Jay-Jay (POV)
I couldn't sleep properly that night.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Kiegen's expression earlier.
The way he hid his phone.
The sadness in his eyes.
Something was wrong.
And the more I thought about it, the more restless I became.
So quietly, I slipped out of bed.
Kiefer was still asleep beside Caretaker, one arm resting protectively on the baby, even in his sleep.
My chest softened slightly seeing them.
Then I quietly left the room.
The entire house was silent.
Honestly, whenever I overthink too much—
The best solution is food.
So I went downstairs and started eating chips in the kitchen while trying to calm my thoughts.
That's when I heard footsteps.
Kiegen walked inside wearing jogging clothes, slightly sweaty from running.
"You woke up early, Ate?" he asked casually.
I looked at him carefully.
And somehow…
The exhaustion in his face looked even clearer this morning.
"Hm," I hummed softly. "You also look like you didn't sleep well."
For a moment, something flickered across his face.
But it disappeared too quickly.
"Nothing," he answered calmly.
I frowned slightly.
Damn that word.
I really hated it.
Every time he said nothing—
"Kiegen," I said carefully, "you know you can talk to me, right?"
His expression softened for a second.
But then he smiled faintly.
"I'm alright," he said quietly. "I'll come back after I freshen up."
Then he walked away toward the bathroom before I could stop him again.
I stared after him silently.
Then suddenly—
An idea struck me.
If he wouldn't tell me…
Then maybe I needed to find out myself.
The thought immediately made guilt crawl up my chest.
But the uneasy feeling inside me wouldn't disappear.
So quietly, I walked toward Kiegen's room.
The moment I reached the doorway—
I heard the bathroom door close.
And there—
His phone rested on the desk beside the charger.
The second I noticed it—
I moved.
Fast.
Even while stepping inside the room carefully, guilt already twisted painfully in my stomach.
I knew this was wrong.
I knew I shouldn't invade his privacy like this.
But something inside me kept screaming that he was hurting.
And I couldn't ignore that feeling.
Slowly, I picked up the phone from the charger.
For a second—
I hesitated.
Then finally, I unlocked it.
Luckily…
I already knew his password.
The screen lit up instantly.
And the second it opened—
I froze.
A girl's photo filled the screen.
Beautiful.
Familiar.
My brows slowly furrowed.
Then realization hit me immediately.
It was her.
Kiegen's ex-girlfriend.
The same girl was connected to the day Kiegen nearly beat Balster to death.
I had even seen her once before at a birthday party years ago.
Kiefer once told me they broke up after staying in London.
That was five years ago.
Five years.
And yet—
He still had her picture.
My chest tightened painfully.
Did he still love her?
What happened between them?
Why was he suddenly looking at her again after all this time?
And why did he look so broken earlier?
Questions flooded my head so fast it almost hurt.
Before I could think any further, panic suddenly crawled up my spine.
What if Kiegen came back?
I immediately locked the phone again and placed it exactly where I found it before quickly slipping out of the room.
By the time I returned downstairs, my heart was still beating too fast.
I stood near the dining table, breathing heavily while trying to calm myself down.
What the hell was I even doing?
Before I could think any further—
A hand suddenly touched my shoulder.
I jumped so hard I nearly screamed.
"AHHH—!"
I spun around instantly.
Kiefer blinked at me in surprise.
"Why didn't you call me first?!" I shouted dramatically while clutching my chest. "You scared me!"
"Sorry," he said slowly, clearly trying not to laugh. "But why are you acting like that?"
"Nothing," I answered immediately.
Too immediately.
Kiefer narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Hm."
Then he glanced toward the clock.
"Why are you awake this early?" he asked. "That's unlike you."
I looked away awkwardly.
"Kiefer…" I started carefully. "I need to go somewhere."
"Okay," he answered easily. "Where? I'll drop you."
My grip tightened around the car keys slightly.
"I need to go to Jare's house."
The lie came out smoother than expected.
Before Kiefer could say anything else—
I immediately grabbed the keys and rushed toward the door.
"Jay—"
"I'll be back soon!" I shouted quickly before escaping outside.
"JAY, GET BACK HERE!" Kiefer yelled from inside the house.
But I was already sliding into the car.
A few minutes later, I was driving toward C-In's hospital.
Because if there was one person who might know something about Kiegen's past relationship—
It was probably a Blaster.
I also brought breakfast since I heard C-in had night duty again as a resident.
By the time I reached the hospital, the sun was barely rising.
And honestly?
C-In looked half-dead.
He walked out of the building like an exhausted zombie who had spiritually left this world three shifts ago.
His hair was messy.
His coat was wrinkled.
And his eyes looked completely lifeless.
Then he saw me.
I was leaning casually against the car while holding the food bags.
Suddenly—
His entire face lit up dramatically.
"JAYYYYYYY!" he shouted loudly.
Before I could react, he ran toward me and immediately wrapped me in a tight hug.
I laughed instantly and hugged him back.
And somehow—
We both started jumping excitedly like children seeing each other after years.
Honestly?
Embarrassing behavior.
Then suddenly, C-In pulled away and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What are you doing here?" he asked dramatically. "Don't tell me you missed me."
