Author's Note:

New arc, new plotline.

cesarahdz04: Please don't make these kinds of interludes anymore, the barrier that separates visual content from written content is that you need to see to understand what they're talking about and this interlude is meaningless crap taken from a LoL forum.

Alright, thanks for the feedback! I'll be sure to make more of them!

Stay safe and hydrated.

I removed the beanie from my head, a cool wind caressing the compressed hair. The weather was in that pesky Goldilocks zone; too hot for a full get-up and too cold for the jacket to retire to the closet. That meant the mittens and beanie were useless which annoyed me to no end! Even within the confines of either pant or jacket pockets, my hands were bloody cold!

I sighed, surrendering to my daily fate as a living scarecrow.

Although my love for snow was undying, the cold was getting on my nerves, literally. While I could deal with warm climates, sweat, ice, and a fan were wonders when the AC broke, the cold was apathetically brutal. Though the skin protected the core from excess heat, the frost didn't care, it penetrated every layer to the bone. Countless coughs, a constant shiver, the renewed shock when exiting a steaming shower into a meat freezer.

I loved snow, truly. If it existed in the desert, I would've moved to Nevada.

Blowing hot air onto my clapped hands, I gazed at the main building, no students in sight. It was that early in the morning, half an hour before the first class. Waking up in winter was like fighting against a hurricane on a jet ski. I basked in a sinister satisfaction knowing I wasn't the only one affected in some way by the blasted frost.

Every day had blended into its neighbors; yesterday and tomorrow. The same classes, the same animals, the same Juno on the weekdays and Auntie Miya on the weekends. I never called her that aloud, too embarrassing for my taste. In the grand picture, all days seemed identical. The oddities occurred during an unannounced stream and digging through the cancerhouse that were Zootube comments.

I chuckled at a memory. A whole page, around five hundred words of unhinged conspiracy. Apparently, some terminally online individuals believed the human race was created by primates, which wasn't totally false, so we'd outbreed every other species. Like, how unhinged did one have to be to begin formulating that line of thought, reflect upon everything and draw a decisive conclusion and post it for the internet to see forever? As fond as it was laughing my ass off at the absurdity, I prayed they got the right pills.

I stopped before the stairs to the entrance, bumping my shouldered backpack. Truly, I achieved my objective; return to normality. I was just another student, average, humbly, maybe a tad above if I put in more effort. It might be pompous to think it but school had become… mundane. And that was good! I was a face in the crowd, I had my little troubles, I had a life. I had everything I had had.

What was a human face in a zoo? Little troubles, as little as a giant's daughter. And what a life I had.

Sometimes, I hated myself for those moments. I had no reason to be negative, I couldn't count the times I contacted Miya for a miscellaneous item or school supplies. Hell, I considered requesting a bike but then remembered I couldn't go out without supervision.

Yup, Johnny got an upgrade!

During the holidays, half of Rexmas, still couldn't say it with a straight face, was spent holed up in my room grinding on one of the most addictive and toxic multiplayer games I had bookmarked; Dust. It was about surviving, killing, raiding, and my personal favorite, trolling. That was a day for the records for I discovered the subculture that was human gaming.

There were hundreds if not thousands of video games about the human race. Fantasy, horror, sci-fi, puzzles, casual, clicker, there wasn't a genre that didn't have a tentacle latched onto. I happened on the one known for an evil player base. However, I took that as a challenge.

The very first stream, I created a funny character and spawned on the golden beach. The first spawn was special, like turning over a new page. In my infinite wisdom, I didn't think prior to censor the server I'd logged onto or my in-game name.

It took half the server approximately ten minutes to pinpoint my exact location and attempt to kidnap me. There were handcuffs and blindfolds in the game, kinky and all, but no. Luckily, a savior or idiot shot an arrow through my cranium and sent me to a beach on the other side of the map. But that was a story for another day.

The other half of the holiday was spent with my dear birb. On the contrary, it was her idea. I supposed spending my deserved vacation stinking up my room wasn't the best for my physical and mental health.

In the dead of night, she pulled up in a slick car and drove us to a cottage she owned in the mountains. I wasn't keen on the salary of psychiatrists, but a doctor was a doctor, so she had to be loaded with cash. The rest was a blur as I'd operated on four hours of sleep. How she got the approval to yoink me out of the academy was lost on me.

