Jay-Jay's POV
"You be the one to give the letter and gift to Freya tomorrow," Rory whispered.
Since I wasn't able to attend class earlier, I didn't get to give Freya her gift and letter as originally planned and as we always do.
"Alright. But who gave it to her earlier?"
"I did. She gave me such a bad look, thinking I was messing with her," he explained. "So tomorrow, it's your turn. She might just fight me if I do it again."
I chuckled slightly and shook my head. He really didn't look trustworthy. Plus, he was always messing with Freya, so I wasn't surprised by her reaction to him.
That's what you get.
I glanced over at Kuya Angelo, who was talking to Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy. I noticed that they had been looking at me for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if Kuya already knew what Ma'am and I talked about.
I just have to do well so Kuya won't catch me. No matter what happens, I won't rat out Yuri.
"Time to go home," Keifer said as he carried his brother's things.
Keiren followed him with a frown, stealing a glance at Ma'am before finally heading to his brother's car. It was obvious he didn't want to leave this place yet.
Looks like he enjoyed being here.
If that's the case, I don't have to worry about Yuri's well-being. He'll be well taken care of here, just like Keiren, and he won't be alone. As long as no one follows him here with bad intentions.
After Keifer closed the car door, he approached me.
"We're heading home. You'll be safe, right?" he asked.
I nodded. "Kuya Angelo might be with me." I bragged.
He chuckled slightly. "Please call me when you get home."
I was about to answer, but the Ulupong, who had apparently been watching us, beat me to it.
"Yes, Keifer, we'll call you," Edrix said.
"We'll be careful, thanks for worrying about us," Rory added, smiling mischievously.
"We exist too, Keifer. Thanks for not forgetting about us," Felix said with a slight laugh.
"Thanks for everything," Ci-N chimed in with a wide grin.
I laughed and looked away. Why did it feel like they were sulking just because Keifer didn't say the same thing to them? They were acting like jealous girlfriends mad at their boyfriends.
The Ulupong were something else—so demanding.
"Sure. Thank you for following us here," Keifer replied sarcastically, making Edrix laugh quietly.
He paused for a moment as if he remembered something. Then, he faced me again.
"You were saying something earlier, right? Before they arrived," he asked, looking at me. "Something about what you see, then you mentioned courting and something like—."
He didn't get to finish because his car suddenly honked loudly. It looked like Keiren was getting impatient inside. Keifer scratched his head and signaled to his brother.
I got nervous.
I don't think I can bring myself to repeat what I said to him.
I felt too embarrassed and anxious, even though it was something simple to say. I might need to gather some courage before I can tell him again.
He let out a deep breath before facing me. "We'll talk about it some other time. We need to go now."
I nodded, and just as he was about to kiss my forehead, Kuya's hand suddenly blocked my face. We both took a step back.
"That's not needed. Leave now," Kuya ordered, annoyed.
Wow, he really shooed him away.
I wanted to be annoyed by his tone. He sounded like he was chasing away a stray puppy.
Keifer briefly turned to Sir, who was standing next to Kuya, bid his farewell, and thanked him before facing us again.
"Jay, please call me," he reminded me before finally turning around and heading to his car.
I watched him go, but quickly looked away when I felt Kuya's sharp gaze from beside me. He looked like an eagle waiting to snatch his next prey.
Why does he have to stare like that?
"Go ahead, keep flirting," he muttered.
"You're just bitter because no one flirts with you," I mumbled back, but I guess he heard it because he immediately flicked my ear.
"Ouch..." I whined quietly.
I pouted while holding my ear. If I hadn't noticed Ci-N and David approaching me, I probably would have cried.
"We're going home now, Jay-Jay!" the little rascal said as he bid me goodbye. "Take care, and you too, Kuya." He also reminded Kuya Angelo.
Oh, so you and Kuya are siblings?
Kuya just nodded at him. Ci even hugged me before walking away. But what surprised us the most was that he also hugged Kuya Angelo.
We were both stunned, but he just responded with laughter. That took guts.
"Call us if there's another emergency, and please be safe," David said, patting my arm.
"Yeah, I will. Take care," I replied before he turned away.
The other Ulupong also said their goodbyes. Some, like Josh, just waved before joining Eren as they walked off.
I paused for a moment. How did they even get here when it was clear that no vehicles had passed through this area? My question was answered when they all climbed into a pickup truck driven by David. They squeezed themselves in just to get home.
I waved at them before they completely disappeared.
"Bye! Take care!"
"Reckless bunch," Kuya muttered. "Just like you."
I pouted again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, but since he didn't have a lighter, he just put it back.
He let out a deep sigh. It felt like I had given him a huge problem.
Sorry about that.
"Are we going home now?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Yuri. There's something I want to ask him," he replied, briefly staring at me, making me quickly look away.
I hope I'm wrong about Kuya suspecting Yuri. I didn't leave any clues with Ma'am Cindy, so there's no reason for him to think about the President of the Shunga Lovers Club. I subtly nodded.
We waited a few more minutes before Yuri came out. He had already changed clothes.
"Did they leave already?" he asked us.
