The next morning, Taemin and Naeun sat together in the living room, and taking inventory of all the gifts Minho had given them. Jongin had already left with a couple pieces of jewelry and a vase, which he was taking to get the money for the landlord. For the first time in weeks, Daevy rose early in the morning and went to work on his wares. Everything about that day seemed normal. Except for the all the silver and gold scattered on their floor.

"What was it like there?" Naeun asked curiously, as she delicately laid out the different color sashes they now owned.

Taemin shrugged. "Honestly, it was a little boring. The housekeeper Jinki always had me cleaning, or doing some other chore. Sometimes I would help Jonghyun in the garden. But nothing really exciting happened there." He answered casually, but Naeun didn't seem convinced that everything had been that pleasant.

"What did Minho do once he found out you tricked him?"

"Oh, he was mad. For a while. A long while."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, not really. He just made me wear dresses for three weeks as punishment." He thought the information would make her laugh; instead, she just looked disturbed. "Honestly, Naeun, I was fine. All things considered, it wasn't bad. I've actually become good friends with all of them. Even Minho isn't a total jerk all the time."

She looked reluctant to believe him. Then again, he didn't believe Jinki when he told him the same thing. It was funny how much his opinion of Minho had changed since then. It was funny how much Minho had changed since then.

"Does he still want me?" she asked.

Taemin took a moment to think before replying. He pulled a velvet bag out of the chest and examined the emerald necklace that was inside. "He wants a woman. You just happen to be the only one within reach."

He scooted closer to her and fastened the beautiful necklace around her neck. She was surprised by his gesture, yet at the same time, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed having something so beautiful and expensive on her person. And Taemin thought it suited her nicely. The exquisite piece seemed to be made for her.

"Why don't you keep that one?" he suggested.

"What? Taemin, I couldn't."

"No, you should."

"Do you know how much money we could get for this one? I can't just keep it."

"I want you to. Minho probably wanted you to have it too."

Most of the stuff was for her, as his note implied. She knew that too, and it didn't make her any more eager to keep it. "All the more reason to sell it."

"You deserve something nice, Naeun. And if we sell it, we'll never be able to buy anything like it again. Besides, Minho sent all this in payment for my work there, so it's technically mine and mine to give to you. Alright?"

He could tell she wanted to protest more, but she gave in to him instead. "Fine. But I'll only keep it because you want me to. Not because of that beast."

"Fair enough."

She looked down at the necklace still on her neck, and her wariness of it was suddenly forgotten. She finally allowed herself to admire it, now that it was hers. Taemin knew she would cherish it for as long as she lived, and that was worth more to him than whatever money they could make from it.

While her attention was focused on her gift, Taemin took the opportunity to check the number on his chest. He looked under his shirt at the "55". He had a little over two days, then he would be back at that mansion, separated from his family and the simple moments like that one.

But he would enjoy every one of those fifty-five hours until then.

Three days wasn't long enough. He should have bargained for a week, or two. Minho expected him to return and stay indefinitely, surely he could have negotiated for more time. But he had been so eager on just getting home. Three days sounded like plenty of time then, but now that they were coming to an end, he felt cheated.

How could he even break it to his family that he would have to leave that afternoon? He knew he should have let them know sooner, but everyone had been so happy that he was back. Everything resumed normally as before. He couldn't bear the thought of ruining it all over again.

But he couldn't stay. It was very simple.

He didn't know who he should tell first. Jongin would have been the easiest, only because he wasn't likely to cry or run to the tavern for comfort. Naeun would be heart-broken, but she would get through it. He was worried most about breaking it to his dad.

They had all just finished breakfast. Naeun was cleaning up the dishes, humming pleasantly while her new necklace hung prettily from her neck. Jongin was getting ready to head out for his day of work. Daevy was taking a moment to let his food settle before he would leave for his pottery.

It felt like the hardest thing in the world, getting the words out. "I have to go back."

