"So how was she?"

Shiro looked towards Romps, "Hm?"

"The lizard girl," the sheepdog said.

"Krin?"

"Yeah," Romps said, "that lizard girl. How was she?"

"She's fine," Shiro replied, "Helpful as we- sorry."

Shiro quickly moved to the side as he pushed his body further into Romps, shoving them deeper in the corner of the elevator.

By some luck, the two managed to wake up just early enough to catch the first elevator down to the lobby. They didn't even intend to do so. They just woke up earlier than usual and did their daily routine without much thought to the time. When they stepped out the door, they barely had enough time to close it before they were swept away by the frantic morning rush. Shiro blinked twice and found him shoved in the deep corner of the nearest elevator right beside Romps, who was left in a daze for a good while before he could realize they were already on his way down to the lobby. It was practically packed to the brim, with just enough space to fit one Vox, who was lucky enough to stay behind in the dormitory, as he always did.

Still, even with one Vox's sized space to spare, Shiro still ended up stepping on someone's foot. He couldn't tell whose it was, seeing as he'd been getting dirty looks from absolutely everyone within the elevator; it could've been anyone.

"Sorry," Shiro said to Romps again as he pushed against him even further.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't fret about it," Romps said, unbothered by it all, "Fine and helpful as well. Anything else?"

"Offered to help me study," Shiro answered.

"That's filed under ‘helpful’," Romps asked again, "Anything else?"

Shiro shook his head.

"Well, you only spent a day with her after all," Romps said, "Still, watch yourself. Who knows if she'll turn back and stab- oh, here we go."

The elevator doors split open and the crowd spilt out in a mess like a school of fish. The two were carried away in the rush by their shoulders all the way to the lobby before space finally opened up and the crowd dissipated across the room. Breathing became a comfortable act to undertake.

Romps, who seemed relatively used to everything, turned towards Shiro and asked, “Back to the library?”

Shiro, who was on his knees taking a quick breather after the rush, was about to wheeze out an answer when from the chattering bustle, his ears caught his name being called from within the lobby, spoken with a heavy lisp and a long drag at the end. He turned to his back, looking for the source of the voice. It didn’t take him long to notice who it was.

There perched over the counter where it sat every morning, was the snake. It towered over everybody at least three times over in size with big, reptilian jade eyes catching everything in its gaze from under its SECURITY cap.

They stared sharp and straight towards the wolf.

Romps noticed the anaconda’s gaze as well when he saw Shiro turn his head and followed the wolf’s snout to see what it was.

The snake called towards the wolf again, waving its tail, signalling itself the wolf to come closer to itself, "Shiro'ssssss…"

Romps nudged Shiro on the ribs as he asked, “What’s it want with you?”

“Don’t know,” Shiro whispered back, “Probably about Lucille.”

A chill shook through the sheepdog’s body at the bare mention of the wolf spider’s name, “In that case, I’m out. See you in the dorms.”

With that, Romps took a step away from Shiro and was promptly swept away by the current, leaving the wolf as he headed towards the exit. Shiro fought against the crowd, walking across its path, miraculously avoiding everyone’s feet as he pushed his way towards the snake.

“Morning,” Shiro spoke breathlessly, leaning against the mahogany counter.

“Morningssss,” the snake greeted back, tipping its cap with the tip of its tail, “Apologies if ais bothersss. Ais got’s ones quesstionsss, yous sees. Bees keeps ais eyes opens durings nights. Won’ts taketh sssoo longs...”

“S-sure, I’ve got time” Shiro answered, curious.

“Justs askingsss-” the snake then lowered its head down towards one of Shiro’s perking ears and dropped to a voice barely audible to the wolf.

“Whath happens lasts Saturdaysss?”

Shiro felt something jolt from inside his body. How the snake knew was already well beyond the wolf; all he could do was deny the absolute hell out of it. Out of reflex, he dug the truth away from his mouth and struggled to construct a feasible excuse out of the pieces he could come up with.

As if its reading his mind, the snake reared its head back up and hissed, “Ais knows whath happensss, Lucille’s tells ais everythingsss…”

For the first time, Shiro empathized with Romps in his detesting of the wolf spider, though only for a split second.

“Ais noth lookings tooth sticks ais nose whereth ais does not’s belongsss,” the spider affirmed its position, “Buts ais is littleth curious…”

“It’s nothing,” Shiro quickly said.

“Ais knows Doveth,” the snake hissed, “He’s noth “nothings” asth youth saysss…

“He’s lots focusssedth. Anyone’s he’s chases does noth ends ssso wells. Ais justh wants tooth haveth ais questions answers, if you’s areth willings…

“Whath does you’s doneth tooth Doveth forth thisss too’s happensss…?”

Shiro was still hanging on the fruitless decision to keep things hidden, blinded by the faith that everything will go as planned if he keeps feigning ignorance. That faith quickly melted away as the snake’s eyes stared into Shiro’s. The dark, gleaming emerald green, almost as toxic as Leo’s, managed to reach beyond the wolf’s ruby red pupils and fished out the truth.

“Don’t know,” Shiro said, “Really. Didn’t do anything to him.”

The snake asked, “You’s sureth?”

Its green eyes were potent, but it couldn’t change reality. It did make Shiro doubt himself for a moment, but the truth stood as it is. The wolf nodded.

“Wells, ais noth sureth,” the snake hissed, “Butsss, ais haveth guessesss…”

Shiro looked up to the snake for a moment, his ruby red pupils shining with faith, even for a tiny crumb of hope that posed a clue towards salvation.

Shiro quickly questioned the snake, “What is it?”