"Yeah, you didn't get to say goodbye," I answered.
"I did before going upstairs. But I forgot to thank them."
"Then just do it tomorrow. We'll all see each other again anyway."
He nodded in agreement. I looked at Kuya Angelo, who seemed to be just waiting for our conversation to end. I took a step back to give them space, but he kept staring at me, so I had no choice but to move even farther away.
I glanced at Ma'am Cindy and Sir Alvin, who were just watching us. I approached them to watch Yuri and Kuya talk as well.
"It would be better if you just told the truth," Ma'am told me, making me look at her. "Watson might not be their only target."
"If you're scared of Angelo, we'll explain it for you," Sir added.
I knew they were talking about the paper I showed them earlier. I already guessed they would press me about it.
Try me.
"I-it's true what I said earlier. I found it in front of Yuri's building," I insisted.
I had to stick to my answer. I couldn't just throw Yuri under the bus. I was afraid of making a mistake and putting him in danger.
"What do you think?" Sir asked Ma'am.
"It might be from the ones Yuri fought earlier," Ma'am replied.
They stared at each other for a moment, and I knew there was something behind those looks.
Their exchange was only broken when Sir called Kuya Angelo over. Ma'am and I were left alone as we watched them from where we stood.
"I'm not stupid, Mariano. If you really picked that up before coming here, you should have asked me about it earlier," Ma'am whispered.
I froze. I hadn't considered that she would notice that detail. I did have plenty of chances earlier. But I couldn't afford to slip up.
"B-because I lost the opportunity," I reasoned.
She stared at me. I met her gaze, determined to stand by my answer, even though I knew it was hard to believe.
But no one told me that Ma'am never blinks when making eye contact. My eyes were almost dry from trying to match her stare.
My suffering finally ended when Kuya Angelo approached us to call me. He said goodbye, and so did I. The last person I bid farewell to was Yuri, who smiled sweetly at me.
Yuri...
I forced myself to return his smile before turning my back on him. I got into Kuya's car, and we stayed silent during the drive. I almost fell asleep if it weren't for the honking of the cars around us.
The car stopped briefly because of the red traffic light. I stared at Yuri's building, which I could see from the window. Even from a distance, I could still see the black smoke coming from there. It was probably all over the news since the building was in the business district, clearly visible to everyone.
I couldn't get the paper out of my mind and why it was with Yuri. The thought kept running through my head that he might have some kind of plan, but I didn't want to believe that. They had been friends for a long time. Out of the four of them, theirs was the only remaining friendship. If Keifer could never bring himself to turn his back on him, I knew Yuri felt the same way.
"Your silence is starting to bother me. Let me know if you're hungry; there are plenty of drive-thrus around here," Kuya said, waking me up from my thoughts.
I was wide awake.
"Just a burger… maybe three," I answered, and I heard his soft laughter.
The car moved forward and turned into the nearest fast-food drive-thru. He quickly placed an order and lined up to pick it up.
Kuya's sideline crossed my mind. What if he knew something I didn't? What if he and Yuri were in on something together? There was so much I didn't know about what Kuya was involved in, and I was always shocked by every new thing I found out — including the fact that he had a gun.
Bang. Bang.
Sir wanted me to tell Kuya the truth. I didn't know his real reason, but could it be because Kuya could help Keifer? And if he could help Keifer, maybe he could help Yuri, too.
Did I trust Kuya enough to tell him everything?
"Kuya…" I called his attention, and he looked at me. "What if someone close to you tried to take your life?"
I saw a smile peek from his lips. "I will personally congratulate and thank them."
Why so arrogant?
I couldn't understand what he meant. Why would he congratulate and thank someone who was trying to kill him? It was like he was challenging them.
"Eh? Someone would try to kill you, and you'd thank them?"
He gave me a cocky smile. "Because they chose to die by my hands."
Well, he had a point. Who would dare go after him? Just his look was intimidating enough — how much more if you had to face him? No wonder his confidence was off the charts.
That's so Kuya Angelo.
He picked up our order and handed it to me. He only had a soft drink because he still seemed full. I was the one who happily indulged in the burgers, fries, and ice cream. I probably wouldn't finish it since we had just eaten at Ma'am Cindy's, but of course, I would try — I wouldn't waste it.
We arrived home just as Aries pulled up in his new car — a car I was tempted to scratch just like his face. As soon as I got out, I went straight inside and into my room, still carrying the leftover food Kuya had bought me.
"Where have you been, Angelo? I thought you'd come right back after dropping off Jay-Jay," I heard Tita ask.
I didn't hear his response because I shut my door. I finished the food I had with me, and after that, I took out the crumpled paper I had hidden. I flattened it out on my study table.
I let out a deep sigh. In my hands was proof that someone wanted to kill Keifer — and the painful part was that it came from his best friend. I sank onto my bed, feeling weak. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to talk to Yuri about this, but what if he still wouldn't tell me the truth?
I was struggling.
I couldn't ask anyone else for help because I knew the issue would blow up, and it would be a huge mistake. Yuri would be the one to take the fall if that happened. He was already having a hard time, and I didn't want to add to it.
