Chapter Text
I love you
Subaru opened his eyes and immediately was hit by a massive beam of light that blinded him. He couldn’t see anything as he rushed to cover his eyes and let them adjust slowly to the difference. His skin was hit with what felt like a massive heat wave as the temperature of his body became warmer.
Slowly he uncovered them and found the culprit high in the sky.
“What the hell! The sun? Wasn’t it night time just a second ago?”
His mind was spiraling as he looked around once again and saw that he wasn’t in the same park near his home. Subaru had walked through the same park many times, the layout was imprinted into his memory.
“On your right!”
A small female voice called out behind him. On his right side a small group of girls ran past him with immense speed but that wasn’t what surprised him most. Behind them was a tail swaying ever so slightly in the wind as they ran and a pair of ears protruding from the top of their heads.
Subaru rubbed his eyes one more time to make sure what he was seeing was correct but those features didn’t go away even as they got smaller and farther. Taking a deep breath his mind went through all the possibilities.
Maybe they are just really fast runners in some sort of cosplay, a weird trend. He looked around once again and saw a pair of girls near a bench drinking water. Gathering the little courage of a hikikomori in social interaction he walked up.
Besides these girls were the ones running in ears and tails so he possibly couldn’t make the situation stranger.
The girls let out a small giggle but as soon as he got close the two girls taking their water break turned toward him.
“I must say you guys did an amazing job on your ears and tails, they look fantastic! Is this for some kind of con?”
One of them turned their head with a small smile but managed to stammer out a thank you along with the one next to her.
“A con? No, we are practicing for the upcoming Satsuki Sho so we haven’t had much time to visit something like that.”
“Satsuki Sho?”
Rubbing his chin in thought he chewed the name in his mouth. It sounded familiar, a race. Subaru didn’t really keep up with sports teams often, especially something like running, but that name did sound oddly familiar.
“Wait! Isn’t that a horse race!”
He blurted out once it hit him.
“Well duh-” she pointed at her ears which then began to flop around as if it was alive. He turned his head toward the more timid one who was now facing him. She gave him a smile and moved her ears as well.
“Haha, that is really realistic, is there like some sensor or a button in there? Maybe a head movement?”
Closing the space, Subaru pinched the standing girl's ear and began to rub it between his forefinger and thumb. A small surprised yelp came out from both of the girls as the one he was examining slowly turned red.
“Wow it definitely feels real, like they are part of an animal… It doesn’t feel fake at all.”
Slowly reality set in.
“They are real!”
The girl screamed out as a sting of pain clashed into Subaru’s cheek and a loud slap echoed across the park.