"Why do I have to tie you up?"
"The leader said that if I want to be jealous, it has to be to the point where others agree. I agree with everything. And you can tie me up," Jayden replied in a neutral tone. He paused for a moment. "Do you want to be jealous of me, Dan?"
"..." Facing such a direct question, I didn't know what to say.
"And me? How jealous can I be of you in our current situation?"
"What did North tell you?"
"The leader said that what you and I have now is a close sibling relationship. But if I want to be jealous and not let anyone get close to you, I have to be your partner. Being partners isn't easy; there are things you can and can't do. The leader said he would teach me later, but first, I have to become your partner."
"Wait, the leader?"
"Yes."
"North is your leader?"
"Yes, he said I have to call him that."
"Do you know what it means?"
"Yes, he said he would teach me skills."
"Skills?"
"Yes, but in return, I have to call him 'leader'."
"…Alright." North, why do you want to be Jayden's leader?
"Dan."
"Hm?"
"The leader said I should ask you how I can become your partner."
"..." I fell silent, thinking that this innocent kid never Failed to surprise me. "You want to be my partner?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"So I have the right to have you."
"Is that all?"
"To be with you, to take care of you, to do many things together, more than just as siblings. The most important thing is to be with you for a lifetime."
"Won't you get bored of always being with me?"
Jayden shook his head slightly. "No."
"Are you sure? I'll ask again."
"Yes. What should I do?"
I couldn't hold back a wide smile, feeling both happy and a little embarrassed. "Do you know what it means to fall in love?"
Jayden shook his head. "Not much, but I will do my best so that you don't feel sad," he said with a serious voice and expression.
My heart pounded. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the smile I couldn't suppress and took a moment to think before answering.
"Then, you have to get closer to me."
"Get closer to you?"
"That's right. If you manage to win my heart, we can be partners."
"What should I do?"
"I don't know. You have to figure it out yourself," I said, curious about how this kid would approach me. "Getting closer means, um, trying to make me like you."
"But you already like me, right?"
"..." I almost choked. "Well… Make me like you even more."
"Alright. Can I ask North for advice?"
"Hmm," I frowned, thinking. North seemed to know enough, but I was worried he might give weird advice. But there was no one else. I couldn't ask Nao because Tiger wouldn't let them talk for more than five sentences a day.
That would be just as strange as me giving advice on how to feel jealousy and embarrassment myself. North made Jay call him 'leader' in exchange for teaching him things, which meant North was willing to help.
"What did you two talk about earlier?"
Jayden told me, and as I listened, I realized that North hadn't actually explained anything weird. He just joked about tying Jay up with chains, but Jay took it seriously.
"Alright, you can consult with North. After all, North has already offered to be your leader."
"Yes."
"And how will you consult with him?"
"We exchanged LINE contacts."
They exchanged LINE contacts…
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"North."
"Eh, what's up, Dan? We were just talking about bungee jumping. Nao said they wanted to try it."
"Where?"
"That," North waved his hand. "After walking through the forest, we'll go down the mountain to buy barbecue supplies."
"Go down?"
"Yes, and then climb the next mountain to camp. There are adventure activities like zip-lining, bungee jumping, paintball, things like that. Are you interested? But since Nao wants to go, I think it's already decided."
"Why do we have to go up and down mountains again?"
"Because," North paused for a moment, "we forgot to buy supplies first. Why did you let me plan this?"
"Who let you plan?" Nao interrupted.
"I did. No one said anything, so I had to come up with ideas. Besides, they said the other mountain has a better atmosphere right now. We've already booked accommodation—twin houses."
"Do these mountains count as one?" I muttered. "I don't mind; it depends on what everyone wants. Anyway, has North already become Jay's leader?"
North puffed out his chest and smiled proudly. "Yes. Jayden, who is famous in the mafia world, is now my subordinate."
"You seem proud," Nao said with a bored face. "The boss of a kids' gang."
"You too, the boss of the Rusty gang."
Nao sighed. "Please don't mention that name."
"What do you need, Dan?"
"Oh, I just wanted," I scratched my cheek in embarrassment, "if Jay asks for something later, I hope you can give him advice. And thanks for helping him."
"Consulting about how to get closer to you?" North asked. "What a strange situation, like Dan asking me to give Jayden advice on how to approach Dan."
