"You mean... it's all true?"
The boy's voice was so soft it was almost a murmur.
Xiao Xiao heard him clearly. "Whether what I said is true or not, I think you know best."
"Have you told anyone else about this?"
"...No."
The boy murmured.
He had never told anyone about it.
This was a secret that belonged to him alone.
He called it Big Ox because it looked like a rhinoceros and was so huge. Back then, when he was little, he'd called it that in his head.
Even at such a young age, he'd vaguely sensed that Big Ox was special.
Because no one else could see Big Ox.
Once, as he was leaving the grassy area to go home, he happened to run into an old woman from his neighborhood.
The old woman asked him—
"Why are you sitting on the grass all by yourself?"
He froze.
After testing it several times, he discovered that he was the only one who could see Big Ox.
He didn't understand why.
But he was happy, too.
Because Big Ox was a friend who belonged to him alone.
It was just that he'd always been quiet and poor at socializing.
He didn't know how to greet Big Ox.
Big Ox's size and appearance also made him afraid to speak up.
So he chose to show his goodwill in silence.
He always sat quietly beside Big Ox.
He thought that although Big Ox was a little too big and looked a little strange, it was still an animal.
As long as he spent more time near Big Ox and let it get used to his scent, they could gradually become familiar with each other.
And then—
They could become friends.
Now that he knew Big Ox was