After I Started Working at a Pet Kindergarten - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I didn’t have time to find Dad until the lunch break.

“How much are you docking from my pay?”

He was making the dogs’ afternoon meal. The Golden Retriever supervised at his side, jaws snapping open the instant so much as a crumb fell.

[Can’t waste food, can’t waste food! Every grain comes from hard work, Papa dear.]

[This cornstalk is chew-chew-chew a little chew-chew-chew scratchy in Dog’s throat, chew-chew-chew.]

Then came a gulp.

[Swallowed it. Hee-hee.]

[More garbage, Papa dear. Give Dog more garbage.]

His tail wagged merrily.

Dad cut off a piece of chicken and held it near his mouth.

The Golden froze. His eyes went round as he stared uncertainly between Dad and the meat.

[Is this garbage, Papa dear?]

[Is this really for Dog?]

Then his jaws opened wide.

He didn’t dare bite. He waited for Dad to place it in his mouth.

[Hurry, hurry! Bury the meat deep inside Dog’s mouth! Dog can’t wait!]

He looked so foolish that I almost laughed.

Dad put the chicken into his mouth, patted his muzzle, and finally answered me.

“Since you saved a cat today, I won’t dock anything. While I’m at it, you can have the pet kindergarten.”

This time, I was the one left staring. “Are you serious? Will Auntie agree?”

My parents had divorced when I was in middle school, and I had gone with Dad. By the time I entered college, both of them had remarried and started new families.

I became independent early and lived alone. If I hadn’t truly reached my limit this time, I never would have come back to burden Dad.

He glanced at me and smiled. “Why wouldn’t she agree? You’re my daughter.”

With that, he returned to preparing the food.

The Golden, however, watched me with shiny black eyes.

[Daughter dear. Hee-hee, Daughter dear.]

“…”

Wrong generation, dog.

“Why are you so greedy?”

Just like Rice.

I patted his head. He licked my hand twice.

[Because Dog never gets enough, Daughter dear. Dog is going to starve to death.]

Dad explained, “He used to belong to a young couple who didn’t know how to raise a dog. When they bought him, the seller told them to give him fifty grams of kibble per meal, so that was all they ever fed him.

“Even after he grew up, it was still fifty grams twice a day. A hundred grams total. He got so hungry he started eating his own poop, and they blamed him for being defective and wanted to abandon him.

“I found out and bought him from them.

“It left a deep scar. Now he steals the other dogs’ food because he doesn’t feel safe unless he’s full.”

The Golden rubbed against Dad’s thigh.

[Papa dear is the best. Dog always gets a full belly here and never has to eat his own poop again. Hee-hee.]

[Dog doesn’t eat poop anymore, unlike those dogs who break out just to hunt for it.]

[They never listen to Papa dear. Only Dog listens to Papa dear~]

The flattery was written all over his face.

Why did I smell such a strong whiff of green tea—the scheming kind?

“Dad, did you ever name him?”

“No. You know how terrible your dad is at names. I just call him Golden.”

I gave the dog a mysterious smile. “Then I’ll name him. Little Green Tea.”

He cocked his head.

[Little Green Tea. Sounds nice!]

[But Daughter dear’s face makes Dog think it isn’t a good name.]

Dad burst out laughing. “Works for me.”

And just like that, the name Little Green Tea was settled.

[Papa dear, does Dog truly get no say in this? Papa dear, Dog thinks Golden sounds pretty good, Papa dear.]

Too bad Dad couldn’t understand dog.