(for potatodyo) Until Next Time
For: potatodyo
Title: until next time
Genre: kid!au, wolf!au, fluff
Rating: pg
Side Pairings (if any): n/a
Warnings: [Click to view]poor writing
Word Count: 9.2k
Summary: Kyungsoo would never ever forget the pup he met when he was eight and Jongin would never ever also forget the comfort and heart shaped smiles given to him by this particular human.
Author's Note: dear recipient, i love your prompts, but i have a limited knowledge writing wolf aus so this was a challenging one for me. also, i think this fic is not good as you’re expecting it to be. but i hope you’d love this even just for a bit. keep sailing the kaisoo ship! this is unbeta-ed so don’t expect too much.
Jongin was seven when he got lost in the forest.
He crouched under the shade of the tree, hugging his legs while he kept on putting back his furry tail in his bottom in order to hide it. Though useless. His ears had also popped out from his head and they twitched repeatedly, causing his hearing to heighten, better than his hearing when he's human. It was useful, but he didn't take advantage of his ability to go back home. If ever, he wanted his parents to notice his disappearance and looked for him or maybe scold him, just as long as they find him and maybe their family could go back the way they used to be.
But, two hours already passed and Jongin was still unfound. His only companions were the melodious tweeting of birds and the crunching of dried leaves under his feet. He was lost and scared and he felt like crying, so he let his tears well his eyes.
Another hour passed, no one came to fetch him. Another hour passed and he felt like the sun could toast him completely as bullets of sweat trickle down his back and head, and then another half an hour passed when he heard another voice calling for help.
"Hyung? Hyung? Are you there, hyung?" There was tremble and fear in the voice and Jongin backed away cautiously since he couldn't let anyone see his wolf ears and tail, unless it was pup like him.
Sniffling, Jongin buried his wet face on his knees, but eyes looking up to see the owner of the voice emerging from one of the trees. It was a short boy with bowl cut hair and round eyes, the widest eyes Jongin had ever seen. He was wearing as what Jongin knew as a boy scout's uniform.
"Seungsoo, hyung? Seungsoo, hyung?" The cub scout was close to tears, Jongin could sense it from a distance. He cowered away as the scout came closer and closer to him and he wished he wouldn't be seen and get stoned for having a tail and perky ears on top of his head.
Jongin kept silent and closed his eyes in attempt to hide himself completely.
The steps got louder every second, until, Jongin could sense a presence right in front of him.
"Woah, you have cute ears, where did you buy it?"
Jongin was surprised from the sudden pat on his head and ears, and he still refused to look up.
"They looked real. Are you lost too?"
Jongin kept quiet and it earned a distraught sigh from the other boy. "I got lost too because I saw this huge butterfly and I want to catch it, so I lost my big brother." Sadness laced his tone from his last few words, emphasizing the mention of his big brother.
"But I'm glad I found you, I was close to crying!" The boy perked up, and Jongin couldn't believe the sudden change in the boy's demeanor when earlier he sounded so scared and now he sounded relieved to find company with a lost kid too.
"Are you okay?"
Jongin drew a breath and turned away. But it was a careless move as his tail suddenly popped out from his behind, swaying from side to side earning a gasp from the other boy.
There was flapping of wings overhead that had Jongin lifting up his head only to take a glimpse of the bird’s white wings.
"Y-You---You have a tail!" The boy pointed out and Jongin felt unease as he turned to see the scout on his bottom under the dried leaves.
Jongin looked down sadly. As expected, humans fear his true form.
"They are not real right? They only looked real, right?" The boy bombarded him and Jongin turned to him forlornly and shook his head.
"I'm a pup. My tail and ears are real. Y-You can leave me if you want." Jongin mumbled audibly, still hugging his legs and he buried his face once again on his knees, dry tear tracks evident on his cheeks.
"A pup? You're a puppy? A dog?" The boy's innocent question, head tilted to side cutely and fascination gleamed on his eyes.
Jongin's muffled reply, "Wolf."
"Woah," Another unexpected reaction coming from the cub scout when it should be the opposite where he would cower in fear and run away. Instead, fascination gleamed in his eyes and Jongin wasn't quite sure yet if he should trust the boy's reaction or not.
"Aren't you scared?" Jongin asked shakily, lower lip jutting out. He kept on shifting from left to right in attempt to hide himself, but it only urged the boy to move closer.
"I'm not scared. You're like my cousin's dog I forgot what it's called. It's like a wolf too, but my hyung tells me it's not wolf."
Jongin grabbed his furry tail and held it close to him. He was still wary.
"What's your name, wolf? My name is Kyungsoo and I'm eighteu yearshhh oldeu and I’m a cub scout." Eight fingers were shown by the little boy and his eyes and lips crinkled together as he smiled.
"J...Jongin. I'm seven." His quiet answer and he slowly folded his legs together as he was slowly getting comfortable with the human. “Can I call you hyung?”
Kyungsoo nodded fast and grinned. “I’ll be your hyung then!” He boldly petted Jongin’s perky wolf ears happily, but his lips curled down eventually. “But, I lost my hyung and I don’t know where he is now. I’m not familiar here at this forest.”
“Oh,” Jongin scrunched up his nose and wiped off his snot with his arm. “Maybe I can help you.”
“But you’re lost too.”
“But I can take a sniff of your brother’s scent.”
“But h-how?” Kyungsoo tilted his head to the side cutely. “Then you’re not lost then. You can just sniff your home and go back home.”
Jongin burrowed his face in between his knees and mumbled, “I don’t know the smell of home.”
“Why? You’re a wolf aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Then you know how it smells.”
Jongin turned away, feeling bad for lying. “I want them to look for me.”
“Why? Did they hurt you?”
“No-“ Jongin shook his head. “Mom and Dad fought and they kept ignoring me so I ran away.” His quiet reply, voice quavering as he was on the verge of crying and seconds after, tears poured out from his eyes.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo suddenly threw himself to the wolf, wrapping his arms around the small boy. Jongin’s back was pressed on the dried leaves, groaning a little, but his tears won’t stop spilling from his eyes.
Jongin sniffled and stared right up at Kyungsoo straddling his lap who soon pulled out his green neckerchief around his neck and wipe the tears running down Jongin’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, your mommy and daddy surely loves you and they will look for you like how I know my hyung is now looking for me too because my hyung loves me too.”
“You think so?” Jongin asked for assurance, he kept on asking for assurance because he never had someone to assure him that his parents love him and now that he had one, he felt a little relieved.
“My mommy always tells me that all parents love their kids, so I’m sure yours love you too very very much! So don’t cry anymore, Jongin.” Kyungsoo scrambled off Jongin’s lap and thrust his neckerchief to the boy. “You can have it. I still have one back at camp.”
“Are you sure?” Jongin kept on staring at the neckerchief already slightly wet of his tears and as he looked up, Kyungsoo gave him a huge smile and two thumbs up sign. “So, do you have anything with you that has your hyung’s smell?”
“But how about you? If you helped me, you’ll be alone. I don’t want to leave you alone.” Kyungsoo sat beside him, arms and legs crossed.
Jongin kept on sniffling and kept on insisting Kyungsoo that they should look for his big brother. “Your hyung will get too worried. I’ll find him for you.”
“We can just stay together and talk first if you like.” The scout suggested while poking his finger on the dried leaf before him. Jongin watched in amusement as the other boy picked up a twig and tried to crush the poor leaf with it.
“So what are we gonna talk about, hyung?” Jongin’s lips hung open, gaze directed at the strong twig from a tree in Kyungsoo’s hands thumping leaves and playing on the dried soil.
“You’re a wolf, do you eat meat?” The pup pressed his lips thinly and shook his head, adjusting his position and picking up a nearby twig within his arm’s reach before imitating Kyungsoo.
“I love mom’s bulgogi and I love barbecue. But I love jajangmyeon more.” The answer earned a surprise gasp from the scout, eyes rounding widely as he laid down his twig and stared at Jongin in mortification.
“You eat cooked meat? And noodles too?” To say that Jongin was not surprise from Kyungsoo’s reaction was an understatement as he was more than surprised from the human’s response about his personal preference in food.
“Why? Can’t I eat meat and noodles, hyung?” They were now facing each other, knees brushing together as pup Jongin stared curiously and lost into Kyungsoo’s jaw slacked expression.
“I thought you only eat raw meat like on movies!” Kyungsoo gave himself a nod, referring his knowledge about wolf cartoons he had seen on screen.
“Movies?” Jongin was confused at first to know what movies were, but as he remembered his father watching something on their old rickety TV, then that was when he remembered the word movie that came out from his father’s mouth. “Ah, movies,” nodding in understanding. “But what about those movies?”
“I watched cartoons and the wolves there eat animal meat and they were raw, so I thought you eat raw meat too and if you do, I really think it’s disgusting.” Kyungsoo explained animatedly with his hands that got Jongin blanching from the thought of himself eating raw meat. Because of this, Jongin furrowed his brows and pouted, slightly offended.
“But I’m not that kind of wolf,” he shook his head and Kyungsoo did a double take before it dawned to him that what he said made the pup uneasy.
“I was just curious!” Kyungsoo panicked, upper teeth digging on his lower lip, remorseful, and Jongin could see it at the human. “I just want to ask because that’s what I saw on TV and you’re a human wolf and I don’t know if you’re like the wolf on TV. Sorry, Jongin.” The boy hung his head low and Jongin didn’t take a second to reach out to him and curls his fingers around the boy’s arm.
To get rid of the forming thick clouds above Kyungsoo’s head, Jongin giggled and swished his tail behind him with enthusiasm. “It’s okay. You see it on TV anyway, but I’m not that kind of wolf. I’m a human wolf and I’m a cute one!” he perkily exclaimed, pearly whites of teeth flashing as drops of sunlight peeked through the canopy of trees, bathing Jongin in an ethereal glow in which had Kyungsoo smiling and brushing off the guilt he felt from awhile ago.
As their giggles filled in the silence of the forest, Jongin felt a newfound comfort that came from Kyungsoo’s presence.
Awhile after, they exchanged stories about themselves, killing time and without nothing better to do. Jongin told Kyungsoo about the cottage he calls home and how his father built it with his pack and that he thought it was amazing because their kind can built such comforting structure providing shelter for everyone. He went on story after story that he could provide to the human boy-story of his adventure with his friends at the mountains, story of how his father used to bring him to the spring to bath together, story of how his mother used to make flower crowns and put it on top of his head which he actually missed, story of his friends Chanyeol and Sehun going with him to the caves in the deepest part of the mountains to catch fruit bats and play with those grotesque creatures. Telling these stories set a light in his heart, although it saddened him as well that he would never ever experience the same things he grown to love, especially the story of his parents bringing him to the carnival as they ride the carousel together as a happy family. So he also told Kyungsoo that he hated it when his mother and father always argue at home and that he felt so scared they would leave him alone and that they won’t be able to do the same things again together happily.
“That’s sad.” Jongin closed his eyes and slip out an appreciative moan from his lips when Kyungsoo reached out to his perky ears and rubbed them soothingly. The way the scout’s lips curled up into a heart shape, Jongin’s eyes gleamed as his mouth also turns into a grin of admiration.
“Your mouth is heart.”
