Am I good enough yet? (Phan)

Chapter 17

Phil's P.O.V 

Duncan and mimei - our guides and friends for everyone on the trip - had brought us to a quieter area of town, with colourful buildings and cherry blossoms. 

"This is amazing!" I said to no one in particular, Dan answered anyway.

"Sure is Phil, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." His reply seemed kind of sad, distant. I frowned and shuffled closer to him on the pastel themed street.

 "You say that like you aren't having fun," 

"Just a bit stressed, it's still work after all, we still have deadlines and ideas we need to come up with and-" 

"You're forgetting we get a couple of days just to relax, the very important mangers - I'm not sure what they do - even told us so! Take a breath, and enjoy being here, I know you want to be in Japan just as badly as me." 

I got a small nod as a reply, and there was the tiniest hint of a smile, I could only tell because one of Dan's dimples appeared for a  moment. 

"Hey Phil!" Ducan was calling to me from further up the street, he'd obviously rushed ahead to show me something. " I think you'll like what's in this shop!" He shouted, gesturing to a window.   

I caught up to where he was standing, and admired the pale pink bricks of the store. There was a  slightly deeper shade of pink on a sign, decorated with white Japanese lettering that I  couldn't understand. 

I was expecting some amazing display in the window that Duncan was looking into, but there wasn't much expect what looked like soft beds for cats or dogs. There were perches for birds and things like that, and it didn't take a genius to figure out it was a pet shop. Why had he brought me here? 

"Come on, I'll take you inside," I caught him smirking, more at Dan then me, but I decided to follow him in anyway, it smelt surprisingly nice inside. It was all white and a pale, pale blue, with tiled floors. Duncan went up to the counter, and started talking to the lady. I had no idea what they were saying, so I absentmindedly wondered around the space inside. 

I peered inside cages on the shelves, mulled around the boxes and dog toys and still I was lost as to why Duncan was so keen to show me this place. Just as he called me over, I spotted it, a box full of things for- 

"Phil come on!" 

"Alright, alright." I followed him and the lady through a door in the back, and I think I know why I was brought here... I glanced to Dan behind me, brows furrowed and clearly as equally confused as I once was. He looked at me for answers. I didn't give them. 

I heard the gentle purring of cats and the low barks of dogs, the melodic chirping of the birds (and many more animals besides) and I admired them all. The back of the shop was huge, with rooms all for the different types of animals - to avoid arguing I expected. They were all well furnished and clean, I could see the pets were happy here, and cared for well. 

We came to a mint green door in the white hallway, and Ducan turned around once again to smile at me, and once again smirked at Dan. I knew perfectly well why I was here, and knew I was about to get myself into a bit of a mess, and that bear, well... Might not be too pleased with what's on the other side of the door.

It was pushed open and on the inside was loads of...

HAMSTERS! 

Yes! I was right! I saw all their cages and toys and food earlier in the main shop and I knew that Duncan had brought me here to deliberately mess with me. He also knew that Dan would not let us get a pet hamster, and suddenly the smirks and suppressed giggles all made sense.

I saw bears face drop in a comedic kind of horror, "No, no, no, no Phil!" 

I was handed a tiny little grey dwarf hamster, ash, and I awwwwhhed out loud. 

"Put it down Phil." 

"But Dan-" 

"We are not getting a hamster! How would we even get it back home?" 

Ducan began replying  for me:

"Actually there are plenty of ways you could..." 

Until Dan gave him a glare. 

It took all I had in me not to burst out laughing. 

"Now bear, no need to be moody," 

"Ugh, just put the hamster down and let's go." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"No." 

I could see him getting more agitated over time. 

"Just look at how cute he is!" I smiled at Dan, he was  incapable of smiling back, even though he had tried to maintain this whole poker face. 

"Phil stop being an idiot, you're still not getting a hamster." 

"Fine." I lowered him back into his cage, but I was going to be petty about this. 

Silent treatment.

No hugs, no nothing.

See how he likes it...