"What a pity..."
Kyle muttered to himself as he walked along the riverside. The royalties wouldn't come in until next month, which meant he was still flat broke.
All the cash the original owner of this body had was spent on rent and art supplies. He'd already gone over ten days without a proper meal. If the landlady's daughter hadn't kindly given him five loaves of bread a while ago, he probably would've starved to death by now.
He sighed. He'd come here today with the intention of walking slowly back home anyway. Might as well starve along the way.
Just then, a commotion nearby snapped him out of his thoughts.
"A puppy fell into the river!"
"Poor little thing!"
"Can anyone swim? Help it!"
"Are you crazy? Jumping into a river with this current for a dog?"
A crowd had formed at the riverbank. People were pointing and murmuring, but no one was doing anything.
Kyle blinked, then suddenly his eyes lit up.
"I'm coming!" he shouted, and without hesitation, charged into the crowd.
Startled, the bystanders quickly made way as he sprinted through, and to their complete shock, Kyle dove straight into the cold, fast moving river, clothes, shoes, and all.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"He jumped in just like that?"
"Didn't even take off his shoes..."
"He's... really doing it!"
Some of the people in the crowd looked genuinely moved, watching him with awe.
But then.
"Wait... he didn't even check where the puppy was!"
"Is he gonna be okay?"
"The current's strong today…"
Among them, a calm, commanding voice rang out.
"He's in danger," said a girl named Rachael, eyes narrowing. "We need to help."
"But how?" another girl asked, worried.
"Find a stick. We'll pull him up from the riverbank."
Meanwhile, in the water, Kyle forced his eyes open against the sting of the murky current. Visibility was awful. Everything was a blur of greenish brown. But, he caught a glimpse of something yellowish, drifting about twenty or thirty meters ahead.
That had to be it.
He took a deep breath, broke through the surface, and spotted the puppy, a tiny orange furball, not even four months old, paddling desperately to stay afloat.
"Found you."
With a determined stroke, Kyle swam toward the puppy and reached out to grab it. Startled, the little dog bared its teeth and opened its mouth, ready to bite.
Kyle's heart skipped a beat.
Wait... if it bites me and it has rabies, I could die.
Rabies had a high mortality rate, didn't it?
But just as quickly as the thought crossed his mind, the puppy froze, then gently bit down on his arm, not in aggression, but in fear.
Its teeth barely grazed his skin.
Kyle sighed in relief. So close.
He pulled the puppy close to his chest and turned to swim back. Well, time to save this little thing. Then I'll go back home.
He pushed toward the bank, holding the puppy tightly. Once he got close enough, he'd toss it ashore.
That was the plan.
When he reached the edge, a group of young women were already waiting. All of them looked to be in their early twenties, vibrant, beautiful, full of life.
One of them, Rachael, stepped forward, holding out a slender branch.
"Here! Grab on!"
Kyle blinked.
He held up the puppy instead.
"Save the puppy first."
Qianli hesitated but took the shivering pup from his arms. Kyle gave a satisfied nod.
Mission complete.
Then he felt his leg cramp.
"No! He's not moving!"
"He's sinking! Help!"
"He saved the puppy, someone save him!"
Panic broke out among the crowd. Rachael's eyes widened as she stretched out her stick further, trying to reach him.
"Grab the branch!" she shouted. "Come on!"
But Kyle couldn't reach it and kept drifting downward, the water current pulling him in.
SPLASH.
A cry rang out.
"Ah! Rachael fell in!"
"She slipped!"
"Somebody help!"
"Call for help!"
Chaos erupted. The people shouted for help, but no one nearby dared jump in.
Kyle opened his eyes underwater again, blinking as the cold cut into his skin. He saw the girl, Rachael, splashing and flailing in the water.
You've got to be kidding me, he got a cramp and she had fallen in trying to save him.
Now she was going to drown, because of him.
And she was beautiful too. Just like his editor, Ayumi.
What a waste it would be if she died.
Kyle sighed underwater and grit his teeth. Fine.
With a powerful kick, he swam toward her, ignoring the pain in his legs, pulled her close, and dragged her toward the shore.
Thud!
Kyle hauled himself onto the riverbank, half-dragging, half-carrying the girl.
Rachael coughed up water, sputtering. She looked up, dazed.
"Didn't you... drown?" she asked, eyes wide.
Kyle grinned and set her down gently.
"Close call. But you gave me strength, and you're safe now that's what matters."
He looked down at her soaked form. She was beautiful. Great figure too.
It would've been a shame to let someone like that die.
"Thank you…" Rachael whispered, still breathless.
"Rachael!" The other girls rushed over with worried faces and the puppy wrapped in a towel.
"I'm okay... Don't worry." Rachael gave them a small smile.
Kyle stood up, brushing his dripping sleeves off.
Maybe today wasn't such a bad day after all.
"Rachael, you're soaked! Go change your clothes quickly," one of the girls said with concern.
