Jay-jay's POV
I didn't get any answers from Yuri. In the end, I left disappointed and upset. Even when I got home, I was wrapped in frustration, so much so that even when Kuya flicked my forehead—hard enough to make me cry—I was still fuming.
What hurt more was that the things I'd found out about Freya kept replaying in my head. It turns out that Yuri was the guy she was obsessed with — the guy who almost got her pregnant. And Aries knew about all of it.
"Jay-jay! Get up and eat breakfast!" Aries yelled from outside my room.
I had been awake for a while and had already washed my face. When I opened the door, my horoscope-obsessed brother gave me a weird look.
"Your eyebags are huge," he commented.
"Just ignore them. I need to ask you something," I said.
"What?"
"It's about Freya." I waited for his reaction. "Is Yuri the guy she's crazy about?"
He paused and stared at me. "Did she tell you that?"
I shook my head. "It's just a guess."
He sighed. "Go eat breakfast. Kuya's driving us today."
What?
I wanted to push him for more answers, but he walked away. I had no choice but to follow him — I couldn't be late, and I definitely couldn't complain about our early-morning rides.
Today, our service was my older brother, Angelo. It wouldn't be a good idea to show him any complaints about being up early — it would be like talking to a brick wall. When I got to the dining table, I noticed that Tita Gema, Tito Julz, and Kuya Angelo were deep in conversation.
But the moment they saw me, they fell silent and started pretending to be busy with other things. They didn't need to say it — I knew they'd been talking about me.
"Eat up. You and Aries don't want to be late," Tita Gema said with a forced smile.
I nodded and quietly ate my breakfast. The adults started chatting again, but their topic had clearly shifted to something else. Even when I finished eating and said my goodbyes, they stayed careful with their words.
Now I was itching to find out what they'd been saying about me. What if they were planning to leave me a massive inheritance, and I didn't even know about it?
No need for that — I already own an island.
I rushed to take a shower and get dressed, not wanting to keep Kuya Angelo waiting. Besides, it wasn't just about respect — his impatience could be scary. If Aries was annoying when he rushed me, Kuya was downright terrifying. So I finished getting ready faster than usual.
When I stepped out of my room, I noticed my horoscope-loving brother was still tying his shoes. Ha! Beat you! I waited by his door just so I could rub it in his face. And sure enough, it wasn't long before he finally stepped out.
"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I grinned widely. "You're so slow. Hurry up!" I teased, laughing loudly.
He just shook his head. "Looks like you didn't eat enough breakfast," he muttered, walking away.
Still smiling, I followed him. This was a rare victory — and I was going to savor it.
"Ready to go?" Kuya Angelo asked, fixing his necktie.
He glanced at me and raised a brow at my obvious glee, but decided not to comment. We all filed out and got into the car — Aries riding shotgun while I sat in the back, still grinning.
"We still need to pick up Ella," Aries announced, and just like that, my smile vanished.
Ugh. Why did we have to pick her up?
"Aren't we going to be late if we pick her up?" I asked, frowning.
Aries turned slightly to face me. "Nope. We'll be fine," he said confidently.
You're not even the driver — how would you know?
I just rolled my eyes and looked out the window. I didn't really have any hard feelings toward that girl at first, but the countless things she did affected me. One of those was being stingy with food when my sibling and I were at the hospital. She can stab her food into her lungs for all I care.
Add to that the fact that her motives are unclear to me. She's too mysterious, and her thoughts are terrifying. Most girls' personalities are easy to read, but with her, it's so difficult. I really don't like how she keeps hanging around our section. Especially near Yuri and Keifer.
What if she still has feelings for Yuri? My brother would be devastated—even though he's good at predicting things, he wouldn't be able to handle that pain. And if it's not Yuri, maybe it's Keifer. Oh, things would definitely get ugly. My vision practically darkened when I saw Ella's house. I glanced to my side when the door opened, and I was forced to scoot over just so she could get in.
