Chapter-304 Bullets

Keifer's POV

"Let go! Aaaggghhh!" I heard Jay-jay scream.

They've been arguing for a while now. It bothers me that we're still here just watching. Every time I try to move closer, they stop me. They keep saying my recklessness will put her in danger.

As if she's not already in danger.

"So noisy." I commented, trying to get their attention.

The three of them immediately glared at me.

"Seriously? What? This guy—ugh! You'll get Jay-jay hurt," Percy whisper-shouted at me.

"I'm trying to get his attention," I explained. But it seems I got more than just his attention.

"H-he's here." It was Jay, clearly looking for me. "He's here? Is he here?"

"W-who? Who is here?" That Sato also started looking around.

We were all alarmed when he began to slowly pull Jay-jay away.

Nope! Not my girl!

"Let her go now!" Yuri shouted, and I nearly smacked his red-haired head.

They got mad at me for making noise, and yet here he is shouting too.

Sato became even more panicked and tightened his grip on Jay-jay. I was about to move when Percy suddenly stood in front of me and sang:

"🎶Let her go… Let her go…🎶" He even did hand gestures.

Aries immediately smacked him. Then he turned to us.

"Who was that? That hurt!" He complained. "You're supposed to be chill about it, you know?"

Looks like Aries had had enough. He immediately stood and walked toward where Sato was standing.

"Let go of my sister!" He added.

Percy quickly followed, and Yuri did the same. I just sighed and followed them. I took off my coat and tie because I knew they'd just get in the way of the fight ahead.

Seeing my Jay-jay almost makes me cry. I badly want to run to her and give her a hug. I missed her so much, but why do we have to meet again in a situation like this?

I looked into her eyes. And I know from that look—she's cursing me again. I smirked at the thought.

"Tss… Profanity."

"You jerk!" Here she goes. "That's what you focused on?! You animal!"

Keep cursing, my Queen. I'm counting them all.

I messed up my hair before tossing aside my coat and tie.

"I came back straight from London and you call me a jerk and an animal? Can't I at least get an 'I miss you, Keifer'?"

"Idiot! We saw each other yesterday!"

Yup. With a very nice greeting, Baby.

"Yeah. You cursed at me, remember?"

"I—I don't remember that! T-that wasn't me!"

Now she's denying it. I raised a brow and looked at her. She quickly avoided my gaze.

"Nice weather up there—Aahhh… Ouch!"

Sato gripped her tightly. I almost ran to her—if only I hadn't seen the gun in his hand.

"Let go of Jay-jay now." It was Yuri, his voice threatening.

Jay-jay looked at him softly.

Don't look at him like that!

"Let her go, Baby Sister. Isn't our handsomeness intimidating enough for you?" Percy, with his overflowing confidence in his looks.

I rolled my eyes. Why wasn't his arrogance swept away by the flood during his accident? Or at least cracked his confidence a bit?

"Don't call her Baby Sister. She's my sister, not yours," Aries complained.

Percy pouted his lips. "You're so grumpy. Fine, you'll be my Baby instead." He added, and was about to hug Aries, but Aries immediately raised his fist to stop him.

"FUCKING HELL! LET GO OF ME!" Jay-jay suddenly shouted.

Sato obviously didn't like that. He shoved her to the ground and pointed his gun. My reflexes kicked in automatically. I ran as fast as I could and lunged at Sato.

"TAKE JAY-JAY AWAY FROM HERE!" I shouted, and I saw David carrying her off.

A strong punch brought me back to focus on the guy in front of me. I punched him back. I didn't stop until we heard the sound of a gun cocking.

"Move away!"

I looked to see who it was and saw a few men with the same tattoos as Sato. I backed off just like he wanted. At least 12 of them were still standing, but only 2 had guns. I didn't realize he still had men left. I thought only the ones on the ground were remaining.

Sato spoke in Nihongo while trying to help himself up. Yuri looked at him furiously.

"Yuri..." I called out to him to translate what the guy was saying.

"He said he'll torture Jay-jay after this." He said, and that made my blood boil.

C-in was right about the Sato Clan. Torturers, and they pick anyone they want.

Sato spoke in Japanese again while walking toward his men. I looked at Yuri and he turned back to me.

"He said they'll deal with us first." He said, and we stared at each other, trying to come up with a plan.

But before we could think of anything, Percy made a reckless move.

"As if they can beat us!" He shouted and threw a stone at them. It hit one of the men with a gun, while the other one was about to shoot at us.

We all scattered and charged. Before the guy could pull the trigger, I managed to get to him. I kicked the gun away, but someone punched me. I tried to fight back, but someone grabbed me from behind. He punched me in the stomach a couple of times.

