_____

His gaze flickers back to his friends who are now sitting more comfortable and relaxed on the sofa, seeing that the red panda is further away from them. Minsu is the first to speak up, tilting his head and looking at him with a mix of shock and expectation. "Yes, you do. A red panda? What? How? When did you decide to get a pet, an exotic pet?"

Jeongguk grimaces, lips curling inwards as uneasiness spreads in his chest. It bothers him that Minsu calls Min his pet. It feels wrong. So, so wrong. Jeongguk knows there is no bad intent behind Minsu's words, he knows that he's only curious, however, Jeongguk can't seem to accept the words that Minsu used.

He purses his lips and takes a seat on the sofa, hands falling into his lap and eyebrows knitting. "Don't-Don't call him that. For me, Min is..." Jeongguk stops, gaze wandering up to the parkour and settle on the red panda, eyes going soft. "Min is a great companion. I don't like the thought of him being called a pet. I'm still trying to come up with a solution so I can take him outside somewhere safe. Anyways, remember the concert at the Rock Music Stage venue two weeks ago? You could say that's where everything started."

He tells them about Min and what he remembers from the second encounter, having him then brought home. Meanwhile, his friends listen intently and make a comment or two on the side. "Call it fate or whatever but so far, Min has proved himself like a perfect little companion. There is nothing I would trade for him." Jeongguk feels his heart swell with such pride at his last sentence.

Minsu sniffles, causing Jeongguk to snort. Obviously Minsu is faking it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just-you said it so beautifully. It seems like you have known him longer than two weeks. The way you talk about him...I like the way your eyes sparkle. You're already quite smitten, I must admit." Minsu chuckles and gives him a slight grin as he picks up a glass of water from the coffee table and takes a sip. "And I thought you were going to get a dog. You've been thinking about it quite a lot and you're afraid you wouldn't have enough time for him. Is... Min, so different?"

Jeongguk shrugs his shoulders in thought. "I don't know. I'm content and so far it has worked. I- I really want it to work because I don't know what would happen if I let Min run a second time."

Now Youngjin joins the conversation with a snort. "I must say, taking in an exotic animal like that... You have guts. Are you sure something would happen? It's almost cute how you didn't notice that Min has been lying up there in the parkour watching you for what feels like minutes. I'm pretty sure if you tried to make him leave, he'd come back right away."

"Is that why you built a parkour?" Minsu asks, eyebrows rising.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you must feel pretty close and determined for Min to stay here if you decided to build a parkour for him." Minsu chuckles and shakes his head. "Never thought I'd see you that smitten."

"Uh- thanks, I guess? But yeah, at first I kind of panicked. Now I'm so happy to have him. Who knows, maybe I'll just sneak him into one of my bags and then take him with me in case we stay longer away from home."

"You-" Youngjin chokes on the sip of water he was about to swallow. "Jeongguk, do you think that's a good idea? I think Minsu and I have the same opinion when we say we have nothing against it, but a concert venue? There will be lots of people and if you're afraid someone will catch sight of him and then animal control, do you really think it's best if you then take him with you?"

A sigh leaves Jeongguk's lips, gaze casting down at his fingers. The thought of animal control taking Min away is always a scary thought, one that he doesn't like to think about. "I know it's not optimal, but like I said, I hate thinking of Min like a pet. I hate when I can't give him the freedom, I try my best to give him what he deserves. Maybe he can at least stay in my hotel room. I can always tell the hotel to not clean my room or just put the sign on the door knob."

"I guess that could work. Just... be careful, okay?" Jeongguk nods, knowing what's at stake if this comes out.

"I'll give my best to protect him."

"I'll help you too, Jeongguk." Both Minsu and Youngjin say in unison, turning to each other looking shocked. "Does-does that feel like we've just stated an oath to Jeongguk and Min?" Youngjin asks Minsu, chuckling. Only for Minsu to nod in agreement.

"I will make it my mission to get to know Min better. He seems to be particularly close to your heart and that's all the more reason to get to know him better." Minsu puts on a confident face and clenches his hand into a fist, raising it as if to say 'fighting'. His brave expression, however, doesn't last long and he deflates quickly. "...Just not today, Min seems a bit very timid. So maybe another time. Also, not to mention that he's the cutest red panda I've EVER seen."

Jeongguk snorts. "Youngjin, didn't you mention before that you wanted to show us something?"

"Oh, right! Thanks for reminding me." Youngjin is quick to pull out his phone and open the notes on his phone. "I've got a few lyrics running through my head for a possible song."

"Okay, let's hear what you have," the drummer says.

"Uncomplete, because you're not here. Heart feels heavy when I think of our past. Memories of us are now buried deep inside of me."

