Namee frowned when she saw Jiro and his gang walking past them without even giving Dara a glance. The two just exited their classroom and they came across Black Dragons but her friend and Ice Lord didn't even acknowledge each other.

"Why didn't he even stop and talk to you?"

"He has nothing to say", Dara replied nonchalantly. "And it will be awkward if we greet each other with his gang behind him."

She just shook her head and chuckled at the eccentricity of the two. They do match each other. The guy has an odd behavior that can drive any woman insane and the girl understands and accepts what others can't.

"I'll see you later, my class is this way", Namee said and jogged to her classroom while Dara headed towards the round tables to read her books while waiting for her next class.

She was about to sit when she saw the Fire 39 gang headed by Bullet and the Sparrow Gang headed by Spade talking in a near distance. There was concern in their faces as they discuss something seriously. When their conversation ended and Bullet saw her, he waved his hand dismissively at his gang mates and approached her.

"Munchkinnn!" He smiled brightly and pinched her cheeks.

"What was that about?" She asked as they sat on the round table.

Bullet's face turned serious as he sighed tiredly. "An InterSAT student was attacked and Spade thinks it's not an outsider, but one of the InterSAT gangs. So he's making a round among the gangs to warn us."

"What made him think it's one of the InterSAT gangs?"

"The victim said there's an X mark in black paint at his locker and he thinks that it's a threat."

"But our school is full of graffiti. What made him think that it's not just vandalism?"

"The X mark is inside his locker, at the side of the locker's door", Bullet explained.

Dara shook her head in disbelief. "I really don't get this school sometimes. Especially the gangs", she said.

"Munchkin, the gangs in InterSAT are former martial arts clubs. Then it became fraternities, and now gangs. Other universities have fraternities, but we are cooler." He puffed his chest and pounded it with his fist to show his masculinity, making Dara chuckle. "The neighboring schools began copying us and renamed their fraternities using gang names. Pfft! Copycats."

"Stop your macho act and be careful, okay?" Dara said while lightly punching Bullet's chest.

"Bah! Let them come at me. Let's see if they'll see the light of day again", he said proudly.

"Don't worry, Bullet. I'll protect you", Dara said playfully and pulled her sleeves up. "Have you seen my muscles?" She asked, showing her upper arm.

"Oh, reaaallyyy? Come on, show me what you got!" Bullet stood up and raised his open palms, urging her to punch. Dara giggled and shot to her feet, punching Bullet's palms with her fists.

"Jab, jab, straight!" Bullet instructed. "No, munchkin. Step your left foot forward, move your hips, your right foot pointing to the ground and deliver a straight punch. Yes, that's it!"

Bullet suddenly stopped her punch by gripping her wrist. He then leaned down and kissed her fist, staring at her afterwards. "I heard a nasty rumor", he said as he stroked her fist with his thumb.

"What rumor?"

"It's about you and... Ice Lord", he said as he lets go of Dara's hand. Seeing the girl's worried expression, he swallowed hard and gave her a lopsided grin. "Don't worry, I told those gossipmongers that my munchkin is not cheating on me. Hah! No one can break the munchkin couple."

"Bullet, I-..."

"I have to go. I need to take care of something", he immediately turned around and strode away, his smile slowly fading.

Dara stood on her spot while watching her friend's retreating back. She was startled when she heard someone chuckling behind the tree nearby. When she whipped her head on that direction, she saw Stone stepping away from the tree and walking towards her.

A shiver ran down her spine as she studied his sharp features – long and narrow face, high cheekbones, pointy chin, a scar on his forehead. What scared her, though, are his red eyes, as if he's high on something.

"We meet again", he said as he stood in front of her. "Dara Ramirez, former Bridge Rose student. Tell me... How are you associated with Ice Lord?" He asked as he slowly circled around her, looking at her from head to toe. "Are you his girl or is it that chick named Takizawa?"

"I didn't know you're into girls' gossips. Did you try to look at Namee's underwear to see if her panty is better than yours?"

"Sharp tongue. I like it", he stopped in front of her again and grinned. Dara took a step back when he slowly leaned down to level his gaze with hers. "You see this scar? Ice Lord did this", Stone pointed at his forehead. "What if I put a scar in your face? Will he come running after me?" He whispered.

