Chapter 29

"A dog? "

Nozomi just walked into her house and met a dog in the kitchen. The dog was too distracted by whatever food was laid out for her to notice Nozomi enter. The dog was an obvious street dog. The way it ate let Nozomi know it had no food for days on end. It's body betrayed that fact as well, for her ribs could be seen. She expected the bald spots she had located

Why was there a dog in the house?

She didn't believe Kuriko brought back a dog. That was so unlike her. But it could be no one else. By some miracle Nemuri was not at her house. Neither were her sisters. Haru was with his father for the day and would not be back until tomorrow. That left Kuriko.

Just as she thought that the girl came down the stairs. She was eating ice cream and seemed to be ignoring the blonde who followed after her. Himiko was soaking wet but didn't seem to mind.

"Hello Ms. Sano" the blonde greeted with a smile.

"Hello Toga, I didn't know you would be spending another night"

Himiko only smiled in reply while Kuriko looked even more annoyed. The silent girl walked into the kitchen and looked through fridge. She located more food and refilled the bowl she had given her stray dog. She stood there, watching her eat it up, before looking for more leftovers.

Himiko found another bowl and filled it with water for the dog.

"Did you bring home this dog ? "

Kuriko nodded with a shrug.

"She was being bullied and she's pregnant " Himiko informed.

When Himiko spoke, Kuriko seemed to suddenly remember something. The boys. She didn't care enough about them and forgot to heal them. She could care less if they died. They were none of her concern. She thought about it for some time. They will all die eventually, so they won't cause her any trouble. She doubt anyone would link them to Himiko anyway. She shrugged and continued to eat her ice cream. They were bullying a poor dog. They most likely bullied kids in their school. They shall not be missed.

Well their mothers will miss them.

She thought about that for a while and again shrugged .

They'd get over it.

"I didn't think you would even bring a dog home, Kuriko" Nozomi said with a smile. "I don't mind though"

It was all Himiko's fault. She would have ignored the dog if the blonde didn't see the need to alert her. Now she had a pregnant dog.

Himiko was humming a happy tune as she walked back up the stairs. She was soaked after giving the dog a thorough bath. Now their stray smelled very good and was sure to be rid of any parasites she had living off her.

Kuriko stayed in the living room as Himiko went back to her room. She had already changed. She had no interest in bathing the dog and let Himiko do as she pleased. The silent girl sat crossedlegged on the floor and ate her ice cream. Every now and again she would glance at the dog they had rescued.

"So, do you have a name for your rescue? " Nozomi asked as she tugged on her tie. She was very pleased today. The dog was not the healthiest creature, but she didn't mind. What she was so pleased about was the fact that Kuriko rescued the creature. She could only imagine what the poor thing had to go through. She personally loved dogs. They were very loyal and friendly. They are great companions.

Kuriko had shrugged to the question. She had no name for the dog. She didn't even actually want to keep it. She just brought it back to help it out a bit. She would feed it and bring it to the pound or something. She had no need for a dog.

"Kuriko, you are not getting rid of this dog. No one will want her she'll end up in worse situations and she's pregnant " Nozomi scolded the girl, having easily read her. In response Kuriko glanced at the dog. She didn't seem very interested as she stared at the creature. It seems she really doesn't want the dog.

"Why did you take the dog in the first place? "

She pitied the animal. Some part of her felt bad for what the poor creature had to go through. So without thinking it through she just took the dog.

"Impulsive of you" Nozomi said with raised eyebrow.

Kuriko shrugged and eyed the dog again. With a silent sigh she started to sign. If they were keeping the dog they would have to supply themselves with everything a dog would need. Plus they would need to take the sickly creature to the vet for checkups.

"That's the spirit" Nozomi chuckled and ruffled Kuriko's hair. "I'll go freshen up"

Nozomi left for her room and Kuriko was left alone. She frowned. Himiko was left alone. She climbed out of the sofa, not trusting the girl alone. With one last glance at the sickly dog she headed up the stairs. She stopped halfway up, wondering if it was such a good idea to leave the dog unsupervised. She stared up the stairs before lookin down. She twisted, placing her hands in her pockets and headed for the kitchen.

The dog looked up at her upon her approach. The animal was still apprehensive but less so, seeing as Kuriko was feeding her. The two ended up staring at each other for a long moment. Each seemed to be judging the other in some form. Kuriko was trying to decide what use a dog would be to her. The dog was most likely trying to decide whether or not to trust the girl.

The dog did not need to see the vet. Kuriko could easily heal the animal with a touch. She just preferred not to, seeing as she had no use for a dog. What's the point of that? The dog would do her no good, why should she help the creature anymore than she already had?

Despite those thoughts she still placed a gloved hand on its head. She still activated her quirk. She still healed the creature. All the bald spots. Whatever sickness it carried. Any pain it felt. Any broken bones. She healed up the pregnant dog and continued to stare into those black eyes.

Out of nowhere the dog licked her face. Kuriko was frozen on the apot. She still had her eyes on the dog but didn't react. It was as if she didn't know how to.

At some point she sat up, still staring at the dog. That's disgusting. She wiped her cheek. Toga may have given the animal a very intensive bath and Kuriko herself may have rid it of any germs she feared it had, but it was still disgusting. The dog was eating all kinds of food she laid out for it. It didn't have the best of smells.

With multiple curses being mouthed Kuriko washed her face and left the kitchen, ignoring the happy looking dog. It started to follow, but she glared at the creature. The brown dog stopped immediately and sat down. She was surprisingly well behaved for a stray.

Kuriko turned away from the animal and continued her walk, but was frustrated when the dog continued to follow her.

