Chapter 98

Mizuchi was fuming at the sight of the buck in front of her. Why now? Why, after all this time?!

Deciding to be civil, she invited him to the lobby's lounge where the fashion show was taking place. She ordered the both of them some Bloody Marys from Riley, who was the best at making the simplest drinks taste divine.

"You look well," Genji spoke up from the music. Through the flashing lights and the repetitive music that emphasised the models in the background, Genji was looking more like a predator than prey. Mizuchi's stick-up ears were already straining to their maximum points.

When a rabbit's ears were erected for the whole day, it was a sign of annoyance and distress.

"Could say the same for you," Mizuchi remarked, sipping her cocktail. She wished for a stronger drink but her job was on the line. Unlike the last time she had seen him, Genji now sports a pudge in his stomach, whiskers longer than a feline's and his fur slightly matted. Curiously, she asked, "What have you been up to?"

"Mostly e-learning design at local universities," he answered, leaning back in his seat. "I get a cubicle for myself and can just download any AI software to write things up for me. Easy peasy."

Mizuchi sipped more of her drink, knowing how far was this buck going to go. "And you're here because..."

Genji's ears straightened up, mirroring hers. "I...I wanted to apologise for everything at Cherryton. And for the little guy..."

"So, you came all this way to apologise," she concluded, causing Genji to nod his head. Another sip, she replied, "I don't forgive you."

It took Genji a few minutes to process what Mizuchi had said as his smile slowly disappeared. "What? What do you mean you 'don't forgive me'? I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, I don't forgive you," Mizuchi's tone was finale.

"I feel guilty, came all this way and," Genji trailed off, his hands were gesturing wildly, "why couldn't you find it in your heart to forgive me? I did the community service, I left the bat alone and now you? All I want is forgiveness!"

The music was getting louder, the announcement for the next model was heard. Genji's expression was that of frustration and exasperation. She was so tempted to call for security but this was Genji.

She tapped her heeled foot once.

"Genji, no matter what kind of journey you went through or the self-help books you've been reading," Mizuchi began, ears already straining to stick up. "It's up to those that you've hurt to decide whether to forgive you or not. You've HAD your chance before we graduated from Cherryton but you didn't even bother. No, I don't forgive you, but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't wish you good luck to whatever you decide in the future."

The brown and white harlequin buck lets out a snort as he stood up from his seat. He leaned over the table until his whiskers brushed her cheek. "You've changed, Mizuchi. Never would have thought that you'd be a frigid ice queen."

"I never would have thought that you'd be more predator than any carnivore I know," she remarked. Genji was ready to rebuke when a security guard, a brown bear loomed behind him. "Is this buck bothering you, ma'am?"

"No, he was just leaving."

Once Genji stormed out of the hotel, Mizuchi immediately wiped away the incoming tears that began to ran down her cheek. She doesn't need sympathy for now because she had her fashion show to take care of.

With that, she decided to order herself a sour grapefruit juice with a side of spicy peanuts.

...

A few weeks after that encounter with Genji, Mizuchi was sketching out some potential designs that reflected her rage and frustration. No matter how many times she had build a life for herself, the past with Genji and the nagging tongue of her mother's still lingered through invisible strings.

At some point, she does have her mother's stubbornness and her defiance.

Whenever she had clients, she pushed aside all of her thoughts to focus on her customers. They love her designs and she made sure that the budget was affordable so that both the rich and poor could buy her clothes. Most mothers love coming here because she could mend any type of material and create cute clothes for their babies.

Speaking of which, a customer who was a mother crocodile wheeled a stroller with four babies inside. The harlequin rabbit will still be afraid of carnivores but will never turn them away since they too deserve the best clothes in the world.

Plus, it will give her a bit of inspiration.

Nonetheless, she hoped one day she would meet Arthur again. They lost contact when they chose their career paths. That blind Honduran white bat ironically opened her eyes to possibilities she had never considered.

She will not go gentle into that good night.

Speaking of which, Arthur's parents were her frequent customers because their bat-fox hybrid children were getting rambunctious as they grow.

Once she had dealt with her remaining customers, she closed her shop for the day to take a stroll at the park. Night was considered a dangerous hour for herbivores but with the glowing streetlamp and the livelihood of those that thrived during the dark, how could Mizuchi refuse to let this go to waste?

As if the Divines had listened to her, she heard the gentle sounds of a violin being played. The melody reminded her of a slow waltz at a gala with the master of the house that held so many secrets and yet, was so simple to understand.

Making her way to a gathered crowd, she peered over the gaps between a white cat and a scarlet macaw. She covered her mouth to muffle her gasps when she saw who was playing the beautiful melody.

It was none other than Arthur, her sweet Arthur.

The song became a crescendo, letting Mizuchi get lost into the music as she imagined herself in a waltz with him. However instead of a Vampyrum that would lick her neck before sinking his fangs into her delicate fur, he would simply offer her tea and nuzzle her affectionately.

In fact, there were some moments when she imagined herself carrying him since bats have very lightweight bones compared to most animals.

When the song ended, everyone applauded and Mizuchi took that as a signal to weave herself out of the crowd and into the Honduran white bat's range of hearing. Without even saying a word, he turned his direction to where she stood and smiled.

"Mizuchi...you're here..."

Without caring that the whole crowd saw them, she threw her arms around his fluffy neck. Her heart leaped with joy when she felt those leathery orange wings wrapped around her frame, enveloping her in a cocoon-like embrace.

"I missed you," she murmured softly into his ear, causing him to let out a shaky breath. His leaf-shaped nose was pressed against her shoulder as he began to kiss her softly. "I-I missed you too, darling."

"Darling," she echoed those words carefully. No one had ever called her darling before and she loved the way it sounded in his voice. "Arthur, I've been thinking about you."

"Me too. There was never a moment where you hadn't crossed my mind," said Arthur with tears welling up in his cloudy blue eyes. His expression became serious. "Mizuchi, it's been so long. Would you like to walk with me and have some tea?"

She giggled, cupping his cheek in her hand. "I'd love to. Before we go, I have to ask you something..."

"Yes?"

Taking both of his wings in her hands, she asked, "Would you come with me to the wound ritual ceremony? It is a ritual where carnivores and herbivores attend where the said carnivores had hurt them and gets a chance to purify their wounds."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Did I do something wrong? H-have I hurt you without knowing?"

Mizuchi laughed, bumping her pink nose with his leaf-shaped one. "Of course not, sweetie. But I have hurt you on your cheek when we first met. It would be the first time a herbivore will purify the wounds she has done on a carnivore."

It was Arthur's turn to laugh. "Mizuchi, that was years ago and I hardly felt it. But, if this is what you want, then let's go. It sounds like you are trying to propose me."

The harlequin rabbit blushed, clutching her chest that was ready to have her heart burst out. "S-so what if I am? You'd rather I bend on a knee to-"

He silenced her with a kiss, his tongue teasing her lips slightly. "I wouldn't have any other way."

With that, the both of them shared a kiss that caused a few outrages in public.





(Author's Note: I can't believe that the next chapter is going to be the FINAL chapter of this fanfic. I can never be more proud and touched by your support for this story. Without you, I wouldn't have reached this far and give yourselves a round of applause. Make sure you guys have something to eat and drink after reading this. Besides...we will see little feet in the next chapter ;)

Happy New Year, everyone!)