Chapter Text
“Hyung! Seokjin-hyung, look! It’s snowing!”
Bounding through the streets, a perky energetic teen maneuvered around poles and the remaining people still outside. It was a cold night, winter in full swing as tiny snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
Strolling not too far behind the teen was another boy, slightly older with a youthful face, tugging at his winter scarf to cover himself better. He rolled his eyes, an amused grin blooming.
“I said not to run, or else you’ll trip and fall. You know there’s ice everywhere, Taehyung.”
Stopping in his tracks, Taehyung whirled around, expression innocent as he took everything in around him, waiting for the older boy to catch up to him. He bounced on the balls of his feet now and again, expressing his utter disinterest in standing still.
“Sorry, hyung! It’s just so pretty tonight.”
He was right. Winter was always the best time, in Seokjin’s humble opinion. Time for wrapping himself in the warmest sweaters, time for holidays, time for togetherness, and a time for having an excuse to stay indoors and cuddle into a pile of blankets. It was a season that he looked forward to, and there was always an abundance of celebrations at this time of year, popular amongst children and adults alike.
The people in the city they lived in were the most expectant of the weather changes. Aside from the festivities, it was always said to become especially beautiful in the winter, and the picturesque nature was very popular with visitors. Some people said it's because the gods have blessed them with such beauty in nature, but Seokjin didn't care for all of that sometimes. He was just glad that his university was in a good area.
Ever since he started studying in this city, his schedule was very hectic at times and he often felt like ramming his head against a wall, but it was worth it. Education was always an enriching privilege to have and he never took it for granted. He always wanted to grow up and be successful, just like his parents, but for now, he was just taking it slow. He was only in his second year, anyway.
It had been good so far since he started. He was a diligent student who always took studying seriously. He didn’t have to worry about finding accommodation and paying rent like everyone else either. His parents insisted he stay in the apartment they had bought in the city many years ago.
Seokjin didn't come from an ordinary background. His father an extremely successful business owner and his mother a well-known jeweler, he’d had a silver spoon in his mouth since the day he was born. Sometimes, it made him feel like he had to work harder to prove to others that he deserved all the opportunities he received, which was why he never let his grades fall once he started university, despite the tempting siren calls that came in the form of house parties, clubbing, and lazing around watching TV all day.
One good thing that came out of being a university student, however, was periodic holidays. That Friday was the day Seokjin was finally let out of class for the holiday season, and he was gonna revel in these three weeks of freedom like it was his damn job.
Taehyung had also gotten out of school that day, and he had been bouncing off the walls ever since he got back. While winter did mean extra ‘me-time’ for Seokjin, it also meant that Taehyung would be able to run loose for a few weeks, as being in school all day often made him fidgety. He had practically begged on his knees to accompany Seokjin to the grocery store that night, and the young man finally relented, telling Taehyung to put on his shoes and a reasonable coat. The way he had perked up like an excited puppy made Seokjin smile with fondness.
Seokjin finally caught up when they reached the grocery store, eyeing Taehyung who was waiting for him obediently by the door. He stopped and took a moment to adjust the hat on Taehyung’s head before sliding his hand down to pat him on the back twice, coaxing him to go inside.
Walking through the automatic doors, Seokjin motioned for Taehyung to grab a cart, which he easily obliged. The warmth of the air from inside beckoned Seokjin closer as he began to register the familiar sounds of the crinkling of packages, the beeping of the self-checkout machines, and the smell of bread coming from the bakery in the corner.
When Taehyung came back with the shopping cart, Seokjin couldn’t help but smile at how domestic this situation was. Despite how much he loved it in this city, he always enjoyed the moments where he could just wind down and do something as ordinary as buying groceries.
Back at home where he lived with his parents, he was always treated differently because of how wealthy his parents were. It was hard to approach anyone since they were either intimidated by his financial status or they acted cold towards him because they assumed that he was looking down on them. Coming to study in a new city where no one knew his name or his background was something both Seokjin and his parents agreed on being the best thing for him, and so here he was.
He had been extremely happy since then, finding it easier to connect with others and maintain friendships. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was just a normal university student living a normal life.
