A Tiger Rolled Into My Life, Bringing Chaos With It - Chapter 1

So you’re really coming, huh.

Tinya glared fiercely out the window. At the end of her gaze, as if staring at a mortal enemy, were raindrops that had just begun to fall. The raindrops grew thicker and more intense, clearly settling in for a lengthy downpour. In rhythm with the pouring sound, the ground became increasingly soaked.

Dark clouds had hung ominously since early morning, but she had held onto a sliver of hope. Sometimes, days just stayed cloudy without rain. But apparently that wasn’t going to be the case today.

“Sigh.”

With a long exhale, her sharp, upturned eyes drooped. In truth, whether it rained or not wouldn’t improve the situation much. Even when the air just became humid and stuffy, customer visits became as rare as gold. Cloudy days were no exception.

Still, on cloudy days, there was occasionally with very low probability a customer who might visit, but on rainy days, there was absolutely no chance. Soon, the order to go home would come down.

Tinya peeled herself away from the window and trudged toward the table. She carelessly removed her apron, tossing it aside, and picked up her bag with listless hands. Just as she grabbed the umbrella she had brought, hoping not to use it today, a familiar voice rang out from the voice receiver on the wall.

(“That’s it for today! Everyone prepare to leave!”)

The voice belonged to Pupu, the fox shifter who owned this grooming shop. Tinya, who had already prepared to leave, immediately exited the container box. Normally, she would have sprayed deodorizer before leaving, but today there was no need since they hadn’t received a single customer. And that also meant today’s income was “0 won.”

Of course, Pupu provides employees with a basic allowance. But it was truly just a “basic” allowance. Even Pupu didn’t call it a salary. For Tinya, it was barely enough to cover rent. For reference, Tinya’s rent was among the cheapest in the herbivorous shifter district.

“This is why I hate rainy days.”

Tinya grumbled as she opened her umbrella. Days without a single customer were extremely rare. As long as the day didn’t start off with a musty smell, she usually received at least one customer per day. Even when she first started this job, she had at least one.

‘I’ll have to redo my budget.’

It was hard to believe only a week had passed since the beginning of the month. Tinya cut through the rain, alternating between thoughts of her bank balance and remaining expenses. As she approached the exit, she could see employees gathered in small groups, chatting. Everyone seemed excited about getting off work early.

“Want to go for a drink since we’re done early?”

“Sounds good! But are there any bars open at this hour?”

“I know one. It’s at…”

Tinya quietly turned away, shielding her view with her umbrella. She headed in the opposite direction from the employees. The warm sounds of conversation gradually faded, and soon only the sound of rain remained in her ears. Tinya readjusted her umbrella, which rested lightly on her shoulder.

They were all carnivorous bird shifters, and her relationship with them was quite awkward. More precisely, it was closer to being one-sidedly ignored.

Here in Greyden, the city was largely divided into three areas: the district where carnivorous shifters lived, the district where herbivorous shifters lived, and the peace zone that separated them. Neither side ever encroached on the other’s district. Only the peace zone could be freely accessed by both sides. But while it was called “free,” most who came and went were carnivorous shifters. Herbivorous shifters didn’t dare show up.

Tinya was the one who broke this unwritten rule.

Saying it like this might make Tinya seem like a very brave and strong-willed herbivorous shifter, but that would be a misunderstanding. Even now, after working at the grooming shop for a year and a half, she was such a tremendous coward that she would freeze up instantly when standing before carnivorous shifters.

So why did she continue working there? There were several reasons intertwined, but the biggest factor was probably that she had moved in recently and wasn’t familiar with Greyden’s atmosphere.

At the time, Tinya naively believed the statement that “both sides freely come and go in the peace zone.” She thought there would be quite a few herbivorous shifters there. She realized her mistake not long after, but by then she had already seen the salary from the grooming shop.

Coincidentally, around that time, the employees discovered that Tinya was a herbivorous shifter. They apparently hadn’t even considered the possibility that a herbivorous shifter would come to the peace zone. Moreover, their workplace was a grooming shop where large carnivorous shifters came to groom their fur. They couldn’t imagine a herbivorous shifter working in such a place.

So even though she was small and showed excessive fear, they just thought she had a shy personality and didn’t think much of it. The possibility of “herbivorous shifter” simply didn’t exist in their minds.

