CHAPTER 33 - Revenge

Weeks had passed that felt like years. There were moments when he forgot he had no right to be beside her anymore - moments when he had to remind himself why he had to let go, but it was not an easy task.

Jiro halted his steps and took a sharp intake of breath as Dara walked past her in the hallway, her left wrist wrapped with bandage. He clicked his tongue in frustration, battling with himself if he should approach her or not. A fucking bandage? What the hell happened to her? His worries began mounting as troubling thoughts entered his mind. He spun around and followed the girl, calling her name when he saw Dara descending the stairs of the Arts Building.

"Ramirez", he called out. He saw her stiffen when she heard his voice, and he felt the now familiar pinch in his heart with her reaction towards him.

Dara stopped on one of the steps and glanced back at him, her eyes bearing no emotion other than puzzlement. "Yes?"

"What's that bandage? How did you get injured? What happened?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh", she raised her arm a bit to look at her wrist. "This is nothing", she replied with disinterest. She then turned around and continued descending, but Jiro quickly followed her and caught up with her again at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ramirez", Jiro called out.

"I'm going to be late for my next class", she muttered without throwing a glance at the guy who was matching her quick pace.

"Wait", Jiro said and gripped her arm to stop her. Dara frowned and faced him, her expression reflecting her exasperation. They had been doing a great job ignoring each other but what is this?

"Jiro-..."

"How did you get injured?"

"Because of my stupidity, okay? Now let go", Dara tried to wiggle free but his grip was unyielding.

"How did it happen?" He asked between gritted teeth, suppressing his annoyance.

"I slipped."

"Why did you slip? Where?"

"There's a burst pipe in my kitchen and I slipped because of the puddle of water on the floor. Can you let go now?"

"Are you taking a medicine? Did you get the pipe fixed? Don't let anyone in your house without-..."

"My God, Jiro! Stop doing this!"

"Doing what?"

"This!" Dara erupted. "Are you doing this because you're worried for me?" She chuckled bitterly and slightly shook her head. "Do you understand our current situation, Jiro?"

He was stunned to silence, his heart aching as realization settled in, but he concealed what he was feeling. In between his pained breaths, the undeniable yearning buried in his chest, he managed to stare at her with a stoic gaze, as if it didn't hurt...as if he was okay.

"I just want to know why you're injured", he said flatly.

Dara sighed heavily and averted her eyes, her arm hanging limply from his grip. "Why do you have to know?" She asked in a quiet voice before dragging her gaze back at him. "You shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to", she stated. "You already gave up on me. I told you, you should be responsible for your decision."

"Ramirez, I told you we should stop our relationship, but that doesn't mean I'll stop protecting you."

"Then do it but stay away from me."

Stay away from me. Her words echoed in his ears as if someone shouted it from far away. His body became still, his gaze focused on the girl who was staring back at him with equal intensity...those eyes that used to look at him fondly. There was a heavy feeling that was drowning him, and it was becoming hard for him to pretend that he was fine. He lost her.

"If you don't have the guts to stay, then stay away. You said you don't want to see me suffer, but this is making me suffer, Jiro. When you said we should end our relationship, this is part of what we're ending. This is your choice, remember?"

He lost her. He pushed her away and now, she was doing the same thing to him. A stiff silence hung between them as he searched his mind for something to say, but no words came out of his lips. He just stood there, frozen on his spot, unable to form any coherent thoughts.

"You can let go now", she mumbled and looked at his hand still gripping her arm. Jiro let her go, and he watched as the girl walked away.

***

"They really broke up. I can't believe this", Namee told Picaro as they watched Dara walking away from Jiro. They were sitting at one of the round tables in front of the Arts Building when they spotted the two talking at the bottom of the stairs. "Dara is not revealing much but I have this nagging feeling that this is Takizawa's fault."

"I don't see her hanging around Jiro anymore, though."