I had no plans of just taking a beating. He was about to hit me again when I managed to lift my legs and use them to kick him. With the force I used, the guy holding me lost balance and fell. I knocked him out with just one punch.

I got up and searched for Sato. He's going to pay for what he did to Jay-jay. But my plan immediately changed when I saw him holding a gun and pointing it at someone. I followed the direction of the barrel.

To Yuri.

He was currently exchanging punches and had no idea what was coming. A warning wouldn't be enough. My body moved on its own, running toward him.

"Yuri!" I shouted to call him.

"Stop, Keifer!" I heard Percy shout.

But it was too late—stopping now would cost Yuri his life. I saw Yuri look at me in shock. I jumped as high as I could to reach him, and the next thing I heard was multiple gunshots from Sato's gun.

We both fell. I didn't feel anything from my body. And Yuri… seemed fine.

We're safe.

Yuri immediately stood up and grabbed the gun lying on the ground. He pointed it at Sato and fired repeatedly. I watched as Sato collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out of his body.

"Shit!" It was Aries.

Is he dead?

I tried to get up but I felt someone pushing me back down.

"Don't move." Percy said while holding me down.

"W-what?" I said, trying to look at him.

Aries sat beside me, and Yuri looked at me worriedly. Still clueless why they keep pushing me down. I was about to ask what the problem was, but that question got answered the moment I felt the wetness on the back of my shirt.

Shit!

They lifted my shirt from the back.

"Looks like it's shallow and not bleeding heavily," Percy said.

"What now?" Aries asked.

"We need to get him to the hospital. I will call—"

"No. Don't call them," I cut him off.

Jay-jay will find out I got hit. I don't want her to worry. Aside from that, she's not into blood. She hasn't resolved her issue with it yet.

"What do you want to happen then? Walk like that? The bleeding will get worse once you stand" Aries said and stood up.

"What do you think?" I sarcastically asked.

He chuckled in disbelief.

"It's dangerous, Keifer," Yuri said.

"Clear my path. I will walk normally," I said.

"Fine. You better walk faster so we can get out of here right away. Run," Percy suggested.

Seriously?

"Too much activity will cause excessive bleeding," Aries said. "And excessive bleeding will lead to death."

"Him? Die? His wake would probably be a feast," Percy said and laughed.

I badly wanted to reach him and punch him in the face, but I couldn't because of my position.

I felt him fixing my clothes before he stood up and dusted off his own.

"Ahhh, I got blood on me!" sounding completely shocked.

He probably got it from me. It's his fault anyway. He just came up and touched me without thinking.

"Move! What the hell? Do I look like a rag to you?" Aries complained.

I looked at them and saw Percy wiping the blood from his hands using Aries' clothes.

"Just wiping. I'm about to face my Freya loves. I need to look presentable," he said as he fixed his hair. "I'll go check on them. I need to know if Jay-jay and my Freya are okay." He looked at me.

"You only have a few minutes. Excessive bleeding will cost you your life."

I don't know if he's just messing with me or genuinely trying to scare me. Whatever it is, he's not helping.

He turned around and walked inside. It was a different path from the one we came through earlier. Maybe that's where Sato and our other friends passed.

I tried to move slowly. I attempted to sit down, and blood started pouring from my back. I could feel the pain, but my back was starting to feel numb.

Not a good sign.

"We could probably cover the wound," Aries said and took out his handkerchief.

I immediately motioned with my hand to stop him. I pointed at my coat and tie just behind him. He took them and handed them to me with a shrug.

"Suit yourself. Just don't come crying if you die," he said and turned around.

He also went inside through the same path Percy took. I was about to stand when I saw what Yuri was holding.

"You should put it down," I said and looked at Sato.

I can't tell but... I think he's dead. Yuri killed—

"It's not yet done."

My forehead creased. When I looked at him, I realized he was also looking at Sato. I looked back at the dead—no.

"Is he still alive?" I saw him move.

We both stared at him. A few small movements were enough to confirm that he was still alive. Yuri approached him, still holding the gun.

I tried to stand up using one hand for support, but it got cut by a sharp rock. I grabbed my necktie and wrapped it around the wound. I tried standing again and saw Yuri walking toward me.

He was no longer holding the gun. I looked at his clothes and noticed they were stained with a lot of blood.

Not sure if that's mine.

"Let me help you." he said, but I declined.

"I only got hit by a bullet, not paralyzed." I said and wore my coat. "Do what I said—clear my path."

He pursed his lips and turned around, but stopped after a few steps.

"I'm just wondering, if you die here..." he faced me with a deadpan look, "no one will know how, why, or who did it, right?"

I tilted my head. He really has time to make fun of me.

