You woke up without the alarm clock. Thinking it was Saturday, you stayed in bed. You had the strangest dream about finding a cat, dog, canary, parrot, guinea pig and fish last night. The dog even turned into a man at one point. You laughed at the dream. Maybe you could suggest it to the storyboard team on Monday, after the production meeting.

Your eyes widened as you shot up in bed. You had the production meeting yesterday, meaning today was Tuesday and you had work! You noticed you hadn't changed into pajamas and assumed you must have been too tired and fell asleep the moment you got home. Hopping out of bed, you squealed when you narrowly avoided stepping on the golden retriever puppy curled up next to your bed. 

Said puppy opened its wide brown eyes and sat down, wagging its tail. You decide that yesterday hadn't been a dream. Except maybe the puppy turning into a man. "You didn't turn into a human last night did you?"

The puppy tilted his head adorably. "Of course you didn't. I'm imagining things. I'm surprised your owner didn't give you a collar or anything, I'd have made sure there was no way of losing you the moment I got you. Where'd you get those scratches anyway?" You mused and slid open the closet door.

The puppy yawned and limped out of your room. "The puppy has manners." You pulled out a change of clothing and slipped into them.

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In the living room, you noticed the cat curled up with the guinea pig on your sofa. The parrot, a cockatiel you realized, and the canary were perched on the back of one of your chairs by the dining table. You quickly refilled the bowl of water and each animal's respective food bowls. "I'm going to work now, but when I come back, I'll set up flyers to find wherever you came from." You glanced at the puppy, "And I'll take you to the vet too."

The guinea pig was awake, seemingly nodding at you as you left the apartment. The cat hadn't stirred from its deep slumber. You figured it was better that way. You realized you needed to get all these animals checked; their long, untrimmed claws would probably get stuck on the carpet areas somewhere.

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Panting, you reached the office and plopped down in front of your desk. Jessica peered out from the cubicle next to yours, "Overslept eh? Slept well?"

You shook your head, "I had a strange dream that actually seems crazy enough for our next visual novel." Sighing you added, "I'm just glad I'm not late."

Jessica laughed brightly and clapped your shoulder, "Do tell the storyboard team."

Around that time, your boss called for a meeting. It was time to decide on the next project. Everyone filed into the meeting room, some looking as tired as you. A representative of the storyboard team walked up to the front of the room, dragging a presentation board with him. 

"Good morning everyone, the storyboard team has been working on the basics of the next novel since you guys were finishing up with Memory Days." You were thankful they chose Minhyuk to present; he was always straightforward, efficiently shortening meeting times.

"We haven't worked out details, but the storyboard currently includes five characters plus a sixth hidden character. As usual, each character will have two available endings. We're also planning two endings where the main character is not paired up with anyone in the end." He paused, flipping the board to display a rough sketch of the character relationships map, letting everyone absorb the information.

"That brings us to now. We're gathering ideas and suggestions for the novel theme. Many of you have expressed the desire to try something different from the previous project. Our team has considered making this next project a sci-fi or fantasy genre. This is all that we have to share today. Anyone is free to suggest ideas or discuss over what we came up with now."

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The meeting ended with the agreement that the next project, still untitled, would be of the fantasy genre. The production director had voiced that he wanted the visual novel to have a lighthearted theme, different from the thriller novel they'd just finished. Someone had suggested a fairytale like theme, and most of the company agreed on it. You sighed, you'd most likely be working with pastel blue and pink colors for the upcoming months. At least there would be no green hair, you hoped.

"I was waiting for you to share your dream!" Jessica, joked stucking her head in your cubicle again.

Shaking your head, you laughed, "No, I'd sound crazy. I wouldn't even know how to end it."

"Well, you'd just be suggesting ideas. You aren't obligated to offer an entire plot." Jessica flashed you a grin. "Anyway, want to start working on character designs? No one has really specified what the characters would look like yet."

"Of course!" You grab a piece of paper and began sketching out a man, giving him hair that you imagined to be red-brown. He was tall, averagely built and had broad shoulders. Where have you seen this man before? Oh. Right. Your strange dream. 

Jessica pulled the paper out of your hands when you had stopped sketching. "Wow, this looks nice! You know, he kind of looks familiar though. I can't help but feel like I've seen him somewhere. As always, you're very talented."

You brushed her compliment away, "You're just as talented! We just have our own areas of expertise. I think I might have been thinking of someone when I drew this though. Probably better not to use him, in case someone thinks this is fanart or something."

"It looks fine to me though."

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After work, you immediately headed back to the pet store to check the missing animals board again. There weren't any new flyers and again, none of them were looking for a certain dark-red puppy. "Hey, it's you again!"

You turned around and spotted the cashier from yesterday, "Oh hello! Yes, it's me again."

He looked from the board to you, "I'm guessing that you found a lost puppy then?"

Nodding you gestured to the flyers, "But no one's put up anything. I've found a male dark-red golden retriever puppy and a male black cat--I'm not familiar with cat breeds." You decided not to mention the other animals, it was odd enough to find two missing animals all at once. What would people think if you claimed you found a mini zoo? You'd look for their owners without his help instead.

