Autumn Festival ✽ Hopping Lunar Rabbits of the Moonlight | Rabbits and Horns - 1

[healingbonds]

Prologue << | index | >> Rabbits and Horns - 2

The subtitle for this set of chapters is a pun; it's a play on “兎に角,” read “tonikaku,” which simply means “for now.” By swapping out the “に” (“ni”) with “と” (“to”), Akira has made it two words—“兎と角” means “rabbits and horns” (or “rabbits and corners,” but I went with horns because Akatsuki are demons). There’s nothing deeper to it, he just wanted to use this pun.


Location: Fountain

A few days later, after school


Mitsuru: Ahahaha! Dash, dash, dash~☆

Sorry, sorry! I’m late!

I forgot today’s lesson was outside so I went to the lesson room “Ra*bits” always uses~!


Nazuna: .....


Tomoya: .....


Hajime: .....


Mitsuru: Huh? Guys, why are you ignoring me? Are you mad? I’m sorry, I won’t be late next time, so please forgive me!


Nazuna: ...Ah. Oh, sorry for not responding, Mitsuru-chin.


Hajime: Fufu. We were kind of in shock, so we didn’t know how to react.

I’m sorry for being so cold; you didn’t do anything wrong, Mitsuru-kun.... ♪


Tomoya: Don’t spoil Mitsuru too much, Hajime. Normally, being late is a “bad thing,” you know.


Nazuna: Um. Mitsuru-chin, I told you we’d be practicing somewhere else today, right? Did you forget your smartphone today?

Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on the “school SNS”?


Mitsuru: Sorry, sorry, I don’t look at my phone at all most of the time! If I want to talk to someone, it’s faster if I dash away to meet them ☆


Tomoya: No, normally it’s faster to communicate by phone.


Mitsuru: Ahaha! Tomo-chan, you say “normally” a lot for someone who hates being called normal! You’re so funny~☆


Nazuna: Nn~, it’s probably because he’s just that self-conscious about it.... I tend to overreact to the word “cute,” so I understand.

Well, anyway, Mitsuru-chin, sit down for a second. There’s something I need to tell you before we start the lesson.


Mitsuru: ? I’m confused, but ok! I’ll sit down, sit down~♪


Tomoya: Mitsuru, don’t repeat yourself. It makes you look stupid.


Hajime: Fufu, I think it’s fine. It’s childish and cute....♪


Mitsuru: That’s right, Tomo-chan, you complain a little too much! You’re so cheeky! I’m more superior than you, you know!


Tomoya: Wait, what makes you superior to me!?


Mitsuru: Wahaha! In the natural world, the bigger guys are stronger and superior!


Tomoya: But we’re the same height? Oh, but have you grown a bit lately...?


Nazuna: Hey, come on... Zip it and sit down. We aren’t getting anywhere.


Mitsuru: Wah? Sorry, Nii~chan?


Nazuna: No, you don’t need to apologize. It’s good that you’re full of energy.

Anyway, come a little closer... Can you check this out?


Mitsuru: ? What’s this? A safe?


Nazuna: Yup. The truth is~.... This morning, I got this from my classmate, Leo-chin, but.


Mitsuru: Leo-chin? Who’s that, I’ve never heard of him~?


Hajime: Ah, I might know him.

Whenever I’m on the roof practicing my singing while hanging up laundry, he comes up out of nowhere and starts doodling.


Nazuna: Ah~.... He used to do the same thing to me too. I think he’s probably composing music, not doodling.

Leo-chin is a well-known composer, after all.

His songs are often playing throughout town, too; I think you guys have heard them before.

Like the song that was playing at the side-dish corner at the supermarket a little while back.

♪~♪~♪

...Like that. Sound familiar?


Mitsuru: Ah, I’ve heard that before! Huh, so this “Leo-chin” person composed it?


Nazuna: Yup, probably. His music has a distinct sound, so.... He doesn’t tend to attach his name to his music; if he does, it’s usually a pseudonym, so I can’t say for sure, but.

Anyway, he asked me to do him a bit of a favor.

[Judgement].... I guess you guys wouldn’t know about that.

I’m going to be a helper in a live that he’s planning. Just me, as an individual.


Mitsuru: Eh, just you, Nii~chan? No fair!

We wanna sing on stage too! All our jobs lately have been small, I’m getting stressed!


Nazuna: Yeah. I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault I can’t bring back bigger jobs.


Tomoya: It’s not your fault, Nii~chan.... It just means we’re a weak “unit” that’s not widely recognized, right?


Nazuna: No need to talk us down like that. You’re working hard, and it's paying off, too.

But the whole school is really active lately~; we’re all competing for jobs, so there aren’t as many opportunities left for us.

In any case, I think it’s better to keep you guys out of [Judgement], considering what it’s about....

That’s why I want you guys to be patient, and stay away.

It’s an unsightly internal conflict between a bunch of guys who have been dragging out their relationships from last year, after all.

So Leo-chin gave me this safe as a reward, as a thank-you for participating in [Judgement].

He said we could use its contents however we want.


Mitsuru: ? So what’s the problem? Oh, will the safe not open?

You should broil the corner with fire, or strike it with a hammer!


Tomoya: I think you’re talking about how to open a stuck jar?


Nazuna: No. I know the safe code, and it opens. The problem is—.

Here, look inside the safe.


Mitsuru: What’s this?

Woah, there are wads of bills in here! Eh, is this real money...?


Nazuna: Yeah. I don’t understand, but there’s a ton of money inside.

...Wh-what should we do? This isn’t dirty money, right?

Prologue << | index | >> Rabbits and Horns - 2