Episode 1

Chapter 1. Prologue: A Puppy Dies

“Coco, please… say something.”

In the garden where we took happy walks every day, my sister was crying.

I could feel her warm hand stroking my white fur.

I wanted to tilt my head at her, just like I always did, but my body wouldn’t move.

‘Why is my body like this?’

I should wag my tail proudly like a good dog.

I should gently nibble at her fingers—just enough not to hurt.

But it was strange—I couldn’t move as wonderfully as I usually did.

‘No, this isn’t right. I have to nuzzle her!’

That’s what makes her smile.

I wriggled my body, which lately had felt so heavy.

She was sitting on a chair in the garden she loved. I wanted to bring her one of her favorite flowers.

‘But I can’t move at all…’

Instead of fetching flowers, I barely managed to lift my head on her lap.

Her purple eyes, full of tears, came into view.

“Coco… huh? Why didn’t you ever say you were sick…?”

Tears fell, drop by drop.

I sniffled my dry nose, catching her scent.

‘It smells like sadness.’

Why was my sister sad?

Whenever we were together, her heart always beat with happiness.

‘Is it because I’ve grown weak? Or because I’ve lost fur and look ugly now?’

I thought with my little head, but then she pulled me tightly into her arms and whispered softly.

“Coco.”

The warmth was familiar.

As a stray, I had never once been held by anyone—this was the very first warmth in my life.

I burrowed deeper into her embrace and whimpered faintly.

“…Mong.”

She stroked my fur and muttered,

“If you had been able to talk when you were sick… would we have been able to live together longer than five years?”

“……”

“If you had been a little less good, if you’d been a naughty pup… would letting you go hurt less?”

Her tears fell heavily against her cheek.

I couldn’t understand half of what she said—I was just a foolish dog.

But one thing I knew faster than any ghost: when my sister was sad.

‘She mustn’t be sad. It’s because of me, isn’t it? I need to comfort her.’

I weakly raised my paw.

It was the left paw I always hid because my fur had thinned and fallen out there.

My skinny paw brushed her cheek before dropping again.

When she saw it trembling in the air, her lips quivered as she tried to hold back sobs.

“I love you.”

“……”

“I love you so much, my Coco.”

Usually, whenever she said those words—or even when she teased, “Coco, you’re silly”—her voice carried the scent of love.

But today… today it smelled of salty tears.

To comfort her, I tried to burrow even deeper into her arms.

But my body no longer obeyed me. It was growing stiff.

“Coco… Coco… my baby. Don’t die. There are still so many things I want to do for you…”

I didn’t really understand what death was.

But hearing her speak so sorrowfully made me realize—it must be something truly sad.

My vision blurred, and her face became harder to see. In those fading moments, vivid memories rushed back.

The memories began from when I was born.

Life was hard from the start.

I grew up in a war camp, eating scraps called “rations,” and many people hated me.

“Ugh, get this damn mutt out of here. It sheds everywhere.”

When the war ended, someone said they would eat me.

I was locked in a tiny room, waiting to be slaughtered…

But one night, by luck, I slipped out with friends through a door left ajar!

“Hey, did you hear? A few pups escaped from the breeding house.”
“Forget it. They’re probably dead by now.”

We escaped through yards filled with cigar smoke, laughing.

Dead? No way!

I escaped bravely with the others.

‘That’s how I became a scruffy but valiant stray.’

But honestly, life on the streets wasn’t happy.

“Ew, it stinks. Disgusting.”

Many hated me, spat on me, or drove me away for no reason.

But all those hardships were forgotten the day I met her.

I had wandered into a busy street.

There were so many smells, I didn’t know where to go.

The carriages, the horses, everything terrified me—so I froze in the middle of the road.

Then, with a screech, a grand carriage stopped in front of me.

That’s when I saw her—peeking out of the window.

“What’s happening, coachman?”
“Lady Chloe, forgive me. There’s a stray dog in the way. I’ll remove it immediately.”
“A stray?”
“Woof!”

Her eyes, deep violet, stared at me.

And from her, I smelled something familiar—loneliness.

