Nathan stopped at his tracks and talked to Iain, “Can you help me carry my brother? I have blood on my hands so I won’t be able to.

Iain opened his eyes, his ears perked up as he wondered if he heard correctly what Nathan had said.

“Pardon?” Iain asked as the sounds of sirens echoed in the streets.

Nathan only looked at Iain without saying anything else. Iain understood as he carried the unconscious boy.

He looked at his fallen gang before he and Nathan went in the opposite direction of the sirens.

Does Iain regret leaving his gang behind? The answer is a plain no, why would he? They got what they deserve.

Iain lamented why he even joined the gang. It was because of the problems he faced at home, it was always a mess when he went home so he decided to hang out with ‘friends’ to pass the time, what he got into was a whole different concept of a friendship.

Well, what’s more important is his body. HE felt like even if there’s a war inside the house, if he stayed unharmed then it’s okay.

Harmed or not being harmed, that’s not even a question at all.

Iain finished retelling the forgotten memory of Neo, though he did not say some of his inner thoughts. Would Neo care if he left it out? Of course, no.

“Why did I not know this? It’s like new information for me.” Neo couldn’t grasp why he didn't remember a very memorable incident, adding to the fact that he was at the center of it all.

“It may well be perhaps a defense mechanism of your body. It deleted that specific memory, think of it as a trauma-induced amnesia.”  

Iain continued, “Check the back of your neck, I’m pretty sure the burn mark is still there. That man really pressed on the cigarette really hard on your nape.”

Neo in response checked his nape with his hand. What Iain said to him was true, there seems to be a circular skin deformation on the back of his neck.

The room stayed silent for a while.

“Well, I finished my story, let me go back to my reading.” Iain said as he grabbed back his manga and prepared to rest on the couch as Neo stopped him.

“Wait, I still have one more question.”

“Well, okay…sure, ask away.” There’s no harm in another question so Iain obliged.

Neo wanted to clarify if his instinct is correct, he asked Iain, “Do you think my brother would seek revenge?”

Iain only smiled and said, “You know the answer to that question.”

He laid on the couch as Neo stared blankly.

“You don’t have to worry, he’s older than before, I doubt he’ll lose. He also isn’t alone this time. You, his weakness, is protected here, and besides do you know who sponsored you here.” Iain continued as his body faced the opposite of Neo.

 “Isn’t it you? Or is it Nathan?” Neo wondered.

“It was me at the start but someone called and paid the hospital in full for your recovery, and you can see from your room that it isn’t just some random room, it’s a VIP room you know. I don’t have any money to afford this kind of room, I am the sole worker at my place, how can I do that? What I planned was to ask my friend.” Iain continued.

“Then who is it? Are they the one who said is probably helping my brother with Maddox?”

“Probably, I’m almost a hundred percent certain. It’s because the one who paid for your hospital charges is the Miller family. THE Miller Family. It surprises me, it seems that your brother’s network is really large, he also has someone in that kind of class.”

Neo was shocked, even though he knew who the Miller Family were, but he doesn’t know how his brother made contact with them. Neo thought he knew so much about his brother, but it seems that Nathan still remains as an enigma even with his family.

If Nathan knew what his brother and Iain were speculating in their brain, he might’ve puke blood on how much they are making a big deal out of it. It was just a favor from a classmate, what do they mean enigma? All bulls**t.

Though, it did enter Nathan’s mind how on Earth did a member of the Miller’s family end up in such a university, most people depicted in television and novels pertain them attending high-class university, befriending people of the same class.

The room became silent again but it didn’t take long until Neo started talking again.

‘Is this kid really talkative? Damn, a question one after another,’ Iain thought in his head but he didn’t dare say it out loud.

“Do you know why I joined the Maddox gang?” Neo’s words intrigued Iain; the latter didn’t turn to face Neo but he listened.

“I know that I’m different from my brother, it would seem to others that I’m better than my brother but it’s really not that. I know he’s intelligent, a genius to be exact. That thing that happened years ago when he had a confrontation with that martial artist? If I remember at that time, Nathan didn’t go to a gym or a workshop to study.”

“I would know since he’s always accompanying me, like a dependable older brother. I remember that what he did was just watch online videos on martial arts, a different variety at that. He also researched them with depth, there was no coaching done.”

“One time he demonstrated it by chance, there was a totally drunk dude and was about to attack us. In a few moves Nathan incapacitated him, it scared me but it also gave me strength that I have a powerful backer who would protect me.”

“I might’ve said too much, going back to why I joined Maddox’s gang. It was because I heard it in passing, they were going to have a new lacky to use, it was my best friend, when I heard that my mind just went nuts and tried to befriend them so they’ll change the target from Colton to me.” Neo said, tears dropping in his eyes.