Thinking this, her hand movements became increasingly skillful as she stroked the puppy; soon, under Kisaragi Chiyo's expert touch, the Bernese Mountain Dog that had just woken up went limp like a pancake.
"Good boy." Kisaragi Chiyo smiled, stroking the puppy's head as if giving him a reward.
I'll take you out in a bit, to a wonderful place.
Completely immersed in Kisaragi Chiyo's technique and her mesmerizing, fragrant aroma, Hara Kenji did not notice that, from an angle he could not see, Kisaragi Chiyo flashed an evil, mischievous smile.
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Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection. Mwah to everyone! 033330
Chapter 30
By the time Hara Kenji realized where the so-called good place Kisaragi Chiyo mentioned was, it was already too late.
"Good child, good doggy." The humanoid devil, wearing a white lab coat and a mask, smiled at him while raising the torture instrument in his hands.
It won't hurt, it'll only take a second.
Not at all, it wasn't quick in the slightest.
Hara Kenji listened to the doctor's affected, high-pitched praise by his ear, having no desire to pay it any attention at all. Held down by two large assistants at the same time, he finally gave up struggling and buried his head in Kisaragi Chiyo's embrace, letting out a reproachful "werwerwer" sound.
"Wonderful." Kisaragi Chiyo lowered her eyes and stroked Hara Kenji's dog head, a composed smile on her face. There was no way to tell how this man had just used a combination of coaxing and deception to lead the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy into the pet hospital blindfolded.
"There we go." After finishing the injection, the doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead; even through the mask, one could see the expression of relief on his face.
After all, the puppy had just had the ribbon tied around its eyes removed, the very moment it saw its owner, the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, which had been sitting calmly on the table, suddenly launched itself forward like a projectile. If the owner hadn't been quick enough to grab the puppy's hind legs, the little one would have zoomed straight out the door.
"The puppy's examination report is also out." The doctor squinted, holding his glasses with one hand while shaking the freshly printed, still-warm report in the other, a very gratified expression appearing on his face.
It's a very healthy child, its skeletal development is also very good. In twenty-one days, you can prepare to give the puppy its second vaccination.
"Alright, doctor, I'll remember to bring him back for his second shot." Kisaragi Chiyo nodded with a smile, deliberately using a slightly heavier tone to emphasize those last few words.
Compared to his pleasant and friendly conversation with the doctor, the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, who was playing dead in his arms, was clearly not having such a wonderful time. When the doctor mentioned that he would need a second vaccine shot, Kisaragi Chiyo could clearly feel the puppy's body stiffen in her arms.
"Say, why are you so afraid of getting a shot?" Kisaragi Chiyo said, stroking the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy's head with a hint of amusement. Its soft, thick fur felt exceptionally good to the touch.
Isn't it said that a dog's tolerance for pain is twenty times that of a human's? Moreover, as an evil spirit, Hara Kenji is certainly no innocent puppy who understands nothing.
Faced with Kisaragi Chiyo's question, Hara Kenji still chose to play dead. He extended his front paws to paw at Kisaragi Chiyo, whimpering to indicate that because he had just received an injection, he was temporarily unable to walk.
"Are you acting spoiled?" Facing the unruly puppy, Kisaragi Chiyo's attitude was incredibly doting. She couldn't help but scratch the puppy's head again, then reached out to carry him over to a chair in the outdoor corridor to sit down, waiting for the pet registration to be processed.
After about forty minutes, a brand-new pet ID and a vaccination receipt were in hand. Along with these two items came a black collar about two fingers wide, featuring a round, brass-colored pendant with the puppy's name written on it.
"Originally, when registering the name, I wanted to register it as Yuanyuan for you." Kisaragi Chiyo put away the documents and used one hand to dangle the collar in front of the puppy's round, rolling eyes.
But in the end, I wrote Hagi, just as you wanted.
"Now, I'm going to put a leash on you," Kisaragi Chiyo said, unbuckling the strap and wrapping it around the puppy's neck, adjusting it to a size that was secure yet comfortable.
"Next, the place we're going requires taking the train." Kisaragi Chiyo patted the puppy's back, signaling for it to get off her lap first.
Then we'll go find a professional to see if they can resolve your current situation.
Only now could Kisaragi Chiyo finally be certain that Hara Kenji was currently unable to maintain a physical human form for an extended period.
