"Y/N?" a curious voice speaks into the other end of the line. A faint smile graces your lips when you recognize the speaker instantly. "Are you almost here? It's been so long since you last visited."
"Hobi," Seokjin warns gently in the background. "She's a busy woman and her life can't just revolve around us."
"But we're cute! How can it not revolve around us?" Taehyung's sassy tone chips in.
"Stop being dramatic you two. Y/N literally visited us last week to help us move in," someone mumbles groggily.
"How shocking of you to say, Kook," Yoongi snorts. "You were literally sulking last night about how long it's been since Y/N gave you ear scratches."
You can't help the soft chuckle that escapes from your lips as the boys continue to bicker back and forth. Your grip on your steering wheel subconsciously loosens slightly as you feel yourself relax. Despite the ruckus of noise coming from their end of the line, something about hearing this mundane interaction soothes you more than your softest playlist would. Perhaps it's because you've grown so accustomed to larger gatherings turning into arguments, that this conversation just somehow feels right.
"I'm guessing I'm on speakerphone," you hum, just as you turn down a familiar road.
"Yes, you are," Namjoon responds. "Good morning, by the way."
"Good morning, Namjoon," you giggle.
"Y/N, you never answered my question. Are you almost here?" Hoseok asks again.
"Sorry, Hobi," you laugh. "Actually, I'm turning into the driveway right now."
True to your words, the moment you finish your sentence, you're opening the gate to the boys' house and driving into the garage to park. The call abruptly cuts off, so you cut the engine and step out of your car with your belongings.
Just as you close your driver's door, you hear a thundering of footsteps from the ceiling on top of you before the door connecting the rest of the house to the garage is bursting open.
"Y/N! You're here!" Hoseok and Taehyung cheer simultaneously.
"I'm here," you echo back, just as enthusiastically. "C'mon, let's go inside so I can say hi to everyone else."
The two hybrids quickly attach themselves to either side of you as you venture into the main living space. A faint smile graces your lips as you see traces of the boys feeling at home in this new space. There's a single hoodie draping over the backrest of one of the large armchairs in the living room and some shoes are thrown haphazardly in the foyer while other pairs are lined neatly against the wall.
"Good morning, Y/N," Seokjin greets you warmly the moment you join everyone in the living room. By the looks of it, it seems like some of the pack has just woken up while others have already been up for hours. Jungkook, whose hair is sticking out at odd angles, is still dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy shirt while his cheeks are still slightly puffy with sleep. Namjoon, on the other hand, is all dressed for the day as he sips from his coffee mug occasionally.
"Good morning, Jin," you smile.
"Here, I made you a cup of coffee. Let me know if you want something to munch on," the older male offers kindly as he guides a cup of iced coffee into your hand.
"Oh, iced! Just how I like it," you perk up in delight.
"I remembered from when you told us that one time," the sugar glider hybrid winks at you. Your stomach performs a sudden summersault and you feel your face heat up ever-so-slightly. So in a mild panic, you take a sip of the drink from the straw Seojin included. As the cool liquid runs down your throat, your eyes flutter close and you hum in content.
"This is so good," you mumble happily as you take a seat on one of the couches - Hoseok and Taehyung immediately seating themselves down on either side of you. "I definitely needed that."
"It looks like it," Yoongi snorts before taking a sip from his own drink.
"Yoongi," Seokjin scolds the snow leopard.
"What?" the younger male whines softly. "I'm not trying to be mean or anything. She just looks like she's had a long week at work - that's all."
"It's okay, Yoongi," you smile gently to ease the flustered hybrid. "I definitely had a long week at work so I'm not surprised it's showing. Are the eye bags that bad?"
"No, they aren't," he responds almost instantly with a gentle shake of his head.
"Did work give you a lot of trouble this week?" Jimin asks you hesitantly. When you turn your head to meet the fox hybrid's glance, you offer him a warm smile before responding to his question.
