Weeks had passed that felt like years. There were moments when he forgot he had no right to be beside her anymore - moments when he had to remind himself why he had to let go, but it was not an easy task.

Jiro halted his steps and took a sharp intake of breath as Dara walked past her in the hallway, her left wrist wrapped with bandage. He clicked his tongue in frustration, battling with himself if he should approach her or not. A fucking bandage? What the hell happened to her? His worries began mounting as troubling thoughts entered his mind. He spun around and followed the girl, calling her name when he saw Dara descending the stairs of the Arts Building.

"Ramirez", he called out. He saw her stiffen when she heard his voice, and he felt the now familiar pinch in his heart with her reaction towards him.

Dara stopped on one of the steps and glanced back at him, her eyes bearing no emotion other than puzzlement. "Yes?"

"What's that bandage? How did you get injured? What happened?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh", she raised her arm a bit to look at her wrist. "This is nothing", she replied with disinterest. She then turned around and continued descending, but Jiro quickly followed her and caught up with her again at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ramirez", Jiro called out.

"I'm going to be late for my next class", she muttered without throwing a glance at the guy who was matching her quick pace.

"Wait", Jiro said and gripped her arm to stop her. Dara frowned and faced him, her expression reflecting her exasperation. They had been doing a great job ignoring each other but what is this?

"Jiro-..."

"How did you get injured?"

"Because of my stupidity, okay? Now let go", Dara tried to wiggle free but his grip was unyielding.

"How did it happen?" He asked between gritted teeth, suppressing his annoyance.

"I slipped."

"Why did you slip? Where?"

"There's a burst pipe in my kitchen and I slipped because of the puddle of water on the floor. Can you let go now?"

"Are you taking a medicine? Did you get the pipe fixed? Don't let anyone in your house without-..."

"My God, Jiro! Stop doing this!"

"Doing what?"

"This!" Dara erupted. "Are you doing this because you're worried for me?" She chuckled bitterly and slightly shook her head. "Do you understand our current situation, Jiro?"

He was stunned to silence, his heart aching as realization settled in, but he concealed what he was feeling. In between his pained breaths, the undeniable yearning buried in his chest, he managed to stare at her with a stoic gaze, as if it didn't hurt...as if he was okay.

"I just want to know why you're injured", he said flatly.

Dara sighed heavily and averted her eyes, her arm hanging limply from his grip. "Why do you have to know?" She asked in a quiet voice before dragging her gaze back at him. "You shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to", she stated. "You already gave up on me. I told you, you should be responsible for your decision."

"Ramirez, I told you we should stop our relationship, but that doesn't mean I'll stop protecting you."

"Then do it but stay away from me."

Stay away from me. Her words echoed in his ears as if someone shouted it from far away. His body became still, his gaze focused on the girl who was staring back at him with equal intensity...those eyes that used to look at him fondly. There was a heavy feeling that was drowning him, and it was becoming hard for him to pretend that he was fine. He lost her.

"If you don't have the guts to stay, then stay away. You said you don't want to see me suffer, but this is making me suffer, Jiro. When you said we should end our relationship, this is part of what we're ending. This is your choice, remember?"

He lost her. He pushed her away and now, she was doing the same thing to him. A stiff silence hung between them as he searched his mind for something to say, but no words came out of his lips. He just stood there, frozen on his spot, unable to form any coherent thoughts.

"You can let go now", she mumbled and looked at his hand still gripping her arm. Jiro let her go, and he watched as the girl walked away.

***

"They really broke up. I can't believe this", Namee told Picaro as they watched Dara walking away from Jiro. They were sitting at one of the round tables in front of the Arts Building when they spotted the two talking at the bottom of the stairs. "Dara is not revealing much but I have this nagging feeling that this is Takizawa's fault."

"I don't see her hanging around Jiro anymore, though."

"Yeah, but what does she do when others are not looking?"

"You really have a beef with Takizawa, don't you?" Picaro eyed her questioningly.