But in Greyden, where districts were clearly divided, such misunderstandings couldn’t last long. Tinya, who didn’t even realize she was being perceived as a carnivorous shifter, casually headed toward the herbivorous shifter district after work.

“Tinya. Why are you going that way?”

“Huh? My home is this way.”

“Home? Why would it be over there… Aren’t you an omnivorous shifter?”

“Oh, no. I’m a herbivorous shifter…”

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere turned frigid. From then on, the employees’ attitudes changed 180 degrees. Their friendly smiles and approaches disappeared, and they wouldn’t even return her greetings. They would immediately look away when their eyes met, and invitations to have lunch together abruptly ceased.

Reflecting on her last conversation with them and realizing what misunderstanding had occurred, Tinya felt relief rather than hurt by their sudden change in attitude. She never intended to deceive them, but truth was always determined by the powerful. What if they had branded her a liar and broken her arm out of spite? She would have had to quit immediately and might have had to bear the medical expenses too.

Rather than experiencing that, being ignored was a hundred times better. There’s a saying that it’s better to be ignored by the powerful than to receive their attention. This was already fortunate enough. A bit of loneliness was just a minor issue.

Tinya moved along with quick steps.

As the rain grew heavier, puddles formed here and there on the ground. Splash, splash. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, trying to avoid the splashing water. While her pupils and feet moved busily, her mind was filled with worries about tomorrow.

‘It won’t rain tomorrow, right? It should stop today…’

The nightmarish memory of rain pouring for two straight weeks last month came to mind. Because of that, she had only been able to pay half the matchmaking fee. If she couldn’t meet the standard amount this month as well, it was certain that her hard-earned status would drop a level.

‘What should I do? Should I save on romaine lettuce to pay it? Ugh. But romaine is one of my few pleasures!’

For Tinya, the most important expense was the matchmaking fee. But the amount was too large, and she had no satisfactory memories of it, so it felt like a necessary evil.

In contrast, what about romaine? The fresh aroma that spreads the moment you take a bite. The crisp texture as you chew. It brought immediate happiness. Tinya hadn’t tried all foods, but she was certain. There was no more perfect food in this world than romaine.

‘But not paying the matchmaking fee for two months doesn’t seem right.’

The matchmaker wouldn’t just let it slide. Romaine or matchmaking fee? Matchmaking fee or romaine? …But would skipping romaine even be enough to cover it?

Just as this fundamental question arose, she had already arrived at her district.

This area, adjacent to the peace zone, was District 1. The herbivorous shifters’ area was divided into 16 districts total, with higher numbers generally considered better places to live. This likely reflected the judgment that the closer to the carnivorous zone, the more dangerous it was.

Despite being somewhat distant from the city center, District 1 had its own advantages. The rent was cheap… and, well, it was close to work.

These were points that looked good primarily from Tinya’s perspective, but advantages were still advantages. For her, that was satisfactory enough. Thanks to the affordable rent, she had acquired a place she could call “my space” for the first time. As the blue roof came into view, a smile naturally spread across Tinya’s face.

Even from a distance, it was quite a modest-sized house. Barely enough for one person. But for someone as small as her, that was plenty. A bedroom where she could stretch her legs, a bathroom where she could shower, a kitchen where she could cook, and even a rooftop to hang laundry. When it had everything she needed, what reason was there not to be satisfied?

Tinya’s affection for her home was extraordinary, making the monthly rent seem worthwhile. Even though it had been almost two years since she signed the contract, her heart still swelled with joy every time she saw it.

“Hehee.”

A pleased laugh escaped from her relaxed lips. The worries about matchmaking fees versus romaine that had been giving her a headache just moments ago seemed to have disappeared, at least for now. Her heavy footsteps gradually lightened. It was just as Tinya was bouncing through the alleyway.

…Mewl.

A crying sound came from somewhere. Tinya’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“Did I hear wrong?”

She listened for a moment, but all she could hear was the sound of rain. Just as she tilted her head in confusion, once again, a high-pitched whining sound rang out. This time it was unmistakable.

“Where is that sound coming from?”

Tinya looked around, clutching her umbrella tightly. The crying continued intermittently, persistently announcing its presence. Her narrowing gaze stopped at the right alleyway. Tinya gulped.