Dara quickly gathered her things and slung her bag on her shoulder before facing him again. "You don't have to put a scar on anyone's face to make him come running after you. Just declare your love for him. Who knows, maybe he'll be touched by your undying devotion."

She heard Stone's boisterous laugh as she marched away. As soon as she reached the Arts Building, she leaned on the wall and clutched her chest with trembling hands; her heart hammering as she heaved a deep breath.

***

Dara's POV

My encounter with Stone haunted me for days but fortunately, I didn't come across him anymore. I pushed the troubling thought aside and focused my gaze on the laptop that Jiro gave me. I don't want to ruin my weekend thinking about what The Claws gang leader said.

Reading the first pages that I typed, I can't help but feel giddy with the fact that I'm starting to write the first chapter of my first story. I already filled a couple of notebooks while writing some scenarios and after making an outline of the plot, everything is now materializing. I hope before this weekend ends, I will be able to finish a lot of chapters.

I hugged my pillow as I sat on my bed and browsed through my notebooks, smiling inwardly when I saw the things that I wrote. Ever since, I wanted to be a romance novel author and seeing my works in the bookstores is one of my greatest dreams. Now that I have an inspiration, I hope it will help me in becoming an effective writer.

Hmmm... I usually use my name as the heroine and invent a guy's name as the lead. What if I use Jiro and my name for the characters? I pulled my black notebook and began browsing through the scenes I wrote, replacing the characters' names in my mind.

Dara squeezed her eyes shut and moaned when she felt Jiro's tongue lapping the juices of her private part...

OH MY GOD! I can't imagine Jiro licking my vajayjay, que horror! The juices of my...GAHH! His mouth is not going anywhere near that part, I swear! Why the hell did I end up in a smut scene?!

Shaking my head in disbelief, I flipped through the pages and tried again. I can't believe I wrote this!

When Jiro settled his gaze at her exposed breasts, Dara tried to cover her chest but he stopped her. "Don't", he said. "You're very lovely, Dara", he whispered, his warm breath tingling her bare skin. He then captured one of her peaks and began twirling his tongue, making her lose her mind...

Yes, I am losing my mind! Holy crap! My exposed breasts? I peeked inside my clothes and looked at my sorry-looking breasts. There are so many words to describe my pair of deflated balloons, but 'lovely' is not one of them. And what the heck with the tongue and my nipple?!

I exhaled audibly and fanned my face with my hand as I continued reading.

Dara mewled when Jiro slid his member in her damp core, his gaze never leaving hers as he began thrusting slowly.

Kill.Me.Now. He slid his-...in my damp-... WAH! No. I vigorously fanned my face with my hand and shook my head. My body temperature is rapidly increasing, gosh! What is this? Didn't I say I'm not ready yet to be sleeping with him? I flipped through the pages again and continued.

A sweet sensation awashed her body as Jiro continued drilling into her. Dara moaned and she began arching her hips to meet his thrusts. "Jiro", she cried out as she was nearing her climax.

"KYYAAAHHH!!" I squealed loudly and buried my face on my pillow, unable to read any further.

"RAMIREZ!" I jerked back at Jiro's panicked voice. His rushed footsteps and the loud banging of the door against the wall as he barged inside my room were the next thing I heard. His face was drawn with concern as he looked at me. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes", I stuttered as I hurriedly closed my notebook.

"Why did you scream? What happened?"

"Nothing."

"I heard you scream."

"I was just reading...something. And I got excited." There is no way in hell I'm going to admit that I'm reading smut with him in my mind! I shut my laptop and gathered my notebooks scattered on the bed, afraid to look at him.

"Your cheeks are red", he said as he sat at the edge of the bed. He raised his hand and ran the back of his bended forefinger on my cheek, causing me to flinch at his touch. Almost immediately, the scenes of what I was reading earlier played in my mind.

.. lapping the juices of her private part...

He then captured one of her peaks...

.. slid his member in her damp core..

.. as Jiro continued drilling into her.

I swallowed hard as my breathing hiked up. Jiro seemed to be saying something but I already lost my focus. He then leaned forward, seemingly getting something behind me, and my system went haywire when he leaned close to me. My gaze settled on his jawline...his neck...his collar bone... and before I can stop myself, my arms automatically wrapped around him as I nuzzled my nose at the crook of his neck. A satisfied moan escaped my lips as I breathed his scent. God, he smelled so nice. I puckered my lips, pressing it against his skin; and then... I withdrew my tongue and licked that spot while my hand slid down his body.

