It was the second Sunday since Chris had arrived.
“Come, Chris. It’s time for your walk!”
It was early morning as Hinata headed out into the empty shopping district as always, stretching his muscles. It was past mid-May, and the sunlight was getting stronger every day, but this early it was still cool and crisp.
“Which way should we go today?”
Chris looked to the right, so Hinata started walking away from the train station, toward the police station. It was the weekend, and the shopping district was still asleep, except for the sound of light footsteps coming toward them. They belonged to a young man who jogged right past Hinata and Chris.
Chris turned and whined softly as the man ran by. This was something Hinata had noticed from their walks together. When Chris saw a young man, the dog tended to look sad and whine. He was probably thinking of Mr. Kobayashi, his former owner.
One of the passages in A Happy Home Life with Your New Dog! had said that Shiba Inu were “very faithful to their owners but equally cautious around other people.” That made Hinata feel kind of bad. I thought we were getting along well, but I guess I can’t replace Chris’s old owner…
He sighed and started walking again, when a bicycle came whizzing past from a side street.
It’s gonna hit us! Hinata thought, and he tumbled into the street to protect Chris.
Screeee!
The bike just barely managed to avoid hitting the two of them.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” the bicyclist yelled before continuing on his way.
“Owww,” Hinata groaned, sitting up. “Are you all right, Chris?”
Chris had been startled by the sudden event, too, and was hopping in place with his ears flat against his head. The dog hadn’t been struck by the bike, at least.
Hinata was relieved but felt like he wanted to cry. That guy was a real jerk! Yeah, it’s my fault for not paying attention, but he shouldn’t be riding that fast. And he didn’t have to yell…
As he got to his feet, feeling disgruntled, he caught a glimpse of his knee, and he fell into the road again. “Ah! It’s b-bleeding…”
Hinata was not very tough when it came to injuries. The sight of even a little bit of blood would make him light-headed. Without letting go of the leash, he pressed his hand around his knee and clenched his eyes shut. Owww…
“Whine, whine…”
Chris’s breath was warm on Hinata’s face. The dog barked a few times and poked Hinata on the cheek. But Hinata couldn’t get up or even open his eyes.
Suddenly, the leash slipped right out of his hands.
“Huh? Chris?” Hinata said, lifting his head. As he did, he saw Chris dashing off as fast as his legs would carry him. The red leash, bright in the morning sun, bounced along the road’s surface.
“Chris!”
Oh no! Hinata tried to get up, but he lost his balance and landed on his bottom again. On the third try, he finally got to his feet. He trained his eyes in the direction Chris had gone. There was no sign of the dog anywhere.
“Chris! Chris, where are you?!” Hinata shouted, growing pale. What should I do? Chris has gotten lost!
He dragged his wounded leg behind him, on the verge of tears. If anything happened to Chris, it would be his own fault as the dog’s owner. How could I let Chris go, just because I got a scrape?!
From somewhere in the empty shopping area came the barking of a dog. It was frantic and constant. Hinata then heard a high-pitched female voice speaking back.
“What is it? What’s going on, Chris? Did you take yourself for a walk this time?”
As Hinata stumbled in the direction of the voice, Chris’s head popped out from an alley a short distance away. When the dog saw Hinata, his ears popped upright, and he came racing over.
“Chris!”
Hinata held out his arms, and Chris launched into them. Hinata was bowled over backward, and he fell onto his bottom yet again. The dog was on top of him now, licking his face over and over. Hinata giggled and laughed, hugging his partner.
“Thank goodness, Chris! I thought you got lost…”
“Oh! Hinata? What’s the matter? Are you all right?”
Hinata looked up with a start and saw a girl gazing down at him with concern, a white toy poodle in her arms.
“Oh, Yukina…”
Yukina was one of the Marron Clinic’s regulars. She was a lively girl in her first year of middle school who loved to sing.
“I was taking Linda for a walk when Chris came speeding over to us, barking. I was so startled… Uh-oh, you skinned your knee!”