1 Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1: Past

The weekend has passed, Today is Monday, and Zhen, an 18 years old student, has already packed all his things for school the night before so now he is ready to go

"Ian, What's taking you so long!" He yelled from downstairs.

"Il be there just-"The guy did not continue. There was a sound coming from the room upstairs as well as heavy footsteps as if someone with a heavy weight is moving around things when in reality, it was only his cousin .

Disheveled Bedsheet,clothes and scattered books decorated the tiny room that were shared by him and his cousin, Ian.

"Its almost six. Come on " he exclaimed before letting out a sigh his thin red lips slightly parting to let out an almost quiet sigh of dissapointment. Its almost six. Who would have thought that even after preparing the night before , he would still end up being late

Zhen is a well-refined and smart person. He is not the type to make a ruckus or do reckless things ,his cousin, Ian , however was way too different. His cousin is the type of person who could not care less and is way more reckless than a child . Sometimes , when he's way too energetic , Zhen couldn't help but get pulled in as well.

Just as he was thinking of leaving his cousin behind, a short figure finally descended the stairs. His round eyes illuminated the man below as he walked down the stairs with an air of of arrogance . The sun shone on his white hair making him look like an angel that descended from heaven

His thick eyebrows were wiggling happily , Grinning widely at Zhen with his thin and somewhat pale lips. He cousin truly is handsome and any girls would definitely fall for him

Zhen could not help but feel a bit defeated. If only he's as handsome as his cousin. Tsk!

"Bro. What Took you so long. I thought you were gonna get me late again" He scolded him as soon as he arrived

"Let's go" He added but before he could even turn around , he was already pulled back

"What is it?" He hissed "I want to tell you something-" Before Ian could even finish , a light object suddenly descended from the sky landing on the wall infront of Ian

Both Ian and Zhen got startled and immediately raised their heads to look at their benefactor , Madam Narcia , a bossy landlady and is also Ian's mom she was standing right above them . She had quite a dull and icy features but someone like Ian and Zhen who know her too well know that deep inside , a fire is actually rapidly burning.

"Ian! Hown many time do i have to tell you to keep your room clean!"

Ian sighed and turned his head away saying "its not mine its ours" after saying so, another slipper descended but this time it landed on his hair

"OUCH-Ah... my new-dyed hair huhu" wailed Ian

"Ian , why did you even poured paint-"

"Poured paint , Said who?"

"You-" Madam Narcia raised her hand to throw again but she realized that she is holding a heavy book this time so she immediately dropped her hands and instead, pointed on Ian

"Ian you.. even Senior cetizens wanted to have their head black but you! You youngsters -you actually wanted to turn old just like that!"

Ian couldn't help but laugh while Zhen tried his best not to laugh but in the end still let out a faint snort

"Ma i-its fashion Hahahaha... i can't"

Zhen was the first to calm down and immediately gave him a warning look

"Okay. Okay" Ian raised his arm , surrendering and then cleared his throat

"Ma, we will go now" He waved goodbye before pulling Zhen

Zhen was obviously taller and stronger than his cousin but if one were to look right now , they would definitely say that Ian is stronger than his cousin

Its only because Ian is originally so Fragile that Zhen couldn't bring himself to resist so even if Ian drag him endlessly , it doesn't matter to him . After all, he'll be the one protecting his cousin if someone dares to bully or hurt him

Ian was born with a congenital heart disease which he probably inherited from his distant relatives and because of his heart defect, living a normal life is not easy for him not to mention the occasional bullying he received back when he was just a naíve little boy. His childhood can already be considered depressive for him as it is full of frustrating happenings and most of his childhood memories,instead of making him happy whenever he remembers them , instead it make him just want to erase his memories.

******

The sun is bright but the it is not so hot so Ian couldn't resist the temptation to go out and play under the warmth of the sun . The little boy has been sick for nearly a week now and due to his health issue, he wasn't allowed to go outside and play . His parents always remind him that playing outside especially when he is alone is strictly prohibited and he never know why

How would an innocent boy like him know that he is sick?how will he understand the meaning of life threat? All he knows is that his parents dislike it when he play. So all he could do is stay shut-in and glance at the blazing sun from his closed transparent window.

Playing outside when the sun is extremely hot is prohibited ; playing outside when the weather is extremely cold, is also prohibited

But to him, his parents just didn't love him. He loathed them. However, the weather today is not scorching hot nor is it freezing cold his parents would allow him right?

