"Punish Me," Said the Fox, Begging.

I was rescued by a Fox Beastman.
More accurately, a Fox Beastman who was having a very, very bad day.
The fox who d just completed my adoption paperwork was pinching my collar between his fingers, a deep frown etched between his perfect brows. He intended to give me a bath.
I was fighting for my life.
Frustrated, he pulled out his phone and posted a plea for help. "The little human I'm keeping is violently opposed to bathing. What do I do?"
One of the replies stood out. "These humans are absolute deviants for attractive Beastmen. Just get naked and get in the tub. She'll follow."
The Fox Beastman considered this for a moment, then chose to strip. Completely.
The Beastman who adopted me was a melancholy fox.
Or so he claimed.
I was actually going to kill myself that day, he d told me, his voice a low, tragic murmur. But then I found you.
You were covered in blood, clutching some& suspicious-looking food item, and you looked so lost. You even tried to take a bite.
I just couldn't stand it.
It was too filthy.
I figured, before I die, I could at least throw that thing away. And wash you.
Make you less of an eyesore.
And so, the fox took me home.
Looking back on that day, it all felt absurd.
Who would have thought this impossibly refined, distant-looking fox was secretly into self-pity theater?
The neatly healed scars on his wrist were stark, angry lines.
He saw me staring and silently pulled his long sleeve down. Don t look. They re ugly.
Once I get you cleaned up and find you a proper keeper, I ll send you away.

Without hesitation, I nodded.
The fox suddenly looked unhappy, his gaze fixed on me, silent.
I was brutally honest, pointing to his scarred wrist. You don t even value your own life. I can t expect you to value mine.
If I really stayed with you, I d probably end up miserable.
The fox was furious.
His face a mask of cold fury, he took his anger out on a cutting board, the chopper slamming down with thunderous rhythm. A few minutes later, he presented me with a plate of human food that looked and smelled divine.
I knew better than to poke the bear. I ate in silence.
On the other side of the table, the fox was so mad the tips of his ears were trembling.
You ate my food.
I didn t even look up. You picked me up. You re responsible.
I didn t understand why his moods were so volatile.
The first night, I sensibly curled up on the sofa and slept soundly.
In the middle of the night, the fox shook me awake, dark circles under his eyes.
Did you drug me? Why can t I sleep?
He claimed that every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the pathetic image of me curled up on the sofa.
I was baffled.
What does your insomnia have to do with me?
The fox just stared at me for a long moment.
Then, he suddenly opened his arms, pulled me into a tight hug, and buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply.
He took the opportunity to carry me to the bed in his room. I struggled.
You re a pervert!

You said it yourself at dinner, I m not allowed in your private space. What are you doing?!
The fox clamped a hand over my mouth. I changed my mind.
He then rested his chin on my shoulder and closed his eyes.
A moment later, the soft, steady sound of his breathing told me he was asleep.
I lay there numbly, letting him hold me, staring at the ceiling.
I m so done with this&
Foxes, I decided, were utterly untrustworthy.
I had crash-landed in this Beastman world a week ago.
At the time, I knew nothing, just staring up dumbly at the Blade Runner-esque skyscrapers.
I was even still clutching a freshly made breakfast burrito.
After a two-second debate, I decisively walked over to a nearby planter, planning to finish my breakfast before tackling serious questions like *where the hell am I?*
My last memory was a blurry one of crossing the street on a green light and getting hit by& something.
The moment I sat down, something tight wrapped around my waist.
Don t eat that. It s dirty.
A cool, calm voice spoke next to my ear, and a furry head nudged my neck.
A& feral human?
Hmm. Smells like a little human.
He sniffed me again, then casually tossed my breakfast burrito into a nearby trash can.
On pure instinct, I swung. My hand connected with his cheek, snapping his head to the side.
Are you insane?! I thrashed against the restraint around my waist, looking down to see a fluffy, white tail.
The man with two fox ears on his head narrowed his eyes, then raised a hand to his own face as if savoring the sting.

