Fourth Zodiac Rabbit Kaoruko Hanayagi/Bond Story

*Tamao's image appears in Kaoruko's dream. We don't know if Kaoruko thinks Tamao is cute, naive, and lonely...but this seems to be how she sees her. The rabbit is a symbol of happiness everywhen and everywhere.*

* Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Bond Level 15 Talk
* Bond Level 30 Talk

Vs. Little Bunny!

 **Tamao:**Hmm...?

 **Tamao:**A shrine? What am I doing here—

 **????:**\*sob\* \*sob\*

 **Tamao:**That sound...

 **Tamao:**H-Hanayagi-san!?

 **Rabbit:**"Nope. I'm a bunny...a white bunny!"

 **Tamao:**B-Bunny...? Surely you have long ears, but you are still Hanayagi-san, right...??

 **Kaoruko:**No! Look at this round tail and these fluffy ears... Do I not look like a bunny to you?

 **Kaoruko:**Geez, take a closer look, won't you?

 **Tamao:**O-Okay!

 **Tamao:**Well then... Why were you crying, little bunny?

 **Rabbit:**"Because there will be a really important competition tomorrow!"

 **Rabbit:**"The Jade Emperor told us that there would be a race to determine the twelve guardians on New Year's Day! The first twelve animals to arrive shall take turns representing a year!"

 **Tamao:**Ahh, that's the folktale "The Origin of the Twelve Zodiac Signs", isn't it...

 **Rabbit:**"But now my prettiest clothes got stained by a shark!!"

 **Tamao:**S-Shark!?

 **Rabbit:**"Yeah, a mean one!!"

 **Rabbit:**"I only tricked him because I wanted to cross the river..."

 **Tamao:**Isn't that the plot from "Hare of Inaba"? Why are all the stories mixed up like this...

 **Rabbit:**"Urghh! Can you please stop spouting nonsense!!"

 **Rabbit:**"Anyway, I can't wear such dirty clothes to the competition! I'll have to take your clothes then..."

 **Tamao:**My clothes...?

***\*rip\* \*rip\* \*rip\****

 **Tamao:**Eek!? My jacket got torn out...!?

 **Kaoruko:**Just give me your clothes!

 **Tamao:**N-Noooooooo!!

***\*rip\* \*rip\* \*rip\****

 **Tamao:**...Ah!!

 **Tamao:**A d-dream...? I must have dozed off...

 **Tamao:**I never thought I would have such a dream. It must be because of...

 **Tamao:**Ah, look at the time! I have to go now—

 **Tamao:**(Phew, it took me 3 hours by train, but...I finally arrived)

 **Tamao:**(Let's see, the head of the school's rehearsal room should be...)

 **????:**Hey, where are you going?

 **Tamao:**L-Little bunny!!

 **Kaoruko:**Huh!?

 **Tamao:**Ah no, my apologies... I've had quite a long ride.

 **Kaoruko:**I thought so... My house is this way!! Just follow me, okay? It's easy to get lost on the chessboard-like streets of Kyoto, you know.

 **Tamao:**Th-Thank you...

 **Kaoruko:**...Hmph!

 **Kaoruko:**Let's hurry. We don't want to miss Senka-ryu's New Year's Eve party...the "White Plum Gathering"!

Two Little Bunnies

 **Tamao:**Oh, by the way, what about Isurugi-san...?

 **Kaoruko:**She arrived in Kyoto the day before.

 **Kaoruko:**Isurugi's mother is the teacher's most beloved pupil. She is closer to her than most of her students. She was like family to her...

 **Tamao:**I see. So she arrived early to help.

 **Kaoruko:**Yeah, and she left me behind!!

 **Kaoruko:**I was so looking forward to shopping and eating matcha desserts in Kyoto...

 **Tamao:**We are not just here to travel though...

 **Kaoruko:**Hmph... I'd prefer to look around than to participate in the "White Plum Gathering" which is so troublesome.

 **Kaoruko:**We have to greet our teacher and wish her a happy new year, but...didn't we do the same thing in the year's end event?

 **Kaoruko:**If she wants to see us, why doesn't she just come to our place instead!

 **Tamao:**D-Don't say that! It's an important gathering you know! What if someone overheard us?

 **Kaoruko:**Don't worry, I'll eventually take over Senka-ryu, so we can get away with it.

 **Tamao:**Unbelievable...

 **Tamao:**Heh heh...

 **Kaoruko:**What's the matter?

 **Tamao:**Nothing. I was a little nervous, but...I felt more relaxed seeing you like this.

 **Tamao:**I was still thinking about today's "Dance of Appreciation".

 **Kaoruko:**Ahh, you mean the dance that "shows our appreciation for a year of hard work"? Our teacher sure knows how to complicate things, doesn't she—

 **Kaoruko:**...By the way, do you have anything in mind, Tamao-han?

 **Tamao:**Me? I think I'm going to perform one section of "Renjishi"...

 **Kaoruko:**Renjishi!?

 **Tamao:**...Is there a problem?

 **Kaoruko:**How can you perform the dance where a lion pushes a child off a cliff on such an honorable occasion!

 **Tamao:**You think so...?

 **Kaoruko:**You don't say!

 **Kaoruko:**Well, in case you don't have anything else, let's perform together!

 **Tamao:**Huh?

 **Kaoruko:**That's right, let's do it! There's still time, so I can help you come up with new moves!

 **Kaoruko:**Come on, let's go to my room!!

 **Tamao:**W-Wait! I didn't say I wanted to—

 **Kaoruko:**Hm hm hmm...♪

 **Tamao:**Phew...

 **Kaoruko:**What's wrong? You don't like our super cute bunny dance...? But our face swapping technique was a big hit, wasn't it?

 **Tamao:**You only told me what kind of steps those are, and then you wanted me to improvise... Were you serious?

 **Tamao:**Not to mention we had to dance to pop music...

 **Kaoruko:**Heh heh, I thought it would bring a new breeze to the stage.

 **Kaoruko:**Our picky teacher wouldn't have anything to complain, right? After all, our dance had quite a complicated rhythm and fast tempo.

 **Kaoruko:**Thanks to you, our performance was a success♪

 **Tamao:**...That is to say, what were you really up to?

 **Kaoruko:**I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be all alone if things went south!

 **Tamao:**I knew it...

 **Tamao:**(Geez, I ended up being pushed around by this stubborn bunny.)

 **Tamao:**(So that dream came true after all...)

 **Kaoruko:**...You're smiling again.

 **Tamao:**Well yeah, I had fun. It's not like I hate being led around by you or anything, Hanayagi-san.

 **Tamao:**But...I'll make sure to get back at you later this year!

 **Kaoruko:**I don't know what awaits me, but—

 **Kaoruko:**I won't let my guard down. Well then, let's do our best this year!

 **Kaoruko:**Happy New Year. Thank you very much for your whole-hearted support last year. Please treat me well this year, too—I'm practicing my New Year's greetings.

 **Kaoruko:**Phew, I'm almost done practicing my New Year's greetings. We have to greet our relatives and students, so it is a very busy time of the year.

 **Kaoruko:**But I guess it's an important tradition at the beginning of the year. As a successor of Senka-ryu, I have to do it properly.

 **Kaoruko:**And maybe I can even get lucky money too? Heh heh, I think I'll pay Futaba-han a visit!