Haneul is just a normal teeanger walking home from her normal day at work, taking the normal route home when...

She comes across a ghost-like creature sitting at the side of the alley, and she swears she screamed her lungs out before she realizes the creature isn't going to attack her or anything.

The creature has two, cute, fluffy bunny ears poking out from its hair, and he's sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, a dead look in his eyes as he watches her.

Against her better judgement, Haneul approaches the boy, "You okay?"

The half-man, half-bunny doesn't reply, still staring at her with those bloodshot eyes. He looked so tired with his matted hair and hollowed cheeks, the skin stretching over protruding bones.

He mumbles something when Haneul realizes she's squatting in front of him, at eye level, somethimg vaguely like: "I don't need your help."

"B-But you're gonna die soon if you stay here!" Haneul holds onto his wrist, gasping at how thin he is.

"Leave me alone..."

His voice isn't even demanding. It sounds more like he's pleading her.

Haneul stands up, and she takes one look at the hybrid before turning away.

***********************
The next day, Haneul takes her prepared lunch as she told herself she would and she walks hesitantly into the alley. What if it the hybrid isn't there anymore?

Haneul takes a breath, and steels herself for the hybrid's disappearance... what does she care even if he isn't there anyway?

But he's there, and Haneul approaches him quietly, so as not to scare him off. The hybrid watches as she walks towards and squats in front of him.

"Here, I brought you food," Haneul says. "You look like you're starving." She opens a box full of lettuce, cabbage, and most importantly, carrots.

The hybrid's eyes grow big. Really big, seeming as if his eyes are bulging out.

"Take it," Haneul pushes the box to in front of the hybrid. "I brought it for you."

The hybrid cautiously takes the box of food, and she stares for a few seconds at the food before taking a leaf from the box and stuffing it into his mouth. He takes one leaf after another, and Haneul watches him eat.

After the hybrid finishes the box of food, he hands it back to Haneul. "T-Thank you."

"You're welcome," Haneul smiles, taking the box. "Do you need a place to stay?"

The hybrid shakes his head.

"What's your name, at least?"

"Number 0613," the hybrid says, and Haneul frowns.

"That won't do. I'll give you a name." She thinks long and hard, before presenting the hybrid with a carefully-thought out name (at least she hopes so).

"Jungkook," she says. "From now, your name is Jungkook. Okay?"

The hybrid nods.

"So, Jungkook!" Haneul smiles again, watching in somewhat amusement as he responds, his ears perking towards her.

Jungkook doesn't make a sound as he looks at her, being as watchful and careful as always.

"You...wanna come with me? I live alone, so..."

Jungkook shakes his head, dropping his head. Haneul plops down next to him, and Jungkook turns away.

"What's your story? Where did you come from?"

Jungkook hesitates, and Haneul feels bad for prodding now. "I-It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"I don't know where I'm from. I don't know who I was before..." Jungkook looks troubled, and Haneul immediately feels sad for him.

"So...like why are you here?"

"I ran from the big bad monsters," Jungkook says, ears flattening themselves against his head. "They were scary. They wanted to do all sorts of things to me..."

Haneul touches Jungkook's hand, which is visibly shaking, as an attempt at comfort.

"It's okay, Jungkook-ah. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Jungkook nods, and sniffles a little, head leaning on Haneul's shoulder.

"You okay?"

Jungkook nods, subtly, and smiles as he continues to lean his head on Haneul's shoulder. Haneul has no idea how long she stayed like that, but she digs out her phone and calls her best friend.

"Hi," Haneul says the moment the dial tone stops ringing in her ears. "Neh, I need a favour..."

************************
"Tell me how I agreed to help you again...he's HEAVY!" Seokjin huffs as he piggybacks a still-sleeping Jungkook on his back.

"Because you love me," Haneul grins. They aren't a couple--just best friends... well, considering Seokjin's got his eye on this super smart student in the class and has been trying to figure out how to confess for at least five months.

"How's it going with Namjoon?" Haneul asks, and that manages to elicit a grin from Seokjin.

"Great," Seokjin's still grinning. "He said he'd meet me at the basketball court tomorrow after lunch."

"Huh," Haneul nods. "Good luck, secret admirer."

Seokjin harrumphs, and turns his head to face the hybrid on his back. "And how did YOU meet him?"

"Well, I kind of met him yesterday," Haneul starts, and Seokjin stares at her.

"And you decide to bring him home," Seokjin mutters. "Are you just replacing—”

"Stop! Don't talk about him!"

Seokjin stops short, and nods, the two continue to walk on in silence, until they reach Haneul's home, and Seokjin and she head inside.

"Well," Seokjin says, and at Haneul's instruction, lies Jungkook gently down on the couch.

