The Dogsitter

You took a deep breath, taking in the missing oxygen you have been craving for the last minutes. The air of the first days of May was becoming to turn hot but luckily a chilly wind was still on your side to help you not melting on the bench where you decided to rest.

“Rex, you really have to learn how to be a good doggo, one of these days you will make my lungs collapse”, you groaned to the happy German Shepard leaning against your legs, its tongue hanging out in happiness.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s hard to stay mad at you when you look that cute. Is there anyone in this world more adorable than you?”, you gave up on your purpose, playfully rolling the eyes to the sky and patting softly the animal head.

As if the universe listened to your question, a squeal echoed in the park, making different birds fly away in fear. To scare them it was a duck…actually, it was a pretty girl with a duck face.

She ran at full speed in your direction and you could only close your eyes and pray for your safety because this absolute menace seemed to have decided it was your time.

However, time passed and there were still no signs of the duck girl tackling you. Curious and grateful to be still alived, you opened your eyes again, finding the girl crouched near Rex, giving him all the pats and cuddles you could not have given to him in weeks of work.

“Look at his huge cutie, you are so fluffy and so well-behaved”, she was praising him with a baby voice, unable to get her sight far from the doggo.

“He surely is fluffy, well-behaved tho? That’s hard to say when he is so full of energies”, you replied, shaking your head in disbelief, despite the soft smirk on your face.

The girl looked up and it seemed like she realized just in that moment that you were there, that you had the leash, that the legs where Rex was resting had a body attached to them.

“Oh, sorry…I didn’t see you”, she apologized, pouting in embarassment and trying her best to contain her excitement. “What’s his name? Is he old?”, she asked, finally gathering the courage to look at you into the eyes.

Fuck, she’s really pretty, please God, don’t make fumble as usual.

“His name is Rex and, despite his size, this feral beast is just 2 years old”, you explained while your hand ran softly on her fur, making the dog wag his tail happily, making the girl laugh out of cuteness.

“Two years old? But you’re just a baby then. Yes, a cute baby with a cute face”, she was baby talking to him with the biggest smile on her face, earning as reward a bark that was more similar to an hiccup.

“And what’s your name instead? So I know who’s trying to befriend Rex”, you asked, making that question with the nonchalance of someone who knew to have zero luck with pretty girls like her.

“Oh…I…damn”, her voice got quiet and low in such a ridicolous way. For the first time you could see behind that angelic fac and colorful dress, a crack of her loser persona. “You’re right, I have not introduced myself. I’m Minju”, she said, quickly got up to quickly bow.

You immediately dismissed her manners waving your hand in a relaxed gesture and instead invited her to take seat next to you on the bench.

For the following minutes you proceeded to know Minju better. She was an art student in college on her third year. Her love for animals was evident by the way her eyes lit up when she talked about how she always dreamed to have pet during her childhood and teenage years but her parents never allowed that because they wanted her to focus on the study.

There was time to also talk about yourself. You didn’t go to deep with your explanations, it was really not necessary to tell you were still trying to find your place in the world. You simply said you worked part-time as dogsitter and that it was enough to pay the rent.

“Oh, so Rex is not your pet?”, she asked, a bit saddened by the news, looking at the huge dog as if it was the last time in her life that she could play with him.

“Well not, Rex has another owner, but I take care of him at least four times a week, so I see him pretty frequently. Furthermore this was I can be friends of more dogs at the same time”, you shrugged, almost flexing a side of your work that never really made a big difference to you. But for Minju it was like discovering the wheel.

“Oh my God, that’s so cool! And do you come often to this park for the walks?”, she asked with her eyes shining with hope and interest.

“Oh, actually yes, I don’t live far from here, so it’s just natural for me to pick this park as point of reference”, you nodded, trying to stay nonchalant and waiting for the right chance to strike your attack.

“That’s such a splending news. It means I will have to see you and Rex again in the future then”, she cheered up, nuzzling her face against the warm fur of the sleepy dog.

“On that matter…why don’t you give me your number? So I can text you when I’m working so you can join me”. That was the crucial moment. It was now or never.

“I…you know what? That’s actually a good idea. Fine, pass me your phone”, she hummed, smiling in a way that told you enough: she knew what you were doing but she was fine with that.

“Well, now I really have to go, I must study at least a couple of hours today if I don’t want to fail my next exam”, she announced, passing you back the phone, with now a new contact in the rubric.

