"Ow ow ow ouch!" Jerry screamed as Joyce applied the lotion on his arms. Joyce did not speak a word. Her mind was filled with images of Sylvester. She was really disappointed in him.

"Joyce? Hello? Are you there?" Jerry waved his hands in front of her eyes.

"Huh?" Joyce finally got back to reality.

"Do you know that guy named S.. S...??"

"Sylvester." Joyce helped him complete the sentence.

"Yeah! That's right! You know that guy?"

Joyce nodded her head. "He sits besides me in class."

Jerry shook his head violently and began to tell Joyce why and how he was beaten up by Rifa.

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[Flashback]

"Hey you. You're Jerry Ong, that rich lad right?"

Someone spoke to Jerry when he was walking out of the school. Obviously Jerry replied yes and before he could even ask what was the matter, he was being pulled to a dark alley.

"You see buddy. We're here to protect you. Just give us some money and you'll be protected from anything." A guy wearing the same uniform talked to Jerry.

Jerry smirked and replied in his usual arrogant way.

"You think you are filming some triad show or something? Protection money you mean? Hah. Sorry, I don't think I need any protection from you~" He let his eyes scrolled up and down the person in front of him and laughed.

The guy, however, was not amused by his words. Without any warning, he sent a hard punch onto Jerry's stomach. The others went forward to add on to the fighting till Sylvester stopped them.

"Too much money will not do good to you, Jerry Ong." It was a scary cold tone from Sylvester.

Despite that, Jerry was too stubborn to give in that easily.

"I bet you are those poor kids who don't even have enough money to pay the school fees. Blame your own parents for not being able to support you. Stop this bullying. I am not scared of you. Besides, I have tons of money. I can do many things I like. Can you?"

Sylvester immediately punched Jerry's handsome face. And the punch was so strong that it made Jerry vomit blood.

It took no longer for Jerry to surrender and gave them all the money he had. By then, he had slumped to the ground, half dead.

Sylvester and his men then walked away. Then Sylvester turned and pointed to Jerry, "Don't think I am scared of you too. I am Sylvester."

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Jerry finished his story-telling and grumbled. Of course he left the part where he had insulted Sylvester.

Joyce was suddenly unhappy. She did not know why but she knew that it had to do with Sylvester.

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[Joyce]

The next day in school, Joyce and Sylvester did not talk to each other again.

After school, Joyce was walking home when someone tapped on her shoulders.

"Hey babe. Where are you going?" Joyce stopped in her tracks.

The person behind her turned her around forcefully, revealing many 'persons'.

The guys from Rifa. Joyce could recognised them. Afterall they were famous in school.

"What do you want from me?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just asking if you are free tomorrow? Care to go on a date with me?" The guy showed a row of yellowish teeth as he ginned. Joyce was disgusted.

"Do you think that you are a hunk?" Joyce asked instead, in a super sarcastic tone. She was angry, remembering how the guys from Rifa beat up her friend the day before. "Please." She added and rolled her eyes.

The guy soon got offended. He gave Joyce a tight slap and pushed her against the wall.

The guys then surrounded her, each giving a cunning smile.

"It can't be so dramatic right?" Joyce tried to console herself and prayed that she was dreaming. Yet the reality was cruel. Joyce shrieked.

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"What the heck are you guys doing?" A voice made the guy who was about to kiss Joyce froze.

All the guys stood up straight and greeted him nervously.

"Long-ge." Even the bad guy spun and bowed to greet him.

Sylvester grabbed the nearest lad and asked what happened. That guy was too frightened to do anything but shiver non-stop.

"Didn't I say before, that you can only get proud students who are wealthy and spoilt?" He roared.

Silence.

"Let her go." Sylvester ordered, his eyes not even looking at Joyce a bit.

Joyce would have been very grateful to him and even felt that it was a 'hero saving beauty' scene.

If only the bad guys were his men.
If only he was not from Rifa.
If only he had not bullied Jerry.
If only...
he was a good man.

Joyce had the urge to spit at him but in the end she did not. She could only feel anger inside. She was fuming mad. Fuming mad at Sylvester.

Her eyes bore into Sylvester's.

"I hate you." Three words came out from .

Sylvester paused for a moment before walking to her. His lips curled up and he leaned forward to place them on Joyce's.

"Try it then."

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Sylvester tilted his head, indicating his men to follow him and the gang went off. Leaving behind Joyce, who was speechless and blushing furiously at the same time.

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Yeah! I finished one more chapter! Actually I liked this chapter alot~ haha... so i hope u like it too! *smilex*

15.12.04

8.03 PM

-yiNghAn-