"Yeah, but what does she do when others are not looking?"

"You really have a beef with Takizawa, don't you?" Picaro eyed her questioningly.

"No, I don't."

He raised his brows at her, seemingly unconvinced.

"Fine", Namee rolled her eyes at him, cupping her face with her palm, her elbow rested on the round table. "I must admit, I'm not very fond of her especially when she kept clinging to Jiro after almost everyone in school learned of my friend and your leader's relationship. I'm sure she's aware that it's awkward for the current girlfriend to see her boyfriend's ex buzzing around him, but she still kept on doing it."

"I understand your point, but you can't deny that she's quite pitiful. She's obviously not happy with what she's doing, but she can't stop doing it."

"She's forcing a shoe that doesn't fit anymore."

"True."

"Why do you think Ice Lord approached Dara?" Namee asked while pulling a box of Pepero bread stick from her bag.

"I bet Jiro was worried when he saw that Dara was injured. How did she get injured, by the way?" Picaro said, grabbing the snack from Namee and opening it before handing it back to her.

"There was a puddle of water in her kitchen floor because of a burst pipe. She turned off the valve and was about to clean but she slipped and had a bad fall that's why her wrist is sprained."

"I see."

"So, what's the deal with your leader?" Namee asked while munching a bread stick. "Why did he have to resort to breaking up with my friend when it's obvious he still cares for her?"

Picaro shook his head lightly, sighing a bit as he spoke, "He once told me that Dara needs someone who deserves her...someone not like him. I think the entire problem lies with how Jiro views himself. I knew he has been through a lot. But since we never experienced what he had to go through, it's hard for us to understand how he sees things."

"But Dara accepted him. Despite everything, Dara accepted him and desperately tried to make things work for them. I may not know what his past is and what his worries are, but one thing is for sure, he ruined what they had."

"Do you think they can start again?"

"Someone has to make the first step to start something. And the way I see it, Dara is firm in holding her ground", Namee looked somberly at her friend who was walking along the university path towards the next building before shifting her eyes at Jiro who is still standing at the bottom of the stairs, following Dara with his gaze. "This time, Jiro has to be strong and committed enough to fight his way back to her."

***

Dara's eyes widened a bit in surprise when she opened the door and saw Bullet standing there, a wide grin slipping in his lips.

"I'm hereee!" Bullet stretched his arms wide, wiggling his fingers for added effect.

"You're here", Dara deadpanned. "Why are you here?"

Without uttering a word, he stepped inside her house, walking past the flabbergasted girl while taking off his jacket. He threw it on the couch and and turned around to face her with a huge smile, placing his hands on his hips like he was some super human out to conquer the world.

"So... Where are your plumbing tools?"

Dara arched her eyebrows at him in bewilderment as she closed the door. "You're here to fix the pipes in the kitchen?"

"Yes!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, a knowing smile on her lips. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"I'm a man of many talents, munchkin."

"Is plumbing one of them?"

"I plan to include it in my list."

"Meaning, you haven't done it before."

"Awww, have a little faith in me, munchkin", Bullet approached the girl and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her towards the kitchen. "Now, show me what needs to be fixed and hand me whatever tools you have."

Dara glanced back at him suspiciously, still unconvinced that the guy would be able to be of any help. "It's a burst pipe, Bullet. You might kill yourself while trying to fix it", she warned him.

"You're forgetting the 'man of many talents' part. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

The girl didn't argue anymore and showed him the burst pipe under the kitchen sink. She handed him the tools and slumped on the kitchen floor beside the guy who was inspecting the damage. "I tried to temporarily seal the damaged section with a duct tape, but it didn't last."

"Hmmm. Okay, I'll see what I can do. Watch TV or something while I fix this", he instructed.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Just go, munchkin. I got this", he assured her, ruffling her hair.

"Fine", Dara said and stood up. "I'll just fold my laundry while you do your stuff."

