Hidden Betrayal.. Orc Love - Twist Ending Reveal MOVIES - video Dailymotion

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Hidden Betrayal.. Orc Love - Twist Ending Reveal MOVIES

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00:00:05Brian and Logan were twin wolf beast kin that my cousin Isabella and I rescued from the

00:00:10underground beast trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf

00:00:15pups. And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian,

00:00:20Isabella took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that

00:00:26even if Brian didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life.

00:00:30That illusion shattered. The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other beast kin,

00:00:37someone asked, Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:00:43Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I

00:00:50guess I

00:00:50should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first me'd be the one with Isabella right now.

00:00:54I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just, nothing special.

00:00:59A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:01:05disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and again,

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

00:01:16now

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

00:01:21All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the

00:01:26weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

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

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

00:01:40Trying to grab his tail, my hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:01:45irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to

00:01:50touch his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for

00:01:5513

00:01:55years. 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

00:02:12did. 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

00:02:22year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people

00:02:28bring

00:02:28their bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the

00:02:34shelter.

00:02:34So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

00:02:41face

00:02:41as Brian. Yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

00:02:46Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

00:02:52for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like

00:02:58a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me

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

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

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

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

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

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

00:03:34hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were

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

00:03:43the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even

00:03:47wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom,

00:03:51I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real, she went on.

00:03:56You're not exactly pretty, and now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the

00:04:00beast can you raise doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like

00:04:03you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in

00:04:08Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face.

00:04:12He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank

00:04:20when

00:04:20I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out, but

00:04:25his

00:04:25presence lingered everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat,

00:04:30then started packing up everything that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into

00:04:33college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian badly, so I took him with me. At my

00:04:39poorest,

00:04:40I could only afford a run-down studio apartment. He slept on the bed, and I took the couch. Brian

00:04:45was

00:04:45well over 6 feet tall, and he would bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So

00:04:49I

00:04:49worked non-stop, picking up every part-time job I could find. Until I finally saved enough for a

00:04:54down payment on a small two-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you owe

00:04:59everything. So I bought Brian more things than he could ever need. I never once considered that he

00:05:03didn't want any of it. This time I decided to give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I

00:05:08finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at

00:05:12the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate

00:05:16my bond

00:05:17with Brian. I still nodded. When a human dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is

00:05:22required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination

00:05:27certificate, then hesitated before asking, Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in

00:05:31person, or should we mail it on your behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over

00:05:35again

00:05:35the night before. Please mail it to him, I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in

00:05:40the letter. I am sorry Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your

00:05:45freedom

00:05:45back to you. I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new

00:05:50life

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

00:05:55was as a lecturer at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening

00:06:00sea

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

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

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

00:06:14vintage 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

00:06:25was

00:06:25from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you up.

00:06:29He never

00:06:30replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could

00:06:35not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull spreading ache.

00:06:39After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my

00:06:44phone

00:06:44number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

00:06:49just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

00:06:54chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

00:06:59very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

00:07:04as an ugly

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

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

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

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

00:07:23He 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 when I started

00:07:37thinking about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Beeskin

00:07:41were usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most beautiful of all. But this

00:07:46one had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the

00:07:51students, so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for

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

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

00:08:06immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry,

00:08:10ma'am. I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was

00:08:15soaked through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently,

00:08:19you don't have to hide your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my

00:08:23office.

00:08:24Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded.

00:08:28Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office under the bright lights,

00:08:31I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age as my freshman. While he was

00:08:36showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager

00:08:41to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to

00:08:47be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light district in

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

00:08:55his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

00:08:59they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

00:09:04him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked,

00:09:09where does he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly.

00:09:14Emma, I heard your bee skin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you?

00:09:17I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arto's voice suddenly sharpened.

00:09:22He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past.

00:09:26She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love

00:09:31and be loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said quietly, he isn't ugly. He's just been

00:09:35hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people

00:09:40nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the Beastkin Protection Agency. So please,

00:09:45don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office,

00:09:48I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming

00:09:53with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself,

00:09:57I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail, then used a hairdryer

00:10:01to finish the job. It was my first time drying a Beastkin's tail, and I was clumsy. I accidentally

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

00:10:12grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and the latte. He didn't take them.

00:10:16After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again.

00:10:20Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you adopt me?

00:10:23My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued.

00:10:26I know I'm not good-looking, but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages,

00:10:30and I know how to grow roses. I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes.

00:10:34But I'm not good-looking either. Would you still choose me?

00:10:36Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek, his movements careful, almost reverent.

00:10:41You'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

00:10:50the lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself.

00:10:55I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn, just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

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

00:11:04home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

00:11:08Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself.

00:11:12He took a big spoonful of beef stew, and let out a low whistle.

00:11:15Damn, Finn can cook, this is incredible. Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing

00:11:19but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful.

00:11:24Brianne could not cook at all. Then again, maybe 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.

00:11:34Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando.

00:11:39Halfway 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

00:11:48and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

00:11:53into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of us.

00:11:58At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the

00:12:03dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

00:12:08I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

00:12:13Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

00:12:19days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

00:12:24A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It came from

00:12:30everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it.

00:12:35In the dream, my soul seemed to float above, crouch down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

00:12:40That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

00:12:47A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing

00:12:52I saw

00:12:53was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, his face tight with worry.

00:12:58When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could

00:13:03stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. I clung

00:13:08to him

00:13:08like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring

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

00:13:18have

00:13:18to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have

00:13:22to worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered.

00:13:27Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

00:13:33With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was especially

00:13:38bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing and

00:13:43playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called

00:13:48my name from beyond the fence. Ama. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped

00:13:53from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression, immediately,

00:13:58and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt.

00:14:03It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute

00:14:07to talk to

00:14:08him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a

00:14:12small,

00:14:13awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold. Who is that fox?

00:14:18My new fostered beeskin.

00:14:30Brian and Logan were twin wolf beeskin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:14:35bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

00:14:40And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian. Isabella

00:14:46took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believed that even if

00:14:51Brian didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered.

00:14:57The day I accidentally overheard him. Talking to some other beeskin. Someone asked.

00:15:03Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:15:08Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I

00:15:15guess I

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

00:15:19I mean, makes sense. Compared to Isabella, the head cheerleader, Emma's just nothing special.

00:15:24A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:15:30disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and

00:15:35again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked

00:15:40average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror

00:15:46aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let

00:15:51the weight of my own insecurity swallow me whole. The sound of the front door opening broke the

00:15:55silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward

00:16:00his bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I

00:16:04reached out,

00:16:05trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:16:10irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch

00:16:15his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13

00:16:20years.

