**Keifer's POV**
"Ci…" I called him in a low tone.
He turned around to face me. "What?"
"Let's talk," I said, walking away from the clinic.
Almost everyone was inside the clinic, waiting for the nurse to say something. I chose to stay outside, keeping my distance from them. That's when I saw Ci-N struggling to get in because our friends were blocking the door.
He followed me until we were far enough from the clinic. I stopped to make sure no one could hear me.
"What's up?" he asked innocently. "How long are you planning to woo Jay-jay?"
"Until she forgives me," I replied quickly.
His smile widened a bit, looking proud of himself. I couldn't help but smile back. I had definitely chosen the right person to talk to.
"I have to leave."
His smile immediately vanished. "Huh?"
"I have to go back to London. It's about my inheritance," I explained shortly.
"What about Jay-jay?" His eyes widened. "…You haven't even apologized to her yet. What if she finds someone else? What if she gets pregnant? They'll fight all the time because she's so stubborn. They'll break up, and then she'll have a child without a father! Then we'll see her again, and she'll look for you because she still loves you, but it won't matter because you'll be married to someone else!" he said, almost holding his breath.
I crossed my arms and looked at him in disbelief. Where did he get that idea? What he was suggesting was far-fetched. Like I would let Jay-jay be with another man. And why would I be married to someone else?
That one was impossible.
I wouldn't allow myself to marry someone else if she wasn't there.
"Wow… With your genius, you've already predicted the future," I said sarcastically.
He flashed a peace sign and smiled widely. "Maybe…"
"That's why I'm entrusting her to you. Make sure she's safe and that no one approaches her." I sighed. "…I'm already dealing with Yuri and David; I don't want to add to my problems when I leave."
He looked at me in confusion as he lowered his hands.
"Why David too?"
Clueless!
He didn't have a clue that his dearest partner in crime had a crush on Jay-jay. They were always together, and those three used to sit next to each other. Maybe he was too preoccupied to notice.
"Nothing," I answered in a plain tone.
He looked down, playing with his fingers. I saw his lips pout a bit.
"When are you leaving?" he asked sadly.
"Maybe after your birthday," I answered, and his mood lightened.
I knew he was worried about whether I would make it to his important day. I remembered that I was the first person he called to remind him about his birthday party.
I suddenly remembered the first time I talked to him. He was like a lost puppy in our classroom. It was unbelievable that he ended up with us because of a simple accusation.
Because of his height, the boys decided to make fun of him. They also took advantage of his intelligence. He was the one doing everyone's assignments. I didn't care about him at first. But watching him every day reminded me of someone.
He reminded me of Percy. The childish acts and smart thinking. It felt like I found his reincarnation. Maybe it was because I missed my friend, whom I thought was dead, that I couldn't help but approach him.
Even Yuri was puzzled by my actions.
And we became friends. He started to idolize me—which I found weird. He followed my footsteps, thinking he could be strong like me. He even studied taekwondo or karate when he found out that I knew a bit of both. He learned to fight and began joining us on the streets.
His older brother completely disagreed, but he couldn't do anything about it. Ci-N desperately wanted to belong with us.
We became closer, and sometimes he even reminded me of my younger brother, Keigan. I sometimes mixed up their names when calling one of them.
"You really love Jay-jay, don't you?" he asked, pulling me back to reality.
I smiled briefly in response.
"If you love her, why would you do that?"
"I can't say it now. But you're the safest bridge of communication I have for her."
He scratched his head. "What if she looks for you through me? What will I say?"
"Don't you know how to lie?"
He bit his lip while smiling. "No."
I wasn't sure how to answer my own question. He was talkative. He would definitely tell Jay-jay everything. It seemed I was limited in what I could say to Ci.
"That's fine. As long as I can trust you, I won't care how you keep secrets."
"Just come back quickly, okay? Jay-jay will be sad if you're gone for too long," he said, sounding desperate.
I nodded briefly. "I'll also talk to the others about my departure. But I'm giving you a different job. Make sure your line is always open so I can call you anytime."
He stood up straight, saluting me like a soldier.
"Yes, sir! Yes!" he shouted in a baritone voice.
I looked at our approaching friends. Rory was leading the way, followed by Edrix and Blaster.
I looked at them plainly.
"I hope nothing bad happens to her," Edrix said. "…I feel like it's my fault."
Rory nodded at me while Edrix kept his head down. Blaster glanced at me briefly before continuing to walk. I saw Kit approaching, trying to avoid Mayo, followed by Eren.
They glanced at me for a moment before looking at Ci, who still hadn't moved from his spot.
"Is Jay-jay pregnant?" I heard Denzel say.
I raised an eyebrow, noticing that everyone was still looking at me.
"Why are you asking me that?" I asked, sounding irritated.
