(Six months ago, somewhere in Japan)
In a small room, the smell of rust, mold, and blood filled the air. Jayden, wounded, chained at the hands and feet, leaned against the wall. This was the first time in twelve years that he had failed a mission and been captured by the enemy. The torture to extract information grew more intense, but he did not utter a single word. He had been in that room for five days. If he remained silent, he would soon be killed, deemed useless.
Jayden knew he could escape, but he didn't. He had no reason to run. Until a man was brought into the next room. Jayden observed him through a small hole in the wall. His experience had taught him to always be aware of his surroundings. He listened to the conversation in the next room and learned that the captors were unsure whether they had caught the right person because the man had a twin brother.
The man tried to speak to him.
"Are you okay?"
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. Sorry that I can't help you. I was captured too."
"How long have you been here? Do you know anything about this place? If we work together, maybe we can escape."
"His blood won't stop flowing. Stay calm."
Jayden heard every word clearly. He looked at the man with curiosity. Why was he apologizing for not being able to help? Stay calm? The man kept talking. Jayden knew what worry was. His boss also worried when things didn't go as planned.
But this worry was different. When his boss was worried, he would get angry and shout. But this man was different. His tone and demeanor were softer, reminding Jayden of someone from his childhood. Someone who had disappeared as he grew up in a cruel world. Yet, he tried to hold on to that memory.
Because he didn't want to forget it. That night, the man in the next room introduced himself as Dan Nuea. A different name from what the captors were using, which meant they had caught the wrong person. The next morning, Dan called out to him again. Jayden still didn't understand the man's words and actions. Why did he say he would help him escape? Jayden was stuck on those words:
"Don't worry… Everything will be okay."
Those words reminded him of the past. He knew it was a lie, but his mother used to hold him and say the same thing.
"Don't worry, Jay… I promise everything will be okay."
The only hug he had ever received in his life. The only warmth he had ever felt. He missed it so much…Jayden decided to look at the man beside him.
"Jayden."
"My name is Jayden."
"Jayden," the man repeated. "That's a beautiful name."
Jayden didn't answer. His mother's words echoed in his mind: "Jay, do you know? Your name, Jayden, is a combination of mother and father's names. It means you were born from our love."
His father's name was Aiden, and his mother's name was Jane. They added the letter 'J' from Jane to the beginning of his father's name, forming the name Jayden. He remembered. That was the origin of his name.
That night, accompanied by the sound of ocean waves, Dan negotiated to save Jayden from further injuries and provide him with first aid. Jayden didn't understand any of it. They didn't know each other—what did Dan gain from helping him? What did he get in return? Jayden closed his eyes. He stopped thinking, having no reason to ponder.
That night, his cell door opened. They took him outside, planning to kill him and throw him into the sea. But Jayden overheard that they also intended to kill Dan because they had realized Dan was just the twin brother of their target.
Jayden, who had always obeyed orders, decided for the first time to do something for himself: save Dan. They managed to escape to another island. Dan said someone would come to pick him up. If Dan was taken to safety, Jayden's mission was complete. But Dan insisted on taking him along. Jayden didn't understand, but it didn't matter.
The next morning, Dan hugged him. When Jayden woke up, Dan was crying and said, "Thank you for not dying."
Thank you for not dying. Why? This man was hard to understand. Not long after, Jayden met Tiger. Jayden recognized him and knew he would not miss if he shot from that close range. He saw Tiger shoot to intimidate him and keep him away from Dan.
Dan saved his life from Tiger.
Dan also saved him again from Leon, Tiger's brother.
Dan's words echoed in his mind, saying that Dan would be his reason to live, that if he had nowhere else to go, he could return to him and have a life of his own. Have a life of his own? When only Tiger and Dan were left in the room, Dan spoke to him.
"Can I call you Jay? And you can call me Dan."
Jay…Only his parents had called him that.
He nodded. "Yes."
"Jay."
"Let's make a deal. If I call you and you hear me, you have to answer."
"Yes."
"Good, Jay."
"Yes."
"Now, call me."
"Dan."
Dan smiled brightly. "Very good."
Very good?
Jayden met Nao. Even though they were twins, Jayden felt they weren't very similar. After receiving a bouquet of multicolored roses, his attention focused on the red ones. He took one without realizing it. The image of red roses was more vivid than anything in his mind. Because his mother loved red roses and planted them all over the garden.
"That means you like red the most."
Not him… his mother.
After that, he listened to Dan explain about ordinary life and finding what he liked. Dan left, and Jayden just stared at the roses, slowly withering. That was normal for cut flowers.
But Jayden didn't want them to wither just like that. He wants them… to be together. The next day, Dan brought him a bouquet of roses and a watch. Dan explained how it worked and why he should wear it. Clearly, it was designed to control him.
"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to, but I think it would be nice if we could spend time together."
Spend time together… Together…
"Yes."
