“Bean?” Taekwoon managed to squeak.

“Hm?” The younger one yawned.

So it is Bean, Taekwoon thought. But how…?

“Taekwoonie?”

Taekwoon panicked at the sound of his sister’s voice outside his door. He gestured for Bean to keep quiet and he hurried to the door. He locked the door and tried to think of a lie. Just a little white lie.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he blurted softly.

“Oh, okay…come down if you’re hungry, alright? I’m making dinner tonight.”

It was Taemi.

“Okay. Thanks,” Taekwoon replied.

Upon hearing his sister’s footsteps fading, he leaned against the door and exhaled. He didn’t know he was actually holding his own breath back. He was the quietest member of the family and sometimes it would worry his sisters. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what to say, but because he chooses to stay that way, believing that talking too much could backfire on him. But he never thought that his lacking of interest to talk more could lead him to come up with a lie.

Just when he thought it was okay to go back to reality, his view was filled with the image of a young man sitting on his bed. He forgot about Bean. Carefully, he walked over to the bed and stared down at the boy.

“How are you a human?” Taekwoon asked gently.

“How am I…? Human?” He asked Taekwoon back.

Taekwoon nodded slightly.

It was quickly responded to with a little tilt of the younger’s head. He even shrugged his shoulder, clearly not knowing how it had happened just as much as Taekwoon. The elder sighed. He sat down by the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.

First things first, he needed to devise a story, to cover this whole thing up with; so that his sisters wouldn’t suspect anything peculiar.

“Do you have a name?” Taekwoon tried.

“Bean.”

“I mean, a real, human name?” Taekwoon tried again.

“Hyung give me one,” he said.

Eyebrows knitted together, Taekwoon tried to think of a name. He couldn’t put Jung, so, the common surname would be…Lee. He wanted to keep the name Bean, so he coughed up his childhood memory where he had an imaginary friend that he had named Hong.

“How about Lee Hongbin?” Taekwoon turned to Bean.

Bean smiled. He liked the name, Taekwoon could tell. For a brief moment, he relaxed a bit. Somehow, to Taekwoon, he thought that he was familiar with the beaming face right in front of him; as if they’ve met before…

His phone vibrated.

‘Hi, it’s Hyuk. I’m sorry I had to get your number from the store.
I forgot to ask of it from you the other day.
Are you alright? Are you better now? How’s Bean?’

The text message wrote. Hyuk. Yes, Hyuk would know what to do, he thought. Maybe he would be thought of as crazy, but it might do him good, so he asked,

‘I’m doing better, thanks to you. I’m sorry I got you into a fuss.
Bean is alright, but…I have a question. Can you come over…?’

Send.

“Hatchoo!”

Taekwoon turned around to where the sneeze came from. Bean sneezed. A human sneeze. Oh god, he needs to get used to this; fast.

Was he sick? Or was he cold? Taekwoon took a little time to worry.
Well, seeing from the way that the boy was half- from the moment he got up, he must’ve been cold. Suddenly feeling the sense of responsibility, he got out a new towel and wrapped it around the boy’s shoulder.

“Let’s get you showered and clothed before you catch a cold.”

“Okay.”

Quietly, Bean got up and wrapped the towel around his waist, as if he already knew how to do it all along. He walked over to the bathroom and stopped just before he could disappear through the door. He looked back at Taekwoon and tilted his head.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“N-no,” Taekwoon answered, flustered.

“How do I shower?”

“Like I did to you before, do you remember?”

“Oh…okay. I think so.”

“Wait, your collar,” Taekwoon remembered.

Taekwoon walked over to him to take off the younger one’s collar, but before he could even reach it, the boy backed away, retreating into a corner. It caught Taekwoon by surprise; with the sudden whimper that he gave as he retreated.

“What’s wrong?” The elder asked.

“Don’t take it off. It hurts.”

“What do you mean it hurts?” Taekwoon wondered.

“It just does.”

And he disappeared. Taekwoon heard him close the door, so he sat on the bed again. It was no doubt he was confused, but he tried to ignore that first.

So instead, he tried to think of what he could say to his sisters once he brings the boy out.

 Is he a friend; from college? Sure, okay. He’s…how old should he be? From the look of his physical appearance, he could be a classmate; a college student but maybe not the same age. Younger is better, he thought, since if he was a puppy, he’d be young. So if I’m 24…he could be…21? He doesn’t have a family, so, from an orphanage. Just in case somebody asks, it could be an overseas orphanage; because he somehow has a little problem in talking like a 21-year-old.