“Don’t spam too much”, she wiggled her eyebrows, teasing you before sticking out the tongue. “Bye bye, Rex, I hope to see you soon…too”, she concluded, scratching the pet head for the last time, before walking away with an amused smile.

28th july, almost three months later

Duck face (Minju)🦆​❤️​

You Is the most boring student of this city still alive?

Minju 🦆​❤️​No, you’re talking with her ghost right now👻​

How can I help you, sir?🥸​

You Bring your ass down🙄​

I’m making my night walk with Rex

And we’re about to pass in front of your house

Minju 🦆​❤️​You know I have an important exam test tomorrow…

Maybe the next time?

You I’m about to send you an audio

It’s Rex crying because you don’t want to see him

He will know you don’t care about him💔​

Minju 🦆​❤️​Fuck you

You’re a monster

You Said the girl who is about to break the heart of an innocent cute doggo💔​

He has teary eyes

Minju 🦆​❤️​Shut up

…are you really coming?

You We’re literally in front of your building

Coming down? :)

Minju 🦆​❤️​I hate you so much

You’re literally blackmailing me

You It’s because I miss you

Minju 🦆​❤️​…

Gimme ten minutes

I wanna look pretty

And btw I missed you too, idiot​💕​

Seen at 21:49

Twenty minutes later, finally Minju decided to appear from the main entrance of her building, a white sundress cover her slim figure and a pair of Converse on her feet. She was trying so hard to look not happy about your presence.

“I’m warning you, I can stay only five minutes, not a second mor-”, her words were interrupted by your lips on hers, your hands pulling her close enough to make her almost stumble.

“You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go after five mere minutes, not when you look so beautiful, not when I have not seen you in a week”, you hummed against her lips, trying to sound serious and firm while getting lost in her fluttering eyes.

She bit her lip and looked away. “How many times I told you to not kiss me that way? We’re not a couple”, she complained, but it was hard to believe her when her heart was beating so fast against your chest.

“I’m not interested in names and definitions, I’m just interested in you”, you replied, taking her chin between your fingers and forcing her to look at you.

“I…”, her lack of words was enough as proof of her feelings.

Bark bark bark!

“Oh, Rex, I am so sorry, I didn’t forget about a cutie like you”, she managed to escape your inquisitory gaze to crouch near to the German Sheppard, just like the first time she met him.

The truth is that in the past months Minju saw the dog every week because of your absolutely-not-dates. So it was just natural for the animal to grow affectionate to her too. It was the first time the two had not met for more than a week.

“So, are you gonna be a bad influence and steal time from my study the night before my exam?”, she crosses her arms and pouted in that unique way that made her look like a duck.

“Nope, I’m actually being your savior. You spent weeks on those books, you are ready, you’re prepared, you will do great tomorrow. You only risk a burnout spending the whole night reading over and over notions you already know perfectly”, you corrected her, keeping your tone light and playful yet honest.

“You are not supposed to know me so well, you’re just a dogsitter I casually met in a park”, her words could sound maybe harsh, but you knew she didn’t mean them.

“It’s alright, even a dogsitter can be sweet for the girl he loves”, you replied without getting upset or sad.

“…I hope you are bringing me to a cool place at least”, she managed to say, her defensive wall slowly crumbling because of your words.

“A cute dog told me you are desperately trying to win the Marill plushie by the claw crane in the arcade two streets ahead of your house, I was thinking to help you in your mission”, you suggested, an evil smirk appearing on your lips in front of her surprised face.

“Rex! Did you tell him? It was supposed to be a secret!”, she scolded the dog, placing the hands on her hips like an angry mom.

Woof!

“Ugh, you’re too cute to stay mad”, she sighed, immediately dropping her attitude. “Fine, I will grant you the chance to help me in getting the treasure”, she eventually accepted, still avoiding the direct eye contact.

“Let’s go then”, you announced but your steps almost stopped when you felt Minju pinky interwined with yours.

“…thank you…and I’m sorry. You have the coolest job in the world…and I’m grateful to have you in my life”, she softly said, looking away, still to shy to challenge your gaze, but willing to be honest about her feeling for once.

You simply caressed the back of her hand with your thumb while leading the way toward the arcade.

That night Minju slept peacefully before an exam for the first time, helped by the support of a Marill plushie between her arms.