The university slowly emptied.
"That lecture on hierarchical pacts was torture,"
Jaël adjusted her glasses, long red strands slipping over her oversized sweater.
Daki laughed, showing her orcish fangs.
"Seriously, who wants to sit through three hours of 'how to legally subjugate beastmen'?"
Sarah walked ahead, hands in her pockets.
"You're exaggerating. It was just boring," she muttered.
Jaël and Daki exchanged a look.
"We're going out."
"To a club."
"No." Sarah said immediately.
But an hour later, she was getting ready anyway.
The club was loud. Purple lights. Heavy music.
Behind the bar were beastmen.
Ears lowered. Forced smiles.
A lower class. Officially "domesticated."
Sarah hated the system.
She pretended not to care.
But she couldn't stand the empty, hollow eyes of those who served.
Daki yelled over the music:
"Relax! We're here to have fun!"
And then it happened.
A collision.
A tray toppled.
A frail body stumbled.
Sarah caught him before he fell.
Their eyes met.
Dark ears. Trembling tail.
Golden eyes, full of panic.
"S-sorry… sorry, miss… I… I'll clean it up…"
His voice shook.
Sarah frowned.
"Relax. I bumped into you."
He seemed more afraid of her tone than the accident itself.
She helped him pick up the mess.
Jaël whispered:
"He's cute…"
Rhym blushed violently.
Later, Sarah bought a bottle.
"Come drink with us," she said.
He hesitated.
The servers weren't really allowed.
But he obeyed.
Two drinks.
His body wasn't used to it.
He laughed louder than he should.
His ears twitched uncontrollably.
And then…
He fell asleep on the bench.
Silence.
Daki looked at him.
"We can't leave him like this."
Jaël nodded.
Sarah sighed.
"We'll take him home. That's it."
At their place, they laid him down in Sarah's room.
"No way he's sleeping with me," Daki muttered.
"And I might accidentally tear off an arm while I sleep," added Jaël.
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"He'll sleep here. Anyway… I would never touch a beastman," she said.
She covered him with a blanket.
He mumbled something unintelligible.
His fingers unconsciously clutched at her shirt.
Sarah froze for a moment.
Then gently withdrew her hand.
And left the room.
Morning.
A strange sensation.
Warm.
Close.
Sarah opened her eyes.
Her brain took a few seconds to process.
She was in her underwear.
And Rhym was lying on her.
His head against her chest.
His tail curled around her thigh.
Both of them were flushed.
But fully clothed the night before.
He opened his eyes at the same time.
Silence.
Sarah stayed still.
Her heart raced.
She gently pushed his shoulders.
"GET UP !!!"