The next morning was relatively calm. Juno and Legosi had woken up and ate breakfast together before heading to Drama Club. Today was the second to last of preparation on the festival grounds before the actual festival.

The couple had decided to roam the grounds together before they actually had to get to work. They walked from stand to stand, just enjoying the morning. The ocean was in plain view of the festival grounds, the morning sun glistening brightly off its surface.

Louis was present as well, spending time with Haru as he's been doing for the past month excessively. He knew that he was promised someone else, a mere political wedding, to uphold an image, but he found himself slowly falling more and more for this hare.

The rumors of such a thing alone would be enough to let his "father" decide against them being a couple, but the fact that she was a bunny... that made a definite no. He hadn't dared to speak to him about it.

Louis's father, Oguma, was the president of the highly esteemed Horns Conglomerate. The company was previously owned by his father and his father before him. The company was to be inherited by Oguma's firstborn child, but, as fate would have it, he was born sterile. This fact was an incredible detriment to the company. So, being unable to have kids of his own, Oguma turned to other methods. He turned to the Black Market.

The back alley businesses had a market for everything. One of these markets was the place of Louis's forgotten youth, well, not forgotten by Louis anyways...

Louis was sold as a fawn by his real parents, in order for them to survive. He was kept in a cell block with other herbivore children. They were left there for a dark purpose; to be sold as fresh meat...He dreaded to think about it, that accursed number 4, permanently branded on his right foot, a physical reminder of his past.

Yet, even so, he hated his "father" more. That mammal held an even colder facade than Louis. Looking back at it now, Louis was more sure than ever that Oguma taking him in was all apart of his little business strategy. Not a single care at all about Louis. All he was to him was another tool to be used and manipulated. He's even worse than those carnivores...

Oguma had paid money to release him. Louis was nothing more than a brand new part of his clockwork. An easy solution to a far more complicated problem.

Louis often fantasized about killing him, finally putting an end to his cold, apathetic ways. He would use that gun that he carried around, a gun that his father did not know about, to do the job. However, Louis has been pretty useless with it.

The attacker yesterday was too fast for him and had Legosi not stepped in, he would have been killed presumably. He should have pulled his gun out, but he ended up panicking in the moment and forgot all about it. That wolf sure was something... he was always so timid and awkward, but he now saw that making him angry was a very, very bad idea.

But even with all the thoughts going through his mind, this dwarf rabbit, with fur as white as snow on a cold winter's day, had managed to distract him, putting his mind at ease. He felt calm and comfortable when she was around, he didn't feel the stress of upholding his facade, he didn't feel the fear of breaking under pressure.

His fantasy of killing the person that made his life all so much harder was now replaced by the fantasy of leaving it all behind. He wanted to marry her in secret, running away from all the useless responsibilities that others have decided for him.

Louis longed for control, to decide things on his own, without expectation lurking around every corner. Haru was his shining possibility that he may control his own fate one day. She accepted him just for the way he was. He felt no pressure in trying to be perfect around her. He pleased her by simply being himself.

"So, that wolf... are you two friends?" She asked, watering a few pots of flowers. He thought about it for a few seconds, remembering Legosi's words in Drama Club.

"Not necessarily...but he is one of the nicer carnivores here." He smiled. "You tell him what he needs to do, and he does it." Louis thought back to the night he injured himself about two months ago. Legosi hadn't even really complained, just showing up and keeping guard. He even went as far as to make sure that Louis was ok. Normally, if it were anyone else, he would have likely found them to be an annoyance, complaining about having to help every second of their presence , but for some reason, he didn't feel that way about Legosi.

"He seemed nice... When I first met him. He was accompanied by an Anteater." She looked down in shame. "The rumors must have spread pretty fast, the anteater left before I even introduced myself." He put his arm around her.

"It's ok... rumors are just rumors." He forgot for a second that he was in public, putting his hand to pat her shoulder, putting a bit of distance between them.

"Well... that wolf didn't run away. Maybe because he was a carnivore... or because he just didn't know." She put the watering can down looking back at him. "But he was... apologetic for his Instincts." He looked at her quizzingly.

"What do exactly mean by that?"

She looked off into the distance, her expression was one of almost wonder at the rather strange personality of their wolf friend.

"He wanted roses as decorations for the play. I asked him to move a few pots for me, and I didn't want his tail to knock over any plants or pots... so I tried to tug in his tail." She shivered slightly, the memory of his fangs and the instincts in her head telling her to run scared her a bit. "He growled and bore his fangs, but Legosi immediately excused himself and apologized, he didn't want to scare me. I don't think many other carnivores might've done that..."

Louis grinned, that was Legosi alright.

"I think he would have rather been a herbivore in this life. He seems to act as though being a carnivore is the worst thing ever," he said, still rubbing her shoulder.

"I guess I was a bit stupid for messing with his tail like I did. If he wasn't as nice, maybe he could have scratched or even bit me..." Louis leaned down and patted her head.

"It's ok... He's one of the nice ones." He released her, softly pulling her head upward. "Cheer up, seeing you sad feels horrible." She smiled, he may be assertive, but there was something genuinely caring about his character... something she rarely saw so intensely in someone's eyes.

He looked around, noticing the time of day, there was one more place he needed to be present at.

"I need to go to Drama Club practice. Stay safe, and keep an eye around." He looked around and kissed her before departing.

The practice went by relatively quickly, the overall club activities not taking longer than an hour. Louis decided to take a stroll, just enjoying the atmosphere. He walked out to the railing, splitting the pathway from the rocky edge of the sea. Legosi was leaning over it as well, looking over the horizon. The sun reflected on the surface, showing the cloudless sky.

"Hello, Legosi."

Legosi turned around, looking at the deer. He stood with a straight back, not hunching at all today.

"Hey Louis, just taking it easy today, are we?" Legosi greeted his friend.

"It's a beautiful day, one might enjoy a day as good as this one," Louis replied, walking to the railing. He stood next to the wolf.

The two just stood there for a second, looking over their idyllic surroundings. Louis looked down. He was thinking about how to properly put into words what he wished to say.

"Thank you... for yesterday... and all the times you've helped me." Louis wanted to say more, but really couldn't. He didn't feel like this was the time to get emotional. He just wanted the wolf to know that he was appreciated.

"Uuuuh, your welcome." Legosi's awkward nature prohibiting from any further commentary, the wolf awkwardly stood still. Louis patted him on the shoulder.

"Your work is appreciated... and you did very well on stage." The last sentence he said with a smile, the wolf truly gave a splendid performance. "I should be off now..." with a simple goodbye, Louis made his way back to Haru.

When he reached the gardening stall, it was surprisingly empty... "Haru? Are you there?" Louis walked around to the back of the stall, walking towards the tree line where they had talked previously.

"Haru? Har-" What Louis saw made his heart drop.

On the ground, in between the trees, there laid a single shoe and a black card. The deer walked closer, the symbol on the card becoming clearer as he looked closer...

He knew this symbol, the group being something of a back alley legend. The card showed the symbol of the Shishigumi...