Chapter 2

Originally, Leo was a small Maltese.

Now, he has grown to be much larger than me, and the teeth visible in his mouth looked sharp like fangs.

His face has become fierce, resembling a Japanese wolf.

...The cuteness he had when he was a Maltese is gone.

Leo is supposed to be a female, but he has become so handsome.

I’ve seen wolves in photos, and they were indeed handsome, regardless of gender.

"You've grown so much, huh."

"Woof?"

When I spoke to Leo, he tilted his head as if thinking.

There was something mysterious about him ever since I found him.

Malteses are often said to be smart, but Leo has always had some human-like gestures since he was a puppy.

Sometimes it seemed like he understood the words I spoke to him.

I’ve interacted with other dogs many times, but I’ve never seen one that seemed to understand me as much as Leo does.

"Still, haven’t you grown too much? I used to be able to pick you up, but now it looks like I could ride on your back."

"Woof! Woof woof!"

Leo turned his back to me as if to say, "Why don’t you get on?"

...I guess he really does understand my words.

"Well, I’ll ride you another time. For now, we need to figure out where we are."

"Woof"

Leo stood up and turned his face toward the forest, as if he understood my words.

I also got up from where I had been lying and stood up.

Come to think of it, the dizziness I had before I fell asleep is gone.

I don’t even remember falling asleep, but whatever.

More importantly, we need to figure out where we are.

...I’m probably going to be late for work today... I’ll get scolded again.

"Hmm, the trees are blocking the view. Let’s just start walking."

"Woof woof"

We started walking in a random direction.

Leo stayed close to me, but his large body didn’t seem to be hindered by the trees.

...He’s moving quite skillfully.

We walked through the forest for quite some time, but it didn’t seem to end.

The dim forest made it hard to keep track of time.

There’s a bit of light filtering through the trees, so it’s probably not night yet.

If this continues, we might end up stranded in the forest...

I don’t think I can go to work today.

"What should we do... I’m really thirsty... Is there a river around here?"

"Woof? Woof woof!"

Leo suddenly barked and started leading the way.

"What’s up, Leo? Should I follow you?"

"Woof!"

He seemed to nod in response to my words.

He definitely understands me...

...I don’t have any other options, so I’ll just follow him.

I hope he doesn’t start saying "Arf arf" or something.

I laughed at the joke and followed Leo.

His originally white fur now shone silver, and his sleek coat flowed in the wind as he walked, looking very handsome.

"Woof"

After walking for a while, Leo stopped and turned to me, barking once.

I heard the sound of flowing water coming from the direction Leo was in.

"Is that a river?"

"Woof"

I followed Leo as he started walking again, and we came to a clearing where the trees were less dense.

A clear and beautiful stream flowed there, and it was brighter than other areas because the trees were not as thick.

"I can see the sky. By the position of the sun, it’s probably around noon."

"Woof. Gulp gulp"

While I was looking at the sky, Leo ran and jumped into the river, drinking the water.

I was a bit worried if the water was safe to drink, but since Leo was drinking it enthusiastically, it should be fine.

I also approached the river.

Putting my hand into the flowing water felt refreshing.

"Hmm... gulp... gulp"

I must have been quite thirsty from walking through the forest, as I couldn’t get enough from just cupping my hands. I put my face into the river and drank greedily.

"Phew!"

I raised my face after drinking.

Washing my face with the cold river water felt great.

"Let’s take a break here."

"Woof"

I sat down near the stream to rest.

Leo also seemed satisfied and came out of the river, shaking off the water and sitting next to me.

"Woof"

Relaxed, he laid his head on my lap.

"...When he was small, he could sit on my lap, but now just his head is heavy. It’s heavier than before."

"Woof!? Woof!"

He let out a slightly discontented bark, as if protesting the comment about his weight.

Well, he’s still a girl, even if he looks like this. I shouldn’t have said he was heavy.

"Alright... What should we do now?"

"Woof?"

I looked up at the sky, thinking.

I don’t know when I ended up in this unknown forest.

I tried walking to get out, but I haven’t been able to.

If this continues, we might end up stranded.

Thanks to Leo, we found a river, so we won’t run out of water, but I’m worried about food.

I’m not very knowledgeable about wild plants, so it would be dangerous to just pick and eat them.

I haven’t seen any fruit on the trees we’ve passed, so I can’t rely on that either.

"...What should we do?"

I don’t really have any survival skills.

I’m more of an indoor person.

I’ve only been camping during school events.

I’ve never been very interested in serious outdoor activities, and since I started working, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the time for such things.

"Ah... But the air here is so fresh."

"Woof"

I took a deep breath, hearing Leo’s response.

The air here, near the river and surrounded by trees, is completely different from the city.

If I didn’t have to worry about getting out of the forest, I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time...

When I was in school, I worked part-time to pay for my living expenses.

After I started working, I only had a day off every few months.

I usually came home late due to overtime, so even when I had a day off, I mostly spent it sleeping to recover.

This might be the first time I’ve relaxed in nature like this...

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