Bonsai yawned and slung his bag on his shoulder while walking drowsily towards the Black Dragon's turf. It was early, but he'd rather be at school than watch the chaos that would unfold once his two older brothers wake up and find out what Battou did to their sports trophies. When he woke up and saw that the kid used the trophy parts like lego blocks and attempted to build some incromprehensible crap out of it, he moved in lightning speed and dropped Battou off the pre-school near their house before running towards InterSAT.

He opened the door to their turf and stopped on his tracks when he saw the two people seated in one of the broken chairs at the corner. Great. Another thing he didn't want to deal with in that early morning.

"Yo", Picaro greeted. He just grunted in response and directed his gaze to the girl beside his gang mate.

"Hi Bonsai", Namee greeted cheerfully.

"Hey", Bonsai approached the two and sat at the edge of the broken table near them, setting his bag beside him. He then dragged his gaze at Picaro's sketchbook and grimaced when he noticed that he was drawing Namee's portrait. "Are you going to paint Cheng wearing only a necklace?"

"Shut up", Picaro muttered without glancing at him, his eyes focused on the sketchbook as he moved his hand carefully with each stroke of the pencil.

"So you two are together together?" He asked.

"Yes", Namee responded enthusiastically.

"Uh-huh. Congrats", he stated boredly.

Namee giggled and rested her head on Picaro's shoulder. "Picaro told me you're not into relationship and stuff. Why? I think you will be a good boyfri-..."

"Whoah! Hold it, woman", Bonsai's eyes widened in disbelief. "Picaro, control your girl."

"You're so cute", Namee rose from her seat and strode towards him, leaning on the edge of the table where Bonsai was seated. "Having a girlfriend is fun!"

"In what parallel universe is that statement correct, may I ask?"

"What is it that you don't like about girls, Bonsai?"

Picaro smiled inwardly, knowing that a battle of galactic proportion was about to commence.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you girls flip out every five minutes and when asked what's wrong, you'll say 'Nothing' and expect us poor guys to have some magical power to know what the actual fuck is wrong. And when a guy is quiet, you girls think all weird shit when in fact, we just want to have a silent moment to think what we want to eat for dinner. Not to mention the fact that when you girls are mad, you tend to bring up something that we have done on Sunday of February 25, year 2009 10:28pm and rub it on our faces. And you girls turn into a monster when you have your period!"

Namee eyed him while smirking, unabashed by Bonsai's words. She flipped her hair and crossed her arms over her chest before speaking, "First, when a girl said nothing is wrong and you think that something is actually wrong, then it probably means one thing, you are the issue. When we say 'Nothing', that's actually a code for 'Get the fuck off my face before I claw your eyes out.' We're actually giving you the signal to escape because we are compassionate beings. Second, if you are quiet, we don't think weird shit. We enjoy silence as much as you do. And when we're mad, yes we bring up past mistakes but it just shows how much we care." Bonsai rolled his eyes as Namee continued, "Lastly, yes, we're monsters when we have our period and we're entitled to that. Can you just imagine if you have blood leaking in your private part for three to five days, not to mention the menstrual cramps that make you wish for your immediate death?"

"Woman, you're twisted", Bonsai said in disgust.

"I'll take that as a compliment", Namee smiled at him and gently patted his cheek, making Bonsai groan in protest.

"Have you heard the news about Locker X?" Picaro asked, grabbing their attention.

"What news?"

"The Claws gang was asked by our leader to return the 'protection fee' they got from the six marked students."

Bonsai jumped from the table and slumped on the floor facing Picaro. "Did they retaliate? Are we going to crush them again? Yee-haw!" He pumped his fist in the air excitedly.

"No, they returned the money as instructed by Stone."

"Boo. Boring."

"And Jiro asked Spade to tell the gangs to help out the InterSAT students and be vigilant especially those with turfs near the gates. If an outside gang attacks one of our own, even the Black Dragons are going to retaliate."

"Our Ice leader has spoken", Bonsai grinned.

