Zelo pointed at the wall first. Oh. The photo-wall. “What's that? Some of them look really creepy. I was wondering whether you had some kind of sick hobby, like for example photographing strangers that look crazy?”

I froze for a split second, my eager smile fading as I cleared my throat. Bingo. “Ehem. Well... I...” Wait. Was he insulting my precious photo-wall right now? “Just a moment, stick-figure: Are you telling me that those humans are nothing special? Don't they look kind of interesting to you?”

Zelo frowned and shook his head. “Why should I be interested in extremely small people? And what's with that one? He has a scar all over his face, it looks scary.”

I let out a sound of dissatisfaction and let myself fall down on the bed with a groan. “Why doesn't anybody see how interesting that is?! I mean, why don't you question that scar? He could have fought a bear or a tiger and-”

“Those stories are none of my business, are they? What if it's something unpleasant?”, my opponent interrupted me and I was unable to retort with anything. He was right, but...

”Things like that just don't stop bothering me! Besides...I think you should be on that wall too...”, I mumbled.

“What?!” He looked scared. As if he had just found out I was some idol's sasaeng fan or something like that. “Should I worry? Am I that ugly to you?”

“No, it's not because of your looks! Well, kind of... It's just... Aish, making me frustrated. These people over there seem special to me, because they are different, not because I think they're ugly, you know? At my school, almost everybody behaves the same. It's always about money and power. But these people have something special about them, they stand out. Just like your height, for example. Plus, your background is interesting too.”

He unconsciously shifted a little bit away from me with a frown. “Alright, alright, I think I g-get it...euh. You say you need individuality?” I nodded as he finally seemed to understand what I meant. He snorted. “Individuality is something that doesn't endure in this world...Those people on the wall there are rare, even in 'my world' as you call it.” What did he mean by that? He had that sad look in his eyes that made me curious, but if I started digging now, he would close the gates again.

“Okay, now that you've found out about that hobby of mine, it's my turn to ask. What's that thing with your brother? I know you lied when you said he went to America earlier, what's up with that?”, I asked instead, but it seemed like any question would make him feel uncomfortable.

He started moving again and couldn't stop until he eventually stood up. “The thing about my... big brother, is that I don't know where he is, what he is doing and what he looks like. He...kind of left me alone after...well... ah, nevermind. My new brother is Yongguk-hyung anyway. I don't waste my time by thinking about him anymore.” Zelo showed me a weak smile and I could see the frustration and the anger behind it.

He couldn't just replace his brother, we both knew that. “I'm sorry for that”, I mumbled, trying to look him in the eyes, but he avoided my gaze.

“There's no need for you to be sorry, girl.” Meh, the 'girl' symbolized his cold side, I had figured by now. Maybe he actually did know my name? I think I'll never know... He noticed my disappointed expression with a raised eyebrow. “Now, you owe me that picture of your...D...the one with pink hair”, he mentioned and I grinned.

“So, you're curious? Wait a second.” I started digging in my desk's drawers just to pull out the desired picture after a few seconds. “There you go: Daehyun in pink.”

Zelo had only glanced at it for a split second before smirking. “Just like I've thought. He wanted it to be red, right?”

My eyes widened at his exact guesses. “How'd you know? Did this happen to you too? Show me a picture!”

He scrunched his nose. “N-No, of...of course not! Well...honestly, I once made that mistake too...EHEM! Red is n-not my color, it's Yongguk-hyung's. He likes red hair.” I couldn't understand what he had said in the middle, because he had mumbled it too fast for me to hear it. I was sure it was something embarrassing I could have used against him if he hadn't said it in LTE-speed.

“Why does everyone dye his hair? Daehyun, Jongup, that Yongguk... Even you do that! Why? Don't tell me it's something about clubbing, that would make me furious, because nobody explains anything to me!”

Zelo showed the natural blank expression again, but he looked kind of taken aback at the same time. “Clubbing? You really remembered that?”

I shrugged. “Like I was saying before: Something interesting never fails to keep me awake.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You're just so unnecessary, girl. But I'll tell you this too: It's the individuality you're so curious about. I for my part want to stand out, that's all.”

“As if you didn't stand out with your height already”, I grumbled, but he ignored it.

“Okay, it's my turn again”, he noticed and I nodded with a gloomy face. “Then come with me, please.”

