Keifer's POV
The wound hurt, but I didn't mind it. This wound meant nothing to me. I needed to do what had to be done.
"We just finished making a plan, and now here you are, lying there." Keigan scolded me like an adult man.
"I didn't ask for this," I said, almost whispering.
He released a heavy sigh. "I'll go home first to take care of Keiren."
He started walking away, but before reaching the door, he turned to look at me.
"Please… Have a full rest."
My lips formed a thin line, and I answered him with a small nod. He finally stepped out of the room. I felt like I could breathe freely again when I heard the click of the doorknob.
Keigan became bossy while scolding me. I instantly forgot who the eldest between us was. I only gave him the authority to be the head planner. But it felt like I also gave him the authority to be my boss.
Tss…
The bathroom door slightly opened, and Yuri peeked out.
"Is he gone?" he asked.
"He's gone… Come out now."
He widely opened the door before stepping out of the comfort room. Felix, Ci-N, and David followed behind him.
They had to hide in the bathroom when they found out Keigan was coming. He would definitely interfere if he knew we were planning something.
Just the presence of my friends was enough to make him suspicious.
Even our other friends were forced to leave the room just to hide from him. What I didn't understand was why they all disappeared. One or two of them could have stayed.
"That bathroom smells so good. The scent is amazing," Felix said while sniffing himself.
"That's not the bathroom. You're smelling my fart," Ci-N answered and laughed.
I saw Felix grimace. He was about to hit Ci-N, but David beat him to it.
"Ouch…"
"Don't lie. Your fart doesn't smell good. That's tested and proven," David said. "…Jay-jay can also prove it."
Our eyes automatically turned to him. It was as if he had said something strange.
"Oh… Insensitive," Ci muttered, though he made sure we all heard it.
"What? Isn't Jay-jay the reason we're here? Stop acting surprised every time you hear her name," David said, crossing his arms.
Ci looked at me while pouting, as if he was waiting for my response.
David had a point, but I couldn't help but glance away whenever I heard her name.
Especially when it came from his mouth.
"That's enough. Call the others. We have a lot to talk about," I said to make them stop.
"I already did," Yuri said while holding his phone.
It wasn't long before the door opened and the troublemakers entered, making noise and pushing each other around.
"Damn, bro! I was so nervous because of Keigan. His presence was different today," Drew said.
"Nothing's changed. He just got more arrogant," Blaster said, annoyed.
It looked like their fight still wasn't over.
"Wow… So brave, huh? His brother is right here, in front of you," Denzel teased, referring to me.
"So what? I'm not here for him. I'm here for Jay-jay," Blaster said.
It didn't really matter to me if he still had an issue with Keigan. He had the guts to say that right in front of me.
But he was right—he was here because of Jay-jay.
That's what I want anyway.
"Are we all complete?" Yuri asked them.
They looked at each other to see if someone was missing.
"It feels like we're missing someone."
"Yeah, I think so too."
"We're definitely missing someone."
I looked around and silently counted them. No one seemed to be missing.
"Who's not here?" Felix asked.
"Ci-N's not here," Drew answered.
Ci immediately frowned and pointed at himself. "I'm here!" he said.
They all looked at him with weird smiles. I had a feeling I knew what they were about to say.
"It's because you're standing. That's why we didn't see you," Mayo said, and they all burst into laughter.
I smiled slightly. For now, I had nothing to worry about with them. I knew they wouldn't abandon Jay-jay, especially when I left.
"I'll grow taller too! You'll see!" Ci said angrily, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall with a huff.
The others just ignored him.
"That's enough. Let's talk about our plan," I said, and they all turned serious.
The truth was, I had been thinking about this since last night.
I would challenge all the groups in our area. If they couldn't be convinced through warnings, then I would do it through force.
And if I defeated them… they would become my underdogs.
Keigan told me to have more allies. And that's exactly what I was doing now—gathering as many allies as I could.
I would start from the bottom before recruiting more powerful people.
Just like Angelo.
"We already sent a warning to the groups we've fought before," Yuri said while still holding his phone. "…as expected, they just laughed and asked if they could have a one-on-one fight with you."
"Some of them are even asking for conditions," Rory added. "…they want to face you and fight you, but if you lose, you'll become their servant."
"This won't work. No one wants to listen to the warning we sent," Edrix said, placing his hand on his chin.
"If that's the case, maybe we should just ask for help from Jay-jay's cousin," Drew suggested.
Yuri and I looked at him.
I knew they were aware of how strong Jay's cousin was, but I didn't expect them to know about what he did and what he was capable of.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Tiger told me what kind of person Jay's brother is. He has more connections than we expected. He's been gathering them since he was a kid. We can use that to protect—"
I cut him off. "No! We're not going to ask for his help."
