You've Trapped a Caged Bird

[Warning: The author has already included all the necessary warnings in the blurb. If you still wander in by mistake, that's on you.]

You were once an orphan born in a slum.

Penniless and with nothing to your name.

Until the apocalypse arrived.

You awakened a powerful ability.

As someone who thrived by the law of the jungle, you became a king above all others.

They feared you, dreaded you, revered you, and stood in awe of you.

They tried to bribe you.

So one day, you received your gift.

A little canary.

The little canary was so beautiful, there were few people in the world who could compare.

He was still in tears right up until the moment they sent him to your bed.

You heard from others that he had once loved someone, and that the two of them had been separated because of you.

You expressed sympathy for how hard it was for lovers to be together, but inwardly thought that a forcibly plucked melon might not be sweet, but it could still quench your thirst.

The world had ended, order had collapsed, and law and morality were nothing but empty words.

Giving him a bite to eat already made you a hundred times better than that unattainable first love.

Later, you were gravely wounded while hunting down contaminated monsters. The little canary took the opportunity to escape your grasp.

He fled, while you were buried beneath three feet of rubble and nearly died.

When you finally dragged your injured body out of the ruins, you saw that the little canary had awakened an ability and taken control of your people at some point.

He had endured humiliation and bided his time for this very moment.

You knew full well he wouldn't let you go, so you decided to escape first and prepare to make a comeback.

But in the end, he still managed to capture you, just as he wanted.

You had nowhere to flee in the layers of cages surrounding you.

You thought you were as good as dead.

Then, at your ear, he whispered his deepest secret.

"I've never had some great first love."

[Reader's Guide]

1. Male-lead fans and female-lead fans, beware. Those here for the fun can read at their discretion. If this bothers you, don't read.

2. Both leads endure physical and emotional torment, but the balance isn't guaranteed. If this bothers you, don't read.

3. Any specialist knowledge is just the uneducated author making things up. If this bothers you, don't read.

4. The blurb uses second person, while the story uses third person. If this bothers you, don't read.

5. Neither lead is genuinely kind and virtuous. If this bothers you, don't read.

6. There are plenty of outrageous, melodramatic plot twists. If this bothers you, don't read.

7. The female lead isn't a virgin, but this is a one-on-one romance. If this bothers you, don't read.

8. Love & Peace. If this bothers you, don't read.

Theme: Let go of the past and cherish the present.