“Mine,” Kai repeated lowly before pressing his lips against Sehun’s firmly.

 

Sehun stood frozen, rooted onto the ground until he felt the wolf sliding his hands down to his rear. Snapping out of it, he shoved Kai away with the strength he suddenly found, sending the latter toppling onto the ground.

Kai looked up at Sehun, pretty much baffled at the other’s act and was about to snap until he saw the state the other was in. The blond male was practically blushing scarlet red; even his neck was tinted from how flustered he was.

 

            “Yours? What yours?” Sehun squeaked out, his voice rising by each word. “I’ve told you I don’t belong to anyone!”

            “But I’ve marked you already!” Kai protested, his tail curving down as a frown was formed on his features. “You can’t say you don’t belong to anyone after that! Just how many times do I have to mark you until you would admit that you’re mine already?!”

            “Marked me—“ Sehun stopped abruptly. The thought of the kiss replayed inside his mind and he turned red at that. “You know, just—Urgh! Bad Kai!”

 

And with that, the rabbit stomped away, leaving the confused and shocked wolf on the ground. Kai pushed himself up and dusted away his pants, eyebrows still furrowed as he gazed at the rabbit’s retreating figure.

 

            “Just how many times do I have to bite his ear? What if I spoil it and make it fell off?” Kai frowned at the thought.

 

Of course. Marking.

.

.

Sehun fanned at his face, trying to calm himself down. No matter how much he tried, the thought of Kai just wouldn’t leave his mind. The close proximity of their faces, the way his teeth sunk onto his ear, the way their lips pressed against each other—To say the least, Oh Sehun had officially turned nuts.

 

“Just how many times do I have to mark you until you would admit that you’re mine already?!”

 

‘Does that mean he’s going to kiss me more often? As if! And not to mention that was my first kiss too!’ Sehun ruffled his hair and tugged at his strands in frustration, the mere thought of Kai’s lips successfully making him turned red once again.

 

‘Just why is he so keen on claiming ownership over me anyway? I’ve never seen an animal behaving like this,’ Sehun frowned as he tapped on his lips in thought. ‘Rather than a prey dealing with a predator, I feel like a son dealing with his overprotective mother. Like a…baby chick with its mother hen…?’

 

Sehun made a face at the thought of Kai flailing around, protecting his ‘baby Sehunnie’ from any unwanted harm. A snort escaped his lips when he imagined Kai laying eggs and he had to cover the lower half of his face in order to hide back the laughter from escaping his throat.

 

            “You know, if that makes you so happy like this then I guess we should participate in lip-locking more often,” Kai raised an eyebrow at him. Sehun jumped at least one feet off the ground in surprise at his sudden appearance.

            “What the —When did you show up here?”

 

Kai squinted at Sehun before wrapping his hand around the blond male’s wrist. Sehun, who was still aware of Kai’s previous act, immediately snapped his wrist free and scurried away from the other male.

 

            “Yah, Sehun!”

            “No, don’t come any closer!” Sehun shrieked when he saw Kai tailing after him. “Bad, bad Kai!”

 

And Sehun immediately stopped in his track when Kai stared at him agape, his ears slowly flattening against his head and his tail curving down almost in a sad manner. A soft whimper escaped Kai’s throat and Sehun felt like facepalming himself.

 

            “T-that’s unfair—“ Sehun flailed when Kai showed him the kicked puppy look.

            “You hurt my feelings, so you should mend them,” Kai said with a firm nod. Sehun raised an eyebrow at him.

            “Am I supposed to praise you now? Because I don’t think I can find anything to praise—“

            “Kiss the pain away!”

 

The rabbit swiftly his heels and approached their table, seeking sanctuary in a form of a certain black panther. He completely missed the scowl forming on the wolf’s feature. Sehun rolled his eyes and mouthed out 'so childish' at the older when he saw Kai stomping over towards the table, a shriek escaped his lips when he saw the latter about to jump at him with puckered lips.

.

.

            “Kai, stop scaring the poor rabbit. Can’t you see how badly shaken he is? It’s only his first day,” Kai’s feline friend, whom Sehun learned as Chen the moment he took his seat next to Tao, said as he patted the rabbit’s back in a consoling manner.

            “I didn’t even do anything!” Kai scowled, resting his chin against his palm as he glared daggers at the cowering rabbit. “He insulted me and ran off without even making up for it.”

