"Hyung, since you asked me something the other day, can I ask you?"

The boys were outside waiting for Yongguk still and Jongup was curiously oggling Himchan.

"Yeah, anything."

"How did you meet Yongguk?"

Himchan smiled thoughtfully, reminiscing of the past. Obviously him and Yongguk had been friends for a very long time, but they had never spoken of the reason why. Yongguk always gotten the idea that Himchan had thought of it to be a painful taboo subject to talk about. He didn't know how to go about the question without digging up sealed wounds of the past.

Jongup sat patiently waiting for an answer. Even Youngjae had silenced and looked up in interest.

"Yongguk and I had gone to school together. Since kindergarten really, but we never really spoke or acknowledged each other. My family and I were poor. Somedays I'd go home with no food for dinner and other days I'd give my sister my share because she was younger. When the school found out, they'd give me a free lunch and because of that, I got bullied. It was just an odd pauper comment now and then but it soon escalated. I was kicked and hit and soon the lunches were stolen from me or pushed to the ground and stepped on. Yongguk isn't the Yongguk you see him as now, he had a violent nature back then and was in gangs, though bullying was something he had always loathed. Now that I think back, I don't think he ever witnessed an act of bullying towards me until then. Because I was ignored - apart from being a punching bag of course - I wasn't noticed by anyone and no one knew my name.

One day I got beat pretty badly, I couldn't open my eye for a week! I sat on a hill in the playground for a while crying. Yongguk came over to me. It was his group of friends that did it, but he didn't join in. He knew it happened though. I was scared when he came over, so I reassured him that I'd move schools and even change my name so I wouldn't be in his face. He sat down next to me and said something very peculiar to me. I'll always remember it.

'Himchan, moving schools is one thing. Escaping may always seem like the best answer but instinct will overrule anything. Anything you run from will always come back to bite, so if you leave like this, the same thing will probably happen there. Don't change your name. Changing your name will mean you're prepared to change you. You won't be you, you might feel the same but you will not be. People change their names to run away from themselves, from something that they don't want to remember. Even nicknames can change a person from themselves to another irrelevant alias. Don't. If you change it, you won't be Kim Himchan anymore, as if you were never here.'

From that day, I decided to stay. It was probably a good idea, Yongguk had welcomed me when I walked into school proudly, despite my black eye."

Yongguk stepped out of the room, without anyone noticing.

"He became my friend, though I protested and told him he'd be bullied too. Bang Yong Guk was famous at school though and so I stopped being bullied too. It's why I'm here now. My mom always said that if someone saves you, even your life is not repayment enough. I'm lost without him, like you are without Youngjae. So wherever he goes, I'll go too. I like just being a secretary, sometimes it feels like I can protect him this time."

Jongup smiled widely and sincerely at the story Himchan had given. Yongguk thought back to everything he had heard and applauded Himchan.

"Hyung?"

"Himchan, you are a genius!" He got that twinkle of inspiration back in his eyes.

Himchan looked at Yongguk confused. Once he thought about it, his eyes widened to saucers, looking back at Yongguk.

"Who knew that something I said ten years ago can be helpful to Zelo." Yongguk smiled his gummy smile like old times, seemingly pleased with himself once more.