00:16:20A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

00:16:26taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

00:16:31floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

00:16:36always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box

00:16:41of Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this

00:16:47year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people

00:16:53bring their bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from

00:16:58the shelter. So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the

00:17:05exact same face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

00:17:11Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

00:17:17for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him

00:17:23like a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies

00:17:28shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, Australian

00:17:34nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends

00:17:39snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the

00:17:44prom queen, and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting

00:17:49my teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down

00:17:54hard. Before he could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to

00:17:58the ground and kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable.

00:18:03All of us were called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side.

00:18:06Instead, right in front of the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you

00:18:11thinking? They weren't even wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the

00:18:15sleeve of her coat. Mom, I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be

00:18:20real, she went on. You're not exactly pretty, and now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the

00:18:24bee skin you raised doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you.

00:18:28Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park.

00:18:33When I finally went home, my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face.

00:18:37He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank

00:18:44when

00:18:45I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out,

00:18:49but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced

00:18:54myself to eat, then started packing up everything that belonged to me. There wasn't much really.

00:18:57After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat Brian badly, so I took him

00:19:03with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment. He slept on the bed,

00:19:08and I took the couch. Brian was well over 6 feet tall, and he would bump his head every time

00:19:13he

00:19:13walked through the low doorway. So I worked non-stop, picking up every part-time job I could find,

00:19:17until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small 2-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of

00:19:22making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than he could ever need.

00:19:27I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to give him what he

00:19:31actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared.

00:19:36The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time

00:19:40if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human dissolves a

00:19:44bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office,

00:19:50Emily handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking,

00:19:53Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or should we mail it on your

00:19:57behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please

00:20:01mail it to him, I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry

00:20:06Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you.

00:20:11I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin

00:20:16in

00:20:16Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer,

00:20:21at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried

00:20:26a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was

00:20:30just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian.

00:20:35Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets.

00:20:40Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied. Most of the time,

00:20:45all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat was from the day

00:20:50I

00:20:51heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you up. He never replied. By

00:20:55then,

00:20:56he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could not even bring

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

00:21:05it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my phone number,

00:21:09deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

00:21:14just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

00:21:19chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

00:21:24very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

00:21:29as an ugly

00:21:29girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement, just as indignant.

00:21:35I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started talking about the

00:21:39beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of beeskin do you have? I did not

00:21:43know

00:21:44how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died.

00:21:48They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that, during my two

00:21:53weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin,

00:21:57or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking

00:22:02about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Beeskin were usually

00:22:07striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had deep,

00:22:11crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students.

00:22:16So he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

00:22:20it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him.

00:22:26I called out softly. Hey, little fox. Huh? The young beastkin turned around and noticed me,

00:22:31immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am. I must have

00:22:36misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through,

00:22:40water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, you don't have to hide your

00:22:45face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed

00:22:50up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my

00:22:54office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age as

00:23:00my

00:23:00freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague, Arthur,

00:23:05was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn.

00:23:11I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light

00:23:15district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the

00:23:20escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

00:23:24they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled him

00:23:29out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked, where does he live?

00:23:34There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly.

00:23:38Emma, I heard your beast can't pass away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you?

00:23:42I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arto's voice suddenly sharpened.

00:23:47He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past.

00:23:51She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and

00:23:56be

00:23:56loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said quietly, he isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's

00:24:01kind.

00:24:01He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen

00:24:06him donate his spare change to the Beastkin Protection Agency. So please, don't say things

00:24:10like that about him again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the

00:24:14hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little

00:24:19awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the

00:24:23towel and

00:24:24gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a hair dryer to finish the job. It was my first time

00:24:28drying a

00:24:29Beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy. I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing.

00:24:33Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished,

00:24:38I handed him a muffin and the latte. He didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering all

00:24:43his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you adopt me? My hand froze midair.

00:24:50Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking, but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn. I can get

00:24:54massages, and I know how to grow roses. I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But

00:24:59I'm

00:24:59not good looking either. Would you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek.

00:25:03His movements careful, almost reverent. You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you.

00:25:11My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the

00:25:15lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself. I completed

00:25:20the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully. He kept

00:25:25the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot, home-cooked

00:25:29lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me, Arthur said as he wandered

00:25:34in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful of beef stew, and let out a

00:25:39low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing but curl

00:25:45up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook

00:25:49at all. Then again, maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me. That night, I had

00:25:55the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and

00:26:01Brian to Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate

00:26:07attack. Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella while I grabbed Brian's hand

00:26:13and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

00:26:18into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of us.

00:26:23At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the

00:26:28dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

00:26:33I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

00:26:38Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

00:26:44days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

00:26:49A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C., no one in this world loves you. It came from

00:26:55everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream, my soul

00:27:01seemed to float above, crouch down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back. That's not true.

00:27:06That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said,

00:27:12Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw

00:27:17was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, his face tight with worry.

00:27:23When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could

00:27:28stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. I clung

00:27:33to him

00:27:33like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back,

00:27:38murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone.

00:27:42I did not have to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I

00:27:46definitely did not have to worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a

00:27:50song, I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies

00:27:57are great. With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was

00:28:02especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up

00:28:07laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then

00:28:12someone called my name from beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The

00:28:17hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression

00:28:22immediately and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's

00:28:27flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need

00:28:32a

00:28:32minute to talk to him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my

00:28:36hair.

00:28:37I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

00:28:42Who is that fox? My new fostered bee skin.

00:28:54Brian and Logan were twin wolf bee skin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

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

00:29:05And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella took

00:29:11Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if Brian didn't

00:29:17like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered.

00:29:22The day I accidentally overheard him talking to some other bee skin. Someone asked.

00:29:28Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:29:33Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it.

00:29:39Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first,

00:29:42me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head

00:29:46cheerleader Emma's just nothing special. A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had

00:29:52held onto for Brian over the years quietly disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living

00:29:57room couch until well past midnight. Again and again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl

00:30:03reflected in it. I had always thought I looked average but now the longer I looked, the worse it

00:30:08seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's

00:30:13radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the weight of my own insecurity swallow me

00:30:18home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon.

00:30:23Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my

00:30:27hand and stood up. For the first time I reached out, trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately

00:30:32slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of irritation. Don't touch me.

00:30:36It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch his wolf ears.

00:30:41Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13 years.

00:30:46A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

00:30:51taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

00:30:56floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

00:31:01always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big

00:31:06box of Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the

00:31:11carnival with me this year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his

00:31:15hair.

00:31:16No.

00:31:17But a lot of people bring their bee skin with them.

