[Chapter 16]

Reclaiming What Was Once Lost

 

 

 

The long story of last night's roller coaster date finally came to an end. A quiet atmosphere lingered in the air as the words that had come from the shop owner's mouth was still trying to be registered in her audience's head. “Wait.” Jessica called out. “So you're saying that Siwon really did all of that last night?” The auburn haired girl questioned her best friend. She needed a confirmation of all of this. There was absolutely no way that a man like that, from what she saw, could do such a thing...right?

 

Releasing a sigh, Tiffany simply nodded. “Neh.” The owner tucked her hair behind one ear. “And I'm not going to repeat the whole story again Jess. I already told you a million times. I'm just lucky to have gotten out of there alive.” She added on, shaking her head. Tiffany was hoping to shake the memory right out of her head.

 

Yuri frowned and rested her head on one of her hands. “That . I really thought you two were gonna get together and get married and all of that.” She sighed defeated. There had to be a mistake. Was it really the same guy that she was talking about? “Wait!” The black pearl practically shouted while standing up straight. “How do we know you didn't just make all of that up?” Her eyes squinted suspiciously while one eyebrow raised in an intimidating manner.

 

A deep sigh from a certain daily customer caught everybody's attention. “Yul, why would Tiff make this stuff up?” Hyoyeon's eyebrows furrowed together confusedly. “Especially if this was about someone she really had her eye on. Besides, if she just made it up, how does that explain-”

 

[Ding!]

 

The cafe immediately shushed about the topic at hand while a familiar looking face strolled into the cafe, a pink cell phone in one hand. “Annyeong everybody.” The customer greeted happily. She was wearing something more simpler compared to last night's attire; blue jeans and a half way zipped gray jacket with a white shirt underneath. “Tiffany, you forgot this in my car last night after I dropped you off.” An explanation in English suddenly came out, startling the auburn haired girl behind the counter. It was something she wasn't exactly expecting. “Don't worry, I didn't look through it or anything. You already went through a lot last night. The last thing you need is for someone to go through your phone.” The new guest let out a chuckle while handing the electronic device back to its rightful owner.

 

Unfamiliar with the new language, the atmosphere in the cafe turned awkward. “Uhm. Mianhae.” Yuri called out gently. Everybody's attention instantly snapped to her. “I don't mean to be rude or anything but, who are you?” She questioned with a puzzled look on her face. It was obvious that this person knew Tiffany but earlier she greeted the cafe place like she had been there practically everyday...which was weird because this was the first time she ever saw this girl.

 

Raising her eyebrows, the guest realized she hadn't properly introduced herself to the rest of the cafe buddies. Just because she knew who the others were didn't mean that they exactly knew who she was. “Ah, mianhae Yuri-ssi. Nicole imnida. I'm Hyoyeon-unnie's dance-mate.” She smiled to a particular someone that looked away to hide the blush that was now rising on her cheeks. “I guess my unnie never talks about me huh?”

 

Everyone's eyes settled on the red cheeked Dancing Queen. Now it all made sense. Eventually Jessica looked back at the new person. “So you're Nicole?” The new face simply nodded happily. “Ah. Actually, Hyoyeon told us a lot about you.” A small smirk surfaced on the auburn haired girl's face. It was as if some scheme were suddenly forming in her head.

 

Thinking of the potentially embarrassing things that could burst from the most blunt person in the room, Hyoyeon found it best to change the subject. “So Nic! What are you doing here?” She questioned nervously. Her mind chanted a mantra of not going back to the other topic. Who knows what that worker would say if she were given a chance?

 

Nicole giggled when she saw the slight tint of pink on the other girl's face. In fact she found it pretty cute. “I'm here to give back Tiffany-ssi's hand phone. She left it in my car last night.” She explained with a quick point at the pink device in the shop owner's palm. “It's a little hard to miss a pink thing on top of black leather seats.” She giggled again. Her eyes interestingly wandered the cafe as she mentally noted everything. After all, this was the first time Nicole had ever stepped foot in this little shop.

 

A moment of silence passed as the explanation formed in the air. “In your...car?” Hyoyeon questioned while turning her attention to Tiffany. Why would Tiffany be in Nicole's car if Tiffany ran from the restaurant? Even though she knew nothing like that would happen between them, Hyoyeon couldn't help but envy the shop owner for spending time with her crush. “What were you doing in Nicole's car?” Her eyebrows furrowed together curiously.

