My Gangster Boyfriend

I continue walking while tightly gripping the umbrella, serving as my shield against the heavy rain. I briefly stop and raise my hands, attempting to catch the raindrops with my palms.

Pluviophile. That's what they call people who love rain like me. It's amusing to think that, somehow, I belong to a group in this world. Often, those around me make me feel like I don't belong to them.

As my gaze wanders, I notice that it's flooding. It's surprisingly easy for this place to flood. It's only been two days since my family and I moved here, and it seems like we might have to relocate again.

I don't know how I'll get home. Why did I even wish for vinegar to go with our meal today? Now, I'm tasked with buying it.

"Oh, what?! Is that all you can handle?"

That shout quickly grabs my attention. I look around to find its source and see a group of guys in school uniforms surrounding someone lying on the ground.

My eyes widen as one of the guys kicks the person on the ground. I'm surprised when the person doesn't react. It seems like they lost consciousness and didn't feel the pain from the kick.

"Let's go! This guy isn't worth anything! I thought he was tough!" shouts the one who kicked the helpless person.

There are more than ten members in their group. It's like they belong to a powerful gang. As they disperse one by one, I cover myself with the umbrella, hoping they won't notice me while they walk away.

I cautiously peek and check if they've left. Once I'm sure they're gone, I breathe a sigh of relief and quickly approach the person lying on the wet pavement. When I get close, I'm captivated by his gentle face. Am I seeing this right? He looks like an angel.

I slowly approach him and tap his shoulder.

"Brother! Brother! Wake up!" I say.

I manage to cover my mouth when he groans. It means he's still alive!

"Well, actually, Miss, you don't have anything to worry about because he just fell asleep due to the excessive alcohol he consumed," the doctor explained.

"A-alcohol?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes," he replied. "He's just drunk, so he lost consciousness. He'll wake up shortly, and there's nothing to be concerned about. Excuse me." After saying that, the doctor left. I followed him with my eyes until he exited the door.

Drunk? I thought he passed out from being beaten earlier, but it turns out he's just intoxicated. I look at the clock. I've been in this hospital for two hours, and he still hasn't awakened. I'm sure Mama is getting impatient, waiting for me to bring back the vinegar she asked for.

I shift my gaze back to the sleeping angel beside me. Why hasn't he woken up yet? And why did he even drink? There's nothing about him that suggests he drinks. He looks kind.

My heart races when I see him furrow his brow, followed by the movement of his fingers. Wait, is he waking up? In a panic, I press the emergency button in the room to summon the nurse quickly.

"Miss, what happened?" the nurse asks, swiftly approaching the angel.

She places something like earphones in his ears, and the tip, a circle, is used to listen to his heartbeat. As she's about to place the circle on his chest, someone taps her hand.

"S-Sir?" the nurse says in surprise.

I approach them, and I'm taken aback when I see the angel's eyes. He gives the nurse a hostile glare.

"Where the f*ck am I?" he asks. What the f*ck?

"You're in the hospital, Sir," the nurse timidly responds.

"What the f*ck, did you say?! Hospital?! How the f*ckin' hell did I get here?!"

I gulp at the words I'm hearing from him.

"Sir, please calm down." The nurse attempts to touch him, but he quickly stops her.

"Don't you even dare, you stupid f*ckin' nurse! Who the hell gave you the right to touch me?! I don't want to have germs coming from your f*ckin' dirty hands. Stay the f*ckin' hell away from me."

Stupid f*ckin' nurse? I gulp again. Are those the words I'm really hearing from him? Germs? F*ckin' dirty hands?

"Miss, I'll step outside for a moment." The nurse angrily and insultingly excuses herself.

My eyes widen upon hearing her words. I want to protest, but before I can, she has already left the room.

I gulp and nervously look at the an-scratch that. I gulp and nervously look at the cursing machine.

"You stupid woman," he says. "Why the f*ckin' hell am I here? How the hell on Earth did I get here?" he continues with a barrage of questions.

I gulp again before gathering the courage to respond. "W-well... I saw you lying on the floor, so I brought you-"

"You f*ckin what?! So you f*ckin touched me?! Sh*t! I will kill you!"