00:31:19No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

00:31:24So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the

00:31:30exact same face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's

00:31:35hair and ask,

00:31:36Isabella, do you want that teddy bear?

00:31:39She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach for his wolf ears. And Logan

00:31:44would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like a thief, quietly

00:31:49craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me onto

00:31:53the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery.

00:31:56Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel

00:32:02like coming out with you?

00:32:03One of his friends snickered.

00:32:04Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom

00:32:09queen, and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling.

00:32:12I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight

00:32:17at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he could even react, Chase lunged at me,

00:32:21trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept hitting him until someone

00:32:25finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were called into the

00:32:29principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of the

00:32:33principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't

00:32:37even wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her

00:32:40coat. Mom, I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be

00:32:45real, she went on. You're not exactly pretty, and now you've got this terrible temper too.

00:32:49Even the bee skin you raised doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with

00:32:52a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead. That night, I cried

00:32:57my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me with a sharp

00:33:00slap across the face. He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My messed

00:33:07up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door open, I realized

00:33:12it was already dusk. Brian was out, but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment.

00:33:16I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat. Then started packing up everything

00:33:20that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid

00:33:25my parents would treat Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford

00:33:30a run down studio apartment. He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian was well over

00:33:356 feet tall. And he would bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So

00:33:39I worked nonstop, picking up every part time job I could find. Until I finally saved enough

00:33:44for a down payment on a small two-bedroom townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you

00:33:48owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than he could ever need. I never once considered

00:33:53that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to give him what he actually wanted.

00:33:56Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared. The

00:34:00next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time

00:34:04if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human dissolves

00:34:09a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him.

00:34:13At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate. Then hesitated before asking,

00:34:18Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or should we mail it on

00:34:22your behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before.

00:34:25Please mail it to him, I said. And include this. There were only two sentences in the letter.

00:34:30I am sorry Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom

00:34:35back to you. I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind.

00:34:40My new life would begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead.

00:34:44Since my new job was as a lecturer at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with

00:34:49a yard.

00:34:49The evening sea breeze carried a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask.

00:34:53The orange glow of the sunset was just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit

00:34:58opened my iMessage chat with Brian. Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little

00:35:03trinkets I found at vintage markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower.

00:35:08He rarely replied. Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last

00:35:14message in our chat was from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I

00:35:18can come

00:35:18pick you up. He never replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate.

00:35:24And still, he could not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a

00:35:28dull

00:35:28spreading ache. After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past.

00:35:33So I changed my phone number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed

00:35:37my schedule as full as possible, just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the

00:35:42more outgoing college girls like to chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always

00:35:47wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god. I swear I will

00:35:52shut them up.

00:35:53There is no such thing as an ugly girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her

00:35:57nodded in agreement. Just as indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough,

00:36:02they started talking about the beeskin they had at home. Then they asked me. Professor,

00:36:06what kind of beeskin do you have? I did not know how to explain everything that had happened with

00:36:10Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died. They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell

00:36:15rang, and class began. After that, during my two weekly lectures, students would often bring me little

00:36:20things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin, or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it

00:36:25all. That was when I started thinking about the little fox beeskin on campus, who survived by collecting

00:36:30recyclables. Beeskin were usually striking in appearance, and fox beeskin were among the most

00:36:34beautiful of all. But this one had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was

00:36:39afraid of scaring the students. So he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab

00:36:44and

00:36:44went looking for him, it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail

00:36:50swaying behind him. I called out softly. Hey, little fox. Huh? The young beeskin turned around and noticed me,

00:36:56immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am. I must

00:37:01have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through,

00:37:05water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, you don't have to hide your

00:37:10face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed

00:37:15up.

00:37:15He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office,

00:37:19under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age as my

00:37:25freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague,

00:37:30Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named

00:37:35Finn. I heard he used to be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red

00:37:40light

00:37:40district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the

00:37:45escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

00:37:49they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

00:37:54him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked,

00:37:59where does he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma,

00:38:04I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you? I bit down on

00:38:08the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arto's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that.

00:38:12Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain.

00:38:17Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the

00:38:21same.

00:38:22I looked at Arthur and said quietly. He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet.

00:38:27I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his

00:38:31spare change to the beastkin protection agency. So please, don't say things like that about him

00:38:36again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair

00:38:40and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed

00:38:45the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently

00:38:49dried his

00:38:49hair and tail. Then used a hair dryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beeskin's

00:38:54tail,

00:38:54and I was clumsy. I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red.

00:39:00It's okay. I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and the latte.

00:39:05He didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again.

00:39:10Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued.

00:39:15I know I'm not good looking, but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages,

00:39:20and I know how to grow roses. I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes.

00:39:24But I'm not good looking either. Would you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my

00:39:28cheek. His movements careful, almost reverent. You're very cute. He said softly.

00:39:33I want to go with you. My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears,

00:39:38and took his hand as we walked out of the lab building together. The rain had stopped,

00:39:42and just like that, I chose a family for myself. I completed the paperwork and adopted Finn,

00:39:47just like he promised. He did everything beautifully. He kept the beach house spotless,

00:39:51filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot, home-cooked lunches at the lab.

00:39:55Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me, Arthur said as he wandered in from next door,

00:40:00shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful of beef stew, and let out a low whistle.

00:40:05Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing

00:40:09but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful.

00:40:13Brianne could not cook at all. Then again, maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me.

00:40:18That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and

00:40:25Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit

00:40:30by a sudden, indiscriminate attack. Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella

00:40:36while I grabbed Brianne's hand and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park,

00:40:41but the flying debris still cut into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit when it was blown

00:40:47apart right in front of us. At the time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in

00:40:51that instant. But in the dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella

00:40:57without hesitation. I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether

00:41:02I lived or died. Logan and Brianne were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay

00:41:07unconscious in the ICU for days. My parents and Brianne stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she

00:41:13cried from the shock. A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves

00:41:18you.

00:41:19It came from everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it.

00:41:24In the dream, my soul seemed to float above. Crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

00:41:30That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said,

00:41:37Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw was

00:41:43Finn

00:41:43sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry. When he saw my

00:41:49eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them.

00:41:53Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. I clung to him

00:41:58like a

00:41:58child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring soft

00:42:03reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not have

00:42:08to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to

00:42:12worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered.

00:42:16Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

00:42:22With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was especially

00:42:28bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing

00:42:33and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called my

00:42:38name from beyond the fence, I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand

00:42:43and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression, immediately, and stepped in

00:42:48front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay,

00:42:53I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk

00:42:57to him.

