariah strokes her head with her arm, since she's much smaller than she is.
- You'll understand at the same time as the others!
- ... I see…
Annie sighs and removes the detective's hand from her head.
- You have concrete proof that the culprit is who you think he is, I hope?
Deshya makes a 'V' with her index and middle fingers and smiles.
- Two.
- Two proofs?
She nods. Mariah confirms and turns back to the four suspects.
- One in their bag. The other in their mechanism that allowed them to break the glass once. Or rather…
Mariah crosses her arms and smiles broadly.
- The reason why a brick had to be thrown at the window.
CHAPTER 42
⎾Pure Snow * The Invisible Gunshot Murder Case ; New Family⏌
- In any case, it took us a while to understand..." sighs Deshya.
The guests join the room one by one, calmly, without anyone shouting or pushing anyone else. The four suspects are still on the stage, each sweating. The culprit of the four grits their teeth without letting the others know.
- Do they really know that I killed this guy?!" they wonder, one fist clenched.
They were so sure they'd prepared everything perfectly. Admittedly, their plan wasn't perfect, but they'd managed to execute it all without missing a beat! So how would they know? The culprit can't understand it! They can't accept it!
All the guests finally arrive in the room and Mariah cracks her neck with a smile.
- Let's tell them what happened, Deshya!
However, the girl in the fox dress remains motionless. Mariah stops after her first step and turns to her.
- What is it?" asks Mariah.
Deshya keeps her mouth weakly open while staring at someone. This person is chatting with another, a worried look on his face. Deshya apologizes to Mariah and says she's on her way while running towards the two of them. The detective scratches her hair.
- You're the one who was excited about telling everyone the truth..." she thinks boredly.
Nevertheless, she says nothing back and, accompanied by Dash, heads for the stage. Deshya passes between the many guests and finally arrives in front of the woman and man chatting together.
- What's going on, Mom?
The two adults whom Deshya observed, talking worriedly, are Pera and Gatito Oveja, her parents. The long-haired woman turns to her daughter and grabs her hand.
- You haven't seen Korone, have you?" she asks her with alarming haste.
Deshya shakes her head and Gatito clicks his tongue.
- Where is she, then...?" he wonders aloud.
Deshya opens her eyes wide.
- Korone is no longer with you?!
- I let her go to the bathroom on her own for a few moments, but I got worried when she didn't come back after five minutes.
- However, she's not there and nobody saw her coming. Even the guard outside.
Deshya clenches her fist and bites her lower lip. If she hasn't returned from the bathroom and hasn't been seen by the guard means she must be inside, but yet it seems her parents haven't seen her yet. Deshya asks if it's possible she's in the crowd of guests in this room, but Gatito answers for his wife.
- Korone hasn't been seen coming out of the bathroom once and if she was in the crowd, I'm sure she would have come back to us. In any case, I asked the guard in charge of the corridor and he said he hadn't seen her anywhere.
Deshya bites her lower lip even harder and looks out into the corridor.
- ...you don't mean…
Deshya apologizes and runs out of the room and out of the villa. When she arrives outside, she scans her surroundings for the guard... but he's nowhere to be seen. She takes a closer look around, and there—
- W-What the...?!
A man sleeps in the bushes, a blindfold around his mouth and a rope around his wrists and ankles. Deshya opens her eyes wide and starts to fan herself before turning to the parking lot in front of her.
- It can't be... It can't be, can it?!
She starts to panic and shakes her head. She swallows hard and stamps her foot on the ground. Deshya feels her heart racing and her muscles contracting. With eyes that are almost beginning to water, she rushes inside the villa and quickly passes her parents. She pushes past the guests and jumps onto the stage. Mariah smiles when she sees her, but that same expression quickly fades when she notices the one on Deshya's face.
- Is something wrong?" asks Mariah.
Directly, Deshya replies with a worried look.
- Have you seen the little girl, Korone?
- …
Mariah shakes her head and Deshya clenches her fists.
- I'll go get her, you can reveal everything without me!!!
- A-Ah, wait!!
Mariah tries to catch her, but Deshya runs into the crowd and Mariah sighs.
- Well, I'd say she found it first…
Mariah smiles and cracks her neck. However, when she thinks about how worried she looks, how the little girl seems to have disappeared and how Deshya worries like that…
- …
Mariah frowns, but simply grabs the microphone and prefers to leave this 'business' to Deshya: she must reveal the truth to the guests and expose the real culprit in front of everyone. The four culprits are still behind her, all seated in their respective chairs. Mariah brightens her voice and begins to speak without further ado.
- Forgive me for waiting!
Dash arrives on stage and Gatito stands in front of the door, making sure no one leaves or enters without permission. Deshya has just run past him to go outside, but she's one of the only people allowed in and out without asking. What's more, she's probably going to look for Korone, although two guards have been called in to search. What's more, Gatito has sent a message to the station to say that there's no longer any reason to check the surrounding area, given that the criminal has been found by Mariah. The latter starts walking across the stage.
- As you knew, during our viewing of the film, a man named 'Georges Hedown' was killed in total darkness. We took our time, but the culprit was finally found. Identified at last.
She shakes her hair and pauses in a stylized pose.
- By Deshya Oveja and myself!
The guests start chatting amongst themselves, the four suspects sweating behind the detective, watched by two guards and the two party organizers.
- From now on, I'm going to reveal the truth of this affair and pronounce the identity of the culprit!
She raises a finger to the sky with a big smile. Sally Corem', one of the four suspects, the only young woman among them, stands up and waves her hand in front of her.
- You talk, you talk, but do you really know the truth?! You've struggled and struggled suddenly, you find the truth?!
Dash forces her to sit back in her chair, asking her to calm down. She clicks her tongue and correctly places her backpack back on her before crossing her arms and legs, staring aggressively at the detective. The latter nods after hearing the suspect's question.
- Sure, we know who the culprit is, but we also have one— no, TWO pieces of evidence!
Like Deshya's gesture in front of Annie, Mariah raises two fingers in the shape of a 'V': the index and middle fingers of her free hand, the one not holding a microphone in its palm. The guests start to get excited, as if this were part of the party itself.
