The next day and the next he was sure that Taeyeon hadn’t left the mansion. Most of the time she was with Yoona or at other times Taeyeon liked staying alone in her room. Was she depressed? Did her first love really make her depressed?

;;;;;

Changmin drew the curtain open allowing the sun to give some life to his dark room. His walls were a bright elegant blue with a wooden floor. His room didn’t have much but a white dresser and a queen sized bed covered in red striped sheets with red colored pillow sat against the wall to his right.

His mother had found all ways to forbid him from stepping out of the gate. She had only set Dark free after he’d promised that he wouldn’t leave or step out of the yard. And he knew she had an eye on him at all times. Pushing the window open he glanced out toward the road in the direction where the mansion was located. Taeyeon hadn’t come by either. He’d forgotten how boring and quiet it was without anyone around.

Was she still trying to find out why he and Leeteuk did not talk? And why had she become curious in the first place? What was she doing now? Changmin leaned against the window feeling the breeze pass by.

;;;;;

“Unnie! Come down here!” Yoona shouted. “It’s really deep in here!”

Yoona had climbed down into the empty pool along with the others so they could play around. Taeyeon, on the other hand, wasn’t in the mood to do the same. It wasn’t the fact that she’d drowned in there and seen something but it was the fact that she was feeling odd.

“Taeyeon! You’re missing out!” Jang Hyuk called.

Taeyeon just smiled at them before turning around and it looked like she was looking back at the mansion. However, Taeyeon was trying to look past the mansion to where Changmin’s home was. And indeed she was unsuccessful. The mansion was just too big. She felt someone push her forward to scare her then pull her back.

“Whoa!” she let out a surprised shout.

When she turned around she found Leeteuk behind her with a cheeky smile. He let go of his grip on the back of her shirt.

“I really got you, didn’t I?” he asked.

“Stop joking around,” she warned and turned to walk away with Leeteuk immediately following.

;;;;;

The others were to loud for Siwon to be able to hear Leeteuk and Taeyeon’s short conversation before they walked away. He watched them go into the mansion before Yoona ran into him.

“Oppa! Zhoumi’s being mean to me!!!” Yoona shouted.

Siwon just nodded and turned back to scold the others, who only stared back at him before never minding him again. When the others began to play tag Siwon turned back to look at the mansion. If there was one thing he’d noticed about Leeteuk the last couple of nights it was that he was beginning to unconsciously pay more attention toward Taeyeon. Had something happened between them that the two of them didn’t speak about? Sometimes there seemed to be some amount of tension between them and at other times they just seemed to get along like anybody else would. But Leeteuk…kept his eye on her too much.

;;;;;

“Where are you going?” Taeyeon could hear Leeteuk following her closely.

As usual, she ignored him and began her way toward the stairs. Eventually Leeteuk stopped her.

“Follow me,” was all he said.

Why was he trying to be secretive all of a sudden? Taeyeon stared at his back which was moving farther away from her.

“I said follow me,” he told turning around.

And without word she followed him out. Taeyeon felt her heart jump when they began walking down the road. Half of her hoped that he was leading her toward Changmin’s and another half told her not to get her hopes up. In the end her other half was correct. Leeteuk led her away from the gate to Changmin’s house and through the dark trees to a shallow area. They headed down the trail together and finally came to a stop by some tall sunflowers.

“What are we doing here?” Taeyeon asked while looking around.

“Doesn’t the clean air feel nice?” he questioned tilting his head up toward the sky as if he were sniffing the sky.

Taeyeon only glanced at him before reaching to touch the sunflowers. She turned when she notice Leeteuk turn to look at her.

“What?” she wondered.

“You looked choked up in the house,” Leeteuk told. “I knew you wanted to come out.”

Taeyeon turned to look away.

“Yea, I wanted to come out.” Taeyeon finally admitted.

“Then why didn’t you just leave the mansion if you wanted to go out?” Leeteuk wondered.

Taeyeon paused. Because if she walked out of the mansion she knew where she wanted to go. It’s not that she just wanted to take a walk and feel the fresh air, but she only wanted to see Changmin. However, keeping herself in the mansion also felt like she was killing herself. The longing to see him made her feel worse.

“Taeyeon?” Leeteuk called after she didn’t reply.

She turned back to him, “Thanks, though, for making me come out. I feel a bit better after stepping out.”

Slipping her hand into her pocket she finally realized that she’d dropped her phone along the way. What if Yoona called? They hadn’t told anyone they were coming out and they were the only ones that ever went missing.

“I dropped my phone somewhere. I’ll be back,” she explained before walking away.

Taeyeon hurried down the trail and searched very carefully for her phone. She searched the small bushes they’d passed by and finally arrived at the road where she spotted her phone on the ground.

;;;;;

Leeteuk watched as Taeyeon ran off and turned around to see someone making her way through the field of sunflowers. Tilting his head to the right he recognized someone in a white dress with long hair hanging down her shoulders. Her kind face finally appeared a second later. Kang Shin Ae.

“Leeteuk,” she smiled.

“Kang Shin Ae?” he asked amazed that he still remembered and recognized her. “What are you doing here?”

She seemed to look around carefully without a sign of a smile on her face before she turned back to him, “Do you want to go somewhere?”