"You're a fvcker! That won't work on me." I said, and he smiled a bit before continuing to walk back inside.

For a moment, I almost thought his threat was real. But of course, he's my friend. He wouldn't do something like that—My gaze automatically shifted to Sato's not-so-alive body.

Is he really dead this time?

I was about to walk toward his body, but the pain in my back got worse. I quickly put on my coat and started walking inside. With every step I took, blood spurted from my back.

I just hope Jay-jay doesn't notice. I don't want her to have a panic attack—and worse, lose herself again.

I could almost see all of them now. My stomach twisted with every step I made. I shouldn't feel excited, but I can't control it. And when I saw her eyes, everything went silent.

My Jasper Jean.

"Keifer." C-in called me.

Now it's no longer silent.

"Ci..."

"Are you okay?"

"Not good. I need to get out of here as soon as possible," I said, trying to control my dizziness.

"To our hospital. Dad will take care of you," he said, and I nodded.

"We'll take care of Jay-jay."

My head automatically turned to Jay-jay. She was looking at me, clearly worried. I remained stoic. I don't want to show that I badly miss her.

"Go, Keifer. You might collapse." C-in said, and I continued walking.

I forced myself not to look at her as I walked, but it felt like a reflex to find a way to see her. My head turned to look at her, but I bit my tongue to stop myself from speaking.

I kept walking, and when I got closer to Aries, I saw Ella beside him. She also looked at me. After all this time of not facing her, I finally proved to myself that I really don't feel anything for her anymore.

And to think I once believed my feelings would never move on.

I chose to walk past them. I could see Yuri and Percy both looking at me. Just as I asked, he cleared my path. If I can get out quickly, I can get to the hospital fast.

But then something hit my back. I almost screamed from the pain.

"Jay!" Yuri warned her.

Then another hard object hit my head. I was starting to feel dizzy.

Am I losing too much blood?

I want to think it's just because of the hard object that hit me, but obviously not. Staying here will put me in danger.

Then something soft hit me. What is it this time?

"There! Eat that! Damn you! You show up and then act like that! Pretending I don't exist!" It was my Jay-jay.

Her voice is making me stay. I breathed heavily and turned to face her. She was looking at me furiously.

I looked at the socks and shoes scattered around. I picked them up and handed them to Felix, who was nearby.

"Done?" I asked, and I saw pain in her eyes. "If you're done, I'll be going." Because I might die here.

I was about to turn when she spoke again.

"That's what you're good at! Turning your back and leaving! Go ahead, Sieg! Leave! That's all you ever do! You can only face someone when it's a fistfight!"

She's right. Fistfights are the only thing I can handle because I'm a coward every time I face her. I'm afraid of the pain.

"J-Jay... that's enough." Rory said, clearly worried.

"Keifer... there's a lot of blood on your back." Felix whispered, and I felt the wetness of my shirt.

My dizziness worsened. My vision was starting to blur.

Denzel said something to Jay-jay, and she looked at me fiercely.

"Really?!" she asked sarcastically. " Something to take care of? Or something to run away from?"

I looked at her intently. I'm not running away. I'm staying here for you. Even if staying means dying. As long as you're the last thing I see before I go.

"...you haven't even faced me about all the crap you did to me! And now you're leaving again? What? Same old thing? I'll be left waiting again? Unbelievable!" she added.

"This isn't the best time to talk about that," Percy said, but she kept going.

"If you're leaving, then just go. But I can't promise there'll be anything left to come back to."

No, I will stay. That's my decision.

"Done?" I asked, and she nodded.

Now it's my turn. I walked as fast as I could toward her. When I reached her, I held her face with both of my hands.

How I badly wished for this moment.

"You talk too much." I said and brought my lips to hers.

It felt like my heart just exploded from too much happiness. If this is dying, I'll hug my own grim reaper.

I thought this would never end. If only we could stay like this forever. I'd stop time if I had to—just give me a little longer with her.

But I guess all wishes can't come true. The time I was asking for… wasn't mine to have. My body gave out on its own, and in just a few seconds, everything went dark.

Maybe this is it. Maybe my time has come. I still wanted to go back—I had so many things left undone. But I knew it was no longer possible.

Or maybe… not.

I woke up to the sound of beeping and pumping machines. My eyes were staring straight at the fluorescent bulb.

Definitely not dead.

I could feel the pain from my back. My throat was so dry, and there was something in my mouth.

I looked around and saw Keigan sitting beside my bed, holding my secret phone.

Fvck! He found out.

"K-Keig-gan," I called him.

He looked at me and immediately pressed the emergency button on the wall above my bed.

"You're awake. You scared me, Kuya." he said and held my hand.