“Doveth has mucheth enemiesss,” the snake hissed, “Buts thee sameth things they’ve alls doneth wasss they’s angers tooth oreth becomes angereth byes Doveth. They’ve alls knows whath Doveth cans does tooth themsss. Sssome event's knows his dangerthrousss frometh ssighth alone'sss. Buts you's does noth knows that's. You's waits thill he’s cometh for’s you’sss, and's you's evence trice tooth bee friends with him'sss beforeth that'sss…”

The snake added, “Twice’s.”

Shiro’s tail stiffened, “How’d you-”

“It’s everything’s thee students says for’s thee wholeth daysss back's then’sss, evence noweth,” the snake explained, “You’ve madeth bigs attentionsss. Mucheth so’s, yesss…

“Ais hears thee stories and’s maketh ais self’s researcheth. Ais sees thee videosss. You’ve tries tooth maketh goods and’s leaves with good’s intentsss. Noth likes others. Sames with Saturdaysss. You’s says things tooth Doveth, buts you’ve wishes tooth get’s lefth alone’sss…”

Shiro didn’t answer, but the expression on his face looked eons away from denial.

“You’s sees,” the snake hissed, “Thereth is thee differences…”

Shiro eyes widened, anxiously awaiting for the revelation that could be the key to fixing everything wrong at the moment.

The snake lowered its tail and pointed towards the wolf’s torso, “You’sss…”

Shiro held a reaction of utter confusion.

The snake hissed, “You’s too’s openssss…"

Too open? Shiro thought.

With its clairvoyant gaze, the snake read the wolf like a book and explained itself, “You’s holds Doveth too’s differences than’s thee othersss. They’ve sees Doveth with dangers and’s stays aways orth goes closesss. You’s differences here’s. You’s nevereth chases ands onlies runs whence you’s gots getsss byes Doveth. Twice’sss. Event's then's, you's stills thell Doveth tooth stays away’s frometh you’sss. Firsts ais sees of thisss. Is its no’s defense orth no’s understandsss… orth you’s knows it's yourselves alreadies, just's does noth wants too faces itsss? This what's ais thinks…"

Shiro didn't answer the question. With a strong gaze, he looked up to the snake and asked, "What should I do?"

It answered, "Nothingsss."

Shiro repeated after the snake, "Nothing?"

"Ais says, you's tooth differences frometh others. Ais thinks Doveth is notices thisss, and's he's curiousesss of you's. After's Saturdays you'd maketh Doveth moreth curiouses, and's now's he's comes forth you'sss…

"Ais sees how's Doveth does things beforeth. He's does noth stopsss whence he's hits orth gets hitsss unthil he's gets whath he's wantingsss. You's cannoth runs frometh Doveth. He's will's finds you'sss, sssomehowth."

"I never did anything to him," Shiro reiterated himself.

"That's whath you's seesss. Doveth seesss ssomething's elsesss," the snake hissed, "Doveth sees you's does something's tooth him's. You's noth eventh needs tooth does it's on's purthporses. Thisss isss whath Doveth thinks, and's it's bees hardth tooth changes his mindsss…

"Thiss all's ais seesss. Ais maythbe's wrongs, ais may's missunderthstand's everythingsss, but's thisss what's ais thinkth fromth what's ais has seesss and's underthstandsss. If you's tellsss ais whath happens lastsss Sssaturday's, ais canth helps you's; eventh forth littlesss…"

Shiro looked to the floor, dejected. He had a face of someone in a bad spot being told of bad news and was stuck on the brink of simply resigning oneself to hopeless faith. Then he blinked twice, as a new image formed in his head. He glanced back up to the snake, distrust taking the space in his eyes where dejection once held.

In a dark, low tone, Shiro growled, "Why're you helping me?"

The snake replied, lowering his head towards the wolf, "You's wants tooth knowsss?"

Shiro backed away a step from the anaconda, his distrust growing into enmity.

"Gets closesss," the snake nudged its massive snout towards Shiro, "Isss embarrassing's forth ais tooth saysss loudsss…"

Still tense, Shiro pointed his ears close to the snake's snout.

"Ais finds you's intherestingsss…"

The snake retracted its head, leaving its words bubbling in the wolf's head, for better or worse.

"You's differences thanth othersss. Moreth ssseeings but's lessss awareth of people's around's you'sss. Isss likes you've knows dangersss buts can'th sees itsss, ands eventh if you's sees its you's tries tooth maketh goods with its beforeth runnings fromth itssss…

"Iss it's igthnorance orth goods willsss? Much's intherestings, manyth questions, yesss…"

Shiro wasn't sure if the snake meant it as a compliment. Still, he took it as such, for the alternatives held much darker implications.

The wolf sighed.

"Talked to me," Shiro said, "Something about a cell. He's looking for something."

The snake hissed, "Cellsss? Whath kinds of cellsss…?"

Shiro didn't answer that question.

"Iss finesss," the snake hissed, "Carries onth…"

Shiro continued, "Don't know why he told me. Told him there's nothing in it. Told him to stay away from me."

The snake asked "You's tells Doveth there's nothingsss insthide thee cells?"

Shiro nodded.

"Ssso you's does knowsss…"

Shiro didn't reply to that.

Then the snake opened a door of hope for the wolf, "Ais knows whath you's hasss tooth doesss…"

Shiro drew an immediate response, glancing towards the snake with an alert gaze.

"You's has tooth faceth Doveth," the snake hissed, "Nothingsss else's you's can's doesss…"

Said door opened up into a bigger pit of hopelessness. It was to no fault of the snake either, at least not in any major way. The snake merely set him up to a set of stairs that promised a possibility of liberation. The keyword was possibility. Shiro walked up those steps himself, with his own two feet and a naive head.