 

‘You can’t ask someone to kiss a person they barely know as easily as that, idiot,’ Sehun frowned as he shook his head.

 

            “By the way, where are Chanyeol and Gayeon?” Kai turned his head, trying to find his other classmates.

            “Chanyeol went for a cup of coffee while Gayeon went to the restroom,” Tao explained as he craned his neck to motion towards said directions. “Oh wait, there they are.”

 

Sehun raised his head from Tao’s shoulder to see the newcomer and his eyes went wide in fear when he recognized the tiger pair.

 

“. He smells delicious. Do you think we can have a taste?”

“Can’t we just eat him? I mean, come on. It’s not like this is the first time.”

 

Sehun scooted even closer to Tao and grabbed onto the latter’s sleeve with trembling hand, earning a confused look from the black panther.

 

            “Oh, is this your rabbit roommate?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow, eyes scanning the pale rabbit from top to bottom. His gaze was so scrutinizing that Sehun felt like he might disappear at the spot. Sehun shifted his view towards the female tiger and his breath hitched when he saw Gayeon staring back at him with the same intensity.

 

The taller of the two leaned closer, taking a sniff at the rabbit’s ears that were folding and went even lower by each inch the tiger went nearer. Sehun held back his breath when he could practically felt the tiger’s breath against his skin. And suddenly, Chanyeol barked out a loud laugh, making Sehun jumped on his place.

 

            “He’s actually cute, even though I practically can hear him whimpering,” Chanyeol laughed.

 

The rabbit blinked in confusion when he saw Gayeon nudging Chanyeol’s side with a frown before extending a hand at Sehun.

 

            “My name is Gayeon, and that guy earlier is Chanyeol. We’re your seniors,” Gayeon said with a smile; Sehun could only blink at how gentle the tiger girl looked. He snapped out of his trance and finally noticed the hand in front of him when Kai opened his mouth.

            “He’s a freshman, Gayeon,” Kai mumbled as he chewed on his food. Gayeon let out an ‘oh, right’ and about to pull her hand back, but Sehun beat her to it and gently clasped his hand around hers for a handshake.

            “My name is Sehun. U-uh, nice meeting you?” Sehun squeaked out, a part of him was still a bit paranoid about the whole ‘let’s eat him’ thing. Gayeon grinned and extended a hand to ruffle Sehun’s hair fondly.

            “He’s cute. Kai, don’t scare him away.”

            “I’ve lost count on how many people telling me that already,” Kai frowned at the tigers taking their seats across Sehun.

 

Sehun raised an eyebrow at the sight of them bickering with each other. ‘Wait—They didn’t recognize me? For real? The Principal said that my ears serve as camouflage but they seriously don’t recognize someone they almost ate yesterday?!’

He grumbled internally as he picked on a piece of lettuce and munched on it, his ears perked up slightly at the casual mention of ‘human’ once in a while in the seniors’ conversation. Sehun’s gaze fell onto the table as he kept munching on his salad.

 

‘Or could it be… They really recognize someone from scent…? Then if my ears accidentally fall off or disappear then—‘ a shudder ran up Sehun’s spine at the thought of their claws and sharp canines.

 

He took another glance at Kai and he frowned in confusion. ‘But… He knows, doesn’t he…? Kai even knew about me taking part in rabbit project…’

 

Suddenly Chen yawned, stretching his arms across the table, his tail knocking off Tao’s glass. And as if on reflex, Chen quickly leaped up onto the table to avoid the water from splashing him, both his tail and ears stood straight as he let out a small hiss. Tao laughed lightly and excused himself to get some tissue papers from the restroom, not before giving Chen a small pet in between his cat ears. The Principal’s words suddenly replayed inside his mind when he heard the loud purr rumbling from the other’s throat.

 

“You should not expect them to be well-behaved and all.”

 

They act a lot like animals more than they are humans, Sehun thought as he turned his head, scanning the interactions between students. He watched how one student rubbed his cheek against the other’s shoulder before he finally got his share of meat. He observed the way they would group together with those who share the same traits as they do. He noted the way the dogs would growl when the cats would get too close with them.

And Sehun finally noticed the gaping distance between him and Kai.

