HYE RIN POV
The hybrid giggled at the reaction of the guys. She thought it was a little funny how they reacted when she called their manager oppa.
"You guys call me 'hyung,' why can't Rinnie-ah call me 'oppa?'" Sejin asked looking innocent. Hye Rin looked at him and had to bite her lip as she saw the teasing glint in his eyes.
"We- but- how-" Jungkook couldn't seem to string a sentence together and Hye Rin looked at the others. They all had faces in different states of shock and wonder.
"Well boys, it's time for you all to head to the dorm. You have a busy next couple of days!" Bang PD said as he nodded to them. He approached Hye Rin and took one of her hands. "And you, my dear, are now part of the family. Let Sejin know if you need anything, alright?" He clasped her hand between the two of his, bending to make eye-contact with her.
Hye Rin could only nod her head, feeling a little shy. Bang PD squeezed her hand before releasing it and leaving the room.
"Hye Rin-ah," the girl turned to see Namjoon walking closer to her, a strange look in his eyes.
"Yes, Namjoon-ssi?" Hye Rin asked looking up. Now that Namjoon was standing right in front of her, she had to crane her head back to meet his eyes.
"It's nice to finally meet you!" Namjoon said eagerly and swept her up into a hug. Hye Rin was surprised, she had never been hugged in human form before. She just kept herself stiff, not knowing what she was supposed to do.
"Oh, I am sorry!" Namjoon said before putting her down. He let go a little too soon and Hye Rin staggered a little when her feet hit the ground.
"Yah, Joon-ah, be careful with her!" Seokjin said as he came over and lightly smacked the back of Namjoon's head.
"Sorry!" Namjoon said, blushing with embarrassment. Hye Rin just shook her head. "Also, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable by hugging you."
Hye Rin shook her head and looked at the boy. "Namjoon-ssi, I wasn't uncomfortable. I... just haven't been hugged before. I didn't know what to do," she admitted the last part quietly. Hye Rin looks down, not wanting to see their faces. She is starting to see that she has missed out a lot and that her previous owners had purposely lied to her so that they could keep a leash, so-to-speak, on her.
"Oh, sweetheart, keep your beautiful eyes up here." Hye Rin looked up to see that Hoseok had come cover and was crouching down to meet her eyes. When their eyes met, he gave her a sweet smile and reached his hand out. He pet her between her ears and Hye Rin felt herself relax. Her eyes started to close and small humming sound came from her. It was as close to a purr she will ever get. Only one other time had she made this sound, it was when one of her pervious owner's son had pet her as a child.
After that, the introductions continued with everyone insisting on giving Hye Rin a quick hug. By the time they had gotten to the maknae line, Hye Rin knew how to respond.
"Let me fill you on what happened today," Sejin began. As the boys listened to Sejin tell them about their day, Hye Rin found herself getting shy again. It was different being in her human form, where her face told them everything. Trying to hide, Hye Rin scooted towards the couches that were pushed again one of the non-mirrored walls.
Most of the staff had already left and only a few were still behind. One was their dance instructor, Sung Deuk. He saw the hybrid approaching and averted his eyes. Hye Rin was grateful that he was giving her space as she saw the sound equipment. She had been curious at the system they had that played their music. Slowly, keeping her face hidden in her curls by bending her head forward, Hye Rin reached the sound system. It was large and there were many buttons and wires.
Hye Rin went to reach towards one of the buttons, but pulled her hand back. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to touch it. But, oh was she curious. Biting her lip, Hye Rin crouched in front of the machine and studied it. There were several words on it, but couldn't read any of it. She recognized one as the play button, however. Hye Rin new what that symbol meant after years of being told to play a movie or the music for her owners.
Hye Rin reached forward again, but stopped herself shy of pushing the button. Again. Before she could pull her hand back, she saw a hand come from behind her and push her hand towards the button. Suddenly, BTS's Run was being played through the speakers loudly. Shocked at the sudden sound, Hye Rin yelped and fell on her butt.
Shaking, Hye Rin looked up to see a grinning Sung Deuk looking down at her. Blushing, Hye Rin saw him crouch down in front of her, his eyes meeting hers.
"Lee Hye Rin-ssi, you have permission to do anything you want to as long as it isn't being used in practice, okay?" The older man said gently, then softly placed a hand on her shoulder. Unable to form words, Hye Rin just nodded her head at the man, still in shock.
"Sung Deuk-hyung, you scared her!" Several pairs of feet could be head approaching them. Hye Rin was finally snapped out of her staring when a different pair of eyes appeared in front of her.
"Hello there, gorgeous!" Hye Rin gulped.
