Check inside your hat. Xoxo, Dad.

   Confused and somewhat concerned, Hongbin did as the note indicated. He glanced backwards toward the ornate fake gold doorway, checking for any signs of his missing partner. Still unable to locate her, Hongbin placed his phone between his cheek and shoulder, dialing Suri’s number as he flipped over his lavish top hat.

   The familiar ringtone of Suri’s phone went off somewhere within the dressing room, muffled from underneath her stage clothes. “Dynamite! I’ll get a little bit upset tonight~ Dynamite!” …Hongbin was sent to voicemail. Her purse was still on her chair, but so were her casual clothes. Was she running around in just her robe? “Ya, Ma Suri! It’s Hongbin. You left all your stuff.. did something happen? Please call me back..”

   Soon after, he noticed her phone flashing from under her clothes, a beep indicated she’d received a voicemail. Suri, leaving her phone behind? Knowing her that was impossible! Hongbin heard a sniffle, then a sneeze, making his top hat shake above the dresser. He slowly lifted his hat from the surface, a soft gasp when he noticed the black-and-white rabbit from their show twitching its nose.

   “Oh, I’m so sorry, little one. So this must have been was Father meant… Ah, I don’t know where you came from, but it’s getting late, how about you come home with me? I live in an apartment alone, but I can buy you a cage and food tomorrow morning. Sound good?”

   Once realizing he was basically talking to himself, Hongbin cleared his throat, rabbit in one arm and dialing Suri’s parents with the other. Not wanting to alarm her parents just yet, he acted as if he was curious if she’d stopped by to visit them in a while, making casual conversation until either party hung up. Well, that was a bust, no phone to reach her and she didn’t go back to visit her parents.

   Hongbin decided to take her things with him to his apartment, she lived on the same floor anyway. If she didn’t show up by tomorrow afternoon, he’d call the cops and file a missing person’s report. After a silent drive home with the rabbit he’d decided to name Thumper (the boy really did love Disney, no matter how sad Bambi was), Hongbin placed the sleeping Thumper on his couch, setting Suri’s things aside before settling in his own things. Life was surely going to be quiet now that the Youth Magicians Troupe tour had come to a close.

  Despite the freezing cold of mid-January, the brilliant Mister Lee decided to brave the snow, searching for Suri. He’d checked all of her favorite spots, even a few shady alleys, before calling it a night. Once he’d returned home, he noticed a familiar black patch of fur outside the main entrance to the building that housed many apartments. “Oh no, Thumper! You must have followed me outside, you poor thing.. almost blended in with the snow. I’ll warm you up, come here.” Hongbin cooed softly, so as to not scare the small animal as he scooped it into his strong arms. If only he’d have known how much “Thumper” was enjoying this moment.

   Hongbin opened the door to his apartment, trying to turn the heater on, only to find out the snowstorm had taken out the building’s power. Thumper ran out of his arms and back over to armrest of the couch where Suri’s belongings lay. Perplexed, he assumed the rabbit sought warmth on the comfort of the furniture, so he helped it climb up.

   The rabbit instead jumped higher and ran through Suri’s clothes, looking almost as if wearing them. Worried his new pet would ruin his partner’s clothes, Hongbin attempted to extract Thumper from her things, only to get sneezed on and nibbled at.

“Aish you were so calm, what the hell happened to you all of a sudden?”

   But his eyes only widened when he saw the rabbit stand up on its hind legs shakily. Not knowing the extent of the powers he’d received from his father, he tried his best to make do, using a spell to communicate with animals.

   Hongbin was just about to give up hope when he heard the bunny scream “TURN ME BACK LEE HONGBIN OR I’LL USE YOUR FINGERS AS CARROTS!”