She strode away but when she turned the corner, she hid behind the wall and watched what the guy was going to do. A smile crossed her face when she saw him typing on his phone, his face in full concentration as he read something. 'Google', she thought. Just as she predicted, her friend had zero clue on how to fix a pipe. Shaking her head a bit in amusement, Dara proceeded to her room.

A few minutes had passed and she had already finished folding her clothes and arranging them in her closet. She was on her way to the kitchen when she heard Bullet grunting in annoyance followed by a string of curses. Then, a loud noise was heard, sound of water splashing, and more curses from her friend. She chuckled and went back to her room to get a towel and to prepare a change of clothes. It was not hard to guess what happened to the poor guy.

Dara went back to the kitchen and suppressed her smile when she saw the disaster that Bullet caused. The guy was slumped on the floor, his arms resting on his bent knees and a C-clamp hanging on his hand, his clothes drenched with water. She walked towards the guy and sat beside him on the dry part of the kitchen floor, handing him the towel.

"Munchkin, you really need a plumber", he informed him and grabbed the towel from her, draping it on his shoulder.

"What happened to the 'man of many talents'?" She asked. Bullet glanced at her and twitched his lips somberly, "I thought I can impress you with my awesomeness."

"Silly", she chuckled and wiped his face with the hem of the towel. "Use the bathroom inside my room. I prepared a change of clothes on the bed."

"Thanks", he sighed and stood up, removing his shirt and wiping his body with it.

"Wow", Dara exclaimed and playfully whistled in appreciation because of the nice scene.

"Oh, you like my body, eh?" Bullet excitedly said and began flexing his arm to show his muscles. He even turned around and showed her his back, raising both his arms and flexing them again. He then waved the towel on the air while rolling his hips and threw the towel at her.

Dara giggled and stood up, hitting Bullet's arm lightly after approaching him. "Stop goofing around and go change", she told him as she handed him the towel. She made her way to the living room, but her steps halted when she heard her doorbell.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"It must be Namee", she answered and went to the door while the guy stood by the kitchen, drying himself with the towel.

Dara opened the door and she froze when she saw Jiro still wearing his work clothes, his gaze instantly dropping towards her bandaged wrist.

"Did you get your pipe fixed?" He asked.

Before Dara could respond, her friend's voice emanated from the kitchen. "Munchkin, is that Namee?" Bullet asked as he walked towards her.

Jiro's eyes hardened as he watched the guy striding towards them without a shirt on and with  a towel draped on his shoulder. His fist instantly clenched into a tight ball, the urge to punch the guy getting stronger. SHIT! Why is he in her house and why is he walking around shirtless? Jiro exhaled furiously and glared at Dara. "I told you not to let anyone inside your house. You're alone, Ramirez", he hissed.

Dara blinked at him, unfazed with his anger. "It's just Bullet", she said.

Damn it. DAMN IT.

"Oh, it's Ice Lord. Here to fix the pipe?" Bullet asked as he approached them. "Don't worry, I got it", Bullet informed him while standing behind Dara. The girl looked at her friend and grinned in amusement, "What do you mean you got it?"

Bullet scowled and covered her entire face with his palm. "I got it, okay?"

"Fine", she slapped his hand away and giggled.

Jiro averted his gaze, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. There was a stinging pain inside his chest with what he was seeing, a troubling thought entering his mind. Dara was starting to drift farther away from him, and to be honest...he was scared. The thought that one day he wouldn't be able to be beside her because that place already belonged to someone else was something that he wasn't sure he was ready to face. 'But that's what you wished for her', a part of him argued.

"Anything else, Montecillo?" Bullet asked, draping his arm over Dara's shoulder.

"Nothing", he murmured and immediately left.

***

Jiro strode briskly on the street, his face contorted with rage. That Fire 39 leader is getting overly familiar with Dara – coming inside her house and walking around shirtless. Friend? Was he using that excuse to take advantage of the girl? Now that he and Dara were not together anymore, was he making advances to be with her?