Why?

Shouldn't the dog be resting or something? It was pregnant. Kuriko guessed a month. Dogs go through a two month pregnancy. This dog was halfway through it. It was a miracle her offsprings still lived within her. Kuriko was capable of determining such things. She wasn't very happy to find that there were five on the way. What was she supposed to do with the things? The only reason she would be accepting the dog was because Nozomi seemed to like the idea.

This is why she always thinks things through. If she had thought of all of this, she wouldn't be in her current situation. But no, she had to bring the dog back to help it out a little.

What good was that?

Now she healed the dog and it was following her. She wasn't looking for a companion.

The door to the house suddenly opened . Kuriko wasn't very surprised to see Natsumi and Noriko.

Noriko zeroed in on the pregnant animal and was immediately beside it. The dog made distance between them, which Noriko respected. She eyed the dog, inspecting it.

"Why is there a dog here? "Natsumi asked. "I didn't think you were the type, Kuriko"

She wasn't and they knew that. She told the annoying story, refusing to look at the dog that was now attached.

"Oh" Noriko smiled. "You didn't think it through, did you? "

"How very unlike you" Natsumi chuckled.

Kuriko still blamed Himiko. She's to blame for everything.

"Did you heal her? " Noriko asked, having gotten close to the dog. She gently ran her hand down the animal's back, soothing it.

Kuriko had nodded to the question

"She's pregnant" Natsumi observed. "What a hero, you saved a pregnant doggo"

"Are you keeping her? "

Sadly.

"Don't look so annoyed. Dogs are really fun to have around. Dogs are probably more loyal than humans" Natsumi said.

"They are" Noriko smiled as she gently probed the dog's mouth. Noriko was a doctor through and through. She tries to help anyone and anything. And she actually can.

"Just like you to quickly earn the trust of a stray dog" Natsumi said to her sister as she placed herself on the sofa and pulled out her documents. "Time to get to work"

Why is it that she comes over to work?

"Where are you going? "

Kuriko shrugged and continued her way up the stairs. Noriko could occupy the dog. She would go see what Himiko was up to. She really didn't like the thought of her being alone up there. Who knows what she could be up to. She better not have went into Kuriko's room.

She should just kick her out of her house. She didn't even invite her this time.

Stepping into the guestroom that Himiko was assigned to, Kuriko came face to face with a familair face. She raised an eyebrow as she took in the form of the girl. It was the same girl Himiko attacked earlier in the day. The brown hair and eyes. The same height. Same skin tone. Even the almost unnoticable birthmark on the girl's neck. Plus the uniform.

"What do you think? " Himiko asked with a big smile. The smile was a bit odd to see on another person, simply because she wasn't used to the bloodthirsty smile on anyone else.

This was one of the rare moments of Himiko receiving some sort of compliment from Kuriko. The transformation was perfect and of course Kuriko was curious. She knew a bit of the girl and she had a very useful quirk.

Kuriko retrieved a book from the bookshelf in the room. She hardly cared what the book was about. She just handed it to the transformed Himiko. Himiko was confused and looked to Kuriko for answers.

"She has photographic memory?" Himiko stared down at the book and flipped it open. She just eyed the first page before closing the book. "I think I can only transform"

Kuriko didn't seem very pleased with that answer. Her look of displeasure was short lived for she adopted her neutral expression again. She stepped towards Himiko and placed two fingers on her forehead. She had been wondering if she could force a quirk to awaken. She would be using Himiko as her test subject. She hardly used her quirks, but she did experiment here and there. She had theories that she would be putting into place. She had theorized, after an incident, that she could perhaps interfere what another's quirk. She looked at it as a clock. If she turned the hands back she would be returning the quirk to what it formerly was. If she did it long enough the quirk would be no more. So if she were ti push the hand forward, even just a little bit, she could turn the quirk into what it could be.

So she pushed the hands forward, but not by much.

She then stepped back and pointed to the book. Himiko had no idea what she did, but she didn't question it. She opened the book again and stared down at the random page she pulled up. She scanned it, taking in a few words before the book was taken from her and she was ordered to recite everything on that page.

She could picture the page and every word on it. That was interesting.

Kuriko seemed content with what she had done. A new discovery that will prove useful.

"What did you do?"

Kuriko shrugged and placed the book back amongst the others. She will be taking advantage of this quirk of hers. When she turned to face Himiko she was herself again.

She was naked.

Kuriko deduced that her clothes must overlap when she transform, so she removed her clothes. Logical enough.

"Can I wear one of your hoodies?

Kuriko shook her head no and smacked Himiko in the face with her own clothes. The blonde pouted in her displeasure but didn't say anything else. She took her time when it came to putting on her clothes.

"Hey Kuriko, why can't I turn into you? "

Kuriko shrugged. She didn't know and didn't really care. Its best Himiko not be capable of doing such a thing, seeing as she's just opened a new level to her. She's now capable of using one's quirk, so changing into her would give her access to the multitude of quirks she possessed.

As the two left the guestroom Himiko took an interest in Kuriko's hand. She tended to nibble on her fingers for reasons unknown and she was doing it again. Kuriko would have to constantly stop her, before she bit through her glove. She'll have to get a stronger glove. One Himiko's teeth cannot penetrate.

Kuriko came to a sudden stop at the staircase. Natsumi was downstairs. She hasn't personally met Himiko yet. The minute her eyes landed on her everything would be known. Kuriko glanced at the smiling blonde who was telling her about something she lost interest in.

Well, she could either let things happen and move on. Or she could interfere with her aunt's quirk.

Which would it be?