Taekwoon devised it all nicely in his head. He knew what to say of the little things; his background info and stuff. Now, to explain what was the boy doing in his room…

Yes, I was sick. Just a fever, so he came over to bring meds. But he fell asleep, so that’s why he was in the room. Taekwoon nodded in approval of his own idea. Next-

“Hyung?” A soft voice came from the bathroom.

Upon hearing that, he quickly went over to the bathroom door. The boy’s head was peeping out and his hair was drenched.

“What’s wrong?” Taekwoon asked.

“I got shampoo in my eyes…” he whimpered.

Taekwoon couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. The boy knew how to speak, how to walk on 2 legs, how to ask questions and give body gestures…but when shampoo gets into his eyes, he was at a lost.

Cute.

“Can I come in?” Taekwoon asked.

Eyes closed, Bean nodded and retreated inside. He was , but Taekwoon looked away, thinking as if it was nothing. What Bean had, he had them all too, so whatever. The shower was still on so he washed his hands and used his thumbs to wipe off the shampoo from the younger’s eyes.

Blinking excessively, Bean finally opened his eyes. They were a tinge red by the edges but he didn’t show any sign of pain, so Taekwoon took it that he was okay.

“Clean off the shampoo and soap; I’ll get you something to wear.”

“Okay, thank you!” Bean smiled.

Rummaging through his cupboard, Taekwoon found an extra white shirt, a rarely worn dark blue cardigan to go over it and a pair of jeans. That would do, right? But…what about underwear? He had a few new pairs he had bought not long ago…but would it fit?

Right then, Bean got out of the bathroom. He was shivering. Without a word, Taekwoon got out a smaller towel and dried off the boy’s hair. He didn’t want him to catch a cold. The weather was getting colder these days, so he had to be careful since this human-turned puppy was still in his care.

“Can you fit these?”

Taekwoon showed Bean the outfit he had got out, clearly emphasizing the pair of boxers. Bean walked over to them and pushed down his towel. Immediately Taekwoon turned away and waited for him to put on the boxers.

“I think it’s okay; it fits. Is this…?”

Taekwoon turned around and a little smile crept up his face. The boy was wearing the boxers with the fly at the back.

“You’re wearing the fly at the back. It’s supposed to be at the front,” Taekwoon said.

“What’s a fly?” the boy asked innocently.

“It’s the little opening we use to…to pee.”

“Oh,” he answered, quickly removing the boxers.

Within a heartbeat, Taekwoon stepped back and turned his attention to the ceiling. Why can’t this boy be a little bit rational? You can’t just strip in front of someone; Taekwoon thought. Thinking that the boy was done, he lowered his eyes to inspect the boxers. They were alright.

“Now put this on. I hope it's not too big,” Taekwoon helped the boy wear his jeans.

It fit like a glove. Taekwoon was satisfied, but something else had caught his attention. Bean had a birthmark; right above his waistline, which aligned with his bellybutton. Oddly, it was too familiar for Taekwoon. It was as if he’d seen it before, somewhere…

“Which one first?” the boy asked.

“Hm?”

“Shirt or this one?” he pointed to the cardigan.

Quietly, Taekwoon got the white shirt on the boy. As it was before, it fit the boy perfectly. Bean picked up the cardigan and tried to wear it. He wore it inside out.

You never fail to amuse me, Bean. Taekwoon laughed inwardly.

After he was done dressing the boy, he fixed the wet and messy brunette hair and got him some socks to wear; which were also, his. It was peculiarly convenient that everything fit the boy nicely; everything that Taekwoon owns, from head to toe.

“Stay here, okay? I need to take a shower now,” the elder said quietly, getting his towel.

“Okay,” Bean obeyed.

When he finished showering, he got out to face a sleeping Bean. On the floor, all bundled up in a blanket; just like a little ball of fluff. Carefully, he picked the boy up and laid him on the bed. He was quite heavy for a thin boy. He finished dressing himself before waking the younger one up.

“Bean?”

…he was quiet. But then,

“Uhh…don’t. D-don’t throw me out…hyung….”

If Taekwoon was right, Bean was mumbling through his sleep. Human mumbling, even.

It was a nightmare, maybe. But he wasn’t sure. The boy could have a nightmare with just a little nap? Taekwoon wondered to himself. Odd but he shrugged it off.

“Bean?” the elder spoke a little more loudly.

He patted the boy’s arms a little, waking him up like his sisters used to do when he was a little boy having nightmares in the middle of the night. Slowly, the boy’s eyes fluttered open, trying to focus. He sat up and Taekwoon realized that Bean was sweating.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to worry him.

“You caught my fever, haven’t you?” Taekwoon asked worriedly.

And in that instant, Bean’s lips trembled and his eyes watered.

