Work Text:
If you wanted to know what Hyeonjun’s day was like, you just had to look at his boots. There was always something biting, slapping, or screaming at them.
He stood in the middle of the rocky enclosure with a silver bucket swinging from his hand. Around his feet, a dozen penguins were squawking, waddling, and demanding their breakfast.
"Patience," Hyeonjun laughed, tossing a handful of silver fish into the air.
Most of the penguins dove into the water to catch their meal. But one penguin had a different plan. This specific bird was a playful little menace with white markings around its eyes that looked exactly like a pair of glasses. It waddled right up to Hyeonjun and aggressively slapped his yellow rubber boot with its flippers. Smack. Smack. Smack.
The penguin froze when it realized there was no fish coming yet. It just stood there staring up at Hyeonjun with its beak wide open, looking stunned that he was making it wait.
"Hey," Hyeonjun scolded, pointing a wet finger at the demanding bird. "You already had three. Go swim."
The penguin squawked loudly, flapped his wings to distract Hyeonjun, and swiftly dunked its beak right into the silver bucket. It stole a massive fish and waddled away as fast as his little legs could carry him, looking proud of his crime.
I am definitely going to trip that penguin later, Hyeonjun decided. He could only sigh and shake his head. He loved his job. The animals were menaces, but they were his favorite menaces in the world.
Once the last fish was gone, Hyeonjun dragged his feet back to the staff locker room, desperate to finally peel off his heavy rubber boots. It was completely empty, which was a rare blessing around the loud zoo. He walked over to his locker, but just as he reached for the handle, he froze. Sitting right on the very top edge of the metal frame was a round, polished gray pebble. It was resting exactly where he usually left his plastic employee nametag.
His nametag was nowhere to be found.
"Okay," Hyeonjun said out loud to the empty room. He rested his hands on his hips. "Very funny. Who took it?"
Obviously, nobody answered. Hyeonjun reached up and grabbed the little rock. It was smooth and still a little warm to the touch. He just shook his head and let out a tired laugh. What kind of weirdo trades a rock for a piece of cheap plastic? He gave up, dug a backup tag out of his bag, pinned it to his shirt, and headed back out to finish his shift.
The next day, the thief struck again.
This time, it was his favorite blue pen. It vanished from his clipboard while he was sorting out the afternoon feeding schedules near the reptile house. He had only looked away for two seconds to answer a question from a passing family. When he turned back, the pen was gone.
When he returned to the breakroom hours later, his pen was sitting neatly on his locker. It was covered in tiny, distinct bite marks. The plastic was completely chewed up. Next to the ruined pen was a brown acorn.
Hyeonjun crossed his arms and leaned against the metal door frame. A soft scratching noise caught his attention. He looked up. Up on the wooden rafters near the ceiling, a fluffy brown squirrel was watching him intently. Its dark eyes were wide, and it was clutching the wooden beam with tiny paws.
"Is this your doing... hmm?" Hyeonjun asked. He pointed to the chewed plastic pen.
The squirrel twitched its nose and flicked its bushy tail. It looked almost guilty.
Hyeonjun grinned. His playful side always won out when dealing with animals. "You have terrible taste in snacks, buddy. Plastic is not good for your tummy, you know? Hold on."
He stepped over to his backpack, dug into the front pocket, and pulled out a small plain cracker. He placed it carefully on the wooden bench, making sure not to make any sudden movements, and then took three large steps backward.
The squirrel watched him for a moment. Then, it scrambled down the brick wall with surprising speed. It snatched the cracker with greedy little paws, shoved the whole thing into its mouth, and darted right back up to the safety of the rafters.
"You are welcome," Hyeonjun chuckled.
From then on, it became a daily routine. Hyeonjun kept finding small, ridiculous gifts left on his locker. A half-eaten pinecone. A missing green shoelace stolen for a nest. One morning, it was a slightly bruised strawberry that looked like it had been carried a very long way.
Hyeonjun stared at the little red fruit, blinking slowly. Of all the fruits in the entire world, the squirrel just had to drop a strawberry. I am not exactly a fan of strawberries, but thanks, I guess? he thought to himself. Still, seeing the tiny, proud teeth marks on the side made him smile. He could not really complain when the furry little guy tried so hard.