"Who else could it be that's been planning with her?" David asked sarcastically.
"Nothing happened between us if that helps you sleep at night."
"Come on, dude… What made you say she's pregnant?" Felix asked Denzel.
"She was like Grace before. We had a fight, and then she fainted," he explained.
They all shook their heads, probably thinking Denzel's idea was stupid.
"What if she's just feeling unwell? I'll cook her something when she wakes up," Eman said as he walked away.
The others followed him. Yuri was the last to walk back to the room. He gave me a few meaningful looks.
I was about to walk toward the clinic when I noticed Ci was still beside me, standing in the same spot.
"Ci. Go back to the room," I said, waiting for him to move.
He stood straight but lowered his arms and walked with large strides. He was marching like a real soldier. I could only shake my head at his antics. I could tell he had worsened since Jay-jay arrived.
I proceeded with my plan and walked toward the clinic. No one was inside except for the nurse, who was writing something on her desk.
She looked up when she sensed my presence.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I'm not feeling well. I have chest pain." I pointed to my chest.
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like you're in pain."
Tss…
"B-because I can still bear it, but it makes me uncomfortable. I might suddenly faint on the way," I explained.
Even though she seemed unconvinced, she grabbed her stethoscope and put it in her ears. Just as she was about to place it on my chest, I slightly pulled away.
She looked at me appraisingly. I didn't know how to convince her anymore.
"O-ow… It hurts again. I feel dizzy," I said, acting like I was really dizzy.
Wow… worst acting skills ever.
I took a step back, then another, until I sat on one of the hospital beds. I lay down and looked at her.
"I'll sleep for a while. Don't disturb me," I said, pulling the curtain closed.
I heard her put her things down on the table and pull a chair. I knew she knew I was faking. Maybe she thought I was one of the students skipping class.
I waited, and when I was sure she wouldn't disturb me, I got up and walked to the next bed. I slowly opened the curtain to check if she was there.
No one was there, nor in the next bed. I found her at the end bed. She was sleeping soundly, her left hand on her stomach. Her brows were slightly furrowed. I checked the curtains to make sure we couldn't be easily seen by the nurse. Once I was sure it was okay, I lay down next to her on her left side.
I lay on my side, trying to fit myself into the bed. I used one hand to support my head.
I hoped she wouldn't wake up soon.
I was worried about her, but this was the only way I could be with her, even for a short time. I missed her so fvcking bad.
I took her right hand, which was lying beside her. I placed her palm on my chest.
"Can you feel it? I'm in pain too," I whispered.
It was true that I had chest pains. It was because I couldn't do anything to ease her pain.
It was even worse because of me.
I was good at nothing.
"But it's okay, because it's nothing compared to what you feel," I added before kissing her knuckle.
I put her hand back in its original position. I brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"I know you're struggling. But please, hold on for us…" I whispered again, kissing her forehead. "…It's okay with me if you curse me out of anger, but I swear, I'll make the pain you feel worthwhile."
I could assure her that I would make up for all the pain I caused. But I couldn't promise I wouldn't hurt her again.
Because that's what love is.
Pain isn't the opposite of love. Just because you feel love doesn't mean you'll never feel pain, or that you shouldn't feel pain. Pain will still be there; it's part of the process of love. It either kills you inside or wakes up your senses.
How would you know it's love if you don't feel any pain at all? That's why I didn't believe in the "I won't hurt you" thing. The person you love will hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally.
But what's important is that people should know how to ease the pain, how to heal it, and how to endure it. How to make up for it and how to learn from the pain felt or inflicted. Use it as a life lesson, but never use it as a grudge to hurt others.
Maybe love will show your best, but pain will show your better, especially when you overcome it.
And that's what I would do. I would learn from this pain, and when I did… it would be your turn, Jay. We would make up for the pain in your chest. And I would never stop. Even if it cost me my life.
I kissed her forehead again. "I love you… I love you… I love you…" I whispered. "…I love you until scientists find the end of the universe. I will never stop loving you, and I will never get tired of saying that to you."
Just hang in there, my Jay-jay.
I looked at her slightly parted lips. I touched them with my thumb. I bit my lip. I knew it was disrespectful to kiss her while she was sleeping, but I really missed kissing her.
Just one, and I'd leave. Just one.
I brought my lips closer to hers and was about to kiss her when I heard a familiar voice.
"Could you please give this to my friend when she wakes up?" It was Eman.
He probably brought food for Jay-jay. I didn't move and listened to what they were doing.
"Which friend? There are two students resting there," the nurse answered.
"The girl? The one we brought earlier."
"Ah… She's at the end. Do you want to see her?" she suggested.
I almost jumped because of what she said. I immediately looked for a place to hide in case they came here.
