Jay-jay's POV
"Are you eating properly?" the nurse asked me.
I couldn't answer. The truth was, I hadn't been eating well for days. I often skipped dinner, sometimes I wouldn't even have proper breakfast—just bread—and I barely managed to eat lunch.
"N-not really," I answered weakly.
"Well, no wonder," she said, standing up.
She grabbed something from her table and came back with two lunch boxes and a liter of juice. She set them down on the table next to my bed.
"Your classmates brought this for you," she said with a smile. "...Your body weakens easily because you're not eating properly." She placed some medicine next to the lunch boxes. "Take this after you eat."
I forced a small smile and nodded. She left me and went back to her desk. I looked at the lunch boxes on the side table, picked one up, and opened it. It was filled with food, and I knew Eman had cooked it.
But I didn't want to eat.
I had no appetite, even though my body was already trembling from hunger. Not because the food wasn't good—but because I knew who made it.
I glanced at the nurse, and as if on cue, she looked back at me and smiled before returning to her work.
If I didn't eat, I wouldn't be able to take my medicine. If I didn't take my medicine, I wouldn't be able to leave this place. So even though my heart felt heavy, I forced myself to eat.
I missed this.
I ate quickly and took the medicine the nurse gave me. I wanted to rest, but I knew those snakes would come visit me here any minute. I stood up and adjusted my uniform.
"Where are you going? You still need to rest," the nurse said when she saw me getting ready.
"I-I'm going back to my room," 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 back down, she gave up. She let me leave the clinic.
I had no plans of going back to the room—I kept walking, heading toward the school gate. All I had with me was the money in my pocket. I didn't even have my phone anymore—it got smashed earlier.
It should've hit his face—at least then I wouldn't regret it this much.
I was almost at the gate when I overheard some guys from Section A talking. Their voices were loud enough that I couldn't help but listen.
"...Man, Kiko's really in bad shape," one of them said, catching my attention. "...He won't be able to play basketball anymore."
"That was scary... Keifer's a tough opponent," the guy in the middle replied.
"But the real kicker is the one who reported him to the guidance office—he's getting expelled on the spot," the last one added.
"Well, that's what happens when you've got connections in the school. I mean, it's Aries Fernandez we're talking about."
Aries was the one who reported it to the guidance office?!
I was confused by what I was hearing. How did Aries end up reporting it, and why would it lead to immediate expulsion? I shook my head and kept walking.
If earlier I didn't know where I was going, now I had an idea. I quickly looked for a ride.
It didn't take long before a taxi approached. I flagged it down, and just as I was about to get in...
"Jay-jay!" someone called out.
When I turned around, I saw Yuri running toward me from the school. I hurried inside the taxi and shut the door.
"Benedict Hospital, please!" I told the driver quickly.
The car sped off before Yuri could reach me. I kept my eyes on him as the taxi drove away. He stopped at the gate, watching me leave.
I just needed to get away.
I knew this was the right thing to do. Staying at school felt suffocating, like I was being choked. I felt like a puppet, controlled by whoever was pulling the strings.
The ride took more than 30 minutes—probably because of the distance. My wallet was practically empty after the fare. What a rip-off!
And here I was again at this fancy hospital.
Like before, the place was quiet, with only a few people around. I saw the same little park area beside the hospital building. I was heading toward the main entrance when I noticed a guy sitting in a wheelchair in the middle of the park.
He was holding a closed book, his face tilted upward as he savored the breeze from the surrounding trees.
Slowly, I approached him, watching closely. The neck brace and bandages on his face were gone, but his left leg and right arm were still wrapped up.
"K-Kiko," I called softly.
He opened one eye first, then the other when he recognized me. He adjusted his position and smiled.
"Jay-jay..." he greeted me. "...How have you been?"
I smiled back and crouched down to meet his eye level. He looked healthier—he'd gained a bit of weight, unlike before when he seemed so frail. His face looked brighter, no longer pale.
"How about you?" I teased. "Looks like you're getting ready to leave soon."
Instead of answering, he studied my face. It was like he was trying to read my thoughts. His smile slowly faded.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked. "...I want to take a walk around the area. Can you push my wheelchair?"
