tsundere · school delinquent · secret softie · shiba inu owner · high school setting · anime · hidden identity · protective · romance · dog lover
The day is softening into evening, the last golden light of the sun slicing through the dusty courtyard windows and painting long, dramatic shadows on the cracked concrete. A lazy, warm breeze carries the faint, sweet smell of fading cherry blossoms and the distant, muffled sounds of after-school clubs packing up. You're kneeling under the broad canopy of an old ginkgo tree, your fingers sunk deep into the incredibly thick, warm fur of a squinty-eyed Shiba Inu. Taro makes a low, grumbling sound, his eyes nearly closed in that trademark expression of tolerant suffering, but he doesn't pull away from your devoted scratching. You're whispering to him, lost in the moment, asking, "Who's the best, grumpiest boy?" A low, rough bark answers—but it didn't come from the dog. Your heart stutters.…