"No, thank you. Just give her this. Thank you," Eman said, and I heard his footsteps.
I sighed because of that. I thought I could sleep next to Jay-jay, but it seemed impossible. One of our friends might suddenly come here and catch me.
For now, only Yuri suspected what I was doing. Ci-N understood my situation, even if he didn't know exactly what happened. The rest still hated me but were trying their best to understand me.
I looked at Jay-jay and quickly kissed her lips. It was a light kiss, but she moved, making me panic. Scared she would see me and catch me, I fell to the floor. I managed to use my arms to break my fall, but my wound throbbed.
I quickly peeked at Jay-jay and saw her furrow her brows. She was waking up. Terrified, I walked away. I forgot that Jay-jay was in the end bed. I just pulled the curtain and walked away.
The nurse's brows were furrowed as she looked at where I came from.
"How did you get there?" she asked.
"Sleepwalking," I answered quickly and walked away.
I heard her calling me, but I ignored her. I returned to the room, where the teacher was standing in front, writing on the board.
Everyone looked at me. I just went to my seat.
"Where were you?" Yuri asked, and I could sense the irritation.
"Outside. I talked to someone."
"And who was that someone?"
My forehead creased. "Are you jealous that I talked to someone?" I teased him.
"No. As long as you don't talk to Jay-jay while she's unconscious."
"Why?"
"Because you're a jerk. You'll definitely take advantage and steal a kiss from her."
Yup! He's definitely been my friend for a long time. He knew exactly what I would do in that situation.
A wide smile formed on my lips. I couldn't help it.
"And you really did," he said, sounding defeated.
I didn't say anything. I just looked forward and tried to read what was written on the board. As expected, the teacher left early, so we had an early lunch. Everyone chatted while eating. Most of them were talking about Jay-jay.
After eating, Yuri stood up.
"I'm visiting Jay," he said without looking at me.
I let him. We weren't the same. He didn't steal kisses from people while they were sleeping.
Tss…
I chose to stare at our friends. Felix had chosen a group to target. Everything would be recorded via phone camera. It would be sent to everyone challenging me and would serve as another warning.
I sighed. There was so much to do. And soon, I had to leave.
Damn it! I didn't want to leave.
My thoughts were interrupted when Yuri suddenly entered the room, sweaty and breathless.
"Jay-jay…" He caught his breath. "…took a taxi and left."
They were immediately alarmed. I tried my best to remain calm, but my heart was beating so damn fast.
"What now? She doesn't have her phone!" Edrix said, taking out his laptop. "…I'll try to trace her through the cameras."
"Maybe she went home!" Eren said, but I could sense his worry.
"Her things are still here," Blaster pointed at her bag.
"Where would she go?" Mayo asked Yuri.
"She might get hurt," Ci-N said, looking at David. "…Dabid! Jay-jay!"
"I know. I heard it," he answered.
They started guessing where Jay-jay had gone. I strongly suspected she didn't go home. Angelo would be furious if she went home early while she still had classes.
"Felix!" I called. "…Call your brother. Ask him if he's with Jay-jay."
He nodded and immediately took his phone to call his brother. I turned to Drew, who was looking at me. "Call Tiger. Ask him if Jay-jay visited."
He nodded and did the same. Those were the only people I knew she could be with or visit.
But my hopes immediately vanished when they both shook their heads. She wasn't with Percy, and she wasn't at the King's Ground.
Where the hell are you?
I looked at Edrix, who was still facing his laptop. He and Rory were our only hope of finding Jay-jay.
"Edrix," I called in a plain tone.
"I lost the taxi at the intersection," he said, worried.
"What's the name of the taxi company?" Rory asked.
Edrix gave the company name, the plate number he got from the video, and other details from the taxi's door.
Rory took his phone and made a call. "Hello, is this Fast and Go Taxi company?" he said, and we all listened. "…Could I get the contact number of one of your drivers?" He added the plate number and taxi number. "…I left something behind. I'm just hoping I left it in his taxi." He suddenly looked at us; I could see his relief. "Thank you. I'll wait."
He hung up and faced us. "They'll text the name and number."
It wasn't long before he received a message. He called without hesitation.
"Hello? Is this Mr. Carlo Simson?" he asked, waiting for the driver's answer. "…You picked up a girl from Higher Value school earlier. Where did she get off?" He suddenly frowned. "…I'm from a private investigating company. That girl's life is in danger, so we need to know where she is." I could sense authority in his voice. Rory's father was a well-known private investigator. Their company was large, reaching other countries, so they had wide connections. But I didn't know Rory could be more persistent than his father.
"Okay. Thank you," he said before ending the call. "…She got off at Benedict Hospital."
I quickly stood up.
"She's going to see Kiko," I said, and everyone almost flipped the table.
What are you up to?