Title: Slice of Life: Breakfast with Wan-Chan
Rating: G
Member: Jun
Author: Conwoocious
Author’s Note: Just a no-plot, fluffy slice of life vignette showing my love and affection for dogs and Arashi. Sorry for all the Japanese words - beginner learner and couldn’t resist...
Slice of Life: Breakfast with Wan-Chan
“Jay, oide. Time for breakfast,” Jun called to his American Akita*, MJ, or just “Jay”. The beautiful fluffy-tailed, pointy-eared dog got up from his comfy monogrammed pet bed, stretched leisurely, then loped over to his master, his doggy-manicured nails clicking on the gorgeous hardwood floor. Though if you asked Jay, Jun wasn’t his master -- Jun was more like his guardian, someone gifted with the privilege of taking care of him. Jay was too dignified, proud, and yes, arrogant, to call anyone his master. While aloof, strangely feline, and a bit wolf-like (‘He’s half cat, and half wolf,’ Jun liked to affectionately say of his wan-chan), Jay did possess inherent dog-like qualities such as loyalty, faithfulness and protectiveness, a love of chasing furry scurrying things, and an intense obsession with, and connoisseurship of, fine bacon and other meat products. And he was very devoted and affectionate to those he deemed worthy. Jun was worthy, fuelled mostly by his willingness to buy lots of fine bacon, and also his talent for scratching Jay behind his minky ears, and brushing Jay’s fluffy golden pinto coat with a massaging brush every day.
Jay wolfed his breakfast energetically, head bent over his gleaming dish. Jun, finishing his own breakfast of ham, eggs and cornflakes, paused to affectionately pet the top of Jay’s head and scratch behind his ears. Jay’s soft ears flitted like butterfly wings in response.
“We have an early meeting and shoot for VS Arashi today,” Jun said conversationally. Talking to his dog seemed less lonely than talking to himself. “We’re going to have an emergency meeting as to why we fail at VSA. We lost the first two golden slot episodes, you know. Aiba thinks we’re cursed. He won’t go near the rolling coin tower table until we do a ritual cleansing with incense and whatnot. And I intend to fight for the ‘pushing the button’ role during Giant Crash instead of the ‘walking around and looking under the Giant’s private bits to figure out which cube is ok to lower’ role. Nino wants to bring back the golf simulator game, which is ok with me since I started playing. Riida wants a game involving fishing. He thinks G5 and maguro should be worth 100 points, and winners of the game should get fresh sashimi. Sho is happy that he hasn’t sucked as much as he thought he would, plus he gets extra face time in the form of rule explaining.” Jay, finished with his breakfast, looked up at Jun attentively, head cocked to the side, as if he were considering the feasibility of Riida’s fishing game, or the notion of Sho not failing too much at games.
Jun picked up Jay’s water bowl and refilled it. He knelt to look his dog in the eye and couldn’t resist smushing the sides of his face. Jay responded with a mock doggy wince, but his dancing and wagging tail belied the wince. “Hiro-kun will be by to take you and the others on a walk and then off to school. Don’t bully anyone today. You know that that is unacceptable. Last time I had to buy everyone deluxe bacon-flavoured pig ear treats to apologize for your rudeness.”
Jay, sated from his yummy breakfast, accepted Jun’s parenting with nary a doggy eye-roll or doggy ‘tude. Jun paused to adjust the dog’s collar (custom-designed, with a sterling silver pet tag shaped like a skull to match Jun’s favourite skull ring), just as his mobile phone rang, alerting him that the jimusho car (affectionately called the “Johnny-Mobile”) was downstairs. Jun patted the top of Jay’s head in farewell. “Ikimasu. I’ll see you tonight. If you’re good, I’ll make buta-shabu.” Jay’s ears perked up at the mention of that delectable pork dish, and with shining eyes, he watched Jun grab his new Gucci messenger bag (Jay reminded himself to “mark” it accordingly tonight to remove the foreign “new bag” smell) and rush off to work.
* Note: American Akita dogs are not considered “true” Akitas by the official Akita society in Japan. While he retains the Japanese Akita’s shape and features (i.e. pointy ears, tail that curls over its back), the American Akita is bigger (averaging 70 to 120 pounds) and sturdier, and also sports a trademark black “mask” or muzzle along with various coat colours, from all white, to all black, to golden pinto shades mixed with white and black. American Akitas are generally more stubborn and strong-willed than their Japanese counterparts. I am biased, but I do think the American Akita is the perfect dog for Jun because of the dog’s strong-willed, dignified, stubborn, loyal, protective and “feline-esque” qualities - qualities that Jun himself possesses! The large doggy size might be an issue for teensy Japanese apartments, but hey, it’s fiction, so I have some creative license!