The Jung mansion was lively on the autumn night. Yunho and Jaejoong's extended family and friends were dressed in the most detailed costumes despite being invited on short notice.

Well, when Little Lord Jung Changmin wants to celebrate Halloween, you don't tell him there's no trick-or-treating in South Korea. You give him the most over-the-top Halloween party ever. Even if it means Yunho has to send a style team to all their guests' homes to help them dress up.

And then there's Heechul who wants to be 'cute.'

"Seriously Kim Heechul! I sent you a 10-person crew and you chose to dress up as a pudgy alien." Groaned Yunho, one eye closed since he's not drunk enough to break his Zoro from One Piece character.

"Excuse you! Teletubbies are cute. And why are you railing after me? Your wife hasn't even dressed up." Heechul pointed an accusing finger at Jaejoong behind Yunho.

"What!?" Squeaked Jaejoong over a ghostly canape. "I'm a vampire." Jaejoong opened his mouth wider showing off his fake fangs.

"Really? Looks like every day to me. You’re still pale, still wearing black, and your lips look thoroughly kissed by Yunho." Next thing Yunho knew, he was watching an argument between his undead wife and a Teletubbie.

"This is boring." Kyuhyun remarked watching the lame argument between his uncles from the stairway. True to his personality, he's dressed as a little devil. "I thought you said we'd go trick-or-treating." Kyuhyun glared accusingly at the mini mime, Changmin.

"We will." Changmin said simply, putting another spooky pig-in-a-blanket in his mouth.

"When~?" Kyuhyun stomped his feet as he’s prone to do whenever things aren’t going his way. He didn't like being cooped in the entertainment room, or as the grownups called it, the “kids party room.”

"There's no trick-or-treating in Korea stupid." Hani, Heechul's doll, dressed as a literal doll, sassed. "And daddy says we shouldn't take candy from strangers anyway."

"We can still trick-or-treat." Changmin beamed. But Hani, the self-described smart one, scoffed. "How? Our parents won't allow us to go."

"We're not going out." Changmin stuffed the garlic bread with ghost-shaped cheese in his mouth and stood up. "They say if you don't get treats, you have to trick. I saw it on TV."

"Yaaay! I want to trick! I want to trick!" Squealed Kyuhyun before Changmin shushed him. "Yah! They'll hear us."

"Sorry."

"How are we going to do it?" Hani skipped behind Changmin up the stairway. The two kids were curious when Changmin didn't go to the entertainment room or his own room.

Changmin stopped in front of the doors of the master bedroom and turned to his friends with a mischievous smile. He twisted the door knob at the same time placing a finger against his lips.

 ~~~

Jack Yoochun Sparrow plonked on the couch next to a brooding Jaejoong. Yoochun moved a curious gaze around the room.

Yunho was happily chatting with Jaejoong's parents. Nothing antagonizing there. Heechul was busy taking selfies and not provoking Jaejoong. Junsu was having drinks with Yunho's sister and mother. And really, those three couldn't be the culprits.

"Is it me?"

Jaejoong faced his friend with a frown. "Huh?"

"You look tense. Did I do something? Or are you constipated? Oh! Is it coz you're the only one not in costume?"

"I'm a ing vampire!"

 "Vampire? Can't tell the difference. ing, that's between you and your husband."

Jaejoong groaned just as his mother sneaked up behind him. "Joongie, why are you brooding here? You didn't even dress up. You're just being a party pooper."

"Umma, a professional makeup artist spent an hour turning me into a vampire."

"Really? Looks like a 10-minute job by Yunho."

"Ah-hah!" Gasped Yoochun, "are you upset coz it lasted only 10 minutes."

“I'm not upset!" Wailed Jaejoong and immediately tensed right after. "It's just..." he bit his nail, "there's a mime that's too silent."

Yoochun snorted and slapped Jaejoong's back obnoxiously "Of course Mimes are silent Jae. How silly of you-"

"WAAAAAH!" A screech was heard throughout the mansion. Every adult in the room stumbled to their feet at the blood-curdling scream.

"Hani!" Heechul shrieked, recognising his daughter's voice immediately. He speedily waddled in his bulky costume as fast as he could with Hankyung a step behind him. It took others a heartbeat to follow after them.

Yunho overtook Heechul and Hankyung around the stairs and burst through the entertainment room. But the room was void of any children.

The others had begun calling for the kids behind them and checked every corridor and room. From the looks of it, none of them found the kids anywhere. Yunho went to the railings at the top of the main stairway and yelled, “Daehyun!”

At once, the estate’s head of security dashed into the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. His usual intimidating black suit could be a costume by itself.

“The kids are missing. We heard Hani scream earlier.”

“Understood. We’ll check the estate.” Daehyun gestured for one of his men to come closer and the two began barking commands into walkie-talkies.

“Yunho!” Jaejoong’s father panted breathlessly, “we found Kyuhyun’s red cape in your room. But the kids aren’t there either.”

“Sir!” Daehyun now rushed up the stairs to Yunho, “No one has entered or left the estate since Hankyung-ssi and his family arrived an hour ago.” Hankyung and Heechul halted some distance away and listened in when they mentioned, “We’re going through surveillance camera feeds on every entry point. But so far everything is clear. My gut tells me the kids are somewhere in the house. You heard Miss Hani from inside right?”

“She had to be somewhere here,” Yunho gestured to where they were standing, “somewhere close to this hallway. There’s no way we would be able to hear that clear a scream downstairs if she was in any of the rooms.”

Daehyun racked his brain till it struck him. He turned to his right where the hallway turned to an unused part of the mansion. It used to be a guest room since it was the only room on that end and ensures the privacy of the Jungs’ guests. But after they renovated the mansion a year ago, all the old furniture was dumped in that room and gathered dust.

“Jaejoong went there a moment ago.” Mr. Kim suddenly remembered.

Daehyun gestured for his colleague to come with him, both pulling out pen-sized torches from their coats. Yunho moved towards that room too but Daehyun stood in the way with his hands in front of him, gesturing him to halt. “Sir please.” He looked at the others who were coming behind Yunho, “Everybody need