"You're going to love this last room so much, Namjoon-ah." Hoseok giggles with Taehyung as you lead the pack to the last wing of the mansion.
"I still don't think it's a good idea to introduce this room to him. He'll never leave once he sees it," the tiger hybrid jokes.
The rest of the pack, especially the pack leader himself, cast confused glances in your direction as you approach the familiar set of double French doors.
"Welcome, to my grandfather's office," you introduce with a small, anticipating smile. Just as you had imagined, all of the pack members who have yet to see this room let out collective gasps. At one point, you swear you can see the stars twinkling in Namjoon's eyes specifically.
"Now this, is what I call a home office," Yoongi murmurs in disbelief.
"It looks just like one of the home offices I used to see on TV," Seokjin adds as he begins to venture around, glancing at the different books lined up on the bookshelves.
"I feel like I'm in paradise," Namjoon says with a sigh of content. "You're right, Tae. It's going to take a lot to get me to leave tonight."
"I hope not," Jimin sasses. "I want to eat dinner soon - I'm hungry."
"We'll get you your dinner, foxy. Don't worry about it," you giggle while walking over to the fox hybrid to leave a soft peck on his cheek. You don't miss the longing glance a certain panther hybrid casts you, but you decide to ignore it for now - opting to play with Jungkook for just a little longer. In all honestly, it's fun riling him up like this.
"This is such an amazing home. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live here," Taehyung comments, sneaking over to you so that he can take you by your hand and lead you to the center of the room where there are a few couches for guests to sit on. "There's a room for almost anything you can ever think of. I would never leave."
As the rest of the pack finds empty spots on the couches, you cast a glance over towards the desk right in front of the floor-to-ceiling window looking out into the backyard. A small reminiscent smile forms on your lips when you see images of your grandfather working at his desk while you doodled at the coffee table in front of the couches.
"It was a dream," you shrug as you think of the distant memories. "But sometimes it felt a little lonely. My grandparents and their staff definitely put in the effort to make this place feel like a home and not just a big mansion. However, on some of the quieter nights, I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. It just felt like the property wasn't being used to its full potential for some reason. And that feeling still sits with me to this day."
"Maybe because the mansion is just so big. I mean, the backyard itself is acres upon acres of land - it's bound to feel a little empty at times," Yoongi reasons.
"That's true," you nod. "But I always thought it was missing residents. I'm fairly certain one of the reasons why my grandparents bought this specific property was to be able to have family stay over if they ever needed to. Unfortunately, no one ever did and I just think they never downsized."
"I would have stayed here if I had known Mr. Han sooner and he offered," Jungkook murmurs.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" you joke.
"Will you stay here with me?"
"No, I think I'm going to go back to my apartment tonight," you smirk.
"Boo, you're no fun," the panther pouts.
"Well, back to what I was saying - I'm hoping that by selling this property, it'll find the right residents," you sigh in defeat.
"You're selling this mansion?" Seokjin gasps.
"I'm honestly not really sure what else I would do with it. I'm already selling or renting out most of the other properties my grandfather gave me. And as sentimental as this mansion is to me, I just wouldn't know what to do with it."
"Is there even anyone rich enough to buy it? The only time I've ever seen a private living accommodation this big was the hybrid sanctuary I used to stay at," Yoongi questions.
Something about the snow leopard's statement catches your attention and you clamp your lips shut for a second. Taehyung is quick to notice your sudden epiphany and nudges your arm softly, encouraging you to share your thoughts.
"What's on your mind, my angel?"
"Yoonie's comment got me thinking," you begin, contemplating how you'll formulate your racing thoughts for the pack to follow. "While I did originally think about giving this property to you guys, I figured that you would all prefer living on your original plot of land better. Unless I'm wrong and you guys would prefer this mansion instead? I can always sell or rent out the newly built house and have you guys move in here instead."
"No, you're right, sweets. We do prefer living in the new house that was just built. That plot of land holds a dear place in our hearts. Thank you for thinking of us, though," Seokjin declines politely.
"Okay, so then Yoongi mentioned the hybrid sanctuary," you nod excitedly. "And some of you have also expressed interest in working in the future."