 

Tiffany's only response was a look that said, “Really?” She would have said more, but Tiffany decided to let the younger girl talk for her instead. “Well after the whole ordeal at the restaurant, I was driving home and saw Tiffany-ssi walking.” Nicole answered with a confirming nod. “I figured that I might as well help her home after what happened between her and Siwon.” The new guest shrugged her shoulders as if it were nothing.

 

Listening to the explanation made Yuri's eyebrows crash together. “Back at the restaurant?” Her attention flickered to Tiffany then back at Nicole. “You mean, you were there?” Her head tilted to the side curiously. There's no way that what Tiffany said was true. Siwon really seemed like a great guy all those times at the cafe. Things just weren't adding up in her head.

 

Both of Nicole's eyebrows raised at the question. “Well, yeah.” The younger dancer nodded to the darker toned girl. “I was at the restaurant and watched the whole thing happen. Right from the beginning when...” She looked to the ceiling of the cafe for the exact moment. “when Tiffany's waitress started accusing Siwon of cheating on her. She said something about their marriage being a few months from now.” Nicole nodded once more. That sounded just about right.

 

Hyoyeon simply bobbed her head up and down in agreement to her crush's words. Not a single word sounded out of place to her. “She's not lying you know.” The Dancing Queen reassured as well before grabbing the order she bought, sipping her usual drink to quench her thirst.

 

“And how do you know that?” Jessica spoke before any of the dancers could add anything else. Her eyebrow raised in interest while waiting for an answer. To her, it just seemed as if Hyoyeon was only saying those things because she obviously liked Nicole. The girl did flat out say it one time when it was just the four of them.

 

Taken aback by the challenge caught Hyoyeon off guard. She knew that something was wrong with the guy and all of this just made every assumption she had of him correct. Still, Hyoyeon was actually really mad that the two workers thought of Siwon as Mr. Perfect. Even after everything that happened they were still denying this fact, defending the guilty bastard to make sure he still had a clean slate to his name. It was starting to get on the Dancing Queen's nerves. “The story was all over the news last night!” Hyoyeon blurted out. This new found information shocked not just the cafe workers, but the owner herself. Apparently she didn't think that this sort of thing would make the media. “Did none of you watch it last night?”

 

The two cafe workers hung their heads guiltily. That much made it obvious to the others of what their answers were. When neither of them said anything, Yuri glanced at Jessica before locking eyes with their Dancing Queen friend. “We uhh...we missed the news last night because we had a movie marathon.” Tiffany's eyebrow raised curiously when she saw the small tint of pink on Jessica's cheeks. It only made her curious of what kinds of 'movies' they were watching.

 

Wanting to break the awkward silence, Nicole turned her attention to the pink cheeked workers to explain what happened. “Well, once the police came, they made sure no one would enter or leave the place until they interviewed everyone there about the whole situation. Then news crew people asked everyone that left the restaurant. I was one of the few people to talk so my interview was broadcast on a couple channels.” From the corner of her eye, Nicole spotted a worrying shop owner.

 

Seeing the look on Tiffany's face made the youngest girl worry a little. It was as if something was telling her to reassure the cafe owner that no camera crews were going to storm the shop any minute. “Uhm. Don't worry about it though Tiff. Your identity is still a mystery to everybody else and the security cameras at the restaurant aren't exactly the best. I think they invested their money more on the decorations than the security itself.” She let out a small chuckle in hopes to lighten the mood. “I told them that I only knew Siwon. He's been booked for assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and resisting arrest. Just trust me when I say that a lot of things still happened even after you left so I have a feeling that he's going to be in jail for a long time.”

 

A wave of relief washed over Tiffany. “Thanks Nicole.” With her name out of the public media, the shop owner knew she could relax. She wanted to forget everything about that jerk. A smile surfaced onto Tiffany's face knowing that nightmare of a guy would be put in jail. However, her smile left her face just as fast as it came on. Going to court probably wouldn't work anyways. Siwon would most likely be found not guilty no matter what. She knew that money does things to people, even those in the court system. With a long sigh, Tiffany made eye contact with her friends. “Siwon being in jail isn't going to matter though. He's a rich guy. He can get out of there by this afternoon if his parents bail him out.”

 

Hearing the shop owner's concern made Hyoyeon chuckle. “See, this is why you guys should have watched the news last night.” Everybody furrowed their eyebrows confusedly. “Siwon won't get bailed out of jail. A news crew interviewed his parents last night over the phone and asked if they would bail him out, but his parents were so mad that he was cheating on his fiancee and tainting their family name with such a big scandal that they cut off all money ties with him! They're going to let him stay in jail so he can understand what it's like when he doesn't have the power of money.” A spark of happiness surged through Tiffany's body at the information. Did that really mean that she would be safe from that deranged man?

