/sigh/ oh wells.

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May Day had found Hyomin standing with her parents on Jongamno's minuscle village green watching Hwayoung, hand in hand with Soyeon, skipping around a maypole.

"This place is stuck in a time warp," Hyomin said wryly, restraining the dog, who was anxious to join in.

Her mother dug her in the arm with her elbow. "Stop it. It's charming."

"I suppose so," she waved limply at Hwayoung, who was loving the attention. "In a nauseating kind of way."

Ten little girls, dressed in frilly white frocks and their best shoes, giggled and shrieked, tossing ribbons around their heads as the accordion plyer upped the tempo. It was too much for Bobby, who began barking jealously.

"Go and take the dog somewhere else," Mum said out of  the corner of , managing a smile at her youngest daughter at the same time.

"Oh," Hyomin said, mock-disappointed. "But I'm having so much fun."

She turned, rolling her eyes. "Oh go away, spoilsport. Go and find something miserable to do."

Hyomin sighed, tugging Bobby away. "See you back home then. After Hwayoung has thrown up from all the excitement."

She rubbed the dog's ears and wandered over to a stall selling homemade cider. Her dad's friend, Minho, lifted his hat in greeting and held out a tray bearing miniature shot glasses.

"Sample some cider?" he said, winking before lowering his voice. "I won't tell your dad."

"Thanks, Minho" Hyomin smiled, shaking her head. "It's seriously tempting, but I'd better not."

"Whatever happened to teenage rebellion!" He emptied the contents of a glass in his mouth. "Lightweights, the lot of you. Have a little fun once in a while, why don't you?"

Hyomin grinned, moving on. He was right. She should have a little fun, and as she rounded the green, pssing by the jam tent and then some women assembling the raffle prized, wondered if Joon was here. He said he'd come along though a quaint village festibal was hardly his thing.

She stopped and watched a bunch of boys kicking a football around, shouting at each other, and then checked her watched. Half past three. The rest of the afternoon stretched in front of her.

"Want som heather?" said a light, familiar voice. "It will bring you luck."

Hyomin turned, her skin prickling, to see short brown hair and large dark eyes, staring up at her.

"Sunkyu," She breathed, taking in her girlish ensemble of a floral dress with small white collar and a neat knitted shawl. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Quiet," she whispered as Bobby began growling. Sunkyu placed one palm on his head and the motion quietened him. She obviously had a way with her distant relatives that had evaded Jaejoong. "I am a stranger, Miss." Her eyes danced with mischief as she held out the foil-wrapped heather. "One of your mortal pounds," she said, smiling. "And no pennies at all."

Hyomin's lips twitched and she just stopped herself from touching her. Her resemblance to her brother was comforting. She dug out a pound from her back pocket and handed it over.

"Thank you, Miss." she said meekly, staring curiously at the coin before looking up at her. "I can show you where the heather grows, if you like." She stared around them, smiling sweetly at a middle-aged couple who were walking by. "You can pick your own luck." As her head swivelled back, Hyomin wandered at her meaning. But before she could work it out, Sunkyu gently touched her arm. "It's not far."

Hyomin looked down at the dog, who had settled himself in a heap on the ground, uncharacteriscally passive. "What have you done with the dog?" She said cautiously. "he looks like he'd been drugged."

"Just a little sorcery," she said, looking pleased with herself. "He'll be a bit floppy for a while before it wears off." She turned her face up to the sky. "In about an hour of your mortal time." She dropped her head, noticing Hyomin's anxious expression. "Don't worry. It's really quite harmless." She nodded quickly and turned to make her way off the green while Hyomin followed her.

Sunkyu seemed to know exactly where she ws going and before long they were away from the crowds, heading for the deserted streets. She moved stealthily, elegantly, finally coming to the base of the mountain, where she stopped.

"Why have you come?" Hyomin asked, breathless from keeping up with her.

She studied Hyomin seriously, then said. "Jaejoong is on confinement. Changmin has told our parents everything. Jaejoong is unhappy."

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should never---"

"Jaejoong has a mind of his own," she interrupted Hyomin firmly. "He is also sensitive."

"I know that," Hyomin smiled softly.

Sunkyu sighed deeply. "I don't want Jaejoong to be hurt. He will follow his heart  ... if he is able to ... And it's dangerous. But ..." she paused. "He is concerned for you."

"I know ... But there is no need." Hyomin looked around them. "I am safe. This is not Nissilum. I have the freedom to make my own choices ... Be with who I want. Extricate myself if I want. There is nothing to worry about."

"You don't understand." She held her gaze. "He has a sixth sense."

"Yes," Hyomin said, starting to feel irritated again. "He told me about his premonitions."

Sunkyu's eyes narrowed. "You don't take them seriously, though." she said. "You don't take him seriously."

