***
Renal was greeted by his bandmates after he returned from the mall.
"Where have you been?" Lendrix Kei asks him. Lendrix is LastMinutes bass guitarist.
Renal passed the friend and entered their studio, Renal sat down on a couch before reaching for a goblet and filling it with wine. The Calyx, Coal, and Blaze are playing cards.
"Kate is looking for you," Lendrix said to Renal after entering.
"What the hell does she want from me?" Renal asked in disgust.
"I don't know, maybe she wants to talk again on how we overruled the Blackhand?" Lendrix said.
Kate is so obsessed with her business and he hates it.
"I'll talk to her later," Renal said.
"Why can't your girlfriend be content that you're already on top?" Calyx interjected into their conversation. His friends are content with what they have now. The only case is that Kate is pushing them to raise their name even more and outdo Blackhand.
The CDC is one of their fiercest opponents in the music industry but they don't want to compete, all they want is to introduce their music to the world.
"Let her be," Renal didn't want to answer before leaning his head on the headrest of the sofa.
Calyx was about to ask something when the door opened. Kate's steady appearance was startled there.
"Where have you been Renal? I was looking for you!" he growled at the young man and waved at the door. Renal didn't move but just stared at the ceiling.
"Breath some fresh air, what do you want Kate?" he asked the girl lazily.
Kate folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at the man.
"I want you to write a song for your album. I heard the other camp shoot their music video in Palawan. I can't allow us to be ahead of album sales again!"
"Why do you want to compete with them, Kate? Your entertainment is also in the lead in the music industry," said Renal.
"My company is in the second spot Renal, I can't always be second!"
The young man let out a sigh.
"Do whatever you want but I won't obey you, Kate," he was also tired of following this woman! Renal got up from his seat and walked out of the studio.
"Fine, I'll do whatever I want and I'll make sure that Ernaline will suffer through my hands," Renal stopped walking but he didn't speak. When Kate was able to leave Renal's friends approached him.
"What should we do?" Lendrix asks Renal. Lendrix is friends with Jasper and he doesn't want dirt to stain the friendship between the two.
"I'll think about it Lendrix, you can go home. Wait for me at our condo," Renal ordered his friends.
Renal got out of K.Ent first and got in his car as he drove away. His Dad calls him earlier and he wanted to talk to him about some business.
Renal quietly arrives at their Underground society where the syndicate led by his Father Roberto is located.
The young man entered his Father's office without bothering to knock on the door.
"What do you want?" he opened up to Father who was smoking a Tobacco while looking out of its window.
"I just want your cooperation Renal, it took me for a while to locate where your cousin is," said his father who didn't even look at him. Of their three siblings - he was the one appointed by his Father to lead the syndicate it stole from his Aunt Pitpit's Mother. His Father's works were not hidden from his knowledge.
He cupped his palm. "Is that all you want to tell me? I have some work to do" he said coldly.
"One of these days, you will take over the position I have as a Master of this underground business Renal."
Renal stopped talking and left his father's office. Even before he got to his car his vision immediately darkened.
*****
Sav first returned to Ernaline's condo because Annika - the manager of Blackhand - called Ernaline. They met in the lobby earlier so here they are now outside the building talking.
"I heard what happened, are you okay?" Annika asks Ernaline with a worried face. It would have wanted them in a coffee shop to talk case deep down the night so Ernaline refused. She didn't want to get to her older brother where she was going again especially since Perth didn't know that.
"I'm fine," said Ernaline.
"We were really worried when you disappeared. We were scolded at that time, I mean I'm not blaming you because you're important in the band. Fortunately, we finished your music video right away."
Ernaline smiled bitterly at Annika. It is not hidden from Ernaline's knowledge that Calvin scolded them because they are responsible for every talent that is handed to them. It's Ernaline's fault because she didn't say goodbye. Until now, she still can't watch their music video because she just came back to their condo.
"I'm sorry Annika. I won't do it again," Ernaline apologized.
"No worries. As long as you're okay, I'm fine with it. I'll go back first," Ernaline kissed Annika's cheek before she said goodbye. As Ernaline turn, she crashed into a wall - a stout chest of a man who had just blocked her path.
"What the hell is your problem?" Ernaline snaps out of nowhere.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Roaming around without me in the middle of the night?" Perth's hostile language. The young man was away all day because he did something at HuPoFEL.
The girl looked up at Perth's serious face. She smiled at him. "I'm not wandering around and it's only 9 pm," She nervously reasoned. Perth leaned down closer to her, causing her chest to tingle.
'What's his problem?'
"Reasons young lady, let's go." Ernaline couldn't help but be dragged by Perth to his car. Ernaline felt the heat of Perth's hands holding her wrist.
Perth carefully helped her get into the car before closing the door. Ernaline put on her seatbelt as Perth rolled over to the driver's seat and climbed on it.
"Try to ignore me again, you wouldn't like what I will do to you." Ernaline swallowed her lump as Perth started the car. She admitted her guilt but Ernaline couldn't find the right words to defend herself. When they landed in front of the Kuruzaki Condominium, the man took her to their lodgings.
