Music of the Night

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Meanwhile in Cherryton Academy, a certain harlequin rabbit was in a study group with her friends, Riley the black cat and Tanya the raccoon. Both of them were concern with Mizuchi's hasty demeanour.

"Did something happen, Mizuchi?" asked Riley, who was typing on her calculator. "Between you and him?"

"Obviously," Mizuchi snapped irritably while she scrolled through her phone. "How dare he! There's no way I'm going back to him after he pulled a stunt like that?"

"What stunt?" Tanya asked with hesitation in her voice. Anything could set this black and white rabbit off despite the fact that both her and Riley are supposedly carnivores despite the fact she has eaten berries and nuts.

Mizuchi sighed, not sure if she wanted to tell them. Because the both of them weren't too familiar with Arthur as much as her. Then again, they are her friends and there are times when Mizuchi doubted their loyalty to her.

"Mizuchi," Tanya placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "Please...you can tell us anything. We won't judge what happened."

"You have no idea," the harlequin rabbit murmured.

"It's that bat, isn't it?" Riley deducted, her cat eyes slanted. "You've been seeing him lately."

"Mizuchi, is it true?" Tanya prompted which made the harlequin rabbit nodded hesitantly. She was bracing for her friends to reprimand her and make her cut off ties with him but both of them were confused.

"So what does he have that your ex doesn't?"

Mizuchi blinked in surprise. Was this really what she heard? She stared at her friends who nodded, encouraging her to tell them about her interaction with Arthur.

"Okay, I'll tell you," Mizuchi looked around to see if anyone is hearing their conversation. "But if you ever breathe a word about me and him, I will claw you. I may be a rabbit but these claws are effective and I can bite."

Both Riley and Tanya promised so the three of them huddled together to listen to Mizuchi's relationship with Arthur. They never knew she was so fond of him and even exchanged gifts with each other. Or the fact that Mizuchi went to the motivational seminar that was hosted by one of the professors of Manticore University, which was Arthur's father.

"I don't know if..." Mizuchi began. "No, I'm not sure if it's possible. I'm a rabbit and he's a bat. I don't know if he feels the same way."

Riley purred softly to comfort her. "Hey, whatever it is I hope he can hear it out. Come on, let's discuss about the other schools coming to compete here. I heard the all boys school called Gryphon Cross is coming. I hope they have a handsome cat in there~"

"I thought cats hate water?"

"Shut up! I like to look at swimmers, okay?"

"Just kidding! Come on, let's see the gossip about that actor of that old show Horsin' Around. I heard he's been having another episode with vodka."

Mizuchi shook her head and listened to her friends talked. She will call Arthur later but for now she wants to hang out with her friends.

She hoped that Arthur knows how much she really cares about him.

...

Arthur opened his mouth to check and estimate the number of animals that the Shishigumi was facing. His ears automatically drooped and he wished his wings were large enough to protect him.

He could hear and feel so many of them!

"Stay close to me," he heard Agata murmur under his breath. "If anything, don't stray away and the boss will protect you. He's kinda fond of you."

Arthur was not convince now that he is stuck in this situation. First the Shishigumi with Bill and now this!

"Well, well," a voice growled that sounded male. "You decided to have a herbivore for a boss and use that thing as a peace offering?"

"Hey! That 'thing' is the boss' ally," Arthur heard one of the lions countered. He huddled close to where Agata was standing. Out of all the lions, he could trust the Congo lion since he knows this war more than him.

"He's kinda small," a female voice commented. It sounded so smooth and silky. "What's wrong with his eyes?"

"I'm blind," Arthur announced, risking the fact that he might as well seasoned himself for a tasty soup. "Please, don't hurt them."

"Now this is interesting!" Arthur's heart dropped when he heard the hissing voice that was assumed to be behind a mask. His ears picked up the sound of a tail thumped to the ground. "You would rather protect these pride of lions and their young boss?"

"I..." Arthur began. "I don't know...I do but after this whole war you all are having? It's a winner takes all sort of thing, right?"

He felt someone nudging him from the back to stop. So the Honduran white bat closed his mouth and tried to think of something to distract his mind from the fact that he is caught in Day of Depravity.

"Tell you what, Shishigumi," the first voice Arthur picked up purred. "We will stop this war if we have our time with him. Shall we say around two hours or so?"

Arthur almost fell back with his fur shedding. What does he meant by having their time with him?! It can't be-

"That does sound like a good idea," the hissing voice agreed. "It would be such a privilege to try him out. I hope he has the energy for the session we have in mind.

Arthur gulped when he heard murmurings and even snickering. What are they implying?

"Aww, so young and vulnerable," the sultry feminine voice cooed at him. He felt disturbed when a hand was running down his cheek to his chest. "Though I've never handled a blind animal before."

The poor Honduran white bat was shaking badly but he had his ears up and face forward at the source of the sounds around him. There was something he must ask before consenting to this sort of thing.

"Um, if I may ask," Arthur spoke up. "Could you please tell me what is the time now? I know it sounds rude but I can't tell what is the time from where I left off before here."

"Heh, a goodie goodie," he heard one of those voices commented in amusement. "It's seven o'clock on the dot, kid. Use your time wisely on us."

Arthur almost fainted before he was caught. His ears flicked from the whispery voice of the red deer.

"Arthur, listen to me carefully. There is a reason why I brought you into this. It may seemed like what you think it is but it's not. Go along with the plan and I am letting Agata follow you as your aid. Don't worry, it's an hour before curfew."

'Easy for you to say!' Arthur thought indignantly. 'But if this means me getting back in time and attending class along with meeting Mizuchi and Aoba, then I will bear with it. Rage, rage against the dying of the light....'

"Okay," Arthur gave a nervous toothy smile. "I will do it."

With that, he was whisked away with a drag on his wing towards the first group he will have to entertain with Agata by his side as his eyes.

He hoped no one in Cherryton recognised him here besides Louis.