Bullet nudged Namee and tilted his head towards Dara, who is blankly staring at her food while they were discussing about the rumor that tainted Namee's name. They were at the cafeteria having lunch and Dara has been unusually quiet the entire time. Namee looked at her and shrugged her shoulders at Bullet.

"How many relationships have you two had?" She asked out of the blue.

"What?" Bullet and Namee exclaimed in unison, unsure if they heard her right. Dara lifted her gaze and stared at the two. "Bullet, how many ex-girlfriends do you have?"

Bullet chuckled as he rested his elbow on the table. "You're that interested in me, munchkin?" But Dara continued staring at him without uttering a word. "Four or five, I think. Nothing serious. We just, you know..." His voice trailed off.

"Just what?"

Bullet cleared his throat and glanced at Namee with pleading eyes. "I've only had one boyfriend, and it's really nothing much. The guy is a wimp", Namee said, directing the attention to her. "And may I ask why you're suddenly interested with our love life?"

"Nothing", Dara mumbled as she casted her gaze downwards. The two looked at each other knowingly. "It must be Jiro", Namee guessed.

"Munchkin, if you want a boyfriend, I'm here! Tell me what you want me to do. I'll even pick the stars for you, cross the mountains, swim through the ocean", Bullet said while gesturing wildly with his hands.

"I can't believe he had a relationship before", Dara said weakly, ignoring Bullet's antics. Namee gasped and leaned towards her, "He does?"

"I can't believe you girls actually thought he didn't have one before", Bullet shook his head at them.

"It's Takizawa, isn't it?" Namee asked.

"Yes."

"Oh my gosh", Namee exclaimed. "What did I tell you, huh? I told you that girl is bad news. No wonder she's attaching herself to Ice Lord. You have got to start your move, Dara."

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side", Bullet complained and poked Namee by the shoulder. "Stop pushing Dara to that bloke of ice."

"But Dara likes Jiro."

"I didn't say that!" Dara protested.

Sighing heavily, Bullet rested his chin on his palm and looked at the two. "What's the deal if Takizawa is Montecillo's ex?"

"That means she has a bigger chance!" Namee replied and continued explaining the quantum physics inside every girl's mind that had Bullet rolling his eyes.

Dara remained silent, not quite listening to the two. After she found out about Riko and Jiro, everything was never the same. It's as if there was a heavy weight on her shoulders that makes moving difficult. No wonder Jiro has no qualms when Riko kissed him at the Black Dragon's turf. No wonder he acts that way towards Riko. Dara breathed deeply, trying to ignore the seething pain in her chest.

"Ex-girlfriend is coming", Namee announced, making her lift her gaze. Riko passed by their table and greeted them casually. She could only nod her head and gave her a small smile, which immediately faded as soon as she turned around. Namee didn't even bother greeting the girl and pretended to be fiddling with her phone. It's fortunate they have Bullet in the table who can act normal and cheerful in a snap of a finger.

"Do you girls hate her that much?" Bullet whispered.

"Of course not", Dara replied.

"I don't hate her. I just want her to stop existing", Namee said with disinterest. After she found out what Riko told Dara, she has been wary of the girl. "Anyway, are you planning on going to the InterSAT bonfire?"

"Jiro doesn't want me to."

"You have to come. I need you there", Bullet said in a serious tone. She stared at him curiously but Bullet averted his gaze.

"Why?"

"I need someone to fight for", he replied mysteriously.

***

"It's the Black Dragons!"

"Ice Lord is with them! OMG, he's so cool!"

"Ssshh! Isn't that Ice Lord's girl?"

Dara walked slowly along the hallway, purposely ignoring the students who were gossiping about her and Jiro. Her expression is unreadable and her gaze is focused at nothing in particular. The students gaped at her as she continued walking directly towards the Black Dragon gang.