"Yeah," I admitted. "But I'm the one taking care of him, so I have to thank you."
"No problem. A leader takes care of his subordinates. Don't worry."
"Any news?" Nao asked.
"Of course. Dan, tell me your weaknesses."
"Hey?"
"If not, how can I give him advice? I don't even know what kind of person you like."
"I'll tell him," Nao offered, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you trust him?"
"What do you think?"
"Yeah, I always trust him." North patted Nao's shoulder. "Let's go tell them about bungee jumping." North then left to inform the others, leaving me alone with Nao.
"Or should I be the one to tell him?" I asked Nao.
"Tell him how to approach you? Sure, but that would be a little embarrassing."
"Not just a little, I think."
"It's better to let North handle it. He's already helped several couples get together."
"And have there been cases where it didn't work?"
"Far more than the ones that did," Nao joked. "Don't worry." He patted my shoulder lightly. "Let fate decide. And in this case, fate is North."
After walking through the forest, we took a short break before continuing our journey. We stopped to eat and buy ingredients for a barbecue on the mountain. I didn't have anything particular I wanted to eat, so I wandered around the store while the others shopped, with Jay following behind me.
"By the way, do you know what bungee jumping is?"
He shook his head.
"It's jumping from a great height, with equipment tied to your legs so you don't fall. You jump, then bounce back up."
"From how high?"
"Ah, if I'm not mistaken, about two hundred meters."
"What's the point?"
"Many people enjoy it for the thrill and adrenaline rush."
"Thrill?" Jay said softly.
"Do you want to try it?"
"And will you do it?"
"I don't think so," I answered honestly. "I'm not the adventurous type. Just watching the others is enough for me."
"Then I won't either."
"If you're not afraid of heights, you should try it. Since we're here, we should make the most of it."
"I'm not afraid of heights."
"Alright." I nodded. That wasn't hard to guess. "By the way, is there anything you're afraid of?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing at all?"
"And you?"
"Hmm, nothing in particular. The usual things, like dangerous situations or wild animals."
"I see."
"There are plenty of other activities too, like paintball."
"What's that?"
"It's a game using guns that shoot plastic pellets. The speed isn't too high, and the impact is low. It's just for fun."
"I wouldn't shoot you, even with plastic pellets."
"Then we'll be on the same team."
"And will you play?"
"I think it sounds fun. They say paintball guns have a similar weight to real ones."
"Then I'll play, but I haven't used a gun in six months. My aim might not be that accurate."
"It's just for fun. Not everyone playing is a good shooter," I said. I heard North mention that not everyone would be playing.
"And Tiger?"
"Oh right, Tiger will be there too."
"What are the rules?"
"I don't know. I guess they'll explain when we get there."
"Okay."
We walked toward where everyone was choosing meat. I could hear Nao and North arguing in the distance. What were they talking about now?
"You're being ridiculous. We're grilling in the mountains, and you want to bring wagyu."
"If you can't eat it, just go pick your salad, you idiot."
"You're hurting me. You know I can't eat that, but you still insist."
"No A5?"
"You're out of control."
"And lobster?"
"Idiot, do we even have a grill big enough?"
"Just buy a new one."
"Just take what you need. Otherwise, I won't be able to resist and end up eating too. Then what am I supposed to do?"
"You have to stay strong. You promised Tiger."
"Don't push my patience."
"I can buy whatever I want, right?"
"Normally, you don't buy this much. You know I can't eat it, but you're buying it just to tempt me."
"That's my business. You're annoying me. Go pick your vegetables," North said, turning his head away. "You like fatty cuts, right? I'll take this one, it looks juicy."
"Idiot," Nao muttered angrily before giving up and going to choose his salad. The kids went to pick out candy. I saw Dylan and Johan choosing alcohol together.
Seeing that, I turned to Jay and asked him.
"Do you want to drink alcohol?"
Jay shook his head.
"Have you ever drunk before?"
"A little, but when I get drunk, I lose control, so they don't let me drink."
"Now you can drink."
"What about you?"
"I don't really like drinking," I answered honestly. I was the complete opposite of Nao, who enjoyed drinking. I didn't drink because I didn't like the taste. If it tasted good, maybe I would. I had tried a few, but I didn't like any of them. Though sometimes, I had to drink at company events.
