Sorry if my description of autumn is inaccurate :( i live in a tropical country...

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“Aww, he’s asleep!” Haneul can’t help but keep petting Jungkook’s hair. The boy’s forehead is leaning against Haneul’s shoulder, and Jungkook groans sometimes when Haneul touches his ears, and he moves closer her, nose twitching.

Haneul smiles as he looks out of the window of the car as Seokjin drives them back home. She hasn’t felt this way since Jimin…

No, no Jimin right now. That’s the past. This is the present. Jungkook is the present, and Haneul is determined to keep it that way. She won’t make the same mistake again.

A blindingly bright smile flashes in her mind, and Haneul closes her eyes, leaning against the car door, ignoring the last few rays of sun against her eye lids.

All she needs is Jungkook. And no one else.

“You won’t leave me behind, would you?”

Haneul attempts to sleep, voices echoing in her head, ringing in her ears. Voices of the same person. Voices which are all too familiar. Voices resonating guilt in her heart and soul.

Haneul gives up on sleeping, and notices Seokjin’s worried look through the side mirror. She waves a hand, brushing it off, and picks up her phone. She’s going to call a friend she hasn’t met in a long time. She’d met him when she’d been working at a café, and he was her…boss, in a sense. He left the entire café to her (but of course Haneul didn’t want so much responsibility so she let some other barista have it). And how he’s coming back to Seoul for some music program thing.

“Oh, you’re in Seoul already?” Haneul drawls, playing with the strands of hair on the nape of Jungkook’s neck. “You’re kidding. You practiced the art of throwing knives? What exactly do you need that for?”

“Is it him again?” Seokjin asks, and Haneul holds up a hand.

“Uh-huh,” Haneul hums. “Relax, I just want you to come over for a moment tonight when we get back. About…eight? Really? Thanks!” She is full-on grinning when she stuffs her phone back into her pocket.

“Oh, he’s coming over…again,” Seokjin mutters as he turns a bend.

*

Taehyung swings from his tail, swift limbs taking him to further heights than any other human could have alone. He lands lightly on the roof of the house, ears perked for any sound. This is the house. He knows it.

Taehyung keeps his tranquilizer gun close to his chest, and his hand near at least three knives at the same time.

Taehyung is skilled. Really skilled. So skilled that he broke out of the laboratory all by himself, killing everyone and anyone that he happened to meet. Especially those filthy scientists that did whatever they wanted to him.

There was one other besides him. The person that lit Taehyung’s entire world up, even in that dark and dank place they called a lab. Taehyung’s mouth breaks into a smile at the good memories. His name was Jimin and he was fused with a dog, but in actuality, he looked way more like a puppy.

It was Taehyung who got them both out, claiming that that place isn’t fit for someone as bright and sunshiny as Jimin.

Now, the details of their escape isn’t something Taehyung wanted to think about. Right now, he has to focus on his mission. To bring back the one they called Subject 0613.

Taehyung readies the gun, moving as silently as possible over the roof and he peers into a window, fingers and arms strong as he hangs from the windowsill, taking shelter behind a pot of flowers. He sees the bunny and the girl, the both of them heading into a room in the middle of the hallway. He watches as they enter, and Taehyung moves on to the next window, where Jungkook is being tucked into bed, his ears flattening against his head as Haneul presses a goodnight kiss onto his forehead, and she brushes his hair out of his eyes before she takes her leave.

Jimin… Taehyung remembers so fondly, how he’d do that to Jimin when they had slept on the streets, how Jimin had moved closer to him and groaned when Taehyung scratched behind his ears and petted them.

And that’s why Taehyung can never forgive the girl in front of him.

Taehyung hisses in annoyance as he nearly falls, and he quickly grabs the top of the roof, steadying himself before he climbs back onto the windowsill, readying the dart gun.

At least, until he feels a sharp pain in his arm, and Taehyung drops the gun, clutching his arm. Something’s stabbed into the flesh, and Taehyung quickly pulls it out. A throwing knife?

