credits: tabibimbap

credits: trpplr_c

Dara’s POV

“FIGHT! FIGHT!”

“Where?!”

“Quick! Let’s watch!”

I immediately backed away and ran to the stairs. Avoiding gang brawls has become my daily exercise. It has been an automatic reflex for me to bolt to another direction if I hear any commotion and I believe I’m already getting good at it.

As I reached the upper floor, I slowed my pace and breathed a sigh of relief. Safe! I smiled triumphantly and walked in the hallway while tightly hugging my books. The days in InterSAT are unpredictable, to say the least. But I think I’m getting the hang of it.

As I was walking a different route towards my next class, my mind wandered to the events that happened last Friday. I’ve been replaying it in my head a hundred times that it now seems surreal. Did Jiro kiss my shoulder that night? It’s quite unlikely but I saw him and I felt it! Or perhaps I accidentally moved my shoulder and since his lips were conveniently situated behind my shoulder, he accidentally kissed it? Gah! I don’t know! If it was not accidental, then what does that mean? I’ve been searching ‘kiss on shoulder’ via google and it only contaminated my mind. It was a landmine of erted anecdotes.

I haven’t seen Jiro during the weekend since he has a part-time job on both the automobile repair shop and hardware store. I guess it’s a good thing because I was able to think things over. Heaven knows what might have happened if I see him a day before that ‘incident’.

I’m still mulling over things as I was nearing my classroom and just my luck, another brawl happened and I was in the middle of the chaos so I had nowhere to run. I hugged my books tightly and pressed myself against the wall, wincing a little when I heard someone grunt from pain. I was trying to calculate in which direction to dash to evade this pack of demons when someone pushed me aside, making me yelp in surprise.

Oh no! My books went flying in every direction and I immediately knelt to retrieve them. I was having a hard time grabbing my things since the ongoing brawl is in full throttle and extending my hand will increase my chance of getting stepped over. Oddly, the hallway became eerily quiet and the movements around me stopped. The students who were fighting were all moving away and the others were staring at something. I followed their gaze and that’s when I saw Jiro standing in the middle of the hallway with his arms across his chest, glaring at all the punks who were raising hell earlier.

Ack! He’s here! I hurriedly grabbed my scattered books on the floor in panic but when I was about to reach for the last book, a hand with a dragon tattoo retrieved it. Of course, I knew who it was.

Without uttering a word, Jiro helped me up and gave me my book. I tried to meet his eyes but it unnerves me. To be honest, after what happened last Friday, I pictured us getting a bit closer when we meet each other at school. I mean, even if the kiss is just figment of my imagination, he did hug me from behind to keep me warm. That’s something, right? But being in front of him right now reminded me of the invisible line between us that, I’m quite certain, he will never cross.

My heart almost stopped when he moved, only to realize that he’s already walking away. I turned around and watched as he slowly walked without glancing back. And just like that, he’s gone.

***

Picaro found him on the rooftop, his eyes scanning the school ground but his mind is obviously elsewhere. He approached their leader and stood beside him, roaming his gaze around although, as expected, there is nothing to see. The students were walking to their respective classrooms, some running and some walking gingerly. There are those who were huddled in groups while others are alone. There’s really nothing to see, except…

“That’s Dara and Bullet”, he stated and pointed at a spot on the round tables where the two are sitting.

“Yes.”

“The biggest flirt in InterSAT”, he said. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Jiro shifting his feet and he heard him breathe deeply.

“Dara is with him”, Picaro added.

“What about her?”

“You know how smooth that guy is when it comes to girls. Women are practically throwing themselves on his feet. If he date Dara-…”

“He won’t.”

“How’d you know?”

“I’ll make sure that he won’t.”

Picaro slowly glanced at him and sighed before darting his eyes again at the two oblivious subjects of their conversation.

“I hate to say this Jiro, but you won’t be able to dictate who she can date or not.”

A stony silence passed between the two. Picaro knew he’s right but the problem is, what Jiro thinks is right.

“She needs someone who deserves her”, Jiro said after a long pause.

“Someone like you?”

“Someone not like me”, Jiro replied and turned around, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was about to walk away when Picaro placed his hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He glanced back lazily and stared at his gang mate. “What?”

“I don’t understand”, Picaro told him quietly as he lets go of his shoulder. “I knew you promised to protect her, but why are you doing this? Is there something more his father asked from you?”

Jiro faced him and slowly shifted his gaze to Dara, who was still sitting at the round table together with Bullet. “He just asked what all fathers wanted for their daughters.”

“What?”

“A steady future. He asked me to protect her daughter and guide her to a man that will give her a happy and complete family that she wasn’t able to experience since her mother died when she was young.”

Picaro studied him for a moment, his mind trying to comprehend what the other is thinking. He cleared his throat, carefully weighing his words. “And you think…her father basically rejected you when he asked that?”

His words were met by a sharp glare. “You’re not making any sense”, Jiro said.

“Then why are you-…”

“I gave Mr. Ramirez my word that I would protect his daughter”, Jiro spun around and started heading towards the door. “And that’s what I’m doing”, he added.

“That’s exactly the problem”, Picaro whispered.

***

“Girllll frienddd!!” Namee cheerfully dashed towards Dara and enveloped her in a big hug. “I miss you! We haven’t seen each other for days!”

Dara darted her eyes while Namee is still clinging to her. Girls were looking at Namee weirdly while some boys are checking her body. Why didn’t she notice this before? She thought other students are staring at her, not Namee, because of her connection with Jiro. It turns out even though they are indeed curious about her and Jiro, they are also eyeing her friend. She also assumed that since Namee is a loud one, grabbing the attention of people is but a natural reaction from them. Come to think of it, she saw Namee talking to her classmates on one of their classes but once she turned her back at them, she saw them whispering to each other.

At the corner of the hallway, she saw Riko. Their eyes met and she saw one of her classmates saying something to her while looking at them.

“Let’s go somewhere. We need to talk”, Dara said.

“Uh-oh. Are we breaking up?” Namee asked jokingly but Dara didn’t answer. They walked towards the university garden at the back of the building and when they reached their favorite spot under a big tree, Dara faced her.

“What is it? Should I be scared?”

“Your part-time job…” Dara started and watched as Namee’s eyes slightly widened in surprise, her smile slowly fading.

“What about it?”

“What exactly is your part-time job?”

“It seems you already know. I’m assuming you’ve heard the rumors.”

“I saw you cutting class again so I followed you when you sneaked out of school”, Dara admitted.

“Wow”, Namee laughed bitterly while shaking her head. “I guess you wouldn’t believe the rumors until you see it with your own eyes, huh?”

“No. That’s not it. I-…”

“Yes, I’m a hooker. I’m sorry for not telling you”, she said with a straight face.

Dara stared at her in astonishment, her breath caught in . There is an awkward pause between them as Dara tried to absorb what she just said while Namee watched her reaction.

“I-Is that why you have no other friends here in InterSAT?”

“Yes.”

“Why-…” Dara pond