JAY-JAY'S POV
I couldn't stop coughing and wheezing as I lay on the beach, half of my body submerged in the waves.
"Fuck! Don't do that again!" Kei-Kwanan said, annoyed, while gasping for air.
I was so stupid to think we could swim home. That wasn't swimming—that was drowning!
Thankfully, Impact followed me and saved me before things got worse.
I didn't argue anymore. Wasting my remaining strength just to be stubborn with him wasn't worth it. Instead, I lay there with my eyes closed.
"Are you okay?" Kumag asked.
"I... I just want to go home," I whispered.
"We'll get home. I'll find a way," he said. "For now, let's go back to the villa."
When I opened my eyes, it was still painful. He was standing there, his palm open toward me. Even though I was exhausted, I still reached out my hand. As I got up, he pulled me.
He was still holding my hand even though I was already standing. Even as we walked back, he didn't let go. I let it be, knowing my body might collapse from exhaustion at any moment. Upon arriving at the villa's terrace, I sat down on the porch. The night was still deep.
I took a breath.
"Come on, we're almost there. You can take a bath and rest after," he said as he tried to pull me upright.
"W-wait a minute. Just a little rest."
He let go of my hand and stepped in front of me. I was startled when he suddenly grabbed both of my hands to make me stand up. But it wasn't over yet—he continued pulling me until I found myself slung over his shoulder, like a sack of rice.
He walked into the house.
Honestly, I was jealous of him. He still had so much energy even after pulling me out of the water. Meanwhile, I was utterly drained—tired, thirsty, and starving after trying to swim through the ocean.
What a bad luck.
He kept walking until we reached the room, then straight into the bathroom. He set me down under the shower.
"Take a bath, then rest," he ordered.
I simply nodded before he turned and left. Thankfully, he locked the door. I showered as instructed, but even that was a struggle because of how heavy my arms felt.
After showering and getting dressed, drying my hair with a towel felt like an ordeal. I sat on the bed, staring out the window, thinking about how I'd be stuck here for a long time with that bastard.
I'm doomed.
I turned to the door when it opened. Kei entered, carrying a tray of food and juice.
"I know you're hungry. Eat," he said, placing the tray at the foot of the bed.
Of course, even a fool knows how to feel hunger.
"T-thank you,"
He must have noticed my weak voice. He pulled the bench that was placed next to the table—where I had my stuff—and positioned it in front of me before sitting down.
"Hey, I know you're upset," he said and was about to hold my hand, but I immediately moved away.
The stubborn guy didn't give up, though. His hand still reached out, determined to touch mine. "I'll find a way. We can get home safely before your cousin finds us."
I hit him with a towel. "You're unbelievable! What were you thinking, bringing me here?"
He sighed before holding up two fingers. "I have two reasons." He raised his index finger while keeping the middle one down. "One, for us—to have a private place and enough time to talk." Then he raised his middle finger. "Two, when I asked Angelo for permission regarding this review session, he told me to keep you hidden for a while. But he doesn't know that 'a while' means 24 hours."
I quickly pulled my hand away from his grasp.
Why hide me? And why would Kuya order that? What's going on now? And why did he even agree to let me go with this scumbag?
Kuya knows we're together, yet he still ordered him to hide me. And this guy took full advantage of that.
"W-why? What for?"
He shook his head. "He didn't tell me. But I'm finding out now."
I looked into his eyes. "How can I be sure you're telling the truth?"
He opened his mouth as if to answer but quickly closed it, as if deciding it was better not to speak. He looked away and shook his head.
"It's hard, isn't it? Admitting that you're a liar?" I accused.
He didn't even defend himself or try to earn my trust.
"Yes, I lied. Because I had no choice," he admitted before standing up. "Eat, then rest."
And just like that, he left the room, leaving me with a massive puzzle to solve.
What did he mean by 'no choice'? Lady's Choice?
What kind of outrage is that again?
I chose to eat first—I might get even hungrier if I start thinking too much. I approached the tray and was delighted to see the pasta Ulupong had prepared. Seafood-flavored.
