Groggily, you reached a hand out and silenced the ringing alarm clock. You wouldn't be in a rush today. This time, you were careful with your footing and made sure to watch out for the sleeping puppy. You made your way to the bathroom sink, splashing water onto your face. Yesterday, you had a crazy dream that the animals you found were actually members of the boy band that had been 'reported' missing years ago, VIXX. Of course, everyone believed VIXX had disbanded and gone into hiding. No one really believed the members were missing, no matter how hard the company insisted, even when missing reports were filed. VIXX had torn a huge hole in the hearts of their beloved Starlights, but over time, the hole was filled and VIXX was forgotten, replaced by newer artists and bands.

You dried your face with a towel. Even you, one of their biggest fans, had forgotten them. But just last night, you dreamt that they were animals. You even dreamt of Hyuk the night prior. Picking out something suitable for work, you stepped back into the bathroom to change. There was no way those animals could be VIXX. Humans turning into animals and vice versa was purely fictional and entirely impossible. Aha. That was a good idea to propose to the storyboard team. 

The puppy was already awake when you finished changing. You rubbed his head and noticed his scratches were healing. It didn't seem like it would get infected. "I guess you don't need a visit to the vet after all." Looking down at his paws, you also noted his nails were shorter than when you found him. "Were you scratching something?" He sniffed and padded out of your room, his limp less obvious.

You were starting to get used to this routine of feeding all six animals while making your breakfast. As you cracked an egg and tossed a sausage into the sizzling pan, you poured each creature's respective feed into the bowls. Then you'd wash your wash your hands again and sprinkle a few flakes into the betta's tank. While the eggs cooked, you would watch the betta's smooth movements as it swallowed the colorful flakes. And just like your old betta, you would wonder how a world where you could glide effortlessly around would be like. 

Today was no different.Your eggs cooked on the stove while the animals enjoyed their breakfast. You had hardly finished flipping the egg when you felt something rub against your leg. You stiffened, then realized it was the cat. It didn't strike you as the type that like cuddling, you thought as it weaved between your legs, purring. Sliding the egg and sausage into a plate, you leaned down and rubbed the cat's ears, earning you another purr. You set your plate on the counter and began eating. The cat continued rubbing against your leg. "It's funny, you know. I dreamt you were VIXX's Leo yesterday." There was a pause before the cat sat back on it's hind legs and looked up at you, expectantly. You noted that its claws were also considerably shorter.

"VIXX!" You looked up in surprise as the parrot flew from its perch on one of the dining chairs to the kitchen countertop. Finishing your plate, you grinned, "You pick up words fast."

"Fast!" The cockatiel repeated. Checking your watch, you realized you needed to leave within the next five minutes or risk being late. You tossed your plate into the sink, dimly aware that the plates from last night were already washed.

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One thing you disliked about begining a new project at work was the number of meetings in the beginning. Some of them were fun, but most of the times you just wanted to get to the character designs. You decided to share your idea today. Humans that could turn into animals, you suggested. There were a few nods from around the room. Amber chipped in, "Ooh! You mean like a person who can turn into a llama and such?"

You nodded, "Something along those lines. Up to you guys to decide whether they can shift at will, and how many animals or creatures they can change into."

Peniel grinned, "That's actually pretty cool. I think one type of creature per character is better though. Easier on you character designers too." And with that, the meeting was jumpstarted into a fun conversation of possible character and animal combinations and different reasons why they changed.

"So that was your dream." Jessica caught up with you after the meeting, "I wish my imagination was that creative. My dreams are always dull and I can never really remember them."

"My dreams aren't normally that odd though. It was just this once." You replied, not mentioning last night's dream.

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Time flew by as you enjoyed yourself, finishing your third sketch of a potential character. You had given him large, elvish ears and wide innocent eyes. He would be one of the shortest characters in the game, you decided, and his animal would be a field mouse. "Aren't you getting off work soon?" You turned, suddenly noticing the time. Jessica already had her coat on, ready to leave. "I mean, you can do overtime, but no one asked you to so you won't get any benefits from it." Hastily, you filed the sketch into a folder and grabbed your jacket. "I completely forgot about the time." You admitted.

You stopped by the grocery store, restocking on some leafy greens and choosing a pack of two steaks, for the weekend, you decided. You carried the groceries home, wondering what to cook tonight.

The apartment door swung open as you pushed it open with your free hand. You were met with a lit entryway. Confused, you shut the door. Hardly after you had taken a step, a man with dark hair jumped out at you exclaiming, "YAY WELCOME HOME! HAPPY ENSDAY!" He beamed at you, and took your bags. "Here, I'll put these in the fridge for you."

Speechless, you watched as he began organizing things in your refrigerator. "W-who..."

He gave you another bright side, "I'm Cha Hakyeon, from VIXX." Pouting, he closed the fridge door, "I thought you'd recognize me. You said you were a Starlight yesterday!" He leaned in close to you, ignoring your shocked expression, "Did you forget my face already?"

You shook your head, "N-no, it's not that. It's just that.."