 

“Uhm...” Yuri voiced out just loud enough to get the other's attention. “I know that him cheating is wrong and everything but, why would they do something like that to him? Wasn't it an arranged marriage? It just seems a little harsh to me.” The youngest worker twisted her lips awkwardly at the thought of the punishment. “I mean, they did practically force him to get engaged to somebody. Wouldn't they have known that he would be likely to cheat?”

 

The Dancing Queen faced palmed at the question. It's as if Yuri wanted Siwon to get bailed out of prison. “Aigoo. Are you aware of Siwon's family owning a marketing business?” The worker's head nodded to the question. “Well with this scandal, their business is obviously in the media for all the wrong reasons. Plus they're furious with him because the girl's dad is a childhood best friend with a top marketing CEO! I also heard that the girl was recently cast for a role in a big upcoming drama. It's predicted to be one of the best dramas of the year since one of the big directors is in charge of it.” Still, nothing crucial was clicking in the tan skinned girl's head. The girl was going to be in a drama and her dad had a best friend that was successful. What did any of that have to do with Siwon and the girl getting married?

 

Hyoyeon saw the obviously blank look in the latter's eyes. Apparently her short version wasn't doing much. Letting out an irritated sigh, the Dancing Queen looked right into Yuri's eyes to make sure she understood. “If Siwon and her got married, that would have been a great opportunity for his parents' business. They would have racked up more money for their business by using her in commercials, paper ads, and probably even sneaking in their logo in a couple episodes of her drama.” Even after this extra bit of information, it just wasn't making sense to the young worker. So what if more commercials would come on about their store? Hyoyeon face palmed and let out another sigh. “If Siwon and her would have been married, then Siwon's dad would get introduced to the CEO. Both companies could have merged and made a whole bunch of money since the profits would have been split! This whole thing would have benefited all three families. But since he messed up big time, that opportunity for Siwon's family to make more money is right out the window.”

 

Finally, the light bulbs went off in more heads than just the darkest person in the room. Still, it amazed Hyoyeon how it didn't quite make sense the first time. “That's right!” The other dancer called out. “I heard Siwon and his business friends talking about it too. But obviously Siwon cared less about the whole thing.” Nicole couldn't believe that Siwon passed up such a good opportunity to being successful. Something then popped in the youngest girl's head. “There's also a rumor going on around school that his parents' business isn't doing so well like it used to.” She added on. “They might have to file for bankruptcy sometime next month. That's why they set that arranged marriage with the girl. The whole drama thing came later on, but adding her to the whole endorsement thing would have been a great chance to bringing their family back up on the market. I heard that they can't afford models for commercials so using her as the new 'face' of the company would have been a big interest to the market.” She nodded to herself as she recalled the hot topic that surged around school recently.

 

Finding out that Siwon would have to stay in jail meant that he couldn't possibly do anything to harass Tiffany from now on. It eased her tense mind. Having to already deal with the cafe, she didn't need a deranged not-so-rich boy coming after her. Tiffany found this news to be bitter sweet revenge since he was going to now go through what she was going through, but that didn't mean she was exactly out of the financial hell hole either. “Thanks for the info you two.” The shop owner locked eyes with both of the dancers in the room, only getting a smile from Hyoyeon since she was too busy drinking her usual drink.

 

“No problem Tiff.” The younger dancer bowed her head slightly. After checking her watch, a sigh escaped Nicole's lips. “I wish I could stay but I've got to go.” She grumbled out the announcement. “A couple of classmates and I are getting together to study. We've got a big project due Monday so we really have to work on it all weekend.” A small pout surfaced on her lips. “But before I go.” Nicole smiled with her eyes locked on Tiffany. “Can I get a mocha to go?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Crunch. Crunch.]

 

Empty. That's exactly what the little village that once housed Taeyeon and her family came to be. Empty. Then again, it had been over hundreds of years since she's ever checked up on this place. After the last person she ever cared about had passed away, Taeyeon never found it in herself to ever look back. What was the use? Everyone she ever loved was dead...just like her. Although, after hundreds and hundreds of years, the Guardian was expecting the place to have expanded and turned into a big city like the other places she had witnessed grow and develop. Then again, this was the countryside and any form of technology would take practically forever to reach there. Of course there were some signs of expansion, a couple of houses were built, more stores of other kinds had been established, but in the end all signs of life had been drained from this tiny village. It was a complete ghost town now, but that didn't stop Taeyeon from stepping onto the main dirt road and reminiscing her past.

