Chapter 10: Return Home

We arrived at Professor Santototo’s office.
It was surprisingly spacious for a personal office.

“You’re here, carrot.”
“You’ve arrived, burdock.”

Two rabbits sitting on a sofa in the center of the room greeted us.

Twins, maybe?
They looked identical.
But I could tell which was Professor Santototo right away.

The one in a suit, munching on a carrot, had to be her.

“Oh, this is my younger sibling, Instructor Forestototo. Like me, they’re in charge of Class 3, so say hi.”

Professor Santototo introduced the other rabbit.
So that’s who they were—an instructor.

Instructor Forestototo stood and introduced themselves.

“I was going to formally greet you tomorrow, but here we are. Nice to meet you. I’m Instructor Forestototo, or Forestoto for short. Burdock.”

Forestoto offered a handshake.
When I took their hand, they started kneading it eagerly.

“Heh, nice soft hands.”
“…”

Something about the hand-rubbing felt pervy.
But it didn’t bother me much.
Forestoto’s a cute animal, after all.

After the handshake, Forestoto returned to their seat.

Seo Ieung piped up.

“Hey, no handshake for me?”
“No interest in shaking hands with girls. Burdock.”
“Crazy rabbit.”
“Mind your manners with an instructor.”

Wait, is Forestoto female?
That explains the slightly ulterior motive in the handshake.
Not that it matters—they’re just an animal.

“Ahem. Both of you, sit. Carrot.”

Seo Ieung and I sat on the sofa across from Professor Santototo.

“Let’s get to the point. You know why we called you, right?”

Santototo propped their chin on the table, staring at us intently.

I could guess why.
It’s probably about us defeating the dungeon boss.
No other reason to summon us.

“Because we beat the boss?”

Seo Ieung answered.

Santototo sighed deeply and hopped onto the table.

“You think we’d call you here for something that trivial? Carrot.”
“Then why’d you call us?”
“For a very important reason.”
“What reason?”

Hop.
This time, Forestoto jumped onto the table.

Both rabbits, with grave expressions, stared at me and shouted in unison.

“Kang Hawi! Show us! Carrot!”
“Kang Hawi! Show us! Burd… no, burdock!”

“Show you what?”

I answered, confused.
What did they want to see?

“Carrot! Your angel form! We want to see it in person!”
“Burdock! It was too blurry on the screen!”

“…Why do you want to see it?”

“Well, uh…”
“Um…”

The rabbits faltered, eyes darting, then stammered.

“As professors, we have a duty to check our students’ transformations!”
“Exactly! I, as an instructor, have that duty too!”

Seo Ieung narrowed her eyes and asked.

“Why not ask to see my transformation?”
“Burdock! A girl’s transformation is… urp!”

Santototo quickly covered Forestoto’s mouth.
Then flashed an awkward smile.

“We were going to ask you after seeing Kang Hawi’s angel form. Carrot!”
“Oh, really?”

Seo Ieung snorted.
She clearly thought they were lying.

I agreed.
Their faces screamed deception.

Whatever their reason.
I can’t transform now.
Angel mode is once a day.

“Sorry, I can only transform once a day, so I can’t right now.”

I told the truth.
Santototo and Forestoto froze, shocked.

“What…! This is outrageous…!”
“No way… I was so excited…”

“Then at least take off your shirt! I want to see those abs up close!”
“Burdock! Strip! Strip!”

Their true intentions spilled out.
As expected.
They just wanted to see me shirtless.
Why are these rabbits so obsessed with guys’ bodies?

Definitely not normal.

I didn’t take off my shirt.
When Seo Ieung pulled out her phone to report them, the rabbits immediately bowed and apologized.

I made a deal with them.
I’d show my angel form tomorrow.
They looked like they’d cry if I didn’t.

“Carrot! Thank you!”
“Burdock! You better show us tomorrow!”

Having these pervy rabbits as our professor and instructor felt like a dark omen.

“But you haven’t mentioned the boss thing. Isn’t that a big deal?”

Seo Ieung asked, sipping tea.
Santototo tilted their head.

“Huh? Why bring that up? It’s just an F-rank boss.”
“Even if it was a demon boss? That’s not something a freshman can handle alone.”

“First Academy kids take them down easily. Even freshmen.”
“Comparing us to them is unfair… That’s where the world’s elite gather.”

While Seo Ieung talked with Santototo, I called out to Forestoto.

“Instructor.”
“Burdock?”

Forestoto, lounging on my lap, perked up their ears.

“I have a question.”
“Ask away. I’m smart, I can answer anything. Burdock.”

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much.
I doubted they’d know what I wanted.

My question was about angels.
Information not even online.
I didn’t think Forestoto would know.

Still, might as well ask.
They’re an educator.
If a student can’t ask their teacher, who can they ask?