I may not be able to perfectly recall those days and the beginning of the new year, but my feelings were engraved in stone; I loved every second of it. And I didn't drink alcohol, no ma'am! She'd hang me by the back of my boxers if I so much touched a drop of the cultural poison. I just… didn't remember. They were fun, Miya was a great host and… the reason I started viewing her as an aunt. Though unrelated by blood, she… she'd be greatly missed if she disappeared.

Gripping the rail, I took the first step. Then, the next. Less than a dozen later and I stood before those doors, the wind weakening as the sun rose. Sometimes, I wondered why I chose to arrive so early before everyone. To avoid being part of the herd? The normies? I'd tried to gaslight myself into exercising in my free time but failed a week after New Year's Eve. As one would learn over the course of nearly half a year, walking for fifteen minutes a day wasn't sufficient for muscle growth.

Before lodging myself into another mental trap, I reverted to my beautiful moto and pushed open the right door. I was young, my body could deal with my current lifestyle. I had time.

"Hmm," I scratched the side of my head, the tips of my hair nearly connecting with my shoulders. I was ninety percent sure math was on the agenda per usual, I forgot to check the timetable before leaving my room. I could return and have enough time to arrive to class, but against an educated guess? Not even in a wheelchair with nitro.

Starting right, I let my thoughts wander, wisps of white smoke swirling in an hourglass. Next month was the end of the semester, I could already see the scoresheet; above average, decent physique, bombed Seaspeak. I refused to cooperate with the antichrist tongue. America did not negotiate with terrorists, so why should I? Fuck seaspeak. Fuck. Sea. Speak.

The next holiday? How spoiled of me. Winter has yet to fully depart till next year and I was already planning for the future. There was Valentine's, their version of the pagan celebration, and we knew how that would go. Yes, god, you're telepathic, I hope you're doing well with the spaids. Next time, use nebulan protection, alright? There was also that… that…

„Ack," I shook the pocketed right fist, the event slipped my mind. It was definitely in late Spring, something about a… festival, historical. Perhaps my brain disposed of the information because it was useless. Anyhow, I could always ask Juno.

"Juno…"

I stopped, the place I was in completely wrong; the class was on the second floor, I was still on the first. I became so lost in my thoughts I explored the jungle without documenting my journey. Slapping myself a bit, I spotted a restroom sign beyond a train of lockers.

I was on the other side of where I should be. No biggie, I had fifteen-

A curdling scream scared me shitless, my heart jumping from hippie rest to marathon. My head snapped to and fro, growing angry at the possible prank…

Why would anyone do that? And so early, too? The majority of students were in the dormitories. I was an exception. What if… someone was in trouble?

„Ah, shit," I chewed my lower lip, a hand gripping my bag's strap. My knees were slightly bent, as if to spring into action. What action? A pussy, no pun intended, came across a roach and went bananas. That was slang for the monkey mafia and no one else.

However, now wasn't a good time to be a comedian. Knowing my conscience would bug me the whole day if I didn't go and see, I moved towards the origin of the scream. It was a school, the worst scenario was someone that fell for no reason and injured themselves. I saw it happen multiple times, back then and in the present. There was no real danger in Cherryton.

And that reminded me of an assuring and irking fact; the cobra guard existed. Rattlesnake, to be more accurate, but I didn't even know her name. She was the sole guardian of the academy and a damn good one at that. As much as I despised snakes for my caveman brain, I had no complaints for the professionalism department.

Therefore, I was paranoid. Baseless fear was a killer. I bet I'd laugh when I found the poor soul that spilled tea on themselves. I should've gotten a cup to go in the dorm's kitchen.

Turning the corner, my weak nose detected a faint scent. Ahead was a corridor twenty meters long which turned to the right, a left one in the middle. I remembered it was one of the auditoriums, seldom an empty gymnasium when the need arose.

A few steps were taken before I began slowing down, the smell… strangely familiar. I couldn't quite place my finger on it. It wasn't unpleasant like a clogged toilet with a monster shit brick but it wasn't the lavender scenting stick that dried up in restroom number five. That horrendous incident lingered in my mind. No, the smell was… complex. Three meters before the diverge to the auditorium, I cataloged the smell as nickel, the coin, coated by sweat from unwashed hand cheese. Like sniffing a marker, everything was fine in controlled dosage.

