Archive of Our Own

“Tomori-chan, just like what you did last time!” Soyo called, giving the ash-brown-haired girl encouragement.

Tomori nodded at her before switching her focus to the targets. The targets were medium-sized rocks floating in the air under Soyo’s control. She kept them still in their spots.

From more than ten meters away from the target, the girl crouched. With a slingshot in her hand and a pile of rocks beside her, Tomori began shooting at the targets. Soyo watched each shot Tomori made. Taki stood beside her, eyes on Tomori instead. This was her idea after all.

According to Taki, during the gargoyles’ attacks, Tomori threw a huge rock at the monster, who wounded Raana and almost took her. She followed it with smaller rocks, hitting it every time before Taki gave it an uppercut, sending it away. From there, she got the idea for a possible additional weapon for Tomori, a ranged projectile weapon. The slingshot in Tomori’s hand was crafted by Taki herself.

“Looks like Tomori-chan is getting the hang of it,” Soyo observed as Tomori hit her tenth target.

She still remembered her surprise when Taki suddenly smashed a boulder for Tomori to use as ammo in one of their quests during the summer vacation that had just passed. 

“I’m glad. But I still need to improve the slingshot,” Taki said, eyes still on Tomori. “Currently, it’s not very convenient to use. She has to hold it firmly to maintain her accuracy.”

Soyo glanced at Taki briefly, then at Tomori’s hands. There she saw what the dark-haired girl was talking about. Tomori was exerting force with both hands, one for loading the rock into the sling and the other for holding the handle in place. When she released the rock, there was a slight extra movement of the slingshot. Soyo heard it hit the target, but when she checked it, the target rock was only partly crushed.

“Why are we not considering the gun artifact again?” Soyo asked.

“Tomori wants to touch her ammo. She said she pours mana into it to adjust the force even midair.”

Soyo only hummed in response. She was not knowledgeable about the insides of an artifact, and even less about the gun artifact. So, she couldn’t think of an alternative that might work as Tomori wanted. But one thing caught her attention.

Pouring mana into a rock… Surely, Anon-chan could sense the traces of mana there. Hmm…

As Tomori finished hitting all the targets, Taki ran to her immediately to check on her. Soyo turned to the other side of the field, where Anon and Raana would be. Two figures fighting hand-to-hand were almost a blur to her. They would come close, exchanging hits, and jump back away repeatedly.

Insane speed…

Soyo could almost see the wind flow from the impact of their movements.

“Soyo-chan,” Tomori called. “How did I do?”

She snapped back her attention to Tomori. Taki was still standing next to her, already deep in thought while studying the slingshot in her hand.  Soyo walked closer to them, putting her wand back in her hip compartment.

“You’ve gotten better with your precision. But your accuracy drops over time, which I think Taki-chan may have discussed with you already?”

“Yes, about my grip. And when I already shot too many.” Tomori squeezed her left hand as if to demonstrate the strain from holding the slingshot.

“Maybe it’d be easier if you could wear it on your wrist,” Taki added, looking from the slingshot then at Tomori. “What do you think?”

“Mm! That sounds good, Taki-chan,” Tomori exclaimed.

A breeze blew across the field, making Soyo glance at the other two, who were still at each other.

“I’ll go check on them. They might forget that we’re about to take a break,” she said, already walking towards Anon and Raana.

“Okay. Also, try to stop them; they seem to be overdoing it,” Taki yelled.

Stop them, huh. Emphasis on try…

When Soyo went to their side of the field, she could feel their impact through the air pressure. Their movements were fast enough to keep the grasses around them dancing.

They are in the zone, aren’t they? And Anon-chan in that state could keep up with Raana-chan.

Raana-chan must be testing their limits…

After observing the two, Soyo decided it was time for them to stop and for her to test her earlier theory. She gathered mana into her fingertips, then released it, forming a small spherical ice in her hand. She held it for a while, pouring more mana into it while waiting for an opening. When she saw Anon and Raana backing away from each other again, she called for her girlfriend.

“Anon-chan!”

Soyo instantly followed it by throwing the ice sphere as far as she could. And almost immediately, Anon jumped and ran after it. Raana looked at her in confusion.

“What… did you throw?” Raana asked, in between catching her breath.

But she couldn’t answer, as she was already covering her mouth, barely holding herself from chuckling. When Anon returned, the pink-haired girl went in front of her. The spherical ice was on her mouth, with a few traces of dirt around her face. A tail wagged behind her, and her pointed ears were perked up.

“Anon-chan… mmph—”

“Aah… Anon fell for it,” Raana said, amused.

It took Anon a few more seconds for the instincts to wear off. Her mouth let go of the ice sphere, and redness colored her face.

“S-Soyorin?!! Why did you—What were you trying to do?”

Soyo exhaled, releasing her remaining laughter as a breath. She pressed her lips together before speaking. “Sorry, Anon-chan. I didn’t think it would actually work. I mean…”

“The wolf instinct took over her for that moment. I could hear her thoughts in beast language,” Raana explained, then she added, “A ball! Must catch the ball, that mana, that smell, she said.”

Soyo felt a little guilty upon seeing Anon cover her face and whine into her hands. Her wolf ears dropped, like her tail.

Yes, wolf ears because Anon was partly wolf at the moment.

Soyo’s idea was to see if throwing something would affect Anon or not. As Raana said, the wolf instinct took over.

“The instinct had been active as well while we were sparring,” Raana suddenly spoke again. “Anon normally barely matches my speed. But earlier, I was the one barely matching her.”

“And you two almost forgot about the break, didn’t you?” Soyo scolded. “Go on, Raana-chan. Tomori-chan and Taki-chan are talking about remodeling the slingshot.”

Raana’s eyes sparkled at that, and she immediately took off, joining the two. Meanwhile, Anon had already uncovered her face, but she was pouting.

“Aren’t you enjoying this too much, Soyorin…” she said, returning the ice sphere to her.

She returned it… Is the wolf instinct still on?

“I really didn’t think it would work. But you know—” Soyo stepped closer and patted Anon’s head. “You are extra cute right now; I can’t help it. I bet you’d be the same if our positions were reversed.”

“You’re petting me, Soyorin…” Anon looked at her, still pouting.

“Ah. Sorry,” she said, retracting her hand, but then Anon leaned her head towards it.

“I-I didn’t mind that.”