"Yes and no," you shrug. "I had a lot to do, but I wouldn't consider it troublesome since I enjoy what I do. Although, the training I had to attend was a bit tedious and draining."
"Training?" Taehyung cocks his head to the side in confusion. His arm, which has been linked with one of your arms ever since he greeted you at the garage, tightens ever-so-slightly. "You have to fight at your job?"
For a moment, you're stumped by the tiger hybrid's question. You blink blankly at him hoping he'd clarify his question, but Taehyung just looks at you with his eyes wide in horror.
Fight? What does he mean by fight?
"Not that type of training, Tae," Namjoon interjects when he notices your confused expression. "I'm assuming Y/N meant business training - not physical training."
Upon hearing the pack leader's clarification, the tiger hybrid loosens his grip around you and lets out a soft sigh of relief.
"Oh, right! Yes, I have business training where I essentially just attend a long lecture that updates us about the newest information in my field. The purpose of periodic training is to ensure a company's employees are always up-to-date so that they can perform their jobs well," you explain.
"Sounds boring," Jungkook huffs, standing up from his seat so that he can squeeze himself onto the couch in between you and Hoseok. "No wonder you're so tired. We should just take a nap before we go then."
You smile fondly at the pack's youngest when he leans his head against your shoulder and nuzzles against you discreetly. You take this as a sign to bring one hand up to scratch gently behind his soft ears - instantly eliciting happy chuffs from the panther.
"Jungkook, if you take a nap, the stores will close by the time you wake up," Namjoon warns the sleepy cub.
"Then we can just go another day," he mumbles lazily, tail swaying in the air slowly to display his comfort.
"You can't just make Y/N waste her time here today. You know she's busy," Seokjin adds.
"But Y/N said-"
"-Jungkookie," Jimin interjects the younger male. The fox hybrid's tone holds something you've never really heard from him before - an immense amount of patience. When you turn your head to glance at Jimin, you're no longer looking at the fox hybrid that was once masking his fear with strong aggression. Nor are you looking at the man that gets easily flustered when you give him a small compliment. Instead, you see the gaze of someone who holds the aura akin to a guiding figure or role model.
"You promised me and the rest of the pack that you, Tae, and I would get to go with Y/N first if that meant you would be ready by the time she got here," the fox hybrid reminds Jungkook.
The youngest cub suddenly shifts his head on your shoulder so that he's conveniently avoiding the fox hybrid's gaze.
"But I'd have to get up earlier even if we didn't go with Y/N first," he mumbles, words muffled by the fabric of your shirt. If it weren't for him being right on your shoulder, you're not sure you would have gotten what he said. But by the looks of it, everyone else heard just fine because you see Yoongi give a sassy eye roll with a smirk from the corner of your eyes.
"That may be true, but look at yourself right now. You're still in your pajamas while Tae and I are already dressed and ready," the fox hybrid points out. "And since everyone - well almost everyone - else is dressed and ready, Y/N might as well bring Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Namjoon today instead."
"I mean, I can wait. I don't mind-" you interject but clamp your mouth shut when Seokjin shakes his head gently.
"Okay, I'm sorry," Jungkook finally relents while giving you a whispered apology. "I'll go get ready now."
"No need to apologize," you quickly reassure the panther hybrid. "Go and get ready. I'll be here waiting."
Everyone watches in silence as Jungkook trudges his way up the stairs to his own room - the only single room in the house that he won after playing rock, paper, scissors. Everyone else is sharing two to a room, with Seokjin and Yoongi together, Hoseok with Jimin, and Namjoon with Taehyung.
"What just happened?" you mutter in astonishment after you hear the panther's bedroom door click shut. "Like, I understand the vague existence of the hierarchy in this pack, but I don't think I've ever seen Jungkook calm himself down that quickly."
"That, my dear Y/N," Seokjin chuckles. "Is the power of the bond between Jimin and Jungkook."
