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Cherryton Academy

Spring, One year ago...

'This...this can't be happening! What is the meaning of this!?' A young female red deer stood in front of a mirror, her face bloodied by the streams flowing from the top of her head, the crimson liquid mixing with the tears leaking from her eyes. In her hands were her antlers, shed for the first time since she hit puberty. Louise wasn't even supposed to have them in the first place, but once they started to form, she figured it was because she had a genetic mutation that caused such a thing to occur. But that didn't appear to be the case. If it was, her antlers would've fallen off this past winter, not during the spring.

Since she came to Cherryton Academy, Louise has strived to be the best out of everyone there. She quickly rose to the top, butted her way into the drama club, and unofficially earned the nomination for the next Beastar. The reason behind all of her ambition and drive to prove herself? Louise didn't want to be seen as just another snack for the carnivores, as a puny, weak, vulnerable herbivore who constantly feared being eaten. And she took great pride in being a purebred red deer.

However, a terrible truth was revealed to her today, and it broke her. Oguma, her father, had some explaining to do over the summer.

For now, as the doe stared at the bloodied visage of her reflection, Louise had to keep this hidden from the other students, lest they find out that she wasn't all the 'future Beastar' made herself to be. But where could she go to hide until they grew back? She huffed as she became lost in thought, searching for an answer. Then, it came to her. Of course! The garden on the school's rooftop! No one ever really goes there. At least, as far as Louise knew. No matter. She had to get there as soon as possible.

Clutching her shed antlers to her chest, the doe approached the bathroom door and cracked it open slightly to peek into the hallway. She looked left and right several times before deciding the coast was clear and sprinting for the stairs. The trek to the top floor was tedious, and Louise was already out of breath before she even got halfway. But she pushed on, refusing to accept defeat because she wasn't fit enough to climb stairs. Once she'd reached the top, Louise charged through the door and out into the open before slamming it shut with a loud, metallic clang.

She then hunched over, antlers held in one hand with the other resting on her knee and struggled to catch her breath. Her ears and nose twitched as the outside ambiance and the smell of freshly bloomed flowers filled the air and her nostrils. It was almost...peaceful out here. Louise could see why some would join the Gardening Club. If not to get away from the absolute headache of school, then to enjoy the calm, serene environment up here on the rooftop. As well as the magnificent view of the city.

The doe straightened herself, closed her eyes, and drew out a long exhale, unaware that she had company. "That looks like it hurts."

Startled by the sudden voice, Louise looked around for the intruder, only to find a small white rabbit. She was tiny, barely reaching up to Louise's thighs. But her lack of height was made up for by other features such as her sizable bust and slightly bottom-heavy figure. Louise resisted the urge to frown at seeing the rabbit's clothes, straining to keep everything contained. Why Headmistress Gon thought it would be a good idea to support such an inappropriate dress code while there were males inside the school completely escaped the female deer's logic. What was the point of having them wear such scandalous attire? Why not have the females wear what Louise was currently wearing: a modified version of the male uniform specially tailored to fit the females? It made no sense whatsoever to do so, especially when nearly all the females at Cherryton and the city, to an extent, were well-endowed in one way or another. It was only by chance, or perhaps pure luck that not every guy in existence was drooling over the women and their disproportionate features.

Louise shook her head, which quickly proved to be a mistake as a sharp pain shot through her temple. She grimaced, gritting her flat, plant-eating teeth, and put a hand to her head. "It's nothing," the deer deflected with a huff.

"You're a doe, right?" the rabbit stated bluntly, raising an eyebrow at Louise. "I thought only bucks had antlers? Unless," she paused and leaned forward slightly, her hands folded behind her back. "You either have a mutation that caused them to grow, or you're a hy-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT WORD!" Louise snapped explosively, startling the rabbit and forcing her to take several steps from the furious female deer. Collecting herself from her outburst, Louise cleared her throat and calmly apologized despite the anger flowing through her. "I'm sorry. It's just I realized the life that I'd been living was nothing but a lie. I held great joy and pride that I was a purebred red deer with a slight inconvenience that are my antlers." She sighed and shook her head, glancing at the object of her misery held in her hand with spite in her eyes. "Only to find out I'm nothing more than a filthy..." Louise faltered as the tears started again, and she choked back a sob and turned away from the rabbit standing idly by and watching the deer silently.

"You can stay up here for as long as you want," the rabbit girl said finally, drawing Louise's attention as she looked at her in surprise. "But, you have to do something for me in return."

"W-what is it?" Louise asked nervously with a tilt of her head.

The rabbit smirked and gestured to the garden with her arms. "Why, you'll help me, of course. I can't exactly let you stay here for free, you know? And judging by that look you had, I can assure you I wasn't going to proposition myself to you. Besides, I don't 'roll' that way." She finished with a giggle, giving Louise a wide smile.

The deer could only stare at the peculiar dwarf rabbit with a quirked eyebrow. Just who was she? "I'm Haru, by the way. I almost forgot my manners there, haha."

"Eh...Louise," the deer said, slowly relaxing with a slight smile. "My name is Louise."

---

Present Day, Cherryton Gardens

'She's...such a small rabbit. Heh, gee, what an astute observation, Legoshi.' Legoshi, the wolf, found himself staring at the white-furred dwarf rabbit standing before him and Kibi. Besides her shorter stature, the first thing he noticed was the bandages on her left arm. Once again, Legoshi felt a pang of guilt as memories from that night flooded his mind. As for everything else, Legoshi noted the absurd amount of plants and flowers that adorned the school's rooftop. 'The Devil's Garden.'

"Can I help you?" the rabbit asked, her arms folded modestly at her front.

Legoshi stiffened and quickly brainstormed for a way out of this tense, awkward situation. 'Shoot. How do I get out of here? Um, stomach ache? Restroom? No...oh! I suddenly remembered that I have a very important errand to run!' Closing his eyes in satisfaction with his excuse, he opened his mouth to speak, but Kibi beat him to the punch.

"Oh no! I forgot about an errand!" Legoshi could only gape at his anteater companion in disbelief. Outraged, but only slightly, the wolf bent down to Kibi's eye level and hissed at him.

"Hey! What's the big deal?"

Kibi touched Legoshi's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry," the anteater replied in a hushed tone. "I'll make up for it with ant shakes later, okay?"

The rabbit interrupted the two's conversation and gained their attention with a loud but calm "Hey! You're here for the flowers, right? The ones for the ceremony?"

Legoshi gulped nervously and nodded, avoiding the rabbit's gaze. "Y-yeah, we are. It's just-"

"This wolf will take care of it!" Kibi cut him off before going through the door. "See ya!"

"Hey!" Legoshi yelped and tried to chase after the anteater, but the door was slammed in his face, leaving the wolf alone with the rabbit girl. He slowly stood up and straightened his posture but refused to look at the object of his guilt-riddled mind. He heard her sigh and say, "Your friend must've been afraid of me. Rumors in Cherryton always spread like wildfire, after all. Are you scared of me too? Honestly, I wouldn't be so surprised."

