"F-family? Dead? What on earth are you uttering about, huh, Zelo? Are you serious?" Kyungmi cried in disbelief, trying to hear Zelo say such words again and give her a valid reason first.

"Yeah. They're dead. They died when I was twelve." Zelo answered, his eyes refusing to make contact with Kyungmi's.

"H-how? Why? What happened?" Kyungmi asked. "Is it okay... if you tell me?"

"... I don't mind." Zelo said.

"Okay, tell me." 

"Okay."

"Umma, are you sure that appa can drive well tonight?" twelve years old Zelo worriedly asked as he tightened his grip on his mother's shirt. The sky was inky black and not a single star rose. The moon was covered by the clouds, a sign that the rain would be pouring sooner or later.

"I'm sure your appa can drive well tonight, Junhong-ah." her mother smiled as she caressed her son's head. "Appa would do well, right, yeobo?"

"Definitely." their father nodded, smiling. It might not be obvious, but their father was really drunk. They just attended a party and unluckily, he got into some drinking despite Junhong and his mother's warnings. And him driving them home would be quite troublesome. Who knows what could happen?

"Appa should drive carefully, okay?" Junhong reminded.

"Aish, quit being too worry-bout, Junhong!" Zelo's older brother said, patting his back in assurance. "Appa would drive well! We all know how great he is, right?"

"But... hyung." Zelo frowned.

"I'll drive safely, Junhong. Don't worry." their father laughed. "Palli, let's get home already. The night's growing late and we should get going before rain starts falling."

"Agreed. It's hard to travel in night time especially when raining." their mother agreed. "You two, get in the car already."

"Nae, umma."

With that, the family hops inside their vehicle and starts to drive away from the place. Zelo still felt uneasy about things as he somewhat can predict what might happen... and he didn't like it. His eyes watched as the inky black sky have some lights formed around them.

Lightning.

"Umma, I'm scared." Zelo softly said as he reached for his mother's arm.

"Aigoo, don't be scared, Junhong. Hyung'll protect you!" his older brother smiled as he cuddled his younger brother lovingly.

"Even though. Junhong is still scared, hyung." Zelo softly said.

"Aish, chill will you, boy?" his father blabbered, the liquor obviously kicking in. "We'll arrive home safely... I promise."

"Umma, I think the liquor's kicking in appa..." Zelo said in fright.

"Nonsense, Junhong. It's not." their mother laughed. "Right, yeobo?"

"Nae~"

"Chill, lil' bro. We'll be safe, okay?" his older brother chuckled before ruffling his hair. "Here, why don't you sleep for a while? It's still quite a trip, y'know."

"Shireoyo, hyung. I'm good."

"... You're choice."

Minutes passed and still, Zelo can't calm himself. And everything was worse now since his father was starting to blabber things about this and that. Nonsense blabbering to be exact. It was scaring him, and his heart was beating fast. He wanted to close his eyes but he can't. He can just pray for the best, that they'll arrive home safely and have a bright tomorrow again. That they'll be laughing together as usual.

He wanted that to come...

"You okay now, bro?" his older brother asked, tapping his arm.

"No." he softly answers, his grip on his brother tightened. "I'm not, hyung."

"Hyung's here. Come here." he said, hugging his brother to ensure him to safety. "Hyung'll protect you, I promise. Don't be scared, Junhong."

"... Nae. I trust hyung a lot so I know I'll be safe if I stay beside him." Zelo managed to say while smiling.

"There. A smile fits you better, y'know."

"Nae."

"You two look cute together when you're that close." their mother teased. "I'm glad you two are having a good brotherly relationship unlike typical siblings out there."

"Nae, umma." his brother replied, smiling. 

After a few minutes later, fear and nervousness soon reached Zelo's older brother and mother. Their vehicle was obviously going faster and the control wasn't that accurate anymore. Their father was falling into the effect of the alcohol. It was making him drunk this late.

"Yeobo! You're going too fast! Be careful and slow down, will you?!" Zelo heard his mother cry out as her grip on the passenger's seat tightened. He felt how his brother's grip on him tightened on his back, his heart beating faster and faster upon hearing his father honk their car.

"Appa! Slow down!!!" Zelo heard his brother shout.

"Yeobo! Be careful!!!" their mother cried out in fear. With their father driving hell fast in the dimly lit road and under the hard pouring of the rain was really dangerous. The road is slippery due to rain and there weren't many lights that lit the road. It was scaring all of them.

