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Transcript

00:00:06Brian and Logan were twin wolf beast kidnapped. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the

00:00:11underground beast trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf

00:00:16pups. And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian,

00:00:21Isabella took Logan. 13 years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if

00:00:27Brian didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion

00:00:32shattered. The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other beast kin, someone asked,

00:00:39Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her? Who asked her to be good

00:00:45to me?

00:00:46You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly.

00:00:52If she hadn't taken me first, me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean, makes sense.

00:00:56Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just, nothing special.

00:01:00A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:01:06disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and

00:01:11again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked

00:01:16average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror

00:01:22aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and

00:01:27let the weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the

00:01:31silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his

00:01:36bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached

00:01:40out,

00:01:41trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:01:46irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to

00:01:51touch his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for

00:01:5613

00:01:56years. A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth

00:02:01anyone taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

00:02:07floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

00:02:12always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of

00:02:17Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this

00:02:23year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people

00:02:29bring

00:02:29their bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the

00:02:34shelter.

00:02:35So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

00:02:42face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

00:02:47Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

00:02:53for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like

00:02:59a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me

00:03:04onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight

00:03:10day nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends

00:03:15snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the

00:03:20prom queen, and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my

00:03:25teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he

00:03:30could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and

00:03:35kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us

00:03:39were called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front

00:03:44of the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

00:03:48wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom,

00:03:52I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real. She went on.

00:03:57You're not exactly pretty. And now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raise

00:04:01doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella

00:04:06were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home,

00:04:10my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face. He said, I closed my eyes and fell into

00:04:17a

00:04:18heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door

00:04:22open,

00:04:22I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out. But his presence lingered everywhere in the

00:04:27apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat. Then started packing up everything

00:04:32that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my

00:04:36parents would treat Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run

00:04:42-down

00:04:42studio apartment. He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall. And

00:04:47he

00:04:47would bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked nonstop,

00:04:51picking up every part-time job I could find. Until I finally saved enough for a down payment

00:04:56on a small 2-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything.

00:05:00So I bought Brian more things than he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want

00:05:04any of it. This time I decided to give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing,

00:05:09I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau

00:05:13of

00:05:14Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with

00:05:18Brian,

00:05:18I still nodded. When a human dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required.

00:05:23I left the townhouse to him. At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate.

00:05:28Then hesitated before asking, Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or

00:05:32should we mail it on your behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the

00:05:36night before. Please mail it to him, I said. And include this. There were only two sentences in the

00:05:41letter. I am sorry Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom

00:05:46back to you. I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new

00:05:51life

00:05:51would begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job

00:05:56was as a lecturer, at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening

00:06:01sea breeze carried a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of

00:06:05the sunset was just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage

00:06:10chat with Brian. Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at

00:06:15vintage markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied.

00:06:20Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat

00:06:26was

00:06:26from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you up.

00:06:30He never

00:06:30replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could not

00:06:36even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull spreading ache. After thinking

00:06:41it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my phone number,

00:06:45deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

00:06:50just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

00:06:55chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

00:07:00very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god. I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

00:07:05as an ugly

00:07:05girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement. Just as

00:07:10indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started

00:07:14talking about the beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of beeskin do

00:07:18you have? I did not know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a

00:07:23simple

00:07:23answer. He died. They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that,

00:07:28during my two weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte,

00:07:32a blueberry muffin, or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was

00:07:37when I started thinking about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting

00:07:41recyclables. Beeskin were usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most

00:07:46beautiful of all. But this one had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was

00:07:50afraid of scaring the students, so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab

00:07:55and

00:07:55went looking for him, it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying

00:08:01behind him. I called out softly. Hey, little fox. Huh? The young beastkin turned around and noticed me,

00:08:07immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am. I must

00:08:12have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through,

00:08:16water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, you don't have to hide your

00:08:21face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed

00:08:26up.

00:08:26He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my

00:08:30office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age

00:08:36as my freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague,

00:08:41Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named

00:08:46Finn. I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red

00:08:51light

00:08:51district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the

00:08:56escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

00:09:00they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

00:09:05him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked, where does

00:09:10he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma, I heard your

00:09:15beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you? I bit down on the straw of my hot

00:09:20latte and didn't answer. Arthur's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would want to

00:09:24adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would ever

00:09:29like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I looked

00:09:33at

00:09:33Arthur and said quietly, he isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him

00:09:39share the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to

00:09:43the beastkin protection agency. So please, don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped

00:09:48out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp.

00:09:53His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's

00:09:57hard to do it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and

00:10:01tail. Then

00:10:02used a hairdryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy.

00:10:06I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay.

00:10:11I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and the latte.

00:10:16He didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am,

00:10:21I don't eat much. Could you adopt me? My hand froze midair. Finn continued. I know I'm not good

00:10:27looking, but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow

00:10:32roses.

00:10:32I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would you still

00:10:37choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek, his movements careful, almost reverent.

00:10:42You're very cute. He said softly. I want to go with you.

00:10:46My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the

00:10:51lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself.

00:10:56I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

00:11:01He kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

00:11:05home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

00:11:09Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful of

00:11:14beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible.

00:11:18Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.

00:11:22Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again,

00:11:27maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me.

00:11:29That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17.

00:11:36Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando.

00:11:40Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack.

