Forgotten Memories

Family Secret

{A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've been M.I.A for so long! Hopefully, I can get back into my rhythm... I believe you readers are all SHINee fans, and so if you'd like to be my beta or fellow fangirl/fanboy, follow me on tumblr [sprinklemewithshinee.tumblr.com or shineewords.tumblr.com] or friend me on livejournal [ticklemeyello.livejournal.com]! I welcome all friendly readers/writers/Shawols/humans! Anyway, on to the /painfully short/ chapter!}

15: Family Secret

It's a little unsettling, what Taemin finds in his old yearbooks.

He's gone from most to least recent: mushroom years to his preschool days.

Flipping to another page of the book labeled 'Childhood', Taemin giggles at the sight of his youthful self wearing various party hats from years past. Reminiscence of happiness and innocence flow through his mind, but he hasn't forgotten his goal.

The memories come to an abrupt standstill when he turns the twelfth or so page and finds it bare in frivolous decor and bubbly subtitles.

He can trace the jagged line where numerous pages were torn roughly.

Once again, SHINee's Maknae finds himself puzzled by all the roadblocks hindering him in revealing the truth.

Sighing, he sticks his hand back into the darkness of his dusty closet. All he manages to clench is air.

"Mom!" Taemin calls into the hall as he pokes his head out of his room.

"Yes, Honey?" she sounds close: the kitchen.

"Do we have any other scrapbooks?" he could've sworn that they created many other yearbooks!

"I don't recall taking anything out of your room..." changing the subject in an attempt to block the question; Taemin's mother held no tact.

"Alright, I'm just going to look around, then..."

"Wait," her voice trembles, "some of the rooms are locked because of repairs being done soon."

"'Kay, I'll keep that in mind!"

Long, winding hallways remind Taemin that his family is pretty well off. They hold no need of loans or mortgages. He feels pretty lucky, seeing the pricey, extravagant things laying around the house which hardly create a dent, if even a scratch, in the Lee funds.

Coming upon a door, different from all the others in its loose hinges and scratched up paint job, Taemin slows to a stop. Maybe this ancient doorway hides clues?

Prodding the door open a quarter, he stares into complete darkness. Odd.

Pushing wood against the wall, Taemin enters, and a bucket of confusion dumps itself on him. Had he ever entered this room as a kid? Even with those thoughts, he feels a foreboding sense of familiarity towards the room he holds no recollection in ever seeing prior to.

Taemin peers forward and finds a square of the room, just a bit brighter than the rest.

Utterly bewildered and strangely curious, he presses the heel of his palm against the brighter black, and his hand splits rotted wood.

Alarmed, Taemin observes the damage. The wood, untouched for what he believed to be years, withstood rain, hail, and heat. Looking through the fist-sized hole, he glimpses the yard in its well kept glory.

He's seen this view before.

Pulling out his cell phone, Taemin shines light around the seemingly empty room. All the other walls contain plaster except for the panel facing outside... What could his family try to hide with this flimsy wooden structure?

The logical thing to do, would be asking his mom. But Taemin knows she won't be truthful.

Something's not right.

:::

Once outside, Taemin finds a small balcony outside of the broken wood.

A balcony? This is his family secret? It makes no sense why his mother would get nervous over it, but after staring at the perplexing enigma, he decides to give up for the night.

:::

"I can't wait for tomorrow, we'll have the whole family! Taesun hasn't come to visit since you left for SM. And then your dad will-"

His mother's bantering renders Taemin unable to hear himself think. Of course he loves his organized, caring, erratic mother, but some times her blathering rubs him the wrong way.

"Aren't you excited?" Taemin lifts his head from rolling Kimchi around his plate, to finds his mother blabbering away with a full mouth.

"Yeah, I haven't seen Taesun Hyung in so long!"

Maybe he could be of some help.