"Of course I do. But ... Jaejoong was not specific. Whether he knows it or not, I think he hs his own agenda as far as Joon is concerned."

She put her hands on her hips. "That may be ... But he is not one who lies. He is a good, honest person. He wants to protect you."

"So, what should I be doing?" She raised an eyebrow at Sunkyu.

"Keep away from him." Her tone was final, her face expresionless. "Stop seeing him."

Irritation flared up again. "Listen, Joon is here. He doesn't live in a remote, parallel world. He wants to be with me, and he can be. There is no unhappy ending here."

It sounded good. It sounded convincing enough.

Sunkyu shook her head. "You haven't noticed anything odd about Joon?"

"No!" Hyomin glared at her. "And if you think there's something "odd", then tell me. Tell me what I should be frightened of."

"I can't tell you that. Jaejoong has a feeling ... strong feeling."

"Sorry." She rolled her eyes. "Not good enough."

Sunkyu paused. "Very well then. Do what you want. I risked punishment to come here. But I see you are stubborn---"

"I'm not stubborn," Hyomin aid indignantly. "I just---"

"It's fine." She pulled her shawl over her shoulders. "I have said what I came to say. And now I must go."

She pushed past Hyomin, walking slowly to the trees that marked the beginning of the ascent up the hill. As she reached the small wood, she turned, smiling sadly back at her.

"I wish you luck," she called. "Believe me, you will need it." And then she moved into the treest and she lost sight of her.

Hyomin stood for a while, staring. Feeling scared all of a sudden. It had to mean something that Sunkyu had risked so much to come here and warn her, but she still couldn't believe or trust that Jaejoong's motives were anything but self-serving. It would be very convenient if Joon was bad for her.

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Hyomin got back to the house, finally. She had sat for hours, watching the clump of trees where Sunkyu had disappeared, experiencing regret for being so short with her, so disbelieving. She turned everything over in her head. Why did the thought of Jaejoong being right make her feel angry and defensive? If she didn't believe him -- if she really thought it was nonsense -- then why had it riled her like it did?

Because Hyomin wasn't sure. She had heard everything Joon had to say about his past, and it explained a lot, but there was something ... something she couldn't put her finger on, that wasn't quite right.

So she stayed, sitting on the grass as it grew dammper with dew beneath her, staring at some unremarkable trees as though they would untangle her thoughts and suggest a solution.

Eventually the moon's gauziness turned to opaque white nd the sky surrounding it darkened. Hyomin got to her feet, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms, and she ran up the hill, up the track, arriving at her back door, feeling comforted by the light on in the kitchen, and the figure of her mother washing dishes in the sink. She looked out of the window at the sound of her tread and Hyomin smiled at her, glad to be home. But she didn't smile, she seemed to look through her.

Hyomin felt a lurch in her chest. Sensing something was wrong.

She took off her shoes in the hall and shut the back door. The television was on in the living room -- a talent show -- and she heard Hwayoung laughing at what her dad was saying. Somethign smelled good and she realised she was starving.

"What's for dinner?" Hyomin said, walking through into the kitchen. Her mum had her back to her, but she noticed her eyes were looking -- in the reflection in the window. Straight at Hyomin.

"Mum?" Hyomin put one hand on the bck of the kitchen chair. "What's the matter?"

She didn't answer, but she took her hands out of the sink and wiped them on a tea towel. And then she turned, putting her hands behind her as she leaned back against the sink.

"Where have you been?" she said quietly.

"Nowhere," Hyomin said, watching her. "Well ... nowhere in particular. Just walking, you know. How was --"

"You've been there," she cut in abruptly. "My God. Why didn't I know this was going to happen ...?" She dropped her head then, looking down at the floor. "I mean, there is no reason why ... But they told me it was unfinished, that it wasn't over."

"Who?" Hyomin frowned as though confused, but her grip on the chair tightened. "What's unfinished?"

"Stop being obtuse." She looked straight into Hyomin's eyes. "Pretending," She shook her head. "You've been pretending for months, I see now."

Hyomin opened , but words refused to come. She stood, waiting for her mother to say something else. But she just watched her. Her eyes boring into her soul. Hyomin had always thought that was a stupid expression, until that moment.

"Mum, you're freaking me out. What are you talking about?"

"It's happening to you ..." she faltered. "It happened to me too. I had the dreams, I had the longing. And out of nowhere I suddenly had everything I wanted."

Hyomin's eyes widened. "Wait a minute ... Are you --"

"Nissilum," She shook her head. "I've been there too."

Hyomin sat down with a thump on the kitchen chair.

"Oh my God," She said, putting her hands up to her face. "It's almost a relief ..." Hyomin looked up at her, "I had these dreams. So intense. Every night. Just before my birthday ..."

Her mother in her breath sharply, fearfully, but she didn't speak.

"And this boy..." Hyominwent on.

"Who?" she said sharply. "Which boy?"

