"I'm home."
"Welcome home!"
"Woof!"
"Yuzuru?"
Tsuna was still bending down at the entrance, changing his shoes. As soon as he looked up, he saw two fluffy heads peeking out from the edge of the living room door frame, one high and one low, perfectly aligned.
Above was Yuzuru's bright, mischievous smile, and below was Hachiko, tongue lolling, both pairs of bright eyes focused intently on Tsuna.
"You're…?"
Just as he was wondering, he was interrupted by Yuzuru's clear, crisp laugh.
She laughed as she quickly walked toward Tsuna, followed by Hachiko, who was excited but didn't understand, taking small, quick steps, his tail wagging like a propeller.
Yuzuru leaned close to Tsuna, straining to stand on her tiptoes, her small hand almost poking Tsuna's neck, laughing so hard she was doubled over.
"Tsuna, your neck is so funny… haha… and that mosquito really bites! Haha…"
"..."
Considering Yuzuru was only in her first year of junior high and hadn't had biology class yet, he didn't explain much, nor did he want to continue the conversation on that topic.
He could only nod, trying to brush it off.
After laughing for a while, Yuzuru squatted down to change her shoes and explained, "I came here to find Hachiko. We're going for a walk in Shuangye Park."
She paused, then looked up, meeting Onii-san's gaze, and slightly curved her lips. "Onii-san, do you want to come along?"
"No."
Tsuna decisively crossed his arms, forming an X, refusing without any room for negotiation.
Immediately after, a gentle "Be careful on the way" floated down, and he turned and walked straight into the living room.
"Sigh…"
Rejected, Yuzuru could only sigh softly, thinking that if Onii-san had agreed, she could have asked him to treat her to snacks later, the kind she wouldn't have to spend her own pocket money on.
This thought came quickly and went quickly. In an instant, she regained her energetic demeanor. Without her needing to do anything, Hachiko had already voluntarily put on his leash.
"I'm heading out!"
"Woof~!"
Two sounds reached the living room from the entrance. Before Shizuka's words of caution could land, a click sound of the door closing reached both their ears.
"Do you want to put some medicine on that?" Shizuka's gaze shifted from the TV to Tsuna's noticeable neck.
"No." Tsuna shook his head, picked up an orange from the coffee table, and began to peel it. "It should disappear in a few days."
Hmm… provided Shouko doesn't "plant" any more…
"Alright then." Shizuka, who had been about to get up to fetch medicine, instantly lost her momentum and leaned back, sinking into the depths of the sofa.
She lazily raised her hand and gave Tsuna a light pat on the back with a thump.
"Go… the strawberries in the fridge are yours. I'm too lazy to move. Quickly wash some to honor me."
"..."
The orange, half-peeled, could only be reluctantly put down. He got up and left the living room for the dining room.
When he returned to the living room, carrying a glass bowl full of glistening, freshly washed strawberries, the situation on the coffee table had changed dramatically.
The orange, which had just been "gutted" and lay pitifully on a tissue, was nowhere to be found, leaving only a few scattered pieces of orange peel and the lingering fresh scent of fruit in the air.
At the same time, a clear and satisfied gulp sound came perfectly from the direction of the sofa.
---
"La la la… la la la…"
Yuzuru hummed a tune as she led Hachiko into Shuangye Park, beginning to stroll along their usual route.
It was just past three in the afternoon. The sun was pleasantly warm, and the wind felt like a freshly laundered plush garment, soft and gentle, caressing the face and neck with a pleasant warmth rather than dryness.
On the plastic jogging track, people gradually began to move. A few young mothers pushed strollers, tiny babies snoring or half-awake with their eyes open in the carriages.
There were also grandmothers holding children's hands, walking and softly chattering.
Tree shadows began to lengthen, lying faintly on the ground, yet the sunlight remained golden and bright, gently and warmly covering everyone, as if embracing the entire park.
Just then, a plump dark figure leaped out from around the corner, blocking the path of the girl and the dog.
"Yo! Kid."
"..."
Yuzuru was startled by the sudden appearance of the dark figure. When she reacted, she realized it was the Fat Man from yesterday.
Hachiko seemed to have smelled the other party long ago and also sensed that he meant no harm to Yuzuru, so he lazily nestled in the sunlight, not disturbing the two.
"Why are you here? Is someone bullying you again?" Yuzuru peered left and right behind him, and only when she found no one did she begin to wonder.
"No." Tomohiro Nagatsuka dramatically spread his empty hand across his chest, making an expression of being wronged.
"Do I look that cowardly, like I'm easy to bully?"
"Yes! You do! Very much so!" Yuzuru didn't hesitate, nodding her head like a pecking chick, her large eyes filled with sincere affirmation.
"Woof!"
Even more miraculously, Hachiko, who had been daydreaming nearby, suddenly lifted his head and, with great solemnity, barked loudly in agreement toward Tomohiro Nagatsuka.
"..."
Tomohiro Nagatsuka, carrying a bag with a convenience store logo, turned and wanted to leave. For a moment, he suddenly felt like they couldn't communicate.
"Why are you here?" Ignoring his hurt expression, Yuzuru asked curiously.
"I came to play with you," he said with a smile, gently lifting the bag of snacks in his hand. "And to thank you for helping yesterday. Thanks to you, today at school was peaceful all day. Those guys didn't dare to cause trouble."
His tone was filled with relaxed gratitude.
"..."
The moment she saw the snack bag, Yuzuru's eyes visibly brightened, but she didn't immediately fall for it. Like a cunning little fox, she deliberately averted her gaze.
When she turned her head back, her arms were crossed, and with an expression that said, "I've seen through you long ago," she mercilessly hit the nail on the head.
"Hmph, suspicious, Fat Man!"
She leaned slightly forward. "You wouldn't be so lonely that you couldn't find anyone to play with, so you had to bring snacks to play with me, would you?"
"..."
"No… no way!" Tomohiro Nagatsuka quickly retorted. "I have tons of friends at school!"
After saying that, afraid that Yuzuru wouldn't believe him, he quickly added, "Really! I only came today to thank you for your help yesterday!"
Yuzuru didn't say anything. Her eyes narrowed into thin slits, and her sharp gaze fixed on Tomohiro Nagatsuka's face like a nail.
Staring until his scalp tingled and his back was almost sweating, Tomohiro Nagatsuka finally couldn't withstand the pressure and squeezed out a dry sound from his throat.
"Okay…"
"I believe you!"
The scrutinizing look in Yuzuru's eyes vanished in a whoosh, instantly replaced by a beaming, matter-of-fact expression. Her small hand shot out in front of him with a swish.
"Give me the snacks~"
"..."
If she didn't believe him now, Fat Man might take the snacks back, so the clever Yuzuru still chose to nod and lie.
Get the snacks first, hehe…
If it weren't for her mother and sister being strict about her cavities recently, she wouldn't have to resort to this.