Youngjae’s POV

I was shaken awake by Zelo. I had fallen asleep as we were there for hours now and I started to feel tired.

“Huh? What wrong?” I stretched and rubbed one of my eyes using the other to look up at Zelo. He just smiled and chuckled.

“You can sleep more if you want, but I have news.” He stated.

I sat up and blinked up to him. “What news?”

Zelo opened his mouth to speak but Jongup got ahead of him and shouted from upstairs, “We found your parent!”

My eyes widened as I looked at Zelo who merely smiled. “You… found them?” I asked and he nodded. A massive smile spread out on my face and I jumped up, attacking Zelo with a tight hug. I said ‘thank you’ so many times I couldn’t even count. I think some of them weren’t even proper ‘thank you’s, only mumbles.

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Right before I left, Jongup called me back.

“I’m going to the car.” Zelo said.

“Car? Didn’t we come in a motorcycle?” I tilted my head.

“It’s too cold out. I’m not going to take you back home in the cold.” He waved as he walked out of the house. “I’ll be up front.”

I quickly went to Jongup who gave a phone. “Here. Zelo said you didn’t have one with you and you might need it.” He explained as I took the phone from him. “My number’s there and so is Zelo’s. Any problem you might have, call me. Wait, no. Call Zelo. I’m better with staying sat down on the computer.”

I chuckled. “Thank you so much. For everything.” I bowed.

“It’s fine.” He laughed. We heard a honk from outside. Zelo was saying I could go now. “Well, keep in touch, okay?” he asked.

“I will.” I nodded and skipped outside, quickly going to the car because it really was cold outside.

As Zelo drove me through the city, I stared at my phone’s screen. I kept reading Zelo’s number over and over again. I did it so many times I ended up memorizing it.

I snapped out of it when the car stopped. I looked at Zelo who was leaned over and looking out the window on my side. I followed his gaze and my eyes landed on a very nice looking house. The street lights made the flowers in the garden have a nostalgic glow to them as they gave color to the white exterior walls of the house. The wooden door stood out in its place between two large windows. There was light coming from one of them, indicating that the occupants of that house were still awake. I felt a poke on my ribs and looked back at Zelo.

“Are you going to meet them or are we here just so you could look at the house?” He asked with a smile lingering on his lips. I chuckled and looked at the lightened up window. I smiled warmly but couldn’t keep the fear away from my head. What if his parents got in trouble because of him? What would happen if he couldn’t act normally with his parents? So many questions roamed around my head. Another poke made itself felt, this time harder. I baby glared at Zelo with a pout. His eyes widened a bit but quickly squinted as he laughed. “Come on, go meet them. I’ll watch over you guys.”

“R-Really?” I straightened in my seat and he nodded. I smiled and hugged him tightly. Just like last time, he didn’t return the hug so I simply let him go and smiled. “Here I go…” He smiled and nodded. I left the warmth of the car and rubbed my hands up and down my arms because of the cold. Zelo drove off, probably not to be seen, and I made my ways towards the front door. I lightly gulped and rang the bell. I heard muffled voices on the other side of the door and a very beautiful woman, with long wavy brown hair and soft eyes opened the door. “Hello.” I waved with a light blush tinting my cheeks. I saw how her eyes widened and a bunch of emotion made themselves present on her gentle features until pure happiness was what stayed. Tears fell down her cheeks as she tightly hugged me, her soothing scent washing over all my insecurities and worries. I hugged her back just as tight. Light steps came our way and I heard someone gasp.

“Son?” I opened my eyes, not that I could see much over the blurriness from the tears. But I soon recognized the warmth and safety I felt when that person hugged me too. I nuzzled my face into the man’s shoulder, crying out all the tears I kept when I was alone thinking about my family. Sobs broke out of me as I couldn’t believe I was once again back home. “How did you make it back?” the man asked.

“Someone helped me.” I confessed. “But I don’t know who was the one that saved me nor the ones that took me away from you…” I lied when it came to Zelo. If people knew about him then he would get it in a lot of trouble. What he does isn’t exactly acceptable.

“All that matters right now is that you’re safe.” The woman smiled and kissed my forehead before hugging me again.

