Prompt #119: Nothing Beats Carrots (1/2)

[100-timesover.livejournal.com]

Prompt #: 119
Prompt Details: As the son of the president of the famous company who provided hybrids to the public, Yifan doesn't own any hybrid himself. He has no choice but to take one when he needs to become the new president. Instead of taking the prettiest and most expensive hybrid, Yifan choose Junmyeon who had been save from his past abusive master.
Title: Nothing Beats Carrots
Genre: Hybrid AU
Rating: PG-13
Side Pairings: Kai/D.O., Baekhyun/Chen/Lay
Warning/s: mentions of physical abuse, lame jokes, hopeless Yifan.
Summary: Instead of taking the prettiest and most expensive hybrid, Yifan choose Junmyeon, who had been saved from his past abusive master.
A/N (Author's Note): It wasn't supposed to be 12k+ fic, but it ended up this long. I'm sorry that I could not give you daddy kink, or any smut. I'm extremely horrible at them. Please enjoy in meantime :)




There's a heavy stench in the air when Minseok enters the basement. He momentarily asks himself if he should hold his breath, but the usual time to pacify a domestic abuse victim indicates that it'd be a long night. He forgoes the idea, and stares ahead at the dimly lit room. His team came in moments ago to clear the basement, making sure there was no other threat besides the disgusting man upstairs. Luckily, they only found one more inhabitant, a terrified rabbit hybrid in the corner.


As Minseok approaches it, he can see the trembles in the hybrid’s skin and the random splotches of bruises in the arms. Most of all, he can see how malnourished and sick the hybrid has become. It sickens him that some owners have the guts to do this to an innocent thing.


The rabbit hybrid isn't tall like the dog hybrid that Minseok owns. It's still tiny, probably just barely an adult rabbit, and maybe as tall as his chest, but it looks so precious to him.


He swallows a heavy sigh and begins to do what he does best, coaxing frightened hybrids out of the corner. It's a challenging task, but Minseok has done this many times already.


“Hello,” Minseok greets softly.


It's the first thing he learned — always approach with caution and a calming sound.


The rabbit refuses to look back at him and shivers at the cold.


“My name is Minseok, and I'm a Hybrid Rescuer. I work with my team to save hybrids that are suffering, whether it's from violence or emotional abuse. We just want to give hybrids a better future,” Minseok begins to explain. “You’re safe now. He will never hurt you again. I know that this will sound like a fantasy, but I swear I wouldn't lie about this.”


The hybrid’s ears seem to perk a little at the words, but he remains frozen in the corner.


“I know that this room has been your home for months, but there's a nicer home waiting for you outside. So, what do you say if we get out of here?”


The rabbit starts whimpering at that thought. Minseok is worried that the rabbit may have associated this room as a safe place.


“It's okay,” he says softly. “We don't have to leave now. We can stay a bit longer.”


There's agitation in the bunny’s movement and Minseok can't help but feel guilty for causing it.


The rabbit’s ears starts to bend and the furry tail is puffed out. Minseok is prepared to step away in case the rabbit attacks him. Hybrids are known to resort back to primal behaviours if faced under stress.


He's about to take a step back and give the rabbit some space, but then he notices that the rabbit’s nose starts to twitch. He wonders what the rabbit is noticing, since he doesn't smell anything else besides the horrible stench. It's not long before he feels someone's presence behind him and Minseok looks behind slowly, hand inching towards the gun on his belt.


The sight of a grinning Jongdae isn't what he expects. He almost flails in his stance and glares strongly at the younger.


“Hey~” Jongdae greets them, way too loudly for everyone's taste.


Despite that, Minseok notices that the rabbit doesn't flinch at Jongdae’s voice. He’s a little sad that the rabbit might like Jongdae more than him already.


“How is he holding up? Can he come with us yet?” Jongdae asks before leaning forward to pet the rabbit.


Minseok doesn't get a chance to reply, too busy trying to keep Jongdae’s hand away from the rabbit, since it might bite. Fortunately, the rabbit seems to be okay with it as he sniffs Jongdae's hand with precaution. It gives Jongdae a chance to softly rub the head and coo at the cute rabbit, despite his dirty fur.


“Aw, you're such a cutie,” Jongdae compliments.


It's then that the rabbit notices that his defense is down, so he hops backward, frowning at its momentary weakness.


