EP.8 My Pets Are Getting Obsessed -1
EP.8 My Pets Are Getting Obsessed -1
The road home after finishing individual training, joint training, and everything else.
As always, I was walking side by side with my companion animals, watching the fading sunset.
"Ugh, I didn't think training would be this grueling... and those seniors actually stay behind and keep doing that kind of training."
"It can't be helped—they've already gone through training countless times, and today was your first, dear husband."
"So the fundamentals are completely different."
"Even so, the way you handled training was absolutely wonderful too!"
"Kkyu-it!"
"Yeah, thanks, both of you."
For once, I wanted harsh criticism rather than praise.
Probably because my companion animals were such overwhelmingly powerful beings.
The weak receiving praise from the strongest.
It was no different from acting like a big shot in front of a caterpillar, so I couldn't help feeling unimpressed even when praised.
"Hm...?"
An advertisement on an electronic billboard caught my eye as I passed, making me turn back.
The screen on the billboard was playing a commercial of children frolicking with a soft, fluffy-looking animal.
I knew the video had been exaggerated for effect, yet I still envied the children on screen.
What I really needed wasn't praise but healing, peace of mind...
"...Ngek?!"
A soft tail suddenly coiled around my entire neck.
This texture... it was Miho's tail.
"Why are you looking envious of an ad like that? You weren't thinking it'd be nice to have an animal like that, were you?"
"Well, that's..."
"You've always liked fluffy-looking animals, haven't you? Then isn't having me enough?"
"I wonder? It seems my husband prefers my soft feathers over the fur of some smelly beast."
"Get lost, you birdbrain!"
"M-Miho! This— kghk!!"
Loosen your tail a bit!
I couldn't breathe...! I was dying...! I was dying!!
"Don't wanna? I'm going to stick tight to my husband just like this, see?"
"You bug-like bird bitch...!!"
My two companion animals were about to start fighting with me between them again.
I really wished they'd stop.
I understood perfectly well that they both liked me, but did they know how exhausting it was having to mediate every single time they fought like this?
If they kept this up, I'd have no choice.
If I did not put my foot down this time...!
"Enough!! Both of you, stop fighting right now!"
I forcibly pried off Yata, who'd been clinging to me, and pressed a sensitive spot to unwind Miho's tail from around my neck.
After that, I shouted loudly, intending to pour out all the pent-up frustration I'd accumulated toward them.
"Do you know how hard it's been for me every time you two fight? I'm already completely exhausted today from training! Do you have to fight in this situation and wear me out even more?"
"Ah...!"
This was probably the first time they'd seen me so furious, so they must've been pretty flustered...
"I can't take it anymore! So that you two deeply reflect on this, I'm going to ignore you for the time being!!"
"Wh-what...?! This future wasn't in my foresight?"
Yata could see the future, so she should already have predicted my reaction... Wait, what?
This future hadn't existed?
Seeing Yata's genuinely bewildered face actually made me the flustered one instead.
An event Yata hadn't foreseen? Yata, who'd never once failed a prediction and even foresaw futures that would later change?
I had never faced this kind of unexpected situation and did not know how to react. On reflection, however, it worked in my favour.
The thing Yata had always relied on had betrayed her.
This was a golden opportunity to properly scold Yata, who was always self-assured because she knew the future.
"No take-backs! For a while, I'm going to ignore both of you, so you'd better know that!!"
After saying everything I wanted, I felt an immense weight lift from my chest.
maybe because my anger was so unexpected, not only Miho and Yata but even innocent Tia was appalled.
W-was it really that shocking?
Hmm, either way, I'd let them know I could get angry like this too, so should I be satisfied?
"Sigh."
I thought I'd given them an adequate shock, so I hoped my two companion animals would consider my feelings.
Wishing they'd get along well was probably too greedy, so at least I hoped the frequency of their fights would decrease a little...
***
-Knock! Knock!
A light knocking on my door.
I could tell right away who was doing it.
"Darling? Can I come in for a moment?"
"..."
Through silence, I indirectly expressed my refusal.
I had declared that I would ignore them, and I meant to follow through.
"...I'm sorry! I was truly wrong to fight without thinking about your feelings!!"
Outside the door, Miho began a one-woman confession.
Her voice trembled with earnestness—I could feel she was sincerely reflecting.
But I still had no intention of forgiving her.
A punishment was a punishment. If I forgave her easily, the same thing would happen again.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Ack?!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!"
The sound of something banging hard against the wall.
Apparently, Miho was apologizing by smacking her own head against the wall.
"I won't do it again! I won't ever fight in front of you again! Please, just let it go this once!!"
...No! I was not letting it go. I had no intention of letting it go. She needed to hurry back.
