[https://i.imgur.com/AaVmPqU.jpg]
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- Starting with 'English' is not the best way to start the day, waaaa....
Amora lowers her head, as if already defeated by the day yet classes have not yet begun.
Deshya and Amora walk together, one next to the other, towards the school. Classes start at 8:25am and it is currently 8:11am. After a very complicated night, filled with sudden awakenings, Deshya had to get up and eat her breakfast looking quite tired. She 'dreamed' of Kyria yelling at her and crying, while Koinu tried to kill her… Rather, she 'nightmared'* it. It's not the first murder case she's encountered, but since it's the first time she's solved something like this, she couldn't do anything but think about it... There's little chance Kyria will come to class today. Amora looks at Deshya while lowering her body.
(*: ‘Nightmared’ is a real verb in french, but not really in english.)
- Are you okay?" she asks.
- I could have slept better..." admits Deshya.
She doesn't plan to hide the fact that she solved a murder and had to explain it all in front of the Blushark family, but she also doesn't see the point in talking about it for no reason. There's no way she's going to find out on her own — or from anyone, currently — because Deshya isn't going to be mentioned in the papers. At least, that's what her father had said last night.
However—
- DESHYAAA!!!
- It's her, it's her!!!
- Say, can you give us details about the murder you solved?!
- How did you do it? What clues?!
- I love you, Deshya!!! You are too strong!
As soon as she arrived at the school, everyone jumped on Deshya. She is startled and starts to run away while the excited crowd of students starts to chase her. Amora blinks and behind her, a girl appears.
- Eeeh, everyone has already seen this morning's newspapers?
Hands in her pockets and a chewing-gum being chewed ferociously between quite white teeth, the girl stops beside Amora. This one turns the face towards her and blinks.
- What are you talking about, Tessa?" she asks.
Tessa, the second female 'genius' of the Tetazo school, smiles without even looking at Amora.
- Your best friend found out who was behind a murder that happened two days ago.
Amora blinks and remains speechless.
- Really?
- Really.
Amora blinks again before passing her bag to Tessa who questions it with her eyes, but then—
- DESHYAAAA, YOU ARE THE BEST !!!!
She starts to run in turn, chasing the crowd. Tessa smiles and places Amora's bag on her back before heading back to the playground, not paying attention to the crowd behind Deshya.
CHAPTER 5
⎾The Other Genius, The Sun and Frie⏌
- A-Ah... Ah... I-I thought we were starting with 'English', not gymnastics!!!
Deshya screams as she walks back to class, a sticky Amora right beside her.
- But you are so cooooool!!!" she said. You figured out who the murderer was when school had just started again!!!
- I know, I know…
She sighs and looks ahead angrily.
- Why did you lie to me, Dad?!
She assumes that this is her 'revenge' for using a hidden camera to prove Koinu's non-innocence. The policeman who helped her was warned by the chief of police of Tetazo, but he will continue his work as if nothing had happened. Without Deshya and the video she took that became proof that Koinu was the one who killed her father, perhaps Mary would have been sent to prison unjustly. Even if what she did was not a good thing, Deshya couldn't think of a better way to hold evidence in her hands. She looks at her best friend who starts to turn her face all over.
- Is everything okay, Amora?" asks Deshya as she arrives outside their classroom.
- I-I forgot... my bag…
Deshya blinks and turns to her.
- Where?
- I gave it... to Tessa…
- Eeeeeh?
- Well yes, I had to run after you too!
Deshya lowers her head with a grumble and shakes it. Amora is so absent-minded... Even with time, she doesn't change... Deshya tells her that the English teacher will let her go and get her bag, but at the same time—
- Yop.
A girl throws a bag towards Amora who catches it on the head and falls on Deshya. She catches herself on the wall and the students who are already in class turn towards them, surprised. Amora gets up and turns around, pouting.
- Moooh!!!
She stops puffing out her cheeks as soon as she sees the girl in front of her, the one with the black cap on her head.
- I was just returning your bag, kid.
Tessa greets her as she turns on her heels, heading to class with one hand in her pocket. Deshya watches her go as Amora picks up her bag and smiles. She raises a hand and shakes it energetically.
- Thank you, Tessa!!!!
Tessa doesn't answer anything and Amora looks back at Deshya with eyes full of stars.
- Tessa is soooo cooooool !!!!!" she shouts.
- A-Ahah, yeah, clearly…
Deshya scratches her cheek and walks into class along with Amora, both greeted with a round of applause.
