The next few days passed in a blur of playing with the children, exploring the town, and searching for his owner.
Kai was grateful for the safety and warmth of the orphanage, and the children welcomed him with open arms.
Although at first, the staff wanted to keep Kai off the property, they eventually accepted him due to his friendly demeanour.
He began to sleep within the building's fences, and the staff allowed him to stay as long as he was well-behaved.
For those days, he would wander around the village, sniffing the pathways and looking for his owner.
However, no matter how much he looked and wandered around, he could not find any signs of her.
'Ren...'
Kai was disheartened as he walked down the dirt track of the village, making his way back to the orphanage.
"Mommy look! Big doggy is walking around again!" A little boy said excitedly as he pointed at Kai.
"Oh my, hello stray."
The mother, who was holding a basket, and her young son were standing in front of their house.
It seems like they were in the middle of doing some chores.
At first, the adult residents of the village didn't like Kai and would ignore or shun him if he came near.
However, the villagers strangely came to like Kai more and more as he continued to hang around.
He was an unusual stray dog that never tried to steal food or sneak into people's homes.
"Thank you again for chasing away those goblins, stray." The mother smiled as she patted Kai.
Although it was uncommon, there were times that little ugly green people in rags would sneak into the village to try and steal food.
There were guards who protected the village daily. Former adventurers who were no strangers to combat.
But with only two or three active guards at a time, there was only so much they could do.
So when the villagers saw Kai chase away the green pests the other day, their opinion of him changed even more.
Kai didn't know what the goblins were, he simply barked and chased them because he was curious.
He was never trained to be a guard dog, so the things he did were simply him having fun.
Even so, it didn't change the fact that he helped, so he soon gained the love of the residents.
"Mum, can I play with the dog?" The boy asked eagerly.
"No, you haven't finished your chores yet dear." She responded adamantly.
The boy huffed in disappointment as he went back into his house.
The mother reached into her basket and took out a tiny piece of bread.
She then threw it toward Kai who jumped up and happily caught it with his mouth.
He chewed the bread quickly and swallowed it with joy.
"Have a good day stray~" She said as she smiled, turning around and walking into the house.
Seeing that they had left, Kai continued his way back to the orphanage, this time in a better mood.
He padded along the dirt pathways and turned the corner.
The orphanage was in sight.
However, as soon as he got close, Kai was able to hear some shouting within the fences.
One voice was Chloe and the other was Marie, the orphanage supervisor.
"Why can't Fluffy live inside the building with us, he's our family too!"
"No, that stray is a dog. He needs to stay outside. Letting him sleep within the fence was enough."
"I want him inside with us!"
Chloe constantly shouted and begged, but Marie seemed to be adamant about the topic.
"I hate you, Marie!" Chloe cried angrily as she opened the fence and ran out.
Oblivious to the situation, Kai chased after her, wagging his tail.
"Chloe wait!" The other staff of the orphanage called out.
"How troublesome that girl is..." Marie said tiredly as she rubbed her forehead.
Half an hour later, Chloe and Kai were walking toward the local river.
As they approached the water, Chloe collapsed onto the grassy bank, tears streaming down her face.
'Fluffy sad?'
Kai whined softly and nuzzled his head against her arm. She reached out and stroked his soft fur, grateful for his company.
"You're such a good boy," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I wish I could understand you like you understand me."
Kai wagged his tail in response, and Chloe smiled weakly.
Soon, Chloe sat there absent-mindedly, not talking to Kai anymore. It was as if she was thinking about something deeply.
She curled up her arms and legs and hid her face.
Kai, however, still wanted attention.
Kai continued to stare at Chloe, hoping to get a reaction from her.
He paced around her, licked her now and then, barking.
He circled her like a shark, but for some reason, he never got a reaction.
Suddenly, as if she were an angry gremlin, Chloe uncurled and lunged toward Kai!
She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him down on the grass as she pushed her face into his fur.
'Stuck! Help!'
Kai struggled to try and get out, but it was futile.
It was as if he was caught by a steel trap.
However, his struggle stopped as he began to feel some moisture through his fur.
"I wasn't always a part of that orphanage" Chloe spoke suddenly.
Although she hugged him like a pillow from behind, he could still hear it.