"No, I don't."

He raised his brows at her, seemingly unconvinced.

"Fine", Namee rolled her eyes at him, cupping her face with her palm, her elbow rested on the round table. "I must admit, I'm not very fond of her especially when she kept clinging to Jiro after almost everyone in school learned of my friend and your leader's relationship. I'm sure she's aware that it's awkward for the current girlfriend to see her boyfriend's ex buzzing around him, but she still kept on doing it."

"I understand your point, but you can't deny that she's quite pitiful. She's obviously not happy with what she's doing, but she can't stop doing it."

"She's forcing a shoe that doesn't fit anymore."

"True."

"Why do you think Ice Lord approached Dara?" Namee asked while pulling a box of Pepero bread stick from her bag.

"I bet Jiro was worried when he saw that Dara was injured. How did she get injured, by the way?" Picaro said, grabbing the snack from Namee and opening it before handing it back to her.

"There was a puddle of water in her kitchen floor because of a burst pipe. She turned off the valve and was about to clean but she slipped and had a bad fall that's why her wrist is sprained."

"I see."

"So, what's the deal with your leader?" Namee asked while munching a bread stick. "Why did he have to resort to breaking up with my friend when it's obvious he still cares for her?"

Picaro shook his head lightly, sighing a bit as he spoke, "He once told me that Dara needs someone who deserves her...someone not like him. I think the entire problem lies with how Jiro views himself. I knew he has been through a lot. But since we never experienced what he had to go through, it's hard for us to understand how he sees things."

"But Dara accepted him. Despite everything, Dara accepted him and desperately tried to make things work for them. I may not know what his past is and what his worries are, but one thing is for sure, he ruined what they had."

"Do you think they can start again?"

"Someone has to make the first step to start something. And the way I see it, Dara is firm in holding her ground", Namee looked somberly at her friend who was walking along the university path towards the next building before shifting her eyes at Jiro who is still standing at the bottom of the stairs, following Dara with his gaze. "This time, Jiro has to be strong and committed enough to fight his way back to her."

***

Dara's eyes widened a bit in surprise when she opened the door and saw Bullet standing there, a wide grin slipping in his lips.

"I'm hereee!" Bullet stretched his arms wide, wiggling his fingers for added effect.

"You're here", Dara deadpanned. "Why are you here?"

Without uttering a word, he stepped inside her house, walking past the flabbergasted girl while taking off his jacket. He threw it on the couch and and turned around to face her with a huge smile, placing his hands on his hips like he was some super human out to conquer the world.

"So... Where are your plumbing tools?"

Dara arched her eyebrows at him in bewilderment as she closed the door. "You're here to fix the pipes in the kitchen?"

"Yes!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, a knowing smile on her lips. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"I'm a man of many talents, munchkin."

"Is plumbing one of them?"

"I plan to include it in my list."

"Meaning, you haven't done it before."

"Awww, have a little faith in me, munchkin", Bullet approached the girl and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her towards the kitchen. "Now, show me what needs to be fixed and hand me whatever tools you have."

Dara glanced back at him suspiciously, still unconvinced that the guy would be able to be of any help. "It's a burst pipe, Bullet. You might kill yourself while trying to fix it", she warned him.

"You're forgetting the 'man of many talents' part. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

The girl didn't argue anymore and showed him the burst pipe under the kitchen sink. She handed him the tools and slumped on the kitchen floor beside the guy who was inspecting the damage. "I tried to temporarily seal the damaged section with a duct tape, but it didn't last."

"Hmmm. Okay, I'll see what I can do. Watch TV or something while I fix this", he instructed.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Just go, munchkin. I got this", he assured her, ruffling her hair.

"Fine", Dara said and stood up. "I'll just fold my laundry while you do your stuff."

