I groaned in frustration as the early morning sunlight invaded my bedroom, piercing my eyelids and preventing me from getting more sleep. I wearily licked my parched lips and rolled over, attempting to turn away from the light in a futile attempt to drift back off to sleep. Unfortunately, I knew from experience that once I was up, there was little hope of me being able to fall back asleep, mainly when the sun was already in the sky.

With an exhausted groan, I threw the covers off and sat up. My mind was still foggy, which was a blessing; I couldn't remember what I had dreamt the night before, but whatever it was, it left me restless and uneasy. I yawned, not bothering to cover my mouth, and mindlessly reached out to my nightstand, searching for my phone to begin my usual morning ritual.

A text from Kuroko reminding me of our meeting today, a couple of texts from Bi- Zoe...

Wait a minute...

"Do I have a girlfriend now?" I wondered aloud.

The only response I received was a yawn. It was true that one date wasn't the same as having a girlfriend; however, the texts from Zoe made me remember my past experiences, making it hard not to compare them. Perhaps I should take a step back and not over-analyze this situation until I'm more alert.

I shuffled my way to the bathroom and went about my business there. All freshened up and ready for the day, I got dressed and walked out of my room and-

...Ugh.

-caught Rachnee right as she was passing by. Her six red eyes stared down at me, and her face contorted into a grimace for a moment. I might've done the same, up until I noticed the large bag strapped to her back with some webbing. Well, it looked like today was the day.

I inhaled deeply, my breath catching in my throat. "Heading somewhere?" I queried her, my voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze met mine briefly before she averted her eyes, tugging her bag higher on her shoulder.

"Yesterday, I received a host transfer request," Rachnee said calmly. "I saw no reason to deny it."

"Oh really?" I said, my voice positively brimming with dull surprise. "And who was it from?"

"My first host family," she answered readily, shrugging her pale shoulders and beginning to walk away.

"You're honestly okay with moving back with the people that sold you?" I pressed.

Ah, finally, a reaction. Her claws tightened their grip, and her legs froze. A moment later, she relaxed. Somewhat.

"It doesn't matter WHERE I GO," Rachnee replied heatedly, turning her head to face me. Her gaze burning into me, she continued, "Why should YOU even care? You should be grateful to be rid of me after yesterday's events."

"I'm still angry with you," I said, relieved to express my feelings finally. Going to bed early had been the best decision I had made. Even though I was still busy, I felt less stressed than I had the night before. "We have to have a conversation about this. But even though I'm angry, I don't want you to move back in with those people. It's unbelievable that you'd choose to do that."

She regarded me with her red eyes, expression unreadable. "Hm," Rachnee grunted, her voice laced with a hint of skepticism. "I believe that much, at least." She slowly turned away, her posture displaying her unwillingness to stay just because I wanted her to.

"Mero wants you to stay!" I almost shouted before I could stop myself. "Your friends want you to stay here. Why can't-"

Oh god, oh god, oh god!

I let out a terrified shriek of surprise as I saw a pale and black blur, Rachnee, rushing towards me. Before I could react, I felt myself pinned to the wall by four spindly legs, two on each side of me, trapping me. Rachnee towered above me, her human half raised high, while her spider half crept closer, making my escape impossible.

Pressing my trembling hand firmly against my rapidly beating heart, I mustered the courage to look her in the eyes. I had to stay composed, but it was difficult when I saw her in such an erratic state.
I knew that it was my responsibility to stay calm, even if that meant ignoring the fact that she could easily hurt me in a matter of seconds. I had to trust that she wouldn't do me any harm, no matter how irrationally she was acting. I had to be aware and careful while figuring out the reason behind her behavior.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Let's try this again.

"Rachnera, please," I pleaded, unable to keep my voice from breaking. "I just want to understand-"

"Why?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Why are you so invested in my life? It's only been a month since we first met. You've always had this strange propensity to act like you already knew me and my behavior, even before we spoke. So why?"

I took a long, calming breath. She had always been a bit aggressive; it wasn't hard to see that she would be suspicious of me. I hadn't expected her to take it this far, though. Was it because of how I'd treated Mero and her feelings, or was it Rachnee's natural wariness? I thought we had been getting along reasonably well until yesterday, but perhaps this had been hidden beneath the surface, and I hadn't noticed it.

At least I had an answer that had some truth to it.

"You remind me a little of my friend back home," I started, a wave of nostalgia washing over me. He was always sure of himself, never afraid to speak his mind, even if it went against the grain. His confidence was contagious, and his charm made it so that he could get away with almost anything. Though you're two very different people, I noticed some similarities, making me feel connected to my friend. I was so grateful to find a reminder of him that I didn't stop to think further about it." I shrugged slightly, unable to contain my emotions.

While the facts were accurate, it was undoubtedly an overstatement. The reason I acted the way I did around her was not only because I knew who she was before meeting her but also because I was not comfortable disclosing this information to her, or even to Zoe, for that matter. Revealing this secret to Rachnee before Zoe was something I could not bring myself to do; it simply did not feel right.

I'm sorry, Rachnee, but you must make do with a lesser truth. Hopefully, that's enough for now.

Rachnee's leg shifted slightly as she contemplated my words. "So you're trying to fill the void of your missing friend by latching onto a stranger?" she asked, her expression sour. "How pathetic."