The sobbing of her breath, and the sniffing from her nose.
Kai did not know the source of her sadness, nor did he know how to find it.
But he did know that he had to stay quiet.
Dogs are sensitive to human emotion, Kai of course was no exception.
"I had another dog, not a stray dog but a pet dog," she said. "His name was Max. He was my best friend in the whole world."
She hugged him slightly tighter.
"Mum, Dad, and Max." she squeezed out from her mouth.
"It was so sudden. I remember crying. I remember seeing the neighbours bury them in graves." She continued. "And before I knew it, I was in the village orphanage."
Kai continued to listen patiently as he stared at the sky.
"Mum and Dad would take me to this river every week; it was their favourite place. But now they're gone."
Chloe took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her grief settle heavily on her chest. "I miss them so much," she whispered. "If only I had stuck close to them. Maybe we would still be together..."
Slowly, she released Kai from her iron grab.
They both sat up.
Kai rested his head on her lap, looking up at her with his big black eyes.
Chloe stroked his fur absentmindedly, lost in thought.
The mood was sad.
He understood that.
Kai didn't understand what she had said, nor did he understand what happened.
But one thing he did understand was sadness.
The sadness of not being able to see your loved ones.
Something that made you feel hollow from within.
It didn't feel nice.
Suddenly, Kai jumped up and bounded toward the water.
He barked excitedly and ran back to Chloe, splashing water all over her.
"Fluffy, what are you doing?" she laughed, surprised by the dog's sudden energy.
Well, if you feel sad, doing something else can help.
'Play!'
Kai wagged his tail and barked again, inviting Chloe to join him in the river.
She hesitated at first but then decided to go for it.
She kicked off her shoes and waded into the water, laughing as Kai splashed around her.
For a few moments, Chloe forgot about her troubles and enjoyed the simple pleasure of playing with her furry friend.
Kai chased after sticks she threw and barked happily, his tail wagging furiously.
As they played, Chloe felt a sense of peace wash over her.
She looked down at Kai and smiled, feeling grateful for his companionship.
"Thank you, Fluffy," she said excitedly. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
She showed a bright smile.
Kai barked again as if he understood exactly what she was saying.
Chloe hugged him tightly.
As the sun began to set, Chloe and Kai made their way back to the orphanage.
Chloe felt nervous about facing Marie again, but she knew that she had the strength to handle whatever came her way.
As they walked, as if trying to distract herself from the nervousness, Chloe talked to Kai about her plans for the future.
She dreamed of leaving the orphanage and making a life for herself.
She dreamed of having her own family.
Her own house and land.
Maybe even finding herself another dog.
Of course, Kai didn't understand a word she said.
Nonetheless, Kai listened intently, his tail wagging in encouragement.
When they reached the orphanage, Marie was waiting for them outside.
Chloe steeled herself for another argument, but to her surprise, the woman simply stood there.
Chloe and Kai stopped in front of Marie.
Chloe expected a scolding, but it never came.
Marie just stared at her, as if she was waiting for something.
Gathering the courage, Chloe spoke up.
"S-Sorry Marie. I won't do it again." She said as she lowered her head sheepishly.
After a brief moment, a helpless smile crept up on Marie's face.
The tense atmosphere disappeared as Marie patted Chloe's head.
"As long as you're fine. Don't get angry over something so childish next time, okay?"
"…okay." She replied as she hung her head before moving in for a hug, which Marie embraced.
A few moments went by as the two stood by the entrance hugging in silence.
That silence was broken as Marie suddenly spoke.
"…Stray can come inside. I'll allow it."
Hearing this, Chloe's head suddenly perked up in surprise and joy.
"R-Really?!"
"On one condition, the dog stays off the bed sheets."
"Thank you, Marie!"
"Good girl."
Marie spoke gently as she fixed Chloe's hair, brushing the dirt away from it. "You were playing in the river, weren't you?"
Hearing this, Chloe blushed in embarrassment.
"Fluffy told me to do it..." She said as she shamelessly pointed at the clueless dog.
In response, Kai simply woofed and tilted his head.
"...Let's get you cleaned up. Dinner will be soon." Marie replied as she looked at Kai, holding in the urge to laugh.