Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The line rings three times before it connects, filling with the high-pitched voice of a woman. “Thank you for contacting Kitty Konnect, Seoul’s premier service for hybrid companionship. Please wait on the line for the next representative.”

Jisung should probably feel more embarrassed about this. What other mid-twenties businessmen are paying for the company of hybrids? Probably not many, but he couldn’t get the idea out of his head after seeing an advertisement plastered to the side of his screen as he perused for something to watch the night before. He’d quickly created an account, but they still hadn’t verified him to look any further. It’s starting to get colder out, and his bed feels frigid without any company each night. Enough to drive him here; the point of contacting a hybrid sugar baby service.

A dial tone pulls his attention back to the phone. “Kitty Konnect, this is Dahae speaking. How may I help you?”

Jisung swallows thickly, willing his voice to remain calm and even. “Hello. I applied yesterday, but I’m still not verified?” He must seem so desperate to actually call and inquire about his account status.

Dahae must agree because she lightly giggles before answering, “Of course, may I have your name, sir?”

“Han Jisung,” he quickly replies.

There’s a muted sound of typing on the other end of the line before he hears Dahae suck in a breath. “Oh, I see here that you applied for the platinum level, Jisung-ssi. Is that correct?”

The site offers several different levels with various perks at each. He figures if he is going to do this, he might as well go all in. His bank account is more than full from his successful cyber security business, so why not? He has the money to spend on a companion. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Okay, Jisung-ssi. Let me place you on a brief hold so I can look into your account.” The phone switches to a melodic holding tone. Much more pleasing to the ear than most, at least. He waits for several minutes before the line connects again. “Okay, sir, sometimes our platinum level applicants take a little longer to verify, but you’ve been approved now. Feel free to peruse our catalog of available companions.”

“Can I just book directly through the website?”

“Yes sir, you can browse our hybrids and see who is available there. As a platinum member, you’ll have access to every tier. Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

He quickly thanks her and hangs up. Okay, online it is. It takes some maneuvering to get his laptop where he wants it, and then he’s typing in the address for KittyKonnect.com. A sleek and discreet looking website pops up, urging him to log in. Once signed in, the site completely changes to look like any online catalog you might see while shopping. Rows of hybrid pictures with their names and breeds listed below. It’s a little overwhelming to look at and he doesn’t necessarily like the fact that it looks just like a fashion website. Like he might be looking through jackets, rather than real, live people. Even if he does have to pay money just to spend time with them.

Jisung wishes he could say the entirety of this situation is a surprise, but it’s not. At all. He grew up as a complete and total weeb, spending all his free time watching anime and playing on his computer alone. Due to this, he now has three very specific lasting souvenirs: basically zero human interaction skills, higher than average knowledge about computers, and a cat boy kink that he blames entirely on all the neko anime he consumed right around the time puberty hit him like a freight train.

It's not as bad anymore. At the very least, he no longer runs around wearing a shinobi headband doing the Naruto run and he actually watches porn with real people in it. Sometimes. Which brings him to another dilemma.

He’s a virgin.

It’s not really something he’s ashamed of, but it would be pretty nice to have actual sex for once in his life. Tentacle porn and lewdly drawn cat boys can only keep you company for so long before they become a bit monotonous. So now he’s sitting with an entire catalog of hybrid companions—that could take his virginity—to choose from and he hasn’t got a clue where to start.

There’s a little filter button on the top right corner of the screen, so he decides to start there. He toggles the results to only show men, acknowledging that his former curiosity in women has shriveled and died long ago, and then selects cat breeds only.

He’s relieved when the results dwindle down to only 32 candidates, instead of the thousands that had been available at the start. Just two pages of men to look through now.

They’re all attractive, of course, or they wouldn’t be on the site, but one hybrid in particular practically smacks him across the face with his handsomeness. Lee Minho, the caption reads, Orange Tabby. Jisung clicks his name without a second thought, watching as his profile loads up on the screen.

Lee Minho, Orange Tabby
Age: 27
Height: 172 cm
Occupation: Café Owner
Membership Tier: Platinum Only

Hi, I’m Lee Minho. I currently own a cat café in Seoul and live with my three fur babies above the café. I prefer reading, going for walks, and watching movies but I also enjoy going out to see the city and tasting new foods. The key to my heart lies with my three cats, so good luck. Can’t wait to meet you, baby.

Ugh, he sounds so adorable and sweet.

Below the short bio, Jisung finds a collection of other pictures of the hybrid. Every single one looks professional quality with perfect lighting that shows off his flawless features and decidedly built body. While Jisung kind of expected the hybrids to all be on the thin side, Minho looks like he consistently works out and eats well. From the pictures alone, Jisung can tell he’s got thick, muscular thighs and they’re very drool worthy.

Jisung has seen a lot of videos—no judging of his browsing history allowed—of men with thick thighs crushing melons between their legs. He immediately thinks that this Minho guy could crush a watermelon almost too easily. A feat he would pay money to watch personally. Perhaps pay even more money to then lick the juice off afterwards.

Need he remind anyone that he’s a virgin?

He cycles through the pictures, but the last one makes him freeze, eyes blown wide. While the rest of the pictures in the collection had been candid and posed shots of Minho wearing various outfits, the last one is completely different. His body is almost completely on display, only covered by a black, lacy pair of underwear that emphasize his figure. But the part that makes Jisung nearly have a nosebleed is the collar buckled tightly around his throat, accented with a bell. His orange tail, complete with cream-colored stripes, wraps seductively around his waist and really Jisung should be mortified by the state of himself, dick hard from a single picture.

Without a doubt, he wants Minho.

Jisung clicks through the several pages it takes to get to the one he wants, where he can officially apply for Minho’s companionship and see if the hybrid accepts. The page opens up to reveal a full application that reminds him of when he applied for jobs around the city. Kitty Konnect really takes this seriously. Though, it makes sense considering their hybrids’ safety is of top concern. He’d had to fill out about twenty acknowledgements to state that he understood their terms and service and consented to his information being stored in their system in the event of abuse or mishandling.

The first half of the application is easy, just filling in his name and basic information. When he gets to the second half, however, that’s when he starts to worry. There are several very specific questions that he guesses Minho has picked out himself.

What are your main interests/hobbies?
How do you view hybrids in society?
What is your expectation for our contract?

He has to contemplate his answers for nearly an hour, wanting to be honest but also appealing. No matter what he tries, though, it just comes out awkward. His own brand of Jisung is too hard to conceal on things like this. He debates the answers for another hour before accepting defeat. Either Minho will like him for who he is, or they won’t be a match. When he clicks send, the anticipation of hearing back settles into his stomach. He really hates waiting.

--

It takes three days of which Jisung only thinks about Minho every single second. He’s barely been able to get any work done between checking his phone and daydreaming. Thank goodness he works on his own schedule and doesn’t have anyone to answer to or he’d be in deep shit already.

As he sits down with a bowl of ramen and prepares to eat his lunch at his desk, his phone pings with a notification from his email. He’d usually just flick the notice off his screen and continue on, but the sender catches his attention at the last second. Kitty Konnect. His chopsticks fall to the wayside as he grips his phone in two hands, waiting for the email to properly load.

Congratulations, Minho has agreed to meet with you. Please use the below contact information to arrange the meeting with your potential companion!.

His phone nearly joins the chopsticks on the desktop. Minho accepted his application!? Sure, it’s not like they’re officially companions yet, but he will get the opportunity to actually meet the hybrid and try to impress him. Which causes a glaring issue. He sucks at first impressions. When he’d first met with the investor that helped him establish his company, he’d been so nervous that he knocked and entire mug of coffee all down the front of him. Even worse, the last date he’d attempted to go on had ended in absolute disaster when he heavily critiqued the music ‘on the radio’ in the car for five minutes straight before finding out it had been the man’s own discography.

How the fuck is he going to pull this one off?

He frets over the situation for the rest of the workday and now finds himself sitting on his couch just staring at his phone. If he waits any longer, it might send the message that he isn’t interested, and he can’t have that. He’ll just have to suck it up. The email is still pulled up when he unlocks his phone and navigates to KakaoTalk.

Jisung:
Hello, this is Han Jisung from Kitty Konnect

It sounds so formal, but what else can he say? ‘Yo, what’s up’? Definitely not. His phone vibrates in his hand almost immediately.

Minho:
Hello, Jisung-ssi. When would you like to meet?

Well, that sounds even more formal. Is that how it’s expected to go?

Jisung:
Whenever you have time. I’m free every evening.

It’s only after he hits send that he realizes it probably makes him look like a loser, having absolutely nothing going on in his evenings. Then again, isn’t that exactly why he’s on Kitty Konnect in the first place?

Minho:
I’m free tomorrow evening, around 7 after I close the café.
Meet then?
Wherever you want as long as it’s a public place

Jisung reads over the messages several times to make sure they’re real. He could meet Minho as soon as tomorrow? There goes his sleep for the night. There is no way he can calm down now. Instead, his mind starts racing for where he should take the hybrid to impress him. There are hundreds of upscale restaurants around the city, but somehow that doesn’t feel right to him. Sure, he has money, but they both know that already. He needs to find somewhere perfect to portray the type of person he is.

After extensive research on Naver, he falters. None of the restaurants he finds listed really make an impression on him. Rather than keep looking, he decides on a safe bet. His personal favorite hole in the wall chimaek spot near his office and who in their right mind doesn’t like chicken and beer? If Minho turns up his nose at that, there’s no way they’ll get along. Besides, it’s practically in the center of the city, so it should be relatively easy for Minho to get to regardless of where his café is located.

Jisung:
Sure, tomorrow sounds perfect
Chimaek? There’s a spot I like, I’ll send you the address

Minho:
Okay, see you then

Jisung isn’t sure if he should be nervous about the fact that Minho didn’t say anything about his restaurant choice, but he figures he’ll just obsess over it and worry himself to sickness until tomorrow. His usual.

--

At 6:35 sharp, Jisung walks up to the restaurant and steps inside. Though they have outdoor seating as well, he figures it will be best to stay inside where it’s more intimate. Not that many people come through here for dinner, so they should have plenty of room to themselves. He heads to a corner table as soon as he enters and makes sure he’s facing the doorway to watch for Minho. Especially with how early he is, but he can’t help it. He’s been practically bouncing off the walls all day.

He spends a considerable amount of time worrying himself and drinking his first beer to try and quell his anxiety. Really, he should’ve made some sort of pit stop on his way here to delay himself. Maybe he could’ve stopped by that flower shop on the corner and gotten a bouquet. Although the image of himself giving flowers to his potential sugar baby, one that’s actually older than him, just makes him internally cringe.

A buzz in his pocket steals his attention and he retrieves his phone with shaky hands.

Minho:
I’m almost there, about 5 min out

He checks the time to find that it’s still a quarter to seven. Gosh, he’s going to look like an idiot saying he’s already here, but what else can he do?

Jisung:
I’m here, back corner

Now it’s time for him to really stress. He’d gone above and beyond on his appearance this morning, making sure he put a little effort into his clothing. His black hair is a bit shaggy these days, but he’d made sure to style it for once and pair it with black jeans, a white button up, and a cozy jacket over top. Nothing too fancy, but definitely professional. Isn’t that what one wears when trying to enter into sugar daddy-ism?

The door to the restaurant swings open with a burst of cool air and Jisung’s head snaps up to take in the most glorious sight of his entire existence. Minho is somehow even more beautiful in person. The pictures really didn’t do his striking features justice; his large eyes are piercing as soon as they land on him in the corner and his pouty lips quirk in a little smirk. He has on a pair of light wash jeans that hug every curve with an adorably soft cream sweater over top. His outfit screams cuddly meanwhile his actual aura is nothing less than intimidating.

Jisung short circuits when the hybrid is officially sitting across from him, those green eyes focused in on him. He tries so hard not to squirm under their weight, but he can feel his traitorous legs bouncing under the table. “Hello, Jisung-ssi,” Minho practically purrs, voice light and airy and oh so inviting. Jisung is hard in his pants already. It’s embarrassing.

“H-Hi, Minho-ssi,” he stutters back like he’s still his painfully awkward high school self, and he can’t even berate himself. It’s more than he thought he’d be able to get out in the moment. Minho is the type of gorgeous that steals people’s breath away and you can count Jisung in ‘people’. His breath is most certainly gone.

The hybrid eyes his beer with a small raise of his eyebrow. “I see you started without me.”

Jisung looks down at his own beer as if it’s betrayed him. There really isn’t a good explanation for how early he was nor how nervous he currently feels. Well, not one he’s about to admit out loud. He could try to lie things off, but he might as well just stick true to himself at this point. “I left work a little too early… and then I got nervous waiting.”

Minho looks at him for several seconds before breaking into a bright smile, a boisterous chuckle leaving his lips. Jisung can see his elongated fangs there, far too attractive on the hybrid. “Cute.”

He isn’t much of a blusher. Despite his social awkwardness and general hopeless romantic tendencies, he very, very rarely blushes. Right now, though? He’s as red as the gochujang this place serves on their chicken. Being called cute by arguably his biggest crush in the last decade is really getting to him. And maybe it’s too soon to declare Minho a crush, but he’s lost countless hours of sleep dreaming about this moment, so what else would he call it?

“W-would you like a beer too?” Damn him for stuttering again. This is starting to get shameful.

The hybrid doesn’t seem concerned with his lack of articulation, though, instead nodding and raising a hand to grab the server’s attention. As soon as the young girl approaches the table, Minho gives her a quick greeting and then orders their chicken and a round of beer for the table. Jisung slightly wonders if he should have been the one to order, but he really doesn’t mind it at all. After all, Minho is older than him and Jisung is terrible at this kind of stuff.

With the departure of the waitress, an awkward silence settles around them. Surely, he should break it and figure out how to bring up their arrangement, but he isn’t even sure how to go about that. Straight up asking Minho his expectations for their companionship feels too forward, but he can’t exactly skirt around the topic either. Minho spares him by being the first to speak. “So, you’re looking for a companion? May I ask why?”

Jisung licks his lips, noting how dry they feel in the moment. He can’t help feeling self-conscious, warring with himself over spilling his secret or trying to play coy. He’s about as likely to be able to pull of coy as he is at kicking the cat boy obsession, so he settles on completely embarrassing himself instead. “I’m a virgin,” is what blurts out first. “And awkward as hell if you hadn’t noticed.”

As he watches, heart thundering away in his ribcage, he sees Minho’s expression turn positively sinful. “Oh? So, you want a companion to help ease you into sex? Teach you what I know? Or is this a one-time thing?”

He’s not entirely sure what he wants, really. Yes, he wants to have sex for the first time and yes he wants it to be Minho, but does he just want it to be one time? He doesn’t even need to contemplate it. “No, I don’t want it to just be a one-time thing… I’d like to get to know you and maybe explore it together?” The idea of Minho teaching him every aspect of sex makes his dick twitch painfully in his jeans.

Minho hums, head tilting to the side as he pins Jisung in place with those sharp eyes. “Any weird kinks I should know about?”

Jisung’s brain melts. “Nothing too weird,” he says right away, completely ignoring all the, definitively, weird shit saved to his hard drive at home. “Do you?”

The way the hybrid’s green eyes narrow at the question has him worried he’s bitten off far more than he can chew by applying for Minho’s companionship. “I have many. I don’t expect you to fulfill them all, but if you’re up for it I can make things very interesting.”

There is no way to deny the curious desire that settles in his stomach at that. Oh, what he would give to see what all the hybrid has up his sleeve. “I’m very open to trying new things.”

Minho runs his tongue over his fangs as he smirks at him. “I think we can get along just fine, then.”

As their chicken arrives, Jisung has trouble finding his appetite for food. It has been almost entirely replaced by an appetite for far more delicious things. Namely, Minho stretched out beneath him. Or over him. He’d take either. Still, he manages to consume enough chicken to not be rude while watching the way the hybrid happily eats, tail swishing with each bite. He has no right to be so damn cute after teasing so much.

They exchange basic information. He learns that Minho owns a cat café, which makes him absolutely swoon. He has three cats of his own that spend the day with his customers along with a dozen cats that are up for adoption. The way the hybrid beams every time he talks about his home situation makes him even more endearing.

In turn, Jisung talks about his career in cyber security and what all it entails. It’s comfortable talking with Minho this way, sharing their own interesting lives and anecdotes. By the time their chicken is gone, they’ve found an easy rhythm to their conversation that he never wants to end.

“This was fun,” Minho says with an easy-going smile. “I’m down to take you on as a client if you’re still interested.”

He’s almost forgotten that this was an interview of sorts and not a sure thing already. Having somehow charmed his way into Minho’s good graces, he isn’t sure he could’ve handled a rejection. “I would love that.”

“Great. Do you want to go back to yours now?”

Jisung manages to keep a calm exterior, but his insides are blaring a code red, alarm system flaring. He obviously knew what he approached Minho for, but to have it happening so soon? He’s not even sure he’ll be able to make it home before cumming in his pants. “Really? Now?”

Minho looks at him for a moment, tail flicking behind him. “Isn’t that the whole point? Unless you need some time first?”

He’s fully malfunctioning now, trying to process the fact that Minho, the hottest cat boy he’s ever seen in his entire life—even hotter than all the anime ones—is seriously prepared to go home with him in this moment. He kicks himself a bit for being an idiot. You asked for this! Quit being a moron!

“I’m just… surprised? But I’m down if you are,” he replies, proud that his voice is only a little shaky.

Minho gives him another bright smile, extending his hand. When Jisung takes it, wrapping their fingers together, he feels a chill run down his spine. He’s really doing this.

Han Jisung, 25-year-old hentai obsessed virgin, is about to have sex for the very first time. He kind of feels like he needs fireworks or something. Maybe one of those confetti poppers? Literally anything that can portray how significant this moment feels.

“Let’s go,” Minho says, starting to pull him towards the metro station on the corner and Jisung follows right along like a lost puppy, ready and willing to give everything he is to Minho.

Chapter Text

Jisung is a ball of nerves when they make it to his apartment, fumbling a bit when he presses in his door code to the point of making it beep angrily at him. He can feel his face growing warm for the second time tonight, cursing internally as he waits for the red lights to stop flashing so he can enter the code again.

When he finally manages to unlock his door, he takes his shoes off without looking over at Minho. The hybrid has been stoic the entire time, though Jisung can tell he’s been holding in a laugh.

“It’s smaller than I expected,” Minho muses as he walks into the apartment. Although Jisung is sure it isn’t meant as an insult, he can’t help feeling a little ashamed of his tiny space. He never saw much reason to try and get anything larger than a studio; it’s always just been him. Still, he lives in a nice neighborhood with upgraded kitchen appliances and upscale architecture, and he decorated the space with things that aren’t too cringe-inducing.

“I never saw the point of getting anywhere larger,” he replies, nervously shifting his weight between his feet as he takes in his own space. It’s not exactly juvenile, but it’s not the most maturely decorated either. There are only three Ghibli posters along the walls—framed, thank you very much—and one bookshelf that houses all of his favorite manga. He also only has two plushies on his queen-sized bed.

Minho looks at him for a moment, obviously noting how nervous he is. “I didn’t mean that as a critique. It’s cozy. I like it.”

Jisung is still floundering a bit, the picture of a fish on dry land, until the hybrid grabs his hand and pulls him over to the bed, where he sits on the edge and maneuvers Jisung between his knees. Their sudden proximity makes his hands feel clammy.

Minho fixes him with an almost contemplative expression, rubbing his knuckles between his fingers. “Can I kiss you?”

Well, that’s completely unexpected. He’s not sure what made him think that Minho wouldn’t want to kiss him, but it comes as a shock to him. The hybrid watches the conflict unfold on his face, smiling up at him all the while. “Come on, baby, don’t you want to?”

Any witty retort he might’ve had whooshes out of him in that moment, leaving the thrumming desire to kiss the hybrid filling his chest. Technically, Minho is supposed to be the baby in this scenario. Right? His sugar baby. It’s literally in the name, and yet he finds that really fucking likes being the one called baby right now.

Up this close, he can see the extent of how flawless and smooth Minho’s skin is; how vibrantly green his eyes are with just a hint of yellow around the iris slits. He has to remind himself that this isn’t traditional dating where taking his time matters. No, this is a paid-for situation where he doesn’t risk fumbling anything if they move too quickly. “Yes.”

Minho closes the miniscule distance between them by pulling Jisung down by the back of his neck, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. He has an odd mixture between feeling like his stomach is dropping out completely while also being filled with butterflies. It’s far from his first kiss, but something about Minho makes his entire body malfunction. Rather than dwell on it, his free hand reaches up to wrap around the back of the hybrid’s neck, mirroring Minho’s grip, and pulls him more securely against his lips, deepening their kiss in the process.

The tip of his tongue runs along Minho’s elongated canines as he licks into his mouth, tongues exploring each other. Somehow the essence of Minho tastes just as sweet as his floral perfume, almost addictive. Jisung never wants this moment to end; he’d happily live the rest of his life with his lips locked against the hybrid.

Unfortunately, Minho breaks their kisses too soon. His next words more than make up for it, though. “Do you want to fuck me? Or the other way around?”

Both. He wants both. There really isn’t a right answer here at all. In all of his fantasies, he’s always imagined both ways happening and he will literally take anything from Minho. The fact that he gets to touch him in any way is enough to have him teetering on the edge of premature ejaculation. “I don’t even care, just want you.”

Minho regards him for a long moment, enough time to make him second guess how desperate he probably seems.

“I don’t mind either,” Minho says, leaning back against his hands which are propped behind him on the mattress. He even kicks his legs back and forth a few times, the picture of poised confidence. “But I’m a little impatient right now. How about I ride you, baby? I’m already prepped.”

Jisung kind of wants to sob. Minho prepped himself for this, fully intending on sleeping with Jisung at the end of their dinner meetup. It’s enough to drive him delirious, verging on cock drunk before he even gets his first taste. Something that he wants even more right now. “Yes, but I want to suck you off first.”

A pleased smile widens into Minho’s cheeks, spreading his knees just a little further. “Go ahead.”

With the green light, Jisung drops to his knees at the edge of the bed. The new angle brings his attention straight to Minho’s thick thighs and he can’t believe he didn’t fully admire them before this moment. They’ve been taunting his brain the last few days, after all. His hands run up the expanse of them, appreciating the way his denim struggles to cover them. They’re solid beneath his fingertips, muscular and firm. He could cum from this alone. Is this slowly going to devolve into a game of how long can Jisung keep from ruining his pants?

Instead of hanging onto that thought, he reaches up to undo Minho’s belt. The hybrid assists him, helping to open his jeans and slide them down to the floor with his briefs. It exposes his cock in one go, all thick and blush pink. It’s the prettiest cock Jisung has ever seen. No joke. Somehow prettier than the cocks drawn onto his precious neko boys too.

Jisung leans forward at once, as if possessed, and wraps his lips over the head of Minho’s cock. It tastes a little bitter, but not terribly so. Better than his own cum, which he tasted only once due to simple curiosity. A soft groan from above him makes him excited, wanting to do his best for Minho so he can make him feel good. He suckles at the tip for a moment before trying to bob down on the length.

“Ah, careful,” Minho says, fingers brushing through Jisung’s fringe. “Wrap your lips over your teeth.”

He pulls back right away, licking over his lips to wet them before he folds them over his teeth. It feels really strange, if he’s honest, but it’s not as hard to keep them in place when he stuffs Minho’s cock back into his mouth. The glide is a lot easier this way, providing a bit of cushioning as he bobs up and down. Even if his teeth cut into his lip a little, he’ll deal with the slight sting.

Minho’s fingers tighten in his hair, making him moan lowly. It feels good, but more than that, it makes him feel like the hybrid is in control; a fact he likes a lot more than he expected to. He wouldn’t mind if Minho clutched hard or started to move his head exactly how he wanted it. In fact, he would like that very much.

Jisung pops off his cock, eyes flicking up to look at Minho. “You can move my head if you want to...”

“You want me to fuck your face, baby?”

He groans at the question, because yes, he really wants that. How can Minho just ask something like that with a straight face? “Please.”

Their eyes stay locked for a few more moments before Minho curses quietly and tightens his grip in Jisung’s hair, pushing him back down and over his cock. Jisung diligently takes him back into his mouth and presses his tongue against the shaft as Minho sets a gentle pace.

The gentleness quickly fades as Minho starts to feel more pleasure, other hand raising to twist into his hair as well. Soon enough, he sets a quick and brutal tempo that has Jisung almost choking every time he’s pushed down until Minho’s cock brushes his throat. He’s thankful Minho realizes that there’s no way he can take him in further, but he’s trying his best to make it good regardless.

Minho’s legs start to tense and shake beneath his hands, and he wonders if Minho is getting close to his release, trying to prepare himself for the hybrid cumming into his mouth. There’s a high probability that he’ll end up waterboarding himself with it. Before they get that far, Minho pulls him up and off his cock. When Jisung looks up at him, he sees his chest rising and falling rapidly. His face is flushed, pink blooming just beneath the surface. He looks almost ethereal like that and Jisung has a nagging sense that he might fall in love tonight.

“Come here,” Minho says once he’s caught his breath. “I want to cum on your cock, baby.”

Jisung was in the middle of standing, but his legs give out at the words, planting his ass right back on the floor. The hybrid scoffs, reaching out to help him on his second attempt.

There’s some shuffling around until Jisung is laying in the center of the bed with Minho straddling his hips. Their clothes are all gone, and he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off the hybrid for even a second. Minho’s body is toned and absolutely perfect in every way. Smooth, milky skin. Defined chest and arms. Slim waist. Thighs for fucking days. Orange ears nestled in his slightly messy hair and tail curling around his stomach. Jisung feels himself drooling and it’s not just because he spent so long with a cock in his mouth.

“I have lube beside the bed,” Jisung says, still mesmerized by the man hovering over him. He wants to touch; run his hands all over his body, but he feels like that’s not allowed. He’s not sure if he can touch something so sacred and beautiful.

“Baby,” Minho says with a quiet huff. “Hybrids don’t need lube.”

Jisung falters. “Huh?”

“Aww,” Minho coos. “You didn’t know? We’re self-lubricating.”

He didn’t know. He did not fucking know that at all. Sure, he’s watched hybrid porn, but he figured they just used a ridiculous amount of lube. Like those videos where they cover themselves in oil for some reason. Now that he knows, he feels his stomach twist dangerously. It’s so hot. He’s sure his pupils are blown wide right now, reacting to the news like a narcotic plunged through his veins. “Fuck.”

Minho laughs and it’s bright and jovial. He counters that by sitting down firmly over Jisung’s cock. An action that makes him squeak, to his own mortification. He can feel slick practically dripping out of Minho, coating his crotch in the thick fluid. He might actually die.

“Are you ready, baby,” the hybrid asks, rotating his hips enough to make his ass drag along Jisung’s cock. He’s not exactly ready, but he doesn’t think he ever will be. How can you possibly be prepared for something like this?

“Yes, please,” he says instead, steadying himself for what comes next.

Minho lifts up just enough to reach between his legs and position Jisung at his entrance. He takes a deep breath and braces himself for the pivotal moment, but really nothing could ever equip him for what it actually feels like. Not when Minho’s body accommodates him so easily, practically sucking his cock inside.

It’s hot, almost like stepping into a steaming bath. Lightly scalding and overwhelming, but so good. Minho’s walls are velvety soft, tightly wrapping around his length as the hybrid sinks down all the way.

Jisung is pretty sure he could die in this moment and feel very content about it. It’s that good. Nothing in life has ever come close to the extent of pleasure that is putting him in a chokehold currently. He’s pretty sure he’s dangling over the precipice of cumming too soon, but he can’t escape it. Even closing his eyes so he can’t see Minho’s ungodly good looks doesn’t help because it just makes him feel that much more.

Minho reaches out a hand to pet down his cheek, coaxing him to open his eyes and look up at him. “There you are. How does it feel?”

His lips open, but nothing comes out for a solid five seconds. When his vocal cords finally manage to produce a sound, it’s just a cross between a moan and a whimper. It’s the best thing he’s ever felt in his meager existence and now Jisung understands why people make stupid fucking decisions just to get sex. All those ridiculous anime plots are suddenly making a whole lot more sense.

“That good,” Minho teases him, rolling his hips and making the hair at the back of Jisung’s neck stand on edge.

“Fuck, oh my god, I’m dying,” he rasps out, hands gripping onto Minho’s hips as he continues to grind down into his lap. He’s pretty sure his heart is planning to shoot out of his chest any minute, like in Alien when the baby spawn rips out of them, and he can’t even blame it. It’s working overtime to supply enough blood to his dick and brain so that he doesn’t combust on the spot.

Minho’s hands press against his chest, using Jisung for leverage as he lifts his hips halfway up his length and then drops back down. His toes curl painfully, threatening to give him a foot cramp.

“I’m going to cum like any second if you keep it up,” he warns, eyes squeezing shut to try and center himself again. It’s not an empty threat at all.

Suddenly, Jisung feels warm lips press against his own, steadily luring his mouth open as Minho licks inside. He can’t stop his hands from sliding up Minho’s hips to settle on his waist instead, pulling him closer. He wants Minho to consume him completely until there’s nothing left. When he feels something soft brush against his waist, it takes a second before he recognizes it as Minho’s tail. It’s charming as hell.

They exchange kisses for a little while and it helps Jisung calm down. Not completely, because kissing Minho obviously keeps him on the edge of his proverbial seat, but he thinks he might be able to withstand a few proper thrusts without cumming immediately and ruining everything now.

Minho pulls away, sitting up straight in his lap. It only pushes him a millimeter deeper, but somehow it feels significant. Especially with the way the hybrid gasps, ears flattening back as his eyes shut tight. Jisung realizes that Minho has been holding himself back all this time. He’s probably just as on edge.

“You can move,” Jisung says, wanting Minho to get what he needs most of all. “I don’t think I’ll last long but I’ll try my best.”

He receives a smirk from the hybrid as he presses down against Jisung’s chest more firmly. “Famous last words.” With that, he lifts up until only Jisung’s tip is still inside before he slams back down. Jisung gasps loudly, trying to get his half-fizzled brain to get with the program because he can’t process a damn thing.

Minho turns relentless, keeping his agonizing pace as his voice thins and gets higher in pitch. Little moans and ‘ah ah’s spilling from him as he rides Jisung with purpose. Jisung’s fingers flex instinctively around his waist, eyes locked to the image of the hybrid on top of him. Every single wet dream he’s ever had seem to slam together in the moment and still pale in comparison to what he’s witnessing with his own eyes and feeling with his very own dick.

Not wanting to be an inactive participant in the most mind-blowing experience of his life, Jisung moves his right hand so that he can grip Minho’s cock against his palm. There’s enough slick coating Jisung’s bottom half that he can easily scoop some up to make the slide easier, jerking Minho’s cock in time with his hips’ movements.

It makes Minho mewl a bit, a sound that startles Jisung. Not in a bad way. No, it goes straight to his cock, making him twitch where he’s buried inside Minho’s ass. It encourages him, twisting his hand as he palms Minho eagerly. He could easily get addicted to the sounds Minho is making as he touches him, almost certain that his brain’s chemistry is rearranging itself by the second.

“I’m close,” Minho warns after a few more strokes, and Jisung is relieved because he’s about 0.2 seconds away from blowing his own load.

“Me too,” he grits out, just now realizing that they never put on a condom. He’ll worry about it later, because he’s currently too focused on the idea of getting to cum inside Minho. It’s not that likely, but he wants it anyways. To press all the way inside of him and fill him completely. He’s never thought he had a breeding kink before, but he wouldn’t be opposed to developing one for the hybrid.

It only takes them about eight more shaky thrusts before Jisung is cumming and, to his shock, Minho doesn’t pull off. Instead, he clenches his ass and practically milks Jisung, making him whimper as he keeps pumping the hybrid’s cock in a furious pace. He wants to see him reach his own peak; watch the way he comes undone.

Minho follows shortly after him, spasming in his lap and releasing all over Jisung’s stomach and chest. His ass squeezes Jisung painfully, but it just makes him groan louder.

After the initial shock wears off, Jisung collapses back against the mattress. His entire body feels tingly and warm, aftershocks of his orgasm wracking through him. It was, by far, the best orgasm of his life. Obviously. He’s pretty sure that a lot has changed for him now and he worries that his hand might never satisfy him again.

“I need a shower,” Minho says from above him, flushed red and sweaty from his face down to his stomach. Jisung is acutely aware of the slick that has basically made a pool around them on the bed. He’ll have to wash his sheets tonight, no doubt about it.

“Is it okay if I shower too? No funny business,” he promises, grinning up at Minho.

The hybrid shrugs, pulling off of Jisung’s lap gingerly. They both groan a bit when he finally slides off Jisung’s cock, the air in the room feeling uncomfortably cold after spending so long buried in Minho’s warmth. “Let’s go.”

They climb under the hot water together, taking a few minutes to rinse all the slick off of them before lathering up Jisung’s sponge and scrubbing each other’s backs. It feels very domestic, a fact that Jisung finds himself enjoying a little too much. He can’t help picturing a life with the sweet hybrid at his side. It really would be perfection in every sense of the word.

After they finish scrubbing their hair and rinsing everything down the drain, they step out and dry off in relative silence. They’re both exhausted, ready to pass the hell out. Jisung wonders if Minho might stay the night and imagines it would be really lovely to fall asleep in his arms.

Unfortunately for Jisung, Minho quickly dresses into the clothes he’d been wearing earlier and checks his phone for the time. “I need to head out so I can get home to my cats.”

Although he should’ve expected it, it still makes Jisung a little sad to have to part with him so suddenly. “Okay. Will you… message me?”

Minho fixes him with a curious look. “You becoming my client means you pay monthly, unlimited meet ups as long as our schedules allow it. Of course I’ll message you.”

It soothes him a bit, having it confirmed. Jisung can’t imagine never seeing or hearing from Minho again. It would hurt him a little too much already. “Okay. Please let me know when you make it home, then?”

Jisung fidgets awkwardly, not sure how to handle their parting. He wants to kiss Minho, of course, but now he’s unsure if the kissing was only because they were having sex. Maybe the hybrid only kisses when directly attached to it? He could always ask, but what if Minho says no and it suddenly gets awkward? Jisung is awkward. Painfully so.

Minho pulls his shoes on and stands near the door for a second, looking over Jisung’s jittery form. “Are you going to kiss me goodbye or not?”

It makes him instantly relieved, propelling himself across the room so he can wrap his arms around the hybrid and pull him closer. Their mouths meet softly in the middle, just a press of their lips before Minho pulls back. “I’ll text you when I get back, promise.”

When the door clicks shut, Jisung deflates and collapses into his desk chair in the corner of the room. The entire night feels like a fever dream; something he made up in his own lonely brain. It’s almost unfathomable that someone like Minho even associates with him at all, let alone sleeping with him. He feels like he’s somehow ascended to cloud nine. Can he stay here?

Even cleaning up his ruined bed makes him overjoyed, looking at the physical evidence of what transpired tonight. Han Jisung, 25-year-old hentai obsessed no-longer virgin.

Chapter Text

The next morning Jisung awakens to an unexpected text. One that definitely doesn’t have him screaming into his pillows like a lovesick teenager. Definitely not. How embarrassing would that be…

Minho:
If you have free time today
Want to stop by my café?
Drinks on the house of course
[address attached]

Jisung is so inexplicably excited for the opportunity to see more of Minho’s life that he jumps out of bed, quite literally, for the first time in a very long time. Sure, he still needs to go to the office today, but a detour to Minho’s café first sounds like exactly what he needs right now. Perhaps hiring the hybrid to be his companion is exactly what he’s been needing in his lonely existence.

Although he’d much prefer to go to the café in something more casual, a business meeting in the afternoon means that he painstakingly pulls on one of his modest suits instead, the ones he saves for stuffy clients in an attempt to look the part of a grownup. He still checks his appearance in the mirror about ten times to make sure his hair hasn’t betrayed him and gone back to the poofy state it was in when he first woke.

The coffee shop is out of the way for his commute, but not too much. Just an extra twenty minutes tacked on that he isn’t really worried about. The fact that it’s in a nice area of the city somehow makes him feel a lot better, knowing that Minho isn’t living amongst immediate danger. Although he’s sure Minho is never too strapped for cash with the exorbitant fees his companionship comes with.

Kitten Kafe is adorable the second he locates it and approaches the storefront. Jisung also kind of laughs at the fact that the name is so reminiscent to the website he found Minho through. He briefly wonders if that’s why Minho decided to use them in the first place.

Despite being crammed amongst a strip of other shops, it still manages to stand out with pastel purple and white striped awnings and a little chalkboard with a cartoon cat displaying today’s specials. Vanilla Bean Meowcchiato and Peppermint Tabby Tea are both written in fancy penmanship, making him grin to himself. There’s no doubt that Minho comes up with these names each morning as he draws out the designs. In the windows, Jisung can see an array of fanciful cat trees that house some of the residents of the café soaking up the morning sunlight.

As he pushes the door open, it chimes brightly and announces his entrance, which seems to pull someone from the back storeroom. Jisung is surprised to see a dog hybrid donning a frilly pink apron come to the counter as a few cats come to greet him and brush against his legs. He’s very tall with a wide smile, golden hair resting perfectly styled over his forehead and blending into his floppy ears seamlessly. He has to be part golden retriever. There are no other possibilities.

“Welcome to Kitten Kafe,” the guy greets, clicking a few things on the screen in front of him. Once Jisung makes his way, careful to not step on any of the furry friends currently mobbing him, to the counter, the other finally looks at him and seems to do a double take. “Oh, are you by chance Jisung?”

He’s momentarily at a loss for how to answer (why does this guy already know his name? Did Minho mention him? If so, he might actually melt into tile flooring beneath him!) when he sees a flash of orange come flying from the back storage room. Minho’s ears are standing straight up on his head as he adjusts his hair and comes to stand next to the other man. He’s wearing his own apron, the same purple of the awnings outside, and it looks so fucking cute that Jisung might die. “Good morning! Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d get here so early.”

Jisung can only smile, stupidly, in response for a few seconds as he takes in the hybrid’s frankly adorable appearance. Yet again he wonders what it would take to keep Minho around forever. Besides money. “Good morning yourself. I probably should have given you a heads up but I was so excited when I got your text that I came straight here.”

Is it cringy to admit that? Well, it’s too late to take it back now.

Minho grins at his answer, though, and any momentary uncertainty flies right out the window. “That’s okay. I’m glad you were able to stop by.” They’re so engrossed in their own world that the other man has to clear his throat to get their attention, making Minho grimace. “This is Seungmin. He’s my only employee and a pain in the ass most of the time.”

Despite the less than gracious introduction, Seungmin looks pleased as he holds out his hand. His fluffy tail is wagging so fast behind his back that it’s kind of painfully cute. The entire guy is the definition of a puppy, though Jisung can kind of tell why he irks Minho with the way his eyes have a glint of mischief in them. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t expect Minho’s new client to stop by so soon. You must be a special one.”

Jisung’s heart does a somersault as he shakes his hand with a shy smile. Really, this is already becoming too much for him to handle because he might actually break his own heart at this rate just by getting his hopes up. Minho needs to stop making it so easily to adore him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, so called pain in the ass.”

“Alright, enough of that,” Minho says the moment their hands disconnect, swatting them apart. “What do you want to drink?”

Although the specials of the day sound really delicious, Jisung is of the boring iced Americano variety. An order that makes Minho nod just once before he sets to work making it. And perhaps Jisung shouldn’t just loiter at the counter watching the way the cat hybrid zooms around with practiced ease, but there isn’t anywhere else he’d rather be.

Once the Americano is ready, Minho ushers him to one of the couches in the corner and makes him sit. “I have a lint roller for before you leave, so just relax,” he says as he starts to fuss over him. Jisung, who has never been fussed over in his life, happily obliges and he’s fairly sure his eye sockets are sporting hearts right about now.

He sips the drink as Minho darts to the corner of the room and picks up a massive orange and white cat that doesn’t exactly look pleased to be disturbed from his slumber. “This is Soonie,” he explains as he presents the cat to him. “I’ve had him the longest and he’s really just a big baby.”

Perhaps Jisung isn’t the best at meeting people, but he’s always been a favorite amongst animals so it’s easy enough to make his introduction in the form of Soonie being unceremoniously dumped onto his lap just before he gets comfortable there.

This happens again as Minho presents him with Doongie, who looks similar to Soonie, and does not at all seem interested in Jisung but stays on the couch at his owner’s behest anyways. Finally, he meets the baby named Dori who is a grey and white tabby, and he ends up surrounded by Minho’s personal cats as the hybrid looks at him far too pleased, tail swishing back and forth behind him. “Oh, I think they actually like you.”

It feels a little like an initiation into Minho’s life and Jisung is pretty sure he passed? At least eighty percent sure, which are really good odds. Especially when Minho perches on the other end of the couch and accepts Doongie into his lap. If it weren’t for the way Seungmin keeps eyeing them from the counter, Jisung thinks he could call this domestic bliss. As it is, he still feels under pressure to present his best possible self in front of the others.

“What’s on your agenda for today,” Minho asks after a few comfortable minutes of silence spent pampering the cats surrounding them. By now, more of the adoptable cats have made their way over and Jisung is almost certain there isn’t a lint roller on earth that can save his suit anymore. He might actually just go home and change into a fresh one at this rate.

“Just regular work until a meeting with a potential client this afternoon. The local police precinct is apparently looking for advisors for their security system so it’ll be a really big contract if I impress them.”

Minho’s eyes widen considerably at that. “Oh, wow. That’s a really big deal, Jisung-ah! Do you usually work with government agencies like that?”

Jisung can’t help puffing up a little in pride. Yes, he’s young, but his business is already very successful, and this could open the door for him even more. If things go well today, he might actually get a full government contract and it would be guaranteed to pay his bills for the rest of his life. “Not yet, but I think this could lead to more opportunities if it goes well. I’m just freaking out a little. I’ve never been the best at these kinds of meetings,” he admits with an awkward laugh. Mostly because it’s true. While his work speaks for itself, he kind of wishes it spoke for him too. “My assistant will be there, though, and Sana has a knack for getting people to fall in love with her. Professionally, of course.”

Minho giggles at that, leaning over to put his hand on Jisung’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great, I can already feel it. But, if it would help, I could get you relaxed before you go?” The hybrid looks almost sinful as he says it, tongue teasing at one of his canines as he looks directly into Jisung’s eyes.

Perhaps Jisung shouldn’t read into the words too much, but he can’t help it. He only lost his virginity the night before and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t ready to throw all his clothes off and tackle Minho again. Right. Fucking. Now. Still, he’s respectful at his core and always has been. “What would that entail?”

“Hmm,” the hybrid pretends to ponder, finger tapping at his pouty lips. “I’ve heard the endorphins from an orgasm really help settle nerves. Especially if they come from your first ever blow job. I’ve always been so interested in science, you know, so I wouldn’t mind experimenting if you were interested. For science.”

“For science,” Jisung echoes, pants already becoming uncomfortable. Leave it to Minho to completely destroy him with simple words. “I’ve always really liked testing a good hypothesis. Gets me going a lot more than… not science.”

Minho laughs at his answer, beaming at him with an excited glow. “Do you want to come upstairs and see my apartment, Jisung-ah? I have really nice decorative pillows on my bed that I think you might be interested in seeing. You like decorative pillows too, right?”

“Fucking love them,” he says, voice already getting strained. “Nothing beats a good decorative pillow.”

He doesn’t care that his Americano is half finished as he practically runs to keep up with the hybrid who gets a head start in the direction of the storeroom. Not even the knowing glance Seungmin gives him as he follows, leaving a trail of desperation in his wake, can dampen how much adrenaline is pumping through his veins right now.

Minho’s apartment is directly above the café and it’s quaint in size, but absolutely adorable. It suits him almost too well with how crammed it is with soft, colorful blankets and trinkets on his bookshelf. He’s got another three cat trees up here and basically a mountain of cat toys that he’s sure the three spoiled felines absolutely destroy when they get a hankering for playing.

And the pillows. He really does have a ridiculous amount of colorful pillows stuffed onto his bed. Which Jisung is unceremoniously shoved down onto, making half of them fling off the bed in an explosion of movement. Not even a second later, Minho climbs onto the bed and directly over him and they’re kissing before Jisung’s mind can catch up.

He does his best to match Minho’s energy, tongues meeting in the middle as his shirt is frantically unbuttoned and shoved open. His dick has never once been this hard, threatening to rip right through his slacks if they aren’t opened immediately.

Lucky for his pants—and Jisung’s—sake, Minho is already making quick work of them. Jisung feels like he’s being ravaged, the hybrid consuming him so succinctly that he may not even be crumbs by the end of this.

Once his dick is freed from the cramped confines of his pants, Jisung is left to curiously watch Minho undo his apron. His fingers work deftly behind his back until the strands fall apart, loosening the fabric around his waist before he lifts it over his head. He gives Jisung one quick, mischievous smirk before he leans forward and grabs both of his wrists, quickly wrapping the fabric of the waist straps around them. He’s not even sure how to process the fact that he’s being tied up, but it allows the hybrid to secure the ties within seconds, wrists snuggly trapped together.

The connected wrists are pushed above Jisung’s head, the rest of the apron following them and it’s already got his heart thundering in his chest because he’s never attempted any sort of bondage before, even if this is the mildest possible form of it. It’s akin to the high you get when the claw machine actually manages to lift a plushie from the depths of rigged-game hell.

“Relax for me, baby, and keep your arms over your head,” Minho says with a final kiss before he scoots down the length of Jisung’s body and settles between his spread legs. Well, as spread as they can be with his slacks cutting into his upper thighs. He’s left to watch helplessly as Minho kisses over his sensitive stomach and drags his elongated canines there, teasing at the skin just enough to make him shudder.

When he moves down even further, Jisung forgets how to properly breathe but he’s not even concerned about it. Not when the hybrid is grabbing his cock firmly and lifting it up to his waiting mouth. His little pink tongue darts out to tease his tip and holy shit is it amazing. Like, way better than it has any right to be.

That same tongue delicately digs into his slit and Jisung is transported to another realm in an instant. A realm where pleasure is the only thing that exists. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised to find that the rest of his body no longer exists with the way his brain is tethered only to his dick and what’s happening to it currently.

Minho’s mouth is skilled when it finally wraps around him, teasing every last centimeter to the point that Jisung feels like he’s never done his own body proper justice. All that jacking off for what? “Oh my god,” he whines out when Minho manages to take his entire length into his mouth. How is that even possible? Jisung was barely able to handle half of the hybrid’s length last night.

In response to his disbelief, Minho hums in humor, but it only makes it feel even fucking better. Jisung’s almost certain this should be illegal. How is Minho not already in jail walking around with a weapon of mass destruction like that? His wrists instinctively try to tug apart so he can touch Minho, but the resistance he finds there makes him groan. He's not truly helpless, but it feels like it right now. It’s thrilling.

Jisung’s back starts to ache and it’s then that he realizes his lumbar isn’t even touching the bed, entire body wound so tightly that he’s like a string about to snap. With zero worry over the state of Jisung, Minho just keeps bobbing his head over his length and laving his shaft like it’s a prized possession. He can actually feel tears gathering in his eyes with how overwhelmingly good it is.

“I’m getting so close,” Jisung gasps out in warning, not even sure just how close he actually is to cumming down Minho’s throat. He’s pretty sure one of those precious decorative pillows, stuck being the only thing within reach above his head, is one more fist-grab away from tearing apart in an explosion of feathers. His brain unhelpfully supplies him with the image of dominoes falling in quick succession towards the collapse of a tower. Each suckle around his tip acting like the next domino in the chain slamming down.

Rather than pull off and finish him with his hand, like Jisung expects—he ought to stop having expectations by now—Minho just doubles down his efforts and pushes down until Jisung’s cock is firmly in his throat and that’s what finally does it for him. Jisung falls apart entirely, choking on a sob as his climax bursts out of him almost painfully hard.

He’s suspended in the good feeling for an indeterminable amount of time before finally returning to his body to see Minho over him, grinning down at him. He also realizes that the hybrid is straddling him and if that doesn’t make his dick try its best to come back to life, nothing ever could. He looks like some sort of fallen angel, lips red and swollen. “How was that, baby?”

Jisung can only laugh, hand itching to reach out and touch Minho. “Do you even have to ask? I think I know why they call orgasms ‘the little death’ now.”

Minho looks self-satisfied at his comment, repositioning his wrists into his lap so he can free him from the apron. Jisung is dead set on paying him back for making him feel so good, but Minho stops him when he reaches out for the button of his jeans.

“Don’t worry about me right now. This was just to help you relax before your big meeting. How about you call me tonight and tell me how it goes instead?”

Although he wants to argue, Jisung has no choice but to accept the offer. He’s fairly certain he’s already going to be cutting it close by the time he goes home to change and makes it to the office. Thanks to Minho’s fantastic performance, the crotch of his slacks is decidedly more damp than a business meeting allows for. “Are you really sure,” he asks anyways, because he’ll call Sana and have her stall in a heartbeat.

“Absolutely sure,” Minho says with a smile, hopping off his lap to instead help him onto his feet. “Just go and win that contract for me. To show me thanks.” He says it with an attempt at a wink, though both is eyes close and fuck it’s the cutest thing. Jisung will literally grovel to get the contract if it means Minho will be proud of him.

“Yes sir,” he says with a mock salute, definitely definitely ignoring the way it makes Minho’s eyes narrow with a quirk of his eyebrow at him. Storage for later. Please. So much later than right now when he needs to be productive.

With one last kiss, Minho helps him sort his clothing out enough to be decent on his way back home and sends him off from the front of the café.

--

A fresh change of clothes and frantic driving through the city later, Jisung stands next to Sana as they welcome the chief of the local precinct into his conference room. He’s a burly older man, hair more salt than pepper as he takes a seat with a few of the other officers he brought with him. Thankfully, Sana has already worked her magic to get everyone feeling more comfortable and is quick to offer coffee to everyone as they take their seats.

Jisung is eternally grateful to Minho because despite his nerves being a little frayed, he feels significantly more confident than he would have otherwise. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I looked over your request and I believe I have a solid proposal for you. I’d just like to ask if there are any specific concerns that I might tailor my services against?”

The chief frowns, crossing his arms over his chest as he seemingly sizes Jisung up. Im Myeungsoo is kind of an asshole it seems, and while Jisung has dealt with a lot of clients that weren’t exactly nice he doesn’t want to deal with this man being rude. “I didn’t realize you’d be just a kid. I’m not so sure you’ll be able to help us at all.”

Before he can get properly offended, another officer from beside the chief offers him a placating smile. “We heard that you’re one of the best in the business, Han Jisung-ssi. One of our main concerns is a hybrid vigilante group that keeps attacking our firewalls in attempts to gain access to our information store. Do you think there’s any way you could help us fortify that?”

Jisung is instantly curious by the news, enough to forget the chief’s antics. He hasn’t heard anything about the hybrid groups which is surprising if it’s that much of a concern to the precinct. Although he figures internal issues like this rarely get published to the public, lest they make the residents in the region start to panic. A firewall issue, however, is right up his alley. “I can definitely assist with that. I already reviewed your current program and I’ve identified a few places that are weak. I’m confident that I can improve your overall security until no one has a chance to break through.”

He sits up a little straighter when the chief seems intrigued by the offer, motioning to Sana that he’s ready to delve into the full presentation. The back of his mind keeps replaying Minho’s kisses as he reminds himself that he can do this. He has an undeniable reason to do well this time around.

--

The phone only rings twice before it connects, making his chest feel warm as he snuggles under his covers.

“Hi, baby. How did it go today?” Minho’s voice sounds just as warm coming through the phone and instantly makes Jisung feel even more ecstatic than he did before. If that’s possible. He has the best news to share.

“I got the contract,” he says, and he already knows the hybrid will be able to hear his smile in his voice.

Minho squeals on the line. “That’s so amazing! I knew you could do it! How about we go out tomorrow night to celebrate? I can have Seungmin close shop for me just this once.”

Jisung thinks he’s finally reached nirvana.

Chapter Text

Jisung starts to see Minho regularly. They go on ‘dates’ to get dinner around the city, then retire back to his apartment to indulge in each other. So far, they’ve met up twelve times and every single time has been a near-religious experience for him. He’d like to fully devote his life to his patron saint Lee Minho, please.

Jisung has ascended multiple times now as they explored various acts he’s only ever dreamed of. Eating Minho out had been his absolute favorite, tasting his sweet slick and watching the hybrid fall apart under his tongue’s ministration. Their first venture in doggy-style (kitty-style?) had been another favorite, getting the most glorious view of Minho’s broad shoulders and thick ass. He almost proposed on the spot.

And although all of those experiences were incredible, Jisung can’t help being the most excited about tonight. All because one Lee Minho had hinted at the prospect of him fucking one Han Jisung this time around. He already knows he’s going to turn into a begging puddle of tears by the end of it and he can’t wait.

It’s with this purely anxious anticipation that Jisung picks his outfit for their date. He wants to push his luck a bit, maybe entice Minho into getting everything he’s been dreaming up before he falls asleep every night. It helps that they’re going to a posh new restaurant in the city. A perfect reason to dress up.

He starts with a tight pair of black jeans and then a white shirt that’s cropped so perfectly that it sits right at the waist of his jeans. If he moves his arms at all, it shows flashes of his stomach, just as he wants. Minho has seemed keenly interested in his waist; a fact he wants to home in on for the events of the night. A few accessories and his favorite boots complete the look before he sets out.

The hybrid is already at the restaurant when he arrives, standing just outside the door. He’s bundled up in a thick coat and wide-knit scarf that looks so warm and comfortable it makes Jisung coo in his head. “Hey,” he calls out once he’s within range, watching the way Minho’s head snaps up to look at him, eyes turning into little crescents.

“Hey yourself. I already got us a table, so we shouldn’t have to wait.”

The restaurant is way nicer than he expected when they walk in and get directed to their table. Everything is low to the ground with pillows to sit on rather than chairs. It feels infinitely more intimate than any other ‘date’ they’ve been on, and it makes Jisung’s heart feel warm and bubbly in his chest.

He’s almost forgotten about his outfit of choice as he unzips his puffy coat, lifting his arms to start pulling at the sleeves. In that moment, he sees Minho zero in on his bare stomach. There’s something undeniably disarming about being looked at the way the hybrid is currently eyeing him. Like he’s been caught in a spotlight. It makes his stomach muscles clench, something that Minho sees too.

Jisung manages to get his coat the rest of the way off, sliding down onto the pillow that’s been designated for him. Minho follows after him a moment later and the air feels oddly charged between them tonight. Their eyes keep meeting, green searing into Jisung’s every time. He feels almost naked with the way the hybrid keeps looking over him, making desire settle in the deep end of his core that threatens to pull him under.

“How was your day,” he asks to try and dissipate the tension a little. Enough to get through this dinner before he’s sure Minho will utterly destroy him. He’d like to enjoy some Japanese fusion first at the very least. A last supper before his ass is changed forever.

Minho leans forward, chin propping on the palm of his hand, elbow secured to the tabletop. “Boring until now.”

It shouldn’t shock him how much Minho is able to disarm him these days, yet his candid attitude always does. It leaves him reeling to cling to reality, never quite sure how to respond. “No interesting customers at the café today?”

With a quick shrug, Minho lifts his menu halfway from the table. “Nah, just regulars and a few new faces. Nothing of note. How was your day at the office?”

In truth, it was grueling. A few of his clients have been managing to destroy their own network security which is mostly infuriating, but also a little entertaining. It’s a good thing he enjoys the act of putting puzzle pieces together to figure out what exactly is going wrong. “It was long. I had to fix a few networks because people keep falling for phishing attempts. It’s like they’ve never heard of scams in their lives.”

“Your job sounds so interesting,” Minho says with a small smile. “I wish I understood it more. Maybe you can show me how it works some time.”

It’s probably not the best idea to invite his sugar baby hybrid into his workspace, but Jisung’s brain is so filled with mushy, lovey goo that he agrees before he even fully contemplates it. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind showing you! It’s actually kind of boring, though. I don’t think you’d really have fun.”

Minho hums. “You’re probably right, but I can’t help wanting to know everything about you and your world, especially if I plan to be a part of it for a long time.” Then he starts reading through the menu like that wasn’t an atomic bomb dropped on Jisung’s psyche. Because it was. He’s already been treading dangerous territory that hints at him falling so irrevocably in love with the hybrid, but his passing comments like this one make it even more of a reality.

The rest of their meal is decently uneventful, just casual conversation and good food. He manages to enjoy the meal in the end, even if their dessert for the night keeps looming on his shoulders. It’s for that reason that Jisung can’t stop fidgeting as they make their way back to his apartment for the umpteenth time. As long as he manages to unlock the door on his first try, so unlike their first night together, he will feel okay about it.

Minho barely allows them to make it inside before he pounces on Jisung, pulling him to the bed in a flurry of movements that somehow look graceful and dispose of his clothing at the same time. He’s like some sort of sexy magician. Maybe he’ll even pull a rabbit out of Jisung’s ass for good measure.

“I’ve been thinking of this all day,” the hybrid admits as he covers Jisung’s body with his own, weighing him down into the mattress. It feels a little taboo to be fully dressed while the other is starkly naked, but Jisung likes it. He likes every single thing about Minho. “Have you been practicing opening yourself up for me?”

Jisung’s face feels hot all of a sudden, remembering the way Minho had talked him through the process on the phone a week ago. Hearing his breathy voice giving him commands had been, singlehandedly, his best phone call in recent history. Winning the lottery couldn’t top something like that. “Yes, I managed to get four fingers inside last night.”

“Good boy,” Minho purrs at him, tail swishing back and forth happily. “Do you want to show me how you did it?”

His face was already hot, but he kind of wonders if it’s verging on blue now. Like how flames that turn blue burn the hottest, because how red he’s blushing can’t possibly convey just how hot his skin feels. It’s one thing to finger yourself in the solitary privacy of your home, but with an audience? And said audience being the most attractive man Jisung has ever known? It sounds mortifying in the best way. “Okay,” he agrees, despite kind of wanting to burn into ashes instead.

He fumbles around until he locates the half-emptied bottle of lube in his bedside table, fingers feeling decidedly less dexterous than usual in the process. He wonders if Minho can see how badly he’s shaking. If he does, he doesn’t comment on it and it’s a grateful mercy.

“Let’s get you undressed,” Minho says as he pulls his shirt from the hem and up over his head. It’s a little unexpected and makes Jisung squawk as he gets temporarily trapped in the fabric, but eventually he’s free of it and can see the hybrid looking at him in amusement again. “Should I help with your jeans, or do you think we’ll end up tangled in them?”

Jisung can’t help but huff, swatting at Minho to get off his lap. “Just let me do it!”

It takes a little maneuvering, but eventually he’s completely nude and shaking as he gets on his knees and uncaps the bottle. A quick, settling breath helps to center him and remind him that this is the final barrier between his ass being sadly unfilled to wholly and completely owned. Something that he desperately wants.

The first finger is difficult to work in, too tense to push through his own rim until Minho reaches out and palms his cock. The sudden stimulation makes his brain reset just enough that he can ease inside. It’s always really strange feeling at first, but the more he does it, the more he’s become accustomed to this first step.

Minho watches with rapt attention as he goes from one finger all the way to three, pumping them in and out of his hole and forcing it to stretch. It only burns a little, but he’s pretty sure nothing will properly prepare him for what’s in store tonight. It’s actually even more amazing how easily Minho always takes him as he ventures into the wonderment of bottoming. Then again, if his ass was also self-lubricating it would probably be a lot more comfortable.

He's just worked his fourth finger inside when Minho apparently loses his patience, grabbing onto his wrist to still his movements. “I can’t take watching any longer. Are you ready for me?”

He’d like to get that sentence embroidered on a shirt to wear to bed every night. He’s so fucking ready for Minho. “Yes, I’m so, so ready,” he says, removing his fingers and trying not to wince at how strange it feels to be empty again. He was smart enough to bring a hand towel to the bed so he can wipe all the lube off as he settles into a comfortable position on his knees and elbows.

There’s the soft caress of Minho’s tail along his thighs as the hybrid gets into position behind him and Jisung kind of wishes he was able to look at Minho. Something that can easily be remedied. “Wait,” he calls, halting Minho’s movements in an instant. “Can I lay on my back instead?”

It earns him a quiet snicker as the hybrid helps manhandle him onto his back so he can look up at him. “Are you sure? It might be a little less comfortable bottoming for the first time in this position.”

Jisung is pretty sure it’s going to be uncomfortable no matter what, at least at first, but being able to watch the pleasure his body gives the hybrid will more than make up for it. “I’m absolutely certain.”

Minho’s smile is dazzling as he scoots between his legs and firmly grabs onto his thighs to keep them spread. “Let me know if you want me to stop, baby,” is all he says before he lines up his cock with Jisung’s hole and starts to press inside.

It takes all of his concentration to stay relaxed, but it’s actually not nearly as bad as he originally expected. Sure, it definitely burns a whole hell of a lot, but his body is way more accommodating than he thought it would be. In fact, he feels a little conflicted with how easily the hybrid is able to push inside all the way until he’s sufficiently filled.

Minho’s chest inflates on a shaky inhale, trying his best to keep his cool which is like, really fun to see when it’s usually him trying not to blow his load the second he’s inside the hybrid. He goes so far as to clench down a few times and, oh, that actually makes the ache go away faster on top of making Minho narrow his eyes at him. “Behave,” is the warning he receives, making him wiggle his eyebrows in the other’s direction.

When Minho drops down onto his elbows on either side of Jisung’s head, caging him in, he feels all the warmth radiating off his body and it’s really comforting. Their lips connect easily, Jisung accepting the way Minho practically dominates his mouth. In their time together, he’s discovered that he’s well and truly the submissive one in their dynamic. Not that he wouldn’t have guessed that, but it’s nice to have it confirmed so clearly.

With an experimental roll of his hips, Minho slowly pulls out and then presses all the way back inside him and Jisung is already hooked on the feeling. He already knew he’d enjoy this, but he wasn’t fully prepared for just how much. His hands find their way onto Minho’s broad shoulders to hold onto as Minho repeats the motion a few more times, getting a feel for how they fit together. Quite perfectly, in Jisung’s opinion.

Minho breaks their kisses to rest his forehead on Jisung’s pillow beside his head instead. “Jesus, you’re so much tighter than I expected.”

Why does that make him proud? Like it’s some sort of accomplishment rather than literally expected of his newly defiled hole? Regardless, Jisung just feels happy that this seems to be as good for Minho as it is for him. “This is really awesome,” he says like an idiot.

At least it makes the hybrid laugh, hot breath fanning over Jisung’s neck in the process. “Yeah? Want me to make it even better?”

Although he’s fairly certain he is in no way shape or form ready for what this ‘better’ entails, he’s already all in. “Yes.”

Minho pushes up so that he’s braced on his hands instead, looking down at Jisung for only a few heated seconds before he pulls back his hips and then slams back inside. Really, Jisung should have known exactly what he was signing up for, but it still makes him gasp in shock. Well shit, he’s definitely in for way more than he originally bargained for, especially if the way the hybrid is grinning is any indication. Immediately following the first hard thrust, Minho gives him another. And then another, until he’s full-on fucking into Jisung and plowing him into the mattress.

He's yet again flabbergasted that he’s gone so long without something like this in his life, but the fact that it led him to this exact moment with Minho marking and claiming his body as his own is enough to make him not regret a thing. It’s actually kind of therapeutic in a way, the fact that he’s finally experiencing all of this with his dream man.

Not for the first time, Jisung realizes that his heart is basically on a platter for Minho just waiting for him to take it. Perhaps he should be worried over that fact, but he’s not. Really, he’s not concerned about it at all because he wants nothing more than to fall in love so wholly with Minho that he can never recover from it. And, you know, maybe have Minho feel the same way about him.

With a shift of his weight, Minho’s cock brushes right against what Jisung can only assume is his prostate because it has his entire body locking up with that single touch, a tug of pleasure deep in his stomach. “Whoa,” he gasps, fingers digging into the hybrid’s back to ground him.

“Found it,” Minho says with a grin, keeping his exact positioning so he can thoroughly destroy all of Jisung’s cognitive function on every single thrust. It works wonders to catapult Jisung closer to release so fast he’s pretty sure he’s getting whiplash.

The pace significantly increases the second Jisung’s eyes start rolling back, like the hybrid knows he’s already rocketing into the heavens of prostate induced pleasure. Minho’s body better act as a nice cushion for his landing when he comes back from space. He can only be left to his own devices for so long in this state.

“Are you going to cum for me, baby?”

Well shit. He wasn’t originally planning on finishing so soon, but now he’s got no fucking choice. He tries to voice these thoughts, but a garbled mess of a moan is released instead. He feels like he’s dangling over the precipice with not a single clue what’s waiting for him on the other side. Not that he can worry for long when Minho slams home and then grinds into him so hard, it’s all over for Jisung.

While all of the orgasms that have been gifted to him by Minho’s body have been mind blowing, this one is on a level that shouldn’t be possible. He’s fairly sure he’s making inhuman noises as his dick repeatedly twitches, pulsing waves of cum over his stomach, but who knows? Certainly not him.

His only solace is faintly hearing Minho curse, trying to stay grounded through the ride as he keeps thrusting Jisung through the last of his climax. His pupils are blown, ears pinned back as he grips onto Jisung’s tiny waist and brutally fucks into his lax body. Jisung couldn’t fight it even if he wanted to, which he very fucking clearly doesn’t. He wants Minho to take every last piece of him.

“Can I cum in you,” Minho barely gets out, voice so gravelly and unlike its normal airy quality that Jisung is smitten.

“God yes. Fuck yes. Every single way to say yes,” he mumbles, letting his body be thoroughly thrashed around to the point that his fitted sheet can’t possibly still be connected to the corners of his mattress.

Minho half laughs, half moans as he doubles down on his efforts. Honestly, he should get some kind of award for how much work he’s putting in to thoroughly defile Jisung in the chase of his own release and Jisung greatly enjoys witnessing every second of it.

Just when his body starts to truly ache, kind of hating the prickly feeling of oversensitivity, Minho’s hips suddenly still against his ass and he can feel his cock pulsing deep inside him. It’s immediately followed by a warm sensation that has no right to feel this good, not that Jisung can really focus on that when the hybrid collapses on top of him.

He runs his hands up and down Minho’s back to comfort him as he comes down from his high. After a few seconds, however, his hands pause when he feels a soft rumbling against his chest. It’s accompanied with an odd rattling noise that takes Jisung a little too long to realize is purring. Minho is fucking purring where he rests against his chest. Dear god, he’s a goner. There is no longer an ‘if’ for the prospect of falling in love. It’s more of a ‘when’ and the answer is looming ever closer.

He's still in his own la la land when he feels gentle kisses being placed on his bare chest and it rips him back into the moment to see a very sleepy Minho giving him affectionate smooches where his head had been moments before. Past his head, Jisung can see his tail happily swishing around. It gives -100 damage to his heart, the weak man he’s always secretly been coming immediately to the surface. “I think I’m at major risk of falling in love with you,” he says before he can throttle the thought.

Yes, it’s way too soon to be thinking like this. They’ve only known each other a little over two months, but Jisung can’t help how he feels. Minho makes him happier than ever before, and he spends most of his time looking forward to the next time they can meet up.

Minho pauses, lips still pressed to his skin. Those green eyes look at him curiously for several long seconds before he pushes up to get a better look at him. “…what?”

Jisung is torn between doubling down and completely scrambling to backpedal from that train of thought. “Uh,” he says instead, so very eloquent. “You don’t need to say anything back. Or really even entertain that. In fact, just forget I said anything. Please.”

It looks like Minho wants to say something, warring with himself for a long time. So long, in fact, that Jisung wonders if he can concentrate hard enough and learn to disappear. Finally, he gives Jisung a slightly pained smile. “I really like you too, Jisung-ah.”

It’s not exactly a shut down, but it definitely puts things back into perspective for him. He hired Minho to keep him company and it’s downright uncomfortable and unfair for him to push his feelings onto the hybrid like this. Being liked by Minho is more than enough. “Do you want to shower?”

They find their way to the shower and Jisung is fascinated to find that Minho’s thighs are coated in a thick layer of slick that he was apparently leaking the entire time they were having sex. He’s not quite sure what to do with that little tidbit, choosing to tuck it away for later.

Thankfully, they find their comfortable rhythm in the shower without hassle, and it feels like Jisung’s little slip up has been forgotten. It’s for the best.

Chapter Text

Jisung keeps checking his phone every thirty seconds, at a complete loss of how he got himself into this situation. Minho kept pouting that he wanted to at least see Jisung’s company and meet Sana so he has a frame of reference any time Jisung talks about them, but he really doesn’t have that much interesting stuff to show him. It’s literally an office building with a moderate number of workers and he doesn’t even have some grand penthouse office like in the movies. In fact, he only has one window that has an ordinary, if not mundane, view.

There’s not much to show for a cyber security business considering everything is done from their computers that look like any other office space. How he’s going to wow Minho is completely lost on him. Then again, he’s told the hybrid countless times how boring it’s going to be so maybe he should stop stressing it.

The sound of elated laughter coming from outside his office door draws his attention. Sana is lovely, really, but she’s not easily impressed and often mean mugs the hell out of anyone that tries to come this way. Her laughing? A little worrying.

Jisung makes it to the door just in time to peek out and see Minho leaning down to whisper conspiratorially into his assistant’s ear. Whatever he says must be downright scandalous with the way Sana’s eyes widen and she slaps at the hybrid’s arm good-naturedly. Why does he have the feeling Minho is spilling his secrets?

“You made it,” he says as a way of announcing himself. It makes the hybrid’s head pop up, a bright smile on his face that smooths over any worry Jisung just felt. He looks so cuddly in a fluffy blue cardigan that Jisung can’t ever get over just how cozy the hybrid always dresses. He’s a pastel dream come true.

“Hi, baby,” Minho greets, almost too easily, as he rounds Sana’s desk and pulls Jisung into a hug. A kiss on Jisung’s cheek makes them warm up a little too much. Especially with the way Sana is downright staring at him in shock. The fact that he’s basically presented himself as a love miser all this time is biting him in the ass now.

“Hey,” he says back, swallowing down the temporary nerves with it. “Did you find the place okay?”

“Mmhmm,” Minho says, stepping back from their embrace. “Your directions were spot on, so thank you for that. Now show me your office!”

Like he’s already said several times, his office is pretty bare bones. He keeps only the necessities on the shelves and his desk mostly open aside from whatever forms or information files he needs in the moment. It’s one of the only spaces in his life that he keeps meticulously organized. “It doesn’t look like much, but that’s because I run everything from my computer.”

Minho still seems enraptured in what little there is to look at. “It’s very nice,” he says as he looks around. “I’m actually surprised how empty it is.” Jisung knows that’s a direct comment on just how much random shit he owns at home, so he can’t help but laugh a bit at the comment.

“Yeah, I never wanted to keep too much in the office. Helps me feel more motivated to get back home at the end of the day.”

It seems to take the hybrid by surprise, mulling over it. “That’s actually really smart. The café is so cozy, I oftentimes stay downstairs longer than I should.”

“Your situation is a little different, though,” Jisung says as he takes a seat in his desk chair. “Those cats probably love the extra attention. Nothing here is really worth staying for unless there’s a problem with one of my clients.”

Minho smiles at that. “Yeah, you’re right. Speaking of, have you had any problems so far today?”

That makes Jisung groan, flopping back against his chair. “Like you wouldn’t believe. The precinct has been having a ton of issues lately and I had to upgrade everything for them. I’ve been monitoring all their activity for three days now.”

“What exactly do you do,” Minho asks as he comes to stand next to Jisung and lean against his desk. “Can you show me? I probably won’t understand any of it, but it sounds so cool. Plus, you’re really handsome when you get talking about this stuff.”

Jisung has never once missed an opportunity to look anything close to handsome, especially in Minho’s eyes. He’s far too excited to drag one of the chairs across from his desk—usually reserved for bitching sessions with Sana—around until it’s next to his own chair and then grabs one of the boxes at the side of his desk to plop down in front of them.

Truly, he would never show anyone any of this because it’s actually quite boring but also they could get some of his trade secrets. Minho, however, doesn’t understand enough to do that by his own admittance.

“This is a physical firewall box. I use next generation equipment because it’s a little faster and works better with my coding,” he explains as he opens the box and pulls out the small metal device. Just looking at it, it doesn’t seem like more than a tiny modem. In reality, it’s one of the more powerful options on the market which is why he’s designed everything in his company to work with them.

“It acts as a sort of barrier between my clients’ network and anyone that tries to get into it. For instance, if a company has a whole program that has all their employees’ personal information this can help block anyone from getting to it. Usually people use them to help guard any banking information or customer data, though.”

Minho looks enraptured in his explanation, holding up the hardware and turning it all around in his hands like it holds the secrets to the universe. “It doesn’t look like much,” he decides, making Jisung laugh.

“No, it really doesn’t, does it? That’s why I write my own firmware to instruct them how to work properly. I made my own API so that I can easily figure out what’s going on when something gets past one of my systems.”

“API,” the hybrid asks, head tilting to the side.

“It’s a programming interface,” he explains, reaching for his mouse and wiggling it a few times to make his screen come back to life. He clicks into the API window that’s always open on the desktop and turns the screen to show the hybrid. In reality, it still doesn’t look like much to anyone that casually looks at it. But to Jisung, it’s the most integral part of his company. “This is where I input the code for all the different commands,” he explains further as he opens one of the individual screens.

To an outside perspective, it just looks like a bunch of jumbled nonsense, but he’s actually very proud of everything he’s written out himself. It took him months to troubleshoot and get everything right.

“That doesn’t look like it means anything,” Minho says with a chuckle as he leans forward to look at his coding closer. “Seriously, I don’t know how you can use stuff like this at all. It’s really impressive.”

“Thank you,” Jisung says, preening under all the compliments. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but this is all really important to me and it’s kind of cool to get to share it with you.”

Without warning, Jisung’s chair is pushing back from the desk as Minho climbs into his lap and while it’s unexpected, it’s also incredibly welcome. Well, aside from the fact that Sana is right outside his closed door. The moment Minho starts kissing him, arms wrapping around the back of the chair, he finds that he doesn’t really care about that after all. Not when he starts kissing back right away.

Minho always smells so sweet, which just adds to his overall allure. Really, Jisung doesn’t think he could have made a better match from himself if he’d gotten to pick every feature. A slight prick on his bottom lip when the hybrid nips him makes his skin feel too tight, lost to his senses. “I want you to touch me so bad,” Minho whispers against his lips before pressing back against them.

It’s probably a terrible idea. Worse than having the hybrid here in the first place because his office is no place to bring his ‘sugar baby’, yet Jisung is willing to give him everything. “Yeah? Want me to play with you and make you feel good?”

He feels a bit like Rico Suave these days, able to keep up with Minho and his advances. For the most part. He definitely still has his moments where he’s a bumbling idiot, but they’re coming fewer and farther between the more time he spends with him.

“Please, baby,” Minho purrs at him. “Want you to make me cum while I’m laying on your desk so you can think of it every day you come to work.”

Jisung can’t help himself at that. He somehow manages to stand and lift Minho at the same time, one hand reaching out to clumsily move the box and hardware to the side so he can lay the hybrid down comfortably. He’s already dead set on doing his best to make Minho fall apart.

He settles over Minho and pushes the cardigan open until there’s just a thin t-shirt separating him from that glorious body. With a gentle yank, he removes that as well and tucks it under the hybrid’s chin. His small, dusky nipples are such a contrast against his pale skin and Jisung has been dreaming about getting to stimulate them for a while, though he’s been too shy to test it out.

Now, though? There’s no stopping him. The moment his tongue connects with the bud, Minho’s entire body convulses under him, and he peeks up to see the hybrid shoving his knuckles into his mouth to stifle whatever sound was about to come out. Apparently, he quite likes having his nipples touched and Jisung feels insanely giddy at figuring that out. There’s no time like the present to get some much needed revenge.

When he takes the whole thing into his mouth, he swears he hears Minho muffle a yelp and it’s game on. His fingers find the other and tweak it softly, just enough to make the hybrid writhe from the combined sensations. This is the first time he’s felt in control and while he’s not exactly confident about it, it’s also exhilarating. Dangerous somehow, like he’s playing with matches and hoping he doesn’t get burnt.

He's having a grand time just teasing Minho as he continues to give attention to his nipples, fingertips exploring his silky-smooth stomach until they reach the little scar by his belly button. Even the slightly raised, dimpled skin feels his next wet dream. The little huffs and moans he’s earning from each touch give him a trail of crumbs to follow so he can take Minho apart.

“Sung,” Minho says breathlessly and it’s the first time he’s called Jisung a nickname other than ‘baby’. It should probably embarrass him how much he likes it.

“Yes?” He hovers over Minho’s chest just long enough to ask the question, but the hybrid blocks him from continuing his endless torture as his arms wrap around Jisung’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss that’s all tongue and tender affection.

“Touch me more,” he commands against Jisung’s lips and just like that he’s lost the upper hand because he will do anything Minho tells him to, but he wants to try and keep control for just a little longer.

Rather than keep touching on his stomach, Jisung trails one of his hands downwards until he reaches the band of Minho’s jeans. The bulge beneath them is visible, straining for release but he doesn’t want this to progress too quickly, heart set on dragging this out for both their sakes. Instead, he uses just his pointer finger to drag down the zip with enough pressure to make Minho groan. He’s not sure how many more liberties Minho is going to allow him to take, so he wants to enjoy this to the fullest.

He flattens his hand and presses the palm into the bulge, just enough strength behind the motion to give the hybrid some relief without any real pleasure. When it makes Minho arch into his touch, he starts to understand why the hybrid likes being in charge so much. It’s fascinating to have him squirming underneath him and at his mercy.

Jisung leans forward so he can brace himself over Minho on one elbow, taking advantage of the way his head is tilted to the side to kiss down the side of his neck. Apparently, it’s one of the hybrid’s weak spots because he basically melts onto the top of his desk, submitting to the drag of Jisung’s tongue along his skin. With his free hand, Jisung reaches down to undo Minho’s jeans, albeit clumsily, as he focuses most of his attention on lightly nibbling where Minho’s neck and shoulder meet.

When he finally frees his cock, it’s wet beneath his fingertips and that’s enough to make him want to cry. How he manages to make Minho anything less than composed is a mystery, but he’ll keep studying his body until he’s the Sherlock Holmes of pleasuring the hybrid. Anything to keep him close at this point.

There’s enough precum dribbling out of his cock for Jisung to wrap his fist around him and pump a few times, the movement an easy glide. He can actually feel the low groan coming from Minho’s throat as he kisses there, sensitive skin of his lips picking up on the subtle vibrations. “It feels so good,” Minho says, arms tightening around his shoulders to keep him right where he is. “You’re going to make me cum too fast if you keep it up.”

Jisung wants to scoff at that. Tell him there’s no such thing. Too bad his brain is going into hyperdrive at the idea that he might make Minho fall apart so quickly. It makes him tighten his fist, just a little, so his fingers create a tighter chasm for the hybrid’s cock. He keeps kissing and biting over the expanse of Minho’s neck, just to hear the sounds he can draw out of him.

It only takes a few seconds before the hybrid starts to undulate his hips, effectively fucking up into Jisung’s hand in search of more. It also makes Minho’s thigh rub against the front of Jisung’s pants, an unexpected bonus that takes the edge off his own arousal. He’d forgotten he’s essentially straddling one of Minho’s legs until this moment and immediately uses that information to his advantage as he grinds down against it.

Unfortunately, this seems to give Minho an opening as he lifts his leg roughly against his crotch. “Oh, does my baby want to feel good too?” It absolutely works to make him feel like he’s drowning, whimpering against the soft, floral scented skin of the hybrid’s neck.

Minho’s hands unfurl from around his shoulders to instead settle on his ass, pulling him against his leg so he can grind them together. It’s such a 180 from moments before that Jisung struggles to keep up with the pleasure suddenly pumping through his body. “Unfair,” he grunts out, still trying to keep enough coordination to keep pumping his fist on the hybrid’s cock. It makes Minho chuckle beneath him, knowing exactly how dirty he’s playing.

“Come here,” Minho instructs, pulling Jisung between his spread legs until their hips are lined up. His fingers were far more deftly to open Jisung’s slacks until their cocks are aligned, barely brushing against each other and already making Jisung’s skin tingle. “Let’s see who can hold out longer,” is all the hybrid warns before he wraps his hand around both of their cocks and starts to rub them together.

While it physically feels amazing, the actual image of their cocks—his slightly smaller, and Minho’s blushed pink—is enough to make his knees wobble dangerously. His other hand lands beside the hybrid’s head on the desk to stabilize him as he watches Minho twist his fist around the tips of their cocks. Everything feels so hot all of a sudden, sweat beading at the nape of his neck.

He already knows he’s going to lose, not even trying to hold back from his staccato of moans. He vaguely hopes that Sana has her headphones on. Or went to run an errand. Anything to not be witnessing how whiny he sounds right now as Minho works them steadily closer to release.

When Minho throws his head back on a particularly loud groan, entire body stretching to the point of his stomach going taut, it’s enough to push Jisung over the ledge. Thank god he pushed Minho’s t-shirt up earlier as he paints his abdomen with countless spurts of cum, tremors racking his body the entire way. “Fuck,” he pants out at the tail end of climax.

He rushes to take over for Minho’s hand, knocking it out of the way so he can firmly grasp him and resume the breakneck speed of his jerking. The hybrid keeps twitching every time his fingers tease the head of his cock and it’s extremely attractive, making Jisung feel like he’s finally giving Minho a level of pleasure that matches what he does for Jisung.

Jisung gets an idea as he watches Minho slowly edging towards release, maneuvering his body until he’s hunched over his chest. The moment his lips wrap around the hybrid’s nipple again, he earns a surprised shout with a jolt of Minho’s body. He smiles to himself as he twirls his tongue around the sensitive bud, then proceeds to lightly suck on it. Apparently, that was all the added stimulation Minho needed because his cock starts to pulse heavily in Jisung’s hand.

He's careful to keep his same pacing through the entirety of Minho’s orgasm, only slowing down when he feels the hybrid’s body starting to go lax beneath him. When he pops off his chest to look at him, Minho’s cheeks are flushed, and his eyes are clenched shut. “Why do I feel like you’re going to use this information against me in the future,” Minho says with a chuckle, eyes cracking open just enough to tease.

“I’m never going to let this go if it makes you react like that,” Jisung replies with a toothy grin. He’s basically gotten a golden ticket to unlocking the hybrid’s orgasm potential. Why would he ever forget it?

“Kiss me,” Minho pleads, hands smoothing down the sides of Jisung’s ribcage. The soft way he’s speaking and handling Jisung isn’t exactly rare, but it’s not the most common either. It’s got his chest feeling like it’s been stuffed with pudding.

Their kisses are soft and sweet, going slow as they taste each other and exchange unspoken affection. He thinks they might be the best they’ve ever had, despite how tired and worn out they’re both feeling right now. Perhaps Jisung shouldn’t imagine such gentle making out first thing in the mornings, all sleep tinted and warm, but he’s been dreaming of making Minho his for too long already.

By the time they part, their combined cum has already started to cool and dry on the edges where it’s puddled on Minho’s torso. It makes the hybrid grimace as he looks down at himself. “Do you have anything to clean me up?”

Jisung looks around his barren office, frowning. “Let me go grab some towels from the bathroom.” It’s not the best option, considering he’ll have to walk past Sana but as the one that doesn’t have cum all over him, he has to be the one to do it anyways. He carefully gets his clothes situated before heading for the bathroom, making sure to close the door of his office behind him. As expected, Sana is waiting for him, leaned back in her chair with a giddy look on her face. “Please, don’t say anything,” he pleads.

“You never told me you have a boyfriend,” she says, that smile never leaving. “He’s so handsome too!”

Jisung can’t help how warm his entire body feels at that. Minho isn’t his boyfriend, but god does he want that. Still, he’s not about to tell Sana what Minho actually is in relation to him for fear of her judgement, so he just gives her a shy smile instead. “Yeah, he really is.”

When he manages to make it back to his office with half a roll of paper towels, Minho is typing away on his phone, half laying on the desk still. “I come bearing clean-up necessities,” Jisung announces as he starts to wipe the hybrid.

“Do you think you could help set up a firewall thing for my café,” Minho ask as he helps Jisung drag the wet towels across his lower stomach. “I know I don’t really have much to protect, but the way you explained it made me feel like I should have something for all my banking and customer data.”

Jisung can’t help but smile at him. The fact that he listened so intently while he explained everything makes his chest flutter. “Yeah, I can get you set up with one of our plans. The café should be really easy to cover. How about I bring it all over tomorrow evening after you close?”

“Really? Are you sure it wouldn’t be too much hassle,” Minho asks as they finish the last of the cleanup job.

“Not at all. I wouldn’t mind and it actually would make me feel better to be able to keep your café safe, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

He’s got him cleaned up and dressed again before he checks the time. Perhaps he can get away with calling it an early day. “Do you want to go grab an early dinner with me?”

“I heard that new mandu spot just opened up near your apartment,” Minho agrees with a grin, canines poking into his thick bottom lip. “Let’s go check it out.”

Jisung grabs all his necessities, noting that his computer screen is still lit and open on what he’d been showing Minho before their illicit activities. He laughs to himself as he logs off and closes everything down, taking the hybrid’s hand in his as he pulls him past Sana. She only catcalls them a couple times.

Chapter Text

Jisung can’t believe how different his life is now compared to four months ago. Really, if anyone asked what he imagined for his future, this would not be it, but he’s so fucking happy that it is. Especially as he lays next to the hybrid, sleeping peacefully with little snoozes. They’re on a weekend trip to Jeju Island after Minho had shyly (shyly!!) asked if he would take him on an overnight trip. There was no way he would ever deny a request like that, especially knowing that it meant he’d get to sleep beside him and wake up to his pretty face.

Another big change is how quickly his company started growing after he’d successfully helped the precinct defend against their previous attacks. It seems that they’d spread word of his efficacy to other precincts as well as the local government facilities. To be honest, Jisung is rolling in cash now and he doesn’t have a clue how to feel about it other than fucking ecstatic.

With a quiet groan, Minho stretches beside him and then snuggles closer, arms instinctively wrapping around Jisung’s waist. It’s indescribably comforting to feel the hybrid’s warmth envelop his back as he cocoons around him. Enough that he starts to feel the distinct tug of sleep, relaxing into the feeling easily.

--

When he wakes, it’s to a gentle purr against his back and the feeling of the hybrid’s tail wrapped around his waist. It’s bliss. Literally everything he’s been dreaming of for months finally coming to fruition. Even better when Minho starts kissing his shoulder, apparently sensing that he’s awake. “Good morning, baby.”

“Good morning,” he says back, fighting the urge to jump out of bed and perform an entire musical number. His feelings have been tumultuous lately, mostly in the sense that he doesn’t know how to act around the hybrid without practically spewing all of them. He’s been able to keep everything inside since the first night Minho had taken him, but they’re all stewing just beneath the surface. He’s a ticking time bomb at this rate, and the domesticity of a weekend trip is making it twenty times harder to keep from asking Minho to just be his boyfriend. He would still pay him, of course, but he wants the exclusivity of calling the hybrid his.

“We should get breakfast and then check out the waterfalls,” Minho suggests, rubbing his face against Jisung’s back as his purring steadily increases in volume. That’s another thing that’s been occurring more frequently. Anytime they have quiet moments spent in close proximity, the purring starts. He’d tried to ask about it once, only to have Minho turn near murderous, denying the fact outright. Since then, he’s allowed Minho to purr in peace without comment while screaming internally about how cute it is.

They find themselves at Tangerine Café, sipping at their Americanos. Minho looks fully in vacation mode with his loose, flowing white shirt and jeans. Jisung had opted for black jeans and an oversized Rolling Stones t-shirt, his own brand of casual. The sunlight feels comforting as they tuck into their breakfast. He’d been surprised at Minho’s request for this spot in particular considering it was almost impossible to locate, but the food is already worth it the second it comes out.

The hybrid keeps eyeing the sausage on his plate, trying to act nonchalant about it, so Jisung grabs one of them and plops it onto his plate instead. Minho just grins and snatches it up before popping it in his mouth. He likes how easily they can interact with each other these days, hardly even having to speak to be on the same page.

“Do you think we can stop by the botanical gardens after the waterfalls,” Minho asks after he’s done chewing. “I heard they’re really pretty this time of year.”

“Of course. We can go anywhere you want to,” he says, meaning it. While he’s been to Jeju a few times, this is apparently Minho’s first time and he’s been looking up listings of all the attractions so he can get the best possible experience. Jisung feels lucky to be part of giving that to him.

Each smile he gets from Minho just makes things even better.

--

Stuffed from their breakfast, it’s kind of nice to be walking along the trail of the Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls, hand in hand. The temperature couldn’t be any more perfect as they meander along. This particular path has three of the waterfalls along it, so they’d chosen it for an easy trek.

Minho starts to swing their arms harder, grinning when Jisung peeks at him. “Thank you for bringing me here, I’ve always wanted to see Jeju.” In that moment, the sun has perfectly aligned to make his eyes look somehow even brighter than usual, smile just as blinding. The red of his hair is like flickering flames as the wind tousles it, and Jisung can’t help but feel a pang in his chest at just how beautiful he is. He would do anything for the hybrid. Absolutely anything he asked of him.

Jisung doesn’t even realized he’s stopped walking until Minho cocks his head to the side, looking a little worried. “Hey, everything okay?”

“I love you, Minho,” he says, not a care in the world on if the timing is right or if he’s going to make everything fall apart. He feels compelled to say it, to get it off his chest once and for all.

The hybrid stares into his eyes, Jisung’s feelings mirrored there so easy to see. It’s not something he ever expected and he’s not really sure how to take it. Even still, he can see hesitance rolling off Minho in waves, like he isn’t sure if he can bring himself to voice it. Eventually, he takes a shaky breath and smiles at him timidly. “I… I love you too.” Jisung knows it’s true, can feel how true it is in the way his eyes look glassy at the admittance.

Nothing can stop him from pulling the hybrid closer and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “I love you so much,” he repeats before finding Minho’s lips in a heated kiss. They’re in their own bubble, cast about them by their carefully admitted feelings. Jisung doesn’t think he’s ever felt happiness quite like this, heart soaring high above them.

They kiss until Jisung can barely feel his lips anymore, both laughing softly when they pull apart. Minho bumps his shoulder lightly. “Come on, you still owe me the waterfalls and gardens.”

--

They kiss their way through the waterfall tour, giggling like kids as they hold hands and skip between them. Jisung’s camera roll is filled with about two hundred pictures of the landscape, Minho, and shots of them together. They’d managed to get another couple to swap photo-taking with and Jisung already has it set as his phone wallpaper before they finish the hike. He’s fairly certain he can ask Minho to be his officially by the end of this trip and receive the answer he’s been dreaming of.

The botanical gardens are even more gorgeous than he expected by the time they make it there, both of them excitedly exploring the space as they point out various plants and try to pronounce their Latin names. It’s a little disastrous and a lot of fun, more fun than he remembers having in recent years but that’s just how it always ends up whenever he spends time with Minho. It’s so easy to get lost in their mutual joy.

They grab a light dinner near the gardens before finally making their way back to the hotel they’re staying in, and Minho is practically climbing onto him by the time the door shuts behind them. “What do you think of shower sex,” the hybrid asks between kiss attacks on his neck. It’s one thing they haven’t tried yet and Jisung doesn’t even have to ponder the question before he’s ripping his shirt over his head and dragging Minho towards the bathroom.

Thankfully, the shower in their hotel room is spacious so he’s not terrified of slipping or smacking their heads on the tile as they turn the water to hot and strip the rest of the way. It’s a flurry of movements to get into the stall, but the mood of the day instantly tampers down the rushing until he’s carefully corralling Minho against the wall of the shower, hot water soothing their tired bodies.

He’s never ‘made love’ before, but it feels like that’s the direction they’re headed with soft moans and gentle caresses. Jisung just wants to make him feel special, make him feel how much he cherishes him and intends to take care of him for however long he’ll allow him. Hopefully forever.

With another languid kiss, Jisung pulls back to take in Minho’s flushed cheeks. Even with the water sticking his hair down, he looks gorgeous. He pecks one more kiss to the tip of his nose before turning the hybrid around and pressing him against the tiled wall. “Relax, love, let me take care of you,” he says, it coming out about twenty times more confident than he feels as he drops to his knees. He feels immense pressure to make this their best sex yet.

He massages Minho’s ass cheeks, drawing a low groan out of him, before parting them enough to see the slick starting to pool around his hole. It compels him to dive forward, tongue first, licking at the sweet slick and teasing Minho’s rim. The hybrid whines at the contact, his tail curling around Jisung’s shoulders as if he’s trying to pull him closer.

It only makes his desperation triple, tongue pressing past the muscled entrance so he can start to loosen it. Hybrids, apparently, open up faster than humans do, but Jisung still feels proud of how easily he’s able to prep Minho with something as simple as eating him out. Likes the fact that he’s got him crying out, hands scrambling over the tiles.

Minho only gets louder, seeming to not bother trying to hold his sounds as Jisung presses a finger in alongside his tongue. The acoustics in the shower are impeccable, amplifying the sounds around him until he feels like he’s been dunked into a bath of Minho’s saccharine moans. It’s a little difficult to not drown between the water beating down on him and the almost ridiculous amount of slick coming out of Minho, but Jisung refuses to let it stop or slow him in his pursuit of ensuring the hybrid feels every ounce of his love.

“Sung,” Minho calls once he’s got three fingers inside him, steadily pumping. “If you don’t get inside me right now, I’m going to go crazy.”

That’s enough to kickstart his ass into movement, pulling out of Minho’s body so he can use the grip on his waist to pull himself back into standing, slotting himself against his back. It feels almost natural to adjust his hips until his cock notches against Minho’s opening and presses in. Just like every other time, he’s momentarily overwhelmed by just how incredible the hybrid feels around him. Always scalding hot and velvety smooth.

Jisung drags his lips and tongue down the back of Minho’s neck, mouth closing around the top of his shoulder so he can bite it, drawing a deep groan out of the hybrid and making his back arch. Their hips grind together each time Jisung bottoms out, hands tightening around the hybrid’s waist to hold him steady.

“You’re making me feel so good, baby,” Minho tries to say, but the words get punched out of him on each thrust. “Want you to keep being with me like this forever.”

Any and all mentions of forever seem to be hotwired to making Jisung’s brain short circuit, and he can’t help the way he whimpers at them. Their bodies mold together so perfectly, fluxing the way a soldering iron melts the edges of metal piping until it’s one seamless piece. Suddenly, it’s not enough for Jisung. He wants to see Minho, kiss him, watch the way he gets raptured through Jisung’s love making. Because that’s really what he wants most of all; to truly make love to him. Simple sex can’t possibly be enough anymore.

“I want to take you to bed,” he says against the shell of Minho’s ear. “Please?”

Minho seems almost in a trance as he reaches out and twists the shower handle until the water barely drips out. “Take me to bed then, Jisung-ah.”

Despite his frenzied need to have Minho, Jisung is still responsible enough to drag a towel over their bodies to get as much moisture as possible. The bed is likely to be wrecked regardless, but he still wants to at least try to have somewhere to sleep tonight.

He watches as Minho towels off his hair as much as his impatient state will allow before climbing into the center of the bed and spreading his legs, eyebrow raised. Jisung takes the bait instantly, tossing his own towel behind him as he climbs onto the bed and straight into the hybrid’s arms.

They don’t waste time resuming, Jisung lining up and thrusting back inside right away. Now that he can watch the way the veins in Minho’s neck pop out and his cheeks grow pink, it’s all the more incredible. Their lips connect, but they’re both panting too much to kiss properly. Despite that, their lips rub together as they breathe in the essence of each other. He wants to bottle this moment up forever, so he never loses it.

Their hands are everywhere all at once, both seeming to be desperate to feel as much of the other as they possibly can. It’s only made better when Minho wraps his thick thighs around Jisung’s hips and tugs him down so their upper bodies are pressed together. He’s pretty sure that if there was a way for them to be physically closer, they’d be doing it right this moment.

He’s not going to last long like this, but the hybrid is already making high keens that signal he’s getting close too. Jisung has spent enough time like this to be able to read him like a book. It makes his hips pick up their pace instinctively, fucking into Minho like his entire life depends on it.

Time turns meaningless as he’s trapped in their sordid love making, not giving a single fuck about anything that isn’t directly tied to Minho and the way he cries out on every deep stroke inside. Jisung gratefully accepts his climax as it comes, holding onto Minho throughout the entirety of the seams of his soul coming unbound just for the hybrid to stitch him back together with his sweetly murmured words.

The second Jisung can see and think sort of clearly again, he pulls out much to a dissatisfaction of Minho. He quickly makes up for it by replacing his cock with two fingers, nailing the hybrid’s prostate in one go as he sidles down his body and swallows his dick down. Not all the way—he’s still not quite to that level—but enough to make Minho curse loudly. He’s a man on a mission, determined to make Minho see an entire constellation of stars behind his eyelids when his release finds him.

He doesn’t have to wait long, Minho unable to hold out against his combined attack for longer than a minute or two before his thighs flex dangerously around Jisung’s head. He vaguely remembers the time he’d imagined Minho crushing watermelons as he swallows down each spurt of cum, hoping his head doesn’t find itself in that precarious situation.

Jisung takes care to be gentle when he finally pops off Minho’s cock and looks up at him. Minho’s chest is still rising and falling rapidly, seeming to struggle to catch his breath. Yet another surge of affection fills him, and he’s just so absolutely gone for him that it’s ridiculous. He keeps feeling compelled to say it now that he can. “I love you.” It’s just so easy to say to the hybrid, knowing how much he means it.

Minho lifts his arms and waves for Jisung to come up for cuddles. He doesn’t need to be asked twice to scoot up and let the hybrid wrap him up. “I love you too,” Minho says once he’s settled, but something still seems off every time he says it. “Just know that whatever happens, I really do love you.”

It seems a little melancholy, but Jisung understands. Their situation isn’t exactly normal, nor is it conducive to falling in love. He wonders how many of Minho’s clients have fallen in love with him by now. Probably a lot. Somehow, the fact that Minho still manages to tell Jisung that he loves him back overrides any jealousy or insecurity he might have felt otherwise.

“Don’t worry over it, just being able to be with you is more than enough,” Jisung says, wanting to comfort him. “I don’t expect anything more than what you’re able to give right now so don’t worry.”

Minho’s eyes are unreadable as he looks back into his eyes, finally closing them as he squeezes Jisung tighter to his chest. “Thank you for loving me.”

Jisung thinks about telling him how easy he is to love. Thinks about waxing poetic over every little aspect of the hybrid that’s made him fall for him so completely. Yet, he feels like the moment is too delicate for anything like that. No, he just wants to stay suspended in this quiet time instead. Tread through the depth of what he’s feeling and float along the top.

They stay snuggled up together for a while before Minho stretches and taps him on the arm. “I’m getting tired. Let’s finish our showers and head to bed?”

--

The clock on the bedside table cast a dull, green glow over the room. 1:43 in the morning.

Jisung wakes to the continued vibrations of his phone beside his head. Usually he can sleep through anything, but it’s making so much ruckus that he can’t ignore it any longer. Worried that it might wake Minho, he quickly swipes the device into his hand and lifts it to his face, instantly turning the brightness all the way down so it doesn’t absolutely blind him.

