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K.K. Slider strums the last chord to finish off his set, which is immediately followed by roaring applause that snaps him out of his “zone”. The darkened atmosphere that encompasses him fades away and reveals a crowd of Club L.O.L. patrons giving a standing ovation. Many of them are enthusiastically chanting over the resuming club music while K.K. adjusts to the change in surroundings.
“Encore! Encore! Encore!” the patrons repeat, to which the stoic musician rises from his stool, the cheers dissipating as he does so.
“Thanks for lending me a listening ear.” He offers a courteous smile and makes his exit into a makeshift greenroom that is tucked away from public access. (It had been added during the club’s most recent renovation, and Dr. Shrunk had generously allowed K.K. to borrow the space.)
While resting on a comfortable couch and tuning his guitar, he hears a small knock on the door. It’s not unusual for him to have fans greeting him at his “stagedoor” or asking for an autograph, so he doesn’t think much of it. K.K. Slider lowers his guitar into its case and makes his way over to the door. With a firm grip on the handle, he pulls open the door to reveal…
…a yellow and cream-colored shih tzu that is shaking like a leaf, causing the jingle bells tied around her bun to jingle slightly. After an awkward moment of silence and gaping at him in awe, she bows her head apologetically. “Sorry, I’m just starstruck, is all!”
All K.K. Slider can respond with is a humble chuckle. “Don’t worry, I get that. But I don’t think I’m as big of a deal as some folks make me out to be, no offense.”
Regaining her composure, Isabelle explains, “Of course! But, I didn’t think I would have a chance to meet someone as well-known as you, and I never even imagined you’d be moving in here, of all places!!” She extends a slightly shaky paw. “Assistant Mayor, by the way. Uhm- I’m Isabelle, Assistant Mayor,” she corrects herself. “Please accept this belated formal welcome, on behalf of all of New Leaf Town!”
K.K. accepts the handshake, patiently smiling. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Assistant Mayor, and I appreciate the sentiment,” K.K. leans against the door frame, “But really, there’s nothing else to me except being a dog that loves his guitar and sharing his love for music, you feel me?”
Isabelle’s head bobs up and down, her jingle bells ringing as a result. “Of course! But even so, it must’ve taken you a lot of talent and hard work to get to where you are; so the fact you’re getting recognized should be a good thing, don’t you think?”
“That’s a fair point, but the whole recognition part of it can get to be a bit much. I just don’t play for validation or praise.” He pauses to think. “Well, thanks again for stopping by and taking the time to welcome me here. If it’s okay with you though, I’m gonna get some shut-eye.”
“Oh, actually, I do have something for…” Isabelle trails off as she reaches into her pocket, panic starting to set in as she realizes there’s nothing in her pocket. The resident Assistant Mayor dejectedly facepalms herself, a star dropping onto her head as she does so. “Oh, no! How could I forget something so important…”
“Hm? What is it?” K.K. inquires calmly, reaching out a paw in an attempt to comfort her.
Isabelle tearfully admits, her gaze lowering to the ground in shame, “I had meant to bring you a housewarming gift from the Mayor and I, but I forgot it on my desk because I left in such a hurry to catch your performance... Oh, dear.”
The new resident musician scratches his neck awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say in this situation. “That’s rough. If you need to grab it, I have nothing keeping me here.”
“You’ll come with me to get it?” Isabelle asks, perking up, “I didn’t fail you or the Mayor?” She wipes a stray tear off of her cheek.
“Not at all.” K.K. momentarily retreats into his greenroom to grab something: a small handkerchief. “And here, have this; there’s no use crying over a simple mistake. It should still be on your desk, yeah?” he steps out of the doorway and closes the door. As he fidgets with the doorknob to lock it, Isabelle looks to him gratefully while drying her eyes with the handkerchief.
“Wait, where’s your guitar?” Isabelle questions from behind him, attempting to respectfully not make eye-contact with his noticeably bare fur. It’s not even considered strange or taboo, considering that they’re all animals and that clothes are just for aesthetics. (Plus, she personally knows many villagers that prefer not wearing clothes.) Still, she can’t help but feel that it’d be rude to stare.