"I'm not sure I'm following how this connects with this property," Hoseok pouts, tilting his head and furrowing his eyebrows in deep concentration.
"What if, instead of selling this house, I turn this into a hybrid safe space," you propose giddily. Suddenly, Namjoon, Seokjin, and Yoongi's ears perk up in interest.
"We already have a house, though," Taehyung refutes.
"Not for us, Tae Tae," Jimin chuckles, nudging the tiger hybrid softly. "For other hybrids, right?"
"Yes, precisely. After getting to know you guys, I've definitely wondered how many other hybrids are out there going through similar experiences without anyone to lean on. So by opening up a hybrid safe space where hybrids won't be mistreated like they are by Hybrid Services nor will they be viewed like zoo animals at the hybrid sanctuary we can help them live the life they've always dreamt of."
"Kind, smart, cute, and sexy? We've found the perfect one, guys," Hoseok coos as he places a hand on his heart and wipes away a fake tear.
"Okay, let's say you open this hybrid safe space," Jungkook hypothesizes. "Will it be a hotel sort of deal? Or like temporary housing?"
"Given the size of this property, it might be okay to offer this place as a temporary residence free for all hybrids to walk in and seek refuge, staying for as long as they need," you ponder.
"What if some hybrids stay here forever and they start taking a liking towards you?" the panther pouts.
"This kid," Yoongi groans. "Is Y/N the only thing you can ever think about?"
"It's a genuine concern that I have." Jungkook defends himself.
"Don't worry, Jungkookie. If any of the hybrids ever like me, I'll tell them that my heart is taken by this big cub named Jungkook along with the rest of his pack," you chuckle.
"Damn right," he nods once in approval. "Okay, you may proceed."
"I love the concept of this safe space, but will you have time to manage it?" Namjoon asks as a follow-up question.
"I'm glad you asked this question, Joonie. That's where you, Yoongi, and possibly the others come into play," you smirk. "You previously expressed interest in pursuing a management major when you enroll in university, right? Yoongi also mentioned that he wants to study something business-related. So with your combined business educations, you guys will be perfect for the role of leading the organization. Think of me as the founder, but you guys will be the head of the operation, so to speak."
"So we're all going to work here?" Jimin asks.
"Only if you want to," you respond quickly. "Assuming all goes well, we'll need more staff members - but they'll need to go through extensive background checks and training to ensure none of them have ill intentions and can provide for the hybrids' every need."
"Will the staff be all hybrids? I imagine some of the hybrids first coming in won't take too nicely to humans, kind of like me when we first met you."
"That's a good point, Jiminie. But I think it might be better to have a mix of hybrid and humans. It'll show the hybrids that not all humans are bad," you hum. "We can honestly talk about all of the logistics later. But these were just the thoughts that came to mind when Yoongi mentioned the sanctuary."
"We love it, cinnamon," Namjoon smiles warmly at you.
. . .
"Did you bring a lunch?" Soobin asks worriedly from the other side of the line.
"Yes, mother," you groan as you roll your eyes jokingly.
"Sorry," the lawyer chuckles. "I just want to make sure your first day goes well. You're going to do great, Y/N."
"Thanks, Binnie," you giggle as you lock your car behind you. You take a deep breath before walking towards the exit of the parking garage that leads into the main lobby of HK Holdings.
"If I were to guess, the pack was fussing over you this morning," Soobin ponders.
"I was quite surprised when all seven of them were awake at the crack of the dawn to make sure I was awake, ready, and well-fed before leaving," you chuckle. "But even then, I thought I was going to be late because a few of them had trouble letting me walk out of the house."
"I wonder who those few would be," the older male laughs.
Just as you enter the lobby, you find Director Sim sitting in the waiting area, anticipating your arrival. When the older man makes eye contact with you, he waves and you wave back.
"Hey, I have to go now, Binnie. Thanks for calling me," you say into your phone.
"Alright, I hope you have a good day at work, Y/N," Soobin chimes back.
"You too!"
"Ready for your first day?" Director asks you just as you hang up from the call.
"As ready as I'll ever be," you nod slowly, letting out a shaky breath.