As he recovered, Dan would visit and talk about many things. Jayden didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent, only answering when he could. Dan read books to him, which reminded him of his mother reading bedtime stories. But Dan read them in the morning. Did he want Jayden to sleep earlier?
No, these were different from the books his mother read. Sometimes, they were stories of people or events that Dan called history. Other times, they were fictional stories. Jayden didn't understand all of it, but he remembered everything, accustomed to his work, which required precise memorization.
Dan brought him back to Thailand. After he recovered, Dan took him to the room he rented for him, buying him everything he needed. He had also had a room before, as his boss's favorite, with all the facilities, but he had never chosen anything. Dan tried to make him choose what he wanted, but he couldn't decide on anything.
Jayden had been trained to survive in any environment; he could sleep and live anywhere. His boss had trained him directly, forbidding him from interacting with anyone, turning him into a tool without emotions or thoughts, ensuring no resistance or doubt, guaranteeing mission success.
Choosing things like clothes and hairstyles was new to him. Dan taught him many things about life, like saying "thank you" and "sorry." Then, he left him alone in the room.
Jayden did nothing. At the appropriate time, he went to bed. He responded to Dan's messages and remembered something. The cake Dan gave him yesterday was delicious. His mother also made desserts like cookies, cakes, and pies, reminding him of her. Since she made them, he had never eaten them again. So he asked Dan for more.
The next day, Dan came to teach him. It was like his mother teaching him. Jayden only answered what he already knew, and Dan continued his lesson. Jayden said he spoke English, Mandarin, and Japanese because it was necessary for his job. It was similar to learning other things, like martial arts. Jayden was skilled, but he needed concentration to learn and remember from the beginning, avoiding mistakes and punishment. Because of that, he became his boss's favorite tool.
Jayden always paid attention to his surroundings out of habit, but in this situation, he could only focus on Dan. Dan always smiled, wore a long-sleeved shirt folded twice, and had a soft scent he didn't recognize. The atmosphere around him felt different. Dan always reminded him of his mother when they were together.
Dan brought him to work at a coffee shop. He learned quickly and remembered that Dan once said if someone gave you something, you should return the favor if you could. So, he bought coffee for Dan as a thank-you for the cookies. Dan patted his head, calling him adorable. Jayden was slightly surprised, but Dan didn't notice.
He patted his head…
Then, Dan taught him about relationships, including love. He remembered his parents getting married. Jayden asked a lot of questions, but he didn't find any answers. He tried new things with Dan, always putting in effort. But when Dan realized that he didn't like something, Dan seemed disappointed. Why did he feel disappointed?
He didn't know, but Jayden didn't want Dan to feel that way. He tried to figure out what he liked. He found a boxing gym and felt interested because he had done it before and was skilled at it. It felt familiar. He told Dan that he was interested, and Dan immediately took him there. Jayden defeated his opponent with just one punch.
Normally, if he defeated an opponent, his boss would be happy. He thought Dan would be happy too. But he wasn't. He didn't understand why Dan looked so surprised, then worried and sad. However, Dan still smiled as he took him back. Jayden wanted to ask, but he couldn't. After returning to his room, he sat on the balcony, staring at the roses with many thoughts. At 8 PM, Dan called him, his voice sounding shaky.
"Yes?"
[Have I taken good care of you? Have I ever said anything bad to you or forced you to do something you didn't want?]
"Dan."
[Yes?]
Why are you sad?
[Jay, I… I want to be with you. I want to see you grow, see you happy and healthy.]
I don't want Dan to be sad.
"I'm healthy."
At first, Dan was happy when he said he wanted to box, but when he won, Dan immediately became sad. If he boxed without winning, would Dan be happy again?
"Can I box again tomorrow?"
[You want to box again?]
"Yes."
Dan then taught him the rules of boxing. Dan repeated them several times unnecessarily; Jayden only needed to hear them once to remember and follow the rules. Dan told him that someone would come to train him. While waiting, Jayden spent time watching boxing videos. Today, Dan came bringing more pastries as usual.
"How was your day?"
"Well..." Jayden thought. He hadn't done much, just gone down to eat and then watched boxing videos. "Good."
"Sorry I haven't taught you how to order food," Dan said, taking off his shoes and stepping inside. "I spoke with the restaurant owner and paid for what you ate."
"Oh. Alright."
"You watched videos all day?"
"Hmm."
"And what do you think?"
"I can do it."
"You can box like in the videos?" Dan sat beside Jayden, looking at the video on his phone. "Like him?"
Jayden shook his head. "I can fall like him," he pointed at the boxer who had fallen to the floor.
"Huh? Why fall like him?"
Jayden was also confused. "To lose."
"Why should you lose?"
"You don't want me to lose?"
"No," Dan denied. "Why do you think that?"
"When I won, you were sad."
"You mean about Great?"