"Hello Hoseok-ssi," she said quietly. He tsked at her and grabbed her hands, bringing her up into a standing position.
"Hoseok-ssi?" He asked her sassily. Giggling, Hye Rin hid her face and corrected herself.
"Hello, Hobi-oppa." He nodded and gave her the biggest smile. Hye Rin felt like she was floating with happiness. She made him happy, which in turn made her feel happy. Confused for a moment, Hye Rin cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out why she was feeling that way.
"Let's go home! I want to cook you a dinner in celebration!" Jin told her grabbing one of her hands and pulling her towards the doors. Hye Rin hid her face and giggled as the rest of the boys shouted enthusiastically about the meal.
"Yah! If you don't help, you don't get to eat it!" The rest of the boys hurried to promise to help and Hye Rin started to look forward to being human with them.
AUTHOR POV
The man stared at the woman standing in front of him. He was irritated to find out that one of their rarer purchased hybrids had gotten loose. The owner, Mr. Kim, was still in the hospital recovering from the accident that led to the loss. The man had a brain injury and it caused some temporary paralysis. The contract that he had purchased the hybrid under guaranteed assistance in recovery if the property was lost or went missing.
"Now let me get this straight," the man said with irritation. "There is no sign of the hybrid? She is a fucking rare breed and is nowhere to be found?" The last part was said quietly, causing everyone in the room to gulp. Quiet meant deadly in the business and especially with The Director.
"Y-yes s-sir!" The woman stuttered out. She was one of the many staff in charge of tracking their former property. "Sh-she didn't h-have a tr-racker."
"Why the FUCK NOT?" The Director roared out. The woman looked as if she were about to piss herself.
"The current owner insisted on the purchase being off the books. He wanted totally deniability if needed. This was part of his contract," another voice said, walking forward. It was a man in his mid-30s, bald and rather tall and muscular. He was wearing a full 3-piece suit.
"Ah, Hyun Byung-Ho, is that so?" The Director looked at the man. He was their number one retrieval specialist. He was holding a file and flipping through the pages.
"Yes, it was an amendment made to the original contract. Notation says he paid an extra five billion won to cover the inconvenience," Hyun Byung-Ho approached The Director and showed him the contract with stated amendment. The Director pursed his lips, but nodded his acknowledgement.
"It is essential that we retrieve the property quickly. The longer it is out there free, the bigger the chance of us being discovered and having to start over. You three," The Director pointed to the leaders of Sales, Advertising, and Procurement, "I want you to do your jobs, but throw in hints of looking for the Clouded Leopard." The three gulped, but nodded their heads with confidence.
"You will lead five teams to find it," The Director said to Hyun Byung-Ho. The man nodded and looked over to the staff members standing in back of the large room. It was their official meeting room in the warehouse where they conduct their business. There were several warehouses they utilized, but this was the one that they did all the private business of The Organization. Whenever there were potential buyers, they would be brought to one of many other warehouses they had containing the hybrid type they were interested in.
The Organization, as they officially call themselves, was the longest running hybrid black market still around. They had started in the 1980s after the sales of hybrids became officially illegal. Before, they had just dabbled in other, less lucrative black-market goods. The Director had been in his position for the last twenty years, having inherited the title from his mother before him. Yes, that's right, his mother.
"Director, there is also the possibility that the property has expired. What are the contingencies?" Hyun Byung-Ho asked, going through the contract one more time.
"Well, it would be the fault of the buyer for the expiration. We will just have to give proof. So, dead or alive, find it."
HYE RIN POV
The hybrid sat on the couch at the dorm. The boys were scattered around the apartment and she was bored. She could turn back into her animal form and nap, but she wanted to stay in her human form. It has been a couple of days since she had shifted. The boys had been trying to get her to be less shy with them, but only Yoongi and Hoseok seemed to have succeeded. Yoongi understood that she was an introvert at heart and gave her the space she needed and Hye Rin appreciated it. Hoseok was excitable around her, but never required her to interact in return. Hye Rin was surprised that his loud and happy demeanor didn't affect her. There were times he was quiet and reserved as well, which Hye Rin also appreciated.
Jin was just as shy as she was, she discovered. The older man was constantly blushing around her and would fumble with his words. Hye Rin didn't understand why, but the others would tease him non-stop. Namjoon was very busy and Hye Rin was unsure of how to act around him. Sometimes he was soft and cuddly and then he would be stern and scold the boys.
