Work Text:
“Le-Le-Legoshi!” The Yellow Labrador sung to himself as he skipped and danced alongside the Gray Wolf. “Legoshi’s fallen in love! Le-Le-Legoshi!”
The two young schoolboys walked home from classes in the refreshing summer breeze under the cloudless blue sky. The Sun’s rays were less harsh and more relaxing, signifying the beginning of the invigorating summer season.
“I-It’s not like that, Jack.” Legoshi stammered as he fiddled around with his Summer uniform. The outfit always felt too small and tight on him. It enunciated his long limbs and big stature more than he was comfortable with.
“So who’s the lucky girl?” Jack asks playfully. “Let’s see… there’s only four female wolves in school, right? So I have a 25% chance of getting it right!”
“It’s not love, I think.” Legoshi nods his head. “But, it’s not a wolf.”
“Hm, so, anyone BUT a wolf, got it.” The Yellow Labrador chews on the cute dog bone pen he bought for school as he ponders.
Here, in this coast side town, going to the store for anything was no easy task. You’d have to take a train running parallel to the ocean to reach the nearest outwardly sourced town. Jack would make sure to spend his precious time and money to personalize his backpack and things, while Legoshi, whom his grandfather had offered to pay for every expense for, was perfectly content with old and weathered school supplies.
The little seaside village that Legoshi and Jack lived in was small, but peaceful. Species of all shapes and sizes got along as a small tight knit community! The animals of the land had cultivated quite the cooperative relationship with those of the sea.
It was a repetitive yet peaceful existence. Which would explain why Jack was so eager to hear about his friend’s love life. It was a small bit of news that would keep him entertained for the next couple weeks.
“I can’t believe it!” Jack said, truly ecstatic. “That you, whose never been in love for 17 years is now-“
“It’s not love.”
“…a-at least, I’m not sure if it is or not. These feelings are so complicated, I don’t know what to call them.” Legoshi mumbles as he examines his hand. He opens and closes his palm, as if analyzing its strength.
“Well whatever it is, I’m sure it’s gonna be great! You can do this Legoshi, go get ‘er!”
“Haha… yeah…” Legoshi scratches his neck, suddenly nervous about the praise and expectations launched his way by Jack.
The boys leisurely walk back home takes a small stop as they approach the nearby train tracks. Even something as hideously rustic as aged train tracks can fit in the seaside atmosphere when painted over with the right shade of blue. The two canines listen to the wails of the crossing siren and watch the lowering of the gate as the train gets ready to pass by.
The train rushes past, loud enough to cover up the boys’ conversation to any prying ears.
“Jack, is it normal to want to hurt a crush?” The wolf asks, giving voice to a long dormant thought.
“What do you mean?”
“…N-Nevermind. It was stupid-“
“I think I get what you mean.” Jack interrupts. “It’s like… you don’t want to hurt them but they just awaken some aggressive side you didn’t know you had. It’s a phenomenon called cuteness aggression!”
“In some way, I’d consider that love, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah… yeah! Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it, you’re so smart, Jack!” Legoshi says uncharacteristically joyfully. Jack’s tail wags and his cheeks flush whenever Legoshi lets this side of himself show. “Do you ever have any thoughts like that?”
Legoshi looks at Jack.
Jack stares into the grey wolf’s eyes, like he has many times before.
“Yup! You could say that! Maybe it’s something only us canines can understand?”
“Yeah, maybe…”
“Oh look, the train’s passed by!”
“Oh yeah, it did! Whoops! Looks like we were just so stuck in our conversation we didn’t notice! Let’s get going already, Legoshi!”
And with that, the Yellow Labrador grabs onto the Grey Wolf’s hand and pulls him forward, across and past the railroad track.
~
“OMG, that rabbit from the Senior class? She’s like, super cute!”
“Didn’t you hear, she’s like, a total slut though. It’s the cute ones you have to look out for.”
“True, but I’m a girl and I’d let her hit if I were a boy. Or would I do the hitting?
“T-That’s probably enough for now.” Jack chuckles awkwardly as the two schoolgirls devolve into nonsense rumors. “Thank you for your time though!”
A week after Legoshi confessed he had a crush, Jack went to work in order to figure it out. Luckily for him, the wolf wasn’t exactly the subtlest in his actions and had left a bread crumb trail full of hints to find out the girl he liked. All it took Jack was talking to the right people and asking the correct questions, which came easy to him as a highly social dog breed.
Her name is Haru. She is a Senior at school. She’s very popular with the boys and very disliked with the girls. It’s easy to spot her because her desk is covered in insults, carved deep into its surface to insure they’d never go away.
Apparently it got so bad that she’d even receive flowers on her desk. Not as a love confession, but as a plea to go and die. Yet, she remained steadfast in her decision to arrive to school everyday and pursue her education. It was motivating to Jack, who had never faced one of her problems but still felt the undeniable urge to curl up in bed and never get up.
“Excuse me, are you Haru?” He asked as he wandered into the school’s garden. A small selection of flowerbeds placed to face the coast for aesthetic reasons.
“Hm? Oh, that’s me.” The bunny answered, sounding friendly but remaining on edge. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah actually!” Jack innocently answered. “Have you seen a gray wolf thiiis tall and kinda hunched over?”
