The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 64

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Panther 11

The only sound filling the silence was the rustling of the rabbits in the enclosure, chewing on hay.

‘Did he leave…?’

He’s gone. Noticing that his presence had completely disappeared, I smiled to myself, a little wickedly.

For Bibi, who had undergone humanization [transformation into a human-like form] a long time ago, ditching Alan was a piece of cake.

‘Thanks, everyone.’

Revealing myself, I thanked the enclosure rabbits who had helped me hide. The rabbits hopped around excitedly, as if they had only done what they were supposed to do.

I stroked them and smiled with satisfaction.

How much effort I had put into gaining allies in this academy without any connections.

Visiting the enclosure three times a day to say hello, bringing high-quality hay obtained from Grandpa. By pouring all sorts of sincerity into it, I was able to win over the enclosure rabbits to my side.

The reason I wasn’t popular with the rabbits in the rabbit territory before was probably because I was covered in Ahin’s pheromones [chemical signals that influence behavior].

Conversely, the reason Ahin was loved by the rabbits was because he was wrapped in my pheromones.

I left the enclosure, rustling through the foliage, and strode forward with vigor. However, no matter how tirelessly I swung my feet, I couldn’t move forward.

‘What, why is this?’

Could it be Alan?

The moment I realized someone had grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, my body floated into the air with a whoosh. At the same time, I smelled a familiar fragrance and was speechless, frozen stiff.

‘…Why.’

The trembling gaze moved from the navy blue vest, past the neckline, and stopped at the red eyes unique to the black panther clan.

‘Why are you here.’

How could Ahin be at the academy, especially near the rabbit enclosure?

Is this a dream? But the situation of being chased by Alan, and the breath felt right in front of me, couldn’t be a dream.

As soon as I realized it was reality, I struggled, but it was difficult to break free in rabbit form. The more I struggled, the more my heart pounded as if it would burst.

“You shouldn’t go outside carelessly.”

Soon, red lips opened, and the low voice I had longed to hear flowed out.

“You look a lot like him.”

Ahin, who lifted me up with both hands, examined me with a scrutinizing gaze.

“You look smarter than the rabbits I know, though. And your body seems a bit plumper.”

‘Plumper, he says.’

The rabbit he mentioned must have been me. Still rude as ever. I was about to lose my temper, but soon blinked blankly.

Could it be that he didn’t recognize me? His attitude was as if he was dealing with a real rabbit, not a beastman [a human with animalistic features and abilities].

‘…That can’t be possible, can it?’

He knows I underwent humanization….?

Lost in thought, I belatedly recalled Valence’s thoroughness. He even refrained from contacting me during the year and a half of focusing on trauma treatment. It seemed he hadn’t even told Ahin any news.

Moreover, since I was no longer a baby rabbit after undergoing humanization, it was inevitable that he wouldn’t recognize me.

‘No, even so….’

Even though I deeply concealed my pheromones, there was no way Ahin wouldn’t notice that slight flow. Ahin was the one who used to bury his nose in my neck, saying there was a suspicious scent even when I hadn’t undergone humanization.

“Do all rabbits look alike?”

No, look at this. He really doesn’t know.

As I speculated, I felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer.

If Ahin hadn’t noticed the pheromones flowing in my body… That meant my pheromone level was equal to or higher than his.

‘No way.’

Trembling, I looked back at the rabbits that had gathered around the fence. It seemed that the rabbit enclosure was partly responsible for Ahin not suspecting anything.

“Why are you crying?”

He tilted his head and asked quietly.

Stiffening my body, I then realized that I was shedding tears. No wonder Ahin’s face looked blurry.

“You’re hurt. Does it hurt?”

Before I could panic, Ahin turned my front paw over with one hand.

It hurts. I was startled by the sudden tingling sensation and pulled my front paw back. It seemed I had scratched it when I jumped into the bushes to avoid Alan right after transforming into my true form.

He frowned slightly and looked around.

“Isn’t there a caretaker here?”

‘I’m the caretaker….’

Originally, the researchers were in charge, but since I started coming and going frequently, I had implicitly taken over the position of caretaker.

Ahin, who was looking around displeased, soon held me in his arms and started walking.

‘Uh, where are you going?’

Surely not the academy kitchen, is he trying to go to the infirmary?

I struggled to escape, but unfortunately, it ended in an attempt because he put strength in his arms.

“Stay still, before I change direction to the school cafeteria.”

‘His nasty way of speaking hasn’t changed at all.’

Unintentionally, and absurdly, I was held by Ahin and carefully raised my head.

Compared to worrying about it all night, I was surprisingly calm.