I smiled and nodded, then started pushing the wheelchair just like he asked. We followed the pathway along the park's edge, taking slow, steady steps.
"Talk to me," he said. "...You haven't visited me in so long. I thought you'd come by more often."
"S-sorry... I've just been busy," I answered hesitantly.
"Busy with what?"
"With... everything that's been happening."
He fell silent for a moment, like he was carefully choosing his next words.
"Mind telling me what's been going on?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
I took a deep breath. I'd come here to find out if what I heard was true—and to check on him. But suddenly, that didn't seem like the main reason anymore. I stopped pushing the wheelchair and moved it closer to a nearby bench. I sat down so we could face each other.
"You look pale. Are you sick?" he asked.
I smiled and shook my head. "Just tired," I admitted, biting my lower lip. "...I'm so tired of everything that's been happening to me."
"Jay..." he called my name softly. "...The guys from Section A told me things got pretty messy."
I was supposed to be checking on him, but it felt like the situation had flipped. Maybe I was the one who needed to be confined in this hospital.
I took a deep breath. "Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you?"
"Well..." He glanced down at his bandaged leg and arm. "...Yeah."
Kind of obvious, right?
I couldn't help but laugh at my own question. He had it far worse—his bones were broken, while I was still standing, very much alive.
"It's just so unfair..." I said. "The feeling of being lied to and played with. It's not just at school—it's happening at home, too."
"No wonder you look like this," he replied. "...But hey, Aries won't abandon you."
Wow.
Aries? Seriously?
"Pfft... Aries," I scoffed. "He's part of the problem—one of the reasons I'm so miserable."
Kiko looked at me, clearly confused. "Why's that?"
"Turns out that horoscope guy is my brother. And for some reason, he's furious with me."
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "That's... weird."
"Exactly. Weird."
"But you know... When someone tried to attack you... Aries was the one who showed up to stop them."
I froze at his words. Aries was the one who came to help me? That's impossible—wasn't it Yuri and his best friend who helped me?
I let out a forced laugh. "Looks like you've got amnesia from getting beaten up. It was Keifer and Yuri who helped me."
He looked at me seriously, confusion written on his face. I stopped laughing and cleared my throat, trying to ease the awkwardness I felt.
"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 could it have been Aries? I didn't understand.
"But they told me—"
"Jay-jay!"
I froze and stood up, my eyes widening and my brows meeting in a frown as I saw who called me.
"What are you doing here?!" I asked angrily.
"We were worried about you, so we followed you," Ci-N said.
"Who's that, Jay?" Kiko asked, his back still turned toward the group.
I pushed the wheelchair around so he could see what I was seeing. His expression changed instantly. Fear flashed across his face, something I didn't quite understand.
After all, the people standing in front of him were the ones who had beaten him up. And they weren't exactly giving him friendly looks.
"You look great," Keifer said sarcastically.
How did these snakes find me?! My phone was broken, and I hadn't told anyone where I was going.
"H-how did you know I was here?" I asked.
No one answered, but their eyes all turned toward Keifer. And with that, I already knew.
"I have my ways," said the king of the venomous snakes.
I shot him a glare so sharp I wished it could actually kill. Seriously, what did he use this time?!
"You're the worst!" I yelled at him.
"Jay… Let's just go back to school," Yuri said, and I turned my angry gaze on him instead.
"You even called for backup! Unbelievable!" I snapped.
"Jay! We're just worried about you," Felix interjected.
Ugh, seriously?!
"I don't need your concern. Especially yours!" I pointed at Yuri. "And you!" I turned to Keifer. "You're a liar!"
"Jay-jay!" Calix tried to calm me down.
"Kiko already told me! You weren't the ones who saved me when he attacked me!"
Keifer and Yuri exchanged glances, clearly not expecting me to find out the truth.
"Jay… Aries asked us to keep that quiet—"
"LIAR!" I screamed at Yuri. "You just took advantage of the situation!"
"Jay! Just listen to us!" Eman pleaded.
"And then what?! So you can lie to me again?! For once, have some mercy on me!"
"Jay-jay! Don't think like that!" Kit begged.
