Sungmin yawned sleepy, when he woke up the next morning. He sat up and looked at the spot next to him, sighed. Like Kyuhyun had said was he not there, when Sungmin woke up again.

"It would have been too nice..." Sungmin sighed with a sad smile and turned to the window, looked at the sapphire blue sky. He had hoped that Kyuhyun would be still there, when he opened his eyes- even if he had said that he would not.

"Good Morning, Sungmin-shii." a soft and gently voice caught his attention and Sungmin looked at the edge of the hayloft where Ryeowook was standing on the ladder and smiled at him. "Did you sleep well?"

Sungmin just nodded and streched his arms and legs, blushed slightly when suddenly his stomach growled. "Sorry..." he mumbled with a shy smile, a faint shade of pink on his cheeks.

"Oh hyung!" Ryeowook laughed and climbed up the ladder, hugged the older tight. "It is okay! My mother told me to bring you into the house that we can have breakfast. Kibum is already there too."

"Really?" a bright smile crept up Sungmin's face when Ryeowook nodded. "When did he come?"

"About an hour ago." the other said, but fell suddenly silent and looked at the bruising on Sungmin's arms, his neck and cheek. He knew that the body of his friend looked the same, if not worser. "I hate your father..."

Sungmin smiled weakly. "It is okay... I will say that I stumbled and fell off a tree."

"You know you can sleep here as often as you want." Ryeowook said and got a nod in response. "Thank you, Ryeowook." the elder smiled and hugged him gently. "Uhm... had you not said something about breakfast?"

"Yes!" Ryeowook beamed and was already on his feet, grabbed Sungmin by his wrists and pulled him up as well. "Come on. My mother is waiting."

"Sungminnie!!!" Kibum almost jumped from his chair, when Ryeowook and Sungmin stepped into the small house. "It feels like ages that I saw you!"

"You were only half a year away, Kibummie." Sungmin laughed and hugged his friend as well. "But I missed you too!"

"Come on boys!" Ryeowook's mother laughed and shooed them back to the breakfast table. "You can talk when you have eaten something."

Laughing, Ryeowook, Sungmin and Kibum sat down at the wood table and immediately began to chat about what had happened in the last six months.

Sungmin had always loved this place. Ryeowook's mother was always kind and more like a mother for him, than his own and even if they only had a small house, for Sungmin it was one of the biggest and warmest places on earth.

After two hours of laughing, Sungmin clutched still laughing his stomach and tried to wipe away his tears of laughter. It had been a while that Sungmin felt this free and carefree, and he could not thank Ryeowook enough that he had offered him to sleep in their barn.

Kibum sighed and leaned back, looked out of the small window. "I really miss Donghae..." he said suddenly out of the blue and smiled sadly.

"Yeah..." Ryeowook dropped his shoulders, sighed. "I miss his cheerful and friendly nature."

Sungmin nodded. Donghae was beside Ryeowook, one of his best and closest friends and when he died last winter due to the influenza, it was as if Sungmin, Ryeowook and Kibum, had lost a part of their self.

"It was so funny to play with him in the creek... he always loved all those little colorful fishes and mussels." Sungmin remembered and sighed as well, rested his head on his folded hands. "And he could climb on trees like a monkey."

"Better than you, the way you look..." Kibum said and turned to Sungmin, looked anxiously at him

Immediately, Sungmin and Ryeowook stopped in their motion and glanced at each other, before Sungmin smiled weakly. "Y- yeah... I tripped and fallen off a tree." he said and avoided Kibum's gaze. "Nothing serious..."

Kibum sighed quietly and shook his head, looked at Ryeowook but got only a head shaking in response.

"I think, I will go home now." Sungmin said and stood up, bid Ryeowook's mother goodbye and hugged his friends. "See you later." he waved at them and left the house.

Sungmin sighed. It was clear that his look would cause questions, but he was glad that Kibum hadn't pressed the matter further.

"Okay... home then..." the black haired mumbled and walked slowly through the small village in the direction of his house.

"Hello...?" Sungmin called, when he carefully stepped into the house and was looking for his parents. Fortunately, it seemed that they were out, so Sungmin hurried up and took a quick bath and rushed into his room afterwards.

Exhausted, Sungmin dropped onto his bed and winced a little bit as he could feel his sore back. Although he was really thankful that Ryeowook had offered him to sleep in the barn, he prefered his own warm and comfortable bed.

His gaze wandered through his room and landed on Kyuhyun's jacket which was neatly lying next to him on his bed. Would he meet him again tonight?

"I hope so..." Sungmin smiled and closed his eyes. "Only a moment..." but moments later he was fast asleep.

When Sungmin woke up again, it was already late in the afternoon and he could hear the children playing outside the house.

Since it was still completely calm in the house, he assumed that his parents were still not back. Quietly humming a melody, Sungmin walked down into the kitchen and made himself a small meal and left the house afterwards, made his way down to the creek.

