Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 390: Arc 6, - 6: Aficionado of Romance

"Is the feather duster out somewhere?" Alicia glanced around her apartment.

"No, the Poison Feather. She’s someone we fought against in the Last Stand last year and found in Dolpool Police Department a few weeks ago. She didn’t reveal why she was here, but we suspected she was with the cult."

"Think I’ve heard of’her. Why was she there?"

"She confessed to killing a bellboy at some hotel last November," Fumeko held a hand to her chin, "Hotel... Feldspar. Know anything about it?"

Alicia pondered, "Nice hotel, three stars, not bad staff. A little pricy, but nothing else of note. Not a murder hotspot and I think some reporter got that scoop ahead of me."

"There’s no way she’s not related to the cult, there’s some other hidden agenda she has," Fumeko tensed her brows up and felt the pressure building in her head. "If she is, there’s no reason the cult won’t target the department next.

They attacked the most important courthouse in the city and killed the chief justice of the country in broad daylight while the Thundering Blade was present; a police department has no chance." Fumeko stood up.

"Where do you think you’re heading off to?" Alicia raised a brow.

"Home, then Dolpool Police Department. Aren’t you coming?" Fumeko turned to look.

Alicia adjusted her glasses, "I fancy a good story any day little detective and I don’t doubt your instincts, but what exactly’s the plan here?

Say you’re right, they come for that Feather lady and wreck that department. Say they come in with another a dragon, what’re you going t’do? Went well the last time did it?

The Thundering Blade barely cut its tailbone off and dozens of people got hurt, maimed, killed. I’m not one to back off from a challenge, but a gamble’s a gamble and a story ain’t gonna be made if I ain’t kicking."

Fumeko furrowed her brows, stared out the window and paused. Slowly her legs gave out and she sat on the sofa, before letting out a sighing groan.

"Thought so," Alicia replied. "Knowing the detective, he’s probably already on the trail."

"Probably," the brunette scowled. She wracked her brain over and over, yet there was no equation to be found, no red string to connect. What in the hells were they going to do against the cult?

Alicia studied her expression, "The pigs ain’t gonna be much help and the best bunch’of mages in the government or the GAS don’t hold a candle to you lot.

Your best bet for backup’s probably some adventurers and most of them are down south; and you’re not reaching them anytime soon."

Fumeko balled up her fists; she muttered through gritted teeth, "Can I scream...?"

"Just don’t let the neighbours hear or we’ll both be in trouble."

Fumeko grabbed one of the many throw pillows and stuffed her face into it to scream her heart out.

Alicia folded up both her legs onto her sofa and sipped her tea.

The brunette lurched her head back and gasped for air. She panted with light grunts while her fingers clawed into the pillow. "They’ve clearly outsmarted us, they’ve outpowered us by sheer force, strength, magic and numbers-

We’ve been running around playing tag with them and the one time we actually did fight them, we got our asses handed to us! What the hell are we supposed to do!?" Fumeko’s head fell back onto the sofa and pillows; she groaned watching the ceiling fan run.

Alicia finished up her tea, "I think everything ’round you’s told’you that the Deuctus Cult ain’t some little gang down the alley. Y’think people in the city go into a panic by the mere mention of them for’no reason?

This ain’t some case y’wind up in and solve by tea time; the exception’s the detective up top, and even then it took’him four years—t’get one leader and no other leads."

"Thanks..."

"What I’m saying is, it’s only normal t’get overwhelmed. There’s no magical fix-all solution that’s gonna solve all this in a day’s time. One thing at a time; crumb by crumb, you’ll get’a lead.

For now, how ’bout I make another pot’of tea and you try t’get rid of that stress in your system before it boils outta your eyes and turns your brain to mush."

While Alicia hopped up out of her seat with a hum and a smile to get more water out of the kettle, Fumeko stared at the ceiling, breathing in and out deeply to relax her head.

"Well, I did also come to check up on you. People died yesterday, even the chief justice. I’m glad you and Mrs Aetherton got out in time, but I was a bit worried," Fumeko stated.

"Worried ’bout little ol’ me? I’ve been in much worse little detective, I make it out with the best scoop every time~" her bubbly voice replied.

"I don’t even wanna know..."

Alicia walked over with two more fresh cups of black tea, "Word of advice, the handle of’a slot machine makes a pretty good shiv when you’re trapped in’a locked down casino."

"..."

Alicia set one cup on the table and folded up her legs back up into her sofa. "How ’bout something else to talk about? Take your mind off things."

The brunette made a sound to reply.

"How’s everything going with that blonde girl? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between?"

...

"I haven’t thought about her much since the day before. I... don’t know. I think, things are going good?" Fumeko’s nose creased up.

"You think? Well go on, don’t spare me on the details, spill it, everything," Alicia sat comfily.

"I don’t know what to- Well, I took her to the Lune Rose Floraison celebration over in Cape Iris."

"Cute, cute. I hear it’s a great festival, but the one they throw in Belle-Ventrialis is grander."

