"Jessica-sshi, uh. Wait. It-- it hurts." Yoona mumbled as Jessica's grip on her tightens with every step. Fallen leaves cracked underneath their shoes while the air gradually turns colder.

The sun slowly sets in the distance. And figuring they were out of the two men's earshot, Jessica let go and turned to Yoona. The latter rubbed her wrist as she was half-expecting to see Jessica to slice her with a sharp glare. But she was struck by her bloodshot eyes, visibly hurt.

"J-jessica-sshi..."

"Look Yoona-sshi."

Jessica inhlaed deeply. 

"Do you like... Donghae?"

Yoona's eyes widened a little. "Wh-what?"

"Donghae. Well... You're always together, i don't know... Talking or something. And well Donghae's sort of childish, pure. I mean, he was. And maybe he still is. I don't know. How would I know?! He wouldn't speak, no, you know, we kind of... can't..." she said in one breathe and Yoona barely caught up with what she said.

"So, uhm..?" 

"So I'm asking if you like him!" Jessica said, her tone rising.

"I think he's a good man." Yoona managed. She was feeling quite nervous as every minute passes.

"And?"

"And uhm, I think he's a good friend. We're uhm. Quite close?"

Jessica's eyebrow raised impatiently. "And?"

"And... Well, that's it."

She scoffed. "You like him?"

"As a person, why, yes. Of course." Yoona smiled candidly. 

Jessica crossed her arms, contemplating on her answer when the other touched her arm softly and smiled. "He's a nice man. I'm not very sure what happened between you two, but..."

"I hurt him." she suddenly said which totally surprised Yoona. She'd never thought Jessica would actually press on that topic. Let alone admit having done that. She was too stunned to react and Jessica, dropping her gaze to the ground, continued.

"They were about to leave then. Move to Seoul. When I found out... I don't know. I was just too scared. I was just in middle school and those brothers, Donghae especially, were my only friends!" she sniffed and Yoona could see tears welling up in Jessica's eyes. "My... My parents. They abandoned me or something. All I know is that I've always lived in an orphanage and I never-- I never really felt how to be loved. Until Hae came." she started sobbing, covering with the back of her hand.

"Can you imagine? The only person you loved and the only person who loved you, leaving? I couldn't take it back then. I can't be alone again. I just can't! So I thought... I thought if I was the one who'd let go first, if I was the one who'd say goodbye first maybe it would hurt less. Maybe it wouldn't seem like he's leaving me, but more like me leaving him... So I-- I dumped him for Jonghyun oppa. We were-- kissing. And. Donghae saw us."

"But that-- That was my biggest... Biggest mistake." she wiped her tears with her palm. "I'm so stupid, aren't I?" she forced a laugh.

"All people do stupid things once in a while..." Yoona tried to sound optimistic.

Jessica sighed. "Gee, I must look so wasted. This is embarassing."

"You really worry about looking wasted in the middle of a deserted island?" Yoona asked and as her eyes met Jessica's, the two girls broke into a pit of soft giggles.

"But I'm really jealous of you, you know..." Jessica started sounding melancholic again and Yoona immediately said "If you want I'm going to avoid--"

"I mean" Jessica continued "You're so bright... Positive. Good vibes. I won't be surprised if Donghae likes you... Really." But seeing Yoona's doe eyes staring innocently at her, she shrugged. "Come on, it's getting dark."

She turned back but before walking away, said in a voice soft as a whisper. "I still love him though..." 

------------------------------

Kyuhyun started running. The scream. He'd definitely heard a girl scream. And though it would have been unlikely that a soft-spoken Seohyun would scream a high-pitched one like that, he still couldn't dismiss the idea. He cursed at himself a couple of times. Why hadn't I caught up with her earlier?! Why had I let her go, angry at me?!

He kept running. Glancing at the sides every now and then.

And that's when he saw it. Her.

She stood there looking at her surroundings. Apparently lost and unsure where to go. Apparently a little nervous. But to Kyuhyun it doesn't matter. For he had found her. And she is safe. And that was enough.

Enough for him to run straight at her and without thinking twice, enveloped her into a tight embrace.

She flinched but he only held on tighter, panting. She could feel his loud heartbeat, pressed close to her chest; his strong breathing. "K-kyuhyun-sshi--"

"You're safe." he mumbled, burrowing his face in her brown waves. "Thank God, you're safe."

