My name is Shiba, and I'm a dog.
In my first life, I stayed by Yin Muchuan's side from his youth into adulthood. He taught me to sit, shake hands, and wait for him to come home. He treated me like family.
On the day I died of old age, I lay at his feet with just one thought: In my next life, I'll find you again.
One day, I was reborn as another little dog.
A strange place, a strange owner, but I still remembered Yin Muchuan's scent, the sound of his footsteps, and how he'd gently pat his chest when he coughed.
Life after life, we missed each other. I wandered, was adopted, and then said goodbye again.
I'd seen life's joys and sorrows and endured loneliness and pain, but I never forgot that name.
When I opened my eyes again, I finally saw him on a street corner.
He was no longer young. His hair had turned white, and his back was slightly hunched.
I wagged my tail and used the little gesture he'd taught me to gently rub against his trouser leg.
The old man crouched down, his voice trembling:
"Could you... be Shiba?"
Across death and reincarnation, this time, I'll never leave you again.