I felt so overwhelmed. I had just said I wanted to get away for a day, and here they were, right in my face again. It was like they didn't want me to have any peace.
"If you could all just leave, I'd really appreciate it. I don't want to see any of you right now," I said quietly but firmly.
"Jay-jay," Yuri's voice softened with pleading.
"Kiko needs to rest. You're disturbing him—" I stopped mid-sentence when I noticed Kiko was no longer beside me.
I hadn't even felt him leave. And with only one working arm, there was no way he could've wheeled himself away.
"YAAAAAAHOOOOOO!" a loud shout rang out.
We all turned toward the sound, and my heart practically stopped when I saw Ci-N sitting on Kiko's lap while Drew and Eren pushed the wheelchair at full speed.
Oh my god! The patient!
"Faster! Faster!" Ci-N cheered, both arms raised.
I ran toward them, panic taking over. If Kiko didn't die from the beating, he was definitely going to have a heart attack because of these lunatics.
"STOP THAT!" I screamed, chasing after them.
But they weren't listening—they sped up even more. I only realized then that David was also running after them, trying to block their path.
He managed to stand in front of the wheelchair, and the guys pushing it hit the brakes like it was a car about to crash. The wheelchair screeched to a halt just before hitting David.
I didn't waste a second. I shoved Drew and Eren aside and pulled Ci-N off Kiko's lap. I immediately knelt down to check on him.
"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" I asked anxiously.
His breathing was shallow, and his face had gone completely pale. I couldn't blame him—I was terrified too, but at least I hadn't turned that white.
He wasn't even out of the hospital yet, and now it looked like his condition was about to get even worse.
"J-Jay… P-please… Get these people away from me," he pleaded between ragged breaths.
"Hey! What are you doing to my patient?!" a nurse shouted, running toward us.
"S-sorry, Kiko… I didn't know they'd do that," I said, guilt washing over me.
He couldn't answer, and by then, the nurse had reached us. She quickly assessed Kiko's condition and immediately wheeled him back toward the hospital entrance.
I watched them go, feeling deeply ashamed of what had just happened.
That's when I realized everyone around—the patients, the nurses, the doctors, and the visitors—were all staring at us.
"S-sorry, Jay," Ci-N said, her head bowed and fingers nervously fidgeting.
I was so angry I wanted to yell at him and blame him, but I knew there was no point.
"If Kiko's condition gets any worse, you're all going to pay," I warned Ci-N, Eren, and Drew.
"I can't believe this," Keifer said bitterly. "You're actually taking his side? As far as I remember, he tried to rape you!"
I shot him a glare so cold it could freeze him on the spot. "At least he's not a liar like you," I spat before turning around and walking away.
My strides were big, hoping to get away quickly. But what was the point of my steps when these guys had such long legs? Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the car.
The king of these damned snakes!
"Let go of me!" I shouted at him.
He didn't say a word, just kept dragging me along, which pissed me off even more. Damn this guy! He never misses a chance to make me angry!
"Let go!"
We stopped in front of Yuri's car. I was shocked when he opened the door and started pushing me inside.
Wow! Is this your car now?!
"What the hell!" I shouted, struggling.
"Get in!" he ordered.
"No!"
"Fvck! Get in!"
"Pvta!"
"GOD DAMN IT!" he roared, slamming his fist against the closed car door.
My heart stopped along with my movement. It was terrifying!
I'd seen him like this before, but I still couldn't help but be scared. My knees shook, and I leaned against the car.
Shit! I didn't expect that!
Slowly, I looked at him and saw the burning rage in his eyes—the kind of look he gave when he was ready to kill someone.
"One more time... Jasper Jean," he warned without looking at me, "One more time you go near that Kiko, and I'll make sure he never sees the light of day again."
He slowly removed his fist from the car door, and I saw the dent from his punch.
"Now, get in the car," he ordered calmly.
Just get in already! Before he punches you next!
Still trembling, I got into the car. I felt like I was out of my own body from fear. I knew I was supposed to be mad at him, but suddenly everything turned upside down.
I don't know what kind of power Keifer has—he knows where I am, and now he's managed to flip the situation.
Damn you, King of the Snakes! Why do you still have such an impact on me?