Jay-jay's POV
I won't be able to attend the next subject after lunch. Rory said we'd only stay for a bit, but lunch is almost over, and we're still here in Edrix's dorm.
"There's a girl in Rix's room," I heard someone say from outside the room.
I even saw their shadows from the window.
"Don't mind them. They're just jealous because a girl came here," Rory said while rummaging through Edrix's stuff under the bed.
"I thought Edrix was staying with his parents at home," I said, looking at the things on his study table.
He had three laptops of different brands and five routers attached to the wall or placed on top of a cabinet full of books and logbooks. There was also a box of shoes filled with flash drives, scattered cable wires, and connectors. He even had action figures of well-known anime characters.
His desk was a bit messy, but the rest of the room was the complete opposite. Everything was organized. Dirty clothes were in the laundry basket. His blanket and pillows were folded neatly in one corner of the bed. His shoes were lined up in a corner of the room. The dishes were washed and arranged next to the glasses and pitcher.
"Edrix hasn't gone home since his mother disappeared," Rory answered without even looking at me.
Disappeared?
She moved on to Edrix's closet after finding nothing under the bed. She even laughed when she saw a picture of Freya taped to the back of the closet door.
I couldn't help but think about what she said regarding Edrix's mother. She said it so casually, but it didn't feel casual to me. Despite the time we've spent together, I never knew he was dealing with something like this.
It's hard to lose a family member—especially a mother who should be with you through every step of life. Even I struggle without a father, so how much harder must it be for him?
"W-what happened to his mom?" I asked hesitantly.
"She just disappeared, and they never heard from her again," she replied while still searching.
"How long has it been? Not even a clue or where she was last seen? Nothing?"
"It was expected," she answered, making me frown. "Because of her line of work."
"Line of work?"
She glanced at me briefly. "You don't know?"
Do I look like I know?
I stared at her blankly. "Would I be asking if I knew?"
She laughed softly. "Wrong question—I got snapped at."
"What exactly was her job?" I asked again.
She pointed at Edrix's study table. "The same as what our group does. She crossed some powerful people, so she just vanished."
I sat on the bed. It's heartbreaking to hear stories like this—especially about a friend. You wouldn't even guess Edrix was going through something like this. He always joined in on our antics and laughed with us, but like everyone else—and like me—he had his own hidden pain.
I envy his strength.
"But why did he leave home?"
"He felt ashamed because his mom's husband isn't his real dad. He didn't want to be a burden, so he left," she explained while taking out Edrix's clothes one by one from the closet.
"Where does he get money for his expenses and to pay for this place?"
"From your boyfriend."
Keifer?
"He's not my boyfriend!" I protested quickly.
He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "I didn't even say a name."
"Because I don't have a boyfriend!"
"Maybe because you feel guilty."
"Idiot!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at him.
He laughed loudly before going back to her task. I didn't ask more questions, even though I wanted to know why Keifer the jerk was giving him money.
I stopped thinking when Rory pulled out a box from the bottom of Edrix's closet. He quickly put the clothes back, closed the closet, and sat beside me to open the box.
"Tada!" he announced, showing me photos, dried flowers, and letters that were clearly meant to be kept hidden. "Edrix's closet of secrets."
"W-what are these?"
"Our friend's love for Freya," he answered, wiggling his hips like he was being tickled. "There's even poetry."
Wow. So that snake has this side too?
I looked at the photos, which were taken with an old camera. They were in black and white, giving them a classic vibe. They were all of Freya—every single one a candid shot. I just couldn't figure out the purpose of the dried flowers. I decided not to touch them in case they crumbled.
"What are we going to do with these?" I asked.
Rory opened one of the drawers in Edrix's study table. He took some paper clips and double-sided tape. He picked a letter, read it briefly, then took a photo and a dried flower. He clipped them together, folded them, and placed them in an empty envelope. Then he sealed it with the double-sided tape.
"If Edrix has no plans of making a move, we'll court Freya on his behalf," he said, clapping his hands like a sea lion.
Only the sound effect was missing.
"Are you sure about this? Won't he get mad at us for meddling?" I asked, scratching my head.
"He'll get mad, but that doesn't matter. We're just helping him. That idiot's such a coward. If it were me, I'd make that girl happy in one night," he bragged, and I remembered the time he got stabbed right in front of me.
He had just come from his girl's place then, and we both happened to be late. What a shame—he's so quick to get girls. You're close to becoming Eren.
"Here's the plan…" she started. "I'll provide, and you'll give these to Freya. Deal?"
"D-deal. But what if Edrix gets mad?"
