Chapter 5

The touched of a warm hand made him awoke from his sleep. He stared blankly at the girl with crimson eyes. Such a familiar eyes colour he used to see.

"Noah...?"

The unexpected name was called from his lips, and he's shocked by himself. And blinked twice before he turned to her who's waiting for him to gain his conscious.

"Er, Yenni?" Ares just noticed how he mistook Yerenica for Noah. She had a sly smirk on her face, said it all.

"So, who is this Noah you're calling out, huh?" Yerenica, she's the type who always liked the relationship between men. And she couldn't stop when she found out something she likes.

"Nothing. By the way, where's Charlotte? Isn't she always with you?" Asks Ares while looking around the class.

A disappointment sigh escaped Yerenica's lips. "Look at you changing the topic again when I asked you about your past. Charlotte is being confessed again today, so she went to that normal place as promised in that letter."

"Again? Who is it this time?" He wore a tired smile.

"Hm, dunno. Wanna see?" She smirked that her canines were showing.

"What? No way, Charlotte maybe doesn't like it if we were going to-"

"Nope, that's not stopping me." She said while grabbing Ares' arm and dragged him fastly towards the first floor.

Surprised that there were many people who watched the confession.

"Whoa...! Why're there so many?" Ares stopped so suddenly that he almost trip and fall downstairs.

"Hm, looks like we only can see it from here." Yerenica scoffed at herself, and she pointed out the guy who will be confessing his love towards Charlotte, the most cold girl in the school.

"Hm? Isn't that guy..."

Ares glanced at how Yerenica recognized that guy. 'Well, who wouldn't know him?'

Hacre, the most popular guy in school even after he transferred here 3 weeks ago. He's known as the next heir of Dave, meant that he's Ares' cousin. But that guy didn't know the existence of Ares since Hacre only knew about his death.

'But to think he'd confess to Charlotte, so sudden. I know him for sex maniac, but this is much worse.' Ares glimpsed at Hacre who's closing the gap between Charlotte and him.

"Go out with me, and I will give you my body, Miss Charlotte." Hacre threw her a grin.

And the other students applaud and cheered for Hacre's seducing words.

"Ew, what's wrong with these people?" Yerenica wrinkled her eyebrows and looking at Ares.

"What?"

"I thought that man wouldn't suit you either."

"Stop with that joke, Yenni." He gave her a dead fish eyes. "But with Charlotte's given personality, she might..."

"I don't like you." Answers Charlotte bluntly.

And the people were dead silent. Never thought that even a guy as rich as Hacre, as handsome as him, would get rejected.

'Hm, she lives up to her nickname 'Icy Rose'.' Ares nodded his head and wanted to go back to class. But he tripped.

"Ares!" Yerenica couldn't reach Ares' hands since she reacted too late.

"You're always easy to fall."

A hot voice he knew touched his ears, and he looked up. "Hakka?"

"I told you not to play around the stairs." Says Hakka while put Ares down and patted on his back to sweep the dust away.

"But I'm not even playing." Even he's too lazy to explain.

A giggle was heard behind them, and there's Yerenica who's being staring at them in joy. "As I thought, Ares suits Hakka the best."

"Yenni!"

Yelling at her won't do anything, so he'd better leave her at that. Now he can see why Hakka didn't even bother to scold Yerenica for shipping the both of them. It's because she will never listen to any of them in the first place.

"Yenni, stop teasing Ares."

They turned their heads to such an elegant voice. It's Charlotte who just returned from the field.

"But I like it." Replies Yerenica.

Charlotte sighed and smiled. "Let's go to the classroom, the teacher will come." She said as looking at Ares and Hakka.

"Let's go. Ah, by the way, where did you go, Hakka?" Asks Ares while staring at him.

"I made a call with dad. He asked me if I could-" Hakka stopped speaking. "Ares, wear this now."

Ares was too blank to ask, so he took the mask from Hakka and wore it right away.

"He's coming this way." Charlotte took one step behind to cover Ares' unprepared face.

"Hey, Charlotte. Don't tell me that you rejected me just because of Hakka?" Hacre pointed at Hakka with his index finger.

'This guy's rudeness is beyond the boundaries! Pointing like that at someone." Ares just got angry in his heart.

"It's not right." Charlotte glared at Hacre. "But still, it's not wrong either."

Hacre snapped and thought that Charlotte was actually someone who won't back down easily.

The atmosphere became a chaos when people gathered there and surrounded them. While Ares, Yerenica and Hakka couldn't step in since it's troublesome.