"Were all those marked by Locker X get attacked only outside of our school?" Namee asked curiously.

"Yes. But we don't know if that will always be the case. Our hunch is that someone from the inside is working with the outside gang to mark the lockers and give them a tip-off of where the student is", Picaro replied.

"I see. Anyway, I need to go to my classroom", Namee said, grabbing her bag. "It's on the other building, so it's a few minutes walk. I'll see you later, Picaro!"

Picaro just nodded, still busy with his drawing.

"Bye, Bonsai!" She waved and headed towards the door.

"Hey, wait", Bonsai called out. Namee had already stepped outside, so she just reclined her back while holding on the door frame to check what Bonsai wanted to say.

"Yes?"

Instead of answering her, Bonsai kicked Picaro's feet and told him something. The tall guy nodded and abandoned his sketchbook, walking towards Namee.

"What's the matter?" The girl asked as Picaro placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her to the hallway.

"He just reminded me to check on your locker and make sure you're not marked. So, we'll head to your locker first before you go to your classroom."

"Wow. That's very thoughtful of him", Namee arched her eyebrows in awe.

"I hope you didn't get offended with what he said about girls. Bonsai complains a lot and he makes a fuss about everything, but he's a nice guy."

"Is Locker X something that even girls should be cautious about? I mean, the ones marked are all guys, right?"

"We can't be too sure", Picaro mumbled. At the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that the one girl who was in most danger of being marked was the girl who was with the strongest gangster in InterSAT.

***

Dara was sitting in one of the round tables outside of the Arts Building when she saw Jiro and some of the Black Dragons descending the stairs. They walked past her and as usual, Jiro didn't even glance at her, his eyes focused forward as they strode towards the direction of the library. She heard that Jiro had been discussing something with Spade regarding Locker X, and she could only assume they were heading at the Sparrow gang's turf.

She heaved a deep sigh and rested her head on her folded arms on the table as she recalled her heated conversation with him.

I'm in between heaven and hell, Dara.

I'm scared that I will break you just like Riko and Stone. For me, you're more precious than what we have.

We cannot build a future with what I am.

I told you I love you...you don't have a fucking clue how much.

Her heart ached by just thinking about his words. He had been enduring so much, worrying for her and carrying his past. No wonder he had a somber expression when he talked about the future he wanted when they were in the library. No wonder he seemed quite bothered lately.

Jiro was very critical of himself, and she now fully understood why. His past mistakes kept haunting him, and it was now even obscuring his future...and the future he wanted with her. Dara bit her bottom lip, her chest constricting while recalling Jiro's pained gaze when he was saying those things. I told you I love you...you don't have a fucking clue how much. She had been telling it to her all along - how much she meant to him, how much he cared. She had been blinded by her insecurities that she failed to recognize how he tried to show his love in his own way. She meant a lot to Jiro. She meant so much that he even pleaded for her to ask him to stay.

Suddenly, she felt a hand gently stroking her hair. She lifted her eyes and saw Bullet standing behind her wearing a serious expression on his face. He took a seat beside her and gave her a small smile. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes. How about you? How's your wound?" Dara sat up and leaned closer, inspecting his face.

"I'm fine. It's a small cut so it'll heal soon."

"I'm really sorry for what Jiro did. He just misunderstood us."

Bullet turned around his seat and reclined, his back leaning against the edge of the round table. "Don't worry about it", he said and glanced at her. "Can I ask you something, munchkin?"

"Sure."

Bullet tore his gaze off her and stared faraway. "Are you happy with Jiro?"

"Of course, I am", came her immediate reply. "Why do you ask?"

"You don't seem happy with him. And I can't help but think if I will be better for you", he mumbled, as if he was telling it more to himself. "But then again, I'm not the one you like, that's why I decided to let you go and support you with your choice...even if it's hard."

"Bullet", Dara said in a quiet voice. "This is not about if I'm happy with Jiro or not, because even if I'm not with him, I still see you as a friend", she said carefully. "I'm sorry."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips before turning his head towards her. "It's okay, munchkin. I told you I can live with this. But you know what will help me? It's when I see that you're really happy with him."

