[Wahhhh! What’s that!]
[Look over there! Look at Reina!]
The kids at school started chattering about Haniel as they entered. But it wasn’t purely because of her either.
[Miss Black Swan…]
Haniel, who had been in the basket all this while looked up. She looked quite scared as her friends, who used to tease her every day, had all their attention on her right now.
“What’s wrong, do you feel uncomfortable?”
[No, it’s not that… The dog…] Haniel looked at the dog underneath. The dog maintained its posture so that the basket tied firmly to its back would not fall off.
Bark!
Seeing how the dog raised its neck deliberately, it must have quite liked the attention it was getting right now.
Selene started pecking at the dog’s paws as she sensed its feelings.
[Really? You could do this every day if it would make the princess feel better?]
Bark!
The dog barked loudly to express its atonement, but in turn, made Haniel’s schoolmates freeze on the spot. I picked up some of the ducklings that had been pushed onto the floor and explained to the crowd.
“Oh my, everyone must be quite surprised. He isn’t a bad dog, so please don’t worry.”
[B, but.]
“Isn’t that right, sweetie?” The dog lowered his paws realizing the situation as I called out to Haniel. She blinked as she got off, noticing the tense atmosphere. She seemed to be more surprised at her schoolmates crowding around her than the ‘dog that wouldn’t bite’.
[Reina, do you know him? Who is he?]
[Hmm?] Haniel felt scared at the friend who showed interest in her and looked back at me.
[Miss, Miss Black Swan.]
“You should introduce him to your friends.”
[Ahh, the doggy is…]
Whimper.
The dog seemed to understand that Haniel was introducing him, seeing how his ears pricked up and stretched out his front paws. Some ducklings were startled by him, making Haniel call out.
[It’s alright! He doesn’t bite!]
[Are you sure? Looks like it’ll bite though?]
[Y, yeah. He’s not a bad dog.] Haniel replied as she had her doubts about it being a good dog.
Haniel flushed as it was the first time having a conversation like that with her friends ever since she started attending school. She even walked before the dog whilst her tail feathers were lightly fluttering.
Step step step.
This time, she walked with confidence. Though it was just purely a demonstration, she had to pluck up the courage to do so.
[L, look! He doesn’t bite! Not at all!]
[Woahhh!] Haniel’s friends mimicked her and took three confident steps towards the dog, making the young one delighted. Haniel looked right back at me as she was at a loss of what to do, and I covered my mouth in response.
“Ah…” My goodness, to think I could see my princess smiling genuinely like this.
I heard from Selene that Haniel did not make any friends at school yet, so it was extremely touching to see their interaction.
[Reina, what’s its name?]
[N, name?] Haniel turned silent as she hadn’t thought that far. I crouched down to her level as she tugged on my dress’s hem and looked at me smiling brightly, asking for help.
“It should be a pretty name like my baby’s. What name would be good?”
[Uh…] What should we do about his name? To think a three-year-old’s worries had skyrocketed in an instant.
Haniel had started to tremble as she was surrounded by her friends and the panting dog’s rising expectations.
Hmm, did I give her too much to handle? I grabbed her hand, reassuring her.
“Don’t worry, the dog’s name…”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
[Oppa. Its name is just ‘Oppa’.] Haniel murmured in embarrassment, to which her friends who had been waiting eagerly burst out in laughter.
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[What kind of name is that? Why is its name ‘Oppa’?]
[Um…]
“The dog is reliable and handsome, that’s why. Isn’t that so?” I helped our shy Haniel explain to her friends. Kids are still kids, seeing how they agreed with the explanation.
I smiled as I watched Haniel unexpectedly become the center of attention, but my heart was already spinning.
“…Mm.” Just how frightened was Haniel of her biological brothers? It was heartbreaking to see Haniel name the dog as her brother, pinning her hopes on it.