Completely wrong and conniving for the thing to bribe TaekWoon out of bed with a hot mug of coffee. It was still stinking early.

When half of the mug’s contents had been consumed, TaekWoon finally spoke with a grumpy croak. “So. Explain yourself.”

The whole time, HakYeon the hybrid had been sitting across from TaekWoon, watching him slowly gulp down the coffee with its head resting between its propped up hands. It tilted its head in curiosity. “What am I explaining?”

Gulp. Deep sigh. Gather thoughts. “Who are you, where did you come from, how did you end up in that alleyway like you did, et cetera.”

Its head tilted in the other direction. “I’m… HakYeon…?”

It was probably still too early in the morning. “Next question.”

“Hmmm.” It turned its dog ears about a few times before it pointed its finger in some direction, roughly southward. “I came from… far away, that way.”

“I give up.”

“Do you want more coffee?”

“Yes. No. Not yet. In a little while. I need to shower first.”

“Ehhhh, but I’m hungry…” It melted onto the table with a pout.

TaekWoon tutted disapprovingly. “You’ll survive for fifteen minutes. I’m just going to shower.”

Maybe TaekWoon wasn’t yet used to opening the bathroom door and seeing the hybrid curled into a moping ball on the opposite wall, looking like TaekWoon had gone on a century-long journey. Its reaction upon seeing TaekWoon again was much like that, too.

“What are we gonna do today?” The hybrid was speaking through the crack at the bottom of the currently closed door which led to TaekWoon’s bedroom. It was shut out from the room because why did it think it could follow TaekWoon in when he was about to change from the towel wrapped around his waist to normal clothes? It had whined at first, cutting short when TaekWoon told it to shut up, and then flopped to the ground.

“I don’t ever do anything on weekends,” TaekWoon replied.

“Why?”

“Because I’d rather sleep until eternity.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you start.”

“Why?”

The bedroom door opened with the force of a typhoon, a silhouette of TaekWoon’s menacing figure on the other side. But HakYeon merely squealed and skittered off in the direction of the living room. Heaving a sigh, TaekWoon followed him out. HakYeon had plopped its bottom to the floor.

“I need groceries, and I’m tired of you stealing my clothes. We’re going to see SangHyuk.”

For a brief moment, the idiot grin on HakYeon’s face disappeared at the sound of the kid’s name, but then the tail thumped against the floor. “Okay~”

TaekWoon didn’t think it would be a big deal, taking the hybrid out and about. When it previously went for a run in the park, for the most part, people didn’t stop and gawk at its existence. Riding the subway, though, turned out to be a different experience. Every time the train went underground, the hybrid jumped up in its seat to stare at the blackness through the window. There was nothing to see, so why did it insist on almost standing in the chair to look out? Of course the other passengers would stare at its stupid behavior.

“Sit down!” TaekWoon hissed, breaking the heavy silence that always loomed in the subway cars.

HakYeon obediently responded but still would frantically look over its shoulder to confirm the darkness on the other side of the window. It was a relief when the train passed over the river, and there was actually something to look at through the window.

It was an even greater relief when they finally disembarked after arriving at the stop close to SangHyuk’s apartment. HakYeon’s stride was slowed by its need to sniff at the new surroundings which in turn made TaekWoon have to reach back and yank the creature along lest it get pulled away from the river of people who passed through the streets of Hongdae.

HakYeon instantly went from curious to wary as they reached the door of the apartment. Its nose was going crazy as they waited, the tail low and still contrary to when it swished cheerily as they traversed outside. The ears twitched as TaekWoon reached up to hit the doorbell, swiveling at the sound of thumping from inside coming closer, and the door swung open instantly.

“Ah, hyung!” SangHyuk’s expression lit up. “You’re here!”

TaekWoon could only part his lips for a reply before HakYeon was shoving the two humans aside so it could bolt into the apartment.

“Yah, HakYeon!”

TaekWoon was about to follow right after the creature to cuss it out, but he was easily held back by SangHyuk (also, conveniently, a monster) who was actually laughing. “It’s okay, hyung. Just let them meet.”

Them, as in, the hybrids. It had been a while since TaekWoon last saw the hybrid that lived with SangHyuk. For the most part, it was a hermit. It spent most of its time sleeping in the apartment, waking only to eat or find a different spot in the apartment to laze about. Considering SangHyuk spent most of his time in class at the university, there was no reason for it to go out, anyway. As far as TaekWoon knew, it never went out on its own, either, usually only ever tagging along with SangHyuk to go out to eat or shop.

He barely got a glimpse of it as it jumped up from where it had been sitting on the worn-out couch in the living room. HakYeon was already standing before it, stretching up on tip-toes to look taller, it seemed. TaekWoon and SangHyuk watched as the two stood almost chest to chest, wordless, sizing each other up. Finally, the other hybrid looked over HakYeon’s shoulder to SangHyuk, letting out a distressed whine. HakYeon, on the other hand, quickly looked over its own shoulder as well to the two still at the door, eyes glittering and tail suddenly swishing wildly.

“I guess they’re friends now,” SangHyuk chirped.

TaekWoon glanced at the kid. “Friends? They look like they’re about to fight.”

“Nah, they’re fine. WonShik is just hungry. Aren’t you hungry? We should go eat something.”

After a stupidly expensive lunch – which TaekWoon properly scolded SangHyuk for being so gluttonous and selfish – the four had ventured to a park where the two hybrids were chasing each other across the grass, sometimes attracting a nearby child to join the wild races back and forth. TaekWoon and SangHyuk were lazing on the ground, SangHyuk completely laid out in the grass in order to absorb as much solar power as possible.

“Clothes? There’s a place in Myungdong that sells stuff for hybrids.”

“Is it expensive?” TaekWoon’s bank account was already hurting from paying for lunch.

“Mmm kinda. I mean, there aren’t very many stores like that, so… yeah. But, I mean, I could afford getting WonShik some outfits, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

TaekWoon snorted. “It can get a job, then, so it can buy its own damn clothes.”

SangHyuk stared at TaekWoon for a bit before he replied carefully, “Hybrids can’t read, you know. I don’t think he’d be able to get a job very easily.”

“Eh?” TaekWoon’s memory flashed back to when the hybrid couldn’t get back into his apartment. “They can’t read? Can’t they learn?”

“People have tried to teach them, but they can’t seem to retain it very well, if at all. I dunno. Something about their brain isn’t built that way.”

“Huh…”

SangHyuk finally sat up and brushed at the stray blades of grass stuck to his shirt and in his hair. “I think it’s time to go back. I gotta study.”

“Yeah.” TaekWoon looked across the grass. The two had finally dogpiled (no pun intended) on the ground, HakYeon sprawled out much like SangHyuk was with WonShik draped over HakYeon’s stomach. How carefree they must have been to just randomly fall asleep in the middle of a park. “Hey! HakYeon!” An ear twitched, and HakYeon was instantly awake, raising its head to find TaekWoon. “Get up. We’re leaving.”

It practically threw WonShik off in its haste to return to TaekWoon’s side – the other hybrid grunting painfully as it rolled on the grass. SangHyuk laughed and trotted over to coax WonShik into sitting up instead of falling asleep again.

“We’ll get groceries and then go home,” TaekWoon said.

HakYeon grinned brightly. Maybe TaekWoon did, too.

A/N: I was actually debating on whether I wanted Ravi to be a dog or cat. I think I like him as a dog better. Also, I am laughing so much at how literally everyone commented "Leo's gonna regret wanting N to talk" xD