Tao was given the next day off.  He lay in bed, unmoving.  The morning sunlight was streaming over his body, warming him.  He sighed and slowly slid off his bed.  I was going to try sleeping in.  I guess old habits really do die hard.  Tao opened his closet and grabbed out a black t-shirt and faded jeans.  Once dressed he pushed himself through his morning routine; he ate breakfast, brushed his hair and teeth, cleaned up the little mess in his living space and checked all of the locks and windows.  Tao, once satisfied, locked the door behind him and left.  Tao had noticed a pathway that led from the back of his apartment to behind Mae’s house when he had first arrived, and he decided today would be the day to let that path lead him.  The barely visible walkway was a simple trail of rocks that looked a little out of place compared to the rest of the grounds.  Tao idly wandered down it, kicking pebbles as they came into view and not really paying attention.  He felt the ground change from harsh stones to loam and he glanced around him. 

How did I manage to get off the path?  Tao thought to himself, taking in the large hedges surrounding him. The large bushes created a pretty well enclosed space.  There were all sorts of vegetation and plant life covering the ground and twining its way up to the sky.  Every piece of life was thriving and burning with color.  Butterflies and birds flitted about looking carefree and whimsical. The slight cooling of the weather hadn’t seemed to bother the idyllic garden.  A small white bench with an arch of flowers over it was shoved back in one corner of the room like garden. 

That looks comfortable. Maybe I’ll sit for a while.  The graceful man wandered to the bench and sat down, landing on something soft and squishy. 

“Ack!”  Tao bolted of the seat and glanced down to see a hand resting there.  A hand attached to an arm that came from underneath the white, painted wood.  He pressed his knees into the soft dirt and bent to look at the figure.  A boy, who looked about his age, was curled underneath.  The arm Tao had rested on was now thrown to one side of him, and his other hand was grasping a bun.  Crumbs were smattered on his face and his mouth was gaping open, with partially chewed food lodged inside. 

Gross.  Tao observed the boy for a moment and then gently nudged him in the ribs with his toe.

“Hey!” The bun eater didn’t move.  “Are you dead?”  Tao rolled his eyes at himself.  Of course he’s dead, unless the dead snore.

“Yah! Baozi! Wake up!”  Tao chucked as he snorted awake. 

“wha-” he said squinting up at Tao.  He realized he still had food in his mouth and quickly swallowed, but not without thoroughly enjoying it. 

“Who are you?”  The bun-like boy questioned warily.  Tao quirked a brow.

“I could ask you the same thing.  Why are you sleeping underneath a garden bench on private property, with a partially chewed bun hanging out of your mouth?”

The boy scrunched his face into a pout defensively.  “I was hungry.” He sniffed.  “And I live here!  Now who are you!”  Tao was confused.

“You live here? Like on the Jin’s property?” 

“Yes.” He quipped, folding his arms. 

“But how? Mae doesn’t have a brother as far as I know, and all the employees live farther away from the mansion.”  Bun Boy worked his pudgy cheeks into a smirk.

“Oh, my little angel? Didn’t you know?  Mae is engaged… to me!”   Tao scoffed.

“I don’t believe that.  Why would she be marrying someone like you?” 

“Someone like me?” he replied angrily. 

“Yah, I mean look at you. You are all dirty.”  The boy looked himself over.  He was smeared with dirt and, on his face, was the remnants of food and crumbs, and twigs and leaves were stuck all over him.  He sighed.

“Look I am Kim Min Seok! I don’t usually look like this, but I was doing something for a friend, okay?  And besides I think I can pull off being dirty.”  Min Seok gave Tao a playful wink, and then pointed a dirt covered finger at him.  “You never told me who you are.”

“I’m Tao.”  Min Seok’s eyes sparked with recognition.

“Tao? Like my Mae’s Tao?”  His Mae? 

“Yah, I’m her bodyguard.”  The bun boy shook his head, and scratching the back of his neck.

“Man, you got it rough.  She’s a hard one to keep an eye on.  Trust me. I know from personal experience.”  Are they really engaged?  “Although, she’s been especially weird lately.  She just walks around in a daze.  In fact this morning I brought her breakfast and she didn’t even react.  She was just sitting on her bed, staring the wall.  I had to feed her by hand.” Min Seok shrugged.  “Not that I’m complaining or anything.”    It can’t be.  How come she didn’t tell me?  “You can call me Xiumin by the way.  That’s what all my friends call me.  I’ve heard about you from Kris.”  Tao’s attention was snapped backed to Xiumin at the mention of his friend’s name.  “I know you are a bodyguard and everything, so you are probably busy a lot but all three of us should go and chill out some time.”  Tao nodded.

“Yah that would be coo-”

“Wifey!”  Xiumin steered around Tao quickly and pounced on Mae, who had just entered the garden.  “You finally came out of the house! You were in there all of yesterday, so I was worried!” Mae simply inclined her head.  Tao noticed with shock that her eyes were glazed over red rimmed. Xiumin let go of Mae, when he realized he was getting no response.  He gripped her shoulders, turning Mae to face him.  Stop touching her.  Tao fisted his hands tightly, turning his knuckles white.
“Mae?  Are you okay?”  She mumbled incomprehensively, not meeting his eyes.  The dull orbs took in the bright garden and landed on Tao.  Her gaze held and she mumbled some more.  Xiumin leaned in close to hear what she was saying. Tao thought his hands might break. The bun boy looked more worried, as he took in the fragile looking girl’s words.  He slightly shook her.

“It’s okay you have nothing to be afraid of.”  He then looked directly at Tao, to share her words.  “You don’t have to hide anymore.  Whoever was after you is gone.”  Tao felt a strange sensation buzzing in his head.  He saw shards of memories floating past his eyelids.  A luminous dark shadow.  A little girl crying.  And fear.  Fear as tangible as they earth itself.  He winced as a sharp phantom pain carved into his head, wrapping around the memories as if it was trying to severe them from his brain.  He pressed his palm to his face, as a voice resounded within his ears like a whisper.  “Little boys like you don’t deserve to be here.  You are worthless to me. Dead.”  Xiumin looked over to see Tao’s expression. 

“Hey man, are you okay?”  Tao pushed the pain and his glass shard memories away, and straightened. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He breathed out, barely audible.  He looked back at Mae to see her now resting comfortably against Xiumin’s chest.  Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even and she seemed peaceful.   Whatever spell she was under. She seems to be over it.  Tao was shaken by his abrupt mental attack and felt exhausted.  Today was supposed to be my day of rest.

“Xiumin, I have to be somewhere so I’m going to leave.  It was nice meeting you.”  Xiumin stiffly nodded his head, careful not to bump around Mae. 

“You too.  I’ll talk to Kris soon and we will make plans.” He smiled softly.  “Please continue to watch over my Mae in the future.”  To Tao, that was the final blow.  My Mae.  His head started to throb again.  Tao bowed and tried to get away from the couple as quickly as he could.  As soon as he was out of sight he sprinted all the way back to his apartment.  He unlocked his door and grabbed his wushu gear.  For the next three hour, Tao tortured himself with a physical onslaught of exercise.  I’m not upset. Strike. What are those memories even from? Strike. I can’t be weak. Strike.  Sweat was pouring off of him and running into his eyes.  It was only when he tasted salt, did he realize he was crying.  Maybe I can. . .    

*                                                                  *                                                  *                                        *                                       *

Hello~   I'm sorry not much happened in this chapter but i have decided that i rather like how each newly introduced character gets their own chapter.  To my new and (newer-ish) subscribers thanks for subbing to my lame story haha  and to my older subscribers thanks, I love you always.  Anyway leave me some comments, they make my life!!