While her words struck a chord, Legoshi couldn't help but quietly disagree. 'I nearly devoured you last night. I don't...I don't have the right to be afraid of you. Or to even speak to you.' He sighed through his nose and turned to the rabbit. 'Let's...just get this over with. I don't know how much longer I can take this.'

A while later, the rabbit was reviewing the leaflet Dom had given Legoshi as a reference for how the flowers looked in the auditorium. She turned it this way and that, tilting her head occasionally as if looking for a hidden secret on the piece of folded paper. "So, you want roses, right? I think I have plenty of them lying around here." She paused and looked up from the leaflet, her eyes searching the variety of flora around her. "Somewhere. I have so many flowers and such to take care of that I sometimes can't remember where I put them." She shrugged and returned to staring at the leaflet, her back facing Legoshi. "But feel free to look around."

"O-okay," Legoshi said, looking around. "I-I'll just-"

"So, what club are you in?" the rabbit girl asked, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, uh, Drama Club. On the stage crew."

"Huh. And what did you need the flowers for, again?"

"To decorate the auditorium," Legoshi replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "One of the guys in charge of the art department thinks it'll match the play's final scene or something."

"Cool," the rabbit said bluntly, still not paying the large, dangerous wolf behind her any mind.

Meanwhile, Legoshi stared down at her from above, noting how short and small she was as if he hadn't already digressed that undeniable fact. 'Her head's so far away. I don't think I've ever talked with such a small animal before, except for Mizuchi and Els. But even then, Mizuchi was a bit taller than this rabbit. I think.'

The rabbit looked up at him, startling the wolf slightly, and said, "Hang on. I have a request, actually."

Legoshi panicked and averted his gaze from her. "A...a request?"

She turned to fully face him, nodding with a hum of affirmation. "Mhm. I can't give away my beautiful flowers for free, you know? Have to do something for me in return."

"O-oh."

The rabbit pointed to the shack behind Legoshi, indicating a set of potted plants sitting there. "Do you mind moving those to the back for me?"

"Uh, sure, I guess-gah!"

Legoshi yelped and looked down at the rabbit, who had a hold on his tail as she attempted to tuck it behind one of his suspender straps. "Sorry," she apologized. "But I can't have you knocking down my plants with your monstrous tail." She then giggled as she finished her work and stepped back. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to chop it off. Now, let's get to work."

'She...she touched me. Is...is she not afraid of me?'

They made small talk as he helped the rabbit out with her plants. Regarding what year he was in, learning each other's names (Legoshi had learned that her name was Haru), discovering that she was friends with Els, and - despite his internal protests - Legoshi asking what happened to her arm. Haru quickly dismissed it as a very vivid dream she had, claiming that she didn't remember what happened. While it relieved Legoshi, the wolf couldn't shake his guilt.

Sometime later, Legoshi found himself in the little garden shack, where he correctly assumed she stored some gardening supplies. On top of that, there was a bed here as well. Large enough for him to sleep in, plus one more....Legoshi shook his head. 'That was...weird. Why did I think of that?'

"Thank you so much for the help," Haru said, snapping the wolf out of his thoughts. He looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers. "I was hoping that I could repay you in some way. What do you like to eat?" Regardless of all the conflict raging inside him, Legoshi couldn't help but admit that she was gorgeous. And... kind of sexy, too. A part of him reeled at such a vulgar observation, but it was a fact that he couldn't deny. Her breasts were large, even for an herbivore of her size and stature; she was probably bigger than Mizuchi and - to some extent, Els - in that regard, too. 'Gah! Stop it! Bad brain! No!'

Legoshi groaned and held his head in his hands, trying to ignore the horny beast awakening inside him. At the same time, he attempted to think of an answer to give her. What did he like to eat? On the one hand, he didn't want to startle Haru with his peculiar but limited diet of vegetables and fruit mixed with some carnivore food. On the other, he wasn't really all that hungry. He sighed as he searched his brain for anything to say to her, unaware of something else happening before him.

Haru sighed as she watched the wolf struggle to speak, taking it as a sign she had become accustomed to since junior high. To be honest, she didn't know what to think of Legoshi. He was strange, all things considered. He was unlike any other carnivore she had met in brief passing. Legoshi was shy, timid, and mostly kept to himself. He also hunched over a lot, which gave Haru the idea that he tried to make himself as small as possible despite his towering figure. Speaking of which, Haru had to admit that Legoshi wasn't too hard on the eyes. Even through his clothing, she could tell the wolf packed a bit of muscle and a healthy package if that massive bulge in his pants was anything to go by.

Haru was put off by the sheer size of it and couldn't figure out how Legoshi managed to hide it from the public eye. Or how he could even put his pants on. She shrugged. 'Doesn't matter, really. I guess I'll find out in a bit. Although, I wasn't expecting this from him. He seems really nice, if I'm honest. I guess that's all just an act for what he really is. Oh well.'

Haru sighed as she rose to her feet and closed the blinds inside the shack before turning her attention to herself. She undid her top first, sighing relief as the pressure on her large breasts was almost immediately reduced. She then reached back, unhooked the strap from her bra, and let it fall to the ground on her discarded top. Next was her skirt, which came off relatively easily. And now, she was naked save for her panties, which were a lacy white. She approached the wolf, who still hadn't opened his eyes and appeared locked in an inner turmoil with himself, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Haru found it cute but quickly dismissed the fuzzy feeling she felt whenever she looked at him and focused on the daunting task.

"Is this your first time with a small animal?" she asked, closing the distance between herself and the wolf. No sooner than she said that, Legoshi looked up and froze at seeing the naked rabbit before him, figurative beads of sweat forming along his brow. Haru was more shapely than her uniform let on, not that it covered much to begin with. But without her skirt and top, Legoshi could see her thick thighs, wide waist, and abnormally-sized breasts tipped with pink nipples. If he wasn't such an introverted virgin, the wolf would've pounced on her and had his way with her then and there; Legoshi couldn't ignore the painful strain his pants were putting on him.

"Don't worry," Haru said, looking up at the stunned wolf. "It'll be fine. You can be rough; I can handle it." She gave him a half-lidded gaze and smiled softly. "I think it'll be fun."

---

"So, what happened, exactly? You're not making any sense, Mizuchi."

"Yeah. You make it sound like you want to dump Kaito and date this...Legoshi instead. Especially with how much you've talked about him."

Mizuchi ignored the last remark made by Yui, a black-furred cat, as they - along with a tanuki, Myoko - made their way to one of the club buildings, Drama Club's building, to be exact. Ever since she'd met Legoshi, her mind hadn't tried to make the wolf leave her thoughts. It was, at times, a bother for her as she tried to focus on finding her cheating idiot boyfriend, Kaito, and giving him a piece of her mind. But Legoshi lingered in the corner of her thoughts, eventually reaching the point where she couldn't help but ask about him. Turns out he was in Drama Club on the stage crew. For Mizuchi, that sort of made sense; for a big guy like him who always wanted to draw as little attention to himself as possible, operating behind the scenes was perfect.