Surprise flashes in Minsu's eyes, widening briefly. "That's.. wow."

"Those are just some phrases that came to my mind before I went to bed. I also thought we could make a cover song."

"I think the phrases you came up with are actually pretty good. I think we can work more on that. I really like it. Was... someone your inspiration?"

Youngjin laughs, smiling at Jeongguk. "You know I haven't dated in like a while. It was actually a movie I recently saw that inspired me."

"Ah, it must have been romance!" Minsu teases as he wiggles his eyebrows and tries to tickle Youngjins side. "Eventhough you don't want to admit it, I believe you are an inner romantic at heart."

"Even if that's true, you'll be the last person to know." Youngjin snickers and tugs at his blond hair strands. Despite their usual bickering, a part of him feels unsure if Minsu took offence to what he said.

"Ha ha..." Minsu says unenthusiastically and wets his lips. "You know we've been friends for quite some time? You might have dropped one or another hint."

"Ugh, you're insufferable." Youngjin throws his head back onto the sofa's backrest, arms resting left and right on the beige furniture. "I might need some beer after this conversation. Do you have some, Jeongguk?"

"It's barely lunch time, Youngjin."

"But... I have some for you," Jeongguk adds as the other throws a glare at him. Trying not to break out in more laughter, he gets up and gets some beer from the fridge which he has mainly stored for his friends, rather than for himself.

They carried on the rest of their day and ordered some take out for lunch. Conversations were flowing nicely, just like the liquid in the bottles when either of the friends emptied the contents into a glass. They decided to call it a day and both friends decided to retreat to their own homes after having watched two movies and had a conversation about a new video they are supposed to shoot for their youtube channel.

Jeongguk, the gentleman he is, accompanies them to the door and pulls each of them in a bro hug. "We'll see each other at practice. Maybe you can bring your new little friend with you someday."

After telling them goodbye, Jeongguk walks back to the living room to grab the empty bottles and glasses. In the kitchen, he washes the glasses and leaves them to dry on the side. He turns back to the living room, his gaze falling on something that raises questions in him.

"What the f- did someone get this drunk?" He grimaces at the sight in front of him seeing the butterfly in the upturned glass, which doesn't move. A pink flower with glossy leaves, known as a Rhododendron, lies next to the transparent glass. Unpleasantly, he scrunches his nose as his gaze returns back to the small creature. Is the butterfly no longer alive?

Jeongguk can't remember either Youngjin or Minsu drinking that much. They both went to the toilet though.

His thoughts are interrupted by a sudden fluttering movement from the butterfly. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Extremely confused, he shakes his head and opens the window in the kitchen after placing the glass on a plate and then holding it next to the window for the little creature to fly out. Fortunately for him, the butterfly does just that after a few seconds. Next, he grabs the pinkish flower and throws it away in the bin. What childish behaviour... It irks him that he can't even say who it was because in his mind neither of them is at fault. It just doesn't add up.

He runs a hand through his wavy curls and stops in the entrance area of the living room. The lines between his eyebrows deepen. Since his friends left, it has become weirdly quiet in the flat. Is he just imagining it? He wonders where Min is.

"Min?"

"Min?"

Little does Jeongguk know that when he entered the living room, the little rascal crawled into the deepest and darkest corner under the sofa and will stay there for a while. The smaller one feels not only disappointed but also upset by what Jeongguk just did.

Jeongguk can't help but let his eyes dart around the room in hope to find a glimpse of his red furry friend. He is horrified to find that he neither catches a glimpse of him nor hears a sound from Min. No happy huff quacks. No happy purring. Min has to be here somewhere, doesn't he?

Jeongguk doesn't have more time to think about it. The very next moment his mobile phone, which he had put in his pocket earlier, rings. He pulls it out with a huff and scans the screen, considering for a moment to ignore it. His manager is a person he can't refuse if it's important.

"Hello? Hwan?"

"Jeongguk. I am calling to remind you of the meeting we have tomorrow. There's time for you guys to practise before and then you can just come to the meeting at 3 pm. We'll discuss the upcoming music video and about a possible collaboration."

"Has Shade answered?"

"Not yet." Jeongguk's manager sighs on the other end of the call. Shade is a solo singer and rising singer with whom they wanted to collaborate. "But that's not why I called. I wanted to give you some time ahead to think about the questions: 'Who would you like to collaborate with? Who do you think would make a great collaboration if working together with you guys, Black Wonder'."

"Wait," Jeongguk interrupts him, not believing what his manager just said. His face morphs into utter disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"

"You guys mentioned it not long ago, right? Now that the concert phase is over for now, I thought it might be a good opportunity to go more into the topic and discuss things. Maybe discuss some single collaborations if you have different people in mind."