“Do you know anything about angels?”
“Know? I’ve met one before.”

An unexpected answer.
They’d met an angel?

“Someone else who can transform into an angel? Or a real one?”
“A real one, an actual angel.”

My expectations shifted.
If they’d met a real angel, I might get the answers I need.

I bombarded Forestoto with questions.
Not for free, though.
Each question required petting their butt once.

Here’s how it went:

First question.
When did you meet the angel?

“Hmm, when was it… About 500 years ago, I think. Burdock.”

Second question.
Where and how did you meet them?

“In the world I used to live in, before becoming a dungeon monster. Met by chance.”

Third question.
Is there a way to meet that angel again?

“Nope. No way to contact them, and the angel race went extinct long ago. Also, why aren’t you petting my butt? Do it.”

Fourth question.
Why did the angels go extinct?

“Long ago, there was a war between angels and demons. The angels lost. I don’t think any survived. Not sure, though.”

Finally, the question I was most curious about.
Do angels have special strength against demons?

“Burdock? Never heard of angels having that ability. If they did, they wouldn’t have lost the war.”

The answers left me a bit confused.
Then what was that power I used earlier?
Am I a special case?

As I pondered.

“No, there were angels unusually strong against demons. Carrot.”

Santototo chimed in.

“Burdock? First I’m hearing of this.”
“Your memory’s terrible, Forestoto. Carrot.”

Santototo clicked their tongue and turned to me.

“Kang Hawi, want to hear about angels strong against demons?”
“Yes.”
“Heh, show me your angel form tomorrow, and I’ll tell you.”

I stared at Santototo, dumbfounded.

“Oh, and do you know the Zero Two dance? Do that in angel form, and I’ll tell you.”

Another condition.
What a crazy pervy rabbit.

I set my teacup down.
Pushed Forestoto off my lap and stood.

“Forget it. I don’t need to know.”

I decided not to bother.
It was just curiosity.
Not vital information worth dancing for.

Seo Ieung and I said our goodbyes to the professor and instructor.

“Kang Hawi, let’s get out of here. These rabbits are… kind of crazy.”
“Yeah.”

Whispering, we hurried toward the door.

“Sis.”
“What?”
“If Kang Hawi doesn’t show his angel form tomorrow, you’re responsible.”
“…”

Leaving the rabbits’ oddly normal voices behind, we quickly exited the office.

*

During the remaining time.
We briefly toured other training facilities.

As time passed.
The warm, yellow sunset bathed the earth.

We freshmen gathered back in the classroom.
Listened to tomorrow’s schedule and wrapped up the first day at the Academy.

After a short but long day.
Avoiding girls trying to talk to me, I took a quiet route home.

“Nya, nya…!”

In an alley, I met a cat.

Fluffy fur.
Captivating light brown eyes.
Features rivaling a beautiful girl.
The most stunning and adorable cat I’d ever seen.

‘Wow… How’s a cat this pretty…?’

First time I’d been this awestruck by a cat.

As I stared, mesmerized.
The cat locked eyes with me, hesitated, then slowly approached.

“Nya, nyaoong…!”

Why’s its meow so awkward?
Like a human mimicking a cat.

“Nya…”

It was already at my feet.
Twisting its body, circling me.

Another lap cat?
I crouched down and cautiously petted its head.
No resistance.

“Nyaaaang…”

Its face turned bright red.
Does it have a fever?

“Nyaoong…”

Its trembling voice suggested it wasn’t well.

‘Not eating enough? It doesn’t look like a stray… Maybe it was abandoned?’

Worried, I watched it.

“Oh, so cute!”

A woman suddenly approached.
A stranger, of course.

She crouched beside me, smiling with fox-like eyes.

“What’s its name?”

It’s not my cat.

Avoiding her gaze, head lowered, I struggled to answer.

“KYAAAAK!!!”

The cat bristled, hissing fiercely at her.

“What’s wrong with it?”
“KYAAAAAK!!!”

The startled woman stood and backed away.

“Guess it really hates anyone but its owner…”
“KYAAAAAAAK!!!”

The cat kept threatening her.
The woman glanced between me and the cat, scratched her head awkwardly, bowed, and left.

“Nyaoong!”

Proud of its victory?
It wore a triumphant expression.
What a peculiar cat.

But it helped.
It got me out of a tough spot.
Unintentionally, probably.

“Nyaooong!”

The cat watched the woman’s retreating figure.

Once she was gone.
It leapt over a wall and vanished without a goodbye.

‘Ah, I wanted to pet it more.’

Disappointing, but I’d probably see it again in this alley.

I’d bring a treat next time, I thought, and headed home.

Title for Chapter 10: Rabbits, Revelations, and a Mysterious Cat