Soyo’s cheeks warmed at the cuteness of her girlfriend in front of her. She gently patted Anon’s head again, stroking her hair. Soyo wandered her eyes downwards and saw Anon’s wolf tail swaying slowly.

Just how did my girlfriend become this cute again….

***

Before their summer vacation ended, their party had taken a D-rank dungeon clearing quest. Taki gave in to Raana’s request to apply for more quests below C-rank.

“We did well on a C-rank quest. Shouldn’t we take a C-rank dungeon?” Raana suggested, almost pouting at Taki when she announced the details to them.

Soyo giggled to herself for thinking the same reasoning as Raana for a second. She felt more confident lately in herself and in their party. But she could also see Taki’s point about not overexerting themselves. The Ogre hunting quest went well, but they were all exhausted afterwards. If not for her potions, they would’ve run out of mana in the middle of it.

When she thought about it, their experience with dungeons was mostly limited to E-rank, except for the trap dungeon they barely survived last year. It made her realize again that they had really advanced in rank. It was all the more reason for her to be confident in themselves.

The D-rank dungeon itself posed no problems for them. It was a dungeon in a forest filled with wild beasts. Their team evaluation exam was still much harder than it was. The root of the problem happened when they were already on their way out of the forest.

“I sense multiple other mana around here, humans and beasts,” Anon said while they rested on the side of a lake.

“There must be other parties on a quest here, too,” Taki replied. She paused to wipe her face before adding, “There’s also the possibility of encountering hunters again.”

They all tensed at the possibility for a second, until Raana spoke. “We’re at the academy forest. They've become stricter since last time, so there must be security staff around as well.”

The four let out a collective sigh of relief. But not long after, Soyo noticed Anon’s expression changed. Something akin to panic. Then immediately, a shield was activated around them.

“A group of people and a beast is coming this way!” Anon announced, taking out her wooden sword and coating it with a reinforcement charm.

Soyo pulled her wand, eyes focused on where Anon was looking. Taki stood in front of Tomori protectively, while putting on her gauntlets. Raana took out her paralysis darts, ready to spring into action.

In the next second, a big creature jumped out of the tall grass. Anon’s shield knocked it away. Then, a voice came, followed by multiple hurried footsteps. 

“Please don’t hurt it!” a familiar elegant voice yelled.

How could they not? When the creature got back on its feet, it settled into a stance. Soyo cast a lighting charm to get them a better look at the creature. The sight of it left them in shock. Soyo’s breath hitched as her eyes wandered through the creature’s huge fangs and claws, black fur, and eyes glowing red.

“It is a magical wolf!” Raana exclaimed. “I could only hear screams from its thoughts.”

She threw her darts at it, but the wolf dodged and swatted most of them. Only about two to three actually hit it, but they weren’t enough to paralyze the beast.

“It lost control because of the full moon! But please don’t hurt it!” the voice said again, closer this time.

Soyo had recognized that voice by then. It was Sakiko. But before they got closer, the magical wolf already jumped at them. Anon rose to action, crossing her blade to block its claws. Soyo wondered for a second why Anon didn’t just let her shield knock it back again, but then, she got annoyed. Knocking it back would mean hurting it.

How kind of you.

Taki ran to the side, aiming at the beast. Soyo did the same, but when she was about to cast a binding charm on it, it quickly retaliated, escaping Taki’s net trap charm. This time, its claws reached Anon’s arm, slashing it slightly. Soyo’s binding charm came a second too late.

“Anon-chan!” She ran towards her girlfriend, who only winced in pain.

“I’m fine, Soyorin. It was just a scratch.”

“No, it wouldn’t be just a scratch,” said the purple-haired girl walking towards them.

“Nyamuchi?” Anon turned to her in surprise.

Soyo recognized her as well. She was Yuutenji Nyamu, another member of Sakiko’s party. Behind her were Sakiko and Misumi Uika, who went to check on the magical wolf. Taki had cast another net trap charm on it.

“What do you mean it’s not just a scratch?” Soyo asked, looking between Nyamu and Anon’s wounded arm.

“I’ll explain later. But for now, all you can do is treat that wound,” Nyamu said, giving Anon a vial of what looked like a healing potion. Then she clasped her hands together with an apologetic smile. “We’re sorry for the trouble in advance.”

“Ha? Wait, what’s going to happen to her?” Soyo demanded, but Nyamu was already making her way towards the magical wolf.

The three apologized to them again, saying they would handle the rest. They were in a hurry to take the magical wolf back with them and meet up with Umiri and Mutsumi.

They stayed there just until Soyo finished treating the light claw marks on Anon’s arm. Taki and Tomori stayed on guard for any other possible attacks, while Raana scouted ahead on the path they would take to get back.

Nothing else happened after that. They went straight to the academy infirmary to inform Nurse Mariam of what happened. Fortunately, she was on duty that late night. She uncovered the cloth Soyo used to cover the claw marks, examining it. She praised Soyo for treating it, saying that the wound should be gone by tomorrow. However…

“You said it was a black magical wolf, and Togawa-san’s party took it?” the woman asked, while covering Anon’s arm with bandages.

“Yes, Miss,” Tomori answered.

“They said it lost control because of the full moon,” Raana added.

Soyo didn’t miss the change in Nurse Mariam’s expression, from worry to curiosity.

“Hmm… This might be trouble indeed. The new term starts in two days, right?” Nurse Mariam asked, looking at them all.

“Yes. Why? Is something going to happen to Anon-chan?” Soyo held Anon’s other hand, her worry spiking.

“Well, I couldn’t be sure yet. It’s a rare case, but Chihaya-san might be cursed for a while.”

Nurse Mariam went on to explain how a magical wolf could infect humans. It was rare, but it could happen, especially with a high-magical capability beast. She also told them that she knew about the wolf under the care of Sakiko’s party. The headmistress had assigned them to look after it. And Nurse Mariam knew that it could infect someone.

For the time being, she asked Anon to stay in the infirmary for observation. Soyo refused to leave Anon’s side when they were told to go home. After some convincing, Nurse Mariam let her stay. Only the three went home, saying they would visit first thing in the morning.

It was already past midnight when Soyo was awakened by Anon stirring in bed and the strange pressure coming from her. They were sleeping side by side on the infirmary bed. With how close their bodies were, she felt Anon’s burning skin against hers.

“Mm… S-Soyorin.” Anon mumbled, her expression twisted in pain.