But their reactions were mixed when she told her friends, Myoko and Yui, about the wolf. It ranged from worry about Mizuchi's well-being to asking why she was so invested in this Legoshi. This finally led to where the trio were now, entering the Drama Club building to find the wolf that had captured Mizuchi's attention. But they were stopped by a bespectacled pelican.

"S-sorry, ladies. I'm afraid this is for club members only," he stammered, wiping his 'wing' along his forehead.

Mizuchi stood firm and said, "We're here to see Legoshi. Do you know where he is?"

The pelican sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid Legoshi is preoccupied at the moment. Last I heard, he went to the gardening club to pick up some flowers for us."

Mizuchi nearly choked on her spit upon the mention of that place. "W-what?"

"You heard me," the pelican said before crossing his arms and giving them a stern look. "Say, why do you want to see Legoshi, anyway?"

"That's none of your business!" Mizuchi snapped sharply before clearing her throat and putting on a sweeter tone. "Ahem, sorry. It's just that we met earlier today, and he's such an enigma. I'd like to know more about him."

"Ah, well," the pelican began, readjusting his glasses. "That seems to be the case with our dear Legoshi. He's always been quiet and reserved, doing everything he can to stay out of everyone's way. I think he'd make a great dancer or actor, but he chose to be on the stage crew instead." He shrugged. "But, like I said, he's at the gardening club. Dom, one of our costume designers, wants to decorate the auditorium with roses. He told me that Legoshi volunteered with Kibi to get them. If you hurry, you might be able to catch them on the return."

Mizuchi nodded, ignoring the rising sense of panic within her. She smiled at the pelican before thanking him and rushing to her next destination. Myoko and Yui followed close behind, their faces mixed with fear and disgust. "Hey," Myoko said, coming up beside Mizuchi. "Isn't that where she is? That dwarf rabbit?"

The Harlequin doe nodded once, increasing her brisk walking pace into a jog. "It is. I hope we can make it before she does anything to him."

"Why?" Yui asked, struggling to keep up with her. "It's not like she has a death wish to try and take a guy who's almost two or three times her size, right?"

"You underestimate Haru, Yui," Mizuchi shot back, glaring at the feline. "She's slept with many herbivore males, including larger ones. I wouldn't put it past her to try it with a large carnivore." She shook her head and looked forward. "But Legoshi? He's too innocent and shy to have anything like that done to him. I just hope we're not too late."

---

"Are you nervous?"

Haru's voice, calm and soothing despite having a stressed-out, large carnivore in front of her, snapped Legoshi out of his frozen trance as he watched her slowly undress him from the bottom up. He couldn't figure out what had gotten into her or why she decided to do this. Sure, the rabbit was lovely in every sense, from her curvaceous frame to those hefty, luscious breasts that pressed against his thighs; she was at the perfect height for him to grab her ears and shove his thing into her mouth almost seamlessly. But Legoshi hadn't had any experience with girls in the first place. And he didn't really count rooming with the girls of 701 and Jack, despite all the teasing they, Durham especially, give him occasionally.

This, however, was different. The poor, introverted, virgin wolf had an extremely spicy rabbit girl trying to get in his pants.

"Don't worry," Haru continued, unbuckling Legoshi's belt and unbuttoning the bottom half of his shirt. "This is my first time with a carnivore, too."

Legoshi's brain was shorting out from Haru's peculiar actions. Just why was she doing this? 'Is this...some sort of greeting?' the wolf asked himself, staring at the naked rabbit with a look of perpetual horror. 'Especially among smaller animals?' He nearly jumped when he felt Haru's hands run through his stomach fur, commenting on how it matched the fur on his face. It felt so...strange and yet so good; a part of Legoshi didn't want her to stop. The sensation of her small, dainty hands touching him, so soft and gentle....

Legoshi wanted more. But he couldn't do that, especially to someone as small and fragile as Haru. However, it seemed the wolf had no say in the matter as she slowly pulled his loosened pants down, revealing his boxers. "Wow. It's a beautiful cream color," she said, letting the article of clothing crump at the wolf's ankles before reaching up and hooking her hands on the waistband of his boxers. "I wonder how far down it goes? Is that okay with you?"

But before she could go further, Legoshi suddenly grabbed his boxers and backed away from the rabbit, shouting, "No, it's not okay!"

Haru glared at the wolf, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you mean? I'm doing all the hard work to set the mood." Then she saw him pull up his pants from his ankles and buckled them, as well as redoing his shirt so that he was publicly modest again. "What are you doing? I thought you wanted to do this?"

Legoshi remained silent as he walked over to the bed, grabbed the bedsheet from it, then returned to Haru and wrapped it around her shoulders. "H-here," he said finally, his voice strained and cracking. "I-I s-should probably get g-going. Have a nice day!" He quickly slipped out the door and accidentally slammed it shut on his tail, drawing a loud, pained yelp before running away and crying out in pain. Meanwhile, Haru could only stare on speechlessly, wondering what in the world just happened.

"Did...did I really misread his intentions?" she asked aloud. "Was he only here for those flowers like he said?" Haru sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe this. I ruined everything just because I thought he wanted to lie with me. Oh, I hope he doesn't tell Els about this. I doubt she'll forgive me if she learns I tried to seduce one of her club members."

Legoshi ran faster than he ever had, descending several steps at a time while trying not to fall in the process. Once he dropped several flights, the wolf stopped and leaned against a wall, panting heavily. After calming down, he stood up and inspected himself, running his hands all over his chest and stomach, still feeling Haru's lingering touch.'What...what was that? What the heck happened to me? To her? Why did she do that?'

"Legoshi?"

The wolf yelped and whirled around on whoever had snuck up behind him, only to find Mizuchi, of all people, flanked by a female tanuki and black-furred cat. "M-Mizuchi?" Legoshi swallowed his apprehension and slowly backed away from the Harlequin rabbit. The last thing he needed was contact with another rabbit, especially a female one. "W-what are you doing here?"

Mizuchi narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look. "I've been looking everywhere for you, you big dummy. You're hard to find, you know? Before coming here, I had to visit your club and ask where you were." She paused as she took in his disheveled appearance, raising an eyebrow before asking, "Legoshi, did you, by any chance, meet Haru from the Gardening Club?"

Legoshi froze, tilting his head at her. "You...do you know her?"

Mizuchi huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring to the side. "You could say that. She's the one who got my boyfriend to cheat on me. First with a kiss, then by sleeping with him." She looked up at the wolf, who was growing worried by the second. "Haru's nothing but the school's slut, you know? Did she...do anything to you?"

Legoshi gulped, his mind going a million miles a minute as it processed this new information about Els's friend. Upon hearing Mizuchi's question, however, he quickly shook his head and denied that Haru did anything to him, despite his current state probably saying otherwise. Thankfully, Legoshi's answer seemed to satisfy the Harlequin rabbit. But for how long, the wolf didn't know; he just hoped she didn't bring it up again soon.

"Uh, I gotta go," Legoshi said, walking past Mizuchi and her friends. "I can pick up the flowers somewhere else. Haru didn't have any roses on hand, anyway. But it was nice seeing you again. Bye." He left the Harlequin rabbit behind, his mind still reeling from the events that had occurred mere moments ago.