"Bond?" you arch an eyebrow. Didn't Namjoon and Yoongi explain that bonds technically don't exist amongst hybrids? Their bonds with each other are no different than a close bond you might have with a close friend or family member.
"Jimin found Jungkook wandering the forest by himself when he was just a baby cub," Seokjin explains quietly when he notices your confused expression. The sugar glider hybrid steals quick glances at the fox hybrid but Jimin has his head turned the other way so he continues. "The poor cub was only a toddler but he had been separated from his family."
"Separated?"
"His family was being chased by hybrid hunters," Jimin mutters harshly in distaste - each word leaving his mouth with a growl.
"Hybrid hunters?" you gasp in horror, heart aching for the black panther hybrid. "I've only ever heard stories of people hunting hybrids, but I didn't think those stories were true."
"Oh, those stories are true, alright. On the day I found Jungkook, I heard the men chasing after his family from where me and my b-" Jimin cuts off his sentence abruptly and there's a pained look in his eyes. His eyebrows are pulled close together while his fists are clenched so tightly, his knuckles are rapidly turning a pale white color. "-where I was living," Jimin corrects himself after a few deep breaths.
Taehyung, noticing his pack mate's distress, scurries over and seats himself down right next to the trembling fox hybrid before placing a comforting hand on top of one of Jimin's closed fists.
"They must have had been chasing them for a while because I could smell the fear and exhaustion emanating from his family from miles away," the fox hybrid continues with a shaky voice. "There was so much screaming and so many gunshots. And I think his parents had made the decision to send Jungkook away by himself while they distracted the hunters. As the sounds of footsteps and gunshots grew fainter and fainter, the scent of a petrified cub grew stronger and stronger."
"Jimin," you whisper, gaze studying the trembling fox hybrid worriedly. "You don't have to tell me this if it's too hard for you. It's okay."
"I stayed in hiding for another two hours, but I eventually went to investigate when Jungkook had been crying for half an hour. I found him sitting in the middle of the forest in his human form, wailing so desperately for his parents. He was so broken back then because even when he noticed my presence, he didn't move a single muscle and continued to cry out for his parents, almost as if he had already given up on life - and at such a young age too."
Tears are gathering in your eyes and your vision is beginning to look like a twinkling mess. You bring a hand up to cover your mouth as you bite your bottom lip hard to prevent the tears from spilling.
"From that day on, I promised myself that I would do anything in this world to protect Jungkook," Jimin finishes.
"From that day on, Jungkook became Jimin's forever cub and Jimin became the only person Jungkook could lean on - until they found us at least," Seokjin adds softly. "Till this day, despite their occasional quarrels, Jungkook still listens to Jimin best because of everything that's happened."
Suddenly, everything seems to make so much more sense. All the times Jimin had been so protective over his pack wasn't just to protect his pack. It was to protect Jungkook just like he had promised himself that day. And all those times the fox hybrid had glared and snarled at you whenever Jungkook approached you, it was because Jimin had been extra wary about the pack's youngest opening up to you so quickly.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you. If Jungkook was only a toddler at the time, you couldn't have been much older. You were only a child yourself," you sniffle, getting up from your seat to approach Jimin slowly. "Thank you for sharing this with me. This must've been so hard on you. I just want you to know you're doing so well. And I know we haven't known each other for long, but I'm so proud of how well you and Jungkook have grown up. He's very lucky to have you in his life."
Jimin tenses when you suddenly wrap him up in a hug. Your embrace is warm, and although it's tight, it's not suffocating. There's a comforting feeling that accompanies your hug, so Jimin finds himself melting into your arms and slowly bringing his arms to wrap around you.
"Thank you," he whispers, eyes closed as he subtly nuzzles his cheek into your neck hesitantly.
"What's going on? Why is Jimin suddenly hugging Y/N?" Jungkook's voice scares you and Jimin apart. When you glance up, the panther hybrid is hopping off the last step of the staircase and running up to you with a happy grin. "Let's get going. We have some shopping to do!"