Jayden nodded. Dan smiled softly.
"No. I was sad because I didn't take care of you properly or think everything through. I should have taught you the rules earlier. I was worried that Great would get seriously hurt and that it would affect you. I don't want you to lose. Instead, I want you to win."
"You want me to win?"
"Yes."
"Will you be happy if I win?"
"Of course," Dan added. "But I don't want you to push yourself too hard. I'd feel bad if you got hurt. I care about you."
Jayden concluded that… If he won, Dan would be happy. If he got hurt, Dan would be worried. So he had to win without getting hurt. A few days later, Dan and Tiger took Jayden to a large boxing gym. They introduced him to a tall and muscular man with white hair and a beard, showing his age. His name was Ryan, and he would be Jayden's trainer. He observed Jayden carefully.
"Hmm," Ryan stroked his chin, thinking. His instincts told him that this kid would go far in the boxing world. He had felt the same way about Tiger before, but that bastard strayed from boxing, taking the skills and becoming a gangster. This kid was different; he was a killer before he was a boxer. The question was whether he could control it.
"You know the rules, right? Get in the ring," he said, then turned to Tiger. "I want to see him against the best here. One of your guys."
"Okay," Tiger agreed before giving orders. Jayden was put in the ring to fight Tiger's best boxer. Ryan was surprised, not expecting Jayden to perform so well.
"They said he only fought in underground arenas. He should be more awkward in the ring."
"Dan taught him the rules and showed him match videos."
"Just videos?"
"Yeah."
"..." Ryan was impressed. No problems with control.
"Okay, I'm in."
"Good," said Tiger, stopping the fight. Dan smiled, telling Jayden that Ryan had agreed to train him. Jayden knew that Ryan didn't train just anyone, only those who were talented. But he didn't care—as long as Dan was happy.
"Why are you wearing a watch?" Ryan asked. "Who boxes while wearing a watch? Why don't you just take it off?"
"Oh," Tiger explained the reason.
"I see, but you still have to take it off, right?"
"Dan," Tiger turned to Dan, who nodded. "Jay has to stay here. Dan won't be with him much."
Jayden stood still, watching Tiger take Dan's watch without fully understanding. Why did he say Dan wouldn't be with him? When Tiger reached out to take the watch from him, Jayden immediately pulled his hand back, making both Tiger and Dan confused.
"Jay, what's wrong?" Dan asked. "Don't you want to take it off?"
Jayden shook his head. The watch allowed him to be with Dan. If he took it off, he couldn't be with him.
"Why?"
"Why is Dan taking it off?" he decided to ask. He knew that Dan was supposed to wear the watch to press the button if he did something wrong, making him unconscious to protect Dan and allow them to stay together. "Won't we be together?"
Dan was slightly surprised, then smiled sweetly. "Let's talk for a moment," he said, leading Jayden to a more private place. "This watch is for my safety when I'm with you, right?"
"Yes."
"But I won't be with you often because you have to train here. This place is far from where you used to live, so I thought moving here would be more convenient. I have to work—I can't always be here, but I'll come to see you whenever I can."
"…"
"Jay?"
"What about classes?" Jayden asked, so that he could still be with Dan.
"You don't actually need to study. You can focus on boxing. Or… do you want to keep studying?"
"I want to study."
"Alright, then on weekends."
"And in the evenings?" since Dan usually visited him every evening.
"Your previous place was on my way, so I could stop by every day, but this place is far from my route. I won't be able to come in the evenings. Sorry, I won't be able to have dinner at home either."
"…" Jayden frowned, making Dan confused.
"Okay?"
Jayden just nodded. In the end, he had to take off his watch.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The things Dan had bought were brought to his new room at the gym. Jayden started intensive training with Ryan. His presence attracted attention because Ryan, a famous trainer, had come all the way from America just to train him. Jayden's daily routine consisted of waking up early, running, having breakfast, training, eating lunch, training, eating dinner, training, returning to his room, showering, and sleeping. This routine repeated for weeks. He received messages from Dan every morning, afternoon, and night. On weekends, they met and studied together.
Until one afternoon, Jayden was eating alone, holding his phone, staring at the empty screen. Dan hadn't sent a message…Jayden waited, then continued training. Before going to bed, he still hadn't received a message from Dan. The next day, there was no message either, neither in the morning, afternoon, nor night. This continued for five days. Dan didn't come on the weekend, and Jayden started to get suspicious.
In the morning, he ran with the others at the gym, wondering what Dan was doing. In the morning, he jumped rope, punched the sandbag and targets, wondering what Dan was doing. In the afternoon, he trained with Ryan, wondering what Dan was doing. Before bed, he looked at the roses on the balcony, wondering what Dan was doing. Suddenly, Dan's words echoed in his mind:
"What if I suddenly disappeared?"
At that time, he had answered that it wouldn't matter.
Now, he felt that it did.