In return, Hyeonjun started setting aside real snacks for his little thief. Unsalted peanuts, pieces of apple, and sunflower seeds. He found himself looking forward to his breaks just so he could see what the squirrel had brought him.
One afternoon, the routine took a very strange turn. Hyeonjun was walking past the tropical greenhouse when he spotted a flash of brown fur up on a large, low-hanging fern. It was his squirrel. But the squirrel was not alone, though. Sitting on the broad green leaf right next to the fluffy tail was a bright green tree frog.
Hyeonjun gasped and dropped his empty feed bucket. His zookeeper instincts kicked in immediately. Squirrels were mostly vegetarians, but they were also opportunistic eaters. A tiny tree frog was definitely in danger. He rushed forward, waving his hands to scare the squirrel away.
"Hey! Get away from him!" Hyeonjun shouted, stepping into the damp soil of the garden bed.
But as he got closer, he stopped dead in his tracks. The squirrel was not attacking the frog. It was not even trying to eat it. The squirrel was sitting still, leaning forward with its front paws tucked against its chest. It was chittering softly, making a series of rapid squeaks and clicks. The tree frog just sat there, blinking its large golden eyes slowly, occasionally letting out a low croak.
Hyeonjun let his hands fall to his sides. They definitely did not look like a predator about to eat its prey, or a prey about to get eaten. They looked like two tired coworkers ranting about the daily grind because, honestly, aren't we all just slaves to the paycheck? The squirrel chattered on, looking stressed out, while the frog just sat there like it was actually taking in whatever the squirrel was venting about.
"Are you guys… talking?" Hyeonjun whispered.
The squirrel froze. It turned its head, saw Hyeonjun, and let out a loud squeak. It scrambled up the nearest tree trunk. The little green frog just slowly hopped away into the bushes. Hyeonjun was left standing alone in the dirt, wondering if he needed to take a sick day.
But the squirrel was not the only new addition to Hyeonjun's work life. He also had to help train the new intern, a guy named Hyeonjoon.
Hyeonjoon was one year older than him and easily the tallest guy on the entire staff. But for someone that size, the boy was quiet. He basically lived behind his plastic clipboard, always staring hard at his work boots whenever anyone actually tried to talk to him.
Hyeonjun first officially met him outside the staff kitchen. Hyeonjoon was trying to carry a massive stack of clean towels, and he was clearly struggling to see over the top of the fluffy white pile.
"Let me help you with that, hyung," Hyeonjun offered, stepping forward to grab half the stack.
Hyeonjoon startled and nearly dropped the rest of the towels. He took a quick step back, his eyes going wide. "Oh. Thank you. Good morning, Hyeonjun."
Even in the dim light, Hyeonjun could see the tips of the older boy's ears turning a bit red.
"You look a little stressed," Hyeonjun noted. He smiled, trying to put the tall intern at ease. "The first few weeks are always crazy. Are you sleeping okay?"
"Just restless," Hyeonjoon mumbled, his voice deep and soft. He focused on the towels in Hyeonjun's hands, avoiding eye contact. "There's a lot of running around and many things to learn."
"Tell me about it, hyung. I was so lost my first month. But hey, at least I have my little breakroom buddy to keep me sane now." Hyeonjun smiled widely, thinking of the fluffy animal in the rafters. "He brought me a half-chewed gum wrapper today. He's getting very creative with his gifts."
Hyeonjoon frowned and glanced up, his dark eyes briefly meeting Hyeonjun's. "You really like that squirrel, don't you?"
"Of course! He is my favorite part of the day," Hyeonjun laughed lightly. "He is definitely much better company than the penguins. They just slap me when I am late with their fish."
Hyeonjoon muttered something under his breath. It was so quiet that Hyeonjun missed it.
Before Hyeonjun could ask him to repeat himself, Hyeonjoon lowered his head, quickly grabbed the towels back from Hyeonjun's arms, and rushed down the hall.
Hyeonjun blinked in confusion, standing alone in the corridor. He tilted his head, thinking about the older boy's dark, expressive eyes and his completely red ears.
Hyeonjun did not have much time to dwell on it, because his duties quickly called him away to the Children's Petting Zoo. It was his favorite place to be when the larger animals were giving him a headache.
