Keifer's POV
The surroundings I passed were mostly fields. I had no idea exactly where I was, but all I knew was that I was getting closer to Jay-jay. I saw a few houses here and there, but they weren't many. Because of how fast I was driving, the roar of my car's engine was loud and clear.
I was going at around 100 to 120 kilometers per hour. Whoever kidnapped Jay was smart enough to take her far away. Even if she tried to escape, she would be caught immediately.
It didn't take long before I saw the old building. It was three stories high, with faded paint. The name on it was almost erased, leaving only the word "coop" visible.
I stopped the car a few meters away. They couldn't see me yet. I quickly got out, taking long strides as I approached. I immediately spotted two men smoking at the entrance of the building.
Before they could even stand up properly, I slammed one of their heads against the wall. The other guy quickly stepped back, but I didn't let him escape. I grabbed him by the neck and pulled his face close to mine.
"Where the fvck is my girlfriend?" I said with a growling voice.
"N-n-n-na-sa…" He couldn't even finish his words because I was choking him, so he just pointed toward the third floor.
I let go of him but not before landing a hard punch on his face. Then, I turned away. I walked inside the building, immediately looking for the stairs leading to the second and third floors.
As I was going up, I crossed paths with someone familiar. Before he could shout, I kicked him hard in the chest. I wasn't sure about his name, but I knew he was part of the stupid Alphabet Gang.
That gang used letters for their codenames. They looked so ridiculous that Yuri called them the Alphabet Gang. They had disappeared a long time ago, but we had already beaten them back then.
They were probably down to just a few members now, considering there weren't that many people in the building. I continued straight to the third floor. I was still on the stairs when I heard people laughing.
I listened carefully to find out where it was coming from. Through an open door, I saw Jay-jay tied to a chair, blindfolded. She was at the far end of the room, and since all eyes were on her, no one had noticed me yet.
It seemed like they were laughing at her. I took advantage of the situation. I observed them all, noting their distance from where I stood. I also counted them.
"A girl…" One of them said. "…Everyone in the groups around here already knows you're Keifer's girlfriend. So why should we believe you?"
Looks like this part is my fault. I always told people she was my girlfriend, even though she wasn't—yet.
Nice job, Keifer.
She's definitely going to be my girlfriend anyway. I just said it in advance so that everyone knows she's mine. That way, no one else would dare try to pursue her.
Actually, I could just announce that she's my wife. She's my soon-to-be wife, after all. But that might be too much, and Jay might get mad.
Let's stick with "girlfriend" for now.
"We were never together…" She said. "…Because he only used me."
It felt like I had just been punched by what she said. But then, I realized my mistake.
I know it hurt her, but it hurt me too. It hurts me that I had to hurt her.
No worries… She's still mine. I'll make sure of that.
"He only used me to get revenge on my brother." She breathed out. "…Well, that's me! The idiot who fell right into his trap."
"Ouch." Someone commented.
"What did Keifer do to you?" One of them asked.
She shook her head, as if she wasn't ready to tell the whole story. I didn't move. I wanted to know what she was going to say.
But I'm quite confused. Why do these idiots seem to be listening to her? It's like they've forgotten that they're kidnappers and that Jay-jay is their hostage.
Turns out, they're gossipers too.
"So he made me fall in love! The bastard led me on, and when I fell, he said—just kidding!" she said in frustration. "…Good thing my head didn't crack open. Bataan almost collapsed."
It's not a joke, and I'm not leading her on.
"What an asshole! A total heartbreaker!" one of them commented again.
I arched a brow. Oh, so they were the ones making those comments? How embarrassing for them.
Each of them had something to say about Jay's story. Someone even cursed at me, which pissed me off. It was like a whole storytelling session, and now they were on Jay-jay's side.
I didn't really want to interrupt their little discussion, but we have to leave now.
"Nice story." I interrupted them.
I could clearly see the alarm on their faces. They all stood up and prepared themselves. I was right. There are fewer of them now compared to before. The alphabet isn't complete anymore.
I even saw their leader—what was his codename again? Z?—standing next to Jay-jay. His fists were clenched. He looked furious—at both of us or maybe just me.
I had a feeling he was especially mad because we kept calling them the Alphabet Gang. They never really had an official name. Yuri, Felix, and Ci-N just started teasing them, calling them Alphabet, and even sang the ABCD song to mock them.
I looked at Jay-jay. She's a bit tense but not scared at all. Maybe she recognized me.
"That was a heartwarming story. But something's missing."Because you didn't know the part that I fcking fell in love with you.*
Suddenly, someone lunged at me with a punch. I merely brushed off his fist before striking him back. That was all it took for the others to start attacking me one after another.
It was so easy. This group had become too weak. On top of that, their movements were reckless, as if they weren't thinking at all.
