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The second we leave Namjoon, Eun-ji is pressing me for details and I give in, letting her know that he found out about my supernatural weirdness, but omitting mentioning his own. Her giggles and giddiness were nearly unbearable and I was more than thankful when the bell rang and I could escape.

But then things got weird. It was, what? Two days ago that Namjoon's friends acted like I had the plague. This morning? The second I entered the class they both swiveled their heads around in my direction and stared.

I fully ignore the both of them and sit by the window, the sun streaming in making me sleepy as I sit observing a bird digging for worms. Maybe I'm more like a cat than I thought.

"Hello Y/n-shi." I yawn and turn to regard the two boys that have now moved to sit by me. Oh, so now we can sit by me? Now they can talk to me? The one who had spoken was the shorter of the two and had dyed blond hair. He smiled in a friendly manner that mode both his eyes resemble a crescent moon shape. Cute.

Oh shit. Seriously. What's with this school. Is there something in the water?

"I'm Jimin and this is Taehyung." He motions to a brown haired boy possessing striking eyes and a cute smile. "We're sorry if we were rude the other day." They both stand, only to drop into matching ninety degree bows that has other students sending us questioning stares.

Jesus, why. "It's fine, it's fine," I speak quickly with the hope that they'll stop drawing attention to us. Thankfully they both straighten at my words and move to sit again. "I think I was rude to you once before anyway." I mention, struggling to remember which of Namjoon's friends had once tried to introduce themselves to me. All I remember was a greeting and responding with a firm 'no' that had Eun-ji scolding me for the rest of second period.

"It's all Gucci." This time it's Taehyung who speaks.

"What the hell does that mean?" I ask, but I never get the answer because the teacher enters at that moment and begins to teach.

I never realized that I shared one class with the both of them and three with Taehyung.

I couldn't help but notice it now. Because they won't leave me alone.

It was strange. They'd never approached me before and the one time we were put into close proximity they'd acted like I had leprosy. But the more I spoke with them the more relaxed I was with their presence. I'm not the sociable type but that didn't really matter when these two spoke so much and were able to keep the conversation going without too much of my input.

Taehyung especially was very charismatic and warm and I couldn't help but like him. He was soft spoken and kind and seemed to really listen when I spoke. Jimin was slightly more withdrawn but just as friendly and seemed to care a lot about his friends when he spoke about them. And boy did they speak. Mostly about Namjoon. Specifically every embarrassing moment they could think of.

I almost lost it when they pulled up an ancient home movie in which Namjoon is rapping and declares himself to be, and I quote: Sexy like a porn star.

Now I've been sworn to secrecy because this (what I consider to be) national treasure was supposedly destroyed years ago by Namjoon himself and Taehyung and Jimin's lives could be in danger if they were found out. It's fine, whatever. We did watch it fifteen times though.

By lunchtime I manage to trade their (not entirely unwanted) company for Eun-ji and In-guk in the courtyard, trying to read my new manga instead of listening as Eun-ji filled in the latter on my love life.

It wasn't long before I spotted a purple head coming in my direction and so for the first time ever, I willingly closed my book. Both of my friends stared, open mouthed. I ignored both of them, instead greeting a smiling Namjoon. My inner fangirl attempted to squeal at the sight of his dimples but I promptly subdued her.

After exchanging greetings with my friends (In-guk: "Sup, Namjoe."), he settled in with his lunch, occasionally trying to convince me to eat.

"I don't like that food." I complain while dodging his chopsticks for the fifth time.

"What food do you like, then?" he gives up with a pout.

"I like fish. Seafood."

His nose wrinkles cutely. "That's the only food I don't like."

FIGHT ME IN THE PIT, NAMJOON.

"Still, you shouldn't skip, meals Y/n. It isn't healthy."

"Thanks, mom."

He sends me a look that's a cross between happy and annoyed. Eventually he gave up on the silly argument and went back to eating his gross food, asking me instead about something I can talk about all day.

You guessed it.

"You never answered me when I asked you to tell me about your cats earlier."

Both Eun-ji and In-guk had been in their own world up until this point but at hearing Namjoon's words let out a collective groan. In-guk was staring at him as though he'd grown a second head. "Dude, she's never gonna stop now!"

Too late. I was all too happy to pull out my phone and start giving a detailed biography on each cat, along with pictures and adoption papers.

"BooBoo is twenty and his full name is Song BooBoo. He has my mom's last name because she was technically the one who adopted him and after she passed we didn't think it would be right to change it." I informed him, swiping until I found an old photo of my mom holding an obese BooBoo on the day of his adoption.

Namjoon giggled at the sight. "Your mom was pretty." he commented, his eyes trained on the phone's screen. "You look a lot like her."

I murmured a thanks and moved on to more pictures, most of which were blurry and/or extreme closeups of BooBoo's face since I'd taken them myself as a child.