As I passed the turn, I halted with a heel, the copper in the air intensified. My nose twitched, I was right, there was a wet metal. And it was inside, there, behind those…

„Woah…"

Fixing my stance, I gawked at the double doors. Broken. The right side suffered minimal damage; a scratch and a minor bend of the handle. The left side was beyond mending. The circular glass was shattered, shards were scattered across the floor. The handle was simply gone, actually, on the ground, a point in the wall above it cracked like a spider's web. And the anorexic surface…

I didn't like the story I was making. Whatever happened here wasn't of the diplomatic sort. Was there a fight? Did someone get their head bashed in? Impossible, the doors were clean of mysterious fluids. An object, then. A baseball bat. But then there was the handle, was someone trying to barricade themselves? None of these details made sense!

Having riled myself, I wanted, needed to know what was beyond the barrier. I approached the entry, the stray fragments cracking under my shoes. A hand reached for the left handle, my fingers hovering around it.

A voice deep within me warned me. It was more a feeling; an unexplainable dread sweetened by a river of sugar cane, the juice itself. Standing in front of the broken window, a thin layer between both circular glasses blocked my view, furthering my curiosity. I didn't know such a design existed, was that like a one-way mirror? Moreover, why was I so hesitant?

What if a fight was happening at this very moment? A foolishly heroic thought. The best thing to do would be calling a teacher or the snake guard- Rokume! That was her name. What could I do to help? I had none of the context or prowess to intervene.

I might have divine intellect and a cesspool of dead memes, but the animal kingdom had the upper hand in raw power. Stupid Juno and her noogies…

I grabbed the handle with determination. What was the worst that could happen? Another scolding about never resorting to violence? I was overthinking it, again. What was the harm in feeding my inner child once in a while? If Schrodinger's brawl was real, it'd definitely go viral on my channel!

Patting my pants for my phone, I pushed open the door, my eyes darting downward to extract the device out of… my…

When my gaze returned to the front, I peered, my hand missed the pocket. Indeed, it was the multi-purpose auditorium, hundreds of empty seats overlooking a basketball court. The floor was squeaky clean, except for the middle.

In the heart of the court, where both teams would send out a player to capture the ball after the referee threw it in the air, was a gigantic splotch. It covered the entire circle, like a tumor mutating out of an organ to colonize the rest of the body. From afar, I saw hints of deep burgundy and onyx as well as spots of white accenting the alien pallet. The visuals weren't the issue.

What made time stop was the smell. The disgusting, revolting, putrid, rotting smell of… decay.

Once, when my family went on a road trip, our car hit a stray animal crossing the highway. It was unfortunate for both the critter and my father's bank account. We'd pulled over for an emergency stop because the thing was lodged into the fender. When I got out…

It was the same.

„W-what…" I was breathless, sweat dripping down my chin, „h-huh? W-wh…"

I was wrong. It wasn't a deep red or a darkened purple. And those weren't white spots. It wasn't nickel, copper, tin, or any other element.

„N-no…"

I was double-wrong. It was a metal. One that oxidized all the time, that carried a deadly disease if cut by. It was an essential mineral in the human circulatory system, one that without caused anemia.

It wasn't the art club's project.

It was a corpse. But there was nothing left.

My heart dropped, my chest struggled to expand. There was nothing left. Just blood. Old blood. It had darkened, therefore, I was late to the cannibal's afterparty.

„O-oh god…" I took a step back, the door partially held open by my left foot. I squinted at the white dots, trying to decipher what…

They were wool patches. They were soaked in the dye, torn off the skin of the animal, utterly inhumane. The iron scent, the fractured wall, the broken doors, the demented scarlet pool. It all made sense.

Someone was murdered. In this auditorium. In this very school. No air left my lungs. The academy that was supposed to be the best of the best, the safest place for me… wasn't.

On the other side of the space, the corresponding doors cracked open.

What if they were still here? What if that scream was to lure me? What if I was next? My heart accelerated like a rocket. My breath dominated my hearing, my feet were already on the move.

I didn't take my chances. I fucking run.