Let's just stop this. I can't continue trapping you in this relationship.

The words he told Dara echoed in his mind. Right, they were not together anymore. His steps gradually became slower until he came to a halt, his heart sinking with the realization that he made this happen. Jiro weakly rubbed his face with his palm and sighed heavily. Why was he having these thoughts? He finally let her go and things were now how they were supposed to. She was now free to be with a guy more suited for her. She didn't have to deal with his shit anymore. She didn't have to cry because of him. He lost her. There was a painful squeeze inside his chest as the future he wanted for the both of them crumbled.

I want a home. I want a home with you and me in it.

It's gone now.

"Young man. Excuse me, son."

Jiro turned around and saw an old lady with a cane on one hand and a basket on the other walking towards him.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can you tell me where the bus stop going to Little China Town is?"

"It's a bit far from here. I'll just walk you there. May I hold your things for you?" Jiro offered.

"Oh, thank you. My basket is quite heavy", the old lady said gratefully, handing him her basket.

The walk to the bus stop was slow, with Jiro matching the grandma's pace. Despite her old age and frail body, she was very energetic as she kept on talking about almost anything she laid her eyes on. She had a lot of stories to tell, but Jiro remained silent, just grunting in response or nodding his head.

"Oh look! Look at this tree!" The woman pointed her cane cheerfully at the tree on the side of the street. Jiro eyed it with disinterest, not uttering a word. It was a tree, what was there to be excited about?

But the woman walked towards it and ran her wrinkly hand on it, a smile never leaving her lips. "It was so small years ago, but look how tall it is now. Look how sturdy it is." She glanced back at the path where they walked, her eyes shining brightly as if she was seeing something that others couldn't see. "It's the same neighborhood I walked on when I was a student, but our traces had been erased. Although there are still a few of our traces that remained", she said more to herself. She then shifted her gaze to Jiro and chuckled heartily upon seeing his bewildered face. "Forgive this old lady for blabbering so much. When you reach this age, you tend to appreciate the little miracles you see every day and reminisce the times that have already been forgotten."

"It's alright", Jiro responded curtly.

"You see, when I was still young, this is a dirt road filled with shrubs. There was no path going to school. But as students continued walking on this direction, a path was naturally made." She continued reminiscing her old days as they resumed walking. "If one can't make it, it can be done with the help of others, especially if you're going on the same direction", she mysteriously said while throwing him a glance, the knowing glint in her eyes making Jiro uncomfortable. "Do you know when is the best time to plant a tree, son?"

"During rainy days?"

"No, son. We have a saying – the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now." She tenderly touched Jiro's arm and gave him a benevolent smile. "Whatever you think you should have done before, the next best time to do it is now."

"I don't have anything in particular I want to do, but I want something back. I...lost something", he mumbled. "And I don't think I have the right to get it back."

"It must be really something precious."

"Yes, it's invaluable."

"She must be very pretty."

"Yes, she-..." Jiro glanced at her in surprise, but the old woman had her eyes focused forward, as if she knew everything from the very beginning. This was the reason why he was uneasy being around old folks, they were very cunning and they tend to pull out the truth from you without you knowing it.

"A woman can put a frown on a strong man's forehead, can pierce a hole in his armor and leave him helpless. That much has not changed even today", she commented. "Forgive me for asking, you said you don't have the right to get her back? Is she with someone else?"

Jiro hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground, watching their slow and steady footsteps. "She deserves someone else", he responded in a quiet voice.

"Like what kind of someone else?" The old lady asked, tilting her head in amusement. "The good-background, steady future someone else?"

"Yes. She deserves that kind of someone else. And more."

"You said you want her back, which means you were with her at some point. I hope you did not let her go for that reason you have. Or if you did, I hope you asked her first if she wanted to let go", she commented. "It is like pushing her while hoping that behind her is a bed of grass, instead of a cliff."

