Note:   father = the father of the two siblings in the inn / Sulli & Suzy

    Jun = father of Taemin and Isana

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“The past is past„

Taemin looked out the window, a habit of his. He watched the snow falling and melting. He heard birds singing and saw other interessting animals. One time he saw at night a wolf in the yard. He looked out and was listening to the nature.

Suddenly he heard a carriage arriving. The running horse stopped and a door was slammed.

The guest house was very isolated and there weren't many passing travelers around here. At least Minho had said that, thought Taemin.

He tried to see something but the small window didn't allowed it. He couldn't see at the front of the inn. A mans voice was heard, Taemin couldn't understand what he was saying but he seemed angry. Other voices were heard.

Minho entered the room. He looked at Taemin who was standing on their window pressing his cheek against the cold. He watched him for a few seconds and coughed than. The other boy seemed so interested in whatever.

Minho held a chuckle in and sighed as the other boy faced him. His brown hair falling down on his shoulder already and his pretty face who seemed so pure. His cheeks were both red. Of embarrassment?

"Lunch is ready we shall come down and eat. Later I will help in the stalls. A new guest has arrived." reported Minho and took off his shirt.

The younger boy held his breath and bit his lowe lip. Recently, Minho was provoking him. The elder was just too open and able to undress himself in front of him so freely. Taemin was embarrassing just thinking about that but Minho just simply did it. It seemed like he forgotten about their Master and servant relationship.

He signed as his friend pulled down the big sweater he had borrowed from father. Taemin also wore the things he had borrowed from Suzy's groom.

He went with Minho in the kitchen and looked around. Father was cooking with Suzy and Sulli seemed to serve the guests in the dining room

Taemin sat on the small table in the corner to not disturb anyone, and looked at the interior of the kitchen at once. He hadn't seen anything like this. A kitchen of an inn or people who worked really hard for their money and food. Not just staring at papers reading them and writting lettery.

When he was a child his father never allowed him to go into the kitchen or to the servants. He could rarely play with the kids or talk to other adults.

Isana was open and could life freely. She was always running to the young maids and had played games with them, or just disrupted they work. Isana was a very bright child.

She was a free spirit, and almost no one could stop her. Except mother. When she said no, it was an no. Isana didn't complained back than. Sometimes even Taemin stopped her but because he was so skinny and looked girlish she felt superior to him and argued  happy with him. At the end she won against him because he couldn't speak back to her. Isana always got what she wanted in the end.

Father had already in the past difficulties with Isana, because of her curiosity and Isana's insolence. Taemin had been grown up completely different than his sister. Her father was strict with him and he got alway the entire punishment. But he took it willingly it was better than his sister cries to be heard in the whole house. It would break his heart in two. She was everything to him. This has always been so.

Mother protected Isana and because he was the older one and he was a boy his father was responsible for him. Of course, his mother cared about him and loved him very much but she hadn't the right to determine how he was punished or treated. The compromise was that father wouldn't touch Isana and accepte her when she gave Taemin's treatment to him.

Taemin sighed and support his heavy head on his hands. He stared at the wooden top of the table and counted the grooves.

Later than, Minho and his father arrived at their house and served his family. His father focused now on Minho.

Taemin was too slender and weak in the age of 9 years and so Minho was now the new focus and hope of his father's life. He secretly taught him things he could use later when he could overtake his business or at least influence Taemin decision. 

The only think was that Minho's real father didn't knew about the plans he had for Minho.

Minho got all the attention and even sweet treats. Taemin was first jealous of his father's behavior and Minho's ignorance about the plan his father had in mind.

Taemin felt terrible when he overheard the conversation that his father had with one of his assistant. The chill in the voice of his father's had deterred him. He ran to Isana who played in her room and cried out to her.

Isana, even when she was younger and didn't understand why her big brother cried she comforted him anyway. He missed the small, warm hand on his head and his cheek. The big smile with perfect white teeth. The dimples in her cheeks. He misses her black hair and hazel eyes. He missed everything about her. Her voice, her warm, her everything.

Isana was killed by his father because she knew too much. Had his uncle been telling the truth? Then the second question was what did she overheard? Was is because of Jun's business? And why did you kill her for knowing about it, father? A girl that was not older than 16 years old. She still had her whole life to life. Why? Taemin grabbed his hair and pulled it forcefully. He wanted to trow away his own thought. The infinite nothingness was welcome.

He didn't thought so badly of his father, but he had even sent people to kill him. Who had burned his house and maybe two innocent people were killed. How could he? Slowly hatred was widespread in Taemin and he growled.

"Taemin are you alright?", asked a familiar voice worried. He looked up and saw Sulli standing in front of him. Two bowls soup in her hands. She set one of them infront of him and smiled slightly.

He just nodded at her and smiled back.

"Then everything is good. The others are almost done you can start eating without us." she said motherly though she was younger than him. She touched his hand and nodded again. "Before it gets cold."