At least, that's what he thought. He couldn't, in any good faith, blame the snake for anything. With good intentions or not, it did try to help, regardless of its efficiency.

"You's tooth honesth, Ssshiro's," the snake said, "You's therribles ath keepingsss thee truth and's worse ath thelling liesss. It's iss muchth sadthnesss, forth thath you's wishes tooth bee lefth alone'sss…

"Ais canth onlies advises you's tooth faces Doveth. You's can'th runsss fromth him'sss. Besth tooth sees him's yourthselvesss and's ends this as fasth as posssible'sss…"

Shiro responded with a silent stare towards the snake. The initial despair and the subsequent animosity in his eyes were both gone. What remained was a mopish, empty gaze that seemed drained of any trace of hue. The crimson red in his eyes were reduced to a dull maroon.

"I'll try," the wolf said, turning on his heel towards the exit.

"You'sss does thath," the snake hissed, "Hasss niceth daysss…"

"Thanks," the wolf replied, and off he went.

Shiro was barely three steps away when he heard the snake hiss again, "Wait'sss…"

Shiro turned back towards the snake, "Yeah?"

Without another word, the snake lowered its snout down towards Shiro, pointing its nose upwards just below his torso.

The snake hissed, "If you'sss does noth mindsss…?"

At first, Shiro didn't understand. It wasn't until he closely examined the snake's rough, scaly, yet oddly mesmerising scales on its snout when the wolf put two and two together and made the realization.

Softly, the wolf patted the snake's snout, lightly brushing his fur above its stiff, coarse nose. The snake closed its eyes, its expression very clearly drowning in bliss. For a split second, the snake seemed to lose composure, letting its cap slide off its head as it pushed further against Shiro's palm.

If talking to the dormitory security wasn't enough, patting said security in the snout surely drew in the necessary attention. It wasn't to the level where people stopped to stare, but the bizarre sight of a wolf rubbing the snout of a giant anaconda five times its size was surely catching mixed gazes from the passing crowd. The snake didn't seem to notice; Shiro most certainly did.

The snake drew more attention when it hissed with an even heavier lisp than before, sounding as if its speaking three different words in one, "Thhhhankthsssss……."

The snake's lisp brought a slight rumble across its scales. The vibrations reminded Shiro of something. Something tiny and jittery and twitchy. Then the wolf realized what it was.

"How's Lucille?" Shiro asked.

"...thssss…. ss's? Lucille'sss? Ahhhh, Lucille'sss," the snake snapped from its blissful trance, raised its head and pulled its neck back to the counter, regaining its cool.

"She okay?"

"Lucille'sss quite's finesss, if you's asssking's," the snake readjusted its SECURITY cap, "Lucille'sss muchth affraith of… how's does ais ssshould's says thhissss… thensions… yesss… thensionsss…

"Lucille's does noth likes hosssthilitiesss. Angriesss. Bath emotionsss. Muchth scaresss of them'sss. Essspeciallies Doveth. Does noth likes him's, ath all'sss. Reminds her's of--"

Then the snake paused, holding its words as he made a sudden stare into the empty air above. Shiro, curious, turned his head to see what the snake saw. He spotted a glamorous ceiling, some lights and nothing else.

"Ais besth stop's sayings Lucille's sssecreths here'sss," the snake continued, "Let's just's saysss it's gives her's badth memoriesss…"

Shiro, admittedly, became very interested, but he understood the snake and Lucille's wish. The wolf himself was no stranger to such circumstances as well. The wolf spider was fine, and that's all he needed to know.

Shiro took a deep breath and looked up to the snake, "Thanks. Again. Has tooth go- I mean, have to go."

"Yesss, mosth welcomes'sss," the snake hissed, "Apologies ais couldn'th helpsss muchth…"

Shiro waved his hand and turned towards the lobby exit.

As the wolf left, the snake left him with one more, "And's good's lucketh, Ssshiro'sss…"

And out the wolf went towards the Academy.

That is all for today.

Shiro thought that was everything and a half.

Today was very quiet. Pin-drop quiet. Barely anyone came in the morning. He could even hear his own heartbeat at times. The club president was also absent today; much to Shiro's fortune, which amplified the silence by tenfold.

Which was great for Krin.

As promised, she had organized an entire schedule that encompassed the whole semester, just for Shiro. She planned to teach him one-on-one during their time together in the library. Admittedly, the wolf didn't think the lizard would actually be serious about this. He'd thought it'll be casual back-and-forth with some textbooks between and that'll be it. He didn't expect Krin to come up with a full curriculum, tailor-made just for him.

As soon as Shiro sat behind the counter, Krin dropped a whole chart mapping out Shiro's syllabus for the current year, and the next, and so on. Shiro was incredulous at the beginning before he soon realized that indeed, the lizard had done all of that. Then the wolf also realized she'd done this overnight, considering their initial conversation had happened only yesterday.

"Y-you did all this," Shiro asked, "One night?"

Krin hid her skull behind her red board, I was excited.

In an extremely dirty way, Shiro didn't feel as if he owed Krin for the whole thing. He did acknowledge that ingrate emotion, but it was something he couldn't help. Looking at Krin, she seemed to be even more excited than Shiro about the whole ordeal, with her jittering fingers and her swishing tail, so much so that Shiro felt as if he'd paid for Krin's efforts with her enthusiasm alone.

The least he could do was go through with the plan, and that was what he did, which he slightly regretted, because the first lesson in question was World History.