"How about I take down your contact info and give you a call if someone turns up looking for them?" 

"That would be really nice." You jotted down your phone number and email on one of the store's customer review cards and hand it to him. Since you had no other business in the shop, you thanked the cashier, whose name you later learned was Chen, and left for your apartment. 

"I'm back! No one has put up any flyers for the cat and dog though. I suppose I'll make some." You heard the sound of paws on wooden floor as the guinea pig again greeted you by the doorway. "How do you even train guinea pigs to do that.." You commented. It was replied by a snort from the gerbil. 

You refilled the water bowl and--oh shoot. You had forgotten. Animals eat, sleep and leave waste. Groaning inwardly, you mentally slapped yourself. You were going to find unpleasant surprises around the house, especially from the two larger pets. Speaking of which. You looked around for the puppy, "Hello? Dark-red? Erm. Puppy? Let's take you to the hospital now." 

You found the puppy in by the waterbowl, lapping up water. Scooping it up, you scratched behind its ears, "Good boy. Let's go get that leg checked okay?" It your hand, but began wriggling in your arms. "Hey, don't do that. I don't want to drop you. Let's go find your cat buddy; I need to get him checked too. And I don't think any of you had proper grooming in a while. Your nails are too long to be health--" You jumped and let out a scream when you flipped the lights to the living room open. 

There was a man, different from the one in your dream, sitting on the sofa. Thankfully, you noted, he was fully clothed. He had soft black hair, narrow, catlike eyes and high cheekbones that would probably have made him looked adorable if his cheeks weren't so gaunt. The canary was perched on his finger, chirping quietly to whatever tune he was humming, which you noticed, sounded vaguely familiar. They both stopped, however, when you screamed. His eyes turned to look at you and you flinched, his gaze cutting through you. 

No, wait. You took a breath. You were dreaming. Again. You'd wake up, and everything would be fine. Those piercing eyes met yours, and you couldn't help but compare them to that cat's stare. It was probably curled up sleeping somewhere, you thought. "Why do I have the oddest dreams these days?" You mumbled under your breath.

Deciding you'd play along with your subconscious, you ignored the man and grabbed your purse. "Hey puppy, do you think you can find your cat friend? It's more convenient to go to the vet all at once." The puppy ignored you and continued its wriggling, "What's gotten into you? It's for your own good."

"No vet." A soft voice sounded in the air, hoarse with disuse.

You turned around in surprise. The man was looking straight at you. "What?"

"No vet." He repeated, firmly. 

You were confused, "But it's needs treatment. It could get infected. And who are you? What are you doing in my dream?"

"...." Your question was met with silence.

You took a few steps toward the sofa, "Who are you?" It was when you got a better look of his face when something clicked in your head. It all made sense now. You started laughing, "Oh, I've definitely lost it. I'm dreaming about VIXX now." The man on the sofa, your dream version of Leo froze, eyes wide. 

You doubled over in laughter, suddenly aware that all five animals were watching you. When you finally caught your breath, you explained to Dream-Leo, "You see, I was a huge Starlight a few years ago when VIXX was there. And when you guys disbanded, or 'disappeared' as Jellyfish claimed, I was so depressed. I mean--Jellyfish didn't even want to admit that VIXX disbanded. I guess maybe you guys wanted your private lives back without any media following you. But going as far as filing missing persons reports for all six of you was ridiculous; you guys were still never found! Although that was a long time ago, I guess my subconscious still really misses all of you." 

You chuckled to yourself; your imagination really was something. "Ah, so then that character I drew at work today--and the one I dreamt of yesterday was Hyuk." The puppy froze for a second before padding back to you and sitting itself by your ankle. "Is your name Hyuk?" The puppy--Hyuk barked, tail swishing rapidly back and forth. "I'll try calling you that when I wake up. Maybe you'll actually respond." You half-joked to yourself.

Dream-Leo seemed to be debating something with the guinea pig, holding a conversation with it using his facial expression. You thought nothing of it, this was a weird dream after all. "I'll make something for us to eat then. And Hyuk will be fine without the vet you say? And what about that ca--" Again, your complex imagination shocked you, "Wait, you're the cat aren't you? Then that means.." You counted the canary, cockatiel, guinea pig, puppy and cat. "Oh no, that's just five of you. I thought maybe you'd all be animals. Hah. What am I saying." You reached for the pasta, "I always believed I didn't have a bias in VIXX, why would I only dream of Leo and Hyuk." Upon hearing his name, Hyuk stood up and followed you into the kitchen. "Watch it, it's dangerous in here." Hyuk backed out, but stayed nearby.

You walked by the kitchen counter, noticing the betta. "On second thought, maybe you guys are animals. I've forgotten to count the betta. VIXX animals." You tried it out and giggled, "I could suggest this to the storyboard team. Of course, given that I remember this dream when I wake up."

