Wild For You

3. A New Guest

A week or so into January of 2022, Dal introduced someone new to the bookshop. He told Taehyung that it was going to be his successor. He had met the man at a coffee shop, and had taken to him immediately. Five or six cups in and this man had apparently agreed to come take a look at the shop. Taehyung didn't know his name as Dal forced him into their living quarters before disabling the pedal system.

"Don't worry. I am thinking about you too, but if they see you now, they will freak out. I will tell him about you in due time."

Taehyung wanted to argue, but didn't. He had changed over the decades into being more accommodating of his situation. He didn't have much of a choice when it came to that anyway. Dal explained to Taehyung that he would tell the new person about Taehyung eventually after he was sure they were going to take over the operations from him because he also wanted this new person to take care of Taehyung if anything were to ever happen to him. Taehyung doubted that any other man would be crazy enough to keep a pet tiger, but Dal obviously believed the opposite.

The first day that Dal had brought this nameless new hire to the shop, Taehyung wanted desperately to break out of the living quarters to meet them, but he remained where he was. He laid near the front door instead so he could at least eavesdrop. The guy seemed very outgoing. It reminded him a bit of Dal.

"Yes, I believe he will fit in well," said Dal after two weeks had passed with the new hire, prepping supper for himself and Taehyung. "He has a really high IQ and is very driven. Very sociable too. He's also going to be a magnet for helping me get clients to come back to the bookshop. I honestly see myself in him from when I was younger if I had been more confident in myself. I think you'll like him too Ember if you give him a chance."

Taehyung looked at Dal as a plate of food was placed before him. He began to eat the veggies that Dal had put on the plate before making his way towards the steak. Dal wanted to make sure that Taehyung was eating a balanced diet so that he'd continue to be a miraculous and healthy tiger. Dal grabbed his own plate off the counter by the stove when Taehyung started eating, moving to sit down on the floor across from him. Dal had a habit of doing so for the last several decades. For whatever reason, he liked striking up one way conversations with Taehyung. At first Taehyung found it annoying, but over time, it was the one thing that made him remember what it was like to feel human.

"I'm going to tell him about you tomorrow," continued Dal as he started stabbing at the food on his plate, "Because by the end of the summer, I'd like him to take over."

Taehyung stopped eating as he looked at Dal. Dal could see the puzzled look he was getting from the tiger and laughed.

"I'm not getting any younger. If something ever happened to me, I want to make sure you and the shop are going to be taken care of. You need to be nice to him. I...I don't want him to hate you and for you to be put down if I were to leave."

Taehyung never understood why Dal was crazy enough to take him in, in the first place, but he was grateful. After forty years trapped like this, Tae had spent more of his life as an animal than he had as a human. Taehyung had gotten used to it, and figured that - no matter how hard he wished - that nothing would ever change about his situation. He had to appreciate the fact that Dal was the best pair of hands he could have ended up in. Even though he had been cursed, he had to admit that he was content with this life. This man was no longer a nerdy beanpole freak to him, but instead a friend. Family. His hero.

Even though Taehyung was a bit apprehensive about this new hire he had yet to meet, he had to trust in Dal. He also found himself beginning to worry about him. He talked more and more all the time as if he already had one foot in the grave.

When the next day came, Dal had Taehyung stay in the living quarters while he introduced the man to the idea that he had an unusual pet.

"What do you mean by unusual?" asked the stranger as Taehyung moved to lay himself on the couch, overhearing the conversation as they got closer.

"I mean it is a rather large feline," came Dal's voice. "I think he will grow to like you. You just need to start by introducing yourself to him."

"Introducing myself?"

"Yes, and don't run."

"You are confusing me, Dal."

"You will see why I am saying these things soon enough," said Dal as he opened the door. "Ember, we are coming in."

"You have to announce your presence like that?..."

"Sometimes he is very picky..."

The door creaked open and Taehyung watched as Dal stepped in first followed by a man in his mid twenties. The man was wearing a black puma hoodie and black sweatpants to match. His hair was colored a light brown. His eyes swept the room before landing on Taehyung on the couch in fear.

"That isn't a cat. It is a tiger."

"Which is a cat," said Dal.

Taehyung stayed where he was on the couch, scrutinizing the new guest. He needed to behave for Dal. Besides, this man might be the one that was going to take care of him in the future.

"Go say hi. His name is Ember. He won't bite," continued Dal.

Dal walked over to Taehyung to pet him to show the man that the tiger wouldn't hurt him.

"He is special," said Dal. "I've had him most of my life. He has never once hurt me. He won't hurt you either. When you inherit the bookstore someday, I also would like you to take care of Ember."

The stranger still stayed near the door but eventually walked closer to Taehyung when he saw Dal continue to pet him. The stranger looked at Taehyung for a moment before reaching out a hand of his own to pet him. Wanting the stranger to take to him, Taehyung let out a purr. Dal's eyes widened.

"You must be something special. He has never purred for me."

A small dimpled smile graced the man's face as he kept stroking his fingers through the tiger's fur.

"Ember, I will take care of you," promised the stranger. "For Dal's sake."

"Tell him your name," said Dal who now wore a smile of his own. He looked relieved that this man was taking to Taehyung and the other way around. "You are gonna be talking to him a lot if you are anything like me."

"My name is Kim Namjoon," said the man to Taehyung. "If you don't try to eat me, I think we will get along just fine."