The manager had just finished sending the message when the meeting room fell into a brief silence.

  Then, like someone had flipped a switch——

  “So it’s set in the modern day?” the screenwriter asked, fingers already tapping away.

  “School setting? Classmates? Childhood friends?”

  “Wait——how does the bunny go to school?” The art lead frowned.

  “If she’s actually a bunny——” “I mean a real bunny.”

  “What about size? Chairs, backpacks, uniforms? I’d have to redesign everything.”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Probably just a regular actress... with bunny ears,” the director muttered.

  Right after he said it, his phone buzzed.

  It was the boss.

  Have you started the meeting?

  Yeah. We’re discussing the character design.

  Is the bunny... just dressing up?

  The director hesitated, then answered truthfully:

  We’re currently leaning toward a human actor with ears.

  A reply came in immediately:

  What????

  No way!!!

  The director looked up, expression turning complicated.

  “What now?” the screenwriter asked.

  “He said... no.”

  “No to what?”

  The director glanced at his phone again and read aloud:

  “I want the real deal!!”

  “There are beastfolk——why use a human in costume? I want the bunny to actually be one!”

  “Just slapping on ears? That’s not beautiful… it could even come off as kinda tacky~”

  It was like someone had muted the video.

  Only the hum of the AC filled the silence.

  The art lead tossed her pen onto the table.

  “Just tell me straight——are we in a fantasy world? That’d make it easier to draw.”

  The manager, ever calm:

  “I’ll check if we’ve got any beastfolk types in the archives.”

  The screenwriter leaned back in his chair, eyes closed.

  “I told you…”

  “I’m gonna die on this project…”