K.K. looks back at her with a puzzled expression, “In its case, why?”
“Oh, well- you always have it with you, so I just thought-”
“It gets heavy.”
“Ah.” Isabelle accepts that response and delicately places the handkerchief in her pocket. She then begins to lead him up the alley’s stairs and down the cobblestone road. They continue down Main Street, the streetlights casting their shadows behind them. This whole time, Isabelle has been checking through her peripheral now and then to ensure that K.K. is still following… though she may also be trying to catch a few extra glances of him. “So, what made you decide to move all the way out here?”
K.K. Slider takes a while to register such a question. “Well, if I’m gonna be completely honest, I wanted to get away from all the noise that comes with fame. To turn over a new leaf is the best way I can put it,” he adds that last part with a shrug, the humor of the phrase not being lost on him. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s an honor to be able to perform and share my music with the world… but getting all this special attention and being put on a pedestal gets to ya after a while. Know what I mean?”
Isabelle eyes widen, full of sympathy for him. “Oh my… I can’t even imagine how stressful that must be, being thrown into the spotlight overnight.“ After a moment, she adds with even more sincerity, “Also, if it's any consolation: I know that I was a little starstruck at first, but now, from what I can tell, you really are just like any other dog.”
For the first time in a long while it seems, K.K.’s smile reaches his eyes. Not one for sappy gestures, he offers a quiet, “Thanks, man.” Hearing this, Isabelle smiles back at him with a tender expression.
Upon reaching the large staircase leading to the actual town, K.K. starts to catch up to Isabelle, and they match each others’ pace as they descend down the steps. With each step Isabelle takes, the soft ringing of her jingle bells pierce through the quiet of the night. “Town Hall is going to be to our right!” she informs him.
As soon as the pads of their paws meet the pathway at the end of the stairs, Isabelle sharply turns right towards the grass, making a beeline for a building just past the train station. K.K. Slider quickens his stride, enjoying the feeling of the patches of grass brushing underneath his feet. He briefly closes his eyes and inhales to truly appreciate the sweet aroma of nature. Once he exhales, K.K. opens his eyes to make sure he’s actually going in the right direction. He gets his confirmation when he looks ahead and catches a glint of moonlight reflected in Isabelle’s jingle bells.
“Don’t slow down now, K.K.!” she playfully calls out from ahead of him. “We’re almost there, promise.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t,” K.K. retorts back, right on her heels.
K.K. even goes so far as to sprint ahead of Isabelle, to which she eagerly accepts the challenge. They both begin to make a mad dash for Town Hall, which is only meters ahead of them. It’s a close race, with K.K. having the lead inches ahead of her for a while; however, just before he can reach the cobblestone, Isabelle has a sudden burst of energy and surges ahead of him, barely beating him to Town Hall.
“Hehe, I win! Good effort, though.” Isabelle proudly smirks at K.K., who can’t help but grin widely as well.
K.K. brushes himself off. “You gotta admit that I did get pretty close,” he lightly argues back. “So, this is your Town Hall? Looks neat.”
“Yep! It could use some paint touch-ups, though…” Isabelle fidgets with her pocket momentarily, in search of something. As she pulls out a key, she looks to K.K. with a gentle smile. “Thank you again for offering to come with me, even though you really didn’t have to, and I’m sorry for interrupting your break.”
“It’s no problem at all, I needed the exercise anyway,” he jokes, casually grinning while watching Isabelle turn the key in the keyhole. “I should really be thanking you, though.”
Isabelle’s paw freezes in the act of twisting the doorknob. She looks back at him in genuine confusion. “Huh? Me? But I didn’t really do anything to-”
K.K. steps forward to reassuringly place his paw on her shoulder. “But you did. You’ve been the first animal since I moved here that looked past everything and just treated me like… an equal. Like, a friend. That’s pretty special, so thank you.”