00:11:43Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella while I grabbed Brian's hand

00:11:49and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

00:11:54into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit when it was blown apart right in front of us.

00:11:59At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the

00:12:04dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

00:12:09I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

00:12:14Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

00:12:20days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

00:12:25A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me.

00:12:27Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It came from everywhere, repeating itself over and over,

00:12:33surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream, my soul seemed to float above. Crouched

00:12:38down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back. That's not true. That's not true.

00:12:43Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said,

00:12:48Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw was

00:12:54Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry.

00:12:59When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could

00:13:04stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. I clung

00:13:09to him

00:13:09like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring

00:13:14soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not

00:13:19have

00:13:19to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to worry

00:13:24about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered. Finn hummed

00:13:28softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. With Finn taking

00:13:34care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was especially bright today.

00:13:40Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing and playing around

00:13:45on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called my name from

00:13:49beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand

00:13:54and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression, immediately, and stepped

00:13:59in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know

00:14:05him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk to him.

00:14:09We walked over to

00:14:10a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been

00:14:15wild, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold. Who is that fox? My new fostered beeskin.

00:14:33Brian and Logan were twin wolf beeskin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:14:38bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups. And without

00:14:44even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian. Isabella took Logan. 13 years

00:14:50passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if Brian didn't like me, he

00:14:56would

00:14:56at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered. The day I accidentally overheard

00:15:02him talking to some other beeskin. Someone asked. Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so

00:15:09cold to her? Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it.

00:15:17Good? Then I

00:15:18guess I should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first me'd be the one with Isabella right

00:15:22now. I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just nothing special.

00:15:27A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:15:33disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and again,

00:15:39I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked average but

00:15:44now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror aside.

00:15:50All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the

00:15:54weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

00:15:59Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his bedroom.

00:16:04I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached out.

00:16:08Trying to grab his tail, my hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:16:13irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch

00:16:18his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13

00:16:23years,

00:16:24a bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

00:16:29taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

00:16:34floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted,

00:16:39as they always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring

00:16:44a big box of Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival

00:16:49with me this year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair.

00:16:54No.

00:16:55But a lot of people bring their bee skin with them.

00:16:58No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

00:17:02So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the

00:17:08exact same face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's

00:17:13hair and ask, Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising

00:17:19onto her toes to reach for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient

00:17:24and indulgent. I watched him like a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But

00:17:29one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with

00:17:34mockery.

00:17:34Well, look who it is. Emma, Australian nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like

00:17:40coming out with you? One of his friends snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves,

00:17:45right? The older one ended up with the prom queen, and the younger one got stuck with an

00:17:49ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist

00:17:55straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he could even react, Chase lunged

00:17:59at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept hitting him until someone

00:18:03finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were called into the principal's

00:18:08office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of the principal and

00:18:12Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

00:18:15wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat.

00:18:19Mom, I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real, she

00:18:24went on. You're not exactly pretty, and now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the

00:18:27bee skin you raised doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter

00:18:31like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out

00:18:36in Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across

00:18:39the face. He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left

00:18:47my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized it was already

00:18:51dusk. Brian was out, but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice

00:18:56of pizza and forced myself to eat, then started packing up everything that belonged to me. There

00:19:00wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian

00:19:04badly, so I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment,

00:19:10he slept on the bed, and I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall, and he would

00:19:15bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked non-stop, picking

00:19:19up every part-time job I could find, until I finally saved enough for a down payment on

00:19:23a small 2-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything, so

00:19:28I bought Brian more things than he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't

00:19:31want any of it. This time I decided to give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After

00:19:36I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared. The next morning, when

00:19:40the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time if I was sure

00:19:43I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human dissolves a bond

00:19:48unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office, Emily

00:19:53handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking, Miss Emma, would

00:19:57you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person, or should we mail it on your behalf? I took

00:20:01out

00:20:01the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to him, I

00:20:05said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian,

00:20:10I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you.

00:20:14I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would

00:20:19begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was

00:20:23as a lecturer at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening

00:20:28sea breeze carried a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The

00:20:32orange glow of the sunset was just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out

00:20:36of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian. Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from

00:20:40me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky.

00:20:45The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied. Most of the time, all I ever got back was a

00:20:50short

00:20:50dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat was from the day I heard the truth. I had asked

00:20:55him, where are you? I can come pick you up. He never replied. By then, he must have already

00:21:00received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could not even bring himself

00:21:03to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull, spreading ache. After thinking it

00:21:08over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my phone number,

00:21:12deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

00:21:17just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like

00:21:22to chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus?

00:21:26Because I'm not very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up. There is

00:21:31no

00:21:31such thing as an ugly girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in

00:21:36agreement, just as indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough,

00:21:41they started talking about the beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor,

00:21:45what kind of beeskin do you have? I did not know how to explain everything that had happened

00:21:49with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died. They fell silent for a long moment,

00:21:53until the bell rang, and class began. After that, during my two weekly lectures,

00:21:57students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin,

00:22:01or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking

00:22:05about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Beeskin were

00:22:09usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had

00:22:14deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students,

00:22:19so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

00:22:23it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him. I

00:22:29called out softly. Hey, little fox. Huh? The young beeskin turned around and noticed me,

00:22:34immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am,

00:22:38I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked

00:22:43through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently,

00:22:47you don't have to hide your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my

00:22:51office.

00:22:52Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded.