Jiro's eyebrows furrowed as Dara walked past them without even giving him a glance. He followed her with his gaze but she already turned at the corner. Bonsai and Picaro exchanged glances, the small guy arching his eyebrows while the latter just shrugged his shoulders. As soon as they reached their turf, Jiro received a text message from Dara that she won't be able to walk home with him later since she'll be hanging out with Namee and Bullet.

"Damn it", he cursed and pocketed his phone, shifting his gaze outside the window.

"What's the matter?" Picaro asked as he sat beside him.

"That kid is hanging out with Bullet again", Jiro muttered without glancing at him. Bonsai's ears perked up and he jumped in between the two, sitting on the floor while grinning widely. "What's up? You got girl trouble, Ice leader?"

"Get lost, you monkey", Picaro lightly kicked him but the small guy was not deterred.

"Dara seems to be avoiding you earlier", Bonsai continued.

"Why would she?" Jiro asked lazily, dragging his gaze towards his gang mate.

"Maybe you said something. Your mouth is not trained for sweet talks, you know. You've been calling her 'kid' and heaven knows what other things you're telling her", he said.

"She is a kid to me."

"I am so amazed at how hopeless you are. You say that, but-..." Bonsai turned to Picaro and stood up. "Dude, spread your legs. I'm Dara and you're Jiro."

Picaro complied silently and spread his legs while Bonsai sat in between his parted thighs. He already has an idea what Bonsai is thinking. When the rest of the gang focused their attention towards them, the craziness commenced.

"Oh, ohhhh, I'm cold", Bonsai exclaimed in a high-pitched girly voice, shifting his head left and right for added dramatic effect. "I'm so cold, Jiro. Jiroooo... Nyam, nyam, nyam, nyam, nyammm."

"Me – manly. Me – protect you", Picaro played along and deepened his voice while speaking like a caveman. He then hugged Bonsai from behind and forcefully rubbed his arms.

"Oh! Ohh!! What are you doing, Jirooo!"

"Me – hug hug. Me – rub rub."

Boisterous laughter erupted in the Black Dragon's turf as the two continued their act. Jiro, on the other hand, was not amused. He turned towards one of their gang mates and pointed at the rope hanging by the wall. "Hand me that rope. I'm going to tie these gaytards together."

"Okay, we're stopping, we're stopping", Bonsai leaped out of Picaro's arms and slumped on the floor again. "But do you see our point?"

"That you're both assholes?"

"That what you're saying is opposite of what you're doing, Jiro. You're confusing Dara", Picaro explained.

"If you continue this bullcrap, Bullet is going to snatch her under your nose", Bonsai added.

"She should be smart enough to know that Bullet is toying with her."

"What if he's not?" Picaro asked.

Jiro frowned at him. "Do you even hear yourself?"

"I also think he's getting serious with your girl, man", Bonsai planted his hands on the floor and reclined back. "I haven't seen him hanging out with the ladies recently."

"Ramirez is not my girl. And I'll be taking care of that guy at the InterSAT bonfire", Jiro said, his words laced with threat. He abruptly stood up and headed towards the door, leaving the two behind.

***

The leaves swayed as the soothing wind blew; the moon casting a beautiful light on the road. The gentle breeze, however, seemed to leave no effect on the distressed Dara. Days have passed and the heavy feeling in her heart is still there. She ended up avoiding Jiro and coming up with excuses not to walk home with him in case Riko is also with him. It has also been days since he dropped by her house and she can only assume that either he has been busy with his part-time job or that he has been seeing Riko. She can only hope that it was the former.

She kicked a stone on her path and continued walking aimlessly around the neighborhood, lost in her own thoughts. As she was about to walk past an alley, Dara heard someone whimper in pain. With a frown, her steps slowed down and she stole a peek at the narrow alley. Fear flickered in her eyes when she saw a guy in InterSAT uniform punching someone endlessly even though the victim is already lying on the ground, his face covered in blood. He then picked up something from the ground – a small plastic with white powder. He then stopped and shifted his gaze, noticing Dara who was still staring at him. Dara's eyes widened and she immediately stepped back in fright. Seeing that his attacker is distracted, the guy lying on the ground hastily stood up and ran away.

