“So you met with Lillian.” placing the cup of her warm tea on the table before her, the Great Grandmother spoke.

She was settling with her seat on the cushion that was on the floor and smiled as the younger ones entered the cottage. Exhaustion and age lined her face. Lillian placed her daggers on the table where the cup of tea was as she leaned her ukulele against the wooden wall before kneeling beside her grandmother. The men entered as well but stayed standing while Junsu closed the door behind him with a soft thud and creak.

“Lillian, did you tell them?” the Great Grandmother asked as she picked a rice cake from her small dish of other cakes and fed herself.

Lillian delivered a smile and nodded obediently, “Yes I did, grandma.” she replied.

The Great Grandmother cranked her neck upwards and stared at the young men before a chortle flickered from her.

“Have some teas and cakes, the least supper I can offer.” she spoke, gesturing her hand for the men to sit on the other cushions.

The men glanced at each other before obeying the words and settled on their seats. Junsu reached out to grab a cake and fed himself while Yoochun was admiring the interior of the cottage. Changmin only looked down and scooted closer to his older friends, trying to keep a best distance between him and Lillian whenever he caught the lady glimpsing at him. Yunho enjoyed the cup of warm tea as soon as he received a sip. Jaejoong gently placed his blade against the floor, handling the hilt with care.

“I am memorising your names here you see, young men. Nice names.” the Great Grandmother told as she let Lillian pouring some more tea into her cup, “I apologise if Lillian’s manners do not come to your liking when you met her.”

“Grandma.” Lillian furrowed her eyebrows and glimpsed at her grandmother, not wanting to be stated as mannerless.

Yoochun laughed a small one as he shook his head, “That is fine, it was our fault too.” he remarked.

“I see. I am sorry again if Lillian did hurt any of you.” the Great Grandmother told.

Yoochun felt like he was in charge of the talking and laughed again, doing the same action he did, shaking his head, “No, she didn’t-“

“She hit me!” Changmin blurted out in an exclaim as he pointed his finger at Lillian.

Lillian gasped and looked at him with a scowl in a frown, “ert, I saw you staring at my chest.” she opposed with a clear remark.

Changmin widened his orbs and his ears twitched with his tail standing up straight, “I didn’t! Y-You were just on top of me!” he blurted out once again.

Lillian rolled her eyes as she looked away from him with hands folded against her chest, “Oh, I am not buying any of your cat fights. I am a fox.” she snickered.

“Racism!” Changmin was about to leave his seat but Junsu pulled his hand down.

“Behave well.” Junsu whispered loud enough for the youngest one to hear.

“But I am not wrong.” Changmin opposed and Junsu just told him to sit down. 

The Great Grandmother laughed with her shoulders rolling as she heaved a knowing sigh and placed back the cup of her tea on the table. She patted Lillian’s clothed thigh before smiling at the men. She didn’t have to utter an apology, that was what she thought. Then, she altered her stare at Jaejoong who had been silent for a moment.

“Ah, Jaejoong, isn’t it? Our leader.” the Great Grandmother said with a small smile of her dried lips.

Jaejoong didn’t speak and instead just nodded his head with another small smile. The Great Grandmother seemed to be knowing something. She began to pour the warm tea into an empty cup. She pushed the cup slightly on the table toward Jaejoong with her fingers. The others just witnessed this treat with sealed lips. Jaejoong looked into the aged woman’s eyes blankly.

“Treat this cottage as your home. I might not know what your friends will feel like but you will be staying with us until you polish your skills.” the Great Grandmother talked. 

Jaejoong just smiled again as he only stared down at the cup of tea he was offered with. He watched as the thin smokes hovered above the cup. His fringe shadowed his eyes.

“I… I am not sure if I am the leader.” Jaejoong said, making the others to look at him with curiosity and concern, “I mean, what if you are right? What if I am just someone who has been given the task to bestow this sword to someone else? Perhaps the real leader might be Yoochun, Junsu or even Changmin?”

Yunho opened his mouth to utter his concern at the latter but the Great Grandmother tapped her fingers on the table rhythmically. 

“Why do you think like that?” the Great Grandmother questioned with a calm smile.

“I…” Jaejoong heaved a deep sigh, clenching his fists as he looked at the Great Grandmother again, “I am not strong enough.”

The others just remained quiet at his statement. The Great Grandmother intentionally allowed the silence to conquer the passing time as she picked up her cup and finished her tea. Lillian was about to pour the tea again but her grandma just slightly smiled at her, indicating that the tea could rest for now. The Great Grandmother stared back at the young leader.