- Since the party was ruined by the culprit, I'll do my best to entertain you by revealing all about the case!
She raises a finger to the sky, but unfortunately it's not a concert stage: there's no light at all focusing on her from the ceiling. Yet her confident air and beauty make the atmosphere not at all awkward. Mariah brings the microphone close to her mouth again and continues to speak.
- There's no point in prolonging the suspense, so let me explain.
She bows politely and points to the back of the room — more precisely, to the broken window with the open drapes.
- As you know, the sound of breaking glass was heard at the same time as a man screamed in pain: the victim in this case. Then, a second pane of glass sounded, coming from the same window. We checked all the windows and other objects in the vicinity, but nothing was broken, so it's certain that both sounds came from the same window... but at the same time, that's what gave us the problem.
- What do you mean?" shouts a guest in the crowd.
No one understands what she means. In reality, only the guilty party knows what Mariah is talking about. This person clenches their fist and looks frightened at the small woman detective in front of them. So she really understood... It's not nonsense. It's not a lie.
- It's simple," says Mariah.
She starts walking slowly across the stage, microphone held firmly in her hand.
- In our minds, this is how the crime happened: an outsider fired a silenced pistol inside the room, killing the victim with a precise bullet to the back, piercing his heart. The sound of shattering glass came from the moment the bullet passed through the window. Then, someone on the inside, standing in the back of the room and possessing a backpack, capable of holding many objects, threw a brick they had inside it through the window for some unknown reason: it was this mystery that slowed us down in the case, especially as in any case, something was wrong.
- Something...?" repeats another guest, this time a young man.
Mariah nods and points to the back of the room again.
- On the curtains. First of all, if the murder was really committed from the outside, how could the culprit have fired precisely when the drapes were closed? What's more, the room was so dark that there would have been no way to shoot correctly and kill the victim.
- However, I've heard that traces have been found outside, as well as the murder weapon..." says a man in the crowd.
- That's exactly what happened. Crushed bushes and trampled grass. However, this could have been done in advance, even during the party. Going out is common, so it wouldn't have been suspicious.
Mariah shakes her head.
- However, these traces that prove someone was there are just a means of entertaining us about reality.
She smiles.
- That the criminal is inside!
The guests make even more noise in the room. Manny and Rei tap their feet on the floor, the pressure building inside them, while Sally bites her lower lip. Antoine remains calm, but the atmosphere still gets to him and doesn't stop him from sweating. Mariah walks across the stage with a smile on her face.
- Everything was done to make us believe that the culprit came from the outside, but in reality, it was indeed from the inside that the culprit was to be found. The one who threw the brick, the one who shot the victim, the one who threw the gun outside…
Mariah turns around suddenly, stopping with a firm foot and squinting eyes, she points to the four suspects behind her.
- That one of you four is the criminal!!!" she shouts.
The guests continue to stir, talking amongst themselves, listening intently to Mariah tell the truth of the matter. Pera holds her husband's hand tightly, watching the scene intently. The man sighs, eyelids lowered.
- Deshya and Mariah like to give their deduction like it's a show or a game, eh..." he thinks, wanting to shake his head.
The difference between the two is that one is a real police detective, while the other is nothing more than a slightly smarter-than-normal teenager. Yet both see the cases almost as fun, something Gatito can't understand.
- One of the four of you kept the brick in your bag, but it was in that same backpack that you had the silenced pistol that was used to kill 'Georges Hedown', the victim," Mariah continues.
Rei stands up and frowns.
- How can you say that?!
- He's right, just because we have a backpack doesn't mean we're the only ones who can do this, isn't it?" asks Antoine, sitting back in his chair.
The other two suspects nod, but Mariah simply smiles.
- It would have been virtually impossible for anyone to take a brick inside without a bag like that. The culprit is someone who was behind the victim, and there weren't many of you. What's more, you all ran, so even if three of you did run because of fear, the other simply ran to get rid of it.
Mariah snaps her fingers and squints.
- To get rid of the gun.
Manny hits his chair and stands up.
- You... You're talking nonsense!" he shouts. If nobody had run away, how would he have done it?
- It doesn’t matter. Even if he were to be the only one to flee, it would make absolutely no difference.
- W-What?!
Mariah starts walking again.
- Since the culprit was in the background, they could simply have thrown the pistol through the window without looking, dropping it in the bushes, to make it look like the criminal simply left the gun in the same place where they fired it, not wanting to be caught with it in their hands. However, as some of you all fled, the culprit could have followed you and thrown the gun further away, which tells us that none of you could have committed the crime from inside, as you would have had to leave the house after killing the victim and then disposing the gun.
- But isn't running the same thing?" asks Sally, feeling impatience grip her heart.
- The culprit knew full well that they were going to be stopped by a guard or a member of the police, but there was little they could do other than throw the pistol outside.
Mariah stops again, turning back to the four suspects.
- Sally and Antoine went outside, so it might have been possible to throw the gun from there discreetly, especially as the gun was in a place where it could be swung. Manny and Rei went upstairs and the gun could have been thrown from one of the upstairs windows, almost all of which were open to let the air in.
- So they could all have thrown the gun away...?" wonders Annie.
She doesn't yet know the truth of the matter, unlike Deshya and the detective herself, but Mariah's energy is beginning to affect her. The doctor would prefer her to say her deduction more quickly and not to amuse herself at the scene of a murder, but she can understand that it may benefit the poor guests who have had to experience something so traumatic.
- Even if Mariah is just childish, ahah..." Annie thinks with an amused smile.
The detective nods blankly, as if she's heard Annie's thoughts.
- Now, let me explain the reality of Georges' murder.
She crosses her arms and slowly lowers her head towards the microphone, still in her right hand.
- As you all know, a sound of breaking glass was heard first, followed by the victim's scream and finally a second sound of glass. If we take the theory that the culprit came from outside, then it's easy to guess that the first sound of glass came from the bullet going through the window.
Mariah smiles broadly.
- But it was exactly because we were wrong about its origin that the mystery of the brick persisted. That we couldn't understand WHY the brick was thrown through the window.