He walked into the bird enclosure. Instantly, a tiny, fluffy yellow chick separated from the flock. It let out a series of happy peeps and sprinted right over to Hyeonjun.
"Hello to you too, little guy," Hyeonjun cooed softly, crouching down to offer a finger for the chick to gently bump against.
Wherever Hyeonjun walked, the chick followed. If Hyeonjun took a step to the left, the chick waddled furiously to the left. If he stopped, the chick bumped right into his boot and waited patiently. It was adorable, and it made Hyeonjun smile every single time. He had to shuffle his feet carefully just to make sure he did not step on his tiny, loyal shadow.
After checking on the birds, Hyeonjun headed to the play yard, where the newest addition to the animal ambassador program - an incredibly fluffy white puppy - was waiting. The small dog had big, twinkling eyes that looked entirely too innocent. The puppy spotted Hyeonjun and immediately trotted over, its tail wagging so hard that its whole body shook.
"Come here, you," Hyeonjun laughed, crouching down and reaching out to scoop the puppy into his arms. The moment Hyeonjun lifted him, the puppy turned into an absolute menace. It wiggled wildly, letting out tiny, funny growls, and playfully swatted at Hyeonjun's face with its soft paws. Hyeonjun laughed loudly, trying to secure his grip, but the puppy was far too squirmy. Hye fumbled, lost his balance, and fell backward right onto the soft grass.
Just like that, the puppy stopped jumping around. It trotted over, sat down nicely by Hyeonjun's chest, and just started sniffing his hair.
"You are such a fraud, huh?" Hyeonjun grinned, scratching the puppy behind the ears. "You were just putting on a big show."
"He likes you a lot."
Hyeonjun looked up. Hyeonjoon was standing right outside the petting zoo fence, gripping his clipboard against his chest. His ears were bright pink, showing just how flustered he felt. It was clear he wasn’t enjoying the teasing.
"Morning, hyung!" Hyeonjun called out, sitting up. The puppy stayed in his lap, letting out a soft huff. "He is just playful. Much friendlier than that cheeky penguin, that is for sure."
Hyeonjoon muttered something under his breath. He looked everywhere except at Hyeonjun's face. "The animals here are very fond of you."
"I guess I am just… I don't really know, hyung." Hyeonjun smiled widely.
Hyeonjoon frowned even deeper, his dark eyebrows knitting together. He tightened his grip on the clipboard, glancing first at the puppy, then at the chick peeking through the fence. Finally, he leveled a dark stare at Hyeonjun and muttered, "Better than me, too."
Hyeonjun couldn't ignore the way Hyeonjoon's mood shifted whenever he gave the animals too much attention. Each time he praised the clever squirrel or played with the petting zoo animals, Hyeonjoon would look miserable. He never actually said a word, but his whole face would just drop into this deep, offended frown. Hyeonjun found it both hilarious and strangely endearing. He started giving the animals extra pets on purpose just to push Hyeonjoon's buttons, grinning to himself every time Hyeonjoon glared at a tiny animal. Clearly, he was enjoying the playful tension that had developed between him and the older boy.
But there was one animal that completely flipped the script. The zoo's massive brown bear was a giant, fluffy sweetheart. He always greeted Hyeonjun with a happy grunt and gladly accepted sweet apples right from his hand. But with Hyeonjoon, the bear acted very... different.
One morning, Hyeonjun watched in shock as the tall intern stepped into the enclosure. The giant bear immediately lumbered over, stood up on its hind legs, and wrapped its massive furry arms right around Hyeonjoon in a gentle and overwelming hug. Hyeonjoon did not even flinch. He just smiled softly, leaning into the embrace and patting the bear's huge back like it was just a very large dog.
Hyeonjun stood outside the fence, frozen and staring with his mouth slightly open. What in the world? Hyeonjun thought, lost. This guy is terrified of making eye contact with me, but he is casually hugging a bear?
And it was not just the bear. There was also the zoo's koala. Hyeonjun knew for a fact you were not supposed to hug koalas. It was a strict rule because being grabbed by humans usually stressed them out. But the second Hyeonjoon walked into the sanctuary, the supposedly shy animal turned into a total faker. It reached out with its grabby claws and stuck to Hyeonjoon's chest like a fuzzy backpack.
