Sungjin looks around him with a frown on his face before walking down the sidewalk, careful of the road. He had gone shopping with his mom but she had met a friend along their way to the mall and he got bored so he walked off by himself. His mother and her friend had fallen in too deep in their conversation to remember their itinerary for the day, and also forget that she took her son with her.

Sungjin stops for a bit and then waddles again, ignoring the looks and gushes of the people he crosses paths with. He stopped by a wooden fence and peeks on the corner to see an alley. He walks in and looks around, scrunching his nose at the stench of the garbage. He hears a hiss and then a whimper, and he looks down by his left to see a black cat trying to pick a fight with a small white cat. The white cat was curling to itself, tail in front of it, and avoiding the eyes of the black cat.

Sungjin shoos the black cat away and ran towards it when it tried to fight him as well. He watched the black cat run away and leave the white cat alone. Sungjin smiles triumphantly at the cat before frowning and tilting his head to the side. The cat stands up slowly, shivering, before looking up at him and blinking. Sungjin smiles wider before leaving and walking back to where he had left his mother. He finds her still talking to her friend.

He stood beside her and looked up, trying to understand what they were talking about but she was saying goodbye already. Then her friend left. His mother looked down at him with a smile.

"Oh, Sungjinnie," she sighs. "Didn't I tell you no pets?"

Sungjin frowned at her before looking around his feet and seeing the cat from earlier. It had followed him.

"Well, anyway. Let's go to the mall," his mother says as she takes his hand in hers.

Sungjin stared at the cat while they walked and watched it trail after them. Sungjin giggled. They reached the mall a few minutes later, Sungjin didn't even realize as he was intent on watching the cat. It was looking at nothing but him. They walk up to the automatic doors and his mother was stopped by the security, telling her that animals are not allowed.

"Oh, it's not ours," her mother says.

"I doubt," he security sasses, nodding over to Sungjin.

His mother looked down and finds out the cat was rubbing its head on Sungjin's leg.

"Eomma, can we keep it?" Sungjin looked up at his mother.

His mother sighed exasperatedly, "Sungjinnie…"

"But it's cold and lonely and — "

"Okay, okay," she sighs in defeat, knowing he'll whine until she agrees.

"He can stay in the guardhouse until you finish shopping," the security says, pointing at the shed by the parking lot of the mall.

His mother thanks the him and watches as the security leads him to the shed, letting him in and talking to the other security. When she was sure he was safe in there, she enters the mall. Sungjin obeys the security and sits down on the corner, watching as the cat climbs to his lap. Sungjin smiled, petting the cat's head gently all while caressing its body to keep it warm.

Sungjin cradles its head and it snuggles to his hand, eyes blinking slowly until it stays closed. Sungjin smiled again.

"Is it a boy?" the security monitoring the parking lot suddenly asks.

Sungjin looked up at him with a frown, "I'm not sure."

He looks down at the cat then and mutters the same question. The cat suddenly looks up at him before nodding a bit and settling on his hand again. Sungjin giggles, thinking the cat can understand him.

It was an hour after when his mother fetched him from the shed. He carried the cat and he woke up as he was lifting him. Sungjin followed his mother around, holding the cat to his chest. Then he climbs to his shoulder. Sungjin holds onto him, scared that he'll fall, but it remains steady on his shoulder so he lets him be. He smiled when his mother looked back at him, and his mother only sighed again, shaking her head at him.

When they got home, Sungjin was asked to bathe the cat and he obediently did, knowing his mother won't let him keep it if he won't take care of it. Not that he won't take care of it. After bathing him, he brings him to his room and grabs a small towel from his closet to dry him off. The cat jumps on his bed and walks around as he sniffs on his covers while Sungjin gets a book and a pencil. Then he plops down on his bed.

He looks at the cat when it sits beside him, "So what should I name you?"

The cat looks at his book and then back to him. Sungjin looks over as well.

"Hm… Brian?"

The cat hisses at him.

"You don't like that?" Sungjin frowns when the cat hissed again. He stares at him, "You're so white… yeo… yeong… yeong can mean spirit. And you're white. Maybe yeong… young… hyun? Younghyun?"

The cat meows and Sungjin smiled widely.

"Yeah? Do you like that? Younghyun?" Sungjin giggled.

Younghyun curls up by his head when Sungjin turned over to his stomach. He opens his book and starts doing his homework. Younghyun watches him before he got tired and went to take a nap, his head on Sungjin's left arm. Sungjin freezes it on the spot when he realized the cat had fallen asleep on it.

 

~~

"Did you do your homework, Sungjin-ah?" his mother questions as she prepped him up the next day for school.

"Yes, eomma," Sungjin yawns as he puts his feet into his shoes.

"Good," his mother nods. "Wonpillie and Jaehyungie are waiting for you at the bus stop, okay? I heard Dowoonie is starting school today."

"Okay…" Sungjin mumbles before his mother lets him go.

He walks out of the house and heads to the bus stop, running when he saw the two familiar faces. They were with an adult who Sungjin knew as Jaehyung's father. He was in third grade, together with Jaehyung. Wonpil was two years below them, and Dowoon probably a year below him.

"Good morning, hyung," Wonpil greets.

