episode_0034

The rabbits removed the mattress and installed a bed in its place.

“How do you feel? Carrot.”

“Do you like it? Lotus root.”

The rabbits asked, linking their arms on the bed.

I responded with a puzzled look.

“No, why did you suddenly come and give me a bed?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The last time I came, there was no bed, so I gave it as a gift out of pity. Carrot.”

“Lotus root···. Is it something you don’t like? Then I will take it back…”

When I gave him an absurd look, Forest Toto drooped his ears.

It’s not that I don’t like it.

I was already thinking of buying a bed someday.

Now I was just taken aback by the sudden gift.

“No. I like it. There is no one who would not like receiving a gift.”

“Thank goodness. Carrot.”

“Lotus root Lotus root!”

Santoto breathed a sigh of relief.

Forest Toto’s face brightened again.

It seemed like he was worried that I might not like it.

I thought you always behaved as you please, but it turns out you are also paying attention to what other people think.

anyway.

Since I received a gift, I first said thank you.

“Thank you for giving me a gift because you thought of me.”

“Thank you. Lotus root.”

“That’s right. It is our duty as educators to take care of our students. Lotus root.”

“But, aren’t you being too partial to only me?”

“Carrot?”

“Lotus root?”

The rabbits tilted their heads at the same time.

“It’s okay if you give these gifts to all the other students, but if you only give them to me, you’re showing favoritism toward me.”

I don’t want special treatment.

It’s not that I don’t particularly like it, but it’s a burden.

I just wanted to be treated equally with other students.

The rabbits blinked at my words.

And after looking at each other for a moment, he turned his head to me again and said.

“It is not favoritism. Carrot.”

“Tomorrow is your birthday, so I’m just taking care of it in advance. Lotus root.”

“···Birthday?”

Was tomorrow my birthday?

I took out my ID card and checked my resident registration number.

“Huh? It’s true…”

Indeed, tomorrow was my birthday.

I forgot the date because it was different from my previous birthday.

Because my identity was created anew by the transcendent.

The rabbits looked puzzled.

“Surely you didn’t even know your own birthday? Carrot?”

“There is something else to forget. Lotus root!”

It wasn’t strange that the rabbits knew my birthday.

Because my information is registered with the academy.

It’s like an educator finding out a student’s birthday.

By feeling.

I don’t think I know other students’ birthdays but mine…

“I’ve been so busy these days that I completely forgot about it. Anyway, thank you again. For taking care of my birthday like this.”

I was moved when I found out that the rabbits had attended my birthday.

I couldn’t help but be moved.

This was the first time someone celebrated my birthday.

Of course, this is my first time receiving a birthday present.

Oh, of course.

There was a time when I was beaten to death at school because it was my birthday.

In the name of birthday bread.

That wasn’t a birthday present, it was just an excuse to beat him up.

“Hehe. If you are thankful…”

“Yes. I’ll give you a pat on the butt.”

When I interrupted Forest Toto and spoke, Forest Toto twitched his ears and looked surprised.

“Lotus root···. How did you know I would ask for that? Could it be that he used mind reading…?”

You can’t not know.

Every time I say thank you, I ask for a pat on the butt.

After I sat down on the bed.

I placed Forest Toto on my lap and patted its bottom as if caring for a baby.

Meanwhile.

Santoto began tearing open space again to pull out something.

“Professor. What are you bringing out again?”

“It’s a side dish. Carrot.”

“Side dish?”

“The last time I looked at the refrigerator, it was empty, so I used my skills and made some side dishes. Carrot.”

“It’s okay if you don’t take care of me like this…”

“Don’t hesitate, but accept this as a birthday present. Carrot.”

“···Thank you.”

“Carrot. If you’re thankful, hit Forest Toto on the back of the head. It’s embarrassing because I’m playing alone.”

Tuk!

He immediately hit Forest Toto in the back of the head.

Perhaps because it was hit with very light intensity, there was no particular reaction. He was still snoring and had a happy expression on his face.

Santoto continued to take out airtight containers containing side dishes from beyond the space and placed them on the floor.

The number of containers taken out was roughly twenty.

There were so many.

“No… What did you bring so much?”

“Side dishes should be eaten evenly. Carrot.”

Santoto opens the refrigerator and fills up containers with side dishes.

Forest Toto, who was watching this scene, suddenly jumped off my lap.

“Kang Ha-hwi, do you like egg rolls?”

“Yes? Suddenly?”

“Do you like it or not? Lotus root!”

“I like it. But why?”

Forest Toto said as he walked towards the kitchen.

“Hehe! For dinner tonight, I will make egg rolls and seaweed soup! Lotus root!”

It seemed like he was planning to prepare dinner and leave.

***

When Forest Toto and Santoto were preparing dinner.

I sat down at my desk and booted up my computer.

It was to do some voice acting with my gaming friend Shuboma.

I logged into the game and immediately entered Voice.

