Tu Bao's face turned red in a moment: "Dad!!"
Tu Ma waved his hand. "What's there to be ashamed of about a False Pregnancy? Who in our Rabbit Clan hasn't had a False Pregnancy? That time when you were a child, you were crying and shouting that you were pregnant with the fox family next door's cub, scaring those fox cubs so much they didn't dare go out for several months."
Tu Bao: "Mom!!"
Dazai Osamu laughed beside him, his shoulders shaking.
Tu Ma continued, "And your younger brother, Tu, called me a few days ago too, saying he seemed to be pregnant again. It scared me into thinking he was messing around outside again, but it turned out to be a False Pregnancy."
Tu Bai's ears quietly perked up.
“You three,” Tu Ma sighed, “none of you are easy to deal with. Da Bao, you chased after people so much you ended up with a False Pregnancy yourself, Tu, you used to have a whole bunch of lovers; you got a False Pregnancy and didn't even know who the father of the Child was. It's a good thing Xiao Bai never caused trouble with this, otherwise it would have truly become an ancestral scamming skill of our Rabbit Clan.”
Little Black Rabbit sat squatting on the Sofa, motionless.
Tu Ma continued, "Speaking of which, I taught you all when you were children, it is an instinct for male Rabbit Demons to have a False Pregnancy, but you must be able to tell the difference. It is especially easy to trigger when there are large fluctuations in Emotion. Back when you were chasing Dazai, Da Bao, wasn't it because you were just too excited?"
Tu Bao frantically signaled to Mom.
Tu Ma was completely unaware.
And then there's that little bastard Tu," she continued, "with a bunch of lovers. When she had a False Pregnancy, she was foolish enough to think it was real, not even knowing who the child's father was. He was so scared that he honestly found a man to take his place and settle down. Fortunately, the boyfriend she ended up with, a man named Sawada, has a good temper and is honest and easy to fool, so he didn't hold it against him.
Tu Bao's eyes were almost twitching.
Tu Ma finally noticed: "Da Bao, what's wrong with your eyes?"
"N-nothing.." Tu Bao gave a dry laugh.
Tu Ma gave him a suspicious glance, then asked, "By the way, didn't Tu say you came to find Xiao Bai? Where is Xiao Bai? Let him answer the phone, Mom misses him."
Tu Bao froze.
He slowly turned his head and looked at Little Black Rabbit on the Sofa.
Little Black Rabbit was also looking at him.
There was nothing in those Red Eyes.
It was just empty; although it looked very calm, Tu had actually been gone for a while.
"Er Bao.." Tu Bao called out softly.
Little Black Rabbit did not move.
Tu Ma was still shouting from the other side of the screen, "Xiao Bai? Is Xiao Bai not there?"
Dazai Osamu reached out his hand, took the mobile phone, aimed it at the Little Black Rabbit on the sofa.
Auntie," he said, "Xiao Bai is here.
The Screen went silent for three seconds.
Tu Ma stared with wide eyes at the Black Rabbit crouching on the Sofa.
Tu Ba also leaned over to take a look.
This.." Tu Ma opened his mouth. "Xiao Bai, why have you changed back to your original form?
Little Black Rabbit's ears twitched.
Tu Ma stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
Oh my, Xiao Bai must have reverted to his original form because the False Pregnancy Demon Power consumed too much energy, right?" He laughed quite happily. "I knew it, how is it possible that out of the Three sons, only one hasn't caused trouble? When did it happen? How long has it been causing trouble? Do you know now?
In Little Black Rabbit's brain, the memories of this past month began to play back frantically—
Morning Sickness.
Drowsiness.
Nesting.
Acting spoiled toward Gojo Satoru, he vowed earnestly, "We're having a Baby."
"Do you not want a Baby anymore?" she roared during the argument.
And the intense pain when his Life Energy dissipated during the Shibuya Incident.
That despair of losing a child.
It was all fake.
From beginning to end, it was all fake.
No Baby.
No Miscarriage.
Only his heart, blinded by hormones and anticipation, had been performing a three-month one-man show of self-delusion.
Little Black Rabbit crouched there, motionless.
Tu Ma was still saying, "It's fine, it's fine, False Pregnancy is very normal. Da Bao made a fuss for two months that time, Tu even made a fuss again a few days ago, but this is only your first time. By the way, where is your Boyfriend? Didn't you say you got a Boyfriend? How is he to you?"
Little Black Rabbit still did not move.
Tu Bao finally couldn't hold it in any longer: "Mom! Hang up first! Er Bao is.."
Tu Ma looked at Tu Bao's expression, then at Little Black Rabbit, as if he had realized something.
