"Perhaps, we could sleep first and then we'll look for her first thing in the morning." Hyoyeon said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Yeah, we've been too exhausted from walking in the woods the whole day." Jessica agreed and Heechul smirked, "You're really getting weirder. You actually agreed with someone?" but the girl just rolled her eyes at him.

"No! What if something happens to her during the night?!" Leeteuk mumbled.

"That is if nothing had happened to her yet." Heechul muttered and Jessica elbowed him to which he cried "Ouch. Why? I was just stating the obvious."

Leeteuk glared at him before walking off alone towards the woods. "I'm not going to force you. I'll look for her alone."

"Hyung. Please, it's dangerous to go alone. Especially when it's so dark out there." Eunhyuk said.

Heechul scoffed. "Oh, let's just let him. Besides, he's not tired as we are. He didn't even help us look for that boatman."

Everyone were silent as Leeteuk stopped walking and glared at Heechul.

"Why?" He said mockingly "Isn't it true? While all of us were busy looking for the boatman, you and that girl were busy being lovey-dovey, weren't you?"

Leeteuk's eyes were blazing with anger, and perhaps, guilt. They weren't being lovey-dovey as what Heechul accused but they really weren't able to help look for Yesung. And now with his extreme worry, he's being selfish; not minding the fatigue the others are suffering from.

He slumped down on the sand. "I-- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just... Taeyeon."

Yoona knelt down beside him and put an arm on the sobbing man's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine..."

After having slept for a while, the group had decided to go search once again, this time going together towards the side of the woods that Seohyun had deducted as Taeyeon's probable whereabouts.

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Moonlight peeped through one side of the wall. It was made of wood, old with rusty nails keeping them together. The window had no glass, just a small square shaped opening to allow air and light in with two pieces of wood forming an X to prevent a person from entering.

But even without those woods blocking the window, he was sure he still could not try to escape through that opening. He can't.

Besides, he was still not sure where in the world he is, what happened and who had brought him here.

His eyes are barely open as he glanced around. The room he was in was only about 5 meters wide. At the far end were boxes, but who knows what were in them. On the wall hung a sharp blade and on his corner was a thin cloth wrapped on top of his legs and a single slipper.

The door on the right side of the room squeaked open. He breathed in the smell of firewood as he blinked his eyes open, trying to focus on who arrived but failed miserably. His eyes are too blurry to make out anything more than the apparent stocky build of the person.

First there were footsteps and he could hear him getting near. Stopping about two steps away from him, the man spoke in a very masculine voice.

"Ah, finally. You're awake."

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

They would say that the first few meters went well, which basically means no one got injured. It all went well until they came across a crossroad. And a crossroad in the woods is nothing like your typical city crossroads. It is twice as deceiving and thrice as confusing because every one of the paths seem to lead nowhere.

"Maybe we should split up again?" Kyuhyun suggested.

And since there were three paths, they had decided to go on with Kyuhyun's plan -to split up into their former groups, promising that he and Seohyun will look after Leeteuk.

"Hyung, what do you think of these..." Eunhyuk mumbled, his voice quivering a little.

"You mean, these... missing people?"

The younger man nodded.

"I... I don't know Hyuk. All I could think of at the moment is..." Sungmin glanced warmly at his brother. "Is how I don't want any more of us getting hurt. Especially you and Donghae..."

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

The moon still rose brightly, fortunately, otherwise they wouldn't have made their way around. Leeteuk stood in between Seohyun and Kyuhyun so the two could assist him everytime he stumbles.

"She... She kept saying things I do not understand..." He suddenly murmurs almost to himself.

Kyuhyun frowned. "Like?"

The older man shook his head. "Sister. It seems she hated the way I look at her like a little sister... But... What... What's wrong with that?!"

Seohyun glanced at Leeteuk, wondering how he could be so oblivious. She herself had already figured it out right after he said it.

Then she glanced at Kyuhyun and thought that maybe he had known it too. He's a smartass after all.

"She must like you." Kyuhyun blurted out nonchalantly earning a weird look from Leeteuk and a shocked expression from Seohyun. Yes, he figured it too. He's a smartass, a freaking annoying smartass.

Seohyun tried to communicate with Kyuhyun with her eyes. Why did you say it? It's not our business. That's a private matter, let him figure it out. But all the brat could answer was "What's with that look Seohyun-sshi?"

She sighed exasperatedly. He's a freaking annoying slow but smartass.

"Wh-what did you say Kyuhyun-sshi?" Leeteuk said as if the words only reached him now.

"I said she likes you. That's why she hates it when you treat her like a sister. Because she likes you as a man. Not as a brother, a co-worker or a friend." He answered matter-of-factly.

Leeteuk dropped his gaze to the ground. "So that's why... But how could she... How could she like me... That... That's not possible..."

Kyuhyun shook his head. "Oh anything's possible when it comes to love." And for some reason unknown to him, he found himself glancing at Seohyun.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Since when have you become so mushy?"

But Leeteuk disregarded them, he was busy sorting out his thoughts; subconsciously speaking aloud.

"Maybe that's why. Why she was so annoyed at me when I said I think Kyuhyun-sshi likes Seohyun-sshi. And she said how could I know a stranger's feelings..."

He was clueless to Seohyun turning wide-eyed beside him and a terribly blushing Kyuhyun on the other side. He kept walking as if in a trance while mumbling "How could I not know? All this time... Taeyeon-ah..."

Seohyun gave Kyuhyun a funny look. "W-what did... What did he say?"

But he avoided her eyes. "I don't know. I didn't hear!"