And it wasn’t because he was still butthurt due to the rabbit’s words. Tao was a black panther and Chen was a cat. Both Chanyeol and Gayeon were tigers; they all were practically felines.

While Kai was the only canine amongst them.

And Sehun suddenly felt a small tug in his chest, either out of pity or empathy, he couldn’t be so sure, as he watched the lone wolf sitting at the corner of the rectangular table.

For after all, Sehun himself knew the best what it feels like to be alone.

Taking another glance at the wolf a few distances away from him, Sehun put down his fork and let out a soft sigh.

 

Tao was more than surprised when he returned to their table only to see Sehun pushing away Kai’s grinning face. The black panther smiled in amusement when he saw Kai’s tail wagging as he continued teasing—or to word it properly, harassing—the younger male.

.

.

            “For a first year you’re actually really good with this whole mannerism thingy, Sehun,” Chanyeol said in between chews. Sehun simply smiled awkwardly, inwardly grimacing at the small drops on the table surface.

            “But then again the rabbits are always the best mannered ones in this school,” Chen chortled. “And ironically, there’s this phrase ‘ like rabbits’.”

            “Their mating instinct seems to be strong,” Chanyeol said as he motioned at Sehun, who could only force a smile at their comments. He couldn’t even blurt out the fact that he’s actually human in fear of the whole student body might jump him.

            “Then how are you going to survive years here, Sehunnie? There are no other rabbits aside from you here,” Tao tipped his head to the side slightly.

 

‘Uh… I don’t think I’ll need any help with that..?’ Sehun furrowed his eyebrows inwardly.

 

            “But then again Kai is in trouble, no? I don’t think there’s any wolf around this year either,” Gayeon motioned at the wolf. “You two can help each other, though? Since you’re practically roommates.”

 

Sehun instantly choked on the comment while Kai simply wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the younger, Chen let out another chortle when he saw Sehun pressing a palm against the wolf’s cheek, pushing the other a good distance away.

 

            “You know that’s not possible,” Kai said with a soft hum, making Sehun raised an eyebrow at him. “Love between two different species isn’t allowed.”

 

And he suddenly noticed the heavy atmosphere coming from his side. He spared a glance to see Chen simply hummed with his usual curved up lips, and yet his tail curving down, the tip of it touching the floor. He couldn’t help but feel bad for the older male all of a sudden.

 

            “There’s actually a rule about it?” Sehun questioned, shifting his gaze from the cat towards the pair across the table.

            “There is,” Chanyeol huffed. “Once they were caught to be in an inappropriate relationship they would be sent back to their parents. Either that or chances are they’re going to be transformed into wholly animal.”

            “And obviously neither is a better choice,” Gayeon added. Sehun tipped his head to the side slightly as he questioned once again.

            “But wouldn’t they get their freedom if they’re released into the wildlife as animals?”

 

Silence overtook the table. Chanyeol rubbed at his nape as he looked away awkwardly, stealing a glance at Kai before his gaze landed on the rabbit once again.

 

            “Well… What’s the use of freedom if you’re going to have your entire memory wiped away?” Chanyeol muttered out, hesitation present in his voice. “To live as an animal means you lose your human senses after all.”

            “But I thought—“ Sehun never had the chance to finish his words when Kai suddenly tugged him up and slung an arm over the rabbit’s shoulders.

            “Alright, enough with the talk! I’ll be taking my bunny away with me now,” Kai grinned and flashed a mock salute before sauntering away, dragging a whining Sehun with him. The rest of the table eyed the two in amusement while Chanyeol shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle. Gayeon turned to raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

            “He sure seems like he’s having a lot of fun,” Chanyeol said as he motioned at the wolf.

 

Sure, the four couldn’t miss the way Kai’s tail wag each time Sehun nudged his rib using his bony elbow. Kai even laughed it off when a flustered Sehun shoved his face away harshly.

 

            “Uh… Inappropriate relationship, anyone?” Tao asked meekly as he glanced from one person to another. Chen shrugged while Gayeon waved it off.

            “Nah. They’re obviously predator and prey. No more than that,” Gayeon said.

 

Sadly they missed the way Sehun stomped on the older male’s feet when Kai stole a peck from the corner of his lips. The latter let out a light laugh before reaching out to ruffle the flustered rabbit's hair.

 

            "Now you're forgiven."