Chapter 247: A Foxian Tale of the Haunted 『 Part Twenty-two 』
「 HuoHuo found herself standing within a secluded, quiet courtyard. Drawing upon her prior experience contending with heliobus, she quickly realized she had been possessed.
Knowing Tail's arrogant temperament, she was certain that the entity inhabiting her was not him. Yet, this was her first time facing the illusory barriers of a Heliobus entirely alone. Just as she felt utterly helpless, she spotted a figure in the distance—her mother.
"Mom…?" HuoHuo gazed at the familiar yet estranged figure in astonishment. For a moment, her throat felt as though it were blocked by a mass of warm cotton. Her voice trembled slightly: "…Is this an illusion? Mom, why are you here? I've missed you so much."
She moved to step forward, but her feet suddenly froze in place. Her mother's terrified gaze was like a rusted blade, slowly and cruelly carving into her heart.
"Don't—don't come any closer!" Her mother's shrill voice pierced the stagnant air as she stumbled backward. "You aren't HuoHuo… you aren't my daughter… You're carrying that filthy thing. Stay away!"
"…How is my sister? Is she alright?"
Her mother gritted her teeth, enunciating every word: "She would be far better off if you stayed away from her."
Finally, a flicker of guilt surfaced in the woman's eyes. "I'm sorry, HuoHuo. Your father and I had no choice but to send you to the Ten-Lords Commission. Just… act as if you never had parents like us…"
With that, her mother fled in a state of panic.
HuoHuo continued forward, only to find her childhood classmates waiting ahead. They clapped and cheered as they swarmed around her, mocking her without mercy.
"Huohuo's tail is all singed! It looks like a giant sparkler!"
"Monster! Stay away from us!"
"Huh? Trying to make us feel sorry for you? I can't stand people who do that!"
HuoHuo sobbed, her voice thick with tears. "You're... You're all so mean!"
"Blame that weird tail of yours! None of us has tails that catch fire. Go away!" A classmate looked at her with pure disgust. "We aren't talking to monsters anymore. Beat it, beat it!" 」
「 .....」
〜One Piece World〜
Chopper sat on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, his furry hooves tightly clutching a cup of hot cocoa. His eyes remained fixed on the sky, watching the images of HuoHuo being bullied.
"Miss HuoHuo… she's just like me…"
He lowered his gaze and murmured, his voice nearly swallowed by the sound of the waves.
"Hah?! Those damn adults abandoned their own daughter just because of that?"
Nami's temper flared as she watched.
"That tail is clearly cool! And… abandoning a daughter over a tail? That's completely nonsensical…"
Chopper's hooves trembled slightly, and the cocoa cup creaked under his grip.
"I… I understand that feeling…"
His voice choked up.
"Doing nothing wrong, yet being treated like a monster…"
"Chopper…"
Nami gently ruffled his hat, her eyes filled with tenderness and heartache.
"Well, at least that kid has some decent companions now,"
Sanji said, exhaling a cloud of smoke as a faint smile touched his lips.
"The Ghost-Hunting Squad aside, the seniors at the Ten-Lords Commission clearly acknowledge her. As for that Tail… the guy is all bark and no bite. He probably accepted HuoHuo a long time ago."
"Yeah! Just like us!"
Luffy grinned widely and slapped Chopper on the back with such force that he nearly sent him through the deck.
"Chopper is the best doctor in the world now! HuoHuo will definitely become the best Judge in Xianzhou!"
Chopper rubbed his stinging nose, trying desperately to hold back his tears, but his lips curled upward nonetheless. Just as he was about to say something grateful, Zoro's voice drifted over from nearby.
"Hmph. Only the weak get depressed over things like this,"
Zoro remarked, leaning against the railing with his eyes closed.
"The truly strong use their power to shut those idiots up."
"Hey! Marimo! You're supposed to say something nice at a time like this!"
Sanji swung a kick at him.
"Hah?! You wanna go, Curly-brows?!"
"Bring it on! I could use the exercise!"