Are you kidding me? Hyeonjun pondered, staring in disbelief. That thing bites me if I even look at it too long.
Instead of freaking out, the koala just buried its face in Hyeonjoon's warm shirt and went right to sleep. Hyeonjoon cuddled it right back, supporting its weight like it was nothing. Hyeonjun just stared. Is this guy a gumiho in disguise? he wondered. Nine-tailed foxes were supposed to trick humans, but maybe Hyeonjoon was a special kind who could magically charm every single animal in the zoo, too. He was definitely different; that was for sure.
Before Hyeonjun could even process what he was looking at, a wet, frantic squeaking sound echoed across the dirt. He blinked. A small brown otter was waddling straight into the koala sanctuary. How did an otter even get in here? Sure, they were escape artists, but breaking out of your own tank and crossing the zoo just to track down a specific intern was a whole new level of ridiculous.
The otter marched right up to Hyeonjoon's boots. It took one look at the sleeping koala attached to his chest and immediately took offense. The otter let out a whine, reached up with its little paws, and started pulling on the hem of Hyeonjoon's pants. It was throwing a tantrum.
Oh my god, it is actually beefing with a koala for his attention, Hyeonjun realized. Get in line, buddy. I would gladly throw myself on the dirt and cry right now if it meant he would hold me like that, too.
Hyeonjoon looked down, trying to hide a smile. The otter shifted from angry squeaks to soft cries for attention. It patted his leg again, demanding to be picked up. It clearly wanted to be the favorite. It probably wanted to hold hands and float around like a raft, but there was no water here, just a sleepy koala stealing its spot. The tall intern just sighed. He supported the koala with one arm and easily scooped up the needy otter with his free hand. The otter instantly stopped crying. It snuggled into his shirt and shot a victorious glare at the sleeping koala.
Hyeonjun rubbed his temples. This guy was not just a magical nine-tailed fox. He was basically a walking, human-sized piece of animal catnip.
The crazy part was, Hyeonjun was really starting to like him. But actually talking to the guy was impossible. Hyeonjoon always bolted in the opposite direction before Hyeonjun could even say hello.
Hyeonjun was totally wiped out by the time Friday rolled around. The new intern kept vanishing the second they made eye contact, which was just plain exhausting. On top of that, it felt like his feet were under constant attack. If he wasn't getting slapped by a grumpy penguin, he was looking down to find that the puppy had untied his shoelaces again. It was the second time that hour.
Hyeonjun escaped behind the reptile house with a cold drink, just needing ten minutes away from the screaming crowds. This specific wooden bench was his secret hiding spot. He slumped down, tipped his head back, and closed his eyes to soak in the quiet afternoon sun.
He was barely relaxing when a familiar scratching sound made him crack one eye open. Sure enough, his fluffy little breakroom buddy was climbing down the thick trunk of the tree right next to him. The squirrel hopped onto the back of the bench and confidently shuffled closer. Poking out of its tiny mouth was a limp, greasy french fry that it had definitely just stolen from some poor tourist.
"For me?" Hyeonjun asked. He held out his hand.
The squirrel dropped the greasy potato right into his palm. Then, it sat back on its hind legs and stared at him. Hyeonjun stared at his refreshing cold drink and then looked down at the soggy fry in his hand. Wow. A cold drink and a stolen french fry. "Combo meal," he thought to himself.
He smiled and shook his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of unsalted peanuts he had brought just for this guy and put them on the bench. The squirrel immediately grabbed one and started nibbling.
"You are a very good listener, buddy," Hyeonjun sighed. He rested his chin in his hand, watching the little guy eat. "I need to vent. Can I tell you a secret?"
The squirrel paused, twitched its nose, and went back to chewing. Hyeonjun decided to take that as a yes.
"There is this guy at work," Hyeonjun started. He felt his face get a little hot, so he tipped his head back to look up at the passing clouds instead. "His name is Hyeonjoon. He is the new intern. Have you seen him around?"
The squirrel suddenly stopped chewing. It held the peanut perfectly still in its little paws. Hyeonjun did not notice. He was too busy staring at the clouds and thinking about the older boy. Why am I telling a squirrel about my crush? he thought. Whatever. It is cheaper than therapy.