His beautiful round eyes started to twinkle as he imagine himself running outside , his pale little feet roaming the streets and under the sun , he can finally dance,sing and play with the other kids

Ian excitedly rushed to the kitchen to find his mother and father who promised to make lunch for him but what he saw was not a loving couple but a bickering and quarelling man and woman

The woman's eyes were bloodshot and tears were rolling down her cheeks as she pointed at the man who was standing at the corner of the small kitchen his left hand massaging his forehead while his right hand curled up to a tight clench , veins popping out and his face was no better than Ian's mother.

Ian hastily walked over and called out meekly "Ma?" Upon hearing this , the woman quickly raised her hand to wipe the tears off her face but the Ian was too scared and confused to even focuse on his mother's bleeding palm

His gaze shifted from his mother to his father who is now looking at him with face full of sorrow. " what is it baby?" His mother tried to smile between sobs , tears started rolling down her cheeks again. She felt the tears but tried to ignore it as she tried to smile beautifully

But for a child, this look , this smilling woman with red eyes, tears and mucus flowing , it made the child reluctant to come closer. It made the child scared. Ian was so scared that he instinctively ran to his father and hugged his thigh

"Pa! Pa, Im scared!" He couldn't help but exclaim in fear and pressed his body closer almost hiding behind his father's Thigh

"What do you want?" Ian's father is now the one asking him

"I-i...." he couldn't answer. At that very moment, the weak heart of that scared youth shattered in an instant.

Chapter 2: Day dream

At this moment ,Two teenagers walked side by side . One is tall and the other is short. Their faces were calm but deep inside, their hearts were in turmoil. Different emotions ; hatred , excitement , longing, pain.

One is daydreaming ,his mind filled with so much longing and yearning while the other one was silently dying , enduring and controlling his emotions

They were quiet but their brains were in a mess and in a very noisy chaos.

To Zhen , going to school is enough but meeting and being with the person you love is more than enough. As he thought Yuya's image , his lips curled up.

He closed his eyes and recalled in his memories how satisfying her scent was whether it is her hair or body cologne.

As if he is actually smelling the scent right now,eyes brightened and he started day dreaming

Yuya's beautiful face can't be compared to anyone. Her downturned eyes were bright and clear as if it had not seen the cruelty of the world yet. Her thin brows that never knit angrily nor is it arched in arrogance.

Her features were too striking plus her fiery attitude that suits well with her demeanor

He could still remember the day when he met that lovely woman .

It was a rainy day and the once dry land turned wet and soon enough, mud can be seen anywhere. A girl with a slim figure was standing under a tree, her small hands were wrapped around herself. The girl trembled slightly from the cold and she started to feel somewhat hungry.

Few minutes later, just as she thought that the rain had finally stopped,it began to rain again this time stronger than the last

The girl wanted to go home as soon as possible so she ignored the heavy rain and started sprinting

"Hey!" A voice called out from behind her making her stop. She hastily turned around and looked at the direction of the tree where she can see a man standing while holding an umbrella

The guy didn't hesitate to run towards her and she unconciously took a step back "take this" The guy said.

"Ah...." Ian exclaimed . Zhen snapped out of his thought and followed his cousin's gaze. He couldn't help but smile when he saw a cat lying on the flat road, sleeping soundly.

"Should we pick it up?" Ian asked

"Absolutely not" He replied firmly. Although he himself want to touch the cat's soft white fur, he would not actually put it in action nor would he let his cousin touch it because the cat might scratch Ian and infect him.

Overprotective? Who cares

After what he did before , he never again dared to make reckless actions and put his cousin's life on the line. Ian Humped before walking ahead of him. Zhen knew that he might infuriate his Younger Cousin but he didn't care because he knew how It felt like having no one to love you.

When he was just around 7 years old, he used to see his parents argue to the point of physically hurting each other until one day, his father suddenly disapeared.

"Mother, where is father?" He anxiously asked his mother, Lieneth, who was still crying. He was stunned when his mother suddenly hugged him and said "Youre.... father ...is dead..he ..he is not.. coming back " she said between sobs but how can a child like him understand the meaning of "dead" nevertheless, Zhen still tried to comfort his mother.

Several days had passed and his once sad mother suddenly changed she no longer showed up to her work instead, she often hang out with her friends from morning till the next day and when she got home, her face was a mess and she's always drunk. Zhen, who was always left alone at home, had to beg food from The neighborhood. Luckily, his neighbors were kind enough to feed him.

