Jungkook froze in panic, his eyes wide with fear. He tried to pull his arm away from Taehyung's grasp, but Taehyung's grip was too strong. "Please, let me go!" he whispered, his voice trembling.
Taehyung tightened his grip on Jungkook's arm and lean...
A small boy stands in the cold winter night, selling matchsticks with his grandma. With the hood of his hoodie pulled up over his head, he was hiding his bunny ears. His fluffy ball tail was also covered in his trousers, and it was difficult to tell he was a bunny hybrid.
The grandmother called out to the passing people, trying to sell the matchboxes. Jungkook was shy and hid behind his grandma, afraid of the people. He clutched tightly at his grandma's jacket, his ears twitching nervously under his hoodie.
"Come on, Jungkook. Don't be shy." grandmother said, trying to coax the boy out of the shadows.
Reluctantly, Jungkook nods. He slowly creeps out from behind his grandma's back. With a soft voice, he starts to offer the matchboxes to the passersby. His small bunny ears twitch nervously under his hood.
"Please... buy a matchbox...?" he asks, holding out his small hand that has a matchbox in it. His voice is so soft that it's almost inaudible.
Indeed, it's true that these days, people rarely use matches. Most have moved on to lighters and other means of lighting. The grandmother sighs, noticing how few people are taking interest in buying the matchboxes.
"Ah, it's no use. Everyone uses lighters these days. It's hard to sell something that isn't in demand," grandma mutters to Jungkook.
Jungkook nods sadly, his ears drooping with disappointment. He looks down at the matchboxes, realizing that they may not make any sales at this rate.
Grandma looks around, noticing the snow that has started to fall. "We should head home. It seems like it's going to snow quite heavily tonight," she says, watching as the soft snow starts to swirl on the ground.
Jungkook looks up at the sky, his small fluffy tail shivering slightly as he watches the snow fall. He nods in agreement with his grandmother's suggestion, not wanting to be out in the cold any longer.
As grandma and Jungkook start walking home, they are surprised to see a tall man suddenly appear in front of them. He seems to have come out of nowhere.
The tall man looks at the grandmother and Jungkook, a curious look on his face. "Do you both sell cookies?" he asks, eyeing the small boxes of matchsticks that they are carrying.
Grandma turns to the man, a small smile on her face. "No, we're selling matchboxes. Would you like to buy one?" she replies, holding up one of the matchboxes.
The man looks mildly surprised. "Matchboxes? I don't think anyone uses those much anymore," he says as he looks at the small box in the grandmother's hand. His eyes then turn to Jungkook, who is silently standing behind the grandmother. He notices the small fluffy tail that is sticking out from under Jungkook's trousers.
The tall man's eyes linger on the small fluffy tail, which is twitching nervously. He suddenly looks very interested, and he steps closer to get a better look at Jungkook.
The grandmother notices the man's sudden interest and she instinctively moves to block his view of Jungkook. "Is something the matter?" she asks, her voice holding a hint of protectiveness.
The man snaps his eyes upwards back to the grandmother's face. "No, no," he replies, a curious smile on his face. "It's just that your companion looks rather interesting. May I ask his name?"
Grandma looks at the man for a few moments, contemplating whether to answer his question. She then hesitantly says, "His name is Jungkook. Why do you ask?"
The man's smile broadens as he hears the name. "Jungkook, huh? That's a nice name for a nice looking boy. Can you pull down his hood? I want to have a proper look at his face," he says, still smiling.
Grandma looks at the man, her expression hardening. "No, I won't pull down his hood. Besides, you should at least buy a matchbox from us before you start asking such strange, personal questions. Otherwise, you can go elsewhere," she states firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
The man's smile remains as he says, "Fine, fine. I'll take all of your matchboxes. And I'll also take one thing as well." He smirks as he looks at Jungkook.
Grandma eyes the man suspiciously, but she nods in agreement. "Very well. You can take all the matchboxes. But what is this 'one thing' that you want?" she asks, a hint of caution in her voice.
The man's smile widens as he looks directly at Jungkook. "I want him," he says simply, his eyes locked on the small boy behind the grandmother.
The grandmother's protective instincts flare up at the man's words. "How dare you?!" she exclaims, stepping in front of Jungkook to block his view. "He is my grandson, and you have no right to take him. Who do you think you are?!"
The man smirks as he introduces himself. "I am Kim Taehyung. And I will take him. You can't stop me," he says, his voice holding a hint of arrogance.
Grandma looks at the man, her eyes narrowing in anger and defiance. "You listen here, Taehyung. You can call yourself whatever you want. But that boy is not property. He is my grandchild, and you will not take him," she hisses, her grip on Jungkook's hand tightening protectively.
The atmosphere grows even more tense as Jungkook starts to feel scared, his fragile bunny nature making him fearful of the situation. He clings tightly to his grandmother, his little fingers gripping onto her coat as his small tail trembles.
Taehyung looks at Jungkook's frightened face and seems to take note of the small bunny features. He doesn't say anything but instead takes all the matchboxes from the grandmother's hands and hands her double the amount of money.
The grandmother is surprised by how much money Taehyung gave her, and she looks down at the bills in her hands. "He must have been drunk or something," she mutters to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
She then turns to Jungkook, who is still clutching her coat tightly. "Come on, Jungkook. Let's go home," she says gently, patting his head.
Jungkook nods silently, still feeling scared and unsure by what had just happened. He clings to his grandmother as they start to walk back to their home, the snow still falling lightly around them.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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