Chapter 12: Chapter 11: A rabbit…?

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 11: A rabbit...?

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"Take your skewers! Delicious Branched-Horned Bison, the tastiest Admiral Frog, and the best potato salad in the Empire!" A street vendor was shouting as loud as she could.

"Apples! Take your apples for only 1 Des each! C'mon! They are flying right out of my hands! I'll soon run out of them!" Another vendor was trying to get the attention of the busy people on the street.

"Denim Roots! I only sell the best Denim Roots on the continent! Grab your 10 kilograms sack of Denim Roots for 10 Des!" A corpulent man was standing on top of a pile of wooden crates promoting his goods.

No matter where I looked in this street, it was the same everywhere. Street vendors trying their best to get more customers and outsell their rival vendors...

"I don't know what this is, but it looks tasty." I pointed at one of the stalls.

"Ah, that's the bowels of a Gradiniam Wolf. It's kinda chewy, but it is splendid if you try it with their homemade sauce! I can assure you that you will be licking your fingers afterward!" My Auntie smiled at me.

"That's gross…" Luna frowned.

"Only Auntie and Dad like eating things like that…" Liliana looked a bit disgusted.

"Julius, I know you're not a picky eater, but it is fine if you don't want to eat that…" Lilia didn't look very thrilled about the dish either…

If you're visiting a new place, you obviously need to taste the food! Even if it sounds a bit gross, you should at least taste it!

"It is not so bad… Although, I would like it more if it was spicier." Fred was rubbing his chin.

"I can agree with that! Double the spice, double the taste!" Tiria nodded with enthusiasm. "Well, as much as I would like to keep recommending you more food from the stalls, we should get moving. Martin made a reservation in our name in THAT restaurant~!" My Auntie urged us to continue walking.

Our group immediately started walking through the busy main street of Norvek.

It has been a few hours since I had that heartwarming moment with my sisters.

The twins (mainly Liliana) told our mother about what I had promised to them and the fact that I had the necklace permanently attached to my neck. She looked both delighted and concerned.

I guess that she was happy about the fact that the twins and I have become so close in such a short amount of time.

Now, as to why she was concerned… It obviously has to do with the necklace that I'm currently wearing…

It turns out that she has never seen anything like it… We tried for more than an hour to take it off me, but it was futile… 

After more than a dozen failed attempts, my mother told me that was convinced that she couldn't take the necklace off me with her powers.

I'm not really that bothered by it, to be honest.

Though if we are talking about the condition that Liliana imposed on me in exchange for the necklace, it is safe to say that I will have to stay together with my twin sisters for the rest of my life...

I was planning on following through with that anyway, but I guess that's the way of the gods telling me what I should do.

Ah, speaking of gods… 

My mother also told me that there might be someone at the local church who might know how to take this necklace off my neck.

I'm not too concerned about that part though. Right now, I'm more concerned about filling my belly with tasty food and sightseeing for a bit in this wonderful town!

So after miserably failing to take off the necklace, our Auntie suggested that we go to grab some dinner at a local restaurant my family used to frequent when they were staying here.

Luckily for me, I was wearing some new clothes!

Well… They aren’t actually “new” new… The clothes I’m currently wearing used to belong to Martin’s son who happens to be slightly older than me. Martin went to his house a while before we decided to go out and brought these clothes for me.

He simply handed the clothes over to me without saying a word. Mostly because Tiria was looking at him with a bit of annoyance because he forgot to do something for her.

He quickly escaped after giving me my new outfit.

Anyway, my current outfits consist of a red-colored tunic, brown-colored linen pants, and my pair of trusty leather boots. In the words of the women of my family (basically 80% of my family), I’m looking pretty handsome!

The only problem with my outfit is that the necklace that is currently stuck in my neck. I feel like it doesn’t really go well with the color of the tunic…

I wish Claire or my sisters were here… I’m terrible when it comes to choosing color-matching outfits and accessories…

Oh well, it is not like I can simply take off this necklace!

"Sheesh… Things are as lively as usual around these parts eh?" My dad was looking around the street while walking.

"Of course! Trade is going well with the Kingdom of Valciar, so a lot of merchants, mercenaries, and adventurers from all over the Empire are gathering here since this place is overflowing with coin." Tiria simply nodded in response.

If I remember correctly, the Kingdom of Valciar is one of the kingdoms to the north of the Empire. It is a kingdom that gained its independence from the Marcelian Empire after a long civil war seventy years ago.

