Strange.

The first night sleeping in your new apartment felt strange.

Not in a bad way, just unfamiliar and unexpectedly easy. With a heavy bag of yesterday's bought trinkets and kitchen utensils situated against the front door to alert you in case of intruders and a frying pan within your reach, you awake with a startle to the blaring alarm of your phone.

The light of dawn skitters through your window and you take a few moments to just be. For a minute, you simply let yourself wake up and only exist, not thinking about what lies ahead. It's a habit you copied from Hayato, back when you and the Doberman shared a hospital room.

He tended to be spiritually-wise like that.

However, you've got another busy day ahead of you and unfortunately you only got a few hours of sleep due to last night's dinner with Legoshi and his grandpa, which then turned into a full on fight with a gang of birds as well as your bizarre encounter with a certain hybrid. The memory of Melon remains in your mind as you reluctantly get out from beneath your comfortable blanket and begin to roll up the futon, storing it in the dresser while you recount the sand-paper-like feeling of the hybrid's tongue on your skin.

If you say it like that, it sounds sexual but in reality, the male was just kind of weird in his general behaviour. But you don't really blame him for it; odds are that he never truly learnt how to behave in social interactions due to his genetic status. You've experienced first-hand how blatantly racist these animals can be and you're actually far better off as a human than a hybrid between a carnivore and a herbivore could ever be due to mostly having the favour of the government on your side. Also, you're herbivore-passing, whilst not awakening any hunting instincts in carnivores, so neither side of society wants to have your head. Meanwhile, individuals like Melon are painted as the antichrist and entirely cast out.

Hell, even with 'ordinary' hybrids they're ruthless, like refusing to help Hayato's family in any way financially with Hana's cancer treatment because she's a hybrid. It's sad and disappointing, but that's how society usually is, no matter which form it takes.

While those thoughts swim through your head, you get dressed in clothes fitting for the cold temperatures outside, before going through your morning routine. You eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, etcetera; then you get to organizing. Your meeting with Cherryton Academy to get the rest of your stuff isn't until early afternoon, as they didn't want you to accidentally distract the students from studying. So you decided to spend the time doing something useful, like getting used to your own place and putting away all your new things.

Finding space for the kitchen utensils proves to be the hardest, but once you're finished you let out a long, relieved exhale whilst your hands are stemmed onto your hips. Your apartment now looks like it's actually being lived in and not just for show, the two plants bringing some light-heartedness to the room. With a glance to the clock, you see that you still have some time to spare and deep in thought, your e/c eyes return to the lock on your front door.

That's right...I wanted to change the locks.

So you grab your jacket and leave your apartment, locking the door behind you. A yawn escapes you and a harsh gust of cold air collides with your body when you step onto the street, causing you to shiver. Hands buried in your pockets, you make your way back to the market square, remembering that you spotted a home-security and hardware store around that area.

After spinning in a circle like a lost potato for a moment, you eventually spot said store and skip towards it, entering through the door with the harsh ring of the bell above it. The male Mongoose behind the counter greets you but other than that you're left to your own devices, which you appreciate. However, you're quickly overwhelmed by the large variety of security locks and so you find yourself asking for his help only five minutes later.

"You say you live in a small apartment? Then I recommend this one." He says as he hands you a box, the lock depicted on the front. You politely decline when he asks if you need to schedule a time for someone to help you install the lock and instead pick out a simple tool box before paying for your items, waving goodbye to the mongoose as you leave. Honestly, it probably would've been a smarter thing to have someone who knows what they're doing to install the lock but you want to learn to be more independent and self-sufficient.

You can't run to other people for help every time something in your apartment needs to be fixed or renovated. So you figured, why not start with a simple lock?

Though of course, you underestimated the anguish that is being Bob the Builder. Many, many angry huffs and puffs escape you as you sit in front of your front door, tongue peeking out from between your lips in concentration as you once again attempt to screw a loose screw shut. Finally, it sticks and you experimentally pull at the lock, smiling when it remains strong unlike the old one. Additionally, you've added two of those lovely chains onto the door frame on the inside, seeking comfort in the fact that your safety is now a little less on the line.

And with a glance to the clock, you realize that you've finished just in time to get going to Cherryton Academy. Once again adorning your jacket to shield you from the cold weather, you leave the hidden condo and take on a casual pace on your way to the station, leisurely checking your phone in the midst of it. Curiosity had gotten the better of you now that you've found a free moment to ponder and you wondered if a certain wolf had shown a sign of life.

