Episode 69
At first, I only held her hand.
I checked Morishita’s expression out of the corner of my eye, and since she seemed fine, I laced our fingers together.
I’d made the move myself, and yet something deep in my chest shook, and I swallowed hard.
“By the way, where are you planning to go today, Fujishiro?”
“There’s somewhere I want to go.”
“Somewhere you want to go?”
“Yeah. I think you’ll like it too, Morishita.”
“Where?”
“A dog cafe!”
I looked up and smiled, and I thought Morishita’s eyes sparkled, just a little.
“Huh. Sounds kind of childish.”
“There are plenty of adults there too. I figured you liked dogs, Morishita. Am I wrong?”
“That’s you, isn’t it.”
“I do like them. I hug Mofu-chan every night when I sleep, too. You hug Mofu-chan a lot too, Morishita, so I figured you must like dogs.”
“That’s just because Mofu-chan is cute.”
“Then the dogs at the dog cafe are cute too.”
“That’s cheating.”
An unexpected remark from Morishita left me taken aback.
I couldn’t tell what had rubbed her the wrong way, but her lips were pushed out in a pout.
But the sight was so adorable that it tickled my heart.
“Mofu-chan’s the most important, so it’s fine.”
“That’s not the point.”
“You’re oddly particular about things, Morishita.”
“That’s you, Fujishiro.”
“So you thought I was particular… that’s kind of funny.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
Morishita had become much more talkative, I thought. I was so happy to be able to have such casual conversations with her that the corners of my mouth just kept lifting.
We walked along in a calm atmosphere, and before I knew it, we’d reached our destination.
We paid the fee and went into the dog cafe, where toy poodles and chihuahuas came running up to us with their tails wagging.
We listened to the staff’s rules, picked up our drinks, and entered the main room.
There were so many breeds inside: some coming over, others slinking away, some lounging in the corners, some running around in circles.
We found a spot and sat down together, and for some reason a Labrador came padding up to Morishita.
It practically leapt at her and started licking her face, and Morishita was bowled over onto the floor. Seeing it, the other dogs seemed to decide it looked fun, and gathered round until Morishita was surrounded by dogs.
“Hey, Fujishiro, help me.”
“Isn’t it nice to be popular?”
I was a little put out.
Morishita was liked by animals too, and the dogs at the cafe weren’t paying the slightest attention to me.
A wicked thought crept in: Morishita could stand to get mauled a bit.
“Now now, everyone, stop it, you’re bothering her.”
A staff member came over and rescued Morishita from the pile of dogs climbing all over her. Even so, none of them left her side.
“She’s really popular. Every now and then there’s a customer the dogs just irresistibly take to. If you don’t mind, please play with them.”
The staff member handed us a ball as she said so.
When Morishita tossed it lightly, the dogs all bolted at once, and a squabble broke out over who would get it.
I was watching this with a smile when a Shiba Inu sat down neatly beside me. It turned its back to me, and only its face looked round. When I reached out to touch it, it stared at me intently, and I couldn’t tell whether that was the right thing to do.
I tilted my head at the Shiba, and the staff member’s eyes widened.
“It’s rare for Mame-chan to warm up to anyone. That’s her signal that she wants her back stroked.”
“Oh, is it okay to pet her?”
“Just the back is fine. She doesn’t like having her head stroked.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. Shibas are very particular, and they’re a rather fussy breed. Hardly any of them take to anyone other than their owner. So you’re quite something.”
I was happy at those words, and stroked the Shiba’s back.
Her coat was softer than Mofu-chan’s, and I could feel her warm body heat. When I ran my hand down from top to bottom again and again, Mame-chan leaned into me, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Prickly on the outside but wanting to be doted on: a girl just like Morishita. What made me happiest was that a dog who attached to no one had attached to me.
As I kept stroking Mame-chan slowly, Morishita leaned against me.
“You’re popular too, Fujishiro.”
“Only this one. You, Morishita, went all slack-faced with every one of them, drooling over them.”
“That’s not true.”
“I’m telling Mofu-chan you were cheating.”
“Eh…”
Morishita looked genuinely troubled.
As if forgiving her, I leaned against her in return.
Dogs were sprawled all around us, so it seemed we wouldn’t be able to move. I felt grateful to these dogs for giving me this time in which I could touch Morishita.
“Are you having fun, Morishita?”
“More than I expected.”
“Your eyes sparkled when I first told you. After that you said I was cheating on Mofu-chan, but really you were excited.”
“No. It’s the dogs’ fault for being cute.”
“Ha ha. True.”
Morishita seemed to get uncomfortable and moved away from me, touching the lounging dogs with a gentle expression.
Her profile was softer than any I’d seen before, and my chest stung at the thought: she never touches me with an expression that kind.
Just then, our time was up, and we had to leave the dog cafe.
I decided to be a little brave, and pumped myself up.
I stepped around in front of Morishita and looked up at her.
“You’re allowed to pet me too, you know?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re keeping me.”
I tapped my choker. Morishita made a complicated face.
“I don’t think I’m keeping you.”
“Taking me in wouldn’t be a bad deal, I think?”
“You’re not a dog, Fujishiro.”
“Then what am I?”
Without realising it, I was gripping the hem of Morishita’s clothes.
I gazed at her face as if asking for something.
Morishita still wore a look of bewilderment.
Seeing that expression, I thought it was wrong to expect her to feel things with the same intensity as me.
I told myself so, and decided to change the subject.
“Oh, right. I want to make ingredients for tomorrow’s bento. Will you help me shop?”
“Eh, o-okay?”
“Thanks.”
I couldn’t hold her hand the way I had earlier.
I wanted to go back to when we could hold hands without thinking about it.
I regretted, just a little, having told her how I felt.