It had been two year since he last saw his friends. 

Zelo sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

Finally. He was free.

He remembered the last night he spent with them, in an elementary playground, him barely keeping his voice calm as he told them his problems about his sister. Normally, he would add colorful and imaginitive swear words into his sentences and various spiteful things to describe his sister.

"I just can't live with her anymore." He said, trying to keep his voice steady. "She's such a b-"

Zelo glanced up to see Minhyeon looking at him with a concerned face. He wondered briefly why her hair was moving up and down when he noticed she was sitting on one end of the see saw, on the other Youngjae sitting up and down.

"A .. hateful person." he finished. Yongguk raised an eyebrow. 

"You can live with us." Himchan suggested.

Zelo laughed humourlessly.

"No thanks, I don't want to overhear whatever you and.." his eyes lingered on Yongguk for a moment "a certain someone do." Zelo winked, then he yelped, for a hand collided on the back of his head.

He stood up and started tackling his hyung to the ground, but through Yongguk's shouts of protests, he could distinctly hear a twinkling laugh.

Zelo chanced to look up to see Minhyeon standing in the middle of the see saws, trying to balance, one hand over as she laughed at them. He felt himself grow red. This is so embarassing.. he thought.

He didn't realize he was staring until Yongguk composed himself enough to throw Zelo off him.

He was about to retaliate when everyone froze. He looked behind him to see a girl walking towards them.

A girl with dull violet hair. 

He knew that hair well.

He hated that hair.

He hated everything about the person who was coming closer.

"I knew I'd find you here." a voice said, which Zelo could barely make out. He was already seething with rage.

"What are you doing here?" he said between gritted teeth.

--

Zelo shook his head. He had no clear memory of what actually happened next. All he knew was that his friends had jumped in front of him to try and restrain him from having a go at his sister.

Oh wait, he thought. I have no sister.

Hyosung had come and threatened him that if he didn't take school seriously, she would do what she had threatened to do before.

It a fit of blind rage, Zelo came running, desperately wanting to hurt the girl who stood before him, the girl whose face showed no emotion, the girl who he'd grown to hate more than he ever thought he could.

When he was finally restrained. She was smiling. A cold, taunting smile.

Zelo knew she was going to do what she threatened to.

You see, Zelo and Hyosung comes from a rich family. How rich? Let's just say by the age of five, Zelo's yearly allowance was enough to buy 3 top companies in Korea.

In middle school, Zelo got into many fights, and Hyosung blamed it on his friends. Threatening to ruin his friends' lives if he didn't fix himself, he didn't get into anymore trouble after that.

He took one last breath and gathered all his will not to attack the girl in front of him.

"Let go." he said to his friends who were still restraining him. They looked at him hesistantly, but he shouted "Let go of me!" and they did.

He turned to face them. His friends. The one he depended on when he felt like killing himself. The ones who were there to save his out of a fight. The ones he truly cared about. He would even go as far as to say he loves them, even though his idea of love vanished long ago. 

"I'll see you in a while." 

Those were the last words he said to them before he disappeared.

He never spoke a word to Hyosung since that night. Never. 

She sent him to study overseas and he didn't protest. He didn't feel alive anymore. He had lost the only people who had the decency to see who he really was.

He studied, to please his sister, desperate to finish his end of the deal. They agreed that if he finished two years of school, he could come back and she wouldn't interfere with his life anymore.

He was determined for this.

And now, as tired as he was, he couldn't wait to see them again. So he took a taxi to Yongguk's house. He just felt he had to see Yongguk first, as he was the first one to take care of him

Will they remember me?

He laughed, of course they will.

But then his stomach felt as if it was filled with lead once more.

Will they hate me?

After I left them without a goodbye, they probably will. He thought.

It had been part of the deal. Hyosung made him swear not to keep in contact with them, and he complied.

With a heavy heart, he trudged up the Bang household's lawn, ringing the doorbell.

He fidgeted with his mask, which he had started wearing since he left, and jumped when the door opened.