"Ares, Yenni. You go first." Hakka gave his wallet to them.

"What? Are you giving your wealth to us?"

Hakka could see the dollar signs in Yerenica's eyes while they're sparkling enough to blind him.

"Sure, but please leave me some." And he left.

"Seriously? He's an angel!" Yerenica rubbed the thick wallet on her cheek aggressively. Ares who just kept standing next to her, laughed it off.

"Anyway, how will Hakka settle it?" Asks Ares, he sometimes would turn his head on the back to look at them.

"Who knows? Hakka is kindly enough to step in Charlotte's problem." Answers Yerenica. "Well, let's go to class and tell the teacher that the two of them went to the toilet because of the stomachache."

"Sure, sure."

Ares registered to school as Luke with no surname. Of course he wouldn't be accepted but Karris was the one who handled it and kept Ares' true identity hidden. But later he was caught by Hakka, and he knew Ares as the one who died by Noah's hands. But when he explained it, Hakka believed it 100%. When Yerenica and Charlotte came, Ares was the one who told the truth even they're full of doubt. But they believed it later on.

So other students knew Ares as Luke, including Hacre.

But even though Hakka, Yerenica and Charlotte knew the truth, they still didn't know about the biggest secret Ares kept to himself. That's he's one of the top 1 corporation's heirs. So they didn't know about this fact.

"I'm back."

He put the shoes on the shoe rack.

"Welcome home." Alleanor gave him a welcome hug. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Anything is fine. I like your cooking, Big Sister." He went inside and headed to his bedroom.

"I'll call you if the meals are ready." She said that and saw Ares' waving hand that meant he understood.

"Gotta take a bath now." He loosened the tie and took off the buttons. "Hm? A missed call? So many!" He stared at 32 missed calls on his phone, and it all from Noah.

"How can he called me so many times even knowing I wouldn't answer?"

He soaked in the bathtub and gazed at black sky outside through the glass window.

'I wonder what is it about?'

He finished the bath and enjoyed the dinner with his siblings.

"What's wrong, Youngest? You look pale." Asks Ariane as she put more spinach on Ares' plate.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Kayser's turn to ask.

"No, I'm alright."

"Tell us if you're sick, okay?" Alleanor gave him a glass of water. Ares replied with a nod.

When he headed upstairs, he's ready to sleep. But then he was reminded of the missed calls again.

'Noah doesn't seem like someone who's desperate. So it's nothing.' Ares smiled bitterly, and closed his eyes.

'But what if it's emergency?!'

Now he opened his eyes widely. In the end, he didn't sleep a wink.

*

Those cold amber eyes stared deeply into Noah's eyes. The smirk on Noah's face won't fade even after being stabbed by Diego a few times.

Annoyed by that smug face, Diego pressed harder on Noah's neck using his right arm. That would make Noah was choked by him.

But wouldn't mind in that position, since he could feel the warmth of Diego's skin that pressing him to the core. The warmth that kept him company through the rough night they had together after Diego brought the Royal Military attacked Noah's territory.

"What's wrong? Can't kill me?" Asks Noah, broke the peace between the intense eye contact.

"You just won't shut up even you're near to your death."

"Just kill me already, it's not like Raphael will come avenge me."

Noah snickered as he saw Diego's expression changed when he suddenly mentioned Raphael. He knew Diego's biggest weakness.

"Do you think he will care for a small fry like you?" Diego's left hand slowly took out the gun from his back. "Never."

Noah gave Diego a sly smirk before he bit off Diego's right arm that pressed on his neck. A blood was splattered on Noah's face and there was some in his mouth. Then he spat it out.

"What...! You dare to bite me!" He held that arm while holding in the pain, the veins were seeing on his forehead, meaning that he will kill Noah for sure this time.

"Alright, there. Playtime is over."

They looked at the man who's all black, from head to toe, only a pair of black coloured eyes were visible.

"Shut up, it's not your time yet." Drowning in his own killing desire, Diego gave a death glare at Shadow who's not even budging from there. Instead he kept coming closer.

"Look, Noah. Your brother's subordinate is such a pain in the neck." He swung the gun at both Shadow and Noah alternately.

Noah briefly glanced at Shadow. "Shadow, go back to my brother. Tell him that I will handle my funeral on my own." He grinned widely as his bloody eyes were glowing in the dark, under the moonlight.

Shadow really didn't want to obey Noah upon that order, but he just carried the job as he should. So he bowed towards Noah before he left.

