"So, what he said?" the answer of my question was on Zelo's face; his board was half broken, it couldn't be repaired. He shook his head buckling back the board to his backpack.
"I can't use it anymore". 
I ruffled his hair and patted his shoulder, I knew how much he loved that board.
"Well, let's take a look around 'k?". That sad look didn't fit with his bright face; I studied his profile while walking trough the skate shop: each ones of his thoughts were clear on his features. He was so simple to read, if he liked or not a board, if it intrigue him or not. I chuckled staring again.

"What?" asked him clueless. It made me laugh much more.
"You like that, don't ya?" pointing out a board with a white skull on a light blue and black zebra background on the left, I bit my lower lip again to prevent laughing again, his eyes were sparkling.
"Yeah! That's cool! I like the color! And the lining is.." is mouth opened in a amazed 'O' underlined by his hands gesture. I laughed another time and called the salesman while Zelo was admiring the thing scrupulously (was he drooling?!).
"How much is that blue board?".
"The zebra one? It is a new collection by Zero, that's about 60$ only the board".
"Zero?" I smiled as I noticed that the brand name sounded similar to Zelo's stage name. Even the board had it written over. 
"Yes, it's the best brand!" nodded the guy.
"I take it. For wheels ask him". Zelo, whom had turned around, looked at me puzzled as my finger was pointing him and the salesman started asking him what kind of wheels did he wanted.
"Hyung? What..?".
"It's a get-well gift". I mumbled brushing my own lips and referring to his still visible red cut. Finally, I obtained what I wanted: Zelo's bright smile. He asked if I was joking and at my serious 'no', he started blabbering no stop with the shop guy about unknown things. I could quite saw his little azure bunny self jumping around and screaming happy. What a kid! I sighed. How come remembering his age disappointed me? Not that I was ashamed of hanging out with a six years younger boy but, I was clearly enjoying it too much.

"Hyuuuuuunggggg!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he was jumping around. Literally! Pulling my arm and laughing like an elementary kid.
"It's easy to make you happy". I sarcastically commented. Zelo's grimace confirmed it even more.
"I loooooove skate! It's AWESOME! this board is AWESOME!".
I laughed and stopped him from an arm; did he wanted to be hit by a truck? We crossed the street walking quietly, not in an awkward silence though, a relaxed one. 
"Hyung! I'll treat you food!" blurted him out grabbing again my sleeve and pulling towards a little noodle shop some meters ahead, "here Ramen is really good!".
I had no time to retort, nor that I would do that as my stomach was rumbling at the delicious smell around the shop.
It was true: the Ramen was delicious and really spicy as I liked. We spent there about one hour, we finished eating in less than ten minutes but we remained to talk lot more; I totally enjoyed it. Being together, eating together, laughing and joking together. Spending time with Zelo never bored me, he always had something to say, question to do, story to tell.
".. and now I can do it too! 360°!". His smug grin was giant as he told me about those skate trick he could do.
"Show me it".
He stopped talking staring at me incredulously.
"Really? You want to see it!?".
"Ne. Why not?" my curiosity was stimulated again by his face: the mask of happiness. He paid with the speed of light and, smiling all along, he took me to the park.

[. . .]

It was cool. Even amazing. The skatepark was animated by lots of people of every age! Even adults! It looked so difficult that I wasn't surprise by the fact that most of them had plasters and protection on differents parts of their bodies.
Zelo's friends were funny, maybe a little derp but, I could tell that they were good ones. One of them had borrow to Zelo a helmet as he didn't had brought one. The damaged skate lay near my feet as he asked me to take care of it: obviously, he wasn't going to throw away it.
"Woa! JunHo! New board?!? A Zero one!" yelled the strangest one eyeing the board; I smirked but tried to hide my satisfaction.
"Yeah! It's AWESOME! It's Bang hyung gift".
"Woa! I want a Hyung like this too!". I laughed at the smugness of Zelo regards me being six years older and the leader of b.a.p. .
"Ya, you were supposed to show me that jump" interrupting his blabbering made me smirk again.
"Hyung, it's trick, not jump!". How can't I roll out of laugh at his dead serious look while correcting me?
"Ahahah, go do it mr. Trick". 

