CHAPTER: WHEN DISTANCE ISN'T ENOUGH
KEIFER'S POV
The plane landed in Manila just before sunset.
Through the airplane window, Keifer could see the familiar skyline and the orange glow spreading across the sky.
Home.
Or at least the place he was supposed to call home.
The moment the plane stopped, people around them started standing up, grabbing bags and moving toward the aisle.
Ci-n stretched his arms.
"Finally."
Aries grabbed his suitcase without saying anything.
Angelo was already checking messages on his phone again.
Keifer remained seated for a moment.
His mind was still somewhere else.
Still in Seoul.
Still replaying the way she had looked at them.
Like they were strangers.
Ci-n nudged him.
"Earth to Keifer."
Keifer blinked.
"…Yeah."
"Let's go."
The airport in Manila was loud and chaotic.
Reporters were already waiting.
The moment Keifer stepped out, cameras started flashing.
"MR. WATSON!"
"IS IT TRUE YOU WERE IN SEOUL FOR BUSINESS?"
"WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION TO THE SINGER JAE RIN?"
Keifer stopped walking.
That question caught his attention.
Ci-n groaned beside him.
"Oh great."
More reporters rushed forward.
"ARE YOU DATING HER?"
"DID YOU MEET HER IN SEOUL?"
"WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JAE RIN?"
Keifer's expression hardened.
For a moment he considered answering.
But then he simply said,
"No comment."
Angelo stepped in front of the cameras.
"Excuse us."
Security quickly pushed through the crowd and guided them toward the cars waiting outside.
The moment they finally sat inside the car, Ci-n dropped his head back dramatically.
"I hate reporters."
Aries muttered,
"They move fast."
Angelo sighed.
"The article must have spread overnight."
Keifer stared out the window.
The city lights of Manila were starting to appear.
Traffic moved slowly through the streets.
But his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.
Because hearing reporters say her name out loud—
Jae Rin.
It made everything feel more real.
She wasn't just a memory anymore.
She was everywhere.
ANGELO'S POV
The building of Fernandez Corporation towered over the business district.
The car stopped in front of it.
Angelo stared up at the glass building silently.
Work.
Meetings.
Decisions.
Problems.
Everything he had to deal with was waiting inside.
But his mind wasn't fully there.
Aries stepped out of the car beside him.
"Ready?"
Angelo sighed.
"Do we have a choice?"
Aries shook his head.
"No."
They walked inside together.
But just before entering the elevator, Aries suddenly spoke.
"Do you think she's okay?"
Angelo looked at him.
For a moment he didn't answer.
Then he said quietly,
"I don't know."
The truth was simple.
None of them knew the life Jay had lived after disappearing.
They only knew the superstar the world saw now.
Jae Rin.
And somehow that felt even worse.
Because the girl they once knew had suffered alone.
JAE RIN'S POV
Back in Seoul…
Night had fallen.
The penthouse lights glowed softly against the city skyline.
Inside the music studio room, Jae Rin stood in front of the microphone.
Headphones rested around her neck.
Min Jae leaned against the wall while Yuna, Sora, and Jisoo sat on the couch.
Yuna tilted her head.
"So… new song?"
Jae Rin nodded.
"응."
(Yeah.)
Sora raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of song?"
Jae Rin smirked.
"록."
(Rock.)
Yuna's eyes widened immediately.
"Oh this is going to be chaotic."
Min Jae chuckled.
"That means loud."
Jae Rin ignored them and pressed a few buttons on the control panel.
The speakers suddenly blasted with the sound of electric guitars.
Heavy drums kicked in.
A strong, aggressive rhythm filled the room.
Yuna jumped up.
"OH MY GOD THIS IS FIRE."
Jae Rin stepped closer to the microphone.
Her long hair fell over her shoulders as she adjusted the headphones.
Then the music dropped—
And she started singing.
Her voice was powerful.
Raw.
Nothing soft or fragile about it.
