Remnants

The white horse that had broken its right front leg in a local horse race lay its large body on the grass at the edge of the course. It spoke to a sparrow that had fluttered down amidst the murmurs of the crowd.
"Hey, you're cute. I don't have much time left, so listen to my life story, will you?"
"Chun, sure."
The sparrow replied casually. It was cloudy now, but the sky looked like it would rain later.
"Thank you. It'll only be for a little while, so please bear with me. Ever since I was born as a horse, unlike when I was a human, I was pampered by everyone and lived a happy life."
"Chun."
"When I was a human before, I tasted every kind of hardship imaginable. My athletic ability was the only thing I had going for me, and everything else was a total failure. But after I lost my life at a young age, I was given the chance in the afterlife to choose what I would be reborn as."
"Hmm, that's nice."
The sparrow didn't seem to fully understand the story, but for the horse, that flippancy was comforting.
"I suppose so. I loved horse racing, so I wanted to become a horse. And when I was born as one, it seemed to suit me, and I began to be trained as a racehorse."
"Chun-chun."
"There was a stable hand who was a good guy. Even when I was a human, I could never meet such a good person. When I was being bullied by other horses and acting out from stress, he would stay by my side and pet me all day long."
Countless memories flashed through the horse's mind like a revolving lantern. While wincing at its painful leg, it continued to speak.
"The customers would say things like, 'Is there a human inside?' or 'You must have been a human in a past life.' They have sharp instincts, too. Whenever I would stop in front of a camera or act as if I understood words, they would throw those comments at me."
"But you are a horse, aren't you?"
The sparrow said airily.
"Hahaha, that's how it looks from your eyes, I'm sure. But humans are sharp. They even quickly figured out that I have a habit of relaxing at the start and accelerating suddenly near the finish line."
The spring grass had grown long. The soft green blades supported the horse's weakened body like a cushion.
"Ah, it looks like it's time."
A veterinarian and dozens of staff members arrived and began preparations for the long sleep inside the black curtain that had already been set up. The contrast between the white horse and the black of the curtain looked like the ceremonial black-and-white striped curtains of a funeral, and the sight appeared sad even to the eyes of the staff.
The sparrow was staring intently at the horse.
"What's going to happen now?"
"It's goodbye to you, too. Thank you for listening to my long story at the very end."
Even the sparrow, knowing nothing, felt a pang of sorrow and could only stand there, watching the situation.
The veterinarian, holding a sedative, approached the horse.
"What is your name?"
The sparrow asked.
"I am Love Human. What an ironic name."
"Chun, I don't have a name. It's good enough just to have one."
"Maybe so..."
The needle pierced the pink skin covered in fur. The horse's tense expression gradually relaxed and softened. Once the sedative had taken full effect, the anesthetic was administered next. One of the staff members covered their eyes for a long time.
"Love Human, wake up."
The sparrow called out desperately, but he no longer showed any reaction. Finally, a lethal drug was administered, and within a few minutes, the horse's heart stopped beating entirely.
A horse stretcher was carried out from the bed of the horse transport vehicle that had just arrived. The horse was placed on it and loaded into the vehicle.
Large raindrops began to fall from the sky that had been cloudy until just a moment ago, and the track saw the horse off to its end along with the rain.
The sparrow did not seek shelter from the rain, but circled the sky for a while with its feathers soaked before flying high away.