Chapter 23

The atmosphere inside the recreation room of The Jackal's headquarters felt much calmer today. After the surprise attack from Vandalizise yesterday, everyone seemed to need some time to calm down and restore their energy. Alice, who had just finished patrolling, found Jimmy and Miranda relaxing in a corner of the room. Jimmy was sitting on a large sofa with his feet up on the table, while Miranda seemed to be busy fiddling with a small tool in her hand, probably trying to repair or modify something.

"Alice!" exclaimed Jimmy, waving his hand when he saw me enter. "Come on, join us. It's been a while since we've had a casual chat like this."

I smiled faintly and walked over, placing myself on a chair a little further away from them. "What are you guys talking about?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Miranda gave me a quick glance, still focused on the device in her hand. "We're discussing The Jackal's condition... and, yes, the occasional light gossip about someone."

"Gossip?" I raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly where this was going. Jimmy always had a habit of teasing anyone who was caught off guard. "Don't tell me you're talking about me."

Jimmy chuckled. "Ah, it's not just you. But there's someone who's been on our minds a lot lately."

I looked at them suspiciously, "Oh yeah? Who?"

Miranda looked up from her work for a moment and smiled, "Jhonny."

My heart instantly beat faster, though I tried to remain calm. "What now with Jhonny?"

Jimmy spread his arms wide as he glanced at me, "We were just talking about the change in Jhonny's attitude lately. Do you feel like he's become more... serious, more focused? Whereas in the past, he was known to be the most rambunctious."

I nodded slowly. To be honest, I did notice the change. Ever since I joined The Jackal, Jhonny seemed like an authoritative and well-planned leader. But after hearing the stories from Jimmy and Miranda, there seemed to be another side to Jhonny that I had never known.

"Really? He was like that before I came?" I asked, curious.

Miranda chuckled, nodding without taking her eyes off the device she was fiddling with. "In the past, Jhonny was known for being eccentric and always making speculative decisions. We often got a headache from him, but strangely enough, most of his plans always worked."

Jimmy chimed in, "Yes, he had a strange feeling. Every time he makes a decision that we think is crazy, somehow the results are often better than we expected."

I frowned, trying to imagine the figure of Jhonny that Jimmy and Miranda described. It was hard to believe that the man I had seen as a tough and calculating leader used to act recklessly.

"And now?" I asked, looking at the two of them in turn. "Why did he suddenly change?"

Jimmy shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe, someone managed to change the way he thinks?"

I frowned, not fully grasping Jimmy's point. However, when I looked into his eyes, I immediately realized where he was going with this.

"Oh, so you mean..."

"Yeah, I mean you, Alice," Jimmy cut in with a chuckle. "Since you joined, Johnny's changed. He's more serious, more responsible. Maybe he feels the need to show some authority in front of you."

My cheeks suddenly heated up. "What? No way. I had nothing to do with Johnny's change."

Miranda turned to me, a faint smile still gracing her face. "I feel the same way. It's like Jhonny has a new reason to be more disciplined. And that reason came about since you arrived."

I laughed stiffly, trying to change the subject. "You guys are overreacting. Jhonny is just building a new mentality as The Jackal faces more and more challenges. That's all."

Jimmy leaned in closer, giving me his usual playful look. "Oh, come on. Don't deny it, Alice. We both know Jhonny has a special place for you."

I rolled my eyes, trying to remain calm. "There's nothing like that. You've got it all wrong. Jhonny is just... well, he's a good leader. That's all."

Jimmy and Miranda glanced at each other as if they knew something I did not. Their stares made me feel a little awkward, and I knew that I couldn't change their opinions easily. In fact, I wasn't entirely sure of my feelings towards Jhonny myself.

Jhonny was indeed someone who was tough, brave, and... yes, sometimes, too charming. But I always try not to let myself be too affected by his presence. After everything that happened with Michael, I vowed not to trust anyone easily anymore, especially someone like Jhonny who was full of secrets.

"Alice," Miranda said suddenly, her voice more serious this time. "We're not trying to force you to admit anything. But as friends, we want you to know that if there's something you're feeling, we're here to support you. Johnny may not always show his feelings clearly, but he's also human. And people have emotions."

I paused, looking at Miranda and Jimmy with mixed feelings. They were both probably right. Behind Jhonny's cold demeanor and sharp words, there might be feelings he hadn't expressed. But I didn't want to expect too much.

"I don't want to think about this too much," I said finally, trying to avoid a topic that was making me even more uneasy. "Besides, we have more important things to think about. The Jackal's situation, for example. After the attack from Vandalizise, I'm sure we're not completely safe yet."

Jimmy nodded, his idle gaze disappearing, replaced by a more serious expression. "Yeah, right. They may have retreated, but I don't believe they'll give up so easily."

Miranda finally put down the device she was holding and looked at me seriously. "I agree. Yesterday's attack felt like the start of something bigger. Maybe it's not just Vandalizise that will be our problem in the future. We've made too many enemies lately."

I swallowed. My mind drifted back to the battle that had just taken place. How Jhonny, despite often appearing confident, actually carried a huge burden on his shoulders. The burden of keeping this group alive and fighting off threats that grew larger by the day.

"Clearly," Jimmy interrupted the silence, "now we need to be better prepared. Our enemies won't stop until they get what they want."

I nodded in agreement, though inside, I was still thinking of Jhonny. His calm and forward demeanor made him seem invincible, but I knew he must be feeling tremendous pressure.

I just hope, in all this chaos, Jhonny can still be the leader The Jackal needs. And me? I just hope I can continue to be by his side, even though I don't know how I really feel about him yet.