She quickly rose to wake Nurse Mariam, who was also asleep in one of the infirmary beds. The woman must’ve predicted this could happen.

“Please check on her. I think she has a fever, but…” Soyo said in one breath, then she exhaled. “I also feel some kind of pressure around her body.”

A bright light engulfed the room. It made Soyo hurry her steps back to Anon, trusting her mental image of the room to guide her without stumbling. A few seconds later, the light was gone. Nurse Mariam followed behind her, only for both of them to freeze momentarily at the sight of wolf ears in Anon’s head.

“Oh no. It actually happened,” Nurse Mariam said, stepping closer to check on Anon.

The woman gestured for Soyo to remove the blanket with her while carefully turning Anon to her side. Soyo noticed nothing different on Anon’s hand, nor in her face, other than the wolf ears. But when she pulled the blanket, there she saw, on Anon’s spine, a tail covered in pink fur much like her hair.

Anon was shivering and mumbling incoherent words. Her hand started tapping to her side as if looking for something.

“I’m here, Anon-chan,” Soyo said, grabbing her hand. She clasped it between hers, holding it tightly. She glanced up at Nurse Mariam, who was closely watching her medical artifact to check her heartbeat.

“Her heart rate is sped up, but not to an abnormal rate. It’s a good sign.”

“How can—” Soyo caught herself raising her voice and paused to lower it.  “…that be a good sign? Doesn’t she have a high fever right now? And what’s with this transformation?”

“The high fever is her body adjusting to the transformation. The transformation is the curse, but her case is not a full one. Wait here a moment.”

Nurse Mariam stepped away and went to her office. Soyo returned her gaze to Anon. The pink-haired girl still had her human ears, and somehow, that gave her a little more understanding of what Nurse Mariam was saying. The nurse returned with a syringe of silver-green liquid. Soyo only recognized it as a variant of the recovery potion.

“This is a rare case, as I mentioned earlier, but I think the curse took effect because magical wolves have higher magical force on a full moon. Chihaya-san was still fortunate that it was only a scratch. If it were a bite…” she trailed off, proceeding to inject the liquid into Anon’s vein. “This should help her body adjust faster and manage the high fever.”

So, this wasn’t just unfortunate luck, but also a matter of timing?

Anon-chan…

Soyo barely slept for the rest of the night, even if Nurse Mariam was also watching over Anon. She stayed on her side, holding her hand. The sun had already risen when the fever went down. Only then did Soyo feel at ease and fall asleep on a bed next to Anon’s.

By noon, Nyamu and Sakiko arrived at the infirmary. They apologized once again for the trouble they had caused and went on to explain the magical wolf. As Nurse Mariam said, it was the wolf assigned to their party’s care. They knew about the curse it could cause and confirmed that it would be temporary.

“Do we not have anything to break the curse? An artifact or something?” Anon asked, sounding like her normal self again.

Hearing that, Soyo smiled briefly at the absence of any trace of the fever from her. Then her focus returned to Nyamu and Sakiko, waiting for their response. Their dejected expressions already told them the answer.

“We only heard that there was an artifact that could break any curse,” Nyamu said, crossing her arms. “But it was a rare artifact like the auroral chalice your party has.”

“I also haven’t found any document yet, whether it could be crafted.” Sakiko then looked into them and added, “We don’t have a way to counter the curse as of the moment. And the only way would be to wait it out.”

“You mean to say, this will just disappear over time, and we can’t do anything but wait?” Soyo asked in her controlled tone.

“We’re really sorry.” Sakiko bowed deeply to them again.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Sakiko-chan,” Anon said, waving her hand at them. “But uhh, could you tell us at least how long I’ll be like this? If you know, that is. And if there’s anything else we need to know.”

“From our experience, it took Uiko more than a week to recover,” Nyamu said, looking at Sakiko as if asking her if she remembered it right.

“There aren’t many cases documented about this. But from what I have found so far, that sounds about right,” Nurse Mariam’s voice came, closing the door behind her. The woman had just come out of her office with noticeable bags under her eyes. She must not have slept at all, keeping her word to watch over Anon.

“A bite would’ve been lethal or a cause of permanent curse. But scratches are surely temporary,” the woman added, then she looked straight at Anon. “I already sent the headmistress your leave of absence.”

“Why? It’s not like I need to stay in bed, right?” Anon complained.

“Aah… Trust me, Anon, you wouldn’t want to attend classes like that.” Nyamu then pulled out her phone and gave it to Anon. “Put in your number. I will send a list of things to watch out for later. Uiko had to stay in her room for most of the time.”

Soyo tilted her head. “Why is that?” she asked as Anon took the phone.

“To answer that,” Nurse Mariam interrupted. “It was for everyone’s safety. I’m not saying that Anon will become a threat… That is unlikely, as you can see how her human side is still dominant. However, we should keep a close watch, okay?”

They all nodded and reached a compromise. Soyo was still cautious about everything, and little did she know about how adorable the chaos coming their way was at the time.

***

The last two days had been about adjustment. Soyo took it upon herself to note the changes they’d notice. Anon firstly told her about her enhanced senses. When she activated her mana detection, she felt like her range widened. But it also meant she was more sensitive in other ways, too.

Soyo noticed it when Anon asked for her help with taking her measurements. They got new sets of uniforms and combat attire as replacements for what Anon would adjust to her current situation. Anon needed a hole for her tail on her old skirts. She said she was going to fix it herself and only needed Soyo’s help in marking the spot.

For most of it, Anon was holding her tail so it won’t get in the way. But every time Soyo’s hand accidentally brushed against it, her girlfriend would flinch a little. By the fifth time, her curiosity felt like intrusive thoughts. They were in Anon’s room then, just the two of them. And because of that, her curiosity got the better of her.

“Anon-chan,” Soyo called, as Anon changed out of the last skirt she marked.

“Yes?”

“Do you mind if I…”

As she trailed off, Anon turned to look at her, tilting her head. Her wolf ears perked up. Even without studying much about dogs or wolves, she could tell it was a sign that she was attentive to her.

“Ugh… Do you mind if I touch the tail?” Soyo finally said, heart pounding as heat crawled up to her face.

Anon froze, seemingly stunned. Her cheeks were dusted with pink, while the tail behind her was swaying slowly.

“I-I guess, it’s fine. Go ahead,” Anon finally said, turning her back on her.