Seokjin was just walking when he heard a small “Oh shoot!” from next to him. He turned around and saw Taehyung, his eyes wide and focused. What he happened to be focused on was a jar of jam. The jam itself was floating, suspended in the air, just a few feet off the ground.
Marching over, Seokjin snatched the jar, setting it back on the shelf and putting his hands on his hips, mouth curled into a disapproving frown. “Kim Taehyung, what did I say about using your powers in here?”
Taehyung shrunk back, bottom lip jutted out at his tone of voice. “But I was just—”
“No buts. You know the rules. Now hurry up, so we can get out of here.”
Hanging his head, Taehyung stalked over and grabbed the shopping cart once more, dragging his feet behind Seokjin as they turned into the rest of the aisles. While they were walking, Taehyung called out to him again.
“…Hyung?”
Seokjin looked down at Taehyung who was walking along, looking at anything except Seokjin’s eyes. He blinked.
“Yes, Taehyung?”
Taehyung slowed to a halt, his voice small and meek. “I didn’t mean to use my powers. It’s just that I accidentally knocked the jam off the shelf when I passed by and I didn’t have enough time to catch it with my hands, so I panicked. It wasn’t on purpose, I promise.”
Seokjin’s stern expression immediately softened, overcome with sympathy. He wished he didn’t have to scold Taehyung for something as natural as being himself, but to survive, they had to follow the rules of this not-so-communal community.
Seokjin gave him an apologetic smile, reaching out and giving him a brief but firm side-hug.
“I know, Taehyung. I know you didn’t mean it. It’s just that I want to make sure you don’t get in trouble. You know they don’t allow us to use powers in here.”
“Yeah, I know… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I would have panicked too. Come on, let’s start shopping.”
Taehyung gazed up at his face and smiled, getting back into his usual stride and pushing the shopping cart ahead. Unbeknownst to him, Seokjin heaved a heavy sigh.
What a joke to think they could be normal. They truly did live in a world where nothing made sense.
This world, you see, was a world of biological mysteries. Here, there lived people who had special powers. Not through experiments or messing with the natural order, no. Powers had been around long before that, for centuries—generations, even; and they were passed down through genetics. It was a very rare set of genes, however, and so it was said that an estimated fifteen percent of the global population possessed such genetic makeup.
Both Seokjin and Taehyung happened to fall into that fifteen percent.
Seokjin should be happy that he was born with powers. His life should be easier because of it, right? Except it wasn’t as black and white as that. Having powers came with both its advantages and its disadvantages. Sometimes, Seokjin found it very difficult to deal with the disadvantages.
The world was not always fair. It was not a friendly forgiving utopia like children might hear in storybooks. The world was cruel, harsh, and discriminatory. He learned this very early on in life from his family. They thought it best for him to learn as a child, so he didn’t get disappointed by reality when he grew older.
Despite how many might act like they admired people with powers, Seokjin knew most of them feared people like him and Taehyung. Some even hated them.
How could he blame them? With powers like theirs, Seokjin and Taehyung had the potential to cause insurmountable destruction. The only thing stopping them was their moral compass.
However, some people born with powers were not so nice. Using their powers to steal, kill, and destroy, they caused much devastation to those without powers, and the government finally cracked down on people like them. There were even special prisons built to house the most dangerous of individuals, guarded exclusively by people with powers.
In addition to that, there was a special set of laws that people with powers had to abide by to ensure the safety of those around them. Seokjin had the luxury of being able to ignore most of the constraints of the law, solely based on the fact that he was a good person, but that didn't mean he still wasn't oppressed.
He had to go through extra background checks whenever he did anything. To go to university, he had to endure a rigorous interview just to qualify for applying. Certain jobs might not accept him because of his powers. Seokjin even had to register that he had powers on his passport so officials would be notified of it every time he traveled, and, if he happened to break the law, he would be easy to track down.
And then there were setbacks like this, where people weren’t even allowed to use their powers in certain stores. Seokjin wished it didn’t have to be this way, but life didn’t always turn out the way he wanted.
“Seokjin-hyung, can I get candy?”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Just a small one?”
“I said no.”
“Why not?” Taehyung whined. “I’ve been good all week.”
“It’s late and you’ll spoil your dinner,” said Seokjin. “You can have it next time.”
Taehyung huffed, folding his arms across his chest. “Yoongi-hyung wouldn’t treat me like this.”