Kyungsoo cupped his cheeks and giggled. “I got it from my mom. So I love heart shape,” he put down his hands and rested them on his knees. “Are you still sad?”
Jongin scrunched his nose and scratched the itchy part on his hairline then down to the bottom of his head. “Not sad because I got a friend.”
Beaming, Kyungsoo spilled another bout of giggles, scratching his nose as well and unaware of how he looked so good with his heart shaped smile to Jongin’s eyes. “Then we’re friends!”
Jongin jumped up from joy, furry tail swishing and ears twitching in glee that has him reddening to the tip of his ears when he realized how he reacted from Kyungsoo’s confirmation of them being actual friends. Due to his embarrassment, he sat once again, receiving cute giggles from Kyungsoo and gave him a questioning gaze, but again, seeing that beautiful smile the scout possesses washed away his worries and troubles.
“K-Kyungsoo hyung?” The scout hummed in response, eyes gleaming. “Do you think we’ll see each other again so we can play?”
Kyungsoo poked his lips with his forefinger in wonder, until his eyes flicked somewhere near Jongin’s feet. “Maybe? I don’t know. But I’m not from this place. I’m a scout and we went to the woods for camping, but maybe when I go back here we can see each other again.”
Puzzlement morphed on Jongin’s face as he couldn’t understand what does camping mean and what even a scout was. Even if he wanted to ask, he easily forgot it as he just asked what he wanted to know more. “Where are you from then?”
“Insadong!” Kyungsoo’s face lit up from the mention of his hometown and Jongin tilted his head, racking his brain if he knows that place at all.
“I don’t know where that place is. All I know is that I lived in a cottage with my mommy and daddy.” Nodding, Jongin finally noticed the green neckerchief haphazardly thrown on the lump of dried leaves and weeds poking out from them. He picked it up and turned to Kyungsoo.
“Ah!” Kyungsoo briefly retrieved back his neckerchief from Jongin before wrapping it around the pup’s neck and pulling him close by tugging it to him. “I told you that you can have this neckerchief, but I can’t give you my woggle, so I’ll just knot it like this,” he says. “What am I going to do is a square knot. Look closely, Jongin.” And the pup was all eyes on Kyungsoo’s fingers and the cloth he calls neckerchief. The boy scout grasped the two ends of the green neckerchief and draped it behind the other so that one end hung lower than the other before crossing the long end over the short one until a loop was created.
“It looks complicated.” Jongin voiced out in amusement, amazed from how a boy a year older than him could make something like this so easily. “I won’t be able to make that loop. It looks so haaard.”
Kyungsoo took the same end and wrapped it around behind the other short end, then he pulled the long end across and inserted it horizontally through the knot created forming a square. Jongin had his mouth ajar in fascination of watching Kyungsoo make a knot. Wow kept on slipping out from his lips while Kyungsoo tied another double knot and adjusted it to the center directly underneath Jongin’s chin.
“Whoah...”
“There you go,” Kyungsoo grinned, petting Jongin’s head like he would to a puppy or the cat staying at their backyard back at home.
Grasping the knot, Jongin cheerfully expressed his gratitude at the other boy by wrapping his arms around him and jumping in joy. “Thank you! Thank you!”
Once they calmed down from the string of giggles, Jongin grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand and said, “Let’s walk around, hyung and talk more!”
For a moment, Kyungsoo teased the pup by pondering in which his forefinger was pointed to his temple as if thinking deeply into the matter. Jongin was expecting, but a pout formed on his lips as he felt that he would much receive a rejection instead. But as Kyungsoo giggled once more and tugged on his hand, his face lit up as the boy declared, “Okay, come on!” So they started venturing the unfamiliar forest with a skip on their steps and stories that accompanied them all throughout the time they were together. Jongin was having a good time with his new friend and for him, this had been one of the best days that ever happened to him that week.
“Shh...” Kyungsoo had his finger pressed on his lips, urging the wolf to quiet down. The two of them huddled closer and Jongin eventually scrunched up his nose, concentrating as he reflexively used his strong sense of smell to detect the approaching person nearby. They stopped for awhile and sat down to hide themselves behind a tree.
“It’s a boy,” Jongin told the human, his hands clasped around the boy’s arm. “He’s getting nearer.”
“Can you tell who is it?” Kyungsoo whispered and there was a hint of fear in his voice that quavered that Jongin could sense.
“A-Are you scared, hyung?” The dried leaves scrunching could be heard from a distance and there were two voices talking that Jongin could clearly hear even from a distance as he concentrated as he used his ability. He received a quiet mumble of no from the older boy.
“What if my brother fainted? What if he hurt himself? What if something bad happened to him?” The boy talking frantically had said.
“Seungsoo, we’ll find him. Kyungsoo isn’t that clumsy and reckless. He’s the most responsible kiddie scout I knew. For sure, he would just be around.”
“What if he gets lost, Bogum? Mom and Dad will definitely kill me.”
“Seungsoo, stop all these negativity you’re thinking!”
“It’s my fault I lost him.”
“No, Seungsoo. It’s not your fault. Look,” the other boy said. “just stop thinking for awhile and let’s just look around for him. The negativity will not help, believe me.”
“Okay.”
Then it dawned to Jongin who the guys were coming their way. “The guy said your name, Kyungsoo hyung!”
The scout’s eyes widened in a spark of surprise and hope. “Really? It’s my Seungsoo hyung?”
Jongin, meanwhile, took deep breaths and closed his eyes to go back to his human form so the two new approaching individuals wouldn’t see him in his true form. “Don’t tell them I’m a wolf, please?”
"I have to go, Kyungsoo." The shapeshifter crawled a little towards his temporary companion and smiled as brown fur grows out from his tanned legs and arms, a sign of his slowly shifting to his animal form.
"But, I don't want you to be alone--" Kyungsoo voiced out his concern. Jongin could see in his eyes that even if they just met and stayed together for a short time, they easily got along well.
"You'll be fine now and I promise I'll be fine too. Goodbye, Soo." And as much as he wanted to stay and talk more with the other kid, the first human to find him in this state that didn't fear him at all, he couldn't stay. Jongin knew better despite still being a child. He knew the risks of getting found out by humans who would take interest of his kind and he wouldn't have it happen. Going back to his late grandfather's reminders, one of it is, "Do not expose your true identity to humans if you don't want to get hurt in the end."
Contrary to that reminder, Jongin is aware that he just had disobeyed that rule when that day, a human child saw his true form. Yet, before the approaching footsteps were getting closer, Kyungsoo grabbed his wrist. "We'll see each other again and we'll play, okay?"
Jongin thought the same so he gives his newly found friend a toothy smile and a nod of promise. "We will. I have this knot too by the way, so we'll see each other again." Jongin pertained on the neckerchief around his neck, the stark green cloth over his bronze skin. And just as two approaching figures emerged, Jongin crouched on all fours, bones cracking and a beautiful brown fur that shines through the drop of light, a small wolf formed, before scrambling off the woods without taking a final glance at Kyungsoo.
As he fled, he didn't miss the bursts of Kyungsoo's name coming out from what he had known to be Kyungsoo's brother and the upcoming question pertaining to his shadow that sped out through the woods.
“What was that?”
Distances away, Jongin's lips curled up as he clearly heard Kyungsoo say, "It’s a deer, hyung. A cute and quiet deer.”
The green neckerchief was now clipped in between the pup’s teeth as he dashed off and headed back to the mountains to go home.
“My mommy always tells me that all parents love their kids, so I’m sure yours love you too very very much! So don’t cry anymore, Jongin.”
#
Ever since Kyungsoo met the mythological, folkloric human, a man-wolf to be exact when he was eight, he couldn’t stop thinking about the friend he made-Jongin.
Now, Kyungsoo was fourteen and he was on his way for a camping trip once again at Gyerim, a small woodland in Gyeonju. Since he was eight, he sworn to himself that he would never forget Jongin at all and that he would never quit the boy scouts club in hopes that he would be able to go back again to the place where he first met Jongin.
In fact, it was hard to keep the secret that he had seen a wolf boy to himself, so back when he was twelve and was so eager to meet Jongin again, but couldn’t do anything, he told his extraordinary experience that wasn’t known by any to his bestfriend Hyunsik. He told him that aside getting lost in the woods, he met a human pup named Jongin. He could still remember how ecstatic he was for spilling that secret for once to one of the people he trusts the most, however, contrary to his expectation, Hyunsik laughed at him and told him that maybe it was only his delusion as he clearly emphasized that, “Warewolves are not real.” And that maybe it was his self-comfort mechanism to daydream and imagine things since getting lost in the woods and staying for almost three hours alone was something to be frightening for an eight year old kid. Since that failure to convince his bestfriend that warewolves do exist, Kyungsoo never spoke about that secret once again to anybody, though tempting, but he knew better than nobody would even dare believe in him.
As their bus pulled up the driveway at the national park, Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat. He was so attached to this place that he couldn’t wait to explore the woods to call for Jongin’s name.
With his duffle bag and brown cap on that has the emblem of the scout association, Kyungsoo stepped out of the bus, following Minseok, his chubby yet reliable friend in the club and the only remaining member since their fourth grade batch. If during their fourth grade they got fifteen scouts from their level, as they grew older, the number dwindled ending up to two, now just him and Minseok in eighth grade.
Wordlessly, Kyungsoo walked right behind Minseok as they formed a line. The scout master stood at the center where an elevated cement stood, waiting for everyone to gather and get on their lines. The head count was thirty five. Not all the members were present, but for everyone, the lesser the participants the better which Kyungsoo honestly didn’t agree to as for him, the more, the happier the camping experience would be.
Once everyone settled and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but trail his eyes at the direction he clearly remembers where he entered the deep forest with his brother to explore that ended him up getting lost. Turning away to focus first at the scout master’s reminders that he knew by heart now since they had an orientation first before the actual camping trip, Kyungsoo lost his focus as his mind wandered again to his first ever wolf-man friend.
“Is everything clear?” The scout master’s voice startled Kyungsoo, earning him back to focus more on the preparation of their first day at camp. A chorus of ’Yes, Sir!’ was given to the scout master before they were finally allowed to set their tents on camping grounds.
The trees swished as the cold wind blew. The sun was up high and the blue sky was clear, cerulean in color. Kyungsoo covered his eyes with one hand as he looked up, looking for a sign whether it would rain or not and to his relief, early signs of rain was not detected. Too immersed from acting like a weatherman for the day, he felt a tug on his sleeve and as he turned, Minseok gestured him to go so they could place their tent and lay down for awhile before the first activity for the day would be announced.
Setting the tent wasn’t a hassle anymore to Kyungsoo. Learning from the best big brother and best Eagle Scout Seungsoo as known in their school, he did acquire Seungsoo’s perceptive and apt nature since he joined the scouting team and even had the chance to join his brother on campings. So the sight of the newbies having a hard time making their tents stand sturdily, gave a boost of confidence in Kyungsoo. But since they were taught about the value of helping each other out, he left Minseok for awhile to help the others set their tents.
As the day moved on, fun activities were given to everyone. All troops had an exhausting short hiking, yet everyone survived the three miles hike up the terrain. Right when they went back at their campsite, as one of the patrol grubmasters, Kyungsoo helped in preparing food which he had always enjoyed since sixth grade.