“Legoshi?”
“Yeah! I have something of his and I’ve been looking all over for him! He pretty much sprinted off after the bell rang, hehe.”
“I can get him for you!” Haru sounded a lot more relaxed, now that she knew the dog was there for Legoshi and not for her and her favors. “Right now he’s planting some seeds though.”
“I don’t mind, I can wait till he’s done!” Jack yipped cheerfully. “It’s nice to know he’s so passionate about this hobby, wouldn’t wanna break his flow state, y’know?”
“Do you know Legoshi?” The bunny tilted her head.
“Of course! Legoshi and I have been friends since we were puppies in Kindergarten! Thank you for letting him into your club by the way, he’s been really gloomy lately, but whenever he talks about plants or the club in general, his eyes light up!”
“Well I should be thanking him because of how much of a help he’s been!” Haru answers, now truly in her element. “It’s been tough getting everything done by myself so the extra pair of hands helps a lot.”
“Jack?” Legoshi asks in a confused voice as he walks up to the two animal’s conversation. He has gloves on to keep dirt away from his fur, and his tail is strapped down to prevent it from knocking over any pots. It looks like he’s been successfully tamed into the world of gardening. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, hi Legoshi!” Jack hands a paper over to the wolf. “You forgot this in the classroom!”
“Hehe, your friend over here was telling me how proud he was of you joining the club!”
“T-Thanks…” Legoshi mumbles, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. “Sorry for making you check in on me, Jack.”
“I don’t mind, rely on me all you want!”
“Haha, Jack, you’re so attentive towards Legoshi you’re mkre like his Mom than a friend!”
Legoshi cringes and hides it terribly.
Jack cringes, although he finds himself flattered by the comment even though Haru doesn’t know the full reason why.
Haru quickly notices the change in atmosphere and changes the subject.
“A-Anyways, your name is Jack, right? Would you like to help us tend to the plants?”
“I’d love to! But I’ve got studying to do, sorry!”
“Don’t apologize, I was just trying to get free labor out of you anyways.” Haru admits with a chuckle. “But thank you for dropping by anyways! You’re more than free to come anytime!”
“T-Thank you, Jack…” Legoshi mumbles again. It’s like he’s an embarrassed child thanking their mother for bringing them their forgotten lunch.
“No problem, it’s my pleasure! Oh but before I go, can I ask a quick favor?”
“What is it?” Haru asks, her voice changing slightly to become the tiniest bit more cold.
“Would it be okay if I picked a flower?” Jack asks. “They’re just so pretty and they smell so good! But that’s my dog nose doing most of the thinking, haha.”
“Oh yes, of course!” Haru seems relived the favor was related to the garden. “Just be careful to pluck it nicely and not damage any other flowers! Legoshi and I will be planting some new flowers over there.”
“Thank you so much! It was nice meeting you, Haru!” The dog extends his hand for a handshake. “Take good care of Legoshi!”
“Of course, you too!” The bunny answers as she takes his hand. “And don’t worry, I will!”
“Jack…” Legoshi grumbles.
“Haha, sorry, I just can’t help but want the best for you, buddy! Okay this is goodbye for real, bye bye you two!”
Jack walks away and to a nearby flowerbed. Looking at the colors, he sniffs and eyes up each one before settling on a Yellow Carnation. He makes sure that Legoshi and Haru aren’t looking before he picks it and walks away.
It’s afterschool, so there’s only a spare amount of students in the hallway. There’s no students in the classroom when he sneaks inside. He quickly locates Legoshi’s desk and places the flower smack dab in the middle. The dog takes out a tough pencil and even carved out an “X” near the corner.
Other than that, he leaves the classroom the way it was when he walked in.
He strikes up conversation with those in the Senior class and his year as well.
He spins the tale about that bunny who sleeps around and her wolf knight in armor. He keeps the details specific enough to get people to believe, but vague enough for others to exaggerate and add onto.
He walks home by himself, thinking to himself with only the harsh Summer sun as company.
He found out Legoshi’s crush.
He encouraged Legoshi to join her club.
He got them to spend time together as he found out more and more rumors and stories.
He uses his newfound knowledge of the person and the rumors floating around her to add Legoshi into the mix.
He places that flower in the hopes that it may act as a catalyst.
“Maybe this is how Legoshi feels about her?” Jack thinks to himself as he walks to the train station alone. The station is painted in that same ocean blue as the tracks, but it’s rusting from years of wear and tear.
Jack feels the ocean breeze brush past his fur. The wind fully embraces him in his flowy summer uniform. He feels free without the prying eyes of anyone else.
And that terrifies him.
Here he is. All alone. Free to say and act however he wants, and all he can think about is how Legoshi might be thinking of him.
Jack could run away from it all. Take the train and ride it to the furthest station away from home, where no one knows him and has any preconceptions about him. He could run away by lying on the railroad and waiting for the train to take him to the next realm. But, Jack is too much of a coward to do any of that.
Jack’s too much of a coward to even give a hint at Legoshi about his feelings, how could he possibly do any of those other things?! So for now, all he can do is orchestrate a pathetic bullying campaign against the wolf.
…
The Labrador closes his eyes and leans against the pole of the train station, imagining it to be Legoshi.