The guests are all confused, but Gatito frowns.
- If the culprit comes from within... then...!
And then... he understands.
- Has the brick been thrown...?!
If he's right, he just doesn't understand why she'd go that far. However, Mariah will confirm his thoughts confirm that he's thought of the right theory.
- If the shot came from inside, then there should be evidence of the bullet in the glass, right?
Mariah shrugs before shaking her head, letting her hair fly in a beautiful scene.
- But since the shot came from inside, there were never any holes in the glass. So to erase the lack of holes, the culprit smashed the window with the brick... preventing us from discovering that the shot didn't come from outside.
The four suspects stare at Mariah's back, frowning, and the culprit between them chatters his teeth. The crowd grows restless and some turn back to the glass. Annie rises from her chair.
- Why go so far as to throw a brick from the inside?!" she shouts. That's the thing that made the police realize that someone in this crowd had thrown it away.
Mariah snickers, telling the doctor that it's a good question.
- There had to be a way to hide the lack of hole in the glass somehow, so the culprit chose to throw a brick through the glass because it's not complicated, no one would see it in the dark, and it would be certain that this way, it would be impossible to notice the lack of hole. It would have been smarter to use a mechanism from the outside to break the glass or simply find another trick... but the smartest thing would simply have been not to kill at all.
Mariah shakes her head before resuming.
- The reason a brick was thrown from the inside was because they thought it would go another way, right?
Mariah smiles and turns back to the four suspects.
- He thought the brick would shatter the window, but would be stopped by the corded curtain, making it impossible for the brick to penetrate the glass.
The culprit opens their eyes wide. Mariah continues directly.
- They wanted to take the brick back into their bag, flee as planned, get rid of the gun and hide the brick somewhere, or simply throw it away. Although the police would still have thought that the glass had been shattered by the brick we would have found later, I suppose the culprit would have used the excuse that they ran into the glass because it was so dark when they got scared, so they couldn't see where they were going, or they would simply have said nothing and thought that whatever happened, they would never have been arrested without evidence. Unfortunately, the brick did go through the window, which is silly for them.
Mariah cracks her thumb before showing her teeth.
- I mean, he's the idiot, using such a method to commit the crime.
- But that's not possible, is it?
One of the guests shouts into the crowd. The people around him step back, letting him speak. He makes himself smaller, not expecting to be in the middle of the attention like this, given that he spoke without thinking, but given that Mariah is waiting for his explanation, he takes courage and says what he thinks:
- If it was one of them who fired, then wouldn't the culprit have powder on him? And wouldn't the shot have been visible in the dark?
People start nodding and asking the same questions. The culprit smiles, hoping Mariah won't have any answers to them, but unfortunately for him—
- I said it, didn't I?
The detective plays with a lock of her hair.
- The criminal has a backpack to keep the gun and the brick, so the backpack comes in handy.
She curls her hair around her index finger.
- And it was with this same backpack that he hid the shot.
The culprit opens his eyes wide again, realizing that whatever happens, he's done for. Although he doesn't yet know what evidence they've found against him, his confidence is down to 0. He wants to run away from here, but just as he's about to get up, the muscular man at his side will stop him for sure.
- Shit, shit, shit…
One of the guests asks what Mariah means and she explains:
- If the shot is made inside the bag, it's impossible to see, right?
- Huh?! Did you find a hole in one of our bags?! And then there'd be gunpowder on our sleeves or our hands!" shouts Rei.
Mariah smiles.
- Funny you should say that.
Mariah grits her teeth as she smiles at Rei, the man with black and white hair.
- Doesn't your bag have holes from the start, Reiiii?
And then the culprit felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. The other three suspects turn to him... to Rei. He wants to reply, but he feels all eyes on him, even Mariah's. She continues without delay.
- The holes aren't very big, but they're enough to get a bullet through without damaging the bag. On top of that, there's a scratch at the bottom of the bag, so I'm convinced you used that one to commit the crime. You probably had the brick lying right underneath you... Hm, with a gun like that, I suppose you could shoot one handed, but it's risky.
Mariah starts to think, but ends up shrugging.
- Whatever happens, one way or another, the technique remains the same.
- But if the gun came out of one of the holes, the shot would still have been observable, wouldn't it?" asks Dash.
- There's no need to get the gun out of the hole, just make sure the shot goes through. The hole is big enough for the ball to pass through without any trouble. Even in the dark, it's easy to make sure the gun is firing at the right spot, even if there's nothing to say it hasn't fired from another hole.
- But isn't it risky?" asks Antoine, one of the four suspects. If the bag fell a little and he fired, the bullet would have pierced the bag and the trick would have been directly revealed.
Mariah nods.
- I'm sure Rei was careful when he fired and was convinced he wouldn't miss.
- How could he shoot the victim so precisely?" shouts one of the guests.
- We have sought confirmation from the hospital, but there is still a small trace of fluorescent paint on the victim's clothing, where he was shot.
She crosses her arms.
- It's not a very strong fluorescent paint, so Rei, who was concentrating on the victim, could see it, but those next to him, watching the film, didn't see that little fluorescent dot on the victim's back. Given the darkness, it's clear that no one could have seen the culprit lift his bag, pull the trigger and then throw the brick. He obviously put the bag back on his back at the same time, without even closing it, to make sure he got rid of the gun right afterwards," she explains.
Silence has no place in this room: everyone is talking to each other, surprised by this method of murder. Rei trembles, clenching her fists. Manny asks him to defend himself, but the young man can't find a word. Gatito rests his back against the wall again and squints.
- Mariah!
He shouts, which attracts the detective's attention.
- Even if it's not impossible, how can you not have any powder on you, if you do that? For the pistol to be accurate enough to shoot through the hole without damaging the bag, as well as all the space inside the bag, a good part of the arm would have had to be put inside. Not only were no gloves found, no traces of gunpowder were on him. It would have been impossible to get rid of it all that quickly, so I suppose you have an explanation?” Gatito asks.
Mariah listens attentively, the microphone a little more than her mouth, but she ends up smiling.
- Ah, I'm finally being asked.