Ahin’s eyes, his touch. …And his fangs. It was strange. Maybe it was because I was in rabbit form that fear wasn’t showing on my face.

But I could be sure of one thing. The reason my heart was pounding so hard right now was not because of fear, but because of the excitement of reunion.

I should have gone to see Ahin a little earlier if I had known this would happen. Even with such regrets, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Ahin, whom I met after a year and a half, seemed the same yet different.

His incredibly clear face was still the same, but I could tell that the thin line between boy and young man had changed significantly. Thanks to that, his smile, which had seemed so innocent, now gave off a somewhat cool and seductive feeling.

His shoulders also seemed broader. Also, his hands, which had become rougher, proved that he had been holding a sword non-stop in the conflict with the wolf clan.

I had been proud of how much I had grown in my own way. But seeing Ahin, who had become quite unfamiliar, made my changes feel endlessly modest.

‘What is this….’

To make matters worse, I was being held as an enclosure rabbit, even though I had undergone humanization….

Thinking it was all useless, I sharply opened my eyes.

If that’s the case, even though he’s mistaking me for an animal, Ahin is holding a strange rabbit with that pretty face. He was in no position to call me a playboy.

‘Seriously.’

“Your eyes are dirtier than a black panther’s.”

I flinched at the sharp remark and pretended not to know, as if I had become a real rabbit.

Maybe it was fortunate. It wasn’t that I met Ahin in a ridiculous state of being chased by Alan.

If I thought that our long-awaited reunion would have taken place while rolling around trying to avoid a beast, I would have been dizzy.

I thought it would be better to just pretend to be a rabbit now, so I snuggled into Ahin’s arms and rubbed my forehead against him. I smelled the familiar fragrance.

I missed you so much.

* * *

Since the reunion in the pig territory, Russell has firmly established himself as Bibi’s close friend.

Sharing the pain of being late to humanize, they had been learning human etiquette and lifestyle together for a year.

Since Bibi entered the academy, it was no exaggeration to say that they stuck together except during class hours.

But uneasily, Bibi, who was always easy to find, was not visible today.

‘If it’s Bibi, she would have gone straight to the rabbit enclosure, right?’

Russell, recalling the testimony of Bibi’s classmate, the pig, tilted his head. He had already been to the rabbit enclosure twice, but he couldn’t find Bibi.

Russell passed the beautiful tree and returned to the rabbit enclosure. As expected, only Bibi’s subordinates hopping around were visible in the enclosure.

“Did you see the Hero…?”

The gathered rabbits murmured and talked among themselves. There was no way that beastmen and animals, let alone capybara beastmen and ordinary rabbits, could communicate.

Rustle, at that moment, a baby rabbit that had jumped into the dense bushes only showed its butt. The rabbits that jumped in next showed the spectacle of showing their butts out of the bushes side by side.

“……?”

Russell, looking at several cotton balls alternately, sensed something and dug through the bushes.

What appeared as the greenery split was the academy uniform with silver lines embroidered on the end of the black cloth.

Russell, who quickly approached, picked up a familiar object. A small carrot embroidery on the end of the backpack. It was definitely Bibi’s backpack.

The Hero has disappeared! Intuitively sensing Bibi’s crisis, Russell finally burst into tears.

The caretaker seems to be in danger.

Because of that beast from before?

The rabbits also stirred, and the atmosphere became even more agitated.

Meanwhile, Quinn, who had been watching all the circumstances from above the academy building, flew down. Thanks to Ahin’s sudden appearance, she had appeared after hiding.

“Bad bird….”

Russell, wiping away tears, gathered Bibi’s uniform and backpack.

Soon, Russell and the rabbits surrounded Quinn, who had landed on the ground. It was a silent pressure to guide them to where Bibi was.

Quinn, looking around at the herbivores who were threatening her without fear, sighed.

If she guided them, Ahin as well as Bibi would not be able to recognize Quinn’s existence. Moreover, she had only observed from a distance, so she didn’t know how the two people’s meeting had taken place. There was a possibility that prematurely taking them would interfere with their long-awaited reunion.

Quinn scratched her head with her wings, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Russell, reading that hesitation, coaxed in a small voice.

“…Strawberry.”

The eyes of the hawk, who was suffering from strawberry withdrawal, shone sharply.

* * *

“Stay still. The stinging will be over soon.”

The infirmary doctor said sternly, applying medicine thickly to the wounded front paw.

This level of scratch would be over with one use of healing pheromones. I, who was held by the doctor, trembled.

Since I learned how to heal myself, the pain like now felt quite unfamiliar.

“Is it over?”

Ahin, leaning against the door, stared at me with a scrutinizing gaze.

