Chapter 10 - Wonderland-9 (1/2)

Chapter 10: Chapter 1 Wonderland-9

With her stomach full from the food and aromatic coffee, SoYoon headed to Mad Hatter's house. SoYoon knocked on the door for a long time before Mad Hatter popped his head out the second-story window. On his head was a yellow sleeping cap with a chick's eyes and beak on it.

Then, as if in disbelief, he muttered, ”White Rabbit?”

The door opened a few moments later, and she walked inside. Mad Hatter was standing at the stairs. He wore the same outfit as yesterday, other than the jacket, which she realized because dark-red stains of blood dyed his shirt and pants.

”I thought you wouldn't come today.”

He headed upstairs to his lab, and SoYoon followed.

Mad Hatter asked about smartphones then, as usual, went back to experimenting. And as usual, she fell unconscious.

”Stubborn.”

Mad Hatter picked up a thin blanket next to the bed and covered her with it. Still, he watched SoYoon as she slept and felt his headache disappearing. He mumbled at no one in particular.

A few minutes later, SoYoon blinked awake under the thin blanket. Mad Hatter had littered the bed with things for the experiments, so there was no way she had grabbed the blanket on her own—which meant there was only one person who would have placed this over her.

Getting up, she straightened and went to look for the Mad Hatter. He was in the kitchen, staring happily at the new glassware he had collected from last night. His eyes met with SoYoon's, and he looked at her as if asking why she was still here.

”See you the day after tomorrow.”

”All right.”

***

SoYoon headed to her house in the neutral zone after leaving Mad Hatter's house. Because she had eaten so much at Heart's house at a strange hour, she didn't feel the need to eat dinner. Challengers again attacked her today, but because of what Heart had told her, she felt a bit more comfortable.

When she neared the neutral zone, a boy blocked her path. The dirty and ragged teen grabbed her wrist and pushed her into a sketchy alleyway. Normally, she would have pulled out her sword, but unlike her usual self, she watched him as he cornered her into a wall and pulled a knife to her neck.

”....”

This was all because Heart had made her coffee and Mad Hatter put a blanket over her. She lifted her head off the wall. Due to the movement, a slight cut ran across her neck, and the boy's hands started to tremble.

”Don't move!”

SoYoon watched the boy in interest. The boy's brown eyes were wavering as well. They were showing her that he'd never hurt anyone before. She observed his eyes lose and gain focus several times.

”If you don't want to get stabbed, then give me everything you have.”

Even if he was a child hesitating, once he found the resolution to hurt someone, that meant he was an adult in Wonderland. SoYoon grabbed his wrist hard.

”Ow!”

The boy screamed and dropped his knife. SoYoon kicked the knife until it was far away and pushed the boy into the opposing wall. He hit his back hard and flinched.

”You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.”

He didn't ask if she was White Rabbit, and he only asked for her valuable possessions. He didn't know who she was and only targeted her because she was small and weak looking.

”If you want to live a long life, you need to open your ears.”

White hair and black mask, a unique and large sword—if you paid even a small amount of attention to the rumors, you would have been able to figure it out. SoYoon let go of the boy. Behind her, she heard him cursing and his moans of pain, but she was no longer interested. However, those brown eyes kept flashing in front of her in the mirror.

SoYoon shook her head. It was just a bad day. If I see him again, I'm sure any other day, I would not have remembered him.

However, a few days later, she saw the boy again.

***

SoYoon was eating dinner at a Central restaurant. She had now fully become accustomed to Wonderland and could enjoy the bland sandwich while she breathed in the peaceful air of freedom.

”You little punk! What do you think you're doing?”

”They've been saying there's a thief around here these days, and it must have been you!”

”Wait, you're not from the slums, are you?”

A crowd formed not far from where SoYoon was sitting. The ruckus was coming from its center. SoYoon finished eating, paid, and left the restaurant.

Up to then, she had no intention of watching or getting involved—until she noticed the face as she happened to pass by.

The brown-eyed boy was surrounded by the crowd. They had beaten him so badly that his mouth was dripping blood. The boy looked menacingly at the crowd. To a violent crowd, it was not the best expression to have. One man pulled out a knife.

”Slum trash, how dare you! I'll show you. Everyone get out of the way!”