Ever since Dal had hired Namjoon to help him run the bookshop, business really had started to boom. More and more clients were coming into the shop to peruse the odd selection and to ogle at Namjoon from between the book stacks. Namjoon was humble and tried to play it off, but Dal knew the truth. Now that Namjoon had worked at the shop for the last month or so, he had gotten used to Dal's eccentric pet. It became Dal and Namjoon's well kept secret. They engineered a funnel like system between discarded book boxes from the living quarters out back to under the counter up front so that Taehyung could have a bit of range into the bookshop even when it was open. The funnel like system they had constructed helped to hide Taehyung from view so they wouldn't end up being reported for having an exotic animal. Most times, Taehyung slept under the front counter behind the blue curtain there. Taehyung was ultimately bored of life, and sleep was the best way to make time pass.

As the rain poured against the window that mid-April day, Dal looked over at Namjoon who stood near the register talking to a female customer that was asking for his recommendation for a romance novel. Taehyung was currently in his usual spot under the counter behind the curtain, asleep.

"I'm going to make a quick run to the store," said Dal. "I think that you have this handled. I'll be back as soon as I can be."

Namjoon looked away from the customer he was talking to, nodding his head. He wasn't an idiot. These 'quick runs to the store' that Dal was talking about usually ended up being overnight stays.

"I've got things handled while you're gone," Namjoon said. "No worries."

Dal smiled, flicking his eyes from Namjoon to the counter and back again. Namjoon understood what was being communicated to him, nodding his head.

"I've got everything under control," Namjoon stated again, causing Dal to relax.

Dal nodded, grabbing his rain coat off the chair behind the counter. He slung it on before leaving the bookshop. Namjoon turned to finish helping the customer that was still leaning across the counter (obviously waiting for his number) before grabbing up a chair and settling behind the register. There were several customers in the shop, but none of them were in the immediate vicinity. He looked down at the curtain, pulling it back for a second to see the tiger was still curled up fast asleep.

"He probably doesn't even notice that Dal is gone," said Namjoon to himself as he let the curtain drop again to conceal it.

Namjoon's eyes scanned the shop. More and more lately, Dal seemed to be talking as if he were handing the reins off soon. Though Namjoon didn't have a PHD, he could tell that Dal's health was declining. In every conversation they had about the future of the bookshop, Ember was always in the conversation. It was obvious to Namjoon that Dal cared about this tiger a lot. It was quite an odd pet, but even Namjoon had to admit that he was taking a liking to the thing.

A bell above the front door to the shop jingled, causing his eyes to turn towards it. Out of the rain stepped a man with charcoal black hair and four young ladies. The man held up an umbrella above the four ladies heads to protect them, fighting to shut it as he closed the door behind them. Namjoon noticed one of the ladies that was dressed in a yellow tank-top and shorts (despite the weather outside) lean over and whisper something into the ear of the lady standing fairly close to the man. Her cheeks colored in a blush.

"Hello there," said Namjoon, raising a friendly hand in greeting. "Welcome! Do you need any help, or are you just looking around?"

"Oh, we're looking alright," said the yellow tank-top lady. The lady in the a black jean jacket and matching pants that stood nearby promptly elbowed the yellow tank-top lady. The fourth lady - a woman wearing scarlet red and white jeans - had a face as red as her blouse.

Namjoon just chuckled, gesturing a hand at the display of books near the windows up front.

"Might I suggest you look there first if you don't have a specific genre in mind? Those are all the new releases."

The gaggle of ladies moved over towards the books then while the man held the dripping closed up umbrella, following behind them. Namjoon noticed this man was acting pretty protective over the same lady that had stood close to him when they entered. He wondered what their relationship was.

Bored, Namjoon decided to grab his notebook out from underneath the front counter to get some lyric writing done while he was waiting. Though he was being prepped to take this place over, he couldn't let go of his dream of becoming a musician. He kept a notebook and pen hidden under the counter for when there were lulls in business so he'd have something to write in. As he stuck his hand under the counter, his palm froze when it brushed over something smooth instead of Ember's fur like usual. Yanking his hand back, he looked around before pulling back the curtain. His eyes widened when he saw what was lying under the counter.

Lying where the sleeping tiger should have been was a blonde haired man in his mid-twenties clothed in nothing but his boxers.

It took him a second to process what to do. He quickly looked to make sure that no one was around before tentatively prodding the man in the side with his sneaker. The man let out a soft groan, opening his eyes to look into Namjoon's bewildered face.

Taehyung was confused. Why did Namjoon look so terrified? It wasn't like he had tried to hurt him. As Taehyung moved to try to stretch, it was then that he caught sight of his limbs. His human limbs. He opened his eyes wider, quickly looking himself over completely. He was back in the same human form he'd been in the night he was cursed, but how?

"Who are you, and why are you under the counter?" asked Namjoon when Taehyung's eyes turned back to him.

Before Taehyung could answer, a customer approached the counter to ask Namjoon a question. He had to drop the curtain so he could address them. Taehyung took advantage of this moment to try to find Namjoon's notebook so he could write him a note. He didn't know how long he would be a human, but in case he turned back before he could talk to him, he had to get the truth out. Namjoon might be his saving grace. Taehyung quickly found out that the underneath the counter area wasn't meant for a full grown man. As Taehyung tried to shift to sit up so that he could look for the notebook, he ended up smacking his head on the underside of the counter.

"AISSI!..." He hissed between clenched teeth, placing one hand to his head as he used the other hand to look for the notebook.

"What was that?" asked the customer as Namjoon tried to ring up their purchase.

"Just the pet cat," said Namjoon, closing a fist and bringing it down onto the counter to give Taehyung a hint to quiet down.

Taehyung rolled his eyes as his shaky fingers undid the pen. He had found the notebook, flipping to a clean page to frantically scribble out his note.

My name is Kim Taehyung.
I am the tiger that you know as Ember.
I need you to help me.
Please believe me.

Before he could write anymore, he felt the pen slip from between his fingers. He quickly tore the note out while he could; his eyes soon watching as his hand began to turn back into a paw. Namjoon - who had finished checking out the customer - watched as the group of five that he had been watching that had just entered moved towards a different section further towards the back where the more specific genres were. He figured they must have found a section they wanted to inspect further. When the coast was clear once more, Namjoon pulled back the curtain to see that Ember greeted his eyes again. The man that he had seen was no longer there.

"You obviously need to get more sleep," said Namjoon to himself, thinking he was sleep deprived and seeing things.

Namjoon was going to dismiss what he had seen when Taehyung slid a note under his paw towards him. Namjoon waited until the paw was withdrawn before bending to pick up the note to read it. When he read what was written there, his eyes widened.

What in the world was going on?