An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

The Enigma

Herbivores and carnivores.

In this world, those are the labels that are assigned to all animals. There are those that eat fruit, vegetables, and plants—the herbivores, and the meat eaters—the carnivores. As society evolved, so did the divide between the two groups. Even so, there exists a wide gap between them. There are some who can bridge the gap, but they're rare.

There is only one species in this world that can truly bridge the gap— and they do it almost seamlessly.

~~*~~

"Mr.Newport, the headmaster will see you now."

The teen let out a small sigh as he got up, running a hand over the black hair on his head. He took a moment to adjust the tie on his uniform before smoothing over the jacket. Taking a breath, he walked through the door to the large office.

He ignored the numerous plaques and decorations, keeping his gaze forward. Behind the desk stood a tall tiger, body radiating with an unseen pride. The boy could see it, though, not that he'd let the tiger know. He didn't want to come off as rude, after all.

"Ah, Alan.", the tiger said with a smile. "I'm Headmaster Gon. Pleasure to meet you. I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Oh no, it's alright. I know you have a busy schedule, running a school and all."

"Still, I should've been ready to meet you like we discussed. It wouldn't do me well to make a bad impression—and a human transfer, no less!"

The two shared a laugh before Alan let out a small, "I can see why."

"Anyway," Gon cleared his throat. "Since you already have your uniform, the only things left are your schedule and your dorm room. Given you're an omnivore, we have a few spots open..."

Alan went through the meeting with Gon quickly, only needing to make sure everything was in order for his transfer. If he were being honest, he was both excited and nervous to be attending Cherryton. Being one of the more accredited schools in the country, it held quite the reputation, one of which being a school where herbivores and carnivores could work together. Alan was a special case, though, as he was not only an omnivore, but a human.

Humans aren't an oddity in this world, but they are closed off from animals, for the most part. Usually, they'd set up their own towns a little ways from animal society with a few touring in and out frequently. It did not affect their sociability, though.They were known to be very friendly with a few bad apples here and there, giving them a positive reputation wherever they're seen.

Alan found his way down the huge halls of the school, getting more than a few glances and whispers. The latter he could very well hear, despite them thinking he couldn't. He ignored them, though, tugging his suitcase to the herbivore dorm building. It took a bit for him to find the room, but he managed to make it without a hitch. As he opened the door, he could hear a startled gasp followed by a thump.

"H-hey, are you alright?", he asked shakily to the other occupant, who was bizarrely wrapped in bedsheets.

"Eh, yeah! You kinda startled me. I didn't think I'd get a new roomma..."

The voice trailed off as a large goat head popped up from the covers and froze as it saw Alan. The two shared a moment of silence before the goat scrambled out from the covers, quickly throwing them on the bed in a heap.

"Y-you're the exchange student, right? I'm Todd, a boer goat!"

    Alan stood still for a moment, taking in the goat's appearance. He was large, a few inches taller than him. His head was brown, long ears and a white spot around the top. He wore the usual uniform, though without the jacket. Alan smiled and held his hand out for a shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Alan. I'm a human, and a first year."

"Really?", Todd shook his hand with a confused expression. "I didn't think a first-year would be put in an exchange program. Uh, no offense!"

"None taken.", he chuckled. "To be honest, it was mostly my dad's idea. He wanted me to experience living with animals for myself before becoming an adult. I usually studied with humans until now."

"Oh yeah, humans do live separately from animals...", Todd said thoughtfully. "Well, I'm still a first-year myself, but I can say this place is pretty cool!"

"Based on what I've seen, I can tell. How about we take a look around."

~~*~~

A.N: Oh, I am going to enjoy this one. I basically spent the past few weeks reading through the Beastars manga and...I am pulled in on this! The anime hooked me, but the manga just sinkered me down!

Obviously, spoilers for the manga (and kind of the anime). Trust me, I'm gonna have so much fun with this...