Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 219: Arc 4, Act II, - 64: A Detective and a Wolf
The brunette lead Hotaru to her room and shut the door. "I haven’t seen your room in a while; I’m surprised it’s not a mess. Then again, there are cleaners."
The redhead heard no retort as Fumeko sighed past her, walking to her bed. She pulled a dagger from her sock and placed it onto the nightstand.
"Are you okay?"
Fumeko groaned louder and sat on the side of the bed, glaring at the wall...
"I figured if you wanted to talk it wasn’t going to be a happy topic," her ears folded as she approached.
She held the side of the sheets, "You know I like Jotou, right?" her throat nearly closed shut to say.
Hotaru tilted her head, "It doesn’t take a detective."
"Whatever, I want to get this over with. I, want to show you something," she faced the carpet.
"What is it?"
"Uh, do you know about the Black-Sand River?" her legs dangled as she fiddled with her fingers.
Hotaru furrowed her brows, "Hm, it happened as a result of the Great Fire of Burnetrout if I’m not mistaken... I was about five at the time I think. I remember my dad reading something about it. But that was nearly, seven...teen years ago... Meko-"
"Yeah... I was caught in that fire."
The wolf-girl’s shoulders slumped and her brilliant blue eyes softened. Fumeko climbed onto her knees and turned her back towards her.
She unbuttoned her pinafore and took a second. She took a deep breath and held the zipper at the back of her poofy-shouldered white shirt...
She knelt, staring at the bed. Why wouldn’t her hand just go down...? Just pull it dammit! Her wrist tensed, she could feel her palms getting sweaty. She did it twice before, what’s different now!?
"Meko, what are you trying to-"
"Shut it wolfy!" with a grunt she pulled down the zipper, exposing the pale smooth skin down her nape, under the black undershirt and... the not so smooth skin.
The same scars, patching up to her abdomen from her waist. Hotaru leaned closer, taking a better look. The scars inclined more towards her right side and were barely visible on the front side of her form.
The shapes of the scars, the way they patched upwards—something would’ve had to been on top of her, perhaps a thin beam? What an odd angle it was... She had no interest to reconstruct the scene that caused this. Instead, the redhead’s eyes began to well up.
"Seventeen years ago, I was in that fire; when I wasn’t even a year old. My dad, at the time, was a firefighter called down from Luxinor.
After he saved me from one of the burning buildings, he took me home and I never left the house again; cause he was too scared to let me go- Ngh!"
Fumeko flinched as she felt arms embracing her from behind, the arms coming around her neck to hold her close. Red hair sided against right cheek, "You poor thing, I’m so sorry to hear that," Hotaru sniffled.
Fumeko’s eyes widened and slowly waned. The brunette made no effort to resist. Protest; protest! It was too hard not to simply, melt in her grasp. Her hands held onto Hotaru’s arms instead, gulping to hold back the tears...
"It-It’s not that big a deal alright? I-I, don’t remember it too much," her fleeting voice spouted.
"There’s no need to lie. If it wasn’t a big deal, you wouldn’t have to tell me this alone," a little smile in her crying voice.
"It, wasn’t a big deal until... well, until I ran away after having that argument with my dad. After I found out my parents died in that fire."
"Parent-s?"
Fumeko nodded slowly feeling Hotaru’s hair against her; she had not realized how comforting this was... "I knew my mother was gone, but I thought my dad was uhm, my dad.
It was a really bad argument... Maybe only on my side; he doesn’t really yell to me. But I wanted to leave, I had planned so many times before.
I got to go out, a few times a year under my dad’s watch and that’s it. The rest was through a window." Fumeko took a large breath, moving one hand to above her head.
Hotaru brought her head back while Fumeko still held both of the arms around her. "This was my mom’s apparently. The only time I took it off recently was that gala... It was weird not having it there."
"So that’s why you ran away. I’m sorry you had to find out like that."
"Stop saying sorry, it’s not your fault," she huffed.
"I’m glad you opened up to me. You’re really brave, you know that? Maybe a little too bold for your own good; arrogant’s more the word," Hotaru chuckled with glistening fangs, holding her tighter.
Her lips pouted, holding onto the arms that brought her comfort, "I said I’d explain at some point, didn’t I? Jotou and Asobi already know, it didn’t feel right you didn’t."
Hotaru took a step back, much to the dismay of the other who wanted to hold on longer. "Want me to try and heal it...?" she eyed the scars.
Fumeko scoffed, "These scars are as old as I am."
"It won’t hurt to try."
Her eyes narrowed, "Fine."
Hotaru’s hands glowed with sprinklings of water and she gently went over Fumeko’s back. She hesitated for a second, but shook her head and placed her hands against the scars.
Fumeko’s back arched forward. However, she did not recoil. She went silent as she felt the magic spreading across her skin; an odd sensation as it went through the rivers of pale skin in between the scars.