Sana:
Jisung!
Fuck, Jisung, I don’t know what’s going on
All the gov networks seem to be under attack right now
It’s almost like someone wormed their way into one and somehow used your own code to open the backdoors to all the others
JISUNG SERIOUSLY PLEASE ANSWER
All the data is being copied over and I can’t get it to stop

Panic rises in the pit of his stomach as he reads over each text, seeing the typing bubbles continuously popping up and disappearing. How could someone have possibly gotten behind his firewalls? And to use his own code against him? It shouldn’t be possible. He’d written all of it himself, far more sophisticated and difficult to decipher than any other firewall firmware on the market.

He peeks over his shoulder to see if he’s woken Minho with the phone, but the other side of the bed is empty. It’s so hard to reconcile that he’s not sure what he’s seeing is real for a few seconds, but then he notices the light of the bathroom from underneath the closed door.

Jisung needs Minho right now. He needs to feel his comfort and sweet words to give him strength to face what’s going on at his company. With him so far away, there’s not a single thing he can do to stop the current attack but hope that it’s not too devastating. As soon as he makes it to the door, however, he’s surprised to hear Minho’s muffled voice through it.

He doesn’t want to eavesdrop, really, but a few of the words catch him off guard and cause him to step closer until he can barely make out what’s being said on the other side.

“Yes, he’s asleep right now. Just keep pushing and get all the data you can. Changbin opened that email with the phishing link, Jeongin. You said your code would be good enough to get everything if I got you those pictures of his setup.”

His stomach feels like it drops all the way through his body until it hits the floor. He might throw up. It’s too hard to really comprehend everything he’s just heard, but there’s no way to mistake what he hears his fucking sugar baby saying. He remembers letting Minho into his office. Showing him all of his coding. Leaving to get paper towels and the way Minho had been furiously typing on his phone when he returned, slightly shifted. Then he gave the hybrid access to his network directly through the firewall he set up for his café.

Dread settles on him, running down his spine and making his body feel like it’s been tossed into a frozen lake. The thing he can’t wrap his head around is… why? Why would Minho go through all of this, deceive Jisung for months and then betray him like this?

He’s still stuck in his spot on the other side of the door when the light of the bathroom clicks off and it swings open. Minho freezes the second he sees him, eyes widening and mouth falling open. It feels like it’s the first time Jisung is truly seeing him, standing there in the threshold of the bathroom fully naked, after they spent the day exchanging ‘I love you’s and getting lost in each other.

Jisung can already feel the tears starting to cascade down his cheeks.

Chapter Text

“Jisung…”

He doesn’t want to hear it. Honestly, he can’t really hear Minho’s voice over the roar of blood in his ears. It’s deafening, blocking out everything else as he tries to reconcile the love of his life completely and utterly fucking him over. His phone just keeps buzzing in his hand, no doubt Sana updating him on how his company is crashing down all around them back in Seoul.

“Why did you do it,” he asks, once he finds his voice, but it doesn’t really sound like him. No, it sounds like a hollowed-out version of who Jisung used to be. “Why did you do this to me?”

As Minho looks at him, his entire being seems to morph. He sighs and flicks his hair out of his eyes. “Well, no use beating around the bush anymore. I needed access to the records of all your latest clients. I do want to thank you for making it so easy for me to do that.”

Nothing is connecting for Jisung. He’s hearing everything coming out of Minho’s mouth, but it just sounds absolutely insane. The sick feeling in his stomach twists until he feels bile climbing up the back of his throat. “That doesn’t explain why… Why the fuck did you use me like this?”

With another put-out sigh, Minho rolls his eyes and pushes past him so he can locate his discarded clothing and dress himself. “As I said, I needed the information. Now that I’ve gotten it, you won’t have to hear from me ever again.”

As if that’s what Jisung is concerned about? Never seeing him again? He’s barely even gotten through the initial shock enough to understand that the hybrid honey-potted him into getting what he wanted, let alone reconcile with losing Minho as well. After this, he’ll never see him again. Never get to kiss him or hold him. And yes, he’s absolutely fucking livid and feeling betrayed, but he still loves Minho underneath it all. Even if the hybrid’s words were fake, his weren’t.

Which brings him to another issue. “Why did you say you love me too… If you were going to do this to me, why make me think that you actually loved me back? You could have pushed my words off. Told me you didn’t feel the same way.” His eyes are burning, feeling like someone rubbed lemon juice into them with how much they’re starting to sting.

“I needed you to love me so you’d let me in fully,” Minho says with a nonchalant shrug, unlocking his phone so he can scroll through it. There’s more to it, Jisung can tell, but it’s obvious that the hybrid is locking him out and cutting their connection with every word he speaks.

He’s acting so differently than he was even just an hour ago that Jisung can’t comprehend it. Was Minho really that good of an actor to fake the feelings? To fake how much affection he had in his eyes? Jisung doesn’t think there’s a single person on earth that can fake love like that. “I don’t believe you,” is all he can manage to get out.

“Believe what you want,” Minho says, not even bothering to look up from his phone. “Either way, I got everything I needed from you.”

Finally, Jisung’s brain is fully catching up to what Minho is saying, but he knows he can have the last laugh. Even if that laugh is more of a sad, wet hiccup. “You won’t be able to unencrypt the data even if you download all of it.”

At that, Minho’s head snaps up, eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I put a special encryption on all of the networks that I coded for. One that even whoever Jeongin is won’t be able to get through because it’s unique. I guarantee you won’t get any value out of everything you’re stealing right now.” And it should make him feel better to reveal something so devastating to Minho like this, but he’s too empty to get any comfort from the way the hybrid curses and lifts his phone to his ear.

“Jeongin,” Minho says into the phone once the mystery person evidently answers. “Can you check the files? Are they encrypted?”

Jisung, feeling starkly naked now that he no longer trusts or feels comfortable in Minho’s presence, reaches out to find his athletic shorts that he’d discarded onto the floor the morning before. He watches the way Minho’s face goes from concerned to angry, clearly having Jeongin confirm that everything Jisung has said is true.

“Can you get through the encryption?”

It feels a little weird to be listening to Minho talk about him and his life’s work as if he isn’t sitting right in front of him. He can’t bring himself to check his phone and see the report of the fallout from this one. From what Minho has said, Jisung already knows he’s lost all credibility. His company is well and truly going to implode on itself the second reports of what has happened tonight come out. Everything he has ever worked for is gone in the blink of an eye. All thanks to Minho.

He transports back to the first night they met. How infatuated he was with the hybrid from the moment they met. How he’d let Minho right into his apartment, life, and heart without a second of caution. Perhaps he is to blame for this strange turn of events. Afterall, he never once questioned anything. Never wondered why Minho was so invested in all the new clients he’d been getting. Never wondered about all the invasive questions into his line of work. He’s had the world’s thickest rose-color glasses on and now that they’re shattered, he can easily pick out every moment he could have stopped this.

He still feels sick, but most of what he’s feeling by now is numb. Wrapped up in a thick layer of bubble wrap that’s cutting him off from reality.

“Congrats,” Minho says as soon as he hangs up the phone and Jisung forgot to even pay attention to the tail end of the conversation he’d been having. “Now you’re going to come with me as soon as we land back in Seoul and you’re going to unencrypt all of those files.”

The audacity in which Minho is making demands makes Jisung prickle. He actually laughs at that, purely out of disbelief. “No, I’m not.”

Minho’s answering smile looks lethal. “Oh, yes you are. If you don’t, all of this has been for fucking nothing.”

“For you, yeah,” he agrees. “It’s already been for fucking nothing for me. Tell me why I should help you?”

It’s a little terrifying, the way Minho looks at him when the question is out. “I can’t give you details. Trust me, you don’t want details anyways. It’s best for you to help me and then go on your way as quickly as you can and not get wrapped up in this.”

Everything keeps coming out as threats, but Jisung refuses to back down. He has nothing left to worry about losing. Every single thing he’s ever cared about is already gone and out the window. “Not good enough,” he says back. “I don’t care what happens to you or the files. Do you even realize how much you’ve just fucked up my entire life?”

He momentarily wonders if Minho is going to strangle him. It wouldn’t exactly surprise him after everything, but he would kind of like to stay alive even if everything has gone to shit. Worst case scenario, he moves out to Malaysia to stay with his parents and starts over from scratch. It will absolutely suck, but he has enough of a financial cushion to hopefully make it through a complete reset without too much heartache.

“If I tell you everything, will you agree to do it,” Minho asks, and for the first time since this nightmare started, he sounds a little like the Minho Jisung knows. And loves. Still fucking loves, even if he shouldn’t.

He contemplates the question for probably too long, not even sure what to say. On one hand, he wants Minho to suffer without access to all the information he tried so desperately to acquire. On the other hand, he’s dying to understand what exactly made him do this in the first place. Maybe more than he’s bitter over this entire thing. At least for now. He’s sure he’s going to be absolutely pissed once his adrenaline comes down and he can think properly. “If you explain every single thing, then maybe. That’s the only chance you have at me helping you though.”

The hybrid’s ears are fully flattened, tail flicking around. It kind of feels nice to see him just as upset. He’ll figure out what that means about him later.

“Let me make some calls first,” Minho says before he goes back to the bathroom and shuts the door with a little more force than was necessary.

With the space to finally calm down a little, Jisung unlocks his phone to see what else Sana has sent him.

Sana:
The precinct called
Someone caught the data transfer and wants to know what’s going on but I don’t know what to say
Jisung
PLEASE CALL ME BACK
The Chief called. He thinks you’re part of this
That’s crazy, though, right?
Jisung, you wouldn’t do that
Right?
Please tell me this is all a misunderstanding
Fuck
I tried to explain you wouldn’t do something like this but they’re convinced. Had pictures of you with Minho who they’ve apparently been watching for a while
If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay
Can you just tell me if you’re okay?
They’re putting a warrant out for your arrest
Stay safe
Let me know you’re okay when you can

Jisung reads through everything about twenty times, trying to process all of it. Minho was on the police’s watch list… and has somehow dragged him so far into this that he’s a fugitive of the state? Well, this is already so much more than he even thought it could possibly be. If he’s got a warrant out for him, there’s no way he can fly back home now. In fact, he’s certain the police are already looking for tickets in his name which will lead them right to Jeju Island where they’re like sitting ducks.

He's a good person. Jisung has always been a law-abiding citizen, never letting even his toe step out of line. He is so unprepared to be wanted for conspiracy against the South Korean government that it’s laughable. Perhaps if he goes straight to the police and tells them everything, he can salvage his reputation and legal standing? How does he even start?

Before he can spiral too far into self-pity, the door of the bathroom opens again to reveal Minho, backlit and looking furious. “They already connected us to this.”

“Apparently we have warrants out for our arrest,” Jisung says as a kind of affirmation.

Minho curses loudly, starting to pace around the room furiously. “Chan said I can bring you to our headquarters if I can get us back into Seoul without getting caught.” That raises even more questions for Jisung, but he keeps his mouth shut as the hybrid keeps pacing. Clearly, Minho is more equipped at handling something like this than he could ever hope to be.

“If we can get to the ferry and take the first one out, I bet we can make it to Mokpo by the time they track us down,” he says, lifting his phone to check the time and then unlocking it, clicking around on the surface as he keeps pacing. “There’s a ferry that leaves in an hour. Get dressed.”

He would like to ask so many more questions, maybe demand to know what the plan is, but he’s not exactly in a position to be demanding when his freedom relies heavily on Minho right now. “Fine,” is all he says as he drags his duffel bag closer and starts to tear through it. He’s got mostly comfy clothes left, considering their flight was set to leave mid-morning and he likes to travel in his most appropriate pajamas.

They dress and stuff everything into their bags in silence, neither of them wanting to acknowledge the pressure settling on their shoulders. There are about a hundred things that can go wrong with their plan and the only thing they have on their side is time. Even still, Jisung is concerned that a five-hour ferry ride will give the authorities enough time to find them and catch them before they make it back to the mainland.

They set out as soon as their bags are packed, ducking out of the hotel easily with how early it is. Jisung is eternally grateful that the bus is running at this time, making their trek to the port infinitely easier.

“I’m going to see if they’ll take cash when we get our ferry tickets. Anything to keep our names off it,” Minho murmurs so only Jisung can hear as they ride through the streets of Jeju. This is yet another facet of the hybrid he’s never seen before: a calm and collected planner. The way Minho keeps seamlessly adjusting to everything and coming up with answers to the potential risks is impressive even if Jisung wishes there wasn’t a reason he needed to see this side of him come out.

Jisung keeps quiet as Minho purchases tickets at the little admission booth, sliding money across the counter in exchange for two main cabin seats. He stays quiet even as they make their way aboard the ship and find seats that are close, but not directly together aboard the ship. As an anxious worrywart, Jisung is so close to breaking down and begging Minho to explain what the hell they’re going to do when they make it to Mokpo, but he doesn’t think now is the place nor the time.

He feels the first flood of relief when the ferry roars to life, engines making the floor beneath his feet start to vibrate as they pull away from shore. The very first step of their insane escape is in motion, and he can kind of breathe again, even if he feels a distinct side stitch like the days he’d run track in primary school.

Despite his nerves being a livewire, Jisung manages to pass out for a few hours in the uncomfortable wooden chair he’d first plopped down on. At the very least, he knows that he’s valuable to Minho and the hybrid has a reason to look out for him and try to keep him safe. He hates that it makes him feel a little better and perhaps too comforted.

He wakes when they have roughly forty minutes until reaching shore to see the hybrid sitting across from him and scrolling on his phone still.

“We’re almost to Mokpo,” Minho tells him once his eyes have blinked the lingering sleep out of them. He leans forward, elbows rested on his knees so they’re close enough to whisper and keep information away from prying ears. “I have a contact in Mokpo that’s going to help us get to the train station. We’ll board under different names and should make it to Seoul by nightfall.”

Jisung can only nod, filing away that information for later. Just how connected is Minho? He kind of feels like he’s falling into the hybrid mafia but maybe he watches too many dramas for his own good?

His phone is still burning a hole in his pocket, knowing that Sana is endlessly worried over him and his safety, but it seems too risky to reach out to her now. Maybe once he’s somewhere safe and actually concealed. Not that he’s sure he’ll be allowed to stick with Minho after he’s gotten his answers and potentially unencrypted all the data for him. Then again, that can be his bargaining chip to ensure his safe passage through this entire goddamn disaster.

The pair stand on the deck of the ferry as they pull into the port of Mokpo at Minho’s insistence. He wanted to be able to look for signs of the cops while also keeping his eye on Jisung as if he’s some helpless child that’s going to get kidnapped the second he’s out of viewing range. He would be upset over it if it weren’t kind of true. Jisung’s not equipped to handle anything like this really.

“No signs of cops,” Minho confirms, pulling his hoodie closer to his face to fend off the wind that keeps whipping against them. “There will be a black SUV waiting for us directly outside the gates to the ferry, so we just need to keep our heads down and get to it as fast as possible without drawing too much attention.”

Jisung sighs and pulls his own hood over his head so he can hopefully conceal himself under it. “I’ll follow your lead.”

“And keep your mouth shut. Especially once we get into the car. I didn’t tell them anything about who you are or what’s going on. They’re only there to get us to the train station, so don’t say a fucking thing. It’ll be more of a headache if they somehow connect you to this escape mission”.

“Fine,” he spits back, bitter over how much Minho keeps talking down to him. He recognizes that he’s completely out of his depth, but he’d also like to think that he’s smart enough to keep up with whatever the fuck comes their way.

Once docked, Jisung pulls his duffel bag close to his body and follows Minho’s brisk pace down the walkway and out of the port yard. Just as he said, there’s an unassuming black SUV waiting for them at the gate. Well, as unassuming as a giant, shiny vehicle can seem among old, rusted shipping containers and worn-out fishing boats.

Jisung ducks into the back seat when Minho opens the door and motions him inside. It’s a little awkward to scoot to the far seat, but he manages just as the hybrid follows him in and shuts the door behind him. “Hey, Youngjae-ssi. Thanks for the lift,” Minho says without any emotion in his tone. The man behind the wheel only gives them a glance in the rearview mirror. Jisung can see some sort of fluffy ears from the top of the headrest, but he can’t make out the specific type in the darkness of the cab.

“No problem. Tell Chan that everything is set down here once you get back to Seoul,” the man says in response and then the car lapses into silence for the remainder of their trip to the nearest train station.

Minho’s got the door open as soon as they come to a stop, getting out and standing on the sidewalk with his bag at his side. Just before Jisung can slide out after him, Youngjae hands him two tickets and inclines his head. “Safe travels.”

Okay, so this is feeling more and more like a mafia movie by the second. Especially as Jisung stares down at the tickets. Choi Moonchul and Ha Byungwoo. Apparently, those are their aliases until they make it back to Seoul. He eyes Minho for several long seconds before handing him the ticket for ‘Moonchul’. The hybrid just grabs it without looking and motions towards the entrance with his head. “This should be about three hours. Just keep your head down and sit next to me.”

Yet again he feels annoyance bubbling under the surface as he follows the hybrid through the station and onto the train that’s waiting for them. Somehow, everything has been timed perfectly and Jisung can’t lie. He’s impressed as hell. Not that it even begins to soothe how pissed he is. The longer they travel, the more time he’s had to think. It’s only made him angrier the longer they take to get back to Seoul and he doesn’t think any explanation will begin to make up for everything.

Even as he settles into the seat beside Minho and prepares for the last leg of their nerve-wracking trip, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive him. How unusual to have hired a sugar baby, fallen in love, and had his life fall apart completely in half a year. It feels a little too early for him to be having a midlife crisis, but then again Jisung has always been a fast burner so maybe this isn’t that surprising in the grand scheme of his life.

The really fucked up thing? Even if he could go back and reset everything, in the very bottom of his heart and the back of his brain, he knows that he would choose to do all of it again. Just to relive the good times and feel that glimpse of love from the hybrid that has burrowed too deeply into his heart to be successfully yanked out now. So, is Minho even really to blame for this strange turn of events at the end of the day?

He gets lost in his thoughts as the train pulls out of the station, watching as they pick up speed steadily and zoom directly into the starting point of all of this. He vaguely wonders what exactly will be waiting for them when they make it.

Chapter Text

They barely pull into the station in the heart of Seoul when Minho starts scrambling to grab his bag. “Fuck, I should have known,” he says beneath his breath. “Grab your bag and get ready to run.”

Jisung is about to ask what’s going on when he sees the telltale signs of police checking everyone who gets off the trains. Their only saving grace is that there seems to be just two lone officers assigned to this particular station, which heightens their chances of making it out of this. He takes a deep breath, trying to settle himself and swallow down all of his rising panic. He can do it. Right? Uhm… well… Only time will really tell.

Minho grabs his arm and tugs him into the crowd of people waiting for the doors to open. “Keep your head down and walk fast. The second you hear me say to run, just fucking run. Don’t look back and get to my café if we get separated. Seungmin will be there.”

Jisung hadn’t even thought to ask if Seungmin was involved in this whole thing, but now that he knows, he’s pissed at the golden retriever too. They’re supposed to be sweet and friendly, not conniving little assholes. Then again, you usually equate to the company you keep so he can’t be that surprised either.

As soon as the train doors open, Jisung sticks to the crowd and keeps his head down as directed. There are enough people that they make it through the first push without much issue, though Jisung wonders if the fact that neither of them are particularly tall helps them. He’s never been so appreciative for his lack of a growth spurt past middle school. Fuck milk, no one needs it.

They’re almost out of the station when Minho’s grip on his arm tightens to the point of making him yelp. He peeks up from under his bangs to see two more officers waiting at the last turnstile before they’re free. Of course, the crowd has thinned significantly by this point. “We’re going to have to run the second they recognize us. Just walk fast and confident and we may make it out of this without being caught at all.”

Jisung would like to remind Minho that he has never once felt confident in his life. Not enough to have a walk that conveys that. He isn’t even given the chance to complain before they’re walking again, and he straightens his back as much as he can. Holding his breath, Jisung makes it up to and through the turnstile. A deep breath inflates his lungs the second he makes it out of the station, but a shout directly behind him makes him flinch.

He barely turns his head in time to catch one of the officers ripping the hood off of Minho’s head. “Run,” he screams before jutting his elbow into the officer’s neck.

Jisung scrambles to get his feet under him properly as he sets off and thank god he used to work out semi regularly because he can hear feet pounding on the sidewalk directly behind him and they aren’t slow by any means. He only has half the mind power to wonder if Minho will make it out safely as he shoots through the streets, trying not to run into the pedestrians that are acting as embargos to his escape.

He keeps yelling out little apologies as he goes, trying to calculate how far away the café is in his mind. It’s not terribly far, if he remembers right, but his stamina is fleeting at best currently. Despite that, he feels a shot of terror and adrenaline mixing in his chest and it somehow overwhelms the rest of his body into keeping his insane pace.

Like a life raft in an angry sea, Jisung sees an opening to slip the cop following him in the form of a steadily counting down crosswalk signal. Not that they would normally do much to stop him from being chased, but this street in particular is nearly impossible to make it across without the designated light. He just needs to make it across in time for the cars to start going and maybe block the cop or slow him enough for Jisung to get to the café ahead of him.

It feels like such a longshot, but he clings to it as his feet ache beneath him. He’s barely stepping into the street by the time the countdown reaches zero, but he pushes through anyways. Somehow, he’s gained enough of a head start that he thinks this stupid plan might actually work. Especially when the cars start blaring their horns at him and immediately accelerating the split second he’s out of their way.

Not able to bring himself to look back and gauge how well it worked, Jisung just keeps sprinting. By now, his lungs are practically seizing, and his entire chest feels like it’s on fire. Just another block and he’ll turn onto the right street for Kitten Kafe to be waiting for him. He can do this, right?

His sneakers skid along the sidewalk as Jisung reaches the front door of the café and throws himself through the door, turning to quickly slam it behind him and switch the open sign to ‘closed’. For good measure, he locks it.

A split second later, all the lights in the place turn off and he’s left in relative darkness. “Get back here,” Seungmin yells, motioning from the storeroom.

Jisung’s already at risk of losing his legs permanently, but he still manages to will his body to make the last escape into the back storeroom with the dog hybrid. To his credit, Seungmin looks worried about the state of Jisung though it’s not that surprising. Jisung is sure he looks like he’s just been hit by a truck.

“Where is Minho,” are the first words out of his mouth and they’re enough to make Jisung scowl.

“Somewhere between here and the train station, I imagine.”

Seungmin doesn’t look pleased at his answer but doesn’t say anything. Good. Jisung has a whole fucking lot of words for him if he wants to go there. Currently, all he wants is a bottle of water and maybe a shower. And a nap. Oh, he could really go for a nap. “Can I get some water,” he squeaks out between ragged breaths. “I think I’m dying.”

Seungmin is quick to grab him a bottle and toss it in his direction. The first sip feels like it soothes him to his core, working to make his muscles relax the smallest amount. One more push and he might deflate like an old balloon onto the floor.

They stay in their weird, tense, and silent atmosphere for a while longer until Seungmin sprints towards the front door, unlocking it and flinging it open just in time for Minho to burst through. Seungmin slams it shut behind him and proceeds to lock everything back up just as Jisung had. “Go upstairs,” he tells them, and Minho doesn’t bother looking at him as he rushes back and heads straight for the stairs that ascend to his apartment.

Without any other real options, Jisung follows after him and tries not to think about all the times they’ve spent in this very same space as he stands awkwardly by the front door. Seemingly unaffected, Minho rips his hoodie and shirt off in one go and heads to his kitchen for some water of his own. Seeing him suddenly exposed is a critical hit to his wellbeing at this point, no choice but to ogle the display. Angrily.

“What now,” he asks, averting his gaze from the half-naked hybrid.

“Now we wait for Chan to give us to green light to head to our meetup spot,” Minho replies between gulps of water. “And I’m going to shower in the meantime.”

Jisung kind of wonders if he will be given the same opportunity, however that would mean having to dress in the hybrid’s clothing afterwards with his lack of anything fresh or clean in the duffel downstairs. He’s not sure if staying dirty or asking to borrow Minho’s clothing is worse.

When Seungmin makes it into the apartment, he cautiously looks between them a few times. “This is a lot more civil than I expected. I’m not sure if I should be grateful or worried.”

“Worried,” Minho throws over his shoulder just before he slams the bathroom door shut.

Now that it’s just the two of them, Seungmin focuses only on Jisung, and it makes him squirm. He’s never liked being the center of attention and this situation makes it especially awful feeling. “So, did you agree to help us?”

Well, that confirms that Seungmin is in on whatever the fuck Minho has going on and Jisung is both unsurprised and even further annoyed. “What exactly is ‘us’? I’m still waiting on that explanation so I can decide.”

Seungmin hums, looking suddenly awkward for the first time. Who thought he was capable of such a thing? Especially when the awkwardness seems tied to the guilt of this entire situation. It’s kind of… nice?

“I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say. I can ask what you know about hybrid rights, though.”

Jisung feels a little stumped and put on the spot at that. Hybrid rights? He’s seen some news articles about them here or there, but never really paid attention. To be fair, he’s never really known any hybrids and generally stays out of politics as a whole. “Uh… what do you mean?”

“Like how hybrids are treated in society? What laws are out there to protect us,” Seungmin clarifies.

As embarrassing as it probably is to admit, Jisung doesn’t know anything about that. Like he said before, he never once got involved in any politics or laws, hybrid nor human. “Oh. Well, not much?”

“Ah, okay. That might complicate some things,” Seungmin says with a thoughtful frown. “Maybe you should use this time to look them up, so Minho doesn’t murder you for asking stupid questions.”

That sets him on edge. Why does his knowledge about hybrid rights even matter in the first place? It’s then that he remembers what the police chief had said when he had his first business meeting with him. Hybrid vigilante groups. Oh fuck. Oh fuck no. Absolutely no way he wants to be involved in a vigilante group of all things. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to overthrow the government or something.”

“Not the whole thing. Just the Department of Hybrid Affairs,” Minho’s voice calls from the bathroom and Jisung flinches, not realizing that the shower had stopped while they were talking. The door opens just wide enough for him to poke his head out. “Did you know it’s run by a human? Not even a fucking hybrid. How are they supposed to fight for our rights if they aren’t affected by them?”

Jisung is completely out of his depth suddenly. He’s never particularly liked feeling like the dumbest in the room, and that aura is radiating off of him currently. It’s a little too obvious to all three of them. “So, you overthrow them and then what?”

“That’s where Chan comes in,” Minho says. “I’ll let him explain his piece of this when you meet him.”

The prospect of meeting whoever this Chan is sets Jisung on edge. He has the distinct feeling that he’s going to end up accused of murder by the end of whatever his involvement is going to be in this whole thing. Something that he does not want. Like, at all. He should’ve just parted ways with Minho the instant he realized he’d been stabbed in the back. Imagine how much funnier it could’ve been if he’d left silently and let Minho realize on his own that he couldn’t use any of the data they’d stolen.

A loud ping fills the room and both Minho and Seungmin check their phones in sync. “Speaking of Chan,” the dog hybrid mutters. “Looks like it’s time to head over.”

Minho grabs a shirt from his closet and throws it on before pocketing his phone and stuffing his feet into a pair of sneakers. “Let’s get this over with.”

If Jisung throws up a little in his mouth from anxiety, well, no one really notices.

--

Meetup Spot sounded a hell of a lot more official than where they actually pull up to. As soon as they’d exited the café, another sleek black car was waiting for them. Instead of heading further into the city, they’d turned towards the outskirts until they made it to what is essentially the shanti town outside the city proper. Jisung has never once been this far out here. For good reason.

The streets are mostly barren and littered with trash everywhere. It’s kind of like a screenshot from a dystopian film, which is only made worse as they crawl to a stop outside of what looks to be a run-down warehouse. Half the windows look broken out and it’s covered in a thick layer of grime. What the hell is this place?

“Come on, hurry up,” Minho tells him as he opens the door beside Jisung and waves him out. “Let’s make this quick.”

The inside of the warehouse doesn’t look any better than the outside, shockingly. It’s startlingly empty aside from a few mismatched tables that are crowded with what appears to be a frankensteined mega computer complete with six screens over it. In front of the monstrosity sits a young hybrid that is furiously typing away at… Jisung’s code? That makes him mad in an instant. Clearly, this little fucker is Jeongin if he thinks he has a chance of undoing his encryption.

“Nice try,” he says sarcastically as he looks over all the hopeless coding the kid has tried.

The guy jolts and turns in his direction as soon as he hears his voice, thin eyes widening comically when he sees who is standing in front of him. “Oh. You must be Jisung-ssi. Your coding is really impressive! Usually, I can break through anything but yours is really puzzling.” There’s both awe and adoration in the kid’s voice as he says it, and it’s actually oddly nice to have his hard work complimented, even if he’s still pissed about the context.

“That’s me,” he says in response, offering a small smile. “As mad as I am that you used my code against me, I have to admit I’m kind of impressed you managed to create a web of code to knock out all of the other organizations under my firewalls.”

When he steps closer, he notes that Jeongin appears to be a fennec fox hybrid with ashy blonde and red hair. His ears are almost ridiculously huge on top of his head. That’s a fascinatingly rare breed. Even as someone that doesn’t know much about hybrids, Jisung knows that. There were a lot of scandals about these particular hybrids being targeted about two years ago. It makes Jisung’s stomach churn, wondering what this kid might have gone through to make it out unscathed.

The fact that the fox hybrid seems so carefree eases the clearly unwarranted worry he’s feeling. Especially when he grins at Jisung. “I’ve been practicing a lot! I was really surprised when it worked as well as it did. Though I didn’t even think about encryptions! That was so smart.”

Jisung is weak for praise, he always has been. The simple compliments to his hard work have him preening. “I’ve always worked hard to make sure my customers were protected. Encryption is a pain in the ass to set up, but then it kind of sustains itself for as long as it’s enabled. Just never thought all my data would end up snatched up like this.” And as annoyed as he is, it’s also really fun to be able to talk about one of his favorite hobbies with someone who gets it.

“Glad to see you’re getting along,” a new voice calls as a door from inside the depths of the warehouse opens and reveals several more men entering the room. It’s a mixture of hybrids and humans that Jisung has never seen before, but he has a feeling he can tell the one that spoke is Chan. He just has this aura of being in charge. Not exactly scary but intimidating as hell. He’s got large, fluffy black ears nestled into his slightly curled, black hair and Jisung isn’t sure what he is exactly. Some sort of large dog?

“Youngjae sends his regards,” Minho says as soon as everyone enters and has gathered around the computer. “Says the branch in Mokpo is ready to go when you are.” Jisung guessed correctly if the way the man in the front nods at the words is any indication. “That’s Han Jisung,” Minho adds, pointing over his shoulder.

Suddenly, everyone in the room is focused on him and Jisung kind of wants to run away. Amongst the newcomers, there is Chan, then an adorably small cat hybrid that seems to be a ragdoll if the shockingly white hair is any indication. The slightly ‘burnt’ looking grey hairs on the tips of his ears and tail are actually really adorable and Jisung can barely see little freckles dotting along his cheeks. Behind them are two humans who are complete opposites in appearance. The shorter of the two is thick, stacked with muscles and even his forearms look huge when he crosses his arms over his chest. Next to him is a tall and rather dainty looking man with long, blonde hair. He’s got one of the prettiest faces Jisung has ever seen. Besides Minho, of course.

“Hello, Han Jisung-ssi,” the man most likely named Chan greets, and when he smiles his eyes disappear and are replaced by two prominent dimples on his face. He looks oddly friendly, but Jisung isn’t going to ever let his guard down again. Not after the absolute devastation he got from Minho. “My name is Chan. I’ll let everyone else introduce themselves to you.”

“I’m Felix,” the pretty cat hybrid says next with a little wave before he steps closer to the crazy buff dude. “This is Changbin.”

“Hyunjin,” the tall human says, though he seems kind of bored of everything going on.

“And I’m Jeongin,” the fox hybrid says from beside the computer, as if he really needed an introduction after everything.

Rather than give any of them a greeting, because Jisung feels a little backed into a corner now that he’s here. Sure, he asked for this, but he’s just now starting to realize that coming willingly into the den of the people that need him most was maybe not the smartest plan. If he disappears right now, no one will have a clue where he is. Maybe he should have given Sana a heads up.

Sensing that he’s going to play hard to get, Minho rolls his eyes and points to a group of chairs in a semblance of a circle off to the side. “Let’s sit and discuss. Jisung-ah said he won’t help us unless we explain why we’re doing this.”

Chan regards him for several long seconds before finally nodding and heading for the chairs to take a seat first. Everyone follows him without question until there’s just one chair left and Jisung is the odd one out. This feels like some kind of rip-off séance to summon his assistance. With a huff, Jisung follows and plops into the old, rickety chair that has been left for him. “Someone please tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Looks are shared between them, seeming to speak without actual words. Jisung would like to be telepathically involved in this little standoff, but he doesn’t know them enough to be a part of it.

Finally, Chan looks back at him with a pensive expression. “How much do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

Chapter Text

“As you probably guessed,” Chan starts, “we are a group of so-called vigilantes that are trying to protect and further the rights of hybrids in all of South Korea.”

What a pretty-sounding load of shit. “By overthrowing part of the government.”

That, at least, makes Chan frown. “We have tried peaceful means for years and gotten nowhere. Meanwhile, our rights continue to be stripped and we are considered second class citizens simply because we were born with human and animal genetics. I’m afraid an act of mild violence is the only way we’re going to get anywhere.”

“We’re planning a coup,” Jeongin says excitedly beside him, eyes far too sparkly for what he’s just said.

“A non-violent coup, if we can help it,” Chan adds, looking pointedly at Jeongin as he says it. “We just want to take over the portion of the government that controls our rights and make proper changes.”

“Okay, so let’s say this works,” Jisung says, trying to formulate his question properly in his head before he speaks it. Now is not the time for awkward fumbling. “What happens after that? You just throw some random hybrid in to be the department head and hope the rest of the government accepts them? Sounds like it’s doomed to fail.”

“Chan is going to lead the department,” Minho says, the first words he’s spoken since the explanation starts. “He’s already been voted as the best candidate amongst all our branches.”

“And we’re going to replace the President with a human that has compassion for hybrids,” Jeongin adds with a bright smile.

That makes Jisung’s hair stand up on his arms. Overthrow the president. This absolutely insane group of people in front of him are actually planning on overthrowing the top leader in the country? “Nope. I’m out,” he says immediately. No way in fucking hell he wants anything to do with such a stupid plan.

Silence falls around them, but Jisung doesn’t care. He’s already made up his mind and plans to figure out how to flee the country as soon as possible. His name has already been tied to this irrational plan and he’s at threat of becoming an enemy to the entire nation. “Thank you for your time, but there’s no way I’m going to get involved in this,” he adds as he stands up from the chair and starts to head out the door.

“Are you really going to be that selfish,” Minho calls after him in disbelief. “You’re just going to turn your back on us like that? You haven’t even heard us out fully.”

Jisung is well past fed up by this point, absolutely exhausted with everything that has happened to him in the last three days. “You can’t expect me to just forgive and move past the way you dragged me into this mess! I never asked to be a part of your martyr cause and you cost me my home, my business, and every other facet of my life. Maybe it would be easier for me to cooperate if I’d had a choice in any of that! This entire plan is a fool’s errand. You really think you’re going to overthrow the president, Minho?! And don’t you dare try to guilt trip me when you lied and deceived me for months. You broke my heart today and you’re still only thinking about you!”

“Something has to be done,” Minho says, standing his ground. “I’d rather get involved than run like a coward and let other people keep suffering if there’s something I can do to help them!”

“Then you’re just as foolish as everyone else here. I still don’t even understand why you chose me to be a part of this in the first place. How did you find me on Kitty Konnect? Were you monitoring me or something?”

Everyone looks to Minho, seemingly expecting him to spill the beans. “Kitty Konnect is a front. It’s not real, technically.”

That makes Jisung falter, completely gob smacked by the news. “A front? Wait, don’t tell me you guys fucking own it or something.”

Jeongin nods, looking a little nervous for the first time. “I created the interface for it. It’s really a ploy to generate money for us through subscriptions. Usually, people will apply for companions, but we’ll turn them down and just keep collecting the monthly fees until they cancel.”

“Unless they have skills that will help,” Minho says, not looking at him. “We have a team that reviews all the people that apply and if they have jobs or skills that we can use, then we agree to meet them.”

“That’s how I met Changbinnie,” Felix says, smiling at the man. “He applied and we saw that he’s a police officer in our district, so when he applied for my companionship, I agreed to see if there was any way he would help us out. But, well, I ended up falling for him in the process.”

It’s kind of strange to see the way the man in question gets shy at the words. “When Felix asked me to help him with this, I agreed. I’d been fed up with all the things we were ordered to do against hybrids, but I never knew what I could do to help.”

There’s a glaring issue in his statement that Jisung gets hung up on. “You were asked to help? Like, Felix told you what was going on before you got involved?” He finishes the question pointedly looking at Minho. “You know, if someone had been more forthcoming about what the hell was going on, I might have agreed without having to let my entire company burn to the fucking ground in the process. That option would have been nice.”

“You wouldn’t have agreed,” Minho says back, so sure of it. “Look at how you’re reacting right now. I knew I couldn’t just ask you without risking everything.”

“So, you pretended to love me for months just to get at my data. The entire time you did that with me, you knew you were going to hurt me.”

“There wasn’t much choice,” Minho says back, but Jisung doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t want to fucking entertain this.

He’s too filled with anguish to give much of a shit what Minho has to say about this anymore. No, he’s completely focused on the fact that he readily walked into the trap. Let this group of men corral him right where they always wanted him. “Fine. So, I applied for platinum and you looked into me. Realized that I owned a cybersecurity company.”

Minho’s face is unreadable when he finally looks at him. “I was going to tell you about it at first. Just ask if you’d be willing to help Jeongin on the side. Then you got the government contract, and I knew there was no way I could risk losing the opportunity. That’s when I switched gears and tried to get you to fall for me for real.”

“Great,” Jisung says flatly. “I’m still not fucking doing this. I know you guys have it hard, but I’m not getting dragged into this!”

“Do you actually realize how hard it is for hybrids in Seoul? Like actually understand what we go through,” Minho asks as he pushes from his chair and stomps towards Jisung, voice sharp enough to slice. “That café is my fucking life, and I used all my money to open it but guess what? Hybrids can’t legally own businesses here, so all my life work is actually under Hyunjin’s name. Do you know how shitty it feels to be determined less worthy of owning a business? No, you absolutely don’t because you opened your own company when you were twenty-two and I bet everything was in your name.”

By now, Minho has started to pace, and his tail is whipping around behind him so fast that Jisung thinks it might knock him out if he gets too close. “And you want to know how I got all my money to pay for that fucking café in the first place? By being a prostitute since I was a literal child because it’s legal to be trafficked when you’re a hybrid but not when you’re a human. It’s legal to sell your body if you have animal features but the law protects you if you were lucky enough to be born fully human and no one gives a single fuck when a twelve-year-old cat boy gets snatched off the streets and disappears only to start showing up in seedy clubs a few months later too fucked out of his brain on cheap vodka to defend himself.

So no, Han center-of-the-universe Jisung, you don’t know jack shit about how hard it is for a hybrid to make it in South Korea. I won’t apologize and I won’t feel bad for inconveniencing your life when you have been living life on easy mode all this time.” Jisung can only watch as Minho stalks out of the room, taking every last shred of his dignity with him and leaving Jisung feeling lost.

Silence settles in the room, and his brain is working overtime to compute everything that has just been thrown at him. He still fucking loathes Minho. He hates everything the hybrid has done to him, but this… well, it was a lot more than he expected to have dumped on his lap. He’s so full of pent-up rage and sorrow that he doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore.

“I understand that you’re worried about this,” Chan starts, and Jisung has to fight to not tune him out or get angry. “You unlocking this data will help us considerably, though.”

“Your reputation has already been destroyed,” Hyunjin starts, which earns him a you’re not helping from under Felix’s breath. “You might as well finish it. This will help us all out a lot. It’s what we need to make our next big plans and you don’t have anything more to lose.”

Jisung feels his eyes narrow dangerously at the man, wanting to scream once again. “I do still have something to lose. So far, I can still claim that this was done against my will. That you guys forced my hand on this. Helping you unencrypt the data is me willfully committing a crime and helping you overthrow the government. That’s a huge fucking difference in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Everyone is frowning, collectively. He hates being so put on the spot and yes, he really does understand what’s at stake for them. He gets it, but why does he have to be the one that potentially gets locked away for life if all of this falls apart?

“If you’re unable to help, then I understand,” Chan says, and Jisung feels like he might regain the ability to breathe properly again. “You can go, but we aren’t able to assist you in your escape like this. Or, we could give you more information to convince you. Give you the ammunition you would need to take us down in exchange for your assistance with this one thing.”

The others all look shocked at the suggestion, and Jisung can feel that sentiment mirrored within himself. “What? Why would you do that?”

“Every person in this room is willing to kill you if it means keeping their name from being connected to this operation,” Chan says far too friendly for what his words actually entail. He notices the grimace on Jisung’s face the moment it appears. “That should be a relief to you. Knowing our names is a good thing because we’re going to need every single person in this room if we’re going to make this work, including you. Having that mutually assured benefit will keep us from trying to harm you in the future or get you into trouble for all of this. If you go down, all of us will. I will also promise that we will keep your name out of this if things go to shit, just as we’d expect of you.”

He kind of gets it, but it’s still a wild suggestion. Minho’s earlier words are ringing truer and truer in his mind. He really doesn’t have anything left to lose. “Fine. Then tell me.”

“Only if you agree to help us with the encryption first. After that, you can walk away.”

Jisung really wishes he could have time to think this over. He hasn’t truly processed a single thing since he caught Minho in the bathroom and he’s pretty sure he’s waltzing right into deeper shit by the second. Still, it would be nice to know that even if they’re caught, they won’t risk giving him up. That, at least, makes it a little more worth it. Maybe.

“Wait,” Jeongin says, snapping his fingers like he’s just caught an idea from thin air. “If you just give me a clue on how to break your encryption, then maybe I can get it. Technically that means you were never directly involved in unlocking the encryption. Plausible deniability.”

Jisung looks at every face in the room, hating that he’s even considering this right now. It wouldn’t really be that bad… right? If he’s not directly involved in the unencryption process, then he can feel better about it at the end of the day. “Fine. I’ll point you in the right direction for the encryption. After you tell me this information.”

“Someone go get Minho,” Chan directs, and Felix is the only one that moves, headed what Jisung assumes is a back room to get him.

Time seems to stretch as they wait, giving Jisung a chance to breathe but really, what the fuck is he doing? It’s absolutely bonkers that he’s found himself in this mess at all, let alone giving them the time of day to try and sway him. Even if he takes an inactive role in the unecryption, isn’t he going to bear the weight of what they’re going to use that information for? He doesn’t even want to know what they’re planning.

Finally, Felix and Minho reenter the room and Jisung avoids looking at them as they take their seats, though he can see Felix gesture towards their leader.

Chan nods and then takes a deep breath. “My full name is Christopher Bang.”

That’s an absolute bomb to drop first thing. Christopher Bang. The man that was tried for treason against the government nearly five years ago after he’d been caught attempting to make deals with government officials in exchange for information. His face was never broadcasted, so Jisung would have never recognized him unless he came out and admitted his name like just now. “I can tell from your expression that you’ve heard my name. That makes things a little easier at least.”

“Seo Changbin, badge number 2425. No one in the precinct has caught on to my involvement and we need to keep it that way,” Changbin says next before crossing his arms over his chest again. That seems to be his default stance.

Hyunjin looks at each of them before nodding and speaking up. “Hwang Hyunjin. You might know the name.” Jisung, in fact, does know the name. Imagine finding the lost heir to the Hwang family in this run-down warehouse of all places. That’s another article he remembers reading in the news after the boy had mysteriously vanished from one of the top electronics companies in the country. One that regularly lobbies against hybrid rights. It’s clear why he has a reason to keep his identity secret too.

“I’m Lee Felix,” the other cat hybrid clarifies next. “Not a big name like these guys, but I’m a fugitive from the Im family, like Minho.”

That makes Jisung’s head whip to the side. “You were part of the Im family?” Even as someone out of touch with current events, he’s heard of them. One of the top companies for hybrid escorts in the entirety of South Korea.

It makes Minho stare daggers at him. “Yes, I was. Until Felix and I made a run for it. They never bothered to come after us after we left. With our age, we weren’t as profitable anymore.”

“Or because you killed the former leader,” Felix adds, and it makes Jisung feel close to passing out. That was another headline that blew up years ago.

“What the fuck,” Jisung says because he can’t keep it in. “You killed him?”

“Don’t look at me so surprised,” Minho cuts back. “I had to do what I had to do to survive.”

Seungmin seems to sense the rising tension in the room and leans forward to capture Jisung’s attention. “I’m Kim Seungmin. Really nothing to my name at all, I’m just here for the rights.”

That leaves the fox hybrid, who realizes it’s his turn to talk and shoots Jisung another of his winning smiles. “Yang Jeongin. My parents own the Yang Auction House.”

Of all the introductions, that one is the most surprising to Jisung. Yang Auction House. “As in the hybrid auction house?! The famous one where people are sold for ridiculous prices?” When Jeongin just nods, it doesn’t give Jisung any satisfaction of a proper answer. “Your parents, who I’m assuming are also hybrids, are the owners of the biggest hybrid auction house?”

“Kinda fucked, I know,” Jeongin says with shrug. “They’ve been doing this since before I was born so it sometimes doesn’t seem that weird to me until I tell someone else and see their reactions.”

For good reason, Jisung thinks. The fact that hybrids are involved in such a despicable establishment is shocking. It also answers the questions he’d had earlier on how such a rare hybrid manages to walk around without worry. He supposes everyone is too fearful of the power the Yang family holds to even consider doing anything to their precious son. “Why are you here?”

“I obviously think what they do is gross. I’ve been to a few of the auctions, and it just sucks to see the others going through that. So, I sought out Chan-hyung and offered to help. We try to rescue as many of them as we can whenever we have the chance.”

Silence settles around them again. Now that everyone has shared their individual histories and identities, he has so much going through his mind that he’s not sure where to even start unpacking everything he’s just found out. The last two days of his life feel like a lucid nightmare that he can’t wake up from.

“Now that we’ve shared, it’s your turn to uphold the agreement,” Chan announces to the room. “If you’ll just give Jeongin some pointers, I’m sure he’ll be able to get the encryption unlocked.”

Jeongin looks utterly thrilled at the prospect, hopping up and skipping towards the computer before he turns back to look at Jisung expectantly. “I already kind of figured out what you were going for, just need a few hints and I think I can get the rest of it.”

He doesn’t want to voice the fact that he doubts Jeongin will be able to unlock it, even with the hints, and chooses to approach the computer so he can watch over his shoulder instead. To be fair, the kid has made decent headway into understanding the way Jisung wrote everything, but there are a few hidden gems that only he can pick out. It’s like a constellation of little tidbits that have to be fit together just right to see the entire picture.

They start an intricate dance back and forth of Jeongin trying different commands with the guidance of Jisung’s hints. To be fair, the kid is actually a lot more talented than Jisung originally wanted to give him credit for. He manages to take the clues and immediately put them to the test, until he’s got the coding perfectly figured out. “Try it,” Jisung tells him, ready to see if he’s gotten it all done.

As soon as he presses enter, the screen changes and he can see everything rapidly starting to unwrap. It’s the cyber version of Christmas, presents basically being ripped open all at the same time. Jisung is shocked as he watches it all unfold on the various screens in front of him. He can admit that Jeongin’s set up is pretty damn impressive.

“What is all of that,” Felix asks in awe from beside Jisung. “I can barely even tell what’s happening right now.”

“Well, my computer is having a heyday trying to unencrypt the sheer size of all the data we collected, but I think it’ll make a lot more sense once it’s done and we can start sorting through it. I really wish you would stay to help me with this part,” Jeongin says with a pout up at him. “It’s going to take me a week to sort through it all on my own.”

As much as Jisung refuses to get further involved, he can admit that Jeongin is in for a grueling next few days. The amount of data all the organizations hired him to protect is staggering to say the least. He’s not even sure how they can have this much to store in the first place. It’s like they’re holding decades worth of information in their storage vaults. Then again, that doesn’t sound too far-fetched.

“What exactly are you guys even looking for,” he asks, still watching the way the computer is swiftly ripping through each folder.

“Ah, I can’t tell you unless you’re fully on board with us,” the fox says with a cheeky grin. “Chan-hyung’s orders.”

He should have seen that coming, but still manages to scowl at it. “You guys are so annoying.”

Felix laughs, bumping their shoulders together. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this, but I think I would have liked working with you. We need another levelheaded person on the team to keep the eldest grounded.”

“One of the eldest can hear you,” Minho says from where he’s currently laid out on an old, lumpy looking couch. He’d collapsed there the moment Jisung agreed to help Jeongin subtly uncode everything.

“Would’ve been fun to have someone around that I can learn from,” Jeongin tacks onto Felix’s words, ignoring the way Minho is looking at them menacingly.

He has the distinct desire to tell them all off for thinking this is somehow a fun experience for him, but that requires energy that he lost somewhere around the time they arrived in Mokpo. It’s been the most grueling day of his life, by far, with no end in sight.

“I’m just here to make sure it all works and then you’ll never see me again.”

As if fate is watching him and laughing heartily at everything that’s been thrown his way all day, they hear the faint sound of tires screeching outside. Jisung is actually shocked by how loud they are, wondering how close they are. Whoever ‘they’ are.

Minho is up and off the couch in an instant, running to the doors so he can look out one of the grungy windows. The way his face pales as soon as he gets a good look makes Jisung’s heart start racing. “Who is it,” he asks quietly to Felix, barely a whisper in the event whoever it is can hear them.

“Poachers,” Jeongin answers, solemn. He’s making quick work shutting down lesser programs on his computer, clearly in the hopes that he can speed the encryption process along more.

“Poachers,” Jisung asks, leaning closer to Felix. “What is that?”

Felix gives him a sad smile. “They’re the ones that take hybrids to the auctions.”

His brain is trying desperately to keep up with everything going on, taking a chance to see how much longer the encryption has left on it. If he had to guess, they only need about one more minute, but there doesn’t seem to be that much time left for them before they’re going to be ambushed. “How did they find us? Do they come here often?”

“My guess is,” Seungmin says, suddenly beside them, “they followed us from the café. Probably tipped off by the cops after you two escaped them at the station.”

Jisung wants to ask what exactly they’re supposed to do about all of this, but he doesn’t even get the chance. Not before the front door of the warehouse is ripped open and three giant, burly men come barreling in. Lucky for Jisung and the rest of them, Minho pounces on them the instant they cross the threshold. He’s a flash of red hair and limbs as he takes the first two down. In that time, Changbin rushes forward to knock out the third in a brutal one on one fight.

Minho is at their side a second later. “Pack this shit up, we need to go.”

“We need a little longer,” Jeongin says, frantically clicking on the computer. They’re cutting it closer and closer, the sound of footsteps on the gravel outside marking just how dire this is sure to be. If Jisung had to guess, he’d say there are twenty more men on their way inside towards them. Far too many for them to fight and win against. “Can you stall them for like thirty more seconds?”

Minho practically growls at that, looking between the computer and the open doorway.

“We need that data,” Chan says, rushing to them from the back of the warehouse. This time with three guns, which he disperses between himself, Minho, and Changbin. “We’ll hold them at bay until the transfer is done. The second it finishes, you take the computer and you fucking run. Get to the transport point. I’ve already arranged someone to meet you there.”

Jisung is left to stand in awe of everything. Minho… with a gun? He never thought he’d see the day. He looks night and day different from the cuddly cat hybrid that always wore pastel sweaters and kissed Jisung to sleep. No, now he looks like a ferocious warrior ready to take on the world. His brows are pinched as he cocks the pistol in his hands and heads for a vantage point that will allow him to see the door and stay hidden.

“Get ready to run, for real,” Felix says, pulling at Jisung to drag him towards the door.

“Jeongin,” he starts, but Felix shakes his head.

“They’ll get out. Hyunjin and Seungmin will stay with him and get him out the door. You, however, never agreed to stay a part of this and I intend to keep our promise of getting you out of this safely.”

He isn’t sure how to take that. Not really. Despite everything going on, Felix is most focused on him and his safety. He wonders if the other share that sentiment, or if they’re too wrapped up in everything going on to really care. Either way, he doesn’t argue. There’s not really anything to argue.

They make it to the back door, Felix peering out of it to make sure their surroundings are clear before he slowly pushes the door open and waves for Jisung to follow him. The night air is freezing as it wraps around them, but Jisung is too hopped up on adrenaline to even feel it at this point. His legs have already been resembling jelly from all the running that is uncharacteristic of him. There’s zero confidence that he’ll be able to make it to the transport point without collapsing.

They’ve barely made it twenty meters when a shot rings out behind them and it makes Jisung stumble, terror filling him. What if that was Minho? What if he was the one that just got shot? As much as he’s still pissed, he doesn’t think he can handle anything happening to the hybrid or any of the others. Not now.

“There’s no time to be scared,” Felix says, taking his hand into his own and starting to drag him. “They always make it out okay, so stop thinking about it. We have to hurry.”

Jisung tries to focus on the task at hand, even if it’s fucking difficult. His mind is still stuck on the warehouse behind him even as he trails after Felix.

It’s only when the thundering of footsteps behind them reaches his ears that he’s brought back to the present, head whipping around to see who it is. Jeongin is leading the pack, clutching the tower of his computer in his arms with a huge grin on his face. Behind him, Seungmin and Hyunjin are putting their all into keeping up with the fox.

Seeming to sense the question in his eyes as soon as they’re close enough to really look at each other, Jeongin yells, “He’s fine. They’re all fine. Those were warning shots. They should be catching up to us any minute, so just go!”

Finally, he feels like he can focus on running. His steps become a little more sure, trying his hardest to keep up with Felix as they keep sprinting through the slums and dodging around random debris that’s in their way.

Jisung barely processes that they’re slowing down until he sees a van a couple dozen meters away. “That’s us,” Hyunjin says, rushing past them so he can make it there first. To Jisung, it looks like one of those vans that they use in scary movies to kidnap little kids. All white with no windows on the sides. He doesn’t get the chance to question it, however, as he’s pushed right up to the open door and shoved inside.

Hyunjin has already climbed into the suspiciously empty front seat, the van roaring to life as they pile inside. Jisung is fighting for his life, trying to catch his breath with Jeongin practically sitting in his lap.

“They’re close,” Seungmin announces from where he’s crouched next to the door. “Hyunjin, get ready to go as soon as they’re inside.”

“Fucking duh,” Hyunjin yells back, fiddling with the radio and trying to connect his phone. Jisung is a little dumbfounded when he sees Hyunjin scrolling through his music library. Is he seriously picking out a soundtrack to go along with their escape?

Shut Down starts to fill the van just as three more bodies slam through the opening of the sliding door.

“They’re bringing their car around too,” Changbin wheezes out. “Fucking get us out of here!”

Seungmin has barely managed to get the sliding door shut before Hyunjin presses the gas all the way to the floor, the van’s tires kicking up rocks as they fight to get enough traction to shoot them forward and away. The momentum that hits them the second the van finds it’s mark sends Jisung flying against the back doors of the van and subsequently crushed by the weight of both Jeongin and Felix.

The entire ride is chaotic, Hyunjin making rapid turns without any warning. He’s got the Born Pink album as background music in the event they fucking die out here tonight. Not exactly what Jisung ever pictured for his end, but yet somehow fitting.

“Where should I go,” Hyunjin yells over the music, rather than turning it down even a single notch.

“The lake house,” Minho screams back from where he’s holding onto the front passenger seat for dear life.

Jisung definitely wonders what the fuck the lake house is, here, in the city where there are no lakes to be found. Not that he’s in a position to question anything right now.

Every time they make another sharp turn, a collective shout and subsequent groan fills the van. With their current speed, it’s basically useless to try and adjust where they’re sitting or lying, so everyone is just along for the ride. He might find it entertaining if his heart wasn’t lodged in his throat still.

Finally, after about five songs, Hyunjin slams on the brakes and everyone tumbles towards the front of the van until they hit a dead stop. “Here! Everyone out!”

Minho throws open the side door and falls out onto his knees, dry heaving. “I fucking hate when you drive.”

“Next time, beat me to the van,” Hyunjin shoots back as he climbs up the half staircase towards what looks to be another abandoned building. They apparently really like the rubbish heap aesthetic around here.

Jisung’s legs are positively shaking when he climbs out of the van and follows the others inside. "Does this shit happen all the time to you guys?"

Jeongin laughs as he hops out of the van beside him. "Not at all! You just met us at a really crazy time I guess. Or perhaps you're the one bringing all of this bad luck to us." Jisung tries not to pout at that, turning to where everyone else is climbing the stairs.

“Well, this wasn’t exactly how I pictured this evening ending up,” Chan says with a laugh as he holds the door open for Jisung. “Welcome to our actual headquarters.”

The transition from outside the building and inside is staggering. Disproportionately unlike the first warehouse, this building is absolutely opulent inside for no real reason. It only takes Jisung a few seconds to realize that this must be an abandoned theater with all the lush, red curtains hanging around them. He follows the others through a maze of the fabric until he steps out onto what used to be the stage.

It’s a little eerie to be standing somewhere so grand, but they’ve completely repurposed the space to suit their current needs. Most of the old chairs have either been removed or repurposed into shelving to hold all their supplies. The stage is littered with various desks that have computers similar to the one Jeongin was using in the warehouse and there’s a giant table in the center that he pictures Chan talking through plans on.

When Jisung turns to look behind him, he finally understands why Minho called this the lake house. The entire background of the stage is filled with a gigantic, beautiful mural of a nighttime lakeside image. The moon and stars are reflected in the painted waves of the water. He isn’t sure he’s ever seen anything quite so majestic.

“Pretty cool, huh,” Jeongin says as he walks past Jisung to the largest of the computer desks and plops his saved computer down onto the surface. “Seungmin used to participate in plays here, when it was still open.”

“What is this place,” Jisung asks, still fully in awe.

“It was the only hybrid-owned theater in Seoul,” Seungmin says with a sad look on his face. “Back when that was still allowed.”

The absolute grief he can see on the dog hybrid’s face really drives home just how much has been taken from them without people like Jisung even realizing it. To have their passions stripped from them and their hard work squandered must have been devastating.

He’s a little ashamed to admit that he never really cared until tonight. Never stopped to really think about how unfair this entire situation has been for all of them. All these people that have been so kind to him and shown him grace even though they don’t know him. The only difference between them is the animal features that adorn their bodies.

“You can sleep here for the night,” Chan says, breaking him from his thoughts. “I think Changbin might have some extra clothes you can borrow without the necessary holes for hybrids.”

Jisung’s eyes automatically stray to the man in question, noting (again) just how broad he is. “Right… but can I please shower too?”

Chapter Text

Jisung wakes in a tiny room that’s pitch black, on a rather lumpy bed. Not that he can complain because his options were here or the streets and Jisung has never been for the streets. In addition to a few new back aches, he has clarity. So much clarity that he kind of loathes himself for agreeing to anything in the heat of the moment the night before. Not that he can change it now.

He’s still absolutely torn on what to do. One foot is on the option of helping them with their cause while the other is still firmly planted on running for his fucking life. Each option is slowly drifting apart by the minute as he nears proper morning, and he’s never been quite flexible enough to pull off a split. It’s really now or never to decide what the fuck he’s going to do.

Rather than stew on it any longer, Jisung gets up and rearranges the few items left to his name. His phone is long dead, his clothes an actual sweaty disaster (with his fucking luggage left at Minho’s apartment), and his lone wallet, though he’s fairly certain they’ve probably frozen his accounts by now. It’s probably the worst state he’s ever found himself in.

He wanders back through the hallways that led him to his makeshift room, once used as a dressing room until it had been converted to a resting spot with a shitty old bed. They’ve taken every single space inside the theater and used it for something else in a way that still impresses him. Even if he’d had to use an open shower bay in a rundown locker room the night before.

When he makes it back to the stage, he’s surprised to see Jeongin there. The hybrid is hunched over his keyboard, seemingly sorting through the files that they unlocked. If Jisung had to guess, he’d assume he’s been there all night. “What are you working on,” he asks once he’s close enough.

Jeongin startles at the sound of his voice, knocking his mouse right off the desktop. “Shit, you scared the hell out of me,” he whines, picking the device up and looking it over. Once he’s happy with it, assuming it’s still properly in one piece from what Jisung can see, he turns to look at him. His poor eyes are sporting the first signs of bruises under them, clearly weary from staring at his screens for so long. “It’s lists of hybrid sympathizers that the government has been watching. Actually, look at this,” he says, clicking around until he opens a file.

Jisung’s file.

He stares at his own picture on the screen, and it feels like a punch to the gut. All this time, he was already on a watch list? He has basically been a ticking time bomb even before the data was stolen. “What are they using this for,” he demands, wanting to know everything. Every single morsel of information they might be storing his personal data for.

“From what we’ve gathered, they’re planning on taking action against the sympathizers in the event of a rebellion,” Jeongin says, scrolling through another list on one of the other screens. “Seems like they’re looking at potential enemies and anyone that has positive relations with hybrids.”

That has Jisung’s mind spinning, the stress and worry from the day before jumping right back into his chest to fight for space against his heart and lungs. “Can you check for a name?”

He watches as Jeongin searches the database, but the second it pulls up a profile on the person he’s most concerned about, Jisung’s stomach is in knots. He needs to go. Immediately. There’s no time to waste if this list is hinging off of the exact actions this group is potentially going to take. “Thank you for that,” he tells Jeongin, meaning it. Of everyone he met, he thinks he likes Jeongin the most. There’s a sort of childish charm about him, too innocent to be mixed up in this mess. “Take care of yourself, okay? Whatever happens, just be careful.”

Jeongin gives him a sad smile, one that makes his dimples pop on his cheeks. “I will, but you be careful too. It’s not entirely safe in Seoul for humans either. Not ones that associate with us.”

“Are you heading out,” a voice calls, interrupting them. Jisung turns in time to see Minho at the edge of the stage, shrouded in just enough shadows to hide his expression. If he weren’t already proven to be a gullible idiot, Jisung might think he heard a hint of longing in his voice.

“Yes. I told you guys I’d be going on my way as soon as the data was unlocked,” he says, trying to keep his voice even. In reality, he just misses Minho and what they had before. With everything sorted in his head, he can understand where Minho was coming from even if he can’t forgive him right now. Nothing will really justify what they’ve collectively done to his life, even if they’re desperate for change. With an odd, painful flutter in his chest he looks at Minho one last time. “You should stay safe too. Don’t do anything too reckless.”

There’s a lot of tension in the air between them as they just stare at each other, seemingly coming to terms with this arrangement and involvement coming to an end. It’s bittersweet, like biting into a 98% dark cocoa bar. Finally, Minho steps closer so that Jisung can see the way his eyes are shiny. Almost watery at the edges. “I’m… really sorry for everything, Jisung-ah. Be safe.” His voice seems strained, missing its usual airy quality and he disappears behind the curtains almost as soon as the words are out.

When he turns back around, Jeongin is looking at him curiously, but he thankfully doesn’t mention anything he just witnessed. “Do you want to wash your clothes before you go,” he asks instead, and it makes Jisung look down at the clothes he’s absolutely swimming in.

“Actually… yes. Just that and then I need to go.”

Jeongin nods and switches his computer into ‘sleep’ mode before standing and stretching out. “We have to go to the laundromat down the street, but Ms Jung is always really nice and gives me ice cream!”

They find themselves in said laundromat ten minutes later, Jisung shocked at how rundown the entire place looks. Has he been living under a rock all this time to not notice how the city is steadily going to shit on the outskirts?

Ms Jung is a sweet, terrier hybrid that looks to be in her eighties. She does, in fact, give them ice cream the second she sees Jeongin enter and then waves them over to the ‘best machine’ in the spot while doting over the fox the entire time. It’s really adorable, in all honesty. Especially the way he soaks it up and talks with her like they’re related, little jokes and kind words.

Once they’ve finished their snack, they each get a pat on the head before Ms Jung disappears into her back office space, telling them to behave. Jeongin nods along, then grabs Jisung to pull him to the little sitting area in the back. The old, vinyl chairs are cracked when they take their seats.

“Are you still mad at us,” Jeongin asks after a couple minutes of silence, only the whir of the washing machine as background noise.

Jisung isn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. He’s not happy, that’s for damn sure, but is he really mad anymore? “No, I’m just worrying over everything I need to do now.” First, he needs to make a pitstop, but then he really needs to figure out how to flee the country and get to Malaysia. As much as his heart goes out to everyone he met the night before, he doesn’t think there’s anything more he can do to help them and he’d rather get out of Korea before everything comes crashing down.

“Is there anything we can help you with? I mean… I don’t know if Chan-hyung will allow me to do much, but I’ll still do anything I can,” Jeongin says, but really, it’s not his responsibility at all. Out of everyone, Jisung blames him the least.

“Uh, whatever you guys have planned next. Can you try to give me just a day to get some things settled first?”

Jeongin puffs out his cheeks as he looks at him. “I don’t think I have any say in that, but we don’t have anything planned for a few days. Not until I get through all the files. So, I’ll drag it out a little longer.” He adds the last part with a cheeky grin. “They don’t know how long it should take me to reasonably get everything sorted.”

Jisung can’t help but laugh at that. “Thanks, Jeongin.”

“Of course! Also, you know… Minho-hyung really wanted to tell you about everything from the start. I don’t think he wanted to hurt you. He talked about you a lot and I kind of thought you’d end up being like Changbin for him.”

Jisung doesn’t know what to say about that, so he just stays quiet.

--

Redressed in his own—now clean—clothes, Jisung heads out of the lake house. He hadn’t seen any of the others in the five minutes he’d returned to change and he’s rather relieved by that. Imagine how much more of an asshole he would’ve felt like if he’d had to tell the others he wasn’t going to help them anymore.

Jisung tucks his hood over his head and sets out, one destination in mind. He needs to hurry.

--

The apartment building looks a lot more rundown than the last time he came by, which surprises him. It hasn’t even been that long. Then again, he knows that a majority of the occupants here are hybrids and with everything he’s recently learned… it’s not that shocking anymore. Which hurts to think about even more.

He makes the trek up to the top floor before locating the right door and knocking, hoping that he hasn’t missed his opportunity.

Thankfully, the door swings open a minute later to show Sana in her pajamas, with her hair tied up in a messy bun. The second she recognizes him, her eyes widen and she snatches him inside by the front of his hoodie, slamming the door and locking it behind them. “What are you doing here? Are you okay? Oh my god, I’ve been so worried!” The next thing he knows, he’s wrapped in a tight hug that just makes him feel worse about everything.

He hugs her back, relieved that she’s still here and in one piece. “Obviously, a lot has happened. I didn’t know about Minho’s plan and didn’t mean to get involved. But I found out more information, Sana. I need you to listen to me,” he pulls back from the hugs and looks at her for a few moments, knowing that he’s about to crush her life that she’s worked so hard for.

Sana has been his closest friend for years. His very first hire to his company, and someone that has kept him levelheaded throughout setting everything up. She will always be special to him, which just makes this so much harder. “Mina… she’s a hybrid.”

That captures her attention right away, looking at him in confusion. Jisung can’t blame her, not when he’s never brought up the fact that Sana’s girlfriend is a squirrel hybrid. One that she is extremely protective of and works hard to keep safe. Jisung has only met her a handful of times in all the years they’ve known each other, but he understands why now. Sana must have known far more about the threats to their safety than Jisung ever did. He wishes he had been a better friend; had known about all the risks they faced every day.

“What are you trying to say?”

“There’s a watchlist, and you’re on it. I don’t know if they know about Mina yet but with everything happening it would be too easy to connect you to it. I need you to flee the country before shit hits the fan, and believe me, it’s going to hit the fan,” Jisung pleads, hoping she’ll listen and not put up a fight. She’s always been stubborn and prideful, two of the things he loves the most about her. “You’re both from Japan. It shouldn’t be too hard to get back there.”

“What are you saying,” she asks, eyes frantically searching his face. “We can’t just up and leave everything behind.”

His heart aches at that, knowing what he’s asking of her. She moved to Korea for university and for better career opportunities here. Built he entire life here in Seoul. Jisung knows firsthand how bad it feels to lose everything you’ve been working for.

“You have to, and I’m so sorry for dragging you into this. I really never intended on this happening, but I’m terrified of what might happen if they link you and Mina to this. But, I have something for you. Something that might help,” he says, trying to smooth over everything the best he can. “Back when you started refusing to let me give you bonuses, I opened an account in your name and started putting money in there when we scored new contracts. It’s not huge, but it will be enough to settle you in Japan. It was going to be a wedding present for you two.”

Sana looks like she’s on the verge of either passing out or yelling at him, but he can’t blame her. They’ve both been through a whirlwind the last few days. He doesn’t even have the time to properly check in on her, knowing he needs to send her away immediately. If he can just save Sana and Mina before Chan and his team unleash whatever plan they’re hatching on Seoul, he’ll be at ease with whatever else happens to him.

“Jisung, nothing you’re saying makes any sense,” she argues, grabbing onto his arms. “Just tell me what’s going on and we can try to fix it. If you weren’t involved, then we can clear your name!”

“This is already so much bigger than that,” he says, voice verging on cracking. He might fall apart into a puff of anxiety if she doesn’t listen. His nerves are as frayed as a dandelion in the wind. “I’m serious, Sana. They’re going to come after you and they don’t treat hybrids kindly. I can’t stand the thought of them taking Mina away! Just… please pack what you need, and I’ll go get the card for your account from my apartment. With it, you’ll have access to everything.”

“What are you talking about!? You can’t go back there. They’ve been watching it since you disappeared! This entire thing sounds insane!” It appears she’s gone with the angry route, which Jisung will accept as long as she listens to him. Even if she hates him for the rest of their lives, he’ll accept that too.

Jisung is about to break into another of his begging sprees, when they’re interrupted by the appearance of Mina, looking confused and scared. Her reddish-brown hair looks tangled from sleep, bushy tail wrapping around her waist. “Sana… what’s going on?”

It works to pull Sana out of her angry confusion, instantly going to check on Mina and make sure she’s okay. It’s so very sweet, but it only makes the dread in Jisung’s stomach grow. He’s not nearly as close with Mina, only meeting her two or three times before, but she’s lovely. Always soft and gentle, especially with Sana. After hearing what Minho and Felix had to go through, he can’t possibly stand by and let her fall into the same fate. “Please, if you believe in me at all still, pack your things and be ready to go when I get back,” he says, sending her one last pained frown before he exits the apartment.

--

His building looks the same as always, though that gets his worries going faster than if it had been obviously surveillanced. There’s no guarantee he isn’t walking directly into a snake pit, a foolish mouse that got too brave for their own good. There could be a dozen men sitting in wait at his apartment and he wouldn’t know until it’s too late.

The need to get his most precious items from the space causes him to throw caution away and sneak inside anyways. Jisung is thankful that the woman usually sitting at the desk in the lobby seems to have stepped away, allowing him to rush past and straight to the elevator bay without being seen. One less layer of security to worry about.

As he’s rising up the levels, he takes every single fear with him until the doors open and he’s met with his floor—eerily still and quiet.

He needs to be fast, no time to worry or even stop to take a breath. If the apartment is empty, there’s no doubt the keypad will alert the authorities the second he enters his code.

Jisung takes one last breath before he punches in the digits and then shoves his door open. Inside, it’s silent and still, just as he left it before his trip to Jeju. He doesn’t even take a second to feel relief before he’s in motion, running to his bed and dropping to his knees so he can yank the safe out from underneath. His fingers shake as he turns the number lock, thankful that he remembers the code by heart.

Inside, he finds his passport, birth certificate, and an array of cards to bank accounts he never uses—including the one for Sana.

Once he’s gotten those shoved into his pockets, Jisung lunges for his closet and rips it open, knowing he’s tempting fate now, but he needs more clothes. Needs some semblance of normalcy for whatever the fuck happens to him next. He grabs a small suitcase and starts shoving everything within reach into it, no care for if any of it matches or could possibly make a decent outfit. He’ll worry about it later.

His backpack, with his laptop and accessories that he always takes to work is next to the bed and he slips it over his shoulders, not worrying about trying to add anything to it.

He makes one pit stop to grab all of his underwear and socks, shoving them into every nook and cranny in the suitcase before he zips it all up and runs right back out the door. He’s loathe to leave everything else, but there isn’t much option left for him. Not if he has any hope of making it out of here. He gets one final glimpse of his apartment—formerly his safe place to hide out from the cruelties of the world (cruelties so much worse than he ever even knew)—and then he shuts the door and wills himself to forget it.

Jisung looks up and down the hallway, trying to decide what the best course of action is for making his escape. While the elevator will be faster, he’ll be trapped with no way of knowing who is on the other side of the doors. Instead, he drags his suitcase to the emergency stairwell and shoves his way through the door.

It’s a bitch to carry his luggage down all the steps, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. Once he’s gone, somewhere safe, he can relax and let the muscle fatigue truly seep in. Until then, he just has to grit his teeth and push past it. Like some sort of honey badger ripping through life and refusing to back down. Now isn’t the time to be his old, cowardly self.

He makes it to the bottom floor before he peers out the tiny window of the door, noting that the lobby still looks quiet, though he can’t be sure how long that will last.

Jisung sneaks out the door, making sure it shuts quietly behind him and doesn’t slam against his suitcase in the process. Just as he turns, he catches sight of several armed men coming towards the front door and he’s dashing in the opposite direction without a single thought. There has to be some sort of employee exit. Perhaps a way to get out towards the dumpsters? The parking garage? Literally any way that will let him flee this building.

He slams through an unmarked door that just screamed ‘emergency exit’ to him, finding himself in a grimy, cramped alleyway. It’s the best sight he’s seen in a long time, trash and rats be damned.

It takes him a few minutes to duck through the streets until he finally feels like perhaps, he’s made it out of this. Perhaps all hope isn’t lost. It’s as he turns another corner that he runs face first into a familiar face. One that he does not want to see right now. The police chief. He can’t even remember his name, but the recognition that instantly shadows his face is enough to make Jisung tuck tail and sprint in the opposite direction, dragging his stupid luggage right behind him.

If push comes to shove, he can ditch the bag, but he really, really wants to keep it. If not for the clothes, then definitely for the changes of underwear. Especially if he shits his right now, running for his life through the streets in an attempt to shake his pursuer.

His only saving grace is that the chief is old, and apparently quite out of shape. It allows Jisung to dodge him within a few minutes, making his way through back alleys to stay out of sight.

There’s no real way of knowing how long he’s been running, ducking, and hiding to get back to Sana’s apartment, but he’s relieved once he locates it and slips up the stairs. Even more relieved when Sana opens the door dressed and ready to go, two suitcases stacked up behind her.

“I’m never going to forgive you if you don’t make it out of this alive and not incarcerated,” Sana announces the second he makes it inside the cramped living space. “Whatever the hell is going on, you better be okay.” He almost cries at how comforted he feels to have her usual snarky love back.

“I’m thinking of going to Malaysia,” he tells her as he digs through his pockets and pulls out the card for her. It’s pink with little cherry blossoms on it, too cute for him not to pick when given the option. “Take this, okay? I think it has about 70 million won in the account.”

Sana stares at him in shock. “What?! That’s so much!”

“I tried to tell you we were doing really well,” he says back, waving the card in the air. “You were just too stubborn to take the money when I kept offering it!”

She snatches the card from his hand, looking at it like it holds the secrets to the universe. “Oh my god.”

“When do you leave,” he asks, hoping it’s sooner than later.

“Our flight leaves in three hours. We’re just about to head out,” Sana says, pulling her wallet out of her purse to slip the card inside. “You’re free to use the apartment until you can leave too. The code is 0324.”

Jisung is close to groveling for the opportunity, considering he didn’t have much plan on where he was going to crash after this. The apartment is comfortable and cute, the perfect spot to plan out how to further desecrate every last thing he holds dear in life. “Thank you. Seriously. Do you happen to have an extra phone charger laying around…?”

Sana fixes him with a disappointed look before going to a little storage tower in the corner and shuffling through the top drawer where she pulls out an old cord. “It’s not perfect, a little frayed at the edge and you’ll have to find the best angle to get it to work, but it should do the trick until you get another one.”

Said cord looks like it was attacked by a stray cat, but he’s just relieved to have the option right now. “Thanks.”

Mina comes out of their bedroom, dressed and ready to go for their travels. He wishes she was a hybrid breed that could easily hide her animal features, but that tail is basically impossible to conceal. Either way, they should have enough time to make it through security without getting detained. Despite being on the watch list, it was more of a passive entry than Jisung’s currently active investigation.

“Will you let me know when you make it?”

“Of course,” Sana says, really looking at him. Jisung wonders what she can see aside from the obvious exhaustion and weariness. “Get some rest and get out of here too, okay? Let us know when you make it to Malaysia so I can finally rest easy. You’ve been making me lose hair the last few days and I’ll be pissed if I go bald.”

Jisung smiles at that. “Okay, I promise. Everything’s going to be okay for all of us.” He says it more as reassurance for himself than her, but it seems to do the trick to cut the careful mood.

“Alright, see you around Jisungie!”

He watches as Sana and Mina grab their bags and head for the door. He gets a shy wave from Mina and a middle finger from Sana just before the door shuts, leaving him in bleak silence.

Now that that’s out of the way, he needs to get to work.

--

286 emails sent to clients, informing them that he can no longer support their IT needs. Apartment lease ended; belongings forfeited. All utilities cut. Phone half charged after five hours in a precarious position.

Jisung is passed out on the couch, laptop still open in front of him on the coffee table. The tv is playing an endless loop of filler news stories. Nothing about him or the group of men he’d just run from has been broadcasted since he turned it on, instead a generic fluff story plays as a gentle backdrop as he snoozes.

--

Jisung wakes with a startle, the sound of a woman speaking frantically through the tv capturing his attention immediately. He wipes at the drool on the corner of his lip as he tries to focus his eyes enough to figure out what’s going on.

BREAKING NEWS: Five hybrids arrested fleeing from the site of an arson attack on a hybrid detention facility.

His heart plummets, watching the aerial footage of a facility fully engulfed in flames. How anyone managed to catch such a large building on fire like that is both impressive and terrifying. Even the firetrucks in the corner of the shot don’t seem to stand a chance at getting the roaring fire to die down.

We are unable to get a count of those injured or deceased in this attack, though we know there were twenty officers on post as well as fifty seven hybrids currently detained at the facility. More information to follow.

This… changes a lot.

Jisung already knew he needed to work quickly to close out everything here and get on the road, so to speak, but this just collapsed his plans into a dire need to get out immediately. He scrambles to grab his laptop, clicking to where he’d been looking at ferry trips to China, where he could then board a plane to get to Malaysia.

Originally, he was going to take the trip to Qingdao in two days, but he doesn’t think he can make it that long. Instead, he clicks into the ferry that’s scheduled to depart for Weihai in six hours. Not the best plan, but still workable. Besides, with the facility still in flames it should give him enough time to sneak through the city and make it to the port without being seen. They probably won’t even clock that he’s bought tickets in his name.

In reality, this attack couldn’t have come at a better time… for Jisung, at least.

Jisung books his ferry ticket and checks over everything one last time. There’s plenty of time to make a proper meal from whatever Sana and Mina had in their pantry, take a shower, and emotionally sort himself out for leaving Seoul behind once and for all. Not as much as he hoped for, but still a bearable amount.

--

The port is bustling with activity when he arrives, standing in line to board the ship. He’s watching them sort through all the cargo that’s going in the undercarriage of the boat, the forklifts and other vehicles picking up and steadily moving each palette inside. He’s always been fascinated by boats and how they’re actually able to float on water when they’re so fucking heavy. Especially judging how much weight they’re packing onto the thing.

Perhaps he shouldn’t pay such close attention, lest he give himself a heart attack before he makes it aboard. Now that he’s here, it feels surreal. More like he’s watching another version of himself scoot closer and closer to the admission counter, because it couldn’t possibly be him.

Yet, when he gets to the front of the line and hands over his identification, this is definitely real. The way his nerves are practically throttling him, body weak with anxiety, is hard to fake. He’s actually terrified as he watches the man on the other side of the glass type his information into their passenger screen, wondering if it’s about to pop up with some giant, red warning that gets him arrested instead. Wouldn’t that be kind of funny in a maniacal way? To go through everything just to get caught here at the port authority.

“Have a good trip,” the man says, sliding his ID and ticket over the counter and Jisung’s hand is trembling so hard it take three attempts to successfully grab them. He can only offer an embarrassed smile when he finally gets a grip on them, skirting around the booth so he can get to the walkway that will take him up to the ship.

As fascinated as he’s always been with boats, he’s also been very apathetic about large bodies of water. Meaning, he just basically pretends they don’t exist until directly faced with them. Then, he panics. His legs feel shaky as he practically rushes up the walkway to safety, heading straight for the top deck so he can keep getting fresh air before it’s time to depart.

Truly, he’s starting to regret running away. Not that he thinks he could do much else, but the thought of leaving behind Minho, Jeongin, and the others just when things are starting to pick up still makes him feel awful about himself. If only he could be more like one of the characters from his favorite shows, all fearless and immovable.

He wonders if he’ll think back to this moment throughout his life and have regret. Or will he applaud himself for his decisions? It’s too hard to tell, but either way he thinks this will keep him up at night from time to time.

With a sigh, Jisung leans against the wall of the ship and resumes watching them pack the last of the cargo away on the ship. He’s got eleven hours’ worth of travel waiting for him before he makes it to the Chinese coast, then a few more hours before his plane takes off. Jisung still hasn’t told his parents he’s coming back, too ashamed to have to answer their questions. Why are you leaving Seoul? What about your business? You still haven’t found a wife, why not?

It always goes like that, endless circles of asking why he’s not simply better when he’s always trying his best. And even when he does better, his brother is always somehow more impressive. It’s annoying, but he’s used to it.

His pity party is interrupted when his eyes catch on five large cages being transported towards the ship. Five animal cages containing hybrids. His blood starts to boil before he even fully processes the one with a shock of white hair and the one with red hair, though it’s darker than he’s used to. Almost as if it’s matted with blood. They’re too far away to get a proper look at, but he feels a sense of déjà vu anyways.

Jisung’s throat closes up as he watches the cages being transferred aboard the ship, not getting a proper look at any of the other hybrids before they disappear out of view. It can’t possibly be…

The five hybrids caught running from that burning facility collides in his brain with the image of those cages. Fuck. No, seriously, please no. He doesn’t have the mental capacity to fully contemplate what this means.

He momentarily freezes, just pondering his options. It looks like there are more cargo palettes that need to be loaded and he can still see a steady stream of cars and people heading onto the ship. Maybe it’s not too late? Maybe, if he gets down there, he can somehow get them out?

But that requires him getting involved again. There’s no way he can get them off the ship without being caught out himself and probably cornered immediately after. Not to mention the number of workers probably down there right now.

Still, all his doubts that have been stewing in his brain are coming to the forefront. Perhaps this was his legacy all along and he never realized it? Does that even happen to real, normal people? Having some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy? Then again, meeting Minho in the first place had felt like fate so maybe… maybe this is his fate too?

Be brave.

It’s the only thing he tells himself as he pushes off the side of the boat and heads straight for the little staircase off to the side. It’s probably meant for crew, but he doesn’t even care right now. He leaves his suitcase tucked in the corner before taking the winding steps down, passing various levels of the viewing platform. He doesn’t stop until he reaches the bottom, peering from the side of the door to get a better look into the cargo bay.

If anyone sees him, he’ll just pretend to be lost. It probably isn’t that farfetched for someone to aimlessly wander down here and he’ll use it to his advantage.

Here, in the belly of the boat, he can see piles and piles of the cargo he’d seen earlier. No doubt various exports that will be sold for exorbitant prices once they make it across the sea. Textiles, food staples, and other various goods are piled high on each palette that he passes, ducking around each of them to remain out of sight.

His heart is hammering in his chest the closer he gets to those cages in the corner. The fact that they put them in cages in the first place is infuriating. How dehumanizing to do that to someone?

Jisung goes to slip around another palette when his backpack is grabbed and roughly yanked back, making his feet slip along the damp metal sheets that make up the flooring. He can feel his fingers going tingly with mounting fear as he’s slammed against a wall of tightly wrapped essential oil bottles and an unfamiliar face comes into view.

It’s not… one that he was expecting. Not a cop or a crewmate as far as Jisung can tell. Mostly because of his large, white and black ears that are standing up out of his equally mixed black and white hair. He’s tall—very tall. Most importantly, Jisung feels his brain come to a screeching halt when their eyes lock. The stranger has long, narrow eyes but they’re bright blue. Almost clear with how light they are in color. He’s so strange and handsome, Jisung has never seen anyone like him in his entire life. Is he a husky hybrid?

“Who are you,” the man growls, voice deep and threatening despite speaking at whisper level. “Tell me right now what you’re doing sneaking around down here.”

Jisung’s hands scrabble for something to hold on to, anything to keep him upright under such harsh scrutiny. “Han Jisung,” he gasps out, and it feels like it takes the last capacity of his lungs with it.

He’s shocked to see a glint of recognition pass on the stranger’s face, his hand releasing the hold against him. “Han Jisung, as in Lee Minho’s Han Jisung?”

What a fucking title that is. He hates the way his heart flutters at that, but it seems like it might help him to go along with it? It would at least explain why he’s down here in the first place. “Uhm… yes?”

The man nods. “I’m Mingi. Come with me.”

Chapter Text

Jisung is surprised to find himself dragged back through the maze of palettes and up the stairs until he’s on one of the lower levels of the viewing platforms. He’s both disoriented and desperate to get back down those cages, though there isn’t much he can do with the way this Mingi guy keeps eyeing him.

He’d given some sort of signal into the watch around his wrist just before pulling him up here, but Jisung doesn’t have a clue what for. So far, it’s been just the two of them watching the way the shore softly undulates with each wave the boat balances on.

“Who is that,” he hears a voice call, turning his head to see another freakishly tall man walking up to them. This one looks way friendlier than Mingi, at least. He’s also notably human, with no hybrid features that Jisung can pick up on. Behind him is another human, though this one is more normal sized (Jisung sized).

“Says he’s Han Jisung,” Mingi announces, and Jisung is yet again surprised to see that the others apparently recognize his name? That’s either a good sign, or a truly terrible one. “Found him down in the cargo bay.”

Normal sized guy comes forward immediately, eyeing him up like he’s some sacrificial offering. It’s… not particularly comforting to be looked at like that. His entire aura seems terrifying in a way Jisung hadn’t felt before. “What were you doing down there?”

“Can I ask who you guys are first,” Jisung says, trying to determine how little to incriminate himself while also getting in their good graces if that’s a possibility. “I’ll answer your questions once you tell me that.”

“I don’t think we can do that,” the scary guy replies, closing the distance between them even more. “Not when you were clearly going after our teammates.”

Jisung tries desperately to go through his brain for any information about these guys. Maybe an offhand comment or something? He knows that Minho and his team were working with others. Youngjae was apparently part of a ‘Mokpo’ team, right? “I think we’re on the same side here. I was trying to go down there to let them out of the cages and maybe make a run for it. Get off this ship and get to somewhere safe.”

“How did you know Hongjoong and the others would be here,” the tall human asks, and that throws a bit of a loop into his plans because he doesn’t know who the fuck that is. Hongjoong? Does that mean the hybrids down there aren’t Minho and the others…?

“Uh… who? Isn’t that Minho, Felix, Jeongin, Chan, and Seungmin down there?” Scary guy looks at him like he’s an absolute moron and while he kind of feels like one, it isn’t very comforting to be looked at that way. “I saw the news about the detention center and I happened to see them loading the hybrids onto the ship and thought it was them.”

“So, you aren’t here with Chan’s team,” Mingi asks from behind him.

Jisung feels like he’s been transported to a whole other dimension. What the hell. How does he keep finding himself in these weird situations with even weirder people? “No. I’m here by myself.”

“How the fuck were you going to rescue them if you’re here working alone,” scary guy asks, eyes so narrow they’re barely visible anymore. “You just staged a rescue mission on your own and thought it would work out somehow? God, I know Minho said his companion was kind of stupid, but this is beyond my expectations.”

He balks at that. Minho called him stupid!? “What! He said that?”

All three of them just look at him weird, and he realizes that maybe now isn’t the time to be getting hung up over his ex sugar baby calling him disparaging names. “Look, this is all some big misunderstanding. I’m not working with Minho or the others anymore and I was just trying to get out of the country. My bad for apparently getting in the way of your rescue mission but I can just go back upstairs and leave you guys to it.”

That was apparently the wrong approach, because tall guy looks at him like he just spit on his shoes. “You’re just going to abandon them now that you know it’s not Minho?”

Jisung would like to know what the universe wants from him. Seriously. Because he’s not even sure what he wants from himself anymore. He’d already gone back on his escape plan so he could go act like a martyr and save the others only to find out it was totally different hybrids… whose friends now apparently expect him to help them?

“Do you actually want my help?”

“Well it wouldn’t hurt to have another person helping,” scary guy snips. “Are you really going to run for the hills just because we’re close to our biggest plans now?”

Jisung doesn’t even know their biggest plans! He just wants to go to his parents’ house and cry for like a month straight. He also wants to go save Minho and the rest of the hybrid population of Seoul. Is it really so wrong to not actually know what the hell he’s doing? Isn’t that like a permanent facet of being an adult?

“I’m Yunho,” tall guy says, then jabs a finger in scary guy’s direction. “That’s Wooyoung. We’re here to get our hybrid teammates off this ship and it would be cool if you helped us out.”

He can feel the prickle of unshed tears, mostly born out of frustration, at the corner of his eyes. Why have the last few days of his life felt like such a fucking tornado of confusion? He can’t seem to catch a break or even keep his feet steady anymore. “Fine! I’ll help you guys out. Let’s just go do it now.”

“We’re not going now,” Mingi says, looking at him strangely. “We’re going to wait until we’ve set sail.”

“Our captain knows how to navigate us back to shore once we steal the emergency boat,” Wooyoung says like it’s some fact anyone would know off the top of their heads. Jisung, however, does not like the sound of an escape boat one bit. He likes the idea of stealing said boat even less.

There’s not much he can really do about it now, though. Not with them all looking at him expectantly. When he thought about fate earlier, he hadn’t realized that his fate was getting dragged repeatedly into the midst of anarchy plans made by various hybrid groups he never knew existed but perhaps he should just accept it? In fact, isn’t this kind of a new twist of fate? He can get involved and help the hybrid cause without actually having to work with Minho again. It’s rather a win win that he never expected. “Can I at least get my bag from upstairs? I refuse to be left without clean underwear again.”

--

Waiting for the ferry to finally depart from shore had started awkward and stilted, but quickly devolved into easy bickering between all four of them. Jisung is surprised to find that Wooyoung isn’t actually scary at all, much more of a whiny type once he’s not on edge. Meanwhile, Yunho and Mingi apparently share the same final braincell between them, finishing each other’s sentences or sometimes not even bothering to before breaking into hysterical laughter.

For his part, Jisung learns that Wooyoung is practically inseparable from one of the hybrids they’re about to save. A black cat named San. He’s been gushing about him nonstop the entire time. Their leader—captain, he’s been corrected five times—is named Hongjoong while the other three hybrids with them are Seonghwa, Jongho, and Yeosang. They apparently call themselves ATEEZ and were responsible for the detention facility going up in flames but promise they got all the hybrids out safely first.

Does that make Jisung feel better? He doesn’t really know. He pointedly noticed that they didn’t mention the twenty officers working there or what became of their fates.

Currently, Wooyoung is playing his ‘slut anthem’ playlist on his phone while he and Yunho put on an… interesting performance for him and Mingi to watch. Jisung doesn’t miss the way Mingi’s eyes follow every single move that Yunho makes. It’s very cute, though he doesn’t think he’s in their good graces enough to ask them about it yet.

It’s strange to be goofing around and laughing so much when they’re about to commit crimes together, notably Jisung’s fifth or so crime in the last week. He supposes it’s better this way, though, a sense of camaraderie between all of them. Maybe he could fit in with them one day. Is it farfetched to think he might make proper friends within this vigilante cause?

The ferry comes alive, engines firing up beneath them. It reminds him of escaping Jeju, although his heart doesn’t feel nearly as heavy this time around. Perhaps it’s from all the laughing he’s had for the last hour or so.

Wooyoung and Yunho pause their dancing, moving to instead peer over the wall of the ferry. “Okay, we’re finally starting to move,” Yunho announces. “The crew should head to relax and rest soon and then we can head down and get everyone out.”

--

The crew clears out within the first half hour, leaving the cargo bay wide open and empty. Considering they have prisoners on board, you’d think they would leave someone behind to watch them. Not that Jisung is complaining. This suits their interests very well.

He’s surprised to see just how quickly and quietly the others move through the palettes, almost leaving him in the dust several times. It doesn’t help that he’s carrying his luggage with him like a lifeline, but he refuses to leave behind any more of his stuff. His backpack has been securely strapped to him this entire time too, though his shoulders aren’t very agreeable to it.

When they finally make it to the cages, Jisung is surprised to see the five men all sitting in silence, not a worry on their faces. They must have known the others would come to their rescue. He sets his bag down so he can approach one of the wire-lace cages that the others aren’t working on yet. Inside, he sees a thickly built guy with little, rounded brown ears. He looks strong. As strong as a… bear? Is he a bear hybrid?

The guy doesn’t say a thing as Jisung starts to fiddle with the lock that keeps the cage sealed, though he doesn’t have a clue how to open it. Jisung just moves the lock back and forth in his fingers as he takes in the details. Without a key, he doesn’t think he’ll get much further, until Yunho steps up next to him with a pair of bolt cutters. “Watch out, I’ll get it,” he says, shooing Jisung out of the way.

It gives him the freedom to turn just in time to see Wooyoung practically climbing on top of who he assumes to be San if the puff of black ears behind Wooyoung’s head is any indication. Are they… making out? In the middle of a rescue? The other’s hadn’t lied about their inseparability.

“Don’t mind them, they do this all the time,” he hears from beside him. It’s the bear hybrid, newly freed from his cage. “I’m Jongho.”

“Jisung,” he replies with a small smile. The guy seems friendly enough, even if he doesn’t offer a smile in return. Probably just grumpy and ready to get the hell off this ferry. Jisung shares the sentiment.

More men start to gather, including a gorgeous man with that shockingly white hair he’d seen earlier. Now that they’re closer, Jisung can tell he’s obviously not Felix and not even a cat. His choppy white hair blends perfectly with his floppy ears and he must be some sort of fancy dog breed. You know the kind that they brush endlessly in hopes of ‘best of show’ at those Crufts Best in Breed Shows? Yeah, one of those. He wonders how he would look with little bows tied in his hair.

Behind him emerges the smallest of the bunch, the one that Jisung first mistook for Minho due to the red hair. This time, however, he realizes that the hair wasn’t darker because of blood but because of the black layer underneath the red. His ears are pointed and white on the inside, but Jisung’s eyes are immediately drawn to his fluffy red and white striped tail. “Oh my god. Are you a red panda?”

It’s after he speaks, causing the man to pause with his mouth open and slide his eyes towards him that Jisung realizes he just completely interrupted him. “Yes?”

“That’s so cute,” Jisung gushes, taking in his full appearance. He’s roughly the same size as Jisung with his hair trimmed in a stylish mullet around the ears. Jisung has never once met a red panda hybrid—they must be one of the rarest breeds possible—and gosh does he wish he had. Until an angry-looking taller man with black bunny ears steps up behind the guy and glares daggers at him.

“What did you say,” the bunny asks, and Jisung feels a lot like he cracked open and lost his filter somewhere along the way. “Did you just call the captain cute?” Ah, great. So, the red panda is their leader and he somehow just insulted him.

He splutters for a moment, trying to figure out how to get through this with his limbs and life intact. Truly, he never realized such an offhand compliment could get him in so much trouble. “I just meant that I’ve never seen a red panda hybrid and I just think the concept is cute!”

“That’s Seonghwa,” Mingi says ‘under his breath’, but it’s way louder than he probably intended. “He’s Hongjoong’s boyfriend.”

“Oh no! I wasn’t like hitting on him or anything,” Jisung rushes to say, holding his hands up in a mock surrender. “I swear! I wouldn’t do that.”

Seonghwa’s eyes only narrow further. “Why not?”

Jisung suddenly remembers why he kept to himself for so long before he met Minho. He absolutely sucks at this whole getting to know people thing. “Uh…”

“This is Han Jisung,” Yunho suddenly pipes up, coming to stand next to him like the knight in shining armor he is. “He agreed to help us get you guys out of here.”

Hongjoong eyes him up and down. “Lee Minho’s Han Jisung?” He’d really love to know just how widespread that title is for him. How many people know him as ‘Lee Minho’s’? In the past, it would have made him absolutely vibrate with excitement but now it feels more like a dull buzz in the back of his brain. Uncomfortable and growing more annoying as time goes on.

“Yes,” he says anyways, because apparently his former ties to the cat hybrid are going to continue being his saving grace.

“Is Chan here,” Seonghwa speaks up, looking past him as if the rest of them are just hiding and waiting for a grand entrance.

“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s just me,” he says back, probably a lot brattier than he needs to be. It’s not their fault that Jisung ran into them mid-running-away. He just happens to have bad luck like that. “I’m not working with them anymore, but… I wouldn’t mind helping you guys out.”

Everyone goes silent, looking at him curiously. Yet again he finds himself the center of scrutiny and he doesn’t like it any more this time around. “Why aren’t you working with them,” Hongjoong finally asks, breaking some of the tension.

“Minho and I had a falling out of sorts,” he says, because he doesn’t know how else to categorize being entirely blindsided and fucked over by the person everyone keeps equating him with. Jisung feels a bit like he’s been placed on one of the museum pedestals for everyone to come and leer at. The plaque at the side clearly stating ‘Please Judge Me’. He’s never been particularly graceful at the art of being picked apart, so he just keeps talking. “He destroyed my company so I don’t really want to work alongside him anymore but I do want to help hybrids. I know a lot about computers so if you need help with anything like that…”

Wooyoung sucks in a breath that kind of turns into a whistle, still wrapped entirely around San. “Don’t tell me he didn’t tell you anything about our plans. I specifically told him that would end up messy!”

Jisung feels a frown tug down his lips. Apparently, everyone knows about him being used for his company and knowledge. Fucking great. “No. He didn’t tell me until afterwards.”

At that, Seonghwa’s face finally smooths out into a look of concern rather than anger and Jisung isn’t sure if he likes this look any better. Being pitied still doesn’t feel great. “Poor thing, no wonder you seem so exhausted.” He turns to Hongjoong and they seem to have a silent conversation between them. Jisung has witnessed so many of these by now that he just wishes he had someone connected enough to him to be able to do that. “We could definitely use someone like you for our team.”

It's the first sense of relief he’s had since he left the lake house. “Then I’m keen to help.”

Hongjoong nods at that. “Alright, welcome to ATEEZ then. Now, let’s get to the lifeboat and get out of here.”

--

Jisung is yet again blown away by how coordinated these hybrid vigilante groups seem to be. Everyone follows Hongjoong’s orders without question or comment as they sneak through the boat in the direction of the small bay that houses the lifeboat. In an actual emergency, there’s no way such a small thing could help that much but for their purposes, it’s perfect. Just small enough to sneak away while holding them comfortably.

By now, they must be an hour from shore, but that doesn’t seem so bad in the grand scheme of things. If their captain really is able to drive the boat to shore, they’ll be back in Incheon and hopefully somewhere secure within two hours.

The only problem is that Jisung can barely keep his legs solid enough to stay upright as they file into the escape bay. Especially not when he’s instructed to get into the boat before they lower it to the waves beneath.