Legoshi later found himself outside, sitting on a bench. He'd encountered Kibi along the way, repeating similar things about Haru that Mizuchi said. The wolf responded, "There may be a lot of rumors out there, but I think she's a good person." Despite what Haru attempted with him back in the garden house, Legoshi felt his words had some truth. He genuinely believed Haru was a sweet girl.

The wolf sighed, his eyes focused on the dirt path ahead as he became lost in thought. The day was nearing the end of its cycle, with the sun slowly descending and casting an orangish glow on the school grounds. 'So, Haru's known around school as "The Slut."' He shook his head, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. 'Gosh, they're so narrow-minded. I shouldn't say anything because I nearly devoured her last night. Another sigh left him, his body heaving with the motion. 'On a side note, I don't have any experience with girls. And the girls in 701 don't necessarily count. I think. We're all just good friends, right? Sure, we occasionally see each other half or completely naked, but it's not like we care about that. As for Jack, she's been my closest friend since we were kids. It...wouldn't surprise me if she had feelings for me, would it?' He shrugged and looked up to watch the setting sun on the horizon. 'Ah, well, best not to dwell on it too much. I have to head back and grab some dinner. And then explain to Dom why I didn't get the roses.'

The next morning, the day before the play, Headmistress Gon invited all the students into the theater for a special ceremony. Legoshi was among the ten (eleven including Louise) members of the Drama Club put on stage to receive a 'prestigious award,' as Gon described it, and the wolf dreaded every moment of being in the spotlight. He sensed all eyes from the crowd on him, even though Louise was sure to be the center of attention. After all, she's Louise, Cherryton Academy's star student and Drama Club's lead actor. Legoshi didn't know how she could stand to do it all. She seemed so calm and collected while the wolf occasionally fidgeted with beads of sweat forming along his brow.

Once the chatter from the still-gathering crowd had died down, Headmistress Gon cleared her throat before giving the opening speech: "Students, Faculty, and Staff of Cherryton Academy. Thank you for joining me this morning for the most wondrous and significant moment in this school's history. Despite all the past few days' shortcomings, you have focused on what's most important to Cherryton and its mission. I'd like to commemorate the Drama Club and its members for breaking through the societal barriers and challenges placed on all species and coexisting as more than mere carnivores and herbivores for contributing to Cherryton's prosperity and thrivings. As a result, and a personal thank you on my behalf, I present to the Drama Club Cherryton's Honor Award. Louise, if you would be so kind as to come up and accept this prestigious prize."

A round of applause broke out in the auditorium as Louise moved from her spot in the lineup of Drama Club students and stood in front of the mature tigress. Moments later, the deer addressed the entire school, going on about 'coexistence' and 'co-prosperity' and how the Drama Club will continue to demonstrate those values on and off the stage. Legoshi admired how she moved the crowd into a standing ovation.

Later in the evening, after classes, Legoshi found himself on the balcony of the Drama Club room with Kai, the two of them adding some final touches to the lights. Kai was more than upset with Louise and her decision to take her off the actor's team, and the mongoose expressed her displeasure more than once. Legoshi found it mildly irritating, but he held his tongue to prevent further upsetting her. Instead, he listened to her as she let off some steam, the mongoose scoffing at Louise's words on 'co-prosperity' and calling it a joke. Afterward, Kai seemed to quickly calm down, which was both a relief and a mild surprise to Legoshi since she always had a bit of an explosive temper that went on for what felt like ages. But this didn't turn out to be the case this time.

As the two observed the dance team from above, Kai sighed, resting her head on her arms as she leaned on the balcony railing. "You know something funny, Legoshi?" she asked the wolf as he stood beside her. "In the time that I've been off the actor's team, I feel like I've mellowed out a bit."

"Hmm," Legoshi hummed, following the mongoose's lead and leaning against the balcony with his arms crossed over the railing. "That's good to hear."

Kai chuckled and looked at her large, lupine classmate, her tiny ears flicking cutely. "Sorry if I talked your ears off about my 'misfortunes.' I just needed to get it all off my chest. And I feel so relaxed now." She paused, becoming lost in thought for a brief moment before asking Legoshi, "Say, I was wondering, have you ever thought about joining the actor's team?"

"Me?" the wolf perked up, looking at the mongoose in surprise. "Acting? Never. Oh, hey. That light needs some adjusting."

Kai sighed and shook her head. "Well, in any case, you must've been pretty surprised when the advisor scouted you, right?"

"What?"

"You can only join this club if they've scouted you," Kai explained. "It's exclusive to those they consider worthy of representing the Drama Club."

"Mm, okay. But what do they judge you on?" Legoshi asked, fiddling with the spotlight's internals.

Kai chuckled. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you joined this club without knowing this stuff, right?"

Legoshi paused in his work and gave Kai a blank stare, which the mongoose returned with a perplexed expression of her own. "What, really? Okay, well, I'll give you some examples then, my fine, lupine friend." She turned and looked down at the dance floor, where the dance team and a couple of the actors, Bill and Tao, to be exact, were rehearsing for tomorrow night.

"See Sheila down there?" she asked, pointing at the leopard coordinating the dance team's choreography. "When she was fourteen, she worked as a dominatrix at a BDSM club to make ends meet." Then Kai gestured to Mina the giraffe and Moro the rhino, stating that the former can't look at her reflection because she has trypophobia, and the latter believes that the horn constantly in her vision is her guardian spirit. "As for me?" the mongoose continued, with Legoshi listening intently. "I'm an orphaned mongoose raised by a family of hyenas, which explains my temperament. And the list goes on and on. The Drama Club is a mixture of unusual characters. Only those with unique circumstances can join. The club operates off the general theme of exposing life and society for what they are."

Kai sighed, then turned to the wolf and said, "What about you, Legoshi? What quirk or secret got you into the Drama Club?"

"'What's my secret?'" Legoshi echoed, one of his ears flicking. He had a few secrets, none of which he was keen on revealing to Kai. Or anyone else, for that matter. The only exception was Jack since they'd been friends since childhood. As for his quirks? That was easy. Legoshi was a larger-than-average wolf who always downplayed himself and tried to be as small as possible. That and he ate a limited amount of veggies and fruit as part of his expansive diet, unlike most carnivores.

'If everyone here in Drama Club has a secret, does that mean Louise has one that she keeps to herself? Even a deer with a spotless reputation like hers?'

"Hello? Legoshi? You okay, bud?" Kai waved a hand before his face, snapping the wolf out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, Kai. I was just...thinking."

"About what?"

Legoshi shrugged as he moved to the ladder leading to the ground floor and descended it. "I should probably ask Louise what she thinks about my idea for the lighting on the final scene," he called up to the mongoose once on solid ground. "I'll go get changed first. I'll see you around, Kai." With that, he left the room and headed for the lockers. Kai watched him go, a wistful look on her face as she sighed heavily, leaning on the railing again.

"See ya, Legoshi," she murmured sadly.