00:42:57We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small,

00:43:02awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

00:43:06Who is that fox? My new fostered beeskin.

00:43:19Brian and Logan were twin wolf beeskin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:43:25bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

00:43:30And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella took Logan.

00:43:3613 years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believed that even if Brian didn't like

00:43:42me,

00:43:42he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered. The day I

00:43:47accidentally overheard him. Talking to some other beeskin. Someone asked,

00:43:53Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

00:43:57Who asked her to be good to me?

00:44:00You've got it good. And, don't even realize it. Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly.

00:44:06If she hadn't taken me first me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean makes sense. Compared

00:44:10to Isabella the head cheerleader Emma's just, nothing special.

00:44:13A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

00:44:19disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and

00:44:25again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked

00:44:30average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror

00:44:35aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the

00:44:41weight of my own insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

00:44:45Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his bedroom.

00:44:50I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached out,

00:44:55trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:44:59irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch

00:45:05his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13

00:45:10years.

00:45:10A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

00:45:15taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one. Onto the hardwood

00:45:21floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

00:45:26always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of

00:45:31Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this year?

00:45:37He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair. No. But a lot of people bring

00:45:43their

00:45:43bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

00:45:49So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

00:45:55face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

00:46:01Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach

00:46:07for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him

00:46:12like a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Jason and a few of his buddies

00:46:17shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery.

00:46:21Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like

00:46:26coming out with you? One of his friends snickered.

00:46:29Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom queen,

00:46:34and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling.

00:46:36I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight

00:46:42at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to

00:46:47fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me

00:46:51off. The end result was predictable. All of us were called into the principal's office. I thought my mom

00:46:55would be on my side. Instead, right in front of the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance.

00:47:00Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even wrong. Why would you hit someone over that?

00:47:04I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom, I said, barely above a whisper,

00:47:08she acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real, she went on. You're not exactly pretty,

00:47:12and now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raised doesn't care about you.

00:47:16I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead.

00:47:20That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me with

00:47:25a

00:47:25sharp slap across the face. He said. I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep.

00:47:32My messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door open,

00:47:36I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out. But his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment.

00:47:41I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat. Then started packing up everything that belonged

00:47:46to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat

00:47:50Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment.

00:47:56He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian was well over six feet tall. And he would

00:48:01bump his

00:48:01head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked nonstop, picking up every part-time job

00:48:06I could find. Until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small two-bedroom townhouse.

00:48:11Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than

00:48:15he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time,

00:48:19I decided to give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing,

00:48:23I walked out of the home Brian and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau

00:48:27of

00:48:27Non-Human Affairs asked me for the third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with

00:48:31Brian,

00:48:32I still nodded. When a human dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required.

00:48:37I left the townhouse to him. At the office, Emily handed me the bond termination certificate. Then

00:48:42hesitated before asking, Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person? Or should we mail

00:48:46it on your behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before.

00:48:50Please mail it to him, I said. And include this. There were only two sentences in the letter.

00:48:55I am sorry Brian. I took you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom

00:49:00back to you. I walked out of City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new

00:49:05life

00:49:05would begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job

00:49:10was as a lecturer at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening

00:49:14sea breeze carried a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow

00:49:19of the sunset was just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo. Then out of habit opened my iMessage

00:49:24chat with Brian. Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found

00:49:28at vintage markets. Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied.

00:49:34Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat

00:49:39was

00:49:40from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, Where are you? I can come pick you up.

00:49:44He never replied.

00:49:45By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could not

00:49:49even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull spreading ache. After

00:49:54thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my phone

00:49:58number,

00:49:59deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible, just to

00:50:04earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to chat with me

00:50:09between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not very pretty.

00:50:14Who said that? Oh my god. I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing as an

00:50:19ugly girl.

00:50:19She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement, just as indignant.

00:50:24I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started talking about

00:50:28the bee skin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of bee skin do you have?

00:50:32I did not know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer.

00:50:37He died. They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that,

00:50:42during my two weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte,

00:50:46a blueberry muffin, or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started

00:50:51thinking about the little fox bee skin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Bee skin were

00:50:56usually striking in appearance, and fox bee skin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had

00:51:01deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students,

00:51:05so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

00:51:10it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him.

00:51:15I called out softly, Hey, little fox, huh? The young bee skin turned around and noticed me,

00:51:21immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am,

00:51:25I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked

00:51:30through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, You don't have to hide

00:51:34your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get

00:51:39warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got

00:51:43into my office under the bright lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same

00:51:49age as my freshman. While he was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My

00:51:54colleague,

00:51:54Arthur, was always eager to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named

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

00:52:04to the red light district in the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone

00:52:08before escaping. During the escape, his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market

00:52:13saw he was disfigured, they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him,

00:52:17the university rowing team pulled him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus,

00:52:22selecting recyclables. I asked, Where does he live? There's a rundown shed behind the hill on campus.

00:52:27Arthur frowned slightly. Emma, I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking

00:52:30about adopting him, are you? I bit down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer.

00:52:35Arto's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would want to adopt him?

00:52:38His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why?

00:52:43We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said

00:52:48quietly,

00:52:48He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the food

00:52:53he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the Beastkin

00:52:57Protection Agency. So please, don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped out of

00:53:02Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes

00:53:07were brimming with tears, feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself,

00:53:11I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail, then used a hair

00:53:16dryer to

00:53:16finish the job. It was my first time drying a Beastkin's tail, and I was clumsy. I accidentally hurt him

00:53:21more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very grateful

00:53:26to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and a latte. He didn't take them. After a

00:53:31long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you

00:53:37adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking, but I can cook,

00:53:42wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses. I smiled,

00:53:47then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would you still choose me?

00:53:51Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek, his movements careful, almost reverent.

00:53:56You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you.

00:54:00My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of

00:54:05the lab building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself.

00:54:09I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn, just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

00:54:14He kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

00:54:18home cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

00:54:23Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big

00:54:27spoonful of beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook, this is incredible. Meanwhile,

00:54:33the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly,

00:54:37Arthur should've been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again, maybe he just never bothered

00:54:41to do anything like that for me. That night, I had the nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my

00:54:47mind,

00:54:48I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the

00:54:54day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack. Explosions erupted from every direction.

00:54:59Logan shielded Isabella, while I grabbed Brianne's hand and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern

00:55:05side of the park, but the flying debris still cut into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit,

00:55:11when it was blown apart right in front of us. At the time, I had been running ahead and never

00:55:15noticed what happened in that instant. But in the dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brianne threw

00:55:20themselves toward Isabella without hesitation. I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust,

00:55:26with no one caring whether I lived or died. Logan and Brianne were only relieved that Isabella was safe.

