I never wondered why I had decided to take in Hachi or why my aunt didn't even question me why I brought an abandoned puppy home. Hachi seemed to brighten up my life a bit but I didn't think that it would be enough to brighten up my summer break.

Summer break had started a few days. The heat was almost unbearable as I was reluctant to take Hachi for walks but made sure I did. I waited for that boy to visit but he never did.

I took Hachi out at noon at the usual time and walked by the river. The two of us sat beside river on the grass and I watched as Hachi chased butterflies from flower to flower. I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned to see the boy that had given me Hachi a few weeks ago.

"It was you!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I recognized you from behind so I came. I'm glad I found you."

"Yeah, you found me. What if it wasn't me?" I questioned as I turned back to the playing dog.

He shrugged and sat beside me with a chuckle. "That would be embarrassing, wouldn't it?"

"Why didn't you come and visit?"

"Oh, about that,"  he started. "I didn't know where you lived so..."

Suddenly realizing this fact, I turned to him. I had never given him my address... That's why he never came. Sighing, I looked down and spotted a collar on his neck. 

"May I ask, is it normal for people to wear collars?" I asked him curiously.

He laughed at my question. "Of course not. Dogs are the ones wearing collars."

"Oh? So are you a dog then? You seem to have a collar on," I persisted.

"Yeah, I'm a dog," he answered.

My jaw gaped open as I just looked at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy? Of course you're not a dog! You're perfectly human!"

Noticing that there were a few bypassers giggling at me, I was a little confused. The boy moved from his place and kneeled in front of me. "I'm a dog. Your wish is my command."

Laughing out loud for the first time in months, Hachi, me and him played together. In the evening, as the sun was setting, I realized that I still didn't know his name. We lay on the grass of the river banks, staring at the clouds above us. Hachi was curled up on my stomach, fast asleep.

"I forgot to ask," he started. "What's your name?"

"Mine? Youngsaeng," I replied. "Heo Youngsaeng. How about yours?"

"I'm HJ. It says on my collar. My real name is Hyunjoong but my owner calls me HJ so I don't get mixed up with him," he said.

Upon hearing that, I turned my head with a smirk. "You really believe you're a dog. You even have an owner?"

"I was named after my owner so my name is the exact copy of his. But I'd prefer if you called me HJ, actually. It has a better ring to it."

I nodded. "Alright then. That reminds me, which school do you go to?"

"I don't go to school. I'm a dog, remember?"

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Right, I just forgot for a moment."

"When's your birthday? I want to know if you're older or younger," Hyunjoong remarked.

"November 3rd. Yours?"

"You're younger. June 6th. It's the same as my owner. That's why I was named after him."

He chuckled and sat up, petting the dozing puppy. "Hachi's lucky to have you for an owner. I know you'll be very kind to him."

I smiled lightly and closed my eyes, bringing my hands to cushion my head. "What makes you think that?"

"I can tell," Hyunjoong told me. "You give off a gentle aura. Any dog would be able to know that you're good to your dog."

"You actually think you're a dog," I commented, my smile faded.

He laughed. "Well, well, I'm offended. You're questioning my existence."

"But you don't have dog ears and you don't have a tail. You don't have fur all around your body and you don't have paws," I pointed out.

"It's okay. Just believe what you believe. I don't mind at all. After all, not everything is what it seems, right?"

I nodded in agreement. The sun had almost set. It was time to go. Getting up, Hachi woke up and jumped off of me.

"Well then," I started. "I have to go now. See ya."

He also stood up and waved with a beam. "Yeah, see ya."

After that, I walked down the road away from Hyunjoong. I turned back and thought I really saw a big dog there; a golden retriever, but I blinked and saw that it was still Hyunjoong, waving with a joyful expression. My expression softened and I smiled, waving back. And then, I left, without turning back.

Maybe this summer break wouldn't be boring after all.