One day, Lieneth came home early from work. When Zhen saw that his mother had finally arrived, he immediately rushed to his mother in attempt to massage her because he knew how tired his mother was but Lieneth misunderstood his intention and immediately pushed him away

"Ouch!" He exclaimed as he landed hard on his butt

"You brat!" She pointed a finger at him. Young Zhen didn't know that his mother just got fired from her job so he felt wronged and started crying

"Mother, what's wrong?'' He couldn't help but asked but his mother didn't answered

From then on, their lives turned into a living hell. His mother did all kinds of work to earn money for the both of them including doing the laundry for the neighbours, selling vegetables and such but in the end, she could only buy a dried fush for her fragile son

Soon, the landlady personally came to their place and demanded for their 3 months rent's payment and since Mrs.Lieneth haven't saved any money, they were both chased out of their home like a rat or worse.

They wandered on the street for a few days however, for Zhen it doesn't matter as long as he's with his mother

" Mother, why don't we try beg for money-" before he could even finish

a slap instantly landed on his small face making it reddish. Tears formed from the corners of his eyes

"You brat. Even if we stroll around the street forever, I would never let you beg for anything from anyone "

If he were to listen carefully, he would notice the hypocrisy in her very sentence however, the child was blinded by his wishful thinking that he and his mother would never separate. That his mother would never leave him like his dead Father so he nodded

"And don't you cry again. You're a boy and a boy never shed tears" she once again slapped her son's face but this time, it's not as strong as before

Everything was going fine until one day, he woke up and saw his mother flipping the nearby trash Bin over obviously looking for something to eat but after looking through every thing, she realized that there was nothing to eat besides the wastes so she kicked the trash bin and started crying.

Zhen suddenly felt hungry. He hasn't actually eaten something after they got chase away not to mention that the food he ate the day before they got chased away was their neighbor's last piece of bread so his stomach was not even full. After pondering about it, he suddenly realized that he actually had a piece of bread! He checked on his pocket and he was overjoyed after seeing the half eaten bread. The bread was wrapped in a plastic given to him by the kind neighbor however, since it has been many days since he got the bread, it started to turn a bit green and the once soft bread had hardened.

But she wouldn't mind it right? He thought before approaching his mother and handed her the bread without hesitating. He thought that as long as she can eat Then she wouldn't mind but when Lieneth saw that this, she immediately slapped her son

"You greedy son! How could you hide this from me?" She scolded before pulling the bread "How could you let your mom, who suffered for you ,die in hunger!" She started at the bread and realized that the bread was no longer consumable.

"And you even had to give me this shit!" She threw the bread to the ground and stepped on it

"Ma-" Zhen felt more wronged. How can he even explain that he had forgotten about the bread? That he didn't intend to hide it?

That night, The poor Zhen was beaten up by his own mother until he lost his consciousness.

***

Ian continued to walk until they reached the busy highway. Various vehicles such as Bikes, motorcycle and jeepneys can be seen on this busy highway .

There are pedestrians crossing and children running despite the threat of being hit by a bus or a truck .

They arrived at their usual waiting area and as expected, there was a Jeep that is already hall full.

"Tsk. Should we wait for another Jeep to ride?" The question was intended for both Ian and him but he wasn't actually expecting any answers until Ian opened his mouth to answer

"Let's go"

Zhen "Huh?"

"We're running late,right? Let's go we have no choice '' Replied Ian while trying to drag Zhen. This time, Zhen didn't let Ian drag him so he stayed still

"Are you nuts? Is it even safe for you to ride a cramped Jeep? No no " he shook his head viciously

"But-come on, its's just sitting, okay?" Ian tried to convince him again and again

"Okay fine go go go " The soft hearted Zhen finally agreed

But just as they approached the Jeep, someone "bump"into him Zhen making him let go of Ian

"Ouch"

He stared at the man who pushed him anger could be seen in his phoenix eyes

"Hey!" Said Ian as he blocked the guy with his arms

"Watch where you're going" Ian scolded the guy before turning to Zhen. Zhen noticed that the seat is almost full and the guy seemed to be in a hurry so he said

"You go"

"What?"

"Go. Ill just find another ride" Ian rolled his eyes "Then ill go with you"

In the end ,Zhen managed to trick Ian into riding the Jeep while he, in order to save money, preferred to walk.

Finally he arrive in front of the school gate, waiting for Ian.

"Zhen!" He heard Ian call out to him

He hastily turned his head to meet the angry face of Ian who was tricked by him.

"You tricked me" He humped and then crossed his arms across his chest.

"Im sorry, okay" Zhen patted his cousin's shoulder and continued to walk

"Why are you so overeacting? Ugh! I even had to miss the fun" Ian murmured to himself.

"What fun?" Asked Zhen as he once again looked at Ian. "Ai!! Do you really think that walking on the highway is boring? It's adventure ya'know. Come on" Ian explained half pissed.

