~~Meeting them~~

Despite having to dealt with such guys personally, Jay couldn't help but clench her jaw as she felt anger rush through her veins. Despite having to meet them just a minute ago, Jay wouldn't like anything more than wiping the cockiness off the boys but Mr. Albert refrained her from doing so.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worriedly, leaning into her view. Blinking, Jay was quick to change her pissed expression into a gentle one before assuring the man, "I'm alright. I'll go change." Ruffling Tom's head, Jay shot him a smile before proceeding to walk towards the door with Jimmy follow close behind.

\~\~ Jay's POV \~\~

After letting Jimmy in, I closed the door behind me before I felt my face heat up.

How embarrassing!

Groaning, I covered my face with my hands, wanting to bury myself right here right now. I didn't know how long I had stayed in the position until I felt someone tugging the edge of my shirt lightly. I removing my hands, I looked down to see Jimmy looking at me, worriedly.

"I am alright." I smiled, messing up his hair. "Stay here while I go change, okay?"

I praised him when he nodded obediently before waking over to the door on the left and opening it. Entering the small washroom, I closed the door behind me just to notice a sky blue simple shirt hanging on the hanger, behind the door.

/Meanwhile on the other side/

\~\~ Leo's POV \~\~

After the girl rushed inside the room with the brown haired kid following behind her like a baby chick, Mr. Albert let Tom down from his arms and then patted him on the head before walking in front of us, blocking our view. "W-We weren't looking." Mark stuttered, holding his hands up as if he was surrender in ng.

It was like he blurted out his own crime.

"Seriously?" I asked, rolling my eyes while Ryan laughed.

"Of course you didn't..." Mr. Albert said, raising an eyebrow. "So? What brings you four good-for-nothing delinquents here?"

"Oh, Mr. Albert, is that some way to talk to the kids who've grown up in front of you?" Ryan faked his hurt, placing his hand to his heart to add more effect.

"Delinquents! Not kids!" Corrected Mr. Albert, crossing his arms making us let out a chuckle.

"So? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you all be at home playing video games or something?"

"Nope! We're here cause Leo needs a hair cut." Smirked Ryan as he turned his gaze towards me making me roll my eyes. It was an established fact that he and the others were enjoying this.

"More like forced than needed!" I corrected him, narrowing my eyes.

After my darling decided to run out of fuel, half way during my escape, these three traitors surrounded me in the middle of the street earning non-stop honking and insults from the angry drivers.

"I lost a bet, so these three traitors are forcing me to get a haircut." I mumbled, knowing that it was partly my fault for letting my guard down around these three. Shaking away my thoughts, I looking up to Mr. Albert and then begged him with the biggest puppy dog eyes, "please convince them to change their minds! Please Mr. Albert, I am begging you! You know how much I love my hair!"

Despite having to pour my heart out, Mr. Albert remained unaffected and simply gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry kid, You've lost fair and square there." He spoke, ruffling my soon-to-be-gone hair.

/While on the other side/

\~\~Jay's POV\~\~

After changing into the blue simple shirt which almost reached my knees, i put my wet shirt in an empty shopper before heading out. Jimmy, being the curious kid he is, had been standing by the main desk, looking at a picture that sat in the corner, unaware of my arrival.

I moved over to stop behind him in a way that I could see only half of the picture. "Ready?" I asked placing a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up before giving a curt nod making me smile and pat his little head. "Alright then. Let's go home."

I caught my eyes lingering on the picture for a few more seconds, clearly curious about the lady that stood beside the two people I've come to love but yet again, my questions were left unanswered as i never got the courage to question her existence.

"Oh! You're done?" Mr. Albert asked shooting me a glance from where he was trimming one of the boy's hair before going right back at it.

"Yes. I will bring back the shirt tomorrow after washing it." I smiled apologetically despite having to face the man's back. "I apologize before hand for the inconvenience."

"Now now, there is no need for any of that. And you're most welcomed to stay or come over at anytime."

"Ditto." I promised, before learning down towards Jimmy and instructing him to bid the two goodbye while I headed back towards the room to find the scarf I had left back there.

Pulling it off the hanger from behind the door, I then quickened my pace as I was well aware how worried Ajumma can be upon our one minute delay.

I jogged over to Jimmy who was now surrounded buy the red head and his two friends. The red head had crouched down to meet Jimmy's eye level as they exchanged a few words until I came over.

"Jay!" He exclaimed, excitedly running over while I repeated the red head's actions. "It's cold outside so wear this." I instructed while wrapping the scarf around his neck and tying a small knot at the end of the scarf to which the boy giggled to before snuggling into it.

Watching him in 'awe' I noticed someone approach us, from the corner of my eye and looked up to see the red head guy standing a few feet away from me. He gave me a smile before holding out his hand.

I glanced at his hand before looking back up at him. "You'll dirty your clothes if you stay in that position." He said, his hand still reached out. I stared at him for a few seconds before finally saying, "Oh."