"He's ... he's called Jaejoong. He's ... I don't know where to begin ... He's like my best friend."

She nodded. "Yes. But what is he?"

"A ... well, he's part human ... part werewolves. " Hyomin said, feeling stupidly ridiculous.

Her mother shut her eyes, "I fell in love with someone on Nissilum," she told Hyomin. "Utterly and completely. I have never felt so happy and so ill, at the same time."

Suddenly something fell into place.

"You wrote a journal." Hyomin whispered.

"The one hidden in your chest of drawers," she said. "Yes."

Hyomin felt like everything was closing in on her.

Her mother moved closer and pulled out a chair next to her. Her face was strained. And something else clicked inside her.

"Jihoon," Hyomin said in shock as the truth struck home. "It was Jihoon you fell in love with."

She saw pain in her mother's face. Her eyes clouding over in memory.

"So many years ago ..." she said tearfully. "It ll came back when I read what I'd written. So intense. So painful ..."

"Mum," Hyomin took a step closer. "it's okay."

Her head snapped upright and this time her expression was clear defiance.

"You have no idea," she said curtly, her eyes scanning Hyomin's face. "I knew this would come back to get me. I knew there would be consequences."

She closed her eyes quickly then opened them again.

"Okay," Hyomin tried to sound together, calm. Inside, she was panicking. She had never seen her mother like this. "I've got it under control. It's ... it's over, in fact."

"It is?" She held her gaze. "I didn't want to face up to it, when I heard you moving about at night ..."

She got up suddenly and walked over to the counter, opening a drawer and pulling out the familiar shabby cover. She pressed the book to her chest. "I was tidying up your room ... I nearly had a heart attack."

"Jaejoong found it. He knew it was connected to me. Neither of us knew why."

Her mother the cover of the book.

"Such a long time ago. I didn't think ..." Her eyes flickered to the door. "Your dad ... He doesn't know. He thinks ---"

"That some guy broke your heart," Hyomin cut in. "Some ordinary mortal."

She nodded and her eyes glistened. "How could I tell him the truth? That I fell in love with an angel. A world beyond his comprehension?"

"Tell me about it." They looked at each other and a small smile crept on to her face. She was soft again.

"Poor Minnie," she said, in a voice Hyomin hadn't heard since she was five years old. "You're in love with him."

"It's not what you think, Mum." She said firmly. "He's just a friend. Just my ... my very good friend."

"Your soulmate."

"Yes," Hyomin nodded. "Like he knows me inside out ... and he's always going to be there for me."

"And that's not love? That's just friends?" Her mother asked, smiling properly.

"Joon is my boyfriend." Hyomin said feebly.

She took a step closer and held out her arms. "Come here sweetheart," she said quietly.

Hyomin didn't move, thinking she was too old for hugs. She was never the huggy type of person. But then again, those arms does look inviting. She felt her body giving in and she moved towards her, letting her mother wrap her up.

"It's awful, isn't it?" she said. "It's exactly how I felt ... I mean, I didn't have anyone else in my life, but for a while I told myself that I didn't have those kind of feelings for Jihoon. I wouldn't let myself."

"But I don't have those feelings for Jaejoong," Hyomin protested. "I want Joon."

"Does he know about Jaejoong?"

Hyomin shook her head."It doesn't matter now. Jaejoong's gone."

"Your decision?"

"No," She wriggled and her mum dropped her hands. "I didn't have to make a choice like you did ... Jaejoong knows about you and Jihoon. You're legendary. Mortal females are bad news."

"I didn't choose ..." She looked confused and changed the subject. "How's Jihoon? Is he well? He must have his own children by now ..."

Hyomin looked away. "Mum ... He had children. But ... he's gone ... died or disappeared or something." It sounded harsh but there was no other way to say it.

"Jihoon," she whispered, her face so pale all of a sudden. "How ...?"

"Nobody really knows, but they said a broken heart."

She looked stricken. "I never knew." She look anxiously at her daughter.  "You know you must be careful," she said. "It's intoxicating, that world. Everything so intense. You'll get drawned in, but you'll never be accepted ..."

"Mum," Hyomin pleaded. "It's over. And I'm never going to see Jaejoong again. And we didn't fall in love."

"Just because you tell yourself that, doesn't make it real." she said. "How do you feel about never seeing that boy agian? Tell me."

"I feel ..." Hyomin stopped. "I haven't let myself ..."

"See. You are pretending."

"I'm not you, Mum." Hyomin said angrily. "This is not your story, it's mine. And it's different."

She backed away towards the door. Towards the sound of her normal little sister and normal dad watching television. "Just because you messed up, don't put it on me. " She turned away from her mother, not wanting her to see her fear. Her panic.

Hyomin knew what she had to do.

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AFF must have deleted the last two chapters when it was down T__T le sigh.