“It’ll be okay,” Wooyoung urges, holding out a hand to help him climb down while still clutching onto his luggage. “We’ve done this several times and the boat only tipped once.”

“What!?” In his sudden panic, Jisung’s foot slips and he ends up falling face first into the center of the lifeboat, much to the amusement of both Wooyoung and San. At least they check on him and help him turn onto his butt.

“He’s kidding,” San says with a bemused smirk. “It was actually twice.”

“Stop teasing him,” Hongjoong calls, and it makes the others lock up in an instant. “We don’t have time to be goofing around right now.” His words are scolding, even as he hops down into the boat and scurries over to the helm, starting to get familiarized with the various buttons and controls.

“Ready down there,” Jongho asks, fingers already working to untie one of the ropes that keeps the boat suspended above the water. “We’re going to lower you and then jump down, so get to the side and out of our way.”

Jisung scrambles to the edge of the boat with his suitcase in tow, watching the way Mingi, Jongho, Seonghwa, Yunho, and Yeosang (the white-haired guy is a maltese hybrid, he learned on the way here) get to work on the ropes. They look to be at practiced ease, slipping the knots free and starting to unwrap the ropes.

The lifeboat lowers slowly as all five men work in sync to hoist them down. The only thing keeping the remnants of his earlier meal safely inside his stomach is how slowly they’re moving. Otherwise, he’s pretty sure he would have painted the boat with it by now.

The water is practically roaring beneath them the closer they get to it. Once they’re maybe a meter from the water, the lifeboat roars to life and he looks to see Hongjoong flicking various things on as he adjusts for their landing. “We’ll only have a few seconds to get away from the ferry, so all of you need to time it perfectly,” the captain shouts up at the others. “Lower us until we’re a meter from the water and then all of you release and jump at the same time.”

Even though Jisung isn’t one of the guys currently lowering the boat with an impending hail mary jump inside, his heart is racing for them. It’s horrifying to imagine what’s about to happen to them all. How exactly did he find himself in this scenario again?

He doesn’t get the time to ponder that before he hears a shouted command from above. “In five,” Seonghwa’s voice yells. “Five, four, three, two, GO!”

Suddenly, the boat lurches down into the water below, splashing some up onto Jisung where he holds onto the side so hard his knuckles lose their pigment. Five bodies thud onto the center of the boat in unison, a cacophony of contending sounds and movements that all make him dizzy.

Just as their feet land onboard, Hongjoong jerks the boat to the side to veer off from the ferry, saving them from a collision in the nick of time. Truly, he couldn’t have managed it better and Jisung is both in awe and terribly nauseous.

“Good going, cap,” San says with a bright smile, standing on the deck of their small ship like he’s done this a hundred times. Perhaps he has, considering how easily they make their escape. Already, this feels night and day different from his short time with the others, but he also recognizes that this could be the calm before the storm. Especially when the hint at ‘big plans’ hangs in the back of his mind.

Rather than let that sour his mood, Jisung clings to the side of the boat and watches the waves pass by as they cut a path back to shore. It’s working to get his heartrate settled, feeling a strange sense of calm he wouldn’t have expected in a situation like this.

“You okay over there,” Yunho asks before making his way over and standing next to Jisung. “You haven’t spent much time on a boat, have you?”

“Not at all,” he says, not bothering to hide the whine in his voice. “Have you?”

Yunho grins at him, knocking their shoulders together lightly. “Most of us met on the docks. We used to be fishermen, back before Hongjoong’s business was shut down and his ship was seized.”

Jisung isn’t sure what to say to that. He’s seen how at ease Hongjoong seems driving the boat and commanding the team. Sees how much he appears at home here, on the open water. He can’t imagine what he would have done if the government took his company like that; just walked in and took control of his computer networks and firewalls. The thought alone pisses him off. “That’s fucked. Is that why you guys are doing this?”

“Mmhmm,” Yunho hums, face a little more solemn than Jisung has seen in their short time together. “That, and humans aren’t allowed to marry hybrids currently. I’d like to be able to see Wooyoung and San finally make things official.”

“They can’t marry,” Jisung asks, never once considering that as something the government would outlaw. “I never knew that…”

“It’s a recent development, not that it was ever advertised. Instead, they wait for hybrid-human couples to apply and deny them. Those two were denied eight times all over Korea before we realized it was some sort of hidden agenda.”

It’s no wonder Sana and Mina never tied the knot. Now that he knows, his chest feels heavy. How many other things has their country been steadily stealing from them? What else have they silently banned without officially announcing it to keep people like Jisung—wholly uninformed and too comfortable to question things—unaware?

“I… I think I don’t know very much about what impacts hybrids. Not enough to be worth much to the cause. Do you think you could teach me?”

Yunho looks at him for a few seconds before smiling ruefully. “Yes, we would love to. And you know what, Jisung-ah? It takes a certain kind of person to admit when they’re uninformed. I’m looking forward to what we can do together.”

Jisung smiles back, and it’s a genuine one. “Me too.”

--

They arrive along the coast faster than Jisung expected, though Hongjoong steered them away from Incheon proper and more towards the southern side of Seoul where the docks are less monitored. “We shouldn’t run into any trouble out here,” Hongjoong says as he approaches one of the rickety, old piers. “This is only used by the fishing boats.”

Yeosang and Wooyoung are poised on the side of the lifeboat as they draw near, ready to jump out and tether them to the wooden posts to allow everyone to egress safely. It’s fascinating to watch the way the two work together seamlessly, barely having to speak before they leap in tandem and then drag the boat closer using two ropes as Hongjoong steers. As soon as they’re within range, he cuts the engine and the combined acceleration and pulling from the duo lands them directly next to the pier, anchored by the ropes that they wrap around two wooden poles.

The others start making their way up and over the edge of the boat, until it’s just Jisung and Hongjoong left in the lifeboat while he clutches onto his luggage like a lifeline. “Here, hand me the bag,” Mingi calls on his knees with both arms outstretched. “Then the others can help you up.”

He’d like to have enough pride to declare he can get his own self out of the boat, but really… he probably can’t. Better to just let them help him. San and Yeosang each take one of his arms and hoist him up like he weighs nothing, until his feet settle on the rotten wooden boards. Like a showoff, Hongjoong easily hops up onto the pier next to him with a smirk. “Congrats on making it through your first sail with ATEEZ. Especially without throwing up. That’s a good sign.”

“Thanks,” he says, not entirely sure he wasn’t being made fun of. Oh well, he’s just glad they successfully made it back to dry land. “What now?”

“Now we head home,” Seonghwa says with a grin. “Finally, I can’t wait to get some good sleep again.”

--

Jisung thinks that the hybrid groups he keeps meeting have strange ideas of where it is ideal to call home. The lake house was unusual, of course, but he can kind of understand that. But ATEEZ? Well, apparently they call an old, brick strip club called Treasure home.

“Is this really where you guys live,” Jisung asks, trying his best to keep any judgement off his face as they pile through a backdoor. He can hear the steady thump of the bass from the music in the actual club. The back stairwell is dimly lit, mostly cast in shadows but he can see the stairs and railing are all made of metal that’s peeling deep, purple paint.

San tilts his head to the side. “Sex work is the only way hybrids are really allowed to make money these days. The club is how we keep profits high and the cops don’t interfere since so many of them come here in their off time.”

Every new thing he learns just makes him sadder… and far more angry. “You guys have to resort to sex work to make enough money to survive? Wait, do you guys dance here?”

“Not all of us,” Hongjoong says as he pulls up the rear and closes the door behind him. “Let’s get upstairs and I’ll tell you more. My feet are killing me.”

Jisung follows everyone up the stairs until they reach the landing for the second floor, where Jongho pulls back a heavy metal door and holds it open for them. “Welcome to our home!”

Through the doorway, he’s shocked to find that the insides look far nicer than he expected. From the outside of the club, he figured it would be run down and bare bones similar to how the lake house was set up. Instead, he’s greeted with an ornate living space crammed full of luxurious furniture. To be honest, half of it looks like it’s straight out of some Victorian gothic dream. The neon purple lighting around the room only enhances the feeling.

“This is so interesting,” he wonders out loud as he looks around.

“The building next door used to be a furniture flipping company and they left a ton of their stuff behind, so we snatched it the second we could,” Wooyoung says as he heads straight for one of the sofas and flops down. “The bedrooms each have a different theme because we scrapped together different pieces.”

“Speaking of,” Hongjoong says as he crosses the room to where Jisung is. “We only have four rooms, so you’ll have to share with someone. Mine and Seonghwa’s is off limits.”

Wooyoung shoots back into a sitting position. “My room with San is off limits too. Unless you want to sleep on the floor and listen to us make love every night.” He ends it with a wink that has Jisung shaking his head ‘no’ immediately. Absolutely not.

“Just share with Jongho and me,” Yeosang says while rolling his eyes. “Our room is the quietest anyways, and you can bunk with me. I don’t move around in my sleep.”

He feels a little weird about sharing a bed with a stranger, but he gets absolutely zero ill intentions from the hybrid as he offers. In fact, Yeosang just seems to be dancing through life without a single care or worry so if he has to sleep next to anyone, it might as well be the aloof one. “Yeah, okay.”

Yeosang offers him a small smile before motioning towards the hallway. “Come along, I’ll show you where it is so you can unpack your suitcase. I’m assuming you’re planning to stay a while.”

No one has really questioned his intentions so far, easily accepting him into their little group without much trouble. He can’t help but wonder why they’ve been so inviting to him because he can’t imagine just anyone gets this kind of warm welcome. Perhaps he’ll ask Hongjoong about it later. For now, the idea of getting to unpack his suitcase and call somewhere ‘home’ again is too appealing to really argue.

The hybrid leads him down a cramped hallway, pointing at various doors as they go. Wooyoung and San in the first room to the right, Yunho and Mingi across from them. The bathrooom is across from his new room, then Hongjoong and Seonghwa at the end. He’s not entirely excited to share a wall with Wooyoung and San after that lovely declaration earlier, but he’s so exhausted he could probably sleep through a tsunami at this point.

It's very confusing to walk into his new bedroom considering it looks like he stepped into a completely different realm as soon as Yeosang flips on the light. The walls are painted a pale blue, while the bedding is all brushed gold and white. Kind of like it’s been modeled off a depiction of what Heaven might look like.

Two beds are tucked against the walls on either side of the room, and they appear to be around full size so he won’t be forced to cuddle with the hybrid in order to stay on the mattress. Between the beds is a short table that could have been a coffee table at some point but instead holds all of their smaller belongings while most of the wall at the foot of the beds is taken up by a gigantic armoire.

“There is plenty of space to unpack your stuff into there,” Yeosang says, pointing at said armoire. “There are two drawers that are completely empty still so have at it. The bed on the left is ours but I have a ton of pillows so we can just make little forts to keep our space.” He says everything offhand, still very much unbothered. It’s kind of nice to meet someone who is calm and quite levelheaded.

“Thanks,” Jisung says before he drags his suitcase over and gets to work unpacking.

--

“You said you’re handy with computers,” Hongjoong greets him with once he reemerges from the bedroom. It seems that everyone has gone to do their own things, as the only person in the living area is Mingi and Seonghwa looks busy in the kitchen, likely making something for everyone to snack on.

“Yes, I set up the networks that Chan’s team infiltrated and helped them unlock the data,” he replies, keeping things vague.

Hongjoong waves him over to another room near the kitchen that he hadn’t noticed earlier. Inside, he sees an old mahogany desk that houses yet another Frankenstein computer. Have they all worked together to make these for each team or something? “None of us are great with them, but we have this set up. It’s connected to the one Jeongin set up at the lake house so we can communicate and share data. Not sure exactly how it works, but I’m assuming you can figure it out. Our assignments from Chan come through on it too.”

Jisung approaches the computer wearily, almost as if he’s approaching a wild animal. After everything, he’s not even certain he can trust the electronics everyone has been using anymore. Who knows what other things they might have up their sleeves.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t finish earlier,” Hongjoong says, not really paying attention to the way Jisung is hovering over the computer. “Mingi, Jongho, and I work security or bartend as needed. The others dance. You’re free to help out as you can, in whatever capacity you want.” Jisung knows only one thing for certain—he’s not equipped to be a dancer in a club.

“Isn’t it dangerous to come right back here as soon as you broke free? Won’t they follow you guys back here and come again?”

Hongjoong leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “The cops at the local precinct are some of our most loyal customers. They wouldn’t dare. We were captured by some in another precinct, where the facility was located. Generally, we’re safe as long as we keep Treasure running as usual.”

“Do the others… like doing it,” Jisung asks, though he’s not sure if he’s overstepping with the question.

Luckily, the red panda doesn’t seem too upset over it. Instead, he appears to ponder the question for a few seconds. “It’s fun enough, and we keep the environment secure. As far as other things we could be stuck doing, this is what everyone would much prefer.”

Jisung nods once in understanding. He can’t pretend to have enough knowledge on the subject to have a valid opinion and as long as they say they’re content, it really isn’t his business. One day, he thinks, they’ll be free to do whatever they truly want to again and until then, he’ll just have to step up and be one of the people that helps keep them safe here.

“There’s a chat function with the other teams. Feel free to make yourself a profile in the system and say hello. I’m going to trust you to keep us up to date on anything from Chan’s team or when the others send updates,” Hongjoong says before disappearing from the room.

It leaves Jisung alone, staring at the multiple screens above him. The interface is the exact same from the one he saw Jeongin using and as he looks, he notices the last viewed chat is still open.

FoxyIN: Chan gives the clear to attack the facility, but says to be careful please!
FoxyIN: Saw the news, please provide a report!
FoxyIN: Guys…?
FoxyIN: shit

Jisung can’t help but smile at the messages, knowing that Jeongin is probably a mess waiting for an update. He clicks over to the user profiles and creates a new one, intending on taking over the task. He still doesn’t know why they trust him so easily. Perhaps his name being tied to Minho’s isn’t the worst thing if it means he can find a place to coexist so easily.

HanJi: ATEEZ present
HanJi: All members safe and back at home

He sees the typing bubble pop up instantly.

FoxyIN: JISUNG?!???!??
FoxyIN: Is that you???

HanJi: shhhh
HanJi: Yes, but let’s keep that between us for now? Please?
HanJi: I found my way to the ATEEZ team but I’m going to be a passive part of this for now
HanJi: I’ll fill you in later

FoxyIN: Hmmm. Okie! But when they find out you better protect me from Minho-hyung’s wrath :P

Chapter Text

Life at Treasure is interesting. Jisung isn’t sure if that’s in a good or bad way just yet. All he knows is that he regularly sees the others coming and going from the living space while he diligently works on their network with Jeongin, communicating with the fox through their chat function almost constantly.

He had a new prototype of a firewall that he’d been testing before the downfall of his company, and with his laptop now securing a spot on the desk next to the super computer, he’s able to patch the rest of it and get it up and running. Before, their plethora of information and planning had been barely protected and if he can’t do much else, this is something he can definitely provide. His own way of contributing to the cause without any more direct involvement or sprinting from police.

At least he has the relief of knowing Sana and Mina made it back to her hometown without trouble. When the text had come through the first morning he woke with the ATEEZ crew, Jisung had to hide in the restroom until his eyes were dry. Not matter what, he doesn’t plan on saying a single thing about Sana or her known whereabouts and hopes she gets to have a good life, even if he doesn’t make it out of this to reunite with her one day.

“Hey,” Seonghwa says softly from the doorway. He can tell it’s him just from how sweetly he always speaks to everyone. After their little misunderstanding on the ferry, it was entirely too easy to move right past it and he now finds himself slightly coddled by the bunny hybrid. It’s nice, actually. When he turns to look at him, Seonghwa is standing with a plate of food in both hands as if in offering. “I grilled some brisket and pork if you’re hungry? You’ve been at that computer all day.”

It smells amazing. Enough to make his stomach rumble. “Please. You’re a lifesaver.”

Seonghwa steps forward easily, handing it over. “No, you’re the lifesaver here. I can’t believe how much work you’ve done already. None of us really understand everything you’re doing, but Jeongin keeps raving about you.”

It makes him smile shyly, shifting in the chair so he can hold the plate close and grab the chopsticks that are handed to him next. Everyone keeps being so grateful that he never knows how to take it. It’s so polar opposite to his short time with Minho and the others that he feels eternally grateful for his chance meeting with everyone on the ferry.

“Speaking of,” a new voice calls, and Hongjoong steps into the room to stand on his free side. “I got a call from Chan. We have a list of hybrids and sympathizers that we’d like to get a message out to. Do you think you and Jeongin can handle it?” He’s holding a thumb drive out, which Jisung assumes contains this list.

“That should be easy enough,” he says, setting the food on the desk to instead take the drive. “What message?”

“Jeongin has it, just reach out to him.” With that, Hongjoong offers him one nod and ducks out. He’s always so busy that Jisung rarely talks to him outside of taking orders. Not that he minds; it’s a little easier to breathe when everyone gives him space to work alone. Though he oftentimes finds himself sandwiched between Wooyoung and San or goofing around with Yunho and Mingi at the end of their long days.

Seonghwa looks between him, the food, and the drive. “Just eat first, please,” is all he says before he heads out too.

Sometimes Jisung thinks it’s been too easy to assimilate into the ATEEZ team, but he can’t help wondering what it would be like if he were still with Minho and the others. Not that he can dwell on that right now. Instead, he grabs a heaping bite of the food and clicks over to the chat.

HanJi: I hear there’s a new task for us

FoxyIN: I was about to message you! Chan-hyung just told me what he wants us to send. Did you get the list from Hongjoong-hyung?

HanJi: Yup, but I haven’t loaded it yet
HanJi: What is the message?

FoxyIN: Just a call to action

HanJi: Do I want to know?

FoxyIN: You’ll see whether you want to or not :D

Jisung grabs the flash drive and docks it into one of the ports on his computer, waiting for it to recognize the device before he opens up the file list inside. It’s just one gigantic excel sheet, and he can’t help wondering who sat down to compile it. From what he knows, only he and Jeongin are consistently on the network or computers.

He opens the file and nearly falls out of his seat when he sees that there are over five thousand names, phone numbers, and email addresses listed. Where the hell did they find so many people?

HanJi: This is a lot of people
HanJi: How did you guys get so much??

FoxyIN: We have a ton of groups all over Korea
FoxyIN: Recruiting isn’t exactly hard with everything going on
FoxyIN: Just load the spreadsheet and we can get to work
FoxyIN: You any good at making an automated messaging system?

HanJi: Of course
HanJi: Uploading now

FoxyIN: :D

Jisung watches as the file moves over, uploading into the interface along with all their other data. He shoves another giant bite into his mouth and chews through it as he opens a new command prompt. He’s a little rusty at this part, but it shouldn’t be that difficult. Not when he used a similar product to send out offers and reminders to his customers in the past. Even if he didn’t have anywhere near this many.

He continues to work on the food in conjunction with writing the coding, testing it every once in a while to send emails to himself until he’s got it just right. It’ll probably take at least an hour to get all the messages out, but it’s mostly a hands off process. At least he won’t have to do everything manually. That would be tedious as fuck.

HanJi: Alright, I think I got the code ready
HanJi: You can add the verbiage to it and I’ll send it out

FoxyIN: On it!

Jisung finishes off his food while he waits for Jeongin to get everything loaded, stomach feeling way too full after how fast he shoveled the food down, but at least he’s not hungry anymore. He might actually gain weight staying with ATEEZ, considering both Wooyoung and Seonghwa enjoy cooking and feeding him apparently.

He sees a thumbs up pop up from Jeongin in their chat and switches back over to the bot, eyes already searching for the message. He’s too curious.

Hybrids and Friends,
As you know, the government has been making calculated moves against us for far too long. With the recent developments, we no longer believe that hybrids can peacefully coexist with humans that do not believe us to be equals. This is a call for those that are no longer content to sit by and watch the world burn, threatening to take us with it.

Our voices go unheard more as the days pass and we fear that we will be silenced if he do not take action now.

Soon, you will receive instructions on how you can help. Please be strong and unyielding to assist us in changing Korea to a safe place for hybrids and humans to coexist. Together. Share this message to anyone you know that is willing to help support the cause and be ready. -MayFly

He reads it several times, trying to commit the words to memory. There is no doubt in his mind that once this message and the subsequent follow-ups are sent out, things are going to drastically change. Jisung doesn’t know what’s coming, exactly, but it’s guaranteed to get messy. And bloody.

He reads the name at the end a few more times. MayFly. That must be the official title of their group and he finds it oddly fitting. Short lifespans yet once thought to connect Heaven and Earth into one. He hopes this MayFly also has a short term.

HanJi: Are we sure about this?

FoxyIN: Yes
FoxyIN: This is long overdue

HanJi: Okay. Hitting send

He toggles back to the prompter, taking one more breath before he enters the final command to connect the message with the recipients. A task bar pops up on the screen, letting him know how long it will take until completion.

Hopefully this goes well.

--

Treasure is way nicer than Jisung expected. He’s never spent any time in a strip club, but this one must be one of the nicest in the city if he had to guess. Every surface is sparkling clean, the bar open and inviting while the stage is set for everyone to see with ease. It’s not a huge place, but he assumes they can fit a hundred patrons without too much crowding.

At first, he avoided coming downstairs during their working hours. It was fine for a while, but Jeongin has gone eerily quiet and Jisung doesn’t know what else to do with himself. It led him to ask Hongjoong if he could assist tonight, which was graciously accepted.

Currently, he’s watching Hongjoong demonstrate how to make their specials because apparently Jisung is going to be a bartender for the night. It’s probably going to be a disaster, but he’ll worry about that later.

They go through the entire drink list which, thankfully, only has eight specials before Hongjoong makes him try them all out himself. He only has to redo them a few times before he passes the captain’s vibe check for how the drinks should look. “Alright, I think you’ve got the hang of it. I’ll be at the door if you need help.”

Jisung barely has time to acknowledge that before Hongjoong leaves him alone. Standing behind a strange bar in a silent, empty strip club is one of the top five uncanniest scenarios he’s ever found himself in.

“I’m glad you’re finally going to experience your first night at Treasure,” Wooyoung says, way too excited, as he slips into a stool in front of him. He’s got glitter covering every inch of skin that Jisung can see, though he suspects it travels beneath his clothes as well. Is it odd that Wooyoung suits the whole ‘human disco ball’ theme? It doesn’t help that he’s got some sort of leather dom-daddy outfit over top of it. “Make me a Spelunker, please?”

He wrinkles his nose at that, still kind of hating the name for this particular drink, but he gets to work on it anyways. Two parts vodka, one part light rum, one part pineapple juice, and then a splash of coconut water. To be fair, the sample he’d tasted was really good, but still. Spelunker is a terrible name for a mixed drink, and he stands by that.

“Try not to drool over my Sannie when he comes on. I know you’ve got a thing for cats,” Wooyoung says with a wink before disappearing and leaving Jisung a floundering mess. Just how much has Minho told everyone about him!? They’ve hinted at his former virginity, his anime obsession, and now his cat-hybrid kink. It’s getting a little too embarrassing for his fragile psyche.

The door to the club opens, letting in a stream of men before he can fret over it any longer. He plasters on his best ‘customer service’ smile as he waits for them to approach and officially kick off the night. He can do this. It’s just some drink making, after all.

--

Jisung can’t do this. Despite everyone assuring him it’s a slow night for the club, it is absolutely packed with people and he hasn’t had a single moment of peace since those doors opened three hours earlier. He’s sweating in places he didn’t even know could sweat, and he’s fairly certain his skin has a thick layer of sticky fluids drying all over it. Being a bartender is absolute hell and he hates it.

The only thing keeping him in his spot, diligently working through orders, are the occasional thumbs up he gets from Hongjoong, and he’d like to make him proud. For some reason. He can’t explain it—can’t even fully process it right now. Not as he lines up five shot glasses and pours out just as many Siren Calls into them.

“Wow, we’re really busy,” Seonghwa says as he slides behind the bar next to him and grabs the bottle of whiskey he hadn’t even realized he was still holding. “You’re doing great!”

Jisung barely caught some of the bunny’s performance earlier, but what he saw was nice. What else can he really say? The bunny moves his body in a really fucking sexy way, but Jisung was looking respectfully. Same with San, despite all the teasing everyone has been passing his way throughout the entire night. It was only made worse when San took it upon himself to point at him just as he did a particularly sinful hip roll. Lovely.

“I think I’m going to die,” Jisung says, plopping the last of the shots onto a tray that Mingi spins around with, headed to whoever ordered them. “This is absolutely insane. How do you guys do this every night?”

Seonghwa gives him a brilliant smile as he pours out another drink like it’s second nature. “We’ve all been working together so long and Hongjoong expects perfection. It’s been an interesting ride getting to this point.”

“Were you a fisherman too,” Jisung asks as he shakes another mixed drink in the metal mixing thing that he’s been using religiously all night.

“Yup. Started working the docks as soon as I was old enough to lift an anchor myself. I met Hongjoong when I was only fifteen and him fourteen. We both knew we would sail the seas together as soon as we could,” Seonghwa says, though his smile looks more pained now. “I wish we could still be out there sometimes.”

“One day soon,” Jisung says, but he tries to make it sound like a promise. “We’ll get your ship back so you can set sail again.”

The bunny chances a long look at him before nodding. “Thanks, Jisung-ah. I’m really hoping so. I hope that you can get what you’ve been wanting too.”

--

Jisung flops onto his shared bed with Yeosang as soon as he’s showered and changed, though it took him almost ten minutes just to get all the residual alcohol and mixers off his arms. He can’t even tell you how he managed to make such a fucking mess.

Yeosang climbs in right after him, looking just as tired. He’d been another crazy performer earlier, spinning around the pole like he’d spent his entire life on one. Not to mention how incredibly built his body is under his usually flowing clothes. Jisung had taken about five double-takes just to make sure he was seeing it all properly.

“How was your first night,” Yeosang asks sleepily, rolling on his side so they’re facing each other. The pillow fortification has slowly dwindled now that they’re more comfortable around each other, and Jisung is oddly soothed by that. He likes being able to feel someone next to him as he sleeps, even if there’s nothing romantic there.

“Tiring as hell,” he groans. “You guys are nuts.”

Yeosang chuckles and nuzzles into his pillow further, his fluffy tail wagging sleepily behind him. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

--

All that talk about being a passive participant in this whole thing has flown out the window. Faster than he ever expected. Though the only one to blame for that is Jisung himself.

He’d been deep asleep, face down in his pillow as Yeosang stole the blanket next to him when their door opened wide to reveal Yunho. “Up. Get up. We need to get ready to go.”

Jisung can’t exactly recall everything between that moment and when he’d stumbled down the metal stairs and out the door with the others. He never even stopped to question anything, instead rushing to keep up.

Now that he’s in the back of a van—eerily similar to the one Hyunjin had driven—he realizes that he hopped into this mess of his own volition. “What exactly are we doing,” he asks once he finds his voice, eyes trailing over everyone else that’s crammed in the van with him. San is driving, though it’s much more peaceful this time around.

“We got the call that they’re transporting some old equipment to be destroyed. Our scouts said they packaged up the devices in a hurry and rushed them out, which practically guarantees that they have incriminating information on them,” Hongjoong says from the passenger seat, body turned so he can look at Jisung as he speaks. “Whatever we find, you’ll probably be busy after this.”

Old devices? He runs through all the possibilities in his head, unsure of what they might be stumbling into. Either way, it sounds important.

The van falls silent again as they drive through the streets of Incheon. The glow of the clock in the dash is a bit fuzzy from this far, but Jisung can tell it’s sometime around two in the morning. The fact that the government is transporting stuff at this time basically confirms it’s something suspicious.

“I think that’s them,” Hongjoong announces, pointing at something Jisung can’t see form where he’s sitting in the very back. “Pull up closer so we can get a better look.”

San does as he’s asked, steering them closer as the others start to check over their gear and get ready. Ready for what, Jisung doesn’t know. Jongho silently slips him a knife, which takes him a second to recognize. When he does, his head snaps up to look at him. “A knife!? What do I need this for?”

“Just in case,” the bear hybrid replies, solemnly. “We don’t know what to expect and I don’t want you to be defenseless.”

It’s in this moment, as Jisung cradles the four inch blade—that is thankfully still sheathed—in his arms, that he realizes he might be in over his head. He should have just rolled over and claimed Yeosang’s half of the bed for himself, kept on snoozing, and seen what they brought back for him in the morning.

“It’ll be okay. Just stick with us,” Yunho says quietly, trying to comfort him. “We rarely have to resort to weapons.”

Rarely. Rarely. That keeps bouncing around in his skull, taunting him. Jisung really jumped into the deep end this time, and while he’s a strong swimmer, how does one fight against a current twenty times tougher than themselves to stay afloat?

His panicked thoughts are abruptly cut off when their van makes impact, no one else alarmed by the sound of metal scraping against metal. What the fuck? His eyes glue to San to watch the way the hybrid’s arms flex as he holds the steering wheel to the left, trapping them against what Jisung assumes is the transport vehicle.

Something else hits his lap, and it startles him enough to yelp before he looks down to see a mask. It’s a freaky looking thing, white and black and big enough to cover his entire face.

“Gotta take precautions,” Wooyoung says when they lock eyes as if they aren’t currently running a vehicle off the road. “Hold on, this part is always the worst.”

Jisung doesn’t even think about it, he just reaches out to cling to a handle that is suspiciously welded into the metal frame of the van near him. Clearly, the handles have been installed just for this, if the fact that everyone else has found a handle to steady themselves with is any indication. They’re madmen. Absolutely fucking crazy.

Suddenly, the van slams to a stop, so sudden that Jisung loses his grip on the handle and ends up on his face. His mask and knife go flying, but he can’t even be upset about it before he’s yanked onto his feet in a crouching position. Mingi looks at him apologetically as he removes his hands. “First time is always the hardest. Just stay behind us.”

As if anyone needed to tell him that. Jisung doesn’t even want to get out of the van in the first place, let alone even be here right now. Someone returns his mask and knife, which he takes into shaky hands.

When he notices that everyone else had donned their masks, he rushes to slip his over his own head, though the band gets stuck in his hair and pulls at it uncomfortably.

The side door slides open and everyone starts pouring out, until it’s just him and who he thinks is Seonghwa left in the back of the van. A hand is outstretched to him, and he feels like time stills completely. Does he take it? Does he cower in the van? Fuck.

He chastises himself as he hesitates. This is what he signed up for. Perhaps not at first, but obviously getting in the van was his seal of approval and he might as well see it through. Be brave. Be brave. Be brave.

Seonghwa’s hand feels surprisingly cool and dry when he takes it, which must mean that the other isn’t freaking out at all. Or, not as much at Jisung at the very least. “It will be okay,” Seonghwa’s cotton candy voice says, fingers wrapping around his securely. “Come along.”

Jisung doesn’t know how his legs are still functioning, but he manages to get out of the van and follow along after Seonghwa to the other van. The others are already engaged in what appears to be a brawl. Seven ATEEZ members against four armed men, who never stood a chance even with their fancy batons and riot gear.

Jongho grabs a guy from behind, locking his arms behind his back as Hongjoong takes his abandoned baton and pummels him with it. Jisung actually cringes when he hears the dull thud of impact, wondering if they’re doing permanent damage to him. Not that he should be that concerned. Right? These are the bad guys here.

Wooyoung and San are still dancing around one of the men, dodging his swings as they land steady kicks and punches that are easily overwhelming him while Mingi is straight up choking one of the guys out, long arm wrapped around his throat from behind.

The last guy is being hoisted in the air by Yunho as Yeosang grabs his handcuffs and makes quick work of locking them around his wrist. It’s kind of terrifying how brilliantly they’ve all worked together to disarm and make these men indisposed. Jisung can’t help but wonder where they got these skills from, considering fishermen don’t fist fight the fish they catch, and stripping isn’t exactly a contact sport… most of the time.

“See? Easy,” Seonghwa says beside him, still holding his hand. “Now we just have to get the equipment transferred back to Treasure before backup arrives.”

“How exactly are we going to do that,” Jisung asks, peering into the armored vehicle to see stacks of computers and boxes that are labeled with various other device names. Phones, tablets, anything you could imagine being used for storing and transferring data.

“Yunho, Mingi, Seonghwa, Jisung, and I will go in the armored vehicle. The rest go back with San in ours,” Hongjoong orders and everyone scrambles to get into place. The four police officers are set along the side of a random building, mostly intact still.

Seonghwa nods at him, since Jisung still can’t see his face through the mask. “Let’s get in the van.”

Before Jisung can protest, he’s dragged to the armored van and up inside. It’s cramped, with all the equipment stacked high behind him, but he can’t stop marveling at all of it. Whoever caught wind of this alerted them just in time, and he’s intrigued to see just what he can find on them.

He hears the horrible, ear bursting sound of metal scraping again as San backs the other van up and frees them to pull away. How either of the vehicles are still functioning, Jisung has no idea, but he’s grateful when Yunho pulls away from the building they were trapped against and hits the road. It’s not smooth by any means, the van sort of limping as they drive, but at least they’re moving. Away from the crime scene.

“Chan and his team are heading to Treasure to help us move everything,” Hongjoong calls from where he’s tucked in the passenger seat again. It makes Jisung feel like throwing up. What a fucking reunion this is going to be, especially since Jeongin is the only one that knows he’s working with ATEEZ as far as he knows.

Great.

--

They pull up to Treasure without getting chased down by police, which is the only sliver of relief he feels. Mostly because he can make out eight shadowy figures hanging out on the side of the club through the windshield. This is going to be awful; he can already tell.

When they come to a stop, Seonghwa opens up the side door with absolutely zero concern, and it puts him on display almost immediately. He kind of wishes he’d kept the mask on his face when he sees Minho stop mid-conversation, eyes widening as they meet Jisung’s. “Uh. Hi,” he greets, as awkward as physically possible.

“Jisung,” he hears, his name sounding just as fucking beautiful as he remembered when it comes from the hybrid’s mouth. Then, his face twists into one of pure rage. Ah. That’s right. This is how they are now. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“…Surprise?”

It is not the right thing to say. At all. Especially not when he sees Minho’s eyebrows starting to furrow. “I thought you were in Malaysia. What are you doing here? With ATEEZ?!”

For his part, Seonghwa looks very confused and concerned as he looks between them. “Oh, you didn’t know…? He’s been with us for two weeks.”

It doesn’t help things.

Minho looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel with how hard he’s clenching his jaw, but Jisung doesn’t know what else to say. ‘Sorry for saying I was leaving the country and instead aligning myself with another hybrid group secretly’? Somehow that seems even worse.

“Not to interfere with whatever this is,” Hongjoong says as he walks up to the side of the van. “But, we need to get all of this unloaded as fast as possible so we can ditch the van.”

Jisung clings to that order, spinning around to grab the first box in his field of vision and hoisting it into the air so he can hand it off to Changbin, who gives him an odd look as he takes it from him. Apparently, this is going to be awkward for all of them tonight. Jisung can’t wait.

Everyone works in tandem to unload the boxes and get them stacked in the corner of the stairwell, smashed under where it winds onto the second floor. It’s not the best resting place, but it will have to do for now. At least until he and Jeongin can get through everything.

According to Seonghwa’s earlier musing, Jeongin will be staying with them for a few days so they can work through the devices together. Jisung is absolutely ecstatic with the news. After talking non stop for the past couple weeks, he’s starting to see the fox hybrid as one of his closest friends. It’ll be kind of like a slumber party; albeit a weird ‘let’s end the world’ one.

Once they’ve got everything out of the van, Yunho and Mingi head to dispose of it, not that Jisung particularly wants to know what that entails. Instead, he heads upstairs with everyone else so they can gather in the small apartment space together. It’s very apparent that it wasn’t designed to house fourteen people in it, with everyone kind of squishing awkwardly together.

“Well, we’re going to our room,” Wooyoung says to break the tense silence in the room. He grabs San’s arm to drag him down the hallway and out of sight. Jongho apparently takes that as his cue to slip out of the room as well. At least they can fit a little easier when it’s just eleven of them.

“Where is Jeongin going to sleep if Jisung is taking the couch,” Minho asks, looking around the space. “The other sofa will be too cramped.”

Jisung doesn’t know how to navigate that question without incriminating himself. It’s not like he wants to tell his ex (?) that he’s already sleeping next to someone else even if it’s innocent in intention. Yeosang, bless his heart, doesn’t quite get that memo in his mind before saying, “Oh, Jisung-ah sleeps with me in my bed. Jeongin doesn’t need to worry.”

Everything seems to stop for a full thirty seconds, and then Jeongin snorts.

“Oh, does he now,” Minho asks, eyes sliding to Jisung and looking positively murderous. His ears are starting to tilt backwards, betraying just how angry he is.

This was not on his bingo sheet for the night. On one hand, he does feel bad because Yeosang said it in such a nonchalant way that makes it sound like so much more than simple sleeping could be happening. On the other hand, he feels a squiggly thrill run up his spine at how jealous Minho sounds at that. Yes, it’s stupid and petty, but he still likes it anyways.

“Yes, Jeongin-ah will have space,” he replies, gentle smile on his face. He doesn’t want to confirm or deny anything. Perhaps letting Minho get a taste of how it feels to be betrayed by his former lover is deserved here. The way Minho’s tail is flicking behind him makes Jisung both worried and enthralled.

Seonghwa’s eyes are passing between him and Minho, occasionally bouncing to Yeosang who is positively naïve to everything going on a few times too. “Well, now that that is settled…”

Chan grabs onto the lead as soon as it arrives, lifting his hand in Jisung’s direction. “Good to see you again. Hongjoong filled me in, so thanks for all the work you’ve been doing with Jeongin. He’s been keeping me up to date with everything you’ve gotten done together.” Jisung doesn’t miss the way Minho’s head snaps to the fox hybrid, who shrinks under his glare.

“We should probably get going,” Hyunjin says, voice strained as he grips onto Minho’s arm and starts to drag him away.

“Talk to you soon,” Chan says as his final parting word before they’re all out the door, leaving Jisung, Jeongin, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Yeosang alone in the living space that suddenly seems way bigger.

“Well, make yourself comfortable and let us know what we can do to help. Otherwise, I intend to get more sleep,” Hongjoong says before heading for the hallway, shaking his head and muttering to himself. Seonghwa sighs and follows after him.

Yeosang looks between their retreating forms and Jisung. “I’ll sleep too. Are you coming to bed?”

“In a while,” Jisung says, trying to put on a smile until he’s out of sight.

The second they’re alone, Jeongin grabs his arm and drags him over to the couch to pull him down next to him. “Oh, you and Yeosang-hyung? When did that happen?”

“It didn’t! I just sleep there because there weren’t enough beds for me to have my own!”

Jeongin laughs at that, shifting back so he can get more comfortable on the stiff cushions. “I tried to warn you, but you weren’t online when I sent the messages. Imagine my surprise when I see you in the van! I didn’t realize you’ve been going on missions too. Tell me everything!”

He sighs and gets comfortable too, knowing they’re going to be here for a while. There’s way too much to discuss to just have a quick conversation. “This was the first time I went out with them, and I didn’t even mean to! I just woke up and kind of went along with everything until I was in the van and realized that I had walked right into a mission. I should’ve stayed home. Especially with Minho thinking I’m fucking Yeosang now,” he says with a scowl.

“It’ll do him some good,” Jeongin says with a grin. “He’s been acting all high and mighty back at the lake house. Now that he knows you’re still here, maybe it’ll make him think before being an asshole again. Hopefully before we finish with the devices.”

Jisung can’t help but laugh at that. “Yeah, I can’t imagine he’ll be very pleasant. Although I doubt he cares what I’m doing anymore.”

Jeongin gives him a significant look at that, head tilting. “Do you actually think that, or are you being facetious?”

He’s not sure what to say to that, because clearly Jeongin knows more than he does. It seems farfetched that Minho even thinks about him in passing anymore. Isn’t that what he said before? Now that they have the data, he doesn’t need to bother with Jisung anymore? Then again, the way he’d reacted to the news of Jisung sleeping next to Yeosang had been interesting. “I don’t even know anymore,” he says, meaning it. His feelings are so mixed up, he might as well have put them in a blender.

“Wow, I can’t wait for all the questions I’m going to have to answer,” Jeongin muses at that. “Minho-hyung really might hold me captive until I give him all the details of my time here.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Jisung says, though he isn’t sure he trusts his own words. “Let’s just focus on the devices for now and uh... you can stay here as long as you need?”

Jeongin sighs and reaches out a leg to kick at him. “Fine. But let’s get some sleep first. I barely got two hours!”

“Yeah, fine. I’ll just go to my secret-not-lover’s bed then,” Jisung says, sticking his tongue out at Jeongin as he goes. He already feels lighter having him around.

--

They’ve been ripping through the devices for several days now, and Jisung hasn’t caught anything too incriminating yet. The only suspicious thing he’s come across is all the mentions of Metamorph, all speaking about it as if it is a tangible thing. “Have you seen anything about something called Metamorph,” Jisung asks, peering over the top of the tablet in his hands.

Jeongin is lounging against the arm of the sofa across from him, glasses steadily slipping down his nose as he clicks around on a laptop. They’ve basically been glued to these spots since they’d woken from their naps and gotten to work on sorting through everything. “Yeah, I keep seeing it everywhere but I don’t have a clue what it means.”

It’s strange. Obviously, there’s something to the word or thing or whatever it is, but they just keep coming across vague mentions without enough context to tell them what it is. He feels like he’s missing the puzzle piece they need to truly understand everything.

So far, they’ve gone through all the handheld devices and Jeongin has worked through two laptops, but they still have three actual desktop computers downstairs. Perhaps he should abandon his current task and start there? It seems like that is the only chance he has at getting to the bottom of this.

“I’m going to work on the towers. I’m not getting anywhere with all of these tablets,” he announces, ambiguously motioning at the stack of twelve tablets next to him on the couch.

Jeongin closes the laptop with a sharp click, letting it flop onto the cushion between his legs. “I’ll help you. These laptops have been turning up nothing too.”

They shuffle downstairs together, each grabbing one of the towers to hoist back upstairs before grabbing two of the monitors from his usual set up. There isn’t much space to spread out anymore, so they set up a little base camp of sorts along the coffee table, scooting in next to each other as they get everything connected and powered up.

Jisung is greeted with a government log in. “Okay, this already looks more promising, although I’m not sure if we can access anything if we’re off their networks.”

“If only we had some computer genius that worked with the government for months and knew exactly how their network is set up,” Jeongin bemuses, looking at Jisung with waggling brows. “Don’t you have all of it on your laptop still?”

He grumbles, getting back to his feet so he can grab said laptop, keeping it on his knees once he gets settled back down next to Jeongin. Despite working with them to set up everything, it’s going to be tricky to get this all tethered together enough to hopefully work. He might as well try, though, way too intrigued by what might be lurking behind the screen.

It takes two hours of Jisung grumbling to himself and receiving words of encouragement from Jeongin before he gets it all set up enough to give it a try. Part of his data collection included various login information, so at least he has access to a plethora of options to log in as. Though he’s not sure who might have access to what, part of him feels drawn to one particular name.

Yun Donghoon.

He’s tall and handsome, somewhere in his mid to late thirties and the current head of the Department of Hybrid Affairs. If anyone would have access to something like this, it would be him.

Jisung tabs through the information on his laptop until he opens up his profile. There’s a high chance that he’s changed his password information after learning about the stolen data, but there is still a sliver of hope that he hasn’t gotten around to it. Probably thinks people would never go after someone so high up in the governmental food chain.

He holds his breath after he types everything in, watching the way the computer freezes for a second. Then, it switches to welcome ‘Yun Donghoon’ and he lets his lungs deflate. It actually worked. Somehow.

“Wow, they’re kind of stupid to just leave the same login information,” Jeongin says beside him, leaning closer so they’re both in front of the screen as it opens to a cluttered desktop. It looks… wildly uninteresting. “Hmm. Nothing screams ‘bad guy’ yet.”

“Looks the same as any other work computer,” Jisung agrees. “Guess I’ll get to digging.”

Jeongin nods and scoots back to his own computer. “Lend me the laptop, I’ll pick someone else to try.”

They work in silence, both navigating through the profiles in search of anything suspicious. His eyes are especially focused on any hints of ‘Metamorph’.

--

Three hours and two plates of steamed dumplings later, Jisung catches a strangely formatted cell six folders deep into the documents tab. It’s titled ‘MM’ and he’s clicking it immediately. Due to the sheer size of the file, the entire computer locks up and he fears that it’s about to cause a total system malfunction as he waits and waits and waits.

His halted movements catch Jeongin’s attention, and he leans closer once again to see his screen. “Is that a .db-wal file?”

“Yes,” Jisung confirms, though he’s not sure why. It’s such an uncommon database filetype that he rarely sees it used by anyone. Is there even an SQLite database processer on this thing? “I have a feeling this is what we’re looking for.”

Jeongin scooches his butt closer, now intent on properly seeing whatever happens next.

As expected, a pop up appears that lets them know the file is corrupted. Great. It’s not a total game over, but it will take Jisung several extra steps to get the file to open properly. “I think I’m going to copy over the file and set up a database recovery file on my computer. If we do that, I should be able to open the last saved checkpoint of the document.”

He coaxes the document onto a spare thumb drive—somehow they have a plethora of them lying around all the time—while he heads to the super computer to start setting everything up. Jeongin is working on getting his own .db-wal file transferred over so they can compare the differences and go from there.

The interesting thing about these files is that a singular database can contain multiple copies of each ‘page’ within, meaning each of the files they come across could technically be unique. While that potentially helps them piece more information together, it also means they have a huge undertaking ahead of them. He isn’t even sure what kind of shit might be nestled in there but it’s guaranteed to be important. No normal person (with nothing to hide) goes through these many steps to hide a file.

It doesn’t take too long to get the SQLite program downloaded and set up, though he has many things to tweak to try and convince the file that it wants to open once he’s got it transferred properly. To anyone else it probably sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but he’s just trying to un-corrupt the file and get it to work again.

“Alright, I have the files ready,” Jeongin says, heading straight towards him with two flash drives and a stool under his arm. “Let’s get this shit open finally.”

It takes the SQLite recovery program about thirty minutes before it can successfully open the file, immediately popping up on the screen nearest to their faces.

PROJECT METAMORPH is prominently displayed at the top of the document. Oh shit. They finally found it. Whatever the fuck it is.

“Whoa, this looks crazy already,” Jeongin says, sliding to the very edge of his stool so he can practically smash his face against the screen. “This feels like a big moment for us, huh?”

Jisung has to agree, especially with the way his heart is pounding so hard it makes his hand shaky. This is something they were never meant to see.

They start reading right away, glued to the words presented in front of them. Already, he’s having trouble understanding all of it. Well, not understanding per se, but reconciling why.

This changes everything.

“Go get Hongjoong from the club. Right now.”

Chapter Text

“Okay, calm down,” Hongjoong says, looking very much like he just sprinted upstairs. Which he did, hence why he’s hovering over Jisung’s shoulder and looking slightly terrified right now in his all-black ‘security’ outfit.

The sentiment is mirrored in the depths of Jisung’s chest.

“There’s a plan,” Jisung rushes, voice already getting too thin to properly understand. He has to stop and take a second to collect himself better. “There is a plan to strip the final rights of hybrids and make them nothing more than glorified pets.”

He’s read through everything about five times just to make sure he understands it all. Truly understands it.

PROJECT METAMORPH is just as it sounds; a plan to completely change the rights of hybrids in Korea and not in a good way. No, in the very worst way possible. The fact that the plan is so outlined and detailed with step-by-step instructions on how to do everything makes it too real to possibly ignore.

Moreso because they’ve already begun. They’re already over halfway through the plan and it feels like a clock is out there, somewhere, counting them down to a detonation. Except it doesn’t end in some catastrophic explosion, but rather the silent adjustment to the status of hybrids until they’re suddenly classified lower than humans officially.

If no one had caught on to this, then it would easily succeed. Nothing is too outlandish at first. It starts with dwindling media coverage on hybrid-related incidents. Followed by the silent confiscation of all assets and businesses owned by hybrids. Then the government funded resources for hybrids shut down. Next, the refusal to allow hybrids marriage to anyone at all. It seems they’re currently working to reduce education opportunities for hybrids, though Jisung hasn’t heard any rumblings about that one yet.

Slated on the docket next: refusal of medical care without an associated human to sign off, removal of funds from all hybrid owned bank accounts, and lastly they plan to stop allowing hybrids to apply for passports or vehicles, essentially blockading their freedom of movement before officially classifying them as ‘other’ and stripping them from the title of ‘person’.

It’s so insidious. A plan that slowly and secretly takes away everything that allows hybrids to survive on their own until they become dependent on humans to stay alive. Not all humans are kind. In fact, many lack basic compassion these days. He pictures Jeongin, so sweet and carefree, being forced to rely on someone else to do literally anything. And while Jeongin has Hyunjin, Changbin, and even Jisung to look out for him and make sure he isn’t taken advantage of, most hybrids don’t. Most will be forced to permanently tether themselves to someone who likely won’t treat them with respect or love.

“What do you mean,” Hongjoong says, eyes frantically scanning over the words still splayed on every screen in front of them. His face grows more and more grim as he reads on.

“That’s not all,” Jeongin says, reaching out to click onto another document. Now this one is the one that was never meant to see the light of the day. Jisung is almost entirely certain this document is what prompted the rushed disposal of all the electronics, probably realizing that they’ve been inching closer to getting caught outright.

When the screen flips over, he’s still shocked to see it all again. The final ballot count from the last presidential election, which clearly show that Kim Namjoon was the winner. Not Sung Kwangho, the man currently sitting in the seat.

Namjoon was a revolutionary candidate not only because of his young age, but because he wanted to implement changes to the social system in the country. He’s so well spoken that he had easily rallied a majority of the country to his side, promising that he would vote to enact safety measures for hybrids as well as the other struggling demographics within the country. He could have made real, impactful changes and someone had stolen the rug right out from under him.

“Holy shit,” Hongjoong says, pushing in closer and grabbing for the mouse so he can keep scrolling. It unearths more and more dirty dealings that led to the man taking the presidency and hinting at him being bought out by various anti-hybrid companies and establishments.

It all sounds too far-fetched to be reality, but it is. The fact that it’s ten times worse than he ever would have imagined just makes his stomach feel upset. Everyone kind of talks about their governments being corrupt when they make selfish decisions and such, but Korea’s government is actually corrupt. Fully and completely.

Jisung doesn’t really know what they’re going to do with all the information but it’s kind of compulsory that they do something, isn’t it? Especially when this lands right in their laps and could help them considerably with their goals.

“We need to call the others,” Hongjoong says, and Jisung agrees. They need everyone they possibly can to work through what to do with all of this.

--

It feels a little outrageous to be sitting in the executive conference room of an abandoned office space with roughly thirty people packed inside. Once Hongjoong finished reading through everything earlier, he’d asked them to package the files up in a way that could be sent out to their trusted partner, then left to call a meeting. Apparently, this is the official spot for such meetings.

The chair he’s sitting in is slightly warped, causing him to be shifted to the left just enough to make it uncomfortable. Jeongin looks almost as nervous as he feels next to him, fidgeting with the arms of his own chair as they wait for everyone to get settled.

Half the people in the room are complete strangers to Jisung, which is to be expected since he doesn’t know anyone outside Chan’s group and ATEEZ. He can’t help watching the way Chan and Hongjoong talk with a fierce looking red fox woman, a slightly older human man that looks bubbly, and a tall white-furred bunny man. They look to be in deep conversation that’s steadily turning heated, though the human man keeps refereeing from what he can see.

A pair of arms wrap around his shoulders, stealing his attention, and he looks up to see Wooyoung smiling down at him. “This is a lot, huh? These meetings are pretty rare. Whatever you found must have been really important.”

Jisung lets the back of his head press more firmly into Wooyoung’s chest, seeking a bit of stable comfort. The longer he’s spent with ATEEZ, the more they’ve become his stability and he doesn’t mind that really. Not when everything else has been an earthquake, splitting the ground from right beneath his feet and making him feel unsteady. “It’s a lot,” he agrees. “I don’t even know what’s going to happen after today but I think it’s going to be crazy.”

“You think everything we do is crazy,” Wooyoung says with a laugh, spinning the chair back and forth slightly as he sways on his feet. “You’re really stuck with us now.”

“At least you aren’t so scared of everything anymore,” Jeongin says with a smile. “At first I thought you were going to pass out, but you’ve already come a long way.”

He wonders if that’s true. Sure, he went from an unaware participant into one of the keys to this entire movement, but he still feels like it’s all been an accident. Like he’s stepped on a sheet of ice and just keeps flailing, trying not to fall with no hope of really making anywhere else. One stumble into the next. “It’s just because you guys have been helping me out so much.”

“Maybe, but you’re helping us just as much,” Wooyoung says, resting his chin on the top of Jisung’s head. “Besides, you’re so cute. It’s easy to keep you around.”

He still doesn’t know how to take the incessant flirting from Wooyoung, but the way that San is wholly unphased by it just belies that this is the guy’s standard way of interacting with others. He has to hand it to San for being so chill about it all. He’s never even seen an inkling of him getting jealous while his boyfriend flits around dancing up on everyone.

Jisung laughs off his words, sparing a look around the room. His eyes inadvertently land on a rather irritated looking Minho, who has his own gaze plastered to where Wooyoung has draped himself over Jisung. Jeongin’s words keep nagging the back of his mind and he thinks that maybe they should try and talk. Clear the air? Can the air be cleared when it’s as thick as the smog settling on the city?

“Oh, are we doing a cuddle pile,” he hears from the side, breaking his eye contact with Minho to see Yeosang approaching. Oh great. The guy always has perfect timing.

It’s not unusual for Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang to pick a target and just flop down on whoever it is. Even less unusual for them to all relentlessly tease whoever their target is and Jisung finds himself being selected more and more these days. Between him and Seonghwa, he can’t tell who the favorite is yet.

Yeosang wraps his arms around Wooyoung and, subsequently, Jisung as he joins in. Jisung can’t help wondering if the chair is going to tip with all the added weight bearing down on it. It’d been barely doing its job of holding him up in the first place.

He can’t bring himself to look over at Minho, already knowing that he’s forming untrue thoughts in his head with this display. Is it ridiculous that Jisung still doesn’t mind…?

“Alright, let’s get this started,” Chan calls, clapping his hands together twice to get everyone’s attention. “We have a lot to discuss today.”

The weight is removed from the back of his chair in an instant, leaving him feeling kind of floaty for a second as he catches his balance again. Everyone shuffles into a seat around the old table except the five people that he assumes are the leaders of the groups assembled here today.

“Alright, get logged into our database so we can share the files with you,” Chan directs, and Jisung watches as everyone pulls out phones or other portable devices to sign in. It explains why he and Jeongin are the only ones that really use computers when everyone else gets their assignments and updates this way. Jeongin had explained the way the program functioned as a sort of chatting and file sharing platform that everyone trusted got access to. Though they keep a lot of it locked down unless strictly necessary. You can never be too cautious.

With a nod of his head in Jisung’s direction, Hongjoong signals for him to share the files to the group they made just for this occasion. He watches as they upload, the task bar moving dreadfully slow as everyone waits. Finally, they pop up into the thread and he sees everyone clicking to open the first file. PROJECT METAMORPH and all its details.

He feels sick to his stomach watching the reactions around the room. Even though they’re strangers, it’s horrid to watch the way all of them read on with increasing understanding. One of the guys he doesn’t know, some sort of ruminant hybrid with impressive antlers sprouting from his muted brown hair, looks distraught as he finishes and looks at the men he arrived with.

Jisung naturally locates Minho, watching as the cat reads the entire document with furrowed brows. He just wants to know how he feels and what he thinks of all of this. Before, they used to talk nonstop and give each other advice and encouragements. Part of him just wants to be able to comfort him and promise to make it all okay again, but that time seems too far gone now.

“As you can see,” Hongjoong starts, “the government has already started on this plan and made it very far. If they get their way, we’re going to become helpless a lot faster than we originally projected.”

“They’re halfway,” a woman speaks. She’s human, with long, black hair that hangs down to her shoulders. “They’re already halfway done with it, and no one has really caught on.”

Felix looks like he’s going to cry, reaching for Changbin as he sets his phone on the tabletop. Jisung’s heart tugs at the sight, knowing what this means for everyone. Even though he isn’t a hybrid, he can still feel the terror rising in the room. It’s thick, lurking around all of them. The death of democracy, though unspoken and unannounced.

“We’re already running out of time to make changes before these last steps are put in place,” Chan says, taking his time to look each one of them in the eyes. “We’re going to need to shorten our planned timeline considerably. Soobin, how are the recruitment numbers?”

The tall, white-fur bunny from earlier straightens where he’s standing. “TXT has been very successful, lately we’ve been able to double our efforts. We have a lot of people interested in joining MayFly and I think this coming out would really help us a lot.”

“Is this coming out,” the fox woman from earlier asks, looking between Soobin and Chan. “Are we going to get this to the public?”

“We need to,” the human referee from earlier says. “It will help with our revolt planning. We’ve already determined the best places to attack and if we can get more people angry it’ll lead to a stronger rebellion force.”

“Eunkwang is right,” a man with a shaved head says from beside Jisung. “This is vital for our efforts.”

Jisung feels like he’s been thrown into a conversation he has no business being in. The five leaders of the groups assembled look fierce and captivating in a way that Jisung could never hope to be. It’s kind of awe inspiring to see just how passionate everyone in the room is, making his heartrate rocket up because, for the first time, he wants this. Wants to be involved, inspired by the pure paroxysm and anger… and he finds that he’s angry too. Angry with the way all of these powerful people are being threatened with silence.

Ah shit. He’s really in this now, isn’t he? He’s really, truly, become invested in this cause.

“If we don’t do something now, we’re at risk of losing all the hard work everyone in this room has been doing,” he finds himself saying, and what the hell is he doing? When everyone turns to look at him, he feels like he’s just thrust himself in front of a spotlight.

“I agree with that guy,” shaved-head guy says, twisting a thumb in his direction. “We’ve been working tirelessly for years. The foundation is set, and we’re ready. I say we start now and stop wasting time waiting for the perfect moment. There isn’t a perfect moment in this kind of thing.”

Silence settles in the room as everyone gathers themselves. Jisung doesn’t really have a clue what all has been happening the last few years to get to this point, but he feels ready. Yes, he’s kind of useless in a fight and yes, he’s also just a random guy that found himself in this mess but he’s going to do everything he can to help them. Whatever that entails.

“Open up the second document,” Chan directs.

This time, the looks around the room are of pure shock. The election results really do feel like the craziest thing he’s come across this entire time so he completely understands.

“We need to tell Namjoon and Soyeon,” fox woman says and Jisung wishes he knew her name. He’s worked out the name of all the other leaders at the front except for hers, though he figures he can just ask Jeongin for a run down later.

“And we need to consider Yoongi,” Hongjoong says, but his eyes slide to Jisung and he doesn’t have a clue why. Who the fuck is Yoongi? “If we can get him out, he would be the biggest asset to the team.”

A human sitting next to the antler guy leans forward at that. “If we get Yoongi, it’s almost guaranteed to bring J-Hope out of hiding and we could really use his help with propaganda. He’s a master at statement art but he’s been silent since Yoongi was locked up.”

Jisung has definitely heard that name before. J-Hope is right on par with Banksy with his famous, evocative street art. He’s been wondering why the man, and his art, have seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth the last year or so. If they had someone like that on their side, they could definitely get more people interested in the cause.

“Yoongi is in the top-secured facility in the whole country,” Eunkwang says in disbelief. “Even thinking of trying to break him out is ridiculous.”

“We broke Chan out of the same prison,” Minho says, and it makes Jisung’s head snap to the side to look at him. He looks so nonchalant, like he didn’t just admit to one of the biggest scandals of the last decade. It still amazes Jisung that they were able to pull that one off. “And we have the ITZY crew to help us out this time. They can break into just about anything.”

The fox woman preens at that, sending Minho a grin. “He’s right. We’ve gotten in and out of similar facilities enough that this shouldn’t be too difficult. Just say the word, Chan.”

“You’d need someone inside for it to work,” Chan says in response. “Someone they don’t know that could act as a new employee.”

Four people turn to look at Jisung at that and he shrinks into his chair. Oh hell no. He’d do anything for the cause, but breaking into a prison isn’t exactly on the top of his list.

“I mean, I don’t think anyone knows him. We don’t even know him,” one of the women that Jisung assumes is from ITZY says. She’s some sort of dog hybrid if Jisung had to guess.

“No. You’re not sending Jisung,” Minho says immediately, and the way everyone’s faces light up at that, looking between them, makes Jisung’s breath hitch. He doesn’t know what to do with the way his hands have gone tingly at Minho denying his involvement, staring everyone down in challenge. Except he wants to go against it, never quite able to forget the way Minho had written him off so easily before. He isn’t a coward, and he isn’t completely incompetent.

“I’ll go. Just… tell me what I need to do.”

Minho’s ears tilt backwards, just like the last time they ran into each other. “No. You need to stay out of the missions like this. You’re not cut out for it. We can find someone else, or I can go with Yeji and her team. I’ve broken in before, so I know how to do it.”

“I’m not fucking useless,” Jisung says back, anger flashing in the depth of his chest. It feels hot and sticky, like he’s been doused in gochujang and left to simmer. “I’ve been on missions with ATEEZ.”

“Yeah, I think we all know how much you’ve been getting around with ATEEZ,” Minho cuts back and Jisung feels that flash turn into a full on flame. He might actually scream fire with how much that comment pisses him off. As if Minho has any right to 1. Insinuate that he’s been sleeping around (as if that would be a problem!) or 2. Be mad about it. His mouth pops open to unleash all of these thoughts onto the hybrid, just as he’s interrupted.

“Enough. Cut it out,” Chan says, voice and eyebrows raised in unison. “There’s no way you’re getting within a hundred meters of that place without getting caught, Minho, but you can advise. Help Yeji’s team and Jisung plan it out. Jeongin, you’ll go with to do surveillance from the van like last time.”

The conversation drifts after that, to other plans that Jisung doesn’t know enough about to really follow. Instead, he stews over that short interaction with Minho, letting it press down onto him so he can process all of it in one go. Sometimes he seriously wonders what the fuck made him fall for the guy in the first place. Especially when he can be callous and cruel at times.

Slowly, as he processes and lets the words go because only he knows what’s in his own heart at the end of the day, the anger starts to dwindle. Unfortunately, as the rage exits his body, it leaves Jisung shaky and maybe a little defeated. Mostly because he finally realizes that he actually agreed to infiltrate a prison just because he was pissed and outraged. This is definitely becoming a character flaw he never knew he had. Great.

He's just going to have to keep faking it like he’s done about ten times now. Fake it and hope for the best.

Plans have been made and assigned to the various groups, though he’s too consumed in his mind to really pay them much attention. Not until Jeongin’s hand lands on his shoulder and snaps him out of his hazy reverie. “Hey, I’m heading back to the lake house now but we’re all going to meet up in two days to outline the plan. See you around!”

He watches Jeongin go for a few seconds before pushing out of his chair and going to find Seonghwa so he can, perhaps, whine to him a little and get some sympathy. Probably a hug if he plays his cards right.

--

After their mild meltdowns at the meeting, it’s awkward to be stuck in a confined place with Minho. Especially when it’s just the two of them, but he can’t really complain about it. Not when he volunteered to go help scout the place like an idiot. An idiot that didn’t know Minho had already signed up until he arrived and did not see any of the ITZY ladies waiting for him.

They’re on the top of a nearby building, binoculars in hand although Jisung isn’t exactly sure what he’s looking for? It’s not like he’s ever been a spy before and the building looks boring and plain. Nothing screams ‘evil’ about it. He spent about five minutes pretending to see interesting things before giving up and is now just admiring the view of the city in complete terror, body locked in his crouched position so he can barely peek over the edge of the wall surrounding the roof edge.

He hates heights.

Minho is knelt beside him, still looking through his own set of binoculars and Jisung kind of wonders if he has night vision or something? Is that part of being a cat hybrid?

“You could at least pretend to be helping,” Minho grumbles beside him, chancing a glance.

Jisung mean mugs him before he even means to, but the guy is getting on his last fucking nerve. He’s been rude since they first met up outside the building despite Jisung trying his best to be useful. It’s not his fault he can’t see jack shit out here. “I tried, but I don’t even know what you’re looking at! I wouldn’t have agreed to come out here if I knew it was going to be with you. I bet the people from ITZY would’ve at least shown me what to do instead of being complainy assholes.”

Minho rolls his eyes and then focuses back on the binoculars, leaving Jisung to mean mug the cityscape instead. Bastard. Especially because he can’t stop thinking about Minho telling him he’s not cut out for missions like this. “Once you guys tell me what to do, I’m going to see the plan through so you should stop dismissing me so much. I don’t know how to plan shit like this, but I can still do it.”

“I didn’t say that because I didn’t think you could do it,” Minho says, but his voice is still kind of harsh. “I said it because you shouldn’t be doing it. You shouldn’t be here at all.”

“Oh, because you think I’m just a spineless coward that’s too scared to do it,” he drawls, scoffing at the end. “I didn’t forget you saying that.”

“Because you should be safe! Not here getting deeper and deeper in this fucking mess. You could get hurt,” Minho says back, abandoning the sightseeing task. He’s turned to stare at Jisung instead. “When you said you were going to Malaysia, I was relieved. Not because I didn’t think you could do all of this but because I didn’t want you to. I still don’t fucking want you here!”

Jisung feels his figurative hackles rising at that. “Too fucking bad, I’m still here. As much as you hate it, I’m here to stay so you might as well stop being mad about it.”

“You don’t get it,” Minho says back with a sigh. “You have no clue why I don’t want you here, and I know I’m to blame for that.”

“Then tell me! Use your fucking words in a productive way for once,” Jisung shouts back, because this is all too much. He’s equal parts upset and expectant. Is it this hard to just communicate with someone?! They're adults and adults talk things out for god's sake.

Minho stares at him. Really stares at him in the way that’s a little too disarming even after all this time. “Because I love you and as much as you probably won’t believe me ever again, I actually did mean it. I worry about you because you’re… you’re too good and caring for this sort of lifestyle. You’ve always been too fucking good. It’s the entire reason that I refused to ask you to get involved in the first place.”

Jisung kind of feels like he’s having an out of body experience. Watching the two of them crouched on a rooftop, gentle wind tousling their hair as they have the stand off that’s long overdue. He’s as much Jisung as he is the night air right now. It’s just… too hard to take the words and reconcile with any of them. Too much anguish flourishing in his gut to allow any of them to mean anything to him.

Sensing that he isn’t going to speak, Minho shrinks in on himself and turns to sit down fully, back to the wall. “I didn’t expect any of this to happen. I’ve never…” He pauses, burying his face into both hands. “I’ve never been loved before, Jisung-ah. I’ve never had anyone actually love me; not like you did. I could feel it, you know? I could feel that you loved me even before you said it and no one has ever looked at me like that. I never wanted it to stop. So, I got scared. I didn’t want to lose you but I met you under false pretenses and I knew you’d volunteer to help the second I brought it up but I didn’t want to do that to you.

“Changbin is used to this after being a cop for so long, so he was fine. But you? You’re soft and gentle which are two of the things I love most about you and… maybe it’s stupid but I didn’t want you to lose that. I’d rather you fucking hate me than stop being a good person. I kept brushing off getting you involved or using the data until we couldn’t wait any longer and I just wanted to have that last trip with you. God, I’m such a fucking asshole,” he finishes, voice considerably wetter sounding.

“You lied to me in more ways than I thought,” Jisung says, because he’s still trying to understand everything that Minho has just said. With the way the hybrid’s frame is subtly shaking, Jisung can tell he’s crying and it’s hard to see. Hard to comprehend. He doesn’t really know what to do about it because part of him wants to rub all of this into his face and make him apologize ten times more, but the larger part of him just wants to hold him and tell him everything will be okay and neither of those options are going to be good for Jisung’s mental fortitude.

“I did,” Minho agrees quietly. “I lied to both of us for too long to salvage it.”

Jisung moves on shaky legs until he’s sitting down beside Minho, not quite touching but close enough to sense his presence. This is what he can offer without sacrificing himself any further, and he hopes it’s enough.

Minho pulls his knees to his chest, curling around them and resting the side of his head on them so he’s looking at Jisung. His tail wraps around his knees and over his arms in a protective way that’s as endearing as it is heartbreaking. Jisung has never seen him look so small before. Even with his face wet with tears and reflecting the lights of the city he looks beautiful. He’ll always be beautiful and Jisung will always admit that to himself.

“I’m not sleeping with Yeosang. Or anyone in ATEEZ. Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I don’t want you getting mad at them after they’ve been so welcoming to me,” Jisung says, then he breaks their eye contact to look over the expanse of the shadowed rooftop. The moment feels surreal, but also special in a weird way. A space where it’s just the two of them that exist and maybe he can take the pieces of his heart out and let them both examine them—just this once. “I still care about you, even when you hurt me so badly.”

He lets the words hang in the air for a while, just letting everything that’s been said so far linger. He’ll probably need a good night’s sleep before he can sit down and work through his emotions properly but for now he can let them soak in. For now, he can just let everything out once and for all.

“I want to apologize to you too,” he says after enough time passes. “I never paid attention to the world the way I should have and I think I would have been a better partner if I did. I don’t have an excuse for that but I’m ready to be involved now. You were kind of right that I wasn’t ready before, so I accept that and I can forgive you thinking that about me, but I’d like you to know that I understand it better now and I understand your pain and where you were coming from.”

When he turns to look at Minho again, the hybrid is already looking back at him. “I know I said a lot of cruel things to you about that… and I’m sorry. I still stand by the fact that everyone should know and care, but I went about it in the wrong way. I went about all of this in the wrong way and I miss you so badly. God, I just miss you, Jisung-ah.”

Jisung nods once, pulling his knees closer so he can mirror Minho’s stance. It’s more secure this way; easier to say what else is on his mind. “I really loved you a lot, and I was ready to give you absolutely anything I could… but I don’t think I know you anymore. I don’t know the person I met that day in Jeju and I certainly don’t know the Minho that can say malicious words and fight people twice his size without even struggling. I can’t confidently say that I still love you because I didn’t even know you enough to love you, but I think I’d like to be your friend and get to know you again… if that’s possible?”

Silence stretches between them, just staring at each other in reflected poses until Minho’s eyes grow glassy and a tear slips from the corner of his eye. “I don’t know if I can be your friend, but I want to try,” Minho says, voice soft. “I’d really like to try.”

Jisung offers him a tight smile before lifting his head and extending a hand. “Truce?”

He only has to wait about thirty seconds before Minho reaches out for him, wrapping their fingers together in a way that should feel familiar but doesn’t anymore. “Truce.”

It feels like they've reset things, right back to ground zero. Demolished a lot of the miscommunication and confused feelings down to the crux of it all. Somewhere barren and far from pretty to look at, yet somewhere that can be built upon again one day.

They return to silence again once their hands disconnect, until Minho finally says, “can we please get off this roof now? I fucking hate heights and this whole time has been kind of killing me.”

Jisung snorts at that, breaking into laughter once it registers that both of them have been at least slightly terrified to be here the entire time. “Please. I fucking hate heights too.”

When he gets to his feet, they’re shaky and unsteady but Minho offers his hand again, a slightly pained smile on his face. “Come on, I’ll help you if you help me. We can be scared together.” He can’t help thinking that Minho means more than just their current fear of heights when he says it, and Jisung takes the offered hand with ease, his heart feeling considerably more settled than it has since this entire debacle began. Perhaps this reconciliation was the last piece of his internal puzzle that he needed to click in place before facing what’s ahead of them.

--

Two days later, Jisung wakes to a message on the computer’s chat. One that has him both excited and extremely nervous in one go.

FoxyIN: Yooohoooo!!!!
FoxyIN: We got a keycard for you to get in the facility. Chan wants us to plan to head out tonight
FoxyIN: Minho-hyung is ready and so are ITZY
FoxyIN: See you at eight tonight and wear a suit!

He stares at it for several minutes. Shit. No backing out now, huh?

They’ve spent the last two days painstakingly going over the details of the mission to come and planning out fail-safes in the event of something going wrong. Jisung doesn’t think there’s anything more he could’ve done to prepare, but he’s ready this time. Truly ready. Time to find a suit.

Chapter Text

Jisung crouches in the back of the van, watching over the computer setup that he and Jeongin prepared earlier. It shows all the surveillance cameras from inside the facility as well as the log of who has badged into which doors. With this, Jeongin and Minho will be able to monitor his progress through the facility and ensure he make it out safely… hopefully.

He’ll be going inside with the only human woman from ITZY, Ryujin. She’s very pretty and a little wicked with her teases, but Jisung quite likes her. She should be a major help to him once they manage to get inside and he just hopes that they don’t have to actually fight anyone. The few lessons he got from Minho, San, and Yunho are not nearly enough to actually be effective if it comes down to it.

“Okay, so you’re just going to walk in and act like you belong there,” Jeongin says, handing them each a badge with their faces on them. “Your access pins are 1234. Super easy to remember, but make sure you type them in properly so it doesn’t flag in the system.”

“Follow the map we outlined yesterday,” Minho advises them both. “It’s a straight path to the holding facility in the basement and should be easy to get to without turning any heads.”

Jisung goes through the plan in his mind for the hundredth time. He and Ryujin will walk up to the facility and badge in, heading straight through the main halls until they get to the elevators that will take them to the bottom floor. With so many people working at the place, it shouldn’t be too hard to make it through without getting immediately caught out. Just two more faces in the crowd. Or so he hopes.

“What should I expect when we find Yoongi,” he asks as he slips the badge lanyard over his neck. He still doesn’t really know much about the man he’s about to jailbreak.

“He’s grumpy as shit,” Minho says with a sigh. “I only worked with him a few times.”

“Bold of you to be the one that says that, hyung,” Jeongin says, then winks at Jisung, making him stifle a laugh into a cough. Things have been considerably easier to handle ever since he and Minho had their talk on the rooftop. They’ve been able to work together productively and even share the same space without it devolving into some petty argument which gives him far more relief than he ever realized he needed.

Minho pinches the tip of Jeongin’s ear before shaking his head and reaching to open the sliding door of the van. “Alright, come on, let’s get you two ready.”

Jisung shuffles out and then straightens out his suit jacket. It feels a little weird to be wearing one again after so long basically surviving in pajamas, but it’s still a nice change. Minho steps forward once he’s settled, reaching for his tie knot where it sits at his throat. He feels a little dumbstruck watching as the hybrid focuses intently on straightening it out, tugging once to get it just right. Despite everything, he still feels a jerk in his chest anytime they’re this close, especially when he can see the length of his lashes fanning out over the smooth skin of his cheeks.

Minho’s eyes look up, locking with him for a split second before he takes a step back and lets his hands drop to his sides. There’s an unspoken pain there, but it’s to be expected, Jisung supposes. He wonders if Minho will ever be able to look at him without feeling that hurt. Wonders if he’ll ever stop feeling the same way. “Sorry, your tie got a little disheveled on the ride over.”

“It’s okay. Thanks,” he says, offering a smile.

“Okay, let’s get this over with as soon as possible,” Ryujin says beside him once she’s gotten her pantsuit all situated too. If Jisung didn’t know better, he would definitely assume she’s some kind of rich CEO. She just has this air of confidence that follows her around and she’s really rocking the hell out of her outfit right now. Her long hair is tied up into a tight bun that just adds to the intimidating aura she gives off.

Jisung checks his pockets one last time to make sure he has everything before Jeongin hands them each an in-ear set that won’t be visible at first glance. It’ll be their connection to the van in the event something happens and he’s grateful that he’ll have the others watching over his back the entire time. Literally.

Jeongin connects everything on the computers in the van and then lifts the little microphone to his lips to whisper, “Test.” It comes through perfectly clear on the in-ear and Jisung gives him a thumbs up. “Alright! Just like we planned,” Jeongin says with a bright smile. “You got this, guys!”

It’s hard to tell if they have it in reality, but he’ll cling to the idea that they do. There aren’t enough ‘be brave’s in the world to really make it out of this if something goes wrong so he’ll just ignore that possibility.

“Be careful and always be ready to run if you need to. Your safety is more important than getting Yoongi out,” Minho says before ducking back into the van and sliding the door shut, leaving Jisung standing awkwardly with Ryujin roughly one block away from the facility.

She turns to him with a shrug. “I’m sure it’ll be alright, come on.”

They cut a path through the dark streets side by side, the only sound filling the space from the sound of Ryujin’s heels. An interesting choice, considering they might have to make a break for it but Jisung supposes they can double as a weapon if push comes to shove. Which he sincerely, sincerely hopes doesn’t happen. Just once can he get through a mission without having to run for his life?

By the time the facility comes into proper view, Jisung has started to sike himself out a little. Not entirely, because he can’t let everyone down, but enough to make his knees feel like jelly as he follows Ryujin’s lead to the front of the building. “Just stick right beside me and don’t look at anyone too long,” she says beside him, bumping the back of their hands together as a show of reassurance. “Don’t look suspicious. We’re fine.”

Her words help to remind him that he’s not alone. Even if this is scary and gets out of hand, he’ll still have her beside him and from what he’s seen of ITZY they’re total badasses. He learned more about them from Jeongin and Minho, who explained that the team of five women are the ‘scouts’ of MayFly, easily slipping in and out of places without being seen whenever they need information. If he’s going to do something like this with anyone, it might as well be someone who has been likened to a mirage in human form.

The walk up to the front doors is long, sidewalk stretching endlessly as they make their way up. Jisung is actually relieved once they reach the front door, especially because they’ve only passed a few people thus far and every one of them looked too exhausted to care about them.

Inside the lobby of the facility, it’s night and day from the outer appearance. It’s brightly lit and immaculately polished until it looks like some sort of shrine. To what, Jisung’s not sure he wants to know.

There’s a set of turnstiles directly in front of them with little pin pads attached to each of them and he hangs back just a second to watch the way Ryujin taps her badge to one of the scanners and then types in her pin. It blinks green and then the metal arms swing open to grant her access. Okay, he can do that. That’s easy.

Jisung steps up to the one beside it and taps his own card, hearing a small beep in response. His fingers only shake slightly as he types in ‘1234’ and freezes for the solid second it takes for the device to flash green and open. Oh, thank god. He managed to get through the first obstacle.

He falls into step beside Ryujin as they walk down the long hallway that should take them to the atrium. He didn’t know what to expect by the name alone, but he’s shocked when it opens into a five-story room with glass walkways zigzagging above them to connect the two buildings on either side of it. The walls are all stuffed with artifacts and awards, but that’s not what really draws his attention. No, his eyes are glued to the large emblem in front of them. Department of Hybrid Affairs.

How. The Fuck. Did he never once piece together that that’s what this facility is? To be fair, it’s not clearly marked from the outside so he never picked up on it and no one ever called it by its name. Jisung can’t help wondering if that’s because they knew he’d panic. He’s literally standing in the heart of the organization they’re trying to crumble. As a person of interest, no fucking less.

He turns wide eyes on Ryujin who meets his and then shakes her head minutely. It’s a clear warning. Not now. “Let’s head this way,” she whispers, starting off in the direction of the hallway straight in front of them. It’s wide enough to fit about three cars along it and it slopes upwards, likely a sort of passageway to yet another building. This place is shaped like a maze and he’s already forgotten the map he’d been studying nonstop before today.

The hallway looks like it’s made from marble, reflecting the lights as they walk down the passage, though there are more people here than anywhere they’ve seen before. Everyone seems to either be thinking, minds wandering or they walk in small groups that converse about various topics he can’t quite pick up on. Ryujin looks at him as they walk, giving him a small smile. “Just a little further, let’s talk quietly and look like the others. What’s your favorite tv show?”

He's surprised by the question, but it does work to make him feel a little relieved. They’ll fit in more if they look to be having just a casual conversation. “I like anime. Spy x Family is the one I’ve been watching the most recently. What about you?”

“Oh, I’m more into movies but I do watch anime sometimes. I haven’t seen that one yet, but it looks really cute. Have you seen The Perks of Being a Wallflower? That’s my favorite movie of all time,” she says with a grin.

“I have! That’s a good one,” he agrees, his smile coming more easily this time. “A little sad, but still really good.”

“I like a little sad,” she says, then points to an elevator bay up ahead. “I think that’s us.”

They break off from the path of the hallway to head for the group of elevators where Ryujin presses the ‘down’ button and then steps back to his side. From their in-ears they can hear Jeongin’s voice say, “Perfect, you guys are doing great so far! When you get inside there should be a button for the basement. It might prompt you to swipe your badges again, but I gave you access to everything.”

When one of the elevators lights up and the doors open, Ryujin nods her head and walks inside. Jisung trails after her and watches as she presses the ‘B’ button before a little keypad flashes with a red light in the corner. She presses the badge to it and types in her pin again, waiting for it to flash green with a quiet beep before selecting the basement again. This time, the button lights up and indicates they’ve been accepted before they start their descent.

“Hook a right when the doors open. The holding facility is behind a set of doors there but be careful. Not many people have access down here so try not to be seen,” Jeongin instructs them and Jisung is brought back to the reality of them breaking into a government facility to free one of their most defended captives.

It’s very strange that they even have a holding facility underneath the building in the first place. It’s not a fact that he’s ever known and doubts much of the public is aware of. All of it just screams ‘evil mastermind’ like all those sketchy drama shows. To think that he, just a regular guy, is doing something like this still makes him feel like he landed in a coma around a month ago and has been dreaming all of this up.

The doors open and Ryujin peeks out, looking both ways before waving at him to follow her. He stays silent as he slips out the door and they make their way down the dimly lit hall towards a set of double-doors that are made of some thick metal. A sign is plastered to the front that says ‘Controlled Area: Limited Access’.

Ryujin repeats the action with her badge until the door clicks and makes a mechanical shifting noise. She’s cautious as she reaches out and pulls at the handle that gives way to her, opening out towards them. “Whew,” she says under her breath. “Let’s get inside before anyone sees us.”

Jisung doesn’t need further prompting to slip through the opening, but what’s beyond the door shocks him. It’s a narrow hallway with large glass windows lining each side. Beyond the windows, he sees holding cells that are brightly lit with fluorescent bulbs. It’s almost painfully bright, the passage only lit from what pours out of the windows. It’s almost like walking into a science experiment.

They step slowly as they make their way down the hall, looking into each room where some are empty and others house hybrids that are varying levels of asleep. He doesn’t know what Yoongi looks like and sincerely hopes Ryujin knows what they’re looking for.

“Any hints,” she whispers into the room.

Jeongin’s voice follows right afterwards, listening to them through the surveillance technology. “He’s a grey cat. That’s all I know.”

The guy in the room in front of him is some sort of antlered hybrid, so obviously not him. Jisung is kind of grateful that the occupants of the rooms can’t seem to see them as it allows him to peer into each room without feeling like a total creep.

They search through everything until Ryujin puts up her hand to wave him over. “I think I got him,” she says quietly, though her voice carries in the stark silence of the space. When Jisung makes his way over, he looking into the room to find a slender cat hybrid with light grey hair, ears, and tail though there’s a white tip at the end of it.

He’s pretty, even though he looks thoroughly annoyed where he sits cross legged and armed on the center of his bed. His ears are back, just slightly, as his tail lazily waves behind him in arcs. The picture of both frustrated and unbothered somehow.

“How do we get inside,” he asks, looking at the pin pad on the door. There doesn’t appear to be anywhere to scan their badges, so it must just be a regular lock. Maybe there’s a list somewhere?

“Hold on, I think I can access the records for the pins,” Jeongin’s voice fills his ear. They’re left to just watch the hybrid sit still in his silence and Jisung can’t help wondering if all cat hybrids have a bad attitude and Felix is just the outlier? So far, every one he’s met has had resting bitch face and looks like they could skin him alive if enticed enough. Even San has his moments, though he’s much friendlier than Yoongi and Minho. “130613.”

As he’s the closest to the door, Jisung shuffles over and types in the six digit pin, chewing at his lip until it lights up and the door clicks open. It alerts the man inside and Jisung watches the way he stares daggers at him as he swings the door further open.

“For the millionth time, I’m not telling you jack shit,” is the first thing that comes out of his mouth. “Fuck you.” Then, his expression shifts to confusion with the way Jisung is positively gawking at him.

Ryujin pops up behind him. “Hi, we’re here to jailbreak you!”

That gets his attention, eyes snapping up to look at her from over Jisung’s shoulder. His eyebrows furrow as he stares at them both in turns. “Am I supposed to know who you are?”

“I’m Han Jisung,” he blurts, though for the first time it doesn’t come with any form of recognition.

“And I’m Ryujin, but we work with Chan and we have a plan to get Namjoon in his proper seat as president. Someone said you might be able to help us.”

Yoongi stares at them for several long seconds, face betraying every single thought in his head and they’re not very good ones from the looks of it. He finally settles on a gummy smile that is a little too cute for such a stoic man. “Alright, I’m in.” Jisung is left to watch as he pounces off the bed and sticks his feet into a pair of slippers that were tucked under the bed. Truly, he looks exactly like a convict from a mental facility with his all-white cotton outfit and slipper combo.

“Do they usually transport you in handcuffs or anything,” Ryujin asks as they step out of the room. “I don’t want to give us away as soon as we reach the first floor.”

He watches the cat hybrid scrunch his nose at that before pointing to the end of the hall. “There’s restraints down there.”

True to his word, they find several sets of metal handcuffs and even a few tasers in a cabinet at the end of the hallway. Jisung frowns as he locks a set around Yoongi’s outstretched wrists. “Just until we get outside,” he promises, slipping a key into the front pocket of his slacks. He gives a second one to Yoongi just in case, which the hybrid shoves into his own pants. “Let’s head out as fast as we can.”

Yoongi looks at him weirdly at that. He then eyes both of them for a second before gazing back at Jisung. “Are we not going to get my computer first?”

What? His own eyes trail up to Ryujin’s and she seems just as confused. “Why would we get your computer? Wait, where is your computer,” she asks.

“You have no clue why you’re getting me, do you,” Yoongi accuses and he sounds exasperated. “If we don’t get my computer, I’m not going to be much help to you. Surely you can get some information on where it’s located, right?”

Jisung doesn’t like the sounds of that. It’s one thing to be on this insane mission in the first place but tacking on additional stops is just going to increase their chances of getting caught. Something he really doesn’t want. “Why, uh,” he hesitates for a second trying to frame the question to the best of his ability. “Why are we here to get you?”

Yoongi scoffs at that. “They really did send you in here without a clue,” he says, looking skeptical but it’s fairly obvious that both Jisung and Ryujin don’t have a proper answer to that and he ends up taking pity on them. “I was Yun Donghoon’s personal financial advisor. My laptop has a lot of files you’d find interesting if you’re going after him and President Kwangho. It’s the whole reason they locked me up in the first place, knowing that something like this has been forming for years.”

He's not sure what to think about that, but it sounds important and just as damning as everything else they’ve found so far. Further information that could damage his reputation will just help them out in the long run of the coup. “You’d give that over to us?”

“Yes, as long as you get me and my computer out of here safely. Oh, and take me straight to Hobi,” Yoongi agrees with a small smile. “The data and my help is all yours afterwards. Let’s burn these fuckers down.”

Jisung would be lying if he said he didn’t get chills at just how seriously Yoongi says the last line.

“If he says he needs his laptop, we’ll have to get it,” Minho’s voice says into his ear. “Jeongin is looking through the archives to see if he can locate it. Just wait there until we get the info.”

He really doesn’t like this. Something in his gut twists, like a shot of impending doom. They’re already sitting ducks in the belly of the Department of Hybrid Affairs. Still, he was sent here for a reason and he needs to stick through it. Everyone else has repeatedly laid their lives and freedom on the line so it’s only right that he take his turn at it.

Jisung’s eyes wander down the hall as they stand in awkward silence, looking at each of the twelve holding cells. “Who are the others they keep down here,” he asks quietly.

“You guess is as good as mine,” Yoongi says with a small shrug. “It’s not like they let us have snack time together down here.”

He can’t stop the gentle pout that forms at that, feeling a little scolded. When this is all over, he’s fairly certain he never wants to meet another cat hybrid for the rest of his life. They only bring bad luck and barbed tongues with them. Again, except for San and Felix but the point still stands.

“Alright, looks like his items are on the fourth floor. Look for section South-435. I’m assuming they’re marked,” Jeongin says.

Ryujin relays the information to Yoongi, asking if he knows where that is. The hybrid thinks for a second before frowning. “It’s on the other side.”

Jisung realizes they’re going to have to make it back to the atrium and then upstairs from there. Shit. How inconspicuous can you be while walking around with one of the agency’s biggest fugitives? This is a terrible idea. Truly terrible.

Yoongi just starts walking to the door, prompting them to rush after him and out the door towards the elevator, which he’s already pressing the button for. “Slow down,” Jisung hisses. “Aren’t you worried?”

All he gets is a soft chuckle as the elevator opens and Yoongi steps inside. “The worst they’ll do to me if we’re caught is throw me back in my holding cell. You two are the ones that should be worried here. Hope you’re good at acting.”

Cursing his name, Jisung climbs into the elevator and stares at his slightly warped reflection in the metal doors as they ascend back to the main floor. This is stupid. Everything he’s done in the last month or so are absolutely fucking idiotic and he’s going to get locked up for the rest of his life because of it. No thanks to the asshole of a hybrid that’s bouncing front foot to foot next to him.

“Remember I’m your prisoner and you hate me,” he says, face dropping into one of pure indignation just as the doors slide open. Ryujin puts a hand on his shoulder just in time to steer him out and start walking into that large passageway back to the atrium. For the most part, Jisung is just terrified but he tries his best to keep a neutral look on his face as he steps in sync with them.

Already, they turn a few heads, but most people mind their business, walking in a wide berth from them as if Yoongi is about to attack them any second. He can’t help wondering just how ridiculous the hybrid must have been acting up to this point if people are so scared of him. He’s only slightly taller than Jisung and just as thin. It’s not like he’s got an intimidating body. His presence, though, Jisung can admit is extremely domineering.

The trio make it down the sloping walkway, just in sight of the elevators on this side. He tries not to quicken his pace too much, but it seems like Ryujin is under the same idea that getting there as fast as possible is the best thing to do in this scenario.

“Where are you taking the prisoner,” a deep voice asks, making Jisung nearly trip over his feet. He turns to see a large man looking at them skeptically, mostly eyeing the way Yoongi is standing between them in his cuffs. It makes Jisung’s heart pause in his chest in a way that is surely bad for his health. If he dies before he hits thirty, he’s going to tell Sana to sue Chan and his team.

All three seem to be at a loss for what to say, just standing in tense silence. “Tell him you’re Agent Han and Shin taking him to unlock his computer or something,” Jeongin says in his in-ear.

Jisung gulps and then forces himself to speak. “I’m Agent Han, that’s Agent Shin. We were told the prisoner has specific knowledge we need in his computer on the fourth floor. We’re taking him up there to unlock it.”

He crosses his fingers in his mind, willing the man to believe the bluff and let them go but as the seconds tick by, it starts to feel more and more glum. If he gets imprisoned now, the only saving grace he has is that he thinks the others would break him out. Probably. If not, he’s really quite docile and would make a lovely prisoner.

Finally, the man nods once. “Can’t believe they put two rookies up to the job. Take this in case,” he says, holding out another taser. Does everyone carry them around here or something!?

Jisung’s hand shakes as he reaches for it. “I hope it’s not necessary,” he says before he can stop himself, holding it delicately.

The man snorts. “Even if he doesn’t need it, sometimes it’s fun just to make ‘em scream.” Jisung is eternally grateful that the man turns to walk off before seeing the absolute disgust that he can’t help from showing on his face. What the fuck was that?

He peeks at Yoongi and sees his own anger mirrored there as the hybrid shifts his shirt just enough to show two burn marks on his forearm. Taser burns. It makes Jisung’s stomach churn in furious revolt, but he can’t say anything about it now. No, he has to swallow it down and follow after the others as they make their way to the elevators and inside.

“Did they hurt you,” he asks once the doors are shut and they’re properly alone. He doesn’t even know if he wants the answer, but he can’t ignore something like that.

Yoongi refuses to look at him when he says, “sometimes they like to take their frustrations out on the prisoners but I’m fine. Just glad to get the fuck out of here.”

The doors open to the fourth floor and they file out, looking for signs that will point them in the right direction. A little marker says South-412 and Jisung looks to where the 413 sign is before motioning in that direction. It’s mostly silent up here, likely meant for day-shift workers. All the better, so they don’t catch any curious looks as they go.

They find a door marked South-435 and Jisung taps his badge to type in the pin to let them in. Behind the door is a sort of storage room filled to the ceiling with boxes marked with case numbers. “You have any idea what number is yours,” he asks over his shoulder as they start to look through everything. None of them have clearly marked names so this is potentially going to be impossible.

“724148,” Yoongi says automatically. “They said it a few times when I was being interrogated.”

That at least narrows down the search as they skim through the numbers trying to pinpoint the right one. All three split up to walk down different shelves. Some of the boxes here look ancient, the writing faded or scuffed off. Other boxes look brand new like they were placed on the shelf today. It’s strange to see such a mix within the same space.

“Found it,” Ryujin calls, pulling Jisung and Yoongi back to the center to see her hefting a large box onto the metal table there. She lifts the top of the box off and sets it to the side before reaching inside to pull out a gigantic laptop and several storage devices. From the looks of it, Yoongi backed up every single file he’s ever touched.

Yoongi’s face lights up as he grabs the laptop in his bound hands, which have to stretch to be able to hold it at all. “Perfect. Grab all the external hard drives and let’s get out of here.”

Jisung doesn’t argue, instead stuffing three of them into various pockets on his suit. “It’s going to look suspicious as hell if you walk out carrying that laptop,” he says, eyeing how much it covers the hybrid. There’s no way any of them can conceal it under their clothing.

“Then one of you can carry it until we get outside, but then you hand it right back to me,” he concedes, handing it over to Jisung begrudgingly. It’s heavy and cumbersome, but Jisung tucks it under his arm and hopes no one thinks much of it.

As soon as the box is emptied, they’re off and headed back to the elevator. “You guys are doing great. Just get out the front doors and get back to the van,” Jeongin says, voice excited. “This has been nearly flawless so far!”

Jisung kind of hates that he said that, because he’s fairly certain Jeongin just doomed them. Fate has not been kind to him thus far and he can’t help being worried over what could possibly be awaiting them when they make it back to the base of the atrium. Just a little longer, he tells himself. Just a final push to get out the doors and he can go back home to the ATEEZ crew and sleep. Probably at least twelve hours just to get all the adrenaline and nerves out of his system.

The elevator pings when they reach the bottom floor, opening up to a mostly empty room. No one pays them any attention as they make quick steps towards that first hallway that leads to the turnstiles and freedom. So close. They’re so close.

His pulse is so strong he can feel it in his neck, choking him a little as they approach the security stand just beside the exit. Just a little further.

“Guys,” Jeongin’s voice warns in his ears, and he catches movement from the security booth as the two guards stand and start heading out to meet them. “Ah shit.”

Ah shit indeed. He wholeheartedly agrees with Jeongin’s sentiment as the men stop in front of the turnstiles, guns drawn. Jisung has never had a gun pointed at him. To be fair, he’d never even seen one before the meeting spot with Chan and the others. Having one trained on your chest is… horrifying in a sick, cold way. His veins feel like they’re pumping ice through them, splintering in the center of his chest.

“Stop right there,” one of the guards says and Jisung just knows they’re done for.

“Fuck that,” Yoongi says at his side just before rushing forward and dodging the first startled bullet that’s shot their way. The action makes Ryujin rush forward too, kicking off her heels as she goes.

Two blurs rush over the turnstiles and jump onto the guards in tandem, leaving Jisung to watch. He’s just standing there with the laptop like an idiot, but his brain can’t compute what he’s supposed to be doing right now. Not when there are guns involved!

“Sung, you have to help them,” Minho coaxes in his ear. “Help Yoongi please or you may not be able to get out of there.”

His legs are shaky as he forces them to push him forward. His brain is completely blank; not a single proper thought inside as he stumbles into the fight. Ryujin has her legs wrapped around one of the guards’ waist as she holds his neck in a firm chokehold. His gun has already landed on the floor, which means that he at least can’t kill her in their current positioning.

Yoongi, however, can only do so much with his wrists bound together. Jisung steers in that direction, seeing the way the hybrid keeps clawing at the man’s face and dodging his attacks. For now, the gun is kind of useless to the man who is more focused on protecting his eyes from the onslaught of attacks.

Jisung zeros in on the gun, leaning down to set the laptop on the floor before stepping close enough to grab the man’s flailing arms. He ends up getting smacked in the chin by the weapon, which disorients him for just a second. “Come on, Sung, please,” Minho begs in his in-ear. “Get the gun from him and it’ll be okay. Just do that, please.”

He lets the words wash over him, rubbing at his chin before jumping back into the fight. He needs to do this. Needs to protect Yoongi and Ryujin and get them out of here safe so they can return to their loved ones. Needs to do this for himself so he can see everyone again. There’s no room for fear or hesitation.

His hands wrap around the wrist with the gun, shoving it back as hard as he can until he hears the guard let out a pained yelp. With the combined efforts of his pushing and Yoongi’s practically feral slashing, they’re able to drive him back further and further towards the wall. His teeth clench as he pushes harder. If they can just reach the wall and slam him against it, it’ll give them the upper hand.

“Harder,” he hisses to Yoongi, who picks it up immediately and rams the man’s chest with his shoulder. It sends him back a meter before he’s close enough for Jisung to lunge forward and crash his back to the wall. When he makes impact, his lungs empty in a pained huff and finally, graciously, his hand loses the grip on the gun which falls to the marble tiles below with a sharp thunk.

“Get the laptop,” Yoongi tells him, squaring off against the man with a delirious look in his eyes. “Get it and be ready to run.”

If Jisung had a thousand won for every time he’s heard that statement by now, he might be close to his previous salary. He scrambles backwards towards the laptop and watches the way Ryujin knocks her guard down against the flooring with a sick crack as his head connects. Her pantsuit is rumpled and her hairbun’s just starting to slip as she looks at him with wild eyes. “We need to go!”

He reaches the laptop and snags it from the ground, standing and turning just in time to see Yoongi and the guard wrestling over the gun. What? How the fuck did that happen in the seconds he was focused on the laptop?!

Jisung takes two steps forward to try and help before Yoongi wins their face off and takes several clumsy steps backwards as he cocks the gun and raises it. He’s frozen in his place as he watches him lift it and pull the trigger without any hesitation.

The guard’s head snaps backwards at an inhuman speed, practically exploding at the force and something hot splatters across Jisung’s cheeks.

Blood.

The man’s blood.

It burns like sulfuric acid against his skin and he can’t process anything other than staring at his lifeless body on the ground. Can’t really hear the way Ryujin and Yoongi are calling for him. Can’t feel anything except a wave a nausea boiling through him.

“Go now,” Minho says into his ear, and he can hear the desperation there despite everything else being so numb. “Please, ba- Sung, you need to get out of there.”

Chapter Text

A hand wraps around his upper arm, pulling him backwards but he stumbles at the sudden movement, trying to stay on his feet as he turns and mindlessly following along. It’s Ryujin, looking at him with clear concern on her face. “Come with us, it’s okay,” she encourages, but he still feels like he’s under twenty feet of cement; all senses completely dulled around him. She takes the laptop from his hands and tucks it under one arm as she pulls on him again.

He can barely recognize that sirens are blaring all around them, people starting to filter down the long hallway in their direction.

