Chapter 119:

Luckily, it didn't take me long to find the open window or open door, this time to get into my room for the night.

"Finally, back, huh?" Kayda said when I walked into the room.

"Hmm, you here?" I said, confused, closing the door.

"Yeah, I want to see that curse of yours again. Just to make certain it doesn't change again." Kayda said, turning towards me on the bed.

"Oh, okay. Just let me shower, then I will be back."

"...okay, make it quick," Kayda said with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"don't think I miss that glint in your eye," I commented, walking into the bathroom.

"Tsk, it's not as you dislike it," Kayda said, pouted.

"... that... might be true," I muttered inaudibly.

'I still can't believe she has been peeking on me since I kissed her on her head at that lake. The worst part is I only realized this in the last 3 weeks, and I don't even mind. Fuck I haven't even peeked on her yet, and I was a guy before. We haven't even kissed yet.' I thought, frustrated and a bit flustered.

Slap.

"Calm down, you dumb fox," I said, rubbing my now sore cheeks.

Opening my eyes, I look at the mirror.

1,97 m tall, with blood-red hair cut short to 6 cm long with 1 cm of it being ice white. Even though the hair was unkept and spiky, you could still easily see the two fox ears sporting the same kind of hair. Going down, you can see two black eyes with red fox-shaped irises. These were joined with medium to small lips that were barely hiding the 2 canine teeth. 

As if that weren't scary enough of features, you could see two lines that looked like lightning fire coming down from both eyes towards the cheekbone. If you follow these lines downwards, you will know once they reach the base of the neck, they suddenly take a turn towards the shoulders. Halfway towards the shoulder, it takes another turn going towards the back. Again, just when it reaches the back, it turns again, but both lines turn towards each other and meet each other in the middle of the spine. Forming a black pool 3cm high and 6cm wide. In the middle on the bottom side, a tree-like shape starts growing out of the blob heading down words to the small but firm butt. 

Even though at first glance you would think it's an upside-down tree but on the second look, you will realize it is a thunderstorm tattoo with lightning shape lines and clouds around it, but if you look closely at the clouds again, you will see a fire raging about seemingly devouring light as its food.

"Sigh, I am not even pretty anymore and just a pure monster at this point," I said, sighing depressed. Grabbing my sports bra, I was about to pull it up when I heard the door to the bathroom opening.

"that's not true, and you know it," Kayda said, walking up to me.

"Hmm, not just going to peek today," I said, smirking at her.

"Hey, don't try and change the subject," Kayda said with a severe expression.

"What subject? You, peeking on me or me taking a shower." I said, tilting my head at her.

"..." all I got was a look of disapproval.

"Hmm, so about you peeking on me," I said, smiling again.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you talk to me about how you feel?"

"Dumb question," I said, looking at her like she was an idiot.

"So, you don't trust me."

"No, I do trust you, but this is way too personal for me to just tell you," I said, shaking my head.

"So, you don't trust me enough?"

"In a way, yes."

"But-"

"don't get me wrong, I know we are soul mates, but I have known you for like a month, almost two. And I don't even know what you said is true. Yes, I do like you. Yes, I do feel a connection. But I don't love you yet. Hell, things like love will still take me some time. My mother took 3 years to make me open up to her, and she was the only person other than some guards and servants I saw for all that time. No matter what you have been through, you will break someday. And I have been looking for such a connection for a long time." I said, adding the last part inaudible.

"I see what you mean, but I want to know how the current me with the current trust you have for me can help you," Kayda said, wrapping her arms around me.

"Hmm, that's a good question," I said, looking down at her petting her head.

"You can tell me, you know. I can hold my tongue if I feel like it." Kayda said with determination.

"That might be true, but stop feeling me up and get out. I need a shower like now." I said, pulling her off me.

"Ugh, it's not my fault, okay," Kayda whined, not stopping me from pushing her out.

"Yes, yes, you weirdo."

'I should have never kissed her on the forehead.' I thought while pushing Kayda out of the bathroom.

