Chapter Text
Before Taeyong purchased his first home, he had spent hours on Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and any other website he could, looking for first time home owner content. Most of these videos lead to Taeyong picking up many different kinds of hobbies.
Hobbies that cost money. And lots of it.
Ignoring the new home money he had just spent, he did not care. Things were great.
The commute into the city wasn’t that bad if he was being honest. Who thought living by a nature preserve would only be a 45 minute drive from the city?
It was worth it since he could live near his friend Doyoung. They had been close friends ever since Taeyong first moved to the city. Doyoung showed him all the good places to be and all the good people to know. That’s why the city was never the same once Doyoung left.
Good things never last forever, but other good things are always bound to come.
☆
“Doie,” Taeyong waved his hand in front of his friend, who was busy staring at his phone. “This is serious.”
“Yeah yeah, god should punish the rhubarb thief or whatever,” Doyoung mumbled, his eyes still glued to his phone.
“RADISHES, Doyoung,” exclaims Taeyong at the local diner. The lady serving coffee at the counter looks over to them and Taeyong’s cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. “They’re radishes…” he mumbles.
“I can see this is certainly troubling you,” Doyoung puts his phone down, a stupid smirk on his face.
“I could’ve avoided that had you taken me seriously,” Taeyong pouts. Doyoung laughs at him.
“I’ve been here for a year now, no one in this town would take from one another without someone else mentioning it by now,” Doyoung goes to pick his phone back up, but Taeyong grabs his wrist.
“Kim Doyoung, I swear to Nævis, if you ignore me one more time, I will embarrass us so bad, you’ll never be able to eat here again.”
“I think you need help,” deadpans Doyoung, now soothing his wrist.
“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Taeyong huffs. “What’re we going to do about this?”
“Can I show you something on my phone that might help?” Doyoung goes to reach his phone again, cautiously.
“Yeah, but if it’s Tinder, I’m gonna lose it,” Doyoung shakes his head. He’s already taken enough damage today.
“Look!” Doyoung shows his phone to Taeyong.
“Is that your backyard?” Doyoung nods his head.
“Yeah, it’s a security cam. The last owners had them installed for some reason, but it gives me a bit of a security blanket,” Doyoung scrolls through the cameras, showcasing the recorded parts of his home.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, we used to have a camera on our doorbell.” Doyoung hums.
“Well, guess we found your weekend plans. And here I was hoping it would be Tinder,” Taeyong practically growls at Doyoung.
The diner enjoyed listening to a certain pair of guests that morning.
☆
Taeyong asked the neighbor’s son to come over and help. Sungchan was a very sweet young man, college aged, and back home for the summer. Taeyong had a feeling he’d be willing to help.
That feeling, plus the fact that Sungchan, as polite as he was, couldn’t help but stare at Taeyong’s ass every time he caught him doing his morning yoga. (You can take the boy out of the city, blah blah.)
“It’s all set up Mister Taeyong,” says Sungchan as he steps down from the ladder, wiping some sweat off his brow.
“I told you to call me just Taeyong, or Miss Taeyong” he hands Sungchan a towel with a wink. Sungchan gulps.
“Okay M-Taeyong,” Sungchan dabs himself with the towel, a flush on his face. “Could you hand me your phone?” Taeyong gives it over to him, making contact with his hand for just a little bit longer than he should.
“Th-thanks,” the flush getting pinker. Sungchan opens up an app and starts tapping buttons. Taeyong looks in awe as Sungchan wields this app like it was second nature.
Sungchan comes next to Taeyong, slightly nervous and hands him back his phone. “Just look on this app here and you have access to all the cameras,” Taeyong nods, not really understanding all the logistics.
“So I just swipe here and it’ll show me all the cameras?” asks Taeyong.
“Yup! There are cameras set up in the front yard, the sides, and the backyard. I even focused on the garden like you asked,” said Sungchan, puffing his chest out a little.
“Thanks Sungchannie, you’re the best. I guess I’m all set up then,” says Taeyong with a smile.
“Yes, you can change the password and I’ll log out on my end,” stutters Sungchan.
“Thanks Sungchannie, I wouldn’t mind if a nice young man like you could see into my cameras,” Taeyong winks. Sungchan’s flush is now red.
☆
Taeyong had grown up near the mountains. His parents always told him stories of things that defied our idea of life. Even if people call him paranoid, Taeyong always paid respect to entities he could not confirm existed.
However, nothing prepared him for what he saw on his camera that first night.
A giant shadowy figure stands tall over his garden, its back to the garden. The radishes had been pulled out, only a few left in the soil. The creature grabs a radish from the pile and brings it to what Taeyong thinks is his head.
Even without audio, Taeyong did not have to think hard to imagine the raw crunching sound made by the creature. This thing had to be almost 8 feet tall. Should Taeyong call the police? Doyoung? Shit, maybe Sungchan?
He would have to look away from the camera on his app to do that. And something told him that he should not do that, by any means. If he looks away, who knows where it would go?
Oh.
Oh. Okay. It has turned around, and it is looking directly at the camera. Maybe he should have sprung for the better night vision lenses, because all Taeyong can really see are the glowing eyes looking straight through the camera and into his.
It comes up to the camera, barely visible, but like a man, a very hairy one, with some larger features, but a man. No, what?
The camera feed cuts off.
☆
Taeyong has never felt this confused. He could not make sense of what he saw the night before.
Doyoung is a city boy though and through, sure he lives out of the city now, but he would not understand what Taeyong saw. He would think Taeyong is crazy, no way could Taeyong say something to him.
This is the fourth night in a row that his radishes have been taken. Maybe he could try and deal with the creature on his own?
Taeyong considers leaving him an offering. Maybe the creature is less likely to steal any more of Taeyong’s produce if it is given some.
☆