"Awwooo…"
Recently, there had been wolf howls every night. Haizaki and Yukino were already used to it.
But this time was different—the sound was very close, right outside the villa. Then came the noise of claws tearing at the iron gate, "scrrritch, scrrritch."
While eating, Haizaki and Yukino exchanged glances.
"Is… Duke back?"
Other than him, they couldn't think of any other possibility. But why return now? Haizaki frowned, then noticed the half-eaten rabbit leg in his hand. Could that silly dog have smelled the food and come running?
Haizaki swallowed, then grabbed the rabbit leg and gnawed furiously. He hadn't had enough yet—no way he was giving it to that dog.
Seeing this, Yukino froze for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. She understood Haizaki's thoughts. It was really funny.
"Don't laugh. If you laugh, I'll give your share to it."
Last time, they had forced the husky to leave. But now, with its return, Haizaki felt the dog was determined to stay with them. But what about the female wolf? Probably still with the pack.
"I'm finished…"
Yukino quickly ate the remaining rabbit meat.
"Thanks for the meal…"
She set down her chopsticks and bowl, stood up, and said, "I'll go take a look…"
Yukino decided to check outside. As long as she kept her distance, she could handle it.
"Wait, let me take one more bite…"
"Awwooo…" The sound confirmed it—the one outside was definitely their husky.
"It seems to know what you're doing."
Yukino's cool voice carried a faint smile as she spoke to Haizaki.
The husky's return was a good thing. With it around, Haizaki's burden of keeping watch at night would be greatly reduced.
She truly didn't want Haizaki to keep watch every night. She had offered to take turns, to share the burden, but Haizaki refused. His reason was that her constitution wasn't strong enough. Even if she could manage one night, she couldn't sustain it long-term. Better for her to rest at night and help more during the day.
"Ignore it…"
Haizaki kept eating, at most willing to give it scraps.
"Awwooo…"
The husky's desperate howls rang out. Realizing its owners were eating, it howled again, demanding the door be opened.
"Maybe we should…"
Yukino felt pity for the husky. Its cries sounded so miserable, it was hard not to sympathize.
"Aren't you a cat person? How can you pity a dog?"
"Cats are the gentlest, cutest creatures in the world. But the husky protected me. As long as I don't touch it directly, I can accept it."
Haizaki shook his head helplessly.
"Then, Miss Snow Cat, let's go outside and see."
Haizaki set down the unfinished rabbit meat and stood.
"Giving nicknames isn't a good habit, Yusuke-kun."
"I'm five years older than you. Strictly speaking, I should be your senior."
Sometimes Haizaki forgot the role he was supposed to play.
"You care about that?"
After a week together, they had grown more familiar. Knowing each other better, Yukino now showed more of her true self. No longer as distant and polite as at the beginning.
"Awwooo…"
The husky's cries interrupted Haizaki's thoughts. He sighed and headed outside.
Though they believed it was their husky, they didn't lower their guard. Both carried handguns and flashlights to the iron gate.
The flashlight revealed only the husky, excitedly waiting at the gate. No other creatures.
"Why did you come back?"
Haizaki looked further into the distance. Hopefully no wolves were hiding nearby.
"Awwooo…"
The husky howled joyfully, baring its teeth in a grin, as if saying, I missed you.
"Yusuke-kun, look…"
Yukino aimed the flashlight at the husky's belly. Haizaki saw a patch of dried blood.
"Was it attacked by other beasts, or by other dogs and wolves?"
Haizaki wondered if it was because of the female wolf—had it been bullied? After all, huskies were known for never losing arguments but never winning fights. Against mutants and bears, it had shown courage. But against its own kind, Haizaki suspected it wasn't so capable.
"Forget it. Since it's back, it must behave."
Haizaki unlocked the gate. The husky darted inside instantly.
Haizaki expected it to rush up and embrace him joyfully. Instead, it sped past him, sprinting into the villa. Fast as lightning, leaping five or six meters, it dashed inside.
"Awwooo…"
Excited cries. It had returned for food and shelter.
Haizaki and Yukino exchanged a helpless smile.
"Let's go."
Haizaki locked the gate and reset the yard's defenses. Even though they would leave tomorrow, and even though there had been no mutant attacks for five nights, they still had to be cautious.
"What's wrong…"
"Nothing. Just remembering the past. Let's go."
The past? Was it about "her"? But Haizaki clearly didn't want to talk. Yukino stayed silent.
"People should look forward…"
She was… comforting him.
Haizaki was surprised, a little helpless. At least her attitude toward him had changed. Normally, she wouldn't say such words.
"Mm, thank you. The past is past. I should look ahead."
Yukino nodded in agreement, then stepped toward the villa.
"Ah…"
As she entered, the husky suddenly leapt at her. Her face turned pale, body instinctively retreating. She grabbed Haizaki's arm, hiding behind him, tense and nervous.
"I told you, if you get near Yukino, I'll turn you into dog meat hotpot…"
The husky froze.
"Awwooo…"
It pressed its head against Haizaki, rubbing affectionately. It understood what dog meat hotpot meant. It definitely didn't want to become the dog meat in that hotpot.
"Good, be afraid. Don't go near Yukino, understand?"
The husky raised its head, its ice-blue eyes looking at Haizaki, then turning toward Yukino.