“Aw, it's okay. I won't hurt you. I'm a very nice owner. You can ask my hybrid. You're exactly like him, you know. He's a rabbit hybrid too.”


“Oh,” Minseok softly comments. “That's right. Yixing is a rabbit hybrid too. No wonder this little guy doesn't mind you. He must have smelled Yixing’s scent on you.”


The rabbit glares at Minseok, as if offended by the words Little guy . Jongdae takes notice of it and tuts at him.


“ Hey, rabbits are not little. They're as ferocious and tall as any other,” Jongdae informs him with strong feeling. He turns back to the hybrid and says, “Ignore this idiot. He's just jealous.”


Minseok huffs at the words, but can't seem to find the right words to deny it.


“You want to meet my rabbit? You'll get along with him! He's very friendly and he likes to teach others new things,” Jongdae starts to ramble, ignoring the rabbit’s wide eyed expression. “Oh! And he made carrot stew yesterday, it was so good. Baekhyun and I would have finished it, but he smacked our hands away.”


The younger finishes the story with a big pout.


“Carrot?” The rabbit whispers to himself.


The sound is barely recognizable, but Jongdae’s hearing has always been perfect.


“You want some? We can get you some!” Jongdae tells him excitedly.


The rabbit looks unsure before Jongdae notices a little nod.


“Let's go then!”


Minseok doesn't get a chance to prevent Jongdae before the younger hoists the rabbit into his arms, bridal style. There's a frightened look in the rabbit's face as he holds onto Jongdae's shirt.


“Jongdae! You're scaring him — look!”


Jongdae stares back at the rabbit’s wide eyes, and feels guilty enough to lower him down. Except, the rabbit refuses to let go of him, whimpering when Jongdae tries to pull away.


“Well, too late now. He's attached to you.”


Even though Minseok looks unhappy, Jongdae knows he's secretly glad that the rabbit is finally out of his corner.


Another whisper of Carrot interrupts their bickering, and Jongdae obediently takes the rabbit out of the house.

***

3 months later

The rumors have spread faster than a fire in dry wilderness. There have been whispers of who would take over WuBrid, and most have placed their bets on Yifan Wu, the grandson of the founder. Luckily for them, they gambled on the right person as the CEO announced his replacement soon after.


Though the change should take effect next year, some speculate that Yifan has to fulfill a requirement before it happens. Only a few know what it is, and amongst them is Kyungsoo.


Normally hybrids aren't hired into a multinational company. In fact, society deems them acceptable as waitresses or even sales clerks, but Kyungsoo is an exception. He's the cat hybrid of the founder, so therefore he was allowed to join the company.


However, it was through his hard work, not through begging, that he was able to climb up the company's ladder. From a mere copy boy, he became an executive under ten years. He takes each day as a challenge and he prides himself for achieving his dreams.


But even as executive, he's still the hybrid of his master. So when his master orders him to find a hybrid for his grandson, he takes the challenge seriously, unlike the grandson.


“You're a pain in my ass, Wu,” Kyungsoo snarls at him for the fifth time today.


They've been arguing about Yifan’s decision on not wanting to adopt a hybrid. Yifan doesn't want to take care of another being, let alone a dependent hybrid.


“Why, thank you. I'd love to live in your ass,” he replies.


“You don't even have to take care of the hybrid. Just give him toys, tell him he looks pretty every few days, and then get him into some hybrid support group. It's as simple as that!”


“That sounds eerily similar to what you're doing to Jongin,” Yifan frowns at that.


“And look at how happy he is.”


“Just because Jongin is easily pleased, doesn't mean my hybrid will be.”


“That's why you should pick a hybrid that's submissive — like a rabbit hybrid!”


Yifan scrunches his nose at that. He doesn't want a rabbit hybrid, he'd rather own a dragon hybrid. Now that would be awesome.


“There’s no such thing as a dragon hybrid, and even if there was, it'd be outlawed because fire-breathing pets aren't allowed,” Kyungsoo reminds him, as if he can read his mind.


Yifan scoffs at him. “It only takes one shareholder to change everyone's mind.”


Kyungsoo sighs heavily, as if Yifan is actually a stubborn child and Kyungsoo is the only rational mind in this company.


Oh wait, that sounds about right — Kyungsoo reminds himself grudgingly.


