« Mr Lee, please sit. » The slender, tall, beautiful looking man sat as he made sure to not be bothered by his cashmere vest that he loosened up some buttons. “I am sure you know that your deceased teacher, Mr Kim, had left you a will and almost the full power of his properties.” The twenty four years old Lee Taemin noticed the way the lawyer had tensed the word “Almost” so he gave the lawyer his most innocently curious expression. “I would have loved to read the will for you, but he requested for you to read it yourself, and as you see, I am busy.” The man gestured the huge mass of papers in his desk. “They are the official papers for the hand over, and of course I won’t start it until you, sir, finish reading the letter and accept, openly in front of me, about the condition your uncle made.” 

Taemin raised his eyebrows slightly before silently taking the letter. “Shall I focus on it, then?” Taemin gave the man a small smile before standing and opening the letter. He unfolded the letter and inhaled nervously as he read the short letter.

“Dear Taemin.

I believe we weren’t that close, and that you must be shocked by how much I am offering. I know that you barely know my private life, and that I may shock you by what I’ll say next. I have a son.”

The four words shocked Taemin madly because he practically lived three years in the Kim’s mansion when he was a kid, but then, he barely saw anything besides the tutoring room, the dining room, and his assigned bedroom.

“Do you remember the noises you hear every night in the southern aisle of the house, the part of the house that I forbad you to even step close to? He was locked there. You must be wondering right now of the truth unfolded behind my lines, but you will learn everything with time, and all I ask you right now is to take care of my son, in order to keep the properties I handed you, and if you refuse, the money will be sent to an orphanage where he will live. However, only god knows what would happen to him, especially that he never saw the world behind those walls. He never left the house. So please, accept my condition, and may god be with you.

Your devoted teacher, Kim Myeong Shil.”  

He folded the letter; a sudden raising headache sized him. “I see.” He looked over the old man, crossing his arms as he rested in his chair. “Did you see his son before?”

“No. Except three maids, and chosen kids, nobody saw him at all.” Taemin frowned. Chosen kids? He nodded understanding.

“I will accept the condition, anyway. It’s not like I’ll leave the kid on his own, since Mr Kim had written clearly that the kid never saw the world.”

“He didn’t leave the house, at all… or maybe once, but he was still a kid back then.” The lawyer said, flashing a smile. “I am really proud of you, being responsible of someone else is a hard task.” Taemin blushed.

“I don’t think it will be difficult, since I used to be someone else responsibility for years…” Taemin’s expression fell, but not for so long, and the lawyer flashed a reassuring smile. “Anyway, should I sign something before heading to meet my cousin?”

“You already signed everything I needed you to sign.” The lawyer said as he stood. “I wish you good luck… Oh! I almost forgot.” The lawyer had held Taemin’s hand by the time he remembered something. “Don’t let him leave that aisle of the house, no matter how much he begs you, threaten you, or hurt you.” Taemin froze. Hurt me?

“I … Why?” Taemin gave him a curious expression.

“His father forbad it for a reason that I don’t know, and he already lived so long in the dark. As well, I bet he will think that he can be free and try to escape, but as soon as he leave that house, he will face many hardships he wasn’t ready to face.”  The lawyer explained and Taemin nodded shaking the offered hand softly.

Few minutes after, Taemin was standing in the busy street, shaking slightly, because he felt like facing a monster, and didn’t know why he felt so. His car stopped, just few steps ahead of him, and soon the door opened wide on a chubbier looking man, who smiled to Taemin, sinking the man’s heart in the deepest hole of chaos. Taemin still wonder why Lee Jin Ki, his cousin from his father side, show up everything he remembers him. “How did it go?” Jin Ki asked him playfully.

“I got my uncle belongings, as you expected.” Taemin said with a weak smile, avoiding to even telling his Hyung about the said cousin who, he realized, had no mentioned name. Didn’t he have one? Taemin tried to toss the subject away as Jin Ki blabbers made him focus more on the man lips.

Why do I love you this much? He asked himself the same question every day, and he still asks himself about that. Why did his feelings for his Hyung turned up being more than platonic all of sudden? The car stopped in front of a huge mansion.

“Woah, I always forget that he had such a huge mansion.” Jin Ki commented, as Taemin opened the door to leave the car. Jin Ki was about to leave the car, as well when Taemin opened the door wide again.

“I want to deal with something inside the house, come later.” Jin Ki pouted at him and Taemin felt like his knees were about to give in. “Please, Hyung?” Jin Ki smiled warmly and nodded.

“I’ll fetch you later, so we can eat dinner together.” Jin Ki announced before leaving. Taemin sighed, as he stepped in, and walked slowly toward the huge mansion. It took him some time to reach the front door where two tall men stopped him from stepping in.

“Mr. Kim wants to speak to you.” One of them said and Taemin frowned. Mr. Kim? Oh! The son. He nodded silently and followed the two men to a white door. It was strangely fit inside a wall, making it almost unseen and the men had to struggle to open it up. Taemin stepped in and waited for the men to get in and lock the door. He noticed three other men, who stood, checking Taemin’s pocket before he could complain. One of them flashed a sorry smile.

