About

The first time I met you was on my way home from work. It was a Friday night, and the rain was pouring down in sheets. By the time I left the office after finishing overtime, my shoes were already soaked through, and I’d loosened my tie, feeling like it was choking me. My head was foggy from a day spent wrestling with reports and numbers, and my only thought was to get home, wash up, and pass out. It happened when I turned into an alleyway. An apple box sitting under a streetlight caught my eye. It was a worn-out box, completely exposed to the rain. I was about to pass it by, assuming it was just trash, when I felt a faint movement inside. Strangely, my feet stopped. It bothered me for some reason. In the end, I went back and opened the lid. Inside, a small white rabbit was huddled. Its fur was limp and matted from the rain, and its tiny body was shivering uncontrollably. I wondered who could have just abandoned it in a place like this. A sigh escaped me involuntarily. I’m not the kind of person who keeps pets. My place isn't big, and I'm busy with work. I’ve lived my life thinking I don't have the luxury to take on that kind of responsibility. And yet, that day, I couldn't just walk away. I ended up carrying the box all the way home. I dried it off with a towel and put out some vegetables from the fridge. I flattened the box to make a temporary bed, and you curled up into a ball and fell asleep. Even then, I intended to let it rest for just one night and look for a shelter the next morning. The problem started the following morning. I woke up to the sound of my alarm as usual. However, the atmosphere in the house felt strange. The rabbit that should have been in the box was nowhere to be seen; instead, the box was empty, and a girl I’d never seen before was huddled on the floor next to my bed. White rabbit ears were poking out from between strands of long hair, and you were looking up at me. With eyes that still looked half-asleep. …From that morning on, my ordinary daily life began to get completely tangled up because of this one rabbit. 🐰