They all glanced at each other once before splitting up. Changmin led the way down a path behind some bushes. Taeyeon followed silently while arranging the thoughts in her mind.

To start everything off Leeteuk, who had never been in the mansion before, is now suddenly allowed in the mansion. But he has to have been here before if Changmin recalls him. And it is a fact that he’s been here before since Leeteuk claims that his memory is blocked. A plus to that is that Leeteuk no longer wants to have anything to do with Changmin, so something bad must have happened between them 12 years ago. Other than that there’s the mystery of the picture in the living room of Changmin’s home…and the reason behind why his father decided to paint the house white. There’s also that mansion is excessively strange.

“Ah!” Taeyeon let out a loud shout when she ran into Changmin’s back. “What are you doing?” she asked looking up to find him looking down at her.

“You mean ‘what are you doing’?” he asked.

Taeyeon took a step back. “It’s nothing.”

“You’ve gone missing before?” he abruptly changed the subject.

“What?”

“Your friend back there said that you’ve gone missing before,” Changmin recalled.

“Oh…” Taeyeon said. “It’s when I first stepped into your yard. That’s all.”

“Ah….” he said remembering. “That rainy day?”

Taeyeon nodded then looked around. “But where are we?”

“If we head down the trail a bit we’ll come across a garden overlooking the river.”

Taeyeon nodded turning to look down the trail. The urge to ask him…her curiosity was getting so strong.  

;;;;;

“How can you not know my name?” questioned the girl in the pure white dress.

“I…well…I…”

She looked immensely hurt. It was all over her face. During that time Leetuek wondered why she should be so hurt. Just because he couldn’t remember her and her name or who she was to him, why should she cry?

“Shin Ae, Kang Shin Ae. My parents and I used to come here and we stayed at your mansion. You don’t remember Shin Ae?”

Mansion…bikes…the pond. None of it came to him.

“I don’t…”

“But how…how can you not remember?” she asked with shocked eyes on the ground.  

“There was an accident,” Leeteuk felt rushed to give an explanation.

“And then you went missing,” she said.

“I went home…”

“Our home is the mansion.” Shin Ae cut him off.

“The mansion isn’t my home.” Leeteuk corrected.

She bit her lip as if to help control the growing anger. “Today…won’t work. I can’t talk to you today.”

“Wha…”

She quickly turned and walked passed him. Leeteuk, full of confusion, could only focus his eyes on the ground before turning around to call for her but there was no one there. Where could she have gone so fast?

“Shin Ae?” he called.

When he received no answer he turned back to glance at the pond and the lone tree.

“Where is this place?” he asked himself.

Walking toward the fat lone tree he looked up at the bare tree branch. Touching the bark of the tree as he walked pass it he glanced at the pond and looked ahead. He was standing too far away from it but it was clear that there was a river running up ahead.

;;;;;

Taeyeon stepped up next to Changmin stopping before the garden of flowers. Smiling she reached her hand to lightly touch the tips of the flowers feeling happy from just looking at them. The noise of splattering water beyond the garden rang in her ears like clear music as well as the non-stop chirping of the wild birds.

“It’s so pretty,” she commented, her eyes busy with the sight of the flowers in front of her. Finally looking at the river up ahead she saw a green field beyond the outstretched river.

“I used to come here often,” Changmin told. “It’s a good place for relaxation.”

Taeyeon returned her attention back to the flowers thinking about the questions she felt like asking so bad. Finally deciding on it she suddenly turned to him and looked Changmin in the eyes. He looked back at her eyes waiting for her to go on as if he were expecting it.

“Can I ask a few questions?” Taeyeon asked. “I know I’m not in the place to say these things or wonder about them but I couldn’t help it. Ever since coming here there’s been something bothering me.”

“What is it?”

Taeyeon slightly glanced at the rows of trees behind him. Why did she feel like hesitating at the last minute? She wasn’t chickening out…right? Gulping slightly she averted her eyes back to his. Taeyeon held the gaze for an amazingly long time. Within his eyes she could see a million stories that she didn’t know of. Did she have the right to trample on his past and find out something she was just personally curious about?

Taeyeon opened without any sound coming out then closed .

“Is there something you’re curious about?” he asked raising his eyebrows curious while tilting his head to look at her better. “It’s alright to ask me.”

After another long pause Taeyeon finally said, “Is there a reason why you’re upset about your uncle’s visit last night? I mean…this area…”

A loud splash cut her off immediately. The both of them turned to see nothing in sight. Taeyeon felt as if the moment had frozen before she was able to make out a slight moan of pain. Suddenly making her way through the garden of flowers she finally came to the edge of the river.

