BO-YOUNG
Before we even notice it, New Year's Eve comes. After Jungkook managed to pull himself out of bed after sleeping for an additional four hours, we began preparing the house for our guests. Of course, in these circumstances, "preparing the house" simply means emptying the necessary boxes, moving the rest into secluded rooms, and setting the snack table.
I look at the time. It's half-past seven in the evening; there's only half an hour before Jimin estimated he'd arrive.
Unpacking the boxes took a surprisingly long time. Between moving furniture around the house, deliberating where each object will go, and taking time off to eat, Jungkook and I haven't had the chance to relax. I wipe a droplet of sweat off my brow, looking at the progress I've made.
The kitchen looks much more homely with all the appliances from the old apartment. I smile, satisfied.
"Hey, Bo-young," Jungkook calls from the living room. "Could you come here for a second?"
I make my way to the living room, where I find Jungkook digging through an unmarked box.
"Yes?" I say, getting his attention.
Jungkook clears his throat and assumes an exaggerated announcer voice.
"New Year's celebrations are starting, and there are no decorations. What a tragedy!" he begins. "Has this ever happened to you?"
He raises his eyebrows at me, expecting me to answer. I chuckle and decide to play along, assuming an equally exaggerated voice.
"Yes, it has! It currently is happening to me! Pray tell, whatever shall I do?" I say, feigning distraught. Jungkook grins, but it only lasts for a second before he covers it up and continues his cheesy pitch.
"What if I told you that there's an easy solution? What if I told you there's only a small price to pay? Come closer," he says intriguingly, urging me to take a few steps towards him. He closes the distance and cups my face with his hands, leaning close to my face and staring intensely into my eyes. "Do you want to know what the price is?"
I nod.
His voice drops to a low whisper.
"Angering the gods," he says. I look at him, confused.
He notices this, his eyes glinting with familiar mischief. He places a quick peck on my nose before letting go of my face, retreating to the cardboard box he was rummaging through and leaving me frozen and flustered.
He dumps the contents of the box onto the floor, a mess of Christmas decorations spilling out.
"No. No. Jungkook, no," I say as I snap out of my daze. "I don't want the holiday gods to smite me."
He tilts his head.
"I see where you're coming from, but thin about it, a little bit of repurposed tinsel would make it so much more festive," he reasons.
I sigh. "You're right. How much tinsel do we have?"
Jungkook collects all the tinsel he can find and holds it up.
"It should be enough to decorate the living room and kitchen," I say as I size it up.
Jungkook and I are almost done decorating when we hear a knock on the front door.
"Jungkook, could you get the door while I-" I begin, but I pause. I look to the floor, where I had left the last sizeable pile of silver tinsel. It's gone. "Jungkook where's the last pile of tinsel?" I ask, looking over to him as he emerges from the stairway.
"Maybe you used it," he suggests, shrugging.
I intend to pry, but before I can, we hear another knock.
I stand to join Jungkook by the door as he opens it.
The freezing winter air rushes into the house as Jungkook opens the door. Amidst the cold stands Jimin alongside a woman. She looks nervous, hiding half of her face in a plush knitted scarf as she fiddles with the fringed ends. On her head is an oversized hat that seems to be falling over her eyes.
I turn my attention from her, hoping that the lack of eyes on her will ease her nerves.
Jungkook and Jimin hug in lieu of a greeting before quickly parting.
"Jimin," Jungkook greets, "It's good to see that you're alive after the shopping rush."
Jimin, who mere days ago looked akin to a corpse, now looks lively and awake. His eyes, which looked exhausted and dull when we last saw him are now glistening and adorned with his signature eye-smile.
"Yeah, you actually look better than you did before. Did something happen?" I pipe in.
Jimin nods.
"Not only did it feel good to cash my overtime check, but I also had a certain someone helping me ease my stress," he tells us as he nudges his companion.
"This is my housemate, Suhye," he introduces. The woman pulls the scarf off her face and gives us a warm smile, offering her hand for a handshake. Her dark eyes flick between Jungkook and me restlessly, before they settle slightly above my head, where my ears are resting.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Bo-young," I greet, trying not to be phased by her staring. Jungkook seems to notice my discomfort and steps in.
"I'm Jungkook," he greets too, tearing her attention away from my ears. She looks dazed for a second before shaking his hand, offering him a slightly awkward smile, but her attention isn't diverted for long.
Her eyes return to my ears.
"You're a hybrid?" she asks, her voice soft and curious.
"Um, yes. I am," I respond, unsure about her curiosity. "I hope that's alright."
Her face springs into a look of abject surprise and mild horror when she hears this.
"No, no, god no. It's more than alright," Suhye rushes. She quickly removes her hat to reveal two pointed copper-coloured, black-tipped ears. "I'm a hybrid too. 'Vulpes vulpes' – a common red fox."
"Oh," I say in surprise.
"I'm sorry about staring. I wasn't expecting to meet a bunny hybrid. Don't worry, I won't eat you," Suhye jokingly licks her lips before breaking into a grin. I chuckle, easing when I know she's a hybrid too.
"Why don't you two come in," Jungkook suggests.
(INTERMISSION)
(Take a break to hydrate.)
78.5
BO-YOUNG
The house is filled with lively chatter as we sit in the living room, surrounded by the celebratory silver tinsel. Suhye stays mostly silent as we chat. Distracted, I look at her.
