;;;;;

“And now should we talk?” Siwon turned to look at Yoona.

“Oppa.” Yoona started. “I don’t know a lot.”

“But you do know something, or should I say some things.” Siwon stated.

Yoona heaved a sigh and turned her face away then back to him.

“Changmin doesn’t have a part in this.” Yoona clarified.

“You’re awfully worried about him.”

“Because he’s innocent!” Yoona stated. “Ok, I’ll tell you. Aish…I don’t get why you have to dig out everything to be smart.”

“Go on.” Siwon shook his head.

“I’ve been there, but only once. I was worried about unni and with everything going on in this mansion so I went to see the monk like Leeteuk’s mother encouraged us to. He told me only a few things.” Yoona started. “Someone here doesn’t like us.”

“Someone?”

“A girl, a woman to be exact. He didn’t say anymore about her. We’re not supposed to know any of it. No one likes us here.” Yoona continued to string along. “So maybe with the things happening she’s trying to drive us out of here.”

“Wait, stop.” Siwon told. “You said a woman doesn’t like us. Are you assuming she does magic or something?”

“Oppa!” Yoona whined. “The monk used past tense with me whenever he spoke about her. Think about it.”

Siwon stared at her.

“That woman’s not here anymore.”

“What?” Siwon asked apparently not believing her.

“You wanted to hear it and I said it. So now believe me that Changmin has nothing to do with this.” Yoona stated.

A few minutes later the two of them arose from the doorsteps when Changmin and Taeyeon appeared around the corner and down the drive. Taeyeon had one hand on her other arm and glanced at Changmin before walking up the stairs to them.

“Head inside first.” Siwon ordered looking at Yoona.

“Oppa!” Yoona shouted.

“Do you trust me or not?”

Yoona stared at Siwon with a half glare.

“What’s going on?” Taeyeon wondered.

“Go.” Siwon told.

Turning away from him Yoona led Taeyeon inside the mansion. After making sure they’ve left Siwon turned to look at Changmin.

“Should we go somewhere private?” Changmin suggested.

“Yes, lets.” Siwon agreed.

Moments later Siwon found himself leaning against the old wooden cabin staring at Changmin, who was continuously pacing in front of him.

“So?” Siwon asked with arms crossed. “You said you’d tell me, right?”

“I didn’t back out so you can be sure you’ll hear it.” Changmin replied looking at him. “I want to gather my thoughts first.”

Siwon kept his watch on Changmin wondering what kind of a person he was. What kind of reason did Leeteuk have to hate him so much? Siwon felt his curiosity grow bigger as the seconds ticked by.

“Leeteuk and I grew up here together. I lived here, he didn’t, but every summer his family visited and they stayed at the mansion where you guys are right now. Another family often visited at the same time they did. They stayed at that house, the one by the creek. Their daughter died in a boating accident one day and I…was blamed for it. Also, Leeteuk’s memory was disabled because of that.” Changmin stared at Siwon. “I wanted to save her but she wanted me to save Leeteuk and I did. By the time I turned around she was gone. Because the blame was put on me Leeteuk thinks of me as a murderer. Interesting right?”

Siwon didn’t show any expression on his face. Changmin’s story was interesting.

“Her family never came back. Leeteuk never returned after we had a brawl on the street and if he did then he only went to the mansion. None of our families kept contact. It’d only been 3 years after she’d passed away that things started happening.”

Siwon’s eyes flickered.

“Yes. The things you’ve been talking about. The haunted activities. She looked for Leeteuk every so often and appeared in my dreams as well. She’s been waiting for him.” Changmin finished. “That’s all I know.”

“What kind of relationship did you all have?” Siwon asked.

Changmin bit his bottom lip. “We were friends. I liked her, she liked Leeteuk. Something like that.”

Siwon continued to stare at him. “How come you haven’t mentioned her name?”

Changmin looked taken aback.

“Is it because she’s dead? You’re afraid you could call her here if you said her name?” Siwon tried.

“You shouldn’t push your limits,” Changmin warned.

“Ok. Sorry.” Siwon apologized.

“But then…I guess you can also find out for me if Leeteuk’s been seeing her.” Changmin told.

Siwon felt surprised with Changmin’s words.

“When you first got here, did Leeteuk go out quite often?” Changmin asked.

Siwon recalled it. After Taeyeon had gone missing Leeteuk had somehow disappeared and they had found him at the cabin. How had he gotten there? How had he found his way to the house by the creek? Leeteuk already claimed that he couldn’t remember anything. So then, how was it that he was appearing at all these different places?

“Kang Shin Ae.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t repeat it.” Changmin stated.

;;;;;

“What was that about?” Taeyeon asked when they reached for the stairs. “Did you and Siwon argue?”

Yoona glanced at her hoping that she hadn’t made Taeyeon worry. “No. We didn’t argue.”

“Then what is it?”

Yoona paused and hesitated. Taeyeon could read her like a book.

“What’s going on?” Taeyeon’s voice became more suspicious. “You’re not telling me everything.”

“Unni…” Yoona felt her eyebrows cave in.

Taeyeon knew it. She should have wondered why Siwon requested time with Changmin. How much would he find out? How much would Changmin tell him? How much did Changmin know?

When Siwon began walking down the drive Taeyeon rushed down from the steps toward him.

“Unni!” Yoona shouted after her.

“You…what did you just do?” questioned Taeyeon when she stopped before him.

“What are you talking about?” Siwon wondered looking at her then to Yoona. “Ah…that?”

“What did he tell you?” Taeyeon wanted to know.

“Nothing much.” Siwon lied.

“No, you have to tell me. Tell me right now!” she felt herself bursting.

If Changmin fed him with some information that he’d never told her she couldn’t let Siwon bring it to Leeteuk and question him about it. Leeteuk didn’t need to know. She didn’t want to let him in on anything.

Siwon stared down at her bewildered. “What’s wrong with you?”

Taeyeon stared at Siwon wondering what to do now that he may know. Taking his arm she led him down the road.

“Unni!” Yoona followed.

“You stay where you are!” Taeyeon screamed back at her.

Yoona stopped in her steps and let out a loud sigh wondering what just happened.

Finally coming to a stop behind the bushes Taeyeon let go of him.

“What did you want from him?” Taeyeon asked. “No, what’s important is what did he tell you?”

Siwon put one hand on his hip while looking at her. “Why are you so fired up?”

“What did Changmin tell you?”

Siwon ran his other hand through his hair. “You know more than me, don’t you? Shouldn’t you be telling me what you know instead?”

Taeyeon felt speechless for a moment.

“Whatever you know don’t let Leeteuk know any of it. Please! He shouldn’t know.” Taeyeon found herself crazily pleading.

“My friend…is crazy for you.” Siwon told seriously. “I don’t know where you’re going with any of this. I don’t know what you know but I only know that someone is after Leeteuk. You know this don’t you?”

Taeyeon just stared at him.

“So…don’t let Kang Shin Ae get to him before you do.”

She was dumbfounded.

“Who?”

“The girl who’s dead. You know she’s coming back for him, don’t you?” Siwon pressed but then the expression on Taeyeon’s face told him that that was something she had no clue about. “You didn’t know?”

“Wh…what are you talking about?” Taeyeon asked. Her voice sounding as if she’d lost all energy. “Kang Shin Ae, she’s dead?”

Siwon stared at her bewildered before the two of them turned to look down the road that led to the mansion.

***HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!! =D