"You'll do fine, Y/N," the director smiles at you. "C'mon. I'll walk you to your office and walk you through what HR wants you to do today."
As you follow behind the director, you listen to him explain how you will have to go through the generic training each employee goes through when they first join the company. Then, for the rest of this week, you'll just have free time to read through the documents your grandfather gave Soobin.
"There are more documents?" you ask, subtly surprised. "I thought Soobin already gave me all of the documents."
"These are the last of the documents, I promise." Director Sim chuckles softly at your reaction. "I know Hyunki prepared a lot of documents for you, but he specifically instructed Soobin to give these to you on your first day. They supposedly contain the tips and tricks he wants to share with you to do well in your new position."
"I see," you hum. Your eyes shift to the increasing numbers being displayed in the elevator as it takes you up higher and higher to the top floor of the building where your office is located.
"By the way, you'll get to meet one of the potential candidates the pack chose for you to have as your secretary today," the director says, sparking your interest. "In fact, we've scheduled so that you work with a new candidate each day for the rest of the week so that you can see whom you like working with best."
"Really? Do you know who the candidates are? The guys didn't even give me a chance to look at their resumes before they handed it back to Soobin," you ask curiously.
"I do know who they are," the older male nods ambiguously. "Don't worry, dear. The pack picked out great candidates for you."
Just as the elevator arrives, Director Sim turns to you to wish you a good first day.
"If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me, alright? You'll have a piece of paper with all of the important numbers you can call on your desk so just reference that when you need to."
Before you even get a chance to express your thanks to the director, he ushers you out of the elevator and the doors slide close behind you. You manage to wave at him at the very last second before you're met with your own reflection shining back at you on the elevator doors.
When you finally turn around, you're thoroughly surprised to see a familiar face smiling at you from the secretary's desk in front of your office's doors.
"Good morning, Chairwoman Y/L/N," he bows politely.
"Taehyun? What are you doing here?" you gasp in shock but a delighted giggle slips past your lips.
"Surprise!" the squirrel hybrid giggles, standing up to walk you to your office. When he offers to take your bags for you, you slap his hands away gently.
"You're my secretary, Taehyun. Not my servant," you chide gently. "C'mon. Let's chat in my office."
"I can still help you carry your bags as your potential secretary," the squirrel hybrid shoots back with a happy smile as he gently takes one of your bags from you.
"Thanks, Taehyun," you smile back gratefully. "May I ask you some questions?"
When you motion to the couches in your office, the younger male nods and places your bag down on your desk before joining you.
"What would you like to know?" he starts.
"How you ended up here. I mean, last I checked, you were still at my previous company for the Student Leadership Project," you explain.
"Well, I'm not going to lie, I actually really enjoyed that SLP and I think I saw a stable future for myself at that company. But after the news of you, your family, and your pack got released, I started noticing subtle changes in the company's culture - especially with our manager. So I decided to leave after the project ended, but I think it was perfect timing because I got an email from Soobin with a new job posting, this job posting. He said he's seen glimpses of my work style and he thought we would work together very well," the squirrel hybrid explains.
"Soobin? When did you two exchange emails?" you gasp, but there's a knowing smile growing on your lips because you honestly wouldn't be surprised if they've already exchanged numbers by now.
"I don't even remember," Taehyun chuckles sheepishly.
"So it's been that long," you tease. "I'm very glad he emailed you, though. I'm tempted to tell HR to hire you on the spot right now."
"Really?" the younger male gasps cutely. You swear you see the stars sparkle in his eyes as he looks at you with a new sense of appreciation and respect. "Don't you want to try working with the other candidates to see if you like anyone else better?"
"You do bring up a good point," you purse your lips. "I highly doubt I will, but I'll finish this week of trial sessions. But I'm 99 percent certain I'll be seeing you again next week."
"Oh, I can never thank you enough," Taehyun exclaims. "I was actually really surprised when I got a call back from the recruiter because I didn't even think I would be considered as a hybrid."
The younger male's confession makes your heart ache for him and how he's been conditioned to view himself in this society.
"Well, I made sure to let HR know that I'm comfortable with working with humans or hybrids. Plus, some of the pack members actually went through all of the resumes themselves to pick out the candidates. I guess you made a really good impression with Namjoon."
