The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and the bright blue skies eventually faded into a soothing orange. The streets gradually became more occupied with the district's vibrant nightlife, as is typical. It was a standard evening, and many people had specific plans for it. One of the street's fluffier residents was among them, making her way through the crowd with a destination in mind.
Shelby had slowly established a routine in Ikebukuro for nearly as long as she had been free. The majority of this routine consisted of simply wandering around, but the first order of the night was to get something to eat, and she knew just where to go.
The Bernese walked to a street corner, keeping a wary eye on the people around her as a large Russian man known as Simon came into view. He was yelling about sushi and handing out fliers to passers-by before he noticed her approaching. He smiled warmly at Shelby as she came to a stop at his feet. "Privyet, pup! Dinner should be waiting for you."
Shelby 'whuffed' at Simon before trotting past him and patiently sitting near the sushi restaurant's entrance behind him. Thankfully, it wasn't long before a bartender came outside to greet the dog and place a bowl of fresh water down for her. "We're almost done with your food; we're just waiting for some things to cook."
The dog didn't seem to mind waiting as the man turned around and went inside, dipping her head down to begin lapping up the cold water. It wasn't long before he returned, this time with a plate of specially prepared, dog-safe sushi and a small portion of meat. The dog practically attacked the plate, quickly devouring the portion given to her, all while the bartender stood by and watched.
If she remembered right, that fellow was named Shizuo.
She had no idea why, but Shizuo was always hovering around while she ate. He occasionally smokes or converses with others, but he's also been working on getting Shelby used to his touch. Even with his and Simon's generosity, it was something she objected to. She simply didn't like it.
She'd tried to stop him with nips and snaps, but he didn't seem to want to accept it. Whatever the case, it was something he was either going to stop doing or she would eventually embrace. Whichever occurred first.
She'd also noticed that whenever she attacked the other mysterious man, her portion size increased significantly later that night. She plainly didn't understand why. Was there any connection, or was it just a coincidence? Hmph…
Shelby finished and looked up at Shizuo, who appeared to have chosen to smoke this time. She noticed he appeared agitated, his foot aggressively tapping as he took a puff of his cigarette. He wasn't watching her eat for once, but he also didn't appear to be staring at anything specific. She was the one staring now, trying to figure out why he was so upset.
Shizuo noticed the dog's gaze was fixed on him after a few quiet moments, though he thought that she had probably picked up the strong scent of nicotine. He sighed and dropped his cigarette to the ground, snuffing it with his shoe, assuming she was not a fan of the smoke. The dog cocked her head, watching him head toward the restaurant's entrance now that his smoke break had ended and she had finished her meal.
She trailed after him, nipping at his pants to keep him from going inside. "What? Are you going to start biting me now?" Shelby snorted, getting closer to him to nudge his hand with her nose. She didn't know much, but she had heard that petting an animal could help people who were upset calm down. Perhaps she'll let him. Just this once.
Shizuo was hesitant to reach out for Shelby because of the dog's inclination for biting and her previous snaps, but he did so in the end. He gently scratched the dog's scalp and rubbed her ears, which Shelby allowed and seemed to enjoy as her tail began to wag gently. With her new stray status, it was more difficult than ever to get some affection, so it was nice to feel it again.
Shizuo eventually began rubbing the dog down with two hands because she was allowing him, but a voice from within the restaurant soon called him. The official break had come to an end. Before leaving the dog for the night, he squished her cheeks and gently told her, "Good dog." He appeared to be in better spirits as he walked inside, leaving Shelby on the street with her tail still wagging.
Shucks! She almost rolled over for someone after just thinking about her aversion to physical touch. It's not like it was a crime, but things have changed since she escaped. People could be strange and cruel at times, so she had to be cautious. Regardless, with a full stomach, she was ready to face whatever came her way this evening, and possibly tomorrow.
Shelby trotted off into the night, looking for something else to do after finishing the water Shizuo had left for her.