He sighed. "You started this. Why'd you tell Freya she had a secret admirer if you weren't planning to help me?"
Because… I have a lot of reasons.
"It's just better if Edrix confesses himself. What if Freya says yes? How will we explain what we did?"
He scratched his head. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, let's just help him."
I sighed. As if I had a choice. If I didn't agree, I'd face Hidalgo's wrath. She might claw my face or stab me with her eyebrows.
I just nodded. "I'm telling you, Rory—if this all blows up, I'm blaming you."
He arranged the contents of the box before standing up. "Trust me." He doesn't look trustworthy.
I stood up too and helped tidy up Edrix's scattered things. Rory held the box and the room key. Once everything was in order, we left the room. I was stunned when an old woman greeted us outside, her hands on her hips.
She looked me up and down, her nostrils flaring. I couldn't help but feel scared and uncomfortable.
"Wazzup, Granny!" Rory greeted her.
"My dorm isn't a motel!" the old woman yelled, and I took a step back.
I noticed a group of guys behind her, all sizing me up like they were examining my soul.
"Chill, Granny! This one's a tomboy!" Rory said, pointing at me.
I nearly winced at what he called me.
"We just picked something up," he added.
The old woman turned her sharp gaze on me. "You! Where's your sense of decency, being alone with a boy in his room?!"
Geez! It's like I'm some kind of dirty woman.
"What's decency? Is it something you eat?" I asked innocently.
She looked shocked, like she had just heard the worst thing.
"Barbaric!"
Barbecue?
I heard soft laughter from the people around us. Before the old woman exploded in anger, Rory dragged me away.
He was still shaking his head, laughing.
"Don't mind her. She just doesn't like girls staying in her dorm," he said, hailing a taxi.
We definitely weren't making it to the next class, so I just accepted it. And I'd have to accept my brother Angelo's scolding later when I got home.
While riding the taxi, Rory kept glancing at the box he was carrying. He was also counting the letters and photos. When we arrived at school, he was the one who paid the fare.
"Let's hurry or Keifer's going to kill me." he rushed me as he got out of the taxi.
He was the reason we were late anyway.
We half-walked, half-ran to our classroom, but we had only reached the ground floor when Rory suddenly stopped. I stopped too and looked at her.
"Why?" I asked.
He opened the box he was holding and took out three envelopes. He handed them to me and pointed at the girl approaching us.
Freya…
"Give them to her," he ordered, and like a robot, I followed.
I met the witch halfway. "Freyangot," I said, and she immediately shot me a glare.
"What?"
I handed her the three envelopes. She flinched, thinking my hand would hit her face.
"They're for you. And he said he loves you too," I added, pushing the envelopes toward her.
She clearly didn't know how to react. She had no choice but to take the envelopes, eyeing them with obvious disgust.
"Seriously? This is so Jurassic age."
I looked at her innocently. "You look Jurassic," I replied, and she quickly raised a hand to hit me.
I dodged swiftly and ran away. Rory and I laughed and teased each other as we climbed the stairs, so by the time we reached our floor, we were both out of breath.
"Why'd you call her Jurassic?" Rory asked, still laughing.
"She's such a complainer," I answered as he adjusted his bag to secure the box inside.
I had a strong feeling Edrix would find out we took his secret box. He was going to be furious with us. I wouldn't blame him if he did.
Please forgive me.
"Why are you so late?" someone asked from behind us.
Rory panicked, quickly closing his bag. I turned around and my mood shifted when I saw his bright red hair.
"W-we just had to get something," I mumbled.
He looked at his wristwatch. "You missed the class."
I nodded. "You? Why are you here?"
"Just went to the restroom," he said with a forced smile. "Go in." He grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the room.
I signaled Rory that I was going in, and he nodded.
Yuri guided me to my seat. Ci looked at me curiously before glancing at Yuri.
"You took your time," he pouted, then glanced at Rory.
"It's Rory's fault… What did Ma'am say? Did she look for me?"
She shook her head. "Ma'am doesn't care about you."
Ouch!
I winced and just nodded. I wanted to ask David, but he was already sound asleep.
I was really starting to wonder why he was always so sleepy. He once said it was because of late-night video calls with his girlfriend, but they'd broken up, so that wasn't the reason anymore. Sometimes he said he was studying, other times it was online games or live streaming. Lately, it was YouTube videos keeping him up.
The things he stays up for are so random. He could just do them on weekends. I only watch K-pop videos on YouTube, and I still fall asleep. I wish I were better at staying up late.
I had barely warmed my seat when I felt someone staring at me. I glanced discreetly at the Snakes and felt a surge of anxiety when I met the King's gaze.
