I woke up on a hospital bed as my body was covered with bandages to the areas where I either suffered a major wound or a fracture. Good news is that I'm still alive but considering how much my body is hurting all over, it seems that It may take me a week or two to recover.

"I'm more surprised that your still alive considering how much beating you take boy." - Doctor

A man with a white lab coat walks towards me as he checks up my vital signs before looking at me with a smile. I just laugh wryly since I'm familiar with this guy.

"Nothing much Doc. Just doing the same idiotic stunts as last time. Haha..." - Zekie

"Boy, you better keep your mouth shut after doing the same dumb ideas of yours." - Doctor

"Sorry." - Zekie

I look down on the bed as I realize that he was glaring at me for doing bad decisions after having been in this situation again. He isn't annoyed at me or basically just mad but was worried about my well-being due to how close he is with my father. While I don't care about that man, this guy is a nice person who worries about us and I already had been in this situation as a kid.

Once he saw about how depressed I was, he walks towards me and patted my head with a warm smile of a caring adult to a kid.

"Boy, you can't do this stunt anymore since you might end up dead if you keep this up. Your girlfriend outside is thankful for saving you so I won't scold you any further than this." - Doctor

He just sighs at me before leaving the room as the door opens again to see Trish with a tearful look on her face.

She was currently covered with a sheet due to how forceful the guys were at her but it only rips out her clothing and nothing much had done to her apart from the mark of her neck being choked and the grip mark on her arms.

"Zekie!" - Trish

"H-hey." - Zekiel

I just awkwardly smiled at her since not much in my body can move as I just sat there leaning on a pillow while she straddle on towards me.

"I-i'm so worried that...." - Trish

"This is not much for me since I once did this stunt as a kid. I'm just glad that your safe Trish." - Zekie

She sat down on the chair which was facing towards my direction as she look through the injuries in my body and feel hurt after looking like this. I just smile at her to which I decided to lay down as not to cause more pain in my body.

"Zekie....I'm sorry." - Trish

"No problem. I'm just glad to be a help to you thats all..." - Zekie

I just accepted her apology while didn't mindful of her look since I had been kinda like this since I was a kid.

Fear or not, being afraid of girls isn't just about being awkward with them but more on the psychological damage Rose gad caused me to deal with my psyche. 

After graduation, I worked part-time jobs to earn a living and not rely on my family to provide for me. The worse part was me talking to girls whom I can only speak gibberish or cutted words before I could speak with them with a human language.

Working at the internet cafe with Trish, Me and her barely interacted at first before we got along quite well that I always feel good about improving bit by bit.

But what breaks my shell was actually interacting with Kathie.

'Its okay Zekie.... You done your best...' - Kathie

It might be just an insignificant word for her to say something like that to me but from the life I've been through, I never been praised or cared by anyone other than my own mother. 

She always scolds me all the time from my misbehaviors but she also know me that I worked tirelessly for the sake of others and myself to live a happy life. She would try to pat my head for reaffirmation and would always be guiding me to be myself and true to my heart. After she had died though, it had closed my heart and saw everything to be black and white but after meeting with Kathie... 

'I'm really scared of opening up to others but if I try for a bit....' - Zekie

"Trish?" - Zekie

"Hmn...?" - Trish

She was crying by my side after all the ordeal she's been with, having been almost sexually assaulted and all but seeing my face, she began to blush  from seeing how serious I was but I just smiled at her. 

"Thank you." - Zekie

I didn't smile like an idiot like I usually did but just a genuine smile from the bottom of my heart.

At first, I always felt like I hated her for being arrogant and all but in the end, she stick by me and always been teaching me stuff. Even after learning that I have gynophobia, she always been agressive which helped me slowly cure my fear and even felt the changes before I interacted with Kathie.

If it weren't for her, I would have run away or screamed. Hell, I wouldn't even met Kathie because of her. I would just be living a normal life as just an ordinary student who never gotten a girlfriend, would work normally in my life and might had forever started to fear girls for the entire life.

So, I can't help for being thankful for Trish being herself, annoying me and being a jerk who talks to me. 

Trish who saw my face, can't help but feel emotional since I never been kinda nice to her apart from greeting her and being her co-worker who just listen to her rambles. Apart from that, I just saved her yesterday so she feels thankful and.... 

"Zekie, I lo-" - Trish

"Zekie!!" - Kathie

"Kath-guh." - Zekie

"Are you okay? Are you still alive? Did they remove your xxx?" - Kathie

"I-i'm fine Kathie.....hahaha...." - Zekie

Right as Trish was about to say something, the door was slammed opened by Kathie as she saw my injuries and rushed towards me in a frightful manner, as if I don't have any more time to live. I could barely listen to her talking as her hug had almost reopened my wound again so I can only told her to back off for a minute for me to breathe. 

"Zekie.... I-i'm so worried that...." - Kathie

"Kathie, I don't go down that easily. I'm just that tough to pass on living....Ow..." - Zekie

I tried to act strong, only for my wounds to start acting up as she came closer and whispered something into my ear.

"[Is it because of a girl?]" Her cheery tone suddenly changes into a cold and calulative tone as I felt the cold sensation that came out of her body. She was slowly releasing the bloodlust of the killing intent to which Trish hadn't notice and felt like she was just watching us from afar. I just turned to Kathie with a smile as I feel like this would be dangerous if she found out that I risked my life for another girl.

"K-kathie... I-i'm sorry." - Zekie

"........" - Kathie

I didn't hide the truth from her as I knew that she would probe me for answers. Plus, it isn't right, hiding the fact that I saved Trish. And so, with Trish's testament, we explained to her what had happened that got me into this place as she gave a warm smile towards Trish.

"I-i'm so glad your okay...." - Kathie

"K-kathie.... But I almost killed him. He had saved me but I just..." - Trish

"Its all right....its all okay Trish..." - Kathie

She hugged her in a warm embrace as Trish slowly let out her tears and began crying. I would have been happy about this touching moment if not for Kathie's dead look which I was sweating hard from the sheer terror of it being invoke. It was at it seem that she was actually gonna murder her in cold blood as she turn towards me as I can only smile.

'P-please don't....' - Zekie

'Only if she isn't after you darling~' - Kathie

While she showed me her smile, I could finally relax as she isn't gonna do anything drastic about Trish. I was actually scared that she wouldn't even hestitate to murder her own friend if it would get in the way of our love. I'm glad that Trish only sees me as just a co-worker or I might have to deal with a psychopath who wouldn't even bat an eye to her friend.

As time passes by, it seems that Trish crying made herself tire out and finally fell asleep while hugging Kathie. She had layed her on a free chair to rest and took a seat to where Trish had sat previously.

"So, when do we have sex?" - Kathie

.....................

Brain: Aight Bro, Imma head out.

With her single sentence, the room became silent as my mind had just left me.