—
「 Following the departure of her mother and classmates, HuoHuo spiraled into a deep state of self-negation and doubt. As she pushed forward, Tail suddenly appeared before her.
"Tail, how… why are you here? Weren't you already… I see. This time, you're the one leaving," HuoHuo said, looking piteously aggrieved.
"Hah?!" The newly arrived Tail was utterly bewildered.
HuoHuo grew more upset as she spoke, her sobbing becoming uncontrollable. "Everyone leaves me. What am I supposed to do? I don't want to be all alone…"
Tail opened his mouth to speak, but HuoHuo immediately cut him off, signaling that she couldn't bear to watch him vanish.
"Are you a Judge or not?! This is the Heliobus messing with your head! Pull yourself together! Stop playing into its hands…"
But HuoHuo simply repeated, "Everyone has left." Seeing her completely immersed in her sorrow, Tail gritted his teeth. Deciding to go all in, he dragged back all the people who had just departed.
Tail possessed HuoHuo's mother and classmates. Feeling the cold-heartedness of her biological parents and the performative cruelty of the bratty kids, Tail could only let out a long sigh.
Possessing her mother, he pinched his throat to mimic a woman's tone, saying with dead seriousness: "HuoHuo, my dear daughter… Mommy and Daddy shouldn't have left you alone."
Then, jumping into a classmate, he began to spout utter nonsense with a straight face: "HuoHuo, I'm sorry! I was just jealous that your tail is cooler than mine!"
"HuoHuo, I've dreamed of having such a flashy tail! Please, will you play with me?" 」
「 .....」
〜Kaguya-sama: Love Is War World〜
In the Student Council Room, Shinomiya Kaguya was trying her best to maintain her elegant, ladylike composure. However, seeing Tail's clumsy efforts on the screen, she couldn't help but let out a soft "Pfft" and giggle.
"Oh my, Tail really is a 'tsundere' fellow, isn't he?"
Kaguya gently twirled a lock of hair at her temple with her fingertip.
"Such a clumsy way of doing things is truly…"
"Hm? Shinomiya, don't tell me you'd want someone to comfort you like that?"
Shirogane looked up at her, his pen leaving a small ink blot on the paper.
"Well, I think I'd prefer something a bit more direct~"
On the surface, Shinomiya Kaguya gracefully lifted her black tea, a polite smile fixed on her face. Internally, however, a tempest was raging—
(Why is a Heliobus so smooth?! This is way too heartwarming! I want that too! I want that too, President!)
She stared fixedly at Tail's ridiculous voice on the screen, her fingers trembling as she gripped her teacup. A tiny crack silently spread across the porcelain.
(This ball of fire acts like he looks down on HuoHuo, but he's more devoted than anyone!)
(Could the President be like that, too? Acting indifferent on the surface, but actually…)
Kaguya's gaze shot like an arrow toward Shirogane Miyuki as he organized documents. But he remained completely oblivious, even letting out a small yawn.
(HE! JUST! YAWNED!)
(Hasn't the President learned anything from Tail? I love this kind of trope too!)
Her rationality was evaporating; a physical aura of dark gloom seemed to swirl above Kaguya's head. If jealousy could manifest, the entire Student Council Room would likely be stained blood-red by her resentment.
(I wish the President would get possessed by Tail—)
(No! It would be better if the President realized it himself! To say "Shinomiya, you're the cutest!" in a gentle voice, or "Shinomiya-san, please go out with me!" with total sincerity!)
(And then I could reluctantly…)
"Shinomiya? You look terrifying…"
Shirogane finally noticed her abnormality and asked in confusion. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I. Am. Per-fect-ly. Fine~"
Kaguya's forehead was almost entirely cast in shadow as she flashed a brilliantly horrifying smile.
"I was just thinking that some people aren't even as good as a talking ball of fire."
Shirogane Miyuki: "???"
The boy froze, then scratched his head in total bewilderment, muttering under his breath:
"Did I do something wrong to make Shinomiya angry?"
—