"Ramirez..." His voice slashed mercilessly in my consciousness. My right hand is already on the buckle of his belt while my other arm is wrapped around him; and I'm pretty sure a certain spot on his neck is damp with my saliva. OH.DEAR.LORD.

Veeerrryyy slowly, I dragged my gaze towards him with a horrified look on my face. I withdrew my hands and pulled away as I directed my gaze elsewhere, too dumbfounded to speak. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING! I almost jumped into Jiro like a crazed animal and if he didn't speak, I would've pulled out his penis and jammed it in my-... OH MY GOSH I DID NOT JUST-... WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!

"I said, Cheng is calling you", Jiro showed me my ringing phone and handed it to me. I snatched it from his hand and ran towards the bathroom, closing the door behind me as I panted. I pushed the answer button on my phone and immediately freaked out at Namee.

"Namee! Oh my God, it was so embarrassing! I almost jumped on Jiro earlier and-...and-...WHAT SHOULD I DO? I can't look at him after what I di-..."

"This is Bullet", I heard him say. I frowned and looked at the screen on my phone again, but Namee's number is registered on the caller id.

"Bullet?"

"I borrowed Namee's phone because I ran out of battery", he explained in a dispirited voice. "I was just about to invite you over because Namee and I are hanging out here at a café."

"O-Oh. Sorry, I-.."

"You're with Montecillo? Right. Okay", he said. I heard him sigh before he bade goodbye.

Bullet...

It feels like ice cold water has been poured over my head. I've been ignoring Bullet's teasings with the excuse that he's just being playful but deep down, I knew he's sincere. Just like what Namee told me, I should stop pretending and face him. But I couldn't return his feelings and I don't want to ruin our friendship; what should I do?

"Ramirez?"

The knocks on the door startled me, pulling me out of my trance. I opened the door with my head hanging low, still unable to look Jiro in the eyes.

"I'm meeting the rest of the Black Dragons. We'll be creating our project at the atelier of Picaro's dad. Do you want to come with me?" He asked.

"Won't I be in the way?"

"No. You can bring your things so you can write while we do our project."

"Okay." This is good; he's being nonchalant with what I did earlier so maybe-...

"What page were you reading earlier?" Jiro asked while picking up my black notebook. My eyes widened as he opened it and flipped through the pages.

"NOOO! GIVE IT BACK!"

***

What Jiro is thinking, she has no idea. She doesn't want to know either. What she did earlier is too humiliating for words. Fortunately, she was able to snatch the black notebook away from him. If he read the smut scene that she wrote, she will probably explode in shame.

Rostelli Atelier. Dara read the sign before they entered what appears to be a painter's workshop place. The space was huge with stacks of paintings leaning against the wall and wrapped with bubble plastic wraps. There are wooden canvasses, tables and chairs scattered all over the place and the painting tools are lined up at a long table which was pushed at the corner. Jiro's gang mates were busy in their own corners – some sitting alone on the floor and some doing their projects on a table together with the others. To outsiders, it may seem a bit odd to see these mean-looking gangsters to be very absorbed in what they're doing. But being in InterSAT, Dara learned that what you see isn't always what it appears to be. They may look tough and some might think that fighting in brawls and creating chaos are the only things they're good at; but they're not. They're not an empty shell with neither talent nor brain. And even gangsters fear for their future.

"Ey, Ice Leader is here!" Bonsai announced. "Oh oh oh, look who he's with. If it isn't his little Ice Cube", he peeked behind Jiro to look at Dara and grinned. "Peace has been restored in the Ice Lord Universe!"

"Dara, you can sit here", Picaro lifted a chair and purposely shoved Bonsai with his elbow as he walked past him. He placed the chair next to a table and asked her to sit there.

"Thanks, Picaro. This place is nice. Is Rostelli your surname?" Dara asked.

"His Excellency Pierre Carlo Rostelli is his full name", Bonsai, who will not be deterred by a mere shoving of the elbow, interjected.

