Cherished Cherry

Chapter 03 - Spring Village

" Finally out of that church! " I yawn. " What day is it today? " I asked, stretching my sore muscles.

" Tch, are you serious? Are you so lost when you wake up, you don't know even that? Besides. How the hell did they get you? " He stops and looks at me... I don't say anything. So does he for a while. " Spring 6th. " He turns around.

" Wait... Did I sleep five days this year!? I don't believe it... " I pick a lock of my hair and look at it... " My hair is all pink already! "

" The older you get, the more you sleep between the seasons... I wonder why... "

" Did someone attack while I was asleep? "

" No, not this time. It seems they understood what useless effort it was... "

" Is Nana okay? "

" Do you have to ask me this update every season? "

" Yes! "

" Hmph... Yes. She Is. " He answers grumpy.

 The day outside is as sweet and beautiful as I thought! It feels great to be out of that moldy, crumbling church... It's sad to think that I've been there too many times. It used to be a sacred place, and after the war, it became a memento of the past... But now it's the perfect setup for kidnappers... and after being used for this purpose so many times, it became too obvious. The paths were once hidden animal trails and now are clear roads anyone can see.

" Where to now? " I asked Lucavi.

" To Spring Village "

" To the guild? "

" Mhm "

 He doesn't seem eager to talk. With some fast steps, I get closer and try to see his face. " Are you mad? " I see his blue eyes looking at me beneath all that hair and scarf. " No. Disappointed. " He answers.

" The forest is so beautiful during Spring! Don't you think so? "

" What the hell does this have to do with my disappointment? "

" How can you be disappointed with such beautiful scenery? "

 And... He ignores me... We're walking the main northern road, and as expected, it can take us to the Northern Kingdom, that is, if you walk north. To the south is Spring Village, my home, one of the four-season villages.

 As we walk with nothing more to do, I can't help but have this feeling that something is out of place. My body feels different... Am I different? I don't have a mirror to see... So.

" Do I look any different? " I asked Lucavi

" Dunno. "

" At least look at me before saying that. "

 He subtly turns his face at me, takes a quick peek, and looks away.

" You're more like a woman. "

" A woman? But I'm a woman! "

" You're a girl. " He accentuates." You'll be a woman once you make 16 and get your blessing. "

" So... What did you mean by 'more like a woman?'" I look at myself, trying to see any difference. My hands, my arms, my legs...

" Your bust size. It's jiggling. "

" Oh... That's why I'm feeling this pressure in my chest... Why do I have to be so... Soft in the Spring? "

" Dunno. The body is yours. "

" But you're the one who noticed! "

" You asked me. "