Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 377: Arc 5, - 71: Face the Day Ahead

Stirring awake with one ear bent down, she felt her hands drift against soft skin—her arms wrapped around a warm body, shifting slightly as it breathed in and out.

Hotaru kept fighting to keep her eyes open while she took in her first lungsful of the morning. Her nose twitched and she felt a spot of wetness on the pillow she was lying her head on, against her cheek.

The first sight was of a sleeping blonde, right next to her face—the second, was that of her mouth wide open, drooling. The redhead clicked her tongue silently and reached out to push Jotou’s head away.

Jotou’s mouth did close, but it muttered annoyance.

In her sleep, the blonde’s legs refused to let go of Hotaru’s hips, which they were locked around. Still under the covers, Jotou held the redhead tighter in her arms.

"We have to sort out your drooling problem. Though, it’s cute," Hotaru hushed and then wedged her arms between the two; she tried to pry them both apart, but Jotou just held on.

The blonde moved her hips back and forth in response.

"Hzh!" Hotaru’s ear spiked up and her whole body tensed, before a little moan escaped her lips.

Murmuring from slumber, Jotou’s head rose from the pillow and with paper-thin eyes, wiped her lips and groaned. She hummed and glanced next to her, before letting her head fall back down, "...Morning," she smiled.

Hotaru smiled back and traced a finger along the blonde’s cheek to push some hair to the back of her ears, "Morning." Her smile waned immediately, "Get off of me already."

Jotou closed her eyes and whined.

"We need to get ready."

"Nuh."

"It’s March 1st Jotou."

"Ie."

Hotaru sighed and placed her lips against the blonde’s ear, "Wake up," she kissed and gave the tiniest lick.

Jotou made noises of contemplation, before shifting her hips away, "See, positive reinforcement," she muttered.

"Oh please," Hotaru was about to move her hips, but then she shifted uncomfortably—she moved slower.

Jotou winced and her body tensed up, "Ow."

"Just a second, it’s okay," she held the blonde by the shoulder and within a few seconds, they both untensed with a sigh of relief. Hotaru then reached her hand down under the covers, before she tossed the toy out from under the blanket and onto the floor.

"I can’t believe you’ve ruined me before marriage. How will I ever recover," Jotou faked a sob and a shaky voice.

Hotaru shook her head on the pillow.

Jotou switched her tune and began wrapping her arms around the redhead again with a smile.

That smile quickly disappeared as a plush puppy with a missing eye was shoved in between them and Jotou had difficulty cuddling the other.

The blonde’s thighs rubbed against Hotaru’s as Jotou ran sideways on the bed with the plush in between their chests—though she desperately tried to nuzzle her face into the redhead’s neck; the covers came undone by her shuffling.

Even then, Hotaru was still trapped by the blonde. She took away the plush puppy and Jotou buried her face into the wolf-girl’s neck, like metal to a magnet. "Can I be set free?" Hotaru queried.

With a nasally high voice Jotou replied, "I need to feel your heartbeat next to mine and we can see if they sync," she drowsily put.

Hotaru’s brows crunched up in a mix of concern and amusement. The blonde’s nose tickled her and she giggled, before she pushed Jotou’s head away.

Jotou nuzzled her head back in with force and settled. "Would you still love me if I was a worm?"

"A worm...? What are you-?" Hotaru blinked a few times. "What kind of dreams did you have...?"

"B-but like a cool worm, wearing a cap backwards on a skateboard," Jotou burrowed her face deeper. "You have to love me, because a worm can’t ride a skateboard Aru," she sobbed and shook her head against the redhead’s neck.

"What in the world is a skateboard? Never mind, I’m sure Asobi would enjoy this worm dream of yours; we have things to do Jotou," Hotaru pushed the blonde’s head to the side.

Jotou exhaled heavily, "Fine, I know, I know," the whimsy from her voice disappeared. Nevertheless, she nuzzled her face back under Hotaru’s chin, "Just a couple more minutes? Just a little more rest before today, please?"