“Well then, here I go.” Soyo carefully reached for it.

Soyo’s hand went for a soft tap at first. Just like earlier, Anon flinched at that. The girl remained still, despite her stiffened shoulder. She took it as a sign to proceed. Her hand stroked the pink fur of the tail.

“It’s so fluffy,” she muttered, her other hand now serving as a support for the tail, while the other kept on stroking the fur.

It went on for almost a minute. Soyo got absorbed and only stopped when she heard her girlfriend’s voice.

“S-Soyorin.”

She stopped immediately and glanced up at Anon, who faced her again. Her face had a deep shade of red. “Oh, sorry. Did I overdo it?”

“I-It’s fine,” Anon responded. “Just a little sensitive.” Her wolf ears tipped to the side as her lips curved into a small smile.

How cute…

Soyo shook her head, conflicted about finding anything cute in Anon’s predicament. Her girlfriend didn’t seem bothered by it that much, but there was still a lot they didn’t know. The said girl then checked on the skirts she had marked earlier. The combat attire was one thing, since they would still have their practice session with her, but the regular uniform…

“Do you still plan to attend classes? Nurse Mariam had already handled the process for your absence. Nyamuchi even warned you, too.”

Anon paused, holding up one skirt mid-air before looking at her. “I didn’t want to put a tail hole in any of my casual clothes. Besides, we don’t know how long I’ll be like this. I don’t want to miss classes for that long.”

“So diligent, Ms. Honor Student. I can lend you my notes. And it’s only the beginning of the second term. Surely, you wouldn’t miss that much.”

The girl smiled widely at her. “Then~ I’ll be counting on my girlfriend for that. But I still need the uniform for walking around the campus.”

Anon returned to checking the skirts, but Soyo didn’t miss the excited wagging of her pink tail.

“Just a little too bad. I’ve told Chisato-san about my situation, so she put our sessions on hold for now. She said it’s better if I focus on recovering and staying where I feel… comfortable?” Anon shrugged. “Whatever she meant by that. But she seemed curious about this.”

“I’m sure everyone would be. Maybe we should borrow Raana’s teleportation artifact so you won’t have to expose yourself too much around the campus. And we need to note the details Nyamuchi sent you. We might even need to think of—”

A soft pair of lips pressed on her cheek, making Soyo forget what she was going to say. When she glanced at the culprit, Anon was grinning at her, exposing her fangs. Heat spread across her face as she realized what had just happened.

“Thank you, love~. I would’ve been scared by now if not for you and everyone in our party. So, I’m really glad.”

“Of course.” Soyo smiled softly. Her hand reached for Anon’s and held it tight.

***

Three days had passed since the incident, and the second term had started. She had her usual morning jog with Anon, but after it, Anon said she would stay in her lab for the rest of the day until their practice session. The pink-haired also didn’t push to attend classes anymore.

And while that was relieving, Soyo still found herself worrying about her girlfriend. She didn’t know if she saw it right. But before she left Anon in her lab, she noticed the unease in her grey eyes. It also didn’t help how Anon reacted to her mana-filled sphere ice from the day before. After that discovery, Taki tried it as well.

“I won’t do it,” Anon said when Taki declared wanting to try it.

Taki didn’t listen and created a ball made out of an earth charm and also poured her mana into it. “Ready?”

“I said I won’t do it.”

The dark-haired girl smirked, then threw the earth ball across the field. Much to their surprise, Anon remained still. She only gave Taki a deadpan look, while Raana seemed amused.

“How did you do it earlier, Soyo-chan?” Tomori asked. Taki also looked at her for answers.

“I did the same thing, except it was an ice sphere. Hmm…”

Soyo thought for a while, then she created the same thing Taki had done, a ball out of an earth charm. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw how Anon slightly flinched as Soyo poured mana into it.

“Anon-chan…”

“I-I’m not doing it.”

The three looked at Anon curiously, already noticing the difference in her reaction.

“Please understand that this was only for experimental purposes. You can get back at me for this later if you like,” Soyo said, already apologetic.

“It won’t be the same as earlier. I already know that you were going to—”

Soyo tossed the earth ball not too far from them. Anon’s body immediately went after it, cutting herself mid-sentence. When she got back in front of her, she had the earth ball on her mouth. Her tail was wagging playfully as Soyo’s hands moved on instinct, allowing Anon to return the ball to her. And only then did the wagging stop as if her girlfriend returned to her human senses.

“I did it again?”

Soyo could only nod in response. Anon whined, covering her face.

“Interesting,” Tomori and Raana said at the same time.

“Looks like you’ve got a loyal dog, Soyo,” Taki teased, placing one hand on her hip.

“Not a dog. A girlfriend,” Soyo corrected. A second later, she too covered her face, realizing what she had just said.

Soyo had to fight the urge to cover her face again when she remembered it. There was no mention of playing fetch in Nyamu’s notes. The closest written was about how the infected person tended to be highly sensitive towards specific mana signatures. It was said there that in Uika’s case, they noticed how she reacted every time Sakiko used a charm.

In the notes, they suspected that it had something to do with the person they were closest to. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but Soyo could see that it was her for Anon now.

There was another interesting and worrying thing mentioned in the note. They said that the person infected could have an intense separation anxiety. The unease in her girlfriend’s reaction earlier reminded her of that.

Could that be the case?

Soyo shook her head. Her girlfriend was in that state. Of course, Anon would be uneasy. Hoping to cheer her up, she messaged her when their second class ended.

“Are you doing fine there?” 

It was marked read almost instantly, telling Soyo that her girlfriend was either about to send her a message at the same time or Anon had been staring at her phone.

“I’m fine, Soyorin! Just missing you~,” came Anon’s reply. Then, a second later, another one came.

“I feel much calmer in your lab. And I don’t get bored thanks to your books here.”

“What do you want for lunch? I can cook for you, so you don’t have to buy in the cafeteria.”  

Soyo bit her lip, holding back a smile. Her worries quieted with adoration for her girlfriend. It had been more than a month since they’d started dating. She was already used to their callsign. However, there was no getting used to the sweetness. 

“What is this, Soyo-chan~? What are you smiling at on your phone?” Mutsumi’s voice came, catching up to her from behind.

“It really is you today, Mortis-chan,” Soyo said, tucking her phone away from Mortis’s view.

