The gift of being partially monster and man makes twenty-year-old Guk Jangmun a Wendigo affiliate - a species unwelcome wherever they went. Plainly eyesores to plutocracy and menacing to the ordinaries; good-for-nothing every race concurred.

However, those factors never held Jangmun back or tied him down from visiting Lemon Tankard for his already-covered-for-three-course meal.

For Wendigos, nothing beats a raw and fresh catch, but Jangmun was a rare case. Idler than he was richer in taste. So for the previous two years, he was contended with not having to chase his food and instead let it come to him all put together by the hands of a human.

Save for having the luxury to be receiving from the tavern’s belle herself, consuming human food to feel less of a monster was the only thing Jangmun has ever wished for. And so quietly he naturally takes his seat at the counter, observing and waiting on the icon of mortal beauty to serve him. Minutes of silence follow before the woman, with rippled waist-length gold locks, presents to him a plate of white, green, and brown along with her older-sister smile.

“Eat up,” she says and looks him in the eyes to assure him that the dish was his and his alone. But when Jangmun study the plate a little too long for her own comfort, she inclined her head, “Something wrong?”

The man stalls momentarily but long enough for the woman to repeat herself. “Today’s special...has onions?”

Both she and he knew he is no fan of onions. In fact, he hates them with a passion. And as if his tone isn’t enough to show that he is in slight anguish, the lass calmly shrug and reveals. “You didn’t complain when you had some yesterday,”

Jangmun sets his silver utensils down on the cool surfaces of the counter before he gets out and up from his chair, “Thanks for the meal—” before he can leave, the woman seizes him by the wrist. With the back of her hand expose to him, he notices a cut.

“Wait. Stay. I’ll remove them for you,” when she release him, it was his turn to stop her. In a blink of an eye, her fingers were buried and kept warm in his hold. At first, she is lost by his action, but after following his gaze and sees the small wound for herself, she instantly retracts her hand. Flustered, she avoids eye contact and explains, “I’m fine. It’s just a small scratch from the public garden,”

The man observes her in silence a little longer before returning to his seat. “You might heal fast but you’re neither an elf or werewolf. Even if it’s unconventional and barely noticeable, you should at least put medicine on it,” the woman presses her lips together like someone uncertain of what to do when they are being scolded and nagged. Then her heart skip a beat when he adds, “I don’t want it to leave a scar,”

The nameless lass reveals a mature smile and this time she meets his gaze, “It won’t if you don’t want it to, Jangmun,”

Vividly, the corner of Jangmun’s lips curl up and he can’t help but admire her.

Im Jinah. She is four years older than him but refuses to act upon it. Always, her domineering and raggedy side ceases to exist when he’s present. He isn’t a child or parent to her. He is her equal.

When Jinah attempt to remove the dish in front of him, Jangmun stopped her with a mere sentence, “I’ll eat it,”

As a bartendress at Lemon Tankard, Jangmun often worries for her. Majority of the tavern’s guests are werewolves, including her boss Lee Sungjong, and men at that. If Jinah is the least bit careless and not on her game, she could get herself killed in a brawl. If that happens, Jangmun is convinced he would hate himself. Especially since he can’t always accompany and protect her as he has to make a living, too.

Jangmun is a trader. Specifically in the gun field. Through his career, Jangmun has owned many and a variety of firearms, but only one goes everywhere with him. It’s stuck close to his body at the waist and attached to his belt. A multi-barreled pistol dubbed Lavita. Lavita wears a black coat, bandaged, to keep others from guessing the kind of weapon she is. It was also an alternative to keep officials from catching Jangmun.

Anyone and everyone is no stranger to the consequences bestowed upon a murderer. But if Jangmun is apprehended, if found out a Wendigo on top of that, he would be more than severely punished. Because the humane law of Emphermus imposes that he shall not kill even if he was naturally born a murderer.

When Jangmun finished his first course that sunny morning, Jinah chaperones him to the exit at the beginning of her break. Turning him by the arm to face her, she smiles, “I’ll be waiting with lunch ready for you at 4,”

The man nods with a small smile. “I’ll be back,”

“Break a leg,” she croons.

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Traveling alone on the dirt road with trees on one side and homes on another, Jangmun is surprised to find it dead quiet halfway through. Normally small children of all species sprint up and down the path, giving their parents and commoners a hard time. But not one child was in keen sight. Jangmun’s vision may not be the best in his beast form, but it shouldn’t be that bad in his current structure.

Something was wrong.

Awfully wrong.

When Jangmun finally picks up the outline a figure standing in the shadows of the trees, he flattens his eyes to get a clearer vision of the unknown. The silhouette is that of a female but based off of that alone, he can’t make out her exact race. She could be human, elf, goblin, a werewolf in her person form or...wendigo.

Patiently, Jangmun waits for her to maneuver first. And when she did it was unthinkable. With a bow and arrow drawn in her grip, her target is undeniably Jangmun. He is the sole one in her plain sight and he is no doubt a threat.

In his true form, Jangmun is a viridescent giant that easily towers even elves at 204 centimeters tall. His face, a swirly green sponge that will fool any eye as fungi. His body, pigmentation, now allows him to disguise as a tree or plant though he was an eye-catcher whitish-blue two years back. However, his appearance is proven helpless when the person has already seen him actively. Aware that he is at a disadvantage, Jangmun’s form slowly melts into the handsome man that he is.

Jet black hair, captivating dark pupils, a sharp and high nose bridge with full lips in the shape of a stretched out heart. Jangmun’s arm is extended with Lavita in his hand. Now, lying near his soles is the body of an unconscious boy. He is no older than a decade and is on the verge of being devoured alive.

“Free the boy,” the archer say before threatening, “or I will free you of your life. Wendigo,”

Emotionless and with no sign of fear in his expression, Jangmun instead keeps the stranger in his aim. In these kinds of shared, tense moments all involving parties knew they could only claim victory if they pull the trigger first. In spite of having that knowledge, Jangmun and the woman kept one another at bay instead and were unwilling to fire just yet.

“I warn you Wendigo. I’m the best archer that has ever happened to this town. If you hurt even the air that child breathes, I promise, I will put you out of your misery even if I have to chase you to your Wendigo nation,” with every word spoken like a true heroine, the woman approaches like a fearless animal. “So, lower your aim or else,” the woman pulls on her bow.

Jangmun smiles as he took his hands out of his pockets. It was two years ago that he met the self-proclaimed best archer Im Jinah on that small, lonely road. At the thought of it, Jangmun is still amused. He was an experienced trader then but had the lower hand when his recipient was Jinah. She convinced him to trade his food that was human with the food humans eat. Plants, insects, and animals.

He had his first drink, too, when Jinah was behind the counter. She persuaded him that beer would save his soul but the taste and aftereffect made him a sworn enemy of beer and alcohol. Jangmun has never touched a can let alone a tankard of beer afterward.

Under the lively sun, Jangmun can feel the heat swallowing him up so before he's completely drowned in his own sweat, he hurries to his destination. But he isn’t alone. Something or someone has been watching him from the woods and is only a few steps late in confronting him.

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A/N: If you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This spin-off, prequel, I don’t know what to call it will only be about three to four chapters long so consider it a short story :D If you’re familiar with the original fic, you may be happy to be informed that some characters from it will be in this work too. And for those who WILL find the transitioning confusing. It's basically a recap(?) flashback of how Jangmun and Jinah officially met.