- W-Why?!" said Deshya to herself, a reflex forcing her back against Amora.
- You didn't have a quiet day…
- A-A-Ahah…
After the gymnastics class, which is the last one for Deshya on Thursday, she waits for Amora who undresses to cover herself with her normal clothes.
- You're funny, though!" she tells her.
- Funny?
- Well, you still put on a sweater when we're doing gym and when you get dressed, you often go to the bathroom because you're so embarrassed, hehe!
- …
Deshya always uses this excuse, since she became a girl with fox attributes. Even though having a sweater makes her warmer and she sweats more, she doesn't have much of a choice: everyone would see her fox ears and it would soon be understandable that they are currently real... She doesn't have that option in front of her.
- I would like to do sports without my sweater, ahah..." she thought.
She always takes a good shower when she gets home, not being able to do so in the locker room. Unfortunately, she has no way to hide her fox tail and just has to rely on everyone believing her lies. However, Deshya is sure that some students have their suspicions... even if most of them think she's cute like that or just very, very weird.
- I'm done!
Amora stands up, her gym stuff in her bag and her normal clothes on her body. Deshya gets up in turn and places her bag behind her back. Unlike Amora, who has one bag for school and one for sports, Deshya has everything in the same school bag. When it's fuller, she plans to take two different ones, but for now, since it's the beginning of the year, she'd rather not pack for nothing.
- Oh, Frie!!!
As they both walk out of the nearly empty locker room, a girl comes up behind her. The second to last to come out of the little room where the girls change, right across from the one where the boys do. However, as always, the boys take longer because they are laughing with each other and... laughing at each other.
- How are you doing?" asks Frie.
Deshya watches her, hands in the pockets of her sweater. She's a girl with white hair tied back, bleached by choice. Her dark blue eyes and small purse that sits at her hip, attached by a beautiful chain that sits around Frie's neck, give her a cute style that Amora loves. Although she changes her clothes and even her hairstyle often, it's hard not to recognize her, especially with her bleached hair. Deshya knows Frie since last year, but they are also not as close friends as Amora or even Tessa.
- I'm fine, how about you?" answers Deshya.
- I'm fine too!" admits Amora.
- A little tired, but I'm fine.
- I must admit that for the first day of class, it is quite tiring…
- It's not exactly the first day of school.
- Yes, but the two days before, we didn't really have class!
- It's true…
The three friends start walking together, leaving the long, gray-paved hallway and arrive at the mass of students who have just finished gym class. The students of classes 4A and 4C are also in the main hall of the building. Maruno is on the phone, while Tessa is talking to someone Deshya doesn't know.
- By the way, Frie!!!
- H-Hm?
With her usual energy — which is at the limit of the paranormal —, Amora takes Frie's hands, as well as Deshya's. With a big smile on her face and a radiant good mood, she offers them this:
- Why don't you come to our house for dinner tonight?
- Eat... at your place?" asks Frie.
Amora nods.
- My parents will be suuuuper happy to see you!
- Can I come too?
Amora turns around and Deshya, as well as Frie, look at the girl who has just arrived. A black cap still on her head, she smiles while putting her hands on her hips.
- Tessa! Do you want to come to my house?
- My parents aren't here until late at night and that would be cool for the start of the year, right?
Amora lets go of Deshya's and Frie's hands and comes to catch Tessa's. Tessa takes a step back, as if frightened by Amora's resplendent energy.
- All right!!! All four of us are going!!!
- I-I didn't say—
- YOU MUST say YES, Deshya!!!
Everyone in the room turns to Amora, some of them startled by the girl's scream. Deshya closes her eyes and shakes before clenching both fists.
- Okay!
She screams back, though not as loud as Amora, and Tessa starts to laugh. Maruno clenches a fist, the one not holding his phone, but he restrains himself from yelling at them. Frie scratches her cheek.
- I'll be happy to come too!" she admits.
- I'm going to tell my parents..." says Deshya, grabbing her phone.
- I'll do the same.
Frie quickly dials her parents' number and chats with them rather quickly. A few seconds later, she puts her phone back in her pocket and nods while admiring Amora.
- As long as I don't get home too late, they're fine with it," she said.
- Perfect!" smiled Amora.
Tessa looks at Deshya who is whispering into the phone. She finally sighs and puts her device away.
- My mom told me it was fine for her, too," she said.
- Yaaay!
Amora starts hugging her best friend and Tessa giggles.
