I thought I knew everything.

I thought I knew all about them ... my family.

My father was a producer in one of the biggest entertainment company in South Korea. My mother was an owner of famous boutiques and also one of its designers. In their teen days until adult, they were members of well known idol groups in our country.

Charismatic leaders.

Talented rappers.

As if not only their blood that were running in mine and my little brother's vein, their passion also embedded in our bodies, our soul, our brains, and our heart. Our love for each other was as strong as our love for music. That made us a happy little family that was envied by every human being on the planet.

My father loved my mother.

My mother loved my father.

They loved me and my brother.

My brother and I loved our parents.

We loved and supported each other.

... or at least I thought so.

Chapter 1

Peaceful Morning

Summer, 2028

Seoul, South Korea

Did you know why I like from summer? No, it's not sunlight, beach, girls, holiday, or whatever you were thinking right now. Sure I do like them—why do I sound so bipolar?—but that's not the main purpose of my summer, our summer to be exacted. Last night before I went to sleep, I had already imagined how my summer would be. From beginning until the end, right after school bell rang to the last sunset in the hottest season. Together with my little brother, both of us, would enjoy our own summer which filled with music, rapping, dancing, and practicing without annoying disturbance like gazillions of homework, quizzes from killer teachers, or other unnecessary exams. Hence, here I am, woke up early in the morning for last day of school before summer holiday—of course after my brother's attempt of waking me up.

"Morning, Umma."

"Morning, Dear."

Walking downstairs, I saw my mom’s cooking behind the counter while my brother busy munching his favorite omelet, still didn’t aware of my presence. After greeted mom with a simple morning, I took a sit beside my brother while hitting his back head with much ‘love’.

“Yah, you little brat!”

“Aww, what’s wrong with you, Hyung?”

He looked at me with eyes wide open and mouth hanging down. Ck, don’t you dare giving me that I-don’t-know-a-thing look, Junhong!

“That’s for waking me up like a mad man this morning. Don’t you know my back hurts like —

“—language, Jihoo!”

—because of that stupid skateboard of yours?”

He narrowed his eyes before shrugging and putting attention back on his plate, “Well, I didn’t have to roll you down out of your bed till your back hit my baby if you didn’t sleep like a pig—aww, Hyung, stop hurting me! Umma!”

“Jihoo, stop it, okay. You are the one who brought him that skateboard. So, bear with it.” Mom came separating us like a mom should be. I opened my mouth to backfire her, but nothing came out. Sighing, I took big gulps of my milk when something crossed in my mind.

“Umma, I’ve told you, it’s Zico. Zi-ah-co.”

Putting a plate full of newly cooked omelet like Junhong ate, mom’s lowering her body so her face was right in front of mine. I felt my cheeks blushed a little looking at how pretty my mom with his cat-like eyes. My dad must be the luckiest person on earth to have a wife like her. But, her next words reminded me something I forgot about her a few seconds ago.

“Then,” she winked, “it’s CL noona for you.”

“Pffft, more like CL ahjumma for me.”

“Yaah, ungrateful son!” She began pinching both of my cheeks without any intention to stop even with all the mercies I begged from her. I could hear Junhong’s laughter filled my right ear, as if my cry is a comedy for him.

Behind those talented, smart, beautiful sides of her, she’s just my dorky mom. A mom who is willing does stupid things with her sons to kill some times. And I love that dorky side of her.

“What’s with the noise?” A heavy voice interrupted my cries and Junhong’s laughter. There, in front of kitchen entrance our dad stood with one hand leaning on the wall and the other massaging his temple. Still in his black wife beater and gray pajama that looked as messy as his bed hair, you would not expect this forty years old man was a fashionista who was admired by lot of people till these days. Before mom be able to say something, our innocent Junhong beat her first by saying words that made our eyes—mom’s and mine—popped out.

“Yo, G-Dragon hyung!”

….

….

….

Tiktoktiktoktiktok

I saw dad shifted his gaze from ground to his youngest son who right now grinning like an idiot with his one hand in the air forming a high-five poses. I didn’t know if that brat was in his right mind or not, but how come he could maintain that stupid grin when dad was approaching him with half of his eyes covered by his messy fringed. He looked like a zombie I must say. Even mom was speechless and stiff.

When he lifted his right hand I thought he was going to hit Junhong. I was ready to stop him but his next action left my mouth hanging open. He didn’t hit him, yet he accepted his high five and his left hand went to ruffle Junhong’s blonde hair. The straight line in his lip cracked into a genuine smile that made my heart—and possibly mom’s—warmed.

“Hello, my son Zelo!”

I heard mom beside me let out a big sigh before went back to the counter to pour dad a cup of coffee.

“I thought you were going to hit him.”

Chocked oh his black coffee, dad gave mom his unbelievable look, “Hei, I am not a heartless father. How can I hit my own son?”

“But you hit me once!” I spoke up. How could he forget he ever hit my even though it’s only once?

Dad rolled his eyes and scoffed at me, “That’s because you were being a brat. Went to Busan only with your friends without a single adult, phone off, and you didn’t inform me or your umma before. We even called police to search you.”

“But I won the first place, so we’re even!” I gave him my signature smile. I knew how proud he was when I told him I went to Busan because of a freestyle rapping competition and I brought first place trophy home. I was only eleven back then and an elementary student beat lots of adult in that competition was something amazing.

Knew he just lost, he shook his head and back sipping his coffee. From my peripheral view, I could see the corner of his lips lifted a bit. Ha, gotcha, Appa!

He knew I laughed at him in my mind. Instead of scolded me, he faked a cough and changing the topic to the most common one I grew tired of.

“So, how’s school?”

“Today is last day of school before summer holiday.” That was Junhong, not me.

“Really? Should appa take a week off? We can go on a vacation aboard.”

“Not the first week. Hyung and I already have some plans; music journey with Gonzo hyung.”

Lifted one of his eyebrows, dad looked at Junghong, then me, and then Junhong again, “Gonzo? You mean Dok2?”

Nodded, Junhong answer, “Huum, he’s a great hyung.”

Dad leaning toward us, then looked at us intensely as if he was going to spill a top secret x file, “You know, kiddo, when we were still idols, Gonzo ever hit on your umma.”

Gasp.

“W-what?!”

By the time dad told us this interesting fact, mom already sit beside him which mean she heard what he said about Gonzo hyung and her.

“Oppa, upload a photo doesn’t consider as hitting.”

“Yes, it does, Honey. I am a male, so I know when a man hit on a woman.”

Sighing, mom shifted her gaze on us. I could see apologetic looked on her eyes behind her warm smile, “Don’t mind your appa, okay. He’s just a jealous old man who can’t forget about past. Hurry up and finish your breakfast or you’ll late for last day of school.”

“Y-yah, what do you just say about me, Chaerinnah? Jealous old man?!”

And the rest breakfast time filled with dad's babble about how lots of men tried hitting on umma, especially those underground rappers and artists. Mom? She’s just shaking her head and said dad's exaggerating everything.

Junhong and I went to school after bid farewell to our parents and kissed mom’s cheek. Three hours later dad off to YG Entertainment and after done with house chores, mom went to her main boutique. All of us would meet again for dinner at eight p.m. That’s how our peaceful morning ended.

… or I should say, one of our last peaceful mornings.