And this is where the comes in...

"YEOBO!!! WATCH OUT FOR THAT TRUCK!!!" Zelo heard his mother shriek out in fear, making Zelo shut his eyes tightly. He knew it was over.

They'll die.

The car will crash.

They are going to die.

But that was what Zelo thought.

The next thing he knew, he felt a great push on his back as he heard the door open. His older brother had opened the door next to them and push Zelo out of their car. He was to shocked to scream and counter his brother's actions as he saw the next thing that happened.

After falling on the road, wounded and bleeding, he hears a loud crashing noise. His eyes were closed but the moment he opened them, it seemed as if he was seeing hell.

Their car, crashed onto a ten-wheeler truck. Their vehicle was greatly damaged and flames began to burn their car down.

Zelo, meanwhile, was at the complete stage of astonishment as he saw what happened. His mother, his father and his beloved older brother... burning inside their car.

Dying.

"Umma... appa.... hyung?" Zelo gasped before his sight blackens. 

Fainting under the cold pouring of the rain.

"Have you heard about the poor boy?"

"Choi Junhong was it? Poor fellow."

"Loosing his family at such an early age..."

"I heard he's suffering depression since he lost his family. Plus, I heard he's suffering child abuse from his aunt!"

"Poor boy."

Those were the often mumbles he often heard from people Zelo passed. It's been nearly a month since his parents and brother's death. It never left his head and forever haunted him. It was painful whenever he remembers them. Sometimes, he'd just cry in the blue whenever he reminisces his and his brother's memories together. All the fun he had with his mother ad father and their laughter. Their touch, their hugs, their voice. Everything. He misses everything about them.

He hated being alone...

But he's alone now, so there's nothing much he can do any longer.

He was left by himself.

No one to hold onto...

No one to lean onto...

NO ONE LEFT FOR HIM.

"I'm back, imo." little Zelo said softly upon opening the door. "Imo? Are you home? Hello?" he called out shyly as if he was entering a predator's territory.

"Junhong-ah!" he heard a loud booming voice echo inside the building. A woman in her late twenties came out of the corner, her arms crossed upon seeing Zelo. "You're late!"

"... I-I was?" Zelo blinked innocently. "M-mianhe... I was hungry and I ate outside. The orders were stacked up and mine was the last so... yeah... that's the reason."

"EXCUSES! Get working already! I'm starving!" 

"... Imo. I-I'm tired. C-can I do it late-"

"NO! In the kitchen! Now!"

With fear struck on him, he nods and dashes off to the kitchen. Eversince he lived under his aunt, who is his mother's sister, live was hell to the poor guy. He was abused by his aunt and treats him nothing like a nephew, but more of a servant. 

Despite being relatives, Zelo never felt family.

He never saw her as an aunt. Sure, he would support his education, but only that. He gives him food, sure, but only little. He wasn't treated like a nephew at all. Sometimes, he'd even get hit by that aunt of his for one little reason. For one little mistake he didn't even wanted to happen.

But because he takes the looks of his mother, she can't actually say no to him. He is still her nephew and he is still a family whether they like it or not.

"Umma, appa, hyung, why did you have to leave me alone?" Zelo softly said to himself as tears formed in his eyes. "I miss you. Hyung promised me that we'll be okay... but why?"

"I'd rather die than be here. Take me already... umma, appa, hyung..."

Days passed on like that.

Soon, weeks passed...

Then a month...

And everything continued like that.. No signs of changes.

Well, that's what it seemed.

A time that passed, in his school, he sat alone under a shady tree, jealous on how the other kids his age were laughing while playing and running. Some were playing his favorite sport, soccer. Some were chasing one another, chatting and so on. Him? Well, he was alone.

Alone.

"Envious." Zelo said to himself before burying his head under his arms, not wanting to see anymore of the fun others are having. Soon, he felt a light nudge on his feet, making him raise his head.

"Ah! Sorry, were you hit?" a male voice asked. It belonged to another boy, a bit shorter than Zelo, panting as he reached Zelo's place. "Mianhe..."

"Aniyo, I-I wasn't hit." Zelo politely answered as he handed the soccer ball to him. "Here..."

"Thanks!"

"Jongup! What's taking you so long?" another voice cried out as four boys, probably shorter than Zelo but obviously older them, ran towards him. 

