Bonus Short Stories It’s a Dog’s Life “Woof! Woof! Arf! Woof!” “What’re you barking about, Shiro? Ack! Oh no!” Tsuzuri just barely managed to catch her daughter, Fuyuka, who had somehow crawled up to the top of the couch and nearly fell off. The little one simply giggled, completely unaware of the peril she’d been in, as her mother breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The family dog, Shiro, also let out a small sigh. “Thanks, Shiro! I wouldn’t have noticed without your help!” “Woof, woof!” Shiro was the latest addition to the Mochizuki family, and Tsuzuri had her suspicions that the dog was far smarter than it looked. Somehow, the pooch just knew how to do things without being trained! She followed obediently on walks, and even patiently waited to be fed without barking or whining. The most amazing thing about it, though, was how she treated Fuyuka. She was always looking out for the little girl and keeping her out of harm’s way. If Fuyuka needed her diaper changed, Shiro would start barking. Fuyuka headed into danger? Shiro would start barking. The pooch always acted incredibly gentle when playing with the little girl, too... It really did make Tsuzuri stop and wonder if it wasn’t her son reborn somehow. Right when Tsuzuri muttered something to that effect, the dog began frantically shaking her head as if to say, “No way!” That was another weird thing about the dog! It was as if she understood human speech... But surely that had to be Tsuzuri’s imagination. The woman smiled and gave the dog a little pat on the head. “Doggie... Doggie...” Fuyuka reached out her arms to pet Shiro, prompting the dog to quietly lower her head and accept the child’s rough scritches. Tsuzuri quietly smiled, thinking about how lucky the family was to have such a patient and gentle pet. [Shiro’s Perspective] Whew, that was a close one... If Lady Tsuzuri hadn’t noticed, I might’ve had to use my divinity! Can’t use magic in this world on account of the atmosphere, after all. Still, I’d rather use my divinity sparingly. There’s no telling what kind of danger it could end up attracting... Even though I’m sure I could handle it, I would do well not to invite trouble to this household, as my primary mission is keeping the family safe. I swear, she’s such a rambunctious little girl! I can’t take my eyes off her for a single moment. You never know what kind of trouble she’s going to stir up next...
From what I understand, her brother’s much like that, too... Perhaps that’s just part of their bloodline... I might be a low-tier god, but I’m still a god, and even I fear the wrath of Lady Tsuzuri... I get the feeling she wears the pants in this household as well... Her husband’s always lacking in spine when it comes to confronting her. “Shiro! Walkies!” “Woof!” Tsuzuri strolled over from the garden with a leash in hand, prompting Shiro to run up to her. With a leash on, I can’t exactly be right next to Fuyuka, but I’ll still keep a close eye out for danger. This is my duty... and I intend to see it through. A Matter Of Health How are you all doing during this global catastrophe? I understand it’s a little crazy out there as of late. I’m doing okay, all things considered. I came down ill recently, and I began to worry because of what’s going on outside. I couldn’t stop coughing for a few days, which was very scary... Then, a fever set in and the coughing got worse. I didn’t want to assume the worst, but I knew I had to visit the doctor... I fearfully headed into the waiting room and found it to be surprisingly barren. There were only a few people there, but given the circumstances, it’s understandable why. And luckily, that means they helped me immediately. When I described my symptoms to the doctor, he apologized and cordoned me off from everyone else in the building. I was placed in an isolated room. I hardly blamed them for it, though, all things considered. They took blood samples from me and stuck this big cotton swab right up my nose... In the end, it turned out to just be a cold. The fever and chills were just the results of an infection, it seems. I got some medicine, headed home... and the fever subsided after a couple of days. Unfortunately, the coughing persisted for quite some time after that. It was really uncomfortable. But thankfully, I’ve made a full recovery at this point. I’m feeling much better. And I’m definitely taking steps to ensure that I don’t get sick again, since that experience wasn’t something I’d ever wish to relive. I’ve always been the kind of person who doesn’t go out all that much, so when the matter of lockdown came up, I thought I’d be okay. I didn’t think living in isolation would be all that different from my usual life, so I figured what the hey, I’m prepared for that. But then, reality set in and I realized I couldn’t play board games with my friends, and I still can’t really go out to wander through my favorite bookstore. When that realization first hit me, it was tough. I felt way worse than I expected, in all honesty. My board game collection is piling up, and I haven’t got anyone to play with. That’s why I’ve started playing more video games. One such game is Animal Crossing! I heard about the new one, but I’d never actually played it; I’d just seen it on Twitter and stuff like that. I know it’s quite popular. The idea to give it a try actually came up during a phone call with a member of the editorial staff. He told me that you could make a museum, style your island how you want it, and get random villagers to show up! It sounded pretty cool, even if the other person didn’t know everything about the game. I play it about twice a day, usually for less than an hour. I could play more, but I’d rather take it easy... Plus, if I just do everything those shady raccoons tell me to, I’d feel like a mafia boss’ underling. At any rate, I’m glad it was just a normal cold this time around. It really made me realize how lucky I am to have my health. If it was the alternative, well... I’m just glad it wasn’t. Let’s all be sure to wash our hands thoroughly, okay? Don’t just look out for your own health, but your neighbors as well. Take care out there.
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