Today, Aichi Elites Private School set aside its usual lessons and switched to a special lecture attended by students from every year. The title was: 'How to Act in the Presence of Wild Animals and Dangerous Insects.' The speaker, a government-appointed zoologist, stood upon the stage of the school's main hall.
He began. "In the last two years," he announced, "we have noticed a significant increase in accidents involving toxic and dangerous pets, as well as a rise in encounters with wild animals and insects across the entirety of Japan."
The hall listened with interest.
"Whether it is a pet or a living creature found in the wild," he continued, "one must always be wary when approaching them, and preferably avoid such encounters altogether. Mishandling animals is extremely dangerous and, in many cases, can be lethal."
He went on to warn the students about keeping dangerous pets such as spiders, snakes or scorpions. His tone grew sterner with each example. If their parents or siblings owned such creatures, he stressed, they must be given clear instructions on how to handle them properly and ensure they never escaped their enclosures.
The zoologist then shifted to insects, cautioning the students never to approach anything they did not recognize, no matter how harmless it appeared. He lingered especially on hornets, warning that seeing even one, particularly near woods or forests, could mean there was a hive nearby.
The lecture stretched on for two full hours, filled with examples, safety instructions, and warnings of what could happen when curiosity overruled caution. By the time he concluded, the hall felt heavier, as though the students now walked in a world more dangerous than the one they had entered that morning.
When he finished, the principal stepped onto the stage and asked the students to give their thanks and applause for the informative lecture. Polite clapping echoed through the hall as the students began to file out.
Junsei and Momo walked side by side among the crowd. Momo frowned thoughtfully and said, "I don't understand why anyone would keep a snake or a scorpion as a pet. Those creatures are meant to live in nature, not inside cages."
"They were selfish and greedy," Junsei replied evenly. "And they paid for it."
Momo stopped short and stared at him. "You're too harsh! I agree they shouldn't have had pets like that, but to possibly die or see one of your family suffer because of it, is too much."
"Well," Junsei said, unfazed, "maybe now others won't take the freedom of these poor creatures."
"You're too biased toward snakes and pretty much everything else," Momo said.
"And you're biased toward humans," Junsei answered.
Momo replied. "You should try it one day. It won't kill you."
"I have my allegiance clear," Junsei replied.
She rolled her eyes. "Even Komi grew out of this joke. You should too."
Junsei said nothing, his gaze drifting ahead as the students continued down the corridor.
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POV
By the time the sun slipped behind the silhouettes of the trees, I was utterly exhausted. The day had been long, hours of moving quietly through the forest, observing animals and insects in their natural habitat, recording notes until my fingers ached. Night settled in quickly and with it came the end of my day.
After returning to my small camp nestled among the trees, I set about lighting a fire, both for warmth and to discourage any curious creatures from wandering too close. The flames crackled before me, casting trembling shadows across the forest floor.
I began preparing dinner: a simple soup with chunks of meat simmering slowly in a battered pot. As the aroma rose into the air, rich and comforting, my stomach growled in response. I inhaled deeply, already imagining the first spoonful. Luckily, this forest had no bears, otherwise I was certain they would have come charging straight toward my camp. What creature could resist a soup this good? I chuckled softly at the thought.
"You are far away from the city."
The voice came from deep within the dark woods behind me.
I nearly leapt out of my skin.
Heart pounding, I spun around, fear tightening my chest, only to find an adolescent boy standing among the trees. His blue eyes seemed to glow faintly in the night, and even his white hair caught the firelight, shimmering as though dusted with moonlight.
I forced myself to calm down and let out a shaky breath.
"Hello there," I said, managing a nervous laugh. "You scared me! What are you doing in the forest at this hour?"
"I am here to visit some friends," the boy replied calmly. "I was heading home when I came across you. It is more surprising to find you here."
He began walking toward me, his steps soundless against the forest floor. By all logic, I should have been frightened, some ghostlike boy appearing out of the darkness, alone, in the dead of night. And yet, I wasn't. There was something about him that felt strangely comforting, like meeting an old friend I had known all my life but somehow forgotten.
"I am curious," he said. "Why are you here? I didn't think there was anyone trying to sleep here."
There was genuine curiosity in his eyes, and I couldn't help but smile. "This is my job."
He tilted his head slightly. "What job makes you sleep here?"
I chuckled. "Before we address that, why not introduce yourself?"
"Junsei," he said, a single word offered plainly.
"What a nice name," I replied warmly. "It fits you. I'm Fiona, a zoologist. Well, a newly graduated one."
Junsei nodded. "So you are here to study some animal or insect?"
I shook my head "I'm here to search for proof of my theory. Once I succeed, no one will laugh at me or call my work a conspiracy theory anymore. I'm sure my name will be known in no time."
I paused then, noticing his expressionless face. Despite how cold and distant he appeared, I felt an unexpected warmth spreading through me, as though I were sitting beside the most trustworthy person in the world. Why was I thinking like this? I focused properly on his face and realized, somewhat to my embarrassment, that he was quite handsome.
Am I an idiot that trusts good looking boys?
I shook my head sharply, banishing the foolish thought.
"Is something wrong?" Junsei asked.
I looked back at him, embarrassed by myself. "No, not at all. I was just thinking about my work, yes, my work! Please, sit down and join me. I'll tell you about my theory. I'm sure you won't see the world the same way afterward."
