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Lost And Found [Jumin Han | Reader] [1/2]

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It had been a tiring day so far. Jumin Han, in all of his sleep-deprived glory and with all of his workaholic habits, decided to take a day-off. And what had happened then? Elizabeth the 3rd got lost.

The dark-haired man could barely believe his own eyes when he entered his one-storey house after calling Assistant Kang to notify her of his decision to skip work for the day, only to find that his precious Elizabeth the 3rd was gone. She had somehow sneaked out of the house, then jumped over the garden fence. No security camera had caught the white feline running away but after an examination of the house which Jumin did himself he was sure his cat was indeed gone.

Full of distress and immense worry, the man started pacing around the house while calling all security guards on duty and ordering them to start searching for Elizabeth immediately. He knew this was bad. It had never occured to Jumin that his Elizabeth would run away so he gave her all the freedom she desired which hadn't satisfied her enough and now she was somewhere on the run - dirty and tired, with her soft white fur soiled and her paws muddy. Any thoughts on the matter of her condition made Jumin shiver in fright.

He never dared imagine something bad happening to the only source of company he had, the only creature whose presence he found comfort in. Elizabeth the 3rd might've been just a cat but for Jumin as long as he had her nothing else mattered. However, now that she was gone he found himself not knowing what to do for the first time in his life.

Who could listen to his words and comfort him with their mere presence in the room? Who could understand the distress he felt?

There was no such person. Only Elizabeth the 3rd could do that. And that was exactly why Jumin was determined to find her no matter the cost.

...


You were walking down the street, humming in alleged satisfaction as your mind attempting fighting off the stress that had befallen it. You slept in and arrived late to work, which resulted in you being newly fired from the only job you knew how to do. The company you served much like a slave for a solid six years flipped you off and told you to go fuck yourself. Humming just made the situation seem less irredeemable.

You wondered how you'd pay your rent because your landlord would pay you a visit regarding that in about a week. Next came the question of how you'd tell your parents about the tragedy because they never favoured your mistakes and yet another one of this size would only further establish your sister as the favourite child amongst you two. Maya was three years younger than you but her successful job as a veterinarian and her engagement to a rich neurologist who had a knack for complimenting people made her the perfect child.

Her wedding was to be held two months from now in the middle of June when you'd get to hear another lecture from your parents on the topic of your many imperfections, including your recklessness, lack of responsibility and boyfriend, not to mention the fact you were three years away from becoming thirty and that wasn't an attractive number when it came to marriage. The imaginary scenario made your humming halt as you contemplated how realistic it sounded - you getting scolded for not being more like Maya.

You stopped abruptly in the middle of the street and pondered the reaction you'd get from your parents about you losing your job, still being single and possibly being thrown onto the streets in near future. Would they lend you money or ignore your problems completely? Maybe you could fix the situation before you saw them. You almost laughed at the notion but before that happened you felt something soft rub against the back of your leg. You jumped a foot away from the thing and looked back at where it was supposed to be, only to gaze at the empty space and fresh spring air.

A mewl made your attention fixate on a pair of bright blue eyes. The white feline they belonged to mewled once more and approached you again with the intention to rub against your legs. You were squealing inwardly when you noticed the collar around its neck as your hand reached out to pet it. You gently cradled the small metal tab between your fingers and read the name etched onto it aloud.

"Elizabeth the 3rd." The cat responded by mewling weakly before rubbing its head into your hand and you gave a smile as your hands lifted it from the ground. It seemed accustomed to such affections. "Did you get lost? Or did you run away because you didn't like your owner?" The inquiry hung in the air unanswered but you didn't care. Upon a closer observation, you concluded the latter suggestion was out of the equation - the animal looked properly fed and groomed, so you doubted it would run away from somebody who took such good care of it.

You knew you wouldn't see any posters of Elizabeth the 3rd around the streets because she was still clean and didn't seem hungry so it hadn't been long since she'd left home. With a newfound kind of happiness in your step, you renewed your humming and took off down the street with the intention to ask people around the neighbourhood if they knew Elizabeth's owner. Nearly four hours later however, you were getting tired and nobody recognised Elizabeth. You decided to take a small break on a bench at the near park and the cat snuggled up on your lap.

