The rain tapped gently against the window, a pitter-patter that managed to slightly drown out the instructor’s flat voice; even though the noise was so faint. The instructor, not seeming to care that his bored students could barely hear him, dragged on about the wonders of an animal’s anatomy.

 It was so weird how weather can just perfect a scene; dreary skies to match a dreary class. Not that Kibum minded though, a small smile on his lips as he gazed out through the classroom window. Rain meant that nobody would be outside; they’d all be indoors and pouting as they complained on Twitter or Facebook.

No one to bother me. He thought, head turning to scan over the drooping heads that ignored everything the teacher had to say. His eyes met one on one with two dark chocolate orbs that never seemed to stop glistening. Lee Taemin. The boy perked up and immediately waved at Kibum, an excited smile brightening his face. How long was he staring at me? Kibum wondered, wriggling his fingers as a reply to the adorable boy.

The boy was two years younger than him and enrolled into their school just as Kibum started Junior High. Kibum was the first person that Taemin approached, and since Kibum couldn’t seem to shake the boy off, he stuck with him. Over the years the boy has become like a little brother, and Kibum surprisingly doesn’t mind his company. He continued to look around until his eyes landed on the only other person he liked besides Taemin; Lee Jinki.

Jinki was a very laidback person that never really spoke much, but when he did he was hilarious…or just dumb. But not in the intelligence sense, more as in the airhead kind of way; some things just slipped right by him. He respected Kibum’s social boundaries, and would usually just sit by him and listen to his I-pod. Much like what he was doing now, head bobbing along to the music as he stared off into some void.

To be honest, Kibum thought he was weird. On the first day that Kibum had entered High School, the senior hunted him down and sat beside him; not saying anything, just….enjoying Kibum’s presence. At least that’s what Kibum assumed he was doing. Before he knew it, their strange meetings became a ritual that developed into a relaxed friendship; casual hang outs and off-handed conversations were right on Kibum’s comfort level.  He didn’t really have to put any effort into being friends with Jinki.

As you may have guessed by now, Kibum isn’t much of a “people person”. He hasn’t been for a long time. It would seem that puberty and mental maturity has helped him realize this- people . So he kept to himself, not wanting to be judged or bullied or backstabbed by anyone.

Well, you know, excluding Taemin and Jinki. But he trusted them. He pondered if that was a smart decision or not as his eyes returned to the window; just waiting for this pointless day to end.

……….

Kibum lugged his backpack onto one shoulder, pressing his back against the school’s brick wall as far as he could to avoid any contact with the other students that stumbled out from the entrance doors. He huddled to himself, watching with an annoyed glare as the zombies filed onto worn down buses and climbed into their cars.

Thankfully it didn’t take too long for everyone to leave, and Kibum blessed the rain for that. He flicked the hood of his red jacket onto his head as he stepped out from under the awning that protected the front of the school; inhaling the refreshing rain-scented air. He had just begun walking, hands burrowing into the pockets of his jacket, when the familiar sound of fumbling steps chased after him. He couldn’t stop the pleased smile that replaced his frown as thin arms wrapped themselves around his right arm.

“Kibum-hyung, can I come over!?” Taemin asked, showing off his best puppy eyes as he grinned up at the older male.

“You know those don’t work on me, Minnie.” Kibum chuckled as he rolled his eyes, glancing down at the boy. Taemin sighed in mock defeat and fell into a content silence as he walked alongside Kibum.

“Anyways, sorry, but I have an English project that’s due tomorrow.” He answered, untangling his arm from Taemin’s grasp so he could ruffle the boy’s dark hair.

“Oh, the one that was given by Ms. Satan?” Bitterness dripped from every word as Taemin glared ahead of them.

“Yes, her.” Kibum sighed, shaking his head as thoughts of the old hag filled his mind. “Wait, where is your umbrella!?” He quickly added, eyeing Taemin’s damp hair as it grew darker with each drop of rain. He decided to ignore the fact that it took him this long to realize it was missing.

The boy flinched at the tone in Kibum’s voice, it was a tone he knew all too well- the disapproving tone of a mother. Smiling sheepishly, he gazed up into Kibum’s narrowed eyes. “I forgot it again.” He mumbled, hoping that Kibum wouldn’t hear him. But nothing ever passed the highly trained ears of Kim Kibum.

