Ready, Shibao? Catch!

Woof!

Wow, you really caught it!
Good boy, Shibao!

You too, Samo! Nice catch...

Woof!

D-Down, Samo!
I know you want a hug! But you're so heavy!

...

(I was wondering what he meant by “more interesting”... They're just having me watch while they toss discs around with their dogs.)

(I'm less comfortable with this, but it doesn't look too hard...)

Alright, Shinonome, why don't we also get started.

I'll be throwing the disc.
You watch what Max does, as you have been.

Okay.

Also, for this exercise, I'll need you to stand right next to me. Do you think you can do that?

Huh? Okay.

Sorry, Kamishiro.
I wish I could throw for Max...

That's okay. You're injured, and seeing how Max behaves should help me come up with some upgrades for Robo-Dog.

So, Max... Go!

Woof!

...

Ah, nice catch!

Nice one, Max!

(Alright, just watching isn't really an issue...)

(And I feel a bit better knowing Max has a kind personality...)

Okay, Max, come on back!

Pant...! Pant...! Pant...!

...!!

(Again...)

(It's not like Max is gonna bite me or anything... But I can't stop myself from flinching...!)

Looks like we still have some work to do...

...

I was hoping that you'd feel more comfortable around Max after getting to understand who he is better...

But the sight of a dog charging towards you seems to be at the core of this fear of yours.

Which means no amount of reasoning is going to help. You just need to get used to being in this situation...

Through time and repetition.

How much time...?

I can't say for sure since I'm no expert in this matter.

However, I've heard that it takes quite a long time to overcome such past trauma...

I don't have that long...
The competition's tomorrow...

Shinonome...

(But I don't have time to think of another solution either. If brute force and repetition is my only chance, then I've gotta use this time to get over this...)

Oh no!
Shinonome, everyone, I'm sorry!

Huh?

I didn't mean to throw my disc towards you...!

What...?!

Woof! Woof!

No...!
Samo's running right towards us!

...!

The disc's going to hit Shinonome!

Shinonome, duck!

Duck...?

(A dog's coming this way... My body's frozen up.)

Gh...!

Woof!

Huh?!

...?

(Wait... Nothing happened...?)

Look...!

Max stepped in front of you, Shinonome...

What...?

Is this his way of protecting you...?

Is that true...?

Woof...

...

You really are a nice guy, huh...?

I-I'm so sorry, Shinonome...!
It's all my fault for throwing the disc towards you...

*Whimper*

No, that's okay.

Max saved me in the nick of time...

Thanks, buddy...

(Max is completely different from the dog that chased me around. He's willing to run towards danger to save someone...)

Ishihara, mind if I tried petting Max again...?

What...? Yeah, sure...!

You can do it, Shinonome...!

(Start by letting him sniff your hand...)

...

*Sniff*

Phew...

(Next, gently scratch under his jaw...)

(My hand won't stop shaking...)

(No, I can do this...)

(Trust Max!)

Oh...

I did it...?

Oh wow...!

You did it, Shinonome...!

Yeah...

Hehe. Now I see...

Huh?

Being chased around by a dog was definitely traumatizing for Shinonome.

But Max seems to have succeeded in overwriting that memory...

The possibility that he was just going after the disc Hanasato threw remains...

But it doesn't change the fact that he protected Shinonome. This seems to have become the reason he needed to place his trust in Max.

In other words, Max's kind and gentle nature helped Shinonome get over his fear of dogs...?

Because that'd be really great...

Pant... Pant... Pant...

Hehe. Max seems to really enjoy being petted by you, Shinonome.

Yeah, look how much he's wagging his tail!

Sorry for being so scared of you, Max...
I know you never meant to do anything to me.

But I'm okay now.

This time, I'm going to take the disc back from you.

And we're gonna win... Together!

Woof!