"Do you know what they're saying?" Namee set down her tray of food and slumped on the seat in front of Dara. "The students think that Riko and Jiro are a couple and you're just his childhood friend. Argh! If you don't do something, I swear I will!"

"Let them be", Dara responded while roaming her eyes in the cafeteria. The usual buzzing during lunch break could be heard, accompanied by the clinking of silverwares as the InterSAT students ate while chatting. Everything looked normal, but something felt missing.

"I haven't seen Bullet lately", Dara said, realizing that their cheerful gang leader friend was nowhere in sight.

"Maybe he's lazy to go to school. Or maybe the Business Management students are busy", Namee shrugged. Since Business Management students like Bullet sometimes had feasibility studies that required them to go on fields or other locations, what her friend said was highly possible. But for some reason, Dara still felt restless.

"Anyway, back to your problem", Namee said in a business-like tone.

"I don't have any problem."

"Yes, you do. And the problem is sitting over there", she tilted her head to the side and when Dara turned towards that direction, she saw Riko and her friends giggling as they occupied the table in a corner.

"I overheard Riko telling her friends that Jiro is not the 'Ice Lord' that everybody thinks. She said he's really caring and thoughtful. Oh pleaseee", Namee rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"But she's right", Dara said nonchalantly while focusing on her food. "Jiro is really not the type of guy that others assumed him to be. Even if he looks cold and stoic, he actually pays attention to people around him and he cares for them in his own way", she added and lifted her eyes to look at her friend, who was gawking at her like she has completely evolved into an unknown specie. "What?"

"Oh my God, I'm going to marry you", Namee said sarcastically. "You talk like you've achieved nirvana. I mean, I know that you are understanding, but not to that extent."

"Thank...you?"

"DARA!" Namee huffed and glared at her. "Listen.To.Me. I know you trust Jiro and I know with your personality, you are never going to tell him to avoid Riko. I get that and seriously, I salute you for being very rational and tolerant. BUT... Riko is Jiro's ex-girlfriend and it's very obvious that she still has feelings for him so you should be cautious. Don't just leave them alone because they're friends."

Dara remained silent as she pondered over what her friend said. To be honest, Riko's presence in Jiro's life was making her uneasy. But knowing what Riko did for Jiro, which actually helped her indirectly, she couldn't bring herself to ask Jiro to stop accommodating Riko. If she were on Jiro's shoes, she would have probably done the same thing out of gratitude.

"It's...complicated", she mumbled.

"Oh, you should see my room. You'll see the real meaning of complicated", Namee remarked. "It's not complicated, my friend. The first step is to tell Jiro that you're not comfortable seeing him with his ex-girlfriend. You don't have to explicitly tell him to avoid her. He'll get your drift. Ice Lord is not stupid."

"You don't understand, Namee", Dara leaned towards her friend and whispered. "The man that Riko helped is my father. Jiro is indebted to her and in a way, I am too."

Namee exhaled audibly and raked her long hair with her fingers. She bit her lips and stared at her friend, her face drawn with concern. "Dara... You know what I think Jiro's problem is? He's not used to people being kind to him so if someone lends him a helping hand, he feels like he has to do everything to repay that person, even if it means he has to lose something very important to him. And you know what your problem is? You try to accept everything and make yourself believe that it's okay when deep inside you, it's not."

Dara didn't utter a word as she shifted her gaze to where Riko was sitting.

"There are other ways to show your gratitude which doesn't involve sacrificing your own happiness, Dara", she heard her friend said.

***

She was supposed to go to the library. She was supposed to do something productive during her vacant hour and not do something stupid like hiding behind the pillar near the Black Dragon's turf. But that was what Dara was doing – something stupid. She peeked and hid again, afraid that Jiro's gang mates might see her or worse, Jiro himself might see her. She was a woman with a mission; a stupid mission, to be exact. It was Namee's fault, actually. Yes, she intends to blame Namee for every shitty things that might happen or will happen with her life, because that's what true friends do.

