Chapter 1 – The Apartment

Hey. Want to know something?

The modern world had never seen anything unfold so… dispassionately. So impartial. So cold. It could make the likes of World War II look like an afterthought.

What made it terrifying was the fact that there was simply no one to blame. I mean, seriously—how long could different nations keep pointing fingers at each other? Especially when conferences were already being held to prepare for the worst.

When God gets bored, He sends a plague upon His followers. When He’s really bored, He throws a stone at the planet.

And that’s exactly what happened.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ended in 2023, people got comfortable—fast. The nearly six million deaths became a shocking statistic you could just write off… as long as you had your vaccination card.

But the stone was coming. And in 2028, it finally did.

A meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere. It split into two massive chunks. But for once, humanity was ready. Underground shelters had been under construction for four years prior. Billions of lives were saved.

One chunk, dubbed the Indian Catastrophe, struck India—shattering the nation into an archipelago. The other landed off the coast of Japan. That one was called J-1016. The tsunamis weren’t nearly as merciful as the initial impact.

After a year of isolation below ground, society began to rebuild. Humanity emerged to explore a changed world. India shrank—its allies lent it land. Japan expanded. And a new continent rose from the sea between Morocco and Portugal.

Of course, our freedom-loving brethren in the West “discovered” the new land and claimed it. And just as quickly, they unclaimed it—naming the continent after the explorer who found it: Kendra DeMarco.

But peace? That was something else entirely.

See, humans need a common enemy. That’s how they unify, how they justify cruelty. And the stone God threw carried more than just rock and fire. It carried a miracle.

Some humans got sick again. Some mutated. Another pandemic? Not quite. This wasn’t something a vaccine could fix.

The mutations were animalistic. Scientists called them Hybrids—crossbreeds of human DNA and animal genes: reptiles, birds, wolves, cats, even insects. The meteors had brought with them an element humanity couldn’t comprehend.

And what humans can’t control… they destroy.

The first rights to go were voting and equal work protections. Then came their homes. Then their freedom. Concentration camps. Indentured servitude. Game. Property. Breeding stock. India and Japan pushed back—nations with majority demi-human populations—but two can’t stand against a hundred.

The war began. Lasting from 2035 to 2037.

But the human spirit—hybrid or not—never truly dies. Freedom returned. Rights were won back. By 2063, peace fell upon Earth once again.

You could almost call it another 2016. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from. Your ambitions? Your dreams? That was all up to you now.

…Except for one demi-human.

His name was Ferry.

He was having a rough day. The last thing he needed? More chaos.

He swung open the door to his new apartment—just moved in—only to find himself face-to-face with a fox-hybrid.

Of all creatures.

His silver eyes narrowed as he sized up the stranger: the fluffy tail, the twitching ears, that faint, irritating scent he couldn’t ignore.

He scoffed.

“Why a fox-hybrid? They’re all overly sexual and good-for-nothing scum,” he muttered.

The air between them grew charged. His fists clenched instinctively.

The figure shifted, setting down a box that looked a bit too heavy for her size. She turned around.

Big, amber eyes.

It was a girl.

Ferry groaned. Hard.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! I got paired with a fox-hybrid?! Shit! Why do I have to deal with a damn horny, dirty-ass fox?” He ran his fingers through his dark, tangled hair. His ears twitched with frustration.

“Nah… this is too much for today.” Ferry squinted, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic mess the girl had already made of the apartment.

“O-oh! Hi there!” she chirped excitedly.

Before Ferry could snarl or slam the door shut, she was suddenly right in front of him. He blinked in surprise as her cool hand clasped his. She shook it with way too much energy.

“Come on in! I think I’m your new roommate starting today!” she beamed. Her oversized orange-and-white sweater slipped past her wrists as she kept shaking his hand, her bushy tail wagging like crazy.

Ferry tensed. His silver eyes flashed with irritation at her bubbly energy. After a pause, he yanked his hand back and crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

“Don’t get comfortable,” he said flatly, narrowing his eyes. “It’s my full intention to get you out of this apartment.”

The girl blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. Her tail froze mid-wag, then drooped slightly.

“W-what? I haven’t even done anything!”

Ferry raised a finger and pointed directly at her, like she’d just triggered a national emergency.

“You exist. And I’m being forced to exist with you. That’s your crime.”

The girl squinted, trying to process the nonsense she was hearing. But after a second, she shook her head and forced a nervous smile.

“W-well… my name is Rin. I think we should do our best to get along from now on!”

“Rin, huh?” Ferry muttered. “Look, I’m not some buddy-buddy kind of guy, okay? I have zero intention of becoming your friend. At all.”

Rin glanced at the hand he had pulled away, then looked back up at him with an awkward smile.

