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“Hyunjin-ah, do you want to-“
Walking into the living room, Felix cut himself off mid-sentence with a frown when he realised that the person he was addressing was nowhere in sight. He scratched his head, glancing around the empty confines of the room in puzzlement.
He was pretty certain that he had heard some noises in the living room just a few minutes ago and it could only have been Hyunjin. They were the only ones in the dorm at the moment besides Minho who was scrolling on his phone in the bedroom where Felix had just left him.
Wondering if the other had perhaps gone into the kitchen, Felix walked around the couch.
That was when he spotted Hyunjin at last.
Felix let out an alarmed scream at the sight of the little ferret tucked in between the cushions of their couch, patches of red blossoming on his snowy white fur. His snout, paws and even parts of his chest were streaked with vivid red.
The loud scream had Minho dashing out of his room with a worried expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” he demanded to know as he walked over to Felix.
Picking up Hyunjin from the couch, Felix let out a wail when the little ferret hung lifelessly from his hands like a long, limp noodle.
“Hyunjin! Wake up!” He proceeded to shake the ferret vigorously but no matter how much he jiggled the little ferret, the other simply did not stir. “Hyung, something’s wrong with Hyunjin! There’s blood all over his fur and he’s not waking up no matter how hard I try!”
“Calm down, Felix,” Minho said quietly as his gaze flickered around the room. “Let me have a look at him.”
Unable to understand how the older was so composed and calm even now, Felix bit back a sob and handed Hyunjin over to him.
“This… This isn’t blood,” Minho announced after studying the unresponsive little ferret for several seconds. He leaned in to sniff at the red substance coating the ferret’s fur. “It smells… sweet.”
Blinking away the tears gathering in his eyes, Felix stared at Minho with an incredulous look before snatching back the little ferret to give his fur a sniff too. A sweet aroma drifted to his nose and as he looked more closely at the unknown red substance, he noticed how translucent and light in colour the substance was. If only he had been a little less panicked earlier, perhaps Felix would have noticed the differences in consistency and colour between blood and the substance coating the little ferret’s fur. As it was, he had been seized by panic at the image of their little ferret lying on the couch covered in red, fear robbing him of all logic.
There was a clinking sound behind him and Felix turned to see Minho picking up an empty jar from the coffee table. Based on the label on the jar, it was once a filled jar of strawberry jam but had since been licked clean of its contents. The culprit was most likely the little ferret cradled to Felix’s chest who had an unusual penchant for sweet things despite being a ferret shapeshifter.
“But why isn’t he waking up then?” Felix swallowed back the lump in his throat that was beginning to ease away as tension gradually seeped out of him. Some of the relief that had found its way inside him relaxed his shoulders.
“I’m pretty sure he’s just sleeping. Don’t worry though, I think I know just how to wake him up.”
Uncaring of the strawberry jam that had transferred to his shirt, Felix continued holding the little ferret to his chest. He stroked the other’s head lovingly with a finger as he watched Minho head towards the kitchen and return with a piece of chicken in his hand.
Minho then dangled the piece of chicken over the little ferret’s snout.
In an instant, the little ferret’s snout began twitching, his whiskers quivering as he came to life.
“Hyunjin, you’re not dead!” Felix exclaimed as relief flooded his entire body, reassured at last of the well-being of his friend.
The ferret shapeshifter opened sleepy eyes as he lazily stretched his long body upwards towards the piece of meat hanging over his head. He soon got to his treat, jaws opening wide and clamping around the piece of meat before beginning to devour it. After some chewing, the piece of meat was quickly swallowed whole.
Once the piece of meat had been fully devoured, the little ferret’s head began to dip and his eyes began to close again. Within a matter of seconds, Hyunjin was fast asleep again and his body was limp once more in Felix’s hold.
Knees feeling weak after the scare that he just had, Felix slumped onto the couch with the little ferret still clutched tightly to him. “I’m glad Hyunjin is fine. But… what was that?”
“It’s a dead sleep,” Minho explained as he seated himself next to Felix on the couch. “I’ve seen some videos of it on YouTube. It’s something ferrets do. They go into a deep sleep which makes them appear to be dead. It can be hard to wake them when they’re in a dead sleep.”
Felix took in the information and digested it in his mind. “I had no clue about that. I guess it’s time I do some research on everyone’s shapeshifter forms so something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“That’s a good idea,” Minho agreed. “In fact, why don’t we have a sharing session at our next pack meeting? We could all share more about our own animal forms so that we can be more considerate towards each other and give ourselves less potential heart attacks.”
Nodding, Felix buried his face in the parts of the ferret’s fur that were untainted by strawberry jam. The familiar scent of home, pack and family soothed his frazzled nerves as he curled into Minho. The older placed an arm around Felix and the ferret in his arms, rubbing at Felix’s back in comforting motions.
Meanwhile, the little ferret continued snoozing on without a care in the world.
“Your turn, Hyunjin.” Bang Chan was still nodding absentmindedly as he turned his thoughtful gaze onto the ferret shapeshifter. “Is there anything we need to know about your animal form? Perhaps you could tell us more about deep sleep?”
They were all gathered in the living room, crowded on the couch and the ground in front of it. Empty pizza and chicken boxes as well as used plastic cups and half-filled soda bottles littered the space in the middle of the circle that they had formed.
Despite the casual and almost messy setting, a most important discussion was ongoing. As a group of animal shapeshifters that were going to be living together for the unforeseen future, it was vital that they got to know each other’s animal forms well so they would not end up stepping on one another’s tails, metaphorically and figuratively, or end up giving one another a heart attack like Hyunjin had done several days ago.
Having already thought about what he needed to inform the other members about, Hyunjin answered quickly with a shake of his head. “Not really? Ferrets tend to sleep a lot so ferret shapeshifters like me tend to sleep more than an average person and can be harder to wake but I don’t think there’s anything else you need to be mindful of.”
“Are you sure it’s your animal side that’s at fault and not your own laziness, you sleepyhead?” Jeongin grumbled from across the room, expressing his pain from his past experiences as Hyunjin’s alarm clock whenever the two had to go to school.
“Hey!” Hyunjin protested. “It’s a ferret thing. I can’t help it.”
“Don’t worry,” Minho reassured with a smirk. “Call for me the next time Hyunjin refuses to wake up. I’ve got my way of waking him up.”
“With more treats?” Hyunjin asked hopefully, eyes brightening.
The response that he received was a sly grin that had Hyunjin shuddering at the potential ideas the rabbit shapeshifter could have for waking him up. Somehow, he had a bad feeling.
“There’s no need for that, thank you,” Hyunjin backtracked. “I’ll do my best to wake up.”
“I won’t do anything horrible. I’ll wake you up just the same way prince charming woke sleeping beauty up. With a kiss,” Minho clarified, raising an eyebrow with a flirty expression and pouting his lips out at the other.
Hyunjin glared at the rabbit shapeshifter. “Like I said, I’ll pass.”
“Can I wake you up by kissing you next time, Hyunjin?” Changbin whined, eyes playful with a hint of seriousness within them.
“Moving on,” Bang Chan continued as though Changbin had not spoken. “It’s your turn, Jisung.”
“Hey, answer my question!”
“Oh, Innie,” Minho started as Jeongin was crossing the living room to get to the bedroom that he shared with Jisung. “Hyunjin was looking for you earlier.”
