The incident happened on the scale.
"...He's gained weight."
I had just come back from the vet with Komugi in my arms, and that was what I reported to everyone in the living room.
At his regular checkup, Komugi had weighed in nearly a kilo heavier than last month. According to the vet, "For a dog this size, one kilo is like several kilos for a person. You're not giving him too many treats, are you?"
The living room went silent.
Ms. Tono on the sofa. Mahiru at the dining table. Yume, sitting on the floor fiddling with her tablet. Rui, wrapped up in a blanket.
All of them suddenly looked away.
"...Um."
The first to speak up was Mahiru.
"When I come home at night... I've been giving him just one slice of the ginger pork. I'm sorry... he begs so hard."
"Me too."
Ms. Tono sighed.
"When I'm having my evening drink, he looks up at me from my feet with those eyes. So, one chikuwa."
"For me it's cheese..."
Yume raised her hand a little.
"The crusty edge of my toast. I mean, he's so cute."
"I..." Rui mumbled.
"Minced-meat cutlet batter... late at night... together..."
I wanted to hold my head in my hands. In other words, every one of them had been sneaking him food on the side, each thinking she was the only one. From Komugi's point of view, he'd been helping himself to scraps from four people's late-night snacks, on rotation, every night. No wonder he'd gotten fat.
"Everyone."
I cleared my throat.
"Starting today, treats are banned."
That very moment.
Komugi looked up at me. Droopy ears. Big, black, watery eyes. He tilted his head with a little flop.
He let out a soft whine.
"..."
Everyone in the living room caught their breath.
"Impossible," Yume said instantly.
"That's impossible. Banning treats with that face? It's beyond human capability."
"Yume, pull yourself together," Mahiru said, but her voice was trembling too.
I made an effort to stay calm and went on.
"It's for Komugi's health. Besides, some of the things you all eat every day are things you shouldn't give to dogs."
"Wait, really?"
Yume looked up.
"Chocolate is the famous one, right? That's poison to dogs. Even a little affects their heart and nerves. Yume, you absolutely mustn't give him cocoa either."
"...I didn't know. Good thing I didn't give him any."
Yume went pale.
"Onions and green onions are no good, either. They destroy red blood cells and cause anemia. So meat soaked in ginger pork sauce isn't really good for him either. Mahiru."
"Eek... I-I'm so sorry...!"
Mahiru clutched her head.
"Grapes and raisins are dangerous too. They affect the kidneys. And then there's xylitol. The kind in gum and sweeteners. That's a strong poison for dogs, too."
"...So much I didn't know," Ms. Tono said, sounding impressed.
"Avocado isn't good either. And alcohol is absolutely out. Even a little that's fine for a person can be life-threatening for a dog."
"Alcohol..."
Ms. Tono's face changed, as if something had dawned on her.
"I've been giving him chikuwa while I'm having my evening drink. But what if, by mistake, one of my snacks..."
"Yes, so please be especially careful when you're drinking. Komugi wants anything people look like they're enjoying."
When I said that, Komugi at my feet let out a soft whine, as if he understood.
A little laughter broke out in the living room.
"So, I'll make safe treats for him. Anything else is banned. All right?"
"...Okaaay."
The four of them nodded, crestfallen.
Or so it should have gone.
From that night on, Nightlight was wrapped in an odd tension.
When I was cleaning up the kitchen at night, there'd be furtive footsteps from the far end of the hall. When I turned around, nobody was there. Thinking I'd imagined it, I went back to work. Then, this time from the other side, came the rustle of clothing.