After their lunch, the mistress of evil (Namee), told her to check if Riko would hang out at the Black Dragon's turf during her vacant hour and since she was still not immuned to the whisper of darkness, Dara succumbed to her spell and found herself in the situation she was currently in. Although she wanted to stop the stupid act, curiosity got the better of her.

Dara peeked again, nervousness enveloping her body whenever she saw someone moving inside the turf. She ducked behind the pillar when she saw Bonsai hopping while yelling loudly. The small guy was really a ball of energy. She breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. Her covert operation was going smoothly so far since no one noticed her; but she still hadn't seen Jiro and she has yet to confirm if Riko was inside. If the girl was with Jiro, Namee said she should hang out at the turf too to make sure the two were not left alone.

Gathering her courage once again, Dara slowly stretched her neck to peek at the turf when a familiar deep voice entered her ears.

"What are you doing, Ramirez?"

GAAH! Dara did not even glance back and was about to slither away but Jiro swiftly planted his hand on the pillar, his left arm blocking her path. Still not meeting his gaze, Dara quickly turned around to escape on the other direction but Jiro hastily blocked her with his right arm. She tried to duck but he lowered his arm, still trapping her.

Uh-oh.

Very slowly, she lifted her gaze and looked at him, meeting his blank stare. She gave him an awkward smile while pressing herself against the pillar. "Hi", she greeted sheepishly.

Jiro cocked his eyebrows at her without saying anything.

"Can I go now?" she asked.

"No."

She bit her lips and lowered her gaze, too embarrassed to be caught sneaking around. She jerked back in surprise when Jiro reached for her necktie and gently tugged it towards him, making her lift her eyes again. Their faces were only inches apart when he stopped tugging, still holding her necktie to keep her from moving.

"I caught you", he whispered.

Dara scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out. He pinched her nose, making her yelp, and before she could say another word, Jiro tugged her necktie again and pressed his lips on hers, producing a loud smack sound. He then let her go, his one hand still planted on the pillar as he towered over her.

Dara immediately folded in embarrassment, her eyes focused anywhere else but him. Jiro kissing her at school made her feel like she was doing something illegal. What if someone saw them? The rumors! Oh no! Wait. Wasn't that favorable for her? Being tagged as Jiro's girl would keep the other girls (*cough Riko) away. Or not? Wah! They shouldn't be kissing in school, PERIOD. Because... because...

"Ramirez, if you open that button..."

Jiro's voice pulled her out of her trance. Dara stared at what she was fumbling and her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized she was fiddling with the button of Jiro's pants! Oh gosh! What the hell was she doing? She was getting closer and closer to the 'target'!

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm not doing anything, I swear! I'm not targeting your-... your-..." She swallowed hard while her eyes gravitated towards the bulge in his pants.

"My what?" He tilted his head, his smoldering eyes boring into hers. With an embarrassed groan, she covered her face with her palms, refusing to look at him.

"I told you, kids should not read smut."

"I'm not reading smut! Stop teasing me!" Dara whined, still covering her face.

"Right. You didn't read it. You wrote it. Something about lapping the juices in-..."

"Jiro, I swear."

"And thrusting-..."

"JIRO!"

Hiding in the corner of the hallway, Riko wiped the tears that fell on her cheeks. She pounded her chest with her fist while breathing heavily, trying to calm herself. Despite the glaring truth that Jiro was not hers anymore, one thing was for sure... she still couldn't let him go.

***

Bullet's steps were slow, his arms hanging limply on his sides and his mind wandering elsewhere. He bumped into an alley thug and didn't even glance back, purposely inviting a fight. When he felt the thug's hand on his shoulder, his fists immediately clenched.

"HEY ASSHOLE! YOU BUMP-...UGH!"

The guy slumped on the ground after Bullet gave him a solid punch on the face. Riot ensued but he was too numb to even feel the pain as he fought against the alley thugs alone. He didn't even bother looking at whoever it was that was receiving his punches. His pent up emotions were boiling inside him, needing to be released.

After delivering a kick to his last opponent, Bullet spat the blood in his mouth and continued walking aimlessly. His feet brought him near InterSAT's back gate – the place where he saved Dara.

