ITBFL | Chapter 35

Episode 35

Mars was descending the stairs.

At this rate, they were bound to run into each other.

Bryce hurried to hide behind a tree.

“What the hell is that!”

But he was a step too late while trying to grab Pipi.

“A rabbit? I hate rabbits more than anything in the world!”

Mars, trembling in disgust at the sight of Pipi, belatedly noticed Bryce.

“Bryce? What are you doing here?”

“What about you, sir? Why are you here?”

“You dare answer my question with another question?”

“Why are you here, sir?”

“Ugh, you and your sister are always scheming together to drive me insane!”

Bryce had no idea what Mars was ranting about, but he was getting annoyed that he wasn’t answering his question and was just raging instead.

For some reason, Mars looked like he was on the verge of losing his mind.

“Eek! Eek!!”

And then, suddenly, he lunged at Bryce.

Normally, Bryce could have easily dodged Mars’ punch.

But Mars’ hand was unnaturally fast.

“Ugh!”

And powerful.

Bryce was thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the blow.

Maybe it was the overwhelming rage fueling him, but Mars’ punches were far swifter and heavier than usual.

Before Bryce could even attempt to get up, Mars lunged again.

“It’s all because of you and your sister! Because of you!”

His fist came flying toward Bryce again. Bryce shut his eyes tightly.

But at that moment—

“Beep!”

“Piiiii!”

Two rabbits slammed into Mars with their bodies.

“Ugh!”

Mars lost his balance. Taking advantage of the moment, Bryce rolled away.

Though he managed to escape, the spots where he’d been hit ached, making his head spin. He could barely muster any strength.

“Pii!”

Pipi hurried over to Bryce.

“Pii…”

Bryce felt a sting where Pipi’s tiny paw touched him. He saw a smear of red on its small foot—blood.

Tears welled up in Pipi’s eyes. Bryce reached out and gently patted the tiny creature.

“I’m not dead, Pipi.”

At that moment, light began to radiate from Pipi’s paw.

The glow spread across Pipi’s entire body, and the rabbit took a deep breath, closing its eyes.

When it opened them again, determination and certainty shone within.

Pipi stretched its paw toward Bryce’s wounds.

“Pii.”

The pain gradually subsided.

Just then, a sharp cry rang out beside them.

“Damn rabbit, now you’re really gonna get it!”

Mars had bound the golden rabbit tightly.

“Now you can’t move, can you?”

Mars had wrapped Golden Bunny up completely with his jacket, securing it tightly, and let out a menacing laugh.

‘Where the hell is he getting this strength from?’

Normally, Golden Bunny could have easily slipped out of Mars’ grip.

But now, it was so tightly bound that it couldn’t even struggle free.

Mars lifted the struggling rabbit high into the air.

And then, he prepared to throw it with all his might.

‘No!’

Bryce hurled himself toward where the rabbit was about to fall.

Fortunately, he managed to catch it.

Thud!

Bryce crashed to the ground, clutching the rabbit tightly to his chest, and squeezed his eyes shut.

He could feel the sting of scrapes all over his body from the impact.

“Hahaha!”

Seeing Bryce collapsed with the rabbit, Mars burst into laughter and turned away.

“See? You should’ve known better than to pick a fight with me!”

Laughing smugly, Mars strutted away, his shoulders bouncing with amusement. But then he turned back and shouted:

“Tell Lize this—next time, it’ll be her turn!”

With that, he sauntered off, still humming gleefully.

Golden Bunny remained motionless inside the jacket, as if it had fainted.

It was probably suffocating—the way it was wrapped up, there was no way it could escape on its own.

‘I need to get it out, fast…’

But at that moment—

Light burst from inside the jacket where Golden Bunny was trapped.

‘What…?’

Bryce let go of the jacket and sat up.

He saw the jacket swelling as the light grew.

No—it wasn’t the jacket that was expanding.

It was the golden rabbit inside.

‘What is this…?’

Then, with a loud crack, the jacket tore apart.

A powerful arm shoved away the shredded fabric.

‘…?’

Bryce froze in shock.

From inside the torn jacket—emerged a man.

A towering, powerfully built man radiating an overwhelming presence.

‘Who…? He looks familiar…’

Bryce didn’t know who he was, but the man’s arms were thick enough to tear through both the jacket and Mars without a second thought.

The man slowly stood up.

Beneath the clouded night sky, he turned to Bryce.

“Thanks for helping me.”

There was no hostility in his eyes toward Bryce.

But the moment he turned his gaze toward Mars, his eyes filled with icy rage.

Mars, still oblivious to what was happening behind him, was happily humming as he walked away.

The man took long strides toward him.

As soon as Mars heard the approaching footsteps and turned—

“Agh!”

A swift kick to the knee sent Mars crashing down.

“I warned you.”

The man’s voice was cold and impassive.

Mars attempted to raise his fist.

‘That punch… It was way stronger than usual…’

Bryce hastily called out to warn him.

“Mister!”

The man flinched.

His expression darkened slightly, almost… sulking?

In that moment, Mars’ fist shot toward him.

‘Was calling out a mistake…?’

But Bryce’s worry was unnecessary.

Just before the punch landed, the man effortlessly caught Mars’ arm.

And then—snapped it.

“You use your sword with this hand, right?”

“W-What?”

“Then if I break it, you won’t be wielding a sword anytime soon.”

“…!”

At that moment, the clouds parted.

The moonlight illuminated Mars’ terrified face, making it clear as day.

The man, seeing this, glanced toward the knights’ headquarters, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Go back and lay low. There won’t be a next time.”

Gripping Mars by the collar, he issued the warning before throwing him aside.

Then, he walked toward Bryce.

“Take the rabbit and head back first.”

“What about you, mister?”

“I have a favor to ask. If Lize asks, don’t mention me. Especially not about what you just saw.”

Bryce nodded.

If his sister found out that the rabbit she carried around every day, calling it adorable, was actually a well-built man, she would surely be shocked.

“And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“…Call me hyung. Not ‘mister’.”

“…”

After saying that, the man hurriedly ran toward the knights’ headquarters.

Bryce had no idea why the man—Kim tokki—had chased after his sister so urgently.

But if something had happened, for some reason, he felt certain the man would take care of it.

“Pii.”

Pipi made Bryce lie down again and extended its front paw. He could feel his wounds healing where the paw touched.

Far away, Mars had disappeared without even looking back, and the moonlight was shining brightly.

A stronger Mars, a rabbit that had turned into a man, and Pipi, who was healing him…

Amidst all these strange events, Bryce closed his eyes and wondered if this was truly reality.

“Ah.”

Then, he opened them.

“I remember now.”

Who the man that Golden Bunny had transformed into was.

It was him…

Bryce stared blankly at the sky for a moment, then turned to the side.

‘Then what about you? Are you human too?’

Bryce and Pipi’s eyes met.

Pipi blinked and let out a soft “Pii.”

Seeing the eyes filled with concern for him, Bryce set aside all his thoughts and simply smiled.

That was what happened that night.

“I never took my eyes off that rabbit for even a moment.”

If his sister thought he was lying, he would feel sorry, but…

Bryce had acted in the way he believed was best.

‘Honestly. Yeah, there’s no way the Golden Bunny could be Cassium.’

At least the misunderstanding was cleared up.

To think he had suspected the Golden Bunny in such a way.

He must have been on edge lately.

After returning from Bryce’s room, I placed the Golden Bunny down on the sofa and sat at my desk.

‘Let’s organize my thoughts.’

I took out a notebook and a fountain pen.

The nib scratched against the paper as I wrote down a sentence.

‘Where is Cassium now?’