“It’s the procedure, sir. Please forgive us.” The man said as he gestured for Taemin to move ahead. “I’m Su Ho, code name, sub-head of the guards of this aisle.”

Sub-head? What does it mean?

“Mr. Kim is waiting for you.” The man said as he opened the door into a huge room filled with mirrors. He soon noticed two silhouettes, dancing. One of them was short, with a rather cute complexity, while the other one had the expression of a possessed man, yet had the body and posture of a professional dancer. That exact man looked at Taemin with such a dark expression that the last felt like running away.

“Leave us alone.” The voice was softer than expected, and the two men bowed to Taemin before leaving the room. “Follow me.” Taemin blinked in confusion as the man pushed a mirror open, and he followed suit. They soon got in a kind of living room. “Please, sit.” The man ordered and despite the closeness, Taemin didn’t manage to see him in the face, closely. The man pushed some buttons and soon the oven was open on some reheated dishes. “I hope you don’t mind sharing the lunch with me.”

Taemin coughed, awkward. “No, I don’t mind.” He said, trying to sound less stiff than he really is. “My name is…”

“Taemin, Lee Taemin. I know who you are.” The man soon faced him, holding two cups of tea and Taemin paled. “I remember the fact that you lived here for nearly three years. It’s the only reason for dad to choose you.”

“How did you know about me?” Taemin ask him as he looked at the man’s red eyes.

Yes, the man’s eyes were deep red. His tanned skin was the only human thing to express, since he was incredibly handsome, almost bewitching, and everything in his face expressed confidence and perfection, which contrasted the fact that the man never left the house.

“Surprised?” The man said with a smirk, and Taemin didn’t take time to answer.

“Kind of.” Taemin sipped from the tea, slowly, as he looked away. “What surprise me more is that Teacher never spoke about you, not even in his will, except from the fact that you are his son, and that I have to keep you inside the house.” The man scoffed, as he stood and took off his shirt, in front of a rather shocked Taemin.

“He’s overreacting, to be honest. He wasn’t able to coffin me, at 100%, and neither you will.” The man said as he got in a room, and soon appeared with another black shirt, which made Taemin remark that the man’s clothing was exclusively black.

“I have to honor my teacher’s word, anyway. But, if you want to step out of this hous, I need you to promise me one thing.” Taemin said after a long silent moment. The man laughed, suddenly, making Taemin blush at how cute his laugh was.

“And what is the thing I have to promise?” The man said.

“To let me be with you, when you leave the room. Always.” The man froze, and looked at Taemin with a rather shocked expression. “I know what it means to be coffined, sir. Maybe I could see the world out of those walls but in another hand, I wish I was in your position.”

“Are you serious?” The man asked him, as he put down his cup.

“Yes.” Taemin said before bitterly laughing as he looked away. “Maybe the world is beautiful and that there are so many beautiful things to see, but…” When the man managed to look directly into Taemin’s eyes, he felt his heart clench. “The humans are evil beings, Mr. Kim. No matter how much we try to protect you, you will end up hurt out there, so please make me by your side, just in case.” The man looked away too and smiled.

“Kai.”

Taemin looked up from his cup and looked at the man who picked his. “Call me Kai instead of Sir, or Mr. Kim.” Taemin nodded. “May ask you something?” Taemin nodded again. “Is everything ok?”

It took Taemin off guard and he laughed as his tears threatened to fall. Meeting Jin Ki every day is nerve wrecking, especially when the man he’s in love with is marrying someone in three weeks.

“I am fine. I am just overwhelmed, I guess.” Taemin reassured, and they didn’t say anything else after that.

Taemin excused himself few minutes after, “I have to check your father estates, and check if I need to care of any kind of business in hold, before heading back home and packing.” Taemin said bowing to Kai who just nodded gracefully.

“Will you come back by dinner time?” he asked him politely, but the tone made it sound like Kai didn’t want Taemin to come back.

“I am afraid that I have family dinner to attend.” Taemin offered Kai a sincere smile. “I’ll make sure to have a dinner with you, in the main dining room.”

“Excuse me?” Kai froze.

Taemin observed the place. “It’s suffocating in here, so I think it’s time for you to enjoy real fresh air, even if it means for you to sit in your father dining room.” Taemin sighed. “It’s your home more than mine, so it’s your right to be there and not me.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Kai said with a dark expression.

“We will see that later.” Taemin said nodding, as he felt suddenly uncomfortable with Kai’s gaze. “I have to go, for now. Have a nice day, Kai.” Taemin stepped slowly back to the mirrors room and gave a fake cough in order someone to move and soon someone opened the door. Taemin walked out fast, and gasped for air as soon as he stepped in the open space.

I almost died suffocating there. Taemin looked at the locked door before looking that two men who gave him a weird look. How could he survive it? I wonder…