Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 84: The Unemployed Dog Owner

Chapter 84: The Unemployed Dog Owner

A warm, wet sensation brushes my cheek.

…A slug?

“Good morning… Sakura.”

“Hyann!”

Yeah, no way a slug’s in the house.

That’d be creepy.

Sakura’s perched on me, her sparkly round eyes locked on mine.

Man, she’s full of energy first thing in the morning.

I wash my face, petting Sakura as she weaves around my feet.

Alright, I’m wide awake!

Let’s tackle the day!

That said, what to do with Sakura?

Leaving her home feels cruel, but taking her exploring…

She’s still too small.

Even if zombies don’t attack animals, there’s always idiot survivors.

But if I leave her and those punks from before show up…

Ugh, tough call.

I glance down to find Sakura sitting in front of me, head tilted.

“Hey, Sakura, wanna come with me? Can’t let you roam free yet, though…”

“Wan!”

Does she get it or not…?

Whatever, I took her in.

I’ll protect and raise her right.

“Alright, you’re my apprentice buddy! Here’s to us!”

“Wan!”

She wags her tail like crazy, barking happily.

※

“Hey, Kanzaki-san! Ready to hit the ground running?”

“Hello, Tanakano-san…?”

I call out to Kanzaki-san in Yurei’s hallway, but she’s giving me a weird look.

“What’s up?”

“No, it’s just… you smell different. New shampoo?”

Kanzaki-san’s nose is sharp.

Same shampoo, but it’s probably…

“Uh, got a new roommate yesterday, so maybe that’s it.”

“W h a t  d i d  y o u  s a y ?”

Eek!

She closes the gap in a flash.

Scary!!

Her eyes are scary!!!

“Uh-uh-uh… I’ll explain, just c-c-come to the truck!”

“U n d e r s t o o d.”

What’s with her all of a sudden!?

Did I screw up again?!?!

Pushed by Kanzaki-san, who’s radiating a dark aura, I scramble to the truck.

Fumbling with shaky keys, I unlock it, and Sakura leaps out.

“Wapp!?”

Crouching, I get a faceful of puppy.

Can’t see!!

“Um… Tanakano-san, is that…?”

“Mmph… Phew!! Yep, meet my roommate, Sakura!!”

“Hyann!”

I peel off the playful Sakura, holding her up for Kanzaki-san.

She’s staring at Kanzaki-san curiously.

“Ha… geez…” Kanzaki-san gives a wry smile.

What’s that about?

“Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan… Here’s to us.”

“Wan!”

Kanzaki-san gently pets her.

Sakura squirms, tickled, and licks her hand.

Her wagging tail smacks my face—hard.

Doesn’t hurt at all! Feels great!!

“So, that’s what happened…”

“Yeah, couldn’t just leave her… Plus, I’ve always wanted a dog.”

“Heh, that’s so you, Tanakano-san.”

“Haha, guilty as charged…”

I drive aimlessly.

Staying at Yurei might drag us into more trouble.

Sakura’s snoozing on Kanzaki-san’s lap.

…Getting comfy a bit too fast?

Oh, forgot to ask.

“Uh, Kanzaki-san, you don’t have dog allergies or anything…?”

“Nope, and I love dogs. Had a German Shepherd before.”

“A Shepherd! Cool as hell.”

“Yeah, he was a smart boy.”

A Shepherd… suits her perfectly.

She’d probably make any dog look badass.

“You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?”

“N-no? Uh, what was its name…?”

“Nobutsuna.”

“…As in Uesugi Nobutsuna?”

“Yep!”

…Yeah, that’s a strong name.

Her naming stays on-brand… martial arts nut.

“…Bungorou’s pretty cool too, right?”

“Hikita Kagemune! You know your stuff!”

“I’ve got a manga that made me a huge Hikita fan. I’ll lend it to you.”

“There’s such a thing…! Can’t wait!”

It’s super bittersweet at the end, but it’s great.

I wanna get strong enough to say “That is most deplorable” someday…

Kanzaki-san having had a dog is a stroke of luck.

“Uh… I’m new to this dog thing. Could you teach me some stuff?”

“I’ll help however I can.”

Oh… she’s like a Kannon-sama…

Thank you…

“What are you worshipping?”

“N-nothing… just saw a halo…”

“Huh?”

※

So, we’re at a home center.

Why? It’s got a pet shop inside.

Work?

…Got the files for this area, and, uh, you know.

Search targets might be here.

Totally legit, yep.

“Sakura, me and Onee-san are stepping out. Stay here, okay?”

“Kyu~n…”

I lift the now-awake Sakura, meeting her eyes.

She lowers her ears, whining sadly.

It hurts, but it’s too dangerous for a puppy.

“Sorry, I’ll be right back, promise.”

I say again, and she licks my nose with a “hyann.”

Does she get it?

I set a blanket and water in the passenger seat, wave, and shut the door.

…Fine now, but I can’t leave her in a hot car come summer.

Gotta figure something out.

“She almost seemed to understand you, Sakura-chan.”

“Puppies are that smart?”

“No, I think Sakura-chan’s just special. They’re usually more work.”

Really? Thought so.

The “too smart” issue strikes again.

Maybe surviving as a stray made her sharp.

…That’s too sad. I’ll spoil her extra for her mom’s sake.

The home center’s trashed, as usual.

So picked over, not even zombies are left.

Makes sense—tons of useful stuff.

But we’re here for the pet shop.

As expected, it’s barely touched.

Guess no one’s desperate enough to eat pet food yet.

