Jay-jay's POV
My fists were trembling. I'd already taken down five of them, writhing in pain on the ground, but the others still wouldn't stop. Some would get back up and try to strike back.
"Just give up already." Jason taunted.
"You bastard!"
It would've been nice if surrendering meant someone would come to save me—but no. It looked like he really didn't care about me at all. I touched the side of my cheek that was burning. I got grazed by a punch earlier.
So frustrating! I felt so weak.
I raised my arms again to block whatever was coming my way—fists or feet, didn't matter. It didn't take long before another punch came flying toward me from one of them.
I got hit on the arm and nearly fell, but I stayed on my feet. I retaliated with a punch to his stomach and he almost threw up before collapsing.
"Jason! This girl's tough!" one of them complained.
"This is getting boring. Finish her off!" he ordered.
They suddenly charged at me. All of them—at once. I was hit with a barrage of punches all over my body. I tried to shield my head with my arms. Why am I struggling this much?
I fought back, throwing punches and kicks their way, but they used it to land more solid hits on me. They kept hitting my stomach and arms over and over.
Why am I letting them do this to me?Am I really affected by what Jason said?Am I affected by the truth—that he really doesn't care about me?That I'm just a toy for the King of the Demonic Scoundrels?
I lost my focus. One of them kicked my leg and I fell to the ground. They began kicking me like I was a rag on the floor.
"She didn't last long after all," Jason muttered.
Suddenly, they all stopped kicking me and slowly backed away. My eyes were soaked with tears that refused to fall.
Great... they're going to turn into crusty eye gunk...
"He finally showed up," one of them said.
I looked up, and our eyes met. There was no emotion on his face. He stood by the entrance, with no one behind him.
He came alone?
"Took you long enough… Don't tell me you got stuck in traffic, when you've been outside this whole time." Jason taunted.
I forced myself to crawl toward the wall and leaned against it, slumping down onto the floor. My entire body hurt. Even my chest felt like it took a hit.
I was slightly surprised when I saw the King staring at me. It was like he was assessing how bad things had gotten for me.
It isn't worse than what I've gone through because of you, you jerk!
"Oops… Maybe we went a little overboard," Jason said, pretending to be concerned.
"...You took too long, so she became our plaything."
Keifer looked at each of Jason's companions one by one.
"What happened to you?" he asked me, bored. "They're few, but you can't beat them?"
Wow, really?
It was like he expected me to win. He probably thought I'd knock them all out, which is why he didn't bother coming in earlier even though he'd been right outside. Well, meow to you!
I rolled my eyes at him in reply. I didn't want to give him an excuse. But honestly, he was the reason I lost.
"Your girlfriend couldn't handle us," one of them said.
"He's not my boyfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend."
We said at the same time and immediately shot each other dirty looks. Ugh, you annoying guy!
I wanted to gouge his eyeballs out. Make them into ping-pong balls.
"Ouch... Looks like the rumors are true. Keifer used a girl just to get back at his enemy," Jason teased.
If I hadn't been knocked down earlier, I would've been the one to knock him down with a punch.
I was gasping for air even though I was already leaning against the wall, doing nothing.
My chest ached with every breath.
"Shut the fvck up, Jason," the Demonic King said sharply.
But the crazy Jason just laughed out loud. He pushed himself off the wall and took off his jacket, trying to act like some tough guy. Just like the King of the Demonic Scoundrels.
"What do you want?" the King asked.
The smile faded from Jason's face and his brows slowly drew together.
"I want you dead, Keifer."
Suddenly, he threw a chair at Keifer and rushed at him with a punch. But it was all for nothing—Keifer dodged the thrown chair easily and blocked the punch with one hand.
That's when I realized Jason was actually bigger than Keifer, but it seemed like it was nothing for him to take on this Friday the 13th-level creep. Wait—maybe Keifer's no match. Maybe Jason's some kind of demon!
Keifer kicked Jason and sent him flying. His crew started to move in, but jason signaled with his hand to stop. Jason stood back up, clearly fuming with rage.
He charged again, exchanging blows with Keifer. The King returned every strike. While watching them, I forced myself to stand up properly. My breathing was more stable now, but the pain in my body was still there.
Keifer grabbed the nearest chair and smashed it over Jason. It came apart like a toy and scattered everywhere.
I looked toward Jason's crew when I noticed they were grabbing something from inside the store—looking in the kitchen.
Knives!!
"Keifer! They've got knives!" I shouted.
Jason stepped back, and one of his guys rushed forward with a knife in hand. He almost stabbed Keifer, but it only grazed him. Keifer immediately punched him in the jaw, knocking him out cold.
But right after that, Jason kicked him hard. He flew like a thrown ragdoll. Everything happened so fast. It was clear he was struggling to get up after that hit.
I looked at Jason's crew again. They looked like they were talking to each other—and some of them started heading toward me.
Darn it! My body hasn't even recovered yet, guys!