"What were you doing at the time?"

"Oh y’know, staring out my window, cursing out every couple at that pretty pink moon before dinner and went back t’messing with my camera for a bit."

"I see..."

"I don’t mean anything by it, it just makes me feel better. Fun date was it? If your face’s anything to go by, not so well?"

"N-no, it was fine. I enjoyed myself, it was nice."

Alicia blinked a few times, "Oh coooome onnn, you’re skirting ’round the thing y’wanna say detective, go on, I’m not here to judge!"

"I uh, slept with her..." her face did not redden, but rather it seemed, confused?

...

"Wow-wow-wowie! Wow!" Alicia chirped and her eyes bubbled as she bounced her head from side-to-side. "First kiss on the second meeting and bed buddies within the month!?"

Fumeko struggled to voice, "It was uh, it, agh..."

"Didn’t enjoy it? First time no good?" suddenly it was an interview.

"I don’t know," Fumeko said louder. Her legs and arms tensed up, "It was, it was fun and yeah, I wanna do it again, but Tiffany... Tiffany’s just..."

Alicia’s pink eyes examined for a moment as angst battled with the brunette lying on her sofa. "Ah," the reporter verbalized with a soft smile.

"What?" Fumeko lifted her head up to face her.

"We like Tiffany," Alicia’s head fell to one side.

"Y-yeah, I do-"

"But we don’t love Tiffany," Alicia shook her head as it fell to the other side.

Fumeko opened her lips and a sound came out, but no words to protest it... The brunette sat up finally. "I mean, isn’t love supposed to, form over time? I don’t know if I like-like her—yet."

"In an arranged marriage sure little detective, y’can wait for a yet. But if the sparks ain’t there, it doesn’t matter how long y’wait."

Fumeko’s face scrunched up a bit, "Not everyone just knows they love someone immediately, right? There has to be some uncertainty-"

"And potential—the potential and the chemistry’s more important here. Why’re you being so apprehensive ’bout it? Seems to me like you already have a conclusion."

Fumeko tightened her lips and stayed silent. Her eyes lowered and shoulders shrunk in.

"So you don’t wanna admit it, that it?" Alicia sighed. "I get it. You’re worried ’bout what she might say or feel; you’re worried ’bout your future love prospects. So it’s better to just hope it works out?"

"I don’t know... This is my first time with anything like this. I didn’t, couldn’t, expect anything to go the way it has."

Alicia pinched some pink and blue strands of her otherwise brown hair and spoke, "Take it from someone who’s never been in a relationship their, well, their entire life; it’s not the be-all, end-all.

There’s a lot more to life than having romance. Sure, it’s nice to have. Sometimes you gotta hug a pillow so hard while waking up in agony of wanting a lover. But then it’s up onto your feet and y’get back t’life.

You’re not always gonna find someone, and that can be dreadful, awful, scary. But it’s better t’know what you want; if you’ve got no idea what y’want out of a relationship, then I don’t think y’should be looking for one.

It’s better t’take time for yourself and figure out what it is you want. Being alone ain’t so bad; better than being surrounded by lies y’tell yourself.

I know I complain and mope ’bout wanting lovers, but y’think I couldn’t genuinely bag some drunkard and get a boyfriend? I’m sure I could, I know I’m a catch, but I got standards and know what I want."

There was maybe a hint of delusion by the end of her spiel, but Fumeko did not neglect any of her words. The brunette gulped and darted her eyes to the side.

"For a while, I didn’t exactly know what the difference was between friends and liking someone more," she admitted. "At some point, I thought I did. I didn’t know what my interest actually was, it gets blurry sometimes...

I think, I know more now," Fumeko’s voice grew very soft. "I think I like Tiffany more as a friend. I don’t really have those kinds of feelings for her... She moves way too fast, even for me...

It was a fun night, but I don’t really wanna kiss her or do anything like that again with her," she forced it to be spoken out loud. She did not look up; she pouted to the side and felt her eyes begin to well up.

Alicia lifted up a box of tissues from the coffee table and set it on the sofa in front of her. Fumeko took one and wiped her eyes sluggishly. "There, there, it’s okay. Y’can let it out, I’m not judging."

"There’s not really much to cry about," Fumeko sniffled and took a deep breath.

"Y’wanted it to be real that bad huh?"

"I think it was just inevitable," Fumeko replied. "What do I do now?"

"You tell her how you feel and move on," Alicia put simply.

"Just like that? Tiffany, I think, actually likes me in that way, I don’t wanna just-"

Alicia interjected immediately, "You wanna let it drag on and break the poor girl’s heart later?"

"No! Isn’t there a, subtler way to tell her I’m not interested in her like that?"

"That’s what got you into this mess," Alicia said bluntly. "The truth’s the best way forward detective, always was and always is. The longer you lead her on, the more painful it’s gonna get.

It doesn’t matter how you do it, but just be mature and talk to her directly, face-to-face; you owe her and yourself that much."