---

'I've gotten by for years without facing the terrible truth about myself. Ever since I arrived here, no matter how hard I try to strengthen my frail, weak body, it always finds a way to revert back to its vulnerable state.' Louise grimaced as she sat on the office floor, an opened pack of medicinal gauze wraps discarded beside her. Then she looked up at Adler's mask on the table before her. It stared back at the doe as if taunting her, mocking her for trying to be more than just a deer, more than prey for a voracious carnivore. 'I don't want to hear it from anyone,' Louise growled internally. 'It's too late for them to tell me that my body isn't built to fight. I've known that since the moment I was born that my body is meant to be nothing more than prey.'

The sound of the office door opening snapped Louise out of her self-berating, and she looked up at the one who'd dared intrude on her domain. Only to find the pup from the art department. Legoshi, if she recalled correctly. He was also the one who tried to purposefully lose a fight in the cafeteria. The wolf is an enigma to everyone he interacts with, always keeping to himself, always hiding the beast he really is. Louise quickly gathered the empty gauze package, stuffed it into her front pocket, and shakily rose to her feet, glaring at the wolf as he entered the office and closed the door behind him, granting the two some privacy. 'And this idiot wolf has the gall to try and lessen himself. I'll show him. I'll show this stupid, handsome dog who and what I really am!' Her mind quickly did a double take, although she continued to glare at Legoshi while he stared back with a sense of nervousness in his eyes. 'Did I...? Did I really just say that? Ugh, no matter. What does he want anyway?'

Louise made her way across the room and sat down in her chair, her eyes on Legoshi the entire time. An awkward silence fell on the room until she broke it and spoke to the wolf in a stern tone. "I thought I told you to knock first?"

Legoshi gulped and stammered. "I-I did! It's just...I didn't hear a response. I was kind of worried for a second. Uh, how's your leg, by the way? I can...smell the sterile bandages you used."

Louise huffed as she crossed her legs over one another, resting her head in her hand. "It's fine. Like I said, it's just a little sore. Now, what is it you want? I'm very busy, you know."

"Oh! Uh, right. Um, I wanted to go over the final lighting setup for the closing scenes," Legoshi said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So you're the one in charge of that, hmm?"

"Y-yeah. Anyway, during yesterday's rehearsal, I focused one of the spotlights in a particular spot to add a more dramatic effect."

"I've noticed," Louise said flatly, her eyes focused on the wolf's hand movements as he talked.

"Did you...Did you like that better? Or...?" Legoshi gulped, shook his head and continued. "Eh, personally, I was thinking of adding some lingering air since it's the final scene." He sighed and shook his head, hunching further as he stared at his feet. "I don't know. I kinda wanted your opinion on it before I made my final decision."

"Your body constantly tries to assert itself any chance it gets," Louise said suddenly, narrowing her gaze at the wolf. "It's unsettling."

Legoshi stifled a yelp and hid his hands behind his back, prompting the deer to roll her eyes at him. "I-I-I'm sorry!" he stuttered, cowering from her. "I try to keep my claws trimmed short daily, but they keep growing sharper."

Louise abruptly rose to her feet and stalked towards the demure wolf, her gaze never leaving him. "So you're saying you can't resist it? Those feral instincts? You're struggling to keep them hidden from everyone, including yourself, is that it?" As she approached him, Legoshi promptly backed away from her until she reached out with her hand and pushed him against a wall. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while, Legoshi. Why don't you take responsibility for who you are? If you can't hide it completely, I'd rather you show me your true self."

"W-what?"

Louise ignored the poor wolf's protests and grabbed his neck with her free hand, leaving the other on his chest. "I'm telling you to show me your fangs, Legoshi," she said aggressively.

Legoshi gulped, swallowing back his growing unease. He stared at the deer pressing herself against him. "B-but, carnivores exposing their fangs to herbivores is forbidden and-"

"I'm not just another herbivore, you stupid wolf!" Louise shouted, cutting him off. "Don't hold back now, Legoshi. Large carnivores like you annoy me the most." She touched the wolf's muzzle and stroked it tenderly before prying it open and forcing the appendage inside his maw. "Quit pretending. Come at me with everything you've got. Go ahead, Legoshi. Bite me!" The wolf, unsure of what to do and whether or not she was being serious, stood there with her hand in his mouth.

However, Louise wouldn't have any of this and resorted to something more desperate to try and prove her point. "So, you won't, huh? Perhaps you need motivation? Or something else?" She chuckled sweetly, deviously.

The deer withdrew her hands from Legoshi, brought them to her top, and unbuttoned the blazer and shirt. She tossed the green blazer to the side, followed by her white shirt, revealing a black lace bra that struggled to contain her large breasts. "You like what you see?" Louise asked upon seeing the wolf's eyes fixated on her chest. "I'm sure you do. As I said, you only need a little motivation to bring out the beast inside you." She reached around her back, unhooked her bra strap, and let the underwear fall to the ground, revealing her bare breasts covered in brown fur and tipped with bright pink nipples. "Now, it's your turn."

"H-huh? Louise, what are you-mmf!"

Louise cut him off by smashing her lips against his in a fiery, one-sided kiss, shoving her tongue into his mouth and brushing it over his fangs. She pressed her buxom body against the struggling wolf, pinning him to the wall. Then she pulled away, leaving Legoshi gasping for breath. "Keep your mouth shut unless you want someone to walk in on us. Now, be still, will you? This next part requires all of my concentration." The wolf silently complied, letting the deer slide onto her knees, bringing her level with his crotch. She noted the sizable bulge tenting Legoshi's trousers with a smirk, tilting her head and looking the wolf in the eye. "And it seems you're packing quite a bit, Legoshi. But let's see for ourselves if you're a shower or a grower."

With that, Louise unbuckled Legoshi's belt, unbuttoned his pants, and pulled them to the floor, revealing a pair of blue and white-striped boxers. Louise felt her pulse quicken when she saw her prize just inches away, and she was giddy with excited anticipation. 'So close,' she thought, reaching up and hooking her fingers around the elastic waistband of Legoshi's underpants. 'I can almost-'

Smack!

After relieving the wolf of his boxers, Louise reeled back upon being smacked in the face. She glared up at him, believing him to have slapped her with his hands, but instead found a twelve-inch long, three-inch wide piece of angry red meat staring her in the face. The deer's eyes widened, pupils dilating, upon seeing Legoshi's impressive length bobbing up and down, the male's musky scent wafting into her nostrils and nearly making her lose control of herself. A drop of precum formed on the tip of his tapered penis, and Louise felt the irresistible urge to lick it clean. But the deer kept herself composed, refusing to lose her sense of mind while being faced with a cock that was possibly the length and width of her forearm, perhaps even longer. Louise wasn't doing this to help this virgin wolf get off; she was trying to prove a point to him, to get the wolf to lose control of his instincts and have him absolutely devour and ruin her.

Shaking her head, the deer looked up at Legoshi, whose face was locked in a horrified expression with beads of sweat matting the fur on his cheeks. The corners of his mouth were pulled down into a frown, and Louise could barely make out the faintest hint of his fangs peeking past his jowls. She grinned inwardly, knowing that Legoshi was now at the breaking point. Or close to it. Either way, she would show him she wasn't a weak herbivore. And if it had to be done with 'death by wolf dick,' then so be it.

