"Maxie, why are you upset again?" Kaiden groans in annoyance.
"You broke my precious headphones. Who wouldn't get upset about that?" I huffed as I sped up on walking. I can't believe I easily forgot that yesterday. We spend the whole day me teaching Kaiden to play guitar, and I admit that we had fun, but I realized now that I can't use my headphones in listening to songs on my phone. "I need to find someone to repair it or I should find a new one."
"Well, I'm sorry but we don't really have those in here. I thought it was your collar or something."
"Those are headphones!" I pouted angrily.
Kaiden and I are currently walking to his friend's house, Tabi. He says that he's a fox-man who's specialized in playing drums in a band called "Rock Beasts". And Kaiden told me that he would join the band if he's finally a professional guitarist. It was his dream to join a band that would create incredible music and be known throughout the world.
There's one thing I didn't like about that though; he doesn't want Arjo to know. He told me that his big brother wouldn't approve; that he will try to lock him up in the house because of his sickness. His small freedom will be taken away for the sake of his precious life.
I don't really notice the symptoms of his heart disease, but I should still worry like his brother. I was reluctant to agree with his plan, but then I feel like the slave contract also bound me to not disagree with my masters. It's kinda cruel that Arjo didn't remove it, but I have no choice right now but to keep my eyes on to Kaiden.
I suddenly felt warmth on my side. Kaiden clung to my arm with a sigh, his face was frowning. I think he noticed my worry for him than my irritation for my broken headphones, and I smiled softly. "You okay, Kai?"
"I should be the one asking that, Maxie."
I chuckled. "I'm fine. Just tell me if you're feeling bad or something."
"I'm not a fragile baby." Kaiden plucked a fur from my arm and I yelped.
'Damn, that hurts!' I shot him a glare but didn't push him away from me.
Somehow, I think of Kaiden as a younger brother that I never had in my life. Well, I have Cher that sometimes act childish, but she's only my best friend. I don't remember much of my childhood, but I wish I had a brother as sweet as Kaiden.
'But if Kaiden would be my brother, then Arjo would be my brother too?!' Fuck, that's not cool. Anything but incest! Ugh…
By the way, Arjo didn't come home yesterday from work. Kaiden told me that it usually happens; his brother was a hardworking person after all. He would do anything for them to survive. And I'm admiring Arjo more as I keep learning more good things about him.
While walking, I noticed that there were different kinds of beastmen around. Dogs, cats, foxes, and many more felines and canines. They seem to do things like normal humans in my world would do. Except maybe everyone seems to live in an old era or something; there were only carriages and no cars can be seen around. It's so hard to believe that I'm in this kind of world, and I'm a slave to a wolf-man too! I'm not joking with that latter part.
"Have you heard of the news?" I suddenly overheard two felines talking.
"No, what was it?"
"Something about the-!"
I couldn't quite hear the next part that he said because Kaiden suddenly pulled me towards a swarming crowd of beastmen.
"H-Hey! Why are we even going there?!" I panickily asked.
"Just come on! Rock Beasts are performing live today, and I didn't even know it!" Kaiden was too ecstatic that he forced himself through the crowd.
We bumped here and there, and I think my wolf-man nose even caught some weird sweaty scents. It was a big eww; I never thought my senses would be enhanced too. Oh, just the stinking smell of musky sweat of a man is not my thing! And to think that most beastmen here are shirtless. This isn't a paradise even when they're all hunky boys!
Or at least an exception to Arjo, hehe… But still!
'I wonder why Kaiden isn't suffocated until now…' The young wolf-man still keeps pulling me to the center of the crowd.
And while we were steering clear through the crowd, my ears caught a strum of a guitar. It sounded acoustic but I could tell that it was also electric too. Maybe it was a plugged acoustic guitar? I'm not sure…
The moment Kaiden and I finally got out of the crowd, I was surprised to find three stunning beastmen with their respective instruments. I easily spot Tabi; he seems to be the slim fox-man with his drums. And his drum set, despite not modern-looking, still seems unique in its own wood-based design. Then, there was a big white tiger-man playing a four-stringed guitar; I could tell that it's an acoustic bass. But the one who totally stood out was another tiger-man but he has the common orange fur. He holds and plays the regular acoustic guitar, and damn it was loud but cool for an acoustic guitar.
But the guitar wasn't the only one that I noticed from him. He isn't shirtless like his other co-members, but his clothing that revealed his abs made something in my mind click. Noticing everything from his familiar clothing to his body and facial features…
'Is that… Lin Hu?!' My mind was blown away. I can't believe what I'm seeing right now. This tiger-man definitely looks like one of the major cat hunks in the visual novel called "Nekojishi"! 'How is this possible?!'
"Hey!" I hear Kaiden shouting, making me snap out of my bewilderment. "Don't stare at Gero like that. You're only supposed to do that to my big brother Arjo."
My face blushed in fifty shades of red as I glared at the little laughing shit. And I also can't believe that Kaiden even likes me to be with his brother. I thought he was just bluffing yesterday, but I think he's getting more annoying than making me happy that he indeed approves of the fact that I like his brother more than a slave should.