 

Walking down memory lane brought both joy and sadness to the Guardian's heart. It was as if every blink of the eye took her back to her younger years. She remembered what it was like to walk down the dirt road that led to the school. Then at the end of the day she and her friends would go to the bakery where the owner would gladly give the school children free bread rolls to snack on. After finishing homework, she and her neighborhood friends would play until it was time for dinner with the family.

 

“My little Taengoo!” A familiar voice echoed in the Guardian's head. Her eyes settled on the front door of the little house that was once hers. In Taeyeon's eyes was the clear image of her mother with one hand cupped at the side of . “Dinner is ready. Come inside now.” Taking a step towards her home sweet home reverted her mind back to reality. Instead of the white painted house she remembered, in front of her were only the remains. Boards on the walls and door had fallen off or were cracked. There were even patches of holes here and there. However, Taeyeon was glad that it was still standing.

 

Approaching it slowly, the Guardian gently pushed open the front door with ease. The swinging object creaked at its hinges until tapping the wall with a soft thud. Taeyeon's eyes ventured from one side of the tiny house to the other. Eventually, her attention settled onto a rickety old bed frame. The beaten mattress had small holes in its covering fabric where some of the inside straw stuck out. Of course, this was a bed made before today's spring mattresses, but Taeyeon didn't mind it. She slept on this bed, seeing as it was the only one her family could afford. However, Taeyeon's mind wasn't racing with how comfortable her bed was. Instead, her head replayed the tragedy she couldn't control. It was a tragedy she could never forget.

 

 

 

[Flashback]

 

With her age now hitting double digits, Taeyeon wasn't expecting for anything to happen with her little family. They were a normal family living in a normal village. What could possibly go wrong? “Appa? What's wrong with Umma? She's been coughing like crazy since winter started and spring is almost here. When will she get better?” Little Taeyeon stared at her father curiously as he tended to the woman that had been bed ridden for the past month.

 

Taeyeon's parents shared a long, saddened gaze before her mother nodded. It was a sign that neither of them could mistake. “It's time she knows. I think our daughter's old enough to understand.” The woman managed to whisper weakly.

 

A pang of sadness struck the man's heart at the request. However, he never protested and instead nodded back in agreement. “Taeyeon honey, take a seat next to your mother dear.” He cooed, giving the empty space next to the woman's knees a gentle tap. “There's something I have to tell you.” Once the young girl did as she was told, her father squatted down to her eye level. “Honey...your mother's...sick.” He managed to say before pursing his lips tightly together.

 

“I know that Appa. I'm just wondering when she's gonna get better.” The little one stated while swinging her legs back and fourth innocently. Her sweet chocolate orbs landed on her mother, making a small smile surface on her features. “Umma, once you get better, I wanna take you to this neat place I found. It's really beautiful! You have to see it Umma!”Her rhythmic swinging quickened at the thought of bringing her own mother to the wonderful place she discovered just days ago.

 

Her mother's gentle hand rested over her daughter's hand slowly. “I can't wait to see it baby.” The woman whispered. The girl's cheeky smile widened when she knew the promise between her and her mother was sealed.

 

That's when her father knew. He had to tell his daughter the truth no matter how painful it was. “Taeyeon.” He cooed out again. Immediately the little girl's attention settled on him. “Your mother's...sick.” Taeyeon's father stated again. He just couldn't say that one word. It was practically acid on his tongue.

 

Young Taeyeon looked at her father weirdly. “I know that Appa.” Her head tilted to the side in confusion, wondering what game he was trying to play with her. Little did she know that this was no game and that life was more unfair than a simple game between friends.

 

“Aniyo baby.” He breathed out shakily. With a quick glance at his wife, he spotted the tears that had welled in the corner of her eyes. He knew he had to say it. He had to stop being so confusing and finally say it. Oh how he wished that he didn't have to confess this one thing. “Y-Your mother's...dying...”

 

At first, Taeyeon said nothing. It was as if all the air in her lungs were forcefully knocked out with just three horrible words. “MWO?!” Taeyeon finally managed to yell once she was able to breathe. Her eyes locked right onto her bed ridden mother. “This can't be true! Please tell me you're lying appa!” Her attention went right back to her father.

 

Another shaky breath left his lips. “I wish this wasn't happening either baby, but the doctor said it was incurable. They just don't know much about the sickness to know what to give her. There are still so many illnesses that have yet to be discovered in the world.”

