Saichi crouched in the alley, his brown dog ears twitching at every sound. His tail flicked anxiously behind him, brushing against his pants. He was starving. Again. His sharp senses picked up the scent of food nearby—a mix of grilled meat and rice that made his stomach growl painfully.

He had been surviving on scraps, barely enough to keep himself going, and his patience was wearing thin.

His sharp eyes caught sight of a group of men walking down the street, laughing and talking among themselves. They were dressed well enough, clean clothes and full bellies, the kind of people who didn’t have to worry about where their next meal would come from. Saichi’s jaw clenched as he watched them pass by, their laughter grating on his nerves.

One of them glanced in his direction—just a quick look, but it was enough. Saichi caught the sneer, the way the man’s lip curled as if he were disgusted by the sight of him. His ears flattened against his head, and his tail stiffened. That look. He’d seen it before—too many times.

His blood boiled.

Without thinking, without hesitation, Saichi sprang from the shadows and charged at them with a snarl ripping from his throat. His powerful legs propelled him forward, faster than any human could react. His fist connected with the first man’s face, sending him sprawling onto the pavement.

The others barely had time to react before Saichi was on them, his fists swinging wildly. Another man went down with a grunt as Saichi’s fist slammed into his gut. The third tried to back away, but the demihuman grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall, teeth bared in a feral growl.

“You think you can look at me like that?!” Saichi barked, his voice rough and raw with anger. The guyʼs face had gone pale, his hands trembling as he tried to push Saichi off, but he was no match for the sheer strength of the dog-eared man.

Saichiʼs ears twitched again, catching a sound nearby—a door creaking open. Someone was watching. He glanced toward the source of the noise.