"Sungminnie~" questioningly, he looked up and grinned, when he saw Kibum and Ryeowook a little bit behind him.

"Are you going to the creek?" Ryeowook asked, once they reached Sungmin and were now walking besides him.

"Yeah..." Sungmin nodded with a sad smile, sighed quietly. "After we talked so much about Donghae, I just wanted to see him..."

Kibum slung an arm around Sungmin's shoulder and hugged him briefly. "Still so caring, as I always know you. You really miss him, do you?"

Sungmin nodded again and looked down at his feet, let Kibum and Ryeowook drag him down to the creek.

After they reached the little stream, they followed the flowing water a while until they reached a simple stone with an engraved fish and Donghae's name below; settled between dandelions, marigolds and marguerites, directly in the shade of a large chestnut. Sungmin had plucked some daisies on their way and placed them now carefully infront of the small grave stone.

"Yah! You stupid little fish!" Kibum crouched down and patted the stone with a sad smile. "I hope you are doing well where ever you are." He stopped for a moment. "I really really miss you... you and your stupid ideas."

Ryeowook smiled slightly and when it was his turn to place something at his bestfriend's grave, he pulled a small package out of his pocket and unfolded it, revealed a small cake in the shape of a fish. "Here... I know that you always loved loved my cakes."

"It is not fair that we could not bury him properly." Sungmin mumbled and squatted. "Yes... after we could not see him during his last days..." Kibum nodded and sat down in the grass next to stone.

After his mother had said that Donghae was sick with the flu, she had forbidden them to visit him. They had tried it, but his mother was smart enough to know their actions and how to prevent them. And then he suddenly died and when Sungmin, Ryeowook and Kibum wanted to see their friend the last time, the doctor and his parents said that his body was already buried.

In their grief they built him this little gravestone and visited him whenever they felt lonely or missed their friend.

Sungmin and Ryeowook followed him and sat down behinde and on the other side of the stone, looked dreamily into heaven and watched how the sun slowly but steadily went down.

Hours passed by and after the former bright and due to the sunset red stained sky turned into the blue of the night, Kibum got up and stretched his arms over his head.

"I have to leave now..." he sighed with a smile and looked at Sungmin and Ryeowook who had also stood up. "I promised that I would be back before the night is coming."

"Come home safely." Ryeowook smiled and hugged his friend for goodbye. "And you are always welcome. Come here a little bit more often!"

Laughing, Kibum hugged Ryeowook and nodded. "I will see what I can do." Then he turned to Sungmin, hugged him as well. "Goodbye Sungminnie. I really hope you get well soon and no more trees for you!"

"Yes yes!" Sungmin laughed while he also hugged Kibum. "And like Ryeowook had said, you can come here more often!"

"Yeeees!" laughing, Kibum hung his head in defeat. "I promise that I will come back the next week, okay?"

"Okay!" the others males nodded approvingly and waved their friend, as he walked up the grassy slope until Kibum disappeared.

"Will you sleep in our barn again tonight?" Ryeowook's soft voice tore Sungmin out of his thoughts, smiled meekly at his friend.

Sungmin sighed and sat back down in the grass, pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I do not know... I am a little bit afraid to go home... maybe it is really better, when I stay in your barn again."

"It would be nice!" Ryeowook beamed and threw his arms around his best friend, hugged him tight. "Maybe I can come too, so that we both can sleep th-"

"No!" Sungmin cut him mid-sentence and looked with wide eyes at him. "I mean, uhm... it- it would be nice to have a sleep over with you, but... but not tonight." He did not know why, but when Sungmin lowered his gaze he could feel a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Hyung... are you blushing!?" Ryeowook looked astonished at the older and how he tried to hide his red cheeks. "Oh my god, Hyung! You are blushing! Do you have a midnight date?"

"I, what?! No!" Sungmin blushed even harder and buried his head in his hands. "Stop asking me things like that!"

Even if he knew Kyuhyun only since a few nights, he could not help and had to admit that he hoped that Kyuhyun would visit him tonight again. And Sungmin knew that it was absolutely ridiculous to wait for a vampire. But nevertheless. He was pretty sure that he would be stay awake this night to wait for Kyuhyun; even if Sungmin did not really why.

They just met each other a few nights ago... and last night again, but Sungmin was too sleepy to really talk with him and was fast fell asleep, after Kyuhyun had wrapped him in the blanket.

"Earth to Sungmin-shii! There is someone waiting for you, right behind you!" It was Ryeowook again, who pulled Sungmin out of his thoughts and who rolled laughing through the grass when Sungmin's head immediately snapped up at the Maknae's last words.

"How can he- How dare you, Ryeowook?!" Sungmin yelled at the still laughing male, after he realized that he got tricked by his so called best friend. "Ya! Stop laughing at me!"

"But- but Hyung!" the younger pouted, tried to catch his breath and to calm down a little bit. "Your face- You should have seen your face when I said that there is someone. And now tell me, to whom are you waiting for? And dare you to deny it!"