Jeongin paused in his tracks, his backpack weighing down his shoulders just as much as the bone-deep fatigue embedded within him. “Hyung was looking for me? Did he say why?”
From the couch, Minho shrugged. His attention was already back on the movie that he was watching with Seungmin and Jisung. The latter two had their eyes glued to the television, not even looking up at Jeongin and giving only distracted, mumbled greetings upon his return. “He said something about spending time with you but didn’t give any specifics. He went into your room earlier I think.”
However, when Jeongin finally stepped into his room, there was nobody in sight anywhere within the room.
Too tired to wonder too much about the situation and figuring that Hyunjin had probably just returned to his own room, Jeongin set his backpack down in a corner of his room and started for his wardrobe. As exhausted as he was, he figured he should get clean with a quick shower and change into more comfortable clothes before turning in for the night.
He opened his wardrobe to grab some clothes only to see a little ferret fast asleep on top of a neatly folded pile of his clothes. Well, that was a first.
Jeongin was no stranger to having his bed invaded by one or more of his affectionate hyungs. In particular, Hyunjin who had a soft spot for him was often climbing into his bed at night to cuddle him at any opportunity he could. As a result, Jeongin often returned to his room to sleep only to find Hyunjin in his bed, as a human or in his ferret form.
In his wardrobe though? This was definitely new.
Mentally lamenting the fact that his hyungs just got stranger and stranger, Jeongin leaned down to poke at the little ferret’s soft body as he tried to wake him up. The other was sleeping right on the pile of clothes that he wanted to access and well, it wasn’t as though Jeongin could just leave his hyung asleep in his wardrobe even if his fatigue was beginning to lead him to think that it was a good idea.
When poking and shaking the little ferret yielded no response, Jeongin attempted to call out to Hyunjin to wake him up. That, however, was also in futile. It seemed that the little ferret shapeshifter was in one of his dead sleeps and there was little hope of trying to get him to wake up.
At a loss as to what else he could do and unwilling to leave the little ferret fast asleep in his wardrobe out of the kindness of his heart, he lifted the other carefully and settled him on his bed. Then, he finally managed to retrieve a clean set of pyjamas and headed out of the room for his shower.
Ten quick minutes later, Jeongin returned to his room once more after finishing with his shower. His exhaustion had grown into drowsiness as a result of the warm shower he had taken and his body ached with the desire to climb into bed right away. He was certain that he would be able to fall asleep instantly after laying his head down on his pillow.
Back in his room, however, he soon realised that sleep would have to wait just a little longer when he noticed that the expanse of his bed was ferret-free.
Holding back a sigh, Jeongin had a hunch where he might find the little ferret. He took several steps towards his wardrobe and pulled open its doors.
True to his hunch, the little ferret had found his way back into the wardrobe and was curled up on top of a pile of his clothes again. Paws splayed to the sides and pink tongue sticking out slightly from his jaw, Jeongin had to admit that a fast asleep Hyunjin in his ferret form painted an adorable picture. The other’s snout was buried in the fabric of Jeongin’s shirt and Jeongin had to wonder if the little ferret had climbed into his wardrobe because he had been drawn by his lingering scent. After all, Hyunjin loved his scent and was always sniffing him at any opportunity.
As cute as the little ferret was while fast asleep in his wardrobe, Jeongin knew he couldn’t leave Hyunjin in that stuffy wardrobe.
In the end, he carried the ferret to his bed again. This time, he climbed into bed alongside Hyunjin, tucking the ferret in his arms before pulling the covers over them.
Then, after prodding the ferret to make sure that he was still in his dead sleep, Jeongin buried his face in Hyunjin’s soft fur so he could get a whiff of the little ferret’s sweet, soothing scent. He smelled like flowers and softener, like home and endless warm hugs. The fatigue that had been plaguing Jeongin the entire day melted away and left him with a sense of contentment.
It didn’t take long for Jeongin to fall asleep as he had predicted earlier, hugging the little ferret close to his chest.
“Whose turn is it to take the recycling out?” Seungmin asked as he stepped out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee.
The house was engulfed in a bustle of activities as the occupants of the house walked to and fro the rooms while getting ready to head out for a busy day of scheduled activities. Bang Chan, Felix and Jeongin were having their breakfast at the dining table, nibbling on pieces of bread and fruit. Changbin was still in the shower after having slept in while Minho was already seated on the couch with his backpack, dressed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Jisung had finished his breakfast about five minutes ago and had gone into his room to get ready to leave.
As for Hyunjin… Well, Seungmin wasn’t sure where the other was but he sure hoped that the ferret shapeshifter was awake and getting ready.
Seungmin’s question was met without any response. Everyone was still half-asleep and their recyclable trash was the least of their concerns.
With an audible sigh, he sipped on some of his coffee before setting the mug down on the table and going back into the kitchen. He picked up their hefty bag of recyclable trash, then tied it up securely before moving towards the front door. Gingerly, he set the bag down outside the door so that their building’s cleaners could collect it for proper disposal.
Satisfied that the task had been taken care of, Seungmin then went back to the dining table to join the others for some breakfast.
“Where’s Hyunjinnie?” Bang Chan asked after a while, looking around for any signs of their resident ferret shapeshifter. “He’s not still asleep, is he?”
“He’s up,” Jeongin answered around a mouthful of bread. “I woke him up earlier.”
“Maybe he’s getting ready in his room,” Felix suggested as he helped himself to a slice of apple.
Seungmin frowned as he nursed his half-filled mug of coffee in his hands. “I didn’t see him in the room when I left it earlier.”
Having finished his breakfast, Bang Chan pushed away from the table and got up. “Don’t worry. I’ll go check on him.”
Silent nods of acknowledgement went around the table before everyone at the table resumed their eating. Seungmin grabbed a slice of bread for himself.
It was about two minutes later when Bang Chan returned to the table with a furrow between his brows. “Hyunjin’s not in his room.”
“Maybe the bathroom?” Jeongin didn’t look too concerned as he stuffed the rest of his bread into his mouth.
“He’s not there.” Bang Chan shook his head. “Just in case, I checked all the other rooms and bathrooms but I don’t see him anywhere.”
Those words caught everybody’s attention and worry permeated the air. Everyone started moving all at the same time, getting up from their spots as they began looking for their missing ferret shapeshifter.
Their search, however, turned up futile as they confirmed Bang Chan’s words: Hyunjin was missing.
“He couldn’t have left the apartment or something, could he?” Felix fretted, biting down on his bottom lip anxiously. “I hope nothing has happened to him.”
“I was sitting on the couch for most of the time.” Minho was scowling. “He couldn’t have possibly left the apartment without me noticing him.”
“Maybe he shifted into his ferret form and hid away somewhere to sleep.” Jeongin cocked his head as his gaze continued sweeping the living room for any signs of their little ferret. “You know how he does that sometimes when he gets sleepy.”
Prompted by Jeongin’s reminder of Hyunjin’s strange habit, all of them started searching anew for their ferret shapeshifter. This time, they combed through each room and every piece of furniture even more carefully than before in case a tiny white ferret was tucked away somewhere inconspicuous.
Still, the air was tense with growing concern and uneasiness when their second search still yielded no ferret.
They had just gathered in the living room again after their second round of searching when Changbin emerged from the bathroom. His hair was still dripping and he was drying it with a towel as he walked into the living room.
“What’s going on here?” Changbin asked as he glanced around at their worried faces.
