Esther violently stormed through the streets, her group of friends following behind. Lee gulped. "E-Esther-chan. What are you going to do?"

The white tiger snarled. "I'm gonna wring that bitch's neck, crush her skull, tear her apart, and eather fuckingheart!"

Olivia grabbed Esther's hand. "Esther-chan! You need to calm down! Getting violent won't help."

The tiger glared at the lab. "She tried to kill Ibuki-kun!"

Olivia stroked Esther's hand. "If you get violent, then you'll end up in trouble too. It's not worth it."

Theo nodded, pulling out an old USB drive. "We have the recording. She'll be arrested for sure."

Esther scowled. "But… I…"

The black lab put a hand on Esther's cheek. "I understand you're angry. I bet you feel betrayed. But you need to remain calm. She'll pay for this either way."

The white tiger looked away and slowly started to calm down. "A-alright."

Lee approached Esther. "What's this girl's name? Tell us everything about her."

Esther scowled and crossed her arms. "Her name is Donna. She's a cougar. I don't really know that much about her." The white tiger looked sad. "She just seemed like a normal person. I can't believe she did this."

Oscar nodded. "I get you. But you can't always see how people really are. It's easy to hide things from people, even if they're close."

Esther growled. "I can't believe this crap."

The group returned to their respective dorms. Despite how calm she seemed, Lee was very concerned about what Esther was going to do with this girl.

Esther walked into her dorm with a serious look on her face. The girls were all talking to each other and the only person that wasn't there was Lin, as usual.

The white tiger's fist shook as she glared at Donna. Her fur stood on end, and she was holding back the desire to tear into this traitor.

The girls all looked at Esther with concern. Mila tilted her head. "What's wrong, Esther-chan?"

Donna started to look uncomfortable as the white tiger stared at her. "And just what are youlooking at?"

Esther growled. "The bitch that tried to kill Ibuki-kun. That's what I'm looking at."

The other girls gasped and looked at Donna, who was appalled. " Excuseme?! Where do you get off accusing me of such a thing?!"

Esther pulled out her phone. Theo had sent her a copy of the security footage. The girls looked on in shock as they watched Donna purchasing the broken light from the pawnshop. All of them stared at her. Ceci looked horrified. "Donna-chan… You didn't…"

Donna started to sweat profusely. Suddenly, she bolted for the door. Esther grabbed her arm and slammed her down onto the floor, pinning her under her weight.

The cougar started struggling and screaming. "Let me go! You don't understand! He's an abomination! He has to die! We have to kill him!"

The other girls covered their mouths in shock as they listened to their once-trusted roommate.

Esther could very easily rip this girl's arm off, or torture her as she squirmed and screamed. But she stayed calm and just kept her pinned. Esther looked at the other girls. "One of you needs to get campus security."

Mila ran off and Donna screamed after her. "No! Don't! You don't get it! He has to die!" The pinned cougar screeched and squirmed as she tried to free herself. "Half-breeds are a crime against nature! You can't protect that monsterforever! You traitor!"

Esther raised a trembling fist. She wanted to bring it down on Donna's skull like a hammer. But she restrained herself. The white tiger snarled. "Why did you try to kill Ibuki-kun?"

"Why wouldn't I? He's a freak of nature!"

Esther's subconscious was demanding that she twist the cougar's arm and make her talk. But she followed Olivia's instructions and just took a deep breath. "Did someone put you up to this?"

Donna giggled. "There's a lotof us. A whole group. The herbivores and carnivores of Cherryton have banded together to face this new foe. And if you stand in the way of our organization, you'll die too!"

"Tell me everythingabout your little group."

Donna snorted. "Eat shit and die, traitor. I have nothing to say to you."

Esther's pupils turned to slits as her rage started to demand that she rip this scum limb from limb. But all she had to do was picture Olivia's face in her mind, and with a few more deep breaths, she calmed down again.

Eventually, Mila arrived with campus security. Donna was restrained and ultimately arrested. Esther watched from the window of her dorm as her former roommate was being shoved into a police car by a female horse officer. The white tiger couldn't believe she was the same person. She looked absolutely manic and psychotic. She thought about how many nights she had been sleeping with that in the room with her. A chill went up her spine as she thought of all the casual conversations she held with that closet psychopath.