Jimin was sweet, but very touchy. Hye Rin wasn't ready for that in her human form yet. She had a bubble that Jimin would often come into. However, with a small talk with him he understood and did his best to give her space. Hye Rin felt bad about hurting his feelings, but Jimin rushed to assure her that he understood and there were no hard feelings. Taehyung was similar, but he would often pop up out of nowhere and scare Hye Rin. It was unintentional, but Hye Rin was always a bundle of nerves around him. She assured him she would get used to it.
Jungkook was a sweet boy, but his body structure was the most similar with her previous owner, Mr. Kim. One time she nearly screamed when he rounded a corner and ran into her. It took both Yoongi and Hoseok to calm her down and figure out what had triggered her. Hye Rin felt bad when she saw Jungkook's face fall and the sadness there. She cried after that, but Jungkook gave her a sad smile and said he would wait until she was ready to give her hugs and pets.
Yoongi and Hoseok were both currently at the company. Yoongi was working on some songs for their next album while Hoseok was working with Sung Deok on the choreography.
The boys were still unaware that Hye Rin couldn't read and didn't have much of an education. She was wondering if she should tell them, but then again, what would they do? Hye Rin didn't think they would care and that they would probably like it much like her previous owners. Even though she thought it, it felt wrong. Hye Rin felt that they were different. Already, they had been kinder than anyone had ever treated her.
Sighing, Hye Rin decided she was hungry. Not wanting to bother any of the boys, she went into the kitchen. Thinking about making some ramen, Hye Rin opened one of the many cupboards. She finally found a package she recognized, as well as the pictures of noodles. There were several packages and noticed one in the far corner and it seemed to be a little dusty. Knowing ramen takes a long time to go bad, she figured none of the boys liked this one.
Hye Rin opened several other cupboards before she found a pot that would work. She may be a terrible cook, but she could make some ramen. Most of the time. Hye Rin filled the pot half-way and put it on the stove. This is where her inability to read became a problem. She knew her numbers verbally, but she didn't know what they looked like. Guessing, she turned the knob on the stove until it clicked and ignited the gas. She looked under the pan to see the flame and lowered it until it was contained under it.
Humming a tune that was randomly in her head, she waited for the water to bubble. Hye Rin went to the fridge a found some juice. Would they be okay if she had some of their juice? Biting her lip in indecision, she decided against it and just poured herself a glass of water.
When the water began to boil, Hye Rin took out the ramen noodles and poured them in the water. She grabbed a pair of the long wooden cooking chopsticks from next to the stove and stirred the noodles as they softened. Happy with how the noodles softened, Hye Rin opened the packet of powder that came as the flavor. She sniffed it and suppressed a sneeze. It smelt spicy, but Hye Rin liked spicy food.
She used the chopsticks to take the noodles out and put them in a bowl. She then proceeded to empty the entire powder packet onto the noodles and added just enough water to make a soup.
"Yummy," Hye Rin whispered as she sat down at the table. As she had a mouthful of ramen, Hye Rin was enjoying the flavor. It was spicy, but not too much for her. She was nearly done with the noodles when Jin entered the kitchen with Jungkook, but sniffing the air. They spotted the empty ramen packet before they saw Hye Rin at the table.
"Oh my god, Hye Rin! You are going to die!" Jungkook said with worry. Jin looked to see Jungkook looking at the table and her. She froze in her spot, mid-chew.
"Mhwy?" Hye Rin asked, mouth full. Jin's eyes widened as he read the ramen packet and rushed over to Hye Rin, taking her face in his hands. Hye Rin felt awkward with some noodles hanging out of her mouth, but she just looked at Jin with wide eyes.
"Mwas I mot summosed do ead id?" Hye Rin asked around her food. The boys looked at her like she was speaking another language. Quickly chewing the noodles, she swallowed and spoke again. "Was I not supposed to eat it?"
"Hye Rin, it's one of the spiciest ramens in the world. This," Jin pointed to the Hangeul on the package, "is Bulmawang Ramen! It is called The Devil Fire Ramen by some. It makes you feel like you are dying. I can't believe we still had a package of this!" Jin's frantic eyes found Jungkook's worried ones.
"This must have been left over from one of the Run episode punishments. Should I get her some milk?" Jungkook asked, shifting from one foot to another. Jin turned back to Hye Rin and studied her face.
"Hye Rin, how are you feeling? Do you feel sick? Is your mouth hurting?" Jin asked, raising one of his hands to rest on her forehead. Confused, Hye Rin just looked between the two.
"Um, I'm fine. It tastes really good," Hye Rin said blushing a little. She bit her lip as the two boys just stared at her.
"W-what?" Jungkook managed to choke out.
