Hog Lover
It was a sunny day, and I'd put the Journey on hold to get some rest.
Hey there, Captain!
...A bunch of burly guys suddenly barged into the quarters.
What brings you all here?
Boss is out there on the Journey. We couldn't just sit around.
So we came to invite her for a ride.
Nothing beats a wide-open ride on a day like this to shake off stress and fatigue.
They may look rough, but they're decent guys at heart...
Thank you, Captain!
Oh. You should come ride with us too, Captain.
That legendary tale about you tearing through the city on a Kabanos was epic.
It's not what it sounds like.
I rushed out and headed for Dave's pen...
Hello, Captain.
I heard you had the day off. Is something wrong?
I'm looking for Harley.
I thought she'd be here.
Ah, yes. She usually comes out here daily, but lately she's been scarce.
The maid's eyes turned toward Dave's pen.
It was completely empty.
I haven't heard anything else. She's probably in her room.
Got it. Thanks.
Dave's not here, but Harley is in her room...?
I guess I'll have to hear from her directly what's going on.
Huh? Who—
Mm? C-Captain?! Aren't you off today?
Uh... Hold on a sec!
The moment Harley shut the door, a massive racket exploded from inside.
Sorry, had to clear a spot to sit.
Come on in.
This was my first time inside Harley's room.
Books about hogs, riding gear, and... plush hog dolls?
Plushies?
N-nope, you're seeing things, Captain.
Be real. Does it make any sense for a real man like me to have plushies lying around?
She looked ready to ram me with a hog if I said otherwise...
Ahem. Stop gawking and say what you came here to say.
It's not like you're some kid visiting a friend's house for the first time.
I was curious how you spend your time alone.
Nngh...
Well, what you see is what you get. I'm rough on gear when I ride, so I keep spares around.
The books? They're just for show.
But the thick manuals were clearly well-worn.
Anyway, what did you want to talk about?
Your gang was looking for you.
They invited you on a ride.
A ride?
Those idiots... They picked the worst time...
Well, yeah... Riding's always fun.
Rain or snow, even if meteors are falling...
Let's not go that far.
It's just a figure of speech.
Coming from her, it actually sounded serious.
Timing's bad. I'm not up for riding today.
I'll tell them myself that I can't go.
Is it because of Dave?
...So you checked the pen.
*Sigh* It's just...
Dave's been acting strange lately.
He disappears out of nowhere, then shows up days later like nothing happened.
He won't tell me where he goes or why.
Doesn't sound like a fight, though.
Exactly. That would never happen.
He's like family to me.
Family?
Yeah. I raised Dave from when he was a baby, bottle and all.
When I first found him, he lost his parents and was all alone.
My first ride on a bike hog was with Dave.
You two have been riding together a long time.
Yeah. Back then I was just a kid, and it was kind of rough.
Especially because some adults hated bike hogs for no reason.
I had to hide him deep in the forest and sneak food to him.
But...
These days, I keep wondering if he's changed his mind about me.
Claire says a bike hog only lets someone ride if they accept them.
What Harley was worried about was...
You're afraid Dave doesn't want to ride with you anymore?
Yeah. Something like that...
Sorry I didn't say anything sooner, Captain.
I thought it'd get resolved quickly.
It's all right.
I'm sure he has his reasons.
Yeah, maybe.
If he ever asks for my help again...
I'm kicking his butt, I swear.
And just like that, the ride was postponed due to Harley not being up for it...