featherbrain ☆ l.jn ☆ ayakashi series | ✔

prologue [two]

When you were returning to the bookstore after your delivery to Lenticular Café, you caught a flash of black fur turning into the alley beside the shop. You eagerly peered around the corner, knowing exactly what would be there. At some point, a fox had taken up residence around your parents' store. When you had first noticed it some months ago, you left it well alone, not knowing how wild it was, or if it was feral or rabid. But that only lasted a day, as it was incredibly friendly, not afraid at all of humans as it had romped right up to you as you were sat on the stoop then, resting its head in your lap.

Since then, it was always sure to find you whenever you were there, and today was no different. There it was, basking in a puddle of sunshine.

"Hey, buddy!" Your voice made it jump up, eagerly bounding over to you as you knelt down at the entrance. The alley was mostly just for the store's trashcan and anything else you might want to put there, making your actions rather innocuous.

The fox launched into your arms, and you giggled as it buried its muzzle into your neck. Its tongue poked out to give you a couple licks, and you squirmed at the ticklish feeling. It was bigger than Tama, reminding you more of your childhood dog in size, but a rather affectionate mix of both.

"Oh, did you miss me?" You questioned it teasingly as it continued its loving assault on your neck. "I know, I haven't been around in a while. Are my parents treating you good? They don't really believe me when I say how nice you are, but they promised they'd put out food scraps for you."

It squirmed a bit in your arms, readjusting to gently take your hand in its mouth. The first time it held your hand between its teeth, you were afraid of what those sharp canines would do, but now you knew that was just another way for it to show affection. You often wondered how lonely this fox was, for it to be so attached and affectionate with you, some random human. If maybe its family had died, or it had been abandoned as a pup.

You remained with the fox for just a little more before you deemed that you really had to get back into the store and continue working.

☆

It was early evening when your mother dismissed you, the reason for it being the employee arriving. You'd met Sicheng a couple times, but seeing as you only came by to fill in for him, it was rare that the two of you were there at the same time.

"Are you coming from class, Sicheng?" You asked him as you leaned against the counter, waiting for your parents to finish something up in the back to give them your goodbye.

"Yes. Thank you for covering for me, Y/N."

"Don't thank me, I've been doing this since I could reach the register."

He nodded, recounting the change in the register almost nervously. Sicheng never really met your gaze whenever you spoke, and you figured he was just a bit shy. There was a small frown on his admittedly pretty face as he counted it once more.

"Something wrong, Sicheng?"

"Yeah, the receipts from today don't match the cash in the register."

"Oh, yeah. When I made the delivery to Lenticular Café down the street, the owner just told me to keep the change. I didn't know what else to do, so I just put it in the register."

"Got it, thank you."

Before your conversation could continue, your parents emerged from the back to send you off with a peck on the cheek and promise of having a family dinner sometime this week.

☆

As soon as you unlocked your apartment door later, you knew that you'd be in trouble. Whenever you saw your fox friend, you knew that you'd come home smelling like it. Not to you, but at least to Tama. Your cat could definitely smell the scent of another animal on you, and tonight was no different.