Jay-jay's POV
What should I do?
This damn Messenger is so noisy. It's probably the Snakes causing chaos in the group chat again. I don't want to open it — I might just get irritated by what they're saying. But I couldn't stand the noise. I was about to uninstall Messenger when I saw a message from Freya.
I pouted. This is the first time she's messaged me. It made me feel like whatever she had to say wouldn't be good.
I opened her message and read it.
Freya: Who the hell is this guy? She really won't settle down until she finds out who gave her that letter. I feel like she's getting interested too.
Ayeih! She likes him. She's just pretending otherwise. I smiled at the idea that crossed my mind. I really needed to convince Edrix. All our efforts would go to waste if he never shows up or introduces himself. Another message came in from Freya.
Freya: Make sure that this is not Percy. My smile disappeared and turned into a grimace. How was I supposed to explain this to my stepbrother? He'd definitely get mad at me. What would he say? I was the one pushing Freya away from him. Maybe I should've come up with a full explanation for Percy before I told this girl about Edrix. Ugh, seriously! But if my brother does get mad at me, maybe this could be his wake-up call — that the girl he loves really doesn't want him anymore. It's so obvious, why can't he get it? Is he that obsessed with this coloring book? Maybe I should just buy him a canvas and let him paint that instead.
I curled up on my bed like a fetus in the womb. Sometimes I wonder —Such deep thoughts. Why can't I stop myself from meddling in other people's business sometimes? I always feel like I'm involved in their issues even when I'm not. I feel like I have to do something to help them. I feel like I have superpowers — just kidding!
I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door followed by it opening. I quickly sat up because my position was embarrassing. My brother's serious face greeted me.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"I just want to know something," he said, and I nodded.
"Lechon is delicious, but liempo is also great," I replied. His forehead quickly creased.
"Spaghetti is good, but nothing beats pancit malabon."
"What?"
"Leche flan is tasty, but sans rival or crema de fruta is even better."
He took a deep breath and bowed his head for a moment. When he looked up, he gave me a forced smile.
"Your brain must be full of oil and fat. All you think about is food," he said seriously.
I pouted. How should I know? There's nothing else he could possibly ask me at this hour. It's not like he'd ask me about school lessons because he knows I'm not smart.
"What's this about?"
"Freya and the love letter."
I quickly averted my gaze. I knew that if I told him the truth, he'd tell that coloring book girl and ruin the plan Rory and I had.
"W-what about it?" I asked, pretending not to know.
"Who wrote those letters?"
"What letters?"
One of his eyebrows rose slightly. "Don't start with me," he said, his tone carrying a hint of warning.
"What letters? Letter A, B, C, D, or E. Which one?"
He raised his hand as if to slap me, and I quickly raised my arm to block him just in case.
"I'm talking about the letter you gave to Freya," he said with a sigh. "I saw her reading it, and I don't like how she reacted."
"What was her reaction?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Just answer me," I insisted.
He stared at me for a few seconds before speaking. "I saw glimpses of happiness, but she managed to keep a stoic expression."
I smiled at what I heard but quickly wiped it off my face when I remembered my brother was right in front of me — the brother who held the fate of the universe in his hands.
"Now tell me who wrote that letter," he demanded.
"I don't know," I answered flatly. "Someone just asked me to deliver it."
"What?"
I nodded. "Someone just passed it on to me."
"And who passed it to you?"
I pretended to scratch my head. "I don't remember. I didn't know them either."
He let out a loud sigh before turning his back on me and walking away. I could hear him cursing under his breath, though I wasn't sure what exactly he was mad about.
Once I was sure he was gone, I quickly closed my bedroom door and grabbed my phone.
I messaged Rory and told him what I had learned about Freya's reaction.
I smell hope.
But then my stomach growled. Maybe all I smelled was food. I put my phone down on my study table and walked out. I took big steps toward the kitchen but stopped when I reached the living room. I overheard Aunt Gema and Brother Angelo talking.
"Should we tell Jay-jay? She might just get disappointed."
"Well, she was already disappointed when Aunt introduced her new fiancé. What's the difference if she finds out the wedding's canceled?"
I covered my mouth in shock. What happened? Why was the wedding canceled? Could my suspicion about that annoying Andy be true? Did he really have another woman and Mom found out?
I didn't feel any sadness about what I just heard, but I did feel a little regret. I thought he was okay for Mom. But I guess my mother made another mistake.
Okay. Thank you, next!
They say try and try until you succeed. But if it were up to me, I wouldn't want her to look for another husband. She hasn't even made up for what happened with me and Aries, and she's prioritizing marriage? She should focus on us first.
I shrugged and went down the stairs. I passed by the living room, pretending not to have heard their conversation about me and Mom.
I went straight to the kitchen to look for a snack. I found some buko salad and mango pie. I immediately grabbed a bowl to get some when someone suddenly hugged me from behind and covered my mouth.