"I don't drink either. I don't like losing control."
"Alright. That's fine, you're an athlete, you need to take care of your health." If he wanted to drink, I wouldn't mind. I just worried about his health. Speaking of alcohol, I couldn't help but think of Nao.
Back then, Duen drank a lot—he had a high tolerance. After he had a child, he stopped drinking, but that didn't mean he didn't want to. If he saw something tempting, he couldn't resist.
Today, we had high-quality meat, alcohol, and beer. Would Nao be able to resist?
Tiger must be worried.
After finishing our shopping, it was already one in the afternoon. We headed to another mountain. After about forty minutes of driving, we arrived at the adventure activity area.
"Fei wants to play too," Fei said, pouting.
"Kids can't play these activities," Nao said. "But maybe you can try ziplining. Papa will ask for you."
"Okay!"
First, we were going to try bungee jumping. North, who had suggested the idea, was starting to look pale as he saw the jumping platform.
"Are you okay? You're afraid of heights, so why did you suggest bungee jumping?" Easter asked.
"I'm not that scared. Let's go."
"I don't think you can do it," Nao said.
"Are you underestimating me?"
"Yeah, and I wasn't wrong."
"Idiot."
We took the lift to the highest point. The elderly and kids were waiting below, along with TyPhoon and Dr. TonFah. TyPhoon couldn't join because he felt dizzy just walking through the forest. Looking down from this height, I felt a strange kind of vertigo that was hard to describe. I really couldn't do this.
While listening to the instructor's explanation, I noticed North trembling, clinging to Johan's arm. I started to worry if he could really go through with it. The instructor finished explaining and asked who would jump first. Everyone turned to the person who suggested this idea. North quickly shook his head.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't."
"See? I underestimated you because I knew you wouldn't do it," Nao said, raising an eyebrow.
"Then why did you suggest this?" Easter asked.
"I thought I could, but just being up here makes me shake. Look at my legs, they're trembling. I feel like I'm going to pee myself," North admitted, and I could see that he really was shaking.
"Didn't you say you weren't that afraid?" Easter pressed.
"Yeah, well, I'm terrified. I'm sweating. I thought I was just a little scared of heights, but this is too much. I'm going down," North said before asking Johan to go with him.
I turned to see Dylan jump. He screamed with excitement. When he got back, he asked to go again, but the instructor said he had to give others a turn first.
DaoTok went next. He jumped without hesitation. When he came back, his expression hadn't changed. He didn't look thrilled or scared. Maybe he was just not very expressive, kind of like Jay. I had rarely seen him show much emotion.
"My turn," Easter announced, clearly excited but taking a moment to gather his courage before jumping. He screamed in terror. When he got back, he collapsed to the ground. Hill helped him up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, that was fun."
"Alright, now it's our turn," Nao said as the instructor prepared his gear. I saw Nao looking nervous before he finally took the leap.
"Ahhh!" His scream was the loudest of them all. I couldn't help but laugh. When he returned, he took a deep breath.
"I can't believe I did that. And… aren't you going to jump?"
"I can't."
"And Tiger?"
"He's fine."
"Come on, since we're already here."
"Yeah." Tiger jumped without hesitation and returned with the same unreadable expression. When Nao asked how he felt, he simply said he felt calm. Then I turned to Jay.
"Are you interested?"
"No, but Dan said to try it, so I will." Jay walked up to the instructor. Once his gear was ready, he jumped, just like Tiger, and returned with the same blank face.
"How was it?"
"Nothing special."
"Alright." I smiled.
After bungee jumping, we moved on to ziplining across the water. Unfortunately, there was no zipline option for kids, and Fei looked disappointed.
"Dan, are you playing?"
"I think I can," I replied, glancing at North, who was waiting for the instructor to finish setting up his gear. "Are you okay, North?"
"My balls hurt."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, hold on," North told the instructor while shifting around. "How do I adjust this?"
"Just sit upright," the instructor advised.
"It hurts."
"Alright."
"Go ahead," the instructor pushed North forward. His scream echoed through the air.
Nao, watching him, suddenly seemed uneasy.
"Are you going to do it, Nao?"
"I wanted to, but after hearing that scream, I'm rethinking my testicle safety," Nao said, pulling out his phone. "North made it across. He just texted me, telling me to be careful because his butt hurts too. What do we do?"