Still, he can hear Minho’s voice in his ear begging him to get moving and that’s all he can really focus on as he gets his feet under him and starts to move. The night air clears a little of the fog in his mind, but that just leads him to hearing the stampede of boots behind them. They’re really in deep shit now. If he weren’t one of the people they were actively watching before, he definitely is now. In fact, his face might just end up broadcasted to the entire nation and he can barely grasp how fucking awful it’s about to be for them all.

Although the walkway felt never-ending on their way to the building, they’re able to clear it significantly faster this time, already reaching the end of the path and slipping out onto the street to get lost in the dimness of it. Jisung can feel an ache in his ribs from running so much, but he tries to ignore it and push through. There’s no time to slow or rest right now. Not if they want to make it out.

“Around this corner,” Ryujin says, picking up speed somehow and hurtling around the edge of a building until the van comes into view. It’s already running with Jeongin in the driver’s seat and Minho practically dangling out of the side door with the passenger door open beside him.

“Come on,” Minho shouts, waving at them frantically.

Yoongi dives into the front seat, slamming the door behind him as Ryujin hops into the back beside Minho. He’s only a few paces behind, but the hybrid’s hands wrap around his shoulders as soon as he’s in reach and yank him inside until they’re sprawled next to the computer Jeongin had been using. The door slides shut with a loud click and then they’re moving, surging forward as Jeongin starts to navigate them through the streets of Seoul and away from the Department of Hybrid Affairs.

“Take us to this address,” Yoongi says, handing Jeongin a slip but they’re so far away. They seem like they’re thirty meters away from him, not on the other side of the cramped van.

Jisung feels weightless as Minho maneuvers them into seated positions in the back, shoulders pressed into the cold metal of the door there, but he can’t help focusing on the way Ryujin is cross legged, examining her feet. He didn’t even consider the fact that she’s been sprinting barefoot all this time, and he can see it forming on a few spots on the pads of her feet. Red, and jarring. Blood. More blood.

Fuck, does he still have blood on his face?

The image of the way the man’s body moved when he’d been shot comes back to the forefront of his mind and Jisung’s stomach twists violently. He’s going to be sick. His chest is already heaving, mouth filling will saliva as he tries to keep the nausea at bay. His lips part to suck in air, drooling down onto his lap in the process.

A warm hand settles on his shoulder as a bag that had previously held snacks from the convenience store is pushed into his hands. He’d like to thank him for the thoughtful action, but Jisung is a little too busy emptying his stomach into the plastic bag until there’s nothing left. Even then, he still keeps retching and his eyes fill with tears that he blinks down his cheeks.

It’s all too much to really handle right now and he just wants to take a bath and go to sleep and forget everything that just happened to him, but will he even be able to sleep at this point? Won’t that memory just keep coming back to haunt him over and over again?

His stomach settles enough for him to tie the bag with jittery hands and shove it to the side to throw out later. Everything in his body feels so tense and so unstable all at the same time like he’s being pulled in four different directions. He’s going to need therapy after this; extensive therapy. Do they offer therapy to fugitives from the law? Ones that were just involved in a murder?

Murder.

Jesus fucking christ, he’s really done it this time. This is a stain that can’t just be washed off his hands, even if he hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger. He was still there, still witnessed it happen. Maybe, if he’d grabbed the gun, he could have prevented it? He would have spared the man’s life, right?

Would he have? Or would he have pulled the trigger just the same as Yoongi?

“It’s okay,” Minho says quietly beside him. “It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling right now and to not make sense of anything. Just… try to stay here with me.”

He offers his hand and Jisung shouldn’t take it. Not knowing the way Minho still feels about him and he kind of feels too. But… he needs him. Right now, he really needs him. So, he laces their fingers together and focuses on the way he can feel their heartbeats thrumming in sync like little pulses between them.

--

The van slows to a stop outside a lavish apartment building, and everyone just kind of sits in silence for a few seconds. It seems like they’re all a little shaken up by what just happened and Jisung can’t help wondering how Yoongi is doing. Was this the first time he’s hurt someone? Killed someone? Are his insides just as knotted up in despair?

“Let’s go inside,” the hybrid in question says, undoing his seatbelt and turning around to grab his laptop off the floor of the van next to Ryujin. “I’m sure he’ll let everyone stay for the night, so come on. I think we all need a shower and a good meal.”

Only the shower sounds appealing to Jisung currently, but it’s not like he can argue against accommodations. The sooner they’re inside, the sooner he can be alone and try to make sense of things. There’s certainly enough in his mind to unpack.

Minho squeezes their joined hands. “Do you want to come inside too?”

“Yes,” he gets out, but his voice feels strained with the singular word. He really did a number on his throat from all the throwing up earlier. Add it to the list of things that’ll be bothering him.

Before they move, Minho unties his sneakers and slips them off, handing them over to Ryunjin. “I think we still have some gauze in the first aid kit under the driver’s seat. It’s not ideal, but this will help cushion them until we can get your feet cleaned up properly.”

Jisung lets his head rest against the back of the van, watching the way Minho scoots forward to help her wrap her feet, sticking his tongue out when she winces. It’s… kind. So very kind and not at all what he would’ve expected in this moment. It makes him feel guilty that he’s let all their past events cloud his mind and make Minho a pariah there. Maybe he’s not terribly different from the guy he originally met, just with extra layers and sides to him.

They slip the shoes on and then Minho helps her to her feet outside the van before turning and reaching out for Jisung. “Let’s head in.”

He pauses to look at Jeongin who shakes his head from the driver's seat. "I'm going to head back to the lake house to update Chan but I'll get you guys in the morning? Just message me."

He nods, before turning back to see Minho with his hand still outstretched. It’s easier to accept his hand this time, grateful for the brace as he shuffles forward to the doorway and gets out. They really are in one of the nicest parts of town, shrouded in luxury. It’s so very different from where they’ve been spending all their time recently.

Everyone trails after Yoongi as he walks inside and heads straight for the elevators, ushering them into the first that arrives before pressing the button for the top floor. Whoever they’re coming to see clearly has money. A lot of it.

Especially when a buzz sounds, and a man’s voice answers before they even start to ascend. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Yoongi.”

Several seconds of silence follow before there’s a soft ding and the elevators starts to lift, so quickly it makes Jisung’s legs falter for a second. When they arrive, the door opens straight into a lavish apartment with modern furnishings and a ridiculous amount of art pieces around the room.

In the center of the living room, one man stands waiting for them in a pair of black slacks and a cream turtleneck, glasses perched on his nose. Kim Namjoon.

He looks vastly different from the way he appears on television. So much larger, broad shoulders and build body underneath his expensive clothing. More than that, he looks friendlier even if he’s gawking at them as they exit the elevator into his home. “Yoongi…”

“Hello. Didn’t really expect to see you again so soon either,” Yoongi says as he walks straight towards him and dumps his computer onto one of the lush, taupe sofas. As soon as he’s closer, Namjoon snatches him into a bone-crushing hug that makes the hybrid groan, although his arms wrap around the man’s waist in turn. When he’s finally released, Yoongi peers up at him with another gummy smile. “Good to see you again, Joon.”

“How did you get out,” Namjoon asks, and it feels as though Jisung and the others are intruding on this moment. Like they weren’t meant to be here in the first place. Then again, that's pretty fucking true and this is an unexpected twist he didn't see coming. Yoongi and Namjoon are clearly close.

Yoongi sticks a thumb over his shoulder in their direction. “These guys broke me out. Said they intend to make Kim Namjoon president.”

It feels weird as hell to be standing in the man’s apartment when Jisung doesn’t even know if he’s heard word of the election results yet. The true results. It’s not like Jisung knows who all Chan and the other leaders have regular contact with.

Namjoon looks at them, though he seems confused. “What?”

“I’ll let them explain to us in a minute,” Yoongi interrupts, taking the man’s attention back. “Is he here?”

It’s then that they hear someone sprinting towards the room and Jisung turns just in time to see a man dash through the doorway and then halt, wide eyes settling on Yoongi. He assumes this is ‘Hobi’ as mentioned earlier and the amount of love in his eyes is enough to tell him what these two mean to each other.

“Hob-ah,” Yoongi says, but the other man is already rushing towards him, hands pressed to each of his cheeks as he looks into his eyes in amazement. “I missed you.”

Namjoon looks from the reunited couple to Jisung, Minho, and Ryujin before saying, “Well, I think these two are going to be preoccupied for a while. Why don’t we save explanations for the morning? I have two spare rooms.”

“Thank you,” Minho says with a small bow. “I’m Minho, this is Jisung, and this is Ryujin. Do you have a first aid kit? Her feet need cleaning and proper bandaging.”

Jisung is a little shocked to hear Minho asking for such things upon first meeting, but Namjoon’s eyes widen, and he nods right away. “Yes, I have a kit. Let me get you taken care of. Have a seat here while I grab it,” he says to Ryujin, motioning her to the sofas. “The guest rooms are down the hall behind you, and they have various sets of clothes my… previous guests have left behind. Feel free to use them and the shower connected to the room.”

Minho doesn’t waste a second taking Jisung’s wrist gently and starting in the indicated direction. His socked feet pad lightly across the tiled floor as they go.

They find the guest rooms easily, though they hardly look like spare rooms at all with how elegantly they’re decorated. It wouldn’t shock Jisung to hear they’re in someone’s specially curated bedroom.

“Go shower,” Minho says, pointing at the bathroom. “I’ll find us some clothes.”

Everything has been such a whirlwind that it’s weird now that it’s suddenly slowed down. Easier to breathe, but harder to handle with the way his thoughts descend on him like vultures to a carcass. He feels a lot like a carcass, rotting and lifeless as he steps into the bathroom and shuts the door.

Avoiding looking into the mirror, Jisung goes straight for the shower to turn it on, then starts the process of removing his suit and setting everything—including the external hard drives—to the side. He can’t miss the red stains on his white button up as he attempts to fold it, pausing to close his eyes and resettle himself in the process.

His shower is slow, taking time to scrub his face repeatedly with a wash cloth until it stings and feels raw. He can still feel the way the blood splattered across it; prompting him to scrub one more time. If it hurts, maybe it’ll distract him from it. Make the pain the first thing he feels instead.

Washing his body feels almost robotic afterwards, taking the time to clean any sweat or residual vomit off of him before he flips the water off and just stands in the stall for a few minutes, letting the steam evaporate and leave him in chilled air instead.

A knock on the door brings focus back to his eyes, making him realize he’d completely zoned out. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he lies, grabbing a towel and drying off, though it seems a decent amount of his skin has already dried. He goes through the motions of wiping his body anyways, before wrapping the towel around his chest and going to the door.

Minho is right on the other side, looking at him in worry. “I found a change of clothes for you. Probably won’t fit perfectly, but… enough.”

Jisung just nods and goes to the side of the bed where a stack of folded laundry sits. It appears to be a pair of joggers and a thin long-sleeved shirt, which is fine. Any clothes will do for now. He lets the towel drop to the floor before reaching out and pulling the clothes on before reaching for the towel to take back to the bathroom and at least kind of pretend he has manners still.

When he turns, Minho is staring right at him. “Your face…”

“Yeah,” is all he can really say about it before heading to hang the towel up. It feels hard to process things; hard to speak. He pretty sure he’s never felt so exhausted in his life, leaching down into his bones and the marrow within. Every step and movement is mechanical. One process leading into the next until he's barely accomplishing what he needs to.

He again pointedly ignores his reflection as he slips the towel over a metal bar and then heads back to the room, hoping to climb into bed and maybe be forgotten about. Maybe be left to wither away there so he can stop feeling like this.

Minho’s pants are switched for a pair of sweats and he’s halfway through changing his shirt when Jisung steps past him and climbs into the bed to slip beneath the sheets. It’s strange that he’ll be sharing a bed with the hybrid again, but he also doesn’t mind it. Having a warm, live body next to him might make things easier to cope with and he’s not even sure he’ll get much rest so not being left alone is probably for the best if he’s just going to toss and turn.

It's only once Minho is settled into the bed beside him that he speaks again. “You can talk to me. About it… if you want to. My first time was really hard too.”

It’s then that he remembers that Minho has a stain on his own hands. Blood of another, left to mark him for the rest of his life. “The head of the Im family?”

Minho turns from his back onto his side to face him, looking almost solemn. “No. She was another hybrid there with me, though.” He looks down, fingers gripping harshly into the blanket that’s covering them. “She was young like me and… they weren’t kind to her. One day she told me she couldn’t stand one more day there, but we all kind of talked about that, you know? I didn’t expect to find her in the bathroom later that night…”

Jisung doesn’t need him to finish the statement. He can halfway imagine what scene he walked in to, but he doesn’t want the details. Instead, he reaches out to take Minho’s hand again. Lets their fingers lock together. “I’m sorry you went through all of that. I hate that those people hurt you so much.”

“I spent a long time blaming myself. For not being there for her more or watching her closer that night,” Minho says, pressing their palms together. They both need the feeling of closeness right now, Jisung realizes. Maybe that’s what they’ve both been searching for and why they connected so quickly when they first met.

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know she would do that,” Jisung says, wanting to comfort him. Anything to smooth over the hurt if he can.

“This wasn’t yours either,” Minho replies, eyes lifting to lock with his. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

While the words are nice, it’s hard to internalize them. Hard to think of anything other than what he could’ve done differently. “I could’ve stopped it.”

“Maybe,” Minho says, squeezing their hands just once like he had earlier. “But you can’t go back and you can’t dwell on that. Yoongi did what he had to to get all of you out of there safely. This is… it’s a reality when you’re involved in something like this but I’m so sorry you were put in that position. I wish I could take it all away and go back to reject your request.”

That doesn’t settle well with him, though. “No,” he says, stopping to think of what he wants to say and how to get it out properly. There’s a lot in his mind on this particular topic that he’s thought about in quiet moments lately. “If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be unaware of everything going on and… my friends would have gotten caught up in it. I was already on the watch list as it was. Besides… I’m glad I met you.”

Minho just stares at him for several long moments before giving him a small, almost pained smile. “I am too, though I’m still sorry. Can I… would it be okay if I hold you while you sleep? It always helped me back then.”

“Yes,” he says without needing to think about it. Despite everything, it’s what he needs right now and he suspects the same for Minho. Whatever happens after now, he doesn’t know, but right now he just wants to feel Minho close.

“Turn around.”

It’s too easy to roll the other way, giving space for Minho to scoot closer and wrap an arm around his waist until they’re snuggly pressed together. His other arm slips under Jisung’s pillow until he’s cradling him and it feels so good to be held after everything. He didn’t even realize how badly he needed it. “It’ll be okay, Sung,” Minho whispers near his ear. “It will be hard for a while, but I promise it’ll be okay. Just tell me anything you need, and I’ll make it happen.”

“Thank you,” Jisung says back, sinking into the warmth of the other’s body until his eyes close and he lets the exhaustion drag him under.

Chapter Text

Time slows, then slows some more as Jisung is stuck in place. His feet can’t move, his lungs can’t get enough air to scream. It feels a lot like being in a room with all the air snuffed out, stuck in a semi-animated state that paralyses him so completely that he can’t do anything but watch.

Cold, black metal. The dig of Yoongi’s eyebrows into his forehead. Then… a bang. Deafening; rattling his ear drums with the recoil.

Jisung watches as the man’s body snaps backwards, though it’s slower and jagged this time. He can swear he hears his neck snap, like a sickening grind of bone on bone. It’s so jarring, like a slap straight to his cheek.

Jisung startles, gasping for air to sooth his aching lungs. He’s disoriented, too much adrenaline pumping through him to make out his surroundings other than something solid holding him in place and making his terror fold in on itself. His body jerks on its own accord until he’s sitting, eyes frantically searching the dim room.

He can make out the silhouette of someone next to him, shifting groggily at his sudden movement. It only takes him a few seconds to remember how he’d fallen asleep the night before. With Minho. It’s like a blast of reality back to him. He’s okay. He’s safe. It doesn’t make his breathing come any easier.

“Hey,” Minho says softly, hands reaching for him hesitantly. “You’re okay. I promise you’re okay.”

As the sleep and nightmare clear from the edges of his vision, Jisung can tell he’s crying. It’s one of those silent cries where the tears leak unprompted. “I saw it.”

Minho pushes into a sitting position next to him, but he doesn’t reach for him again. Instead, he says, “I’m sorry, Sung. Do you want to talk about it? What can I do?”

He’s not sure there’s even an answer to those questions. Talking about it sounds impossible, likely to drag it right back to the forefront but what else can he do? Truly, he just wants to feel Minho close again. It’s been the only time he wasn’t completely panicking while awake and alert. “Can you just hold me again? Until it goes away?”

“Come here,” Minho says, voice gently and sleepy. A delicate hand wraps around his shoulder and Jisung lets him maneuver him back down on the mattress so he can pull him close again. With his chest against Jisung’s back, it gives him some semblance of balance again. Like finding his footing on a rocky cliff. “I’ll keep you safe. Promise.”

They lay like that for a while, until Jisung hears Minho’s breathing slow and even out as the hybrid drifts into slumber. It’s nice, reminding him that they’re safe and there isn’t any reason to panic right now. Jisung lays awake just listening to the soft snoozes until he recognizes a low rumbling from behind him. Just muffled enough that it was hard to catch at first, but the second he hears it, it takes over everything else. Purring. Minho is… purring.

It instantly transports him back to their time in Jeju and all the emotions that came from that weekend, though he finds that it doesn’t make his chest burn like it did before. Doesn’t make his stomach drop in torment and betrayal. Instead, he just feels comforted in a way he hasn’t since that morning. Though it’s not the same as that time, it still gives him a similar calm and understanding.

Maybe forgiveness is easier than he originally thought and maybe it doesn’t have to be some big, dramatic thing and instead can be a slow process. A tepid understanding. Achievable and easy to grasp if he lets it come close enough and wills himself to be patient, like catching a fish with your hands in a gentle stream.

He should move away and put some distance between them, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Not when he knows they need to return to their careful distance again. Regardless of how comfortable this has been, he still isn’t ready to face what’s left of his tattered feelings, especially not with this night still heavy on his mind.

Minho’s words come back to him. It will be hard for a while, but it’ll be okay. He hopes that’s true.

A flutter of his eyes and he sinks back against Minho. Just for right now.

--

“Wow.”

It’s the first word spoken after almost fifteen minutes of silence as Namjoon, Hoseok (Jisung learned his actual name this morning), and Yoongi read over both METAMORPH and the election results.

They’re gathered in the lake house with all of Chan’s team and ATEEZ in attendance to bring light to their findings and try to recruit the men into helping them properly. Apparently, them stumbling right into the home of Namjoon had been a surprise blessing because Chan hadn’t had any luck contacting him through official channels.

“As you can see, you are the rightful president,” Hongjoong says to the man, but he’s careful about it. Not too pushy after everything that has happened to the gathered group.

“Congrats, Joon,” Yoongi says, though his voice is flat. “What exactly are you planning to do with all of this information?”

Jisung half expects for Jeongin to pop up and say ‘we’re planning a coup’ in glee again, but he’s much more subdued this time, giving him weary looks from time to time. Perhaps his fractured psyche is a little easier to see than he originally thought. At least he managed to sleep the rest of the night until Ryujin woke them to get ready this morning.

There’s a collective, tense silence in the room until Chan crosses both arms over his chest and says, “Make you president for real.”

“And… how exactly are you going to do that,” Hoseok asks, looking between everyone. “It doesn’t seem like they’re going to just let Joon take the seat.”

Jisung braces for the next part, remembering how jarring it was to hear the plan said in plain wording. Like it’s not the biggest event that will have happened to Korea in the last seventy years. It’s Chan who speaks first, saying, “we’re planning a coup.”

Namjoon’s jaw clenches visibly. Jisung only knows because he’s been watching him to gauge his reaction. “So, you want to decimate the country and then have me step over dead bodies to take the presidency?”

The wording makes Jisung’s chest tighten painfully. How many dead bodies will there be by the end of this? How many other people will be shot and laid to rest for their cause to come true? On the other hand, how many will die if METAMORPH comes to full fruition? How many will be harmed without justice? He’s long past the point of thinking them the villains in this story.

“We are trying to keep things non-violent as long as we can,” Seonghwa says seriously. His way of speaking is just soft enough to make some tension dissipate from the room. “There’s already a detailed plan in place.”

“Tell me the plan,” Namjoon says, and there’s such an air of dominance around him. Like a leader; natural born and ready for tough decisions. Truly, he is exactly what they need to lead them into social reform. “I want to know everything you intend to do.”

Jisung watches the way Chan, Changbin, Hongjoong, and Seonghwa are all exchanging glances. They’ve been the most involved in the planning aspect, and he’s thoroughly invested in hearing everything that they’ve come up with. After going along with things for so long, he thinks it’s only right he’s finally brought fully into the loop so he can figure out what he can and can’t handle.

“We’re working on recruitment right now,” Chan starts. “This is actually something we intended to ask your help on, Hoseok-ssi. With your skills, you could really help draw attention to the cause.”

Hoseok looks at him strangely before saying, “what? Like, my art?”

“Precisely,” Changbin says, offering a small smile to the man. “Our recruitment team, TXT, have been trying to generate a buzz but one of your pieces could really help. You’ve done political pieces in the past that had a huge swing on the election.”

“That Namjoon wasn’t allowed to win,” Hoseok adds. They fall into a subdued silence, which makes Jisung think back to all the art pieces he remembers seeing from ‘J-Hope’ around the city at the time of the election. All spray paint, all with a huge punch of meaning behind them. Almost every single one of them had gone viral on social media, rallying people behind the cause. Like putting a face onto the darkness that lingers in the corners.

Minho sighs from where he’s standing at the edge of the room. “He wasn’t allowed to win then, but this could all help get him there now. Better late than never, especially with everything they’re trying to do to us. What they did to Yoongi-ssi will just keep happening to more and more hybrids if we don’t do anything.”

“Taking our wings,” Namjoon says, but it seems to mostly be for himself. Regardless, the looks on Yoongi and Hoseok’s faces is one of instant recognition. “We were all part of Butterfly Wings, back when we were kids.”

Jisung hasn’t heard that name in so long, he’d actually forgotten it. Butterfly Wings had been the first social reform plan almost twenty years before, back when the government had first interfered with hybrid rights. It hadn’t been even half as innocuous as METAMORPH, but the efforts of everyone involved in the group had secured their freedoms until now. He actually didn’t know anyone so young at the time had taken part. Jisung himself had only been a child and never fully understood the depths of the movement.

“That’s actually how we all met,” Hoseok says, giving a small smile to Yoongi as he takes his hand into his own. “Our parents were big parts of the group, and we went to all the marches with them.”

Namjoon looks to Chan and Hongjoong as he says, “the name METAMORPH doesn’t seem like a coincidence. More like they’re here to finish what they started all those years ago.”

Chan frowns, lips pursing together as he gives a short nod. “That’s what I thought too. It’s too on the nose and why we named our group MayFly. Another winged insect, though much harder to get rid of.”

“One more time, then Daegu and rest,” Yoongi says to Hoseok, and Jisung can only hear the words because of his proximity to them. It’s almost like witnessing an intimate exchange he isn’t meant to, which seems to happen every time these two are close to each other. In a sweet way. A way that makes him feel longing, but that’s something he can’t think about right now.

Hoseok’s smile is grim, but still present as he says, “one more time. Then I will forcibly remove you from Seoul so we can relax and get out of the social justice world. By then, Joon should have things covered.” After he says it, he lifts his gaze to lock with Chan’s. “I’m in. Tell me what to do and I’ll make you an art piece that no one can ignore. If you’re okay with me including some butterflies in the design, I think I can signal those that gathered in the past.”

“Thank you,” he says, and there’s a thrum of excitement through the room. Not only at the revelation of what these men have already done in their lives, but also at the fact that they somehow scored J-Hope on their side. Jisung can’t wait to see what kind of art he’ll come up with.

There’s another lull around the room until Chan starts speaking again. “In conjunction with the recruiting, we plan to release a propaganda video. It shares the stories of several hybrids around Korea and what the system has already done to them. If we can get the public more aware of everything going on, I think it will cause enough outrage to get people talking and demanding information.”

“Information that we have,” Hongjoong says. “Information that we will release once there is enough traction to be believed. We’re in contact with a reporter that already agreed to run a video in the evening news when we’re ready.”

“So, propaganda and getting people aware. What else,” Yoongi asks, speaking to the room for the first time since he asked what was going on. Since then, he’s mostly been silently listening and observing everyone. “There has to be a big, pivotal moment. There always is.”

It’s just Chan and Hongjoong that look at each other this time before Hongjoong smiles at all of them. “We’ve got that covered.”

Further discussion on the individual details commences, though it seems the newcomers are a little more intrigued now that they’ve had the basic outline of everything happening. Jisung’s own brain is trying its hardest to wrap around everything they’re saying while wrestling with the numbness settling onto his shoulders. He’s tired again and just wants to go back home to rest, perhaps sleep the rest of the day away.

Namjoon and the others promise to be in contact as they leave, though Yoongi stops and then turns towards Jisung. “Give me a few days to go through all my drives and sort through what will be useful to you guys, then I’ll hand it over as promised… And take care of yourself.”

Jisung can only watch him leave, wondering how the man can seem to cool and collected after everything. Does he not feel remorse? Regret? Is Jisung the only one that can’t seem to get it out of his head?

Once it’s just the sixteen of them, it seems that no one really knows what to do with themselves. They have a better idea of what’s coming next, but where to start is the biggest question left over. Hoseok said he’d let them know when he created his design and figured out the location for it, so for now they’re just left in waiting.

“We should discuss the next plans and who will be doing what,” Chan announces, drawing all of their attention. “I think the plan to get Yoongi out ended up far better than we even imagined. I’m really glad everything turned out this way.”

Those simple words are enough to twist Minho’s face into a look of… well, fury. There’s no other way Jisung can describe it. Ever since they got dressed and left Namjoon’s apartment, he’s seemed tense and slightly off kilter, but this is still a surprising twist to his demeanor. “Oh, you think that went better than imagined? Are we ignoring something completely now?”

Chan holds up a hand. “If you want to talk about this now, we’re not doing it here.”

“Where then,” Minho asks, words practically dripping in malice.

It’s strange to watch the way Chan’s face pinches at the words, but he waves in the direction of their bedroom corridor. “Come, let’s talk in the back office.”

Everyone is left to watch as Chan turns and starts heading that way, Minho stalking behind him with his tail flicking sharply. They barely make it through the threshold before they hear, “you never listen to me! He could have fucking died you inconsiderate fucking…” and then a door slams, muffling their voices and leaving everyone to look awkwardly amongst each other. It’s a bit like when your parents fight and you don’t know what to do.

“Do you have a minute to talk too,” Changbin says after a few seconds, and it takes everyone looking at Jisung for him to realize it was directed at him. He points towards his own chest in question and Changbin nods. “Yeah, can I talk to you?”

He’s not sure what the guy might want to talk about, but there’s no reason to refuse so he just shrugs and pushes back from the table, following after Changbin as he heads in the opposite direction of where Chan and Minho disappeared. They walk through the aisles of theater seating until they find a small, metal staircase that leads up to the projection room.

It’s cramped and filled with boxes of various items when they enter, clearly used as a storage room these days though the original equipment is still set up to light the stage and control the microphones. Jisung looks over the switchboard as Changbin drags two stools out from the corner and then settles on one of them. “Jeongin showed me the footage from the Department of Hybrid Affairs.” When Jisung feels the distinct displeasure of his stomach crumpling, Changbin is quick to add, “only me. He only showed it to me because he was worried about you. It wasn’t to judge you at all, I swear.”

“Then why,” he asks, taking a seat on the opposite stool just so he doesn’t collapse onto the floor. The idea of having to talk about this with someone he’s barely had a full conversation with is the last thing he wants right now. It’s hard enough to go through the motions and act like he’s fine without being directly confronted about it.

“I’ve witnessed a lot of truly terrible things throughout my time on the force and I’ve been through counseling for it all. I know I’m a terrible replacement for a proper therapist, but I wanted to share some of the things that helped me, if that’s okay?”

It’s actually… a lot nicer than Jisung expected? He’s not sure he really wants to hear any of it, but he also acknowledges that the man looks concerned, and his eyes are practically pleading for Jisung to give him a chance. “Okay.”

He actually sighs, body relaxing minutely as he fixes Jisung with a gentle look. “Like I said, I watched it. There was nothing you could have done, Jisung. It all happened so fast, and Yoongi acted without thinking about what he was doing. You were just there, and I’m so sorry you had to see something like that. Are you… well, is it still stuck in your head?”

“Any time I’m not actively busy with something, it’s there,” he admits, and it feels surprisingly relieving to get it out. To own up to how much this is wrecking him still. “I see the way his body moved. The blood. I had a nightmare last night.” He’s not particularly sure why he’s sharing all of this so freely, but it also feels like a liberation to admit it.

“It’s going to be there for a while, I won’t lie to you. You’ll likely keep seeing it in your head, and it will feel like it’s haunting you. The biggest thing you can do for yourself is acknowledge that it happened and that you were not responsible. Giving yourself grace and no demonizing the way your brain processes it is important. Every single feeling you have is valid and you aren’t wrong for feeling them, so please be gentle to yourself. Next, it’s a good idea to try and get back into a routine.”

Jisung feels his lips dragging into a frown. What routine? The past couple months have been a tornado of random shit with almost zero consistency. “I don’t have a routine.”

“It doesn’t have to be a strict regimen. I know you’re used to sleeping next to someone, so that. Uhm, maybe working on computer stuff with Jeongin? Shit, I’m sorry. I really don’t know what you do usually, but whatever you did most days is enough of a routine to help you feel more stability in your life. That’s the real goal here: stability. Enough for you to feel like you have some control back over your life, if that makes sense?”

“How do you get it to stop coming to your mind so much,” he asks, because the rest of the advice seems solid enough, but this is what really keeps tormenting him. If he could just get the image out of his head, he thinks he could handle everything else a lot better.

Changbin deflates a little more. “The only thing that worked for me was talking about it whenever it would pop up. Just having someone close that I trusted and felt I could be open about it with. Or you could try meditating. I could never focus enough to do it, but I was told it can help a lot too.”

The only person that comes to mind is Minho after their previous night, but he doesn’t want to put that kind of pressure onto his shoulders. Not when their rekindling friendship is already rocky and at risk of being snuffed out again. Maybe Jeongin… or Seonghwa? He thinks both of them would probably listen to him. “Okay, thank you,” he says, meaning it. At least the words have given him something he can hold on to. A tangible work ahead that he can implement.

“Can I hug you,” Changbin asks, and Jisung is surprised by it. Though not enough to refuse it when he’s really needing any comfort he can get at this point. He nods, pushing to his feet before being wrapped into the tight embrace of the other. His body is… solid. Very fucking solid, but also very nice and Jisung lets himself enjoy the moment of contentedness before Changbin pulls back and offers a small smile. “Let’s head back downstairs. I’m sure the hyungs are done yelling at each other by now.”

Jisung trails after him down the steps and back to the table laid out on the stage. As expected, Chan and Minho at back at the table although they aren’t looking at each other and both of their cheeks look considerably warmed from whatever they were just getting so angry about.

They take their seats before Chan clears his throat and looks at everyone. “Let’s talk about our next plans and what we need to get done. ATEEZ, you’re still on for helping the BtoB team plan our demonstration. The rest of us will be focusing on the propaganda video so we’ll need to use your camera, Seungmin.”

Seungmin’s ears perk at that, and he nods easily. “I have everything ready to go. Hyunjin-hyung has his camera for still photos as well so we should be able to capture everything without any issue. I went and got us a ton of memory cards and extra batteries so we won’t have to worry about cutting any filming short.”

Chan offers him a grateful smile before his eyes stray to Jisung. “You have to option of helping with the demonstration and the lead up… though I will admit it might be more stressful. You’re also welcome to help with our team as we go around Seoul and film.”

He sits stock still for several seconds. This might actually be the first time he’s been offered two options like this. His own fate is resolutely in his hands, he just has to decide what he wants to do. While the demonstration planning sounds extremely important, he also recognizes that maybe it would be better for him to stick to a more docile plan. At least for now. The fact that Jeongin and Minho would be there in the event he needs someone to lean on is definitely a plus too.

Jisung turns to look at Jeongin, who is already looking at him with a close-mouthed smile that makes his eyes scrunch a little in the corners. “It’s going to be really fun going around to film. You can meet a ton of people we’ve been helping,” he says and Jisung can admit how cool that sounds.

It will be hard to part with the ATEEZ team for however long this filming and preparation will take, but he’s fairly certain this is the path he’s meant to take right now. “I’ll stay with the propaganda team.” Jisung doesn’t miss the way Minho relaxes into his chair like he’s just been told the most relieving news.

“We’ll miss having you around,” Wooyoung says from his seat across from him. “But I think you’ll have fun and we’ll meet back up very soon.” The wink he tacks onto the end of his sentence makes Jisung sigh, but he still feels a tug of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Okay, that’s settled. Once Hoseok-ssi comes up with a plan for the art installation, I think it would be best to have some of our team go and assist him. So, we’ll prepare to have some of us go do that once the time comes,” Chan says, then he keeps rattling off details of what’s to come.

By the time the rest of the plans are set, Jisung feels too exhausted to really pay attention anymore. Since waking, he’s felt a sort of weight in his head, pressing down on his brain and trying to lull him back to sleep. Is it because he got such restless sleep the night before or… just the lingering feelings? How long does it take to feel normal again after witnessing something like that?

He’s brought out of his thoughts by the movement of everyone around him as they stand and start to assemble into their own little groups. It’s sad to watch the ATEEZ team form up, though they all give him little waves and encouragements before the depart. It’s then that he realizes it’s just him, Jeongin, and Minho still seated at the table on the stage.

“Do you want to sleep some more,” Minho asks, scanning over his face like he can see just how worn down he feels. It’s likely that he can, which makes Jisung wonder if he’s already growing circles under his eyes. “The mattress in my room is really nice if you want to rest there for a while. We won’t set out for the filming until tomorrow.”

It sounds perfect if he’s honest. He really needs to try and sleep more. “Yes, I think I need to.”

“When you wake up, let’s play a card game,” Jeongin says, which makes Jisung smile. Throughout their time waiting for various programs and data to download while uncovering Project METAMORPH, they’d made a habit of playing Go-Stop in the lulls. He gives him a thumbs up before heading after Minho.

The maze of corridors is just as confusing as the last time he stayed here, but at least he can’t get lost if he sticks to Minho. Eventually, they find the right room and he’s surprised to find three cats waiting for him as soon as they enter. “Oh, Soonie, Doongie, and Dori are here?”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave them at the café. I went back for them the day you left and a friend is managing the storefront while we’re… busy,” Minho says, heading for the bed to give a pat to Doongie’s head. “They’ll keep you company while you rest.”

He’s not sure why the idea of having all of Minho’s cats around as he sleeps comforts him, but it does. A lot. “I’m sure they’ll help.”

“Just don’t expect to get the full bed,” the hybrid says as he carefully scoots Doongie closer to the wall. “Go ahead and climb in.”

Jisung does as he’s told, careful not to jostle the brooding orange cat as he gets settled. He finds that the sheets smell like Minho; like the shampoo he regularly uses. Why does that make him even more comforted?

“Tell me if you need anything. I’ll be out in the stage area,” Minho says, but then he hesitates near the doorway. It’s obvious that he wants to say something else, but he’s nervous about it. The fact that he’s twiddling his thumbs is so uncharacteristic of him that it starts to worry Jisung, but just when he’s about to say something about it the hybrid steps closer and leans down to press a kiss to his temple. “I’m glad you’re safe and that you’re here.”

Jisung is left to watch him leave, not entirely sure what to do. Part of him wants to squeal while the other part is just shocked that he would do something so affectionate without any real reason. Rather than dwell on the why, Jisung snuggles further into the blankets and lets the lingering press of lips lull him into sleep.

--

Jisung finds himself back in the van, although it’s the middle of the day and considerably less frenzied than any of the other times he’s been inside it. Seungmin sits in front of him, long legs crossed as he inspects his camera and all the accessories. He’s been working extra hard to get everything sorted for the start of filming and Jisung is excited to see what they’re going to start with.

When the pull to a stop, it’s in front of an old apartment building that looks worse for wear, but there are little potted plants and other decorations that still make it look inviting.

“This is where our first interviewee lives,” Jeongin explains as they all climb out of the van with various filming accessories over their shoulders or in their hands. Honestly, they look like they’re about to film the next big screen film with the amount of equipment they’ve brought.

“Her name is Nayeon and we rescued her from the family when we left,” Felix adds. “She’s very sweet.”

His heart sinks at the news, wondering what all the woman has been through. Then again, that’s what they’re here for. To capture the stories of hybrids and showcase the things that need to change. He’s ready to open his ears and learn more. To find out more of the hidden world he never knew about before.

They head inside and up a set of stairs until they reach the second floor where one of the apartments already has the door propped open. A bunny hybrid comes bounding to the door as soon as they’re close and pops her head out. Her ears and hair are a light tan color and she’s got on one of the most colorful outfits Jisung has ever seen. He automatically likes the vibe she’s putting out, especially when she greets everyone with a bright smile. “Come on in, guys!”

It's once they’re inside that Jisung is shocked to find two young bunny hybrids playing in the corner. One is a girl that looks to be about four with shockingly white hair, while the boy is barely a year if Jisung had to guess and has the hair and features to match with Nayeon almost exactly. They must be her kids, but she looks so young! She can’t be much older than he is.

“Where do you want to set up,” Seungmin asks, looking around the small space. “We could try for the couch? It’ll be cute with the art you have hanging up behind it.” Said art looks to be colorful scribbled drawings done by the two children, but the way they’re prominently displayed is endearing. It really lights up the space.

“Sure, we can do that. I just need to get the kiddos set up somewhere else.” She walks to them and crouches down to take the girl’s hand in her own. “Momma needs to do work with her friends. Do you think you can be good and draw at the table for a little while?” The girl nods before collecting some of her toys and heading that way.

To Jisung’s surprise, Minho steps forward and crouches down beside her before saying, “I can watch him.” The baby barely bats an eye as Minho lifts him up and settles him onto a hip, cooing at him and talking softly as he heads towards the other end of the room to give everyone else space to set up.

Jisung breaks his concentration on the man to instead help get everything set up around Nayeon until Seungmin claims it’s perfect. They’ve gotten the pillows fluffed and everything draped just to the aesthetic he wants before he announces that he’s starting to film.

Nayeon gives a small smile before saying, “I was taken by the Im Family when I was just ten. It was scary because I didn’t know what was happening at first, but they used to feed us drugs and alcohol until we couldn’t argue or cry anymore.”

It’s heart wrenching to listen to. Especially as she pauses and looks at the ceiling, blinking rapidly to stop her eyes from watering too much. When she looks back at the camera she says, “I was saved by another hybrid that was a captive of the family, and I’m okay now, but my childhood was stolen. I was never allowed to go to school or make friends outside of the family. This is still happening today to other hybrid children and I urge you to take a stand against the destruction of innocence. Hybrids are people too.”

When she finishes, Seungmin stops the recording and then Felix hops onto the couch and pulls her into a hug. “You’re so brave for agreeing to be part of this. Thank you.”

“I still owe you one, Lixie,” she says, pulling back to push some of his hair out of his face. “Besides, I want the world to be safer for them.” With that, her eyes wander to where Minho is bouncing the baby in his arms, still talking softly and making funny faces.

Jisung can’t focus on anything else as he watches the exchange. Why is it making his heart beat faster… and why is it such a surprise to see? By now, he really should stop being surprised by the hybrid and all the layers to him but still. Minho with a kid is really precious in a way Jisung never expected.

“Do you want kids someday,” Jeongin asks beside him, making Jisung flinch and look at him in confusion. “I’m just asking since you keep staring at them so hard.” Then he pokes out his tongue before turning to go help the others dismantle all the equipment. Really, it was such a short shoot, but Seungmin’s plan is to get several short testimonies and string them all together to have as much impact as he can. While he words were short, they definitely had the impact he’s looking for.

They get everything ready to go and Jisung watches as Minho hands the baby off and says, “You’re doing great, Nay. The kids look so healthy and happy. Let me know if you ever need anything, okay?”

“Take care of yourself too,” she says, then ushers them out the door. “Go make Seoul a safe place for us again! Fighting!”

“Alright, let’s head to the next spot,” Seungmin directs, shooing them down the stairs. “I want to get as much of this captured today as I can.”

Hyunjin sidles up next to Jisung just as they reach the bottom landing and he holds up his camera before saying, “Don’t worry, I got some shots of him holding the baby just for you.” He says it with just enough ‘know’ in his voice to give away that most of them probably noticed him staring.

Great.

Chapter Text

The first day of filming wraps after meeting with eight different hybrids that share varying stories of their experiences in the current system as well as how the recent developments have affected them, though Hyunjin wants to spend another day getting shots around the city to add to the video.

It’s been a good day. The kind that comes with sadness and realization, but makes you feel better just being involved. It works to soothe some of his hurt until he climbs into Minho’s cramped bed to fall asleep. They didn’t really discuss it, Jisung just found himself following after him and the hybrid didn’t say anything as they got changed and ready to sleep.

He wonders if this is going to become his new normal? Just staying in this kind of bubble with Minho until he’s patched up enough to stand on his own again? He enjoys this proximity a little too much to want to end it just yet.

Minho shifts beside him, stretching before curling in on himself. He looks so peaceful like this, face smoothed out and serene. Maybe Jisung was too harsh on the rooftop when he said he didn’t know him anymore. Maybe… he just didn’t know all of him, but he still got to see the most important parts that are usually hidden underneath? He’ll keep thinking on that. For now, he really needs to get some rest before he’s likely to get roped into walking a majority of the city with Hyunjin tomorrow.

--

“Where are we heading to,” Jisung asks, taking up his usual spot in the back of the van. He’s spent the last few days wandering with the others as they took snapshots of the city to use in their video, but they got the call earlier that Hoseok’s design was ready. Chan urged them to go and get it all painted tonight. As soon as it’s up, they can start pushing harder on recruitment and he knows it has a lot to do with the coming demonstration, but he’s not entirely sure how it all ties together yet.

They’re all dressed in fully black ensembles, although Jisung thinks he looks more like a knock off burglar from The Sims than a proper vandal. Especially when Minho, Hyunjin, Yoongi, and Hoseok all look straight out of a spy movie in their getups. At least Jeongin looks like a dork in his outfit, which kind of makes Jisung feel better.

Hoseok’s eyes meet his from the rearview mirror as he says, “we’re going to paint the Seoul Central District Courthouse.”

“The courthouse?!”

“Yup,” Hoseok says from the driver’s seat. “It’s going to get the message across best and they hardly have any security at night because courthouses are relatively boring when no high-profile cases are going on.”

It doesn’t make him feel particularly better, but he doesn’t have much choice than to trust them all. Having Minho and Jeongin at his side quells at least some of the worry. “Alright, I guess.”

“That’s the spirit,” Yoongi says, turning in the chair to give him a gummy smile. “You’ll see. Vandalism is fun.”

Oh great.

--

The courthouse is, as promised, almost completely empty without anyone even giving it a second glance. Despite being in the city center, this area of town isn’t very busy at night considering it’s mostly just office spaces and places of business. It’s not like they’re down in Hongdae trying to paint something. That would be a true nightmare.

The building itself is massive. It’s constructed of two towers with a gigantic, arched stone wall between them starting at the second floor. He’s seen the courthouse a few times before, but it’s so fascinating to see at night with the front lit up by spotlights inlaid into the roof.

Once stopped, everyone gets out and starts to pull on backpacks that contain an outrageous number of spray paint cans. Jisung can’t help wondering if Hoseok ended up flagged in some computer system for the sheer about of paint they’re hoisting over their shoulders. A foldable ladder is then dragged out and Jisung already doesn’t like the sight of it.

“Alright, this is going to be the interesting part,” Yoongi says as they near the front of the building and he sneaks to the side to start opening the ladder until it reaches the platform in front of the arched wall. Up close, Jisung can make out the floral pentagon design that surrounds the name of the building in the center of it. Everything looks so regal, he’s not sure where to look first. “Who wants to climb first?”

Everyone seems to hesitate and Jisung wonders if they’re all terrified of heights. Wouldn’t that be kind of hilarious? It’s Jeongin who steps forward first and climbs up the ladder as Yoongi holds it.

They follow one by one until it’s Jisung’s turn and he has to will himself to just climb the damn thing. He reminds himself to not look down and instead face upwards as he starts the trek to the platform. At least Minho is hanging over the edge and waiting for him, which must be a feat considering he hates heights just as much.

He barely makes it to the top before Minho’s hand wraps around his wrist and helps to hoist him up and when his knees land on the platform, he’s left to stare in awe at the sheer size of the emblem he’d seen before. It didn’t look nearly this big from the ground, but the archway stretches almost endlessly above them from this new perspective.

“Someone hold the damn ladder,” Yoongi shouts, and it prompts them both to turn and grab onto the legs of it so Yoongi can make his own climb up to them. Each time his eyes stray past the hybrid to the grass below, he feels a swoop deep in his guts but he’s already committed to helping and can’t imagine the wrath that would follow them letting the ladder—and Yoongi—fall back to the ground.

Once he’s made it up to the platform, they work together to pull the ladder up so that it’s resting next to them. “Feeling very trapped now,” Jisung mutters, which makes Minho huff and roll onto his back.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get down now,” he agrees, then turns to Jisung and crooks a little smile that makes one of his elongated canines poke out. He really is so fucking handsome and maybe Jisung has become immune to it for the most part, but the moonlight just goes so well with the guy.

“Let’s get to the wall and map this out,” Hoseok calls, breaking them from their little reprieve and prompting them to get on shaky legs to follow the others towards the wall.

As soon as they make it to the center of the front wall, Hoseok drops his bag and starts pulling out cans. “Okay, I have stencils for you guys to get to work on while I work on the main piece.”

A rolled piece of posterboard is shoved into his hands, but when he unwraps it, he sees that it’s a butterfly. Despite being fairly large, it still has a lot of small details, and he wonders how it’ll look once they’ve painted the image onto the walls. The archway itself is made of a nearly-white stone that’s going to show off their art like a canvas. Truly, this was a good decision for placement. Not a single person will be able to miss the new features on the building come morning.

“Just spray those wherever you see fit. Just make sure there are a lot of them. Two of you have butterflies and two have mayflies. Use the black paint and leave the colorful stuff to me.”

When he peeks at the piece Minho has, he sees that it’s a mayfly just like Hoseok said. Interesting. He can’t help but wonder what the final product is going to look like.

“We’ll cover the left side,” Minho says, pointing at the two of them before dragging Jisung over in that direction with one of the backpacks stuffed with black paint cans. “Let’s just scatter them together, facing toward where Hoseok is working.”

He’s not entirely sure what he’s meant to do other than holding the poster board against the side of the wall and uncapping the spray paint can. This is definitely his first time handling it, so he’s not sure how it works other than pointing and… spraying. Obviously.

The jet of black paint startles him, but he quickly gets the hang of filling in the stencil with the thick, black paint as they work in tandem to fill the expanse of wall with butterflies and mayflies that are larger than his torso. They should be visible even from the street.

“This is kind of soothing,” Minho says as he traces the outline of the mayfly and then fills in the center. “I always liked drawing, though I’m terrible at it. Felix says all my drawings turned out cursed.”

“What do you draw,” Jisung asks, focusing on the butterfly he’s currently filling.

When he sneaks a peek to the side, he sees Minho looking extremely concentrated on his mayfly and it’s really cute. Annoyingly so. Jisung doesn’t know what to think about the fact that Minho is crawling back into his heart so easily. Shouldn’t he still be mad at him? “I have this little character I like to draw. It’s adorable even if everyone else hates it.”

“Show me,” Jisung prompts as they move to the next stencil location. He’s rewarded with Minho lifting up the poster and painting a strange face in the center of one of the mayfly wings to demonstrate. It’s definitely… different but yet still very Minho at the same time. There are little whisker looking things and it honestly looks like some old man caricature, but it’s charming in its own way. “What, that’s super cute. I don’t know why they’d say it’s cursed.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Minho says, turning wide eyes on him. “He’s cute!”

It’s hard to tell how long they’ve been working on the painting before they make their way to the center where Hoseok is finishing up the rough outline of his art. It’s… amazing. Showing the silhouette of a cat-hybrid woman with large butterfly wings ripped from her back. Even though it’s a 2-D painting, the way he’s detailed the jagged lines makes it look visceral and almost alive. Even more so with the red spray setting behind her and the rainbow-designed wings.

It doesn’t help that the mural is about three times the size of them, compliments of the ladder that Yoongi has been dutifully holding onto.

Jeongin and Hyunjin join them a few meters back from the pair, simply watching the way he works to add all the details to it.

“This is amazing,” Jeongin says in awe. “I don’t think anyone will know what to make of it at first.”

“Wait until he adds the words,” Yoongi says, looking far too enraptured in the way his boyfriend concentrates on getting all the lines and edges perfect. Jisung is even more interested in hearing what words they’ve chosen to accompany the image.

“Why he butterflies,” Jisung asks as he watches Hoseok paint. “The first movement was called Butterfly Wings, but where did the name come from?” He’s always wondered where the connection lies, but never knew anyone that could actually answer it.

Yoongi looks to him as he keeps holding the ladder steady. “The entire movement started after one of the women lost her daughter due to hospital neglect. Back then, they were giving humans priority over hybrids and left them in the waiting room until she went unconscious. Her daughter, Lily, loved butterflies and her mother wanted to memorialize her in the name. That’s why we all marched under Butterfly Wings and all of them were purple, her favorite color.”

It's sweet yet melancholy, realizing that everything started after the loss of a child. He really hopes they can honor her somehow. Maybe make up for her senseless death. It’s then that he looks closer to the silhouette of the woman that Hoseok is painting, wondering if it’s perhaps modeled after Lily and who she could be now. Considering how sentimental the entire painting is, it probably is and Jisung chooses to believe it regardless. A gorgeous, yet painful homage to a little girl that lost everything.

There’s a soft bump against Jisung’s shoulder and he turns to see Minho standing directly next to him, though he’s looking at Hoseok with just as much interest as the others. He can’t help but lean into the proximity, soaking in his body heat and choosing to stay right here in this moment, no ill thoughts or images.

This is the kind of night out he’s been needing. Sure, he’s still breaking laws and getting up to trouble, but this is a far different pace than he’s grown used to. He can’t help thinking Minho feels the same way with the almost serene smile on his face as they listen to the gentle hiss of Hoseok’s spray cans.

It only takes Hoseok another hour before he’s stepping back with a giant, heart-shaped smile on his face. “I think this will get the buzz they’re looking for.”

Around the image of the woman, he’s added the words Give us back our reddened wings above her and We will fly again beneath. Apparently, Namjoon had come up with the words and insisted they use them, sparking some controversy and many more questions as others try to figure out the hidden meanings. It’s perfect. Just what they’ve been wanting to garner with the art.

“This is going to create a frenzy,” Hyunjin says, staring up at the art in awe. “It’s so beautiful though.”

“I love it,” Jisung agrees, admiring it for just a little longer before they’re all shuffling forward to pack their paints and head out. It’s been surprisingly peaceful, surprisingly calm. Not that he wants to curse them by saying that out loud.

No, he just slings a backpack over his shoulders and helps to carry the ladder back to the edge. He might actually freak out once he’s expected to climb down the damn thing, but at least he can focus on getting Yoongi back down to the ground first. If he falls, maybe the guy will catch him. Probably not, but it still works to make him feel better.

“Go next,” Minho prompts once Yoongi is back on the grass and holding the bottom of the ladder steady. “It’s easier to just get it over with.”

He’d love to argue, but the incessant need to be reunited with the ground wins out and he clenches his butt cheeks together as he starts to slowly step down the ladder. Each rung feels like it’s a kilometer away but he’s at least making progress and before long, he’s reached the ground and can breath easier again. Fucking phew.

Minho descends next though he’s incredibly fast compared to Jisung’s flailing. Soon, he’s standing next to Jisung as they watch Jeongin and Hyunjin climb down without much fear or wavering. Oh, to not be terrified of heights.

Hoseok is last, heading down the ladder at a moderate pace. He’s about halfway down when Jisung sees a security guard walking in the distance. They’re far enough away that they probably can’t see their group in the shadows, but it still gets his heartrate increasing as he watches. He’s about to say something to the others when he hears Yoongi mutter, “shit,” under his breath. “Hurry up, Hob-ah, we need to get out of here.”

A hand finds one of Jisung’s and he feels fingers entwine with his followed by a quick squeeze. “They’re far enough that we shouldn’t have any problems,” Minho whispers next to him, and while it makes him feel better he’s still not entirely pleased with this outcome.

There’s a dull thud behind them before Yoongi says, “Run?”

“Run,” Hyunjin agrees and he’s already turning and making a sprint for the parking lot. Jisung feels a yank on his arm, pulling him to follow the others that have already gotten a head start and he hears a loud curse behind them before turning to see Yoongi and Hoseok hoisting the ladder between them as they start to follow after them. His feet feel like they’re tied to cinder blocks, but he manages to keep up with Minho anyways.

Lucky for them, the security guard clearly doesn’t see them as they take off across the lawn. It allows them to easily sprint away, crossing over the grassy lawn in front of the building as they make their escape.

He’s not sure who laughs first, but it feels contagious as they all keep sprinting and little speckles of laughter fill the air around them. Even Jisung laughs, but he’s fairly certain it starts as a nervous one. All his scared energy bursting out of him in the form of giggles. Eventually, however, he finds that he actually is laughing along the further they get away from the guard who seems to be in their own world.

They make it back to the van and pile inside, just like every other mission Jisung has been on. He’s a little too used to it all by now and can’t help giggling again as the door shuts and Hoseok abruptly pulls out of the parking space to get them back on the street. “Why does it always end with us fucking running,” Jisung whines as he pants to catch his breath.

Yoongi turns to him from the passenger seat with his widest gummy smile yet. “Wasn’t I right? Vandalism really is fun!”

Hoseok drives to Namjoon’s apartment first so they can get out, but Yoongi pauses before he climbs out and pulls a hard drive out of his pocket. “This is all the data you’ll need against Yun Donghoon.” Then he slips out the van and gives space for Hyunjin to hop into the driver’s seat.

He’s not sure what to expect on the drive, but he’s also excited to unpack it and hopefully add to their plethora of incriminating data.

“Another data review session,” Jeongin asks, leaning closer to look at the drive. “This time I’m making Chan get us pizza.”

--

When Jisung wakes, he toggles over to twitter to find a mass of images from the courthouse and the trending tags of #GiveMeBackMyWings and #ButterfliesReturn. It seems that Hoseok went by the building first thing in the morning too, considering his official @J-Hope page tweeted out some shots of the mural that are already going viral. Looks like everyone was correct that his influence would be monumental.

--

They’re about halfway through all the documents later that day, Jisung still in his pajamas from the night before as they read through everything. It really is an astounding amount of incriminating evidence that all proves Donghoon was paid off by the elite in society to make this plan come to life. If only he had a reason for why.

Jeongin is lounging sideways in his desk chair, legs kicked over one of the arms as he scrolls through his own half, marking down significant dates. A couple pizza boxes are strewn around various surfaces and Changbin is currently feeding a slice to Felix as if he’s incapable of doing it himself. The way the hybrid keeps taking little bites and swishing his tail happily leads Jisung to believe he just likes being babied which is both cute and a little nauseating.

“One more,” Changbin says, lifting another slice to Felix’s lips and then leaning forward to peck his cheek once he’s taken another small bite to chew. Jisung can feel his face scrunching at the image of them, wondering what the hell they’re doing and if this happens all the time.

A message screen pops up in the corner of his screen, catching Jisung’s attention as he clicks to expand it enough to read everything.

Foxy IN: Felix used to have issues with eating, so now Changbin feeds him pretty often
Foxy IN: Kinda weird but cute
Foxy IN: You’ll get used to it :D

Jisung’s eyes slide over to Jeongin to see him bent over the other arm of the chair, looking at him upside down with a big grin before acting like he’s throwing up. It makes Jisung laugh, rolling his eyes as he minimizes the chat and goes back to reading through everything Yoongi provided. He tucks away the information on Felix just in case, but notes that it really is sweet how much Changbin cares and goes out of his way to make sure the hybrid is comfortable. Seems a lot of the guys here are softer than they first appear.

He manages to get through most of the remaining data before his eyes start to cross and he desperately needs a break. Turning from the computer, he sees Hyunjin camped out on an old couch placed at the corner of the stage and decides to head over there as well. He hasn’t talked much with the guy, but he’s always been decently pleasant after that first meeting.

When he gets closer, he sees that there’s a sketchbook propped in his lap and he’s diligently working on something. Taking care to sit slowly and not jostle him, Jisung settles next to him with a small smile in greeting. “What are you working on?”

“A logo to go in the propaganda video. We talked about making a new insignia for everyone to identify with,” Hyunjin says, then turns his book just enough for Jisung to see the page. It’s obviously a rough sketch, but it’s amazingly skilled. An insect of two halves, one that sprouts mayfly wings while the other has an intricate butterfly wings. A symbol of two groups, one past and one present, combining into one. “I’m going to draw it on my tablet after this, but I wanted to work out the details first.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Jisung says, still admiring the image. “You draw so well!”

Hyunjin smiles and ducks his head as he turns to sketchbook back to face him. “Thank you.”

“Is it too much to ask to see your other drawings? You can definitely say no,” Jisung says, not wanting to pressure him too much but also dying to see what else he has in there. If they’re even remotely as nice as this one they’re going to be incredible. Besides, he thinks that the creations of a person tell a lot about someone, and he wouldn’t mind trying to get to know the guys a little better after everything. Writing them off so completely at first just doesn’t sit right with him anymore.
“Oh, sure,” Hyunjin says, picking the book up so he can flip to the first page better, then handing it over to Jisung. “This is all mostly pencil sketches but I paint and draw digital art too.”

Jisung flips through the sketches slowly, taking in the various images as he goes. There are a lot of flowers and still life sketches that are done remarkably well. Hyunjin has a soft, almost idealist way that enhances the natural beauty. They’re the mark of someone looking at the world with both longing and adoration; someone that wants to see the beauty where he can.

When he flips to a sketch of Felix, Jisung pauses and lets his eyes take in every detail. It’s literal perfection, down to the little freckles on his skin. Truly, Hyunjin managed to portray him in such a lovely way that he’s shocked at how delicate the drawing feels. “Wow, this is gorgeous. You really captured him perfectly. I can feel a lot of affection just in the way you drew him.”

“Ah, I’ve always had affectionate thoughts of Felix,” Hyunjin says quietly, leaning closer to look at the art alongside him. “When I ran away from home, I ended up staying at a shelter downtown and that’s where I met Felix and Minho. While Minho was pretty weary of me at first, understandably, Felix was so welcoming to me, and he shared some of their extra snacks and clothes. I cried a lot back then because I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, but he never questioned me on any of it and just held my hand instead. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. I don’t think anyone can know him and not love him.”

“Like sunshine,” Jisung says, remembering the few times he interacted with Felix and how earnest and sweet he was.

“Like putting on a hoodie fresh out of the dryer on a winter day,” Hyunjin agrees, then laughs softly to himself. “I hope we can accomplish everything so he can be carefree and happy forever.”

Jisung lets the sketchbook rest on his lap and instead turns his full attention to Hyunjin. “Is that why you’re part of MayFly?”

Hyunjin hums, then adds, “yes, and because everyone deserves respect and the opportunity to live how they want to. I’d love to be able to open a shelter of my own and give back one day. Somewhere that everyone can feel welcome and get their feet under them when they fall on hard times. It’s been mine and Felix’s dream since we left.”

It’s a very noble desire. One that Jisung appreciates, and it gives him insight into who Hyunjin is as a person. Perhaps intimidating at first glance but very caring and compassionate at his core. “I think that’s a lovely idea and I hope you’re able to do that.”

--

The last part of the review process goes relatively smoothly, though there’s the slight distraction of Seungmin working to piece together the propaganda video at the desk next to Jisung and he’s far too curious not to take peeks at the screen. From what he can see, they’re doing snippets of the interviewed hybrids and then overlaying it with pictures that Hyunjin took from around town. It’s a mixture of ones that show hybrids doing regular, daily tasks and some sadder ones of the facilities dedicated to them going into dilapidation.

Hyunjin has switched to using his tablet to perfect his design so that it can be transposed into the final few frames, though he’s been silent throughout most of the drawing process. Overall, it’s just been the four of them working in comfortable silence throughout most of the afternoon and early evening.

That is, until the door to the lake house bangs open and Chan comes inside in a frenzy. Jisung might start to worry if he didn’t look like he’d just won the lottery. “Soyeon agreed to meet with us today,” he announces. “Jeongin, can you set up another meeting with everyone tonight?”

Jisung has heard the name several times, but he still doesn’t know who that is. He supposes today is as good a time as any to find out. Might as well knock out the last of his notetaking from the data Yoongi provided so he has it on hand for the meeting too.

--

This time it feels a lot easier to gather into the abandoned conference room, and Jisung can pick out most of the people that he’s interacted with. Ryujin makes a beeline for him as soon as he enters and she wraps him up in a hug as she says, “I’m so glad to see you again. How are you feeling?”

He knows what she’s asking about and feels grateful for the concern. It’s been kind of crazy how much everyone has rallied around him the past week or so. “I’m okay, for the most part,” he says, offering her a small smile. “How are your feet?”

Ryujin sticks a foot forward so her pant leg pulls up enough to show a slim bandage wrapped beneath her socks. “Almost back to normal. Should be able to take the bandages off for good in another couple days.” It’s a relief to hear and Jisung is glad she’s just as upbeat as ever after everything.

A sudden weight on his back and shoulder draw his attention and he turns to see Wooyoung draping over his shoulder and grinning at Ryujin. “Hey, can I steal him away?”

She waves them off with a roll of her eyes and Jisung finds himself getting dragged over towards where ATEEZ have collected. They must have come in during his brief exchange with Ryujin. “I miss you,” Wooyoung says, speaking decidedly in ‘pout’ as he steers him right to San and Yunho.

“I miss you guys too,” Jisung admits. It’s not quite the same without them around, even if he’s had some relief from the constant teasing. “How are demonstration plans coming along?”

“Really well,” Yunho answers. “I think we’re all set for a week from now. How’s the propaganda video? Are you guys almost finished with it?”

From what he saw earlier, he’d say they’re about eighty percent done with it? Then again, that’s just a wild guess. “I think it’s almost done. Seungmin has been working tirelessly on it. Is it going to be used in the demonstration or something?”

“We’re going to use it to rally people to the cause,” San says. “If we can get people to notice that things are changing rapidly, I think we’ll get a decent turnout.”

It makes sense. If they can push out the video that brings attention to everything going on, combined with Hoseok’s art, it should be enough to get a decent amount of attention. “What exactly is the demonstration going to be?”

“We’re marching to the capital building, just like Butterfly Wings did. It’s more of a statement demonstration than anything, but I think it’ll fully connect this cause with the old one and should help to get attention on what we need to public to be outraged about,” Yunho says.

Interesting. The march on the capital that happened when he was a child made huge headlines for a while. He wonders if the media censorship will end up impacting how widespread this one ends up being, though. One of the first things that METAMORPH did was ensure hybrid stories wouldn’t get proper coverage. “Do you think the news will even report it?”

Wooyoung shakes his head. “Nope, probably not. So we’re keeping the hashtags that Hoseok-ssi used on his art post to keep the movement alive. If we can get everyone to post images and videos from the march, it should get the word out still. Social media does wonders for causes like this.”

Jisung can list several demonstrations like this that he’s seen from around the world in the last few years, making him inclined to agree. The government can muffle their voice in the news, but they can’t block everyone on Twitter and Instagram from sharing and viewing what’s happening. “We could make our own promotional video while we’re out too,” he suggests. “If we get Seungmin to record us throughout, he could probably piece it together to post too.”

“Yes,” Wooyoung agrees right away, arm tightening around his neck in a sort of ‘hug’ that’s more him choking Jisung out than anything. “I’ve been telling everyone we should make an official page for MayFly to share stuff on!”

“And I reminded you that it’s risky. They could trace the account back to us if they really wanted to,” Yunho says with a slight frown.

“We literally got arrested for setting a government facility on fire,” San says, clearly backing Wooyoung up here but he has a good point. “They already know we’re involved.”

Jisung can’t help adding, “I’m pretty certain they have a clear image of my face from the DHA too.”

Yunho looks like he wants to retort something to that, but the door to the conference room opens to reveal Chan with a woman that Jisung hasn’t seen before. She must be Soyeon? She’s gorgeous, though her face looks fierce in a way he can’t say he’s ever seen. Long, golden hair frames her face and rounded ears with thick fur poke out of it.

“Ah, the lioness herself,” San says. “This should be interesting.”

Jisung is steered towards the table where everyone is taking seats, watching the woman intently. A lion hybrid? Usually, large predators are pretty rare for hybrids too, so he’s surprised. It suits her very well, though. She seems to command the room as soon as she stands at the head of the table.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Chan says, coming to stand beside her. “We have many things that might be of interest to you and I think you may have similarly interesting information to share as well considering you’ve worked for Yun Donghoon since his appointment.”

Wait. Soyeon works for him? Why the hell is a hybrid working for the guy in the first place? He subconsciously leans forward, ready to hear what she has to share with everyone. Whatever it is, it’s sure to be a doozy.

She nods at Chan once before facing everyone in the room and saying, “I hear you’re aiming to get rid of that asshole. I worked for the previous head of the DHA and he was kind. For some reason, they decided to keep me in the position even after hiring someone who absolutely hates hybrids. Ever since, I’ve bided my time and collected everything I could get my hands on. Anything I can do to help, consider me in. I have access to his calendar, emails, and personal call logs.

I brought his schedule for the next three weeks so we can plan around it and I also have some emails you might find interesting including an invitation to a benefit ball where everyone involved in his illicit dealings will be in attendance. The guy literally thinks I’m too stupid to do anything about all the shit he gets up to, so I’d quite like if I get to land the finishing blow on him when this all comes to an end. Let’s bring them all down to their knees.”

Jisung likes her already.

--

They’ve poured over everything in great detail, printed pages scattered over the tabletop as they read through everything. “Is it better if the demonstration happens when he’s in the vicinity or when he’s out of the city,” Yeji asks, holding up one of the emails in her hand.

From what Jisung has read here combined with the financial files from Yoongi, which have also been shared around, Yun Donghoon has collected billions of won to disregard every single lobbied law that could protect hybrids. He’s also made quite a few ‘donations’ to the Im Family and the Yang Auction House. Go figure.

According to Soyeon, he has a penchant for young hybrids which has been outlined so explicitly through his email traffic that they could probably take him to court if any one of them thought they stood a chance at getting an unbiased ruling. He’s a fox placed directly into a chicken coup, wreaking havoc throughout the entire city without anyone bothering to check him.

Jisung keeps checking Minho’s face and posture as he reads through the new developments. It makes his chest ache to see the way the hybrid’s ears are drooped as he reads the more salacious messages. To think Minho and Felix used to be two of the hybrids sold off to random humans like this is absolutely heartbreaking and Jisung… well, he kind of understands wanting to burn the entire city to the ground.

“Let’s move when he’s here,” Eunkwang says. “We aren’t afraid of him and we should send that message. It’s going to be peaceful protest, so there’s no reason to try and hide away from him or President Kwangho.”

“Thursdays have always been my favorite,” Hongjoong says, smiling up at Chan and Eunkwang. “If we can get the propaganda video out now with a call-to-action message, we’ll have five days to get everything in place.”

Jeongin is furiously typing notes from the meeting out on his tablet, apparently annotating everything being said so he can make a plan of action for them once they get back to the lake house. Jisung feels a little useless as he listens, but he knows he’ll make up for it by sending out the messages like last time. Maybe he can offer to help Seungmin with the last part of getting the video ready?

Chan turns to Soyeon and says, “we’ll go for Thursday. Keep your head down that day and we’ll be in contact with you for further information.”

“Gladly. Let me know what else you need from me, and I’ll alert you if I come across anything else you need to know,” she says before giving everyone a quick wave. “I need to head back before anyone gets suspicious of my long commute home. Besides, I think my curry is ready and waiting for me to pick up by now. See you guys later.”

He can’t help thinking that she’s brave. It’s likely that Donghoon keeps tabs on her movements just in case, so her agreeing to meet them at all was both risky and bold as hell. Either way, her assistance will be monumental for them all.

“Okay, we’ll get the video and message out. Start spreading the word about Thursday and get ready. We’re all wearing purple as a nod to Butterfly Wings, so get that out too. Lastly, we want this to be peaceful but we all know that things can change in a matter of seconds. Be prepared in the event of things getting bloody. See everyone then.”

It’s an effective end to their meeting as everyone starts shifting and gathering, leaving them to collect the printed emails and stuff them into the folder Soyeon had brought along. Jisung takes his stack over to where Jeongin and Minho are adding theirs and holds his out.

“You can stay back on Thursday,” Minho says as he takes the offered papers.

“Absolutely not,” Jisung says automatically. This is history in the making and he wants to be there for it. Wants to stand alongside all these brave people and make a public stand for what he believes in, even if things don’t turn out how they hope. “I’ll be there.”

“Jisung,” Minho starts, but Changbin clears his throat from behind him and gives Minho a meaningful look that’s lost on Jisung. His ears flatten back as he snatches the papers from Changbin to roughly shove them into the folder, then says, “fine. If you want to go, then go.”

“I’m going to be okay,” Jisung says, trying to reiterate that he’s not worried about this and doesn’t want Minho to stress over it either.

Minho turns sharp eyes on him before saying, “you don’t know that. You don’t know if everything is going to be okay.”

His words are biting, but Jisung doesn’t want to argue with him. He appreciates the concern, truly he does, but he doesn’t want to be banned from being involved just because he had a shit time last mission. Yes, he’s probably irrevocably fucked up from it and likely to have these recurring nightmares for the rest of his life, but for some reason that just makes me want to go deeper down the rabbit hole. If he’s already a mess, why stop now? Look… he really does need therapy after all of this, but that’s for future Jisung to deal with.

They pack the rest of their stuff in silence, then file down to the van. It’s once Jisung is snuggly fit in his designated spot and they’ve pulled away from the building that he feels a tap on his hand, then a pinky locks into place around his. He chances a glance down to see Minho’s hand fit beside his in a sort of ‘pinky promise’. Even with the hybrid pointedly looking out the widow and away from Jisung, he can’t help a concealed smile to himself. He’s such a cat all the damn time, but Jisung will accept this small act of apology.

Chapter Text

Jisung works into the night with Jeongin and Seungmin to get everything ready to send out. They add in details about the march to the end of the video, right when Hyunjin’s symbol is displayed and Jisung thinks it’s perfect. The overall feel is both sad and hopeful, focusing on sharing voices that have otherwise when silenced in their society and he’d love to think that they’ll have a solid turn out at the end of the week.

Alternately, he pulls up his coding that he used last time he sent out the automated messages, though this time they have another thousand people on the mailing list because apparently TXT have been extremely busy lately. Then again, the mural was surely a help to rally people’s attention.

Chan comes by just as he gets the coding prepped and hands him the words he wants them to type into the message, asking them to attach the video as well. This is going to take considerably longer to send out, but it’s just as easy to get ready so Jisung doesn’t mind. After he hits send, he fully intends to pass out and just let his computer do its thing.

Jisung transcribes the written words directly into the prompter, smiling as he finishes it all up and then attaches the video. Now or never, he supposes as he hits send and watches the program start to send the call to action out to their mailing list.

Hybrids and Friends,
Hello again. As you may have noticed, the climate in Korea is changing. Hatred for hybrids has begun spreading and our rights have been slowly stripped from us. After the confiscation of our property and the defunding of all hybrid-related resources, things are starting to look grim. Our rights will only dwindle if we do not make a stand now.

We can no longer afford to sit by and wait for someone to save us. If we want freedom, we must fight for it. We must be the ones to make changes for ourselves and for our children. Your futures rest heavily on involvement now before it’s too late.

We invite you, and everyone you know that wants to make a stand, to march with us to the capital on Thursday at 1700. Please meet us at Yeouido Park and dress in purple. We look forward to taking our first steps to a better Korea with you.
[video attached]
-Mayfly

“It’s sending,” he tells the others, and Jeongin pops up behind him with his arms wrapped loosely around his neck.

“I think Thursday will turn out well.”

Seungmin stands and stretches, long limbs pulled even longer. He punctuates it with a loud yawn before turning towards them. “I got the video transferred to a drive so we can hand it over in the morning. And on that note, I’m going to bed. Try not to stay up too late.”

“Sleep well,” Jeongin calls, voice falling directly into Jisung’s ear and making him flinch. The hybrid snickers as he releases his shoulder and stands back up. “Since Minho-hyung is out tonight, do you want to sleep in my room?”

He doesn’t like the reminder. Minho went with some of the guys from BtoB to scope out the streets for their march and he doesn’t know how long he’ll be out. ‘Could be until morning’ was the only thing Minho said before he’d left earlier. It’s not that Jisung doesn’t trust him or doesn’t think he can look out for himself, he just doesn’t like not knowing. All the variables have always spelled disaster for them and he’s been trying to keep himself busy rather than worrying.

Sleeping beside Jeongin would be lovely, but Jisung still feels torn. What if Minho does come back before the sun rises and sees that Jisung isn’t there? Isn’t waiting in his bed? “The cats,” he starts, because that’s another thing. Those three are used to having someone there at night.

“Will be perfectly fine,” Jeongin finishes for him, though his face looks far too amused to just be talking about them. “Hyung rarely gets back before everyone wakes when he goes on night missions. Just come with me. Besides, Chan-hyung always spoils me so I have the best mattress here!” His voice starts verging on a pout as he says it and leave it to Jeongin to not only know he’s the favorite but capitalize on it too.

Still, Jisung doesn’t really want to sleep alone. He’s not sure how well he’d handle it. “Fine.”

Jeongin is all too happy to grab his arm and drag him from the computer chair in the direction of their bedrooms. He’s practically skipping the entire time until they reach his designated room. “Watch this,” he says, rushing to the corner and then clicking a tiny button on the bedside table. The room is filled with a soft blue light, ceiling and walls cascading with dancing stars. “Isn’t it so cool?”

He can admit that it is, in fact, really cool. “Is that a projector?”

“Yeah! Chan-hyung got it for me because I don’t like sleeping in the dark,” he says, fluffy tail waggling from side to side. “It looks pretty, and it helps me have good dreams.”

Jisung can feel a smile spreading. Jeongin really is precious and he’s glad he has someone looking out for him. “Sounds like Chan-hyung really does spoil you.”

Jeongin just grins at that. “Do you really want to go in this direction? Because I think Minho-hyung has been spoiling you too. Just not with gifts.”

“Shhh,” he hushes, trying to ignore the way that makes fluttering form in the base of his stomach. Minho doesn’t spoil him. He doesn’t do anything like that at all, and he ought to tamper down any excitement at the thought. “Get in bed. I’m tired.”

“Sure,” Jeongin says, but it’s clear he isn’t letting the subject go that easily. Especially not when he scoots all the way towards the wall, holding up the blanket, and says, “climb in! I know it’s not as cozy as you’re used to but I’m a good bedmate.”

He climbs in begrudgingly, grumbling to himself as he squishes the pillow just right to keep his spine aligned. If he doesn’t, he’ll have the worst crook in his neck come morning. The bed is, as promised, much more comfortable than anything he’s slept on recently and he’s already getting excited about the prospect of a solid night of sleep.

There’s some wiggling around behind him until Jeongin apparently finds his own comfortable position. Silence stretches between them, filled only with the quiet hum of the projector where it turns in its plastic casing. Jisung thinks the stars are a lot more soothing than he would’ve guessed. He can see why Jeongin likes them so much.

“Hey, hyung,” Jeongin says, voice dipped in exhaustion. “Do you still love him?”

Jisung should’ve known better than to think he’d let things rest. Not when Jeongin is curious to a fault and unafraid to say what’s on his mind. He thinks over the question for several, long seconds before settling on, “I don’t know.” It’s hard to tell what he feels at this point. Yes, there’s still some resentment for everything that transpired—particularly the lying—but… maybe that’s not all that’s left inside him? Every time he tries to think about it, he can’t seem to find an answer.

“Hmm. Last month you would have said no outright,” Jeongin says. “Interesting.”

“Just go to sleep,” Jisung grumbles, shoving a hand under the pillow. “Stop trying to get in my head.”

--

When Jisung emerges from the bedroom corridor, he finds Chan already at the table in the center of the stage though he looks worse for wear. His eyes keep fluttering closed, head sinking until it jerks back upright. “You could try taking a nap,” Jisung offers as he steps up and takes the seat across from him. “I know you’ve been staying up late making plans but nothing too crazy has been happening during the day.”

Chan perks up at his voice, stretching both arms in front of him as his ears twitch. “I’m going to try and sleep soon, just waiting on someone to drop by first.”

He figures it has to do with what Seungmin mentioned the night before but might as well just wait to figure it out once the mystery person arrives. That seems to be his modus operandi here anyways. Just going with the flow and adjusting as needed. He decides to ask about something else. Something more interesting to him. “Is Minho back too?”

“Yeah, I think he’s already asleep. We got back an hour ago,” Chan says, offering him a small smile. They haven’t talked that much. Not that there’s many opportunities with how busy the guy always is. It’s for this reason that Jisung can’t help but tease, just a little.

“I saw the projector in Jeongin’s room last night. Very fancy. I haven’t seen many decorations in the others’ rooms.” It’s meant to be light. A slight dig for information so he can get a grasp of what’s going on there. He does not expect to see Chan’s eyes drop down and a hand come up to run at the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Oh, uh. I saw it and it reminded me of him. We used to share a room when he first arrived because he was afraid of sleeping in the dark, so I thought it would be a good addition to keep him company when I’m not here.”

Jisung has so many questions, but the appearance of Seungmin on the stage blocks the opportunity. Especially when he drops down beside Jisung and offers a sleepy smile to them both. “I feel like shit and am only awake to help answer questions when Eric-ssi arrives. After that, I’m dead to the world for the rest of the day.”

Chan sighs and sinks further into his chair. “I’m right there with you. He should be here any minute.”

“Eric?” Considering that’s not the most common name here, it’s got his attention. The only Eric he can think of is Eric Nam. The Eric Nam, from the KNN evening news. He’s a household name throughout all of Korea, though. There’s no way.

“Chan-hyung has a lot of friends,” Seungmin says. “Knows half the country at this point.”

Just as Jisung is about to question what the hell that means, there’s some rustling of the curtains and a man steps out wearing a pressed grey suit, complete with a red tie. He almost falls out of his chair the second he sees him and realizes that it is, somehow, Eric Nam. “Hey, guys,” he greets, his signature cheerful voice floating directly to them. “Sorry, I have to make this quick.”

He must look gob smacked, because Seungmin laughs and bumps his shoulder as he heads to grab the thumb drive they loaded not even five hours ago. “This has the video on it. It’s just over two minutes, so I’m not sure if you’ll be able to get away with showing the whole thing,” he says as he hands the small device over.

Eric slips it into the inner pocket of his jacket. “No worries there. I have a dear friend in the broadcasting room that wants to help. She’ll be locking herself in and playing the video while we pretend it’s an accident that can’t be stopped. Just, uh, keep my name out of any correspondence. I’d rather not lose my job over a favor to a friend.” At that, he looks to Chan with a fond smile. “You look like shit, Chris. How’s the rebel life been treating you?”

Chan chuckles at that, pushing away from the table to instead give Eric a brief hug. “It’s been hell, but we’re getting there. Thanks a lot for doing this for me.”

“I still owe you one for saving Henry’s ass. It’s no problem,” he says back, though he seems so fond. It’s very apparent they’re closer than Jisung originally thought. “If everything goes right, it should happen around 5:37 tonight. Tune in if you’d like to see my Grand Bell-worthy acting.” He gives one last squeeze to Chan’s shoulder and says, “take care of yourself, man. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Jisung is left to watch him go, still completely shocked by his sudden appearance. It’s only when the outer door bangs shut that he says, “You fucking know Eric Nam?”

“Like I said,” Seungmin says from beside him. “Chan-hyung knows everyone.”

--

Seeing as they don’t have a television, everyone instead gathers around Jeongin’s computer as he pulls up a live stream of the evening news. As soon as it connects, they see Eric going through a pretty standard news segment. Jisung checks the time on his phone. 5:34. It should be happening any minute now.

He’s hovering towards the back of the group since there aren’t enough chairs and he really doesn’t mind it. That’s thwarted, however, when Minho notices him back behind the others and instead hops out of the chair he’s occupying and motions towards it. “Sit.”

“I’m fine. You were the one running around the city last night,” he says, waving him off. “You can have it.”

“No. Sit,” Minho says again, pushing the chair closer to him. “I’m fine standing.”

Jisung rolls his eyes at that. “I just said I am too, so sit back down.”

“Why don’t you both just sit in the damn chair,” Changbin grumbles, clearly still sleepy from his midday nap. “It’s just a chair.” It probably doesn’t help his opinion that Felix is currently all the way settled in his lap like he belongs there.

“I’m not sitting in your lap,” Jisung says automatically, crossing that idea out of reality as soon as he sees Minho start contemplating it. “Just sit down.”

By now, it’s turned into a stand off and he doesn’t even know why they’re both so adamant about this. Minho stares at him for several long seconds before rolling the chair around behind him and then jabbing the back of his knees until he’s forced to fall into the seat with a yelp. “There. Not so hard,” Minho says with a grin, then wheels him back to the original position. Jisung is left to sulk and wait for the broadcast interruption.

At exactly 5:37, the screen shifts and goes fuzzy. Then, their video pops up and starts to play. Jisung watches with rapt attention as it goes through the testimonials and cut screens of scenes filmed around the city. Dilapidated buildings and hybrid children playing on run down playgrounds. He has to give it to Seungmin, the guy knows how to paint a picture.

He holds his breath once they make it through the first half, hoping beyond hope that the rest of it gets to air before someone realizes what’s going on and manages to stop it.

When the final frame appears with Hyunjin’s design and the information about the march, the room lets out a collective sigh. They did it. Somehow, they managed to broadcast something about their cause to all of Korea despite there being an unofficial ban against anything hybrid related.

When the screen flips back to Eric, he looks confused and panicked. Even his hair looks frazzled as he says, “I want to apologize for that interruption. That was unplanned and unauthorized, and we will be looking into it.”

He really might deserve that Grand Bell after all.

--

“Here, you can wear this one,” Minho says, handing over a long-sleeved purple shirt in a lavender shade. “I have a couple others to choose from if you prefer.”

It’s Thursday. The day. Jisung woke up feeling… calm. It surprised him considering everything that they have waiting for them today. A full demonstration for the first time in decades and he’s going to be at the forefront of it. He never would’ve imagined his life taking this turn.

The long sleeve is yanked over his head and settles over his frame almost perfectly. “This one works. What are you wearing?”

Minho holds up a t-shirt that’s the same shade. Of all the purple clothing in his pile, only these two match shades and Jisung tries to ignore that fact. “I figure this one will be the most comfortable.”

They finish getting their clothing situated before heading out to find the others. It’s three in the afternoon, but they want to get there early. Chan and Changbin already left earlier to park their vans near the capital just in case things get messy there. Though Changbin is on duty to guard the building and won’t be able to march alongside them. It has Jisung just a little worried, considering the government is already planning how to handle them when they arrive but he chooses to believe that them remaining peaceful won’t resort in anything drastic.

“Face masks,” Hyunjin says, handing out purple masks that will cover from their eyes down. “Some of us can’t afford to be captured at the scene and I already know reporters will be out there despite the ban on hybrid news.”

“This is too big to ignore,” Minho agrees, taking two of the masks and handing one to Jisung. “Make sure you keep this on the whole time.”

Jisung takes the mask, but then frowns. “They already know my face. What’s the point?”

“In case something worse happens,” Felix says, lifting up his own mask to check if the color matches his shirt. “If so, we don’t want them to be able to definitively prove it was any of us.”

“Some of us have identifying features no matter what,” Minho tacks on, pointing at his orangey ears. “But you don’t, so you should try to blend in just in case.”

All the talk about things going wrong starts to get to him, wondering if it’s really that impossible to make it through this unscathed. From the sounds of it, everyone expects it to turn into a disaster and that’s not exactly a comforting atmosphere. The only thing he knows is that he’s going to try his hardest to keep things civil if it comes down to it.

The room falls silent as everyone finishes getting their outfits and posters ready. There’s a large banner that will be carried at the front, though Jisung isn’t sure who will be selected for that position yet. All he knows is that he’s going to be there with whoever shows up. Whether it’s only the thirty or so of them from MayFly or if they get more.

“Alright,” Chan says as he steps through the curtains. “Everything is in place, we need to head out soon so we can get there and get organized.”

--

It feels strange to be riding on the metro in a large purple group, especially knowing where they’re headed. Jisung can feel eyes on him. Some curious, some knowing. It’s a mixture of support and hate from there. Polarizing. Jisung has never once been polarizing in his life; he’s never needed to be.

His fingers dig into the thick denim of his jeans as he starts to feel anxious. What if this is all a trap? They’d be walking directly into their demise if that’s the case. What if someone gets hurt? What if Jeongin gets hurt? What if… Minho gets hurt?

Something warm and solid wraps around his hand, stilling the movement of it and it’s not until he stops that he realizes his thigh hurts from his nail’s pressure. When he focuses and looks, he sees that it’s Minho’s hand curled around his own. “It’ll be okay,” Minho says softly so that only he can hear. “I’ll make sure of it.”

He finds that he believes him. Believes that, if nothing else, Minho will make sure they make it out of this okay.

“I’m just nervous,” he admits, and he feels stupid for it. Even after all this time and everything he’s gone through, why is he still so anxious? Especially when this really could end up being a peaceful march that they all drive home from. It should end that way.

The hand around his tightens. “It’s normal to be nervous. Here,” Minho says, taking Jisung’s other hand and pressing it against the pulse point in his wrist. Beneath the pad of his fingertip, he feels Minho’s heartbeat and it’s racing. Somehow just as fast as Jisung’s. “Can you feel it?”

Jisung opens his mouth to reply, then stops so he can take a deep breath. “Yeah… Yes, I can.”

“We don’t know what will happen, but that’s okay. Either way, we’ll get through this so just stay with me and everything will be okay. We can be nervous about it together.”

He nods, then smiles gratefully. He’s not sure how to process how he feels. Not sure how to feel at all. Why do Minho’s words make him feel so much better every time? Is it just because he’s proven himself as capable and reliable ever since Jisung met up with him again?

The train slows, his body bracing for the stop and watching as everyone stands and gathers. “We’re here. Let’s go.”

Jisung lets himself be dragged by the hand, following after Minho like countless times already as they navigate through the metro station and up to the afternoon sun. The station is right next to the park, so it’s a quick trip before they make it to the center. When they arrive, there are already about twenty people waiting and among them are Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok who greet them with wide smiles. Even Yoongi, surprisingly.

“Hey! Glad you guys made it safe,” Hoseok says once they’re within hearing distance. “We brought some friends.”

It’s a mixture of humans and hybrids, all dressed in purple and looking ready to go. It feels more comforting to see so many people around. Jisung hopes even more show up because there’s strength in numbers. The more they have, the harder it is to punish them all.

A pat on his head draws his attention, and Jisung turns to see Seonghwa beside him and smiling down at him. He looks gorgeous in his purple outfit but that’s not exactly surprising. “Hi, Sungie. How are you holding up?”

Jisung melts into the pats, remembering in an instant how calming the guy is to be around. He missed being cared for by him. “Hyung! I’ve been okay. How’s everything with you guys?”

“As expected,” Seonghwa says with a small huff. “Hongjoong has been working like crazy and the others are back to focusing on me since you aren’t around. I missed you already, but I miss having you around to field their teasing.”

He laughs, because he can already imagine all the shit Seonghwa has been dealing with. “I miss you guys too. It’s not the same without you around and I haven’t been eating nearly as much!”

It makes Seonghwa click his tongue. “When are you coming back? I won’t let anyone undo the proper diet I got you eating.” Seonghwa ruffles his hair at that, grinning down at him.

Jisung’s eyes naturally wander to Minho, seeing him already looking at the pair with a small frown on his face. It makes his stomach clench, and he rushes to look back up at Seonghwa. “I’m not sure. I guess after this starts to calm down a little?”

Seonghwa looks past him, then back down with a wider grin. “Hmm, I suppose so. I’m not sure things will be calming down anytime soon, though. Just know you’re always welcome for dinner or to help bartend if someone lets you sneak away.” With that, he gives a quick wave and heads to break up a bickering match between Yeosang and Wooyoung several paces away.

Jisung isn’t stupid. He knows the implication of that, but he doesn’t know what to do with that information. Doesn’t know what to think when he turns and sees Minho still watching him. Especially doesn’t know what to think when he says, “if you wanted to go back, you can.”

For some reason, despite missing them dearly, he’s just not ready to go back to ATEEZ yet. He’ll think about it later.

More and more people start to gather until there is a sea of purple stretching as far as he can see on every side of him. It’s about eighty percent hybrid, but there are humans in the mix too. For some reason, that’s what makes him more excited. Seeing other people willing to take risks despite this whole thing not directly involving them makes him feel more confident.

“Thank you for gathering,” Chan’s voice calls, amplified by the use of a megaphone from Jeongin’s backpack. “I sincerely appreciate you coming out to show support for this cause. We’re about to gather and start walking but I wanted to outline some things first.

“Stick together. Stay vigilant. Don’t let anyone provoke you. This is a peaceful demonstration and you will be asked to leave if you try to incite anything else. Again, thank you very much for coming and get ready to form up behind the main banner.” There’s a loud squeak as the megaphone is switched back to off and Jisung heads closer to where the others are standing and unraveling the banner.

It’s purple, of course, with Give Us Back Our Wings and We Will Not Let You Take Our Rights in white lettering. Even from a block away, they should be visible. Even better are the half mayfly, half butterfly designs covering the outer corners. All together, it’s beautiful and impactful.

As soon as he’s close, Chan motions for him and Minho to stand to his left. On his right Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok gather. The others from both their group and ATEEZ gather until the entire front line is packed with them.

Chan looks to Namjoon and asks, “Are you ready?” After just one sharp nod, Chan faces forward and yells, “Let’s go!”

They all step off at once, holding the banner at chest height. There’s a surge in the air, something powerful and uniting. He’s never experienced anything like it but he can see how it might get addictive. The chanting starts as soon as they make it out of the park and onto the main street. Changbin already said the roads had been cleared for this, but it’s still shocking to see. A straight shot through to the capital without any cars in sight.

People are on the streets, mostly staring. Mostly wondering what in the world is going on, but Jisung ignores them and just keeps chanting with the rest. “Give us back our wings! Give us back our rights!” It’s easy. It flows so smoothly out of him. It feels right, somehow, to be here screaming these words with so many others.

He wonders how many showed up. It feels like thousands. A true force to face off with the capital alongside, even if they’re only making a demonstration here. It’s just a public stand and a way to generate buzz but it feels like they’re going into battle anyways. It feels like they’re here to start a war.

Jisung can feel phones trained on them with each step they take. To laud or condemn them, he doesn’t know but at least people are looking. The more this ends up online, the more potential support they can gather.

The closer they get to the capital, a crowd starts to form. People standing and waiting for them. Some scream support and others hateful words but Jisung doesn’t care. He just keeps putting one foot in front of the other and screaming out the words like a mantra. Some of those in the crowd appear to be reporters and he hopes they air this.

The spectators grow the closer they get until they reach the final juncture that leads directly to the building. There, they meet a line of police in riot gear and Jisung feels himself stumble. Riot gear? “It’s precautions,” Minho says beside him. “Changbin said they were put on orders just to stop us here. Don’t be scared.”

He tries. Jisung really tries to not be scared, but it’s hard when they inch closer and closer to those armed officers. This feels like when gladiators stood off against each other. Two front lines meeting in the middle. Two groups with very differing opinions. Except, he hopes, this isn’t like that. This is peaceful. It’s just a demonstration.

They keep walking until they’re only twenty paces away and Jisung spots him. Three from the center, Changbin stands in the line opposite them… and he smiles. A small one, but it’s still a smile and it’s directed straight towards Felix where he stands beside Jisung. It’s a reassurance and while directed at Felix specifically, it still works to soothe him. If things were about to go to shit, Changbin certainly wouldn’t be smiling at his boyfriend right now.

Chan screams, “Halt!” and they do. It feels strange to be still after so long, but they made it. Somehow, they made it all the way here without any incidents or danger.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jeongin grabbing the megaphone from his bag again and it’s handed to Chan who takes it with a grin and then motions for everyone to lower the banner so he can step over it. He stands as one man in front of a rallied crowd. A leader. And when Namjoon stands beside them, Jisung can picture them working together in symmetry to save them all.

It’s an indescribable feeling watching the two face down all these people they managed to gather with a backdrop of police in one strong, singular line. At least three dozen professional cameras face them, waiting to capture this moment and hopefully broadcast it for all to see. Jisung wonders how many are live right now. How many people are witnessing this moment.

The megaphone lifts and Chan takes a deep breath as he rips the mask from his face before saying, “We have been silent for too long. President Kwangho and Yun Donghoon have lied to you. They have lied to everyone and worked in secret to strip the rights of hybrids throughout all of Korea and we will not stand for this.

“We stand in solidarity for a better future. We stand in solidarity for love, peace, and the right to live fulfilling lives. Hybrids are people too and we demand respect. We demand to have our voices heard. GIVE US BACK OUR FREEDOM AND GIVE US BACK OUR WINGS!”

The crowd erupts, chants starting back up. Jisung feels his eyes stinging and his chest swelling. He’s proud, he realizes. He’s so fucking proud to be here and in this moment right now. He’s so fucking proud that he knows these men and has had the opportunity to stand alongside them.

His vision swims as he looks to the side to see Minho’s eyes are glassy too and he holds his hand out. When Minho slots them together, he basks in it. Allows the feeling to surge through him and settle in his center. It’s a euphoria unlike anything he’s felt before as he stands at the front of the crowd and yells alongside them, hand in hand with the person that brought him into this mess.

No, he never wanted to be here. No, he doesn’t like the way it came about. And yet he’s still grateful for those things. Still grateful to have met Minho and the others, regardless of how messy it was. This is where he was meant to be and this is what he was meant to do.

“Give us back our wings! Give us back our rights!”

--

Everyone is still pumped up from the successful demonstration and it’s thrumming in and around them as they gather around the vans. Jisung feels alive for, perhaps, the first time since this entire thing started. He takes in all the looks of excitement and adrenaline on everyone’s faces as they talk about how it felt. How truly efficacious it was.

Most of the others have cleared out already, until it’s just their group and ATEEZ gathered around. The mood is light and energetic and he can’t help smiling as he sees Wooyoung and San working together to razz up Seonghwa by snatching his phone and tossing it between each other. Hyunjin brushes Felix’s hair from his face and listens to him talk animatedly, tail going practically spastic behind him. Jeongin is looking at Chan like he hung the moon, the stars, and everything in between which is just making him embarrassed if the way he keeps messing with his hair is any indication.

It's infectious. The good feelings are non-stop and Jisung has been swept up in the current.

Just as everyone starts winding down and coming back to earth, there’s movement off to the side that draws Jisung’s attention. It seems to snag the attention of everyone in the group as a hush falls and they focus on the group of riot-clad men walking their way. From here, Jisung can already tell that one of them is Changbin and he wonders what’s going on.

The four men approach and get closer, close enough to see their faces properly despite how dark the streets have gotten, though Changbin looks confused when their eyes meet. This wasn’t planned. It’s apparent right away. One of the men looks pointedly at each of the hybrids before saying, “which one do you think it is?”

“The pretty little cat,” another says, motioning towards Felix. “Let’s take that one. What do you say guys? Let’s have some fun to blow off steam tonight.” The words make his blood run cold, too difficult to understand and too hard to decipher after so many good feelings.

It’s heavy. Jisung doesn’t know what to do and just stays frozen watching the scene unfold in front of him.

The one closest to them takes a step towards Felix and Changbin snaps, rushing forward to put himself between them. “Back off.”

One of them chuckles. “So easy to read, Seo. You could have at least made this a challenge.”

“We knew you were a traitor, just didn’t realize to what extent. Although I can’t blame you when you’ve got such a gorgeous whore-“

The words are cut off when Changbin slams his baton against the side of his helmet with a deafening crack. Although the man's head is protected, it had to hurt. Had to be excruciating with the way he stumbles back a step and clutches his helmet in hands. “Fuck!”

“You’ll fucking pay for that,” another shouts, but Minho, Chan, Hongjoong, and Jongho are already flanking Changbin to block the path towards the others. The man looks them over, sizing them up before backing down. “Don’t show your face in the precinct again, Seo. And don’t coming crawling back to us when all of this falls apart,” he yells straight at them. “Not even when you’re left sleeping on the streets tonight.”

“Oh yeah,” the man not currently cushioning his head says. “Wasn’t that old theater scheduled for demolition tonight?” They gather together, one huddle trying to keep their pride. “Congrats on the march,” he says, practically spitting the words on the pavement between them before they walk away.

This… this can’t be right. They followed the rules. They stayed peaceful and respectful throughout the entire thing. How… how can they do this? How can anyone fucking do this to another person? His fear morphs and twists, turns fiery and hot. How fucking dare anyone do this to another person. He wants to scream and rage.

He remembers Yoongi's words. Let's burn these fuckers down. For the first time, he feels it. Understands it. Wants it.

His phone vibrates in his hand, and he looks down to see a message from Soyeon on his screen, addressed to their main chat.

Soyeon: DON’T GO TO YOUR HOMES
Soyeon: THEY’RE BURNING THEM ALL
Soyeon: GET SOMEWHERE SAFE

Chapter Text

The collective group is shell shocked, looking at each other for answers to questions they can’t even form yet. The first to move is Minho, stepping towards Changbin to say, “you should take Felix and go with ATEEZ to find somewhere safe for everyone. Message me when it’s decided.” Then, he looks to the rest to say, “I’m taking the van.”

“Minho,” Chan starts, but he’s cut off by an intense glare that even Jisung shrinks back from.

“No. I’m taking the van. Either get in or go with the others. You have until I start it to decide.” With that, he turns and heads directly for the driver’s seat. Jisung is left frozen in place, unsure how to navigate this especially with how low and serious his voice is. It’s fairly obvious he intends to go straight to the lake house. There’s no way he’d let anything happen to Soonie, Doongie, or Dori.

Jeongin sighs before walking to the side door and yanking it open, the sound just jarring enough to have Jisung in motion. It’s as he goes to climb in that Minho turns to him from the driver’s seat and says, “no, you get in the front and buckle up.”

It’s just enough of a surprise to make Jisung faulter. “Huh?”

“Get in the front seat,” Minho says again, this time looking at him through the mirror. “Now.”

He’s just about to argue because that’s usually Chan’s seat, but then he feels two hands on his arms gently guiding him towards to the front door. With a quick look over his shoulder, he sees that Chan is ushering him towards his own spot before getting into the back of the van himself. What the fuck?

There’s no reason to decline the instruction, especially with Chan basically backing it up so Jisung sighs and climbs into the front seat beside Minho as Hyunjin and Seungmin climb into the back with the others. As he buckles his seat, Jisung catches sight of Changbin helping Felix into the van with ATEEZ behind them but there’s not much time to think about it because Minho slams down on the gas the second the back door slides shut.

The city zooms around them as Minho breaks just about every traffic law possible, weaving through streets and cutting corners at speeds that have the van verging on tipping. He tries his best to stay calm and not react, but his fingers are already starting to hurt from how hard he’s clutching onto the door handle. Still, each tiny glance he gets at Minho reminds him to keep his mouth shut, which apparently the others are fully on board with. Perhaps it’s the irate driving or the way Minho’s ears are tucked all the way back, but it’s clear no one wants to fuck with him right now.