- A real sunshine, eh..." she said.
- We still call me that?!" asks Amora without stopping to hug Deshya.
- Why would we stop?
The ‘Sun of Tetazo'; or simply 'Sun'. This is the nickname that people have been giving Amora for years. It's no wonder: she glows tremendously and her smile shines on sadness, so everyone started calling her 'Sun'. Even Deshya renamed her that way on her phone. Amora likes this nickname, but she always thought that after a while people would stop; however, the more time passes, the more it seems to her that the number of people using this nickname is only increasing... One day people will stop calling her 'Amora Takt', but 'Amora Soleil': she knows it.
- I think it's cute," Frie admits.
Amora turns to her with a sunny face.
- I think it's cute too!!!
They both smile at each other and Deshya pats her best friend's shoulder. Amora questions her with her eyes and Deshya closes one eye.
- You're going to... choke me…
- A-Ah, sorry!!!
Amora lets go of her endless hug and Deshya sighs with relief. Tessa approaches her with a giggle.
- Ya're going to end up traumatized from hugs and physical contact one day," Tessa teases her.
Deshya turns her gaze towards her with an amused and tired expression at the same time.
- I sometimes wonder if it's not already the case..." she says.
Gymnastics class ends at 3:15pm to give the students 10 minutes to get ready, maybe take a quick shower, and when the bells ring, they are allowed to leave. Those who have chosen 'Spanish 4' as an option must stay, but since Deshya has taken 'Spanish 2', she can leave with Amora, Frie and Tessa. On the way, Amora and Frie are mostly talking to each other, while Tessa is enjoying the scenery and Deshya is not thinking about much. She has already been to see her parents several times over the years, so she knows which train to take, at which hours it runs as well as the length of the trip. When she was 14 years old, Deshya even had to take a go-pass because she was invited almost every week to Amora's house, so she preferred to take a subscription than to pay every time. Even though it's not uncommon for Amora to invite several people to her house at once, seeing Tessa with them…
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- Why do you want to come, Tessa?" asks Deshya.
The girl with long purple hair with pink streaks turns her gaze to her redheaded friend.
- Hm? Why not?
- I know you know Amora, but to go to her house…
Tessa smiles.
- Well, I'm friends with ya and I know Frie, so it could be fun. Also, I want to see if Amora's parents have bright smiles like her.
- Ahah.
Deshya lets out a small chuckle before looking at Amora's long pink hair as it sways back and forth energetically. 'Fran' and 'Fay', which are the names of both of Amora's parents, are a couple... that could create a new star between them. She wants to leave the surprise to Tessa and she can't wait to see her face when she sees the energy they give off. Deshya hopes wholeheartedly that they will be in a good mood, although she doesn't doubt it, since Amora is bringing three friends to her house; two of them not actively coming. It's been a while since she's been to Amora's house, so this will do her good... Her parents are really friendly and even though Deshya has been feeling pretty good lately, she'd like to say hello to them. Going with Tessa will feel a little weird, but nothing too strange. However, Tessa is a girl who is very sociable as well as unsociable; sometimes Deshya has a hard time understanding her, but that's not a big deal. Tessa is just a girl with her own personality: and that's what makes her her.
All four arrive at the station after a few minutes of walking and are sitting next to each other, on metal chairs that form a kind of bench with an almost futuristic design. Amora is next to Frie who is next to Deshya who is next to Tessa.
- When is the train coming?" asks the latter.
- In 7 minutes and it will leave 10 minutes later," Amora answers.
- Hmmm, so we leave here at 3:56 pm, I see…
- Exactly!
Amora smiles, her legs moving one after the other in the empty space under her chair. Frie turns to Deshya.
- Anyway, I can't believe I can be friends with a girl like you!" confesses Frie.
- A girl like me...?" asks Deshya, surprised.
Frie nods with a smile identical to Amora's.
- The girl with the fox ears, the one with the genius mind and who even helped find a murderer...! You are very popular at school, but even outside!
- Ahah, but I'm just another girl…
- Do ya think so?
This is Tessa saying that. She lifts the front brim of her cap a bit and looks at Deshya with an amused smile.
- Ya're a girl who walks around with a long fox tail, keeps wearing fox-eared sweaters, and ya even keep it on for sports. Ya can add all that to yar sometimes more mature side, but mostly, what's in there.
She touches with her index finger Deshya's forehead and forces on it, although in a friendly way, gently pushing the girl who closes her eyes.
