The Inhabitants of Folklore【uzuga no'sumiti人（Otogi no Sumibito）】

Ryūya Rokujō lived a life most would envy. A top graduate of one of the nation's most prestigious universities, he had secured a coveted position at a major corporation. His days were marked by routine, comfort, and the quiet confidence of someone who seemingly had everything.

One night, after finishing another late shift at work, Ryūya returned to his apartment. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, a chill ran down his spine. Something was off.

Sliding the curtains aside, his gaze fell on a figure slumped on the balcony floor-a woman, unfamiliar and unmoving. Her breath was shallow, her consciousness faded, and one hand pressed desperately against her abdomen, where blood poured freely, staining her clothes and pooling around her.

Panicking, Ryūya reached for his phone to call an ambulance. But before he could dial, a sudden crash shattered the tense silence. The glass of his sliding door exploded inward as something leapt into the room.

It was no human.

Ryūya froze, his phone slipping from his grasp as he stared wide-eyed at the intruder. Its form defied understanding-a creature that seemed to belong to the shadows of myths and nightmares.

From that moment, Ryūya's life would never be the same.

The woman he found bleeding on his balcony was no ordinary human, and the creature that followed her was one of many that lurked beyond the boundaries of human society. These beings, known as Otogi, lived in the hidden folds of the modern world, navigating an existence intertwined with folklore and shadow.

Unwittingly, Ryūya found himself drawn into their clandestine world.

As days turned into weeks, his understanding of the world he thought he knew unraveled. And when a certain incident pushed him to make an irrevocable choice, Ryūya took his first step away from human society-into the mysterious and perilous world of the Otogi.