AUTHOR POV

Ayana opened the tall teak doors with her both hands, her sword strapped behind her back tightly. She walked into a room full of posters, statistics and drawers and stopped by the work table.

“You done?” The lady behind the desk asked

“Yup”

“Good. Now get out of my sight”

“Give my mom’s sword back to her”

The pen dropped onto the table and the lady looked at Ayana. “No” The answer was final.

“You seriously think you can live with that banging noise?” Ayana smugly asked back pointing towards her left from where a rather faint, yet consistent banging noise sourced. “Her hand has started to itch. And the sword senses it.”

“I swear what is with the two of you?!”

Ayana naughtily smiled. “I love you too”

The lady signed again. “Bring her here”

“Really? To this room that is FULL of valuable historical artefacts?! Old woman, did you forget what she is?!”

“Of course I do, I made her forge her first Mona Lisa!”

“What?!”

The lady sighed. “It was either that or she avenging her mother’s death and getting caught to the vampires”

The room silenced. “Thanks” Ayana sincerely thanked her.

“Why don’t you finish the damn backlog instead?!”

Ayana narrowed her eyes. “Are you coming?”

“I’ll think about it”

“Thanks granny!”

“Get lost!”

Yunho and Changmin blankly stared at the group of people in front of them.

Then back to the paintings on her laps.

Back at the gang

And at Reya’s old sketches..

“Is it April’s fools?” Yunho asked

“Nope. It’s the truth.” Junsu took at step closer. “Reya drew them years before we met her”

“Before we get to this… I want to know if you really are my peach angel”

“What does that mean?” Jaejoong frowned. “You think I mis-”

“Go ahead. Ask what you want to ask”

Before Changmin could speak, Reya cut him off “Or do you want to test me with the Rubrik’s cube?”

“Ah so you remember?”

“Every time I beat the clock, you come the next week home and match my timing”

“And what were we given when we beat the clock?”

“Mint choc chip ice cream, with extra choc chips”

“And where do you sit each time aunty challenges you with a new cube?”

“On my playmat” The response was prompt. “But you sit behind me, and make me sit between your legs”

“Where do we usually hang out?”

“At my day care. Your mom brings you every day after school ends and mama drops you home once shift ends. Anything else?”

“You hated something about you as a child-”

“I still do, though now I understand what it is”

“And what is it?” Changmin raised his brow

“The scar on my left chest. It resembles the entry point of a sword” She eyed everyone around here, sensing how they collectively stiffened and looked back at the interrogator.

“And this sword, is it the sword that” Yunho pointed at Jaejoong. Reya only nodded.

“But…” Yunho couldn’t seem to come up with the right words. “How is this possible?”

“Beats me.. I thought I was losing my mind all these years.” Reya confessed.

“How did you manage to-”

“Survive?” Reya ended Yunho’s question. The latter nodded. “A heck of a lot of books on psychology and AR Rahman music.”

“Who is that?”

“Noona’s favourite composer. Please don’t make her speak about him” Baekhyun jumped. “It’s annoying”

The 5 singers understood his frustration and kept mum. Reya rolled her eyes.

“She’ll change once she watches me perform” Changmin proudly proclaimed. “I’ll get you front row tickets for SM Town”

“No need sunbae. I have her ticket with me.”

Changmin narrowed his eyes but kept mum. From the corner of his eyes he saw Reya scratch her hand. “Still itching?” He asked

“Yeah.. weird”

Remembering what Ayana told him, Jaejoong jutted his arm at her. She looked at him, eyes questioning him. “Hold me. It’ll ease”

“How come?”

“Ayana told me”

Sighing, she placed her hand over his, allowing him to gently squeeze her hand.

“Ayana is..”

“Our child” Jaejoong smiled.  “That’s why she looks like Reya. But if you look closer, you will see that she has my eyes”

“Wow, you are very proud” Changmin could help but snicker. “SHE is the child.” He stressed, pointing at Reya. “Your darn eyes, yeah right. You are not even her boyfriend so zip it. Let go of her.”

Her hand was ripped away. Changmin looked, eyes softening once they met hers. “May I try?” He asked.

“Gotten enough proof?”

“The instant you spoke of the cube.”

“Then why probe further?”

“Better safe than sorry” He shrugged his shoulder. “So may I? I think we need to massage the hand”

“Sure”

Gently, he sandwiched her hand between his. Though momentarily she felt fine, once the heat of Jaejoong’s hold left, the itchiness came back strong.

“Oppa…”

The endearement was music to his ears!

“Yup”

“It’s itching more”

Changmin frowned. “You need to get this checked out”

“It stops when he holds me though”

“How come?”

And that was the queue to tell him what Jaejoong really was..

Lisa meanwhile was lost in her own thoughts. What Jaejoong did hurt her a lot. It absolutely crushed her heart into pieces. She was now at her breaking point and wanted to lash ou