After a scrumptious meal, they were given three hours of rest, but afterwards, games were played such as arm-wrestling, tug of war, secret message relay, first aid relays until the bonfire was lit up, providing them heat and light as the sky was blanketed with darkness, yet a number of stars dotted the sky. And just like what they were used to do, ghost stories were exchange one after another while roasting marshmallows. However, Kyungsoo tuned them out as he was busy indulging himself with the sweet and tasty marshmallows for the night and besides, he already heard most of the stories and he knew that the patrol leaders were just indulging the newbies for a more enjoyable camping night, though admittedly, the reactions of the younger scouts were really hilarious, unbeknownst to them that most of the stories were just made up.
“How about wolves? Are they true? My grandpa once told me warewolves do exist and were living mostly at the deepest part of the mountains.” One scout brought up the topic that had Kyungsoo spluttering on his marshmallow and earning an ‘are you okay?’ from Minseok which he assured him with a nod as his response of ‘yes, I am okay.’
“Maybe your grandpa is just a fan of Twilight.” Another scout teased and the others laughed at the remark, making the former scout pout in annoyance.
“Guys, stop.” One of the patrol leaders Jaehyun authoritatively ordered, quieting everyone effortlessly. “Give the guy some credit, he’s sharing something so please, teasing is not tolerable, so behave yourselves.” Jaehyun gave Taeyong a pointed look before turning to Hansol. “For me, no offence but I don’t think those mythical creatures are true.”
“Same here.”
“I don’t believe in those.”
“I don’t believe in it. I haven’t seen one yet.”
And as what Kyungsoo had expected, nobody even opposed to the number of I don’t believe’s nor nobody even raised their curiosity of what ifs. Though he wanted to share what he knew about warewolves and how he was able to meet one when he was a kid, for sure, everyone would laugh at him and would tell him he has loose screws in his head, so he opted to stay silent and nonchalant about it.
As everyone was tasked to clean up and go back to their respective tents for bedtime, Kyungsoo on the other hand faced Minseok as he wanted to know his friend’s view regarding warewolves.
“Do you believe in wolves?” he asked dumbly, because obviously they do exist. Wolf as an animal, yes they exist.
“Yeah,” Minseok chugged down on his water jug before putting it down and capping it. “Why? You scared of wolves, Kyungsoo?”
Lying down on his mattress and setting his arm over his forehead, the memory of a cute and friendly pup crossed his mind, making him smile. “Of course not. Wolves are very fluffy and adorable.”
Minseok rolled his eyes at him in disbelief and said patronizingly, “Yeah right.”
Kyungsoo snorted from the way his friend responded and then he asked what he really wanted to ask. “What about warewolves?”
“No, I don’t.” Then with that answer, Kyungsoo didn’t query for more as he knew talking about warewolves won’t get them somewhere. “Goodnight, Kyungsoo.”
Once their outdoor light was turned off, Kyungsoo closed his eyes to succumb to sleep.
The next morning was another batch of activities, but this time, more strenuous ones. They also had another review of survival tips, had more lectures about poisonous berries, mushrooms and some tips on how to catch fishes without using a fishing rod and a whole lot more. In the afternoon another set of games were played, but when it was time to hit the sack, Kyungsoo grabbed his prepared backpack that had his compass, bottle of water, whistle, ribbons, a map, flashlight and batteries before making sure that Minseok was deeply asleep. To his relief, his friend sleeps like a log, so it wasn’t difficult for him to get off their tent.
His eyes wandered the deserted camp site, save from the remaining bonfire lighting up in the center. The leaves rustled as the night breeze blew. Kyungsoo was clad in his warm clothes and surreptitiously, he staggered towards the direction to the forest he knew so well.
The forest was damp and dark. Kyungsoo brought out his flashlight and ribbons to tie around the trunk of the trees so he could find his way back. The sound of crickets and other nature sounds accompanied Kyungsoo as he delved deeper down the forest.
Scaring him, a hooting of an owl and flapping of its wings overhead, made him flinch. He cussed under his breath and glared at the nocturnal animal. Shaking his head, he tied his seventh ribbon around a tree and shot his flashlight around the darkness.
“Jongin?” he helplessly called. “Jongin? Would it be possible that you’d be here?”
No response.
Giving up and not wanting to peruse the forest anymore in fear of getting lost, a sound of rustling was heard from a distance then something dashed from his left and he immediately flashed his light towards it, heart pounding fast from his ribcage while wishing Jongin might heard him or might have smelt him from where he was.
However, it was only a wild boar.
But just by realizing it lately, Kyungsoo frustratingly kicked a patch of dried dirt, thinking how stupid he was for forgetting that Jongin won’t be able to trail his scent unless the wolf has something in him that he can take a whiff of to locate him. Not even the neckerchief Jongin had would do as years had already gone by, his scent will not probably be the same anymore or that his scent he left on that piece of cloth was already replaced by something new.
Kyungsoo, with his head hung low, just went back to the camp site safely.
On the third day, Kyungsoo tried braving the woods once more. It was in the afternoon after filling up his stomach with chicken soup and fruits provided by their quarter master that he sneaked out from the camp.
Birds soared overhead as he tied ribbons around tree trunks again just like last night. He couldn’t just find it in himself to give up so while he’s still in the vicinity of the forest, he would try and try to look for Jongin, although futile.
But when he was about to tie his fifth ribbon, he heard the whistle coming from the campsite and as reflex, he ran back, only to be caught red handed by his patrol leader for going to the woods alone and without asking for permission.
In the end, he was given a sanction to do ten push-ups and ten squats in which he did without any qualms. More than that, Kyungsoo wasn’t able to go back to the woods once again as his troop leader kept an eye on him for the whole day until they were about to leave.
What he didn’t know, there were two wolves peeking behind a tall bush overlooking at their campsite before scrambling away, right when their buses left the camping area.
And just as their three day camping breezed by, Kyungsoo wasn’t able to see Jongin. A sad frown on his lips etched on it even as he came back home earning him Are you okay’s? from his mom and Seungsoo.
No, he was not okay. He expected too much, and expectations led him to heartache.
#
Jongin loved exploring the woods. Since he met the first ever human who never flinched nor got frightened from his true form, he managed to explore the woods and explored every nook and cranny of it. He had taken a liking on frolicking in the forest, hopeful that on the days he would go there would be the day he’ll met Kyungsoo again. But there had never been a sign of human in the forest ever since that time.
“Have the others told you?”
“Told me what?” Jongin quirked a brow while stuffing his things inside his bag. Umbrella-check, map-check, wallet-check.
“There were you know, those kids with green and red cloth you have around your neck. What do you call them again? Scouts?” Sehun deadpanned, finger pointing at the green cloth around Jongin’s neck.
Jongin instantaneously turned his head to his friend. “There were boy scouts? Why did you just tell it tom me today? Since when? Are they still there, Sehun?” He needed answers, immediate answers and heck, what if Kyungsoo was there? He just missed his chance!
“They left yesterday, sundown.” Sehun scratched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.
Jongin’s shoulders deflated, fingers grasping the green neckerchief draped around his neck. “Oh,” but then he lifted up his head with newfound determination. “I’m going to find him. I have to.”
Sehun rolled his eyes, expecting the answer. “Of course. But, it’s going to be full moon on Wednesday. You need to lead the pack.” Jongin only hummed in response. He knew very well that as the leader, the Alpha of his pack, he had to be present on the day of the full moon.
“I know.”
"Are you sure about this?" Sehun trailed behind him as he shoved two extra white shirts and pants in his bag and a few second hand books he bought before at the town's bookstore.
"I am. I never been sure all my life, and I want to see him again." Zipping his worn duffel bag, he glanced at Sehun and smiled. It was apparent in his eyes the eagerness to meet the human once again. There was a comfortable feeling in his chest whenever he was with Kyungsoo and just by the way he loyally wears the neckerchief around his neck, put together with safety pins as he still couldn't learn the square knot Kyungsoo showed him years ago, no matter how much he tried to do it on his own, he just couldn’t make it.
"You do know that it will be dangerous there, right? It's a city. It's Seoul we are talking about here, Jongin."
"I'm willing to take the risk and I'm not backing out. I'll do whatever it takes to see him again."
"You're really stubborn."
"I'm proud." Jongin smugly grinned.
"You're in love, aren't you?" Sehun asked without qualms, always direct to the point.
Licking his lips before a thin smile framed his face, the memory of Kyungsoo's attractive eyes and smile burned his cheeks. "Maybe."
And maybe he really was.
It was not in Jongin's itinerary to bring Sehun along with him in Seoul. But Chanyeol insisted on it, saying, ”So you won’t do anything stupid.”
Going down the mountains with their lightning speed in their wolf form saved them more time to eat breakfast first after waking up late. They were a hundred percent sure they would miss their bus if they were normal humans. But with their agility, they were able to catch their bus headed to Seoul in time, right on the dot.
The ride to Seoul took three hours by bus and the whole time of the ride, Sehun was asleep. Meanwhile, Jongin was very ecstatic to see the place where Kyungsoo was from. The memory of Kyungsoo's excited face when he mentioned about Insadong set a wave of excitement too in his heart. He couldn't wait to arrive there and when they did, Jongin and Sehun felt so lost in the crowd of people and tall buildings looming above them as they had been used to tall trees giving them shade back at the mountains and the silence it provides.
Jongin was so fascinated at the surroundings. The vehicles passing by them, the people wearing suits with suitcases with them while talking on a device pressed to their ears, the youngsters wearing knee-length skirts and high socks adorned with a blazer and backpacks on them, the lights across that suddenly turned red and people crossing the white lanes which he gladly knew as the pedestrian lane. There were too much noise, too much chatter from the people around them, blowing of horns, a shrill of a whistle, everything was so overwhelming, everything was an interesting sight.
"It's busier here than in our town plaza," Sehun observed, eyes still wandering around, yet keeping a stoic face, though Jongin could clearly see the awestricken impression he had in his eyes.
"Kyungsoo's home is interesting." Jongin took a once over around once again. They didn't have anything with them except for the money in their pockets to go back to Gyeonju.
The original plan on this trip was Jongin going alone and staying for two days in the city. But he almost forgot that it would be full moon the next day and he really had to go back, because shape shifting in an unknown territory would be risky for his kind. It would always be during full moons when warewolves couldn't control the wolves within themselves. That once the moonlight bathes their existence, they would shape shift without any control and have to make a run until their energies get depleted and it was so obvious that he couldn’t shape shift in the human territory to avoid exposing the existence of their kind. So hopefully, and Jongin really do hope that he could finally reunite with his human friend.
"Jongin, we have to keep going. We only have ten hours more. Come on." They started walking the streets, captivated by the number of stalls, shops and tall buildings when Jongin suddenly stopped walking as he faced the glass window of a book shop that has colourful covers of books on display. But Sehun tugged on the end of his shirt, pulling him away from the establishment to start their assignment of the day.
Unbeknownst to the man-wolf, a short man with wide eyes framed with circular green rimmed glasses, clad in black sweater, black pants and black cap, hiding his face, and heart shaped lips had just passed by behind him, taking the opposite direction from them.