The two of them continued to walk until one random student approached them. The student was sweating and panting heavily as she said

"Seniors ,.... Seniors Please....please help"

Chapter 3: Trouble

Zhen and Ian looked at each other. Ian was the first one to talk: "alright. What's the matter "

"The.....other...."

"Calm down first"Zhen patted the Student's shoulder "now tell us the problem"

However the girl spoke too fast

"Theotherstudentswerebullyingsomeone"

"Slow down now. Just calm down and explain,okay?" Ian couldn't help but slap his forehead mentally

"I- i was just walking and then i heard a commotion and when i followed the sound I saw.....i saw the other seniors bullying.." her eyes were red as she explained and recalled the event.

This little girl is obviously just new in this school so she didn't know anyone nor did anyone recognize her but in order to not be lost , she wandered around the school alone.

But who would have thought that when she stopped to rest under a lonely tree behind one of the buildings, she would hear someone quarreling and yelling so she followed the noise and saw a group of four to five Senior students beating up someone?

The girl knew that those guys were beating up a Sophomore  because she was informed that Sophomore students like her should wear white blouse, white socks,black skirt and black necktie ; boys should wear white long sleeves ,paired with black necktie, black pants and black shoes while Seniors and Junior High students wear blue long sleeve uniform, black pants ,necktie and black socks. Then the girl suddenly regreted not bringing anyone with her. The reason she didn't bring anyone is that she didnt want to bother any teachers or students and she is also shy so she insisted on being alone however now a sudden regret crossed her mind but she knew better than to stay frozen in shock so she immediately ran and asked someone to help her but since nobody knows her, they didn't believe.

Zhen and Ian were both stunned.

"Ian, go report this. Ill go see them"

Zhen commanded in a simple but firm manner and without hesitation, Ian ran towards the faculty office

"Let's go" the girl urged him. He nodded before following the girl.

When they arrive, the girl immediately stopped and hid behind him. There were indeed noises such as smashing things and groans

"I'll go and take a look" Zhen muttered to himself and also to the girl behind him as he slowly walks away

"Please be careful" the girl reminded him. There was no need for a reminder because he is always careful. Zhen knew if he delayed any longer the situation could get worse so he wordlessly rushed to the scene.

The battered student curled himself to a ball as he endures the pain in his stomach and legs. He was using both of his hands to cover his head leaving his other body parts defenseless and beaten up

"No stop-" The poor boy coughed and wailed

"You think you're that strong huh?"

"Where's your strength now!"

"Trash!"

"Son of a bitch!"

They mocked and mocked him

"What are you doing?"

The gang froze when they heard a cold voice from behind. The leader turned his head and examine the new comer

"Well isn't this a lone Senior?" The leader said half mockingly. At first he nodded his head and smirked but when he realized that the person standing infront of them is their Senior, he immediately ordered for them to stop.

"We-we're sorry we didn't do it" some of them realized what was going on and apologized

"But we were provoked!"

"Yes! We were provoked by this bastard"

"We didn't want to fight but its only right to defend ourselves,right?"

they started to reason out. Zhen examined the students ; some of them wore some strange earpiece on either side of their ear and some even had a tattoo on their neck

"Are you a Gang group or something? How could you beat up an innocent people"Zhen said coldly

"We were provoked! Please senior, don't tell the teachers"

"Impudent! You clearly are not provoked so what right do you have to beat up an innocent person" he narrowed his eyes as he stared at each one of them. At the same time , Ian and The little girl arrived

"But even if you were, can you show us the evidence? Look at you. You don't even have the tiniest scratch"

Ian barged in almost immediately "Ai.. these students should be reported and punished accordingly!"

The little girl nodded silently without anyone noticing before she approaching the unconsciously

"Seniors let's take him to the clinic"

Ian nodded and approached the girl however,just as he walked past the group one of them spoke

"Please don't tell the teachers-" one of them tried to defend but was cut off by the 'leader'

And said " Maybe we can resolve this, right? We have money"

"You b*st*rd!" Ian immediately raged

And charged forward

Zhen was late to react. He thought that his cousin was childish but never thought that he would be this immature ; to immediately start a fight is too indescribably childish!

However the situation was too serious and Ian has a heart condition how can he be so reckless! Zhen can still even hear his aunt reminding them before they fade into the distance

"Be careful you two , alright?"

Mrs.Narcia wasn't satisfied and so she added "Hey Zhen! Take good care of my boy and..." however, the boys didn't heard what she said next

In an instant, Ian got into a fight with one of his Juniors who , reflexively returned to blow

"Stop!!"