00:22:56Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was,

00:23:01around 18 or 19, about the same age as my freshman. While he was showering,

00:23:05I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager to talk,

00:23:10and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to

00:23:14be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light district in

00:23:19the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the escape,

00:23:23his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

00:23:28they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled him

00:23:32out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked,

00:23:37where does he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly.

00:23:41Emma, I heard your beast can pass away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you?

00:23:45I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arto's voice suddenly sharpened.

00:23:50He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past.

00:23:54She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and

00:23:59be

00:23:59loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said quietly. He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt.

00:24:04And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people nearby.

00:24:09I've seen him donate his spare change to the Beastkin Protection Agency. So please,

00:24:13don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office,

00:24:16I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming

00:24:21with tears. Feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself,

00:24:25I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a hair

00:24:29dryer

00:24:29to finish the job. It was my first time drying a Beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy. I accidentally

00:24:34hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very

00:24:40grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and a latte. He didn't take them.

00:24:44After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much.

00:24:49Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking,

00:24:55but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses.

00:25:00I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would

00:25:03you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek, his movements careful,

00:25:08almost reverent. You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you. My eyes stung. I blinked

00:25:15quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the lab building

00:25:19together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself. I completed

00:25:23the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully. He

00:25:28kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

00:25:32home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

00:25:36Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful

00:25:41of beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile,

00:25:46the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly,

00:25:50Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again, maybe he just never

00:25:55bothered to do anything like that for me. That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried

00:26:00deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando.

00:26:07Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack. Explosions erupted

00:26:12from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella while I grabbed Brian's hand and ran for the exit.

00:26:17We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut into everyone. We were

00:26:22only steps away from the exit when it was blown apart right in front of us. At the time, I

00:26:27had

00:26:27been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the dream, I saw it clearly.

00:26:33Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation. I was left alone,

00:26:37collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

00:26:41Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

00:26:47days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

00:26:52A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It came from

00:26:58everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream,

00:27:03my soul seemed to float above, crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

00:27:08That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

00:27:15A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The

00:27:20first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face

00:27:25tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face

00:27:30before I could stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pull me into his

00:27:35arms.

00:27:36I clung to him like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my

00:27:40back, murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him

00:27:45alone. I did not have to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I

00:27:49definitely did not have to worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song,

00:27:54I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are

00:28:00great. With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight

00:28:05was especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up

00:28:11laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then

00:28:15someone called my name from beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there.

00:28:20The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression

00:28:25immediately and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's

00:28:30flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need

00:28:35a

00:28:35minute to talk to him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my

00:28:39hair.

00:28:40I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

00:28:45Who is that fox? My new fostered bee skin.

00:29:00Brian and Logan were twin wolf bees kin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:29:06bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

00:29:11And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella took Logan.

00:29:1713 years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if Brian didn't like

00:29:22me,

00:29:23he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered.

00:29:27The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other bee skin. Someone asked,

00:29:34Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:29:38Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it.

00:29:44Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first,

00:29:48me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean, makes sense. Compared to Isabella,

00:29:52the head cheerleader Emma's just, nothing special. A dull ache spread through my chest.

00:29:57Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly disappeared.

00:30:01When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight.

00:30:05Again and again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it.

00:30:09I had always thought I looked average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed.

00:30:14With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror aside.

00:30:17All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the

00:30:22weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

00:30:26Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his

00:30:31bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached

00:30:35out.

00:30:35Trying to grab his tail, my hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back,

00:30:39his face full of irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first

00:30:44time I had tried to touch his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him

00:30:49with

00:30:49everything I had for 13 years. A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty,

00:30:54even your sincerity isn't worth anyone taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears

00:30:59began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone

00:31:04in

00:31:04the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they always did. Back to high school and the annual fall

00:31:09homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard.

00:31:15Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this year? He'd lift his head out of the pool,

00:31:20water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people bring their bee skin with them.

00:31:25No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

00:31:29So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

00:31:36face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

00:31:42Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

00:31:48for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like

00:31:53a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me

00:31:59to the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A nerd.

00:32:05Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends snickered.

00:32:10Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom queen,

00:32:15and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth,

00:32:20I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he could

00:32:25even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept

00:32:29hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were

00:32:34called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of

00:32:38the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

00:32:42wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom,

00:32:47I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real,

00:32:51she went on. You're not exactly pretty, and now you've got this terrible temper too.

00:32:54Even the bee skin you raised doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter

00:32:58like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in

00:33:03Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face.

00:33:07He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank

00:33:15when

00:33:15I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out,

00:33:20but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced

00:33:24myself to eat. Then started packing up everything that belonged to me. There wasn't much really.

00:33:28After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian badly, so I took him

00:33:33with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment. He slept on the bed,

00:33:39and I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall, and he would bump his head every time

00:33:43he

00:33:43walked through the low doorway. So I worked non-stop, picking up every part-time job I could find,

00:33:48until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small 2-bedroom townhouse.

00:33:52Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than

00:33:56he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to

00:34:00give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian

00:34:05and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for

00:34:09the

00:34:09third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human

00:34:14dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him.

00:34:19At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking,

00:34:24Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person, or should we mail it on your

00:34:27behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to

00:34:32him, I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian,

00:34:37I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you. I walked

00:34:42out of

00:34:42City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin in Florida,

00:34:47somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer,

00:34:51at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried

00:34:56a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was

00:35:00just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian.