Just like mine.

“…Bring it inside the carriage.”
“Pardon? It could be dangerous, my lady. If you’d like a proper pedigree pup—”
“I said bring it. Now.”

Her name was Chloe.

My Chloe. My sister.

She loved my dark, bean-like eyes.

She asked why I was so tiny despite seeming older.

She bathed my filthy fur and told me I was white and pretty.

‘She even gave me a name: Coco.’

I was there when she fell for her fiancé, even watching her write love letters.

I wagged my tail on her lap when she ate delicious meals.

Sometimes I got scolded for stealing bites!

When she was sad, I pressed my head against her arm to share warmth.

‘We lived together long enough to see flowers bloom five times.’

So now… what I want to say is…

I’m glad I got to say goodbye to the person I love most in this world.

I forced my tail to twitch and let out a faint bark.

It was my way of saying, “I love you, too.”

I didn’t know if she understood, as she continued stroking me endlessly.

“My baby… please. If there’s a next life, be born as my daughter. Please?”

And with those last words… I died.

Darkness fell completely, and instead of Chloe, I saw a magnificent rainbow bridge.

---

I crossed it quickly, arriving at the Star of Dogs.

It was paradise—full of walking trails, fun rides, and all the sweet potatoes I had once been forbidden to eat.

But…

‘What’s the point, if Chloe isn’t here?’

I curled my white paws restlessly.

Sometimes, from the Star of Dogs, we could peek at the human world.

When I looked, Chloe was suffering.

People openly called her a “villainess.”

Her family isolated her, and her fiancé tormented her cruelly.

And yet…

She did nothing. She didn’t fight back.

She did the bare minimum each day and lay around lifelessly.

‘Darkness surrounds her…’

When I was there, I could drive it away with a gentle pat.

Her face would light up beautifully.

‘But now I can’t… and she’s drowning in it.’

I refused food, refused play. For nearly a year, I was the saddest dog in the Star.

That’s when the Dog God came to me.

A golden retriever with gleaming fur, he looked at me and said,

“Why are you doing nothing? Go walk, eat some sweet potatoes, play.”

“I’ve decided. I want to be reborn as a human!”

“What? A human?”

“Yes! My sister asked me to be born as her daughter in the next life!”

“That’s impossible. Your sister isn’t even taking steps to have a child.”

“What steps?”

I tilted my head so hard my ears flopped.

My tail wagged in anticipation of hearing about Chloe.

“I don’t know the details. But as her daughter? Not happening.”

I bared my sharp little teeth and lunged.

“No! I have to go back! My sister will die without me!”

“Ah, these dogs… all the same! Fine. You can reincarnate as a human. But I don’t recommend it.”

“Why not?”

“You cannot reveal that you were once Coco until your sister feels true intimacy with you again.”

“Huh? Then I’ll just get close to her again!”

“And… whether she recognizes you or not, you must return here after five years.”

“Whaaat? I get to live with her for five more years?!”

“If you live as a human, saying goodbye will be even harder. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!”

If I could make her happy for even five years, it would be worth it!

The Dog God stared at me, then continued.

“Humans aren’t like dogs. They can be cruel, selfish. Can you endure that?”

“I’m bad too! I once ate snacks even though she told me not to! I tore up tissues even though she said no!”

He chuckled.

He probably thought I wasn’t really “bad” at all.

“That’s why dogs are too kind. You’ll need some gifts as a human.”

“Gifts?”

“First, the ability to speak with animals. Second, foresight of the future. And lastly… heightened intelligence whenever your sister is involved.”

When his paw touched me, my fluffy body shone white, sparkling brightly.

“This is the complete blessing of a god.”

The light faded, and he patted me warmly, calling me a good dog.

The world spun around me.

Other dogs gathered, sending me off noisily.

“Tell my brother I love him!”
“Tell my mom I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer!”
“Tell my dad to shave more often!”

I nodded vigorously, ears flapping.

“Leave it to me! I’ll tell them all!”

Armed with the gift of foresight, I leapt forward—

To reunite with the one I loved most in the world.

My Chloe.

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To be continued.