Chapter – 43 …
“A Puppy Arrives”
In the afternoon, since the dog was supposed to arrive,
Ruri went out to Mitsuko’s house together with Taichi.
“Is a dog really coming today?
I want to see it, too!
You’ll come back here afterward, right?
Please show it to me!”
Midori’s eyes sparkled.
“I’m actually a dog person too, but for some reason my place ended up with two adorable rescue cats.”
Haruki also said he wanted to see the puppy and was looking forward to it.
Mitsuko’s house was a small detached home close to the company.
It belonged to her husband’s family, who had lived there for generations.
The first floor was a garage, so the living quarters were on the second and third floors.
“It’s tough for an elderly person to live here,
but maybe because of that, our legs stay strong,”
Mitsuko said as she opened the front door and went upstairs.
Ruri and the others had visited many times,
so they were completely familiar with the place.
“We’re coming in,”
they said as they climbed the stairs.
Even though it was the second floor and the houses were close together, sunlight came in, making the place bright.
“We’ve been waiting for you.”
Mitsuko’s husband, Tsuyoshi, got up from the sofa,
and the man and woman in their fifties who were with him also stood and bowed when they saw Ruri and the group.
Cape, delighted to see the guests increase, ran over and hugged them.
“You’re lively again today,”
Ruri said happily as she ruffled and petted the dog,
and the volunteers looked relieved and smiled.
“There were three puppies born this time,
and all of them were girls.
I believe you’ve already been told,
but their mother is a mixed-breed large dog,
so these puppies will grow big too.
That’s why we prefer someone used to large breeds.”
The woman took two puppies out of the crate and showed them.
“They’re so cute…
Rose will be here soon—my wife is bringing her,”
Tsuyoshi said just as,
“Excuse me,”
Yuko walked in.
The moment Rose arrived, Cape ran over,
and the two dogs happily chased each other in circles around the room.
“You’ll scare the babies,”
Mitsuko scolded gently, making them settle down.
“One puppy has already been adopted,
so only these two are left,”
the man said as he picked up the pair and set them in front of Ruri and Taichi.
“Their limbs are thick, and if they’re this big at two months,
they’ll definitely exceed thirty kilos,”
Ruri said as she stroked them.
“That’s why we haven’t found adopters easily.
Plenty of people say they want them,
but they’re first-timers or have various circumstances,
and we can’t hand them over lightly,”
the man explained.
“I live alone—will that be a problem?
I did speak with the president about taking responsibility if anything happens,”
Ruri said, glancing at Taichi and Yuko.
“I understand the lifespan of large breeds,
and for now, I have no issues managing one.
If that’s acceptable, I’d like to adopt her.”
Seeing Ruri speak,
the man replied,
“Mitsuko-san recommended you,
so we already feel reassured.
Hearing what you just said,
if you’re willing to take one, we’d be grateful.”
“All right,”
Ruri said with a smile as she looked at the puppy.
“Please choose the one who gets along best with Rose.”
As Ruri said that,
Rose, who had been sitting quietly beside Yuko,
slowly walked over.
“You’re going to have a little sister,”
Yuko said.
The black puppy approached Rose.
“Oh my, this one chose Rose,”
Yuko said,
and Taichi chuckled at the sight of the two pups leaning against each other.
“Then I’ll take this one home,”
Ruri said as she picked up the cream-colored puppy.
“She’s heavy—
she must be over six kilos already,”
Ruri said with a smile as she gazed lovingly at the pup.
