He still finds himself walking the dog sometimes.

His apartment doesn't allow for him to keep pets, and to be fair, he knows Koromaru is no pet of his. The damn dog can take care of himself; he takes care of the shrine too while he's at it, and hasn't stopped since then.

Still, he's always had a soft spot for the dog.

Someone's gotta reward him from time to time, right? The damn dog's loyal. He still chooses to protect the shrine, even though it's been years after his master's death, and Shinjiro can't help but wonder if Koromaru feels the same way he does now.

Imagine Shinjiro's surprise that afternoon when he finds Koromaru the victim of a hit-and-run car accident.

Fuck.

Humans are such bastards.

As he's carrying the albino shiba in his arms and running to the nearest vet with all of his strength, landlord be damned, Koromaru's staying.