“You’re going to get yourself in trouble,” Yixing said flatly, arms crossed. “Hell, you’re going to get me in trouble.”

Baekhyun glared at his friend. “You’re not going to get in trouble. Just get over here and help me.”

Yixing huffed but walked over to the rows of computers where Baekhyun was currently logging into one. “I’m not even supposed to leave the main house except during my time off.”

“Then just say I gave you time off,” Baekhyun said. “I’m the head of the family, right? In name at least. Besides, I can’t go through all the articles by myself. I need your help.”

Yixing plopped down in the seat beside him and logged on to a second computer. “And what exactly am I supposed to be looking for?”

“I need to find out how my grandfather died,” Baekhyun said. “The one that just passed away. Nobody will tell me how he died, like it’s some big secret. I’ll bet you anything that he died because of the curse. I just need to prove it.”

Yixing rolled his eyes. “There is no curse, Baekhyun. Just a lot of unfortunate events.”

“Say what you will,” Baekhyun huffed. “But I still need to find out how he died.”

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Yixing, who had been around the Kims for a lot longer than Baekhyun, found what they were looking for.

“Here’s the official obituary,” Yixing said. “But it doesn’t say how he died. Just that he passed away at the hospital and that he was a well-respected member of the community and had all these descendants and crap. Nothing about how he died.”

Baekhyun leaned over Yixing’s shoulder. “Dammit!” he muttered. Then he frowned. “Wait, does it say which hospital he died at?”

Yixing squinted as he scanned the print. “Uh, yeah. It was that big one downtown. Not a surprise, actually, since your family owns it.”

Baekhyun immediately logged out of his computer – they were using ones down at the public library so Madame couldn’t trace Baekhyun’s searches. “Let’s go then,” he said eagerly.

Yixing frowned. “Go where? Baekhyun, we’ve got to get back to the main house before your body guards find out where you’ve gone.”

Baekhyun gave him a flat look. “Me getting away from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum happens once in a blue moon. If I’m getting anything done, it’s now. Are you coming or not?”

Yixing sighed heavily. “You know I’m coming. You don’t have to be an about it.”

Baekhyun was uncertain as to how he was going to get information out of the people at the hospital, but apparently his reputation preceded him because everyone knew who he was the second he and Yixing stepped through the automatic doors into the main lobby of the hospital.

An administrative assistant was in front of him at once, a simpering smile on his face. “Mr. Kim,” he man greeted him in an oily, simpering sort of voice that was almost as disgusting as being called Mr. Kim. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”

Baekhyun put on all the airs he had managed to collect over his period of training with the Kim family. “I need to speak to someone in the records department regarding the late Kim Hyojun.”

The assistant’s simpering smile faltered for a moment and then he was assuring Baekhyun that he’d take them to the correct office. While other hospital workers stared and whispered, the assistant led them to the records department. Apparently the head of the department had been alerted to their arrival, because he was waiting to greet them with a fake smile and handshake.

“Mr. Kim,” he greeted Baekhyun in a deep, booming voice. “What an unexpected pleasure. I understand you’re here regarding your late grandfather’s records. What records would you like to see? We’ve got them all going back to his birth. If you let me know what you’re looking for, I’d be happy to pull the records for you.”

“I only need one record,” Baekhyun said, sitting down across from the man’s desk. “That of his death.”

The man hesitated, much the same as the administrative assistant had. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Mr. Kim, but those records are sealed.”

“Sealed?” Baekhyun repeated incredulously. “On whose authority?”

The man looked flustered, frightened even. “It was Madame Kim who gave the orders, sir.”

“Oh, I see.” Baekhyun was seething now. Trust Madame to perpetually get in his way. “Let me ask you a question. Is Madame the head of the Kim family?”

Another flustered look. “No, sir.”

“Oh, is that right?” Baekhyun hated to use his unwanted authority like this, but dammit he had to get some answers one way or another. “And just who is the head of the Kim family and the owner of this very hospital?”

The man shrank back into his chair. “You are, Mr. Kim.”

“That’s what I thought.” Baekhyun ignored the arched look Yixing was giving him and focused on the frightened employee in front of him. “I would hate to have to talk to your supervisor about your position here at my hospital.”

“I’ll get the files you want right away, sir,” the man assured him, sweating visibly.

“I’d rather hoped you would,” Baekhyun muttered, and the man scurried out of the office to print off the records.

Yixing smacked Baekhyun on the shoulder. “You didn’t have to be so mean to the poor guy,” he muttered. “He was only doing his job.”

“And I’m doing mine,” Baekhyun retorted. “I’ve got to find out how my grandfather died. I have to know if it was because of the curse or not.”

The man came back then with a manila folder which he promptly into Baekhyun’s hands. “I took the liberty of making copies of all the records pertaining to Mr. Kim’s death so you can have them at your disposal.”