Jisung lets his mind wander so he won’t freak out when Minho almost side swipes his fourth car, thinking back to their demonstration and what this response will mean. To think the government would wait until they were all gathered and allow the media to broadcast how peaceful both sides were only to go and burn down all of their housing immediately after. He can’t help wondering how long they’ve been planning it. Did President Kwangho make the call as soon as information about the march went out? Was he even part of it?

This feels like an act of war. Like they’ve been goaded into taking the next step. Are they going to fall into a trap if they get less peaceful? Is that what the government wants so they can turn it around and look like the victims? On the world stage, other countries don’t seem to have a clue what extent they’ve been infringing on rights. Then again, would any of them care? He’s sure other governments around the world are just as corrupt.

His thoughts are interrupted when they turn onto the street a few blocks from the lake house, only to see the side of it engulfed in flames. Thick, black smoke billows from the roof blocking out the streetlights around it. His stomach churns at the sight, knowing their entire lives are stored in this building that’s already a lost cause.

Minho still pulls up to the side door and slams on the brakes before unbuckling and climbing out. Jisung rushes to follow, getting momentarily tangled in the belt in his haste to fling himself out of the vehicle. He still manages to get out in time to see Minho prying the side door open. It appears that the flames are still mostly contained to the front of the building, but they’re spreading rapidly and there won’t be much time to get in, get the cats, and make it back out.

“Minho,” Chan yells from the side door. “Think this through!”

“I am! Just stay the fuck out here. All of you,” Minho shouts back, but his eyes fall to Jisung as he says the last part.

As if Jisung would let him run into a burning building all on his own? Absolutely not. “I’m coming with you,” he says as he climbs the steps that lead him to where Minho is standing at the propped door. “You can’t carry three scared cats by yourself. Argue with me afterwards!”

If looks could kill, Jisung is fairly certain he wouldn’t be capable of rushing past Minho to get into the building. He hears the hybrid curse before following him inside and hurrying around the curtains. From the stage, they can see the flames starting to engulf the further end of the auditorium and with how old the chairs are, it won’t take long before it reaches them. Already, the smoke is getting thicker and making Jisung’s nose burn on each inhale.

“Go, hurry,” Minho yells, grabbing him by the wrist to drag him to the hall that leads to their rooms. The only saving grace they have is that Minho always locks the cats in his room when he leaves so they don’t have to search for them.

The air is getting harder to breathe the further into the building they go, but Jisung ignores it and pushes through. If they’re fast enough, they can get the cats and get out before the fire reaches the stage. He just has to do this as fast as possible, focusing everything he can on getting to the right door.

Minho pushes right through it as soon as they reach it, going straight for Doongie in the corner and then scooping up Dori. It leaves Jisung to grab Soonie from where he’s huddled in fear at the top of the bed, however, he snatches his backpack with his laptop and other items in the process and throws it over one shoulder before grabbing the orange and white cat. If nothing else, they will have a singular laptop connected to their network and he has everything backed up on it.

As soon as he has the cat against his chest, he feels the distinct, agonizing sensation of claws digging into his pec but he just winces and tries to ignore the stinging as he follows Minho back out the door. The smoke is getting thicker and darker in the air the closer they get to the stage, and his eyes start to water making it hard to focus on where they’re going.

“Come on, we have to sprint for it,” Minho urges, one cat under each arm as he moves as fast as possible through the remainder of the hallway and out onto the stage. There, the flames have enveloped most of the ceiling and area crawling closer and closer to the stage. The seats are mostly aflame, making the room smell harsh and bitter from the melting polyurethane. The smoke they release is noxious and blackened, like razor blades filling his lungs.

Jisung coughs, lungs screaming for pure air. The room is an inferno, sweat beading his skin even before he makes it halfway across the stage. Like opening the oven at 400 degrees and sticking your face in front of it. It hurts and he can tell his skin will blister in places, but he’ll worry about that later.

Just as they reach the curtains, they start to ignite and the fire spreads rapidly through the old, rotting fabric. So fast that Jisung feels his shirtsleeve singe from rubbing against it, crying out at the pain that licks up his arm. By now, Soonie is trying to climb up his body and keeps repeatedly digging sharp claws into his flesh, undoubtedly shredding it in places, but he holds on even tighter as they make it through the fiery maze.

Minho reaches the door first, kicking it open as wide as he can and then slamming his back against it to hold it open for Jisung. The rush of fresh air makes the flames burst all around him, and he feels his skin prickling from the flames as he barrels through them and out the door.

The rush of cool air from the street soothes him for all of five seconds before everything hurts at once. His lungs feel like he shoved a lit matchstick down them and snot is collecting in the back of his nose, running freely down his face. The flesh of his arms is raw, though it’s covered in a layer of soot he hadn’t noticed collecting before. Worse than that, he looks down to see several bloody patches on his shirt from where Soonie tore it in the escape.

“Here, in the van,” Minho calls, breaking him from the misery just enough to see the blurred vision of Minho handing his cats to the others through the side door. It takes a lot of whimpering and added anguish to get Soonie to let him go enough to set him down in the van, but Jeongin holds onto the terrified cat until he drops his backpack and they can get the door closed.

Jisung slumps against it. The cool metal feels like salt in a wound, more tears sliding down his cheeks as he tries to console himself from the discomfort his entire body feels.

“I can’t believe you went in there like that,” Minho says, reaching out to tousle some soot from Jisung’s bangs. “You’re so stubborn. It’s going to get you fucking killed!”

Jisung tries to pout, but it’s too much effort. Instead, he just whines out, “I couldn’t let you go in there alone! I’d rather go through it with you than wait out here and hope you came back.”

He blinks several times to clear the tears away, just enough to see Minho’s lips tilt downwards. “You’re reckless… but thank you. Now, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

No need to be told twice, Jisung turns and climbs back into the van though the old, stiff fabric of the seat feels like needle pricks across his sensitive skin. He’s got some serious damage and he knows it, but he can’t really let himself examine it now. Not until they’re in the clear and he can do something about it. He’d rather not know the extent until then.

“Any word on where the others are going,” Minho asks as he climbs back into the driver’s seat and wipes at his face with the inside of his shirt. It lifts enough for Jisung to see his stomach, now decorated with a few of his own scratches. It must have been hell trying to carry two of them through all of that.

Chan looks at both of them like he wants to scold them, but he chooses not to. Probably sensing that he’ll get his head bitten off if he even attempts it right now. Instead, he says, “Namjoon-ssi has apparently been working on an affordable apartment complex for hybrids in the city. We’ll set his plans back quite a bit but about nineteen of the apartments are ready for move in and he said we can use them for now.”

“Aren’t they just going to burn those down too,” Jisung asks, trying to wipe at his own face with the hem of his shirt and only succeeding in spreading the ashes around. “Isn’t that asking for more trouble?”

“Apparently, they’re under a friend’s name. Seokjin, or something. Either way, they aren’t tied to his name so there’s no reason for the government to be suspicious of them,” Chan says, which is a huge relief. Somewhere solid to hide away will be a vast improvement over what they’ve all been doing up until now. “I’ll guide you, let’s just get out of here before the whole place collapses.”

As they pull away, he lets his eyes focus on the fire consuming the place he’d just been calling home. It’s a different kind of pain, ruminating in the depths of his chest, as he watches it start to collapse in on itself.

--

Moon Side Apartments are a small building in the middle of Insadong surrounded by markets and cafes. It’s not the type of area Jisung was expecting, mostly because it’s relatively busy and expensive, but they look very inviting. Especially with the trees lining the streets on either side.

As soon as they pile out of the van, they make a beeline inside and Chan instructs them to head for the small courtyard in the center. There, the rest of their group are waiting and Seonghwa rushes for Jisung as soon as he sees him. “I have a first aid kit in our van. I’ll get it right now,” he says before grabbing Yeosang and dragging him along with him.

“I’m assuming the lake house is a lost cause,” Hongjoong says, taking a second to look both Minho and Jisung up and down. “We swung by Treasure and it was already too late.”

“It’s gone,” Chan confirms. “Yeji?”

“Gone too,” she says, face solemn. “Soobin and Eunkwang both messaged to say they’re in the same boat and they’re headed here.”

Everyone looks crestfallen at the news, huddled around each other in small groups. They’re lost, it’s not hard to recognize. With all of their homes gone, Jisung wonders what they will possibly do now. It’s like the wind being ripped from all of their sails in an instant, left to idle in a roiling storm.

They’ve stoked the fire, only to have it burn ten times hotter than any of them expected.

“Helloooo,” a new voice calls, pulling everyone’s attention to see a tall and downright beautiful man walk into the courtyard. “I was told I was getting my first tenants…?”

Chan steps forward first, coming to meet the man in the middle. “Are you Seokjin-ssi?”

“Oh, just Jin will do, but yes.” He holds up a large notebook, flicking it open to reveal a map of the building with door codes scribbled on each. “You guys look a lot more… messy than I expected. Let’s get you guys situated and hopefully cleaned up. Namjoon is apparently gathering supplies and spare clothes for all of you, so I imagine he’ll be by at some point. Just try not to get anything on the sheets before then.”

--

Jisung is slumped in a wooden chair as Seonghwa dabs at his cheeks with a burn ointment. He already took a cold shower to get his skin as clean as he could without agitating it too badly, and now it’s time to assess the full extent of the damage. The worst of the burn is on his arm from where it made contact with the curtain, though the extent of the claw marks down his abdomen are what are bothering him the worst right now. Some of his skin blistered, mostly along his arms and face but they look like they’ll heal if he just leaves them alone for a few days.

Next to him, Minho sits in another wooden chair with his tail wildly flicking behind him as Yeosang tends to his cuts too. The good news is that he doesn’t have any particularly bad burns, so they should both heal up decently fast.

“You guys look like you went through hell,” Wooyoung remarks from the couch where he’s sitting half in San’s lap. When they got their room assignments, Jisung was aghast to discover he’d be sharing this two-bedroom apartment with them, Minho, and Seungmin. It’s likely a recipe for disaster, but he’ll deal with it later. Especially when they have to decide who is going to sleep where.

“Go through a burning building and then comment,” Minho snarks back, looking pointedly at Wooyoung. “Until then, shush.”

Jisung catches Wooyoung mutter ‘asshole’ as San hugs him tighter to likely hold him back. This is going to be a nightmare.

The door opens and Jeongin pokes his head in, looking around at them before settling on Jisung. “Hey, Chan-hyung wants us to gather in the courtyard. Are you guys almost finished?”

“Just about,” Seonghwa says, giving a few last dabs to Jisung’s face before setting the cotton swab down. “We’ll be out there in a few minutes.”

“Oh, I still have a few more spots to get,” Yeosang says from beside them, where he’s getting more ointment ready on a fresh swab, but Minho just rolls his eyes and pushes to his feet.

“We’re fine. We’ll come down now,” he says instead, heading straight for the door. Jisung catches the way Yeosang’s ears and tail droop, trying to catch his eye enough to give an encouraging smile. Thankfully, it seems to work to give his spirits just enough of a lift to get them all gathered and out the door on their way to the courtyard.

Now that his eyes have cleared more, Jisung has the chance to really take in the space. It’s in the center of the building, all the apartments they’re staying in surrounding the small area that’s filled with various flower bushes and stone paths that lead to a sitting area in the center where most of them are already gathered. Chan and Namjoon stand at the head of the group, talking softly amongst themselves while Hoseok and Yoongi and helping the others go through the bags of clothing and supplies they managed to scrounge up for the group. That explains where Seonghwa got their shirts and sweats from.

Once the last of them gather around, Chan turns to them with a look on his face that’s far more determined than Jisung expected to see. “We’ve been peaceful, and we’ve given plenty of time for the government to decide to change. After today, I don’t think we can keep going down this path any longer.”

“Are you suggesting…” Soobin starts, looking at Chan with widened eyes.

“Fuck being peaceful,” Chan says, definitively. “Fuck being nonviolent. They don’t care about us and they won’t until we force them to.”

Jisung just watches, taking in the range of expressions on everyone. Some look worried, some sad, and others look… ready. That’s the only way he can think to describe it. They look ready to face whatever comes their way. When he turns to Minho, he sees that exact sentiment mirrored on his face and as much as that kind of scares him, he’s also grateful that there aren’t any signs of fear there. If Minho can just stay strong, then he thinks he can too.

“How are riot preparations,” Chan asks, looking to Eunkwang. Riot preparations? They’re clearly more ready for this turn of events that Jisung realized.

“Ready. We have subgroups ready whenever necessary throughout Seoul and our groups in other cities too, mostly focused on the ports. When we say the word, we can have widespread destruction that will cripple the economy,” Eunkwang says, but he looks slightly uneasy when he gets to the end. “Our key players have already gotten decent positions in each of the companies we plan to target and if we can effectively block imports and exports from the shores, it will be devastating.”

“Most of the fishermen are on board with widespread strikes,” Hongjoong adds, a small smirk on his face. “They weren’t happy that so many hybrid-run ships were suddenly out of commission leaving them to pick up the slack. We all think they deserve a little break.”

Chan nods, then looks to Namjoon. “We’re ready. We’ve spent years setting the foundation for all of this.”

“There needs to be one more uniting protest. Something that will get even more people on our side,” Namjoon says to him, then looks to the others. “I think we should release METAMORPH and the election results to the public.”

Jisung gasps at that, looking around to see most of the group looks shocked. If they do that, it’s almost guaranteed to result in civil unrest. Just how many people have been affected by the laws? How many will stand by their sides when the fallout starts? He thinks back to his previous life, wonders if he would be one of them. Or would he have shuttered himself away and let the rest of the country fight it out? Would he have deemed it not his problem…? “What if it backfires? I don’t know… if everyone will get involved,” he says, letting his worries out.

“Then we just have to make a compelling argument,” Chan says. “We need to introduce it in a way that forces everyone to look and pay attention, even if they don’t do anything about it. If they at least know and understand why, then we can pull this off.”

“Then how do we start?” Despite Yeji being the one to ask, it seems that everyone is curious to know the answer, zeroing in on Chan and Namjoon.

“Soyeon already confirmed there’s a speech scheduled for President Kwangho in three days. It’s so soon after this, they probably don’t think we’d be organized enough to pull something off in such short notice,” Namjoon says. “We’re going to attack then. We already discussed some details, so we’ll sort them out for each group. Until then, start getting ready.”

Chan looks down for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and lifting it again to look at them all in turn. “Once we do this, there’s no going back.”

--

“We’re sharing a room,” Minho announces as soon as they enter their assigned apartment after a meager dinner. Well, it was a feast, but Jisung barely picked at it with the way his taste buds are still messed up from all the smoke he inhaled. Not to mention how sore his body is as a whole. It has led to him being slightly cranky and ready to just pass the hell out.

“San and I will take the other,” Wooyoung says, trailing behind them.

Then, everyone looks to Seungmin who rolls his eyes. “I suppose that leaves me with the couch.”

“I mean, you could always bunk with us,” Wooyoung offers to him with a salacious grin. “I’ve been wanting to see some puppy kitty action with Sannie for a while. He’s so good with cuddles afterwards too.”

Both Minho and Jisung’s faces scrunch at the word choice, but Jisung is surprised to see that Seungmin appears to be contemplating it? Not that it’s a bad offer, per se, but he just didn’t expect it? Especially with such a blatant, bold proposal like that. Then again, Wooyoung is the least shy person Jisung has ever met when it comes to stuff like this. It doesn’t help that San is just smiling happily beside him as the entire thing goes down.

“Which of you tops,” Seungmin asks, further surprising him. He’s always got a rather straightforward way of talking, looking at the two of them like he’s readying for a challenge.

“Oh, we’re totally verse,” Wooyoung says back with a bright grin. Several seconds pass before he seems to understand the deeper meaning to the question, scrambling to remedy his answer. “Wait, who do you want to be the top? Because I really think you and Sannie would be totally hot together and-“

Jisung’s half intrigued, half disgusted focus on the conversation is cut short when Minho pulls him to their designated room and shuts the door. “Let’s just let them figure that shit out on their own,” he says as he heads for the bathroom attached to the room. “I’m going to get ready first but we both need rest. The faster we fall asleep, the less chance we have to listen to whatever that ends up being.”

--

Jisung lays on their bed, too uncomfortable to fall asleep. He just can’t seem to sleep no matter what he does. His arm and face fucking hurt, each press against the bed making him grimace. Even with the sterile pads wrapping the wounds, he can’t seem to find relief from them. Is it too late to take more aspirin?

The weight of everything happening doesn’t necessarily help things, making him anxious. Since he joined all of this, they’ve always maintained that their goal is peace. Now that they’ve shed that constraint, he’s not sure what to expect. What if this turns into an actual war of sorts? Jisung is a bit of a pacifist most of the time so he can’t imagine being faced with another moral dilemma so soon.

“Can’t sleep,” Minho’s voice says, just above a whisper beside him. He turns enough to see the muted glow of his eyes from a streetlamp outside. He looks so soft with his tail wrapped around his waist and the bandage on his cheek. Much more docile than usual.

“No. I can get comfortable,” Jisung admits with a sigh. “Also… all of this is kind of crazy, huh? Do you think things will ever calm down?”

Minho ponders the question for a few seconds before saying, “once we’re done, yes. Until then, things are probably only going to get worse.”

“I figured,” Jisung says, then turns to look back up at the ceiling. There are dim orange blocks cascading across it from the window, though he feels comforted to even have a window here. The rooms at the lake house had felt kind of stifling with how small and enclosed they were. “Do you plan on reopening your café when this is all over with?”

The hybrid shifts beside him until he’s lying on his back too, both staring up and watching the way car lights make the orange boxes skew and stretch. “Ideally, yes. Who knows if it will even still be standing after this. I imagine they burned it down along with everything else, but I’m too scared to check.”

For the first time in a while, Jisung thinks of his own company and wonders what might have happened to the building since his and Sana’s absence. He’d sent final paychecks and bonuses to his staff with the messages that he was closing down. He just hopes they were able to find other work or accommodations and he didn’t fuck them over too badly.

Now, though, he doesn’t feel as much ache in his chest when he thinks back to his time there. Yes, he would prefer to still own it and be able to keep running it but that’s something he can think about later. Much later. If he even makes it out of this, which he recognizes is a morbid thought, but he can’t help having it. What are the chances everyone makes it out of this unscathed?

“I could help you rebuild it if you have to,” he offers, but it’s more so him thinking out loud. “It was a very cute shop. It’d be a shame if Kitten Kafe never re-opened or served another vanilla bean meowcchiato.”

Minho makes an odd humming sound beside him before saying, “you remember the special from the day you visited…”

“I remember everything about the day I visited,” Jisung amends, but he’s not sure why he felt compelled to. Maybe he just doesn’t want Minho to think he doesn’t still hold those memories dear. Because he does, even if they kind of sting too. “That was a lot of decorative pillows.”

A tap against his pink makes him glance down in time to see Minho’s hand flex in the direction of his own hand before pausing. They keep having these little moments where it seems that one is yearning for the other, but neither knows how to properly navigate it. Not that Jisung blames anyone but himself for that, considering he shut Minho down that evening on the rooftop.

Despite that, he still feels this strange pull towards Minho, and he can never seem to explain it. He’s had several crushes in the past that never affected him like this. Then again, he actually went and fell completely in love with Minho back when they first got involved so maybe it’s not that strange after all. Is it stupid that half of him wants to put up a cinderblock barrier between them and the other half just wants to pull him closer?

Jisung sighs internally and turns his own hand to grasp onto Minho’s. The hybrid’s fingers immediately latch around his hand as soon as he presents the invitation and the way their palms press together simmers down some of the worry in his chest.

At the very least, he knows that Minho brings him comfort and maybe that’s enough to hold onto for now. He doesn’t need to figure anything else out just yet. They have much bigger things to be concerned about. “If we make it through this, promise me you’ll reopen the café and make me one of your specials?”

Minho is silent for so long Jisung thinks he might have fallen asleep, but he eventually whispers, “I promise.”

--

“So, what exactly are we trying to do?”

Jisung looks over his laptop to see Jeongin typing away on his phone. Considering Jisung is the only person in their immediate group with a computer, he’s been relegated to all network duties. Yoongi has been helping where he can, but he’s been busy with his own tasks, so it’s left Jisung with the heavier burden. “We’re trying to figure out how to get into the screens they’re setting up around the speech. If we can get control, we can show all the METAMORPH documents in real time.”

“It seems premature to try and figure that out now,” Jeongin says with a frown. “They probably don’t even know yet. I bet if we go early the day of, we can get it taken care of then.”

Jisung clicks through a few more planning documents sent over by Soyeon, but really most of it is as useless as Jeongin guessed. “I know, but I said I’d sort through these and see if we can get any information. We know where the rally will be, so if we can just figure out what internet network they plan on using, we can probably use that. I doubt they’ll have any security set up on site.”

Jeongin kicks out his legs over the arm of the sofa. “Considering we’re about to crash a political rally, this all seems very boring. I miss my computer.”

It works to remind him that Jeongin is still rather young. The youngest of their entire operation, in fact, so it’s not surprising that he’s bored after losing his main source of entertainment. Still, he can’t help picking on him a little. “You could always go see what Chan-hyung is up to.”

“Hah,” Jeongin says, reaching out to pinch Jisung’s thigh and making him yelp. “He’s busy. I know better than to interrupt that. Besides, we’re sharing a room, so I’ll see him tonight.”

“Mmhmm,” Jisung hums, waggling his eyebrows at Jeongin and earning himself another pinch. “Hey! I just think it’s cute!”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not really anything until we get all of this over with.” Jeongin kicks his feet faster, flopping down onto his back dramatically. “Speaking of, hurry up so we can go bother the others. They’re waiting to use the laptop to get the presentation graphics ready!”

Another side effect of only having one readily available computer is that everything has to share it to get their tasks done. As Seungmin and Hyunjin have been assigned the task of prepping the images Jisung is going to display, with specific sections bolded to be especially damning, he promised he’d finish as quick as possible to hand the device over. “Okay, jeez. Let me work in peace.”

“Can’t believe we only have two more days to pull off an act of total anarchy,” Jeongin muses. “Let’s hope we don’t fuck everything up.”

Chapter Text

“Let’s discuss some last-minute details,” Soyeon says, standing before their gathered group in the courtyard. It’s early, everyone up before the sun so they can speak with her before she has to go to work. Tomorrow is the speech and Jisung has been working tirelessly to get everything ready for it, just as the others have. “Firstly, I ‘hired’ a Chang Beomsoo for the set up of the stage as well as the screens that will be playing Kwangho’s plans. Someone that’s good with technology should take the name for the day and help set up the networks. It’ll make it easier to overtake the screens during the speech.”

Jisung looks to Yoongi and Jeongin, both too distinct to go ‘undercover’ at this point. Besides, is it even likely that the president would allow a hybrid to be hired to do this kind of job? “I’ll do it,” he says, raising his hand to draw her attention. He’s not even sure if she knows his name at this point considering their meetings are always so brief.

He sees Minho open his mouth, likely to tell him off for volunteering again, but he just shakes his head before saying, “the others are too distinct. I can blend in if I put on a hat and mask. Yoongi and Jeongin can take care of pushing our images onto the screens. Besides, I’ll just be off to the side. No one will even see me.”

Soyeon nods and steps forward, slipping a paper into his hands. “This is an email I created for the application. Sign into it using the password and it’ll give you all the information for the job. Just make sure you show up on time and get to work with the steps outlined in there, then do whatever you need to.” He looks down at the slip, noting that she hand wrote the details for the email, and he wonders where and when she went to the lengths of creating an entire persona for him to take on for this.

When she steps back to the front of the group, she looks around them all before settling on Chan and Namjoon. “Secondly, we need to incite the riots. We need to be the ones that provoke it.”

Hongjoong frowns from where he sits, arms crossing over his chest. “What you’re suggesting…”

“What I’m suggesting will push the tides in our favor with the public. If they get violent first, then it justifies what comes next. You have teams ready to burn down all the hybrid detention facilities in Seoul and you think people will just be cool with that if they don’t witness the aggression of the government first?”

As much as Jisung doesn’t want to agree, nor does he want things to go towards violent in the first place, he can admit that it’s important. If they just start wrecking the country on their own, they’ll be labeled the bad guys and they can’t afford that. It would be an arrow to the knee of their entire operation. Still, the thought of inciting the violence makes him worried because they’re going to have to officially attack the government first and that hasn’t exactly gone well for them thus far.

“So how do we do that,” Soobin asks, looking at Soyeon with a raised eyebrow. “How do you suggest we make ourselves the victims here?”

“I will give a hint to Donghoon that there is an uprising planned for the day of the speech. Something that will require them to keep riot response teams on site. As soon as they feel threatened, he’s going to send them in,” Soyeon says. “Others will likely get hurt, so this isn’t the best plan, but it needs to happen. We need bloodshed to get the last sympathy on our side.”

“So, you’re suggesting we purposely get innocents hurt to make us look better,” Changbin asks in disbelief. “Is that not against everything we stand for?”

She levels him with a glare, one that Jisung can feel despite being out of the vicinity of it. “If you believe in something like this enough, sacrifices have to be made. You know that better than anyone, Changbin-ah. A few will suffer to save the rest, but if we don’t do this then everyone will be left to suffer together.”

Namjoon pushes up from where he’s sitting and moves to stand beside her. “I don’t like this either, but she has a point. If we just jump straight to burning buildings, we’ll look crazy because no one knows as much as we do. Not yet. I think we need to release the information and then… then we need to start a riot. We need someone on film being hurt by the riot police.”

“The cameras will be shut off the second we start showing information against the president,” Yeji says from where she sits a few people away from Jisung. “They’d never publicize it.”

“Then we film it ourselves,” Soyeon says. “We film it from the inside and then we figure out a way to get that out to the public along with the documents. Those there will have first-hand accounts and then everyone else can watch it unfold.”

Chan’s ears are tilted back when he stands too, though he doesn’t move to stand with them. “You’re suggesting we put our own people in the crowd to start the violence, then film it? You want one of us to voluntarily get injured to a degree we can’t predict? That’s too many variables. How do we even decide who goes? These things so south so fast we can’t guarantee they’ll make it out.”

“Humans,” Soyeon replies and she’s not backing down. If anything, the way she shifts to straighten her back just betrays that she’ll stand for this as long as it takes. “It doesn’t make sense to have hybrids there because he’s got historically low support from them. Besides, those that are sympathetic to the government’s side need to see that it’s not only hybrids at risk. It’s not only hybrids that will face the wrath of standing against them. This is the time that the humans amongst our group need to step up.”

“We have been stepping up,” Changbin says with a scoff. “You’re making it sound like we haven’t been here sacrificing too.”

“I didn’t say that you haven’t, but only you can do this. Only you can make this part of it happen, and we’re going to rely on you for it. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to put yourself directly in danger,” Soyeon cuts back, voice firm with each word she says. “There isn’t another option.”

“I’ll do it,” Hyunjin says, drawing Jisung’s eyes to him. He looks a little afraid to be saying it, but there’s conviction there. “If you need a human to start this, then I volunteer to do it.”

Felix gapes at him, reaching for his arm. “Hyunjin…”

“It’s okay,” he says, quietly to Felix before mussing up his hair. “I’m sturdier than you think, and I can take it. Besides, wouldn’t it be a hell of a headline that the heir to the Hwang family got hurt at a government rally? Especially with all the support they’ve gotten from my parents. They wouldn’t dare arrest me.”

Jisung realizes now that Hyunjin intends to take the hit not as a supporter of MayFly, but as Hwang Hyunjin. As a public figure that hasn’t been heard of in almost a decade. Even if the news doesn’t want to run anything on the riots, they’d be stupid to miss out on the story of what has happened to the lost Hwang heir. At least half will move forward with the story just for the shock value.

“Perfect,” Soyeon says, eyes absolutely lit up as she looks at him. “That is so perfect. They won’t have the chance to run interference once the news gets ahold of this story. Now, we just need people to be in the gathering with their cameras ready for everything that comes afterwards.”

“If he’s going, then I am too,” Changbin says immediately, though his arms are snuggly crossed over his chest. “I’ll be there in case things get out of hand.”

Yunho and Wooyoung both nod to each other before volunteering and then Ryujin throws her name out as well. A group of five to be dispersed through amongst the people, ready to kick things off when it comes down to it. Jisung thinks they’re brave. Thinks that maybe he can do his part too, even if he’s off by the stage he can at least film from that angle and capture more of what is going to happen.

“Alright, let’s get started on the rest of the preparations,” Chan says, though he doesn’t seem enthused about the turn of this conversation. “I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll make it out of the area without getting caught, so I’ve reached out to supporters nearby and many have agreed to open their homes for us for the night. We’ll decide who is staying where so everyone knows their escape plan before we go.”

Jisung sighs, letting out the nervous energy now that they’ve navigated the conversation without too much strife. He feels a tap on his shoulder and turns to see Minho’s head resting there, eyes closed. Looks like they’re both overdue for a proper rest. He hopes they can get one after this is all over.

--

“These bags are fucking heavy,” Jisung complains, struggling up the stairs with a duffel in his arms. It’s stuffed with about twenty kilograms worth of papers that will be dumped over the crowd once the screens flip. Proof of everything, printed for people to take home if they wish to. God, he fucking hopes they wish to after going through the trouble of not only printing them all but also running tests on how they would fall when dumped from the third story of a building.

He, Minho, Mingi, and Yunho had run tests to make sure they don’t impale any bystanders when the time comes, but that just means they had to run around collecting the pages all five times Minho insisted on trying it. He may or may not have shot him several rude gestures as he hung out of their apartment window and encouraged them to pick everything up faster.

Minho only laughs at his complaining, slipping up the stairs ahead of him until they make it to the third floor and locate the correct door to knock on. It opens to reveal a tall deer hybrid with large ears poking from her hair. She’s very pretty, though she seems rather reserved in the way she bows quickly to them. “Hello,” she greets, stepping back to let them inside. “I’m Tzuyu.”

“Jisung,” he says, pointing to himself and then he waves in the direction of Minho beside him. “This is Minho.”

Jisung slips inside behind him, taking in the tidy apartment before them. Not only did Tzuyu agree to let them use her apartment window to dump the documents, but this is where he, Minho, Felix, and Changbin will hide out for the night. It’ll be cramped, but he’s just grateful that they won’t have to go far. In fact, Minho will be right here the entire time and that fact makes him relax considerably.

They dump the bags by the window, Jisung’s arms screaming in relief as soon as the weight is gone. “I’m glad that’s over with,” he says with a sigh, rubbing at both of his biceps at the same time. Maybe he should start working out more.

“How long until you have to report in,” Minho asks from where he’s kneeling beside the bags and getting them settled how he wants them.

Jisung grabs his phone from his back pocket, clicking the screen alive to see that it’s 2:53. “I need to be down there in about half an hour.” The speech starts at five but he—well, Chang Beomsoo—has been contracted to start set up work at 3:30 to make sure everything is good to go for rally time.

“I can make some tea,” Tzuyu offers from where she’s standing quietly by the kitchen. “I know this is a big day for everyone.” Despite not being a part of the MayFly team, she’s been a supporter since the beginning so Chan felt comfortable looping her in on some of the details of what will be happening today.

“Please, that would be awesome,” Jisung agrees with a smile.

Once she gets to work on starting up the kettle, Jisung’s attention returns to Minho when he stands and takes both of his wrists in hand. “You need to be careful. Try to stay out of the way and come here as soon as it starts, okay? I’ll be waiting for you.”

“I will,” he agrees, shaking his arms back and forth to make Minho’s wiggle too. “I’m going to record some of it when it starts and then I’ll be right back up here.”

--

Stomach full of tea and a mask over his face to hide his mostly healed burns, Jisung makes his way down to the meeting spot to set up the stage. He’d been instructed to wear all black and try to look as unassuming as possible, so he doesn’t draw attention once the speech starts. It’s a relief. He wouldn’t be surprised if Soyeon added that verbiage to the official email just for his sake.

“Hey, you Beomsoo?”

Jisung looks up to see a mid-forties man standing with a clipboard. Clearly some sort of manager for the set up. “Yes, that’s me,” he says, waiting for his next instructions.

“Right on time,” the guy says. “You’ll help us get the stage assembled and then I want you focusing on the screens. There’s a computer somewhere around here that has everything on it. We’ll go over it once you’re finished prepping.”

He gives a thumbs up before heading for the group of people currently bolting together the mobile, metal stage that President Kwangho will be using for the speech. It’s easy to jump in, grabbing onto a pole and assisting with keeping it in place. There are five of them, all working in tandem to get it constructed. He’s glad for it. The manual labor helps to keep his mind off of everything else going on.

One the stage is set, Jisung helps to get the screens carried into place on either side of it as two others set up a podium and run the lines for the microphone and speakers. All in all, there is a mess of cords and equipment that all run to a little tent set up at the side where he will be connecting everything and making sure it’s ready.

The entire thing is a nightmare as he unravels the power cords to get everything plugged in borrowing power from a little bookshop next to the tent. They’re in a residential area which seems odd for this rally but it’s not the first time the man has taken to the streets in an attempt to seem approachable. With all the new laws he’s announcing, it only makes sense that he would want to have a ‘grass roots’ type of announcement. After all, that’s what he built his entire campaign on and, for those uninformed, the reason that he ‘won’.

Jisung frowns as he looks over the provided laptop. It’s old, barely capable of running everything that he needs it to but that’s okay. For their part of the rally, they’ll be hosting through his own computer which can easily keep up. With a peek over his shoulder to make sure no one is paying attention, Jisung slips an earpiece in, making sure to turn it on beforehand. “You there,” he whispers, hoping the built in microphone can pick up his voice.

“Here,” Jeongin’s voice crackles through the static as it connects fully. “We’re set up and ready.”

“Okay, I’ve got this set up for local use but I’m going to get us tethered so you can take over when the time comes,” Jisung murmurs, clicking through the settings to establish the connection. They considered loading their documents onto this computer but it’s safer to just connect via Bluetooth. That way, there won’t be a trace of them if anyone gets the computer later. Not one they can track with all the safety measures he’s placed on his personal laptop.

This part is perhaps the most devious and has the biggest risk of getting caught, but he’d decided to go for it anyways. Jisung pulls a small hot glue gun out of his pocket and plugs it into one of the power strips at his feet. They need to ensure no one can easily disconnect everything and cyanoacrylate-based glues like super or krazy glue would impede the conduction surfaces to prevent data transfer. The next best thing, unfortunately, is using hot glue to stick everything to the computer once connected. Thank goodness he experimented with stupid ideas on his computers when he was younger.

He pulls up the original presentation and sets it to run on the screens to do a test. With a quick trip to survey the stage, he sees that they’re working as they’re meant to. Good. Everything is going according to plan so far; he just needs to check the microphones before he can finish this step and report everything as ready to go.

It’s a little embarrassing to take to the stage and mumble a few ‘tests’ into the microphone considering people are starting to gather now, but he shakes it off and goes through the final checks that everything is in place. Once he confirms they’re working properly, he slips back into the tent and checks the glue gun. Fuck, this is stupid and probably crazy, but he just needs to see it through.

He loads a glue stick and then looks around the space before lifting it and quickly coating the connected USBs with the substance and watching as it dries. Even the power cord gets the glue treatment until the set up is basically impenetrable from physical tampering. Jisung even wiggles the cords to test the strength before deeming them good and unplugging the gun to hide behind the mess of cords.

They have less than twenty minutes before President Kwangho and Director Donghoon are set to arrive and he can feel his body trembling lightly as he conveys the ready message to the manager he’d spoken to earlier. What if he comes to check the work? Jisung would have a difficult time explaining the state of the computer. Shit, maybe he should have waited.

“Good work. Here’s a script for the speech with annotations on when to show the next image. Go ahead and wait it out in the tent,” the man says, handing over a folder that contains the transcript that he’ll be working off of. It’s not Jisung’s first time seeing it. Soyeon gave them the rough draft so they could plan when to intercept the messages and get everything started. He grabs it with a quick bow and rushes back to the tent in hopes that it’s the last he’ll see the manager today.

As he takes a seat in front of his temporary set up, he catches the movement of Chan and Namjoon slinking into the bookshop out of the corner of his eyes but doesn’t lift his head to acknowledge them. Good, they’ve made it to their designated spots.

“Roof teams checking in,” Hongjoong’s voice says into his earpiece. They have several sets of teams scattered along the rooftops with smoke bombs ready to drop and make the street level disorienting if things get out of hand. Just a safety measure to allow everyone to escape if it comes down to it. “Crowd looks solid today. I can see the others amongst them.”

That makes Jisung relax, because it means the roof teams have picked out those in the mass of bodies to keep watch over them. At the very least, they’ll have some back up via eyes in the sky.

Under the guise of checking over the equipment again, Jisung heads to the edge of the tent and peers out into the gathered people. He spots Changbin with Seungmin’s camera around his neck about thirty paces away from Hyunjin who is the closest to where Soyeon predicted the riot police will respond first.

He roves over the rest of the crowd until he sees Ryujin with a low cap on her head standing towards the center and Yunho and Wooyoung standing together in the back. If he didn’t know them, he would assume they’re just regular supporters here to hear what the president has to say.

An array of news cameras are gathered at the back, pointed at the stage and ready to air whatever the man has to say. It reminds him of their march, though the turnout is almost triple this time. Good. That means a majority of the country will get to witness what they have planned.

Although Jisung is excited for this next big step, he’s mostly terrified. He can’t help looking towards Hyunjin time and time again wondering if he’s okay. Is he regretting agreeing to this?

His phone buzzes in his pocket and he slips it out to check their group messages.

Chan: Everyone in place
Chan: Ready to go

Eunkwang: All teams ready and standing by
Eunkwang: Be safe

Soyeon: We’re about five minutes out
Soyeon: Good luck everyone
Soyeon: Fighting!

Time to get in place.

The arrival of the men and their entourage makes everyone push forward, shoving towards the stage until it’s just a sea of faces peering up at the president. Jisung only catches glimpses as he listens to the man’s words and clicks along at the proper cues. Just three more and they’ll take over. It has his heart hammering in his chest the closer they get to the singular red line he marked on the script.

He’s listening but only half paying attention as President Kwangho drones on and on about his plans for the country. They’re all just lies anyways. Deceit that they’re about to bring crashing down.

“Almost there,” Jeongin says in his ear. “Is everything still showing ready down there?”

“Ready,” he says softly, still following along the script and clicking onto the next image to be displayed. He chances a glance at the stage to see Soyeon standing at the back with a blank expression on her face. Though she doesn’t make any motion of seeing his glance, he sees her thumb jut out at her side in silent reassurance. This is all according to plan, she conveys with just that one movement.

Once President Kwangho reaches the next prompting, Jisung switches control of the computer to Yoongi and Jeongin and waits with bated breath until the screen flips and shows their own presentation which is being projected on the screens. It worked. Fuck, thank god it worked. “We got it from here. Get out of there,” Jeongin says in his ear.

Jisung is quick to lock the screen, having changed the password earlier. He just needs to get out of the tent and hope they can show as much as possible before someone comes to disconnect it and discovers the hot glue mess he created of the thing. At least the laptop was already old and on its last legs, he supposes.

The crowd has gone silent as he sneaks out of the back of the tent and rounds it. He can see the shock on the faces of every person he passes, taking in the details of Project METAMORPH on the screen for everyone to see. The cameras are all rolling still, capturing the information as they also take in what’s been presented to them.

A recording of President Kwangho and Yun Donghoon speaking about the plans, courtesy of Soyeon, starts playing through the speakers and that’s what finally cues the president in on something being amiss. He pauses mid-sentence and looks at the screen behind him, face going ashen as he sees what everyone else does. Just then, Minho and the others start dumping their printed pages over the crowd. They fan out, gliding through the air like a swarm of butterflies circling overhead as people pluck them from the air.

President Kwangho looks over the mass of people, seemingly trying to come up with what to say but he flounders. It’s a beautiful sight, Jisung thinks, to see a man who thought himself untouchable be humbled so publicly. He gulps audibly, the sound barely picked up by the microphone but still enough to betray how frazzled he is just before Director Donghoon grabs his shoulder and pulls him from the stage. Soyeon is following along behind them with her best rendition of a shocked face.

Jisung has made it to the center of the crowd by now, just a few people from Ryujin who side steps until she reaches him in the chaos of papers descending on them. “Good job,” she says below her breath. He gives a slight nod as he keeps his eyes on the stage to see Chan and Namjoon walking on just as the recording stops and everything falls silent again, the last of the papers fluttering to the ground around them.

Chan steps to the microphone first, a grim look on his face as he looks out at everyone. “Good afternoon,” he starts, voice filling the space. “Project METAMORPH, outlined in the papers in your hands, is a plan drafted and backed by President Kwangho and Director Donghoon to not only steal the rights of hybrids but strip them of their status in South Korea. A misplaced and downright insidious dream to make hybrids into not people, but things. I ask you, people of South Korea, if you do not see me as a person equal to you? If you do not see all hybrid-kind as equal to you?

I ask if you would stand by while corruption in our government stole your livelihood? Would you stand by while the innocence was ripped from your children, forced to bed as entertainment?” The screens switch, showing various shots of Yun Donghoon’s ‘donations’ to the Im Family and others that have fostered forced prostitution. Jisung hears gasps around him, people pulling their phones out to take pictures of the screens as they hang on to every word Chan says. “This is not the South Korea I am proud to call home. This is not the South Korea I accept.”

The edges of his eyes look wet as Chan says, “Ari-arirang. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Are you better than others? Am I better than you? Who is better than whom?” It’s from one of the famous Korean translations of Arirang, a song deep-rooted in their history and telling the tale of a beautiful woman murdered simply for standing up for herself. A song of tribute. A song of love, for one less fortunate and of unity amongst their people. A song every Korean knows in their heart. Jisung feels as if his chest has been ripped open, the pain in Chan’s voice like acid in the wounds. It's powerful and poignant, the use of the song to remind everyone of how much they've already come through as a society.

“This is not just my fight, but all of ours.”

The screens flip, then, to show the election results and gasps ring out again as Namjoon takes to the podium. “I am Kim Namjoon. Speaking today as not just a concerned citizen, but as your rightful leader. Now is not the time to be passive. If you think this does not affect you—if you feel comfortable in your life—just know that this does not stop at hybrids. It never will when power and greed are at stake.”

The sounds of vehicles approaching draws the attention of those in the crowd, all watching as three riot control vans descend on them. The doors bang open as armored men burst out, forming a line at their side. Jisung hears panicked voices, people starting to push and veer into each other as they step back. He’s knocked into several times, disoriented as he tries to keep his feet under him.

Everything is happening too fast. He can’t seem to keep up as he watches the men start marching towards the crowd. The only thing he needs to see, however, is Hyunjin and he scans the crowd desperately until he sees a hint of blonde hair underneath a baseball cap. As he stated he would, Hyunjin stands in defiance against the approaching men.

Jisung manages to shake loose from the swarm of bodies, getting to the edge so that he can lift his phone and hit record. He sees Changbin doing the same from the other side of the crowd, Seungmin’s camera held carefully in his hands as he keeps his head low.

Time slows, the shake in his arms settling as he watches through the camera. Watches as Hyunjin is ordered to back down and step away but he doesn’t. He makes no move backwards even as the police close in on him, less than a meter away. This is it, and Jisung can’t look away even if he wants to.

Hyunjin waits until they’re close enough to lock eyes and then he reaches out both hands with a simple push. It’s nothing more than that; one singular charge of momentum that sends one of the officers back two steps. The next second, a baton is slammed across his face with a sickening crunch, sending him to his knees. Jisung’s lungs seize, wanting to rush forward but too frozen in place to respond.

Instead, he captures the moment when Hyunjin laughs and yanks his cap off his head, one hand reaching up to push his hair from his face as he looks up at the men. There’s blood forming on the cut on his cheek, trickling down as he reveals his face and sees the answering shock. Not on all of them, but enough of them to confirm they know who he is.

It happens in less than three seconds, the entire thing over before Jisung can fully process it but it’s enough. That moment of hesitation is all it takes for two random bystanders to charge the line of police, shoving them backwards in an attempt to help Hyunjin up.

Chaos erupts all around him.

Jisung fights to keep his camera going, holding his phone to capture the moment the police break their line and fling themselves into the crowd with batons raised. He watches as they pummel their way through the people, blood splattering each time they connect with the faces of the innocent around him.

They’re steadily pushed down the street, further and further from the stage as the police rush into them. He just keeps being carried away with everyone until he can barely see the apartment he’s meant to be escaping to at all. Everything is obscuring around him like a car crash, too horrendous to look away until a body collides with him and sends him to the ground, phone slamming to the concrete in front of him and shattering.

He grabs at it frantically, shoving it into a pocket before he looks up and assesses everything around him. People are scattering, jumping through the mass of bodies to either get away or fight in equal measure. He reaches for the earpiece only to find it missing too, rendering him completely alone with no forms of communication. Fuck. He needs to get out of here. Needs to make it to the apartment building down the street to get to safety, but he’ll have to go against the current of the crowd.

Without the earpiece, he doesn’t get the heads up about the smoke bombs being tossed around him. Instead, he watches as one lands on the pavement in front of him and bounces, a cloud of thick smoke going directly into his face and momentarily blinding him. His eyes sting as he tries to blink the burn out of them and push to his feet.

Everything feels muted, bodies bumping into him on all sides as he tries to figure out where to go. There’s an alleyway not too far off, close enough he might be able to hide inside and clear his eyes.

Along the way there’s an abandoned hydroflask to the side that he grabs and takes with him. It’s only once he’s in a crouch along the wall of the alleyway that he tears the lid off of. With a sniff, he knows it’s water and while it’s truly disgusting to pour potential backwash into his eyes, he doesn’t even care right now. The water dumps over his face and gives him momentary relief as he uses his sleeves to wipe the water away as best as possible.

With his vision mostly restored, Jisung looks out at the mess of people and sees that a majority have cleared out of this space, which is both great news for them, but not so great news for him because he still needs to make it down the street that is now more cop than civilian. The longer he waits, the worse it will get, and he knows he needs to act now.

Just as he goes to start moving, he spots Seungmin’s camera on the ground near the tent he used earlier and that… that’s not a good sign. Where is Changbin? What happened to him? His stomach sinks as he looks around further. Papers are strewn along the street, mostly crumpled and ripped. Some with dots of blood soaking into them. There’s a haze of lingering smoke all around which will at least partially conceal him though he almost wishes they would throw another smoke bomb down to hide him better, even if it makes his eyes burn again. The one good thing is that there are only one or two cops down that far still and he might be able to make it there without being caught outright.

Jisung takes one settling breath before he darts out of the alleyway in the direction of the tent. It’s not really where he needs to go right now, but he needs the footage they captured. Out of all their cameras, that one is by far the best. Besides, if something happened to Changbin, it might give them clues as well and he cannot possibly let that slip away from them.

He makes it halfway to the camera before a shout sounds behind him, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. Just a little further. He can do it.

The papers make it hard to keep his footing, skidding over the street as he closes in on the camera and scoops it up from the ground. Parts of it are broken, but he can’t assess the damage right now. Not if he wants to make it out of here.

Before he can try to make a run for it, a hand closes around his arm and yanks him forward. He yelps at the sudden force and the pain along his still healing arm, but he manages to keep the camera in his hands as he looks up at the officer that’s captured him. “It’s over,” the guy says, voice laced with venom. “You’re fucking done for.”

Jisung, despite being terrified, manages to struggle in his hold. He yanks his arm back, putting up a fight so that at least if he’s taken it’s not easy for them. Who knows where they’ll even take him at this point. The unknown is far more terrifying than if he were simply facing prison. Flashbacks of Yoongi locked in the Department of Hybrid Affairs swarm his mind as he digs his feet in and tries to twist out of the grip. He feels his skin tearing beneath the hold, shoes slipping over top of the papers.

Rather than being dragged towards the riot control vans as expected, Jisung realizes that he’s being pulled towards the tent, and he can’t decipher why. Why would he be taken there? “Where the fuck are you taking me,” he shouts, still fighting the force on his body.

“Boss’s orders,” the cop says with a laugh. “Eliminate any ‘MayFly’ insurgents we come across. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”

Eliminate. He knows what that means.

Jisung flings himself backwards into a sitting position which drags the unsuspecting officer down with him and it grants him just enough freedom to shake his arm loose and then turn onto his hands and knees to push into a run. The camera is forgotten in his escape, too worried about getting the fuck out of there.

He only makes it five steps before another body collides with him, nearly tackling him to the ground and instead lifting him in the air despite his struggles. He flails anyways, making it as difficult as possible for the man to carry him towards the tent, though it happens despite his efforts.

A loud scream tears from his throat as he’s carried closer to the tent, but they don’t make it there before a flash of orange descends on them and Jisung is released, falling to the pavement below. He scrambles backwards as soon as he lands, looking up to see Minho tackling the man in a blur of fists and fury. There’s a snarl on his face, canines far more defined than Jisung has ever seen before. He looks murderous, ready to tear the guard apart with his bare hands.

Two hands slide around his ribs, lifting him as he twists around and swings his fists, ready to fight whoever else has come to grab him. Instead, he’s met with Wooyoung’s surprised face as he grabs his wrist in a firm hold. “It’s me. Calm down!”

Behind him, San comes sprinting and throws himself at the other officer, tackling him down much the same as Minho did with the first one. He tries to reconcile with the sudden change, faltering as Wooyoung uses an arm around his waist to keep him steady. “We need to get outta here,” Wooyoung says to all of them, though it appears the two hybrids are much more content to keep pummeling the men beneath them.

Jisung is grateful none of the other officers seem to have caught on, but that’s not guaranteed to last for long and they really do need to get the fuck out of here. “Minho,” he calls, and he can hear the terror in his own voice as it trembles out of him.

Minho freezes his movements, head snapping up at him from the semi-conscious body. As soon as their eyes lock, he releases the grip on his collar and pushes to his feet, crossing the distance between them. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” he snips because they don’t have time for this. “We need to fucking go!”

“Get out of here,” Wooyoung says, releasing his hold on Jisung and pushing him towards Minho. “I’ll get San.”

Jisung launches himself towards the camera, scooping it into his arms again before turning to Minho and grabbing his arm to drag him towards the apartment building. They stumble a few times in their haste to make it off the street, but they finally reach the apartment door as Minho punches in the code and drags him inside and up the first flight of stairs.

His chest is heaving, still trying to make sense of the last fifteen minutes of his life. Too many emotions flood him as he stops and slumps against the wall, trying to catch his breath and slow the tsunami of thoughts wreaking havoc in his brain. Minho is there a second later, lifting his face to look at him and setting his fingers along Jisung’s cheek in a barely-there touch. Pure worry lines his features, and he looks beautiful for it in a fucked-up way. “You came for me,” Jisung wheezes out. “I… they were going to kill me, and you came for me. They could’ve killed you too.”

“I was watching,” Minho says, voice quiet between them. “I wanted to come sooner, but I didn’t want to make things worse. Then, that fucker grabbed you.” His jaw clenches as he says it, ears flicking and betraying how furious the thought makes him. “I couldn’t let it happen. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you.”

He feels pain and sorrow; anger and rage. More than that, though, he feels relief. He feels grateful that Minho came for him and even more grateful that he’s still alive. More than anything, though, he feels… fond. A sort of fondness he can’t explain as he stares as the hybrid in front of him. Thinks of all the times he’s rushed to save him and been the one that never let him fall without being there to pick him right back up.

“Why,” Jisung asks, and he doesn’t even know why he’s asking. Doesn’t really understand why he’s pushing for this when he can’t make sense of anything at all, but he needs to know. Right now, he just needs to hear it.

Minho’s fingers flex along his cheek, but he doesn’t look away. “You know why.”

Before he can contemplate it further, Jisung surges forward and connects their lips, slotting them together in a way that feels like coming home after a long day. Warmth flutters in his chest, spreading deeper when Minho’s hand slides around the back of his head and pulls him closer.

His eyes burn with gathering tears, a soft sob bubbling out of him as he pulls Minho even closer and kisses him deeper. He needs this, he realizes. So much more than he allowed himself to admit. But what does that mean for them? What does he want?

Minho pulls back, reaching up to rub away his stray tears with a gentle thumb. His eyes are bright and glassy as they simply look at each other. Jisung thinks back to the rooftop and how Minho said he could see the love in Jisung’s eyes… wonders if it looked anything like what he sees in the hybrid right now. He rushes to say something, but his brain can’t supply him with the words he wants because he doesn’t even know what he wants to say. Instead, he’s left with his mouth parted and no sounds coming out.

“Shh,” Minho says, offering him a small smile. “It’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it now, and it can mean whatever you need it to mean. Even if that’s nothing more than the rush of the moment. Just take your time. Let’s just… let’s go upstairs and clean up, okay?”

And because Jisung really doesn’t know what he’s feeling, he agrees and allows himself to be pulled up the rest of the stairs.

Chapter Text

Jisung’s worrying over the kiss is abruptly cut off when they make it back to Tzuyu’s apartment and he realizes that only she and Felix are on the couch, with the cat hybrid curled halfway in her lap as she brushes her fingers through his hair. His face is swollen and red, cheeks glistening. It’s so obvious that he’s been crying… Why was he crying? Where is Changbin?

He stops in the doorway beside Minho who won’t meet his eyes, even when he tries to implore him to do so. “Minho. Where is Changbin?” He hates that his voice comes out higher than he intended because it catches Felix’s attention.

The ragdoll hybrid perks up only momentarily, looking at them and then past them before his face scrunches up and more tears flow down his cheeks. “He wasn’t out there?”

Minho is stiff as he steps towards Felix and then crouches in front of him, taking a hand into his own. “I didn’t see him, Lix, but we can’t be sure of anything yet. I’ll ask if anyone has seen him. If he went to another apartment because he couldn’t make it back here.” After, he looks up to Tzuyu and softly asks, “can I bother you for another cup of tea for him?”

As soon as Tzuyu nods and gets up, Minho replaces her on the couch and pulls Felix further into his lap to wrap both arms around him and softly murmur to him. Jisung can’t hear what he’s saying, but it sounds like some sort of lullaby. Likely something he’s sung to Felix in the past on restless nights at the shelter.

His broken phone practically burns in his back pocket, wishing he could be the one to ask if anyone has seen Changbin or heard of where he might be. Instead, he’s left mostly useless as he takes careful steps towards the couch and sits in front of the pair of cats, resting his back against it just so he can be close. The camera is still in his hands, but he sets it on his thighs reverently. With their proximity, he can make out the words Minho hums. A gentle version of Ja Jang Uri though he repeats the lines hey chickie, don’t bark and hush hush our baby more than the original. His voice is soothing and Jisung hopes the words are helping to calm Felix.

The television is on in front of him, though the sound is muted. He’s left to watch as scenes of several hybrid detention centers are monitored from the air, flames engulfing them in a way that can’t be stopped. Eunkwang’s teams. They managed to attack all five of the centers from what he can see and while he’s grateful, it’s a hollow sort of feeling that consumes most of him.

Footage from the riot follows immediately after, shots from the fleeing television crews and posted content from attendees. He wishes he could hear what the reporters are saying. Are they in support or are they tearing down the movement for all of Korea to watch?

His eyes stayed glued to the screen even as Tzuyu returns with the tea and Minho helps Felix to drink it, the two of them speaking between them. It’s hard to pay attention to both, so he chooses to zone out entirely as his mind replays the events that transpired earlier. There’s not a definitive answer on whether they met their original goals or not, but does it even fucking matter if they lost someone in the process? He just keeps focusing on the camera in his lap, wondering if it might hold some secrets to the whereabouts of Changbin?

With his laptop currently safeguarded by Jeongin and Yoongi, there’s nothing he can really do yet considering the screen is cracked right down the center. He just has to wait and hope. Maybe Changbin just got swept up in the crowd and went with them? Maybe he’s back at the apartment just waiting for them all to return.

When Minho stands from the couch, he slips his phone into Jisung’s hand before lifting Felix into his arms. “I’m going to tuck him in,” is all he says, but his intention with the phone is clear.

“I’ll head to bed too,” Tzuyu says as she pushes from the couch. “He can sleep next to me, and I have futons in the closet for you two if that’s okay.”

He’s fairly certain Minho says something to that, but he doesn’t hear it. Jisung only watches them go for a few moments before he grabs the device and unlocks it. The code is imbedded in his memory from all the times they’ve shared a sleeping space and Minho had asked him to check this or that. As soon as the screen unlocks, he switches over to their chat to read through everything.

Chan: Made it to our safe house with Namjoon
Chan: Please check in

There are countless messages from the others confirming that everyone has made it back, but Jisung pauses in his scrolling when he sees one particular message.

Minho: Jisung and Changbin aren’t back
Minho: I’m going to get them
Chan: No
Chan: Stay in the apartment, Minho
Chan: Minho
Chan: Fuck
Chan: Tell me when you get back

His heart feels strong in his chest, slapping against his sternum on each beat. It’s impossible to ignore the sinking of his stomach at the thought of Minho listening to Chan. What would have happened if he’d left Jisung on his own…?

Though he can’t dwell on it as he keeps scrolling, because another message further down the log makes his entire body seize in worry.

Yoongi: Someone grabbed Jeongin
Yoongi: I didn’t get a good look at them
Yoongi: They just grabbed him and dragged him off
Chan: What do you mean?
Chan: Yoongi, call me right now

It’s the end of the chat log and Jisung just keeps staring at it, hoping for the words to morph into something else. Hoping for a message to come through that Yoongi was mistaken. That Jeongin made it somewhere safe and he’s okay. This… it can’t possibly be true. Not Jeongin. The image of scrunched eyes and bright grins gets plastered to the front of his skull. Of everyone… not Jeongin. Please not Jeongin.

His fingertips hover over the screen, but he can’t think of what to say right now. He made it, but did the others? What will he do if they never reappear again…? What will he do if they died while he made it through simply because Minho came for him instead of them? He wouldn’t be able to face Chan or Felix ever again. He doesn’t even want to face himself right now.

Despite the inner turmoil, he needs to put out the information that Changbin is missing too. He hopes, with everything in him, that he’s somewhere else. With a deep breath, he starts to type.

Minho: This is Jisung
Minho: I made it back but we didn’t find Changbin
Minho: I got the camera he was holding but I can’t check the footage yet
Chan: Bring it back in the morning

Without mention of anything else, Jisung just stares at that singular message for several minutes until his eyes cross and they warp into nothing.

He’s not sure how long he cradles the phone in his hands before there’s a soft touch to his shoulder. It makes him flinch hard enough to make the phone and camera clatter to the floor beside him, but he’s instantly soothed by the weary look on Minho’s face as he crouches beside him. “Hey,” he whispers, like he’s afraid speaking too loudly will push Jisung over the edge. It’s probably true and he just can’t tell right now with the way everything seems so out of focus.

“Hey,” he croaks out, but it doesn’t sound like him at all. Still, he needs to give Minho an update. Needs to tell him what he missed while out saving Jisung’s ass instead of going for the others like he probably should have. “Someone took Jeongin.”

Minho goes perfectly still, eyes sliding shut slowly and staying that way for several seconds before they open again. “We’ll find him.”

As much as Jisung wants to believe that he doesn’t know that he can. Hasn’t their luck run out? And if it has, he’s to blame for using up a disproportionate amount. Yet he doesn’t want to voice that. Not right now, with the news so fresh and painful. “Okay,” is all he can manage.

The space between them feels charged, but it’s with a much different energy than earlier in the stairwell. This time, it’s everything they’re leaving unspoken. From the glaringly missing people they hold dear to the walls they shattered between them with a simple kiss, yet he doesn’t know how to navigate it. Not when he feels like someone is standing on his chest, lungs raking for air to keep him going.

Minho’s hand is still resting on his shoulder and the fingers squeeze around him. The grip tightens enough to feel like a promise, somehow. A reassurance he desperately needs. “Let’s try to get some rest. I’ll find the futons.”

He goes through the motions of helping set up their makeshift beds until they climb in, though he doesn’t know how he can possibly rest with the way his mind is both blank and running too fast to chase down.

It’s not surprising when a hand meets his own, fingers tangling together in a way that’s become second nature to him. Minho is just… always there. Always knows exactly when he needs comfort that can’t be easily worded. His own grip tightens, holding onto Minho in a way that confesses his craving for it. A second later he’s being pulled to the side and Minho’s arms wrap around him securely to hold him against the hybrid’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Minho says, voice pitched low and cautious. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

Jisung’s head shakes twice, though it just serves to grind his face further into Minho’s chest as he feels his eyes starting to water. “I’m sorry for being so useless. If you hadn’t had to come for me…”

He’s shushed, though it’s gentle in delivery. “Don’t. Please. Don’t ever apologize for needing me, Jisung.”

They’re still skirting around the issue here, but neither are really prepared for the necessary discussions that might give them clarity. Not right now. It feels almost selfish to even consider his own feelings when they have so much other stuff to think about. This—whatever this is developing between them again—can wait. It needs to wait.

Rather than say anything else, Jisung closes his eyes and concentrates on the warmth of Minho’s body around him and the steady beat of his heart beneath his ear. It’s like a lullaby, though not as sweet as the one the hybrid had sang earlier. Despite that, it’s the one he needs right now as he feels his body relax.

Tomorrow. They can regroup and figure this out tomorrow.

--

It’s hectic as soon as his eyes open at the sound of fists drumming on the apartment door. Minho is up and on his feet in an instant, stalking towards the door to look through the peephole before he yanks the door open to let Chan, Yoongi, and Namjoon inside. They practically spill into the apartment in a flurry of shoe removals before they’re gathering around in the living room.

Jisung has just enough cognizance to sit up and blink at them, trying to make sense of why they’re here so early. The sun hasn’t even appeared through the windows yet, though it makes sense that they would travel under the safety of the dark.

Chan looks exhausted, bruises circling beneath his bloodshot eyes as he looks directly at Jisung and says, “where is the camera? We brough the laptop.”

Still distorted from the sleep clouding his brain, it takes a few seconds before Jisung gets with the program enough to crawl towards the coffee table they pushed against the wall when they set up the night before. He reaches underneath it until he retrieves the broken device and drags it back towards the futon where Yoongi has set the laptop down for him.

His hands shake as he pries open the cover on the battery and storage slots, trying three times before he clicks the bottom of the SD card enough to draw it out. He focuses all of his attention on keeping his fingers dexterous as he slides the card into the reader at the side of his computer and then connects them.

As soon as his desktop loads, he opens the storage files and goes to the last video captured. 0:41. It’s short, but it seems purposeful. Like Changbin knew he was going to get caught and wanted to set the evidence for them. With all his time in the police force, it makes sense. He’s likely been taught to do something like this, right?

Jisung double clicks on the file until it opens and starts playing on the screen. It’s slightly blurry at first until it focuses, and they all gather around to watch Changbin struggling to fight off three men at the same time. He’s easily overpowered, knocking the camera to the ground at just the right angle to showcase him being dragged down an alley towards a black car.

Just as the door on the vehicle opens, he catches a glimpse of ashy blonde ears and wide eyes. Jeongin. It has to be Jeongin. Especially when he scoots to make room for Changbin as he’s tossed into the car before the door slams. Then, the video cuts out and Jisung isn’t sure if it was the battery or the storage that gave out first, but he’s grateful that they got this. At the very least, the two are together and that’s a sliver of comfort to him.

“Back it up,” Namjoon says, leaning over his shoulder. “About halfway and go slow.”

He follows the instructions, setting the speed to .25 as they go back through the footage of the struggle. It’s uncomfortable to watch Changbin’s face screw up in quarter time as the men attack him brutally but he reacts on instinct when Namjoon tells him to pause, thumb tapping the space bar to freeze the frame.

The image on the screen shows one of the men’s necks where an intricate tattoo stands out against his pale skin. It’s hard to decipher at first, looking more like a circular blob than anything of substance until Minho says, “a norigae.”

When he looks closer, he can start to pick up on the design more clearly. It’s obviously a norigae with the way the lines fit together so intricately. Like the ones his mother used to wear on her hanbok each holiday. Everyone sits in silence and Jisung thinks he must be missing something if the solemn looks on their faces are any indication. He peeks at Minho, prompting him to say, “it’s the symbol of the Yang family.”

His throat closes up at that, eyes turning back to the screen to stare at it again. The Yang family. They must have come for their son after seeing him in all the recent propaganda. The rally and march… even with his face half-covered he’s too distinct to hide. Jisung wonders if Changbin tried to save him and met this fate instead. Pictures the fight once they managed to get him into the van. He… he would have fought them. That makes terror settle down on him, wondering what happened afterward.

“We need to go after them,” Chan says, jaw clenched tightly as his hands twist in his lap. “We need to get them back.”

“You need to think-,” Minho says, but he’s cut off with the way Chan practically growls at him.

“Don’t you dare tell me to think about this when you just keep throwing yourself in harms way for Jisung. It’s the same fucking thing.” Jisung sinks lower into himself at the mention of his name, that feeling of guilt zipping through him once again.

Despite the bite in his words, Minho is unphased. “As much as I understand your feelings on this, it is not the same. I have only ever put myself in harm’s way. If something happened to me, everything else could go on. But you? We can’t do this without you. So think.”

The strain between them is palpable, but Namjoon speaks anyways, keeping his voice level and calm. “Minho is right. You can’t just walk into the Yang Auction House and expect to walk back out with them. The government is powerful, but it plays by some rules. That family does not.”

“He’s their son,” Minho adds. “They wouldn’t hurt him.”

“And what of Changbin,” Chan snaps and it makes them all fall silent again. His point is valid, even if it hurts to acknowledge. It’s what has been sticking to the back of Jisung’s throat and slowly strangling him the longer the evidence settles on him. “We’ll make a plan. Something. I’ll come up with it, but we aren’t going to let them just sit there. Get back to the safe housing once Felix is awake. There’s a van parked just down the street.”

With that, the three depart almost as quickly as they came, leaving Minho and Jisung to sit in apprehensive silence. What the fuck do they do now?

--

The ports in Busan, Gunsan, Mokpo, and Incheon have all closed this morning due to mass strikes and the disappearance of most boats from the harbors. No news has been gathered on what has caused this exodus of one of our biggest economic powerhouses as companies face losses due to the halt on exports and imports via boat shipments…

Jisung is sandwiched between Wooyoung and Minho with San and Seungmin cozied on the loveseat as they watch the latest news following their riot the day before. While the riot itself hasn’t gotten nearly as much airtime, they’ve been extensively covering the strikes and fires at the detention centers. Most of their day has been solemn as everyone waits to hear what the plan will be to save Jeongin and Changbin. The news felt like the only thing they could really think about to take their minds off of everything, so they’ve had it playing as they all sulk in near silence.

“If they cut off imports, isn’t that going to make resources scarce,” Jisung wonders aloud. “The first ones to be affected are the hybrids…” He’s been thinking it non-stop as he watches the stories unfold on the tv. In theory, they can last for a while without any new items being delivered but he also knows people will start to hoard things when they get worried, and the length of the strikes seems to be ‘indefinite’ for now. They rely on other countries for literally all of their petroleum and gas… what will happen when it runs out?

“We’ve got that covered,” San says, looking over at him from where he’s lounging. “All the money from Kitty Konnect went to purchasing supplies in bulk that we’ve stored away for this moment. We’ll deliver them directly to the hybrid-catering shelters when it gets to that point.”

Jisung can only nod, though he’s impressed at the forethought of MayFly yet again. They really thought of everything in the years they’ve spent prepping all of this. He can’t help doubting that they can withstand extended isolation, though. There’s a reason every country in the world relies on each other.

“I’ll take you to the shelters when we go,” Minho says beside him, though it’s quiet so that only he can hear. “I’d like to show you.”

He smiles at him, though he doesn’t get the chance to reply before their apartment door opens to reveal Chan and Yeji, both with serious looks on their faces. Everyone tenses up; he can feel it in the way both Minho and Wooyoung shift beside him. “We’re going to do surveillance on the Yang Auction House. Minho and San, I want you to come along. You’re our best bet at getting a closer look without getting caught.”

It takes everything in him to not react to that, because he’s worried. After what happened the day before, he can’t help imagining the same fate happening to Minho and the others. Though the other part of him knows that this is necessary and that they’ve all signed up for this. It doesn’t mean he can think rationally about it right now. At this point he thinks he might burn down everything in his path to get back to Minho if it came down to it… and that’s a startling revelation to make in this moment. When did things shift so much? When did his own beliefs and capabilities morph…?

His hand finds Minho’s just in time to clutch it once before Minho gives him a small, reassuring smile and gets up from the couch. He’s left to watch in trepidation as he and San make their way to the door and slip their shoes on before following the others out.

“They’ll be fine,” Wooyoung says beside him, sliding sideways and kicking his feet up until they rest on Jisung’s lap. “There’s no way they’ll get close enough to get caught. They’re smarter than that.”

Jisung gives a brief nod, though his stomach doesn’t feel calmed by his words in the least. It seems that every single mission they take on has higher and higher stakes and less chance of coming back without problems. And while he understands that’s just part of trying to bring down your government, it doesn’t mean he’s comfortable with it. Maybe less so lately.

Silence settles around them as their focus returns to the television, though Jisung isn’t really seeing anything happening on it anymore. Not when his thoughts are firmly focused on Minho and his wellbeing… and also a little of what they’ve got going on between them in recent days. Though they still haven’t spoken about it, Minho has hovered around him even more since their kiss and while Jisung welcomes it, he also doesn’t know what to do about it.

“I’m going to bed,” Seungmin says with a yawn. “I barely slept at all last night. You two going to sleep, or are you going to stay out here and worry?”

“Definitely worry,” Jisung says right away, making Wooyoung kick at his thighs.

“Go ahead,” Wooyoung says, tipping his head over the arm of the couch to look at Seungmin. “I’ll join you shortly.”

As soon as Seungmin rounds the couch and disappears from view, Wooyoung’s attention settles directly on Jisung and he just stares. Stares and stares until it starts to feel uncomfortable and Jisung twitches under the scrutiny. “What?”

“Talk to me. Something is clearly bothering you and as another human in this mess, I might be able to give you insight,” Wooyoung says and while it’s a kind offer, he doesn’t really know how or what to ask. Yes, Wooyoung probably understands him better than many of the others, but this isn’t even about MayFly or what they’ve been up to. Now that things are at an impasse with their plans, his mind has had too much room to wander, and it keeps coming back to the kiss and subsequent ‘talk’ that’s looming over his shoulder.

Then again, Wooyoung is also successfully in a relationship with a hybrid. A cat hybrid, at that. Maybe he could get some good insight from him…? “How did you know that you love San?”

The feet that have been incessantly tapping at his legs pause and Jisung peeks over to see a shit-eating grin on Wooyoung’s face before he scoots up and draws his legs into a twist in front of him. “Oh? Is this you admitting you have feelings for Minho still?”

“Can you please not tease me about this right now?” Jisung can feel the pout in his voice as he asks, but he already feels too sensitive on this topic to take a ribbing for it.

Wooyoung’s grin turns softer as he folds his hands together in front of him, resting on his legs. “Okay, sorry! Let’s see… well, San and I are very different. I always thought love was supposed to be some big, grand occasion where you shout it from the rooftops, but San isn’t like that. He’s thoughtful and supportive. Even if he doesn’t constantly say what he’s feeling, he always makes sure to show me through actions and at first, I didn’t appreciate it because I didn’t think it was enough… until I realized that it’s better that way. Love should be dependable and secure.

“We can’t really predict anything in life, but it’s nice to know that he’ll always be there to help whenever things get tough. I know he’d drop anything to help me if I ever mentioned I needed something and that’s become way more romantic than anything he could have bought or said to me. I mean, would you rather have someone that says pretty words that you might not believe or someone that proves time and time again that they’ll be there for you? I know my choice,” Wooyoung says.

His words answer questions he didn’t even know he had, thinking back to all the ways that Minho has been there for him lately. It is much nicer than flowers or cute dates could ever be, even if he wouldn’t mind those things either. Maybe he’s just been thinking of things too rigidly without allowing the space to be open-minded? Yet there’s one glaring thing that has held him back despite everything else. “What if he hurt you…”

“Well,” Wooyoung says, tapping his fingers against each other as he looks at Jisung earnestly. “I think it would depend on why he hurt me. Like, let’s say he lied to me,” he proposes and Jisung already knows he’s about to make his comment extremely pointed to his exact situation with Minho. “If he did it just to hurt me, I would walk away. But if he did it because he was worried and thought it was the only thing to do because maybe he sucked at words and admitting when he has a weak spot, then I think I could try and look past it.”

“Just like that?”

Wooyoung snorts, eyebrows doing a little dance on his forehead. “Absolutely not. I’d make him grovel and make it up to me first.” Jisung doesn’t even know what Minho groveling could possibly look like. The very idea of it is strange, though he should know better than to think Wooyoung would end his explanation there. “I’d make him eat me out for like two weeks straight before I let him fuck me again.”

Jisung groans, grabbing a throw pillow to toss at the other’s head. Wooyoung deflects it at the last moment, smacking it back down on the couch between them. “Gross. I don’t need to hear about that.”

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t like Minho to service you for a while to make it up to you,” Wooyoung scoffs. “I’ll call bullshit right now.”

“As helpful as you’ve been, I think I’m good now,” Jisung says grabbing the pillow to make one last jab at him. “I’m going to bed.”

Wooyoung sighs before saying, “trust your heart on this.”

--

He’s still wide awake, staring at the ceiling when the door to their bedroom opens and Minho creeps in. Just as he shuts the door, he catches Jisung watching him and his entire body relaxes, like all the tension melts out in an instant. “You should be asleep. It’s almost two in the morning.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Jisung grumbles, turning to his side to face the path Minho walks in as he approaches the dresser with all their gifted clothes stashed inside and strips his shirt off. Jisung tries not to watch too intently as his back flexes when he rifles through the clothing options. Wooyoung’s words come back to him and as much as he’d like to go beat him with a pillow again, he can admit there was some validity to them as well…

Minho swaps his clothes for a set of sweats and a loose t-shirt before making his way to the bed and climbing in beside Jisung. “Do you think you can sleep now?”

Like the other times they’ve laid beside each other, it works to center him until his thoughts stop racing. Just being near him is like a dose of tranquilizer for his mind. Yet unlike the times they’ve laid together, he also feels a deep sense of yearning in his gut. In the low light, Minho looks inviting in a way that disarms him and he wonders if the late hour is adding to the desire to throw caution to the side.

Their eyes are locked as Minho just takes him in, the space between them both too much and yet just small enough to feel intimate. He’s been running through Wooyoung’s words and his own thoughts and memories for hours now. So many possibilities are laid out in front of him and he still doesn’t necessarily know what he wants, but he does know one thing he needs to get off his chest.

“I forgive you,” Jisung says, quiet in the space between them. “For… well, for everything. I don’t think I ever actually said it before.”

Minho looks tired, but his eyes are still bright as he listens intently. “Thank you.”

That thick feeling is back between them, like the air is turning into something more tangible by the second. He could almost reach out and grasp it, he thinks. It prompts him to speak again, saying what he’s been secretly thinking about in an endless loop. “Can I kiss you again?”

“Can I kiss you the way I want to?”

The question surprises him. He kind of just expected Minho to agree and be scooting closer already, but now he has to really ponder it. Actually think through if this is such a good idea. Ultimately, he just wants to feel him again. Desperately wants to know if this kiss will be just as good without the pumping adrenaline through his veins. “Yes.”

Minho is in motion almost immediately, scooting closer and then pushing Jisung back until he’s flat on his back. His legs part on instinct as the hybrid climbs over him and settles there. “Only kisses, I promise,” he says, so close that his words brush against Jisung’s lips before he closes the last distance between them to lock their mouths together.

A buzz of excitement goes through Jisung, though he can’t help realizing just how right this feels. Here, in the thin hours between night and morning with Minho over him, elbows bracketing his head as he patiently licks into Jisung’s mouth. He stifles a whimper, shifting his head until they fit together more seamlessly and meets his tongue in the middle. Despite the depth of their kissing, it still feels light and sweet. Tepid... yet longing.

Jisung gets lost in it, not sure how long they spend in this quiet moment together before Minho pulls back and pecks a quick kiss to his cheek before rolling off of him and drawing Jisung into his arms. His entire body molds against Jisung’s back before he presses one more kiss to the side of his neck and says, “thank you. For forgiving me… and this. Letting me be close to you again.”

There are many things he could, and probably should, say but he doesn’t. Instead, he just snuggles further against him and lets his eyes close so he can sleep with this lightness in his chest.

Trust his heart... he thinks he can do that.

--

Breakfast is a stiff, silent affair as everyone gathers around the courtyard to pick at their food. With the way Chan looks like he still hasn’t slept, everyone is a little fearful to set him off. Not that he’s mean, he’s just stressed and anyone within a hundred yards of him could probably tell he’s on the verge of cracking at any moment.

Jisung doesn’t blame him. He knows that he has a special ‘bond’ to Jeongin and also takes the burden of everyone’s wellbeing onto his shoulders.

Just as he takes another bite of his food and starts chewing slowly, he feels something soft brush against the arm that’s limp at his side. When he peeks down, he sees an orange and cream tail wrapping around his arm loosely. Minho is munching away at his breakfast beside him, but the side of his lip quirks when he feels Jisung’s eyes on him. Even if he doesn’t constantly say what he’s feeling, he always makes sure to show me through actions…

He tries to ignore the way it makes his chest flutter, letting Minho’s tail stay anchored around him as he keeps eating his food.

They’re starting to wrap everything up when hurried footsteps sound from the entrance to the courtyard. Jisung turns in time to see Soyeon rushing into the space, hair lightly tangled and cheeks pink. She must have been running, considering she always look so perfectly put together.

“I have a lead. On the two that were taken at the riot,” she says, though she has to stop for a second to take a deep breath before she continues. Chan is already out of his seat and rushing to her side as she says, “Yang Auction House is having a masquerade in two days. Two high-dollar ‘items’ up for sale. A rogue cop and… their own son.”

Everything stops, Jisung’s ears rushing with the sound of his blood.

Chapter Text

“Why would they sell their own son?”

The question has been suspended in the middle of his thoughts ever since Soyeon came to deliver the news. His breakfast had gone cold before Minho took the remnants to their kitchen to start washing everything since it’s their turn for meal cleanup, leaving Jisung down in the courtyard with Chan, Hongjoong, and Soobin. He just can’t understand any of the news. Changbin makes sense, kind of. Despite not being a hybrid, there are a lot of people in the underground that would jump at a chance to ‘own’ a former cop.

That thought makes his arms go tingly. Who knows what they would do to him. He’ll be a trophy piece. Someone to parade around and try to break…

“They’ve let him do his own thing instead of helping with the family business,” Chan says, pulling Jisung’s gaze towards him. “What we’re doing, though, goes directly against the Yang’s entire lifestyle… and they’ve never been above something like this. You know the saying blood is thicker than water, but the Yangs operate on loyalty. Blood has absolutely nothing to do with it. Jeongin being involved with this brings direct shame to them amongst their circle of ‘friends’.”

From an objective, completely fucked view, it makes sense. Take care of the person that’s making trouble for your business and then everything will fix itself. Except he’s their own fucking son and they’re selling him. There’s absolutely nothing to justify that. “So, what do we do?”

“We’re going to the masquerade,” Chan says, simply.

Soobin and Hongjoong exchange concerned glances before Hongjoong says, “that’s not going to be easy. We’re all targets for the exact people in attendance, and I don’t even think we can get inside. They have an intricate invite system. Not to mention we just got the public’s attention. There have been riots cropping up around the country since the first one and we need to foster them.”

Jisung hadn’t even thought of those aspects. Surely, it’s much more difficult to get into an event like this than just showing up and flashing cash. Do they even have that kind of cash at their disposal? From all he’s gathered, their money has been used to prepare almost as soon as it hits their accounts. How much do hybrids even go for…? Especially rare ones with a coveted name tied to them?

Then there’s the issue of the riots. Ever since the first one at the rally, small riots have been breaking out throughout all of Korea. With Namjoon’s insistence, they’d ‘named’ the documents they released that day as The Mayfly Papers, and they’ve already been distributed all over social media with #MayFlyPapers, as well as footage being tagged with just #MayFly. This is exactly what they’ve been hoping for and he can’t help stressing over losing the traction they’ve been gaining.

“TXT and BtoB teams should focus on the riots. Go to them and assist however you can. Leave the masquerade to mine and Hongjoong’s teams,” Chan says, looking at Soobin specifically. Then, he turns to Hongjoong as he says, “You and I just need to decide who is going. It’s going to have to be pairs. One human with one hybrid, and you know what that’s going to entail. I’ll take care of getting us inside.”

The others seem to fully understand what exactly the instructions entail with the way they nod along but Jisung doesn’t have a damn clue. Again. Before he can ask, Chan speaks again. “And we’re going to need clothes. Nice clothes and face masks that will hide our identities both hybrid and human.”

“I think I know how to handle that,” Hongjoong says, sly smile spreading on his face. “It’s been a while since we’ve made a night trip to Apgujeongp-ro.”

“I have a connection for masks,” Soobin adds. When they give him an odd look he shrugs. “Don’t ask.”

He certainly wants to ask, but everyone is already scampering away to get to work on their individual tasks, leaving Jisung to sit at the picnic table on his own in deep thought. Until he hears his name being called and looks up to see Minho gesturing at him from their apartment door. “Come help us with the dishes!”

“Yeah, you lazy ass,” Wooyoung tacks on, though he starts cackling and rushes from the door the second Minho whirls on him.

Jisung can’t help smiling as he pushes to his feet and heads for the stairs. Whatever comes next for them, he’ll just go with it.

--

Just as the night fully sets in, Jisung finds himself trailing after Yunho, San, Wooyoung, Mingi, and Minho down the steps towards their van. Everyone that will be attending the masquerade has been split into groups to go find attire so as to not attract too much attention. As if breaking into high-price designer stores isn’t a risk in itself. At least the others seem relaxed and not at all worried about their midnight adventure.

They have five total groups going inside the auction house: Wooyoung with San, Yunho with Mingi, Hyunjin with Seungmin, Ryujin with Chan, and then Jisung with Minho. Getting ten people inside is already going to be a stretch, but after much discussion it was decided as the best course of action to make sure they have all their bases covered.

Now, they just need to make sure they all look the part and don’t stick out too much.

Minho pulls the side door of the van back, then stands beside it as he waves for Jisung to climb in and get settled into the back first. Mingi and Yunho are in the front seats because, according to Wooyoung, they are the ones with ‘freakishly long legs’ and need the extra space. He’d gotten a thump to the back of his head from Mingi for that one.

“Where are we headed to,” Jisung asks once he’s settled, and Minho is beside him with their shoulders against the back door.

“I’m thinking Chanel,” Wooyoung says wistfully, giving him a wide grin. “I saw their catalogue online and I think it’ll look lovely on us.”

Chanel. Jisung has never in his life worn anything even remotely as expensive as he assumes their clothing costs. Even when he had all of his money still, the most he would splurge on was the occasional item from Supreme that still felt exorbitant. Then again, if they were going to fit in something like Chanel would have to do. He just shrugs in response and settles back further, listening to the hum of the van as they traverse through the dark city streets.

--

“How exactly are we getting inside…”

Despite the shadows around them, the street is still brightly lit by rows and rows of streetlights that practically put a spotlight on them. Not opportune conditions for breaking and entering, if he had to guess.

“The back entrance,” Yunho says like it’s obvious. Which, honestly, it kind of is even if Jisung isn’t well versed in petty crime. “They don’t really check the alleyways because they usually don’t have to worry about those doorways.” The way he says it, leaving the ‘except for us’ unsaid gives Jisung a boost of confidence as he strolls along behind them. At the very least, he’s just along for the journey and nothing will really be expected of him.

As they work their way down the alleyway out back, Jisung feels Minho looming closer until he’s practically wrapped around his shoulder. “We’ll just pick something quick and get out,” he says, quietly so that Jisung is the only one to hear. “Even if they plan on putting on a fashion show.”

He’s not about to argue that. The faster they find suits and leave, the better he’ll feel about this. Not that he’s got a perfect reputation or track record anymore, but he still doesn’t really enjoy breaking the law. Jisung isn’t meant for the criminal lifepath.

They close around a door where the light above it is half burnt out, the remaining half flickering as it holds on. With this dim lighting, Jisung can barely make out the crowbar San pulls out of the bag he’s been carrying at his side. Part of him wants to ask about why the hell they have a crowbar, but he just keeps quiet as the hybrid fits it into the tiny space between the door and frame, near the latch. Once in place, San takes a settling breath and then pushing against it with all his strength, jaw clenching with the force he puts behind it. The door bows, but not by much with how sturdy it is.

It takes him several times before he manages to pry the steel door open, but then they are somehow walking through the opening and shutting it as best they can behind them.

The store is gloomy when they enter, though they know better than to turn on the lights and practically announce their presence. Jisung can’t help finding it ironic that his first time in a high-end store is going to be spent pawing around the clothing racks and hoping he can find something that makes sense together.

“Over here,” Minho says, grabbing onto his upper arm to lead him towards one wall of what he thinks are suits. From the lights outside, he’s just barely able to make out the shapes of items around him and he’s grateful Minho can see better in the dark than he can. “What are your sizes?”

Jisung hasn’t had to really think about that in a long time. Not when his wardrobe is entirely made out of hand-me-downs. His measurements end up being a guestimate, taking what he wore the last time he got anything remotely tailored and then narrowing down on the sizing to accommodate how much more active he’s been lately. He’s left to watch as Minho flips through various pants and then throws a couple over his arm, continuing on to the suit jackets.

On the other side of the story, Jisung can hear San and Wooyoung giggling as they rip through the clothing there far less politely. In fact, from what he can see, Wooyoung has two jackets on at the same time—one on each arm as he holds them out for San to look at and pick. At least Yunho and Mingi seem to be making quick work of picking out clothes over by where the tall people shop.

“Let’s try these on,” Minho murmurs, and Jisung notices that he’s keeping his voice low despite the fact that they’re the only ones here. Is he… nervous? That’s a first. At least from what Jisung can tell. Still, he follows him in the direction of the changing rooms where Minho leads them to one of the stalls and then turns his phone flashlight on to illuminate the cramped space.

Jisung hesitates just outside of it, watching Minho hang everything up in what appears to be two distinct bunches. One for him and one for Jisung. “Uh… the same room?”

The hybrid looks at him strangely as he settles the last of the clothing for them. “This is far from our first time changing in front of each other.”

While that’s true, it doesn’t necessarily mean Jisung is equipped to do it again right now! He wavers again, looking into the cramped space that’s oddly lit in one corner where Minho set his phone screen-down. Minho gives him another odd look before saying, “I’ll turn my back. You can take the side by the mirror if that will make you more comfortable.”

There doesn’t seem to be any other option. He either has to drop his clothing here and stop feeling embarrassed or he has to change in the pitch black which sounds like a fucking headache since he hasn’t worn a suit in forever. But why is he even this hesitant in the first place? Like Minho said, this is far from the first time they’ve changed in the same space.

Perhaps it’s the kisses they’ve shared and the unresolved pressure that keeps lingering between them because of it? Before he can keep acting like a nervous teenager, Wooyoung and San waltz into the space with their arms positively heaping with clothing and head for the changing stall at the end of the row, though they don’t bother to even make it all the way inside before they start pulling their clothing off.

With a sigh, Jisung steps into the changing space and watches Minho yank the curtain closed before they stand back-to-back, and he pulls his hoodie and shirt over his head. Because Minho gave him the side with the mirror for his privacy, it means that he gets a full view of the other as he strips in tandem with him. Despite the fact that Minho has never been shy to strip or show his body around literally anyone, it still feels a little taboo to be getting this sneak peek of his broad back and tapered waist as he fiddles with the clothing hung up for them.

It's been a while since Jisung has gotten such an uninterrupted view of Minho like this—barring the few glimpses when they get ready for bed. It makes his stomach feel strange, like a roiling in its depths that he absolutely refuses to acknowledge. It’s not the time to reminisce about that past or let that thought carry into anything else.

To his horror, while staring absentmindedly at the hybrid’s musculature, Minho grabs onto a pair of slacks and turns in time to meet his eyes in the mirror, instantly letting his arms lower as his head cocks to the side. “Ah, here I thought you were nervous to change in front of me. I had no idea you just wanted to get a private show without me knowing.”

He feels his cheeks warm in mortification, ripping his eyes away from Minho’s and instead reaching for the slacks so he can grab them and shimmy out of his jeans. Leave it to him to get caught staring like an idiot and give Minho the wrong idea… is it the wrong idea?

Jisung slaps that thought away, swapping his pants for the soft material of the luxury slacks instead. They feel weird already. Out of place. He’s never been meant for luxury like this, but he can’t lie and say it doesn’t feel nice to pull them on.

A shirt smacks against his back, catching on his shoulder. His eyes instinctively snap up to see a smirk on Minho’s face as he turns back around to grab his own shirt. Jerk. A quiet grumble leave his lips as he pulls the shirt from its resting spot and instead pulls it on, buttoning everything up before shoving the tails into the slacks so he can button them up.

Somehow, the clothes fit him perfectly on the first try and he’s rather impressed with the fact that he estimated his sizing so well. Not to mention how nice the actual clothing feels once it’s on. It’s making him at least marginally excited for their upcoming mission though he’s still mostly concerned and worried over it.

Just as he finishes with the cuffs, Minho says, “alright, ready for the jacket?”

He nods, turning around to see Minho holding it up so that he can easily slip his arms into it. He maneuvers around until the hybrid slips it over his shoulders so he can get everything settled properly. It fits like a glove, sliding down his arms until it snuggly covers his shoulders. His fingers rush to button the front before he steps in front of the mirror and takes it in.

Considering he’s worn suits before; this shouldn’t be such a shocking sight to him. Maybe it’s just the cut of this one in particular but he looks… good. Much better than he can confidently say he has in a long time. He does a few twists in front of the mirror to take it all in before noticing Minho stepping up beside him, though the second he does all thoughts of his own appearance drain out of his mind like a plug has been pulled.

Minho looks… wow. That’s all he can really think as he takes in the hybrid standing beside him with his own luxury suit practically dripped over his skin. It fits like a glove. A very, very nice glove.

Once he’s done fiddling with his own buttons, Minho looks up and catches his eyes in the mirror again and there’s this look there. One that Jisung hasn’t seen in a long time but could place anywhere. Want. He feels transported, momentarily, to late nights in his old apartment. To lying beneath the hybrid, their bodies together as one.

The space is dark considering it’s only illuminated by the cell phone in the corner, but there’s a certain darkness to Minho’s eyes right now that transcends just their current lighting. Jisung feels caught in a web, strung up and stuck helplessly beneath that gaze as a solid pressure wraps around his hip. His eyes dip to where Minho’s hand rests along the waistband of his slacks, fingers bunching up the material of his jacket. “What do you think?”

He barely hears the words spoken to him, trapped in place. Is Minho asking about his own suit… or the one currently on Jisung right now? If he’s honest, they’re both perfect and Jisung doesn’t feel nearly as bad for breaking into this store right now. “It’s good,” he says, voice soft between them as his eyes stay frozen to the hand at his waist.

“Good.” Minho’s fingers flex around him, pressing into him harder in a way that makes his knees feel like they’ve been replaced with cotton balls. He moves closer, bringing the warmth of his body as he steps behind Jisung and slides his hand further up the jacket. Jisung can’t hold back a gasp at the touch, eyes lifting just enough to see the way Minho’s eyes narrow.

Everything else melts away, leaving him hyper focused on where they’re connected. His heart is skittering to keep up with the flood of emotions. Fear, shame, and… desire.

It’s like he’s fallen into a trance, partially worried what might happen next but also on the edge of his proverbial seat to see what it could lead to. With all of their time spent so close together lately, and the thoughts that won’t stop popping up anytime he gets a moment to himself, he feels a sort of… excitement. Expectation. He wants Minho to push more and take whatever it is he’s clearly wanting right now. Wonders what it might feel like to have his hands on him once again after so long without.

The sound of something solid falling outside their changing room makes both of them spring apart, Minho heading straight to the curtain to rip it backwards. Out in the sitting area between the changing stations, there’s a lump of something moving in the center and it takes a long ear poking out of the top for Jisung to realize that it’s Mingi in a mess of clothes that Yunho is currently trying to extract.

“Good job. Bring down the rest of the store next time,” San goads him from their changing area, shirt open over his bare chest as he works cuff links into the ends of his sleeves.

Mingi wrestles out of the clothes, glowering at San as Yunho helps him to his feet. “I only had that much shit because Wooyoung is so indecisive. You’ve tried on at least half the store by now.”

“If you’re going to steal nice clothes, you have to make it worth it,” Wooyoung scoffs as he sticks his head out towards Mingi. “Besides, Minho and Jisung took just as long, and they only tried on one set.”

Jisung feels his neck warming at the insinuation, especially coupled with four sets of eyes staring at them where they stand fully dressed. “We tried on the entire suit,” Minho says with a sigh. “We’re already set while you’re just throwing stuff on for the sake of it. Now hurry up and pick something so we can go.”

His words work to cut the bickering, the others heeding his warning to start picking out their outfits as Minho turns and pulls the curtain shut behind him. Now that the tension from earlier is broken, it’s replaced with an awkward one instead. Jisung doesn’t really know what to do with his hands until Minho starts unbuttoning his suit and fixes him with a glance. “Are you okay with that one?”

“Yes,” he rushes out, suddenly very uncomfortable in the expensive clothing and ready to get back out of it. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

They change back into their original clothes, backs to each other and not a single wandering eye on Jisung’s part as he pulls his jeans back up and then smashes his shoes back onto his feet. He barely gets the suit back on the hanger before he turns to find Minho getting his own ready for transport. With that as a cue, Jisung exits the changing booth to find the others in their suits, checking over the fits. They all look really nice, though he can’t help his mind going back to the way Minho had filled out his suit in particular. It’s going to be a wonder if he makes it through their mission without getting distracted at least once. Though the idea that Jeongin and Changbin’s wellbeing is on the line is enough to remind him that they come first. He’ll have to shelve whatever this is with Minho once again.

“We should look at collars while we’re here,” Yunho says as he pulls his suit jacket from his body and hangs it back up.

Collars? Jisung turns to give Minho a confused look just as he exits from their changing room and sees the slight disdain the hybrid has for the words. “We’re going to have to look the part,” is all he says before he walks back Jisung and back into the main store.

He hesitates, still hung up on ‘collar’ before deciding to follow after Minho and see where he wandered to. There’s a bad feeling starting to simmer in his stomach, only getting worse when he sees the entire display set up for specially branded collars and leashes. Jisung didn’t even know they sold such things, and it makes him a little angry if he’s honest. Why the fuck would anyone make let alone sell them?

Minho runs his fingers over the leather of a thick, black band with an unreadable look on his face before he dips inside the feel the material there. “Minho…” Jisung says quietly, keeping his voice private and between only them. The moment feels intense in a way he didn’t predict.

“I used to have to wear them,” Minho says, still reverently running his fingertips along the inside. “It’s… a sign of ownership. A signal that a hybrid is not their own.”

Jisung is at a loss for words. He hates that anyone ever thought they could do something like that to another person. Hates the fact that people are still doing it behind closed doors, though hoping to make it the new normal. “I’m sorry,” he says as he steps closer, meaning it. He is sorry. Mostly that Minho had to go through everything he has.

The hybrid sighs as he picks the collar up and then reaches for a matching leash. “It’s fine. That’s not my reality anymore and I never intend to let it happen again.”

Jisung’s only solace is the conviction in those words that match his own feelings in his heart. Never again.

--

The ride back to their apartment feels solemn, Jisung carding his fingers through the clothing they picked out. They’d spent another hour in the store before everyone had their outfits picked out for the masquerade, managing to make it back to the van and out of the vicinity without any incidents. It’s likely because so many of the police force are tangled with the riots still emerging around the city.

As his fingers brush through the fabric again, he sees the sizing labeled there under a flash of streetlights. They’re not the sizes he said at all. Not really even close.

Had… Minho known what size he would need and decided to pick them instead? He remembers how perfectly the suit molded to his body and that makes a strange, warm feeling rush through his stomach at the thought.

When he glances over at Minho, the hybrid is staring out the window deep in thought.

--

“Is everyone ready?”

Chan’s voice is enough to pull Jisung out of his thoughts, looking up to where their leader stands in his fitted black suit, his own collar fit snuggly around his throat. He cleans up well. Much better than Jisung would have expected, but that extends to all of them. The room is packed with his friends all dressed to the nines as they make their final preparations for the night.

The game plan is simple: get inside and figure out how the hell they can get both Jeongin and Changbin out of the building with as little flare as possible. Easy on paper; impossible in reality.

“How are we getting inside,” Jisung asks because he’s been fretting over that hurdle for the last four hours as they arrived at a nearby hotel and started to get ready. Hoseok booked out all the suites for them and is set up with Yoongi to run comms for them. Thankfully, with all the work Jeongin has done to free hybrids throughout the years he still has a solid connection set up to the Yang Auction House that will allow them to watch over the events of the night.

Chan stretches his neck from side to side before saying, “Yedam.”

Jisung can’t help but blurt, “what?” Yedam? Who or what the hell is that?

“He’s Jeongin’s friend. One of the youngest recruits the Yangs have ever taken on and practically raised alongside him. I have it on good authority that he’ll be managing the entrance from seven to nine,” Chan explains. “We just need to arrive when he’s there and I can use a code word. One that he and Jeongin always used to exchange when shit hit the fan. I’m assuming he’ll understand my intention for using it.”

This plan is stupid. Already, Jisung can tell it’s stupid. Not only because it isn’t even a plan but because they’re basing everything on a person they haven’t even met. If Yedam is a part of the Yang family in any way, there’s no telling he will actually be sympathetic to his friend’s predicament. What if he turns them in as soon as they approach?

“Do you actually know this Yedam or is this going based off of hope?” At least Yunho is being the voice of reason here.

“No. But we’re going to try it anyways. Ryujin and I will head in first and test it. If he lets us in, then we tell him we have others coming along and Yoongi and Hoseok can let you know. If we get apprehended, then you just have two extra people to break out of there.”

Jisung is two seconds away from calling the entire thing for what it is: a fool’s errand but the looks around the room mirror his own feelings so perfectly that he flounders. Is no one confident in this? Usually, Jisung is the only one feeling completely out of his depth when they go into something. He’s not sure how he feels about everyone looking so worried. In fact, it kind of makes him want to soldier on for all of them? It’s not like they can just give up even if he wants to.

“Okay. So, you go in first, then we follow. Then what?”

“Then we figure out where they’re holding them. The plan so far is for Ryujin and me to go after Jeongin and Hyunjin and Seungmin to go after Changbin. The rest of you will be watching our backs,” Chan says, giving a nod to those he mentioned by name.

So Jisung and Minho are just backup. That, at least, makes him feel a little better. “And you’ll want these,” Chan says, completely obliterating that thought when he drags a metal case towards himself and pops it open to reveal pistols. Many, many pistols. The likes of which have never once been this close to Jisung in his entire life.

“Guns!? What the hell do we need guns for,” he practically yelps, looking at the stack of them in shock. The thing is guns just aren’t very common in Korea. Aside from law enforcement and the straight up mafia, people don’t really have them. It makes him feel shaky just looking at them.

“Better safe than sorry,” Minho says beside him before stepping forward to grab one and slip it into the waistband of his trousers just above his ass. When the jacket falls back into place, you can’t even tell it’s there but now Jisung knows, and it makes him nervous. His last experience with a gun ended horribly and he’s not exactly excited for a repeat. “I’ll hold it. You don’t need one.”