The police car drove off. When Lin finally returned, they explained the situation to her, and the panther could hardly believe it.

Esther's phone beeped and she took it off the charger.

Olivia: "I saw that girl get shoved into a police cruiser from my window. What happened?"

Esther: "I showed her the video and she tried to run. Had to pin her down. Didn't hurt her."

Olivia: "Glad to hear it. Did she tell you anything?"

Esther: "Ill tell u tomorrow."

Olivia: "Esther-chan, remember what I told you."

Esther: "Sorry. I'll tell you tomorrow."

Esther put her phone back on the charger.

Mila looked shaken up. "I can't believe that was even the same girl. She sounded completely demented."

Hikari frowned sadly. "Just when you think you know someone."

Lin smirked at the white tiger. "I think the most shocking thing is that Esther-chan here didn't murder her. You always came off to me as a 'rip and tear' kind of person."

Esther smiled proudly. "A friend of mine taught me to control it. Donna probably wouldbe dead if she didn't."

Hikari groaned. "I don't know about you girls, but I'm ready for bed."

Mila nodded. "Yeah, same here."

The girls all retired for the night. Some of them had trouble sleeping, but Esther was out when her head touched the pillow, satisfied with tonight's events.

Lee started heading to the roof. On the way, he encountered an annoyed Ibuki. "Thanks for imprisoning me in my own dorm."

Lee smiled. "You're welcome!"

The deer-wolf rolled his eyes as they ascended the stairs. When they got to the roof they spotted Olivia and Esther talking to each other in the shack, behind the glass door. Both were smiling while Esther was blushing at the same time. Seems that the tiger was being given praise.

Olivia turned to see the two chimeras and smiled before sliding open the door. Shortly afterward, the rest of Lee's friends appeared. Everyone looked at Esther expectantly.

The tiger cleared her throat. "Well, I got her to talk."

Olivia patted Esther on the back. "And she didn't use violence!"

The tiger's blush returned. "Y-yeah." She rapidly shook her head and the blush cleared up again. "A-anyway. She was blathering some crap about how half-breeds are 'abominations that must be destroyed' or somethin'."

Olivia gave the group a serious look. "Apparently, there's a secret group of students that detest Ibuki-kun zealously and want him dead. It sounded rather cult-like."

Ibuki was starting to tremble, but he seemed to be doing his best to hide it. Lee couldn't blame him for being concerned. This also made the wolf-rabbit happy that he'd done a good job hiding his heritage. Otherwise, he'd be targeted too.

Viola tilted her head. "What do you know?"

Esther crossed her arms. "Not much. But apparently it's not just a group of carnivores. She was sayin' some shit about how 'herbivores and carnivores have joined forces to eliminate this new foe'. No idea how many members this group has though."

The deer-wolf broke out into a cold sweat. Lee looked at him with great concern. It seemed Ibuki needed further protection. They'll have to keep their eyes peeled. Worst case scenario, one of them was in Drama Club.

Theo raised his hand. "Maybe I can dig up information on them."

Olivia nodded. "You do just that. Keep me informed."

Theo nodded.

Sebastian gave a concerned looked. "What happened to that tiger?"

Olivia adjusted her glasses with a smirk. "Incarcerated. She's looking at a minimum of two years in juvenile hall. But even when she gets out she won't be returning to Cherryton. I spoke with the faculty and she's been officially expelled."

Esther grinned. "They also said Drama Club will resume on Monday!"

Everyone loudly cheered. Sebastian ran forward and hugged Olivia, while Viola hugged Esther. The two spoke in unison. "Thank you so much!" Lee was a little creeped out by how well synchronized the two were. The black lab and white tiger blushed.

Lee felt a drop of water fall on his head. He watched as tiny little dark circles appeared on the ground around him. "Guess we should go inside."

Esther and Olivia went into the garden shack while everybody else went back into the school. Lee and the twins were ecstatic to have Drama Club back. Ibuki, however, seemed more concerned than anything.

Olivia and Esther sat across from each other in the garden shed on the roof as the rain fell.

The black lab smiled at Esther. "I'm proud of how you handled the situation with Donna. I was really worried about you getting violent."

Esther blushed. "Dunno if that's praiseworthy. It's not hard to notbeat someone up."

