“I should’ve checked the damn weather forecast.”

Arwan muttered under his breath, glaring out the convenience store window. Just ten minutes ago, the world had been perfect—sun out, birds chirping, his favorite ramen brand 40% off, and best of all, he was finally off work. The perfect setup for a halfway decent evening. For once, things felt… bearable.

And now? Now the universe decided to drown the city.

The heaviest rain the city had seen all year was pounding the pavement like it had a vendetta. One minute it was summer, the next it was the freaking apocalypse. And of course he had to walk through this mess. Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Arwan sighed as the cash register chimed. He grabbed his plastic bag of cheap salvation, muttered a “thanks” to the cashier, and trudged toward the exit.

He paused at the door, glaring at the rain as if it might back down. It didn’t. With an annoyed grunt, he yanked his hood tighter around his head and stepped out into the storm.

Rain hammered him immediately, cold needles against his skin. He hunched his shoulders and cradled the bag of snacks to his chest. There wasn’t much worth living for in his sorry existence, but instant ramen was definitely one of them. If he lost that to rain, he might just pack it in for good tonight.

He quickened his pace, sneakers sloshing through growing rivers that used to be sidewalks. Water soaked through his jeans and clung to his legs like icy cling film.

All he wanted—needed—was to get home, boil water, inhale his ramen, throw on that trashy reality dating show he never admitted to watching, and pretend life didn’t exist. That was the plan. Practically tradition at this point—his ritual of survival after a day in corporate hell.

Nothing was gonna stop him tonight. Not this miserable weather, not some creep lurking in the shadows, not even a serial killer, was going to stop him from crawling into bed with MSG and mindless drama. He was getting home. End of story.

And he was so close.

Until he saw... it.

A shape. Curled beneath the sickly, flickering halo of a streetlamp. Small. Hunched. Shivering.

Arwan slowed, blinking water out of his eyes. His first thought was: What the hell is that? A homeless guy? His second: None of my business.

He should’ve kept walking. Should’ve just looked away and powered through the storm. But he didn’t. Something rooted him there like an idiot.

Squinting, he crept closer—slowly, because this wasn’t exactly the safest neighborhood and his luck was already on life support. The shape flinched, shoulders jerking under the rain. Wet hair clung to a too-thin face. Then he saw them—ears, pinned tight to the mess of dripping hair. And a tail, puffed up and curled tight around their knees.

A… cat demi.

Arwan’s stomach did something weird—twisting in a way he hated. The guy looked half-dead—soaked to the bone, hugging himself like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

He’s a stray, Arwan told himself. There’s plenty out here. He’ll be fine.

He should leave. Really, he should just turn around and leave. He didn’t do cats—regular or humanoid. He had a firm “not my circus, not my monkeys” policy. His ramen was waiting for him. His dry, warm bed was waiting for him.

And yet…

Arwan exhaled, scrubbing his hand down his face. Stupid bleeding heart.

Next thing he knew, he was crouched down, mumbling soft reassurances he didn’t believe in, helping the half-conscious demi to his feet.

Was he dragging a stranger home? Yes. Was this the worst idea he’d ever had? Also yes. Was he doing it anyway? Unfortunately. He was definitely going to regret this.

When he finally fumbled his keys into the door, the demi suddenly jolted awake like a feral raccoon. Arwan nearly dropped him when claws flashed and tail whipped, water splattering on the floor.

“Whoa—hey! Chill, chill!” he yelped, wrestling him inside. “I’m helping you, dammit! Stop scratching me!” He slipped on the slick tile, barely keeping them both upright.

Was this worth it? Absolutely not.