Wrapping her delicate fingers around the base of his length and drawing a sharp gasp - followed by a soft, near-inaudible moan - from the wolf, Louise kept her eyes locked on Legoshi's as she brought her lips to the tapered tip. She extended her tongue and licked the building drop of pre from it, which prompted Legoshi to let out a low whine and slightly buck his hips forward. Louise hummed, licking her lips and savoring the salty aftertaste from what she guessed was nothing more than a tiny portion of what would come next. At this point, the office began to grow warm, making the two mammals feel slightly uncomfortable in the rising humidity caused by their combined body heat. But Louise ignored her discomfort and focused on the task at hand.

Opening her mouth, Louise slipped the first inch or so of Legoshi's dick inside, wrapping her lithe, flexible cervid tongue around it once, twice, and coating the hot, slightly salty piece of flesh in her saliva. Legoshi whined again, louder this time, and dug his claws into the wall he was leaning against. Louise grinned as she closed her mouth around the wolf's length, taking in more of him inch by agonizing inch until the tip tickled the back of her throat. She glanced briefly to see her progress, only to have her eyes widened when the deer saw that she was barely halfway there. She could even see the base starting to swell with each passing second. 'Fuck. He's bigger than I thought. I don't think I'll be able to fit all of him inside my-'

"Grrk!" Louise gagged when Legoshi suddenly grabbed both of her antlers and thrust his hips forward, tilting her head back and shoving the rest of the eleven inches into the deer's mouth and down her throat until her lips kissed his growing knot. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to breathe, the deer having bitten off more than she could chew. She slapped Legoshi's thighs repeatedly, letting out strangled, muffled sounds of protest and pleas for air. The wolf took a moment to come to his senses before noticing Louise slowly turning blue, and he withdrew the deer from his crotch, his cock slipping out of her mouth with a loud, wet pop. Louise gasped and coughed several times, catching her breath before glaring up at the Legoshi.

"You idiot!" she hissed, keeping her voice down lest they draw unwanted attention from outside the office. "At least warn me before you shove that monster into my face!" She swallowed, wincing at the slight soreness present in her throat. "You could've killed me, Legoshi."

The wolf became a sputtering mess, which was embarrassing for Louise to watch, especially when he was currently bottomless with his giant dick pointed at her face and hands still wrapped around her antlers. "I-I-I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself. It just felt too...too good. We should probably stop before-"

"No!" Louise said sternly, grabbing Legoshi's cock at the base of his knot and bringing the tip to her lips. "We're too far ahead now, Pup. There's no turning back now. So," she smirked up at him, chocolate eyes shining lustfully. "Let's try this again, shall we? But go slower this time."

Legoshi gulped and nodded, still in disbelief that this was really happening. He'd never done anything sexual before except masturbating. But the wolf wasn't clueless when it came to sex itself. After all, he had 'The Talk' with his mom, which was the most embarrassing ordeal he'd ever gone through. But, at least he had some general knowledge, enough to know what he was doing and not screw things up, hopefully.

Loosening his vice grip on Louise's antlers, Legoshi pushed his hips forward, gasping and moaning as the deer wrapped her mouth around his sizable length and slowly took him in. Since it was at a manageable pace without any sudden or hidden surprises, Louise could take Legoshi all the way up to his knot again, controlling her breathing and gag reflex to prevent her previous mistake. She closed her eyes and hummed, savoring the size and taste of the wolf's currently buried balls deep in her mouth. Speaking of which, the deer reached out with her free hand and cupped the hefty, furry orbs the size of her fist. An excited shiver ran up her spine as she pictured them in her mind's eye, churning and swirling with gallons of fertile wolf seed waiting to be spilled into her.

Louise opened her eyes and looked up when she felt Legoshi pull back until only his tip remained lodged in the vacuum-tight seal of her mouth. Then, he pushed forward and slowly repeated the process until he built a steady rhythm she could handle. The deer relinquished her hold on Leoghi's balls and slid the hand down past one of her breasts before it slipped into her pants between her legs. She slid a couple of fingers inside her soaking-wet entrance and rubbed vigorously. Louise moaned and closed her eyes once more, her mind becoming lost in bliss as she fingered herself getting facefucked by Legoshi. She forgot everything she was doing before this moment, but the deer couldn't care any less. Right now, all Louise wanted was this hung, well-endowed wolf to drain his balls into her stomach to make his first blowjob memorable.

Moans and whimpers came from the two as they filled the office with sounds of their oral lovemaking, with Louise slurping and slobbering all over Legoshi's cock while his heavy, cum-laden balls smacked underneath her chin every time he thrust forward. The wolf whimpered and panted, hands wrapped around the base of Louise's antlers in a vice-like grip, using them as leverage for his thrusting. The pleasure was unlike anything he'd felt before, even whenever he masturbated as a young teen. He could feel the familiar pressure building in his loins, and he was surprised that it'd arrived sooner than expected. Legoshi quickened his pace, forcing louder moans from the female deer as he neared his climax. As for Louise, she too was about to reach the finish line; the three fingers lodged inside her soaked, swollen pussy found her g-spot and worked overtime to bring her closer to an orgasm.

Her throat was becoming sore from the abuse inflicted by the massive intruder she so willingly welcomed with open arms (and mouth), but Louise didn't care. She wanted it all, including the enormous knot pressing against her lips. A previous doubt about whether or not she could take it all resurfaced in Louise's mind. But she quickly dismissed it and braced herself for the inevitable. The female deer raised her voice, signaling that she was drawing closer to the end, and Legoshi mirrored it in return. With one final thrust, everything came to an end.

Legoshi growled as he slammed his hips forward one last time, pressing his knot against Louise's tight lips as hard as he could until the seal finally gave way. Louise gasped through her nose, feeling her lips parted by the wolf's swollen appendage and locking her face to his hips. A brief moment later, she felt his seed surging through his rod several times before it exploded down her throat and into her stomach. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as a muffled scream ripped from her obstructed throat, the female deer's orgasm shooting through her body. Her soaked pussy clenched rhythmically around the fingers buried inside, and she had no doubt her pants were now ruined. But that would be the least of her worries.

Rope after rope of thick, voluminous wolf cum poured into Louise's stomach as she gulped it down greedily, filling her to the brim within seconds. Her belly expanded outward with an eerie gurgle, the deer moaning as she felt herself stretched to the limit. Eventually, her stomach couldn't handle it anymore, and the substance pooling inside backed up into her esophagus and out of her nose and mouth, spilling out onto Legoshi's crotch and the carpeted floor below.

When it was finally over, Legoshi pulled his hips back with a guttural growl, withdrawing his engorged member from Louise's mouth until it popped free and leaked more of his essence onto the office floor. Louise gasped for air, occasionally choking on and coughing up the wolf's cum. She removed the hand lodged between her thighs and brought it to rest on her buxom, cum-covered bosom and used the other to wipe her face clear of the stuff. She looked at Legoshi with a half-lidded gaze, watching the wolf come down from his explosive high.