Seungmin took it upon himself to be the one to fill the other in. “Hyunjin’s missing. We can’t find him anywhere in the apartment.”
“Missing? Are you sure he’s not in the kitchen?” After drying his hair, Changbin slung the towel around his neck. “When I saw him before I went to shower, he was heading to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.”
“We’ve already searched the kitchen though,” Minho pointed out. “We’ve searched the entire house.”
Even though they had already combed through the kitchen and looked in every cabinet there, everyone instinctively moved towards the kitchen after Changbin’s words. It was the only hint they had as to Hyunjin’s whereabouts and since there was nothing else they could think of to do, they could only go along with it.
As they squeezed into their kitchen, everyone began looking through the place again. Wandering eyes checked every inch of the place and cabinets were opened and closed repeatedly for any signs of a white furry ferret.
Changbin looked around for a while before making a beeline for a mug of coffee that was seated on the counter. It was a used mug, containing only half a mug of coffee. “Isn’t this the mug that Hyunjin usually uses for his coffee?”
They hadn’t paid much attention to the mug of coffee during their search since there was no way for even the tiny ferret to be hidden inside the mug but now that it had been brought to their attention, realisation was dawning on everyone. Muttered agreements filled the air alongside increasing confusion.
A niggling suspicion came to the forefront of Seungmin’s mind as he stared at the coffee mug and the spot on the counter where it had been. It was right by the kitchen wall, in front of their coffee maker. His eyes then shifted to the ground in front of that part of the kitchen counter.
The spot was empty now but just several minutes ago, there had been a huge trash bag there. Seungmin had tripped over the bag while making his coffee, then picked it up and tied it up before placing it outside the door.
Suspicion growing into a sinking feeling of dismay, Seungmin didn’t stop to explain his hunch before he ran for the front door.
He pulled open the door with hurried, urgent movements and grabbed the bag of recyclable trash which he had set outside the door earlier. With shaking fingers, he untied the bag and started rooting through the bag, his heart hammering in his chest.
“Seungmin, what are you doing?”
“Why are you going through the trash all of a sudden?”
Seungmin was too focused on his task to answer the others as everyone gathered around him in bewilderment. Soon, his fingers closed around something that didn’t feel like a plastic bottle or cardboard box. He was quite certain that none of their recyclables would feel soft and furry to the touch.
Fingers closing firmly around the body of the little ferret, he gently pulled Hyunjin out of the bag of recyclable trash.
“Hyunjin!” Six voices echoed in unison at the sight of the little ferret that they had been searching painstakingly for.
His heart rate finally slowed by an immense feeling of relief, Seungmin checked over the little ferret’s limp body, making sure that the other hadn’t been harmed during his time trapped inside the trash bag.
“What a silly ferret,” Jeongin snorted, vocalising the thought that was probably crossing everybody’s minds.
“Of all the places to take a nap...” Bang Chan punctuated his words with a heavy, exasperated sigh.
It was then that Hyunjin chose to return to the land of the living as his eyelids drew open to reveal beady bright eyes. Whiskers and snout twitching, the little ferret wriggled in Seungmin’s hands.
Quietly, Seungmin placed the ferret on the ground.
Skin replacing fur, the tiny sleepy ferret melted away and was replaced by a yawning and very human Hyunjin who was rubbing at his eyes and looking perplexed at the crowd gathered around him.
“What’s going on?” Hyunjin wondered, blinking his lovely innocent eyes up at them.
Seungmin resisted the urge to smack his forehead into a wall.
“You were almost thrown out as trash, that’s what,” Minho chided, his expression torn between laughing at the ridiculous situation and crying out in sheer exasperation at their silly little ferret. “Please don’t fall asleep in the trash again.”
Seating himself on the floor next to Hyunjin who was still looking from one person to the next in bafflement, Jisung ruffled the ferret shapeshifter’s long hair. “I suppose we should start checking our trash for ferrets now before taking it out.”
“Someone please explain to the managers later about how we were late because we almost threw our ferret away.” Bang Chan sighed again though there was the faintest hint of amusement on his face.
At the reminder of the responsibilities they had, everyone turned towards the clock hanging in the living room to realise it was already ten minutes past the time that they should have been downstairs in the car. Horrified gasps spread through the room and there was a flurry of footsteps as everyone dispersed and rushed off to finish their preparations to head out.
After taking several steps in the direction of his room, Seungmin paused and turned back around.
Hyunjin was still slowly getting up from the ground when Seungmin linked their arms together and started pulling the ferret shapeshifter in the direction of their room. Having had enough of ferret hunting for the day, Seungmin figured that someone should keep an eye on the other to ensure that he does not fall asleep somewhere again.
“Do you think I have time for a quick nap now?” Hyunjin asked with another small yawn, eyes already half-closed like he was going to fall back asleep anytime. “Maybe just a short five minutes?”
“No,” Seungmin glared at him, tone firm as he picked up his pace. “Absolutely not.”
“I’m heading out. See you later, hyung!”
Waving farewell to Jeongin who was leaving for his vocal lessons, Felix resumed his task of filling up a plastic bottle with water at the sink. He was humming a random tune under his breath as he went about his task, cheeriness filling him from the inside out.
As he turned off the sink and started towards the living room, he found himself mentally making a list of all his little bits of happiness for that day.
The weather was perfect with golden sunshine streaming in through the windows to brighten up the house yet the temperature was not quite hot enough to leave him sweaty and uncomfortably sticky. He didn’t have any work scheduled for the day until practice in the evening and he was looking forward to visiting a new restaurant later with Seungmin and Jeongin. He had even remembered to pick up some supplies at the supermarket last night to test out a new baking recipe that he had seen on TikTok.
All in all, Felix would say that his day was turning out quite perfect.
Before he went straight to begin his baking endeavours, he decided to take care of his potted plants. Nobody was quite certain where they had come from or who had brought them into the house but at one point of time, several potted plants had appeared on the windowsill in the living room.
Since nobody had decided to claim ownership of the plants, Felix had decided to care for them. He took charge of watering them at least once a day and spent his free time pruning the leaves and making sure they stayed free of pests. He wasn’t even sure what some of the plants inside the pots were but he was excited to see them grow all the same.
Under his care, most of the potted plants were thriving well with an abundance of lush green leaves. One of them, however, had dried out and wilted despite all the care given to it. Felix had since removed the plant but left its pot on the windowsill while he contemplated getting a replacement for it.
Having made his way to the windowsill where his little garden was residing, Felix began to water each plant with the bottle of water he had filled up. He made sure each plant got a sufficient amount of water as he went along examining each potted plant’s health. With each plant that he deemed healthy and thriving, he felt a sense of pride and accomplishment well up inside him alongside a fierce desire to continue protecting and caring for these plants.
It didn’t take long before he was halfway down the row, having watered more than half of the plants.
By now, watering the plants had become an ingrained habit of Felix’s, something that he did almost instinctively on a daily basis. He watered the plants with a smooth efficiency, hands moving to pour water from the bottle into the next pot before his eyes had even finished examining the previous. It was a necessary efficiency when most mornings consisted of trying to get out of the door as soon as possible to their schedules and little time could be expended on frivolous activities such as watering plants.
Perhaps it was his force of habit or just his sheer efficiency but whatever it was, Felix’s hand moved to pour water into one of the pots before his eyes could observe that there was something weird about it.
When he realised, he hastily jerked his hand back even as he moved closer to look at the tuft of white peeking out from the flowerpot. That pot had once housed a wilted plant and was supposed to be unoccupied.
