Suddenly, Kaya felt it—that heavy, burning gaze drilling into her back.
She turned around sharply…
And of course.
It was that damn snake.
He wasn't even blinking.
Just staring.
Unapologetically.
It wasn't the first time she caught him doing it, and every time, it left a strange chill crawling up her spine.
Something about these animals had unsettled her from the very first day she fell into this world.
They weren't just animals.
Not really.
The sparrow, the snake—both of them acted like they were watching her. Not with instinct. But with… awareness.
Like they understood her.
Completely.
Their eyes didn't just look at her.
They looked through her.
And that, somehow, was worse.
"Umm…"
Cutie finally opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. Kaya looked at him and spoke, her voice calm but serious.
"I just want to tell you one thing—never trust anyone."
It was something she had learned the hard way. After everything she'd gone through in life, this one truth stuck with her. No matter what happened, she believed it deeply: don't trust people.
Cutie looked at her, then asked softly, "But if we don't trust anyone, then what's the point of life?"
Kaya paused. She looked at him carefully.
She didn't know him well, but she'd already noticed how people treated him. The way they glared at him with annoyance, how some even rolled their eyes. No one smiled at him. No one really listened when he spoke. It didn't take a genius to see—people didn't like him. They ignored him.
Still… he said something like that.
How could he stay so positive?
Kaya shook her head slightly and said in a flat tone, "You can think whatever you want. But just remember—don't always trust the things that look beautiful."
Her eyes met his.
"Because the most dangerous things… are usually the prettiest."
After saying that, Kaya turned and walked out of the hut, her steps quiet but firm.
Cutie stayed still, his rabbit ears flicking slightly in the silence she left behind.
He stared at the closed door, lips parted but empty of words.
He had heard it in her voice—the exhaustion. The kind that wasn't from sleepless nights or aching muscles.
It was the kind that came from being disappointed one too many times.
He wanted to chase after her.
Wanted to tell her she wasn't wrong—but she wasn't completely right either.
There were people in the world who weren't cruel. Not all prey is dangerous.
Just because she had once bitten into something rotten…
Didn't mean sweetness didn't still exist.
---
"Hah…"
Outside, Kaya tilted her head back and sighed up at the sky.
It was blue. Mockingly blue.
She didn't know what she was doing. Not here, not anymore.
The world around her buzzed with life—people going about their routines like this was just any other afternoon.
But what pulled her attention again were those ears.
Those ridiculous, fuzzy rabbit ears.
No matter how many times she blinked or rubbed her eyes, they didn't vanish.
They twitched. They flopped. They existed.
Her gaze drifted over a man casually unloading firewood nearby, ears perched high like antennae.
She didn't know whether to laugh or scream.
And then—
"Hi!"
A sudden, overly cheerful voice cut through the air like a thrown pebble on glass.
She turned sharply.
Standing in front of her was a man, just slightly taller than her.
Sunlight caught the yellow tones in his tousled hair, and his slightly reddish eyes were wide with excitement.
He beamed like someone who had way too much time on his hands.
His skin was paler than Cutie's, but still held that same reddish-brown undertone.
He looked like he belonged here.
Kaya blinked.
The man didn't wait.
"Hey! How are you? Have you eaten? Want something to eat? Are you tired? Need a nap? Need help finding something?"
He fired off questions like a rapid-fire crossbow.
Kaya just stared at him, caught between confusion and alarm. She raised her hand, about to say Who are you?—but before the words could form—
Thwack.
"Ow!"
A light smack landed on his head from behind. Two more figures appeared—both men, both with the same red eyes.
Their hair was different shades of brown, one darker, one lighter, but their exasperated expressions were identical.
The one on the right crossed his arms. "Seriously? You just ran up to her without even introducing yourself?"
The one on the left gave him another gentle whack. "Have some manners, will you? She just got here."
The first guy pouted, rubbing the back of his head. "I was trying to be nice…"
Kaya, still processing everything, said nothing.
Because now it wasn't just the rabbit ears confusing her.
Instead, it was those dumb red eyes.
No—not red like when you've stayed up three nights in a row and your eyes start burning and bloodshot.
No, these were different. The pupils were red. Completely red.
Kaya stared, frozen for a long second.
So. The rabbit ears weren't enough. Now they had to throw in rabbit eyes too?
She almost laughed. Almost.
Seriously? Red eyes? Since when did all rabbits have red eyes?
The last time she saw a rabbit with red eyes, it was probably in a cage.
Why—why in the world did these grown men have them so casually?
She groaned softly, reached up, and pressed her fingers against her temple in frustration.
This had to be a joke. Some elaborate, poorly-timed prank.
But no one around was laughing—except maybe fate.
As she stood there trying to mentally reset her brain, the two men who had smacked the yellow-haired guy looked at her.
Then, as if on cue, they smiled—those awkward, guilt-tinged smiles you give when your friend just made a mess you now have to clean up.
"Hello," the one on the right said, a bit more formally this time. "My name is Yen."
He pointed to the man beside him. "This is my twin brother, Ran."
Ran gave a little half-bow, still eyeing her cautiously.