The setting sun dyed the streets a warm honey color as I walked side by side with the dog girl who called herself “Dark Night Roar — Blood Moon Fang,” keeping a proper distance between us. Silence spread through the air, woven together only by the crisp clack of her riveted boots hitting the ground and the rustling sound of my tail unconsciously brushing against my leg.
“Hey,” she suddenly spoke up. Her eyes remained fixed straight ahead, but those brown canine ears of hers turned toward me instinctively. “How long have you been drawing?”
“I’ve been drawing since I was little,” I replied softly, my fingertips unconsciously twisting the strap of my art bag.
“Hmph, me too!” Her tone immediately became enthusiastic, as if she had found a kindred spirit. “Ever since I could hold a pen, I’ve been conquering the vast territories of the two-dimensional world! My Dark Night Roarer!” She patted the tablet bag at her waist. “It is the Holy Sword that has accompanied me through years of battle!”
I couldn’t help but steal another glance at her. The setting sun danced on her short chestnut hair, and those eyes, always full of energy, were sparkling. Although her choice of words was still exaggerated, they sounded a bit less grating this time.
‘Does she really not feel embarrassed at all?’
“Why did you choose that name?” I asked quietly, my ears turning toward her of their own accord.
Her footsteps paused slightly, and a flicker of awkwardness crossed her face. She then shook her head vigorously, her hair tossing in the warm light. “Of… of course it’s because it’s badass! it symbolizes that my art skills are like a roar in the dark night, sweeping through everything!” Her voice suddenly dropped, and her gaze drifted toward some children playing by the roadside. “Besides, when I was little, I thought if my name sounded a bit fiercer, others wouldn’t dare bully me.”
Before I could respond, she quickly switched the topic. Leaning in a few steps, her bright eyes stared straight at me. “What about you? Your cat ears…” Her hand was already twitching as if she were about to reach out. “Are they real?”
“No!” I jumped back a step, my tail instantly puffing up and my cheeks burning intensely.
“Stingy!” She curled her lip and withdrew her hand, but the curiosity in her eyes didn’t diminish in the slightest.
“None of your business! You can’t touch them, and that’s that!” I retorted with a stiff neck, though my ears were becoming noticeably hotter.
‘That’s my weak point. Who knows what would happen if I let you get your hands on them!’
Bickering like that the whole way, we walked into the brightly lit snack street. Her eyes lit up instantly, the small argument from a moment ago forgotten. Her tail began to spin at high speed like a propeller.
“Look! Takoyaki!” She grabbed my wrist and dashed forward. “It’s Octopus Flame Bombs! Boss, two portions!” After ordering, she suddenly remembered something and turned around, asking naturally, “Do you eat green onions and cilantro?”
I froze for a moment. “I do.”
“Boss, make her portion as usual too!” she added decisively, then pointed to a nearby stall. “And that! Golden Potato Towers! I call them Spiral Leyline Crystals! We must have them!”
“Pfft.” Hearing her chuunibyou nonsense again, I finally couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Seeming to hear my laughter, the dog girl turned around, her small face turning slightly red. “Wh-what are you laughing at! There’s nothing funny about this!”
I nodded, though the smile on my face was still uncontrollable.
‘I didn’t expect that once we got a little closer, she’d actually be quite cute.’
In the time that followed, I became like a carry-on accessory for her conquest of the snack street. She bustled energetically between the stalls, ordering food with her unique chuunibyou naming system and then stuffing various snacks into my hands without taking no for an answer. Strangely enough, the foods she picked were all unexpectedly to my taste, and she had a very strong desire to share.
We finally sat down on a bench at the corner of the street, the space in front of us filled with our spoils of war. The way she ate was exactly like her personality — bold and direct. Her cheeks were stuffed full like a hamster storing food, and she didn’t even care that there was sauce on the corner of her mouth.
“This is delicious!” She held a piece of fried chicken she had bitten into in front of me, her eyes sparkling. “Quick, try…” Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized the gesture was too intimate. Her hand holding the chicken froze in mid-air, and her ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
I looked at her fingertips, which were still stained with a bit of sauce, and as if possessed, I lowered my head and took a small, gentle bite from her hand.
