Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 85: Nobody Hates Dogs

Chapter 85: Nobody Hates Dogs

I’m suffocating.

Something smells nice.

And it’s super fluffy.

“Still asleep… Played a ton yesterday, huh.”

Sakura’s sprawled across my face, sleeping like a pro.

I lift her gently and tuck her into the blanket.

Even asleep, she’s unfairly cute—what a creature.

As I wash my face, I hear “hyann kyan” noises.

Did she wake up and panic ‘cause I was gone?

“Hey, Sakura, over here!”

The second I call, I hear frantic scampering.

And a thud—something got hit.

Whoa, whoa, calm down!

I rescue Sakura, who’s freaking out after crashing into the bathroom door.

Spinning like a Beyblde on steroids.

“Hey, you okay? Let’s chill a bit, yeah?”

She whines “kyun kyun,” licking my hand like crazy as I pick her up.

Multitasking champ.

Back on the sofa, I brush her, and she finally settles.

Seems to love it, lounging on my lap with soft “wafu wafu” sounds.

Man, she sheds a lot.

Moulting season… right?

Gotta be careful—lots of delicate gear in here.

I scarf down breakfast and maintain my weapons.

Knives are dangerous, so Sakura’s caged for now.

She seems fine as long as she can see me, just staring quietly.

This wakizashi’s been used a bunch, but it’s sharp and sturdy.

Can’t thank Occhan enough… Gotta check his shop’s direction later.

Weapons done, I play with Sakura a bit and prep to head out.

Today, I’m taking Kanzaki-san to Occhan’s place.

Might as well scout that area.

※

“Good morning, Tanakano-sa… Whoa! So cute!!”

Moriyama-kun, guarding Yurei’s gate, lights up at Sakura in the passenger seat.

“Morning! Cute, right? My kid.”

“A Mame Shiba… So adorable… Fwaa~…”

Sakura, thrilled at the praise, wags her tail and barks “wafu” at Moriyama-kun.

He’s writhing in delight.

…Okay, but your colleagues are staring daggers.

He asks to pet her, and I say sure, so he strokes her head through the window, letting out weird squeals.

Hey, you’re scaring my kid!

Cut the shrieking!

Leaving a reluctant Moriyama-kun, I head to the parking lot.

When I try to leave Sakura, he chases after us, offering to watch her.

…Fine, he’s a dog lover, I guess.

“Don’t scream—she’ll freak out.”

“Yes, sir!”

Good answer.

I tell Sakura to play with this big brother and head into the school.

Now, where’s Kanzaki-san?

“Oh, Tanakano-san.”

I run into Miyata-san first.

Apparently, Kanzaki-san’s in the principal’s office on the radio.

“Hm, a dog… Mind if I meet her later?”

I mention Sakura during our chat, and he’s super into it.

Miyata-san’s a dog lover too, it seems.

“Sure thing! Didn’t know you were into dogs, Miyata-san.”

“Oh, yes. Mine passed a while back, but… I had a Great Dane.”

That’s a massive breed!

Suits him, though… Would’ve lost it if he’d said Chihuahua.

“His name was Ben.”

“General Ben…! Uh, you into that manga where a bear dog fights a grizzly?”

“Oh, you know it? Loved that dog… Named him after it.”

Didn’t expect a fan so close.

Honestly, if you’re into that manga and own a Great Dane, you’re naming it Ben (total bias).

That manga’s wild.

The protagonist’s ultimate move has the coolest name in any battle manga I’ve read.

“(By the way… about that guy.)”

Miyata-san lowers his voice suddenly.

The unmentionable… Oh, Harada Mort, huh?

“(Seems he slipped out of the shelter last night… Now missing. Quite a pickle.)”

He doesn’t sound troubled at all.

…Got it.

They “handled” it.

“(Oh, that’s a shame… Well, a guy like him’ll probably do fine anywhere.)”

“(Yeah, he ‘won’t ever’ come back, I bet…)”

We exchange fake pleasantries.

Yup, that’s adulting for ya.

Farewell, Harada. May we never meet again, in name or otherwise.

…Rest in peace, yeah?

I link up with Kanzaki-san after her radio call.

The three of us head to the truck.

“What the…?”

A crowd of cops surrounds the truck.

They’re all giddy.

“So cute!” “Look here, here!” “Ahn! So fluffy!”

Mostly female officers.

Sakura’s leaning out the passenger window, charming them as they pet her.

“Sakura’s a superstar…”

“That’s Sakura-chan? Adorable.”

Miyata-san’s giving off this warm aura—Ksitigarbha Miyata in the flesh!

Wait, where’s Moriyama-kun?