- It's true, you're super smart!!!" says Amora while shaking her head.
- Tessa is too!" said Deshya.
- And does it make a difference?" asks Frie.
- E-Eh?
Deshya blinks at the girl next to her. Frie looks up at the sky, visible behind the large and beautiful colored glass ceiling.
- I mean, even if Tessa is also a genius, and Maruno is, does that mean you're not special too?
- …
Deshya would like to retort something, but does she have anything to say against it? After all, Frie has a point. The only reason Deshya wants to fight this idea is for one that only she could understand... It doesn't concern her genius: she herself says with a proud look that she has a very powerful and intelligent brain. It's more about the other point: her side... different. Something that affects her... and surely only her.
- Still, I know ya love yar sweaters with fox ears, but ya don't wanna do sports without them... And ya even keep yar tail!
Tessa grabs the girl's fluffy fox tail and puts her head in it, enjoying its softness. Deshya blushes and scratches her right cheek with an embarrassed smile.
- I-I can't help it, I feel better... like this.
Tessa continues to rub her head against the fox tail and Frie touches her in turn. Deshya feels an inner urge to explode — of shame. Also, both of them don't know it, but when someone rubs her fox tail like that, it makes her shiver... She holds back so as not to show any reaction.
- It's still super soft..." admits Frie. Where did you buy it?
- A-Ah, at Bexel," lies Deshya.
- The capital?
Deshya nods, still blushing.
- There was a store...very nice, and they sold tails of all breeds of animals.
- Why a fox and not a cat?" asks Frie.
- If only I knew..." thinks Deshya.
She has asked herself the question so many times: why is she a fox girl and not another animal? If she had been a hamster girl, for example, it would have been easy enough to hide her attributes. Even as a cat, perhaps her cat's tail could have stayed in her sweater. But here, as a fox... She has no choice but to leave her very large fluffy tail outside her sweater.
This is the only option.
- I just love foxes!" Deshya explains succinctly.
Tessa stops rubbing her head against Deshya's fox tail and watches the train brake in front of them. All four girls look at it and Amora is the first to stand up. She grabs Frie, forcing her to stand up as well.
- Let's go and take our place already!" said Amora.
Tessa and Deshya stand up in turn and nod. Amora already has her go-pass, as does Frie. Tessa has a special pass, similar to what Deshya has: if they get checked, they have everything they need. Amora is the first to enter the train, with Frie's right wrist still in her hand. Deshya enters right after Tessa and they go to the second car. It's a train that is single decked and despite its interior beauty, it's far from being one of luxury. It's a simple train that follows a very specific route and passes through several cities in the country, although it's only used by people who want to get to their homes or workplaces. It's not the kind of train that is really used for long trips. Amora sits right next to Deshya, who is across from Frie who is next to Tessa. So Amora and Tessa are both sitting on the window side. Between them, a small table in polished wood shows its beautiful surface.
- No one had to take those seats that day, considering how clean they were," Tessa notes.
Deshya nods and Amora places both hands on the table in front of her.
- We chose good seats!" she admits.
Deshya smiles as she looks at her best friend, but her attention is drawn by the sound of a flash. She looks to her right and sees a man walking by with a selfie stick in his hands, a girl next to him. Tessa sticks out her tongue as if she is going to throw up.
- People still use this...?" she wonders.
- It looks like it..." says Frie, shocked to see one in the hands of a man who doesn't look very old.
They leave the car and behind them both is a dark haired woman who seems to be... bothered by something. She sighs and cracks her shoulder. Deshya squints, but Amora's voice distracts her.
- I remember when we took the train almost every week together, Deshyshy!!!
Deshya turns to her and nods with a smile.
- You were always worried about me because I had disappeared for 5 months.
- Your disease sucks right now!!! Good thing you beat it and came back alive or I would have cried!!!
Amora pouts and crosses her arms, which makes Frie laugh. Deshya joins her, even though in the corner of her head she still finds it sad that she has to lie about being 'missing' for 5 months. However, if word gets out that she was probably kidnapped the whole time, she's afraid it will freak some people out or that they'll come to question her every day. She can't even imagine the hassle it would cause in Amora's heart... It's not something she wants to see. Even if she has to take this secret to her grave... Even if she has to lie forever.
- You gained so much popularity when you came back, it's amazing..." says Frie.
- She went from Mrs. Unsociable to Mrs. Fox!" said Tessa, amused.
