“ You remind us of...our mother.”

Jody astounded. But also slightly confused by that.

But she noticed that Roxxy's voice dropped when she mentioned her mother.

Which made Jody has a couple of ideas of what's going on.

“ Your mother?”

“.........”

“ Oh...I'm sorry.”

“ What? No...no. Our mom is still alive.”

Roxxy corrected her.

“ Oh... Sorry again.”

“ Haven't you seen on the internet about her?”

“ I haven't. I only look up to you and your brother...even in the end I gained nothing.”

“ Anyway, I'm sorry about my brother. But his true ability needs to be kept a secret.”

Roxxy said.

“ At least you chose to avoid instead of lying.”

Jody smiles at her.

“ So...What did you say to him?”

Asked Roxxy.

“ What I said to him?”

“ Yeah. When you dragged him out.”

“Just a bit of lecture. You know, asking why did he lie, then explain that my inquisitive wasn't limitless. All he needs to do is just telling me that he didn't want and that's it.”

“ Did he say sorry?”

“ Nope. He didn't. Guess he's too shy, you know...people like him. But I knew he felt it in that way.”

“ How did you know?”

Asked Roxxy.

“ He's been silent and dropping his neck during I spoke.”

After that, Roxxy bursts out a laugh.

“ That sounds like something mom would do to him! Jody, you are similar to our mom. Now this answers me a lot of doubts. This is why he behaves like that.”

“ Perhaps...but Kinda rude, I'm not that old.”

“ Sure. But your nature does. You give the same vibe as our mom.”

“ Really? How am I?”

Roxxy chuckled, she turned to Jody.

“ Just be you, I guess?”

“What does that mean?”

“ Your vibe certainly reminded him of mom. I can guarantee that. She's one of a few people whom he afraid of.”

“ Wait... Seriously? I couldn't believe that someone can be threatening to a person like him.”

“ Oh, not only him. Everyone who knows her also afraid of her. Since we're kids, our mom is the only person who raises us.”

“ !? ”

“ What about your father? ”

“ He left long ago.”

“ Oh...”

Jody couldn't believe her ears. Roxxy Barrett, the person who first didn't trust in her, was now chatting about her personal matter.

“ Sorry to hear that.”

“ No. Personally... I think ours is nothing compared to you.”

Roxxy kept the pistol away and turned back to fully have a conversation with Jody.

“ I already knew your background. I kinda respect that you can grow up without your mother's caring. Sorry for bringing it up, but you must be really strong... I don't know how it feels to lose someone we love. I only observed...but never faced it myself.”

“........”

“.... No....”

Jody said, “ Roxxy, You need to see through the differences. You're comparing the wrong topics with each other. Our cases are different. It's incomparable.”

Jody corrected the girl, she then continued to explain.

“ I don't know how it's like to have a mother. Don't even know how much it's different from having a father. At that age, I can't even remember anything about her. You know...she died like...when I was very young. I know she existed only through the gallery of videos and pictures. Though I seek the answer through many media, like movies or novels or even other mouths...I couldn't relate.”

“ That's even worse..”

Roxxy responded.

“Whenever my family visited her grave, ... At the time I can remember things. I remembered my dad stung...and my sister was crying. But I don't know why. I don't even understand how painful it was until I was twelve.”

“ Then you're like us... Except you grown up with your dad.”

“ Probably...” Jody said, “ But we rarely spending time together. I grew up with my sister. That'd be more accurate”

“ Then how could you able to pull out that side? That's so unlikely for someone who grew up without a parent's caring.”

Asked Roxxy.

“ Maybe my sister? When we were still together, she said she looked after me the same way mom had been looking after her. I guess I just passed down that to you guys.”

“ Huh...”

Roxxy nods down in understanding.

“........”

“ You said you like my brother, right? ”

“ Yes.”

“ And you said you like him because you see him cute when you fooled him around, right? ”

“ Yeah...”

“ Imagine if you come to be one of Barrett's family. Do you realize if you can seduce him, Barrett's family will become the most powerful line in the Asian business zone? No...maybe half of the world.”

“ Oh...right... The Fire and The wind... within your family. The business is passed down your bloodline... Isn't it?”

“ That's why I... Kinda admit that I'm cheering for you, Jody.”

Roxxy said, “ I already see that you aren't for his money.”

If Jody was a gold digger or aimed for one's money, She would have been friends with half a people back at school.

Roxxy Barrett had already checked it.