You were surprised to find out Elizabeth was actually smarter than you average cat - she walked by your side and only strayed from the path if she saw something that interested her. All you had to do in such a case was wait for her return in one place before resuming your journey. Strangely enough, you felt calmed by her presence. Like the future cat lady you might find yourself being, you spoke to the cat about your problems and it listened though not understanding a word. Focusing on finding her owner was hard because you felt like you'd bonded with the animal and it made you sad to know you wouldn't be able to see it again.

"Elizabeth, I think we have to search for your owner some more. Maybe they're around. Don't you want to go back to them?" The animal's sad eyes dropped to its white paws at your question, making your lips purse in inward pity. "Well, if you're this sad about being apart, let's get going. I promise you I'll get you to them safe and sound." Your promise would soon be tested, you realised as a not-so-distant bark reached your ears the moment you tried to get up from the bench. Heads whipping in the direction of the sound, you witnessed a stray dog running straight towards you after having noticed Elizabeth.

You tried to stand up and grab a rock, a stick or anything really to protect yourself and Elizabeth with but the latter didn't seem sane enough as to cooperate, trying to claw her way out of your weak grip instead. You understood you'd have to keep your cool and stop the feline from running away. You had to bring her back to her owner - even if it meant getting a scratch or two along the way.

...


Jumin restlessly paced the streets round his home as countless of questions and imaginary situations raced his mind at a thousand miles per hour. He thought he was going crazy. What if Elizabeth was kidnapped? What if she was all alone somewhere, cornered and helpless? What if she was dirty and starving? What if someone with bad intentions had decided to keep her? What if she'd ran into a stray dog or across a street in front of a car?

What if?

What if?

What if?

Those were the two words that drove him mad but not before making his imagination go wild in the most unpleasant of ways. Jumin Han lacked the sanity to think logically at the moment. Every thought in his head was a horrible outcome, tangled amongst a ton of other horrible outcomes. He never wished to encounter the mere notion of something bad happening to his precious Elizabeth but in a situation like this where bad things were mostly reality it was better for him to be a pessimist. He knew reality was harsher than a pinch of naivety and a bunch of shiny optimism.

And, fortunately for him, Jumin was prepared to come face to face with whatever reality was going to be brought upon him. His legs moved erratically as his heart raced and his breaths exited his mouth ragged and heavy. This was exactly how worried he was for Elizabeth the 3rd because she was the most important thing for him. He loved her more than his father, more than his company, more than his wine. He needed to find her and fast.

The faint sound of a bark in the distance made his thoughts go back to their original state - panic.

...


Running wasn't in your storage of best abilities and you knew that.

A few minutes into sprinting down the streets in a desperate attempt to lose the dog on your trail, you felt your mind turning off due to lack of oxygen. Your legs hurt, your heart was about to burst, you had more blood circulating in the apples of your cheeks than you had in your toes and you were sweating buckets. You had to admit the adrenaline of being chased gave you a proper energy and motivation boost but it certainly wasn't the best of thrills.

The places on your wrists where Elizabeth had scratched you stung, but the one she'd made when the dog had come close to biting you was the one that hurt most. It was lengthy and deep, and you felt you might faint if you did as much as look at it. You remembered the horror you felt when your eyes were met with the crimson rivers dripping from your bare forearm to your white trousers but, despite your fear of blood, it was the first time in your life you didn't give a damn about it because you had more important things to do.

Your sprint slowed to a stroll when you could no longer hear barking and you looked around warily. You'd certainly outdone yourself this time - you could taste blood on your tongue and your mouth hadn't suffered one injury during the whole mess. You were caught by surprise when Elizabeth jumped out of your arms in the middle of your attempt to steady your breathing. You ran after the white feline, calling out her name even though you felt you might collapse any moment now.