"I make her cry."

"Women cry for a reason. But if that reason is worth it, then those tears are not wasted."

"I'm not worth her tears."

The old woman glanced at him, sadness crossing her eyes. "How sad to hear those words from a young man", she remarked. "If you're looking down on yourself, aren't you looking down at your woman too? She accepted you, and that means who you are is enough. It is up to you to make it better."

Jiro remained silent, the old woman's words piercing him, making him recall the things that Dara told him.

I love you too, Jiro...so learn to accept that I do.

You're a risk worth taking. Why can't you understand that?

Had he been ignoring what Dara was trying to make him understand?

"Boundaries are things we create ourselves, son", she continued. "It is human to make mistakes. But it is foolish to say we missed our chance; because the truth is, though we cannot go back, now is optimally the next best time to start."

Jiro halted his steps when the grandma held his arm again, stopping him. "I think this is the tree", she mumbled and approached it, running her hand on the trunk. "Yes, this is our tree. Look, son. This is my late husband's calligraphy", she said proudly and beamed at him. She then sighed and shifted her gaze back to the trunk where her late husband engraved his and her name in Chinese characters.

"Every beginning is important as it can create a lasting beauty. It may even echo long after we are gone", she mumbled in a hushed tone, as if reminiscing something precious to her.

"The sun is starting to set. I better get home or my granddaughter will overreact again", she said after a while.

Upon reaching the bus stop, Jiro waited for the bus to arrive and accompanied the old woman, maintaining his silence as different thoughts ran through his mind. Somehow, talking to the grandma was surprisingly calming, as if she was pushing out all his worries away.

"My bus is here", she said and smiled at him. "Thank you so much for accompanying this old woman. The girls are looking at me with envy when I was walking with you, I feel like blushing", she joked and laughed boisterously.

"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you, grandma?"

"Oh, call me Mama Old. And I'll be fine. Our house is just a few blocks from the bus stop."

"It's getting dark, you might get lost."

"I know the way, son. It is you who is lost", she replied, getting her basket from him. She then placed her hand on his cheek, her eyes full of warmth and wisdom. "Stop trying to prove what nobody doubts, son. And focus on what you wanted to do for yourself", she said before turning around and getting on the bus.

***

Lying on his back, his arms behind his head, Jiro stared at the ceiling of his room while pondering over a lot of things. About Dara, about them...about him.

Was letting her go the right answer?

Couldn't he really make things work for both of them?

What did he want to do? What did he want to achieve?

So many questions were swimming in his mind. Talking to the old woman affected him in ways that he did not expect. He started to question himself of what he wanted to achieve...of what he wanted to do.

Every beginning is important as it can create a lasting beauty. It may even echo long after we are gone.

Her words repeated inside his head. Life was indeed full of changes and new beginnings. And even though no one could travel back to the past, one could start now to achieve the future that they envisioned. So why didn't he start his own journey that would lead him to the destination he wanted? He dreamed of a future with Dara, but what did he do? What was he doing now? He let her go to protect her from him, scared that he would just ruin her. But wasn't he just running away?

Didn't you let her go for your own sake, Jiro?

Stone's words were starting to make sense now. Instead of facing everything with her, instead of trusting her, he ran away. He's a fucking idiot.

Jiro sat up and cracked his knuckles, recalling Bullet in Dara's house. He couldn't bear the thought of her with another man, even if the guy deserved her more than he did. Perhaps it was time to create a new beginning that would lead him not only to a future with her, but to a future he wanted for himself.

He pulled out his phone and started searching for a particular number, hitting the call button afterwards. After a few rings, the call was picked up.

"Stone", Jiro muttered.

***

The last bell rang and the classes have ended. A very uneventful day in InterSAT had passed except for mini-gang brawls erupting here and there. Most of the students were still inside the classrooms, chatting among their classmates, while some were meeting their friends on the hallway and loitering at the university garden.

