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“Coco, please say something....”
In the garden where we walked happily every single day, my sister was crying.
I could feel her warm hand stroking my white fur.
I tried to tilt my head while looking at her as I usually did, but there was no strength left in my body.
‘Why is my body like this?’
As a wonderful puppy, I should be tapping my tail against her.
I should be giving her fingers a gentle, playful chomp.
It felt strange that I couldn't move gracefully like I always did.
‘I can't be like this. I have to rub my nose against her!’
Only then would she smile for me.
I squirmed my body, which had felt heavier lately.
Since she was sitting on the chair in the outdoor garden, I wanted to bring her one of the flowers she loved.
‘I can't find the strength.’
Instead of picking a flower, I barely managed to peek my head up from her lap.
I saw purple eyes filled with tears.
“Coco. Huh? Why... why couldn't you even tell me you were hurting....”
Before I knew it, droplets of water fell, drip, drip, from her eyes.
I sniffed with my dry nose, taking in her scent.
‘It smells like sadness.’
Why is my sister sad?
Whenever she was with me, I only ever heard the happy beating of her heart.
‘Does she hate me now because I've become weak? Does she dislike me because my fur is falling out and I've become ugly?’
As I pondered this with my small head, she hugged me tightly and whispered softly.
“Coco.”
I felt a familiar warmth.
The first warmth of my canine life, having been born as a stray and never once being held by a human.
I burrowed a little deeper into her embrace and let out a small whimper.
“...Mong.”
She murmured while diligently stroking my fur.
“If you were a person who could speak when you were sick, could we have lived together for longer than five years?”
“....”
“If you weren't so good—if you were a bad dog—would it have been less painful to let you go?”
A tear fell on my cheek.
I am a foolish dog who doesn't understand more than half of what she says.
But I could tell she was sad faster than a ghost could.
‘Sister shouldn't be sad. She must be sad because of me. I have to comfort her.’
I barely managed to lift my front paw.
My left front paw, which I had been hiding all this time because it had become unsightly as the fur fell out, touched her cheek and then dropped away with a soft thud.
Seeing my thin paw trembling in front of her, she pulled at the corners of her mouth, barely holding back her sobs.
“I love you.”
“....”
“Sister loves our Coco very much.”
Usually, whenever she said “I love you,” her embrace smelled of love, just like when she called me “Coco, you silly thing.”
But it was strange.
Today, it smelled of salty tears.
To comfort her, I tried to burrow into her arms with more vigor.
However, my body would not listen to me; it was slowly becoming stiff on its own, making it impossible.
“Coco, Coco.... My baby. You can't die. There's still... so much I want to do for you.”
I didn't know much about death.
But hearing her speak so sadly, I felt that it must be a very sorrowful thing.
The moment her face became blurred and my vision slowly faded, a clear series of images flashed through my mind.
The recollection began from when I was born on the streets.
My life as a dog started out a bit—no, perhaps a lot—difficult.
I lived in a military camp, eating food called "army chow," and there were many people who hated me.
“Ugh, how annoying. Get this damn dog out of here. The fur is flying everywhere.”
After the war ended, someone said they were going to eat me.
So, I was locked in a very small room, just waiting to be devoured....
Luckily, in the dead of night, I managed to escape through a gap in the door along with my friends!
“Did you hear? A few pups escaped from the breeding farm.”
“Leave them. They're probably dead by now.”
I laughed excitedly while sneaking past the people smoking cigars in the yard.
No, you're wrong!
I made a grand escape together with other brave puppies.
‘And so, I became a brave but scruffy stray dog.’
But I don't think I was very happy when I lived as a street animal.
“Ugh, dog smell. How filthy.”
There were many people who hated me, spat at me for no reason, or chased me away.
But such hard and sad memories are now forgotten.
Thinking back now, I was a very, very happy puppy.
When I happened upon a main road crowded with people.
When there were too many scents at the tip of my nose and I didn't know where to go.
When the human world became scary, and I stood there blankly, frozen on the road full of square carriages and frightening horses.
I saw a very, very fancy carriage come to a screeching halt in front of me.
I will never forget the moment I locked eyes with my sister, who was peering out of the window.
“What is the matter, coachman?”
“Lady Chloe. There is a stray dog in front of the carriage. I will remove it immediately.”
“...A stray dog?”
“Woof!”
From the sister who gazed blankly into my black eyes, I smelled a very deep sense of loneliness.
Just like me, who had been alone for a long time with nowhere to belong.
“...Bring it inside the carriage.”
“Pardon? It is a stray, so it might be dangerous, My Lady. If you need a pet, I can find you another puppy with a good pedigree and a cute appearance....”
“Bring it to me, now.”
The sister I had for the first time, named Chloe.
She adored me, saying my eyes were like tiny, pitch-black beans.