You rounded the corner ahead after her, already out of breath with your feet barely gracing the ground when the surprising sight of Elizabeth rubbing against the legs of a tall dark-haired male in a business suit was presented to your orbs. His messy appearance didn't manage to escape you and the brief thought his day hadn't been any better than your own crossed your mind.

"God, Elizabeth, don't go running away like that again. It's better not to lose you now that we're searching for your owner." You crouched by her when your hoarse voice made the male acknowledge your existence. Elizabeth turned to face you before mewling once and running back into your arms. You smiled down at her gently, petting her head as she purred in content. The man's surprised face made you clear your throat as you gave him a smile as well. "I'm really sorry if she troubled you."

You let go of the cat and walked up to him. The feline took a seat on the ground inbetween your figures, gaze curiously jumping from one face to the other. You got a better look at him from up close; something at the back of your mind told you you knew him from somewhere, you'd seen him before and you were supposed to know who he was.

He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders, high cheekbones, pale skin and disheveled dark brown hair. Chocolate eyes fixed on yours in a cold manner, his angular jawline was clicked in place. Even as handsome as he was, though, it was obvious this wasn't his best of days. The collar of his striped button-up was upturned, his black tie stuffed in the breast pocket of his hastily buttoned vest with his sleeves crookedly rolled up to the elbows. His skin glistened with sweat and his breathing was heavy despite his obvious attempts to hide it.

Suddenly aware of your prolonged stare, you averted your eyes to the pavement beneath your feet as blood rushed into your cheeks.

...


Jumin looked ahead in bewilderment. His Elizabeth was fine. And currently being petted by a complete stranger. The woman petting Elizabeth approached Jumin, giving him a chance to observe her.

Small, slender figure with captivating (e/c) eyes and strands of messy (h/c) hair sticking to her sweaty forehead and neck. The collar of her formal white blouse was upturned and her trousers were stained with what Jumin thought was blood. The woman's face was flushed, her breathing was ragged and heavy and her wrists had blood smeared all over them. His observation of her halted as fast as it had began and his eyes fled to her (e/c) orbs before speaking up.

"It's alright. If I may ask - what happened to you?" He inquired casually and watched the woman fiddle with her fingers. Her gaze averted to Elizabeth the 3rd, she looked back at him before explaining.

"On my way back from work I encountered Elizabeth, who was lost. I decided to find her owner but after a few hours of no fruition, I took a small break. A stray dog started chasing us but we managed to escape. She isn't hurt at all. I wouldn't want to return her to whoever is dead worried for her in a state worse than the one she was in before I found her." The woman's reasonings made Jumin internally pleased. She seemed not only kind but caring as well and was rather passionate as far as he could see.

"And your wrists...?" He trailed off with an emotionless voice as she flashed him an uneasy smile.

"Oh, um, well... Elizabeth scratched me, but it was because she was scared of the stray dog. It doesn't hurt." The (h/c)-haired female looked at her feet shortly and Jumin did admit she didn't seem to be in pain but he couldn't really say she was in top condition either.

"It doesn't look like it." A good thing Jumin considered about himself was the way he always spoke what was on his mind. When he sugar-coated things it was always because of meetings where his charm and looks could be used as an advantage. This woman in front of him may have taken into account his looks, but she took no steps further down the drain in an attempt to become pleasant in his eyes.

"No matter what it looks like, it is not painful. I'm thankful for your concern nevertheless." An extremely warm, albeit brief, smile graced her lips, making Jumin's heart thump a bit louder in his ribcage. Maybe it was because he was happy to have Elizabeth the 3rd back with him safe and sound - he concluded, but he himself was strongly aware of the excuses he was making.

"I am not that concerned, it was just polite of me to ask." He corrected her coldly. His hand fixed his crooked tie after he took it out of the breast pocket of his vest. Jumin noticed the woman observing his hand as he did so, but he feigned oblivion because he was used to it.

"Do you have an idea who Elizabeth's owner might be?" She redirected the topic, probably because of the vibes of discomfort Jumin was oozing.