00:35:05Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets.

00:35:10Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied. Most of the time,

00:35:15all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat was from the day

00:35:21I

00:35:21heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you up. He never replied. By

00:35:26then,

00:35:26he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could not even bring

00:35:30himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull, spreading ache. After thinking

00:35:35it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my phone number,

00:35:39deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

00:35:44just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

00:35:49chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

00:35:54very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

00:35:59as an ugly

00:36:00girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement, just as indignant.

00:36:05I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started talking about the

00:36:09beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of beeskin do you have?

00:36:13I did not know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple

00:36:17answer. He died. They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began.

00:36:22After that, during my two weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks

00:36:26latte, a blueberry muffin, or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was

00:36:31when I started thinking about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting

00:36:35recyclables. Beeskin were usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most

00:36:40beautiful of all. But this one had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was

00:36:45afraid of scaring the students, so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab

00:36:50and

00:36:50went looking for him, it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail

00:36:55swaying behind him. I called out softly, Hey, little fox, huh? The young beeskin turned around and

00:37:01noticed me, immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry,

00:37:05Ma'am, I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was

00:37:10soaked through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently,

00:37:14You don't have to hide your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my

00:37:18office.

00:37:19Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded.

00:37:23Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was.

00:37:28Around 18 or 19, about the same age as my freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to

00:37:33the lab to ask

00:37:34about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation.

00:37:39That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried

00:37:44to sell him to the red light district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even

00:37:48bit someone before escaping. During the escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the

00:37:53black market saw he was disfigured, they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him,

00:37:58the university rowing team pulled him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus,

00:38:02collecting recyclables. I asked, where does he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on

00:38:07campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma, I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking

00:38:11about adopting him, are you? I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer.

00:38:15Arto's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words

00:38:19overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why?

00:38:24We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said

00:38:28quietly,

00:38:29he isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he

00:38:34collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the beastkin

00:38:38protection agency. So please, don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped out of

00:38:42Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were

00:38:48brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself,

00:38:52I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a hairdryer

00:38:57to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy. I accidentally

00:39:01hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already

00:39:06very grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and a latte. He didn't take

00:39:11them. After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much.

00:39:17Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking.

00:39:22But I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses.

00:39:27I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would

00:39:31you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek. His movements careful,

00:39:35almost reverent. You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you.

00:39:41My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the

00:39:45lab

00:39:46building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself. I completed

00:39:51the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully. He

00:39:55kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

00:39:59home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me.

00:40:03Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big

00:40:08spoonful of beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible.

00:40:13Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.

00:40:16Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again,

00:40:21maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me. That night, I had the nightmare again.

00:40:26A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to

00:40:32Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack.

00:40:38Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella, while I grabbed Brian's hand

00:40:43and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still

00:40:48cut into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of

00:40:53us. At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the

00:40:58dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

00:41:03I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

00:41:08Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

00:41:14days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

00:41:19A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It came from

00:41:25everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream,

00:41:30my soul seemed to float above, crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

00:41:35That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

00:41:42A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The

00:41:47first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face

00:41:52tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face

00:41:58before I could stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his

00:42:02arms.

00:42:03I clung to him like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my

00:42:07back, murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him

00:42:12alone. I did not have to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I

00:42:17definitely did not have to worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song,

00:42:21I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are

00:42:27great. With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight

00:42:33was especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up

00:42:38laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then

00:42:42someone called my name from beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The

00:42:47hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression

00:42:52immediately and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's

00:42:57flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need

00:43:02a

00:43:02minute to talk to him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my

00:43:07hair.

00:43:07I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

00:43:12Who is that fox? My new fostered bee skin.

00:43:27Brian and Logan were twin wolf bees kin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:43:33bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

00:43:38And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella

00:43:43took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if Brian

00:43:49didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered.

00:43:54The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other bee skin. Someone asked.

00:44:01Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:44:05Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I

00:44:12guess I

00:44:12should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first, me'd be the one with Isabella right now.

00:44:16I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just, nothing special.

00:44:21A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:44:27disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight.

00:44:32Again and again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I

00:44:38looked average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the

00:44:43mirror aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered

00:44:48my head and let the weight of my own insecurity swallow me whole. The sound of the front door

00:44:52opening broke the silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before

00:44:57turning toward his bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first

00:45:01time

00:45:02I reached out, trying to grab his tail, my hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back,

00:45:06his face full of irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had

00:45:12tried to touch his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I

00:45:17had for

00:45:17thirteen years. A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't

00:45:23worth anyone taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one,

00:45:28onto the hardwood floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts

00:45:33drifted, as they always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to

00:45:38bring a big box of Texas's barbecue and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival

00:45:44with me this year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a

00:45:50lot of

00:45:50people bring their bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one

00:45:56from

00:45:56the shelter. So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the

00:46:02exact same face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair

00:46:08and ask, Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to

00:46:14reach for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him

00:46:20like a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies

00:46:25shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight

00:46:32day nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends

00:46:36snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom queen,

00:46:42and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth,

00:46:47I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he

00:46:52could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and

00:46:56kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us

00:47:01were called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front

00:47:05of the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

00:47:10wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom, I said,

00:47:14barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real. She went on. You're not