There he is, sulking outside the circle, pushed out by the lady cops.

…Poor guy.

I’ll let him pet her next time.

“Hey, Sakura… Whoa!?”

As I approach, she spots me and leaps from the window, charging over.

Gotta close that window tighter—maybe a one- or two-centimeter gap.

I scoop up Sakura as she jumps at my knees.

“Good job, Sakura, getting spoiled by pretty onee-sans. Jealous.”

I tease, rocking her as she pants and licks me.

Oh, right—Miyata-san should meet her.

“Miyata-san, this is Sakura.”

“So cute… Hello, Sakura-chan, nice to meet you.”

Miyata-san slowly pets her head.

His hand’s huge! It’s hiding her whole head!

Sakura’s thrilled, her tail smacking my face like crazy.

I say goodbye to Moriyama-kun and the lady cop coalition, who beg me to bring her back.

Miyata-san, dead serious, says, “I’ll watch her anytime.”

Bit of a work-life mix-up there… But if I bring dog food, other evacuees won’t complain.

Maybe a last resort.

Kanzaki-san’s been quiet, with Sakura looking up at her curiously from her lap.

“Uh, Kanzaki-san… you okay?”

Maybe she’s feeling off?

“…Were, huh.”

“Huh?”

“All those lady cops—quite the beauties.”

She spits it out bluntly.

Whoa, what’s up?

Is she mad?

“Yeah, between you and them, the shelter’s full of gorgeous ladies. Really livens the place up.”

“Nngh!!”

Whoa, I jumped!

Her face goes beet red in a flash.

I told Miku-chan ages ago I think Kanzaki-san’s pretty, so that’s no issue…

“Ta… Tanakano-san…! Geez, geez!!”

She’s pissed, but what do I do?

Sakura and I exchange looks, tilting our heads in sync.

※

Somehow, Kanzaki-san’s mood recovers, and she’s playing with Sakura on her lap.

Her hand’s so fast, Sakura’s playful nips miss every time.

Incredible speed… I’d miss it if I weren’t me. Gotta watch the road or we’ll crash.

We arrive at Occhan’s place.

I tuck Sakura in the pouch and get out.

“Hi, Oji-san! Oh, Rin-onee-san!!”

“Been a while, Miku-chan. Doing okay?”

“Yup! Thanks for the cute clothes!!”

“You’re welcome.”

Miku-chan bolts from the shop, swerves ninety degrees, and hugs Kanzaki-san.

She’s thrilled to see her.

“Hey, Miku-chan. Came to introduce my daughter today.”

“What!? Oji-san’s kid!?”

She’s floored, so I kneel, lining up Sakura’s eyes with hers.

“Here, Sakura, this is Miku-chan. Miku-chan, meet Sakura. Be nice to her, okay?”

“Hyann!”

“Wah!?”

Miku-chan, thinking she’s a plushie or something, goes wide-eyed as Sakura barks a greeting.

“Fwa… Fwa…”

Her eyes sparkle.

Yup, I get it.

Mame Shiba puppies are insanely cute.

“Can… Can I pet her, Oji-san?”

“Go ahead. Right, Sakura?”

“Wafu.”

Miku-chan hesitantly reaches out, slowly petting Sakura’s head.

Sakura squints, tickled, and licks her palm.

“Eek! …Hahaha, so cute~”

“Wafu wafu!”

Looks like they’re buddies now.

※

“Haha! Wait up~!”

“Wait~!”

“Wait~!”

“Kyan kyan!”

Sakura, Miku-chan, Yukiko-chan, and Hina-chan race around Occhan’s yard.

The three girls and one pup are having a blast.

Yukiko-chan and Hina-chan, drawn by the noise, got smitten with Sakura, and now they’re all playing.

Got Occhan’s permission to let her loose in the yard, of course.

Both he and Obachan are dog lovers and gave the okay no problem.

What about Atsushi-san and Misa-neesan?

“Sakura-chan playing with Miku is unbelievably cute…”

“Akkun filming like his life depends on it is adorable too…”

See for yourself.

They’re a matched set, in a way.

Is this place laced with sugar or what!?

“Kanzaki-san, thanks for picking out clothes for Miku and even me.”

“N-no, I picked them in a rush, so I’m just glad you like them…”

Obachan’s thanking Kanzaki-san, who’s flustered—rare to see her like this.

“A dog, huh… Maybe I’ll grab one for Miku.”

“I got lucky with a good kid, but feral ones could be trouble.”

“Wild dogs, yeah, those are a hassle. Bet there’s tons now with all this chaos.”

Yeah, not many folks are crazy enough to take in a dog in this mess.

Plenty of families probably didn’t make it.