Until suddenly...

Splash!

They both looked straight in their paths just right in time to see Leeteuk falling head first into a body of water.

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

Something is wrong. Something is so wrong. Aside from the fact that it is not normal to be marooned on an unknown island, Hyoyeon knew there was something else that is not normal.

She stood in between Sungmin and Sunny. Both awkward looking. She's aware of Sungmin stealing glances at Sunny who looked like she just got attacked by a whole army of purple frogs. Yes, she looked afraid yet in the midst of deciding whether to believe it or not.

Sungmin cleared his throat awakwardly. "Sunny-sshi..." And Hyoyeon felt the other girl flinch a little. Eunhyuk, who was beside Sungmin obviously tensed as well and gave his brother a nervous look. Hyoyeon was so frustrated, he felt like the people around her were in on a secret only she does not know.

"Sunny-sshi." Sungmin repeated before glaring lightly at his brother.

"Hyung, I told you it was--"

"Shut up, Hyuk. Haven't I clearly told you not to open your mouth unless you are going to confess your lie?!"

Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow. Lie? Eunhyuk's lie? What does he mean?

"I didn't mean to but..." Eunhyuk started but was cut by a warning toned "Hyuk!"

There again. Hyoyeon thought. Hyuk. Is his nickname Hyuk? Suddenly remembering the way Sungmin always calls his younger brother. From the back of her head, she thought she wanted to call him that way too... Comfortably...

Hyuk.

"Aish. Just tell her, Hyuk! Tell her it's not true!"

"It's not... the right time hyung..." Eunhyuk seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"Right time my foot! God. Sunny-sshi, look, he was kidding. Believe me." Sungmin pleaded before scowling at his brother. "I'm going to break your neck if you weren't my brother! See, she won't talk to me!"

Eunhyuk giggled. "I'm lucky you're my hyung."

Sungmin was about ready to smack Eunhyuk's face right then when Sunny spoke softly.

"You're not... You're not... Gay... Right?"

Sungmin felt his face heat up while Hyoyeon's jaw dropped. Gay?!

"O-of course not. I told you my brother was kidding. Right Hyuk?" he glared at Eunhyuk who was barely suppressing his laughter.

"Y-yes" Sunny nodded subconsciously. "'Cause I... I'm not going to fall for a gay, am I?"

Sungmin stopped in his tracks. "Wh-what?"

But even before Sunny could answer, Eunhyuk was already laughing with a triumphant look on his face. "Ha. I knew it." He muttered to himself.

"S-sunny-sshi..." Sungmin mumbled and Sunny seemed to get back to reality.

"Wh-why?" she muttered quite absent-mindedly.

"Wh-what did you say again?" Sungmin asked, his eyes staring straight into Sunny's.

She glanced at Hyoyeon. "What did I say?"

The other girl shrugged innocently. "Something about falling for a gay?"

Sungmin and Sunny both turned red.

"I..." Sunny mumbled to herself. "I thought I just said it in my head..."

"What... Did you mean, Sunny-sshi?" Sungmin asked, confused.

"N-no. Nothing. Don't mind that. Please. Oh my gosh. Please forget that, will you?" she pouted, turning redder by the minute.

Eunhyuk draped his arm on Sungmin's shoulders. "Aish. You guys are too slow."

Sungmin glared at him but with slight confusion marked on his face. The younger shrugged. "What? I mean you walk too slowly. We've still got people to find."

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"Omo!" Seohyun exclaimed as they ran towards Leeteuk who was surfacing himself from the water.

The cold water seemed to pull him back to his senses. Seohyun assisted him up towards the soil. "Careful, Leeteuk-sshi. You looked like you were sleepwalking."

"Sorry. I was just... Too occupied."

But Kyuhyun suddenly appeared to be contemplating something. Eyebrows furrowed, he stared at the body of water -probably a lake or a swamp- nonetheless, fresh water.

"Kyuhyun-sshi, let's go." Leeteuk said, ruffling his wet hair.

"Kyuhyun-sshi?" Seohyun called when the man did not respond. He remained at the edge of the waters... and suddenly, scooped some in his palms and drank.

"Kyuhyun-sshi?!" Seohyun cried.

"It's fresh water..." He muttered almost triumphantly but the two only looked confused.

"Fresh water." He repeated and the words seemed like it clicked something in Seohyun's mind.

"Ah! Really?" she said while drinking some as well. In fact, she drank a little too much. What for being out of water if not for coconut juice for a couple of days already.

"Guys. There's plenty of water around us. We're in the middle of the ocean remember? Let's find Taeyeon now." Leeteuk said and Kyuhyun sighed exasperatedly.

"You're hopeless. Fresh water is water we could drink. It's not distilled or anything but good enough to drink. Especially for us. Don't tell me you aren't thirsty?!" Kyuhyun said in between gulps.

And as Leeteuk finally understood and knelt down to drink, Kyuhyun glanced at Seohyun thinking that maybe she, too, had thought the same. For this freshwater lake, or swamp, whatever you call it, confirmed Kyuhyun's idea. That people actually lives somewhere within the island. That they are able to survive for weeks, months... Even years, with a stable source of drinkable water.

Why they had never seen them, not even traces, he's not sure. But one thing is certain. They must not be very far from this water source...

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Summmmmmmer~ Yay. Finally, it's my summer vacation. Haha. I'll try and update more quickly this time. :) 

I hope you enjoyed this. Please comment~ and subscribe.  And I'm sorry if this chapter . I'm worried I'm disappointing you guys... ;__;