 

Subconsciously, a tear fell from Taeyeon's eye. Was this real? This had to be some sort of nightmare right? However, the look on her parents' faces was a clear sign to the little girl that this was no cruel joke. This was really happening to their little family. “So they're just going to let Umma die without even helping her?!”

 

Her father let out a long sigh, trying to hold back the tears that were welling in his own eyes. He was losing the love of his life and he didn't even know when her last breath would be. After raising his head, he looked at his dying wife then to his little girl. “I-I'm afraid so Taeyeon...”

 

[End of Flashback]

 

 

 

Taeyeon felt her eyes water at the thought of losing her mother again. She had to leave the house before she had a mental break down. It took her so long to recover from such a tragedy the first time. There was no way she would be able to deal with it a second time. Quickly Taeyeon stood and marched out of the one roomed house. She took a final glance into the house, remembering what it was last like, before pulling on the front door and turning her back to her home. Behind her, Taeyeon heard the gentle thud of the door shut behind her. A soft sigh slithered from her lips as she wiped away one tear that wouldn't go away. It was then that she decided to never come back to this place.

 

Looking to the one end of the road that the Guardian had already ventured to, Taeyeon turned her back to it, realizing that she only had to walk down memory lane once. Slowly the woman in white ventured down the rest of the road until she stopped at the place she remembered the most. The Guardian stood at the edge of her old, abandoned village in front of a run down blacksmith shop. In the blink of an eye it went from a lively place to a ghost town. She remembered many things about the village, up to the very last time she stood peacefully in that spot. It was pure bliss to her. It was- “Taeng! You have to get out of here.” Hearing those words in her head made Taeyeon's eyebrows furrow. Aniyo, she didn't want to remember that day. “You can bury your things in the woods and dig them up later but right now you just can't be here.” Taeyeon shut her eyelids tightly, hoping it would work. Instead, the haunting memory turned stronger. “Go Taeng! Please!” The mystical being remembered the forceful shove away from the village and towards the nearby woods.

 

As traumatizing as remembering that day was, it also benefited the Guardian with pushing her in the right direction. “That way.” Taeyeon mumbled to herself with a slightly shaky breath. She had a finger pointed towards the forest as her eyes opened up. Without a doubt in her step, the Guardian trekked her way toward the direction that was very familiar to her. It had been a while since she's walked the path but at that moment it felt as if she had walked it just yesterday. Step. Step. Step. Taeyeon's feet continued walking beneath her, having her venture farther away from the abandoned village and closer to the nearby woods. She knew she had to go in the same exact direction as she did more than 900 years ago. If not, then this whole journey back would be for nothing.

 

After entering the woods for a while, and dodging some newly grown trees, Taeyeon paused and took a good long look around herself. Her eyes scanned left and right from tree trunk to tree trunk. Something didn't seem right to the Guardian. Did she walk too far? Did she not go in the right direction? Doubting her distance from the village she used to call home, the Guardian turned around to face the ghost town. As if it was just last night, Taeyeon remembered the last time she stood there. Just between the trunks of the trees was she able to spot the faint outline of the village. However, she realized that she was off and the picture she remembered in her head wasn't exactly matching up to what she was witnessing right now. Taeyeon side stepped to the right until it looked exactly like it did over 900 years ago. A perfect match. “This is...this is my home.”

 

Taeyeon let out a sigh and turned around, mimicking the actions she did the night before her final day. Her head replayed her time in the woods, revealing to herself how many trees she had passed before stopping. With her eyes closed, the Guardian walked her way around the path she remembered from long ago, barely missing tree trunks and branches that were just inches away from touching her. Eventually Taeyeon stopped, taking a final breath as she replayed the steps she had just taken. Guardians found it as both a blessing and a curse to be able to clearly remember something that happened while they were still alive, even if it did happen just once. Some memories that pop in a Guardian's head are the ones that they wanted out. Thankfully for Taeyeon, she needed this memory, even if it was somewhat haunting to her.

 

Reaching out, the rough surface of one tree greeted her fingertips. “Got you.” Taeyeon mumbled after finally opening her eyes. The Guardian's eyes instantly locked onto the familiar height on the trunk in an attempt to find that one symbol that would prove that she was in the right spot. However, her eyebrows furrowed, displeased with the sight. Undoubtedly this tree had gotten bigger over the years, much bigger like the rest of the forest, but something was missing. The very symbol she was looking for on the tree wasn't there. But...this has to be it. Taeyeon let out a sigh and closed her eyes, trying to remember everything she had just done. It was all correct, not a single step out of place. Before jumping to conclusions in some blind fury, the Guardian knew that she had to collect herself. Oh! Duh Tae... Trees grow upward. The woman in white flashed herself a small smile as she looked way above the original line of sight.