"Hey, you don't need to push like this."

"Shut it. Now go out. I need to think on my own."

"... can I stay and wait. In the room, of course."

"...yes, and don't bring out your wings for tonight, okay," I said after thinking it over.

"But."

"I won't complain if I were you, body pillow."

"Body pillow? Wait-" Kayda said, confused before realizing what I meant by it.

"Shoo and shut it," I said, kicking her in the back sending her flying out of the bathroom.

"I need privacy," I mumbled, creating an inner wall of ice around the entire room.

"Haah, why did I say that!!! So, embarrassing!" I said, crouching on the floor beet red.

"I am way too sensitive today," I mumbled while slapping my cheeks again.

'The ocean was my favorite thing about Japan. today's view must have made me nostalgic or something.' I thought, standing up walking to the shower, unknowingly smiling to myself.

"Guess I still miss my old life, or is it just the sea?" I said with a thoughtful expression while undressing before climbing into the shower.

Contrary to what most people think about me, I hate warm showers. It burns my skin and leaves red marks for days. Not even my regen helps with that. Kayda also found this out in the last three weeks where she made a bath for me.

I wasn't having a good day.

The bath didn't help.

It made it worse.

I was a tomato for 3 days, luckily only 3.

I was a human burrito for all three days. 

Like I know it's nothing out of the ordinary in this world, but hell, I don't want to look like that. My new curse tattoo already makes every civilian, and most adventurers keep their distance from me.

Not that I actually mind. It is way easier to move around, but the sad thing is that the receptionist at the guild is always a stuttering mess because of how scared they are.

That reminds me that I still need to visit this city adventurer's guild to let them know that Kayda and I were here. Well, not that it matters, really. I don't think we will do and quest while we are here.

Hmm, actually, we might do to hide behind it when we do some investigation.

"Uhm, Kitsuna. Are you sure about this?" Kayda stuttered, bringing me out of my thoughts.

'Hmm, how did I end up like this?' I thought, realizing I was cuddling with Kayda, and I was the big spoon. She does look considerably comfortable in my embrace.

"Are you against this?"

"Well, your quite cold, you know. I might be a scorch dragon and all, but I can still feel cold." 

"I know, but I don't see you moving, though."

"Well, you are in a sensitive position at the moment, so I am taking advantage of it."

"If you say so."

"..."

"Did you know the sea, ocean was my favorite view in Japan?"

"Japan? Where you came from?" 

"Yeah, the place was a big island in the upper half of the globe."

"I see, so the year when you were busy running away and traveling, you saw the ocean a lot."

"Yeah, it always calmed me down and cleared my head. I think today was the first time in a while that my head was so clear. I don't like it." I said, adding the last part softly.

"So, you are more relaxed."

"No, I am more clear-headed, making me think about how I acted the last couple of months," I said with a dissatisfactory tone.

"... you don't like how you have been acting, have you," Kayda said after thinking.

"..." she didn't need an answer to her question, so I didn't say anything.

"How do you want to spend the next month then," Kayda said with a concerning tone.

"I think we go with our original plan in finding the head of the Anabald."

"But-"

"I have lived under stress for years, and with problems, I won't cave in so easily, but little tomato girl is starting to run on fumes. I could hear her shouting around the mansion when I came back looking for the open the door to my room." I explain, sighing.

"Sigh, that's right, she might act all mature and everything, but she is only 14 years old," Kayda said with a shocked face.

"Yeah, she isn't like Amari and me, who have lived 17 years before," I said, nodding.

"So, you want to help her."

"In a way. I also want a favor from her in the end."

"... Kitsuna," Kayda said with a warning tone stretching her so that she could look at me.

"Hey, don't worry, it's nothing bad I just want some info on devils. It's for Nero." I said, smiling at her.

"Fine, but what about afterward?"

"We go to the Draigs territory to get some smithing done," I said, smiling happily.

"Sigh you and weapons," Kayda said, shaking her head helplessly.