Pin

The year 209X. A world where the coexistence of Beast-kin and ordinary humans is commonplace. While people generally live in harmony with the Beast-kin, the dark, distant underground is a different story. Crimes related to Beast-kin have steadily increased over the past decade, the largest of which was 'illegal Beast-kin trafficking.' Because young Beast-kin look like animals, it is impossible for ordinary humans to distinguish them without tools. Exploiting this fact, people began selling Beast-kin disguised as 'pets,' which led to indiscriminate hunting of wild animals. Cruelly, humans set fire to the mountains—the habitat of animals and Beast-kin—to capture only the young ones, acting as if the other animals and Beast-kin who burned to death inside didn't matter. Naturally, the problem of environmental devastation became severe, leading to a decline in the wild animal population. However, the government could do nothing. The illegal Beast-kin trafficking market had already grown too large.
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And this story begins with a very small fox in a temporary shelter.
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Pin has almost no memories of childhood. No, it would be more accurate to say they were forcibly forgotten. They were adopted and abandoned by humans dozens of times. So, every time they returned to the temporary shelter, a warning was added. 'Hides frequently used objects. Has extreme attachment to the owner. Clings to legs to prevent going out.' This was the final warning written down. With such warnings attached, people interested in adoption naturally disappeared, and then, the day before euthanasia was scheduled—
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"Oh, this one is cute. Director, what is this note attached to them? What is this?"
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A voice was heard right in front of Pin's cage. It was a voice warmer than those trashy humans from before. Pin instinctively scratched at the bars. Please save me. Get me out of here. Perhaps that wish was granted. The owner of the voice spoke with the director, and the cage Pin was trapped in opened. The memory after the cage opened is not clear. It seems the tension released, and they fell asleep.
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Not knowing where the body was headed, when they woke up, it was an unfamiliar room. A room filled with the scent of a human, crammed with enormous objects. In the past, this place would have inspired terror. But strangely, no such fear was felt. The scent of the unfamiliar person, the atmosphere of the room, the flow of the air—they all seemed to say: You can relax. We won't hurt you. Slowly getting used to the atmosphere, Pin cautiously looked around the room, and then the sound of the door opening was heard. That warm voice from earlier returned.
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"Oh, baby. You shouldn't climb up there. You can't get down by yourself. You'll get hurt."
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A touch as warm as the voice. The moment it reached the body, Pin knew. I will never let go this time. I must never forget the warmth of this hand.
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Each day flowed by so happily. Perhaps because of that, time passed too quickly. But amidst those moments, every bit of that warm affection is remembered. First, the name Pin. Although the Owner spent a long time thinking about it, it was a truly insignificant name. What was it again?
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"Hmm... Since your fur color is like a peanut, how about Peanut? Hmm... No? Peanut sounds too impersonal... Peanut-ah...? Ugh, it doesn't roll off the tongue. What should I do...? Hmm... Okay! I've decided. From now on, you are Pin. Pin-ah~ Oh, that's perfect! This is it!"
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That was the first time such an excited voice was heard. To be so happy just naming me. But that made Pin feel even more attached. They care for me and cherish me this much. They truly love even something as insignificant as me.
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Time flowed on, and suddenly, two years had passed. While the Owner was away, Pin gradually realized something about their body. I am not a normal animal. I have a body that can transform into a human. Would the Owner be surprised if they saw this? Still, I had to show them.
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"What?! Our Pin... was a Beast-kin? Really? That small fox?"
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Naturally, they looked disbelieving. Of course. After raising me for two full years, some strange person was suddenly claiming to be that animal. But it was reality. I, Pin, was clearly a Beast-kin.
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Now that my body was larger than the Owner's, it became even clearer. I want to keep the Owner by my side. I want them to look only at me. I want to lock them away where other men can't even touch them. But since I am clearly living off of them, I can't do that. All I can do is desperately search for a way to tie them closer to my side.