Taemin turned the corner and entered into BD’s back alley. He reached behind his pocket and held the knife tightly in his hand when he saw a guy smoking near BD’s back entrance. He quickly walked over to him, grabbed the back of the guy’s head and pushed his cheeks into the wall. “What the !?” the guy squeaked in surprise, dropping his cigarette. “Where is Minho?” Taemin leaned in, his tone threatening.

              “Who the are y—,” this time, Taemin pressed his face harder into the wall, with the sharp point of the knife against his throat. “Enough with the bull, where is Minho?”

              “…I don’t know…I’ve not seen him since yesterday.” The guy quivered.

              Taemin tightened his grip at his answer, before eventually letting go. He put the knife back into his back pocket and headed for the door. “There’s no use going in there, no one sees him after yesterday.” The guy said, coughing and touching his throat, making sure that Taemin’s knife did not cut him.

              Taemin clenched his fists, “Where can I find him?”

              The guy snickered, “You can’t find him if he doesn’t want you to, that’s our second in command.” He said proudly, walking over to Taemin with a satisfied face. Of course, that kind of answer pissed Taemin off; he turned around and slammed the guy’s face into the wall again. “And I, Lee Taemin, will find whoever I want to find. So if you happened to see him, ask him not to hide because whenever he hides to, I will find him. And I will make him pay the price for touching what’s mine.”

“Hyehee!” Key knocked from the outside, he wanted to see if Hyehee has eaten the food that Taemin brought up. After Taemin went out, he had enough with Jonghyun who keeps on nagging about how rush and hot-headed Taemin is, so he decided to just head up the stairs without Jonghyun’s realization.

              “Hyehee! Are you okay?” He pounded harder this time, thinking that his knock was too soft earlier. “Hey, I’m coming in.” He said as he opened the door, but Hyehee wasn’t there. “Hyehee?” He took a step into the room and looked around, until he heard the sound of water running.

              He walked to the bathroom carefully; worried that Hyehee might be bathing without closing the door. But when he sees that Hyehee was sitting there, in Taemin’s clothing, under the running showerhead, his eyes widen. “Hyehee…” Key approached her slowly as he got into the bathroom.

              He wasn’t sure if Hyehee heard him, or knew that he was there. When he squatted down next to her, she watched him like he was someone she doesn’t know. “Hyehee?” as soon as he reached out for her, she backed away as though he was a plague.  “Don’t worry, it’s just Key oppa…” he attempted to touch her again but this time, Hyehee almost screamed and Key retreated immediately. “Don’t you… know me?” Key asked softly.

              Silence stood between them for a while. “Please…” a word slipped out from , so quietly that Key had to strain his ears to catch it with the water running in the background,” Don’t touch me…” she cried, and Key knew for sure that only Taemin is allowed to be near her.

              “Yeah,” Key heaved a sigh of relief when Taemin answered his call. He wasn’t sure if he was expecting someone answering his phone to say that he was dead, but he was glad that Taemin was still alive. “Your sister’s not eating, she’s crying, in a mess, and doesn’t allow anyone to be near her. I need you to be back.”

              He could almost visualize Taemin’s expression on the other line, he heard him sighed. “I’ll be back in twenty.”

              “Please Taemin, don’t speed—,” but Taemin cut the line before Key could remind him to drive safely. “ing .” Key cursed and sighed, looking towards Hyehee’s direction. “Troublesome pair.” He shook his head, before walking back into the bathroom with a towel that he saw on the bed. The only thing he could do was to switch off the showerhead earlier on, since Hyehee doesn’t allow him to touch her. He quietly used the towel to cover her wet body, making sure that their skin won’t come into contact. “Taemin is coming back now. Don’t be scare, I won’t hurt you. In fact, no one in this house is going to hurt you.”

              Yeah, we don’t want to get shoot by Taemin.

              Hyehee didn’t respond, she hugged her legs closer to her body with her eyes closed. Key could almost see her shivering with lips turning pale, and he frowned knowing that he couldn’t do anything. Well, I shall be here till Taemin returns, he thought while landing his on the ground with his legs crossed.

When Key looked at his watch, twenty minutes had already passed. He sighed and looked at Hyehee who seemingly had fallen asleep. He sighed again, if Taemin don’t come back any sooner, Hyehee is going to get a cold sleeping in there.

              “Oh my God, Taemin you’re finally back.” Key almost shot up when he heard someone entering the room, only to find Jonghyun standing there, stunned. “What the ?”

              Key rolled his eyes with a sigh, another troublesome fellow. “What are you doing letting her stays there? She’s wet!” Jonghyun almost walked over to her when Key pulled his arm. “Stop it! You’ll scare her.”

              “What?” Jonghyun scoffed, pulling his arm away and heading to Hyehee. “Hyehee, get up.”