00:55:31Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for days. My parents and Brianne stayed by Isabella's side,

00:55:36comforting her as she cried from the shock. A voice echoed in my mind,

00:55:40mocking me. Emma C, no one in this world loves you. It came from everywhere, repeating itself

00:55:46over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream, my soul seemed to float

00:55:51above. Crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back. That's not true. That's not true.

00:55:57Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. A voice said, Emma, that's not true.

00:56:03Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my

00:56:08bedside,

00:56:09wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry. When he saw my eyes open,

00:56:14he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them. Finn, can you hold

00:56:19me? He climbed onto the bed, and pulled me into his arms. I clung to him like a child, pouring

00:56:24out

00:56:24everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring soft reassurances. I did not

00:56:29have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not have to worry about him

00:56:33brushing me

00:56:34off, and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to worry about him looking

00:56:38at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my

00:56:43sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. With Finn taking care of me,

00:56:49I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was especially bright today. Finn and I

00:56:54were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up laughing and playing around on either side

00:56:59of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then someone called my name from beyond the fence.

00:57:04Aima. I turned around. Brian was standing there. The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight

00:57:09onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my expression, immediately, and stepped in front of

00:57:13me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him.

00:57:19Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I just need a minute to talk to him. We

00:57:22walked over

00:57:23to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze tangled my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile.

00:57:28It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold. Who is that fox?

00:57:32My new fostered bee skin.

00:57:44Brian and Logan were twin wolf bee skin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

00:57:50bee's trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups. And without

00:57:56even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian. Isabella took Logan.

00:58:01Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even if Brian didn't

00:58:06like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion shattered.

00:58:11The day I accidentally overheard him. Talking to some other bee skin. Someone asked.

00:58:18Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her? Who asked her to be good

00:58:24to me?

00:58:25You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I guess I should thank Emma properly.

00:58:31If she hadn't taken me first, me'd be the one with Isabella right now. I mean makes sense.

00:58:35Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader, Emma's just nothing special. A dull ache spread through my

00:58:40chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly disappeared. When I got home,

00:58:46I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and again, I picked up a mirror,

00:58:51staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked average but now the longer I

00:58:56looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror aside. All I could see in

00:59:02my

00:59:02mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let the weight of my own

00:59:06insecurity swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the silence. Brian walked in,

00:59:11reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward his bedroom.

00:59:15I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I reached out,

00:59:19trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

00:59:24irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch his

00:59:30wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13 years.

00:59:35A bitter

00:59:36laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone taking seriously.

00:59:41I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood floor.

00:59:46By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they always

00:59:51did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box

00:59:56of Texas's barbecue and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this

01:00:01year? He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair.

01:00:05No. But a lot of people bring their bee skin with them. No. If you want someone to go with

01:00:11you,

01:00:11go adopt another one from the shelter. So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side,

01:00:18watching Logan, who had the exact same face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile.

01:00:23He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask, Isabella, do you want that teddy bear?

01:00:28She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes to reach for his wolf ears. And Logan would

01:00:34always bend down for her, patient and indulgent. I watched him like a thief, quietly craving the

01:00:39life Isabella had. But one time, Chase and a few of his buddies shoved me onto the grass.

01:00:44His voice was dripping with mockery. Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A

01:00:49nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like coming out with you? One of his friends snickered.

01:00:53Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves, right? The older one ended up with the prom queen,

01:00:59and the younger one got stuck with an ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth,

01:01:04I pushed myself up and swung my fist straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he

01:01:09could even react, Chase lunged at me, trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and

01:01:13kept hitting him until someone finally pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were

01:01:18called into the principal's office. I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of

01:01:22the principal and Chase, she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't

01:01:26even wrong. Why would you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom,

01:01:31I said, barely above a whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real. She went on.

01:01:35You're not exactly pretty. And now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raise

01:01:40doesn't care about you. I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella

01:01:44were my child instead. That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home,

01:01:48my father greeted me with a sharp slap across the face. He said. I closed my eyes and fell into

01:01:56a

01:01:56heavy sleep. My messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door

01:02:00open, I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out, but his presence lingered everywhere in the

01:02:06apartment. I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat, then started packing up everything

01:02:10that belonged to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents

01:02:15would treat Brian badly. So I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down

01:02:20studio

01:02:21apartment. He slept on the bed. And I took the couch. Brian was well over six feet tall. And he

01:02:26would bump his head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked nonstop, picking up

01:02:30every part-time job I could find. Until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small two

01:02:35-bedroom

01:02:35townhouse. Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than

01:02:40he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to

01:02:44give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian

01:02:49and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for

01:02:53the

01:02:54third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human

01:02:58dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office,

01:03:04Emily handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking,

01:03:08Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person, or should we mail it on your

01:03:11behalf?

01:03:12I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to him,

01:03:16I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian, I took you

01:03:21away

01:03:22without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you. I walked out of City Hall,

01:03:27got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin in Florida, somewhere by the ocean,

01:03:32waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer at a university in Miami,

01:03:37I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried a faint salty smell

01:03:41as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was just right,

01:03:45soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian.

01:03:50Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets,

01:03:54strange shaped clouds in the sky, the slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied,

01:03:59most of the time. All I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah, the last message in our chat

01:04:04was

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

01:04:08He never replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And

01:04:13still, he could not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull,

01:04:18spreading ache. After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I

01:04:23changed my phone number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as

01:04:27full as possible, just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college

01:04:32girls like to chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask

01:04:37on campus? Because I'm not very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god, I swear I will shut them up.

01:04:42There is no such thing as an ugly girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her

01:04:47nodded in agreement, just as indignant. I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject.

01:04:52Soon enough, they started talking about the bee skin they had at home. Then they asked me,

01:04:55Professor, what kind of bee skin do you have? I did not know how to explain everything that had

01:04:59happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer. He died. They fell silent for a long

01:05:04moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that, during my two weekly lectures,

01:05:08students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte, a blueberry muffin, or a bar

01:05:12of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started thinking about the

01:05:16little fox bee skin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Bee skin were usually

01:05:21striking in appearance, and fox bee skin were among the most beautiful of all. But this one had deep

01:05:26crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the students,

01:05:30so he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for him,

01:05:35it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him.

01:05:40I called out softly, Hey, little fox, huh? The young beast skin turned around and noticed me,

01:05:45immediately lowering his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am,

01:05:50I must have misheard. Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked

01:05:54through, water dripping steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently,

01:05:58You don't have to hide your face. I've seen you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my

01:06:02office.

