<CHAPTER 6: A day with Shiba-inu>

It's been 18 days since I finally started working full-time in the VA Agency, and I never thought that it would be this fun.

After my usual morning lessons, I went to the mall to buy a new set of clothes since I'm earning a little from various 'legal' jobs the landlord has offered me.

--

On my way to the escalator, I saw a man looking around as if he's… lost?

"Shiba?" I said to myself and when the man turn around, his eyes met mine… and I can conclude that… he's lost again. When he saw me, he run to me just like how a dog runs to his owner whenever it's home.

"Keito!" he said the moment he reached me.

"Hi there Mr. lost-in-the-shopping-mall!" I smiled at him.

"I would prefer you would call me by my first name though," he pouted.

"So, you're not lost again?" I asked him teasingly.

"It's not as if I'm lost every day!" he answered with so much pride "it only happens every other day" then he smiled at me as if I should reward him for being lost every other day than every day. How a dog could lose its way?

"ah, since you're already here, why not we spend some time together, we haven't talk that much in the recording studio." I suggested. He really looks like a dog, should I tie him and bring him home?

"Oh, is that so? Are you really gonna play with me?" he asked happily "yay! I'm just waiting for you to suggest that" he really looks happy, actually, I can see his tail wiggling.

"So, what are you doing here in the mall? Memorizing the way?" I tease him again. Teasing him will become a hobby then… sorry Shiba-inu… here

"Stop it!" his tone is like an accused victim but you can see his face smiling, the contrast is not that obvious… hehe "I just love being here" he answered

"even though I get lost every other day, this place just kept me coming here again and again…" he suddenly turned serious "there are just so many shops that I feel like I'm traveling around the world" then here he goes again. I surrender.

"But still… even there are shops here, it won't mean anything if I keep getting lost in the way…"

"(Whoa, he's miserable… I pity a dog like you)" but I didn't say that loud… who knows if I keep that issue, he might feel down.

"I want to go the CD shop to check for the new releases, but I can't seem to make my way there even though I've been asking around" yeah… I remember when you're asking about the department store, it's already in front of you but you still take the left and lost again.

"THIS PLACE IS A MAZE!!" he exclaimed. I think it's just you Shiba.

"If you really want to go there, I can take you there." I said half-mindedly, but who knows what trouble this statement will will bring unto my life.

After that short monologue of Shiba-inu, we take the escalator to the second floor and made our way to the CD shop, but when I turn around to point the location of the shop, I didn't saw Shiba, and after looking for a while, I saw him together with another man. He kept following him when he finally noticed that it wasn't me.

I ran to him and he saw me, and for the second time, we made our way to the CD shop, this time I didn't take my eyes off him, and thank God, we're already in front of the shop.

I enter the shop knowing that Shiba is following me, but who knows that he entered the shop next door.

After only God knows how long, I found Shiba, hold his hands and make our way to the CD shop. I didn't let go of his hands even when we enter the CD shop. When the sales lady saw this, she smiled just like how Little Beauty smiled when she saw To-chan and me in the counter.

"(Does all saleslady smiles like that to their customers?)" I thought. "Here we are, don't you dare to get out the shop without me!" I warned him. I never thought that going to the first shop in the second floor could be this tiring.

"How can you live like this for so long?" I murmured when Shiba is not looking.

"hehe, you're amazing Keito, we made it here for 10 minutes, but when I'm alone at best-cases, I can find a shop for 30 minutes… you're amazing Keito… you're my Savior!" Shiba praised me to the roof.

"Hehe, you're the amazing one, your sense of direction is out of this world" I finally said my thought.

"Hehe… I won't deny it" Shiba looks so proud of it.

"Well, we're here, so why don't you go and check for the new releases!" I said to him.

"Oh right, I nearly forgot. Hmmm, where is it… where…" Shiba head to the 'new release shelf' looked left, and right, up and down "ah, found it! Finally"

"What is it?" I got to his back to take a look, but his a head taller than me. Damn, I'm already tall but this dog is still taller than I am?! I never have been this frustrated about my height. So I tiptoed just to have a glimpse of it. When I can almost see it, he suddenly hides it from my sight.

"Hey! Don't look, it's embarrassing!" he pouted again and hide the album desperately.