Sungmin lapsed into silent and looked at the grassy ground, was fighting with himself. Should he tell Ryeowook about Kyuhyun and that he was waiting for him? And that he was a vampire which he had met in the forest a few nights ago, because Ryeowook was not stupid and since they were living in a small village, they all knew each other.

Ryeowook sighed and smiled meekly, patted Sungmin on the back. "Hyung, it is okay if you do not want to talk about... him, I guess. I do not want to force you."

Sungmin smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks Wookie." he looked back at the almost dark water of the creek and the the dimly glowing dots of the fireflies.

"I know, Hyung." the younger of the both nodded, was still grinning. "But uhm... Sungmin-shii, I-"

"Ryeowook?"

Both looked up startled, when there was suddenly a dark, yet soft voice called for Ryeowook.

Sungmin gasped in surprise when a tall young man, dressed all in black, with wavy and crimped hair stepped out from behind the chestnut tree. He had an almost white skin and small but watchful amber eyes which looked from Sungmin to Ryeowook, showed him a small smile. The latter blushed deeply and bit down his lower lip, tried to suppress a grin to spread up on his face.

"Shall I go?" Sungmin asked quietly and looked questioningly back and forth betweetn his friend and the stranger.

"No... please stay!" Ryeowook whispered and slowly stood up, walked over to the man hugged him tight. To Sungmin's surprise hugged the unknown him as well and pressed his best friend's small and fragile body against his own, before he let go of the smaller male.

Sungmin looked even more curious at them, when Ryeowook blushed hard and intertwined their hands to came back to him. "I think we have to talk later..." he whispered when Ryeowook was sitting at his side again.

"Please do not be mad at me hyung!" the latter begged with teary eyes and took a fast glance at the third male, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "I was afraid that you would not believe me, or...hate me... Some weeks after Donghae died, I was just walking around and ended up getting lost in- in the forest. Jongwoon-shii saved me right in the moment I thought I had to die, and so he brought me home and yeah..."

Sungmin nodded slowly and glanced at Jongwoon, then back at Ryeowook. "So you were in the forest at night? You know that it is actually forbidden?!"

"I know!" the younger male said immediately and looked sniffling at his hands. "I am really sorry for not telling you, but I beg you! Please do not tell it my mother!"

"Calm down, Ryeowook!" Sungmin smiled gently. "I will not tell anyone. It will be our secret!"

"Thank you very much!" Ryeowook beamed and threw himself laughing into Sungmin's arms, hugged him happily. "I can not thank you enough!"

"Uhm... I might be wrong, but is this not the moment where you should introduce us to each other?" Jongwoon coughed and smiled at Ryeowook, when the latter returned to his side.

Sungmin grinned broad and held a hand up for Jongwoon. "Hi! I am Lee Sungmin!" he introduced himself. His smile faded a little bit when Jongwoon shook his hand firmly and a very familiar feeling rushed through his body, was even more startled, when he looked up and noticed an also familiar glim in the others eyes. "Nice to meet you too, Sungmin-shii! I am Kim Jongwoon." Jongwoon smiled with a mysterious knowing smirk. "Ryeowook told a lot about you!"

"I hope only the best!" Sungmin laughed and looked back at the dark sky which was painted with countless stars, pretended to ignore Ryeowook and Jongwoon, which were whispering at each other.

Actually, Sungmin planned to be a little bit mad at Ryeowook and that he had not talked with him about Jongwoon; and it was more than obvious that they knew each other for quite some time.

But when the younger begged him that desperately to keep it secret, he just could not resist Ryeowook's hidden aegyo.

After a while, and even he did not really noticed it, Sungmin started to think about Kyuhyun again; thought about how they met each other and that Kyuhyun had saved him from his father, that he lent him his jacket that day and a blanket last night.

"We both met someone in the forest..." Sungmin mumbled quietly and instantly froze in his spot, when he heard a low chuckle from Jongwoon.

"Seems I guessed right and you are the one, little Kyuhyunnie met in the woods a few nights ago." the black dressed said with a soft voice and smirked at Sungmin, when the latter looked uncertain at him.

To Sungmin's relief, Ryeowook fell asleep with his head on Jongwoon's lap and was breathing evenly, while Jongwoon ran his fingers through his dark locks.

"I- I was just... I mean, what?!" clueless, Sungmin stared at the other man and the way he grinned at him. "Did... did you hear what I have said?"

"Yes." Jongwoon answered as casual as he could, and his smirk grew even wider, while Sungmin's jaw almost dropped when it hit him like a flash.

"So... You... are you really?" Sungmin stuttered, was not really sure if he wanted to ask something like that.

Jongwoon chuckled again and glanced down at Ryeowook's sleeping figure, wanted to be sure that he was still sleeping, before he looked back up. "Yes, little Sungminnie." he grinned and let his fangs become visible. "I am a vampire!"