* * *
Thunk, roll…
“…Bip!”
Saewoo was dozing off when the plastic lid on his head dropped, jolting him awake.
“Bip! Bii…”
(What, what? Have we arrived…?)
Just as he was about to call out to Jibeom, he realized he wasn’t in a moving vehicle.
Looking around, Saewoo saw he was already inside his apartment on the fourth floor.
“Bii…?”
Wondering where Jibeom had gone, Saewoo flapped his wings as he surveyed the room.
Jibeom was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed he’d carried Saewoo to the mattress and left after he fell asleep.
Next to the mattress were some essentials: a list of conditions for Saewoo’s recovery, a bag of medicine, and a clean blanket.
‘…He said he didn’t care.’
Saewoo jumped into the blanket, reveling in the soft down feathers wrapping him snugly.
He wasn’t sure if Jibeom had left it out of generosity or as a gift, but it made him ponder.
Could someone like this really be the notorious villain…?
He felt conflicted.
At first, Jibeom had seemed reckless, almost deranged, but it was hard to see him purely as a villain.
[Taekwon mentioned that Yoon Jibeom went through all sorts of hardships after taking control of that area.]
What exactly happened there?
Did Jibeom experience events not present in the original story?
Until now, Saewoo hadn’t paid much attention to any of the other beastmen besides the main ones, only concerned with his own survival.
Peck, peck, peck.
Lost in thought, Saewoo pulled out his bird-specific phone and began searching.
It was designed for avians, so he could click with his beak.
If things followed the original storyline, there should still be articles about the crime in the no-law zone.
“Bip…?”
While scrolling through older articles, something strange caught his eye.
‘The territory of a white leopard beastmen…?’
‘White leopard? Not black leopard?’
It looked like the reporter hadn’t caught the typo before publishing.
Saewoo checked other articles for confirmation.
‘No way… This can’t be right…’
Perplexed, he stopped his search and blinked in silence.
The world of beastmen actually required more energy in animal form than in their humanoid form, so they rarely shifted unless absolutely necessary.
Speech and movement were restricted, and it was simply more practical to stay in beastmen form.
Some even forgot how to shift back into an animal form entirely.
Though he’d have liked to stay a bird because of his scarring, Saewoo ultimately shifted back, worried he might forget how to change forms.
“Maybe I should try parting my hair this way…”
After spending two days in his apartment unpacking, he noticed that the scar wasn’t as large as he’d thought, though it was noticeable since it cut through his red hair.
Despite his efforts to hide it by adjusting his part, it looked unnatural.
“Sigh… Guess I’ll just wear a hat.”
After an hour at the mirror, Saewoo finally picked up a red cap, glancing at the nearby red plastic lid.
“Hmm…”
He eyed it for a moment before donning the cap, grabbed his bag, and prepared to go out.
After double-checking his locked door, he looked down the stairwell window to make sure no one was around.
It was quiet, not a single person in sight.
Saewoo relaxed and began his walk.
“Phew… thank goodness.”
Thank heavens that most predators were nocturnal.
He couldn’t go on living so anxiously forever.
He took out his phone to see if there were any new messages from Jibeom.
Since their last meeting, Jibeom occasionally sent him updates on the real estate scammer.
The agent seemed to belong to some organization and had disappeared.
It wasn’t that Saewoo didn’t trust Jibeom, but after the lack of information he’d gotten from the police, he’d resolved to handle things on his own as best as he could.
The contract was legal, but it seemed it would take a long time, given that the agent had even changed identities.
He had reported the case, but somehow, Jibeom felt more reliable.
“Life is really tough…”
Seeing Jibeom’s message to hang in there, Saewoo made up his mind to stay strong, regardless of the outcome.
Clack.
“Thank you!”
After paying for his taxi, Saewoo cheerfully said goodbye and dashed off, avoiding other beastmen as he headed to the department store.
“Is this the place…? It’s really crowded…”
Their meeting spot was by a fountain in the outlet on the first floor.
Around the large stone fountain, beastmen gathered, all waiting for their respective company.
Saewoo sat at the edge of the fountain, fiddling with his phone.
“Where is Jinho…?”
Today, he’d arranged to meet Jinho, who knew someone in the legal field and had agreed to introduce him.
He hadn’t trusted the police, and though Jibeom seemed reliable, he couldn’t just wait without doing something.
[Get out of that place! Only predators are around; it’s dangerous!]
Jinho had insisted, but realistically, it was almost impossible.
The rental deposit from his last place was returned, but he didn’t have the funds to move again.
Until things were resolved, he’d have to put his rental plans on hold.
“Saewoo!”
Deep in thought, Saewoo was startled as someone called his name, causing the cap on his head to slip off.
“Ah!”
Saewoo flinched in surprise, crouching down and covering the top of his head with his hands.
“Ah! What the–? Saewoo? It’s me, Jinho!”
It was Jinho.
Seeing Saewoo’s overly sensitive reaction, Jinho was a bit startled himself.
“Oh… Jinho….”
“Sorry. I was just playing around… Here.”
Blushing, Jinho handed Saewoo a hat.
Saewoo quickly took it and pressed it firmly onto his head.
Fortunately, because Jinho was shorter than him, he likely hadn’t seen the bald patch.
“Why the hat, though?”
“Ah… I just… wanted a change of pace, I guess?”
“For a second, I thought you didn’t have time to wash your hair before rushing over.”
Jinho chuckled, not used to seeing Saewoo in a hat.
In truth, Saewoo had hated the sight of the bald spot so much that he hadn’t washed his hair in a while and only did so today.
“Still, the hat really suits you, Saewoo. Red isn’t easy to pull off, but it looks adorable on you.”
“Th-Thanks….”
Hearing Jinho’s compliment, Saewoo felt his nerves relax a little.
“Oh, uh… is that person…?”
Saewoo had thought Jinho would bring him along, so when no one else was there, he hesitantly asked.
“Ah… about that. Saewoo, I’m really sorry. They suddenly had something come up and said they’d be about 30 minutes late. I have a lecture soon, so I won’t be able to wait….”
With an apologetic look, Jinho glanced at Saewoo.
He’d wanted to be there for the introduction and explain things on Saewoo’s behalf.
Since Saewoo was frail and not very experienced with other beastmen, Jinho often worried about him.
“It’s okay. Just give me the number, and I’ll meet them myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
It wasn’t like he was a child.
As long as he had a way to contact them, he could handle a meeting by himself.
Besides, if it was someone Jinho trusted, there was no reason to worry.
“Got it. I’ll send the number via text. I’ll also give them a heads-up about what you look like.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Ah, I’m running late. I’ll get going, Saewoo!”
Checking his watch, Jinho quickly turned and rushed off.
Saewoo found himself watching Jinho’s bouncing hair as he hopped away.
“Just two more weeks….”
Murmuring to himself, Saewoo couldn’t help but still feel self-conscious about his bald spot.
Tap tap.
“Huh…?”
Suddenly, someone tapped Saewoo’s hat.
Startled, he turned to see a handsome beastman with white hair staring right at him.
* * *
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…
Jinho or whatever is his name is too friendly or is it just me