Exuvia✓ ||ᴊ.ᴊᴋxᴄʜᴜʙʙʏᴏᴄ||18+

𝗖 𝗵 𝗮 𝗽 𝘁 𝗲 𝗿 ⁰⁶

★・・・・・・★

★・・・・・・★

A S H L E Y

As we entered the mansion, I was greeted by what could only be described as a royal welcome. A neat row of maids and staff stood lined up, bowing with polite smiles, looking like they had just stepped out of a drama set.

"Hello, Mrs. Jeon. Welcome to your mansion," said one of the maids, a graceful woman in her 30s, her tone warm and respectful.

"Thank you," I replied with a small, polite nod, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt being called Mrs. Jeon.

“Ju, baby, go to your room with Mary,” Jungkook instructed, patting the little bunny on the head. Ju gave one of his signature giggles and waddled off with Mary, already chatting about his new room and toys like he’d been here forever.

I was just starting to admire how easily Ju blended into everything when hell itself strutted into the hallway.

A Doberman.

A giant, sleek, terrifying creature—probably sent directly from my nightmares. I froze. Its paws clacked confidently across the marble floor, ears perked like it could smell my fear (because it could).

Please don’t come near me. Please go away. I whispered silent prayers to the universe.

But the universe? A traitor. Because the dog ran toward me. Full speed.

“No—no—please!” I whimpered, panicking. I didn’t think. I just reacted. One second I was standing upright, and the next second—

I launched myself at Jungkook.

Full koala mode.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressed myself flat against his chest like a life raft, and buried my face in the only thing that felt safe—his rock-solid torso.

And let me tell you: that chest was a wall of heat and muscle. And unfortunately, so were my boobs.

They pressed right up against him. And not like a little oops—no, I mean full pressure. It was a front-row ticket to Awkwardville.

“AHHH! Don’t let it bite me!!” I squealed into his chest, tightening my grip as the dog got closer. I didn’t even care that his body went stiff as a board. I was in survival mode.

J U N G K O O K

The wildcat turned into a baby bunny in 0.5 seconds.

She was clinging to me like I was the last floaty in a flood. Face smushed into my chest, nails digging into my shoulders, and—great—her entire chest flattened right up against mine.

I didn’t know what was harder—trying to maintain my sanity or pretending I wasn’t very aware of her body heat.

All this… because of Bam. My dog. My six-month-old Doberman who still chased his own tail and got excited over squeaky toys.

“Bam, sit,” I commanded firmly.

Bam obeyed like the good boy he was, sitting immediately and wagging his tail like he wanted to be friends with this panicked girl suction-cupped to my torso.

“Relax,” I muttered, voice low. “He’s not going to eat you.”

“I don’t believe you,” came the muffled sob from the depths of my chest.

She was literally climbing me now. Her leg brushed mine as she pulled herself even closer. I hadn’t been hugged like this since Ju mistook me for a pillow at midnight. Only this… was not the same. At all.

“You can move now, Ashley,” I said with a forced calmness, praying my voice didn’t betray the heat crawling up my neck. “He’s sitting. He’s not even barking.”

“I heard a growl,” she mumbled, not budging.

“That was his stomach,” I deadpanned. “He’s probably more scared of you than you are of him. Especially with the way you just tackled me like a linebacker.”

That finally made her pull away—a little. Her eyes peeked out like a startled kitten from under messy bangs. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and one lone tear clung to her lash, making her look adorably wrecked.

God help me.

“I’m… I’m scared of dogs,” she confessed, now clearly embarrassed. “Childhood trauma.”

“You don’t say,” I said dryly, watching her finally step back, although her hands still lingered on my jacket like she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own.

“Ugh, I knew I looked stupid,” she groaned, glancing down.

I shook my head, letting out a rare chuckle. “You looked like you were auditioning for a slow-motion romance drama. But with more screaming.”

She glared at me but didn’t deny it.

Bam let out a happy bark from his spot, clearly still trying to make friends. She yelped again and jumped slightly—right into me, again.

I rolled my eyes. “Woman, I swear—he’s not a killer. But if you keep jumping on me like this, I might be.”

Her lips parted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I stepped close. Real close.

“You really want me to explain what I mean,” I murmured near her ear, letting it hang there like a promise.

She went bright red. “N-no. I’m good.”

Good girl.

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