Sungjin smiles brightly at him as a greeting, then he looks at Dowoon. The kid looks nervous, his eyes cast down and staring.

"Hey, you're gonna be fine!" Sungjin pats his shoulder.

Dowoon looks at him and nods before looking down again.

"Shall we go?" Jaehyung's father asks.

Wonpil and Jaehyung cheer in reply. Sungjin throws an arm over Dowoon's shoulders as they follow Jaehyung's father to their school. It was near their houses, a walking distance. He started school with Jaehyung so they know the usual route since they walk to and fro together. They have also been classmates since first grade until now.

Wonpil has this own friend of his named Jinyoung. But Jinyoung lives on the other way from their house so they don't walk home together. Sungjin hopes Dowoon finds someone to walk home with. He knows how shy Dowoon is so he only hopes he'll find a friend that he can stick with throughout the school year. They reach their school and Sungjin sees a familiar friend of his.

"Jaebeom-ah!" Sungjin greets.

"Hyung!" Jaebeom waves.

"Oh, it's so cute!" his childhood friend, and Wonpil's best friend, Jinyoung, gasps as he looks down beside Sungjin.

Sungjin looks down as well, "Hyun!"

The cat meows a bit at him and Sungjin picks him up.

"Why did you follow me? You can't be here!" Sungjin scolds.

Younghyun meows.

"I should take you home… but I'm going to be late if I go back now," Sungjin frowned.

Younghyun meows.

"Students, in you go — Sungjin-ah?"

Sungjin frowns deeper as he turns around to face his teacher.

"Let go of it, Sungjin-ah. Leave it. We'll take it to the local pound — "

"But he's mine," Sungjin cuts.

"Well, you can't bring it in the school, Sungjin-ah," his teacher says.

"Can he stay within the school grounds, at least? You can put a leash on him," Sungjin says.

Dowoon walks over to them and pets the cat. And the cat lets him. Dowoon giggles.

"It's fine if you don't come off as aggressive to him," Jaehyung speaks up.

"Yeah, he's not going to bother you unless you bother him," Wonpil agrees, standing beside Dowoon to pet the cat as well.

The teacher sighed, "Alright, we'll let it stay within the school grounds, maybe in the parking lot, and put a leash on it to make sure it doesn't just roam around and get lost."

Sungjin agrees and picks up Younghyun, letting him put his head on his shoulder like a baby. Then he feels him at his cheek and he laughs, pushing his snout away and telling him to stop. He watches as his teacher gently puts the leash on Younghyun's neck, and then ties it onto the bike rack. After that, she tells Sungjin to go in.

Sungjin waves at Younghyun, smiling at him as he does, "Bye, Hyunnie! I'll see you later! Stay there!"

 

~~

Younghyun was gone when Sungjin's classes ended at 2 in the afternoon. Sungjin had met with his friends, Jaehyung, Wonpil, and Dowoon, and together they went to the parking lot to fetch his pet. But he was missing now. The leash was gone, too. And now Sungjin was frowning worriedly, Dowoon frowning sadly and eyes glistening with tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sure he's just around here somewhere," Jaehyung assures. "The school's not that big. We can split into two pairs so we can cover the area quickly. Dowoonie, you go with Sungjin."

"Okay," Dowoon nods, and then they scatter.

Jaehyung and Wonpil searched outside the corridors, while Sungjin and Dowoon worked inside. They reassembled after ten minutes when both teams were sure they had covered the grounds of their school. Sungjin, as he and Dowoon returned to the parking lot, expected for either Jaehyung or Wonpil to have Younghyun in their hands but, alas, no one did.

"You think some other kid took him?" Wonpil muttered.

"But-but he's Sungjin hyung's!" Dowoon says, pouting.

"Why don't we ask the guards if they saw them?" Jaehyung suggested. "I'll ask, wait here."

Sungjin walks to the wooden bench and sits, his shoulders dropping as he sighed. Dowoon sat beside him, arms crossing. Wonpil looks afar to where Jaehyung had gone, almost expecting him to have the cat by the time he returns. But again, he came back with empty arms. Jaehyung and Wonpil crouched in front of them.

"Maybe a teacher took it?" Wonpil questioned.

"No, I asked the guards about that possibility too but they said none from the faculty went near him," Jaehyung shook his head.

"Oh, there he is! Is that him?!" Dowoon suddenly points towards the entrance of the parking lot.

All heads whipped over, Sungjin standing up instantly.

"Younghyun!" Sungjin beams, picking the white cat up, eyebrows furrowing. "What is that?"

Younghyun was carrying plastic in his mouth.

"He was tapping on the glass of our bakery. So I gave him bread and he carried it over here," a boy says, smiling widely.

He was wearing a slightly loose shirt and jogging pants; Sungjin recognized it was the PE uniform of another school nearby.

"Oh, this one's for you, too," he bends down and takes another plastic from another cat that none of them noticed were there.

It was a gray cat, Jaehyung remembered it as a Nebelung. Its eyes were smaller than Younghyun's and it was much bigger, probably also due to the volume of its fur.

"And this, too," the boy pulls out another two plastics from behind him and gives them to him.

"Um, thank you?" Sungjin blinks.