"Take rest and don't you dare run away from me," Perth strictly instructed. Ernaline nodded until Perth pushed her into their condo. Her chest heaved as she leaned against the door.
‘What’s wrong with me? He just held my hand but why did I feel so much electricity? Am I paranoid?'
Ernaline was brought back to reality when someone pushed them to open the door, causing her to jump to the floor.
"What the fuck are you doing in front of the door?" Kaizen's irritated face startled her.
"Know how to knock the door first moron," Ernaline shouted at the man. Even though their living room is carpeted, it still hurts when they fall on it. The man exaggeratedly stared at Ernaline and just left her. Ernaline dropped her jaw and followed Kaizen's gaze.
"You son of a shit Timothy Jasper Lee! You pig!" Ernaline woke up because Saviel shouted. Ernaline immediately got up from the bed and went straight to the comfort room's sink to wash her face. Ernaline then wiped her face and neck with a dry towel before tying her hair as if through a storm.
"What's the matter with you woman, in this early in the morning?" Jasper shouted back to Saviel as Ernaline arrived in their living room.
"Those boxer shorts of yours with the telly-tubbies brand are scattered. The heck? Do you still have telly-tubbies?" Ernaline saw Saviel holding a boxer short as she looks disgusted.
Jasper, on the other hand, just gave Saviel a death glare while sitting on the sofa without wearing a top but only boxer shorts. Next to it was Kaizen who was still drowsy. It was the weekend now and they didn't have a schedule for an interview or guest. He remained standing near the stairs that were only three steps away.
The next morning, when the two shout it seems like there is no tomorrow. Sav saw Ernaline but she didn't even pay attention to Ernaline. Jasper was about to snatch his boxer shorts from Sav's hands but the lunatic immediately hid them.
"Wait. I'll take it," Saviel said as she grinned at Jasper. What will Saviel do to Jasper's boxer shorts?
"What are you going to do with my boxer? Are you going to wear it?" Ernaline was humiliated. Sometimes Jasper's mouth has no brakes even when he's talking to a woman. Where are his manners and etiquette?
The woman grinned. Ernaline finds it creepy because she knows someone is thinking about this nonsense again. "I'll sell it to your fans,"
"What?" Jasper asked incredulously.
Saviel burst out laughing. Ernaline finally left the stand and shook her head leaving those in the living room. Her brain cells can't handle what they're talking about, especially since she's just awake. Ernaline went straight to the kitchen and she caught up with Kyle and Senri who were busy eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Queen." Kyle greeted.
"Ohayo," Senri said looking too lazy to speak.
"Morning," Ernaline greeted back approaching the refrigerator and getting fresh milk. Ernaline reached for a tall glass and poured the fresh milk in the carton into it. The two had finished eating but it still wouldn't leave.
Talk about laziness? You can only see and feel them.
Carrying the milk carton, Ernaline sat in the empty chair. She felt hungry because of Jasper’s boxer shorts.
During the time they were together, Ernaline was used to seeing their bodies always naked in the morning. At first, Sav almost spat at what she saw and happily took pictures of the four.
Do you know what was she have done?
Saviel just sold to fans the half-naked bodies of the four with the caption 'Prepare rice. Your dish is already laid out '.
Sav's nonsense is even more disturbing. Ernaline would have reprimanded this but she just let it go.
"Do you have any plans for today, Queen?" Kyle cracked in silence as she scooped food onto the plate.
"Nothing, why?" Ernaline asked the man.
Ernaline was currently eating a hotdog when Kyle spoke again. "Might I ask if I can treat you out? I mean date, just the two of us?"
Ernaline almost choked on what Kyle said. Senri immediately handed her the water because it was closer to him who immediately accepted and drank it.
"It's fine with me." The girl stammered. Kyle gave her a light smile.
"I'll wait for you. Gotta go first," the young man got up from his seat before leaving the kitchen. Ernaline swallowed and followed Kyle's gaze until he entered his room.
"Don't take him seriously," Senri speaks out of the blue.
"What do you mean?" Ernaline is already infected by the craziness of her comrades. Ernaline seems to be dangerous here due to the excessive strength of its contagious virus.
"Did I say something?" Senri asked unconsciously.
Ernaline gripped the fork tightly. If she wasn't just a nice person she might have stabbed Senri in the hand.
"Talk to the hand, you're talking alone!" Ernaline stared at the man who just shrugged his shoulders before paying attention again to what he was eating.
"Not all temporary can be worth it. Might tell him what you feel before it's too late," Ernaline nodded and ignored what Senri said.
They're not that close to giving her this advice. After Ernaline ate she left Senri in the kitchen who didn't seem to be able to get up. While in the living room Ernaline found Sav and Kaizen fighting over the remote control. Jasper is in the middle of them because the two-block what he is watching on the TV action.
"Animax," Sav said.
"Netflix," Kaizen replied.
"You're gay. There's nothing good about Netflix. I haven't watched One Piece in the anime yet" Sav tweeted while holding out the remote control from Kaizen's hand.
"Shut up you two," Jasper.
Ernaline goes straight to her bedroom. When she realized -- what are the two people doing when it comes to dating?
*****