"I'm hardly the first person ever to do that," I defended. "Besides, it's not like I ever treated you exactly like I treated him." And I never will. "As for why I care now, I don't see how it's so surprising that someone you've lived with, even for a month, would ever want you to go back with them. You deserve far better."

"You don't have any say in the matter," she retorted, shifting slightly backward. "I'm the only one who gets to make that decision."

"So you deserve to live with people that weren't afraid to sell you the moment you became troublesome?" I pressed, encouraged, and thankful that she wasn't focusing on the best friend projection thing anymore. "To go back to that shitty house with those shitty people who'll just be afraid of you the whole time? Do you seriously think you deserve that?"

Rachnee remained silent in the face of my words. Despite the few similarities she shared with Chris, I had always tried to avoid conflicts with people like them; they were never worth the trouble and never backed down until they calmed down. Still, despite her prickly and hypocritical nature, I had found myself genuinely enjoying our little conversations over the past month. It was a type of relationship I hadn't usually had with someone like her, so I wanted to explore more of it. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I couldn't help it. Perhaps that was why I felt so hurt when she accused me the way she did.

I still haven't forgiven her for that, not really. I may have made a mistake, but I don't believe I was the asshole she saw me as. I can understand her point of view, though. I genuinely believe that if we just spoke about it, we could resolve the issue and come to some understanding.

So, tentatively, I continued.

"You like it here," I said softly, losing the edge I'd gained from our shouting match. "Don't pretend you don't. You had a blast last night, along with everyone else. I don't see any reason for you to throw that all away."

For a few moments, Rachnee remained motionless. Then, slowly, she moved away from me. Her legs gradually withdrew, no longer enclosing me like a prison. Although I knew she wouldn't attack me, I couldn't help but exhale a deep breath of relief.

"You always seem to know what to say," she scoffed with a hint of bitterness. Her expression betrayed her exhaustion, and she sought a way out. "If you're so smart, then you should be able to understand why I want to go."

At that, Rachnera's shoulders drooped as she slowly turned away, her legs dragging her towards the stairs to the attic. Despite her attempt to appear resolute, her voice was heavy with despondency, revealing her true feelings.

"... I can't know anything unless you tell me," I told her, unsure of what else to say.

She paused.

"Even if I spell it out to you, it's unlikely that you'll understand. The phrase 'telling it like it is' is so foolish. I try to be honest and accept the truth, but no one pays attention. They look for hidden meanings or alternative intentions." Rachnera said, her gaze still directed away from me.

"I wouldn't say 'no one,'" I replied. "You can't expect people to make a drastic change without giving them the time and space to process it properly, you know."

I still couldn't quite make out what Rachnera was aiming to achieve by leaving, but perhaps if we kept having this conversation, I'd be able to grasp her point.

"Mm," she hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps it would be presumptuous to think otherwise." She snorted with amusement. "But I suppose that's the point, isn't it?" She started to walk away once more. "You should be grateful, you know. All of you have one less issue to contend with in this home."

"... You're not an issue; you're a person," I found myself saying.

"You say that like the two are mutually exclusive," Rachnera retorted with a hint of frustration. She refused to meet my gaze as she climbed back into the attic and shut the door behind her. Despite how composed she had seemed, I couldn't help but feel like she was fleeing from the situation.

Why do people have to be so goddamn complicated all the time?

I would've pondered more deeply about all that she had just uttered, but at that moment, the doorbell rang out. Taking in a sharp breath through my nostrils, I braced myself for what was about to occur. There was no way Rachnera could be lawfully allowed to move in with Ren's family, I contemplated as I speedily went to the entrance. Her family had been prohibited from the Cultural Exchange, and it was highly probable that Ren had either illegally obtained the host transfer request form or had forged one herself.

The way I saw it, keeping Ren away from Rachnera was the most specific part of the issue. If it came down to it, I'd report it to Kuroko, and Ren would be removed from the property with numerous fines and other consequences. I was not concerned about Ren. The real issue was what the hell was going on with Rachnera that made her so desperate to get away.

Miia was already slithering towards the door when I stepped into the foyer. "Good morning, Romance Master!" she greeted me cheerfully, looking at me with a mischievous glint. "Expecting someone?" she asked with a suggestive wink.

"Morning, Miia. And yes," I replied, waving before passing her. "But not who you're thinking. Rachnee's old host family wants her back."

"Wait, what?" Miia did a double-take.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this so suddenly," I apologized as I grasped the doorknob. "But she can't go back to them. They treated her terribly, and the Exchange has blacklisted them."

"Got it," she nodded, giving me a serious look. "I'll help you teach them what's what, then!"

It was difficult to suppress my laughter at her sincerity. If my recollection of the canon is accurate, she had initially been eager to send Rachnee away as soon as possible. How times have changed!

"Thanks, Miia," I said gratefully. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, revealing a young teenage girl in her high school uniform. Her auburn twin tails hung down her shoulders, and her brown eyes were wide and determined. In her hands, she carried a pink bag that was faintly scented with the aroma of chocolate. I was all ready to turn her away, but I hesitated when I saw something that I hadn't expected.

A long, angry scar ran down the left side of her face, from her temple to her lower cheek.

Right then, at least a couple of things about Rachnee made just a little more sense.

"I'm Ren Kunanzuki," she said in a firm voice, bowing. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I've come to take Rachnera back home."

To be continued...