The others step forward the distribute the rest until the pile of guns are instead concealed amongst their group and Chan gives them all a nod. “Okay. The code word is dolphin. Once we make it inside, you start coming to join and use that to signal you’re with us. Remember your masks and leashes.”

Jisung never once in his life would’ve assumed he would be on the receiving end of nearly half those words, let alone strung together. With a sigh, he turns to the table behind him and grabs his mask off the surface. It’s all black with jeweled accents that will hide the majority of his face. Minho’s mask, on the other hand, is carefully sculpted to cover the bottom half of his face. Everything below his eyes is covered as he slips it into place.

When Soobin had arrived with the stack of masks, still pointedly refusing to answer where they came from, they’d sifted through them as Minho explained that ‘owners’ cover the top half of their faces while ‘pets’ cover the bottom. It’s been the tradition at every auction since the beginning of the Yang family’s ownership. Almost like a muzzle being placed on the hybrids and when coupled with the collars and leashes the entire thing just feels humiliating. Jisung doesn’t need to be in their position to empathize.

“Let’s head out.”

--

The Yang Auction house is massive. One of the largest privately owned residences in all of Korea and practically covered in gold. It’s gaudy in a way that Jisung didn’t realize a building could be yet here they are. Ten-foot walls surround the estate like a kind of fortress, leaving a single point of entry for all guests: the gate.

Everyone gathers in their vans two streets over, listening to Yoongi and Hoseok through their ear pieces as they narrate the approach of Chan and Ryujin to the front door. It’s a little like listening to a sports broadcast, play by plays being quickly spoken and sometimes even overlapping. Jisung just hopes they quiet down once everyone makes it inside or else he’ll never be able to pay attention.

“They’re walking up to the gate now.”

“Oh, I think they’re almost there.”

“Chan is saying ‘dolphin’ now.”

“This Yedam kid looks like he just saw a ghost.”

“Talking still”

“Ah, they’re going inside! Okay, time for you guys to get ready. Chan just nodded to the camera and gave the signal!”

At Hoseok’s excited exclamation, they side the doors to the van open and do a final check-over of each other with all their gear in place. Alright. This is really it. Jisung is about to sneak into one of the most notoriously guarded events in Korea. Cool.

Minho’s hand wraps around his arm before he can start freaking out too badly, leaning in to say, “this isn’t going to be like any other time we’ve gone on a mission. This, the auction and everyone inside, are not like the government. Just… try not to let it overwhelm you.”

Chapter Text

The weight of the leather leash feels strange in his hand as he keeps step with Minho on their way up to the Yang Auction House. His nerves are so thick, they feel corded around his throat making it ache. His hands are sweaty, making his grip falter on the handle when it shifts with each step closer. Jeongin and Changbin. You’re doing this for them, he reminds himself, trying to regain focus and even a hint of calm as they step closer to the kid that must be named Yedam.

At first glance, he really does look like a kid. His face is youthful, and he reminds Jisung so much of Jeongin it’s crazy. Even when he peers over his clipboard and says, “Name?”

A subtle jab to his ribs has Jisung whispering, “dolphin.” As soon as they made their way towards the auction house, he’s had to assume his role for the night: owner. And Minho his: pet. As such, Minho cannot speak and the burden of this part of their mission falls entirely on Jisung’s shoulders.

Yedam looks at him for a long moment, eyes roving between him and Minho several times before they receive a curt nod and the guy steps to the side. “Welcome to the Yang Auction House. Please proceed to the front doors.”

Jisung tries really hard not to sigh in relief, but he’s fairly certain a gust of breath escaped him anyways. Step one is down, now they just need to make it through the next one. He shifts the leash handle in his hand again, trying not to fidget with it too much as they take the steps that lead to the heavy front doors. Confidence. He absolutely has to exude it if they’re going to make it through this. With that thought alone, he tightens his grip and steps ahead of Minho the closer they get.

The doors are solid wood, carved with foxes and flowers in ornate detail. What a mockery of their own family to have their likeness displayed so prominently when they plan to sell Jeongin to the highest bidder. Jisung still can’t wrap his head around that, but he supposes he never will.

Through the doors, he’s shocked to see the extent of how grand everything feels. Every centimeter of the space was taken into consideration when it was crafted, all setting an imposing feeling from the second they cross the threshold into the house. Jisung can’t even imagine what it must have been like growing up in such lavishness. Even trying to picture a baby Jeongin running around the space only makes him want to scoff. You’d never realize just by meeting Jeongin that this is what he comes from.

The main room is set up like a grand ballroom as soon as they enter, packed with humans and their leashed companions. It’s a wild scene to take in, considering this is his debut into the underworld of Korea’s hybrid trafficking. He feels his eyes widening with each new detail he takes in around them. Even with how fancy he’s felt in his suit, he looks like a commoner amongst kings with the way others have gone all out. Ball gowns and tuxedos, thick, precious-metal watches and jewelry that scream money and affluence. He feels suddenly absurd standing in his head-to-toe Chanel look.

A tug on the leash steals his attention, looking to see Minho subtly leading him to the left. There, he sees what is basically a dais set up with a large, golden cage lifted above the crowd for all to see. There, perched on a red, crushed velvet chaise lounge is Jeongin. Though he doesn’t look like any Jeongin Jisung has ever seen before. Especially not with the lavish hanbok in silky gold and blue tied around his body. A heavy looking sapphire-encrusted collar wraps around his throat.

He looks like a doll. Not real. Not possibly his dear friend.

A morbid fascination sets in and he walks towards it, though being tethered to Minho keeps him from getting too close. They can’t give themselves away just yet, but he needs to get closer. Needs to check on Jeongin and make sure he’s okay. Or, as okay as he can be dressed up like a prized possession for the night.

Minho leads them closer, but not too close. They can’t show a level of interest higher than anyone else in the room and Jisung knows that. The quickest way to stand out (which they do not want) is to act different from everyone else. He needs to channel his inner ‘rich man’ and try to play the part tonight, no matter how foreign it feels.

“He’s a lovely treasure, isn’t he,” a deep timber sounds from beside Jisung. With how focused he is on Jeongin, he practically jumps out of his skin but manages to keep it together before turning to see an older man in his own fancy attire, a meek hybrid practically cowering beside him. Their masks are matching silver with cat details that mimic the hybrid’s own features from what Jisung can tell. He’s a terrible person, Jisung decides just from that and his words alone. Though Jisung has to stay cool headed and home in on being an equally terrible person tonight if they’re going to succeed.

Pointedly ignoring Minho at his side, Jisung hums and says, “a very lovely treasure indeed.”

“I admit I was surprised to see him listed tonight. I’ve had my eye on him for a while. He looks so easy to overpower,” the man says, and Jisung might spit acid on him in a second if he has to hear another word like that come out of him. Saliva pools in his mouth, stomach knotting angrily.

He’s grateful that the mask mostly conceals his grimace before he says, “I see I have competition.”

That makes the man laugh, clapping a hand on his shoulder before saying, “may the best man win.” Then he walks away, still laughing lowly to himself and leaving Jisung to forcibly un-clench his fist from the leather that digs into his palm.

“This is already fucking disgusting,” he murmurs to Minho, whose eyes are set on the ground. “I don’t know how we’re going to get through this at all.”

“Everyone is inside,” Yoongi’s voice informs them as they stand off to the side at Jisung’s behest. He doesn’t want to risk running into anyone else or having to play conformist in such a setting. Instead, he’s been watching the way everyone interacts around each other. How some command the space while others seem content to just mingle and wait for the main attraction.

With Jeongin hoisted up on a literal pedestal, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get him out of there without some crazy maneuver. Another worrying thing: he hasn’t seen Changbin. Where the hell is Changbin?

He catches sight of Yunho and Mingi in the crowd, practically a beacon to everyone else with how well they match each other. They’re a commanding pair, something that Yunho is using to his advantage as he gets to work schmoozing everyone around them. It helps that Mingi looks so exotic with his ears and hair. They’ve got half the room’s attention on them every time Yunho lets out a belly-laugh and flashes his perfect grin around them.

If only Jisung had an ounce of his charisma. Instead, he’s left to survey like a benchwarmer. Though his vantage point affords him the sight of Ryujin and Chan taking their own chance at the front of the crowd in front of Jeongin and Jisung is able to pick up on the slight widening of Jeongin’s eyes as soon as they land on Chan in front of him. Good. He knows they’ve come for him. Hopefully that will allow him to rest, knowing he won’t be sold tonight without at least ten people ready to fight the entire room for him.

Though they aren’t allowed to speak, it seems a silent exchange is more than enough for Jeongin to visibly relax against the chaise before the pair stalk off in another direction.

Next, his eyes pick up on Wooyoung and San who are crowded in a corner all to themselves and seemingly enjoying the whole collar/leash combination a little too much. Seriously, are they even paying attention right now? He sighs and keeps his eyes moving until he picks up on another tall duo towards the center of the room.

It had been a risk to let Hyunjin come tonight, even with the mask. After his stunt at the rally, he’s been the talk of the city alongside the riots themselves. It’s not like his blonde hair is inconspicuous. Even slicked back, he stands out. Though Seungmin stands out in his own way at his side, tail wagging in a way that appears happy, but Jisung assumes is more of the nervous energy variety.

“Alright, we’ve been going through the feeds when we can access them. It looks like Changbin is being held downstairs?” Yoongi sounds incredulous, but at least it gives them a lead. Somewhere to start.

Jisung lets his eyes roam the crowd again, though they get stuck on a far too familiar figure. Is that… Donghoon? He freezes up, watching the man as he walks through the room like he’s been here a hundred times already. He has a penchant for young hybrids. Jisung is going to be sick. Of course, the guy is a regular with the Yang family.

“That asshole is here,” he practically hisses to Minho, drawing the hybrid’s eyes in the direction he’s staring still.

“Another time,” Minho says so quietly, Jisung barely hears it, but it still works to settle him enough to focus back on the task at hand. As much as he wishes he could do something with the information that Donghoon is here right now, he really can’t. He can’t do much of anything at all. He knows Yoongi and Hoseok are recording everything from the camera feeds and that will have to do.

“Looks like they’re planning to start the auctions in about an hour,” Hoseok says into the ear pieces. “It might be better to wait and strike then? Once they start to move Jeongin out of the cage?”

Jisung wishes he could hear what Chan plans to do, but they’d forgone microphone capabilities tonight with how risky the plan is already. Instead, they’re left to check in on each other physically through the night via cues from Yoongi and Hoseok. For now, he just has to bide his time.

The next forty minutes pass much the same, with everyone in their designated spots either watching (Jisung and Minho) or trying to gather information (Yunho, Mingi, Hyunjin, and Seungmin). Meanwhile, Wooyoung and San are still in their own little world and he hasn’t seen Chan or Ryujin since they’d walked away from the cage.

His legs are starting to ache from standing in one place, urging Jisung to make his way towards the refreshments. Just some water or something else to distract him from the mounting stress and worry that keeps closing in on him. The auction is set to start soon and so far they’ve done nothing. From what he can gather, they really are going to wait until after the auction to make a move and that somehow makes him even more concerned. How in the world are they going to pull this off?

At the bar, Jisung orders himself a glass of water before turning to Minho to ask, “do you want anything? Are you thirsty?”

He sees the warning in Minho’s eyes just before there’s a low chuckle beside him. When he turns towards it, he sees a woman decked out in a near-sheer black dress that hangs elegantly from her shoulders. “My, what a chivalrous master you are.”

“Master,” Jisung repeats, voice pitched in question. What? The fuck?

The woman looks at him curiously, finger tapping against her glass of wine. It’s then that Jisung notices the hybrid crouching beside her, his knees on the floor as he sits at her side. It makes a chill go down his spine. People actually treat hybrids like that? Despite hearing tales from his companions, he’s never really expected it to be so extreme. And open. She’s opening sitting here with her hybrid posed as nothing more than a dog.

“Yes. Master. Why is that title so surprising to you? Is that not what we all are? Masters for our lovely little pets.” Then, she reaches out to rest her hand possessively over the hybrid’s head as her red lips spread into a grin.

Danger. That’s what she emanates. He feels Minho stiffen at his side, which only makes the danger increase tenfold. Who is she and why does her gaze, even hidden behind her elegant silver mask, make goosebumps rise along his back?

His lips open to speak, to say something or literally anything but he can’t find what he wants to say. It amuses her if the quirk of her lips is any indication. “You’re new to this.”

I’m not anything to this he thinks, still at a total loss for words. Not for the first time, he wishes Minho could speak for them and take over this conversation, but he can’t and they both know it. “Yes,” he manages to get out, though it sounds far more put together than he feels. It’s better to admit that he’s basically floundering.

“Yet you have such a handsome companion,” she notes, eyes traveling past him to take in all of Minho. The way she practically rakes her eyes down the hybrid makes Jisung bristle. “He would do well with someone that knows how to handle him. Someone with more experience in breaking confident pets like him, not some unconfident boy with hearts in his eyes.”

Jisung feels his lips curling into a snarl before he can help himself, stepping in front of Minho to block her view of him. Who the fuck does she even think she is to speak of him like that? “We’re good.” He might actually be surprised by how sharp his own voice sounds if he weren’t so focused on how badly he wants to shield Minho from her words and gaze. Is this the kind of shit he had to put up with before? When he was with the Im family?

“Hybrids aren’t meant to be lovers,” she says, amusement in her voice in a way that makes his skin feel icy and cold. “They don’t do well with kindness or affection.”

It’s bait. He knows that, but he can’t help lowering his voice to hiss back, “it’s none of your business that I love him or how he responds to that. I’m not a master and he’s certainly not a fucking pet. He’s a person and not an object in case you didn’t notice, not that I think you’d have any clue how to treat someone as an equal.” He hears a soft gasp behind him, turning just enough to see Minho’s wide eyes on his face. All of a sudden, the leather handle feels blistering. A not so gentle reminder of the power dynamic being enforced upon them right now and that he can’t even check in with Minho. He fucking hates it.

“Say what you will, but I think you’d find a lot of what you do is my business, Han Jisung and Lee Minho,” she says, voice low and dripping in scorn. Jisung can feel the blood draining from his brain as he focuses back on her and tries to make sense of her words. She knows who they are. But he doesn’t have a clue who she is. She absolutely delights in the ashen look on his half-exposed face, adjusting to lean closer to him and purse her red lips into a sneer. “I’m a friendly acquaintance of Donghoon-ssi.”

Jisung is left feeling like an ant caught under the searing, focused light of a magnifying glass. He needs to alert someone. Let them know that they’ve been caught out and walked in here like the trap it so clearly was. The Yangs must have arranged this to flush them out of their hiding spots, gathering them into one place surrounded by everyone that wishes to see them exterminated.

A shuffle of her dress makes a slit he hadn’t previous noticed shift just enough to show a holster strapped to her thigh, though it only contains an ornately handled knife. It’s not a gun, but it’s certainly still terrifying to look at. Especially with the intent behind it. “Enjoy the rest of the night,” she says before laughing and turning back to her wine, leaving him to stand in a trance.

They’re fucked.

How many people are aware of them? How many people clocked them the second they came inside? He swivels his head to take stock of the others, noting that he can’t place Hyunjin or Seungmin anymore. Though he still sees Yunho and Mingi in the center of the room, likely schmoozing everyone that already knows who they are. They’re playing right into things exactly as planned.

“Bathroom,” Minho says beneath his breath, but it’s just loud enough to shake Jisung from his stupor as he turns and leads them that way, legs feeling suddenly wooden and stiff as he tries not to look at anyone they pass. If one more person gives an indication that they know who he is, he might faint on the spot with how dizzy he is.

Jisung doesn’t allow himself to stop or slow down as he heads directly for the bathrooms, which he noted the location of during his incessant people watching earlier. He walks straight inside, shoving the door a little harsher than he really should have but he doesn’t care. As soon as the door shuts, Minho holds up a hand to silence the words on the tip of his tongue, then tilts his head to the side as he walks towards the furthest stall.

Jisung is left to trail after him as Minho checks each one, ensuring they are alone before he turns to him and says, “do you have my phone on you?”

He lets go of the leash, letting it swing down to Minho’s feet as he pulls the device from his inner suit pocket and hands it over. Watching Minho swiftly unlock it and then press it to his ear, Jisung is struck again by just how in control the hybrid always is when shit hits the fan. Because it’s certainly hit the fan right now and he’s just waiting for it to splatter him.

“They know about us,” Minho says into the phone, voice hushed as he keeps eyeing the door. “It’s going to be an ambush. Tell the others. Tell them to be ready and that we’ll need a distraction.”

When he hangs up, he takes a settling breath before holding his phone out for Jisung to take again. Their eyes meet as he’s reaching for it, and he falters at the pure fire in Minho’s eyes. He can’t quite place why it’s there, but feels every singe of it.

“Guys, they’re onto you. Minho just called to confirm. Be careful and be ready to create some chaos as the auction ends,” Hoseok’s voice says into his ear and Jisung hopes everyone hears it. Hopes they heed the warning for what it is and prepare for what comes next.

It’s as his shaky fingers close around the device that Minho says, “Did you mean it?”

Mean it? Jisung tries to go through the conversation with the woman in his mind, but it’s too blurred and dipped in bad feelings to properly remember any of it. The only thing he really knows is that he probably fucked them over way worse than they already were by being impulsive. “Mean what?”

An unreadable expression crosses Minho’s eyes, though Jisung can’t make full sense of it with his lower face covered. “Later.”

It’s short, almost abrupt. Like he’s leaving a lot unsaid and Jisung really wants to know what he missed. Did he go too far when he told her off…? He already knows he fucked things up for them, but just how badly?

“The auction is about to start,” Yoongi’s voice says in his ear, replacing his curiosity with a simple feeling of sticky dread. Fuck.

“Come on,” he says, stepping up to Minho to take the leash delicately in his hands. It’s time to go, whether they’re ready or not. “I hope Chan and Ryujin figured out a plan.”

As soon as they exit the bathroom, the room has shifted. People are no longer lingering or even bothering to act interested in each other. Even with their faces covered in masks, Jisung can’t miss the excitement underneath. He wonders how many are simply bystanders and potential customers. How many are here to assist in capturing them.

He takes inventory of the room as much as he can, seeing a decidedly more tense Mingi and Yunho in the center of the crowd. Wooyoung and San are missing just like the others now and that rockets up his anxiety as they hedge the crowd, sticking towards the back. He can swear eyes are all over him, though no one is looking directly at him anytime he turns his head.

Their comms have gone silent, no longer giving little tidbits and pieces of information from Yoongi and Hoseok and he’s not sure how to feel about that. Surely nothing happened to them, but why would they have stopped communication?

He watches as a tall man with sandy blonde hair and ears that look so familiar takes to the stage and holds a hand up to silence everyone. “Welcome, everyone. As you know, we have a special auction entry up tonight,” he says, turning to give a glare towards Jeongin who looks so small, huddling on himself in the cage. Jisung can feel his heartbeat against his ribcage as he listens to the man continue. “First, however, we have another treat for everyone.”

He hears a pained groan before he sees him. Before they hoist Changbin up onto the makeshift stage, stealing Jisung’s breath away in the process. Spotty, deep bruises line his exposed torso. It looks as though he’d be strung along behind a car and dragged here, the cut on the corner of his mouth still oozing fresh blood even as he levels the crowd with a seething glare as he’s shoved to his knees.

It’s even more dehumanizing than Jisung could’ve been prepared for, and he feels himself swaying on his feet, trying to keep his footing. Only a strong hand on his lower back, no longer giving a shit about appearances, keeps him steady enough to watch as the man presses his shoe to Changbin’s shoulder and presses him down to a bow.

Where the fuck are the others? Even as Jisung cranes his neck, he can’t catch sight of any of them. Yoongi would’ve told them if they’d been caught… right?

“First, we have the offering of a cop turned vigilante. Perfect for anyone who wants practice breaking someone in,” the man says, and several cheers fill the room. Disgusting. All of this is so sickening, and Jisung has never truly been confronted with the worst of humankind until this very moment.

He’s stuck watching in horror as they start the bidding, hands flying up around the room to increase the cost almost relentlessly. It’s a helpless sort of feeling, simply stuck in place to witness such a thing.

When they’ve reached 150 million won, Changbin’s head lifts and his eyes lock onto Jisung’s through the crowd, holding there. The mixture of pain, determination, and the slightest hint of fear have Jisung stepping forward. He only makes it three steps before Minho tugs him back by his waist, making his legs tremble because he wants to do something. Anything to stop this from happening.

Jisung loses track of the auction in Changbin’s gaze, only being brought back into the fold when “SOLD” is screamed out and a man is told to collect his winnings at the end. “We have to do something,” he hisses to Minho, still looking at Changbin and hoping he can convey all of his own fear and pain at having to witness this moment.

“Just wait,” Minho says, the grip on his waist tightening. “Chan will come through. He always does.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees two people appear and sags into Minho. Hyunjin and Seungmin are there, though they look frazzled. At least they’re safe and still free. For now.

From the other side of the room, he catches sight of Wooyoung and San heading towards them. Wooyoung stops right beside Jisung before leaning in and saying, “Yoongi sent a message. The connection to us was cut, so we’re doing this blind. I saw Chan earlier. Said to be ready.”

With that, Wooyoung and San keep walking until they’re near the bar at the back edge of the room and Jisung is left wondering what ‘be ready’ entails. This sounds like really bad news. Whatever the fuck is coming, he knows it’s going to go poorly but they’ve run out of options.

“For our big ticket item of the night,” the man, Jeongin’s father, calls out to everyone. Jisung focuses on him as he directs another person to unlock the cage and draw his friend out. Meanwhile, the man has kept his foot on Changbin’s back this entire time, still securing him in his bowing pose.

When Jeongin comes out of the cage, he is directed to do a twirl for everyone like some sort of show animal. “As the invitation stated, we have a very special item on the docket tonight. Yang Jeongin.” Jisung has never heard a name being spoken so venomously before, bristling at the tone he’d used. While all of this has been particularly shitty, the hatred being directed towards Jeongin by the crowd is the worst so far.

“We’ll do our typical pre-auction inspections,” he says, motioning to the men flanking Jeongin and prompting them to step forward.

“Don’t watch,” Minho says, but he disregards. Jisung can’t look away. Not even as the men grab onto Jeongin’s arms as he starts to pull away. Nor when they reach for the tie holding his hanbok together and tug, pulling it free.

Jeongin cries out as the robe falls open, helpless to stop it. His pained sob makes Jisung feel like he’s been punched in the gut, deep and painful. He looks so scared.

With his eyes glued to Jeongin’s face, Jisung misses the movement beside him at first until there’s a shout. He barely manages to catch sight of Changbin shoving to his feet, knocking Jeongin’s father backwards as he pushes to his feet and lunges for Jeongin, decking one of the men in the face before he can react to this sudden change.

It’s then, in the confusion on stage, that Jisung hears a loud thud and the piercing sound of glass shattering behind him, whipping around with the rest of the crowd to see Wooyoung and San splayed out on the remnants of what used to be an hors d oeuvres table, with Wooyoung giving everyone an apologetic look. “Oh my, I’m so sorry,” he yells, making a show of pulling pieces of food from his clothing. “I think I’m a little drunk. Can someone come help me up?”

Jisung sees the mirth in his eyes, though it’s underlaid with a sharpness he can’t say he’s ever seen on the other’s face. A distraction, obviously. He turns back to the front, seeing all the confusion in the attendees’ eyes as they watch everything unfold.

Changbin wrestles the other man off Jeongin just as his father reaches into his waistband. Jisung is already in motion through the crowd, shouting Changbin’s name as he goes. “Behind you,” he screams out, shouldering his way through the people around him to get to the stage. He doesn’t even know what he’ll do when he gets there, he just knows he needs to go.

A hand wraps around his wrist and halts him as he sees Chan leap onto the stage with his gun drawn, pointing it at the man. Fuck fuck fuck. What is Chan doing!?

From all around him, Jisung hears the shuffling of clothes and freezes as two arms wrap around his arms to hold him fully in place. Despite their strength, the hold is gentle. It has to be Minho. No one else would hold him like this amongst the chaos.

“Let him go,” Chan says, loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. “We’re all walking out of here tonight.”

Mr Yang laughs, leveling him with a piercing glare. “Or what? You’re rather outnumbered. You were never going to walk out of here.”

Jisung takes in those around him, noting all of the drawn weapons. He remembers thinking he’d fallen into a mafia movie back at the very beginning but really, nothing could have prepared him for this exact moment. He would believe anyone that told him this has all been an elaborate nightmare.

He’s on edge. His fight or flight instincts screaming at him to get the fuck out of here, but he can’t move either. Rooted to the spot by his own rattling heart and Minho’s arms, he can’t do anything more than watch as Chan squares off against the man, completely ignoring everyone else currently setting their sights on his back.

“Dolphin,” Chan yells, and it’s just weird enough that it makes half the room pause. Just enough to give an opening for all of their group to be in motion as Chan shoots him in the shoulder with a deafening bang, sending him backwards a meter in shock.

Hyunjin and Seungmin, who were already rushing for the stage, climb on and head directly towards Changbin, wrapping their arms around his waist to keep him upright as Chan turns and sprints for Jeongin.

Jisung doesn’t get to see any more of what happens to them before he’s being pulled backwards by Minho. He tries to get a solid grip on the floor to turn and follow him, but it feels like he’s lost control of all of his motor functions as Minho releases him and draws out his own pistol, stepping in front of him. “We have to go,” he yells as everything descends into chaos.

Considering he’s only ever had brief training on fighting, Jisung knows he’s out of his depth. Especially when the first attacks start around them, knives slashing at him as he ducks and scrambles after Minho through the sea of bodies. The only comfort is that only about thirty percent of the room seem to be in on the mayhem, giving them just enough cushion to make it through without being grabbed outright as people scream and start scattering.

There’s so much movement around him that it disorients him, clinging to the back of Minho’s suit jacket with everything he has. The screaming hurts his ears, though the shots Minho unleashes on those that manage to get close enough to them make it infinitely worse. His throat closes up as he tries to suck down enough air to keep him going, vision blurring on the corners with tears that he can't pinpoint the origin of. Everything?

He catches a glimpse of Wooyoung and San fighting their way through the crowd ahead of them and it looks like they’ll make it to the doors without too much hassle, though he can’t say the same for him and Minho. Being in the center of the room when everything broke apart, they have the lowest chance of making it out of this, but he can’t let himself dwell on that thought.

A body barrels into his from the side, shoving both Jisung and Minho towards the floor just as a shot flies towards the direction they’d just been standing. He’s caught before he hits the ground, head snapping up to see Ryujin’s panicked face. “Run,” is all she says, as if he hasn’t already been fucking running and trying his best to get the fuck out of here. Everything is distorted again, making him feel weak and exhausted. He just wants to collapse for good, but he knows he can't do that. Not yet.

Minho pulls him back to his feet, hand wrapping around his wrist and tugging him towards the door just as Ryujin slips through the crowd in that direction. The crowd is thinning considerably as more and more people file out of the room, leaving them to fight their way through those that remain.

He moves with Minho, trying to stay as fluid as he can as they dodge various attacks that are too fast for him to really process. Minho has been fighting back whenever necessary, clearing the way for them as well as he can with Jisung clinging to his back and he knows they could probably get there easier if he let go, but everything in him is urging him to continue clinging to him. If he lets go, there’s no telling he’ll be able to keep moving.

Once they’re twenty paces from the door, he starts to feel relief. Past the door, he can see the night sky. Can see the freedom dangling right in front of them. They’d have to keep running, of course, but he has that part down by now. He can run. He will run. As much as it takes to get out of here and put all of this behind them.

A sudden yank to his side makes Jisung’s grip falter, stumbling forward as he turns to see a tall man, still wearing his mask, wrapping his arm around Minho’s throat and dragging the hybrid towards him.

Minho’s eyes are wide, terror reflected in them as he struggles against the hold, but the man grabs onto the leash with his other hand and pulls it taut, effectively trapping him there against him. “Got myself a lost cat,” the man says, tightening his grip even further. He has a strange tattoo on his hand. One that Jisung has seen once before, when he’d done research on the Im Family.

His blood runs cold, frozen in place as he watches Minho keep struggling. His eyes turn towards Jisung before he screams, “run! Get the fuck out of here, Jisung!”

Time slows for that singular moment. He takes stock of everything. Behind him is mostly clear, a straight shot to freedom. He could turn and run so easily. With this man and two others closing in and focused on Minho, it would be the perfect opportunity to flee.

His feet don’t move. The thought doesn’t go any further than simple observation as he roots his feet in place and squares his shoulders. “No. Not without you.”

“Jisung,” Minho pleads, body twisting against the man whose hold doesn’t waver even once. He takes a deep breath to settle himself as he stays in place. He’d rather be taken with Minho, with anything that might entail, than leave him behind.

The man scoffs, looking him up and down. He knows he doesn’t look like much of an opponent, but he doesn’t even care right now. The fear has been replaced with determination. And adrenaline. Definitely a lot of adrenaline. His fingers reach up to find the edge of his mask, ripping it off his face then pointedly looking at Minho as he does so. With the guy’s arm where it is, he might be able to bite him if he can get his own mask off.

Not that he can watch to see what happens when the two men that were approaching descend on him, making him leap backwards in an attempt to escape their blades. Oh, he’s not equipped for this square off at all. Jisung’s blood rushes in his ears with one thought: dodge. Just keep dodging the fuck out of their attacks and maybe he can make it through this while Minho frees himself.

He’s sure his movements resemble flailing as he jumps around the men approaching him, but he manages to keep it up long enough to hear a shout and assumes Minho has at least partially freed himself. Trying to get a glance at him leaves him open just long enough for a slash across his arm, the path of the blade leaving a flash of intense pain and white-hot burning.

Jisung gasps on his breath, pulling his arm towards his chest instinctually. A flood of warms flows down his suit sleeve, but he can’t get a good enough look to see how bad it is. It definitely doesn’t feel good.

The men descend on him, sending him backpedaling in an attempt to flee them. Shit. Jisung is pretty sure he’s reached the end of the rope, preparing himself for whatever happens next when he sees a flash of orange and black pouncing onto the floor to scoop up the gun that had fallen in the initial scuffle.

Jisung closes his eyes just in time to hear the shots ring out, holding his breath and simply hoping. If something happens to Minho, he can’t bear to watch it. Can't bear to witness another gunshot when the last one still haunts the back corners of his mind.

He hears screams and thuds, eyes squeezing shut so tightly it makes stars burst in his mind. Narrowed down to only the beat of his heart and the worry that grips him entirely, Jisung just tries to stay upright. Please, he internally begs. Please let him be okay.

A hand closes around the arm over his chest, but the motion of it being pulled on makes him yelp, eyes flying open in time to see Minho’s eyes widen. Jisung feels the biggest rush of relief, taking over the pain shooting up his arm, though he can tell the hybrid is about to zero in on his wounded arm when he really, really needs them to get the fuck out of here. “I’m fine! Let’s go!”

Minho falters for only a second before nodding and grabbing his other hand and threading their fingers together instead. “Can you run?”

“Yes,” Jisung says, starting forward to instead pull Minho into motion. Despite the room being considerably clearer, there are still people inside and he really doesn’t want a repeat performance. Not right now. His eyes focus on the doorway, everything else falling away.

Chapter Text

His legs burn. His lungs burn. His eyes burn.

Everything fucking burns, but he pushes through it as he focuses on navigating through the streets in the direction of the vans. How many times has he found himself running for a fucking van now? He thinks, even when this is all over, he will never want to look at another van-shaped vehicle for the rest of his life.

Still, he feels relief flood into him when they turn onto the right street and see one of the stupid vans idling there. He pushes with everything he has left, hearing Minho in step with him as they make it to there and pitch themselves inside, watching Wooyoung slide the door shut before they’re in motion.

He’s out of breath as he drags himself to the back of the van and settles there in his usual spot, watching Minho throw the leash over his shoulder angrily. He’s been wrestling the thing throughout their running and Jisung knows he’s about ready to rip it off, but they haven’t had a chance yet.

Now that they’ve made it to relative safety, Jisung feels his body collapse, letting go of the pent-up energy and finally relaxing. He just wants to rip this suit off, shower, and sleep for the majority of tomorrow. What an absolute fucking nightmare, but at least they pulled it off. Somehow, they made it out of there with everyone and he’s extremely grateful for that.

A hand on his own startles him, turning to see Minho has scooted next to him, though his expression is unreadable. “Minho,” Jisung starts, but his next words die out when he sees the intense, almost angry look the hybrid gives him.

“Later,” he repeats, though his fingers squeeze around Jisung’s hand. They both lapse into a tense silence filled with their panting breaths and slowly settling heartbeats.

--

The air feels heavy between them as they return to their room for the night, and Jisung isn’t sure what to do about it. Does he try to say something? Ignore it? When is later?

Once the door clicks shut behind them, he just stares at Minho and hopes that he’ll define what’s happening between them. He’s about to go out of his mind in anxious worry.

The silence stretches, but Jisung’s eyes are caught by the collar still clasped around Minho’s neck and it still looks wildly out of place there. So much so that he immediately steps forward to remove it from him, hoping the thick leather band didn’t chafe his pretty neck too badly.

The metal buckle snaps open audibly before falling into his waiting hands, instantly reminding him of how heavy the collar and leash combo have been all night. So much more than just their physical weight; a reminder of what the current world thinks of hybrids and their worth. He momentarily thinks back to the horrors of the night. Minho has had to face all of this so many times now. It’s a wonder he can keep going.

He wants to say something, looking up from the collar in his hand, but he doesn’t get the chance. Minho’s eyes are dark, a sort of unbridled wild there that Jisung can’t remember seeing before. When he takes a step closer, Jisung finds himself taking a step back subconsciously. It repeats, their eyes locked as they back further and further. When his back meets the wall, he’s left locked in place as Minho closes the distance for good. His heart is in his throat, pulse heavy enough to feel in his temples. He practically spasms when Minho’s hands slap against the wall on either side of his head, imposing over him in a way that shoots pure excitement and anticipation through him.

“Jisung. What you said earlier, about loving me,” he says, eyes searching through his for even a spark of understanding.

A snippet from the auction house comes back to him. It’s none of your business that I love him or how he responds to that. Shit. He really did say that, didn’t he?

“Tell me you meant it. Tell me you still do,” Minho implores, practically pleading for it.

Everything past Minho, his hopeful yet piercing gaze, and the warmth of his body fades away until Jisung feels like he’s under a spotlight. Love. He’d said it so easily, like second nature without a single thought holding him back.

Falling for Minho the first time had been easy. He’d been at such a standstill in his life, rooted in monotony and comfort. The hybrid had walked in and shattered all of that boring peace, bringing excitement, experience, and a knack for getting Jisung to let his guard down. Beautiful, quick witted Minho with his cat features that fit all of Jisung’s superficial desires to a T.

Jisung doesn’t know for sure that he ever actually fell out of love with Minho, but he does know the rekindling of this feeling—this love, because he can admit that’s what it is—has been slow moving. At first hazy with his hurt and anger, then slowly morphing into something so much more. It has pushed him to his limits, forced him to change and learn and grow. Yet there has always been an underlying comfort there, too.

So, falling for Minho the second time has not been easy. But it has been better. Realer. A collection of small moments and healing until he found himself leaning on the hybrid again and searching him out. How long has it been since he’s felt any of that lingering resentment…?

With his mind reeling from the revelation, Jisung feels his fists clench, one tightening over the collar still held there as he shifts his focus. As he lets his eyes betray what he’s been holding back all this time. “I do. I still do love you.”

He doesn’t get the chance to freak out over having just admitted it before Minho closes the distance between them. Jisung feels his body relax into it, pressing forward to meet him halfway as they slot together.

Minho’s tongue drags along his bottom lip and Jisung lets them part enough to let him lick into his mouth. The first brush of their tongues sends a jolt of desire through him, something he hasn’t felt in so long with everything they’ve had going on. He almost forgot how easily Minho can turn him molten, flipping that switch in his brain until he’s practically putty in his hands.

“I love you too,” is murmured against his lips, making a shiver go down his spine. He remembers how much he longed to hear those words half a year ago. Remembers the way they were spoken so hesitantly in the past. Now, though, there is confidence behind them. Surety. Minho says them like they are a simple fact, and it goes straight to Jisung’s chest like a sucker punch.

When Minho pulls back further, his pupils are dilated, soft pants falling in the space between them. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” Jisung whispers because he does. He trusts Minho so much and he has for so long, even when he didn’t realize it.

Minho crowds his space again, grazing his lips with a sharp canine as he captures his mouth again. His hands find Jisung’s waist and press him back against the wall with a sudden force that knocks a gasp out of him. Everything shifts with such simple movements, the air around him feeling suddenly heavy. Minho takes control of everything so smoothly, practically sweeping Jisung off his feet as he’s left to be devoured by his kisses.

He leans back just enough to land a feather-soft kiss to Jisung’s lips before stepping back fully, eyes lidded as he looks Jisung over from head to toe, then back again.

“Kneel,” Minho says with a rough voice, and it takes Jisung completely by surprise. Kneel? He’s not entirely sure where it’s coming from or why, but he’s practically in a trance with their confessions. Not sure what else to do, Jisung obeys, sinking down to the floor on his knees and looking up at the hybrid expectantly.

“You don’t even ask questions,” Minho says, but his voice sounds oddly strained. “Even after everything tonight, you’d submit to me? Even when I’m considered lower than you?” This time, his words are accompanied by the delicate touch of his fingertips against Jisung’s lips. Something shifts in him. Minho’s eyes are like magma, brimming with affection and something else.

Wordlessly, Minho presses two of his fingers harder against Jisung’s thick bottom lip until his mouth opens on instinct. It seems to surprise the hybrid, making his eyebrows pinch together as he guides those same fingers further and traps his tongue against the floor of his mouth. It makes Jisung whimper, and it’s the last barrier that comes crashing down around them.

Minho is in action, kneeling in front of him as he takes hold of the collar still clenched in Jisung’s hands. He lifts it slowly, keeping their eyes locked as he fits it around his neck, the firm leather making a chill rush down Jisung’s spine when it encases the sensitive skin of his throat. The click of the buckle is near deafening when it snaps into place.

Jisung stays kneeling as the hybrid stands, keeping the handle of the leash held tightly between his fingers. “Do you want to be my pet for the night, Jisung? Want to listen to me and do what I want?”

This is wildly different than he expected things to go, yet Jisung understands as the collar weighs down around his neck. After being faced with everything tonight, this is a search for reassurance. A yearning for Minho to know that he has control still as they venture into this together. They aren’t sugar baby and daddy anymore; that dynamic burst into flames the second Jisung was betrayed.

No, now they’re equals. And as equals, Minho needs to see that Jisung will yield to him and allow him to take the lead when he needs it. The real question is hidden behind his words. The subtext laid out in their past interactions. Will you accept this part of me? Will you love me for who I really am? “Yes,” he says, licking over his lips as he tries to convey how ready he is through his eyes. If this is what Minho needs right now, he is more than prepared to give it to him. “Please?”

Minho smiles, canines primed and on display. Even through the heat of his gaze, Jisung can see the relief there. “You’re going to be my kitty tonight.”

This is so vastly new to him, but that makes Jisung want it that much more. He’s no longer looking up at Minho of the past. The one that tailored every piece of himself to make Jisung blindly fall in lust with him. No, this is the real Minho. The one he’s actually fallen for and not just the pretty façade he’d known before.

Now he knows every facet of the hybrid for real, every little detail that makes him both terrifying and thrilling, yet dependable and caring. He’s so absolutely in love with him, even after all the hell they’ve put each other through.

“Come,” Minho demands, yanking on the collar hard enough to pull Jisung forward onto all fours. He follows easily, letting the hybrid guide him forward until he sits on the edge of the bed with Jisung tucked between his knees. “Good kittens deserve a treat, don’t you think? How about a taste of me, baby?”

Jisung practically spasms at the question, mind already running haywire trying to process it. How long has he been secretly dreaming of this moment? Yes, maybe he pictured it as some sweet reconciliation all of those times, but this is so much better. Getting to see Minho like this is something he never even dreamed of. The hybrid has always taken charge so easily, especially earlier tonight. Letting him take control of this only feels natural.

“Please,” Jisung says again, shifting on his knees to get comfortable. As he’s mostly only had glimpses at this kind of dynamic in the past, he’s not entirely sure how to proceed here. All he knows is that his stomach feels hot, anticipation palpable on the tip of his tongue. “I want you so bad.”

Minho shivers, body giving him away just enough for Jisung to catch before he pulls on the leash, forcing him closer to his body. “Then take it.”

That’s all the prompting he needs to lift his hands, intending on opening the hybrid’s pants as fast as possible to get to him, but he’s stopped by Minho’s fingers grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head back. His scalp smarts, Jisung whining at the hint of pain. Surprising himself, he finds that he likes it. “With your teeth.”

He doesn’t even know if that’s possible, especially with how tight Minho’s clothing is tonight, but he’s determined to get what he wants and do everything Minho asks of him. Carefully, he leans forward until his face is only mere centimeters away, but he feels an incessant need to tease the hybrid. Just a little, but not enough to get himself into trouble. He takes one shaky breath before turning his head to rub his cheek against the hard cock straining for freedom. It’s warm and rigid against him, but the surprised moan he gets in response is more than worth it before he’s yanked back again.

“You’ve been so good, don’t start being a bad kitten now,” Minho warns.

He’s not entirely sure how he’s still alive at this point when he should have combusted several minutes ago. Harnessing his good fortune, Jisung decides to be good and do as he was originally told.

It’s awkward trying to get the angle right to clasp the zipper handle between his teeth, but he manages on his first attempt. It’s actually way easier than he thought to drag it down, ever slowly, until he can see the hybrid’s silky briefs below.

Minho takes further mercy on him, releasing his grip on Jisung’s hair to instead pull his briefs down and out of the way and making his dick spring out into the space between them.

Faced with the cock he may or may not have been daydreaming about for the last couple months makes Jisung’s insides twist up in knots. He wants Minho so badly, and after trying to fight the feeling off for so long it’s almost liberating to be able to give in to the desire again. The simple thought of getting to be together like this after everything has him leaning forward.

When he wraps his lips over the head of Minho’s cock, it’s like riding a bicycle as all of his tricks and skills come flooding back to him. He’s able to take the hybrid almost down to the hilt, swirling his tongue on the descent.

He sincerely missed the choked-out noises Minho makes when he’s being pleasured, already halfway to his own orgasm just from hearing them. He’s going to channel every emotion that’s been hanging between them into this; all the hurt, anger, and uncertainty. The love too. There’s been too much of that to ignore anymore.

Jisung dutifully laves over the length of Minho’s cock, paying particular attention to all his sweet spots so he can keep hearing his pleasured moans. He really wants to use his hands too, either to wrap around the base and hold him steady or just touch his thighs to appreciate them, but he’s not sure if he’s allowed to do that. In fact, he doesn’t really know where this is going at all, but he’s already bought a one-way ticket to the destination regardless.

A rough tug to the leash pulls Jisung’s face down further, Minho’s cock bumping the back of his throat and making him splutter. Still, the action makes his cock lurch in his dress pants. He will easily sacrifice some of his breathing if it makes the hybrid feel good; who needs air anyways?

“You’re doing so good, kitten,” Minho says, pleased and apparently impressed with his eagerness. It only makes Jisung focus on sucking him harder, entire mouth working together to make him feel as good as possible. He never realized how much being called kitten could affect him, though it’s mostly just because Minho is the one calling for him in the first place.

He’s drooling, making an absolute mess of Minho’s crotch to the point that his pants are going to be sporting a hefty wet spot. Not that the hybrid seems to mind, if the way he keeps tugging the leash to control how fast Jisung’s head bobs on him is any indication. It spurs him on so much that he’s steadily shoving Minho deeper into his mouth, amazed at how much he’s able to take. He never got anywhere near this far before.

Minho’s hand finds his hair, smoothing through the strands as he encourages him. Though the mixture of huffs and moans are doing plenty to clue Jisung in to how well he’s doing. His legs shift, seeking friction for his own relief, though he doesn’t even mean to.

The hand in his hair slides forward, a thumb pressing into his cheek to pull him back. “Are you getting needy, baby?”

The words are spoken with so much concern in his voice that Jisung can’t help nodding in his hold, looking at him with wetness blurring his eyes. “Yes.”

Minho pushes him back until Jisung has to support his weight with his hands propped on the floor behind his ass. It gives him a front row view of Minho stripping, taking it nice and slow as he reveals each portion of his body. He’s so gorgeous and sexy. Jisung’s personal definitions of the words. Especially when the expanse of his legs are on display again. He’s missed this so much.

Once completely bare, Minho settles back on the edge of the bed and just looks at him. Jisung can’t help but squirm under the scrutiny, no clue what he’s expected to do now. Not until Minho finally speaks again. “I want you to fuck me, are you okay with that?”

Jisung’s entire body clenches. Fuck. Does he want that? He’s never wanted anything more in his entire life. “Yes. Please, Minho.”

With that, Minho yanks the leash, toppling Jisung back over his front and onto all fours. Another tug brings him crawling forward again, cast under the spell of his desire. His hands ache in need to touch Minho. “Pull your cock out, kitten, and show me how much you want it.”

With such an open invitation, Jisung wastes no time scrambling to unbutton his slacks and shove them down his thighs along with his underwear. The air of the room soothes his overheated skin, though he has a biting need to bury his cock directly into Minho’s warmth. He doesn’t care if immolation is a byproduct at this point.

Minho lays back on the bed, lithe muscles shifting under his skin in a way that tempts Jisung far too much. Not for the first time, Jisung is struck by his beauty. “Come here,” he coaxes, spreading his legs further and giving him a peek of his glistening hole. “Fuck me.”

Isn’t he meant to prep him? Get him all loosened and ready for his cock? Then again, if Minho is demanding that he get to it, he’s going to trust him on it. Minho is the more level-headed of the two of them right now.

He scoots closer between his legs, adjusting until his cock presses against his entrance. A thrill of excitement slices through him, cutting deep. This is everything he’s been missing and hopelessly wanting for all these months. It feels like a strange twist of fates to be back in this position with Minho, and yet it feels right. Perfect. This is his true calling in life; loving the hybrid and giving him every spare sliver of affection he can muster.

Pushing inside rights every wrong between them. Minho’s body accepts him so easily, practically calling out to him. He doesn’t need the pull of the leash to search for the hybrid’s mouth, locking their lips together as he slides home. It feels indescribably good, the wet heat around his cock making him mewl against Minho’s lips as he stayed pressed to the hilt and reacclimates to the feeling. It’s so much better than his memories.

Jisung takes his time sliding their tongues together, relishing the connection between their bodies and the way Minho’s skin feels against his. His chest feels painful as it tries to contain the rush of affection swelling there. How he ever thought he could go without this, he’s not sure. Minho is like breathing at this point.

“Make love to me,” Minho says against his lips, knees rising to lock around Jisung’s hips. His voice has that edge of demand to it, rushing Jisung to follow through as he pushes up onto his hands, giving him the perfect view of the hybrid and how his chest rises on each deep breath. His hair is messy, a pink blush covering his chest and neck.

With one last steadying breath, Jisung pulls back before thrusting back inside and it makes a shiver rack through his body. So good. Fuck, this feels so good. “Oh god,” he exhales, eyes sliding shut to center himself as he repeats the action again. His entire body feels on edge, a wire stripped and exposed. One wrong move could spell disaster, but he wants it so much anyways.

There’s a tug on the leash the next time he pulls out, slamming him back inside and making his eyes fly open. Minho gives him a wry smile, arm still extended over his head to hold him there. “Look at me, Jisung. Don’t close your eyes.”

Minho will be the death of him yet. Though not in the way he’s been assuming.

His teeth grit together as he rolls his hips down into Minho, the tautness of the leash making it impossibl to pull back properly though he’s fairly certain this is exactly what the hybrid is after if the small gasp he lets out is any indication. It spurs him on, pressing their hips together as tightly as he can as he keeps grinding down into him. A clench around his cock makes him shudder, whimpering at the burst of pleasure it gives him. “I’m not going to last long like this,” he warns, meaning it. He’s been walking a fine line already.

“I don’t care,” Minho says, squeezing his legs around him. “Just fuck me, Jisung.”

He should’ve known Minho would set out to ruin him. He should have fucking known. Surging forward, Jisung finds Minho’s neck to trail kisses and licks down the side, feeling the leash slacken just enough to pull his hips back and snap back inside. Minho’s answering moan is a rumble beneath his lips and he chases after it, starting up a rapid pace that has him pistoning down into the hybrid.

His own whines fill the space between them, and he can feel the raised goosebumps beneath his tongue as he reaches Minho’s collarbones to lave over them. His release is coming ever closer, churning in the pit of his stomach the faster he fucks into the hybrid beneath him. “I love you,” he can’t help but say as he lifts up from his neck and instead watches the short huffs being punched out of Minho’s parted lips.

Minho’s eyes roll back, releasing the leash to instead wrap his arms around Jisung’s shoulders as his back bows towards him. “I love you too, Jisung, fuck. So much.” He’s getting close, the spasms around Jisung’s cock giving him away. It makes a flutter spread through Jisung’s chest, wanting so badly to make Minho feel good.

Jisung shifts to reach for his cock, wrapping his fingers around Minho’s length and squeezing. He gasps, his hips lifting in search of more and it just encourages him to reach down to gather some of the slick smearing between their bodies before he returns the grip, pumping over Minho’s cock in time with his thrusts.

There are several tight clenches around his cock and then Minho’s entire body goes taut, legs compressing around Jisung’s hips to the point of pain as Minho’s hips undulate with each spurt of cum he releases across his chest and stomach. Jisung grinds his hips back against him, milking his release as much as he can until Minho goes limp in his arms.

“Keep going,” Minho insists in a breathy voice. “Cum in me.”

Jisung bites his own tongue at that, dropping down to wrap Minho in his arms. He presses his body flush against him, burying his face in his neck as he thrusts into him relentlessly. Already so close, he chases after the feeling and delights in the way Minho grips onto him so tightly, like he’s desperate to feel him everywhere.

He is overwhelmed in pleasure, allowing himself to shift focus onto it as he drives his cock into Minho’s pliant body. Jisung presses messy, open mouthed kisses along his jaw as he nears the precipice, ready to throw himself into the abyss the second he gets there.

One perfectly timed clench around him has Jisung bottoming out as he pumps his own release into his depths, spasming from the force of his orgasm as the bliss whites out his brain, leaving him suspended in this moment. Minho is the only thing he can sense, tightening his arms around his shoulders to hold onto him through it.

Jisung doesn’t know how long he spends in that headspace before reality comes back to him, but he finds that Minho is smoothing over his back with both hands when he does. Softly murmured encouragements in his ear.

His grip slackens, pulling back just enough to find his lips again and pepper all of his love into the kisses he leaves there. Exhaustion is already taking over, settling in his head so deeply that he could fall asleep right now without much thought. But he doesn’t want to. He’s not quite ready to let go of this, a slight fear of what they’ve just done and what it might mean for them.

Does Minho still feel the same? What happens next?

“I can feel you worrying,” Minho says as he breaks their kiss. Their faces are so close, Jisung goes a little cross-eyed searching them out. All he can seem to find is adoration in Minho’s big, almost sparkling eyes. It’s like a sucker punch to the heart. Yet again. When will Minho stop making him feel so strongly? Or is he doomed to feel on the verge of passing out every time they’re this close?

Minho pushes at his chest lightly, urging him to pull out from his body and Jisung obeys though he’s surprised to feel the hybrid dragging him down as soon as they’re no longer connected. Jisung lets himself be maneuvered until they’re laying face to face, Minho’s hands clasping both of his between them.

“What does this mean,” Jisung blurts, because he needs to know. He can’t possibly go another second without figuring out where this leaves them. Yes, they admitted their feelings and had (arguably) the best sex of his life, but he’s stressing already.

“It means we love each other,” Minho says simply, tightening his grip. “It means we’re going to keep supporting each other until we can see this through and then… when I’m legally your equal again, we can talk about what comes next.”

Jisung can recognize this for what it is. A line drawn in the sand, but not permanent. No, a line in the sand that’s meant to be crossed. Meant to be swallowed by the sea when the tides are right. Even if he wants a title to this more than anything, he’s content with that. It will only make things sweeter if they can enter a proper relationship confidently and with no chance at Minho becoming dependent on him one day. “Okay,” he agrees. “I can wait for that, but… can I be with you until then? Like this?”

Minho’s smile is demure, using his grip on Jisung’s hands to drag him closer. “As if I’ll keep my hands off of you now.”

This kiss is sweet. It tastes of promise.

Jisung can feel a giddy grin on his lips as they part, spurred on by the amused glint in Minho’s eyes as he reaches for the collar at his neck. “Let’s get this off of you,” he says quietly, deft fingers working to unclasp it. The relief is immediate when the leather pulls away, Jisung reaching up to rub at the sensitive skin to soothe. It feels freeing to be free from it, though in many more ways than just physical. Minho tosses the collar and leash combo to the corner of the room with a dull thud.

He can’t help the surge of affection that swarms his chest, watching Minho shift back with a sigh of relief. His heart feels light for the first time since Jeju, a spark of excitement settling deep within him that he can’t bother to snuff out. The simple idea that he will get to openly love Minho again is making him a little to impatient to go fuck with the government again. He’ll gladly throw himself back into the riot and mess. Considering he’s already become so invested, he’s still surprised by how ready he feels.

He’s not sure if Minho realizes that he’s just tripled Jisung’s desire to make the government collapse. But he will. If it means he can be with him for real, he’ll burn the whole fucking world down for him.

For now, he pulls Minho closer and buries his face into his chest, letting his love burst fully inside his heart for the first time.

Chapter Text

Jisung is warm. Verging on overheated as his awareness comes back to him. He feels something solid beneath his head, rising and falling softly as he yawns and kicks his legs out to get some feeling back in them. A shift of fingers in his hair brings him starkly back to the present, cracking open his eyes to see the span of Minho’s naked torso beneath him. “Good morning, baby,” Minho says, voice still deep with the last dredges of sleep.

The night before comes back to him in pieces until they build into a solid recollection. He and Minho made up. After months of the weird back and forth and tension, he feels like everything has been realigned right where it was always supposed to be. Jisung rolls just enough to face Minho properly, smiling up at the hybrid and receiving one in return. “Morning.”

He’s mostly comfortable, except for the throbbing of his arm where it’s trapped between the mattress and his body. Despite their drowsiness, Minho had forced him into the shower last night so he could scrub him down and then bandage up his arm. Despite the cushion of the padded arm wrap, it still fucking hurts but he’s grateful it wasn’t quite deep enough to require stitched.

Minho’s hand scratches against his scalp a few more times before he pulls back with his own yawn, arms reaching up above his head in a cat-stretch. “Chan messaged. Wants everyone to meet up at the apartments at ten. Hongjoong said we’ll head out in about an hour.”

He’s reminded, once again, that he doesn’t have a working phone and it’s starting to really feel like a nuisance now that he’s been without proper communication access. Not that they have the luxury of making a pitstop for a frivolous purchase. Certainly not after last night. They must be some of the most wanted people in the country by this morning.

More important, however, is the fact that they have an hour to themselves and Jisung wants to take advantage of it. There’s no telling how much time they’ll get to themselves after this meeting, let alone any time just the two of them. “Mmm, a whole hour?”

He doesn’t intend for it to come out suggestive. Not really, except his own voice is still far gravellier than usual and apparently Minho still catches a hint of the underlying meaning if the way his smile turns dangerous is any indication. “Oh? It sounds like you have an idea how you want to spend it.”

It still feels unreal being able to see this side of Minho again. He remembers back when they first met, when just a raise of the hybrid’s eyebrow was enough to have him chubbing up in his pants. Time does little to assuage it. “I have a few ideas,” he chances, keeping eye contact but trying his best to add an innocent-adjacent look to it.

“Why don’t you show me, then,” Minho counters, arms open and palm-up as he keeps himself on full display. It’s… unfair, really. No one should be this hot and fully know it.

Jisung doesn’t have to hold back anymore. He scrambles up to his knees before climbing into Minho’s lap and settling over his waist. Their lack of clothes makes it just a little more obvious that he’s interested in more, though Minho doesn’t waste time grabbing onto his hips and dragging him closer. Their chests press together as their lips meet and Jisung collapses into it.

The slide of Minho’s tongue along his lips makes him sigh, parting his own to meet him halfway in a languid, teasing pace. Though the haze of sleep is still heavy on his brain, Jisung matches each purse of Minho’s mouth enthusiastically. He will never take this for granted again.

When Minho’s hand finds his cock, it startles him enough to gasp, allowing the hybrid to take full control again as he huffs into his mouth, amused. “You’re still so cute when you get like this,” Minho says when he pulls back to look at him.

“Like what?” Even if Jisung has an idea, he wants to hear it. Wants Minho to remind him of all the ways they fit together.

“Eager,” Minho says with a smirk as he sets a slow, lazy pace with his fist around Jisung’s cock. “You always look so beautiful when you’re all soft and needy for me.”

Jisung groans, letting his eyes shut as he focuses on the feeling of Minho’s hand around him. Truthfully, he just wants Minho to take everything from him all over again. Wants him to lay Jisung back and stake his claim over his body, though he also knows they don’t have quite enough time for that. He’s patient, though. He can wait. Especially when Minho uses his free hand to draw him closer by the chin, licking into his mouth again.

--

His face and chest are still flushed when they head down to the vans, though Minho doesn’t look any better. Even with their rushed showers, it’s fairly obvious what they’ve been up to and he already knows they’re going to get shit for it even before he sees Wooyoung eyeing them up and down with a sly smile. Shit.

“Wow. Guess we weren’t the only ones into it last night,” he says, arms crossed over his chest despite the clear glee there. “Is it time to offer a congrats?”

“Save it,” Minho gruffs out, though he’s pointedly avoiding looking at Wooyoung as he says it and Jisung is left to dawdle under all of his attention instead. And attention he gives, dragging his gaze over every single millimeter of Jisung’s face as his smile just keeps getting wider.

Jisung slips right past Wooyoung instead of getting stared at any longer, scooting to his designated spot as the others climb in as well. It’s a relatively packed van today, which is a little surprising to Jisung for some reason. It wouldn’t have been shocking if half went back to the apartments instead of trying to make it to the hotel last night, but it appears everyone was too enthralled with the glimpse of luxury to pass it up for the night.

The mood in the van is dour as they make their way towards the apartment in mostly silence and Jisung can’t help noting just how tired everyone looks. They need a serious break, though there doesn’t seem to be much chance of that in the near future for them.

--

Lawn chairs have just kind of been appearing in the courtyard of their apartments the longer they’ve been here and he can’t tell you exactly where any of them have come from but they do help a lot when everyone gathers up like this. Considering the spot is already half-filled when they arrive, Jisung just follows after Minho and lets him decide where they’re going to sit.

Except that ends up being Minho sitting in one of the aforementioned chairs after dragging it up beside the picnic table and then pulling Jisung down into his lap, arms wrapping around his waist to keep him steady. Jisung tries his hardest to ignore all the looks that earns them, but it’s pretty fucking hard to tune them out when the glances are so loud. Like everyone has immediately pieced together what they got up to the night before.

Jisung isn’t the most private person on the planet, but he’s still used to being a little more subtle than this. Felix is beaming at him from his mirrored position on Changbin’s lap across the picnic table from them while Wooyoung keeps elbowing people and then pointing at him as he says words that Jisung can’t quite catch. Thankfully.

When Yoongi and Hoseok enter the courtyard, his worries are temporarily blocked out because they’re heading directly for where he’s sitting, and he doesn’t know why considering all the spots around them are filled. Not until Yoongi sets a box down on the table beside him, sliding it towards him. A phone? “I heard you’re in need of a replacement and I doubt any of you can go casual shopping after everything last night,” he says with a shrug. Then he places yet another thumb drive on top of the box. “And here’s the footage from the auction. Good luck. There were eighteen different camera angles.”

An odd mix of both glee (at the phone) and dread (at the footage) settle on him, but Jisung still smiles up at Yoongi with a quiet thanks before the two head for a more open spot.

He doesn’t have to shift uncomfortably on Minho’s lap for long before Chan and Namjoon sweep into the courtyard with Jeongin trailing right behind, wrapped in an oversized hoodie that Jisung has seen Chan himself wearing more times than not. Beside him is Yedam, the kid that let them all into the auction. Weird? What is he doing here?

“Last night was…” Chan starts but trails off. For once, it looks like he’s lost for words.

“Successful,” Namjoon finished. “Chaos, but successful. That’s the important part.”

Chan nods, though his lips are pulled in a tight almost-frown. “The good thing is that we captured footage of everything so we can use that to identify people along with the list of attendees from Yedam,” he says, waving a hand in Yedam’s direction. He looks a little shy, stepping closer to Jeongin as the fox hybrid links their arms together. “I propose we release the list to the public along with footage of the actual auction.”

When Chan looks to the side, finding Jeongin’s eyes, he receives a nod of agreement though Jisung is more focused on the way Changbin looks down at his feet at the words. It feels cruel to broadcast his humiliation, though Jisung also doesn’t think Chan would make it an option without Changbin’s approval. The way Felix is snuggling into him is a comfort, at least. Changbin isn’t going through this alone.

“Jisung,” Chan says, addressing him directly and making his head snap back to the front where they stand. “I’d like for you to go through the footage with Yoongi-ssi and try to find clear images of the attendees where you can.”

“And me,” Jeongin adds, offering a small smile in his direction. “I’d like to help too.”

The sigh Chan fails to hold in just betrays that this is a conversation they’ve already had. Probably more than once. Rather than say anything about it, he looks to Minho from around Jisung’s shoulders. “Minho, you probably know the most people outside of Jeongin and Yedam. If you would be okay looking through the pictures to attach identities?”

“Of course,” he says, and the way they’re sitting makes the words rumble along the arm Jisung has pressed against his chest. Another mission for them. Though not risky like the others, Jisung can’t help wondering how they’re all going to fair going through it.

“Next,” Namjoon says, taking over the conversation smoothly, “arrests have been increasing alongside protests. It looks like they’ve made new detention facilities around the city, and we keep receiving reports of hybrids being taken but not documented as detained. We’re working to get more information where we can. It might be time for us to take to the streets in more force as a show of support.”

“So, we’re going to start heading out to the protest spots to lend a hand,” Hongjoong clarifies from a lawn chair on the other side of the picnic table.

Namjoon nods. “Yes. We need to get out and show that we’re still right there with everyone. Purple shirts are still recommended as many of those taking to the streets have been wearing purple. It keeps us united.”

“Be smart about it,” Chan says, looking around at each of them. “With arrests increasing, we need to make sure we aren’t included in those numbers. Stick together. No less than three to a group when you go out.”

The realities of what they’re facing just keep stacking up the more their leaders throw out information and advice, speaking as if this is just a normal, any day activity. Jisung is itching to set up his new phone so he can look at all of the protest tags and truly get a feel for how big this movement had become. From what he’s gathered listening to other talk, it seems that the protests are growing larger by the day and turning lightly violent as more police flood the streets as deterrence.

“We’ve gotten updates from our teams at the port cities. Jungkook and Jimin checked in from Busan as well as Youngjae in Mokpo. Everything is still at a halt, no imports have been properly received since the strikes started. It’s good for us, because the country has already started to take a hit from it but the hybrids around the city are starting to feel the effects,” Namjoon says, a small frown on his face as he finishes.

“I think it’s time we start breaking out the supplies we have stored up. We’ll look into times that work for transport. If you’re able to contact Hwasa,” Chan says, looking directly to Minho again and receiving a concurrence, “then I’ll contact Jihyo. We’ll personally deliver everything and check in on the shelters.”

Jisung perks up at that, turning to see Minho smiling at Felix and Hyunjin brightly. He knows how important the shelter is to all of them and part of him really wants to go and see it, though he’ll understand it he doesn’t get the invite. Either way, he’s just happy that they’re going to be able to do something for the place that welcomed Minho years ago. It finally feels like they are making progress. Doing something that’s making the citizens of Korea pay more attention and actually get involved.

Even if he doesn’t know the extent of what they’re up against right now, he’s just happy with the progress.

Minho shifts behind him, pulling him more snuggly against him as he leans in to whisper, “Come with me when we go? I’d really like to show it to you.”

He can’t help reaching down to grip around the wrist that’s resting against his stomach. “I’d really love that.”

--

It feels like déjà vu, Jisung camped out on a sofa with his laptop resting on his crossed knees as he sifts through video footage to pick out images of all the attendees while Jeongin sits opposite him, legs kicked out until his feet almost touch Jisung’s thigh. Except this time Yoongi is there too, laying on his stomach on the floor as he plucks away at his own laptop. There’s been a comfortable silence between them as they work, a sort of peace he hasn’t felt in a very long time.

Until Jeongin shifts enough to kick him lightly. “So, you and Minho-hyung finally made up? Seems like an auction was all it took for our idiots to admit their feelings finally.”

Jisung gapes at that for several reasons. Firstly, he kind of hoped no one would outright call him on the new proximity to Minho but he really didn’t have much hope for that one. Secondly, ‘our idiots’ implies that there was more than one confession the previous night. Thirdly, Yoongi is right there! For some reason, Jisung doesn’t want the cat hybrid to hear any of this and that’s what really has him spluttering out, “Oh my god.”

“Come on, don’t hold back,” Jeongin goads him with one of his too-chipper smiles. “Looking at these videos is starting to make my eyes blurry and it’s pretty obvious you guys figured your shit out.”

“It’s cute,” Yoongi adds nonchalantly from the floor as he screencaps another image. And yes, Jisung is starting to feel how tired his eyes are from focusing on the screen so intently the last four hours, but that doesn’t mean he wants to divulge his personal life right now.

Though he can definitely press Jeongin for more. “Does that mean Chan finally figured his shit out too?”

Jeongin takes it in stride, eyes practically disappearing with the force of his grin. “Yup! He apologized so many times, said he loves me just as many, and then promised to buy me as many star lamps as I want. So, I think we’re boyfriends now? What about you two? Did you make things official?”

Chancing a glance down at where Yoongi is absolutely not paying them any attention, though one ear is turned in his direction, Jisung huffs. There’s no way out of this. Not when Jeongin is in his inquisitive detective mode. Absolutely no one can deny him. “No. We’re waiting until this is all over.”

“Ah-ha,” Jeongin says, snapping his fingers. “But you did talk about an ‘us’!”

“Can we get back to this,” Jisung says, pointing at his laptop like it will save him. “The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can stop watching all these videos.”

He is actually surprised when Jeongin lets it go easily, though he internally rejoices at it as he gets back to work watching over the video feeds. There are so many of them from just about every angle in the auction house. Though it feels weird to watch the way everyone interacted before the auction started. Even when he was people watching, he missed a lot.

Though his eyes keep trailing after the woman that had name dropped him at the event. He’s still curious about her. Still wants to know who she is and why she had been so aggressive with him. From everything he’s seeing, most of the auction attendees gave her a wide berth and stayed the hell away from her. Which only makes him more curious.

“Hey, who is the woman in the black dress with the hybrid kneeling beside her? The one I talked to at the bar,” he asks, still watching as video him and Minho make their way through the crowd in her direction.

“Im Dabin,” Yoongi says from below. “She’s the head of the Im family now that her father is dead.”

The words are enough to make Jisung almost drop his laptop to the floor, a flood of memories shooting through him with a chill. He remembers hearing of the Im family and all of their influence. All the hybrid trafficking and horrid, illicit affairs.

He remembers when he found out that Minho had been one of their victims back at the warehouse when all of this began. He especially remembers the fact that Minho is the one that killed the previous head of the family… her father. What a great time to make a reunion…

On his screen, he watches the way her eyes follow him before she even speaks. She’d known who Minho was the second she saw him. Known exactly what she was doing when she engaged them in conversation and implied he should be owned by someone that would teach him to submit. To think that Minho had had to stand there facing her without being able to speak.

And then Jisung, the dumbass that he is, had opened his mouth to admonish her. His own words come back to him, and he just feels like a colossal moron. Of course, she got upset about it and name dropped them both… which means she knows his name. Fuck.

He doesn’t even pay enough attention to the video in front of him to take screenshots of anyone. Until it makes it to the auction, that is. The second Changbin is brought out for everyone to see, Jisung’s mind switches off as he watches the horror unfold all over again. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to check in with Changbin earlier to see if he’s okay.

Tracking the movements throughout the auction room via the camera feed, Jisung watches everything start to unfold again, his lips pulled tight as he tries not to react too strongly now that he’s seeing it all over again. It seems he was able to block out some of the worst of it, but he can still distinctly feel Changbin’s gaze locked with his own as everything happened up on the stage. His stomach feels warm and uncomfortable, especially as video Jeongin is pulled up for his own display.

Jisung presses pause and leans back, taking a few deep breaths. “Jeongin,” he says, because he’s been wanting to really check in on his friend this entire time and hasn’t known really what to say? Though he’s determined to do it anyways. “Are you… okay? Like after everything?”

He watches a range of emotions go through Jeongin’s face, his eyes scrunching and chewing at his lips before he just shrugs. “It sucked. I didn’t think they’d take it that far, but I also knew you guys were there, so I wasn’t scared. Plus, Chan shot my dad which was pretty cool.” It’s clear that he has more to say, but that he also doesn’t really want to and Jisung can respect that. Jisung can’t help noting that Jeongin always puts on a brave face. What he once thought was childish innocence… is really more of a defense mechanism. He makes a mental note to ask him again later, when it’s just the two of them.

Rather than prying right now, he reaches out and lays a hand on Jeongin’s shin. “Well, you can talk to me about it if you ever need to, but I’m really glad you’re okay.” He leaves it at that, returning to the videos in the hope that he can get this over with quicker.

--

It’s not exactly comfortable to have Minho halfway in his lap, looking through the endless photos alongside him, but he’s not complaining. Not when he actually gets to experience this without stressing over it anymore. He can put up with a sweaty thigh and some minor muscle aches.

“Oh, I know that guy too,” Minho says when the image flips. “He’s part of the Im family.”

The way the hybrid just keeps listing off names so nonchalant is making Jisung really want to ask him about Dabin and everything surrounding that, but he won’t bring it up when Jeongin, Yedam, and Yoongi are still in the same space. Maybe later when they retire to their room. Though the idea that they’re going to share a room after everything just makes him nervous in general now? Almost like there’s more pressure there. Good pressure, but pressure no less.

Jisung has just finished marking down the photo name alongside the name Minho gave when the door to their apartment bursts open for Wooyoung and San to come bustling inside. He startles just as Minho groans, low enough that only Jisung catches it.

“I have a gift,” Wooyoung announces, holding up some intricate looking book with gilding around the edges that shines under the lights of the room. The design on the cover looks exactly like the doors to the auction house, and Jisung feels a little dumbfounded staring at it.

“How did you manage to get the sale ledger,” Jeongin asks, staring at Wooyoung and the book in shock. “They always keep that thing heavily monitored.”

Wooyoung rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “We snuck off and grabbed it. I swear, you guys thought we were just pointlessly making out, but I’ll have you know, no one ever thinks twice when the couple all over each other sneaks off. They just assume you’re going for a quickie, and no one ever wants to come looking for you after that.”

Jisung can feel himself gawking because he definitely thought they were just fucking off throughout the auction. The fact that they succeeded to get all radars off their backs and go to find something so important is blowing his mind.

Wooyoung crosses the room to hand the book over to Jeongin before sighing dramatically and sinking into the cushion of the sofa beside them. “I never get enough credit for what I come up with,” he whines, opening his arms and beckoning San to join him.

“Because you’re usually actually fucking off,” Minho says, lips thin as he stares at the couple. “You just managed to be useful this once.”

Jisung ignores the bickering that starts between them to instead watch Jeongin flipping the book open. “So, it’s a ledger for all the sales at the auction house?”

“Mmhmm,” Jeongin hums, turning a page as he scans over the contents in front of him. “Goes back almost eight years. Every single purchase made through the house gets written down and signed for in this book. I don’t even know why they were so insistent on this. Maybe because it keeps the sales off any network that can be accessed? Believe me, I checked for digital copies of the sales and never found any.”

The book just became one of the most important things from the auction night aside from rescuing their teammates. With it, they can probably bring down most of the trafficking rings by outing their customers. Not quite yet, of course, but when they eventually get Namjoon in office. The thought makes him excited. Far more excited than he’s been about most of the progress they’ve made so far. “Do you think we can shut down the auction house with this?”

Jeongin turns another page before saying, “I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot. We’ve been trying for years but I think this is just what we need to make it happen.”

They’ve been mostly powerless against the traffickers up until now, but maybe they can finally make something happen against them. Maybe hybrids won’t have to suffer quite so much when that happens and when they can finally get new leadership into the country.

It’s with renewed vigor that Jisung flips to the next screenshot on his laptop and grabs his notepad again.

Chapter Text

The van veers along the road, making Jisung’s head bump against the headrest as he closes his eyes. He’ll never get used to Minho’s driving even if this is preferable to that erratic time when the lake house was on fire. Minho still drives like a fucking maniac even when they’re relatively calm, swerving through traffic for the hell of it.

“You’re going to be amazed,” Felix says, seemingly unphased by the ride as he presses between the front two seats to look out the windshield. “We have so much stuff saved up for this.”

Jisung hums, shifting enough to look at the hybrid as his ears twitch in excitement. “Did you guys always plan to shut down imports like this?”

“We figured it would happen eventually,” Minho answers instead, thankfully keeping his eyes on the road as he cuts off another car and gets an angry horn blare in response. One that he only laughs at. “We couldn’t imagine leaving Hwasa without access to the things she needs to run the shelter, though. Chan agreed.”

“His friend Jihyo runs another shelter, so we promised them both that we’d keep them stocked if it came to this,” Hyunjin says from where he’s lounging in the back of the van.

It still amazes him that they’ve put so much forethought into everything, preparing for just about anything that might happen. Each road bump that has popped up has been met with a quick answering action. A part of him wonders just how extreme they thought this might become, but he doesn’t voice it. Not when they’ve already fallen into crazier shit than they probably intended with the DHA and breaking into the auction. He’ll be happy if things stay relatively calm for the time being. As calm as it can be with riots cropping up throughout the country, at least.

Even as they drive to the warehouses on the outskirts of the city, he sees signs of the protests and riots. People are still gathering in the streets, so many businesses starting to shut down from the lack of resources that people have been pushed to make a stand. Though that tends to make him uneasy, too. There are so many people getting involved that he worries they won’t keep control of it. What happens when there are too many people and they are too angry?

“We’re here,” Minho announces as they cut off the highway and pull up to an impressively large set of warehouses. They’re run down, weathered and rusted from the elements though he guesses they picked them for that purpose. If it looks nondescript, people are less likely to try to mess with it or break in. From the outside alone, Jisung can already tell it’s going to blow his mind with how much they probably have collected inside.

Another van pulls up beside them as they climb out, Seonghwa stepping out and giving a wave as if they didn’t all depart from the apartments together less than an hour ago. Though Jisung finds it endearing anyways. He can always trust Seonghwa to be excited to see him and everyone else.

“Alright, let’s head inside,” Hyunjin says as he walks past him in the direction of the building and meets up with Chan at the side entrance. They disappear inside for a few seconds before the main doors are sliding open on worn hinges that make a horrid squeaking sound as they move. Jisung flinches at the sound, but he’s immediately struck with awe when they open enough to see inside.

Rows and rows of pallets line the building, stacked high on steel shelving that reaches the ceiling. It looks like the back of a bulk grocery store, too many items to seem realistic for this group to have gathered. “Holy shit.”

Minho grins at him, then takes his hand. It really has become second nature to twine their fingers together and Jisung lets himself be pulled forward. “We’ve worked hard. Now come on, let me show you around as Chan figures out what he wants to donate today. We’ll have to transfer things to the bigger trucks in the second warehouse.”

Bigger trucks. Jisung lets that sink in as he stumbles over the gravel of the parking space and towards the doors. The building must be almost three stories high, allowing Chan and Hongjoong’s voices to echo from where they’re deeper inside. He takes in the names of items he can see as he passes. It’s a wide range from canned and shelf-stable foods to hygiene products and bulk bundles of clothing. Anything you could possibly imagine needing and not being able to find in a shortage.

“We gathered lists of what the shelters need most. The items they tend to run out of quickest and have to replenish frequently. It’s taken us years to get the funds to get everything on those lists, but we got the last shipment about five months ago, so I think we’re fully ready to supply them for at least half a year if we have to,” Minho rattles off as he walks down various aisles and points out items as they pass. “We’ll have to be a little frugal with handing them out, but it should still be enough to keep the hybrids that go through there comfortable, and we’ve already started spreading information by word of mouth for those that live in the low-income areas.”

It's incredible. The thought that went into everything humbles Jisung as he comes to a stop in the very center of the warehouse and looks around simply taking it all in. The fact that they thought to take all the money intended to go towards sex work via Kitty Konnect and instead use it for something like this is… a lot to process. Some of his own money has likely gone into this stockpile and that somehow makes him feel better? To think that he was part of the contributions, even if only a small percentage. He was helping the MayFly agenda before he even knew it existed and… he’s not even sure how to feel about that as he stands here beside Minho looking at the fruits of this background labor. To think he’d go from an unaware and passive participant to someone so ingrained in the actual action of the group is kind of crazy if you take a step back to look at it.

He realizes that he wouldn’t have changed any part of it, even if he could go back and be faced with the opportunity to. At the crux of it, meeting Minho through Kitty Konnect and the subsequent betrayal are what led him all the way to this moment in the first place, and without the lingering anger at Minho all he can feel is satisfaction. At the fact that he’s learned so much and also at the fact that he’s managed to give himself to something so much bigger than any of them.

“So, we’re going to decide what we can give today and drive it over to the shelters?”

“Yeah, Chan and Eunkwang already ran the numbers and have a plan, apparently. We also have a section of supplies for the riots specifically, but the BtoB team are going to swing by later to get those and bring them to the ‘front lines’,” Minho says, stepping closer to Jisung and pulling him into a loose embrace. His next words are muffled into Jisung’s neck, Minho’s ear tickling just underneath his jaw as he says, “I don’t like that we’ve reached this point but I’m really glad we’re going to be able to help in this way. I’m also excited for you to meet Hwasa.”

Jisung secures his arms around Minho’s waist, pulling him closer and tucking his own face against the hybrid’s shoulder. Even now, he can feel his heart speeding up in his chest at the sudden proximity. These sort of stolen moments of comfort have been popping up more and more, though Jisung is extremely grateful for them. It lets him know that Minho isn’t always as stoic as he once seemed, seeking him out in the moments that feel too much. He feels a sense of pride at being able to provide it for once, especially with how much he’s taken from Minho without really reciprocating before now.

It’s over almost as soon as it started, Minho pulling back to press a quick kiss to his cheek before pointing towards the back of the warehouse. “Let me show you something else.”

They step through another back door, the sun almost blinding after being inside the dim warehouse. Jisung holds up a hand to block it out as best as he can as they head for another matching building that’s just as impressive as the first. Seonghwa and Felix are already inside of it, fiddling around with something that Jisung can’t quite make out with his half-blinded eyes. Not until they step inside, and he’s rendered shocked all over again.

Three oversized moving trucks are lined up inside. All white with metal panel siding and a door that rolls up in the back. What the fuck are they doing with vehicles of this size!? Beyond that, he sees two gigantic fuel tanks and has to stop and just stare to take it all in. “What…”

“We already knew fuel would be one of the first things to deplete, so we’ve been ready for that too. Enough fuel to get these trucks in and out of the city until all of the supplies are delivered,” Minho explains, like it’s not a big deal. Like they aren’t sitting on a mass of one of the most coveted supplies right now. The news has already been bemoaning the fuel shortage country wide, with people having to opt into other means of transportation to make it around the city.

“This is insane,” Jisung says, though he can’t hide the edge of wonder there. Wonder that only grows as he steps up closer to one of the trucks and peers inside to where Felix and Seonghwa are taking measurements and preparing the space for whatever they’re planning on driving into Seoul today. “Is anyone even registered to drive these things?”

That makes Felix laugh from where he’s holding the end of a measuring tape. “Nope, none of us are. And I have a feeling you won’t like learning who usually drives them.”

He isn’t surprised to find Minho beside him, giving a wiggle of his eyebrows. Oh god. Maybe he can just hide out in the regular van? “Chan and I usually end up driving them since no one else wants to. I’d like for you to ride along with me just in case. You never know if we might run into trouble along the way. That’s not a problem though, is it?”

Despite his best efforts at suppressing a groan, because he already complained a couple times on the way here, Jisung is fairly certain he fails to keep his face neutral. Mostly because both Felix and Seonghwa are turning to hide their faces and he can distinctly see their shoulders shaking. Jerks. “That’s… fine. Perfectly fine.”

Minho grins, just as Chan makes his entrance. “Alright, we decided what we’re going to deliver today,” he calls from the entrance to the warehouse. “Let’s get started on transferring everything so we can hit the road sooner than later.”

He’ll just make sure to buckle up really well. And probably not look out the windows at all.

--

After a grueling hour of getting all the pallets transferred while Hyunjin and Hongjoong drove around forklifts and the others helped settle and secure them, Jisung feels like a towel, completely wrung out and left a little wobbly and limp as he climbs into the cab of one of the trucks alongside Minho. He tries very hard to pretend he’s not worrying endlessly about making it through the narrow city streets like this. At least the petrol crisis means there are less cars for them to potentially run into.

This is the largest vehicle he’s ever been in aside from the city bus, but those are designed to be sleeker and more capable of turning. This feels a lot more like a death trap as he clicks his seat belt into place. Though he has to commend Minho on making it look easy as he pulls out of the warehouse and heads straight for the highway and back the direction they came from. His ears are up high, tail swishing happily against the back of the driver’s seat. It’s cute, but that doesn’t really detract from Jisung’s anxiety.

The others are closing everything up behind them before they’ll join in the vans, though they’ll likely catch up with how slow-moving the trucks are with all the weight in the back of them.

Jisung just wants a distraction, so he settles on asking questions until they make it to the shelter. “What should I know before I meet Hwasa?”

“I don’t think there’s anything you should know, per se,” Minho starts, looking as calm as usual as he steers them down the road. “She’s very no bullshit, but she’s also the warmest person you’ll ever meet. I can’t explain it, but you’ll see when we get there.”

“Any topics I should avoid?”

Minho snorts, looking over at Jisung briefly before returning his eyes to the road. “Are you planning on interviewing her or something? She’s going to be too busy to really talk with us much. Stop worrying.”

In theory, Jisung would love to stop worrying but he knows how important Hwasa is to Minho and would feel absolutely awful if he somehow made her mad. Not that he thinks he could do that, but he has been known to say stupid things when he’s under particular pressure so he can’t exactly rule it out. Though it seems Minho isn’t going to be much help there, so he changes directions instead. “Is it hard to go back to the shelter?”

“Sometimes,” the hybrid replies thoughtfully. “Sometimes it makes me think of worse times, but I also just appreciate it for what it was. Hwasa gave me a place to stay and lick my wounds after arguably the worst moment of my life. Those feelings are usually the most prevalent whenever I go back there.”

Jisung can understand that. It’s one of the reasons he’s actually glad he never returned to his company building. He can’t imagine how he would’ve handled seeing it after everything he went through. That thought just brings back the issue of Im Dabin, though. Jisung never got the chance to bring it up the other night, but now it feels almost compulsory to get it off his chest. “Minho,” he says, voice more serious than he really meant it to be when he sees the other stiffen at his tone. “That insufferable lady at the auction. It was Im Dabin. Did you know that?”

Minho hesitates, opening his mouth and then closing it as the silence stretches. Jisung fidgets, part of him compelled to dismiss the question and apologize but this is something he needs to know. Something that they need to talk about, lest it grow into something behind the scenes that he isn’t prepared for.

“I did,” Minho says simply. Quietly. Almost reserved. “I didn’t want to freak you out by telling you, but it seems you still found out while going through the videos. I’m sorry for not warning you sooner.”

“No, don’t apologize,” Jisung dismisses. This isn’t something that needs an apology from either of them. Instead, he’s far more worried about how Minho is holding up after running into that bitch face to face. “I only ask because I’m worried. Are you okay? I said a lot of stupid stuff to her without realizing I probably made things harder for you.”

“Don’t apologize for that either,” Minho says, cutting him off before he could even get to that part. “It was scary seeing her there, especially because I could tell she knew who I was, and I was mostly wondering if she would hurt you just to get back at me. She’s powerful. One of the most powerful people in Korea right now, even if it’s not in a public way. The fact that you said all of that to her without even knowing who she is... I doubt Dabin has ever been spoken to that way in her life. It was nice. Really nice to see. Maybe a little hot too.”

Jisung can’t help snorting at the last part. “Me telling her off was hot? Seriously?”

When he looks at Minho, he finds the hybrid is already looking back at him, though there’s a sort of hardness to his eyes before he breaks the contact and turns forward again. “I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like that, Jisung. Especially not to them. So, yeah, it was hot. And sweet. It meant a lot to me, even if you didn’t know who it was.”

He thinks back to that night, then collects all the information he knows about the Im Family and what Minho experienced at their hands. Weaving them all together just makes him wonder how Minho, as a child, was able to navigate through so much hurt and pain to make it to where he is today. Jisung wishes he could’ve been there for him back then. Not that he knows what he would’ve done, because he would’ve been mostly useless, but something. Anything, really. He thinks he would’ve done anything for him. Which just makes him realize, “I would’ve still done it if I knew who she was. Though I probably would’ve fucked up the words if I did.”

“I know,” Minho says tenderly, a hint of a laugh on the edges. “That’s why I love you.”

--

The shelter isn’t what Jisung expected. Though he’s not really sure what he expected in the first place.

It’s a rather large, plain brick building without anything on the outside directly telling you what it is. Probably for safety, Jisung thinks. Especially with the climate in the country right now. Though there is a woman standing just out front who is anything but plain. Her hair is long, reaching almost to her waist while her face is fierce in a way that is intimidating as much as it is gorgeous.

She’s standing with a hand on her hip as Minho and Jisung climb out of the truck, though her expression morphs to one of fondness as soon as she sees them. “Minho! It’s been forever since you came around. I was starting to think you forgot about me.” Then, she reaches forward to drag the hybrid into a tight hug.

Before he can say anything, the familiar van that has become almost second nature to see wherever he goes pulls up and Felix throws himself out of the passenger seat before it even fully stops so he can run for her. She barely had the chance to let go of Minho before Felix is halfway tackling her while yelling, “Noona!”

She laughs, wrapping around him to keep them both steady despite being a solid ten centimeters shorter. “Ah, my favorite kitten! How have you been, Chickie?”

“So busy! I’m sorry we haven’t come by sooner,” Felix says, rubbing his cheek over the top of her head and making her hair a mess, though she doesn’t bother trying to stop him and instead just smiles through it. Jisung can understand what Minho meant by calling her nurturing. She has this sense of calming around her, even as she extracts Felix from her arms and instead turns on Hyunjin.

“Just as cute as always, Jinnie. Come here,” she says, pulling him into the quickest hug of the set and reaching up to tap him on the cheek twice. Then she turns around to face Jisung and he feels himself stepping closer to Minho under her analytical gaze. “And who is this?”

There’s a pressure around his wrist as Minho steps closer too, bumping their shoulders as he says, “This is Jisung. He’s…” Though he trails off because they still don’t really have a proper label for whatever they are right now. Not quite boyfriend? Lover?

“Just as adorable as everyone made him seem. I can see why I keep hearing how smitten you are over him now,” Hwasa fills in the blank smoothly, though her words make Jisung feel slightly dizzy. People talked about him enough for her to know who he is? Though when he peeks up at Minho, the hybrid is only smiling without a hint of embarrassment. “You get a hug too, simply for being able to put up with such a grump all the time and making it sound easy.”

Minho doesn’t let go of his wrist, even as Hwasa grabs him into a quick hug that squishes him entirely. It’s a nice one that kind of reminds him of how Seonghwa hugs. When she steps back, she gives them all another grin before waving behind her. “Welcome to our shelter. Now let’s see what you brought for us. We really need anything we can get our hands on these days after all the havoc you’ve been creating.”

“Sorry, Noona,” Felix says, though he pulls her towards the truck in the process. “Hopefully what we brought can help a little.”

Minho has already climbed up on the back of the truck, letting the door roll up and reveal all the goods they managed to pack inside the truck. It really does look like an insane amount from the angle of the road, and he can’t help feeling relieved as he watches the shock on Hwasa’s face. “Oh. How in the world did you guys manage to get your hands on all of this? The stores have been emptied out for a week already.”

“That’s our secret,” Hyunjin says, climbing onto the truck beside Minho and looking over everything. “Where can we move these to? Without a forklift, we’re going to have to transfer everything by hand.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Hwasa says with a fond shake of her head. “Let me get some help so we can get this going.”

She disappears back into the shelter as the four of them climb into the truck and start cutting through the cellophane wrapping that’s keeping the items all together. Though Jisung isn’t prepared for a literal caravan of hybrids to follow Hwasa out the door and gather at the mouth of the truck to help carry everything in. It’s a little surprising, but also heartwarming to see so many people ready to help her like this.

The transfer of all the goods goes smoothly, getting everything inside in less than twenty minutes and allowing them to drop back down to street level and lock everything up. “Do you have to leave already, or can I convince you to come in for a snack at the very least,” Hwasa asks as soon as they have it secured.

“We planned on hanging around and asking some questions,” Minho says, wiping his hands on his jeans as he gives her a small smile. “If you don’t mind us getting a little invasive. We’re trying to make a plan for how long our supplies will last.”

Hwasa sighs, but she never loses her grin throughout it. “It’s weird seeing you acting all mature. I’m used to you acting like a brat, Min.” And Jisung zeroes in on it, because he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Minho acting quite like that. Though he is extremely intrigued. Maybe, if he’s nice, he can convince Hwasa to give him some examples.

They shuffle inside the shelter and Jisung is struck by just how nice it is, even if he can tell the building is older. It’s clear that Hwasa keeps it well maintained with the main area filled with couches and tables where hybrids form in small groups and converse. There’s a large group of hybrid children all playing together in the corner as their parents converse and relax. Others are playing card games or helping to pass out the supplies they’ve just brought it. Overall, it feels welcoming and cozy in a way he never would’ve predicted from a place like this.

He tries to take in everything he can as they pass through in the direction that he assumes is Hwasa’s office, but he can’t possibly catch as much as he wants. It does make him feel a lot better, knowing that Minho, Felix, and Hyunjin had a place so inviting to live after all the shit they’ve been through.

The office they end up in is small, but there’s enough room for everyone to sit as Hwasa situates herself in front of an old computer and starts clicking through it. “I have records of everything, so just tell me what you need to know.”

“How long do you think today’s shipment will last,” Minho asks to start, pulling out his phone so he can take down some notes. “We’re going to have to compare it with our inventory so we can get an estimate on how long everything will last.”

Hwasa thinks it over, looking over a few things on her computer before saying, “I think it’ll last us maybe two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Hyunjin’s voice is just as shocked as Jisung feels. They brought so much stuff that he can’t imagine it being gone so quickly.

“We’re at a new record for people at the shelters using our supplies,” Hwasa says with a sigh. “It’s bad. Most of the hybrids around the city have been laid off ever since the strikes at the port, and they’ve been getting evicted. There’s not enough room for any of us to take them in, so most have been setting up camps around the outskirts of town, but they still come here for supplies when they can manage to make it.”

Jisung turns to lock eyes with Minho, a look of surprise passing between them. People are getting evicted? Although he knew there would be repercussions from the blockage of importing and exporting, he’s not sure if anyone really anticipated this aftershock.

“So, they’re evicting everyone? Just sending everyone out onto the streets?” Felix asks, fists clenching together in his lap.

Hwasa scoffs, shaking her head. “Only the hybrids and sympathizers. The government has been offering relief aid to people that apply and pass their check. Some sort of database they’re running names against to determine if they’ve been part of the riots or anything apparently.”

His stomach sinks. The database has to be the one that they recovered from the government systems—the very system that listed him as a sympathizer even before he got involved in this entire thing. If that’s the case, they’re only going to give assistance to those that have shown absolutely zero ties to hybrids which is a pretty slim amount of people at this rate. Only the worst of the worst.

It’ll leave a majority of the population homeless.

“You’ve had an uptick in humans too, then,” Minho remarks, though it’s mostly rhetorical. “Chan needs to hear about this right away.”

Already, Jisung’s mind is spinning. There has to be some way they can interfere with it. Something that can be done to block them from access to the database or something. Though it might just result in even more people getting evicted from their housing if they aren’t careful.

The room falls silent as everyone contemplates it.

“Not to be a downer,” Hwasa says after a few minutes, “but we really can’t afford to house any more people like this. If you could find somewhere for people to go, that would help more than supplies at this point. Shelter is one of the most basic necessities and there are entire families stuck living in tents or just out in the elements.”

Minho’s eyes have hardened by the time he says, “We’ll figure something out. Thank you for everything you’ve been doing, Noona. We’ll keep bringing supplies every couple weeks and we’ll figure out how much longer we can stretch them out.”

“Be safe, please,” Hwasa says, her smile pinched as she stands to see them out. “And don’t forget that what you’re doing matters.”

--

“They’re using the database we have a copy of to determine who gets to keep their housing,” Chan repeats, looking at them in disbelief. “They’re being even more blatant than I realized.”

“We should do something about it,” Jisung says, because it’s all he’s been thinking about. He knows that database. After spending so much time going through it while he was staying at Treasure, he’s fairly certain he could replicate it without trying too hard. It would be easy enough to get rid of it entirely, if he managed to get into one of the facilities with direct access to it. “I could shut it down if I got into one of the precincts.”

“No,” Minho says right away, grabbing onto his hand and squeezing it. “It’s too risky.”

Chan looks like he wants to say something, but the look Minho is giving them both has him biting his lip instead. “If it becomes necessary,” he starts, but Minho cuts him off.

“No. It’s not necessary. There are so many other things we need to focus on instead. It’s too dangerous to try something like that with the increased police involvement.”

Jisung looks down to their hands when the grip tightens, almost uncomfortably so. He squeezes back in reassurance. They’ll table this for now. If it does become necessary, as Chan alluded to, Jisung will be ready.

--

The table is scattered with all the notes they’ve taken since starting to review the auction videos and files, stacked to one side in a disorganized pile as Jisung works his way through all of them. His laptop screen is opened to a detailed list of pictures, names, and purchase data that catalogs every single thing that has transpired at the Yang Auction House since the start of things.

He’s spent the last two days tirelessly compiling everything into a single document that can be disseminated to anyone that will listen, and Jisung can’t help wondering what kind of fall out this might bring but he’s excited for it. Positively gleeful at the idea of making even one of these assholes face consequences for the things they’ve done. That’s basically all he’s running on right now, all of his energy steadily evaporating the longer he stares at his computer.

“You’re working hard. How about a break,” Minho says from behind him, hands landing on Jisung’s shoulders and kneading into the tense muscles there.

“I can’t. Gotta finish this up as soon as I can so we can get it out,” he replies, typing out the last name from this particular sheet. He adds it to the ‘done’ pile and notes that it’s at least twice the size of the ‘to be added’ pile. He’s made really great progress so far, though he’ll need a few more hours to get the last of it loaded.

Minho’s grip tightens, making him groan at the dig into what is surely a knot forming just beside his neck. “It’s not good to strain yourself so much. Have you even eaten?”

He gives up for the moment, letting his head fall back into Minho’s chest as he works through the tense muscles. It’s nice to be cared for like this, just as the hybrid has always done. Though he can’t let it distract him from finishing the project in front of him. He promised Chan that he’d have it done tonight and intends to see it through. “I ate earlier, but I have to finish this up before I sleep. You don’t have to wait up for me if you’re tired.”

Humming, Minho gives one more squeeze before leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Is there anything I can do to help? I could read the information off to you?”

As much as he likes the idea, Jisung also knows he’ll get it done faster if he just works through it alone. “That’s okay. I’ll be done soon, and I’ll come straight to bed.”

There’re a few seconds of silence before Minho steps back. “Okay. I’ll be there when you’re done.” He doesn’t miss the hint of disappointment behind the words, which just makes his shoulders slump. Just one more push and he’ll be done with this, he reminds himself. He can do it.

--

It’s nearly three in the morning by the time he types in the last entry and hits save, slumping back in his chair and rubbing at his eyes. The right one started twitching about an hour ago and he’s been close to digging it out with a spoon just to make it stop. Though he doesn’t really mind it as he grabs his phone to send a message to Chan and check if he’s still awake.

The response is almost immediate, calling him down to the room Chan and Jeongin share. He clicks the laptop closed and slips it under and arm, meandering to the door to slip into his shoes before making it down to their room where the door is already cracked open for him, Jeongin standing just on the other side with bleary eyes and flushed cheeks.

Chan’s already waiting for him at the table, waving him over as soon as he’s through the door. “Thank you so much for getting that all compiled. I know it was a lot.”

Jisung just shrugs it off. It’s really the least he can do. “Here’s how I formatted it,” he says instead, opening it up to the document and doing a cursory scroll through it. “Should be easy enough to read without looking too cluttered.”

“Wow,” Jeongin says, leaning over his shoulder to get a better look. “I can’t believe there are so many people. It looks even worse all laid out like this.”

He can’t help but agree. It really is damning seeing everything in one place like this. There’re at least three hundred names, though some have more facts and purchases than others. The repeat customers are the ones that really made Jisung want to scream as he listed out the extensive details of all the hybrids they’ve purchased through the years.

Chan scrolls through the rest of the document before nodding towards him. “This is perfect. I have a couple emails that we need to send it to, then I think we should post a link to the document through the Twitter account we’ve been using. It’s guaranteed to grab attention quickly that way even if the news stations ignore it.”

Pulling up a new email draft, Jisung types everything out and attaches the document, thankful that the file compressed enough to fit into the standard attachments. They’ve compiled a list of news stations and hybrid-friendly organizations to get the list out to. Enough people that someone should take a look at it.

He hits send, watching it pop into his outbox for a few seconds before disappearing into the sent box instead. It’s even easier to load everything into their drive and then attach the file link onto a Tweet, adding the hashtags they’ve been using for anything MayFly related. He clicks send and watches for a few seconds as the first hearts start to pop up.

“Alright, go get some sleep,” Chan says with a tired smile. “We’re headed to bed too.”

He’s more than grateful to slip back up to their apartment, taking care to be quiet as he slips out of his shoes and sets the laptop back on the table before letting himself into their bedroom and finding Minho sleeping soundly.

Jisung stops on the threshold for a few seconds, simply admiring him. It still feels a little surreal to be here with him like this but it’s also everything he’s been working toward, and he can’t help looking forward to the end of this whole thing.

Chapter Text

Over ten thousand retweets. That’s what Jisung discovers when he checks first thing after waking. His vision is still a little blurry, but the numbers are unmistakable. Replies are flooding in, mixtures of surprise and fury from people who have read through the list. It’s kind of amazing that they managed to get so much attention on it, though he’s not sure what it means in the grand scheme of things. Who is actually going to care about it? Is anyone going to do anything now?

“What are you looking at,” Minho’s voice calls, thick with sleep as he rolls towards Jisung and drapes over his back, chin resting on his shoulder.

“The document we sent out last night,” he says, scrolling back to the top to show it properly. “It reached ten thousand retweets.”

Minho scoots closer, hand reaching forward for the phone so he can pull it closer to his face to see it properly. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah, holy shit,” he agrees, shifting onto his back so he can look up at the phone and Minho at the same time. This is a big deal, though they don’t quite know in which way yet. “I wonder what happens next?”

