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Friday. It was a Friday. Leeteuk was standing outside a cultural building next to a large van he’d prepared for those going with him. Shindong and Siwon had shown up as they promised. A few he knew were Park Gyuri, Amber, Yang Seungho, Kim Junsu, and a Chinese exchange student, Zhoumi. The other 2 were a few random college students who had decided to tag along. He felt surprised when he saw Im Yoona and her friend, Taeyeon walk toward them with suitcases behind them.

“Ah, Yoona,” Siwon called. “Lets take my car. We’ll follow you there Teuk.”

The ride there was a long one. Staring at the yellow-green fields made it seem as if she were going far far away from campus, her second home from home. It brought her a feeling of leaving everything behind. A strange regret began to seep into her veins. Taeyeon was beginning to get the feeling that she shouldn’t have joined along. Maybe something bad was going to happen after all.  

“It’s so clear out,” Siwon said breaking the silence.

“Oppa, isn’t it pretty out here in the countryside?” Yoona asked pointing out the window with a large grin on her face.

The car suddenly jerked to a hard stop and Taeyeon almost went flying forward from where she was sitting. Yoona’s high pitched scream echoed in her ears as Siwon swore under his breath. The back of Leeteuk’s van was right in front of them. Opening the door Siwon stepped out to see what was going on. Taeyeon remained seated. She didn’t want to step out…not yet. She watched Siwon walk toward the van and saw Leeteuk step out as well as the other guys and girls who were squeezed in the van. They talked and talked, strange expressions on their faces with the sun beating down on them. They glanced at whatever was ahead of the van then walked away from the side of the van toward the front.

“I think something’s wrong,” Yoona said without turning back then she unbuckled herself and stepped out.

Taeyeon watched as Yoona walked toward the group gaping wide open and her eyes showed a kind of unexplainable disgust. Even when she was sitting inside the car with all the windows closed she thought she could hear their chatter from outside in the car. Voices…voices. Gently gritting her jaw she unbuckled herself and opened the door setting a foot onto the ground then her other foot onto the ground. When she was finally out of the car a warm wind rolled pass her feet as if it were a small haystack rolling pass. She stared at the group and slowly stepped toward them feeling her heart pounding every ounce of blood through her body.  

“It’s so sick…”

“Poor thing…”

“What the heck, what is it doing here?”

“Someone must have run it over.”

Taeyeon had to practically walk around them to get sight of whatever was on the ground. They were surrounding whatever it was as if it were on a showcase. Glancing at the ground she noticed a dark kind of mahogany color as if it had been there for a long time. It seemed splattered as if someone had dropped a can of paint. Then black hair and when she caught an eyehole through the small space between her classmates she saw the dead black cat on the ground. Covering Taeyeon stepped away.

“It must have been dead for days.”

“Leeteuk, you stopped for this?” the girl with long straight hair asked.

“You could have just driven around it.” a boy with streaked hair suggested.

“The road is too narrow, it would have been hard for me to.” Leeteuk explained.

Taeyeon turned to glance at him and saw a worried expression on his face.

“Have you guys ever heard that it’s bad luck if a black cat crosses your path?” Seungho questioned.

Zhoumi, the tall Chinese exchange student eyed him, “But this one’s dead.”

“It’s probably nothing,” Shindong said putting a hand on Leeteuk’s shoulder. “We can move the black cat quickly then start driving again. Isn’t your grandma and mom waiting for us?”

Leeteuk nodded silently.

“Yah, Junsu help me,” Shindong called.

“What! Why!” Junsu questioned looking around.

Shindong walked toward the yellow-green field and came back with a stick after searching for a long time. He poked at the dead animal apologizing to it when he rolled its body over and over and over until it reached the grass.

“Dude, why are you apologizing?” asked one of the students Leeteuk didn’t know.

“In respect to its spirit. You have to show respect to such things even if they aren’t human,” Shindong explained, “that way you’ll be blessed.”

That student chuckled.

“I’m serious,” Shindong added, “you’ll just have to learn when something like this haunts you.” He shook his head and kicked at the ground.

“What are you doing this time?”

“Digging a grave,” Shindong answered.

Taeyeon heard someone heave a sigh.

“I’ll help you,” Amber, the girl with short hair offered.

Taeyeon just watched them try to dig a hole with the stick and other sticks they found then glanced toward the road. It was so empty. Did any cars come by at all? It felt like they were in the middle of nowhere.

“I seem like a coward just standing here,” Leeteuk’s voice entered her ears and she finally turned to see herself standing next to him. He didn’t look at her when he was talking to her, but he watched Shindong and Amber just as she did. “Do you think this is bad luck that we stopped because of this?”

Taeyeon didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to say even if her instincts told her not to stand there any longer.

