Seven Nights Vol 1 Chapter 3.2

Chapter 3 - The trickster G.o.d rules - Part 2

June 27, Wednesday.

As the day's cla.s.ses ended, I dashed hurriedly through the club building corridor, not for the tennis clubroom, but for the SF clubroom. As I promised Teru-san to report what I saw in my dream last night, I'm skipping tennis practice.

I know why my pace's quite fast. I'm pretty excited. Last night's event, the fear from Kerberos' attack, and from desperation to the sudden conclusion, I'm must report everything. I want Akeno and Teru-san to hear me out. ... Well, I want to boast everything what happened, but after considering it, I can't help but keep my emotions reined in. After all, I defeated the h.e.l.l hound alone!

"I'm coming in!"

As soon as I arrive at the clubroom, I knock and immediately open the door ---

*puppy barking*

"Dowaaa!?"

On unexpectedly hearing a dog's bark, I miserably shouted, jumped up in surprise, and hit the floor on my backside.

"Oh?"

Rus.h.i.+ng through the open door is a s.h.i.+ba (still a puppy), its round eyes stared at me.

"Wh, what? You, how did you get in here?"

As I calm down my rapidly beating heart, and ask the pup,

"I've brought it here."

My head raised in confusion to the sudden reply. Akeno was sitting on the side bench, her chin resting on her hands, looking down to me.

"Akeno ... you saw?"

"Everything"

"... ... ..."

Oh no, bad move -! This is humiliating -!!

"This is surprising. Sakuya hates dogs?"

Ah -- yeah. Right. From Akeno's looks, I'm sure it looks like I was surprised by a puppy and clumsily falling myself flat. Dammit --!

"Uh, it's an misunderstanding. It doesn't mean I don't like dogs, I'm thinking about what to talk about next ---"

"Yes, yes, I want to hear it from you. But for now, when will you get up?"

"... ... ..."

Akeno walked near me and picked up the pup. More like "removed" in front of me. This has nothing to do with me being afraid of dogs or being struck silent. Explaining and making excuses would only led to tears. So I shut my mouth and let myself up, brus.h.i.+ng off the dust from my backside.

I again enter the room. As the clubroom s.p.a.ce is narrow from door to table, Akeno place the puppy in a cardboard box in the corner. As I prepare to ask that question,

"Have you seen last night's dream?"

Akeno asked ahead.

"Yeah, I've seen it. Listen, I ---"

As I nodded, Akeno sweetly smiled and then,

"-- keru *Sakuya was interrupted*"

I was slapped mercilessly!

"Owww ...!! What was that for!"

"How dare you totally forgot yesterday!"

From that sweet smile, Akeno now glared at me, her face that of total anger.

"You made me wait in vain, where you've been wandering to! I hate boys who break their promises --- !!"

Oh no! I was so into the fight with Kerberos that I totally forgot our promise ...!

"I've been waiting all throughout! And you didn't come no matter how much time pa.s.ses. I was so worried that something might happen ... and yet, you show yourself with that carefree look!"

"S, sorry ..."

I have no choice but to apologize. I have my excuses, but I made Akeno worry too much, so maybe I should reconsider. Maybe I should have mailed her first thing in the morning.

Nonetheless, even with her dreadful and threatening att.i.tude, to hear her say "I was so worried about you", I'm so happy.

"What's with you grinning! I'm mad right now! Apologize!"

"I, I apologize. Sorry for making you worry. ... ... but it's okay, you see I'm this lively since,"

"Since?"

"Thank you for your concern to me. And I'm glad to see you safe and sound."

"... geez, even your thanks ... you sound suspicious ..."

As Akeno frowned, she turned away pouting. For now it seems her anger has subsided. Going beside where she's squatting beside the box, I too squatted down.

This pup is probably been 6 months old. It's head tilted looking at to me.

"Oh, it's cute ..."

Mi-ko may be a beauty in our house, but this pup's lovable for that reason. Perhaps I should tickle it .... As I reach out to brush gently its head, the pup narrowed its eyes, feeling content.

"? Sakuya, I thought you don't like dogs?"

"I told you it was a misunderstanding. What happened last time was a series of bad timings. I really like dogs."

"Is that so ..."

To my explanation, Akeno, after doing like she's thinking of something,

"Hey, can you keep this puppy?"

"... ... Ha?"

She made an unexpected proposal.

"What do you mean? You'll be the one keeping this pup ..."

"I've found it on my way to school"

"So, you picked it up so you would keep it ... ?"

Akeno lowered her eyes, and shook her head.

"Pets are prohibited in the apartment ... my home"

"Eh ... then why did you pick up the pup?"

I can't help but ask that.

"... But, somehow ... I can't leave the pup alone ..."

"... ... ..."

"B, but I can't help it. It's eyes are looking at me. And it's barking at me like it's lonely."

Akeno looks like she's about to cry. I've never thought she would pick up a stray dog with such an impulsive reason. "You're no longer an elementary student" ... somehow I manage to swallow those words already in my throat.

"Well, what do you think, Sakuya?"

"Sorry, but I have a cat at home. I don't have the luxury to raise another pet."

"... I see ... ..."

Uh, don't show me that sad look. I've said my reasons without doubt. ... ... Speaking of which.

"We must return the puppy to where you picked it up first."

"! No!!"

"You said 'No' .... Then what you're going to do. Think you can keep it at your home?"