"Now, shall we continue?" The fox smirk on his face made Diego snapped for real.

'Bang' ! 'Bang' !

A blood was flowing nonstop, just a hand that could cover the bleeding. But the smile won't vanished just because he's in pain.

He pounded on Diego who's going to shoot for the third times, and ended up slipping the gun far from him. That's Noah's intention.

Struggling from Noah's body that pressing on his, Diego threw a punch but was grabbed by Noah. Not forgetting his other hand was doing nothing, he landed an elbow hit on Noah's broad shoulder.

Feeling pain shockingly, Noah's focus was not on Diego anymore and that man succeed in reaching the gun. Quickly he pulled the trigger and...

'Bang' !

"Argh!" Diego's body fell on the ground, while clenching on the wound on his abdomen, he gritted his teeth and glared at the one who shot him.

"What's wrong? Is it hurt?"

Noah flustered as he saw the guy who he used to know was in front of him. Helping him by firing the bullet towards Diego. He was saved by someone named Jake.

"Jake Kellian?" Noah's bloody lips called out for that man's name that Diego heard it.

Diego looked at Jake. 'If he's a Kellian, that means he's related to Ares.'

An amethyst coloured eyes were gazing straight at Diego's face. 'That guy... Ares' murderer.'

Diego couldn't look away from those beautiful eyes with long lashes just like how he couldn't take his eyes off of Ares' golden eyes.

"Hey. Shitty general." Jake spoke.

That nickname Jake gave him made Diego mad. "What did you call me? You bastard!"

"So what? Bitch, aren't you the one who killed my cousin?" A vein was seeing on Jake's forehead, remembered how he received the bad news about Ares' sudden death.

Diego was too shocked when Jake knew the truth even he told Dave that Noah's the murderer. 'But Dave and Jake's father weren't on a good terms. So that might not be the case.'

"So, you knew. And what're you gonna do about that?" Asks Diego while getting closer to Jake.

"Bitch you're really asking me that?" Jake was ready to fight Diego but Noah interfered them. "Noah, what are you getting at?"

"This is the fight between him and I." Says Noah.

"Ha? Are you crazy? Just a moment you're already at your last breath and you're still with your obsession things? Cut the crap, Noah. He murdered Ares."

"I know, and that's the reason I told you to stop interfering."

"Shut the hell up, you bastard! You are not in the state to fight anymore!"

Diego just listened to their babbling and left, if he wasn't injured, Diego might have attack the two of them. But he surrendered to recover the wound first.

"It's your fault that he ran away!" Noah sighed and dropped on the ground.

"Why the hell did I save you just now? What a pain!" And Jake was going to leave but Noah pulled his leg. With a single glance at him, Jake asked, "What is it now?"

"I'm injured, can't you see? Help me, you jackass!"

"Asshole, where's your manner?!"

Yerenica stared at the dark circles under Ares' eyes. "What were you doing last night?" She grinned.

"Stop with your dirty thought, I just barely getting any sleep." Ares leaned his head on the wall behind him.

"If you're exhausted, you can rest in the nurse room. I can send you there." Charlotte gave the sardines sandwiches towards him and Yerenica.

"Nah, don't mind me. I'm fine like this."

Hearing that, Charlotte and Yerenica exchanged their eye contact. They shook heads, for listening to the same response everyday when he was asked about his health or condition.

'It's not like I don't appreciate their kindness looking after me, but if I tell them, there's nothing good coming from them.' His eyes were hooked on Hakka's figure.

"Again, you always disappear without notice. I don't even have the energy to worry about you anymore." Says Ares.

Hakka didn't open his mouth, instead he took the food wrapper on Ares' hand. "Here, I get some water for you guys." He put the mineral water bottles on the floor, knowing that Yerenica and Charlotte will come and take them. While he gave Ares the one he drank from.

"Whoa! An indirect ki-"

"Thank you, Hakka. For troubling you." Charlotte was quicker to shut Yerenica's mouth that's about to spout nonsenses.

'Even she doesn't cover that mouth, I can still understand it anyway.' Ares drank the same mineral water that Hakka drank.

"But why are you giving me yours?" He asked while looking up at Hakka who's still standing.

"Well, we're the same gender."

"So, if Yenni and Charlotte were boys that means we will have share one bottle together?"

"... Sure, but that won't be enough though. At least for me." Hakka chuckled and ruffled Ares' hair.