“Anyway, this is not something you can avoid. As the successor, you're obligated to own a hybrid so people know that you also care about their well-beings and not just profit.”


“So you want me to lie to them while at same time neglect my hybrid?”


“Whatever it takes to get you to adopt one,” Kyungsoo tells him in frustration.


There's a frown in Yifan’s lips as he thinks about his situation. Luckily, Kyungsoo leaves him alone so he's able to get some peace of mind before his next meeting.

***

After a few more threats and a bruised arm, Yifan relents to Kyungsoo’s idea of searching for the right hybrid. He grudgingly went to every store with a frown and a dark glare, but Kyungsoo’s unhappy expression rivaled his. The store owners were always nervous around both of them.


There were a few moments where Yifan would smile at a hybrid, mostly due to its cute nature. But still, most of them were not Yifan’s type, or his style, as he adamantly said so.


After the fifth try, Kyungsoo is ready to push him against the tall, wide window, with hopes that it would crack and Yifan would fall to his death. Of course, all of his murder plans are only reenacted in his head, but he'd be happy if one of those plans came true.


Luckily, for Yifan, Jongin is also known as Kyungsoo's kryptonite and he's always ready to soothe down Kyungsoo's evil tendencies.


“Baby~” Jongin greets Kyungsoo when they finally arrive home.


Jongin is a dog hybrid, and belongs to the founder also. Him and Kyungsoo have lived together for years, which resulted in them falling in love and the random mating during heats. However, Kyungsoo tends to label his affection as a multiple personality disorder. He claims that his alternate personality, D.O., is the one interacting with Jongin. Kyungsoo will never show affection for anyone.


Of course, Jongin plays along and so does Yifan for the sake of his own life.


Jongin usually comes rushing towards Kyungsoo with a huge smile and an affectionate hug. Kyungsoo likes to say this is when D.O. came out of his shell as he returns the hug with the same amount of feeling.


“I missed you, did you miss me?”


“Of course,” Kyungsoo D.O. tells him.


“I had so much fun in support group today. We did finger painting and I used too much paint that my hand was all blue. But it's okay! Most of it came out, except the ones around near my nails.”


“Oh, well we can get rid of that with alcohol,” D.O. reassures him.


Jongin flashes him a big smile before he looks over towards Yifan.


“How was your day? Did you have fun?”


Yifan grunts and shrugs before heading towards the couch.


“Oh, bad day?” Jongin asks in a sad tone.


“We're just tired, baby,” D.O. reassures him.


“Oh, okay. So, what happened?”


“We're trying to find him a hybrid before he takes over the CEO’s position. Except, we're not having much luck.”


“Oh,” Jongin replies in a sad tone. “Maybe I can help find one for you! There's a hybrid in my support group that wants an owner too!”


“Oh, don't worry about these things,” Kyungsoo replies. “I'll find someone.”


Jongin frowns at his mate’s immediate rejection, while Yifan tuts in disagreement with Kyungsoo’s words.


“Let him try once. It's not like you're doing any better,” Yifan scolded.


“Fine,” Kyungsoo scowls in reply.


Jongin seems to be the only one happy with the outcome.

***

After Joonmyeon, the victimized rabbit, was rescued, he was put in a rehabilitation center along with other hybrids who were also abused. Luckily, he made friends with Yixing, Jongdae’s hybrid, who often comes by since he hates being alone at home. They formed a strong bond once they found out they were somewhat related. It turns out they were created from the same rabbit gene.


Despite that, Joonmyeon remains cautious whenever he interacts with humans, even with the doctors that help him. He doesn't let them touch him unless necessary, and he doesn't let anyone pet him — except Jongdae, the first human he got along with, and Baekhyun, Yixing’s second owner.


He doesn't really understand how it works, for Yixing to have two owners. Apparently, Jongdae and Baekhyun started off as roommates who adopted Yixing on a whim and now they're all in some type of relationship. The only issue is that Jongdae and Baekhyun refuse to acknowledge each other as boyfriends, so Joonmyeon is confused if they are boyfriends, but he gives up on figuring it out, knowing that Yixing is happy with them.


Which brings him to his current dilemma: since the rehabilitation center is always full of abused hybrids, they can't keep old hybrids forever. So, there's a rule that after 3 months, hybrids can be put up for adoption again, or they can go into hybrid shelters. Joonmyeon seems ready to accept his fate, moving into a hybrid shelter since he refuses to have a new owner, but Yixing tells him that shelters are worse than bad owners.