And then.
He tilted his head, offering me the other cheek.
I froze, my hand reaching out to touch his twitching ears.
They were warm, and they moved. Held up to the light, I could almost see the pink flush of blood.
I blinked, my gaze falling to my own hands, which were caked in dried blood.
My brain suddenly flashed with the image of me, burrito in hand, flying through the air after being hit by a car.
My eyes rolled back, and I passed out.
The last thing I heard was the man s panicked shout: Little human, don t you die on me !
Damn it. I must have worked myself to death.
To be seeing a fox in a man& this was just too weird.
The Fox Beastman took me to a hospital for a check-up.
Originally, the fox had warned me that once the blood was cleaned off, he d find me a keeper and send me away.
I saw the scars on his wrist and calmly agreed.
But after one night&
The fox filed for human adoption papers.
And just like that, I was adopted by a Fox Beastman, officially a member of his household.
After a night of contemplation, the fox decided not to die, for now.
He led me home, putting on a cool, detached act. Do you have a name? Should I give you one? he asked, trying to sound casual.
Do you prefer Sweetheart, or my Little Human?
How was this any different from a human cooing Here, kitty kitty at a stray?
I wore a look of utter indifference and slapped his hand away. Neither. I have my own name.

It s Faye Morgan.
The Fox Beastman didn t seem to mind my impertinence. Instead, he gave a good-natured nod.
I m Caspian Crestwell. I m a Fox Beastman. And you re the little human I m keeping now, understand?
I stopped walking and corrected him emphatically. I m not your pet. I m a person.
The Fox Beastman tilted his head, a slight smile playing on his lips as he watched me.
You re so cute when you re serious. Makes me want to kiss you.
He d figured it out last night, while holding me and inhaling my little human scent.
If he didn t take care of me, this little human would most likely die. So, he had to live.
Without warning, a soft, warm sensation touched my cheek.
Simultaneously, my raised palm came down.
The Fox Beastman clutched his face as he opened the door for me, muttering, That still stings a bit.
My expression was grim as I reiterated, I told you, don t get handsy with me!
I will actually hit you.
He looked down at me, his eyes filled with a look of pity and affection. But I m not a person. I m a Beastman. The two are different concepts.
Did I pick up a mentally challenged little human?
No matter. I can raise you. All my little human needs to do is stay healthy and happy.
I was speechless.
The fox who adopted me said I was already dead in my own world.
I didn t believe him.
Then my mind flashed again the image of me, burrito in hand, being launched into the air by a car.
The words died in my throat.

I think I might actually be a little bit dead&
This is the Beastman world, he explained. Every human who dies in an accident randomly appears here. Beastmen take the opportunity to pick up these intermittently-dropped humans to raise.
Everyone who comes here has to be registered. It s for the unified Human Societal Acclimation Training later, to prevent stress-related issues.
Hmm& picking up a human is a bit like you seeing a dirty, pathetic little cat on the street and wanting to adopt it.
But it s also different, because here, Beastmen and humans can be together.
And humans who come here have a unique calming ability, it can prevent Beastmen from going feral.
Though this is my first time raising a human, I ve done a lot of research online.
I closed my eyes, not daring to imagine my future, being raised by a fox.
Caspian scooped me up like a child and headed for the bathroom.
His voice was gentle and doting. Alright, now it s time for your bath.
My eyes widened in terror, and I clung to the door handle for dear life.
I can do it myself! You don t need to wash me!
Caspian patiently coaxed me, prying my fingers off one by one. Good little human, don t move around. You ll fall.
You just got here, you don t know how to use these things yet. It s better if I help you.
I shrieked. Humans are autonomous! I can bathe myself! I really don t need your help !
I kicked and flailed in his arms, squirming so much I was harder to handle than a pig at New Year s.
A moment later, a bright red handprint appeared on his cheek.
Forced, he sat on the toilet lid, pinning my hands with one of his and trapping my lower body with his legs, struggling to free up a hand to post on his phone.
0The little human I m keeping is violently opposed to bathing. What do I do?0
Raising humans was a hot topic in the Beastman world.

