When Zack saw Yuri come out, he tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. Yuri gave a slow smile, licked his lips and smacked it.

"I got an extra reward," Yuri explained and gave a low whistle, "Our beloved can really kiss."

Zack pursed his lips, getting into the car.

When Yuri told him what had happened and how it came about, Zack couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Next time, he's the one that will walk her back to her apartment.

"Well, she agreed to let us take her out every day," Yuri told Zack, "but only one of us each day."

With his eyes still on the road, Zack said, "Usual method?"

"Usual method," Yuri agreed.

"Area?"

Yuri thought for a bit, then replied, "Bronx C. There seem to be some skirmishes by pockets of local gangs lately."

With a smirk, Zack headed over.

It was simple.

They had to decide who would be the first one to take Beatrice out tomorrow. There was no point doing things like scissors-paper-stone to determine it because they always got a tie.

The only way to decide was to see who had the most knock-outs. No killing, for that was too easy. Knocking out someone was harder and required more skill.

Also, the fight club was out as that took too long. One contender at a time was also boring.

Two hours later, two identical men in differing state of unkemptness, was busy counting the fallen men around them.

"35," said Yuri.

"Hah! 36," Zack replied happily, looking up at Yuri while he was sitting on his last victim.

Without a word, Yuri came over and kicked the guy that Zack was sitting on, in the face.

"36," Yuri stated.

Zack narrowed his eyes at him, "He was MY knockout!"

Yuri shrugged, while unfolding the sleeves he had folded up before the fight, "He twitched."

Zack kicked the guy behind him, saying with each kick, "He twitched because I was rocking while sitting on him!"

Yuri gave him that annoying smile of his, "Huh, fancy that."

"YURI!" Zack shouted at him as Yuri walked away.

He tackled Yuri, flinging his arm across Yuri's shoulder, making him lose his footing for a while. They scuffled for a bit before starting to laugh as they walked away.

And so it was settled. Zack was first.

He was happy and excited, thinking of where he would take her and getting to know her better. Her likes and dislikes, her quirks and all that.

It was only after at least ten minutes had passed before those who had been hiding came out, shivering.

They never thought that their 'harmless' gang fights would garner the attention of the Dante Devils. They had thought they had already been low key, and they weren't disturbing the King's domain.

Well, not really.

Okay, so maybe a little bit.

Their gaze swept over their unconscious 'comrades' and thought, 'but wasn't this a bit of an overkill?'

✿ Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l. ✿

Kay lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea.

The entire time, Joseph was not really 'with them' in the sense that his attention seemed to be glued on his phone all the time. He was only there physically.

It was heart-wrenching for her, truth be told.

She closed her eyes and banged her forehead with her fist.

If only she had someone to talk to, but the situation would not allow it. Joseph was not only a minor, he was really … just barely entering his teens. No matter how progressive and open-minded Country Tz was, such a thing would make people look at her weirdly.

She turned around on the bed, laying on her stomach and looked at the phone.

He was just so cute!

Kay sighed and closed her eyes, putting down the phone.

Honestly, she was getting tired of this.

This constant see-sawing of emotions and the way she kept changing her mind. The hesitation, the doubt, and the longing that would pull her one way and then another.

The way her logical mind told her that this cannot be, vs her heart that was crying out for him.

Well, both heart and mind were telling her that it cannot be - for now - just that her mind was telling her 'it can never be' while her heart was saying 'just wait'.

Since Joseph is leaving, and he wasn't paying any attention to her right now, the only course of action she had was to let him go.

This love can never be or blossom. He's going to another country and they'll never see each other again.

If … just if, she still has him in her mind in five years time, she will go over to Country Tz and meet up with him. If he is single, and her feelings still remain the same, perhaps she may try then.

If he was with someone, then it's better that she just leaves quietly.

Thinking about it, Kay wondered about Kyle.

She had literally felt his anguish and despair when he had caught Sari with that other guy, Hamdan. Would she feel like that if she found out that Joseph was with someone when she goes to seek him out in Country Tz?

Even though she wasn't in a relationship with him like how Kyle had been with Sari, the pain may be similar. He had been confident of their love that he never doubted her at all while she, she would be harbouring such hope and dreams - and it would be for five years.

Kay sighed again.

Why couldn't she have the sort of love that would be easy? Like Sam?

Why did it have to be complicated and difficult, like Kyle's?

She flung her phone aside and made her decision.

She had made the decision before, and what had been happening the past few days had solidified it and strengthened her resolve.

She must leave him alone.

Let him be.

She must have her own life and see other people.

With that thought, she picked up the phone again. Scrolling through the numbers, she took a deep breath and made the call.

"Hi," Kay said once the call was picked up.

✿ The next day ✿

Joseph followed the girls to the Mall that Kyle had done that spiderman stunt.

At the entrance, he told them, "I'll go explore on my own. Just call me when you are going to have lunch."

Kay smiled at him, nodding, and hiding her disappointment, "Sure. It'll be around 11am or so."

"Sure," Joseph said distractedly, as he placed the wireless bluetooth earbuds into his ear. He walked off after giving them a wave without even looking at them and Kay sighed as she watched him go.

The first place Kay brought Lianne was the area that Kyle had done the rescue that gave him that nickname Spiderman.

Lianne looked with wide eyes at the wall and she glanced back at Kay, "That? She could climb that? Without equipment?!"

"Cool, huh?" Kay said with a smile.

Lianne nodded, "Lit AF."

"Lianne!" Kay gasped, looking at her in shock.

"What?" Lianne replied, looking at her innocently, "I just said AF, not the actual word, right?"

Kay laughed, "Kyle's gonna freak if he hears you talk like that."

"Nah," Lianne said, disagreeing, "Mama's cool that way. As long as I don't say it in front of Papa."

Kay was silent, then just as she was going to ask her about Stephan, Kyle contacted her.

"Hold on," Kay said to Lianne, "Kyle's talking."

Lianne nodded and continued to look out out the mall balcony.

It really seemed like some sort of magical novel story. First, her mother passed only to have been reborn as a male. A very rich, handsome and successful male at that.

Coming here was simply her way of coping and accepting what had happened to her mother. Reading about it was one thing. Seeing the past, and touching the same things her mother had in her new life, made things much more 'real' to her.

Lianne turned to look at Kay for a while, thanking God that Mama had Kay with her this entire time. Mama had always been the type that clung to people, and needed people with her, so Kay was her anchor in this life.

For that, she was eternally grateful to Kay.

She looked at Kay again, and at people around them. One could see the admiring glances that went her way, yet she wasn't bothered by it. If Lianne hadn't known that Kay was actually talking to Kyle right now, she would not have realised it.

Perhaps she should learn that skill. Then maybe Papa wouldn't be on her case so much for having that 'not quite there' facial expression.

Lianne took a deep breath and sighed.

How she wished she could stay here.

"Guess what?" Kay asked, breaking her thoughts, "You're migrating here."