The laughter hadn’t fully faded from the capybara café when Livi leaned forward, tapping her phone screen with a look of mischief.

“Alright,” she said, voice sly. “Since we’re all here—and officially Bloom Pals—I have one more thing.”

Six heads turned toward her.

Mina raised an eyebrow. “She’s got that ‘planner smile’ again.”

“I swear this isn’t controlling,” Livi said, laughing. “It’s a gift.”

She turned her phone to show a photo of soft beaches, cherry blossoms, and... rabbits.

“Rabbit Island,” she declared. “This weekend. All six of us. Zero itineraries. Just fresh air, cozy cabins, and an unreasonable number of rabbits.”

Dylan leaned in. “Wait, seriously?”

Hikari’s eyes widened. “That’s in Tadanoumicho, right? I’ve always wanted to go…”

Sora’s quiet smile appeared. “Sounds peaceful.”

Ren blinked. “You’re telling me I get to hang out with fifty rabbits and sleep in a cabin with you weirdos? Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

Mina stole a sip of his drink and shrugged. “I’m down. Sounds iconic.”

Livi beamed. “Great. We leave Friday morning. Pack light, wear layers, and bring snacks.”

She looked around the table—these five people who had become so much more than classmates—and smiled with something deeper than joy.

It was contentment.

The week passed faster than expected.

By the time Friday morning arrived, the group stood on the train platform—sleepy-eyed, backpacks slung over shoulders, and travel mugs in hand.

“Remind me why we’re doing this at 8 a.m.?” Ren muttered, rubbing his eyes.

“Because the rabbits won’t wait for your beauty sleep,” Mina replied, effortlessly stealing one of his granola bars.

Sora stood quietly at the edge, headphones resting around his neck, while Dylan took a quick photo of the group before boarding. The shutter clicked right as Livi let out an excited squeal.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” she said, bouncing slightly on her toes. “No schedule. No plans. Just vibes.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Livi Chen?” Ren teased.

Livi laughed, pushing his arm. “She’s still here—she just learned how to chill.”

The train ride was warm and sunlit. Outside the window, the city gave way to lush fields and low coastal hills. Inside, the Bloom Pals spread out across two booths, snacks between them, legs stretched across seats.

Sora read a sci-fi novel.

Hikari doodled bunny ears on everyone’s heads in her sketchbook.

Ren tried to convince Mina that capybaras were overrated compared to rabbits, while Mina argued that both species deserved civil rights.

Livi leaned against the window beside Dylan, who kept his camera in his lap, not his hands.

“You haven’t been taking as many pictures lately,” she said softly.

He shrugged. “Trying to be in it. I’ll take the right ones when they matter.”

She smiled. “You already did.”

They arrived in Tadanoumicho just before noon, where a short ferry waited at the dock. The sea sparkled beneath the sun as the boat carved a smooth path toward the island ahead.

“It’s greener than I imagined,” Mina said, arms resting on the railing. “And weirdly quiet.”

“That’s the point,” Hikari said, her voice carried by the sea breeze.

When the boat docked, the group stepped onto soft white sand. Lush trees bordered the path inland, and from the underbrush emerged their welcoming committee—about a dozen rabbits, curious, twitching, absolutely fearless.

“Okay, I take it back,” Ren whispered as one hopped directly into his hands. “This is paradise.”

They dropped their bags off at the guest inn—a minimalist but warm lodge with a view of the ocean—and spent the afternoon exploring.

Island Highlights:

Dylan took a break from shooting, choosing to feed a sleepy bunny nestled beneath a cherry tree. Later, he snapped a candid of Mina crouched and gently booping one on the nose.
Hikari sketched rabbits in motion, occasionally pointing out flower types to Sora, who jotted notes in his phone for no reason he’d admit.
Ren tried to start a “bunny naming competition” but got too attached to one he named “Sprinkle.”
Mina found a hidden nook with rabbit-shaped stones and declared it her “meditation garden.” She sat there with her headphones in, smiling softly to herself.
Livi wandered ahead of the group, her heart full and light, no longer thinking about what came next.

Sora was bombarded with at least 20 rabbits. He was living in rabbit paradise.

That evening, as the sky turned coral-orange and the breeze cooled, the Bloom Pals gathered around a small campfire pit near the beach.

The fire popped gently, casting flickers across their tired but happy faces. Rabbits dozed near the edges of the light, as if they, too, were part of the group.

“I needed this,” Sora said, stirring the embers with a stick. “More than I realized.”

“Same,” Hikari said, her legs curled beneath her. “It’s been so… peaceful.”

Ren raised his mug. “To the Bloom Pals. Still weird to say, but I guess it’s real now.”

Mina smirked. “I give it six months before we’re matching jackets.”

“Matching tattoos,” Dylan countered.

Livi chuckled, staring at the fire. “We could leave something behind. Like a message in the guestbook.”

“No,” Mina said, standing suddenly and brushing off her hoodie. “We’re doing something better.”

She walked back inside, returned minutes later with Dylan’s polaroid camera, and tossed it in his lap.

“Take a photo. All six of us. Right now.”

Dylan blinked. “Wait, I thought—”

“—No excuses,” she said. “This? This is the memory. And I want proof.”

He smiled slowly. “Okay.”

They lined up on the sand, firelight glowing behind them. Dylan set the timer, then jogged into the middle, throwing his arms around Sora and Livi. Ren made bunny ears behind Hikari. Mina leaned on Dylan’s shoulder at the last second.

Click.

Captured.

Later that night, back in the guesthouse, Livi opened the guest journal.

She didn’t write a long entry.

Just:

The Bloom Pals were here. We found peace, laughter, and rabbits.

●      Spring 2025 🌸

She taped the photo beneath it.

Six friends.

No plans.

Just everything that mattered.