He was looking at me seriously, as if accusing me of something.
I shot him a sharp glare in return. Did he really think I'd be intimidated? I only went with Rory.
Speaking of Rory, there he was—already arguing with the other Snakes.
"Just let us see it!" Calix said, frustrated.
"No way! Your breath might dirty it!" Rory shot back.
"So that's why you and Jay-Jay took so long. You went shoe shopping," Felix teased, trying to snatch his bag.
I watched them in confusion. They really thought there were shoes inside Rory's box. He was guarding that bag like his life depended on it.
I bit my lower lip. If they saw what was really in that box, it would definitely cause trouble, and Edrix would be furious with us.
I was about to step in when the teacher entered the room, and everyone quickly returned to their seats.
I just hoped no one managed to grab that bag.
Class started, and I focused on the lesson. Our teacher seemed to be rushing through the material because of the upcoming exams. She barely explained the lessons, mostly just writing notes on the board and moving on quickly.
The same happened with the next teachers, except for Ma'am Cindy, our last class.
She taught at a more relaxed pace, giving us plenty of time to take notes. But then she said something that caught my attention.
"Keiren is asking about you," she said, and when I looked up, she was looking at Keifer.
"I will talk to him later."
I glanced at the King of the Snakes. What did Ma'am mean? How did she know Keiren?
Our eyes met briefly before I quickly looked away.
Keifer once mentioned that Keiren was under the care of a friend, but he never said they were already together now.
Wait a minute… Could it be…
I glared at Ma'am. I knew the Snakes had a crush on her even before I transferred to this section. Even Keifer had praised her once.
So they were close? I had no idea.
I forced myself to finish my notes, but for some reason, my pen pressed too hard, tearing through three pages of my notebook.
I had no choice but to rely on David's notes again. There was no way I could rewrite everything in time.
I wasn't mad. Nope.
When class ended, the Snakes scattered like kids let loose from a pen. It was finally time to go home.
"Jay-Jay?" Ci-N called.
"What?"
"Who are you mad at?"
I paused and looked at her, confused. "N-no one."
"Is that the trend now? Frowning eyebrows?" he teased, flashing a playful grin.
I touched my eyebrows and realized they really were furrowed.
I wasn't mad. Really.
"I-it's nothing. I-I was just thinking—" I didn't finish my sentence because Rory suddenly dashed between me and Ci.
"Hey! Let us see your new shoes!" Eren called, chasing after Rory.
"Lend them to us!" Drew added, joining the chase.
Ci and I could only watch them run. I scratched my head and walked out. Even now, they still believed there were new shoes in Rory's bag.
I didn't know if that was good or bad. But either way, they still wouldn't leave him alone.
We were nearing the stairs when someone grabbed my bag, pulling me back. My walking companion didn't notice I had stopped.
I turned around, ready to throw a punch, but he quickly caught my fist.
"Let's—!" I didn't finish because he raised an eyebrow at me.
Hold it in. No cursing.
"Continue," the King of the Snakes challenged.
I flared my nostrils at him. "What do you want?" I snapped, pulling my hand back.
"Where did you and Rory go?"
"Why do you care?" I asked irritably. "I don't need to report everything to you."
"I'm serious. Don't forget that Ram is still after you. It's dangerous."
I pouted. Why wouldn't Ram just face me already and get it over with? Let's settle this with a one-on-one fight.
"Is it really Ram?" I asked suspiciously.
He raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"
We raised our eyebrows at each other.
"Nothing," I said, feigning innocence.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing, really."
"Nothing."
"Nothing."
"Nothing—YOU JERK!" I yelled after he stole a quick kiss.
He was so fast I didn't even see it coming.
I kept wiping my lips furiously as I walked away, grumbling at how he always managed to get the upper hand.
When I reached the ground floor, Ci-N waved at me.
"Where did you disappear to?" she asked.
"Just talked to someone," I answered.
She smiled sweetly. "Keifer, right? What did you two do?"
"Nothing!"
"Oh, sure—" he stopped, eyes widening as he looked behind me.
I turned and was met by Freya's angry glare.
Uh-oh. Danger.
"Hey!" she called, irritated.
I took a step back. Those eyebrows could kill.
"H-h-hey!" I replied.
"Who sent those letters?"
"Tell him, if he takes a picture of me, it'll be beautiful. I look like an ancient in the letter he gave me!"
"What letter?" Aries asked who suddenly appeared next to us.
Freya folded her arms and faced him. "Nothing. And it's none of your business." She said, turning away and blowing her hair in our faces.
I even ate a few strands that made me wince. It didn't taste like conditioner.
That one tasted like chicken to me.