Within that single morning, Shiro had learned more about the subject than he ever did throughout his life. And it wasn't just that Shiro simply nodded with Krin's teaching. The lizard made sure that Shiro understood every single word she spoke and even made exercises for him to speed through whenever she's done with a topic. Even that wasn't enough; she made Shiro summarize everything she'd taught in his own words before she'd even continue.

Somehow or rather, with one red board, Krin managed to teacher Shiro more about World History than any other teacher he'd ever been with. It was mostly to the lizard's effort, but it was also partly due to Shiro's guilt.

Shiro never felt this energetically conflicted in his entire life. His will to not disappoint Krin was like a thick, nylon rope holding his massive desire to simply drop down to sleep like the ten-ton boulder that was his head. His psyche was sitting on both ends of the spectrum at all times, with him barely holding his eyes open as he powered through everything by pure brute force and mental stamina alone.

After what felt like a year and a half, the lunch rush came, and by then, Shiro's head felt like a noodle; it was as if he'd been tugged on both ends and stretched to his thinnest. Krin allowed him a break until the end of the lunch rush, much to the wolf's gratitude.

Shiro checked the textbook Krin used to teach him. He reckoned he was halfway through the book already. He was barely halfway through the first chapter. Shiro promptly dropped onto the counter, face first, but right before that, Krin asked him if he Would like to continue tomorrow?

Internally, Shiro would never have liked more than to answer with every honest fibre in his being. Externally, Shiro nodded. He couldn't find the energy to exude his will. Plus, Krin had that expression where you simply cannot refuse unless you could shut out your conscience. By then, Shiro barely had enough of himself left to shut his eyelids.

With that, Shiro blacked out right there on the counter.

The wolf cub went straight to bed that night. He didn't bother brushing his teeth or even changing his dust-covered clothes, which were rife with the musky scent of the construction site.

He was tired, and just wanted the day to pass.

It'll be fine, he thought to himself.

Tein said he'll protect me. Tell Vysok to stay away.

It'll go back to normal.

He drifted off into a waning darkness.

It'll go back to normal.

He closed his eyes.

What is normal?

After what felt like five mental minutes Shiro was awoken, not physically but by some voices. When his eyes opened the empty library was now full of students, with the light tapping of shoes scurrying across the wooden floors filling the air as the soft scratches of pens and pencils accompanied them. It wasn't noisy, but considering the silence Shiro got used to, it was enough of a contrast to wake him up.

Krin was beside him, writing on three different notebooks at the same time with a textbook propped up against her. Shiro pushed himself up against the empty space he laid his head on, spotted a small splotch of drool on it, frantically wiped it off with his sleeve and placed an elbow over the spot, resting his head on his hand as casual as he could be.

Shiro watched Krin write undisturbed for a good ten seconds before the lizard realized he's awake. She dropped her pen and picked up her red board.

She wrote, Good nap?

Shiro asked, "How long was it?"

Around three minutes.

Shiro sighed and slumped back down on the counter. He couldn't send himself back to sleep, nor did he have the strength to sit up. He reached a compromise and laid his head on the table instead, opting to let the library's ambience take his mind away. He kept his eyes half-opened, staring at Krin doing her work. That was when his fatigue was whisked away, replaced with a slight intrigue.

Krin seemed somewhat nervous. Her fingers were twitching considerably, often fiddling with her pen and sometimes twiddling the tip of her hair. Her tail curled inwards, swishing about as if it couldn't stay still. Plus, though this may be a trick from Shiro's perspective, the lizard seemed to be making furtive glances towards the wolf as it was somewhat apparent from her nostrils making small peeks at his direction.

Shiro chalked it up as being anxious from being stared at and was about to turn around when Krin suddenly straightened her back, pulled out her red board and wrote on it.

She turned the board sideways as she showed it to Shiro, Are you awake?

"Yea," Shiro got up, his eyes glued to Krin, curious.

Even more anxious and jittery than before, Krin wrote on the board some more, but hesitated to show it, turning Shiro's curiosity to a burning inquisitiveness.

Eventually, the lizard went against her will and quickly flipped the board before she could stop herself from it. Her writing seemed messier than before. It resembled her usual style but only tainted with some child-like scribbles within her lines.

Her words said, Can I take your picture?

Shiro read it twice to make sure he didn't get it wrong.

The wolf didn't mean to display any sort of refusal. He only meant it as an inquiring curiosity but, along with his tired, sloppy tone, he seemed somewhat repudiating when he asked, "Why?"

As she heard it, Krin froze up for a second. Panicking, she quickly turned the board back and fiddled with it with shaking fingers.

It's for a scrapbook, she wrote.

Scrapbook? Shiro wondered.

Krin could tell about Shiro's confusion, because she turned the board back and wrote, It's like a book to keep pictures and memories with.

It's like a photo diary, she added.

Photo diary? Shiro thought about it some more. The concept wasn't lost on him. In fact, it rang somewhat familiar to him. He thought about it some more, letting the idea of a book full of pictures and memories take him through his memories.

Then Shiro asked, "Like a case file?"

Both remained silent for a moment. Shiro took the time to sink into what he said as Krin stared at the wolf, the red board still in her hand, unmoving.

"S-so a scrapbook," Shiro said, "Right?"

The lizard promptly nodded.

"Sure. That's fine," Shiro sat to face Krin, unconsciously adjusting his posture. The wolf was nervous, as he naturally would. He'd only ever had his picture taken thrice his entire life. The first was for his passport. The second was for his school. The third was--

……

Shiro tried his best not to remember that.