Olivia put her hands on Esther's. "You felt betrayed but controlled yourself. And self-control is really important for carnivores."

The white tiger sighed. "I already had control when it came to meat. I really don't want to eat it, and I don't look at my classmates like food. That's just weird."

Olivia smiled warmly. "That's good. Not all carnivores are that strong." The lab stood up and placed a hand under the white tiger's chin and turned her head a bit. Then, she leaned in and kissed Esther on the cheek.

Esther turned red, feeling flustered. "I-I-I… uhh…"

Olivia giggled. "One little kiss does thatto you? That's adorable."

Esther scratched her neck awkwardly. "Yeah. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Olivia smiled. "Nothing is wrong with you. I think you're really cute."

Esther's blush returned. "C-cute?"

Olivia nodded. "I think I'm starting to like you. You're cute, strong, brave, and veryattractive. I know you might think differently, but Ithink you're an amazing person."

Esther sniffled. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Aw hell, now look at me. I keep crying over dumb shit. This happened when the girls didn't want to shower with me." She chuckled. "I guess I have a girly side after all."

Olivia shook her head. "Boy's cry too. Nobody should blame you for showing your emotions like that. It has nothing to do with gender."

Esther smiled before pulling the lab into a hug. The tiger just let the tears spill out. She wasn't sure why she was crying. But she could tell they were tears of joy. She was happy right now, and she didn't even know why.

The two spent the rest of their time together conversing. After the rain stopped, they both returned to their dorms.

Lee escorted the despondent deer-wolf back to his dorm. Ibuki was looking more sad than afraid right now. Lee wished he knew how to help.

When they arrived at the dorms, a strange-looking fox was sitting on the steps, drawing something. It took Lee a bit, but he recognized him as the guy that painted the backdrops for Drama Club.

The fox looked up at them and pulled out his notepad. He flipped to a drawing of himself with a big smile. "Hello, Lee-kun! I don't think we've talked directly before."

Lee nodded. "Jiro-kun, right? Your backdrops are fantastic."

Jiro stayed on the same page. "Thank you so much! Your acting was great." He looked over to Ibuki and flipped the page to a concerned face. "What's wrong?"

Ibuki sighed. "There's an entire cult of people in the school that want to kill me for being a half-breed."

There was an awkward silence. Jiro flipped to a drawing of himself looking uncomfortable and sweating. "That's… uhh… concerning."

Lee scoffed. "To say the least."

Jiro laughed nervously. "Well uhh…" He switched to a drawing of himself with a determined face. "I'm not letting anybody cause you harm in this dorm! And neither will the guys!"

Ibuki smiled. "Thanks."

Jiro stood up and put the notepad away. "I'll escort Ibuki-kun back to our room. It was nice talking to you, Lee-kun!"

Lee nodded with a smile. "Likewise."

Ibuki's expression was once again looking dark. "Bye, Lee-kun."

Lee could tell he was only saying that half-heartedly. "Goodbye, Ibuki-kun."

The two walked into the dorms together. Lee sighed sadly before walking back to his dorm.

Esther returned to her room in a very good mood despite what happened with Donna. Getting praise from Olivia and a kiss on the cheek brightened her day.

She walked inside and immediately got really bad vibes when she saw Mila was the only person there, sitting on a bed, looking depressed.

The white tiger walked up to her. "You still shook up about Donna?"

The lion shook her head. "There's something else bothering me. But I don't know if I should tell you."

Esther sat next to Mila on the bed with a smile. "Of course you can tell me. We're friends. If something is bothering you, you're supposed to tell them."

The brown lion looked at her with a conflicted face. "It's about you and the shower thing."

Esther looked a little concerned. "O-oh?"

Mila fidgeted with her hands. "When the girls talked you out of going with us, I felt really bad and I didn't know why. Not just bad for you. Something about it just upset me." The lion took a deep breath. "Can you promise not to tell anybody?"

Esther nodded. "Of course."

Mila sighed. "I… I think I might be a lesbian too."

Esther looked surprised. "Why do you say that?"

Mila looked sad. "I felt really upset about the shower thing. The entire time I was showering I was feeling super uncomfortable. Then I realized I've never had a crush on a single boy in my life. I just never thought about it before." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't know if I am. I'm not sure. But if I am, what if the other girls start treating me the same way?"