I gulp once more. It feels like my nose is bleeding from his words. What did he say? He's going to kill me?!

"Ah, sh*t!" he curses again as his cellphone rings. "Damn! This stupid obsessed b*tch," he mutters while looking at his phone.

My heart pounds again as he glares at me. He signals for me to come closer, and I do so immediately. I fear what he might do next.

I'm startled when he suddenly throws his cellphone at me. Fortunately, I catch it.

"Pick up the call and tell her to f*cking leave me alone."

I nervously glanced at his ringing cellphone. It continued to ring.

"Damn it! Answer the goddamn phone!" he angrily commanded.

I quickly answered it. "H-hello?" I stammered to the caller.

"What the f*ck?! Where's Jack, and who the f*cking hell is this?!" came the voice on the other end.

Oh, God. Why do I keep hearing this? Please save their souls.

"Can't you f*cking talk, you b*tch?! Who's this?!"

I looked back at the cursing machine in front of me. "Wh-who am I?" I asked him.

"Tell her you're my stupid f*ckin' girlfriend. Damn it," he ordered.

Okay...

"Uhm... This is her st-stupid f-f*ckin' girlfriend," I replied to the caller, following his instructions.

"What the f*ck?" the cursing machine cursed again. "You're not supposed to say the stupid and f*ckin' thing. I can't believe I'm having this conversation with someone as stupid as you," he grumbled.

Me too! I can't believe I'm talking to someone like him. Duh!

"F*ck! Give me that phone! Stupid!" he commanded. I handed him his cellphone, trembling. "Damn! Germs!" he said as if disgusted, taking his phone that I held. How dramatic!

He angrily placed the phone to his ear. "B*tch, f*ckin get your thoughts straight because I'm going to say this one last time so you could get it through that stupid thick-headed skull of yours. I'm f*ckin over you, and I'm dating somebody else now. So move on, alright?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I stood there, dumbfounded. I never thought someone like him existed in this world.

After ending the call, he looked at me and then glanced down at my trembling hand. I felt like I had lost all the blood in my body, and my face turned pale out of fear.

"Sh*t. Get your ugly face out of my sight! Go home, you cry baby!" he yelled.

My eyes widened when I heard what he said. Is he sending me home? Is he letting me go? Without hesitation, I rushed to the door, but before I could touch the doorknob, I was shocked when someone grabbed my shoulder and faced me in his direction. My body trembled as I met his hostile gaze. He pushed me against the door, cornering me.

"What the f*ck is your name?" he asked. My goosebumps immediately rose as I could clearly see the seriousness in his demeanor. What if I give him a different name?

"Don't even think about it. I'm gonna cut your tongue if you dare," he threatened. How did he know what I was thinking?

"I'm a very impatient person. Your name," he impatiently insisted, making it clear that I had no other choice but to answer his question.

"Jasmine," I nervously replied. "My name is Jasmine."

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it seems like his reaction changed upon hearing my name. He slowly distanced himself from me, creating a decent space between us. After a while, he lowered his head and grinned as if insulted.

"Leave," he ordered, with apparent anger.

I quickly grasped the doorknob behind me, turned it, and opened the door. I ran out swiftly, not daring to look back out of fear.

"Summer!" Mama shouted as soon as my foot stepped into the house.

"M-Ma..." I nervously replied.

"Where have you been?! Come on! How far is our house from the store?!" she yelled in frustration.

"Well, Ma, you see..."

"Ah, I don't need your explanation. Have your meal; tinola is ready," she said.

"Yes, Ma," I replied, quickly running towards the kitchen. "Oh, by the way... Ma!" I called out.

"What now?" she asked irritably.

"Can we please move again? It's weird here. There are so many gangsters!" I yelled and then sat hastily at the dining table.

Unbelievably, I surveyed the whole class. Some girls were busy applying makeup, while others threw random objects at each other. Some were flying paper airplanes, and a few engaged in wrestling at the back while other boys cheered.

"Class, may I have your attention please?!" our teacher shouted.