Noah was enjoying the scenery of the leaves fell from the trees. Then he heard the sound of the opened door. He looked at the two man walked inside the ward.

"How are you?"

"Not bad. If your son's coming too late, I might have been dead by now." Noah giggled, those beautiful teeth were showing.

"To think that you'd survive even after taking bullet shots from one of the Manekin siblings. I thought that I was invited to your funeral." The old man laughed and sat beside Noah. While Jake was standing next to the door.

The old man named James Kellian, Ares' first uncle. And he's the third president of the top 1 corporation. While Jake's his son. The next heir.

"My funeral, huh? Diego failed to kill me, so there's no funeral." Noah's turn to laugh.

'Click' !

"Mr. James? And Jake?"

They turned to that soft yet low voice.

"Brother? Didn't you go to your office?" Noah raised one of his eyebrows. Seeing Ivan was the one who opened the door.

"What are you thinking? Who would take care of you if I wasn't here? What an ungrateful brat." Ivan flicked Noah's forehead. "By the way, did you come here to visit Noah or... Do you want to confirm about Ares' murderer?" Ivan shifted his eyes at James and Jake. His scarlet eyes glowed as if they were burning to destroy something.

"... Don't worry, I understand why you're hostile towards us. But actually I know the truth, that Noah's not the one who killed Ares. It's Diego, right?" James looked at Noah who's calmed down after the pain from the flicking Ivan gave just now.

"Yeah, he is." Then he nodded.

A sigh came out from Ivan's mouth. "I'm sorry that I was too aggressive just now."

"It's alright, I know you really want to protect Noah." James once again laughed heartily. "Now, Ivan. Please take care of Noah. I'll be on my way."

Ivan just looked at James and Jake who were stepping out of the wardroom. And closed the door.

"Do you want to kill Diego? Brother?" Noah breathed in relief, and looked at Ivan who's arranging the flowers in the vase.

"... Isn't it obvious? Why?"

"It's not like that. It's just..."

Ivan was annoyed by Noah's slow explanation. "How are you so slow after being shot, huh?"

"Don't kill Diego. Just don't kill him yet."

"Even I was killed by him?"

Noah nodded calmly. "Don't worry, I'll avenge you."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. I know that you've always been a jerk, but to think you're a whole ungrateful bastard." Ivan sat roughly on Noah's bed.

"I will tell father that you said that I am father's illegitimate son."

"Shut up, you and that complaining habits of yours just won't disappear. And you know how father loves you so much."

The atmosphere became quiet when Noah saw Ivan's desperate expression.

"You know, it's not good to be so much desperate."

Once again, Ivan was annoyed with Noah's words and pissed off.

*

"Here. I bought it for you."

Ares looked at the soda can that was on Yerenica's hand.

"Thanks. Where's Charlotte?"

"As usual, she's being confessed to." Yerenica continued to gulp her soda.

"Aren't you going to peep?" Ares raised his eyebrows, while chuckling.

"Nope, it's boring since the one who's confessing is not a hot guy."

"Men, they're just trying their lucks to be Charlotte's boyfriend." Says Ares, and followed by Yerenica's nod.

"Kyaa!!"

Hearing the girls screaming out of nowhere, actually they saw Hakka and a beautiful lady were together entered the fancy red car outside the school gate. Ares and Yerenica went to see them through the opened window.

"Hakka? And... Who?" Ares looked at Yerenica, asking her to tell him.

"Well, she's the famous model of the latest perfume. Deanne Ravenza, the only woman who's madly in love with Karris Kellian."

"!... Really?! That's..."

Yerenica looked at him after he's surprised like that.

"Well, who's Karris?" Asks Ares while making a blank face. 'Shit, I almost spilled about Karris is my brother.'

"You crazy! How could you don't know the most majestic human being! Well, normally most people don't know him since that's the secret. Lord Karris is the fifth president of the top 1 corporation. And he's so handsome."

"Oh, really? So... Does Karris also love her?" Asks Ares, his eyes glanced at Deanne.

"Nope!" Exclaims Yerenica strictly.

'So, it's just one-sided. To think Big Brother doesn't shake her off, that means he did not reject her properly.' He once again stared at Deanne's beautiful figure, just like other models on TV show. "Hakka seems to know her."

Yerenica stole a glimpse of Ares who's next to her and grinned widely. "Look, someone is jealous here."

"Cut it out, Yenni." He responded with a kind laugh.

'Well, of course Hakka knows her since her director made a contract with Hakka's company. That's also the reason why he's been missing every time we hang out, he's the one to settle the contract.' He looked away from Hakka and Deanne.