“Yoongi is a weakling who cracks at the first sight of puppy-dog eyes,” Seokjin quipped. “He wouldn’t last five seconds in my shoes.”
“I’ll tell him you said that,” said Taehyung.
“Tell him then,” Seokjin retorted. “If he has a problem with it then he can find somewhere else to live.”
Entering one of the aisles in the store, Seokjin fished into his pocket for the hastily scribbled grocery list and the pencil he had grabbed off his kitchen counter before he left.
The list itself was covered in various handwriting by different people, some things written neat and concise while other things were written in crooked near-illegible penmanship. Seokjin scanned the piece of paper as he recognized whose handwriting belonged to who, narrowing his eyes at some of the more ridiculous items on the list such as five bags of onion rings.
Well, that’s what he got for living with other people.
It wasn’t all that bad. Most times Seokjin didn't mind. But six different clashing identities could be a lot to handle at times. It didn’t help that all of them had powers, either.
Just his luck that the five people he decided to open his apartment to had powers despite it being a fifteen percent chance of a natural occurrence. Whatever deity was up in the sky was surely laughing at Seokjin’s twisted fate.
But alas, life must move on, and Seokjin managed to get over that hurdle and work toward building a healthy dynamic with the rest of them. It took time, care, and a lot of patience, but it paid off, and now Seokjin felt like they truly did have a strong bond.
…Not strong enough to buy anyone five bags of onion rings, though.
Swiftly going through the list of things they needed and crossing out anything deemed to be unnecessary, the two of them finished shopping in record timing. They even managed to cut the groceries down to almost half, which Seokjin was especially proud of. Shopping bags in tow, they left the grocery store in high spirits.
Taehyung immediately began to run ahead, ignoring Seokjin’s shouts of “I said not to run!” in favor of skipping around in the heavy snow that was currently falling.
Seokjin, lagging behind, looked on in some form of exasperated fondness. He couldn’t even blame the kid for being so excited. It wasn’t often he got to be free like this, after all. However, as soon as Taehyung passed an alleyway, he stopped.
Seokjin frowned, looking on as the childish glee on Taehyung’s face disappeared and he began staring blankly into the alleyway. Concerned, he tried calling him.
“Taehyung?” he said. “Taehyung, what’s wrong?”
When Taehyung didn’t answer him, he quickened his pace and jogged on over, finally catching up to him. Curious to what he was staring at, Seokjin turned his head toward the alleyway as well. His heart skipped a beat at what he saw.
There, lying next to a dumpster, was a dog. An injured dog, Seokjin realized, eyes raking over its body and wincing at the cut on its front leg. Its fur was matted and filthy, and its body was racking with shivers. Yet despite all this, the dog’s eyes were screwed shut, definitely breathing but perhaps too exhausted and in pain to be conscious.
“How disgusting,” Taehyung said suddenly, making Seokjin jolt in surprise. Looking back at the younger boy, Seokjin could see a quiet fury in his expression. “Who could do such a thing to an innocent dog?”
Taehyung was always very passionate about unjust situations, and if he decided something wasn't fair, he would speak up. He was especially vocal about animal cruelty because he knew that animals couldn't speak up for themselves. Seokjin couldn’t count how many times he had nursed an animal back to health, whether it was a baby bird that fell out of its nest or a deer in the forest that has its leg tangled in the vines. So he wasn't exactly surprised by what Taehyung said next.
“Hyung, we have to help it.”
“Are you sure, Taehyung?” asked Seokjin. “We don’t even know where this dog has been or if it has an owner.”
“Who cares about the owner?!” Taehyung exclaimed. “If it was owned by someone then they clearly don’t care enough for the dog since they just dumped it here and left it to freeze. If we don’t help it, it’ll die.”
“I dunno, Tae…”
Taehyung gave him a pleading look as tears began to well up in his eyes, and Seokjin's breath hitched for just a moment. He knew full well those were crocodile tears because that was the face Taehyung always gave him when he desperately wanted something, but even still, as strong-willed as Seokjin thought he was, he could never say no to Taehyung for something like this.
Letting out a sigh of resignation, Seokjin finally relented and granted Taehyung his wish.
“Alright, we can help it.”
