On this particular morning, something felt different.

The air shimmered.

The old toy chest near the far wall rattled, and a warm, sugary breeze drifted through the playroom—one that smelled like vanilla, strawberries, and freshly baked bread.

Stripy tilted his square head.

“Something… new is coming,” he murmured.

Before he could take another step, the light burst open like a storybook being flipped too fast—and suddenly, fourteen small shapes tumbled out of the glow, landing in a pile of pastel colors and giggles.

“Ahh—!”

“Careful!”

“We surely succeed!”

“Kitto umaku iku yo!”

The toys of Patchwork Hollow stared in amazement.

Out of the light hopped twin bunnies, one white with a pink bowtie and the other brown, their long ears bouncing as they landed.

“We made it!” said the white bunny brightly.

“Yes, yes!” said her twin. “This must be the human world!”

Behind them appeared more bunny twins, each pair unique—pink and yellow florists, blue glassmakers, green and spotted gelato makers, jam-making sisters with fruit-scented fur, coffee bunnies, bread bunnies, and more—fourteen Sugarbunnies in all, blinking at their surroundings.

Stripy took a careful step forward.

“Hello,” he said gently. “My name is Stripy. You’re… not from here, are you?”

The white bunny’s eyes sparkled. “I’m Shirousa, a pâtissier! And this is my twin brother—”

“Kurousa!” the brown bunny said proudly. “We make sweets!”

Stripy smiled. “That explains the smell.”

Before anyone could say more, the door to the playroom creaked open.

A human girl peeked inside.

Her name was Sophia.

Sophia had flour-dusted hands, bright hopeful eyes, and a dream bigger than her kitchen: to become the greatest pastry chef in all of Europe. She had followed the strange glowing light all the way to the old playroom—and now she stared in disbelief at the bunnies, the toys, and the soft square plush standing in the middle of it all.

“…You’re real,” she whispered.

Unlike everyone else in town, Sophia didn’t scream or run. She knelt down instead.

Stripy felt something warm flutter in his stitches.

“Yes,” he said softly. “And you’re very kind for believing us.”

From that day on, Sophia kept the Sugarbunnies hidden, telling her parents they were dolls and arranging cozy hiding spots throughout the playroom and kitchen. The bunnies, in turn, promised to help her learn to bake—even though she barely knew how to crack an egg properly.

Shirousa clapped his paws. “We’ll surely succeed!”

Kurousa nodded. “Kitto umaku iku yo!”