"Oh goodness, we didn't hit them, right?"

"Kid, are you okay?"

"I-I wasn't it. Don't worry. I'm okay." Zelo smiled as he stood up, dusting himself. "I'm okay."

"Darn it, Youngjae kicked it too hard so it was here!" one said.

"Mianhe!"

"Hey, are you not playing?" one asked Zelo. "What's your name, by the way?"

"C-Choi Junhong." Zelo answered, smiling. "I-I have no playmates."

"How old are you, Junhong?" 

"T-Twelve."

"Oh! Too young! You must be our junior then!"

"W-why? How old are you guys? Who are you anyways?"

"I'm Moon Jongup, 13." Jongup said.

"I'm Yoo Youngjae, 14." Youngjae said.

"Jung Daehyun, 14."

"Kim Himchan, 15."

"Bang Yongguk, 15."

"N-nice meeting you." Zelo smiled. 

"Wanna play with us, Junhong-ah?" Himchan asked. "We need another player."

"S-sure! I'd love to!"

Thus, that's how B.A.P met Zelo. Through a soccer ball and that's how their friendship began. How they started and how they were formed.

B.A.P.

Years passed and now, Zelo was 15 years old. Jongup was 16, Daehyun and Youngjae were 17 and Himchan and Yongguk were 18. They finally made a group B.A.P and yes, they were popular due to their looks in no time. Zelo's attitude changes were still the same and his abuse got from his aunt was never ending.

B.A.P knew about this, and they pitied Zelo, thus, forming an idea.

"Junhong-ah, are you getting tired of your aunt's abusing?" Youngjae asked as he took a bite of his hotdog sandwich.

"To be honest, yes I am, hyung." Zelo sadly answered. "I dislike her scoldings over tiny things. I hate it."

"We feel bad for you, Junhong." Yongguk announced. "Thus, we've come up with a plan."

"Really? What?" Zelo asked with curiousness.

"We've decided to move to Seoul before you enter Junior High." Daehyun said. "Are you okay with that? The six of us, moving to Seoul? Living in a luxurious dormitory Yongguk-hyung bought."

"... A-are you serious about that, hyung?" Zelo gasped.

"Well, were we never serious?" Himchan smirked.

"I-I just... it's because it's too sudden." Zelo said.

"... Is that a no then?" Daehyun asked in frustration.

"It'll be sad if only the five of us move to Seoul. Without you, B.A.P's incomplete" Jongup sadly said, sighing. 

"Aniyo! I wanna go along!" Zelo said.

"Jinjja?"

"Nae! I'm sick of this life of mine here. I think it's about time I change my way and go follow my guts." Zelo smiled, making the other smile as well.

"Okay then, it's settled! Junhong, pack all your things this night, we're moving!"

"Nae, hyung!"

And as said by the older B.A.P members, Zelo begins packing his things secretly upon arriving his home. This would be the last time his aunt would treat him like a maid or something. He'll never return to this state of life again, after he moves to Seoul from Mokpo. 

It's good-bye Mokpo.

Hello Seoul.

***

"Ah~ Seoul!" Himchan clapped as he got down the bus with his luggages. The other members were just looking around the foreign place. They were smiling at the sight of the busy yet clean streets of Seoul. A foreign thing always interests the group the most.

"So, where's the dorm, hyung?" Daehyun asked.

"A few blocks away from here. We'll be there a few minutes." Yongguk smiled as he leads the way.

"Say, before we go, we should do a pact." Youngjae said.

"What is it, hyung? What pact should we do?" Jongup asked.

"That we would be together forever. We aren't breaking up, the six of us together in everything. We'll be united."

"We will and always be, Youngjae." Yongguk laughed. "You don't need to say that."

"As for Junhong, I wanna give him a new name everyone will know him as." Youngjae said as he turned around to Zelo.

"W-what name would it be?"

"... Hm.... Zelo?"

"Zelo?"

"Yeah! It's from the greek god Zelos, the god of rivalry." Youngjae smiled. "Like Zelos, you'll be a fighter, a brave young man who won't back out no matter what. You'll no longer shed a tear and will always show a strong persona!"

"...."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"I actually like that." Zelo smiled. "From now on, I am Choi 'Zelo' Junhong!"

And that day forward, everyone knew Junhong as Zelo, the guy who never backs out once he has made his mind. A strong willed boy named Zelo.