Chapter 1

"What the hell is this, this huge cat!?"

This creature, more like a tiger than a large cat, has its head at the same level as mine, a medium-sized person. But it’s not a tiger I know; the tigers I know don’t emit black steam from their bodies, and the saliva dripping from their mouths, which could swallow my head in one bite, doesn’t create holes in the ground.

"Ah, um, s-sit down."

I thought maybe it was like the tigers in the zoo, which are trained, but that’s impossible. With my voice, white breath escapes from my mouth. Come to think of it, it’s incredibly cold.

But I can’t be worrying about the temperature right now. There’s a huge black tiger right in front of me.

Just being stared at by those eyes, which are not just bloodshot but completely red, makes my legs tremble and my breathing difficult.

My instincts are screaming to run, but my legs won’t move at all.

The black tiger is slowly approaching, and it looks like it’s smiling... but that’s just my imagination, right?

"Hey, if you’re hungry, pet food is, um, better, you know."

I can’t move forward, but I try to back away and persuade it, though it’s clear it won’t understand. It keeps coming closer.

This is a joke, right? Hey, why are you opening your mouth so wide?

What are those teeth... they’re double-layered, like a shark’s.

Hey, tell me this is a joke.

Why am I in this situation? I was just out in the scorching sun, going to a construction company to get some blueprints.

Why is this happening here!?

"I have to avoid being eaten by the tiger—"