Jay-Jay's POV
"Are you eating well?" the nurse asked me.
I couldn't answer. The truth was, I hadn't been able to eat properly for several days. I often skipped dinner, had only rice for breakfast sometimes, and usually just ate bread. I could never manage to eat lunch properly either.
"N-not really," I replied weakly.
"That's why..." She said, standing up.
She took something from her desk and returned with two lunch boxes and a liter of juice. She placed them on the table next to my bed.
"Your classmates brought this for you," she said with a smile. "...Your body will weaken quickly if you don't eat properly."
There was also medicine next to the lunch boxes.
"Take this after you eat," she added.
I forced a smile and nodded. Then, she returned to her desk while I looked at the food on the table. I picked up the lunch box and opened it. It was filled with food, and I knew Eman had cooked it.
But I didn't want to eat.
Even though my body was trembling with hunger, I had no appetite. Not because I didn't like the food, but because I felt a heaviness in my chest when I thought about who had prepared it.
I glanced at the nurse, and she immediately looked back at me. She smiled before returning to her work.
If I didn't eat, I wouldn't be able to take my medicine. And if I didn't take my medicine, I wouldn't be able to leave this place. So, despite the weight in my heart, I forced myself to eat.
I had missed this taste.
I ate quickly and took the medicine the nurse had given me. I planned to rest, but I knew those snakes would come here soon. I stood up and adjusted my uniform.
"Where are you going? You should rest," the nurse said when she saw me getting ready.
"I-I'm going back to class," I lied.
"But you still need to rest," she insisted.
I had no intention of arguing with her. She watched me for a moment, and when she realized I wouldn't change my mind, she gave up and let me leave the clinic.
I had no plans of returning to class. I walked straight toward the school gate. I only had some money in my pocket—no phone. It had broken earlier.
I should have punched him in the face so I wouldn't regret this.
I was almost at the gate when I overheard a group of students from Section A talking loudly.
"…Terrible! Kiko is really in bad shape," one of them said, catching my attention. "He can't play basketball anymore."
"That's scary… Keifer is really a tough opponent," another one added.
"The person who reported him to the guidance office—or even pushed for expulsion—is worse," one of them chimed in.
"I guess that's what happens when someone is too loyal to the school. Wasn't it AriesFernandez?"
Aries reported Kiko to the guidance office?!
I was confused. Since when did Aries file a report? And how did this turn into an expulsion case so quickly?
Shaking my head, I continued walking.
I hadn't known where I was going before, but now I had an idea. I quickly found a ride.
Not long after, a taxi arrived, and I immediately hailed it. As soon as it stopped, I climbed inside.
"Jay-Jay!" someone called out.
I turned to see Yuri running toward me from the school. Without hesitation, I closed the door.
"Benedict Hospital!" I told the driver urgently.
The taxi sped off before Yuri could reach me. As we drove away, I kept my eyes on him. He had stopped at the gate, staring at me.
I just needed to get away.
I knew this was the right decision. At school, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like someone was strangling me. Like I'm a doll and is being controlled by invisible strings.
The flight took more than 30 minutes, probably because of the distance from the school. I'm practically broke from spending on the fare. That's it.
This is the rich hospital again.
As usual, there were only a few people here. Next to the hospital building, there was what looked like a park. I was about to walk through the main entrance when I stopped, noticing a man in a wheelchair in the middle of the park.
He was holding a closed book while looking up, feeling the wind blowing through the surrounding trees.
I slowly approached him and watched. His neck brace and wounds were gone, but his left foot and right hand were still wrapped in bandages.
"K-Kiko," I called him softly.
He opened one eye first, then the other, and when he recognized me, he adjusted his seat slightly and smiled.
"Jay-Jay..." he greeted me. "...How are you?"
I smiled back and bent down slightly to match his height. He looked healthier, not as thin as before. His face had brightened and was no longer pale.
"How about you? Looks like you're about to be discharged," I teased.
Instead of answering, he looked at my face as if reading my thoughts. His smile slowly faded.
"Can you help me?" he asked. "...I want to go around the park. Push my wheelchair for me?"