"He is really cute," Hyeonjun admitted quietly. "He has these huge, dark eyes, honestly, kind of like yours, and he is so gentle with the animals. I saw him with the chicks yesterday, and my stomach did a stupid flip. I really like him."
The squirrel went stiff.
"But it is so frustrating," Hyeonjun groaned, running a hand through his hair. "He runs away every single time I try to talk to him. He always looks so upset when I am playing with the other animals, or even when I am talking about you. I want to ask him to eat lunch with me, but I am scared he will just run away again."
Hyeonjun finally turned his head to look at his furry friend. "What am I supposed to do?"
The squirrel dropped the peanut. It hit the wood with a tiny click and rolled away into the dirt. The small animal stared at Hyeonjun. It let out a loud, strangled squeak, scrambled backward so fast it tripped over its own fluffy tail, and bolted up the nearest tree.
"Hey! Wait!" Hyeonjun called out, completely confused. He stood up, but the squirrel was already gone, hidden high up in the leaves. "Was it something I said?"
Hyeonjun slowly sat back down. Great, he thought, his hand on his waist. My love life is so deep in the trenches that even a rodent could not stand to hear about it.
Ten minutes later, footsteps crunched on the gravel path. Hyeonjoon came stumbling around the corner of the reptile house. He looked terrible. He was gasping for air, his face was flushed pink, and his hair looked like a bird's nest. He had dry leaves clinging to his shirt and a small twig sticking out from behind his ear.
Hyeonjun smiled, his stomach doing a stupid little jump. "Hyung! Just the person I wanted to see. Come sit with me."
Hyeonjoon froze. He looked like he was seriously considering faking a heart attack just to get out of the conversation, but he eventually gave up. His polite nature forced him to stay. He slowly shuffled over and sat on the very far edge of the wooden bench. He awkwardly pulled the twig out of his hair and stared down at his boots.
Hyeonjun tried so hard not to smile as he watched the man nervously pull a twig out of his hair. Did he get into a physical fight with a bush on his way here? he wondered. Please just stay on the bench even just for five minutes. "You know," Hyeonjun said, leaning closer and resting his chin in his hand. "You really remind me of that squirrel. You look like you would enjoy a handful of peanuts, hyung."
Hyeonjoon choked on his own breath. His entire neck turned the color of a stop sign. "Huh? I do not eat peanuts. I am a person, not a squirrel. I am a regular human man."
Pfft. A regular human man? Who actually says that out loud? Hyeonjun thought, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too wide. He let out a breathless laugh and shook his head. "I know that, hyung. But the offer still stands. Want to get lunch with me tomorrow?"
Hyeonjoon opened his mouth, closed it, and then nodded. He looked way too flustered to speak a single word.
The next day was supposed to be their first official lunch date. Hyeonjun spent the entire morning feeling nervous and excited. He even managed to avoid getting slapped by the cheeky penguin during the morning feeding because he was in such a good mood.
When noon finally arrived, Hyeonjun realized his phone was still in his locker. He told Hyeonjoon to meet him by the front gates and jogged back to the staff building. The hallways were deserted. He pushed the heavy metal door of the locker room open and stopped.
Sitting right there on the wooden bench was his fluffy breakroom buddy. The squirrel had somehow dragged one of Hyeonjun's spare uniform shirts completely out of his gym bag. The little guy had the fabric bunched up tightly in its tiny paws and was actively burying its face in the collar.
Okay, now it is stealing my laundry? Hyeonjun sighed.
Before he could even open his mouth to scold it, the air in the room suddenly warped. It looked like the dizzying heat waves coming off hot pavement in the summer. The shape of the squirrel blurred, stretched upwards, and turned into a tall guy wearing a dark uniform. Hyeonjun rubbed his eyes, totally convinced he was hallucinating. When he opened them, the squirrel was gone. Instead, Hyeonjoon was sitting on the bench, clutching Hyeonjun's spare shirt tightly to his chest. His dark eyes were wide, and he looked so terrified as he stared at the open door.
The room was so quiet Hyeonjun swore he could hear the cheap fluorescent lights buzzing. Oh, he thought, his brain processing everything. It all made horrible, hilarious sense. The missing green shoelace. The stolen pens. The fact that Hyeonjoon always showed up with leaves in his hair. The guy aggressively sulking whenever Hyeonjun played with the petting zoo puppy and chick.