"Get out of the way!" Picaro yelled as he sped past the students in the corridor, pushing anyone who was blocking his path. There was a curious murmur among everyone as they watched the guy sprinting towards the Black Dragon's turf.

"The outside gangs are here!" Someone shouted at the end of the hallway.

"They entered the west gate!"

A commotion immediately ensued as everyone dashed towards the stairs, intending to watch the brawl that was about to happen. But when they saw the other students at the school ground running and yelling in panic, fear gripped everyone in the Arts Building and they decided to step back instead of getting entangled with the riot. It was clear that this was unlike the other attacks that InterSAT had gone through.

At the west gate where the turfs of smaller InterSAT gangs were located, the ground reverberated and the air became filled with dust as a huge fight commenced to block the outside gangs entering the school. However, the InterSAT gangsters were unfortunately outnumbered. The students kept running in the opposite direction when they saw that the west gate, which was always closed, had been forced open by a bunch of gangsters, and the attackers were now dispersing all over the school's premises.

There was a deafening chaos everywhere as other InterSAT gangs rushed towards the west gate while the other students tried to flee. Words had already been passed to the leaders of the three strongest gangs, but they were already engaged in their own fights as the attackers were everywhere. The other outside gangs were attempting to enter through the east gate and the back gate where The Claws and the Fire 39's turf were located.

Stone dodged a kick and punched his opponent, successfully knocking the guy cold. He spun around and was about to help the others but one of his gang mates stopped him, gripping his shoulder.

"Go to the west gate. We got this", he said, pushing him towards the university path. He didn't argue anymore and dashed towards the west gate. The strongest gang's turfs are located at the gates for defense, but the turf of the top gang in InterSAT was placed in the Arts Building instead of the west gate since the building is at the middle, where the Black Dragons can easily be of help if any gates are attacked.

When Stone reached the university garden, he came across Bullet who was also running alone in the same direction as him, which meant that the back gate was also under attack and the rest of Fire 39 were blocking the opponents.

The leaders headed to the west gate where the InterSAT's defense was at its weakest. Upon reaching their destination, they saw that the smaller InterSAT gangs were struggling to fight the outside gangs.

"Shit", Bullet muttered.

"We need Ice Lord", Stone remarked, eyeing the broken gate where more attackers were forcing themselves in through the bent iron railing.

They were about to step into the fight when a guy was hurled in between them from behind. The two immediately dodged out of the way, shifting their gazes afterwards to the newly arrived Black Dragon's leader.

"Need help?" Jiro asked lazily, rolling his wrist as he strode towards the two.

"You're late", Stone muttered.

Jiro halted his steps and scanned the riot in front of them, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood in the middle of the Fire 39 leader and The Claws leader.

"I bet these fuckers are seeking revenge because they were attacked by the InterSAT gangs because of Locker X", Bullet said.

"Let's end this quickly. It'll get ugly if one of the professors calls the cops", Jiro instructed. With that, the three leaders stepped forward and joined the brawl, showing the attackers the strength of InterSAT. Blood spilled on the ground, and unconscious bodies fell down as the fight dragged on. Things got rowdier when the members of Black Dragons, Fire 39, and The Claws finally arrived after successfully blocking the attackers at the east and back gate.

Jiro threw another punch at his opponent before letting go of his collar, the pitiful guy falling on the ground. Without wasting any time, he attacked another opponent, his swift and precise movements overwhelming the enemies.

"JIRO!" He heard Bonsai's voice yelling out his name amidst the chaos. "Hawk is here! He and the other outside gangs got to the Arts Building!"

SHIT! Jiro's heart pounded hard inside his chest, fear gripping him as he thought of the girl with the marked locker.

RAMIREZ!

Writer's Note:

Thanks for reading! Please comment! I love reading your thoughts!

(Guess who the grandma is)

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huntress ^_^