Okay, back to the tiger-man that looks like Lin Hu. 'So, his name is Gero?' It's the second time that I found someone who looks like the very same furry from the furry visual novels that I've been reading. And I'm feeling that this one is just a mere coincidence too.
If you're asking who's the first one, it's actually Arjo. Doesn't he look like Amicus from "Adastra"? But I think he just merely looks like him; Arjo doesn't seem to be an emperor material, haha!
My thoughts popped when I heard the band started playing a familiar song. It's so familiar that I think it's actually a song from my own world. And the crowd started hollering from excitement, even Kaiden too.
They told him don't you ever come around here
Don't want to see your face, you better disappear
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it
Oh. My. Goodness. 'Gero's singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It"?!' And his voice is off the hook! He's the epitome of rock n roll right now! I think I'm in love right now!
"Don't you dare fall in love with other people!"
'H-How the hell did he what I'm thinking?!' I flinched at Kaiden's stern remark. "Y-Yes, s-sir…" 'Fuck this slave shit…' I secretly glared at the laughing young wolf.
You better run, you better do what you can
Don't want to see no blood, don't be a macho man
You want to be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
The band seems to be playing an interlude, but I didn't expect that Gero the orange tiger-man suddenly gazed at me with a smirk. Oh, he looks so cool right now…
"You there, blue wolf!"
His voice snapped me out of my daydreaming. "W-What…? Me?!" I asked nervously and pointed at myself. There's no way he would notice me.
"Yes, you!" Gero chuckles. "Can you sing with me?"
…
…
'YEOWCH!' I yelped from the sudden pinching of my side by Kaiden. I would've glared at him for doing that, but he had a deadlier glare that made me want to whimper. I think he's upset that Gero picked me. "S-Sorry, Kai. I-I can refuse if want-!"
"You can go."
I was shocked. "What?"
"I said you can go, goofhead! Just make sure you get them to join me to their band!" Kaiden grins as he pushed me to the band.
I was really nervous. It's like I've never been in front of the crowd, which isn't really true. I'm a famous sensation in my world, but now I'm just a regular looking wolf-man who's been enslaved by a hunky wolf-man. Would people still react the same to my performance just like the people in my world did the first time I posted my first video?
'God, this feels totally familiar…' I smiled to myself as I started to sing with some confidence. It was awkward at first because there's no microphone, but I totally got the hang of it.
They're out to get you, better leave while you can
Don't want to be a boy, you want to be a man
You want to stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it
"You sing great, man!" Gero compliments. I blushed, then he started singing with me. We were like two rock n roll kings with our voices in amazing sync.
You have to show them that you're really not scared
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
They'll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they'll tell you it's fair
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
The crowd went crazy. Kaiden was whistle-calling me, and I grinned at him. Gero was doing some wild fingerstyle moves with his guitar, and I just watched him be cool and all. He was the center of attention.
'He's really amazing…' I thought.
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
"Just beat it!" Gero shouts at the end of the song, and the crowd went wild once again.
This tiger seriously got the presence of a true rock star. He does look like Lin Hu of Nekojishi, but I guess he's not really him. Gero is unique in his own way, and I can't help but admire him.
And of course, I'm trying to like him too much. Kaiden would kill me with pinches if I do so. I need to stay loyal to Arjo, and I won't waste his younger brother's support for me to get his heart!
'I wonder what's Arjo up to now…' I can't help but wonder.
~~~~~~~~~~
"What would I do now…?" Arjo asked himself and sighs. Sitting on the nearest big rock, he thinks as hard as he can for his next plan. But in a few moments of thinking, he groans and surrenders in defeat. "Ugh… Kaiden's right. I'm not a good thinker…"
That's not his main problem, actually. He just recently lost his job as a lumberjack in Dante's lumbermill.
It was the only stable and good-paying job that he had in many years, but the existence of magic tools changed that all of a sudden. There were emerging mini-lumbermill machines from the market that could instantly turn a whole tree into lumber without strength effort. Though Dante's business demands didn't budge despite the ordeal, it didn't last long and the mini-lumbermill machines began creating higher quality and a greater quantity of lumber than an actual lumbermill business.
So now, it seems that Arjo would be going home with bad news. And Kaiden was expecting him to bring home a badger burger every Friday, which today happens to be that day. He has no money on his pockets anymore, and it would be sad to see Kaiden's disappointed face.
"Argh… Why does Dante have to give up?!" He throws a rock as far as possible at the lake. This day is really infuriating to him.
If only there's another way to earn enough money to buy Kaiden's favorite burger. That's his goal for now; his brother wouldn't suspect him being jobless when he gets home…
…
…
…
"… I got it." He huffs a breath and stood up. He finally had a plan.
But despite having a possible idea to gain money, it was definitely not something that he would like to do. Arjo's fists clenched as he slowly burrowed the pride in the deepest part of him. 'I have to promise myself not to tell this to Kaiden… It's for his sake…' Because if he knows what he's about to do, his brother would surely change the way he looks up to him. He would hate him, despise him for eternity. And the worse part; Kaiden's heart disease might not take it softly.
With his pride temporarily gone and a new type of determination surging within him, he takes one last sigh before going to the direction of Orbo's hut.