“You’re probably a thief,” the voice comes from the ground. “And I’m probably going crazy because I can see your monkey tail.”

Now Taehyung’s mad. He loves that tail. The only thing that he likes out of everything they made him go through.

“What the hell?” Taehyung hisses as he leaps onto the roof again, throwing the knife onto the ground, his own knives at the ready. Blood drips from his arm to the roof.

Taehyung carefully sizes the man up and down. He’s way shorter than Taehyung—Taehyung could probably take him, but this man’s aim is good. And even better—his hair is ash grey, bright enough for Taehyung to catch sight of him anywhere, even during the night.

“Come and get me,” Taehyung growls, as he leaps onto the nearby tree, hiding himself deep in the canopy. He surveys the grey-haired man as he stares straight into Taehyung’s eyes, as if he can see into his soul.

“Look, if you want money, I can just give it to you,” the grey-haired man says. “The girl you wanna steal from is probably broke.”

Taehyung doesn’t answer. Instead, he prepares for the incoming attack, and he swears to attack first if it ever comes down to a brawl.

Just then, the door opens.

“What the hell…Min Yoongi what are you doing there?!” the girl appears at the door, shouting at the grey-haired man.

“There’s an intruder,” the man named Yoongi calls back.

Taehyung quickly flees at the distraction, but not before collecting his gun from the ground and flinging himself far away from the house. Taehyung lands gently on a branch, on tiptoes and careful not to break it.

He was that close. So close to completing his mission.

Oh well, Taehyung still has another four days. It doesn’t matter. He’ll just have to try again when the girl’s out of the house.

Oh, and that Min Yoongi looked absolutely delicious, Taehyung thinks to himself, even if the man tried to kill him.

*

“You’re lucky you’re not hurt!” Haneul cries, as Yoongi hangs his overly black coat on the coat hanger at near Haneul’s door.

“Well, you should probably board up your windows or something. That guy looked like he was targeting the bedroom,” says Yoongi, kicking off his shoes and moving over to the couch, sitting down although uninvited.

“You’re so reckless!” Haneul hisses as she sits down on the armchair next to the couch Yoongi’s sitting on.

“And you’re so oblivious,” Yoongi mutters, giving Haneul a look. He looks around the house. “I take it Jimin’s still sleeping? That noisy brat.”

“Yoongi-oppa…”

“Let me guess, he’s got a girlfriend now and it’s not you.”

“Jimin’s dead.”

At this, Yoongi’s eyes widen by a fraction, but otherwise, his expression remains stoic.

“He’s dead, oppa,” Haneul seems to be holding back tears. “Jimin died the year after you left.”

Yoongi’s eyelids droop a little, and he looks over at Haneul. No wonder Haneul wasn’t as bubbly as the last time he saw her. And no wonder there isn’t a Jimin running down from the steps bouncing around him as usual.

But if Yoongi closes his eyes and concentrates, he can faintly hear the soundso f light breathing coming from, according to Haneul, late Jimin’s room. Is he hallucinating or…?

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Haneul seems to follow Yoongi’s gaze.

“Is there someone there?”

“Yeah, I found him on the streets,” Haneul fidgets with the hem of her shirt. “They looked the same, oppa. I couldn’t…I couldn’t just leave him there.”

Yoongi his lips. Well, it’s definitely like Haneul to pick some stray off the streets, but still. “Can I see this boy?”

“You can probably sleep on the couch and I’ll let you see him tomorrow,” Haneul says. “Plus I need the extra security. I know you’re good with anything sharp.”

“You know me too well,” Yoongi smirks, and he makes himself comfortable on the couch, before closing his eyes. “Well, I didn’t come back to Seoul for this.”

“Well, you came back to Seoul because you got some music program thing you need to oversee, so there,” Haneul has a glint in her eye. Yoongi peeks open one eye, and he catches sight of her forehead. That scar is still there.

Well, they’ll sort it all out in the end. It always works out.

That’s what Yoongi likes to hope.

