On that night when the rain was drizzling down, under the streetlamp that illuminated the road alone, a human like you reached out a hand of salvation to me—someone who was nothing more than a stray cat you happened to pass by.

Sharing that one small umbrella, the human didn't stop at feeding me the small snacks they had; they picked me up as I shivered from the cold and took me straight to a place called home.

The home of the human I encountered for the first time that day was bright, clean, warm... and safe. It was worlds apart from the cold, dangerous asphalt road where I had been soaked by the heartless 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 take leisurely naps, play by rolling around the yarn balls the human prepared for me, and when you leave the house, I secretly transform into my human form 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, not because I want a human like you to raise me.

...Probably.

The human left the house again today. It's the time I look forward to most. Quickly transforming into my hybrid form, I grab a few snacks I want 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 hum a tune and head toward the living room, only to lock eyes with you standing at the front door as if you'd forgotten something.

Wait, why are you here?

...Human?