March 16^th, 2013

Tao's Current Age: 18

6:00 pm

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kris asked, looking around at the run-down appearance of the nightclub.

"Yep. Time has taken its toll on it. But people still come here because the prices are the same as years ago, and there are 'special events' that happen at random times of the day," Xiumin said.

"Like what?" Kris questioned, when he was interrupted by a loud siren.

"Please come to the stage for the first special event tonight, the Stripper Stars!" a booming voice said over the intercom.

Soon, dozens of people waiting outside eagerly ran inside to watch the show.

Xiumin waved his hand toward them. "Like that. Now, let's find the guy," Xiumin said confidently, strolling into the club.

Kris ran up to catch up to him. "But how are we going to find him?"

Xiumin stopped walking. "Oh yeah. . . Well, we'll just ask around. I have a picture of Tao from before the incident, so I'll show that too."

Kris nodded and dove into the crowd.

7:00 pm

Kris fell into the bar stool. "Man, I can't find anyone who remembers Tao."

Xiumin sighed. "I know. I asked practically everybody who wasn't groping my body. . ." Xiumin shuddered at the memory.

The bartender came up to them and cleared his throat. "What'cha want?"

Xiumin looked up and pulled out his phone. "Do you remember ever serving this guy?"

The bartender looked closely at the picture. "Yep. I have perfect, photographic memory," he said proudly.

"Then why are you a bartender?" Kris asked.

The bartender frowned.

Xiumin awkwardly smiled. "You were saying?"

"Yes," he continued, giving a quick glare at Kris, "he ordered a non-alcoholic apple and grape cocktail, and a mango smoothie to go. He took the cocktail, but he never came back for the smoothie. In fact, he came back for some alcoholic drinks. Later, he went on the dance floor and started dancing with LJ's girlfriend."

"Wait," Kris interrupted. "LJ's girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he replied. "They were having a great time on the dance floor, but when I glanced at LJ, he was staring daggers at him, calling people on his phone."

"LJ?" Xiumin said slowly. "As in, 'LJ'?! The 'LJ'?!"

"Why? Who's LJ?" Kris asked.

"I'm LJ."

They turned to see a guy with blonde hair and blue highlights, covered in black leather, and had his arm around a girl.

"LJ, short for L. Joe. Why? Gotta problem?" he asked threateningly.

Kris stood up and stared him down. "We need to have a talk, in private."

L. Joe shrugged, and let go of the girl, shooing her away. She huffed and stalked away, rubbing another guy's neck.

"Where?"

8:00 pm

"I'm sorry for hurting you a couple years ago, and I'm sorry for going to your house again a couple days ago. I was drunk and I wasn't thinking right. I'm sorry," L. Joe said.

Tao looked surprised. He hasn't expected his attacker to be at his bedside, bowing to him and apologizing. But he wasn't fooled.

Tao reached over and gingerly touched the bruise around L. Joe's eye, and he flinched back at the contact.

Tao put his hands together and said clearly, "Kris, Xiumin, please leave. We need some alone time."

Kris and Xiumin nodded, slowly leaving and closing the door behind them.

L. Joe closed his eyes and braced himself for the onslaught of profanities and violence, but instead he received nothing.

"Come here," Tao said quietly.

L. Joe opened his eyes and came closer. Tao sat up straight and shuffled out of the bed.

"Lay down here," he said.

Confused, L. Joe did what he wanted and laid on the blankets of the bed.

Tao walked over to the first-aid cabinet and pulled out some painkillers, antiseptic [AN: I don't know how to spell it], medicine, and bandages. Then he got to work.

12:00 am (midnight)

A person in black clothing pried open a hospital window and ducked into it. The person slunk through the hallways and entered Room #208.

The person pulled off the hood, revealing that it was a she.

She stared at the two bodies in one bed. One was Tao, but the other was a good-looking guy with blonde/blue hair. He had bandages over one eye and his arms. But that wasn't priority.

She stepped over to the water jug and pulled out a dropper filled with yellow liquid.

The room echoed the noise with each drip, drip of the dropper.

Satistfied, she put the dropper away and left the hospital, waiting for morning.

Go Eun sighed. Now to Kris' house. . .