[ ah, it certainly warms nobori's heart to see firsthand how all those tireless efforts have rendered his attention and touch a source of happiness and comfort alike for junpei. it'd brought him great sadness to see a bovine specimen brimming with an untapped potential so burned by human contact that approaching hands had brought him nothing but fear and dread.

now, though? the enthusiasm, the willingness, is like night and day. nobori rewards him accordingly with a soft touch to junpei's cheek, briefly cradling it in his palm. he's been warmed by the sunlight. ]

It would seem our efforts are bearing fruit. Bravo, indeed...

[ while he speaks, he allows his hand to trail along the side of junpei's neck, then down to the curve of his waist. with a sound of approval, his other hand settles on junpei's other side; nobori takes his time with applying pressure to the skin over junpei's ribcage interspersed with gentle squeezes. every day, it becomes a little bit harder to count his ribs by hand, which is exactly what they're seeking to accomplish.

he pauses there, very deliberately not closing the distance between his hands and the chest area. of course, for cows, checking on their chest is what first comes to mind. and that is very much a logical line of thought, but he's learned through experience that gradually building up to touching such a sensitive (and sometimes tender) area equates to better handling. ]

We shall weigh you later, of course, but I am feeling quite optimistic with the adjustments to your diet.

[ splaying one hand on junpei's stomach, he lets his fingers dig into the new, soft layer of fat for emphasis. the fact that there's enough here to lightly squeeze is proof of how far they've come. ]

Thus far, is it to your liking? If you desire any changes, please do not hesitate to inform me.