Gatito frowns, waiting for her answer. Mariah plays with the microphone before deciding to answer herself.
- A bag within a bag.
- Huh?
- A bag... in a bag?
- What do you mean by that, Mariah?!" shouts Gatito from the back of the room.
Mariah smiles broadly.
- If Rei had picked up the gun while hiding his hand with his sleeve, it would be too complicated to pull the trigger, so he took advantage of something that we wouldn't consider anything other than normal, but which is actually important to this case," she explains.
- A bag...?
The guests don't understand, but Mariah is there to explain the truth.
- A plastic bag around his hand, protecting it from any powder on his clothes, preventing his fingerprints from getting on the weapon.
She shakes her hair.
- The plastic bag from his sandwich. Simple as that.
- I suppose it's a theory that holds water..." thinks Annie, rubbing her chin.
Manny gets up from his chair, accompanied by Sally.
- If everything you say is right, then what are your two proofs?!! Besides, how did they break the glass the first time, then?!" shouts Colin and Mona's son.
- It just never happened.
Mariah shakes her head and sighs.
- Don't you get it, Manny?
- H-Huh?
- But you've got a pretty similar bag, don't you? In fact, if you had holes like Rei's bag, I'd have thought you were the culprit.
- What are you talking about?!" Sally asked aggressively.
Mariah sighs again and clicks her tongue a few times against her teeth.
- The resemblance between the two bags is easy to understand, isn't it?
Sally squinted, looking at Rei's backpack... before realizing.
- The... speakers?
Mariah nods.
- Just the sound of breaking glass. He could have recorded it in advance by breaking a similar window, or simply bet that nobody would notice the difference with a video taken on YaTube, but either way, it's certain.
Rei, the supposed culprit in this case, stares at Mariah with bated breath. She reveals everything without a care, as if she had read Rei's mind. Just when he thought he'd thought of everything... just when he thought he'd thought of everything…
- The pieces of glass in front of the window on the inside were put there in advance, probably while watching the film. Given that few people were at the back of the room, it couldn't have been complicated.
- It's true that at one point you pushed me backwards..." thinks Antoine.
Rei clenches his fists, as well as his teeth. Mariah squints.
- The other proof is easy to obtain: we may have verified traces of powder on your clothes, but we didn't check inside your bags. Plus, I don't think he really had time to clear his history or erase the recording on his phone, so it can be used as evidence," the detective explains, ending her and Deshya's deduction.
The noise picks up even louder. Mariah lowers the microphone and stares intently at Rei, the young man shaking in his boots. He can't say anything, his eyes wide and his irises staring into space. Manny asks him if this is true, but Rei answers nothing. Mariah asks Dash to take her backpack to be checked, as well as the contents of his phone if Rei accepts, but this won't happen: Rei falls to his knees on the floor and hits the wood of the stage with a violent fist.
- I thought it was perfect...!! I... I didn't think that when the drapes were closed... How did I miss this…!
Mariah sighs and shakes her head.
- The brick could have caught on the drapes and you might have been able to hide it in your bag, but I'm sure we'd still have realized that something had been thrown from inside. In any case, the simple fact that you fled after the crime would have struck me as odd, as would the other three at your side, given that the other three could never have committed anything on their own. In short—
- I understand... It's okay, it's okay !!!
Rei starts to cry, realizing that his plan has fallen through and that he will now have to face the consequences of his crime. The three beside him can't find words to comfort him — or rather, they don't feel like arguing with a killer. Dash shakes his head gently, unable to believe that a young man like him would dare commit such a crime.
- You're too young to spend time in prison... Idiot," Dash thinks, looking at the culprit.
Mariah turns back to the crowd, but her gaze is currently somewhere else: beyond the walls of this villa. She squints softly.
- Deshya... where are you now?" she wondered.
After Korone came out of the bathroom, a man grabbed her from behind, one hand around her waist to carry her, the other in front of her mouth to prevent her from shouting for help. He flees from the entrance, but unfortunately the guard doesn't act: after all, it's the other person who was at the side of the one who has just kidnapped Korone. The latter runs helplessly away from the villa, beating the arm of the person who is aggressively embracing her with her small fists. The little girl wants to scream for help, but it's impossible for her to open her mouth. No matter how hard she struggles, it's no use. She moves further and further away from the villa. She wants to cry, to let the tears flow, to scream, to be let go, but she remains strong. She tries to think of a way out, but... But…
The man doesn't utter a single word along the way. He continues to run and comes to a building in the woods, resembling a small abandoned storeroom. Korone already knows what's going to happen to her. Pera won't notice her disappearance for a few minutes, so she'll alert Gatito and Deshya far too late: Korone will already be dead, in that small building, before help arrives. Even if she is agile, has a certain talent with weapons and is very intelligent, against this person, she won't be able to do anything. What's more, she's now certain that the look on her face during the party came from the person who's just abducted her.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Of this man with black hair.
He enters the storeroom and closes the door behind her without slamming it. Korone quickly scans the surroundings, but there's almost nothing left inside the place. Wooden crates here and there, less large as those in the warehouse where they rescued Deshya, but there are no floors or trunks. The floor is dusty, and even in this darkness, some of the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and between the various abandoned crates are visible. Korone hasn't struggled since she saw this storeroom, since whatever happens, she doesn't have enough strength to escape. If this man's aim is to kill her, then she can only accept fate. Nevertheless, even if she has to die, then…
Before she can finish her inner thought, the man runs to the middle of the room before dropping her to the floor. Both her feet land on the concrete floor of the storeroom and dust flies around her. She coughs and steps back, but the man grabs her shoulder. Korone opens one eye and watches him, but that oppressive pressure returns. She holds her chest and takes another step back, coughing with small tears in her eyes. Noticing the little girl's expression, the man takes another step back.
- You are Korone, aren't you?" he asks.
In this darkness, Korone can't quite make out his physical attributes, especially as he wears a dark hat on his head, probably to prevent anyone from recognizing him. His clothes, too, are very dark and cover his whole body. The only thing Korone could notice was the color of his hair when she looked up, having just been removed: black hair, the same color as his unshaven beard for at least three or even four weeks.