My brother and I exchanged looks through the rearview mirror. I chose to look away. I stayed silent the entire ride while they did most of the talking. Even when we reached school and got out of the car, I didn't say a word.
As we entered the gate, I immediately stopped when I saw Yuri. He straightened up when he noticed me. I didn't want to avoid him just because I was angry. I just wanted him to tell me the truth. Slowly, I walked toward him and forced a smile.
"Good morning," he greeted. "Can we talk... about... yesterday?"
I nodded. "As long as you tell the truth."
He looked down for a moment before smiling and starting to walk. We walked slowly so we wouldn't reach the room too soon. I was hoping he'd finally tell me the truth—what was really going on in his life.
"Sorry if there are things I still can't say. But everything I told you on the rooftop was true," he began.
"I know that was true. But what else is happening to you that I don't know about?"
Why are you with Freya? He sighed.
"A lot of things, Jay. A lot." He avoided my gaze, looking in another direction.
"And I needed an escape, which Freya is helping me with."
The question I hadn't been able to voice finally got an answer. I didn't even need to ask what else they'd done besides dyeing their hair. I already felt a pang in my chest just imagining it—how much more if I found out everything they did in his room? Tumbling.
"W-why?"
Why Freya? I was frustrated because I couldn't ask all the questions running through my mind. I used to feel comfortable asking him anything, but now fear was eating me up.
"I need a little break from all the shits happening to me, or it will be my end," he answered without looking at me.
I understood that part. With all his problems, he really did need a break. Who wouldn't be tired of facing their issues? Even I would need to take a breather. But why Freya? Can't I help you? I looked down.
"I understand. But don't hesitate to come to us. We're your friends too."
He was quiet for a moment, so I looked up at him. He was staring blankly ahead, so I nudged him lightly. He blinked several times, snapping back to the present.
"I-I will... Of course. You guys are my friends," he said, nodding.
But he went back to staring at the path ahead of us. His thoughts seemed so deep that I couldn't help but feel anxious. I wanted to ask more questions, but I chose to stay silent. We reached our room, and I quietly took my seat.
I looked up when C-in waved a hand in front of me. "Daydreaming," he teased before sipping his shake. My eyes immediately sparkled at the drink he was holding.
"Gimme some!" I said, reaching for it, but he quickly pulled it away.
"Buy your own."
"Just a little." The stingy brat shook his head and moved farther away. So selfish! I was about to stand up and chase after him when someone set a glass full of shake down in front of me.
When I looked up, David was there, also holding his own shake. "I knew you'd want some," he said, taking his seat.
I smiled before accepting the drink he gave me. "Thank you."
"You seem so out of it—you didn't even hear us earlier." I gave him a puzzled look while sipping my shake. I was confused by what he said—I didn't remember anyone talking to me besides Yuri.
"C-in and I ran into you before you entered the room. he asked if you wanted a shake, but you just walked straight ahead," he explained. I thought hard about what he said, and then I finally remembered seeing them before I entered the room with Yuri.
Wow, I really was out of it. I scratched my head. "I was just deep in thought."
"About what?"
I quickly shook my head. "Nothing important."
"If it's not important, why think about it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Here we go again with his instincts. Sometimes, it's annoying to confide in David. It's so hard to lie to him—his instincts are too refined, and his intuition is too strong.
"I-it's not like that. It's just..."
"You can try me. Maybe I can help," he said with a smile.
He had a point. He was easier to talk to than the rest of his friends. There was probably no harm in telling him—maybe he really could help. I leaned in slightly toward him, and he did the same.
"It's Yuri... I feel like he's distancing himself from us," I whispered. He nodded thoughtfully.
"It's like he's having a hard time getting close to us." He took a sip of his shake before adjusting his chair to sit even closer to me. Looks like this is going to be a long gossip session.
"Now that you mention it, I don't remember Yuri reaching out to us. I don't know about Keifer, but you know him—if someone's in trouble and needs help, he'll call us," he said, as if he'd really been thinking about it.