              What surprises Key was that Hyehee actually allows Jonghyun to carry her up and leave the bathroom. “What the…?” and I can’t touch you? Not that I like touching you but still…?

              “You’ll get sick.” Jonghyun said quietly, putting her down on the bed and walking over to the wardrobe. He randomly selects one of Taemin’s shirts and walked back to the bed. “You want me to change for you or you want to change yourself?” he asked.

              “I don’t remember giving anyone any permission to touch my sister.”

              Key and Jonghyun snapped their heads back to find Taemin standing at the door with a bag in his hand, slightly panting. “Get out.” He said, walking into the room after taking a deep breath. “What? I helped you and—,”

              “Get out.” Taemin said again loudly, and this time, the both of them knew that Taemin is not in a mood for nonsense. “Go,” Key mouthed, half pushing Jonghyun out of the room and closing the door behind them.

              Taemin stared hard at the door before looking back at Hyehee. He dropped the bag of Hyehee’s clothes that he went to collect at their old house and sighed; taking the shirt that Jonghyun left on the bed, “you want me to change it for you?” he asked, but Hyehee just sat there in silence. Taemin swallowed, “if you’re not answering then I’m removing your clothes.” And with that said, he moved closer to her and proceeded to remove her shirt and holding the hem of it. Not that he haven’t seen her …

              But when Hyehee had her body pressed up against Taemin’s with her arms around his neck, the older went stunned. “…I’m sorry…” Her voice muffled with her face buried in Taemin’s shirt. “I’m sorry…I just…I couldn’t….”

              Taemin’s arms went around her, hands on her . “Tae oppa is here, and I’m not letting anyone hurt you.”

              Before he realized it, he could felt his shirt getting wet, and he doesn’t know if it’s because of Hyehee’s wet hair or her tears; but his heart was aching badly. He pushed her slightly apart, hand on her cheek and giving her a kiss on her forehead. Hyehee closed her eyes, and Taemin watched her as he felt like he needed to protect this girl; and when he finally know that he love her more than life itself.

              Just that he still wasn’t sure if the love he had for her was as a brother or as a man.

              So when his lips were getting closer to Hyehee’s, he stopped. Lee Taemin, you’re Hyehee’s brother. Stop ing around.

It was almost 8 at night when Hyehee was lying in Taemin’s arm. He had fallen asleep after cooing Hyehee to sleep, but she woke up earlier than he did.

              She laid there quietly in his shirt, stomach grumbling from not having anything since…she doesn’t remember when. The only thing she remembered was how Taemin was always assuring her and making sure that she’s fine. All the things that Taemin did, she didn’t forget but doesn’t want to remember very well too.

              Because it was weird…how she’s always craving for more of his touch.

              The time when Taemin kissed her wounds, leaving her trail of kisses to remind her that she was loved by him, the way he hugged her self, the way…his voice triggered something inside of her and giving her a tingling sensation somewhere at the bottom of her body…

              It was making her crazy.

              She looked up and watched Taemin as he sleeps. His sleeping face was peaceful, as if reminding her that he was still her second brother that she adored when she was young. Just that now, the nonchalant second brother of hers was turning into a man, a very good-looking man.

              She reached out for his eyebrows, index finger trailing along it, before going down to his nose bridge. Until Taemin’s phone vibrated on the bedside table, her hand stopped midway. What was I doing?

              Taemin frowned, waking up to the vibration of his phone and unaware of what just happened; he reached out for his phone with the other free hand and squinted at the new text received. The other arm circling Hyehee tightened as soon as he saw the content.

              “Are you going somewhere?” Hyehee asked lowly and that surprised Taemin. “Did my phone wake you up? I’m sorry.” He said, making a mental note that he should set his phone to silent whenever he’s with Hyehee.

              “Answer me.”

              Taemin was slightly taken aback by Hyehee’s words; he had never seen her so firm and cold before. As if the innocent and naïve Hyehee was gone.

              “I’ve to go.” He said, removing his arm from her and getting up.

              “I’m joining you.”

              Taemin came to a halt in front of the bathroom. He turned around, “what did you say?”

              “I want to seek revenge. I want to kill—“

              Hyehee jerked back against the bed frame when Taemin suddenly charged towards her, cornering her with both of his palms on the wall. “Don’t you ever say something like that again.”

              It was then she realized exactly why, this guy in front of her could be the next head of Phoenix clan.

Taemin quickly packed up some of Hyehee’s clothes and necessities before heading out, but something sparkled at the corner of his eye when he passed by Jinki’s room.

              A nervous feeling hit his stomach, making him feels sick. He took big steps into the room and opened up the metal box that sat on Jinki’s bed. It was as if Jinki knew that he won’t be coming back to this house and that he wanted someone to spot the metal box, on purpose.

