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Taehyung "I'm min-jun" he giggles, climbing off my lap. "What's your name mister?" The boy grins back at me, not an ounce of judgment in his tiny body. His pretty eyes sparkle with excitement as he waits patiently for my response. I have been asked for my name many times in my lifetime, usually for unpleasant reasons, but never had anyone asked just for the simple reason of getting to know me. My appa asked me my name everyday growing up and everyday I disappointed him. Last night, my own mate wanted my name so he could reject me. And yet, this little boy with blue and brown eyes just wanted to know who the stranger in the bushes was. His smile is infectious and as I stare silently at him, he furrows his brows and leans in close. "Are you dead too?" He whispers, resting his chin in his hands. "I know a dead person," he hisses. "Her name is ji-won" he adds matter of factly. "She can't hear." He suddenly stands close to my ear and shouts, "Can you hear me!?" "Min-jun?" We hear Hoseok call out and I place my hand over his mouth. Min-jun. "Hehe eomma" min-jun laughs when his eomma walks right past us again without noticing our presence. The little boy dusts off his hands and squeezes my cheeks together. "I like you" he laughs. "Do you wanna play with me?" He stares at me with his blue and brown eyes and for the first time in years, I feel completely at ease. "Y - yes," I whisper. His grins, grabbing hold of my hand and dragging me out of the bushes. "Come on!" He squeals. "There are dragons chasing us! Eomma's the prince. We have to save him!" He pulls me in the direction that his eomma had walked to and we stop just before Hoseok, his eyes narrowing to slits when he sees me with his son. Oh dear Moon Goddess... I avoid his stare and shift uncomfortably on my feet, my legs itching to sprint out of there. I can feel my mate glaring at me and I try to run but min-jun has a firm grip on my hand . "Eomma look!" min-jun smiles proudly at himself. "I found a friend. His name is .... " He stops himself and looks up at me with a grin. "What's your name?" Hoseok ignores me and grabs her son, ripping him out of my grip. He crouches down so that he's at his eye level and looks at him sternly "how many times have I told you not to talk to strangers! It's dangerous!" he snaps, the little boy's lip quivering at the harshness of hoseok's voice . "But eomma..." "No buts, min-jun" he retorts, his cheeks slightly flushed in anger. His face softens when min-jun's eyes fill with tears and he takes a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I'm sorry jagi" he whispers, pulling the boy to his chest and kissing his head. "I'm sorry for yelling. I didn't mean to. You just can't talk to strangers like that, okay?" he sighs quietly. Min-jun nods solemnly. "I'm sorry," he says, kissing his cheek. "Okay, go stand by that tree over there" he says, kissing his son back and pointing to a tree just behind me. Don't wander off. I just need to talk to your friend, okay?" He nods his head and runs off to the tree, grabbing a stick and waving it around like a sword. "If you ever get near my son again, taehyung, I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?" Hoseok asks, his voice a bit strained. I nod my head, unable to explain the misunderstanding. He taps his foot impatiently as he thinks for a moment." Good. Now let's get this rejection over with so we can both move on with our lives. My heart beats uncontrollably, Mark whispering his plan in my head. "I know your name," he continues, his eyes full of ice "security job, and living with friends and your mother, my best guess is that you're a reckless wolf...A Rogue." I gulp and he smirks triumphantly at me. Damn it, he's good, Mark grumbles. "Did I guess right?" he asks, tilting head slightly to the side in amusement. A silence falls between us, the only sounds coming from min-jun as he jumps and roars to himself, swinging the large stick at an invisible dragon. "Okay, well like I said, I'm not interested in a mate or any other werewolf tradition, so if you could just accept my rejection, that would be great," he adds with an insincere smile. "I, Jung Hoseok, reject you, Kim Taehyung, a rogue as my mate." I brace myself for the pain but to my surprise, I feel nothing. Hoseok stares at me in confusion, running his hands through his hair. "Okay maybe I said it wrong" he sighs . "I Jung Hoseok, reject you Kim Taehyung as my mate." I blink at him, still feeling absolutely nothing. He must be saying something wrong... Mark said. Or perhaps only a wolf can initiate a rejection "Okay, you say it ," Hoseok demands. "You reject me and I'll accept." The ball is in our court, mark says. Perhaps my plan may work. I shake my head at my mate and my heart breaks as his eyes fill with tears. "Please," he whimpers, getting down on his knees and holding his hands up in prayer. "Please reject me. I'll do anything. Anything. Please, just let me go. I can't do this again.I can't ..." What can't he do again? I wonder. His voice breaks and a sob escapes his throat. "P-please!" Unable to take more of hoseok's crying, I crouch down and pull him close to my chest. Hoseok thrashes his arms against me and screams at me to let him go but I only hold him tighter until he finally gives in and sobs into my shirt. I smooth down his hair and rest my chin on his head. Please don't cry... I want to tell him but as always, the words taste like cotton in my mouth. Hoseok stops his game and runs over to us, his eyes growing wide . "Eomma what's wrong?" He asks, wedging his small body between mine and Hoseok's so that he can see his face. "Why you sad eomma?" Hoseok wipes his tears and kisses his son on the head. "Why you cry, eomma?" He frowns when he pulls away from my arms. He takes his little fingers and forces hoseok's cheeks up into a smile. "There. All better!" Hoseok cages min-jun in his arms, smothering him in kisses as he squeals. I feel a small pain in my heart as I remember all the small kisses my eomma gave me after a beating from my appa. She was the only person aside from ji-won who didn't make me feel like a freak. Hoseok steals a quick glance at me, his distrust for me still lingering in his eyes. "Let's make a deal" I sign and to my dismay, he shakes his head. "I don't know what you're saying," he whispers. "I only understand a little sign language." I frown and search for a small stick to use as a pen in the dirt. "Let's go to your house," I write. He bites his lip as he contemplates my offer and I understand his concern. l might be his mate but I am a stranger after all . "I won't hurt you" I write. "Just talk." He picks up his boy and nods in the direction of the town. "Follow me." Hoseok has a beautiful home with a white picket fence surrounding the lawn and a big tree perfect for a child to climb on. He invites me in and has me sit at the dining table while he fixes min-jun a snack. Min-jun is quite rambunctious and performs a nonsensical skit for a story but I clap when he's finished nonetheless. "Min-jun, why don't you let Taehyung and I talk a little while you go out and play?" He asks, handing him some toys to play with. Min-jun fusses a little but he manages to convince him to leave us with a promise for ice cream later that evening. With min-jun occupied, Hoseok finds a notebook and hands it to me. "Talk ," he says, bringing over a jar of pens for me to use. Here goes nothing, I sigh, scribbling out my plan. He watches me anxiously, bringing his knees up on the chair and hugging them. When I'm all finished I hand him the notebook and he reads it out loud.
