"What's the entire ruckus about?" Hongki sighed as he covered his face with his palms. The reason why he didn't go to school was because Seunghyun suddenly appeared in front of him as soon as he woke up in the morning. "The fox-hunter," Seunghyun jumped onto the sofa beside Hongki and laid there.

              "He's swiping out the whites," he continued. "So it's a he?"

              "Maybe. But hey, he's...weird. I mean he don't really swipe them out. It's like he only killed a certain number of it."

              "What?" Hongki put his hands down and glared at the black creature beside him. "What are you talking about?"

              "It's just my guessing anyway. So, that's about it. I got to go," Seunghyun jumped off the sofa, shaking his body a little to get rid of loose fur. "You came in the early morning to tell me this? And stop leaving your fur behind oh my God do you have any idea how hard it is to clean up all these?!"

              "Hey you're noisy," the black fox hissed before vanishing into thin air, leaving behind an irritated Hongki who let out a loud groan after squatting down to clean up the black fur.

              "Fox-hunter. Who's the fox hunter..." Hongki asked himself after hand-picking up all the fur that he could see, hoping that he didn't miss out any. He walked to the kitchen and dumped them inside the bin before running a hand through his hair. Damn, he thought. He hadn't been sleeping much lately and since today Seunghyun made him skipped school, he should have just sleep in longer.

              Yawning, Hongki turned his heel and headed to his bedroom but stopped when someone rang the doorbell. Who is it? Walking towards the door, he placed his hand on the door knob but before he turns it, he let out a small smirk.

              "So yesterday the big one, today the small one?" He murmured to himself before opening the door, revealing the one person that he had in his mind after smelling his scent behind the door.

              "What do you want? Lee Taemin."

              Taemin had a wide smile plastered across his face as he stuck his hands into his shorts pockets.

"So, this is what you want to do for today?" Jinki raised an eyebrow, questioning Rein who was happily grinning like a fool beside him. She grabbed a basketball and stationed herself before the machine. "Yes, let's do it."

              "Hana, dul, set!" And these two started throwing balls into the net. Jinki was winning at first but his score was quickly caught up by Rein. He laughed, amazed at Rein's competitiveness. At the last ten seconds, Jinki decided to poke Rein's side to distract her and it really works. Rein kept missing and when time was up, the final score was 74-82.

              "You cheated!!" She hissed, earning a laugh from Jinki. "It's just a game, don't be so serious about it arasso?" Jinki continue laughing as he swung an arm over Rein's shoulder before messing up her hair. "Yah!!"

              "Let's go play other games~"

              "Don't you dare to cheat again!"

              "Arasso arasso. I'll earn a lot of points to exchange a gift for you okay?"

              "Really?" Rein stopped walking, causing Jinki to jerk backwards since his arm was over her. "Really?" She asked again, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

              When was the last time she actually got a gift from someone? Before her mother was dead? Yeah perhaps. Even her father doesn't give her gifts. Maybe he doesn't even care about her because all he ever cares about was his research. His research on all those ridiculous things that she's not interested in.

              Jinki smiled, nodding his head in response before pulling Rein to other booth for games.

It was all because you're too weak.

"I'm not weak!"

You're weak! You don't let me take over you. You're the cause of all the death of the black foxes.

"Shut up! This is my body, stop trying to take over it!"

No, you're a fox. You're not a human. Let me take over you, be a fox.

"No!"

Hongki shot up from the leathered sofa, his breathing haggard and rapid. His face drenched from sweat before he wiped them off with the palms of his hands. He took a deep breath before standing up to cool his warm self.

              "What the hell?" He sighed, swiping his fringe that was stuck to his forehead aside.

              It's back. The voice was back again. Why? What does he want this time? Hongki felt irritated, even the atmosphere in the house was getting all weird and eerie. He his lips and closed his eyes, taking in breaths to calm himself before sitting down again. This was no good. He thought. The inner fox was back.

FLASHBACK

"I know what's going on with you," Taemin said as he followed Hongki into his flat. "Know what? There's nothing wrong with me."

"Stop being so stubborn Hongki! Do you know what will happen if you keep on doing this?"

"What will happen?! Nothing will happen!" Hongki retorted harshly as he point an accusing finger at Taemin, "look, if you're here to bull. Get out. I don't want to see any of you."

"So I'm right, hyung came here last night didn't he?" Taemin smirked, "but look, I'm on different purpose. I just want to tell you that if you kept on fighting with that beast inside of you, your soul will get tear apart."

And that caught Hongki off guard. Yes, he does know that but what can he do? He can't control the beast inside of him because he's not strong enough to. Not strong enough to? Yeah that's why the black foxes were all swiped out. It's all because he's not strong enough.

You're not strong enough Lee Hongki.

"Hongki," Taemin placed a hand on Hongki's shoulder. "You-"

Let me take over you.

"No!" Hongki flunk Taemin's hand away, his eyes widen in shock in the sudden fierce reaction.

After a moment of staring and sighing, Hongki's brows furrowed. "Just go, please. I'm tired."

END OF FLASHBACK

"Leave me alone, please." Hongki begged, tears escaping from behind his eyelids.

              Truth was, Hongki was a human. He was never a fox and never will transform into one. He was dumped in a dark forest as soon as he was born. Which eventually, was founded by the black foxes. Hongki was later raised up by them, like how a baby fox should be raise. He walks on all fours, developing incredible smelling sense and also sharp auditory perception. However, years after years, he started to lose sanity, lost the ability to control his limps. He knew something was wrong back then because he can't really recognise himself let alone his friends. Luckily, he thought. It happened only after the swipe out of the black foxes. But the beast inside of him wanted to conquer him, to own his body, to claim his soul, to turn him into a real fox with no sanity.