“Well… nice to meet you anyway, Mister!” she said cheerfully.

Ferry frowned. Her damn tail was wagging again. Fluffy. Demanding space. Those alert ears. Her barely-contained energy practically radiated off her.

“Mister?”

“Well, I want to be polite!” Rin replied with a small huff. “You haven’t told me your name yet.”

“You know what?” Ferry grunted. “Mister will do just fine.”

Rin pouted.

“Aw, come on! Why won’t you tell me?”

“Because you’re a damn fox-hybrid.”

“Pfft!” Rin suddenly burst into a confident giggle. “Is that all?”

She pointed at herself proudly. “Well then. I think you’re going to like me very quickly. You see, I’m not like other foxes. I’m very different. So why not be different too?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Yeah, I can tell! You’re a wolf-hybrid, right?” she continued, her grin widening. “So stoic. Always caught up in that whole alpha-omega complex. But you should let it all go! We’re roommates now, after all!”

Ferry’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Rin’s teasing. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he took a slow, deliberate step forward.

Rin’s ears immediately folded down. Her tail curled around her waist protectively as she shrank where she stood.

“Oh? You think you can change me, little fox?” Ferry’s voice was low, predatory. “That I’ll just roll over and play nice because you bat those big, innocent eyes at me?”

Rin whimpered softly, her confidence draining fast.

“O-okay… I’m sorry…” she stammered, her voice trembling as unshed tears welled in her eyes.

Ferry blinked, then sighed and stepped back, the sharpness in his expression softening slightly.

“Shit, don’t cry on me now. You’re every bit as predictable as they say. You really live up to all the rumors about your people, don’t you?”

Rin quickly turned away, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.

“S-shut up! I’m not crying… I’m just respecting your boundaries, that’s all!” she snapped, her voice high and flustered. She pouted and scurried back toward her half-unpacked mess, rearranging things in a huff.

Ferry sighed and finally stepped inside, shutting the door behind him with finality. He leaned against the frame for a second, watching Rin move about with a mix of exasperation… and a reluctant smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Hey, Rin,” he called, flopping down onto the couch. “Where’s the bigger bedroom in this place?”

“Oh, uh—that one, I think.” She pointed toward a door just behind the couch, her tail flicking behind her.

“Got it. It’s mine,” he said smugly, throwing an arm across the back of the couch.

Rin rolled her eyes but quickly returned to organizing her boxes. Her body relaxed, the tension in her shoulders melting away. Her smile returned, small but genuine, and her tail began to wag again—despite her best efforts to stay mad.

But her voice gave her away.

Ferry frowned lightly. It was strange—and mildly concerning—just how quickly her emotions bounced around. She really was like a nervous stray.

A moment later, he heard the sound of boxes being dragged down the hallway. Rin was already struggling. She tripped, spilling the contents across the floor with a thud and a startled yelp.

Ferry groaned, rubbing his temple. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

Suddenly, Rin’s cheerful voice called from the hallway.
“So, Mister? Where’s your stuff? You are moving in today, right?”

“None of your business what I do,” Ferry huffed, closing his eyes as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

Then—whoosh.

A gust of air swept past his face. His eyes snapped open to find Rin standing right in front of him again, her face just inches away.

Ferry squinted, visibly annoyed.

“You still think I’m like the others, don’t you?”

“Nothing you say or do will change my mind.”

“You’re wrong!” Rin snapped, eyes defiant. She leaned back, then boldly held out her wrists to him.

Ferry raised a brow, suspicious but curious. He reached out, taking one wrist. To his own surprise, his grip was gentle. Her skin was soft, her bones light—delicate, even. Like holding something that might snap if he wasn’t careful.

He brought her wrist closer, giving it a cautious sniff.

His ears twitched—just a little.

Virgin? he thought, blinking once.

Rin suddenly pulled her hand back and crossed her arms with pride.

“See? You noticed it, didn’t you?” she grinned. “And—” she pointed at herself with her thumb “—I just turned nineteen!”

Her chest puffed with pride, her tail wagging fast and excitedly.

“Huh… guess I was wrong about you,” Ferry muttered. “Not by much, but still.”

Rin pouted, choosing to ignore the jab.

“Mhmm!” she beamed, too proud to let it ruin her moment.

“So, Mister—how old are you, huh?”

Ferry blinked. “I’m twenty-two.”

“Twenty-two? Jeez, you’re an old man!” Rin cackled, doubling over with laughter. “Wow, should I start calling you Dad? Or maybe Gramps?”

She giggled, expecting Ferry to roll his eyes or tease her back. Instead—

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down onto his lap in one fluid motion.

Rin let out a startled squeak, her whole body stiffening. Her mind clouded over with haze.