I said nothing, but my resolve remained firm.
"Please, I am begging you! I will do anything if you forgive me!! Just please... do not ignore me...!!"
Ugh... she was apologizing so desperately that my heart was starting to weaken.
Should I forgive her?
"Come to think of it, a while back I saw Miho's memories."
When Qilin's power showed me Miho's memories in a dream, I learned several things.
For my safety, Miho had given up her own happiness and erased her own existence.
She'd been with me for twenty years straight, yet she had to spend twenty years receiving no reciprocation from me at all.
The fox companion who had stayed steadfastly by my side, only watching, and had only now been able to reveal her existence.
Only now could she receive goodwill and love from me.
Just as the years she'd endured were long, the present—when she was finally being reciprocated—must've been sweeter and happier than any other time.
But Miho, who'd been savoring that happiness, was now in danger of being ignored by me again.
To put it lightly, she was like a child who'd been given a gift by her parents and felt happy, only to be fated to have that happiness snatched away again.
That was why Miho was apologizing so mournfully with tears, and to keep ignoring her was an act of dredging up her painful past all over again.
"Continuing to ignore Miho like this would be the wrong thing to do."
When I opened the door and stepped out, there was Miho, slumped on the floor with her face a complete mess from tears.
As her companion keeper, it was a truly heartbreaking sight.
I had no choice but to lightly stroke her head, and the expression that had been full of despair recovered a tiny bit of life.
I felt a little relieved.
"Darling...!"
But goodwill ended here.
Miho genuinely regretted what she had done, but I still needed to remain cold until she fully understood her mistake.
So I decided not to show any more actions or reactions beyond this.
"Ah..."
After finishing stroking her head, I left Miho where she was and passed by her coldly.
Sorry, Miho.
Miho, who ended up hanging her head, was utterly despondent.
...Really sorry.
Even so, I wanted her to take a little more time to think over her mistake once more.
"Ah! I've been waiting! Husband!"
This time it was Yata.
The kitchen, where I'd come to replenish moisture in my parched throat.
There, Yata sat at the dining table, having known I'd come.
"So, I think I caused you considerable trouble this time, and I meant to apologize..."
Unfortunately, there was no discrimination in the treatment.
Pretending not to hear Yata's words even if I had to force it, I made for my original goal of drinking water.
"I'm sorry!! I only thought about our own feelings and didn't consider yours! I'm really sorry!!"
"..."
Without so much as a glance at Yata, who was even bowing her head as she apologized, I simply sipped my water.
"You're really angry after all... you must've really hated watching me and the fox fight, right? I'm sorry."
Perhaps not wanting to show a dejected expression, Yata turned away from me.
Wise as ever, Yata seemed to understand that I could not forgive them yet and backed off without complaint.
still, my behavior must've made her sad, because her shoulders drooped like a dog thoroughly soaked in the rain.
"I'll reflect and wait until your anger subsides, husband. So when it does, please talk with me again then. I'm really sorry, husband..."
Leaving a sincere apology until the very end, Yata left.
She'd been so genuinely serious and on the verge of tears that I had to wonder if this was the same Yata who was normally so full of mischief.
"I'm sorry too, Yata."
I still didn't know much about Yata in detail.
The only information I had was that in the future Yata had seen, I'd make her happy.
And I couldn't even imagine what kind of future that was.
But from the way she liked me and devoted herself to me this much, I could tell that her future with me was a very happy thing.
"But did that future become uncertain because of this incident?"
Yata was an extremely rational crow Divine Beast.
Even knowing that fighting with Miho brought nothing but loss, she fought without hesitation anyway. That was because there was a reason she had to, and because there was a happy future that wouldn't change.
But this was an event even Yata hadn't foreseen.
If just this one incident caused the happy future to vanish, it would be devastating for Yata.
"Of course, that's nothing more than my foolish speculation."
Still, seeing the normally so mischievous Yata drop her laughter and apologize made me think it was a reasonably plausible hypothesis.
"Haa, it's complicated in many ways..."
The fox who had built countless memories with me from the moment I was born and had come to love me.
The crow who had foreseen a future with me and had come to love me.
Companion animals so charming I didn't want to give up either one of them.
But those two kept fighting and causing trouble because they wanted even a little more of my affection.
Looking only at the surface, you might think the problem lay with the two of them fighting over me.
But I knew that my own problem was bigger than theirs.
After all, it would've been over if I just chose one of them and gave up the other.
But my greed, which couldn't give up either one, had brought about this situation.
"What would have been the right thing to do...?"
I didn't want to give up either of them.
But I didn't want to watch them fight over me either.
I hated myself for being unable to let go of my greed until the end and unable to come up with a single good solution.
"I really hate this..."