They kept cursing at me as they charged. They were all shouting different things that I didn't even bother to understand. I grabbed one of them and flipped him into the air. His landing was painful.
The others struggled to get back up and come at me again. I twisted one guy's arm before kicking another straight in the knee. He probably broke a bone. Almost no one was attacking me anymore. Most of them looked like they were about to give up—until a fist suddenly landed on my face.
That made me so damn angry. Someone actually managed to sneak in a punch.
"You bastard!" Z shouted at me.
"You never learn." I said, rubbing my jaw where he hit me. "…I already took you down before, and here you are again."
He smirked. "So what?!"
I gave him a deadly glare. He's still acting cocky, even though he's the only one left standing. His men are already down. That's why he dragged Jay-jay into this. From the beginning, they never had a chance against me. They kidnapped her, thinking I would surrender. He dragged in the woman I lo—
"You even involved—her!"
I almost said the woman I love.
"Shut up!" someone suddenly shouted from behind me.
I quickly turned around to dodge and shoved him face-first to the ground. I knew I sensed his presence behind me. That must be why Z still had the guts to fight me.
The guy I pushed to the ground went flying. The knife he was holding also flew out of his hand—he was definitely trying to stab me.
Z looked shocked and panicked. The guy I knocked down quickly got up and grabbed the knife again. I thought he was coming for me, but he ran in another direction.
He was heading toward… NO!
"Now, A!" Z shouted.
A raised the knife, aiming straight at Jay-jay. Blood rushed through my veins. My feet moved on their own as I ran toward him to stop him. His knife was just inches away from Jay when I grabbed his wrist and didn't let go.
But in that same moment, a sharp object pierced my right side.
My grip on A's wrist tightened as I turned to look behind me. Z was grinning arrogantly at me, as if telling me that I had lost.
I immediately grabbed his wrist, the one pressing the knife deeper into my side. Pain is roaming around my nerves, but I can't shout. Jay must not hear my suffering.
I slowly stepped back to put some distance between them and her. Z pressed the knife in even harder, while A was trying to free his hand from my grip.
Once I was far enough, A suddenly punched me in the chest with his free hand. I lost my hold on him, giving him the chance to stab me as well. The moment happened so fast—I grabbed Z by the collar and yanked him toward me, using him as a shield.
I saw exactly how much it hurt him to be struck. It's my turn to smirk back at him. He got the upper hand for a moment, but that's not gonna happen again.
He collapsed, looking at A, whose face was frozen in horror. I grabbed A by the neck and choked him until he lost consciousness. I have no intention of killing him. I want him to suffer and carry the guilt of what he did to his friend for the rest of his life.
I'm not that evil.
The knife was still embedded in my side. I couldn't pull it out, knowing that the blood would gush out uncontrollably. Jay-jay doesn't like blood. She might panic if she sees me like this.
I took slow, careful steps toward her. Every movement sent sharp pain through my side, making me wince.
"W-who's there?" Jay-jay asked, sounding scared. "…W-what's h-happening? Where is K-Keifer?"
Hey… It's me.
I couldn't speak because of the pain, so I just focused on getting closer to her. I need to check if they hurt her.
"W-who are you?" she asked again. "…I-is it y-you, Keifer? Say something."
I stopped in front of her, breathing heavily from the pain. I looked at her carefully. There were no signs that they had hurt her. Maybe just a few small bruises.
She kept trying to free herself from the ropes. I was about to help her when my eyes suddenly landed on her lips.
I remembered how harsh I had been the last time I kissed her. I want to apologize to her because I had to do it. There's so much I want to tell her. But I have to save it for later. She can't know yet. This situation is already enough for now.
Her cheeks had a few small bruises and were smudged with dirt. I smiled bitterly.
Sorry for making you suffer like this.
I reached out to touch her cheek, but she immediately pulled away, probably out of fear.
"Damn it! Get away! Don't touch me!" she shouted while turning her face away.
I bit my lip to hold back my laughter. She just cursed.
"Keifer!" she called. "…Help me!"
My smile faded, and I moved closer to her, but she kept backing away.
I'm here…
She was about to cry—I could sense it. Her lips trembled slightly. I wanted her to feel safe, to know that she was protected. But somehow, my eyes were drawn to her lips.
It was like a magnet pulling me in. The next thing I knew, our lips were locked together.
I badly miss kissing her.
For a moment, I could feel her relax, as if she felt safe. She stopped moving, as if she was trying to figure out who I was.
It's me… The man that you love. You're safe now. No one will hurt you now. I will protect you no matter what.
I pulled away to catch my breath. My eyes widened when I noticed that she looked like she was about to cry.
"Don't… Please." she begged. "…Have mercy on me."
Maybe she doesn't recognize me.
I stood up, intending to remove her blindfold, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my side, and I felt blood trickling down.
I had no choice but to pull out the knife still stuck in me.