It is a bit surprising that Valciar and the Empire have a good relationship considering that the civil war was only less than a century ago. It is also said that in the peace negotiations, the new King of Valciar had spit on the face of the Emperor of Marcel…

I don't think the last part is true though.

"That will also benefit us as well. If we get some adventurers who want to set up a base in our town, then it will be easier to get more of the common folk to move into our town." Lilia explained while tightly holding my and Luna's hands.

"Aye. Let's just hope they won't get scared when we mention Falgren." Fred scratched the back of his with a bit of frustration.

"Hey, as long as the legendary Skull Crusher is living in the same town as them, I don't think they will be scared of living in that forest." My Auntie didn't seem too concerned about my Dad's job.

Ah, right… I think I forgot to mention a very important detail…

"It's him…" A woman muttered with an expression of shock.

"He's back…" A man looked completely terrified.

"Oi! The Skull Crusher is back! Make your bets! Just how long will the thugs of this town last against him!?" Another man immediately tried to profit at my Dad's expense…

Things like that have been happening ever since we went outside Auntie's home… 

I mean, I knew he was famous, but I never expected something like this…

A lot of people either really respect him and admire him or they are completely terrified of him…

Well, the take here is that I can tell other kids that my Dad would easily beat their dads in a fight!

"The common folk are one thing, but if those adventurers can't even handle themselves, then what's the purpose of them moving to Falgren anyway?" My dad asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I couldn't agree more. But you know the type of mentality low ranking adventurers usually have." Auntie shrugged.

"Let's focus on getting our first neighbors before talking about rejecting any adventurers, okay?" My mother quickly intervened in their conversation.

"Aye." My dad nodded in agreement.

"So? When are you going to start the interviews? Do you already know who you're going to interview first?" My Auntie asked my mother with a curious expression.

"Yes. We are planning on going to see the first candidates tomorrow morning." My mother smiled.

While we were talking through the busy streets towards the restaurant, I noticed something strange moving in the middle of the ocean of people…

"What in the world…?" I immediately stopped walking in order to get a better look at the strange thing.

"Julius? Is everything okay? Do you want me to give you a ride on my shoulders?" My mother also stopped and looked at me with a bit of concern.

"I'm okay, Mom. Thank you. it is just that I saw something strange in the middle of the crowd." I explained to my mother why I stopped.

"Something strange?" Luna tilted her head.

"I'm kinda curious now." Liliana nodded to herself.

I kept trying to discern the shape of the strange figure in the middle of the ocean of people…

After a few seconds, I was actually able to take a good look at the strange figure.

"A rabbit?" I looked at the figure with confusion.

Well, it was not actually a rabbit... Well, I'm not really sure…

The figure was in fact a young girl with bright red and long hair that went past her shoulders. A pair of rabbit ears were attached to her head. 

She was wearing a black cropped top with shorts of the same color and a pair of sandals. A fluffy-looking tail of the same color as her hair and ears was poking through a hole in her shorts.

The young girl was talking with the owner of a food stall.

That girl is a demihuman. One of the multiple races of this world… I believe they are usually called: "Beastfolk".

The reason they are called like that is that they have some animal characteristics that make them different from common humans. 

Most of those traits affect their physical appearance or give them things like superhuman strength.

In the case of this girl, she's a rabbitfolk. She has both the ears and the tail of a rabbit.

"Oh... That's Mia..." Luna had a difficult-to-read expression.

As soon as Luna pronounced the name of the girl who happened to be her friend, the long rabbit ears of the girl twitched.

"Wow… Her ears actually moved…" I was both dumbfounded and amazed thanks to my encounter with a new race.

"Oh, right! I forgot that you hadn't someone from the Beastfolk before... Don't be scared, they don't usually bite! Well… It really depends on their species though…" My mother smiled wryly...

The girl suddenly looked in our direction…

"Uh-oh… She spotted us..." Liliana also had a very difficult-to-read expression.

I don't get it… Weren't the twins very excited to see Mia?

While I was busy thinking about the sudden change of heart of my sisters, I saw how the girl ran at an unbelievable speed towards us…

In less than ten seconds, she was able to close the distance between us all the while dodging the obstacles that were the people walking through the incredibly busy street.

It was an incredible display of agility that left me mouth agape…

She suddenly stopped in front of Liliana and Luna with an excited expression on her face.

