It's been months since I have actually worked on this story, and I'm sorry for the lack of response to your comments. I appreciate the attention this fic has recieved. I've been procrastinating and spent way too long avoiding this story. My life and priorities have derailed, and I am looking to get back on track. I said I would finish my stories, and that I will. So, updates will be inconsistent, but they will continue until this story is done (so far, I have no idea when it will be; I'm just writing with the flow, hoping some big plot will unravel). Thank you for your patience, and I apologize for the long wait (I wasn't very good at announcing my break as well). In fact, I have the next chapter planned out, and if I am not procrastinating, it will be typed by the end of this weekend. No promises though!

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"The internal alarm clock in Kyungsoo's head forces him to say goodbye to his dreams (of oddly a memory when he and Kai were living in the alley) and wake up to reality. He is met with a noseful of fur and chuckles as Kai rolls over to his face. "Good morning, baby," he returns the kiss. "Did you sleep well?" 

Kai buries himself under the pillow, hoping his owner would understand his statement. 

"Hah, cute, but we have to get up and do something productive. Remember what I taught you? Every minute of the day counts. We don't know how long we're staying here so don't get used to it. Do you understand?" Kyungsoo scratches behind his ears to apologize for making him get out of bed. Together they finish their morning routines and step out into the living room...

To see three men taking up the entire space. Blankets are barely covering midriffs and piles of limbs are all Kyungsoo can really make out of the mess. "That's right... Baekhyun's friends were staying over. We'll have to be quiet--wait! Kai, no!" 

Kai ignores his owner to prance across the living, and consequently the three men, barking as loud as possible. He rolls in between torsos and kicks at sleeping faces. His wake up call startles Baekhyun's friends into a fit of fear, and they hold each other in the middle of the room, eyes flitting across the room. 

"Where are we?"

"Did we drink too much last night?"

"Oh my god, I thought this was a dream." 

Minseok, Jongdae, and Sehun are close to flipping tables when Kyungsoo speaks up in a tiny, hesitant greeting. Their heads simultaneously turn in his direction, and the situation finally sinks in. 

That's right. They were transported here by Tao. The Jokester was a dog who fell in love with a human. Their job is too keep the Jokester away from the human. The human is Kyungsoo, the really really really cute super adorable human who just said "good morning." Right. 

"Good morning!" All three shout as they stumble to their feet. Minseok's pants are too long for him. Sehun's are too short. Jongdae's are... nowhere to be seen. All three have a random duck on their shirts (courtesy of Jongdae) and horrible bed hair (not that Kyungsoo's judging--he's seen Chanyeol's). They make their way to the human, pushing and kicking and namecalling, only to have Kai stop them. An argument erupts, and Kyungsoo can only stand by and watch. It was interesting to see them so scared of Kai. Maybe he spent too much time living in the dumps; he didn't remember Koreans being this afraid of dogs. 

"WHY AM I AWAKE TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE MY ALARM?" Baekhyun questions, floating towards the commotion with wide eyes attached to purple pouches. Silence ensues. Baekhyun's chin points at Sehun. "Was it you?" Sehun shakes his head violently, then points at the two people beside him. Baekhyun's chin follows the finger. "Is he telling the truth?" 

Kyungsoo finally steps in, after assessing the situation (where Baekhyun would serve his friends for breakfast), and tugs on Baekhyun's arm. "Hyung, since you're up earlier than usual, how about I make you a cup of coffee? It would save you the trip to a cafe." Baekhyun stares for another thirty seconds or so before accepting the human's offer. "Consider yourselves lucky," he says, not breaking eye contact. Even Kai is too intimidated to fight back.

The morning consists of Baekhyun's friends following Kyungsoo around, which he doesn't mind because he's used to Kai doing so all the time. They 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed as he made breakfast (a simple omelette and steamed vegetables on the side). They copied him as he cleaned the living room, even arguing over who would help with what ("I want to vacuum!" "I called it first!" "Maybe you should wipe the windows!" "Maybe you should wipe your !"). They even fought over who would play video games with him, but Kyungsoo politely declined. He opted to spend the rest of the morning reading on the couch with Kai curled in his lap.

"Look at him," Sehun whispered to his older friends. "He's just feeling up Kyungsoo's crotch like a dirty erted mutt!" They all glared at Jongin, who seemed to ignore their existence and continued to rub his nose into his owner's thigh. 

Jongdae whistled. "I wish I were him." He received a flick on the forehead from Minseok. "No, you don't! The Jokester is a major villain and criminal in our world!  Besides, this is what we have to somehow prevent from happening." The trio sighed in unison, already feeling like giving up. It was obvious Kyungsoo was attached to the dog, but he was human enough for them to distract him easily (no offense). Jongin on the other hand... He was only an animal, quite inferior to them, but it scared them because he was, well, the Jokester. It was still unclear whether Jongin could use magic in his current form, and his possessiveness over his owner resulted in injuries no one wished for. 

"But, guys, it's really only Jongin." Sehun gave them a what-can-we-do look. "Our Jongin. You know, the tan kid who hated learning, or basically listening to people tell him what to do, and just wanted to have some fun? He may have started making not-so-smart choices, but the Jongin we know is still in him. Knowing that, this plan doesn't seem so difficult." 

Minseok narrowed his eyes. "Then what do you suppose we do?" 

