BO-YOUNG
Jungkook and I walk down the street, our destination already in sight. The shopping centre is a huge white building lined with windows and screens, on which a reel of brightly-coloured ads is playing. People filter in and out through the three sets of glass double doors, which open and close automatically. Standing guard at the entrance are two burly men wearing dark uniforms with the letters 'AH' pasted on the back—guards working for the Anti-Hybrid Organization, also known as the 'Ass-Holes' to hybrids.
I hang my head low, walking closer to Jungkook with the hope that we can walk by unnoticed. Unfortunately, the men are vigilant.
"Hey, you two!" one of the two burly men calls out, stopping us from proceeding further. "Stop right there!"
Jungkook and I halt as the guard jogs over to us. Sensing my nerves, Jungkook gives my hand a small squeeze of reassurance.
"What are you trying to do, bunny? Sneak in?" the man condescends, looking down at me before turning his attention to Jungkook. "And what are you then? An owl hybrid? Something earless, that's for sure," he speculates.
"I'm a human, and she's my hybrid," Jungkook says through gritted teeth.
"As if—this runt doesn't even have a collar," the man laughs, bowing down to get a closer look at me.
Jungkook steps in front of me, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and tugging him down, shoving a card in his face. After seeing the guard's face light up in realisation, Jungkook pushes him back harshly.
"Now leave me and my hybrid alone," he says, his voice low.
To my surprise, the guard frantically bows, his fists clenched tight by his side. "My apologies, sir," he grumbles before returning to his station.
I look between the guard's retreating figure and Jungkook, who still looks just about ready to fight the man.
"What are you? The son of a CEO? A mafia boss? How did you do that?" I ask, looking at him with my eyes squinted in suspicion. Finally, I see him relax as he chuckles at my wild speculation.
"No, no. Nothing like that," he answers. "I'm a human."
He shows me the card, which turns out to be his ID. Indeed, under his name, it reads his species. I sigh, miffed at how his species was the only thing keeping us from being inhumanely detained. I feel a heavy hand drop onto my head, ruffling my hair. I look up to find Jungkook looking at me sympathetically.
"C'mon Bo-young, let's go do some shopping. Don't let those assholes ruin our day," he says, cheering me up and pocketing his ID.
"Alright," I say through a sigh, giving him a small smile.
We make our way into the shopping mall. I'm surprised by how overwhelming everything is—the glaring white lights, the constant announcements and ads on the PA system, and the loud chatter of the people passing by. Fearing I'll get lost in the crowds, I gingerly take Jungkook's hand. For a moment, I see him glance at me from the corner of his eye before continuing on, holding my hand more securely as he leads me through the mall.
Once we reach the clothing stores, we stop.
"Does anything catch your eye?" he asks, gesturing across the wide selection of stores in a grand sweeping motion. I look around, slightly bombarded by all the options, unable to think straight as the constant noise drones into my skull.
"Anyplace quiet would be good," I reply.
Jungkook nods, leading me into a fairly empty store selling—from what I can gather—comfy fashion. Jungkook lets go of my hand as he begins rifling through tops, draping a few across his arm.
While he's occupied, I wander off towards a section that's caught my eye. From top to bottom, it's full of winter gear. Knitted scarves, hats, and gloves line the racks in varying colours and sizes, and across from them is a small selection of water-resistant clothes.
I've always spent the winter either huddled out of the snow's reach or wandering the streets in search of dropped gloves. Each year, I find only one, into which I have to fit both hands. The last time I owned a proper pair of mittens was a few years ago when my owner knitted me a set. I fondly remember their canary yellow colour, which faded over the years that I used them.
"You know winter isn't coming for another month and a half, right?" Jungkook comments from behind me, startling me.
"I know, but-" I begin, but I stop when I realise how pathetic I'd sound if I explained it to him.
"...But?" he asks, waiting for me to finish my sentence.
"Ah, it's nothing," I smile. "Don't worry about it."
I skip past him to examine a shelf of jeans, leaving Jungkook to lack behind. After a moment, he catches up.
"Are you really going to have me try on all those clothes?" I question, eyeing the hefty selection he has draped over his arm.
He nods. "Yeah, plus anything you want to try on. If everything's a hit, we'll get it all."
I gape at him.
"Is your wallet bottomless or something?" I ask jokingly before shooting a playful glare his way. "Jungkook, are you selling drugs?"
"Wh- no!" he exclaims.
"Well, I've ruled out 'CEO's son' and 'mafia boss,' so I'm running out of options here," I chuckle. "Seriously though, how do you have enough to buy this much?"
"As I told you before, I've been wanting a hybrid for a while. I've been saving up for years," he tells me. I can't help but feel slightly guilty that I'm leeching off him like this.
"But why save this much money? This is borderline excessive compared to how much other hybrid owners spend."
"I think it's important for a hybrid to feel like an equal. You'd be surprised by how many people think the same, they just don't have the funds for it," he explains.
I nod, before picking out a pair of plain black jeans and heading to the changing room.