"What? Were you expecting Leo?" He turned toward the living room, "Leo-o-o! Where are you? Taekwo-o-o-nie??" Hakyeon shrugged, "He's moody these days. By the way, thank you so much for helping us! And uh--" He rubbed his neck sheepishly, "Sorry for biting you." You were silent and he glanced at you, "Yah, you might lose your jaw if you leave it hanging open for so long." Instinctively, you clamped your mouth shut, flushing. 

"Wait. So then..yesterday wasn't a dream? And the day before that?"

"If you mean seeing Leo and Hyuk then, no that wasn' t a dream." He pulled a chair over for you, "Sit! I'll do the cooking today! Ah. I haven't cooked in such a long time it gives me shivers just to see a kitchen again." Hakyeon bounced on his toes, and you wondered whether he was eating sugar before you came home. You sat yourself down and watched him prepare dinner. Again, multiple questions formed in your head, but all you could ask was, "So what was that 'ends-day' thing you said when I came in? As far as I'm aware of, today is Wednesday."

Hakyeon dragged out the words, "Ehhh-nnn's day."

"Oh N's day. Like your stage name?"

He nodded, "Exactly! Get it? Since it sounds like Wednesday?"

You laughed. "But...can I ask why--what happened to you? Why did VIXX...disband?"

Hakyeon's smile faltered, "We didn--I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"I'm assuming that whatever I asked Leo yesterday, you can't answer either?" The cat appeared and seated himself next to you. Surprised, you pulled him into your lap and his soft ears, hearing him purring in content. He was definitely more compliant today.

"Sorry, I can't. And like Taekwoon said yesterday, could you not call our stage names?"

You didn't want him to start claming up on you, so you decided to let it go. Leaning forward, you watched him slice the vegetables you bought earlier and toss them into the pan, "What are you making?"

"It's a surprise!" Hakyeon grinned, warming your insides and suddenly, reality hit you hard. One of the six people you had idolized for such a long time was in your house, right in front of you, cooking for you! It wasn't a dream; you weren't even that tired today. And just yesterday, you had met another one of them. As if you were transported back to all those years ago, your heart seemed to remember them. You felt a loopy grin appear on your face, the one that would always appear when you cheered for them during fanmeetings or watched their live broadcasts. Smiling down at your lap instead, you ran your fingers over the cat's bony back. He was already beginning to fall asleep. "Oh yeah, the betta can live in untreated water. You don't need to waste money on buying water treatment for him. He's a bit different, just like the rest of us." Hakyeon cracked another smile.

People that could turn into animals and a fish that didn't need water treatment. Sure, that was definitely believable. A comfortable silence falls in the room. You remembered something. It was known fact that N loved banana milk. "Hakyeon?" You tried his name. It was a bit odd, after knowing him as N, the leader of VIXX, years ago. 

He looked up, a bright smile still on his face, "Are you okay with spicy foods?"

Nodding, you tried to wipe the silly grin off your face. "Of course! And I also have some banana milk in the fridge, if you want it."

"Ooh!" Hakyeon skipped to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of banana milk. He stuck in the straw that came with the container and took a sip, eyes closing while he savored his favourite drink. When he opened his eyes, you could've sworn his eyelashes were wet with tears. "I haven't--" his voice cracked. He made his way to you in a few steps and pulled you into a tight hug, causing Taekwoon to hiss and jump off your lap to avoid being squashed. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

You weren't expecting this type of response, but you sensed a different emotion behind his hug. You couldn't help but feel as if he were a frightened child, hugging you for comfort. You awkwardly returned the hug, patting his back. Then he released you. His eyes were dry now. "The curry is done!" He brought out plates for the both of you and poured a generous amount of curry sauce on the fluffy rice, humming as he did so. Hakyeon was strong, you realized. Whatever was scaring him, he was keeping it to himself.

"Mm! This is good!" Hakyeon nodded, "Of course! I made it." He put a cupful of bird feed on the table.

"Well, honestly I thought only Le--Taekwoon could cook well." You admitted sheepishly. Your plate was pulled away as you protested.

Hakyeon made a face and gasped in mock annoyance, "Hmph. No curry for you!" He pushed the curry back to you when you apologized. Just like Taekwoon yesterday, you noticed that Hakyeon was also eating as if he'd been starved for days. 

The canary and cockatiel joined the both of you at the table and watched you curiously as they picked out their favourite seeds in the cup. "So then, who are they?" You gestured to the birds, who were exchanging quiet chirps and warbles. 

Hakyeon gave you a pained smile, "I can't tell you that either. Sorry. You'll figure it out."

"Hm, alright." It probably had something to do with whatever was bothering Hakyeon and Taekwoon then. In that case, it wasn't your place to be nosy. 

"I also want to apologize to you on behalf of Leo yesterday. He was a little tense and paranoid so he was rude." 

You nodded, "I was rude too. I was annoyed that I couldn't get any answers. Sorry for that."

There was a hiss from the living room. Hakyeon chuckled, "He heard us."