The boy giggles, "I'm Jung Hoseok! This is my cat, Yoongi. I think he met your cat when he was having his daily walk and brought him to our bakery. I figured maybe he was hungry so I gave him some food. And then he was tapping on the glass of that bread."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you too, Yoongi. I'm Park Sungjin!" Sungjin bows, his fingers scratching Younghyun's ear, and smiles when he hears him purr.

His friends introduced themselves as well.

"I was wondering why he has a leash and he was wandering around. Good thing Yoongi found him or someone else might have picked him up," Hoseok says.

Sungjin thanks him again.

"No problem! I'll see you guys around. Feel free to drop by our bakery. I hope you find the bread tasty!" Hoseok waves at them as he runs away, his cat following him closely.

Sungjin walks back to the bench and puts Younghyun down on it gently, "Younghyun, don't run off like that again, okay?"

Younghyun shrinks to himself, meowing softly.

"Yah, the bread is delicious," Jaehyung says with a muffled voice as he eats.

Dowoon nods in agreement as he chewed as well.

"Too bad he didn't tell what their bakery is called. I would have brought my parents," Wonpil mumbled.

Younghyun meows, Sungjin translates, "I think Younghyun knows where it is."

"Hyung, do you really understand him?" Dowoon asks.

Sungjin frowns and looks at his cat, then shrugs, "I don't know. I just have an idea that that's what he wants to say."

---

Sungjin goes through his primary and middle school with his cat following him everywhere he goes. Sometimes, he walks after him, looking around his school; most of the time, he's on his shoulder or top of his head. He was small enough to fit on top of his head. Sungjin thinks Younghyun was judging everyone because no one's ever looked his way whenever Younghyun's mounted on him.

Except for that one girl, though. Sungjin knew her as the school council president in their junior year. They were second years when Sungjin met her and they started talking. They became close, and the girl hung out with them. Dowoon had expressed how he doesn't like her, Sungjin dismissed it. A few days after, Wonpil also told him he wants her away. Again, Sungjin dismissed it. He expected Jaehyung to tell him off as well but he didn't.

He questioned the older about that and he simply said, "Pil and Dowoon won't just hate in anyone. It has something to do with Younghyun." Jaehyung had nodded to the cat on his head.

Sungjin had frowned. The next day, they were hanging around the council office with the girl. Dowoon had grabbed Younghyun from his shoulder and put him on the table and the girl had scrunched her nose, kind of in disgust. Sungjin had missed that, but the three of them didn't. Younghyun had bitten on Sungjin's thumb and dragged his hand from where it was placed right next to the girl's. And then he had hissed at her.

"Younghyun, stop it," Sungjin scolded.

And for the first time, Younghyun had ignored him.

"Younghyun. Yah. I'm not letting you out of the house anymore if you don't stop," Sungjin had threatened.

Younghyun had looked around and at his friends before meowing threateningly at the girl. And Sungjin had grabbed him. Younghyun dealt his last blow, swinging his paw to the girl and grazing her arm with his claws.

"Younghyun!" Sungjin had shouted, putting him down on the floor.

Dowoon had stood up and left, taking Younghyun with him by lifting him in his arms. And Wonpil and Jaehyung followed. Sungjin had apologized to the council president and followed his friends.

"Yah, where are you going?" Sungjin had questioned.

"Do you still not realize it?" Wonpil whined. "She wants you to get rid of Younghyun!"

"What?" Sungjin had his brows furrowed.

"She got close to you so she can persuade you to get rid of Younghyun. The whole student body wants Younghyun out," Jaehyung had explained. "Dowoon's upset at you, just letting you know if you still don't."

"But-but they — I can't get rid of Younghyun…" Sungjin had trailed.

"The teachers favor the rest of the student body. It's just us five together in this, hyung. Oh, scratch that. Plus Jinyoung and his group. So… twelve. We're only twelve in this," Wonpil informs.

"Younghyun never did anything, though? He even stays on me most of the time. He doesn't just pee or poop any time he wants. He's not disturbing the class, too, he just sleeps on my desk," Sungjin was whining now.

Jaehyung shrugs, "I don't know, but they want you to get rid of him."

Sungjin huffs and then runs away to where Dowoon had walked off to. Jaehyung and Wonpil follow him. They found the two under a tree by the garden of their school. Dowoon was sitting back against the tree, knees pulled to his chest, and Younghyun beside him. Sungjin slowly stops and pants as they approached them. Dowoon glances up at him and then looks away.

"If you're going to get rid of him, give him to me instead," Dowoon mumbled.

"Don't be ridiculous. Younghyun's mine and mine only," Sungjin scoffed and smiled when Dowoon did.

He carefully takes Younghyun but paused when the cat meows threateningly at him, swinging his paw and hitting his palm, but his claws weren't out. Sungjin frowned, Younghyun had never been aggressive to him. Younghyun meows again.

"I know, I know. She's canceled. I won't get rid of you, Younghyunnie," Sungjin sighs as Younghyun lets him pick him up.

He holds him to his chest and Younghyun rests his head on his shoulder, purring as Sungjin scratched his head.

"Really though, Sungjin. Do you understand him?" Jaehyung crossed his arms.