- E-Eheh…
Deshya doesn't know if she should enjoy being so popular and talked about, but she accepts it with open arms. Nevertheless, it does not prevent her from feeling quite embarrassed.
- I told you I wouldn't accept to see you !
As they smile at each other, a deep male voice rings out at the end of the car. They turn to the man shouting into the phone and put it to his mouth.
- I won't touch your case and you can go fuck yourself... Raaah!!!
He picks up the phone violently and starts walking quickly through the car before getting out. Frie blinks and Amora sighs, shaking her head.
- These people who dare to shout like that in public..." she says.
- I agree that they scare me a bit..." admits Frie.
- My dad is like that," Tessa doesn't deny.
Deshya would rather not say anything, considering how she screamed in front of all the police officers last night. Even if it's not considered being in public, Deshya is the kind of girl who can probably show a bit of craziness even in front of hundreds of people, despite being quite embarrassed.
- I wonder what he was talking about..." she thinks.
She'll never know, but it intrigues her now. Screaming and getting angry like that... Given what he said, it's possible that it was his ex-wife who cheated on him? That's not uncommon — not enough, anyway — so Deshya assumes it could be a story in that style. It's far too common for his taste, even if the reverse is also true. Women cheat on their men; men cheat on their women.
- I don't see the point of coming in this car and then leaving, though..." admits Tessa, touching the brim of her cap.
- I agree…
Frie turns toward the automatic door that has just opened. A woman in a long coat, accompanied by a man with dark brown eyes, sits behind the group of four friends. Frie looks at her watch, then outside from the large glass window to her right.
- The train will leave in a minute..." she said.
Amora smiles and grabs Deshya's left hand.
- I'm sure mom will be so happy to see you all!" she says with a beautiful smile.
- Another radiant smile... Worthy of the Sun, eh?
- Moooh, you like calling me that, Tessa!
Tessa nods, shrugging her shoulders.
- That's a cute nickname, I like it!
Amora smiles and a little 'Hihi' comes out of her mouth.
The doors close. The train causes a very weak and short jolt before a voice comes from the speakers. A man says the name of the next stop before, a few seconds later, the train starts. The landscape behind the clean window begins to move slowly, but it doesn't take long before it moves faster, though it doesn't become a blur.
- This train is not the fastest, but it doesn't move much, which I like!" explains Amora.
- I can easily get motion sickness, so it's fine with me..." admits Frie.
She touches her belly with a small smile and Tessa settles a little more comfortably in her seat.
- Well, let's enjoy the ride. How many stops do we have before we get there?" she asks.
- Two stops! The third one will be at my place !
- I see... I'm going to rest for a while, the gymnastics made me tired.
Tessa pulls the brim of her cap down in front of her eyes and closes them, sitting firmly in the seat. Amora waves to her, as if saying goodnight, and then turns to Frie.
- Do you live far from me?" she asks.
- I live in Shiru, but more on the Tetazo side.
- Oh, so you don't live next door!
- You are in the east, opposite Tetazo, right?
Amora nods.
- And you in the west of Shiru!!!" she smiled.
- Exactly.
- And Tessa and Deshya, both in Tetazo!
Tessa doesn't live that far from Deshya, and Deshya knows it. She knows the way to her home by heart and could almost make the trip with her eyes closed; something she wouldn't dare, really. Deshya almost moved out after she was found, but for various reasons and after some thought, they decided to stay there. She loves her home very much and Tetazo is a town she enjoys immensely, so that made her happy. One of the reasons they didn't move is because it would have meant that her father would have had to change police stations, since he would have left Tetazo, although he could have continued to work there by being in another town, but the commute would have been longer and he would have had to take more time to get there in case of an emergency: not ideal. Living in Tetazo was better for her work, and whether Deshya is in Tetazo or somewhere else, it doesn't matter: she is still a girl with a long fox tail in the back. She is quickly noticed.
- I can't wait, hihi!
Amora murmurs this as she waddles on the spot. Deshya looks at her with a smile, letting the time pass.
The train continues to move along the tracks, coming close to the next stop. Passengers are sitting and waiting patiently for their stop, some on their phones, some reading, some chatting. From the inside, passengers can see the landscape of Tetazo changing little by little into the landscape of Shiru, the first stop in this city. Little vegetation, but the city is quite beautiful. Deshya talks with Amora and Frie, Tessa resting on the side.
As the train approaches the next stop... It does not brake.
And it continues its way without stopping.