01:06:03Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated, then slowly lowered his hands and nodded.

01:06:07Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office under the bright lights,

01:06:10I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age as my freshman. While he was

01:06:16showering,

01:06:16I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager to talk,

01:06:21and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to

01:06:26be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light district in

01:06:30the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the escape,

01:06:35his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

01:06:39they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

01:06:43him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked,

01:06:48Where does he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly.

01:06:53Emma, I heard your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you? I bit

01:06:57down on the straw of my hot latte and didn't answer. Arto's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks

01:07:01like that. Who would want to adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She

01:07:06looks so plain. Who would ever like her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and be

01:07:10loved.

01:07:10Just the same. I looked at Arthur and said quietly, He isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind.

01:07:16He's sweet. I've seen him share the food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen

01:07:20him donate his spare change to the Beastkin Protection Agency. So please, don't say things

01:07:25like that about him again. When I stepped out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the

01:07:29hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp. His eyes were brimming with tears, feeling a little

01:07:33awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it yourself, I can help dry it. I took the

01:07:38towel and

01:07:38gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a hairdryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying

01:07:43a

01:07:43Beastkin's tail. And I was clumsy. I accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing.

01:07:48Finn's face turned red. It's okay. I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished,

01:07:53I handed him a muffin and a latte. He didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering all

01:07:57his

01:07:57courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't eat much. Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn

01:08:04continued. I know I'm not good looking, but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages,

01:08:09and I know how to grow roses. I smiled, then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm

01:08:14not good

01:08:14looking either. Would you still choose me? Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek. His

01:08:18movements careful, almost reverent. You're very cute, he said softly. I want to go with you.

01:08:25My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the

01:08:30lab

01:08:30building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself. I completed the

01:08:35paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully. He kept the beach

01:08:40house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot, home-cooked

01:08:44lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me, Arthur said as he wandered

01:08:49in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful of beef stew, and let out a

01:08:54low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile, the one at my place does nothing but curl

01:08:59up on the couch and watch Netflix. Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all.

01:09:04Then again, maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me. That night, I had the

01:09:09nightmare again. A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian

01:09:16to Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate

01:09:21attack. Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella, while I grabbed Brian's hand

01:09:27and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

01:09:32into

01:09:33everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of us. At

01:09:38the

01:09:38time, I had been running ahead and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the dream,

01:09:43I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

01:09:47I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

01:09:53Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for days.

01:09:58My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock. A

01:10:03voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C., no one in this world loves you. It came from

01:10:09everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In

01:10:14the dream, my soul seemed to float above. Crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

01:10:19That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

01:10:26A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start. The first thing

01:10:31I saw

01:10:32was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face tight with worry.

01:10:38When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before I could

01:10:42stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pull me into his arms. I clung

01:10:47to him

01:10:48like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back, murmuring

01:10:52soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did not

01:10:57have

01:10:57to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely did not have to

01:11:02worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song, I whispered.

01:11:06Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

01:11:12With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little. The sunlight was

01:11:17especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry. We ended up

01:11:22laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between us. Then

01:11:27someone called my name from beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there.

01:11:31The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my

01:11:36expression immediately and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem

01:11:41of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I

01:11:46just

01:11:46need a minute to talk to him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze

01:11:50tangled

01:11:50my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

01:11:56Who is that fox?

01:11:57My new fostered bee skin.

01:12:09Brian and Logan were twin wolf bees kin that. My cousin Isabella and I rescued from the underground

01:12:14bees trade. Back then the two of us stood there staring at those filthy little wolf pups.

01:12:20And without even needing to say much we each decided to adopt one. I took Brian, Isabella

01:12:25took Logan. Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye. All that time, I believe that even

01:12:30if Brian didn't like me, he would at least feel grateful that I had saved his life. That illusion

01:12:35shattered. The day I accidentally overheard him. Talking to some other bee skin. Someone asked.

01:12:43Emma's been really good to you. Why are you always so cold to her?

01:12:47Who asked her to be good to me? You've got it good. And don't even realize it. Good? Then I

01:12:54guess I

01:12:54should thank Emma properly. If she hadn't taken me first, me'd be the one with Isabella right now.

01:12:58I mean makes sense. Compared to Isabella the head cheerleader, Emma's just nothing special.

01:13:03A dull ache spread through my chest. Every feeling I had held onto for Brian over the years quietly

01:13:09disappeared. When I got home I sat on the living room couch until well past midnight. Again and

01:13:14again, I picked up a mirror, staring at the girl reflected in it. I had always thought I looked

01:13:19average but now the longer I looked, the worse it seemed. With a surge of disgust I tossed the mirror

01:13:25aside. All I could see in my mind was Isabella's radiant, effortless smile. I lowered my head and let

01:13:30the weight of my own insecurities swallow me home. The sound of the front door opening broke the

01:13:34silence. Brian walked in, reeking of bourbon. Barely sparing me a glance before turning toward

01:13:39his bedroom. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up. For the first time I

01:13:43reached out,

01:13:44trying to grab his tail. My hand was immediately slapped away. He stepped back, his face full of

01:13:49irritation. Don't touch me. It was exactly the same reaction as the first time I had tried to touch

01:13:54his wolf ears. Even after I had taken him in, and cared for him with everything I had for 13

01:13:59years.

01:14:00A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So if you're not pretty, even your sincerity isn't worth anyone

01:14:05taking seriously. I didn't even notice when my tears began to fall, one by one, onto the hardwood

01:14:11floor. By the time I looked up again, I was alone in the living room. My thoughts drifted, as they

01:14:16always did. Back to high school and the annual fall homecoming carnival. I used to bring a big box of

01:14:21Texas's barbecue, and find Brian in the backyard. Brian, will you come to the carnival with me this year?

01:14:26He'd lift his head out of the pool, water dripping from his hair.

01:14:30No.

01:14:31But a lot of people bring their bee skin with them.

01:14:34No. If you want someone to go with you, go adopt another one from the shelter.

01:14:38So every year, I went alone. I would stand off to the side, watching Logan, who had the exact same

01:14:45face as Brian, yet always wore the gentlest smile. He would ruffle Isabella's hair and ask,

01:14:51Isabella, do you want that teddy bear? She'd nod with a bright smile, rising onto her toes

01:14:56to reach for his wolf ears. And Logan would always bend down for her, patient and indulgent.

01:15:01I watched him like a thief, quietly craving the life Isabella had. But one time, Jason

01:15:06and a few of his buddies shoved me onto the grass. His voice was dripping with mockery.

01:15:11Well, look who it is. Emma, a straight-A nerd. Where's your little bee skin? Didn't feel like

01:15:16coming out with you?