And then, realization hit him. I literally told the squirrel the other day I thought the intern was cute.
Hyeonjoon squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shrink his massive frame down into nothing. He looked like he was praying for a sinkhole to open up and swallow him. He was actually shaking, probably waiting for Hyeonjun to start screaming, call him a freak, or run away in fear. Instead, Hyeonjun just stepped inside and let the metal door click shut behind him. He let out a long, amused sigh and walked right up to the bench. He reached out and gently tugged his shirt out of the intern's grip.
Hyeonjoon peeked open one eye. Hyeonjun just grinned, sat down right next to him, and bumped their shoulders together.
"You know," Hyeonjun said. "You really do not have to steal my things to get my attention, hyung."
Hyeonjoon swallowed hard, looking stunned. "You are not freaking out?"
"I mean, I am a little bit… shocked and currently questioning my own grip on reality right now," Hyeonjun admitted. "But honestly, it makes a lot of sense. Both versions of you are terrible at hiding how and what you feel."
Hyeonjoon covered his face with his large hands, letting out a deep groan. "This is the most embarrassing day of my life," he confessed. "I heard every word you said yesterday. I've wanted to speak to you for weeks, but I get so incredibly nervous around you. When you look at me, my brain just kinda stops working. It was so much easier to be furry, you know? I could just sit there and listen to you talk."
"Well, I like you just fine without the tail," Hyeonjun teased, nudging him again to make him look up. "But seriously, hyung, if you ever steal my favorite pen again, I am personally letting that white puppy chew up your work boots."
Hyeonjun suddenly gasped as a very specific memory popped into his head. His eyes went wide. "Wait. What about the bright green tree frog? The one in the greenhouse? Was that frog a human too?"
Hyeonjoon froze once again. The shy smile vanished off his face in an instant. He looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, scrubbing a large hand over the back of his neck.
"What frog?" Hyeonjoon asked, his voice cracking slightly. "I don't know any frogs. I am a squirrel. We don't hang out."
Oh, he is a terrible liar, Hyeonjun thinks. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in. "Hyung. Your ears are turning red again."
"Just a regular green frog," Hyeonjoon mumbled, trying to slide further down the wooden bench. "We were just talking about the weather."
Hyeonjun let out a loud laugh and nudged the older boy's knee. "Come on, hyung. You can tell me. I promise I will not tell a soul. Who was the frog?"
Hyeonjoon groaned, his broad shoulders slumping in defeat. He hid his face in his hands again. "Please do not tell anyone. He will actually kill me. That frog is my friend. He is the other new intern working over at the reptile house."
Hyeonjun stared at him. Two of them? Are you kidding me? "The one with glasses? Kiin-hyung? You are both shapeshifters?"
"Unfortunately," Hyeonjoon sighed, peeking through his fingers, clearly embarrassed. "The only reason we even applied to work here is that he has a massive crush on the head vet. He dragged me along for what he called… Ah, moral support? I was just supposed to be his wingman so he could stare at the guy from a distance."
Hyeonjun let out a loud gasp. "So you did not even want to work here in the first place?"
"I just wanted to be a supportive friend," Hyeonjoon mumbled. He looked down at his large hands, a fond smile finally returning to his lips. "I definitely did not expect to meet anyone. Or to fall so hard for the cute guy who... uh..."
Hyeonjoon stopped talking abruptly. His eyes went wide as he realized exactly what he just confessed out loud. He cleared his throat loudly, his face burning bright red again, and quickly looked at a random spot on the ceiling.
"Anyway," he stuttered, trying to change the subject. "That day in the greenhouse... I was having a total meltdown. I was telling my friend how much I… liked you and asking him what I was supposed to do."
Hyeonjun leaned back, grinning so hard his face actually ached. This is unreal. I literally almost fought a squirrel to save a frog, and they were just gossiping about me the whole time. "I thought you were going to eat him! I tried to save your friend from you!"
"I was panicking," Hyeonjoon corrected, his cheeks still pink. "And he is a terrible friend. He told me I was acting like a coward and that I should just bring you a nice flower instead of stealing your pens." Bold words from a literal amphibian who spends his entire shift stalking Dr. Woochan from a bush, Hyeonjoon thought with a bitter scowl.