Just as I got to my feet without his help, I dusted myself off and then turned my gaze back to him only to notice that his smile had widened.

"Allow me to introduce myself and my boys." He said bowing down as I turned to leave. "No thanks." I said, forcing a smile as I tired to hold myself back from rolling my eyes. To think that this guy actually thinks that I would love to meet them after what they did not long ago. "It's not like we're gonna meet again."

"Oh, we never know." He said, giving me a genuine smile as he stood back up straight. "Our meeting can be fate."

Pfft.... As if!

Wanting to say it out loud, I parted my lips when the guy suddenly clapped his hands,

"Alright then! Let's start! My name's Ryan Cooper. And it's a pleasure to meet you." He grinned, while holding out his hand yet again.

Raising my eyebrow, I glanced at his hand and then up to him with a 'really' expression but he either decided to ignore it or was too stupid to understand the clearly message I was giving him. "Don't worry, it's just a handshake." He said, winking.

It's definitely the second one.

When I still didn't take his hand, he moved it back, like nothing happened and then casually turned towards the short brown haired guy with the dull blue eyes who was busy listening to what the white head was saying. "That there is Henry. He can be a bit serious but he's really great to talk to."

The guy, Henry, simply spared me another bored glance before turned back and nodding slightly to let the other party know that he had his attention.

Yeah, not nice meeting you too.

I rolled my eyes just as the guy beside me continued, "The one next to Henry is Mark." He pointed out the white head with purple eyes who immediately looked over at the mention of his name. A huge smile was shot my way before the said man whispered something to Henry and before I knew it, they were decreasing the distance of ten feet to four feet in no time.

"Hello." Mark greeted, reaching out his hand, clearly not aware that I wasn't interested in meeting them. "My name is Mark Hawkins while my friend here is Henry Jayson."

"She doesn't do handshakes, Mark." Ryan informed him, smiling. "Trust me. I held out my hand twice and she didn't--!"

"What are you guys talking about?" The fourth party who was previously getting a hair cut, popped out from between Henry and Mark, almost giving me a heart attack. The 'layered long fringes' hairstyle now outlined his features — especially his eyes unlike his friend Mark here who had one of his eyes hidden behind his long hair.

Upon informing the boy what exactly we were doing here, he then proceeded to continue from where they had left off — much to my dismay. "Well then, my name's Leo. Leo Smith." He said, moving a little to let his hand pass through the little space between two of his friend boys and held it out towards me.

"I see..." I said, with a raised eyebrow, not even trying to hide the lack of interest in my tone. Looking over my shoulder and towards Mr. Albert, I then bit the man farewell with much enthusiasm — earning a chuckle from the other.

"Alright."

\~\~ Ryan's POV \~\~

With my hands shoved in my pockets, I let my eyes rest upon the door the two individuals exited from until I caught my boys waiting for me to say something. "Don't tell me that you've also got the feeling that she would be a hard one to break?" Leo murmured, careful not to let Mr. Albert hear him.

"Who knows? Maybe she's just putting on an act or maybe it's he 'all mighty' ego."

"The prior, definitely." Henry mumbled.

"I'll have to disagree with you on that." Mark followed. "She could be the fifth girl to not fall for our acting for all we know."

"Eh? The fifth person?" Asked Mr. Albert catching the last sentence. Me and my boys turned out gaze towards him as he packed his stuff.

"The first one was your sister, Mr. Albert." Chuckled Mark. "Even though she was younger than us, she always ignored us even though we tried our best to flatter her."

"Well, she is Mr. Albert's sister." I grinned as Mr. Albert rolled his eyes. "But then.... who is she?"

"That, I can't tell you." Said Mr. Albert stated, waking over to the next table to clean up. "Go get some other poor soul as she won't fall for your... whatever that is."

"Breathtaking beauty, Mr. Albert." Leo put forth, motioning all of himself, "all this is pure beauty that has been—!"

"What makes you so sure, Mr. Albert?" Ignoring the pout I received from Leo for cutting him off, I directed all my attention to the older.

"She already has a boyfriend who she loves way too much and vise versa." He continued, without sparing us a glance as he continued to switch off the corner lights of the salon, "and trust me when I say this, I've never seen any thing more adorable than the relationship between those two. It's unbreakable."

"Well, that explains a lot." Said Mark, moving his hands behind his head. "But why are you telling us this?"

"It's because he wanted wanted a valid reason to quit." Finally stepping in before us to meet our gaze, he motioned his chin towards me while crossing his arms over his chest. "But I guess all this was still isn't enough to convince you now is it?" Giving out a chuckle, I was surprised how the old man could read me as an open book. Even my own family can't do that.

"You know me too well, Mr. Albert." I stretched out my hands and then let out a relaxed sigh. "Well then, let's go and see what her boyfriend is like."

"Knock it off."

"Possessive much?" I smirked, receiving a warning look to which I held my hands up before my chest in surrender. Knowing that my smile was a dead giveaway, the man rolled his eyes upon noticing it before silently motioning his chin towards the main door, urging us to leave.

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