Yongguk's mother stood there, as old as she was, her face was very dear to Zelo. She was the closest he had ever gotten to a mother.

The old woman seemed slightly surprised, but then a kind smile lit up her face. 

"He's in Seoul University.." she started. "They've come to watch Youngjae's little sister be in the play." 

Zelo nodded, thankful she wasn't asking any questions.

"Thank you. I'll go to them now." he smiled but as he walked away, Mrs. Bang called out to him

"Junhong-ah.." Zelo turned to look at her, "They knew you'd come back."

--

Zelo's heart felt lighter, but he couldn't shake off his nervousness. Would they still be as close as they were?

He walked in the auditorium and scanned the rows and rows of people.

"How on earth will I find them?" he muttered.

His question was immediately answered, as 4 blonde heads could be seen sitting in the backrow.

Grinning, he made his way towards them and said in a loud voice, "Sorry, but blondes aren't allowed in here."

The commotion that followed was unforgettable.

They all turned and their eyes widened with shock, nothing could beat Himchan though, it was as if his eyeballs were going to pop out.

Everyone made noises he couldn't quite make out anymore as everyone had thrown themselves unto him.

He felt as if he was the happiest person in the world. By the looks of it, they didn't hate him. Zelo got his friends back.

What more could he ask for?

He was about to say something to make them quiet down as people were starting to give them annoyed looks, when a voice sang.

He immediately stiffened and listened intently. He looked up the stage and saw that it was now dark midnight blue, and fake stars were hanging from the ceiling.

A prop boat was in the middle of the blue carpet, which was supposed to be a lake, and a boy and girl were sitting across each other.

The girl had started singing.

(Hey guys, listen to this, it was what she was singing. Ashley Tisdale - Kiss The Girl)

His friends had settled down too and pulled them into a seat in the middle of them all. He barely noticed them as his eyes was transfixed on the girl on the boat.

"She's got a voice, huh?" a voice beside him said, and he reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the girl.

"Huh?" Zelo asked confused.

"Don't you recognize her?" Youngjae said incredulously. "It's Minhyeon!"

Zelo's heart reacted to the name by his pulse quickening. His head whipped around to look at the stage.

That would explain it. Those eyes and that smile, which managed to brighten everything.

No point in hiding it now. he thought as he blushed pink.

It had been Zelo's secret that he had, well, maybe, a teeny bit crush on Youngjae's sister.

He always thought she was cute and cheery, but he didn't have time to dwell on those facts before, he was too busy with himself.

But now that his life was considerably on the right track, he stared at her and saw something more.

She was more than flimsy and cute. She was radiant and beautiful.

The boat had turned (To Zelo's surprise, at first he thought it was automatic, but he could see disguised people turning it around. And he got a good look at the boy across Minhyeon.

"Jongup?" he said in disbelief.

He didn't actually notice he said it out loud until Himchan answered.

"Yeah, we tried getting him to audition many times before, but he wouldn't budge. But when Minhyeon landed the role, he ran faster than.. uh.." Himchan paused thoughtfully, thinking of a way to put it into words. "Like if Zelo was starved for years and someone offered cherry tomatoes..Yeah, he was like that."

Zelo felt his heart swell up. They still remembered him. It was okay. Everything was going to be alright.

Then when he looked at the stage, he felt his heart deflate again. They were about to kiss.

No, no no, please no. Zelo chanted in his head,

But then the boat was tipped over and the curtains closed.

Zelo let out an audible sigh of relief.

Beside him Youngjae leaned down to whisper on his ear.

"You're breathing again? I could see you holding your breath when they were about to kiss. Do you have a crush on my Minhyeonnie?.. And seriously, didn't you watch the American version of the Little Mermaid, I knew they were going to tip over and.." 

Zelo barely paid attention to the last sentece Youngjae said. He was too busy staring at the next scene, where Minhyeon was pretending not to know how a fork was used at used it to comb her hair.