A hungry person is never too tired. I nearly devoured everything he brought. I placed the tray on the table before peeking out the window. The sun was blazing; it wasn't ideal for a walk.
Still, the place was breathtaking. The bright sunlight made everything appear more vivid. The sea was a deep blue, and the sand shimmered in shades of white and pink. Pucca shells were scattered across the shore. Even the wind chime that woke me up yesterday was made of shells. Tall coconut trees swayed in the breeze, though I knew I couldn't climb them. Other trees stood around as well, but I couldn't recognize them.
After admiring the stunning view outside, I decided to lie down and continue my plan to relax. Exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep. I think I slept the entire morning until I woke up with a stomachache.
It was lunchtime.
I tried to move and immediately felt something heavy wrapped around me. I struggled to open my eyes, but sleepiness blurred my vision.
"Kwanan…" I weakly called the King of Serpents. "I'm hungry… Lunch…" I added hoarsely.
Sleep overtook me again, but my growling stomach kept trying to wake me. I wasn't sure if I was asleep or awake.
"Kwanan…" I called again.
Something—or rather, someone—was still hugging me, making it difficult to move. I tried to push the shameless person away.
I heard a soft groan. "Hmm…"
"Kwanan…"
"Hmm?" The person beside me mumbled.
"Cook… Food…"
"Yes, wife," he replied hoarsely. "I will cook." ❤️
Wife? Who's wife?
I smiled to myself. In my dream, Kwanan and I were MARRIED. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the moment. Even in this dream, I could feel that he LOVED me.
Nothing is impossible in a dream.
I once had a dream where I was supposed to marry a liempo, but he passed away early—because I ate him.
"Food..." I moaned softly.
I felt the embrace of the person next to me tighten.
"What does my wife want?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Salmon stick, hubby."
"Steak."
"Just food."
"Of course." I felt something warm press against my forehead.
"For my wife… and our baby."
Oh! A baby? Another level!
"Baby wants ice cream," I murmured.
"Is it the baby or the mommy?"
"Both."
I heard a soft chuckle. I was really enjoying this dream. At least here, there was no painful truth to remind me that he might be lying again. That maybe he had another plan, and I was just a part of it.
In this dream, none of that existed.
"Kanaan…" I called, but no one answered.
"Kanaan…" Still nothing.
A wave of sadness crept in. My dream was fading. I didn't want reality—I wanted to stay here a little longer. I tried to move, but the person beside me stirred as well.
"Wife…" he murmured weakly.
"Mmm?"
"Who's your hubby?"
"You."
A moment of silence hung between us. My dream was ending.
No!
I instinctively wrapped my arms around him, hoping to hold on to this little piece of happiness before returning to my real nightmare.
"Shhh…" I heard him say, and once again, I felt something soft brushing against my forehead, trailing down to my nose.
"I don't want to wake up," I mumbled weakly. "I like it here."
"Then stay here. Stay with me." ❤️
I smiled. In my dream, I also wished to stay. If possible, no matter what happens, just don't wake me up.
"All right," I answered.
I felt the soft sensation again. From my nose, it moved to the corner of my lips.
"I LOVE YOU," he whispered, and the soft thing pressed against my lips. "UNTIL SCIENTISTS FIND THE END OF THE UNIVERSE." ❤️
Ayyiiih! He said he loves me!
I let out a small laugh. "Eat first."
He chuckled, but suddenly, my stomach grumbled loudly, followed by a sharp pang of hunger. I groaned in pain and immediately opened my eyes.
Damn it!
It was just a dream! Even scammers have infiltrated my dreams now. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that I wasn't even really dreaming.
Queen! Damn it! Put it together!
I knew what that soft thing was. It was his lips. HE KISSED ME! Then, in my dream, I called him HUBBY and even imagined us having a baby. Oh, crazy! 😂🩷
I should go back to the sea. I'll drown myself—no hesitation. If there's a shark, I'll offer myself as food. It should eat me whole, but before that, I'll eat it first.