At first, I was too shocked to move, but when they started dragging me toward the dirty kitchen, I panicked. I elbowed them several times and heard their groans of pain.
Damn it! Was this a kidnapping?
Before I knew it, they had pulled me all the way to the laundry area. They finally let go, and I was about to punch them when I realized who it was.
"Y-Yuri?"
He was wearing a baseball cap and a black shirt, but that didn't hide the fresh blood on his clothes.
My fear spiked, but I forced myself to check his condition.
"Y-you're bleeding! We need to get you to a hospital."
But if the sight of fresh blood scared me, his next words terrified me even more.
"This is not mine."
I pointed at his clothes even though my hands were trembling. "Whose is that?"
His breathing was heavy and exhaustion was evident. He shook his head before removing his baseball cap.
"Someone attacked me. I managed to escape, and the next thing I knew, I was here," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his palm.
I noticed the scrapes on his knuckles. I also couldn't miss the marks on his neck, as if someone had tried to strangle him. Confused by what I was seeing and hearing, I glanced back at his clothes. A wave of nausea hit me, and I couldn't stop myself from gagging.
He quickly approached me to support me, rubbing my back gently.
"What's wrong?" he asked, helping me get to the sink so I could wash my face.
"T-the blood on your clothes," I answered, and he immediately took off his shirt.
He placed it in the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water wash the blood away. I stepped aside to give him space.
His fair skin glistened, but it was covered in scars. I couldn't help but notice the bruises that were clearly from a fight. There were also a few scratches and wounds.
"Do you know who attacked you?"
He shook his head. "No. Everything happened too fast."
"We should report this to the police."
He shook his head again. "It's useless. They won't find them."
"I'm so confused. What's really going on?"
He took a deep breath before facing me. The exhaustion and pain were clear on his face.
"T-there are some people…" He was struggling to speak.
"Yuri," I called his name.
He closed his eyes briefly before forcing a smile. But I didn't like the way he smiled at me. Whatever he was facing was far worse than I had initially thought when he first told me his story.
"It's better if you know as little as possible. I don't want to put your life at risk."
"But—"
"Please…" he pleaded, and before I knew it, he collapsed.
I tried to catch him, but instead, we both fell to the ground. I quickly got up and checked his face.
"Y-Yuri…" I tapped his cheek, but there was no response.
Panic surged through me. I thought of running inside to call Kuya Angelo, but I quickly changed my mind. Kuya mustn't see Yuri like this — especially since he hadn't entered through the front door and his clothes were covered in blood.
But he needed help. The only people I could think of were the Ulupong. I reached for my phone in my pocket, only to remember I'd left it on the table in my room.
I pulled at my hair in frustration. Yuri was unconscious and shirtless. What would people in the house think if they saw him like this? Everyone here had a knack for jumping to conclusions.
I glanced at a closed door. If I remembered correctly, this was supposed to be their driver's room. But since they no longer had a driver, the room had been left vacant. I rushed over and opened the door, relieved to find it unlocked.
There were a few scattered items inside. A mattress still wrapped in plastic lay in the corner, though it was covered in dust.
It'll do!
I grabbed a shirt from the clothesline and used it to wipe down the mattress. My heart sank when I realized the shirt belonged to Aries.
He can never find out about this, or he'll curse me with a lifetime of misfortune.
Sorry!
I hurried back to Yuri and tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't budge. He was completely knocked out. I tried different ways to carry him — dragging his legs, attempting a fireman's carry — but no matter what, he was too heavy. In the end, I positioned myself behind him, hooked my arms under his armpits, and pulled him toward the room.
I felt a wave of guilt seeing the scrapes he got from my rough handling. He was already beaten up, and now I was adding to his injuries.
I decided to deal with his wounds later. I stepped out and grabbed a blanket from the clothesline. I had every intention of returning it once I recognized whose blanket it was.
I'd be cursed for sure.
I quickly wrapped the blanket around Yuri before running out again. I was about to go back inside the house when I remembered his clothes in the sink. I rushed back, staring at the water mixing with the blood from his shirt.
No one in the house could see this. Steeling myself, I reached into the water and started scrubbing the shirt as if I were kneading dough. I sprinkled soap on it and scrubbed harder. Why did he have to wear gray today?
Then it hit me — my own clothes had blood on them too. I frantically searched for something to change into from the clothesline and grabbed the first thing I found. I didn't care whose it was anymore. I tossed my stained shirt into the sink and repeated my frantic washing.
Once the blood was gone, I threw the clothes into the washing machine. It was an automatic one, but there were so many buttons! There were strange symbols and numbers everywhere. I couldn't even find a simple dial like the one on my grandma's machine.
I pressed random buttons until it finally started running.