Hotaru petted the blonde’s head and sighed, "Of course." She kissed Jotou on the head and closed her own eyes for a few minutes. "You could’ve just said that."

Jotou stuck her tongue out, though the other could not see it.

In another room within the house, a brunette stirred awake to realize sunlight invading the room through curtains that were forgotten to be shut.

On her clothed chest lied a blonde, soundly asleep. Some of her body felt numb—no doubt from the awkward positioning. The amazing part was how neither had moved much since they dozed off, outside of a couple of limbs.

Her head lolled to the right—clothes on the floor, clock ticking, sunlight way too bright for the moment. Fumeko’s eyes adjusted to the morning and shadows whispered around her form.

Within a second, she appeared standing by her bedside as Tiffany’s head hit the bed—she still remained asleep. Fumeko walked across the floorboards and stopped to look at the mirror.

There she was, in nothing but her undershirt... She watched her own expression—the lightest downwards tilt of her brows, her eyes relaxed.

She raised her hand, wriggled her fingers one by one after the other. She inhaled and glanced over to her bed with a blonde sleeping in it. What a night...

"I don’t feel any different," Fumeko mumbled to herself in the mirror. "I’d wanna do it again, but... that was it?" She checked her own body in the mirror. "Hm," a mutter of acceptance went through her closed mouth.

The brunette gazed at the scars going around her body; she twisted by the waist. "Huh." She never noticed a few scars that patched down, faint as they were, on the right side of her rear end. It appeared like mild discolouration more than anything.

"Where are my..." Her eyes scanned towards the side of the bed and then she warped her black boxers into her grasp, before promptly putting them on.

Fumeko glanced back to the mirror and placed a hand on her waist. Her other hand fluffed up her hair a bit and patted it down—headband still on.

Her eyes narrowed, but her lips beamed. All things considered... she sort of, liked how she looked—and it didn’t feel bold to claim as such.

"Knock, knock."

An inhaling squeaking yelp jumped out of the brunette’s mouth and her eyes ejected open.

"Kiddo? Gotten up yet?"

Fumeko coughed a little, "Yeah dad, I’m awake." The startled brunette’s vision abruptly fell on Tiffany in the bed. "I know, important day; I’ll come down in a few minutes."

"Take your time kid, it’s still early."

"Yeah, yeah," Fumeko looked down to her half-dressed self and dashed towards her closet. How would she explain to her father? Maybe Tiffany could sneak back to the vacant room in the house after?

Wait, why would she have to explain anything? It’s not like he had any jurisdiction over what she does with whom. Still, what if he finds out? What would he even say though? That was the more dreadful thought crossing her mind.

"But breakfast’s made and ready," footsteps went away from her door.

She had just fished out a clean pair of boxers from her drawer and paused to look wide-eyed at the door... "Oh. Ok." In relief, she continued her search for her usual garments.

"And wake Tiffany up too, if the knock didn’t."

Fumeko froze. Oh no...

_

"I, shall see thou in the papers," Tiffany bade farewell, clothed back up and out the door. Her fingers fiddled with each other and her gaze tried to be fixed on the brunette, but it ultimately fell on the pavement.

Fumeko held the doorframe and gave a thin, strained smile, "Yeah. We’ll talk again later."

"Farewell," she waved and awkwardly turned.

"Bye," Fumeko meekly responded.

"A-and, farewell Detective Namora..." Tiffany uttered.

"You sure you don’t want breakfast kid?" a monotonous low voice came from behind Fumeko.

"Nothankyou," barely a squeak before Tiffany turned and made a dash towards the awaiting carriage. Fumeko watched till the carriage departed before closing the door. She turned to blankly face her father...

Kazuo did not glance down; he took a breath, but stopped whatever he was about to say. "You’re capable of making your own decisions kid. I’ll... I’ll leave the talk to Morgana," he walked towards the dining table.

"Talk? What talk? I don’t need a talk," Fumeko argued as she trailed behind.