As he sat to face Krin, the lizard pulled out a peculiar device. It was like a small, cubic black box, with odd angles protruding from the sides with a rectangular bottom as the base. A small incision was present across it. Right above the incision, sitting in the middle of the box was a pair of lens. Stencilled around the frame of the lens were the words Polaroid, written in tiny, white alphabets.

Shiro didn't know what it was, but he understood its function immediately. He gulped, adjusted his collar and tried his best to look dignified in front of the lens.

Krin then raised the box in one hand and the red board on the other, with the words Whenever you're ready written on it.

Shiro was struck with a sudden fever. Every other pair of lens he faced were either for bureaucratic purposes or for record-keeping. This time, he felt a newfound shyness rising from having his first casual photo taken. He sat stiff and wooden, trying his best to crack a smile for the black box in Krin's hand. His eyes darted across the lens as if they're struggling to look away from it.

Eventually, he relented, and forced himself to be still.

"O-okay," he said.

Shiro counted in his head, Five.

Krin put down the red board on the counter.

Four.

She then looked down behind the black box.

Three

Her fingers closed in on the trigger.

Two.

The lens shot a bright, flaring light, but it captured nothing.

Krin was stunned for a moment, staring at the empty chair where the wolf once sat with astonishment. The picture developed and was spat out from the small incision across the base of the black box. Krin realized this when she heard the mechanical sputter from the box. She looked into the photo. There the wolf was, his feline eyes wide open in shock, staring at something beyond the frame as every below his neck dissolved into a frenzied, muddled blur.

Before she could even discern what was happening within the photo, a voice called out from beyond the counter. It was soft, calming, and spoken with poise with a somewhat flirtatious elegance.

"Good afternoon, Krin."

The lizard turned to see who it was. She immediately recognized the creature behind the voice. She placed the black box on the counter and grabbed her red board, putting out the best of her professionalism as she wrote,

Welcome, Leo.

Shiro had hidden under the counter, which was just big enough to uncomfortably squeeze all of his torso and limbs underneath. He held his tail in one hand, keeping it way out of sight. He even held his breath, just so he wouldn't risk making a peep.

Shiro's reflexes kicked in as soon as he saw the Leo. He thanked his lucky stars that he sat facing the entrance. As soon as the leopard stepped through the doorway, Shiro spotted his toxic green eyes glowing from across the room. He then saw his bright, yellow-spotted fur, some silhouettes behind him, and nothing else, because soon after that, he rolled off his chair and ducked down underneath, leaving Krin to her black box and herself.

He figured he owed an apology to the lizard after this.

From the shadows, Shiro could hear the leopard's voice speak out, "Good evening, Krin."

The wolf heard shuffling, presumably from Krin. She was probably writing something towards Leo.

"Thanks," Leo said, "Say, do you happen to have--"

"Leo," another voice called out. This one was fainter, but somehow louder at the same time, amplified by the silence of the library. It sounded distinctly feminine, with a coquettish tone to it. It

"Leo," it called out again, "What're you doing there?"

Shiro could hear Leo's voice turn around as he spoke, "I'm asking for a Private Study room. That's what we're here for, right?"

"Why can't we just go," the other voice pleaded, "No one uses 'em."

"But we are. There's order to everything, Deliah. Without it we'll all just end up Feral," Shiro could hear the leopard calmly explain.

"Well hurry up, alright," the other voice said, "The longer we get away from the freak, the better."

"I'll be quick," Leo said, "How about you go wait in the room first? Would that be alright, Krin?"

Shiro heard some shuffling, followed by a collection of light footsteps trailing across his ears before disappearing.

A moment passed before Leo said, "Now, where were we?"

Shiro felt motions from the counter above, coming from Krin. A collection of wooden taps and metal clinking echoed in Shiro's ears. Shiro kept his best to stay quiet.

"Ah, thank you," Leo said, "Is that all?"

A quick silence trailed by.

"Hmm," Leo said, "Say, has it grown since the last time I saw it?"

Another quick silence trailed by.

"I guess not," he said, "But-- do you mind if I cop a feel?"

Shiro felt his heart stop at that moment.

The wolf knew Leo's personality but he was unaware of the extent.

This wasn't how Shiro wanted to discover it.

"It's gotten smoother than before. You've been taking care, haven't you?"

Shiro held out from making any sound. He tensed his muscles, jabbing his nails into his palms to keep himself quiet.

"Bouncy, too. You've definitely been taking care."

Shiro bit his lips as he wondered how far Krin was willing to let things happen to her. He couldn't bear to create the mental image.

"Ah, the tips' getting crustier. What happened here?"

Shiro was one notch away from chewing off his tongue.

"Say, why is it getting harder by the moment?"

Shiro burst out from underneath the counter, hitting his head against the mahogany in a thunderous slam as he shot up to his feet. He had no plan nor did he have any idea of what to do. What he did know was he had to do something about it, one way or another, regardless of anyone's feelings. Whatever that was happening above the counter wasn't continuing with him around.

Or so he thought.

Krin was staring at Shiro, her mouth half-open with shock. Her clothes were intact, with both hands holding the red board with the words Yes written on it. The black box was sitting on the counter with Shiro's blurry photo put next to it.

There Leo stood, leaning against the counter, playing with Krin's hair. He had a good bunch laying across one palm as he fiddled with the tips with his slender fingers, examining it closely as he brushed against it.

"Must be the cold air around here," the leopard said, "Best use some conditioning with it."

He then turned to meet Shiro, greeting the wolf with a tone that held no hint of surprise whatsoever, "Oh my, Shiro."

Shiro felt duped, regret and panic, all at the same time.

