“Hyung! Where are you?” Zelo called as he ran about the slums trying to spot another blondie like him. How could it be this hard to find someone especially with this height advantage? He wondered as he stayed still to heighten his hearing.

Not hearing out for his voice but rather the people around him. They would always go ‘healer’ when they saw him.

*Zelo! Where the hell are you?! You better not be slacking off! I need you to help me talk to the people* Dae Hyun communicated to him.

Rolling his eyes, *Says the one who’s too lazy to speak with his own mouth* Zelo thought as he rounded the corner.

-

“Thank you so much for today boys” Elder Yong gave them a pat on their back as he settled glasses of blood for them.

Zelo thirstily gulped down the liquid while Dae Hyun stared at it briefly before giving a sigh and slowly drinking it.

Noticing the sigh, Elder Yong saw a few subtle changes over the course of their trip.

The frequent sighs, staring blankly ahead or at his hands and how he looks up at the sky when there is rain or thunder…

The old man wondered if it was the right choice to bring them out this year. But if he hadn’t brought the kids out it would be more obvious that something was going on and Yoon Mi might be exposed to danger before she is strong enough.

Finishing his glass of blood, Dae Hyun got to his feet and headed for the bedroom. If anything this trip always made him tired, healing people all day, hearing out their problems and keeping an eye out for suspicious characters.

Healers were always in danger because of their blood.

Not that it’s dangerous like the Kwon’s case but it was the opposite. Their gift running through their veins, likewise their healing powers flow through their veins and opportunist would wait until they are alone or weak so that they would drain healers of their blood.

Healer’s blood would fetch the highest in the black market and the purer the blood, the higher the profits.

And Dae Hyun…

Coming from two incredibly high ranking families in society, there were always shadows lurking about waiting for their turn to drain him and harvest his blood.

Even though he is skilled in fighting, there’s a limit on how much he can handle in physical combat. Usually Yong Guk’s fierce appearance would scare off any unwanted people around.

Well Zelo...He's recieving a lot of attention for his height and curly hair. How well he would protect Dae Hyun was a mystery for the first few days, considering how close he had been from having his blood harvested.

Racking his mind for days for a solution, Zelo finally came up with something at the end of the first week.

-

"Hyung, do you mind coming over here for a while? There's something I want to try out." Zelo said after they had finished eating.

Looking at him in suspicion Dae Hyun did what the maknae asked and went over.

 "Hold your hands out Hyung, I want to try passing my ice to you" 

 About to hold his hands out, Dae Hyun swiftly retracted his hands when he heard the latter of Zelo's sentence.

 *Your what?* he exclaimed.

 "Ice... Frozen water? Solid state of H2O..." Zelo said explaining things to Dae Hyun in a very annoying manner.

 *Why the heck do you want to transfer ice to me? Summer's not even here yet.*

 "You're not going to trust me until I show you why right?" Zelo asked him flatly.

 *You got that right* Dae hyun answered folding his arms.

 "Alright. Try stabbing my forearm with that steak knife" Zelo pointed to the cutlery.

 Taking up the knife, Dae Hyun flicked his wrist and threw the knife at Zelo's upper arm instead.

 Once the knife touched his skin, it froze in mid action and there was enough excess ice to freeze the arm that held the knife.

 Narrowing his eyes at the maknae *You were planning to freeze my arm with that knife were you?*

 Giving a evil laugh "How did you know? Ahhh, you know me too well to be tricked by me"

 *You proved your point* Dae Hyun motioned to the ice.

 "So do you trust me on this?" Zelo held the unfrozen knife.

 *Whatever floats your boat* Dae Hyun shrugged.

 "Right, hold your hands out." Zelo instructed. 

 Doing so, the maknae held onto his wrists. Dae Hyun swore when he felt the ice on his skin.

 "You will sort of feel cold or chills when my ice is on you..." 

 *Damn you Choi Jun Hong! Warn me before hand! Not freaking after!* Dae Hyun gritted his teeth as he felt the ice bite his skin.

*How do you bear this cold feeling?!* Dae Hyun winced, clenching his fist and coldness spread over his skin

 "Oh, that's just the first hour. When you wake up tomorrow you'll just feel like you’re in an air conditioned room."

*Tomorrow?!* Dae Hyun exclaimed in Zelo's mind. *I have to bear with this frost until tomorrow?!* he grabbed the collar of Zelo's shirt clearly pissed about the lack of a forewarning.

 "Cool down Hyung, I know you're pissed-"

 *Are you freaking mocking me! I'm freezing cold and you ask me to cool down! Give me a few good reasons why I shouldn't punch you right now* he yanked the maknae's collar hard so that they were at eye level.

 "You wouldn't want to do that Hyung, my ice would prevent you..."

 *I have other ways of hurt-*

 "Alright break it up" Elder Yong came in, having the sixth sense that they were about to fight.

-

Remembering about that night, Dae Hyun still wished that he could have gotten back at that damned maknae for giving him hell.

 Despite that, the ice had proved to be useful. It had frozen 3 people and Zelo caught 7 people himself.