"Hm?" Ares got the message from Sean.

'Diego is coming for Noah.' As he read that, his eyes widened.

"What a though day." Charlotte came in the class and leaned on the locker at the back.

"Sure, princess." Yerenica laughed her off while making a gesture of childish girl.

The sound of chair was heard, and they looked at Ares who's standing anxiously.

"What's wrong, Ares?" Asks Charlotte.

"Charlotte, take care of Yenni. I gotta go." He dashed to the hallway and sprinted until he's at the school gate.

"Look, he ran so fast." Yerenica stared at how fast Ares rushed.

"As expected of the former corporal." Charlotte nodded her head while holding a book.

"What's your schedule today?" Hakka focused on his phone, scrolling the document Deanne sent him.

She lowered her sunglasses, and her dawn-colored eyes were staring at Hakka. "I'm free, for now. But tonight Mr. Dave needs me."

He raised his eyebrow and looked at her in confused. "What he needs you for?"

"He needs me to help him searching for the hospital that Noah was admitted to."

"Noah? Hospital? Don't tell me it's about him almost get killed by Diego."

"So you know?"

Hakka didn't reply and lost in thought. 'Noah is in hospital, what will Ares do?'

"Hey, you're ignoring me?!" Deanne was annoyed by Hakka's attitude towards her.

"Ares?" Hakka was surprised when he saw Ares rushed towards the school gate which he was there. And he grabbed Ares' arm. "Where are you going?"

Ares didn't respond since he's tired from running too much, well it's been so long after he stopped becoming an army.

Hakka gazed into those desperate eyes that were about to cry. "What happened?"

"Please... Or I'll be late..." Ares avoided from looking at Hakka, and the grasping on his arm was tightened. But not long after he saw Ares was in pain, then he released him.

"How rare, for you to show your possessiveness." Deanne was also looking at Ares who's already far away.

"I'm not. He's a human, not an object to own." Says Hakka while giving a side eyes to Deanne. 'What did I just do to him...?' He thought, as he stared at his hand. A hand that grabbing on Ares' slender arm.

His legs did not stop running, sometimes he'd look around if there's the hospital that Sean mentioned.

And he found it.

Ares opened the wardroom door, and saw Noah was lying on the white bed looking pale. There were many wound dressings on his body, some of them were stained of small amount of blood.

'Why... Why did I come to him again? Is it because he almost died?' Not saying a word, he couldn't hold the tears that started to fall.

'Or is it because I miss him so much...?' His silent cry made Noah shocked. Ares didn't wait longer and went to hug Noah while crying heavily. Sean who witnessed that, was too confused of what to do. But Noah requested for Sean to leave them two in the room for a moment and Sean understood.

"I heard that Sean did send you a message. You came here because of that?" Asks Noah, his soft smile was carved. His bandaged hand was stroking Ares' smooth hair.

Not answering to that, Ares just kept crying in Noah's arms.

...

"You are done crying, right?" Noah snickered at Ares' puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry... I..."

"Shh, let's not talk about that. We'll move to another topic first." The smirk on Noah's face did cheer Ares up.

...

"So... He ambushed you when you're not in good condition. What happened to you before that?" Ares peeled the green apple that was bought by Sean just now.

"Well, I happened to cross paths with your cousin Hacre. But he didn't see me at first since I hid behind the wall, and I heard a girl screaming. So I stepped in just to help the girl, but I didn't know that there were too many people of Hacre's gang would be. I know how much I'm feeling nauseous, I tried to escape but Hacre almost killed me."

"I didn't want to run since the girl needed my help, but to think one of them would hit me from behind and that made me collapsed. But before I shut my eyes from losing conscious, I managed to see what I'm not supposed to see."

"You mean by what they did to the girl? Is it a sexual assaults?" Asks Ares.

"Yes, in another word, it's a rape." Noah lowered his gaze onto Ares' hands that were stopped from feeling the apple. "So much guilty inside me for not helping that poor girl."

"Stop, it's not your fault. Bear that it mind, since I will have to drag him by myself." Says Ares as he cut the apple to pieces and put them on the plate.

A grin was formed, Noah's fox eyes were smiling when he got a support from Ares. 'What a pure heart. Got him.'

He noticed Noah's expression of being delighted when he received such comfort, Ares sighed. 'It's not like I don't know what you're scheming, idiot. I just want to stay with you a bit longer.' Then he smiled unknowingly.