CRUEL

CRUEL|FOURTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR

CRUEL

[SEASON THREE]

Arezou lay sprawled carelessly on Jay's bed, initially planning to spend time with him, but the mischievous little imp of a brother had instructed her to wait in his brother's room until his favorite show ended. "Did you get the dope?" she suddenly asked, her gaze fixed on Jay, who had been staring into space until then. Jay didn't respond verbally, but the little red capsule in his hand was answered enough.

She jumped off the bed and approached Jay, scrutinizing the capsule carefully. "Do you think they used it?" she prodded again, frustration creeping into her voice when he remained silent. She was about to return to the bed and chill until Kay's show ended, but a sudden tug on her shirt halted her.

"Huh?" She glanced at Jay, perplexed, as he extended the dope toward her. She accepted it cautiously, examining it. "If they really used it, that means the other people who took them—this Pineapple, Bullet, and TJ—got the test product," she surmised. "Why do you think that?" Jay inquired. 

Sitting on his desk, she handed the dope back. "Think about it. The first person to exhibit strange behavior was that Bullet guy. He had symptoms like sweating, vomiting, and a sudden surge of adrenaline. Then there was Pineapple, who completely lost his mind, exhibiting the same symptoms. And TJ also experienced the effects of the dope, which compromised his decision-making abilities."

Jay seemed to comprehend her point, his gaze lowering to the capsule, a shadow crossing his eyes. "But they didn't exhibit any of these symptoms, and yet we know for sure they took it," he continued. "Exactly. And remember what Manga Crew told us? That someone leaked the race info? What if it was Team Sabbath? What if they knew what was going to happen next in the race? That would mean someone from the committee is giving them this information..." she speculated, halting as she noticed his expression growing more hardened. (His brows furrowed down, jawn set firm, fingers rolling the dope between his fingers as if he was sizing the options, as if the world was set on his shoulder-)

Jay glanced up when someone ruffled his hair. Arezou didn't meet his eyes as she tousled his hair, but he could see the flush on her face. "Stop overthinking, idiot... We're going to figure it out, so stop worrying," she said softly. The boy couldn't help but miss the feeling of her hands on his head as she headed toward the door. (He liked it-)

"Your brother is getting on my nerves; I thought I should help him or something..." she grumbled.

Jay followed her downstairs as she approached his brother, who was munching on chips and watching his show. "Hey Kay, I thought I should help you with your English?" she said, annoyance evident in her tone. The boy looked at her sheepishly, having already forgotten that she was there. (To be honest as it quiet down in his brother room he thought many things would happen-) 

"Are mom and dad home yet?" Jay interjected from behind her, coming to his brother's rescue. "No..." the younger Jo replied nervously, his eyes darting to the girl who shot him an annoyed look.

"They'll probably come back late at night. They have a bunch of patients to look after. So it's my day off today," Kay boasted. Arezou's eyes twitched, and she snatched the chips from him. "Day off my ass. We're going to teach you English, so I didn't come here for nothing," she declared. 

"But Nonna~!" 

"No, Nonna!"

Jay gave them a deadpan look before heading toward the kitchen. "Listen to her," he instructed, leaving the room. "Nonna! Please! I told you that my English is perfect!"