Is he crying? Why is he crying? Did I say something wrong? Taekwoon panicked, his eyes widened in shock. It was a first for him so he was lost. But before he could voice the panic out, the younger one wrapped his arms around Taekwoon’s thin waist, burying his face in the elder’s well-built chest.

His breath a little hitched, Taekwoon froze in his spot.

Yes, he was worried but what should he do? No guy ever hugged him before except for his father but that was different. Should he hug Bean back? Should he push him away? But the boy was crying…

“D-don’t throw me away…” Bean’s voice a little muffled against Taekwoon’s shirt.

“T-throw you away? Why would I d-do that?” Taekwoon tried with a little stuttering.

The boy didn’t answer but he shook his head. After a few minutes, the little sobs died down; which was a huge relief to the elder. By then, he had sat cross-legged in front of Bean’s sleeping spot on the floor with Bean partially in his lap. His hands were limp by his sides, not knowing where to go.

Bean pulled away slowly; putting a little distance between them and looked up.

“You really won’t throw me out?” He asked again, unconfirmed.

“I won’t.”

It was all that he could say; despite not understanding the situation.

So Taekwoon’s plans to trick his sisters were a go. Everything was doing fine; his sisters were greeting Bean like a normal person and they didn’t suspect anything weird at all. Even Bean was doing well after the short, briefing session Taekwoon gave him after he calmed down from his nightmare.

“So where are you staying at?” Taemi asked.

“Stay?” Bean turned to Taekwoon, confused.

“H-he! He’s still trying to find a place out of campus since he c-came here when the semester started. I’m still helping him out with that…” Taekwoon stuttered.

“Oh…so now you’re staying at the campus, huh? It must be boring. Even Taek comes home every time he’s free and he still says it’s boring,” Taeyoung chuckled as she put some rice in her bowl.

All of his sisters were home by the time he finished briefing Bean and got to the dining table for dinner. He opted to stay calm, even if he knew that his sisters were practically Sherlock Holmes; knowing if something was up with their little brother, even if it was something small.

Preferably in the size of a beagle.

Shut up! Taekwoon scolded himself inwardly.

The doorbell rang.

“Is anybody expecting anyone?” Taehee peeked out of the kitchen to the front door.

“I-I am!” Taekwoon croaked.

“You are?” All 3 of his sisters were shocked.

Quietly, he walked to the door and invited the awaited guests inside. It was Hyuk and somebody else that he brought with him. He was just a few centimeters shorter than Hyuk but he had a light blue shade to his lock of hair. A nice smile, too.

“Hyung! So what was is that-“

“Shhh! Not now. My sisters are here, so a little after dinner,” Taekwoon shushed the younger.

“Dinner?” The person who came along piped up.

“Oh. This is…my brother Wonshik, he’s 21. I’m sorry I had to bring him along, he didn’t want to stay home,” Hyuk introduced the male.

Wonshik smiled and bowed a little, as politely as he could before shaking Taekwoon’s hand. It was a normal greeting but for some reason, Taekwoon felt as if it wasn’t. Plus, he couldn’t help but notice that Wonshik had abnormally jet-black coloured pupils. They were even shining.

Or was it just in his mind?

“Hi! Join us for dinner?” Taemi suddenly appeared from behind Taekwoon.

“Yeah, join us…”

“I didn’t know you’ve already made so many friends, Taek; very lively ones, at that. This is so unlike you, but really, we’re happy that you’re fitting in just nice,” Taeyoung expressed as she sat down on the couch.

She the TV and browsed as she let Bean sit on the floor next to the couch. He was sitting there quietly before Wonshik sat and joined him, making eye contact.

Yes, eye contact.

It would’ve meant nothing to everyone else if it wasn’t for the spark in their eyes when they met. Taekwoon saw it and he couldn’t let it slide. Apparently, so did Hyuk.

“Who wants ice cream?” Taehee piped from the kitchen.

“Meeeee,” Bean cooed from his spot, his tongue a hanging out a little.

“Ice cream is so amazing,” Wonshik suddenly stated, his eyes boring the TV.

“WE! I mean, w-we need to-“

“-work on our assignment upstairs…in my room, you know, since Hongbin and Wonshik are in the same class and t-they need my help,” Taekwoon saved what Hyuk had said.

“Yeah, assignment.”

Closing the bedroom door behind him, Taekwoon slumped down against it, letting out a long sigh as he did. Sensing his sudden tiredness, Bean crawled up to the elder and sat next to him, looking up at his hyung’s face.

Taekwoon smiled at him and turned to Hyuk; who was sitting by the edge of the bed, facing him and Bean. Wonshik was sitting on the floor again, this time with his back to the bed frame.

