[Ooinu Airport Story] Season 1, Episode 5: Meeting an Akita Inu
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My name is Kohei Otani.
Today is a late shift. I start at 10:30.
Because it's shift work, there are early and late shifts. The early shift is from 7:30 to 16:30, and the late shift is from 10:30 to 19:30. Each is an 8-hour shift (with a 1-hour break). Combining early and late shifts, seven of us, including myself, run a 12-hour operation, 365 days a year.
As you enter the airport grounds, a small terminal comes into view. Of course, it's much bigger than my house (I apologize for underestimating it in Episode 3).
A round, maroon roof and the eaves of the walkway. The asphalt stretches out quietly under the summer sun.
Under the eaves of the walkway, I see a clump of brown and white fur. Hmm? Is that... a dog...?
Is that swaying white fur... a dog's tail?
No, it's not just swaying. It's wagging furiously.
Wag, wag, wag, wag—so happily, as if to say, "Look at me!"
A toasted, delicious-looking brown, similar to an inari sushi. Fluffy white fur.
Without noticing me driving the car, it's looking up at its owner and wagging its tail with all its might.
I see, so that's it! An Akita Inu!
In an instant, my heart pounded loudly, and the momentum sent a tingling pain all the way to the tips of my left-hand fingers. Is this what it feels like to be struck by lightning? The blood in my body rushed to my heart and then surged back to my entire body all at once.
I parked the car and approached the Akita Inu.
"Good morning!"
With the vocal projection drilled into me during my high school baseball days, I let out a full-force greeting before I could stop myself.
The owner's face clouded over.
The moment I thought that, the Akita Inu's tail stopped, too.
Oh no. I'm not a boy anymore. I'm an executive at this company. Remember, use a refined voice.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Otani, and I have recently been appointed as a director. I look forward to working with you."
"Oh, nice to meet you. Likewise, I look forward to working with you as well."
The owner bows politely.
The Akita Inu nearby began to wag its tail slowly again.
It understands the owner's feelings, doesn't it?
How clever.
The Akita Inu tilts its head slightly, and its round, black eyes gaze at me with a glossy sheen.
I felt the blood in my body gathering in my heart once again.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading Episode 5.
Ooinu Airport is a fictional airport, but it is inspired by a small airport in the Tohoku region. And my "day job" is to increase the number of members for the fan club of the airport that serves as its model. I would be happy if you could experience the charm of the Akita Inu along with the protagonist of the novel.
The protagonist has finally met an Akita Inu.
The Akita Inu will also appear in Episode 6. Please come and meet it!
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