The group divided into two; one was holding the furious Ian and the other was holding the head of the Gang

"Ian stop!" Zhen said as he held both his shoulders "This..this brat thinks he can buy Justice with many!" Ian defended

"IAN!" Zhen has no choice but to intimidate his Cousin. As expected, Ian calmed down but his eyes were still furiously burning and his fists were clenched tightly.

"Ian calm down" he repeated until Ian returned to his normal state however, his actions still mirrored his anger.

Ian carried the unconscious man in a bridal style and walked past everyone.

After that inident , Ian and Zhen never talked to each other again. As for the gang who bullied a weak boy, they were called by their teachers and were scolded immediately after receiving the report and their parents were called to the office.

Zhen lazily sat down at his seat at the very back and sighed. This isn't the first time he and Ian had a cold war like this but he still could not help but feel sad and mentally scold himself for being stupid

"Anything wrong?" Yuya, who was sitting beside him asked in a worried manner. "No nothing" he replied almost instantly

"By the way, where is Geoffrey?" He inquired upon noticing that the guy who occupied the seat between him and Yuya disappeared. "Oh him? Haven't you heard the news?"

He raised his brows "What news? "

"Geoffrey, together with his friend violated the school rules"

"How bad is it?"

"Too bad that they got kicked out" Yuya shrugged her shoulders and her delicate face forming a frown

Zhen tsked and looked at the empty seat beside him. If he could only exchange his seat and seat beside Yuya then he wouldn't care about any other things at all.

He sighed and occupied the empty seat "Hm...it feels comfortable here. Why did that guy even violate the rules just to abandon this relaxing place" He commented

"Yuya, I must have been too busy these days to not hear about the news these days" He sighed and continued staring at the delicate face of the love of his life. "Stop staring at me" Yuya, who wasn't even looking scolded him

"Oh?" Zhen smirked and rested his cheek on his palm

Just when he was about to talk, Mrs.Raya, their adviser entered the class. Everyone stood up and greeted the teacher with high spirits

"Good morning, sit down I just have something to announce to everyone"

They did what they were told and listened "I apologize for coming late. It's just that I have to settle things first before coming here"

"As you all know, one of your classmates got expelled for his offenses so I hope this will serve as an example for every one of you"

The already quiet class became even quieter as they recalled something

"Now, let's all leave it in the past and move forward"

for the council, Teachers, and School Authorities, expelling a student is like

Rejecting a damaged crop and getting a new and fresh one for replacement however, there are some teachers who, for them expelling a student is like throwing garbage; they don't care as long as they can have benefit, they wouldn't hesitate.

As for the students who grew familiar and built a bond with the person who disappeared, they would be extremely sad to the point that going after Their friend is an option

As for those who hated that person, they would feel nothing but joy.

But for Zhen who didn't know about these things felt nothing but confusion.

"Because the school can not lack in students, we immediately replaced the slots left by the former ones"

Everyone knew what was coming and was prepared for it. However, what Mrs.Raya said next stunned the students

"We have a new student and he is from La Villa University" She paused "Please come in"

The students began to whisper to each other

"La Villa University? ThaThat'swell known University, right?"

"I heard they only accept students that are intelligent and gifted"

Two students who sat in front of Zhen whispered in a not-too-low voice

"I also heard that all of the boys in that University are so freaking handsome!" One of the girls giggled and blush

Just as the noise started, a man with a gloomy expression suddenly entered the room making everyone quiet down.

Chapter 4 : New Student

The sun shone on the surprised faces of the students and the once calm girls' faces flushed with red. Even the most stoic Yuya couldn't help but open her mouth in shock

The room had a built-in aircon but it still couldn't reduce the heat that enveloped everyone. In an instant, shock, amusement, and confusion filled their faces.

The guy stood in front of them like a deity from heaven. His features were too striking like that of a wild woman however, in the eyes of The crowed, seeing such a feminine feature in a man is way too attractive like a Goddess.

His thin eyebrows were straight matched with his brown monolid eyes and straight nose

"The name's Jade Sejirin" he said coldly before facing the Adviser. Mrs.Raya thought that he was too shy too continue so she coughed lightly And said " You may take the seat next to Ms. Torres" Yuya raised her hand to indicate her whereabouts

Zhen's heart skipped a beat when he realized that he was sitting right next to Yuya, basically occupying the vacant seat

How could he shift without being noticed?

He would be scolded for making unnecessary movements!

But he would be scolded if he stay here too

Out of panic, he looked at Yuya but unfortunately, she couldn't help him too.

It's a dead end for him. If he moves now then he might get scolded, if he didn't move, he'll be scolded too but at least he can avoid embarrassing himself and the new student if he switches now

Just as he thought of switching seats, someone had already approached him.