It was as if she had been hit by a pause button. Her entire face turned completely red, and even her neck was dyed scarlet. “Wh-why did you actually eat it!” she barked, snapping her hand back, her voice changing pitch.
“Didn’t you tell me to try it?” I also felt my face heating up belatedly, the tip of my tail curling up in embarrassment.
The air solidified for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly let out a laugh. It wasn’t the exaggerated kind, but a soft laugh filled with a bit of embarrassment and relief. “Stupid cat girl.”
“…Stupid dog,” I countered softly, but the corners of my mouth lifted uncontrollably.
The evening breeze blew by, bringing the fragrance of various foods intertwined with the warm, sun-like scent on her body.
***
The streetlights flickered on one by one, casting a warm glow over the noisy snack street. The dog girl beside me — or should I call her… Dark Night Roar — Blood Moon Fang?
She finally stopped her feeding frenzy. We sat side by side on the roadside bench, a pile of snack wrappers at our feet.
She licked the sauce from the corner of her mouth with satisfaction, like a dog that had just finished a hearty meal, her brown tail wagging comfortably behind her. Just then, her gaze accidentally swept over my elbow. The scrape from when I had fallen earlier was seeping a bit of blood again because I had been moving around.
“Hey!” She suddenly leaned in, her brow furrowed. The relaxed ease from a moment ago vanished instantly. “Your arm… why is it still bleeding?”
I didn’t care much about it. “It’s… it’s fine, just a small scratch…”
“What do you mean, it’s fine!” She grabbed my wrist without a word. Her grip was a bit strong, but her movements carried a hint of caution. She lowered her head to rummage through her small riveted bag, muttering, “Honestly, weren’t you quite brave when you were fighting? Why are you being so careless now…”
I watched as she spent a long time digging through that punk-style bag, only to finally pull out… a band-aid with a little pink bunny printed on it.
The contrast with her image was simply too great!
She clearly realized it too. The tips of her ears turned bright red as she feigned composure, slapping the bunny band-aid into my hand. She used a bossy tone to hide her embarrassment. “I… I only have this one left! Put it on, quick!”
As my fingertips felt the soft texture of the band-aid, the slight reluctance I felt from being forcibly pulled by her dissipated for some reason. I clumsily tore open the packaging and was about to stick it on my elbow when she suddenly snatched the band-aid back.
“So clumsy! Let me do it!” She pursed her lips and lowered her head, her chestnut hair falling down to partially hide her expression. Her movements still weren’t exactly gentle — she was even a bit fumbling — but she applied it with extreme seriousness, making an effort to ensure the little pink bunny completely covered the wound.
The evening breeze blew, carrying the lingering scent of food and a bit of… the scent of a stuffed animal that had been dried in the sun. Amidst the noisy clamor of people around us, a strange sort of silence fell between the two of us.
Once it was on, she acted as if she had completed a major mission. She abruptly let go of my hand and crossed her arms again. Her gaze drifted toward the distant stalls that were beginning to pack up. Her voice was much lower than before. “It’s already dark.”
“Yeah,” I replied, looking at the out-of-place pink bunny on my elbow. I felt my cheeks grow warm.
After a brief silence, she seemed to have finally made up her mind. She turned her head to look at me, her eyes flickering, but she tried her best to maintain her remaining “badass” aura. “By the way… my name is Lin Yuehan.”
I was stunned for a moment. She quickly added, her voice rising again, “Of course! ‘Dark Night Roar — Blood Moon Fang’ is this young lady’s true title! You’d better remember both!”
Looking at her forced bravado, I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Gui Yun.”
“Gui Yun… I’m really sorry for what I said to you today.” She repeated my name softly, her tail wagging slightly and unconsciously as she apologized. Then, she stood up, turned her back to me, and waved. “I’m… I’m leaving! Next time… next time on the battlefield, I will definitely defeat you with my true strength! Gui Yun!”
Before the words had even finished trailing off, she was already like a startled puppy, diving headfirst into the crowd that hadn’t yet fully dispersed. Her chestnut canine ears and the tip of her wagging tail soon vanished into the night.
I looked down again at the overly cute band-aid on my elbow. The evening breeze blew against my face, carrying away some of the warmth, but my heart felt as if it had been gently filled with something.
‘Lin Yuehan… she really is a strange and cute girl.’