"Come on, why would a piece of CD make you embarrassed?" when I looked where Shiba got the album, I saw the title "is it 'Midnight in the Doctor's office'?" I asked. The album cover is adorned with a naked anime bishounen (1) in a naughty pose and a doctor holding a stethoscope.

"Judging from the cover and the title, this has gotta be a yaoi" I continued.

"D-Don't misunderstand! Please!" Shiba looks like I caught him in the act "I'm not buying this for my personal hobbies"

"I haven't said anything!" I smiled slyly.

"REALLY! It's just… I voiced a character in this BL drama…," he explained.

"(Man! That's disappointing!) So, you're starring in this drama? That's cool!" I didn't voiced out the first part, though, I really felt that its cool starring a BL drama "are you voicing the H-scene too? I want to hear it!" I'm being shameless now… hehe I grab a CD and head to the headphones

"N-NO! Please don't do it when I'm around…" Shiba stopped me, he really looks embarrassed, and his ears are turning red. "Y-you know, the lyrics are… kinda out of my character… so it's… really embarrassing." but despite of this, his smile didn't leave his face, though this time, it's an awkward smile.

"Do you voice the doctor or the patient?" since we're on the topic, it's better to know beforehand.

"I voiced the doctor!" Shiba's tone is not that embarrassed anymore, I think whenever we're talking with his profession, any other feelings are gone except for the sense of achievement, I can feel he's so proud of it despite of him being embarrassed about it.

"He's a very sadistic character and he likes S&M play too… It's a total 180 for me," he continued.

"So you're not into S&M?" I asked out of nowhere.

"W-well, I haven't tried it before, so I don't know if I'm into It." he embarrass answered.

"You might be a secret sadist… who knows!" I said teasingly and I smiled as I wave the album in my hand.

"Do I look like one?!" he asked confusedly.

"Well, no. you're more like a harmless puppy." I honestly answered.

"Hey!" for the nth time, I made Shiba pout… hahaha.

"So, are you gonna buy that CD." I bring back the album to the shelf. I don't plan buying this CD, who knows what I might do to Shiba after I heard his moans. Maybe in the future though… haha.

"yep, I like collecting my works." he proudly said as he make his way to the counter "whenever I'm at a bottleneck, I can watch my previous works to look for a way to improve myself and also to correct my past mistakes." he said

"Whoa… you're very dedicated to your work!" I praised him.

"I like my job, so this much effort is only natural!" he said professionally.

"I should start learning from you!" I said while smiling at him. He's so professional, I will not be surprised if he made it to the top.

"You've got amazing skills already, so if you put more effort, I'm sure you can do even better than me, Keito." he returned with a smile. He pay the album, when the cashier saw it, she blushed so red as if she's going to explode anytime sooner.

"Alright, I'll do my best so I can someday get cast as a sadist in BL drama too!" when the cashier heard it, she lost her balance for a while then packed the album while shaking visibly.

"Hey! Stop mentioning about it! It's embarrassing" then the cashier handed the packed album…

"H-here's your sadist- I mean y-your album… h-have a nice night-day… I mean have a nice day…" the cashier bows her head so low, so low as if she's going to reach the floor. "I want to find a hole and hide this very moment" she said so low that even a drop of a needle is louder.

Then we made our way out the CD store and this time, I made a security measure, I hold his hand the very moment the cashier handed the CD. Shiba and I didn't saw anything wrong with it since we both know why we're being like this, but every passenger we passed by are taking a second glance at us…

"I think you're becoming famous now." I said to Shiba when we passed two young girls.

"I think they're looking at you though, your white hair is quite attracting… you look like a cat!" Shiba joked.

"Then if I'm a cat, then you're a dog… a dog with no sense of direction!" I let go his hands and as expected, Shiba started following another man.

"This is bad, when he became someone's lover, he might follow the wrong girl… that would be hilarious!" I said to myself while going after Shiba. "Should I just take him home just in case?" I continued my monologue.

Wait… am I forgetting something again? Hmmm…

I can't seem to remember…

Then I saw Shiba attempting to hold the man's arm… then I was in full shock when… he really holds that man's arm, the person was shocked, but girl beside him was devastated.

I do not know what to do now.

Wait… am I forgetting something again? Hmmm… I can't seem to remember… time to go home!