Secrets and Lies

15

"NOONA I'VE MISSED YOU." Zelo ran up and threw his hands around the girl's neck. He was overwhelmed by happiness. It was something that Jiyoo weren't, "what are you doing here?" she was confused and irritated at the same time, "shouldn't you be in school?" the girl added on whilst watching how Zelo placed himself down on the chair next to her. "Ah, that. I just told my homeroom teacher that I had an appointment at the dentist." That was a white lie, he hadn't told anyone about anything. He'd simply just left school. Jiyoo just nodded, she was more than certain that it was a lie but decided to let it slip. There was no point in arguing about such a matter.

"Who are you?" Ahri blinked, stunned by the sudden appearance of a blond boy. She was real curious to why the boys her sister knew had colored hair, "and why is your hair like that, are you getting old?Unnie said that all the old people's hair turn white like yours before it falls off. Does that mean that you're old and that your hair is going to fall off soon?" the logic of that child was hilarious and Jiyoo couldn't help but to crack a smile.

"I'm the prince of blond hair, Zelo. And no, my hair is not about to fall off." The boy blurted out without any sort of shame. Ahri was more amazed than Jiyoo though; "A prince, then, do you grant wishes?" it was with wide and innocent eyes that the kid stared at Zelo, "Only if I get a kiss." Jiyoo rolled her eyes, such a perverted middle school student. "Don't list -." She was cut short by her younger sister, "Unnie, kiss him. I want more ddeokbokki." The girl let out a dry laugh, she couldn't just kiss him. Plus,to do such favors wasn't really what Jiyoo had in mind.

"T -tell us about the king of blond hair instead." She hated herself for stuttering, and she truly hated the smirk that became evident on Zelo's lips once he'd heard it. The boy played along, "the king, hm. That would be Daehyun hyung. He has had the blond hair longer than me so therefore is he the king." Jiyoo had sort of already expected that answer, well, she was happy as long as the kiss ordeal was pushed aside.

"So you copied him, how original." Her sentence was overflowing with sarcasm. "I didn't." Jiyoo was deaf to his explanation; he'd obviously copied the blond hair from that freak. "Of course you did." Ahri was watching, slightly fascinated of the way her sister talked to the prince. "I did not." Zelo continued, the pout on his lips did nothing to Jiyoo.

She was to say not really into the whole aegyo thing. The girl found such things to be annoying. "Ahri, this is Zelo. The stupid blond prince who's age can't be counted because it's below zero." The young child giggled whilst the blond boy's pout remained. "I'll go and buy some more ddeokbokki, stay there." Jiyoo stood up and walked over to the ahjumma.

Her eyes were, during the wait for the food, on the two at the table. The kid was smiling and laughing in a way that Jiyoo had never seen her sister do before. Unconsciously did her gaze fall upon Zelo, and just at that moment did he look up and their eyes met. Shocked by the way her heart jumped the girl turned around. Jiyoo could not look at him. The absolute last thing she wanted was to give Zelo the wrong idea. Why did she have to look at him?

Well, that she'd slowly begun to understand. The girl would never admit that she somehow needed him. He had advanced further into her heart than anyone had done in two years, and that despite that Jiyoo had just known Zelo for a month and a half. The way he completely did his own thing, and that without giving a damn, was probably the reason to why he'd succeeded into entering her heart. Still, Yongguk was the one. Jiyoo could honestly not see herself with anyone else but him.

Jiyoo kept her eyes set on the ground as she handed over the plate with steaming hot ddeokbokki to Ahri. "Unnie, Prince Zelo was sad because you didn't kiss him so I said that he could come with us to the arcade." What, no. A groan threatened to spill from her tongue. To have Zelo with her was not the day she was looking forward to. "Ahri, the prince is probably busy with other stuff, like studying so that the pea-sized brain of his doesn't vanish completely." She found it utterly satisfying to bully the boy.

