Zelo sat in his hotel room with several DVDs of news broadcasts that were about Junhong him. As the first story flicked onto the screen Zelo watched carefully, trying to get his head around the situation. The quote from Junhong’s his mother sent a sting of pain through his heart and quickly he played the next news report. As each reporter spoke Zelo felt the reality of the situation sinking in more and more with every word he heard and every scene he watched.

Staring numbly at the now blank screen Zelo tried to get his head around the situation. In the week since he’d been away from home he’d explored everything in the hotel but hadn’t stepped outside other than when he was taken to the station. After begging Yongguk for hours every day to see his Uncle, after believing for 16 years that his life was normal, after spending his life loving and trusting a kidnapper Zelo was suddenly confronted with the truth and he didn’t know how to handle it.

Felling slowly returning to his body Zelo started lightly shaking his head, his facial expression turning from confusion to disbelief to anger. Picking up the discs he’d already watched Zelo bent them until each snapped into several pieces, he let the broken things littered the floor. Too frustrated to just take the disc he’d been watching out of the DVD player Zelo stalked forwards and pushed the TV stand into the back wall, the entire thing smashed to the floor and Zelo stood over it for a moment, his breath coming in heavy bursts. He wouldn’t believe it, he couldn’t. It didn’t make any sense. His Uncle had done nothing but take care of him and now all these people, all these strangers were telling him it was all a lie. Shoving the trainers Yongguk had given him on the teen stormed out out his hotel room. Ignoring the officer that had been assigned to look after him Zelo practically ran out of the lobby and into the busy city streets. As soon as the fresh air hit him Zelo’s chest tightened, there was normally a car outside waiting for him but there was no one waiting. Trying to catch his breath Zelo began walking down a path, the sounds of people talking, breathing, the noises of cars, doors opening and closing, all the noises muffled together by the teen’s panic. As he slowly stumbled down the path he noticed someone following him. Looking at the man Zelo was shocked as the flash of a camera momentarily blinded him. Blinking his vision clear he glared at the man confused, jumping as a woman suddenly appeared behind him, shoving a tape recorder in Zelo’s face the woman spoke in a rushed voice, speaker louder than necessary, “Choi Junhong, how does it feel to be free after all this time?” Blinking at the woman then at the recorder Zelo started to turn away only to notice more people with cameras and recording devices speeding towards him, jumping out of tents and sleeping bags as they heard the noise. Within minutes the teen was surrounded, different people shouting questions to him while others pulled his arms and shoulders to turn him towards their cameras.

“Junhong, can you tell us about the kidnapper?”

“How are you adjusting to your new life?”

“How has discovering the death of your parents affected you?”

“Do you have any plans now that you’re free?”

“How do you plan to support yourself?”

“Will you be attending school now that you’re free?”

“How much do you know about the outside world?”

The questions were coming from all directions and Zelo started to understand why someone had come with him every time he’d walked from the front door of the hotel to the car, the voices started to melt together and still struggling to breathe Zelo managed to push his way through the crowd. Not sure where he was the teen broke into a run and dodged around several corners before slowing to a jog, he kept moving for as long as he could not caring where he was as long as there were less people there. As he entered a less busy part of Zelo relaxed into a slower pace, passing a corner shop he froze at seeing the magazine rack through the window. Walking in he picked up one of the papers, a large picture of him walking into the station with Yongguk was printed on the front page along with the headline, DECTECTIVE YONGGUK FINALLY REWARDED AFTER YEARS OF SEARCHING. Looking over the other papers and magazines Zelo spotted one of his Uncle in handcuffs being lead to a car. Putting the paper he was holding back Zelo picked up that magazine and stared, horrified at the title of the article, DISGUSTED CITIZENS CELEBRATE THE ARREST OF KIM HYUNSU. They were making him out to be a bad person, Zelo had only ever known a kind Uncle but speed reading the article he felt tears burn the back of his eyes at the horrible things people were saying. Magazine in hand Zelo ran out of the corner shop, ignoring the shouts of the cashier he made his way back towards the hotel as quickly as he could trying to remember the route clearly. Stopping he tapped a kind looking woman on the shoulder, she reminded him of a teacher he’d seen in a movie and bowing politely the way he’d seen the students in the film do he quickly asked her as nicely as he could, “excuse me ma’am, could you please direct me to the police station?” looking him up and down the woman smiled sweetly and nodded to him, pointing up a path he hadn’t seen she explained which corners to turn and when. Thanking her sincerely Zelo broke into a steady jog again and followed her instructions. He made an effort to avoid looking at people as much as possible in the hope that no one else would recognise him as he finally turned the last corner and could see the station. By now the teen was coated in a light layer of sweat and his breathing was still uneven but at seeing one of the only two buildings he recognised Zelo sped up into a run and burst into the main office.

Storming past the other officers Zelo walking, without knocking, into Yongguk’s office Zelo glared at the man for a moment. Jumping a little at the sudden entrance Yongguk looked up from the paper work he was doing and looked up at Zelo with wide, worried eyes. The teen closed the door behind him before walking forwards and throwing the magazine on Yongguk’s desk angrily, “I want to see my uncle.”