If you were to ask Kim Taehyung why he ever befriended Jeon Jungmin, he'd mention the day he first showed up at Shinjin High School, one of Seoul's working neighbourhoods, and how he was introduced as the new student from Apple county Gwacheon-shi, earning snorts and giggles from everyone except that one boy who seemed neither amused nor even slightly interested. That alone made him if not likeable, then more tolerable than any of his classmates. However, it did not mean Jungmin was at all approachable. In fact, Taehyung could tell the harder he tried to break the ice between them, the thicker the shield the other would wield, turning down every single invitation to hang out after class at the arcades, or grab a bite on the way home.

One would think the message had been clear enough and most would have given up on the idea of a friendship that wasn't meant to be. But Taehyung wasn't 'most' and it was a first for him, to have his natural charm yielding no result. While respecting the boy's privacy, he began leaving drinks and snacks on his desk, having noticed a carton of chocolate milk in Jungmin's hands one morning as they reached the school gate at the same time.

He didn't mind the teasing he got, and the insinuations that he was somewhat interested in more than friendship because why else would he be so stubborn when Jungmin clearly was 'a waste of time and effort'?

"Give it up already! The freak's a loner. He'll bite you if you hold your hand out too close!" Everyone laughed at the joke except Taehyung who, quite frankly, did not care for it to make any sense.

Some girl lacking manners sat on his desk and leaned forward, almost shoving her decollete into his face. "You don't get it, do you? He's not human."

It was Taehyung's turn to snort at the absurd allegations but someone called attention to the fact that the next full moon was scheduled for Thursday. "Watch him skip class to go howling in the woods!"

Taehyung tried hard to ignore the preposterous prediction but what was he to do when, come April 6th, it was proven true?

"See? Every full moon..."

The teenager had never been comfortable talking behind anyone's back, but Jungmin's absence had set tongues wagging and since the boy wasn't here to stand up for himself, Taehyung was going to do it for him. "Why does that make him less human?"

"He's part beast! Mathematically, he's only half man!"

"You wanna use math to win an argument based on the flawed premise that whatever howls at the moon is not mammalian like we are? Then you're gonna have to come up with a damn good definition of what it means to be human, because as I see it, we're not that special at all."

The ruckus that ensued had the whole class fighting its way through a collective identity crisis as it struggled to dig up traits solely applicable to mankind because evidently, empathy, kindness and intelligence were not admissible. Hadn't these students just proven with their own words and actions against one boy how severely lacking they were in these domains?

🐺

That night, Taehyung couldn't help but notice how his mother was working late again at the 24-hour care centre.

"She won't be home till morning." Soohyung had tiptoed out of her bedroom in her school uniform, hands behind her back.

Taehyung gave her the softest smile he could muster after four hours of cram school. "She won't have the energy to iron your skirt before you leave."

"I know. I was just going to change." Contradicting herself, she made no move to return to her bedroom, which could only mean one thing.

"Did you eat?" As the older brother–and only man in the household–it was difficult for Taehyung not to feel responsible for the well-being of his ten-year-old sister.

She pulled the bag of chips she was hiding behind her back with a sorry smile, to which he replied with a beam: "Ramyeon party it is!"

"YES! With one egg, two dumplings and cheese toppings for me please!"

Having to care for a preteen may have sounded like a nightmare to any high schooler whose sole focus consisted of the four dreadful letters, CSAT. Somehow, fulfilling such duties came naturally to Taehyung who couldn't blame his mother for leaving the countryside in order to provide her children with the kind of education and opportunities only Seoul could deliver.

He was simply thankful a bowl of instant noodles was still enough to keep Soo happy.

—

Welcome to my new fic! I don't have a schedule for it but I do have 10K words written already so hopefully, I can update somewhat regurlarly. I know JK is no where to be found in this first chapter, but we'll get to see his pov in the next one, so look forward to that!

—

As always, my little reminder that Wattpad fanfic writers write for free, but one way you can show your appreciation for their hard work is to vote and leave a comment if you feel like it!

Thank you for reading ~♡