(Yuuta POV)
Tokyo felt like a different world altogether. Every corner we turned, there was something new waiting to surprise me. A vending machine that sold pizza, a staircase that played piano notes when you stepped on it—everywhere I looked, it was like stepping into the future.
I couldn't help myself; I was practically bouncing with excitement. "This place is insane," I muttered under my breath, eyes sparkling like a kid in an amusement park.
Erza, of course, pretended to be composed. Her expression barely changed, but I knew she was just as amazed as I was. Her voliet eyes lingered a second too long on every strange contraption we passed. She tried to hide it, but I caught her.
And then there was Elena. Our little toddler didn't even bother to hide her excitement—she was skipping, twirling, and pointing at everything with her tiny finger. "Papa, look! Mama, look!" she kept saying, her voice bubbling with laughter. Honestly, just watching her made my heart feel warm.
Eventually, we reached Shibuya Station. The place was crowded, people flowing in and out like waves. But amidst all that movement, one thing stood still.
A bronze dog statue.
I stopped in my tracks. My excitement paused, replaced by a quiet sort of reverence. "Hachiko…" I whispered.
Erza followed my gaze and tilted her head. "A dog?" she asked, her tone puzzled. She walked closer, inspecting the statue as if searching for some hidden detail. "What's so special about this? It looks like an ordinary dog. Why make a statue for it?"
I couldn't help but smile. "That's what everyone thinks at first. But once they hear the story… they understand. They respect this dog."
She glanced back at me, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Then tell me, Yuuta. What is this dog's story?"
I crossed my arms and smirked proudly. "Of course I know it, my dear wife. But…" I leaned in, lowering my voice like I was about to reveal a great secret. "First, you have to say it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Say what?"
"I love you."
Her eyes widened instantly. "What??" She stepped back, her face heating up. "No way. That's… impossible... it's..embarrassing!"
I gasped dramatically and clutched my chest. "Oh, my dear wife. If you can't even say that, then this husband finds himself too embarrassed to tell you the story."
She gritted her teeth, clearly fighting with herself. "Dream on. I'm not saying it."
I turned to our daughter instead, bending low with exaggerated gestures and covering one eye with my hand like some shady storyteller. "Then fine! I'll tell the story to Elena instead."
"Papa! Story time! Story time!" Elena cheered, clapping her little hands. Her eyes sparkled, bouncing as if her life depended on hearing the story.
Erza twitched, her pride visibly cracking under the pressure of our daughter's expectant gaze. Finally, she crossed her arms and muttered, "…Fine. Come closer."
I leaned in, offering my ear. I expected a quick whisper, maybe a reluctant word or two. But instead, her breath brushed softly against my ear as she spoke in a voice so gentle, so fragile, it nearly stopped my heart.
"My mortal…" she said softly "I… love you. For all eternity. Forever and ever."
My mind went blank. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. My chest tightened, my knees wobbled, and before I realized it—my nose started bleeding like some hopeless anime protagonist.
"Y-you…" I stammered, trembling, "you did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
Erza leaned back, cheeks faintly puffed in her usual proud way. "I did exactly what you asked. Don't keep me waiting. Tell me the story already."
I wiped my nose with the back of my sleeve, my heart still racing. "Hmph… fine. But if my soul leaves my body midway, you'll know why."
I cleared my throat, puffed up my chest, and tried to sound as dignified as possible. "Alright then. Listen carefully, my dear wife, and my little princess. This isn't just the story of a dog. This is the story of loyalty that even humans can't easily match."
Elena immediately sat cross-legged on the pavement in front of me, her big eyes shining, while Erza raised an eyebrow but leaned in anyway, her arms still folded.
I began.
"Long ago, in Japan, there was a professor who lived alone. He had one companion, a dog named Hachiko. Every day, Hachiko would follow his master to Shibuya Station, watch him board the train, and then—without fail—be there in the evening, waiting for him to return."
I slowed down, letting the words sink in. People were passing by us, but for me, the world narrowed down to just my wife and daughter.
