Rey Jhon went back to the gate when he remembered that he still needed to bring Gabriella home, even if he really didn’t want to. But since that was her father’s order after he sent him Gabriella’s information, he had no choice but to sigh and drag his feet back to the university. Carrying his bag and his almost-broken shoes, he asked himself again why he even entered this kind of work?

Why? How many times would he keep asking himself? He sighed again, a heavy, rattling sound that seemed to mock his own exhaustion as he stared at the rusted bars of the gate.

The evening air felt thick and stagnant, carrying the faint, metallic scent of the fence and the distant hum of the city beginning its night cycle. Even if he found the answer, his life wouldn’t change; he was still the same Rey Jhon, trapped in a loop of obligation. His fingers curled tightly around the straps of his bag, his knuckles whitening as a fresh wave of irritation pulsed through him. Every step back toward the university felt like wading through wet cement, his body protesting the very task his bank account demanded he complete.

He offered a stiff, involuntary nod at the security guard, whose silhouette was framed by the flickering yellow light of the guardhouse. The man kept glancing at the wall clock, the rhythmic ticking echoing in the sudden quiet of the campus entrance. When the guard saw him, he cracked a small, knowing smile and asked why he had returned so soon. Rey Jhon felt his face heat up, a prickle of embarrassment stinging his neck. He didn’t even know why he was truly back, at least not in a way he was willing to admit to a stranger.

“I forgot something,” Rey Jhon answered.

“What did you forget?” the guard asked again.

The question hung in the air, heavier than the humid night. Rey Jhon felt his pulse quicken, a sharp drumbeat against his ribs that matched the erratic flickering of the yellow bulb above.

He scrambled for a plausible lie, his mind racing through a list of forgotten items, a book, a charger, his dignity but his tongue felt like lead. The lingering annoyance of having to return for Gabriella bubbled just beneath the surface, mixing with a cold prickle of anxiety. He stood there, trapped in the harsh, uneven light, acutely aware of the guard's persistent, curious gaze.

The man didn't look away; instead, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes tracking every nervous twitch of Rey Jhon's jaw as if he could peel back the skin and see the truth beneath. The scrutiny made Rey Jhon feel exposed, stripped of his usual composure and reduced to a suspicious figure in the dark. Finally, he forced his lips into a stiff, unconvincing smile that reached nowhere near his eyes.

Not what but who, he whispered to himself. He didn’t know their guard was this nosy.

If the Don hadn’t promised him a big salary, he would never agree to this kind of setup, to be a babysitter of that spoiled girl. Babysitter! With his good looks? He wasted so many beauty products just to end up being called a babysitter.

And no matter what, he would never accept being Gabriella’s babysitter. She already hurt him when she threw money at his face, and to make it worse, she even kicked his “golden egg.” Did she really think he was some kind of rapist? With his beauty? Please. If he had abs, maybe people would call him that, but with just his fair skin and looks? Never! Even if he were straight, he still knew how to choose and he would never choose someone like Gabriella who looked like she swallowed a whole box of white chalk.

After answering the guard, he went straight to the high school building. A lot of girls still tried to get his attention, but he just couldn’t care less. Same way he couldn’t find his “heart” as a man.

He quietly entered the small gate since the high school guard wasn’t around. The place was almost empty, only the sound of a small radio filled the silence.

If it weren't for Gabriella, Rey Jhon wouldn’t have set foot in the high school department even if you paid him a fortune. It felt alien, like a relic of a past life he’d actively tried to forget. He had zero reason to be here, no friends, no business, and certainly no desire to rub elbows with the younger crowd. Yet, here he was, his footsteps echoing too loudly in the hallway, an unwanted ghost wandering through a space that felt entirely beneath his current station. Every step was a testament to the bitter irony of his new arrangement, a constant, nagging reminder that his freedom had been traded for a high-maintenance assignment.

When he reached her classroom, it was already locked. No students, no teacher. The padlock proved no one was inside. He sighed and started to step back.