As always, he spotted an open jacket with an untucked, white undershirt, draping over his somewhat shapely hips, holding his loose, uniform pants. His tail swished around, doing playful twists and loops as he gave a mischievous stare towards Shiro.

The wolf couldn't look away from Leo's eyes. The best he could do was take a quick peek at his small, round ears before eventually being pulled back to his gaze. His pupils had a physical pull on anyone's eyes. Never had Shiro seen a colour in a person's stare as solid and intense as Leo's, so much so that it seemed to be made of a different material entirely; one that's built to keep the attention and hog it to themselves.

"No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere," Leo said, sliding towards where Shiro stood.

Shiro didn't answer. His mind ran on light speed, struggling to figure out how the hell could he talk his way out of this. Describing his current predicament as a worst-case scenario was sugarcoating it. This was second to Shiro handing himself over to Dove on a silver platter with a sign hanging over his neck that said, in bold lettering, Have it your way.

There was nothing he could do, but try to squirm his way out of whatever it is Leo's planning with him.

"H-hi," Shiro stuttered.

"Why, don't be so scared," Leo grinned, "You look good in that uniform. Suits you better than most others."

"T-thanks," Shiro said.

An uncomfortable silence followed after. Both stared into each other's eyes, simmering with unspoken thoughts in their heads. There was no telling what was going on behind Leo's eyes. Every thought he had, be it pleasant or immoral, were always hidden behind a smug grin. All Shiro could do to the leopard was hope for the best, no matter how futile it'll be.

As for the wolf himself, he was accepting reality.

There was no lying in front of Leo. He knew both Dove and him were well acquainted already, and the leopard spotting Shiro's presence in the library was the ultimatum for Shiro's past efforts. He wouldn't say it was all for nothing, but if the day had gone a bit differently, his resolutions could've bored some fruit, or at least sustain the illusion of it a little while longer. But the time had already passed and gone. There was no purpose in regretting the inevitable.

All he could do was face the music and steer it into his favoured direction, one way or another.

As if they're thinking synonymous thoughts, Leo spoke, "Dove's been interested in you, lately."

"Right," Shiro steeled himself and clenched his fist, "Want to talk about it?"

The leopard was wide-eyed for a moment. His grin then broke into a full smile, his lips almost revealing his whites as he leaned closer towards Shiro from the other side of the counter.

"I'm nothing but ears, now."

"I met him. Last Saturday," Shiro said, "He told me something. A prison. You know it?"

"A prison? Hm," Leo seemed more and more interested, "Never heard him talk about it before. Tell me; what did he say?"

"He said it's one cell. Only one," Shiro said, "Said there's something inside. Don't know what it is. Only there's something."

"That's new," Leo commented, "Anything else?"

"No."

"What did you say, then?"

"There's nothing inside."

Leo leaned in closer towards Shiro, "Tell me about it."

"Nothing else to say," Shiro replied, "Told him he can keep looking. Just leave me out of it."

Leo pushed himself from the counter, the grin still persisting across his cheeks. He kept his gaze on Shiro's eyes, staring at him from a head's height below him.

"You know, he told me something similar, once, when we were kids," Leo said, "We've known each other since we're little. Even then, it took him almost half a decade of an acquaintance for him to speak up to me. I'm jealous, Shiro. It's barely been a week and he's poured his heart out to you, but I'm getting off track here.

"See, what he told me instead, was that it's a wall."

You’ve ever seen a wall before?

Leo then asked, "You've heard about it before?"

Shiro shook his head.

"Okay, now I'm a little less jealous," Leo said, "Since you had your share with Dove how about I give you mine as well? To complete the set."

Leo leaned close and said, "You see, what he told me back then is that there's a wall. What's it made of and how tall is it doesn't matter. It's just this wall, stretching infinitely on both sides. There's no door through or a ladder climb. Imagine a little Dove standing behind that wall. That's him, back then.

"See, he told me there's something behind that wall. Like that prison, he doesn't know what it is. It has no shape, smell, taste or sound to it. The only thing little Dove was sure about the thing is that it exists and it's there, just behind that wall.

"Actually, I lied. There's two things he could tell me about it. One is that it's real; I told you that just now. The other is that it's bright. It's unmistakably bright. It's so bright that it outshines the sun and its light climbs over the wall just to burn your eyes.

"There's nothing else behind the wall but that shining thing. If there's two sides to the wall it's that shining thing and the rest of the world. No extra surprises or hidden treasure, just that thing and that thing alone.

"And little Dove wants to see what it is. He doesn't know how to get over the wall. He doesn't know how to make it to the other side. All he could do is to try and break that wall or at least, find a door or a ladder over it.

"He tried a lot of things, Shiro, just to see that light. He's just a kid back then. Every other adult thought he was just imaginative, and that he's 'experimenting with his life'. If he had a shrink, she'll probably say the same thing. But it wasn't imaginative for him. When he told me about the wall it didn't sound like a dream. It sounded like a real place. The wall sounded like it's made with golden bricks and that shining thing sounded like it's baking his eyes right then and there.

"He didn't just go crazy for it. He dedicated his whole life to it. The world didn't matter to him. To Dove, it was just him and the wall. Nothing else. He did all sorts of things, just to see where that wall is. I saw what he'd done to get to that wall. He went from digging holes in his backyard to trying out choir singing. You've ever seen Dove in a ballerina leotard? Don't tell him I've told you this.

"Then he took up boxing."

Leo paused for a second, leaving the words to sink in Shiro's head for a while before he continued.