00:47:19exactly pretty. And now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raised doesn't

00:47:23care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella

00:47:27were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home,

00:47:32my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face. He said, I closed my eyes and fell into

00:47:39a heavy

00:47:39sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door open,

00:47:44I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out. But his presence lingered everywhere in the

00:47:49apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat. Then started packing up everything

00:47:53that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my

00:47:57parents would treat Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run

00:48:03-down

00:48:03studio apartment. He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall. And

00:48:09he

00:48:09would bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked nonstop, picking up

00:48:13every part-time job I could find. Until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small two

00:48:18-bedroom

00:48:18townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things

00:48:23than he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided

00:48:27to give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian

00:48:32and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for

00:48:36the

00:48:37third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human

00:48:41dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the

00:48:46office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate. Then hesitated before asking,

00:48:51Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or should we mail it on your

00:48:54behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to

00:48:59him, I said. And include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian. I took

00:49:04you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you. I walked out of

00:49:09City Hall. Got into my car. And left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin in Florida.

00:49:14Somewhere by the ocean. Waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer. At a

00:49:19university in Miami. I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried a faint

00:49:23salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was just right.

00:49:28Soft and beautiful. I took a photo. Then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian. Scrolling up.

00:49:33It was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets.

00:49:37Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied.

00:49:42Most of the time. All I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat

00:49:47was

00:49:47from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him. Where are you? I can come pick you up.

00:49:51He never

00:49:52replied. By then. He must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still. He could

00:49:57not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull spreading ache.

00:50:02After thinking it over. I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my

00:50:06phone

00:50:06number. Deleted my old Instagram. And created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible.

00:50:11Just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

00:50:16chat with me between classes. Professor Emma. Why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

00:50:21very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god. I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

00:50:26as an ugly

00:50:27girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement. Just as indignant.

00:50:32I would laugh it off. And smoothly change the subject. Soon enough. They started talking about

00:50:36the beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me. Professor. What kind of beeskin do you have? I did

00:50:41not know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died.

00:50:45They fell silent for a long moment. Until the bell rang. And class began. After that. During my two

00:50:50weekly lectures. Students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte. A blueberry muffin. Or a bar

00:50:55of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking about the

00:50:59little fox beeskin on campus. Who survived by collecting recyclables. Beeskin were usually

00:51:04striking in appearance. And fox beeskin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had deep

00:51:09crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students. So

00:51:13he only came out late at night. That evening. When I left the lab and went looking for him. It

00:51:18started

00:51:18pouring. Out of nowhere. A figure darted toward me. A fluffy foxtail swaying behind him. I called out

00:51:24softly. Hey. Little fox. Huh? The young beeskin turned around and noticed me. Immediately lowering

00:51:29his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry. Ma'am. I must have misheard.

00:51:34Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through. Water dripping

00:51:38steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently. You don't have to hide your face. I've

00:51:43seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed up. He

00:51:48hesitated. Then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you ma'am. Once we got into my office under

00:51:52the bright lights. I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19. About the same age as my freshman.

00:51:58While he was showering. I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague Arthur

00:52:02was always eager to talk. And he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named

00:52:07Finn. I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him

00:52:12to the red light district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone

00:52:16before escaping. During the escape. His face got slashed up. When the people from the black

00:52:20market saw he was disfigured. They beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for

00:52:25him. The university rowing team pulled him out. Since then. He's been scraping by on campus.

00:52:29Selecting recyclables. I asked. Where does he live? There's a run down shed behind the hill

00:52:34on campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma. I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not

00:52:38thinking about adopting him are you? I bit down on the straw of my hot latte. And didn't answer.

00:52:43Arto's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words

00:52:46overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why?

00:52:51We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said

00:52:55quietly.

00:52:56He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he

00:53:01collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the beastkin

00:53:05protection agency. So please. Don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped out of

00:53:10Arthur's office. I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes

00:53:15were brimming with tears. Feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it

00:53:19yourself. I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a

00:53:23hair dryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy.

00:53:28I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red.

00:53:32It's okay. I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished. I handed him a muffin.

00:53:37And the latte. He didn't take them. After a long pause. As if gathering all his courage.

00:53:41He spoke again. Ma'am. I don't eat much. Could you. Adopt me.

00:53:45My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking. But I can cook.

00:53:50Wash dishes. Mow the lawn. I can get massages. And I know how to grow roses.

00:53:54I smiled. Then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would

00:53:58you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek. His movements careful.

00:54:02Almost reverent. You're very cute. He said softly. I want to go with you.

00:54:08My eyes stung. I blinked quickly. Holding back the tears. And took his hand as we walked out of

00:54:12the lab building together. The rain had stopped. And just like that. I chose a family for myself.

00:54:17I completed the paperwork. And adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

00:54:22He kept the beach house spotless. Filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas. And brought me hot,

00:54:26home cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me.

00:54:30Arthur said as he wandered in from next door. Shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful

00:54:35of beef stew. And let out a low whistle. Damn. Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile.

00:54:40The one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.

00:54:44Honestly. Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again.

00:54:48Maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me. That night. I had the nightmare again.

00:54:53A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to

00:54:59Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day. The park was hit by a sudden indiscriminate attack.

00:55:05Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella.

00:55:09While I grabbed Brian's hand and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park.