Oh.." He nodded. "Alright, you brothers go ahead and chat. Xiao Bai, call Mom later.
The video call ended.
The Living Room was quiet for a few seconds.
Tu Bao looked at Little Black Rabbit cautiously.
Er Bao?" he called softly, "Are you.. are you okay?
Little Black Rabbit slowly, slowly turned around.
Turning its butt toward everyone.
Two ears drooped down, covering his entire face.
Then he crawled into the gaps between the Sofa Cushions.
Only a tiny, fluffy tail was visible.
Tu Bao: ".."
Dazai Osamu: "Pfft."
Tu Bao glared at him.
Dazai Osamu raised his hand: "I wasn't laughing."
But his expression said otherwise.
Tu Bao couldn't bother with him, so he moved toward the Sofa and crouched down.
Er Bao," he said softly, "Don't be like this. False Pregnancy is really nothing; I've made a fuss about it, Tu has too. That's just how our Rabbit Clan is.
Little Black Rabbit did not move.
Really," Tu Bao continued, "do you remember when I told you before, that time I chased Dazai-kun? Actually, back then it was a False Pregnancy. I thought I was pregnant and cried my eyes out, but then I found out it was fake, I was so ashamed I didn't dare see him for several months.
Little Black Rabbit's ears twitched.
Tu Bao took out his Mobile Phone and began dialing.
Hello? Tu?" he said into the Mobile Phone, "I have something to tell you. Your second Brother is also having a False Pregnancy. Yes, I just found out. He's currently stuffing himself into the Sofa and refuses to come out. You should talk to him.
He placed the mobile phone in the gap of the sofa and turned on the speakerphone.
Second Brother?" Tu's voice came through the mobile phone, sounding a bit lazy, "I heard you have a false pregnancy too?
Little Black Rabbit's butt twitched.
Tu continued, "It's normal, I've had False Pregnancy several times. I was stupid the first time too, thinking I was actually pregnant, I was so scared that I searched everywhere for the Child's father—the problem was I had too many lovers back then, I had no idea who it was."
Tu Bao chimed in from the side, "And then he found a Scapegoat."
What do you mean, scapegoat?" Tu said dissatisfiedly. "Tsunayoshi did it of his own free will, when he found out later it was a False Pregnancy, he didn't even get angry; he even comforted me and said it was okay.
Tu paused.
Second Brother, False Pregnancy is really nothing. That's just how we Rabbit Demons are; it's easy to trigger when emotions run high. Your boyfriend isn't angry, is he?
Little Black Rabbit's ears twitched.
It's good that you're not angry," Tu said. "If he were to look down on you because of this, then he certainly wouldn't be any good, you might as well just kick him out. But based on what you said before, he should care about you quite a bit.
Little Black Rabbit finally poked his head out from the gap in the Sofa.
Red Eyes looked at the mobile phone screen.
Tu's face was on the Screen, with Silver-white Long Curly Hair and curved Peach Blossom Eyes, smiling quite beautifully.
Second Brother," he said, "Do you know what it felt like when I realized it was a False Pregnancy back then?
Little Black Rabbit shook his head.
I want to die," Tu said. "Really, I want to dig a hole and crawl into it. I was just playing around with those lovers before, but when I had a False Pregnancy, I took it seriously. I thought I was going to be a Mom, I even thought of the Child's Name. When I found out it was fake later, I was so ashamed I didn't dare leave the house for several days.
He smiled.
But then I realized. The False Pregnancy was real, but the happiness during that time was also real. Back then, I thought about the child every day, thinking about how I would raise him in the future, thinking about whether Tsunayoshi would be a good Dad—even though it was all fake, those feelings were real.
Little Black Rabbit's eyes blinked.
So you don't need to feel ashamed," Tu said. "You like him, that's why you care so much about that fetus. The fetus is fake, but the liking is real.
Tu Bao nodded beside him, "Yes, yes, yes, Tu is right. It was the same for me when I had a False Pregnancy; even though the child was fake, my feelings for Dazai-kun were real."
Dazai Osamu said leisurely from the side, "So you really liked me back then."
Tu Bao blushed: "Nonsense!"
Little Black Rabbit looked at the two of them, his Ears slowly perking up a little.
Tu laughed on the other side of the Screen: "Alright, Second Brother, stop hiding. Come out, it's fine. If you still feel embarrassed, just think of me—I was teased by Tsunayoshi for several months."
Tu Bao added, "And me, Dazai-kun is still teasing me about this even now."
Dazai Osamu nodded beside him, "Yes, it's quite fun."