He gave her a small nod and continued fixing his attire. "I just happen to know him." Came the nonchalant answer. The female's face lit up, a grin sprung out on her lips and she crouched next to Elizabeth happily, making Jumin's eyes narrow at how hospitable his cat acted when it was usually hostile to strangers.

"Then I guess I can entrust her to you or if you have work you can just tell me where the owner lives so I can bring her back myself. I actually like that variant more, I'd feel better if I saw with my own eyes how she gets home safe." The female's bright (e/c) orbs were fixated on the white feline rubbing against her hand as a warm smile adorned her lips.

"Why?" He was confused as to why this woman would care about his cat that much.

"She's a nice cat. And... she doesn't really possess the vibe of an animal. It's as if she's a real person - her presence is soothing, she's a good listener and she seems more intelligent than the average cat. Her owner is a lucky man, she's a very lovely creature." The female explained, bright smile directed at Jumin this time around. The corporate heir felt strange, for the first time since Rika's death had anyone smiled at him with so much sincerity. The sight made his stomach take a rather pleasant turn.

"Indeed... she is." He wondered if the warmth on his face was due to his exhaustion or because of her smile but the thought was quickly brushed off.

"I wonder if she's like that because of him. Usually cats grow to be like their owners and their character often reflects the way they've been raised.." She stated, making Jumin's eyebrows furrow. Elizabeth the 3rd had always been more of a companion to him than a cat, so he could bet her character wasn't anywhere near his own.

"I've heard of that, but I don't think it's true."

"In my opinion it is. I believe that if Elizabeth the 3rd is so intelligent and lovable, then her owner must posses a lot of nice characteristics." The woman stopped petting Elizabeth the 3rd and took her in her arms instead before standing up and making it so that the cat faced its owner just right.

"Or he's just a lonely man that has nothing to do other than spoil his cat." Jumin himself couldn't find the source of his sudden self-scepticism, but he often heard people indentifying him that way behind his back, so he was curious of what he'd hear as a response.

"Do you happen to have something against him?" The woman quirked an eyebrow at him and Jumin almost scoffed - he was currently talking to a stranger about himself as if he were another person - it was a paradox he wasn't used to, yet he felt no desire to grow familiar with it either.

"Not in the slightest, you're being too naive. You shouldn't judge people without knowing them. I'm sure that once you meet him, you'll stop thinking of him that way." Here he came again, Jumin Han talking about himself as if he wasn't Jumin Han.

"Your words are way too pessimistic for my taste. I'm not naive, I was taught to judge people that way. I'm sure Elizabeth's owner is a nice person even with your apparent disagreement on the matter." Her words were soft as she smiled down at the cat in her arms and Jumin felt like talking about himself with strangers wasn't so bad.

Well. Not with this particular stranger anyway. If this woman's place had been filled by another person, Jumin was almost sure he would've snatched Elizabeth away from them already and taken her home with a cold fake 'thank you'. However, this woman's character and the interest his cat had taken into her were things that intrigued him because they were known to him as nothing else but rarity.

"How could you be sure sure?" His question was simple but sure to make her think at least a little, yet her answer was immediate and determined as she faced Jumin.

"I just am. I've a feeling."

"What would you do if your 'feeling' was to end up wrong?" He questioned again as his eyes observed her face twist in a smug. She let out a small confident huff.

"I guess we'll have to see to understand." She stated with a smirk on her lips. Jumin felt mesmerzied by her aura - so light yet fierce like a fire hidden behind an air of nice tranquility that served as a shield.

"... I guess so." He agreeded nonchalantly after a small pause. A mini smirk crawled up his lips and she grinned his way before snorting with sweet ringing laughter. In embarrassment for the fact she had laughed, she coughed and looked at him with an uneasy smile.

"So, umm... the address of the owner?" She asked as slight redness crept across her cheeks for unknown to Jumin reasons. He shook his head lightly and quickly chased away the ringing of her laughter from his head.