She noticed the difference in her aura when she first saw Mutsumi in the morning. Now hearing her speak, the jolliness in her voice couldn’t be mistaken.

“Yeah. We have the beast class next, so of course, they let me take the front,” Mortis beamed, walking beside her. “This is one of the only times I happily go out~.”

Soyo hummed, smiling at the girl. Their conversation shifted to the beasts while they proceeded on their way to the class. She was glad to have easily deflected the topic. However, she had also completely forgotten to reply to Anon’s text until the end of the beast class…

When she finally checked her phone, there were only two messages from Anon.

“Soyorin?”

“Fruit sandwich it is then. You’ve got plenty of fruits here~.”

A breath escaped her lungs. She couldn’t stop thinking about the separation anxiety mentioned in the notes. She had a strange feeling that something had happened while she wasn’t looking. But seeing Anon was still the usual, Soyo was relieved for now.

***

The hallway was fairly quiet as they stepped out of the elevator. Soyo walked with Anon to her dorm room, late at night on the third day of the second term. They had already said their goodnights when there was a gentle pull on her sleeve.  

“Umm, Soyorin,” Anon called her, strangely timid.

“Mm?” she hummed, glancing at the pink-haired again. Anon’s wolf tail tugged between her legs, while her wolf ears were flat on her head.

“Could you…” Anon’s voice trailed off. Her grey eyes looked from side to side before finally looking directly at her. “…use these instead, starting tomorrow when you send me a message?”

Anon pulled out three objects from her storage artifact. Soyo recognized the rune writings on each of them. One was a pen artifact. She had known it to use mana as ink. The second object was a silver bracelet with vines engraved into its design. Anon was wearing the same bracelet on her wrist. And the third object was a compact box with a rotor blade mechanism attached. 

“Is that a…” Soyo tilted her head, searching her mind for the term.

“A drone courier,” Anon said quickly. “For this size, it can store letters or documents under five kilos,” she explained, raising the object before putting it on Soyo’s palm. Then Anon showed the silver bracelet next.

“This one is an enchanted bracelet paired with this one.” Anon paused, raising her wrist for Soyo to see the other bracelet. “And also, to the drone. The drone uses it to locate its pair. That is how it delivers.”

Anon then lifted the pen artifact next. “I’m sure you already know this one, a pen artifact which you can use to write a letter with your mana.” The pink-haired handed her the remaining two objects, lips pressed together in a tight line. “So… yeah. Only if it’s okay with you.”

Soyo looked at each of them for a while. “So, you want me to write you a letter with this pen, and use the drone courier to send it to you, instead of a text message through phone?”

“Y-Yes,” Anon said, nodding once. Her eyes were moving from side to side.

“Why? A text message would’ve been faster.”

“Because…” Anon lifted her gaze to hers, revealing her growing blush. “Traces of your mana calms the wolf instinct when I don’t see you for long,” she admitted.

For a brief moment, Soyo’s mouth hung open. She was grateful that the pink-haired girl felt comfortable enough to be so open with her. She could imagine that, if she were in her place, she wouldn’t be able to ask for something like this or admit her anxiety.

You always try so hard, Anon-chan…

Soyo nodded and smiled at her. “Okay, let’s do it this way, starting tomorrow, if it helps.”

She didn’t see any problem sending the message that way after all. It would be just a little slower, but if it would help her girlfriend, she would do it.

“Where did you get these artifacts, by the way?” she suddenly thought to ask. “Did you borrow them from Tomori-chan? Raana-chan perhaps?”

A drone courier was not an easy-to-find artifact. She could imagine either Tomori or Raana having it, as the two were always on the lookout for interesting or rare artifacts. And sometimes even expensive ones. The Magic Express business, which can deliver food wherever, has its own drone couriers.

“Oh, no. All of them are mine. I bought them when I was still studying overseas,” Anon explained. “The drone was much faster for sending stuff at home. As for the pen, I bought it recently.”

“Hmm… I see. It appears that there are many interesting artifacts there. And even enchanted objects. Didn’t you previously tell me you got your enchanted cuffs there as well?”

By then, Soyo had already put the bracelet on, while she hid the pen and the drone in her storage artifact. And though she was indeed curious and wanted to ask Anon about those things, it was also an excuse to stay a little longer.

“Yes. It was an amazing find, wasn’t it? I saw it once when we went to the Artifact Expo last year. It was twice the price when I bought it in London. Crazy, right?”

Anon’s tail was wagging from side to side with her wolf ears perked up. She really wasn’t supposed to adore it, but Soyo couldn’t help it. The pink-haired girl who always wore her heart on her sleeve was even more exposed now, like she already had her heart open for her to observe closer.  

Soyo smiled, and before she realized it, her lips were already on Anon’s nose.

“Good night, love~.”

“…night, love…” Anon barely managed to say, stunned and unmoving.

And Soyo gave her one last look, an adoring one, before she went on her way back to her dorm room.

***

Soyo had found herself in a predicament. She was between wanting to squeal and having to stay still. Because her truly loving and currently extra adorable girlfriend was sleeping, more like curling, on her lap.

It had been almost a week, and Anon was still infected, being partly a wolf. Soyo would not say that the adjustment period had gone completely well, but it had been manageable as far as she knew. Their party was still able to take on a D-rank dungeon clearing quest. Their usual teamwork was remarkable, and Anon, with her wolf-like instinct, was no hindrance at all. In fact, she had become an added brute force with Taki, temporarily.

Her hand brushed through the pink-haired girl on her lap. She now looked peaceful, in contrast to their earlier ordeal. Soyo released a breath as she thought back on how they got here.

***

Soyo’s mother came over to take Soyo out. They hadn’t been able to spend much time during the summer vacation, so she thought she could take her daughter out for the day.

She didn’t know what to do. If she told her mother about Anon’s current condition, she would cancel what she had planned for them… Her mother rarely gets a day off. Today was probably the only day that she would be available. Who could tell when she would have a free day again?

Taking Anon-chan with us is probably not an option either…

She was at the lab with Anon then. They were waiting for their party members to have a review meeting of their performance from their dungeon-clearing quest. Then her mother’s message came, saying she was already on her way.

“Don’t worry about me, Soyorin. Go with your mom today,” Anon encouraged.

“But what about you? I doubt I would be able to send you letters. Mother would surely ask why.”