But when he peered into the pot, he realised that a little white ferret had claimed the flowerpot for himself. The little ferret was huddled into a ball at the base of the pot, paws covering his face as he slept like the dead with his long slender tail curled over the edge of the pot. Beads of water clung to its fur, dripping down it even as the owner of that fur remained unperturbed.
Well, Felix sure wasn’t expecting for a ferret flower to blossom from his potted plants.
With a fond smile, he ran his fingers through the sleeping ferret’s fur, caressing his belly and brushing out any fur that had been matted by water. The warmth of the ferret’s body beneath his fingers was tantalising, the gentle rise and fall of his chest calming to the soul. If he hadn’t already decided he wanted to bake, Felix might have shifted into his animal form to join the little ferret in sleeping the day away.
Reluctantly, he pulled his hand away and finished watering the rest of his plants. Once that was done, he returned to give the little ferret a tiny pat on the snout before he ambled off to the kitchen to get started on his baking.
Felix wondered if the smell of chocolate chip cookies would work just as well as a piece of meat in rousing the sleepy little ferret.
“Wake up, hyung.”
An exasperated voice and cold fingers jabbing into his back woke Jisung. As the last of his sleep receded from his mind, he shivered as he realised that his blanket lay on the ground next to his bed.
Jeongin’s way of waking his hyungs was not the most pleasant but one could not argue against its effectiveness.
Still, Jisung did not get out of bed right away. Instead, like most people did, he lazed in bed and refused to leave the comforts of his cosy blankets until the last possible moment. He alternated between scrolling on his phone and staring dazedly at the wall until Jeongin popped his head in to remind him that he would be late if he didn’t get a move on.
Parting with his bed was such an intensely sorrowful thing to do. Jisung got out of bed and shuffled out of the room towards the bathroom.
He relieved himself first, then went to the mirror to check his reflection. His hair was a bit messy from all the tossing and turning he had done in his bed but it was nothing a good brushing wouldn’t fix. He had showered the night before so all he needed to do was brush his teeth and wash his face to get ready.
Then, he picked up his blue toothbrush and had moved to grab the tube of toothpaste when he abruptly froze at the sight of something white occupying the sink.
It took a moment for him to realise that the white thing sitting in the sink was a ferret. The little ferret had his face buried in his fluffy fur and it was hard to tell where the ferret even began and ended.
When realisation hit him, Jisung burst out into laughter as mirth bubbled up inside him. Perhaps he should be annoyed that his morning routine had been interrupted by the little ferret but as it was, he was far too amused at the knowledge that Hyunjin had somehow fallen asleep in the sink to feel bothered.
After he had managed to contain his laughter and was done wiping tears out of his eyes, Jisung walked over to the bathroom door and pulled it open.
“Guys, there’s something wrong with the sink,” he called out to the other members, trying his hardest to keep his amusement out of his voice.
Bang Chan was, predictably, the first to respond to his call for assistance. “What’s wrong with it? Is it clogged?”
“You could say that.”
The sound of gradually approaching footsteps told Jisung that Bang Chan was coming to his aid. “What’s clogging the sink?”
“A ferret,” Jisung answered just as Bang Chan’s figure appeared in the doorway.
He was then promptly entertained by the play of different emotions flashing across their leader’s face, from confusion to astonishment to resignation with a tinge of amusement. Behind Bang Chan’s broad back, curious faces peeked into the bathroom as well before they too, dissolved into laughter.
“Whatever shall we do with our little ferret?” Bang Chan shook his head with a look of familiar exasperation. “Well, I’ve got him. You do your thing, Sungie.”
Bang Chan reached for the little ferret, scooping him out of the sink and cradling him in his arms.
“We can try to see if a kiss would wake our little ferret,” Minho suggested, eyebrows raised playfully.
“I want to kiss him awake!” Changbin announced to nobody’s surprise.
As Jisung continued going through his morning routine, the voices of his members drifted to him time and again through the ajar door as they argued over who would get to kiss Hyunjin awake. He hurried through brushing his teeth and washing his face, eager to participate in the conversation and earn himself a chance to kiss their little ferret who would otherwise be adverse to their affections.
Fortunately for the little ferret and unfortunately for some of them, Hyunjin woke up from his dead sleep of his own accord before any kisses could be administered.
“How are there so many clothes,” Changbin grumbled as he stepped into the laundry room and caught sight of the pile of clothes in the hefty laundry basket. “I could have sworn that I did laundry not that long ago.”
As much as he had attempted to put off his chores, he knew he couldn’t run away from them forever. It was finally time for him to do laundry if he wanted clean clothes to wear over the next few days. He may be half of a pig shapeshifter but he didn’t like the feeling of filth on his skin and preferred having clean clothes.
Thus, he began his chore of doing the laundry.
Changbin started by retrieving dirty clothes from his room, ensuring that everything that needed to be washed had been added to the laundry basket.
Then, because he was such a nice hyung, he went around and asked if anyone needed their clothes washed too. Most of his members had already done their laundry or were planning to do it in the near future so his kind offer was mostly declined but Jeongin and Seungmin took him up on his offer and added some clothes to his load. He couldn’t find Hyunjin anywhere in the house so he simply skipped asking the ferret shapeshifter.
Never one to be too particular about the way he did his laundry, Changbin then poured all his clothes into their laundry machine. A few errant socks fell onto the ground due to his haphazard pouring and he bent down to pick them up, tossing them onto the pile of clothes already inside the machine.
As he glanced at the heap of clothes in the washing machine, his eyes caught a glimpse of an unusually furry streak of white material among all the other multicoloured fabrics. It struck him as an incredibly odd material for a piece of clothing.
Had someone in the house bought a pair of furry socks?
Curiosity demanding to be sated, Changbin tugged at the bits of the furry material that were visible, intent on pulling it free from the rest of the other fabrics so that he could see for himself what it was.
He pulled and pulled and pulled, and ended up pulling a little ferret out from the pile of clothes waiting to be washed in the washing machine.
The little ferret, eyes closed and body limp, slept peacefully in the palm of Changbin’s hands and remained blissfully unaware of the mishap that he had nearly gotten himself into. Even though Changbin knew he should be getting angry at Hyunjin for his dangerous habit of sleeping in the strangest of places, the other’s soft and glossy fur, cute little snout and adorable little whiskers made it hard for him to stay mad at Hyunjin.
As he cradled the little ferret in his arm like the other was the tiniest and most delicate baby, Changbin singlehandedly finished adding detergent and fabric softener into the washing machine.
After starting up the laundry machine, Changbin carried the little ferret to his bed and tucked him in. He didn’t forget to give the other a fond kiss on the head since Hyunjin was unable to protest it. Then, unable to resist it, he shifted into his animal form and climbed into the bed too.
The little dwaekki tucked his little ferret beneath his ears and snuggled close before he closed his own eyes.
It’ll take some time for the laundry to be done anyway. What better way was there to kill some time than taking a nap with his favourite little ferret?
“It’s so hot I’m going to melt,” Hyunjin whined.
On the couch, Minho’s eyes didn’t leave the screen of his phone. He didn’t even let out any response to the ferret shapeshifter’s complaints, not when he had been hearing the other whine about the same thing for the past thirty minutes.
So what did Hyunjin want him to do? Did it seem as though Minho could manipulate the weather?