“Careful what you wish for, kid,” Ferry growled low. “If I ever became your daddy, you wouldn’t be walking straight for weeks.”

His voice dropped into a husky warning, silver eyes locking with hers—deep, intense, unrelenting. Rin’s breath hitched, completely thrown off guard.

But before she could process anything further—

With a swift motion, Ferry shoved her off his lap. She tumbled onto the floor with a yelp, landing hard on her hip.

“Ow—!” she cried, clutching her side.

Ferry sat back, arms crossed, smirking.

“Now quit playing with things you don’t understand and finish unpacking,” he said coolly. “Unless you want me to really start treating you like the adult you claim to be.”

Rin blinked back the stinging in her hip, her face flushing deep red—part embarrassment, part… something else.

“H-hey! What the hell was that for!?” she whimpered. “D-don’t you know fox hybrids are sensitive?! Don’t just throw me around like that, you brute!”

Still blushing furiously, she scrambled to her feet and scurried off to her pile of boxes, tail tucked close and ears drooped in flustered frustration.

She avoided looking at him for the rest of the afternoon—though her tail never did stop wagging.

#

Later on the sun began its descent across the horizon.

Ferry stretched, cracking his back with a soft groan as he pushed off the couch. He’d had enough of sitting alone with his thoughts.

As he stood, he noticed the living room was no longer a disaster zone. The boxes and clutter were gone.

He sighed in relief.

Then, glancing down the hallway toward Rin’s room, Ferry paused.
Should he apologize?

He had taken his frustration out on a total stranger.

He took a step forward—only for Rin’s door to open.

She stepped out slowly, still dressed in the same clothes from earlier. Ferry raised a hand and waved.

“Oh, hey, Rin,” he called.

Rin looked at him warily, her eyes wide with suspicion. But her tail betrayed her—wagging involuntarily the moment she heard her name in his voice.

“About earlier… I’m sorry, alright?” Ferry said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Don’t let it get to your head though. You really can’t just throw yourself into my space like that.”

Rin blinked, her expression flat.

“Wow… what an omega, everyone,” she muttered under her breath.

She turned away, but suddenly—

Ferry was in front of her.

A blur of movement. A flash of silver eyes. Rin gasped as he stepped into her space, forcing her back against the hallway wall.

His arms slammed into the wall on either side of her, caging her in.

Rin shrank back, tail wrapping protectively around her waist. Her ears flattened against her head.

“Listen here, you little brat,” Ferry growled, his voice low and sharp. “I am not an omega. I’m an alpha. Alpha of my pack. Got it?”

His eyes flashed, and he slammed one hand into the wall beside her head.

Rin flinched, letting out a startled squeak.

“You will not spit that title out with my name ever again,” he continued. “Apologize. Now. Before I decide to teach you a lesson you won’t forget anytime soon. You’ll be bowing before me in full respect by the time I’m done with you.”

“O-okay… I’m sorry…” Rin whimpered, clutching her tail tightly. “Please… let me go…”

Ferry stepped back as suddenly as he had cornered her, allowing her to slump down to the floor.

“Good,” he muttered. “See that it doesn’t happen again.”

Without another word, he turned and walked off into his room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Rin stayed curled on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

“Damn it…” she whispered.

“I might be a bad roommate after all…” Her voice trembled with guilt and disappointment.
“What’s wrong with me…”

After a long pause, she finally stood. Her legs still shook as she made her way back to her room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

# 

Just as quickly as the afternoon had passed, so too did the evening.

That night, Ferry found himself standing in front of Rin’s bedroom door. He gave it a gentle knock.

“Rin? I need to talk to you. I’m coming in,” he said, already pushing the door open.

Inside, Rin was curled up in bed, hiding behind her blanket with only her eyes peeking out. She squinted at him suspiciously.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice defensive—though her tail, betraying her emotions again, wagged happily behind her.

“I just wanted to apologize… again,” Ferry muttered, clearly forcing the words out.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that! I already forgave you!” she replied cheerfully.

“Huh?” Ferry blinked, stunned by the sudden mood shift. Her emotional swings were a mystery. She was like a perpetual motion machine of every human emotion imaginable.

“Yeah, it’s okay! Here, come on!” Rin said, lowering her blanket and patting the empty spot on her bed.

Ferry sighed but eventually obliged, sitting beside her and doing his best to ignore the naturally sweet scent she carried. It was… annoying.

Rin hugged herself and gazed off into the distance, her voice softening.

“I was actually thinking about coming to you first to apologize.”

“What? Why?” Ferry asked, brow raised.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Wait,” Ferry cut her off. Rin turned back toward him, wide-eyed and curious.

“Is this… normal for you?” he asked. “You’re just so… naïve. Innocent.”