With fighters like me and Occhan around, it’s easy to forget, but zombies are a real threat to regular folks.

“Anyway, bring Sakura when you visit. Miku and the girls love her.”

“Sakura’s thrilled to have playmates, so it’s perfect.”

Win-win, baby.

“Hm? What’s that file, Bouzu?”

“Oh, this? Info on people the shelter folks are looking for. Didn’t I mention it?”

Perfect timing—Occhan’s a local, so he might know something.

Gotta do some actual work for once.

“This guy’s… Nagayama’s son. Turned zombie recently.”

“Got it.”

“This is the old man from Nashida’s shop. Said he was evacuating to relatives in Akizuki Town… ‘bout three weeks ago.”

“Nice.”

“Don’t know this one, but that area’s crawling with zombies. Probably…”

“Gotcha…”

I jot down Occhan’s info in the file.

This is going smoothly.

Locals make it so much easier.

“These guys, and this area, haven’t been looted much, and no zombie hordes. They might still be alive.”

Ooh, juicy intel.

“Wanna come, Bouzu? One’s a friend’s daughter—I know her.”

Sweet, that’s a big help.

If she’s alive, having Occhan there’ll make convincing her easier.

Let’s see…

• • Client: Nakajima Atsutoshi (中島篤俊)

• • Name: Takanotsume Kaori (小鳥遊香)

• • Age: 26

• • Gender: Female

Cool last name.

No photo, though.

• • Relation to Client: Stepdaughter

“Stepdaughter…?”

“Yeah, her widowed mom remarried. I knew her late dad better.”

Sounds complicated.

“Remarried… six, seven years ago? No adoption, so she kept her dad’s name.”

Makes sense.

Changing your name as an adult’s a hassle.

Guess we’ll check it out—don’t even know if she’s alive.

Let her decide if we find her.

Occhan’s help is like a hundred extra hands.

“Let’s go, Tanakano-san.”

Kanzaki-san approaches, done talking with Obachan.

“Uh… about that, Kanzaki-chan, sorry, but could you stay and watch the place?”

Occhan sounds apologetic.

…Why?

“Stay…?”

“Yeah, Akkun’s still recovering, and it’d just be women otherwise. Misa’s decent, but guarding alone’s tough if something happens.”

Fair point.

Without Occhan, their firepower drops hard.

He’s got the strength and the mindset to take out “enemies” without hesitation.

Misa-neesan’s good with a naginata, but her headspace for killing’s untested.

Killing zombies versus humans feels different, apparently.

I don’t get it, but that’s the general vibe.

“Please, I’m begging ya.”

“W-Well… but…”

Kanzaki-san, startled by Occhan’s bow, glances at me.

“You’ve helped me tons with Sakura, Kanzaki-san. Take a break here.”

Plus, I want her to rest for once.

“But leaving you to work alone…”

“You’re the only SDF at Yurei, right? You’re always on edge—take it easy sometimes.”

Obachan chimes in with support.

“But still, I feel bad…”

“And, you know…”

Obachan whispers something, and Kanzaki-san freezes like she’s been struck by lightning.

…What was that?

“Right?”

“…I-It pains me, but I’ll handle defense here, yes!”

What a turnaround.

Maybe Obachan’s got some secret sweets stashed?

“Alright, settled! Bouzu, gimme a sec to prep.”

“Okay… Kanzaki-san, rest up, yeah?”

“…Yes, be careful, Tanakano-san.”

She keeps looking away.

Feeling guilty about resting? So serious, Kanzaki-san.

※

“Hey, Sakura!”

I call from the veranda to Sakura, racing around the yard.

She charges over at full speed.

God, who’s this adorable kid!? Where’d she come from!?

Oh, right, she’s mine!!

“I’m heading out for work, so play with the big sisters and wait for me, okay?”

I pick her up as she reaches my feet, petting her as I talk.

She stares, whining “kyun kyun” and licking my hand.

Looks lonely.

“Sorry, Sakura, but I’m counting on you, Miku-oneechan.”

I call to Miku-chan, who’s chasing her.

“Me… Onee-chan?”

“Yup, Sakura’s still a baby, so you’re her big sister.”

“Onee-chan…! Got it, Oji-san!”

I hand Sakura to Miku-chan.

“Sakura-chan, let’s wait for Oji-san together~”

“…Wafu.”

Still a bit sad, but she likes Miku-chan.

Yukiko-chan and Hina-chan are pumped, saying, “Leave it to us!”

Sakura’s got lots of kind big sisters now.

Alright, time to wait for Occhan and head out.

I wave to Miku-chan and the girls, stepping out front to smoke.