"I said, it tastes really good. I wish we had more, I would eat more!" Hye Rin said grinning happily. Jin released her face and just sat there on his knees in front of her. Hye Rin wasn't sure if it was okay for her to say that. "I'm sorry! I should have asked if I could cook. I'm sorry!"
Hye Rin started to get anxious realizing she had just up and cooked herself something to eat without asking permission. She felt her heart start to thud and she quickly slid out of her chair, kneeling onto the floor. She presented her back to the boys, ready for her punishment. Last time she did something without permission, Mr. Kim had whipped her with a wooden spoon for thirty minutes.
"What are you doing Hye Rin?" Jin asked her quietly. She didn't know what to say. Trying to keep herself from crying, Hye Rin answered the first thing that came to her mind.
"My owner doesn't like when I do things without permission. I must be punished. Punishment for something like this is thirty minutes of a wooden spoon," Hye Rin said quietly. She curled herself forward tightly, pushing her face into her knees on the floor, waiting for the pain to start. She counted to sixty and nothing came. She counted for another sixty before she slowly turned her head to look behind her.
Jin was just kneeling there, tears streaming down his face, hands over his mouth. Jungkook was now sitting on the floor next to him, also silently crying, arms around his older hyung.
"W-what's wrong?" Hye Rin asked, scared. Did she do something again? Did she break a rule? "D-do you need me to get the spoon?" Hye Rin asked them confused. The boys looked at her with horror, shaking their heads quickly.
"Hye Rin, we will never hurt you," Jin managed to choke out around his tears. Hye Rin was confused. They weren't going to punish her?
"B-but, I didn't ask permission?" Hye Rin wasn't understanding what they were saying.
"Hye Rin, you are free here. There is no punishment for things like that," Jin said, a hand reaching towards her head. Hye Rin was too confused to realize a hand was coming towards her, and so she didn't flinch like she normally did around the boys.
Hye Rin was shaken from her confusion when she felt a hand on her head. She met Jin's sad eyes as he started to pet her. Hye Rin was even more confused. Pets were rewards. She was being rewarded for not asking permission?
"We need to have a family meeting."
Hye Rin felt uncomfortable to be under all of their eyes, but did her best to keep calm. She hadn't realized how shy she was when shifted. This was the longest amount of time she had been around more than one person since she was at the market.
"Hye Rin, we should talk about what happened earlier," Jin began. Hye Rin looked over at him, biting her lip. However, she wasn't going to be the one talking. Pursing his lips for a moment, he turned and told the rest of the boys what had happened earlier.
"Hye Rin, we will never physically harm you!" Namjoon said and Hye Rin felt the promise in his words.
"At least, not on purpose..." Yoongi muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, "...right God of Destruction?" Namjoon blushed as everyone laughed. Hye Rin giggled. She had witnessed a few moments of his and knew that he never meant to break anything, or hurt himself.
"C-can..." Hye Rin began as everyone stopped and looked at her expectantly. Blushing, Hye Rin lowered her face and tried to hide.
"What is it sweetheart?" Hoseok asked. He was sitting on her right while she sat at the edge on the other side of the loveseat.
"C-can we get m-more of that r-ramen?" Hye Rin asked with a stutter. Everyone but Jungkook and Jin looked confused. Those two just looked at Hye Rin like she grew an extra head.
"Which one...?" Hoseok asked, looking at everyone. They all noticed Jin and Jungkook's face. "What?"
"She ate the Bulmawang Ramen that was in the cupboard."
"WHAT?"
"HOLY SHIT!"
"YAH, LANGUAGE!"
"Hye Rin, how were you able to eat that?" Namjoon asked with wonder. Hye Rin just shrugged.
"I'm good at eating spicy foods. It was really yummy," Hye Rin admitted.
"Did you not read the label? It said very spicy and could cause upset stomach and you might need to go to the doctor..." Taehyung asked at a loss. Hye Rin had learned early that he couldn't eat food with a lot of spice.
"Uh..." Hye Rin hesitated, but stopped talking. Taehyung approached her slowly and knelt down on the ground in front of her. He carefully took both of her tiny hands in his very large ones.
"Hye Rin, what is it?" Taehyung asked gently. Sighing, realizing she would have to tell them, Hye Rin told them the truth.
"Uh, I can't read," Hye Rin said it like it was a question. No one said anything, but after a few minutes of them exchanging glances, Namjoon smiled at her and said something that really made her heart melt.
"That's okay darling. We can help you!"
A/N: Here is some fluff and the introduction to The Organization! It's on the shorter side of an update, but I wanted to get something up for my readers and commentors.
Loves
-Luna