- Snow-white hair, big purple eyes, short stature, little girl.
He continues to speak, but Korone can't answer. Her heart beats as fast as it can, but the man's pressure continues to crush her chest, preventing her from breathing properly. She feels as if someone is trying to flatten her entire trunk, to crush her ribcage to powder. An unpleasant, painful sensation, one that Korone unfortunately can't silence. The man sighs when he notices that the little girl doesn't seem to want to answer — or rather, she doesn't seem to be able to. He takes a step towards her, but Korone steps back, eyes glinting in the few moonbeams that shine through the holes in the storeroom. However, a small bump in the concrete is hit by her foot and she falls to the ground... before the man grabs her arm, preventing her back and buttocks from touching the ground.
- If you fall, you'll get your clothes dirty," he says.
- H-Huh?
The person in front of her lifts her up and crouches down in front of Korone.
- I repeat: you are Korone, aren't you? Although I already know the answer, and even if you don't reply I'm sure you're my target, I want confirmation from you.
The girl blinks, unsure if she understands what he really wants. Nevertheless, not wanting to upset this bearded man, she decides to nod, the words failing to come out of her mouth. The expression of the person in front of Korone is impossible to see in the darkness of the storeroom, but it seems to the little girl that she can see a... strange smile. Like malicious, but—
- Korone, eh. The one who was almost killed, but whose task was not carried out.
He shakes his head, as if disappointed. Korone feels her own hands trembling, her eyes hesitating whether to let go of the tears or hold on to them, her heart beating as fast as ever. The man's calm voice and the beating of her heart: these are the only two sounds she can hear. Not even a bird, not even an animal rustling in the night. The night breeze doesn't make a sound, the shabby storeroom they're in doesn't emit the slightest lament.
- You've got a new family, haven't you?
A question that immobilizes Korone. She freezes in place, her hands stop shaking, but her heart beats no less rapidly. The man in front of her is simply waiting for an answer, crouching down and holding his hands. forearms on his knees, but the silence continues. He sighs... but it's at this precise moment that Korone finally opens his mouth. His voice rings out at last, echoing off the facades of the storeroom.
- Don't... Don't kill them!
The man blinks. Korone finally dares to take a step forward, her eyes finally deciding what to do.
Tears stream down her cheeks and drops fall onto the dusty floor.
- They... They didn't do anything! They…
Korone took another step forward, coming within inches of the man.
- I don't want them to die! They know nothing, they know nothing at all!
Korone sniffs and opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. The man frowns and sighs again before reaching into his coat. Korone's whole body is screaming at her to run, her heart beating wildly, her arms shaking even more than before. Her voice locks in her throat, but she grits her teeth and tears flow more abundantly into her shining eyes, as she shakes her head in anger — in determination.
- PLEASE DON'T KILL THEM !!!!
The man stops and admires her. He catches the object in his coat, but doesn't take it out yet. Korone falls to her knees, unable to stay on her feet.
- They... They didn't do anything!!! They simply... They simply took me in out of kindness!!! I'm the one who asked... I'm the one who wanted to be with them, not the other way around!!! Please, I love them... I don't want them to die or suffer…
Korone raises her face to the man, showing him an absolutely terrified, frightened, but also desperate expression. The grief she feels is mixed with another, even more powerful feeling:
Love.
- Kill me... but not them. I'll do what you want... but don't bother them... don't bother…
Korone falls to all fours and sniffles, letting out cries of sorrow, of mental pain. Her arms shake violently, threatening to let Korone fall entirely to the ground. The man remains silent in front of her, now taking out what he has in his pocket and pointing at Korone. Korone screams one last time:
- PLEASE DON'T KILL MY NEW FAMILY!!!
The silence broken by his grief. The breeze blowing through the trees and the many holes in the reserve. Korone stands still, fully accepting her fate. Even if she has to suffer, she refuses to let people as kind and good as them come to know her fate simply for taking her in. She doesn't care if her life ends here, but before she leaves, she wants to do everything she can to protect them. She wants them to live happily ever after. The man brings the object in his hands close to Korone's head…
- Sorry, Deshya... Sorry... Big-s—
Before she can finish this thought, her head is lifted by the man's hand.
And he dries her tears with a white handkerchief, pure as snow.
- Come on, come on.
Korone doesn't even blink. Her eyes remain wide open, as does her mouth, and the little girl doesn't move. Her trembling arms won't stop, while she can't even figure out what she's thinking.
- Your new family, you say?
The man tucks the handkerchief away in his coat pocket and this time—
Smiles in a beautiful way.
- Did you dare tell them how you felt? How you feel about them?
- ... W-What...?
Korone can finally say her first word. The man keeps smiling and helps the little girl up.
- Expressing how you feel is important. No matter what.
Korone is back on her feet. The tears in her eyes have stopped, but her cheeks are still wet. The person in front of her claps his hands, as if he's about to start applauding, but he stops dead in his tracks.
- You thought you were in danger and yet, in your last moments, you begged me not to kill them.
The man chuckles softly, but quickly regains his seriousness. Nevertheless, his smile widens and his eyelids lower gently, but his expression is not one of madness or strangeness: but one that is happy, reassured, comforted.
- You're strong, Korone. I congratulate you," he says honestly.
The girl stands motionless in front of him, her mouth agape. She can't decide whether she's dreaming or not.
- You can be proud of who you are. Of your strength. However, you must confess to them.
With his index finger, he touches Korone's left breast with a smile.
- In your heart, it's clear that you see them as a new family. You mustn't be afraid, Korone: they'll protect you. You'll protect them. You'll protect each other, like a real family.
Korone's eyes widen even more... and her mouth trembles as it closes. The tears return and the man gently strokes her hair with his gloved hand. As silence reigns between the two of them—
- Korone!
A shout rings out from outside. The man squints before standing up and stops smiling.
- It looks like it's time for me to go," he murmurs.
His voice is so low that Korone can't hear him. However, before the man flees, he turns one last time to the little girl with the beautiful snow-colored hair and says:
- Tell her how you really feel. This is a girl who was destined to meet you.
