When Max Changmin, the maknae of TVXQ walked back into his room, his 'traps' had already resumed their regular facade of seemingly obsolete objects causing no reason for the young man's suspicion to be aroused. Once the door behind him was closed and locked he dove under his bed to collect his scattered belongings and place the seemingly random articles in a large heap on his bed.

For a second he just stared at it, calculating the chances of having lost his mind to be doing this.

He sighed.

" It wouldn't hurt to try, " whispered Changmin to himself.

And so he got to work.

The dream catchers - three of them - were hung up. One above the headboard of his bed, the other two on his left and his right.

He carried two 'lucky' stones in each of his pockets and wore an amulet that looked like any ordinary necklace so that he could avoid any interrogation from his hyungs. The other stones - for luck, for good fortune, for power against evil, yad -e - yad - e - ya,  lay in a small heap on his bed that could easily be mistaken for brightly coloured jewels.

Hye Soon had told him to keep the stones in groups at all his entrances. The term 'in groups' confused him but she explained to him that the power a, the repelling force had to be equal at all points, thus he had to place sets of the five types of stones in a semi-circle around all the possible entrances to make sure that - as Hye Soon said - " The balance of our realm and theirs can be retained. "

Not that Changmin actually understood what she meant. All he knew was that the girl in his "dreams" might've ACTUALLY been there at his house and even worse, might even be a GHOST or a SPIRIT or even worse - A VAMPIRE!!

He shuddered at the thought of having a vampire lurking at his bedside.

First he walked to the window before crouching and placing a red stone in the centre.

" Red, the colour of strength. Red stone protect me, " whispered Changmin as though his words were only to be heard by the stone. The stone rose, glowing a majestic pearl red before doing a mini - cartwheel and falling back into its original position.

He wondered for a few minutes. When Hye Soo-ssi had done it the stones had merely leapt up and fallen back into its original position. No cart wheels involved. Perhaps his spell was stronger, he thought. Smilingly shrugging it off, he proceeded to the blue stone.

" Blue, the colour of peace. Do not allow my peace to be disturbed, " whispered Changmin, pausing only for a few seconds for the stone to leap, cart-wheel and fall back into place.

" White, the colour of purity. Do not allow my room to be tainted by the dark side. "

" Green, the colour of nature. Keep the un-natural out. "

" Purple, the colour of royalty. May I be as protected as the most beloved king. "

He blushed at the last sentence. It made him feel awkward and for a second doubt the stones' power until it did a leap and a cartwheel like the others. He repeated the "ritual" at all posible entrances to his room. The main door, the closet, the bathroom.

Now, the only thing left to do was wait.

THAT NIGHT, 11:55 PM

Changmin had impatiently waited from 7 p.m.

Having polished off a cola, a litre or more of water, instant noodles, crisps and even a few candy bars there was no doubt he'd be sleepy. He swore he'd stay up till three, but the tired boy had fallen asleep at his desk just a little before midnight.

A few minutes later if one was a keen observer, you would have heard the faint rustling of wrappers as someone took cautious steps across the room - the floor of which was littered with Changmin's mess. Dainty light almost non-existent footsteps could be heard as Changmin's visitor of almost evry night for the past few days moved to get close beside him.

She knelt down beside him with a smile. Her face glowed at the sight of him. She watched him intently as though trying to memorise evry line, curve, angle and spot of his physical landscape.

Finally she sat back down, sighing that she wasn't able to be with him. How she wanted to spend a day with him. Going out to the beach, walking on the sands with the sun's rays shining down on them as every one looked on with envy...

Suddenly something clicked. Why? Why couldn't she?

The answer was on the tip of her tongue.

It would be fatal to her for some reason. It would put her in danger.

Danger? Why? What kind of danger?

All thoughts were forgotten once Changmin stirred awake. She knew she would be in trouble if her prince found her here but she really wanted to see him awake. And so she waited for his eyes to focus so that she could see what he looked alike when he was wide awake.

She slowly sat up on her knees and peered in on his face as he pouted and rubbed his eyes. She put her palm slowly to his cheek and felt the boy tense at her touch.

Changmin's eyes focused and he saw her. That girl.

It wasn't just the close proximity that scared him.

She was . . . . . beautiful . . .

Her eyes were almonds shaped, a chocolatey brown embridered in thick eyelashes. Her long black hair framed her petite face prettily as it curtained past her shoulders. Her lips were pink and her cheeks were pink too, either out of cold or embarassment.

All of a sudden, he realized, she's real. It hadn't been a dream. It had all been real. That scared him.

She looked scared too. It wasn't a second before he had noticed her expression that she closed the space between them pressing her lips softly against his if not but for a few seconds.

She had kissed him...

Changmin's eyes went wide. But then he closed them and allowed himself to fall under her spell...