Battle between Heart and Mind

Upon entering Jelena's room, his hands were ice cold and trembling. He swallowed the lump in his throat over and over again but his nervousness was not any less.

Voltaire was on the couch, parallel to the bed. Sitting and still in his uniform. His face muscles were tautened but his eyes remain calm. Gazing at the man entering the room annoys him thus, he's an important person to the patient.

"Jel, you okay?" Aki asked cupping his best friend's face. The girl turned to him with a glare, shifting her appearance with suspicion and doubts.

"Tell me, where were you?" She directly asked. Confusion takes over the man's countenance causing Voltaire to let out a small smirk.

"Why are you asking irrelevant things? This is about you, Jel."

His answer hurts her. She was being skeptical about the situation hence he keeps on denying it.

Women's instincts were mostly accurate. Before she asked, she got conclusions in her mind.

"Aki, tell me... Where were you?" Eyes sparkled, occupying threats of tears. Seeing shattered eyes gave him a different sting in his chest.

Aki gazed down to his feet, playing with his fingertips while biting his lips. Contemplating on his decision whether to tell her the truth or let her be deceived in a fantasy of being honest with her.

Observing his body language gave Voltaire wary intuitions. It wasn't a typical move of him to show.

"Who knows? I don't know him personally so who am I to judge." Voltaire thought. He squinted his blank eyes, intently scrutinizing Aki.

"I was cutting classes. Sorry for leaving you."

Jelena breathed a deep sigh. While massaging her temples, she can not get rid of the image in her mind sent to her via SMS. To have some solid proof, the girl showed Aki the photo.

"She is?"

Aki looked surprised with her ace card. Words are not able to escape his lip. He started wondering who took his photo with Keisha earlier. Pride and ego were whipped upon realizing that it's a stain on his identity as a spy.

"Damn Aki! Why are you being so clumsy?! You are one of the top spies! How can you let them deceive you?" He started scolding himself in his thoughts.

Voltaire became intrigued with the situation in front of him. As much as he doesn't want to interfere, his curiosity is bugging him. Guts were telling him that there's something he should know.

"What's that?" He asked snatching their tensed glances.

"It's none of your business," Aki tightly replied.

Voltaire gave him a cold shoulder and went to the other side of the bed. He leaned on the phone to see it.

Jelena looked at him with furrowed brows but the confusion immediately faded upon glimpsing his almost perfect side view. She gazed away and focused on being irritated.

"I see, Porter. You knew Keisha." Voltaire gave him a calm penetrating gaze while having a smirk.

"You know her?" Aki asked.

"I don't, who is she? I almost died being beaten up but you were with that girl. You're my only family so please tell me. Am I not your friend?" Jelena questioned, started to snivel.

"You're only a friend?" Voltaire asked Jelena with arched brows.

"So what?" Aki interferes.

Voltaire laughed out loud while holding his belly. Hitting the wall beside him while continuously cackling, having tears coming out from his lids.

Jelena and Aki gazed at each other, weirded by his behavior. To make him stop, Jelena grabs a ballpen at the nearby desk and tosses it into the weird man. Voltaire instantly came back to his awareness and had his typical poker expression again.

"Why did you laugh?" Jelena asked.

"Because you are both OA. Almost thought that you two were couples." Voltaire rolled his eyes after answering.

This time, Jelena cackles a lot while clapping her hands like a penguin. Aki glance at her and facepalmed, he doesn't know what to feel right now.

"Hahaha—Y-you thought that he and me— Hahahaha..." She cannot manage to finish a sentence due to too many cackles.

Aki breathed a sigh and mumbled.

"She and I were not yet dating." He looked straight into Voltaire's eyes. The latter clenched his fist while glancing back at Aki, containing his annoyance.

"Yet? So, you have plans?" Voltaire lazily asked.

"And you mind because?" Aki replied in a sarcastic tone.

Before Voltaire had the chance to react, Jelena stopped them by pretending to have seizures. The two men nervously gazed at her and starts checking her vitals.

"Jel! Damn, what's happening?!" Aki asked before he checked her fluids.

Now that she has their attention, she sits in her bed as nothing happened. Their jaws drop.

"You two..." Two fingers were pointing at them. "Spill me the beef. I'm gonna be frank, I always noticed the both of you having those weird tension in between. What was that, huh?!" Jelena massaged her temples before glaring at the two boys.