"Are you losing your mind?" once again was the kid astonished by the new information, "Yup, but only for Jiyoo noona." Her heart fluttered when Zelo gave her that look. It was a glance that couldn't be described. "What does that mean?" sometimes Jiyoo wished that her sister wouldn't be so curious about everything, and that was exactly one of those questions she wanted to skip. "That he's coming with us," because I don't want to think any further of what that means, she added inside her head. Zelo beamed, he was delighted when he saw the faint pink color on his noona's cheeks.

"Maybe I'll tell the king of blond hair to come to the arcade, would you like that Ahri?" Jiyoo shook her head but her action was overshadowed by her sister, "Really, the king. He should come too." Ahri was so excited that she choked on the cylinder sized piece of food. "Don't stress yourself." The girl grabbed the cup of water and held it to the kid's lips. The arcade hall was not going to disappear from its place.

"Unnie please let the king come, too." Ugh, Jiyoo gave the younger boy a glare whilst mouthing out, why did you have to bring Daehyun into this?Zelo, smiling, only shrugged his shoulders. He had a motive though, and that was to let his hyung join so that he, too, could keep an eye on the two girls. It was easier that way.

Half an hour later did the three of them enter the arcade. Much to the girl's relief had Zelo announced that the other blond boy couldn't come, which, after all, wasn't so difficult to understand. It was just past lunchtime and school hadn't ended. Though, Ahri was close to tears because of that, "Unnie I really wanted to meet the king." Droplets of tears fell from the five-year olds eyes and Jiyoo had to reassure her sister that they could meet him some other time. Something she hoped that they wouldn't need to, Jiyoo was hoping that Ahri would forget all about it in a few days.

"Ahri don't cry, I'll promise, the king will pay you a visit." Zelo butted in, the kid was definitely going to meet Daehyun one day or another. The only thing that troubled him was that he was uncertain to under what circumstances they were going to meet. His hyung wasn't exactly thrilled to meet new people, mainly because it was a risk.

Then again, a five year old would probably not threaten to kill him. Daehyun had, in a very serious tone, explained to Zelo that he would put his hyung in danger if he spilled information out in the open. The blond boy knew that the Seoul gang would be more than happy to get their hands on Daehyun. He was a goldmine that could increase the gang's income severely.

Zelo also knew that the decision to make Daehyun move from Busan to Seoul had been difficult for his father, and mother for that fact. The thing was, the old man only trusted his son with the task of protecting Jiyoo and her sister. He had, before the boy moved,also made sure to give Daehyun all the knowledge he needed. The boy had grown up practicing all kinds of defense techniques, including knife and gun handling. Being the only son of the man that led Busan's largest gang had its pros and cons. Zelo, in all honesty, admired Daehyun, the way his hyung lived life was totally different from him. He wouldn't have to look over his shoulder every other minute in fear of getting kidnapped or possibly killed. But Daehyun had never complained.

Though, Zelo could still remember one thing that the older boy had said in the start of their friendship. 'There might come one day when I can't be your friend anymore. It won't be because of you, but me.' at that time he didn't understand what Daehyun meant. But overtime that changed and Zelo understood perfectly now.

"Yah! Did your brain really disappear?" Jiyoo had extended her hand and flicked his nose. It was an action that surprised Zelo and he instinctively grabbed her wrist whilst snapping out of his thoughts. "Huh, did something happen?" the boy was slightly confused to what was going on. "Gosh, if you so desperately wanted to come then just don't stand there." Jiyoo yanked her hand back before heading over to Ahri who was playing some child game. A goofy smile spread on the boy's lips and he half ran over to the two girls. "So, you do care about me." she instantly shook her head, "no, but you were just standing there staring out into space, and then with that blond hair of yours. People probably thought you were a freak." Jiyoo nearly laughed as she explained how passersby had given him stares.

"Fool." the girl could try and come with excuses but he knew more than well that his noona cared. Otherwise she wouldn't have bothered. Ignoring the younger boy she turned her attention towards the game Ahri was playing. The laughter and smiles of the kid brightened Jiyoo's mood so much that the girl didn't even bother to lash about when Zelo, sneakily, slipped his hand into hers.