"Hm…" I hummed thoughtfully before smiling.
"I missed you in your dreams."
Then I reached over and ruffled his messy hair teasingly.
"Let's go. I brought food."
"Jay," he complained immediately while fixing his hair, "I'm not a kid anymore."
"This troublemaker," I muttered under my breath.
Then I shoved the adobo container into his hands.
"Eat in the car. We need to go together," I said.
Suddenly, C-In placed a hand over his chest dramatically and started acting shy.
"Together?" he gasped softly while swinging side to side. "Did Kiefer know about this?"
"Stop fooling around, or do you want me to punch you?" I warned.
"I'm kidding, Jay," C-In said immediately, grinning shamelessly.
"Get in," I said while sliding into the driver's seat.
A few seconds later, he climbed in beside me.
I started the engine while C-In happily ate beside me like a starving patient rescued from war.
Honestly…
Watching him eat like that almost made me feel bad for insulting him earlier.
Then suddenly, he pulled out his phone and started typing something quickly.
"Jay, smile," he said.
I glanced at him for one second—
—and the camera clicked.
Then he immediately started typing again.
My eyes narrowed.
"Who are you texting?"
"Section E group chat," he answered casually.
"What did you send?" I asked suspiciously while keeping my eyes on the road.
"That we're having a secret date." He shrugged. "They didn't believe me, so I posted the picture."
I slammed the brakes so suddenly that C-In nearly dropped the adobo onto his lap.
"GAGO!" I shouted.
"JAY—" he yelled back while protecting the food like his life depended on it. "The adobo almost died!"
"Why would you do that?!" I shouted while smacking the back of his head. "I lied to Kiefer! Now he's going to find out!"
Then I twisted his ear hard.
"OUCH—Jay, it hurts!" he cried dramatically.
"You loudmouth!"
He rubbed his ear while glaring at me.
"Then where exactly are we going?" he asked suspiciously.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel slightly before answering quietly—
"I need to go to Balster's house."
C-In froze mid-bite.
Slowly, he lowered the spoon.
"…Why?" he asked carefully.
I hesitated for a second.
Then finally—
"Because I need to find something."
C-In stared at me for a moment before sighing dramatically.
"I already know this is going to become everyone's problem somehow."
"Just give directions," I muttered.
A few minutes later, we arrived at Balster's house.
I immediately got out of the car and rang the doorbell impatiently.
After a few seconds, the door finally opened.
"Ta-da," C-In said proudly.
Blaster blinked in surprise.
"Jay?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I need to meet Kigen's ex-girlfriend," I said seriously.
"…What?"
"Kigen introduced her before, but I forgot her name. I just know you're best friends with her," I explained quickly before adding, "I need to talk to her. Do you know where she lives?"
Blaster stared at me for a few seconds before sighing deeply.
He rubbed his forehead like a stressed father dealing with two problematic children.
"First of all," he said tiredly, "her name is not 'Kigen's ex.'"
Then he looked at me directly.
"Her name is Elixera Federicos."
"Ohhh," I nodded immediately.
"El."
Blaster closed his eyes for a second.
"…Please don't call her that."
"You know I can't remember names. I'm better with nicknames, so where is she?" I said casually.
I completely ignored his exhausted expression and shoved past him before he could stop me, walking into the house as if I owned it.
"JAY—"
Then suddenly—
I froze.
She was there.
Kiegen's ex-girlfriend
I mean EL.
Sitting quietly on the couch.
The second she noticed me, her expression stiffened slightly.
I think she remembered me.
She really had a good memory… unlike me.
Even with her messy hair and simple clothes, she somehow looked even more beautiful in person.
No wonder Kigen had such a hard time forgetting her.
No wonder Blaster and Kigen fought over her before.
Meanwhile, here I was—
wearing a tank top, hair completely unbrushed, looking like I escaped from a disaster.
How embarrassing, Jay.
But this wasn't the time to think about that.
I came here because I needed to ask her something.
Behind me, C-In casually nudged Blaster with his elbow.
"You're really enjoying life, huh?" C-In teased shamelessly.
Blaster rolled his eyes immediately.
"She's my best friend."
Then, after a short pause, he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Her parents went on vacation, so she's staying here for a few days."
"Oho…" C-In dragged out dramatically while wiggling his brows at Blaster. "Best friend, huh?"
"Shut up," Blaster muttered instantly.
Meanwhile, I stayed completely silent.
My eyes remained fixed on the girl sitting on the couch.
She looked back at me calmly, though there was slight confusion in her expression.
Then slowly, I crossed my arms.
"I need to talk to you."
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Balster immediately stepped slightly in front of her protectively.
"If you're here because of Kiegen," he said carefully, "then I hope you're not planning to meddle in this."
Something about the way he shielded her made my brows furrow slightly.
Especially because—
She was gripping her own wrist tightly.
Too tightly.
And somehow…
Something about her expression felt wrong.
"Blaster," I said quietly, "I just need to ask her something."
"Jay," he warned more seriously this time, "you don't need to know everything."
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Even C-In stopped joking around.