*

“Huh?” Jungkook gawks at the man sleeping on the couch, eyes big and ears straightened, alert. He’s dressed in nothing but a white shirt and ripped jeans, a cap thrown over his face as he sleeps.

“H-Haneul!” Jungkook calls, running up to her room, and finding her gone. Panic takes over him for a moment before he realizes the man is awakening, and adrenaline pumps through his veins as he slams her door shut and runs back down.

“Kookie?” Haneul’s familiar voice comes from the kitchen, and Jungkook quickly runs down to the kitchen, enveloping her in a hug as he trembles a little from fear.

“What is it?” Haneul cradles the boy in her arms. “Was it a bad dream?”

“T-There was a g-guy sleeping outside,” Jungkook points to the living room, and Haneul chuckles as Yoongi rises, bed head causing his hair to stick out in different directions messily.

“That’s Yoongi. I invited him over yesterday,” Haneul brings Jungkook out to meet Yoongi, despite the boy being a little more than reluctant.

“Oppa! It’s time for breakfast!” Haneul calls, walking over to Yoongi and yanking his cap away. Yoongi squints up at Haneul.

“You’re annoying, woman,” Yoongi hisses as he sits perfectly upright, swinging his feet off the couch and heads towards the kitchen, before he catches sight of Jungkook. He’s slightly shorter than the boy, but Jungkook’s clearly cowering behind Haneul.

“Oh, this is the brat?” Yoongi looks over at Jungkook, and the bunny gulps.

“Stop scaring him,” Haneul slaps Yoongi’s arm playfully. “And he’s not a brat!”

“You said the same thing about him,” Yoongi snickers, as he eats the breakfast that Haneul prepared.

“You know what? I’m pretty sure you have school today,” Yoongi says, angling his head when the door knocks and Haneul walks out to answer it. Yoongi looks back to the hybrid, shrunk against his seat and keeping his eyes on him the entire time, not even daring to touch his own bowl of salad. “If it’s Jin-hyung tell him to go get a boyfriend!”

“Yah! I have a boyfriend, Min Yoongi!” someone yells from the door as he steps into the room. “And you’re going to be late if you don’t hurry, Haneul.”

“I’m always late,” Haneul pouts, stuffing her sandwich into . “Don’t forget to feed Kookie, oppa!”

“Yah! Why’s he the oppa and I’m just Seokjin?!”

*

The entire morning and afternoon was uncomfortable as hell for Jungkook, the bunny locking himself up in his room, only emerging to go to the toilet, and he usually finds Yoongi on the couch, browsing the channels on Haneul’s television or reading some science magazines she’s spread out all over the coffee table, not moving an inch from his spot.

Jungkook ignores his growling belly as he stays cooped up under his blankets, trying not to approach the scary man with his knives, but Haneul trusts the guy, but Jungkook is a little more suspicious.

Jungkook looks around the room. Despite having slept here for quite a while, he’s never actually explored this room. He doesn’t know what’s around the nook there, or what’s in that cranny.

Jungkook picks himself off the bed and decides to have a look around, starting from the bookshelf. There are old children’s books, with children stories like The Little Mermaid (Disney version), Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and many others.

But within each little book there is a note, written on different cue cards. Jungkook reads each one, and they all seem like love notes, all signed off with the same name. Park Jimin.

Jimin, that’s one name that Jungkook remembers clearly. Haneul had said the name when she had a nightmare that night, and Jungkook has remembered it to this day, the pain in her voice when she said it unconsciously and unknowingly. This Jimin…was this his room?

Jungkook puts the notes back in their respective books, and he walks towards the wardrobe now. All these clothes had been about his size, although some are a little small, but Jungkook is sure that it’s no coincidence the clothes had a hole where his is supposed to be. A hole just big enough for a tail.

Jungkook closes the wardrobe and walks over to the desk, looking through the drawers, but they seem to have been cleared out, empty. Jungkook is just about to move back to the bed when he accidentally slips, grabbing onto the table to prevent himself from falling when the carpet he’s on slips from underneath him, leaving Jungkook’s heart pumping hard.