“Thanks,” Baekhyun muttered, more interested in the papers he now held in his hand. He quickly opened the folder and scanned the first page, which was the coroner’s report. “He was stabbed in the head by a railroad spike?” Baekhyun read incredulously. “Did the police catch whoever killed him?”

The man looked distinctly uncomfortable. “It wasn’t a homicide, Mr. Kim. The coroner ruled it an accident.”

“An accident?” Baekhyun repeated incredulously. “How does someone accidentally get a railroad spike embedded in their skull?!”

“I’m so sorry, sir!” The man looked close to tears. “I really don’t know anything! I only work with records.”

Baekhyun sighed and looked back down at the paper. “Well what about the coroner? The doctor who signed off on this? Where is he? I want to talk to him.”

“I-I’m not sure if he’s at the hospital right now…”

“Then find out!” Baekhyun snapped.

The man jumped and scurried to his telephone, making a series of phone calls to find out if the Dr. Lee who had signed Mr. Kim’s death certificate was in the hospital. Eventually Baekhyun and Yixing were shown to a different floor, much to the record manager’s relief.

Dr. Lee was a middle-aged man wearing scrubs and glasses who was waiting to greet them outside the elevators. “I understand you’ve got some questions about the death of the late Mr. Kim?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said. “Like how did he ‘accidentally’ get stabbed with a railroad spike?”

The doctor hesitated, then glanced around. “Perhaps it’s best if we spoke privately. Please, follow me.”

They ended up in a small conference room, and Dr. Lee shut the door behind them. “I understand that this might seem a little strange looking at the death certificate…”

“You think?” Baekhyun said sarcastically. “Why can no one explain to me how my grandfather died?”

“We don’t know,” Dr. Lee admitted, a little panicked. “When it comes to the Kim family, we’ve been instructed not to ask questions. But I can assure you that this was not murder. The force with which the spike was driven into Mr. Kim’s skull was more than any human being could exert. I honestly have no idea what happened, only that it must have been very painful for him.”

Baekhyun sighed. “Thanks, I guess. That’s more than I knew before.”

He waited until they were outside of the hospital to turn on Yixing. “See? It was the curse. The curse killed him.”

“And what does knowing that do for you?” Yixing demanded. “Knowing that the curse killed your grandfather, how does that help you?”

“It proves that there is a curse,” Baekhyun said. “And that I’m not crazy.”

Yixing groaned. “Quick, give me the file! Your bodyguards are about to catch up to us.”

Baekhyun cursed and the file at his friend, who promptly shoved it up his shirt to hide it.

Yifan was not at all amused when he and Zitao finally caught up with them. “What are you doing, Mr. Kim? You’re not supposed to leave the house without Zitao or myself.”

Baekhyun was in a particularly foul mood and glared at him. “I’m the head of the Kim family. I’ll go wherever I damn well please.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Yifan said calmly, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. “You will return to the main house at once. I will take you there by force, if necessary.”

A little bit of Baekhyun’s fight went out of him and he sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.”

After a very stern lecture from Madame about not leaving without being authorized, Baekhyun was finally able to slip away to find Junmyeon, who was curled up in the library with a big book.

“I heard you gave everyone the slip today,” he said by way of greeting when his cousin flopped down beside him. “The whole house was in an uproar.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that’ll do some good,” Baekhyun grumbled. Then he looked straight at Junmyeon. “Do you know how my grandfather died?”

Junmyeon pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Not really, to be honest. They keep deaths in the family very hush-hush, especially from bastards like me.” He smiled, but it was a bit rueful.

Baekhyun lowered his voice. “I went to the hospital today and got the records about his death,” he said. “It was the curse. The curse killed him.”

Junmyeon was shocked and a little frightened. “Baekhyun, don’t go messing with the curse. Don’t make things worse than they already are.”

“How could they get worse?” Baekhyun demanded, nearly hysterical. “We’re all going to die, Junmyeon! Every single one of us! A horrible and painful death!”

Junmyeon sighed. “Well, that part is true at least.” He forced a little smile. “But maybe it’s not real, you know? I mean, Madame and Great Aunt Hyomin are still alive. So maybe the curse is wearing off, you know?”

“Tell that to my mother,” Baekhyun said glumly. “And my father.” He sighed heavily. “I’m going to do something about this, Junmyeon. I may not be able to stop this curse, but I have to try. I’m not going down without a fight.”

Junmyeon surprised him by taking his hand. “If you’re fighting, then I will too. I’ll help you, Baekhyun.”

And for the first time since he’d come to live with the Kims, Baekhyun realized that he really wasn’t alone. 

I'm so sorry guys!

You must have thought I fell off the face of planet!

Things have been really, really hectic for me since I last updated, not the least of which was getting married!

Also, both my husband and I have had some health issues so, like I said, things have been super hectic and crazy lately!

I promise I'll update again very soon though!

Thanks for sticking with me!