Everything You Do Is Magic | seventeen au

Chapter 5: Afternoon Tea

Three days passed by quickly.

Minghao did not expect that he'd still be here, in Yoon Jeonghan's solace for mistreated and abandoned creatures. He had gotten the full tour of the house, Jeonghan personally showing him the backyard where a large fence around their vegetable garden kept away roddents who might find interest in the growing carrots or cabbages, the swimming pool at the side of the house where sun lounges were there for those who wished to sunbathe or simply hang around the pool area. Minghao, as impressed as he was with the spacious house and the modern yet cozy way it was decorated, loved nothing more than the table and chairs they had on the front porch.

There, Minghao sipped his afternoon tea. The house was built quite far from the busy streets of the city, in fact they were right beside a large forest, which meant not many houses were to be seen in the neighborhood courtesy of the fear of wild animals and thieves hiding in the darkness of the trees. Minghao guessed that it wasn't a problem for a house filled with individuals who harness special abilities. The two houses closest to them were both similar in size to Jeonghan's house, yet still they seemed like miles away.

It was like they were in their own little world.

Quiet. Minghao enjoyed the quiet. He liked listening to the breeze from the tall trees, the way it rustled other plants. He liked that he couldn't hear a single engine from any vehicle from any near road, and he liked that staying at Jeonghan's home felt more peaceful than living in the cramped apartment which belonged to his uncle before he had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

In the three days he's spent here, Minghao has gotten to know the creatures under Jeonghan's roof. He knew Seungcheol worked for the Department of Creature's Rights, and he was pretty good at his job as consultant. The human worked from home a lot, unless there was an active case which needed his presence. Jisoo and Seokmin were hired to tend a family-owned farm, Soonyoung taught at a dance studio every weekday except Fridays, Wonwoo worked as an editor for a book publishing company, Jihoon interned in the city, Mingyu was a trainer in a gym exclusive to creatures, and Seungkwan and Hansol were students at New Levels University.

Only Jun, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, and Seungcheol were currently inside. Two cars were used by the rest, leaving only one parked in the garage. Minghao knew that in an hour or so, some of the ones who left would be returning.

Minghao hadn't realized the front door was ajar until a furry little ball suddenly ran outside, directly towards where Minghao was. Stopping by Minghao's foot was a puppy, sat on its haunches and waggling its small tail while looking up at Minghao. Minghao stared at how the puppy's eyes were familiar and how the color of its fur was split so equally in the center it looked like someone painted the dark brown color on the lower-half of its body.

"Chan?"

The puppy yipped in acknowledgment.

Minghao placed his teacup down, bending in order to scoop Chan into his arms. Chan let himself be held in Minghao's arms, tongue sticking out as he wriggled until he was comfortable. Gently, Minghao used his thumb to pet the top of Chan's puppy head. "Did you wake up from nap time and nobody noticed?" In answer, Chan nuzzled his nose onto the fabric of Minghao's long-sleeve.

"You're getting quite good at shapeshifting." Chan got most of the features of a puppy right, except of course the way the color of his fur was split into two like different fabrics stitched together. He also couldn't quite change the shape of his eyes, they retained their human shape instead of taking on a more dog-like look. Minghao continued to stroke Chan-puppy's fur as he said, "I don't think I've ever heard of a baby who's been able to pay as much attention to detail as you. You're very smart."