"Okay, let's go shopping, Kookie," you whisper with a soft sniffle. When he turns around to go grab his shoes, a single tear falls down your cheek, but you hastily wipe it away and plaster a small smile on your face before following after him.
♡ ♡ ♡
Happy Monday, my beautiful Dalgis! I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. It's a bit more emotional than my previous chapters, but I'm excited to start sharing a little more of the boys' pasts with you!
I have exciting news regarding the results of my 1K followers celebration form. Thank you to everyone who submitted their ideas! I really enjoyed reading through all of the responses and getting to know what you all would like. Unfortunately, I will not be able to accommodate all requests. However, I will be choosing more than just one idea, so hopefully, you will enjoy this celebration just as much as I do!
Here are the top three most requested suggestions:
1. Special short story
2. Kalokagathia | JJK bonus chapter
3. Double update
After reading some of your responses, it came to my attention that not all of you know that I have another work called BTS Short Stories where I write short stories for each of the members. I realized I only mentioned this work a couple of times in my earlier updates in Kalokagathia \ JJK which is why some of my readers who have joined me more recently may not know about it. I definitely encourage you to check it out if you enjoy reading oneshots/imagines of the boys. It currently has around 60 different short stories (some of them have multiple parts) and I'm currently in the process of writing the 62nd update.
Here is my final decision as to how I will celebrate (in no particular order):
1. Special short story
2. Q&A for author
3(?). Double update
As you noticed, I will not be writing a Kalokagathia bonus chapter for two reasons. (1) In my other work, BTS Short Stories, I write requests for my readers and some of my upcoming requests are bonus chapters/spin-offs of Kalokagathia; and (2), since I am writing a special short story, there is a possibility that the short story will be related to Kalokagathia. I know this news might be upsetting since so many of you enjoyed the story so much, but I hope you can understand! With that being said, if you ever want a bonus chapter for Kalokagathia, feel free to submit a short story request (in the link in my bio) and I'll be more than happy to write it for you!
Also, I added a question mark in front of "double update" because I don't want to give you guys false hope for something that I can't guarantee. I will try my best, by all means, to have an update for Redamacy | BTS and the special short story prepared in time so that I can double update. However, I am currently taking summer courses at the moment so I need to commit a good amount of time during the week to my studies - which means writing isn't always my top priority.
Moving forward, I'll need furthermore participation from you guys so that I can write the special short story and answer any questions you might have for me! Please let me know what you guys want the short story to be about by filling out a "Request Form" located in the link in my bio. Additionally, please submit any and all questions (personal and/or about my works) you have for me by filling out the "Author Q&A Form", also located in the link in my bio. If you feel that filling out these forms is too much of a hassle, you are more than welcome to DM me (on Wattpad or Twitter) your ideas and/or questions!
Please note, the author Q&A form will close on Monday, 08/09 at 12 A.M. PST. My responses to your questions will then be published as an individual chapter in my work BTS Short Stories on Monday, 08/09.
Question of the Week: if you ever were to run into BTS on the streets, how do you think you would realistically react?
I've honestly thought about this scenario several times and no matter how crazy or how lowkey the interaction is, I don't think I would ever have the guts to go up and approach them. Firstly, I know I would be too nervous to properly formulate a sentence in front of them, lmao. And secondly, I would feel so bad for intruding on their personal time. Like they already have such little privacy as is, so I wouldn't want to bombard them only for them to tell me "sorry, important business."
If you've read up to here, thank you so much! I definitely unloaded a lot in this week's author's note so thank you for reading everything. I'm really looking forward to the 1K celebration and thank you, again, for the follows! Your continuous love and support mean so much to me.
Please stay safe, happy, and healthy! Have a great week. I love you 💜
Until next week,
Dalgi Jungoo 🍓