Faking It
The Young Scholar began to feel uneasy.
He was even a little afraid.
He whipped his head around.
Again and again, he looked from the bushes to his older brother.
There was no rabbit.
His older brother looked as though he thought rabbits were adorable.
"Shh."
The woodcutter glanced sideways at the Young Scholar.
"Keep your voice down."
"Don't scare the rabbit."
"Brother!"
The Young Scholar couldn't hold back any longer.
He shouted.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's no rabbit!"
He sprang to his feet and stepped forward.
He slapped the bushes hard several times.
"Look!"
"Where's the rabbit?!"
"Look!"
"Little brother?"
The woodcutter seemed startled.
"What are you doing?"
"You scared the rabbit away."
"I was going to catch it and give it to your sister-in-law."
"Brother!"
The Young Scholar felt like he was about to explode.
"There's no rabbit!"
"Can't you understand what I'm saying?!"
"There's no rabbit!"
"Brother, snap out of it!"
"If you want a rabbit, we can look somewhere else."
"But there really isn't one here."
"Brother!"
"Don't be like this."
His older brother's behavior made him feel uncomfortable, a little... afraid.
The woodcutter stared fixedly at the Young Scholar.
Then he slowly stood up.
"No rabbit?"
"None!"
The Young Scholar shrieked.
"Brother!"
"What's wrong with you?!"
"Maybe it's gotten too late and you're tired, so you're seeing things..."
"Brother, let's go back and get some rest."
"Brother..."
The woodcutter's puzzled face slowly broke into a smile.
"...Were you really scared?"
The Young Scholar froze.
Huh?
What?
"Brother..."
Looking at his older brother, who seemed to have changed in some way he couldn't quite put his finger on, the Young Scholar was bewildered.
"Wasn't the way I acted just now pretty creepy?"