A whole patch of red underneath the carpet captures Jungkook’s attention. It looks so much like…blood…

What happened here? Why’s there so much blood? Jungkook’s ears perk up when he hears Haneul calling for him. She’s back already? Jungkook springs up, throwing the carpet back where it’s supposed to be, and he rushes to open the door, instead finding Yoongi standing directly outside it. With a high-pitched scream, Jungkook burrows back into his bed, trying to keep as far away from Yoongi as he can be.

“Relax, it’s just me,” Yoongi mutters. “Haneul wanted you to go down and eat lunch. Hope you’re not hungry because I forget to feed you.”

At the word ‘hungry’, Jungkook’s stomach growls and he flushes red. Yoongi smiles and scratches his head. “Hey, you know the guy who owned this place before you? He was a charming kid…but also a brat.”

“Jimin?” Jungkook breathes, and Yoongi nods.

“Bet’cha found some of the stuff he left in here,” says Yoongi. “That kid was always hyper, driving me nuts, but he lit up Haneul’s world like nobody ever had before. Well, she’d cry some days, but when Jimin came, she brightened like a lightbulb.”

“Why’re you telling me all this?”

Yoongi shakes his head, “Just a thought. Thought you’d like to know more about the guy who owned this room before you. And I bet you were dying to know how Haneul got all these stuff meant just for hybrids.”

Jungkook nods. He had wondered why there were beanies in piles with two holes, perfectly-shaped for ears to poke through. Now he knows.

Jungkook watches as Yoongi leaves when Haneul calls him. She walks up to Jungkook, shooing Yoongi downstairs.

“Sorry Yoongi’s an irresponsible . I hope you weren’t too hungry,” Haneul apologizes as she takes Jungkook’s wrists in her thin fingers, leading him to the kitchen to consume food.

Maybe it’s the little spark that passed through his skin when they touched, or maybe it’s the amount of care that Haneul has put through making his food (even though it was just a simple salad, but Haneul makes sure the veggies are different every day), but Jungkook feels his face heating up, and he’s not even sure why.

*

“YAH WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” Someone yells from the front door.

“Why can I not be here?” Yoongi looks indignant.

“You’re insignificant right now,” Hoseok mutters, barging into the room, and he walks up to Haneul. “You alright? I heard someone tried to bust into your house.”

“; it was me who sent you that message.”

“Well, it came as an unknown number. You changed it without me knowing,” Hoseok says.

“I changed it before I left!”

“Alright guys, stop fighting!” Haneul yells, stepping between them. “Seriously! You’re scaring Kookie.”

The two turn to see Jungkook hiding behind Haneul, watching them with wary eyes.

“Alright, so what’s the plan? Someone’s obviously targeting either Haneul or the bunny,” Hoseok gestures towards Jungkook. “And I don’t exactly like to fight. In fact, only Yoongi-hyung here knows how. I bet Jin-hyung wouldn’t want a part in this.”

“Too smitten with Namjoon-ssi,” Haneul laughs. “And really. I don’t need protecting.”

“You serious? You don’t even know how to defend yourself, Haneul-yah,” Hoseok protests, whining.

“I’ll be fine! Really!” Haneul grins, waving a hand to dismiss their concerns, but Yoongi only furrows his brows and frowns and Hoseok still looks as worried as ever.

“Call us if you need any help, Haneulie. I don’t really like the idea of you being alone,” Hoseok says. “Or Yoongi-hyung can stay in your house for the meantime.”

“I really don’t mind sleeping on the couch for a week if it means I won’t have to pay for lodgings and accommodations,” says Yoongi, grinning. “Plus I can be your personal watchdog.”

*

That night, the first signs of autumn came. The weather became really chilly, and leaves start falling. Jungkook shivers as he hides under his blanket. Jungkook opens one eye when he hears someone walking towards him and drapes another blanket over him. Jungkook keeps his back turned towards who he believes is Haneul.

Jungkook snuggles deeper into his blankets as he flattens his ears against his head before falling into a deeper slumber.