"But you're getting on the next boat out of here."
The wolf beastman had lifted a finger up in the air and declared his condition of not killing the beastmen that had betrayed their own kind. His face was serious, dark, and he bared his fingers just slightly. A small snarl fell from his lips as he stared her down looking as if to not back down or be swayed to alter his condition. But it was completely unfair!
Yuki gasped in disbelief at what the wolf beastman was saying to her. What he was demanding of her. For her to turn around and go right back to the human world was not something he could dictate! She'll go back whenever she wanted to, and that was never going to happen!
She stood her ground, her fists balling at her side, and she exclaimed, "I'm not going back!"
The wolf dropped his finger and took one threatening step towards her. Yuki slightly flinched at the sudden movement and instantly regretted it.
He let out a large huff, his eyes glazing over, as he spat, "That's what I thought. We're nothing but monsters to you humans." Before Yuki could speak that it was completely untrue, he added, "You're going back to the human world because if they ever found you were here caught in this fight it could mean war. You already saw how much my kind is hated by yours, your injuries and death could be used an excuse for humans to wage a needless war on us. That is something we do not ever want."
"But I—" She began to speak again but Michiru stepped in front of her.
"Okay, I see your point why Yuki being here could be considered dangerous, but we have more pressing issues right now!" She snapped.
The wolf beastman held onto Yuki's eyes with such anger and annoyance inside them but they finally shifted away from hers to Michiru. "Like how you claim to be a human when looking like a beastman? Your species is a tanuki, then?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, or what could be considered an eyebrow on a wolf's face.
Michiru immediately pushed her tail down and away from the wolf beastman, huffing, "No! I'm a raccoon!"
"If you were a raccoon, your tail would have stripes. You're a bonafide tanuki," The wolf beastman immediately explained with the slight sigh in his voice dropping his hands in the pockets of his trench coat.
"I don't wanna be that!"
Suddenly, the wolf beastman's ears perked straight up from his head. A small noise of suspicion fell from his closed jaws and his eyes scanned the area quickly. Then, he spoke, "We have to go."
"Even me?" Yuki gasped out seeing him tie up the three beastmen bombers in the center of the alley.
"Yes, you too!" He huffed at her. "Remember what I said about a war being waged? Any beastmen who sees you here will think you're responsible and it will cause one! No matter if they were conspiring with humans, in their eyes they're still beastmen. I could only imagine the humans retaliating against us and accepting that as a challenge. Come on!" He ran over and grabbed her arm. Before she could react, he swiftly pulled her onto his back, her cheeks turning red and a small yelp of surprise falling from her lips, and jumped high in the air.
Yuki choked back a scream, her arms wrapping and tightening around his neck, and watched as his body had been launched in the air with a giant jump. The bright city lights of Anima-City twinkled below them before their bodies began to fall back towards the ground. He landed on a nearby roof and didn't miss a beat to take off down the roof of multiple buildings. Michiru trailed right behind them, hearing her huff and puff with every step she took, as police sirens went by them quickly to the area where they had come from. They were surely going to find the beaten beastmen, right where the wolf beastman left them.
After jumping from building to building, the wolf beastman jumped down from the roof of the tall building to the ground of another alleyway, forcing Michiru to climb her way down.
Yuki was about to let go of the beastman when she realized he somehow felt smaller and less furry. When she initially grabbed hold of him, to keep herself from falling to her death, he was large and bulky, like one would think of a wolf beastman. But… he just felt more human.
"Hold on a second! Where are we following you—UH?!" Michiru spoke suddenly gasping.
Yuki turned to her friend with a curious look and realized she was nervously staring at the wolf beastman. Turning her head, she expected to see the wolf glaring down at them but instead she was looking into a human face! He looked to be in his early to mid-twenties and, much like his wolf form, his white hair was tousled and his bangs covered parts of his fore-head. Although, his eyes were no longer that of a wolf's. They were droopy, stern, and colored with a dazzling grey-blue. He was just as breathtaking in his human form.
His stern look met her amazed one and he huffed, "Aren't you going to let go?"
Yuki yelped when she realized she was still holding onto him! Quickly letting go and fixing her disheveled clothing, she bowed her head, mumbling sheepishly, "Sorry."
"You," He then turned to Michiru, who was just as a bubbling mess as Yuki, "Just how long were you planning on showing your tail? Hurry up and switch back to your human form."
Holding her tail, Michiru uncomfortably grabbed her tail, sighing, "Actually…"
"Don't tell me you can't," He immediately scoffed at her.
When she nodded her head apologetically, he looked down at her with disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something but seemed to have thought better of it. Closing it, he then turned around and, with his hands shoved in the pockets of his trench coat, began to walk away without another word. Yuki and Michiru turned to each other, shrugging their shoulders slightly, but shared a familiar look in each other's eyes. They both thought he'd be older.
The three of them walked out of the alleyway and onto the streets of Anima-City. Except, it didn't look like Anima-City at all! The beastmen were in their human forms! They lingered, played on their phones, and chatted with each other looking like humans!
"Wow. Nobody is in their beastman form," Yuki mumbled out in curiosity.
"No, of course not," The wolf beastman confirmed with a slight sigh of annoyance.
Michiru pointed a finger in the direction of the festival was, speaking, "But they all were a while ago!"
"That was only for the festival. This is how we are normally," He spoke but Michiru gasped and groaned in exasperation. Both her tail and ears drooped to the ground, her face falling into despair, and let out another groan. "Don't whine," He added with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought everyone was always in their beast form here," She complained loudly.
The wolf beastman tsked down at her unpleasantly. He began to stroll away again, scowling, "That is such a human thing to say," forcing Yuki and Michiru to keep up with him.
Many beastmen through the eyes of humans began to stare and point at Michiru. Small smirks widened on their lips and light chuckles fell from their mouths at the sight of her. They were trying to be subtle about it, their eyes glancing over every few seconds, but Yuki could see it clear as day, and it frustrated her. Her friend being made fun of for being stuck in her beast form was not something she wanted to see. Even though Yuki had blended in looking like a human, she would give anything to be in Michiru's place of being a beastman.
Placing an arm around Michiru's shoulder, Yuki steered her away and they kept following the wolf beastman down the road to… somewhere.
They came upon a building located on a corner of an intersection. It was multiple stories tall with a balcony on the rooftop. A few lights were on inside and the wolf beastman didn't hesitate to walk right in. They followed him up a couple flight of steps and came across a lovely couple. They looked human but Yuki knew they were beastmen in their human forms. The man was tall, pale, and slightly disheveled red hair swept to the left side of his head. He had black pupils along with a red mustache and beard. He wore a white collared shirt with a hunter green tie, red-framed glasses, a yellow v-cut sweater, blue-gray trousers, and brown loafers. He looked very kind, looked similar to a rooster, and intrigued when the wolf beastman informed of their situation.
The wolf beastman wanted to prove to Michiru she was, in fact, a beastman and not a human. The fact she was being stubborn about it further proved the beastman needed to show her otherwise. He wouldn't take either her or Yuki's word for it.