He sat on the grass, stretching his legs as he slightly leaned back, pushing his hands on the ground. The sky was clear, opposite of what he's feeling at the moment. God, he's pathetic. He promised himself not to lose his heart but look at him now – pursuing a girl who obviously had her eyes set on someone else.

Like a fool, he stayed beside her even if he knew she craved not for his presence. Like a fool, he hoped that she would somehow give him a fraction of the love that she was giving him and made himself believe that it was going to be okay. Even friendship would do. He didn't know that no matter what he did, it would hurt the same.

"Bullet!" Dara's voice was carried by the wind. He whipped his head towards the back gate and saw the girl running towards him.

"Hey munchkin!" He greeted merrily, because that was what he was supposed to do. He was her shield after all.

"What happened to you?" Dara asked worriedly, cupping his face and checking his injuries as she sat on the ground. She fished out the band aid from her pocket and tended to his wounds while asking the same question.

Again, he smiled brightly at her. "I'm fine. I just need a hug", Bullet said and wrapped his arms around Dara, startling her.

"Bullet!" She whined and tried to push him, but the guy wouldn't let her go. She felt him tightening his hug, his arms becoming firm around her body. "Bullet?"

"Just ten seconds, Dara", he said in a strained voice, his throat tightening as he breathed her scent. How many times had he imagined holding her like this? "Ten seconds will do", he whispered. "I'll even count."

Why must he fall for someone who could never be his? Why did he commit the same mistake that his mother did? Was he being punished? Does the heaven want him to experience the same pain that his mother had to endure for him to forgive her?

"Ten...nine...eight...."

"I'm sorry, Bullet", he heard her say, making him pause. He stiffened when she wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back gently to console him. "I should've talked to you sooner. It's my fault for ignoring your feelings."

"...seven...six...five..." Bullet continued, trying to ignore the seething pain in his heart at Dara's words.

"I'm in love with Jiro. I hope you'll find the one for you too, Bullet. You're a great guy; and you'll always be my friend."

He bit his lips, his eyes focused on the ground. He lost. No matter what he says or do, Dara would never look at him the same way she did for Jiro.

"...four...three...two..."

"I'll always be here for you, remember that. Don't let this affect us, please. I don't want to lose you", she said, squeezing him closer to her.

"ONE!" He exclaimed and pulled back, his lips curving in a wide smile as he stared at her. Fuck, it hurts.... "What are you yammering about, munchkin?" He asked playfully, pinching her cheeks. "Awww, are you worried about me? I'm fine. You should stop listening to Namee. That girl lives in her own fantasy world sometimes", he chuckled awkwardly, his chest constricting in pain as he willed himself to pretend in front of her. "We're cool so stop worrying, okay?"

"Okay", she mumbled while looking directly in his eyes.

"You still have class so you need to hurry. The bell is about to ring."

"Bullet, you know you're important to me, right? You and Namee."

"I know", Bullet lied on the ground and placed one arm across his eyes. "I'm going to sleep, munchkin. I'm tired", he mumbled, the smile he was struggling to keep began to fade.

"Okay. I'll go now", she said and was about to stand up. She hesitated for a moment but eventually leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Come back to us soon. We'll be waiting for you", she said. He didn't respond and listened to her foot steps walking away. He lost. He lost but he refused to be like his mother who ran away from the pain. Just like what Dara said, he would come back. He was her shield after all.

As Dara left the place, she didn't notice Riko hiding behind the wall, gripping her phone close to her chest. Riko looked at the photos she took and nervously gnawed her lips. Darting her eyes around, she quickly scampered away.

***

Jiro had been trying to call Dara but the call wouldn't go through. The girl probably forgot to charge it again. Frowning, he pocketed his phone and turned around, heading towards Dara's classroom for her next class. The 'Locker X' incident already has a second victim and he couldn't sit still since no one knew who the culprit was. Whoever he was, he didn't seem to have any particular motive and was targeting random InterSAT students. His jaws clenched at the thought that Dara might be the next on the list. He wouldn't allow it. If something happens to her, he might burn the entire school to the ground.

He was about to reach her classroom when he heard Riko calling his name. He stopped on his tracks and looked over his shoulder, waiting for the girl to reach him.