Unsurprisingly, there's no message from Legoshi; no 'hey, hope you made it back okay' or anything like that. Of course, you're a little bummed about it but you're not mad at him, knowing that whatever reason he had for the previous radio-silence didn't vanish overnight and most likely, he forgot to send a check-up text in his airhead-ways. At least that's what you hope it is and that he's not ignoring you for any other reason. Anyhow, you send him a telling text.

Hey Wolfie, we still need to have that talk.

After that, you stuff your phone back into your pocket and glance up, noticing that you've reached the train station. It doesn't take long for your train to arrive and as usual, you ride in the hybrid cart, wilfully ignoring the small fight behind you as usual. Leaning against the pole that you're holding on to, you stare out of the clean glass as the city passes by you at rapid speed. You find serenity in that small moment of peace, where no one wants anything from you.

Where you can simply be, without any expectations or reminders of the past. A moment in which you can pretend you're still home, that you've never died, that your hands are clean of all the blood that now haunts your dreams.

Simply pretend, that's all you wish to do right now. And thankfully, you are granted those long minutes of solitude and tranquillity.

Until eventually, reality catches up with you and you're at your stop, forced to leave the train to confront a bunch of animals that you've last seen shortly before this entire shitshow began. What a joy, truly something to look forward to.

For this very reason, taking Doctor Baron's orders to take it easy as an excuse, you walk extra slow up the hill to Cherryton Academy. But still, time isn't on your side and your reach the perfectly clean gates far sooner than you would've liked. You turn your gaze skywards, staring at the moving clouds amongst the brilliant blue background and take a deep breath.

Let's get this over with. The sooner this is done, the sooner I can just move on completely and pretend I left highschool for stupid reasons like any other teenager, not because I'm a mental wreck.

Burying your hands further into your pockets, you subconsciously try to hide yourself within your jacket and away from the uncomfortable stares resting on your form the second an animal catches sight of you. Of course, you knew this would happen; it's basically a perfect repeat of your very first day at this school.

Back then, nearly everyone looked at you as though you're a literal alien, which in all honesty, you are for all of these anthropomorphic animals. Most of them didn't have the common decency to not blatantly stare at you and now, the exact same scenario is repeating itself.

Only now, they're staring because you're the human that went missing.

The human that was involved in that car accident that was all over the news.

And their stares and hushed whispers are more than enough to let you know that most of them have their own little theories about you and your involvement. They don't even attempt to hide it and fall quiet when you pass them, most likely hoping for a reaction from you, one you never deliver.

Some say the Maned Wolf was behind it all, which isn't a lie.

Others say it was the aftermath of a human breakdown on your end that led to the accident.

A few whisper that you've murdered them in cold blood. That the entire car crash was orchestrated by yours truly, meant to claim more lives than it did.

Through it all, you don't move a single facial muscle and remain completely calm on the exterior. However, their words cut deep on the inside and once again, guilt begins to gnaw at you like a foul beast. It makes you want to puke, but you pull yourself together.

I can break down once I'm back at the condo. Just hold out till then.

You enter the main building of the school, on your way to the secretary office, which were the ones you called the day before to even make this moment happen. Once you find it, you inform the secretary of your arrival and that you're only here to pick up your belongings from your dorm. You keep quiet about the fact that you also want to sneak into the drama club just to truly say goodbye to your clubmates and clear the air. None of them really know what happened after all and while you won't go into detail, you've grown close to them over the year you've been here and you feel like they deserve your honesty in this matter.

The secretary tells you that you have a window of two and a half hours to get your bearings before you're expected back at the office to give up your dorm key, sign some finalizing paperwork and then leave the school grounds.

And so you find yourself wandering through the familiar hallways, empty due to the afternoon hour that causes most students to spend it in their dorms or outside with their friends. Smiling tenderly, you recall the times when you and Haru would walk side by side in these halls, carrying some of her plants or just talking about ordinary things. You remember how you first met Juno in one of these hallways and how she would follow you around from time to time when she thought you wouldn't notice. You remember the time you and Aisha talked about rainbow potatoes and how you walked into Legoshi and Jack that day.

Memories of your roommates and the time you've spent together fill your mind as you climb the stairs in the female dormatories. How you've laughed and smiled together, playing epic rounds of Uno or monopoly. How you've cried in Aisha's arms during your first week here and how your group seemed to look out for one another almost constantly.

Of course, you also recall the day all of that changed in great detail.

When you made the mistake to tell the Greyhound the truth about you; how you've died before. You recall how she freaked out and called you a liar. Even after you were kidnapped by the Shishigumi, the rift that fight caused between you and the dogs could never truly be fixed. The atmosphere remained cold and ignorant throughout the rest of your time here, up until the day at the laboratory.

