I Think We Picked Up a Strange Rabbit
Dorothy was walking all around the house, holding the basket with the baby rabbit.
She showed the rabbit to Lizzy, then went back to the bed and put the basket down, talking a lot.
Then, for some reason, she picked it up again and walked around the house, giving a tour.
“This is the kitchen, this is the floor, this is the wall…”
It was hard to understand why she was explaining these things.
But if you listened carefully, it sounded like—
The rabbit had become the youngest member of the family.
At first, she called it “rabbit,” but now she was using a different name.
Juhwan wasn’t sure if it was a name Dorothy made up or just a word he hadn’t learned yet.
Either way, the baby rabbit now had a new identity.
“That rabbit… I don’t think we’ll ever be able to eat it.”
Juhwan smiled as he looked at the spotted brown rabbit and Dorothy running toward him.
Dorothy was smiling brightly.
It seemed like she had already forgotten how sad she was yesterday.
After eating meat and seeing the baby rabbit move, everything was fine again.
That was a relief.
Juhwan had been worried she might cry all day again.
Dorothy ran up and shouted:
“Dad! The rabbit is Dorothy’s baby!”
Juhwan looked at Lizzy, confused.
Lizzy came closer with a wet cloth, thinking about how to explain.
After a moment, she pointed at her stomach and said shyly:
“Baby.”
Then she pointed at Dorothy, then her stomach again.
She repeated it a few times.
Juhwan understood.
“Oh my god…”
He muttered without thinking.
His mind went blank.
He stared at Lizzy’s stomach.
Could it be…?
That small, thin body…
But… it made sense.
They had been doing everything.
It could happen.
Juhwan slowly knelt down and gently touched her stomach.
Very carefully.
As if afraid to apply any pressure.
Dorothy suddenly shouted loudly:
“Really?!”
Lizzy shook her head quickly.
“No, no! Not a baby! It’s just a word!”
“…”
Juhwan stayed on his knees, leaning forward.
It felt like someone had thrown him high into the sky—
And then slammed him back down.
He didn’t know if he felt relieved or disappointed.
His thoughts were a mess.
He had decided to leave having children to fate.
They didn’t know how to prevent it anyway.
And honestly—
He did want a bigger family.
But still—
“Not now…”
He wanted to wait.
Until their situation became better.
He wanted more time with Dorothy.
To give her all the love she hadn’t received before.
Even if she had siblings later—
There are things only an only child can have.
He wanted her to have that time.
But—
Now that it wasn’t true—
He felt strangely disappointed.
“I’m an idiot…”
Lizzy had just been explaining a word.
But he misunderstood.
Lizzy knelt beside him and gently wiped his forehead and neck with the wet cloth.
She had meant to wipe his sweat—
But now she was wiping cold sweat instead.
Some of it felt like embarrassment.
Juhwan felt a little ashamed.
Dorothy, watching this, raised her hand excitedly.
“Mom! Dorothy too!”
She waved her hand.
The basket shook.
The baby rabbit almost fell.
Juhwan quickly reached out and caught it.
Children’s attention changed quickly.
Dorothy moved from one thing to another without warning.
Watching her made people nervous—
But she didn’t notice at all.
Juhwan thought:
“Taking care of a child all day might be harder than hunting.”
But Lizzy seemed fine.
Meanwhile, Juhwan felt completely drained.
Still—
Looking at Lizzy smiling—
He thought she might be stronger than she looked.
He turned toward Dorothy.
She started wiping his forehead with the cloth.
Very enthusiastically.
But instead of wiping—
It felt like scrubbing.
It almost hurt.
Dorothy asked brightly:
“Dad, do you like it?”
“…Yeah.”
“Dorothy likes Dad too. Very, very much.”
“…”
Lizzy laughed softly beside them.
The meaning had changed somewhere along the way.
The baby rabbit sat on the floor, looking around with wide black eyes.
Its injuries had mostly healed.
But it still couldn’t jump properly.
Dorothy kept wiping the same spot on Juhwan’s forehead.
Even while saying, “It’s hard,” she didn’t stop.
Juhwan sighed and used healing magic on the rabbit.
Before, he could see wounds healing clearly.
Now, it felt more like healing inside.
Then Dorothy suddenly said:
“Dad! The baby rabbit has horns. It’s cute.”
“?”
Juhwan looked at Lizzy.
She tilted her head and made a horn shape with her fingers.
“Horns?”
“Yes, horns! On the baby rabbit’s head! Here!”
Dorothy dropped the cloth and pointed at the rabbit’s head.
Between the ears, slightly forward.
At first glance—
There was nothing but soft fur.
Juhwan thought:
“Rabbits don’t have horns…”
Still, he placed his hand on its head.
At first, he felt nothing.
But when he rubbed it carefully—
He felt something.
A small bump.
Not round—
But pointed.
Like a horn.
“…”
Juhwan stared silently.
“What do we do…?”
“I think we picked up something strange.”
Juhwan thought about throwing the rabbit away—
Or keeping it outside.
But both Dorothy and Lizzy strongly refused.
They had already grown attached.
To Juhwan, it didn’t seem dangerous.
But still—
Was it really okay?
From the outside, it looked like a normal rabbit.
Its teeth and body were normal too.
Only the horn-like bump was different.
Its personality was gentle.
After being held and fed for days, it even leaned toward Dorothy like it was spoiled.
Maybe it really was just a normal rabbit.
Just… with a strange skull.
Juhwan thought of Gus.
He would know what this was.
But Gus still hadn’t returned.
It had already been five days.
“With that injured leg…”
Juhwan felt a little worried.
Still, Gus was more experienced in the mountains.
He should be fine.
Maybe later—
When Juhwan understood more about magic—
He could try healing Gus’s leg.
He smiled slightly.
“He probably already knows I can use healing magic…”
Gus was too sharp not to notice.
If he could help him—
That would be good.
“It would be nice if Dorothy had someone she could trust.”
Someone like a grandfather.
Someone like family.
Juhwan started building a fence around the house.
Sharpening bamboo and placing it carefully.
After working for a while—
Dorothy came carrying water.
When she first picked it up, it must have been full.
But now, it was less than half.
Her hands were wet.
It was obvious what happened.
“Thank you, Dorothy.”
“Yes!”
Juhwan patted her head and drank.
When he returned the cup—
Dorothy drank the remaining drops.
Even though there was plenty of water.
Children were hard to understand sometimes.
“It’s delicious!”
She smiled brightly and ran back inside.
Juhwan thought:
“Maybe I should look for honey tomorrow.”
Honey was rare.
If he found some—
Dorothy and Lizzy would be happy.
Maybe it could even be sold.
“Let’s try.”
He even thought about raising bees.
His grandfather used to do it.
While working, he practiced magic.
He tried making wood burn from the inside—
Without visible flames.
So others wouldn’t notice.
At first, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The wood turned red like fire.
Perfect.
He quickly poured water on it.
It turned into charcoal.
After checking carefully, he went back to work.
Time passed.
The sun began to lower.
Dorothy ran out of the house, smiling brightly.
“Dad! Come eat! Rabbit meat!”
Juhwan walked toward her.
She jumped excitedly.
He quickly lifted her up.
She laughed loudly.
He carried her under his arm as she wiggled happily.
Just as he was about to enter—
He stopped.
He heard something.
A faint sound.
Birds.
Far away.
He looked up.
Very far in the sky—
Birds were circling.
Tiny dots.
“That’s strange…”
He had never seen that before.
Something felt off.
Then Dorothy shook him.
“Dad! Dad! Meat! Meat!”
Juhwan looked at the sky for a moment longer—
Then turned back.