"One day," I continued softly, "the professor went to work as usual. But he never came back. He… passed away suddenly while giving a lecture. Yet Hachiko didn't know. So, that evening, he waited at the station for his master's return. And the next day. And the day after that. For years, he waited, sitting in the same spot."
Elena's little hands clenched in her lap. Even Erza's expression softened a little, her eyes fixed on me.
I took a shaky breath and smiled bitterly. "Day after day, through the rain, snow, and heat, Hachiko waited. People saw him and pitied him, but he never gave up. He believed his master would come back one day. And so… until his last breath, he stayed there, waiting."
For a moment, silence hung between us. Even the noise of Tokyo seemed distant.
Erza was the first to break it, whispering, "…A creature so loyal, even to death. That's… unusual."
I nodded. "Unusual, and beautiful. Hachiko didn't need technology, didn't need power. He just had love. That's why, even now, people honor him with this statue. Not because he was strong or mighty, but because his heart was pure."
I looked down at Elena, ready to tease her, but froze.
Tears were streaming down her tiny cheeks, her nose running as she bawled uncontrollably. "P-p-papa…!" she sobbed, crawling into my lap. "The doggy… he waited… but his papa never came back… That's too sad!"
I panicked immediately, waving my hands. "W-wait, wait, Elena! Don't cry, don't cry! It's just a story!"
"Nooo!" she wailed, burying her face in my chest. "I don't want the doggy to be alone! I'll wait with him! I'll wait with him forever!"
Erza exhaled sharply through her nose, turning her gaze away. "Tch. Useless sentimentality.
Erza sighed softly, though I caught the way her lips trembled before she looked away. She pretended to brush her hair aside, hiding the faint redness in her eyes. "…Idiot," she muttered at me, her voice softer than usual. "Look what you've done."
I held Elena tighter, patting her back while my own throat tightened. For once, I couldn't bring myself to make a joke. "It's okay," I whispered to her, stroking her hair. "Hachiko's not alone anymore. He has everyone remembering him now. Even us."
Elena sniffled hard, hiccupping between sobs, but she nodded against me but she stop crying.
I gazed up at the sky, letting out a small sigh. "I really wish I had a dog like Hachiko… someone who would care for me like that."
Erza's voliet eyes narrowed at me, her voice cool and measured. "You already have one."
I frowned. "Where?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Look… down. Between your feet."
I I looked down and couldn't help but embarassed. "You're so mean, calling my thing a dog, pervert wife."
Erza's face flushed instantly, her ears tinged faintly red. "Not that part," she snapped, sharp as a blade. "I meant… below your feet."
Before I could react, a familiar shadow shifted beneath me—and then, with a little shimmer, Allen emerged from my own shadow, kneeling dramatically as if he'd been hiding there all along.
I blinked. "Huh?"
Allen knelt slightly, voice ridiculously serious. "I will always be my Master's dog, it's my Honor to be one."
I groaned, clutching my head. "Allen! Stop giving me heart attacks and just stay inside my shadow!"
He saluted, grinning like a proud soldier. "As you command, Master."
Erza rolled her eyes, her expression cold and sharp, but I caught the tiniest twitch of a smirk at the corner of her lips. Even she couldn't completely hide that she found the scene… mildly amusing.
I let out a heavy sigh. "Come on, Elena. I'll buy you something sweet… something to cheer you up."
But there was no response.
I glanced down. My stomach dropped. She was gone.
"Elena?!" My voice cracked, panic clawing its way up. (●_●)
"Erza!" I shouted, my heart hammering in my chest. "Elena's… she's missing!"
Voliet eyes snapped toward me. Erza's hand shot out, gripping my collar like iron. "Missing? How… how careless can you be?"
"I—I didn't even notice!" I stammered, guilt choking my words.
With a sharp exhale, she released me. "You take that side. I'll take the other. Move—faster."
Adrenaline surged. My legs pumped as I dashed through the station. "Elena! Where are you?"
Every corner, every shadow, felt like it could swallow her whole.
"Elena?!" My voice echoed off the walls, desperate. My chest ached, my mind racing through every possible place she could have gone.
The station felt impossibly large now, each passing second stretching longer than the last.
"Elena…"
And then silence.
To be continued…