There's plenty of attractive and wealthy boys and girls back in Central highschool in London. Some are the kids of popular Hollywood stars who's been in the campaign her family involved. Some are the daughters of rising superstar... Or an influential businessman like Seraphina Gilmour.

Truthfully, a society of connections.

But Jody hasn't been involved with those people any bit. Although she came from an ordinary family, the middle-class, she could easily find some rich boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever from that highschool and there's none of the reason they would reject her if she proposed.

Jody was the strongest back there even though she had a fractured legs disease, smartest, attractive to any genders, and mentally powerful. So why would someone do not want to possess her?

But from the record Roxxy could find, plus the feedback she asked Toshi to take a survey.

Josy didn't have one.

She didn't care about them, moreover, she had almost hospitalized half of them for seducing her with cocky manners or those who looking for some matches.

“ I understand your point. Need to be a lot cautious nowadays. People tend to be less trustworthy. You are so ahead of people at your age for being able to come up with all this... Maybe you are more mature than your brother.”

“ Of course, I am.”

Roxxy laughs, maybe the first time Jody saw it.

“ But why did you make up your mind so quickly? I expect you to take more time than this 'til we're both cool.”

“.......”

Roxxy glanced away, before speaking.

“ Because it's not like this has never happened before.”

“? ”

Jody twisted her eyebrows.

“ What do you mean?”

“ I mean... The fact that someone would like him for those reasons. You are not the first person, Jody.”

“ Oh...yeah, I understand them well. If your brother lessens cocky and his habit of fooling around people, then he'd draw a lot of attention from the girls.”

“ Hehe. I know... But that's what keeps him being him. You have to give all the credits to our mom for making him be like that.”

“ You seem to respect your mom so much.”

“ Of course we do. Because she's the reason we standing here today. Mama is the only person protecting us from the outsiders and taught us to choose reliable allies.”

“ Sorry for digging your privacy but Did she feed both of you with strawberry products since you guys were kids or something?”

“ Yes. Syd was strawberry milk addicted. Because mama's fed that to him since he's a kid. That day you bought him strawberry milk shocked me too. I was kinda nervous how did you know, you did the research? but I knew from Syd later that you bought him 3 flavors so... It wasn't intended.”

“ Yeah. Just lucky. I guess.”

Said, Jody

Suddenly, She paused for no reason.

Because her brain just noticed something from Roxxy's word 7-8 sentences ago.

“ Wait a minute... You said that I wasn't the first person who likes him for that couple of reasons... ”

“ Yeah.”

“ And my reason is I like his frustration when I fooled him around... So...there are other people who can fool him around?”

“..... Yes. Maybe only you and this another person on earth who can make him shut the fuck up while arguing. If not count his mom and me.”

“.... Who is it?”

Roxxy noticed a sudden change in Jody's voice.

It's sure is a big surprise for Jody Johanson.

But there's something more than that.

And it was shown on Jody's eyes.

It was an ambiguous vibe, Roxxy wasn't certain about it. It's not negative not positive.

“........”

“ You know her.”

Roxxy strange answer made it more complex.

“.........”

“.............”

“ What are you saying?”

Seeing the grinning on Roxxy's face, it seems the girl wanted to put Jody on a test a little bit more.

“ It wouldn't be fun If I told you now but If you can't take it anymore, you tell us.”

“ You want me to figure it out myself?”

Asked Jody.

“ Well, If you can do it. I just wanna see how far you'd go.”

“ So there is another thing you guys been hiding from me.”

(... So that's the same thing Syd told me he's keeping...)

She thought.

“ Hiding? More like we're not ready to tell you. It's not a big deal. Believe me.”

“.........”

.

.

.

.

.

.

“ Hey! Lil' bitch! Move yo dumb ass outta my face!”

“ 'Fuck up, Cunt.”

Sound of the two boys hand-combatting with each other, Syd Barrett and Toshi Ishii.

Seraphina didn't remember when they started the fight and how on earth had brought them to which they were now in the 69 position.

They tried to lock each other's necks by their legs, but seems like they've thought the same...so they ended up like this.

“ Ah! Fuck!!! MY NUTS! DON'T TOUCH MY NUTS, THAT'S GAY! ”

Syd cried out so loud She sure that the people next to the gymnasium would hear it.

“ 'Fuck up. Cunt.”

The Japanese boy remains calm.

“ AHHH!!! AHHHHHHH! *High pitch screams* ”

“ Surrender.”

Toshi said.

“ THIS NIGGA CHEATIN'! I DON'T EVEN LAY MY GOD'AM FINGER ON YOURS! HEY, JEW! JEW! HELP ME!!! ”

Out of nowhere, Toshi got dropped kick over by Mickey Mannix. Making him released Syd Barrett out of his hands.