Ten hours. Ten hours of nothing, ten hours of energy and sweat wasted to none, Jongin felt hopeless, sitting at the metal bench while waiting for their bus at the station to go back to Gyeongju.
"Do you think he has forgotten me?"
"We only didn't have enough time to look further, Jongin. Stop thinking that way.” The bus had just arrived and Sehun tapped his leg to gesture him to stand up and get on the bus. Jongin still felt like it was the end of the world.
#
Kyungsoo was now nineteen, swamped by schoolwork and college. He personally chose Biology as his major with plans of being a zoologist or botanist one day. His decision was driven by Jongin’s existence. He wanted to pursue something that will able him to get closer to Jongin’s home-forest, mountain, wherever it would be, he wanted to be closer as he could to the warewolf boy.
Summer whizzed by and there was a long weekend coming due to a national holiday that landed on a Monday. And since luck was with him recently, passing in SNU, enjoying his subjects despite burying his face on thick books most of the time, with his newfound hope, he planned a week ahead to go to Gyeongju alone with his saved money, also rejecting Hyunsik’s invitations to go club hopping, though it wasn’t really his thing at all. Kyungsoo wasn’t a social butterfly unlike his bestfriend, but he had gone to five clubs before, but always and furtively ditches him every now and then. Kyungsoo couldn’t stomach loud noise, smoke and sultry glances coming his way. He will never get used to them. So instead, he was more pumped up planning his whole camping trip for two days.
#
Meanwhile, Jongin was now eighteen with broader shoulders, muscular physique, and had even grew inches taller. Despite the years that passed, he still couldn’t forget Kyungsoo no matter how many times his friends and the other members of his pack told him to move on and that he will never have a chance with a human and that he should just look for a potential mate in their pack rather spend his time at the city to look for the cub scout he wholeheartedly knew would be the perfect mate for him.
It had been three days since he stayed at Insadong-the place ingrained to his mind where Kyungsoo said where he came from. Three days where he kept the green neckerchief wrapped around his neck with a single loop to it-his source of comfort, the only valuable thing Kyungsoo has left for him that he couldn’t take off from his neck. His sanctuary.
It took him three days to get used to the hustle and bustle of the city, a huge contrast with his life in the mountains where trees and quiet surrounded him instead of the tall skyscrapers obscuring his view of the sky he loves to look at every single day, rain or shine.
However, full moon was approaching and he needed to go back to the mountains and still, he wasn’t able to come across with Kyungsoo around the city and it was taking a toll on him.
For three days staying at the park, sleeping on the bench, alone and cold, it didn’t pay off at all and now, time was ticking too fast and he had to go.
“Where are you?” Jongin mumbled under his breath, tapping his thigh impatiently. He hugged his backpack closer to his chest while waiting for his bus to arrive. He had to go, despite wanting to stay.
“Kyungsoo hyung...where are you?” he buried his face over his backpack, until the bus arrives and he boarded in.
#
Kyungsoo went back to the forest to camp alone. He just had his nineteenth birthday four months ago and had sworn to himself that he'd try to look for Jongin once more. This time, alone.
He had been camping for two days now and he was planning to climb up the mountain to look for Jongin's place. He was too determined and he won't stop until he doesn't get to find Jongin.
The moon was full. Its magnificent glow blankets the eerily silent forest, sans the sounds of crickets, and owl hooting. But when he was about to hit the sack, that was when his uneventful camping turned eventful. The loud howling of presumably wolves got Kyungsoo scrambling up and tumbling out of his tent. He flicked his eyes from left to right and turned around to locate the wolves lurking around.
“J-Jongin,” he mumbled under his breath, until there were rustling and crackling of leaves around. Kyungsoo was very convinced that there were warewolves nearby. He could sense that there were two to three of them and saying that he was not even a tad scared is s a pure lie. His head was throbbing along with his heart thundering from his chest due to nerviness as even if he had met a friendly pup when he was young, that doesn’t mean he’s in safety hands with the other warewolves he would be encountering around.
Until, a huge wolf with immaculately white fur materialized behind him, knocking him down. Kyungsoo shakily looked up to meet the wolf’s obsidian eyes. The wolf growled at him, baring its teeth at him as it pinned Kyungsoo on the ground with its large paws.
Seconds passed, two other grey wolves came into view, circling and baring their teeth at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo didn’t know what to do at this moment, but what he knows for sure is that if he tries to make a single move, these wolves wouldn’t have second thoughts of hurting him, so the only thing he did was to stay still. He couldn’t even find in himself to talk or to plead to the wolf to release him.
The wolf’s paw pressed on his chest as it howled to the moon. The other two wolves did the same when another big wolf emerged behind the white one, golden brown fur glinting as the moonlight casts on it. Kyungsoo closed his eyes and wished that if this was the end of all, then this is it.
He waited for the verdict, until a honey dripping voice, authoritative and masculine breached his hopeless thoughts.
“Leave him alone!”
Kyungsoo briskly opened his eyes as his assailant clambered off of him, whimpering and scuttling off. Propping himself up and brushing off the dried leaves and dirt that clung to his skin and clothes, a sigh of relief puffs out from his mouth. “Thank you for saving me out there. I really thought I’m going to die there. Thank you a lot-“
"Kyungsoo hyung?" The stark naked boy, bathed by the ethereal moonbeam casted him a bewildered look. "Is that you?"
Carefully, Kyungsoo traced his eyes at the man's face, scanning him thoroughly, carefully, meticulously, until his doubts were answered when he remembered that same smile etched on the man-wolf's lips. It was him.
"J-Jongin?" There was a tilt on his voice, still searching, still questioning the reality he was facing with when the sudden bone crushing embrace had him reeling that this moment was undoubtedly real. In return, he snaked his arms around the wolf briefly before pulling away, overwhelmed for seeing the once cute pup, now turned muscular and taller than him, once again. And the person who just had saved his ass out there.
"Hyung, you came back!" The wolf boy buried his face on the crook of Kyungsoo's neck until there was an unexpected wetness sliding down his skin, surprising him from the sudden tears Jongin brought out at the moment of their reunion. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night? And it's full moon." Jongin chastised. Kyungsoo could tell it was not the appropriate time to camp in the forest when full moon. He realized awhile ago the danger that lurks in the forest from what came to him seconds ago. "If I didn't come early, my pack could have hurt you."
It was indeed a horrifying experience earlier, but he didn't want to wallow in that kind of fear anymore when the person he'd been looking for was finally right in front of him. "But you came and I think that's what matters most now." Their eyes locked, grateful smiles lifting up the corner of their lips.
“So they’re your what do you call it again? Pack?”
“They are.” Jongin’s grin was too beautiful to turn your eyes off to.
But when Kyungsoo took a once over at Jongin's body, it dawned to him again that the boy was naked, making him turn away, cheeks flaring. "Wait a sec." He scrambled back inside his barely standing tent to get his friends some clothes that would cover his bare body for awhile.
"Here." He handed the unkempt clothes. "They'd be smaller, you're taller now than me than the last time we met."
"Thanks."
Quickly, he turned away to give the boy privacy despite seeing everything already. He was glad for the darkness that it would momentarily conceal the blush on his cheeks for awhile.
"So why are you here again?" Jongin stood right next to him with his intense eyes staring right at his.
Kyungsoo blinked twice before sheepishly rubbing the back of his nape and smiling shyly. "To look for you."
Jongin's shoulders wracked as he laughed a little. It was an adorable laugh and sight to Kyungsoo it had him reaching out to ruffle the boy's soft strands of hair. "Was it funny that I've been looking for you all this time?"
"What?" Kyungsoo was taken aback.
"I said," emphasizing his words, "I went to Insadong to see you. But I never found you like how we found each other back before."
It was too much to take in. First, he met Jongin's pack and got nearly hurt, second, Jongin was here, breathing the same air as him and then third, Jongin just told him he went to his hometown to look for him. It was overwhelming.
"You d-did?" he couldn't help but to confirm it again and in response, Jongin nodded at him firmly, an honest smile etched across his lips.
"But nevermind that. I have you again right now."
Without realizing that Jongin had been scooting closer to him, he was soon wrapped around Jongin's muscular arms and automatically, he curled his arms around the wolf-man's torso as well and savoured the warmth and comfort Jongin's body provided him.
Despite the years they hadn't seen each other and the times they missed chances of meeting once again, Kyungsoo buried them in the deepest recesses of his mind as the now, was what he deemed important the most. The here and now.
#
Epilogue
Two hours ago, they visited the grave of Jongin’s parents with his pack. They had a picnic for awhile and they talked about a lot of things from school, from how Jongin’s adjusting with the city life and the most intriguing of all-about mating.
Now, walking side by side as they crossed the road, the rain suddenly poured after getting off the bus from Gyeonju. Kyungsoo took Jongin’s wrist and pulled him to the nearest shelter, a flower shop donned with camellias, daisies, magnolias and many more.
However, in a split second, Jongin slid his hand and slotted his finger’s with Kyungsoo’s filling in the gaps, his heated gaze boring at Kyungsoo’s head who turned to him briefly and smiled.
“Just when do you plan to take off that neckerchief around your neck?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes on the dark clouds looming overhead and palm outstretched to catch a few drops of rain before pulling away.
Jongin squeezed his boyfriend’s hand and smiled. “Never gonna take it off, hyung. I might still can’t master those knots you taught me last week, but I assure you, I can give you my knot in bed perfectly.” Smirk found its way across the wolf-man’s lips, making Kyungsoo splutter with his warm crimson cheeks on display.
“W-What are you saying?” The elder chastised, whisper-shouting at his boyfriend of four months, stammering and cautious of the other people nearby who could have heard them. But would they even understand what knotting is? Either way, Kyungsoo had to be wary. “We’re in public. Don’t talk that way.”
Jongin jutted his lower lip at him, head a little low while he toyed with the ends of his neckerchief fashionably wrapped around his neck courtesy of Kyungsoo. “I’m just excited to mate.”
The color on Kyungsoo’s cheeks was still apparent. “We’ll get there one day, Jongin. Can you wait for me?” He peered up at his boyfriend while gnawing on his lower lip.
“Hm. Of course, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait when you’re ready.” Jongin squeezed Kyungsoo’s hand and leaned to him to plant a kiss on his head. “I will always wait for you.”
Flashing his boyfriend his heart shaped grin, Kyungsoo softly gazed at him and with a teasing smirk, he offered. “You up to get soaked? I want to run through the rain.” he waggled his thick bushy brows. “Looks like it won’t stop in an hour.”
Chuckling melodiously, Jongin didn’t think twice but nodded in agreement from his boyfriend’s offer. “Sounds good to me.”
“Let’s watch Yuri on Ice once we get home.”
Jongin whined, face scrunched up and pouting. “But, hyung! I want to watch Naruto!”
“Nah, I need my weekly dose of Viktuuri first.” Kyungsoo smirked.
“But, hyung!”
Kyungsoo laughed at his boyfriend’s whining, heart shaped grin etched on his face as he circled his fingers around his mate boyfriend’s wrist, tugging on it as he says, “Maybe we should just mate today instead.”
“I’d definitely choose that over anime.”
“Of course, dear alpha.”
And as they dashed through the rain with equal eye smiles and anticipation marring their damped faces, Jongin stopped for awhile to bring his lips closer to Kyungsoo’s inviting ones.