"Lili! Luna! You're back!" She seemed like she was about to start jumping around thanks to her excitement. 

Mia smiled at my sisters from ear to ear.

"It's been so boring without you two here! I missed you two soooo much!" Mia hugged both of my sisters almost immediately.

"I've also missed you a lot, Mia!" Liliana quickly returned the hug.

"It is good to see that you're as clingy as always." Luna was patting Mia's head.

"Hehehe! My best friends are back!" Mia really seemed genuinely happy to see the twins again.

Well, she does seem like a good girl. I think we'll be able to get along just fine.

"We have so much to talk about! I have a lot of stories to tell you about our friends! You won't believe it! Sally's dad managed to finally raise his rank as an adventurer!" Mia nodded to herself while still hugging my sisters.

Hmm…

I couldn't help but look at a very particular feature of Mia…

(I really want to touch her ears…) I thought to myself while looking at Mia's fluffy pair of rabbit ears.

I don't really know if it would be rude of me to ask her if I can touch them… I need to do some research about manners in this world...

"Hahaha! It looks like we are going to do the interview tonight!" Fred laughed very loudly like usual.

"I was starting to think that it was weird that we hadn't crossed paths with her or her family considering that they live and work on this street..." My Auntie shrugged while looking at Mia and the twins.

Hmm…? Could it be that the ones that Mom and Dad were going to interview tomorrow to go to our village were Mia and her family?

That's really an incredible coincidence… 

Before I could continue with that train of thought, I noticed that Mia stopped hugging the twins and had started looking at me very intently...

Her gaze was particularly intense… Her blue eyes were really pretty though.

"Umm… Hello?" I smiled awkwardly.

Mia didn’t answer when I talked to her. She just stayed there, silently looking at me without saying a word.

It didn’t take long before her silence started to become a bit uncomfortable...

Mia suddenly started walking towards me... She only stopped when she was right in front of me...

"What's your name?" She asked with a very serious expression.

"I'm Julius. Nice to meet you!" I offered her my hand.

Mia simply kept looking at my hand in silence for a few moments. She suddenly looked at me straight into my eyes. Her eyes were filled with determination for some unknown reason.

"My name is Mia..." She immediately took a step forward towards me. "I've been waiting for our fateful meeting, my beloved prince~!" Mia then decided to give me a bear hug… She had a loving expression on her face while she was doing it...

Her beloved prince…? Huh…?

I could only look at everyone around me with confusion…

"My prince is here~! He's finally here~! Hehehehe!" Mia giggled before she started nuzzling against my neck...

She sounded like she was on cloud nine, which only left me even more confused…

"Oi, Mia… What do you think you're doing to our little brother!?" Luna asked with a smile full of malicious intent…

"..." Liliana was looking at her in silence with a very intimidating poker face...

For a moment, both of them reminded me of Lilia when she's angry… 

It seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree if you shake it hard enough...

"Little brother?" Mia stopped hugging me and decided to take a closer look at my face…

I don't know why she did it since the twins and I obviously don't look alike...

"I see! So you're their little brother! This day simply can't get any better!" Mia showed me a genuine smile filled with happiness.

Mia immediately turned around and faced the twins… 

"Lili, Luna! We are going to be sisters!" Mia ran towards them and caught them in a bear hug.

"Sisters!?" Luna shouted with confusion.

"Oi! Why did you assume that you're going to marry our brother!?" Liliana was just as confused as Luna, but there was a bit of anger in her voice.

"Please be my bridesmaids! I'll get you some cute dresses to wear!" Mia smiled as if it was the best day of her life.

Marriage? Again? I know last time it was a joke, but sheesh! The people in this world really rush things, don't they?

Well, I shouldn’t talk too much since I was going to propose while in my early twenties…

"So? Isn't she lovely?" My Auntie suddenly grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to make me face her.

"She's adorable, isn't she~?" My mom smiled at me.

"Aye." Fred nodded in agreement with a grin on his face.

The three adults seemed to have a lot of affection for Mia.

"Can someone explain to me why she wants to get married to me and why am I her 'beloved prince'?" I asked with a deadpan expression.

"I don't think there's much to explain. She simply fell in love with you~." My mother spoke with delight.

So it was love at first sight huh… That sounds a bit rushed, in my humble opinion.

I mean, considering how young she is, it is really not that unbelievable for her to fall in love that fast, but to be honest, I don't really know how to feel about me being the one she's in love with… 

"Julius, what do you think of her?" My mom suddenly asked with a smile.