“ Ah, Shit! ”

Toshi rolled over, before getting locked on the ground by Syd Barrett.

“ 'FUCK YOU JUST DID TO ME YOU GAY CUNT? IT'S PAYBACK NOW! ”

Syd evilly grins.

“ Aye! Aye! AAAAAAYE! WHAT' CHA DOIN' HEY! AYEEEE! AHHHHH!!! *Intense high pitch screaming* ”

Toshi unwillingly tolerated his fate, getting crushed in the nuts by Syd's feet.

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH------”

(... What the hell? )

Sera frighteningly looks at them.

Never in her life, she thought she'd see males playing like this.

(... I thought they tried out the outfit... What is this cursed situation in front of me??? )

Despite that, Sera couldn't pull her eyes away from it.

“ TRANSFORM TO PORNSTAR. NOW.”

“ NOOOOOooooOoooOo”

“ I'LL FUCK YOU UP REAL HARD! THAT'S YO PUNISHMENT! NOW STFU AND TRANSFORM TO JAPANESE PORNSTAR. NOW! ”

“ Bruh, I don't even have her pieces how the fuck am I gonna do it---HAHAHAHAHAHAHA------”

Toshi got tinkled in his weak spot, his neck, by Mickey. That resulted in him laughing out loud.

At these conversations slipped in Sera's ears.

She is sure that was not how the boys playing.

But why?

Why did her heart pounding so hard at this unholy situation???

(What's wrong with me?!)

She thought.

“ Alright Alright, How about this---”

Toshi used his ability, transforming himself into someone they familiar with.

It's Seraphina Gilmour.

Even though the original one was standing over there.

“ Heyy~ boys~♥”

Toshi says with Sera's sexy tone of voice.

Sera can no longer sit in relax as he's using her appearance for this horrendous (in her view) purpose.

She quickly raises from the seat...but then...

“ EWWWWWW/EWWWWW!!!!!”

Syd and Mickey screamed in disgust, both twisting their faces away from Toshi.

They quickly walked away from Toshi like they just touched a poop.

“ NOO! ”

“ EWWWW!!!! ”

“ WHAT THE FUCK MAN!!! CHANGE IT BACK! ”

A nerve formed up on Sera's forehead.

She decided not to do anything but pulled out her phone and looked up the Instagram instead.

She hasn't checked in for the past 2 days and there're thousands of updates on what's going on in the news feed.

Many posts of her friends complaining about The school's shut down, How shitty is Collin Zellick, their principal, Some went on a full-trip vacation. Some updated their daily lives as usual.

She scrolled through all that until her eyes met at the post of her big sister, Ava.

She's on the trip to Cambodia this week, it was written on the status.

And that word “For a while” is known well within her family that it means “Up to her mood”.

Sera hopes for these unwillingly cooperative tasks between her and these people should end as soon as possible. She doesn't want to risk her life running around the storm of bullet or the time-annihilation flame she just encountered. This ain't even count the other bizarre ability users she may facing in the future.

But most importantly...

“ Are you done spying on my Instagram?”

Sera sarcastically asked a person who's keeping his head over behind her shoulder, silently staring at her phone.

Needless to say, who he is, It's Mickey Mannix.

“Ho. Is that your sis?”

“ Yes.”

“ What's her name?”

“ Ava.”

“ Ava Gilmour?”

“ Yes.”

“ She's so beautiful.”

“ I know.”

“Unlike her sister.”

“ her WHAT--”

“ Nothing.”

“ I heard what you just said, MANNIX!”

She pulled his black collar.

“ Aye. Aye. Just-”

“ -Kidding?”

Sera cut through his excuse.

“ I'm tired of that. Can't your brilliant brain come up with any creative excuse?”

“ Can you go on her profile?”

“ Fuck, No. Why don't you go find it yourself?”

“ I don't have IG.”

“ Then go register one.”

“ I'm too lazy. You know, Even I have an account, I'll rarely use it...so it'll be abandoned. So I don't use it.”

“ I'm too lazy to show her account too.”

“ Oh come on, you can waste your time on make-up but not this?”

“ YOU FUCKING-”

“ Sorry, Sorry. I won't do it again. This time swear to god.”

“ SWEAR TO ME.”

Sera shouted to his face.

“ ...K... Anyway, can I see her profile now?”

“ Why? You wanna hit on her?”

“ Well, If there's a chance, so.”

Sera chuckles.