“Naïve? What are you talking about?” Rin tilted her head in confusion.

Ferry watched her for a moment, his expression softening slightly.

“I appreciate your forgiveness, Rin. Really. But the world I come from… it’s not kind to people who are different. People like you. I can’t protect you from everything, but I can try to guide you.”

Rin blinked, still not quite following.

“Mmm... nope. No clue what you’re talking about.”

Ferry groaned and let out a heavy sigh.
“Never mind…” he mumbled, settling into a thoughtful pose beside her, one elbow on his knee, chin resting in his hand.

A moment passed in silence before Rin suddenly broke it, her voice bright and hopeful.
“So… does this mean we’ll get along?”

Her tail wagged with rapid excitement behind her like a small engine trying to take off.

“Whoa, slow down there, pup,” Ferry said, holding up a hand. “Getting along doesn’t mean we’re gonna be best friends overnight.”

Rin froze mid-wag, her wide eyes locked on him with pure curiosity. She looked like she was holding her breath.

“…But,” Ferry sighed, giving her a sidelong glance, “I guess that doesn’t mean I’m gonna keep fighting you on it. We can… co-exist. Okay?”

He rested a hand gently on her thigh. Rin didn’t flinch, didn’t move—just stared at him with sparkling eyes, her tail frozen like a paused animation.

Then suddenly—

“Really!?” she squealed with delight. Her tail resumed at full speed, creating an actual wind tunnel in the room.

“Okay okay! Just calm your tail down! You’re gonna start a tornado in here!” Ferry shouted, shielding his face with his arms like he was bracing against a hurricane.

Rin froze again. “YES!” she chirped.

“Rin,” Ferry said, his voice more grounded now.

“Yes!” she echoed instantly, her ears perked straight up.

Ferry took a breath. “Can you just promise me one thing?”

Rin blinked, then nodded once with serious intent. She didn’t even breathe too loud.

“Just… promise me you’ll be careful out there,” Ferry said, slower this time. “The world isn’t always kind to… people like you. Especially to someone who trusts too easily. Full of… Naivety. And if anyone tries to hurt you, or take advantage of that? You come to me. Got it?”

Rin tilted her head slightly.
“My… naivety?” she echoed, her tone unsure. “Wait—are you saying I’m dumb or something?”

A slight pout formed on her face, her ears dipping.

Before Ferry could respond, Rin suddenly lunged forward and grabbed his hands with her usual enthusiasm.
“But thank you so much, Mister! I can’t wait to be your roommate for real!”

Ferry flinched slightly at her energy, pulling back just a bit. “Yeah, yeah. Just maybe… tone down the excitement? Some of us appreciate a little peace and quiet.”

He gently pulled his hand free. Rin didn’t notice—she was too busy sparkling with joy.

“Right! I’ll be a good roommate! You’ll see, Mister!”

Ferry watched her beam with excitement, her tail wagging so hard it swayed her entire torso. He sighed—there was something oddly endearing about her sincerity. Before leaving, he turned back with one last thought.

“Oh, and no more of that ‘Mister’ crap,” he said. “My name’s Ferry. Alright?”

Rin lit up like the sun.
“Right! Ferry! Got it!” she repeated proudly. Her tail wagged even harder, swaying her hips in rhythm.

Ferry quickly stepped out, closing the door behind him with a quiet smile tugging at his lips.
Damn… she’s growing on me too fast. Guess I’m an emotional trainwreck like her, huh?

He didn’t even get a step away from the door before—

CRASH!

Rin burst through it like a missile.
“Wait! Ferry! I need your help!” she cried.

Ferry blinked in disbelief. “What!? I just agreed to co-existence and you’re already making me do chores?!”

“Please please please!” Rin clasped her hands together, eyes wide and shimmering with the kind of innocent desperation only puppies could pull off.

Ferry’s eye twitched. That look—he hated how cute she was.
“Gah! Stop that! Shit—fine, fine! I’ll do it!” he grumbled, stomping into Rin’s room with reluctant steps.

“What is it?” he growled.

She pointed to a large box sitting in the corner.
“That one right there,” she said sweetly. “It’s too heavy for me and it’s just trash. Can you please help me get it out of my room?”

Without even opening his eyes, Ferry let out a sigh and picked it up. One arm. No effort. He carried it out like it weighed nothing and dropped it outside the apartment.

From the hallway, Rin peeked out and clasped her hands together again.
“My hero~!” she chimed, cheeks faintly pink.

Ferry groaned, glaring back at her. He parted his lips to say something smart—but decided against it. He exhaled sharply through his nose instead.

“Goodnight, Rin,” he muttered, waving a hand dismissively as he turned away.

With that, the door shut gently behind him, closing the first night of many.