A/N : Yuuhu I'm back! My friend told me that I should not make any work with computer for a day, so I did it and now I feel better! So, sorry that I'm late with this update.

Still, my English exam only got 75. So pathetic. Not because I wasn't studying, because I got caught when giving my answer to my friend. Huft, perhaps if it wasn't, I would get 100 -.-"

Grrh, sorry for rambling. Here's the next ! Enjoy!

Chapter 22

Chiba

Just a day ago, Hikari found a little puppy near the school when she was on the way going home. She felt a bit sorry for the puppy, because it's somehow reminded her with Plotmon.

The puppy was shaking in fear, but Hikari kept saying that she would not hurt him. Later, Hikari carried the puppy carefully in her arm to her apartment.

Because she had no idea about what should she do first, she called Takeru for help.

"Hello. Takaishi is there!"

"Takeru!" Hikari called him excitedly. She could say that now he was pulling his face away from the phone.

"Ouch, such that loud. You seem very happy now, Hikari?" Takeru pointed out as he thought for a few possible answer.

"Of course! Are you free today? Please come to my apartment!" Hikari pleaded, and exclaimed happily when Takeru replied yes.

"So, who's his name?" it was Takeru's first question when he was told by Hikari about the puppy.

"I still don't know… I put him in my room and I've planned to give him a bath…" Hikari said as she walked toward her room. Takeru followed her, and smiled when he saw the puppy.

"He's still afraid to see human…" Hikari mumbled when she saw him moved backward slowly.

"Hey, don't worry. We're not going to kill you," Takeru grinned, and the way he said it sounded like the puppy would know what he say.

However, it worked well because the puppy didn't make any fight when Takeru lifted him and placed him over his shoulder.

"I think he will be nicer if he has a bath," Takeru commented, signaling to Hikari what he insisted to do.

"If you want, then let's do this," Hikari smiled widely, and happily opened the bathroom door. She then quickly filled the tub with warm water and gave it some soap flakes.

Takeru was having a bit trouble to hold the puppy because he was now crawling from Takeru's arm trying to get out.

"Hey hey, this isn't that bad," Takeru whispered, knowing what the puppy had in his head. Once again, it worked well because the puppy grew silent.

"Good boy!" Takeru then patted his head, and he barked slowly.

"The preparation is done Takeru!" Hikari called and showed him the tub.

"And now…" the duo human grinned to the puppy, who was now getting his fear again.

Takeru gently put him down, and patted his back before lift him again and put one of his feets to the tub. He did it to make the puppy knew the temperature. After a few try, he finally put him in the tub.

Takeru and Hikari knew well that it's pretty hard to bathe a pet, especially dog and cat. But, the sight was giving them a huge astonishment.

Here, the puppy was swimming in the tub happily, and he barked toward them as if he said he wanted them to join in.

Hikari glanced at Takeru, and she's going red when she had some thought inside.

"T-Takeru, you won't, right?" she asked nervously. Takeru raised his eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" he walked toward the tub and began to bathe the puppy. He somehow managed to find a brush, so he brushed the puppy's fur while rubbing another place.

Hikari watched them and smiled again. Sure, she had known well that Takeru was a father figure.

Wait… What?

Shooking her face in horror, she helped Takeru to clean the puppy with water.

"So, he looks good now," Takeru put a voice as he and Hikari watched the puppy running around the living room happily.

"Yeah, but I'm still confused with the name…" Hikari admitted slowly.

"Ehm… I have some in my mind, so maybe you can pick it up…" Takeru added, and Hikari focused to her hearing.

"Loppy?"

"No Takeru. He's male,"

"Hachi?"

"You're really got sucked with the movie,"

Takeru sighed, and spoke out the last name he had.

"Chiba,"

Hikari blinked her eyes.

"Chiba?" she murmured to herself while watching the puppy.

"I think Chiba is nice for him…" Hikari grinned, before looking at the blond to ask for permission with the name.

"Go with it. I think Chiba is good too for him," Takeru grinned too.

What they didn't realize, the puppy was watching them the whole time when finally they decided with Chiba.

Hikari knelt down and poked the puppy's nose.

"Your name is Chiba, kiddy!"

And with that, Chiba barked happily and jumped to Hikari's arm. Hikari laughed when Chiba snuggled closer, and Takeru couldn't help but smile at them.

When Hikari thought Takeru as a good father, Takeru could say that Hikari was really good in mothering another.

Gah, random writing again.

But still, I hope you like it.

For the next time, I'll have more time to fix the mistakes from chapters before. I didn't expect my writing is that worse of spelling and grammatical mistakes.

See you tomorrow!