The lyrics carried energy and defiance.
Like someone refusing to break.
Sora stared at her.
THE SONG
(This is little girl gone by chinchilla search in YouTube please<3)
______________________
Say that again, I didn't quite hear ya
Mess with the wrong bitchSo I heard you're back in town
And haven't changed a bit, man
You get off talkin' down to the little man
Time you get what you deserveWow
You're so fuckin' stupid
Been a while since my head was this polluted
Lucky I know my own worthSo ya-, so ya wanna fight me, are you big enough?
Kick the back of my knee, are you serious? (Are you serious?)
You keep on trying, but
I like your blood on my teeth just a little too muchSo bite me, slap me 'round the face
Now I'm twisting your arm 'til I hear it break
I get stronger everyday
YeahLittle girl gone, got a gun from a gangster
Run little girl, run little girl, bang, haSay that again, I didn't quite hear ya
Messed with the wrong bitch in the wrong era
I been at work and I got my badge of honour
Honey, I've changed so much since I last saw youHands off my hair, how very dare you
Ding! Ding! Hold my earrings for my debut
'Cause I pack a punch backed into a corner
Come at me, don't tell me I didn't warn yaDid you think I'd be easy? Snap me like bamboo?
Mould me into the sole of your jackboot?
Wish I could bottle the taste
'Cause I'd drink up the look on your faceSo ya-, so ya wanna fight me, are you big enough?
Kick the back of my knee, are you serious? (Are you serious?)
You keep on tryin' but
I like your blood on my teeth just a little too much (too much)So bite me, slap me 'round the face
Now I'm twistin' your arm 'til I hear it break
I get stronger everyday
YeahLittle girl gone, got a gun from a gangster
Run little girl, run little girl, bang, haSay that again, I didn't quite hear ya
Messed with the wrong bitch in the wrong era
I been at work and I got my badge of honour
Honey, I've changed so much since I last saw yaHands off my hair, how very dare you
Ding! Ding! Hold my earrings for my debut
'Cause I pack a punch backed into a corner
Come at me, don't tell me I didn't warn yaLittle girl gone, got a gun from a gangster
Run little girl, run little girl, bang, ha (ooh)Little girl gone, got a gun from a gangster
Run little girl, run little girl, faster
Little girl gone, got a gun from a gangster
Honey, I've changed so much since I last saw yaHands off my hair, how very dare you
Ding! Ding! Hold my earrings for my debut
'Cause I pack a punch backed into a corner
Come at me, don't tell me I didn't warn ya
____________________
"She sounds… different."
Min Jae nodded.
"Yeah."
Because this wasn't sadness.
This was strength.
Halfway through the song—
The beat suddenly exploded.
Electric guitars roared louder.
And Jae Rin switched into a rap verse.
Fast.
Sharp.
Her voice cut through the room like thunder.
Yuna clutched her head dramatically.
"WHAT IS THIS ENERGY."
Jisoo laughed.
"This is the kind of song that makes people jump at concerts."
Jae Rin flipped her long hair back as she rapped the final lines.
The music built up one last time—
Then suddenly stopped.
Silence filled the studio.
Jae Rin removed the headphones slowly.
Min Jae clapped once.
"That's insane."
Yuna nodded aggressively.
"This is a stadium song."
Sora added,
"Fans are going to scream."
Jae Rin smiled slightly.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Music had always been the place where she felt the most free.
Where the past couldn't control her.
She leaned back in her chair.
"이거 다음 앨범 타이틀곡 될 수도 있어."
(This might become the title track for the next album.)
Yuna gasped.
"OH MY GOD."
Min Jae crossed his arms.
"Well… the world is about to go crazy again."
Jae Rin looked out the large studio window.
The lights of Seoul stretched endlessly outside.
Somewhere far away—
Across the ocean—
Keifer was back in the Philippines.
But for now…
She pushed that thought away.
Because right now—
Her world was here.
Music.
Her friends.
And the life she had built from nothing.