"I can just bring her there myself." The dakr-haired man reached out his hands and waited for the woman to hand over the cat, but she hesitated prior to holding the animal closer to her chest.

"But I want to hand her to him myself!" The determination in her tone was hard to miss and the pitch of her voice made Jumin scowl at her stubbornness. He gave her a glare.

"Then hand her to me, please." He stated calmly - coldly even, but the gentleman manner he used clearly made the woman more suspicious.

"Why should I?" Her eyes narrowed and doubt filled up her (e/c) orbs as Jumin collected his calm before he could burst. His hands retreated which made the woman's grip on Elizabeth loosen but his next words made her eyes snap wide open.

"Because I am her owner."

...


"And your name is?" You asked in suspicion, eyes still focused on the man who was strangely familiar, whose name was on the very tip of your tongue, whose identity was somewhere in your memory.

"Jumin Han. A pleasure." The hand he extended for a greeting hung in the air for a few seconds as your brain processed the small piece of information he had given you. Jumin Han. The name was one you'd heard of. A lot at that. At work, at home, from your parents, sister and friends. So this was the oh, so famous Jumin Han in his natural habitat, huh? Well, you couldn't really say that. He was probably walking on eggs having to waste his time with you and you could bet being tense wasn't all that natural. Or maybe for a person like him it had turned into a routine at one point. You couldn't know either way.

"I'm (Y/N). (Y/N) (L/N). The pleasure's mine." You hastily reached out and gripped his slender hand with your own small sweaty one. The action almost made you drop Elizabeth, but you managed to keep your cool and the cat in your arms. Your hand stayed in Jumin's as he observed your reaction before he withdrew it and cocked a thin eyebrow your way.

"Now, my Elizabeth?" You silently refused to hand over the cat as your gaze averted from his and strayed towards the ground instead.

"Why didn't you say anything a few minutes ago?"

"Why? So you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself by talking sweet stuff to me about me?" Jumin's straightforward question made your eyes widen before you faced him as heat creeped up your face.

"N-No, because now it just makes the situation more..." You trailed off, not knowing how to end the sentence without giving him the satisfaction of admitting your shame.

"Embarrassing?" He finished for you with a slight smirk as you scowled.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I am embarrassed! Can you stop trying to make me more ashamed?" You snapped at him with a burning face and high-pitched voice. In the end a pout settled on your lips as you met Elizabeth's calming blue eyes stare back at yours.

"I'm really sorry, I did not realise I was crossing the line." Smugness latched itself onto that sentence and you scoffed.

Gentleman manners, my ass. Was your first thought as you heard his comment - seemingly innocent, but laced with hidden satisfaction.

"Liar." You snorted and looked at his chocolate eyes, that were captivating enough to make you wish you never looked away.

"Clever, aren't you?" He smirked at how fast you caught up with his fake apology because for all he knew, he wasn't really sorry. You bit the inside of your cheek to contain the heat on your face. Jumin Han looked extremely attractive when he smirked and he didn't need a guide to figure out you were captivated by the attraction he had been oozing for the past few minutes.

"Polite men are easy to read. Even more with a smug face." You commented with a shrug and looked down at Elizabeth the 3rd again while desperately trying to erase the image of his smirk from your mind. He put his hands in his pockets casually with a sigh.

"I can assure you that once I become my usual self I'd be quite emotionless, so you won't be able to tell whether I'm lying or not." He stated nonchalantly. You took it in as a warning. You looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows and stared stright into his chocolate brown orbs before smirking cockily and petting Elizabeth's head.

"I'll make sure to test that out." His statement may have been nonchalant, but you saw it as a challenge he had offered for you to complete.

"You will?" To your announcal Jumin raised an eyebrow in what was most probably shock in its slightest.

"Won't you let me?" Your question, along with the look on your face, was seemingly so innocent that it made Jumin consider momentarily answering in a way a mind as pure as yours wouldn't be able to catch up with. However, before that could happen he shook the thought off and looked straight into your eyes with a blank expression on his face.