Naeun's humming stopped. Jongin turned to face him and Daevy lifted his eyes from the ledger he had been skimming over.

"What?" Daevy asked.

"I have to go back to the mansion. I promised Minho I would return after three days."

His family was silent for a moment, like they couldn't even believe he said those words.

"You can't go back there," Daevy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I have to."

"Taemin..." Naeun began.

"Minho and I made a deal. He would only let me come home if I promised to return in three days."

"I don't care what you promised, you're not going back there," Daevy said.

"Dad, it's not that simple."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Naeun demanded with a little bit of panic rising in her voice.

"I didn't want to upset you."

"And we're not upset now?" Jongin retorted.

Taemin sighed. He didn't think it would be so difficult. He had not only underestimated their reaction, but his own. Every piece of him wanted to stay with his family, not return to a monotonous life of servitude to a cursed master.

"I thought you were here to stay," his sister said, fighting back tears.

"He is," Daevy said definitively. "He's not going back. You're not. I'm not making that sacrifice twice."

"This isn't about you anymore, dad," he said.

"Then who is it about? That cursed beast?"

"We made a deal. Do you want me to go back on my word?"

"Yes, I do."

Taemin understood his fears, but there was more than just his integrity at stake there. "I can't. Kibum made certain I wouldn't."

Daevy's look of fear turned into utter horror when he realized what his son was talking about: Magic. He was suddenly on his feet.

"What did he do to you?"

"Dad, relax."

"What did he do?" he demanded. He knew where to look for his answer. He pulled down Taemin's collar to expose the number counting down on his chest. He had only eight hours left.

"No," Naeun said in shock as she covered with her hands.

"I'm not going to die," Taemin said before any one of them could start panicking, "I told you, Kibum wouldn't kill anyone."

"Then what is that?" Jongin asked.

"Just a timer."

"Counting down to what?"

Taemin looked away from them and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Till I turn into a woman."

Instead of afraid, they were now repulsed. Taemin sighed heavily and started pacing the room, while the three of them processed everything.

"I'm sorry," he said in the end, "I should have told you all sooner."

"I don't care," Daevy said quietly.

Taemin turned to his father.

"I don't care what you turn into. I'm not letting you go back there."

It was strange how quickly his emotions changed. He went from apologetic to defensive in an instant. "Dad."

"I'm not losing you again!" Daevy said desperately.

"You can't make me stay."

"Yes, I can."

He wanted to argue with him and bring up every logical reason why he couldn't keep him there, but he kept quiet. Logic wouldn't sway his father in the least. When his emotions took over, there was little anyone could do to convince him of anything. He instead went to him and gave him a hug, holding him close in an attempt to calm him.

"I'm sorry," he said one final time, before leaving him and his siblings and going to his bedroom. He grabbed his bag and began filling it with the necessary items he would need for the travel back. He could hear Naeun sobbing in the kitchen and Jongin quietly urging his father to stop him.

He tried to ignore it all and not let his own emotions interfere with what he knew he had to do.

But halfway through his packing, his bedroom door unexpectedly slammed shut. He turned around just as the lock clicked, trapping him inside.

"Dad!" he screamed as he ran to the door and tried in vain to pull it open. "What are you doing?"

"I won't let you go back there, son!" he said to him through the wood. "This is for your own good."

"Dammit, dad, open the door!" he ordered as he frantically banged against it. He couldn't believe what he was doing. "You can't just keep me in here!"

No one answered. Even Jongin and Naeun were silent. Even they were letting their fear get the better of them, to the point where they all turned into captors - captors who looked no different than the beast they were trying to protect him from.

"Open the door," he said with a note of panic in his voice. It was just starting to sink in. The threat of Kibum's spell seemed very real at that moment, and it was starting to frighten him. He only had eight hours. "Open the door! Open the door!"

A/N: Well that didn't go so well. :P

Fun Fact! Did you know Taemin and Naeun played brother and sister in "Salamander Guru and the Shadows" before they played husband and wife in "We Got Married"? :D