Esther frowned sadly before pulling the lion into a hug. "I'll be here for you if that happens."

Mila sobbed. "It's worse than me not having a crush on boys. I… I've been Hikari's friend since we were little kids but…"

Esther backed away. "You have a crush on your best friend."

Mila nodded. "If she finds out, what if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore?"

Esther shrugged. "Then I guess she wasn't a great friend to begin with if she refuses to accept you."

The lion sniffled. "B-but, I don't want to lose her. I've known her for so long. We're best friends. If she starts hating me-"

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Hikari came in, looking dispirited. "Hey, girls."

The other two responded with "Hey."

Hikari sat on a bed. "I still can't believe what happened last night. That didn't even seem like Donna at all."

Esther crossed her arms. "You don't always know everything about a person. Everybody has secrets. Hers was just darker than others, I guess."

Hikari shrugged. "I guess. It still rattled me though."

Esther snorted. "Well, I say 'good riddance'. I'm happy we finally know how much of a rotten person she is and that we've gotten her out of our fur."

Mila nodded. "That's probably for the best. I'm glad I'm not sharing a room with an attempted murderer."

Ceci appeared from around the corner. "Sorry to eavesdrop but I agree too. Who knows who else will come after Ibuki-kun next?"

The white tiger nodded. "We'll have to be careful about who we trust."

The girls voiced their agreement. They conversed about miscellaneous things, Esther showered after they did, and Lin showed up after that and took her own shower before bed.

Lee returned to his dorms, excited about Drama Club returning tomorrow. He climbed into his bunk and pulled out his phone. Time to text his parents.

Lee: "Drama Club is back!"

Legosi: "That's great!"

Haru: "And the person that tried to kill Ibuki-kun?"

Lee: "Juvie. She was expelled too."

Legosi: "I'm happy to hear that. One less dangerous person at Cherryton."

Haru: "Why did she do it though?"

Lee considered telling them. But if he admitted there was a group dedicated to killing half-breeds, his parents would probably immediately drop him out and take him home. While he was somewhat concerned for his own safety, he needed to protect Ibuki. Also, he was making friends and wasn't ready to leave.

Lee: "Not sure. She was just crazy, I guess."

Legosi: "To attempt to kill an actor on stage, you have to be."

Haru: "I think just trying to kill someone is crazy enough."

Lee: "I guess she used a theater light she bought at a scrap shop to do it. Maybe she thought it'd look like an accident."

Legosi: "It wouldn't work. There are no theater lights directly over an actor's head. That would be pointless. I guess on top of being crazy she was also stupid."

Lee chuckled. It was rare to see his father call anybody stupid. It was far more common to hear his mother say it.

Haru: "How did you know she got it from a scrap shop?"

Lee: "Riz's son sold it after somebody broke it. Me and some friends went into town and asked the shop owner who bought it."

Legosi: "You did that? That's amazing! You save his life, then you solve the mystery of who did it."

Haru: "I'm very proud of you! Perhaps you should look into being a detective."

Lee: "I'm not that smart. It wasn't too hard to figure out and I had help anyway."

Legosi: "Who helped you?"

Lee: "Esther, Sebastian, Viola, Oscar, and Theo."

Legosi: "I don't know that last name."

Lee: "Oh. That's Els's kid. He's really good with computers."

Haru: "Interesting. That's a handy skill for sure."

Legosi: "I've never been great with them. Every time something went wrong, I asked Jack for help."

Haru: "That probably got annoying real quick for Jack-kun."

Lee: "My phone is dying. I'll talk to you guys later. Night."

Haru: "Sleep tight, Lee. I love you!"

Legosi: "Goodnight, Lee."

When his roommates returned, Lee considered taking a shower. However, after finding out about a homicidal, chimera-hating, group in the school he became somewhat frightened by the idea of getting naked.

He only hid his heritage because he didn't want to deal with bullying. He didn't think his life would be in danger. Still, he couldn't avoid showering forever.

What frightened Lee even more, however, was the prospect that one of his roommates may secretly be one of those maniacs. It can't possibly be Oscar or Theo. But the rest of his roommates weren't aware of his secret.

Everyone in Drama Club stood in a semi-circle around Sanu as Ben stood by a wall, writing in his notebook.

