4 Chapter 4: Fluffy Ears And A Bushy Tail, What More Could Possibly Happen?

As I started keying in the data acquired from Aries' sudden transformation, I was struck with a heavy realisation.

I did not record the process in which I tinkered with the gadget! So everything I could study about it was gone! The data is old and buried! There wasn't an updates I have no idea where it went right and wrong...

"Sol. I've done as you asked. Are you sure I shouldn't head home?" Aries asked as he tilted his head, glancing at Sol who was typing away on his computer.

"... No. I still need to monitor your condition. You're fine now, but, it took you five days to wake up... I thought you would never wake up." I muttered as I shifted my gaze to the ground, lowering my head to face the linoleum ground.

"If you say so... ... Say, if I never woke up... Why did you not bury my corpse since you already had it beside you?" Aries asked as he pulled the chair beside Sol, staring at his friend's face.

".... I was about to. Also... Wouldn't it be better if I thought positively for this one time?" I replied but denied all forms of eye contact.

"Wait— you... don't tell me you were going to do something with my body!" Aries jested as he covered his chest in an X sign with his arms.

"N-no!" I exclaimed as he made eye contact and quickly broke away to look at the ceiling.

"T-that's not convincing. You're making me kind of scared to hang around you." Aries said as he inched away from Sol.

"That's not it! I just... didn't know what to say to your parents if anything were to happen to you... I've learned my lesson. It was so difficult imagining your parents never letting me visit even your grave." I blurted out as my fingers fiddled with the paper I had next to the computer.

"That's a little...."

"I know. It was selfish of me... I still should have told them. They deserved that much." I sighed as I laid my palms flat on the table and turned to face Aries.

"No... It's fine for you to be a little selfish. They never once looked at me. I doubt my disappearance would make much difference." Aries said with a sad smile.

"Don't say that! No parents would hate their own son. I should have thought things through even if I was I mourning. They couldn't even say goodbye." I exclaimed as I grabbed Aries' neck, hugging him tightly as I patted his back.

He would never say it outright, but, Aries had always longed for his parents' affection. The only person in his family that he was close with was his sister. However, now that he is stuck here, his sister is still in the US preparing for his stay.

"... Ah... You'd better contact Artemis. Let me find you a phone..." I said as I let him go, searching for a phone which still had a working line.

"It's alright. She is really busy lately. It'd be a bother to..."

"No, it's not. Artemis will not let me go if something were to happen to you..."

"..."

"..."

"... Actually something did happen. So you better give her a call and explain why you won't be going to the US." I finished my sentence after the awkward pause, tossing a phone in Aries' direction.

"Alright, alright." Aries muttered with a soft sigh as he glanced at the phone's screen, staring at the familiar number listed out in the contacts list.

"While you sort things out with her, I will go to your place and get you your change of clothes." I said as I headed towards the front door.

"Wait... I'm staying here?" Aries asked, a little shocked as the phone slipped from his fingers.

"I didn't tell you?" I asked as I stared at the confused expression on his face.

"No? Wait! I'll go with you, my things might be heavy." Aries said as he grabbed the phone off the ground and moved to stand up while making for my direction.

"It's alright. Just get that phone call over and done with by the time I return." I grinned as I opened the door.

"But my room is... uh... uh... messy!" Aries said panickly as he held my wrist, shaking his head as if to tell me not to do it.

"It's fine even if it's messy. You've been to my place, like... ... wow... almost everyday. I doubt I have the chance to say your place is as bad as mine."

"But..."

"Also... did you forget?" I asked as I pointed at my head and then at my butt.

"What?" Aries looked at me a little baffled before remembering he had a new addition of ears and a tail.

"Right. So stay put like a good boy. I'll be back before you know it." I said with a gentle smile and patted his head.

"... Don't... snoop around too much." Aries said as he handed me his room key, his expression clearly of him pouting.

"I'll be sure to snoop around plenty!" I grinned, shutting the door as I heard Aries call out my name in frustration.

***

Aries glanced at the door as his best friend exited the room. He sighed as he imagined his friend entering his room and going wide eyed when he saw the amounts of pictures he had stashed of the two together. It was basically all over his room.

Would it have been too obvious that he was slightly obsessed with Sol?

"N-no... It should be fine. Sol is a little slow..." Aries convinced himself as he picked up the phone which had fallen to the floor and dialed his sister's number.

After speaking with her and explaining why he won't be moving to the US or living with her, he cut the call and rubbed at his ear. His sister's sharp tone of voice and especially shrill voice was the one thing he could not stand about her. However, it brought him some form of relief that he could tell her why he wasn't able to go over to live with her.

Feeling a little anxious, Aries headed towards the window, staring at the curtains which were drawn. He furrowed his brows in confusion before reaching out towards them.

Why are they shut? Doesn't he always leave them open no matter the time of day?

Aries paid no mind to the thought and drew open the curtains, only for his eyes to catch sight of a particularly bright and round thing glowing in the sky. No matter what he did, he could not peel his eyes off of it.

And somewhere in the depths of his mind, he heard a faint howling. As he tried to close his eyes to drown out the sound of said howling and turn away from the moon, the further away from reality did he feel.