The red-hair man placed what looked like a white band-aid on the bridge of Michiru's nose and they waited for a couple of minutes. Her eyes were firmly on the band-aid, confused as to what it would prove, while Yuki glanced over at the wolf beastman a couple of times. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed and head down, relaxing as he waited for the results with the rest of them. He really was beautiful but she couldn't keep staring without looking like a weirdo.
Then, the red-hair man grabbed and ripped the band-aid off of Michiru's nose. She yelped and rubbed her nose delicately, Yuki patting her shoulder gently, as the man stared down at the band-aid intrigued.
He lifted it up and declared, "Yup, she's a beastman, all right."
"What?!" Michiru gasped out in disbelief. "You can tell just from that?"
The white band-aid was suddenly colored blue when he held it up for them all to see. "The beastman marker test is simple, yet reliable. You are, without a doubt, a beastman."
Michiru stood on her feet, fists balling in front of her, and stubbornly protested, "You're wrong! I am not a beastman! I am a human! Can't you tell?"
Yuki, the wolf beastman, and the red-hair man looked over Michiru's body with a scrutinizing eye. Everything about her didn't say anything about a human, it all only screamed beastman at them. With her fur covering every part of her body, her tail wagging behind her, and her ears perked on her head, it didn't seem like Michiru was making a convincing case for herself. Yuki couldn't help but facepalm herself softly with a small groan.
When Michiru noticed their stares and unconvinced looks, she exclaimed, "I'm telling you I'm human!" Softening her fists, she cried, "I was an ordinary human a year ago. Then, suddenly, I woke up one day and turned into this."
"Impossible," The wolf beastman spoke interrupting her. "It simply can't happen. Humans are humans. Beastmen are beastmen. It can't just change suddenly. It's been that way from the start. Nobody changes."
"I'm sure it's some kind of disease!"
Yuki was almost immediately appalled by what Michiru had suggested. For humans to turn into beastmen because of some kind of disease was offensive to say! She had been around beastmen, lived with them, and cherished those in her life long enough to know she had never encountered, heard of, or contracted any sort of "beastman disease" from them. She nearly called her best friend out, almost said what she had spoken was extremely insensitive, but kept her mouth shut.
Michiru didn't know any better. She had never been around beastmen or encountered any of them in her life until they had arrived on the boat to Anima-City. She clearly didn't know the language, history, or culture of the beastmen. It was very much obvious when she saw the beastmen taking their human form on the streets. Yuki had forgotten that many beastmen preferred their human form over their natural one.
The wolf beastman almost looked just as offended as Yuki. "A disease? Such as what?" He scoffed at Michiru.
Michiru growled under her breath, adding, "Yes, a disease! A beastman disease, like beastman-itis or something!" Then, she quickly turned to the red-hair man, asking, almost pleadingly, "There are other people like me in this city, right?"
"There's no one else like you," The wolf beastman tsked.
The quiet but stern remark from the wolf beastman caused the room to go quiet. Michiru, who had climbed over the table separating her and the red-hair man hoping to find out there were other humans like her in the city, groaned in despair and sat back. Yuki laid a delicate hand on her shoulder, hoping to bring her comfort, but not even she could admit she was happy there was a "disease".
"Well, recently, others have an odd disease where they imagine they're humans. Why don't you see a doctor—" The red-hair man began to suggest but Michiru huffed, "It's not that kind of disease!"
The red-hair man's wife walked up to them with a piece of paper in her hands and a warm smile on her face. "Jem, don't say things like that. Show some sensitivity, would you?" She sighed out with the slight shake of her head.
The woman had round tanned skin, shoulder-length auburn, permed hair, and black pupils. She wore a cerulean cardigan, white blouse, a long gray skirt, white socks, and gray slip-on shoes. She looked very sweet, caring, and kind, the smile on her face radiating gentleness and sympathy.
"I'm so sorry. You're Miss Kagemori and your friend is Miss Hanamura, correct? My name is Melissa." She asked them with a smile.
"Yes!" Michiru and Yuki confirmed bowing their heads. "Michiru Kagemori and Yuki Hanamura. Nice to meet you!"
Melissa turned and indicated her head towards her husband, Jem, speaking, "You met Jem here and, despite appearances, he is the head of the Beastman Cooperative. Part of our job is to look after all newcomers, even unexpected ones." Her eyes glanced to Yuki and she felt heavily embarrassed. "Anyway, you're going to need to fill this out. You'll need to register as a resident at city hall tomorrow."
Michiru grabbed it and glanced it over. Yuki looked over her shoulder and saw it was a beastman resident registration form.
"I told you! I'm really not a beastman! I can't register!" Michiru gasped out exasperated. Then, she lifted her head with a huge smile. "Oh, I know! My student ID!"
"What good would that do?" The wolf beastman asked.
Yuki raised her hand, feeling warmth in her cheeks seeing his eyes dart to her, answering, "Every student ID has a blood type and species on it. Since humans and beastmen have different blood types, it would clear everything up when a blood transfusion is needed, so there would be no mistakes…" Her voice trailed off remembering why she and Michiru got in trouble in the first place. "But, Michiru, our… wallets have been stolen," She groaned out hesitantly.
The smile on Michiru's face faded and her eyelid began to twitch.
"Oh, dear. Then I guess you'll just have to forget about it."
"I don't wanna!"
Jem crossed his arms and looked apologetically at the both of them. "Unfortunately, anything stolen in Anima-City can never be retrieved."
"Why don't you call it a day, dears? You looked terribly exhausted," Melissa suggested looking at their drowsy sleepy faces. Yuki would call exhaustion an understatement, especially hearing her wallet may be gone for good.
The wolf beastman immediately walked forward and indicated his head towards Yuki, announcing, "She's not staying here. The human is coming with me. She doesn't belong here, so I'm taking her on a boat out of Anima-City and back to the human world. She's too much of a hassle and liability to keep around."
"I told you I wasn't going back!" Yuki immediately protested hearing him go back on his word. "My name isn't 'the human', it's Yuki Hanamura."
"Do you realize your presence here could jeopardize—?" He began to growl again but Yuki waved it away, huffing, "Could jeopardize your rights and wage a war between the beastman and humans if they ever found out I was hurt, but I'm not leaving Michiru by herself here. Besides that, I want to be here to explore the world of the beastmen. Is that seriously too much to ask?"
The wolf beastman scowled, "We're not some circus freak show for you to ogle at—!"
"Shirou, the girl is clearly exhausted," Melissa spoke up again with a gentle but firm voice. "She's safe here now, and no one knows beside us that she's a human. I'm sure those at the festival are going to write it off as some stupid prank a few beastmen thought of to trick those they're human. Just give her the night to sleep and decide the verdict tomorrow morning when both of you are well-rested. All right, Shirou?"
Yuki and Shirou held each other's firm gazes, his looking more like a glare, before backing down. "Fine," He huffed closing his eyes with a slight sigh. "Just one night."
"Thank you," Yuki mumbled gratefully to Melissa who grinned at her.