Zhen was stunned when his sight first met the area below the guy's abdomen .

He gulped and slowly raised his head to look at the man who was looking down on him shame flushed his face making his cheeks a little red

But soon it was replaced by regret

What am I doing? I should switch now! He mentally scolded himself

"Is there a Problem Mr.Sejirin?" Mrs.Raya asked she was not so tall and she also had an eye issues so she couldn't clearly see the commotion behind while all the other students turned their heads and looked at Zhen and Jade.

'Since it has come to this...

Fortunately, Jade seemed to change his mind and instead occupied Zhen's seat. The students who were watching were all confused but in the end they just dismissed the scene before them and put it in the back of their minds as they listened to the discussion.

Lunch came and the room was immediately empty. Zhen remained on his chair still thinking about switching seats with Jade when Yuya called out to him

"Zhen?" Zhen snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Yuya

"Should we go?" She added and received a nod from Zhen

After Yuya left, He decided to stop by the door and take a last glance at Jade. The guy was grooming his chocolate-like hair while staring at his tiny mirror

He narrowed his Phoenix eyes and 'hmp'ed before leaving.

When he and Yuya arrived at the school canteen, it was almost full. Thanks to Ian who always arrive first and reserve a table for the three of them that they don't need to worry about picking a table. Ian waved at the two of them and gestures for them to come over

Yuya was the first one to ask when they arrived at the table

"Why did you choose this table?" She asked referring to the small table.

"This table is the smallest and we are not that small to fit in this table" Zhen added before sitting down

"Shut up. Go find another table then" Ian retorted

"Ian, you don't have to be so cold. You're not mad are you?" Yuya asked him . Ian looked at Yuya and said "Yes because my cousin is so annoying"

Zhen choked a little when he heard this and couldn't help but pat his cousin on his head "Come on, forgive me now okay? I won't be annoying anymore" he hastily shuffled Ian's hair

"Urgh! Stop playing with my hair!"

He immediately slapped the hand away. Zhen raised both his hands, surrendering and then he stood up

"I'll go get some food" he casually said before leaving Their table

"I'll help him," Said Yuya and stood up from her place to catch up.

Zhen and Yuya returned with a tray of food. Ian who was patiently waiting, extended his hands to help Yuya and Zhen.

Pinakbet and banana heart blossom stewed in coconut milk was brought for Ian while Zhen brought for himself a plate of Crock pot sweat and sour meatballs, beef kare kare and a bowl of sauteed mung bean soup, Yuya had a plate of bourbon chicken two small bowls of pork estofado and a slice of banana cake with walnuts

The sauteed mung bean, which was Zhen's favorite, had pork, dried fish, garlic, tomatoes, and most Importantly vegetablele. It was garnished with chicharon making it more delicious looking contrasting the green vegetables. Zhen stirred the soup first before eating a mouthful of it.

The Three of them happily ate together , savoring and enjoying their lunch , each bite and slurp tasted more delicious than the last

"Here, try this'' Yuya offered her bowl of pork estofado to Ian

" Thanks" he said before accepting the bowl

"Ian, have you seen that Jade Sejirin?" Zhen asked casually ,not even bothering to raise his head to see the darkened face of Ian

Ian "Sejirin? "

Zhen "Yeah"

However, Yuya seemed to notice the change in Ian's tone so she decided to interfere. "We have a transferred student from La Villa University and his name -"

"I know" Ian interrupted almost immediately

"Then you guys should know that he wasn't alone right?" He added

Yuya and Zhen both stopped and looked at each other

There was silence

"Wait what?" Zhen finally blurted out

"Well I can't blame you guys for not being my classmate but don't tell me you haven't heard yet?"

Since Ian was appointed to another classroom, how would they know things that are happening to him?

Ian sighed and continued "There's this Jaiden Sejirin and frankly saying,he's annoying. Then, before anyone could react, he pointed his spoon towards another table and said " that guy is Jaiden" it was unknown how long they stared at the man that Ian pointed out amongg the group of laughing people but one thing was sure , Jaiden looked similar to Jade.

Chapter 5 : Sejirin Brothers

The guy has a pair of ocean blue thin almond eyes contrasting his thick brows and a delicate white skin that almost looked like it was glowing white from afar. His sharp-shaped lips curled up into a charming smile that could move mountains and melt an icy cave. Just like Jade , he also had a pointed nose. Over all , he seemed to be hot and mischievous yet also innocent and oblivious which was different from the other which was cold and mysterious.

After eating , the three of them exited the Cafeteria and silently walked the noisy hallway to their respective classrooms.