Meanwhile, the shameless, pest of a man in front of me was still asleep, his eyes peacefully closed. We were so close that we were practically sharing breaths. I had no complaints about his breath—it smelled nice, after all. But what about mine?
Boombastic!
He looked so calm, as if he wasn't the least bit panicked. I stared at his sharp nose. Ugh, my nose is embarrassing.
An idea popped into my head, and I grinned mischievously. Slowly, I raised one hand that was trapped between us. Carefully, I reached for his nose and flicked it hard before quickly pretending to be asleep.
"Oh," I heard him complain.
I held back my laughter because he might catch me.
"Wife," he said. "I know it's you."
I didn't answer. I am not his wife. If only I had known that it wasn't a dream, I wouldn't have responded to him. That idiot!
"Still asleep, huh?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "You have no idea what I'm about to do to you."
What? What is he planning to do?
"Keep sleeping," he said, and I felt the warmth of his breath—on my lips.
I knew the shameless fool's plan. He wanted me to open my eyes and catch me blinking. If I didn't blink, he would kiss me again.
"Keep—"
"Bet it!" I screamed, almost in tears.
He laughed and pulled away slightly.
"Let go! Get away from me!" I ordered, but he didn't budge.
"What's wrong, Wifey?" he teased.
The fool was obviously messing with me. I guess his senses were wide awake when we talked earlier, and now he was taking advantage of my confusion.
"You idiot!"
"I'm not an idiot. I'm Hubby. You called me Hubby," he continued teasing. ❤️
"Hubby? Hubby—I'll throw you out of here! Get lost!"
He shook his head. "Call me Hubby."
Oh, shut up! My panic was getting worse.
"I'm going to punch you!" I threatened, but he immediately pinned one of my arms while still hugging me.
"Just one 'Hubby.' Please," he spoke sarcastically.
"Stop! Let me go!"
"I won't cook lunch for you if you don't say it," he threatened.
"You're shameless! It's your obligation to cook for me!"
"Oh, so we're talking about obligations now?" His smirk widened. "As my wife, it's your obligation to give me a child." 😅👶🏻👼🏻
"Owl!"
"Say it!"
"What?!"
"Say it!"
"You're so annoying!"
"Just say it!"
It's obvious that this guy has no intention of giving up. It was a huge mistake to say those words earlier. Now he won't stop pestering me. If he doesn't start cooking soon, I'm going to starve.
He's such a king.
"If you don't cook right now, I swear, I'm going to hit you," I threatened.
His grin widened. "Say it."
I winced. I was really hungry. My stomach was already hurting.
Damn you, my so-called idiot.
"H-Hubby," I muttered.
He bit his lip before nuzzling into my neck. When I tried to peek at him, I immediately noticed his red ears.
"H-Happy now?!"
He clung to my neck for a few more seconds before suddenly standing up without saying a word. His ears were still red, and now I noticed his neck was too.
What's up with him?
I decided to get up and head straight to the bathroom to wash up. I even yanked my hair in frustration.
After freshening up, I went downstairs and straight to the kitchen, still scowling at the so-called King of Snakes.
He better not tease me again with that sneaky "Hubby" thing, or I'll smack him back and forth. Once he finished cooking, he placed a plate in front of me and poured juice into a glass.
"Eat, Wifey," he said with a smile.
"I'll get you for this," I muttered before starting to eat.
I heard him chuckle before digging into his own food. As I ate, that shameless man kept glancing at me and smiling before taking a bite.
I wish you could say it.
"Hey!" I snapped at him. "Stop right there."
"What?"
"Eat now."
"Yes, Wifey."
Oh wow! I really don't want to continue this conversation.
I kept quiet—I might say something I'd regret. I was still eating, and I didn't want to lose my appetite.
"After this, help me—"
"What now?"
"With the reviewers. Remember?"
I paused for a moment. So that's the reason this tukmol* is here with me. That sneaky reviewer. How can I even help him? I barely understood anything from today's lessons.