I smiled and nodded, then began pushing his wheelchair along the pathway. Every step was slow and steady, as the quiet surroundings created a peaceful atmosphere.
"Tell me a story..." he said. "...We haven't seen each other in a while. I thought you'd visit me more often."
"S-Sorry... I was just busy," I replied hesitantly.
"Busy with what?"
"With... everything that happened," I mumbled.
He was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his next words.
"Could you mind telling me what happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
I took a deep breath. I had come here to find out if what I heard was true. I also wanted to check on him.
But now, that didn't seem to be the reason anymore.
I stopped pushing and moved his wheelchair near a bench. Sitting down, I faced him.
"You look pale. Are you sick?" he asked.
I smiled and shook my head. "Just tired," I muttered, biting my lower lip. "...Tired of everything that's happening to me."
"Jay..." he said softly. "...Section A told me that you messed up."
I had intended to check on him, but somehow, our roles had reversed. It felt like I was the one who needed to be admitted to this hospital.
I took another deep breath. "Have you ever felt alone?"
"Well..." He glanced at his injured leg and arm. "...Yeah."
Obviously!
I let out a small laugh at my own question. Compared to him, I had it easy—at least my bones weren't broken. I was still standing.
"It sucks... feeling like you've been betrayed and played with. And it's not just happening at school, but at home too," I admitted, sounding like a child.
"So that's why you're acting like this," he said. "...That's okay. Aries won't let you down."
Wait—what?!
"Aries? Seriously?!" I scoffed. "That's just another problem. Another reason for my suffering."
He looked at me in surprise. "Why?"
"That horoscope is my brother, and for some reason, he's really mad at me. I don't even know why."
Kiko tilted his head slightly, as if deep in thought. "Weird."
"Really weird."
"But when I tried to....." he waited for a moment "Aries came to stop me."
I froze.
Aries came? Impossible! Weren't my best friends the ones who helped me?
I forced a laugh. "You must have lost some memories from being beaten up. Keifer and Yuri were the ones who helped me."
I looked at him seriously, a mixture of shock and doubt washing over me. My laughter faded, and I coughed lightly to shake off the heaviness in my chest.
"No. It was Aries. And now that we're talking about it, I remember what he shouted before punching me—'Let go of my sister!'"
I was completely confused. How did that happen to Aries? I didn't understand.
"But they told me—"
"Jay-Jay!"
I was stunned and quickly stood up, turning towards the one who called me. My eyes widened as my eyebrows furrowed.
"What are you doing here?!" I asked angrily.
"We were worried about you, so we followed you," Ci-N said.
"Who is that, Jay?" Kiko asked, his back turned to the Snakes.
I pushed the wheelchair around so he could see what I was seeing. Kiko's expression immediately changed—it was as if he was afraid I wouldn't understand.
The very people who had beaten him were now standing right in front of him, their menacing gazes fixed on him.
"You look great," Keifer said sarcastically.
Why did the Snakes come looking for me? My phone was broken. No one had told them where I was.
"H-how did you know I was here?"
No one answered, but they all glanced at Keifer. That was when I realized the truth.
"I have my ways," the King of the Earthly Serpents replied.
I glared at him. If only deadly looks could actually kill! What did he use this time?
"You suck!" I shouted at him.
"Jay… let's go back to school," Yuri said, and I shot him a glare.
"You even called for reinforcements?! Wow, you're so strong!" I said sarcastically, annoyed.
"Jay! We're just worried about you," Felix said with concern.
Annoying!
"I don't need your concern. I'm fine!" I snapped at Yuri. "And you!" I turned to Keifer. "You're such a liar!"
"Jay-Jay!" Calix called out to me.
"Kiko already told me! You weren't the one who saved me when he tried..."
Keifer and Yuri exchanged glances—they hadn't expected me to find out.
"Jay… that's what Aries wanted to talk to us about—"
"LIAR!" I shouted furiously at Yuri. "You're only saying that because you took advantage of the situation!"
"Jay! Listen!" Eman tried to intervene.
"And then what?! Fool me again?! Damn it! Have some mercy on me!"
"Jay-Jay! Don't think like that!" Kit pleaded.