Taking the now-cooked pasta out of the pot, you split between two plates and added seaweed and the fish roe sauce you bought a few days ago. Dream-Leo noticably perked up when you placed the plates on the dining table. "Feel free to start without me. I'll going to feed the VIXX animals first." You chuckled again, shaking your head at the absurdity of this dream.

After you fed the others, you sat down and began to work on your pasta. "So Dream-Leo, how'd poor Hyuk get those scratches? And what's wrong with going to the vet?" Hyuk ran up to you and sat himself next to your chair. You waved him away, "Go finish your dinner."

Dream-Leo chewed on his pasta silently. He swallowed and hesitated, "No papers."

"So? We'll just find where you guys came from and get those papers. Or do you have your own papers?"

"N-no!" Dream-Leo shouted suddenly, startling you into silence. You were unsure of what to say.

"S-sorry." He apologized, voice softer now. There was a long pause before he continued, "This isn't a dream."

You let out a guffaw, "That's what all dreams say."

His eyes looked pleadingly into yours, "Please..don't put up flyers for us. We'll leave right away tomorrow."

"Even in my dream, not while Hyuk is in that state." The mentioned puppy ran up to you again. "Hyuk, go back to your bowl."

Leo eyed the retreating puppy, "Stop calling his name." 

You raised an eyebrow, "Why? What do I call him?" He shrugged in response.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, you picked up your empty plate and placed it in the sink. "I had no idea dreams could be so frustrating. Why won't you tell me anything?" 

Leo looked uncomfortably at you. "This isn't a dream." And almost inaudibly, he added, "Yesterday was no dream either."

Your thoughts flashed back to last night, when you were attempting to give Hyuk a bath. "That's why he's all cleaned up now."

Leo nodded wordlessly.

"So he turned into a human, and that's how I woke up in my own bed?" You asked in disbelief.

Again, a subtle nod.

"Is that why he doesn't need the vet? Because he can take care of himself when he's human? Why isn't he human now? Is that why you're human? Are you the cat? Are all these animals here VIXX? Can they all turn human? Why--I don't understand.." The questions came tumbling out of you as you tried to believe that this wasn't all a delusional dream.

"...I can't answer that." Leo's downcast eyes disappointed and confused you. 

"Why not?!" You demanded, tired of asking in circles.

"...I just--can't. Please just--don't bring attention on to us. We can't be found. And please, don't call our names. I'm sorry--you've been so kind to us, but we can't tell you anything. We'll leave as soon as he heals." Leo pleaded with sincerity, eyes begging.

"Hyuk's not going anywhere," you simply stated. You had close to no experience with dogs, but you did know that a puppy would suffer greatly without proper diet and care, especially during the upcoming winter. Leo's eyes widened and he gaped, a pained expression on his face, "Don't say that. Take that back, please!" He stared down at Hyuk, who had come after hearing his name. He yapped, wagging his tail by your leg.

You reached down to pat his head, "You guys won't fare well alone in the winter. And I mean--I already know about--this." You gestured at his..'human-ness'. "You might as well stay."

"Your boyfriend." Leo stated quietly.

You sputtered, "Huh--wait, what?!"

Leo gestured to his clothing, "These are your boyfriend's. He'll know and he'll mind."

Oh, that's what he meant. "Those were my brother's!" You laughed, "He used to live with me..before he.." your voice cracked, remembering your beloved brother who had passed on in an unfortunate car accident.

"I'm sorry."

You brushed it off, "It was a while ago. Don't worry, no one visits my apartment; no one will know about you guys. Anyway, I only have one other room. Which is his old room. I'm not sure how you would share--"

"That's good."

"Is it? Oh! And about the animal...droppings..." You hesitated, seeing a faint blush appear on his cheeks.

"We...took care of that.." Leo nodded bashfully at a litterbox set in the corner of the living room. Where'd he find that?

"Thanks..." You were suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the topic. Silence filled the apartment. You still had your doubts on the reality of this. "Things would be a lot easier if you would just explain some things to me..."

"Already told you; I can't."

You sighed, "Alright, fine." You looked at the animals that had gathered during your conversation. "I'm going to sleep, busy day tomorrow. Make yourselves at home." Honestly, you were slightly annoyed. Dreams were always so stubborn and confusing.

Without waiting for a reply, you stood up, took Leo's finished plate and decided to leave the dirty plates for tomorrow. You head off to your bedroom, ready for a nice warm shower to clear your thoughts. Then afterwards, you would settle into bed and know that this was all a bizarre dream. After all, if they really were VIXX, why could they turn into animals? And wouldn't your initial response be fangirling and asking for autographs? There were so many unanswered questions and things that didn't make sense, just like how dreams worked.

You thought of Leo. Leo and his cat-like personality. That must have been it. Your subconscious missed VIXX and you've always associated cats with their chic main vocal anyway.

Leo the lion.

And lions are just big cats.

Leo the cat.

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And VIXX is finally mentioned! I'm sorry if Leo was a bit out of character in this chapter. You'll see learn his reasons for it in a later chapter. On another note: Yay! The plot is beginning to move.You can also kind of see why I added the mystery tag to this fic now.