🌸 CHAPTER 1 — When Spring Smelled Like Mochi
Spring in Momohana Town always smelled like warm mochi and drifting cherry blossoms—sweet, soft, and a little magical. For Hinata, a tiny fourth-grader with messy pigtails that never stayed tied, this was the most exciting day of the year:
The official “Spring Opening.”
The one day when the small talking forest creatures woke from their winter sleep and wandered into town to play with children.
Hinata clutched her bunny-shaped backpack, eyes sparkling.
“Today… I have to meet someone. Just one little friend… please!”
But her classmates only giggled.
“Hinata, no creature wants to pick you!”
“They always run away!”
“Last year you almost dropped Mochi-kun in the river!”
Hinata’s face burned pink. “I-I didn’t drop him on purpose… I tripped…”
She lowered her head and walked through the spring streets, cherry petals brushing her cheeks. Everyone had a tiny forest friend—everyone except her.
Then—
“Pyo!”
A tiny voice popped through the air.
Hinata blinked. Beneath a cherry tree sat a round creature no bigger than her palm—white, fluffy, shiny like a fresh mochi. It had sparkling beady eyes… and a face so cute she almost screamed.
“You… you’re…?” Hinata whispered.
The creature waddled closer, looked up at her with a proud little puff, and—
“Pyo! Pyo!”
Then it threw itself at her leg and hugged her like a marshmallow with arms.
Hinata froze.
“Y-you really… like me?”
“Pyo!” (Yes!)
“What’s your name?”
The creature puffed up, vibrating with pride.
“Pyomochi!”
Hinata clapped both hands over her mouth.
“You’re… SO CUTE I CAN’T BREATHE!!!”
She scooped Pyomochi into her arms and spun around. Pyomochi giggled—if giggling mochi made wobbly pudding sounds.
But the moment didn’t last long.
A sudden gust swept through the street, blowing petals everywhere. The spring charms hanging from lanterns jingled sharply.
Pyomochi stiffened, eyes wide.
“Pyo… PYO PYO!!”
(Translation: Hinata, THAT THING IS BAD—REALLY BAD!)
Hinata turned just in time to see chaos in the plaza—tiny forest creatures running for their lives: cloud kittens, flame fox pups, wind squirrels, fuzzy berry bunnies…
All fleeing from something growing in the center of the square.
A giant… snowflake.
But this wasn’t normal snow.
It was glowing a cold, eerie blue—ice forming in the warm spring air. Every cherry blossom that touched it froze instantly, dropping like glass shards.
“W-wait… it’s spring! Why is there snow?” Hinata whispered.
Pyomochi trembled and clung to her hoodie.
“Pyo pyo pyo pyo!! PYO!!”
(That’s not snow! That’s NOT SNOW!!)
The air grew colder. A crack split through the massive glowing snowflake.
Hinata swallowed hard.
“Pyomochi… what do we do?”
Pyomochi squeezed both cheeks, trying to look brave—though it mostly looked like a dumpling preparing for battle.
“Pyo!”
(We help everyone!)
Hinata’s eyes welled.
“But I’m weak… I mess things up… I even dropped you last time—”
Pyomochi bounced onto her head and patted her hair with its tiny squishy arms.
“Pyo!” (Hinata is Hinata!)
Warmth bloomed in her chest.
“O-okay… let’s try!”
She held Pyomochi tight and ran toward the glowing ice. Adults shouted “Stop!” and “It’s dangerous!” but her tiny legs kept going.
The lens of frost expanded.
The huge snowflake burst open.
A blast of blue energy shot straight toward Hinata.
“HINATAAA!!!”
“RUN!”
“GET AWAY FROM—”
Hinata squeezed her eyes shut.
But Pyomochi leapt from her arms, glowing pink like a roasted mochi.
“PYOOOOOOOOOO!!”
A pink flash exploded outward.
The blue energy shattered into sparkles.
Hinata gasped.
She rushed forward—
“Pyomochi? Pyomochi!!”
Her tiny friend lay on the ground, steaming slightly like a freshly toasted marshmallow.
One ear was sticking up.
Its round face was dizzy and burnt-pink.
“Pyo…?”
“PYOMOCHI!!!”
Hinata scooped it up, eyes filling with tears.
“You saved me…”
Pyomochi weakly tapped her nose.
“Pyo…”
(I’d do it again.)
Hinata hugged it tight, petals falling all around them.
But neither of them noticed—
The cracked snowflake was still glowing.
And something inside it… began to move.
