BXBX NOVEL Chapter 61: Julie, Catherine, & Mochi
The exact location wasn\'t specified, so he navigated the empty halls, relying on faint noises echoing through the corridors.
After a few minutes, he caught the sound of laughter from the second floor. He climbed the stairs, peeking through a dusty window to see the scene inside.
There was a girl naked kneeled on the ground, he didn\'t know her expression since he could only see her back.
But he could see about three people making a video and taking a picture of her and it was sickening to look at.
\'Damn, these bastards!\' he cursed.
Haruto gritted his teeth, disgusted by the sight. Among them was Ren, lounging on a worn-out sofa, laughing like it was all a joke.
Ren\'s laughter stilled when he noticed Haruto. Rising from the sofa, he strode over and slid the door open just enough to speak.
"Daiki\'s in the next room," he said flatly before slamming it shut.
Taking a deep breath to steady his anger, Haruto moved to the adjacent room. The windows here were obscured by dark tape, sealing off any view of the outside world.
\'Ah, fuck it.\'
With a quiet, frustrated sigh, he slid the door open and stepped inside.
The room was almost barren, save for a lone table and chair by the far window. Daiki sat there, his face hidden behind a magazine, seemingly napping.
Haruto narrowed his eyes, taking a few cautious steps forward.
"Yamada—"
Daiki lowered the magazine, tossing it aside as he sat up with a smirk. "Don\'t call me that. We\'re friends, right? Just call me Daiki." He gestured for Haruto to approach.
He was the same as the past, Daiki didn\'t like being called by his surname nor did he like calling someone by their surname too.
He avoided it like a plague.
"What do you want?" Haruto asked, his voice sharp and direct.
Daiki chuckled, amused by Haruto\'s bluntness. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a small object and tossed it across the room. A car key. Haruto glanced down, confused.
"There\'s a note inside the car. Take it and head to the pet shop," Daiki said nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, right. You can take the car. I\'ll send you my address," Daiki added with a lazy wave.
Haruto\'s confusion morphed into exasperation.
\'Did he seriously just tell me to pick up his pet?\'
Before he could fully process, his phone buzzed with a message containing Daiki\'s address.
\'How the hell did he even know my LANE id?\'
"What do you mean?" Haruto pressed, trying to make sense of the request.
Daiki\'s face darkened, and he slapped the table hard. "You are not fucking dumb are you? This is what friends do, right? Helping each other?"
The sharpness in Daiki\'s tone made Haruto pause. He wanted to refuse, but then a new thought struck him.
\'If I go to his house, I might get the chance to meet his family. His mother or maybe a sister…\'
A smirk crept onto his face, his mind already whirling with ideas.
"Fine," he replied, managing a bright, fake smile.
"I\'ll take care of your pet. And maybe I\'ll even bring it home safe."
"Good," Daiki muttered, waving him off dismissively.
Haruto could feel the urge to punch him building, but he held it back.
Opportunities like this were rare; soon, he\'d know where his enemy lived, along with any details about his family he could gather.
***
Haruto finally arrived at the pet shop, the small slip of paper from Daiki\'s dashboard tucked between his fingers.
He couldn\'t help but speculate as he closed the car door, his eyes narrowing with amusement.
\'What kind of pet would someone like Daiki own?\'
Images of snakes and spiders slithered through his mind as he walked inside, certain that any pet Daiki chose would match his twisted and weird personality.
The shop was bright, bustling with the sounds of chirping birds and playful meows. Haruto handed the paper to a friendly staff member, who scanned it before vanishing into the back.
A few moments later, the employee returned, holding two leashes and a cat carrier.
Haruto blinked. Leashed at his side were a corgi with a stubby tail and a white poodle, both gazing up at him expectantly.
And peeking out of the carrier was a very round, sleepy-eyed black cat.
He let out a surprised chuckle. "Uh, are you sure these are the right animals?" he asked, still processing.
The staff member nodded. "Yep! The corgi is Julie, the poodle\'s named Catherine, and the cat in the carrier is Mochi. All set for you."
"What the hell…" Haruto stood there for a second, utterly baffled.
\'Of course Daiki would have pets like these,\'
he thought with a laugh that echoed through the store, earning a few curious looks.
It was so absurd he couldn\'t help himself.
After recovering, he led the unlikely trio to the car. Catherine, the white poodle, was as calm and graceful as he could hope for, immediately hopping into the back seat and sitting elegantly.
Julie, on the other hand, barked at him nonstop, resisting the car like it was a cage.
"Alright, you stubborn little thing," Haruto muttered, scooping the corgi up and placing her firmly in the car.
He slid the cat carrier in last, Mochi content to lounge inside.
As he settled into the driver\'s seat, Julie hopped into the passenger side and scratched at the window. Haruto sighed.
"You want the window down, huh? Promise not to jump out from the car, alright." he said to the dog.
"I might want to take revenge on your bastard owner, but no way am I gonna kill his pet."
He adjusted it just enough for her head to poke out, watching her as the wind fluffed her fur, her tongue flapping in the breeze.
Haruto chuckled, shaking his head as he finally began driving. "Weird pets for a weird owner."
After arriving at the large, old Japanese house, Haruto parked and began letting Daiki\'s pets out.
As he set the cat carrier down, a sudden kick slammed into his stomach, nearly knocking him off balance.
"You thief!" a girl\'s voice shouted, her stance ready to strike again.