“Wonshik isn’t your brother, is he?” Taekwoon asked quietly.

“And he’s Bean, right?” Hyuk countered.

Both of the males looked at each other and nodded as they sighed. So their guts were right; the doubt they had since dinner was confirmed.

“What happened?” Hyuk started.

Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon explained from the start.

“What did you do before you got him?” Hyuk asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you…wish for something? Or, did you read something and made him up in your mind? I mean like, anything at all that you can link to his sudden existence in your life…?”

Taekwoon thought for a while then it hit him.

“I did wish for something, but it wasn’t for a dog. That evening, I drew a few portraits of this person I made up as a submission to get into my college’s art club. Only after that, I made a wish; which I do daily and put it in my wish jar. I wrote, ‘I wish I have something to care for.’ The next morning, he showed up,” Taekwoon explained as he ruffled Bean’s hair.

“The drawings disappeared, didn’t they?” Hyuk asked.

“Yeah…how’d you know?”

Hyuk got down from the bed and sat on the floor next to Wonshik. The blue-haired boy yawned; which made Hyuk close in their distance and pat his shoulders. Smiling sleepily, Wonshik laid his head on Hyuk’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

“It was pretty much the same with me and Wonshik. I got him last year when my parents were divorcing. I guess I was kinda lonely since my parents were too busy fighting to care much for me, so I started reading to take my mind off things. But my house was only filled with poetry books so I only read those. I picked this one book and when I reached this one page, I think I cried…because the meaning kinda related to me. The poem on the page was, ‘Words Mend’. So when I was crying to the poem, I suddenly got mad at my life. I questioned why was I the only child and didn’t have any siblings to help me get through the whole thing and stuff like that…”

Pausing for a while, Hyuk smiled a little sadly at the memory.

He turned his head to the sleeping Wonshik and his smile widened, turning into an adoring smile rather than a sad one. Gently, he kissed the blue lock of hair by his shoulder.

“The next morning, I went out to take a walk in the park; to clear my mind. I brought the book along with me. I sat by my favorite bench and started to read when I realize that the page where I stopped the day before was gone. Just then, I felt someone sitting on the other end of the bench. I looked up and there he was.”

“Excuse me, but can you help me?” A voice said not a few feet away.

Hyuk looked up from his book and saw a light-blue haired male sitting on the same bench as he was. And he was smiling.

“Sure…what can I help you with?”

“I need to go to this address but I can’t seem to find my way,” the male said, handing Hyuk a piece of torn paper.

Hyuk took it from him and started to read. He smiled. It was his home address.

“I guess you’re my parents’ guest; seeing that this is the address to my home.”

“Oh, well then, it’s quite convenient to meet you here,” the male beamed.

“I’m Hyuk, by the way. Han Sanghyuk,” Hyuk held out his hand with a smile.

But it wasn’t the same for the male. He wasn’t smiling. Instead, he was knitting his eyebrows together; his head a little tilted to the side. Confusion was written all over his face.

“If you are Hyuk, then I must be your guest because I was instructed to find this place and meet a person by the name Hyuk.”

“But I’m not expecting anyone…”

Confused, Hyuk checked the piece of paper he got from the male once more. He flipped it to the backside and his eyes widened. There were typed words on it; familiar words.

‘Words Mend’ by Kim Wonshik.

Smiling at the memory of his first encounter with Wonshik, Hyuk chuckled quietly to himself. Then slowly, he turned to look at Taekwoon and a little smile appeared on his face.

“Kim Wonshik,” Hyuk beamed, turning to look at the sleeping figure beside him.

Right when Hyuk said it, goose-bumps roamed Taekwoon’s skin traveling all the way to his spine; shocking him. He turned to Bean and all the goose-bumps went away. He was sleeping, that Bean.

To Taekwoon, the view he was looking at was one of the most calming one ever. And he liked it, to be frank.

“Did you give him the name? Or was it already his?” Taekwoon asked quietly.

“It was already his but he didn’t know so I gave it to him a little after we met. I got it from the poet’s name, seems that he did come from that poem,” Hyuk smiled.

Finding the info he had just gotten interesting, he looked down at Bean’s neck. The collar. Gently, he touched the locket hanging from the collar and twisted it backward. Clearly, there was a name carved onto it.

‘Bean.’

“I’m guessing you got his name from the collar?” Hyuk asked.

Without a word, Taekwoon nodded.

“And you can’t get it off?”

Again, he nodded.

“I know where we can go to help you.”

“Help with what?” Taekwoon asked, a little confused.

“With Bean.”