RRRRIIIIINNNGGGG!!!
RRRRIIIIINNNGGGG!!!
RRRRIIIIINNNGGGG!!!

Without opening your eyes, you reach an arm out to press the snooze button on your alarm clock. It's muscle memory at this point.

You burrow your face into the warm softness of your pillow, looking forward to another 5 minutes of shuteye, when a thought breaks through the cloud of sleep fogging up your brain.

'It's Saturday.'

And not just any Saturday. It happens to be an end of the month Saturday.

Which means...

'Payday!'

Your eyes fly open and find the digital display on your clock: [07:01]

While most people these days use the alarm clock in their mobile phones, you prefer using the actual, physical version. Yes, it's old school, but you're a very tactile person. You relish in the feeling of depressing a button to snooze or turn your alarm off.

You push yourself up to a sitting position, fishing your phone out from your bedside drawer. You've been stowing it away an hour before bedtime, in a bid to regularize your sleeping pattern. So far it's been working.

You pull up the mobile banking app to check that your pay has indeed reflected in your bank account, and your eyes nearly pop out when you see the amount that came in.

The number really shouldn't have come as a surprise. You've been working your ass off in the past few months, and it paid off. Despite being a new hire, you were the top performer of the quarter, which earned you dirty looks from the office's more seasoned employees. But you didn't care, because being Employee of the Quarter also came with a Big. Fat. Performance. Bonus.

'I've never had this much money in my bank account before. Should I get myself a treat today?'

The thought is a novel one. Having grown up poor, you were raised believing that frugality, not cleanliness, is the virtue closest to godliness.

You chew on your lip, wondering if you should just save the entire amount for a rainy day. That's what your halmeoni would tell you to do, for sure.

But then you think back on these last three months, all the long, grueling hours, all the lunch breaks you worked through instead of joining your colleagues to eat and socialize, the extra work load you kept taking on...

Nope, no way you're delaying gratification this time. You deserve to treat yourself for sure.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

It's a glaringly bright day outside, and it's been so long since you've enjoyed a day out that you almost hiss at the first touch of unfiltered sunlight on your skin.

You take in a lungful of clean, crisp air that's not blown out of an air-conditioning unit and immediately feel... lighter.

'I really should go out more often... Why don't I go out more often???'

You stand there for a long while, simply basking in the sun, absorbing some much-needed Vitamin D, when you realize that you haven't even decided on what you want to do for the day.

When you first arrived in Neo-Seoul, you had a long list of things you wanted to do, food you wanted to try, sights you wanted to see... a list that quickly dwindled to nothing as work ate up more and more of your time.

You try to remember things from that list now, but it seems like a memory too far gone; so instead, you reach for a more recent one.

A few of your coworkers had been chatting about the latest, coolest "place to be": a strip of boutiques and cafés in the neighboring town of Old-Seoul. It seems worth checking out, despite being a ways away.

Besides, you're feeling quite adventurous.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Half an hour later, and you're feeling decidedly less adventurous.

You bravely (foolishly?) decided to take a stab at the city's complicated public transit network, it being an "adventure" and all. First, you took a rather long walk to the nearest subway station, took the subway, then got on a bus to your ultimate destination. To make the trip go by faster, you immersed yourself in a book, one you've put off reading for months because you've been so busy working.

By the time you realize you're on the wrong bus, you're several stops too late.

You get off as soon as you can and consult BoggleMaps, which confirms that yes, you are definitely not where you intended to be. Far from it.

You heave a resigned sigh.

While it would be a balm to your ego to say that getting lost is a rare occurrence for you, the truth of the matter is that it is all too familiar and far too frequent. It's not that you're stupid. In fact, those who know you would say you're pretty damn smart... just not when it comes to directions.

And so here you are.

'When I said I was up for an adventure, this isn't what I had in mind, Universe.'

But maybe... this is what the Universe had in mind for you?

You're a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason," so you curiously look around. Maybe there's something interesting to do in this area?

Your gaze lands on a nearby building, the sign of which catches your attention:

[ HOMES FOR HYBRIDS ]

'A Hybrid Orphanage? I've been hearing about those in the news lately.'

Admittedly, you've had a few passing thoughts about visiting one. You've never seen a Hybrid in real life before, and you've always been intrigued.

Of all the places in Seoul to get lost at, you end up a few meters away from a Hybrid orphanage. Surely this is sign from the Universe? This could be your chance to finally see a Hybrid, maybe even meet and talk to one.

'I did say I was going to have an adventure today... maybe this is it.'

With a wry shake of your head, you cross the road.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

"Welcome to Home for Hybrids!"

The person who greets you is, for lack of a better description, a real 'bright, refreshing presence'.

"My name is Hobi, what can I help you with today?"

His lips form a charming heart shape as he beams at you, his eyes perfect crescents sitting atop high cheekbones.

"Do you have a specific type of Hybrid that you're looking to adopt?"

Your eyes widen, and you quickly shake your head.

"Erm, no. I just, uhh, wanted to look around... if that's okay?"

Your admission doesn't seem to disappoint him. In fact, his heart-shaped smile just grows bigger.

"Of course, of course!" he says cheerfully. Then, after a short pause, he adds, "Although, I have to warn you," his smile turns teasing, "a lot of people who come here to 'just look around' end up adopting one of our adorable Hybrids anyway!"

"Ah, no. I really just want to l---"

Suddenly, a singsong voice, somehow reminiscent of sweet melting chocolate, cuts through the room.

"Hobi-hyung, have the strawberries we ordered arrived?"

You turn in slow motion ---or at least, that's what it feels like in your head.

You bite back a gasp.

By the doorway stands the most beautiful creature you have ever laid eyes on.

"Oh, we have a visitor," the beautiful creature speaks in that equally beautiful voice, "My name is Taehyung, it's nice to meet you."

You turn back to Hobi, manically.

"I change my mind," you blurt out in a voice that sounds crazed even to you, "I'm going to adopt him."

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

A/N: This is a Wattpad adaptation of the runaway hit My Hybrid's Duality from BTS Universe Story. Just a warning that this version will be a bit more mature, and there will be slight changes, but it will still have the same TaeTae and V that you all came to love!

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