Purrfect Romance

The late summer in the northern hemisphere of Cobalt Star is unbearably hot and dry.

The air in Marina City was filled with the scent of an impending summer storm.

In the indoor basketball court, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor was incessant.

Fenix threw the basketball aside and plopped down onto the adjacent rest chair.

As soon as he sat down, he was hit by a suffocating stench.

Turning his head, he saw that it was indeed the sneakers his roommates had carelessly tossed aside.

Damn.

It really stinks.

Fenix kicked those smelly shoes away with one foot, and it took a while before he felt he could breathe properly again.

Fenix has felt a bit off lately.

Initially, he noticed that his strength had increased, his running speed had become faster, and his stamina had improved.

This was originally a good thing.

But what followed was a prolonged period of fine, dense pain.

There isn’t a single part of his body that feels comfortable now. If he had to describe it, it’s like pain seeping out from the very bones.

The pain is unbearable.

He also feels very sleepy.

And he always feels like he isn’t getting enough to eat.

But that wasn’t all.

What affected his quality of life the most was the sudden realization that his three roommates were all smelly men.

Literally.

Smelly, men.

Fenix wondered if he had suddenly developed a compulsion for cleanliness.

After all, he used to be the same as his roommates and didn’t find them smelly.

Something must be wrong.

Fenix twisted open the water bottle, took a sip of water, and saw Lancelot burst into the basketball court like a gust of wind, rushing to him with four tickets in hand, emitting a chicken-like cry that echoed through the basketball court.

"Brothers! I got tickets for the Athena Marina City concert!!!"

The entire basketball court suddenly fell silent, followed by several exclamations of surprise.

Alfred and Derek rushed over, and the three men gathered around Fenix, holding the four concert tickets in front of him, looking like monkeys presenting Simba to the crowd.

Alfred: "Lancelot Bro is awesome!"

Derek: "Lancelot Bro is a god!"

Three heads turned in unison toward Fenix.

Fenix, mercilessly: "No way."

Lancelot tried to emphasize, "Fenny, this is Athena’s concert!"

Athena is an Awakened.

While Awakened individuals are quite precious, they aren’t particularly rare. But Athena is different.

Among the common species of Awakened individuals, she awakened into something unique.

She awakened into a mermaid.

The only fantasy species in the entire galaxy.

This awe-inspiring intergalactic idol divided Awakened individuals into fantasy species and ordinary species.

Fenix became even more determined: "Not going."

Lancelot was puzzled: "Why?"

Fenix: "Stay away from danger, save my life."

His three roommates didn’t understand.

Only Fenix knew.

Athena is the main character of this world—more accurately, she is a player.

Their world is a Holographic Dating Simulation Game for Women, commonly known as a Holographic Otome Game.

An "Otome Game" is a dating simulation game primarily designed for female players. These games usually feature multiple male characters that the player can pursue. Players make choices through dialog options and actions that influence the story’s progression, ultimately leading to a romantic relationship with their preferred character. The plot and character designs in these games tend to be romantic and visually appealing, while also incorporating rich storylines and character development.

The term "Otome" (おとめ) means "maiden" or "young girl" in Japanese, so an "Otome Game" is a dating adventure or simulation game specifically created for a female audience. These games are very popular in Japan and have gained widespread recognition and popularity globally.

And Fenix knew this because when he was in junior high, although he failed to awaken, he gained an ability that no one else knew about.

His terminal contained a forum.

Yes, the forum for this game.

Over the years, Fenix learned countless secrets by browsing this forum.

For example, the CEO of a certain group is a sweet tooth.

Or that a famous actor who is often seen flirting with women is actually a virgin.

Or that the leader of a notorious space pirate gang is actually a lop-eared rabbit.

Or that a cold-faced war hero from a certain country is actually a versatile domesticated good man.

And for instance,

When controlling Athena to pursue these male leads, being kidnapped, bullied, targeted, or even dying outright were common occurrences.

Without pursuing anyone, due to her own uniqueness, various undercurrents always surged around her.

In short,

Wherever Athena goes, danger follows.

And after searching through the forum without finding his name, Fenix finally confirmed that he was just a passerby NPC in this world. He decided that tonight, he wouldn’t leave his room, dead or alive.

"Alright then, I’ll find someone else; we can’t waste the tickets," Lancelot scratched his head.

Just as he was about to pull Fenix back to play ball, he noticed Fenix’s lips were a bit pale, and he was sweating profusely while sitting on the rest chair.

Lancelot: "Fenny, are you feeling unwell?"

"A little."

Fenix met the concerned gazes of his roommates and asked, "I’ve been eating a lot, sleeping a lot, and feeling particularly..."

Lancelot: "I know this symptom!"

Three heads turned toward him.

Lancelot slapped his belly, "Pregnant, my sister was like this during pregnancy!"

Fenix kicked him away, "Get lost!"

Alfred: "Maybe you should go to the hospital."

Fenix nodded, "Not today, but I’ll go tomorrow."

Saying this, he stood up, lifting his loose tank top to wipe the sweat from his face. "You guys keep playing; I’m heading back..."

He paused mid-sentence, feeling something sprout behind him.

Fuzzy, slightly cool, and very soft against his skin.

Fenix felt it sliding down his loose pants leg. Instinctively, he looked back and saw a small white tail tip poking out of his pant leg.

It twitched fuzzily at him.

Fenix: ? Fenix: ?? Fenix: ???

Shit!!!

Fenix plopped back down on the rest chair.

The tail was squished by his sudden movement, causing a sharp pain.

Fenix’s face contorted from the pain.

But he didn’t dare stand up.

Perhaps his expression was too frightening, as he was immediately surrounded by his three tall roommates.

