When an Aloof Fox Surrendered Its Heart (Part 1)

Shiro was overwhelmed with the feelings of warmth transmitted through its connection with Hana. It now understood the genuine adoration its mistress felt towards it. It was even laced with care, concern and love.

How was this possible? They had just met! It even attacked Hana upon meeting her for the first time. It was the first time it felt wanted and loved like this. Life on the run was harsh. It had been constantly attacked before it finally managed to get away from its pursuers.

Unknowingly, it closed its eyes to savor Hana's touch and connection. Her presence felt like the warm sun on a frozen solid ice field.

[Ahh...this was what it felt like to be loved.]

It now understood why the snake felt bitter with Hana's infatuation towards it. Kuro had worked hard for it, whereas Shiro received it before it even did anything for Hana. It felt grateful its mommy didn't throw it away and patiently waited for it. It would've missed out on the best thing in its life.

What it didn't know was Hana's infatuation for it was mostly due to her extreme obsession towards a wide range of animals (especially furry ones) and their corresponding fluffy plushie images. She had a natural inclination towards these things since she was a toddler. Although she liked them, her strict mother had prohibited her from indulging herself. This didn't stop her at all. Years of suppression only resulted in a dam being broken once she fell into the embrace of her loving hubby. He doted her with lots of live animals and plushies. The ones they can't afford to own, he brought her to see them in zoos, safaris and aquariums.

Hence, this beautiful misunderstanding had led them connecting at a spiritual level. Such a sweet and naive fox. You've been had 😊!

...

Shiro let go of Hana's hand while feeling a little guilty. The process wasn't supposed to be painful, but it realized its mistress was exceedingly weak. It could perceive Hana's feeling of pain and understanding at the same time.

Kuro dashed over in the blink of an eye before Hana could even inspect her own finger. It moved towards the puncture, coiled around the familiar hand, and licked it with its forked tongue. The tiny nip was gone just like that.

When Kuro jumped down from Hana's hand, she finally checked her finger herself.

[So weird. I think my finger was injured just now. It is a bit painful. Is it my imagination?] She pondered while flexing all of her fingers one by one. She could see a faint scar on her finger, but that was from cutting bamboos, right? She was not really sure.

[Nevermind. Even if it's injured a little, its nothing.] Hana shrugged. The defenseless aunty had forgotten that she thought Shiro was poisoned from the purplish colored blood it had on its injury during their initial encounter. If she remembered, she would've panicked from the bite.

"Okay guys, I'm going to be a bit busy. Do whatever you want to do okay. I want to finish up something. If you want to go for a walk outside also no problem." She grinned. This time, she saw both of her pets nodded!

Hana was speechless! Why can Shiro understand her now and not before? Is it from the bite before?

It suspiciously reminded Hana of scenes in webnovels when the MCs established ownership through 'accidental' blood dripping on a certain artifact before they turned OP (1). The events were too many to count until it became mainstream. She was not stupid. She had a pretty keen observation. Only when the conditions totally eclipsed her understanding then she would be slightly dense. Kuro understood her well since from the beginning. It bit her before too. However, Shiro's bite didn't make her bleed, it was shallow.

[Maybe it's not the blood, but the bite? She pondered incredulously. If it was so, then it's too easy!]

"Ahhh! I'm being childish again! Don't think so much-lah! It's not important! It's good both kids understand." She knocked her own head while scolding herself. If Arash knew, he would say she was being childish again.

If it was true, she would've befriended a mighty number of insects, mosquitos and ants! That thought sent shivers down Hana's spine. She hated insects! Just like all city dwellers. Well, the butterflies are exceptions. They were too pretty to be ignored. Oh, and ladybugs too.

[I've strayed too far again.] She shrugged helplessly.

The jolly aunty didn't realize she had not been bitten severely by insects since day one. With the humid conditions of her surroundings and cave-dwelling, she should've been a feast for the mosquitos. It was all thanks to her loving Kuro, who carefully watching over the clueless aunty day in and day out.

Slightly feeling unhappy with herself, she walked towards her bamboo poles. She had dragged several of them that afternoon. It was the leftover from the single 'grandpa bamboo' she industriously scored yesterday evening. Thank god she didn't cut them into short segments. If not, she would need to go out again to get more bamboo. She didn't mind if only she could just drop by a hardware store and buy it. However, the reality was painful as she needed to cut the bamboo herself! So sorry, that won't do!

"One..two..three..four..five.. This is not enough!" Hana nearly cried again.

Arash had improved by suggesting a few key points to re-enforce the filter rack to be sturdier. Besides that, he also recommended to extend the shelf a little to place other things. According to the schematic diagram she sketched on her notepad following Arash's improvements, she needed at least six bamboo poles of the same size and length as the base. She only had five! Besides that, she still needed a bit more for the horizontal shelving and layering.

She sat down on the cave floor while propping up both knees like a frog, not knowing what to do.

The sensitive childish Hana felt like crying again. She beat her head with both arms in anguish repeatedly. She placed her head on her propped up knees while thinking, should she just abandon Arash's suggestion and make the filter rack as is?

She felt something soft on her right and something cold on her left.

Startled, she immediately raised her face from her knees. Both Kuro and Shiro sat beside her and leaned their bodies to her. Their eyes shone with concern. Hana didn't understand how she could feel that the kids were trying to soothe her anguish heart. They even know she liked body contact.

Hana melted inside. While wiping her tears and snot away, she complained in front of her pets, saying how irresponsible Arash was for making her work harder. It was really hard to cut bamboo you know! He should've proposed a simpler plan!

Back at the Nasi Kandar restaurant, Arash suddenly sneezed after he got his plate of mee goreng mamak (2). The spicy fried noodle was nearly thrown out of his hands! The annei passing the noodle got a huge shock. Damn it was a really loud one!

[Did Hana missed me, or trash talked me behind my back?] He wondered.

Returning to our MC over here, she was hesitating should she go out to get some more bamboos or wait until tomorrow. She knew Arash always think for her own good. It was truly a bit unsightly to leave all those stuff on the dirty cave floor. If she could, she would've tiled the whole cave floor, or at least cemented it. Where does all the contractors went when you desperately need one?

"Arghhhh! So lazy!" She shouted abruptly while making both of her pets fall off from surprise with her sudden outburst.

[Sigh. I'll continue tomorrow then.] Her lazybone syndrome started to kick in again. She took lethargic steps towards her favorite spot and considered lazing around in idleness.

She didn't realize, her two pets were gone like the wind as soon as she moved away from them.

…

Author's Note:

(1) OP = over-powered, as a reminder

(2) Mee goreng mamak = fried noodle, mamak-style