„Fuckfuckfuckfuck…"

I blinked the tears away, going from zero to a hundred like never before. My muscles burned brighter than a neutron star, I nearly lost my footing when I rounded the corner I'd come from. My chest began to ache. But I didn't let it slow me down. They could be on my heels and I wouldn't know it. No, it, it was a monster. My mind had gone wild. The only thing was escape, everything else… was gone.

Just like the body.

I sobbed between sharp exhales, the image scorched into my memory. A million questions, doubt beyond doubt, and regret. My rapid steps were the sole sound in the school, that I caught, anyhow. My vision had tunneled faster than a hunted mole, nightmares dreamt by Lovecraft within grasp of me.

„NO! RAAAAAA!" I put my whole body into the motion, my arms swinging with opposite legs. The tips of my feet pushed me onward, I realized the source of the adrenaline; primal fear. The fear of being eaten by a predator, a loose killer that could be anywhere, anyone, anybody-

In the corner of my eye, I saw a brown, fluffy tail vanish behind a corner. I sprinted the other way. Where was everyone?! The rational part imploded, running wasn't enough, I was growing tired…

I had to hide.

Zooming by stairs, I slammed my foot at an angle, my momentum threw me off. Luckily, I swiftly regained my balance before ascending two at a time, three in the second half. Once I was at the second floor, I resumed culling my inner Congolese hunter. I had one place in mind, a safe room I could vanguard with my life; the math class.

Three minutes later, I slammed the puny door, pushing the teacher's swivel chair in front.

„No! Stupid!" I reprimanded myself, throwing the good chair aside, its wheels never leaving the floor. I then grabbed the first wooden seat in sight and jammed it proper. But it wasn't enough. Like water through rock, I went to the back of the class to obtain a broomstick to really get the door stuck. With the long rod between the handle and that thing that automatically shuts the door, there was no way inside. A pang of relief.

Unless they used brute force, the same for that butchered soul.

I snapped to the windows, a quiet wailing barely registered. Moments later, I recognized it; police sirens. They had guns, rocks won scissors, bullet won melee. I had to hold out, just a little longer.

From the back of the class, I shut the blinds for every window. One by one, the room dimmed to a level a herbivore would struggle to see. I wasn't one of them. My eyes adjusted to the lack of lumination, the main focus on the door. In addition, I reinforced my defenses with two more chairs.

Dusting my hands, I sighed, having secured myself… in a dead end.

„N-no biggie, I'll wait…" I gulped, my throat dry and coarse, there was a cooler outside but that wasn't exactly plausible. They could be out there… right now.

I shuffled away from the door, my body never turning away. When my back hit the wall, I slid down, brought my knees to my chest, and waited. The sirens kept crying, though no shots went off which was good… maybe.

As the adrenaline wore off, that gave me the opportunity to reflect on what just happened.

Someone was fucking murdered in the school. I didn't open my mouth, breathe and nothing more. I wasn't hallucinating. That was real blood, in a real auditorium, and a real person lost their life in the night. To be eaten… I could only hope it was quick and painless.

Shame started welling up within me. Why did I run like a coward? The right thing would've been to call the authorities and remain calm. Instead, I panicked. I thought I…

I wasn't thinking. I just did.

The visuals didn't disturb me. Well, they did, but not as much. Video games and the deep web change a man. I've watched a few gore videos back in the day, played some adult games when I was a pre-teen. In fact, there wasn't much to see in the first place; the killer swallowed them whole or got rid of what could be a key in a future investigation.

It was the smell. I shivered, hugging myself tighter, the warmth leaving my chest. It was terrible, I refused to recall it, it was too much.

Therefore, I wasn't at fault for… for reacting how I did. The school wasn't safe, there was a maniac on the loose and I…

I was a human. The only one in the whole world. An exotic treat. A once in a lifetime deal like no other.

I was appalled by that thought and how true it was. But the rational part revived itself and assured me, „I-I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm safe, safe, safe… safe…" I took a deep breath, my heart rate gradually fell, though the unease was here for the long ride.

„Damn it… why did it have to be a Monday-"

Four knocks on the door. Four, heavy hits against solid wood. My heart skipped a beat, my breath hitched, and my mind went into overdrive. I said nothing. When I saw the gigantic silhouette behind the dirtied glass, I blocked my air passage, unblinking.

