TGHD Ch6

Ryubeom tightened his grip. His tightly clenched fist trembled slightly, but in the end, Ryubeom shook his head. Reacting to something like this would only play into their hands. And considering the treatment he received from his family, it wasn’t particularly upsetting.

Recently, the scrutiny had become more intense. Now that he was twenty, legally an adult by human standards, he could enter society and live independently. Coming of age in a prestigious beastkin family was quite significant. Depending on the abilities displayed at this time, the family would either keep the individual within the clan or cast them out. They called it encouraging independence, but in reality, it was akin to expulsion. In the tight-knit beastkin society, where clan bonds were strong, this was rare.

But for Ryubeom, it was as if he had no familial bonds at all. The collateral relatives awaited his expulsion. An unwanted stone had rolled into the esteemed direct line family, and they hoped that flaw would soon disappear, so they could take his place.

“…Hoo.”

The path down was quiet. In the desolate space devoid of any signs of life, Ryubeom finally exhaled loudly, feeling slightly relieved. He hadn’t eaten dinner, yet he felt a lingering discomfort. Ryubeom headed to a convenience store. As he descended the mountain, he saw many people passing by. When a group of six or seven people brushed past him, Ryubeom involuntarily flinched and moved aside, suddenly feeling that he shouldn’t appear disheveled.

But in reality, Ryubeom’s suit was only slightly torn at the sleeve, and otherwise, it was fine. Even the tear was not noticeable if he covered it with his hand, making him just another young man in a suit. Malicious words often left such traces. They surfaced unexpectedly, making one self-censor. He thought he had let it pass without issue, reacted nonchalantly as if accustomed to it, but suddenly it would seize him. Unconsciously, Ryubeom found himself checking people’s gazes and being cautious with his actions.

A nearby patrolling policeman noticed Ryubeom hiding from people and approached curiously.

“Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

Ryubeom hastily stepped back from the worrisome approach. Worried that his eyes might meet theirs and reveal that he was a tiger beastman, he quickened his pace.

It’s said that tiger beastmen have great confidence in their species more than anyone else, but Ryubeom did not. Perhaps it was because he had heard several times that it was shameful to be seen as part of the same tribe. Consciously, he tried to suppress and hide his aura.

The fox beastman Ryubeom met earlier today recognized him as a tiger because he momentarily acted wary of the man. Maybe it was because he had felt unusually comfortable in that house. Focusing as if hypnotized by someone’s hand that had grabbed him, when that atmosphere was broken, he instinctively acted sharply.

‘Even so, they wouldn’t mock me as a deficient tiger, would they…?’

Ryubeom glanced back. The police, though puzzled by his sudden flight, did not follow him. Only then did his tension ease and his steps slowly come to a halt.

The two police officers he encountered earlier were a combination of a human and a dog beastman. With yellow, fluffy ears peeking out from under his cap, he was likely of the retriever breed.

Dog beastmen, particularly high in sociability, had well integrated into human society, with the most common occupation being the police. Their excellent sense of smell and hearing were fully utilized. Dog beastmen could also be frequently seen at airports.

In security professions, beastmen classified as predators were predominantly found, occasionally mixed with orca beastmen. While water beastmen had a hard time living on land, they exhibited immense power along coastlines.

In modern society, beastmen and humans coexisted this way. Until just a hundred years ago, countless wars had erupted because they couldn’t accept each other’s existence, but conflicts subsided through an agreement.

A peace treaty.

An agreement between beastmen and humans to acknowledge and respect their differences, to not reject each other, and to promise harmony. It was a hopeful document aimed at promoting mutual development on the premise of non-aggression.

The beastman who proposed this treaty wasn’t an apex predator. Instead, great predators like tigers, lions, and bears, with their high pride, sought to trample humans who dared to wield guns and knives against them.

The proposal came from the fox clan.

“…Oh. There’s a fox there too.”

Ryubeom noticed a screen attached to the building’s exterior. It happened to be displaying a commercial for a variety show that featured a popular beastman celebrity, showcasing their daily life.

And the idol currently on the screen was a fox beastman.

Ryubeom didn’t know much about the outside world, but they did. More precisely, they knew the place the idol belonged to rather than the idol’s existence itself. The fox clan led many businesses in modern society, one of which was entertainment.

Hn.Ent.

