Roselle and Jess found themselves standing before her mother, Mrs. Magenta. Mrs. Magenta eyed Jess suspicion in the doorway. Her gaze swept over Jess's attire. She raised an eyebrow. "So, Roselle, who is this... girl you’ve brought home?"

  Roselle responded quickly. "Mom, before you ask, Jess doesn’t do any of that stuff you might be thinking. She’s actually a student at my school and—"

  Mrs. Magenta’s eyes widened. "A student? But... look at her. Are you sure she’s not...?"

  "No, Mom!" Roselle cut in. Her face reddened slightly. "Jess is just my friend. She’s been going through a tough time. I invited her to stay here for a bit."

  Mrs. Magenta looked skeptical. "It’s a bit hard to believe. Why don’t you tell me the story of how you two met?"

  Roselle sighed in relief. . She motioned for Jess to sit down and began recounting their meeting,

  After Roselle finished her account, her mother, Mrs. Magenta, sat in stunned silence, processing the overwhelming information. After a moment, her face contorted with shock and disbelief. She opened her mouth to respond, but first, a scream escaped her lips.

  "What?!" Mrs. Magenta exclaimed. "Roselle, this is unbelievable!”

  Jess looked at Roselle with concern. "Are you sure you should have told her EVERYTHING that happened today?! I mean, is she not gonna flip and kick me out the door right now?"

  Roselle nodded. “My mom is cool with stuff like this. I can talk to her about anything and she will listen to me. To me, Mom is like, the secret agent of the Detective's club!"

  Mrs. Magenta took a deep breath and composed herself. "Alright, alright, Jess can stay for now. But first, we need to make sure everything’s okay with Michigo, as you mentioned. After that, you both need to get some rest. It’s been a rough day, and you deserve a break."

  Roselle’s shoulders relaxed in relief. "See? My mom’s cool. We’ll figure out the Michigo situation and then get some rest!"

  Mrs. Magenta took a moment to study Jess, taking in her sultry outfit and her alluring presence. While she wasn't typically strict she had concerns."Jess, I want to make it clear that we're happy to have you here, but we need to maintain a certain level of decorum in this house. My daughter is very important to me, and I wouldn't want any distractions that might... well, get in the way."

  Jess nodded. "I completely get it, Mrs. Magenta. I'll be respectful and mindful of the environment here."

  Roselle looked a bit confused by her mother's words. "Mom, what do you mean by ‘distractions getting in the way’?"

  Mrs. Magenta hesitated for a moment before responding. "Oh, Roselle, it's nothing to worry about. I was just saying that we want to create a good environment for Jess while she's here, that's all. It's just... I want you to focus on your work and your future without any unnecessary distractions."

  Roselle nodded, though she knew there was something her mother wasn't saying. She decided not to press the issue further and replied, "I understand, Mom. I'll make sure to keep up with my studies and detective work."

  After the agreement was made, Roselle showed Jess around the house. They eventually reached a door a few rooms down from Roselle's own. Roselle opened the door to reveal a neatly kept and somewhat spacious bedroom.

  "Jess, this is where you'll be staying," Roselle said with a solemn look. “It was my father's room. We've kept it just as it was, but I thought it might be a nice place for you to stay while you're here."

  Jess entered the room, taking in the quiet atmosphere before replying. "I understand, Roselle. I'll make sure to be considerate and take good care of the room. Thank you for letting me stay here."

  Roselle smiled warmly at Jess. "You're welcome, Jess. If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. My mom and I are here to make your stay as comfortable as possible."

  With that, they left the room.

  Midnight approached and the duo, Roselle and Jess found themselves downstairs in the kitchen, preparing for a late dinner. Mrs. Magenta had left them to their own devices. Roselle placed two bowls of warm canned soup on the table and sat down, gesturing for Jess to join her. "Sorry it's not a five-star meal or anything," Roselle said with a small smile.

  Jess took a seat across from her and stirred her soup. "It's perfect!"

  Roselle chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you're not complaining. My mom tends to worry about the smallest things when it comes to me. Sometimes I think she imagines every little detail in the worst possible way."