 

Taeyeon glued her eyes to the tree, remembering the last place where the symbol was. With nothing out of the ordinary, the Guardian knew she had to climb, and so she did. From branch to branch Taeyeon teleported and yet there was still no sign of the symbol she was searching for. Higher and higher she went until finally, Got you. Taeyeon smirked triumphantly to herself. There, in the tree nearly 250 feet off the ground was the little drawing of a padlock that was obviously carved with a dagger like item. Since every lock needs its key, in the middle of the picture was a very rusted looking object that glinted weakly in the light. Right away Taeyeon knew what it was. After all, she was the one that put it there in the first place.

 

The Guardian reached out and gripped the exposed key handle the best that she could. The bark from the tree had grown outward and covered up more of the metal object than she liked it to in its years of growing. What could she do about it though? It was mother nature doing its thing. It's not like she could scold it for growing. Either way, Taeyeon knew that the key would be a challenge to get out now. The Guardian put her free hand on the base of the tree, ready to push on it when she was going to pull on the key, but first she needed a good stance. Successfully pulling out the key with a horrible stance would mean that either the key would fly out of her hand once the tree would let go or she would start falling to the ground...or both. That was a result Taeyeon wasn't exactly enthusiastic to have happen.

 

Having her feet in a good position, and her hand tightly on the key and the other against the tree trunk, Taeyeon began to pull. She tugged on the little object hard. However, no matter how hard she was pulling, the key wasn't budging free. It was as if it were glued in there! Taeyeon huffed out somewhat defeated and tried again, this time trying really hard to push and pull. The key moved, but not even an inch. Again the Guardian sighed as she tried thinking of ways to release the key. “If only you were a contraption...” Taeyeon grumbled, poking the tree base. “then I would be able to dismember you, get the key out, and put you back together in no time.” She huffed again. “I would be able to put the key back in its place just by throwing it at you.” Taeyeon continued while poking the tree more. “Just like Fany-ah's gun and the bullets.”

 

Resting against the tree to think of something seemed like the best thing to do for now. Her eyes were set purely on the of the key that was sticking out. “What do I have to do hmm?” Taeyeon poked the key, intimidating it to fall out. “Why don't you just let go?” She questioned again with another poke. But just like before, nothing happened. “Arasso.” The Guardian exhaled. “You leave me no choice. It looks like I'm going to have to use brute force on you.” Taeyeon took off her blazer and let it fall to the root of the tree beneath her. As the clothing fell, she commenced with rolling up her sleeves to her elbows.

 

Again, Taeyeon took her original position, breathing in and out to relax her muscles. Gripping the key with an unbreakable hold, the Guardian pulled. She did what she could to pull it out, jerking it, yanking on it, even putting her foot on the base for leverage, but it seemed as if nothing were working! The tree's grip on the key had gotten looser but it just wouldn't let go. “Yah! You're going to come out! Do you hear me?!” Taeyeon growled at the key. The Guardian held onto the key again and pulled with all her might. This time, something seemed...different. Taeyeon could have sworn she felt something wrap around arm and start pulling as well, trying to aid her muscles in this challenge. Lo and behold, this extra 'force' that was also pulling on Taeyeon's arm was what started to get the key out. If this was supposed to be some sort of Guardian ability then obviously Taeyeon didn't experience every power that her kind possessed. Slowly the metal object began to slide out until finally...

 

[POP]

 

The small object was finally freed from its 900 year resting place and thankfully it didn't fly out of her hand. Holding the key up, Taeyeon was grateful to find out that there was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't bent, cracked, or missing any of the teeth. All that it was, was sort of dirty and rusty. 900 years of monsoon weather will really wear a key out of its original state. None the less, Taeyeon was happy. Now that she had the key, she could unlock the lock. There was only one problem though... Looking down to the ground the Guardian huffed out a sigh, quickly teleporting herself to the Earth's surface. Despite being on the ground, Taeyeon couldn't stop staring down. It wasn't until she looked up and grumbled, “I should have brought a shovel.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hours had passed and already the sun was beginning to set. On top of a sloppily folded white blazer was a small little key that was starting to lose its glinting aspect due to the setting sun. About a meter away was a poorly dug hole that was just a little more than waist high deep as more dirt was being flung out of the crater from dirtied hands. In the middle of the hole was a certain white clothed woman who's attire wasn't exactly white anymore. Tainting her clothing was the dug up soil and wiped hand marks from when the Guardian would take a break. Digging a hole this deep was hard to do with semi-dry dirt and bare hands. Not to mention that doing this stuff was pretty hard for someone that wasn't exactly living anymore.