It’s turns out that Yixing has been through many shelters before Jongdae saved him from their evil clutches.


So Joonmyeon has been very nervous about his fate.


“If only you can stay with me,” Yixing pouts into Joonmyeon’s shoulder. “We'd have so much fun and you can even help me make carrot stew every day.”


Joonmyeon nods sadly before curling into Yixing’s arms.


“You'll visit me in the shelter too, right?” he whispers.


“Every day! I'll even force myself in if the witch refuses my entrance.”


They like to call the evil humans who run the shelters witches and wizards.


“Yixing!” Their somber atmosphere is interrupted by Jongin, who wags his tail excitedly at every familiar person.


Yixing waves back with the same amount of enthusiasm, while Joonmyeon stares back cautiously.


“Hi, Jongin! What are you doing here? Are you staying for the event?”


There's currently a treasure hunt event where hybrids search for hidden eggs. Usually it’s popular amongst the dog hybrids, but there are some rabbit hybrids who come because eggs are super cool.


“Yes! But I'm also here to show my mate this place!” Jongin waves at his mate, who's standing all the way in the back.


“Oh, Kyungsoo is here?” Yixing looks excited about the information. He hasn't seen Kyungsoo since forever .


“Yeah! And I also brought Yifan, you remember him right?!”


“Oh, the guy who smells like honey? I like him,” Yixing says happily.


Joonmyeon tugs on Yixing’s sleeve, causing the younger to remember his friend.


“Oh, this is Joonmyeon! He's my brother!”


Jongin gasps dramatically, as if having siblings is uncommon in the hybrid world.


“No! I'm not really his brother,” Joonmyeon stutters.


“Really? But you two look so much alike!”


Yixing seems to be the only one who likes the compliment. Meanwhile, Joonmyeon doesn't feel that way. He thinks he’s not worthy enough to be Yixing’s real brother.


“Jongdae found him three months ago and saved him from his owner. His owner was a wizard ,” Yixing whispers the last word as if it's taboo to say it outloud.


Jongin gasps dramatically while Joonmyeon doesn't understand the gravity of the story.


“ Wow . I'm so glad you're safe now. I hate those wizards. I hope the nice judge will sentence him to his death,” Jongin indignantly says.


Joonmyeon gapes at the words, as if he’s still unsure if his previous owner deserves to die.


“But isn’t that mean?” he meekly asks.


“No~ Don’t feel guilty for him,” Yixing reassures him. “Do you want him to get out and adopt you again?”


Joonmyeon immediately shakes his head.


“Then don’t feel guilty. He’s a wizard and they shouldn’t be allowed to live,” Yixing reminds adamantly.


Jongin nods along to Yixing’s words, causing Joonmyeon to agree as he curls closer to Yixing’s heat.


Luckily, Kyungsoo interrupts their moment when he stands besides his mate.


“Hi, Yixing,” he greets the young rabbit.


“Hi!” Yixing practically shouts, before he untangles himself from Joonmyeon’s embrace, causing the small rabbit to fall to the floor. He gives Kyungsoo a warm embrace before letting go. “It’s been so long!”


Kyungsoo chuckles at his reaction and nods, his tail swinging excitedly at the affection. Jongin seems to be a little jealous as he pulls Kyungsoo back towards his side.


“You’re always too busy with work,” Yixing pouts as he scolds the elder.


None of them notice Joonmyeon, sitting on the floor while looking extremely small.


“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo says sincerely. “I’ll come to your party to make it up to you.”


Yixing grins excitedly, always happy to have more guests at his home.


“Are you okay there?” A sudden voice interrupts them and they look backward to see Yifan trying to approach Joonmyeon.


The small rabbit jumps into his feet, suddenly aware of a wizard’s presence and runs towards Yixing, his safety net.


“I leave you alone for two minutes, and you scare another hybrid,” Kyungsoo scolds the tall giant before trying to approach the scared rabbit.


Joonmyeon doesn’t like new hybrids, especially ones that can get Yixing away from him, so he whimpers away and hugs Yixing to his front tightly, causing Yixing to start giggling at the ticklish sensation.


“Ah, I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo tells Joonmyeon in regret. He bows quickly before giving the rabbits some space.


Yifan scoffs back at Kyungsoo, seeing how the younger made the same mistake.