"Go cook something and be useful instead of ogling Namjoon all day." Haneul points to the kitchen, and Seokjin mutters something unintelligible under his breath before walking into the kitchen, poking his head out the moment he walks in and asks, "What am I supposed to cook? Bunny food?"

"How do you cook bunny food? Just make a salad, for God's sake!"

Jungkook stirs on the couch, and Haneul turns back just in time to see him open his eyes, a little at first, before his eyes widen and he sits up.

"Are you okay, Kookie?"

Jungkook immediately draws himself into a ball, "Wh-Where am I?"

"My house," Haneul says. "I brought you back with Seokjin's help."

"Seok...Jin?"

"Yep, or you can just call him Jin…hyung," Haneul shrugs. "While he's making dinner for you, do you want to go bathe?"

"Bathe?"

"Right, you know, to make yourself clean again," says Haneul. "Come on... I'll show you to the bathroom." Thank God she and Seokjin are good enough friends for Seokjin to leave his boxers, sweatpants and shirts all over the house. She grabs one of the boxers, a pair of pants and a shirt, and proceeds to the bathroom.

"See that, that's a bathtub," says Haneul. She then points to the things on the rack next to the bathtub. "And those are the shampoo, conditioner, body soap and face wash."

"Oh," Jungkook simply says, and Haneul hands him the clothes before heading over to the tap on the bathtub to start filling the tub with water.

"Just wait awhile," Haneul sloshes her hand about in the water. "Is this warm enough?"

Jungkook mimics Haneul's action and nods, and is prepared to step into the water when Haneul laughs. "You're supposed to take your clothes off first!"

"Oh," Jungkook nods, looking a little embarrassed as he pulls off his shirt, his pants pooling in a pile at his feet, and so does his underwear.

Haneul makes sure not to stare... well, she's been in this exact situation before anyways. She helps Jungkook into the tub and she scrubs his back for him.

She finds his sweet spot behind his ear, just like HIM. Jungkook groans, a low sound from his throat as Haneul scratches the back of his ears, she loving the feel of threading her fingers through his fur.

Haneul manages to get Jungkook clean and presentable by the time Seokjin finishes making dinner.

"Haneul-yah! Dinner's ready!" Seokjin calls from the kitchen. Haneul always likes it when Seokjin comes over--he makes really good food. It's not that Haneul can't cook. It's just that Seokjin makes way better food than she ever can.

"Come on, Kookie," Haneul grabs Jungkook's wrist, leading Jungkook down to the kitchen.

"Kookie?"

"It's your nickname!" Haneul explains as Seokjin serves them the food.

"Nickname..." Jungkook nods.

"Am I staying for dinner?" Seokjin asks.

"Depends on if you cooked anything for yourself," Haneul says as Jungkook begins to devour his food.

"'Course I did. What did you take me for?" Seokjin walks over to the stove, revealing a plate full of meat.

After a dinner full of Haneul and Seokjin talking about their school life, Seokjin calls a goodbye to Haneul (and left her with plates to wash).

"Okay, Kookie, you...can sleep here," says Haneul, showing Jungkook to a room all the way at the end. "Come on, Jungkook!"

Jungkook follows her, looking at everything in the house in complete wonderment (especially that pot of sunflowers right outside the room).  

She watches as Jungkook enters the room, peering around at everything in awe, before walking over to the bed—a fluffy bed just for someone like him. Everything in the room seemed to be pet-related, almost as if Haneul has had foresight.

“I’ll be in the living room if you need anything,” Haneul says, as she closes the door, heaving a sigh of relief as she leans against the wall outside.

Haneul doesn’t hear a peek from Jungkook for the rest of the night, and she assumes that the hybrid must be sleeping. After finishing up her essay for the day, she sneaks up to the hybrid’s room, tiptoeing and careful not to make any loud noise that can potentially wake him up.

Haneul opens the door, and is greeted by the light sounds of breathing. She walks further inside, before sitting by Jungkook’s bed. The hybrid is curled up, sniffing a little. It’s only when Haneul reaches out to brush his cheek that she realizes he’s crying.

“Eomma…where are you?”

Haneul’s heart clenches.

“Appa…where did you go?”

Haneul shakes her head. That’s in the past. This is the present. She has to focus on the present. And the present is Jungkook, not him. Haneul runs her fingers through his hair, and Jungkook turns, leaning into her touch, nose twitching a little. Haneul slides her fingers over his cheeks, brushing away his tears as she remains by Jungkook’s side for about half an hour, before she decides she needs sleep too, and she heads on over to her own room.

Haneul lies on her bed, arms spread out, and she lets her hair fan out across her pillow. She’d probably have to rely on Hoseok’s help to pay the rent now...Hoseok’s her childhood friend and an underground dancer. He actually earns real money.

