Kael's originally monotonous life as an "observer" was injected with an excessive amount of... accidents and noise by this silver-haired girl, but it also strangely gained a lot of vitality.
He gradually became familiar with her routine – she would oversleep in the mornings, needing to be called several times before groggily getting up.
Before going to her part-time job, she would frantically try to fix her perpetually sticking-up cowlick in front of the mirror.
When she returned from work, she would sometimes happily share interesting stories from the store, and other times she would droop her head like a puppy caught in the rain, complaining about eccentric customers she encountered or things she accidentally messed up.
And amidst these many daily details, Kael keenly noticed a recurring element – Haxxor Bunny.
That ugly-cute rabbit image, entirely bright yellow, with exaggerated big ears and a silly smile, seemed to be everywhere.
When Kiana watched TV, she would tune into the channel playing "Haxxor Bunny's Great Adventure," and even if it was just background noise, she would watch with relish, giggling at the rabbit bouncing around on the screen.
The comic books she saved up for and bought almost always had that yellow rabbit printed on the cover.
On her backpack, which she had found at a flea market and had worn edges, hung a small Haxxor Bunny charm, swaying as she walked.
There was even one time, Kael saw her staring blankly at a half-human-sized horm doll in the convenience store's prize drawing area, muttering, "Bless me with a win, bless me with a win," before she drew a first-place prize, and left with snacks, looking dejected.
Kael truly couldn't understand.
In his rigorous, even somewhat rigid aesthetic, that rabbit had crude lines, gaudy colors, and utterly inexplicable behavior – what exactly was its appeal?
One evening, Kiana was again sitting cross-legged on the sofa, clutching a bag of potato chips, giggling at the TV where Haxxor Bunny was being chased all over the screen by a villain.
Kael finally couldn't resist, and while flipping through the academy equipment list in his hand, he casually asked, "That yellow rabbit... what's so good about it?"
"Eh?" Kiana immediately turned her head, as if she had heard an incredible question, her blue eyes wide, "Kael, you don't know Haxxor Bunny?! It's the greatest adventurer in the world! So brave! So witty! Although it sometimes acts silly, it always manages to turn danger into safety with Haxxor Bunny Mei! It's super cool, okay?!"
She put down her potato chips and began gesticulating wildly, giving Kael a crash course on Haxxor Bunny's "great deeds," from how it outsmarted evil dragons to how it invented various whimsical gadgets, her voice filled with admiration and enthusiasm.
Kael listened to her endless narration, watched her cheeks flush slightly with excitement, and her eyes, which became exceptionally bright when Haxxor Bunny was mentioned, felt his confusion deepen, but a certain inexplicable emotion was also quietly growing.
He recalled that a long time ago, Theresa also seemed to have a soft spot for this yellow rabbit; her office always had several horm dolls of various designs.
At the time, he just thought it was Theresa's childish side and didn't delve deeper.
He really didn't understand why so many people liked this ugly rabbit... A few days later, Kael went to the commercial street to buy daily necessities. As he passed a large anime merchandise store, his footsteps unconsciously stopped.
In the display window, a giant horm doll, almost life-sized, was grinning widely, smiling foolishly at passersby.
Next to the doll, various Haxxor Bunny-themed mugs, keychains, stationery sets, and a very elaborately packaged "Haxxor Bunny Surprise Gift Pack" were piled up.
As if by a ghost's prompting, Kael walked into the store.
The clerk enthusiastically greeted him: "Sir, do you need anything? Buying for your child?"
Kael's gaze swept over the dazzling array of Haxxor Bunny merchandise, finally landing on the "Haxxor Bunny Surprise Gift Pack." The packaging stated it contained over a dozen items, including a limited edition doll, a themed T-shirt, a comic collection, and a stationery set.
"This one." Kael pointed to the gift pack, his tone flat, as if he were just buying a bag of salt.
"Great! Sir, you have excellent taste! This is the latest limited edition gift pack, very popular!"
The clerk deftly packaged the heavy gift pack, which was almost half a person's height, and handed it to Kael.
Carrying this brightly colored, large gift pack, which was completely out of place with his cool and detached demeanor, on his way home, Kael himself felt a little absurd.
Why did he buy this? Just for the possible smile on that silly girl's face?
He tried to convince himself with "This is to build rapport, to facilitate observation," but a voice deep inside told him that it wasn't entirely for that reason.
When he opened the apartment door, Kiana was sprawled on the sofa, dangling her feet, munching on an apple while reading a comic, and humming an off-key tune that seemed to be the Haxxor Bunny theme song.
"I'm back," Kael said as usual.
"Oh! Kael, you're back!"
Kiana didn't even lift her head, casually responding, her attention still on the comic.
Kael placed the huge gift pack, emblazoned with a prominent Haxxor Bunny head, on the sofa next to her.
Kiana felt the movement beside her and casually glanced over —
The next second, the apple in her mouth dropped to the floor with a "thud."
She seemed to have been put on pause, her entire body stiff for a few seconds, then she suddenly sprang up from the sofa, rubbing her eyes in disbelief, staring intently at the gift pack, then looking up at Kael, then back at the gift pack.
"Th-this is...? !" Her voice was a little distorted with excitement.
"Saw it passing by, just picked it up."
Kael's tone remained flat as he turned to go to the kitchen to put things away, as if he had only done a trivial little thing.
But before he had taken two steps, he felt a rush of wind from behind, followed by a heavy, warm "impact" against his back.
Kiana hugged him tightly from behind, her head buried in his back, too excited to speak coherently: "Waaah! Kael! You're too good! This is the latest limited edition gift pack! I've been eyeing it for so long but it was so expensive I never dared to buy it! You actually bought it! Are you an angel?!"
Her hug was strong, filled with undisguised joy and gratitude.
Kael's body stiffened slightly; he was unaccustomed to such direct physical contact, but he didn't push her away.
"Let go," he said somewhat helplessly.
Only then did Kiana realize she had been overly excited; she quickly released him, but her face still beamed with an uncontrollable, brilliant smile, like a child who had received a beloved toy.
She eagerly tore open the gift pack, and with each item she pulled out, she let out a surprised cheer.
"It's a limited edition horm doll! So soft and fluffy!"
"Wow! There's even a Haxxor Bunny-themed T-shirt! Can I wear it to my part-time job?"
"A comic collection! I haven't read this one yet!" "This stationery box is so cute too!"
She took out the items from the gift pack one by one, arranging them on the sofa as if displaying precious treasures, the light in her blue eyes brighter than ever.
She hugged the largest horm doll, rubbed her face against it, then looked at Kael, her face radiating pure, unclouded happiness.
"Kael, thank you! I really, really love it!"
Her smile was incredibly infectious, making the entire room seem to brighten a few shades.
Watching her almost bubbling with happiness, Kael's subtle feeling of discomfort over spending "unnecessary" money instantly vanished.
He even thought that the ugly yellow rabbit, perhaps... wasn't so bad after all?
"As long as you like it."
He said indifferently, then turned and walked into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
Behind him, he could still hear Kiana humming the off-key Haxxor Bunny theme song while holding the doll, and the rustling sound of her unwrapping the comic.
In the kitchen, Kael tied on his apron and skillfully processed the ingredients, but a faint, almost imperceptible curve formed on his lips where no one could see.
This "idiot"... indeed, her smile was the prettiest.
He seemed to understand a little why Theresa, and perhaps others, liked that silly yellow rabbit.
Perhaps, it wasn't the rabbit itself that they liked, but rather what it represented: that simple, pure joy that could make people smile so easily.