Voltaire is staring blankly at her while hands in pockets while Aki has his brows furrowed while biting his lower lip.

"I don't know him," Voltaire responded.

"People easily forget what they did to hurt others but that's not the same with those they've hurt. They'll never be forgotten especially the action done." Aki coldly responds.

Jelena covers her mouth in astonishment. Aki instantly walks out of the room after saying his response. Voltaire stiffened in his position, confused. Guilt is deterring him like he did something but unsure of what is it.

"Hey, boy? man? Whoever you are." Jelena called. Voltaire turned to him wearing his poker face.

"Honestly, I don't what to say—"

"Start with 'thank you' then dismiss." Voltaire nonchalantly replied earning him a glare.

"Yeah right! Whatever! Fine!" She breathes a deep side then swallows her remaining pride. "I thank you for saving me, again. Well, I don't know how to say this but I'm also in confusion about your situation with my best friend..."

Voltaire's eyes widen hearing the word 'best friend'. The heart starts to double its normal thumps rapidly. Ears were all red and a smile can't be stopped.

Noticing this weird behavior of his made him cover his face using his right hand. He tried to keep himself altogether and breathed.

"He's your best friend?" Out of nowhere, Voltaire asked a question which he wished he didn't.

Jelena furrowed her brows and her eyeballs looked in random directions, probably confused.

"H-huh? How is that relevant to your beef between Aki?" She asked.

"Nothing. Anyway, regarding what he said earlier, don't mind that. I didn't get him either so let's forget that." Voltaire approach her again and checked the bandage placed in her head.

"H-hey, ouch..." Jelena reacted as Voltaire touched the wound. He instantly flinched, removing himself near her.

"Sorry, just checking. Anyway, I better go now. I still have things to do."

Jelena feels a heavy burden in her chest hearing him leaving. As of now, she doesn't want to be alone and in need of company. The earlier scenario was traumatic for her.

Voltaire carried his bag when something reminded him, the picture. He gazed back to Jelena and noticed her aura. It was grim and dark.

"Jelena, may I have the picture you showed earlier?" He asked.

"O-oh, I don't have your n-number—"

"Here." A phone greeted her face as Voltaire showed his mobile number. She tried to act simple and not intimidated while typing his numbers but her hands were not cooperative. They were trembling!

"Your hands... what's wrong?" Voltaire asked.

"N-nothing! They're normal... There! I already sent it, have you seen it?"

Voltaire glance at his phone and received the picture. He flicked his tongue in his inside cheeks upon realizing that it was his personal number. It's risky but he didn't thought about it.

"Idiot." Voltaire thought.

"Anyway, what's your name? I don't know what to write here in my contacts," she asked while busying his phone.

"Write what pleases you, I don't mind." Jelena sighed and typed what's in her mind.

Jerk ;>

"I'll leave you now. If you need me or whatever, just give me a call." Having one step outside the room when his phone vibrated. He checked who it was and looked back at Jelena who was at the pit of tearing up.

Incoming Call:

>>>Jelena Sullivan

"Are you playing with me?" He calmly asked.

Jelena bit her lower lip and said, "Please, stay. Stay with me for a-a while..."

The tone in her voice caught an ache in his chest. She's pleading for a company, with someone she doesn't have any idea who...

Voltaire sighed and entered the room again. He stands parallel to her bed, putting both of his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you, for being there for me in the most unexpected time...You saved my life..twice..." Jelena spoke in a soft tone while playing with her fingertips.

Voltaire sat on the bottom of the bed, near her feet. He massaged her feet making Jelena frozen for a bit. His touches were comfortable and gives her a haven. Gazing at him made her laugh a little, he looks calm but his brows were furrowed.

Cute.

"Remember our deal?" Voltaire's eyes gazed straight to hers. "The four wishes that you'll grant me."

"Y-yeah, why? Gonna use it against me since I'm in a weak condition?! Tsk!"

Voltaire claps her feet lightly then lets out a small chuckle, "Silly, no of course. But, I might consider."

"Moron."

"What?!"

"Just head straight to the point will ya?! I'm so tired of cliffhangers, geez! What is it?"

"Stay beside me, always near me. No matter what happens, let me protect you."

Jelena's jaw drops in confusion. Her mind was protesting but her heart is fluttered. A battle between heart and mind. Conflict with her emotions, confusion in her behavior.

"Are you freaking serious, Jerk?!"

"Yes I am, but not a jerk. Stupid sloth."