Fate (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 37

Some people surprise you.

Not by achievements, but by doing something you had least expected would be coming out of them.

Those words are exact descriptions of how I feel the moment Jack finished his words.

Never in a million years, would I expect  him to just let his position slide like that.

Never in a million years had I seen him so beaten and lost to his own self and his surroundings.

He had always been the type to not poke his nose through everything in the Manor, even during those moments where he actually screws up, both in and out of matches.

But now?

I watched him as he stood up, his head still looking downwards. I know the fact that he had broken his own rule and deserves to be dealt with all the consequences, but at this point I just feel bad for him.

"Everything I said just now is real. I am stepping down my position." The Ripper said as he approached me.

"But Jack, we can come up with another solution! A better one! Take some time to reconsider this!" Hastur said, still baffled by that of his partner's actions.

"No." The Ripper said as his hands clenched into fists.
"Why are you defending me now, Hastur?"

Everyone had their eyes on the Ripper in disbelief. Even I can barely fathom what had made him act so off these days.

"Jack-"

"Enough, Hastur. You watched it happen with your own eyes. Everyone here did! I broke my own rule and nearly killed a survivor! I did all rash things to most of you all and an immediate relievement of my position is what I deserve and nothing else!"

My attention went to that of Xie Bi An. He looked like he just had the greatest shock of his life.

"Bi An. Take my position and don't even think of denying it. You are way more cut into it than I do. And Hastur, you might not like what you're listening to here, but if someone were to ask that Embalmer, I'm pretty sure he would think the same way I did!"

I felt my eyes widen at the mention of the Embalmer.

Aesop.

He has been resting his head on mine the whole meeting, and not to mention his grip on mine.

Just exactly what I've been wanting.

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as the thought crossed my mind.

The fact that he feels the same way towards me still brings me this feeling that I can barely put into words.

He had let his feelings out. In that very moment.

"Will you be my everything?"

However, the train of thoughts that has been going inside my head had gone into nothing as Jack stood there before our eyes, the look of sadness being drawn all over his face.

It was when he did something none of us had expected to be carried out by what had once been someone so violent.

Right there before Aesop's eyes, the Ripper knelt down as he took a deep breath.
"You have my whole support in your choice. Take this as my apology to you!"

Silence filled the whole room as the Ripper immediately walked away, leaving the whole room and everyone's scattered thoughts.

"Uhm... I guess there's no point on keeping this meeting go on...." Bi An said as he coughed into his hands.

"Then it is settled. Jack the Ripper will be relieved off his position as an Oletus Manor official starting now. And no more matches will be held until further notice of who's taking over him."

All the hunters, even the survivors, were looking at him in a perplexed stare. Even Aesop and I had gotten into the act.

"Didn't he say that you'll take over-" Eli chimed in, only to earn a glare from the White Guard.

"I'll be excusing myself now. You guys can now go back to whatever you're doing." He said as he left. I even caught a glimpse of him talking to his umbrella somewhere in the middle of his actions.

By now everyone had gone back to doing their own stuff, leaving me and the Embalmer the only ones in the room.

I was about to help him make all his way back to his room so that he will be able to get his rest when the Embalmer stared at me, his eyes saying more than a thousand words.

"Joseph.....
There's something I need to let you know......"

                             ***

AESOP
Discharged. Rest. Recover. I should stop letting myself be concerned on stuff like this now that I'm still recovering and that the splitting headache I have been hoping to not show up during this so-called meeting had made itself be the main star in my head. Fuck.

"Don't concern yourself on this. Just listen to the flow. We will definitely defend you on this." I remember Emily telling that to me the moment she discharged me, and minutes before the special-height hunter came for me.

Don't concern this my ass.

First of all, how do I not concern this if it is me being the reason why the meeting is held?

And get this, I actually feel bad for Jack throughout the whole talk. I know he did an assault on me in which it had caused all this injury whatsoever, but seeing someone so persistent and hard to approach being so guilty and defeated is a whole new level.

It also plants the guilt inside you too.

But, it wasn't the whole talk that had taken over my mind.

It was everything Jack had said to me just moments before he left everyone.

"You have my whole support."

It is so hard to believe that those words had came out of someone who had once  threatened everyone in my side of the manor.

I find it hard to believe him, but the look on his eyes was more than enough to let me know that he is telling the truth.

I stared at Joseph, who had his hands on me.
The one who happen to understand me the most.
The one who had been the most to stay by my side even during hard times.
The one.... that had lighten the fire in my heart.

The one.

He's everything that I need. And only him.

The moment everyone left, leaving me and him the only ones in the room, I knew for sure that this is my chance and I should not hold back anymore.

"Joseph...." I called out his name, my heart pounding in my chest.
"There's something I need to let you know....."

The Photographer then looked at me, those ocean blue eyes being the best thing my eyes had ever seen.

"About everything I said back in the ER.....
Let's make it happen. Once all this clears out."