When the InterSAT student began walking towards her direction, Dara broke into an abrupt run. She was gasping for breath when she finally reached her house. After locking the doors, she collapsed on her bed and heaved a heavy sigh. 'A student from InterSAT? Who is he?' She thought.

***

Jiro's expression was grim while looking at his phone. It has been days since he last saw Dara and the only text messages he's getting from her are lame excuses of why she can't walk home with him. If he wasn't preoccupied with his part-time job, he would have dropped by her house. He tried calling her but she's not answering her phone. Whenever he searches for her, she's either talking to her noisy friend or she's pretending to be busy with something. Is she avoiding him?

As he was descending the stairs on his way to his next class, Jiro saw Dara walking along the hallway. He hastened his pace and followed her.

"Ramirez", he called but oddly, Dara walked hurriedly and dashed towards the nearest girls' restroom. His steps slowly halted as he realized that his suspicion is correct. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, Jiro waited for Dara to come out while glaring at the students who were curiously looking at his direction.

Minutes passed by and female students entered and exited the restroom. Dara remained inside one of the cubicles, her head swirling with a lot of thoughts. She knew that her behavior is weird, considering Jiro and she have no relationship whatsoever. But what he revealed is stuck in her mind, and it pains her, which she does not want Jiro to see.

Thinking that enough time has passed and Jiro might have already left, Dara walked out of the cubicle and was welcomed by her reflection in the mirror. She sighed when she saw the dark circles on her eyes. She has been getting less sleep lately because of what Jiro told her. Ex-girlfriend? There was a stabbing pain in her heart once again just thinking about it.

When she walked out of the restroom, her path was blocked by the guy that she's trying to avoid. She didn't even look at Jiro as she adjusted the strap of her bag, too tired to even pretend to be fine.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"No", she answered simply.

"Then why are you doing this?"

Dara dragged her gaze towards him and sighed. Jiro did nothing wrong but she felt the need to distance herself from him for a while. Her heart can't take any more ups and downs with his confusing actions.

"Don't mind me, Jiro. It's just that I'm not in the mood recently."

"Not in the mood? Because of what?"

"Because of a lot of things", she replied in a dispirited voice. "I'm sorry, I need to go to my next class now", Dara said and walked past him without waiting for his reply.

Jiro stood in the hallway in silence, watching Dara walk away from him.

***

Bullet scanned the school ground and clicked his tongue. He has been looking for Dara since the classes has ended but the tiny woman is nowhere in sight. He knew that she did not walk home with Jiro again but where did that munchkin go?

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed her number. He has been calling her multiple times but she isn't answering. Bullet whipped his head to his left when he heard a ringing phone, only to see Dara seemingly sleeping behind the bushes underneath the tree. He pocketed his phone and approached the girl, slumping on the ground in front of her.

"Munchkin?" Bullet brushed the strands of hair away from Dara's face and stared at her. "Munchkin, wake up", he repeated and lightly tapped her shoulder.

"Hmm..." She murmured as she slowly opened her eyes, lightly rubbing her face with her palms.

"I've been calling you. You're not answering your phone", he said and occupied the spot beside her, sliding his arm behind her and letting her rest on his shoulder while he leaned his back against the tree.

"Sorry, I dozed off."

"You're avoiding Montecillo again, aren't you?"

"No", Dara replied in a small voice.

"Look, munchkin, I honestly don't care if you and Ice fought. But you walking alone at night are making me worried. Promise me that you'll contact me if you're going to stay behind after school so I can accompany you."

"I can't do that."

"Munchkin... Don't make me repeat myself", Bullet said sternly. Dara tilted her head and looked at him. Seeing his serious expression, she pouted and nodded in response. "Alright, I'll contact you. Let me take a nap for a few minutes. I'm dead tired", she said.