Rachael looked down at herself. It was already autumn, and she hadn't worn much, just a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans.
Now, her clothes clung tightly to her skin, outlining her graceful figure. Fortunately, they weren't transparent, or that would've been even more embarrassing.
"I'm glad you're alright, and thanks for helping me" Kyle said as he turned to leave. "Since everything's fine now, I'll be going."
"Wait a second…" Rachael stepped in front of him, stopping him before he could walk away.
"Huh? Is something wrong?" Kyle blinked, looking innocent.
Was she going to ask him to pay compensation? That fall into the river was technically his fault… but honestly, he didn't have a single cent to his name. He couldn't even buy himself bread, let alone pay damages.
Rachael took the rescued puppy from her friend and held it in her arms. "Umm… You saved it. Have you thought about adopting it?"
Kyle stared at her blankly. "Wait… is there a law in Lagios now that says you have to adopt something just because you saved it?"
Rachael blushed. His words reminded her that she, too, had been saved by him.
"N-no, of course not," she said, flustered. "It's just… it's so small and pitiful. If no one takes care of it, it might get sick. And it probably needs to see a vet."
She hesitated before continuing, "Honestly, I'd love to take it in myself. But we're students at Lagios University of Technology, and pets aren't allowed in the dorms."
"I get it…" Kyle scratched his head awkwardly. "But, truth be told, I really can't take care of it either. I'm unemployed, barely getting by, and I haven't had a proper meal in days. I can't afford dog food or vet bills. The best I can do is give it an old blanket to sleep on."
His expression was serious. He truly meant it, if he couldn't even feed himself, how could he raise a dog? That'd just be irresponsible.
"Oh… I see," Rachael said thoughtfully. Then her expression brightened. "In that case, I'll take care of the expenses! I'll buy the food and pay the vet bills. You just have to give it a home and take care of it. Think of it as me adopting it… through you."
Kyle froze. The puppy in his arms wagged its tail excitedly, as if it understood and approved of the deal.
"Uh… are you sure?" he asked, still unsure whether this was some elaborate prank.
"Yes, please," she said sincerely, handing him the puppy.
"…Alright then." Kyle accepted the little fluffball.
"By the way, I'm Rachael Jules. And you are?" she asked.
"Kyle Floyd."
"We haven't named the puppy yet," one of the other girls chimed in. "Rachael, why don't you give it a name?"
Rachael shook her head and looked at Kyle. "You're the one who saved it and will take care of it. You should name it."
Kyle thought for a moment, then said, "How about… Pochita?"
"Woof!" The puppy barked happily, tail wagging in full swing.
"…Pochita? That's such a weird name," one girl muttered.
But no one objected.
"Alright, let's take Pochita to the vet, buy food, and get some supplies," Rachael suggested.
"But Rachael, you're soaking wet…" another girl said hesitantly.
"I'll stop by the mall and grab some clothes. Kyle, you're soaked too, why don't we go together?"
Kyle blinked. This beautiful girl was cool, rich, and generous. Was she the daughter of a rich family or something?
Seeing him dazed, Rachael asked again, "Kyle? Are you okay with that?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Kyle quickly snapped back to reality and gave a polite smile. Free clothes paid with someone else money. He'd follow her to the ends of the earth.
If he had to become her dog to live this kind of life, he might seriously consider it.
So, Kyle followed Rachael and her group to a nearby mall, where they bought new clothes, visited a pet clinic, got vaccinations for Pochita, stocked up on food, and even bought a cozy dog bed and leash.
And on top of all that, Rachael bought him a meal.
She really was the best.
By the time they finished, it was late afternoon.
"It's getting late. We should head back to school," Rachael said.
"Thank you for everything today, Rachael!" Kyle said as he carried all the bags.
But then she looked at Pochita and said, "Actually… I'd like to visit your place so I can drop by and check on Pochita from time to time."
The puppy licked her hand affectionately, and she smiled gently.
"No problem at all!" Kyle replied eagerly. After all the food and generosity showed, how could he say no?
She turned to her friends. "You all go ahead. I'll go with Kyle to his place."
"Alright then," the girls said, not seeing anything odd in it.
Kyle and Rachael parted ways with her friends and walked together to his small rental apartment with Pochita in tow.
The landlord blinked in surprise when he saw the young man return with a stunning girl and a dog in his arms.
"Kyle… is this your friend?" he asked.
"Yes, Donga! Also, Pochita will be living with me from now on. Is it okay to keep a dog here?"
The landlord eyed the pup, then nodded. "As long as it doesn't bark all night or bite anyone, it's fine."
"Don't worry. Pochita's a good boy," Kyle said confidently.
"Woof!" the puppy barked right on cue.
"Well, I'll be. It really is smart," the landlord laughed.
After greeting the landlord, Kyle led Rachael into his modest apartment.
"Kyle… you live here?" she asked curiously.
1858 Words.