"I think Drew is right," David said. "…whether we admit it or not, we're weak. We lack experience and people who can help us."
"That's exactly why we're doing this—to change that," Yuri said.
"We're out of time. We can't afford trial and error anymore," Denzel added.
"I don't agree with asking for help from his brother," Felix interrupted. "…there will definitely be a huge price to pay for that."
"He'll take Jay-jay away from us!" Ci-N shouted, looking scared. He even slapped both of his hands on his face.
"That's even better! Besides, he's not safe here with us!" Josh answered.
"How can you be sure that he'll be safe even if he's away from us?" I asked, and they all fell silent. "…it's even more dangerous to take chances, especially if he's far away."
"Keifer is right," Yuri agreed. "It'll be harder for us if he's far. There's a chance our past enemies might still go after him wherever he goes."
That's why he can't be away from our friends. He's safer if he stays here.
"Hurry up and decide, Keifer. If you take too long, ten groups might have already gone after Jay-jay," Calix said.
I nodded. Right now, I can't go after the groups challenging me to a fight. I'm still in the hospital, and the doctor hasn't allowed me to leave yet.
They continued discussing the plan. Some gave suggestions, while others shared their opinions. Some even insisted on asking Angelo for help.
Tss… That's not an option.
I know he already has a hunch about what's happening. He's probably just waiting for me to come to him, and of course, he'll give me conditions that I won't be able to refuse.
Angelo is too smart. He's hard to outmaneuver. If I have to learn how to be clever to outwit my enemies, I should be learning from him.
"Keifer!" Felix called me. "…My brother texted! Jay-jay just finished fighting a group."
Worry engulfed me. This is exactly what I was talking about.
"What's Jay-jay's condition?" Yuri asked.
"He's fine, but the group he fought seems to be one of the groups we've clashed with before."
Damn it!
No one really wants to listen to the warning we sent. I have no choice.
"Ci-N! Call your father, tell him to discharge me now," I said and forced myself to stand up.
They all immediately rushed to stop me.
"Stop it!" Yuri shouted at me. "How will you fight when you're like this? You haven't even recovered your strength yet!"
"I will hunt those bastards and use them as an example."
"We'll handle it," David said, making me pause. "Don't force yourself. Besides, they're weaklings. We can take them."
"David is right. We'll take care of it. You rest and focus on planning," Ci-N said while stretching his legs.
It was obvious he was warming up for a fight. He didn't even bother hiding his excitement.
"I'll go with them," Yuri said and forced a smile. "…It's the least I could do."
"I'll stay here. I'll take care of the message we need to send. Just make sure to send me the pictures immediately," Edrix said as he took out his laptop from his bag.
"Let's go! Let's go!" Mayo urged.
"I'll stay behind," Kit said, and they all looked at him. "…I think there's something Keifer and I need to talk about."
"Stay behind—." It was Mayo speaking, but Eren immediately cut him off.
"You're coming with us. Let's leave them to talk," he said, and I saw Mayo clench his fists.
What for?
The others started leaving. Yuri made sure I wasn't going to escape before stepping out. The rest followed, leaving only me, Edrix, and Kit behind.
"Do you think they can handle it?" Edrix asked while looking at the closed door.
"It sounds like you don't trust them," Kit said, and Edrix immediately shook his head.
"It's not like that. The gangs are more aggressive now that Ram is gone. They're looking for a new leader, and they see themselves as candidates." Edrix explained.
He was right. They would do anything to rise above. And they saw me as an obstacle to that, which is why Jay-jay was their target—so I wouldn't be able to fight.
"You're right, but don't forget... As Jay-jay said, we're Vipers." Kit said, making us smile.
"I don't see the connection, but it's true. We are Vipers." Edrix answered and shook his head.
Both of them looked at me. I smirked while shaking my head.
Yeah, I know. You're all Vipers, and I'm the King.
I lay back on my bed to rest. My wound throbbed because I forced myself to stand earlier. Maybe it was deeper than I thought. I should have never allowed that Z to make a move.
I didn't even know if he survived what his friend did to him. It would be better if he didn't.
I planned to close my eyes and sleep. I was confident that our friends could handle what they said they would. But sleep didn't come.
I heard Edrix say goodbye to Kit. I looked at them before Edrix walked out the door. Kit faced me and forced a smile.
"He's just going to buy food." He said, and I nodded.
He sat on the sofa in front of my bed. He obviously looked uncomfortable, and it pissed me off.
"Do you want to say something?" I asked in a serious tone.
He flinched. "U-uh… About what you found out—about me and Jay-jay—even though there's nothing… I-I mean… We didn't—."
"Kit." I cut him off. "I'm having trouble understanding you."
He scratched his head. He grimaced, clearly struggling to say something. He took a deep breath.