I staggered backward from the pain. I took deep breaths before trying again, but my body had weakened. It seemed I had no choice but to call our friends.
I fell to my knees, feeling even weaker. I tried to stand, but I didn't even realize how far I had moved from Jay-jay's position.
I took a deep breath, gripping the knife handle tightly. With one heavy, deep breath, I yanked it out with all my strength.
I almost screamed in pain, but instead, I collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud.
I quickly forced myself to stand, even though my body refused to cooperate. I looked at Jay and was about to move toward her when someone suddenly shouted loudly.
"JAY-JAY!"
I turned to see Percy rushing in, running straight toward her. Behind him, the entire Section E followed, all their eyes turning to me.
I gestured for them to go to Jay-jay. Then, I forced myself to walk away. She couldn't see me like this.
I hadn't even reached the door when my legs gave out, and I sat down heavily.
"Keifer…" It was Eren, trying to help me.
Josh also rushed to my side, trying to pull me toward the nearest wall. They helped me lean against it.
"Let me check your wound." Josh said, but I pushed his hand away.
"Don't. She doesn't have to know."
"You're badly wounded, Keifer. You won't be able to hide this from her." It was Yuri.
I saw that they had already untied her from the chair. She must not see me like this.
I tried to stand up, but I was already struggling. My vision blurred slightly from the blood loss.
Eren and Josh helped me up. That was when I noticed Jay-jay staring at me, looking like she wanted to come closer.
Don't!
You can't come near me. You don't like blood. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable because of me.
She didn't move from where she stood.
I forced myself to walk while Eren and Josh continued supporting me. When we finally reached the outside, they were still holding me up. They helped me into Yuri's car.
I saw Jay-jay get into Percy's car. I couldn't help but look at her as she stared back at us. Her eyes looked sad.
I'm so sorry, Jay.
The only thing that matters to me is that you're safe. It doesn't matter if you worry about me or not. I'll endure any wound, any pain. I won't let them hurt you again.
Her car drove away, and all I could do was watch.
"Keifer! Give me your car keys. I'll drive." Felix said.
I handed him my keys. Yuri got into the driver's seat, while Ci-N, Eren, and Josh sat in the back.
"We're taking you to the hospital," Yuri said as he started the car.
I couldn't respond anymore. My mind was already racing, thinking about how to make sure this never happened again. It looks like I'll have to cripple every gang or group that goes against me to send a warning.
I started feeling cold. I don't know if it's because of the car's air conditioning. My eyelids felt heavy.
"Keifer!" Yuri called out, but I couldn't answer.
My body was forcing me to sleep. No matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, the drowsiness was overpowering. I could hear Yuri and Ci-N, but their voices were distant and unclear.
My vision blurred completely. I didn't know what was happening around me anymore, but I could feel them carrying me somewhere.
After a while, I realized I was lying on something soft. There was a moving light above me—or rather, I was the one moving.
Darkness slowly took over, and the last thing on my mind was Jay-jay and the sadness in her eyes.
I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but I woke up because of the various voices I could hear. They seemed to be talking, but I could only understand a few of them.
"Kuya said Jay-jay is okay." It was Felix.
"What's the problem with that Alphabet group?" It was Calix, sounding pissed.
"I don't know… But we have to make sure this won't happen again." Yuri said.
That's right. I have to make sure that this won't happen again.
I opened my eyes and observed them all. Some of them went silent when they noticed I was conscious.
"Keifer… Do you feel anything?" Yuri asked while walking to my bedside.
"J-Jay-jay?"
"She's okay. She's probably home now." It was Felix who answered.
Suddenly, someone jumped onto my bed at the foot of it.
It was Ci-N, all smiles.
"Another fight?" He asked.
David grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him away from my bed.
I tried to sit up, but my wound immediately throbbed in pain.
"Easy… Your wound is deep, and you lost a lot of blood." Eman said while pushing me back down.
"I-I have to make sure that this won't happen again. I have to send threats to the other groups." I said.
I noticed the way they all looked at each other. Some seemed confused, while others had mocking expressions, as if they didn't believe me.
"You're so confusing. You push Jay-jay away, then you risk your life for her." Mayo said while shaking his head.
"What's really the problem?" Kit asked, looking worried. "…If you're angry, you can take it out on us instead. Just don't do it to Jay."
"Did something happen that we don't know about?" Rory asked.
I shook my head. "It was all about the plan."
"Plan our ass! We're not stupid! We know you already stopped!" It was Denzel.
"So what now? What's your plan?" Drew asked.
I breathed heavily. I tried to clear my thoughts. I only had one thing in my mind.
"Protect Jay-jay. Send warnings to those who try to touch her." I said with authority.
"You're really confusing, Keifer. But whatever it is, if it's for Jay-jay…" David said.
All of them nodded and said the same thing. For Jay-jay, for her safety.