He walked out of the room and I frowned. “Where are you going?”, I shouted after him and he came back on the spot, rolling with his eyes.

“You just have to come to the corridor over here, I want to ask you about something I spotted!” My heart started racing when I had an idea of what he was talking about. But still, I wasn't ready to tell him. I didn't want to cry. When I walked up to him, I didn't even have to look at the ceiling, but he pointed there anyway. “Where is that trap door in the ceiling leading to? You have an attic?”

I nodded. “Yup. It's the attic.” I tried to stop that topic before it was even there. “Sooo, what have you done in the morning, while I wasn't at home?”

“Wow, wow, wow, wait. What's up there? There must be something interesting, right? There always is something awesome in action movies”, he dug deeper and I took a deep breath.

“I...don't think it's important to tell you that. Plus, life isn't an action movie. Just don't think about it... Nobody cares about it anyway, it's nothing special.” It was for my part, but I tried to lie as good as possible to bury his curiosity. Too bad he could see right through it, I saw the mistrust in his eyes. But thankfully he got the message – for now – and sighed kind of frustrated. It was just like playing hide and seek with him.

“Okay, whatever. What I did today? I explored this house and went to the hospital”, he shrugged casually and I cocked my ears.

“You went to the hospital? And? What did they say?”

Zelo sat down on my bed again and this time, he didn't hide a pained expression. “Well...ugh. The doctor said that I have contused my rib. I shouldn't move too much...”

I shrieked for a split second. “You're telling me that now, after I dragged you along to that café and up the stairs and all? Idiot!”, I scolded him with a slight smack on the back of his head before looking at him in worry. “Does it hurt much?”

He swallowed and avoided eye contact once more. He wanted me to take a step back, I was too close and I did what he signalized me to before he spoke up again. “It's alright, nothing special. It's actually rare that I have absolutely no bruises or injuries... Oh, thanks for the clothes. My old ones looked kind of...”

“Ugly?”, I ended his sentence with a raised eyebrow and he glared at me ineffectually for a second before nodding grimly.

“At least it can't keep up with your standards, I guess”, he sighed then and shook his head. “But none of my clothes can. What should I wear the next time I meet one of your friends? I can't wear your brother's clothes for 2 months.”

“We'll simply buy new ones”, I explained with a shrug, but hesitated with a frown when I saw his aghast face. Oh. He probably couldn't afford them the way I'd want them to be, right? Okay, I was being in a generous mood that day. “I'll drag you through the city tomorrow and I'll buy some fitting clothes for you. Don't worry, they won't cost that much and I'm going to pay anyway. Deal?” I stretched out my hand and he scrunched his nose again. He did this quite a lot, I had noticed that. “Only if you're okay with it”, I added and pointed at his chest where I assumed his contused rib.

He nodded in defeat. “Fine, deal. I feel like a laboratory rat whenever I'm with you, girl. I don't like it.”

“Me neither, giant, but I won't let you run around like this anymore.” And thus, it was all settled. I stared at him and he stared back with an unflappability in his eyes until he raised with another sound of pain escaping his mouth. It really had to hurt much...

“I'll go fix my bandage then, there's nothing left for me to ask at the moment. Tell your colorful-haired friend that he looked kind of cool with pink hair. He earned my respect by enduring it.” He walked out of the room with a wink and I heard him walking down the stairs.

I took out my phone, directly forwarding the compliment to Daehyun who replied almost immediately with an 'Oh no you didn't'-like emoji, making me chuckle when I decided to get myself something to drink. I went downstairs to pour some water into a glass in the kitchen, but when I was about to drink it, I heard someone groan painfully and I tiptoed towards the guestroom with a frown, peeking through the small crack of the door.

I could see Zelo sitting on the bed, biting his lower lip as he was trying to take off the white bandage that was wrapped around his chest. I didn't think it would hurt that much and my conscience started to tell me to do something for him.

“Can I help you?”, I asked silently and he jerked at the sound of my voice when I opened the door a little wider. “It looks painful.”

He avoided eye contact again, but I could see how heavy he was breathing from the pain. “I just can't reach the beginning, that's all. The doctor seems to have fixed it somewhere at my back, I can't see it...”

“All you need to do is ask for help”, I and raised my eyebrow while he was snorting in frustration, knowing that there would be no other way to avoid being hurt any more. He tried to reach the end of the bandage once more before giving up.