Hiding behind Haizaki, Yukino's expression was stiff. When her reason returned, she managed to look at the husky with trembling eyes.
"Awwooo…"
That counted as agreement, right? Either way, if the husky dared to misbehave again, Haizaki would definitely teach it a lesson.
"Let's go, inside."
With a wave of his hand, the husky immediately turned and ran into the room.
Seeing it leave, Yukino finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then she noticed how tightly she had been holding Haizaki's arm. A trace of embarrassment flashed across her face, and she quickly let go, stepping half a pace away.
"Thank you… just now."
She spoke softly.
"It's nothing. Honestly, the best way would be for you to overcome your fear of dogs, though that's easier said than done."
Fear isn't something one can simply overcome at will.
"I used to… actually like dogs."
Haizaki froze. Yukino, watching his reaction, felt a flicker of joy. So he hadn't known this. "She" had never told Haizaki this little secret.
"And because of my sister…"
She paused. Haizaki quietly waited for her to continue.
His understanding of Yukino was, strictly speaking, only that of a classmate. Occasionally, because of certain incidents, he had interacted with her and learned things most classmates didn't know. But overall, his knowledge of her wasn't deep.
"On my eighth birthday, she gave me a dog as a present…"
"That sounds great."
Haruno giving Yukino a pet she liked seemed like a fitting gift.
"No."
Recalling the terror of that birthday gift, Yukino's tone grew cold.
"Sorry, I didn't mean…"
Realizing her tone, she quickly apologized.
"It's fine, I understand. Go on—what was wrong with the dog? Was it a fierce breed?"
Yukino shook her head, taking a deep breath. Even now, the memory of that day carried an unshakable shadow.
"It was sixty-three dogs of various breeds. About one-fifth were medium-sized…"
Haizaki's mouth twitched. Her sister seemed rather ruthless.
"They were all crammed into my room. When I went in, I didn't realize there were so many. Once I closed the door…"
"Alright, no need to go on. I can imagine."
Even if an eight-year-old girl liked dogs, seeing sixty-three of them at once wouldn't be pleasant. Crowded together, big and small, all kinds of dogs swarming—anyone would develop a fear, even phobia.
From then on, Yukino had grown fearful of dogs and turned to cats instead. But Haizaki couldn't help feeling it was a case of transference of affection.
"Feels like you're thinking something rude."
Haizaki winced. Was a woman's sixth sense really that sharp?
"Seems I guessed right. Would Haizaki—senpai care to tell me?"
"You really know?"
Haizaki thought if he said what he had just been thinking, she might kill him.
"Yes, I'm certain."
"Fine, I'll tell you. You… transferred your affection."
Yukino blinked, tilting her head blankly. She couldn't understand what he meant. She didn't have a man she liked—how could she transfer affection?
Wait… liked… Now she realized.
Her dark-blue eyes suddenly released a piercing cold glare. Then, with her breathing, her gaze softened slightly.
"Yusuke-kun, please don't misuse words. That doesn't make you more literate."
"I…"
Haizaki decided it was better not to provoke her and chose silence.
"I understand. Let's go inside."
Haizaki took two steps, then noticed Yukino still standing there.
"Don't worry. Duke won't attack you. If it dares, I'll make it into dog meat hotpot…"
"Awwooo…"
From inside the villa, the husky howled miserably.
Yukino was slightly amused. This feeling wasn't so bad. At least she wasn't alone.
"Mm."
Once inside, the husky lay comfortably, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Seeing Haizaki and Yukino, it grinned, looking adorably silly.
"Tonight we'll rely on you. But you…"
Haizaki remembered the blood on its belly. He crouched to check.
"Whimper…"
"Don't cry. I'm just checking. Got bullied in a fight, didn't you?"
It was a bite wound, not too serious. As for why the husky had returned to them, Haizaki couldn't guess. Communication between humans and dogs had its limits.
"Here…"
As Haizaki stood to fetch the medical kit, he saw Yukino already holding alcohol. But her stance showed she was still afraid of the dog. If so, why hadn't she asked for it to be sent away? A gentle girl.
"Bear with it…"
"Awwooo…"
"Move again and it's dog meat hotpot…"
The moment the alcohol touched the wound, the husky flailed its limbs, nearly knocking over the disinfectant.
"Whimper…"
Its expression was full of pleading. Seeing Haizaki unmoved, it turned its silly gaze to Yukino, eyes begging.
Standing behind Haizaki, Yukino was helpless. The husky was desperate.
"Awwooo…"
It didn't dare move, but it kept howling. This silly dog.
"Rest well. If something happens tonight, howl. But if you… howl for nothing?"
"Whimper…"
"Alright…"
Seeing the husky's understanding, Haizaki nodded approvingly. At least on the seventeenth, it had warned them of a mutant attack. It was somewhat reliable.
"Good night, Yukinoshita-san…"
"Good night, Yusuke-kun."
Now they slept in separate rooms. After all, men and women are different. At first, when conditions didn't allow, they had shared a room out of necessity. But now, with conditions permitting, Haizaki wasn't the type to insist on sharing a room with a girl.
So, five days ago, they began sleeping in separate rooms.
…
-----
Gimme your stones, please.
( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)