According to his explanation, he could switch freely between an evil spirit and a Bernese Mountain Dog, but if he maintained that previous tangible state, he would feel a sense of power being rapidly depleted. If that happened, he would need to recover through sleep.
It was just like a toy that had run out of battery.
She had to admit that after learning this news, Kisaragi Chiyo actually felt a sense of relief; after all, Hara Kenji, who could be physically touched, was not easy to deal with.
As for the puppy, he was much cuter and far easier to fool.
It's probably the difference between Hara Kenji and Yuanyuan.
As for the professional that Kisaragi Chiyo mentioned, he was a friend she met during an accident. Although the two were only one year apart in age, while Kisaragi Chiyo was still a student contemplating her future path, the other had already established a Spiritual Consultation Office of his own.
*
The train swayed as it passed through the lush, yellow-green forests on both sides, with sunlight filtering through the branches to cast dappled shadows. The windows were like frames of a moving picture, each one telling a story of autumn, but most of the passengers inside had no interest in admiring them, as the slightly high temperature at midday was warm enough to make them feel drowsy.
Hara Kenji's furry head poked out from the black backpack, a purple teething tennis ball still held in his mouth; it was a reward given to him by the doctor for being well-behaved during his shots.
Hara Kenji showed his affection the moment he saw the purple tennis ball, his tail wagging incessantly from side to side, making excited whimpering sounds in his mouth. He used his front paws to paw at the tennis ball, wanting Kisaragi Chiyo to play with him, but he was unexpectedly rejected by her in a cold manner.
"We have to hurry." Kisaragi Chiyo looked at the Bernese Mountain Dog, which was tilting its head up and staring at her with expectant eyes, leaned down to pat its head.
"The next bus won't reach its destination until almost afternoon." As if to prove she wasn't lying to the puppy, Kisaragi Chiyo even held up the two tickets in her hands for it to see.
From Tokyo to Chawashi, the journey was indeed not short; if there were no unexpected delays on the train, it would take at least three hours.
Whether it was because he had possessed a canine, or for some other reason, Hara Kenji, after becoming a puppy, seemed much more lively, showing an extraordinary level of interest and curiosity in everything he saw and heard.
If Kisaragi Chiyo hadn't tightened the leash just now, Hara Kenji, in his form as a puppy, would have nearly lunged into the grass to catch crickets.
"What are you doing?" Kisaragi Chiyo couldn't quite understand the puppy's thoughts; facing the energetic Bernese Mountain Dog, he could only stubbornly clutch the leash in his hand.
The puppy said nothing; he just stared at Kisaragi Chiyo with a pair of bright, moist purple eyes, looking innocent and bewildered, defeating Kisaragi Chiyo without even having to do anything.
Alright." Kisaragi Chiyo admitted that his bottom line was flexible; he glanced at the time until the start and negotiated hesitantly, "I can't go catch bugs, but I can play fetch with you for ten minutes.
Then, as soon as ten minutes were up, the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy ran toward Kisaragi Chiyo with a purple tennis ball in its mouth. At this stage, he seemed to have already mastered the art of walking on four legs, running was a piece of cake for him.
However, the man and the dog still almost missed the train, because on the way, Hara Kenji used his proud, excellent sense of smell to find a bomb that had been planted in a telephone booth.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
Kisaragi Chiyo certainly wouldn't know how to defuse a bomb, so in the end, he asked a passerby to help call the police, while he and Hara Kenji left the scene first.
Then they ran into a knife robbery.
Kisaragi Chiyo: "?"
So this is the metropolis of Tokyo? Is the frequency of encountering criminals really this high?
Kisaragi Chiyo let out a sigh of someone who had never seen the world.
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Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection. Mwah! It's so cold today, remember to dress warmly (slowly shrinking into my duvet).
Chapter 31
The last lunch for one person and one dog was eaten at the destination station. These flashy station bento boxes, adorned with regional-limited slogans, were not even a tenth as delicious as the food Hara Kenji made.
Cold, soggy fried chicken, slightly undercooked rice, unpleasant pickled ginger, a price three times higher than a normal bento.
In this situation, even the dead-eyed broccoli on the green recyclable lunch box seemed to be mocking him.
"I've been scammed." Kisaragi Chiyo chewed her last piece of broccoli mechanically, the sound of her aching wallet almost audible.
