Kitsunebi 狐火 || Kemono Jihen

Chapter 5

Chapter 5
Intrusion

❃

"Hmm? Kabane isn't around?"

"That's right. We haven't seen him since this morning, " Akira told.

You usually woke up a bit later than Kabane, so when you woke up that morning and couldn't find him, you were a bit worried. After Shiki and Akira got up as well, they helped you look for him. But you couldn't find him anywhere in the house. The only trace left of him was the mop on the floor. That's why you went to Inugami instead, to ask if he had seen Kabane.

"He was in the middle of cleaning, and we found this lying in the hall." Shiki shows Inugami the mop. "He's not the sort to just leave things unattended."

"Where did you say that was?" Without another word, Inugami ran towards the hall with the rest of you running behind him, confused. He turned towards the dark corner of the place and opened the door. "Kabane!"

"Inugami-san..." Sure enough, Kabane was there, sitting on the floor of the darkroom. The only source of light being the lights from the large computer screens. "I was afraid of this, " Inugami sighs.

Akira and Shiki seemed surprised by the discovery of the new room. "Water." A voice interrupted. Kabane obediently hands the figure an opened bottle. "Mihai..." Inugami called. "Can." The voice demanded again. Kabane opened up a can of food and gave it with a spoon inside. "Mihai!" Inugami shouted. The figure finally stopped and turned back to face Inugami. "Don't go exploiting Kabane for yourself, Mihai."

The person was a pale and thin male with short silver hair and pointed ears. No doubt the trait of a Kemono. You look at the person more carefully and that's when the realisation struck you. You had met this man before.

❃

A few years back:

"(Y/N)? Where are you?" Inugami calls out? "(Y/N)–" Then he finds you standing at the far dark corner of the area. He walks up to you. "There you are. What are you doing here?"

You point towards the door. "Kemono. I smell a Kemono inside." Inugami looks at the door then back at you. He sighs. "I was planning on not telling you just yet but I guess it can't be helped.

"I'm going to introduce you to someone but don't tell Shiki or Akira about this, okay?" You nod. That was how you met Mihai Florescu, the gamer vampire, who managed the Detective Agency in secret.

❃

"Ho, the kid's name is Kabane, is it?" Mihai mused. "Why didn't you tell me you hired such a submissive, obedient sl– child, Inugami?"

"You were about to say 'slave', weren't you?"

"Nonsense. Enough with the mean-spirited suspicions."

"Mister, have you been in this room this whole time?" Akira asks. "Indeed I have, " He answered. "I am Mihai the vampire. I provide ICT for the Inugami Strangeness Counseling Office. Kabane..." He reached his hand towards him. "As of today, I am appointing you to be my waitperson. Your job will be to always stand by my side, opening my closing my water bottles. I'm sure you are honoured." Kabane didn't show much resistance to that. "As you wish, I have some experience as a waitperson."