00:55:14But the flying debris still cut into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit. When it was

00:55:19blown apart right in front of us. At the time I had been running ahead. And never noticed what

00:55:23happened in that instant. But in the dream. I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves

00:55:28toward Isabella without hesitation. I was left alone. Collapsing into rubble and dust. With no one

00:55:34caring whether I lived or died. Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe.

00:55:39Later. I lay unconscious in the ICU for days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side.

00:55:44Comforting her as she cried from the shock. A voice echoed in my mind. Mocking me.

00:55:49Emma C. No one in this world loves you. It came from everywhere. Repeating itself over and over.

00:55:55Surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream. My soul seemed to float above.

00:55:59Crouched down. Clutching my head as I tried to argue back. That's not true. That's not true.

00:56:04Then. Faintly. Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said. Emma. That's not true.

00:56:11Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my

00:56:16bedside.

00:56:17Wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open. He finally

00:56:23let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them. Finn. Can you hold me? He

00:56:27climbed onto

00:56:28the bed. And pull me into his arms. I clung to him like a child. Pouring out everything I had

00:56:33been

00:56:33holding inside. Finn gently patted my back. Murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to

00:56:37worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not have to worry about him brushing me

00:56:41off.

00:56:42And disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to worry about him looking at me with

00:56:46cold indifference. I want to hear a song. I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine.

00:56:52My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. With Finn taking care of me.

00:56:56I started getting better. Little by little. The sunlight was especially bright today.

00:57:01Finn and I were in the backyard. Hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing and playing around

00:57:06on either side of the fabric. The breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called my name from

00:57:11beyond the fence. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand.

00:57:16And fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression. Immediately. And stepped in

00:57:21front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay.

00:57:26I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk

00:57:30to him.

00:57:30We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small

00:57:35awkward smile. It's been a while Brian. He stared at me. His voice cold. Who is that fox?

00:57:54Brian and Logan were twin wolf beast kin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:58:00beast trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

00:58:05And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian. Isabella

00:58:10took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time. I believe that even if

00:58:16Brian didn't like me. He would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion

00:58:20shattered. The day I accidentally overheard him. Talking to some other beast kin. Someone asked.

00:58:28Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her? Who asked her to be good

00:58:34to me?

00:58:35You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly.

00:58:41If she hadn't taken me first me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean makes sense.

00:58:45Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just nothing special.

00:58:48A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held on to for Brian over the years quietly

00:58:54disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and

00:59:00again I picked up a mirror. Staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked

00:59:05average but now the longer I looked the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror

00:59:10aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the

00:59:16weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

00:59:21Brian walked in. Reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his bedroom.

00:59:26I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached out.

00:59:29Trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back. His face full of

00:59:34irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch his

00:59:40wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in. And cared for him with everything I had for 13 years.

00:59:45A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty. Even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

00:59:50taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall. One by one. Onto the hardwood

00:59:56floor. By the time I looked up again. I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted. As they

01:00:01always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of

01:00:06Texas's barbecue. And find Brian in the backyard. Brian. Will you come to the carnival with me this year?

01:00:11He'd lift his head out of the pool. Water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people bring

01:00:18their

01:00:18bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you. Go adopt another one from the shelter.

01:00:24So every year. I went alone. I would stand off to the side. Watching Logan. Who had the exact same

01:00:30face as Brian. Yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask.

01:00:36Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile. Rising onto her toes to reach

01:00:42for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her. Patient and indulgent. I watched him

01:00:47like a thief. Quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies

01:00:52shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight

01:00:59day nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you. One of his friends

01:01:03snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the

01:01:08prom queen. And the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my

01:01:13teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he

01:01:19could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept

01:01:24hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were called

01:01:28into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of the

01:01:32principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't

01:01:37even wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom,

01:01:41I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real. She went on.

01:01:46You're not exactly pretty. And now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raise

01:01:50doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella

01:01:54were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally

01:01:58went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face.

01:02:01That'd be cool. I'd be having something that's awkward. He said.

01:02:04I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank when

01:02:09I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out,

01:02:14but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced

01:02:18myself to eat, then started packing up everything that belonged to me. There wasn't much really.

01:02:22After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian badly, so I took him

01:02:27with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment. He slept on the bed,

01:02:33and I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall, and he would bump his head every time

01:02:37he

01:02:37walked through the low doorway. So I worked nonstop, picking up every part-time job I could find,

01:02:42until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small 2-bedroom townhouse.

01:02:46Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than he

01:02:50could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to give

01:02:55him

01:02:55what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I had

01:03:00shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third

01:03:04time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human dissolves

01:03:08a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office,

01:03:14Emily handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking,

01:03:18Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person, or should we mail it on your

01:03:22behalf?

01:03:22I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to him,

01:03:26I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian,

01:03:31I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you.

01:03:36I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin

01:03:40in

01:03:41Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer,

01:03:45at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried a

01:03:50faint

01:03:50salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was just

01:03:55right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian.

01:04:00Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage

01:04:04markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied.

01:04:09Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah, the last message in our chat

01:04:14was from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you

01:04:18up.

01:04:18He never replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And

01:04:23still, he could not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull

01:04:28spreading ache. After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I

01:04:33changed my phone number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as

01:04:38full as possible, just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing

01:04:42college girls like to chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on

01:04:47campus? Because I'm not very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up.

01:04:52There is no such thing as an ugly girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her

01:04:57nodded in agreement, just as indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject.