“AGAIN?” Kibum stressed, gaping at the boy with an incredulous look. The boy peered at Kibum with an expression that was on par with a puppy waiting to be hit by a newspaper, and the man sighed; he just couldn’t bring himself to nag him. A noise of annoyance escaped his lips as he watched Taemin’s denim shirt slowly start to stick to the boy’s body. “Honestly, what would you do without me?” Kibum muttered, hands moving to his jacket.

“No hyung! You’ll get wet!” Taemin cried, rushing to pull Kibum’s hands away from the zipper.

“Yah! Stop it!” Kibum scolded, swatting the boy’s hands away. “You’ll get sick if I don’t!”

“So will you!” Taemin retorted as he held the man’s slender hands in his.

Their little quarrel was halted when something dark was tossed onto Taemin’s head. Body freezing, Taemin cautiously looked up to see a cloth covering the majority of his body. He released Kibum and grabbed the edges of the material to pull it around him inquisitively. His eyes widened in surprise as he finally realized it was a coat; one of those long, button up coats that detectives always wore. Hugging the warm item to himself, he glanced around in confusion until he saw a tall figure standing behind them.

“Great, now you’re going to get sick.” Taemin heard Kibum mutter, the diva running a hand over his face in a manner of desperation. The figure chuckled and Taemin admired his warm, deep voice.

“You know I don’t get sick easily, Kibummie.” The man said as he stepped up to the pair, dark eyes glistening merrily.

“First of all, don’t call me that. Second, what’s up with the fancy clothes?” Kibum asked, eyeing the man up and down suspiciously.

Kibummie? Oh! That was when it hit Taemin. This was that Lee Jinki guy that Kibum always sat with during the breaks he didn’t share with Taemin. He stared at the man, eyeing his gentle features as he took in Kibum’s question.

“Ah, I’m meeting up with parents for some business talk.” Jinki explained as he glanced down at his tan vest, white dress shirt, red tie, and pair of slacks that were a shade lighter than his tie.

There was a pregnant pause before Kibum yelled, “THEN WHY ARE YOU LETTING YOURSELF GET SOAKED!?” He stared at his friend with a confused look, and the way Jinki smiled just upset him more.

“I hate business meetings.” Jinki replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Besides, Taemin looked cold as well.” He continued to explain as he looked over at the boy, giving him a kind smile.

Taemin pondered about how this guy knew his name. It may sound strange, but he felt familiar with this man. As if he personally knew him and they had been friends for a very long time, although they had just met. He didn’t have much time to think before the eerily silent pause that followed the man’s words made him tense up. Silence with Kibum was a bad thing.

“Just…..okay.” The red clad male sighed, shaking his head as he turned and started walking away. “If you get sick I’ll kick your .” He called over his shoulder, making the other man laugh as he started to follow him.

“You should find a better way to express how much you care about others.”

“Shut up.”

Taemin stared after the strange couple in awe. Although he had seen them together before, this was the first time he heard them conversing. It was weird…..seeing Kibum talk to someone other than him, how Kibum hadn’t snapped at him in frustration. He seemed….completely relaxed as he walked next to the man.

The small smile on Kibum’s face eased Taemin’s nerves. As long as Kibum liked the man, then he would like him as well. Taemin trotted after them, happily accepting Kibum’s arm as his friend reached back to link them together. He looked to his side and saw that Jinki had put in his ear buds and was listening to his I-pod he had apparently hidden in the pockets of his slacks, and then he looked at Kibum who squeezed his arm closer to his body as he looked up at the light grey sky.

Yeah, it was definitely weird; suddenly becoming a part of a trio. But it felt….natural.

So he smiled, looking ahead as they all fell into a comfortable silence.

……….

A dirt road veered off the black asphalt the boys treaded on and Kibum stopped to inspect the surroundings; eyes narrowed as he gazed through the forest that claimed any empty space alongside the roads. Yep, everyone stayed home. He thought, body relaxing as a victorious smile graced his face.

“Alright Minnie, don’t forget to do your assignment from Ms. Saten.” Kibum cooed, turning to face the boy as he looked up at him with annoyed eyes.

“It’s Satan. I swear the school just made a typo.” Taemin grumbled, gladly leaning his head into Kibum’s palm as the older ruffled his hair again. A deep chuckle from Jinki caught Kibum’s attention and he pointed a lean finger at the man’s soaked chest.