Melissa then showed them up to a room on the rooftop. It was filled with old junk, storage boxes, and many other stuffs that she and Michiru would have to clean out to make a livable. Two cots were brought in for them by Melissa and Yuki couldn't have been more grateful to see a bed in her entire life. Her exhaustion, the explosive events that happened that day between the Anti-Beastmen Hunters, the TV toppling over, and the attack between the Beastmen Hunters that turned out to be actually beastmen and Shirou.
When Melissa opened the door, a black bird darted into the room startling Yuki and Michiru! It plopped down on Yuki's head and sat there for a few moments before someone called for it, calling it Kuro. Then, it flew out of the room and landed on Shirou's shoulder.
He wasn't wearing his trench coat anymore and it made Yuki's knees buckle slightly.
"We'll start early tomorrow. Get some sleep," He spoke down to them before closing the door in their faces.
He didn't even bother to ask for their opinion or discuss what they were doing tomorrow. Yuki was not prepared to argue again with him on staying in Anima-City and not returning to the human world. She was right where she wanted to be and she won't let some superior wolf beastman bully her into going back. Even if he was… extremely handsome with a commanding voice.
Melissa chuckled sheepishly, "I know Shirou seems cold, but he really is a nice person."
"I'm surprised that his name," Michiru spoke.
"He never told us his name until you mentioned it a few minutes ago," Yuki confirmed Michiru's word's sitting on her mattress, removing her sneakers.
Melissa looked surprised at that. She placed her hands behind her back, explaining, "That's Shirou Ogami. He's our social worker. Tomorrow, Shirou will be taking you to the city hall. We don't have a bathtub, but you want to take a shower, right?"
Yuki and Michiru eagerly nodded their heads and took turns taking their shower before hopping into their respective beds.
That night, Yuki couldn't sleep. She kept staring into the wooden roof and let out a small sigh. Her first day, her first experience, in Anima-City was not what she expected. She didn't expect to be hustled by a beastman, attacked for tagging along with one, for the beastmen festival to be disrupted by more Anti-Beastmen Hunters, and was nearly forced to go back to the human world all in the same day. She hoped to have fun the first chance she had but it was wasted the moment she thought of leaving with Michiru.
Shirou, that wolf beastman, was so cold, callous, and harsh towards her for no reason. The moment he found out she was a human she became nothing but a liability, something needed to be thrown away, and never be seen or thought of again. Did the Anti-Beastmen Hunters attack them so much he began to believe all humans were terrible?
Yuki Hanamura promised herself she would help him realize that not all humans were terrible. That many, just like her, want to see them thrive. She'll show she wants nothing more than to be his friend.
The next day, the instant Yuki was up, changed into the clothes she had wore the day before, Shirou was already waiting in the main living room of Jem and Melissa's house. He was leaning against the wall with his head dropped to his chest, his arms crossed, and one ankle over the other. The moment Yuki had left her shared room with Michiru, his head perked up and his icy blue eyes landed on her. She internally groaned knowing what was to come already.
"You packed up and ready to leave?" He asked her callously with a slight glare.
Slight annoyance filled inside of her but Yuki remained calm. She squared her shoulders, took in a breath of air, and spoke, "I'm not going anywhere. I already told you I'm staying in Anima-City with Michiru."
Shirou looked angry, frustrated, and annoyed all at the same time. He sighed out roughly, "You humans… It's like what we spoke about yesterday went in one ear and out the other." He pushed himself off the wall and strolled towards her. If she said her heart didn't jump in her chest at the quick motion of him approaching her, she would be lying. "You say you're on the side of the beastmen but won't leave at the prospect of war. If the other beastmen were to find out a human was walking among them, they would—!"
"Shirou, don't you think it's too early in the morning to argue about this again?" Jem asked walking out of the kitchen holding a cup of coffee with a slight yawn.
Melissa came out of her room, fixing her permed hair as she went, and sighed, "He's right, Shirou. Why don't you have Michiru register as a beastman first and go to Mayor Rose about Miss Hanamura's situation? She would know what to do."
"The chance won't be likely seeing as I have business to do today," He huffed.
Yuki, hearing his strained words, smirked a little bit and put her fingers together softly. "Wow, it sounds like me going back to the human world seems a little tight today for your schedule, Shirou. I think it's best if I stay here in Anima-City for a while." When he narrowed his eyes, she added, "Of course, I'd be more than happy to keep discussing about my accommodations and blending into society. If you keep insisting I go back, well I'm afraid we will be here all day or week depending on my mood."
She heard a small snicker fall from Jem and Melissa's lips from behind her. When she gave Shirou a cheeky grin and a tilt of her head, a slight challenge to "his" decision, he placed a hand on his face and let out a small growl.
Removing his hand to reveal a sour look, Shirou huffed, "Fine. You're staying here while I show Miss Kagemori—"
"I'm sorry, but I'm going along with her," Yuki immediately interrupted him crossing her arms.
"And have a human walking around Anima-City? I don't think so," He scowled down at her. "I'm letting you stay in the city in the meantime while I do my job. Don't push my hospitality, human."
Yuki's anger flared at the word human, her blood beginning to boil, and scoffed, "And I'm giving you the respect you deserve by telling you I'm not leaving Anima-City or Michiru's side. I could get whisked away in the city and you won't ever see or find me again even if I wanted you to. If you want me to leave so badly, you'd have to track me down and drag me back to the human world over my dead body. So, here's more respect, Mr. Ogami," She spat pushing a finger in his shoulder, "I recommend not calling me "human" unless you really want to see me angry."
By the time she was done talking, more like growling and scowling, her chest was rising and falling heavily. After a few moments passed, her boiling blood was beginning to settle but her finger was still pushing itself harshly in Shirou's shoulder. She relaxed her gritted teeth and slowed her breathing, slowly withdrawing herself from him.
"I've never seen someone stand up to him like that before," She heard Jem gasp under his breath.
Shock and fear rose in her throat when her eyes landed themselves back on him. At first, he looked angry, surprised, and crossed. For her to touch him and get right in his face, spitting that he wasn't going to make any decisions for her, must've pushed something in him. But she wasn't going to back down, no matter how scared she was in that moment. She hid her shaking hands behind her back and gulped down the lump in her throat.
It was painfully quiet between the two of them. Shirou had been staring at her for the longest time before finally looking away.
"Can you not fight like an old married couple for five minutes?!" Michiru screeched from the open doorway of their room. "I'm tired of hearing the two of you bicker over something as ridiculous as staying in the city!"
Yuki yelped at the idea and quickly shook both her head and hands. "We weren't fighting like we're married! I was simply saying I didn't want to leave!" She cried out feeling heat rise to her cheeks, her heart jump in her chest, and her legs quiver. The weight of Shirou's eyes fell on her… and she shook her head even more frantically!
Michiru rolled her eyes and walked out of her room, already dressed in yesterday's clothes, grabbing an apple from the kitchen table's fruit bowl. "Right, I just want to get the registration over and done with," She huffed and turned to Shirou. Placing her hands on her hips, she spoke, "Yuki's coming with me. End of story. Once she makes up her mind, there's nothing you can do to change it. She's as stubborn as an ox."
