Chapter 1
Chaos erupted inside the club when two men suddenly started throwing punches at each other. A woman tried desperately to stop them, but the commotion only settled when the bouncers arrived and separated the two men.
At the police station, a married couple walked out and headed toward the Land Cruiser parked in front.
The woman let out a deep sigh before speaking. “This is already your third club fight, and it’s only Tuesday!” She said as she glanced at her son sitting in the back seat. The irritation on the young man’s face was obvious.
“Ma, it’s not my fault. They started it.” He replied while brushing his hair back with his fingers.
“Regardless! You could’ve walked away. I seriously don’t know what to do with you anymore. Can you stop making a mess and start taking your life seriously?”
She was about to continue when her husband gently held her shoulder.
“Hon, let it go. At least our son’s face didn’t end up too bruised. Don’t stress yourself too much, or you’ll get wrinkles.” He said calmly with a smile.
The woman sighed again before discreetly checking her face in the mirror.
Jake smirked. “Mom! Wait, I think you have a white hair.” He leaned closer and touched his mother’s hair. She immediately panicked and looked at herself in the mirror.
“My gosh, where is it? Remove it quickly!”
The father and son exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. She soon realized that they were teasing her.
“You two are impossible. You never stop making fun of me.” She playfully hit both her husband and son.
The next morning, while the family was having breakfast, Jake entered the dining room looking unusually refreshed, completely unaware that he was about to receive another surprise.
“Good morning, Ma.” As he hugged her and kissed her cheek.
“So, Jake, how was the fight yesterday?” His older sister asked with a grin.
“Of course I beat him up. I’m strong, you know.” He flexed his muscles proudly while grabbing food from the table.
His mother suddenly smacked him lightly on the head. “Just eat your breakfast. As punishment, you’re not allowed to use your sports car or your motorcycle.” She uttered while calmly spreading honey over her pancakes.
“Wait, what!? Ma! Then how am I supposed to get to school?”
“Well, you can take public transportation, or you can ride with your sister. You’re heading the same way anyway, so she can drop you off.” She replied while sipping her coffee.
Jake’s sister smiled at him while he simply sighed in defeat.
“When can I use my car and motorcycle again?”
“Let’s say, after two weeks.” His mother answered with a smile.
Hearing that, Jake slouched in his chair and pouted like a child.
While riding in his sister’s car on the way to school, she suddenly glanced at him.
“Don’t mind Mom. That’s just how she is. Anyway, I guess being reckless runs in the family. You probably don’t know this, but I used to be just like you back then.”
Jake frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Have you ever heard of the name Black Widow?”
Jake froze for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. “Oh shit! Don’t tell me Rose Dela Vega and Black Widow are the same person? The super famous Black Widow who always won illegal street races? And not only that—you punched a lot of guys too.”
His sister smiled nostalgically. “I miss those days. But my point is, there will be times when we become reckless and make stupid decisions. But you need to know your boundaries. You need to learn when to stop.”
“So, why did you stop being Black Widow?”
His older sister sighed deeply, and her expression suddenly turned serious. “One of my closest friends almost died because of me.” Jake was about to ask more questions, but she stopped him. “We’re here. And don’t you dare skip your classes. Jake, you’re already in your fourth year of college. You only have one year left, so finish it properly. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with Black Widow.” She smiled teasingly at him.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jake was startled when his sister suddenly leaned closer and messed up his hair.
“Ugh! Seriously, stop. Alright, bye.” He immediately got out of the car and walked toward his friends sitting near the benches.
“Oh, Jake, what happened? Where’s your car?” Luke asked while eating chips.
Jake looked annoyed the moment he heard the question. “Tsk. My mom took my keys, so I can’t use my car or my motorcycle.”
“Let me guess—you got into another fight at a club?” Franco added with a grin.
Jake didn’t respond out of irritation and simply sat beside them. Not far away, Luke noticed a young man stepping out of a car. It seemed to be their first time seeing him on campus.
“Hey, look at that. A transferee?”
Jake leaned back and looked at the young man. “Probably. It’s my first time seeing him too.”
As the young man walked closer, their classmate Ruby Pineda suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She immediately ran toward him and hugged him tightly.
“Hey, Kai Buenavista! So it’s really true—you’re studying here now! I missed you so much. And it’s annoying how handsome you still are. Ugh!” She exclaimed happily, clearly overjoyed to see her best friend again.
“Of course it’s true. Do you think I’d lie to you?” Kai replied with a smile.
“Don’t worry. Since you don’t know anyone here, I’ll take care of you. Besides, everyone in the Architecture Department is nice. Come on, I’ll give you a tour around campus.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. As they passed by the benches, Jake and Kai’s eyes suddenly met. Jake unconsciously followed them with his gaze until the two disappeared down the hallway.
“Well, this is the library. And since I know how much you love reading books, they open at six in the morning and close at ten at night.”
“Wow, you really know everything.” Kai commented with a smile.
“Of course! I have a crush on someone who hangs out here, so I spend a lot of time in the library.” She grinned mischievously. “Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria. By the way, our University has three cafeterias. Fancy, right?”
Kai simply smiled and shook his head.
When they arrived at the third cafeteria, Ruby pulled him inside excitedly. “Trust me, this place has the best cake. No matter what flavor, oh my gosh, it tastes amazing. Like heaven!”
The two of them immediately ordered food and sat near the window. Kai smiled warmly while looking at Ruby. “Thank you.”
“Oh please, it’s nothing. What’s the point of being best friends if I don’t take care of you?” Then she looked at him softly. “But honestly, I really missed you. You were gone for two years. Even though we talked through Messenger, it’s still different when you’re actually here.”
Kai sighed dramatically. “There you go again, being dramatic already.”
Ruby laughed loudly. “That’s just who I am! You know your friend is the ultimate drama queen!” She smiled mischievously. “So, how was the UK? Were there lots of handsome guys there? Did you date a British guy?”
Kai’s eyes widened instantly. “Hey! Nothing like that happened!”
The two of them burst into laughter.