I could tell Keifer about this, but what if he thought differently? What if he got angry at his friend, and it started a rift between them? I saw only one solution for now: to keep an eye on Yuri and wait for the right moment to get him to confess.
I grabbed my phone from my bag and sent Yuri a message, checking on him and letting him know I was home. I stared at my inbox and noticed a message from Keifer — with a heart emoji and a smiling face.
I felt even weaker remembering his smiles at me, his teasing, his affectionate — no, clingy — ways. His mischievousness and our countless fights. All the chaos between us. The tears that started falling soon turned into sobs as I thought about the possibility of losing him.
I heard a knock on the door, and it opened.
"Jay, can we — what's wrong?" Aries asked when he saw me.
He closed the door and approached me.
"It's Keifer! Aries! I'm going to lose him!"
He quickly hugged me. "Lose him? Is he leaving? Is he breaking up with you?"
"No! Someone wants to kill him!" I sobbed. "I'm scared, Aries!" I cried as I clung to him.
"N-no… hush now. That won't happen. You know him, right?"
"I'm still scared! I love him! I don't want to lose him!"
He held me tighter, rubbing my back in comfort — but it only made me cry harder.
"Sshh… He won't let himself go that easily. He won't be defeated. That's why you shouldn't think like that — because it's like saying you don't trust his abilities."
"But how can I not be scared? We're talking about his life here."
He pulled away from the hug and immediately wiped my tear-streaked and runny face.
"He'll come up with a plan. He won't just let himself disappear. So stop crying — you look ugly when you cry."
I lightly hit him, and he just laughed. He really was good at predicting people's actions. He already knew exactly what Keifer would do in this situation.
Yes, the horoscope of the day.
I tried to stop crying and wiped my face. He was right. Keifer would never just let himself be taken down — he wouldn't let himself go without a fight.
"Where did you even get the idea that someone wants to kill him?" he asked.
I stared at him, thinking carefully about whether I should trust him. He had so many secrets from me — so many things he hadn't told me — so it was hard to trust him. But on the bright side, he was really good at keeping secrets.
Incredibly good.
I took the paper from my desk and handed it to him. He looked curiously at the Japanese characters written on it. But it was clear to him that the paper was about Keifer because of his name and photo.
"They say it's a hit list," I said, about to cry again — but his next words stopped me.
"This is Hanamitchi's symbol," he said, staring at the mark at the bottom of the paper.
I quickly grabbed the paper back and looked at it. The symbol was faint and red. It looked like the letter 'A' without the crossbar — or more like two lines forming a mountain shape. But they weren't just lines. They were two swords enclosed in a circle.
"That's not how it looks. I've seen their real symbol at their house."
"That's theirs — I know that symbol means 'Ha,' the first syllable of their last name. But I know only certain members of their family use it," he explained.
"But why would it be here —?" I stopped when I realized he already understood the situation.
He snatched the paper from me and was about to rush out of my room, but I quickly blocked his way.
"Jay! You're about to involve yourself in another mess!" he scolded.
"You don't understand!"
"This is Yuri's family's business! You have no part in this anymore!"
"But this is about Keifer!" I pleaded.
"I told you — Keifer can handle himself. Please don't get involved."
I sank to the floor in frustration and exhaustion. Why couldn't he understand? The lives of two people I cared about were on the line. And I knew he would do the same thing if it were Ella in danger — maybe even worse.
He sat down on the floor too and faced me. "Let Kuya handle this. They'll find a way."
"But what about Yuri? He's in danger too. Two lives are at stake here. Please…" I begged, holding his hand.
He stared at me, and I could only plead with my eyes. I didn't know what was going through his mind, but I hoped he'd listen to me.
He let out a deep sigh before handing the paper back to me. "I'll leave this to you — but it would be best if you told Kuya about it."
I quickly took the paper and smoothed it out before facing Aries again.
"Please… don't tell Kuya Angelo," I begged.
He sighed. "I can't promise that. But you need to tell him soon."
I nodded. "I'll try to tell Kuya Angelo."
He looked at me as if he felt sorry for me. I quickly fixed myself because I didn't want him to think I was neglecting myself just because I was worried. I was still pretty. That's it.
"Please Jay. Listen to me. Let Kuya fix this." he pleaded and pulled me into a hug.
"How many more times do you have to get hurt just to stop?"
"I don't know. But I won't stop for the people who are important to me."
He laughed a little. "Of course. You're not Jay-Jay, you're just stubborn."
"You're not Aries, you're the one who predicted the future."
He laughed out loud. "Don't be mad at me." I punched him in the side. He moaned loudly but he was still hugging me.
"You haven't apologized and you haven't recovered yet."
He took a deep breath and pulled away from me. "Okay. I am really sorry for hiding it from you. I won't tell you the reason because it's useless but I want you to know that I want to make up."
My face lit up. "How?"
"I will convince your mother to allow you to meet our Dad."
"First, our Mom and secondly, my Dad." I corrected but he just shrugged.
I like the way he's going to make up. He's going to help me.