After getting dressed Taeyeon glanced at herself in the mirror and turned to scream at him.

“What is this!” she shrieked pointing at a red mark on her neck.

“Oh that?” he asked from behind. “My love mark. It’ll stay there for as long as you know it. Don’t be upset, you gave me one too.”

Taeyeon glanced at him. “But mine is even more noticeable! People will be asking me about it!”

“So what? Are you embarrassed?”

“And you’re not?”

Leeteuk shrugged, “Why should I be? It’ll disappear after a few days.”

“And you said it’ll stay forever!”

“I didn’t say that,” he smiled walking up behind her.

Taeyeon felt him wrap his arm around her waist and hold her close. He nipped at her neck making her feel at a loss.

“Yah, what are you doing?” she questioned.

“I didn’t get enough of it.”

“Of what?”

“Because you wouldn’t let me last night,” he said moving his lips up to her face.

She felt him pick her up toss her onto the bed just like yesterday. This time they tossed each other and rolled around, laughing and giggling until a knock at the door surprised them.

“Unni?” it was Yoona.

Leeteuk glanced down at her and Taeyeon placed a finger in front of her lips gesturing for him to stay silent. It took a minute for Yoona to finally walk away.

“Breakfast must be ready.” Taeyeon told.

He ran his hand through her hair and gave her a quick peck before getting up.

“Then lets go.” he told heading for the door.

;;;;;

Changmin glanced out the window to see his father chopping some wood with an axe outside. He walked out of the door and rushed down the stairs hurrying out back.

“Do you want some help?”

“Ah…you’re up?” his father asking wiping his forehead full of sweat. “It’s really hot out here, why don’t you just go inside? I’m almost done.”

Changmin remained where he was until his father looked up. “I want to talk to you.”

Sensing that something was wrong his father came to a full stop. “What about?”

“I want to know some things.”

;;;;;

Breakfast had started off joyfully but everyone became tense once Zhoumi made his entrance. They all stared at him watching his every move.

“Do I have something on my face?” he wondered coming to a halt. “I didn’t have a good night sleep last night so…”

“No, no,” Seungho was quick to speak. “Have a seat.”

Zhoumi glanced at them all and the only empty seat he found was by Jang Hyuk at the end of the table. All their eyes followed him curiously waiting for him to do something as he walked over to Jang Hyuk. Nothing happened, however. He seemed normal.

“Is something really not wrong?” he asked glancing back at the others. “I can feel your eyes on my back.”

“No, it’s nothing,” Gyuri let out a nervous laugh.

Zhoumi sat down and began putting some food on his plate and ate casually. Everyone slowly returned to their chatting and slowly forgot about him. While he ate he knew what they had been waiting for.

;;;;;

Changmin felt the words race through his head as rushed down the road. His heart beat faster as each second passed by. His head spun and he didn’t know how to make everything out.

“She didn’t realize. She was just naïve and foolish.”

Really? She really didn’t know what she was doing?

“She didn’t mean any harm. Things just happened to turn out that way.”

Why would things turn out that way if she hadn’t provoked anyone?

“She’s innocent. No one’s been at ease all these years. Please understand.”

How was he to understand? None of it made sense. He didn’t understand why…she had been so evil? And he had been living in misery. He felt his hands shake from anger as he to the drive and stopped before the mansion.

Chatter, loud chatter and laughter came from inside. What were they doing that they were enjoying themselves so much? How were they able to enjoy themselves when he was living a life full of lies and misery purposely placed on him because of someone? It was something he’d wish to never feel, but how was he supposed to ease his hurt when there was no one to blame? Other than hating on his mother there was someone else to blame. Leeteuk.

He paused in front of the doorway and watched as the others pass without noticing him. And when one specific person passed by he kept his eyes on her. As if sensing his presence she turned to look at him with a kind of surprise in her eyes.

“Changmin?” she asked walking over to him. “Is something the matter?”

He felt a glare come onto his face and she looked alarmed.

“Let me get a cup of water for you,” she turned around but he grabbed her arm and led her toward the road.

;;;;;

“Taeyeon?” Leeteuk asked walking into the hallway. He glanced around. “Where did she go?”

From the corner of his eyes he saw a girl make her way up the staircase and assuming it was Taeyeon he immediately followed. At the top of the staircase she was no where to be seen. Glancing down the hallway he heard her scurry around the corner.

“Taeyeon?” he called.

No one answered him.

“Where are you going?”

He headed down the hallway where he was sure he’d seen her last.

“Yah! Are you trying to play a game with me?” he wondered glancing down the long hallways.

Turning around the corner he found that one of the doors had been left open. He had been too focused on looking for her that he forgot to feel afraid. Without glancing behind him he walked forward.

“If I find you, you’re going to get it tonight.”

He walked toward the room and headed inside to see a chimney and a table. The room felt awfully familiar. He felt nauseous and his stomach boiled inside him. Images of playing around with the adults watching entered his mind and his head immediately ached.

Footsteps rushing up the stairs as if in a panic made him turn to a door in the room. It had been left wide open as if inviting him to go take a look. Full of curiosity he walked toward the door on the right and saw a staircase.

“Taeyeon?” he called out again.

No one replied.

“Did you go up there?”

Worried that she might have gone up and gotten lost or hurt he immediately crept up the stairs slowly.

“Taeyeon?” he called again when he reached the top of the stairs.

He was stunned to see that it was a big library. Giant bookshelves were everywhere. His grandmother had kept such a place in the mansion? He didn’t recall, but a voice inside him whispered that he did know of it.

“Taeyeon?”

He turned to his left when he heard humming. Was she hiding from him? Did she intend to play a game of hide and seek? Leeteuk kept on going without worry about anything else. The silence of his footsteps rung in the air and the sun from outside penetrated the floors inside the library. Every shadow that moved came from the curtains inside.

The humming stopped when Leeteuk came to a long stop with his eyes gazing at the wall in front of him. The picture, the portrait stared back at him. Three couples and their young children no younger than 7 year olds.

Images raced inside his head. The explosion echoed in his mind and felt so real that he tumbled backward onto the ground. He wasn’t sure if the ground was really shaking or if he were imagining it. Fear clogged his throat and his heart raced as water surrounded him.

“Leeteuk!” a young girl screamed, her voice echoing in his mind.

“Leeteuk, this is Shin Ae.”

“Can I call you oppa?”

“You two are the same age, why would you call him that?”

“Because I like him. Leeteuk oppa, I like Leeteuk oppa.”

“Hi, Shin Ae.”

It burned his memories. What had felt like a wooden block in his memory broke into pieces and the water gushed through at full speed.

“It was an accident. Changmin had caused the accident.”

***Things turn sour as quickly as they become sweet

***2 more chapters