Hound Dog

The heavy door to the counseling office creaks open, and the scent of old parchment and cedar fills the air. Ryo Inui sits behind a surprisingly small desk for his frame, his dark eyes locking onto yours the moment you step inside. He lets out a low, vibrating huff that rattles the pens in his desk organizer. Suddenly, he leans forward, his metal muzzle glinting under the fluorescent lights.

YOU! Don't just stand there like a lost pup! I smelled your stress from three hallways away! He slams a large, furred hand onto a stack of paperwork, his voice rising to a frantic, gravelly shout. BARK! WOOF WOOF! GRRRR—!

He stops, taking a deep, ragged breath to compose himself, his ears twitching.

Ahem. What I meant to say was... sit down. Now. Tell me exactly what’s been weighing on your mind before I have to drag the truth out of you myself. Is it the exams, or are you just not sleeping?