Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 27

The morning sun filtering through the windows of the house. In the kitchen, Santa and Barcode are busy helping Aunty Mai brew tea for Jeff, Bible, Pond, and Perth, who are standing near the stairs. The kitchen is filled with the soothing sounds of boiling water and the soft clinking of cups as the two boys move around, working together to prepare everything.

Barcode, standing next to Santa, pours the hot water into the teapot, his hands steady as he watches the steam rise. Santa, on the other hand, is focused on arranging the cups on a tray, his mind calm after the chaos of the previous day. He’s thankful for the quiet moment, and being able to help Aunty Mai feels like a small return to normalcy.

Suddenly, Santa feels a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. He turns around quickly, only to find Pond standing behind him with a warm smile on his face.

"Oh, Pond," Aunty Mai says from across the kitchen, her hands still busy with the tea leaves. "Why are you here?"

Pond chuckles softly, his gaze flicking from Aunty Mai to Santa. "Can I borrow Santa for a while?" he asks politely, glancing at the younger boy.

Aunty Mai nods without hesitation. "Go ahead," she says, her attention returning to the task at hand.

Santa, a little confused, looks at Pond. "What's wrong?"

Pond gestures toward the back door. "Can we talk outside?"

Though unsure of what this could be about, Santa agrees and follows Pond out of the house. Perth, standing near the stairs in conversation with Jeff and Bible, notices Pond leading Santa outside. His brows furrow slightly, curiosity piqued, but he doesn’t say anything as he watches them disappear through the door.

Once they’re outside, the cool morning air greets them, and Santa turns to Pond. "Yes?" Santa asks, his tone both curious and a bit cautious.

Pond’s face softens, a mix of seriousness and kindness in his expression. "Nothing major," Pond begins, leaning against the wooden railing of the porch. "I just wanted to say... take care of Perth for me, okay?"

Santa blinks, surprised by the request. "Take care of him?" he repeats.

Pond smiles faintly, his gaze thoughtful. "Yeah. I may not have been the greatest boyfriend to him before," he admits, a hint of regret in his voice. "But I know you can be the one to do it right. You’re good for him, Santa. Better than I ever was."

Santa’s chest tightens at Pond’s words. He wasn’t expecting this level of vulnerability from Pond, especially after everything that Perth told him about pond. But seeing the sincerity in Pond’s eyes, Santa feels the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. He nods, offering Pond a small smile. "I’ll do my best, Phi" Santa promises softly.

Pond smiles in return, the tension between them easing. "Good. That’s all I needed to hear."

There’s a brief pause, the sound of birds chirping softly in the distance. Pond’s expression then shifts slightly, becoming more serious. "About Est, Fort, and Boss..." he begins, trailing off for a moment as if choosing his words carefully. "Don’t worry about what happened yesterday. Like I said earlier, we’ll make sure something like that doesn’t happen again."

Santa frowns, curiosity creeping into his thoughts. "Who are they, exactly? Est, Fort, and Boss?"

Pond’s lips press into a thin line before he answers. "They’re our enemies—mine, Jeff’s, Bible’s, and Perth’s," he explains, his voice low and cautious. "We’ve been in conflict with them for a while now. We killed one of their closest allies, Zee, a while back."

Santa’s eyes widen slightly at the mention of the murder. "Why did you guys kill Zee?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Pond sighs, a tired smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It’s mafia stuff. You don’t need to know all the details, trust me," he says, his tone gentle yet firm, making it clear that some things are better left unsaid. "But what I do know is that Est, Fort, and Boss probably found out that you and Barcode are living with Jeff and Perth. That’s why they decided to drag you both into this mess."