“I can make do with your texts. Besides, I’ll be with everyone. Since it’s a Saturday, we were going to have a practice session anyway, right?”

Anon sounded confident. However, Soyo wouldn’t miss how her wolf tail wasn’t moving at all. Raana told her that tail wagging could also indicate confidence.

“You must enjoy your time with your mother. She must be looking forward to it,” Anon added, tapping her shoulder.

Soyo stared at her, seeing nothing but sincerity in her girlfriend’s eyes. She sighed before holding Anon’s hand on her shoulder.

“Okay. Thank you, Anon-chan.” She brought her hand down to her side, rubbing her thumb on Anon’s knuckles. “I’m giving you permission to wear my lab coat, or stay in my closet if you feel the wolf instincts are starting to take over.”

“W-Why?”

She squeezed the girl’s hand, hoping to convey her intent. “Anon-chan, I meant what I said. I wouldn’t want you struggling with the curse. Don’t think I wouldn’t notice how the instincts made you more sensitive about me.”

Anon averted her gaze, timidly nodding. “I don’t like being dependent like this. I don’t like that I seem to lose control of myself because of some curse. And I don’t like that it’s taking advantage of my feelings for you.”

Soyo squeezed her hand once more, making the pink-haired girl face her again. “That’s why I don’t want you to struggle on your own. Do what you think would help you fight the instincts, okay?”

“Yes, okay.” Anon nodded, finally smiling back at her. Then she added, “And promise me, you’ll enjoy your time with Soyo-mama. Don’t worry about me.”

“I cannot promise not worrying about you, but,” Soyo paused, pressing their nose together. “I will surely make the most of the time with my mother.”

Anon nodded, wolf tail wagging behind her. It really shouldn’t be the time for her to find it cute, considering it was a curse, but Soyo couldn’t help it. Although in fact, even without the curse, Anon’s feelings were already as obvious as this.

The only thing affecting her girlfriend so much right now was how much the wolf instincts made Anon cling to her more than usual. It reminded Soyo of how she felt towards her former party. A kind of attachment that was like dependency.

And Anon-chan is fighting that battle right now. I hope she’s doing just fine.

“Soyo, dear. What do you think of this?”

Her mother’s voice brought her back to the present. Soyo was now shopping with her mother, and the first place they went was a clothing store. The woman held up a light-yellow casual dress in front of her.

“Mm! That looks cute,” she responded, initially. But upon closer look, she noticed the dress’s cleavage. “It seems a little revealing, though. Is it for a gathering of some kind? A ministry mission?”

“No, silly.” Soyo’s mother chuckled. “This is for you. Maybe we could add something if it’s too revealing. But first, try it on.”

“For me?” she echoed, as the dress was handed to her.

“Yes. I thought you’d need new casual clothes for, you know.” Her mother grinned, elbowing her lightly on the side. “For when you go on dates with Anon.”

Soyo’s eyes widened. She could feel her face immediately flushed at that. “Wha— How—” she muttered, but cut herself off, realizing the answer herself.

“Anon only told me that she wants to ask you out. She’s so cute for asking my permission, you know. You two have started dating, haven’t you?”

“Y-Yeah…” Anon-chan asked for permission?

“You should’ve seen how she asked me about it. I almost thought she was asking for your hand in marriage.”

M-Marriage? Just how did Anon-chan talk about it with my mother???

The woman patted her then stroked down her hair. “I’m happy for you, dear.” Her mother was smiling at her. But what caught her attention most was how her eyes softened, tears at the corners.

“Thank you, mom,” Soyo said, warmth spreading in her chest. “A-Anyway, I’ll go try this one.” She turned around, excusing herself to the fitting room just before Soyo felt herself about to tear up, too. Her mother only giggled in response.

In the next hour, her mother chose two more outfits for Soyo, along with some accessories. With Soyo’s insistence, they also bought new formal attire for her mother. They weren’t too late yet for an afternoon snack when they finished, so her mother brought her to a café.

With her mother, Soyo knew it would be a casual catch-up chat. They went from discussing the academy and their past summer vacation to recently talking about her party, which had become their regular topic. It was more often now than with Soyo’s former party. As for her mother, she couldn’t talk much about her work. The missions were usually confidential. Unless they were in their own home with secure soundproofing barriers, they wouldn’t talk about it.

Soyo may have been partly worried about Anon back at the academy, but she truly enjoyed spending time with her mother and was surprised to see it had already gone dark when they finished. Her mother drove her back to the academy and handed her the take-out she bought from the café.

“Share this with Anon and tell her to join us next time, okay?” the woman said, wiggling her eyebrows at Soyo again.

“T-Thanks, mom. I will surely get her next time.”

Soyo was grateful for the dim lighting, or else her reddening cheeks would be so obvious to her mother. She watched her car disappear back to the western gate exit before making her way to her lab.

The moment she reached the door to her lab, a sound coming from inside made her stiffen for a second.

Was that…?

Cautious of what could be going on inside, Soyo didn’t unlock her door yet. She pressed her ear against the door to listen more closely first. For a while, she only heard footsteps inside, none of what she thought she’d heard.

Maybe I was just imagining it?

But just as she let her guard down and finally unlocked the door, the sound came again, and not even muffled this time since Soyo had partly opened the door already. It was a loud howling sound that lasted for less than ten seconds before it was stifled abruptly.

“Ano-chan!” Tomori’s panicked call jolted Soyo. She hurried herself inside, leaving the door to close itself.   

“What happened?”

Soyo was welcomed by the sight of Tomori in the middle of climbing her loft. Then there was stumbling from her loft itself before wolf ears peeked out. Anon’s grey eyes met hers. A moment had passed between them before Anon hid herself again.

“Anon-chan?” Soyo called.

Tomori stepped down, making way for her. “Ano-chan hurried there after she first howled,” she said. “She’s been uneasy since a few minutes ago.”

Soyo nodded at her. “Thank you for staying with her, Tomori-chan. I’ll take over from here.”

“It’s no problem, Soyo-chan.”

She proceeded up to the loft and saw her blanket covering her girlfriend. As Soyo walked closer, it became more apparent to her how red Anon’s face was, even if her blanket covered half of it. An exhale escaped the pink-haired when she finally crouched in front of her.

“Anon-chan? I’m back.”

“Welcome home,” Anon muttered, then she sank lower into the blanket, leaving only her wolf ears visible to Soyo. “I lost control again. You heard it, didn’t you?”