The girl walked away and got another plate. Taemin stood up and helped her get everything over without a word Sulli knowledge his acts.  She sighed once and shrugged her shoulders. She looked tired from serving the guests.

They sat down for a while now and talking loudly to each other. Cried and laughed, played cards and got drunk. Today had another man arrived and it was too hectic. For a long time now the inn hadn't so many guests.

Minho came from the back door into the kitchen. "We almost did everything in the stalls." He said smiling and ran a hand over Sulli's back as he reached around her.

Taemin watched everything and felt a strange sensation in his chest. He put the cup down and held his aching heart. What was this feeling? The confused boy sat down as the others came and also took place. Minho sat next to him and Sulli on Minho's side.

The two got along very well. They talked, smiled and touched briefly. They were so familiar with each other that Teamin almostvrolled his eyes. He knew Minho since a long time. Why aren't we that close to each other?

He thought back to that time...

They hadn't done much together at first. Minho always greeted him when they met in the big house. He played with Isana and cared for her as if she was his little sister. That was the second thing that made Taemin hate the other boy. 

He took his one and only treasure.

The smile that Isana had given him was now Minho's too. Hate gathered in Taemin's heart, and he was cold for a short time. He rarely spoke and was grumpy. Muttered something to himself when he met Minho or ignored him. It wasn't easy for him to accept the other young boy.

One evening he went down the hall of his father's office and heard something strange. He went to the door she was open by a gap and watched his father hit the young boy with his open hand. He hissed at him and threatened him.

Suddenly came fast steps down the hall and Taemin hid behind a curtain. He was shocked and cried for Minho's sake. Why? He didn't deserve to be beaten and then even from a stranger.

"What's that?", yelled a deep angry voice, and he heard the noise again. Someone was hit again.

"If you touch my son ever again I will tell the truth about you and youre buisness! Got it?" 

"Appa!" a boy said softly but with a trembling voice.

Taemin couldn't look again in the room, he heard only the fight. He closed his eyes and promised himself to be more nice and open to the other boy in the futher. He didn't wanted to be like his father.

"I'm terrible sorry! My hand slipped. I will never do it again.", said suddenly his father and Taemin heard a deep sigh.

"I'll give you an ultimatum Jun. Only when I die my son belongs to you. Don't get me wrong. If Minho wants it. If he wishes to serve you, he can do that. Then I can't say anything more but I'll tell you when you are forcing him again to do something he doesn't wants I'll kill you. No even better, I just talk to the police and youre family. And tell them everything. You'll never see your family again or you're so loved buisness. You're as bad as I am. You're lucky that I'm stuck with you in this." hissed the other male voice.

A door was slammed and steps died away in the hallway. His father laughed out loud and rough. It was muffled by the closed door, but Taemin could hear it exactly. Tears welled up in his eyes again so he ran down the hall to his room.

"Taemin-ah? Would you like to eat something different?" Father asked, smiling at him mildly.

Sulli and Suzy were already up. They were nowhere to be seen. They probably served the guests again. Kyuhyun had also disappeared.

Only Minho and father were sitting at the table and watched him. He hadn't noticed how he had eaten. He looked into the eyes of the gentle men and shook his head. He smiled at both and cocked his head.

Minho sighed and prushed his hair. Earlier, he had never done that, but Taemin wouldn't complain. He loved the touch of the other too much. To be honest, he had missed it. "I'm going to help Kyuhyun." said Minho and stood up.

Father nodded and took away the remaining dishes.

Taemin helped him washable. It was new for him, but he tried his best. After several attempts, he cleaned everything and dryed it.Taemin was finished as he sat down, put his head on the table and listened to the older man. He told fascinating stories and Taemin felt liked and happy.

Staying here would be. Forever.

Worse off, his father and all the stress. But he couldn't do it. He had to find out what had happened at that time, he had to plan his next steps.

G-Dragon was the first thing he could think of. He had always known that something was wrong with the death of Isana's circumstances. I should probaly contact him soon. 

He heard loud voices and wailing. The five men in the dining hall cheered and screamed. Taemin closed his eyes. The people destroyed the freedom he felt. He sighed.

Sulli came into the kitchen. With a despair look. "They harass Suzy, father." she exclaimed, pointing to the open door behind her.

"Go and get Minho and Kyuhyun." Father said to Taemin and he crashed out of the house. In the stables. Grabbed the frightened Minho at his arm and pulled him back into the house.

Both entered the dining room, Kyuhyun panting behind them.

The men had packed Sulli and Suzy and harassed them. Minho immediately recognized the faces of the five men of that time.

He looked around and pushed Taemin back into the kitchen. "Go upstairs and pack all your stuff!" He whispered, pushing him toward the stairs.

Taemin looked at him strangely but said nothing against Minhos command and ran upstairs.

Minho went back and helped to settle the trouble.