With that, the man salutes Korone and leaps onto the crates, exiting the storeroom through the damaged roof. She watches him go, but it's seconds later that the storeroom door bursts open. A girl peeks out and immediately notices that the one she's looking for, Korone, is standing in the middle of the abandoned storeroom. Deshya runs up to her and asks if she's all right. The little girl doesn't answer directly, observing Deshya with wide eyes.
- Hey, Korone? Korone?
Deshya then notices the girl's wet cheeks, as well as her eyes where tears have formed, but are not yet flowing. Deshya calms down and lowers himself in front of her.
- Korone, what's going on?
The little girl closes her mouth before opening it again, gently, slowly.
- A... man…
Deshya frowns.
- A man...?
Korone lowers her eyelids
- I... He brought me here... but…
- ...but...?
- ...I've…
Korone swallows hard, as if trying to swallow the lump that has formed in her throat. She thinks back to the man's words and clutches Deshya's dress. And there—
- ...I've... I've been so scared…
Korone trembles again. Deshya opens her eyes wide. The little girl continues to speak, tears threatening to fall again.
- I thought... that he was going to kill you... that he was going to kill me and then... and then come and kill you…
Although she includes herself among this man's potential victims, it's clear to Deshya's fox ears that she's thinking mainly of her parents and herself, not Korone herself. As she grips Deshya's fox dress tightly, she lifts her head and shows her cheeks, where her sadness flows.
- I don't know... I don't understand... I don't know why he brought me here, but I was afraid... I thought... I…
Korone can't organize his words, and neither can her thoughts. She can hardly pronounce a single sentence in its entirety, the lump in her throat is an almost painful discomfort and her heartbeat may be calmed, what she felt can't get out of her mind. Not only did she think she was going to die on this reservation, without being able to say goodbye to anyone, but she also thought she was going to cause people's deaths. That she was going to be the reason for the loss of such incredible people.
- He... I…
Before Korone can finish his sentence, Deshya grabs him in her arms and closes her eyes.
- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry, Korone.
The little girl keeps her eyes wide open. Deshya grits her teeth.
- We promised to protect you and yet we let you be taken away. No, it's my fault. I should have looked after you better. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
- From... No... This... No…
Korone shakes her head gently, refusing to let Deshya take all the blame. Korone doesn't even blame Pera, since she never really admitted what was going on. That the reason she felt so bad was because of someone's presence inside the party.
- I promise, Korone, even when we're apart, I'll protect you. I won't let you lose anyone else.
Words from the heart. Even though they haven't known each other for long, even though Deshya knows nothing about Korone and Korone knows almost nothing about Deshya, a real bond has formed between them. Whether it's one formed by fate, one created by a similar past or one brought about by real feelings, it doesn't matter in the slightest to them: what matters is that they truly adore each other. That even if it's only the beginning of a relationship, the love they feel for each other is real. That's all that matters to them. It doesn't matter WHY.
- I was afraid for you, Korone," Deshya finally admits.
Her fox tail moves gently behind her. Deshya is reassured to know that Korone is neither dead nor injured. Her clothes are dirty around the knees and her hands are dusty, but nothing more. No wounds seem to run through her body, but perhaps her heart has just been scarred. By fear. By trauma. By grief. Holding Deshya tightly, she opens her mouth. At first, nothing comes out, but the man's words — to be more exact, his last words — are still there.
They came back to her mind. She was scared, so scared. She thought she'd put people she loved in danger again, and yet this man had left her… quiet. He dried his tears, spoke to her amicably, smiled honestly. He posed no danger to her, and yet Korone was certain that it was he, the horrifying gaze that rested on her. Had she misunderstood? Did he really have something to do with her past? Perhaps, but…
Nevertheless, Korone understood something. No, she already knew, but it's precisely because she was so scared that she could say it — that she wants to say it. If she continues to be scared like this, if she keeps everything in her heart, then nothing will change. She doesn't want her life to go on like this, no matter how short it gets. So she opens her mouth wide.
- B-B…
So she has to accept that this is what she wants. Even if they refuse…
- ......
She at least wants to admit how she feels.
- Big sister…
And she dares to say it. Deshya opens her eyes wide and gently turns her gaze to Korone, who is now cuddling Deshya in turn while crying at the same time.
salty tears.
- Big sister... Big sister…
- K-Korone...?
- I want... I don't want to leave... I don't want us to be separated…
- …
- I don't want to part with you, I want…
- ......
- I want to stay with you... You're so nice to me and... And I couldn't bear to leave... Even with another family... I don't want another family... I... I…
This is Korone's limit. She can't stop sobbing, she just keeps on crying and crying, the lump in her throat far too big, far too strong. She holds on tightly to Deshya, the one she has finally dared to call 'big sister', and lets her fear, her sadness, her fright run down her cheeks, touch Deshya's dress. She dares to let her heart open honestly. The red-haired girl beside her rises to her feet, holding Korone in her arms. She bows her head and observes the ground with eyes that are... moved. Finally, she smiles and gently strokes the little girl's hair.
- I see.
Deshya wants to laugh, but she can't. With little tears in her eyes, Deshya lets the little girl express herself and cry over her.
- I'm glad you think like I do, so..." she confesses.
Korone slowly opens her eyes, still crying. Deshya raises her head and observes the patch of sky she can see from the holes in the roof.
- I don't want to break up either. Actually, I was sad just thinking about it, but I couldn't let my selfishness do the talking. But you're a cute, smart, special little girl. Besides…
Deshya stops stroking Korone's hair and hugs her even tighter.
- I've always wanted a little sister. You're the perfect little sister, the one I'd always dreamed of having.
Totally sincere words.
- I just didn't dare say it because I thought it was too selfish. You've just lost your adoptive parents and we haven't known each other very long, but…
- I know, I know, I know. I know you do.
Korone cuts her off and hugs her neck, smiling, her tears now as salty as they are sweet.
- I miss them and I always will, but there's nothing I can do about it," Korone admits. So I'd like to at least... be your little sister.
- ... Are you sure?" asks Deshya.
Korone doesn't answer with his voice, but with a confident acquiescence. A real 'yes' that's stronger than any vocal confirmation. Deshya smiles again and turns towards the entrance to the storeroom, the door still open.