"Kyuhyun-sshi..." was all she could say.

"I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you. God, I was so scared when I heard the scream. I'm sorry Seohyun-sshi. I'm sorry for always annoying you. I wouldn't irritate you again, seriously. Just... Just promise that you won't leave my side anymore."

And at that moment, there was not a single tinge of insincerity in Kyuhyun's voice. Slowly, Seohyun also wrapped her arms on his body and said, "I... I promise."

-----------------------------

"Hyuuung--"

Eunhyuk's plead was overlapped by a sudden scream. It was of a higher pitch, particularly feminine... But it wasn't that kind of a hurt yelp... More like, that of fear.

Even Sungmin stopped pinching his brother's ear. He could've beat the skinny boy to a pulp with his martial arts skills. Except the boy was his brother. And no matter how stupid a thing he's done, Sungmin couldn't bring himself to hurt him seriously.

Eunhyuk rubbed his red left ear as he saw the confused look on his hyung's face. "I-it wasn't me."

"What?"

"The scream. It wasn't me."

"I know. It was obviously a girl."

Sungmin stood abruptly.

"Hyung, why..."

"Hyuk-ah. Where have the girls gone?"

Eunhyuk knit his eyebrows. "You mean Hyoyeon-sshi and Sun--" and then a flash of realization dawned on him.

"I- I don't know. Let's check the hut!" He said but Sungmin had already sprinted even before he finished the sentence.

"Have you seen Taeyeon?"

Sungmin slowed to a jog before finally stopping in front of a very agitated (?) looking Leeteuk. Eunhyuk arrived right after.

"No, hyung. Why? Weren't you grouped with noona?" Eunhyuk answered because Sungmin was distractedly peeping inside the hut.

"Oh. Leeteuk-sshi. Are the others here also?" Hyoyeon greeted while coming out of the hut. A very tired looking Sunny right behind her.

The three men sighed; Eunhyuk and Sungmin out of relief of finding out that the girls in their group were fine, and Leeteuk out of desperateness.

"L-Leeteuk-sshi..." Sungmin began upon realizing for the first time the other's gloomy aura.

-------------------------------

"What did you talk about?" Heechul asked. The four of them were finally on their way back from the far other side of the woods. Shoulders sagged, disappointed from the utterly unfruitful 'mission', all they want is to have a good rest. But Heechul, no matter how tired, still wouldn't let the matter drop. Because he believes that he, aka Space Big Star, should know everything.

"Girls' talk." Yoona answered with a wink. She had noticed how Jessica flinched at the question and it was the first thing to come to her mind.

"Man, come on. A girls' talk in a deserted island? Not the perfect place, for an "omg that guy is hot!" type of conversation, okay."

"Why not?" Yoona shrugged indifferently.

Heechul scoffed. "Look, okay I'm not saying it's impossible for you girls to talk about me being hot. I mean, yes we all know I am hot even when my shirt's ripped like this." He gazed at his shirt like it's the ugliest thing in the universe so he didn't see how Jessica rolled her eyes.

"But the point is... You?" He pointed a finger to Yoona then to Jessica "And you... are having a girls' talk?" He shook his head. "Let's see, the probability is... Yeah. Zero."

Yoona glanced cautiously at Jessica who was gritting her teeth and she wondered if it was an angry type or a nervous type of teeth-gritting.

"Three things are wrong about your sentence, Heechul-sshi. First, no one said they talked about your hotness. Let alone talk about you." Donghae, who'd been quiet since the girls returned, suddenly said. "Second, why can't they have a girls' talk? Is one of them a guy? Obviously not. So I see they could have a girls' talk anytime, anywhere."

Heechul snickered but Yoona could tell he felt awkward, and if possible, embarassed. She, herself, admired Donghae at that moment. She was waiting for the third reason when Donghae suddenly stopped talking.

"I thought you said three?" She blurted out and Donghae said "Huh?", genuinely confused.

Heechul laughed. "Yeah, he did. What was the last one then?" but all Donghae did was stare at the ground awkwardly trying to figure things out.

"Third." Another voice spoke up. Jessica. Eyes fixed ahead. "The probability that Yoona-sshi and I will have a girls' talk is not zero. Maybe 1%? Or 2. But definitely not zero. We just had one, you see."

Donghae gazed at Jessica unbelievingly. Did she just... save me from Kim Heechul's eternal mockery? But her eyes remain on the woods, trying so hard to conceal the emotions mixing up because of Donghae's gaze.

