credits: trpplr_c

credits: annejiyongi

credits: trpplr_c

It was just like any other day…

“I’m serious”, Namee insisted. “Homeworks should be abolished. Students should be spending quality time with their families instead of stressing over their homeworks. We are already spending our entire day in school, and they still want us to spend our night time to think over the lessons? Hah! Just imagine how many papers will be saved if homeworks are abolished.”

“Spending quality time with your family or spending quality time online, browsing the internet?” Bullet argued.

“Browsing the internet is not a bad thing. I learn so much from it than homeworks! They should actually make use of the students’ interest in the internet to make the lessons less boring.”

“You have a very disturbing mind, Namee.”

“Genius is the right word.”

“I’m assuming your hatred for homeworks has been activated when Professor Century Egg gave you a ton of homeworks after he caught you texting in class.”

 “UGH! Please don’t remind me of him”, Namee grimaced. “The room where he teaches that subject is like trapped in a time warp. Everything moves in slow motion. His boring lesson bends time and space, I tell you. I looked at one of my classmates and I think I saw a mushroom growing in his face! People are decaying in front of him, that’s how boring he is!”

“Right, right”, Bullet chuckled at his friend’s exaggeration. He just let her rant since there’s no stopping Namee when she’s in her element.

“And don’t even get me started with his outfit! He always wear the same thing – brown slacks, leather belt that looks like it has been made one hundred years ago using human skin, brown knitted sweater and a white pointy beanie that makes him look like a walking !”

“I can feel your hate for him, Namee. But you seriously need to finish the homeworks he gave you because he’s quite popular for flunking a lot of students, especially those who are gang members. He’s known as the gang slayer around here”, Bullet grinned.

“Gang slayer?” Namee scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Have you seen him recently? If a mosquito bites him, he might die of blood loss.”

“The point is – do your homework.”

“Homeworks should be abolished! Right, Dara? Dara, pay attention! This is so significant!”

“I’m listening. It’s hard not to hear you when you’re beside me. With your loud voice, half of InterSAT already know about your new sinister goal”, Dara said as they walked along the hallway with Namee in between her and Bullet.

“You’ve been very quiet, I thought you’re not listening. Anyway…” Namee waved her pen with a fluffy top, which Dara was able to dodge. “As I was saying, professors should stop giving homeworks. They should give us the liberty to spend our night time however we want instead of forcing us to deal with a pile of paperworks. Opinions?” She wiggled the pen’s fluffy top between Bullet and Dara, urging them to talk.

“That’s ridiculous”, Bullet commented. “Will you get that fluffy away from my face!”

“It’s not ridiculous!”

“You’re not respecting our opinion. This is tyranny.”

“I respect your opinion, but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. You disagreed with my opinion, and I also disagreed with your opinion”, she said in a business-like tone.

“You’re living in a society where there are homeworks. Deal with it.”

“You know what? I better build my own country and implement my ideas.”

“You mean you’re going to abandon your throne in hell?” Dara asked. “How can evil prevail when the mistress of darkness abandons her throne?”

“They’ll survive without me.”

“Just out of curiosity, what are you going to name your country?” Bullet asked.

“I’m going to name it….NAMEE CHENG!”

Bullet and Dara stared at her with a deadpan expression, both wondering why the hell they ended up being friends with a mentally challenged girl.

“If you’re a guy, I would’ve punched you multiple times until you stop moving”, Bullet muttered, shaking his head in dismay.

“HEY! My name is fitting for a country!”

Her two friends continued bickering while Dara remained silent, her mind wandering elsewhere. When they turned at the corner, she flinched when she saw Jiro at the other end of the hallway. His proud stance and deep penetrating gaze; his slow, steady steps and uncaring attitude – nothing changed. It’s as if what happened yesterday was just a bad dream. Dara focused her gaze forward, her shoulders stiff, while her friends continued to engage in a heated discussion. There was a tense air radiating from her, her heart pounding hard as they walked past Jiro. She didn’t throw a glance at him and she knew he did the same.

‘It starts from here’, she thought. Last night, alone in her room, she was able to think things through. Riko may be one of the reasons but somehow, Dara felt like she and Jiro are bound to drift apart one way or the other. With how he sees himself and how he deals with things, both of them will not go anywhere with their relationship. She realized fighting alone when he decided to stand on the same spot is a useless battle. Jiro pushed her away when she’s desperately trying to make things work for them. He chose to let her go, thinking that it will be best for her. He thought it’s the right thing to do; he believes he will never be worthy of a future with her. So she decided to step away, because it’s time for her to protect herself…and a time for him to be strong. They both need to change.

