“Appa! Umma!” Taemin ran to them joyfully, “I missed you! Welcome back!”

Eve wrapped her long slender arms around her sweet son and hugged him tight, smelling the soft scent of Taemin’s hair.

“Taemin-ah, who are these people?” Appa asked solemnly.

Who are these people? Where did they come from? How did they come? Have they managed to reanimate the time machine?

Adam didn’t know how to feel. Angry? Because his trusted professor abandon them here. Or hopeful? Because they could now go back to their reality.

Did they really want to go back?

“Appa, these are my new friends.” Taemin began, ready to tell of his stories these two days.

“No, Taemin. I didn’t ask that. Why are they here? How did they get here, in our house?” Appa was going with the former emotion.

“Ap-Appa, they came from a metal ship, two days ago whilst you were out to Pinky and Boo’s.” Taemin felt intimidated and clutched onto Umma tighter.

Appa never spoke to Taemin like this before. He was always so kind and gentle, like how he taught Taemin to be.

“Annyeonghamnida Ahjussi,” Onew decided to speak up, “My friends and I came on a time machine, one where my grandpa invented in his professor days.”

“Professor Lee?” Adam almost spat into that name, “That son of a ? That bastard that left us here to fend for ourselves?”

Onew was shocked, he didn’t expect such a strong reaction. He felt tears coming soon, the way someone spoke of his grandpa like that.

“Ahjussi, please listen to me!” Onew wanted to explain.

“You’re his grandson! Of course you’ll try to defend him.” Adam was furious, “I don’t want to hear any of your bull. You’re just trying to ease the guilt of your grandfather and I can’t hear of that. Please leave.”

Adam pointed to the door.

Taemin was so frightened he held onto Umma. He looked at Onew, he didn’t want him to leave.

Appa please don’t chase him away. It took me so long to have friends, it took me so long to have Onew, it took me so long to realise I love him!

“No! I didn’t come to ease his guilt!” Onew wept, “I came to bring you away from here. You must be so scared when grandpa left you here 2 decades ago.”

“What do you know huh, you punk? You think you know everything?” Adam saw red in his eyes, “26 years ago, we were the only humans here. We were only students! We didn’t know anything! We had to survive on our own, away from our loved ones, thanks to your coward of a grandpa!”

Onew kneeled in front of the couple, “I really didn’t want it to happen this way…I’m awfully sorry. Please let me make it up to you.”

By this time Minho was shaken awake by those shouting and bolted down to see what was happening.

“Ah, I see, so there are 4 of you coming here to destroy our lives again. Please leave now before I call for desperate measures.” Adam tried to control his boiling blood.

Onew knew he would never win the fight against the now angry Adam, it was pointless to continue. He stood up slowly and signalled for the rest to leave the house. He had to come back, for his grandpa’s mistake, for his own pride, for Taemin.

“No, please no!” Taemin begged Onew, tugging him by his sleeve, “Appa, please don’t chase them away! They’re my only friends!”

“No they are not. They are not worthy to be your friends. They are despicable humans. Even the other three, as long as they are associated with that bastard. You have Jake and all.” Adam did not want to entertain Taemin now.

For all he know, he might just snap at Taemin and go on the no-return road.

“No please don’t…” Taemin broke down as his Umma bounded him away from the boys, “Onew…Key…”

With that, the four men left the house, nowhere to go.

Onew felt so bad. His heart ached so miserably like it never did before.

So the two students had such a deep grudge for his grandpa. Onew’s almost convinced he had no right to ask for forgiveness. Then he saw Taemin crying so hard, his eyes so red with floods of tears gushing down his pale cheeks.

Onew could never forgive himself for making Taemin cry like that. A soul like his should never be allowed to cry.

For Taemin, the fire in Onew urged him to try again. He led the team to the small hill east of Taemin’s house, where he spent his first night here with Taemin.

“I’m sorry guys, I didn’t expect this.” Onew started, tears on the verge of falling.

“Hyung, it’s not your fault. You were trying to salvage what happened 26 years go. It happened so long ago, no one would think that they would still bear such a deep hatred.” Key comforted.

They all sat down, exhausted from the morning’s aftermath (except for Minho, that is), under the large shady tree that was always there for the troubled.

“How, how could I get them to listen to what I have to say?” Onew put his face in his palms.

The trio was silent, they didn’t know what to do too. 

Taemin's going to be so sad :(

Anyway, Thanks for reading! ♥