 

So why didn't Taeyeon leave and bring back a shovel? After all, she has the ability to teleport. Well, in the Guardian's rulebook, a Guardian can only take things from another if they bought it, owned it years ago in their time of living, or if their own Troubled One owned it. Tiffany didn't have a shovel because running a cafe didn't require a shovel and her apartment room was very much shovel free. Buying a shovel costs more than a couple won that could be easily found from a simple misplacement. Also considering the fact that the Guardian had already spent a majority of her saved up money on ice cream. Lastly, everything she once owned was now gone. It was as if the last people that inhabited the village took everything with them when they migrated. Essential tools for farming were gone, resourceful metal and wood were gone, everything besides the houses and beds were gone! So her only means of digging were using her bare hands.

 

Many times Taeyeon wished that she could just transport everything that was underneath onto the surface, but that wasn't exactly how things worked with a Guardian. She had to come in physical contact with the object, and the object had to be freed from any force that would immobilize it. Since being underground meant no physical contact or freedom for the object she was digging for, Taeyeon knew she had to do things the hard way. Of course the woman in white used what she could as an alternative for a shovel. She used dead branches that had fallen, but they were just poking holes instead of actually digging and unless she had that digging end like a shovel, which she didn't have, only her hands would get the job done.

 

Once night had settled in, Taeyeon had already dug a hole deep enough to reach her neck. Confusion swept over the tired Guardian. Had she been digging in the wrong place? When she buried this thing there was no way that it was this deep. The top of the object was buried not far from the surface since she was in a rush and yet here she was almost deep enough to bury herself while standing! Should she stop and try digging somewhere else? But, this has to be the right spot. Her eyebrows furrowed confusingly as she glanced up at the padlock symbol on the side of the tree. I carved that right above where I dug it... A defeated sigh escaped Taeyeon's lips as she side stepped to lean against the wall of the hole.

 

However, the simple step to the side felt different under the Guardian's feet. It didn't feel like the usual, soft, loose dirt she had been clawing out. Instead, it felt rather sturdy and hard. The mystical being gasped in excitement and got on her hands and knees to dig more. There it was again, the hard substance that was obviously buried. Is this it?! Slowly, Taeyeon ran her finger around the edge of the barely exposed object. She managed to outline the top, drawing a rectangle in the ground. Now she knew where to dig without ramming her fingers into the item.

 

A rush of adrenaline filled Taeyeon's veins as she continued to dig, exposing more and more of the very item she had buried so long ago. Seeing that this was in fact her buried treasure, the Guardian was able to free it from its burial ground in less than an hour. “Got you.” Taeyeon mumbled victoriously. A toothy smirk crawled on her face as she continued to wipe down the outside of the object. There was just so much dirt on it! But what more was there to expect from something that was buried for more than 900 years?

 

Knowing that it was finally freed of its burial place, Taeyeon rested her palm on top of the big object. In the blink of an eye, the Guardian teleported from the bottom of the hole to beside her folded blazer jacket and key. The night's bright moonlight finally exposed what the buried treasure truly was. Standing tall enough to reach Taeyeon's waist and wide enough to fill her arm span from elbow to elbow was a dirt covered treasure chest. However, the Guardian knew that there was only one sure way to find out if this was really hers. Just above the locked padlock, on the flat metal surface, was writing that was engraved in Hangul. It said only one thing; Kim Taeyeon.

 

The Guardian let out a soft chuckle, too amazed that she had uncovered something from so long ago. After regaining herself from all the awe, Taeyeon picked up the key she had pulled out and dusted it off of any dirt. She walked back to the front of the chest and brushed off as much dirt as she could from the padlock that kept the giant chest shut. There in the dead center of the lock was the hole for the key to go in. With a simple insertion and twist of the small metal object, the lock popped open. The Guardian's heart suddenly began to pound in her chest. All she had to do was open it and remember everything she had placed in there. Slowly, Taeyeon unhooked the lock from the chest hoops and set it aside along with the key. Gripping the top of the chest and pushing up finally revealed the chest's locked secrets.