I wasn't here. I was gone. You don't know I am here. Leave. You have no reason to be here. Why did they do that? Are they crazy? I was sweating bullets, my legs were shaking, tears began forming due to the extended staring.

What was happening? Was any of this ever real? It didn't feel so. This was a fever dream, Miss Hajime's passing had affected me more than I believed, this was my subconscious' way of punishing me. Any moment, I'd wake up with stained sheets. Yellow, stinky stains.

After receiving no answer, the knocks that followed made me scream.

With my cover ruined by my bitchassness, I shouted, „Fuck off stupid cunt! I'll…" Realizing I was using the wrong language, I switched, "Fuck you! I have a spear, bitch!"

They giggled, they fucking giggled and violated the handle, trying to unlock the door. By their tone, I assumed it was a male. Thus, I attacked, "I'll shove this spear into your G-spot, faggot! Loser!" I made an ugly face, locking my jaw in order to control my clattering teeth.

Uncaring of my provocation, I heard a guttural growl, claws scraping against the outer fibers. That was when my situation hit me like a semi-truck.

The killer was outside. They had followed me. They had me cornered. If they were confident enough to track me, no one has found them. But it wouldn't be forever, the authorities were on their way! I just had to hold out and-

CRACK!

I screamed like a little girl, jumping to my feet and running over to the nearest window. Zipping up the blinds, I slid the window open, leaning over the sill and holy shit that was high! Five meters onto paved concrete. Glancing back, I gaped in horror at the demonic splint in the broom's grain. Another couple of kicks and they would get in.

This wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare! I was panicking again but I didn't care anymore! None of this made sense! I was losing my mind!

„Not too bad… not too bad…" A broken leg? Permanent damage to the knee? Fuck yeah! Anything but a brutal death! If this was a lucid purgatory, expiring meant awakening. That was the key! I had to scare myself awake!

Sucking in air, I began lifting one leg over, all the while never averting my vision from the door. Another growl, like a programmed enemy, another kick would come at any moment and…

It never did. They went silent. A few sniffs followed by footfall. Away. Just like that, they were gone.

Frozen as a statue, I lowered my foot onto the floor, my heart pounding once again. I released my tensed joints, nearly collapsing as I supported my weight with my elbows on the windowsill.

They ran away, „Hah… hah… ha…" I won the lottery. I didn't need to resort to a daring escape.

Laughing it up, I fell to the floor. Raising my shaking hands, I covered my face, my fingers masking my eyes, and cried. In the end, after escaping like a headless chicken and partially processing everything, I broke.

The school was dangerous. Amplified by the opened window, the sirens continued wailing, grieving the loss of the unknown student. My armpits were soaked, my legs were tired, and my throat tightened. The pathetic sobs I produced were inaudible, like a kid who got the belt treatment and couldn't release the steam because the walls in the house were paper-thin.

If I wasn't fast enough, I would've died too.

I curled up on the floor, facing the wall beneath the window. I drew a blank. I couldn't think anymore. I just wanted to shut my eyes and sleep. After scraping my leg against the sill, I discovered that this reality was no fantasy.

I nearly fucking died. I wanted to go home.

Three soft knocks. The last straw.

"GO AWAY! MONSTER!" I wheezed, gripping my head like a cracked watermelon.

"J-johnny? It's me!" The handle was used, budging nothing. "Open the door! Please!"

For a moment, the weight disappeared. But then the crane snapped and came crashing down.

She was a carnivore, hissed paranoia. And she was no ordinary one at that; a gray wolf, a great wolf. She had the tools, the willpower, the knowledge. If she wanted, she could break into the classroom and finish the job.

What? What was that? She? Hurt me? What was I thinking?!

Struggling to get up, I twisted a patch of loose skin on my arm, suppressing sound. "C-coming," I said, my right hand twitching as I returned to the makeshift blockade. Removing the trio seats, the third carelessly tipped back and hit the floor with a jolting thud. I then weakly grabbed the broom and pulled. It became two with a fairy's touch.

Once the pieces were discarded as well, she tested the handle and successfully unlocked the door. It swung inward, revealing my best friend clad in a clean uniform, the polar opposite to my sore, sorry state. But just as I looked at her, she looked at me.

