Keifer's POV
Jay-jay!
Please answer your damn phone! It keeps ringing, but no one is picking up. When I check her current location, she's still here.
"Keifer! I found Rory!" Drew shouted.
We immediately followed him. He pulled back one of the curtains, and there was Rory—shirtless—while a nurse stitched up the wound on his back.
"Good thing the wound is shallow. But we still had to stitch it to stop the bleeding," the nurse said as she placed a bandage over his wound.
"Thank you," Rory said.
We waited until the nurse walked away.
"Where's Jay-jay?!" I asked immediately.
"She was just right—" He stopped and looked around. "...She's gone. She was just here a moment ago."
Seriously?!
I scanned the area again, but there was no one else wearing an HVIS uniform. In fact, there weren't any other high school students around.
"Jay-jay was acting weird," Rory suddenly said.
"Huh?! What do you mean?" Ci-N asked.
"She suddenly started trembling in fear when she saw my blood flowing. She wasn't talking—just crying." He explained.
No!
Did it happen again?It can't be!
What if it did? And right now, she's still out of her mind?
I was about to leave and look for her again when Rory mentioned a name that made me stop.
"Good thing David arrived in time to help us," he said with a smile.
David helped them.
Fvck! No!
They can't be together. Does he really think I don't notice? He's up to something.
I ran as fast as I could while repeatedly calling her phone. Then, out of nowhere, I heard a very familiar ringtone.
"Secrets" by OneRepublic.
I followed the sound. The faster I moved, the louder it got.
I was already far from the emergency room. The hallway was dimly lit, and no one else was passing through.
Then, I stopped—at the same moment that the ringtone stopped, and my phone call ended.
Right at the corner, she was sitting on the floor. Her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, head down.
I slowly walked toward her.
When I got closer, I knelt down. That's when I noticed—her entire body was covered in blood. Her hands too.
No! Please! Not this again!
"Jay..." I called her.
She slowly lifted her head and looked at me. Then, all of a sudden, she burst into tears.
"K-Keifer..." she sobbed and immediately threw her arms around me.
I hugged her back.
Oh crap! I thought something had happened to her. I thought it had happened again.
"You made me worried sick!" I said and kissed the top of her head.
"Keifer... T-there's so much blood." She sobbed.
I gently rubbed her back and stroked her hair.
"Sshhh... It's okay, I'm here. Don't cry."
"I-I was so scared... I thought it w-would happen again."
"Stop crying... Everything is okay now," I said.
But she wouldn't stop.
And I knew—it's hard to stop crying when you just can't.
So, I let her. Let her cry like a child.
But I felt relieved when she said she thought it would happen again.
That means it didn't happen.
But why?
As much as I wanted to ask Jay-jay about it, I knew I couldn't. She couldn't even explain why it happens—so how could she explain why it didn't?
Her phone rang.
She was still crying, so I reached into her bag and took it out myself.
Her bag and things were also stained with blood.
It was Yuri calling.
Not this time!
I put her phone on silent without declining the call.
I won't let Yuri have Jay-jay now.
She is mine!
"Keifer..." Jay-jay called me and stopped crying. "...Rory? How is he?" she asked worriedly.
She adjusted her sitting position and faced me. She looked so messy, her body and face covered in blood. And to make it worse, she was wearing white.
"He's fine now..." I said and forced a smile.
I wiped her tears and the blood on her cheeks.
"I-I don't understand," she said.
"Hm?"
"I saw blood... S-so much blood, but I didn't lose consciousness or hurt anyone."
"We'll figure that out. But right now, you need to rest and clean yourself up," I said, standing up.
I offered my hand to her. She took it and stood up.
She barely took a step before her knees gave out, and she almost collapsed.
Luckily, my reflexes were quick—I caught her before she hit the floor.
"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.
"M-my knees are still shaking."
Without a second thought, I lifted her in a bridal carry.
I felt her tense up in surprise.
"K-Keifer..."
"Shut up and let me be a gentleman," I said with a smirk.
This girl—she never realizes when I'm being a gentleman to her. All she seems to know is how to insult me.