"Well, your frog friend gives very good advice," Hyeonjun giggled, wiping a happy tear from his eye.
Hyeonjoon finally looked back at him, a genuinely warm smile settling on his face. "So. Do we have a deal? You keep my secret, and my friend's secret, and you still share your peanuts with me?"
Hyeonjun pretended to think about it, tapping his chin. "Hmm. Maybe not too many peanuts. They are actually basically junk food for a squirrel. Dr. Woochan warned me about it the other day when he caught me leaving them out."
Hyeonjoon's eyes went wide again. "Wait. Dr. Woochan? The head veterinarian Dr. Woochan?"
Hyeonjun giggled and nodded. "Yes. The exact same vet your frog friend has a massive crush on. He told me to give you something like raw almonds or pecans instead of peanuts."
Hyeonjoon groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "My friend is going to be so jealous that you get to talk to him casually about stuff like this while he is stuck hiding in the dirt."
"Well, he can just come talk to him too," Hyeonjun laughed. He finally stopped teasing and looked at the blushing guy in front of him with a smile. God, this is so cheesy it is actually embarrassing, Hyeonjun thought, feeling his face get hot. But whatever. He spent the last month eating peanuts out of my hand. I have nothing left to lose. "But yes. I will share my healthy snacks with you. Only if you hold my hand, though."
Hyeonjoon's breath hitched. He slowly lowered his hands, his face still flushed. Very carefully, he reached out across the bench. His large hand gently wrapped around Hyeonjun's fingers. His palm was warm, and he held on tight, holding on like he never wanted to let go.
"Come on, my little thief," Hyeonjun said, pulling the older boy to his feet. "Let us go get some real lunch."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the zoo...
Dr. Woochan leaned back against the frame and just stared at the ceiling. He reached up, dug a dry oak leaf out of his hair, and dropped it on the floor. Then, he reached into his white lab coat and pulled out a single unsalted peanut. He had pickpocketed it right off the tall new intern, and he felt great about it.
My reward for not physically biting anyone today, Woochan thought, cracking the shell open. Working in the zoo was exhausting. Taking care of the animals was fine, but dealing with the loud crowds was enough to make him want to quit. Not to mention, some tourists were asking him the stupidest questions, like if the zebras were just painted horses.
It is almost impossible to hide from another shifter. In fact, he smelled two of them on the very first day of intern orientation. But the zoo was huge, and Woochan was just too tired to go looking for them. He had his own problems to worry about. Plus, his scent was long gone anyway. He scrubbed in for so many surgeries that his natural smell was completely bleached out. He did not smell like anything wild anymore. He just smelled like disinfectants and alcohol. The interns never even suspected a thing. To them, the gray squirrel in the tree was just a fat and grumpy squirrel who refused to share its favorite spot.
Woochan walked over to his desk and booted up his computer. He probably should get them fired. Or at least write them up. He only figured out who they were last Thursday. He had been dead asleep on his branch when a ridiculous amount of croaking and squeaking woke him up. He peeked over the bark. Down in the dirt, a brown squirrel and a little green frog were going at it like two guys about to physically throw hands.
Can you guys keep it down? Woochan had thought, rubbing his furry face with his little paws. I am literally trying to sleep here.
But then he listened closer. The little green frog was whining that the doctor always buttoned his white coat all the way up to his neck. He was genuinely mad that the thick fabric was ruining his view. The brown squirrel was completely ignoring him, just rapid-fire squeaking about how Hyeonjun smiled at him earlier and made him forget how to function. He was just sitting in the dirt, squeaking his head off because he was too chicken to go say hi.
Woochan had to cover his mouth with his little paws to keep from laughing out loud.
Now, Woochan sat down in his leather chair and looked at his blank monitor. A responsible person would probably call security. Instead, a slow, amused smile spread across his face. He leaned back and looked out the window toward the bushes. Fire them? No way, Woochan thought. He wasn't going to say a single word. If the green frog wanted to spend his entire lunch break staring at the clinic from the bushes just to get a glimpse of him, Woochan was definitely not going to stop him. Well, he obviously knows a good thing when he sees it, he decided. He reached up, still smiling, and casually unbuttoned the top two buttons of his lab coat.