"I have a busy schedule." He said monotonously and although he used it as an excuse, it was very true. He knew Assistant Kang wouldn't let him off the hook when he went back to the office the following day because today was an exception in his schedule similar to a vacation which was thought of in the last moment and brought to reality a bit later. To top it off, the time he was supposed to spend relaxing he spent searching for Elizabeth the 3rd and that was in no way, shape or form the concept Jumin had of a vacation or a day-off.

"It won't be a problem. I have no schedule." You shrugged and his train of thoughts was cut off which made him blink at you a few times as he zoned back in reality and processed your words.

"You're unemployed?" He questioned with slight surprise in his voice, accompanied by mild curiosity.

"Newly fired." You corrected and he nodded in understanding then hummed slightly. He cleared his throat casually in an attempt to erase the feeling of embarrassment he felt for prying into things that could've been a personal matter.

"How unfortunate." He stated as coldly as ever, he couldn't lose his composure in such a situation.

"Not all that much, but yes." You nodded while petting Elizabeth the 3rd's head and finding slight comfort in her low purring.

"That doesn't change the fact that I have no free time." Jumin went back to the main topic because he feared that if he didn't directly reject your request to 'hang out' as you would informally put it, you'd think he'd given a positive reply instead. You were not stupid, but you were quite stubborn.

"Then do you have any work right now?"

"No... ?" A slight question mark hung in the air right after his one-word answer and you knew the gears in his mind were trying to figure out what you had in mind. Even if that happened, however, it would be too late because he'd already answered and you were determined.

"Good. We can visit a café and have a nice chat." You stated with a cheeky smile, making his eyes widen before they went back to their normal size and his eyebrows furrowed instead.

"Why are you so confident I'll accept your innappropriate request?"

"I did find your cat. And I gave it back to you." Even though you said that as straightforwardly as possible, you already had in mind the reply you would receive. After all Jumin seemed practical and very, umm... the type of person to be blunt when additional sugar-coating wasn't needed.

"Not yet." He stated coldly, eyeing up the purring white feline in your arms. You just smiled at him and then stood next to him so that your shoulders were almost touching.

"Okay, then let's leave her at your place and then go for a cup of coffee." You were already walking down the street when you realised you didn't know where he lived. "You live in that direction right?" When he joined you without saying anything you concluded he was going to humour you for awhile. You didn't know what you had to do as to make such a rich and handsome man do as you wanted him to, but you guessed you were doing fine. After all, you had no idea of his class's standarts and while you surely couldn't make yourself fit for them, you were capable of faking them to a plausible extent.

"Are you sure you should be inviting yourself in the house of a bachelor so freely?" Jumin was already staring at you when your attention turned to him and somehow, using the height and superiority difference between you two, that sentence didn't function solely as a question, but had a side-use of a threat as well. What could he actually do though? As far as you were told Jumin Han wasn't a harrasser and you'd never heard of him being with a woman, so you guessed he was just testing you.

"What's there to fear? As I said - Elizabeth's owner is lovable and intelligent. He's also a gentleman, so I'm sure he respects a woman's personal space and rights. Am I not correct?" You quirked an eyebrow at him with the smallest of smirks which only turned into a soft smile when you saw how his head turned back to the street.

"You're very stubborn, I'll give you that." He cleared his throat and you nodded, a big grin stretching your lips.

"Don't forget humble and passionate." Came the cheeky addition that only made him huff as he glanced at you. Gaze returning to the street ahead, Jumin attempted to calculate the distance parting you from his home.

"Yes, yes. Of course." He mumbled absentmindedly as you chuckled and petted Elizabeth the 3rd softly, content with the fact you'd made your day productive in a way. You returned a lost animal to its rightful owner. First you found the cat, then the owner. In your personal opinion however, the latter was just as lost as the former.
Ok, we all need a story about the daddy. This would've popped up on my page anyways one day. And as they say - 'The sooner, the better'.
© 2016 - 2024 StilemaWillow
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Carefully done work, peaceful athmosphere, smart content. Pretty good fic, nice :)