There are some student who decided to rest on the corridor near their rooms. Since the Professors and Teachers are not around, these students could do whatever they pleased as long as it's not against the rules.

"Did you guys see the new student?"

They heard One of the student said to her friend

"No, have you?"

The girl slapped the other's shoulder

"Why? You shouldn't miss such a handsome view. You gotta be kidding me!" She exclaimed

"Really? How handsome?"

Neither Yuya, Ian or Zhen was interested in their conversation so they turned a deaf ear. However, they could still hear the girls' Loud discussion

"Who can even describe his beautiful looks? Ai!! I even thought he was a goddess!"

Zhen and Ian didn't know who they were talking about whether it's Jade or Jaiden but Yuya, who almost had the same thought as those girls, knew exactly who it is and she couldn't help but feel unhappy.

"Tsk.Who are they talking about just now?" Ian mumbled to himself

"They're obviously talking about the new students " Ian didn't expect Zhen to answer so he looked at the guy beside him "Eh? Who exactly? There are two new students here" Ian replied. In an instant, Zhen was caught off guard and couldn't reply

How could he immediately comment without thinking? He felt like he was slapped in the face.

"Aii-" before he could even reply, Ian snapped his fingers

"Okay then, I'll go now" said Ian as he halted his steps and turned to the closed door of their classroom

"Why is it closed?" Yuya asked

"I don't know. But We're not late are we?" Zhen and Yuya shrugged their shoulders as a reply

"Whatever, you guys can go" he simply said before casually opening the door but what greeted them was a total ruckus

"He's so handsome"

"I know right?"

"Can we get your picture?"

"How unrealistic! I must be dreaming!!"

Students were gathered in the front they all seemed to be adoring someone. Some even took out there phones to take pictures and some were just sitting in the corner and praising with the girls.

Men and women were squeezed together, all talking at the same time creating a huge commotion

"What the hell?" Ian growled before turning to Zhen and Yuya

"What's going on?" The question was intended to them and himself. What's going on? Why is there a lot of students gathering right in front of his seat?

"Hehe. I think they're talking about someone?" Yuya already had a clue but was still hesitant so all she could do is laugh at her gullible Friend

"But who would dare...." Ian seemed to realize something and immediately rushed inside and pressed through the crowd.

"Let's go?" Yuya turned to Zhen who was still stunned

"But...should we leave my sick cousin here?" He asked. Yuya gave a tiny shrug before looking at the commotion. Looking at the commotion that hadn't died down yet, it seemed bad to leave Ian behind and let him handle things alone so they both wordlessly entered the room

From afar, they could hear Ian's angry scold so Zhen quickly rushed to the front.

"What are you doing, It's my seat!" Ian angrily scolded. Zhen had already expected it to be Jaiden but he was still surprised when he saw his face. After all, staring closely to someone is different than just looking at them from a distance

He looked at his cousin who wasn't even perplexed at this fellow's beauty at all , having a staring competition to the guy who couldn't stop smiling. Soon enough, the commotion died down and they all stared in surprise with their indescribable expressions.

" Oh? You're here" Jaiden narrowed his eyes before looking at the crowd

"You want to make a commotion?" Both Zhen and Ian was speechless. Why would they make a commotion?clearly he was the reason for the commotion just now.

"You-" Ian pointed a finger at him

"Okay, okay I'm going" Jaiden said before returning to his original seat which was behind his. Due to their argue just now, Ian suddenly felt a bit awkward. As if seeing through him, Zhen turned to the crowd

"Umm..Guys,Please stop staring at him. It's just a misunderstanding so Please don't misinterpret and go back to your seats " Luckily, the whole class is easy to convince and not the type to gossip around so they immediately dispersed and went back to their seats as if nothing had happened

Zhen coughed twice and waved goodbye to Ian before exciting the room. Only after he exited did he realized that Yuya was gone

"Hey" Yuya suddenly appeared behind him, startling him

" Where have you been?" He blurted out. Yuya chuckled before answering

"I couldn't push through the crowd so I decided to retreat. Is Ian okay?"

"He's fine. for now" Zhen glanced behind him before sighing

"Let's go" said Yuya.

Their class was a bit far so they can still talk about anything

"That Jaiden simply is shameless"

Zhen clicked his tongue "how could he switch seats with Ian?"

Suddenly, Yuya giggled before saying "Wow" that simple word already made Zhen embarrassed as he recalled something

'Wow. How ironic' he repeated in his mind. "Anyway, how did he suddenly arrived before us? I mean we obviously finished our lunch first" Zhen changed the top. Luckily, Yuya didn't really ponder on the previous topic so she nodded in agreement

"Never mind it. We have our own problems" She was obviously referring to their own home and school problem but upon arriving at their noisy classroom, Zhen couldn't help but ask "is this the problem you're talking about?" He glanced confusedly at Yuya.