"Rest your head on my lap."

She immediately complied and shifted her position, lying on her side with her head on his lap. Bullet began brushing her hair with his fingers gently, watching her as her eyes slowly closed and her relaxed breathing is heard. He smiled and stared at the sleeping girl, tracing her cheek with his forefinger.

"I'll be fighting against your protector, munchkin. I wonder who you're going to root for", he whispered. "Will you cheer for me? Even if you just fake it, it's okay."

He ran his fingers through her hair again, liking its softness against his skin. "You can also depend on me, munchkin. I can also protect you", his voice trailed off as he slowly leaned down, pressing his lips against hers.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Jiro's voice thundered all over the place. Bullet lifted his gaze and saw Jiro charging towards them but instead of cowering in fear, he smiled at him.

"Ssshhh", he placed his forefinger on his lips and winked at him. "She's sleeping."

"YOU BASTARD!"

"Jiro?" Dara mumbled while rubbing her eyes as she sat up, her vision still a bit blurry from sleep. "Jiro?" She repeated and looked interchangeably between the two guys.

"Get up, Ramirez", he hissed, pulling her by the wrist and making her abruptly stand.

"Wh-.." Dara's question was cut off and she gasped when Jiro suddenly grabbed Bullet by the collar and aimed his fist at him.

"JIRO!" She shrieked and threw herself in between the two, pushing Jiro by the chest. "Stop it! What are you doing?!"

His steely gaze turned to her, his lips forming a thin line; a silent danger still lingering in his eyes.

"Let go of him", Dara pleaded and tried to peel his hands off Bullet. His jaws clenched as he forcefully pushed Bullet aside, letting him go. "I better see you at the InterSAT bonfire, Lee. We'll settle it there", he muttered.

"No need to remind me twice", Bullet smirked.

"What do you mean-...Ouch! Jiro, wait!" Dara protested as the guy dragged her by the wrist and walked out of there.

With Jiro's long strides, they were able to reach her house in record time. He slammed the door shut and faced her, unable to hide the rage steaming inside him.

"What's this about, Jiro?" Dara asked while rubbing her wrist.

"THAT BASTARD FUCKING KISSED YOU!"

She blinked in bewilderment before understanding dawned on her. "When I was sleeping? He kissed me again?" Dara asked. It actually wasn't the first time that Bullet did that. That guy also stole a kiss when they were in the library a few days ago. She was resting her head on the table, bored to her skull, when Bullet suddenly kissed her. She yanked his ear because of that although she doesn't really mind because she knew Bullet is just being playful and besides, she's already used to him being touchy and-...

"AGAIN? What do you mean again?" Jiro's breathing increased, his eyebrows mashed together and his words laced with a promise of pain he's surely going to inflict to the flirty bastard. "What do you mean AGAIN, Ramirez?" He muttered under gritted teeth.

"I-...well..."

"That asshole!" He raked his fingers on his hair and turned his back at Dara, a string of curses escaping his mouth.

"He's just playful. Don't be mad at him."

Jiro slowly turned to face her again, his eyes blazing in fury. "Don't be mad at him?! HE KISSED YOU!"

"I don't mind. You shouldn't too", she shrugged.

"WHAT?" Jiro stepped forward and towered over her, staring directly at her eyes. "Don't tell me that kind of crap, Ramirez. If someone kisses you, I WILL MIND."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want anyone to take advantage of you."

"He's not taking advantage of me!"

"You don't know him, Ramirez."

"I do. He's my friend. Why are you so against him? You didn't see me reacting that way when Riko kissed you!"

"She was just grateful that's why she did that."

"Bullet does not mean any harm either."

The two glared at each other in silence. It was their first time to be in a heated argument and no one wanted to back down. Dara can't understand why Jiro is making a big deal out of nothing. He made it clear before that he's not jealous of Bullet and that he's just a kid in his eyes, so what's the fuss about?