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Chapter 2
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AS Theo walked through the market, he happened to glance into a box where puppies were being sold. From the moment he saw the tiny, wriggling puppy, he knew he wanted to take care of it. It was a small, timid little thing that reminded him of his situation; having no parent at a young age, that he couldn’t just leave it there.

The whimpering, brown furred puppy, oblivious to everything, remained firmly stuck in his heart. So he made up his mind to bring the puppy home and told Daisy, who took care of him like a mother.

“Daisy, can I raise a puppy?”

“Puppy, why all of a sudden?”

“It’s just… I saw a puppy at the market that seemed to have a similar situation to me…”

Daisy’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She hugged him and gave him permission to take care of it.

“Yes, let’s raise it. But you have to earn the money to buy the puppy by gathering mushrooms and herbs from the forest by yourself.”

“Okay.”

“And taking care of the puppy will be your responsibility. Got it?”

“Yes! I’m excited!”

Hence, after struggling for three days to earn the money, Theo finally went to buy the puppy today. If he had been a little late, he would’ve missed the chance to raise the puppy forever.

After working so hard to get the puppy, when it still didn’t open its eyes, Theo became frightened.

“Why won’t it wake up? What if it never wakes up?”

Moisture filled his blue eyes beneath his soaking wet blond hair. It seemed like he was about to cry again. Theo continued to stare at the puppy, still dressed in wet clothes. Seeing him like that, Daisy approached him.

Even though Theo was just a five-year-old boy, he had a mature side to him. But when he stubbornly observed the puppy, he really seemed like a child. She forced a smile and tried to comfort him.

“Theo, change your clothes. You might catch a cold.”

“….”

“You have to be healthy to take care of the puppy. Come on, hurry up.”

“But…”

He remained reluctant. Theo’s gaze was still fixed on the small bundle of fluff that showed no signs of movement.

“Don’t worry. If we keep it warm, it’ll wake up soon.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course. Even though it looks fragile, this puppy was born with strong vitality. I’ll make the fire warmer.”

As Daisy smiled softly, she added more firewood to the old, worn-out stove and handed Theo dry clothes.

“Come on, hurry up and change.”

“Yes…”

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HOW much time had passed?

The warmth that enveloped the puppy, making everything around cozy, caused its cold body to gradually warmed. Its wet, cotton-like fur became fluffy and soft as it dried. The little ball of fluff, curled up in a round shape, slept soundly, looking all adorable.

As Theo watched it, a smile involuntarily formed on his lips. Its closed eyes, pink nose, and small body seemed peaceful as it slept. Theo murmured with fascination as the small body of the puppy rose and fell, exhaling breaths.

“Now it seems to be better. Its body is warm, and its heartbeat is strong.”

As Theo gently touched the puppy, the struggling puppy raised its head and licked his finger with its tiny tongue. Tickled by the sensation, Theo instinctively recoil, making his brow furrowed.

“Daisy, it seems like the puppy is hungry because it licks my hand.”

“Give it some water first, and then we’ll feed it milk.”

As water was poured into its small mouth, the puppy regained some energy. Its wet caramel fur looked fluffy and adorable. The puppy wiggled its body, stretching all four legs and yawning with its mouth wide open. When a teaspoon of lukewarm milk was poured into its mouth, it eagerly consumed it.

“It looks like a fox, what breed of dog is it?”

As Theo tilted his head curiously, Daisy shrugged and said she didn’t know.

“Well, it’s just an ordinary puppy. Anyway, I’m tired, so I’ll go to bed first. Theo, you should sleep too since it’s late.”

“Yes, you can sleep first.”

Sitting alone in the living room while feeding milk to the puppy, Theo playfully tapped its cheek. The sensation of the puppy’s full belly and soft fur felt delightful.

“It’s really soft and fluffy. The body is so squishy… Alright, from now on, your name is Pudding.”

Daisy had bought a pudding from the market once, and it was soft, sweet, and squishy.

Theo hugged the puppy in his arms and sat in front of the fireplace, slowly nodding off to sleep.

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FROM that day on, taking care of the puppy, whose cheeks were flushed red and couldn’t open its eyes fully, became one of Theo’s daily tasks.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and they had become each other’s most precious companion. Whether it was mealtime, playtime, or even when asleep, they were always together. They spent their days in the cabin inside the forest, filled with happiness and contentment.

One sunny day, while Theo was holding Pudding tightly in his arms, the puppy slipped out quietly from his sleeping arms.

Theo’s face, sound asleep, looked like that of a prince from some kingdom—handsome and dignified. Maybe he only looked handsome to the puppy’s eyes and wasn’t noticeable to human eyes.

‘Oof, you’re heavy.’

Theo was only five years old at first, but he had grown rapidly. On the other hand, despite three years passing, Pudding remained the same small puppy.

‘Even my paw pads are still pink.’

Although Pudding could walk now and even hop around, it took a long time for that to happen. Her teeth were only developed recently, letting her to chew meat. Other than that, there was only one more development.

While her physical growth seemed to have almost stopped due to her slow growth, Pudding’s inner growth was quite apparent. She, who was once a puppy without thoughts, could now think and had developed emotions and desires.

‘I want to play with Theo.’

‘I want to speak like Theo and Sister Daisy. It’s frustrating.’

This was undoubtedly a growth that didn’t exist before. Hesitating for a moment, Pudding jumped down from Theo’s bed and carefully took small steps with her tiny paws. It was a sunny day when she looked out the window, so she wanted to go outside and stretch out, sleeping to her heart’s content.

There was a way for her to exit and enter Theo’s room, even though the door was closed. There was a small hole under the door, and she would sneak in through that opening. Once her head went in, anything was possible.

Having escaped Theo’s room in this way, Pudding then skillfully evaded Daisy, who was cooking stew in the kitchen, and stepped outside.

‘I finally made it out.’

Pudding lifted her head and climbed onto the rocking chair on the porch. It was equipped with a soft cushion, making it Pudding’s favorite spot for taking naps. She put her belly onto the cushion and settled into the spot.

As the warm and bright sunlight enveloped her body, she fell into a deep slumber. Suddenly, a golden light began to surround Pudding, and it swiftly seeped into Pudding’s small, fluffy right front paw.

At that moment, Pudding woke up as if struck by lightning. Her heart was pounding, and she felt hot. She had a very strange dream that day. She dreamt of transforming into a human, rather than being an ordinary dog.

Her small front paw turned into a human hand, and she also grew legs. She became a human girl with brown hair and round black eyes. Instead of a heart, a golden light resembling the sun was pulsating in the place where her heart should be.

Thump, thump, thump.

‘What on earth was that?’

It felt both incredibly sad and frightening. Yet, at the same time, she was curious. What would happen after she became a human?

She lifted his head and gazed up at the sky, suddenly feeling that there was a connection between the sun above and herself.

Pudding briefly imagined what it would be like if she became a human.

“Woof! (I’m curious!)”

If she was a human, she wouldn’t bark like this, but perhaps she could speak? She could have conversations with Theo, sit together at the dining table for meals, and even dance.

‘There are so many things I could do.’

In Pudding’s glossy black eyes, a desire to become human was now reflected.