“It’s a light wound, so this measure is enough.”

The doctor, who was organizing the medical tools, bowed.

“Is it a rabbit you raise separately?”

“No, an enclosure rabbit. It was out of the cage alone without a caretaker.”

“Ah, you happened to find it. Then I will return this rabbit to the enclosure.”

I, who had been continuing to pretend to be a rabbit for nearly an hour while hiding my pheromones, drooped my body.

Even the doctor regarded me as a rabbit, not a beastman. No matter how I thought about it, it was strange.

Even though I had become skilled at handling pheromones, could that be possible? But looking at the healing pheromones that were quietly hiding, it was a plausible thing.

It seemed that this Bibi’s ability was finally beginning to show its true value.

‘More than that….’

I, who was lying on the bed pretending to be tired, slightly opened my eyes. And as soon as I realized that Ahin’s gaze was still lingering, I closed my eyes tightly again.

‘Why aren’t you leaving? The treatment is all over.’

You have to leave so I can go back to being human and have a dramatic reunion or something.

Moreover, if I get caught being mistaken for an enclosure rabbit… There would really be no greater shame in my life.

Even Grandpa is holding back from wanting to brag about my changes.

More than anything, I wanted to show him a proper appearance as much as I liked him.

‘Could it be….’

Perhaps that beast is so quick-witted that he is a little suspicious of me.

While repeatedly suspecting and worrying, someone knocked on the infirmary door.

“Excuse me.”

A welcome yet hateful voice was heard from beyond the door. It was Yvelin.

“Just a moment.”

Ahin, who slowly looked at the doctor and me alternately, stepped into the hallway.

As I watched the door close, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. When I turned my head, I saw Russell barely showing his eyes from beyond the window.

“Oh my, isn’t that the caretaker’s assistant.”

The doctor immediately recognized Russell, who was also well known as Professor Jinan’s son.

‘Russell, how did you know?’

Russell, whom I looked down at from the doctor’s arms, was carrying my puffy backpack. It seemed he had found the uniform hidden around the enclosure.

Following that, I shifted my gaze and looked down at the rabbits that had gathered.

“How cute, they all came to pick up their friend.”

“Eung. Give it to me.”

The doctor, with a well-timed expression, handed me to Russell.

“Be careful, his foot is injured.”

Russell, who stretched out his short arms, carefully took me. His black eyes were rippling like waves, as if he was very worried.

‘Let’s go for now.’

After confirming that the doctor had turned his back, I pointed to the enclosure with my front paw.

Russell, nodding his head, started running towards the enclosure. The rabbit army also followed behind.

I, who was in Russell’s arms, looked up at the sky that was beginning to set.

‘Should I have just said it was me.’

Regret flooded in, but there was something I had to do first.

Even if it seems okay, I have to get advice from Professor Jinan about the trauma again first.

I didn’t want a second wound, so I wanted to be careful for myself and Ahin.

* * *

When Ahin returned to the infirmary, the rabbit had disappeared in the meantime. The doctor said that the caretaker’s assistant had appeared and taken him away.

Ahin, letting out a faint sigh, left the infirmary with the chattering Yvelin.

‘…Crazy.’

Ahin, who was spaced out, stroked his neck with a loose hand.

No matter how out of his mind he had been lately, trying to find Bibi in an ordinary animal. Even if he assumed that Bibi had undergone humanization, it was too small a cotton ball for a mature beast.

He repeated that, but the constantly rising sense of déjà vu made him unable to put the rabbit down.

But the rabbit was definitely an ordinary animal, not a beastman. He had been trying to read pheromones while in contact, but he couldn’t feel even a trace of energy.

‘I didn’t even feel Bibi’s unique scent.’

Ahin, who was blankly thinking, soon let out a sigh of laughter. It seemed he was going crazy from longing for Bibi.

“Ahin-nim.”

Yvelin, who was talking while walking through the campus, called his attention.

“…Ahin-nim, are you listening to me?”

“No. And don’t whisper.”

“It’s something you shouldn’t ignore. Lilian-nim has left her seat, and according to the secretary, the place she went to is Grace Manor.”

Only then did Ahin’s attention turn to Yvelin.

“-Suspicious.”

“I think so too.”

Recently, Ahin had been intercepting all letters coming to Grace Manor in order to track Bibi’s whereabouts.

Therefore, Lilian going to Grace Manor while Ahin was out meant that she had something to discuss with Valence in secret. And it was highly likely that it was related to Bibi.

“Don’t stay here and go back right away.”

“To Grace Manor?”

“I have to catch Grandpa.”