She strode away but when she turned the corner, she hid behind the wall and watched what the guy was going to do. A smile crossed her face when she saw him typing on his phone, his face in full concentration as he read something. 'Google', she thought. Just as she predicted, her friend had zero clue on how to fix a pipe. Shaking her head a bit in amusement, Dara proceeded to her room.

A few minutes had passed and she had already finished folding her clothes and arranging them in her closet. She was on her way to the kitchen when she heard Bullet grunting in annoyance followed by a string of curses. Then, a loud noise was heard, sound of water splashing, and more curses from her friend. She chuckled and went back to her room to get a towel and to prepare a change of clothes. It was not hard to guess what happened to the poor guy.

Dara went back to the kitchen and suppressed her smile when she saw the disaster that Bullet caused. The guy was slumped on the floor, his arms resting on his bent knees and a C-clamp hanging on his hand, his clothes drenched with water. She walked towards the guy and sat beside him on the dry part of the kitchen floor, handing him the towel.

"Munchkin, you really need a plumber", he informed him and grabbed the towel from her, draping it on his shoulder.

"What happened to the 'man of many talents'?" She asked. Bullet glanced at her and twitched his lips somberly, "I thought I can impress you with my awesomeness."

"Silly", she chuckled and wiped his face with the hem of the towel. "Use the bathroom inside my room. I prepared a change of clothes on the bed."

"Thanks", he sighed and stood up, removing his shirt and wiping his body with it.

"Wow", Dara exclaimed and playfully whistled in appreciation because of the nice scene.

"Oh, you like my body, eh?" Bullet excitedly said and began flexing his arm to show his muscles. He even turned around and showed her his back, raising both his arms and flexing them again. He then waved the towel on the air while rolling his hips and threw the towel at her.

Dara giggled and stood up, hitting Bullet's arm lightly after approaching him. "Stop goofing around and go change", she told him as she handed him the towel. She made her way to the living room, but her steps halted when she heard her doorbell.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"It must be Namee", she answered and went to the door while the guy stood by the kitchen, drying himself with the towel.

Dara opened the door and she froze when she saw Jiro still wearing his work clothes, his gaze instantly dropping towards her bandaged wrist.

"Did you get your pipe fixed?" He asked.

Before Dara could respond, her friend's voice emanated from the kitchen. "Munchkin, is that Namee?" Bullet asked as he walked towards her.

Jiro's eyes hardened as he watched the guy striding towards them without a shirt on and with a towel draped on his shoulder. His fist instantly clenched into a tight ball, the urge to punch the guy getting stronger. SHIT! Why is he in her house and why is he walking around shirtless? Jiro exhaled furiously and glared at Dara. "I told you not to let anyone inside your house. You're alone, Ramirez", he hissed.

Dara blinked at him, unfazed with his anger. "It's just Bullet", she said.

Damn it. DAMN IT.

"Oh, it's Ice Lord. Here to fix the pipe?" Bullet asked as he approached them. "Don't worry, I got it", Bullet informed him while standing behind Dara. The girl looked at her friend and grinned in amusement, "What do you mean you got it?"

Bullet scowled and covered her entire face with his palm. "I got it, okay?"

"Fine", she slapped his hand away and giggled.

Jiro averted his gaze, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. There was a stinging pain inside his chest with what he was seeing, a troubling thought entering his mind. Dara was starting to drift farther away from him, and to be honest...he was scared. The thought that one day he wouldn't be able to be beside her because that place already belonged to someone else was something that he wasn't sure he was ready to face. 'But that's what you wished for her', a part of him argued.

"Anything else, Montecillo?" Bullet asked, draping his arm over Dara's shoulder.

"Nothing", he murmured and immediately left.

***

Jiro strode briskly on the street, his face contorted with rage. That Fire 39 leader is getting overly familiar with Dara – coming inside her house and walking around shirtless. Friend? Was he using that excuse to take advantage of the girl? Now that he and Dara were not together anymore, was he making advances to be with her?

Let's just stop this. I can't continue trapping you in this relationship.