"Do you feel anything?"
"Yeah," Fumeko’s head twisted, "Water over my back," her eyes had glazed over. Not much of the texture or even the complexion changed.
Hotaru tightened her lips, "Must be that they’re too old then. Maybe there’s some other spell for old scars, but heal definitely isn’t it."
Fumeko’s brows furrowed, "Stop trying to fix me wolfy."
"Meko, I’m not trying to ’fix’ you."
"Oh yeah, cause you’re too busy trying to fix Jotou," her head twisted with a scowl.
Her crimson ears spiked, "What? I’m not trying to fix Jotou-"
"Oh please. Making her dress up like a doll, putting makeup on her before we left Kria, every time Jotou was herself you HAD to correct her to make her more prissy or whatever when she was fine as she was; always trying to change her somehow."
Hotaru held her fists to her hips, "Meko, I can only advise and guide her. She changes herself, I have no control over that. I just want to help her to become a better version of herself, but she’s fine as she is."
"Pft. ’Have no control’, ’guide’, stop trying to lawyer your way out of this. Every time you pull her by the ear, pinch her, glare at her till she apologizes to you; even breaking her nails behind that restaurant, you think I didn’t see that?
The evidence is all right there, plain as day. I’m sick of you treating her like some collared pet for you to have control over!"
The redhead glared, "I think that if Jotou had some problem with it, she’d be extremely vocal about it to me, not you. Jotou’s not the type to just ’take it’ when something’s bothering her, you should know that."
"Not if she’s conditioned to like it," she crossed her arms.
"Fumeko. What’s the issue? Tell me, please!"
Fumeko puffed a breath out her nose, "I confessed to Jotou well before you. I told her... I tried to get an answer even after she asked me to forget about her... and then she chose you..."
The spiked ears fell, still with a glare, "Meko..."
"I don’t know what to feel at this point and you being here doesn’t help cause- cause..." Fumeko’s arms and legs tensed; the scent of sea dandelions lingering in her breaths.
Her face went red and she shut her eyes. If everything’s in shambles, screw it right? "I like you too..."
Hotaru’s eyes bubbled, taking a few blinks as even her tail stopped in confusion. "You mean, in that sense...? I- Hm..." she needed a minute to process the statement... "Wait, what? I thought you were always after..."
"I am," Fumeko winced to say aloud. "It’s sort of a, make your choice scenario... I think I liked Jotou more was the decider... So, I just saw you, as an opponent...
Uh... uhm," Fumeko shrunk on the bed she was on. "I didn’t want to tell you all of this—about my scars and my dad—but it felt wrong. Because you’re a big part of my life too."
"Ha..." Hotaru folded her arms, mouth a little agape still. "Okay, first of all, maybe I can be a little much on Jotou, but it’s because I care for her, not because I’m trying to ’fix’ her.
And second," Hotaru squinted, "Where did this come from? Why?"
"You two are clearly canoodling and Jotou convinced me to talk to you so, I’m just, I don’t know, putting everything out there," she sighed.
"Hold on, Jotou knows that you have a crush on me?"
Fumeko turned, "No! No, she doesn’t. Sss-so keep it secret will you!? Or else..."
Hotaru narrowed her eyes more, "I should have no issue with that... Anyone else you have a supposed crush on? Asobi?"
"Supposed? And I’m kinda on the fence about Asobi."
"So you’ve created backup crushes?"
"Don’t say it like that!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Hotaru held a palm to her own face, "I just worry for your sake that you’re getting attached romantically to people you meet... Is it because you want a romantic relationship or is it just something you think you need to do?
It seems unfair that you tried to get an answer out of Jotou after she said that. I’m worried, that you might not be able to distinguish the difference between loving someone romantically or just as a friend.
Since you were cooped up in your house and never had either, it might be confusing for you," her voice had gone mellow.
Fumeko saw the pity across Hotaru’s eyes and sneered, "I don’t think I need to do anything! Don’t try and steer me away from this!"
"I’m not steering you away or anything, but consider what I said at least."
"I’m not falling for every girl that comes my way! There’s a reason I’d even say this, I’m not an idiot!"
"Okay, okay," Hotaru put her hands up. "I’m happy you trust me enough to say all of that, I hope you don’t take what I said the wrong way."
"I know what I want, alright?" Did she? The doubt now leaked into her mind, truly unsure of what to feel. A disgruntled Fumeko put her clothes back together and crossed her arms.
Hotaru’s gaze did not leave, "Is that everything you wanted to say to me?"
"I just, wanted it off my chest."
"You were always going after Jotou, I could smell the jealousy, but me...?" the redhead’s face went a little crimson. "It never even crossed my mind. Well, we have other things to do. I think we should focus on that for now."
"Great... You sound just like her now."
"Do I?"