"I've noticed," Shirou replied with a raised eyebrow.
When he turned to leave, he looked back over his shoulder slightly, huffing, "Are you both coming or what?"
Yuki smiled widely and quickly followed Shirou and Michiru out of the building. He led them through the bustling city of Anima-City. Yuki watched with amazement as cars of various sizes drove on the streets and beastmen in their human forms walking alongside them either on their phones, reading the newspapers, or hurrying to work. It almost felt like the human world but there was a sense of camaraderie among the beastmen she doesn't feel back home.
After crossing many crosswalks, they approached a large building with ocean blue tinted windows and silver barriers. The top was so high it touched the skyline! Many people entered and exited with briefcases, papers, and many other miscellaneous.
Shirou led them to Section 12 labeled the Resident Section and… there was a really long line.
There were multiple sections but only one line is dedicated to each one! There must've been at least a dozen people waiting in front of them!
"Wow, it's packed," Michiru groaned slightly at the sight.
Suddenly, with his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, Shirou turned to leave, speaking, "See you later."
"What? You're leaving?" Yuki gasped.
Shirou turned his head slightly to them and his eyes narrowed. "I happen to have a few errands I need to run here, too. Do the rest on your own," He huffed about to turn to leave again but noticed a commotion behind them.
Yuki and Michiru turned to see a large man push himself to the front of the line. He claimed to have already been in line and was next. The receptionist gave him a funny and annoyed look while the people who were actually waiting were forced to let him through. The man flashed them a large smirk letting the others cower in fear and tremble in his wake. Yuki didn't like the look of him but someone else stopped him.
Well, sort of.
Another large man had strut up to the front counter and claimed to have arrived way before the other man! Many people quickly backed away from them and a large circle formed with only the two men inside. Then, they transformed into their beastmen form; a large bulldog and a bull!
"Hey, uh, what's going on?" Yuki asked Shirou pointing a finger at the chaos.
The bulldog and bull were fighting like they were in a wrestling match she saw once on TV. The bulldog pulled at the bull's horns while the bull would ram them into the bulldog's side. They growled and snarled in the other's face, slamming their heads against one another, and shoving their hands into their shoulders. They pushed and pushed never letting go or relenting! To Yuki, it almost looked like they were trying to assert their dominance over each other!
"The young ones like to show off their strength," Shirou bluntly answered.
"Aren't there any rules around here?" Michiru asked him almost exasperatedly.
He didn't bother to glance at them. He kept his eyes on the fighting beastmen, answering casually, "There are."
They turned back to the fight to see the bulldog slam his head down on the bull. The bull recoiled in pain but immediately charged forward and ram his entire body into the bulldog's. It looked painful and barbaric. The fact no one was stopping them confused Yuki even more. The sense of camaraderie she felt earlier was almost like an illusion right then. She thought most to all beastmen would get along seeing as they were the minority. The beastmen against the world.
As the bulldog's body fell to the ground, the bull hefting a foot on top of it as if showing off a trophy kill, Shirou added, "The strongest always survive. It's the only rule."
"You've got to be kidding me. That… is so ridiculous," Michiru groaned with an eye roll.
Yuki stared at the commotion that was already beginning to die down. Was she so out of touch with the beastmen world that the small display of power between beastmen confused her? Made her watch in disbelief? It wasn't supposed to be like that. It wasn't how she was taught to be. "Even then," Yuki spoke up among the chaos clenching her fists slightly, "The rule… It's barbaric. No doubt the strong will survive but they sometimes go too far for the sake of it."
For the first time in minutes, Shirou glanced down at her and let out a small breath. It looked like it almost pained him to say, "I agree with you… Hanamura."
Yuki gasped in delight hearing her name fall from his lips.
"Don't look at me like that," He huffed immediately turning and walking away. "If you just stand there, your turn will never come. I expect Hanamura to stay by your side the entire time. I will find out if she strays too far from you. Got it, Kagemori?"
Michiru just waved him away even if he couldn't see it.
"How will he even find out? Whatever," She mumbled under her breath strolling to the back of the line. Her shoulders then slouched forward and she groaned, "I never thought the city would be like this."
Yuki shrugged her shoulders, speaking, "Me neither. Maybe that's why my…"
Her voice died away at a single thought that pained her to her core. Michiru didn't seem to have noticed and she was glad she didn't have to elaborate on why she couldn't speak for a few moments. She took her time to swallow the lump in her throat and breathe to still the tiny tears prickling at her eyes. But she only had those few moments.
Yuki and Michiru's eyes followed a strange monkey beastman roaming the floor. He looked like he was up to no good but he also looked eerily familiar. His eyes darted from side to side rapidly as he approached someone sleeping on a bench nearby.
Then, they gasped seeing him reach into the sleeping person's bag and take his wallet!
"That could be the guy who stole our wallets," Michiru scowled to Yuki.
"Let's go then," Yuki spoke quickly following the monkey beastman.
The two of them tried to look inconspicuous as they followed him out of the building and onto the streets. He was going through the stolen wallet, flicking at money and credit cards that were within, when he glanced backwards. His eyes then landed on them.
Suddenly, his brown fur turned yellow and he ran for it!
"I knew it! Stay on him, Yuki! I have an idea!" Michiru exclaimed to Yuki's nodding.
Yuki chased after the monkey and watched as Michiru's tail lit up a bright blue. Her tail grew enormously and she bounced on it all the way up the building they were running beside. She disappeared and Yuki began to follow the beastman down a small dark alleyway. He probably thought he was free but Michiru suddenly dropped down from above in front of him.
When he turned to run away, he nearly bumped into Yuki!
Both of them grabbed him and held him down. Yuki held onto his hoodie tightly, keeping him from running away, as Michiru began to search every pocket in his hoodie and pants.
"Cut that out!" He screamed harshly.
"I want you to give us back our wallets!" Michiru scowled.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't seen it!"
Yuki scoffed and shoved one of her hands in the hoodie pockets, scowling, "Yes, you have! You stole our wallets yesterday at the Beastmen Celebration Festival! Admit it!"
"That's ancient history!"
Michiru and Yuki exclaimed in unison, "It's not ancient! It was only yesterday—!" When someone suddenly appeared behind them.
"In this city, it's pointless to worry about what happened yesterday."
Yuki and Michiru looked up to see a girl standing in the entrance of the alleyway. She sported a familiar dark gray sweater, pale gray hooded overcoat, brown belt, and cerulean skinny jeans. Her brown skin tone, mauve dreadlocks, and green eyes felt like she had seen her somewhere before. Not to mention her nasal and sly voice should've been a dead giveaway.
"Um, have we met somewhere before?" Michiru asked with a raised eyebrow.
The girl looked confused for a slight second before smirking. She immediately transformed into her beastman form and the light-bulb lit in Yuki's head.
"Oh, you're the weasel," Michiru scoffed.
"A mink," The girl quickly corrected her with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I'm not a weasel. I'm Marie the mink."