“It’s just so hot. The heat is making me sleepy but it’s also too hot to sleep.”
After another ten minutes of suffering through Hyunjin whining about the heat, Minho decided to put a stop to it. “I think there’s some ice cream in the fridge. Why don’t you just have some? It might help you cool down.”
“That’s a great idea!” Hyunjin exclaimed as he immediately bounded up from the armchair he was in, leaping in the direction of the kitchen.
Glad for the few minutes of undisturbed silence that he had earned himself, Minho hummed noncommittally and refocused back on the show that he was watching on YouTube.
Two videos later, he found himself craving some sweet and cold ice cream in his mouth. Too comfortable on the couch to move, he decided to get someone to bring him his ice cream instead.
“Hyunjin, can you get me an ice cream bar?” Minho called out in the direction of the kitchen.
He awaited a response from their ferret shapeshifter but seconds and then minutes ticked by without even the faintest of sounds or slightest of movements from the kitchen. The living room and the adjoining kitchen area was silent, the only sounds audible being the hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the clock.
Impatience settled in the pits of Minho’s stomach. “Hyunjin?” he called out again, voice louder than before.
When no response answered his call still, he hopped off the couch with an annoyed huff and decided to get his ice cream bar by his own efforts. He wandered into the kitchen which was, to his surprise, free of ferret shapeshifters.
Had Hyunjin passed Minho in the living room without him even noticing it? It didn’t seem likely but it was not technically impossible since Minho had been quite absorbed in the videos he was watching.
Well, it appeared to be the only possible answer since there was no signs of any figures, human or ferret, within the confines of the entire kitchen. The only trace that remained which indicated that Hyunjin had most definitely came into the kitchen earlier was the door of the freezer which was slightly ajar.
Resisting the urge to click his tongue in annoyance, Minho wondered why his members just had to be slobs who were incapable of closing the refrigerator or freezer door properly. The ice cream bar, which he had been craving due to the uncomfortably hot weather, seemed like it would also have to serve as his stress reliever to ease away the frustrations caused by his sloppy housemates.
He pulled the freezer door open all the way, reaching his other hand in at the same time for his ice cream bar.
But, instead of the plastic packaging of the ice cream bar which he yearned to have, his fingers brushed against soft, silky fur.
There was a white ferret splayed out above the pile of ice cream bars in the freezer, fur the same colour as the vanilla flavoured ice cream bars which were currently acting as his makeshift pillow. This was definitely not how Minho had suggested for Hyunjin to cool himself down.
Feeling a headache begging to develop, Minho removed the ferret from the freezer with firm fingers. The little ferret did not stir, seemingly having been lulled into a deep sleep by the comforting coolness of the freezer. His chest rose and dipped in gentle movements, expression serene in the face of the upcoming storm that he was likely to be engulfed by.
Minho brought the ferret to his eye level so that he could narrow his eyes and glare at the sleeping little ferret dangling from his hand while he contemplated how to punish the other.
Perhaps a steady diet of tissues would instil a lesson or two in their resident ferret about the hazards of sleeping in dangerous locations?
As he was about to leave the kitchen, a roll of paper towels that were on the kitchen counter caught Minho’s eyes and he took them with him before stepping out of the kitchen, steps considerably lighter than before.
“Good night,” Bang Chan called out in the direction of the living room before he stepped into his room and closed the door behind him.
Recording songs was always an exhausting though fulfilling event and he was ready to go to bed early for once especially when there was going to be another day of recordings awaiting the group tomorrow. They were another day closer to their comeback now and he couldn’t deny that he was nervous as much as he was thrilled to be sharing their music once more.
Stripping off his clothes as he usually did before he got into bed, Bang Chan tossed them onto a nearby chair before falling onto his mattress. He buried his face in the sheets for a moment, engulfed by the cosiness of his bed and reluctant to move. Even in his current position, he had a feeling that he would have no trouble falling asleep straight away.
Still, after lazing in his position for several short minutes, he felt that he should adjust his position and get beneath the covers so that he didn’t catch a cold overnight. There was no time for him to be falling sick with their comeback just around the corner.
Raising himself up until he was sitting cross legged on the bed, Bang Chan yanked at his sheets, eager to get into bed. He had nearly forgotten about the plushies that he had tucked beneath his sheets this morning while making the bed but as he pulled away his sheets, the familiar figure of his WolfChan plushie was revealed alongside a… ferret plushie?
In his fatigue addled state, Bang Chan wondered when he had received such a life-like ferret plushie.
It took a moment for his brain to catch up to the situation and for him to realise that the little ferret curled around his WolfChan plushie with his tiny pink paws clutching at WolfChan’s hand was real and not a toy.
A fond chuckle made its way out from between Bang Chan’s lips as he inched closer before laying on his stomach to observe the sleeping little ferret. He could not help himself from extending a curious finger when he saw that the little ferret’s tiny pink tongue was sticking out of his mouth, giving it a little poke. Deep in his dead sleep, Hyunjin did not react.
As someone who loved to lavish his affections onto his pack members, Bang Chan knew that a golden opportunity had just served itself up to him. The cute little ferret who usually shunned most physical affection from him because he got embarrassed easily was now unable to resist any affection from him.
Never one to let such a perfect opportunity slip from between his fingers, he scooped the little ferret into his arms and buried his face into the other’s soft fur. He felt like he was in heaven as he rubbed his cheek against Hyunjin’s warm body, peppering the other with loving kisses.
Bang Chan’s heart felt heavy and hot in his chest, melted into liquid warmth by the intense affection rising up inside him. Though the little ferret’s presence in his bed remained very much a mystery, he found himself pleased by the idea that Hyunjin might have sought out his scent and hence his bed for comfort. He was their leader after all, and he loved it when they relied on him, especially when it came to their sweet and loving ferret who tended to put on a strong front even when the going got tough.
As much trouble as every member of their pack can cause, Bang Chan still adored each and every single one of them.
His members might be the cause of his endless heavy sighs and they might attempt to give him a heart attack from time to time. They sometimes induced headaches in him and left him not knowing what to do.
But they were also the light at the end of his darkness and his warmth on cold nights. They were the ones by his sides on lonely days and the reason for his smiles. Without them, Bang Chan wouldn’t have learnt that family didn’t have to be connected by blood or have the strength to carry on whenever he grew tired.
With a tiny squeak, the little ferret in Bang Chan’s arms stirred. Hyunjin blinked sleepy eyes up at his leader before his snout curved in a smile as he recognised whom he was looking at. The little ferret latched onto Bang Chan’s wrist like a ferret shaped bracelet, rubbing his snout affectionately against his skin.
It had Bang Chan instantly melting into a smitten puddle at the purely adorable antics of the little ferret.
“Hey, Hyunjin,” he began quietly, not wanting to startle the other. “Did you want to sleep with hyung tonight?”
The ferret gave a sleepy but distinct nod, pink nose bobbing up and down.
Well, who was Bang Chan to deny what his little ferret wanted?
He slid off the bed to get to the lights, turning them off before heading back into bed where his little ferret awaited him. Movements careful in fear of accidentally crushing Hyunjin, he tucked himself in comfortably and waited for the little ferret to get comfortable as well.
Even though Bang Chan had expected the little ferret to move and curl up to his side, the little ferret clearly had other ideas in mind when the other nipped at his arm playfully in the dark before climbing up his body. It was a strange feeling to feel little paws skittering across his abdomen as the ferret crawled towards his chest before curling up snugly once he found a spot he favoured.