The words he told Dara echoed in his mind. Right, they were not together anymore. His steps gradually became slower until he came to a halt, his heart sinking with the realization that he made this happen. Jiro weakly rubbed his face with his palm and sighed heavily. Why was he having these thoughts? He finally let her go and things were now how they were supposed to. She was now free to be with a guy more suited for her. She didn't have to deal with his shit anymore. She didn't have to cry because of him. He lost her. There was a painful squeeze inside his chest as the future he wanted for the both of them crumbled.

I want a home. I want a home with you and me in it.

It's gone now.

"Young man. Excuse me, son."

Jiro turned around and saw an old lady with a cane on one hand and a basket on the other walking towards him.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can you tell me where the bus stop going to Little China Town is?"

"It's a bit far from here. I'll just walk you there. May I hold your things for you?" Jiro offered.

"Oh, thank you. My basket is quite heavy", the old lady said gratefully, handing him her basket.

The walk to the bus stop was slow, with Jiro matching the grandma's pace. Despite her old age and frail body, she was very energetic as she kept on talking about almost anything she laid her eyes on. She had a lot of stories to tell, but Jiro remained silent, just grunting in response or nodding his head.

"Oh look! Look at this tree!" The woman pointed her cane cheerfully at the tree on the side of the street. Jiro eyed it with disinterest, not uttering a word. It was a tree, what was there to be excited about?

But the woman walked towards it and ran her wrinkly hand on it, a smile never leaving her lips. "It was so small years ago, but look how tall it is now. Look how sturdy it is." She glanced back at the path where they walked, her eyes shining brightly as if she was seeing something that others couldn't see. "It's the same neighborhood I walked on when I was a student, but our traces had been erased. Although there are still a few of our traces that remained", she said more to herself. She then shifted her gaze to Jiro and chuckled heartily upon seeing his bewildered face. "Forgive this old lady for blabbering so much. When you reach this age, you tend to appreciate the little miracles you see every day and reminisce the times that have already been forgotten."

"It's alright", Jiro responded curtly.

"You see, when I was still young, this is a dirt road filled with shrubs. There was no path going to school. But as students continued walking on this direction, a path was naturally made." She continued reminiscing her old days as they resumed walking. "If one can't make it, it can be done with the help of others, especially if you're going on the same direction", she mysteriously said while throwing him a glance, the knowing glint in her eyes making Jiro uncomfortable. "Do you know when is the best time to plant a tree, son?"

"During rainy days?"

"No, son. We have a saying – the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now." She tenderly touched Jiro's arm and gave him a benevolent smile. "Whatever you think you should have done before, the next best time to do it is now."

"I don't have anything in particular I want to do, but I want something back. I...lost something", he mumbled. "And I don't think I have the right to get it back."

"It must be really something precious."

"Yes, it's invaluable."

"She must be very pretty."

"Yes, she-..." Jiro glanced at her in surprise, but the old woman had her eyes focused forward, as if she knew everything from the very beginning. This was the reason why he was uneasy being around old folks, they were very cunning and they tend to pull out the truth from you without you knowing it.

"A woman can put a frown on a strong man's forehead, can pierce a hole in his armor and leave him helpless. That much has not changed even today", she commented. "Forgive me for asking, you said you don't have the right to get her back? Is she with someone else?"

Jiro hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground, watching their slow and steady footsteps. "She deserves someone else", he responded in a quiet voice.

"Like what kind of someone else?" The old lady asked, tilting her head in amusement. "The good-background, steady future someone else?"

"Yes. She deserves that kind of someone else. And more."

"You said you want her back, which means you were with her at some point. I hope you did not let her go for that reason you have. Or if you did, I hope you asked her first if she wanted to let go", she commented. "It is like pushing her while hoping that behind her is a bed of grass, instead of a cliff."

"I make her cry."

"Women cry for a reason. But if that reason is worth it, then those tears are not wasted."

"I'm not worth her tears."