She asked why I was as small as a palm despite seeming old.
She told me I was white and pretty once all the scruffy fur was washed away.
‘She even gave me a name. Coco.’
You know.
When she first started liking her fiancé, I watched her write love letters by her side.
Whenever she ate delicious food, I wagged my tail on her lap.
And sometimes I got in trouble for coveting the food she was eating!
When she said she was depressed, I would lean my head against her arm to share my warmth....
‘We were together for a long time, long enough to see flowers bloom five times.’
So, what I want to say now is.
I'm glad I could say a final goodbye to the person I love most in the world....
My sister.
I strained to perk up my tail and let out a small “woof.”
It meant that I love my sister very, very much; I wonder if she understood?
I don't know if that sound reached her as she endlessly stroked my body.
“My baby.... Please, I beg you. If there is a next life, please be born as my daughter. Okay?”
With those final words from my sister, I died.
Finally, complete darkness arrived, and instead of my sister, a magnificent rainbow bridge appeared before me.
* * *
After zooming across the rainbow bridge, I arrived at the puppy star!
This is a paradise prepared for puppies.
There are many walking trails for dogs, lots of fun play equipment, and plenty of sweet potatoes—which I wanted to eat but was forbidden from because of weight gain.
But....
‘What's the point of it being a good place? Sister isn't here.’
I crumpled the white fur on my paws.
From the dog star, I occasionally watched the human realm with my puppy friends.
Whenever I did, my sister was hearing nasty things from people.
She was openly called a “villainess” by others, became a loner completely isolated from her family, and suffered through malicious acts of harassment from her fiancé.
But, but....
My sister didn't react at all, like the most depressed person in the world.
She did the absolute bare minimum of work and just spent her time lying down.
‘The area around her is full of dark energy!’
Originally, if I patted her with my cotton paws, light would suddenly appear.
Then I could see her face brighten with happiness....
‘Since I'm not by her side now, I can't do that, and I'm worried about her.’
Thinking of her, I didn't eat anything and did nothing.
After living as the most depressed dog in the dog star for nearly a year, the puppy god who governs our dog star came to visit me.
A retriever god with glossy golden fur looked at me and spoke.
“Why aren't you doing anything? Go for walks like the other puppies, try some sweet potatoes, and things like that.”
“I've decided. I want to be born as a human again!”
“What, a human?”
“Yes! My sister told me to be born as her daughter in the next life!”
“That's not possible. That human you call your sister isn't acting in a way that would lead to a baby being born.”
“What is 'acting in a way that would lead to a baby being born'?”
I tilted my head so hard my ears flopped.
I stopped my tail, which wanted to wag wildly at the thought of seeing my sister, and focused.
“I don't know either. Anyway, you can't be a daughter!”
I bared my impressive canines and lunged forward with vigor.
“No! I have to go see my sister! My sister will die without me!”
“Sigh. Honestly, dogs are all the same! I can reincarnate you as a human. But I wouldn't recommend it.”
“Why?”
“Because until your sister feels <true intimacy> with you as a human, you cannot reveal the fact that you are the puppy Coco.”
“Huh? I can just become close with her again!”
“And, whether your sister recognizes you or not, you must absolutely return here after five years.”
“Whaaaat! I can live with my sister for five more years?”
“If you live together as a human, it will be much harder to detach yourself when it's time to return than it is now. Are you okay with that?”
“That's okay too!”
As long as I can make my sister very happy for five years before returning!
The puppy god, who had been staring at me, soon changed the subject.
“Humans are different from dogs. Sometimes they commit ugly and evil acts without hesitation. Can you endure that?”
“I'm very, very bad too! There was a time I secretly ate treats even though my sister told me not to, and I ripped up tissues even though she said not to touch them!”
He chuckled.
He must think I'm very, very bad!
“That's why puppies are far too kind. Therefore, you, who will become human, will need some good abilities.”
“Good abilities?”
“First, the ability to converse with animals; second, the precognition to see the future.”
“Wow....”
“And finally.... An intelligence that sparkles and rises in matters related to your sister.”
The moment his hand touched me.
My fluffy body turned white and sparkled brilliantly.
“This is the complete blessing of the god.”
After the light enveloping my entire body softly vanished.
The puppy god diligently stroked my head, calling me a good dog, and then my vision began to spin.
Other puppies crowded around me, each offering a word.
“If you see my big brother, please tell him I love him!”
“Can you tell my mom I'm sorry I couldn't stay by her side longer?”
“Tell my dad to shave diligently!”
Listening to the noisy farewells of my puppy friends, I nodded my head so hard my ears fluttered.
“Trust me! I'll definitely tell them!”
Equipped with the wonderful ‘ability to see the future,’ I am going to meet her again.
The person I love most in the world, my sister!
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