“Could you please help me?”, he mumbled in LTE-speed again.

“Excuse me, what was that?”

“Help me, please”, he repeated himself, pouting right afterwards and I had to suppress my laugh as I walked up to him, sitting down on the bed cross-legged with a serious face. Zelo had lowered his gaze to the ground in embarrassment. “Like a laboratory rat”, he said quietly as I started unwrapping his chest as careful as possible.

“What's wrong with asking for help? That's got nothing to do with a laboratory rat, don't avoid me whenever I want to help you, please”, I replied, making him snort once more.

“There's no one helping you for free in this world. And you shouldn't ask for something you can't pay.”

I frowned, stopped taping his chest and met his gaze for a split second before he turned away. There was a certain vulnerability lying in those dark eyes and I swallowed before continuing my work while biting my lower lip. “Let's come to an understanding with each other, okay?”, I asked after some time as I gave the bandage a slight tug, making Zelo flinch. “Sorry!”, I apologized on the spot when he hissed in restrained pain.

“What kind of understanding?”, Zelo groaned as I loosened the dressing a little.

“I promise you that I'll help you whenever I can to make you feel more comfortable during your... stay. I will take care of your injuries and help you whenever it's necessary. But you're right: No one is helping you for free-”

“I. Can't. Pay. Your help. Girl. Don't you get that? I'm in trouble, I can't afford anything at the moment. Whatever it is: I'm sure I can't give you what you want”, he interfered in irritation while taking the bandage away from me to finish doctoring his chest by himself, but I took it back with sincerity.

“Would you might stop interrupting me, Zelo? I wasn't finished.” It was rare that I called him by his nickname, I noticed and he did too, because he looked at me with a questioning gaze. I attached the end of the dressing – making sure that it ended on his back again so that he'd need help next time too – and returned his earnest stare. “All I want you to give me in return is trust. I want you to trust me and tell me whenever you need something. Is that something you can't do? It doesn't cost you anything, you know?”

Zelo hesitated for a second, obviously taken aback, and he seemed to think about it before chuckling like a mad man. “What you're requesting is difficult for me to do”, he managed to say after some time and I stared at him in confusion as he got up and put on Himchan's shirt again.

“W-Why is that? I don't think that trusting someone is something difficult to do, is it?”, I wanted to know, still a little puzzled and Zelo gave me a leg-up before slowly pushing me towards the door with a blank expression. He looked at me again when I was out of his room. “It is to a man who had to deal with many losses and betrayals. I'm sorry, but there's no way I could trust a stranger.” With these words, he closed the door and I could hear the clicking sound of its lock while I was just staring at the white wood in front of me.

However, I couldn't hear him walking away. He had to be standing there, on the other side of the door and the key in his hand without moving. I gave it another try. “How about trusting me as a friend?”, I whispered, because I was afraid I'd cry if I spoke any louder. After I had hidden his identity, even in front of my own father, he was still calling me a stranger? That hurt a little.

I could hear a sort of muffled bang on the door and I figured that he was resting his head against the wood. He wouldn't answer and I sighed, making my way up to my room where I was getting ready to go to bed when my phone rang. A message from Zelo? I frowned while glancing at the ground where I assumed his room downstairs before looking at the screen again and lying down on my bed, burying myself under the blanket.

From: Zelo

“Friends are those who like you for who you are. You don't even know my real name.”

I took a deep breath, feeling sad all of a sudden. Was it my fault that he didn't want to open up? It was like a vicious cycle and I was determined to break it, no matter what it would take. He was such a tragic hero, caught up in his own problems, making me want to help him even more.

“I'll show you that I deserve your trust sooner or later. Please wait for me until then. Oh and Hye-sun is curious: Do you have a girlfriend?” I replied while yawning with a little smile playing around the corners of my mouth before putting the phone on my nightstand and turning off the light.

I know you're curious about what Daehyun looked like, right? Well, I won't make you wait, here is the picture I took when he had pink hair:

Cute, right? Actually, those glasses may look nerdy, but isn't he handsome? I don't get why he hasn't got himself a girlfriend yet...

I'm going to be gone for a few days, because I'm going on a school trip for a week. I don't know when I'll have time to update again, but it will be in about 10 days, I think :3 Thanks for waiting for so long <3 <3

~Kirin