Bang Chan had no idea who fell asleep first, him or his little ferret, but what he did know was that he quite liked the feeling of falling asleep with a ferret on his bare chest, listening to the rhythm of the other’s tiny but strong heartbeat.
In the late morning, when Bang Chan was awakened by the blare of his alarm, he awoke to find that his bed companion had vanished from his bed.
At first, he worried that the little ferret might have been crushed beneath his body or fallen off the bed so he tossed off his sheets and did a quick search of the area around his bed. When his search turned up futile, he was forced to admit that Hyunjin had probably woken up before him and left him alone in bed.
It was a realisation that had Bang Chan feeling infinitely grumpier about being awake as the desire to go back to bed tempted him. If he wasn’t going to wake up to the cutest ferret in the world cuddled up next to him in bed, why bother being awake at all?
Still, after sulking in bed for a while, he could hear the sound of his responsibilities calling out to him and reluctantly decided to get out of bed.
Bang Chan sat up and slowly slid out of his bed.
The morning air was chilly and the cold had seeped into the walls of his room, freezing the floors beneath his feet and sending a shiver up his spine. He found himself seeking out the black bedroom slippers that he used around the house but realised that he had probably left them in the living room when he was heading out the day before. In his exhausted state last night, he had all but forgotten clean about retrieving them.
Having no other choice but to brave the cold floors until he had retrieved his bedroom slippers, Bang Chan treaded out of his bedroom.
Yet, upon opening the door, he realised delightfully that his bedroom slippers had been left right outside his door. Mentally thanking the kind and thoughtful soul who had been considerate enough to bring him his bedroom slippers, Bang Chan was about to slip his feet into his slippers when he noticed something white tucked into his left slipper.
Had someone left their sock in his slippers? It wouldn’t be the first time an errant sock from one of his packmates had been carelessly left in one of his shoes by accident.
Scrunching up his nose in disdain, Bang Chan pulled the sock out of his slipper.
Only to realise that it wasn’t a sock at all.
Instead, a little white ferret hung from his gentle grasp, expression slack and body drooping.
In an instant, Bang Chan’s grumpiness evaporated and happiness descended upon him. He cradled his little ferret close to his chest, running his fingers lovingly through the other’s fur as he stroked the other’s soft head, neck and then down the other’s long supple body. The expression on the sleeping ferret’s cute little face was one of sweet innocence and tranquillity, evoking feelings of protectiveness from him.
Finally sliding his feet into his bedroom slippers, Bang Chan didn’t move on with starting his day but instead turned back and went back into his room where he tucked the little ferret into his bed. Even if there were loads after loads of work awaiting him, there was no reason why his precious little ferret couldn’t be allowed to continue his beauty sleep and get the necessary amount of rest that he needed. Being cute all the time must be tiring.
Once he had Hyunjin snuggled into the cosy warmth of his sheets, he straightened up to leave but found himself rooted to his spot and unable to take even a step away. The inviting image of the little ferret tucked in his bed proved magnetic enough to draw him in and he stood by his bed tormented by indecision.
At long last, Bang Chan’s heart won out.
He gave in, kicking off his bedroom slippers and climbing back into bed. He pulled the little ferret into the comforts of his embrace, pressing that vision of cuteness into his chest and closed his eyes. As his tired body relaxed and his mind began to slow, he told himself that he would only allow himself to linger in bed for another ten minutes.
Before ten minutes had passed though, he had soon fallen back into a deep sleep much like the little ferret cuddled up to him.
“Kim Seungmin.” Minho popped his head into the room to see the puppy shapeshifter sitting on his bed, flipping through a book. “I’m going to cook lunch. What do you want to eat?”
Glancing up from his book, Seungmin looked at him and deliberated for a moment before shrugging. “Anything is fine, hyung. I’ll eat whatever you decide to cook.”
“Alright then. Hyunjin’s not here?” Minho asked even as he scanned the room and confirmed the other’s absence for himself. “Didn’t he say that he was staying in today?”
“I’m not sure.” Seungmin shrugged once more. “Maybe he’s off sleeping in some strange place again.”
“I sure hope not.”
Leaving the room, Minho returned to the kitchen and decided to cook a simple stew for their lunch. He put on an apron and grabbed the needed ingredients from the refrigerator, not forgetting to check the refrigerator thoroughly for any ferrets. Feeling a little paranoid, he even looked through their recycling trash for any signs of a sleeping ferret.
After affirming that there seemed to be no signs of any ferrets in the kitchen, he started getting the ingredients ready before beginning to cook their lunch. The recipe that he had picked was a simple one, requiring few ingredients and a short preparation time.
In fifteen minutes, Minho had already added all the ingredients into the pot and left the stew to cook on the stove. He was also cooking some rice in the rice cooker which would be fully cooked around the same time as the stew. Since there was still some time until the stew and rice would be ready for consumption, he decided to make some side dishes to go with the rest of the meal.
But before he could get started on cooking up some side dishes, he noticed that the countertop was getting cluttered with used dishes and utensils. Picking them up, he started washing them in the sink. As he washed the dishes, he thought about what side dish he should prepare and decided on some fried eggs for protein.
Once all the unneeded dishes had been left to dry on the rack, Minho then dried his hand on the tea towel that was neatly folded in the corner of the kitchen counter, fully intending to start preparing the fried eggs next.
Minho nearly jumped out of his skin when his wet hands brushed against a warm furry body instead of the familiar soft cotton texture of their white tea towel.
After regaining his wits, he moved closer and scrutinised the tea towel only to find a white little ferret curled up on it, snowy white fur perfectly blending in with the pure white cotton of the tea towel. The other’s pink nose and paws were the only distinct features allowing him to be able to tell where the tea towel ended and the little ferret began.
Pursing his lips in disapproval, Minho lifted the little ferret by the scuff of his neck and wondered what to do with him this time.
After a while, he slipped Hyunjin into the pocket of his apron where the little ferret blissfully continued his dead sleep while he busied himself in the kitchen, cooking up some fried eggs and finishing up with the stew and rice. When the meal was ready, the little ferret was still an unmoving lump in the pocket of his apron.
Having called out to Seungmin to come out to the kitchen for lunch, Minho decided that missing a delicious meal was probably punishment enough for the little ferret. He let the little ferret continue to doze on his lap in his apron pocket while he sat down to eat with Seungmin.
The little ferret only awoke from his deep sleep when the meal was over and the dishes were being washed, poking his head out from the apron pocket and sniffing at the air.
After scolding the little ferret for several minutes, Minho made the mistake of looking into those cute shiny eyes and then noticing the sad droop of the other’s whiskers. Cursing his weak heart, he retrieved the bowl of food that he had saved from the meal, placing it in front of the little ferret on the counter.
Starving after waking up from his dead sleep, the little ferret eagerly scrambled towards the bowl of food before starting to gobble everything up.
When all the food had been tucked away into the other’s stomach, a dismayed Minho found that all his scolding had been for naught when he had to stop the little ferret from going into a food coma and falling asleep right in the bowl.
“One, two, three, four…” Changbin counted.
For what felt like the longest minute in his life, Jisung held his plank position as sweat dripped down his neck uncomfortably. He exhaled deeply, feeling heat rise to his face as he struggled against gravity to stay in his perfect plank position.
“And… sixty!”