"I'm jealous, I wanna understand animals, too," Dowoon stands up.

"Can't you talk to dogs?" Wonpil snickers with the other two when Dowoon glared unthreateningly at him.

It had become an inside joke within them. Jaehyung had once proposed the idea that what if Younghyun was actually a human and Sungjin was the only one who can understand him because he was closest to him. And they had thought of what animal they would be.

They unanimously agreed on Dowoon as a puppy simply because of his personality.

Jaehyung had assigned Wonpil as a rabbit, just because he thought he was cute. Sungjin had never rolled his eyes as hard.

Wonpil had declared Sungjin as a bear. Sungjin protests, Jaehyung blocks his protests.

Sungjin had said Jaehyung reminded him of Chicken Little whenever he wears glasses so they settled that Jaehyung would be a chicken.

"If only I could communicate with dogs. Then I can tell them how much of a bastard you all are," Dowoon jokes.

Sungjin puts Younghyun on his shoulder and holds onto him as he sleeps.

---

College, they were still together — the five of them, including Younghyun. The cat had never left Sungjin's side since. He still goes with him anywhere. The university that they had applied for, thankfully, allowed him to have Younghyun around after proving that he's no harm and that he's clean. Sungjin will always be confident about that.

Younghyun is quiet as he always sleeps. However, he's the most playful when they get home. The four of them had decided to come as one, living in an apartment and paying for it altogether. Sungjin had never thought they could get noisier than he thought they already are. It was solely Jaehyung and Wonpil's fault. They always play together and they were the loudest. Sungjin had to order a soundproofing material to put on the walls of their shared room.

Dowoon and Sungjin both have their own rooms. Sungjin had settled in the smallest room since he knows Dowoon wants the bigger one so he gave it to him. He was in charge of cooking. And even in the house, Younghyun would stay on him when he's doing chores. He even eats beside him, with Sungjin feeding him since he doesn't like to eat from a bowl.

Jaehyung had said that if anything, it looks like Younghyun just wants him to feed him directly. Sungjin had laughed it off when the other two had seriously considered it. And Dowoon starts wishing Younghyun really was a human instead. And so it happens one day.

It was Saturday. Sungjin had gone off to fill in his shift in the university coffee shop for them to earn extra money, with Jaehyung working part-time on a restaurant, and Wonpil and Dowoon either busking or getting a gig on bars once a week. Wonpil had dragged Jaehyung with him to buy groceries. Younghyun, surprisingly, had stayed home for once. And Sungjin had never taken his mind off of his cat even for a second as he worked in the coffee shop.

Dowoon was alone with Younghyun. They were sitting on the sofa, watching some drama. Younghyun was sitting beside him and yawning at the television to show boredom. And then he was meowing.

"What? Are you hungry?" Dowoon questions, sitting up.

Younghyun remained quiet.

"What do you want? Bathroom?"

Silence.

"Different channel?"

Silence.

Dowoon blinked at him confusedly, head tilting in wonder. And then Younghyun pounces on his lap, reaching for his lips with his paw. Then he pounces off and to the floor, turning to him. Dowoon stared in curiosity. Younghyun walks off to the kitchen. Dowoon blinked and stared at the corner he had disappeared. And then a man emerges from the same corner.

Dowoon's eyes widened, mouth hanging open as the gasp died in his throat. The man's hair was black, eyes small like a fox and if it wasn't for the small smile on his lips, he would look scary. His clothes were a bit big on him, and Dowoon recognizes them as Sungjin's clothes. Dowoon backed off to the arm of the couch as the man walks to him. The man giggles.

"Dowoonie," he speaks with a smooth voice.

Dowoon gulped, "Yo-Younghyun?"

Younghyun nods, "For the record, I'm older than you. And Pillie. I'm the same year as Sungjin hyung but — "

Dowoon stands up and pushes him back, "Get out!"

"What — hey, that hurts!" Younghyun nudges him back and holds his wrists to make him stop flinging his arms on him. "Stop! Why are you hitting me?!"

"Where is Younghyun? Where's Sungjin hyung's cat?! He's gonna kill me, give him back!" Dowoon shouts with his deep voice.

"I am Younghyun!" the man insists before pushing back. "Okay, wait. Calm down. Watch."

Younghyun slowly becomes smaller and then Sungjin's clothes were on the floor and a familiar white cat stands on the neck of the shirt. Dowoon gasped lengthily as the cat transforms back to a human, again wearing Sungjin's clothes.

"Oh, my god," Dowoon breathes heavily.

"Dowoon? Calm down — "

"How can I calm down — you're a human!" Dowoon points accusingly at him.

"Hey, you all wish I can be a human and I am," Younghyun crossed his arms.

"But-but this — but — argh!" Dowoon stomps his feet in annoyance and confusion.

Younghyun giggles at him. And then Dowoon tackles him into an embrace.

"You're real," Dowoon gasps again. "You still smell like Younghyun and Sungjin hyung."

"Because I am Younghyun — "

"No, your cat form!" Dowoon says.

"We're one," Younghyun mutters.

Dowoon suddenly jumps away from him, eyes wider than ever, and another gasp resounding from him, "Oh, my god. Sungjin hyung — "

"I'll tell him. I'll tell the others, please keep this to yourself first — "

"Oh, my god, you always Sungjin's face and lips," Dowoon's ears turn red.