Yuki didn't really care about Marie at the moment. She just cared about getting her wallet back. But, when she glanced down at the monkey beastman, she realized she wasn't grabbing him anymore! She was clutching the hoodie in her hands with the beastman nowhere to be found! Yuki gasped and looked up the side of the alleyway to see the monkey climbing the wall! He giggled like a little maniac and glanced down at them, flashing a smirk.
She could hear his voice echoing, "Haha! You tanuki's are such dopes! Goodbye!"
Yuki almost corrected him she wasn't a tanuki but it was better no one knew who she really was. She could already hear Shirou's voice in her head telling her the terrible consequences of beastmen finding out she's a human lecture again.
"I knew you were in cahoots!" Michiru instantly snapped at Marie. "I bet you were keeping watch! You're in cahoots, so you came to save him!"
Marie giggled at her, her smirk never dropping, as she drawled, "Oh, come now. It was a mere coincidence. It's a small city after all."
Yuki tossed away the hoodie from her with a slight scowl.
"You look like you don't trust me," Marie spoke slyly with a wink. She put a finger to her lips and giggled, "Who do you have to thank for getting you into this city anyway? Transporting a human illegally is already a hefty price as it is. You simply didn't pay enough for it. So, I took it upon myself to take what I was owed."
"You said it was your first time transporting someone like me. How could there be an extra cost?" Yuki scoffed.
Marie rolled her eyes and scoffed back, "Since that wolf found out you're really a human." Yuki quickly noted that the mink would not want Shirou to find out it was her who transported Yuki to Anima-City. "Like I said, trust is everything in my business. So, here's some free advice. Anything missing will turn up in Rabbit Town. They all end up there."
"Rabbit Town?" Michiru repeated the name curiously.
Marie's smirk widened and she shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. Pay Grand Grandma a visit there."
Grand Grandma?
Yuki didn't like the sound of visiting a beastman Marie has recommended. Seeing how she had rescued them then proceed to hustle them out of all their money, she had no reason to trust her. Except, she really wanted their wallets back. Mostly for Michiru's sake.
I guess we're going to Rabbit Town.
After a long walk, Yuki and Michiru cautiously approached the area called Rabbit Town. Given the name, Yuki would've thought of it as a normal town ran by rabbits. Small, fuzzy creatures roaming the city, passing by the bright city lights of the bustling streets and good-nature stores, and maybe even asking the good gracious mayor of the town for their wallets back. She did not expect to see a creaky, rusted, and half-destroyed welcome sign at the very front. The metal rabbit adorned the top of the leaning metal arch smiled kindly down at them... with one missing eye and old red paint long dried stained dripping down the other. The 'Rabbit Town' sign was missing letters, either they were discarded or hanging by a small thread of wire, reading 'R_bbit T_wn' instead. It didn't feel... welcoming at all.
The town itself looked isolated and derelict. The buildings were worn-down and looked to be almost as falling apart as its sign. Each building was decorated with violet purple signs, screens, and tinted windows. By the look of the bunny ears, the seductive bodies of beastmen on the posters, and how each building looked dark and abandoned, Yuki had may have thought the large building near the center a club, as well as a sneaking suspicion they stumbled upon a red light district.
"Nothing about this place says rabbit," Yuki hesitantly said eyeing the streets filled with garbage.
"Except the sexy kind. Even then, I still don't like it," Michiru huffed out looking crossed.
They began to slowly make their way inside the town. Their eyes were carefully watching the dark alleys that stretched out from beside them, the dark shadows that seemed to loom around them, and eyes they couldn't see pressed on their backs. Yuki didn't feel safe at all and wanted to point out that they possibly didn't need their wallets but she wasn't given the chance.
More than half a dozen women emerged from the darkness and surrounded the two of them. "Who the hell are you?" One of them scoffed crossing their arms. All of them held vicious looks and stood straight with their shoulders back, their noses tipped upwards and their eyes glowering down on Yuki and Michiru.
Yuki and Michiru immediately tensed up. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where we could find Grand Grandma, do you?" Michiru chuckled out nervously but she instantly stopped. The two of them yelped when all of them transformed into their beastman form and bared their teeth. Their fangs could easily rip out their throats and use their bones as toothpicks. As a way of showing they meant no harm, and could do no harm, they held their hands up in surrender and gulped down the large lumps in their throat.
They were dragged through the streets, inside a decaying building, and pushed into a room where a woman sat on her make-shift throne. Now, she was the only rabbit Yuki spotted among all the women, except she didn't look small or fuzzy. Her eyes held annoyance and anger when they laid themselves on the trembling Yuki and Michiru. Her cheek rested against her fist and her bright red lips were quirked downward. She was dressed in a dark purple gown and wore eye shadow of the same color. She didn't say anything for a long time. She could only assume that was Grand Grandma.
Her bodyguards stayed in their beastman form and still snarled at them, but more specifically Michiru. "You've got guts coming here all morphed up like that," A lioness beastman growled at her. Before Michiru had a chance to explain, the lioness interrupted her harshly, "Don't play dumb with us. Between gangs, morphing means you're ready to rumble. Coming in here already morphed means you're here for a fight! Even your friend was smart enough to not walk in morphed already!"
"No, I swear!" Michiru instantly began to plead. "You've got me all wrong! I can't control this myself! I mean it! I can't switch back from this form!"
The lioness looked thoroughly confused. "You can't switch back? You're not some baby! Are you messing with me?"
Yuki clenched her hands, stilling the tremor that would give away how fearful she really was, and begged, "She's not messing with you! We would never do that! Please, we're telling the truth. Just last year she was... um, actually a human."
The moment she heard it slip from her mouth, she felt and sounded crazy. She then understood why Shirou had a hard time believing her at first, and still was at that moment, because seeing Michiru at first glance no one would believe her. It didn't seem like Grand Grandma did either. She huffed out, "Oh, really? You were a human?" rhetorically.
Her bodyguards bellowed out small mocking laughs. "Do you think we'd fall for a bullshit excuse like that?" The lioness cackled crossing her arms.
"I can prove it!" Michiru gasped out. "My student ID is in my wallet that got stolen yesterday. I came here looking for it! Actually, both of our wallets were stolen!"
Grand Grandma didn't flinch nor did the look in her eye fade. "Is that so? What makes you think that you would find it here?"
"The weasel-" Yuki started but immediately corrected herself, pushing two fingers together nervously, "Uh, Miss Itami, I mean, told us you might know something about it."
Grand Grandma lifted something up. Actually, two somethings! It was their wallets! Yuki had never been so happier to see her purple and white striped wallet clutched in the hands of the scary rabbit lady! She even saw Michiru's orange and black-spider-web patterned wallet hiding behind hers. "Hey, that's it! Those are our wallets!" Michiru exclaimed joyfully. "Look at my student ID in there! You'll see that we're really-!"
"So you're actually students?" Grand Grandma suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Yuki and Michiru choked out but yelped, "Yes!" When the lioness growled at them.
