TRFL 02

Chapter : 2 

The moment he approached the exit door──suddenly, from the edge of his vision, a black ponytail flickered and swayed, and the boy’s body was wrapped in a soft shadow.

A girl, breathing heavily, knelt down in front of him with her arms wide open, as if waiting for him.

Her gaze caught the boy.

She radiated a calm yet strong brilliance, as if she had stepped right out of a story.

“…Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”

Her voice softly cut through the noise around them, and the boy’s rabbit ears twitched in response.

His forelegs, which had been about to run, froze. His heart began pounding again──Who… is this girl?

Her name would later be known to him: the class committee chair, Akari Sato (佐藤あかり).

Her hands scooped up his body, the warmth of her palms covering his silvery fur.

A faint tremble in her fingertips revealed her resolve to treat what she must protect with care, as she gently supported him.

──Eh… these hands… they’re so gentle…

The boy looked up at her face.

Her expression mixed worry and determination, her cheeks faintly tinted pink.

Her usually tight lips softened slightly into a reassuring smile meant to calm him.

But deep within it, there was a hint of sharpness—like embarrassment she was trying to hide.

“What are you doing, turning into a rabbit in a place like this…? If the others catch you, it’ll be a disaster. Come on, stay still.”

Her voice was low and gentle, almost whispering.

The words she had just spoken—“I’ll protect you”—already sounded slightly embarrassed.

But her hands never let go, pressing his body against her chest, where he could feel her heartbeat through the fabric.

Shouts from students came rushing from behind.

“Where did he go!?”

“Maybe that exit!”

Akari turned the corner of the hallway and hurried down the stairs.

In the process, her arms naturally shifted to hold his small body more firmly.

──Ah, wait…!

His body jolted.

Her fingertips had lightly touched the base of his tail──the most sensitive part of the Lunar Rabbitfolk.

A sensation like electricity ran beneath his fur, and his body trembled with heat.

“Hyah…!”

A small voice echoed pitifully through the hallway, and tears welled in his eyes.

Akari suddenly stopped.

She looked down at the boy she was still carrying.

“W-What was that sound!? Don’t make weird noises, you stupid rabbit! We’re in the middle of running away, so stay quiet!”

Her sharp retort seemed like it was hiding her embarrassment, and her fingers left his tail, instead gently stroking his back.

The boy curled up in embarrassment.

As they hurried down the stairs again, their breathing overlapped, mixing softly with the hallway air.

In Akari’s arms, his small tail was still trembling.

The boy had a gut feeling this encounter would not end as a simple escape.

Finally reaching the infirmary at the edge of the school building, Akari, breathing heavily, carried him in one hand while using the other to open the door.

Inside was quiet. White curtains filtered the sunlight, and the scent of disinfectant greeted him.

She closed the door, sat down on the edge of the bed, and placed him on her lap.

“Haah… we managed to escape. You know, running around like that in this form is just asking for trouble. Of course everyone would chase you.”

She frowned and puffed her cheeks, but soon her expression softened, and her fingers stroked his ears.

In the quiet air of the infirmary, their breathing blended together, as if a new page of their story was being turned.

Akari withdrew her hand and looked at the boy trying to sit up on her lap.

Her gaze narrowed slightly, and her sense of responsibility as class representative surfaced.

“So? How do you turn back? You must have something like a manual for reverting rabbit transformation or something, right? Hurry up and explain.”

──How do I…?

Silence filled the room, the white curtains swaying slightly as the scent of disinfectant tickled his nose.

His heartbeat echoed in his ears.

“…You won’t get mad?”

His voice trembled softly, fragile like a rabbit drifting in the wind.

Akari’s eyebrow twitched.

“Hah? What’s that supposed to mean? Why would I get mad? You’re the one dragging me into all this chaos. The faster you turn back, the better. The others are probably still searching the auditorium. I need to clean this up as class committee chair.”

The boy bit his lip, hesitated, then steadied his breathing and looked up at Akari.

“…A kiss from the opposite sex… turns me back.”

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Her face turned pink again.

Her raised eyebrows trembled slightly, while faint student noise echoed from far outside the infirmary door.

The question of how this secret would change the distance between them──the boy’s heart refused to calm down.