Younghyun's whole face turns red, "Ju-just… just keep it to yourself."

"You have been — "

"Dowoon-ah! We're home!" Wonpil's voice shouts from the front door.

Dowoon and Younghyun both looked to see Jaehyung and Wonpil stop by the door. Then they drop the grocery bags. Wonpil jumps in front of Dowoon to protect him, and Jaehyung jumps in front of both of them.

"Who are you?" Jaehyung squints his eyes as he darts them all over the apartment.

"He's Younghyun!" beams Dowoon. "Well, Younghyun hyung."

Jaehyung grabs Younghyun's shirt, "Where's the cat?! Where is it, you punk?!"

Younghyun smiles before transforming back to his cat form.

"Holy , Younghyun is a human!" Wonpil breathes.

Jaehyung drops the shirt, which he now recognized as Sungjin's. He steps back and grabs Wonpil's hand when he bumped against him. Younghyun transforms back to human.

"Sungjin is gonna lose his ," Jaehyung says. "Man, he's so screwed. Oh, you've seen his everything — oh!"

And then he was laughing hysterically, slowly falling to his knees on the ground. He hits the floor with his fist. Younghyun turns red again.

Wonpil hugs him as well, "That's why Sungjin hyung can understand you. That's why you don't shed fur."

Jaehyung collects himself enough to embrace him as well, "That's why I'm not allergic to you. I'm telling you, Sungjin's gonna go crazy."

"Why?" Sungjin suddenly arrives, frowning at the groceries dropped by the door.

Jaehyung lets Younghyun go, snorting as he did. Sungjin finally looks up at them and stops dead in his tracks.

"Who are you?" he questions right off the bat. "Who is he? Why is he — why is he wearing my clothes?"

Dowoon bounces excitedly on his spot but stops and frowns when Younghyun steps back from Sungjin, avoiding his eyes.

"Jaehyung, who is he?" Sungjin asks again. "Some guy you picked from the street?"

"Kind of, yeah," Jaehyung nods, Wonpil snickers silently.

Sungjin walks closer, Younghyun steps back more. The older looks around and questions where Younghyun was. And then all three looked at Younghyun, expecting him to switch to his cat form. But he didn't.

"Guys? Where's Younghyun?" Sungjin's voice shifted into a dangerous one.

And that was Jaehyung's queue to answer. He points at Younghyun. They saw something flicker in Sungjin's eyes and then he was stalking towards Younghyun like a predator. Younghyun backs up even more and gulps when he felt the sofa on his popliteal. Then Sungjin stops and gasps.

"Younghyun?" Sungjin whispers.

That was when Younghyun switched back to his cat form. And Sungjin gasped again.

"I'm dreaming. I'm ing — you're a human?" Sungjin growls, Younghyun curls to himself. "Oh, no. Don't give me that. Stand up. Face me as a human, Younghyun."

"Sungjin?" Jaehyung warily calls when Dowoon tugged at his shirt.

Younghyun transforms back to human and falls back to the couch.

"," Sungjin hisses. "You — ."

He examines him and then leaves for his room, slightly slamming the door close. Wonpil frowned, Dowoon sits beside Younghyun.

"Why was he mad?" Wonpil blinked.

"Probably because I lied to him," Younghyun sighed, defeated.

"Hyung, are you leaving?" Dowoon pouts.

Hearing him call him hyung melted Younghyun's heart. And he wants to hear that more. But —

"I have to. My last family — the last people that took me in threw me out when I let them know I was a human," Younghyun muttered. "I don't have anything anyway so I can leave anytime."

"But we don't want you to leave," Jaehyung muttered.

"Sungjin hyung gets to decide. He's my owner," Younghyun says.

"But you're human! I'll take you so I'll be your owner! That way, you don't have to leave!" Dowoon tries to smile at him.

But he shook his head, "It doesn't work that way, Dowoonie."

"But what about us?" Wonpil mumbled and that broke Younghyun's heart.

He has been with them since Sungjin had found him and never once did he imagine he'll leave one day. He wished he hadn't been tempted by his feelings to show his truth. He should have just remained as a cat. But now, he wants to feel it. He wants himself to feel it. He wants to love. And by showing them his truth only would he be able to truly love them. But every risk has a consequence. And leaving was his consequence.

"I'll visit from time to time, maybe," Younghyun smiled sadly a bit at the glistening of Wonpil's and Dowoon's eyes.

"At least stay for tonight and eat with us," Jaehyung says. "One more time. For the last time."

Younghyun smiles, "Thank you."

Jaehyung sets up the table while Wonpil calls Sungjin. The man leaves his room and silently sits on the head of the table. He goes through dinner silently and leaves as soon as he was done. He had taken his plate to wash it and then he retreated to his room. Younghyun sighs and finishes his dinner.

"Sleep here for tonight, hyung," Wonpil says.

"Okay. Dowoonie, can I sleep in your room?" Younghyun looks at the maknae.

His eyes change into something that none of them had ever seen, "No, stay with Sungjin hyung."