That made me think, too. They'd all been together much longer than I had, so he noticed these things more easily. For me, Yuri had always managed his problems on his own, so maybe that's why he didn't confide in them.
"Maybe he just doesn't want to bother you guys," I defended.
"Maybe. Or maybe he doesn't really consider us his friends," David replied, sitting back. I was left stunned by his words. David had the broadest perspective among all of us, so if he said something like this, it meant he'd been observing this for a while.
But what if it was true? It was hard to accept the idea that Yuri didn't see the people who had shared joy, chaos, and pain with him as his friends. What was all that time spent together for, then? Impossible. David probably just hadn't noticed. But I knew Yuri also saw our classmates as his friends. After all the time they'd spent together, wouldn't he have learned to value them by now?
I forced myself to push David's words out of my mind. I quickly sipped my shake, only to get a sudden headache. It felt like my tiny brain literally froze. It was small enough already—now it was frozen, too.
Good thing I finished my drink before the teacher arrived. He took attendance and then announced some good news. "It's only a half-day today. You can go home by lunchtime, but don't forget your lessons for your afternoon class. It's self-study for now."
The whole class cheered, but they quickly quieted down when the teacher shot them a glare. He still seemed bitter about us not showing up the other day. Poor Sir Alvin got pranked.
I felt like time stretched longer because of our waiting. So when our last morning class ended, it was like there was a fiesta in the room because of the noisy celebration of the crazy Ulupong group.
I was standing while fixing my things. I was about to glance at Yuri when the King of the Ulupong suddenly appeared beside me.
"Lunch?" he offered.
I shook my head. "I'm heading straight home."
"All-you-can-eat buffet."
I quickly slung my bag over my shoulder. "Let's go. I'm ready."
He shook his head while laughing. I turned to the side when Yuri passed by. I immediately stopped him by holding his arm. He was surprised at first but eventually stopped walking.
"W-where are you going? Come with us. We're going to eat," I invited him and briefly glanced at Keifer.
He smiled at me. "I can't. I have a guest from Japan."
I let go of him and nodded. "O-okay. Text me if you want to join or follow."
He smiled and nodded before turning away from us. My mind started running wild again. I really wanted him to join us in our outings so he wouldn't drift away from us.
Or to keep an eye on him?
I turned to Keifer when I noticed him staring at me. It was obvious he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. So I did the most effective defense.
I crossed my eyes and made a funny face. He immediately reacted and tried to cover my eyes.
"Stop that!" he said, his palm still covering my eyes.
I struggled to remove his hand and moved my head away, but he wouldn't let go.
"What's your problem?! Take your hand off!"
I heard his soft laughter, so I tried to hit him, but he kept dodging. I ended up taking my frustration out on his arm, slapping and pinching it.
"Ow! S-stop!" he complained before finally letting go of my face.
I saw his skin turn red from my attacks. I felt a little guilty, but my envy overpowered it.
He had such fair skin.
I paused when I realized we were the only ones left in the room. It seemed like the Ulupong group had already left without us noticing. They were always so fast when it came to going home or eating.
"Let's go… looks like they already left," I said and started walking ahead.
As soon as we stepped out of the room, we saw Denzel looking obviously stressed while talking to someone on the phone. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Grace, come on! It's dangerous!" he almost pleaded.
It looked like Grace was the source of his stress.
"I really can't! I have work!" he added, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Just listen to me—hello? Grace?"
He looked at his phone and seemed like he was about to curse. It seemed like the pregnant woman had hung up on him.
"Still holding up?" Keifer asked, catching Denzel's attention.
He was surprised when he saw us. "Y-you're still here?"
"No, we've been gone for a while. You're just imagining us," I teased, and he scratched his head. "Why are you so stressed, anyway?"
"It's Grace… Remember I promised you'd accompany her this week?"
Oh, right.
"I forgot about that."