That seemed to intrigue him enough. He sat beside me, and I handed him a bowl of soup before beginning.
"Have you heard about the rise in accidents involving pets and animal encounters across Japan?" I asked.
Junsei nodded.
"A little over two years ago," I continued, "something changed. It affected animals across the entire country, maybe even beyond our borders."
He remained silent, listening intently.
"Most people think these are just unfortunate coincidences," I said, "but I don't believe it's that simple. These attacks and accidents aren't as random as they appear."
"How so?" Junsei asked.
I smiled, confidence swelling. "If you look at each incident on its own, yes, they seem random and not much worse than past years. But when you observe how they alternate, pet accidents, bear encounters, hornets… etc… Then a pattern emerges. What are the chances that every type of incident reaches its worst record numbers at the same time?"
"So?" he prompted.
"Something or someone is influencing animals," I said. "They're being careful, subtle, avoiding attention. The first year, I thought it was strange. The second year, concerning. Now we're in the third, and the numbers are still consistent? No, no, this isn't coincidence. Something dirty is at play."
Junsei considered this. "And how does your stay here help?"
"Good question!" I said eagerly. "I'm recording the behavior of creatures in this forest, far from cities and villages. If I'm right, forests like this won't show the same strange behavior. I've been here a week already, and everything is normal. If I go to other remote forests, I'm sure it'll be the same, as long as humans are far away. It could be a newly developed technology causing this or maybe someone's quirk. Even if it is neither, maybe we are looking at a rare behavioral change across the animal kingdom due to living near humans for so long."
"I see," Junsei said quietly. "I didn't think of it like that before."
I grinned. "Right? It makes perfect sense. But those idiots dismiss it as coincidence. I'll prove I'm right. I'll prove it to everyone."
Junsei asked "No one believes you?"
I replied confidently "No, all of them laughed, but I will have the last laugh"
Junsei nodded slowly, then asked, "And what if you are wrong? Aren't you afraid of the consequences?"
I smiled at his question, sensing a perfect opportunity to show off my amazing quirk. "Do you see these horns?" I said, pointing proudly to the two curved horns rising from my head.
Junsei nodded. "They look like goat horns."
"They do," I agreed. "My quirk makes me look like a goat but with a little twist." He continued staring at me, silent and attentive, so I activated my quirk. Fire erupted along my horns, bright and fierce, dancing like living flames. "My mother had a goat quirk, and my father had a fire quirk," I said proudly. "So you can consider me a goat from hell. If any foolish, bloodthirsty creature decides to approach me, they'll learn very quickly not to mess with a hell goat!"
I said it with as much excitement and arrogance as I could muster, but my confidence faltered when I noticed Junsei was still staring at me, utterly expressionless. I laughed weakly.
"Well… speaking of quirks, what about you? What's your quirk?" I hesitated, then added, half-joking, half-serious, "Wait… does your quirk make people feel safe and happy around you?"
His blank expression shifted into something closer to confusion.
"No," he said. "Why would you think that?"
I didn't quite know how to answer. "It's hard to explain," I admitted. "I just feel like I've known you for a long time. Like you're… a friend."
Junsei frowned. "You felt that from me? That's strange."
Trying to shake the sudden awkwardness, I asked again, "So… what is your quirk?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared at me intensely and unblinkingly. I shifted uncomfortably under it. Finally, he spoke. "Let's say I can communicate with animals. Tell me if you feel any change."
The world went black.
Everything vanished, the fire, the forest, the night sky. All that remained was an enormous coyote-like monster looming over me, its presence was malevolence itself. My heart slammed violently against my chest. I couldn't breathe. For the first time in my life, I felt my quirk itself recoil, as if crying out in pure terror.
Then, just as suddenly, everything returned to normal.
The forest reappeared, the fire crackled softly, but the fear did not fade. My heart continued to race, my body frozen, my voice stolen from me.
I heard Junsei speak. "You are affected by it. Why is that? No one feels anything around me usually… no, there was one before. That rabbit hero reacted like you as well. Could it be because you two have an animal-part quirk? That you can sense what others can't?"
I looked at him. He seemed genuinely curious, but the warmth I once felt was gone, replaced by overwhelming terror. I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling. "J-Junsei… c-can you stop wha… whatever this is?"
The crushing sensation vanished at once. I gasped, breathing deeply, relief washing over me.
"I suppose," Junsei said calmly, "humans with animal-related quirks evolved closer to life. That is why you can sense me."
I swallowed hard. "Yes," I said weakly. "Please don't do that again. It was too scary. I've never felt anything like that before." I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart still racing. "Do animals feel that from you too? If they do, then your quirk isn't communicating with them, it is scaring them."
"No," Junsei replied. "I am quite nice to them. My hostility is only directed at humans."
I froze.
Something was horribly wrong.
I looked at him again. His eyes were glowing blue, as they fixed on me.
"Thank you," he said. "I know my mistake now. And I know humans with animal traits are closer to life than I initially realized. Also your theory is right."
I stumbled backward, horror crashing over me as understanding finally struck. He was the cause, the hidden hand behind the recent deaths. My legs gave out, and I crawled backward in fear as he continued to stare at me, unmoving.
Then I sensed movement behind me.
Slowly, dreadfully, I turned my head.
Creatures of all kinds stood there, watching me silently. Tears filled my eyes as fear filled me, and I realized that I was completely surrounded.
"Junsei! Please!!!" I cried in fear.