"Well," Louise croaked, her throat, mouth, and tongue sore from the abuse it received from Legoshi's monster. "That was...certainly something, wasn't it, Legoshi?" The wolf could only whine as his body flushed the dopamine out of his system. She chuckled at his winded state, only to frown upon seeing that she was no better. Her entire body was coated in a layer of hot, sticky wolf cum, and her belly bloated from all she could swallow. Louise mentally noted that wolves, Legoshi especially, were very productive animals for the next time this happened...if there was a next time. She highly doubted that, considering how shy and awkward Legoshi was. He barely took the initiative during this little tryst until Louise told him to.

The deer huffed and shook her head, wincing slightly when the movement jostled her cum-filled belly. "I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did, Pup. I must say, I am impressed. Now, let's get this mess cleaned up and-"

"You...want to know why...I fight it?" Legoshi said, cutting her off mid-sentence. Louise stared at the wolf, genuinely curious to hear what he had to say. The wolf sat up straight, his flaccid member still dripping with a mix of Louise's spit and Legoshi's cum as it draped over one of his legs. "I...I need to pretend." He paused and swallowed before continuing. "Since there is no denying that wolves are strong." Legoshi then looked the disheveled deer in the eyes. "But you? You're different."

"How so?" Louise couldn't help but ask. "How am I different, Legoshi?"

"It means something to me, and everyone else, that you're also as strong, Louise," Legoshi replied. "Tomorrow, everyone is coming to see that part of you; to see your pure strength."

Louise's eyes widened at the wolf's words. "You...you really mean that?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "That I'm almost as strong as you? A carnivore? Even though I'm a frail, fragile herbivore with nothing more to her name than money and looks?"

"You're far from fragile, Louise," Legoshi said, shifting around until he was kneeling and putting his hands on the deer's bare shoulders. "From what I've seen in the short time I've been in this club, you're strong. You refuse to conform to society's standards of 'weak herbivore' and 'strong carnivore.' It's what makes you the prime candidate to be the next Beastar, after all." He offered a shy smile, a blush dusting his cheeks. "It's inspiring to see you up on the stage and giving it your all regardless of what some may say or think otherwise of you."

Louise smirked and reached out to touch Legoshi's face. "I wasn't expecting to hear that from you, Pup. You certainly have a way with words. How come you're not on the actor's team?"

Legoshi shrugged, removing his hands from her shoulders. "I don't like being out in the spotlight all that much. Plus, I easily get stage fright. It's been a thing of mine since I was a kid."

"Hmm," Louise hummed thoughtfully, stroking the wolf's cheek. "Well, in any case, I appreciate your kind words." She leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his lips before pulling back and saying, "Now, could you help me clean this mess? We can't exactly let everyone know what happened here."

The flustered wolf blushed as he nodded. "Oh! Uh, yeah. Sure."

The clean-up was daunting, with a sizable portion of the floor and Louise's upper body having been glazed in Legoshi's voluminous load. But it was manageable, as the wolf could leave and return to the office with practical impunity. And if he was ever stopped by another club member, he'd reply that Louise spilled some expensive perfume on the floor and herself and that she needed numerous cleaning supplies and a change of clothes. Fortunately, Bill and a couple of the larger carnivores had long gone, so Legoshi wouldn't have to worry about their keen sense of smell picking up on his and Louise's 'activities.' Once the floor was cleaned to the best of their ability, and the office was aired out to clear the scent of sex, the PA sounded, and a female student announced that it was biology hour.

Louise dismissed Legoshi with another chaste kiss on the lips and a teasing grab of his crotch, but not before giving her input on his idea about the lights. She gave him the green light for it, which drew a smile and a faint wag of the wolf's tail, making the female deer feel warm inside. Or perhaps that was the cum that had pooled in her stomach?

Louise sighed once Legoshi exited the office, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone again. She looked down at her swollen belly, full and sloshing about with Legoshi's cum. 'Damn wolf,' she mused softly. 'I feel like I just ate several full-course meals. If we did the deed, there'd be no doubt I'd end up pregnant with his pups.' A slight tinge of excitement shot up her spine at the thought, which disgusted the female deer for even thinking it in the first place. And yet, despite that, she couldn't keep herself from smiling as she rubbed her stomach tenderly.

'Damn you, Legoshi. You dumb, adorable fucking wolf.'

---

"Do you really think rabbits live on the moon?" the wolfess beside him asked, looking up at the faux-moon hanging from the ceiling. Another wolf to his right replied, "How are they supposed to breathe up there?"

Legoshi resisted the urge to chuff in amusement. 'How indeed?' He looked up at the giant lamp that resembled the moon for the wolf habitat room. His thoughts drifted to the very eventful past couple of days. First, when he told Els about how Tem had a crush on her, she kissed him after a long, heartfelt talk about how he shouldn't listen to what everyone else says and that the wolf shouldn't be just that. Second, he nearly devoured Els and a rabbit named Haru because he gave in to his repressed instincts. Third, Haru, the 'school whore,' tried to seduce him because she thought he wanted to do it with her when all he actually wanted was to get some flowers. Then Louise, star student of Cherryton Academy, lead actor of the Drama Club, and candidate for the next Beastar, gave him a blowjob in her office with the other members none the wiser. Legoshi wondered if he was having an adverse effect on the herbivore students at Cherryton, particularly the females, that made them want to do these things to him.

The moments spent with Haru and Louise were the first time he had been seen and treated as a male animal. Legoshi didn't know how to feel about that. He also wondered if what he told Louise was true, that he wasn't just a monster lurking in the darkness of shadows. He was just another mammal, a member of the Canidae family. Legoshi rose to his feet and glanced at a mirror to his right. 'And on top of all that, I'm a male wolf.'

He later found himself outside watching the sunset once more, humming a soft tune his mother would sing to him as a pup. 'What is this emotion I'm feeling?' Legoshi asked himself. 'I feel as if...I saw a glimpse of myself in a brighter place and felt the drive to move forward.' The humming stopped when he felt something else, and the wolf checked over his shoulder. 'Of course...I'm feeling...happy.' He turned back to the stunning scenery before him, a toothless smile spreading across his lupine lips. 'I...I want to see Haru again. Maybe talk to Els, as well. Try to get to know her and Haru better. As for Louise? Well...'

His tail started to wag faster, faintly swishing through the air, as his mind turned to the beautiful antlered doe that fought so hard to break societal norms, a woman who inspired many, including Legoshi. 'I don't know. It was such a strange and pleasant experience, to say the least. I...I kind of want to do it again. But, would she even allow that?'

---

The next day...

Cherryton Academy Auditorium

Louise's Greenroom

'Failure...isn't an option.' Louise stood in front of the mirror, clad in her Adler costume, and her face locked in determination. The outfit was somewhat revealing, tailored to fit the antlered doe's large bust and curvaceous figure. The pants were a little tight on the rear, while the top - although partially obscured by the cloak she wore - betrayed a fair amount of her cleavage. But Louise didn't care about that; she knew she was a looker and the costume would bring some attention to her scandalous, sexy body. What the doe cared about was the play and how the new students - the ones who had never seen it before - would be moved and affected by her performance today.