It dawns on Isabelle how much this interaction has impacted K.K., and as a result, her eyes get misty. She needed this, too. “Is it weird to say that I feel the same? At least, ever since I accepted the position of Assistant Mayor, I’ve never been able to just… be. With all of the villagers, and even with the Mayor, it’s like I’m seen as-” She stops herself from continuing further, realizing she’s probably oversharing. But when she makes eye contact with K.K. Slider, he is listening intently and silently urges her to keep going.
Isabelle brushes her bangs out of her face before continuing, “Sometimes I feel like I’m nothing more than a helper and a friendly face, than an actual animal with feelings and a life outside of my job. But, you’re one of the only animals I’ve met that appreciates me for me, rather than my work.”
“Hey, being fully candid here: I’m not a complimenting-kind-of-dog. But you, Isabelle, are someone who I believe truly deserves all the praise in the world and more. Don’t ever doubt that.” K.K. gives her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “It might not feel like it now, but your time to be recognized is coming.”
In one swift motion, Isabelle jerks around and pulls K.K. Slider into a hug, which he awkwardly reciprocates, not quite being used to hugs but happily accepting it. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know,” she whispers, holding back tears. After the both of them pull out of the impromptu hug, Isabelle makes her way towards the Town Hall entrance and turns the doorknob, opening the door. She flicks the lightswitch and beckons K.K. to follow her inside. K.K. is greeted by the smell of wood and a warm atmosphere. Before them lies a desk, and an even larger desk further behind it. His focus is drawn to the gold plaque on the first desk that reads: ‘Isabelle, Assistant Mayor’. Directly next to the plaque sits a brown woven basket with goodies in it, as well as a card attached saying ‘For K.K. Slider: Welcome!’
Isabelle swoops the basket off of the desk, and bashfully offers it out to K.K. Slider. “This, I believe, is for you. I hope you like it.”
K.K. gratefully accepts the basket, glancing over the selected items before setting it aside in his pocket? (How does he do that…?) “It’s perfect, I can’t wait to dig in.” Shockingly, he scratches the back of his neck, a pink aura and flowers surrounding him. “Thank you again for such a warm welcome, and I hope we cross paths again soon.” Thinking a bit more, he adds, “Actually, I know we will.”
Isabelle’s face brightens, heading towards the door and turning off the lights. “Yes, I definitely want to keep in touch! It’s really nice that we’re able to just be ourselves together, in a way.”
K.K. Slider follows her outside and waits for her to finish locking the door. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Also, do you need me to walk you home? It’s the least I could do.”
“I’ll be okay, thank you though!” Isabelle tilts her head with her classic smile. “But you know how to get back to Main Street, right?”
“Don’t worry about me, I just follow where the roads take me.” A beat. K.K. Slider takes a few steps toward Isabelle, clasps his paws together, and gives a sincere bow. “But seriously, thank you for being a real one. Let’s get coffee sometime soon, yeah?”
Already hyped at the mere mention of coffee, Isabelle agrees, “I’d love that! There’s a pretty good place nearby called The Roost, is tomorrow at 11 o’clock a good time?”
K.K. gives a thumbs-up. “That’d be awesome, dude. Anyways, have a good night.” And so K.K. Slider embarks on his journey to Club L.O.L.'s makeshift greenroom.
With a wave goodbye, she calls out after him, “Please get home safe, K.K.!”
“Same to you, my friend,” K.K. responds in his always-calm tone, and continues steadily walking down the worn dirt path leading to Main Street. Isabelle keeps waving, even as K.K. Slider’s silhouette becomes too blurry to distinguish anymore. She smiles to herself contentedly, turning away to start her own journey home, when a horrifying realization hits her:
“Oh. My. Dog. I forgot to officially register him as a citizen!” the sleep-deprived Isabelle cries out in anguish, her panic escalating. She paces back and forth, holding her head in her paws. “Dang it, Isabelle! I knew I was forgetting something important! What am I going to do now?!”
She stops in her tracks, the gears in her head slowly turning. At last, a lightbulb dings above her. “Wait, I can just help him fill out the form tomorrow when I see him for coffee… Whew! Crisis averted.” She wipes the beads of sweat from her forehead.
With that problem solved, Isabelle proudly marches off towards her home, concluding with a satisfied sigh, “The Mayor is so lucky to have me around.”