Now, as you stand in front of the door to canine dorm 207, you fear that your relationship can't be fully rekindled again. It doesn't help that you now have another added trauma involving domesticated dogs; the species that is supposedly humanity's greatest allies, man's best friend. It was the very reason you were even placed in a room with them.

How ironic.

Before everything went to shit, you felt so safe with them. They were a familiarity, a reminder of the world you were forced to leave behind. These dogs were your safe place long before anyone else could take up that title.

You only hope to bid them farewell on a good note and apologise for the troubles you've caused.

Lifting your hand, you knock. A part of you prays that no one answers. But alas, luck isn't on your side, as expected.

The door swings open and reveals none other than Eden, the dark brown and headstrong Doberman that now reminds you of Hayato. Her face held a smile as she chuckled at some joke someone on the inside had told, only for her features to visibly freeze at the sight of you. Her tall frame blocks the door and she makes no indication of moving in the near future.

"Hey." You finally break the silence, removing your hands from your pockets and instead crossing your arms in front of your chest protectively. Effectively hiding your four-fingered hand. "Can I come in? Don't worry, I won't stay for long."

"Uh...sure." She says after a while, stepping aside to let you in and closing the door behind you. The heavy, uncomfortable silence continues as you take off your shoes and leave them near the door before walking further into the room, standing as stiff as a board whilst the tension rises in your muscles.

Three pairs of eyes look back at you, the fourth one staring holes into the back of your head. You take them in, subconsciously checking their state of appearance; another habit you seem to have picked up since the incident at the laboratory. However, they seem fine to you, with no sign of injury, sickness or bad sleeping habits. That's a relief at least.

They're huddled together at the dorm table, a game of Uno laid out in front of them fully complete with a bowl of salt pretzels and chips. All of them regard you with an expression of pure shock, like they've just seen a ghost. Daisy, the Shiloh Shepherd, has literally frozen whilst biting into a chip.

"Hey, girls," You greet them, tightening your arms insecurely in front of you as you stand in the room, "Long time no see."

They're still quiet, Aisha and Eden exchanging expressive glances back and forth between one another as if you're not stuck in the middle of them, well aware of the awkward atmosphere. So you just shrug, slowly moving towards your bed. "Well, uh, anyways, I'm just here to pick up my stuff. I'll be back out before you know it. Just act like I'm not here."

You choose to ignore the silent but wild gestures performed by the Doberman behind you and bend over to pull an empty duffel bag from underneath your old bed, an old purchase from some trip to the city back when you bought new art supplies. It's also the reason you didn't bring or buy another bag, cause you know for a fact that all your leftover belongings will definitely fit into this one. There was no reason to do any extra work.

Opening the bag, you stand up straight again and go over to the closet. Then, you start to take out your casual clothes, stacking them in your arms and only leaving behind Cherryton's school uniforms.

And only as you begin to stuff them into your bag does Aisha open her mouth after a seemingly telling fake cough from the Doberman. Her voice rings through the room, causing a whole new wave of regret to wash over you.

"So, Y/n," She starts, "Where have you been?"

***

Where have I been indeed, ey?

SUPRISE, I AM NOT DEAD!

Hope you enjoyed this new chapter, even though it's back to og size (meaning 2,85k words). We are continuing this sequel, baby, woohoo!

Let's be honest, how many of you had lost hope at this point?

Now, to explain. I first put this story on hold to figure shit out, plot wise and all because I felt like I had no drive to write. Somehow, around that time a certain existential crisis that I avoided for months snuck up on me, which was the crisis of sexuality. For years, I identified as pan, bi or omni, not feeling entirely comfortable with any of these terms. After taking the time to be honest with myself, I have realized that I am a lesbian that has (and sometimes still does) suffered from compulsive heterosexuality. It really took a while and a lot of mental breakdowns to come to terms with it, honestly, cause the fact that it kind of destroys the possibility of a "hetero-passing" relationship in the future that I had before, which is scary. My parents are super supportive and accepting though, so I know I am very lucky in that regard.

Now, how does that tie into this story?

Well, once I let myself actually be myself, I found myself not wanting to spend my time with mostly "straight" media, due to the wound being rather fresh and because most of my stories started as me as the reader character in my head. That's also the reason why I've rewritten my bnha hawks fan fiction with a genderbend hawks.
The only reason I feel the drive to write with is because for this story, the MC kind of formed into a new character of mine that I can imagine while I write. On top of that though, Legoshi in canon is a rather dull character from this point on, which is something I still need to figure out how to work with.

Then life got in the way, but here I am now. Enough with the sappy stuff, I'm happy to be back. And shit's about to be confrontational in the next chapter.

This book will be updated weekly on saturdays. So you can look forward to that!

Anyways, that's it from me for now. Stay safe everyone.

See you in the next chapter!