Dara folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on it, mulling over things. "I admit, there are a lot of things that are holding us back, but I know we'll get through all of it. His love is not easy to understand, but he's trying his best to show it. I just have to open my eyes and look closely, and try to listen to him harder as well so I won't miss anything. It feels like he's gradually giving me each piece of a puzzle and at times, I get too impatient because I can't see where it's going. But when the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together and I see a tiny glimpse of the full picture, I know it's going to be a beautiful one."

Bullet did not utter a word and watched the girl with a serious and thoughtful gaze, a spike of admiration apparent in his eyes. Jiro was one hell of a lucky bastard to have found a girl who embraces what he could give, shelving her discomfort and uncertainty with the belief that everything would turn into something wonderful.

"It's stupid, isn't it?" Dara asked, turning her head to face him.

"Very", Bullet said smugly while cupping his chin with his palm. "I oppose to everything! Break up with him", he playfully said.

"Moron", she giggled and lightly pushed him by the shoulder.

Bullet smiled at her before continuing, "You have to complain once in a while so he'll know, munchkin. It's not fair that you're the only one coping up with him."

"Don't worry. I do that when he's being unreasonable."

"Good. And while we're at it, you should also punch him if he's being a brat. Like WHAPACK! Die, idiot!" Bullet punched the air for demonstration, and the two laughed merrily.

In a distance, concealed behind a tree, Jiro watched the two with an impassive expression on his face. He stared at Dara's happy smile, wondering when was the last time he saw it. When Bullet extended his arm and ruffled her hair, the growing discomfort in the pit of his stomach became unbearable, so he turned around and headed to where his gang was. One thought lingered in his mind - Bullet could easily make her smile. In front of him, however, she struggled to conceal her tears.

***

Dara's ears were falling from listening to Namee gushing about the greatness that is Pierre Carlo Rostelli. She was on the way to the lockers before her next class and she had come across her friend on the hallway, so she was forced to listen to her story on how the two finally became a couple. She was happy for her, honestly. But she couldn't keep up with Namee's 'feels' explosion, which had now reached new heights.

"I'm telling you, I was shocked when he told me he likes me too. I was fully prepared for the heartbreak and BAM! He said, 'When I kissed you, it felt so right. I didn't give much thought about it because it just came out naturally. I was a fool for not realizing it before you did. I like you too, Namee.' Oh my Goddddd, hold me friend! Hold meee!" Namee shrieked and hugged Dara.

"All right, all right. Now, please behave", Dara said, prying her arms off her. She glanced at her friend and noticed the bright expression on her face. "I'm really happy for both of you", she mumbled. "Picaro is a good guy and you're a great girl. Both of you are brave enough to face what you feel and to voice it out. You deserve this, Namee."

"Okay, stop. You're going to make me cry", Namee said, fanning her eyes with her hands. Both of them stopped on their tracks when they both caught sight of a familiar girl who just exited one of the classrooms and walked past them.

"Takizawa is back", Namee stated, following the girl with her gaze.

"I guess she is", Dara mumbled. They continued walking slowly while discussing about the girl.

"Does this mean you have to be on your toes again in case she pulls some funky shit to win Jiro over?" Namee asked. "Ugh! I'm sorry, I know I'm being mean but whenever I see her, the urge to roll my eyes fifty thousand times is strong."

"She loves him so much", Dara said. She had already told Namee that Riko tried to kill herself and texted Jiro a message when she did that. Her friend was really furious, telling her that using emotional blackmail was low. "I feel sorry for her, to be honest. The way she handles it is wrong, but it's still love nonetheless."

"That again! You are so nice, I sometimes want to strangle you."

