生き甲斐 | 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨.

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[ 𝟸𝟺 𝙷𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂 𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚁... ]

𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐘, 𝐈𝐓 only took the little pilot a few minutes to wake up after the pack had nestled him somewhere. When he did, the human realized that if anyone was going to find his dog, it had to be him. He couldn't rely on a bunch of strays to do it by themselves. Additionally, the pack came to find out that his name was also 'Atari'. The only reason why they all now know this valuable piece of information was that it was Cindy who bothered to ask in the first place.

Now, everyone was gathered around a small opening to a makeshift hut that was welded together from mud and old, used sake bottles and other glasses, waiting for Atari who could be whistling from inside until he poked his head out and finished the symphony. The dogs, all obedient and disciplined, stood at attention, their eyes trained on him expectantly. All except for Chief, who remained sprawled on the ground, seemingly disinterested in the boy's presence.

Atari noticed this and wanting nothing more than for Chief to trust him, the young boy kneeled in front of the black dog and held out his hand to sniff. He held his breath, hoping beyond hope that Chief would accept his offering, that he would see the sincerity in Atari's eyes. Unfortunately, as he drew closer, the canine emitted a low, warning growl, his gaze fixed on the boy with an intensity that sent shivers down Atari's spine. In an instant, Atari pulled back. "I bite," Chief warned.

"I-I beg your pardon," Rex spoke up, a little embarrassed that Chief wouldn't shape up and fix himself. This is the first human that has come to Trash Island, the least they could do is show a little hospitality. "Ignore that dog. He's got Snout-fever," He then explained. "Just please follow us."

Atari hobbled a few steps forward before pulling out a long yellow stick-thing from the ground as his walking aid, as he needed some help because his leg was a little busted up from him crashing the day before.

As the group of dogs began to lead Atari toward the place where they believed they could find his lost dog, Spots, Kido lingered behind, a sense of unease tugging at his heart. He couldn't shake the feeling that Chief's aloofness towards the human boy was hindering their mission or— at the very least— making Atari feel weary around them and that's not the type of message they want to send to the humans, and he felt compelled to address it.

Approaching Chief, Kido cleared his throat before speaking up. "Hey, Chief," he began tentatively, "don't you think you can ease up a little bit?" Sadly, the black dog remained silent, his gaze fixed ahead, but Kido pressed on, undeterred. "I mean, he's just a kid. Being a little nicer to him won't do any harm, right?" He asked, rhetorically.

Still, Chief offered no response, his stoic demeanor unchanged. Disheartened, Kido bowed his head in resignation and let out a small sigh, ready to leave Chief to his thoughts. But before he could take another step, Chief's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Humans can be cruel creatures," Chief remarked, his tone laced with bitterness. "You of all should know that." He commented.

Kido froze, his ears twitching at the unexpected words. He turned back to face Chief, studying the older dog's expression for any sign of vulnerability. But Chief remained impassive, his eyes betraying nothing.

"I know..." Kido conceded softly, his voice tinged with sympathy. "But not all humans are like that. Atari... he's different. He's just a lost kid looking for his friend," he stated. "I know I can't tell you what to do with your life but, would you please give it some thought?" He begged. This was the one genuinely good thing that they've had in a long time. If Atari ever made it back to the main island, maybe he could put in a good word for them and change the public's opinion on dogs.