01:05:02Soon enough, they started talking about the bee skin they had at home. Then they asked me,

01:05:05Professor, what kind of bee skin do you have? I did not know how to explain everything that had

01:05:10happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died. They fell silent for a long moment,

01:05:14until the bell rang, and class began. After that, during my two weekly lectures,

01:05:18students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin, or a bar

01:05:23of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking about the

01:05:27little fox bee skin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Bee skin were usually

01:05:31striking in appearance, and fox bee skin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had deep

01:05:36crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students,

01:05:40so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

01:05:45it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him.

01:05:50I called out softly, Hey, little fox, huh? The young bee skin turned around and noticed me,

01:05:56immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am,

01:06:00I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked

01:06:04through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, You don't have to hide

01:06:09your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get

01:06:14warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got

01:06:18into my office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same

01:06:24age as my freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My

01:06:29colleague,

01:06:29Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn.

01:06:35I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light

01:06:39district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the

01:06:44escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

01:06:49they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

01:06:54him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked, where does he

01:06:59live? There's a rundown shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma, I heard your

01:07:04beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you? I bit down on the straw of

01:07:08my hot latte and didn't answer. Arthur's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would

01:07:12want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would

01:07:17ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I

01:07:21looked at

01:07:22Arthur and said quietly, he isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share

01:07:28the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the

01:07:32beastkin protection agency. So please, don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped

01:07:36out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp.

01:07:41His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do

01:07:46it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail, then used

01:07:50a

01:07:50hairdryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beastkin's tail, and I was clumsy. I

01:07:55accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very

01:08:01grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and a latte. He didn't take them.

01:08:06After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much.

01:08:11Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking, but I can

01:08:17cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn. I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses. I smiled, then

01:08:22took off

01:08:22my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would you still choose me? Finn gently reached

01:08:27out and touched my cheek. His movements careful, almost reverent. You're very cute, he said softly.

01:08:33I want to go with you. My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand

01:08:39as we

01:08:39walked out of the lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family

01:08:44for myself. I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything

01:08:48beautifully. He kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

01:08:53home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me, Arthur

01:08:58said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful of beef stew,

01:09:03and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile, the one at my place

01:09:08does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful.

01:09:13Brianne could not cook at all. Then again, maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me.

01:09:18That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and

01:09:25Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit

01:09:30by a sudden, indiscriminate attack. Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella,

01:09:36while I grabbed Brian's hand and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park,

01:09:41but the flying debris still cut into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown

01:09:46apart right in front of us. At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened

01:09:51in that instant. But in the dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves

01:09:56toward Isabella without hesitation. I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust,

01:10:00with no one caring whether I lived or died. Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe.

01:10:06Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side,

01:10:11comforting her as she cried from the shock. A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me.

01:10:16Emma see? No one in this world loves you. It came from everywhere, repeating itself over and over,

01:10:22surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream, my soul seemed to float above,

01:10:26crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back. That's not true. That's not true.

01:10:32Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said, Emma, that's not true.

01:10:38Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my

01:10:43bedside,

01:10:44wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open,

01:10:49he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them.

01:10:53Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pull me into his arms. I clung to him

01:10:58like a child,

01:10:58pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring soft

01:11:03reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not have

01:11:07to

01:11:08worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to

01:11:12worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered.

01:11:16Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

01:11:22With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was

01:11:27especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up

01:11:32laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then

01:11:37someone called my name from beyond the fence.

01:11:38Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight

01:11:44onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression immediately and stepped in front of

01:11:48me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him.

01:11:54Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk to him. We

01:11:57walked over

01:11:58to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile.

01:12:03It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

01:12:06Who is that fox? My new fostered beeskin.

01:12:21Brian and Logan were twin wolf beeskin, Nat. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

01:12:27bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

01:12:32And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella

01:12:37took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believed that even

01:12:43if Brian didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life.

01:12:47That illusion shattered. The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other beeskin,

01:12:53someone asked,

01:12:55Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

01:12:59Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I

01:13:06guess I should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first, me'd be the one with Isabella

01:13:10right now. I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader, Emma's just

01:13:14nothing special. A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over

01:13:20the years quietly disappeared. When I got home, I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight.

01:13:26Again and again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I

01:13:32looked average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed

01:13:37the mirror aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered

01:13:42my head and let the weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening

01:13:46broke the silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning

01:13:52toward his bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time

01:13:56I

01:13:56reached out, trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back,

01:14:01his face full of irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had

01:14:06tried to touch his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I

01:14:11had for

01:14:1113 years. A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth

01:14:17anyone taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

01:14:23floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

01:14:28always

01:14:28did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of Texas's

01:14:34barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this year? He'd lift

01:14:40his

01:14:40head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people bring their bee skin

01:14:45with

01:14:45them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

01:14:51So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

01:14:57face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

01:15:03Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

01:15:09for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like a

01:15:15thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me

01:15:20onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A

01:15:26nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends snickered.

01:15:31Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom queen,

01:15:36and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth,

01:15:41I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he

01:15:46could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and

01:15:51kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were

01:15:55called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of

01:15:59the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

01:16:04wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat.

