Chapter 3

"Ah, there are buds."

It was just before noon.

I was walking along the farm path to bring my mom’s lunch to Dad in the fields.

The wind was still chilly, so I couldn’t go without my jacket. But when I looked up at a bare fruit tree, I saw tiny white buds beginning to appear.

Come to think of it, ever since I started helping Dad with farm work, it felt like the weeds were growing faster too.

Ah—so this is the season when flowers and plants start to sprout.

Watching the buds swell, a small smile slipped out of me.

This is the season when everything that’s been dormant through winter—creatures, plants, even people—starts buzzing with life, as if shouting, “Here we go! Time to bloom!” It’s that kind of season: one that stirs excitement and hints at the busy days ahead.

When spring comes, you can’t help but feel cheerful.

I can’t help but wonder if perverts get like this too in spring. I mean, I sort of understand the feeling—but still, come on, put that energy to better use!

Life shines brightest in this season. Spring!

I crouched down by the side of the path with a sigh, remembering to hold down my ankle-length dress so it wouldn’t flutter.

Every time I got excited like this for no reason, a twinge of anxiety would follow.

Could this be… a sign of mating season?

I’ve always been quick to get swept up by spring cheer—must be a leftover habit from my past life.

But what worried me more was something else entirely: sometimes my body just felt restless. Not itchy exactly, but like I couldn’t stay still. Hard to explain—more like jittery anticipation than anything else.

I hated the thought that it might be due to mating season. And I hated even more the idea that it might be some weird sign of a springtime pervert awakening inside me.

"Hey, what’s up? You’re Mimosa, right? Feeling sick or something?"

I turned around at the voice behind me. Huey, a boy about my age from the village, was looking down at me with concern.

He had that honest, rustic charm typical of a farm boy. All that daily fieldwork had made him lean and toned, his skin tanned by the sun—a kind of rugged, boyish strength. Black hair, blue eyes, a perfectly normal human-looking boy. That was Huey.

He’d been one of the kids I used to play with before I fell off the cliff. Calling him a childhood friend would fit, but in our village, all the kids technically counted as that. Still, he was one of the mischievous ones I’d gotten along with especially well.

When he heard I’d woken up, his family came to visit. That was the first time we’d met again.

Even when our mothers introduced us—“You used to play together, remember?”—he just scowled and stayed silent.

I totally understood that feeling.

Meeting a peer after so long is awkward enough, but when it’s someone of the opposite sex, it’s even harder to know what to say. And since I had no memories of him at all, I felt guilty and couldn’t bring myself to start the conversation either.

Other kids came by with their parents too.

But, just like Huey, they all acted distant, and I couldn’t manage to talk to any of them.

Listening to our mothers chat, I assumed he’d do the same—keep quiet and leave it at that. All I could do was watch his profile from the side.

But he was different.

Later, when I was walking alone, he called out to me.

He comforted me about not remembering my life as Mimosa, and with a smile, said, “Let’s get along from now on!” We shook hands.

His hand was already bigger than mine—rough from working in the fields.

Something about it warmed my chest with nostalgia, reminding me of my own hands back when I played baseball in school. At the same time, it gave me that awkward, ticklish feeling you get when a kid around your age shows a bit of kindness.

Thanks to him, I stopped feeling guilty about my lost memories. Since he was younger than me, he seemed kind of cute, and I felt a little indebted to him.

He was my first friend. No—my only friend.

I stood up, smiling to reassure him. Even then, I had to tilt my head up slightly to meet his eyes; he was already a head taller.

"No, I was just looking at them—thinking they’re about to bloom."

"Ah, yeah. Lately, pulling weeds in the fields has been such a pain, huh."

We both laughed. If I were a typical girl, maybe I’d say, “Those buds are so cute,” but that would’ve been way too cutesy for me.

"It’s getting warm already."

"Yeah, mating season’s coming too."

I replied casually to Huey’s comment about the buds—then froze. My tail fluffed up on instinct.

Oh no! I just said “mating season” out loud because I’d been thinking about it!

It’s like when a boy or girl in middle school blurts out “porn” or “sex” during small talk—instant social death!

What do I do?! Pretend I didn’t say it? Laugh it off as a slip-up?

Wiping cold sweat from my brow, I snuck a glance at Huey.