Title: until next time
Genre: kid!au, wolf!au, fluff
Rating: pg
Side Pairings (if any): n/a
Warnings: [Click to view]poor writing
Word Count: 9.2k
Summary: Kyungsoo would never ever forget the pup he met when he was eight and Jongin would never ever also forget the comfort and heart shaped smiles given to him by this particular human.
Author's Note: dear recipient, i love your prompts, but i have a limited knowledge writing wolf aus so this was a challenging one for me. also, i think this fic is not good as you’re expecting it to be. but i hope you’d love this even just for a bit. keep sailing the kaisoo ship! this is unbeta-ed so don’t expect too much.
Jongin was seven when he got lost in the forest.
He crouched under the shade of the tree, hugging his legs while he kept on putting back his furry tail in his bottom in order to hide it. Though useless. His ears had also popped out from his head and they twitched repeatedly, causing his hearing to heighten, better than his hearing when he's human. It was useful, but he didn't take advantage of his ability to go back home. If ever, he wanted his parents to notice his disappearance and looked for him or maybe scold him, just as long as they find him and maybe their family could go back the way they used to be.
But, two hours already passed and Jongin was still unfound. His only companions were the melodious tweeting of birds and the crunching of dried leaves under his feet. He was lost and scared and he felt like crying, so he let his tears well his eyes.
Another hour passed, no one came to fetch him. Another hour passed and he felt like the sun could toast him completely as bullets of sweat trickle down his back and head, and then another half an hour passed when he heard another voice calling for help.
"Hyung? Hyung? Are you there, hyung?" There was tremble and fear in the voice and Jongin backed away cautiously since he couldn't let anyone see his wolf ears and tail, unless it was pup like him.
Sniffling, Jongin buried his wet face on his knees, but eyes looking up to see the owner of the voice emerging from one of the trees. It was a short boy with bowl cut hair and round eyes, the widest eyes Jongin had ever seen. He was wearing as what Jongin knew as a boy scout's uniform.
"Seungsoo, hyung? Seungsoo, hyung?" The cub scout was close to tears, Jongin could sense it from a distance. He cowered away as the scout came closer and closer to him and he wished he wouldn't be seen and get stoned for having a tail and perky ears on top of his head.
Jongin kept silent and closed his eyes in attempt to hide himself completely.
The steps got louder every second, until, Jongin could sense a presence right in front of him.
"Woah, you have cute ears, where did you buy it?"
Jongin was surprised from the sudden pat on his head and ears, and he still refused to look up.
"They looked real. Are you lost too?"
Jongin kept quiet and it earned a distraught sigh from the other boy. "I got lost too because I saw this huge butterfly and I want to catch it, so I lost my big brother." Sadness laced his tone from his last few words, emphasizing the mention of his big brother.
"But I'm glad I found you, I was close to crying!" The boy perked up, and Jongin couldn't believe the sudden change in the boy's demeanor when earlier he sounded so scared and now he sounded relieved to find company with a lost kid too.
"Are you okay?"
Jongin drew a breath and turned away. But it was a careless move as his tail suddenly popped out from his behind, swaying from side to side earning a gasp from the other boy.
There was flapping of wings overhead that had Jongin lifting up his head only to take a glimpse of the bird’s white wings.
"Y-You---You have a tail!" The boy pointed out and Jongin felt unease as he turned to see the scout on his bottom under the dried leaves.
Jongin looked down sadly. As expected, humans fear his true form.
"They are not real right? They only looked real, right?" The boy bombarded him and Jongin turned to him forlornly and shook his head.
"I'm a pup. My tail and ears are real. Y-You can leave me if you want." Jongin mumbled audibly, still hugging his legs and he buried his face once again on his knees, dry tear tracks evident on his cheeks.
"A pup? You're a puppy? A dog?" The boy's innocent question, head tilted to side cutely and fascination gleamed on his eyes.
Jongin's muffled reply, "Wolf."
"Woah," Another unexpected reaction coming from the cub scout when it should be the opposite where he would cower in fear and run away. Instead, fascination gleamed in his eyes and Jongin wasn't quite sure yet if he should trust the boy's reaction or not.
"Aren't you scared?" Jongin asked shakily, lower lip jutting out. He kept on shifting from left to right in attempt to hide himself, but it only urged the boy to move closer.
"I'm not scared. You're like my cousin's dog I forgot what it's called. It's like a wolf too, but my hyung tells me it's not wolf."
Jongin grabbed his furry tail and held it close to him. He was still wary.
"What's your name, wolf? My name is Kyungsoo and I'm eighteu yearshhh oldeu and I’m a cub scout." Eight fingers were shown by the little boy and his eyes and lips crinkled together as he smiled.
"J...Jongin. I'm seven." His quiet answer and he slowly folded his legs together as he was slowly getting comfortable with the human. “Can I call you hyung?”
Kyungsoo nodded fast and grinned. “I’ll be your hyung then!” He boldly petted Jongin’s perky wolf ears happily, but his lips curled down eventually. “But, I lost my hyung and I don’t know where he is now. I’m not familiar here at this forest.”
“Oh,” Jongin scrunched up his nose and wiped off his snot with his arm. “Maybe I can help you.”
“But you’re lost too.”
“But I can take a sniff of your brother’s scent.”
“But h-how?” Kyungsoo tilted his head to the side cutely. “Then you’re not lost then. You can just sniff your home and go back home.”
Jongin burrowed his face in between his knees and mumbled, “I don’t know the smell of home.”
“Why? You’re a wolf aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Then you know how it smells.”
Jongin turned away, feeling bad for lying. “I want them to look for me.”
“Why? Did they hurt you?”
“No-“ Jongin shook his head. “Mom and Dad fought and they kept ignoring me so I ran away.” His quiet reply, voice quavering as he was on the verge of crying and seconds after, tears poured out from his eyes.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo suddenly threw himself to the wolf, wrapping his arms around the small boy. Jongin’s back was pressed on the dried leaves, groaning a little, but his tears won’t stop spilling from his eyes.
Jongin sniffled and stared right up at Kyungsoo straddling his lap who soon pulled out his green neckerchief around his neck and wipe the tears running down Jongin’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, your mommy and daddy surely loves you and they will look for you like how I know my hyung is now looking for me too because my hyung loves me too.”
“You think so?” Jongin asked for assurance, he kept on asking for assurance because he never had someone to assure him that his parents love him and now that he had one, he felt a little relieved.
“My mommy always tells me that all parents love their kids, so I’m sure yours love you too very very much! So don’t cry anymore, Jongin.” Kyungsoo scrambled off Jongin’s lap and thrust his neckerchief to the boy. “You can have it. I still have one back at camp.”
“Are you sure?” Jongin kept on staring at the neckerchief already slightly wet of his tears and as he looked up, Kyungsoo gave him a huge smile and two thumbs up sign. “So, do you have anything with you that has your hyung’s smell?”
“But how about you? If you helped me, you’ll be alone. I don’t want to leave you alone.” Kyungsoo sat beside him, arms and legs crossed.
Jongin kept on sniffling and kept on insisting Kyungsoo that they should look for his big brother. “Your hyung will get too worried. I’ll find him for you.”
“We can just stay together and talk first if you like.” The scout suggested while poking his finger on the dried leaf before him. Jongin watched in amusement as the other boy picked up a twig and tried to crush the poor leaf with it.
“So what are we gonna talk about, hyung?” Jongin’s lips hung open, gaze directed at the strong twig from a tree in Kyungsoo’s hands thumping leaves and playing on the dried soil.
“You’re a wolf, do you eat meat?” The pup pressed his lips thinly and shook his head, adjusting his position and picking up a nearby twig within his arm’s reach before imitating Kyungsoo.
“I love mom’s bulgogi and I love barbecue. But I love jajangmyeon more.” The answer earned a surprise gasp from the scout, eyes rounding widely as he laid down his twig and stared at Jongin in mortification.
“You eat cooked meat? And noodles too?” To say that Jongin was not surprise from Kyungsoo’s reaction was an understatement as he was more than surprised from the human’s response about his personal preference in food.
“Why? Can’t I eat meat and noodles, hyung?” They were now facing each other, knees brushing together as pup Jongin stared curiously and lost into Kyungsoo’s jaw slacked expression.
“I thought you only eat raw meat like on movies!” Kyungsoo gave himself a nod, referring his knowledge about wolf cartoons he had seen on screen.
“Movies?” Jongin was confused at first to know what movies were, but as he remembered his father watching something on their old rickety TV, then that was when he remembered the word movie that came out from his father’s mouth. “Ah, movies,” nodding in understanding. “But what about those movies?”
“I watched cartoons and the wolves there eat animal meat and they were raw, so I thought you eat raw meat too and if you do, I really think it’s disgusting.” Kyungsoo explained animatedly with his hands that got Jongin blanching from the thought of himself eating raw meat. Because of this, Jongin furrowed his brows and pouted, slightly offended.
“But I’m not that kind of wolf,” he shook his head and Kyungsoo did a double take before it dawned to him that what he said made the pup uneasy.
“I was just curious!” Kyungsoo panicked, upper teeth digging on his lower lip, remorseful, and Jongin could see it at the human. “I just want to ask because that’s what I saw on TV and you’re a human wolf and I don’t know if you’re like the wolf on TV. Sorry, Jongin.” The boy hung his head low and Jongin didn’t take a second to reach out to him and curls his fingers around the boy’s arm.
To get rid of the forming thick clouds above Kyungsoo’s head, Jongin giggled and swished his tail behind him with enthusiasm. “It’s okay. You see it on TV anyway, but I’m not that kind of wolf. I’m a human wolf and I’m a cute one!” he perkily exclaimed, pearly whites of teeth flashing as drops of sunlight peeked through the canopy of trees, bathing Jongin in an ethereal glow in which had Kyungsoo smiling and brushing off the guilt he felt from awhile ago.
As their giggles filled in the silence of the forest, Jongin felt a newfound comfort that came from Kyungsoo’s presence.
Awhile after, they exchanged stories about themselves, killing time and without nothing better to do. Jongin told Kyungsoo about the cottage he calls home and how his father built it with his pack and that he thought it was amazing because their kind can built such comforting structure providing shelter for everyone. He went on story after story that he could provide to the human boy-story of his adventure with his friends at the mountains, story of how his father used to bring him to the spring to bath together, story of how his mother used to make flower crowns and put it on top of his head which he actually missed, story of his friends Chanyeol and Sehun going with him to the caves in the deepest part of the mountains to catch fruit bats and play with those grotesque creatures. Telling these stories set a light in his heart, although it saddened him as well that he would never ever experience the same things he grown to love, especially the story of his parents bringing him to the carnival as they ride the carousel together as a happy family. So he also told Kyungsoo that he hated it when his mother and father always argue at home and that he felt so scared they would leave him alone and that they won’t be able to do the same things again together happily.
“That’s sad.” Jongin closed his eyes and slip out an appreciative moan from his lips when Kyungsoo reached out to his perky ears and rubbed them soothingly. The way the scout’s lips curled up into a heart shape, Jongin’s eyes gleamed as his mouth also turns into a grin of admiration.
“Your mouth is heart.”
