"Happy Birthday Pets!"

Pets and her friends were seated around a table at a restaurant. It was Pets' 18th birthday and her friends wanted to celebrate her birthday in a different way. The group were staying at a resort for the weekend and were buzzing with excitement.

"Thanks guys," she replied with a smile.
"Just wait until you see your gift," Jiro told her excitedly.
"A gift?" she repeated befoe Sam glared in Jiro's direction.
"Jiro, why'd you tell her?" he barked, annoyed.
Evan chuckled and came between Sam and the empty chair, "Hey, it's okay Sam. It's a birthday so of course there would be presents - everyone knows that," he defended Jiro even though he couldn't see him.

Evan was different to Rainie and Sam. Those two seemed to believe that Jiro existed to the point that Sam claimed he could see him too, but Evan wasn't going to believe that. He didn't believe Jiro was there, he found that thought crazy, but he didn't openly admit that to avoid hurting Pets' feelings. As a child who grew up alone, he understood how it felt to have little friends so didn't want to end his friendship with Pets over something so childish. Pets was a nice girl and she didn't deserve the hate she got. Instead, he wanted to help her forget Jiro. He wanted her imaginary friend to disappear and for her to grow up into an adult - so he had to stay by her side and silently help her.

After dinner, they all gathered in Pets and Rainie's hotel room (it was also where Jiro was staying because he was always with her). They were all sitting on the floor in a circle playing spin the bottle but it was a truth or dare version.

"Rainie!" Pets exclaimed once the bottle pointed to her, "Truth or dare?"
Rainie stared at the three pairs of eyes that stared eagerly at her. "Dare," she finally replied and immediately Sam and Evan smirked evilly and huddled together to think of a dare.
"Please make it a nice one," she pleaded.
"Then that defeats the pupose of a dare," Jiro retorted.
Evan smiled, "Don't worry, it won't be too evil," he reassured her.
"What did you pick?" Pets asked curiously.
Sam then turned to her, "Rainie, we dare you to eat a raw onion!" he announced, making her gawk.
"Where do I get a raw onion from?" she exclaimed gaping.

Evan grinned at her before pulling out an onion from his pocket, "I've got you covered, Rainie," he said.
Rainie inwardly cried. "Do I have to eat t?" she asked and the boys nodded.
"Yeah! It's a dare!" Evan replied.
Jiro clapped his hands and cheered, "Come on Rainie! Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!"
Pets laughed and joined in with her best friend, chanting with him.

Rainie cringed as she dug her teeth into the raw vegetable. She squirmed as she chewed a small chunk and then forcefully swallowed it. She then looked at them pleadingly, "Can I not eat it all?" she asked.
Firmly, Evan and Sam shook their heads, making Rainie pout.
Jiro chuckled, "Hey, at least she ate some of it. It should be enough," he commented.
Pets smiled at Jiro and nodded, "Leave her alone, you guys," she told off Sam and Evan, "You're asking for too much."
Evan sighed and backed out, reluctantly. "Alright then," he answered.
"Okay, Rainie spin the bottle," Sam said and Rainie nodded.

The group watched the empty bottle spin before it stopped and pointed towards Pets. "Pets, truth or dare?" inquired Rainie eagerly with her hands clasped together.
Pets looked at her friends who seemed to look down at her with intimidating and mischievous glints in their eyes. She sweat dropped and released a small and nervous chuckle. "Truth?" she stuttered before Rainie fist pumped with a small cheer.
"Is there anyone you like?" Rainie questioned, leaning forwards in excitement.
Sam and Evan exchanged looks - they were interested in this question too.

Pets felt her cheeks warm up. "Uh... can you change the question?" she asked.
Evan shook his head, "No way!" he replied firmly.
"You're the one who picked truth, not us," Sam added and Jiro nodded.
"You're not confessing to them or anything," Jiro said, "Do you like anyone?"

Pets went silent and stared at her friends. Slowly and cautiously, she snuck a glance at Jiro, only to meet his eyes wide open in anticipation. Her heart beat quickened while she got lost in his eyes. To her friends, she looked as though she was spacing out, but to her, she was gazing into the eyes of the one who made her heart flutter.

"Pets?" Jiro called softly, causing her to jerk backwards in surprise.

Pets blinked at him, feeling her cheeks become hotter. Her lips parted slightly but no sound came out.

