Hero narrowed his eyes as he twisted his neck and sniffed the aura. It was the tangy scent, something he had not sensed in centuries. Something he thought he and his family had driven away long time ago.

Then what the hell was doing it here in Verdelann?

"You smell that?"

Zico stiffened and nodded, the other three following suit. The hair on Hoya's necks rose up, his calm face disturbed by furrowed eyebrows, a low growl emanating from him. A haze cast over Aiden's eyes as he tried to comprehend what was taking place while Top quietly shook his head with closed eyes. 

However as soon as the five tried to trace the scent, it disappeared, almost as if it had been nothing but a delusion of  the five immortals present. Shocked, the men looked at each other in confusion, only to find that one of them was still on alert.

'Hyung,' Zico murmured, looking back at the others as he approached Hero, his eyes still closed. 'It disappeared.'

'No,' Hero spoke through gritted teeth. 'It didn't disappear. It hid itself.'

Zico exchanged a nervous glance with his friends. 'You speak like you know....'

'Its a guess,' Hero sighed, his eyes still dark. 'A guess that I'm sorely hoping to be wrong about.'

                                                                                             ******************************************

"Saya?"

I turned around and smiled at Yoona, the small turn of my lips faltering when a figure shadowed her from behind. A lean man with modest muscles protuding from his t-shirt stepped out, giving me an all-too-friendly smile. It was only when I fixed my gaze for a few seconds did I realize who I was staring at.

"WOOHYUN!!!!!!!!!!!"

My cousin grinned as I left the counter and ran towards his, falling forward in his embrace and tightening my grasp around him. We stayed there, rocking from side-to-side for what seemed like eternity, until someone cleared their throat. I giggled when Woohyun shrugged at Yoona who rolled her eyes at him, a hint of relief however playing out in her gaze.

"So he's cousin Woohyun?" Yoona asked, stacking up the books I had hurriedly left behind. 

Woohyun looked between us. "You already told her about me??"

"She even showed me your photos," Yoona teased, squishing her cheeks and saying, "Where did all your baby fat go, Woohyun dongsaeng?"

"Aaahh!!!" Woohyun jokingly beat his fist against his chest. "It's apocalyptic! A girl like you calling me a dongsaeng!" 

I blinked between the two, a confused a smile hanging on my face. Woohyun noticed my expression, his loud grin calming down to a knowing smile. 

"You ran away without telling me?"

I shook my head as Woohyun tugged my hand and sat me down on the small bench in the store. "No, I just.... Wait. You're the one whose come to Verdelann, uninvited, unpredictable. How? Why?"

Woohyun sighed, tapping his finger on his chin, a distant look in his eyes. Finally he returned to me. "You know what my father feels about you."

"Ever since your parents died, I wanted to be with you but father... He just wouldn't approve. That was when I realized that nothing was really going the way I wanted it to go. He had always be dominating but when for the first time I intensely stood up for something, he hit me."

I slapped my hand against my mouth. Woohyun gave a nervous smile. "Don't worry, it was for the good. I had enough and walked out, shifting around my friends' places, sometimes staying in motels all by myself. I didn't have anything to do after school. All the part-time jobs gave me more education than an expensive Ivy League could ever give and I spent most of my time reading or exercising. That's how I became like this." 

Woohyun waved a hand at his body, newly sculpted like a statue made from scratch. Despite being his cousin, I couldn't help but be awed by his transformation and marvel at his independence, something that had only existed in his mind before. 

"I contacted your parents' lawyer," Woohyun continued. "When he told me you were in Verdelann, I was like 'whaaa...' It took a lot of time coming here. Some people didn't know the exact way, others just refused to tell me." 

I saw Woohyun shudder at the last sentence, surprised that this warm beach-town could actually have a minority against foreigners.

"Well," I smiled. "I'm glad you're here. I needed a familiar face."

"Hey!" Yoona shouted from the storeroom. 

Woohyun and I laughed, my cousin nodding at my friend's back and mouthing, "She's my style." I playfully punched him on the arm, only for him to swiftly back away and mock at me. As the two of us continued chuckling wordlessly, a thought crossed my mind, making me gasp.

"Wait," I said, catching a hold of Woohyun's arm. "Where are you staying? And what will you do while you're here?"

Woohyun cocked his head to the side, almost as if I was the one who had done the stupid thing. "That's a smart question. Well, incase I didn't tell you, I already found a friend ready for a helping hand."

I narrowed my eyes. "Really?"

Woohyun earnestly nodded, erasing my doubts. "Really. I met him on the way to your university. In fact, he was the one who directed me there when I asked for you."

I blinked at him, unaware that the Verdelann citizens knew who I was. "That's... funny. Did he tell you his name? And how are you helping him?"

Woohyun grinned. "When I asked him about you, he said he knew you and after a once-over glance, offered to help me out in any way possible. I told him I was good at almost anything and everything---no really sis, I am--- and he offered me a spot at his family restaurant. You're looking at the newest bartender in town!"

My mouth fell open but the possibilities of it widening even further were confirmed when Woohyun said, "And as for his name...Quite short, but catchy. Hero? Yup, his name is Hero. So how do you know him?"