“ You're nobody. She's a high class. Don't you see this Lamborgini on her cover photo? Sorry but I don't see the chance, Mannix.”

“ It might be just a spark of light. Sure the chance is low, but never zero isn't it.”

“......”

“..........”

“ I mean it when I say I don't see the chance, Mannix.”

“ What? Am I not that charming?”

“ Nope. Respectfully speaking, You're not bad looking. Your face has a feminine structure. Ava may like it. Even she has no idea how rotten and disgusting you are inside, Mannix.”

“ Then what do you mean?”

“ Ava has a boyfriend.”

“.......”

“ Oh, has she?”

“ Yes.”

Sera smirks in satisfaction but instantly stopped as Mickey replied:

“ I'll hit on her sister instead then.”

“ You're ridiculous. Go bullshittin' over there.”

“ What? I mean it. Really.”

“ ?! ”

“.......”

“...........”

“...................”

“ Mannix... We don't have any other sister. It's only Ava and me. Another is my older brother... Not a girl...”

“ I know, Thomas isn't he? A college student, drive Porsche. Party animal. had been charged by UK police of driving while drinking alcohol. I heard his current girlfriend is also a Jewish like me, isn't it? ”

“..........”

“...............”

“.....................”

Completely astounded, Sera asked.

“ You already knew Ava has a boyfriend.”

“ Yes.”

“ Then why you asked in the first place?”

“ To be an excuse.”

“......for what?”

“ For hitting on her sister.”

“ !!!!!???? ”

“ ......... ”

Both staring at each other, one remains still, another is shaking with confusion.

A lot has going inside her head.

She reviewed her thought, again and again, to make sure she didn't get it wrong.

But staring at him, with the confidence in his eyes... He looked at her without blinking.

“ B..But I'm the only sister...”

“ Yes, you are.”

He said.

“..............”

Her eyes were frozen.

She quickly scudded, creating a space between her and this man.

The pulse inside Sera was beaten repeatedly with a thick confusion, so thick that her brain stopped processing for what the fuck is going on around her.

The mix of emotions is shown towards her eyes, however, what came first is the “Caution”.

She's been through his dumb shits a lot, maybe this time is also another of dumb shit.

Yes. This should be it.

Sera thought that by her reaction, Mickey Mannix should probably laugh out loud in any second now, saying something like “ Haaa! Look at yo face! ” or “ Lmaoo just kidding you dumb bitch.” or something like that.

She quickly pulled back her character, she would not fall for this.

“ Hmm. That is the creepiest bullshit I've ever heard from you, Mannix.”

Sera said, “ That almost got me though.”

“..........”

The boy went silent, Sera started panting.

“..........”

“ Mannix? ”

Glaring up to the boy, his eyes showed no lies, all he did was keep staring at Sera.

“.........”

“ *Sigh* What is this? Another of your new way to fuck with me?”

“........”

Sera started to feel uncomfortable, her heart was pounding heavily.

What if what he said is not a joke?

Does that mean She's being confessed by now?

After he's been roasting her for like months plus half a minute ago?

That's impossible.

“ I'm waiting for the punchline, Mannix. Whatever you have, make it quick. And stop wasting my time.”

“ There is no punchline.”

“ ........ ”

“.........”

Her face turns red, it started from the corner of the ears then expanded until they met at her nose.

“............”

“............”

“ Hmm...”

The boy, Mickey Mannix, seeing all that, he then said:

“ As expected... I think we both deeply know how you “Exactly” feel.”

“............”

“............”

(... H-How??? How can he say something like this without a shame????)

Sera screamed internally.

“ Do you think I do not know about it? You may, right now, refuse in your head. But from my observation...it all showing not from your speech. But throughout your action. I've been observed for a month now. Despite your awareness of being roast, you instinctively choose to settle down somewhere around me all the time. I've tried sitting away once, but you still managed to get around, don't you? ”

Sera realized that.

She tried to think that he's spitting whole shit, but it was as he said.

Though she hated to admit it...

She indeed realizes that being around Mickey is one of the only times she can be herself, seconded to Roxxy Barrett.

(... SHIT!!! I didn't even notice!!! How... How can this man be such detail about every fucking thing I've done??? )

As if he could read her mind.

“ Not only that. But I also notice the change of your scent too. Now I'm not a pervert or anything but it was very obvious, Roxxy may have noticed it too just ask her later, but... Your perfume... I don't know which or what brand you used but they're getting more and more intense since like... A week after I moved into your house... I don't know if I should count this or not...but there's not much reason for a woman to change her perfume, isn't it? Though I don't remember roasting about that.”