For a moment, my classmates became quiet as she spoke. Surprisingly, they still knew how to listen to the teacher.

"She will be your new classmate. Be nice to her, okay?" Ma'am announced.

After our teacher said that, my classmates resumed their activities. They became loud and chaotic again.

"Introduce yourself, dear," Ma'am instructed me shyly.

Reluctantly, I smiled at her and faced my classmates, who didn't bother to give me any attention.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Summer Pascua," I introduced myself.

After I finished speaking, to my surprise, a crumpled paper hit me in the face, causing the whole class to burst into laughter.

"Alright, dear. Take your seat now," Ma'am awkwardly instructed.

I looked around, and the only available seat was at the back, next to the window. What? I'll sit at the back, next to an annoying guy who will be my Prince Charming? How cliché.

I started to step towards my seat, but suddenly, a foot blocked my way. I looked to see whose foot it was, and I was greeted by the face of a girl who looked like a clown due to her heavy makeup. Is she trying to trip me?

"You look familiar. Wait..." she said, turning to her seatmate. "Hey, girl, isn't she the one? The wanted girl?"

What? Wanted?

Her seatmate looked at me. "Yeah! She does look like her! Damn, she's even uglier in person!"

I couldn't believe I stood there dumbfounded by their words. What did they say? U-ugly? Oh my God. How did I even enter this school? Why did everyone seem decent during the entrance exam yesterday? Why does my first impression at Tan Siu International Academy feel ruined now?

"Miss Pascua, please take a seat," Ma'am ordered.

"Uh, yes," I replied, quickly bypassing the girl's foot.

I sat next to the window. Surprisingly, the whole class remained silent, and all attention was on me.

"Uh, Miss Pascua, may I request you to please choose another seat? That seat is already taken," Ma'am said.

"Oh, sure, Ma'am," I replied, quickly moving to the next available seat.

The entire class still had their attention on me, and it became deafeningly quiet.

"Even that seat is taken, Miss Pascua," Ma'am said with an awkward smile.

I stood up again and went to the farthest seat, next to the wall.

"Is this okay?" I asked.

Ma'am smiled in response, and I took my seat. The whole class remained fixated on me, their silence becoming unbearable.

"Miss Pascua, would you mind moving to another seat? That one is also taken," Ma'am said with a forced smile.

"Ah, okay, Ma'am," I replied, quickly moving to another seat.

The whole class still stared at me, and it seemed like the tension in the room increased.

"Guys! She's here! Hurry up! Let's go watch!" shouted a sweaty guy as he ran out.

All my classmates hurriedly left the room, following that guy. In just a few seconds, it looked like our classroom had been abandoned, with chairs scattered and papers flying.

I looked at Ma'am in confusion as we were the only ones left. Suddenly, she also exited the classroom. What's happening? Since I was alone, I reluctantly stood up and left the room. If there's no class, I might as well go home and study there. It seems like I should focus on self-study instead of constantly transferring to different schools.

I was stopped in my tracks when I encountered other students running towards me. In the chaos, I got pushed, and I found myself running along with them.

"I shouted, 'Wait! Please don't push me!' But it seemed useless as everyone else was also yelling, and I couldn't hear my own screams. I reached the school's covered court, my own feet seemingly not under my control. Despite the crowd inside, students pushed me to get in, almost crushing my small, frail body.

Out of self-pity, I knelt and crawled to find a spacious, empty area. I continued crawling until I abruptly stopped when I saw a guy collapse in front of me. Terrified, I sat back. Looking up, I witnessed more guys falling. I covered my eyes, not wanting to witness brutality.

"Wow, he's strong! He can take down a gang even by himself!"

"Did you hear? Those idiots spiked his drink, so he got drunk and passed out. Serves them right."

I glanced at two girls beside me filming the chaos. Startled, they looked at me, and I quickly averted my gaze.

"Wait. Look, isn't that him? The wanted guy?"

They looked closely, then pulled out a paper from their uniform pockets. They examined it before looking at me again.

"Oh God, he's the one who brought Jack to the hospital!"

My heart pounded. Hospital? Wanted? Please tell me the Cursing Machine isn't here!