“I’m sorry. He’s still not used to new people yet,” Yixing explains. “But he warmed up to Jongin rather well.”


“That’s because I found out that he really likes carrots,” Jongin tells them proudly.


Joonmyeon seems to perk up at the word Carrot and looks towards Jongin to see if he has some. Kyungsoo finds it adorable, if he were to like adorable things, which he doesn’t!


“I don’t have some, sorry,” Jongin tells Joonmyeon regrettably.


“That’s okay. They have some in the food table,” Yixing tells them. “Want to get some?” He asks the rabbit behind him.


Joonmyeon nods and allows Yixing to drag them to the food table. Jongin follows them in case there is more chicken to eat.


“So, are there any hybrids that attract you?” Kyungsoo asks once they left.


Yifan simply shrugs, because his attention is distracted by something else. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at his friend’s obvious stare towards a cute guy in brown khakis.


“Stop staring at him,” Kyungsoo scolds at him.


“What?” Yifan stutters. “I wasn’t!”


“Just get his number and fuck it out of your system already. We’ll meet tomorrow to search again,” Kyungsoo tells him in a defeated tone.


“Who?” Yifan looks at him in a confused gaze.


“The guy with the shaved sides? You were eyeing him a few minutes ago.”


“Right,” Yifan says to himself.


Kyungsoo rolls his eyes before leaving his stupid friend by himself. He reminds himself that patience is a virtue, and that killing his master’s grandson is only allowed in his mind, not in public.

***

Joonmyeon finds himself stuck in a dilemma days after that meeting. He’s been told that the center has found him a good shelter, but he doubts that the shelter is as great as they’ve said. In fact, he’s worried that the moment they leave him in the shelter, the owner, who's probably a wizard, will most likely chop him into pieces so he can create a rabbit stew, or even worse, rabbit pie. He will never know his fate once his head is chopped off and his fur is sold off to the nearest black market.


Then again, Jongdae did say he’s been watching too many violent films, and suggested him to relax more.


Except, he can’t! Not when there’s a possibility that he won’t be alive by the end of next week!


Not to mention that there have been gifts , the kinds that he’d normally like, but he’s too scared to touch them. He doesn’t know who left them, since most come without a name. The only clue he has is the jokes that comes with them. Like Why is a carrot orange and pointy? Because if it was green and round, it’d want to pea !


He tries not to laugh at them, but some are too good to not laugh at. His personal favorite is What did the rabbit say to the carrot? It’s been nice gnawing you .


Unfortunately, Yixing doesn’t share the same kind of sense of humor as he does. He thinks the jokes are weird, so Joonmyeon doesn’t share the jokes with him anymore. Now, they simply discuss on who could it be.


They share the secret with Jongin, who immediately blabs to Kyungsoo. It seems that the dog hybrid likes to share everything with Kyungsoo, even the stupid stories,so Kyungsoo is already bored of this secret by the fifth time they speculate on who it could be.


“Oh, what if it’s that tall hybrid who keeps staring at him during lunch? He’s really cute too.”


Kyungsoo likes to scoff whenever Jongin claims that someone else is cute.


“Doubt it. That hybrid can pick anyone who's as tall as him.”


“But some dogs like cute, tiny hybrids,” Jongin reminds him.


Kyungsoo glares at him, wanting to smack that silly smile. Except the D.O. part of him wants to coddle him and call him a good boy.


“You’re just lucky I’m too tired to punish you,” Kyungsoo ends up telling him.


Jongin grins in victory as he tangles his arm into Kyungsoo’s waist.


“What are you talking about?” Yifan asks curiously. Neither noticed his presence in the room.


“Oh! Yifan, I didn’t know you were here.”


“He was my grandfather before he became your master,” Yifan likes to reminds them of his status.


“And yet, he still loves us more,” Kyungsoo retorts.


Yifan gladly gives him the finger, and Kyungsoo returns the same sentiment.


“There’s this hybrid in the center who keeps getting gifts from someone. We’re trying to figure out on who it is!”


“Oh?” Yifan comments, interested on the story.


“I still think it’s that tall hybrid,” Jongin sighs wistfully. Only Yifan notices the frown on Kyungsoo’s lips.


“What does your hybrid friend thinks?” Yifan asks.