"It's just that..." Dara heaved a deep sigh before continuing, "I see a little bit of myself in her. The time when Jiro and I were not dating and I was unsure of how he felt about me, it was painful. Every day when I see him, I felt like I was drowning and he was my only source of breath. I was thankful and happy with what little air that he could give me, and when he didn't, it was slowly and painfully killing me. Riko must be feeling worse than that, because she had no one to turn to." Dara looked at her friend and smiled gratefully, "I have you and Bullet. When it becomes unbearable, I have you guys to keep me sane... or insane, whatever. You guys are crazy." They both chuckled as they drew nearer to the line of lockers.

When their laughter died down, Namee stared at her friend and slightly tilted her head while smiling. "You also have to give credit to yourself, Dara. I can say that your parents taught you well. You have every right to be angry and lash at her but you chose to see things in her eyes. Your attitude on things is the beauty of your character."

"Oh, stop it. You know I will throw a brick at her face if she attaches herself to Jiro again."

"Go ahead, girl friend. I'll even help you in hiding her body", Namee remarked and waved her hand nonchalantly.

They finally reached the lockers, but Namee continued walking. "I'll see you later, Dara. I already got my books from my locker earlier", she said.

"All right", Dara bade goodbye and stood in front of her locker. She was about to open it when she saw Jiro and his gang walking along the hallway, probably heading to the Black Dragon's turf. She wondered if he already saw Riko and if the two talked, but she decided to push that thought aside.

The low squeals and gushing of the girls around filled the air as the gang passed by them, and she could only shake her head in amusement. Jiro had not dropped by her house, and they hadn't talked after their confrontation. He seemed to be in a bad mood, so she chose to forego talking to him until he settled everything.

Dara opened the locker and pulled the books she needed for the afternoon classes. Her hand froze when she noticed something at the corner of her eyes. She slowly turned her head and gasped when she saw the X mark at her locker door. With a swift movement, Dara shut the locker, her eyes widening in shock and her heart beating in a fast pace.

She was marked. Why her? Who did it? A lot of questions filled her mind as she stood frozen on her spot, her breathing becoming ragged. She spun around and weakly leaned her back against the lockers. When she saw Jiro about to walk past her, her hand shot forward, grabbing his hand and surprising the students who were ogling at him. Jiro stopped and eyed her while Dara hurriedly retracted her hand in embarrassment. He waved his gang mates to go ahead before stepping towards the girl, studying her face. "Something wrong?" He asked.

'Calm down', Dara told herself. It must be a mistake. "N-Nothing. Uhm..." She averted her gaze tentatively before looking back at him. "I heard you're talking to Spade about Locker X. How did it go?"

Jiro frowned suspiciously at her before answering, "Nothing conclusive. Why?"

"Well...I was just curious. I heard that those with marked lockers were...attacked outside of our school", she breathed deeply to steady her voice, careful not to let Jiro notice that she was scared. "So, it means they are safe inside InterSAT because the other gangs would not just stand by if the outside gang attacks the marked students, right?"

"Yes. But then again, the outside gang probably has someone inside InterSAT who is marking the lockers. Why are you asking this, Ramirez?" Jiro took another step forward while Dara pressed her back against the lockers behind her.

She's marked. Should she tell him? But Jiro would surely make a huge fuss.

"Are you going to walk me home later?" She asked.

"Yes. You're not answering my question, Ramirez."

Dara pondered for a moment, deciding that it would be best to just tell him later when they reached her house. She was within the safety of InterSAT anyway, so nothing could happen to her.

"I'm just curious because you seemed busy with it, which is why we haven't got the chance to talk", Dara said after a while.

"We already talked", Jiro stated flatly.

"You haven't heard what I have to say."

He sighed and gave her a long and serious gaze before nodding. "Later", he brought his hand on her waist and gave her a light squeeze before striding away. As soon as he left, Dara released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and roamed her eyes around, wondering who was marking the lockers.

***

The Locker X victims are mostly guys, so why was she marked? Was it because of Jiro?

"Dara."

But that's absurd. What are they going to do to her? Beat her up? Oh God, that would totally hurt.

"DARA!" The strap of her bag was yanked from behind, causing her to stagger backwards. She spun around and faced Namee, giving her a questioning look. She had been spacing out the rest of the afternoon, still troubled that she received the X mark.