Gasping, she took a step back, likely repulsed by my reddened eyes and stained cheeks. I averted my empty soul, mumbling an apology when a force struck me. My heart was utterly beaten, having exhausted its supply of superdrugs.

However, there was no need for them. Juno was simply embracing me, though I couldn't do the same.

"What happened?" She whispered, her voice so pained.

"A…" I chuckled, "Mondays, y-you know?"

Lightly squeezing me, she led me out of the classroom by a shoulder to a cooler. I nodded in appreciation, furthermore when she activated the arc of water so both of my hands were free to freshen up. The coolness hitting me helped a bunch, plus the back rubs.

And there I thought she was one of them.

"J-juno," I wiped my forehead, "I-I'm sorry…"

"What for? Johnny, please, tell me what happened. Why did you hole yourself up? And the scratches on the door…" Her thumb separated from the button, the stream of icy liquid ceasing. I dried myself with the sleeve of my jacket, swallowing a hard pill.

Taking a deep breath, I told her everything. From the mysterious scream, the auditorium, the morbid scene, the chase, and… how I was willing to jump out of a window. I didn't include the mental breakdown.

"That's terrible!" The sympathetic wolf pointed out the obvious, inspecting my person from every angle, "Are you hurt? Did…"

"N-no. I told you, I was faster."

She sighed, "Still…" an idea widened her eyes, "there are police officers outside, we have to tell them!" Grabbing my hand, she started.

For the first time in our friendship, I didn't allow her to take the lead. She instantly noticed my resistance, glancing back inquisitively.

"No…"

"What?"

"No," I repeated louder.

"W-what?" She did as well, bewitched by my objection, "Why would you want that?!"

"I-"

"By all definitions, you were attacked! If the academy knows of this incident, the killer will definitely be caught!" She tugged my arm, momentarily ruining my fragile balance. "Come on, let's go!"

"Y-you don't understand!"

"What is there to understand? That you don't want to get involved in drama? Johnny-kun, this is serious!"

"I KNOW!" Breaking free of her grasp, I immediately regretted the tone I used, her hurt expression…

"Juno…" I began, "If the academy discovers this, do you know what will happen?"

"That bastard will be caught!"

"Besides that?" Receiving no reply, I dropped a bomb, "I will be… extracted."

"...What?"

Mentally slapping myself, I reiterated, "I will… no longer be able to attend the school."

"And why is that? It's not your fault that psycho smelled your… y-you… delicious s-scent…~" She muttered something near the end.

"You're right. But it doesn't change the fact this environment is no longer safe for me. Juno," I approached her, holding out a hand, "I had to fight tooth and nail to enlist into Cherryton. If word gets out about this…"

"...You'll be gone."

"E… exactly," I wouldn't have used that string of words but she got the gist.

She went quiet, mulling over what I just told her. The final conviction was a no-brainer.

"I… will say nothing," though she was still conflicted, I knew she'd miss me too, "but… I want something in exchange." A bargain? Not an hour after I nearly perished? Clever girl. That was the Juno I knew and loved.

"Shoot."

Stepping into my personal space, she whispered her request for some reason. I was surprised it was so… mild. Nay, innocent. It was the furthest thing from a prank or a dare.

"Alright… how about next week?"

"Bet!"

Alas, we walked away from the abandoned shelter and a few issues dawned on me.

"What about the door?"

"My lips are sealed," she gestured a zipper over mouth.

"Okay, okay… is there another exit?"

"You don't want to be seen?"

"Of course… not!"

"Then we have your excuse; we got here earlier than them," she was right, and that was no lie.

With my worries settled, we descended onto the first floor. Although luck wasn't on my side today, her arrival might have actually been the reason the killer left. One witness was all it'd take to capture them. Were there any? I hoped so. Who could it be? I shook my head clear of those creeping questions.

Juno…

I dreaded imagining what would have happened if she was late by a single minute. I wanted to thank her, from the bottom of my heart, maybe even kiss her on the cheek Dutch style.

But now wasn't the time nor the place. So, I shelved that promise for the deal, the cherry on top.

At a different exit, we were met by a pair of cops and no students. They were baffled to see me of all people, and we explained our little story. Perhaps it was my prestige that sealed it, or the autograph I granted the silverback gorilla; they let us pass without complications.