Grand Grandma suddenly regarded them with more interest. The look of boredom and tiresome had faded slightly but not completely. "If you really are students, then you can read and write, right? Ok, I'll give these back, but on one condition. Will you do something for me? I'm going to need a little favor."
It's not like they could say no. They were immediately dragged from the room, down the hall, and into another. Yuki and Michiru had braced themselves for what came next but were pleasantly surprised at what they found instead. In a room painted with a color of pale blue, rainbows, stars, the sun, balloons, birds, and many more had decorated the walls. Multiple windows adorned the right wall overlooking the city but even then more buildings towered over them. The sun streamed into the room and lit up the playhouse, blocks, and toys that were strewn across the ground. In front of their eyes, at least a dozen beastmen children were coloring, playing, or just crying.
Yuki's heart broke at the sight of them and even more so when Grand Grandma declared, "Teach these kids to read and write."
"There are... children here? Where are their parents?" Yuki quietly asked.
"We who've been betrayed by men end up here in Rabbit Town. For female beastmen without anywhere to go, we've got no choice but to live relatively dangerous lives. These kids also know the pain of being beastmen well," She answered her solemnly.
The lioness regarded the children with kind eyes and sighed, "If they can at least read and write, they might have a brighter future."
"If you do this, you can have your wallets back."
It was all Yuki and Michiru needed to hear. To learn the kids wouldn't have a chance in the future because of their upbringing was enough to drive the two of them to do what needed to be done. They full-heartily agreed to teach the kids how to read and write. Placing away the toys and cleaning up the floors, the students sat down in front of the chalkboard, weary and curious looks on their faces, as Yuki and Michiru wrote their names. A piece of chalk was held delicately in between their fingers when they faced their new students, kind smiles on their faces, and spoke, "Good afternoon, class! Who can read this?"
The kids sat there and didn't say a single word. Their hands stayed on their laps, crossed over their chest, or hidden behind their backs. They didn't look enthusiastic at all, but they were only children.
"Can one of you read it?" Yuki encouraged with a small smile pointing at the board.
A small boy in the front wearing blue overalls over a bright yellow shirt raised his hand. When Yuki pointed at him, he exclaimed proudly, "It says poop!"
Yuki and Michiru let out small giggles as the latter spoke, "Close, but not quite right. Mine says Mi-Chi-Ru and hers says Yu-Ki. Michiru and Yuki! Those are our names. Okay, is anyone here able to write out their own name?"
None of them spoke up again but Yuki couched in front of the boy who initially answered. "What's your name?"
"It's Youta."
"Youta. What a cool name," Yuki giggled and stood back up. She walked over to the board and quickly spelled out his name. "This is your name. Yo-U-Ta. Why don't you give it a shot?" She handed him the chalk and Youta looked momentarily stunned at it grasping in his fist. He wrote his name copying how Yuki did it. His lines were wiggly and his curves were jagged but she was so proud nonetheless when he finished. "You did it! That's how you spell your name!" She cheered.
Youta looked up at her and broke into the biggest smile she's ever seen.
Michiru turned to the rest of the class and announced, "Who else wants to learn to write their name?"
Yuki and Michiru beamed with happiness seeing the entire class raise their hands enthusiastically. After each one had a chance to write out their names following their instructions, they began on working the basic system as well as pronunciation by teaching the hiragana writing system. By the time they finished writing all the symbols and alphabets, the sun was already beginning to set. As the colors of plum pink and salmon red sent streaks across the sky and inside the classroom, they tried teaching the kids each pronunciation but they were already dozing off.
"First, we'll memorize all the hiragana characters-Hey, are you listening to me?" Michiru had begun teaching but her eyes wandered to the few kids sitting to the far left of the room huffing at their distraction.
Yuki stepped up to them, hoping to grab their attention, but stopped. One of the kids had been drawing and coloring what looked like a white wolf glowing in a yellow aura howling in the night. "Wow, you're a pretty good artist. Who is that? A wolf?" She asked pointing.
"No, it's the Silver Wolf," The kid answered.
"Silver Wolf?" Michiru asked.
The kid beside him looked at Yuki and Michiru like they were crazy for not knowing who the Silver Wolf was. "Wait a minute! No way! You don't even know who Silver Wolf is?" He gasped out with a smile. When they shook their heads, concern stretched across their faces, the boy explained, "He's, like, the god of beastmen! When beastmen are truly in trouble, a silver wolf comes and saves them. That story has been passed down for ages. I'm surprised you never learned of the tale since you were kids like us!"
Yuki's mind flashed back to the moment on her first night in Anima-City. Before the anniversary festival had begun, a large wolf glowing in a bright teal blue was standing proudly on the rooftop of the buildings. She remembered seeing his tail and fur swaying along in the soft breeze. The feeling of courage and bravery emitted off of him nearly drowning out everything around him. The only thing she focused on in that moment... was him.
"I know that look! You've seen him, Miss Yuki?" The kid gasped standing up to face her.
"What was he like?" The other kids clamored surrounding her.
Yuki nervously smiled and waved them down with her hands. "I've never seen him! I mean, I can't say for sure. It wasn't up close and I didn't get a good look at him," She frantically spoke with her eyes darting everywhere but them. Then, they flitted up towards the window and above the rooftop of a building next to theirs. A gasp almost slipped from her mouth at the sight of a figure standing there. The moment she blinked the figure was gone. Even then, she knew it was Shirou, she would recognize the trench-coat and wolf face anywhere! She was glad to see him but why was he there?
She gripped Michiru by the elbow and pulled her into a corner of the room where the kids wouldn't hear her, whispering, "Michiru, I have a bad feeling about this."
"What? Why?" Michiru asked her baffled.
"I saw Shirou standing on the building beside us. You couldn't have missed him, I know you saw him," Yuki frantically whispered as her eyes darted around the room. No guards stood posted but surely they were some outside of the room to keep anyone from going in or leaving. "If he's here, there's obviously something wrong."
Michiru huffed and ripped her arm out of her grasp, "Since when did you start trusting the weirdo who keeps trying to send you away?"
"He may be stubborn but he's not a weirdo. He's simply doing what he thinks is right," Yuki scowled and crossed her arms. "I know the main reason is because I'm actually... not a beastman," She tried to explain without saying the world 'human', "But he's trying to look out for me. He's trying to look out for us. Like it or not, I'm sensing something is wrong and seeing Shirou here only confirmed my suspicion. Please, come with me, Michiru, and let's get out of here."
"And leave these kids here all alone?" Michiru gasped. "We're their best chance of having a bright future, teaching them how to read, write, and smile again, and you're going to run away from that because of that wolf? Like it or not, I am staying."
The look on her face, the hardening in her eyes, and her crossed arms over her chest meant what she said. She was going to be just as stubborn as Yuki. Her friend left her no choice. She promised herself she would come back and rescue Michiru, and the kids as well, before dashing away to the door. She tentatively opened it and pretended to have the need to use the restroom when asked. Unluckily for her, she was transported to one of the restrooms in the top floors where she had been initially located.