Hmm…

A flashback of the lovely smile that Mia had just shown to me suddenly crossed my mind.

"I guess she's adorable." I answered my Mother's question honestly.

I really find fluffy ears and that charming smile extremely adorable. 

"It seems like a wedding is on the way! Hehehehehe!" My Auntie started nudging me repeatedly while chuckling.

"That joke is not funny, you know...?" I looked at her with my best poker face.

"Kiddo, I need you to promise me that you will give me several grandchildren!" My dad looked extremely motivated about becoming a grandparent...

“I'm seven, Dad…” I smiled bitterly.

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"That'll be wonderful~! I want the day to meet my first grandchild to arrive soon!" My mother nodded in agreement before smiling warmly at me.

“Still seven, Mom…” I replied with a bit of annoyance...

For some reason, my Mom, my Dad, and Aunt then decided to continue teasing me about my "engagement" with Mia and our future life together…

Sigh...

---

-----Luna's POV-----

"Julius, what kind of books do you like reading?" Mia asked Julius with a smile.

"I really enjoy books about magic and fairy tales. But, I'm not really picky. I can read pretty much anything." Julius replied while smiling bitterly.

We were currently waiting for our food in our favorite restaurant.

My parents ended up inviting Mia to have dinner with us. Her parents were having a difficult time at work and had to stay, so they agreed to let her have dinner with us and stay the night like she used to do while we were living here.

They were very happy to see all of us back though.

Mia's little brother, Klein, was apparently staying at the house of another one of our friends, so he didn't come either.

But that isn't the problem right now…

"Is that so? I like fairy tales too! What's your favorite book?" Mia asked while getting her chair uncomfortably close to Julius'...

She got as close as she could before looking straight into his eyes and then smiled at him.

...

"My favorite is The Legend of the Demon King Bass. But I also enjoyed The Forest of the Fairies." Julius mentioned the first two books he read with us.

Mia is the problem… I knew she would fall in love with Julius the moment she saw him, but...

(Sigh…) I sighed heavily in my mind…

I thought that we would only have to keep them from being left alone with each other and we would be good to go since Mia never really did anything out of the ordinary with the guys she "fell" for. At most, she would be holding hands with them until she fell in love again with another person. 

But this time was clearly different...

I never imagined that she would be that bold and actually call Julius her "Beloved Prince" in front of everyone… This is the first time she has called someone that and looked so sure that she was right...

I severely underestimated her… 

"Luna, I get how you feel, but your gaze is kinda scary, you know?" Liliana smiled awkwardly.

"I can't help it… I'm still mad about it…" I muttered.

I'm not mad at Mia because she fell in love with Julius… I know she can't control that part of herself…

I'm mad at her because she won at rock-paper-scissors when we were deciding who was going to sit by his side…

Long story short, Mia and Liliana won… I was completely obliterated in the first round…

Mia is sitting on the chair on Julius’ right side while Liliana is sitting on the chair on Julius’ left side. I’m sitting beside Liliana and our Auntie…

Okay, I'm a bit jealous of Mia...

"If you really know how I feel, then you would change seats with me…" I looked at my sister with a pleading expression.

"Nope! Maybe next time!" My older sister immediately shook her head in denial.

"Then don't complain about my gaze…" I was extremely annoyed...

Losing is so frustrating…

"Yep… You're really scary when you're mad, Luna…" She suddenly gave me a hug. "I'm also jealous that she's clinging that much to him, but I don't think it matters that much, you know? After we go back home, it'll be just the three of us again!" Liliana whispered in my ear. Her words were a bit comforting...

She's right… Julius also promised to stay with us forever and ever… 

Uuuuuuuh… It doesn't matter how many times I think about it, it is still extremely embarrassing…

"Jeez! You have finally gotten rid of that frown of yours!" My Auntie whispered in my ear with a teasing tone. "There's no need for you to get jealous, Luna. After all, knowing Mia as well as we do, she'll probably forget about this little crush she has rather quickly." Auntie spoke with confidence.

I smiled awkwardly in response.

Hopefully, my auntie and my sister will be right about this and everything will return to normal when we go back home.

"By the way, Mia… Why is your family trying to move away from Norvek?" My Dad asked Mia.

I immediately frowned again as soon as I heard those words…

"Oh…" Both my older sister and auntie looked at each other with an awkward expressions.