Sehun groaned. How stupid were these people? "We obviously break the tie between them. I don't know, get Kyungsoo a boyfriend or make Jongin super duper jealous. You know how possessive he gets about his things. Like that one time we decided it would be fun to sleep on his bed, because for some reason he never let us in his room, and he completely just dropped us off in the middle of some desert for an hour." He shivered at the memory of running from camel spiders. Kim Jongin was one evil man. 

"Alright. How do we do that?" 

"I don't know! You guys are the policemen here! Isn't this your job? I'm just here to supervise and help with the human's anxiety. God knows how freaked he must be--Jongdae, why do you still not have pants on?!" 

"Um, excuse me?" Kyungsoo bit his lip as he calculated how to tell them he needed to leave for work. "It's almost eleven, and I have to get ready for work. Would you guys please take care of Kai while I'm gone?" They blindly agreed, stunned by the human's softness. A sleeping dog was eased into Sehun's lap. 

Minseok cleared his throat. "So, will you be leaving by yourself?" Kyungsoo nodded. "Baekhyun trusts me to use the bus and travel to and from work safely." The former frowned. "Are you sure you don't need someone to go with you? I can accompany you, if you'd like. You see, I'm a sheriff where I life." 

Kyungsoo shifted uncomfortably. Last time he encountered the police, they wanted to take him away.... He began to sweat and fumble with his clothes, feeling nervous that he would be recognized and sent off somewhere far. "I don't... I'm not...."

"Hey, calm down. I used to be one, sorry for the misunderstanding," Minseok chuckled. "Stop getting all fidgety as if you committed a crime. I know you're a good guy." He winked. "So, how about it? Can I walk you to work?" He pinched Sehun with his toes, who cried out silently. Toe pinches were the worst. Getting the painful message, Sehun allowed a breeze to calm the human down. 

Once his fear died down, Kyungsoo hesitantly agreed. He didn't mind the company though, and was not in the mood to turn down a kind act. Maybe Baekhyun would fret less about his safety. Besides, Minseok looked strong enough to protect him. Kyungsoo spotted Kai, still sleeping, in Sehun's arm. He felt his chest constricting and wished for Sehun's arms to be his. How he wished Kai could walk him to work and protect him. 

Jongdae and Sehun bid him goodbye at the door, zealously waving. Kyungsoo found it entertaining how they chorused their thoughts. How did they say the same things at the same time? He and Minseok chatted throughout the trip, mostly about work. Kyungsoo was interested in Minseok's stories about arresting criminals. He was surprised by all the action the other spoke of, especially when he used the words "froze" or "frost," which made the details seem all the more real. 

Minseok eyes the cafe warily. "This is where you work?" Kyungsoo grinned sheepishly. "Yes. It wasn't my first choice, but I really enjoy cooking. The head manager says that if I train a little more, I can work in the kitchen soon!" 

The former didn't seem to hear his answer. He pulled Kyungsoo in by his elbow and whispered in his ear, "Kyungsoo, I know you want to make some money, but I don't think this is the right way. They aren't making you strip, are they? Or do things to other people?" The human's eyes widened, along with his mouth. 

"O-oh, no! You have the wrong idea, Minseok! This is, uh, a butler cafe. There is nothing intimate involved." 

"Are you sure?" Minseok knew that some butler cafes offered more services than just pastries and milkshakes. If Kyungsoo was involved or forced to participate in those services, he would not let that happen. 

"Yes, positive. All I do is wait on customers. That's it. Well, and I'll soon be cooking." Kyungsoo laughed. "You're more than welcome to come inside and see for yourself." 

Minseok spent the rest of the afternoon inside the cafe, sipping on juice and snacking on cookies or slices of cake. He observed the building and was impressed to find that Kyungsoo was right. This place was safe. The customers were mostly women, who only came to fawn over the waiters or to eat something sweet. The waiters were extremely nice to Kyungsoo. They helped him remember which orders came from which tables and assisted him in taking some of the load. One waiter was especially kind to Kyungsoo, even going as far as to give him his tips. 

On their way home, Minseok asked who he was.

"Oh? That was Hyunsik. He's nice." 

"I saw. He gave you some of his tips, didn't he?"

"Ah, that was just him repaying me. He couldn't afford a book or something the other day and I lent him some money. He's also close with my trainer, so we often practice together." 

"Do you think he's cute?" Minseok teased. Maybe Sehun was right. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

Kyungsoo couldn't have disagreed any faster. "No, definitely not! Well, all of the employees are attractive, that's why they were hired, but I don't find anyone specifically more attractive than the others. They're all my co-workers, and I don't think I can think of them as anything more than that."

"Are you sure? You two seem awfully close."

Kyungsoo laughed, an embarrassed blush dusting his cheeks. "Baekhyun hyung seems to think so, too. But really, I'd rather focus on work and Kai. He's really excited for me to start cooking. Do you think I can be in the kitchen soon?" And a new conversation started. 

But Minseok wanted to talk more about this Hyunsik guy. This is it. He's the guy! We'll get Kyungsoo to date him, then he'll forget about Jongin, and viola! 

Then Minseok thought about Jongin and how angry he'll be if Kyungsoo left him for another human. He pushed the frightening image of the Jokester surrounded by black smoke with only his yellow eyes visible to the back of his mind. The eyes that pierced through souls....