Instantly, Jisung allowed his arms to give way as gravity dragged him downwards and he slumped on the ground in a crumpled heap. He was entirely wiped after going through the workout routine that Changbin had recommended for him, his limbs feeling even more jiggly than pudding. He yearned to become one with the ground.
After a while, he flipped himself around so that he could be on his back instead. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating life while his body gradually regained strength.
“Ready for the next workout?” the voice of the devil asked.
Without responding, Jisung continued staring blankly at the ceiling.
There was a quiet sigh followed by the sound of footsteps moving away. It was a sound that had Jisung’s hopes rising as he prayed that he was being shown mercy and let off the hook for the day. Of course, that would never really happen and Changbin’s next words dashed his hopes. “I’m just going to get us some water so we can stay hydrated as we finish up the workout. I’ll be right back, Sung.”
For a brief moment, Jisung thought about running away before he realised that there was no point in doing so. Where could he run to when they shared a dorm together?
He sat up from the ground, wiping sweat off the sides of his face and neck with the back of his hand. A towel would be great right about now.
Just as Jisung was about to return to his room to grab a towel, he spotted a white fluffy towel that someone had left on a nearby cabinet. What luck! That would save him from making an extra trip back to his room to grab one for himself especially when he wasn’t sure that his shaky legs would be able to support him.
With eager hands, he reached for the towel and picked it up from the cabinet.
Only to realise that it wasn’t a white towel at all but a slumbering little ferret.
Jisung let out a disappointed exhale as he gingerly returned Hyunjin to his spot on the cabinet, not wanting to disturb the little ferret’s sleep even though there was not a very high chance of it.
“Here,” Changbin declared as he returned to the living room with two glasses of water, one which he handed over to Jisung. “Drink up. It’s important to stay hydrated when exercising and we still have quite a few sets of exercises to complete.”
As Jisung received the glass of water, he gulped it down. The cool water quenched his parched throat, tasting even more delicious than usual. He poured the entire glass of water down his throat until there was not even a single droplet left before lowering the glass.
“God, it sure is warm today though,” Changbin remarked, having already finished his own glass of water before Jisung. “I’m sweating so much today. Oh perfect, there’s a towel here.”
Now perhaps Jisung could have said something to alert Changbin to the fact that the object which had caught his eye wasn’t a towel at all. Maybe he could have stopped the other. But why would he when the alternative was much more interesting?
“I wonder who this towel be- Hyunjin?!”
“Alright, I can’t take it anymore. Who just left their basket of laundry here?” Seungmin burst, voice frustrated as he demanded an answer.
Jeongin who was lounging on the couch looked up from his phone and glanced at the large white basket sitting in the middle of the living room. It was piled full of freshly washed and dried clothes, the faint aroma of fabric softener permeating the air around it. “I’m not sure but I think it’s Hyunjin-hyung’s? I recognise his jacket.”
“Well, and where is he?” Seungmin scowled as he peered around the room and waited for the ferret shapeshifter to poke his head out from whatever corner he was hiding in. When Hyunjin failed to make his presence known, his scowl deepened as he stared at the offending laundry basket. “Why is he leaving his laundry here instead of folding and putting it away?”
“I don’t know.” Jeongin’s lack of interest in the matter was apparent in his monotonous voice. “How would I know?”
Taking it upon himself to hunt down their resident ferret shapeshifter so that the other would take care of his own chores, Seungmin searched in their room first for Hyunjin but could not find him anywhere. He looked in the kitchen and bathrooms next, even peeking into the other rooms just in case the other was hiding there but still could not locate him.
When his fruitless search brought him back to where he had started, Seungmin found himself eye to eye again with the laundry basket that had ignited his annoyance.
He sat down with a disgruntled huff, grabbing the first shirt on the top of the pile in the laundry basket and began folding. Each fold that he made was precise and tidy, resulting in a neatly folded shirt which he placed on the couch next to Jeongin. Immediately after, he started on the next piece of clothing in the laundry basket, folding it with the same precision before stacking it above the previously folded shirt.
Seungmin folded and he folded and he folded. Soon, there was an organised stack of clothes on the couch.
Shirts, pants, singlets, socks, jackets and…
As he was approaching the bottom of the laundry basket, Seungmin reached in without looking to pull out the next piece of clothing to fold. He laid it on the ground in front of him and started instinctively folding it in half before freezing when he realised what he was looking at.
A white little ferret slumbered in front of him, body half laid on the floor and the other half held up by his hands.
Noticing that his fingers were grasping onto Hyunjin’s hind limbs, Seungmin released his grip and the little ferret slipped onto the ground, forming a white furry puddle on the floor.
“Oh, there’s Hyunjin-hyung,” Jeongin observed with mild interest as he cast them a brief glance.
In a fit of displeasure at having done Hyunjin’s chores for him, Seungmin grabbed the laundry basket and tipped it until all the remaining pieces of clothing tumbled out and fell atop the little ferret. It also served as a weak attempt at waking the little ferret up.
Predictably though, the little ferret remained deep in his dead sleep even as he was buried beneath his own clothes.
Sighing in exasperation, Seungmin reached for another piece of clothing and pulled it off the little ferret before beginning to fold it. Since most of the laundry had already been folded, it only took several more minutes before the rest of the clothes were folded and the mountain of clothing burying the little ferret vanished.
He lifted the little ferret and placed him atop the stack of neatly folded clothes before carrying everything into the room. The clothes were then carefully stowed away into Hyunjin’s wardrobe.
It was only when Seungmin was turning to leave the room that he realised belatedly that his hands were empty and very ferret free.
“Hyunjin!”
“Have you seen Hyunjin?” Felix demanded to know as he barged in, sweeping his gaze around the interior of the shared bedroom. “He was supposed to go shopping with me but I can’t find him anywhere.”
From atop his bed, Jeongin stretched lazily as he lowered his phone to look at the other. “I haven’t seen him once today.”
Frustration decorated Felix’s face, his lips pushing out into a petulant pout. “I really wanted to go shopping with him today. Will you help me look for him, Innie?”
In the tepid air hung the unsaid assumption that their resident ferret was likely curled up in some strange, random corner of the house.
Placing his mobile phone on his bedside table, Jeongin slid out of bed and agreed easily to Felix’s request. “Alright, hyung. I’ll help you look.”
Thus began their two-person search for a tiny white ferret in their messy and cluttered apartment. They inspected every nook and cranny in the house where the small ferret could possibly fit in, investigating every speck of white that could potentially be their little ferret.
Of course, as it always had been, trying to find their resident ferret shapeshifter in his ferret form was never an easy task when the other tended to fall asleep in the queerest places that would never have even crossed their imagination.
They ended up in Hyunjin’s room, overturning every single object as they searched the room in which there was the highest possibility of finding the little ferret.
“Why can’t he just sleep in a normal location like a normal ferret?” Jeongin grumbled as he knelt down to peer under the bed.
“He’s a special little ferret,” Felix answered fondly and Jeongin could hear the sound of the other opening the drawers and rooting through them. “His cuteness does make up for the quirky parts of him though.”
A protest was on the tip of Jeongin’s tongue as he got up from the floor but his words ended up being swallowed back when an itchy sensation teased his nose. He scrunched up his nose, feeling the itch grow as he braced himself for the inevitable sneeze that was to come. “Ahchoo!”
“Bless you,” Felix said as he turned around to look at Jeongin with concerned eyes. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I- Ahchoo!” Jeongin rubbed his nose furiously as another huge sneeze was drawn from him. “It’s probably just- ahchoo- the dust making me sneeze.”