Beside me, C-In slowly stopped smiling too.
"Jay…" he muttered carefully.
But before anyone else could speak—
The girl suddenly stood up.
"I'll talk to her," she said softly.
Balster immediately looked worried.
But she only gave him a small reassuring smile before motioning for me to follow her.
A few seconds later, we entered one of the rooms upstairs.
The door closed quietly behind us.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then finally—
I looked directly at her.
"Why did you and Kiegen break up?"
The girl froze slightly.
Then she looked down at her trembling hands.
"We didn't," she answered quietly.
My brows furrowed immediately.
"He did."
Confusion hit me instantly.
"What?"
She swallowed nervously before forcing herself to continue.
"I liked him because he was kind," she whispered. "Humble. Handsome."
A faint, sad smile appeared briefly on her face.
"And he always took care of me."
Then slowly—
That smile disappeared.
"But the more I got to know him…"
Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.
"…the more I realized there were parts of him I didn't understand."
I stayed silent, listening carefully.
"Sometimes," she whispered softly, "he would suddenly feel like a completely different person."
A faint tremor entered her voice.
"Like the Kiegen I knew would disappear for a while."
My brows slowly furrowed.
"And it scared me."
The room suddenly felt heavier.
"One day…" she continued quietly, "I told him I wanted to break up."
She swallowed hard before continuing.
"But he misunderstood."
Her eyes slowly lowered toward the floor.
"He thought I was leaving him because of Balster."
My chest tightened instantly.
"A huge fight happened after he beat Blaster," she whispered shakily. "And after that… I fought with Kigen, too."
Then suddenly—
Everything connected inside my head.
"…Your birthday party," I murmured slowly.
My eyes widened slightly as I looked at her.
"That's why you hid your phone when Blaster called."
She looked up at me immediately.
"You remember?"
Pieces started connecting slowly in my head.
The tension that night.
The strange atmosphere.
The way Kiegen interrupted us before she could speak properly.
"I was trying to ask for your help that day," she admitted softly. "But Kiegen interrupted before I could say anything."
Silence filled the room again.
Then she smiled faintly.
Sad.
Broken.
"A part of him really loved me," she whispered. "I know he did."
Her fingers trembled harder.
"But whenever he changed…"
Fear slowly filled her expression again.
"…I couldn't stop feeling scared of him."
My chest felt painfully tight listening to her.
Then finally—
Her breathing became uneven again.
"And one evening…"
She stopped speaking.
Her hands shook violently now.
"And he…"
She immediately looked away.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"He almost choked me."
My eyes widened instantly.
The room suddenly felt cold.
Then quickly, like she regretted saying it—
She shook her head.
"After that, he was the one who asked to end things," she whispered. "Then he left for London."
Silence crashed heavily between us.
I wanted to ask more questions.
So many questions.
But the moment I looked at her properly—
I noticed it.
Her hands were shaking badly.
Sweat covered her forehead.
And her breathing looked unstable.
Fear.
Real fear.
Slowly, I stood up.
"…Okay," I said quietly.
Then I walked toward the door and opened it slowly.
But the moment I stepped outside—
My chest still felt painfully heavy.
The second she walked out after me, Balster immediately stood up and pulled her into his arms protectively.
And the moment he hugged her—
She started crying.
Not loudly.
Just quiet, painful tears against his chest.
Balster gently rubbed her back while glaring at me suspiciously.
Meanwhile, C-In looked between all of us before narrowing his eyes dramatically.
"Jay…" he said slowly.
Then he pointed at the crying girl.
"Did you bully her?"
I smacked him immediately.
"Gago."
C-In held the back of his head in betrayal.
"What?! She's crying!"
"She's crying because you're stupid," I shot back instantly.
Balster sighed tiredly while still holding her carefully.
Honestly—
The two idiots beside me were completely ruining the emotional atmosphere.
But even while glaring at C-In…
My thoughts were still stuck on her words.
He almost choked me.
The sentence replayed inside my head over and over again.
And somehow—
I still couldn't fully believe it.
Because no matter how terrifying Kiegen could become—
He had never once scared me like that.
Not even close.
But the fear in her eyes earlier…
That fear was real.
And somehow, that disturbed me the most.
Because Kiefer once told me something before.
That Kigen suffered too.
That was why he would lose control whenever someone called him crazy.
Why did he get violent whenever people mocked him?
He had dissociative identity disorder.
Just like how I changed whenever I saw blood…
Maybe Kigen had his own trigger, too.
But he was okay now.
At least… that was what I wanted to believe.
Maybe I needed to talk to him directly instead of making assumptions.
"JAYYYY!" C-In suddenly shouted.
"What?!" I shouted back immediately.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" he asked suspiciously.
"Probably food," Blaster answered dryly.
"You asshole," I muttered. "It's nothing. I'm going home."
Before leaving, I turned toward Elixera one last time and gave her a small nod.
Then I walked out.
"JAY, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" C-In yelled dramatically while running after me.
In the end, C-In still followed me home because he didn't want to stay alone in his condo.
And honestly…
I couldn't leave him by himself either.
But the moment we stepped inside the house—
I froze.
My stomach dropped.