'Where did it even meet these dogs?'
Takashi looked around at the pack of dogs surrounding him, his expression somewhat peculiar.
It was true that he had arranged to meet Kuro here at 8:30 on Friday, but he had no idea what its plan was.
Kuro had said everything was arranged and told him to just bring a wooden sword.
Takashi didn't understand why it wanted him to bring a wooden sword, but trusting in its intelligence, he complied.
And now, he arrived to find it under siege by dogs.
Given what he knew about his own dog, Takashi didn't need to guess—these dogs were definitely part of Kuro's setup.
If anything really went wrong, that border collie would've been the first to bolt.
Like hell it'd be dumb enough to get into real trouble.
It was sharp as a whip.
"Woof woof (That's my human. Don't bite him—just act fierce.)!" Kuro whimpered from within the warm arms of Miku, looking pitiful but in truth snitching in real-time.
Miku thought Kuro was seriously hurt and instinctively held it tighter. Her eyes were starting to glisten with tears—was she about to cry?
'Wait… did you even put on a facial cleanser first?'
Takashi glanced back and twitched the corner of his mouth.
This dog really didn't skimp on itself.
He hadn't even used facial cleanser before, yet this dog was out here pampering itself. Guess humans really were beneath dogs.
Takashi fought back the urge to toss the dog into a hot pot, exhaled slowly, gripped his bamboo sword, and readied himself.
The German Shepherds couldn't understand what he was saying, but they knew he was their target.
They just had to fake a fight, take a few hits, and then retreat. Each would get a can of food as payment.
For the canned food, they'd even let him hit a bit harder.
One German Shepherd bared its teeth and growled ferociously at Takashi before leaping toward him.
Takashi responded with a high stance and struck down fiercely, the bamboo sword landing squarely on the dog's head.
Though it had mentally prepared for a few hits, the sudden smack to the head made the German Shepherd's eyes go wide. It nearly passed out.
That one blow was enough to take it out of commission for now.
Takashi didn't even glance at it.
As a Chihuahua rushed in, he simply lifted his leg and kicked it away, then raised the wooden sword and launched into a wild flurry of slashes, sending the Huskies, Shar-Peis, and Shibas running for cover.
Among them, the Husky howls the loudest.
Though to be fair, Takashi hadn't even hit it much.
Once the German Shepherd regained its senses, it realized all its comrades had already fled without a second thought.
With how fast they ran, it didn't even feel like they were acting.
It barked at Takashi twice in protest, but when he raised the sword again, it tucked its tail and scampered off.
Takashi didn't bother chasing the scattered dogs. Instead, he turned and walked toward Miku, who was still holding Kuro.
It wasn't until now that he had time to really look at the girl.
Today, she wore a pale blue cardigan, a green pleated skirt, and black tights wrapping her legs.
Her figure was well-proportioned, her fair legs long and slender, and her waist looked like it could be held with just one hand.
She had long hair with bangs covering one eye, and a pair of Audio-Technica headphones around her neck.
The face was still that face—identical to Yotsuba—but Miku had a gloomier, more introverted vibe, with a bit of an otaku aura.
Origin: The Quintessential Quintuplets
Secret crush: Uesugi Fuutarou
Single, available for dating
Takashi didn't look at the system screen. Instead, he crouched down and said plainly, "Let me see."
Miku was shy and not good at social interaction.
Especially when it came to people like Takashi—bold, unrestrained, and practically radiating popular-kid energy—he was the natural enemy of an otaku like her.
But despite her discomfort, she didn't dare say no.
Because short-haired Takashi had a completely different aura from his long-haired self.
With the shorter hair, he seemed less scholarly and more wild and rugged—he looked exactly like a delinquent school tyrant.
With how he looked now, if you told her he hadn't bullied a few students, Miku wouldn't believe it.
When he raised his hand, Miku thought he was going to slap her and flinched.
Takashi took Kuro from her arms, moved to the side, and thoroughly checked it over. Just as he expected—no real injuries.
He gave the dog's head a light smack. "Get up."
What kind of person is this?!
Kuro was hurt, and he still hit it.
Miku pouted slightly in protest, but when Takashi's gaze swept over her, she immediately looked down.
Yup. Confirmed: total doormat energy.
Kuro, now tired from its dramatic performance, stood up and shook itself off.
"What kind of harebrained plan was this?" Takashi asked, grabbing the dog's ear with annoyance.
Kuro barked twice indignantly: "Woof woof woof!"
Do you even know how to talk?
Harebrained? Excuse me!
As the only dog with free access to the quintuplets' rooms, Kuro knew each girl's preferences by heart.
Nakano Miku? She liked Sengoku-era warlords!
Armed with that info, Kuro had devised this heroic rescue scenario. It could swear on its life—after tonight, Miku would be head over heels for his human.
She likes Sengoku warlords, huh…
Takashi took in the crucial bit of intel and fell into deep thought, wondering how to approach it.
When it came to Chinese warlords, Takashi knew quite a bit.
Guan Yu vs. Qin Qiong, Xiang Yu vs. the Five Tiger Generals, Zhang Liang outsmarting Guiguzi… name a webnovel author who hasn't written about them?
You could open a chapter and find helpful netizens breaking it all down—or just watch the flame wars in the comments section.
Sometimes, the comments were more exciting than the story itself.
So Takashi knew plenty about Chinese warlords. But Japanese ones? Not so much. Never cared, either.
Main reason: in Japan, a 170cm-tall Oda Nobunaga was dubbed a "towering giant."
One European missionary even wrote in his diary: "When I first saw Japanese cavalry, they looked like monkeys riding dogs."
Miku's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Takashi glanced sideways at her.
The moment their eyes met, she lowered her head, nervously fidgeting with her bangs like she was trying to hide behind them.
"Can I have the dog back? It's injured—I want to take it to the vet."
Takashi raised an eyebrow. "Give it back? Is it your dog?"
Miku bit her lip and instinctively gripped the hem of her black skirt. "Yes."
Takashi couldn't help but chuckle.
He suddenly stood up, walked right in front of Miku, and looked down at the tiny 159cm potato of a girl.
Miku shrank back in fear, but hit a wall—nowhere to retreat.
"If it's your dog, then where's mine?"
Takashi lightly kicked Kuro's butt, and the dog got the message. It immediately trotted over and affectionately rubbed its head against his foot.
"Let me introduce myself—Kitahara Takashi. Kuro's owner."
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