Zhen sighed as he entered the room. Since Jade was seated at the back, everyone too huddled there while taking pictures.

Now Zhen knew what it felt like to be involved in an awkward situation not just him but also Yuya. Since many of the students were gathered near their seat, they couldn't calmly sit down at their chairs not could they drive away their classmates

Yuya looked at Zhen with stress.

"Okay. Alright people, nation, species, civilization!" He joked as he approached the not so quiet crowd. Everyone looked at him with a long face making him shiver slightly.

"Can you guys please settle down? Our afternoon class is about to start so let us go back shall we?" The crowd then dispersed as if his words are that powerful to defy but most of the girls were still strangely giggling for some reason. Zhen ignored the still lingering gazes from the others and sat at his original comfortable seat that was no longer comfortable.

How could he be comfortable? Someone just sat at this chair before him! Is this what they call perverted thoughts? but he is not that perverted! He couldn't help but frown at the thought . As he was slowly calming his mind, he heard someone whispered "How pathetic" Zhen unconsciously looked at Jade who was silently sitting next to him and couldn't help but frown even more

Just as he was about to take his eyes off him, Jade suddenly turned his head and meet with a pair of confused

eyes from Zhen. Jade narrowed his cold eyes and said to Zhen

"You're so pathetic"

Zhen was struck dumb and couldn't speak for a while. Only after Jade turned his head away did Zhen recovered from the stupor and managed to stare at the side face of the cold guy before him

"Stop staring" he scolded himself and hastily turned his head to another direction, his eyes still a bit uncertain about something while his lips frowned. He propped his right hand on his right cheek and gazed at the window

After a while, the afternoon class finally started and the weird gazes of his classmates eventually dissipated

everyone was focusing on the lesson except for Zhen who's mind was in chaos for some reason. He couldn't help but think ; Are they really related? How is it that their attitudes were opposite to each other? But then again, he can't just Judge them based on their differences and similarities After all, everyone has their own talents and are unique in many ways.

The bell rang and the students were dismissed. Many girls were still praising and talking about the extraordinarily good looking men, casually passing by their windows and secretly peeking at them when they had a chance. Because of this action, Zhen felt more anxious and embarrassed–he'd never been stared at before nor did anyone paid attention to him and he got accustomed to it. Now that many people , especially girls, are looking at his direction, it extremely gave him goosebumpss

They may not be directly looking at him but who could assure that they never once bat an eye at his existence?

Actually, back then he just pretended to be so confident and drove everyone away for Yuya but in reality, he's nothing but a scared little Chick

When their Teacher dismissed them, he should have felt relieved however, Zhen couldn't even relax a single muscle , not until he reached the outside and was sure that he's safe, did he finally heaved a sigh of relief

"You okay?" Yuya reached out for his shoulders but he instinctively dodged due to the thought that anyone might reach out to him anytime Judging from the wild stares of those girls. Suddenly, someone caught his shoulders and he was shocked when he turned around and saw that it was no other than Jade.

He felt as if hundreds of eyes were watching at them especially now that he is outside and many students were also passing by Indeed, some students glanced at them and whispered to each other. Zhen felt as if his cheeks were burning and everyone surrounding them was not human but a hungry beast waiting for a perfect time to attack him, tear him, rip his bones and skin his delicate face. He also had this feeling that was worse than being naked in public. He was so embarrassed for some reason and just wanted to burry his face deep into the ground however, the man holding him was so bold and even look at him with those gentle yet cold eyes that made everyone more jealous

How could he let this man destroy his life?

When immediately pushed the man away and said in a stern voice

"What's up?"

Jade raised his brows and looked at the person next to him

"You must be Yuya" Said Jade. Zhen couldn't help but look at Yuya who seemed dazed and felt a bit jealous. She smiled sweetly before answering "Yes. And please stop starting at my friend like that again" She paused before looking at Zhen , her face calm and didn't conveyed any trace of shyness that any girls would normaly express in front of the Seijirin brothers

"My friend is not accustomed to too much attention and intimate stares so please " She once again turned to Jade "Leave him alone" she said flatly as if she was simply talking nonsense or answering a question from someone , not really bothered by the deathly stares of the others

"Yuya" Zhen called out to her

"I do not want to cause any more trouble so... I hope you will understand'' she said before finally turning to Zhen with a smile on her face " let's go" she said. Just as they was about to leave, someone called out

"Wait"