After dinner, everyone retreated to their rooms. Younghyun knocked gently on Sungjin's door and cracked it open when he heard no response. Sungjin sat on the edge of his bed, head on his hands as he thought deeply.

"You don't have to dwell on it for too long. I'm leaving tomorrow anyway," whispers Younghyun.

"Why?" Sungjin grits out.

"You'll still throw me out, you already know my true self," Younghyun bitterly says.

"Why didn't you say — why didn't you let me know from the start that you were a human?" Sungjin questions, looking up at him.

"Does it matter? Would you have kept me either way? Would your mom have let you keep me? A freak?" Younghyun spits out.

Sungjin stands up and squares up against him, "Don't turn the tables. If you just let me know you're a human, you would have just gone to school like me, like us. But no, you had to pretend to be a cat. You nearly had me rejected by schools just because I have you!"

"You could have let me go any time you felt like it," Younghyun mumbled.

"You're saying that now?! If I knew that earlier, I would have no hesitations to do so!" Sungjin raises his voice.

Younghyun bites his lip, "That's why I'm showing you my truth now. When you're just in your first year of college. So you can finally get rid of me."

"You couldn't have done that way earlier?" Sungjin chews him out.

Younghyun chuckles in disbelief, and something tugs at Sungjin's heart. Somehow, he gets nervous about the things that Younghyun would say.

"That's the hardest part? Keeping me with you just because I'm cold and lonely?" Younghyun grins lopsidedly, emptily.

Sungjin felt his heart beat faster.

"You know what's the hardest part for me while being with you?" Younghyun smiles then and Sungjin felt his pure sadness embrace his whole being. And he shivered. "Watching you fall in love with people countless times and not being able to do anything about it because I'm just a cat."

Sungjin involuntarily steps back, gasping in surprise.

"And even now, when I show you my true form, nothing would change. Because who would love a freak like me? A cat hybrid," Younghyun adds. "I'm just someone who hides his fears of being rejected by staying in another form. Someone who has never known love all his life. Someone who had finally learned how to love, but still picks the wrong one."

Sungjin breathed heavily, suddenly feeling like he lacked air.

"Why does my heart have to pick the wrong one?" Younghyun chuckles airily, and tears fell down his cheeks. "I learned to love through you and the guys, you know? But I never knew how much this would hurt."

Sungjin gulped.

"You seem uncomfortable now. I'll just leave tonight so you don't have to stay awake all night wondering what to do with me. So that tomorrow, you won't have to worry about me. I'll save you from that. I'll keep these clothes of yours so you don't have to throw them away," Younghyun smiles again and opens the door. He looks back and gives him a genuinely happy smile, "I love you, hyung. Really. I mean it. Thank you for everything."

And then the door closes, leaving Sungjin with the silence in his room. He hears muffled cries from outside. He was frozen, letting his brain process everything.

It was probably after ten minutes that he managed to move again. He wasn't sure. But he was sure he was too late. As when he left his room, Jaehyung, Wonpil, and Dowoon were all by the door, staring outside.

"Where is he?" Sungjin asks as he wears his hoodie.

"Why?" Wonpil snapped.

"He ran away," Dowoon says coldly. "He changed into his cat form and ran out after asking us to fold your clothes and put it into a plastic so he can carry it around."

"Where are you going? It's cold tonight," Jaehyung reminded.

"That's the point. Which way did he go?" Sungjin asked again.

"We didn't know where he would go, but he went left," Wonpil mumbled.

"If you would still find him after he leaves, why even bother letting him go in the first place?" Dowoon scoffed.

"Because I'm an idiot who doesn't think about what he says when his feelings take over," Sungjin mutters before jogging out of the apartment, pulling his hoodie over his head.

Jaehyung closed the door when he turned left, "I'll wait for him to come back. You guys sleep already. It's getting late."

And then the house was quiet. Dowoon trudged towards his room, sad. Wonpil stays with Jaehyung a little longer.

"He's really affected, isn't he?" Wonpil said.

"Well, he played with Younghyun whenever Sungjin's busy. He protected him, too. It's no wonder he would be affected. Plus, he's really hurt because he considered Sungjin as his older brother and so he considered Younghyun as one, too. He loves Younghyun even when he was just a cat. Dowoon loves animals, right?" Jaehyung sighed as he went to the couch.

Wonpil sat beside him, "You think Sungjin hyung meant it, what he said earlier? That he would have got rid of Younghyun hyung anytime he wanted?"

Jaehyung scoffed, "No. Sungjin would kill if Younghyun was merely lost. And he thinks he can let him go just like that? Younghyun's special to him. He was just surprised and confused earlier. He just processed it now so he's getting Younghyun back."

Wonpil nodded, "And didn't Younghyun hyung say he loves him? What does that mean?"

"Maybe he does love Sungjin. Like, love love. Remember when he scratched the council president in our junior high? Maybe he wasn't just angry that she was trying to get rid of him by getting close to Sungjin. Maybe he was also jealous. He gets aggressive every time someone gets close to Sungjin," Jaehyung explains.

Wonpil nods again, "So he likes him."

