FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

As usual, it was an uneventful evening in the country. Nothing much happened after dinner time here since most of the folks would be at their homes by then, either sleeping or doing preparations for the next day. Well, I did see some old crow-men minutes ago - the rice farmers judging by the simple clothing they donned - walking with swinging steps, one of them holding a large sake bottle. But even that was a rare sight, and the drunken salarymen back in the city were rowdier compared to them. Resting by the windowside, the night breeze along with a full stomach lulled me closer to sleep, only to be woken up again by the noise coming from the living room television.

I went out to see what was the commotion about. Apparently, what was on was a feature on countryside living, and they were showing a scene of fireflies floating above a river. It was a captivating sight yes, but the cast could have at least kept their voices down, I thought. Then again, the houses here were far apart enough for the neighbors to not notice much. Speaking of fireflies, ever since I moved out I hadn't caught even a single glimpse of them. Then I got an idea to relieve the boredom: go watch the bugs in person tonight.

I had my bug spray, my catching net, and my bag of other things like a towel and water bottle. What I didn't have was the exact location of where the fireflies should be. Gramps' directions were too vague and I completely forgot my way around. What I did know though was that I was by the river, so the situation wasn't that hopeless. If only the light of the moon and the stars were brighter; I could barely see where I was stepping on! Going back seemed the safest option, but seeing some green lights floating around convinced me to press on.

Moving forward, I saw a light that seemed different from what the fireflies had. It was stronger and brighter, and seemed to be blinking in a steady rhythm. Even from the distance between me and said light, I could tell it was white, and it seemed to be moving closer to my direction. Only one conclusion came to mind: it was a disembodied soul. My mind chanted "Run, you dumbass!" but my body was frozen stiff. Arms were shivering like crazy and I broke out in cold sweat. When it was just a few feet away from me, I closed my eyes and prayed that it would just pass. The sound of rustling grass accompanied its passing, which made me feel even more terrified as it got louder.

Then, soaked in so much fear, I heard the rustling stop. It felt like something was close by, and I was sure enough that it was that light. Preparing myself for what would happen, I opened one eye and what greeted me looked like the severed head of a bear.

I shouted. "S-Stay back!"

"Hey, Nishimura. It's me," it said.

Puzzled as to why it knew my name, I opened both eyes and upon looking closer, saw the all-too-familiar scowling face of a friend holding a flashlight.

"Juuichi-san?" I asked. "Please don't scare me like that!"

"That's not what I was doing," he said. "I came to warn you that's it's dangerous to be near the river without a light."

"Oh...?"

"But, I guess I ended up scaring you instead."

Feeling stupid, I quickly straightened myself up and bowed. "I'm so sorry!"

I sat down and collected my thoughts. After I explained my side of things, the only reaction Juuichi-san had was rubbing the sides of his forehead in utter disbelief. What I did was stupid enough, explaining it felt even stupider on my end. The worst part of it was that I forgot to bring a flashlight in my excitement to go watch the fireflies, which justified the scolding I got after.

"If you sit on the grass like that for too long, your pants are going to be soaked in dew," he said, offering a hand.

I took his hand and he pulled me up. But as soon as I got up, I ended up falling back down.

"What, did your back give out?" he asked.

I nodded sheepishly. "Seems like it."

"You're hopeless..."

Even though he said that, he still crouched down and offered to take me back home via piggyback. Of course, I refused since I gave the guy too much trouble for one night. But the guy was persistent and I ended up giving in. With my arms around his neck and my legs carried by his powerful arms, we went on our way back.

As Juuichi-san was walking, I felt his short brown fur tickle me with every step he took. It wasn't as bristly as I initially thought, and it was quite comforting. The best thing about it was since he was carrying me, I got to see how Juuichi-san would see the world around him. And it was a great feeling to see it at such a height!

"Aren't I heavy?" I asked.

The bear smirked. "The guys I usually throw around are a lot heavier. Tora, for instance..."

I chuckled nervously. "Speaking of Tora, when he sees this scene at such a late time, I have a feeling he's gonna get jealous."

He sighed. "It's more like he will be. And will annoy me to no end because of it. He hasn't been holding back on the mischief recently, you know?"

The mood started to turn a little awkward. "But I think Tora would understand if we told him, right?"

"Maybe so."

"A-Anyway, what were you doing out here at this hour?"

"Taking a walk," he said. "It's kind of a daily routine for me."

That was something new to know. I expected the guy to be just practicing judo in his spare time. But something like this seemed like the sort of thing he would be into. The night was quite peaceful at these times.

"Now what were you doing at this hour, Nishimura?" he asked.

"I was planning to catch fireflies, that's why I brought a net."

"Oh?" His voice got a bit gentler. "If you're looking for fireflies, I think you should go further upstream."

"Well, my memory's like a cloth with lots of holes so you're gonna have to fill me in on that one."

"Then, do you mind if I accompany you tomorrow night?"

"Eh?"

"To go firefly watching. Seeing how you fared back there, leaving you alone is no option."

The proposal was sudden. But he was right. If I went by myself again, I could get myself into deeper trouble. And tonight was just lucky for me. Had he not been there, I would probably have ended up as a story of one of those people who were spirited away one night. Without hesitation, I agreed and as he turned his face to me, I got a glimpse of the bear's face brightening up a bit. Even behind that scowl, he could actually show emotions.

"You sleepy?" Juuichi-san asked.

"Yeah," I said, failing to suppress a yawn. "Mind if I doze off for a bit?"

He nodded. "I'll wake you up when we reach your house."

And with that, I rested my head on his back and felt the warmth of his body as I fell asleep.