I quickly walked back to the emergency room, where everyone was gathered around Rory.
I could clearly see how Yuri looked at us. His expression when he saw me helping the girl he loves—but he can't do anything about it.
Envy. Jealousy. Disappointment.
"What happened to Jay-jay?!" Ci-N asked, running toward us.
"Nothing. She just needs to get cleaned up and rest."
I laid her down on the bed beside Rory's. Now that I could see her more clearly, I noticed the scrapes and bruises on her elbows and knees.
"Ci-N! Get some towels and water!" I ordered. He immediately called one of the nurses and asked for what I needed.
Yuri stepped closer, looking at Jay-jay.
"Jay! What happened? Are you in pain?!" Yuri asked worriedly.
I wanted to laugh at his expression. He was being way too obvious in front of our classmates.
He was the one who said he didn't want anyone knowing about whatever was going on between him and Jay-jay.
And yet here he was, practically announcing it to the world.
That fvcking engagement!
"I-I'm okay... What about Rory?" Jay-jay asked.
Rory, who was lying almost directly across from her, immediately waved.
Comparing their current states? Jay-jay honestly looked more beaten up than Rory.
A nurse approached us, bringing the things I had asked for. I grabbed a towel, soaked it in water, and gently held Jay-jay's face, wiping away the blood.
I couldn't help but look into her eyes. But she chose to look away.
I understood—especially with Yuri standing right in front of us.
Yuri took a towel as well and started wiping the blood off Jay-jay's arms and hands.
Ha! And the competition begins!
Jay-jay's POV
They look so weird. If it weren't for what just happened, I would've smacked these two on the head. I can't even tell if they're actually helping me or just showing off to each other.
I'm really confused! Why didn't what usually happens to me happen this time?
While these two continued whatever they were doing, the others were discussing the attack by those guys from another school.
"There were so many of them... They were after Jay-jay, just like the others," Rory explained.
"I'm sure they'll be back," Edrix said.
"It's strange, though. Why are they coming out now? Why not before, when we used to roam around freely?" Eren questioned.
Yeah, why not back then? And why am I their target again? Aren't they getting tired of this? Because I sure am.
"It's very simple," Keifer suddenly joined the conversation. "...Ram has weakened, so there's no one keeping the gangs in this area in check anymore."
Ram? The one I hurt before?
"What do you mean 'keeping them in check'?" Ci-N asked.
Of course—if it's about fights, this guy is always active. He gets interested all of a sudden.
"He was the one controlling them. Now that he's weak, there's no one keeping them in line. So they're like wild animals that escaped their cage," Keifer explained while wiping my face.
"But why is Jay-jay their target?" Felix asked.
"To get revenge on me," Keifer answered quickly.
We all turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue.
"...They all think you're my girlfriend," he said to me.
Oh... right!
That's what those guys who attacked me at the Christmas party said. And they said it again just now. Where the hell did that rumor even start?
"What are we going to do now?" Yuri asked, pausing what he was doing.
"We can keep an eye on Jay-jay to make sure no one hurts her," Blaster suggested.
"That could work... but we all have our own things to deal with, so it might not be practical," Felix replied.
"Whoever is available can take turns," Drew suggested.
"I can do it! 24/7!" Ci-N said, raising his hand.
"24/7?" Josh asked.
"I live with them, so it's not a problem."
My eyes widened at what he just said. Shit! They don't know about that yet!
Everyone froze and turned to look at Ci-N.
"You live at Jay-jay's house?" Kit asked.
Ci-N proudly nodded, then glanced at us. Then, out of nowhere, he suddenly hid behind Felix—for reasons I didn't understand.
I turned to look at the two beside me, who had both stopped wiping my wounds.
Oh no. Ci is so dead!
Keifer and Yuri were both giving him murderous glares. They looked like they were about to kill a child.
"Kindly explain... Why is Ci-N living in your house?" Yuri asked me.
"W-what?"
Why am I suddenly so nervous?!
I looked at Ci-N for help, but that idiot was now fully hiding behind Felix.
What the hell?!