Instantly, the comments section flooded with enthusiastic Beastmen sharing their human-raising experiences.
0Try throwing a wad of human currency. The response rates are as follows: blue ten-dollar bills, brown twenty-dollar bills, green fifty-dollar bills. The red hundred-dollar bills work best, tested and proven.0
0I know this one! You have to sweet-talk them while giving them the money. Start with a little, not too much. Some humans are lazy; they ll take the money and run without bathing.0
0Why not try communicating with them? As far as I know, many humans prefer to bathe alone. Most only agree to let a Beastman help after they ve confirmed a mate-bond.0
&
The top-voted answer was: 0These humans are absolute deviants for attractive Beastmen. Just get naked and get in the tub. She'll follow.0
I didn t even have time to snatch his phone.
I don t have any human currency at home right now. Be good, and I ll bathe with you.
The Fox Beastman mulled it over.
After filling the tub, he chose to strip. Completely.
I watched, stunned, as two lines of blood trickled from my nose.
My entire system crashed.
The Fox Beastman panicked. Little human, why are you bleeding?!
Caspian tried to get a closer look, but I wiped my nose and held up a hand, gesturing for him to put some pants on before speaking.
Let s talk about the basic rules of raising humans first. For example do not casually get naked in front of them.
When he moved, the view was& distracting.
With that, I walked out of the bathroom, my limbs stiff and uncoordinated.
The Fox Beastman was a very receptive keeper.
After I sternly informed him that getting naked in front of a human was extremely rude, his face finally flushed a deep red.
He immediately demonstrated the proper use of the shower for me, then shut the bathroom door with a soft click.

Humans are fast learners, and we need privacy. You just need to show me how to use things, and I can figure it out.
Don t& just strip at the drop of a hat.
Caspian didn t dare look up, nodding to show he understood.
He clutched his tail in front of him, fidgeting as he whispered an apology.
I ll go read the human-raising manual again tomorrow.
I m sorry. I scared you tonight.
I waved a hand, magnanimously choosing to let it go.
The fox, realizing how absurd his behavior had been, was red enough to catch fire, the twitching of his ears especially pronounced.
After resolving the great bath crisis, I discovered a new problem.
It seemed I hadn t brought the change of clothes the Fox Beastman had prepared for me into the bathroom&
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Caspian s shy voice drifted through. Little human I hung your clothes on the doorknob. I m leaving now.
He then made a point of stomping away loudly.
I paused for a moment, reminding myself that this was the Beastman world.
They looked at humans the way humans looked at cats. The more a cat shied away from a bath, the more it triggered a human s overwhelming urge to kiss it senseless.
The same logic applied to Beastmen.
His footsteps faded. I hid behind the door, quickly cracking it open to snatch the clothes inside.
A certain perverted fox was crouched in a corner not far away, covering his face with his hands.
His gaze peeked through his fingers, watching me quickly reach out for the clothes. A goofy, lovesick grin spread across his face as he muttered to himself:
So embarrassing. My own little human saw me naked.

Hehe& the way she snatched the clothes was so cute. She must be shy too!
After my bath, I stared at the two beds in the room one large, one small, side by side and my mouth twitched.
Are you sure I can t have my own room?
The Fox Beastman, now recovered, smiled and patted the edge of my bed. Nope~
Humans were fiercely independent. To cultivate a clingy little human, you had to start building intimacy from the moment you brought them home.
I assumed this was just how raising humans worked, so I clenched my jaw and walked over.
I lay down, hands on my stomach, and closed my eyes peacefully.
Behind me, there was a rustling sound. The Fox Beastman let out his enormous tail and tucked me in with it.
Goodnight, little human.
I was speechless.
I don t know how much time passed, but my eyes snapped open.
Who on earth falls asleep at eight p.m.?!
My sudden movement startled the Fox Beastman, who had been leaning over me.
Wh-what s wrong?
Was his plan to secretly pinch her hand and touch her little face while she was sleeping so easily exposed?!
I sat up and sighed.
Tomorrow, can you get me one of those little black rectangles that humans use to surf the web? I can t sleep without my phone at night.
The Fox Beastman stammered. No. Human eyes are very fragile. You ll get myopia .
I pressed my lips together and, expressionlessly, pleaded.
Please?

