Kim had already moved into the condo, still clueless about what Yvess might have told her parents to get their approval.
In the middle of her class, her phone rang. She quickly stepped out of the room to answer it.
"Hey, kid, where are you?" Yvess's voice came through the line, sharp and commanding.
"I'm at school… and I'm not a kid!" she replied, annoyed.
"You're only sixteen, I'm twenty. You're still a kid. Anyway, I need you right now. Be here in ten minutes," he ordered.
"What? I can't—I have class!" she argued.
"Just skip it," he shot back.
"I can't! We have a quiz today! I will come later… bye!" She ended the call.
Returning to her room, she tried to focus, but minutes later, a commotion from outside drew everyone's attention.
"What's going on?" Mary Grace whispered.
"I don't know," Kim muttered, peeking outside—and froze.
Her eyes widened at the sight of Yvess standing right outside the classroom. The teacher and her classmates were equally stunned.
"Good morning, ma'am. I'm here for Ms. Castillo. May I borrow her for a moment? It's an emergency," he said politely, his tone almost regal.
The teacher nodded, slightly bewildered.
"Wait… isn't that Dustine Furukawa? How do you even know him? He's… big-time!" Mary Grace whispered in disbelief.
"D-Dustine who?" she asked confused. Her question went unanswered as Yvess gently grabbed her hand and pulled her outside, flashing a smile at the students. Once they reached the gate and made sure no one was around, he quickly released her hand.
"Tch. You really need me to pick you up, huh?" Yvess grumbled.
"I never said you had to," Kim shot back.
"Whatever," he muttered, opening the car door for her.
"Why did my friend call you Dustine? Who are you really?" she asked.
"It's none of your business," he replied, starting the engine.
"Duh, I'm your slave. I should know who you really are, right?" she said.
Yvess rolled his eyes."Why don't you just search for it on the internet?"
Kim quickly pulled out her phone and searched for him. Her eyes widened."You're an heir to a big company? Wow," she said, amused.
Yvess smirked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror while she was busy reading an article about him.
Once they arrived at the condo, Yvess immediately plopped onto the sofa.
"Hey, you. Massage my shoulders," he commanded.
Kim's patience snapped inwardly. She had skipped class just to become this guy's personal masseuse? With a heavy sigh, she started pressing on his shoulders, digging her fingers in.
"Ouch! Slowly!" he barked, flinching.
Kim nearly smacked him out of frustration, but she held back.
When she finished, Yvess dragged her along to Underground Hall, masking his face to avoid recognition. He spoke briefly with his bandmates, telling them he couldn't perform—he was busy and had something to attend to.
As they approached the parking area where Yvess had left his car, a group of rough-looking men blocked their path.
"Well, well, look who it is. The arrogant Yvess," one of them sneered.
Yvess's jaw tightened. He had tangled with these guys last week, and it was obvious they wanted revenge.
"Run," he whispered urgently to Kim.
"W-What?" she said, hesitating to leave him. Those people were dangerous.
"I said run!" he repeated, his tone deadly serious.
Kim gulped and nodded. She bolted, her heart pounding. She glanced at him one last time before closing her eyes and continuing to run.
"Hahaha, get ready, you little punk!" one of the men shouted as they surrounded him.
Yvess stepped forward, fists ready. He swung, striking and kicking with precise force.
"Tch… weak," he muttered, delivering another blow, keeping the attackers off balance.
But more kept coming. They tried to overwhelm him, surrounding him from every angle. One of them kicked him from behind, and another punched him in the face. As he fell to the ground, their leader grabbed him by the collar.
"I thought you were strong. Where's your arrogance now, huh?" the leader sneered.
"Boss, let's check out the girl he was with earlier… I'm sure she's still close by. Why don't we have some fun with her? Haha!" another jeered.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Yvess shouted, rage burning in his chest.
"Why not? She's ours now!" the leader spat, swinging at him.
Yvess took the hit and fell to the ground again. The others kicked him hard, each blow forcing a grimace of pain from him. Eventually, the attackers retreated to their motorcycles, leaving Yvess sprawled and beaten.
He forced himself up, staggering, wincing at every movement as he scanned the area desperately for Kim. He had to find her—he couldn't let anything happen to her.
.....
Kim ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest. She dared a glance behind her and saw the gang on motorcycles closing in.
"Hahaha, hey miss! Stop running and let us have some fun!" one of them shouted, revving his bike menacingly.