They got back onto the road half an hour later when Amber and Shindong successfully buried the dead cat. Taeyeon stared out the window silently listening to the radio DJ go on about some new singer’s album that just came out. The music relaxed her ears but not her mind. She was beginning to wonder if Leeteuk had felt strange like her when they stopped back there. Did he even know anything about the mansion at all?

;;;;;

Driving pass the thick trees that aligned the winding road Leeteuk glanced at the once familiar roads that was not very vivid in his memory. He’d sat in the back seat of the car when his parents had driven to and fro the mansion that he was never allowed to set foot in. But this time he was driving back to the mansion and was going to set foot into the building for the first time. It felt strange…nostalgia embedded him.

He drove along the gray concrete drive toward the large blue exterior that invited him. Finally stopping outside the house and turning off the engine he remained seated while the others got out of the car exclaiming their amazements. Leeteuk stared at the fat green bushes in front of him then tilted his head leaning forward in his seat to get a good look at the mansion. Exactly the same. He recalled staring at the same house with the strong desire to go in and take a look around when he was bored in the car. And now he was actually there…really unsure of what to do.

The tips of dark brown roof tiles were laced with a shiny gold color. The baby blue painting made the 3-story mansion seem lonely lovely. The tip of the house arched into a triangle, a fancy design created by the architect. A large, long white staircase invited them up to two grand doors with large golden handles. Two extra large framed windows sat on either side of the house with curtains drawn open. Moving eyes up to the top and suddenly stopping on the second floor row of windows he thought he saw someone…a girl…push the white curtain aside to look down at him. The knock on his window made him jump and he turned to see Siwon. Unbuckling himself quickly forgetting about the girl he climbed down from the seat.

“What are you doing in there dazing for?” Siwon asked.

Leeteuk turned to look at the house as if he’d never looked at it before.

“What?” Siwon asked.

“Nothing,” Leeteuk frowned turning back to his friend.

“Oppa!” Yoona shouted running over. “It’s awesome here!” Then she turned to Leeteuk. “I never knew your grandma was so rich!”

“Oh…” Leeteuk managed.

“Teukie!” his mother appeared from the doorway in a white blouse and long white skirt.

“Teukie?” someone repeated turning to look back.

“Mom.” Leeteuk said walking toward her.

A few minutes later he found himself standing the large tan living room with polished wooden floors and a large carpet in the middle of the room. And the large window to the right of the house he’d seen a while ago stood in the wall behind him. A painting hung up on the wall in front of him next to a glass shelf with old antiques sitting on the shelves inside. Wooden cupboards were built into the walls and were filled with books neatly lined next to one another. Three expensive velvet sofas filled the room with a built in TV and a long wooden coffee table in the middle of the room. One would think that the concept of the house was: wood.

His classmates introduced themselves in a friendly manner to his mom and grandma who sat in the rocking chair next to his mother who stood beside him. A light aroma of a flickering candle filled the room.

“It’s very nice knowing all of you,” Leeteuk’s mom said. “We’re very thankful that you’ve decided to come keep our Teukie company. I was a bit afraid he’d get lonely in such a big house.”

Teuk glanced as his grandma with hands held behind his back. His grandma’s light gray hair was neatly bundled into a bun at the back of her head. The wrinkles on her face had been woven deeper into her face since the last time he’d ever seen her…a long time ago.

“The house is very big, there are plenty of thieves around so if anyone lets someone in and something disappears from the house I am not going to let that person go,” Teuk’s grandmother spoke up.

Leeteuk watched his classmate’s faces stiffen up.

Leeteuk’s mother smiled and added, “There will be a maid who will come once a week to fill the fridge up with food, but breakfast, lunch, and dinner you will have to make for yourselves.”

“Can…can I ask a question?” one of the other students Leeteuk didn’t know raised his hand. After his mother nodded he went on, “Is there…something about this house? We’ve all been wondering about why Leeteuk would want to invite us.”

Leeteuk glanced at him feeling himself heat up with embarrassment that he couldn’t even answer that question.

“Ah…” his mother said with a smile on her face. “It’s just…it’s not safe to stay alone and I’d rather Teukie have friends with him than no one at all.”

That student nodded.

“How do we choose our rooms?” Gyuri questioned.

“Grandma has decided you all can pick your own, but the third floor is to be off limits,” Leeteuk’s mother explained. “If anything happens I would like you to call the Incheon police as soon as possible and please take care of the house.”

The students nodded understandingly.

“Teukie, I need to speak with you.” his mother said nodding toward the hallway.

***Dead black cat = bad omen? You know that feeling where...eh...you the jits that you've done something wrong or have made the wrong decision and know instinctively that something bad's going to happen-->that's exactly what Taeyeon is feeling right now. And Leeteuk seeing a girl that...(maybe) doesn't exist? He forgot about it right after Siwon shook his attention away. Don't forget Leeteuk has a bad memory now.