"Yukinoshita-san, are you serious? A husky keeping watch?"
Haizaki had never directly dealt with a husky, but from the internet and other sources, he knew this creature was notoriously restless. When it started causing trouble, it was a nightmare.
"I'm serious."
The husky wagged its big tail, its expression firm, as if saying, "I can do it." Its look only made Haizaki more uneasy.
"We can try. If it doesn't work…" Yukino's words trailed off.
If they decided to keep the husky now, then later drove it away because it couldn't keep watch or give warnings, she felt she wouldn't be able to do it.
"Forget the husky for now. What about the other one—the female wolf?"
Haizaki pointed at the wolf.
"Its level of tameness is far lower than that of the husky, which was once raised by humans. It's not close to humans like the husky. At any moment, this wolf could bite us. That would be normal."
Yukino carefully looked at the female wolf. Its ferocious eyes made her tremble.
But then the husky's goofy face suddenly blocked her line of sight. It seemed to sense that its future mistress was evaluating them.
"I…" Yukino's voice trembled. If judged by practical need, they should take the husky and drive away the wolf. But after seeing the warmth between the wolf and husky earlier, how could she bear to separate them?
A kind girl couldn't break apart such a pair.
At that moment, Yukino fell silent, not knowing what to say.
The husky howled again: "Awwooo, awooo…"
Haizaki only frowned in thought. In the nine months of the "Crystallization Mutation," if the husky could fulfill a dog's duties—keeping watch and giving warnings—it would be useful.
Though deep down Haizaki doubted whether a husky could truly perform such tasks, he thought it was worth trying.
If it succeeded, great. If it failed, he wouldn't lose much.
The husky itself wasn't the problem. The issue was its companion—the female wolf.
If it were a female dog, it wouldn't matter much. But it was a wolf. A bloodthirsty animal, capable of attacking humans.
Haizaki stared at the female wolf. Sensing his gaze, the wolf's eyes sharpened, full of vigilance. It looked ready to bite if he showed hostility.
Haizaki sighed.
Too dangerous. At least for Yukino, being around this wolf was far too dangerous.
Haizaki decided…
"Stop licking, stop licking…"
While he was thinking, the husky suddenly jumped up beside him, front paws raised, head pushing upward, red tongue licking furiously.
Yukino stepped back two paces. She felt that if the husky did this to her, she absolutely couldn't handle it. Just watching made her shiver, her body trembling uncontrollably.
If not for the husky's potential usefulness in their future life, Yukino wouldn't want it anywhere near her. If cats could keep watch and give warnings, she would rather raise a cat.
"Stop licking… if you keep licking…"
Seeing Haizaki about to scold it, the husky turned and ran toward Yukino instead. Realizing the male master wasn't working, it decided to please the female master to indirectly please the male.
Yukino's pupils shrank. Her fear of dogs surged uncontrollably.
"…"
The husky loomed larger in her vision. Trembling, Yukino instinctively stepped back.
"Yusuke… -kun…"
She reached her hand toward Haizaki, calling out to him.
"Awwooo…"
Seeing itself about to succeed in pouncing on its mistress, the husky grew even more excited. Victory was near.
But suddenly, pain shot through its tail. It yelped.
"Awwooo…"
"Don't foolishly pounce around."
The husky turned its head, face full of a flattering grin.
"You're the husky who managed to win over a female wolf. You're destined to be a wolf king, so…"
"Awwooo…"
The husky howled to the sky, rubbing its head affectionately.
"You should stay with her…"
"Awwooo…"
But this time, the husky's howl was directed at the female wolf. Its icy-blue eyes glared at her, head held high, calling out.
The female wolf refused to back down, howling in return.
After ten seconds of howling back and forth, the female wolf finally lay down, turned over, and exposed her belly. For animals, exposing the soft belly meant submission.
With that, the greatest concern was gone. For now, they could keep them.
"By the way, don't get close to her."
Haizaki held the husky's head with his right hand and pointed at Yukino with his left.
"Otherwise, I'll drive you away…"
The husky's icy-blue eyes blinked, its head turned, tail wagging. It decided that someday, it would find a way to win over its mistress. If it could win her favor, it would live happily, eating well and drinking well.
"Yusuke-kun, th-thank you…"
Yukino finally calmed down.
When the husky had lunged at her, her vision had gone dark, her heart pounding violently, her whole body overwhelmed. If the dog had actually pounced on her, she didn't know if she would have screamed or even cried from fear. At least she hadn't lost composure.
"It's fine. If the husky misbehaves again, I'll discipline it."
"I understand."
Yukino stepped closer to Haizaki. It seemed only by his side could she feel safe.
Haizaki looked at the two animals. They would keep them for now. See how it went. If it didn't work out, they could let them go free.
After humanity's extinction, the husky had survived until now. That proved it had the ability to live independently. With that ability, it didn't need them to worry about its survival without humans.
Haizaki then led Yukino back to the room where they had first entered the "Crystallization Mutation" world. The remaining supplies there needed to be taken.
The suitcase allowed Yukino to more easily drag dozens of kilograms of supplies. Haizaki carried two full backpacks.
The setting sun painted the desolate city of Chiba in a red veil. The warm red tones brought a touch of warmth to the world.
Watching the sunset, Yukino unexpectedly found the scenery beautiful.
"Yusuke-kun, do you think this is a dream?"