"I didn't remind you because of what happened yesterday. I thought we could reschedule to next week, and I'd go with her instead," he explained.
That made sense. It really wasn't safe to just go out now, especially with someone targeting me. Even Aries and Ella, who had nothing to do with this, got caught up in it. How much more Grace, who was pregnant?
I wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to her because of me.
"What did she say? Did she agree?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No. And she said she's already leaving the house."
"Oh no! That's dangerous!"
"There's one more problem," he added, and I waited for what he'd say next. "I have work. It'd be a waste if I didn't go—there's a good tip waiting for me."
I couldn't help but admire Denzel. He was really becoming responsible. Unlike before, when he kept pushing Grace away and didn't want to take responsibility for her pregnancy. Now, he was working hard for his future family.
I smiled. I wanted to help him, even in a small way.
"We'll go with Grace," I offered, but he immediately shook his head.
"No need. Besides, it's dangerous for you."
"I'm with them. If you still disagree, don't go to work and take my money," Keifer said, reaching for his wallet.
I'll take it.
Denzel quickly protested. "No! Don't!"
"Okay then, Jay-jay and I will take care of her," the King of the Ulupong said and suddenly put his arm around my shoulder.
My elbow automatically flew up and hit his stomach. The idiot let go and doubled over, clutching his stomach.
"Don't worry. No one would probably target a pregnant woman," I reassured him with a smile.
He nodded. "Thank you so much, Jay. And I'm really sorry. It's just that this job opportunity is too good to pass up."
My smile widened. "Come on, what are friends for?"
Friends.
My smile faded when I remembered what David said about Yuri. I wanted to believe he was just trying to protect us. I knew we were important to him, too.
"Just text me when you're with her. Thank you so much!" Denzel said as he walked away, waving.
I turned to the King of the Ulupong. He immediately flashed a smile at me, his eyes squinting. I wanted to punch him for that simple attempt at being cute. I just rolled my eyes and took out my phone to text Grace, asking which mall she went to. Thankfully, she replied right away.
Next, I texted my brother and Aries to ask for permission. I spent a while thinking of what to say just to get their approval.
To: Kuya Angelo, Horoscope Message: PhUntah lng aq mall😁😁. Mhay smhn aqng bUnthis🤰. Safe aq, my ksmah aqng safeguard💂💂💂. (Just going to the mall. I'm with a pregnant woman. I'm safe; I have a guard with me.)
They both replied almost at the same time.
From: Horoscopes Message: I don't understand your words. Fix it.
From: Kuya Angelo Message: I understand nothing.
I smiled. That was good enough. At least I informed them. If they complained later, I'd just say they didn't say "no" in their texts.
I put my phone back in my bag and called the King of the Ulupong, who was clearly getting impatient. We went straight to the parking lot where his car was.
Since his fancy sports car got wrecked yesterday, he was using a different one today.
Still expensive and still intimidating to ride. The kind of car you wouldn't even breathe in, just so you wouldn't get any bacteria on it and risk damaging it.
How would I ever afford to pay for it if I broke it? Sell an island?
Once inside, I sat up straight and kept my eyes forward. He chuckled when he noticed my stiff posture and helped me with my seatbelt when I struggled.
The drive to the mall Grace mentioned was quick. Luckily, she chose a restaurant to meet up in, because I was really hungry.
"Are you two a thing?" Grace greeted us the moment we sat across from her.
"Does it matter?"
"No!"
We answered at the same time, making her raise an eyebrow at us. Even with her swollen face, her sass still showed. And even without makeup, she was still beautiful.
She was the pretty one. I was just… extremely pretty… in my own eyes.
We sat in the restaurant for quite a while. Grace was still looking up the stores she wanted to visit, earning us dirty looks from others waiting for a table.
We decided to leave quickly. Grace and I walked together while Keifer silently followed behind.
I couldn't help but glance at Grace's belly because she kept holding it and making pained expressions.
This didn't look good.