Sungjin came back empty-handed and really exhausted and quiet that night. Wonpil had gone to sleep an hour before he arrived, so it was just Jaehyung waiting for him. The older noticed his state changed. He looked way different before he left. When he came back, his hair was messy and he had tearstains on his cheeks. His lips were dry and almost bleeding, Jaehyung guessed he bit on it too much. He was shaking a bit but Sungjin didn't mind that.

He greeted Jaehyung with a sigh and went straight to his room, telling him to get some rest himself and that he'd find Younghyun again the next day. Jaehyung stopped him just before he can enter his room.

"How are you going to find him? Where are you going to start?" Jaehyung questions.

"I don't know!" Sungjin took his hoodie off aggressively and throws it into his closet. Then he sits heavily on his bed and cradles his head as he cries again, "I don't know, I don't — I wanna find him tonight. It's cold out and his fur's not enough to keep him warm. The clothes that he took were thin, too — I — I hope he's okay."

Jaehyung sighed a bit and helped him lie down, "We'll help you find him tomorrow. We're going to find him together tomorrow. Calm down and get some rest."

"I can't calm down!" Sungjin grits through his teeth. "I can't. Not when I know he has nowhere to go. I can't…"

Jaehyung tucks him in, "He'll find shelter. He'll find somewhere warm. We're going to find him. We're gonna get him back, Sungjin."

Sungjin turns to his side, away from Jaehyung, and slightly sobs airily, "I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to let him go. I'd never let him go…"

Jaehyung let him mumble and cry himself to sleep. He waits until he was finally knocked out before leaving and going to his and Wonpil's room. Wonpil was already asleep when he went to bed himself.

---

"Dowoon, please don't kill Sungjin while you're searching," Jaehyung says for the nth time.

Dowoon pouts, Wonpil giggles.

"We're going to ask around to see if someone saw him. Go to alleyways, too. He might be there," Jaehyung says.

Sungjin clicks his tongue when his phone rang. He grabs it from his pocket and answers.

"What?" he spat, annoyed.

"Hyung, come to my house," Jaebeom demanded.

"Why? I'm occupied," Sungjin furrowed his brows.

"You're looking for Younghyun?"

Sungjin stopped, and his face completely changes, eyes sparkling with hope, "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Just come to my house first. I have news for you," Jaebeom ends the call then and Sungjin's heart drops.

"What — What if — " Dowoon stuttered.

"No. Let's go. Sungjin, lead the way," Jaehyung says.

Sungjin was again frozen on his feet. Jaehyung hits him on the head.

"Yah! Nothing's happened yet!" Jaehyung shouts at him.

"B-but what if — "

"Do you really want to think he's dead? Now? When Jaebeom's news might turn this all around?" Jaehyung scolds. "Younghyun's been with you all his life. And you're stupid enough to get into troubles yourself and you're still alive. He's still alive after going through all that with you. He won't die just because he left. Not that easily."

"Ouch," Sungjin rolled his eyes before leading the way to Jaebeom's house.

It was an apartment. It was kind of a dorm since he was living with six more of his friends, one of them was Jinyoung. All seven of them were living together. They were near their apartment, too, just around their neighborhood. They still go to the same university. Sungjin doesn't know how he got close with them, but they were close enough to get into the same university together. It was a ten-minute walk from their apartment to theirs and every step closer made Sungjin's heart heavy.

He rings the doorbell on Jaebeom's apartment and a different guy, Sungjin knew him as Jaehyung's friend, Mark. He smiled softly at them before making them come in and telling them to make themselves at home. Jaehyung made them sit on the sofa. Mark shouted at Jaebeom then. The man emerged from a room and then sat on the sofa across from them. He examines their faces and Sungjin felt like he wants to die.

"What happened with Younghyun?" Jaebeom shoots right off the bat.

Sungjin took a deep breath, "We figured out he's a human." He paused and expected the younger to be surprised, but he wasn't so he continued. "I had many things going on inside my head and we fought. I spat out some things and then he left. I tried to find him last night but I wasn't able to."

Jaebeom nods quietly.

"You're not at all surprised?" Wonpil questioned.

Jaebeom chuckled, "Why would I be? That there are hybrids? That Younghyun is a hybrid?"

Sungjin tilts his head.

"First of all, he's not the only hybrid around you," Jaebeom grins when their eyes widened. "I'm a cat, too. Jinyoung found me but he didn't want to keep me because he doesn't want pets. Jackson kept me instead. Yoongi hyung, too. Hoseok found him."

"Yoongi? Yoongi's a hybrid?" Jaehyung gasped.

"That's why he became friends with Younghyunnie hyung," Dowoon mumbled.

"And do you know hybrids are a much vulnerable being than normal humans?" Jaebeom asked. "Heartbreaks are twice harder for us. Depends on the emotional strength of the hybrid. I don't stay in my cat form too much so heartbreaks for me are the same as normal humans. But for Younghyun, it can physically damage him."

"Oh no," Wonpil kind of whimpers a bit.

"And the thing hybrids can't get through easily is leaving the person who found them," Jaebeom adds.

"But Younghyun said he was in a family before us," Jaehyung said.

"I know. So he's already experienced it twice. How do you think him leaving you affected him now?" Jaebeom looked at Sungjin with a sad smile. "And he's spent a much longer time with you."

"Jaebeom, I swear, cut to the ing chase. What news do you have?" Sungjin sneers.