"It’s all out there now," Hotaru told the house as she skimmed through the front page of the paper.

"Recent strings of supposed serial murder cases have been revealed, only for the true culprit behind it to be the ill-famed Deuctus Cult. More on page two; it’s credited under Alicia Langstirk," the redhead read.

The radio crackled in the living room. "Ooo, I got it!" Asobi was in the middle of twisting the dial as the static cleared up into something audible.

"Crck, chfth, -the trial will be held under the Supreme Court of Burnetrout, on matters involving organized crime, conspiracy, homicide, tampering of evidence and various other crimes, at noon today.

The session will involve multiple convicted cult members and conspirators, as well as an undocumented individual who has claimed to be Ambrose, no last name listed.

The Grand Alderman, Lady Pinberry who will be in attendance, issued this statement earlier this morning. ’All residents are urged to keep calm and not cause mass panic—fearmongering will not be tolerated in official spaces.

It is understandable that issues pertaining to the Deuctus Cult is a sensitive topic to the nation. However, the matter shall be handled efficiently and will be put to rest as swiftly as possible.’

As for information available for the public, Investigations Cooperated has aided in the arrest and evidence of conspiracy and the list of crimes. It is also stated, that the Azure Firefly of Cravolta and the Thundering Blade of Kria will be in attendance.

No further information is released to the public at present. In international news, the Metallum Blade, Okod Parnell, has recently taken up the position of guild leader of the Krian Adventurers Guild.

From the disbanded adventuring party known as the Lexokodac, the new guild leader has promised to reform and amend the regulations of Kria’s Adventurers Guild, asserting them to be outdated," the news continued to crackle out.

"That brat’s the guild leader?" Jotou, in full adventuring attire, descended the stairs while still attaching the black fabric going down her arms around her middle knuckle.

Hotaru’s head tilted, "I think that’s splendid," her lips curled up. She stood from her seat at the dining table, in her full adventuring attire as well.

"Ding-dong!"

Kazuo turned and opened the door. A detective in blue had her arms folded—she spoke offhandedly, "Taking our sweet time are we?"

"Just breakfast. There’s still some, want any?" Kazuo invited in.

"Had some on the way," she stayed at the threshold of the door and dismissed with a subtle shake of her head. "Where’s the little one?"

"Company; Peter’s looking after while doing paperwork."

"You sure?"

Kazuo sighed, "Can’t think of a safer place without making a hassle out of it."

"Your call."

"Okay," he turned and asked to the four downstairs, "Ready to go?"

"Yes we are!" Asobi skipped out the door as Morgana took a step to the side. Jotou and Hotaru followed behind, before Morgana took a passing glance at Kazuo as she turned and walked off to the carriage she had arrived in.

"Come on kiddo. This is the case you managed to get this far after all," Kazuo looked back.

Fumeko furrowed her brows, "Dad, have you ever been to the Lune Rose Floraison?"

"Can’t say I have; why?"

Her brown eyes narrowed more, "Well, it felt like someone was watching me. It might be connected to the cult, might just be paranoia. But dad, have you... been on a date, ever?"

He shook his head, "No kid," his arm still kept the door open.

Fumeko’s face came to a rest... "Huh. You’re more worse than Alicia."

"Kid, there’re more important things to do today, we can have this conversation some other time..." then his face began to observe Fumeko, "Unless there’s something you wanna ask me."

"N-no, I just," Fumeko started to walk out the door. "I’ve not really seen you with anyone in that sense, so I was just curious," she told with her head tilted away from him.

He watched his daughter walk off. He knew something was up... but it was not like he could coax it out of her. He locked the door on his way out and joined everyone else.

’We have little say in this matter. This isn’t Kria to take it into our own hands, or Cravolta where Daiyu can smooth things along with her authority and we were honoured guests...

We made our way to the Supreme Court of Burnetrout. Our names and location exposed to the public, the former scourge of this country is being held trial and I am a part of this political hassle...

Is it just me being paranoid? Why do I feel like, things aren’t gonna go the way we planned?’