Well, I'll just teach him whatever I managed to learn. I showed him David's lettering and how to read his alphabet.
Nice guy, nice handwriting.
After eating, I waited for the tukmol to finish washing the dishes. Good thing he didn't take too long.
He invited me to the living room and told me to wait. Then he left and came back with our stuff, including photocopies of the lessons.
"Let's start," he said, handing me the papers before sitting next to me.
"You go ahead," I ordered.
"Why?"
"Why? You're too close."
"No, I'm not. This is just the right distance so I can understand what you're teaching me," he replied, winking.
I wanted to poke his eye with a ballpoint pen. Good thing I had a whole box of them. I could stab him with every single one.
Just try me.
"Let's get started," I said, annoyed, before pouting.
I picked up the first paper and started reading. I wanted to cry—so many problems, and in every subject! Always looking for X just to ask Y.
"Here..." I said, taking out a clean sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen. "Victor first."
He looked at me curiously, twirling his pen.
"Who's Victor?"
"What do you mean 'who'?! That's Victor!" I pointed at the diagram on the paper.
He chuckled. "You mean vectors."
Jay, you idiot.
I reread the paper carefully. Oh... it says vectors, not Victor.
I coughed a little to hide my embarrassment and quickly grabbed another paper. Whatever. Our math teacher didn't even focus on that topic today. I don't know why it was included in the photocopy.
"Let's move on," I said, flipping to a different page. "Here we go... hippopotamus."
He frowned. "What?"
I pointed at the paper. "There."
He squinted at me. "Do you have an eye problem?"
I shook my head.
"It's hypothalamus."
Hold it together, Jay.
"It got replaced," I said smoothly. "You've been gone for a while, so it was changed about three weeks ago."
I wanted to slam my head on the table. I was embarrassing myself in front of him. Obviously, I hadn't been paying attention in class. Now I looked like a total fool.
He just nodded, laughing. Clearly, he didn't believe me.
I ignored him and grabbed another paper. Slapping it down in front of him, I announced,
"Here! Let's Tangerine."
This time, he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he almost rolled on the floor.
I think I know why. There's no hope for me.
"It's tangent."
"It got replaced too," I argued.
That only made him laugh even harder.
"It's true! It's been replaced," I insisted.
[TUKMOL—a slang word, likely meaning something like "annoying guy" or "messy person."]
He shook his head while biting his lip. "I don't know what to do. It's obvious that we have nothing to learn. Especially for me—no matter what I listen to, I just don't understand."
After all, it's his fault. He's always on my mind. When I fail, I'll make sure Kuya Angelo knows he's guilty.
Brother, he refuses to leave my thoughts.
"Let's study something else," I said, looking for a subject unrelated to math.
The first thing I grabbed was ENGLISH, but he clearly didn't need it anymore. The last few drops of knowledge left in my brain had already been squeezed out—thanks to his English. Any moment now, my brain might start sparking from the lack of oil. I searched for something else until I found science. I handed it to him.
"Start with this," I said.
"What's this?" he asked, reading the title on the page. "Reproductive System?"
"It's like this..." I began, pointing to the images. "When the egg and chick meet, the egg travels down here and then starts dividing. Then, it looks like this." I pointed to the next image. "Slowly, it develops—first like this, then like this, and finally like this." I pointed at each stage of fetal development. "And when it's fully formed, it's a baby. You just have to wait for it to come out." 🤰🏻👼🏻
"I'm confused. How do these two even meet?" He pointed at the egg and the duck.
"When—" I stopped mid-sentence and shot him a glare. "I'm really going to smack you."
Good thing I caught on quickly to what he was trying to say. Did he really think I wouldn't notice? His grin was ridiculously wide.
Idiot.
"Seriously? If Angelo hears this, you're done for," I scoffed. I know—I know all too well. If he heard every word coming out of my mouth, I'd probably get a flick on the forehead.
Let's share the pain with our brains.