"Jeongguk, are you still there?" Hwan asks when the line goes silent.

"Yes, wow, it's just..." The drummer looks to the ceiling, trying to find the right words. This opportunity gives them more contacts and also new experiences. Jeongguk is positive about the whole thing. As much as he plays with his friends, variety and gaining new experiences has its advantages. He is pretty sure that Minsu and Youngjin feel the same way. "It just came a bit unexpected I guess. My mind was just somewhere else."

"I see. Well, that's all I really wanted too. Just think about whether there are people you'd like to collaborate with and we'll see what Minsu and Youngjin say tomorrow."

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

Jeongguk hangs up the phone with a tingling feeling in his stomach and puts the phone back in his back pocket. The silence that lingers in his penthouse flat somehow makes him uneasy and puts him in apprehension. Two steps into the living room and he sees a flicker of red fur. He would have missed it if it hadn't been for the sun shining through the big crystal windows. Min's red fur disappears under the sofa as quickly as he sees it.

He steps closer to the sofa with his heart pounding in his chest, eyes narrowed and his gaze zeros on the spot where he last saw the red fur. Something is wrong. Something seems off. Min has never acted like this before. Kneeling down, he rests his hands on the floor and then looks under the sofa, confused as to why Min would hide. Trying to get closer, his body jerks back, not having expected Min's hoist. A small knot forms in his throat. Panic spreads through him.

"Min?" He breathes into the dark space under the sofa, light reflecting eyes looking back into his and his gaze softening. Min has only playfully lashed out at him so far, but this now makes Jeongguk hesitate and feel unsure-a good example of him not being prepared enough to take in a red panda, others would say.

"What's wrong little one? You never hissed at me like that... I-is it something I did or said?" Jeongguk can vaguely see how defensive Min's posture is, the one he has adopted under his piece of furniture. The sight pains him and even more so that it is most likely his fault.

"Please come out. If it's something I did, I'm sorry." Bringing apologies past his lips has never come easy for him. I wish you could talk, then you could tell me what it is that's bothering you." Jeongguk sighs and straightens up, this uncomfortable position starting to make his back ache. But he doesn't give up that easily. His gaze flickers outside to the various buildings, letting his eyes wander into the distance as he considers what to say or do. Should he give him time?

Everyone says communication is the key.

Well, he can try and if Min still doesn't want to be near him, then he'll give him some space.

"Min, I like you very much and enjoy having you live here with me now. When you come out, I'll give you an ice cube and lots of hugs and cuddles. I know you love to lie in my warm arms and nestled against my body. And I might have bought you some tangerines the other day, too, which you love so much..."

Is he trying to bribe him? Maybe.

Is it working? Who knows.

Was he perhaps too mean and Min saw through him, which is why after a minute of waiting there is still no sign of Min moving? He doesn't want to give up hope, but he misses him and feels guilty that Min feels so defensive.

"Min... when you come out, we'll watch a film together. There's one that reminds me a lot of you. It's a Disney film." Jeongguk chuckles and looks at his musical clef tattoo and his birth flower; Tiger flower. He only recently got this coloured in, fingers grazing over them and thinking back to when he got them. Hearing the buzz of the tattoo machine in his mind and the feeling of the needles on his skin. A tingling sensation as the machine moves along the stencil, but a small sting as the needle pierces the area with ink. It's been a while since he added one to the collection.

He is jolted out of his reverie when Min's snout suddenly peeks out from under the sofa and Min moves out very slowly. Something warm blossoms in Jeongguk's chest and joy spreads through him. Jeongguk almost got up, thinking that Min didn't want to let him see him at all. Not being able to hide the glee of happiness, he spreads his arms open and tilts his head slightly. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

It doesn't take long for Min to get closer and takes a running start to sit in Jeongguk's lap and snuggle up to him. A happy and free laugh bursts out of Jeongguk and he can't suppress the urge to wrap the smaller in his muscular arms, savouring the feeling of Min being so cuddly and displaying how much affection he has towards him.

"I'm sorry if I did something." He presses a gentle kiss on Min's head, burying his cheek in his velvety red fur. His eyes shut automatically for a moment. "It wasn't on purpose. It's probably stupid but... I don't like the idea of you being mad at me for something, so... what do you say? Do you want me to get you a tangerine and we watch a film, my sweet tangerine?"

The answer he seeks comes in the form of Min's rough textured tongue swiping across his cheek and paws pressing through his top and against his chest.

"Let's face it. You can't stay away from me...That's fine. I can't stay away from you either, little one."