              A yellowish paper was inside the box, it was so dirty that Taemin thought that the paper was stained with blood before. He dropped the bag and sat on Jinki’s bed, unfolding the paper with both hands.

              ‘Whoever it is, please take care of the baby.’

Taemin sat in his navy blue long couch with the letter in his hand. There were so many questions in his mind that he couldn’t really focus on the meeting with master just now.

              How did Jinki know about the pub? Why did he come? How did he know about the name Lee Hyori when the letter didn’t state anything?

              “Tae oppa,” Hyehee stood by the doorway when Taemin blinked himself back to reality. “Hmm, have you eaten?”

              He gestured for her to sit beside him and when she walked over, he had her in him arms. “Yeah, Key oppa cooked for me just now.” She said, staring at Taemin.

              He raised a brow, “why are you looking at me like that?”

              Hyehee pressed her lips together, laying her head on his shoulder and playing with the bracelet around his wrist. “Thank you, Tae oppa…” Taemin had a small smile on his lips, “what for?”

              “For taking care of me, for making me feel loved and wanted, for being there for me all these time.”

              “You’re my sister; of course I’m going to protect you.”

              And Hyehee wasn’t sure if she likes what she heard.

              “I miss Jin oppa.” She sighed, and Taemin leaned his head on hers. “I miss hyung too.”

She stood at the door, looking at the pool of blood that’s constantly expanding until it’s going to reach her barefoot.

              “Tae oppa?”

              She called out, but there was no response. The container was dark and she wasn’t feeling very positive about this whole thing. She knew something was wrong until she saw a silver object lying on the ground; and it was awfully familiar looking.

              It was the bracelet that she bought for Taemin.

              She squatted down and picked up the bracelet, only to realize that not far away from it was a person lying motionless on the ground, and the blood was flowing endlessly from under it.

“Hyehee!”

              Her eyes snapped open after being shaken awake by Taemin, who was using the laptop on the couch. Her eyes darted to his wrist immediately and reached out to pull apart the bracelet. “Take it off.” She breathed.

              “What?” Taemin grabbed both of her hands. “Take it off! This bracelet is going to cause you your life!”

              “Hyehee!” Taemin pulled her into his embrace. “Calm down, nothing is happening. It’s just a dream.”

              “Tae oppa, you don’t understand,” Hyehee pushed him apart, “ever since you wore this, you were almost killed by Minho just because you wanted to pick it up. And because of that, Jin oppa died saving you. And now, I dreamt that…”

              Taemin stopped her from continuing by circling her in his arms again. “Hey…it’s going to be okay. Nothing will happen to me. Don’t worry.”

              He gave her an assuring peck on her forehead, “and this bracelet was given to me by my favorite sister as my birthday present. I will die wearing it.”

              Hyehee sighed as she leaned her head defeated on Taemin’s chest. “Can you promise me something?”

              Taemin rubbed her back, “hmm?”

              “Bring me everywhere you go, I don’t want to be separated with you anymore. I’m left with no one already, please, don’t leave me alone.” She mumbled quietly, hand clenching on his shirt.

              Taemin closed his eyes, taking in Hyehee’s scent. “I promise you.”

“Have you been giving her hugs and kisses?”

              Jonghyun almost spit his milk when Key asked Taemin the question. “What the , Key?” Jonghyun looked down at his shirt.

              “What? Have you been watching?” Taemin questioned, pouring himself a cup of orange juice. “So it’s true? Hey, you’re her ‘brother’, don’t you forget that.” Key said.

              Taemin put down the bottle, and leaned against the counter. “I didn’t forget. I just didn’t want to remember.”

              “What are you saying, you idiot—,”

              “What are you all saying?” Hyehee walked into the kitchen after getting ready. Jonghyun and Key immediately kept their mouths shut while Taemin grabbed the bottle and put it back in the fridge. “Hyehee and I are going BD later.”

              “What, again? You’re still searching for Minho?” Jonghyun asked. “You know last night the meeting with master we talk—,”

              Taemin held up a hand to shut Jonghyun up. “I know what I’m doing,” he turned to Hyehee with the cup of orange juice, “I’ll be waiting outside. Finish this and come out.” Hyehee raised a brow and gulped down the juice in one go. She put the cup inside the basin before turning to Key and Jonghyun. “See you later,” she said to them, earning a smile.

              “You’re okay with bike right?” Taemin asked when he saw Hyehee coming out, “Yup.”

              Taemin smiled, taking out a helmet from the back of his bike and putting it on Hyehee. “The only thing you need to do is to hold tight on me.” He instructed, putting a helmet on himself before getting on the bike. “Get on.”

              And Hyehee swear when she saw him sitting on the bike with the helmet, her heart skipped a beat. It’s definitely different from when she saw him getting off the bike in the school.