“I’m off! See you later!” Namee waved at the two and started sprinting towards the room adjacent to Dara’s classroom.

“Later, Bullet”, Dara said and was about to enter her classroom when the strap of her bag was suddenly yanked from behind, causing her to halt her steps. She glanced back and saw Bullet staring at her, concern drawn on his face.

“Your eyes are swollen. Did you cry?” He asked.

It was just like any other day…

“I watched a touching movie last night”, she reasoned.

…except she had to pretend that she’s okay.

***

In the midst of the lazy afternoon, Bonsai is bouncing around, his energy incomparable with anyone from the Black Dragon gangsters. The turf was as noisy as before, having Bonsai leading the crew of idiots as they animatedly make fun of and re-enact the movie they recently watched.

Picaro, the only one who has a normal functioning human brain, stands on guard in case one of their mates have one of those eureka moments again and decide to create chaos. There was one time when they unanimously decided (headed by Bonsai, of course) to get rid of their pants and run on the hallway, and they can’t let that kind of happen again. Picaro is there to make sure of it.

Jiro was staring outside the window, watching the familiar scene on the school ground below. There was a hollow feeling at the pit of his stomach, a heavy weight in his shoulders, as the magnitude of her absence started settling in. But he has to bear it, because what he did is the right thing to do. She’s no longer beside him. There was a twinge of pain that made him wince; the thought of her warm smile and fond whispers piercing his heart. But Jiro gritted his teeth and kept the pain buried in his chest. He should get through this. He must.

“Anything wrong, Ice Leader?” Bonsai suddenly asked as he approached him, with Picaro following him from behind.

“Nothing”, Jiro said flatly.

“Stone talked to the other gangs at the Sparrow’s turf a while ago”, Picaro informed him. “He told them that it was Hawk who was marking the lockers in exchange for money and that he is already locked up in rehab. The other gangs were enraged but Stone took responsibility and talked to the leaders. I’m not sure what went on after that but I’m guessing they would want revenge.”

“Stone can handle them”, Jiro responded.

“Well, Locker X has been resolved! At least Dara is now safe”, Bonsai grinned.

“Yeah”, he mumbled and shifted his gaze again to stare at the clear sky.

It was just like any other day…

“At least Dara is now safe”, he repeated weakly.

…but it ing hurts like hell.

***

It was those trivial things, like the way she firmly focuses her gaze forward when they walk past each other, her sudden silence when she hears that the Black Dragons are near her, the way she averts her gaze so as not to see him. It was those small things that kill him a little every day.

Jiro entered the classroom and saw the girl immediately engaging her friend in a conversation. Instead of taking his usual seat behind her, he occupied the seat at the back of the room, not minding the obvious staring of the other students. He saw how her friend, Namee Cheng, furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement before talking to Dara again.

He lazily leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest while waiting for the professor, although his purpose for attending the class does not have anything to do with the subject. He shifted his gaze at the girl and stared at her back, watching her every movement. Despite his calm exterior, his heart was pounding hard, his senses hyper aware of her presence. God, he missed her. He missed her so much. It has been almost a week and it is making him crazy. Almost every minute, the thought of her fills his mind. What is she doing right now? Where is she? It is becoming unbearable. Why did he reach for her when he knew she deserves someone better? He should have just kept his promise to her father. He should have-…Damn it.

Jiro inhaled deeply and dropped his gaze to the ground. How long will it take for the pain to go away? He stood up and headed towards the door, ignoring the curious glances of the entire class. How long will it hurt? Being in the same room with her, he felt like choking. He felt like a knife is being repeatedly stabbed in his chest. How long will it last?

As he was drawing nearer the Black Dragons’ turf, he abruptly stopped on his tracks, pondering over things. He spun around and descended the stairs, heading towards the east gate. Maybe that smartass has the answer to his questions.

The gang members of The Claws eyed him in a mixture of fear and bewilderment as soon as he entered their turf. He stood by the entrance and roamed his eyes around, looking for someone.

“Hey”, Stone’s voice entered his ears and he looked up, finding the guy by the stairs going to the second floor. “Come up”, he told him and continued ascending the stairs.

Jiro strode past the surprised gang members and followed Stone to the second floor. He saw him on the small balcony that has a view of the university garden, his arms rested by the steel railing. Jiro walked towards him and stood in a near distance, shoving his hands inside his pockets and scanning the ground below.

“What brings you here?” Stone asked.

“I just want to know how the Locker X issue is going.”

“The other gang leaders demanded to know the outside gangs who attacked their mates. I told them