'Failure at this stage means death.' She stepped forward, only to stumble when an audible crack came from her left foot. Louise hissed and grimaced at the pain shooting up her leg. 'I'll have to go to the hospital after today and tomorrow's performance. I'm already used to the pressure, so what's a couple more days?' The deer straightened herself and held her head high. 'I won't give any indication to the audience.' Her gaze drifted to an old photograph taken a year prior, and she felt a slight pang in her chest when she saw Tem in the bottom right. But she pushed it aside and redirected her attention to the mirror, glaring at her reflection. One animal, one single animal; there's only one I can trust, and that's me.'

Behind the scenes, Louise paced up and down the row of actors and dancers lined up on either side of her. "Beyond those curtains," she began, her eyes searching the stoic faces of her fellow club mates. "New students who have never experienced our performance before are eagerly waiting with great expectations. And don't worry. Just do it how you've always done. Our past rehearsals, especially yesterday's, went quite well." 'Who am I kidding? It was fucking laughable. It's like I'm the only one pulling my weight here.' "Despite the incident, the solidarity of this club remains as strong as ever." 'Solidarity is no longer needed; I'm here. That is all that matters.' "This club is special. Out there on that stage, we can represent and portray all species, each working together as a single unit, right?" 'Devote yourselves...to me!'

A chorus of agreement rose from behind her, solidifying Louise's resolve and commitment to the play. 'Good,' she thought. 'No one's going to get in my way, then. This is my battle, my fight. No one else's.' Her gaze drifted to the catwalks above, and she spotted Legoshi manning one of the spotlights. 'I'll see you soon, my dear wolf.'

---

The crowd erupted into a credulous applause. They'd never seen anything quite like it. And Louise, the buxom, antlered doe, was absolutely stunning, and her performance spectacular. It was all the future Beastar would have wished for. Except for one thing. An outlier that nearly jeopardized everything: Louise's left leg. The pain had become too much for her, and the deer collapsed shortly after the curtain lowered. Everyone crowded around her, their voices of shock and concern. Chief among them was Legoshi, who carried Louise to the infirmary to be treated.

That was a shock to everyone. Usually, Legoshi lurked in the shadows, operating from behind the scenes. But for him to finally come out into the light and care for Louise of all people, it was strange to see. But no one said anything. They were more concerned about how and why Louise collapsed.

Around eight o'clock in the evening, the deer finally regained consciousness. Louise shot up suddenly, only to regret it as a migraine assaulted her head. Everyone around her expressed relief and gratitude that she was generally healthy. However, Louise didn't care about their worries for her. She wanted to know what happened post-performance about the audience. Sanu filled in the details:

"D-don't worry, Louise," he said, pushing his glasses up his bill. "You collapsed shortly after curtain fall. No one except us saw a thing."

Louise grunted, putting a hand under her chin. "That's...acceptable, I guess."

Then Bill opened his mouth and broke the ice. "On a side note, it's eight at night, and according to the docs, you broke your left leg. You won't be able to make it to tomorrow's performance."

"Bill!" Sanu snapped, forcing the tiger to put his hands up defensively. "Please!"

"What? What's the point of hiding the truth? Especially from Louise?"

Sanu sighed. "Yes, but even so."

As the other members broke into discussion, ranging from concerns about tomorrow's performance to either complimenting/fawning over Louise's health and her ability to perform today on a broken leg, the latter of which stirred a sliver of fury within the female deer. 'What...what is all of this? This...pity? It's pathetic. All of them are pathetic.'

"So," Louise began slowly. "Because I broke my leg, I'm helpless. Is that it?"

"N-no!" Sanu stammered. "That's not-"

"Doesn't matter, then," Louise dismissed him with a wave. "As for tomorrow's performance and who'll be replacing me..." She looked at Bill and said, "Bill, you'll be my replacement. For tomorrow's show, you'll play as Adler. Understood?"

The tiger sputtered, going through a wide range of emotions. While Louise left Bill to process this new information, she turned her gaze to Legoshi and said, "Pup, I wish to speak with you alone." She eyed the others in the room and motioned with a slight jerk of her head. "Everyone else, out. Please." They obeyed without another word, leaving Louise and Legoshi alone together. Once they had the room to themselves, the female deer turned to Legoshi and said, "Legoshi, I'd like to apologize for what happened in my office yesterday. It was..." She trailed off and looked away, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "Unprofessional to do such a thing, especially to a carnivore of all people." She quickly looked Legoshi in the eyes with a bit of panic in her own eyes. "Not that I have anything against you in regards to that. It's just...well, carnivore/herbivore couples aren't exactly welcome in our world. And to engage in anything with you would ruin my image here at school should we be discovered - let alone my father disowning me if he also found out."

"So," Legoshi began, taking her prolonged silence as a sign to finally speak up. "What...what do we do now?"

Louise sighed through her nose, closing her eyes. "We limit our interactions with each other as much as possible. However, I will occasionally request your assistance in satisfying my physical needs and yours. But," she looked up and gave him a stern glare. "You will not tellanyone about us, understand?"

Legoshi faltered under her intense gaze and nodded vigorously. "Y-yep! I understand completely. But, uh, I thought you didn't want to do that again?"

Louise tilted her head slightly. "I never said anything of the sort, Legoshi. As for tomorrow's show, we need someone to replace Bill, as he'll be taking my role, as you know."

"But who are you going to-"

"You, Legoshi. You will be Bill's replacement."

Legoshi froze, his eyes wide. 'She...she can't be serious, right? That's...I don't want to be on stage in front of a crowd like that!' "You...you don't really mean that, do you? I mean, I'm not all that familiar with the stage play. I just handle the lights."

Louise rolled her eyes. "Do I need to motivate you again?"

That shut the wolf up, and he conceded with a little whine. "O-okay, fine. I'll...I'll take over for Bill. Is there anything else you need from me?"

"Yes, a kiss," Louise stated bluntly, a smug smile across her lips. Legoshi gulped as he walked over to her bedside, leaned over her, and brought his muzzle close to hers. Louise took the initiative by wrapping her arms around Legoshi's neck and smashing her lips against his in a fiery passion. The male wolf and female deer played tongue twister for almost a full minute straight before they needed air, and they broke the kiss with a loud gasp from the two of them. Louise chuckled as she ran her fingers all over Legoshi's facial fur, her eyes held in a half-lidded gaze.

"G-good boy, Legoshi," she purred. The wolf shivered at her words, and his tail wagged furiously. "Now, get out, lest I lose all control of myself and make you breed me full of your puppies, understood?"

Legoshi nodded and broke away from the amorous deer, making a break for the door. With a loud slam, he left Louise by herself. Once alone, she immediately started slapping herself, cursing under her breath repeatedly. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Why am I like this? I shouldn't feel this way for some stupid, insignificant wolf! Let alone one that eats vegetables and fruit like he's some closeted herbivore! He's a carnivore! A predator who eats meat! Gah! Stupid wolf and his stupid, large tasty dick! Stupid, fucking...' She reached behind her, grabbed the pillow, and screamed into it.