15:13:11

December 19, 2010

Seoul, Korea

Kim Taeyeon walks back into Baekhyun's life like a winter breeze.

She waltzes into his and Chanyeol's flat on a gloomy Friday afternoon. A fierce gust pushing through his body, her white hair breezing through his face without any proper regard. It sends chills down his spine.

She stands the ever image of beauty and grace. Her white trench coat paired beautifully with her bleached shoulder length hair. Her eyes are still the same, deep and dark, serene at first glance, but violent upon further inspection. Her face is still a reminder of why he used to think he was straight.

 It's surprising to think that Kim Taeyeon is an internationally lauded spy, with her winter white hair and porcelain like skin. But it’s exactly why she’s such. Her beauty hides her fangs. Because if anyone knew Kim Teayeon, they knew that underneath the veneer of calm is an eternal storm of resentment and bitterness. She wasn’t called the White Viper for nothing

She sits, the water from her white trench coat coating their couch with a new layer of deep brown. Baekhyun just got those reupholstered.

He snaps the door shut, not even regarding Taeyeon's rude entrance. She was above these things, human etiquette. Not because she can get away with, but because she knew whoever denied her would find themselves dead within the next few minutes. Such was her charm.

“Taeyeon.” He says flatly. She still hasn’t taken off her coat, only s it, moisture permeating his newly upholstered couch.

“Where’s Chanyeol?” She asks, not even regarding his greeting. Her eyes scan the cozy apartment with a sense of detached disgust. She can’t even hide the disdain in her face.

She’s never cared that much for Baekhyun. Not even when he had this massive crush on her during his training. Not like she wasn’t like to anyone else. The warmth in her was exclusive to her brother. But she also reserved a special fondness for the tall idiot who was now his boyfriend.

He would look at their exchanges with a sense of jealousy, at first because of Taeyeon, then later because of Chanyeol.

“I never got how you were so fond of him.”

Taeyeon stops surveying the apartment to flash Baekhyun a smirk.

“I never understood why he liked you, but some things will always remain a mystery.”

Oh. Baekhyun never thought of that. Never thought that they almighty Kim Teayeon fell for the ways of a bumbling idiot. He feels a sense of respite in the storm.

“Another mystery is why you are here,” Baekhyun says, “This one, I hope to solve.”

Taeyeon rolls her eyes.

 Baekhyun knew how she played, knew what happened when her eyes glint with unknown fervor. Kim Taeyeon was an ongoing mystery, one that no one has solved. She liked when people waited on her with baited breath, when they craved for her intent. She liked dangling food at the dogs, teasing them a false sense of hope. Toying with their faith.

She hates it when she doesn’t get to play. Because, it seemed, she was not here on her own accord.

“Priorities.”

Baekhyun quirks his eyebrow.

“Agent Wu and Huang, they’re missing.” Her tone is cold and deadly.

Baekhyun breath is taken away from him. He feels lightheaded, the room seemingly caving in right before his eyes.

Kris and Tao. The two who craved the most normality. The two who wanted to stay in China and run Huang’s Dumplings. The two who smiled the most. The two whose only wish was freedom. Why them?

Baekhyun stalks towards the kitchen silently, Taeyeon following him with her cold, piercing gaze.

Baekhyun grabs a glass of water and downs it in two gulps. He feels more human now, but only barely. He returns to the living room. Taeyeon still let’s her coat wet the couch, still lets the world moisture seep into his furniture. She’s goading him, taunting him to snap.

Just because she couldn’t play her game, doesn’t mean she would do it without complication.

“How?” he asks, trying his best to keep his voice emotionless and unfazed. But it’s difficult.

“Someone heard noises from their apartment. When the police got there, the door was ajar,” she says her eyes scanning Baekhyun’s face, looking for signs of weakness, like a predator stalking its prey.

Baekhyun keeps it straight, keeps the emotions at bay.

“That could mean anything.”

Taeyeon doesn’t let up, her eyes still trained on Baekhyun’s with sinister intent.

“The police found something odd. They dismissed it, but we knew better,” Taeyeon says, her eyes glazed with sinister glint, “All the clocks were going backward.”

Tao made it just in case something went wrong. He can hear Tao’s voice in his head, “look at your watch, if it’s working, I’m okay. If it isn’t, things aren’t going to plan. But if it’s going backward, find me.”

Baekhyun cracks, letting the fear take over. Not them, not Tao, not Kris.

“Byun, Wu and Huang were one of the best. This isn’t just a normal syndicate. They’re targeting EXO and they’re succeeding. It’s alarming. We don’t know how or why, but we have an inkling one of you would know.” She’s standing now, buttoning her trench coat again. She’s heading for the door, but pauses before she turns the knob.

“As for your little mystery, I’m here to ask you to reconsider EXO’s premature retirement. As hard as it is to admit, you guys were one of the best.”

She looks back at Baekhyun one more time, her eyes are still cold and her face is still an impassable wall of ferocity, “Don’t think too hard on it, Byul,” she says, “Give Chanyeol my regards.”

Baekhyun ignores how she forgets his name. He’s too preoccupied with the thoughts of Kris and Tao racing through his mind.

Next thing he knows, Taeyeon’s wrenching the door open and heading out of their small apartment. Leaving only the faint traces the cold of the afternoon gloom and the traces of rain on Baekhyun’s newly upholstered couch.

Kim Taeyeon walks back into Baekhyun's life like a winter breeze: A cold reminder that things are about to change.