Finally, I rushed back inside the house. Half-walking, half-running, I made my way to my room. I grabbed some clothes for Yuri and my phone.
"Jay-jay!" Aries called out just as I left my room. "Have you seen—Is that my shirt?"
I tried to cover the shirt I was wearing. "N-no. You're imagining things."
"That's mine. Why are you wearing it?"
I shook my head and pushed him back when he tried to approach me. He stumbled against the wall, looking surprised. Honestly, I was surprised at myself too, but I needed to get back to Yuri.
"What the fvck?!"
"It's mine now! It's mine!" I yelled in his face and hurried off.
Forgive me! Please don't curse me!
I grabbed some alcohol and cotton balls from the first aid kit and picked up the food I'd left on the kitchen counter. I needed to eat too.
On my way back to the laundry area, the house helpers kept giving me strange looks. I waited until the coast was clear before slipping back into the room where Yuri was.
I set everything down beside him. For a moment, I panicked, unsure what to do first — clean his wounds or eat?
In the end, I chose neither. I grabbed my phone and opened our group chat.
Me: Guys! I need help!
Eren: What the hell? What did you say?
Ci-N: Waaah!!😭😭 Jay-jay's message is scary!
Edrix: Is this a code?
David: 🤔🤔🤔
Rory: Jay! What's going on? Did you press something by accident?
Denzel: Grace here! Even with two of us reading this, we still don't get it.
My nostrils flared in frustration. These guys were so bad at reading.
Keifer: Guys, Jay needs help.
At last! The king of the Ulupong spoke up, and the chat was flooded with "wow" reactions. They should be amazed — their king could actually read.
David: About what?
I didn't waste time explaining. I took a picture of Yuri and sent it to them.
Keifer: Where the fvck are you?
The king of the Ulupong was the fastest to respond. Everyone else started bombarding the chat with messages.
Ci-N: Why are you together?
Felix: Did you punch him? Why is he out cold?
Eren: What did you do?
Josh: He's shirtless.
Instead of helping me, they focused on the fact that Yuri wasn't wearing a shirt.
Calix: What's happening?
Blaster: Did something happen?
Kit: Jay? Explain! NOW!
Mayo: We didn't raise you like this! Aren't you ashamed of your mother, Kit?!
Rory: lol! The flirt up there.
Mayo: Damn you, Rory!
Rory: Am I the only one above you?
Calix: Guilty!
Edrix: Guilty!
Felix: Guilty!
Ci-N: Hi, I'm Ci-Nix, sibling of Felix, Calix, and Edrix. 😂😂😂
I wanted to throw my phone because of their nonsense. And then they wonder why I barely open the group chat. It always ends up like this. I was about to reply when suddenly the name "GagongBaliw" popped up.
The idiot was calling.
I answered.
["Where are you?"] was his frantic greeting.
I could hear the sound of a car door closing, which I guessed was his.
"At home. Why?"
["What the hell is that photo? Why is Yuri shirtless and why are you together?"]
"He passed out. Can you come over? Kuya can't see him like this."
And then I realized Kuya really couldn't see him like this.
["I'm on my way—"]
"Don't come after all," I quickly cut him off. "I'll just wait for Yuri to wake up. I don't think anything serious happened to him. He doesn't seem too badly hurt."
["I'm coming to see you, not him."]
Is this really his best friend lying unconscious in front of me? Wow! Thanks so much for the concern.
"Am I the one who passed out?" I asked sarcastically.
["Is he the woman I love?"]
And he still managed to insert that.
"Don't! Brother can see you."
["The hell I care!"]
"Please—." I almost cursed. "You're a fool! You're going to ruin me!"
["Whatever. I'm on my way now. Make sure to give me a good explanation."]
He hung up without waiting for my response.
I scowled. If Kuya saw him, he'd know Yuri was here in this state. I was doomed!
I could already hear Kuya's voice in my head and imagine his face glaring at me.
I decided to dress Yuri before he caught a cold. Since his position made it difficult, I climbed onto the bed and straddled his waist, positioning my knees on either side of him so I could properly get the shirt on him. I was moving carefully when the door suddenly opened.
My brother's scowling face appeared in the doorway. We stared at each other before his eyes widened in shock. I blinked, realizing I was still in the middle of dressing the unconscious, shirtless Yuri.
"What the hell is happening here?" he demanded.
I didn't know whether to finish what I was doing or start explaining the mess right away.
"Y-you're getting it all wrong," I stammered.
He took a deep breath. "Explain. Now," he said in a dangerously calm voice.
I was just about to step off the bed when another person appeared behind my brother.
"What happened?" Percy asked, also scowling at the scene in front of him.
Great, just what I needed.
Aries turned to glare at Percy. Before they could start arguing, the ever-scowling King of the Snakes arrived.
"Jay," Aries said, his voice heavy. "Explain. Now."