Winter Rabbit in Wonderland

“Heart.”

SoYoon called his name and tried to raise her body, but Heart was already on top of her. He held her wrists with one hand, and with the other lifted her hoodie and placed it on her body.

His hands swept across her waist, traveled up her back, and unhooked her bra. His fingers snapped to and fro on her thin back, and she felt her bra release its restraint. Now unfettered by the obstacle, he grabbed SoYoon’s breasts. He moved his fingers slowly and reveled in their feel.

He laughed. “You don’t even know what I could be up to. Aren’t you a little nervous?”

“You won’t attack me.”

Heart pressed his center onto her thighs. Through his clothes, she could feel his lust.

“Even if I do this?”

“Even if you do that.”

Heart laughed out loud, buried his face into her hair, and inhaled. A few moments later, he got up. His center revealed that he was still aroused. When she got up and sat down, Heart bent over and licked her lips.

“Go wash up.”

As he went to wash up, SoYoon opened her cross bag, took out a magic capsule, and forced it down her throat. She straightened herself up, took out the things she’d brought, and laid them on top of the bed: the expensive black suit, the black opal-studded cufflinks, and red socks.

As she was cleaning the blood off of Heart’s shoes, he came in from his shower. He was in nothing but his underwear and dripping water from his hair. SoYoon grabbed the towel hung around his neck and sat him on the bed.

“Dry off properly.”

“Why should I when you can do it for me?” Heart teased slyly.

SoYoon rubbed the towel hard into his head. Underneath the towel, Heart complained that it hurt and laughed at the same time. She realized her action was immature, so she lessened her strength and dried his hair properly.

Heart remained still until SoYoon removed the towel. Then he rubbed his head on hers.

She patted Heart on the head and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Although it looked as if Heart was ruled by whatever whim hit his fancy, he was a logical man. There was a very specific reason he felt the need to go to Outhouse and commit these murders. He stayed quiet for a while and changed subjects.

“Isn’t it time to let the dog out of the house?”

“I’m going to soon. It’s difficult because it’s like Dee’s hit puberty.”

“…Keep going.”

She vented the rest to him. After she finished, Heart cursed out loud.

“What the hell did you do to him?”

“I treated his wounds, fed him. Um, and when he crossed boundaries, I hit him.”

“Why’d I bother even asking?.”

“I better go see Baby the moment we get back,” Heart muttered while grinding his teeth.

He got up and started to dress in the outfit SoYoon had brought for him. When his arms came out of the shirt, she placed the cufflinks on for him.

After putting on the jacket and shoes, he was his old self. She had grabbed the red socks by accident because she was in a hurry, but he was still able to pull off the look.

They searched the bedroom for the car keys, collected the blood-soaked clothes, and came back to the living room. SoYoon looked around at the massacre. It was a mess suitable for a serial-killer painter.

Her cleanup task was to bring him his new clothes and escort him back home. She dragged Heart, who was explaining the efficiency of killing a person by decapitation, to the car.

“Whitey, what about the magic capsule?”

“I swallowed it while you were washing.”

“What a shame. It’s not every day I get to see you frowning in disgust.”

They headed back to Wonderland, chatting about every little thing. SoYoon first stopped by Heart’s house to drop off the clothes and collect her fee. He seduced her to stay for dinner, but she resisted and got home around 8:00.

The moment she opened the door, she heard a scream.

“I’m starving! Did you go to Outhouse or something!”

“Yes.”

“Hurry up…What?”

SoYoon put the food she picked up from Central onto the table. It was a sandwich with white ciabatta, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, roasted tomato, cabbage, cheese, and thinly sliced prosciutto and a Caprese salad.

Dee took a huge bite of the sandwich and glanced at SoYoon. She hadn’t changed like Heart, so there were still bloodstains on her clothes.

“You’re making me lose my appetite,” Dee complained. Other than Alice, no one in Wonderland was that sensitive to blood, so his complaint was unwarranted.

“Why’d you go there?”

“Request from client.”

Which meant there was nothing else to ask.

Dee snorted. “You scurried over the moment Heart called you. Work is just an excuse. Wasn’t it for something else? Aren’t you Heart’s…”

“Tweedle Dee.”

SoYoon called Dee’s name after finishing her sandwich and brushing off the crumbs. It had been almost a week since they had lived in the same space, but this was the first time she had called him by name. He was called by their nickname, Twins, more often than not, so this caught him off guard. Strangely, it bothered him.

He lowered his previously raised pinkie and looked at SoYoon. Her eyes were covered as always, but Dee already knew what was behind her hair.

“If I called for you, you should say something. Why is your trap shut?”

It didn’t matter if it was to deny the made-up rumors or if it was about her work with her clients—whatever it was, it didn’t matter. He watched and waited for SoYoon’s lips to move. Those lips, which had just a few minutes ago been chewing a sandwich—those lips moved with no expression.

“Tomorrow will have been a week. You should call Tweedle Dum or your minions and go back.”

“Ha! I wondered what nonsense you were going to spout! Even if you didn’t mention it, I was already planning to! F*ck, it’s not even something important. Why bother even bringing it up while we’re stuffing our faces?”

The sandwich that had only just recently tasted so good now felt like sand. Dee opened his mouth and took an unnecessarily large bite and chewed angrily. The sandwich got stuck in his throat, and he choked.

SoYoon poured him a glass of water and put it in front of him. F*ck, why does she have to pour me this shit? Shit! He gulped the water.

That night, they shared not a single word between them.

***

The next morning, Dee turned on his cellphone. Missed calls and messages poured in. After reading them, he placed a call. Not long afterward, one of his assistants came running.

“Dee! You’re alive!”

“You were hoping I was dead?”

“It looks like I was worried for no reason. Hearing you like this makes me believe you’re alive.”

“Shut up. What about Dum?”

“He’s gone missing after saying he was going to look for you.”

“That dufus is such a worrywart.”

Dee’s acting was flawless. He changed into the clothes his assistant brought and looked like a prince sneaking out of his castle wearing his black shirt, leather pants, and a dirty blue jean jacket. As he changed and strapped on his knife, his assistant handed SoYoon a thick envelope.

“I’m sure it’s more than enough.”

“It does look that way,” SoYoon answered after checking the contents.

With that, their short period of living together came cleanly to an end. SoYoon did not feel much as he left.

That bitch! Not a single word even now! Frustrated, Dee ignored his thirst.

“So what’s happening to Luke?”

“Excuse me? Why are you looking for Luke?”

“I’m looking for him because he’s the no-good punk that gave me a hole in my side. He’s not still with Dum, is he? You didn’t tell Luke you were coming to get me, right?”

Dum whispered, “Let’s kill him slowly. Wouldn’t it be fun to see his reaction when we tell him the truth before he dies?” Dee agreed. Upon their beautiful face was a vicious smile as they greeted a new morning in Wonderland.