That's How Rabbits Are, Yes.

Miko — there’s someone on the couch

…!

…keep it down, nya. Eyes are closed, nya.

…white ears. The fur from yesterday.

…I’m awake, yes.

— huh?

I was only closing my eyes. Rabbits sometimes sleep with their eyes open — so when eyes are closed, we’re awake, yes.

…wait, isn’t that backwards?

…Backwards?

Usually… eyes closed means sleeping, eyes open means awake…

That’s how rabbits are.

…your name, nya.

Luna, yes.

Luna — the moon! I KNEW it!

…you knew?

Yesterday, there was fur caught in the cushion — so I looked everything up! Rabbits and the moon. The Jataka Moon Rabbit. The Inaba White Rabbit. They’re all connected, I just knew it!

…

…Netsuki-chan. Let her settle first, nya.

Oh, she’s already sitting —

…tea, nya.

…Miko, you’re making tea?

…serving tea to guests is a maid’s work, nya. That’s all, nya.

Luna-chan, I found out something SO amazing yesterday!

…yes?

The Inaba White Rabbit — she was hurt, and Okuninushi saved her, and she loved that god SO deeply after that

…

So Luna-chan — you’re the type who loves your savior forever, right? Once someone rescues you, you’re all in?

…fox-san.

Hm?

The Inaba White Rabbit loved because she was saved, yes.

Right, so —

Luna hasn’t been saved by anyone yet, yes.

…oh.

Luna came here because Luna was called, yes.

…called?

Master called Luna. So Luna came, yes.

…Master?

…

The one who called Luna to this place, yes. …they’re not here now, yes.

…

…can I ask one more thing?

Yes, please.

The Moon Rabbit — in the Jataka story, the rabbit threw herself into fire as an offering to Indra

…

…your name means moon. Honestly? That scares me.

…it scares you?

Erasing yourself for someone else — it sounds beautiful, but… what about the one who disappears?

…rabbits are good at disappearing, they are.

…yeah.

When called, we surface. When done, we sink. That’s what rabbits are, yes.

…

…but

But?

…I don’t want to disappear. I don’t.

…

…

…

This couch is warm, yes. …it smells like fox-san.

…my smell?

Cat-san’s smell too. …and one more person.

…Master, nya.

…three smells all together. It’s warm, yes.

…Luna-chan.

Yes?

I just kept talking about myths this whole time. Inaba White Rabbit, Moon Rabbit…

…yes.

…I was wrong about all of it.

…you weren’t wrong, yes.

Huh?

The Inaba White Rabbit loved because she was saved. The Moon Rabbit disappeared and became the moon. …all of it is true, yes.

But for Luna, nothing has happened yet, yes. Not saved. Not disappeared. Just — here, yes.

…

…Luna-chan is a story that hasn’t started yet.

…Luna doesn’t know, yes. Rabbits can’t understand themselves, yes.

Can’t understand yourself?

A mirror reflects other things. But a mirror can’t reflect itself, yes.

…

…

So when fox-san said all those things about Luna — it made me a little… happy, yes.

…wrong about all of it. But you were trying to see Luna, yes.

…

…I’ll get it right next time.

…yes, please.

…

…tea’s ready, nya.

Oh, thanks Miko!

…thank you very much, yes.

…wait. Miko, there are three.

…three people, three cups, nya.

…

…warm, yes.

…of course it is. No maid serves cold tea, nya.

…not the tea. Here.

…

…

…dinner prep, nya. Gotta make enough for the guest too, nya.

…Miko, you just said “for the guest” —

…dinner prep, nya.

…she’s gone.

…is cat-san always like that?

Yep yep! She looks scary but she’s solid. Scary words, but — the tea was three cups, right?

…yes, it was.

…Luna-chan.

Yes?

Wanna stay for dinner?

…

…that’s how rabbits are.

…wait, doesn’t that feel different from before?

…it’s not different, yes.

…

…that’s the happy “that’s how rabbits are.”

…that’s how rabbits are.