Shuboma was already participating in Voice.

It seemed like he was waiting for me.

［Oh, you’re here. Why are you so inactive these days?]

“I’ve been a little busy lately.”

［Why are you always busy? Anyway, I was just about to turn the bus around and it worked out well. Be invited to the room.]

“I can’t do it now. Just run it by yourself.”

［Then why did you log into the game?］

“I logged in to talk to you.”

[···what. Just looking at this, it looks like I logged in to do some daily homework.]

“Are you not going to do your daily homework? I really came here to talk to you, but why can’t you trust people?”

［Don’t talk nonsense, but more importantly, why can’t I play games now?］

“Ah. I have to have dinner soon.”

[dinner? Aren’t you going to eat alone anyway? Just take a bus and eat. You live alone.]

Shuboma knew quite a bit about me.

When having several conversations through voice.

I briefly talked about living alone.

I also happened to say that I don’t have any parents.

“I won’t eat alone today. There’s a guest at home.”

［Customer tonight?］

“Yes. I’m cooking in the kitchen right now so I can prepare a meal for you.”

［Preparing food… Who is the guest? Is it a girl?]

I slowly turned around and looked into the kitchen.

Forest Toto and Santoto.

They are both women, though…

“Um···. Rather than a woman… It would be correct to say it is a female.”

［What does that mean again?］

“They’re animals, not people. To be precise, animal-type monsters.”

[ah. You’re talking about mountain toto and forest toto. Why did a professor and instructor who aren’t that interested in men go to your house? Were you bored?]

“Just to celebrate my birthday… No, wait a minute.”

Something was strange.

I once told you that our academy professors and instructors are rabbit monsters.

But did you even tell me your name?

“Did I even tell you the names of the professor and instructor? I think I only told you that it was a rabbit monster.”

[uh? uh···. Hey, you should have talked about it?]

“I don’t remember… And what does it mean that the professor and instructor are not interested in men?”

[Those rabbits don’t like men very much.]

“I never said that. How do you know something I don’t know?”

［·······.］

There was silence for a moment.

Schwoma’s voice could not be heard through the headset.

Shuboma broke the short silence and spoke again.

[that is···. Umm… Actually, I also attended Hunter Academy…]

“What?”

［···You go to the 17th Academy, right? I understood after hearing that the professor and instructor were rabbit monsters. I also went there.]

“You’ve never said anything like that before.”

[It’s just a past I don’t want to talk about, so I didn’t bother talking about it… I told you this because I feel like I’ve already been caught. If you don’t tell the truth, it will look like I investigated your background…]

Shuboma’s voice is weak.

Did anything bad happen while you were at the academy?

Looking at what he said was a past he didn’t want to talk about, it didn’t seem like anything good had happened.

“So, Shuboma, you are my senior?”

［···I guess so. maybe.]

“You mean you know the professor and the instructor?”

[know. Because they were my professor and instructor…]

“Your name is… No, it’s done.”

I thought about asking for his real name, but decided against it.

And I decided not to ask any more questions.

I felt like it would be rude to ask about her past here.

[Hey. Don’t tell those bunnies that you’re voicing with me. Something feels uncomfortable…]

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know your name anyway. But why is it annoying? Were you on bad terms?”

[That’s not true…]

“Ah. You don’t have to answer this either.”

Even without asking, I could roughly guess the reason.

I guess he didn’t want his old teacher to know that he was surviving on game rice.

Because it’s not a respectable job.

“Let’s stop talking about the academy. There’s no need to talk about uncomfortable things.”

[thank you. By the way, Jinta Angel, your birthday is today─]

“Kang Ha-hwi! The food is ready! Stop playing games and come eat! Carrot!”

“Bubbling Seaweed Soup Colonel! Lotus root!”

Forest Toto and Santoto shouted as they spread out a table on the floor and placed rice, soup, and side dishes on it.

“Bomaya. I’m going to go eat now. Let’s do the voice later.”

[Uh, yes…]

After terminating the voice.

I put down my headset and stood up.

“Come quickly! Carrot!”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

I walked over to the table and sat down on the floor.

Rice and seaweed soup.

And twenty different kinds of side dishes.

There was no separate feast.

‘and···. There’s something touching…’

As I looked at the table setting, my heart sank for a moment.

It’s been quite a while since I had dinner prepared by someone at home.

Plus.

Today was the first time someone prepared seaweed soup for me on my birthday.

“What do you think? Is it delicious? Lotus root?”

“I just picked up the spoon…”

Holding a spoon.

I slowly looked around at the table setting, and saw the faces of Forest Toto and Santoto sitting around the table.

A somehow cozy atmosphere.

It felt like having dinner with family.

“···Then, I will eat well.”

Suddenly, we had the peaceful dinner we had longed for in our past lives.

“Eat a lot! Carrot!”

“Eat the egg rolls first! Lotus root!”

I thought as I took a spoonful of rice.

Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to invite rabbits like this.