Taemin stood against the ebony grand piano, watching Kibum as the man went about trying to tune it. Apparently, the instrument hadn't been played in years, so it didn't sound quite right.

Actually, that entire ballroom hadn't been used in years. Taemin could imagine that it was once filled with dozens of important, rich guests, all beautifully adorned and dancing to a skilled orchestra. Now that ballroom was just as shadow of its former glory, just as the rest of the house was.

The piano wasn't the only unused instrument standing there, but it was the only one Kibum knew how to play. Taemin had learned the piano from his father back when he was a young boy, but he hadn't played in years, and he had no desire to try out his rusty skills in front of his housemates.

"There we go," Kibum said once he was confident he had fixed the piano. He went and took a seat on the bench and tried out the keys again. They sounded much better.

Almost at the same time, Jinki entered the ballroom, wheeling a cart with the infamous birthday cake set on top. Minho followed in behind him, not looking very excited, but not as sullen as he usually was.

"There's the birthday boy," Jonghyun teased, and their master became annoyed. Kibum started playing a birthday tune on the piano, which didn't help either.

Jinki brought the cake to them, then pulled a bottle of wine out of the cart along with some glasses. Cake and wine; the day was bound to be interesting.

Jinki poured them each a glass, then lifted his own in a toast. "To Minho...Happy Birthday."

They all clinked glasses and took a drink, then Jinki went about cutting his masterpiece.

"So how old are you today?" Taemin asked Minho.

He was silent for a moment before answering. "I can't remember." He took another sip of his wine.

Taemin thought he just didn't want to reveal his age. He looked to Jonghyun for the answer, but he saw that the gardener looked just as serious about the matter as Minho was.

"It's hard to keep track of time here," Jonghyun volunteered, "It's been many years. We're just not sure how many."

"It couldn't have been that long," Taemin said, "You're all only in your twenties."

"We were," Kibum replied, still playing the music effortlessly, "But it has to have been at least a decade since he was cursed."

"You've all been here over ten years?" It was hard to believe.

"They were already trapped for three years when I came here," Kibum said, "After I got stuck...It has to have been ten years."

"So you're all actually in your thirties? Maybe your forties?"

"It's hard to say. It's like time has just stopped in here," Jonghyun said, "We haven't aged a day since the curse."

Taemin turned back to Minho. He couldn't imagine what it was like being stuck while the world continued to pass on by. People they would have known were aging without them, growing up or growing old.

All the talk of the curse had made Minho sullen all over again. "It was my birthday when she cursed me," he said, "Quite the present she gave me."

No wonder he wasn't very happy. That day must have been forever ruined for him.

"I'm sorry," Taemin said, finding himself pitying him once more.

"Lamenting about the past isn't going to change anything," Jinki interjected, as he presented the first piece of the finely cut cake to Minho, "All you can do now is focus on the present."

"The never-changing present," Kibum added.

"Things are changing," Jinki said confidently.

Taemin had a feeling he was referring to him.

They hadn't been exaggerating; Jinki's cake was good. Taemin lost count of how many pieces of it he had had, but he knew it was one too many. Just as he had had one too many glasses of wine. He wasn't quite drunk, but his head felt funny and the room looked a little unstable.

He sat on the floor, allowing the discomfort in his stomach to settle while he listened to Kibum play. It had been well over an hour, but the music continued. Jonghyun even joined him in song at one point, which was very amusing to them all. Even Minho seemed like he was enjoying himself.

Taemin was starting to think of home. All the merriness was making him miss his family and all the fun times they would share together.

As he was in the middle of such thoughts, Jinki came up to him.

"Dance with me," he said, holding out his hand.

"...What?"

"Come on, let's dance. It'll be fun," he answered with a bright smile.

"No."

"Come on, please? Pretty please?"

"Jinki..."

Despite his protests, the man grabbed him by the hands and pulled him to his feet. Taemin felt a little unsteady, and the cake in his stomach was making the corset very uncomfortable. He thought he was likely to pass out if he did too much moving. Jinki didn't seem to notice, and the five pieces of cake he had wolfed down didn't seem to affect him in the slightest.

He pulled Taemin to the center of the ballroom and began swaying. Taemin could only go along with him, since he didn't have much energy to do anything else.

Besides, whatever Jinki was doing, he couldn't call it dancing. Taemin had a feeling he had never even learned to do it properly, which was fine by him. He was not in the mood for a waltz anyway.

He had his hands on the man's shoulders, while Jinki had him around the waist. He wore his usually goofy smile as he led Taemin along in their goofy display of swaying.

Taemin blamed the wine. If he hadn't had so much, he wouldn't have been so compliant.

"You know," Jinki started, with his smile mellowed slightly. He voice was lowered so the others wouldn't hear him, "you should dance with Minho too, since it's his birthday."

Taemin glanced at the said man. He was sitting on a bench not far from Kibum, watching the two of them. His expression was neutral, but he was very intent on them.

"Why don't you dance with him?" Taemin replied.

Jinki laughed quietly, "I don't think that would go over too well with him."

"But I'm fine to dance with? Because of the dress? I'm not a woman, you know."

"I know that. He knows that too...but I think he still likes you." Jinki pulled him around in a very nauseating circle. When he regained his balance, he saw that Minho was still watching them.

"He has an odd way of showing it."

"He has been trying though, haven't you noticed?"

"Well yeah, but..."

"He has thirty years of bad habits to unlearn. It's not exactly easy for him."

"That's what you all keep telling me," Taemin grumbled.

"Just try giving him a chance."

"I have been. I've given him many chances, more than he deserves. But I can't do what you want me to."

"Dance with him?" Jinki asked, confused.

"I know what you're doing, Jinki. You're trying to make me fall in love with him."

Jinki chuckled nervously. "Who told you that?"

"No one. They didn't have to. I figured it out when you locked us both in the lounge."

Jinki didn't say anything, as he knew he had been discovered.

"I don't blame you," he said quietly, "I know you're all desperate to get out of here...But I can't. I can't fall in love with him. Even if I really were a woman, I couldn't. He's hurt me too much."

"I know he was harsh when you first got here--"

"He hurt me before that. When he made me think I was going to lose my father, right after I had lost my mother." He choked back the emotion as he spoke.

It was all too much for him. He pulled out of Jinki's embrace and looked at Minho one last time, before facing Jinki again. "I don't hate any of you, Jinki. Not even him. I'll be nice to him. I'll give him all the chances he doesn't deserve...but I can't forgive him."

"But that wasn't even his doing. It was Kibum's."

"Minho didn't stop him. He didn't care what he did or who got hurt along the way, as long as he got what he wanted. How could I love someone like that?"

Jinki looked confused, like he didn't know what to say. "I do it," he answered in the end, "I love him. Not like that, but I forgive him every time he hurts me."

"I guess I'm just not as kind as you are, Jinki."

He took a deep breath and composed himself, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. Jinki's smile was all but gone, replaced by a sadness that was uncharacteristic for the man. Taemin wished he could help him, but it just wasn't possible.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling very well...I need to go lie down." Without saying anything else, he turned and left the ballroom.