It's a complete scam for tourists," Hara Kenji commented. "The taste isn't even up to the standard of pre-packaged meals, the production cost probably doesn't even reach a quarter of the selling price.
But I'm still very happy that Chiyo-chan thinks so highly of my cooking.
The Bernese Mountain Dog wagged its tail happily, rubbing its furry head against Kisaragi Chiyo's leg and making happy "werwer" sounds, its black, moist nose slightly upturned, with grains of rice still stuck to the fur around its mouth.
You can't be harsh on a puppy. To be able to finish an entire bento despite such an ordinary and unpalatable level of food, without making a mess everywhere, already places it far above a vast number of dogs in this world.
Well-behaved, not a picky eater, cute, affectionate—this was truly the chosen puppy in the eyes of any dog owner; without a doubt, it was an angelic presence.
Kisaragi Chiyo closed the finished bento box and reached out from her wide black haori sleeve to wipe a grain of rice from the puppy's mouth with a handkerchief; the hand hanging at her side gripped the leash, tightening and then slightly relaxing.
In the silence, Kisaragi Chiyo finally asked the question: "Why can I understand what a dog is saying?"
"Is that strange?" The Bernese Mountain Dog puppy blinked, its purple eyes looking like beautiful glass beads, round and translucent; every inch of its fluffy little face exuded an air of innocence and cuteness.
"Isn't it strange?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked in return.
A person and a dog stood by the trash can, staring at each other, a scene that seemed to have occurred before.
"Alright." Kisaragi Chiyo lost the battle against the puppy's head-tilt first. Of course, he hadn't really intended to get an answer; he had just mentioned it in passing.
But Hara Kenji seemed to have taken issue with this question.
The "Kisaragi" puppy trotted around Kisaragi Chiyo's feet, so much so that he had to be constantly careful where he stepped to avoid accidentally stepping on the puppy.
"Don't you think this is quite interesting?" The Bernese Mountain Dog opened its mouth, revealing a somewhat silly smile.
“I don't.” Kisaragi Chiyo withdrew her gaze, looking straight ahead, replied in a flat voice, “When a cute puppy opens its mouth and lets out a deep, adult male voice.. don't you think that's a massive sense of incongruity?”
It completely ruined the cute image of the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy.
I don't think so." Hara Kenji replied with a hint of a smile in his voice, returning the words to Kisaragi Chiyo: "In the slang popular among young people today, wouldn't you call this 'gap moe'?
"Thanks, but I'm not into that." Kisaragi Chiyo flatly rejected Hara Kenji's recommendation.
But that was of no use; Kisaragi Chiyo's refusal did nothing to stop Hara Kenji from jogging along with a light step, before singing a city pop style song in a low voice.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
Enough, he is serious this time.
*
The Spiritual Consultation Office belonging to Kisaragi Chiyo's friend was located in a somewhat remote area.
Although the location was mediocre, the rent was cheap.
[Spiritual Consultation Office]
Hara Kenji looked up at those words and blinked slowly. This so-called friend and professional must be someone with special abilities, just like Kisaragi Chiyo, right?
With curiosity in his heart, Hara Kenji followed quietly and obediently beside Kisaragi Chiyo, watching as she held a bag of fresh Wagyu beef just bought from the supermarket in one hand, while knocking three times on the plain brown door with the other.
With a few somewhat lazy responses coming from inside, the door was opened from within with a creak, an adult man's face appeared before them.
The man's face bore the grogginess of someone who had just woken up, his eyelids half-lidded in a typical sanpaku eyes look. He had short, orange-tinted blonde hair and wore a wrinkled gray suit, looking quite casual and somewhat unreliable as he massaged his neck, which was stiff from sleeping in a bad position.
Ah, it's you." After staring at Kisaragi Chiyo for a few seconds, the man finally realized himself and raised his hand to scratch his head. "Long time no see, Kisaragi.
“Long time no see, Reigen Makoto.” Kisaragi Chiyo gave a slight nod toward the door.
You're still the same as always." The man known as Reigen smiled and stepped aside to make room for Kisaragi Chiyo to enter. "You should try changing your image once in a while to become more popular.
Reigen Arataka, the man who runs this Spiritual Consultation Office, is a Spirit Medium who claims to be a Psychic. His daily work involves solving the troubles of clients suffering from curses cast by evil spirits.