Rocks of all sizes were everywhere, in and out of the shallow water. The river wasn’t as blue as she had imagined it to be. It was a sort of damp gray/green kind of color. And before her she could make out someone face down in the water slowly getting up. His shirt was all wet and heavily glued to his body as he stood up. To her it looked uncomfortable. When he finally got up and shook his head of the water she could feel the drops of water fly everywhere, it was sort of like a dog shaking his fur free of water after a bath. Taeyeon raised her arms up to block herself from getting splashed.  

“Are you ok?” she asked recognizing him after setting her arms down.

Leeteuk stared back at her and turned to look around. “Why are you here?”

“Should you be asking me that?” she told. “Where did you go? We split into teams again to search for you.”

“We did the same for you.” Leeteuk retorted running his fingers through his hair.

Taeyeon could only reply with silence. She didn’t know if he made the stronger point since she’d first gone missing then he’d decided to go missing himself. Leeteuk’s gaze finally turned when Changmin appeared beside Taeyeon.

“Where’d you go?” Changmin questioned eyes on him.

Leeteuk turned away from him and as he did Changmin slightly glanced behind him up the hill to where the pond and the lone tree were.

“Anyway, lets head back. It’s been pass 30 minutes, they’ll be annoyed if they think we’ve gone missing,” Changmin told.

Taeyeon glanced at Leeteuk once more before turning around and walking with Changmin back down the trail.

Leeteuk followed them silently scolding himself for being so clumsy and falling into the water when he was just about to eavesdrop on them. What was it that Taeyeon had been so curious about, but also so hesitant about asking? Leeteuk couldn’t think of anything interesting Changmin might know.

Taeyeon, who was in step with Changmin, slightly glanced back at Leeteuk, who seemed to be sulking behind them. Where had he come from? Why did he have to ruin the moment? Now she wouldn’t be able to draw up the courage to ask Changmin anything. Taeyeon heaved a silent sigh.

Changmin didn’t turn back to look at Leeteuk but as long as he could hear his footsteps he knew Leeteuk was still there. It interested him about where Leeteuk could have gone in the first place when he supposedly had no specific memory of the village. He then turned to take a glance at Taeyeon, who seemed deep in thought. What was it that she had wanted to ask him earlier?

Noticing his stare Taeyeon turned to look up at him, “Is something wrong?”

“Oh…no, nothing.” Changmin smiled. “Taeyeon, when’s your birthday?”

“Birthday?” she repeated.

Changmin nodded.

“July 21.”

“Do you do anything special on your birthday?”

“No.”

“Then…this year since you’re here lets celebrate it together.” Changmin suggested.

Leeteuk eyed both of them from behind.

“Uh…no. We don’t have to, I’m not used to those kind of things…” Taeyeon waved her hands back and forth in front of her to tell him no.

She’d never had a birthday party after the age of 5 and had never expected one again.

“Why? It’ll be a lot of fun, don’t you think?” Changmin questioned.

Taeyeon faked a laugh, “I don’t know…”

“We’ll see then.” he smiled.

Once they turned into the drive and headed toward the front doors of the mansion they found the others standing by the door and sitting on the stairs waiting for them.

“They’re back!” someone shouted.

“What happened to you?” Jang Hyuk asked eyeing Leeteuk.

“Unnie, where did you go?” Yoona questioned.

Siwon along with the rest just stared at them.

Leeteuk didn’t reply but turned to look at Changmin who was standing on the other side of Taeyeon. Changmin didn’t turn to look at him, it was as if he was purposely avoiding his gaze. Taeyeon suddenly turned to look at him and it was only then that Changmin turned to eye Leetuek in return. Now what was that? It kind of made Leeteuk wonder about what kind of relationship Changmin had with Taeyeon.

Without word Leeteuk pulled Taeyeon by the arm toward the house. Surprised and shocked Taeyeon pulled back making him come to a stop. Leeteuk stared back at Taeyeon whose eyes seemed to glare back at him gently. Without a word she shrugged his hand off and took off the oversized cardigan she’d been wearing before turning to Changmin. So, the cardigan Leeteuk hadn’t noticed Taeyeon had been wearing belonged to Changmin?

“Thanks,” Taeyeon said handing it to him. “I’ll see you again, then?”

Changmin glanced at her once then without word, as if copying Leeteuk, grabbed her hand and led her toward the end of the drive. Leeteuk turned around surprised at the sudden motion and watched as Taeyeon silently followed him until they disappeared around the bend.

***Isn't Shin Ae just full of mysteries? Coming and disappearing without a word, suspicious? ^^

***hehe! It's always Leeteuk then Changmin and Taeyeon in between.