The canary chirped a few notes and the cockatiel warbled again, as if in laughter. Aware that you were watching them, the yellow canary hopped closer to you and tweeted a few notes. It's head cocked sideways, waiting for a reply. When you gave no response, it repeated the same notes again. "He's trying to get to you finish the song." Hakyeon translated, finishing his curry.

The canary tweeted a high note, seemingly in agreement. Then it repeated the notes again. You realized it was the first line of G.R.8.U. "I think I'm losing control." You finished, hesitantly. The canary chirped its approving high note and hopped back to its seeds.

"So you do know VIXX!" Hakyeon exclaimed, eyes twinkling. You nodded, "Yeah! I just...don't know why I suddenly forgot VIXX. But I remember now." You were surprised when he smiled in understandment. You thought he would have scolded you for forgetting. Grabbing both your plates, you headed for the sink. "Thanks for dinner. I don't think I've had such good curry in a while! I'll wash the plates."

Hakyeon took the plates from you. "I'll do it. It's the least I can do for you who took us in." You tried to protest but he was having none of it. Defeated, you went back to the dining area where the two birds were perched. "He said I would figure it out..." You absentmindedly repeated to yourself. Observing the birds, you wondered aloud, "Who are you two?"

The cockatiel seemed to hesitate for a second. Then it fluffed up its grey plumage and stood up straighter. It whistled and let out a warble that sounded a bit like a word. It took you a while to distinguish words from his mixed warbles. "Rekks!"

"VIXX?"

"Raaiik!"

"Right?"

"Raaiik!" The cockatiel bobbed its head up and down. Assuming it had nodded, you smiled a bit. "Hey, I can kind of understand you."

"Raaraaeeeh!"

"Ravi?" It suddenly stood still and stared at you. "You're Ravi?"

"Res." The cockatiel's speech was strangely coherent, although there was still a slight warble in it.

"And you can tell me that?"

"R-r-yes." You were surprised. For once, you weren't given an 'I can't.' "Why are you a parrot?"

You jumped when Ravi let out a piercing squawk. "I guess there are things you can't tell me either."

"R-yes."

"Are you guys okay?"

"R-ryes."

"Can you talk to me?"

"Raavehh!" It turned to face the canary, "Kraan!"

"Canary?"

"Kran! Kren!"

"Oh Ken!" The canary chirped musically and hopped over to you and Ravi. 

You remembered Hakyeon and Taekwoon's words, "Why can't I call you guys by your stage names?"

"Becrause--" The cockatiel was cut off by a flash of black fur. The cat had pounced on the parrot swiping it off the table, one paw pinning it down to the floor and the other on top of its throat. Ravi screeched his answer, but it was made incoherent by the cat pressing down on his neck. The canary was chirping loudly at the cat, and Hyuk had warily approached the cat, yapping. Neither animals made a move to help the cockatiel. You understood because just a little more pressure on the cat's paw could break the bird's neck. Hakyeon ran in, hearing the commotion. He quickly assessed the situation.

"JUNG TAEKWOON LET GO OF THE BIRD." There was a pause. The cat released the bird and Hakyeon immediately picked up the cat by his scruff and took him to the extra bedroom, closing the door behind him. You knelt down beside Ravi, who seemed too shocked to move. his head, you watched as the canary cooed gently to him, and Hyuk nudged his side. After a few minutes, the cockatiel picked himself up and shook out his feathers, rearranging them.

Hakyeon stepped out of the room, sighing, "Like I said, he's a bit moody today." His gaze fell on Ravi, "Sorry, he must have given you a fright. Are you okay?" Reaching out, Hakyeon the crown of the bird fondly.

"Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine. But I think it's better if we all turn in for the night. Too much excitement for one day isn't good."

Wordlessly, you nodded. "Goodnight."

Hakyeon really was a mother to his bandmates, you realized. He took care of them, loved them and scolded them the way a mother would to her child. He acted as the leader and even hid his own fears from them. You thought back to his reaction to the banana milk and how broken he looked for that one second. It was a complete contrast from his bubbly greeting when you returned home. You wondered whether it had something to do with their strange ability to turn into animals.

That reminded you of your short conversation with the cockatiel, or Ravi, who was able to answer more questions than N and Leo. You briefly wondered if there was a reason why, other than the fact that it was none of your business. Then again, you were housing them. It would be better if you knew what was going on. You shrugged. Anyway, now you knew that Hyuk was a golden retriever puppy, Leo was a black cat, Ken was most likely the yellow canary who loved to whistle melodies, and Ravi was the grey cockatiel. That left N and Hongbin. The guinea pig and the betta.

But the betta was in his tank today.

That made N the guinea pig.

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Ooh, N has made his appearance! There's a lot of things that they just can't say though. Or is it won't say? Do you guys have any hunches on what's happening?

Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

On a side note: I have a flight early in the morning tomorrow and I'll be settling in my new apartment for the next few weeks. So....it'll be a bit more difficult for me to update as frequently. The length of the chapters might vary from now on, depending on how much free time I have. Don't worry though! I will be sure to update as soon as possible! ^^