"The one who came next was Steve." I said as I found a picture of the calico on his adoption day. A twelve year old me held him while he wore a party hat and looked infuriated. "He's seven. His name is Lee Steve. I didn't get to name him because he came from another home before mine and he'd already been called that for years. They had to give him away because they were moving and couldn't take him. My poor kitty."

In-guk interrupted with a scoff. "Poor kitty, my ass! That cat tried to kill me!" he said shrilly while showing off a scar on his hand.

"Ignore him, he's a hater." I said simply, moving on with my story. "Steve is not the nicest, but he's very affectionate...just don't ever touch his stomach." I warned seriously, then shot a pointed look at In-guk.

Namjoon nodded. "I understand." he said, glancing in In-guk's direction.

"These people." I hear him grumbling behind me.

"Then there's Madam Sparklepuss!" I say excitedly, scrolling until I found her first picture. She sat innocently in my lap, looking up at me with her big, green eyes and little striped face. My heart thumped in my chest at the sight and Namjoon grinned. "She's only three and she's the sweetest baby out of them all. Her full name is Queen Lee Madam Sparklepuss, the third. Esquire."

"Esquire?" he questions. "She's a queen and a knight?"

I nod fervently. "She's a jack of all trades. Very talented."

Namjoon's hand patted the top of my head, causing my stomach to do this strange, swooping sensation. "I like you." he says low enough so that my friends couldn't hear.

I almost dropped my phone.

"Whoa, what happened? She stopped talking? HOW?" In-guk's voice took on an exaggerated, shocked tone.

Fight me in the pit, Namjoon. I don't even know why this time.

"Then there's Voldemort." I forced all of my attention back to my phone, trying really hard to not pay attention to the hand now stroking the back of my head. Why the hell did that feel so good?

I shove the phone into Namjoon's face once I found a picture of Voldemort, his gray, squashed face and red eyes perfectly describing his name without me having to. "Full name is Lee Mayor Voldemort Von-PoopenBerg. He's kind of the leader of the rest of the cats so that's why he's the mayor. He's only a year old but very accomplished."

Namjoon, to his credit, still has not run away from me. How is this happening. He simply continues to listen and nod, using one hand to eat while the other has now drifted to my free hand, holding it lightly.

"And you know Lucifer." I conclude. "Full name Lee Lucifairy, but we call her Lucifer for short. She goes in for her shots next week."

"Now that cat is evil!" Eun-ji elbows In-guk and I nod in agreement.

"Which is your favorite?" Namjoon questions before popping a tomato in his mouth.

"BooBoo." I answer instantly. "What about you?"

He takes a moment to think before answering. "I think Steve. He seemed to have the biggest personality. And he has a good judge of character." his gaze drifts in In-guk's direction causing Eun-ji to giggle.

In-guk only sighs in response and grabbing his empty lunch bag, stands to leave. Without a word Eun-ji follows.

Wait. What?

"Y/n." Namjoon interrupts my suspicious staring and draws my attention back to him.

"Yeah?

"I guess you met Jimin and Taehyung?" The question appears to make him nervous.

"Yeah...how did you know?" I suppose they could have texted? But something about the way he asked that made me think otherwise.

"I..." he shifts anxiously. "I can smell them."

What?

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Since I'm-" he made a gesture with his hands, unwilling to say the word where it could be overheard but I know what he means. Werewolf. I nod and he continues. "I have a heightened sense of smell. Everyone has their own scent. And I can smell them on you."

I stare. "Are you saying I stink?"

"No! I just mean-"

"Wait. Everyone has their own scent? Like you can tell each person by their scent?" I start to feel something akin to horror building in me. Does that mean I smell like cats and litter box? Does this mean I can never fart anywhere near Namjoon, ever? Forget farting, I can never go to the bathroom. Or sweat. Or ever forgo showering or brushing my teeth. Not that I would regularly want to do most of those things but at least I had the option.

"Yes, what's wrong with you?" he asks curiously. But it's not like I can tell him I was thinking about farts.

"Do I have a scent?"

He nods in affirmation with a dimply, closed lip smile.

"What do I smell like?" I ask, dread filling my soul. Why did I even ask

this? Do I want to know? Why don't I have super smell? Never mind. I'm cool with not having that particular ability.

Oddly, Namjoon blushes as he answers. "Everything good. Like the smell of dawn, but after a rainstorm."

"I don't smell like cats?" I ask disbelievingly.

He takes a second to answer as he thinks it over. "No. By the way, cats have a certain scent that humans can't pick up. It's sort of like grass? Or pine needles. Something nature-ie, I can't describe it. But you smell like that too."

I barely take in the compliments; I'm just glad I don't smell like litter box.

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Edited 7/24/21