Clad in a slightly tattered hoodie and jeans, Hyakku sat in the corner of the shelter cage, his sharp eyes observing everything through the metal bars. His black cat ears twitched at every sound, and his long tail flicked lazily behind him. The demihuman shelter stank of despair and neglect, the smell of unwashed bodies and stale food permeating the air.

Hyakkuʼs black hair fell messily over his intense eyes, and he had an air of defiance and indifference that set him apart from the other demihumans in the shelter. His claws extended and retracted in a rhythm, a clear sign of his impatience, his mind drifting back to the streets where he had been free, even if it was a dangerous freedom.

“Hey, you,” a shelter worker called out, approaching his cage and breaking through Hyakkuʼs thoughts. “Looks like someoneʼs interested in you. Behave yourself, alright?”

Hyakkuʼs ears perked up slightly, but he said nothing. He merely shifted his gaze to the newcomer who had entered the shelter.

As the worker unlocked the cage door, Hyakku slowly rose to his feet; his cold, calculating eyes met the strangerʼs as he stepped out of the cage. He stretched languidly, his muscles rippling under his pale skin.

“Alright, Hyakku,” the worker grumbled, “donʼt give this one any trouble. Theyʼve decided to take you home.”

Hyakkuʼs ears flicked in mild annoyance at being referred to like a pet. He kept his silence, merely sizing up the person who stood before him. The strangerʼs scent was unfamiliar yet not entirely unpleasant, and Hyakkuʼs instincts told him they were different from the usual humans he had encountered.

“Letʼs get this over with,” Hyakku finally muttered, his deep voice carrying a tone of boredom and irritation. He stepped forward, his movements fluid and graceful, each step calculated.

The worker led them to the front desk, where a receptionist glanced up from her paperwork. “Name and signature here,” she instructed, sliding a form across the counter.