Kyungsoo cupped his cheeks and giggled. “I got it from my mom. So I love heart shape,” he put down his hands and rested them on his knees. “Are you still sad?”
Jongin scrunched his nose and scratched the itchy part on his hairline then down to the bottom of his head. “Not sad because I got a friend.”
Beaming, Kyungsoo spilled another bout of giggles, scratching his nose as well and unaware of how he looked so good with his heart shaped smile to Jongin’s eyes. “Then we’re friends!”
Jongin jumped up from joy, furry tail swishing and ears twitching in glee that has him reddening to the tip of his ears when he realized how he reacted from Kyungsoo’s confirmation of them being actual friends. Due to his embarrassment, he sat once again, receiving cute giggles from Kyungsoo and gave him a questioning gaze, but again, seeing that beautiful smile the scout possesses washed away his worries and troubles.
“K-Kyungsoo hyung?” The scout hummed in response, eyes gleaming. “Do you think we’ll see each other again so we can play?”
Kyungsoo poked his lips with his forefinger in wonder, until his eyes flicked somewhere near Jongin’s feet. “Maybe? I don’t know. But I’m not from this place. I’m a scout and we went to the woods for camping, but maybe when I go back here we can see each other again.”
Puzzlement morphed on Jongin’s face as he couldn’t understand what does camping mean and what even a scout was. Even if he wanted to ask, he easily forgot it as he just asked what he wanted to know more. “Where are you from then?”
“Insadong!” Kyungsoo’s face lit up from the mention of his hometown and Jongin tilted his head, racking his brain if he knows that place at all.
“I don’t know where that place is. All I know is that I lived in a cottage with my mommy and daddy.” Nodding, Jongin finally noticed the green neckerchief haphazardly thrown on the lump of dried leaves and weeds poking out from them. He picked it up and turned to Kyungsoo.
“Ah!” Kyungsoo briefly retrieved back his neckerchief from Jongin before wrapping it around the pup’s neck and pulling him close by tugging it to him. “I told you that you can have this neckerchief, but I can’t give you my woggle, so I’ll just knot it like this,” he says. “What am I going to do is a square knot. Look closely, Jongin.” And the pup was all eyes on Kyungsoo’s fingers and the cloth he calls neckerchief. The boy scout grasped the two ends of the green neckerchief and draped it behind the other so that one end hung lower than the other before crossing the long end over the short one until a loop was created.
“It looks complicated.” Jongin voiced out in amusement, amazed from how a boy a year older than him could make something like this so easily. “I won’t be able to make that loop. It looks so haaard.”
Kyungsoo took the same end and wrapped it around behind the other short end, then he pulled the long end across and inserted it horizontally through the knot created forming a square. Jongin had his mouth ajar in fascination of watching Kyungsoo make a knot. Wow kept on slipping out from his lips while Kyungsoo tied another double knot and adjusted it to the center directly underneath Jongin’s chin.
“Whoah...”
“There you go,” Kyungsoo grinned, petting Jongin’s head like he would to a puppy or the cat staying at their backyard back at home.
Grasping the knot, Jongin cheerfully expressed his gratitude at the other boy by wrapping his arms around him and jumping in joy. “Thank you! Thank you!”
Once they calmed down from the string of giggles, Jongin grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand and said, “Let’s walk around, hyung and talk more!”
For a moment, Kyungsoo teased the pup by pondering in which his forefinger was pointed to his temple as if thinking deeply into the matter. Jongin was expecting, but a pout formed on his lips as he felt that he would much receive a rejection instead. But as Kyungsoo giggled once more and tugged on his hand, his face lit up as the boy declared, “Okay, come on!” So they started venturing the unfamiliar forest with a skip on their steps and stories that accompanied them all throughout the time they were together. Jongin was having a good time with his new friend and for him, this had been one of the best days that ever happened to him that week.
“Shh...” Kyungsoo had his finger pressed on his lips, urging the wolf to quiet down. The two of them huddled closer and Jongin eventually scrunched up his nose, concentrating as he reflexively used his strong sense of smell to detect the approaching person nearby. They stopped for awhile and sat down to hide themselves behind a tree.
“It’s a boy,” Jongin told the human, his hands clasped around the boy’s arm. “He’s getting nearer.”
“Can you tell who is it?” Kyungsoo whispered and there was a hint of fear in his voice that quavered that Jongin could sense.
“A-Are you scared, hyung?” The dried leaves scrunching could be heard from a distance and there were two voices talking that Jongin could clearly hear even from a distance as he concentrated as he used his ability. He received a quiet mumble of no from the older boy.
“What if my brother fainted? What if he hurt himself? What if something bad happened to him?” The boy talking frantically had said.
“Seungsoo, we’ll find him. Kyungsoo isn’t that clumsy and reckless. He’s the most responsible kiddie scout I knew. For sure, he would just be around.”
“What if he gets lost, Bogum? Mom and Dad will definitely kill me.”
“Seungsoo, stop all these negativity you’re thinking!”
“It’s my fault I lost him.”
“No, Seungsoo. It’s not your fault. Look,” the other boy said. “just stop thinking for awhile and let’s just look around for him. The negativity will not help, believe me.”
“Okay.”
Then it dawned to Jongin who the guys were coming their way. “The guy said your name, Kyungsoo hyung!”
The scout’s eyes widened in a spark of surprise and hope. “Really? It’s my Seungsoo hyung?”
Jongin, meanwhile, took deep breaths and closed his eyes to go back to his human form so the two new approaching individuals wouldn’t see him in his true form. “Don’t tell them I’m a wolf, please?”
"I have to go, Kyungsoo." The shapeshifter crawled a little towards his temporary companion and smiled as brown fur grows out from his tanned legs and arms, a sign of his slowly shifting to his animal form.
"But, I don't want you to be alone--" Kyungsoo voiced out his concern. Jongin could see in his eyes that even if they just met and stayed together for a short time, they easily got along well.
"You'll be fine now and I promise I'll be fine too. Goodbye, Soo." And as much as he wanted to stay and talk more with the other kid, the first human to find him in this state that didn't fear him at all, he couldn't stay. Jongin knew better despite still being a child. He knew the risks of getting found out by humans who would take interest of his kind and he wouldn't have it happen. Going back to his late grandfather's reminders, one of it is, "Do not expose your true identity to humans if you don't want to get hurt in the end."
Contrary to that reminder, Jongin is aware that he just had disobeyed that rule when that day, a human child saw his true form. Yet, before the approaching footsteps were getting closer, Kyungsoo grabbed his wrist. "We'll see each other again and we'll play, okay?"
Jongin thought the same so he gives his newly found friend a toothy smile and a nod of promise. "We will. I have this knot too by the way, so we'll see each other again." Jongin pertained on the neckerchief around his neck, the stark green cloth over his bronze skin. And just as two approaching figures emerged, Jongin crouched on all fours, bones cracking and a beautiful brown fur that shines through the drop of light, a small wolf formed, before scrambling off the woods without taking a final glance at Kyungsoo.
As he fled, he didn't miss the bursts of Kyungsoo's name coming out from what he had known to be Kyungsoo's brother and the upcoming question pertaining to his shadow that sped out through the woods.
“What was that?”
Distances away, Jongin's lips curled up as he clearly heard Kyungsoo say, "It’s a deer, hyung. A cute and quiet deer.”
The green neckerchief was now clipped in between the pup’s teeth as he dashed off and headed back to the mountains to go home.
“My mommy always tells me that all parents love their kids, so I’m sure yours love you too very very much! So don’t cry anymore, Jongin.”
#
Ever since Kyungsoo met the mythological, folkloric human, a man-wolf to be exact when he was eight, he couldn’t stop thinking about the friend he made-Jongin.
Now, Kyungsoo was fourteen and he was on his way for a camping trip once again at Gyerim, a small woodland in Gyeonju. Since he was eight, he sworn to himself that he would never forget Jongin at all and that he would never quit the boy scouts club in hopes that he would be able to go back again to the place where he first met Jongin.
In fact, it was hard to keep the secret that he had seen a wolf boy to himself, so back when he was twelve and was so eager to meet Jongin again, but couldn’t do anything, he told his extraordinary experience that wasn’t known by any to his bestfriend Hyunsik. He told him that aside getting lost in the woods, he met a human pup named Jongin. He could still remember how ecstatic he was for spilling that secret for once to one of the people he trusts the most, however, contrary to his expectation, Hyunsik laughed at him and told him that maybe it was only his delusion as he clearly emphasized that, “Warewolves are not real.” And that maybe it was his self-comfort mechanism to daydream and imagine things since getting lost in the woods and staying for almost three hours alone was something to be frightening for an eight year old kid. Since that failure to convince his bestfriend that warewolves do exist, Kyungsoo never spoke about that secret once again to anybody, though tempting, but he knew better than nobody would even dare believe in him.
As their bus pulled up the driveway at the national park, Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat. He was so attached to this place that he couldn’t wait to explore the woods to call for Jongin’s name.
With his duffle bag and brown cap on that has the emblem of the scout association, Kyungsoo stepped out of the bus, following Minseok, his chubby yet reliable friend in the club and the only remaining member since their fourth grade batch. If during their fourth grade they got fifteen scouts from their level, as they grew older, the number dwindled ending up to two, now just him and Minseok in eighth grade.
Wordlessly, Kyungsoo walked right behind Minseok as they formed a line. The scout master stood at the center where an elevated cement stood, waiting for everyone to gather and get on their lines. The head count was thirty five. Not all the members were present, but for everyone, the lesser the participants the better which Kyungsoo honestly didn’t agree to as for him, the more, the happier the camping experience would be.
Once everyone settled and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but trail his eyes at the direction he clearly remembers where he entered the deep forest with his brother to explore that ended him up getting lost. Turning away to focus first at the scout master’s reminders that he knew by heart now since they had an orientation first before the actual camping trip, Kyungsoo lost his focus as his mind wandered again to his first ever wolf-man friend.
“Is everything clear?” The scout master’s voice startled Kyungsoo, earning him back to focus more on the preparation of their first day at camp. A chorus of ’Yes, Sir!’ was given to the scout master before they were finally allowed to set their tents on camping grounds.
The trees swished as the cold wind blew. The sun was up high and the blue sky was clear, cerulean in color. Kyungsoo covered his eyes with one hand as he looked up, looking for a sign whether it would rain or not and to his relief, early signs of rain was not detected. Too immersed from acting like a weatherman for the day, he felt a tug on his sleeve and as he turned, Minseok gestured him to go so they could place their tent and lay down for awhile before the first activity for the day would be announced.
Setting the tent wasn’t a hassle anymore to Kyungsoo. Learning from the best big brother and best Eagle Scout Seungsoo as known in their school, he did acquire Seungsoo’s perceptive and apt nature since he joined the scouting team and even had the chance to join his brother on campings. So the sight of the newbies having a hard time making their tents stand sturdily, gave a boost of confidence in Kyungsoo. But since they were taught about the value of helping each other out, he left Minseok for awhile to help the others set their tents.
As the day moved on, fun activities were given to everyone. All troops had an exhausting short hiking, yet everyone survived the three miles hike up the terrain. Right when they went back at their campsite, as one of the patrol grubmasters, Kyungsoo helped in preparing food which he had always enjoyed since sixth grade.