Haneul closes her eyes, and falls into a very deep sleep.

*

“Wait here for me to come back, okay?” Haneul says to Jungkook. “There’s food in the fridge if you need more, but in any case, I prepared a bowl of salad from you and left it in the microwave.” She walks over to Jungkook and shows him the bowl of salad.

“Okay,” Jungkook nods, still on his breakfast (which is another bowl of salad with carrots in it).

“I’ll be back soon,” Haneul smiles, before disappearing behind her door and coming face to face with Seokjin.

“Oh, perfect timing,” Seokjin drawls. “I was going to break and enter and go up and call you. We’ve got fifteen minutes. Let’s run.”

“Ah, who car—” Haneul starts, before she realizes that she has an essay due in fifteen minutes. “Okay, let’s run!”

*

“You think he’ll come?” Seokjin asks, fidgeting nervously at the hem of his shirt.

“Of course he will,” says Haneul. “He’s clever, but dumb. He’ll just come and be very dense.”

“Oh,” Seokjin nods.

“I’ve got to get home to Jungkookie. Well, see you!” Haneul waves a goodbye to Seokjin, as she makes her way back home. Just as she’s about to plug in her earphone, someone bumps into her.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” the man yells at her, and Haneul, feeling a little pissed and cheekier than ever, makes a face at the man, before running off, her skirt flouncing around her hips.

She hears the heavy footsteps of the man, but Haneul has been living here her whole life, and with him, she knows all the hideouts and shortcuts in the neighbourhood. She runs down an alley, and turns a corner immediately after. She hears the footsteps stop, and Haneul smiles to herself as she leans against the wall, keeping her ears perked and legs ready to run at first notice.

Haneul opens her eyes, and her smile slowly fades as he sees what’s in front of her.

 A stone mounted in the ground, words messily carved onto it, right beneath a giant, flourishing tree. Haneul takes tentative steps, until she’s standing in front of the large slab; her fingers touch the slab, and tears begin to form in her eyes as she looks at the yellowing picture leaning against the stone in a pretty, golden frame.

She traces her finger over the words, turning away and she wipes at her face.

“Haneul-ah?”

Haneul opens her eyes, and notices someone standing at the entrance of her Secret Hideout with the Big Tree. At least, that’s what she called it the last time. Footsteps sound out in the grassy field, and Haneul tries to smile at Hoseok, but with those teary eyes and sad smile, she’s not fooling anyone.

“Yah, why’re you here?” Hoseok asks, and Haneul shakes her head. If she speaks now, she’s going to cry right there and then. Hoseok’s arms wrap around her, and Haneul buries her face in his chest, trying to keep the tears in.

“He’s not gone,” Hoseok’s voice is soothing. “He’s not gone as long as you’re here.”

Haneul sniffs, wishing that Hoseok is wrong, but when it comes to things like the heart, her friend is usually never wrong. Haneul has always come here, on the anniversary of his death, and she’d usually come alone. Hoseok found out, one day, when he was just walking home with Seokjin, and he found out about the alley leading to the Hideout. Ever since then, he’s come to the Hideout whenever he has had time, and today is one of those days.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Hoseok leads Haneul out of the Hideout, and she lets him take her home.

*

Pinkprincess: Haneulieeeeeee –16:05

Petlover399: What –16:06

Pinkprincess: NAMJOON ACCEPTED MY CONFESSION OMG –16:06
                   IM HYPERVENTILATING RN –16:06
                   HANEULIEEEEE IMMA GONNA COME OVER –16:06

Petlover399: What hell no jungkookies sleeping –16:08

Pinkprincess: Im right outside ur door rn! Open up –16:08

Haneul slams down her phone, and she walks down to her living room, opening her door and coming face-to-face with a grinning Seokjin. “What?”

“Namjoon agreed to be my boyfriend!” Seokjin looks like he’s over the moon. “I can’t believe it! He’s so smart and so awesome…” His face morphs into a dreamy expression and has a faraway look in his eyes.

“Whoa, relax,” Haneul laughs. “I’m going to go prepare dinner. Jungkookie’s sleeping upstairs.”

“I don’t really mind cooking for him. At least, he only eats greens,” Seokjin shrugs. “You know I was so scared for it. What if he rejected me? What if I messed up and he’d think I’m a weirdo?”

“I think you’re a weirdo but I’m still friends with you,” says Haneul, earning a smack on her head.

“I’m gonna read the news while you cook,” Seokjin calls, and Haneul yells back her agreement. Seokjin picks up the newspaper, and the headlines catch his eye immediately. Something so serious he has to run into the kitchen to get Haneul.

“Wanted!: Subject 0613”