She paid no attention to the toilet, sink, and walls crusted in dirt and scum. The window at the far side of the room facing the outside world was what she darted to the moment the door closed behind her and locked itself in place. It was small but was enough for a girl of her petite. Without making too much noise, she shoved the window door open, cringing and flinching as it creaked loudly with the hinges that haven't been used. Holding her breath, and her stomach down, she squeezed her legs through first and hung freely in the air as her arms grasped the window sill tightly. Her eyes widened at the tall height she would be falling from, her heart fluttering in her chest nervously, and choked back a gag.
Closing her eyes, steadying her shallow breathing, she spoke aloud, almost whimpering, "Shirou, I know you're there. I saw you. Please don't hide from me. I'm going to need you to catch me. And, well, if you don't... it's gonna be a long fall."
Yuki didn't allow herself to scream or yelp when her arms let go of the sill. The rushing wind blew her hair above her head, her arms wrapped around her torso, as she kept falling towards the ground. When nothing happened, she almost screamed for him if it wasn't for the strong arms that wrapped themselves around her body. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around them as her stomach dropped in her pelvic in a moment's notice. The wind that surged around her steadied as her feet found safe grounding.
"That was very reckless of you, Hanamura. What if I hadn't heard you or caught your scent? Or you, for that matter?" She heard Shirou growl above her.
Yuki held a hand to her abdomen, keeping herself from throwing up lunch, and shakily mumbled, "I-uh-I knew y-you wouldn't. Your job i-is to keep m-me safe. I know I-I took a gamble but-oh my god. The world is spinning. That was so scary but... so exhilarating!" She smiled and turned to Shirou who was still in his beastman form. "It almost felt like flying. The wind in my hair and the sun on my skin..."
"Don't try it again. I may not be there the next time you do," He huffed down at her. She tightened her lips and nodded her head. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway? Do you know how dangerous this part of the city is?"
Yuki dropped her head and quickly explained, "I'm sorry, really, but Michiru and I were told our wallets were here, and they were! We had an agreement with Grand Grandma if we teach the kids to read and write she'll give them back. We didn't know how dangerous it was but our money, our identities, are in there. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know how right I was. I tried to get Michiru out of there the moment I saw you but she wouldn't listen."
"That girl will be the bane of my existence, and you as well," He huffed out rubbing the bridge of his snout. "They're planning on selling the kids for profit. I imagine they will be selling Kagemori as well."
Yuki gasped and shook her head in dismay. "No... They can't! They're just children!"
"It sickens me as well. The thought of beastmen trafficking other beastmen to humans for money, and using kids for that matter..." Shirou growled heavily and clenched his fists. "I have no choice but to stop them and send them away for their crimes... but words are not sufficient evidence. I need to catch them in the act in order for their crimes to be held up in court."
"You're going to wait... until the kids are sold off?!" She asked disgusted.
Shirou regarded her slightly and rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I will stop the trading once the deal has been made."
Yuki softened and sighed nodding her head. "I see. Well... I'm coming with you!"
"You can't be serious," He scoffed.
"I am dead serious," Yuki spoke steeling her resolve. "I may not have the skills you possess or the powers Michiru does, but she's my friend. Those children are innocent and pure. They don't deserve to be sold off to whatever hell they're going! But I want to try and help. I could be used as a distraction. No doubt they want to come after me after I escaped. Let me be used as bait."
Shirou's eyes darkened at her plan. "Do you expect me to let that happen?"
"I don't expect anything, Shirou, I just want you to let me help."
"This is ridiculous, you know that?"
"Of course I do. Please, Shirou?"
At last, after long minutes of begging, he hesitantly agreed for her to help. Night fell quickly and Yuki helplessly watched as the kids and Michiru were moved from the building to the other side of town towards the port. All of them were trapped and caged in a shipping container where they were meant to be sold off to humans. Shirou had moved along in the shadows, not even she knew where he was, but where she hid she saw the shipping container picked up by a large crane. It rose higher and higher but swung wildly due to Michiru's attempts of foiling their plans. She uselessly reached for the shipping controls from the operator that was still much too high away from them.
Where's Shirou? Yuki thought helplessly but realized she would have to go along with the plan without him.
Running out of cover, she took a few steps forward, waving her arms, exclaiming, "You missing me?!"
Grand Grandma turned as well as her lioness bodyguard. "That's where you went, girl. I thought you flung yourself out of the window and killed yourself on the way down the tower," She growled clutching her kiseru. "Elsa, get the girl. I might be able to wiggle more money out of Flip for her."
Yuki yelped as the lioness darted for her. Before she could move, her eyes widened and a gasped slipped from her mouth. They all looked back and saw Michiru's arms stretching abnormally long and thin. She was able to grasp the operator and forced him to pull the levers forward and back harshly. The shipping container violently swerved front and back multiple times before the cable lines ripped free. The shipping container fell through the air and crash landed, breaking into many tiny pieces, but a ball of blur fur bounced out. It retracted itself and revealed Michiru and the children all safe! Even the operator!
How...? What the...? Since when was Michiru able to do that?!
"Everyone, run!" Michiru gasped and they all bolted.
Elsa's attention immediately shifted from Yuki to Michiru. "Hold it right there!" She growled jumping in front of her and the fleeing children blocking off their escape. "That's a pretty clever trick. As I thought, you're no ordinary beastman."
"Run!" Michiru commanded of the children and charged for Elsa.
It was no use. Elsa deftly dodged her and wrapped her strong arms around Michiru's throat, squeezing!
"Leave her alone!" Yuki screamed racing forward but Elsa only regarded her with a small smirk. She whipped her leg out and it smacked Yuki hard across the face. Pain shot through her head like non other and she tumbled to the ground like a timbering tree. She held her cheek but flinched at the slightest touch, feeling it throb with pain. Her dizzy vision watched as Michiru uselessly fought against the lioness that was squeezing the life out of her.
"SHIROU!" Yuki cried in the air as she tried to stumble on her feet.
The next thing she knew she heard two different noises. One of pain and the other a grunt. Yuki's eyes flew open seeing Elsa roll on the ground away from them all and Michiru collapsing to the ground. Her eyes flickered to the figure standing over them and staring angrily at the lioness. "I won't tolerate lowlifes who sell beastmen to humans. Even if they're women," They snarled angrily.
Shirou!
Yuki slowly rose on her knees and watched breathlessly as he fought them all. Shirou effortlessly dodged and punched the beastmen that charged for him at once. He weaved between their movements, his fists flying in their faces, and throwing their bodies into one another in a painful tumble. They were obviously no match for the well-experienced wolf. He moved gracefully like a vicious dancer. When Elsa went flying and landed at Grand Grandma's feet unconscious, the elderly woman surrendered and Shirou allowed it. He transformed himself back in his human form and laid down his fists. In the small moment of peace, Yuki crawled for Michiru and was relieved to see her breathing.
The police showed and took the criminals into custody. The children were taken into facilities that safely harbor children with no living relatives. They avoided the word 'orphan' but Yuki knew that was the truth. The thought made her sad but at least they'd be safe and away from trafficking. On another note, she and Michiru finally got their wallets back.