“…This is puppy preventive medicine. Mix it with her meals.”

“Got it.”

“This is a tick repellent, collar-style, so it’s easy.”

“Nice.”

Man, Kanzaki-san’s too reliable.

I feel bad… always leaning on her.

Gotta repay her somehow.

“Then there’s rabies and other vaccines… but that’s for vets.”

Right, a friend mentioned yearly shots for dogs.

“Hoping there’s a vet among the evacuees… Maybe ask at Yurei?”

“The SDF has vets too, so I’ll check on our end.”

…For military dogs? No clue, but if not, I’ll have to raid an animal hospital for meds.

“Sorry for all this, Kanzaki-san…”

“It’s fine. I love dogs.”

“That means a lot, but if there’s anything I can do…”

“A-anything…?”

For some reason, Kanzaki-san blushes and freezes.

…Please don’t ask for a tuna or something…

“…Then, let me play with Sakura-chan from now on.”

“Huh? That’s nowhere near enough to balance it out…”

“I’ll think about it. Thoroughly.”

She’s too selfless!

Argh, so frustrating!

We keep browsing, grabbing more stuff.

Totally forgot about collars.

Wanna take her on walks, so I pick a sturdy one.

For the leash, I go with a retractable one, like a tape measure.

Flexible and super strong, apparently.

Also, a chest pouch, like a baby carrier.

If a puppy gets tired, I can carry her safely.

Plus, if trouble hits, I can sling Sakura in and bolt.

I grab long-lasting dog food, pricier stuff first—better quality, safer.

Worst case, I’ll eat the leftovers.

Heard it’s decent with soy sauce.

I pause at dog clothes.

Does she need these…?

Oh, this raincoat’s cute—yoink.

“Small or indoor dogs sometimes have weak paws, so they wear shoes. Sakura-chan probably doesn’t need them except in summer…”

Hot asphalt can peel paw pads—scary stuff.

I grab socks and cute shoes.

“What about clothes…?”

“…Hairless breeds aside, dogs struggle with heat regulation…”

So it’s mostly for the owner’s taste.

Might need them in snowy areas, but not here.

Clothes are a pass.

Don’t want Sakura overheating for my whims.

That should do it.

Got plenty of consumables—good for now.

“Thanks for today, Kanzaki-san. Huge help.”

“No worries. I made a cute friend too.”

She gives her usual soft smile.

Man, I owe her…

“Oh, right! Wanna visit Mondo-occhan’s place next time? Miku-chan’s dying to see you—”

“I’m in!!”

Whoa, quick decision.

Decisiveness makes a great soldier, huh.

“Sakura, I’m ba—mmph!?”

Back at the truck with our haul, I load the bed and open the door.

Sakura launches like a missile.

Kinda cat-like moves.

She’s going wild with “hyann kyan hyann kyan.”

Was she lonely?

“Missed your dad, huh, Sakura-chan?”

Kanzaki-san pets her, and Sakura’s thrilled, forgetting her earlier sadness.

Hmm, dad, huh…

Guess I’ve got a cross-species daughter now.

“I’ll step up for your mom’s sake, Sakura.”

I lift her to my face, and she tilts her head curiously.

※

“Alright, Sakura, let’s go!”

“Hyann!”

We cut the search short (Kanzaki-san fibbed about too many zombies), and I head home.

Time to gear up with today’s loot and take Sakura for a walk.

• • Cherry blossom collar (she fussed at first but seems fine now)

• • Retractable leash

• • Chest pouch carrier

Plus a shovel and bags for poop.

My usual bokken and wakizashi.

Same old outfit.

…This getup looks super sketchy.

Oh well, let’s roll!!

I check the surroundings and set off.

Sakura prances ahead, tail wagging fluffily.

She glances back to check on me—cute.

We climb the embankment to the park on the other side.

Well, it’s more a riverbed with a park, baseball, and soccer fields.

Before zombies, it was loud—er, lively—with kids’ teams.

Now it’s empty.

Wide open, so I can spot danger from afar—safe.

Sakura dives into grass, sniffing like she’s on a mission.

No clue about walk etiquette, so I let her do her thing.

Gotta watch for half-buried zombies in the grass.

Crap! Forgot the ball…

My dream… Oh, forgot the frisbee too.

Lesson learned for next time.

I enter the field and close the gate.

Instant dog park—safe and sound.

I unclip Sakura’s leash.

“Go, Sakura!!”

“Hyann!!”

She bolts, thrilled.

Fast for a puppy.

She’s across the field in no time.

I watch her frolic, barking “hyann hyann,” and scan the area.

…What’s that?

“Why’s this here…?”

Soft tennis balls are scattered around.

…This is a baseball field?

I squish one in my hand, and Sakura races back, weaving figure-eights between my legs.

“Good, good, good…”

I pet her like some animal nut, then get an idea.

I show her the ball.

She sniffs it eagerly.

“Here!”

I toss it gently, and she chases, ecstatic.

After a few misses, she grabs it in her mouth.

And brings it back—without me teaching her!

…Holy crap, my kid’s a genius.

“Wow! So smart, Sakura!!”

I pet her like her fur’s gonna fall off.

She’s thrilled.

I hold up the ball, and her eyes sparkle.

Don’t look at me like that…

I’ll play forever!!

“Ugh, got carried away. Sorry, Sakura…”

We overdid the ball-throwing, and a pooped Sakura’s tucked in the pouch as I head home.

It’s already useful.

She lets out sleepy “wafu wafu” noises, looking content.