As it was time to go to sleep, I was led to my room. I opened the door and went in, looking around. Everything was like before. The drawing all over my desk, photos still hanged where they were before, it was still messy too. “I only came in to clean the dust since I know you hate it when I clean your room. I told you that I wouldn’t get made if I by any chance found , but I guess you just don’t believe me.” My mom shrugged and laughed at my blushing face. I puffed my cheeks with air and lightly pushed her out. She laughed at my actions and went to her room.

“Mom?” she stopped and turned to me. “I love you.” I smiled and she smiled back.

“I love you too baby.” She said.

“I know you love me, son! No need to say it so much. I understand already, just go to sleep!” Dad sarcastically said.

I laughed with my mom. “I love you too, dad. Good night to both of you.” I voiced out.

“I love you too. G’night.” Dad said and started to fake snore. My mom laughed at his behavior and waved at me.

“Sleep tight, sweetie.” She then went to her room to sleep. I went into my room but didn’t feel sleepy at all so I went to my desk and decided to draw.

I drew until I saw on my nightstand clock it was already 3 A.M. I stretched and saw something. I went to my window and opened it. I smiled when I saw Zelo playing on his phone on top on one of the trees in the garden. “Psst!” I voiced out. He looked at me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. I motioned with my hand for him to come to my room. He looked from one side to the other and leaped forward. I quietly yelped at his actions. He held onto the window sill, his feet seeming glued to the wall. He stretched up and his face got merely inches away from mine. I blushed and took a couple of steps back, telling him to get inside.

“You’ve been out there all this time, so I’ll make you some tea.” I said.

“I’m okay, though.” He shrugged and I pouted.

“Just take my kindness!” I nagged and held his hand, pushing him through my house.

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I was merely walking through the park to go home when a couple of men appeared in front of me. I was scared so I backed away. I stopped when I bumped into someone. I looked over my shoulder and saw another man, this one with a knife in his hands.

I turn around and push him away, but later on getting hit on the head with a bat. I fell on my knees and hoped for the worst but it never came. I looked up and what I saw made my eyes widen. Zelo was beating them up, successfully moving from the blows that were thrown at him and hitting them as hard as he could. He was completely different from when he killed those people by the docks. He looked angry, furious even. I was afraid he was going to kill them when they looked nothing but street thugs. Yeah, they hurt me but they only do this to get popular on the streets. I ran towards Zelo and grabbed him from behind, wrapping my eyes tightly around his waist. He fought for a bit but I didn’t let him go. When he stopped wiggling on my hold, I noticed how his breathing was heavy. He turned to me and I saw the pure hatred present in his eyes. He cupped my face in his hands and looked carefully at my face. He talked but I couldn’t hear him. Honestly, I couldn’t feel his hand as he put them on my shoulders. I felt my knees get heavier and I fell to the ground, Zelo holding onto me, worry all over his face. The last thing I saw was Zelo trying to tell me something that I couldn’t hear. Then everything went black as I passed out.

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I woke up in a hospital bed, my parents running towards me worriedly.  I sat up on the bed and grimaced at the pain that shot through my head. “What happened?” I asked.

“You got attacked.” My mom told me.

“I what?” I screamed regretting it immediately as my head started hurting again. “Is Hyunseok okay?” I asked. “I was with him for a school work.”

My parents looked at each other with a strange face. “He’s fine, baby. But you need to rest.” My mom said. I nodded and laid back on the bed with her help. My dad smiled and left the room with my mom.

Author’s POV

“What’s wrong, doctor?” Youngjae’s mother asked. “That work meeting he had with Hyunseok was last week.”

“I’m afraid to say he suffers from amnesia.” The doctor sighed. “Fortunately, it was only the memories from these past few days that were lost. I think you should tell him the problem, but it’s completely fine to overlook previous problems.”

“But won’t he remember what happened if we tell him?” Youngjae’s father asked.

“Don’t worry. If you merely tell him the basic things, they won’t trigger anything and he won’t remember what he’s been through.” The doctor smiled and bowed as the parents thanked him.

Later that night, as Youngjae slept in his bed, Zelo got through the window and reached out to Youngjae’s phone, deleting both his and Jongup’s number.

He sighed and took a last look at Youngjae before going towards the window. Something on the other’s desk caught his attention. It was a drawing of himself and he was smiling. He scoffed and took the drawing.

“I don’t smile.” He harshly whispered and was about the rip the drawing but got short on will as he heard Youngjae shift in his bed. The other had so much trouble drawing it. Zelo sighed once more and took the drawing with himself, taking away the only few things Youngjae had that would make him remember.