“Walk Taemin the rest of the way, will you?” He asked, earning a nod of approval from the quiet male. To some that may have sounded like a demand more than anything else, but Jinki knew it was Kibum’s way of caring for the younger, and also expressing the trust he had in the man.

“We still need to work on your way with words.” Jinki told Kibum, a grin turning up the corners of his mouth as he practically felt the annoyance radiate from the other. He ignored Kibum’s glare as he stepped towards Taemin, an arm wrapping gently around the boy’s thin shoulders so he could guide him away.

“You….you don’t have to do this.” The boy muttered, body stiffening at the sudden contact.

“It’s okay; we live in the same neighborhood.” Jinki explained as he almost dragged Taemin along with him. Taemin thought it was weird. Normally people would be calling for help if a stranger suddenly started to take them somewhere, but he felt comfortable. Looking up at the taller man’s relaxed features, Taemin felt a sense of protection, almost…authority. Maybe this was why Kibum liked to be around Jinki. He looked back at the thought of Kibum, waving at him as the man smiled and returned the gesture. Well…..if Kibum trusted him, then…..

“See you tomorrow, Taemin! Oh, and Jinki, DRY YOURSELF THE SECOND YOU GET HOME…..eat some hot soup as well!” Kibum cried after the two, cupping his mouth with his hands to resonate his voice. Taemin turned back and said something that Kibum couldn’t catch, the distance between them stretching further and further, and grinned brightly before facing forward again. The only response he got from Jinki was a lazy thumbs up.

Tsk….he didn’t even bother to turn around. Kibum hissed in his mind, standing in the light rainfall as he watched the boys walk on. He still stood there even as their heads disappeared over the hill the asphalt coated, wondering if they’d make the next block to their neighborhood unharmed.

You know, even for someone who was anti-social, he admitted that this feeling of loneliness he held in his heart was horrible as he watched his only friends leave him.

The sound of the rain hitting the earth even harder than before woke Kibum from his thoughts. He looked up at the sky as it darkened and decided to get going after releasing a depressed sigh. Heading down the dirt path, he admired how the rain got quieter; the vibrant green leaves of the trees catching the drops far above his head before they could hit the ground.

He felt the emptiness in his chest fill with a sense of calm as he inhaled the scent of the forest. He couldn’t get enough of it. The crisp rain air mixed with the musky earth and an occasional whiff of sweet wildflowers; it was always refreshing.

He listened to the slight crunch of his converse crushing the tiny pebbles of the path as he looked around. Everything was so green given that it was late spring, and hallelujah that meant that the end of the school year was nearing.

All you could really see was dark bark everywhere you looked because the trees practically hugged each other. Because of their greed, not many things grew on the moss covered floor due to lack of sunlight; just a few lucky flowers and some bushes that squeezed themselves next to the edge of road. Hell, Kibum barely saw any animals in all the years that he had lived in these parts. Maybe a squirrel here or there, but it was mainly hoarded with birds.

On a typical day Kibum would be closing his eyes as he drowned in their harmonious songs, however, the little critters seemed to be taking refuge from the impending storm. It was so quiet…..so peaceful. Kibum wished that everyone would come to respect this kind of lifestyle. But no, most teenagers would rather be reckless and wild and just….RUIN things.

His expression went sour as he thought over the past years when the kids of this town would play around here. Breaking off tree branches as they climbed them, bruising the ground as their bikes tore up the gentle forest floor, yanking flowers up for no reason and then throwing them away, and even tossing stones at the few woodland creatures they would come across. Those were the times where Kibum came to loath humans.

Given that he was the only one that lived down this road, he felt a sense of ownership over these lands, so when someone would hang around here he would instantly get infuriated.

And then, the rumors started. 

Slenderman would take the form of the many trees around here and snatch little kids up so he could pierce them to shreds with his sharp branch-like appendages. A ghastly creature made of disgusting rotted moss would pull teens down into the depths of the bog that resided a ways behind Kibum’s house. A crazed hunter hid bear traps under the fallen leaves in the forest. A rabid cat slept inside the cozy bushes and would attack any soul that disturbed its slumber. Quite silly, don’t you think?

But they did the trick much to Kibum’s delight; the idiots of this town believed anything, even werewolves.