--

The rest of the play passed by quickly. As much as Zelo wanted to watch, eveyone started asking questions to why he left, what happened in America, and many various things that took his attention off the play.

Soon enough he was telling how life was outside of Korea and when he told them how some girls their age dressed, Himchan's mouth dropped open.

"In p-public?" Himchan stammered, blushing lightly as if he could already see them.

"Close your mouth before a fly comes in." Yongguk glared at him disgustedly. 

The rest of the audience rose to their feet and aplauded, apparently the play was over.

"Let's go congratulate tokki in the backstage!" Yongjae clapped his hands together and started leading the way.

Zelo suddenly felt nervous, but he didn't know why. He felt his palms go sweaty and he pulled his mask back on, determined to hide the blush that was now creeping up his cheeks.

He hung at the back of the group, taking his time walking, when Daehyun was beside him.

"Hey, cool mask! Do they usually wear that in America?" he asked, looking closely at the design on Zelo's.

"Not really, but hey, do you want one? I brought home a handful for you guys.." Zelo smiled, though Daehyun couldn't see his mouth, he knew it by Zelo's eye smile.

"Sweet!" Daehyun replied.

They had now reached the backstage and people were congratulating the cast.

Zelo saw Minhyeon looking excited and breathless and was about to surprise her when she ran over and jumped unto someone's arms.

He twirled her around and set her back down, and Zelo could see it was Jongup.

He turned to Daehyun, who looked solemn, "Are they..?"

Before he could finish his question, Minhyeon and Jongup walked over to them, hand in hand.

"How was it?" she said breathlessly and with her face flushed. Oh how Zelo loves it when she blushes.

"Er...It was good that they gave a happy ending." Youngjae said uncertainly.

Minhyeon suddenly looked angry.

"I knew you weren't watching! If you actually paid attention, you would know that the ending wasn't like in the American movie!" she huffed, eyebrows together. She bit her lip and composed herself, looking around and glaring at the rest of them.

Then her eyes landed on Zelo.

"Is that..?" she said, barely above a whisper.

Before Zelo could answer for himself, Youngjae jumped in.

"Yeah, you see, that's why we didn't watch properly, he arrived and we were kinda catching up and .."

Zelo paid no more attention to him as he noticed Minhyeon let go of Jongup's hand and start walking towards him.

She looked up, (he had grown alot since he'd gone) and studied his face.

"Zelo?" she said uncertainly. Examining his now light pink hair and eyes, as his face was still covered by the mask.

Zelo jumped a bit when she reached up and took the mask off. Then she broke into a smile.

"It is you!" she beamed. "Oh how are you? How have you been? Wow, you're much taller!" she said very quickly.

He couldn't suppress his smile.

Jongup walked up beside them and grinned widely, thumping his hand on Zelo's back.

"Welcome back." he smiled again and said nothing more. Jongup had always been a man of few words.

"I see you changed your hair." Zelo said, trying to start a conversation.

Jongup's hand went up to touch his hair and laughed.

"Well, you did too, as I can see." Jongup said, eyeing Zelo's pink hair. "But yeah, I had to, for the part. But I want to change it back.."

"Wah, no oppa, I like it this way. I think darker hair suits you better." a voice said, which Zelo had reconized as Minhyeon's. He almost forgot she was there.

"You think so tokki?" Jongup smiled fondly, gazing at her.

Minhyeon blushed so hard that Zelo thought she was like cherry tomatoes, well, he thought, they're both my favorite..

Zelo suddenly understood. Jongup and Minhyeon were together. 

He ignored the unfamiliar twinge he felt in his chest, and opted to change the subject.

"Why is everyone calling her tokki?" he asked, trying to sound curious.

"How about we go back to our place and get to that later?" Youngjae grinned.

Everyone agreed and shuffled out, walking to their house.

--

End of Chapter

--

So what do you think, guys? Did I do the 2nd chapter justice? Don't worry, I'll get to their love story real soon. I just wanted to fill in a chapter.

I've finally decided it's going to be five shots. :D