"You're going to love this, we promise! Wahaha!" another jeered, their laughter echoing down the empty street.
Panic surged through Kim. Her legs burned, but she couldn't stop. "Yvess… where are you…" she whispered, voice trembling with desperation.
Suddenly, she tripped over a loose stone, tumbling to the ground. She scrambled to get up, but the gang was already upon her.
"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing wildly. Tears blurred her vision as she struggled.
They grabbed her roughly and dragged her toward a dark, deserted alley. "P-Please… have mercy…" she cried, her voice breaking, every instinct screaming to escape.
She cried as the men forcefully teared her uniform.
"Please! Stop!" she screamed, her voice trembling as she pleaded.
But the men only laughed, cruel and maniacal. She closed her eyes and screamed in pain when she felt the man's manhood inside her. It was so painful. All she could do was call out Yvess's name and pray that her suffering would finally end.
.....
"Kim! Kim, where are you?!" Yvess shouted, his voice cracking with panic.
He forced himself to quicken his pace, ignoring the pain in his legs, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Kim!" he yelled again, scanning every corner, every alley. Then he heard it—a faint sound, a whimper.
Following the noise, he found her lying on the ground, trembling and naked.
He froze. Rage surged through him the moment he saw her—shaking, terrified, barely able to breathe.
"Kim…" he whispered, his hand trembling as he reached out.
The moment she felt someone touch her, she screamed.
"Let go! Please—let me go!" she cried helplessly, her entire body trembling.
Yvess's chest tightened. Tears stung his eyes.
"Kim, it's me. It's Yvess," he said softly, voice breaking.
At the sound of his voice, she sobbed even harder. Yvess quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around her, then pulled her into a protective embrace.
"Y‑Yvess… they…" Her voice cracked, unable to finish.
Yvess shut his eyes, jaw clenching.
"They won't get away with this," he whispered, fury simmering beneath his voice. "I swear—I'll make them pay for what they did to you."
The rage burning in his eyes was unmistakable. Every part of him screamed to protect her… and to hunt down the monsters who had hurt her.
.....
The next morning, a group of men approached the gang that had caused trouble the day before.
"Who are you?" the leader demanded, eyes narrowing.
"We're here to settle this," one of the men said grimly. Without hesitation, they launched their attack.
Yvess watched from the safety of his car, his expression cold and unflinching. Every move had been orchestrated under his orders—there would be no mercy. They would make sure these men could never walk again.
The scene outside was chaotic and brutal. Shouts, thuds, and the desperate cries of the gang filled the air. He closed the car window, shutting out the screams and violence beyond, as if the happenings outside no longer existed.
.
.
.
For days, Kim remained silent, barely speaking a word. Occasionally, Yvess would catch her crying quietly, and it tore at him. Seeing her like that hurt him in ways he hadn't expected. He wanted her spark back—the liveliness that had once defined her.
"Kim, get dressed. We're leaving," he ordered gently.
Kim rose slowly, hesitantly, and slipped into her room to change. Once ready, they left immediately.
"Wow!" Kim gasped in awe as they arrived.
She couldn't believe they were at the amusement park. "Why didn't you tell me we were coming here? I could have prepared!"
Yvess chuckled, watching the delight return to her face. Finally, the old Kim—the one who laughed, who sparkled—was back.
They wandered through the park, Kim's eyes lighting up as she posed for pictures with the mascots and squealed with excitement on the rides. She laughed uncontrollably when Yvess staggered off the roller coaster, looking pale and disoriented.
"Damn it! Don't ever drag me on that ride again!" he groaned.
Kim laughed even harder at his miserable expression, thrilled to see him vulnerable and human.
Next, they entered the Horror House. As they walked through the dark corridors, a costumed "ghost" suddenly jumped out at Kim. She screamed so loudly it echoed through the hall.
Before she could even recover, Yvess punched the figure squarely.
"Why did you hit him?!" Kim exclaimed, stunned.
"My hand slipped," Yvess muttered, though the truth was far simpler: he had been overcome by his own emotions. Seeing her scared made him feel… something he didn't fully understand. He hated seeing her afraid, and yet part of him felt awkward at his own reaction.
Their last ride of the day was the Ferris wheel. Kim gazed down in awe, the park stretching endlessly beneath her, and Yvess watched quietly.
"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly, looking at him with gratitude.
For the first time, Yvess smiled—a rare, genuine smile that she had never seen before. "I don't like seeing you sad all the time. It stresses me out too. I just… wanted to see you happy again," he said.