“........”

Shocked. Sera had nothing to say back. She needed time to make up a reply, instead, she asked:

“ .... You... You have been... Spying on me???? ”

“ Couldn't help... Guess it's my job's instinct. You know, need to make sure there will be no suspicious stuff around you. My side quest is to protect you.”

Mickey said, “ Please, it may sound like-”

“ A creep...”

Ser cut him off with that.

Speaking truthfully, she wasn't sure whether she should be scared or not.

“ Yeah. Or ... You can say I was just overthinking.”

“........”

“ Hell' you're a fucking creep, Mannix. You're even more rotten than I thought...”

“ Whatever you say. But the more you pretended to refuse, the dumber you look. Come on, Sera. I know everything. Just accept it like ‘Professional’. How does it feel to have someone who can drag you around your boiling point like me? I guess you feel like being Challenged, Don't you? You feel like God sent me down to end your boredom life, right? You're getting dominated over and over and that makes you feel very fresh, right? Oh, woman, you have such a weird fetish.”

“.......”

“ You're getting FAR more overconfident, Mannix. Which makes me want to vomit to your narcissistic.”

“ Then just say that what I've told you was total crap. Come on.”

“.......”

“ But just remember. If you lied, you lose... Like...ruinously lose.”

She wanted to scream to his face so badly. But if she did that, it'll go into the condition he said... So Sera chose to call back her self-conscious.

She must not follow his game.

“.........”

“........”

“ Oh? So you choose not to say anything? Not accept, but also not refuse? ”

Sera then smirks out.

“ !? ”

She noticed that Mickey was slightly shocked by her reaction.

She guesses that he was thinking that she should be screaming around right now, but sorry Mannix, that won't happen today.

“ Tough talk for a Pervert-foot-fetish- creep.”

!?!?!?

This time the obvious changed occurred on the boy.

Sera saw that his face turned a little bit red, might not as much as her, but it is obvious.

This was one of the very few moments that Sera can turn the table.

She started to know the way to counter back this man's bullshit.

[ Mickey Mannix can be easily embarrassed when mocking about his foot fetish.]

That's what Sera remembered at the very, very first week she met them. That time when Toshi spitted his friend's secret.

With the satisfaction of being able to turn the table, the evil grin was shown on Sera's face.

“.........”

The boy began to call back his calm, he achieved that in just a few seconds.

He then said:

“If you consider that as in terms of ‘Creep’...”

Mickey pulled his face closer.

“ Then I can assure you. If we're in a relationship, I can make it go far beyond the word “Creep”.”

He showed his gently evil grin.

(...This bastard...)

Not gonna lie, but Sera did terrify by his words.

His eyes were gazing into her soul shows no lie... In contrast, he's telling her that he's the real shit and he can prove it.

“........”

Mickey then walked away from Sera back to his friends.

Same time as Jody came back from the shooting range.

As the American arrived at the scene, Syd Barrett shouts to her.

“ JODY look! I'M AMERICAN POLICE!”

He pointed to Toshi before stomping his entire foot on Toshi Ishii who's lying down on the ground.

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH”

Both cries out loud.

“ THIS IS AMERICA! GET THE FUCK ON THE GROUND! YOU FUCKING N***ER-”

“ WOAH BRO.”

Toshi suddenly paused.

Actually, everyone around Syd Barrett was captivated as he said that.

“ What? This is very common in America. ”

“ Getting my ass beat on the ground??? And being called N*gg*r ? ”

“ Yeah. You're role-playing as a black man in America tho. I'm a cop.”

“ Bruh. America is so scary.”

“ Sure damn is. This ain't even count the Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta in da school-”

He did a gun holding pose while said that.

“ Shit. That's insane.”

“ I'll show you the American impression. Just wait a min.”

Syd took a deep breath.

“ Hi, I'm American. I used Supreme. I eat lots of pizzas with extra cheese. I like Mcdonalds. I eat a lot of ummm... hamburgers ah yes, extra cheese either Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom . Starbucks go brrrr. I go flexing my money on snap chat, yeah bitch look how far I'm on my diet. I want that Gucci, I'll use my credit card. Is that bacon Vegan? Oh, you're from Brazil? Oh really? Which part of African?”

“ HaHa!!! ”

Suddenly, Syd gettin' twisted at the ear.

“ AHHHH!? Your nails hurting me! WHAT? ”

“ Come to Philadelphia. We have a cheesesteak and it's a hundred times better than Mcdonalds.

Jody said with a smiling face, but a threatening voice.