Jaebeom laughed, "Chill. Jackson and I went out for a stroll last night. We found Younghyun walking around and he was shivering badly. He collapsed just when we got to him."

Wonpil gasped.

"Where is he?" Dowoon questioned.

"He's in the guest room. He's still shivering after all the layers of blankets we put on him. He transformed into a human when he put him on the bed. He was holding something in blue plastic. He was holding onto it tightly and he doesn't want us to take it," Jaebeom says and sees Sungjin flinch, probably preventing himself from running to it.

"That's Sungjin hyung's clothes," says Wonpil.

"He borrowed it when he changed to his human form," Dowoon added.

"Figured. Owner's smell comforts hybrids," Jaebeom stands up and ushers them to follow him to the room he had previously come out of.

He opens the door and they see nothing but a layer of blankets. It wasn't when they walked closer when they realized Younghyun was curled up under them. Sungjin let the other three approach him while he stayed by the door.

"Younghyun hyung?" whispers Dowoon.

Younghyun flinched, shaking, "Do-Dowoonie?"

"Hyung!" Dowoon beams softly.

Jaehyung touched his cheek and pulls back instantly, "You're so cold."

"It's so cold…" Younghyun whimpers.

"How are you still cold with these blankets?" Wonpil wondered aloud.

"I told you, hybrids are more vulnerable," Jaebeom reminded.

"Is he…" Sungjin trailed as he walked to the side just to see Younghyun. "Is he still mine?"

"Have you let him go?"

"No."

"Then he's still yours," Jaebeom smiled. "Your hybrid needs to let go of you for you to lose your ownership." Jaebeom nods to Younghyun who was whining a bit as Jaehyung tried to take the plastic, which contained his clothes, from his hands.

"Younghyun, Sungjin is here," Jaehyung said.

"Hyung… Sungjin hyung…?" Younghyun mutters a bit airily.

Sungjin felt his heart get heavier as he kneeled on the bed to lean over Younghyun and touch his shoulder, "Younghyun?"

His eyes pried open and then he was turning his head to him. He was still shaking. "Sungjin hyung. I… can't… move…"

They took off the blankets and Younghyun sat up slowly. Then Sungjin pulls him into his embrace, and Younghyun felt himself melt. Sungjin tears up and shuts his eyes close, his tears falling as he buried his head to the younger's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Younghyun," he cried softly. "I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave. Please come back. Please come back to me."

Younghyun leaves the plastic beside him on the bed before returning the gesture. His eyes close and slowly, his shaking dissipates. He slots his head on Sungjin's shoulder and relaxes, inhaling his scent.

"I'm staying," Younghyun mumbles sleepily and Sungjin’s heart felt a lot lighter.

"If I just know all it would take was your embrace, I would have brought Younghyun back to your house last night," Jaebeom scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Jinyoung was worried sick for him all night. I was offended, he didn't even want to take me in."

"Because I don't like you," Jinyoung passes by behind him. "I like Younghyun hyung a lot better than you."

Jaebeom mocks him. Sungjin smiled against Younghyun's shoulder.

"Man, Younghyun loves you," muttered Jaehyung.

"Is he gonna be okay now?" Wonpil asked.

"Yeah, you can take him home. Be sure Sungjin looks after him, though," Jaebeom nods.

"You heard that, hyung? Younghyun hyung needs you the most so you should be there for him the most too," Dowoon says and earns a nudge from Jaehyung. "What? It's true!"

"Please don't leave me again," Sungjin whispers, Younghyun nods at him with an apology. "Shh, don't apologize."

"I love you, hyung," Younghyun's voice fades as his breathing shallows, indicating he was about to fall asleep.

"I love you too," Sungjin smiled wider. "Change back so you can sleep while we get you home."

Younghyun turns into a cat and Sungjin holds him carefully against his shoulder.

"You hold him still. Let us just fold these," Jaehyung says as he takes a blanket.

"Oh, no, you can leave it there. We'll take care of it," Jaebeom says.

"No," Wonpil slaps his hand when he tried to take the blanket from him.

Jaebeom flinches back and Sungjin giggled a bit. He caressed Younghyun's head when he shuffled on him.

---

"I'm the cat in this relationship, but why do I always end up with the scratches after the night?" Younghyun pouts at Sungjin as they lie in bed together.

They had spent another long night and they'd just woke up. Well, they woke up ten minutes earlier but both of them just basked in the other's presence. Neither of them muttered a word. Until Younghyun did.

Sungjin raises his left arm, where Younghyun laid his head down the night before and wraps it around to reach for his hair and play with it. He shuffles closer to him, his right arm throwing itself across his waist and pulling him closer.

He smirked and it made Younghyun giddy as usual, "You're the cat, you're excellent in all fours."

"Oh, you," Younghyun slaps his chest and pulls back from him.

"Don't you think it's the other way around?" Sungjin grins as he earns a glare from him.

"Besides, look at me," Sungjin stretches his neck to show the marks he has. "How can a cat abuse me like this?"

"Cat puns are banned."

"You keep on doing it."

"Because you like it."

"I do."

"I love you."

"I do you too."

"Hyung."

"I meant, I love you too."

--