"Truth is, I can't raise him without running into trouble, but I don't want to throw the puppy again .... We must find someone who can take care of it."

She says that clearly. In her eyes lie that single-minded will.

She may act like an adult, but now in front of my eyes she's still only a kid. The genuine side she usually does not display, it's right in front of my eyes ....

I was driven by the urge to respond to the girl's feelings, and yet I stood my ground, uncertain. What a disadvantageous role for me ....

"What will you do until we find some to take care of the pup?"

"That ... we'll place it here, I think it's safe here but ..."

"Sorry, but no can do."

"No way ... !? Why with those ill words?"

"I'm not saying anything bad! It's already end of June, summer's near. To shut the pup in a hot and humid room would be torture, don't you think? Besides ---"

In a way, it's a perfect timing. The door suddenly opened and Teru-san entered.

"Ya, you two going together ---"

Teru-san smiles at us, but then his face crumples.

"---*sneeze*, *cough*, *sneeze*...!!"

He's sneezing continuously. And it appears it's not stopping anytime.

"Eh, Hiruma-senpai !?"

"Teru-san, let's go out --!?"

I push Teru-san hurriedly out of the room, and just to be sure I moved him several meters from the door.

"You all right?"

"Y, yeah. Somehow .... Hos.h.i.+-kun, it can't be that now ..."

As Teru-san was still teary-eyed, he blows loudly through his nose with his handkerchief from his trousers.

That's right, this is the reason why I can't leave a puppy in the SF clubroom. Teru-san's severely allergic to dogs.

Before we could even report to Teru-san about our dream, we have to something about the pup. For now, we have Teru-san wait at the cafeteria, and fortunate that we found Seki-kun (SF member A) to take care of the clubroom, its windows and doors all open, Akeno and I carried the box with the puppy out of the clubroom.

"... ... ... .. ..."

As we walk out of the clubroom building, Akeno was stiff silent. I followed stiffly too, just like following a death row convict on his way to the gallows, unable to offer significant words; like this we arrived at our destination.

"... ... um, this should do it"

I led Akeno to the back of the building where a small forest is located. Though we had stepped on the gra.s.s, we placed the box in a thicket away from where people might walk through.

"Here it is hidden from the pathway, and few people pa.s.s here, I don't think we have to worry about the pup being found. Even for this puppy, it is a more agreeable place than the clubroom. Well?"

I turn to Akeno. For some reason, Akeno turned and looked at me in an absent-minded face.

"Akeno?"

"Ah, un ... no doubt about it, we're abandoning this puppy here ..."

Ah--, so you're demoralized. Surely, it can't be helped but to think about it but ...

"But for me, it doesn't mean that I'm all for abandoning it. So, you think you're "not really abandoning it"? If that's that case you've just done it."

To put Akeno in ease, I showed my smiling face.

"... ... thanks, Sakuya"

Her smiling face lasted only a second, but in spite of my failure I felt my heart beat faster.

"W, whoa! What's with the face ..."

"Eh? Is my face weird to you?"

"It's not weird. It's cute, you know."

I'm expecting Akeno to be disgusted at my "cute" words and react with a "are you an idiot?" type of reaction but,

"Eh ...?"

Akeno was both speechless and blus.h.i.+ng. To see an expression up front, I'm worried!

"No ..., well I'm only kidding. Just forget it."

"... uh, uh huh ..."

To have to deny especially something, it's awkward. As we fall to a delicate silence, I said something in haste.

"Anyway, in truth, that was unexpected. For you to be kind to this pup until the end, you know. You really like dogs, do you?"

"You could say I like ... yeah, I like dogs."

Akeno slowly closed her eyes, nodding to my question.

"... ... well, I have something to say ---"

"--- when I was small, I met a puppy. In the corner of a park, in a cardboard box just like this .... Once I tried to take it home, only for my mom to immediately scold me, telling me to take it back to where it belongs. Nevertheless I didn't leave it alone, feeding it as I return from school. Leftovers from my lunchbox, you know."

"I was still an immature kid back then, so I thought this would last forever. ... Yeah, I did not think that the end to this relations.h.i.+p would come."

"One day, as I pa.s.s by the park just as usual, the dog wasn't there. Only the cardboard box and the plate where I left the food remained. I searched. Day after day, after school until darkness falls I searched. But I failed to find the dog..."

"I don't know how the dog went missing. Maybe it was carried off to a dog shelter or it went off on its own or someone else picked it up ..."

"Why am I obsessed over this puppy even is a mystery for me ... but yeah, every time I remember my past, I would come across the image of this pup---"

As Akeno finished her words, she squats and pats gently the pup on the head.

"Now I see. For that, even I can understand that you want to find out where the puppy went to."

I've felt Akeno's words. Even if I haven't experienced it, I can understand this girl's feelings.

A puppy she adored suddenly disappeared. Akeno probably was worried sick about it. As the days pa.s.s by without getting any clear answers, today was a simulation to her past revealed .... That Akeno thinking she would get her answer from the puppy, that is not at all surprising. So,

"If you don't mind, can I join you? If you can't find someone to take this pup in, I think I can help you find one. ... ... Just say the word, Akeno"

"Thank you, Sakuya"

Akeno gently smiles. Unable to see her cute face without being taken aback, I move my gaze to the puppy. It looked back at me with an innocent look.