"We have to try."
"No, you first."
"Can I go first?" Jay suggested. "I want to make sure it's safe since Dan is playing."
"Worried?" Nao teased. "Go ahead. Let me know how it feels through text."
"Yeah." Jay walked to the instructor. Once he reached the other side, my phone buzzed. Jay had messaged, saying he was fine and that it didn't hurt.
"He says it doesn't hurt."
"Strong balls, huh?"
"Nao," I lightly smacked his arm.
"Embarrassed?"
"Who gets embarrassed about something like that? I'm just saying you say weird things."
"Then it's fine. Because I also have strong balls. North must have weak ones," Nao took a deep breath. "Tiger, you go first."
"Yeah." Tiger crossed the zipline first. Then, Nao turned to me.
"Aren't you going?"
"Dan, you go first. And tell me if it hurts."
"Alright." I walked up to the instructor, gripped the harness tightly, and felt quite excited as I zipped across the water. I texted Dao, letting him know it didn't hurt. Not long after, I heard a distant scream.
"Ahhh! Damn it!" Nao arrived and collapsed. "You said it didn't hurt! Liar! Damn, my balls! It hurts so bad!"
"I told you," North said with a small smirk. "It hurts a lot!"
"It didn't hurt at all," I said, and both North and Duen stared at me with disapproval. I was confused by their looks.
"What?"
North replied, "Did you have to show off? So cruel. Come on, Nao, no one understands us."
"Yeah, only you understand me."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Paintball? Who's playing?" North sighed. He counted the players: Tiger, Nao, me, Jay, North, Easter, Dylan, and DaoTok. The elderly and the kids weren't allowed to play. Phi Hill and Phi Johan didn't want to play, only watch. TyPhoon couldn't play, and Dr. TonFah had to take care of him.
"Alright, let's draw teams."
Nao took a rolled-up piece of paper from North's hand.
"No way, Tiger, Jayden, and Phi Thit are on the same team," North objected.
"Why?" I asked, unrolling my paper.
"That won't be balanced."
"I'm a good shooter too," DaoTok said.
"But you'll have a handicap team: Dan, Nao, and me. I don't know if Nao can shoot."
"I've never done this before." I looked at my paper and saw that I was on the black team. My teammates were North, DaoTok, and Jay.
"Alright, we're ready. You guys finished?" I said, pointing at the opposing team and whispering to DaoTok, "Phi Thit might not shoot his husband."
"He'll definitely target me instead," DaoTok said confidently. "Look at his face. He's already smiling, ready to laugh at me."
"Alright, Easter, I'm going to fill you with holes."
"One shot only, you hear?"
"I'll shoot again, then what?"
"That's against the rules. You'll get kicked out of the field," Easter retorted while putting on his jersey and helmet.
The rules were simple: two teams, the battlefield was the forest. If someone got hit anywhere on their body, they were out. They had to raise their hands in surrender and leave the field. The last team standing won. Another important rule was no shooting at close range to avoid injuries.
I put on my jersey and turned to Jay.
"What do you think? Are we going to win?"
"Does Dan want to win?"
"I think it would be fun to play to win."
"I'll try," he said while checking the gun in his hands. "Does it hurt? Will Dan be okay?"
"With this jersey and helmet, there's no problem. Like they say, it's a safe sport if you follow the rules."
"Yeah." He raised his gun and aimed at the nearest target.
"How is it?"
"The bullets are light and slow. The gun isn't very comfortable, not like ones I've used before."
"Of course not," I smiled. Then we walked into the forest, to the designated battlefield. The other team was on the opposite side.
"Do we have a plan?" I asked my team.
"I don't know who to shoot first. Everyone on that team is a target," North said. "But if it's Nao, aim for his butt."
"Why his butt?"
"He's already in pain. We should target his weak spot."
"Can't you just shoot anywhere?"
"Dan, you don't know this, but Nao is definitely aiming for our butts too. That's why I'm wearing a scarf around my waist," North pointed at his hip. "It doesn't hurt, but if they play dirty and shoot us in the butt, what can we do? Your brother is truly evil."
"Just now, you were best friends in the world."
"In war, we fight. In peace, we love each other. Let's spread out! The battle has begun!"
"Spread out? We haven't even made a plan! Heeey!"