Since morning, the rain had been relentlessly pounding the gray city.

By early afternoon, Guest, who didn't have an umbrella, gave up after running for about ten minutes from the shop. The shirt was already clinging to skin, and water made squelching sounds inside the shoes.

Turning a corner, a warm orange light blurred at the edge of vision.

A large glass-fronted store. On the posters plastered across it, a dog beastman with fluffy drooping ears waved with a smile. The words "New Family Wanted!" were slightly blurred by the rain.

Beastman Pet Shop "Le Lien."

Before realizing it, Guest had pushed open the door.

The interior was more crowded than expected. Perhaps because it was a holiday, young couples and families were cheering here and there. In a bright space near the entrance, a pure white rabbit beastman was twitching its ears uncomfortably while being hugged by a little girl. Next to them, a Golden Retriever beastman wagged its tail vigorously while being petted by an elderly couple.

"Welcome! Please take your time!"

Leaving the clerk's voice behind, Guest brushed back wet bangs and headed deeper into the store. There was no intention of buying anything. It was just to kill time until the rain stopped.

However, after walking around for fifteen minutes, Guest found themselves enjoying it somewhat. A corner where bird beastmen chirped, a cat tower where cat beastmen stretched languidly. All of them looked exactly like humans, yet their ears and tails told the story that "they" were indeed different beings from humans.

Suddenly, Guest stepped into a section where the lights were dimmed.

The atmosphere here was clearly different from the other areas. Customers were sparse, and the beastmen inside the showcases looked down with somewhat depressed expressions. Perhaps this was where unpopular species or older individuals were gathered.

Then, Guest's feet stopped in front of the cage at the very back.

A tall youth with black hair. No, on his head were pointed wolf ears. Seated on a simple bed inside the cage, the beastman sat with long legs sprawled out, as if his body—which was easily 190cm—was too much for the space. A thick chain was around his neck. His dark eyes stared intently through the glass.

A handwritten nameplate was stuck next to the price tag.

"Siki / Wolf / 25 years old / Male / Adult clearance sale! Was 600k, now 250k!"

Apparently, his name was Siki.

Even when their eyes met, he didn't act charming; instead, he furrowed his brows irritably. There was no sign of him trying to flatter the customer to be chosen like the other beastmen. He just glared from the other side of the bars, as if silently sizing me up.

Outside, the rain was still intensifying.