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N I N E 

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Zelo sat back in his chair, stuffed and content. Rubbing at his stomach, his eyelids began to droop as Yong Guk ended their dinner. "You're all dismissed. Rest up and make sure to get ready for tomorrow," The leader said with a quick flip of his bangs. "Himchan, follow me - I have something to talk to you about." 

Himchan looked at him sullenly, but followed him anyways. 

Staring at the dining area of thier hideout, Zelo watched as Yong Guk and Himchan left into his office, while Young Jae secluded back into his bedroom. His older hyung was literally a hermit-ghost: he always stayed in his room beside his technological equipment that were his best friends. Because they had a mission coming up, Zelo could almost hear the immense dedicatedness Young Jae put into tracking down the other gang: Zelo knew that he was tapping furiously at the keyboard and monitering multiple screens simultaneously. Although Young Jae was definitely rather anti-social and tended to keep to himself, he had strong respect for Yong Guk as well - and one had to admit, he really had a way with computers. 

Yawning, Zelo looked to the other side and saw Daehyun looking at the dishes in disgust. 

“Hyung! The dishes are so dirty, you call this washing? Even Zelo could wipe the dishes with his and do a better job than you!”  Daehyun yelled in retort to Himchan's retreating frame. 

“Talking to your hyung with a tone like that, you’re a bigger asswipe than he is!” Himchan yelled back as he neared Yong Guk's office. Zelo rolled his eyes at their yelling, but gave a small smile when he heard Jong Up suddenly cut in to their conversation. “Y’all ing heads, just shut the up and let me sleep! I almost ted bricks from your yelling!” He snarled, his cranky nature beginning to come out, especially because it was the nighttime. Although Jong Up’s first impression was conservative, once you got to know him, the former child star had an extremely irritable and angry persona. Perhaps it was from the pressure of being famous as a little child, or because his parents had used him for money – he’d never elaborated on it. Jong Up, however, had always been a faithful and a loyal brother to him, and Zelo felt guilty for doing what he was going to do next.

I better leave now, before it gets too dark. 

Noticing that everyone was finally occupied, Zelo decided to make his break. 

Taking the back door, Zelo left the building, blending into the shadows. His black mask on and hoodie covering his unruly hair, a stray cherry tomato popped out.

He stared at it for a bit before eating it.

Yong Guk always bought the fruits for him, knowing that he had a keen fondness towards them. Ignoring the tomato’s sentimental value, he looked behind him and checked to make sure no one was following him. Yong Guk was in his shower, while Yong Jae was obviously working on the new club project in his room. They worked hard to make their living, unlike other gangs which jumped into public areas and began throwing punches randomly. Zelo knew that every fist they fought with had been strategically placed, making them different from every other underground gang. They weren’t members that were willing to turn on one another for drugs, money, or greed – they were brothers, with ties stronger than blood. All of them had come here from different broken homes, and found a family in each other. And that was the secret to B.A.P – that loyalty, and not materialism, build their unbreakable foundation. 

I can't be part of B.A.P anymore, though, Zelo said, shaking his head.

The laughter he’d shared with Jong Up, the cute confusedness of Io, Young Jae’s dictatorship attitude – in a few weeks, it was hard to believe that he wouldn’t be able to see them anymore. No more cocky comments from Himchan, or Young Jae’s stiff, chalky attitude.

And especially no more of Yong Guk’s babying.

Zelo knew that out of all the members, Yong Guk had seen the most gore and bloodshed in his lifetime. Most of the members were quite pampered as children, such as Himchan, and Jong Up.  Although B.A.P had a huge reputation for being vile and villainous, the truth was, their members were extremely emotional and sensitive. They all had easily triggered weak points, and Yong Guk’s was his memories. He remembered every single death he came across and his emotional baggage constantly grew with each one, because he always felt responsible for them.  And that was why Yong Guk had set out to become a leader who looked after all s the way a father looked after his kids. Zelo knew that although Yong Guk was infamous for his “I’ll kill you” insults, if anything happened to them, Yong Guk would rather kill himself instead. 

“Brave.” Zelo whispered to himself, as he ran into the forest alone.

The tree branches clawed at his face and the terrain was steep and rocky. Zelo slipped and cut his knee, but he ignored the feeling and reminded himself why he was about to join another gang. 

He had to. He had to. He had to join the other gang before they killed Yong Guk, before they took him away from the world. Leader had taken him in when he was only nine, even though he lived on the streets and was virtually useless. For nearly seven years, he’d trained him, fed him, taught him the ways of the world and all about the evil atrocities that people committed. But he’d also told Zelo to be compassionate and thoughtful, and to think of others before himself. “Evil people don’t justify the discrimination of people in need,” the leader had told him, “because if it does, then you will become an evil person yourself for ignoring them.” Yong Guk was truly the older brother that he’d never had, that taught him how to protect himself so that he could take responsibility for others. And Zelo knew that by joining the other group and betraying him, he would save B.A.P from being destroyed.

Running through a large, bushy thicket, and checking to see that no one was there on last time, he panted heavily as he walked to a clearing. His breath came out in puffs as he stared at what was waiting for him. 

A black box sat in the middle, and Zelo picked it up, hands shaking.

Falling to his knees, he stared at the sky, an inky, dark void dotted with brilliant white stars. For a couple minutes, he kneeled there, trying to take in the absoluteness of what he was going to do. He felt a tearing, ripping sensation burn at his chest as he opened lid of the obsidian square, and closed his eyes, wishing not to look at it. A black compass bordered by five names was engraved at the top, and an empty, sixth slot was left for Zelo’s. His fingers cold and clammy, he felt something wet fall across his cheek and he hoped it wasn’t from his eyes. Breathing in deeply, he looked at the object, which was a glittering silver necklace with a compass charm.

Touching at the one on his neck, he ripped it off, and let out a hiss as the chain bit at his neck.

“Brave.” Zelo whispered again to himself.

He looked at the broken one in his hand, a necklace with the image of a rabbit and his name superimposed on the stainless steel. For seven years, he’d worn this one and taken care of it almost painstakingly, as it was his most treasured and prized possession. He never taken it off once, not even to shower or to sleep. 

And now he would be destroying it.

Tucking it into the pocket of his jeans, Zelo took the necklace out and dropped it. “,” he said, as he picked it up again, noticing how scared he was at the moment. He glanced around him to make sure no one was watching as he hung the necklace on himself gingerly. For although it was still quiet, once the new necklace was put on his neck, he felt as if an earth-shattering explosion had happened. He’d apologized to Himchan today, but he knew that after this he needed to apologize not only to him but to all the members of B.A.P. The necklace exchange had shown his transfer from B.A.P to the new, mysterious group that his former gang had been trying to track down. And now Zelo was being made a member of the new gang, and would become a permanent enemy of Yong Guk. He was biting the hand that fed him. He was insulting and demeaning his leader.

Zelo looked at the sky once more again, flicking the tears off his face.

The stars were gone.

And so was he.