I could see the happiness in his eyes. I tried to hold his hand back, but I still felt weak. The doctor and nurses came in and checked me.

My Jay-jay. Where is she?

A few moments later, the doctor declared I was in stable condition now. Still need to rest after the operation. They removed the bullets from my back. Thankfully, they weren't that deep, according to the doctor.

After checking me, they left—and as if on cue, my friends came in.

"Finally, you're awake." Percy said and was about to hug me, but Felix stopped him.

"He just woke up. He's still not in good condition." he said to his brother.

"Ready to fight again?" Denzel asked.

I smiled and nodded. They all laughed at my answer.

"We were so worried about you." Ci-N said, flashing his signature gummy smile. "We were all scared something bad happened to you."

"Well, Except for one." Mayo said without looking at me. Kit gave him a slight nudge while the others fell silent.

If I could raise my brow, I would. Who were they talking about?

I looked around, searching for one particular person.

Were they talking about my Jay-jay?

"W-where is s-she?" I asked them, and they all looked away.

It was Yuri who answered. "She's on the lower floor. Admitted as well, with Aries."

Admitted?

I almost raised my body to get up. "I-is she o-okay?"

Keigan immediately stopped me. "Stop, Kuya. That's dangerous."

"Jay-jay's fine. Her brother Kuya Angelo just had them admitted to make sure both of them were fine." Ci-N explained.

But I still wanted to see her. I wanted to see with my own eyes if she's really alright. I didn't know exactly what Sato did to her.

"I... w-want... see... Jay—." I said, trying to get up.

"Stop, Kuya." Keigan kept trying to stop me. He knew I wouldn't back down, so he turned to Ci-N. "Better to bring her here."

Ci-N nodded and walked out. Felix and Percy followed him after. I just lay back down and rested. I feel the pain from my back. It was getting harder to endure, given my condition.

I look at the rest of our friends. Most of them only have a few bruises, but no one got hurt badly. Except me, of course.

They started talking about what happened. I just listened silently—until the conversation shifted.

"But Sato was insane. Out of fear, he chose to kill himself instead"

Killed himself?

I looked at Yuri, who was also looking at me. He didn't tell the truth? Where did that idea come from? My forehead creased. I don't like what he is up to.

A few minutes later, Ci-N came back with Felix and Percy. They weren't with Jay-jay, which meant they couldn't bring her here.

I just laid back down and closed my eyes. I really wanted to see her. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep again until I felt my secret phone vibrate. It was resting under my hand—like someone had purposely put it there.

Keigan was no longer in the room. I slowly took the phone and saw the message. It was from my Jay-jay. I replied to her, and before I knew it, she was on the line, talking to me.

I missed her voice. But I didn't like how she was speaking. She was telling a story—about us. About me.

 A tear rolled down from my eye. She was saying goodbye. She was really giving up.

When the call ended, I immediately took off the oxygen mask. I also pulled the syringe out of my skin. I pushed myself to get up. I needed to see her.

I was just about to fully get up when someone shoved me down hard. I cried out in pain as my back hit the bed. Even though it was made of foam, the impact still hurt.

I looked up to see who it was—and I saw my brother. No—he looked like my brother… But he seemed like someone else entirely.

"I can't believe Keigan trusted you," he said, like he wasn't Keigan.

Or maybe… he really wasn't.

"Everything was already planned. But you chose to be with your girl. Good for you, you got shot." he said, laughing. "Maybe I should just let you die here." He walked closer to me. " But of course, I can't do that. Keigan might hurt himself." He pressed the emergency button.

The next thing I knew, doctors were giving me sedatives to calm me down. But I don't need those. I need to see my Jay-jay.

My eyes shut on their own. I lost consciousness before I could even say anything to my brother.

I woke up around 2 AM. My brother was getting everything ready to move me to London. But I couldn't leave without seeing my Jay-jay.

I let Keigan think I was still asleep. When he left my room, I continued with what I had planned earlier. I removed everything that was attached to me. I pushed myself to get up.

I was panting hard by the time I managed to stand. Because of the time, I no longer saw any patients or nurses in the hallway. I called Aries using my secret phone.

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked, irritated.

"I need your help." I said, pausing for a moment.

"I'm not helping you. Go ask someone else."

"Please..." I was literally begging.

"Fine. Where are you? Annoying"

"Meet me at the elevator." I said and ended the call and walked as fast as I could.

When I reached the elevator, he was already there, waiting. He looked shocked when he saw what I looked like. I tried my best to convince him to let me see his sister.

He didn't want to at first, but in the end, he took me to their room. He even stood watch at the door to make sure no one else would enter.

And right at that moment— I wanted to cry. And hug my Jay-jay.

Please… Don't give up.