“He hopes that it’s not an evil wizard or witch,” Jongin recalls the story. “Oh, and that he really likes the jokes that the gifter sent. I don’t know why though, the jokes are so lame.”


“Hey! If you can’t appreciate good jokes, don’t mock others who do,” Yifan defends this mysterious gifter.


Jongin pouts at the scolding, but nods at his words.


“Anyway, whoever it is, he should make a move already, before Joonmyeon leaves the center.”


“Oh, he’s leaving?” this time Kyungsoo asks.


“Yeah, they have to send him to a hybrid shelter because it’s been three months since he's lived in the center. He’s already so nervous about it. He thinks the shelter owner will be a wizard,” Jongin explains, while whispering the last word.


“Wizard?” Yifan asks confusedly.


“It’s like how humans sometimes call hybrids freaks. They use ‘wizards’ for evil men and ‘witches’ for evil women.”


“Okay,” Yifan notes in confusion.


“Anyway, if only he can find a new owner instead. The center always make sure that owners are decent people, but they don’t have time to do the same process with shelters. I hope he’ll be okay,” Jongin pouts and leans towards Kyungsoo for a hug.


“I’m sure he’ll be okay. If anything bad happens, we’ll get him out of the shelter,” Kyungsoo reassures his mate. He ruffles Jongin’s fur and scratched the one sensitive spot he has memorized. Jongin’s tail whacks against the wall, a sure sign that he loves the petting.


Yifan seems to be in deep concentration as he assesses the information. Luckily, Kyungsoo is too preoccupied to notice the look.

***

“What are we doing here?” Kyungsoo asks Yifan when he finally notices where they are.


He's been preoccupied with answering emails that he doesn't notice where Yifan has brought them. It's the rehabilitation center that they visited a few weeks ago.


“I was curious about the company and found out they do a lot of good works. So I thought it'd be nice to donate some money so they stay successful,” he explains easily, without looking at Kyungsoo's eyes. He's afraid the younger will notice the lies, or even worse, a hidden motive.


“Don't we have people who takes care of these things?” Kyungsoo asks suspiciously.


“Yes! But you've always said that I need to show that I care about hybrids. What kind of message am I sending if I just send some intern to give the donation on my behalf?”


Yifan doesn't give him a chance to reply. He exits the car quickly and walks towards the center without looking back. Kyungsoo is too tired to fight back, so he's just following his friend.


As they enter the center, they notice that hybrids are gathering in the wide ballroom for movie time, and some look towards them, wondering what these guests wanted. Some even look hopeful as if Yifan would suddenly adopt a hybrid.


“Let's not stare at them too long. They'll think you're here to adopt one,” Kyungsoo whispers.


Yifan nods obediently and heads towards the administration office.


“Hey, there! Welcome to HRC! How can I help you?” a peppy dog hybrid greets them.


“Yeah, we're here to give donation,” Kyungsoo tells him.


“And to adopt a hybrid,” Yifan adds.


Kyungsoo’s head whips to the side so fast that Yifan worries that his neck will snap.


“What?!” Kyungsoo asks threateningly.


“You heard me,” Yifan tells him bravely, without looking back at him.


“Excuse us for a moment,” Kyungsoo tells the dog hybrid before punching his friend strongly in the arm. “What the hell was that?”


“You told me to pick one!” He defends himself, glaring back at his friend.


“Yes, and then I'd expect you to come to me so I’d make sure you're picking the right hybrid.”


“Well, I don't want the right hybrid. I want the one I've picked.”


“And who'd that be?”


Yifan looks away, reluctant to admit which hybrid has caught his eye.


Kyungsoo sighs heavily before trying to get his friend to admit.


“Look, I just don't want you to regret it later on and drop that hybrid back to some shelter.”


“I won't!” Yifan immediately denies. “I just think that this hybrid is a better choice than all the other ones we've seen.”


There's a long silence as both stare each other challengingly. Unfortunately, the peppy dog hybrid doesn't understand the concept of tense moments, so he interrupts their intense staring and asks if they're ready yet.


By the time they've filled out the donation form and adoption form, Yifan is told to wait a few days for the center to process his application. Kyungsoo still doesn't know who the hybrid will be, but he's adamant to join him on the next visit.

