The Solitary Cat Meets A Rabbit

Would you rather have the ability to see into the past or the ability to see into the future?

If you chose the first option, I advise you to cast aside your curiosity.

And if you chose the power to peer into the distant future?

Stop being so damn cautious.

Well, the same could be said for myself since I… hmm… never mind. Even if I were to tell you something important, you probably wouldn’t understand since we’re fundamentally different.

If you took that as an insult, then go right ahead, but it won’t change the fact that you’re normal.

And I’m… “special.”

Yes.

I’m gifted.

***

Cherry blossom petals drifted down, the cold wind carrying their sweet fragrance across the vast backyard.

A pink petal gently landed on the forehead of a boy resting on a bench beneath the cherry blossom tree. He opened his eyes, the moonlight catching his blue gaze.

The white suit he wore looked rather expensive, although dirt stains diminished its appeal.

His appearance was also striking—except for his messy, uncombed black hair covered in pink petals.

A yawn slipped from his lips as he pushed himself off the bench, stretching when a voice suddenly broke the silence. Calm, yet cold.

“You’re like a sloth,” the feminine voice remarked. “Or should I say, a cat?”

The boy glanced to his right. “If I’m a cat, then does that make you a rabbit? You do kind of resemble one.”

A girl sat on a bench beside the one the boy had been sleeping on, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.

“A white rabbit with big black eyes,” the boy continued, a teasing grin tugging at his lips.

The girl in the red silk dress ignored the mildly offensive comment as she snapped her book shut.

“Why are you out here? Aren’t you a house cat?” she asked, a confident smirk playing on her face.

The boy’s smile widened slightly. Look at that confident expression, he thought before answering.

“Well, I’m a shy kitten, and since so many guests invaded my home, I ran away. I didn’t expect to find a 'lonely' rabbit out here.”

The girl’s eye twitched faintly, her grip tightening around her book.

“Aren’t cats solitary creatures? Always acting cool even though they’re dirty most of the time?”

The boy forced a smile. “They’re dirty because they hunt rabbits. But I suppose I was mistaken, I don’t see any cute rabbits around here, only an angry goblin.”

The girl clenched her teeth, a warm and gentle smile masking her fury. Did he really just call me a goblin?! Someone as beautiful as me?

“You—” Before she could finish, a servant called out from the distant mansion.

“Lady Flamegold!”

His voice carried across the yard as the girl let out a quiet sigh.

“I suppose it’s time for me to leave,” she murmured, rising to her feet.

Just then, she noticed something. Her lips curled into a prideful smirk.

She was taller than the boy. Not by much, but she was undeniably taller. Walking past him with an ever-present smile, she swept her hair back as the scent of roses drifted past his nose.

A sweet yet intoxicating fragrance.

The boy chuckled softly. She really was childish. She seemed to be his age—fourteen years old.

He was about to lie back down when she suddenly spun on her heel.

“Hey, tell me your name,” she demanded.

The boy didn’t turn to face her.

“No,” he replied simply.

Her cheeks flushed. Boys usually asked for her name first, but this time she had asked. Embarrassment burned within her, though a strangely pleasant warmth settled in her chest.

She pulled off her sleeved glove and tossed it at the back of the boy’s head.

“Ow.” He winced before turning around, spotting the white glove on the ground.

Normally, throwing a glove signified a duel—but since the girl was now extending her hand toward him, the gesture lost its meaning.

“Tell me your name,” she ordered again.

And the boy had no choice but to obey. The mark on her hand compelled him.

She was royalty.

The boy clicked his tongue before releasing a quiet sigh. Was she truly using her authority just to learn his name? He couldn’t comprehend it.

He gently took her hand, lowering his head until his lips brushed against it.

Her entire face turned crimson as she shut her eyes, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Yet she wasn’t the only one flustered—the boy felt heat creeping into his cheeks as he introduced himself.

“My name is Ariel. Just Ariel,” he said, lifting his head.

“I-I-I, M-My name is Rose!” the girl blurted, her mind spinning from the overwhelming warmth.

“D-Don’t you dare forget it!” she shouted, pulling her hand away before rushing toward the mansion, clutching her racing heart. Just what was wrong with her? Even she couldn’t understand.

And Ariel?

He stood there, watching her retreating figure before glancing at his the palm of his hand. He could still feel her warmth, even through his glove.

And that warmth slowly faded the farther she ran.

He lifted his gaze to the moon.

So, even rabbits can be royalty these days, huh.

The wind brushed against his face, carrying the sweet scent of spring as clouds drifted across the sky, blotting out the moonlight.

***

Five years later…

The sky was completely gray. Even though it was morning, the heavy clouds made it feel like night.

It had been five years since I first met the third princess of the Flamegold Kingdom—the rabbit who called me a cat, Rose Flamegold.

After turning seventeen, my adoptive parents told me to enroll in the most prestigious academy in the entire kingdom.

Rizé Academy.

I really didn’t want to come here. If only I had enough money to laze around whenever I pleased.

Well, maybe the future me will be rich. Or maybe he’ll look back at the present me and regret every decision.

What is he even talking about?

If that’s what you’re wondering, then keep wondering. Keep racking your brain and try to uncover what you’ll never find, even if you knew both the future and the past.

We are fundamentally different, after all.

You’re normal.

And me?

I’m gifted.