Beastars: A Symphony of Life

Chapter 60: The Hybrid And His Wild Dog

It wasn't that bad, was it?

The painted dog looked at his face in the mirror. He carefully touched the area around his left eye. The bruise was heavy and caused it to swell shut a little. There was a small cut just beneath the bottom eyelid that had scabbed over. His right wrist also hurt and he could feel a bruise there too, though this he knew was a bone bruise. It wouldn't show up on the skin but it would be a pain to work around. His client last night had been particularly rough. Especially when he deemed the service too expensive and refused to pay. The canine pulled on his sneakers and tied them. He moved over to his dresser and pulled out a random t-shirt and pulled it on. 'Evil Grief' it read. He loved that band. He then pulled a zip-up sweatshirt from the hooks on his work-apartment door. He had two apartments: one for work and the other was his actual home. He kept the front of the hoodie open to show off the band's logo. He grabbed his phone and wallet, slipping them into their respective pockets before putting on a pair of sunglasses to cover up the not so attractive mark and stepped out into the hallway.

His work-apartment was situated in one of the more high end rooms of Club Orchid. The building was one of the tallest in The Drusk, acting as a club/casino and raking in a small fortune every month. Being one of the place's employees, he was lucky enough to share in that wealth. The wild dog was currently on his way to meet with the owner. He took the elevator down to the second level and stepped out onto the balcony-esque floor. The bar was open, as it always was, and the janitorial squad was busy cleaning up the place for the next night.

"Shoji," the bartender called. "The usual I presume?"

"You know it Reina," he said, taking a seat at one of the stools.

The panther turned to the shelves of drinks, her earrings jangling like wind chimes and the thin cloak she wore over her dress flowed like a tornado. She poured the canine his mix of brandy and vodka, placing it on a coaster with her ring adorned hand.

"How is he?" Shoji asked.

"Currently?" the feline said, leaning down on the counter with her elbows. "He asked me for three brandies this morning if that means anything. The online auction last night didn't go as planned."

"Then I'll take another," Shoji said, raising his glass before downing half the alcohol. "With ice, please."

The black cat nodded with a courteous smile and happily filled her friend's order.

"So what's on the docket for today?" she asked, coming back with two drinks. "Another boring stroll through a park while he ignores you for the umpteenth time?"

She gave him one of the drinks and kept the other for herself.

"He doesn't ignore me," Shoji said, stopping mid sip. "He just forgets that he doesn't have to work all the time."

"The last I checked," Reina recalled, counting on her fingers. "Your last three dates: One; you ended up being his bodyguard-"

"Things happen," he shrugged.

"-two; he used so you could pick him up from an evidence disposal-"

"It was only for a minute," Shoji said, finishing his first drink. "A small fraction of a long and lovely day."

"-and three; he used it to kill someone."

"I didn't mind," the wild dog said. "That horse was a nuisance. And it made him feel better. He's actually been a lot happier since he disposed of that part of his past."

"Of course dear," Reina dismissed, head propped up on her hands. "Just looking out for you."

"I can handle myself," Shoji said, going for the next drink. "Thank you very much."