I felt so exhausted. I just wanted to get away—at least for today. But here they were, making me face them again.
They really wanted to make things harder for me.
"If you could all just leave, please. I don't want to see any of you," I said calmly.
"Jay-Jay," Yuri's voice softened.
"Kiko needs to rest too. You're disturbing him—"
I stopped mid-sentence when I realized he was no longer beside me.
I hadn't even noticed when he left. He couldn't push himself—he only had one working hand.
"YAAAAAAHOOOOOO!" someone suddenly screamed.
I turned, and my eyes widened in shock as I saw Ci-N clinging onto Kiko's wheelchair while Drew and Eren were recklessly pushing it at full speed.
Are they insane?! He's the patient!
"Faster! Faster!" Ci-N shouted, raising both hands excitedly.
I immediately ran after them. If Kiko didn't die from the beating, he might die from heart failure because of these lunatics!
"Stop that!" I yelled, chasing after them.
But they had no intention of listening. Instead, they pushed even faster. Just as I was about to reach them, I saw David also running to stop them.
He blocked the wheelchair, and the idiots slammed on the brakes like a car stopping just before an accident. They came to a sudden halt, and I took the opportunity to shove Eren and Drew hard.
I also pulled Ci-N to free Kiko from his grip. Immediately, I checked on Kiko.
"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" I asked.
His breathing was deep, and the blood seemed to have drained from his face, leaving him pale. I couldn't blame him for being scared—after all, I was terrified too.
He hadn't even been discharged from the hospital yet, but his pain seemed to be worsening.
"J-Jay... P-please. Y-you should leave with your friends," he said, still struggling to catch his breath.
"Hey! What are you doing to my patient?" a nurse shouted, running toward us.
"S-sorry, Kiko... I didn't know they would do that," I said.
He could no longer respond as the nurse arrived. She glanced at Kiko briefly before quickly wheeling him away from us.
I could only watch as they entered the hospital entrance, shame washing over me. That's when I noticed the stares—patients, nurses, doctors, and visitors—all looking at us.
"S-sorry, Jay," Ci-N muttered, head bowed as he fidgeted with his fingers.
Annoying! I wanted to yell at him, to blame him, but what was the point?
"If Kiko gets worse, you'll all regret this," I warned Ci-N, Eren, and Drew.
"I can't believe this," Keifer said, irritated. "You're actually taking his side? As far as I remember, he tried to rape you!"
I shot him a sharp glare. "At least he's not a liar like you," I snapped before walking away.
With every step, I tried to put as much distance as possible between us. But what was the point when my legs were as short as a hummingbird's?
Then, out of nowhere, someone grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a car.
The King of the Earthly Serpents!
"Let go of me!" I shouted at him.
He didn't respond. He just kept pulling me along, which only made me more frustrated. People were watching! This was humiliating!
And yet... no resistance came from me.
"Of course!"
We stopped in front of Yuri's car. I was shocked when he opened the door and tried to push me inside.
Wow! You own a car?!
"What the hell?!" I screamed, struggling.
"Get in!" he ordered.
"I don't want to!"
"Fuck! Get in!"
"Damn!"
"GOD DAMN IT!" he roared, slamming his fist against the car door.
I froze, my heart stopping for a split second.
Terrifying!
I had seen him like this before, but I still couldn't stop myself from being afraid. My knees buckled, forcing me to lean against the car for support.
Shit! I didn't expect that!
Slowly, I looked up at him, and only then did I see the pure rage in his eyes. The kind of look that promised death.
"One more time, Jasper Jean..." His voice was deadly calm. "One more time you go near Kiko, and I'll make sure the sun never rises for him again."
He finally pulled his fist away from the dented car door. I could see how deep the impact was.
"Now, get in the car," he commanded, his tone eerily composed.
Next time… he might actually hit me!
My whole body trembled as I obeyed, slipping into the car. It felt like I had lost myself in fear. I should be furious at him. I was furious at him.
But why did it feel like everything had shifted in his favor?
I don't know what kind of power Keifer holds—how he always knows where I am, how he always turns the situation around.
You are the King of Snakes! So why do you still have such an effect on me?!