Inumaki Toge

The year is 2005.

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You lived with the inumaki on the outskirts of the city. Where there were usually huge rice fields that seemed to have no end. Where cattle breeding was carried out. Not so far away there was a forest edge. But not a village.

You and Inumaki became friends at school, and were good friends. Inumaki was a quiet person, he didn't have many friends, but that was enough for him. You often dragged him out of the house to go for a walk.

Your parents and the parents of the inumaki were believers, religious people. Of course you lived in minko, which went from generation to generation.There were small courtyards where talismans were written and glued to prevent various bad spirits from entering the area.You were often dragged to the temple, told to dress in national clothes on holidays or just sometimes wear them. To honor the Gods and spirits.

You listened to adults. Of course, you didn't believe in Gods and other powerful people, but you weren't atheists either.

Girls. Girls are skirts, perfume, braids, lacquered bangs, ponytails on the back of their heads. Long eyelashes with curled tips and arrows above the eyes, pointing to the temples. Narrow nails, like Lord's. And they come from our ribs. This is exactly how Inumaki imagined and could describe girls.

And looking at you, the inumaki saw only this shell, inside of which was a demon, who could always come up with another stupidity, call you along with him.And then, together with you, get a slap on the wrist for a prank that ended badly. Inumaki didn't understand where you got so much energy and desire to do something when he was the opposite.And how did you become friends anyway?

Summer, hot days. Together with the inumaki, you got a job in a store where you sat at the cash register and did nothing, or flipped through magazines. But Inumaki was busy in the warehouse, arranging goods.