Quickly turning around to signal that he would no longer waste any time to speak with her he headed into his home closing the door behind him.

“The middle of what?” she asked herself. “And what factors?”

She really wished he would tell her it all. Giving up her anger against him she turned around to feel spooked herself. The short woman she’d seen from the first time she’d entered the yard the first day she met Changmin stood in front of her. She remembered her as Changmin’s mother. This stout looking woman did not look very happy.

“Young woman,” Changmin’s mother addressed her.

“Kim Taeyeon,” Taeyeon added herself.

She had quite the feeling that this woman would be even harder on her than the monk. Changmin’s mother gave her a deep unhappy glare as she observed her from head to foot.

“How can I help you?” Taeyeon asked.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Is this supposedly about Changmin?” Taeyeon didn’t hesitate to go straight to the point of duscussion.

His mother seemed surprised but regained her serious posture, “Correct, but I assume that his uncle has already informed you about not seeing him already, so I will have no further say with that because I really hope that you will abide with his advice. If you do, I can tell you that it is the right decision to make. You seem like a smart young lady, Miss Taeyeon, so I hope you will never mind my son.”

What to say to her?

“Why are you so persistent about preventing us from seeing each other?” Taeyeon wondered. “I don’t quite see the reason why Changmin and I shouldn’t befriend each other.”

“I don’t wish to become personal with an outsider,” she didn’t hesitate to say that last word, “but if you want to play hard then I will reveal something I do not wish to talk about.”

Taeyeon felt surprised. To keep her son away from her this woman would reveal a secret that should not be revealed? What is it with this strange village that its mysteries seemed never ending? What could she possibly do that even his mother would protest against her?

“Changmin’s childhood will be something that will haunt him in the future if you drag him closer to Leeteuk.”

Why was his childhood brought up? Was it as mysterious as Leeteuk’s that she couldn’t understand or even figure out? What could have happened in his childhood that could possibly haunt him in the future if she eventually got closer to him? What did it mean? It was so confusing.

“Who says I’m dragging him to Leeteuk?”

“Because you’re linked to Leeteuk, by getting closer to you will eventually bring him to Leeteuk, again.”

“Again?”

“Yes, they shared their childhood together until an unfortunate incident occurred,” Changmin’s mother continued, “and Leeteuk’s memory was disabled. Changmin was scarred and labeled a scapegoat.”

“I don’t understand,” Taeyeon told. “What could have happened in the accident? Just because he was labeled a scapegoat does not mean that he will be haunted by it forever. There’s a reason why people forget and forgive, in instances like this it’s even more childish to hold something that happened from one’s childhood against someone when you’re already an adult. The only thing that should hurt him is the fact that he and Leeteuk are no longer on the same terms.”

“This is why you shouldn’t get close to my son. You’re too naïve, you think you can get a conclusion out of only hearing, not knowing the facts.”

“Then what facts are you trying to tell me? You’re the naïve one when you believe saying this to me will stop me,” Taeyeon pointed out. “Because the harder you try the more determined I will be.”

Taeyeon was sure she saw Changmin’s mother grit her teeth before going on, “There was someone else involved in the incident.”

The mention of ‘someone else’ definitely caught Taeyeon’s ears.

“My brother should have warned you of the many spirits around this area. This area is an old place so it is logical for it to be swamped with the unseen.” Changmin’s mother explained. “That person is still here, and if you choose to get any closer to my son and bring Leeteuk along with you, not only will you hurt them, but you will also put my son in danger.”

“This other person you speak of…is it a boy or a girl?” Taeyeon asked.

The picture that hung in the living room of Changmin’s house clearly reappeared in her mind. That someone else definitely had to be that person that had been removed from the picture. If what his mother was saying made sense, this person that she was speaking about had to be the one removed from the picture. It only made sense to remove that someone from the picture if he or she was considered harmful, but who could that person be? Could he or she be lingering in the area still? Was he or she looking for the perfect time to get back at Changmin? Could this person be alive…or was it someone unseen? 

“Did you hear me, or not?” she asked almost angrily. “Stay away from my son. I will not have him die over you.”

Those last few words shook Taeyeon. Die? But why would Changmin die? What in the world could happen to cause Changmin to die?

“What are you talking about?” Taeyeon questioned finally getting a sense of how serious the situation could be at last.

“Just stay away from him, please,” she begged, almost.

Silence enwrapped them before his mother added, “I don’t need to show you the way out, do I?”

With that she began to turn around and headed back toward the large house placed in the middle of the green yard.

“What…do I need to do?” Taeyeon questioned from where she stood. “What do you want me to do? I can’t prevent anything from happening!”

“Then leave! Go back! Go back to Seoul or wherever it is that you came from,” his mother sounded even more aggressive.

Wherever she came from? Home? She had no home where anybody would welcome her with open arms. The place where she lived like a beggar was not her home, her uncle was not her home, where was she supposed to go exactly? For some reason she suddenly felt a dagger digging into her heart and each time it went deeper she felt even more pained. It was the kind of moment that told her she wasn’t living a dream fantasizing about a loved one all the time and living happily ever after, but it was reality. The kind of reality that knocked you on the back of the head and told you to go. To go…if she did not want to be the cause of somebody dying.

