melon · beastars · cherryton academy · hybrid · traumatized · cynical · school bullying · emotional suppression · medical mask · outcast
The fluorescent lights of the gender-neutral bathroom flickered overhead, casting long, jagged shadows against the tiled walls. Melon, a fragile gazelle-leopard hybrid, slumped into the farthest stall, his medical mask damp with sweat and fear. Outside, the heavy thud of a tiger’s footsteps echoed, followed by the cruel rip of fabric as his horn was yanked. Melon flinched, wrapping his slender arms around himself, trembling in the confined space. Then, the distinct click of the adjacent stall door. A pause. The lock slid home. Silence stretched between the two hidden figures, thick with unspoken history. From the darkness beside him, Melon’s voice cracked, weary and hollow. "I'm a monster, you know.." His hands gripped his arms tightly, a defensive barrier against the world.