I just looked at each of them with annoyance...

Apparently, the three of us had completely forgotten that my parents were going to interview Mia's family to bring them to our village…

"I don't know..." Mia had a difficult-to-read expression. She was still clinging to Julius despite that… "I think Mom said something about not being able to afford living here thanks to my Dad's stupid gambling addiction." Mia looked a bit confused and somewhat sad...

Oh… That's…

Mia suddenly stopped clinging to Julius and quickly walked towards me and Liliana.

"But I don’t really care about that! I’m just really really reaaaally happy that I will be able to play with the twins every single day from now on!" She smiled innocently at me and then hugged me.

…

…

…

That's so unfair… I feel like I should still be angry at her because of how clingy she's being with the one I like, and yet…

"Hehehe! Let's play a lot, Luna!" She was happily hugging me tightly.

For some reason, I can only feel relief right now… Maybe, it is not so bad if she’s in love with Julius… I care a lot about Mia and I think I was not really being fair to her thanks to my jealousy…

...

I couldn't help it, but I ended up not only returning the hug but patting her head and playing with her rabbit ears as well…

"We'll play every day from now on, Mia…" I could only avert my gaze thanks to the embarrassment I was feeling.

"What a relief! I really thought for a moment that you were angry at me! I didn't know why, but I'm so glad that you're not mad at me!" Mia seemed genuinely relieved.

Ugh… She realized it… She’s a bit more perceptive than I remember…

“Mia, it doesn’t matter what kind of situation you or your family are in, you can always come to us for help.” My mother smiled gently at Mia. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to convince them to move into our village. Whether they like it or not, you’re coming with us~.” My Mom then winked at Mia while showing us a confident expression.

“Really!? Thank you!” Mia started hugging me even tighter than before thanks to her excitement…

It was getting a bit difficult to breathe, but I accepted it as my punishment for being jealous of Mia...

"Yep, that will end up happening whether they like it or not!" Auntie said while looking at Julius with a teasing smile.

Weren't you telling me not to worry about that just a few moments ago...?

Auntie is a traitor…

"I don't think they will be particularly difficult to convince, but leaving that aside for now… Tiria, the money you got from that card game you told me about was by any chance from Mia's dad?" My father looked at my Auntie with a raised eyebrow.

Auntie suddenly got completely pale. Her face was as white as a sheet.

"O-O-Of course not! I'm not that heartless!" She started twiddling with her thumbs. "You know, I'm kinda thirsty! Waiter! Bring me two mugs of ale! Fill them up as much as you can!" My aunt got up from her seat and tried to get away from my Dad.

She's obviously very suspicious...

Before she had the chance to even attempt to walk away, my father had grabbed her by the collar of her coat.

"Tiria, you seem a bit out of shape… Why don't we go on a short training trip tomorrow morning?" My father had a serious expression on his face.

"I would love to, but I have a lot of work to do at the Guild! It is such a shame that I can't go!" Auntie spoke with an easygoing tone.

"I insist. Just leave Martin in charge as usual. We'll have a long and nice talk on top of the training. Does it sound good?" My father smiled at my aunt. He then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes…" My Auntie started nodding vigorously. She looked absolutely terrified.

Ha! That's what you get for betraying your niece!

"Hehehe! Luna really seems to like my ears!" Mia sounded genuinely happy that I was playing with her extremely fluffy and soft rabbit ears.

Mia was not paying attention to the antics of my father and aunt. 

(Jeez… She can be so oblivious with this kind of stuff…) I ended up smiling at her.

I don’t think it's really a bad thing though.

"Hey! Let me join in too! You're leaving me out of the fun and that's so unfair!" Liliana suddenly hugged Mia from behind.

"There's still plenty of hugs for everyone!" Mia declared with an overjoyed expression.

Plenty of hugs huh…

I couldn't help it, but I ended up looking at someone who wasn't actively participating in the conversation...

"..." Julius was looking in our direction. He was looking at us very intently.

Oh… We kinda ended up leaving him out… 

Is he angry that we left him out…?

Julius had a deadpan expression on his face, so it was actually really difficult to know what his current mood was...

I then noticed something a bit strange…

As soon as Mia's ears moved, Julius' eyes immediately followed them.

For a moment, I thought that it was a coincidence. I started to deliberately move Mia's fluffy ears while playing with them and sure enough, Julius' eyes still followed them.

Ah… Could it be that he wants to touch Mia's ears?

