Was it some type of rule that night time dealings happened in low-lit places? Whatever happened to hiding in plain sight? He would have liked to meet inside a building at least, somewhere warm hell anywhere but outside of that rundown hovel.

Taemin raised his jacket collar in an attempt to stop some of the brisk autumn wind that was making his cheeks sting. It was well past midnight, and the neighborhood was pretty quiet. The silence was shattered now and then by a car driving up one of the alleys, or a faint noise of a domestic dispute from one of the apartments nearby. Otherwise it was silence.

He had called this neighborhood home for his entire life, and he admired what it could become in the wee hours of the morning. Once the drunks were passed out and the fights had been concluded, there could be something almost peaceful about the place; so different than during the daytime. During the day it was loud and busy, and full of the hopeless energy that poverty bore.

It was another ten minutes before the car pulled up.

The car stopped and a man got out. Taemin could not make out his face in the darkness, but he knew exactly who it was.

It was a quick exchange - an envelope and some words.

“Will this be the last time?” He asked because he didn’t know. Heechul didn’t know. They had entered into a rather foolish bit of business with this man, and they saw no end in sight. It was the stupidest thing they had ever done.

“We will see” The man answered, “I will be in touch”

The man got back into the car and drove off. Taemin tucked the envelope into his jacket pocket and set out towards Club M1. He hoped this was it, because as M1’s relationship with the rather shady character grew, so did the stakes of what they were doing. It was a theft, and then it had become a target. Pretty soon it became a piece of something bigger, and the gang didn’t even know what they were going after any more. They were just doing, they had become hired hands without knowing what they worked towards, or for whom.

He hated that. He f-ing hated it. Uncertainty was not his strong point.

“I WANT TO GO BACK!”

Taemin was sure he heard Sehun laughing, and sure that whoever had let out the scream was with him. He looked down the darkened street and could make out the form of two people, one of which was a woman busy smacking her fists into Sehun.

Taemin considered not interfering, but he also knew better than to leave Sehun alone with a crying girl. Before he could truly interrupt the scene, however, the girl broke free from Sehun’s grasp.

Taemin caught her as she ran towards him.

“Hey.” He held her by the shoulders and looked to where Sehun was standing, still holding out his hands were he had grasped the girls wrists “What in the hell is going on?”

The girl was sobbing at that point, and Taemin felt her body shudder.

“Meet my future sister in law” Sehun smiled, stepping out from the shadows to stand in front of Taemin.

What? Was this sobbing little creature really the Chinese Princess?

“What is she doing out here?!”

“She was bored” Sehun smiled again.

Nauen, who continued to cry, was really, really, really sorry she had ever listened to Sehun. She thought it was worth it at first, a step outside and a dash of excitement before her marriage began. But now she was frightened and upset, and all she wanted was to be back where she was supposed to be.

“Christ Sehun, take her back now!”

Nauen didn’t know who the man holding her upright was.

“Oh, come on. I was going to take her to M1”

“How is that a good idea? No- take her home.” He put an arm around the crying girl. She was shivering so he instinctually took off his scarf and put it around her neck.

“Taemin, you are seriously no fun.” Sehun shook his head. Why was there always someone out to kill his buzz?

“Glad you noticed” Taemin shot his dongsaeng a stern and reproaching look. How stupid could the young prince be- to bring the Chinese Princess to a rough neighborhood with a gang hangout as their final destination?

Sehun grumbled, but complied with his hyung’s orders. He motioned for Nauen to follow him, it was time to get a taxi.

Nauen was not sure who the stranger was (did Sehun call him Taemin?) but she was very glad that Sehun listened to him, and took her back to the palace. Later that night she realized he had given her his scarf. She quickly retrieved the scarf from the bag she had shoved it in when she had snuck into her room. It was a thick red scarf. She would have to see that Sehun returned it.

That night the Princess Nauen fell asleep with tear stained cheeks, grasping a red scarf in her hand, resolute that she would never, ever, leave without permission again.

***

Joon Myun had flowers floating through his brain. Jong Dae was a genius! Of course, he should give her flowers. The problem was that she did not even know he liked her. Oh, and she was a servant and he was second in line to the throne of Korea.  His parents would never approve, and lord knew that the girl would be flayed alive for even suggesting she could be a potential girlfriend for Jooon Myun. And who knew if she liked him? After all, they had only seen each other twice in the span of three days.

But problems are so….problematic. Joon Myun wanted, just once, to tell a girl he liked her. Complications be damned, he thought he should. Even if such actions had a cruel and sadistic side in principal.

He was still in Minseok’s study; Jong Dae had left twenty minutes ago. He was musing over how he could do it, if he could do it.

“I know we don’t know each other, but I like you.” He practiced, holding out his imaginary bouquet.