“Did the battle between you and Lillian affect you after your minor defeat?”  she questioned.

Jaejoong glanced at his sword, “Yes.” he ended up sighing.

“That’s why you need to train yourself. I am certain that you are the leader, young man. You just have to keep yourself together. Train both your mental and physical aspects. I am also certain that your brother being chosen as the wolf leader for nothing.” she ended her talk with a smile.

Jaejoong furrowed his eyebrows as he looked down again. The thought of defeating, even killing, his own brother did not come to his liking. They were close before, sharing a tight unbreakable bond. But his brother broke that bond without him knowing, and it triggered his anger deep inside.

“Train…” Jaejoong had his voice fading.

Yunho looked down at Jaejoong and could feel the same blue emotion emitted by this male. He then reached out for Jaejoong’s hand and held it with his, an act of a soothing reassurance. Jaejoong glimpsed at his hand being held and he smiled a bit, intertwining his fingers with Yunho’s.

******

The next day came as the sun approached. The men chose to stay with the Great Grandmother and Lillian since Jaejoong would be training with them. The cottage was somehow large enough to have them inside of it after all. Yunho didn’t know why but he felt there was a reason as to why he was here and decided to stop working for a while, believing that all the things he had been into would lead into something worthy. Yoochun, Junsu and Changmin had departed earlier to fetch some groceries since the food supply at the cottage was not enough to sustain the five of them. They were glad that Yunho did give them the permission to use his car. This morning, Yunho woke up in the compact bedroom and noticing that he was the only one there. He sat up slowly on the mattress with bedhead before getting up on his legs and stepped out of the room. 

The cottage was barely empty, that was what Yunho stated in his mind. It was then he heard running water and some chopping coming from the kitchen. His curiosity engulfed his body. Being still sleepy and was just about awake, Yunho walked to the kitchen with a lopsided gait. The Great Grandmother was chopping down some meats with the water running from the tap. Somehow this cottage did have tap. He leaned against the entrance and yawned quietly.

“Morning.” the aged lady greeted, knowing that Yunho was with her in the kitchen even without turning back to look at him, “Had a good night rest?”

Yunho supposed to be amazed at how she was able to notice his arrival without seeing him but now he had adapted himself to the cats’ instinct. He instead smiled.

“Yeah, I did.” he answered casually.

“I am making breakfast.” the Great Grandmother told, “Both Lillian and Jaejoong are outside, training. The three other men had gone to the nearby store for some groceries.”

Yunho smiled, “Alright, I’ll be checking on the two outside.” he said as he headed to the door.

But then the aged lady halted him, “Wait young man, stay here for a while.” she said as she washed her hands with the running water.

Yunho glanced at her over his shoulder before turning around to face her. The Great Grandmother grabbed some lettuces and washed them. She smiled, knowing the young man did stay as she wanted him to.

“Tell me more about your story. Your story with the leader.” she requested as her eyes were only focused on her hands washing the leaves.

“Ah…” Yunho smiled as he rubbed his nose, “Well, our meeting was somehow, extraordinary. Jaejoong came to me as a cat. It was pouring that night so I decided to take the ‘cat’ inside my house. But when I went outside to check my car, all I saw when I entered the house again was a fine young man.”

Yunho decided to skip the part where Jaejoong was , he didn’t need to be so detailed in his reminisce, he thought. But he found out the edge of his lips lifted forming into a playful smirk once the pictures of the Jaejoong came into his sight.

“Was he ?” the Great Grandmother questioned with a knowing smile as she placed the lettuce aside.

Yunho widened his eyes in surprise. He was speechless. He didn’t know that a shapeshifter could read his mind or anyone’s mind. 

“You can read my mind?” Yunho asked with a great anticipation.

Oh, boy.” the Great Grandmother had a laugh, “Every cat is and so does every shapeshifter. Once the shapeshifter turns into their human form, they will also .”

“Ah, so it is a logical term.” Yunho tittered as he grabbed his nape.

“Then did you accept him still and let him living under the same roof as yours?” she asked, now reaching to close the tap.

Yunho nodded his head although knowing that the woman would not see him, “Yes. Well, Jaejoong… I saw him crying a bit when he was about to leave the house so I, decided to let him inside although knowing what he was.” he answered with a small smile.

The Great Grandmother closed the tap and finally turned around to face the man she wa