;;;;;

Yoona waited for what seemed like a while. She felt curious about what the monk had to say to Taeyeon and why he was taking so long. What kind of conversation were they having outside? Was it about Taeyeon’s troubles or were they speaking about Changmin? Curious Yoona stood up from the couch she had been sitting on and tried to get a peek out the window when the door suddenly opened and closed surprising her. Sitting back down instantly she saw the monk walk in with a kind of glamorous smile that covered something else that he was hiding.

“I apologize for making you wait. Would you like anything to drink? Water or tea?” he offered immediately heading for the kitchen.

“No thanks,” Yoona replied patiently waiting for him to return and when he did she stared at the tea cup he was carrying ever so frailly with him.

He sat down after gently placing the tea cup on the coffee table between them and finally took a look at her. “What is it that is troubling you lately and how can I be of any help?”

“I feel like there has been something around us because there have been many strange things happening at the mansion,” Yoona answered, “I’m not asking for you to solve it or do anything. I’m just wondering if there’s anyway that we can live more peacefully, since we did after all come here to relax, not dwell alongside spirits. If there’s anything that we’ve done to displease them is there anyway to make it up to them?”

The monk nodded, “I understand where you’re coming from and I know that you kids have come here to relax, but these things are possibly happening for a reason.”

Yoona felt surprised with what he’d just told her. “What possible reason could be there for all this?”

“The reason why you are being affected by this is because majority of you possess an energy that attracts spirits and this energy draws them to you without them liking it or not,” the monk explained. “You and a lot of your friends possess this kind of spiritual energy.”

Yoona nodded feeling a bit relieved but still wondered, “But why does it seem that they are aggressive toward us?”

“Because there is something here that does not welcome you kids,” he replied.

“Who?” Yoona frowned.

“A woman,” the monk answered.

“Who is she?”

“We don’t speak of her anymore,” the monk told straightforwardly, “so I’m going to cut this conversation off here. If you all keep to yourselves and stay quiet nothing shall happen. But if there is something that upsets her I can’t say exactly what will happen.”

“What is it that we can do that could make her angry?” Yoona persisted to know.

“Don’t get too close to Leeteuk or Changmin.”

;;;;;

The others have started breakfast when Leeteuk walked into the kitchen to join them. He’d slept the most peacefully out of the others and had awoken the latest.

“Well, where were you?” asked Siwon.

“I was about to come wake you up,” Zhoumi told.

“You?” Leeteuk questioned. “Why you?”

“That would have been freaky,” Seungho commented. “Imagine waking up to find Zhoumi staring down at you with those glasses he always wears.”

“That would be a definition of crazy, not scary,” Jang Hyuk corrected and they busted into laughter.

“That was a lame joke,” Siwon added, “anyway did you sleep well?”

“Yes I did, why?” Leeteuk asked sitting next to his friend.

“Because the others did not, I think you’re the only one that enjoyed your sleep,” Siwon explained.

“Don’t I wish I was you,” Gyuri muttered from the sink where she was scrubbing the pan she’d used to cook.

“She woke up early,” Junsu whispered from across the table with a hand over the side of his mouth.

Leeteuk turned to glance at Gyuri’s back then turned back to look around, “Where’s Yoona and Taeyeon?”

“I think they went out together.”

“To where?”

“How would I know. They didn’t specify.”

“Gyuri, do you remember where they went?”

“Well, as I recall they just left,” Gyuri told without turning around to look at them. “Man, it being the only lady here.”

“You’re not a lady,” Junsu said before laughing but stopped once Gyuri turned around to glare at him.

“I think women are the scariest creatures alive.” Seungho told.

“And the ones that give you most pleasure,” Jang Hyuk smiled.

“Cut it out,” Zhoumi snapped with a small glare to tell them to shut up before continuing on with his breakfast.

“What’s with him?” Junsu asked annoyed at Zhoumi’s attitude.

Seungho shrugged, “Never mind him. Why do you always mind everyone?”

“Cause I’m a busybody,” Junsu remarked before turning to his breakfast.

From behind him he could hear Gyuri sigh loudly. After breakfast Leeteuk stepped out to take a look around. The thunderstorm had left some damage. Some tree branches lay on the ground and there were small puddles that had not dried up. The sun was hidden behind layers of clouds so its light did not shine through. It didn’t feel chilly at all nor did it feel warm.

It was only then when he saw Yoona walking down the drive toward the mansion. She seemed to be looking around as if expecting to see someone. When she sighted him she quickened her pace toward him.

***So who's going to die? Changmin or Leeteuk?

***Who's this someone else that was involved in the boating accident? There's a reason why they do not speak of that person, this person they're talking about is linked to Leeteuk and Changmin.

***And who's this woman that dislikes everyone around Leeteuk? It seems like I'm giving out a lot of hints so I won't be surprised if you do figure out who this woman is.

***And what happened this time? Yoona returned...alone.

******I'm going to give you guys something to think about thanks to Anne's comment that made me realize:

it's a thing that i'm making all my readers think: that getting closer to Changmin will bring everyone trouble, however, would it really bring everyone trouble? Changmin's mother is misinterpreting a situation somewhere within the lines there and giving Taeyeon the wrong train of thoughts. so i'm just making you think: is Changmin the real trouble OR is it Leeteuk?