;;;;;

Taeyeon walked back down the trail slowly taking her time before she thought she heard Leeteuk’s voice. Pausing she stared down the path. The trees to her right had hidden Leeteuk from view so she couldn’t see who he was talking to.

“I’m still waiting for a friend,” Leeteuk explained, “lets wait for her before we go.”

Taeyeon heard nothing.

“She’ll be back soon,” Leeteuk replied. “No, no. She’ll be glad to meet you.”

Taeyeon took a step forward.

“Don’t go yet,” Leeteuk told.

Leaning to her left Taeyeon to take a peek at who he was talking to Taeyeon found that there was no one there. Her face expression full of expectation to sneak upon him and the person he was talking to was soon replaced with a serious and confused one. Quickly turning to her right she saw no one. Did she feel goosebumps all of a sudden?

“What in the world…” she found herself mumbling.

Taking another step forward cautiously to approach him without warning Taeyeon’s surprise failed when a stick broke underneath her feet. Leeteuk spun around to see her and his face lit up with a smile.

“What took you so long? Did you find it?” he asked.

“Yes, right here,” Taeyeon held up her phone then looked around. “Who…were you talking to?”

“Kang Shin Ae…” Leeteuk told turning around to find no one standing before him.

With a frown on his face he tip toed to look through the field of sunflowers to try and see if she’d disappeared through it. However, there was no sign of anyone having walked through there at all.

“Kang Shin Ae?” Leeteuk called out.

Taeyeon felt herself quiver. “Who…exactly were you talking to again?”

“Shin Ae,” he answered turning back to her, “she was here. I’m sure of it. I saw her.” Seeing the expression on Taeyeon’s face Leeteuk continued, “I wasn’t rehearsing any lines by myself, ok? I’m not crazy enough to be speaking to myself when I’m alone.”

Taeyeon turned away with questions and thoughts filling her mind. She glanced around one more time to make sure that they were really alone.

“It’s fine,” she said, “lets just go.”

She found Leeteuk looking around as if he was sure Kang Shin Ae was hiding somewhere. Heading up the trail she couldn’t help but keep looking back to look at Leeteuk. Was he talking to someone he thought was Kang Shin Ae?

;;;;;

They made it back safely to the mansion without talking. But it wasn’t the kind of silence filled with tension after becoming angry at one another. It was the kind of awkward silence that made one think the other was strange. Did Taeyeon think he was crazy because she didn’t see him talking to Kang Shin Ae? If only Shin Ae had remained there and hadn’t disappeared.

“Where did you guys go?!” Gyuri demanded to know when they turned around the corner and began walking down the drive toward the house.

“For a walk,” Leeteuk replied calmly.

He glanced at the others rounded up on the steps ready to split into teams again to go search for them.

“Are you guys so paranoid about us disappearing?” Leeteuk joked.

“It’s not funny! You guys seriously always go off somewhere without saying anything,” Junsu told. “We’ve clearly stated before that if one of us should go off we should inform someone else!”

“Sorry,” Leeteuk shrugged.

“Forget it,” Zhoumi said, “at least they’re back. And it’s not like either of them went off alone.”

“Tsk,” Jang Hyuk laughed.

Leetuek and Taeyeon both caught Yoona and Siwon’s curious stares.

“I’ll be in my room,” Taeyeon said breaking them up.

“Unnie,” Yoona followed her.

Leeteuk turned to the rest and just smiled before walking pass them into the mansion. Siwon followed him down the hall to his bedroom.

“Why are you following me?” Leeteuk questioned before reaching for the doorknob of his bedroom door.

Siwon shrugged and looked around, “Are you…close with Taeyeon?”

“Huh?”

“You heard me,” Siwon said slightly slapping Leeteuk’s arm.

Leeteuk stared at his hand then turned to him with a smile, “She’s my chingu. That’s all.”

“Chingu?” he repeated.

“Why? What’s up?”

Siwon asked, “Do you like her?”

Leeteuk just stared at his friend then said, “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” questioned Siwon.

Leeteuk shrugged this time, “I never thought about it. Why would you ask that?”

“Never mind,” Siwon said. “We’re going to play cards later. You should join us.”

Leeteuk nodded and watched as Siwon walked off. Wondering if Siwon was paranoid about something Leeteuk almost closed the door to his bedroom when he suddenly remembered something. Taeyeon had said her birthday was July 21...and July 21 wasn’t too far away. What was she going to do for her birthday if she said that she’d never done anything? Should he give her a present? But there was no store nearby and nowhere to go buy a birthday cake.

Walking out of his bedroom Leetuek walked around the house to gather some ideas but nothing came to him. All but Siwon’s question from earlier drifted around his mind. Should he be curious about it himself, too?

Stepping out into the green yard Leeteuk glanced around allowing himself to indulge a little deeper into his mind. The only moments he were able to think of were when he had found her screaming inside the mansion before she’d hugged him. And the other moment was a few days ago when he’d out and woke up to find himself in her arms. What now…was he being a ert?

He found a smile climbing onto his face before he turned to look at the ground. He probably wouldn’t mind if they were to go out. And it was fact that he’d like to get to know her better too. Taeyeon wasn’t all that bad, she was just confusing. Suddenly he knew what he’d do for her on her birthday.

***HAHA! Siwon asks Leeteuk if he likes Taeyeon ^^

***And finally! Taeyeon catches Leeteuk talking to Kang Shin Ae but finds no one