"Pierre Carlo Rostelli", Picaro corrected. "Don't listen to this little chai tea latte. I dare you to ask his real name."

Bonsai grimaced and tried to kick Picaro's shin, but the latter was able to dodge it. "His name is Vaughn Tsai", Picaro said.

"Oh", Dara looked at Bonsai and blinked innocently at him. "Is that why you're called Bonsai?"

"No", Picaro chuckled. "You know the small plant-..."

"PICARO!" Bonsai growled and with that, the two continued bickering with each other.

Jiro sets down Dara's laptop on the table and looked at her. "Are you fine here?" He asked.

"Yes. Go ahead and do your stuff."

Jiro placed his hand on Dara's nape and squeezed it gently before walking away, carrying his toolbox. He joined some of his gang mates in a table nearby and began working on his project.

"Dara, what's your major?" Bonsai suddenly asked.

"Creative Writing and Literature."

"Oh great! Mine is International Studies and my project involves writing a boring paper. Can you help me? Please?" He pleaded with his hands clasped in front of him. "You can't resist this cuteness, can you? Please please please."

"Sure", she answered. Bonsai hurriedly grabbed his laptop and pulled a chair to sit next to Dara. Picaro joined them, bringing his laptop with him.

"Do you need help too, Picaro?" Dara asked.

"He doesn't need help", Bonsai remarked. "He's the top among Graphic Design students."

"No, I'm not", Picaro said while his eyes are focused on his laptop. He then lifted his gaze and turned to her, "Do you know that Ice Lord is the best among Electronics Technology students?"

"Wow. Really? I didn't know that." Dara stared at Jiro who was busy with what he's doing, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"You're good for him", Picaro remarked as he directed his eyes on his laptop once again, his fingers continuously moving on the pen tablet beside it.

"Yeah", Bonsai agreed. "He doesn't talk much before; and he's reserved and distant. Ever since you entered InterSAT, he's becoming more human."

Picaro shifted his eyes to Dara and stared directly at her eyes. "Jiro is someone who's hard to figure out; but not impossible to understand. You just have to look at him hard enough, beyond what he's making you see. He had a difficult childhood and it really broke him", he paused, tearing his gaze off her. "Friends can only do so much. You're more than that to him. One of these days, you'll realize that you're the one protecting him all along, Dara."

"Me? Protecting him from what?"

"From himself", Bonsai said with a sigh.

***

When Dara saw that Jiro walked towards the door going to the backroom, she stood up and excused herself from the two and followed him.

The backroom has a small kitchen and he saw him facing the sink with a glass of water in hand. As he stared at his back, she felt the urge to hold him again. Her conversation with Picaro reminded her of how much Jiro has endured, and it pains her that she can't do much for him.

Slowly, she strode towards him and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his broad back. Jiro jerked back in surprise and lowered his gaze at her, setting down the glass that he was holding at the sink. She removed her arms when he turned around to face her.

"What's this?" He asked as he leaned his back against the edge of the sink. She didn't respond and instead, she wrapped her arms again around his neck and buried her face on his chest. "Ramirez?"

Not receiving any response, Jiro wrapped his arms around her and watched as Dara shifted and nuzzled his neck, inhaling deeply before sighing in contentment.

Dara shut her eyes and savored the comforting silence between them. Just the two of them. She lifted her gaze and met Jiro's eyes, staring tenderly at her.

"Had enough?" He whispered. She shook her head and hugged him tightly, pressing herself closer to him. She rested her cheek on his chest and watched as Jiro leaned down on her shoulder and bit the fabric of her dress, casting it aside and exposing her skin. He pressed his lips on her skin, trailing soft kisses slowly on her shoulder towards her neck, and finally capturing her lips. Her eyes fluttered into a close when he dipped in her mouth. His tongue slid inside her parted lips and he kissed her gently, his lips moving slowly on top of hers while his hand caressed her back. A soft moan escaped her mouth as he sucked her tongue, pleasure spreading through her body.

"We better stop", he said huskily and gave her a lingering kiss before pulling back. He stared at her dazed eyes and his gaze flicked down on her moist lips. "We should stop, Dara", he drawled hoarsely and gave her a quick peck.

"Hmmm..." Dara sighed in satisfaction and rubbed her cheek against his chest, their arms still wrapped around each other.