Name

After taking a shower, changing clothes, and picking up the basketball, Shōgo left the fencing hall.

The two ladies, Rina and Rei, had not yet come out. Well, girls tend to take their time when bathing.

Shōgo arrived at the lounge room beside the lobby, absentmindedly tossing the basketball. Sometimes the basketball would spin rapidly on his fingertips, creating a mesmerizing display.

After vigorous exercise, his whole body felt refreshed, and even his breath was deeper than usual. It was a satisfying sensation.

Soon, the two stunning ladies with still-damp hair emerged together, causing the nearby males to gawk.

Approaching them, Shōgo turned to Rei and said, "Sis Rei, just look at the way they're staring at you both, even more blatantly than at me, even more lecherously. So, you can't blame me in the future, my reactions are only normal."

The beautiful Rei remained silent, giving Shōgo a sidelong glance, and then she led Rina forward without paying any attention to Shōgo or the stunned gazes around her.

The scent of bath lotion wafted through the air, and Shōgo adjusted the basketball net on his back, following them with an excited skip.

In the cafe, each of the three had a cup of coffee. Rei enjoyed a rich mocha, Rina had coffee with milk, and Shōgo sipped on a Blue Mountain coffee.

The coffee shop was filled with the strong aroma of coffee, a scent that Shōgo particularly enjoyed. The two charming girls in front of him, one flipping through a magazine and the other jotting and drawing, seemed absorbed in their thoughts.

Shōgo, on the other hand, was idle, his gaze alternating between the two women, leisurely appreciating their beauty before him.

Shōgo quite liked this tranquil environment and felt at ease in it.

But the tranquility couldn't persist indefinitely; otherwise, the silence might slowly turn into an awkward silence.

After some thought, Shōgo broke the silence.

"Rina-chan, Coach Rei, what do you think we should name the puppy?"

"The puppy?" x2

"Yes, I found a stray puppy around noon and haven't given it a name yet. Rina-chan, Coach Rei, how about you come up with one?"

Rei contemplated in silence, not saying anything. However, Rina, who had been drawing and writing by the side, immediately closed her notebook and engaged in a detailed conversation with Shōgo.

"Shōgo-kun, how old is the puppy, and what color is it?"

"Its eyes have just opened recently, and they're grayish-white. Look, see my hair? It's quite similar to my hair color."

As Shōgo finished speaking, he suddenly froze. He finally understood the source of the familiar feeling and the reluctance to leave the puppy behind from earlier at noon.

What's the difference between that puppy and the young Shōgo who first arrived in this world? In a sense, both of them were wandering, essentially no different.

Holding the puppy, Shōgo saw a reflection of himself in it. This was why he impulsively brought the puppy home.

No wonder he had been puzzled about the source of the familiarity. He had even entertained suspicions of some supernatural force he didn't know about in this world.

Coach Rei, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, her words instantly stunning both Rina and Shōgo.

"Let's call it 'Little Shōgo'!"

"..."

"..."

Rina was speechless, unable to find words for the name.

Shōgo was also speechless and subconsciously looked down at his crotch. If the puppy was named "Little Shōgo," then what should the lower part of himself be called?

"No, that's not right. I am not a dog."

Shōgo immediately rejected the name and gave a meaningful look to Rei, catching a mischievous glint in her beautiful eyes. He immediately understood that she was deliberately teasing him.

My goodness, the usually serious Coach Rei also had moments of making these low-level jokes. Shōgo gained a renewed understanding of this sophisticated, alluring, and mature woman. He stared at her, trying to see through her.

At that moment, countless inappropriate images flashed through Shōgo's mind: ultra-short leather clothing, whips, candles, ropes...

After a while, the composed Rina finally spoke with a gentle smile towards Shōgo, "Shōgo-kun, it's better to just call it '.....' We're in a cafe after all, and that name suits it well."

"?"

"!"

Shōgo repeatedly muttered the name "....." and found it increasingly smooth.

[TL Note: I've decided to let you all decide the dog's name, the most liked comment will decide the puppy's name]

With a surge of emotion, he raised his coffee cup and saluted Rina as a gesture of celebration.

"Great, Rina-chan, you're amazing!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Shōgo-kun."

Rei, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, calmly observing the interaction between the young man and woman before her. A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but then she joined the celebration of the successful naming of the puppy.

The atmosphere became harmonious, and the three engaged in lively conversation. By 8 p.m., they had left the cafe together.

After seeing the two off, Shōgo checked the time and felt it was still early, so he headed to the supermarket.

On the second floor of a department store, he found a pet paradise and purchased a large dog bed. With the basketball switched to his other shoulder, Shōgo carried the box containing the dog bed onto the tram and headed home.

Back home, his mother sat on the sofa knitting, while his elder brother was already back, holding the puppy and examining it.

The puppy's fur was quite similar to both his and Shōgo's hair colors and his elder brother, taking a liking to it, immediately handed the puppy over.

Shōgo placed the puppy in the dog bed and positioned it in a corner of the staircase landing. This would be the puppy's new home.

The puppy displayed an unusual level of intelligence, and after Shōgo picked it up, it didn't bark or fuss, behaving remarkably docile.

"It's great. When no one's home, this little one can keep mother company."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking."

At noon, one of the reasons Shōgo decided to keep the puppy was so that it could provide some company for his mother. His elder brother was always busy with work, and Shōgo himself had school every day, followed by club activities, fencing, martial arts practice on weekends, and occasionally training with Daiki. As a result, he had very little time to spend with his mother.

With this puppy, at least his mother wouldn't feel as lonely.

"Oh, I've come up with a name for the puppy. Let's call it....."

"?"

"!"

"It's quite nice, and it flows well. Why not tell mother?"

"Sure!"

Holding the puppy, Shōgo sat on the sofa in the living room and approached his mother.

"Mother, we've decided to name it....."

"....., that's a lovely name!"

Looking at the white puppy with the loose collar around its neck and the blank tag hanging from it, Shōgo walked back to his room. He took out a pen and wrote the puppy's name, along with their address, on the tag.