My spirit animal is a F–Rank gecko-Chapter 44: Back to the past (5)

"Okay, that’s it. I’m complaining." Karina rolled up her sleeves and started marching downstairs, while Ivy desperately tried to stop her friend from getting arrested.

"I mean..." Anastasia glanced around the filthy classroom, trying to find something positive to say. "I don’t think it’s that bad..."

She was holding her derpy fox, its tongue hanging out lazily. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Then Ginger spotted a cockroach near a table. Its ears perked up.

"YIP YIP!!"

"Ginger, don’t!"

But Ginger had already launched itself from Ana’s embrace, darting toward the unsuspecting roach.

Chaos erupted.

Ginger leaped onto a table, which immediately collapsed beneath its weight. Undeterred, it spotted the cockroach near a closet and gave chase.

"YIP YIP!"

"Ginger, please!" Ana sprinted after her fox, but Ginger was faster—crashing straight into the closet.

Wooden planks rained down, burying the fox.

"GINGER!" Ana coughed through the dust cloud, frantically tossing planks aside until she found her stupid fox. She scooped him up and hugged him tight.

"Don’t go anywhere!!"

"Yip yip..." Ginger’s crossed eyes started to close, ready for a nap—until it spotted a bird inside the classroom.

Its eyes snapped wide open. It launched itself out of Ana’s arms again.

In its rampage, Ginger destroyed more tables and chairs while Ana ran in circles, desperately trying to catch her fox.

Jay watched the chaos unfold with a completely stoic expression.

He glanced right. Karina was brandishing a giant pointy wooden stick while Ivy physically restrained her.

He looked back at the classroom. Ginger had demolished every piece of furniture, and Ana kept falling flat on her face during her futile chase.

Jay’s eye twitched.

Jaster... I really wish you were here right now...

The fox spotted another bird outside. Its tail wagged furiously.

"YIP YIP!"

It crouched, then leaped toward the window.

"GINGER, NOOOO!!"

Right before Ginger could shatter the glass, a brown snake swooped in and caught it mid-air.

Ginger yelped as the snake securely wrapped around the fox and gently passed it back to Anastasia.

Her eyes gleamed with relief as she hugged Ginger again. "Oh, my baby! Please don’t ever do that again ok...!"

Then her gaze shifted to the snake, and she screamed.

"AAAAHHH, A SNAKE!" She pointed frantically at the brown serpent.

"Buzzess."

Jay stepped forward, and the snake immediately crawled up his arm and coiled around his shoulder.

"Easy there, Fooly." He stroked the snake’s head, and it closed its eyes, purring softly.

Ana’s eyes went wide with wonder. She rushed over to Jay.

"That’s your spirit animal?! It’s so cute!!" Her eyes sparkled as she studied the brown snake covered in black polka dots.

Jay flinched at her sudden enthusiasm, then scoffed.

"Of course he’s cute." He rubbed Fooly’s head again.

"It’s a he? I don’t even know what gender my animal is. Can I touch your snake?"

Jay didn’t really want to, but seeing Ana’s genuine smile as she admired Fooly made him sigh internally and give in.

"Sure..."

Ana gently traced her finger along the snake’s scaly skin.

"Oh wow..."

For the first time in a very long while, Jay felt something unusual stir in his chest.

He always knew exactly what emotions he was feeling—but after Ana reached out, asked to pet his spirit animal, and looked at him without judgment...

Jay finally felt seen.

He opened his mouth, about to say something to Anastasia—

But Karina’s sharp clap echoed through the room, cutting him off.

"So, my fellow friends! Here’s the plan!"

Everyone turned toward Karina.

And just like that, Jay snapped back to reality. He immediately shut his mouth.

He punched himself in the face.

Stupid Jay! You almost let your emotions take control again!

Anastasia blinked, confused, watching Jay repeatedly slap himself.

"Okay. Instead of complaining and getting nowhere, how about we clean this place up and decorate it ourselves!"

Anastasia pumped her fist with enthusiasm. "Yes!"

Jay simply nodded, going along with the flow.

"See? I knew you could be the leader while Jaster’s away!" Ivy patted Karina’s back.

The lilac-haired girl smiled and ruffled Ivy’s hair until it fell messily over her face.

"Hey!"

"Thanks, cutie!"

Karina surveyed the room—dust hung thick in the air, making everything hazy and humid.

"Let’s tackle this dust issue first."

She raised her hand, and a radiant blue glow emanated from her chest.

Her azure butterfly emerged, gently flapping its wings and creating a soft current of wind.

The dust began drifting out through the broken window, slowly clearing the air.

Anastasia watched Karina contribute and hurriedly scanned the room for her own task.

Then Ginger barked at another cockroach near a table. That instantly gave her an idea.

"I’ll handle all the rodents and pests in this classroom."

Ginger kicked its little legs, desperately trying to break free from Ana’s grip.

"Yip yip!"

Anastasia bent down and whispered in Ginger’s ear.

"Go get them, Ginger."

"YIP YIP YIP!"

She released the fox, and it tore across the floor like a tiny hurricane.

Ginger hunted cockroaches, spiders, rats—even scattered flies weren’t spared from its rampage.

While Ginger jumped and snapped at flies mid-air, Jay noticed the thick cobwebs clinging to the ceiling.

"I’ll take care of the roof."

He extended his hand, and Fooly slithered up the wall and onto the ceiling.

The snake whipped his tail against the cobwebs, sending them falling to the ground in clumps.

Soon, the floor was blanketed with loose webbing.

"This is my time to shine!"

Ivy summoned her spirit animal, a brown hare came out from her chest. And they both dashed to the dusty storage room.

"Bingo!" She emerged with armfuls of cleaning supplies while her hare dragged a bowl of water behind it.

Ivy swept up all the fallen cobwebs, then moved on to mopping the floor and scrubbing every piece of salvageable furniture.

Everyone had found their own role. Instead of complaining to the administrator or wallowing in self-pity, they chose to work together.

Because everything is always easier when you do it together.