Shirou had just finished talking to the police chief when Yuki slowly walked up to him. When his eyes met hers, looking down without the tilt of his head, her hands nervously rubbed against each other when she said, "Thank you, Shirou, for... saving Michiru and those kids."
"Well, I'm pissed," Michiru snapped storming up to him suddenly. She pointed an accusing finger at him, scowling, "Yuki spied you watching us from across the street. Why did you help us then? You knew we were going to be sold, right?"
Yuki stepped up to explain the situation but Shirou didn't back down from Michiru. He stayed in his spot, not flinching or wincing, with his hands shoved in the pockets of his trench coat. "I still didn't have the proof then," He calmly but bluntly stated. "To arrest them, I had to catch them in the act."
"What if you hadn't made it in time, huh? What if the ship had sailed? We could have been sold off! Didn't you give any thought to those kids?" Michiru cried out with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice was shaking, her fists clenched, and she stared hatefully at him. Yuki's heart burned and felt her own tears beginning to swell in her eyes. She didn't realize how scared Michiru must've been... and it hurt her.
"I never make mistakes. I will protect women and child beastmen," Shirou declared without hesitation or faltering in his voice.
Michiru gasped and stared at him, eyes shaking. Growls fell from her lips and her hatred turn to scorn. "Women and children?" She asked growling, seething, "Are you saying males are special? That men are great? Look at this! I'm a human!" She flung her ID at him. Shirou caught it without a stumble or a sweat. "How can you say you don't make mistakes?! Can't you see you've made a mistake?! You thought I was a beastman but I'm actually human! I hate this stupid city and I hate beastmen! I'm going to get over this disease and leave this city as soon as I can!"
Yuki's hand flew to her mouth in dismay and even Shirou looked just as surprised as her. She never seen her friend so... hateful, so contempt, and so bitter about being a beastman. If she had known Michiru was bottling up all of those emotions she would've tried to help. Console her, help her, or make her understand. Why didn't Michiru come to her when she was feeling so upset about her transformation?
Those thoughts plagued her even as she laid on the rooftop staring into the night sky. Michiru's hate had dimmed by the time they arrived back at the Beastman Cooperative but her determination to become human again had grown stronger than ever. Yuki didn't share Michiru's views at all; thinking what the beastmen were as a disease and to try and find a cure as soon as possible... but she was her friend. She had gone through something traumatic that not even she could understand. She wasn't there when the deal was made, when Michiru was forced in a cage, forced to fight not only for her life but for the children as well, and to be told that she could possibly never be human again...
Yuki let out a small sad sigh.
"What are you doing up here by yourself?" She heard someone suddenly ask.
She bolted upright in her seat and found Shirou standing near the edge of the roof. He faced the city that lit up the night sky but his eyes were turned back to her. Slowly, she hugged her knees to her chest and spoke softly, "I'm watching the stars. They help... me think. They calm me. Their light may be small but its powerful." He didn't say anything but she chewed on her lower lip nervously. "Um, about Michiru, I'm sorry-" She began but he held up a hand.
"You shouldn't apologize for her. She meant what she said. I am not expecting an apology, especially from you on her behalf. Got it, Hanamura?" He huffed with his icy blue eyes piercing hers.
Yuki nodded her head. "Yes," She answered quietly.
It was silent for a moment between the two of them when she heard footsteps. He approached her and towered over her. She looked up at him curiously and was baffled when he commanded, "Stand up."
Yuki did as she was told and stammered, "W-Why?"
"You were tossed aside and went down easy for the lioness beastman and all the others that were watching. That won't do. I simply won't bring you along anymore if that's all it's gonna take to subdue you," He explained and whipped something out of his pocket. It was a silver knife gleaming in the moonlight. "I'm going to teach you a few self-defense movements. Use this knife only for that and nothing more. I don't want to hear about a human girl slaying beastmen while they weren't on their guard. All of my instincts are telling me not to and I should ship you off right now back to your world..." He growled to himself and offered it to her hilt first. "Take it."
She stared uneasily at the knife and remembered crimson red blood staining silver just as beautiful as that. The screams, cries, and slashing of flesh was in her mind before she could stop it. Sweat beaded down her fore-head, her head began to spike with pain once again, and her hand clenched tightly at her side. Quickly backing away from it, she whimpered, "No, no, no, no. I don't want it. Please... get it away from me."
Shirou instead took a few steps forward and stood before her. Yuki flinched when he shoved the knife, biting back a scream, but nothing happened. She gasped when the hilt of the knife was in her hand. It was heavy but light at the same time, balanced in her grip, and watched it shine in the light. It certainly was pretty.
"It's a tool, nothing more. It cannot hurt you. It won't hurt you unless you're acting foolishly with it," He explained bluntly and walked around her. "Guns, knives, spears, batons, even baseball bats are tools that can harm or kill. But not on their own. It's the wielder who does what he or she wants with it. A spoon is deadlier in my hands than that knife is in yours." She almost yelped when his hand suddenly grabbed hers holding the knife. Her breath got hitched at the back of her throat when she felt his face right next to hers. "The knife is an extension of your arm. Do not allow it to get close to your body. Remember, not a lot of force needs to go into it, you're not punching someone. All you need to do is get in close and let the edge of the blade do the work for you."
Yuki blushed when he fixed her footing, the position of her waist, and her grip on the knife's hilt, readjusting each of her fingers. He showed her different techniques, fixing her mistakes and movements that would turn into bad habits, and told her to use him as a practice dummy. She was frightened but the blade never touched him. He simply deflected and dodged but was impressed at how fast she was learning. She was amazed at how great of a teacher he was and... was touched by how much he cared.
The moon was halfway down the sky towards the west when they finished. Yuki had broke out in a sweat, huffing and puffing, but Shirou didn't seem affected. "A few more lessons and you might actually nick me if I let you," He sighed out crossing his arms. Yuki smiled but her hand still shook holding the knife. "Keep it. You need it more than I do," He then concluded walking towards the edge of the rooftop.
"Shirou!" Yuki quickly gasped out taking a few steps towards him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. Gently, she placed the knife in the pocket of her hoodie and grinned, eyes wavering as she met his. "Thank you," She breathed out softly.
He looked away from her but didn't make a move. Not when he finally spoke again, "I wanted to ask... What did you mean earlier today? That the strong go too far."
Sadness, fear, and despair entered her heart. She rubbed her arm self-consciously and mumbled, "I, uh, rather not talk about it. Just know that... nothing hurts more than being hurt by the ones you love. By the ones who were supposed to love you and protect you. I will only say that I... have mental and physical scars that will never heal but maybe with time they'll fade. I don't see it likely any time soon."
Shirou didn't say anything. He simply muttered, "I see," before disappearing into the night.
Yuki took one last look at the stars before moving back inside. It seemed maybe, hopefully, Shirou was finally warming up to her. Soon, she hoped to call him a friend and he look at her the same way as well. If that was the case, maybe he'd let her stay in Anima-City. She hoped so. She wanted nothing more than to get closer and learn more about Shirou Ogami.