After a scrumptious meal, they were given three hours of rest, but afterwards, games were played such as arm-wrestling, tug of war, secret message relay, first aid relays until the bonfire was lit up, providing them heat and light as the sky was blanketed with darkness, yet a number of stars dotted the sky. And just like what they were used to do, ghost stories were exchange one after another while roasting marshmallows. However, Kyungsoo tuned them out as he was busy indulging himself with the sweet and tasty marshmallows for the night and besides, he already heard most of the stories and he knew that the patrol leaders were just indulging the newbies for a more enjoyable camping night, though admittedly, the reactions of the younger scouts were really hilarious, unbeknownst to them that most of the stories were just made up.
“How about wolves? Are they true? My grandpa once told me warewolves do exist and were living mostly at the deepest part of the mountains.” One scout brought up the topic that had Kyungsoo spluttering on his marshmallow and earning an ‘are you okay?’ from Minseok which he assured him with a nod as his response of ‘yes, I am okay.’
“Maybe your grandpa is just a fan of Twilight.” Another scout teased and the others laughed at the remark, making the former scout pout in annoyance.
“Guys, stop.” One of the patrol leaders Jaehyun authoritatively ordered, quieting everyone effortlessly. “Give the guy some credit, he’s sharing something so please, teasing is not tolerable, so behave yourselves.” Jaehyun gave Taeyong a pointed look before turning to Hansol. “For me, no offence but I don’t think those mythical creatures are true.”
“Same here.”
“I don’t believe in those.”
“I don’t believe in it. I haven’t seen one yet.”
And as what Kyungsoo had expected, nobody even opposed to the number of I don’t believe’s nor nobody even raised their curiosity of what ifs. Though he wanted to share what he knew about warewolves and how he was able to meet one when he was a kid, for sure, everyone would laugh at him and would tell him he has loose screws in his head, so he opted to stay silent and nonchalant about it.
As everyone was tasked to clean up and go back to their respective tents for bedtime, Kyungsoo on the other hand faced Minseok as he wanted to know his friend’s view regarding warewolves.
“Do you believe in wolves?” he asked dumbly, because obviously they do exist. Wolf as an animal, yes they exist.
“Yeah,” Minseok chugged down on his water jug before putting it down and capping it. “Why? You scared of wolves, Kyungsoo?”
Lying down on his mattress and setting his arm over his forehead, the memory of a cute and friendly pup crossed his mind, making him smile. “Of course not. Wolves are very fluffy and adorable.”
Minseok rolled his eyes at him in disbelief and said patronizingly, “Yeah right.”
Kyungsoo snorted from the way his friend responded and then he asked what he really wanted to ask. “What about warewolves?”
“No, I don’t.” Then with that answer, Kyungsoo didn’t query for more as he knew talking about warewolves won’t get them somewhere. “Goodnight, Kyungsoo.”
Once their outdoor light was turned off, Kyungsoo closed his eyes to succumb to sleep.
The next morning was another batch of activities, but this time, more strenuous ones. They also had another review of survival tips, had more lectures about poisonous berries, mushrooms and some tips on how to catch fishes without using a fishing rod and a whole lot more. In the afternoon another set of games were played, but when it was time to hit the sack, Kyungsoo grabbed his prepared backpack that had his compass, bottle of water, whistle, ribbons, a map, flashlight and batteries before making sure that Minseok was deeply asleep. To his relief, his friend sleeps like a log, so it wasn’t difficult for him to get off their tent.
His eyes wandered the deserted camp site, save from the remaining bonfire lighting up in the center. The leaves rustled as the night breeze blew. Kyungsoo was clad in his warm clothes and surreptitiously, he staggered towards the direction to the forest he knew so well.
The forest was damp and dark. Kyungsoo brought out his flashlight and ribbons to tie around the trunk of the trees so he could find his way back. The sound of crickets and other nature sounds accompanied Kyungsoo as he delved deeper down the forest.
Scaring him, a hooting of an owl and flapping of its wings overhead, made him flinch. He cussed under his breath and glared at the nocturnal animal. Shaking his head, he tied his seventh ribbon around a tree and shot his flashlight around the darkness.
“Jongin?” he helplessly called. “Jongin? Would it be possible that you’d be here?”
No response.
Giving up and not wanting to peruse the forest anymore in fear of getting lost, a sound of rustling was heard from a distance then something dashed from his left and he immediately flashed his light towards it, heart pounding fast from his ribcage while wishing Jongin might heard him or might have smelt him from where he was.
However, it was only a wild boar.
But just by realizing it lately, Kyungsoo frustratingly kicked a patch of dried dirt, thinking how stupid he was for forgetting that Jongin won’t be able to trail his scent unless the wolf has something in him that he can take a whiff of to locate him. Not even the neckerchief Jongin had would do as years had already gone by, his scent will not probably be the same anymore or that his scent he left on that piece of cloth was already replaced by something new.
Kyungsoo, with his head hung low, just went back to the camp site safely.
On the third day, Kyungsoo tried braving the woods once more. It was in the afternoon after filling up his stomach with chicken soup and fruits provided by their quarter master that he sneaked out from the camp.
Birds soared overhead as he tied ribbons around tree trunks again just like last night. He couldn’t just find it in himself to give up so while he’s still in the vicinity of the forest, he would try and try to look for Jongin, although futile.
But when he was about to tie his fifth ribbon, he heard the whistle coming from the campsite and as reflex, he ran back, only to be caught red handed by his patrol leader for going to the woods alone and without asking for permission.
In the end, he was given a sanction to do ten push-ups and ten squats in which he did without any qualms. More than that, Kyungsoo wasn’t able to go back to the woods once again as his troop leader kept an eye on him for the whole day until they were about to leave.
What he didn’t know, there were two wolves peeking behind a tall bush overlooking at their campsite before scrambling away, right when their buses left the camping area.
And just as their three day camping breezed by, Kyungsoo wasn’t able to see Jongin. A sad frown on his lips etched on it even as he came back home earning him Are you okay’s? from his mom and Seungsoo.
No, he was not okay. He expected too much, and expectations led him to heartache.
#
Jongin loved exploring the woods. Since he met the first ever human who never flinched nor got frightened from his true form, he managed to explore the woods and explored every nook and cranny of it. He had taken a liking on frolicking in the forest, hopeful that on the days he would go there would be the day he’ll met Kyungsoo again. But there had never been a sign of human in the forest ever since that time.
“Have the others told you?”
“Told me what?” Jongin quirked a brow while stuffing his things inside his bag. Umbrella-check, map-check, wallet-check.
“There were you know, those kids with green and red cloth you have around your neck. What do you call them again? Scouts?” Sehun deadpanned, finger pointing at the green cloth around Jongin’s neck.
Jongin instantaneously turned his head to his friend. “There were boy scouts? Why did you just tell it tom me today? Since when? Are they still there, Sehun?” He needed answers, immediate answers and heck, what if Kyungsoo was there? He just missed his chance!
“They left yesterday, sundown.” Sehun scratched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.
Jongin’s shoulders deflated, fingers grasping the green neckerchief draped around his neck. “Oh,” but then he lifted up his head with newfound determination. “I’m going to find him. I have to.”
Sehun rolled his eyes, expecting the answer. “Of course. But, it’s going to be full moon on Wednesday. You need to lead the pack.” Jongin only hummed in response. He knew very well that as the leader, the Alpha of his pack, he had to be present on the day of the full moon.
“I know.”
"Are you sure about this?" Sehun trailed behind him as he shoved two extra white shirts and pants in his bag and a few second hand books he bought before at the town's bookstore.
"I am. I never been sure all my life, and I want to see him again." Zipping his worn duffel bag, he glanced at Sehun and smiled. It was apparent in his eyes the eagerness to meet the human once again. There was a comfortable feeling in his chest whenever he was with Kyungsoo and just by the way he loyally wears the neckerchief around his neck, put together with safety pins as he still couldn't learn the square knot Kyungsoo showed him years ago, no matter how much he tried to do it on his own, he just couldn’t make it.
"You do know that it will be dangerous there, right? It's a city. It's Seoul we are talking about here, Jongin."
"I'm willing to take the risk and I'm not backing out. I'll do whatever it takes to see him again."
"You're really stubborn."
"I'm proud." Jongin smugly grinned.
"You're in love, aren't you?" Sehun asked without qualms, always direct to the point.
Licking his lips before a thin smile framed his face, the memory of Kyungsoo's attractive eyes and smile burned his cheeks. "Maybe."
And maybe he really was.
It was not in Jongin's itinerary to bring Sehun along with him in Seoul. But Chanyeol insisted on it, saying, ”So you won’t do anything stupid.”
Going down the mountains with their lightning speed in their wolf form saved them more time to eat breakfast first after waking up late. They were a hundred percent sure they would miss their bus if they were normal humans. But with their agility, they were able to catch their bus headed to Seoul in time, right on the dot.
The ride to Seoul took three hours by bus and the whole time of the ride, Sehun was asleep. Meanwhile, Jongin was very ecstatic to see the place where Kyungsoo was from. The memory of Kyungsoo's excited face when he mentioned about Insadong set a wave of excitement too in his heart. He couldn't wait to arrive there and when they did, Jongin and Sehun felt so lost in the crowd of people and tall buildings looming above them as they had been used to tall trees giving them shade back at the mountains and the silence it provides.
Jongin was so fascinated at the surroundings. The vehicles passing by them, the people wearing suits with suitcases with them while talking on a device pressed to their ears, the youngsters wearing knee-length skirts and high socks adorned with a blazer and backpacks on them, the lights across that suddenly turned red and people crossing the white lanes which he gladly knew as the pedestrian lane. There were too much noise, too much chatter from the people around them, blowing of horns, a shrill of a whistle, everything was so overwhelming, everything was an interesting sight.
"It's busier here than in our town plaza," Sehun observed, eyes still wandering around, yet keeping a stoic face, though Jongin could clearly see the awestricken impression he had in his eyes.
"Kyungsoo's home is interesting." Jongin took a once over around once again. They didn't have anything with them except for the money in their pockets to go back to Gyeonju.
The original plan on this trip was Jongin going alone and staying for two days in the city. But he almost forgot that it would be full moon the next day and he really had to go back, because shape shifting in an unknown territory would be risky for his kind. It would always be during full moons when warewolves couldn't control the wolves within themselves. That once the moonlight bathes their existence, they would shape shift without any control and have to make a run until their energies get depleted and it was so obvious that he couldn’t shape shift in the human territory to avoid exposing the existence of their kind. So hopefully, and Jongin really do hope that he could finally reunite with his human friend.
"Jongin, we have to keep going. We only have ten hours more. Come on." They started walking the streets, captivated by the number of stalls, shops and tall buildings when Jongin suddenly stopped walking as he faced the glass window of a book shop that has colourful covers of books on display. But Sehun tugged on the end of his shirt, pulling him away from the establishment to start their assignment of the day.
Unbeknownst to the man-wolf, a short man with wide eyes framed with circular green rimmed glasses, clad in black sweater, black pants and black cap, hiding his face, and heart shaped lips had just passed by behind him, taking the opposite direction from them.
Ten hours. Ten hours of nothing, ten hours of energy and sweat wasted to none, Jongin felt hopeless, sitting at the metal bench while waiting for their bus at the station to go back to Gyeongju.