***

Joonmyeon stares at the packed boxes in his room, and wonders if he has made the wrong decision. Yixing has managed to convince him a few days ago that having Yifan as his owner would be better than living in a shelter. He reluctantly agreed after hearing that he'll have his own room and that he would be able to visit Yixing any time. The lingering feeling of fear is still in his mind, but he's getting better at ignoring it.


Yixing smiles supportively at him before engulfing him in a big hug.


“I'll see you tomorrow! We'll unpack your boxes and make your room as cool as mine,” the elder rabbit promises.


“With carrot drawings too?” Joonmyeon asks, a little excitement in his tone.


“Yeah! I'll ask my owners to bring the stencils.”


Joonmyeon smiles at him, and Yixing is glad that he's always able to put a smile on his friend's face.


It's not long before Yixing accompanies him to Yifan’s house, possibly the only excited one. The other passengers are either looking out through the windows while the driver is nervously making his way the destination.


Yifan and Kyungsoo carry the boxes inside while Yixing enthusiastically shows Joonmyeon around the house. By the time they're done touring, Yixing leads him to the kitchen, telling Joonmyeon that Yifan has chefs ! People who are willing to cook anything for him, including carrot stew!


Unfortunately, Joonmyeon still loves his carrots fresh so he asks for those.


“Baby carrots?” the chef, Jung, asks them.


“No! Like big carrots. The ones that horses usually eat,” Yixing clarifies.


“Oh, we don't have those,” Jung tells them in a sad tone.


Yifan seems to notice the dejected expression on Joonmyeon's face when he overhears the conversation.


“Pass by to the market and get some fresh ones,” he commands to his chef. “Get Hyuk to drive you.”


“What about dinner?” Jung asks reluctantly.


“I can wait. Go!”


Jung obeys immediately and looks for Hyuk.


Yixing excitedly claps, knowing that he'll get carrots too.


“Would like to join us for dinner, Yixing?” Yifan asks him.


“Oh, I really want to, but my owners are completely hopeless without me cooking for them.”


“They can stay for dinner too.”


“Really?! Can I ask them?” Yixing leans forward enthusiastically.


Yifan passes his phone and watches amusedly as Yixing hops to the next room. Meanwhile, Joonmyeon stares cautiously at Yifan, still suspicious of his motives behind adopting him.


“So, um, do you like your room?” Yifan asks awkwardly.


Joonmyeon fidgets in his chair before looking down at the marble table.


“Oh, if you don't like it, you can change to another room — or even my room!”


Joonmyeon glances up in fear, before running away, almost tripping on a nearby chair.


Yifan stands rooted in the kitchen, unsure of what he said wrong. He doesn't need to know it was a grave mistake, even Yixing’s exaggerated gasp can be heard from the living room.

***

“Not even an hour and you already traumatized him,” Kyungsoo notes while tutting.


“Fuck off,” Yifan groans in frustration.


The rabbit hybrids are now in another room, wary of Yifan's motives. For Yifan's sake, Jongdae called moments ago to explain why Joonmyeon acted that way. After the gruesome details of how abusive Joonmyeon’s past owner was, Yifan feels guilty enough for choosing the wrong words.


“How am I supposed to get him to like me if his first impression of me is luring him to my bedroom?” Yifan asks almost rhetorically.


“I'd tell you to use my method, but you refuse to do so.”


Yifan shakes his head in disgust, while wondering why Jongin was able to fall in love with an insensitive hybrid.


Their strained conversation is saved once Jongdae and Baekhyun arrive in their large truck.


“Hey,” Jongdae greets Yifan in a rush when the elder opens the door. “Where are they?”


Yifan points to a secluded study room, and Jongdae immediately heads there. Baekhyun appears right after, but makes no intention on calming down the hybrids.


“You're not joining them?” Yifan asks.


“Ah, nah. I'm more of the chill parent and Jongdae is the overprotective one. I don't do consoling unless it's in the bedroom,” Baekhyun wiggles his eyebrows in effect.


Kyungsoo gives him a disgusted look while Yifan can't help but feel bad for Yixing.


“Anyway, I'm Baekhyun, and that was Jongdae. Nice to meet you both,” Baekhyun says with a wide smile.


Kyungsoo doesn't bother giving him his hand while Yifan nods.


“Any tips for this idiot? You seem to have gone through every bad decision,” Kyungsoo notes.


“Ah, that I did, but to be honest, Yixing has always loved us. He even let us pet him from the start.”


“Huh, and here I thought he'd bite your hand once. Shame.”


