That night, I had a dream.
I was running.
There was no moon nor a single trace of light, but I kept running. Somehow, I knew the path in front of me was clear, like I was running down an inky black road to somewhere. My form was a little smaller, and I was dressed in my old middle school's uniform of a simple polo, tracksuit, and sweats.
Haff, haff, haff…
My breath became laboured as I began to grow tired. My footsteps seemed to echo around me in circles as distorted and disembodied voices swam through the night.
「 'Disgusting. How do you expect us to feel at ease around you?' 」
「 'Stay away from my d■ughter. She won't be tainted by someone like you.' 」
「 'I'm reporting you to the school board. They shouldn't allow someone like… you to be here.' 」
「 'Fre■k.' 」
「 '■■—' 」
I kept running.
My head felt like it was going to explode as my choker squeezed my neck and my lungs burned. My hair plastered to the back of my neck and forehead with sweat. My damp polo clung to my skin, hot and sticky. I desperately wanted to claw it off. I was crying, hot tears bursting from the seams of my eyes, blurring the black road beneath my feet.
"Jiejie, what's worrying you?" Suddenly, a warm presence wrapped itself around my shoulders. I stumbled.
It felt familiar, somehow.
I turned my head.
A strange fox had wrapped itself around my shoulder. Its deep, red eyes stared at me with quiet concern while its magnificent midnight fur shimmered like water beneath invisible light. Nine pale-white wispy tails unfurled and curled around it.
My breath caught.
Before I could answer the question, the fox's cherry-red eyes glanced around us into the inky-blackness of the night. It paused, as if it were noticing the voices jeering at me.
"Oh, I see."
The fox's nine tails flickered, licks of blue flame blossoming at their tips as it snarled into the inky blackness.
"Begone."
The fire burst outwards. With a wash of white light, everything was gone, and I jolted awake, lying face down on my desk.
"..." I sharply sucked in a breath. My digital clock blearily blinked 0500.
Why had I woken up so early?
I glanced around, rubbing my eyes. My exercise book lay open in front of me, unfinished. Dirty grey eraser shavings were littered across its pages, and my mechanical pencil rested on the spine.
Did I fall asleep studying?
Yue had come to my room.
...Hadn't she?
The memory slipped away whenever I reached for it, like I was trying to hold water with my bare hands. Someone had draped a blanket around my shoulders. Maybe I'd ask Yue later.
"..."
I tugged the blanket closer as I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged my legs. It was still dark outside, though I could hear some chatter mixed with the scurrying of cars rolling down the road. I guess some parents and workers had already begun their commute to the city.
Absent-mindedly, I brushed my fingers against my neck. My skin felt strangely warm beneath the choker.
…Was it always this tight?
No, it was the same length as usual…
…I was overthinking things. I buried my head into my knees.
Cold.
I shivered.
So cold…
- - -
{Yue's POV}
The next morning, Yue knocked on Yunhua's door and heard a muffled, dull "Mmmmrphhhhwhatisit" from inside. Yunhua's blazer was draped over her arm.
"It's time for school, Yunhua. We need to get moving or we'll miss the bus," Yue said softly. "I'll be waiting downstairs. Your muqin already made breakfast," she added.
Yue was about to start back down the stairs before Yunhua's door snapped open and Yunhua stepped outside into the hallway. The girl wasn't even breathless, Yue noted. Had she been up for a long time? Yunhua wore her school uniform shirt, which had a couple of wrinkles. Her thin, fragile fingers worked quickly as she slipped her tie into a solid knot, sloppily slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"Ready," Yunhua said. Her eyes seemed bleary, and the soft, black bags under her eyes still persisted. Notably, there was a red mark on her cheek.
I thought I laid her comfortably on her desk… did I place her weirdly?
Yue pushed Yunhua's blazer into the girl's arms. The fabric was still fuzzily warm from the dryer. "I was going to wash it at home, but your muqin let me borrow your dryer."
Yunhua stared for a while before quickly slipping it on. Noticeably, it was free of any orange soda stains.
"…" her lips moved, but no words came out.
"Sorry?" Yue asked.
"You really didn't have to…" Yunhua mumbled softly.
"…Yes, I did," Yue smiled teasingly. "Come on. The food's getting cold."
Yunhua's muqin had left some dumplings for them in the pot along with a note for them to eat well and have a good day at school—she'd left earlier for work today. The duo scarfed down the meal, brushed their teeth, and quickly started out the door towards the bus stop, scrambling on just in time. Luckily, the bus wasn't too crowded, so they managed to grab seats next to each other.
As soon as they sat down, a wide yawn stretched from Yunhua's mouth. The girl quickly covered her mouth, red blooming around her ears. "Sorry," she gasped, dropping her gaze to her lap.
"It's okay," Yue smiled. "Did you not sleep well?"
"Y-Yes… I had a weird dream."
…I'm sure you did. Yue thought to herself. I also know that I was in it.
"Do you remember last night?"
"Not really." Yunhua frowned.
Good. It was better that way. Yue had a feeling that Yunhua would apologize profoundly for what she'd said.
"Not much happened. By the time I came in, you were already asleep," Yue lied. "You look tired. Take a nap." There was something strange in the way she said it, like the words were laced with some subtle quality that Yunhua couldn't perceive.
"Mhmn…"
Slowly as if under a spell, Yunhua's eyes began to droop and she fell sideways, her head gently landing on Yue's shoulder.
Yue jolted initially, her instincts telling her to gouge out this human's internal organs for the sheer audacity.
She held back.
…It looked like the tether had taken root.
Sunlight pooled through the bus windows, tracing the gentle rise and fall of Yunhua's sleeping face.
Seeing Yunhua's face so close to her on her shoulder, Yue's heart began to seize in that weird way from before, pulling through her chest towards the strange girl. Eventually, her pulse steadied.
…Yue wasn't sure what it was, but… the look on the girl's face was surprisingly…
"Cute. Is that the word for it?" Yue whispered softly. Humans used that word, right? It referred to small things that stirred an irrational desire to like and protect them. "Like a newborn fawn."
Suddenly, the sunlight vanished as a couple of forms appeared in front of her. "Hey, Prez. I warned you not to get close to that girl, didn't I?"
Yue glared upwards. The girls were all wearing medical masks, but she could clearly figure out from the ponytail that it was Lisha and her clique. Besides, their scents gave them away easily.
Yue slowly lifted her cherry-red eyes and narrowed them, her fingers twitching. If she were in her other form, she'd have bared her teeth.
"...And I told you not to touch her," Yue smiled coldly. "But you did."