“Mmmm,” Minho purrs, locking the phone and tucking it behind him before wrapping Jisung in his arms to tug him closer. “Let’s not worry about it right now. I’d rather enjoy some time together first.”

Jisung lets himself be dragged and maneuvered until he’s suspended over Minho, palms pressed into the mattress. The hybrid’s thick thighs bracket his hips easily and he’ll never get over how welcoming it feels when their bodies fit together like this. He leans down to drag a quick succession of kisses over Minho’s cheek and jaw, their bare chests pressing together. A burst of love fills him, so much he’s not sure how it fits inside his ribcage anymore.

He worried, at first, that they wouldn’t be able to pick up their easy rhythm from before but it’s been like riding a bike, everything coming back and making perfect sense. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a quiet morning,” he says, just before their lips meet in a sweet yet fervent kiss. He sighs into it, letting his full body weight relax down onto him.

Minho’s arms wind their way around his back, palms leaving a trail of goosebumps as they smooth over his skin. He feels fuzzy around the edges, the easy delirium washing through him as his body heats up and comes alive again.

Their hips grind together, a slow cadence that has Minho gasping into his mouth and licking at his parted lips messy and with a hint of desperation that makes him hungry for more. Jisung breaks the kiss to instead latch onto the side of Minho’s neck, grazing teeth and tongue down towards his collarbones. In answer, Minho arches up against him, tightening around him to hold him even closer.

A sharp knock, followed by the sound of their door opening, is enough to bring Jisung out of his mild trance, scrambling to the side as he grabs the sheets and pulls them up to his neck. He finds San in the doorway, face far too serious for what he’s just walked in on. Usually, he’d be laughing and calling for the others to come and tease them relentlessly. Instead, he looks like he’s in shock. Something is wrong.

“Can you not fucking knock and wait for us to call you in for once,” Minho grumbles, not bothering to try and cover his own exposed torso.

“You two need to come out here. Right now,” San says, clearly ignoring Minho’s taunt. Which is even more worrisome because he never lets him get away with snark like that.

The tone of his voice is enough to have Jisung climbing out of the bed, leaning down to nab the shirt he’d been wearing the night before and slipping it over his head as he goes. “What’s going on?”

He barely makes it out of the room before the television catches his attention. On the screen is an aerial shot of the Department of Hybrid Affairs, just as he remembers it from his time infiltrating it. Except this time, half of it is caved in and engulfed in flames. Thick plumes of smoke billow from the top, obscuring the extent of damage. He freezes in the doorway, staring at the image and trying to make sense of what the news reporter is saying.

“A bomb detonated at the Department of Hybrid Affairs earlier this morning. Reports from DHA officials say this is tied to the recent hybrid uprising that has been cropping up throughout the country. It has been predicted that these vigilante groups have become belligerent and begun attacking innocent bystanders. It is unclear if this is an isolated incident or if more bombings are planned. Residents of Seoul are encouraged to stay home and avoid any densely populated sites within the metropolitan area until a search for indications of other bombs has been concluded.”

What? His eyes stray from the screen to find Wooyoung sitting on the couch, knees to his chest and an arm around them as he gnaws on his other thumb. Seungmin is beside him, seated on the very edge of the cushion and leaned over to get closer to the television without actually getting up. They look just as surprised as Jisung feels, which just gives him more questions.

“What the fuck happened?” The question comes from Minho, standing directly behind Jisung and taking in the news story.

“I don’t know,” Seungmin says from his spot, eyes never leaving the screen. “That wasn’t us, though. No one had any plans to attack the DHA. It would be foolish to even try, and it just makes us look erratic.”

It’s still impossible to make sense of what he’s seeing. The explosion had to have been a huge one with how much damage was inflicted on the building. Whoever did this… they didn’t use a home-crafted pipe bomb. That’s for damn sure.

All of their phones buzz collectively, and Jisung reaches for his to slide it open. It’s a message from Chan, calling everyone down to the courtyard for an emergency meeting. He better put on some pants.

--

Chan takes his spot at the front of the group, scrubbing a hand down his face as he paces a few times back and forth. “This wasn’t us, first of all. I reached out to everyone we know just to make sure,” he starts as he comes to a stop and faces them. “I also heard from Soyeon about an hour ago. She’s safe, thank god, but she was able to get her hands on the initial reports of the incident. The bomb used was an advanced one, not the type that anyone could have just made… the kind that only the government can get their hands on.”

Jisung suspected that already, but having it confirmed makes it so much worse. What does it mean for them? There’s a subtext there that no one has outright said, but it’s obvious. The bombing was carried out by the government—but why? Simply to make them look out of control? To make them seem more extreme than they really are?

They can’t seem to catch a break, no matter how hard they try. Everything just keeps stacking up until it’s teetering over them and threatening to squash them if they aren’t careful.

“This looks bad for us,” Soobin says, voicing his own concerns. “They’re already vilifying us in the news and support is wavering from what I can see.”

“Everything we do is going to be under a microscope in the public eye,” Seonghwa adds with a frown. “We need to be very cautious going forward.”

“We’re going to take supplies to the front lines of the protests. Offer all the support we can in peaceful ways. But in addition to that, we need a win,” Chan says, and his gaze lands on Jisung. He already knows what he’s referring to—the database. It’s not enough to really undo everything from this morning but it’s a show of good faith. Something to prove that they’re looking out for the citizens at the end of the day, to counteract the affects of the bombing. “What we talked about last night.”

Jisung nods, but he feels Minho’s hand gripping his again, reminding him that they’re connected palm to palm just as they always are. “No. I already said we can’t afford to do that,” Minho states, still firm on his position. “It’s not even going to do much. So many people have already been evicted.”

“Jisung is the only one that can pull this off and it is important. Even if we can only keep ten people off the streets, that’s more than worth it,” Chan argues, and Jisung finds that he agrees. It may be too late to save a majority of their supporters, but they can still help some of them and he’d do anything necessary to make that happen. Especially when they’re being heavily scrutinized right now.

“Jisung’s safety is more important,” Minho cuts back, voice fierce and unyielding.

The words make Jisung pause. When… did Minho stop being willing to do anything it took to help the people? Even at the very beginning, he had been prepared to throw everything between them to the side for this cause. He has always been the first to jump face first into a dangerous situation if it meant they might advance MayFly, even just a centimeter. It was a quality that Jisung first feared and then came to admire about him.

He looks down at the hand holding his in a death grip and wonders why it doesn’t feel so much like comfort anymore. Why it feels more like a shackle in this moment than anything else.

This is his fault. He doesn’t exactly know how or when, but he knows for a fact that this is on him. He can pinpoint the shift in Minho now, if he takes a step back to look at everything that has happened between them. Jisung has always known that Minho didn’t want him involved—that’s been pretty blatant since the beginning. He’s always tried to ward off any involvement. The problem, if he’s honest with himself, is when Minho shifted his focus from the revolution… to him.

The day they interrupted the president’s speech is the first thing that sticks to the front of his skull and stays there. Minho had to have seen Changbin struggling. He himself said that he’d been watching from the window, yet he hadn’t come for him. No, he’d waited and only acted when it was Jisung being apprehended. It was romantic to him then, but now it just feels like dread because he understands the deeper meaning behind it.

Jisung’s stomach twists, bile turning rancid as battery acid as it climbs the back of his throat. He is the hindrance here and he never even meant to be.

Minho—the one that has been fighting tooth and nail for his freedom since he was a child—has been losing sight of what they’re here for and Jisung is to blame for it. Not actively, because he would never incite something like this, but he’s still at fault, isn’t he? The realization makes his eyes burn, a deep ache settling into the center of his chest and then shooting outward from there. He doesn’t want to admit it; doesn’t want to acknowledge it.

Maybe he shouldn’t have gotten involved after all. Maybe… maybe he should’ve gone to Malaysia and given Minho the space he needed to see everything through without acting as a distraction towards that goal.

What’s worse than that, he realizes, is that they’ll never even have a future together if they hesitate now because this is it. The moment they need to make big moves. Big sacrifices. It’s always been about sacrifices from the very beginning. Every revolution requires them, and this has never once been different. They’ve all sacrificed, whether it be livelihoods like the ATEEZ crew and Jisung himself. Or their homes—this very courtyard is proof of that. Even relationships. Jisung looks to Chan and Jeongin and recognizes that they’ve sacrificed on that front too, even if they’ve made things official now.

All of these realizations crash down on him like a ton of bricks, bruising and crushing with how heavy they feel everywhere they land.

He knows what he needs to do.

Finding Chan’s eyes, Jisung tries to convey his intent, giving a half-nod that makes the leader look at him for several long seconds. It stretches between them. An understanding. “Okay. Let’s move on,” Chan says, and Jisung puts all of his love into the next squeeze around Minho’s hand before leaning closer to him and simply appreciating the proximity. He’s not sure how much more he’ll get after this.

--

“I need to go over a couple things with Chan,” Jisung says as soon as the meeting wraps and everyone is standing and gathering themselves to prepare for their next steps. Assignments have been doled out, though Jisung knows his own is still waiting for him to officially accept. “It’s about the list we sent out. I’ll come right upstairs once I’m done.”

Minho accepts easily, and Jisung tries to ignore the guilt already gnawing at him. Instead, he offers a smile and a quick peck to the cheek before sending him off with the others.

When he turns, he finds Chan already waiting for him.

“I’ll do it,” he says once they’re huddled together, voice low so no one else can hear. “We need to do this.”

Chan hesitates. “Jisung, I need you to be absolutely sure about this.” He can read between those lines, even if Chan doesn’t say it outright. They both know what’s at stake here, good and bad.

“I’m sure.” He means it, as much as he wishes he didn’t.

Jisung understands everything now. He already came to terms with what Minho did to him in the past when he willfully destroyed Jisung’s life to get them here. He understands it now. The largest part of their reconciliation was accepting what Minho did and the fact that it was necessary. It’s his turn to commit a necessary action, even if it ends up burning him up from the inside. Minho’s freedom is more important to him.

“I already spoke with Changbin. You’re going tonight at midnight. He’ll be waiting for you at the vans, so bring anything you might need for it and leave the break-in portion to him,” Chan says, then he rests a palm on Jisung’s shoulder. Likely meant to be reassuring, though Jisung isn’t quite sure that’s what’s reaching him. “Thank you. I know this is a big ask of you.”

“Do me one favor,” Jisung says, “Don’t tell anyone.”

--

Jisung distracts himself by helping with logistics planning, sorting through their inventory lists to decide which items can come in handy now and which should be saved for any future protest efforts alongside Eunkwang and Hongjoong. He wishes they knew how much longer this would carry on so they could plan better, but at least they have a semblance of one by the time he retires to their apartment for the night.

He's jittery, stomach sick with guilt and shame. If he thinks back to this whole thing starting, it’s impossible to reconcile with what he’s about to do. Back then, he would’ve given anything to undo the betrayal and to think that he’s about to do it right back so soon after them finally figuring their shit out? It sucks, but he can’t fault himself either.

Minho is on the couch when he enters, joking with Seungmin about something he doesn’t quite catch, though he sees the way Minho lights up as soon as he sees him, and it only makes him feel worse. He’s all bright eyes, ears standing straight up as his tail curves behind him. Fuck.

He’s always been able to tell that something is wrong, and it’s kicking in again as he pushes off the couch and heads straight for him. “Baby?”

It’s fine. Jisung is fine.

Except his eyes feel hot around the edges as he reaches for Minho and pulls him into his arms. “Will you make love to me tonight,” he asks, voice low to spare Seungmin from overhearing. He just needs to feel closer to him, even if it’s a selfish desire right now.

Minho’s arms tighten around him as he nods, hair brushing along Jisung’s cheek before he steps back and drags him towards their room. “Earmuffs,” he calls out over his shoulder, clearly uncaring about Seungmin’s opinion. He only rolls his eyes in response.

Jisung is pulled right to the bed as soon as they make it to the room, watching as Minho rips his shirt over his head as soon as their hands disconnect. He reaches out the moment his torso is bare, palms pressing to Minho’s chest and feeling the way his muscles shift as he grabs onto Jisung’s waist to pull him closer. Their lips and tongues meet in the middle, a hot slide that he feels all the way in the pit of his stomach.

Thumbs rub along the seam of his shirt, slipping beneath to press into his hip bones tightly. The grip is possessive, almost commanding. Jisung wants to give him absolutely anything he wants. The sharpened point of Minho’s elongated teeth graze over his lips just enough to make him gasp, though the hybrid uses that to his advantage to lick more feverishly into his mouth. It nearly sends him spiraling, hands flailing for a better grip and settling around his ribs tightly. It keeps him tethered as Minho guides him through the next set of rough kisses.

Desire crawls down his throat and Jisung chases after it, pulling Minho as close as he can until they’re almost molding together. It’s not nearly enough.

“What do you want,” Minho asks against him, a chaste kiss placed on each corner of his lips.

“I just want to be close to you.” It’s all he wants. All he can think about right now. “Want you to take me until I can never forget how you feel.”

Minho pauses and pulls back just enough to see him properly. “Is everything okay?”

He bites at his lip, trying to find the courage to say ‘yes’, but it doesn’t come. There’s no proper way to describe what he’s actually feeling, taking in the sparkle of Minho’s eyes as he looks back so earnestly. So open, and adoring. “I just really need this tonight. I need you to make me forget about everything going on.”

“I can do that,” Minho says, the pressure on Jisung’s hips tightening before he leans in to nip at his bottom lip, snagging it for half a second. “Let’s get you out of your clothes.”

Jisung barely has time to process that before his shirt is being yanked up and over his head, but he manages to get with the program quick enough to reach for Minho’s belt just as the hybrid grabs for his jeans. It’s a mad dash to get the remaining clothing off their bodies, and Jisung is dragged onto the bed the second he kicks his jeans from around his ankles.

He goes easily, letting Minho pull him into his lap, thighs balanced on either side of him as Jisung grabs onto his shoulders to keep from falling over. They’re barely settled in the position before Minho wraps both arms around his back and pulls them flush together, the heat of his body sinking in everywhere they touch.

A grip around his cock makes Jisung shudder, gasping into Minho’s ear beside his head as he nestles into his soft hair with his cheek. Minho nuzzles right back, and it’s far more intimate than anything Jisung has ever experienced before, not possibly close enough despite being glued together.

Minho’s thumb rubs over his tip, firm yet tender. “Touch me too, baby,” he coaxes, and Jisung practically flails trying to reach between them to grab ahold of his cock too. He’s solid and hot, already wet from his excitement. It makes the glide easier, Jisung smoothing his fist down the length, taunting him until Minho moans, voice pitched low.

They tease each other, grips alternating between tight and loose, hard and featherlight, until Jisung can’t take it anymore. “Please, please give me more. I’m going to lose my fucking mind at this rate.”

There’s a soft smile on Minho’s face when he pulls back to look at him and it punctures right through his chest, an ache rupturing through his heart. Sometimes he wishes, so badly, that they met in another circumstance, anything other than a war for their peace. He wishes they could’ve had proper dates and that getting to know you stage that comes with awkward kisses and conversations until three in the morning.

Minho reaches down between them and Jisung tracks the way his fingers glide between his legs, collecting his own slick on the pads of them before he changes course and slides them between Jisung’s cheeks. He shudders when he realizes that Minho is going to use his own slick to prep him, digits tracing over his rim delicately. He relaxes, giving silent permission for him to press inside.

His body has become unaccustomed to the feeling, but he’s reminded of just how incredible it is when Minho slides both fingers into him. The stretch is uncomfortable for a few seconds until he adjusts, and it’s all the time he has to get used to it before Minho is moving and his senses fade out until it’s all he can focus on. His brain tethers directly to the skim of fingertips along his prostate, a barely-there zing of pleasure.

Jisung writhes in his hold, grappling to stay upright as he grasps onto his shoulders again. It’s so good, muddling his mind into a macerated mess of sugar and rind. “I forgot how good this feels,” he gasps out, dropping his hips in search of more.

With his free hand, Minho grips onto his chin and guides him forward for another kiss, consuming each needy moan as he picks Jisung apart. A third finger stretches his rim, enough to feel down to the tips of his toes.

When he dissolves into whines, hips steadily meeting each thrust, Minho pulls out and reaches between his own legs to gather the new gush of slick coating his inner thighs. He spreads it over his cock this time, grunting at the brush of friction until he’s ready and priming Jisung over him. He enters easily, slipping into Jisung and letting him slide the rest of the way down until he’s filled to the brim.

Jisung’s head falls back, eyes squeezing shut as he takes stock of his entire body, although he’s having trouble feeling anything other than thoroughly, pleasantly full.

“You look so perfect on my lap,” Minho says, drawing his attention back to the present. His hands smooth down Jisung’s sides, settling over the swell of his hips to hold him in place. “How does it feel?”

“So fucking good,” he says around a laugh, grinning at Minho and letting his arms go lax around his neck. “I needed this.”

With a tilt forward, Minho presses a kiss to each of his cheeks. “Take what you need, baby. Anything you want.”

Jisung lets the words wash over him, lets the entire moment linger and mix with his pleasure. It doesn’t matter what happens from here, this—being with Minho, loving him—will stay with him forever. “I love you so much,” he says, then falters for only a second. “No matter what happens.”

He manages to keep the strain out of his voice enough for Minho to not pick up on any deeper meaning, the hybrid grinning around his answering, “I love you too.”

Before he can let that set in too deeply, Minho rolls his hips up into him. It’s sinful, a deep pressure along his rim combined with the drag along his prostate. Far too much for him to do anything other than cry out at the feeling, body going tense as Minho repeats the action again and again, pace unhurried and almost excruciating.

He tries not to choke on his moans, too scrambled to keep his body in check. Minho’s grip never slackens around his waist, forcing him down to meet each thrust. Already, he can feel his orgasm forming at the base of his spine, legs trembling as he tries his best to match the pace and keep up, but it’s no use. He’s suspended in the feeling, simply holding onto his sanity for as long as he can.

“You’re close,” Minho says, and he sounds pleased with himself. “Cum on my cock, baby. I want to feel it.”

Without warning, Minho suddenly speeds up his thrusts and it’s overwhelming, a lightening strike straight to his brain that has his jolting with his release. His entire body tightens around it, arms practically strangling Minho as he shudders through each ebb and flow.

Jisung goes slack in his hold when the last of it recedes, though he’s not ready for this to be over yet. Not until he feels Minho come undone too. “Keep going,” he pleads, though he knows he sounds tired. “I need you to keep going.”

He’s rolled onto his back, limbs falling apart and making room for Minho to settle over him and encase him in his hold. The pace he sets is fast yet gentle, taking care not to hurt Jisung despite his own need. It only makes that painfully tight feeling in his chest twist, trying to push it away for now. Not yet. He needs to stay in this bubble as long as he possibly can. He wraps around Minho as much as his tired body will allow, silently begging to imprint the feeling in his mind forever.

Minho doesn’t take long before his pace turns jagged, breath stuttering as he presses all the way inside and then stills. Jisung can feel each pump of cum, deep and yet not deep enough at the same time.

They’re both panting when Minho seeks out his lips, simply pressing a string of pecks over every centimeter of them as he tries to catch his breath. Jisung closes his eyes and purses his lips to kiss back, mapping out the trail he lays out. It’s enough. All of this is more than enough.

--

Jisung watches Minho’s breathing even out as he holds him close, basking in the feeling of their bodies entwined for as long as he can. It’s almost midnight, and he knows he needs to get up but it’s hard to will himself to pull away now, still dipped in the feeling of being loved and fucked so thoroughly. This is all for Minho, he tries to remind himself. Everything he’s about to do is all for him.

He contemplates waking Minho and just telling him what he’s planning on doing, but he knows it’s not going to end well, and he doesn’t have the time to argue right now. Not with the clock ticking closer and closer to go time.

With one last kiss to his shoulder, Jisung slowly extracts himself from the bed and halts on the edge for any sign of the hybrid waking. His breathing doesn’t shift or stutter from its languid pace for almost fifteen seconds and Jisung takes that as his cue to roll off the bed and sneak to the dressers to find his darkest ensemble of clothing. Something that might conceal him as he sneaks into the precinct with Changbin without drawing too much attention.

Clothed in all black, Jisung scoops up his backpack before taking a deep breath and unlatching the door as soundlessly as he can. He hovers on the other side of the door, taking one last look at Minho’s sleeping form, face smooth and serene, before closing it behind him. He needs to go.

Changbin is already at the van when he makes it downstairs, leaning against the side with his arms crossed. He gives a quick nod as soon as he sees Jisung. “You ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jisung says with a shrug, climbing into the passenger seat and trying to will his heartrate to slow. He’s not scared of the mission. Not really. It’s the guilt that keeps his stomach just on the edge of painful as he straps into the seatbelt. It’s worth it, he knows, but it still feels kind of awful to be going ahead with this.

The streets are mostly empty as they drive through, and he tries to just block out all of his thoughts for now. If he worries over it too much, he won’t be able to focus when he absolutely needs to. Instead, he thinks of how he can overwrite the database to instead show ‘green’ for everyone that they look up. Part of him wishes he’d messed around with their copy of the database earlier just to feel more confident now, but he knows he’ll figure it out. There isn’t much choice.

“I was surprised when Chan said you agreed to do this,” Changbin says, breaking the silence of the car as they turn onto another street. Jisung hums, unsure of what else to really say. It just prompts him to continue on with, “He mentioned you wanted it to be lowkey.”

He doesn’t really want to talk about it right now, but there doesn’t seem to be a way around it. “Yeah, I’ll deal with it later,” he says, trying to keep it as vague as he can. They both know what Changbin is hinting at here.

Thankfully, Changbin simply nods and turns back to the road, leaving him back in peace for the remainder of the drive that he spends trying not to kick himself.

The precinct is dim, parking lot far darker than Jisung expected when they pull up. It’s the one closest to what remains of the Lake House, the one he knows Changbin used to work at. Though he supposes it’s easiest to break into a place you worked at for years rather than a random spot.

“Alright, let’s go. I should still have access to the back door with this,” Changbin says, holding up a keycard between his fingers. At least the ‘break in’ will be more of an unauthorized entrance than an actual one. Less chance of them getting caught outright.

They sidle through the shadows to get to the door, Jisung holding onto the straps of his backpack tightly just to have somewhere to direct the tenseness he feels settling into every centimeter of his body. Every time he’s broken into a place—minus Chanel, somehow—has gone horribly wrong. Perhaps tonight they can even the score to 2 vs infinity.

Changbin swipes the keycard through the reader once they’ve stepped up to it, the light beside it flickering green before a thunk sounds, indicating that the door unlocked for them. It’s a fantastic sign, Jisung relaxing a smidgen as the door is pulled open a crack for them to peek through. The hall ahead of them is brightly lit with fluorescents, but it’s completely empty. No sign of anyone nearby.

“Usually, the office itself is empty this time of night. Follow me.”

He nods, scooting through the door right behind Changbin as they walk as quickly as they can without looking suspicious on the CCTV footage that must be running at all times. They’ve both got baseball caps on their heads, drawn low enough to cover a majority of their faces as long as they keep their heads down. His vision is locked in on Changbin’s sneakers as they turn through the corridors.

Finally, they make it to the room Changbin set out for, slipping inside and locking the door behind them. It’s a small office, jammed with three computer setups that look practically ancient. “Did they seriously have you guys working off of these?”

Changbin snorts as he takes a seat at one of them. “Believe it or not, but our budget was pretty shit. We had to make do.”

He just huffs before settling in front of the middle computer and pulling out his laptop. He’s still got a lot of the login information stored in there, so he should at least be able to pick a profile he can use to login, even if he has to bypass the password.

The guy he chooses, an officer that should have access to the database, was significantly smarter than Donghoon. He’s met with an ‘incorrect password’ warning as soon as he types in the one he has saved. Not a problem, though. Jisung still knows the administrator information and highly doubts anyone bothered to reset that one. It’s a pain in the dick to go through the process.

As expected, it unlocks almost too easily and gives him access to everything right away. He sets to work resetting the password for his selected person, typing out a keyboard pattern that he won’t forget before trying it again.

“I never understand anything you’re doing on that thing,” Changbin comments, watching him work. Jisung can’t help smiling to himself as the desktop loads and he sees the database access file right on the desktop.

“I can’t even explain half of it to you. Most of what I know is from spending too much time on my own as a kid,” he explains as he opens the file and waits for the entirety of it to load. He immediately searches for himself as soon as it does, seeing the box that contains his name and basic information turn red immediately. Okay, so that must be what they’re using as indicators for the debt relief. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how they have it all coded.

He dives right in, reading through the script to figure out where the command is written in. It appears to be established into the prompt that delineates between ‘safe’ and ‘risk’, the two options for peoples’ status.

It’s almost too easy to overwrite it so that everyone turns ‘green’, saving it and then running a few tests to ensure it all worked as he intended. When he searches his own name this time, it pops up as green despite still marking him as ‘risk’. It would take entirely too much time to try and change every single person’s status, so this will have to do for now. Chances are, no one is looking that heavily at their indicators and instead looking just at the color coding.

“Alright, I think I have it,” he says once he’s searched five others in their group. All green now.

“That quick?” Changbin looks surprised when he says it, leaning forward to look at the screen and finding Yunho’s profile lit with ‘green’. “Huh. For some reason, I thought we’d be here way longer.”

“This was an easy task. The whole… breaking into a police building at night thing was the hardest part,” he says around a laugh as he closes everything out and logs out. “Now we just have to get out of here.”

Once he’s all packed up again, slipping his bag over his shoulders, they repeat their actions in reverse with Changbin peeking out into the hallway before they file down and towards the exit as fast as they can manage. It’s strange, the way Jisung isn’t even freaking out this time around. In fact, he kind of wonders what happened to him to make him so relaxed about something like this.

They’re back out the door before he even has the chance to panic, and Jisung lets out a quiet laugh as they rush for the van. “I can’t believe that actually worked so well.”

“We’re lucky,” Changbin muses, unlocking the vehicle so they can both slip inside. He doesn’t waste any time backing out and heading straight for their apartments though they both keep checking the mirrors, waiting for the catch. Jisung keeps expecting to see a flash of lights behind them or a car speeding to catch up.

It feels almost anticlimactic to make it back to the apartments without any trouble. This is, by far, his easiest mission to date and he almost can’t believe it.

When Changbin cuts the engine, he doesn’t make any move to get out of the van and it makes Jisung pause too. “For a long time, I really thought you were just in this to try and get revenge on Minho or something. I’m really glad I was wrong.”

Jisung can’t help but wonder what ever gave off that impression, though he’s too exhausted to really unpack it at the moment. “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself,” he says instead, shooting him a grin. “Even I don’t know why I first agreed to join, but here we are.”

With a shake of his head, Changbin pops his door open. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Now come on, let’s try and get some rest. Chan has big plans for everyone tomorrow.”

He stifles a yawn with his palm as he grabs his backpack and slides out. Truth be told, he feels really good right now. The combined success and Changbin’s mostly kind words have him feeling a swell of pride in his chest as he climbs the stairs two at a time and then slows considerably to try and approach the apartment quietly. Maybe, just maybe, he was fast enough that Minho will never know he was gone in the first place?

Though he should’ve known better.

As soon as the door opens, he sees the hybrid sitting in a perfect lotus position on the couch, hands resting in his lap. The glare behind his gaze is heavy enough to make Jisung freeze in place. Well, fuck.

“Welcome back.”

Chapter Text

It’s silent. Uncomfortably silent, and it stretches and stretches until it wraps around Jisung’s throat like a thick, wool scarf that’s cutting off his oxygen supply. He doesn’t have a clue what he’s supposed to say right now. Sure, he knew that Minho would be upset about this. It’s not that he didn’t realize that, but maybe a part of him felt too justified in his own reasonings that he didn’t stop to really contemplate how it would make Minho feel.

Now, staring at him and seeing the hurt there feels so much worse than anything he’s experienced to date. In fact, he would rather have Minho betray him twenty more times than be on this end of things. To be the one that inflicted that senseless pain onto Minho just because he wanted to have his own moment. He’s always tried his hardest to be sensitive to Minho and his needs throughout their time knowing each other. Even when they went through their rough patch, he likes to think he was understanding and patient. Then he threw all of that away for a single mission that, in the grand scheme of things, probably wasn’t even that helpful. Just like Minho said.

He feels sick, stomach burning to the point that he worries if it’s turned too acidic and is eating away at the lining right now.

‘Sorry’ isn’t enough for something like this.

He wishes he could fix it. More than that, he wishes he could go back and undo all of it just so he didn’t have to sit here faced with Minho after lying to him and being so careless about his opinions. Whether what he did was warranted or not doesn’t really fucking matter right now, does it? Not when this is all he has to show for it.

“Minho, let me explain,” he starts because the urge to smooth this all over and maybe express just how much he hates what he’s done is too strong to just keep ignoring.

“Did you really think you could say that to me and I wouldn’t realize something was up?” He looks even angrier now, seething over the question.

There is absolutely no way he’s going to be able to explain his way out of that one, but he knows he needs to try. He needs to get all his thoughts out of his head so they both have at least a chance at reconciling. “Can we talk somewhere else?” The others are guaranteed to be behind the wall, either asleep or trying their damndest to eavesdrop. “Outside?”

Minho scoffs but he pushes up from the couch and walks directly for the front door, barely side stepping around Jisung before smashing his feet into a pair of shoes and ripping the door open. All he can do is accept his anger and follow after him, out into the chilly night air and down the steps towards the courtyard. At this rate, they might actually wake the entire complex if things get heated enough and he prays to whatever deity might be listening that they don’t reach that point, although he’ll accept all of Minho’s scorn if it comes to that.

He's left to watch as Minho takes a seat on the top of the picnic table and then crosses his arms over his chest. It’s been a while since he’s felt so blocked off from him like this. “Get on with it.”

It’s not the start he’d been hoping for when they got around to this conversation, but he still has his own piece to say so he might as well grab the shovel and start actively digging his own grave at this point. He already broke ground by going to the precinct in the first place. “I’m sorry. Fuck, Minho. I’m just… I’m really sorry for lying to you about this.”

“Then why did you?” Minho sounds almost bored if it weren’t for the glass shards lining each word. They cut deeper than he is prepared for. “Why would you lie to me like that?”

The best thing he can do right now is accept that he fucked up and try to give a reason for why he did it in the first place. “You kept saying it wasn’t necessary and shutting us down when we’d try to talk about it. What else was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, be a fucking adult and tell me how you were feeling? Instead of not only going behind my back but also using my own fucking words like that?” Minho’s eyes bore into him, and he feels it in another twist of his stomach.

Jisung takes a deep breath, keeping his voice as even as he can as he says, “I wanted to, but I didn’t think I would be able to talk about this with you without you sabotaging the mission.” He kind of wants to scream. Mostly at himself, but maybe a little at Minho for not understanding him either.

Minho looks up to the sky, jaw clenched tightly and nostrils flaring. They’re both getting worked up and it’s not looking good. “Sabotaging it? Really Jisung? You think so lowly of me that you actually believe I would fucking sabotage you?”

His fingers find their way into his hair, twirling it at the roots in an attempt to ground himself. He’s started pacing, just to work off the nervous energy funneling through him. This isn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want it to go like this at all and every single thing he says only seems to make it worse, but what is he supposed to do? Jisung takes another deep breath before saying, “You don’t trust me.”

“I do fucking trust you! What are you even saying?” Minho looks pissed. He gets it, but it doesn’t make it any easier to handle.

Jisung stops, facing Minho and dropping both his hands to his sides. “As a person, maybe, but you don’t trust me to do missions or whatever we need for MayFly. You’ve never trusted me to be able to get any mission done.” He curses himself internally when he sees yet another flash of hurt cross the hybrid’s face, but he can’t seem to stop himself anymore. “I committed to this the second I came back to join. I’ve been committed to this. I’ve done so many missions and sure, most of them were an absolute fucking mess but I still made it through and kept going back for more. I thought by now you’d trust me enough to know that I’ll come back to you every time.”

“And what if you didn’t?!” There’s as much anguish as there is anger behind Minho’s words this time, and he pushes from the picnic table to stand instead, though there’s still a couple meters of distance between them. It feels like a hundred kilometers. It feels like he’ll never be able to cross that distance again. “What if you didn’t come back to me? That scares me more than facing down the government or whatever other bullshit we’ve had to do, Jisung. How do you not understand that!?”

Jisung only realizes he’s crying when his next words come out sounding wet. “That’s the problem, Min. You have to be more scared of what will happen if this all fails than what might happen to me. You have to be more scared of being stripped of all your rights and left to suffer than what might happen to me! That’s what this has all been for!”

“I don’t care what happens if you’re not there with me! I don’t fucking care about this if I can’t have you! Do you still not realize how much I love you?” The last part physically hurts Jisung, like a knife twisting in his chest. Minho’s cheeks are wet too now, light from the walkways reflecting off of them as they stand before each other. He just wants to hold him and wipe them away. Jisung would give anything to undo everything, but he can’t.

“Minho,” he says, then stops to grind his palms into his eyes and collect all the fresh tears forming there. He’s so frustrated and mad at himself and tired and everything is descending on him at once. He hates this so much. “You said it yourself, remember? There can’t be an us if you don’t have your rights. We don’t have a future if this doesn’t succeed! Let me help. Please! I am begging you to just let me do this!”

“You’re acting like I’m not doing anything for this! Do you not realize everything I’ve sacrificed for this to happen?! Years, Jisung. I spent years in hiding doing awful shit just to further this cause. I’ve killed people. I’ve hurt countless more. I deceived you for this and thought I’d lost you forever! Don’t you dare make it seem like I haven’t put everything I have into this fucking cause!”

“I know you have,” he shouts back, and it’s only after the words are out that he realizes just how loud they’ve gotten but he doesn’t give a shit right now. “I know how much you’ve done for this, okay? But we can’t stop now! We have to see it through to the end or else it really will be for fucking nothing. Do you want all of that to be for nothing!?”

Minho actually snarls at him this time, stepping forward to close the distance between them and Jisung almost wishes he’d just hit him so they can let all their frustration out in one go. He’s only half relieved when Minho’s fists stay balled up at his sides while he snarls out, “What do you want from me? Tell me that, Jisung. What do you want from me?”

His teeth hurt from gritting together tightly, but he needs to get the last of his thoughts out before he loses his nerve. “I need you to be focused on this. Not me. I need you to be willing to do whatever it takes until the end of this. I’m not going to be able to do this without the strong, ferocious, unyielding Lee Minho that I first met back in Jeju.” It comes out sadder than he expected, a hint of pleading there as he deflates into the words. “You have to stop looking at me and instead look at the future.”

“If I go back to that, then I’m not going to be able to think of you at all. I’m not going to be able to look out for you,” Minho says, and he sounds just as defeated as Jisung feels right now, but it’s necessary. He already kind of expected this if he’s honest.

“I know,” Jisung says. “I think we should take a step back from this until then. All we seem to be is a distraction to each other and we can’t afford it yet, but I need you to know that I’m doing all of this because I want to be with you. More than anything else, I just want to be with you at the end of this. Please tell me you understand…”

When Minho takes in a shaky inhale, he feels it in his own chest. “Yes.”

“Yes?” he clarifies, waiting until Minho nods once before reaching out to wipe the tears from his cheeks. His hands are shaky when he moves, but he pushes through it anyways.

Minho gives him a pained smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, allowing him to wipe his cheeks clean before his arms drop down again. Jisung has so much more to say, but the only thing that seems to come out is, “I love you. I will always love you. We’ll pick back up for real when this is all over.” The words are as much of a relief as they feel like they shred him from the inside. Another tear slips down his cheek as he offers a small smile back to him.

With a small laugh, one devoid of any humor, Minho says, “No matter what?”

Jisung can’t help but laugh too, even if it’s just as hollow. “Yeah, no matter what.”

--

He wakes on the couch with a start as soon as the roaring sound of a blender fills the space. Deliriously, he looks to the side to find Seungmin looking back at him while he presses the button to run the machine. His eyebrows raise sightly the longer the blender whirrs, and Jisung can’t help thinking the concoction inside looks thoroughly blended and maybe he’s doing this out of spite.

It’s confirmed when Seungmin clicks it off and then leans back against the counter with his arms crossed. “Saw Minho looking like hell this morning. He wouldn’t tell me why, but I’m just going to assume it’s because of you.”

While it’s completely true, Jisung doesn’t exactly want to be receiving the third degree right now. It’s not like he wanted to hurt him and besides, he’s suffering too. “I’m not talking about it either.”

“Suit yourself,” Seungmin says, then adds, “I’m not going to give the whole ‘if you hurt him’ spiel but it still stands.” Then he presses the button to roar the blender back to life while still looking at him with his tail wagging happily behind him. Lovely.

He manages to get through the morning preparations of getting dressed and fed before he’s with the gathered crowd out in the courtyard. It looks so different in the daylight, yet he can’t help the way his mind snags on the memories of the night before. Minho hasn’t looked his way throughout the briefing Chan has been giving them, but Jisung isn’t about to complain about it. He’s the one that more or less asked for this.

“Teams of at least three, make sure you look out for each other. There has been an uprise in hybrid arrests so we need to avoid that at all costs,” Eunkwang calls out from where he stands next to Chan. He’s had the most experience out in the protests, and Jisung is a little excited to get to go and see what all has been happening out there. So far, he’s only really heard about it from reports but he’s itching to be more involved in this aspect of MayFly.

“There are a few hybrid program facilities that I’d like everyone to check out while they’re out today. I’ll assign them based on where your group will be located,” Chan adds, then slides into a quick safety briefing that Jisung only half listens to. He’s more worried about who he’s going to be out with today. It’s been a long time since he’s done anything without Minho.

As everyone stands up to get ready to head out, Jisung feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see Changbin smiling at him. “Want to go with Felix and me? We’re going to check out one of the hybrid education centers near Hongdae.”

He’s relieved to have the invite, agreeing easily. He never had much of a chance to get to know either of them with how busy they’ve all been and he’d like to start now.

Just before he slings a bag of supplies over his shoulder to head out, Jisung catches sight of Minho standing with Seungmin and Hyunjin. He looks better, from the description of him earlier. Some of the pressure in his chest releases. It gets even lighter when their eyes meet and Minho gives him a slight nod and a hesitant smile. They’re good, or at least good enough that Jisung is hopeful for the future still. He gives a nod back before turning to follow after Changbin and Felix towards the vans.

--

“Have you guys been out to the protests before?” Jisung asks once they’re settled in the van with Changbin driving and Felix bobbing his head in the passenger seat.

“Mmhmm,” Felix hums, then turns to look back at him with a big grin. “We’ve been coming out to show support and bring supplies when we can. Although it’s been getting a little worrying with how many arrests they’ve been making.”

Jisung can see Changbin’s eyes slide to him through the rearview mirror. “We’re going to be extra cautious today, but the number of protestors has been dwindling the last week or so. We can’t get a good gauge on how many have actually been arrested or where they’re holding them.”

It’s strange. No one seems to be able to figure out where all the hybrids are going and Jisung wonders why they aren’t more adamant about figuring it out? “Have we been looking into it?”

“As much as we can, but there aren’t really any leads. I’d have to assume they’re transporting people to places outside of the city, but we haven’t been able to track any of it,” Changbin explains. “We’ll keep our eyes on the lookout for anything we can use today.”

Changbin pulls into an alleyway once they’ve made it close enough to the heart of Hongdae, tucking the vehicle as far back as he can get it. Fueled vehicles have become a bit of a commodity these days and they’ve all remarked how surprised they are none of them have been stolen yet. Better to not start today.

“What are we looking for,” Jisung asks as they step out of the alleyway and into the bustle of protestors. Most are wearing face masks and all black, save for the purple of their shirts. It makes it easier for them to blend in as they slip into the crowd. Though Jisung notes that there seems to be more humans than hybrids.

“We should start at the education center,” Felix says as he looks from side to side and then points to the right. “It’s down that way.”

Changbin takes Felix’s hand into his own before he starts walking them in that direction, leaving Jisung to follow after them. He takes in his surroundings as they go, seeing a wide array of signs that people have hand-written on cardboard scraps. With the lack of running cars, they’ve easily overtaken the streets.

Groups of people huddle together every few meters, conversing together. Jisung can’t help wondering where all the people from Eunkwang’s reports and the photos he’s seen online are. Just a week ago, the streets were too packed to even walk through but now he sees each empty space and it feels off for some reason he can’t quite pinpoint.

They walk a few blocks before Changbin comes to a stop and Jisung almost stumbles into Felix’s back. When Changbin looks back, he’s got a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, trying to look past him but it’s hard to get a good glimpse of anything.

“The center,” Changbin says, stepping to the side to give an unblocked view of the building in question. It’s bigger than Jisung expected, blending in with many of the towers stretching along the streets. He reads over the large, silver lettering to see BAK Center for Hybrid Advancement, then his gaze lowers to find the front of it guarded with a line of riot police. “It looks like they’ve taken it over.”

That shouldn’t be right. So far, they’ve mostly ignored the physical buildings for these programs and focused on the hybrids themselves. Pulling out his phone, Jisung opens the group chat to see a few new messages already waiting for him.

Hongjoong: The placement program in Gangnam is closed
Hongjoong: We couldn’t even get within a hundred paces of it

Yeonjun: Same with the adoption center in Yongsan

Eunkwang: Everything we’ve come across in Myeongdong has been overtaken
Eunkwang: Chan, have you heard anything about this?
Eunkwang: Any plans or anything to take over all the hybrid services?

Chan: No
Chan: Be cautious, don’t get too close

“This is happening all over,” Jisung says as he types in their own update for Hongdae. “Apparently they’ve decided to cut all access to hybrid resources.”

Felix’s eyebrows are screwed up in thought for a few seconds before he turns to a couple beside them. “Hey, sorry to bother you. Do you know what happened with the education center?”

One of them, a tall and slender woman with elongated ears and small horns protruding from her hairline looks to Felix. She looks sad and maybe a little weary. Jisung wonders how long she’s been out in the protests to already look so exhausted. “They arrested everyone inside about five days ago and took it over. We’ve been here every day and haven’t seen anyone go in or out in that time.”

Changbin is quick to ask, “Do you know why they took it over?”

“No, they haven’t done anything with it from what we can tell,” the hybrid answers, and something isn’t adding up.

“Have you seen people getting arrested?” Jisung asks next, already pulling out his phone so he can jot down the answer.

“We saw a lot of them getting arrested. It’s why we stay further back from the police now. We haven’t had any trouble yet,” her human companion says.

Jisung: We talked to someone that saw them arrest everyone inside and blockade the entrance.
Jisung: They said they’ve seen the arrests happening too

Wooyoung: Yeah, we’re in Itaewon and someone mentioned the arrests here too
Wooyoung: I can try and ask around for more info?

Chan: I think we have enough about the arrests for now
Chan: Instead, ask what the protestors need for supplies
Chan: Send the requests to Eunkwang and Hongjoong so they can plan out deliveries
Chan: Stay safe, keep your heads down

Several confirmations come through and Jisung pockets his phone to relay the message, though he figures he’ll start with the hybrid still chatting with Felix. Once there’s a lull, he asks, “What kind of supplies would help out the most here? Is there anything that people have been lacking?”

She thinks for a moment before her partner, a smaller human man leans forward and says, “I think face masks and water would be the best bet for now. Most people are just tired, and it gets hot under the sun all day.”

He nods and thanks the pair before turning to Changbin to say, “Chan asked us to gather info on what people need most so we can send it to Eunkwang.”

Changbin nods and surveys the crowd around them for a few moments before turning back just as Felix thanks the other hybrid and tunes into their conversation instead. “I say we talk to people around here individually but stay within eye range of each other. Make sure we can see each other at all times. Okay?”

They split up but stay within twenty paces of each other as they start to survey the crowd. Jisung is relieved to find that most of the people around them are more than willing to tell him what they could potentially need. Actually, he’s finding that just about everyone is very friendly which makes it considerably easier to talk with them and take the notes down so he can compile with the others later.

He keeps an eye on the other two as they go, just to make sure he doesn’t somehow lose them, but it’s not terribly hard to stay within range of them as they move through people. He makes sure to ask each person how long they’ve been coming to the protests and anything they might have heard about the explosion at the DHA. Chan didn’t ask him to, but he figures he might as well slip that question into the screening for his own knowledge.

It turns out that most are skeptical of it, which is a huge relief. He doesn’t know how he would deal with everyone thinking they were responsible for the bomb, though he doesn’t really know what to do about them being suspicious of the government either. There are far too many nuances here for him to say anything other than thanking them for their time. More than anything, Jisung just wishes Minho were here to talk about it with, but he pushes that to the side to step up to the next group.

They’ve worked their way through a good portion of the crowd before Jisung hears someone call out, “Changbin?” It makes him pause in his questions, turning to see an older human man stepping closer to Changbin and he quickly thanks the group in front of him before peeling off to make his way over. The guy doesn’t seem dangerous, but he’s not about to take any chances and it looks like Felix is thinking the same thing because he comes to Jisung’s side almost immediately.

He doesn’t want to just bulldoze right into the conversation, though, so he stands a few steps back as the two men embrace and that makes him relax a little. Changbin is smiling when he steps back and then turns towards them. “This is Chief Jung. I worked for him for a long time before he retired.”

“Please, it’s just Seongjae now,” he says with a deep chuckle. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Never expected to find you here,” he adds to Changbin and there’s a layer to it that Jisung picks up on immediately. He can’t help wondering just how many of the other people Seongjae supervised ended up on the other side of this.

“Got myself kicked off the squad for being involved,” Changbin says with a laugh, then he turns and reaches out a hand for Felix, who takes it happily and steps forward. “This is Felix, my fiancé.”

Jisung tries not to let his shock show on his face. Fiancé? When the fuck did that happen? Not that he isn’t extremely pleased to hear the news, but he’s kind of wondering what he missed at the same time.

“It’s so lovely to meet you, Felix. My wife is a Birman hybrid,” Seongjae says with a fond smile. “Our son has her features too. They’re the reason I’ve been out here fighting since the start of this.”

“I’m happy to meet you too,” Felix replies, then adds, “This is Jisung. He’s been helping us with coordinating all of this.”

“MayFly, right? I’ve heard about it from a lot of fellow protestors,” Seongjae says, and Jisung is a little surprised that the name is becoming widespread enough to be recognizable now. “You know several of your former coworkers have been coming out to show support too. I haven’t seen any today but they’re all planning on being out tomorrow. We should all meet up again if you’re coming out again.”

Changbin lights up with the news. “Really? Here, let me get you my new contact information. It would be nice to have some familiar faces again.”

“We’re gathering information on the protests and what people need, if you’d be willing to help us ask around,” Felix asks as they’re swapping information.

“Yeah, I think we’ll ask a few more people and then head out for the day,” Changbin agrees. “I’m looking forward to meeting up with everyone tomorrow, though.”

--

“Okay, it looks like a majority of people asked for water, masks, and first aid kits,” Hongjoong lists out as he scribbles down notes. “We should be able to go and get a truckload from the warehouses tonight so we can distribute them tomorrow? I’ll take Yunho and Mingi with me to grab everything.”

“May want to double it,” Chan calls as he steps into the apartment to find Hongjoong, Eunkwang, Soobin and Jisung tallying up requests from the day. “Soyeon messaged me that they’re releasing all the arrested hybrids tonight.”

Eunkwang is the first to respond, asking, “They’re just releasing them? Why?”

“She didn’t have any further information. Only let me know that they’ll be released,” Chan says. “I need to see if any of them have been talking about their experiences yet. If we can find them, we might be able to ask about it to figure out where they were held and if they know what’s going on.”

While the rest start strategizing on the updates to the supply run, Jisung digs into his pocket for his phone, immediately scrolling over to Twitter to see if anyone has sent anything to their official page. A few times they’ve had small tips and tidbits DM’d to them. What he’s met with is a tweet from a doppelganger MayFly account. Just about everything about it looks the same as their own down to the name and the picture, but Jisung set up their account. He knows it’s not theirs.

@MayFlyy
We have worked tirelessly to get everyone released and ask that you join us downtown tomorrow for a re-energized protest! We will not be scared to fight for our rights. Let’s stand united once more.

“Uh, guys,” Jisung says, still staring at the message on his phone. “I think we have a problem.”

Everyone stops what they’re saying to turn to him as he holds his phone out for them to see. Hongjoong is the first to scramble forward, reaching for his phone to pull it closer. “What the fuck? This isn’t us?”

Eunkwang is next, taking the phone from his hand to read it over a few times. “Maybe it’s someone that’s trying to help?”

“By sending out details that we didn’t even know yet,” Chan says in disbelief. “I don’t feel good about this.”

“Should we send out another message to say it wasn’t us? I could tell people not to come,” Jisung offers. He’s not sure what to think about the message from the fake account. While Eunkwang could be right about someone simply trying to help them, Jisung isn’t so sure. They haven’t had the best luck. He can’t help being suspicious of everything these days.

“Maybe it would be better to just have a big showing tomorrow? We can try and get information from the hybrids there and figure out what happened? Besides, we really do need a large show of force,” Hongjoong offers, though he sounds just as cautious as he says it.

Soobin has been quiet throughout, but he eventually asks, “Should we even be out there? Would it be better if we didn’t go…? I mean, this sounds like a trap of some sort.”

“We need to be there,” Chan says right away. “If something does happen, we need to be there. We’ll just be extra cautious. Keep your phones on full charge and alert the chat if anything, anything happens. We’ll spread out again like we did today so that we have someone in all the locations where people gather and then stay on high alert.”

“Okay. We’ll get extra supplies today so we have anything that we might need just in case,” Hongjoong agrees, but Jisung just wants to ask them to slow down. Think this through. They’ve rushed into things a few times now and none of them have ended well for them.

“Are we sure about this? I agree with Soobin that this feels like a trap and maybe we should consider calling everything off. There’s still time to send a message from our account to discourage attendance,” he says, mostly looking up at Chan. “I really don’t like this.”

“Like it or not, we can’t abandon this now,” Chan says, and there’s too much finality in his tone to really dispute it. Jisung will just have to hope.

--

He feels particularly nervous as he gets dressed the next morning. It’s shitty enough to sleep on a couch, and even worse to do so when you’re absolutely freaking out. The longer he thought about it, the more nervous he got, and it still hasn’t worn off. Jisung hasn’t always had the best ‘gut feeling’ detector but it’s certainly going off right now.

“You’re headed out with Changbin and Felix again,” Minho says, though it comes out as a sort of half-question. He’s standing at the dresser, not looking at Jisung as they both get their clothes situated. It feels strange to be so distant from him now, like a part of him is starting to dissolve away.

“Yeah, we’re going back to Hongdae. Are you sticking with Hyunjin and Seungmin?”

“No. I’ll be with Chan and Jeongin in one of the trucks delivering supplies,” Minho says, finally looking over at him. “Be safe today.”

“You too,” Jisung says, and he takes a step towards him before he stops himself.

Minho pauses his movements too, and there’s a moment where they simply look at each other. Then, he sighs and closes the distance between them, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair—it’s grown so long since the start of all of this—behind Jisung’s ear. “Keep your head up and your eyes open, okay? I’ll see you tonight.”

He simply nods, offering a smile in response.

--

This time, when they approach Hongdae the streets are packed as far as they can see and Changbin pulls into an alleyway further back to park and hide their van. Despite his trepidation, Jisung is already in awe of how many people he can see packed into the street. There has to be at least three times as many people compared to the day before.

It’s a sea of purple as soon as they exit the alley and head into the crowd, Jisung sticking as close to Felix and Changbin as he can while they weave their way through. Apparently, Changbin has been messaging with Seongjae since last night and there’s a group of fellow former officers out today that they’re headed to group up with. He’s excited to get to meet them all and watch Changbin reconnect with everyone.

“Where’s the meet up location,” he shouts, trying to be heard over the crowd.

“In front of the NANTA Theater,” Changbin yells back. Jisung feels pressure around his wrist just as he says it, looking down to see Felix’s hand clasped onto it. He allows himself to be pulled along behind them, grateful that they’re connected in some way so he doesn’t get left behind on accident.

He takes in the shops around them as they go, noting that most of them seem to be closed down now. It’s a sad thought, considering Hongdae has always been vibrant and full of life. To have it look so hollowed out now is kind of startling. He’s spent a few afternoons wandering the area in the past, taking in all the art and culture around him. Now it’s just… empty. It feels almost blank despite the colorful buildings and remnants of street art that’s faded.

By the time they reach NANTA Theater, Jisung already feels exhausted, though he has noted significantly more hybrids in the streets than the day before and it’s definitely a relief. He’d like to start asking them questions as soon as he can.

“Seo!”

Jisung turns in time to spot Seongjae waving to them surrounded by a group of seven men. He also notes a teenaged cat hybrid in the mix that must be the man’s son he mentioned the day before. He watches from the sidelines as Changbin is grabbed into a round of hugs and rowdy greetings, Felix standing next to him with a fond expression. It must be just as cathartic for him, seeing Changbin looking so excited.

“Guys! Damn, it’s been forever,” he says with a laugh as he embraces the last of them. He turns to where Jisung and Felix are standing before rattling off, “Jaebeom, BamBam, Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Yugyeom, Youngjae,” while pointing to each of them. Jisung is shocked to see one of them—Mark?—is a bunny hybrid. He’s never heard of any hybrids being allowed on the police force in recent years. “These are some of the best guys I got to work with on the force.”

“Some of,” the one Jisung thinks was named Yugyeom repeats. “Bullshit, we were the best.” He’s immediately put into a headlock by one of the other guys and Jisung can already tell this is going to be an interesting afternoon.

“This is my son, Kitae,” Seongjae says, stepping forward towards Felix and Jisung, letting the other guys rough house each other. “He’s been wanting to come out to show support, but I’ve been keeping him home ever since the arrests. Do you guys know why everyone was released like that?”

“No,” Jisung answers, and he’s still been mulling over it since they found out. “We didn’t have anything to do with it, either.”

Seongjae looks perplexed at the news, but he doesn’t voice it. Jisung doesn’t either. Everyone around them seems to be in high spirits and he’d like to keep that up for as long as they can. Today might actually be a historic event with how many people have come out to show support. “We do need to go around and try to get information about it, though. If you guys were willing to ask around too, it would help us a lot.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Seongjae says with a smile. “These idiots need something to keep them busy.”

Jisung watches as the man turns and effectively gathers everyone, cutting through their bullshit almost effortlessly. It’s heartwarming, in a way, to see how closely everyone listens to him. “Alright, we’re going to go around and try to find hybrids that were locked up to get any information they have. Split up in groups but stay close.”

One of the guys steps up and throws an arm around Jisung’s shoulder before dragging him towards the closest group of hybrids saying, “I’m choosing you, let’s go.” He’s fairly certain his name is Jackson, but he’s too embarrassed to ask again and a little too busy being pulled away from the others to bother.

The first three groups they talk to contain at least a couple hybrids that were detained and they’re able to gather that they were held just outside of Seoul proper without access to anything for communication. The conditions sound horrifying, everyone jammed into a giant room together without proper food or hygiene products until they were randomly released the night before.

The main theme amongst all of their experiences is that they weren’t told anything when they were released. The guards simply opened the doors and told them they were free to go. It’s the strangest part of the entire thing and Jisung is still having trouble understanding why?

Jisung: I’ve talked to several detained hybrids
Jisung: None of them know why they were released

He hits send in the group chat before the failed to deliver message pops up. Jisung hits resend a few times before realizing his phone isn’t getting any connection. In fact, it’s acting like he’s in a dead zone which makes zero sense in the middle of Hongdae. Unless there are simply too many people around and the signal isn’t strong enough for all of them.

Looking up, he sees several people around him messing with their own phones with confused looks on their faces.

Jisung tries once again to get his phone to connect before turning to Jackson. “Hey, is your phone working?”

“Huh? Let me check,” he says, pulling his device from his back pocket and then opening it up. He clicks a few things on the screen before frowning. “No? My phone isn’t connecting right now either.”

Dread slips down his throat and into his stomach, festering there and he can’t quite explain why this feels so wrong, but his brain is giving him a warning signal. Something isn’t right about this; he can just feel it. “Let’s go find Changbin again,” he says, grabbing onto Jackson’s arm to steer him in the direction he last saw the other.

Through the crowd, Jisung can just barely see Changbin and Felix standing beside Seongjae and Kitae about twenty meters away. He only takes a single step in their direction before Changbin looks up from his phone and locks eyes with him, his face a mixture of terror and confusion.

The next moment, a deafening blast rips through them and Jisung feels himself thrown backwards too quickly to catch himself or make sense of what just happened.

Chapter Text

His head hurts. That’s the first thing Jisung really notices as he blinks through the disorientation, looking up from where he lies on the street—when did he even get here? He can’t see much above him, the sky thick with smoke that blocks out everything and makes him feel even more confined in his mind. His ears ring painfully, everything past the tinnitus muffled too much to make sense of it. Jisung thinks he hears screaming, but it isn’t quite reaching him like it should.

It feels like he’s wrapped up tightly in a cocoon, numb to everything around him as he blinks and tries to make sense of what is going on. He remembers… he remembers looking at Changbin. He remembers seeing his face and the horror there and now… now he’s here. Where the hell is here?

Something warm and wet slides down the back of his neck. It’s disgusting, thick and almost sticky when he reaches for it. His hair is matted and damp, another piercing pain shooting down his back as soon as he makes contact. When he pulls them back, his fingers are red and it just… it doesn’t make sense.

Jisung’s entire body is engulphed in agony as he pushes to a seated position, and he can briefly make out movement around him, but it feels slow motion. It feels like he’s not really here, just witnessing it like a video with the sound too low. Murmurs and flashes of purple. Grey. Red. There’s so much red and he knows it should scare him, make him sick, something. He feels nothing at all. Anesthetized to what’s going on around him.

A thick coating of dust fills the air along with the smoke, settling over the pieces of debris all around him. Remnants of buildings and torn clothing. Red. Still so much red.

His lungs seize in his chest, wracking through him in violent coughs. Each gulp of air between heaves burns worse than the last, like flames shooting down his trachea. His diaphragm spasms around more sputtered coughs as Jisung claws at his throat. Why can’t he breathe? He’s going to suffocate like this and that thought sends his pulse rate so high he can feel his heart pounding in his chest as it tries to get what little oxygen it can to the rest of his body.

Someone drops in front of him, the side of their neck coated in a thick smear of ruddy ooze. He looks familiar, for some reason that Jisung can’t quite place until there’s a hand on his shoulder jostling him. His head snaps back, then forward and then everything clicks into place all at once. His ears refocus until everything around him descends down on him, pushing at him from every direction until his stomach clenches violently and empties on the pavement between them.

“-Sung! Jisung!”

“Jackson?” Jisung wipes over his lips with the back of his hand, feeling the grit from the dirt caking his skin smudge there.

The man deflates, shoulders sagging as he says, “There was a bomb in the education center. We need to find the others. Can you move? How does your head feel?”

He tests it out, lifting his arm and wincing through the rush of pain. It moves, though, which is a decent sign that he’s okay enough to try and get up. As for his head, it fucking hurts, but nothing worse than a headache at the moment. “I’m fine enough. Can you help me up?”

Jackson is quick to grab his wrists and hoist him back to his feet. Now that he’s here, Jisung can see more of the devastation around him. Everything is in shambles, and the more he looks, the more it sets in that they actually bombed the center. A real bomb. Jisung can’t fucking believe he survived it, but he guesses he’s still running on enough adrenaline to keep him upright for the time being. He’ll deal with the existential crisis that comes when he crashes when he gets there. For now, he knows he needs to do something.

“What do we do?” he asks, though he’s not sure who he’s even addressing at this point. He can barely see flames in the distance, which he assumes to be what’s left of the education center.

“We find Changbin and Chief Jung, then we try to help everyone we can,” Jackson says and he turns, taking half-stable steps in the direction that they last saw the others. Jisung follows after him with careful movements to avoid the wreckage. His lungs ache with the weight of the smoke and dust particles settling in them, and he coughs into the crux of his elbow as he walks in an effort to clear them.

“There aren’t that many people around here,” he remarks, only a few here or there that seem to be searching for people they came with too.

Jackson sighs as he climbs over a particularly large building chunk. “You were out of it for a couple minutes. A lot of people ran as soon as they could. Those left behind are likely too injured to leave.” He’s not really sure what to say in answer to that.

They make it about thirty steps before Jisung can see three figures crouching on the ground around a fourth body and his heart sinks as he takes in more red. This time, it’s caked along Felix’s hairline and forehead from what Jisung can see beneath the shred of Changbin’s shirt currently pressed there. The hem is tattered, torn jaggedly to get enough fabric to make a compress. Changbin’s got his neck stabilized, though Felix looks too dazed to move even if he tried to.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” Seongjae says gently beside them, and Jisung can see the way Changbin’s shoulders shake as he keeps applying pressure to staunch the bleeding. Kitae looks out of it, but mostly unharmed beside his father. Jisung is just thankful to see that they’re all intact. “He’s still conscious, just in shock.”

Seongjae notices them first, a sigh of relief rushing from him before he raises a hand to wave towards Jisung. “Come here. Lift his legs and keep them elevated.”

He still feels a little like he’s outside of his body, just going through the motions as he stumbles forward and drops to his knees near Felix’s feet. His own hands feel unsteady as he grips beneath Felix’s knees and carefully lifts them to press them against his sides. At this new angle, he can see the way Felix blinks slowly, eyes not seeming to focus on anything in front of him. His lips move a few times before he says, “Binnie…?”

“I’m here,” Changbin says quietly, though he doesn’t dare move. Jisung meets his eyes and they’re red rimmed as he says, “I think it’s a fracture, but a minor one. We won’t know until we can get him treatment and I… I don’t even know if they have the hospitals staffed at this point.”

“We’ll get him care,” Jisung says, and he says it as a promise even if he doesn’t know if he can follow through right now. No matter what it takes, he knows Changbin and the others would be willing to do it.

Jackson groans from beside them, cracked phone in hand. “Still no signal. They must’ve done something to it. Have you seen any of the others?”

“No,” Seongjae says. There’s calmness to his voice despite the worry behind it and Jisung can’t help but wonder what else the man has seen in his tenure as a police officer. He’s glad that they found him, especially as he keeps murmuring to Changbin to keep him centered. Seongjae even has a makeshift first aid kit, pulled from his cargo pocket as he retrieves a disinfectant to treat Felix. “We need to try and locate them and administer field treatment where we can.”

“Yeah,” Jackson agrees. Then he looks to Kitae before saying, “You two should stay here with Changbin and Felix. Jisung and I will go find them.”

Jisung can’t imagine what they’re about to be faced with, and even if he doesn’t know how to help any of the victims, he’d rather be the one that witnesses it all than the teen in front of them. He locks eyes with Seongjae this time and sees the man give a small nod before he turns to his son. “Kit, I need you to take Jisung’s place. Can you do that?”

The process of swapping places is clumsy, but Jisung finds himself pulling back and pushing to his feet a few moments later. Jackson is already pointing towards where the others were the last time they noted their locations. “We’ll start that way and stick together. I’ll tell you what I need you to do, alright?”

He only tilts his head in affirmation before they set off, navigating back through the debris as they head in the direction Jackson indicated. There are more shreds of clothing and blood coating various rubble they pass, and Jisung can see several hybrids checking over each other. For the most part, it seems that people in this radius were only minorly impacted though he’s not sure about anyone closer to the center before the blast. The thought alone makes his hands tingle. People died here today. There’s no way they didn’t.

“BamBam! Yugyeom!”

Jackson’s yell makes Jisung swivel towards where he sees two men heading right for them, one slung over the other’s shoulder to help him move. They pick up their pace to meet them as Jackson slips under the man’s other arm to assist. “Let’s get him over to Chief Jung.”

“I can get him, but you need to go help with Jinyoung,” one of the men says. “He’s pretty banged up. The others are with him.”

Jisung tries to mentally prepare himself to follow Jackson further once they’ve made sure the others are able to make it to Seongjae, but nothing he could’ve done would be enough to see a mangled leg and gashes along his arms. Jinyoung looks like he was hit with the brunt of the flying debris, though he’s still conscious enough to wince through the immediate care the others are providing. His leg is by far the worst of it, split open and deep. Jisung can taste bile as he looks away from it to focus on his face instead.

“Jesus, man. You look rough as hell,” Jackson says once they’re close enough. Jinyoung flips him off just as he winces through the scrap of fabric tied around his thigh to stop the blood flow. A makeshift tourniquet using the bottom half of Jaebeom’s shirt and a scrap of rebar until they can get better care that looks incredibly painful judging from the way he’s hissing at each tighten of it.

Once they’ve got the worst of it controlled, Jisung watches as the other men work to lift him and Jackson leads them back to the others. He still feels mostly useless, though he trails after them and takes in everything he can. His brain is feeling less fuzzy now, and he can finally categorize everything around them. Large portions of building, the cracks in the pavement beneath his feet, the added layer of blood and carnage beneath the scent of smoke.

He's seen stuff like this in movies, but never once did he think he’d be standing in the middle of it. He wonders what his past self would think if he saw him now. Would he be proud? Is Jisung even still proud of himself? It’s hard to feel like they aren’t to blame for this and even harder to not be pissed at Chan for not listening to him. He knew something was wrong when he saw that fake tweet. Then again, he could’ve fought harder to send a warning message. There’s so much more he could have done and yet he didn’t.

Jisung kicks himself mentally all the way back to where Changbin and Seongjae are still looking after Felix, though they both pause when they see the extent of Jinyoung’s injuries. “Fuck,” is all Changbin says.

“Set him here by BamBam. We’re going to have to patch him up the best we can with what we’ve got,” Seongjae says, pointing to an elevated, flat section of rubble that will have to work as a makeshift operating table for now. “I’ve got them handled. Go look for others.”

“Alright, we’re going to go and give emergency care to anyone we can find,” Jackson echoes once they’ve got Jinyoung settled alongside the others. He steps right up to Jisung as he says, “Come with me. I’ll talk you through everything.”

Jisung isn’t about to argue, especially not with the others pairing up and heading in opposite directions. They go back through the route they came from, walking slowly as they look for anyone that might still be alive beneath the wreckage.

They stop every few paces, looking around the space but it seems most of the people in this area have already evacuated. He’s glad he hasn’t seen any bodies yet, though he knows the closer they get to the blast site, the more likely it’s going to be.

“Over here,” Jackson calls, waving at him from where he’s crouching next to a dog hybrid that’s half buried beneath a pile of rock and building chunks. He rushes forward until he’s close enough to lean down and help Jackson start clearing the rocks, tossing them to the side as they uncover the girl beneath them.

“Can you tell where you’re hurt?” Jackson asks her, though Jisung can’t see anything bleeding from beneath the spots he’s cleared. Not that it means she’s in the clear, but he hopes she isn’t in too much pain.

Her voice is weak when she says, “My ribs. They hurt the worst right now.”

Jisung refocuses his attention there, clearing off her abdomen until he can see that her shirt is tattered and there’s a puncture near her sternum. Now that the rocks are removed, he can hear an almost whistling sound each time her chest inflates, and it sends her sputtering. “Jackson,” he says, because he doesn’t have a damn clue what they’re supposed to do for something like this.

Jackson tosses the rock in his hand and adjusts until he’s hovering over her chest to take in the extent of it. “Sucking chest wound. Do you have your wallet on you?” Jisung can only stare dumbly at him for a few seconds until he repeats, far more urgently, “Do you have your wallet on you? I didn’t bring mine.”

Reaching into his back pocket, Jisung pulls out the thin wallet he’s taken to using lately and hands it over. He watches the way Jackson pulls out one of his old, useless credit cards and holds it over the puncture spot on her chest, covering it with his hand. “This is going to seal it off and should allow your other lung to expand properly without too much shock. I need you to try and relax as much as possible so it doesn’t aggravate it,” he explains, methodically and with his voice even. Then, he looks up at Jisung and says, “Go to Chief and get me some adhesive tape or anything of the sort that he has with him.”

He tries not to trip on anything as he sprints the distance back to where Seongjae is now treating Jinyoung’s leg as best as he can. In reality, they need medical assistance. Real medical assistance. An ambulance or other sort of transportation to the nearest hospital. Anything would be better than trying to treat people amongst all of this.

“Do you have tape,” he asks as soon as he reaches them, panting the words out in a rambled mess. “We found someone with a chest wound. I think he said a sucking one or something.”

Seongjae turns and reaches into his pouch before pulling out a roll of medical-grade tape and handing it over. “Make sure you seal it air-tight or it won’t help.”

With a nod, Jisung sets off back towards Jackson. The fires up ahead have started to dwindle enough that the air is clearing more and more and he’s grateful for it. It allows them to be able to see more than a few paces ahead of them and hopefully no one will end up with an infection from everything still in the air.

For the first time since this happened, Jisung can’t help wondering where all the police are. He swears he’d seen them before the blast and it makes sense that they would disappear before anything major happened, but it’s weird that they’re not back. Like this, everyone is easy pickings. Jisung hates that he’s even thinking that way right now, but he can’t help it. Not after the lengths they’ve gone to today.

“I got the tape,” he says once he’s back and he’s guided through the process of securing the card to the woman’s chest. By now, her breathing has evened out enough that she looks like she’ll recover and it’s kind of fascinating to see this level of medical response with nothing more than scraps of supplies.

“We’re going to go check for other people,” Jackson says once he’s got everything taped down securely. “Stay here and try to rest. We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as we can. You’re very brave, and I know you’re a fighter. Keep it up for just a little longer.”

The girl grimaces her way through a smile, but there’s not much more they can do for her at the moment.

Jackson doesn’t say anything else as they lift to their feet and set off to find others. It’s mostly quiet out now as they make their way down the street. At some points they have to climb over the building remnants just to get past them, but they take their time as they go.

A few they come across have minor injuries and they assist them with getting back on their feet and out of the worst of it, working in tandem to clear the path ahead of them.

Hopping over another obstacle, Jackson comes to a stop and lets out a shaky sigh. “Don’t come closer. Go to the right.”

Jisung doesn’t need him to vocalize why before he twists and does as he says, avoiding whatever the man must see in front of him. They make it a few paces away before Jisung says, “You’re really good at this. You’ve been really great with everyone we’ve come across.”

“Comes with time on the force, I suppose,” Jackson says with an empty laugh. “I wish I could do more, but we can try our best to help those that haven’t been lost already.”

“Do you think we lost a lot of people today?” He’s not sure why he asks, maybe out of morbid curiosity. Maybe out of the need to know just how much was taken from them.

“Yeah. I think we did,” he replies as he comes to a stop to look around them. Any closer to the education center is mostly blocked, no way for them to scale over or move what’s in front of them. “We should head back towards the others. I don’t think we’ll find anyone else this way.”

They find a couple more people along their way back, Jackson helping to alleviate the worst of their pain as Jisung sticks to his side and does anything he asks. They patch up a couple people just like the girl with the chest wound, promising to come back to them, and help many more out of the area so they can go and clean up. It begins to feel repetitive in a way that helps Jisung stay balanced in his mind. Walk, search, bandage, repeat.

By the time they make it back to the others, Jinyoung is mostly stabilized but it’s clear that he needs medical attention as soon as possible. Felix is talking softly with Changbin, too quiet for Jisung to properly hear, eyes closed as he rests in the same position as before. Changbin seems to have calmed down some now that Felix is coherent enough to speak.

He kneels beside Seongjae once he’s close enough, offering, “What can I help with?” Everyone is exhausted, but he needs to keep his hands busy for the time being. His mind strays to the useless phone in his pocket, still devoid of signal and leaving them cut off from everyone else. That part is still a mystery to him and he can’t help wondering what could cause all of them to stop working in sync like this.

“I’ve made a makeshift splint for him,” Seongjae explains, pointing out the pieces of wood he’s secured to the sides of Jinyoung’s leg to keep it straight. “I’ve just been trying to keep the area as clean as I can. You can help me with that.”

As much as it makes him queasy, Jisung pushes through it and takes some of the hand sanitizer offered to him for his own hands before helping to clean up the man’s wounds. It’s a meticulous process, and he falls into an easy rhythm as they sterilize as much of the wound as they can in their current surroundings. Each time he dabs a new spot with the medicated ointment, he sees the way Jinyoung’s face twists in agony and it only makes him feel guilty.

He’s not sure how long he works before Jisung can hear the familiar whirr of a van headed towards them and looks up in time to see it come to a screeching halt before the doors are thrown open. Minho is out of it first, a mask covering from his nose down and a wild look in his eyes as he searches the area. Their eyes lock despite the distance and the hybrid is already headed straight towards him.

Pushing to his feet, Jisung rushes towards him too. He makes it maybe ten meters before arms wrap around him, pulling him flush to Minho’s chest where remnants of dust cling to his purple shirt and this is the first time Jisung has contemplated that this wasn’t an isolated attack. That the other zones in the city could’ve been blown up just the same. The thought sends him reeling as he wraps his own arms around Minho and holds onto him tightly. Tight enough to engrain the fact that he’s still alive into his brain.

He hasn’t allowed himself to think of the other possibilities before now, and he’s so fucking relieved that he feels a sob building in the back of his throat. “Min,” is all he manages to get out, but it’s heard. It’s heard enough for Minho to pull him impossibly closer and bury his face into Jisung’s neck.

“Thank god you’re okay,” he says, and hearing his voice makes it even more real. The tears start pouring out of Jisung as he clings to him, letting Minho be the single source of strength he’s had throughout this entire ordeal. It’s good to be this close to him. It’s so fucking good to know that he’s okay too.

Like this, he feels like he can finally let go. The numb, almost robotic way that he’s been handling everything goes out the window and he lets himself crack in Minho’s arms because he knows that he’ll hold him together in this moment. Just for now. All the anger, despair, and helplessness leak out of him as he clutches onto his shirt a little tighter. “I was so scared,” he admits, voice weak between hitches of his breath. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m sorry,” Minho says gently, rocking them side to side. “It’s okay now. Everything is going to be okay.” His arms tighten just a fraction more around Jisung, but it’s enough to quell all the worries he’s been struggling with.

“Is everyone else okay?”

Minho hesitates for a second before saying, “Everyone will be okay. A few were injured, but Wooyoung, San, and Jongho have been transporting others to get treatment.” It sets him at ease, even if he worries about how many of them have been hurt today. At least they didn’t lose anyone today.

“Come over here,” Chan calls, finally breaking them apart enough to see where he’s gathered with the others around Felix. The moment Minho takes in the hybrid’s form, still prone on the concrete, he releases Jisung and snags his wrist to drag him closer.

Jisung watches the way he drops to his knees, one hand on Changbin’s shoulder as he looks over Felix. “Hey, Chickie, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“Minho,” he says weakly, lifting a hand enough for Minho to take it. Their fingers lock together just before he whines, “It hurts really bad.”

“I know, I know. We have people that can take care of you. We’ll just have to get you moved to them, okay? Do you think you can let us get you to them?” Minho doesn’t wait for him to respond before looking up to Changbin instead. “Is it just his head? Or his neck too?”

Jeongin steps closer to Jisung as they watch, barely brushing his shoulder as he holds out a mask for him. One that matches the ones he, Minho, and Chan are all wearing. Jisung takes it silently, slipping it over his face even though he’s certain the damage is already done to his lungs by now.

“Just his head from what we can tell, but we’ve kept him still just in case,” Seongjae answers for Changbin. “I think we can get him moved if we need to, he hasn’t shown any signs of neck injury. These guys need medical attention too, and I know there are others spread around.”

“We’ll take all of them in the van,” Chan says, looking over the gathered men. “You can start getting them moved now and I’ll help with Felix.”

He wishes there was more that he could do as he watches them all start moving the injured until they’re close enough to settle them amongst the supplies in the van. It won’t be a comfortable ride, but it will be enough to get them transported. More than that, however, Jisung is worried about the other hybrids gathered around the space with similar or worse injuries. Who is going to care for them?

Seeming to read his thoughts, Jeongin says, “We have other vans coming out to transport people and some ambulances are running but the hospitals are already filling up. We have a makeshift ICU being set up at Hwasa’s shelter right now. It will be enough to get immediate care administered.”

Jisung nods, turning towards the van but he’s split. There’s more he can do here, and he doesn’t want to leave just yet. He certainly doesn’t want to leave everyone behind. “I think I should stay. We can’t just abandon them all here.”

“They’re going to stay behind to help until backup arrives. We all have at least some medical training so they’ll be able to keep them stable until then,” Jeongin answers. “Chan-hyung wants you to drive them back if you’re able to. He has a different mission for us. Come on, he’ll tell you at the van.”

Jisung can just barely see the way Changbin cradles Felix in his arms in the back of the van and how Jinyoung is laid out in the open space around crates of water and masks. BamBam is in the passenger seat, though it seems the others aren’t intending to get inside with the way they gather at the side.

As soon as they walk up, Chan turns to him and beckons him closer. “The cell signal has been jammed. Yoongi said he thinks he knows what it is and how to stop it. Our number one priority is getting that jammer destroyed before they can carry out any other attacks. Right now, we’re sitting ducks and no one in the world knows what just happened to us. I need you to drive them to Hwasa’s and then go get Yoongi from the apartments. He’s already waiting for you there and mapping out a plan. Whatever it is, do it. Bring those fucking jammers down and find me something that I can use to make the government take us seriously.”

It all makes enough sense for Jisung to readily agree, though the last part gives him pause. “What do you mean ‘something to make them take us seriously’?”

“I need a bargaining chip. Something damning that will force their hand to listen to us for once. I’m not playing games anymore. If they don’t listen, we’re bringing the whole goddamn country down with us.”

Jisung knows he’s serious. He can absolutely tell how serious he is; can feel it in his words. It doesn’t mean it sits right with him. Instead, the idea of what that means makes him nauseous all over again. Who is he to argue, though? Who is Jisung to stand in the way when they clearly need something drastic?

“Okay. We’ll find something,” he says, though he’s not sure if he can follow through at all. He’ll just try his best to find something that will help them.

“Head out now. We need to get this done as fast as possible,” Chan says before he turns to the others still standing beside the van with them. “We’re going to focus efforts on keeping everyone lucid until we can get them to care. Do you need anything in particular from the van or are we set?”

As the others peel off in various directions to get to work, it leaves Jisung, Minho, and Jeongin, though Jeongin takes one look at them before climbing into the van beside Jinyoung and sliding the door shut behind him. There are a few moments of silence between them before Minho reaches for his hand and locks their pinkies together.

He looks worried when Jisung turns to him, but he speaks before Jisung can. “I trust you. I know you can do this, just… just come back to me when you’re done and be safe.”

“I’ll come back to you,” he says, and this is the first promise of the day that he knows he can confidently fulfill. “I’ll see you as soon as we’re done. You be safe too.”

With one last squeeze, Minho lets their hands part before turning to head towards the remnants of the education center and leaving Jisung to climb into the driver’s seat to set off on his own task.

--

The drive to the shelter is frantic, parts of the road near the various hybrid resource centers decimated and filled with similar scenes to the one in Hongdae. Jisung is relieved that there are almost no vehicles left on the road by now. He’s almost grateful for the drive and the concentration it demands of him, allowing him to clear his mind of the mounting worry for what comes next and hold himself together enough to get everyone to safety.

What happens afterwards, he’ll handle when it comes.

--

The shelter is utter chaos as soon as they pull up, people coming and going from the main entrance in groups. Hwasa stands out front directing everyone, but she stops and turns on her heel as soon as she hears them coming. Jisung cuts the engine once they’re at the curb and the side door springs open. “Oh, thank fuck you guys are okay,” she says into the open doorway, looking at Felix. “There were twelve total blasts and it’s been a nightmare already. Come on, let’s get you guys inside.”

Jisung hops out of the van and helps get BamBam out of the passenger seat until another hybrid steps forward to assist him, then he turns to help Jeongin with moving Jinyoung. It’s difficult to get him out without hurting him worse, but they manage to get him through the door enough to carry him inside to one of the designated rooms.

Almost every single room they pass is occupied with hybrids in various states of injury, though there seems to be a dedicated group of volunteers helping with patching them up. He and Jeongin get Jinyoung onto one of the beds just before a team of hybrids come in and take over. Jisung only looks over his form for a few seconds before ducking out of the room behind Jeongin.

Hwasa finds them in the hallway, a piece of folded paper in her hands. “Chan was here, he said you’d be coming and likely with a few that need help. He was so quick I didn’t have a chance to grab the water from him earlier, but we’re doing that now. He also said I could pass along a list of requested supplies with you. So, here you go. I think someone will be ready to take them when you get home.”

Jisung takes the list, slipping it into his pocket. “Are you doing okay?”

“As well as I can be. This is going to be a busy few days, I can already tell. Getting those supplies is going to be a godsend. Now off you go,” she says, pulling him into a quick hug before turning to give Jeongin one and then shooing them out of the building.

They help with the last of the water unloading before Jisung climbs back into the van with Jeongin in the passenger seat. “Do you know where the jammers are?”

“Not a clue, but Yoongi seems to think he knows where they are,” Jeongin says as he pulls away from the curb and heads towards their apartment building. They’re far enough away from the bomb sites that the roads are clear here, but Jisung can see injured people every few meters and it makes anger start to broil in the depths of his chest. Now that he’s calmed down and knows the others are safe, the weight of what just happened to them has started to settle in on him.

“Chan said they might be planning another attack…” Jisung says, but he leaves it open ended because he can’t bear to finish the thought aloud. He’s not even sure why he’s mentioning it at all, but it’s sitting heavy in his mind like a bowling ball threatening to knock the last of his resolve away.

“We don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jeongin says, slumping to the side of his seat to rest his head against the window. “We’ll just have to be fast with this and then hope we can head off anything else they have planned.”

“Where were you guys when it happened?”

“Mm, we were over by Itaewon with Wooyoung, San, and Jongho when it happened. We parked a ways away because it was so packed so none of us really got hit, but Chan had a feeling it wasn’t just there. We drove around to a few nearby spots to check before going to the apartments to find those that hadn’t gone out today. Yoongi came in while we were there and they made this quick plan.”

Jisung doesn’t answer, instead focusing on the road and getting them to the apartments as fast as he possibly can. He can’t help finding it almost funny that he knows his way around the city so much more than he ever did before.

Before long, they’re pulling up and Yoongi is already out front with Jisung’s backpack snug on his shoulders and his own laptop in hand. He barely waits for the van to stop moving before he pulls the side door open and tumbles inside. “I talked with Soyeon and I think we have a plan on how to do this,” is what he says as he slides it back shut behind him.

Hoseok comes to the driver’s side door at the same time. Jisung has it halfway rolled down when he says, “Hey, you have a list for me?”

He fishes it out of his pocket before handing it over. “She said any of this would help. Do you have a team to go to the warehouses?”

“Yup, we’re all ready to go now that we have this,” Hoseok replies, waving the paper a couple times. “Be careful and look after Yoongi. He’s become a little senile in his age.”

“I heard that!”

With a laugh, Hoseok takes off in the direction of another van that’s parked a few meters away. “Okay. Where are we headed to?” Jisung asks, looking through the rearview as Yoongi gets settled in the back.

“Back to your favorite place. The Department of Hybrid Affairs.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jisung says, though he puts the van in drive and heads off in that direction anyways. “Why there?”

Yoongi flops onto his back once he’s got the backpack removed. “Well, it’s been the origination of most of the shit they’ve already done to us, and I bet they wouldn’t think anyone would check there after it was bombed too. Soyeon is pretty sure that’s where they’d set it all up so we’re going to start there. It should be empty, so we can slip in easily.”

Jisung seriously hopes he’s right about that.

Chapter Text

The Department of Hybrid Affairs is mostly dark when they creep up to it. According to Soyeon, they closed down operations in the building after the explosion and no one has been allowed entry since. While that’s completely understandable, it just makes Jisung think that they’re on the right path. Leave it to them to implode half the building so no one comes snooping through it. Either that, or they’re about to climb through some ruins for nothing… he’s going to choose to believe the first option.

They park a block away as usual, mostly out of habit, before climbing out and Jisung makes sure to grab his own backpack to slip it on. It’s barely dusk, most of the world around them still lit in a way that doesn’t provide them much cover. “Are we literally just going to walk up to it? Doesn’t that seem like a death trap?”

“Well, we don’t have many more options here,” Yoongi says, tucking his laptop under an arm and shutting the van’s sliding door behind him. “We’ll just have to be quick about it.”

“Wait, I have something for this,” Jeongin says, popping open the glove compartment and pulling out two black beanies from inside. He holds one out to Yoongi before stuffing the other over his ears but all it does is make his head look gigantic and lumpy.

Yoongi stares at him for several seconds before sighing and pulling it over his head. “This is the worst disguise I’ve ever seen,” he grumbles as he tugs the edges into place. “You look like a fucking muppet.”

“Shut up,” Jeongin gripes, closing the passenger door before starting to walk towards the DHA. “Let’s just get inside and try to be quick about this.”

Jisung has to chew at the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he follows after them. He can feel the tension building in his shoulders the closer they get to the building, but Jisung refuses to voice his concerns. They won’t help things and, at the end of the day, they have to do this whether he wants to be anywhere near this place or not.

In person, the collapsed part of the building is even more intense than it looked on the news. It makes Jisung stagger to a stop as soon as they turn the corner, the others pausing alongside him. “Oh, wow.” Nearly half of the building is caved in on itself, a mess of support beams all that’s really left to show the original shape while the rest of it lies in rubbled ruins around it.

“Well… that looks insane,” Yoongi says, head tilting as he takes it all in. “I mean… I knew it was bad but damn.”

“How are we even supposed to get inside with it like that?” Jeongin asks, looking back at them both. “The main entrance is intact, but I’m worried the inside of it is going to be collapsed in…”

“Only one way to find out,” Yoongi says with a shrug, pushing forward and directly towards the building. They skirt around the buildings across the street, stopping there as soon as they see the first set of guards patrolling the outside lawn. There are several more inside the entrance from what they can see this far away. In fact, it looks like they have an entire precinct worth of cops inside the place and now this is looking like an impossible task.

Jisung watches the path they walk, but he can’t pick up any distinct pattern which means they won’t be able to gauge an opening to scoot past them. Although getting through the first ones isn’t going to help much when the building itself is packed with them. This is already off to a rocky start. “Okay. What exactly do we do now?”

Jeongin pulls out his phone and presses on the screen a few times before turning it to face them. “Soyeon sent me a message with vague instructions. I think she got the email out right before everything jammed.”

Both Yoongi and Jisung step closer, leaning towards the device to get a better look at the message there. It’s an email, short and simple.

They’re all at the entrance. I checked. Go to the side and through the collapsed in part. I walked it last night and marked a path for you. Look for the blue ribbons. Once inside, head to the opposite corner on the first floor. You’ll see the TSSZ warnings. Go there. 0205.

“What is a TSSZ?” Jisung has never seen the term before, but it looks like Yoongi and Jeongin both understood it perfectly and he doesn’t want to be out of the loop.

“It’s a top secret security zone,” Yoongi answers, but he’s frowning. “This is going to be a mess, but at least she scoped the place for us. Let’s go to the other side and see if we can find her path.”

Jisung doesn’t say anything, instead allowing his mind to blank out as he follows after them towards the wreckage on the other side. He’s sure they look suspicious, first huddling around out front of the DHA and now walking towards the ruined half, but it doesn’t seem like the watch guards caught on to them yet, so it gives him hope.

Just this once, he’d like to be able to complete a mission without it ending in disaster. The last time he thought he had, it ended with him and Minho screaming at each other so… this already has to end better than that. Right? God, he fucking hopes so.

They walk alongside the ruined half of the department before coming across construction cones and cement barricades that block the path to get any closer, exchanging looks before Yoongi hops over the nearest concrete block and drops into a crouch on the other side. He follows next, hiking a leg over it and then slipping down on the other side, leaving room for Jeongin to land behind him.

None of them speak, instead looking into the tattered remains of the building in search of anything blue and obviously left for them. It’s like a game of I Spy, but Jisung doesn’t know where the hell he’s supposed to start. It’s not like a semi-collapsed structure is particularly pretty to look at. It’s a mess of wires and foundation, twisted and gnarled where parts of it were decimated into dust.

“There,” Jeongin whispers to them, pointing towards the left. Sure enough, there’s a thin, baby blue ribbon tied along an exposed metal beam, low enough to not look too intentional while still clearly marking where they’re supposed to go.

“I’ll go first,” Yoongi murmurs. “Stay here and watch for any guards. If I make it, come one at a time and then we’ll head inside.”

Jisung simply nods his assent, staying where he is as Yoongi lifts up and starts to make a run for it. He feels his nerves folding in on themselves as he waits, watching the entire way as Yoongi climbs a few obstructions and then looks both ways before ducking inside. It had to have been less than twenty seconds, but it still feels like it took a lifetime for him to make it safely and his legs are a little too jelly-like to feel stable enough to go. Besides, he wants to see Jeongin get there before they’re left without anyone as a spotter.

“You next,” he says, looking back at Jeongin. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Jeongin looks like he wants to argue, but he only pauses, debating, for a few seconds before looking beyond Jisung. They haven’t seen any movement yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear.

He holds his breath as Jeongin pushes into a sprint and copies the way that Yoongi made it to the opening. He’s barely cleared the first obstacle when a two-guard team turns the corner and Jisung curses under his breath, practically rolling across the ground so he can get behind a stack of metal sheets. His heart is pounding in his throat, blocking his ears from hearing the direction the guards are walking. Did he get out of sight in time? Did Jeongin?

Staying in place, Jisung takes as deep of a breath as he can manage to convince his diaphragm to take and waits. Surely, if either had been caught, he’d hear something by now. He doesn’t dare to exhale in fear of missing even the tiniest of noises that might alert him until full silence returns, the guards no longer close enough to hear their steps.

Peeking over the edge of the sheets, Jisung has just enough time to see the guards rounding in front of the rubble and he can see the very top of Jeongin’s beanie hiding between layers of debris. Thank fuck he thought to bring the stupid hats or his ears would be poking out of his hiding spot enough to give them away.

They both wait, frozen in their places until the cops round the corner and disappear out of sight. He still doesn’t move, waiting to see if it’s a ruse. It seems Jeongin is of the same train of thought, staying in place until Jisung has counted to twenty. Then, he pops back up and scrambles the rest of the way to the spot that Yoongi disappeared earlier.

That leaves Jisung to make it there. He presses two fingers into the pulse at the side of his neck, feeling how erratic it is beneath the pads of his fingertips. Just a few seconds. That’s all the time it will take for him to get there and up into the building.

Tightening the straps of his backpack, Jisung takes three more deep breaths, looks both ways, and then rushes into a sprint. It’s easy at first, mostly open to navigate though it gets progressively more difficult the closer he gets until he has to throw himself up and over a chunk of the building. Jisung drops down behind it, taking a second to catch his breath and check for any sign of movement… Nothing.

Okay, he can do this. His confidence returns to him as he rushes up the last bit of crumbled building and then shoots into the waiting opening.

Yoongi catches him, arms wrapping around his shoulders to stop his momentum lest he crash into the wall of exposed wiring behind them. All three are panting, but he lets himself relax in his hold for a couple seconds before he’s released. “That should be the worst of it. I already scouted out a couple of the ribbons up ahead, so let’s go.”

It’s eerie to see the innards of the department like this, but it’s silent now that they’re inside. Splintered desk parts and smashed computers are lying scattered around them as they duck and twirl their way through it all.

The part of the building that was actually hit with the heat of the bomb is eviscerated, but he can see the way the blast reverberated through this portion of the building and it’s kind of fascinating in a morbid way. He hopes no one was at work when it happened but doesn’t see any signs of blood or… other debris.

The ribbons come farther apart the further they make it inside just as the damage to their surroundings decreases. They’re getting close to the unscathed part of the department. Jisung can’t help wondering what lies in store for them when they actually do make it. Soyeon seemed confident in her instruction so surely it will be fine. That’s what he keeps telling himself as they step up to the last of the ribbons and through a doorway into the main hall.

They made it into the DHA.

“Do you know where the TSSZ is? We should go right there if you do,” he says, looking at Yoongi. As the person that spent the most time here out of the three of them, he sincerely hopes the hybrid knows where they need to go, or they’ll risk wandering the halls in search of it.

“Yeah, follow me and stay close to the walls,” Yoongi directs, turning to the right. They fall in step behind him, Jisung’s right shoulder dragging along the wall as they take careful, muted steps. It seems that all the lights are off, though there’s enough waning light coming through the ruins behind them and from the atrium up ahead that they can see where they’re going.

At the mouth of the atrium, Yoongi stops and holds a hand to signal for them to follow suit. Jisung remembers the last time he walked through this portion of the building. He remembers what happened afterwards too. Does Yoongi still think about it when he’s drifting to sleep at night? Jisung still does sometimes, but he’s been too busy to let it keep him up at night anymore.

Jisung pokes his head around Yoongi’s shoulder to see just how still it is inside the large chamber. No signs of movement, but it feels almost… wrong? Like a place so large shouldn’t be so empty and lifeless. He can’t explain it.

Yoongi waits a few more seconds before he drops his hand and turns to them. “Okay, here’s the plan. They can see into the atrium from the main entrance. We need to try and attract as little attention as possible. We’ll stick to the edges, making a wide arc around it and then crouch low as we cross the part they can see. Don’t move too quickly or it might catch their eye. Follow after me. If they see you, make a fucking run for it and split up. We don’t know the access keys, but we can find places to hide if it becomes necessary. Good?”

It doesn’t sound good at all. In fact, this is a hail mary of a plan if he’s ever heard it. Good thing Jisung is so used to this style of surviving that he’ll figure it out if they have to. He figures he can climb into the ceiling tiles or something if it really comes down to it. “Yeah, that’s fine,” he agrees.

Jeongin just shrugs. “We have to do it, so fuck it. Let’s go.”

It’s a slow creep along the side of the room, all three being extra careful to not make a sound as Yoongi leads them through it. Jisung digs his thumbs between the backpack straps and his shoulder just to ground him as they go.

He can see the cops in the entrance the closer they get to the section they can see, and it sends a shot of terror through him, a flood of memories rushing back, but he stays focused on the task at hand. One step. Two steps. When Yoongi drops lower to the ground, he follows after him and can feel Jeongin doing the same. This time, they slow even further, and he’s left to bite at his tongue as they make the slow trek across the visible portion.

Part of him expects to hear someone shout at them, catching them outright, but it never comes, even as they cross back into the part that isn’t across from them. It seems that they made it. Somehow. He lets all the air trapped in his lungs rush out, taking a second to press against the wall to his side for support.

“We made it,” Yoongi whispers, pushing to his feet and shaking out his legs. “We just need to get to that hall, and it should be at the end.”

Jisung allows himself ten seconds of recovery before he’s back on his feet and giving a nod to Yoongi. An indicator that he’s good to go for this last portion of the break in.

In a line, they walk the last of the atrium and slip down the indicated hallway before rushing the last of the way down it. The closer they get to the end, the more signs start popping up. Warnings for the TSSZ and ‘Authorized Entry Only’. Looks like they found the right place, though it doesn’t necessarily make him feel comforted yet.

Yoongi pauses when they reach the end, head tilting as he looks at the large, heavy metal door that is their last barrier into the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“The door,” he says, pointing to where the latch has been mangled. It looks like someone took a crowbar to the door to get it open, leaving behind a mess of jagged metal. Someone was here before them… but who?

Jeongin steps up to the door, dropping down to get a closer look at it. “Maybe it was Soyeon? If the power is cut, she had to get in somehow and I doubt the keypads are working.” Just to test his theory, he reaches up to the number pad beside the door and presses a few buttons. It’s silent. Jisung can remember the way they’d lit up and beeped with each number pressed the last time he was here.

“Let’s just go inside. No use standing here and looking at it,” Jisung says, waving for Jeongin to stand back up so they can go through.

Beyond the door, he is startled to see a rather large room, set up auditorium style with desks on ascending rows that all face the large wall of blank screens at the front. It’s the strangest room he’s seen in a very long time.

Yoongi closes the door carefully behind them before stepping up beside him to look around. “So… there’s no power here either.”

In addition to no working electricity, there doesn’t seem to be anything useful to them at all. Jisung tries not to get impatient as he looks around the room but really, what the hell are they supposed to do now? It’s like a blank canvas in here, everything carefully stored in shelving along the walls while the desk are neatly empty aside from their equipment. Jisung slides his backpack down his arms, moving to place it near the door and give his back some relief from the added weight.

“If there’s no power, maybe we’re meant to take one of the computers,” Jeongin throws out as a suggestion, stepping up to the closest setup near him and looking it over.

Jisung joins him, but he only has to take a couple steps before he sighs. “They’re thin clients.”

“Which means…?”

“It means they don’t work like normal computers. They’re entirely network based. The moment we remove it from its current connection, it turns obsolete and is more or less a paperweight,” he explains, stepping towards the next desk over to confirm that one is the same. He can’t help noticing all the neon orange stickers along the sides of the devices with TSS in bold lettering. These must be higher security devices which means they don’t have a chance in hell at accessing anything on them without being here in this exact location. “We have to get power going in this room somehow.”

Sounds easier said than done.

“Let’s just spread out and look for something we can work with,” Yoongi suggests and Jisung can only shrug. It’s not like there’s anything else they can do.

He turns and heads for the far end of the room, looking over the walls for any signs of something useful. Maybe a note or something? Not that this place seems to have much for him to go off of as he peruses the posters and random printed papers on the wall. It’s all typical office bullshit about security and workplace expectations. Nothing of importance, really. His eye catches on a safe search flyer, large red lettering detailing that all searches on the TSS data interface are documented.

Jisung reaches for one of the pamphlets, tearing it from where it’s pinned to the board so he can flip it over and read the backside. More safety and security precautions which, in another timeframe, he might read over just to see what they do for their protocols. For now, he just lets it drop down onto the nearest desk, looking over the computer setup beyond it.

Thin clients are generally more secure, but their functionality is considerably slower. It’s an interesting choice for a place like this, though he understands it. They’re ideal for higher security, not that he doesn’t wish that they had normal computer systems so they could just grab them and go.

“Hey, look at this,” Jeongin calls from the other side of the room. When Jisung turns, it’s to find him holding up a briefcase with a blue ribbon tied along the handle. The exact same kind that Soyeon left for them. “This isn’t a coincidence, right?”

“Let’s open it,” Yoongi says, rounding one of the desks to come nearer as Jisung heads towards Jeongin too. They gather around one of the desks as Jeongin sets it down, nudging a computer monitor out of the way with the edge of it.

The moment feels big, like they’re finally going to get the next clue to figure this out, on the cusp of gaining their footing once again. Until Jeongin points at the combination lock and says, “Well, shit.”

Jisung just stares at the four-digit number pad, trying to figure out what it could possibly be. It’s not like they know Soyeon enough to know what she’d set as her passkey. They don’t know her birthday or any of that kind of pertinent bullshit people usually use for passcodes.

“Fuck,” Yoongi groans, brushing his fingers over his face and up until he tugs the beanie off his head. “Everything feels like a dead end.”

Jisung leans forward to slowly push the last number dial, waiting after each for the telltale sound of it unlocking. Sometimes people only twist the last one if they know someone else will be trying to use it immediately after them. It doesn’t seem to be the case this time, the box staying securely locked despite making a full spin.

Yoongi spins, looking around the room again. “I wish we could call her and just ask.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Jeongin says, leaning forward. “What were the numbers that Soyeon sent in that message?” He pulls out his phone again, navigating back to the email to find the cryptic numbers at the end. “0205.”

Jisung quickly spins the dial until it displays the numbers, the sound of the lock disengaging the second he gets the ‘5’ in place. He pulls at the mechanism until it fully unlatches, lifting the lid of it.