01:15:17One of his friends snickered. Her bee skin and Isabella's are twin wolves,

01:15:21right? The older one ended up with the prom queen, and the younger one got stuck with an

01:15:25ugly duckling. I refused to back down. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up and swung my fist

01:15:31straight at his friend's face. He went down hard. Before he could even react, Chase lunged at me,

01:15:36trying to fight back. But I slammed him to the ground and kept hitting him until someone finally

01:15:40pulled me off. The end result was predictable. All of us were called into the principal's office.

01:15:44I thought my mom would be on my side. Instead, right in front of the principal and Chase,

01:15:48she sighed in annoyance. Honestly? What were you thinking? They weren't even wrong. Why would

01:15:52you hit someone over that? I tugged lightly at the sleeve of her coat. Mom, I said, barely above a

01:15:57whisper. She acted like she didn't hear me. Let's be real, she went on. You're not exactly pretty,

01:16:01and now you've got this terrible temper too. Even the bee skin you raised doesn't care about you.

01:16:05I don't know how I ended up with a daughter like you. Sometimes I wish Isabella were my child instead.

01:16:10That night, I cried my eyes out in Central Park. When I finally went home, my father greeted me

01:16:14with a sharp slap across the face. He said, I closed my eyes and fell into a heavy sleep. My

01:16:22messed up schedule left my mind blank when I woke up again. When I pushed the door open,

01:16:26I realized it was already dusk. Brian was out, but his presence lingered everywhere in the apartment.

01:16:31I grabbed a slice of pizza and forced myself to eat, then started packing up everything that belonged

01:16:35to me. There wasn't much really. After I got into college at 18, I was afraid my parents would treat

01:16:40Brian badly, so I took him with me. At my poorest, I could only afford a run-down studio apartment.

01:16:46He slept on the bed, and I took the couch. Brian was well over six feet tall, and he would

01:16:51bump his

01:16:51head every time he walked through the low doorway. So I worked non-stop, picking up every part-time job

01:16:56I could find, until I finally saved enough for a down payment on a small two-bedroom townhouse.

01:17:01Love has a way of making you feel like you owe everything. So I bought Brian more things than

01:17:05he could ever need. I never once considered that he didn't want any of it. This time I decided to

01:17:09give him what he actually wanted. Freedom. After I finished packing, I walked out of the home Brian

01:17:14and I had shared. The next morning, when the staff at the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs asked me for

01:17:18the

01:17:18third time if I was sure I wanted to terminate my bond with Brian, I still nodded. When a human

01:17:23dissolves a bond unilaterally, financial compensation is required. I left the townhouse to him. At the office,

01:17:29Emily handed me the bond termination certificate, then hesitated before asking,

01:17:33Miss Emma, would you like to give this to Mr. Brian in person, or should we mail it on your

01:17:36behalf? I took out the letter I had rewritten over and over again the night before. Please mail it to

01:17:41him, I said, and include this. There were only two sentences in the letter. I am sorry Brian. I took

01:17:46you away without your consent. So this time, I am giving your freedom back to you. I walked out of

01:17:51City Hall, got into my car, and left Los Angeles behind. My new life would begin in Florida,

01:17:56somewhere by the ocean, waiting for warmer days ahead. Since my new job was as a lecturer,

01:18:00at a university in Miami, I rented a small beach house with a yard. The evening sea breeze carried

01:18:05a faint salty smell as I walked along the shore wearing a mask. The orange glow of the sunset was

01:18:09just right. Soft and beautiful. I took a photo, then out of habit opened my iMessage chat with Brian.

01:18:14Scrolling up, it was nothing but messages from me. Photos of little trinkets I found at vintage markets.

01:18:19Strange shaped clouds in the sky. The slow growth of a sunflower. He rarely replied.

01:18:23Most of the time, all I ever got back was a short dismissive. Yeah. The last message in our chat

01:18:29was

01:18:29from the day I heard the truth. I had asked him, where are you? I can come pick you up.

01:18:33He never

01:18:34replied. By then, he must have already received the bond termination certificate. And still, he could

01:18:39not even bring himself to say goodbye. All that was left in my chest was a dull spreading ache.

01:18:43After thinking it over, I realized my new life should not be tied to the past. So I changed my

01:18:48phone

01:18:48number, deleted my old Instagram, and created a new account. I packed my schedule as full as possible,

01:18:53just to earn a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Some of the more outgoing college girls like to

01:18:58chat with me between classes. Professor Emma, why do you always wear a mask on campus? Because I'm not

01:19:03very pretty. Who said that? Oh my god. I swear I will shut them up. There is no such thing

01:19:08as an ugly

01:19:09girl. She sounded completely sincere. And the others around her nodded in agreement, just as indignant.

01:19:14I would laugh it off, and smoothly change the subject. Soon enough, they started talking about

01:19:18the bee skin they had at home. Then they asked me, Professor, what kind of bee skin do you have?

01:19:22I did not know how to explain everything that had happened with Brian. So I gave them a simple answer.

01:19:27He died. They fell silent for a long moment, until the bell rang, and class began. After that,

01:19:32during my two weekly lectures, students would often bring me little things. A Starbucks latte,

01:19:36a blueberry muffin, or a bar of Hershey's chocolate. I could never finish it all. That was when I started

01:19:41thinking about the little fox bee skin on campus, who survived by collecting recyclables. Bee skin

01:19:45were usually striking in appearance, and fox bee skin were among the most beautiful of all. But this

01:19:50one had deep crisscrossing scars covering both sides of his face. He was afraid of scaring the

01:19:55students. So he only came out late at night. That evening, when I left the lab and went looking for

01:19:59him,

01:20:00it started pouring. Out of nowhere, a figure darted toward me, a fluffy foxtail swaying behind him. I called

01:20:05out softly. Hey, little fox. Huh? The young beast kin turned around and noticed me, immediately lowering

01:20:11his head. He quickly covered his face with his hands. I'm sorry, ma'am. I must have misheard.

