MY GANGSTER PROTECTOR ✔

CHAPTER 20 - Push and Pull

"I guess you're right", Dara sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Now, about Riko..."

"I know, she's not doing anything wrong."

"No, that's not the point. She still obviously has feelings for Jiro so this is not a matter of whether she's doing something bad or not. If she's hanging around him, make sure that you're also there. Jiro might be indebted to her but you're not."

Dara bit her lips and fidgeted on her seat. Unknown to Namee, she is the one who's indebted to Riko. That night when Jiro got drunk and told her that he used a girl who showed interest in him and asked her to help her dad get employed, it was not hard to piece two and two together. With a bit of searching, she was able to confirm that the company where her dad used to work is owned by Riko's father.

"Why is my girl looking dejected?" Bullet suddenly popped out behind Dara and sat beside her. He then looked at Namee who was puffing her cheeks and scrunching her nose at him. "Don't worry, Namee. You're my girl too", he said, making the girl beam at him. The two continued throwing greasy lines at each other, making Dara squirm. Her breakfast is already crawling up her throat but the two cannot be stopped.

When a familiar figure caught her sight, Dara turned her head and looked at him. Jiro and Picaro were about to walk out of the building when suddenly, Riko came striding towards him. She peeled her gaze off them; the sight of the two making her uncomfortable.

"Have you received the email about the exam results?" She heard Bullet asked. "I passed!"

"What? They're out?" Namee hurriedly pulled out her phone and Dara did the same.

"Oh gosh, thank goodness I passed", Dara exclaimed and gave Bullet a high-five. The two looked at their friend while smiling, expecting Namee to share the good news too.

"Oh no", Namee's mouth gaped while looking at her phone. "OH NO! I failed! My mom is going to flip my ass with a spatula if she finds out!" She gathered her things and stood up. "I'll see you later. I need to ask the professor not to send the email to my parents", she said.

Dara can only follow her with her gaze as her friend swiftly left. But her eyebrows furrowed when she saw a guy smirking while walking towards Namee's direction. She tried to recall when and where she saw that face and that's when it hit her; it's the same guy she saw beating someone up at the narrow alley.

"Bullet, who's that?" Dara asked and pointed at the guy.

Bullet turned his head towards where she's pointing.

"That's Stone, leader of The Claws", he answered, and everything was shot to hell after that. When they heard him say 'Show me your panty, Namee Hooker Cheng' and tried to flip Namee's skirt making their friend scream in fright, the two of them shot to their feet and ran to aid her.

Everything happened so fast. Dara didn't notice that it's not only them who ran rapidly towards Namee. A few steps before she could reach her friend, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, stopping her. The next thing she knew, Bullet is shielding Namee from Stone, Picaro is grabbing the guy's collar and someone is behind her, preventing her from colliding in the tangle of limbs in front of her.

Dara glanced back and saw Jiro's annoyed face staring down at her. He then loosened his arm on her waist and made her stay behind him.

"Whoah! Simmer down, I was just teasing her", Stone chuckled.

"Cheng is not a hooker, you asshole. And don't you dare pull that stunt on her", Picaro growled.

"I'll not keep quiet either if you do anything funky with my friend, Stone", Bullet warned him.