He did. And my grip on the bench border could have shattered a wooden beam as much it distressed me; his speed was scarier and shock-er than anything else. How could he do that? Wasn't he scared? Launching himself down on the high halfpipe, managing the speed and controlling that tiny piece of wood. 
And he actually made it seems easy. Natural even.
My smile was wide as Zelo turned to me and waved before starting another trick; he was in his element. More than dancing, maybe even more than rapping.
"He's good, Ne?".
My thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice near me, turning around I noticed it was from a slim cute girl with blonde and straight hair plugged into a messy ponytail.
"Sorry?".
"JunHo! He's really good in the halfpipe". I nodded smirking at the nickname Zelo had outside the group.
"Yeah! That's cool".
"You skate too?". She seated beside me and I noticed how coloured her clothes were, just like Zelo's. She had a board at her feet too, and a green helmet into hands.
"Ani, I'm too old for this. Definitely". I would surely die. And why would I try to do it if I could watch him?
"But you bought that board, don't ya?". 
"It's a gift for Zelo". 
"Zelo?"
"JunHo". She laughed.
"Like the skate brand!".
"Not on purpose. I found it out today!".
"Oh!" her lips parted in a cute 'O' just like Zelo used to do, "newbie". Was she teasing me? Her hand reached out as she introduced herself as Miyeon : at least they hadn't similar name.
"So, you're his girlfriend or things like that?" I hadn't asked it for some purpose with her, I was truly curious if Zelo had a girlfriend. I could easy image him getting one, girls squeals about cute things. And, yeah, he could be defined cute. Definitely.
Miyeon laughed frankly and shook her blonde head.
"Nothing like that! At all!".
"It makes you laugh?" my brows were arched.
"Uhm.. Zelo's tastes seem to don't fit any girl here". Did I heard a bit of delusion in her comment? She was smiling sweetly though. At my puzzled expression she chuckled and continued.
"He has turned down basically every girl around here" my mouth fell open and she urged to add a clarification, "not in an harsh way. He just, distance himself from that kid of relationship. He has a lot of girl friends."
The fact that he had lot of friends, didn't surprised me much: he was so talkative that I bet he could make friendship easily. I was like that too as a younger high schooler but, I had a lots of flirts too. So, how come, no girlfriends? 
"That freaky brat!" I laughed roughly and searching him again in the peoples; he was at the other side of the park but I could see him watching in my direction. 
"You two are good friend so". It wasn't a question. Her voice had attired my attention again and my gaze shifted to her. They were really alike: slim almond eyes, tiny lips, V shaped face. Even bleached light hair.
"Yeah. He's a good dongsaeng".
"And you a good Hyung". I shrugged smiling poorly: if I was really a good Hyung, Zelo wouldn't have that bad cut on his mouth.
Suddenly, a deathly cold object landed on my neck making me jump on the bench. A Coke can fell into my hands.
"Hey, JunHo!".
"Miye! What's up?!" they shared a little punch with their hands that made me smirk: childish smug.
"Good! I was talking with your cool Hyung". She laughed as I did.
"He's cool, Ne?! And he can rap! And he's strong!" I glanced at him amazed, was he planning to made her marry me?
"Ya! Stop the blabbering!" I gulped down a sip from the fizzy drink before offering it to Zelo; he seated besides me and shook his head dumbly.
"It's yours". Was he trying to act adult now?
"Aren't ya thirsty? After all that.." I move my left hands in the air miming his previous movements. It made him laugh and, after taking the can he gulped down all the content. 
My nose wrinkled satisfied as my arm landed behind his head, on his shoulders. 
"That was cool Zelo".
His eyes lighted up and his thin chin bounced up and down.
"Ne!".

[. . .]

"So, Hyung, you're going to ask her out?".
I arched my brows looking up to Zelo, what was he talking about now? My puzzled face didn't stop his questions.
"Miyeon". Who? A lamp in my brain: the girl at the skate park from some days before.
"Ah, her". My poor reaction made him pout.
"She's cute", he paused staring at me with his head slightly banged on the side, "She's funny, and she's good with skate". 
"You seem to like her". His eyes didn't waver as his head shook a bit.
"You should ask her out!".
"I don't think so". I turned to the sink and continued washing plates: it was my turn and, obviously, the amount of dirty dishes was unbelievable. I had the suspect that when was my turn the members didn't pay attention on the amount of dishes used: Mass of spoiled brat.
"Wae?".
His strange tone brought my attention again at him; did he looked offended? Slim eyes half closed in a hard gaze. I scratched off some bubbles from my wrist and shrugged.
"She's not my type".
"Wae? She's good at school too!". Zelo was standing beside me then, arms crossed, brow furrowed, munching his half healed lower lip. Why should he be bothered? 
"Apart I don't really mind grades, she doesn't interest me. That's all." What with that inquisition?
"Wae?". Was he angry now?
"What's up with you?" I tried to sound fun and splashed him some bubble water but, as his seriousness didn't shade, my smile faded.
"What's wrong about her? The skate?" he mumbled eating half of his words, "How she dresses?".
I was tired of him being irrational again, I pushed briefly his shoulder from the sink as I needed to open the cupboard and answer sharp:
"She just doesn't interest me" I paused a bit staring at the water, "plus she is absolutely too young".
Hearing no response, I gazed at his expression; he was just standing there, staring at the sink with his mouth shut and his hands in pockets.
"Zelo?".
Without answering again, he walked away from the kitchen quietly. What the hell was wrong with him? I bet, kids are stranger year by year.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................