I cautiously stood up and approached the two.

"Uhm... Do you know me?" I asked awkwardly.

They nodded slowly in response.

"H-how?" I nervously questioned.

They slowly showed me a paper they held, revealing a drawn and photocopied image of my face. It looked like I was a missing person being hunted down, but the text read "Wanted: Dead or Alive!" with a reward of fifty thousand pesos. You've got to be kidding me!

I looked back at the two girls to talk to them, but they recoiled as if scared. Glancing around, I noticed many people staring at me.

Okay, what's going on? I don't want anyone's attention. Please, I want them to look away. I'm scared. This anxiety...

To my surprise, someone suddenly hugged me from behind, causing everyone to gasp. The person let go, but held my shoulders, facing me towards him.

"There you are, silly. Finally," the guy who hugged me said with a meaningful smile.

My eyes widened in disbelief. How in the world? How?!

Suddenly, he embraced me and faced me towards a girl with a scowling and frowning face, resembling an angry dog. She had a closed fist and looked ready to growl.

"Meet my new girlfriend. Now it's proven, isn't it?"

I almost gaped at what he said.

"How can I prove that when you used me too? You just made others believe you're my girlfriend because you're still bitter about Jasmine!"

I looked at the Cursing Machine as he tightened his grip on my shoulder.

"You want proof? Fine." He answered with obvious irritation. "Damn, I hate public displays of affection," he said and suddenly grabbed both my cheeks, bringing his face close to mine.

He stared seriously into my eyes and smirked.

"You liar. I really am going to cut your tongue," he said.

My eyes widened at his next action. It felt like the world stopped spinning after he claimed my lips.

Moments passed, and he quickly withdrew his lips from mine. He straightened up and looked at the girl in front of us while I remained stunned by what he did.

"Need more proof?" he said, smirking at the girl in front of him.

Slowly, I raised my hand and touched my lips. It's the first day of class, and I've already lost my first kiss to this...ugh! Jerk?! I don't even know who he is! This is... Oh, God!

"In freaking Disney movies, a kiss from a prince will wake the princess up. Then why the heck did you faint, you little cheating jerk?"

I immediately sat up upon seeing the gangster cursing machine beside me. What is he doing here, and why- I glanced around. He was lying next to me. Lying down. We're on the same bed.

I looked at my body, still in my uniform. Glancing at him, he was in uniform too, lying irritably facing me. Huh! How dare he look at me after kissing me?

"Where am I? What is this place? Where did you take me?!" I angrily asked him.

He rubbed his head and slowly sat up. "You have the freaking nerve to shout at me?" he asked irritably.

I gulped in fear. I wanted to yell at him, but I couldn't. "You censored thing! Ugh." I could only manage to express my annoyance.

"Censored freaking what?!" he furrowed his brows.

I was about to answer, but I was interrupted when the curtain beside us suddenly opened, revealing a girl in a uniform similar to mine.

"Hey!" she awkwardly greeted.

I was surprised when the cursing machine abruptly pulled me towards her.

"What the hell are you doing here? My girl and I still need to rest," he said to the girl.

I couldn't believe it. I just stared in shock. Unbelievable. His girl and him?! What the *censored* is he talking about?! He's using me again to drive away girls who like him!

"O-ohmm," the girl seemed surprised. "So the rumors I've been hearing are true. You really have a girlfriend," she said, smiling visibly forced.

I looked at the gangster beside me. He looked at the girl in front of us with disdain. "None of your freaking business, Jasmine. What the heck are you doing here anyway?" he arrogantly asked.

He's really so rude. I've never heard him talk without cursing or being rude!

"I heard you were in the clinic, so I came," the girl replied. Clinic? So we're in the clinic. "I know how much you hate hospitals and clinics, so I visited you."

I looked back at the cursing machine next to me. He laughed mockingly. "Really? But why would you do that? Who even are you?" he asked, sounding insulting.

The girl seemed hurt by his response, but she forced a smile despite the embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry then," she said and quickly left.