“Yes!” Taehyung shouted, excited at his answer. “I promise I’ll make sure the dog doesn’t cause trouble!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you will.” Seokjin knew that wasn’t gonna happen, but he appreciated the sentiment. “Hurry and pick it up. We need to get the dog out of the cold, and fast.”
Taehyung nodded and removed his coat before bending down. Slowly, he bundled the dog in the coat and lifted it from the cold hard asphalt and into his arms, shushing the dog when it started to whine in its sleep. He sent a big toothy smile over to Seokjin, who smiled back at him and guided him out of the alleyway.
Now, with a dog in tow, they turned the corner of the street and disappeared out of sight.
~O~
The two of them reached their home at long last, and the first thing Taehyung did was rush inside to the living room. The apartment seemed very quiet, and as Seokjin went to put the groceries down, he wondered if anyone was home yet.
There were more things to worry about, though. Such as the dog that Taehyung currently had in his arms. He set it down in the corner of the living room before straightening up again.
“This coat won’t be enough,” said Taehyung. “Seokjin-hyung, can you get some blankets and maybe a rag and a bowl of warm water? We need something to clean its wounds.”
“Clean whose wounds?” a voice said from behind them.
Turning around, Seokjin and Taehyung looked toward the living room entrance and saw someone approaching them.
Dressed in pajamas, a young boy emerged from the darkness of the hallway. He was small in stature with round cheeks and thick black hair that fell over his forehead in choppy bangs. Blinking behind rectangular-framed glasses, he cocked his head to the side, waiting for an answer.
“Oh, Jimin, I didn’t know you were back,” said Seokjin. He shifted to give Jimin a view of the object of their attention. “Taehyung brought in another animal to save.”
“A dog!” Jimin marveled. He hurriedly padded over, kneeling on the ground to get a better look at it, but his eyebrows creased in worry when he saw the state the dog was in. “What happened to it?”
“We don’t know,” said Seokjin. “We found it—”
“I found it,” Taehyung corrected.
“Taehyung found it in the alleyway,” Seokjin finished, rolling his eyes at Taehyung’s triumphant grin. “It was injured and shivering so we brought it back here. It hasn’t woken up yet.”
Hearing his explanation, Jimin cooed in sympathy. “The poor thing,” he said. “It must have been through a lot.”
He reached over and lightly scratched the sleeping dog on the head, but then paused when the dog stirred. Shifting, the dog twitched its ears in response to the touch, making Jimin smile even more.
“That’s it,” he murmured softly. “Such a good dog.”
At first, the dog was calm at his voice, but suddenly it began to sniff, once, twice, three times, before its eyes shot open. Taking in all the unfamiliar faces, the dog panicked.
What was once a peaceful animal was now thrashing and yelping, wriggling away from all the hands that were trying to reach out to it.
Taehyung, taken off guard by the complete change in behavior, began to panic as well.
“Hey, no, stop! It’s okay, we just want to help! Calm down!”
The dog howled in sorrow, spiraling into hysterics as it backed up and found itself in a corner. It burrowed into Taehyung’s coat, afraid, and fell silent for a moment.
That was when the unbelievable happened.
The three of them watched on in shock as the dog’s skin began to bubble and stretch, crackling noises echoing across the room as the animal seemed to grow right before their very eyes.
The fur stood straight and then completely flattened, doing what seemed to be shrinking back into its skin.
The tail became smaller and smaller until it was nothing, but all of its legs were growing longer, becoming more defined as the hind legs developed feet and toes and the front legs developed hands and fingers.
Its midsection stretched out to become a fully formed torso with a chest and stomach.
Then, its floppy ears reverted into its head, and its face became bigger.
The eyes were larger and more aware. The snout was no longer a snout and became a nose. New ears grew from the sides of its head. Its lips grew fuller with squarer straighter teeth peeking through them, and hair began to sprout from its scalp, stopping just above its eyes.
By the time the transformation was finished, Seokjin, Taehyung, and Jimin were face-to-face with a human boy.
The boy, still trembling, whimpered as tears began to stream down his cheeks, pathetically trying to press his bare back against the wall, pulling Taehyung’s coat higher to shield himself.
All three of them, mouths hanging open, stared at the boy in astonishment.
What on earth, Seokjin thought, have we gotten ourselves into?