IN THE CAGE

23. SYMPATHY FOR THE ENEMY

...FAWN...

 

From the information Haru gave me earlier this afternoon, a bodyguard of Miss Margot was found lifeless on the lips of a desolate plantation road. His death was caused by a single shot of a bullet lodged in his skull. As a bodyguard as well, I felt a pain in the back of my head when I imagined that death.

Of course, as bodyguards, there is already a written contract that our work allows our lives to be floated anytime and anywhere. That, in exchange for that sacrifice, we will be compensated. We already know the risks of this heavy work. We chose this path.

But, still, when faced with death, there may be a hint of regret and sadness.

Everyone wants a decent death.

I'm a little sad when I think of people I don't even know who. Then I recalled my situation as a prisoner here, still breathing and still eating well. I scream every day to die in Ace's face. Begging him to punch me in the head with a bullet so I don't have to suffer here anymore.

I don't really appreciate my life, to be honest. Maybe because I thought as long as I had paid off my debt to Mr. Anggara, I had no more goals.

Now, if I think about it, maybe life isn't so sad.

I want to live, maybe if I survive, I'll have a chance to avenge Ace's madness. It could have been me who turned around to hole his head. Who knows?

I pondered my situation with my chin on the bed until I heard Ace's screams from outside. I hugged my pillow and approached the door. Listen more clearly to his fight with Carcel. Ace seems to be in a bad mood, motherfucker!

What am I supposed to do?

I panicked and was scared. The psychopathic Ace is a scary Ace. He could lose his humanity and become a monster. Bury me without consideration, damn it. In the last few days, he has been acting well.

Why is he friday again?

I'm back to bed. I don't want to get close to the door anymore, I'm afraid he's coming in and smashing my head.

"Fuck up!" Ace enters the room, rubbing his hair back before brutally kicking his desk.

The table of mahogany wood was almost toppled. The things on it spilled onto the floor. My heart is pounding, imagine that table is me. I must have died on the spot.

"Everyone in this house motherfucker!!!" Ace curses who is kicking his stuff on the floor. I looked at him in horror. Did he not realize that he was the occupant of this house as well? You better think before you curse yourself, Ace bastard. Why do you have to be so angry in this room anyway!

I can pee standing up from fear. This man has instilled fear into my body, until I feel I am not myself anymore.

"What are you watching!" Ace realized my whereabouts and his eyes barked furiously. I gulped. Somebody, please save me!

What am I supposed to do in this bad luck? How could I not notice you if you were making a fuss here damn? Who knew you wouldn't start throwing things at me?

"You must be really happy when you know I'm having a problem, right? You and all of you are bastards!!! Fuck!!!"

Hey, don't accuse me so much!

As much as I prayed and cursed your misfortune, I am now not in a happy state at all. No, how can I be happy if Ace is now acting like a mountain ready to erupt? After all, I'm not a psychopath like him who would laugh at the suffering of others. Well, even though I used to say shit about dancing over her funeral, I wasn't serious.

Ignoring Ace's accusations, I took one step closer.

"W-are you okay?"

Hell, why is my voice choking? Was I so scared that I lost my normal speaking ability? Ace looks at me weird because of the way I talk, motherfucker!

"Do I look okay in your eyes?"

No Ace, you look very tense. I wanted to answer but held back. I don't want to be slapped.

As much as I hate this guy, I don't know why I'm a little concerned about seeing him as I am now. As the leader of the family, he must have had a lot of burdens on his head. The lives of the elite are not easy. To be able to stay in the top position, you have to endure a lot of pressure that makes you sometimes almost lose sanity.

Miss Indira told me, The Ace she knew back when High School was not the Ace she used to be friends with now. Maybe that pressure changed him.

I remember Ace smiling in the kitchen. The smile was very sincere, and it made my heart ache. Hard world is actually capable of forging a man into a monster.

"It's all my fault" Ace's voice was like a groan of pain. I caught his arm instantly as he fell staggered to the floor. I helped her sit next to the bed, her head leaning against the blanket. I sat down beside Ace, watching him crack in the strong grip of the burden of life.

"I just want them to leave me alone. I don't want to live here! I want to go!" Ace wailed with his head lowered deeply.

My brain unconsciously makes jokes. I want to hit Ace on the shoulder and say 'Hey, I'm the same. Come on, escape from here!'. But I'll end up slapped if I make that joke.

Haaaaah!

I'm stuck here too, you know, you're the cause of Ace Hunter. No matter how much your suffering makes me sympathize, I can't forget that you've done something wrong to me.

"I just want Margot to be happy, but I don't know anymore. All this.., I thought I'd die before I could fix this family." Ace returned to spew his grievances.

I don't know what the Hunter family's problem is. Aren't they okay so far? Well, putting aside the fact that Miss Margot was still in grieving mode three years ago, I think Ace is in a stable state. He filled his father's position better, becoming a very superior leader of the other three families.

Is there anything I don't know about this family? Isn't their problem just a matter of company? Competing with Spades and Clubs? But, why did Ace become so fragile now? What does Ace want to achieve? Why is he so bad? I subconsciously added things that shouldn't interest me.

My lips were tightly clenched while my head was remembering something I might have passed. I kept thinking without realizing that Ace was suddenly leaning on my shoulder. I glanced at his face for a moment and saw that a pair of dark beads had been hiding behind his eyelids. The long, smooth lashes look cute.

Just then, I realized a drop of water was drenching his left cheek. The thin trail that left me stunned again.

Is Ace crying?

I held my breath for a moment. The subtle sound of Ace's breath greets my ears, reminding me that this stone figure I have always prayed to suffer is human as well. I felt sorry for him again so I didn't push him away. I let Ace use my shoulder as his pillow, at least, just this once.

"Sleep, everything will be fine once you wake up."

I counseled him like a fool.