"What’s wrong, Fenny? Are you okay?"

"So painful, I’ll call 120 right away!"

"Fenny, don’t be afraid, let me carry you..."

Seeing Alfred about to pick him up, Fenix panicked and refused, "Stop! No! Don’t touch me!"

The three paused.

Fenix nervously shifted his buttocks, lifted his pants, bringing the tail along with it, hiding it inside, and carefully stood up.

Fenix said seriously, "I’m fine, I’m okay. I’ll go to the hospital myself. You guys continue playing."

Alfred, keen-eyed, noticed something in Fenix’s pants, "Fenny, what’s in your pants?"

Saying this, he reached out.

Fenix jumped back, "I’ve got a big... I mean, I need to hold it, alright!"

Fenix’s shout drew everyone’s attention on the basketball court.

Countless astonished eyes darted between the youth’s waist and his handsome face.

Shit!

What are you staring at!

Haven’t you seen a big...

Fenix’s face turned red. Holding his pants, he ran off without even grabbing his backpack.

He finally understood why he had been feeling unwell recently.

Question: In what situation would a human grow characteristics of another animal?

Answer: Awakening.

But awakening typically happens between thirteen and eighteen years old—basically during puberty.

During this period, adolescents visit awakening institutions for targeted training and testing to attempt awakening.

Those who succeed gain abilities from their awakened forms.

For example, if someone awakens as a cheetah, they run fast and have heightened senses. If they awaken as an eagle, they have excellent vision and can fly.

But the success rate is very low.

About one or two out of a hundred million people.

Their rarity makes them highly valued.

So awakened individuals are usually recruited directly into prestigious schools to ensure their talents aren’t wasted.

But putting it simply, according to the forum Fenix browsed, it boils down to three words.

Fuzzy and fluffy.

Who wouldn’t love fuzzy and fluffy!

Fenix cursed as he returned to the dormitory, stroking his pitiful white tail.

He failed to awaken during puberty, so what was happening now?

Secondary development?

He was already twenty-two and in his final year of university!

He was supposed to start looking for internships in a couple of days.

Suddenly awakening was throwing his life plans into chaos.

Fenix shook his tail, feeling anxious.

All of Athena’s targets were top-tier awakened individuals.

These powerful figures used cannon fodder ruthlessly, and the ones suffering were always the bystanders like Fenix.

Fenix didn’t want to get involved with the awakened circle.

Thinking about it, he took a deep breath, wrapped his tail around his waist, and tied it, patting it gently, "Sorry about this."

Then he started packing his bags.

According to textbooks,

During the awakening period, adolescents experience unstable emotions and bodily functions, sometimes uncontrollably transforming into their awakened forms.

So staying in the dormitory was impossible.

Fenix didn’t want his family and friends to know about this.

He quickly packed some clothes, slung a bag over his shoulder, and rushed out of the dormitory.

He bumped into a couple of guys from the neighboring dormitory at the stairwell corner.

Fenix instinctively retreated into the washroom.

"I heard from Old Li that the CEO of Lion Corp., who works on new energy development... seems to be called Lion, is coming to our campus recruitment."

"If he comes, it’s probably for the few awakened students we have."

Fenix gasped.

He walked out of the washroom, thinking not only was the dormitory unsafe, but the school and even Marina City were unsafe.

Lion was coming!

Damn!

Fenix felt weak in the knees.

He was too familiar with the name Lion.

This boss was the only one yet to achieve a Happy Ending (HE).

All his endings were Bad Endings (BE), and CGs combined could form a tragic song titled “How to Break the Galactic Idol Athena’s Heart 108 Times.”

Fifty of those endings involved death.

Because Lion Corp. was the top space pirate gang before Lion decided to turn over a new leaf and focus on new energy.

Among the male leads, he was the most dangerous.

The forum had thousands of petitions for his HE guide, offering high rewards, but none succeeded.

Why was he coming to Marina City with Athena?

There weren’t any rumors about a relationship between Athena and Lion in this world.

Athena seemed fully immersed in her idol career, taking on numerous projects, and there were no rumors about pursuing top-tier individuals.

Could it be a secret relationship?

Fenix felt dizzy.

No way.

He had to leave now.

Immediately.

Without stopping.

Fenix ran out of the school, turning corners until he reached a small real estate agency in an alley.

He breathed a sigh of relief, standing at the alley entrance, but as he stepped forward, he stumbled and rolled several times.

Fenix sat on the ground, dazed for a moment, trying to get up, but found his hands and feet had turned into cute white paws.

Glancing down, he saw paw pads shaped like plum blossoms.

Turning back, his clothes and backpack lay scattered on the ground.

Even his wrist terminal had rolled to the side.

Fenix: "..."

Shit!

Bad luck.

He tried to walk on all fours but kept rolling due to lack of coordination.

His snow-white fur became dirty and dusty.

Fenix couldn’t bear it anymore.

Instinctively, he lowered his head and started licking his fur.

Once satisfied, he stood up again.

He awkwardly stretched out his front paws, trying to access the search engine on his terminal.

But he quickly gave up.

The terminal required fingerprint authentication.

These paws had no fingerprints!

Fenix felt miserable.

Damn it.

He had to calm down and figure out what he was.

Fenix reached out with his front paws, rummaging through his backpack for a mirror.

But as he peeked out from behind the backpack, he saw a car parked at the alley entrance, and the window of the rear seat was down. The man inside was watching him with interest.

Fenix froze, his mind blank with dread.

Bad luck strikes twice.

Before he could run, he faced his doom.

Lion sat in the car, observing the stiff, seemingly petrified little animal, raising an eyebrow.

"Capture him."