- Then I'll do everything I can to keep us together, little sister.
Korone thanked her again and again, while the two girls, both with tears in their eyes, left the reserve and walked away. They were able to express themselves honestly to each other. Maybe their words weren't perfect, maybe they hadn't expressed themselves in the right way, but it didn't matter to them: because they understood each other. Because even though they've only known each other a week, it's the feelings that beat in their hearts. They care about each other, and when Korone appeared in the Oveja family, even if only for protection, a bond was formed. Not only between Korone and Deshya, but also between Korone and Gatito, between Korone and Pera. However, it's the two girls, the ones walking towards the villa, who have the strongest bond.
The beginning of sisterly love.
From the darkness of the night, two people watch them. One is the man who spoke with Korone, the other is the one who pretended to be a guard. The man smiles and turns around.
- Enjoy your new family. I know you're afraid they're in danger because of you, Korone... but don't worry.
The man walks away, hands in pocket, admiring the moon above him.
- With this little fox, you risk nothing.
The person behind him squints as he watches Deshya leave with the little girl, so he grabs his phone and calls someone. Before the person on the other end of the line answers, she squints at the man in front of her.
- Are you sure you don't want to explain anything to me? She's the little girl who almost died on the bus, isn't she? Then why did you take her?
The man smiles, but the person behind him can't see it.
- Because watching them, I understood.
The man takes off his hat and lets his long black hair float in the soft night breeze.
- That she was simply afraid of endangering them in turn.
The person on the other end of the line answers and the one behind that man excuses himself to talk to them.
- Yes, it's me. It's very likely that the little girl will join Deshya's family. Yes. No, they didn't know each other before, they met on the bus. Yes. Yes, it's only been a week, but it seems they've already become attached to each other. Yes. Isn't that a problem? No problem.
The person hangs up and puts the phone away before stepping up to the man's side.
- It seems to make her happy, so who cares?
The person shrugs his shoulders and, with the man, they set off well beyond the villa. However, the bearded man takes one last look at the villa behind him.
- They must both know it. That they're connected. Maybe that's why they bonded so quickly…
He smiles and turns to look at what he finds in front of him.
- But I know they really love each other. So stay together, here's my vow... as someone who knows who you really are, Korone—
And with that, the two disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Back in the villa, Deshya still holds Korone in her arms and passes through the entrance without a guard, the latter sleeping too soundly. Deshya hadn't tried to wake him, since she ran as fast as she could to find Korone, but she intended to warn her father and the other guards: maybe they'll have more information about what happened. In any case, Deshya hugs Korone tightly, making sure she doesn't fall. She's had a good cry and on the way in, she's drifted off to sleep, although the noise inside the room will probably wake her up. Nevertheless, she enters and is greeted by a woman with hair the same color as hers.
- Darling! You found—
- Shh, she's asleep.
Pera places two hands in front of her mouth and Deshya smiles as she turns, letting Korone's face be seen by her mother.
- I'll quickly tell you what happened later. Is Mariah finished with her deduction?
Pera offers to come and have a look and Deshya accepts. The doors to the room are open and the girl in the fox dress notices that the guests are making a lot of noise. Mariah brings the microphone up to her mouth.
- Why did you kill him, though?" she asks, staring at Rei, the culprit in this case.
Deshya admires the scene, but her attention is quickly diverted to the police inspector who hastily approaches her.
- You seem to have found Korone. Good, I was worried," admits Gatito.
- I'll tell you all about it later. Is 'Rei Polley' really the culprit?" asks Deshya.
The muscular man nods.
- You were right all along. I don't know how you do it.
- When I noticed that there was no hole in the drapes, I said to myself that it wasn't possible to have committed the murder from outside. The pieces of glass inside the room were a real nuisance, though…
Deshya sighs, but smiles as she looks at Mariah.
- Well, as long as we catch the criminal, who cares, right?
Her parents looked at each other before tilting their heads in admiration of their daughter.
- You seem strangely... happy?
They say it in chorus and Deshya blinks before laughing. Gatito and Pera don't understand what's happened, but they don't have time to ask: the culprit stands up and clenches a fist before shouting:
- That guy... That guy was following me!!! He was threatening me!
Even without speaking into the microphone, everyone could hear him, even at the back of the room. The guests all fell silent, and only Rei could be heard.
- He used to come and see me at school, hidden in his car! I'd never noticed him before... Until I moved into the parking lot next door, where he could watch me without me noticing! But I recognized his car, ahah. Ahah, he was... He was stalking me!!
He stamps his foot on the ground, gritting his teeth.
- He even went so far as to ask my grandparents to let me down!!! When I lost my parents young and they're my only family, he dared to say such a thing... Shit!!!
He starts to cry again, head down.
- I didn't even dare leave the school anymore, because I felt I was being watched... He was nagging me, telling me I wouldn't have to work at my miserable job anymore, so I killed him at the party he loves so much here! Now he's sorry he dared follow me like that! So he regrets, he regrets!
Rei starts laughing and Mariah looks at him with bored eyes. Dash goes to calm him down when Antoine, the oldest of the four suspects, stands up.
- What are you talking about?!" he yells.
Rei opens her eyes wide and looks back at him. With a toothy grin, Rei replies:
- You were his buddy, so you probably don't know anything, but—
- But you're completely stupid!
Antoine punches Rei in the face before being caught by Dash, forcing him to stand still. Antoine, tears in his eyes, continues to scream.
- If he was watching you at school, it's because he heard you were being picked on there!!!! He just wanted to see if you were okay!!!!
Rei froze.
- He adored you and was friends with your parents, so he wanted you to live a better life! He asked your grandparents to let you live in the wild instead of always living in the same place, because he wanted you to live in one of his houses!!! He wanted to keep you under his guardianship!!!" continues Antoine.
- You... you're lying…
Rei shakes his head. Antoine bangs his head against the stage floor, sobbing.
- He wanted you to work for him, since you like sweets so much, which is why he told you you wouldn't need your job anymore... but he needed to finish his next store before offering it to you... And you... and you…
- It's okay," Dash told him.