I returned my gaze to the gangster next to me. It's like he doesn't care that he hurt that girl's feelings. She cares for him, but he just embarrassed her. This gangster knows nothing! And how on earth can he hold my hand?!

He looked at me when I pulled my hand away from his grasp. I glared at him, but he didn't react. I kept watching as he suddenly stood up. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and was about to walk away when I stopped him.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm leaving. Can't you see?" he replied but remained with his back to me.

"I'm asking where you're going, not what you're doing. Don't you have brains?" I quickly retorted.

He faced me, annoyed by my response. Well, I guess I got him there.

"I guess I should really cut your tongue right now," he said, looking at me seriously.

I swallowed when he stepped closer to me. What? Is he serious? He approached me and leaned even closer. I covered my mouth when he held my chin and lifted my face. He's really scaring me!

"Don't touch me, you censored thing!" I shouted.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" he furrowed his brows.

He's a fu-censored thing! Huh! He should be grateful I don't know how to curse. I can't even say the word fu-censored! Ugh! I can't say it!

"You know what? You're a jerk. Oh no! You see? I've caught your curse. You're a bad person. A bad influence. Next time you want to curse, just say censored so you don't infect innocent people!" I yelled.

His brow immediately furrowed. "F*ck, what did you say? Innocent people? Hey, you're nothing but a cheater. A liar. You should rot in freaking hell. You don't freaking deserve to live, do you know that?"

I froze at his words and instinctively clutched my chest. "What did you just say?" I asked, unbelieving.

He seemed surprised as my eyes welled up with tears. Quickly, I wiped my damp cheeks. He doesn't deserve my tears. Stupid gangster! Ugh! I cursed him in my mind again.

I stood up from the bed and started to walk away. I asked him where he was going because I'm new to this school and I'm in the clinic. I don't know where to go. He's such a terrible person! I regret helping him last week. Ugh. I'm so bad for even thinking that.

I faced him. "I'm sorry," I said. He furrowed his brows at my words. I took a deep breath before continuing. "Sorry for thinking that maybe I shouldn't have helped you last week and brought you to the hospital."

He forced a smile upon hearing what I said. "You know what? Will you just stop acting like some kind of a good person? I know a person who can act better than you do. And frankly, it won't work with me anymore so just stop."

I gave him a harsh look after hearing those words. "Fine. Forget it. I take back all the words I've said. You deserve to die. Many people deserve to live more than someone as despicable as you!"

I was taken aback when he grabbed both my arms and pushed me against the wall. I looked up at him with a stern expression.

"Why? Does it hurt to hear the words you said to me earlier? It's not just you who feels in this world. So if you can, be careful with your words. You hurt people." I said, irritated.

"You think you care about other people, but trust me when I say, we are all born selfish, so why do I have to care for anybody when in fact they also don't give a damn about me?" he replied.

Boldly, I pushed him away from me. "Why do you need to care? Because you don't know how other people feel," I retorted. "I almost died when I was nine. I almost drowned, but my father saved me and died for me instead. My father should have been alive and breathing, and you should have died in his place instead." I said and quickly ran away from him.

After class, I quickly packed my things to head home. I glanced at the clock, and it was exactly five in the afternoon. As I was about to leave the classroom, I was startled when someone covered my head with a black cloth. I was about to scream, but the girl beside me spoke.

"Try to scream, and you won't make it home alive," she threatened.

Fear gripped me, so I refrained from making any noise or even moving. I almost stumbled when she suddenly pushed me.

"What's wrong? Are you lame? Walk faster!" she shouted and pushed me again.

I started to walk with two people gripping both my arms.

"She's surprisingly obedient." The girl beside me remarked.

After walking for a considerable distance, the two girls holding my arms stopped me.

"Is this her?" asked the girl with a familiar voice.

"Yes, Cherry, it's her," replied the girl behind me.

They finally removed the cloth covering my head. When the fabric was gone, their faces confronted me, and I recognized one of them. She was the reason why the cursing machine kissed me, ugh! Everything was her fault!

"So, you're the one?" Cherry said, scrutinizing me from head to toe. "He doesn't like people like you!" she added, then forcefully pulled my hair. I instinctively held my head as she hurt me.

