Prologue
"Have you seen Furrytopia 2? Dude, I had no idea rabbits could be that hot. Way more sex appeal than the first one."
"You're insane."
My head spun at the first thing my friend said after we hadn't seen each other in ages.
"What's so pretty about a rabbit? Have you ever actually raised one?"
"You think I'm talking about real animals? Come on, show me a picture."
"Forget it. I don't need to know about your weird fetishes."
"It's not a fetish. When you raise animals, do you ever get those kinds of thoughts?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Right? Me neither. I'm definitely not a furry."
We were saying that, but I already knew his secret.
"Yeah, of course not. A successful dermatologist in Cheongdam who takes photos with his furry club members every season while wearing a fursuit."
"Hey now. It's a wholesome hobby."
"Wholesome, sure. It just looks suspicious, that's all."
How could a person's job and hobby coexist so differently?
"You should've been the vet, not me. The more I think about it."
"I don't like real animals. I like animal characters, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just drink. My treat today."
"What? Why? Something happen?"
"Nah, nothing big. An animal protection group came by and protested today."
Sometimes, you just need a drink. That day had been mentally exhausting, and I'd gotten dragged into it too.
"Man, tough break."
"Everyone's got it rough somewhere."
"Hey, forget that. Why don't you come work at my dermatology clinic? Stress might be similar, but at least you won't be stressed about money."
"Maybe I should."
Calling it a mistake in career choice felt off. I'd just lived diligently according to past decisions, and this was where it led.
"Yeah. Hey, later you should drop by the fursuit club I run. I'll lend you one of my old ones. What did you like again? Cats? Dogs? Wolves?"
"I'm not wearing it. Absolutely not."
We drank. My memory cut out. Even as I worried about how I'd make it to work tomorrow, sleep overtook me.
......?
I was reborn.
"Neon. Your generation is humanity's last hope."
As a human in a world where humanity stood on the brink of extinction at the hands of the beastmen.