"What?" Heechul's eyebrows crossed, surprised at her siding with Donghae. "I thought you sort of hated everyone in this island. Girls' talk, huh.."

Jessica sighed. "Maybe." She glanced at Yoona and finally returned Donghae's gaze. She looked straight into his eyes and continued "But not everyone. Or , at least, not anymore."

-----------------------------

Hyoyeon sighed when she saw Seohyun and Kyuhyun return. Just them. Two. Which means two-thirds of the group failed. The severity of the situation hadn't dawned on her until now. Until now that all she could see is Leeteuk who kept walking back and forth, ruffling his brownish hair losing the cool leader aura he's always had; Sungmin glancing awkwardly at an equally awkward looking Sunny; and Eunhyuk who was looking charming as ever, at least for Hyoyeon. Plus Taeyeon isn't around and so the worry and frustration is killing her.

She started braiding her long blonde hair in either sides of her head. The way she's always done when disturbed and uncalm.

Seohyun sat cross-legged beside her by the entrance to their mini hut beside Kyuhyun.

"What's up with that guy?" Kyuhyun asked, glancing at Leeteuk.

But people were a little too preoccupied with worry to answer.

Seohyun's eyebrows crossed worriedly as she stared at Leeteuk.

And then they felt people coming.

Yoona. And Jessica. And Heechul. And Donghae.

And no one else.

Leeteuk ran to them. "What happened?"

Heechul dropped down and laid on the sand. "Nothing."

Hyoyeon could see the worry marks on Leeteuk's face get worse and worse. "What nothing? Yesung-sshi?"

"W-we didn't find him." Yoona admitted nervously. "I was hoping one of you guys found him. You did, right?" She glanced at everyone, hoping for a positive report or something. But as no one even moved a muscle, she ran to the hut, only to find it empty.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "N-no..."

Hyoyeon bit her lip. Her last hope. Their last hope. The last group returned just as they had. All failed. Is Yesung-sshi really...

Leeteuk broke the silence with a desperate cry. "Taeyeon. Did you see her? Huh?"

"W-wait. Weren't you with her?" Jessica said and everyone could see how Leeteuk is trembling.

"Y-yeah. But she left. I thought maybe she'd come back here..."

"The scream." Kyuhyun mumbled nervously and all heads turn to him.

"You didn't hear?" he asked, almost wondering if it was his imagination at work.

"We did." Sungmin said.

Donghae shook his head "What scream?"

"Huh? But we did." Eunhyuk said, confused.

"Taeyeon. Don't tell me it was her! No! She can't be--" Leeteuk covered his face with his hands and sobbed while Eunhyuk put a palm on his shoulder for a desperate attempt to comfort.

Seohyun looked around and one could almost see her brain working as she slowly deducted "So uhm, they went to the east side, right?" she glanced at Yoona and she nodded. "And they didn't hear it... But the people here...  You guys heard... Then... She must be somewhere... in the west side of the woods..."

Leeteuk gazed at her sharply and yelled "Where? Where is she?!"

Seohyun stammered "I- I'm not sure..."

But he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Think!!! You're smart aren't you?! Where is she!"

But Kyuhyun pulled him away and seriously said "Well she wouldn't know exactly. None of us would."

"Shut up." Leeteuk glared.

"You should be thankful that she's smart enough to minimize the extent of her possible whereabouts."

"But then where is she really. Why isn't she here?!" He wailed and argued childishly.

"Shouldn't you be the one knowing where she is? You were together."

"Shut up!"

"But you had let her go alone."

"I said SHUT UP!" Leeteuk yelled at Kyuhyun and was about to punch him right there had the three brothers not come to stop him.

"Taeyeon-ah!!!" Leeteuk screamed achingly but the only responses he got were the rhythmic sound of waves and Heechul's melancholic whistle as he stared at the gradient orange afternoon sky. The sun slowly setting in the horizon signals the close of yet another depressing, edgy day.

-----------------------------

Okay omg yes, Taeyeon's lost.... don't kill me please. 

Honestly, I don't really know what to put in this author's note but yeah, might as well apologize for taking a month since the last update... and I think this chapter's really stupid but I hope you bear with me, I still got exams ahead. I am soo sorry. :(

I appreciate comments! =)))) 

Love lots ♥