That might be a bit difficult...

"..." Julius was still looking at Mia's ears very intently.

Hmmmm...

It might not seem like it, but Mia is actually very protective of her ears, she only lets those she really cares about touch them. Amongst our friend group, only Liliana and I were the only ones she has ever let touch her soft and extremely fluffy ears...

I'm not sure if she would actually let Julius touch her ears… I know she likes him, but even the guys that she "fell" in love with in the past were not allowed to touch her ears…

I don't think she even allows her father and brother to touch them either…

Hmmmmmmmmmm...

I took another one good look at Julius… He really seemed a bit hesitant about asking to touch Mia's rabbit ears.

…

I don't know if I will regret this in the future, but I want to make it up to Mia for my jealousy and being mad at her… I want her to be happy.

I obviously also want Julius to be happy, so this is for the sake of the two of them...

"Mia, how much do you like Julius?" I whispered in her ear.

Liliana was apparently able to hear me whispering. She immediately gave me a questioning look, but then she suddenly nodded and winked at me.

"Ehh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" Mia tilted her head. "He's my beloved prince! My knight in shining armor! I love him, I'm sure of it!" Mia nodded vigorously while declaring her love to Julius without hesitation.

I wish I could say it as easily as she does…

"Are you kidding!?" Liliana decided to feign surprise.

"Not at all! I have never been so sure of something in my life!" Mia smiled warmly.

Hmm…

"You're serious about it huh… As his older sister, I must confirm that you're actually in love with him." I said to her with a serious expression.

"Confirm? But I just said that I love him, isn't that proof enough…?" Mia tilted her head with confusion.

Liliana also gave a confused look… 

"I'm just going to test your feelings. Your test will be very simple, okay?" I whispered.

"I don't really know why you want to test me, but bring it on!" Mia looked fired up about my "test".

"Your test is… You need to let Julius touch your ears!" I revealed her test.

"Ohh!" Liliana's face was immediately filled with excitement about the spectacle that we were about to witness.

"My ears…? That's..." Mia looked straight into my eyes. She had a serious expression on her face. It seemed like she was hesitant.

She suddenly started twiddling with her thumbs while her gaze wandered around...

(Ah, she's going to say no… I'm sorry, Julius… I tried to make you happy, but I failed...) I apologized to my loved one in my mind.

"That's it? Seriously? I was going to ask him that from the beginning! What an easy test!" Mia suddenly grinned from ear to ear.

"Huh…?" Both Liliana and I were completely dumbfounded.

Mia separated herself from us and quickly moved back to her seat…

"Julius, do you wanna touch my ears? They are very soft!" Mia spoke with a lot of excitement.

"Ehh? Can I?" Julius spoke with a bit of embarrassment. 

No way… This is actually happening!?

"Oh my~." My mom, who was previously silently watching, smiled from ear to ear.

Liliana and I just looked at each other with confusion... Neither of us could believe that she was going to actually let him touch her ears…

"Of course, you can!" Mia smiled warmly at Julius.

She immediately sat on her chair again and then leaned against Julius' shoulder. Mia's rabbit ears were at his mercy.

"Then, excuse me…" Julius shyly touched one of Mia's fluffy rabbit ears. "Oh… OOOOH!" Julius looked extremely overjoyed after touching one of Mia's soft ears. 

She actually allowed him to do it… No way…

I looked at my older sister who had the same expression of disbelief as me…

The fact that she actually let him touch her ears, can only mean one thing… Mia really is in love with Julius…

While I was looking at the two of them in disbelief, a hand suddenly started patting my head… It was my mother's.

"Do your best to tell him your feelings clearly when you feel ready. But don't wait too long, okay? Otherwise, more girls like Mia will appear and will try to hoard his attention." She showed me a caring smile.

"Mom, w-w-what are you even saying!?" I immediately got embarrassed thanks to what my mother said…

I took a glance at Julius' and Mia. Julius seemed extremely happy while playing with Mia's rabbit ears. Mia also seemed pretty happy as well…

"I'll try my best…" I whispered in a very low volume, hoping that my Mom wouldn't hear me.

But somehow, she heard me...

"That's good~." My mother nodded to herself before continuing to watch Julius and Mia.

I can’t lose to Mia… I want to tell him that I like him… I want to spend more time with him…

I’ll do my best to gather the courage to confess my feelings!

---

Chapter 11: A rabbit…?

END

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