01:20:16Please don't mind me. The autumn rain carried a sharp chill. He was soaked through, water dripping

01:20:20steadily from his clothes. I looked at him and said gently, you don't have to hide your face. I've seen

01:20:25you around. I have hot water and a dryer in my office. Come upstairs and get warmed up. He hesitated,

01:20:30then slowly lowered his hands and nodded. Thank you, ma'am. Once we got into my office under the bright

01:20:34lights, I realized how young he was. Around 18 or 19, about the same age as my freshman. While he

01:20:40was showering, I went next door to the lab to ask about him. My colleague, Arthur, was always eager

01:20:45to talk, and he filled me in without hesitation. That little fox is named Finn. I heard he used to

01:20:51be incredibly good looking. His former handler tried to sell him to the red light district in

01:20:55the underground beast trade. He refused and even bit someone before escaping. During the escape,

01:21:00his face got slashed up. When the people from the black market saw he was disfigured,

01:21:03they beat him badly and threw him into the ocean. Lucky for him, the university rowing team pulled

01:21:08him out. Since then, he's been scraping by on campus, selecting recyclables. I asked, where does

01:21:13he live? There's a run-down shed behind the hill on campus. Arthur frowned slightly. Emma, I heard

01:21:18your beastkin passed away. You're not thinking about adopting him, are you? I bit down on the straw of

01:21:23my hot latte and didn't answer. Arthur's voice suddenly sharpened. He looks like that. Who would want to

01:21:27adopt him? His words overlapped with the voices from my past. She looks so plain. Who would ever like

01:21:32her? But why? We have hearts too. We want to love and be loved. Just the same. I looked at

01:21:36Arthur and

01:21:37said quietly, he isn't ugly. He's just been hurt. And he's kind. He's sweet. I've seen him share the

01:21:43food he collects with homeless people nearby. I've seen him donate his spare change to the

01:21:47beastkin protection agency. So please, don't say things like that about him again. When I stepped

01:21:51out of Arthur's office, I saw Finn standing in the hallway. His blonde hair and tail were still damp.

01:21:56His eyes were brimming with tears. Feeling a little awkward. I changed the subject. If it's hard to do it

01:22:01yourself, I can help dry it. I took the towel and gently dried his hair and tail. Then used a

01:22:05hairdryer to finish the job. It was my first time drying a beeskin's tail. And I was clumsy. I

01:22:10accidentally hurt him more than once and kept apologizing. Finn's face turned red. It's okay.

01:22:15I'm already very grateful to you. When I finally finished, I handed him a muffin and a latte. He

01:22:20didn't take them. After a long pause, as if gathering all his courage, he spoke again. Ma'am, I don't

01:22:25eat

01:22:25much. Could you adopt me? My hand froze mid-air. Finn continued. I know I'm not good looking,

01:22:31but I can cook, wash dishes, mow the lawn, I can get massages, and I know how to grow roses.

01:22:36I smiled,

01:22:36then took off my mask and met his eyes. But I'm not good looking either. Would you still choose me?

01:22:40Finn gently reached out and touched my cheek. His movements careful, almost reverent.

01:22:45You're very cute. He said softly. I want to go with you.

01:22:50My eyes stung. I blinked quickly, holding back the tears, and took his hand as we walked out of the

01:22:54lab

01:22:55building together. The rain had stopped, and just like that, I chose a family for myself.

01:22:59I completed the paperwork, and adopted Finn. Just like he promised. He did everything beautifully.

01:23:04He kept the beach house spotless, filled the yard with blooming hydrangeas, and brought me hot,

01:23:08home-cooked lunches at the lab. Running those spectral analyses today nearly killed me,

01:23:12Arthur said as he wandered in from next door, shamelessly helping himself. He took a big spoonful

01:23:17of beef stew, and let out a low whistle. Damn, Finn can cook. This is incredible. Meanwhile,

01:23:22the one at my place does nothing but curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.

01:23:25Honestly, Arthur should have been grateful. Brianne could not cook at all. Then again,

01:23:30maybe he just never bothered to do anything like that for me. That night, I had the nightmare again.

01:23:35A memory buried deep in my mind. I was 17. Isabella and Logan went with me and Brian to

01:23:41Universal Studios Orlando. Halfway through the day, the park was hit by a sudden, indiscriminate attack.

01:23:47Explosions erupted from every direction. Logan shielded Isabella, while I grabbed Brian's hand

01:23:52and ran for the exit. We were near the eastern side of the park, but the flying debris still cut

01:23:57into everyone. We were only steps away from the exit, when it was blown apart right in front of us.

01:24:02At the time, I had been running ahead, and never noticed what happened in that instant. But in the

01:24:07dream, I saw it clearly. Both Logan and Brian threw themselves toward Isabella without hesitation.

01:24:12I was left alone, collapsing into rubble and dust, with no one caring whether I lived or died.

01:24:17Logan and Brian were only relieved that Isabella was safe. Later, I lay unconscious in the ICU for

01:24:23days. My parents and Brian stayed by Isabella's side, comforting her as she cried from the shock.

01:24:28A voice echoed in my mind, mocking me. Emma C., no one in this world loves you. It came from

01:24:34everywhere, repeating itself over and over, surrounding me until I could not escape it. In the dream,

01:24:39my soul seemed to float above. Crouched down, clutching my head as I tried to argue back.

01:24:44That's not true. That's not true. Then, faintly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

01:24:51A voice said, Emma, that's not true. Everyone deserves to be loved. I woke with a start.

01:24:56The first thing I saw was Finn sitting at my bedside, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His face

01:25:01tight

01:25:01with worry. When he saw my eyes open, he finally let out a breath. Tears slipped down my face before

01:25:07I

01:25:07could stop them. Finn, can you hold me? He climbed onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. I

01:25:12clung

01:25:12to him like a child, pouring out everything I had been holding inside. Finn gently patted my back,

01:25:17murmuring soft reassurances. I did not have to worry about him snapping at me to leave him alone. I did

01:25:22not have to worry about him brushing me off and disappearing into distractions. And I definitely

01:25:26did not have to worry about him looking at me with cold indifference. I want to hear a song,

01:25:30I whispered. Finn hummed softly. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy

01:25:36when skies are gray. With Finn taking care of me, I started getting better, little by little.

01:25:41The sunlight was especially bright today. Finn and I were in the backyard, hanging sheets out to dry.

01:25:46We ended up laughing and playing around on either side of the fabric, the breeze lifting it between

01:25:51us. Then someone called my name from beyond the fence. Emma. I turned around. Brian was standing there.

01:25:56The hanger slipped from my hand and fell straight onto the grass. Finn noticed the shift in my

01:26:00expression immediately and stepped in front of me without hesitation. I tugged lightly on the hem

01:26:05of Finn's flannel shirt. It's okay. I know him. Go take care of the blue crabs in the kitchen. I

01:26:10just

01:26:11need a minute to talk to him. We walked over to a wooden bench by the shore. The ocean breeze

01:26:15tangled

01:26:15my hair. I forced a small, awkward smile. It's been a while, Brian. He stared at me, his voice cold.

01:26:21Who is that fox? My new fostered bee skin.

01:26:26...

01:26:29...

01:26:31...

01:26:31You

Hidden Betrayal.. Orc Love - Twist Ending Reveal MOVIES

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