Puppy

"Clang!"

The basketball was forcefully dunked into the hoop by Shōgo, and then he effortlessly landed on the ground, turning around and heading back to his half of the court.

Underneath the hoop, the players of Hanabikari High School were left with defeated looks on their faces, each one gazing at the departing blood-red figure with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

This was only the third quarter of the game, and the opponents were already ultimately defeated, lacking any fighting spirit. Shōgo quickly secured victory for the entire game.

As the whistle blew, the teammates in the resting area jumped up, embracing each other in excitement.

Back in the resting area, Shōgo accepted the bottle of pure water and the towel handed to him by Rina, wiping away his sweat.

Seeing the excited and expectant look on Rina's face, Shōgo hesitated for a second, took a sip of water, then picked up Rina and spun her around before setting the shy girl down.

The next step was to pack up amidst the excited discussions and head back.

After getting off the school bus, when it was time to part ways, Shōgo and Rina made plans again.

"Shōgo-kun, are you going to practice fencing in the afternoon?"

"At what time?"

"I made an appointment with Coach Rei at 3 o'clock."

"3 o'clock, alright, I'll be there on time."

"Okay, see you in the afternoon!"

"See you in the afternoon!"

Back home, it was almost noon. His mother had already started setting the table. After taking a shower, Shōgo sat down at the dining table.

Looking at the nutritious lunch spread on the table, Shōgo felt touched. His mother knew he had a basketball game today, so she had prepared a table full of his favorite dishes, ensuring a balanced nutritional intake.

"Thank you, Mother! I'm going to start eating!"

"Eat up, Shōgo-kun!"

After a hearty meal that left him feeling a bit full, Shōgo picked up a basketball and went for a walk in the park outside.

At 3 p.m., he had an appointment to practice fencing with Rina. It had been about three hours since he had last eaten, so the timing was perfect.

As he thought about this, Shōgo strolled towards the park while humming the tune of "The King's Orders Bring Me to Patrol the Mountain."

In the park, there were hardly any people around during the noon hours. Instead, there was a group of stray cats and dogs that nobody seemed to care for.

Continuing to walk down the shaded paths, Shōgo found himself on a lounge chair in a cool spot. He used the basketball as a pillow and reclined on the chair.

The midday breeze, the hot air, and the glaring sunlight all combined to make him feel drowsy. Shōgo drifted into a light sleep.

He didn't know how long he had been dozing off when a wet and slippery sensation on his hand that was hanging off the lounge chair woke him up. He sat up, lifting his wet left hand, and frowned as he looked down at his feet.

A small white and gray dog was lying by his feet, covered in dirt and mud, and it was still busy licking his shoes.

The dog was small, probably only a month or two old. From the looks of it, its eyes had only recently opened. It didn't have a collar, a tag, or any other marks indicating ownership.

The fur was predominantly white, but with a sickly gray mixed in, which gave off an unpleasant vibe at first glance.

Observing the dog's emaciated belly, it was clear that the poor thing was hungry and had ventured out to scavenge for food.

Shōgo picked up the grayish-white dog with one hand and looked at its annoying fur and its grayish eyes. It gave off a zombie-like feeling, and he placed the dog back on the ground. He then picked up the basketball and was about to leave.

After walking some distance, Shōgo unexpectedly turned around and retraced his steps. He picked up the dog and decided to take it home with him.

On the stairs leading to the villa's entrance, Shōgo looked at the dog, which was busy wolfing down food. He felt a strange sense of familiarity as if he had seen this before somewhere.

After a while, as if coming to a decision, Shōgo entered the villa and approached his mother, who was knitting.

"Mother, would you and brother mind having a dog in the house?"

"A dog?"

"Yes!"

"Shōgo-kun, are you planning to adopt that little stray dog?"

"Yes, mother. Would you and brother mind?"

"Not at all. It's nice to have another life in the house."

"Thank you, Mother!"

Subsequently, Shōgo carried the well-fed little stray dog into the bathroom and proceeded to bathe it multiple times.

After several thorough baths, the once filthy dog was finally clean, its silver-gray fur now devoid of stains and dirt. It no longer looked like a dirty stray but instead appeared much more pleasant.

Checking the time and finding that it was about right, Shōgo took the little dog to his mother.

"Mother, I'm going to the fencing hall this afternoon. Can you please take the little dog to get a rabies vaccine, as well as arrange for a dog tag and an adoption certificate?"

His gentle mother set aside her knitting and picked up the dog, gently patting its head.

The little gray dog obediently curled up, clearly enjoying the attention.

Seeing the well-behaved and docile behavior of the little dog, his mother smiled and said, "Shōgo-kun, you can go ahead. I'll take care of these things for you."

"Thank you, Mother!"

Carrying a basketball and his backpack, Shōgo felt an inexplicable sense of contentment as he left the house.

At the fencing hall, two graceful figures were engaged in a lively match on the training stage.

Having already donned his protective gear, Shōgo stood confidently by the edge of the stage, his gaze fixed on the two beautiful women before him. He brazenly allowed his eyes to trace the contours of their perfectly shaped, slender legs.

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"

Their figures, their appearance, their thighs, their outlines—the perfection.

Lost in his lewd thoughts, Shōgo's focus was interrupted as the match on the stage came to a halt.

"Shōgo-kun, you're here."

"Sly guy, your turn."

Well, there it was, one voice after another. One was tender and shy, the other stern and razor-sharp.

Shōgo reeled in his wandering thoughts, executed a somersault, and joined the stage.

Raising his fencing sword with a sense of righteousness, he proclaimed loudly to the beautiful Rei in front of him:

"In the face of a formidable opponent, I shall fearlessly stand my ground. I will be brave and loyal, unwavering in the face of danger. I shall be beyond reproach before God, unswervingly righteous in speech and action. I shall rather die than deceive."

"..."

"..."

"I vow to fight for the unarmed, to love unwaveringly, and to vanquish the female tyrant before me."

As the melodramatic Shōgo continued speaking, comparing himself to a female tyrant, the intelligent and mature Rei raised an eyebrow, clenched her teeth, and a blade of light gleamed.

Caught up in his chivalrous delusion, Shōgo was met with stern opposition, narrowly escaping a dire situation. Faced with the merciless strikes of the formidable female coach, he could only retreat step by step.

Meanwhile, Rina, standing on the sidelines, was already doubled over with laughter at Shōgo's over-the-top lines, her laughter echoing through the air.

And so, the story's final act unfolded with the overzealous knight charging valiantly into battle, his heart ablaze with righteousness. Alas, he was ultimately vanquished by the fierce female tyrant's relentless assault.

In the end, the moral of the story was clear: never underestimate a woman's power, for what she says is right, even when she's wrong.