She's undeniably pretty, with warm honey-toned skin that complements her copper ears, and dark brown collarbone-length overgrown hair. What catches my eye about her, though, isn't her hair or ears, it's her eyes. They're naturally puffy, giving her a cute and innocent look. The innocence is dampened, though, by how her eyes suspiciously flit around the living room.
The ways her eyes move is familiar – unnervingly similar to how I used to scan the area when I was first taken in by Jungkook.
Then it hits me. Suhye is a former stray.
I nudge Jungkook's arm with my elbow to get his attention.
"Hey, Jungkook, wouldn't you think that it's time to take out some of the snacks?" I suggest, aiming to talk to Jungkook somewhere private.
He nods thoughtfully.
"I suppose we could," he agrees.
"Great, come help me carry them," I say, quickly standing up and walking to the kitchen, Jungkook in tow.
Once we reach the kitchen, he stops.
"Is something wrong?" he asks, his eyes wide with curiosity as he casually leans against the kitchen counter.
I shake my head.
"Nothing is wrong, per se," I tell him. "I think Suhye is a stray. I don't think she's particularly comfortable with this situation."
Jungkook tilts his head.
"If you think so," he says. "What should we do?"
I take a moment to think.
"I think we could move the party to the patio for a while. I expect being in an open space could help Suhye's nerves. It'll be more familiar," I tell him.
Jungkook takes a moment to think it over.
"Okay, but only for a while. It's freezing cold outside," Jungkook gives in.
Jungkook and I return to the living room with two thermoses of piping hot cocoa, and some of the crisps Jungkook bought. After suggesting to go outside for a while, both Jimin and Suhye agree. After dressing appropriately, we all go to the back door to face the cold on the patio.
I step out onto the snow-coated wooden porch, to find the most magnificent winter scenery. Without the abrasive winter wind Jungkook and I faced on our last outing, it's much warmer. Reassured by the relative warmth, I take off my beanie to let my ears be comfortable.
Looking out at the large pond separating the town and the ghostly abandoned house, I realize that somehow the water isn't completely frozen over. Some distant edges of the water are seemingly coated by a thin layer of ice.
The scene is very different from the warm autumn view I got last time we visited. The silhouetted trees in the near distance are backed by a rapidly darkening sky, revealing the vast display of stars. It's something I rarely notice; the city sky is much duller compared to the lights that spot the sky when you're farther away from the pollution.
My admiration of the stars is cut off when I'm nudged on the arm. I turn to see who it is, looking up, expecting to see Jungkook next to me, but he isn't there. I look lower to see a head adorned by two pointed ears.
"Why are you looking up?" Suhye asks, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"I'm admiring the stars," I reply, looking back up at them. I notice Suhye tilt her head in confusion.
"Why? They're the same every night, save the exception of a cloudy night," she questions.
"You're a stray, right?" I ask her boldly. She gives me a suspicious look, before coyly nodding. "Then I imagine you've slept under many a night sky. I doubt you've ever wandered away from these rural areas."
There's a cautious silence after I finish speaking.
"How do you know this?" she asks.
I sigh, before telling her: "The stars in the city are few and far between. Only the ones that burn brightest are strong enough to shine through the light pollution."
I notice Suhye's disposition calming as she leans back against the back door.
"You've slept under many a night sky too," she states.
I hum a 'yes'.
I hear her take in a deep breath, the visible fog of her breath rising in the air like smoke as she exhales.
"How did you do it?" Suhye asks, her tone unsure. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her head fall.
"Do what?" I pry.
"Settle," she clarifies. "You found a home, and you adapted. You seem so happy where you are. How did you resist the urge to dash the first moment you could?"
I chuckle dryly.
"I almost did dash," I admit. "I used to think that life as a stray is better than a life under the rule of someone else. My first life under a roof ended in tragedy."
"And then?" she urges.
"Then I ended up on the streets, hitchhiking before ending up stranded in an unfamiliar city. I detested the idea of a home, resigning to a life of starvation and cold under a false belief of choice. Choosing to struggle and starve over taking a risk and trusting a human."
"But you did trust a human," she points out.
"Yeah, at first against my will. I tried to run, but I was too weak. I was lucky that it was Jungkook out of all people that I was running from," I tell her through a chuckle. "I don't regret it a single bit. He's my everything."
I cringe at how disgustingly fond I sound.
"How do I know that the human I found is like yours?" Suhye asks.
I take a moment to think.
"I suppose you can't – not yet. You need to figure out what kind of person Jimin is through time," I tell her.
She huffs.
"And what if he isn't good?"
I purse my lips in thought.
"Well, then you bite him and leave. Humans have inferior teeth," I advise her jokingly. "If that does happen, though, feel free to come here. Know your own value and don't settle for anything less."
For the first time, I see her genuinely smile without seeing doubt behind her eyes. Replacing the doubt is a competitive look.
"Wanna play tag in the snow?" she suggests suddenly, breaking the sincere mood, her ears twitching in anticipation and pent-up adrenaline. "Winner gets bragging rights."
I gasp in surprise.
"You cheat! You're a fox, you'll win for sure," I say.
"Are you too much of a coward to take the challenge?" she dares.
My mouth falls open as I feign offence.
"You're on," I accept the challenge.
(AN: The first mega-chapter ends here. The next few updates will be similar in length.)