My Hybrid's Duality [ KTH ]

Chapter III. For Us

You like to believe that everything happens for a reason, that life is not just random chaos where nothing means anything at all.

Most of the time, your poor sense of direction is a huge inconvenience. But today, it led you to this improbable moment: face to face with a creature so beautiful it borders on the absurd.

'His features are even more striking up close,' you muse, dumbstruck, 'almost otherworldly... ethereal.'

As if they can't help it, your eyes roam his face, starting from those golden eyes, huge and soft, framed with long, thick lashes... down to the perfectly shaped nose... and then to the cupid's bow lips underneath.

This close, you see the beauty marks scattered across his perfect face like an afterthought, an extra something to add even more beauty to his already impossible face: one on his lower lash line, one on his cheek, one on the tip of his nose, and one on his lip.

Your eyes are drawn up to his thick, strong brows, then further up to his dark, wavy hair. It looks so soft that you feel your fingers twitch, wanting to tangle themselves in the midnight blue locks.

Taehyung clears his throat, and you snap out of your trance. Immediately, you avert your gaze, cheeks heating up.

'Great, he probably thinks I'm a creepy pervert, just ogling him like that.'

"Shall we start?"

You lift your eyes at his words, and see him smiling at you gently.

'That's right, this is what we're here for... to talk.'

"Y-yes. Of course. Please, go ahead."

He nods enthusiastically.

"Okay! First of all, may I know your name? I didn't catch it earlier."

"My name is [Y/N]."

"Nice to meet you, [Y/N]! My name is Taehyung, and I'm a panther Hybrid. I'm 20-something... I think. I'm not really sure how old I am..."

"Huh? How come?"

"Hobi-hyung just found me unconscious in an alley a few years ago," Taehyung says matter-of-factly, like there was nothing odd about this at all, "I didn't have any identification on me."

"Oh. Oh wow."

"He was kind enough to take me to the Hybrid orphanage he worked at, which is this one!" Taehyung continues, "Hybrid orphanages usually only take in children and teenagers, so I know how lucky I am to even be here."

Although Taehyung tries to keep his smile in place, you see it falter just the tiniest bit, and your heart squeezes painfully in your chest.

"Taehyung... you deserve a home. You deserve love and belonging, just like everyone else. You deserve all that and more!"

He looks a bit taken aback by your impassioned response.

"Th-thank you. It's so kind of you to say that."

"I'm not being kind," you insist, "It's the truth!"

His genuine smile returns, and he fishes something out of his pocket.

It's a small polaroid photo.

"Hyung found this in my pocket that day. It was the only personal belonging I had apart from the clothes on my back. It's the only real clue to my identity."

He hands it to you with the photo side facing down.

There's an inscription on the back:

'My precious Taehyung,