She hummed in response. There was no use in denying it, even if she could tell how ashamed Anon must be. Soyo noticed the wet marks on the blanket.

Did she bite that to stop herself?

Soyo pressed her lips together, wondering what to do. This was probably the separation anxiety mentioned in Nyamu’s notes. She released a breath and reached for the blanket. She cast a basic warming charm on the blanket, hoping to envelop Anon with threads of her mana and warmth.

“Does that help?” she whispered.

Instead of responding, Anon pulled her into the blanket, embracing her towards it. “Yes. It helps.” She nuzzled her nose on her, sniffing her. “It wasn’t the first time that I howled. It happened the other day, too, and the day before it.”

“Wha—"

Soyo wanted to ask why Anon didn’t tell her earlier. But she realized, of course, Anon wouldn’t. That was just how she was. As much as possible, the girl hid her struggles. Then again, it wasn’t like her girlfriend completely hid it away from her.

That’s why she asked for the letters…

She found herself carefully stroking Anon’s hair. Each strand was smooth to the touch, and the lavender scent of her shampoo filled her senses.

“You did your best, Anon-chan. The wolf instincts didn’t win. You’re still yourself.”

“Mm… Of course. I won’t be beaten…”

Anon’s voice trailed off. Soyo felt her weight on her shoulders, realizing the girl had fallen asleep in her arms.

***

Her hand rested on one of Anon’s wolf ears. The girl was still peacefully sleeping on her lap. Soyo had adjusted Anon’s position from sleeping on her arms to her lap after she had fallen asleep earlier. Tomori checked on them one last time before going back to her own dorm with Taki, who had returned by then from seeing Raana off.

Soyo didn’t know how many hours they had stayed like that. She had fallen asleep a little after Tomori left. When she woke, her legs were already asleep. In her rush to check on Anon, she had forgotten to take her phone out of her bag. She wasn’t even sure where she had put the take-out her mother gave her. But even without checking the time, she could tell it must be time for dinner, and the take-out was probably not a meal for it.

She would feel bad waking Anon, but at the same time, she knew they had to get food. There was always the Magical Express food delivery service as an option, but it would still take some time. It would be best to place an order now if that was what they would do.

But Anon-chan is still asleep… Soyo thought, slowly rubbing her thumb on the pink fur of her wolf ear. It was smooth and fluffy against her fingertips. So cute.

Before she realized it, her other fingers were already scratching the inner part of Anon’s wolf ear.  She only did when Anon jolted awake and shook her head violently, much to Soyo’s surprise.

“Anon-chan?”

When Anon was done, she sat upright. The pink-haired girl only stared at her for a moment, then her cheeks flushed.

“S-Soyorin? Were you touching my ears?” Anon asked, her hands covering both of her wolf ears.

“I… ah...” Soyo fumbled for words. “I guess?”

“You guess?”

“I mean, I didn’t realize what I was doing. I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”

Soyo couldn’t bring herself to move closer to Anon as her legs were numb from staying in the same position for hours. She could only study the girl’s flustered face. She didn’t seem hurt; rather, she looked confused.

“N-No,” Anon muttered, slowly uncovering her wolf ears. “It didn’t hurt. Just…” She looked down, then left to right.

Soyo tilted her head, wondering what the girl was trying to say. Browsing her mental note of what Nyamu shared with them, she couldn’t remember anything mentioned about the wolf ears. But even with just her basic knowledge of the wolves and beasts, the ears must be a sensitive area.  Soyo just wasn’t sure what to make of Anon’s reaction.

“…me next time.” Anon’s voice came, almost too quiet for her to catch the first part.

“Mm? What was that?” Soyo shifted closer, dragging her legs carefully towards her girlfriend.

“I said, it was fine.” Anon gazed up to meet Soyo’s eyes again. Her hands rested on her lap. “Just tell me next time.”

Next time? Then… “You mean, you’re fine if I…” Soyo trailed off, searching Anon’s grey eyes for any discomfort. Instead, the girl hummed and nodded in response.

Oh no… She’s too cute. I might actually want to do it again.

Soyo contemplated. Her hand flinched on her side, wanting to reach for Anon’s furry ears. She glanced at the tail behind her girlfriend. Only then did she notice it wagging at a slow, rhythmic pace.

“T-Then, may I?” she finally asked.

Anon tightened her lips together before agreeing. The girl then lowered her head, giving Soyo easier access to her wolf ears.

She carefully reached out for Anon’s wolf ear. The outer ear was covered in pink fur as smooth as her hair. Soyo stroked it carefully while watching for Anon’s reaction. The girl breathed, and the stiffness left her shoulders as Soyo stroked the fur.

Then her index finger moved to lightly scratch the inner ear, which drew a bit more reaction from Anon. The girl tilted her head toward her hand, leaning closer as if telling her to keep going. Soyo continued the light scratches. Anon’s cheeks were getting pink again, but her grey eyes seemed relaxed.

What do I do? She’s so cute. But we need to get dinner…

Seeing Anon’s eyelids attempting to fall again, Soyo slowed her finger until she stopped.

“Thanks for letting me. Now, we should be checking what we can have for dinner,” she said, retracting her hand. Or at least she attempted to, but Anon caught her wrist.

“Mm?”

Anon’s eyes were focused on her hand. A moment had passed with them staying like that, until the pink-haired girl leaned closer to her hand. Then Soyo felt a quick lick on her finger.

“Anon-chan?”

The temperature quickly rose around her as Anon followed with another lick on her other fingers, then to the back of her hand.

“A-Anon-chan?” Soyo called her again, heat creeping up from her neck.

The girl paused, still holding her hand as their eyes met. Soyo thought she snapped her out of it. But then, Anon leaned closer to her face this time and licked her lips once. A series of loud thumping sounds followed.

Soyo’s breath hitched as Anon remained in proximity to her. There was a small smile on Anon’s lips before she licked her nose, her cheek, then her lips again. At the corners of her vision, Soyo could see the tail behind Anon wagging widely, hitting the floor from time to time, causing the loud thumping sounds.

I-Is this the wolf instinct taking over?

“A-Anon-chan?” she tried once again, and more firmly this time. Her free hand reached for Anon’s back, casting an ice charm as she touched her.

Anon’s eyes widened. It looked like that snapped her out of it finally.