Antoine fell silent, leaving a paralyzed Rei on the stage between Mariah and Antoine.
- You... are lying…
Manny scratches the back of his neck.
- He's telling the truth," he admits. He offered me a job over there with you, but since I refused, I couldn't see the point of telling you about it…
Rei watches his own hands, his eyes wide. His arms begin to tremble and he shakes his head from side to side several times, as if he refuses to believe what he has done.
- You... I... G... Georges…
Rei bangs his head against the floor, screaming in rage. One of the guards arrives to stop her, while Mariah cuts the microphone and puts it back.
- WHAT HAVE I DONE?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!!!!!!
Rei's tears burst against the stage, while the guard and Dash came to stop her from banging her head against the wood. Mariah approached them and clicked her tongue.
- I'm glad Georges never took you under his wing, then.
She shakes her head just once and, with an angry look on her face, finishes her sentence.
- A killer like you doesn't deserve a caring man like that.
At his words, she stepped aside and left the stage, her heart pounding with rage, caused by what she had just heard. The crowd of guests creates one hell of a noise and Deshya puts a sad look on her face. Gatito touches his daughter's shoulder.
- This isn't the first time I've seen someone killed because of a misunderstanding. Sad as it is, it's not uncommon.
- Not rare enough," admits Annie.
Gatito nods and Deshya smiles faintly.
- I suppose there are killers of all kinds in this world..." she whispers.
Only Gatito could hear her, but he didn't react. With this sad scene ending, the guests left one by one.
While Saturday September 10 should have been a day of incredible celebration, it ended in such disaster.
However, it doesn't all end in the worst way. Colin and Mona proposed to the guests that they come back tomorrow for a real party and make sure no murders were committed. Although not all the guests accepted, most return, even Deshya's family. This time, the party goes off without a hitch and lasts even longer than usual, starting earlier than usual. Much to the surprise of the organizers, apart from thirteen guests, everyone came back to enjoy themselves and their birthday. Even though Deshya, Annie, Mariah and Dash were there, nothing bad happened. Everyone was able to laugh, have fun and enjoy a wonderful buffet. The window was quickly repaired and by 10 p.m., the Oveja family was on their way home, a similar time to most of the guests: after all, Deshya has school tomorrow. However, before they could really go home—
- Are you sure?
An elderly man in his sixties sits on a chair opposite four people. The little girl nods and raises her arms.
- I'm sure of it!
The man turns to the two adults.
- You're more than 25 years old, you're at least 15 years older than the girl and you're both consenting. Everything seems in order, but—
- It takes about 4 months, doesn't it?
The man is cut off by the other girl, the one in the fox dress.
- Preparation takes about a third of the year, while a social survey must be carried out within 2 months of the judgment. After all, such a process cannot be completed in just one signature.
The notary sighs and Gatito waves his hands gently.
- Don't mind her..." he says.
- She's not wrong, though. Did she find out in advance?
Deshya nods, but in reality, she's known for a long time. The little girl beside her, the one with the beautiful white hair, smiles.
- Big sister knows a lot!” Korone chuckles and Deshya scratches her cheek.
- Sorry, I'm excited, ahah…
- I can understand that. However, I've heard from the chief of your police station that you're also protecting the little girl, aren't you?" asks the notary.
Gatito nods and quickly explains the situation. After listening, the man in front of them smiles and puts away some paper.
- Good. As your daughter just said, preparation lasts 4 months and is compulsory. However, I don't think I need to go into too much detail, as you seem to know the process. The group part lasts about 20 hours in all, but the individual part is totally optional, so it's up to your decision.
The notary lowers his head and looks for something in his drawers.
- Then you'll have the judgment of suitability and the matching, and finally the recognition of adoption. I'm offering you some papers to explain all this, but please come and see me in the next few days with the little one to discuss it.
He offers Deshya's parents some papers and then lays her shoulders on the desk before looking at Korone with a smile.
- Let me ask you again.
The little one nods.
- Are you sure you want to be adopted by Gatito and Pera Oveja, thus becoming Deshya Oveja's little sister?
Korone lets out a gigantic smile and replies:
- Yes!
She then jumps into the arms of her future parents and the notary laughs.
- As you were formerly adopted by 'Roger Taketa' and his wife, 'Maurine', we'll have one or two extra things to do, but we'll talk about that next time.
He arranges more papers and forms a ball with both hands, right in front of him, resting on the desk, smiling weakly.
- Although she is not officially adopted by you yet, as she has nowhere else to go and is under your protection, you the police, we authorize you to already call her 'Korone Oveja' if the adoptee consents.
Korone nods again and then jumps on Deshya.
- Korone Oveja, it’s so cuuuuuute!!" says the little one. The name of big-sister!
- Calm, calm, ahah!!!" laughs Deshya.
The notary has a few more words with the two parents before the five of them stand up. Gatito and Pera thank him before taking their daughter's — or rather, their two new daughters' — hands. As they leave the room, Pera dries her eyes.
- Looks like we can finally have a new girl, eh..." she says.
- Even if your body doesn't accept it, it looks like we've finally got the courage to adopt," smiles Gatito.
Pera looks down at her belly and squints, but instead of looking depressed, she smiles.
- Two girls... It's always what we wanted.
Gatito nods and Korone lets go of their hand, offering to race them to the car. Deshya crosses her arms and says it will be too easy for her, given her fox attributes. Korone sticks out her tongue and says she's allowed to take the elevator with her parents, but Deshya has to take the stairs down all four flights. She's about to grumble when Gatito takes Korone on his shoulders and rushes into the elevator with the little girl and his wife. Deshya gets agitated and starts to run, grumbling, while Korone laughs. Nevertheless, it's Deshya who arrives first and Korone pouts, but the four of them laugh in the night rain before getting into the car and heading home.
And when they arrive home, Deshya and Korone go to sleep together. Before closing their eyes, they wish each other good night at the same time:
- Sleep well, big sister.
- Sweet dreams, little sister.
And after all this time, the Oveja family's dream has finally come true.
To have a second daughter.
To have a little sister.