"By then, he was ten. He told me how his arms hurt and every punch tore a little piece of himself out. He told me how he'd splint a finger every so often. He told me, with a genuine smile, that found that wall. It was the first time I saw him smile for real. I met him when he was four, mind you.

"You could call it a fluke or bad luck. Of all the things he could've chosen from, it was boxing that showed him the light. Maybe he could've seen that light if he picked up the piano before he chose the gloves? But he never picked the piano. He chose boxing at random and hit the jackpot. That was what he did.

"In fact, it was all he ever did for the next few years. He never did anything else. It was a miracle he kept his studies afloat on a bare minimum. Every act he took; eating, sleeping, drinking, reading, was in some way, shape or form, a plan that always ended up in boxing.

"Even if it involved other people.

"He never spoke much about the wall anymore. Why waste time talking about it when you've already found it? That was the last he'd ever talked about the wall anymore. Last I heard of the wall from him was two years ago. He was either boxing or keeping his mouth shut, thinking about boxing.

"Then he hit the brakes. It was fairly recent. Somewhere around three months ago. He found that wall, but it was useless with no way through. It caught on with him. No matter how far he pushed himself it felt like a dead-end to him. So close, yet so far. He could still see that thing on the other side. He could still see it's light, but as far as he knew, this was as far as he could go. He stopped boxing for a good while. He stopped going to the gym. He was like a walking shell, with the only thing he had left was experience.

"Then you happened.

"And now, suddenly, a wolf came along and that wall just became a prison with something inside. What's more interesting, is that the wolf he talked about the prison to told him it's absolutely empty inside. Now isn't that interesting?"

Shiro didn't answer.

"Tell me," Leo said, "What else did you say to him about the prison?"

"Nothing," Shiro replied.

"Actually, I lied again. Dove did tell me about it," Leo said, "He dragged me out of my bed one morning and asked to talk about it on the balcony, one to one. He told me what happened last Saturday and gave a play by play every last detail he could. You’ve answered him so fast it was like you've memorized it for a test."

Shiro said nothing about that.

"If it was a test, you aced it," Leo said, "You've passed so well you even snapped a can from your fist in front of him to add to your credibility."

Shiro kept his snout shut.

"You know what's in that prison. You know what's behind that wall," Leo said, "You know it so well that you've mastered not knowing anything about it to the point where you don't even acknowledge it exists."

Shiro kept quiet.

Leo leaned in towards Shiro, "And you could've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for one thing.

"You're too honest. You hide nothing, even if you want to. You're such a terrible liar that when you do tell one you're simply paraphrasing the truth. Any lie you put out of your mouth, your body reacts by showing reality.

"You did what Dove couldn't for the last decade of his life, no matter what you said or did. You showed him the doorway through the wall. You gave him a golden ladder over the top, and he never asked for it either. You handed it to him on a silver platter with a sign in bold saying Have it your way."

Shiro stayed silent for a very long time. His eyes were away from Leo's, glaring down with a hundred-yard stare. Something was boiling in his head, sending its fumes fogging the wolf's crimson red pupils.

Nothingsss else's you's can's doesss…

He turned to Leo and spoke one word, "How?"

Leo tilted his head, "How what?"

You's can'th runsss fromth him'sss.

Through gritted teeth, Shiro asked, "How'd you know?"

"Easy," the leopard said, "You kneeled."

Shiro turned towards Leo.

"You didn't hesitate. You went straight for it. When the donkey asked for it, you gave it to him, free of charge. Complete submission. You've given up shame and self-respect, just so you could get the easy way out.

"As far as I know, there's only two kinds of people who'd throw their faces as easily as this. The first is a coward. The second is someone who'd lost too much to lose again. Seeing as you even dared to go on the stage, I can guess you weren't the former. So all that's left is to test how far you've lost to get to this point.

"It was going to be a hard task to figure it out, but it just so happened that I had-- who was he again… ah yes, the gorilla, Jorge. I just so happened that I had the perfect wildcard for you then. It was risky. It may even be a fluke. But look at you now,

"Look at what I've found."

Shiro hurled out his hand and grabbed the leopard by the neck, veins shooting out of his arms as he crunched his fingers down on his neck. It was like squeezing down a cotton ball. His fingers practically covered the brunt of his throat.

Shiro growled, deep and dark, unfurling his snout as he revealed his sharp, white jaws "Why?"

It was the first the wolf had seen of the leopard in an unbecoming state. His snout was pushed upwards from Shiro's bulging palm, his teeth gritting tight. He barely wheezed small breaths out of his mouth as he struggled to take air in.

Staring straight towards the wolf, Leo choked out the words, "You know… how long I've heard… Dove talk about the wall? He's my… friend… and you were the…perfect guy… to…"

But just as the leopard spoke, his grit slowly turning back into a grin. His words soon stopped, and he started giggling, right then and there, within Shiro's grasp.

As he laughed, he bent his snout back down, forcing the veins on his neck, pushing away from Shiro's fingers. Shiro turned wide-eyed, watching the leopard break from his grip with sheer brute force.

"Who am I kidding," Leo spoke in between laughs, prying Shiro's fingers apart, "Dove was an afterthought. He only came in the picture later. Before him, well-

"It was just getting so boring around here."

Shiro clamped down on Leo's neck harder and yanked him close to his face as he breathed down his face.

Shiro asked, "Why?"

"Why? Why what," Leo repeated after Shiro, the grin still on his face, "I just told-"

Shiro asked again, "Why?"

"I just said-"

The wolf cut him off, growling in a low, choking tone, "Why me?"

He clenched his fingers, his arms practically shaking. Leo kept quiet. He waited in front of the wolf, letting him speak.