"Wait, what about study? Wasn't there a history test?" That was my last concern, unsurprising.

"They canceled the day…" Juno stated what should've been obvious to me, their system was truly better than mine.

"Ah, I see."

As we distanced ourselves from the main building towards the clubhouses, I looked back to where I'd first entered. A police cruiser was parked at the dirt road intersection, another pair or more of the guys in blue denied access to the interior. For whom? A hundred or so gathered students.

Foolish. They should go back to their dorms and be content with a day off.

„Man… what a fuckin' day…" I scratched my back, my hand snuck around to my pocket, pulling out my phone. When I unlocked the screen with a swipe, I was assaulted by three digits worth of notifications.

"Whaaat?"

"What is it?" Juno asked.

"Ooooh, I forgot to unmute, oops," reinstating the function, I whistled at the sheer scale of messages within the recent hour.

Gon the principal, members of both of the clubs I partook in, random acquaintances, my precious Juno, Miya, everyone who knew about this mess bothered to check on me. I was somewhat flattered. And the messages just kept trickling in!

Miya…

Dialing her number, I put the phone next to my ear, the path changing to the nearest bench. Being so near me, Juno would likely hear the harpy eagle as well. I didn't mind. I wanted to shower. I didn't have to wait more than two seconds for my doctor to answer.

"JOHNATHAN!" She screeched into my ear, popping the snail.

"H-hey, I-"

"Why didn't you pick up?! I called you eight times and I was so worried that…" she went on a rant about being available at ninety five percent of the day and minimally messaging her. I completely understood her, but I was nervous about something else.

"Everything is fine! I'm fine, I wasn't in the school when… it happened."

"Thank goodness… Are you by yourself?" She asked out of nowhere, though I had a bad feeling I actually knew.

"Y…" I glimpsed Juno from the corner of my eye, both her ears attentive, "yes."

"You cannot remain in the academy."

"..."

"After this-"

"Miya, listen, I-"

"No, don't cut me off, you can't stay there, it's too dangerous."

"It isn't! It was just a fluke, a-and-"

"A student was Murdered, with a capital M. Are you hearing yourself? Johnny, even if the criminal is caught, what prevents another incident from occurring? You have to be sensible… I'm sending a truck-"

"No," I defied her, my free hand jittering.

"...What?"

"I want to- to stay. Here."

"..."

"Miya?"

"..."

"M-miya? Hello?"

"I am very busy at the moment… We will discuss the matter this weekend. Good day." Then, she hung up.

That was when I realized I might, might, miiiight have royally fucked up.

"Who was that?" Juno asked, her canid lips pursed.

"My…" she could keep a secret, "psychologist. She's being hysterical, that's all."

"I… okay," she resigned, deep in thought. "Though…"

"Though?"

"She's not wrong."

My eyes widened, "Y-you agree with her?"

"No, I don't want you to go," she gazed elsewhere, "but it is dangerous. You know that too, don't you?"

"..."

"But…" she scooted closer, her hand landing over mine, "I can protect you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely," Her eyes sparkled, a fire igniting, "With me by your side, no one will dare anything. I practically know everyone too!"

"You… you'd go that far for me?"

She smiled, "Is that rhetorical?"

"Okay," despite everything, I cracked a grin, elated at the development.

"But!" She paused, "We have to keep this a secret. If the killer knows of our relation…"

"Oh, yes, totally."

"I'm glad we're on the same page…" she relaxed, "...mostly…"

"Well, thank you… for everything," I got up, "I'll go to my room, might as well catch up on homework and stuff."

"Alright. Will there be a stream?"

"...No," I revealed, disappointing myself, "after today…"

"Yeah…" she crossed her arms, tucking her tail against her thigh, "See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yup. Bye," I waved.

"Bye…"

Walking away, the main topic on my mind was the displeased harpy. What was done, was done, and I could only hope to mitigate the looming meeting.

Damn it all. Just… damn it.

I really wasn't looking forward to Miya. I was so discontent, what a shitty day. Under three hours, everything's gone to the sewer, and no ninja turtles were there to greet me with pizza. A cold shower should help chamfer the edge.

I'd give it a month to blow over. Things would go back to normal. They always did.