“Promise, you’ll like this.”

His ears twitched when he heard a familiar voice. Slowly, he walked closer to where the sound came from, his heart pounding like drums. He wished he had heard wrong.

But the nearer he got, the louder his heartbeat grew. It felt like he was inside a disco bar with the bass beating in his chest. His breathing became hard.

“Oh, Carlo.”

His eyes widened, his entire body locking into a sudden, jarring stillness as if his joints had been fused by a lightning strike. He knew that voice, the sharp, unmistakable cadence of Gabriella but it was distorted now, stripped of its usual haughty edge. His breath hitched, snagging painfully in a throat that had gone bone-dry in an instant. The sound cut through the heavy silence with a nauseating clarity, a visceral moaning of Carlo’s name that made his stomach churn.

A sharp, electric shock of irritation surged through him, followed closely by a disbelief so heavy it felt like a physical weight tightening across his chest, crushing the air from his lungs as the reality of what was happening behind that classroom wall finally, brutally settled in.

Damn it! Were they really that desperate, doing it behind a classroom? His scalp tingled in irritation.

His steps grew heavier. He already guessed that it was Gabriella and Carlo at the back of the classroom. He thought their story was over, but clearly, he was wrong. Carlo’s tears earlier were wasted because here was the continuation. If only he were the writer of Carlo’s love story, he would never let Gabriella be the ending. But sadly, he wasn’t the writer.

Still, if it were up to him, he’d make sure Gabriella got her own ending, far away from Carlo.

“Hey!” he shouted, cutting through the fire that burned between Gabriella and his crush.

Even though the place was dark, he was sure Gabriella’s porcelain face turned bright red, like floor wax they used as a project in high school.

He saw her pull away from Carlo and even fix her uniform like nothing happened. He thought she’d run from embarrassment, but no. What shocked him more was Carlo’s reaction, a hard punch landed on his face.

“Idiot!” Carlo yelled, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall. Another punch was ready, but when the light from a nearby post hit Rey Jhon’s face, Carlo froze. His fist stopped midair.

“I know I’m an idiot,” Rey Jhon said bitterly, “but at least I’m not like you! A pervert!”

I’m only a pervert when you’re my wallpaper, his mind whispered.

“None of your business!” Carlo shouted. “You shouldn’t interfere!”

“None of my business?” Rey Jhon scoffed, wiping his lip that felt bloody. “Gab is my girlfriend. Even if you’re my friend, I won’t—”

Carlo’s fist grabbed his collar again, slamming him back to the wall. His head shook from another punch.

I don’t want a hotdog, Rey Jhon muttered inside. This wasn’t the Carlo he knew. He never thought Carlo would actually hit him just because of Gabriella.

Lucky girl, he cursed. Gabriella was really lucky.

“Girlfriend? Are you imagining things? She is my girl!” Carlo shouted.

“You’re crazy, man!” Rey Jhon’s hand flew on its own, punching Carlo’s handsome face. He forgot Carlo was his crush. His fist buzzed with electricity when it landed.

He thought he’d regret it, but no. Carlo deserved it. Maybe everyone thought they could handle him just because he was rich and handsome, but now Rey Jhon saw it, Carlo’s attitude wasn’t for everyone.

He was about to throw another punch when Gabriella held his arm. She stayed quiet, lips sealed.

Rey Jhon glared at her, seeing sadness in her eyes.

“This?” he mocked, pulling his hand away.

He wanted to slap himself. Why did he get dragged into this? Why did he let Carlo hit him and even punch him back?

Gabriella let go, but Rey Jhon quickly grabbed her arm. Even in the dark, he saw the way she looked at his hand holding hers.

“You’re fine being called just a girlfriend? What are you, a girl picked up from the street? Know your worth, Gabriella!” He clutched his own hair in frustration. “And letting him kiss you in this dark corner? Even if he’s my friend, if he doesn’t know how to respect you, I won’t hesitate to take you away from him!”