 

Everything shone in the moonlit night. It brought such joy to Taeyeon seeing everything again. It's been so long... The Guardian wanted to pick up everything and go through it. She wanted to reminisce all the moments of when she was alive. However, she knew she couldn't. Taeyeon came here for two reasons. The biggest reason was to help Tiffany. The second was a reason only she could know about. Finally her eyes settled on a pair of small items that rested at the top of the full stack. Brushing off her grimy hands onto her clothes, Taeyeon delicately reached in the chest and picked up the two objects gently. The two items shined beautifully in the moonlight. It was such a shame that they had to be hidden from the world for over 900 years. Still, Taeyeon knew why they were in there in the first place.

 

The Guardian quickly pocketed the two items carefully and looked back in the memory box. She couldn't believe that she would be setting her eyes on all of the items. The sudden urge of going through everything began to pump in her veins again. I have to take you to someone first. Taeyeon pursed her lips tightly to refrain herself from reaching into the chest. She couldn't go through everything now. For all she knew, if she went through everything then she wouldn't go back to Tiffany for at least another day. In an instant, the Guardian reached over the chest to close it once more. She quickly retrieved everything that she had set aside earlier, pocketing the key, locking the chest with the rustic lock and slipping on her blazer. With a nervous breath, Taeyeon set her palm on top of the chest. “Let's hope this works.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wall mounted clock had just struck 10:00pm, ridding the shop owner of hope that her white clothed friend would be coming back that night. “If I'm not back by 10 o'clock tonight then just go home okay? But be sure to leave the counter top empty.” Her Guardian's orders from the morning quickly replayed in her head. Curiosity had ran through Tiffany's veins as reality struck that she would have to wait until the next day to figure out what was so important for Taeyeon to be gone for the rest of the day.

 

A sigh seeped into the air while the young shop owner began to gather her things from the back office. Quickly slipping on her coat and pocketing her phone, Tiffany made sure the back exit was locked before heading towards the double doors that lead to the front of the cafe. After shutting off the hallways lights, Tiffany pocketed her keys and covered herself tighter with her coat. It was always eerie walking down the hallways with the lights off, even if the double doors was just a few feet away.

 

[KRR-THUD!]

 

Tiffany jumped back in fright with a fearful squeak escaping from her lips. Terror fueled her adrenaline system as the young shop owner quietly squatted down and huddled closely against the hallway's wall. She slithered to behind a portable rack full of old equipment for protection. Please don't tell me that someone broke in! The Troubled One's breathing became short gasps as she attempted to calm her nerves. Tiffany closed her eyes hoping to be invisible to whoever it was that broke into her old shop. She couldn't understand who would want to break in. They didn't make much money to steal and this place wasn't exactly the luxurious type either. Nothing in the cafe was worth taking! Then a thought popped into her head. What if that's...Siwon? Could it be that what Hyoyeon and Nicole told her earlier was completely wrong?!

 

Then suddenly, her heart stopped as the echoing sounds of hard heeled shoes strolled across the hardwood flooring...right in front of the swinging double doors that were just feet away from her. Soundlessly, Tiffany covered her nose and mouth, hoping to muffle her shaky breath. From beneath the doors were the visible shadow marks of somebody standing in front of the entry way. Slowly, the door squeaked open at the hinges. “Please! Don't hurt me!” Tiffany cried out a few octaves higher than usual.

 

A smirk surfaced on the intruder's face the minute they spotted the frightened shop owner huddled on the floor. Their only response was a gentle chuckle...

 

 

 

 

A/N: Hello everybody! Wow! It's been WAY too long huh? I'm so sorry though! I hated myself for the longest time because I was never able to update but look! Here's an update now! Does this make up for the long wait? No? Oh, I'm sorry. OTL I have work and school and honestly I never have a day off! If it's not work, it's school, if it's not school it's work, if it's not either of them then it's homework! I just...I can't! >< [I'm supposed to be in class in 5 minutes too! OH NOES!]

 

Anyways, I hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter. As you can see there was a lot of backtracking so I had to write parts farther in the story and then match them up with this chapter so yeah, it's confusing and all that but I hope you understand what I mean. Let me know what you think okay? Don't be afraid to leave a comment! I welcome all of them! Until then!

 

-Jeo

 

Yah! Where do you think you're going?

 

Unnie please! I have to go to class!

 

TaeTae, just let our dongsaeng go. She's very busy.

 

Fine...but I'll be watching you...Genie!

 

I'm not a Genie unnie! ><