"Do you think he has forgotten me?"
"We only didn't have enough time to look further, Jongin. Stop thinking that way.” The bus had just arrived and Sehun tapped his leg to gesture him to stand up and get on the bus. Jongin still felt like it was the end of the world.
#
Kyungsoo was now nineteen, swamped by schoolwork and college. He personally chose Biology as his major with plans of being a zoologist or botanist one day. His decision was driven by Jongin’s existence. He wanted to pursue something that will able him to get closer to Jongin’s home-forest, mountain, wherever it would be, he wanted to be closer as he could to the warewolf boy.
Summer whizzed by and there was a long weekend coming due to a national holiday that landed on a Monday. And since luck was with him recently, passing in SNU, enjoying his subjects despite burying his face on thick books most of the time, with his newfound hope, he planned a week ahead to go to Gyeongju alone with his saved money, also rejecting Hyunsik’s invitations to go club hopping, though it wasn’t really his thing at all. Kyungsoo wasn’t a social butterfly unlike his bestfriend, but he had gone to five clubs before, but always and furtively ditches him every now and then. Kyungsoo couldn’t stomach loud noise, smoke and sultry glances coming his way. He will never get used to them. So instead, he was more pumped up planning his whole camping trip for two days.
#
Meanwhile, Jongin was now eighteen with broader shoulders, muscular physique, and had even grew inches taller. Despite the years that passed, he still couldn’t forget Kyungsoo no matter how many times his friends and the other members of his pack told him to move on and that he will never have a chance with a human and that he should just look for a potential mate in their pack rather spend his time at the city to look for the cub scout he wholeheartedly knew would be the perfect mate for him.
It had been three days since he stayed at Insadong-the place ingrained to his mind where Kyungsoo said where he came from. Three days where he kept the green neckerchief wrapped around his neck with a single loop to it-his source of comfort, the only valuable thing Kyungsoo has left for him that he couldn’t take off from his neck. His sanctuary.
It took him three days to get used to the hustle and bustle of the city, a huge contrast with his life in the mountains where trees and quiet surrounded him instead of the tall skyscrapers obscuring his view of the sky he loves to look at every single day, rain or shine.
However, full moon was approaching and he needed to go back to the mountains and still, he wasn’t able to come across with Kyungsoo around the city and it was taking a toll on him.
For three days staying at the park, sleeping on the bench, alone and cold, it didn’t pay off at all and now, time was ticking too fast and he had to go.
“Where are you?” Jongin mumbled under his breath, tapping his thigh impatiently. He hugged his backpack closer to his chest while waiting for his bus to arrive. He had to go, despite wanting to stay.
“Kyungsoo hyung...where are you?” he buried his face over his backpack, until the bus arrives and he boarded in.
#
Kyungsoo went back to the forest to camp alone. He just had his nineteenth birthday four months ago and had sworn to himself that he'd try to look for Jongin once more. This time, alone.
He had been camping for two days now and he was planning to climb up the mountain to look for Jongin's place. He was too determined and he won't stop until he doesn't get to find Jongin.
The moon was full. Its magnificent glow blankets the eerily silent forest, sans the sounds of crickets, and owl hooting. But when he was about to hit the sack, that was when his uneventful camping turned eventful. The loud howling of presumably wolves got Kyungsoo scrambling up and tumbling out of his tent. He flicked his eyes from left to right and turned around to locate the wolves lurking around.
“J-Jongin,” he mumbled under his breath, until there were rustling and crackling of leaves around. Kyungsoo was very convinced that there were warewolves nearby. He could sense that there were two to three of them and saying that he was not even a tad scared is s a pure lie. His head was throbbing along with his heart thundering from his chest due to nerviness as even if he had met a friendly pup when he was young, that doesn’t mean he’s in safety hands with the other warewolves he would be encountering around.
Until, a huge wolf with immaculately white fur materialized behind him, knocking him down. Kyungsoo shakily looked up to meet the wolf’s obsidian eyes. The wolf growled at him, baring its teeth at him as it pinned Kyungsoo on the ground with its large paws.
Seconds passed, two other grey wolves came into view, circling and baring their teeth at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo didn’t know what to do at this moment, but what he knows for sure is that if he tries to make a single move, these wolves wouldn’t have second thoughts of hurting him, so the only thing he did was to stay still. He couldn’t even find in himself to talk or to plead to the wolf to release him.
The wolf’s paw pressed on his chest as it howled to the moon. The other two wolves did the same when another big wolf emerged behind the white one, golden brown fur glinting as the moonlight casts on it. Kyungsoo closed his eyes and wished that if this was the end of all, then this is it.
He waited for the verdict, until a honey dripping voice, authoritative and masculine breached his hopeless thoughts.
“Leave him alone!”
Kyungsoo briskly opened his eyes as his assailant clambered off of him, whimpering and scuttling off. Propping himself up and brushing off the dried leaves and dirt that clung to his skin and clothes, a sigh of relief puffs out from his mouth. “Thank you for saving me out there. I really thought I’m going to die there. Thank you a lot-“
"Kyungsoo hyung?" The stark naked boy, bathed by the ethereal moonbeam casted him a bewildered look. "Is that you?"
Carefully, Kyungsoo traced his eyes at the man's face, scanning him thoroughly, carefully, meticulously, until his doubts were answered when he remembered that same smile etched on the man-wolf's lips. It was him.
"J-Jongin?" There was a tilt on his voice, still searching, still questioning the reality he was facing with when the sudden bone crushing embrace had him reeling that this moment was undoubtedly real. In return, he snaked his arms around the wolf briefly before pulling away, overwhelmed for seeing the once cute pup, now turned muscular and taller than him, once again. And the person who just had saved his ass out there.
"Hyung, you came back!" The wolf boy buried his face on the crook of Kyungsoo's neck until there was an unexpected wetness sliding down his skin, surprising him from the sudden tears Jongin brought out at the moment of their reunion. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night? And it's full moon." Jongin chastised. Kyungsoo could tell it was not the appropriate time to camp in the forest when full moon. He realized awhile ago the danger that lurks in the forest from what came to him seconds ago. "If I didn't come early, my pack could have hurt you."
It was indeed a horrifying experience earlier, but he didn't want to wallow in that kind of fear anymore when the person he'd been looking for was finally right in front of him. "But you came and I think that's what matters most now." Their eyes locked, grateful smiles lifting up the corner of their lips.
“So they’re your what do you call it again? Pack?”
“They are.” Jongin’s grin was too beautiful to turn your eyes off to.
But when Kyungsoo took a once over at Jongin's body, it dawned to him again that the boy was naked, making him turn away, cheeks flaring. "Wait a sec." He scrambled back inside his barely standing tent to get his friends some clothes that would cover his bare body for awhile.
"Here." He handed the unkempt clothes. "They'd be smaller, you're taller now than me than the last time we met."
"Thanks."
Quickly, he turned away to give the boy privacy despite seeing everything already. He was glad for the darkness that it would momentarily conceal the blush on his cheeks for awhile.
"So why are you here again?" Jongin stood right next to him with his intense eyes staring right at his.
Kyungsoo blinked twice before sheepishly rubbing the back of his nape and smiling shyly. "To look for you."
Jongin's shoulders wracked as he laughed a little. It was an adorable laugh and sight to Kyungsoo it had him reaching out to ruffle the boy's soft strands of hair. "Was it funny that I've been looking for you all this time?"
"What?" Kyungsoo was taken aback.
"I said," emphasizing his words, "I went to Insadong to see you. But I never found you like how we found each other back before."
It was too much to take in. First, he met Jongin's pack and got nearly hurt, second, Jongin was here, breathing the same air as him and then third, Jongin just told him he went to his hometown to look for him. It was overwhelming.
"You d-did?" he couldn't help but to confirm it again and in response, Jongin nodded at him firmly, an honest smile etched across his lips.
"But nevermind that. I have you again right now."
Without realizing that Jongin had been scooting closer to him, he was soon wrapped around Jongin's muscular arms and automatically, he curled his arms around the wolf-man's torso as well and savoured the warmth and comfort Jongin's body provided him.
Despite the years they hadn't seen each other and the times they missed chances of meeting once again, Kyungsoo buried them in the deepest recesses of his mind as the now, was what he deemed important the most. The here and now.
#
Epilogue
Two hours ago, they visited the grave of Jongin’s parents with his pack. They had a picnic for awhile and they talked about a lot of things from school, from how Jongin’s adjusting with the city life and the most intriguing of all-about mating.
Now, walking side by side as they crossed the road, the rain suddenly poured after getting off the bus from Gyeonju. Kyungsoo took Jongin’s wrist and pulled him to the nearest shelter, a flower shop donned with camellias, daisies, magnolias and many more.
However, in a split second, Jongin slid his hand and slotted his finger’s with Kyungsoo’s filling in the gaps, his heated gaze boring at Kyungsoo’s head who turned to him briefly and smiled.
“Just when do you plan to take off that neckerchief around your neck?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes on the dark clouds looming overhead and palm outstretched to catch a few drops of rain before pulling away.
Jongin squeezed his boyfriend’s hand and smiled. “Never gonna take it off, hyung. I might still can’t master those knots you taught me last week, but I assure you, I can give you my knot in bed perfectly.” Smirk found its way across the wolf-man’s lips, making Kyungsoo splutter with his warm crimson cheeks on display.
“W-What are you saying?” The elder chastised, whisper-shouting at his boyfriend of four months, stammering and cautious of the other people nearby who could have heard them. But would they even understand what knotting is? Either way, Kyungsoo had to be wary. “We’re in public. Don’t talk that way.”
Jongin jutted his lower lip at him, head a little low while he toyed with the ends of his neckerchief fashionably wrapped around his neck courtesy of Kyungsoo. “I’m just excited to mate.”
The color on Kyungsoo’s cheeks was still apparent. “We’ll get there one day, Jongin. Can you wait for me?” He peered up at his boyfriend while gnawing on his lower lip.
“Hm. Of course, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait when you’re ready.” Jongin squeezed Kyungsoo’s hand and leaned to him to plant a kiss on his head. “I will always wait for you.”
Flashing his boyfriend his heart shaped grin, Kyungsoo softly gazed at him and with a teasing smirk, he offered. “You up to get soaked? I want to run through the rain.” he waggled his thick bushy brows. “Looks like it won’t stop in an hour.”
Chuckling melodiously, Jongin didn’t think twice but nodded in agreement from his boyfriend’s offer. “Sounds good to me.”
“Let’s watch Yuri on Ice once we get home.”
Jongin whined, face scrunched up and pouting. “But, hyung! I want to watch Naruto!”
“Nah, I need my weekly dose of Viktuuri first.” Kyungsoo smirked.
“But, hyung!”
Kyungsoo laughed at his boyfriend’s whining, heart shaped grin etched on his face as he circled his fingers around his mate boyfriend’s wrist, tugging on it as he says, “Maybe we should just mate today instead.”
“I’d definitely choose that over anime.”
“Of course, dear alpha.”
And as they dashed through the rain with equal eye smiles and anticipation marring their damped faces, Jongin stopped for awhile to bring his lips closer to Kyungsoo’s inviting ones.