“Here, use this.”
As Jeongin closed his eyes in the face of another gigantic sneeze, he felt something heavy being pressed into his hands. He groped at the object blindly, wondering what it was before his fingers recognised the familiar smooth rectangular shape of the tissue box.
It sure was a strangely heavy tissue box though.
He reached his hand into the box, feeling around for a piece of tissue to use for his nose. The tissues in the box were difficult to grasp and he had to feel around for a bit before he managed to get a grip on a piece.
Jeongin gave a tug.
And pulled a little ferret straight out of the tissue box.
“Hyunjin!” Felix exclaimed in delight, hurrying over to snatch the little ferret out of Jeongin’s hand. Jeongin was only too happy to relinquish the ferret in favour of freeing his hand so he could reach for an actual piece of tissue this time. “There you are!”
For an instance, Jeongin imagined what life would be like if their resident ferret shapeshifter was just a little more normal and had more typical sleeping habits.
But as his eyes took in the prone figure of the little ferret crushed to Felix’s chest, he knew that he would never change anything about Hyunjin for anything in the world. Not when he could see the way Felix’s eyes were alit with happiness as he cradled the little ferret close and cooed to him. Not when he could feel a fond smile tugging on the corners of his lips.
That was their little ferret, quirks and all. He was imperfectly perfect.
“Thanks for helping me find our little ferret, Innie.” Felix’s smile was bright as his eyes remained glued to the sleeping ferret’s figure. Watching a ferret sleep might not seem like the most interesting activity but Jeongin knew firsthand that it was a surprisingly enjoyable activity. “Now I just have to wake Hyunjin up so we can go shopping.”
“Glad to be of help,” Jeongin answered, wiping at his nose with a piece of tissue. “How are you planning to wake him up?”
A sly smile curved Felix’s lips as his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Oh, I have a trick up my sleeve.”
Overwhelmed by his curiosity, Jeongin followed behind Felix as the other walked out of the room towards the kitchen where Changbin was having his lunch at their dining table.
Changbin’s eyes lit up when he spotted the sleeping little ferret in Felix’s arms. “Is that my little sleeping beauty I see? Oh, I just know you’re waiting for me to kiss you awake!”
The older enthusiastically leaped up from his chair, his haste resulting in him knocking his chair over with a deafening crash.
Whether it was the loud sound or the sensation of impending danger that alarmed him, the little ferret jolted awake in Felix’s arms and Jeongin burst into laughter.
When the company finally allowed them a couple of days of vacation before they began their preparations for another album, everyone in the group decided on their own plans. Some of them decided to go on a short spontaneous solo trip to relax themselves while others decided to stay home and catch up on their rest.
As for Changbin, he decided to head home for a few days.
On the evening that he would be travelling home, he sat in his room and packed his bag. Having travelled overseas many times for concerts and other events, he was no stranger to luggage packing. He quickly got together his necessities and sufficient clothes for a few days, then packed them into a backpack. Since he was merely heading back to his own home, there wasn’t too much that he needed to pack.
While looking around his room one last time for anything he might have missed while packing, his eyes fell on the Jiniret plushie that he had brought home from their last event. He had gotten it from the managers after some pleading and had been allowed to bring it home with him. On a whim, he picked it up and placed it in his backpack.
Finally finished with his packing, Changbin then made his rounds in the dorm to say his goodbyes to his beloved group members and packmates. Even though he would only be apart from them for a few days, he knew he would inevitably miss them all the same.
He started by bidding his farewell to Jeongin and Jisung who were in their room watching a drama, then stopped by the kitchen where Seungmin and Minho were making food. Passing by the living room, he didn’t forget to say goodbye to Bang Chan and Felix who were playing a video game at the coffee table.
Having saved the best for the last, Changbin had only one more person to bid farewell to.
The little ferret was lying on his back in his bed, fast asleep in a normal location for once. His tongue was sticking out of his mouth as it did sometimes when he was in a dead sleep, his paws tucked close to his body.
He looked so silly and cute and sweet and all Changbin wanted to do was hold his little ferret close, burry his face in the other’s fur and never let the other leave his side.
It was with a heavy heart that Changbin sat on the edge of the bed and gently carded his fingers through the ferret’s silky fur. How could he bear to leave, knowing that it would be days before he got to see this vision of cuteness before his very eyes again?
Perhaps it was his reluctant and affectionate heart which gave rise to the selfish thought that crossed his mind. Whatever it was, he found himself wondering why he was settling for a replacement when he could have the actual thing?
Before Changbin could second guess himself, he unzipped his backpack, took out his Jiniret plushie and replaced it with the little ferret. He made sure to wrap the little ferret with a shirt, settling him in his backpack cosily and ensuring the other was as comfortable as possible. Then, he zipped up the backpack again, leaving a gap for the ferret to breathe.
It was with a chest bursting with pride at his own intelligence that a pleased Changbin left the room and walked across the living room, practically running for the front door.
Just as he was almost at the front door, however, Minho stepped out of the kitchen and into his path. The rabbit shapeshifter took one look at his expression and his eyes instantly narrowed.
Changbin pretended not to notice as his heart hammered in his chest and he walked a little faster as he passed by the other.
“Seo Changbin, don’t take another step. What are you up to?” Minho asked him, suspicion dripping off his words. “I know that look on your face. You’re up to no good. You look too pleased with yourself.”
Having obediently froze on the other’s command by pure instinct, Changbin schooled his expression into one of nonchalance before he turned back to face the rabbit shapeshifter’s stern gaze. “Me? What could I be up to?”
Despite himself, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the straps of his backpack.
It was at that moment that his backpack squeaked.
But of course, the ferret that was impossible to wake once in a dead sleep would choose this timing to stir.
“What was that?” Minho asked, voice taking on an intimidating note. “Did I just hear your backpack squeak?”
“No way. I think you’re hearing things,” Changbin managed to say, cold sweat beading on his forehead as his backpack decided to give another loud squeak.
Minho pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything else as he reached for Changbin’s backpack and yanked it off his shoulders.
Knowing that his jig was up, Changbin could only hang his head in resignation and surrender his backpack to the older as he mourned the near success of his plan. He was that close to having some alone time with his little ferret.
The moment the backpack was unzipped, the little ferret leaped out and landed on the ground. He cocked his head up first at Changbin and then at Minho, those innocent, bright and shiny eyes reflecting confusion. His whiskers quivered, long tail curled around him and god, was he beautiful and simply adorable.
Without thinking, Changbin let his actions be led by his heart as he picked up the ferret in his hands and attempted to stuff the other back inside his backpack.
“Hey!” Minho immediately rescued the little ferret who was letting out a series of alarmed squeaks and hugged Hyunjin protectively. “Don’t kidnap our little ferret!”
The commotion finally attracted the attention of the other occupants of the house who swarmed around, wondering what was occurring. When they realised what was going on, everyone’s feelings of possessiveness and protectiveness towards the little ferret reared its head. In a matter of seconds, the little ferret was passed from one hand to the other, then snatched away again by another pair of hands until he finally found his way into Bang Chan’s arms, curling his tail around their leader’s pinkie finger.
At the end of it, Changbin found himself sulking as he returned home alone with only the companionship of the bitter memory of his little ferret perched on another’s lap as he fell into another peaceful dead sleep.