Ah yes, that rumor. That was one that Kibum hadn’t spread by whispering to easily frightened girls as he walked by. In fact, he had no idea why anybody would think that. He’s lived here for years and hasn’t seen a single wolf; only a couple of dogs and cats that were dumped off by cruel owners. Maybe the people mistook a hungry dog for a raging wolf? Kibum snorted at the thought, finding the whole thing hilarious. Honestly, the only reason someone should be afraid of these woods would be if weresquirrels and werebirds existed.  

There was a happy skip in his step now as he wondered farther down the path. He didn’t care as long as the rumor kept everybody away.

His happiness faded, however, as his eyes caught glimpse of something up ahead. Small and a light gray/brown-ish color, it laid lifelessly near the edge of the road. That’s all Kibum could tell as he squinted through the distance between them. That’s weird. He thought as he slowly advanced towards it. People don’t usually litter this far up the road.

No, wait a second. His thoughts paused as the shape of the thing got clearer, and then his heart sank. It looks like an animal! A sad voice yelled in his mind. Although he was used to this scene, an abandoned animal dying because it has nothing to survive on, it always pained him to see them go like this. What if….what if it’s a cat! At that thought he started jogging to it, heart thudding in slight panic as he got closer. There was that little flutter of prayer in his chest, a prayer that begged it to still be alive. He could save it!

It wasn’t until there was about a yard between them did Kibum realize that this thing wasn’t small, nor was it a cat. His body froze, an almost jolt of paralysis gripping him as he stared at it in shock. It was a dog. A decently large..…dog. Kibum’s heart thudded for a different reason now; fear. The thing shivered, a desperate shudder that made its body twitch, and Kibum jumped back as if he’d been shot. If his vocal cords were working, he would have even screamed.

It’s….alive. A cold sweat formed on his forehead as his mind raced; thoughts tripping over each other as his body instinctively started to back away from the thing. What if it woke up and thought that Kibum was a threat? What if it attacked him? What if it had rabies!?

Kibum didn’t even need to think twice before he started running. His limbs trembled and the blood rushed in his ears as a terrified adrenaline rush took over his body, he had to get away, get away from that thing. But if that was the case, if he was so scared, then why…...why were his steps slowing? Why did he stop as he felt something clenching in his chest? Why was he looking back at the quivering animal with such remorseful eyes?

Kibum didn’t get it. What was this foreign feeling he had in his heart? It was something that told him to turn back; he even felt it tugging him. He wanted to run, but he couldn’t.

Confused, Kibum felt his body backtrack; taking cautious steps until he was at the animal’s side again. No, no, RUN you idiot! Kibum scolded himself as his body did the opposite of what he said and knelt down. It could kill you! Kibum’s mind screamed, finally taking back control of his body as he forced his hands to not reach out for the dog.

 It will die. He had no idea where that voice came from. It sounded like him, but at the same time, it didn’t sound like him. It came from a deep place inside his mind, a place he had never bothered to turn to. Those words put his body in a serene state, his limbs ceasing to tremble and his heart slowing to a confident rhythm.

The fear was still there, resting in his veins in case he needed to make a quick get away, but his mind was suddenly focused on something else. Any person would have gone dizzy at the sudden 180 Kibum’s emotions just pulled, but he was too determined to do the task at hand to notice.

……….

Kibum wondered what made his clothes stick to his body; his sweat, or the rain? Yes, he wondered, but he could honestly care less in his current predicament.

Practically falling to his knees, he carefully laid the unconscious dog onto the wooden porch of his cottage. He stared at its mangled fur as he gasped for breath. Just how much does this damn thing weigh!? Kibum was stupefied, but didn’t give himself time to think on it before he dragged his body up and opened the front door.

Stumbling inside, he quickly inhaled the comforting scent of pine and fresh cinnamon as the warmth from the house enveloped him like a hug.

Stepping through that door is the best feeling in the world; the feeling of finally being home.

Pulling his resisting mind back to the present, he glanced around the open living room as his thoughts ticked. Well I brought it here…..now what.  He thought as he repeatedly snapped his fingers, a little habit he picked up to try and rush his thinking.

It always seemed to work, however, as he walked towards the coffee table and pushed it aside, leaving a nice open spot in front of the fireplace. Jogging down the small hallway, he got some towels from the bathroom and splayed them over the newly made space, sparing a few as he set them on the hearth.  He reached on top of the mantel and grabbed the matches, quickly lighting the new logs he had put in the fireplace that morning.

