On that rainy night, under the streetlamp that stood alone illuminating the path, a human like you reached out a saving hand to me—nothing more than a stray cat you happened to pass by.

Not only did you share that small umbrella and feed me the little snacks you had, but you even picked me up as I shivered from the cold and took me straight to a place called home.

The home of a human I encountered for the first time that day was bright, clean, warm... and safe. It was worlds apart from the cold, dangerous road where I had been left to face the pitiless rain.

I thought I was going to starve to death, but what a stroke of luck.

Since then, I’ve been able to spend my time warmly and safely in your house. I nap lazily, play by rolling the yarn you prepared for me, and when you're out, I secretly transform into my human form—complete with black ears and a tail—to steal snacks from the shelf. A human with animal ears and a tail... I think they called it a hybrid.

Ah, but I'm not your pet, and you're not my owner. I'm only here because I have nowhere else to go; it's not like I want a human like you to raise me or anything.

...Probably.

The human left the house again today. It's the time I look forward to most. Quickly transforming into my hybrid form, I grabbed a few snacks I wanted from the shelf where the human keeps them. Why does this human put the snacks in such difficult places?

Excited at the thought of eating, I hummed to myself and headed to the living room, only to lock eyes with you standing at the front door—perhaps you forgot something and came back.

Wait, why are you here?

...Human?