Kim smiled and nodded. The simple curve of her lips made Yvess's heart skip a beat. He quickly looked away, pretending he hadn't noticed the effect it had on him.
Later, as they walked through the park, they came across a man holding a small cage with two lovebirds inside.
"They're so cute! Look, Yvess!" Kim squealed.
Yvess glanced at the sign: "Just make a wish, and your dreams will come true."
"So adorable," Kim cooed.
Yvess rolled his eyes. "Cute, huh? Probably just ordinary birds painted for sale."
The man chuckled. "I'm not selling them. They're real lovebirds, and they'll grant your wish—but only if you take care of them together."
The man handed the cage of birds to Kim while smiling.
Kim's eyes sparkled with excitement as she accepted the birds. "Oh, thank you!"
Yvess groaned inwardly. "Why'd you take them? It'll just give you extra work to do," he muttered.
"But they're so cute! I want them," she pouted.
Yvess sighed. "Fine."
Kim's face lit up with a wide smile when Yvess finally agreed to take the birds. They turned to thank the man, but he was gone.
"Wait… where did he go?" Yvess asked, scanning the area.
"I don't know. He was right here next to you," Kim replied.
She noticed a small card clipped to the cage. Yvess picked it up and read the name aloud: "Eros?"
.
.
.
Back at school, Mary Grace couldn't help but notice the change in Kim.
"You're… different today. In love, huh?" she teased, a knowing smirk on her face.
Kim's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "Yeah," she giggled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"With whom?" Mary Grace pressed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Secret!" Kim replied, her voice lighter than usual, her heart fluttering at the thought. She leaned back slightly, still smiling. The two friends laughed together.
Their substitute teacher arrived—a young man, strikingly handsome, with a subtle charm that caught Kim's attention immediately. She noticed the way he glanced her way several times, and each time, her stomach flipped. She quickly looked down, pretending to focus on her notebook, cheeks heating up.
As she walked down the hallway, Sir Rex matched her pace, his presence almost magnetic.
"Hi, Kim," he greeted smoothly, a small, polite smile tugging at his lips.
"Oh… hi, sir," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her heartbeat quickening.
"You're the only one in your class I've noticed… the most beautiful," he added, giving her a playful wink.
Kim's face burned crimson. Her hands tightened around her books as she tried not to let him see how flustered she was.
Suddenly, Yvess's voice cut sharply through the hallway. "Hey, kid!" His gaze landed on Rex like a predator spotting prey, eyes narrowing with unmistakable intensity.
"What are you doing here?" Kim asked.
"Picking you up," Yvess replied, putting his arms around her shoulders. He then gave Rex a sharp stare. Kim was surprised by his actions, and her face flushed. Yvess continued to glare at Rex.
"Flirting with your students? You know that's forbidden," Yvess snapped, his voice firm, protective, and tinged with anger.
Rex smirked, shaking his head lightly. "Looks like I've been caught. Nice to meet you, Ms. Castillo," he said, walking away and leaving a tense silence behind.
Kim's eyes widened. "Why… why did you do that?" she asked Yvess.
Yvess's expression softened slightly as he looked at her seriously. "I just… wanted to keep you away from danger."
"Huh?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I don't want you talking to other guys."
"Why not?" she asked, tilting her head, curiosity mixing with a hint of amusement.
"Because… I don't want to," he said simply, as if that explained everything.
Kim's brow furrowed. "But why?"
Yvess hesitated, jaw tight, eyes darkening for a moment. "I don't know. Every time I see you talking to other guys… it annoys me. I just… I want your attention," he admitted, almost whispering the last part.
Kim's lips curved into a teasing, knowing smile. "You're jealous, aren't you?"
"No!" he denied immediately, a flicker of defensiveness in his voice. But Kim didn't need words—she could see the truth in his eyes, the fierce protectiveness, the raw emotion he tried so hard to hide.
She studied him carefully, her heart quietly warming at the rare glimpse into his vulnerable side. A small, soft smile tugged at her lips, one that spoke of understanding, amusement, and a growing affection that neither of them would admit aloud yet.
"Let's go home," Yvess said finally, turning and walking ahead, his steps confident, but each one carrying the weight of his emotions.
Kim followed silently, her gaze lingering on him. She felt a strange, comforting sense of belonging—like for once, the world had narrowed down to just the two of them, and in this rare, quiet moment, she was entirely his.