One of them was about to grab me, but I beat him to it and punched him straight in the face. He collapsed with blood pouring from his nose.
"You're really tough, huh!" one of them said angrily and kicked me in the side.
Before it could hit me, I grabbed his leg and kneed the back of his knee. He buckled and cried out in pain.
Only three of them were left in front of me now. They glared at me like they were reading my next move. They slowly closed in, and I pressed myself against the wall trying to move away from them.
Spectrum Petro—wait, huh?! Oh right, I don't have a magic wand.
One of them suddenly charged with a punch. I ducked to dodge, planning to hit him from underneath— But my fist landed... somewhere on the right side. The... that... you know... area.
Ughh! Gross! My fist touched his downstairs! Disgusting!
Because I was so grossed out, I swung that same hand and punched the guy in front of me.
Hit him right on the jaw—knockout.
Only one guy left facing me. He was glaring hard. He looked like he was about to charge, so I stepped back—but turns out, he was just squaring up.
Ugh, what a jerk!
I squared up like I was going to charge too, but he suddenly backed off like he got scared.
He stumbled against a table and knocked it over with him.
So he's a coward after all! This jerk! He's really testing my patience. I glanced over at Keifer. The last of Jason's crew was already down.
Only the two of them were left facing each other now.
But just my luck—someone suddenly threw an arm over my shoulder and pressed a knife to my neck.
"Keifer..." the guy behind me called out.
Keifer and Jason both looked at us. That asshole Jason smiled and let out a sigh.
"Let's see if Keifer actually cares about you," he said to me.
What if he doesn't? Boom—dead.
I looked at Keifer. I was one step away from begging him to save me. But my heart crumbled—even more—when he turned his gaze back to the enemy.
"Can you do it?" Keifer asked.
None of us knew who he was talking to. I frowned when he smirked.
"Can you do it?" he repeated.
I looked at the guy holding me, but even he seemed confused. Jason kept glancing between the two of us.
"Can you do it?"
What is he, a broken record? Over and over again! Unlimited!
Then I realized—he was talking to me. How did I know? I just had a feeling, especially when I saw my hand gripping the arm of the guy behind me.
I looked back at Keifer. He seemed to get that I understood what he meant. He smiled and slightly shifted his body to the side.
"One!" he shouted.
Jason clearly looked confused, eyes darting between the two of us.
"Two!" I shouted.
The grip of the guy behind me tightened, but I already had my hand ready.
"THREE!" we both shouted.
I grabbed the hand holding the knife and elbowed him with the other arm. He let go of me, and I took the chance to elbow him in the face.
Meanwhile, Keifer jumped and spun midair, kicking Jason straight in the face. The guy who had me and Jason both dropped to the ground.
A moment of silence for that badass move.
We were both panting. I scanned the area to see if anyone else was getting up to charge at us. Keifer did the same. Our eyes met and, for some reason I couldn't explain...
We laughed. We laughed like what just happened was funny. We laughed like we were in sync.
That's it... We'd officially gone insane.
But the laughter stopped when reality slapped us in the face. The truth that someone out there wanted us dead.
It made my knees weak.
Keifer stepped toward me, and I did the same. My arms, as if they had a mind of their own, wrapped around him. He hugged me back and tightened his hold. Wait—why are we hugging?!
I pulled back and tried to push him away, but he didn't budge.
No hugging! None of that! We're supposed to be mad at each other!
"H-hey... W-why are you hugging me?" I asked awkwardly.
His arms tightened even more. "You're the one who wanted this... I'm just giving in."
Whut?!
I wanted this? And now he's hugging me tighter. What in the world!
"Y-you can let go now," I said.
"You sure? Seems like you still want to."
Am I really the one who wants this?
"I'm sure... L-let go now," I answered, still trying to push him.
"I can feel it... You still want more."
Oh hell no, man!
He really flipped it on me! It's so obvious he's the one who wants it. I've got nothing to say to this sneaky jerk.
Then I felt him press my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat loud and clear. It was screaming!
You jerk! You jerk! You jerk!—that's what it was saying!
We were supposed to be mad at each other. After all, he hurt me. He doesn't even love me. But why does it feel like this? Why does it feel like I want time to stop? Why does it feel like I want us to stay like this forever?
The sound of his heartbeat was so comforting. It felt like it was beating in sync with mine. Maybe he was right… maybe I did want his embrace.
"I know... You really want it." he whispered to me.
Even though I couldn't see his face, I could feel it. He was smiling as he said those words. Honestly, I was confused—because here he goes again.
He'd make me feel like something was there… only for it to turn out to be nothing.
So even though I wanted to stay in his arms a little longer, I did what I thought was right.
"Let go. I'm asking you." I said seriously.
It seemed like he finally understood that I wasn't joking anymore. Slowly, he loosened his hold, and I took that moment to push him away.
Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain I was feeling—not in my body, but deep inside. I didn't want to cry. Crying made me feel weak. That's why no matter how bad a fight, no matter how much hair-pulling or bruises—I don't cry.
But this guy… just his presence alone made my tears beg to fall, as if they were afraid of turning into dust.
He didn't say anything, but I knew he wanted to ask something. Me too… I really wanted to ask something. Because my mind was so, so tired from wondering if there was ever really something between us.
"What are you doing?" I asked gently.
He frowned slightly. I knew he was confused by what I said.
"...What are you doing? Why do you keep coming back to me? Why are you showing signs again? Why are you making me feel like there's something... when there's really nothing? Why? Why are you doing this?" I asked in quick succession.
He looked away, pretending to scan the area.
"It's late... I'll walk you home." he said, reaching for my hand—but I pulled it away quickly.
"You can go if you want. But I'm not going with you."
"Jay... Don't be so stubborn right now."
"Answer my question first!" I yelled at him. "...Why are you putting me through this?! Haven't you done enough to me already?! And now you're back—making it seem like there's still an us, when there really isn't!"
He took a deep breath, and I felt like a fool standing there, waiting for him to say something.
But all he did… was look at me.
"Answer me, Keifer. Do you really feel anything for me?"
A single tear slipped from one of my eyes.
How pathetic... I look like I'm begging him.
I bit my lower lip when he looked down. Any moment now, I was going to break down crying like a child.
"I-I heard you... Y-you and Yuri." My voice was trembling. "...what you were talking about..." I took a deep breath. "...I want to believe what Yuri said is true—that you were lying. That you really do have feelings for me. But I want to hear it from you."
What he did—making me believe, using me, and making me look like a fool—hurt a lot. But nothing hurt more than when he now turned his back on me.
"I'll walk you home," he said coldly.
He walked out, leaving me there just staring after him. I sank to the floor, my hand covering my mouth. The tears fell in heavy waves, and my sobs came one after another.
This is too painful... what you're doing to me...
I couldn't stay here any longer with him around. I didn't want him to walk me home either. Even though my vision was blurry with tears, I searched for my phone. I found it on the floor near where I had dropped it earlier. With shaking hands, I unlocked it and tried to find Percy's number. But I couldn't see clearly anymore, so I just ended up pressing a random name.
It rang several times before someone picked up. ["Oh?"] a voice answered.
Instead of speaking, I just broke down crying. Not a single word came out of my mouth.
["Where are you? I'll come get you."] he said gently.
In hell, with the King of Demons.
I took a few deep breaths to try and calm myself down. "O-on the highway... a-at 'S-superb Gotohan'," I said, gasping for air.
["I'm on my way."] he replied, then ended the call.
I hugged my knees like a little child. I didn't know how to calm myself down anymore. The pain was overwhelming—worse than any physical wound I've ever had.
I sat there for a few more minutes before finally getting the strength to stand and walk out. The first thing I saw were the motorbikes of Jason's group.
Then I looked over at Keifer's car. The lights were on inside, and he was slumped over the steering wheel. I didn't know if he was sleeping or what.
You devil! My answer to you is to move on, you heartless creature!
I'll find a way to get rid of these feelings for you! If I have to arm-wrestle the Hulk, swallow ten pieces of kryptonite, shout "Darna," and stare down Cyclops just to melt the Statue of Liberty, I'll do it! As long as I can kill off these damn feelings I have for you, you fool!
A loud honk jolted me from my deep thoughts.
I turned to see the approaching car of... Aries?!
Oh no!!
I glanced back at Keifer. His face was expressionless as he opened the car door and stared at me.
I immediately rushed to Aries' car and got in. I let his gaze pierce right through me. I even spared one last glance at the King before we drove away.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
I bit my lower lip. I knew the moment I spoke, I'd cry again. So I just shook my head and stared out the window.
"I told you to stay away from Keifer. You really don't listen," he scolded.
I wish I had listened to you all along.
"That guy's never gonna do right to you... He'll just drag you into his family's mess," he continued.
Suddenly, I remembered Kuya Angelo. He used to lecture me the exact same way. I still couldn't believe the way I had spoken to him before.
When we arrived at the house, it felt like I was carrying the weight of a whole catastrophe on my back. As I entered, Tita Gema rushed over to meet me.
"Jay! Where have you been?! I was so worried!" She hugged me first before taking a good look at me. "...Why do you look like that?!"
"G-got into a little fight," I said, forcing a smile.
"What?! Oh my..." She looked at Aries. "...Did you report this to the police?"
Aries shook his head. "She was with Keifer."
Tita Gema called one of their maids. She asked for a bunch of things I couldn't even catch anymore. Then she turned back to me.
"Come on, let's go to your room... So we can treat your wounds," she said, putting her arm around me.
I bowed my head and let her lead me. It felt like all life had drained out of me again.
I was slipping back into that state.
I felt like I was slowly dying.