Chapter 101 (1/2)

Chapter 101: Chapter 12 Extra Stories 2-IF Maybe So Sweet. If Mad Hatter was the Only Route. (1)

”Will you live with me?” Mad Hatter said, his ceramic cheeks blushing pink. SoYoon turned her head as she heard these words.

***

After returning from the research facility, SoYoon went back to her routine of working requests. Then one day, March, Dor, and Li came to visit her. It was unusual for Li to come along, so SoYoon's gaze was directed at her. As she looked, Li hid behind March, cringing in fear. March pulled Li back and stood her in front of SoYoon.

”Tell her properly.”

SoYoon stared at the awkwardly acting Li with an emotionless expression. Li tensed up again. That was expected. Just a few days before, SoYoon had forced Li into the slums after finding Li explaining to Dor about crimes and about situations in which she should be careful.

She had spent precisely one week in the place. Because she had told the slum residents to not lay a hand on her, she hadn't been in danger, but it was still scary. SoYoon slightly lowered her gaze. At this, a little of Li's nervousness seemed to subside.

”Um, so... Do you think you can tell me who I can go see to learn magic?”

She had started the sentence in a small voice, but it ended in almost a scream. It was because SoYoon had looked up at the word magic.

”Magic?”

”Yes, yes!”

”Aren't you nonmagical?”

”Well, I used to be... but now, I... have... it...”

Li's voice was shaking as she cried, but SoYoon was lost in thought. There was only one wizard that SoYoon knew about. There were also very few people who knew of his wizarding ancestry in Wonderland. And so, she didn't think that it would be too horrible to let a couple more people know of his magical powers. The real problem was whether he would be willing to teach someone else or not.

SoYoon pulled out a smartphone from her bag. The one she usually used had been left at the research facility, so Mad Hatter had created a new one for her. She opened up her messaging app and sent a text to Mad Hatter. After a few minutes, a response came in. She stood up from her seat and looked at Li.

”Let's go.”

”What?”

”He said he'll teach you. Hurry up.”

SoYoon didn't force her. However, Li, reading the look in her eyes, hung onto March in fear. And so, all four people headed to Mad Hatter's house together.

SoYoon, who had been holding Dor's hand while they walked, looked back at Li. She had come to realize something that she hadn't thought about.

In 『Wonderland』Mad Hatter loved Alice. And Li had the soul of the real Alice. Although the original story had crumbled completely, it bothered her. What would happen when the two of them met? The thought kept manifesting itself into uncomfortable images in her head.

Once they arrived at Mad Hatter's house, SoYoon knocked on his door. If she had been alone, she would have walked in without an invitation, but this time she was with guests. A few moments later, they heard the second story window opening. All the guests' gazes looked up toward the direction of the sound.

”Wow...” Li exclaimed under her breath. Even Dor, who didn't know enough people to compare Mad Hatter to anyone, didn't remove her gaze from him. An absolute beauty was standing there. A man, shimmering in the golden light of the late afternoon sun, smiled at them.

”You've come, White Rabbit. I've been waiting for you,” he called out to her, a bit awkward because other people were around. Then he opened the door quickly. When he disappeared from the window, the three people who had been entranced by him came back to their senses. SoYoon was able to understand how they felt. Mad Hatter's beauty had even made her mind go numb in surprise.

”Let's go inside.”

The moment they stepped inside, Mad Hatter was waiting for them on the 2nd floor of the staircase. As always, he was wearing a bluish-green cardigan, a wrinkled shirt, and pants. Today's hat was a violently purple nightcap. Because it was able to cover his grey-blue hair, it could not distract from his extravagant beauty.

Mad Hatter came down the stairs and headed directly toward SoYoon. His cool arms wrapped around her. He bent over and whispered into her ear, ”I missed you, SoYoon.”

SoYoon put her forehead on his shoulder. She sighed deeply and felt the strength go out of the shoulder.

”... Me too, Yochanan,” she said to Mad Hatter in an even smaller voice than he'd used. His heat rose suddenly as he hugged her. If he had looked up at this instant, she would have seen how red his cheeks were. A slight smile rose on SoYoon's face.

If she had let him, she was sure that Mad Hatter would have never let go of her. She coaxed him to release her and she told him the reason she had come.

”This is Li. She wants to learn magic. And...This is the real Alice.”

Mad Hatter realized what SoYoon meant by telling him that and his eyes grew cold.

”I see.”

Mad Hatter looked Li up and down. Upon being scanned by his gaze, Li held on tightly to the ends of March's clothes. March, in turn, wrapped his hands over hers. Upon seeing this, Mad Hatter's eyes seemed to relax.

They decided to start the lessons after he could prepare the lesson plans. After March, Dor, and Li went inside, SoYoon stared up at Mad Hatter.

”What's the matter, SoYoon?”

”You don't have to teach her if you don't want to.”

”Are you worried about me?”

”...Of course, I am.”

Mad Hatter didn't like people in general, but he especially seemed to hate Li. SoYoon could sense this by the way he'd looked at Li. After she admitted that she was worried about him, he looked relieved. Feeling embarrassed, she ignored his gaze.

”I don't like that girl. And I'm a bit afraid.”