"A-about what you found out. The argument you heard between me and Mayo."
I frowned but tried my best to remain calm. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
"That you tried to kiss Jay-jay." I said as a statement, not a question.
He lowered his head. "I only attempted, but it didn't happen."
I tilted my head slightly. I want to stand up and punch him.
He tried to kiss Jay-jay… My Jay-jay.
Even if it didn't happen, I wasn't pleased. He tried to kiss my Queen. No one was allowed to kiss her. I would never allow anyone to kiss her. She's mine, and what's mine will always be mine.
I took a deep breath to calm my anger.
"You know exactly what you did, right?" I asked, irritated.
"I-I…"
"How dare you try to touch her?" I said, trying my best to stay calm. "…You tried to claim what is mine. Do you dream of dying by my hands?"
I saw him swallow hard. I glanced at my hands. I realized that my fists were clenched.
"I-I know… Once you claim something, no one else can come near." He said. "…But I didn't do it to steal her from you."
I looked at him like I was ready to kill him. For the first time, he met my gaze directly. It was like he was challenging me—no! It was like he was fighting for something.
"Explain." I said.
"I wasn't in my right mind at that time. Jay-jay was just there in front of me, willing to listen—to my problems." He explained. "…I asked for her help." He smiled slightly. "But she punched me instead. We were both shocked, but that was what woke me up."
"I don't see how that connects to you trying to kiss her."
He nodded briefly. "I asked for her help, Keifer. I asked for her help to make me…" I saw regret in his eyes before he immediately pushed it away. "…to make me…" He took a deep breath. "…a real man."
I frowned. "W-what?"
"I'm gay, Keifer."
I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. Did he just say the word 'gay'?
He was Kit, one of my friends. One of the people I always relied on. He never backed down from a fight. He was mischievous and always chased by girls, second only to Eren.
He is Kit… and he's gay?
"W-wait… what?" was all I could say.
He scratched his cheek, looking irritated.
"Do I have to repeat it?"
I shook my head. "No. It's just that—how?"
"I don't know how. All I know is that I no longer feel attracted to women." He said.
I stared at him for a while. I was processing everything in my mind, trying my best to understand it.
"So… You're gay." I said, still lost for words. "…You romantically like men and not women."
He nodded slowly.
"You don't actually like or feel attracted to Jay-jay."
He shook his head slowly.
A smile slowly formed on my lips. I can't believe this. Until I couldn't hold it in anymore—I burst out laughing.
Shit!
All this time, I thought he also liked Jay-jay. I thought he had special feelings for her. I thought I had another person to watch out for.
"K-Keifer… are you okay?" Kit asked.
I still couldn't stop laughing. I held onto my wound because it started throbbing, but I kept laughing.
"You're gay, and you don't really like Jay-jay."
I said, still laughing.
"Not that I don't like her. I mean, I like her as a person."
I started feeling tired from laughing, so I stopped and lay back down properly.
"I really thought I'd have to keep an eye on you. I feel relieved." I told him.
He looked at me, confused. "So, it doesn't bother you that I'm gay?"
I shook my head. "Do you find me attractive?"
"No."
"Then I have no reason to be bothered. You're still the same Kit I know. Still my friend, still my classmate. Nothing changes—unless you decide to change your gender to female."
He quickly shook his head. "No. I'm not changing it."
"Then I have no reason to be bothered." I said, and he smiled. "…At least I'm comfortable asking you to take care of Jay-jay."
He looked confused. "Why would you ask that?"
I cleared my throat. "I have to go back to London before my birthday. With everything I have to do, I need to be there a month early."
"W-what about Jay-jay? Is that it? You're just going to leave her—leave us without a clue about what's really happening?"
"Trust me. It's better this way. The less you know, the safer Jay-jay will be." I said.
He was about to say something when the door opened.
It was Edrix, carrying way too much food.
"Kit! Help me!" Edrix shouted.
Kit looked at me first before running to help him. Edrix was carrying a bunch of large junk food bags.
They set them down on the coffee table beside the sofa.
"Alright… time to eat!" Edrix said, rubbing his hands together.
He was about to open one when he noticed we were just staring at him, not moving.
"What?" He asked.
"You're doing this on purpose. You know I can't eat yet." I said, irritated.
"Have you checked your phone? Maybe they sent you a message." Kit said.
"You guys are so cruel." Edrix muttered before taking out his phone. "…Oh, here it is! The message just came in."
He grabbed his laptop and started typing, clearly excited.
"Type my message down." I commanded, and he gave me the go-ahead. "…This is the first warning. Cross my path, and I'll break some bones. Touch my girl, and I will open the gates of hell. Don't test my patience—I can be a living beast."
I'm a Watson. I am cursed. And I am turning into a beast.
Because I am in love.