“Please exclude me from that plan. I’m already hated by Lilian-nim.”

Yvelin, avoiding Ahin’s subtle gaze, turned towards the headmaster’s office.

“Then it would be good to steal… no, receive the list of students again. If you are resting in the carriage, I will prepare for departure.”

The sky, which had already turned red, dyed the campus red. Ahin, who briefly looked back at the rabbit enclosure, moved his lips.

“Yvelin.”

“Yes?”

“If I keep thinking of Bibi from an ordinary rabbit, I must be crazy, right?”

The dirty eyes and sharp front paws that would overwhelm any beast continued to occupy Ahin’s mind. It kept catching his eye strangely.

“Are you talking about the rabbit you took to the infirmary? Don’t tell me you’re having an affair with the rabbit-nim?”

“······.”

“Come to think of it, you’re strange today. Ahin-nim would never be the type to show mercy to an injured animal.”

Is it a substitute for Rabbit-nim? Oh my, what an outrageous person. Yvelin began to pour out insults that were not insults to his face.

Moreover, the serious face that was questioning him was getting closer and closer to Ahin’s face. Ahin, who was disgusted by the distance that seemed to touch the tip of his nose, shuddered.

“Get your face away.”

But Yvelin, who was rarely excited,

“How can the person I serve with all my heart and soul be having an affair.”

She uttered words that were omitted in many ways. The faces of the two people, who were close to dusk, were dyed red.

Ahin, who was receiving the misunderstanding gaze of the passing students, felt the urge to get rid of Yvelin for the first time in a long time.

* * *

After Bibi disappeared, Ahin was not in good condition like a sick chicken. Of course, his head, not his body, which was ignorantly strong.

Therefore, Yvelin, who called himself a competent aide, tried not to miss even a small clue instead of Ahin.

‘Rabbit….’

Dark darkness fell.

Yvelin, who had finished preparing to depart for Grace Manor, stepped into the rabbit enclosure.

Certainly. Ahin’s actions of paying attention to an ordinary rabbit were strange.

Even though Ahin had become rounded while dealing with Bibi, he wouldn’t extend that gentleness to animals. There was no harm in checking before leaving.

Yvelin, who was wandering around the enclosure with the lamp off, quickly hid himself. It was because he felt a strange presence.

‘What…!’

Rustle, what appeared soon was Russell, and Bibi, whom they had been looking for so much. Moreover, the black uniform they were wearing proved that the two were attending the academy.

“I’m glad, Professor Jinan’s opinion was positive.”

“Then the Hero is not afraid of beasts anymore?”

“When, when did I say I was afraid of beasts. They’re all a handful.”

Bibi, who gave the enclosure rabbits a midnight snack, bent down and matched her eye level with Russell.

“More than that, Russell, can you distinguish between animals and beastmen with pheromones that read energy?”

“Eung?”

It was a questionable part even after thinking about it several times. No matter how well she hid her pheromones, it was that she could make even Ahin or the doctor mistake her for an animal. Perhaps it was another ability of healing pheromones, she thought and continued.

“I’ll go back to my true form for a moment, so can you check if you can feel pheromones from me?”

“Okay.”

“Thank you, I’ll ask you.”

Bibi, who stroked Russell’s hair, had a determined face.

Soon, the traditional dance of the rabbit territory, which had become smoother, began. Because the first button was buttoned wrong due to Russell, it was too difficult to return to her true form without this method.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the enclosure, and the uniform and backpack fell to the floor.

Bibi, who had transformed into a white rabbit and was about to land, suddenly felt an ominous presence and quickly turned her head.

“…Rabbit-nim.”

‘……!’

Yvelin, who had suddenly showed his face after deep consideration, was inwardly embarrassed. It was because Bibi and Russell, who were startled as soon as he appeared, had fainted.

He belatedly realized that he had appeared in the darkness with a lamp around his face, but it was already too late.

* * *

An hour later, the Grace family’s carriage, which had been set up at the academy’s main gate, departed.

Ahin, who was looking at the rabbit enclosure through the window, scanned Yvelin, who was sitting across from him, with a displeased look.

It was a terrible sight to see him carrying a cute backpack that didn’t match his big size. He didn’t know what he had put in the backpack, but the bottom was particularly bulging.

“What is that.”

“Doesn’t it suit me?”

“Are you saying you want to disappear in a roundabout way?”

It was not surprising that Yvelin was not hesitant to wear rabbit ear decorations. Ahin checked his pocket watch.

If they ran without stopping, it would take four hours to get to Grace Manor. Ahin, who thought that he smelled a strangely familiar scent in the carriage, closed his increasingly heavy eyes.

* * *