“We don’t have to date or anything, but I wanted to tell you I think you are pretty”

Aish, this wouldn’t do. He was sure he was blushing as he practiced, how could he ever give her flowers in real life?!

“I am sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable. You don’t need to say anything, really. But I like you”

Aish! Joon Myun threw a pillow in frustration. Why was this hard?

“Destroying my study?” Minseok had walked in on his little brother tossing a pillow.

“Hyung!” Joon Myun wondered how much his brother had heard “I thought you were asleep.”

“I can’t sleep.”

Joon Myun noticed that his brother looked haggard. Minseok had dark circles under his eyes. This engagement seemed to be taking a lot out of him.

“What’s the matter hyung?”

“I talked to Luhan.” Minseok went to the sideboard and drank down a shot.

“Oh” Joon Myun did not really need to say anything else.

“He says he can’t remember either.”

“And you believe him?”

“I don’t have a reason not to.”

“I don’t believe him. I wish he had never came here” Joon Myun was sure his words sounded like venom, but he meant it all. He hated what his brother’s past with Luhan had done to him, and he hated the possibility of a future relapse even more.

“Don’t say that” Minseok said quietly. He couldn’t claim he was thrilled that the past 9 years were starting to crumble down around him, but he had never wished for Luhan to disappear.

“Hyung- you have had nothing but trouble because of him. You almost died before! And now he comes traipsing back here. Why- to ruin your marriage?!”

“He is not trying to ruin my wedding. He didn’t chose to come here.”

“Just wait.”

Minseok shook his head. He believed Luhan was here for the same reasons that he had the same dream every night for 9 years. There were too many questions unanswered. They both had a need to figure out what had happened, to understand how it had happened, to understand why it happened. To clear up the weight that had made them the men they were. There was so much to figure out. Unfortunately for the both of them, the answers would not come easily.

***

The King of Korea was used to late nights. It was nothing for him to be up until the wee hours of the morning working, or drinking, or working and drinking. It was no different that night, as he reviewed the papers in front of him. Soo Man, his closest advisor, sat across from him, busy with his own work.

“I think it would be best to send him to Changdeokgung Palace until the wedding.” The King did not bother looking up from the document as he spoke.

Soo Man nodded.

“May I suggest that we send Prince Luhan as well?”

The King looked up from his paperwork and narrowed his eyes.

“Why would we send Prince Luhan to Changdeokgung?”

“If you want to keep them both in line, I would suggest you consider supporting the truth as they know it” Soo Man could say such words because he knew how methodically calculating they were. “Invest in supporting evidence, if you will.”

 The King raised an eyebrow at his advisors words. Nine years ago the King had let Soo Man talk him into a lie, all in order to keep his son loyal in the face of a painful revelation. In the last nine years Minseok had never hinted that he thought anything was wrong, anything was out of the ordinary from that time. In fact, he had become the staid and steadfast person that he was because of the incident. It had changed him, in the King’s opinion, for the better. He had grown more reserved, less resistant to his path in life.

So when the King found Luhan was in Korea he had been nervous, because he had never expected his son to come face to face with the other half of the lie - the only other person that could not recall what exactly had happened. So far, though, he had no indication that either boy remembered any of what Soo Man had worked so hard to keep buried.

“We help them remember what we want them to remember. And we do that by giving them all of the supporting evidence.” Soo Man waved his hand, embellishing his plan. Luhan and Minseok were too easy to fool, and he had no doubt they were both presently engulfed in what they believed had happened between them. Soo Man, however, had failed to realize the two may compare notes. But then, he could only work with what he knew.

“This wedding has to occur.” The King was firm. This marriage was too important, politically and personally.

“It will, I will see to that.”

The King of Korea nodded. As usual, it was Soo Man that knew what to do. He always had.

***

 [Minseok’s Journal * December 18^th, 2004]

I slit my wrists. They said I almost died, they found me like that one night. I can’t remember doing it. I can’t remember any of it. But I have the scars and they are ugly and horrible and deep.

I haven’t heard from Luhan. He left after I did that, and I think he hates me. I wish I knew why I thought dying was a good idea, or how I could make him hate me. I guess I did it because of him.

I have to take medicine now, every day. It makes my head hurt and I get sick to my stomach a lot. I keep taking it though, because I am afraid that I will try to die again. I can tell my brothers are afraid for me now, Joon Myun won’t even look me in the eyes. I wish I remembered it, because not knowing why I did that makes my head hurt. All of it makes me afraid.

I keep dreaming about the time we ran away, and the leaves. I am not sure why I keep dreaming it, but it makes me more confused. Did I love him? I want to grow healthy again. I need to grow healthy again.

a/n- I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far. I just can’t seem to stop writing it! What exactly is the secret behind Luhan and Minseok’s missing time? The truth will surprise you. Do you like the suspense so far?

This is my first fan fiction, so please let me know anything I should improve upon in the comments section. Thank you for reading!