A week solid of training and Zixin was on her own. Things were pretty dull and rather weird. Hoseok wasn't a typical idol that was for sure. His staff however were very much the normal type of Koreans that she was used to. Zixin could handle the hurtful words and weird looks from those who knew about her being mixed. Yonghee had honestly prepared her fairly well for these types of things.

They were staying in a hotel which meant Zixin would be laying in the bed pretending to sleep with headphones in. Her enhanced hearing meant if others were in the hotel then she tended to hear them as well. The headphones are her only defense to avoid spending the whole night listening to the other staff bad mouth her to each other or other people in the hotel using their rooms for more adult reasons. Between songs, she heard Hoseok in the hall talking. Zixin didn't bother to hide her speed till she opened her door and the scent of humans hit her. Some humans went running away making her head turn to Hoseok's room. She locked eyes with him before he stormed back into his room. Zixin ducked back into her room. She had to see if he was live before trying to do this as much as everything screamed at her not to do it. So there she waited impatiently until he was no longer live to go to his door and knock. The look on his face made her sick. How can someone look so terrified and pissed off at the same time? Zixin makes her way into his room determined to figure out what to do.

"Now's not the time..."

Zixin raises her hands trying to strike a cute pose but gives up halfway through. "...it will never be if we let the bad things win. Bad people."

"Humans. You can say it."

She shakes her head. "Humans helped me. So they aren't all bad."

Hoseok frowns. "I'm not in the mood for games right now Zixin. Whatever you're trying to say, say it."

"Those humans are bad but...all of them aren't. I use to be human. I'm not bad just cause of that."

Hoseok just stares at her for a long while. His face was such a mix of emotions. She didn't know him well understand to understand half of them. Zixin darts from the room using her full speed as a vampire to hurry down to get alcohol from the hotel bar making sure to leave money in the place where the bottle had been. She pours out a few drinks before trying to leave the werewolf with the bottle certain that his build and his whole being a werewolf would help him in the whole drinking a lot. Hoseok stops her as she tries to leave to give her the bottle.

"W-what... you need this more..."

"Noona take it."

Zixin hadn't realized she tensed up until Hoseok pried her hand open. Why did he have to call her that? Didn't he notice or did he only look up a greeting for overseas promotions? Zixin really knew that a quick Chinese lesson would be in poor taste right now.

"It's rude to call me noona given how little you know about me."

Everything stopped. She felt every hair on her arms stand up. Did she really just say... Without a second thought Zixin bolts from the room going straight to her door. Locked. She hadn't thought about grabbing her keycard earlier. Of course, she hadn't. Hoseok looked upset. If he was upset then she ran the risk of being sent back to Yonghee. Zixin hadn't thought beyond checking on the werewolf. She sighs leaning her head against the door.
 

---

Hoseok rubs his hand down his face the following morning. He had to prep for the day quickly. His ears catch noise outside his hotel room in the hallway. Very carefully he gets up to check what was going on. He could hear some of the staff talking either to or about Zixin. Hoseok tilts his head back. It was way too early for this type of talk. The idol opens his hotel room door peeking out at the few people in the hallway. All turned his way as if he'd screamed. No doubt given he'd caught them in the act.

"Zixin. Is everything alright?"

"Yes. I locked myself out of my room."

Hoseok frowns at the blatant lie. "Then go to the front desk and tell them you got locked out. Be ready in five."

He ducked back into his room only after seeing Zixin hurry off at a human speed. Hoseok spent his whole shower wondering why she'd lie so obvious to him. It was a relief that she at lying but it still bothered him that she tried to. His mind drifted to her coming to his room after the saesangs left. Zixin had tried to... do something. It wasn't clear what she had tried but it was something. Hoseok took care to snap a few pictures before getting dressed those going up on his Instagram without a second thought. His staff getting the car ready. It wasn't until he heard the very soft knock that Hoseok knew Zixin was ready. It brought a smile to his face. Never before meeting Zixin had he known anyone could make- knocking noise sound shy.

"Are you ready? Can I help with anything?"

Hoseok couldn't help but want to tease with the way her voice seemed to crack. He opened the door. "Sorry I couldn't hear you."

Watching her typically blank face slowly changed delighted him. The fair skin quickly flushed. Her boring brown eyes shifted to stunned and looked away. Her full lips usually resting in a natural frown tighten into a thin line. Hoseok had to admit this was better than the resting grumpy face he usually saw from Zixin.

"Hoseok! Hurry up. We're almost ready."

He looks away from Zixin at Jihyun, his manager. "Alright. Let me finish getting dressed and Zixin can help me with my things."

Jihyun looks at Zixin and then Hoseok.

"It's fine. She's much stronger than she looks." Hoseok could smell the fear pouring off Jihyun at his choice of words, at least he figured it was Hoseok's choice of words. "Didn't you see her carry all my stuff in here last night? Without help?"

Jihyun carefully backs away and then hurries down the hall.

"...you don't need to protect me like this."

"Yes, I do. You're my assistant. My employee."

"Exactly. You can treat me worse than them and get more respect from them. I'm not here permanently they are."

Hoseok frowns moving away from the door and letting Zixin in. He finishes getting ready as Zixin gathers his things. Why didn't she understand that as the only person on his staff to understand not being human she was important? Everyone his label had hired to work as his staff was human. Everyone. Hoseok needed this connection. He needed someone to relate to. Yes, he'd gotten a vampire instead of a werewolf like he wanted but that Yonghee guy had been pushy about Zixin...