The Fox Beastman visibly flinched. The fluffy white tail behind him swayed slightly.
He was clearly enjoying this.
You can have a phone, but I have a condition.
From the moment I brought you home until now, you ve slapped me three times.
I want to get them back.
He held up three fingers, waving them in front of my face.
I was living under his roof; I had to play by his rules.
I thought he was going to settle the score, so I offered my cheek and closed my eyes.
Go ahead. Hit me.
The Fox Beastman s flurry of kisses was not unexpected.
I knew it!
I was a boneless heap of resignation in his arms as he sniffed me like a drug. My face, my hands, my noble head all of it was now contaminated.
Baby, you smell so good after your bath, like a little human!
Your face is so soft& mwah mwah mwah
I m not an unwanted stray anymore!
Anyone who s raised a human knows, I love you even when you re just sitting there.
Every time I look at you, you re so cute I just want to hold you and kiss you senseless.
The Fox Beastman was lost in the pleasure of his human-huffing, completely oblivious to how much I, with my cheeks being sucked concave, wanted to slap him again.
I finally understood how a cat felt when it was grabbed, kissed madly, and had its crotch checked by a human.
I held up a finger, pressing it against the relentlessly affectionate Fox Beastman. That s enough. Three slaps. You ve kissed me more than three times.

No more kissing.
The pouting Fox Beastman paused for a moment, then hugged me and took a deep, epic, lung-filling sniff.
I was speechless.
The next day, the Fox Beastman took me out to buy a phone.
He also bought me a lot of clothes and dresses.
In just one morning, I had already grown accustomed to his sudden kisses.
Because I knew that if he wasn t satisfied, this fox would genuinely hide in a corner and cry until he induced respiratory alkalosis.
Caspian stayed with me for about a week, and I gradually adapted to my new identity as a human being raised by a fox.
During that time, it seemed like some inspectors came to the door, probably to follow up on the registered human adoption. Caspian dismissed them with a few words.
Aside from the fox s excessive clinginess, I was quite happy.
Come here. Let me de-shed you.
I held a lint roller. The fox circled his fluffy white tail around me, letting it rest naturally on my lap.
I thought the small patch of fiery red at the tip of his tail was beautiful, but he didn t seem to like it, trying to dye it white every day.
For some reason, the dye never quite took.
You seem to be shedding a lot lately.
I frowned and couldn t help but sneeze.
I pointed to the round, soft, chubby ball on the table beside us. Look, I made this felted fox ball from all the fur I collected in the house today. It s for you.
Caspian first kissed me on the left cheek, then the right, getting his human-fix before it dawned on him.
He clutched his tail in horror, his voice an octave higher. Why am I shedding so much?!
I said casually, Hmm& probably just normal metabolism. Of course, it could also be because you use too much hair dye.

But your tail has been shedding a lot lately.
I use it as a pillow at night, and I wake up covered in your fur.
The fox fell into a deep thought.
Then, right in front of me, he silently chugged two doses of fur-strengthening potion.
That night, I tragically lost my fluffy, fragrant tail-pillow.
Early the next morning, I was woken by the fox s furtive movements.
I peeked over. What are you secretly eating behind my back?
The fox s hand jerked, and pills scattered all over the floor.
I picked one up and examined it, dawning on me. Are you trying to swallow sleeping pills?
Meeting my frank gaze, the fox opened his mouth, stammering, trying to explain.
I was annoyed by his dithering. I grabbed a handful of pills and shoved them into my mouth.
The fox, terrified, immediately tried to pry my mouth open.
Spit it out, spit it out! You can t eat that!
That s for Beastmen!
The fox was on the verge of tears. I wasn t trying to take sleeping pills. I wouldn't dare die at home and scare you.
Comparatively, I was quite calm as I spat out the pills.
Oh. Okay then.
After his emotions stabilized, the fox belatedly remembered he was supposed to send me out today.
So he put a satchel on my back, sent an address to my phone, and said with a serious face, Sweetheart, today you have to go to work on your own.
When you get there, you have to follow instructions and complete your tasks. Just hold out until six in the evening.