"Oh! Will I be able to meet Namjoon-ssi again? I had some pleasant conversations with him in the break room. I would love to chat with him again. He told me he wanted to study management as a major which was actually my minor so I can always offer some tips and tricks if he would like," the squirrel hybrid perks up with interest.
"You'll definitely be seeing more of Namjoon, along with the rest of the pack, as my secretary," you chuckle at his endearing enthusiasm. "By the way, I'm curious if you know Kai also applied."
"Hyuka didn't apply," Taehyun shakes his head sadly. "Soobin emailed the both of us, actually. But Kai was very shocked by the brutality of the business world after your story was revealed. So, he's decided to leave the business field and he's trying to find a new occupation."
"Wow, I don't even know what to say," you murmur in shock. "I feel so bad that my family had to be the cause of Kai's wake-up call, but I'm also glad he was able to decide this early in his life so that it's easier for him to switch careers."
"I think Hyuka will do fine," the squirrel hybrid nods in agreement. "He said he's interested in finding a job where he can help others and he knows his business degree will help him get to that job. I personally think he's going to do really well - Kai's always been really caring and he has one of the best personalities to work with. He just makes everyone feel safe and comfortable."
"That was my very first impression of him," you smile at the memory of meeting the deer hybrid for the very first time.
"I thought he was a big goofball when I first met him," Taehyun snorts, causing you to laugh at his confession.
"Hold on, if Kai's looking for an occupation where he can help others, I think I just might have the job for him," you gasp in realization.
"Really? What is it?"
"The pack and I are going to open up a hybrid safe haven. We've actually decided to name it Redamancy, which means the act of loving in return, to show hybrids that come from difficult pasts that there is love in the world and there are people out there who want to support them."
. . .
"Bye, Y/N! Thank you, again, for this amazing opportunity. Also, I'll be sure to tell Hyuka about Redamancy. He's going to love it," Taehyun waves at you as the two of you part ways in the parking garage.
"Bye, Hyunie! I'll see you next week," you smile.
You chuckle to yourself when you notice the squirrel hybrid visibly brighten at the mention of his return as your permanent secretary next week - just like how he's been reacting all day long whenever you brought it up.
There's a lighter bounce in your step as you make your way to your car, just thinking about how well your first day went for you. Even as you drive back to the pack's temporary house, you're humming along to all of the songs and your fingers tap along to the beat of the music as a result of your happy mood.
Just as you pull up on the driveway of the house, your jaw drops. There are small electronic candles lined up on the asphalt, leading into the garage. The garage itself is already open and you can't help the smile that pulls on your lips when you see six hybrids waiting, three on each side, for you to exit your vehicle.
"What is all of this?" you giggle after parking and stepping out.
"Welcome home, Ms. Y/L/N," Namjoon bows at you before offering you an arm for you to take.
"We hope you had a good first day at work, sweets," Seokjin adds before planting a quick kiss on your cheek, bordering very close to the corner of your lips.
"And we hope you met some familiar faces," Yoongi adds with a wink.
"I sure did," you chuckle, turning to look up at the pack leader. "Thank you for that, by the way."
"Hey, Yoongi and I helped too," Seokjin pouts.
"Very true," you nod. "But I'm sure Namjoon pushed to keep Taehyun because Joonie has actually met him before."
"Okay, you got me there."
"That's enough chit-chat, guys," Taehyung sasses as he pries you away from the white panther hybrid. You stumble in your step as the tiger hybrid somehow manages to slip you out of your shoes in the process. "Hobi, will you please get the door for us?"
Right on cue, the red panda hybrid scurries ahead and opens the garage door that leads into the kitchen of the house. As you pass by him, he leans in to plant a kiss on your cheek while whispering a soft, 'Welcome home, sunshine.'
"We have a special evening planned for you, Ms. Y/L/N," Jimin says as he leads you and Taehyung through the kitchen and towards the backyard. "All planned by Jungkook himself, might I add."
"Speaking of Jungkook, where is he?" you ask in confusion when you realize you haven't seen the panther cub since you left the house this morning.