 Letting out a sigh as he went to bed, Zelo was already asleep. Tired out from having to maintain the ice 24/7 everyday, how his gift still operates even in his sleep was a mystery to him.

 Feeling a strange constricting in his heart, Dae Hyun tossed and turned finding it difficult to sleep. Finally drifting off after a few hours, he oddly found himself in a familiar white place.

 *Why am I here? How?? This isn't possible, I'm so far away from home.* Dae Hyun thought as he stood still in that white place. *The only thing missing is-*

 "Dae Hyun?" an all too familiar voice came from behind him.

 Turning around, Dae Hyun never realized how much he had missed her until now. It took all of his restraint to stop himself from reaching out to her like the night they left.

 Unhooking his mask from around his ears, Yoon Mi couldn't help but stare at his bare face. Her breath caught in and she could feel her face heating up.

 "Yoon Mi?" He spoke, his voice soft as a whisper from not using it throughout their journey.

 Shaking her head "this has to be a dream; there's no way that I'm seeing you here like this" Yoon Mi backed away from Dae Hyun.

 "Is it really you?" he walked towards her, trying to cover the distance she was setting between them.

 Turning around and getting ready to run from what she thought was a figment of her subconscious mind. Dae Hyun held onto her wrist and pulled her back.

 Getting a clear look at her up close, he instantly knew something was wrong. "Something happened." Dae Hyun pointed out. 

 "H-How" was all that she managed to say as shock ran through her mind. His hand that held her wrist felt too real and the piercing gaze as he looked at her. 

 "I can tell Yoon Mi..." Dae Hyun said, looking straight into her eyes. "You look like you're about to cry at any moment."

"You're right...." Yoon Mi looked away, her shoulders felt heavy and it felt like she couldn't take her next breath. "I can't take it anymore"

 "Take what?" His voice gentle.

 "Being strong, trying to smile each day and letting go" Yoon Mi listed, voice wavering at the last point.

 "It's not, being strong is never easy." Dae Hyun said, loosening his grip on her wrist.

 "What that seer said made it worse!" she cried out in frustration. "If only she never came to us!"

 "Wait, what seer? Who came to you?" He asked in surprise, wondering why it had to be when he's away for this to happen.

 Telling him everything, including what she never told Yong Guk or Him Chan the day the seer left. 

 Yoon Mi wondered why. 

 Why was it that she would tell him everything. Why her heart doors would open to him just like that, even though she willed it shut.

 "I guess it was a good thing that you couldn't extend your fangs that night..." He said quietly. "You would have gone through the change and we wouldn't know what to do..."

 "I wish she never came though" Yoon Mi muttered.

 "I'm thankful she did though" he said quietly.

 "What?! Why!" she exclaimed, unable to believe her ears.

 "Nara gave us valuable information Yoon Mi, it would have been too late if you found out about all these after The Change." he tried reasoning with her.

Turning away, Yoon Mi knew all these. She knew that it all mean for her well being but the things that she found out felt like a cold slap from reality.

 It hurt.

 And the pain was more than what she felt she could bear.

 "Yoon Mi" Dae Hyun called her, hoping that she would turn and face him again. He had hoped that she wasn't crying.

 Getting beside her, his suspicion was true and she indeed was crying. "Yoon Mi..." He called her name softly, willing that she would turn.

 And when she didn't, Dae Hyun pulled her into his arms in hope that it would help her feel better.

 Her arms lightly holding onto his sides, she cried out her pain and silently hated herself for letting herself depend on someone else like this. It was bad enough with Him Chan and how...it was Dae Hyun.

 When it finally seemed like her tears and dry out. Yoon Mi pulled away from his comforting arms.

 Apologizing for her outburst, Yoon Mi couldn't understand the look in his eyes as she unconsciously stared at him.

 Maintaining eye contact, Dae Hyun hesitantly reached out to wipe away the stains on her cheeks.

 Her eyes flickering back and forth, searching his face for some sort of sign or explanation for his action, but all Yoon Mi got was his poker face. 

 Her breathing getting shallow from their proximity, what happened next made her heart stop.

____________________________________________________________________

A/N's note, what happened to the editor toolbar? I can't do my usual line break>.<

Gah! I'm so excited >.< I'm going to end my internship soon!!!! PARTAYYYYYY!!! Throws confetti!!!

And soon after I'm going to BAP showcase in Malaysia!! omonah!! So excited!

I'm a little worried about getting from the airport to the hostel but I hope that I'll be alright....

I had a hard time trying to write this week>.< I'm so drained and tired by work. Not to mention that I'm helping out with some church stuff. My usual time of writing got cut down and lessened brutally >.< I hope I can squeeze out another chapter for my other story tomorrow.

 But I'll be out tomorrow >. < Ah darn....why does it have to be that busy!

I've read and I know you guys miss Dae Hyunnie~ *Too bad this chapter didn't make it in time for his birthday* Oh wells...

So this chapter is like 'celebrating his birthday' and because my readers miss my main character~

Wanna guess what Dae Hyun did? *Just for fun, cause it's kinda obvious to me :) You guys can earn karma points as well :) I'm curious to see if my dear readers are on the same page as me :)*

With Love,

Violynn 1/7/2012