The pelican cleared his throat. "I'm glad that we could resume club. We still have more Adler performances, but for Ibuki-kun's safety, he will be switched over to the backstage crew."

Ibuki looked relieved, yet somehow disappointed at the same time. Lee felt bad for him.

Sanu adjusted his glasses. "So for now, we'll have Lee-kun playing Adler in his stead." The chimera's ears perked up. He was somewhat excited by the prospect but sad that this was how he got the role. He'd rather let Ibuki have it, but that's not an option right now. Thankfully, nobody knows the wolf-rabbit's secret, so he wouldn't be in danger.

The pelican looked at his clipboard. "We will have Trevor-kun standing in for Lee-kun." The pelican chuckled. "We'll also be a tad more daring with this performance. From now on, Viola and Sebastian will be switching roles."

Lee's mouth hung open. Was it really happening? They were doing a same-sex romance in Adler? Lee wasn't going to complain. It was nice to change things up and get some gay representation in Cherryton. And the wolf-rabbit had no complaints about having the attractive male Dall sheep working opposite him in this regard.

Sanu smiled. "Now then, let's get new costumes put together. Trevor-kun isn't going to fit inside Lee's."

Lee walked over to the twins. "I can't believe the school is allowing this."

Viola laughed. "Well, usually they'd be against it. But I worked out a deal with them."

Lee tilted his head. "You? A deal with you?"

Viola smiled. "The deal was to let Sebastian be the romantic interest in a same-sex version of Adler. In return, I don't tell Daddy about them splitting us up and causing my dear brother to have a panic attack."

Lee wasn't sure what to say. He was a little disappointed to hear that this change was gained through extortion. He hoped that maybe some progress was made with the staff at Cherryton. Still, it was better than nothing.

Sanu approached him with some papers. "Lee-kun! I forgot you need to memorize your lines. Could you rehearse them with Sebastian-kun right now?"

Lee nodded and took the script from him. As the chimera read it, he started to realize the gravity of his situation. The titular protagonist by far had the most lines and screen-time in the play. This was actually a huge responsibility. Still, he can give it a shot. Hopefully, he can make this work.

Ibuki was escorted to his room by Lee and then Jiro. He spotted that lion janitor in the hallway, sweeping with a broom. He'd been running into that guy a lot and it was making him nervous. Maybe he really is just getting paranoid.

The entire day the dorm studied for exams, but Ibuki was distracted. He was still frightened about his predicament. Even if this group was dealt with, what about when he graduates? Will he be putting up with this in college as well? What about after he gets a job? Will he still be in danger? Well, if he went down the career path his father laid out for him, probably.

Many Years Ago

Ibuki blinked in confusion as he stood in front of his father's desk. "You want me to be the next Beastar?"

Louis nodded. "Of course, I'm letting you choose what you want to do with your life. If you don't want to be the Beastar, I won't force you to. But I would like you to consider it."

Ibuki tilted his head. "But why?"

Louis sighed. "Because of the way you and Lee-kun were born, the world hates both of you. Especially after what Melon did. People distrust hybrids and think they're abominations. I would be very happy if you proved those people wrong and became the first hybrid Beastar."

Ibuki looked incredibly conflicted.

Louis smiled and got up from his desk. He got down on his knees and pulled his son into a hug. "If that's not the life you want, I'll support any decision you make. You don't need to decide now. You have a long time to consider it." He pulled back and patted his child on the head. "I know you'll make me proud."

Ibuki somewhat hated that memory. Even today he doesn't know if he wants to be the Beastar. His father said he'd be proud no matter what he chose, but Ibuki knew what the deer truly wanted.

But now he was even less willing to be the Beastar. Ibuki realized what he said earlier was true. He's just a coward afraid for his life.

When Lee got to the dorms, it was straight to studying. He couldn't wait for exams to be over. This was absolutely tiring.

Once he got done studying, he decided to text his parents.

Lee: "They took Ibuki off the cast for his safety. I'm Adler now."

Legosi: "Congratulations! Shame it had to be taken away from him though."

Haru: "Memorizing all those lines and only doing part of a performance. That sucks big time."

Legosi: "I would know. I memorized all those lines and didn't even do one performance."

Haru: "That was your own fault. You didn't need to get violent over your friend drinking rabbit blood."