"Hi Jiro", Riko greeted. "Do you have plans later?"

"Yes", came his immediate reply.

"How about tomorrow?"

"I have plans."

Riko's grip on her phone tightened as she watched Jiro's stoic expression. His uncaring attitude towards her was one of the reasons why she broke up with him. It used to drive her insane. But now, it didn't matter if he was cold and reserved towards her. Nothing matters...as long as she'd have him back.

She breathed deeply and forced a smile on her face. "Are you going to be free any time this week?"

"No."

"Alright. I'll just go to your house when you're free."

Jiro looked directly in her eyes, and her smile started to falter. "We talked about this, didn't we?" He said.

"I-I..." Riko bit her trembling lips and clenched her fist. No matter what it takes, she wants to have Jiro back. She needs him back. "I'm alone at home again because my mom and dad fought. Dad left for a business trip and I don't know where mom is. I just want someone to talk to."

A look of concern crossed his eyes while looking at her. Even with that, she was happy. To have Jiro worry for her, it was enough. There was still hope for them. She was willing to accept even if it was just a fraction of his heart. But if she could do something about it, she'd rather have the rest of Jiro's heart empty while she occupied that tiny space.

"By the way, have you seen Namee Cheng? I need to talk to her. She will be happy with this picture I took. It seems Bullet doesn't need our help anymore because he and Dara are finally together! Look, I saw them hugging at the back gate", she said cheerfully and showed him her phone. "And she even kissed him. They look cute together", Riko added as she showed him a picture of Dara kissing Bullet's cheek.

There was a pang of pain in his chest as he stared at the phone that Riko was holding. His throat tightened in anger and his jaws clenched. He began breathing in short gasps as his rage started to mount.

As if torturing himself, he roamed his eyes carefully in the picture, noticing every tiny detail. The scene he saw near the Fire 39 turf when Bullet kissed Dara played in his mind again, making his chest constrict.

He was about to storm away when a gang brawl suddenly erupted near them. Riko yelped as she was pushed aside, causing her to slump on the ground. Still fuming with what he found out, Jiro's dangerous glare settled on the guy who accidentally pushed Riko.

"Ice Lord, I didn't mean to-..."

The guy was lifted in the air with the impact of Jiro's fist, his unconscious body sliding on the floor, effectively halting the ongoing brawl.

In a distance, Dara watched as Jiro lost his temper and punched the guy who harmed Riko. She had only seen him that angry when she was in trouble, but seeing that another girl had the same effect on him made her question Jiro's feelings for Riko. Was it really just guilt and gratitude that he had towards her? Or was there something more?

Slowly, Jiro straightened up and lifted his gaze, catching sight of Dara standing on the hallway. Their eyes locked, both drowned with the ill feeling that was eating them up inside. He started to stride towards her direction, the students parting to give way to the enraged Black Dragon leader.

When he finally reached her, he stopped and studied the girl. Noticing her disheveled uniform, he felt like his heart was being squeezed firmly, making him grit his teeth because of pain.

"Let's talk", he said gruffly.

Dara followed him in silence, her mind still filled with what she saw earlier. Riko was Jiro's ex-girlfriend and through the course of their relationship, it was highly possible that he had developed feelings for the girl, even if he didn't want to admit it. Her knuckles almost turned white as she firmly gripped the strap of her bag. The mere thought of the two together was tearing her heart.

When they reached the empty Black Dragon's turf, Jiro slammed the door shut and faced her, his eyebrows deeply furrowed in anger. "What the fuck were you doing with Bullet?" He growled.

"What?"

"You heard me, Ramirez."

"I did, but I don't understand why you're mad. How is this about me and Bullet? We're not the ones who attacked Riko. Isn't she the reason why you're acting like this?"

"Don't drag Riko in this conversation. This has nothing to do with her. I'm asking you about your relationship with Bullet."

"He's my friend! You know that!" Dara's voice hiked up in frustration.

"Your friend likes you!"

"I know, but-..."

"YOU KNOW?! You know and yet you hugged him and kissed him at the back gate?" Jiro hissed, his fists curling in tight balls, itching to hurt someone.