No one answers your question which leaves you puzzled but only for a moment longer. When Hoseok opens the sliding door that leads to the backyard, you find your jaw dropping once again. The entire outdoor space has been decorated into your dream outdoor picnic scene - and at the center of it all is the man of the hour.
"Hi, beautiful," Jungkook smiles at you, opening his arms wide to invite you in for a hug.
"What is all of this, Jungkook?" you gasp, wasting no time in walking to the panther hybrid's embrace for a hug.
"I know that these past few months have been an emotional rollercoaster. And with today being your first day as CEO, I wanted to prepare a special dinner to help commemorate the start of this new chapter in your life," he says eloquently.
In the background, you faintly notice the other six pack members bringing out eight plates of freshly cooked dinner and setting it onto the patio table outside.
"Did you have Jin and Yoongi help you with dinner?"
"He actually cooked it all by himself," Yoongi calls from behind you.
"You cooked it yourself?" you gape.
"I don't cook too often because I'm lazy but I do enjoy it every now and then," Jungkook admits sheepishly.
"His cooking is delicious!" Taehyung chimes in.
"I can't wait to try it then," you hum, tugging the panther hybrid with you towards the rest of the pack.
"Actually, before we eat dinner, there are just a few more things I wanted to get to," he stops you, and in one swift motion, pulls you back into his arms. Your heart starts to hammer in your chest as Jungkook locks gazes with you. "The past few months have been amazing with you, Y/N. We've grown from being strangers to acquaintances, to close friends so quickly because it just felt so natural. I think it definitely goes to say that the pack and I cannot wait to see where our relationship will go in the future. With that being said, I wanted to be the first to ask if you would do us the honor of going on a date with us?"
Jungkook's question draws a genuine chuckle from you and you tilt your head back out of pure happiness.
"Of course, I would love to go on this date with you guys," you respond with a smile drawing on your lips.
Within the blink of an eye, Jungkook is wrapping one of his arms around your waist tightly, while his other hand comes up to cup your cheek. The moment your lips touch, you feel yourself freeze in shock before wrapping your arms around his neck and tilting your head to match his angle.
To your surprise, the kiss doesn't feel rushed or eager - like how you imagined it would have been given how desperate the cub has been. Instead, the kiss is gentle, sweet, and delicate. He's holding onto you like you might disappear if he were to hold on any stronger. And as odd as it sounds, you can feel just how much you mean to him through this simple kiss.
When you pull away from the kiss, Jungkook lingers close to you and rests his forehead against yours to savor the moment.
"I've been waiting a while for that to happen," he whispers happily.
"I know, babe. Thanks for being patient with me," you whisper back before leaning up on your tippy-toes to kiss him on the tip of his nose.
"For you? I'd wait till the end of time."
"That's our baby cub," Hoseok cheers proudly from behind you.
"You better stop complaining and biting us out of the blue now that you've finally had your kiss," Seokjin adds.
"You bit the other pack members," you muse as you pull away from Jungkook and look at him with your eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Maybe?" he grimaces awkwardly.
"You're adorable," you laugh, leaning in to leave one last kiss on his lips. "Now, how about that date?"
♡ ♡ ♡
And just like that, Redamancy | BTS is officially over 😭 I still can't believe it's ended - it truly feels like I just started this book yesterday. Thank you all so much for being here with me during this fun journey. I'll talk more about my future plans in the next "chapter/update" under this book, which should be uploaded within the next few hours.
So for now, let's get to the final Question of the Week: If sloths could run, how fast do you think they would run? (Thank you to _MissHana_ for this fun question suggestion!)
With me being me (aka a big overthinker) I think I took this question too seriously and thought of it as a trick question, lmao. So my answer is that sloths actually wouldn't run. They would, instead, swing from tree branch to tree branch, if they ever need to escape something or just travel quickly in general. I'm not sure if you guys have seen a real sloth, but I'm sure many of you have seen pictures, and have subsequently seen their long claws. I think their claws are the perfect shape and size for getting them around quickly by tree branches 😂
With that aside, I'll see you guys really soon for the final "What's Next?" update that will detail my future writing plans and wrap up the conclusion of this book.
-Dalgi Jungoo 🍓