He was just looking at the buds like our conversation was totally normal.

"Ah… yeah. Since you just woke up, your mating season probably hits you all at once, huh."

"Y-yeah…"

My heart pounded, but I tried to sound casual. Phew—it seemed Huey had taken it as just normal talk.

"Don’t worry. No one’s gonna see you as a mate right after waking up."

"O-oh…"

Somehow, hearing that from someone my own age carried more weight than hearing it from any adult. I let out a small sigh of relief, my drooping tail curling back up with energy.

Finally, I looked at Huey properly.

"That makes me feel better, thanks! You heading to the fields now?"

"Yeah."

He replied curtly, still staring at the buds. Embarrassed or shy? Cute.

The sight stirred a ticklish sense of nostalgia, reminding me of my own childhood.

Huey stubbornly refused to look at me, which only made him seem more endearing. Feeling a bit confident in my “older” role, I tried to take the lead and held the lunch box out in front of me.

"I’m on my way to deliver lunch to Dad. If you’re heading to the fields too, want to come along?"

"No, I just forgot something," he said.

Ha, still as stubborn as ever. But those slightly red ears, boy, you’re not fooling anyone.

I decided not to press him further and waved goodbye. He didn’t glance back even once as we parted ways.

Still, my heart felt lighter after talking with Huey. My tail swayed happily from side to side as I walked along the path.

I was just about to hum a little tune when a voice called out—

"…Hey."

"Huh!?"

Before I knew it, Huey was standing right behind me.

Oh no! If he’d come while I was humming, I’d never be able to look him in the eye again! I’m a dog beast-person, but my ears and nose are totally useless! How could I not notice someone standing right behind me?!

My heart pounded as I turned around. His ears and cheeks were red—maybe from running, maybe from embarrassment.

So… did he change his mind and decide to walk with me?

Feeling mischievous after being startled, I couldn’t help but smirk a little and peek at his face.

"…Talking about… mating season… could, uh… be misunderstood as an invitation… so… it’s better not to say it lightly…"

The sheer awkwardness in his voice was enough to make me want to sink into the ground. And then—Huey bolted off like the wind.

"Eeeeeeeek!!"

I froze, my face burning up in pure mortification.

Because of that, I ended up delivering Dad’s lunch well past noon—and he wound up carrying me home, worried about my strange behavior.

Gwahhh, so embarrassing!!

That night, I couldn’t calm down. I tried closing my eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.

Restless, I tossed and turned until my mind was spinning. At some point, without even realizing how, I found myself up on the roof—howling into the night.

After a few howls, I finally came to my senses.

…Yeah, that actually feels kind of refreshing. Okay, time to sleep.

But when I looked around, I couldn’t even see my feet in the dark. Wait—how was I supposed to get down?

In the end, I spent the night clinging to the roof, crying and calling for my parents to help me.

So embarrassing. So embarrassing!!

I kept apologizing to them over and over—for the trouble I caused, and for doing something so ridiculous in the middle of the night.

Mom just chuckled softly and said, "It can’t be helped. Spring’s almost here."

No, that’s not it! I didn’t do it for no reason! I was just so mortified from earlier that I ended up howling on the roof!

…So, does that mean this is because mating season’s approaching? Or am I actually on my way to becoming one of those springtime perverts after all!?

By the end of it, I cried myself to sleep, completely exhausted from embarrassment.

The next morning, I woke up in my futon with a start.

No—more accurately, I jumped awake from the dream I’d just been having.

My heart was pounding, and sweat clung to me—not just on my back, but all over.

In the dream, I’d been in my full dog form.

I was running and playing across the open fields, wind brushing through my fur. Somewhere far away, I heard someone call my name, and without thinking, I dashed toward the voice.

There, waiting with open arms, was someone smiling at me.

I leapt straight into their chest, tail wagging furiously, overwhelmed with joy. Then I started licking their face again and again—cheeks, mouth, everywhere—while they squirmed and laughed helplessly.

Only after I’d completely soaked their face in drool did I realize who it was.

Huey.

And that’s when I woke up.

While I silently screamed into my pillow, outside, the morning sun was already shining warmly, melting the frost that had formed overnight.

Ah… spring is coming.

Ah… mating season is coming…