"Tell me, what did you do to make him like you? Did you blackmail him?"

"W-What are you talking about? Let go of my hair!" I shouted.

She suddenly pushed me, causing me to sit on the floor. I looked up in surprise as she approached me with crossed arms.

"Woah, look what we have here."

We all turned to the side upon hearing a familiar voice. Here comes the arrogant cursing machine. I glared at him when he looked at me.

He approached us, and I was surprised when he helped me stand. I wondered why he wouldn't look me in the eyes. The girls who kidnapped me took a step back when he looked at them.

"You can't just touch my property, and you know that, right?" he calmly asked the three, and I was shocked when he suddenly held my hand.

I looked at him, but he still avoided eye contact. What is he doing? Turns out he's quite good at playing the superhero.

"We're sorry-"

"Never mind. Just don't bother us again," he replied, emphasizing the word 'us.' I wondered why I wasn't hearing any cursed words from him.

"We'll comply!" they replied, then hastily ran away.

Once they were gone, I pulled my hand away from him. "What are you doing? Trying to be a hero? Forget it, okay? I don't need help from a gangster," I said.

I was surprised when he suddenly pulled me.

"What are you doing?!" I asked, but he didn't answer and continued pulling me. What's his problem?!

I watched as he downed his tenth bottle of beer. His cheeks were already flushed, but he continued to drink in silence. He brought me to a bar, yet he didn't utter a word to me. He just let me observe him. Whenever I attempted to stand up and leave, he pulled me back down, preventing me from attempting to escape his grip.

"Why did you faint when I kissed you? Are you sick?" he suddenly asked.

I immediately felt my face heat up at his question. Why did he find it so easy to bring that up?

"Your face is red."

I was taken aback when he placed his hand on my forehead. "Are you really sick?"

"I'm not," I replied coldly, moving his hand away and turning my face.

"Well then, I think I am sick."

I looked at him, puzzled by his statement.

"I am probably sick. I kissed you, and I'm sure there are germs inside my body now," he seriously said.

How dare him?! I stood up, grabbed my bag from the table. I was about to leave, but he quickly stood up and stopped me.

"You can't leave yet. I'm still talking to you," he said.

I angrily faced him. "Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk to you anymore. Buy someone else to talk to." I retorted and turned away, but he immediately grabbed my arm.

"How much are you?"

"What?!" I asked in disbelief.

"I want to talk to you, so I'll buy you. How much are you?"

I angrily removed his hand from my arm and looked away.

"Why don't you just say you want to talk to me? You're being too roundabout!" I complained.

He let me go, but he resumed drinking his beer quietly. What's his problem?

"I didn't mean what I said. I was just mad. It was just that you were so annoying and-"

"Just say the word, gangster."

"I was just-"

"Stop explaining and giving me your flimsy alibi. Just say the word, and it's over," I interrupted.

"But I can't say it. I don't know how to say it!" he frustratingly admitted.

"Then forget it, I'm leavin-"

"Fine! I am f*cking sorry! I admit it. I was such a pain in the arse, and I am sorry for hurting your feelings," he confessed with obvious embarrassment.

I scrutinized him to see if he genuinely meant his apology, and he did. I sighed and gave him a small smile.

"If that's the case, you're forgiven," I said.

He furrowed his brow. "Just like that? You wouldn't even ask for more explanation before you forgive me?" he questioned doubtfully.

I nodded. "Of course."

"That's crazy," he said with irritation and shook his head.

"Why? Has someone wronged you, and you haven't forgiven them yet? Set your heart free. Everybody deserves peace of mind," I advised.

"You don't know anything. Who are you to tell me what to do?" he replied angrily.

I furrowed my brow. "Well, you're right. I don't even know your name. Who am I to meddle in your life?" I answered.

"You have no idea how it feels to be betrayed by someone you trusted the most. So don't tell me what is right or wrong because you also don't know how I feel."

I stared at him after hearing his words. I looked closely and tried to see beyond what my eyes could perceive. I attempted to sense what he was hiding. In his eyes, I found a profound sadness.

So, we've got a broken gangster here, huh?