01:16:07Mom, I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real. She went

01:16:12on. You're not exactly pretty. And now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you

01:16:16raised doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I

01:16:21wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally

01:16:25went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face. He said. I closed my eyes and

01:16:33fell

01:16:33into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I

01:16:37pushed the door open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out. But his presence lingered

01:16:42everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat. Then started

01:16:46packing up everything that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college

01:16:50at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest,

01:16:56I could only afford a run-down studio apartment. He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian

01:17:01was well over 6 feet tall. And he would bump his head every time he walked through the low

01:17:05doorway. So I worked nonstop, picking up every part-time job I could find. Until I finally

01:17:10saved enough for a down payment on a small 2-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of making

01:17:14you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than he could ever need.

01:17:18I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to give him

01:17:22what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I

01:17:27had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for

01:17:31the third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian. I still nodded.

01:17:35When a human dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left

01:17:39the townhouse to him. At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate. Then hesitated

01:17:44before asking, Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or should we mail it

01:17:48on your behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before.

01:17:52Please mail it to him, I said. And include this. There were only two sentences in the letter.

01:17:57I am sorry Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom

01:18:02back to you. I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new

01:18:07life

01:18:07would begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job

01:18:12was as a lecturer at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening

01:18:16sea breeze carried a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of

01:18:21the sunset was just right, soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat

01:18:26with Brian. Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I

01:18:30found at vintage markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely

01:18:35replied. Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah, the last message in our

01:18:41chat was from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick

01:18:45you up. He

01:18:46never replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could

01:18:51not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull, spreading ache.

01:18:56After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my

01:19:00phone number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as

01:19:05possible, just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like

01:19:10to chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

01:19:15very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

01:19:20as an ugly

01:19:21girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement, just as

01:19:26indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started talking about

01:19:31the beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of beeskin do you have? I did

01:19:35not

01:19:35know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died.

01:19:40They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that, during my two

01:19:44weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin,

01:19:49or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking

01:19:53about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Beeskin were

01:19:58usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one

01:20:03had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students,

01:20:08so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

01:20:12it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying

01:20:17behind him. I called out softly, Hey, little fox, huh? The young beeskin turned around and

01:20:22noticed me, immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands.

01:20:26I'm sorry, ma'am, I must have misheard. Please don't mind me.

01:20:29The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through, water dripping steadily from his

01:20:33clothes. I looked at him and said gently, You don't have to hide your face. I've seen you around.

01:20:38I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated,

01:20:43then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am.

01:20:45Once we got into my office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19,

01:20:51about the same age as my freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask

01:20:55about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation.

01:21:01That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to

01:21:06sell him to the red light district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even

01:21:10bit someone before escaping. During the escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the

01:21:14black market saw he was disfigured, they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him,

01:21:19the university rowing team pulled him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus,

01:21:24selecting recyclables. I asked, Where does he live?

01:21:26There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly.

01:21:30Emma, I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you?

01:21:34I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arthur's voice suddenly sharpened.

01:21:38He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past.

01:21:43She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and

01:21:47be

01:21:47loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said quietly, He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And

01:21:52he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen

01:21:58him donate his spare change to the Beastkin Protection Agency. So please, don't say things like that

01:22:02about him again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway.

01:22:06His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward.

01:22:11I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the towel

01:22:15and

01:22:15gently dried his hair and tail, then used a hairdryer to finish the job. It was my first time

01:22:20drying a Beastkin's tail, and I was clumsy. I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept

01:22:24apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished,

01:22:30I handed him a muffin and the latte. He didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering

01:22:34all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you adopt me?

01:22:40My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking, but I can cook,

01:22:44wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses.

01:22:48I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would you still

01:22:52choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek, his movements careful, almost reverent.

01:22:57You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you.

01:23:02My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of

01:23:07the lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself.

01:23:11I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn, just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

01:23:16He kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

01:23:21home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

01:23:25Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big

01:23:29spoonful of beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook, this is incredible.

01:23:34Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.

01:23:38Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again,

01:23:42maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me.

01:23:45That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17.

01:23:51Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando.

01:23:55Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack.

01:23:59Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella, while I grabbed Brian's hand

01:24:04and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

01:24:10into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of us.

01:24:15At the time, I had been running ahead, and never noticed what happened in that instant.

01:24:19But in the dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without

01:24:24hesitation. I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or

01:24:29died. Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in

01:24:34the ICU for days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from

01:24:40the shock. A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It

01:24:46came from

01:24:46everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it.

01:24:51In the dream, my soul seemed to float above. Crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to

01:24:56argue back. That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me

01:25:02forward. A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start.

01:25:08The first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.

01:25:13His face tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped

01:25:18down my face before I could stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pull

01:25:23me

01:25:23into his arms. I clung to him like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside.

01:25:28Finn gently patted my back, murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him

01:25:32snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not have to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing

01:25:37into distractions. And I definitely did not have to worry about him looking at me with cold

01:25:41indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only

01:25:46sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. With Finn taking care of me, I started getting

01:25:52better, little by little. The sunlight was especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard,

01:25:57hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric,

01:26:02the breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called my name from beyond the fence.

01:26:06Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight

01:26:11onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression immediately and stepped in front of

01:26:16me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him.

01:26:21Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk to him. We

01:26:24walked over

01:26:25to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile.

01:26:30It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

01:26:33Who is that fox? My new fostered bee skin.

Orc Love - 🤩 Watch Full No Cut Movie With Eng Sub🤩

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