5 How Curious!

"What now?" The dark-haired man asked, his intense gaze fixed on Felix.

Felix rose to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes before responding, "First, what is your name? What should I call you?"

The man's lips tightened as if contemplating the question carefully before he replied, "Do you trust me?"

Felix shook his head, a hint of wariness in his eyes. "I don't. But it'd be nice to have something to call you."

After a thoughtful pause, the man finally offered, "Arisu."

Arisu, the Japanese equivalent of Alice. Felix wondered if that was a pseudonym; there was something enigmatic about the man.

"I'm Felix."

"Felix, huh? Your last name must be Allison or something," Arisu teased lightly.

"That's not for you to know," Felix retorted, keeping some distance from the inquisitive stranger.

Arisu chuckled at Felix's response. "Still, the Plotter must be mad, bringing a teenager to Wonderland!"

Felix's eyes narrowed slightly, feeling a bit offended. "I am twenty-four years old."

"My apologies," Arisu quickly said, realizing his mistake. Despite the initial awkwardness, Felix's mind was preoccupied with something else.

"Wait."

With a sense of urgency, Felix strode over to a nearby bush and returned, revealing a struggling rabbit in his hands. Glancing at the time, Felix noted the time: 00:49:51. Time was of the essence, and he needed information from this peculiar rabbit.

"Sir Rabbit," Felix addressed the startled creature in his arms, trying to be gentle.

"Y-Yes?" The rabbit stammered nervously, clearly feeling overwhelmed.

"What are you late for?" Felix inquired, his voice firm but controlled.

"Who are you to know?" The rabbit shot back defiantly, refusing to reveal anything.

Felix's patience wore thin, and he firmly grabbed the rabbit by the scruff, applying slight pressure with his nails.

"What. Are. You. Late. For?" Felix repeated sternly, his determination unyielding.

"F-Fine! A tea party with the Mad Plotter!" the rabbit finally relented, his eyes wide with fear.

"The Mad Plotter?" Felix exclaimed, surprised by the revelation, his mind racing to make sense of the situation.

He wasn't prepared to meet the Plotter yet. He needed to improve himself first, mentally and physically.

Arisu stood up, cracking his knuckles with a hint of excitement. "Good! It's been a while since I've seen the Plotter. I'll come with you, Felix."

Felix turned his head to Arisu, a mix of concern and curiosity in his expression. "What about your scenario?"

"Gah! I have enough coins to choose a different scenario. I'm pretty loaded, you know?" Arisu replied nonchalantly, his confidence shining through.

Arisu's intense gaze softened as he continued to speak. He seemed like a man with a soft heart, and the thought crossed Felix's mind: 'I wonder if we'd be good friends.' He had never experienced close friendships before, making the idea all the more intriguing.

"Can you teach me how to use the screens?" Felix asked, bringing the focus back to their current situation, eager to learn more about the mysterious world he found himself in.

"I call it windows, but sure," Arisu responded with a slight smirk. "Just think of what window you want to appear. Only you can see your own window. If you want to open your character profile, just think 'character profile window.'"

Felix nodded, following Arisu's guidance, and thought, 'Character window.'

A black-grey screen materialized, displaying Felix's statistics and information. Adjacent to it, a 3D avatar of himself materialized, offering a surreal sense of self.

Eager to explore further, Felix clicked on the stats button, revealing another screen where he could use coins to enhance his character's abilities and attributes.

Curiosity piqued, he decided to try something else. 'Store window.'

A vibrant screen emerged, showcasing an array of small boxes, each containing images of peculiar items for sale, from insect pus to rabbit's foot.

"This is like those Korean web novels, isn't it, Felix?" Arisu remarked with a hint of amusement.

Felix was only half-listening, his mind still processing the new information. "I guess so."

"Why are you two talking about windows?!" the rabbit interjected angrily, feeling left out of the conversation.

"Shut it, hare," said Arisu dismissively. "Animals don't get to talk to higher beings."

Felix couldn't fully embrace the notion of considering animals as lesser beings than humans, but he figured that he and the rabbit, named Niven, might not be the best of friends. Personally, he didn't think he'd like to be friends with Arisu.

"What a rude man! And don't call me hare! I have a name!" Niven protested, trying to assert his identity.

Felix perked up, showing interest in the rabbit's individuality. "You do?"

"Yeah! I am Niven."

"Weird name, ain't it?" Arisu remarked casually.

Ignoring the remark, Felix nodded at Niven. "Nice to meet you, Niven."

Niven blinked, a bit taken aback but pleased with the acknowledgment. "You too."

"Anyways," Felix said, redirecting their focus, "I don't have much time yet. Lead the way, Niven."

"Lead you where?" Niven asked, his confusion evident.

Arisu playfully bumped his fist against Niven's head. "To the tea party, dumbo."

Felix let out a sigh, hoping they could avoid unnecessary squabbles and stay focused on their quest. "Let's go, then."