              Hongki. A human, who was raised up by a family of foxes. Was facing danger of becoming a fox by himself.

"I had fun today," Rein grinned widely while hugging onto the Rilakkuma bear that Jinki got for her. "Really? Me too," Jinki scratched his head shyly as he smiled to himself. It was indeed a fun day for both of them considering just how much Rein don't really want to get close to anyone except for a few that she trusted. Maybe, she decided, Jinki will be the new friend that she could trust. Both of them walked slowly on the pavement, with Jinki walking on the outside because he said that gentlemen should walk on the side which was nearer to the main road. Rein wrapped her arms tighter onto the bear, it was Rilakkuma bear. The bear that she had been loving since young. Once, her mother got her one Rilakkuma key chain but she lost it when she was on a field trip. Although she promised to get her another key chain but who knows, before she could buy her another one, she passed away.

              "I'm here," Rein stopped walking, causing Jinki to look up from the ground. "Oh," Jinki mouthed, silently hoping that the way to her house will never end because he enjoys the time with her even though they weren't having any conversation.

              "So...I'll see you tomorrow?" Jinki smiled, looking at Rein as she hugged onto the bear like a little girl. "Yea-" And just then, the rain started pouring in so heavily without warning, accompanied by the thunder roaring so loudly and the lightning scratching the sky like it was about to rip in half.

              Within a moment, Jinki pushes Rein into the lift lobby as he tried to dry Rein with his hare hands. He uses his hands to wipe away the water from Rein's face but it seemed like all she ever care was whether the bear was wet. "Yah, you're wet! Stop caring the dumb bear!" He snatched the bear away from Rein's grip and she gasped as soon as the bear was out of her possession. "Aish! Give me back!" She glared fiercely at Jinki which causes the poor guy to raise an eyebrow. "Fine, I'm going back."

              Once Jinki put the bear into Rein's arms, he turned his heel and wanted to leave. "Rein?" He turned back around when he felt his shirt being pulled.

              "Can you accompany me? I...I don't want to be alone at home with the storm," Rein looked away from him as her finger draw circles on the bear's tummy, Jinki's heart soften at the sight of Rein's pouty lips and innocent eyes. He smiled and ruffled her wet hair.

              Rein entered the flat first and she headed straight to the sofa to put down her bear even before she turn the lights on. Jinki chuckled to himself as he looked around for the switch. Well, she really loves the bear I guess. Jinki thought. His nose twitched at the scent of the house, the smell was even stronger here. So Rein's scent wasn't her scent, it was because of the house that's why the scent lingers on her.

              "Where's your father?" Jinki walked in to where Rein was.

              "I don't know, outside doing some research or something."

              "And your mum?"

              "She passed away few months ago," Rein whispered inaudibly, walking briskly to the kitchen to get a cup of hot drink for him.

              "I'm sorry."

              Rein was surprised that he could hear her even though she said it so softly. "It's okay," she let out a small smile to no one in particular. Opening the cabinet above her head, she reached out for the bottle of chocolate powder that was, till Jinki caught her wrist.

              Jinki's fringe was so long that it covered his eyes completely when Rein look back at him. His grip on Rein's wrist didn't loosen and it wasn't tight as well because he fears that he might hurt her. His other arm went around Rein's waist as he took a step forward so that her back was pressing firmly against his chest.

              "Cry it out; I'll be here with you." Jinki's whispered against her ear with both of his arms wrapping around her tiny frame. 

              "What are you talking about?" Rein chuckled, struggling to get out of his locks, "I'm not sad you-"

              "Stop it!" He yelled, the dominating tone scared Rein a little as she began to feel the sad feeling coming back into her body. "I know you're sad. Don't try to hide it."

              Rein's knees started to weaken as her legs give in. Both of them fell onto the ground but Jinki's arms were still wrapped around Rein. "How did you-...." Rein felt the lump in and she couldn't complete her sentence because of it. She wanted to ask how Jinki knew that. As in how did he realise that she was pretending to be fine when no one, she mean no one ever found that out. Not her father, not Hongki. The lump crushed her words into pieces and she couldn't help but to start sobbing.

"Banggeum geunyeo jeonhwareul batgo

Saenggaki cham mana jyeosseo

Eojae saranghadeon aeinaegae beorimbadatdae."

Just after I answered her call, I had a lot of thoughts. Yesterday, she was dumped by her boyfriend whom she loved.

              Rein's sobs quiet down as soon as Jinki's soothing voice rang in her ears. She was amused, his voice sounded so gentle and soothing. It's like the most comfortable voice she could ever hear.

"Jigeum oolmeokideon geunyeol dallaejureo gajiman

Nan naeshim gippeojineun maeumeul chameul suga eopneundae."

Right now, I'm on my way to comfort that girl on the verge of tears but I can't help my heart for secretly growing happy.

"Nan inareul gidaryeosseo

Nae eokkaereul bilryeojumyeo

Noonmuleul dakkajugo."

I've waited for this day when I let her borrow my shoulder and wipe away her tears.

              Jinki shook his body left to right gently as if he's trying to coo a baby to sleep. Rein's tears had stopped before she knew it as she placed her hands above Jinki's.

"Geunyeoae yeopae

Youngweonhee gyeotae

Nae jaril madeuleo nogoseo

Chingu anin namjaro byeonhae

Seulpeumeun eopdorok

Jikyeojul georago

Anajumyeo malhalgeoya."

Beside her, forever by her side. After I make a place for myself, I'll change into a man, not a friend. I'll hold you as I say that I'll protect you so that there will be no sadness.

EMIZ's Dungeon

The song is 'One for me' by my our beloved SHInee! Translation credited to shineee.net. Enjoy & comments :D