“He did that once when I finished all his carrot stew. Lesson learned,” Baekhyun makes a gesture of wiping his forehead.


“But any advice at all?” Yifan practically begs.


“Well, Yixing was also wary to trust us in the beginning, so we let him decide on how much he'll let us in. In the beginning, he didn't let us see his room, always locking it or keeping it closed. Jongdae and I made a promise to never look, and it took him almost a year to let us see it.”


“So you think I should get him one of those locks with a key?” Yifan’s eyebrows furrow.


“Um,” Baekhyun comments, almost speechless.


“Idiot, right?” Kyungsoo says tiredly.


“No, he's not,” Baekhyun finally replies. “You're just new at this, and please don't give him a lock. You'll scar him even more.”


“Oh.”


“Just give him some space, but keep trying to initiate conversations. He may ignore or reject you, but he'll feel more unloved if you stop trying.”


Yifan nods at the words, trying to absorb all the pieces of advice he has gotten.


Luckily, Jongdae arrives with the hybrids behind him, giving Yifan a reprieve from his misery.


As Yixing runs to Baekhyun, to greet his owner with a kiss, Joonmyeon follows to their side.


Yifan watches their interaction as Joonmyeon leans closer to Baekhyun’s rub, the hybrid having a dazed expression on his face. He doesn't know when he'll be able to do that with Joonmyeon, but he won't give up. As long as Joonmyeon is willing to stay here, he knows he has a chance to earn the hybrid’s trust.

***

The first week is predictably tough. Joonmyeon refuses to be in the same room as Yifan, and always runs off when he sees the evil, tall wizard. Yes, Joonmyeon now refers to Yifan as the 'tall wizard’. Despite the elder’s attempts on fixing the situation, he only made it worse when he commented on how soft Joonmyeon’s tail is. Apparently, the previous owner liked to threaten to chop off the rabbit’s tail when he misbehaved, so Joonmyeon thought Yifan would do the same.


It doesn't help that the rabbit is also scared of angering Yifan. Like when he accidentally dropped a teacup or the mess he created in the bathroom because bubble baths are so fun. Joonmyeon doesn't understand why Yifan hasn't yelled at him yet, or even thrown him out. He at least expected the latter, remembering how the previous owner would make him sleep in the cold den.


So after two weeks of confusions and misinterpreted compliments, Joonmyeon thought this next accident would be the final straw.


Yifan sometimes invites his co-workers to the house whenever he needs to finish a certain deadline. He always feels that finishing it in his home was more comfortable than the stiff chairs in the office. As usual, he'll tell Joonmyeon first and see if the rabbit has any issues, which Joonmyeon replies with a blank stare. So he assumes it'd be okay, and tells his co-workers to come by 7.


The noises are loud to Joonmyeon’s ears, so the rabbit is curious enough to see what's going on. He stares from the adjoining room, blending with the dark, and analyzes what the wizards and witches are doing. He thinks it's weird that humans like to drink smelly red liquid or that they touch each other so much as they talk. Despite that, he still wants to know what they're eating. The small pieces of food look delicious and it smells delicious too. His stomach grumbles in hunger as he longingly wants to take some, but he knows he shouldn't!


He watches the evil humans walk away, probably back to slaving after that tall wizard. The smell of the food taunts his empty stomach, and he resists the urge to disappoint the tall wizard again. Unfortunately, his feet disagree with him, and he's already halfway towards the food table before he notices what he's doing.


There's a moment of reluctant before Joonmyeon abandons his common sense. He hops closer to the table, looks to the side before he takes one piece. The food practically melts in his mouth and he almost moans at the taste. He grabs another piece, and before he knows it, he has eaten more than ten pieces.


The gasp behind him startles him, and causes Joonmyeon to look back. He's frozen in his spot as the witch stares back at him.


“Hi,” the witch coos. “Aren't you the cutest thing?”


Joonmyeon’s foot starts to tap incessantly, anxious that Yifan will find out. Unluckily, that's the moment Yifan shows up, wondering what's going on.


“Joonmyeon?” Yifan asks in confusion.


The rabbit jumps in surprise before running off to his room. He makes sure to lock the door and hides under his bed cover. After all, if Yifan can't find him, then the wizard can't punish him. His stomach growls in his defiant, reminding him that he still hasn't finished dinner.


[Part 2]