Wind brushed the trees, whispering through the leaves like the world had finally exhaled.
A single bug, colourful, crawled slowly down a long green stem — no noise, no voices, just the calm voice of nature doing its thing.
Her eyes.
Then his.
Two figures facing each other, silent, almost frozen.
A pause.
Then—
"Woof."
They both flinch and glance down. A small white dog stood across from them, paws muddy, tail wagging like he owned the place.
Natsuki crouched down first. "Aww, where'd you come from, little guy?" she said, lifting him carefully, brushing his fur like he was some long-lost plush toy. Damon just stared, half at her, half wishing that stare from a second ago hadn't ended so fast.
"You're a good boy, huh? Where's your collar?" she whispered gently.
"Got lucky," said the dog.
Damon blinked.
The world might as well have paused right there.
"...What?" he said, quietly.
"Escaped the dog prison" the dog added, wagging.
Natsuki looked up at him. "What are you mumbling now?"
Damon's eyes were wide. "You didn't just hear that?"
"Hear what? The barking?"
He pointed at the dog. "He talked. He literally said he escaped from dog prison."
"Very funny," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't tell me you can talk to animals now." She adjusted her grip on the dog and started walking. "Anyway, we're taking him back to the shelter."
"The shelter?" Damon followed, half running. "He literally said he doesn't like it there!"
The dog barked again, tail whipping side to side. "Yeah, tell her I'm not going back."
Damon sighed. "He says he's not going back."
Natsuki stopped. "And I say you've been studying too much. Come on."
"No—wait, watch this." He crouched beside the dog. "If you don't wanna go back, do what I say, alright?"
"As long as you feed me better," said the dog.
"Hold a paw up," Damon said. The dog raised his paw.
"Coincidence," Natsuki said.
"Roll around. Exactly five times."
She frowned. "Damon—"
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
She blinked, jaw dropping just slightly.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
"Think it's part of the ring," he muttered. "Didn't even know I could."
"Ring?" barked the dog.
"If you can talk to him," she said, holding the dog close, "then I can too. I just cant understand him." she said as she lifted him.
The dog tilted his head. "Soft paws. You, feed me."
Natsuki smiled faintly. "Okay, little guy. 'Dog prison' is that way, my house is this way. Which one do you pick?"
The dog lifted a paw, pointing toward her house.
"Thought so," she said.
"Fine," Damon muttered. "Guess you've got a new roommate."
"Why not you?"
"My dad would lose it. Plus, he likes your… paws." He smirked.
Natsuki looked at him. "He actually said that?"
"Word for word."
At her house, things were warm. The living room smelled like soup. Her mother smiled at the sight of the dog, and even her father — pale, eyes soft but distant — let out a laugh.
The little brother came running in. "Big sis! You got a dog? And—oh." He eyed Damon. "I know what you two have been up to."
"What—? We—" Damon began.
"Were smooching!" the boy grinned as he puckered his lips.
Damon's face froze. "We did no such thing."
The entire family stared. Even the dog.
Her father chuckled. "Ah, young love…"
"Sir, I swear—"
The old man just laughed and waved him off. "Reminds me of my youth."
Damon blinked. Didn't he have Alzheimer's?
The father kept on telling stories of his youth.
Before he could process it, the dog padded back in, shaking water off his fur. Natsuki's little brother cheered. Her mom smiled. It was a weirdly peaceful moment.
Outside again, Natsuki skipped rope while Damon quizzed her.
"What's essential in the almighty formula?"
She missed a step. "I—I know this."
"That's why you'll always be second place. Can't think under pressure."
Her head flared. "Wanna say that again!?"
"I'm good."
"Next question!"
The dog barked, watching them. "You two are pretty close, huh?"
"Yeah," Damon said, without thinking.
"You humans are weird. You have these intense feelings you so wish to confess but don't. Then one dies, or someone else gets jealous."
Damon looked down. "How old are you, pipsqueak?"
"Six. Just tell her already."
"What if—"
"Oh, here we go again with the what ifs. Humans."
"Next question, ya dummy!" Natsuki yelled, still jumping rope.
Later, they hit the funfair looking for Daiki. He found them first, head suddenly appearing between theirs as they looked at a stall.
"Little too old for that, aren't we?" he teased.
Damon jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that, man!"
Natsuki smiled. "Long time no see, big boy."
They played a few games, won nothing, laughed anyway. When she went to pay for something, Daiki leaned closer.
"You told her yet?"
"Told her what?"
"That you're secretly in love with her, that your heart flutters when—"
"Not the time," Damon cut him off, face unreadable.
"It's never the time with you. Been seven years."
"Technically six, since I realised it a year after we met."
"So you confess?"
Before he could answer, Natsuki reappeared behind them.
Her grin stayed — but only halfway this time.
"…What feelings?" she asked.
The words came softer, like she meant to joke but forgot how.
Daiki gave Damon the look. The tell her look.
Damon looked away. "Eh—uh—nothing."
Then a wooden box flew from nowhere. Reflex took over — he pulled her in, spun, took the hit on his back.
When he lifted his head, her eyes were wide, staring right at him.
For a second, the fair noise dimmed.
Her face said it all. She didn't say thank you. She didn't need to.
Just some thugs wanting a free ride, turns out. Security handled it quick.
Daiki reappeared from their blind spot, saw her blush, saw Damon's hand still holding hers.
"Told you so," he said quietly, grin hidden.
Natsuki turned. "What are you up to now?"
"Nothing. Let's get going."
They started to leave. The lights of the fair glowed behind them, soft orange against the dusk.
Then—
"Well, well, well."
Voices behind them.
Three of the old gang stood there, smirking.
"Karma's a bitch, ain't she?"