“Ani! They have left for Pinky and Boo’s wedding! It’ll be over a few days with all that partying. They told me a few days ago but I must be out when they left,” Taemin quickly clarified, “Pinky and Boo are the specie of Cynocephalus, dog-headed humanoids.”

Key’s eyes seemed to heave a sigh of relief and then swiftly changed into a look of horror. Dog-headed humans? He must’ve grabbed Jonghyun’s palm really tightly because he winced a little, then pulled Key closer in to him by the shoulder, rubbing his biceps.

“All right! Let’s go hunting!” Taemin said to them like it was the most natural thing he’d said today.

“Hunting?” Minho stammered out, eyes filled with lust. Now that’s a challenge.

“Hunting?” Key repeated, yet unlike Minho, he was sceptical of that idea.

“Yeah! We’re all hungry right? Then of course we hunt!” Taemin said again hungrily.

“No, Taemin-ah. What we meant was that we’ve never hunted before. It’s different in our world. We don’t hunt.” Onew explained slowly, wondering if his dongsaeng can grasp the concept.

“Oh. Then how do you eat?” Taemin asked doubtfully.

“We buy them, from the grocery stores!” Jonghyun answered.

“Well, then where do the whatever stores get them from?” Taemin pursued.

Silence.

“Someone has to hunt for them right?” Taemin pushed his luck with his hyungs.

“No you pabo, we eat chicken, beef and fish. They are not hunted, they are reared.” Key stated tactlessly.

Onew’s eyes sparkled at the mention of chicken. Good ol’ fried chicken. Yum.

Taemin was almost hurt and speechless, then he remembered that he’s the one at homeland now, not the four.

“It’s too bad, we don’t have those stores here in the wild. We only have animals and we have to hunt them if we want to eat meat,” Taemin said as a matter of fact, “Just one rule, if it talks, we don’t kill.”

Taemin stared at his hyungs, waiting for them to come on board the hunting crew.

“We have no choice then, right? I’m really really hungry,” Onew led the team, right hand rubbing his tummy in circles for illustration, “Taemin, would you teach us some basic skills before we set off?”

“Ne,” Taemin blinked at Onew, grateful that he managed to salvage the relationship that started off sour, “It’s simple. Since I don’t have weapons, what my parents call to be dangerous and useless, we use traps. I usually trap rabbits and deers because they’re stupid.”

Onew gulped at the thought of eating rabbits. It’s like eating his pet. And quite offended in fact because he didn’t at all think that rabbits are stupid.

Taemin busied himself with taking out all the necessary equipment as he spoke: A large net, a cage made of sticks (quite hardy if you’re wondering) and several spears basically made out of a wooden stick and a sharpened stone as the spearhead.

“I have some knives here if you need.” Minho pulled them out of his bagpack to show Taemin as if expecting some sort of approval from the younger.  

To only see that Taemin took a step back away from Minho looking at those sharp edges.

“Taemin-ah, don’t be afraid. It’s dangerous but think of it this way: We’re using it to protect ourselves, not hurt anyone,” Minho assured taking a step closer to Taemin, “It’s also true that the animals will have a faster death then be speared to death, right?

Taemin saw it his way quickly, he’s gotten hurt himself several times while hunting. The reason why he doesn’t hunt very often, probably once in two or three days. Probably also the reason why he’s so thin, any thinner the wind would’ve picked him up easily.

“I see! Now Minho hyung you’ll have to teach me how to use it!” Taemin warmed up to him very quickly, imagining all the food he could hunt back without too many scratches on him.

So for an hour or two, Minho taught Taemin how to use the knife effectively without hurting himself but his prey, bonding together really quickly. Jonghyun and Key went out to the woods outside of Taemin’s penthouse, following a narrow path so that they can find their way back, to pick berries and fruits to satisfy first. Then there was Onew, laying lazily on Taemin’s surprisingly warm and comfy leaf-bed, excusing himself to take down what he had experienced today with his five senses.