Chapter 10

I Got Found Out

Uhm, uhh, just how should I answer this.

As I repeatedly tried to open my mouth, I gave my all to think of an answer.

I got found out.

He found out that I could understand human language. (TN: I never knew you were hiding it in the first place.)

Well, yeah, he’d find out, huh. I wasn’t really hiding it in the first place. (TN: See?)

Rather, are dogs in this world supposed to not understand human speech?Am I the strange one?

Hmm, just which answer is the correct one?

While I was deeply thinking on how to answer, Alex took a small breath. (TN: Gasp* maybe?)

[Chibi.]

His eyes turned a bit stern when he looked at me.

[Answer me honestly.]

…Gulp..

I swallowed the things I was about to say* and nodded repeatedly.

Alex placed his hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes.

[As I thought, huh.]

Uhmm, as I thought, am I wierd? Are the dogs around here unable to understand human speech at all?

Somehow, I’m getting really unsettled.

[I can’t find any trace of being a demon, but…]

Alex talks to himself.

[You’re just an ordinary dog, aren’t you?] (TN: Please ask again after meeting at least a hundred dogs like him… then maybe..)

Un. I do think I’m a dog. Aren’t I?

I nodded my head and then tilted it, and Alex who’s looking at me started laughing.

[Well, it’s fine. Wait a bit.]

As he said, Alex brought small pieces of paper and he started writing strange characters on them one by one. About 30 small pieces of cards were done.Alex puts them on the floor.

[Where did you come from? Can you answer using these papers?]

For the meantime, I looked at the papers placed on the floor. The characters written are definitely not j.a.panese nor english characters. I can only see them as wierd lines and curves.

There’s no way I’d understand this.

I laid down on top of the card in front of me.

Alex once again placed his hand on his chin as a sign that he’s thinking.

[…You can unerstand the speech, but not the letters, huh.]

Yep, that’s right. I rapidly nodded my head.

[Well, of course. Now that I think of it, you’re a dog, after all. My bad.]

Alex picked me up and placed me on his knees, then repeatedly stroked my head.

[Yosh, Chibi, I’ll teach you how to read the letters. I will teach you.]

Fuehh?

I was utterly shocked.

It’s not that I’m bragging, but I hate studying. My performance back at school wasn’t so good. My english was especially bad. (TN: Everything he said aside from english is just like me. heh..)

Even though I thought I was lucky to have turned into a dog because I don’t need to study!

[Oi, don’t make such a dissatisfied face. You, don’t you have something you want to tell me? You won’t be able to express what you want to say with just yes and no, you know?]

Those words. .h.i.t at me like an uppercut. (TN: I just made the “uppercut” part.)

I wonder what kind of face I’m wearing right now. Why is Alex able to tell what expression the dog me is making?

[Then, let’s start with these letters, alright?]

Alex started teaching me about those letters while still on top of his knees.

I just noticed it recently but, I shouldn’t have been able to understand this world’s language. How should I say it, it’s like I’m reading the air or something. That’s why when Tess said meat a while ago in a different word, it sounds really different, I just felt that it somehow meant meat in j.a.panese.

In other words, I do not understand this world’s language. Telling a person to remember the words composed of unfamiliar letters is like telling a person to learn a different language from scratch.

It’s impossible.

[Hey, hey, don’t sleep, Chibi.]

Alex started poking my head with his fingers annoyingly.

Uu.

I think these cards are giving me the same hypnotic effect as books. (TN: I understand what you’re going through.)

[Chi~bi, just for whose sake do you think I’m doing this for?]

Yes sir, it’s for my sake.

…That’s right. I, I still have to take my body back from Ferdinand’s place, huh. It’s impossible to do it by myself, I will need Alex’s help. For that sake, I must be able to communicate with Alex at will.

…But I don’t think I can, after all.

I’m, so, sleepy~.

I cramped myself on Alex’s thighs and went to sleep.

From the top of my head I could hear Alex ‘s exhilarating sigh.

Will he wake me up, I wondered, but he didn’t force me to. Instead, he touched my ears as a form of harra.s.sment. He was teasing them with hs fingers.

Shtop it..

While sleep talking, I scratched my ears repeatedly with my hindlegs. Then I pushed my cheek on Alex’s thighs. Alex’s thighs are firm and gives a sense of stability.

When I perk my ears up repeatedly, I could herar a “Kukuku” small laugh from above my head.

Alex pats the top of my body as if to cuddle me.

Ah, that feels good. Do it more

By the way, I’ve been called Chibi since before, is that name already set?

Somehow, I’ve got this really wierd feeling as if I was deliberately named like so, am I just imagining it? (TN: Of course, it’s just your imagination. It’s not like you’re small or anything. :’D)