Operation Love Life

Getting to Know You

After the day of the revolutionary "Dogmageddon", geniusly dubbed by Yoichi himself much to Taiga's embarrassment, the atmosphere during the days of off-season monumentally shifted in front of everyone's eyes.

Taiga finally began to be his lively, sometimes cocky self, now reaching out and interacting others after Yoichi's previous reassurance. He came and stayed for breakfast, chimed in with his own jokes, filling in the unexplainable hole that was present in the group.

Yoichi immensely appreciate the change, especially now that he had gained a partner in crime. Since then, he and Taiga had began to spent their days together, rather it be playing with Yuki, doing chores with Aiden and Yoshi, crafting with Yuri, or, pestering the old man Goro, which was turning out to be one of their favourite pastimes these days. It was just something about that deadpan stare at nothing as they both tried to crack the worst puns known to man. It was simply perfection.

And Yoichi had to admit, Taiga himself was pretty good company. Quick quips, funny commentary during movie nights, he was able to make Yoichi excited for a new day yet yearn to never see the end of it. It was almost as if he was back at camp season again.

Yoichi's life was a movie, and right now it seemed that Taiga was going to have a reoccurring role.

He just didn't realise how big of a star the redhead was going to be.

Another day had started in Camp Buddy, and Yoichi was walking back from the forest after taking Yuki on his daily stroll. Taiga had not joined him this time, instead opting to stay behind in the mess hall and slobber over Aiden's cooking. Yoichi didn't blame him, the guy's food was phenomenal.

Footsteps approaching brought him out of thought, making him twist his head and see Goro trek towards him. Yoichi crossed his arms and smirked deviously at the older man.

"Silverfox! What's up, reconsidering our offer to let us do stand up comedy while you work?"

Goro sighed in dismay and shook his head, yet Yoichi could still see a smirk of his own grow on his face. No matter how wild he got or how stupid his shenanigans were, Goro never seemed to be mad at him, his uptight facade always cracking and being replaced by humoured disbelief. Yoichi's smile only got wider. He remembered this Goro from when he first got here. Oh how he had missed this Goro.

"Sorry to disappoint your future... ambitions, Yoichi, but I will most definitely not be listening to your stand up routine as I do taxes. I would not like to inform our tax collector that the reason why our payments were late were due to an improv performance scenario." Goro softly chided, making Yoichi bark out a laugh and causing Goro to join in, chuckling softly. He cleared his throat.

"But that's not what I wanted to say, unfortunately enough. I'm here to inform you that you have guests."

Yoichi raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Guests? Didn't know we were running a BNB these days. Wasn't the Clermont loan enough?"

"Not quite the type of guests I meant. More so some... familiar visitors that would enjoy to see you again."

Familiar visitors? For him? The fuck was that supposed to mean? The only people he could think that would come to see him was... wait...

Yoichi looked up, surprised hope twinkling in his eyes.

"You mean- are they-"

Goro just gave him a small nod.

"They're all at the front gate waiting for you."

Yoichi gasped and beamed him a grin, already turning to run off in the direction of the entrance.

"Yoichi, wait." Goro called out to him before he could dash off.