And remember, the tasks will never end. You have to learn to slack off.
The fox rambled on, giving me a long list of instructions.
After hearing him out, I looked up in disbelief.
Aren't I the little human you re keeping? Why do I have to go to work?!
The fox looked reluctant, but his words were cruel.
I forgot to tell you this last night, but it s not too late to know now.
Because humans are social animals, a Beastman raising a human must also satisfy the human s special need for social contribution. Otherwise, it can lead to a deficiency in their sense of social value.
He added worriedly, Besides, you humans have a saying, People strive to move upwards. If everyone else is working and you re not, they ll exclude you.
This is the first step in your societal integration training.
Alright, come on. One more hug and you should get going, or you ll be late for work.
The words on the tip of my tongue were swallowed back down. I held it in, and finally, as the fox lifted me onto a vehicle that looked suspiciously like a public rental bike from my world, I managed to squeeze out a sentence.
Why do people have to strive to move upwards? People can just& walk around.
The fox tilted his head and put a helmet on me.
While you have a point, in our Beastman eyes, a human busy as a bee is the norm.
I was confused. Huh?
Was that the right metaphor?
I watched with pleading eyes as the fox turned and went back upstairs. He appeared at the window, then mercilessly drew the curtains shut.
And so, a soul that was meant to flourish in love was trapped in a cubicle.
Meaning, I went to work.
The rules of the Beastman world were strange.

I went to the address Caspian had sent me and got a number in a queue.
Whatever job a human had before they died, they continued to do here.
And my former profession was& a pet shop manager.
I had assumed that even though this was a Beastman world, there would still be normal small animals.
I couldn t have been more wrong. On my first day of work&
I didn t see a single normal small animal. Instead, all sorts of different Beastmen came in.
And I, the one who was supposed to be treating small animals, had to perform very strange treatments based on the Beastmen who came for help.
The first customer was a very proud and elegant Peacock Beastman.
He walked in clutching his stomach, complaining of chest pain.
I m so sorry to bother you, but the pain is unbearable.
I think& I think I need a human to rub it better.
He looked up weakly, his lips pale.
I was silent for a long moment, then after filling out the registration, I double-checked. Are you sure your heart is located in your stomach?
The Peacock Beastman nodded firmly.
Yes, that s right.
After a thorough examination, I discovered that whenever I got close, the Peacock Beastman would get extremely nervous. His eyes would go wide, and he d fidget.
Suddenly, I understood what the human staff member who had shown me around meant when she said
0Beastmen have their own hospitals. To them, this place is basically a cat cafe for them to get their human-fix.0
Don t be nervous.
I opened my arms to the Peacock Beastman and asked softly, Do you need a hug from a human?

The Peacock Beastman was ecstatic, happily nestling into my embrace like a giant bird and taking a deep sniff. So satisfying&
Then, he rubbed off the pale lipstick he d used to feign illness.
I stood there, stunned for a moment, then awkwardly patted his back.
I think I was starting to understand how to treat the Beastmen who came here complaining of pain.
They were here for their human-fix.
The melancholy fox no longer stared at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle in sorrow.
Because I came home from work with a small snake.
Caspian was aghast, repeatedly confirming my intentions in disbelief.
You re going to keep it?!
I nodded, the slow-witted little snake still draped around my neck, its head tilted.
The snake was about to shed its skin, but it was a bit clingy and wouldn t come down.
I was holding a terrarium I d bought on my way home in one hand and groceries in the other, standing at the door looking up at the fox blocking my way.
And it was just for one night. He paid me.
I defended myself. Yes. This snake is different.
Today at work, all the Beastmen made up excuses to get me to hug or cuddle them. After they got their human-fix, only the snake asked me if I was tired.
For that reason alone, when the little snake offered to pay to stay at my place for a night to safely shed its skin, I agreed.
The fox was furious, his normally pale face flushed with agitation.
It s a Snake Beastman! I forbid it
Besides, I m not dead yet, and you re already looking for a new home. Have you ever considered my feelings?
Letting this snake in the door? Impossible!

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