Legosi: "I suppose not."

Lee: "They're having Sebastian-kun play the love interest by the way."

Legosi: "Looks like Cherryton is more progressive than you thought, Haru."

Lee: "Viola-chan threatened to tell Pina-san about them splitting up the two and causing a panic attack."

Legosi: "Or not."

Haru: "LOL"

After putting his phone on the charger he realized he had no choice but to take a shower. But hopefully, he didn't need to be paranoid.

Once everybody got back, it was his turn. He went into the showers and turned on a nozzle, enjoying the hot water.

He thought about the change made to Adler to include a same-sex relationship. While the methods in which it was obtained were unsavory, it was still gay representation. That was a subject the chimera was somewhat passionate about. He had his father to thank for that. It was Lee's most embarrassing memory, but also a very happy one.

Many Years Ago

Lee was a few years into middle school. He was sitting on his bed, blushing, his ears covering his face in humiliation and shame.

Sitting next to him was his father, who was struggling to think of something to say.

A few hours ago, his parents left to spend time with their friends. Lee was left behind so he could do homework.

The chimera, who was going through puberty, was feeling intense frustration and desperately needed release. But his phone was broken at the time and the only available computer in the house was in the living room. So he had no choice but to use that while his parents were gone.

Unfortunately for Lee, his father had forgotten his cellphone on the coffee table. When Legosi came running back inside for his phone, he spotted his son on the computer, hand down his pants, looking at nude images of effeminate male rabbits.

This was by far the chimera's most humiliating memory. But what happened afterward was bittersweet. Maybe even one of his happiest memories in a way.

Legosi cleared his throat. "I want you to know you did nothing wrong, Lee. What you were doing was perfectly normal for a boy your age."

The chimera felt like crying as his ears lifted so he could speak. "It's not normal to like other boys like that."

The grey wolf scowled. "Who told you this?"

Lee sighed. "The other kids at school. They were talking about boys that liked other boys, how it was weird, and called them 'fags'."

Legosi snorted. "Well, they're wrong. You've met Dom-kun, right?"

The chimera remembered that name. Dom was an effeminate male peacock. On rare occasions such as holidays, Dom was invited over to parties. These were the only interactions Lee had with him.

Every time Dom visited, he brought his husband. Lee found their relationship strange at first but realized they were very nice people.

Lee nodded. "Yes. I remember Dom-san."

Legosi looked concerned. "What Dom-kun and his husband have. Do you think it's wrong?"

The chimera didn't know how to answer that question. He felt so conflicted about it. They were nice people, but it was strange right? After all, they were the only people that he knew that were like that. It's at least unusual.

Lee looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. "I-I don't want to be even more different than I already am. It's not just boys. I like girls too. I can just keep it a secret."

Legosi shook his head. "You shouldn't deny a part of yourself. Anybody that can't accept all of you is closed-minded and not worth your time."

The grey wolf pulled his son into a hug. "I don't care if you come home with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Your mother and I will always love you."

That moment was one of the most emotional and touching in the chimera's life. When he realized that there was nothing wrong or unnatural about his feelings. When he knew that it wouldn't change the way his parents felt about him or even himself as a person. Lee was who he was and wouldn't let anyone take that away.

Legosi cleared his throat awkwardly. "But uhh… If you do bring home someone of the opposite sex, there's a few things you need to know about where babies come from."

That ruined it. The rest of the conversation was just horrible and embarrassing. But Lee could always single out that moment of acceptance.

After that moment he was more open about his sexuality. He also became more defensive of other people that were attracted to the same sex and would get into fights over it.

His honesty about his sexuality also brought him closer to Esther, who was an open lesbian. He was happy to find something new to fight for and another part of himself.

Lee was thinking about relieving himself in the shower earlier. But remembering the time his dad walked in on him spoiled the mood.

Suddenly, he started to hear a loud noise. It sounded like a ringing cell phone. He turned to see a phone under the bench behind him. It looked familiar to him.

Then he heard footsteps. Alfred came into view. "There you are." He picked up the phone and pocketed it. "Sorry to bug you, Lee-san. I was just looking for-"

The zebra froze when he looked in Lee's direction, staring at the chimera's tail and claws.

Lee grimaced. "Shit."