  Jess looked thoughtful as she sipped her soup. "I can see that, but it's clear she cares a lot about you."

  Roselle nodded. "Yeah, she does. But honestly, I think she's being a bit overprotective. I mean, you're harmless. I don’t see what she’s so worried about."

  After filling their stomachs, Roselle went to her room. The walls were painted in a soft pastel pink. On her desk, there was a neat stack of sketchbooks and drawing supplies. A corkboard displayed various notes and reminders, while a small potted plant sat on the windowsill.

  However, what truly stood out in Roselle's room were the numerous teddy bears. They were of various sizes and colors, and they seemed to occupy every available surface. Some sat neatly on the bed, others were perched on shelves, and a few even dangled from the ceiling on strings.

  Roselle entered her room and gave a fond smile while looking at her teddy bear collection.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  While Roselle was lost in her thoughts about her teddy bears, she heard Jess shout “Hiii”which momentarily startled her. She turned to see Jess standing in the doorway.

  Jess chuckled while looking around the room. "This is adorable, just like you, Roselle."

  Roselle smiled. "Thank you, Jess. I've had these teddy bears for as long as I can remember. They're like old friends."

  Roselle moved over to her computer and booted it up. Jess, still standing by the doorway, peered in with a curious gaze.

  "So, what are we doing?" Jess asked.

  Roselle looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Remember? We need to check if KarateSpirit23 is online. I promised Hashta I'd look into it."

  Jess went in the room and watched Roselle with an interested gaze. "Oh right, of course. How could I forget?"

  Roselle quickly opened the chat application and logged in using her username, "StarlightSeeker27." Beside her, Jess watched with curiosity, clearly interested in the unfolding situation.

  Roselle scanned the list of online users in the chatroom, hoping to find a familiar alias. While scrolling down, she didn't see "KarateSpirit23" among the active members.

  "It doesn't look like she's online right now," Roselle sighed.Roselle glanced at the clock on her computer screen and nodded. "Of course. It's midnight, so it makes sense that she's not online right now."

  Jess, leaning over Roselle’s shoulder, raised an eyebrow. "Is there a way we can leave a message for her to see when she does log in?"

  Roselle’s face brightened. "Oh, yeah! We can use a few different chat features for that."

  She pointed to the screen, showing Jess the chat interface. "So, here’s how it works: We have a few options. First, there's the Private Message. You can send a single message to someone in the main chatroom, and they'll get it when they next check the chat."

  Jess nodded, following along. "Got it. And what’s next?"

  Roselle continued, "Private Chat is where you can have a conversation with someone one-on-one. It's useful for more personal or detailed discussions. You can send messages back and forth, and it's not visible to anyone else."

  "Sounds handy," Jess commented. "And the last option?"

  Roselle clicked on a different tab and showed Jess the interface. "This is Private Mail. It's like sending an email through the chat system. You write a message that goes to their mailbox, and they can read it whenever they log in. It’s good for leaving longer notes or updates."

  Jess’s eyes lit up. "Perfect. Let's use Private Mail to leave a message for Michigo. That way, she’ll get it when she checks in later."

  Roselle nodded in agreement. "Great idea. I’ll draft a message now."

  She quickly typed out a message asking Michigo to get back to them as soon as possible. Once she finished, she sent it through Private Mail.

  "There, done," Roselle said with a smile. "Hopefully, Michigo will see it soon."

  As Roselle was about to close the chat application, a notification popped up on her screen. "KarateSpirit23 wants to Private Chat with you," it read.

  Roselle's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "That's strange. Michigo wasn’t online just a moment ago, and she’s still not showing up as online now."

  Jess looked over with curiosity. "Should we open it?"

  Roselle hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Maybe she has something to tell us."

  She clicked on the notification, and the Private Chat window opened. The screen revealed a message from "KarateSpirit23”.

  Roselle read the message as it appeared: "Stay away from me. I don’t want any trouble."

  Roselle's eyes widened. "What the...?"

  She typed a response. "Michigo, it’s me, Roselle. I’m just worried about you. What’s going on?"

  Jess leaned in over in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the conversation. "Is she responding?"