To her, everything happening here was real, but she felt a strong sense of unreality.
From one world to another, or crossing five years into the future—for Yukino, it still felt like a dream.
"Perhaps. But I know, for me, this is definitely not a dream."
Their temporary residence was a small villa. Unfortunately, it had no independent power source—no solar panels, no diesel generator. Facing the reality of nightfall, they could only settle here for one night.
Dinner, of course, had to be prepared in the most primitive way: lighting a fire, cooking in a pot.
"Let's go back and prepare dinner…"
Among Haizaki's supplies were plenty of food. And in Chiba's supermarkets, many vacuum-packed goods were still usable. Two years wasn't enough to completely spoil them.
A pot was set on the fire, half-filled with water. The flames below burned brightly.
Haizaki tended the fire, while Yukino worked in the kitchen, cutting the available ingredients.
"Crackle, crackle…"
Facing the fire's light and heat, the female wolf instinctively hid in the corner. Its animal nature made it fear fire, keeping its distance.
The husky, however, was unfazed. It paced around the fire, nose twitching, sniffing the tempting aroma rising from the pot.
Its eyes gleamed with anticipation. Yes, that smell—it remembered the delicious food from years ago. Now, finally, it had the chance to taste it again.
"Phew…"
Once the food was cooked, Haizaki added sausages and canned goods, simmering a little longer. A simple dinner was complete.
The pot was lifted. Steam rose, fragrance spread. Even the female wolf in the corner was tempted, its eyes flickering. It was drawn by the scent.
Yukino began serving. Considering Haizaki was male, she gave him a larger portion. For herself, only a small amount—less than a quarter of his.
Haizaki couldn't help but speak: "Yukinoshita-san, is that really enough?"
"Mm. For dinner, I usually eat this much. It's enough."
"This is different."
Haizaki's tone grew heavier.
"The environment has changed. You need to eat more."
"This is enough for me."
Partly because her usual portions were small, and partly because today's events had dulled her appetite. She couldn't eat much.
"Eat more next time. I won't force you this time."
"Mm."
Seeing Haizaki relent, Yukino served bowls for the husky and the female wolf, under the husky's eager gaze.
"Awwooo…"
The husky barked excitedly. As soon as the bowl hit the ground, it rushed forward, burying its head, licking eagerly.
"Yelp…"
It had burned its tongue. The husky stuck out its tongue, trying to ease the burn.
Haizaki chuckled. Even Yukino smiled, though her smile quickly faded. This husky truly seemed to miss human-cooked food.
Suddenly, the husky remembered its companion. It barked a few times, calling it to eat. The female wolf finally moved, lowered its head, and began eating.
Haizaki and Yukino sat at the dining table, enjoying their simple meal.
"We'll stay here for two days. Then we'll go to Tokyo."
Chiba seemed to have an epidemic control division. Haizaki thought they needed to check it out. See if they could find more information about the crystallization virus and the vaccine. He remembered Main Mission Two: find the cause of the crystallization virus outbreak.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Haizaki thought for a moment. For now, Yukino could do little.
"If not, I'll stay here at the villa and clean the remaining rooms." As if sensing Haizaki's thoughts, Yukino spoke calmly.
Haizaki instinctively noticed her frustration at being powerless. Proud and independent, she now couldn't contribute. For her, it was a heavy blow.
"Come with me. There will be things you can help with."
At the very least, with technical documents, as a Japanese native, Yukino was more familiar. She could help him filter useful information.
"Alright!" She agreed immediately. Though she didn't know what he wanted her to do, she preferred going out to staying here.
Yukino didn't want to be a parasite living off Haizaki. She wanted to prove her value. She didn't want to be limited to chores. Cleaning, cooking—she was willing to do them, but not only that.
She had her pride. What she didn't know, she could learn. What she couldn't do, she could work hard at. But she refused to rely on her gender or her "familiarity" with Haizaki to enjoy his care. If she did, she would despise herself for becoming that kind of "her."
Ten minutes later, dinner was finished. Earlier, the husky had eaten its fill, now lying against the female wolf, enjoying her warmth. The female wolf, after eating, no longer looked at Haizaki and Yukino with suspicion. Its head rested on the ground, calmly resting.
The two at the table enjoyed the leisure after dinner.
"They… seem very close."
Though Yukino feared dogs, it didn't mean she hated them. She was simply afraid, unwilling to approach.
"Cats and dogs can grow familiar after living together for years. Even more so for wolf and dog with blood ties. And they're male and female."
Male and female—less competition, more coexistence. Instinct dictated they must reproduce.
Thinking of this, Haizaki felt troubled. If they kept these two, would there be a litter of puppies in a few months? The pressure seemed heavy.
"Time…" Yukino spoke softly.
Having never had friends, she didn't know what this feeling was. But… she looked at Haizaki.
"Yes, because of time. Long companionship can make two people who disliked each other grow familiar, even close. Long separation can make two people who liked each other grow distant, even strangers. Time can change so many things."
Yukino sighed lightly. In this world that seemed to hold only her and Haizaki, would long companionship eventually make them close?
She didn't know. But she thought the possibility was high. Would it be that way?
In her vision, the husky and female wolf lay together, enjoying the warmth. Yukino looked at Haizaki. She didn't dare think further.
…
-----
Gimme your stones or I'll shoot.
(҂ `з´) ︻╦̵̵̿╤──