“S-Soyorin, did I just—oh no. Oh no. Not aga—”

“Shh…” Soyo put a finger on Anon’s lips. “You’re back.”

Anon nodded, refusing to meet her eyes. She backed away slightly, giving Soyo more space to move again.

Soyo looked at Anon’s flattened wolf ears and stiff tail. Something squeezed her chest as she looked at her absolutely adorable girlfriend. She poked both sides of her cheeks softly, making those grey eyes meet hers again.

“You’re so cute~,” was all she said before finally standing up. “Now let’s get dinner for real before I become your dinner.”

“S-Soyorin?!”

“Just kidding~,” Soyo teased, chuckling.

She didn’t need to look back to know how red her girlfriend must be. However, she wasn’t any better. Soyo’s cheeks were still warm from their earlier closeness, not to mention the sensation Anon’s tongue left on her skin.

I almost wanted her to keep going like that…

No, no, no. I can’t be losing control as well.

***

Two more days had passed before Anon returned to normal. It didn’t happen abruptly. Just like how she turned, she also underwent a high fever. Soyo was in the middle of class when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. The continuous vibration told her that it was a call. When she saw Anon’s name on her screen, she immediately excused herself from the class.

“Love, please… come,” Anon muttered weakly the moment Soyo answered the call.

High fever, Anon-chan… No doubt. “I’ll be on my way, don’t worry.”

Soyo hurried to her lab. When she arrived, Anon was lying on the sofa shivering. She adjusted the pillows for Anon’s head in a more comfortable position.

“S-Soyorin… I’ve troubled you again,” Anon managed to say with her face contorted in pain.

She placed a hand on her forehead and flinched at how hot it was. But she didn’t retract her hand, and instead cast an ice charm to contrast the heat. Anon released a breath at that, slowly relaxing at her touch.

“Thank you…”

“Just doing my duty as your girlfriend,” Soyo teased, fondly. Then she added, “Even if I weren’t your girlfriend yet, I’d have done the same anyway.”

“Hehe~ you love me.” Anon smiled at her weakly, eyes half-lidded.

“Stop flirting, and just close your eyes,” she retorted, but Soyo couldn’t keep her lips from forming a smile. She stroked Anon’s head and touched her wolf ears for probably the last time. “I’ll grab the medicine Nurse Mariam prepared previously. Would you also want me to get you a blanket?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.”

Soyo took care of Anon for the rest of the day. With the help of the arms-strengthening charm, she transferred her to the bed in her loft once Anon had fallen asleep. Their party members left them alone even during lunchtime, so as not to bother the pink-haired girl.

By the evening, Soyo felt the familiar pressure coming out of Anon’s body, followed by the girl stirring on the bed.

“Mm…mm…”

“I’m here, Anon-chan.” Soyo held her hand tightly even as a blinding light came out of Anon’s body.

When Soyo opened her eyes again, the pressure from Anon’s body was gone. It didn’t take long for her to notice the absence of the wolf ears on Anon’s head and the tail behind her back. The curse on Anon was now gone. It was finally gone. And even if it was a known fact that it would pass over time, Soyo was still washed over with relief.

She removed the damp cloth from Anon’s forehead and placed a quick kiss. “It’s over now, Anon-chan.”

“Mm… Soyorin,” the pink-haired mumbled in her sleep.

Anon’s fever hadn’t completely gone down yet. Soyo knew it was only a matter of time. The worst had already passed, and Anon didn’t need close watch. Still, Soyo replaced the damp cloth with a new one and stayed on her side.

When morning came, the fever was completely gone. Soyo still had Nurse Mariam check on Anon and confirmed with her that Anon had fully recovered. In a day, the pink-haired was allowed back to attend her classes.

“Soyorin? Is there something on my head?” Anon tilted her head, grey eyes focused on her.

The sunlight peeked from the large window, highlighting Anon’s face with its orange glow. They were in her lab doing homework when her girlfriend caught her staring. Soyo couldn’t even deny it, as she even had her chin resting on her palm while facing Anon.

“No, there was nothing,” she answered, still looking at the top of Anon’s head.

“Are you sure? You look like you’re staring at something.”

Soyo sharpened her gaze at those grey eyes. Just as Anon had her eyebrows knitted, Soyo reached for her head and stroked her pink hair.

“I was staring at nothing because they were gone.”

“Ooh~” Anon grinned. “Soyorin is missing my wolf ears?”  But then she pouted. “Does that mean you like me better when I’m partly a wolf and sort of obsessed with you?”

Soyo didn’t hold back from flicking Anon’s forehead at that. “Silly.”

“Wha— not my poor forehead.”

“You deserved it.” She glared at her, giving one last, “hmph,” before turning away.

“Ehh? I’m sorry, Soyorin~ I was just kidding. Please look at me again.”

“Get back to work.”

But Anon didn’t listen and started poking her cheek. “My love is sulky~. So cute~.”

She only stopped when Soyo finally turned to her again.

“I was gonna tell you something I realized. But since Anon-chan was being mean to me, I will keep it to myself.”

“Ehhh~ Soyorin, that’s mean. Please tell me. Please? Please?”

Anon leaned closer to her face with each plea. Even with the wolf ears and tail gone, Soyo could imagine how the ears would perk up, and the tail would be wagging excitedly behind Anon. The image in her mind made Soyo’s expression loosen into a smile.

This silly girlfriend of mine…

She sighed, then smiled sweetly at her. “I just realized I probably would love you no matter who or what you are.”

Soyo had only fully realized what she had just said after the words left her mouth. Then her heart thumped faster as her cheeks heated up. But the girl in front of her remained still, or maybe even frozen in place. Anon didn’t move for a while, and they were staring at each other, until Anon’s eyes widened. She backed away and covered her face with both of her hands.

“A-Anon-chan?”

A muffled sound came out of Anon, which Soyo couldn’t make any words out of. She could see the tips of Anon’s ears completely red.

“Please be careful with your words, Soyorin. My heart wasn’t prepared for that.”

Soyo pressed her lips together as if to keep herself from smiling. But she couldn’t stop it, so she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Then, your heart had better get used to it, because I won’t ever love you any less.”

Anon was left covering her whole face for a while, and Soyo quietly chuckled to herself. She was less flustered compared to her girlfriend. A satisfied exhale escaped her as she focused herself back on her notes.

So, this is what it’s like to say my feelings so openly.