As he let the fire birth, he darted back outside and gazed down at the shivering animal. I better not regret this. He sighed, kneeling to slide his arms underneath the animal’s heavy frame. Ignoring the ache in his own arms, he focused on the animal’s face as it twisted in discomfort and its body winced in his arms.

So it wasn’t Kibum’s imagination when he had first picked up the animal in the road, body jolting in surprise when it had released a soft growl. Something’s definitely wrong. He mused as he worked their way through the narrow doorway in a rather awkward angle and shut the door with a bump of his hips. He placed it on the makeshift bed in front of the now crackling fire, being more careful with it as his curious mind went over the possible reasons for its pain.

“You better not wake up and rip my throat out, you freaking mutt.” He warned as his eyes scanned over its dirtied gray fur,  not making out any visible injuries as he started to gently rub its body with the warmed towels he had set aside earlier. His brows scrunched quizzically as he felt its tensed muscles quiver beneath his fingers. He’s sore…..maybe bruised?

He momentarily stopped thinking as the body beneath his fingers relaxed with a sigh, its tender muscles softening with each caress. Kibum adored how fluffy its fur was getting as the towel soaked up the wet droplets that had weighed down the tuffs. He didn’t feel in danger anymore, hell, it was actually kind of cute…..kind of. It’d be cuter if it wasn’t a dog. Losing himself in the comfortable silence, Kibum let his thoughts re-activate and gasped as a certain one struck him like a bucket of ice.

Maybe he was hit by a car!?  It wouldn’t be impossible. Although rarely, people did use his driveway as a turnaround point and they weren’t exactly mindful when doing so. That would also explain why the animal was acting so hurt when it didn’t have any visible injuries; they were internal. At that, Kibum began to panic. What if it’s more than just bruising? What if it has internal bleeding, or..…or broken ribs or something!? His mind screamed as he forgot the towel on the dog and jumped up from his spot on the floor.

He ran to his bag he had ditched by the door and frantically dug through it. He grasped his cellphone and dialed the number for his local vet faster than his fingers could function. Pacing back and forth, he listened to the other end ring a little longer than what he thought was professional as he bit his bottom lip. Wait.

Why am I so worked up over some freaking dog? Dogs are horrible creatures.  I bet he even ran in front of the car, the dumbas-

“Yes, I was wondering if I could bring in a dog I found.” He answered the lady over the phone in a polite voice, cursing himself for acting so weird. “I believe it was hit by a car, and although there aren’t any external injuries, it acts extremely pained when touched or moved. I’m worried that it may have some broken bones, or worse.” He continued as he placed a hand on his hip, eyes zoned in on his shoes as the lady spoke again. “It doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, but I would like to bring it in for an examination.”  

There was a pause as the lady talked some more.

“The owner? M-” Kibum slapped a hand over his mouth. Why in the hell did he almost say that he was its owner!? “Oh, they’re….they’re not around. I found it alone, on the side of a road…….….I think it’s a husky…..…Gender?” He stood there; face blank as the gears in his head sputtered to a stop. What was it, even? “Ah, hold on. I have to check.” He told the lady as he turned and walked back into the living room.

You know, he wasn’t really enjoying this little questionnaire over the phone. Why couldn’t she just say if they had a spot open or not, and he could just answer the questions at the vet’s office. If he ends up playing 20 questions just for nothing, he is going to be pis-

Kibum froze.

He stood there at the entrance to the living room, phone hovering by his right ear as his blood went cold. His eyes were wide in shock, and his face was rigid.

He had no idea how long he stood there, gaping, but the lady on the phone repeated her question and his thoughts came back from their sudden death. The hairs on his neck rose as a horrified chill ghosted over his body.

Gender…..its gender.

Oh yeah, the dog’s gender.

You know, he wanted to answer the lady that grew more impatient with each silent second he gave her.

But he couldn’t.

He literally couldn’t because the dog wasn’t there anymore.

Instead……instead there was a man.

There was a random man in Kim Kibum’s living room.

A very much man, with white hair, and he was comfortably sleeping where the dog had been.

A sharp thud echoed throughout the cabin as Kibum’s phone crashed to the floor.

What…..the .