The agency that first debuted beastmen as celebrities. When they started this business, they were ridiculed by other beastmen. They were sneered at, saying they weren’t ashamed as beastmen and that the business would surely fail. Yet, Hn Entertainment proudly grew into one of the top three agencies. Given that their first celebrity was a fox beastman, it was perhaps an expected result.

Fox beastmen have the ability to charm others. Besides having above-average looks, the very aura they exude is different from ordinary people. There couldn’t be a better talent for being a celebrity.

Rapidly growing, Hn Entertainment also debuted cat beastmen, and now they have many dog and wolf beastmen as part of their roster. Moreover, it is said that many beastmen from various species come from overseas to debut.

At that moment, the fox beastman on the screen was heading towards the Hn headquarters. As if introducing new talents from the agency, the camera followed, showing various beastmen waving and greeting.

Ryubeom’s eyes reflected their image.

“…….”

It was unfamiliar to see beastmen blending into human society and living naturally. No, more precisely, their confident appearance felt extremely strange and foreign. Ryubeom not only failed to adapt to human society but also felt out of place in the beastmen community.

Slowly, Ryubeom’s gaze shifted sideways to his reflection in the shop window. His face was endlessly calm, but beneath the expressionless surface, it was filled with sedimented emotions. He didn’t know how to handle his feelings, so he just swallowed them all.

He thought they would fade if ignored, but those emotions came back one day, darker and deeper than anything else, clinging together in a repressed state, making it impossible to unravel them—like a tangled, messy skein of thread.

…Can this even be called a tiger?

Ryubeom’s amber eyes darkened even more. At home, he was ignored; collateral relatives envied and belittled him; in human society, he lived in constant fear of being discovered as a tiger. Is this how a tiger lives?

‘No matter what anyone says, you are a tiger of this land.’

Suddenly, a memory from long ago surfaced. Those infinitely kind words were filled with deep affection for Ryubeom, and also… a pride in being a ‘tiger.’

Ryubeom bit his lip firmly. Despite being so proud, despite loving tigers so much that she named him ‘Beom.’

‘Why did you run away from the family, Mom?’

Overwhelmed by a surge of emotion, Ryubeom lowered his head. He didn’t want to see his reflection in the glass. His face, contorted with distress, would undoubtedly be unsightly.

And it wouldn’t look like a tiger at all.

Saaa…

As dark thoughts continued to spiral, Ryubeom sensed a change in the surrounding atmosphere. It was an instinctual realization. The air grew as cold as a cemetery at dawn, and the alley’s darkness flickered ominously.

Step, step. Ryubeom’s steps moved backward. His legs trembled, and his complexion turned pale. These were signs that spirits were about to appear. Just a couple of hours ago, Ryubeom had grabbed a ghost without hesitation, but now it was impossible.

“Hehehe…”

“A frightened tiger, aren’t you…?”

One by one, things began to rise from the darkness. Their faces resembled humans, but their appearance was horrifying. Some had half of their faces crushed, others were mangled by long claws, and some had their necks twisted, heads dangling precariously.

These were Changgui.

The souls of people killed by tigers. They become slaves to the tigers, serving them and helping them hunt other humans. This behavior results from their souls being bound to the tiger…

The moment this enslavement breaks is when the tiger weakens.

The primary reason souls remain as ghosts is because they were murdered. Unable to find peace due to hatred and a desire for revenge, they become ghosts wandering the world. Among them, Changgui are spirits forcibly bound and turned into ‘evil spirits.’

“Let’s kill that tiger…!”

“Hehe, heehee. Where are you running to, tiger?”

“We are chasing the tiger!”

The Changgui began pursuing Ryubeom with hatred. Though they were not people Ryubeom had killed, Changgui lacked the intellect to distinguish between friend and foe. Even if they had such discernment, it didn’t matter whether Ryubeom was the perpetrator or not.

The Changgui wanted revenge on the ‘tiger.’

“No, stay away!”

Ryubeom fled desperately. He tried to gather his spiritual energy into his hands, but it wasn’t easy. It was difficult to regain composure once his heart had cracked. Especially when faced with beings that unabashedly displayed their hatred towards him.

A grotesquely long shadow chased after the running Ryubeom. The darkness of the alley coalesced into a monstrous shape. A huge, sleek black mass seemed to pour out, and as it got closer to Ryubeom, faces of the Changgui would pop out of the mass.