  Roselle waited anxiously for a reply. After a few moments, another message appeared in the chat: "I can't explain right now. Just know that it's dangerous for you to be involved. Please, leave me alone.”

  As Roselle stared at the chat window, another notification popped up: "KarateSpirit23 has blocked you."

  Roselle’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Blocked? That’s not something Michigo would do. I can understand if she can’t talk about it, but blocking us? That’s out of character!”

  Jess leaned in. “Weren’t you two close? I always saw you and Michigo together, even though you didn’t see me."

  Roselle turned to Jess with a curiosity piqued. "Wait, were you spying on us before we met?"

  Jess grinned mischievously. "Maybe just a little. Michigo never shut up about you when I took Karate, so it was hard not to notice."

  Roselle’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re not even in the Karate club, though.”

  Jess shrugged. “I dropped out a while ago. Tried a bunch of clubs but couldn’t find one that stuck. The chess club Risebelle goes to looks fun, though. I’ve dropped by a couple of times.”

  Roselle’s confusion deepened. “So, you’re telling me you were spying on me through Michigo while you were just visiting clubs?”

  Jess chuckled. “Not spying, just curious. I heard a lot about you from Michigo, and when I saw you a few times, I was like, ‘Hmm, this girl looks interesting, and super cute.’”

  Jess leaned in and moved her arms to rub Roselle’s shoulders." Come to think of it, Roselle, I can't help but notice how cute you look right now. Your innocent charm is so endearing."

  Roselle blushed furiously. She stammered, "Uh, th-thank you, Jess. I appreciate the compliment."

  Jess chuckled softly. She took on a lower, more intimate tone. "Roselle. You're a rare gem and I was drawn to your sweetness."

  Roselle looked into Jess's eyes uneasily and said, "I... I've never really had someone come onto me like this..."

  Jess placed a finger gently under Roselle's chin and tilted her head up slightly, locking eyes with her. "its okay, Roselle. Just be yourself. I'm here to make you feel special, and if at any point you're uncomfortable, just let me know."

  "What do you mean, Jess?" Roselle asked.

  Jess leaned in closer. Her lips were poised to kiss the side of Roselle's cheek; however, Roselle managed to avoid the advance just in time and looked at Jess, perplexed.

  "What are you doing?"

  Jess chuckled. "Oh, Roselle, you're so innocent. I was just having a little fun, that's all. No harm done."

  With a flirty pose, Jess climbed onto Roselle's bed and teased, "I think I'll sleep here tonight."

  “Oh no, you will not!"

  Roselle’s face turned a shade of red that matched a teddy bear in her collection. She took a deep breath, gathered her composure, and with a swift kick of Jess’ ass, she sent Jess stumbling out of the room, landing on her face in the hallway.

  Jess looked up at Roselle with wide eyes. "Ouch! Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll find another spot in your--"

  Roselle closed and locked the door before Jess could finish. Her cheeks were still flushed. She leaned against the door for a moment, pouting. “Some people just don’t know when to quit.”

  Roselle stared up at the ceiling. “I really don’t know how to handle all that flirting,” she muttered to herself “Jess was so... forward. I’ve never had anyone come onto me like that before.”

  Roselle’s thoughts were a whirlwind. She remembered Jess’s playful smile, her touch, the way she’d made Roselle feel both flustered and oddly exhilarated. “Is this what people mean when they talk about being swept off their feet?” Roselle wondered aloud. “Or is this just... confusion?”

  She buried her face in her pillow, trying to drown out the thoughts that swirled in her head. “Maybe it’s just a phase, or something Jess does for fun,” she reasoned. “But what if it’s more? What if... I don’t know, what if there’s something real there?”

  Roselle sighed deeply. “I’m so not ready for this. I’ve got enough on my plate with everything going on—Risebelle, Michigo, and now this... complicated mess.”

  Jess made her way back to the room she had been assigned for the night.

  Unbeknownst to Jess, Mrs. Magenta was watching from the shadows near the end of the corridor. Her face was dark and scrutinizing while observing Jess’s every move. The light from the hallway barely touched her face, leaving her features obscured.

  “Keep an eye on her,” Mrs. Magenta muttered softly to herself. “Roselle’s safety is my priority.”