"Hey, Pets!" Sam exclaimed, snapping his fingers in front of her face, "Stop spacing out and tell us!"
Scratching the back of her head sheepishly, Pets showed her friends a lopsided smile. "Well... I-I... guess so..." she trailed off before looking down at her hands.
"Who is it?" Evan asked.
"You're only allowed one question!" she exclaimed before quickly spinning the bottle to change the subject.
"Then we'll ask you when the bottle lands on you again," Sam replied with a smirk.
Pets ignored him and then clapped her hands when the bottle stopped spinning, "Ha! Evan! Truth or dare?!"

As the game went on, Jiro stared at Pets and sat there quietly. Usually, he was a talkative person, but he was curious as to who Pets had a crush on. For some reason, that was on his mind as Pets never talked about having any romantic feelings for anyone with him. The two were best friends and shared everything yet Pets refrained from discussing the topic of love and romance. Maybe he was silent because Pets wanted him to be quiet for she did have control over him. And in truth, Pets didn't want to talk to him at that moment because she wanted to calm her beating heart. In attempt to keep her secret hidden, she chose to do a dare whenever the bottle landed on her - she was so persistent and stubborn that she ended up doing ten dares such as eating some leaves from the plants in the hotel lobby. But she didn't mind as long as no one found out what was in her heart.

...

Chris was sitting in his room flipping through Pets' sketchpad which he had sneakily took from her. It wasn't that he wanted to stop her from developing her artistic talent, it was just that... the only thing she could draw was a portrait of Jiro. and he wanted to slowly reduce her addiction to him. When he had tested her by asking her to draw a simple picture of a plant in a vase, he was shocked when it came out looking like some disfigured skeleton.

A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the drawings of a young Jiro evolve into a handsome young man. He ran a stressed hand through his hair with a slight groan. "She's totally obsessed...." he muttered and slammed the book shut. He pushed the sketchpad away from him with a force that was enough for it to slide and fall off the other end of the table. But he didn't care. He had to get rid of the drawings first and then he could get rid of Jiro.

"How do I take her mind off him?" He pondered as he tapped the table impatiently with a pen between his fingers.

"Ge!" Pets yelled as she knocked on his door angrily, "Ge! Why did you take away my sketchpad?!"

Chris sighed and stood up. He kicked the sketchpad, that was on the floor, under his bed and out of sight. He then turned to open the door and let his sister into his room.

"Ge!" Pets yelled with a glare, "Give my sketchpad back!"
"Why would I have your sketchpad? Am I even interested in your dumb drawings?!" he spat at her with cold eyes.

Pets felt the ice in his eyes stab her - ever since he had come home, their relationship had been getting worse. She missed the brother who loved her and was her first knight in shining armour. He was the knight that protected the young princess from the dangerous dragon but when he had left to go study abroad, Loneliness was the dragon that threatened to burn down her castle. When Chris returned home, she was ecstatic, but never had she thought that her own brother would turn on her and put up a wall of ice between them. She hated it.

Pets pressed her lips into a tight line. "I know you have it, you're the only one who has a problem with Jiro so of course you'd take it!" she retorted.
"Jiro?" Chris repeated, "Who is Jiro? I don't know a Jiro! Genie doesn't know a Jiro, Butler Sun doesn't know a Jiro - who is this Jiro?" He then smirked at her and then snapped his fingers, "Oh yeah - this Jiro doesn't exist!" His face then fell flat.
Hurt and anger boiled within Pets and her brother's harsh words threatened tears to pool in her eyes.

Jiro, who stood at the doorway, approached her and slipped his hand into hers. He gave her a comforting squeeze, "Don't cry," he whispered gently, "Stay strong, okay?"
Jiro's warm and soft gaze hurt her more. How could Chris be so insensitive? Pets was hurt, but it was Jiro she worried for the most. Jiro's existence was always criticised and he always faced hate - how could she protect him? She couldn't protect him from everyone's judging gazes.

Pets shut her eyes tightly and blinked back her tears to stop them from falling. She looked up at her brother and stared at him, apathetically. "You've gone too far," she whispered, "Not only are you hurting me, you're also hurting Jiro." Her voice was quiet but her words were as a sharp and clear as ice.
Chris scoffed and rolled his eyes. "What? Does baby Jiro need his mummy?" he teased before kissing his teeth, "Please, Pets, get a life. Jiro isn't real. Grow the hell up," he said in a low voice.

"You aren't real, you're the one who doesn't exist!" Pets barked instinctively, "I don't have a brother! Jiro is my family, and my only family - I don't have a brother and I don't want one either!" She then her heel, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Chris stared at the door and heaved a heavy sigh. He leaned his head back, exasperated. 

"I want to help you because I love you, Pets. Why can't you see that?!"