Flaws Within

#2 THE KEYCHAIN

Juandre returned from the family dinner, feeling a slight disappointment that Javier hadn't shown up. However, he didn't dwell on it and continued walking to his car from the restaurant.

As Juandre passed by a tall building, he noticed a crowd gathered around someone sitting on the edge of the terrace.

"Save my child! Someone, please save my child, he's going to jump! Please, someone help!" An elderly woman cried out desperately, mistaking the person on the terrace for her son.

Without a second thought, Juandre rushed up the building to save the child.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?!" Juandre asked as he reached the terrace.

"What a coincidence," the kid mumbled with a slight smile on his face.

Juandre realized that the best way to calm the kid and prevent him from attempting suicide was to sit beside him and have a conversation.

"How are you doing , Juandre daloi?" The kid asks in a calm collected tone.

"How do you know my name? Do I know you?" Juandre asked, unsure if they had met before.

The kid took out an old key chain with a cute Teddy bear that held a small piece of candy, but the Teddy bear was present in half. The other half was supposed to be attached to the pair of that key chain.

Juandre looked at the key chain and his expression changed from confusion to a slight smile.

"Javier , Javier Fernandes," Javier said, looking at him with a warm smile on his face.

"You're in Los Angeles? I thought you were still in New York! How have you been?" Juandre spoke with excitement in his voice, fascinated by how much Javier had changed over time.

"Good, until now," Javier responded with a scared expression, glancing down from the building at a group of people dressed in black who were searching for someone.

Before Juandre could ask further, Javier grabbed his hand and suddenly ran down the building.

Javier continued running, and Juandre realized that the group of people was actually chasing Javier. With no other choice, Juandre kept running as well, aware that the pursuers were armed with knifes.

As they ran, Juandre noticed that Javier was becoming out of breath and couldn't keep up the initial pace. Thinking quickly, Juandre searched for a hiding spot to confuse their pursuers. He succeeded and managed to deceive the group.

The next scene shifted to both of them sitting outside a convenience store while Javier bought some food for himself.

"You're absolutely crazy," Juandre said, his face expressing confusion.

"Just because I made a CEO run on the streets in a formal suit?" Javier exclaimed, setting down the food and offering some to Juandre.

"No thanks, I already had a meal with your family, accepting the invitation that you chose to ignore," Juandre said in a slightly cold tone, showing his disappointment with Javier for avoiding his own father.

"What's happening? Who are those people?" Juandre leans closer to Javier, seeking answers.

"They're from my university. They used to follow me until I moved to New York. Now that I'm back, they're on their pointless mission again," Javier explains while eating.

"But w-" Juandre begins to ask, but Javier interrupts to elaborate.

"They want me to attend a university reunion, where my ex has bet that I can never bring a date," Javier explains.

"You should go and prove him wrong. Are you seeing anyone currently?" Juandre inquires.

"I don't want to... I mean, he's right. Who would ever want to date me? That's why I've been avoiding these people and staying in New York," Javier admits, looking a bit distant as he stops eating.

"Are you planning to go back to New Yor-" Juandre starts to ask another question, but Javier interrupts once more.

"Unfortunately, I'm not going back. I've transferred here for another internship at the hospital. I don't know how I'm going to keep hiding from them," Javier expresses, appearing stressed.

"You can move in with me. In the meantime, I can help you by being your date for the university reunion, if you're ready to face your ex again," Juandre offers, creating a silence between them as they maintain eye contact.

"I don't mean to disturb your busy life-" Javier begins to say with a tense expression, but Juandre cuts him off.

"That wasn't my question," Juandre's tone turns cold as he leans back in his seat.

Javier coughs slightly, surprised by Juandre's abrupt change in tone. He accepts Juandre's offer, understanding that it's the best way to stay safe from those people.