Inside, they find a stack of papers that look like they were hastily shoved into it and Yoongi reaches for the top one. “Okay, Soyeon has been busy,” he says once the paper is lifted enough for him to read over it. “This is a manual for the jamming devices they’re using. Apparently, they went for the heavy-duty ones.” He tilts the paper enough for Jisung to make out the technical illustration that shows all the working pieces.

From what he can tell, it’s gigantic and Jisung has never seen anything like it. A box of sorts with wires sprouting from the top like some sort of technological hedgehog. “Did she write anything about where it is?”

“No,” Yoongi says, turning the paper back to look over the extent of it. “I highly doubt there’s just one, either. I bet they have a whole network of them.”

“There’s a map, I think,” Jeongin says from where he’s sifting through the rest of the papers. Sure enough, the paper in his hands is a rudimentary drawn map of the city with red boxes scribbled onto it. “She wrote a note that this is what she could gather.”

When Jisung outstretches his hand, Jeongin slips the map into it. He looks over the drawing, noting everything that he explained. Counting the boxes, there are twelve of them. The same number of bombs that went off, if Hwasa was right. He focuses on the one indicated right next to the building that exploded near him in Hongdae. So, they set them up at all the blast sites? It makes sense, he supposes, but he’s not sure what they’re going to do about them now that they have the map. They need to know how to bring them all down.

“Oh, there’s something else here,” Jeongin says, lifting a wrinkled sticky note out of the briefcase. On it, Jisung can barely make out what looks to be a username and password.

“That must be her login,” Jisung says, leaning over to get a better look at it. “If we can get this room working, then we can use it.”

Jeongin just nods, hunching over so he can scatter the pages and look for other clues while Jisung resumes looking over the map. If this is accurate, they’re going to have to go to all the blast sites and search around for the actual jamming devices. While it’s not hard in theory, it’s going to be time consuming. They obviously aren’t set up close enough to the bombs to be affected, but still close enough to impact the cell reception in the areas. Who knows where the fuck they are. They could spend all day looking for one of them.

“Oh!” Jeongin says, holding up another old paper and turning it to face them. “There’s a generator in here!”

Jisung lets the map fall to the side. Sure enough, the paper Jeongin is holding is a hand-written instruction for how to operate the TSSZ during a disaster. It’s old and obviously photocopied several times with the way the words have thinned, but it’s still legible enough for him to make out what it’s saying. He wonders if the original author of it ever thought they’d actually be used.

Yoongi takes the paper, spinning on his heels as he heads for the corner of the room where there’s an unmarked door. “Let me follow these and see if I can get it booted up. Jisung, can you help me? Jeongin, watch for any signs of power.”

Scooting around the desk with the briefcase, Jisung follows after Yoongi and watches as he opens the door to reveal a small utility closet of sorts. Mounted to the floor in the corner, he can see a rather impressive generator set up there, though it looks ancient with a layer of dust coating it. It’s going to be a nightmare to get the thing up and running again.

The panel on the side is locked when Yoongi tries to open it, so Jisung steps into the room to try and locate a key for it. There are more shelves lining the walls here too, filled with old equipment though he sees a tool kit tucked away at the bottom and drags it out with the tip of his shoe. Inside, he finds an array of insulated wire cutters, screwdrivers, sockets, and t-handles. By all counts, this is an electrician’s dream tool set. There’re no signs of the key anywhere yet, but this might at least help?

Bending down to scoop it up, Jisung carries it over to Yoongi to set it down near where he’s knelt and fiddling with the panel door. “It’s locked,” Yoongi says, though he looks down at the tool kit for a few seconds before snatching up one of the screwdrivers to jam into the corner. “We’ll just have to pry the damn thing open.”

“Be careful. The last thing we need is to damage the wiring inside,” Jisung warns, though he drops down to his knees to grab another screwdriver and attack the other corner of the panel.

“Yeah, fucking duh,” Yoongi gripes, and Jisung can only roll his eyes. The hybrid gets so tetchy when they’re working under pressure. Though that makes him pause his thoughts, wondering when exactly he became the level-headed one. Weird. “Okay, let’s try and shove these in as far as we can and pull back at the same time.”

Jisung scoots closer, jamming his screwdriver down into the panel and then waiting for Yoongi’s count before twisting to yank it backwards. The metal of the panel door makes a horrid screech as it bows under the pressure before it finally snaps and crashes open, revealing the mess of wiring beyond it. The force of it sends them both tumbling backwards, Jisung catching himself on his elbows and peering up inside.

“I seriously hope they’ve kept this thing up to code,” Yoongi remarks from where he’s pushing up and off his back. “Okay, get ready to watch for signs of it working,” he shouts out to Jeongin before his thumb fits to the power switch, pressing it down.

Several seconds of silence follow the initial click to turn it on before it sputters a few times. Yoongi smacks the side of the generator twice before it finally kicks into gear, lighting up as it hums to life. “Okay, there,” he says, turning a gummy smile on Jisung. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“The computers are turning on,” Jeongin shouts from inside the room, and Jisung scrambles to his feet to go out and see. The fox hybrid is stationed behind one of the desks, reading over the sticky note they found as he types in the information. He rounds the corner just in time to see an error message pop up.

No Network Connection.

“Okay, we need to figure out if there’s an internet device in here,” he says, doing a spin around the room for any sign of a modem that he can work with. With a place like this, they have to have their own network setup. He just has to find it, and then he has no doubt he can get it up and running again.

Yoongi is already starting to search the place as Jisung takes the other side of the room, scanning over everything. They really have a ton of useless shit in here that’s making it hard to locate what he’s looking for, so he takes his time as he peruses through the shelves and all the little nooks and crannies where something could be stored.

“No fucking way,” Yoongi says from the other side of the room, making Jisung pop up to see where he’s crouching on the other side. There’s a black box in his hands and Jisung can see what it is the closer he gets. A dial-up receiver. Damn, he hasn’t seen anything like it in years—this one a particularly old model. “Think you can get this thing working?” Yoongi says, turning to him once he’s a meter away.

“Yeah, let me see it,” Jisung says, crouching down to get a better look at it. This set up is absolutely ridiculous and outdated. He’ll actually be shocked if it works still. They must have their own internal ISP set up to run this thing and it’s actually pretty impressive, he has to admit. No one would really be able to hack into their systems like this, most people too used to advanced internet protocols to know how to handle the old ones.

He blows onto the top of the device, watching a puff of dust float off of it. “Jesus. It’s like they haven’t touched this thing in a decade.”

“They probably haven’t,” Yoongi says with a laugh, watching raptly as Jisung lifts and twists the device to examine it. “I bet they’ve just had it as backup all this time.”

Jisung hums as he checks where the phone line connects, then plugs the power cord into the nearest outlet along the wall. The lights along the front flicker, struggling to come to life. It appears that the modem is trying to work, though he can’t be sure until they actually have it connected. “Get me a cable and drag one of the computers closer.”

Jeongin is in motion right away, coming to the closest desk and shimmying it along the tile flooring while Yoongi searches the shelving around them for a cable long enough to connect everything. They clearly didn’t think all of this through when they initially created their backup network plan. That, or it’s just been so long since they set all of this up that they’ve forgotten how much of a pain in the dick it would be. Surely, with their regular internet network going these computers must run so much smoother. Not that that is of any help to him now.

“Alright, plug this into the computer,” he says once Yoongi hands him a six-foot cord and he has one end connected to the modem, the other outstretched to Jeongin. The fox hybrid takes it, winding it to the back of the thin client to slot it in. Then, they wait for the light on the device in his hands to signal that it’s working. He presses the reset button when it fails the first time, waiting for it to go through the motions of restarting the connection process.

It takes almost a full minute before it flashes a few times, then it’s steady and Jisung sighs in relief. Despite how aged everything is, it seems to be working just fine. “Okay, try logging in again.”

Jeongin dashes to the first computer he’d tried to retrieve the sticky note, then plops down in front of the connected one to type everything in. The loading icon only spins for a few seconds before it progresses to the loading screen and it looks like they’re finally, finally getting somewhere.

“Sucks that we’re only going to have one computer to work off of,” Yoongi says as he goes to hover behind Jeongin. “Now we just need to find whatever data we can for Chan.”

“Something damning,” Jeongin says, looking up at him. “Any clue where we should start?”

“It depends on how damning he means. Is he wanting like… nuclear codes or some shit?” Yoongi asks, cocking his head to the side.

That has Jisung’s mind spiraling. Nuclear codes!? “Are the codes in these computer networks!?”

“No, dumbass. They’d never keep something like that on here,” Yoongi says, grinning at the end. Jisung grumbles to himself as he sets down the modem and gets up to go stand by them. It’s not his fault that half the shit he’s been involved in over the last six months has felt straight out of a dramatized movie.

“Well, if they don’t have codes, then what are we looking for? We didn’t get any directions,” Jisung says, watching the last of the desktop load for Jeongin. It’s basic—nothing fancy or ominous looking at first glance. He’s reminded of the times when he and Jeongin went through various devices and discovered METAMORPH. Everything just keeps coming back full circle, it seems.

“Check for any documents in the last week. Maybe Soyeon left us some breadcrumbs without being too obvious,” Yoongi advises, watching as Jeongin opens the file explorer to start searching. One of the top documents is from earlier today, an untitled word document. Jeongin clicks on it right away.

Considering they’re using such an outdated modem, Jisung is amazed by how quickly the computer is managing to open everything. They must use data compression to keep it running smoothly. Probably a v.44 to assist with encryption, if he had to guess. For the time they must have set this all up, it would’ve been state of the art. It’s funny how quickly technology keeps evolving, rendering everything else obsolete.

When the document loads fully, it only has one line of text in it.

Operation Reborn, 1978

“Operation Reborn,” Jeongin reads aloud, then turns to look up at Yoongi. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Yoongi says, reading over the text a couple more times. “I’m assuming it’s the title of something that we’re looking for, but I’ve never heard of it before.”

A flash of Data Interface in bold, red lettering comes back to him and Jisung crosses the room back to the bulletin board to find the pamphlet he ripped down earlier, reading the smaller print more closely. “Hey, try finding a program called ‘TSS Data Interface’,” he calls out as he heads back to them, scanning over the brochure.

The TSS Data Interface is an intuitive system that catalogs all relevant DHA data in one place, though a worker must have the appropriate security clearance and a direct obligation to know the data before searching. Any unauthorized searches on the TSSDI are subject to inspection and questioning…

It sounds promising. Also a little damning for Soyeon if anyone catches wind of what ‘she’s’ been accessing.

Jeongin has the control panel open by the time he gets back, doing a cursory search through the downloaded applications. No hint of the TSSDI. Hmm.

“Try opening the internet and searching there. I think I heard them saying the TSS has a closed internet network,” Yoongi throws out, and it makes complete sense. If they have sensitive data on these computers, of course they would make a closed network that doesn’t allow for sharing of any of it. With a closed network, it’s easy to create your own custom webpages that are only accessible through hard-wiring.

With an internet window open, Jeongin types in ‘Data Interface’ and the link pops up before he can finish the second word. He hits enter, waiting as the system starts to slow and load it up.

Jisung has heard of networks like this, but he’s never worked with one directly. He can’t help but hold his breath as a webpage with a simple search bar in the center loads. It’s covered in warnings similar to the pamphlet, though ‘TSSDI’ is stamped in the top left corner. Bingo.

Jeongin switches screens to highlight and copy the words left for them before switching back and pasting it into the search bar. It spins for nearly thirty seconds, the anticipation stacking up inside of Jisung to the point of anxiety starting to settle on top. What are they about to find? He thought PROJECT METAMORPH was the worst thing he’d ever encounter, but from the sounds of it, this is going to be so much worse.

How much worse…?

“Damn this thing is slow,” Yoongi grumbles, and it’s just enough to take some of the edge off before the screen switches to a new one.

At first glance, it looks like a page from a Wiki site, though he can see specific dates and pictures attached to the sides of each paragraph.

Jisung nearly climbs into Jeongin’s lap to get closer, starting from the first sentence as he reads what Operation Reborn could possibly be. A lot of it is in technical jargon that he doesn’t fully understand at first, but the more he reads the more it comes together.

It’s much, much worse than PROJECT METAMORPH.

Operation Reborn, Feb-Sep 1978, was an experimental project to test hybrid sensitivities and resilience. The unit operated for seven months in Jeollanam-do. Records indicate that an estimate of 2,500 incarcerated hybrids were subjected to various tests and experiments to determine their reactions and resistances to common forms of interrogation and torture.

Jisung feels his throat closing in on itself, heartrate spiking fast enough to make him dizzy.

They’re silent as they read through the information, even as Jeongin slowly scrolls down so they can see some more. Biological warfare, vivisections, and denial of basic needs like food and water to determine how long each type of hybrid could last… The list just keeps going on and on, getting worse the further they read through the report. There are pictures that accompany each section, detailing the cruel treatment of the hybrids at the hands of the government.

He’s never even heard a whisper about something like this happening. It’s certainly not a public record and he can’t imagine what the fallout would be if it were made public.

What a fucking horrific way to treat people. It’s almost impossible to wrap his head around their motivations and what would lead them to do such dreadful things to another. The fact that they subjected so many hybrids to the testing… his hands feel clammy. He’s sweating, entire body on edge. There’s too much anger and sorrow inside of him and he feels like he needs to do something. Expend the energy somehow, though he can’t seem to move either. His legs feel frozen in place, stuck reading more and more of the atrocities they performed.

“Fuck them,” Yoongi says, stepping back from the desk and starting to pace. He must be feeling the same way. Pent up. Furious. “Fuck them for doing this and then covering it up all this time.”

“Everyone should know about this,” Jeongin says, reaching the bottom of the page and leaning all the way back in his chair. His skin is pale, eyes still boring into the screen in front of him. “People deserve to know about this.”

As much as Jisung wholeheartedly agrees, he also knows that this is just the hidden ace they need in their pockets. Chan wanted something damning and they’ve most certainly found it. And then some, if he’s honest. “We need to wait until Chan does whatever he’s planning this for.”

“I hope they fucking burn,” Yoongi says, finally pausing his pacing to take a deep breath. “We need to get this data transferred somehow and then we need to get those jammers down. Right now. I want to know what step comes after this. Whatever Chan has planned, we’re fucking doing it.”

“There’s no disc drive on these,” Jisung says, looking over the tower. They’re sleek, no extra bells or whistles lest they crash the second you try to use them.

“I have my laptop,” Yoongi says, going to where he set it on a desk upon first entering. “We can connect them and transfer it.”

It’s a good plan, but Jisung can’t help worrying over it. “With a setup like this, they probably have an alert set up anytime a device is attached. It might make the whole thing shut down like a killswitch.”

“We don’t have any other way to get the data,” Yoongi cuts back. “The closed network means we can’t just email it to ourselves and besides, with the jammers we wouldn’t be able to know for sure that it sent properly.”

“I know that,” Jisung says, trying his best not to get annoyed. Sometimes Yoongi really grates on him but now isn’t the time to get short-tempered. “I’m saying that we should look for any extra information on the jammers before we try it. Maybe see if they have a printer or something just in case.”

Yoongi looks like he wants to argue, but he just huffs and says, “I’ll look for a printer. You two try to find something on there.”

“Do I just like… search ‘jammer’?” Jeongin asks from where he’s still stiff in the desk chair.

They don’t have anything more to go off of. “Yeah, I guess try it?”

Jeongin’s fingers fly over the keyboard, typing in the singular word in a new search tab and hitting enter. They’re left waiting again, watching as the screen struggles to load. When it does, they find five listed articles, though one is from two week beforehand. It’s titled ‘Hailstorm’ and Jisung can’t help wondering how the hell they name all of these operations. They sound like shitty video games instead of plans of terrorism on the Korean populace.

He doesn’t have to tell Jeongin to click that link, waiting for it to shift and open the complete description of both the bombing sites and where they’ve installed the devices. It’s actually incredibly detailed, way more than Jisung had allowed himself to hope for. With this, they won’t even need to search. They know exactly where they need to go to find each jammer down to the rooms listed under the addresses. He still doesn’t know how to bring them offline, but he figures they’ll deal with that when they get to it. Maybe they can simply… unplug them?

“There’s no sign of a printer anywhere in here. We might as well just connect the computers and hope for the best,” Yoongi says after he’s finished sweeping through the room.

“Wait. I think we could try one other thing first,” Jisung says, heading to where his backpack is set near the entrance to the room to grab his laptop too. It’ll be best if they transfer it to each of their computers so they have multiple copies. Just in case. There’s no telling what’s going to happen to them after they leave here. “If we download the files to PDFs, we can try to disconnect the internet and transfer it while the network can’t detect the foreign device.”

Jeongin looks at him for a long second. “What’s the catch? You sound uneasy.”

“I don’t know if the computer will instantly disconnect the second the network is cut. They may have set them up to react to any network severance. Go ahead and download each of those pages to the desktop.” As much as Jisung is worried about them fucking up the entire thing, he just shrugs and moves to the side to allow him room to get his laptop set up beside Yoongi’s. Jisung logs in, looking over all three computers. They’re as ready as they can hope for. He waits until Jeongin has both files ready before heading to the router. “Alright. I’m going to disconnect this. Plug your computer in and transfer the files as soon as I do. Then, try to do the same with mine.”

Once both nod in answer, Jisung presses the power button on the modem until all the lights cut. They collectively hold their breaths as Yoongi extends the USB-USB cord towards the thin client and Jisung is fairly sure they’re about to get an error or warning or something.

“It worked,” Yoongi says, tilting his head as Jeongin presses the few buttons it takes to send the files across the connection.

“Hurry up and get it transferred so we can get out of here,” Yoongi says, nudging him with an elbow. “We still have to go and figure out the jammers and it’s dark outside by now, guaranteed.”

Jeongin is careful to transfer both Operation Reborn and Hailstorm to his laptop, opening them there to ensure they didn’t corrupt before swapping the cord to Jisung’s and repeating the actions. Once everything is properly transferred and tested, he cuts the power to the thin client. “Okay. Let’s head back the way we came and get back to the van. The sooner we’re out there, the sooner we can get to the first jammer.”

“We still don’t know how to bring them down,” Jisung warns, but Yoongi is already headed for the utility closet, slipping inside.

He reappears with the electrician tool set in hand. “We’ll smash the fucking things if we have to. Now come on.”

Chapter Text

The closest jammer is indicated just a few blocks from them. A no brainer to start there, really, when they need to be as quick as possible about all of this. They managed to make it out of the DHA and down the street without getting caught, though something is weighing heavily on Jisung the entire way. If they want to make this quick, they need to split up. He knows that, but the options aren’t exactly comfortable. Every time he’s gone out on his own, something has gone horrible wrong and he knows that, but he also knows the urgency of this.

By the time they make it to the van and hop inside, he’s contemplated it long enough to know he should speak up. “We’re going to need to split up to take care of the jammers.”

“We only have two maps,” Yoongi says, looking at him with a hard edge to his eyes.

“I know. That’s why I think you two should stick together and take the van. I’ll do the other half on foot,” Jisung starts.

“No fucking way,” Jeongin says from the driver’s seat, navigating them through the streets towards their first destination. “If anything happens to you, we won’t even know.”

“I know that, but we have to. Like Chan said, we don’t know if they’re planning something else while the signal is blocked. Our main priority is getting them down as quickly as possible. Look, I thought about it all. I’m not as much of a target on foot. Some of the cops probably know what I look like, but a majority don’t. They’ll just see a human. You two need to take the van so you have less chance of being caught. I already thought about the map, too. There are five jammers close enough to the one we’re headed to that I can walk between them while you guys drive the other six.”

Jeongin is still shaking his head, turning down another street to get them closer to the first site. “I don’t like it.”

“We’ll check in between each one. A message to each other to confirm it’s down once each is done and then you guys can pick me up from the last one,” Jisung offers, looking between them both. “We’ll do this first one together so we know what we need to do and then part from there.”

Yoongi sighs. “If you’re sure about this, I’m not going to argue with you. You’re a big boy. You know the risks.”

“Fuck that,” Jeongin says, bringing the van to a sudden stop, one that Jisung has to brace for, before turning to him. “I’m arguing. What if something goes wrong and you’re on your own? You won’t be able to call for help.”

“If that happens, then you’ll know around where I went missing and can report it to Chan and the others once the rest are down,” Jisung says, pleading with his eyes as much as his words. “Come on, Jeongin. You know how important this is. Besides, I’ll be walking between ruined buildings. We haven’t seen police around any of the impact sites and I bet they’re not going to come out any time soon. Please just trust me.”

Jeongin’s jaw ticks, ears flattening back. “Fine. If your ass gets caught, I’m not going to be the one to tell Minho. Now get out of the van. We’re here.”

Jisung doesn’t feel very triumphant, but he still shifts and grabs his backpack before slipping out of the van and looking up at the building they’ve parked beside. It’s some non-descript office building beside the remnants of an adoption center. Jisung feels sick thinking about what could have happened if they hadn’t cleared the building just before the attack.

The three of them head for the main entrance, not bothering to be inconspicuous when the entire place is so deserted. They haven’t seen any signs of people since they turned onto the road and part of him hopes the rest of the impact zones are the same way. It will allow him to slip in and out without too much trouble, hopefully unnoticed.

Jisung tries the door, finding it locked. He’s not exactly surprised, but it’s still annoying.

“Step back,” Yoongi says, searching around them before grabbing a chunk of cement blown over from the decimated adoption center. He waits until Jisung and Jeongin have backed away before lobbing it right through the glass door, shattering it. “There.” So much for being inconspicuous.

Jisung shares a look with Jeongin, the tension between them already breaking when he sees the fox grin at him and follow Yoongi through the newly-formed entrance. “According to the map, we need to find the courtyard.”

There’s a neatly organized sign stuck to the wall up ahead and Jisung heads for it, scanning over the various listings until he finds ‘courtyard’ with an arrow to the right. “This way.”

The halls are empty as they pass, harshly lit from fluorescent lights above them. It feels almost clinical and cold, the opposite of all the places he’s been spending so much time lately. He can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever be able to return to a life like he used to lead. It just doesn’t really appeal to him anymore.

“I think I see it,” Jeongin says, parting him from his thoughts as they turn another corner and see the double doors that lead back outside, this time in the center of the building. His speeds picks up, hands pressing into the door to push it open and allow them to file through. In the center of the modestly flower-adorned enclosure, one of the jammers sits and it’s even bigger than Jisung expected. Actually, he had no idea that they even made jammers this large-scale. No wonder they’ve been able to black out almost the entire city.

Yoongi doesn’t pause his movements, immediately walking up to the device and looking it over. Columns sprout from the top, rising above his head by half a meter.

“Should we try unplugging it?” Jeongin asks, heading for the power cord that runs to an outlet at the corner of the courtyard.

“Yeah, but we need to destroy it too. If we just leave it as is, they can come back and plug it in again. I don’t want them to be able to use this shit ever again,” Yoongi says, setting down the tool kit and kneeling down to rifle through it. “I bet I can use some of these wire cutters to fuck it up once it’s unplugged.”

Jeongin is already ripping the cord from the wall by the time Yoongi has selected a scary-looking wire cutter that’s the size of a hedge clipper. “Be careful. Some of the current might still be in it,” Jisung warns, watching as Yoongi sizes up the jammer like it’s his prey. He snaps the cutters twice with a gleeful giggle before turning and shoving them down into the base of the device and chopping away.

Jisung can hear each snip of the wires inside and imagines it must look properly minced by the time the cat hybrid is finished. “I’d like to see them even try to use that again now,” he says, tucking the cutter into his back pocket. It sticks out almost entirely, barely holding on but still manages to stay there. “That wasn’t hard at all. We should be able to work through them all pretty quickly.”

“Are we splitting up from here?” Jeongin asks, looking at Jisung for his answer.

“Yes. Let me grab my own wire cutters and then we can look at the map.” There isn’t another pair quite as robust as the ones Yoongi selected, but he still finds two sets that look like enough to do decent damage. He’ll just have to reach further into the jammers, but he’s not so concerned about that right now. He’s far more invested in retrieving his laptop from his backpack and pulling it open. Now that they’ve got this first jammer down, the signal has returned to his phone enough that he can hot-spot the laptop and send all of them a copy of the map.

He gets it all set up before emailing the file to himself and then quickly adding it to their group texts, then shuts his laptop down to stash it back in his bag with the cutters. “If you look at the map,” he starts as he zips it all up and slips it onto his back, “I’ll stick to the heavier populated areas where there were more concentrated blasts. You guys do the six that are spaced further out.”

Jeongin looks at the map on his phone, pinching his fingers to zoom in and out. “Yeah, okay. And we’ll text each time we bring down a jammer. We’ll wait at each of the sites for your confirmation before heading to the next one.”

That helps ease some of his worry. If they wait to make sure he checks in each time, then he’ll feel better about being separated from them. “Yeah, that’s perfect. I’ll do the same if I end up finishing one of them first.”

They head back to the entrance, ducking through the broken door. Jeongin gives him a quick hug and a tight smile. “Stay safe.”

“Good luck,” Yoongi says, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder once. “We’ll message you soon.”

Jisung gives them both a quick wave and a nod before turning and heading for his first location. It’s thirteen blocks away. A manageable distance that won’t take him terribly long to reach. He sticks to the side of the buildings, letting the shadows that form between each light post cast him in darkness to make him harder to spot. He checks his phone intermittently, trying to mentally track how far he makes it before the signal drops off. About halfway, which he would’ve expected but it’s good to know in case he comes across any issues.

It’s strange just how empty the streets are if he’s honest. An eerie feeling settles on him the further he walks without spotting anyone. Never once has he seen a single part of Seoul this… lifeless.

Jisung doesn’t allow himself to dwell on that thought and what all it could mean for them, instead pushing his legs to move faster as he closes in on the second jammer’s location. This building is just as silent as the last one, but the door opens when he grasps the handle and pulls. Huh. At least he won’t have to break into every place he comes across today.

Once inside, it’s just as soundless as the streets outside but Jisung is on a mission to find room 301 and then get the fuck out of here as soon as possible. There isn’t a directory waiting for him this time, but he does see a sign for the stairs and heads for the old, metal door indicated before slipping into the stairwell and up the levels. He does take a moment to appreciate that he doesn’t get winded by stairs anymore, even after sprinting up two flights of stairs. When did he get into such great shape? Maybe anarchy is just the workout routine he never knew he needed.

Smiling to himself at the thought, Jisung looks at the first door he sees, 312, then left and right to see which side the lower numbers are on. 311 sits to the left, so he veers that way and heads down the hallway in search of 301. There’s no sign of life as he walks down the hall. No voices or television programs. It seems completely unoccupied, and he can’t help wondering if they cleared all the buildings so that no one would see what they were setting up. Then again, if these apartments were rented by hybrids that problem likely took care of itself when everyone started to get evicted. Assholes.

Trying the knob when he reaches the right door, Jisung is surprised yet again to find it unlocked. So surprised, in fact, that he actually doesn’t want to open the door or go inside in case this is some sort of trap. He stands frozen, hand wrapped around the handle, racking his brain for all the possibilities. The worst is, of course, the possibility of someone actually being inside the apartment. Other than that, what is there to really worry about? An alarm? The likelihood of one even working with the signal jammed is low to none.

Pushing gently, he opens the door just enough to peek inside. The apartment is small and dark, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone inside. Nothing at all other than the jammer placed near the windows that he can see backlit by the streetlights outside. He searches the wall for a light switch, clicking it once he locates it. The entryway floods with light that illuminates most of the apartment beyond and he’s already moving inside to find the outlet and get work dismantling it.

After yanking the plug from the wall, Jisung sets his backpack down to retrieve the larger of his two wire cutters and leans over the box of the device to figure out where to focus first. There’s a decent mess of wires at the base, so he just reaches down and sets to work snipping through as many as he can reach. It’ll have to do, although he’s fairly certain it’s properly destroyed. Especially when he pulls back and reaches for his phone, finding the signal has returned. He’s likely the first one done, but he switches to his messages anyways.

Jisung: All clear

He flicks the notch on the side of his phone to turn the ringer on before slipping it into his pocket, then heads to the window beyond the jammer to peer out of it. From the third floor, his view is mostly obstructed, but he’s able to see down the street decently far. Still… no one.

His thoughts wander from him, back to when this all began. He’s actually pretty ashamed of how he used to be now that he’s here. He can’t believe that he used to be so uninformed, going through the motions of his life and perfectly content while Minho and the others were struggling just to survive. He just… he hadn’t known. It was never something advertised, instead packed up tightly in the shadows until it was easy to miss unless you were looking for it. Now that he knows, he feels stupid for ever missing it, but isn’t that how it usually goes? You can only truly see things around you when you’re paying attention.

Forehead dipping forward until it rests against the cool windowpane, Jisung lets his eyes close and simply breathes. It’s been a while since he had to purposefully slow down and it’s starting to make him panic a little. It’s a lot easier to keep going when you have momentum behind you, and he fears what will happen if they stall out; if this entire movement stalls out. Will they ever be able to get their feet under them again?

A chime pulls him back into the moment, eyes opening and refocusing on the street down below. He grabs for his phone to pull it from his pocket.

Yoongi: Clear. Moving to the next.

He takes one more deep breath before slipping his phone back in his pocket and heading out of the apartment and back down to the street below, flicking off the light on his way out.

The next stop is close, easy to navigate to and Jisung is able to dip into the apartment building without any issues. Everything is unlocked again, and he can’t help wondering if they were just that confident that no one would be able to locate the devices? Without the map, it would’ve been worse than a needling in a haystack with how dense the apartments are in the heart of the city. Thankfully not his problem right now. He climbs the stairs two at a time, finding the right apartment and twisting the knob. He’s cautious as he peers inside again, but it’s exactly like the last time. Letting himself in, Jisung goes through the motions of unplugging and snipping. It’s already becoming a practiced ease and he can’t help feeling optimistic that they can finish this task fairly quickly.

As soon as the jammer is dismantled, he can hear his phone going off and retrieves it to find another all-clear message from Yoongi. He sends his own back before heading back out to the street. Some confidence is starting to build in him, but he refuses to get too comfortable. That’s never once boded well for any of them.

The distance between this jammer and the next is the furthest out of all of the ones he’s assigned himself, so Jisung hunches in on himself and walks as quickly as he can. He needs to cover a lot of distance and try to keep time with the others to not hold them up anywhere for too long. That’s one thing he’s been worried about for this plan: how long the others will end up idling and waiting for him to catch up.

The night is just dark enough to feel inviting as he rushes through the streets in the direction he needs, watching as the signal depletes the further he gets from his last stop. That’s another thing that keeps wracking his nerves. The dead spots carry an ominous feeling with them, though he notes that the signal stays on for longer on this leg with how far apart these two are. That’s a small comfort as he crosses the city.

He keeps attention on his peripherals, watching for anything out of the ordinary as he treks through the demolished building remains that separate him from the rest of his path. He knows there are bodies scattered around him, can see them out of the corners of his eyes, but he purposefully ignores them as he skirts the worst of the damage. It will add a couple minutes to his walk, but he’d rather that than go through the center of it.

Jisung is careful to stick to the side of the buildings as he rounds it, turning onto the street he needs that will be a straight shot to the next jammer location. He keeps his pace brisk, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans because they’re starting to get jittery the longer he’s out in the open like this. Despite being significantly safer on the streets than Yoongi or Jeongin, he’s far from safe. Jeongin was right to be upset with him, even if this was necessary.

He makes it a few more blocks before he hears the telltale sounds of a vehicle and freezes, trying to figure out which direction it’s coming from.

Behind him. It’s coming from behind him.

Jisung spots an alcove in one of the nearby buildings, shrouded mostly in darkness, and quickly sidesteps into it, turning to face the wall and press his chest to it to hide as much of his purple shirt as he can with his backpack covering enough that he shouldn’t be too visible. Then, he holds his breath.

The vehicle approaches at high speed, flying right past him, but he waits. He can’t be sure they didn’t spot him just yet. Breath shallow and focusing everything he has on his hearing, Jisung stays in his position until the vehicle has gone far enough to signal they didn’t catch him and then he slumps against the wall. With his back turned, he didn’t get a good enough glimpse of the vehicle to know who it is, but his gut is telling him it’s not just some random person driving around the empty streets like a maniac.

Giving himself a few seconds to calm down and collect his mind, Jisung pushes off the wall and sidles to the edge of it so he can peer around it. He can still see the vehicle, now stopped in front of a building up ahead. The building he’s fairly certain he was just headed towards, but he’s not close enough to know for sure yet.

Jisung wars back and forth with himself. He needs to get closer to know definitively, obviously, but the prospect of that sounds nothing short of misery. He’s still not exactly a fan of throwing himself into danger, even if his track record is starting to beg that into question. Still, he’s come too far to back out now. No matter what, the jammers have to come down.

He’s never been more annoyed at the choice of clothing he picked for the day, wishing he’d stuck to black like they’ve all been wearing consistently. He might never wear another speck of color again. Jisung wraps his arms in front of his chest as he slips around the end of the alcove and back into the shadows waiting for him in front of the structures lining the street. He doesn’t have to get too close, just close enough to make out where the vehicle is and who might be inside of it.

Each step is careful, taking a few extra milliseconds to avoid making any noise. His heart is starting to beat faster, fast enough to call attention to it in the depth of his chest but he tries to push it to the back of his mind as he continues down the street closer and closer.

He sidles along the path until he’s near enough to see that it’s a familiar van, but not because it’s one owned by MayFly. No, he remembers this exact kind of van from that very first mission he went on with ATEEZ when they ran one off the road and beat the shit out of the armored men inside. Cops. Well shit.

Now his heart is really thundering in his chest as he pushes against the building beside him and simply observes. He counts five men, all human, all dressed in black pants and shirts but nothing that indicates they’re police. Maybe they’re undercover? Except he manages to spot a mark on the side of one of the men’s necks and now he really knows they’re fucked.

A norigae.

Jisung doesn’t wait to see any more, turning on his heels and fast walking to the next street corner before darting to the left and breaking out in a run. He needs to get back to signal right fucking now. He needs to give the others a heads up.

His phone is already in hand, clicking the power button at the side to wake the screen every few steps and watch for the moment he gets back to where he can catch signal again. He darts to the right on the next intersection, headed back to the destroyed building he passed along the way. The signal cut somewhere near there so he’s close, pushing himself to run even faster until his legs start to warm and his lungs ache. It feels almost… good to finally be moving and working off the pressure that has been steadily building inside him since the bomb.

When the rubble comes into view, Jisung pushes himself to his limits, unlocking his phone to watch the corner of the screen for any signs of signal. Come on, come on, come on, is chanting in his head until he sees the first bar pop up. He pushes further, finally bursting out into the middle of the ruined building and skidding to a stop when the signal reaches full again.

He’s panting, trying to catch his breath as he opens up his messages. The screen is fuzzy, difficult to get into focus as his thumbs clumsily click over the keyboard. It’s going to be a mess of a message but he needs to get it out immediately.

Jisung: VANS
Jisung: THEWF ARE VANS
Jisung: TS YANG FAM

Jisung sends the last message and then bends at his waist, hands on his knees as his chest heaves. It’s more than just exertion making it impossible to orient himself, terror climbing up his throat and blocking the airflow. The Yang family. What the fuck are they doing here? It’s surely not to help them dismantle the jammers, which means… they have to be working with the government. To stop them.

He laughs, but it’s not out of humor. No, this laugh is purely from disbelief and the dread burning the lining of his stomach. If Jeongin gets caught again…

No. He can’t think about that right now. His message didn’t even go through fully yet which means that the others haven’t dismantled their current jammer and he can’t do anything until they get enough signal for the messages to deliver. He has exactly that much time to come up with a plan before he needs to be moving again, getting out of the open and… and what? His brain is empty of any ideas.

Think. He needs to slow down and fucking think.

If they’re at this jammer, who’s to say they aren’t at the others? Though the fact that they went directly to this one makes him think that they’re tracking his pattern. How many vans are there? How many groups of Yang family cronies are out on the streets looking for them? It’s by pure luck that he is slow enough on foot to have not been there already, but he can’t be sure the same is the case for Yoongi and Jeongin. They could already be captured, and he wouldn’t even know it. Fuck, he really shouldn’t have split up from them. He’d been so worried about convincing them it was okay if he was found that he didn’t stop to consider if they did.

Ten minutes. He’ll give them ten minutes before he has to go and hope for the best. If they’re going down, he’s going to take out as many jammers as he can first. This is so far beyond their team now that he has to think of the greater Korean population first and foremost.

Now, onto the issue of how to fucking manage that if the buildings are being guarded. It’s obvious that he’s not doing anything with his third stop. Maybe… maybe he can get to the furthest marked location and check there? If he goes all the way to the end, it will throw off the pattern he’s already established and it’s the highest probability of being unguarded. It still sounds fucking awful, but it’s going to have to do. He doesn’t exactly have any other options right now.

His heartrate has settled enough to be defter when he starts typing again.

Jisung: Change of plans
Jisung: They’re at my third stop, so I’m going to the last stop on my path
Jisung: I won’t have signal for a while
Jisung: Don’t wait for me
Jisung: Avoid any vans! If you see them, just run
Jisung: If you can’t get to me, I’ll figure it out
Jisung: Keep Jeongin safe

He hits send on the last message and watches the clock in the upper corner of his phone. It’s been eight minutes. Despite the fact that he promised himself he would only give them two more, he’s starting to waver. He really, really wants the others to get the messages more than he wants to protect himself right now.

Jisung waits, watching the clock tick closer and closer to the ten-minute mark. Then, it reaches the time he promised himself he would leave but… not yet. Just not yet. He can give them two more minutes.

Seconds slow, then slow, then slow further until he swears time has stopped completely, still staring at the corner of his screen.

It flips another minute when the messages send all at once, switching from sent to delivered and Jisung is off, gripping his phone tightly in his hand as he pushes back into a run. He’s looked at the map enough that he knows where he needs to go for the last stop. It’s far, much farther than he has any business running right now but he’s so determined to do this that he doesn’t even think his legs ripping off his body could stop him.

He keeps two streets over from the third stop to give himself a buffer, staying alert to any noise or movement around him as he pumps his legs and arms. His backpack feels heavy, digging into his shoulders painfully, but he lets that fuel him to move even faster. The sooner he gets this over with, the sooner he can just be done. He wants to hibernate for a week when this is all said and done today.

This might actually be the longest day of his life, surpassing the time he and Minho had escaped from Jeju by a long shot. The difference this time around is that Jisung is fully prepared for it and he wants to do this.

By the time he’s estimated himself to be halfway, his entire body is screaming in protest. He’s taken on quite the feat tonight and despite his internal pep talking and earlier self-congratulations, he’s not exactly physically conditioned for such a far run. So much for thinking he was in shape. All the dust from the explosion earlier feels like it’s caking his lungs into a thick sludge that he has to cough up periodically. Despite that, he just keeps pushing himself. The only barrier to getting this done right now is his own brain and he’ll be damned if he lets it ruin everything.

As he nears the fourth jammer location, he contemplates detouring to check it out but tosses the thought almost as quickly as it comes. It’s too much of a risk right now, and besides, he still needs to figure out how he’s going to bring down the next one without getting immediately caught. The second the signal returns to that location, they’re going to know where he is.

Is there a way he can delay the destruction of it?

He thinks back to his teenage years when he was frankensteining electronics together and wrecking more parts than he had any right to. He’d ‘hacked’ into several smaller appliances back then to rewrite their scripts. If he’d been more proactive about all of this, he could’ve looked to see if these models of jammers come with a copylefted open-source software. It would’ve been a key right there for him to unlock the devices but it’s a little too fucking late for that.

Are the jammers even advanced enough to use code? Jisung thinks they’d have to be so they can be programmed to specific frequencies. It’s likely rudimentary, but that just makes things a little easier for him. He could, in theory, connect his computer to one of them and open the coding to see what he can do. Maybe he can slowly overload it until it basically fries itself? He wouldn’t know it worked for sure until it actually malfunctioned, but maybe if he starts the process he could get to the fourth jammer before it fully breaks down. If they think he’s still at the site… it could work.

This plan is already hinging on way too many maybes, but he has the advantage here if he can get the overloading to work.

He’s gone over the plan so many times in his head that he barely recognizes when he reaches the site of the fifth jammer, slowing down when he’s a block away to creep towards the last turn before he reaches it. All he needs is for the building to be unguarded. That’s all he needs right now.

Glancing around the corner, he finds the street blissfully empty. Oh, thank fuck. He really might stand a chance in all of this.

Jisung rushes to the building, grabbing at the door handles and finding that they don’t budge when he yanks at them. He pauses, giving the door another pull and finding it still firmly shut. Of course, the one that he needs to get into immediately is locked. He looks around until he finds a piece of rubble similar in size to the one Yoongi used at the first stop and then looks both ways down the street.

There’s still no sign of the Yang family, nor anyone else, so he throws the rock as hard as he can at the door and watches as it splinters but doesn’t quite shatter. The sound of it is jarringly loud in the silent street, but Jisung doesn’t give himself time to dwell on the racket he’s making as he grabs the rock and lobs it at the door again. This time it does shatter, glass exploding out of the doorframe and scattering around him as he steps forward and ducks through the shards. He’s already pulling up his phone to figure out the apartment number as he crosses the threshold. It’s yet another apartment building and with how empty all of these have been, he can’t help but think there are more people in shelters and on the streets than actually housed now.

Finding the stairwell, Jisung starts up the steps but his legs bow out from under him on the third step, forcing him to slow down. Shit, he’s really done a number on himself. Clinging to the railing, Jisung hoists himself up and thanks his lucky stars that this apartment building is much smaller and he only needs to make it to the second floor.

He locates the apartment and slips inside, shuffling to the jammer and then kneeling in front of where he sees a control panel on the side. His fingers slide along the edges until he finds a small, hidden latch that pops open with just a little pressure added. It’s a small system, but there’s a USB port in the center of it and Jisung almost screams in relief. Turns out these jammers are far more advanced than he’d feared, and his job just got a hell of a lot easier.

The backpack slips down his arms, Jisung pulling it beside him to retrieve his laptop and a USB to USB cord that he always carries with him—one of many. He’d used this backpack when he used to have to go out and do troubleshooting at his company and just never removed the mess of tangled cables that have taken residence at the bottom since he ran away and joined MayFly. Another small grace of the day.

Once the computer is set up, Jisung navigates to the connection between them and opens the source code. The window opens, and he scans over it. It’s pretty simple at first glance, definitely easy to catch on to how it’s set up and his mind is already starting to come up with how he can go about implementing a slow death on the thing.

He leans forward to inspect the miniscule CPU. It doesn’t have much power behind it which makes the prospect of overloading it infinitely easier. Jisung just has to input a code that is intricate enough for it to fail to keep up. The thermal diodes in this don’t stand much of a chance since it was never built to handle anything more than the simple code the device was manufactured with.

Honestly, he doesn’t even need to write a new code. Simply loading in a piece of his firmware draft will be enough to kill it once he hits run and closes the panel. The only problem is that he has no way of gauging just how long he has until it actually does fry itself. Once he loads it and hits run, he’s going to have to pack up quick and hit the ground running to put as much distance between himself and the apartment as he can.

Before he can start to select which of his products to use, Jisung hears the muffled thudding of footsteps down the hallway outside and his stomach drops out. Someone is here. They found him. A flashback of being almost murdered at the presidential speech comes back to him and Jisung knows already that he’s not walking back out of his apartment today.

The blood drains from his brain, leaving him hot and tingly as he freezes and listens to the steps coming closer. They’re dead set on his direction and there are multiple of them. Meanwhile, Jisung is a waiting duck sitting in an empty apartment with nothing but wire cutters to defend himself. That thought is enough to make him yank his bag closer and rip both pairs of the cutters out. If he’s going down today, it’s with a fight. He’s going to do as much damage as he can before they get him.

He can feel just how shaky his arms are, even as he holds the makeshift weapons at the ready just as the door swings open and two people topple through. They’re a mess of tangled limbs and tails.

Tails.

Jisung stares as Jeongin and Yoongi make it through the door and slam it behind him, resting their backs against it as they heave to catch their breath. Then, Yoongi looks at him and his abysmal fighting stance still seated fully on his butt with his legs crossed. “What the fuck were you going to do with those? Seriously? They would’ve just shot you, you moron!”

He scoffs, the anxiety of his impending death still radiating through him despite the relief that’s mixed in equal measure. His body wilts with it, arms finally dropping to stash the wire cutters back in his bag. “What else was I supposed to do? The apartment is empty! It’s not like I have a freaking gun myself!”

“You could have at least hidden,” Yoongi scoffs right back, head lolling back to rest against the door as his hand rises to cover his chest. “I haven’t run in so long. I think I’m gonna pass out.”

Jeongin just rolls his eyes before pushing off the door and coming to Jisung’s side, dropping down on his knees to look at his computer. “What are you doing?”

“I was trying to see if I could fry this one internally. More importantly, what you are you guys doing here?”

“We saw your messages, so we parked further away from our next jammer. Saw the vans waiting there as we walked up and we didn’t want to risk getting any closer to them. You said you’d be at this location, so we decided to come here and figure out what to do next,” Jeongin explains.

While Jisung is immensely relieved that they weren’t caught, he isn’t exactly thrilled by just how terribly their plan is going so far. “How many did you guys have left to destroy? Four?”

“No, three. We managed to get the third one before running into them.” This time Yoongi answers before joining them where they perch in front of the laptop. “You said you’re trying to fry this one. Could you do it to all of them?”

Jisung doesn’t even know if he can overload one of them to the point of destruction, let alone all of them. There are still six in operation and they’re spread out. “I don’t know. I think I’d have to be close to them to do it.”

“It seems like they’re all tethered somehow,” Jeongin says, looking over the windows he has open on the screen. “I think they’re tracking our patterns through some sort of network. Maybe if you could get into it?”

It makes sense, if Jisung takes a step back to think it over. The government and Yangs have to be able to track the status of all the jammers real time to react as quickly as they have been to each one going down. He already had that thought on his way over here but didn’t consider trying to use that feature against the devices. “Let me look.”

Clicking back to the window housing the jammer’s information, Jisung starts to read it more closely. Despite how simple it is, there are a lot of smaller functions built in. In order for them to even run, they have to connect to the same network that they are being used to block, which means they have to be running on multiple networks at once to get wi-fi, cellular, and even radio. Maybe they’re more sophisticated than he truly gave them credit for at first.

Cellular or radio are going to be the furthest reaching networks, so he slogs through everything until he can find the input point for those. They’re nestled amongst everything else, easy to miss if he didn’t work with networks for a living. Truly, he’s not even sure if he has enough experience to deal with something like this but he also has enough hope that he thinks he can pull this off.

“Here. I think I located what we need,” he says, pointing to the line that has the data he needs. He types a new command into the box, expanding the network function enough to pick out the details. Jisung just needs to rewrite it a little and give himself a proper opening to all the other devices on the network.

As soon as the new dialogue box opens, Jisung can see the way they’ve tethered the jammers. It’s like a LAN party.

Yoongi has leaned closer over his shoulder, reading everything alongside him. “That’s interesting. Usually, jammers are weakened when they are combined. It’s pretty cool that they managed to connect them in a way that they don’t nerf each other. Must’ve spent a fortune on these things.”

“I’m more interested in knowing who the fuck even made them,” Jeongin says, though he isn’t bothering to look at the code on the screen anymore. “Does this mean you can take them all down?”

“I think I can,” Jisung says, running through the options in his head. “If I can get them all to run a prompt simultaneously then it should work. I’d just have to make sure this one doesn’t die before the others do.”

“Can you try to mirror whatever is reporting their statuses?” Yoongi asks and Jisung was already kind of thinking along that line.

He nods before opening up a new window and starting to type out the commands. This will be pretty nuanced because overheating a CPU takes time. It’s not like an instant killswitch and he has to time everything right. “If I can make it like a waterfall… then I could get the furthest ones to go first and then get closer until this is the last one that overheats. That way I can monitor them the whole time.”

The others stay quiet, simply watching him as he works to set everything up. It’s one of the more difficult codes he’s ever written, despite being technically basic. Jisung wishes he could test it somewhere first to make sure it will work the way he intends, but there’s not exactly a simulator he can run right now and they don’t have the time for it. Instead, he has to rely on his intuition and years of experience to try and play the cards in his favor.

“Okay, I think… it’s done,” he says, taking a moment to check it all over. “As soon as I start the process, we need to be ready to get out of here. I’d estimate that with the size of these CPUs, it will take about five minutes for the first to fall. If I time it right, the whole network should be down within fifteen to twenty and we need to be on the road as soon as that happens or else they’re going to figure out what’s going on.”

“We’ll wait to confirm the first one and then get the van,” Jeongin offers, and Jisung can only nod. Opening up his log of various code he’s written in the past and selecting one of the more intricate functions, he highlights and copies it into the command box. With a deep breath, Jisung presses ‘run’ and then watches as the first CPU starts to process it.

All three wait with bated breath until Jisung hits the second command for the next jammer. He has the status box open for all of them, giving them a glimpse of what the Yang family must be watching so he knows what it will look like to them. There’s a high chance they’ll go right for the first jammer that falls but as soon as they see the jammer intact and the apartment untouched, they’re going to know that it’s being done remotely.

Each jammer that falls after that will narrow down where they are.

By the time Jisung is loading the command for the fourth jammer, the first one falls. He sees the signal sputter out before going dark.

“Oh. It worked,” Yoongi says, tapping his finger on the now-dark device status. “Come on, Jeongin. Let’s go get the van. We parked it a couple blocks away so we’ll wait until we get signal back to come and get you. Be ready out front.”

Jisung nods shakily, watching the other go as he continues to monitor the progress and implement the next commands. By the time he runs the last prompt for the jammer he’s wired to, they are down to three and he knows the clock is ticking. The silence surrounding him feels suffocating as he wills the demise of the devices to speed up. All he wants is to get out of here but there’s going to be at least eight more minutes before that happens.

Waiting for each jammer to fall feels like it takes hours, Jisung’s eyes glued to the status panel as he watches the third to last flicker out. Two more. He just has to wait for two more.

The device he is connected to has already started to slow considerably and without any proper cooling apparatuses installed, it has no hope of lasting much longer. He holds his breath as the second to last stutters out and leaves only the jammer in front of him. All of his instincts are telling him to disconnect and make a run for it now, but he wants to see it through. After everything he’s been through today he doesn’t think he’ll be satisfied until everything is final.

The status of his current jammer starts to flicker and Jisung grabs his bag, readying it for the next step. He reaches towards the jammer CPU, feeling the heat radiating off of it even several centimeters away and knows it’s just about done.

When it finally, finally flickers one last time and then shuts down, Jisung rips the cord out of the device and crams his laptop into his bag with the other end still connected, quickly throwing the bag over his shoulders and turning for the door. With the small respite, his legs have regained enough strength to carry him down the steps and out the shattered door.

He only waits a few seconds before he hears a familiar sound. Though it’s even easier to hear the approach of a vehicle this time around, considering there are several other vehicles following right behind it. Looks like luck was not on their side yet again.

As it gets closer, he sees the side door open with a bang and Yoongi is standing at the opening, holding onto the back of the passenger seat as he hangs out to look at him. “Start running!”

Jisung doesn’t question it, breaking into a sprint that is parallel to the van just before it reaches him. He feels a hand grip onto the handle on the top of his backpack just as Yoongi yells for him to jump. It’s absolutely fucking mental, but he does it anyways, pitching to the side as much as he can. The leverage is just enough to allow Yoongi to yank him into the van before Jeongin slams down on the gas to make them lurch forward faster.

He’s in a heap in the back of the van as Yoongi fights to close the door at such a high speed, then collapses down next to him when it finally clicks shut. Jeongin is cursing to himself as he tugs the wheel and sends them around a corner way too fast. The van lifts off two of its wheels before slamming back down and charging onward.

“What the hell are we going to do now?” Jisung asks as he rolls to his back and peels his bag from his shoulders.

“I didn’t exactly plan this part through,” Yoongi says from beside him. “But I do have something that could help.”

Jisung watches as he pulls out a box of nails, some twisted and rusted from beneath the passenger seat. “What the fuck is that?”

“Revolution budget spike strip,” Yoongi says before heading for the back doors. “We’ve been collecting them for instances like this but I’m quite excited to actually get to test them out. Now hold onto me so I don’t fall out of this fucking thing too.”

The van is still swerving all over the road as Jeongin tries to get them to safety, though the vehicles behind them are too fast to ditch easily. “Let us know when we reach a stretch of straight road so I can toss these out,” Yoongi calls out to Jeongin.

“Soon,” Jeongin shouts back before taking another corner that has them teetering. “One more turn!”

Rather than answer that, Yoongi turns to Jisung. “Hold onto the van and me. I’m going to open the door and toss them out, then pull it back shut. I don’t know if they have guns so… I don’t know what to tell you if they do. Just fucking hold on to me.”

Of all the moments that Jisung has questioned his involvement in this revolution—and there have been a lot of them—he thinks this moment will remain the strongest in his heart. The very heart that is trying to exit his body through his throat right now.

“Okay?” Yoongi prompts, voice much harsher this time around.

“Fine. Okay,” Jisung says, kicking his bag closer to the front and hoping it doesn’t end up canon-balling through them as soon as the door is opened. He takes his position and simply waits as they skid through another turn.

“NOW!” Jeongin screams from the front and Jisung scrambles to get into position just before the door is opened. The rush of air and sound that comes with it is shocking, but Jisung tries hard to keep his concentration on the task at hand.

Jisung’s arms are already crying for relief as he holds onto Yoongi around the waist with one arm and white-knuckles one of the handles installed into the van frame with the other. He keeps having mental images of the thing popping right off and sending them both tumbling out of the back.

The opened door is flapping dangerously, threatening to smash into Yoongi each time Jeongin pulls the wheel sharply to avoid any debris in the road and Jisung has to just close his eyes and shut out the absolute insanity happening right now lest he voluntarily throw himself out the van too. The day just keeps getting worse and worse with no end in sight for them.

“Shit,” Yoongi shouts, and Jisung can feel him ducking just before a shot rings through the van. The windshield shatters, spraying Jeongin in a blast of glass shards but he keeps his attention on the road and driving. “Definitely have guns!”

“No shit! Just throw the fucking nails,” Jisung shrieks at him, trying to half-duck along with him while keeping his grip on both Yoongi and the van. “Throw the nails and close the goddamn door!”

“What do you think I’m doing?!” Yoongi snaps back, and Jisung can barely hear the sound of him opening the box before there’s a tinkling of metal scattering along the pavement behind them followed by a bang. “Oh my god, it worked!”

Jisung’s teeth hurt from how hard he’s gritting them and he can’t get any words out lest his muscles finally give out on him. Thankfully, Yoongi’s celebration is a split second before he’s yanking the door shut. The sudden loss of momentum against his arm sends Jisung tumbling once again and this time he just stays laying on the floor of the van with Yoongi crumpled next him.

“I cannot believe that worked,” Yoongi says, grinning widely. “I can’t wait to tell Jongho and Mingi. They came up with it!”

“Yeah, great,” Jisung says, but he does try to put enthusiasm into it. It ends up falling very flat. He’s so fucking exhausted he could probably fall asleep right here and now.

“Looks like we bought ourselves enough time to find a place to hide for a bit,” Jeongin calls from the front. “I’m sure they’re already coming for us up ahead so we should wait it out. Plus, I need to do something about this windshield. I can barely see anything. Let me just get over this bridge and then we can stop.”

The idea of stopping sounds both amazing and terrifying. Jisung would much rather just go back to the apartments so he can fully rest and never come out ever again. Though he also knows that running into another group of Yangs is likely to be a death sentence now.

“Get us as close to the apartments as you’re comfortable with and we can walk it,” Yoongi says, pushing up to his knees and crawling towards the front. “There’s no way we can make it anywhere on the streets in this without getting caught.”

Walking. More fucking walking. Jisung actually feels tears at the edge of his vision at the mere thought of it.

“I haven’t seen any signs of others yet,” Jeongin says. “I don’t want to risk getting too close, but I can probably get us about five kilometers away. If we go fast, should be less than an hour walk.”

Jisung can see Yoongi shrug from his peripheral where he stays laying on his back. He supposes that five kilometers isn’t the worst, despite it sounding like torture to him right now.

They drive a little further, Jeongin bringing the van’s speed down the closer they get to where their apartments are located in the city when Jisung feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. After all the silence on the networks, it’s actually surreal to be receiving a call again and he feels a muted pride at the fact that he’s the one that accomplished that.

When he digs his phone from his pocket, the name on the screen makes fresh tears well in his eyes.

“Jisung?” Minho sounds worried, but it makes Jisung smile and release some of the tension he’s been holding rigidly in his body this entire evening.

“Hey. We just finished up with the jammers. Trying to get back to the apartments.”

He can practically hear the smile in Minho’s voice when he says, “Everyone started to get signal again, so I figured you were done. Are all of you okay?”

“Yeah. We’re all okay,” he answers, not able to bring himself to worry Minho over the bullshit they’ve just gone through. All he needs to know is that they’re okay and they finished their task. “If Chan is around, can you tell him we got everything he asked for? Also, how are you holding up?”

“It’s been a lot,” Minho says at first and Jisung can hear it in his voice, the fatigue that’s settling over all of them. “We’re finishing up on collecting the injured and transporting them. I’m going to help Hwasa for a while after we get there. Chan is around here somewhere so I’ll let him know. You said you’re almost home?”

Just five kilometers away, give or take. “Almost, yeah.”

“You did so well, Jisung. I have to go, but I’ll see you later, okay? Will you wait for me… in our room?” The last part comes out hushed, but Jisung hears it clear as day. It’s a white flag waving between them; an invitation back into their room that he’d never even consider turning down.

“Yes. I’ll see you when you get back. Stay safe.” The call disconnects, and he lets his body go lax again, a smile tugging at his lips. He just has to get home and wait for Minho. He’s definitely got enough fight left in him to do that.

Jeongin locates a parking garage around the five-kilometer mark, approaching it and driving through the arm gate before parking them in the back corner of the first floor. As soon as the car comes to a complete stop, everyone just sits for a few moments and collects themselves. Jisung is so close to suggesting they just try and see if they can get back to the apartment, but he knows it would be a selfish request so he keeps silent.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Yoongi says, stretching his shoulders before grabbing his laptop and sliding open the side door. “The quicker we’re home, the quicker I can sleep.”

While Jisung has shared that same sentiment all evening, he still grumbles as he grabs his backpack and slithers to the open door and back onto his feet. “Let’s just try to make this fast. I’m too tired for another chase.”

“Agreed,” Jeongin says, rounding the front of the van with a big yawn. “I can’t wait to sleep either.”

As planned, their walk is spent in relative silence, all of them staying in a single-file line with Jisung at the front as they keep to the shadows. He’s following his plans for when he snuck between jammers, keeping watch for any sign of the Yang family looking for them. Not a peep… which is weird, and he should probably be worried, but he just doesn’t have the energy to fret anymore.

His legs feel like lead on each step, having to make his movement deliberate in order to keep pushing forward. Truly, Jisung has never experienced exhaustion of both mind and body quite like this before yet he’s forcing himself to stay alert through the remainder of the distance between them and home with the promise of shutting his brain off as soon as they make it.

For now, he keeps running through images of the insured in his head. It all seems like it happened a week ago and he can’t believe there are still so many people that are likely suffering right now.

There’s a small kernel of fury in the base of his heart for what happened to them today, but a lot of it is directed at Chan the more he thinks of it. Why the fuck would no one listen to him and Soobin? They could have avoided so much of this if they had called off the fucking riots. Then again, the bombs were ready and the moment they tried to gather, regardless of day, this would have happened. It was a sort of inevitability that comes with civil unrest. As much as he knows that he’s still fucking pissed at the others for putting innocent people at risk.

More than that, however, is the vehement hatred he feels for the government. What they have done cannot be undone. The lives they took cannot be given back. This just proved that they cannot be passive anymore. Not if they have any hope of making a real difference before all of them end up fucking slaughtered like the animals that the government seems to think they are.

Jisung stews in his feels for the rest of their walk, but it momentarily dissipates as soon as they round the last corner, and he can see the apartments up ahead. Jisung finally feels a burst of energy that pushes him into a brisk walk. “Oh my god, we finally made it!”

They must look haggard as they enter the courtyard to find Hongjoong, Yeji, and Soobin all seated around the picnic tables because all of them pause mid-conversation. “Fuck,” is all Hongjoong says.

“Yeah, yeah. You go getting chased by this guy’s crazy fucking family and see how you look afterwards,” Yoongi chastises, jabbing a thumb in Jeongin’s direction. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me before noon tomorrow.”

Jeongin just shrugs at all of their horrified looks. “It’s fine. I’m also going to bed.” They both peel off in direction of their apartments, leaving Jisung to look at the others on his own.

“How many of our people were injured?”

Soobin’s face is grim as he says, “You know about Felix. Yunho has some pretty deep cuts but he’s fine. Beomgyu and Jisu have the worst wounds. They’re both recovering at Hwasa’s and it looks like they’ll pull through. Then a myriad of minor injuries amongst anyone at a blast site but I’m confident we won’t lose anyone.”

Jisung just nods, taking in the information. No losses. That’s truly the most important part. “Okay, thank you. I’m going to try and get some rest too and I’ll debrief you all in the morning when the others are back.” He receives a round of goodnights before turning towards the stairs.

Jisung climbs the steps to their apartment, bed calling out to him enticingly. He’s about to drop face first into it and never move again. The door opens and he steps through to find Wooyoung and San laid out on the couch. They look just as exhausted as he feels, though it’s clear they’ve cleaned up and are recuperating from the day just as he plans to.

“Wow. Are you okay?” San looks genuinely concerned as he looks him over. He’s definitely felt and looked better for about 99% of his life thus far.

“Yeah. Just going to shower and sleep.”

“Uh, no you’re not,” Wooyoung says, pushing up off the couch and padding towards him, then looking him over fully. “The back of your head is a fucking mess. You need to get that looked at first. Come on, Seonghwa is downstairs.” He doesn’t leave room to argue, grabbing Jisung’s wrist and gently dragging him back towards the door.

Jisung forgot about his head injury with everything else going on today. The exertion of his body kind of overshadowed the pain by the time he finished with the jammers, then the car chase didn’t exactly leave room to relax either. He lets himself be guided back down to the first floor where Wooyoung shoves a door open and whisks him through it. “Seonghwa, I got another patient for you!”

The man in question is sat at the dining table, first aid kit already open beside him and Jongho sitting across from him, though he looks seconds away from passing out as well. He’s got a few cuts along his arms but nothing too serious. Seonghwa looks up at him and his eyebrows raise until they disappear behind his bangs. “What the hell happened to you? Chan made it sound like you were fine!”

“I’m okay,” he rushes to say, but Wooyoung shushes him with a stern look.

“Come here, I’m almost done with Jongho. That’s a lot of blood on your shirt… are you sure you’re okay?” Seonghwa asks, motioning to the seat beside Jongho.

He doesn’t bother arguing, stepping forward and dropping into the seat. He’s so worn-out he feels like his bones could slide right out of his body. “I ran a lot… just tired.”

Seonghwa tsks as he swipes disinfectant over another of Jongho’s wounds. “Running after blood loss. No wonder you’re tired.” He finishes up a few more swipes of cotton ball over Jongho’s arms before patting his thigh. “You’re good to go. Get some rest and I’ll make us all breakfast first thing in the morning.”

Jongho stands unsteadily, giving Jisung a sleepy smile. “I’m not even sure I’ll make it to breakfast, but I’ll try. Thanks, Hwa.”

Jisung scoots into the newly emptied seat as soon as it’s vacated and lets Seonghwa start the examination process. His body is mostly unscathed other than his head, which he gets a firm scolding for. He’s too out of it to argue, letting himself be doted on as Seonghwa sets to work cleaning him up. “Honestly, you should probably wash up before I even attempt this. You’re covered in sweat and dirt,” he says once he’s cleaned the worst of the blood off the back of his neck. “It’s not bad enough to need stitching together, so you should be okay to bathe as long as you’re gentle. No shower though! Just take a bath and I’ll help you with your hair.”

“Can I just bathe down here? If I go back upstairs there’s no way I’m coming back down,” Jisung says, stifling a yawn. His eyes are drooping and he’s having trouble even keeping his head upright. All the adrenaline that has been coursing through him and keeping him alert is finally vacating his body, stealing every last ounce of energy with it.

“Of course,” Seonghwa says, pushing to his feet and offering his hands to help him to his feet. He looks past Jisung when he says, “Go get him a change of clothes.”

Wooyoung whines about it, but Jisung can hear him leaving the apartment to do as he was told as he’s led to the bath. Seonghwa turns to him just as they make it into the bathroom. “Do you want me to wash your hair first?”

He just nods because he doesn’t have the capacity to do much else, reaching for the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. He hisses where it rubs the back of his head, then sees the collection of blood seeping through the collar and back of it, completely ruined. He hadn’t even realized he’d bled that badly. Part of him wants to look at the extent of damage to his head and the other is a little fearful of what he might find. Maybe it’s best to just let it heal and try to ignore it. At least for now when he doesn’t know if he has the capacity to really care about it.

Seonghwa helps him to his knees, bending over the edge of the tub as he runs the water and tests the temperature. The porcelain is shockingly cold against his stomach, yet he finds an odd sort of comfort in it. It reminds him where he is, here in the present. Reminds him that he’s still human despite everything he went through within the last twelve hours. Reminds him that he still has so much more that he needs to do, even if every part of him is screaming out for a respite.

The process of washing his hair is delicate, Seonghwa ensuring he is gentle as he cleans the matted blood from his hair while leaving most of the scabbing untouched. His nails scrape along Jisung’s scalp as he clears the dust and debris from it and Jisung lets himself relax into the touch. It’s been a long time since anyone has washed his hair like this, and it reminds him of being young again. Back before all of this, when life was simpler. He misses it.

“Okay, all done,” Seonghwa announces once the suds have been rinsed from his hair. He’s redirected to look up at him as the bunny hybrid grabs a washcloth and gently scrubs it over his face. It feels good, all the grime removed and leaving him feeling new again. That was another thing he’d forgotten about in the rush of the evening, all the soot covering him from the explosion. He must have been running around looking like a ghost. Seonghwa keeps going until he’s pleased with his handy work and then smiles at him, tapping his cheek twice. “I’ll run the water for the bath and then leave you to it.”

A fluffy towel is wrapped around his head to soak up the worst of it as Jisung watches the water collect in the bath. True to his word, Seonghwa only checks the temperature and plugs the drain before squeezing his shoulder and walking out the door, leaving him to his own devices. Jisung can recognize that Seonghwa is treating him softly, but he appreciates it. He needs it. Weariness still fills the room as he shimmies out of the rest of his clothing and steps into the water, sinking down into it and letting it soothe his destroyed muscles.

The remnants of dirt make the water cloud to the point he doubts he’s going to get very clean, but he still lets himself slide down into it while the towel cocoons his hair. It feels good, or at least he’s sure it does, as he lets his body go soft and the tension spill out. Now that he’s slowed down, now that he’s no longer running or fearing for his life, a new fear descends on him. The events of the day flip through his mind like a PowerPoint presentation. All the Ways Han Jisung is Fucked Up: A Deep Dive.

He's been going, going, going for so long without the chance to slow down and truly process everything that his mind is taking this brief moment of calm to do it tenfold. Tears blur his eyes before he even realizes he’s been crying, but he doesn’t bother to wipe them. Not when he knows there are infinitely more that follow.

Jisung almost died today. Most of the people he holds dear almost died today.

The realization doesn’t hit him like he would’ve expected. It doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t make him panic, though it’s still all-consuming in the way it settles deeply in his heart. How much longer can he do this? He isn’t sure. It already feels like most of him has been stripped away, leaving the scared and innocent boy he is underneath it all. But he isn’t innocent anymore, is he? He’s played a role in getting too many people hurt to really claim the title still.

Self-loathing slinks through him as he closes his eyes and just lets go, the pain of everything raises from a quiet simmering into a tsunami that washes through him. He’s been so wrapped up in everything that he hasn’t questioned anything he’s done in a while. Now, though, he can’t help berating himself for all of it.

He should have told people not to come today. Jisung knew, in the pit of his stomach, that something wasn’t right. He knew it was a trap and yet he’d willingly followed what Chan said. He was mad at Chan for it earlier, but isn’t he more to blame here? Countless bodies lining the blast sites, all naive. All people that had no idea this was even a possibility. Jisung feels responsible for every single lost life today. If he had done what he knew was right, he could have prevented this.

Felix. The mental image of the sweet hybrid, blood-coated and confused seers his heart. He could have prevented Felix getting hurt too if he’d only had more conviction.

Isn’t his lack of principle what got him into this entire thing in the first place?

Jisung sinks further in the tub, the water lapping over his chest in a way that might tickle if he didn’t currently feel his life crashing down around him. It’s not the time to feel like this, he knows it. He needs to get out of this water and hold himself together long enough for Seonghwa to give him the green light to sleep. He just… he can’t fall apart right now.

Rather than keep letting himself spiral, Jisung reaches into the water and splashes it up and over his chest to wash away any dirt lingering there and continues down his body robotically. He’s definitely going to need a proper wash off in the morning, but this will do for now. It’s not like he can baptize the day out of himself, even if he wishes it worked that way so badly.

He finds a stack of clothes just outside the bathroom door once dried and goes through the motions of pulling them over his frame before hanging the towels and trudging back to the main room. Wooyoung is still here, lounging on the couch with his legs kicked up on the wall behind it. Jisung can’t help but wonder if he’s been assigned as his chaperone until he makes it safely into bed.

Seonghwa is at the table, everything he’s going to use already set out meticulously. He offers Jisung another light smile and motions to the chair again. This time is quick, with Seonghwa already getting a proper look at the extent of his injury during the bath. He dabs a sterilizer over it that stings like a bitch but Jisung just clenches his jaw through it until another ointment is spread over instead.

Before he knows it, he’s headed back up the stairs towards their apartment with a well wish from Seonghwa and Wooyoung hot on his heels. He’s rambunctious, talking up a storm about absolutely nothing to fill the quiet that Jisung would usually be helping with. None of it really reaches his brain enough to comprehend, but Jisung nods along to be polite until they make it back inside and he simply waves at him and San. “Goodnight.”

Throughout pretending to be okay in front of them, Jisung has felt a mounting suffocation that makes it hard to focus on anything else. The second he is alone again, back against the closed door to the bedroom he’s going to get to share with Minho again, he sucks in a deep breath.

Doongie is at his ankles, rubbing against him in greeting and that makes the tears burst out of him again. That’s how many times today? Jisung is such a fucking crybaby, but he can’t help it anymore.

He stumbles towards the bed and falls into it, immediately greeted by all three cats in equal measure. It’s not the first time they’ve greeted him when he’s the first one in the room—far from. Despite that, it feels significant to be accepted so readily by them like this is right where he belongs. No judgement and no scorn, simply excited to see him after the longest day of his life. He pets them each, though it’s hard to really see them through the clouding in his vision.

Jisung curls into himself, wrapping around where Soonie lays against his stomach while Doogie and Dori rest against his back. He lets it soothe him as he finally, finally lets go for real this time. He has no reason to feign strength any longer.

No single thought sticks to him long enough to focus on it, instead muddling into one big feeling of inadequacy and anguish. He doesn’t stop it. Doesn’t try to prevent the feelings from flowing through him. Cracking to pieces like this feels long overdue and he’s here to pay the price of it.

He’s not sure how long he lays like that, though the tears eventually stop and his face dries with a layer of them uncomfortably. The following nothing is more than welcome, suspended in the wake of letting everything pour out of him. Jisung feels like he can finally breathe now that he’s let everything out, though he’s too restless to sleep either.

When the door to their bedroom cracks open, it disperses the cats but they’ve already been his company long enough that he doesn’t mourn their loss. Especially not when he sees Minho standing near the entrance. The room is dim, but Jisung can still see how drained he looks. It’s on his face as much as the lines of his body where they droop.

Minho doesn’t say anything. There isn’t anything to say. Instead, he walks to the bed and drops down on it. A few tense seconds pass before he rolls to his side and scoots closer, taking the spot of Doongie and Dori with his arm wrapped over Jisung’s middle. The simple touch makes Jisung’s last barriers—ones he could’ve sworn he’d already shed—come crashing down all around him and he chokes on a dry sob in the back of his throat. The warmth, he needed this warmth. He really, really needed to be reminded why he is doing all of this because the answer has been the same for a very long time.

This.

This is why he has been pushing himself so hard. This is why Jisung can’t stop, no matter how much he loses along the way.

His hand is shaky when it finds Minho’s near his navel, twisting their fingers together like so many times in the past. Jisung clings to it, palm to palm in a comforting way he’ll never take for granted again. “I’m here,” Minho says, voice pitched low to match the quiet of the night. “I’m right here.”

Chapter Text

Jisung wakes to the feeling of something soft brushing against his cheek. He swats at it mindlessly until he feels sharp pinpricks. When he cracks his eyes open, it’s to find a rather pissed off Doongie in his face, and he remembers that he shared a room with Minho the night before.

He's suddenly aware of the warmth firmly plastered against his back, Minho still in the same position he fell asleep in. They must have been too tired for their bodies to even dare try to move, and he can admit he still feels the dredges of exhaustion everywhere. He contemplates trying to go back to sleep, interrupted by another far less gentle touch to his cheek. Clearly the cats are hungry, and his momentary peace is over.

He wiggles his way to the edge of the bed before slipping out and heading for their bowls of food in the corner of the room. All three descend on him the moment he opens the tin for their food and starts scooping out their portions, but at least they’ll be busy for a while and there’s a chance he can sneak in another hour or two of rest.

Straightening up and setting the food back, Jisung turns to find Minho watching him intently. His body locks up, not expecting to find the hybrid awake and now that they’re face to face in the daylight, he really doesn’t know what to say about the state of himself last night. Does he just bring it up…? Maybe it would be better to just pretend it didn’t happen.

He’s not certain that he’s still welcome in the room anymore. Was last night a one-off because everything went to shit and they were exhausted? Jisung can tell he’s starting to spiral, split between standing there like an idiot or fleeing.

“You don’t have to think so hard about this,” Minho says after watching him work his way through all of his worries one by one. “Come back.”

Jisung is not in a place to argue, instead sagging at the plain invitation. He steps forward until he can collapse back onto the mattress and be pulled into Minho’s arms again. It’s so comfortable and he presses his cheek to the hybrid’s sternum, slumping into the tight hold.

“Are you doing okay?”

The question comes just as Jisung feels settled again and his defenses are lowered all the way. It’s all too easy to admit, “Not really.”

It’s quiet for a few moments until Minho’s arms tighten around him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He’s torn between wanting to get the rest of his thoughts and feelings out after starting the process the night before, and settling into the quiet comfort that comes from a good cry and rest. What else is there to really say that he hasn’t already thought himself sick over? “No, I don’t think so. How are you feeling?”

The silence this time stretches longer until Jisung isn’t quite sure if Minho heard him, despite their proximity. Perhaps he simply doesn’t want to talk about anything that went down the day before either. Jisung can only imagine the extent of what Minho had to see and work through as he helped Hwasa at the shelter. He, himself, is struggling with the image of the injured people he tried to assist with Jackson.

“I just feel depleted,” Minho says softly.

He’s not sure what to say to that; not sure if there’s even a possible right answer other than wrapping his arms around Minho’s waist to pull him impossibly closer. After everything they’ve been through, he’s never heard the hybrid even hint at reaching his limit and now… now he seems like he’s gone past it. Jisung isn’t the only one struggling with this. He knew that, of course, but it was easy to convince himself that the others are handling things so much better.

“I’m sorry.”

Minho hums, burying his head in the space between Jisung’s cheek and shoulder. “It’s fine. Something is going to have to give. I can make it until then, and I know you can too.” The reassurance is a gentle one, but it’s said so frankly that Jisung doesn’t have any room to argue. He can do this, he just has to keep working as hard as he can to make it happen.

They stay cocooned like that, Jisung letting any lingering worries fade away and slipping back into slumber.

--

“Okay,” Seungmin sighs, pulling Jisung’s laptop closer to himself. “Did you see the Twitter feed yet?”

There’s a small group of them gathered in the apartment living space. Jisung is on the sofa with Jeongin’s legs thrown over his lap while Yoongi is facedown on the floor in a starfish position that has his sunglasses smashed into the rug. If Jisung isn’t mistaken, he can actually hear him snoozing. Hyunjin and Seungmin are the most lively of the bunch, seated beside each other on the other couch. After sleeping in, they’d been called to another ‘all hands on deck’ meeting to receive their assignments for the day, this bunch being deemed the social media team. In specific, they were told to respond to as many news agencies as possible while also making a compilation of videos that show as much of the attacks as they can and be on standby this evening.

Jisung retrieves his phone from his hoodie pocket and unlocks it, swiping over to open his Twitter app. Immediately, it is flooded with thousands upon hundreds of thousands of notifications, and he simply stares as the numbers climb by the second. “What happened?”

He clicks onto the messages and sees countless inquiries from major world news organizations, asking for permission to use videos or asking for further information as their account has been posting and retweeting footage from the bombings since the night before. It seems they finally got the attention of everyone like they’ve been trying since the beginning and even if it hurts a little that it took several massive bombs and the loss of so many people to finally get it, Jisung can’t help feeling excited over the prospect of their voices being heard too. That’s all they’ve been wanting since the violence started: to be heard and for someone to care.

“We retweeted the videos that showed the explosions and immediate aftermath, which started trending right away once signal returned,” Hyunjin explains. His own phone is lifted to his face as he reads over the screen. “It worked way better than we expected. Looks like we finally got some traction going.”

“If you guys want to handle approving requests to use our videos and answer any questions from the news agencies, we’ll get to work on editing those videos for Chan,” Seungmin says, popping open the laptop.

There had been an argument at the meeting earlier on how to handle both the videos and information on Operation Reborn with an almost even divide in the group. It’s still difficult to guess which way is better for them between telling the world or keeping it as leverage, but they ultimately decided to broadcast it if Chan can call in another favor. They all learned their lesson about keeping important information to themselves after last night.

Jisung gives a thumbs up in agreement before turning back to his phone and scrolling the direct messages to get to work.

--

It’s just after three in the afternoon when Jisung’s phone starts to ring, interrupting his typing as the screen swaps to Chan’s contact. They’ve been answering the endless requests for information all day so far and they’ve made a solid dent into the pending messages, but there are just so many. So fucking many people suddenly care, now that there’s a story to be made out of it.

“Hello?” he says once he’s swiped to answer the call and lifted the phone to his cheek.

“Jisung? How are preparations going? Is the video ready?”

“Uhm, hold on,” he says, then turns towards Seungmin and Hyunjin. “Is the video almost done?”

“About eighty percent there,” Hyunjin says, peering over Seungmin’s shoulder to get a proper look at the screen. “We can have it done in… an hour?” Seungmin shrugs, but still nods his agreement.

Jisung switches his attention back to the call with Chan. “It’ll be done in about an hour?”

“Okay, perfect. Once it’s done, I need you and Jeongin to get ready. Ride the metro to Namsan and meet me at the main KNN station at five. Just… be careful. I’m sure they’re watching the train stations, but that van is still out of commission for the time being. Bring your laptop with the video and if you can transfer it to one of the hard-drives for backup that would help a lot too.”

“Five. Okay,” Jisung answers just before the call ends. It seems they’ll be paying a visit to Korea’s favorite news anchor once again. “Let’s wrap this up and get ready to meet your lover,” he says to Jeongin, receiving a light kick in the ribs in answer.

--

Shrugging on his backpack, Jisung steps out of the apartment and heads down to the courtyard where Jeongin is waiting for him in a gigantic hoodie that mostly conceals his tail. Jisung guesses he’s going to try and hide his ears in the hood of it once they reach the stations too. “You ready?” he calls, hopping down the last two steps.

“Yeah, I checked the train schedules. We’ll only have to switch lines once.” That means three instances in which they could get caught. Not the worst, but still far from reassuring. Jeongin falls into step beside him as they exit onto the street and head for the closest station. Jeongin hums to himself for a minute or so before asking, “What’s the first thing you’re going to do when this is all over?”

“Assuming we aren’t in jail, I think I’m going to spend an entire day watching anime in my underwear,” Jisung says, grinning when Jeongin snorts at him. “I’m gonna to eat honey chips until I barf too.”

“Honey chips? That’s your go-to?”

Jisung knocks into him just enough to make Jeongin side-step for a pace or two. “Hell yeah. I haven’t had any in so long. What about you?”

“I want to go on a trip, I think. Somewhere far from here where I can just forget everything. I’ve never left the country but I think I’d love to. Maybe Hyung will take me to Australia,” he says wistfully. Sometimes Jisung forgets how young he is still. He probably never had much chance to go on vacations considering his parents’ standing and then subsequently diving into anarchy as a teenager.

“I think Australia would be cool. His family is still there, aren’t they?”

Jeongin frowns in his peripheral vision. “Yeah, they haven’t tried to come see him since this whole thing started and he obviously can’t go back home or they’d arrest him as soon as he returned on suspicion. I hope they can all reunite soon.”

Jisung thinks of his own family in Malaysia. He hasn’t spoken with them since he was set to move back with them. He can’t help but wonder what they must think of him now, especially with the news starting to surface. Then, he thinks of Sana. After she arrived in Japan, he stopped replying to her and the guilt of it weighs heavily on him now. He hopes that she’s happy and that she and Mina were able to get married finally.

The closer they get to the station, the more Jisung starts to note lingering signs of the unrest happening around them. Most of the shops they pass have their doors and windows boarded up, though some of the glass is still busted out, crunching beneath their shoes as they pass. He sees a car parked along the road that hasn’t fared much better. To be honest, it looks like a ghost town.

They turn a corner and Jisung spots a building with bright red spray paint across it.

LEASH ALL HYBRIDS

His next step is clumsy as he reads over it again to make sense of what he’s seeing. It’s… against hybrids? Throughout all of this, Jisung has only really considered that the government and their allies would be against them but this looks like the work of some random person. He really can’t fathom that other humans might agree with the contents of METAMORPH, and the thought alone has him feeling lightheaded. How many of them are there?

Jisung tries to angle them so that Jeongin doesn’t read the message, speeding up when he sees the entrance to the station. “Pull your hood on, we’re close now.”

Despite his concerns, the metro is almost entirely empty when they arrive. There’s not even an attendant in the booth beside the turnstiles as they hop over them and ride the escalators down to the platform. There are notices posted along the walls on the way down, denoting that the train hours are reduced due to manning and he starts to doubt if they’ll even be able to get to Namsan at this rate. “Reduced trains,” he murmurs.

“Let’s just try,” Jeongin says, looking back at him with his lips drawn into a tight line. “We’re within the posted time, so let’s wait and see.”

There’s one other person on the platform when they arrive, and Jisung steps closer to Jeongin before he realizes what he’s doing, the unsettling nature of somewhere meant to house so many people being devoid of them combined with the message outside has his heart rabbiting in his chest. Neither dare to say a single thing as they wait for the train, watching the electronic board count down from five, to four, and all the way to ‘arriving’.

To his surprise and absolute relief, a train does approach through the tunnel and he watches as it blasts past them before beginning to slow. He supposes he should stop being so surprised when less than a dozen people are on the train as it rolls to a stop and the doors slide open. It’s just… off. Everything has felt so off since the bombings.

They duck into the car, heading for a back corner to sit together. “Isn’t it so weird that everything is so empty?” Jeongin murmurs once the train sets into motion again.

“I was thinking the same thing. It feels like everyone disappeared.” For such a large city to be so empty all of a sudden. Jisung can’t help thinking about The Rapture. One moment the streets were packed with people and now… “Is everyone at the shelters or something?”

“I told Hyung about the empty apartments last night. I know a few people went to secure some of the buildings and they’re working to move displaced families into them, but it was this empty before I even told him. Though I suppose it’s not a surprise people would be fearful after what happened. I’m sure a lot of people are holed up in their homes until they know if it’s safe or not.”

It makes sense. Jisung wonders what he would’ve done if he was still living his sheltered life right now. He probably would’ve hidden away in his apartment too. “Well, hopefully our video and whatever Chan plans to say will help clear up the confusion everyone is feeling.”

--

They arrive in Namsan after an uneventful line transfer and Jisung leads the way as they exit the train and start towards the escalators to street level, head on a swivel to check for any signs of police. It’s just as quiet here as the other stations.

“Do you know where to go from here?” Jisung asks as they step out onto the street and look around. There are a few more people bustling around here, but still nothing compared to how Namsan usually is.

“This way,” Jeongin answers, pointing to their right. When he checks his watch, they still have fifteen minutes before the arranged meeting time so they don’t have to rush it, even if they keep their pace brisk simply to get out of the public eye.

Chan is waiting for them on the corner of the building when they approach, Hongjoong at his side. “Hey, you made it. Did you have any trouble?” he asks as soon as they’re close, reaching for Jeongin to fix his hair as he pulls his hood back. His eyes scan over the fox’s face as he waits for an answer.

“No. Everything was empty,” Jeongin says, and Chan lets out a deep sigh. He cups Jeongin’s cheek softly, giving him a smile that feels a little too private for Jisung to witness right now.

“Okay good. Let’s go down here. Someone is going to let us in through the back door.”

Jisung leans to the side to see around them, peeking down the alleyway that extends to a door propped open. So, they’re not here in an official capacity. Oh well. He sticks his thumbs beneath the straps of his backpack as he follows everyone down to the door and slips inside of a large storeroom. Props and backup lights line the shelves as they step inside to find a small human woman waiting for them.

“Hi. Eric sent me down to get you guys. I’ll be working with him on this. We’re going to take the freight elevator,” she explains, leading them towards the doors. “Once we get there, follow me and don’t say anything if we come across anyone. You’re going to wait in his dressing room until it’s time.”

They were already silent, but it becomes more intentional as they climb inside and rocket up to one of the top floors. Despite knowing that they aren’t exactly welcome here, Jisung doesn’t feel very nervous about it. The fact that both Eric and this woman are on their side despite being human eases some of the dread he’d felt on the trip over here.

They’re filing through the door to Eric’s dressing room when she turns to him and says, “Do you have the video on something I can take to the broadcasting room?” He’s not entirely sure why she singled him out, other than the backpack he’s currently shrugging off. They’d gone through it earlier to transfer any other data to his computer for the time being, just to be safe. No one else needs access to Donghoon’s incriminating information.

“Here. The video and some screenshot are the only things are the drive,” he says as he hands it over to her.

“Okay. Someone will be by to grab you when it’s time. No one else will bother you since Eric is live.”

As soon as the door shuts, Jisung looks around and finally takes everything in. It’s a simple space with a vanity table, armoire, television and large sofa in shades of deep mahogany and blue. Just a space for Eric to get ready and then relax between segments.

“What’s the plan when you get out there?” Hongjoong asks, dropping down onto the sofa as Jeongin goes to open the armoire and look at the line of expensive suits inside.

Chan winces. “I didn’t plan much past getting us on air. We’ve got the video and the screenshots of Operation Reborn. I’m going to explain what happened and show the images. Eric said he’d guide me through the rest.”

It seems a bit extreme to walk out there and basically throw their dicks on the table like this, but they also can’t waste time if there’s risk of the whole thing getting shut down. If the cameras are cut, then they can at least have some information out there.

The wait is surprisingly short, especially once Hongjoong figures out that they can play the current broadcast, watching as Eric closes up the current story about power outages experienced through parts of Seoul. It’s a very redacted version of the events yesterday, which is kind of funny to Jisung considering they’re about to flip the script.

A knock on the door signals that it’s time and Chan looks in the vanity mirror, back and forth, before he says, “Okay. Be ready to run if this goes to shit.” He’d changed into one of those expensive suits, with Eric’s permission, and sat for Jeongin as he spread makeup over his face so that when he walks out there, he looks like he belongs. It was a decision that Hongjoong made for him on the way over and Jisung has to admit that it does make Chan look ultra professional. Hopefully people will look past his ears and truly listen.

They gather around the television, waiting to see Chan appear as Eric introduces the next segment. He’s relaxed and cool, just like usual. No hint that anything is amiss, even as Chan walks out to join him at the table. Jisung is too nervous to sit, instead pacing a line between door and window as he listens.

“We’re here with Mr. Bang to discuss the events of yesterday.”

“Thank you for having me.”

Eric smiles at Chan, then the camera. “As many of those living within Seoul experienced, there were several massive explosions throughout the city yesterday. I believe you have some footage to show?”

The screen splits to show Eric and Chan on the left while the video they brought begins on the right. It’s a shot from Hongdae, not too far from where Jisung had been standing. He swallows thickly as he watches the detonation and following disorientation of the filmer as they’re knocked back. The next video is similar, from Myeongdong.

“Twelve bombs detonated in the various providences of Seoul. They were placed within hybrid resource facilities that had been previously taken over by the government, throwing the inhabitants out. Additionally, we discovered twelve signal jammers at each blast site that cut all cellular services and rendered any calls for assistance of emergency services inaccessible.”

Eric’s smile has faded into a grim seriousness that Jisung rarely remembers seeing before. “Do you know how many lives were lost?”

“There is a relief effort comprised of volunteers that are currently gathering the deceased. As of now, we have recovered nearly three hundred, though the estimate is at least twice that number. Thousands more are injured and being treated with first aid outside of the hospitals that are already full. Supplies are running short throughout the country, and I fear that there will not be enough to tend to everyone.”

“We have received reports from numerous hospitals around the city that are having trouble managing the influx of patients,” Eric adds, and the video is nearing its end already. Jisung stops pacing long enough to watch the transition to Operation Reborn. He doesn’t hesitate as he rolls right into, “I believe you also brought other information to share?”

The right screen smoothly swaps to the first screencaps of Operation Reborn, enlarged enough to show the words and images legibly. On the left, Chan takes a deep breath before starting. “The bombings this week are not the first time the government has attacked the population, specifically targeting hybrids.”

“That’s our queue,” Jeongin says from where he’s half-perched on the vanity stool. Jisung’s laptop is open in front of him as he reads over the screen one more time and then hits ‘post’, uploading all the images from Operation Reborn, to include the TSS labels, onto Twitter. Jisung steps up behind him, watching as the first likes start to stack up.

They’d worked together to come up with a proper message to accompany the images earlier. Jisung knows at least a few of the major global news organizations are watching their page and hopes they see the images before they’re inevitably taken down. Later tonight, they’ll upload a clip from Chan’s interview to add to it.

”These images are taken from a Top Secret Security Zone where the document was retrieved. It outlines Operation Reborn, a series of experiments conducted in 1978 on the hybrid population in Jeollanam-do. Two and a half thousand hybrids were subjected to inhumane testing to include starving, mutilation, vivisection on life hybrids, and testing weapons on them, resulting in loss of every single captive. This was conducted by the government. Our Korean government not only authorized but carried out all of these acts.”

Throughout Chan’s speech, he stares into the camera and manages to keep his voice strong, despite the slight tremble to it as he nears the end. Beside him, Jisung can see Eric’s eyes sliding to the side repeatedly, looking at something or someone just off screen. He goes rigid and that’s all he needs to see to say, “Something’s wrong.”

Jeongin snaps the laptop closed and slides it into his backpack, handing it to him as they gather at the door, then hesitate. Is it better to go out there and face whatever is stressing Eric so much? Run for it? Or should they stay here and wait for Chan? Jisung keeps looking over his shoulder at the screen.

Chan is half out of his seat as Eric says, ”Thank you very much for your time. We’ll go to a commercial break for now.” The screen immediately cuts out. No sign off, no introduction to the next segment.

Jeongin doesn’t say anything before yanking the door open and slipping into the hallway beyond it. Jisung follows right after him, getting his backpack into place just as they see Chan and Eric rounding the corner, pursued by an angry older human man. Jisung guesses it’s the director or some other higher-up here.

“What the fuck were you thinking trying to slip that segment in?” the man screeches. “You know we can’t show anything about yesterday!”

Eric stops, turning to him with a laugh. “You know, I used to think that we were on the same page about presenting all news, even if it’s not favorable to the government. You just witnessed two of the worst displays of hate against the hybrid community and you want to, what? Hide it so you can stay in the government’s good graces?” He scoffs. “I never thought you’d sell yourself out to Kwangho like this. I hope you’re ashamed one day, but for now I’m done.”

“Let’s go,” he says to Chan, turning on his heel to continue towards Jisung and the others. “We need to get out of here now.” The woman that led them up here emerges from the end of the hallway and sprints towards them to join, dodging the man who is still sputtering and turning red.

Jisung just looks at him for a few seconds, trying to wrap his head around how someone could be confronted with all of this information and choose to do nothing. He just… he can’t understand it. While he’d been naïve and a coward in the beginning, he’d still felt compelled to help once he learned the full scope of the truth. Maybe Jisung will just never understand how some people can be so cruel in this world.

They head back to the freight elevator they arrived in and pile in as soon as the doors open. Eric says, “So, this is Dahyun. She’s the one who helped me with the last favor. I guess this means we’re joining MayFly?” He doesn’t seem to have any regret for just ruining his career, and Jisung can’t help feeling relieved that despite everything, there are other people willing to stand beside them like this.

Dahyun gives a quick wave before extending her hand in Jisung’s direction, the hard-drive grasped in it. He takes it from her just as Chan says, “Welcome to the team, guys.”

--

The post of Operation Reborn and all its contents has officially gone viral, the likes and retweets pouring in even as Jisung and Jeongin are perched on the sofa answering inquiries again that evening. Eric’s coworker, he assumes the same one he’d handed the drive to, sent the video earlier and they’ve already uploaded it alongside everything else.

He doesn’t want to be too optimistic yet, but… it seems like things are really starting to look up for them. Articles have been popping up on the feed every few minutes, detailing ‘what’s happening in Korea’. He’s read through a few of them so far, finding them to be favorable towards their team. It seems that millions of people from around the world are condemning their government and calling for aid. Even if they can just inspire shipments of supplies, that would help them immensely.

He stays up clearing the queue of messages, bidding Jeongin goodnight around an hour before Minho returns from the shelter and asks if he’ll come to bed with him again.

--

“Yah, pass the tofu,” Yoongi calls to him, holding out a hand expectantly. Despite hanging back from the news trip last night to sleep, he’s still grumpy this morning. Jisung purses his lips as he takes one more scoop, then hands it over to him.

He’s not entirely sure who decided to make a massive breakfast for everyone, but Jisung is grateful for it. He’s been shoveling whatever food he can get his hands on into his mouth the last few days, but it definitely hasn’t been enough to keep him full. In comparison, this is the biggest feast he’s ever had. Each apartment had been assigned a couple dishes to prep from food the others scrounged. He’d helped Minho and Wooyoung with the egg rice and quick pickled cucumbers, mostly trying to stay out of their way.

Dishes pass back and forth as everyone fills their plates and starts to dig in. Jisung starts with a large bite of mackerel and almost cries when he starts chewing—it’s really that good. It’s been a while since he’s had any sort of luxury, food included.

“Thanks for organizing this, Hwa,” Chan says, giving the rabbit hybrid one of his big smiles. “It’s been a while since we’ve sat down for something other than a meeting.”

Seonghwa says, “I think we all needed this. It’s been a really tough couple of weeks.”

“Did you hear anything about the broadcast yesterday?” Yeonjun asks, looking between Chan and Eric where they are perched at the end of the table.

“No, nothing yet,” Chan answers with a shrug as he scoops a big bite of rice into his mouth.

Jisung tunes out of their conversation, focusing all of his attention on tasting each item on his plate as he adds it all to his mouth. He’s sure his cheeks are puffed all the way out by now, but everything just tastes so good.

“No one is going to take it from you,” Minho says quietly between them. He laughs when Jisung turns towards him and shows the full extent of his stuffed cheeks. “If you were a hybrid, you would’ve been a squirrel for sure.”

He amuses Minho some more, wiggling around in some terrible rendition of a squirrel just to see him laugh again. It makes some of the weariness slip away, and Jisung can’t help smiling to himself as he goes back to chewing his food.

They eat the rest of their breakfast glued together, joking with Wooyoung and San who sat across from them at one of the picnic tables and Jisung is ready to beg for a nap by the time he’s emptied his plate, a food coma on the horizon.

“Got room for one more?” a voice calls from the opening of the courtyard and Jisung’s head whips to the side to see Soyeon walking up to the table with a suitcase behind her. “Uh, I got fired this morning. So, I guess I’m here to join you officially now.”

Jisung has a million questions. Why did Soyeon get fired? Did they find out about her assisting them with the DHA infiltration? Did they trace the TSSDI? Is it just a coincidence that she and Eric were fired at the same time?

A shrill beep comes from every direction before he can formulate any other questions, and Jisung nearly jolts out of his skin. What the fuck?

San has his phone in hand, reading something on his screen that has his face paling and it’s then that Jisung realizes that he finally recognizes the sound. The national alert system. But they only use that for emergencies…

Scrambling to retrieve his phone from his pocket just as all the others at the table do, he reads the message waiting for him.

President Kwangho will be delivering a speech this morning at 10. Mandatory viewing for all Korean citizens. The broadcast will be available on all news channels.

--

Everyone gathers in Chan’s apartment, smashing into the room anywhere they can fit. They’d only had a thirty-minute heads up, but it had been enough time to welcome Soyeon, finish their meal, and clean up before filing in to watch.

Jisung is fidgeting so much that he’s having trouble staying on the kitchen chair Minho had pulled over for him. The channel they’re tuned in to is just a blank blue screen as they wait for the feed to connect and no one is in the mood for small talk as they wait.

At exactly 10, the screen swaps. President Kwangho stands behind the podium he’s used for every major announcement since his inauguration. It’s in the main entrance of the Blue House, the residence granted to him alongside the title. Jisung has always thought it looked extremely imposing with all the traditional wooden architecture and long, plush red and gold carpet in front of the massive main staircase. It’s definitely an impressive backdrop, though Jisung can’t help but feel like it’s more imposing than inspiring these days.

“Good morning,” he greets, and the room falls silent as everyone focuses in on the screen. Jisung’s legs start to bounce, working out the anxiety of what this speech might entail. He looks so weary now, the lines of his face starting to deepen. Back when he first took the seat, he’d always seemed so kind and lively. It’s just… so different now and Jisung can’t place why exactly. “The last week has been devastating to the Korean population. It began with an explosion at the Department of Hybrid Affairs and ended with twelve bombings in our city centers two days ago. I have spoken with the director of our main government departments as well as my vice president on how to proceed.”

The entire atmosphere of the speech is so… melancholy. The president speaks as if he has no idea that all of these attacks were carried out by his own men. Is there any possible way he doesn’t know? An unspoken confusion seems to settle through the room, people shifting here and there as they wait for him to speak further.

“I have ordered that all resources be sent to aid those impacted by these acts of terror committed by an organization comprised of mostly hybrids. I fully intend to find all of those responsible and hold them accountable, although I know that cannot bring back the lives of those lost this week.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Hongjoong says, shaking his head. “They’re really going to try and play this off like it wasn’t them.”

“I don’t think it stops there,” Soyeon says, voice so quiet it should be lost amongst the unrest, but Jisung hears it clearly; it matches the worry simmering in his stomach that twists and twists in on itself as he watches President Kwangho take a deep breath on screen.

”I am declaring martial law until this threat has been located and brought to justice. This will include suspension of all government funded public services to include transportation, health care, mail services, emergency response, and all other government-funded programs for the time being. In addition, a curfew will be implemented each night starting at nine o’clock. All major news sources are suspended and their channels will be used to broadcast these provisions and any added in the future.”

Throughout the entire announcement, President Kwangho’s face has been expressionless, and Jisung thought that was what unsettled him, until he sees a smile ghost over his lips, something like victory as he delivers his final words, “Thank you.”