"You know him," Shiro growled, "You know Dove. You're his friend. Tell him to leave me alone."

"You said it yourself. I'm his friend," Leo said, "And what kind of a friend am I to tell Dove to give up on his dream?"

"I never did anything to you. Never did anything to anyone," Shiro growled towards Leo, his teeth snapping on the thin air between them, "You forced me first."

"You're right," Leo said, "And now?

"You're giving the best reaction I could ever hope for."

Shiro's fingers exploded with force. Leo's energy was immediately rendered worthless. His snout was forced upwards, shooting up to the ceiling as Shiro twisted his arms, wringing every ounce of strength he had into his palms. Leo's grin disappeared, dying down to a poker face as he realized his survival depended on the thin line of focus.

For an instant, the green in Leo's eyes seemed to blip in and out of life.

Then Shiro stopped. He released his fingers, brushing it across his chest before resting it on the counter. Leo was sent on a coughing fit as soon as Shiro let him go, leaning against the counter with his snout facing the floor as he caught his breath in between heaves. The wolf himself sunk onto the counter, hiding his face in his arms.

Leo slowly climbed back up from his knees, facing the wolf from the other side of the counter.

"You don't need to worry about me anymore. I've had my fill already. It was delicious, if you want to know. You're a mile's cut above anyone I've ever seen," Leo said, "But I've hogged you for far too long, now. It's Dove's turn, and he's been at hard preparing himself for you.

"And who knows? If you put a good enough show, I might come back for a second round."

Leo then leaned over and planted a kiss between Shiro's ears. He whispered to the wolf,

"Don't disappoint me, okay?"

As if on cue, right as Leo pushed himself away from Shiro, Deliah showed up, prancing from the sides, dressed in the standard, sailor-like uniform with a skirt that seemed to ride up her thigh with every step she took.

The lioness pounced onto Leo's arm, pleading, "What're you doing here? The girls and I've been waiting for so long-"

Just as Deliah pushed against Leo, her gaze landed on the counter, where Shiro remained hunched over the counter, his face buried under his arms, quiet and motionless.

"Ew," she spoke, "I told you the trash mutt was here. I knew the girls wouldn't lie to me. We should've come here last week, you know, before that thing came."

"His name is Shiro, Deliah," Leo spoke patiently, "It's not nice to call him a trash mutt."

"Ew," Deliah said again, "I'm not saying his name. No way."

"Well then, guess I'll have to punish you, hm? I'm going back to my room now," Leo said, "I'm not really in a studying mood now.

The lioness seemed genuinely distressed, "But you-"

"Maybe we'll meet each other in your room tomorrow, with the rest of your pride. It's much more private. Your girls will definitely love it," Leo said, "I'm sure the guard will let me in if I ask nicely."

"But-"

"You've been very naughty today. Think about what you've done. I'm also a little tired today," Leo commented, rubbing his neck as he spoke, "You better have learned the next time I see you, okay?"

And off Leo went, striding away from Deliah and out of the library door. The lioness stunned, could only stare at the open doorway with her mouth ajar. She then darted her eyes towards Shiro, shooting him with a deadly glare as if he was the one at fault. She then marched away from the counter, back to the direction she jumped out of earlier, both frustrated and enraged.

It was then when Shiro finally raised his head. With tired arms, he propped himself from the counter and slumped back down on his chair. He looked towards the library.

Every single eye within the library was on him, with quite a few being camera lenses from the students' phones. There wasn't a hint of animosity or ill will from them, only a sea of shock and suspense, with some even carrying fright in their expressions. It was a fresh sight to behold.

Shiro looked to his side.

Krin was there, sitting beside him with her perpetual, toothy smile, spreading across her skull from one bony cheek to another. She was the only one whose expression differed from the rest, whether it was involuntary or not.

Shiro wasn't sure what expression to put on in front of her.

The lizard held the red board in her hand, hesitation apparent throughout her body.

"Sorry," Shiro sighed softly, looking down to his feet.

Krin shook her head with much force. She quickly looked down to her red board, shaking with urgency as she struggled to find the right words to write.

"He's right," Shiro continued, "I came here to hide."

Krin looked back up at the wolf.

"Let's take it again," Shiro said, "That photo. Couldn't do it, just now."

Shiro turned towards Krin again. His gaze had turned into a different shade of colour. His pupils had lost hue, the ruby red drained to a plain, light maroon. His brows drooped, sagging above his eyes. His lips draped down from his snout, covering over his teeth like dying curtains.

Krin's hands still held the red board, her fingers shaking with firm insistence. Then she wrote.

I don't understand.

She erased everything and wrote some more.

I don't know what Leo did to you, or what you did with his friend.

She wrote again.

But if you need help, I'll try my best.

The lizard's eternal smile sat above the red board. Shiro doubt she had ever been able to make another facial expression. Yet, despite her unchanging appearance, Shiro saw a degree of sincerity to her that he couldn't possibly miss unless he was completely blind. It was genuine; untainted by ulterior motives and driven by nothing but good, white intentions to aid a fellow acquaintance.

Shiro reached out with his dark, coarse hands and grabbed onto the red board, plucking it out of Krin's fingers. He rested it on top of her lap, facing it downwards, replacing it with the black box from the counter. The lizard held it lightly as she was handed it, clasping the bottom and sides with her fingers as she kept her gaze on Shiro.

He looked back up, facing Krin. He squinted his eyes and unfurled his tired snout.

He pulled a wane smile; one that exposed his sharp, white, curved canines, splitting across his cheeks from beneath his lips in full display for all in the library to see.

"Then just take the picture. That's all," he said, "Nothing else."