The morning rays broke through the canopy of ripped curtains. It had gotten slightly warmer, which made sense considering the door was missing and it was freezing cold at midnight.
Aiden was the first to awaken, quickly moving to the kitchen to prepare food for himself and three hunters who had yet to shake off the slumber. A couple of strips of bacon sizzled in the pan, and the crackling of fat splashed on the blue apron he had been wearing. Its sound could lift anyone's negative disposition, even Aiden's. And so it did; combined with its aroma, it was an intoxicating morning routine.
Four plates were set around a dining table. As the porcelain bases hit the wood, a memory flashed in his mind. Four people used to sit at this table previously. And now, only one remained. However...
Aiden's head snapped back as the first pair of footsteps descended the stairs. It was the mature Meilin, still very much rocking her panda pyjamas. Before she could say anything, Aiden forced those thoughts out of his mind; dwelling on the past wouldn't help out in the present.
"Morning! Oh wow, you made breakfast for all of us?! You should have asked me for some help; this kind of thing is fun to do in pairs."
"I didn't know...sorry..." Aiden looked down at his feet while taking off the apron.
"Wait no- sorry, that was inconsiderate of me." Meilin had only slept here one night, but she felt it. The very walls were imbued with feelings of longing and loneliness. 'He has been alone for so long, poor kid.' But she puffed out her chest, ran up the stairs, changed, and dragged the girls down.
Lyra had managed to sleep through the whole process, her face now buried in the breakfast, while Ryn was looking in the kitchen for a pair of chopsticks.
"Wahh, it's so good, Aiden!" Meilin was acting quite extra today. Unbeknownst to Aiden, the girls had a long conversation the previous night about how to approach the next while. And the first step was to grow closer to the rabid dog.
But Aiden was not buying it. A normal, typical guy would have fallen for Meilin's abnormal beauty and flattering statements. Some have even confessed their love at first sight, asking for marriage signatures the same day.
However...Aiden had not grown up around others. After his father chose to remain in the States, Aiden had remained alone, only venturing for essentials in nearby villages. So, in short, her charm did not affect him; the concept of romance was foreign to him.
"Oh, hey cutie~ how did I get here?" Lyra sat up, rubbing her eyes and cleaning the egg yolk from her cheek. Meilin quickly explained, and it seemed to be enough for her to drop the topic.
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The morning sun was rising quickly; the four had a lot of work cut out for them, which would have normally been all for Aiden to do. So everything moved more efficiently. Lyra and Ryn departed for the village, buying supplies for the next few days. Things like ink, paper, rice, meat, and toiletries.
This left Meilin and Aiden to set up fences along the perimeter of the house. Normally, Aiden would have to drop a bit of his blood on each fence to create a charm that held against the lower-level creatures. But Meilin was well-versed in all things sorcery-related, which included the talismans etched into the poles.
And within two hours, seventy-two poles had been implanted into the paddy field. Cool, refreshing lemonade was made ahead of time by Meilin, who waited patiently to be reaped as a reward for their hard work. Her thin T-shirt was all but soaked through. Aiden shot a look but was rather perplexed by an ancient memory between himself, his father and one other person.
["Don't you know how to appreciate the summer?! I didn't bring you to the beach to play volleyball! Look at those girls, their tops were practically see-through from the water! Be a man {redacted} and live a little."}
His father had a frequent habit of ogling girls on the beach, which resulted in many quarrels with Aiden's mother.
But something felt off... 'Who was he? Why can't I remember his name?' Just before his mind would dive deeper to dig for answers, he returned to reality, his eyes fixated on Meilin.
"I don't understand...what is so special about them?" He said this while staring directly at Meilin's assets. She was startled to say the least, a thin pink blush spreading across her cheeks. But alas, she managed to keep her composure and answer him.
"Well, it's not that there is something intrinsically amazing about them, but rather, people find them erotic." She pushed her chest forward slightly with her forearms. Silence filled the air, each second chipping away at Meilin's sanity a little more.
"A-Anyway! We sure did a great job, the beast of the Sanzu river will struggle penetrating it." Proud of her work, Meilin began jotting down their last activity, in as much detail as possible.
Aiden peeked over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what the Chinese girl was writing. Funnily enough, regardless of how hard he tried to understand it, the Hanzi weren't making any sense to him.
"So...if you don't mind me asking."
Meilin turned her head to the side, their face were only about five inches apart. His thick, warm breath splashes against her face.
"Y-Yeah?" The feathered pen slipped from her hand, tapping against the floor.
"Actually, two things. The first is regarding that notebook. I tried pushing my curiosity down, but what do you keep writing in it?"
Meilin stared wide-eyed. "Ah- That's what you are talking about...Well, it's how I communicate with the Nine-Tailed Fox. Among the three, we were designated different roles. Ryn is the leader, I am the recorder, and Lyra is the muscle." She smiled widely, but a tinge of sadness had splashed in her heart over the missed opportunity for something to happen between them.
Aiden nodded, satisfied with her answer, and he moved on to his next request. "And-"
His cheeks flushed lightly, and a warm wave sent ripples through his body from his core. This was the first time he had felt like this. Embarrassment. "Could you teach me how to read and write?"