JAY-JAY'S POV
I don't want to remember my past. It's unclear to me what really happened, but I know that the essence of those memories is tied to what Mama's husbands did to me. Every time I think about it, it feels like someone is digging into my stomach, and I just want to cry.
I've overheard my aunts talking about some of the things they did to me. I immediately tried to forget because even I can't accept that it actually happened.
They are disgusting. Infuriating. Nauseating.
But no matter how much I try to push those memories away, they come back—uninvited, relentless. And for the first time, I wanted to know what happened in the last memory that resurfaced.
"That's Mom." The words escape my lips before I can even process them.
"Jay." Yuri calls my name, gently holding both of my hands.
"Maybe it's time you see a psychiatrist."
I immediately shake my head, my eyes wide with fear. Besides Kei-Kwanan, Yuri is the only one who knows about my situation.
"I-I don't want to. I—"
He cups my cheeks in his hands. "You have to, Jay—"
"I don't want to. I don't—"
"They can help you remember your past."
"I don't want to." My tears fall on their own.
Yuri pulls me into his arms, and I break down, sobbing into his chest.
"I don't want to," I repeat through my tears.
"Okay. Not anymore. I won't force you."
He holds me as I cry, gently rubbing my back and occasionally running his fingers through my hair.
Don't let go.
I only stop crying when the door opens, and Kei-Kwanan walks in, carrying a glass of water. I pulled away from Yuri, quickly wiping my tears. Kei-Kwanan walks toward me, but instead of handing me the glass, he just stares at my outstretched hand.
"This isn't yours," he says.
Oh, how rude!
I glare at him, but his teasing smile quickly appears before he finally hands me the glass of water.
"Just kidding."
"You're a snake. A total snake," I mumble under my breath, but Yuri hears me and chuckles softly as I drink.
I don't even realize how thirsty I was until the glass is empty. I hand it back to the so-called King of Snakes, and he places it on the table near the door.
"Are you done with your heart-to-heart talk?" he asked Yuri.
I raise an eyebrow at them, especially when Yuri stands up, ruffling my hair before moving aside. That's when Kei-Kwanan takes his place next to me.
"Jay... Yuri is—"
"Are you going to force me too?" I cut him off immediately, but he shakes his head.
"He's dumb."
"What?" Yuri exclaims, shocked.
"Forcing Jay-jay to remember her past is like forcing her to jump out of a window," Kei-Kwanan explains.
"From your house," he adds, pointing at Yuri.
The height of his house.
"Since when did you become an expert on Jay's problem?" the SLC President asked irritably.
"Since the day I planned my future with her," Kei-Kwanan replied with a wink, clearly amused.
Yuri and I just fell in love with him. He knows a lot about this. So slipping on the rock.
That's it.
"Why are you here? Don't you have pets to take care of outside?"
"I'm watching you. Yuri might do something to you."
My palm immediately flew to hit him, but he was quick and caught my arm.
I knew Yuri was here to greet me. It was true what I had said earlier—he didn't believe my answer. I understood why he was worried, but what I didn't understand was the whining of this tukmol.
"You feel like we're the same," Yuri said, annoyed. "It's not my business to kiss someone in their sleep."
I looked at him, then shifted my gaze to the King of Snakes. He didn't react; instead, he simply smiled before answering Yuri.
"Who kisses someone in their sleep?" he asked innocently.
"You want me to remind you what you did to Jay while she was unconscious in the clinic?"
I suddenly seemed to recall something.
"That's what made me so angry… and then I suddenly lost consciousness?" I asked.
Yuri nodded in response. I immediately glared at the sneaky little troublemaker. He looked dead serious, as if he had no idea what we were talking about.
"What did you do?" I asked, irritated.
"What did I do?" he repeated.
I immediately hit his arm, catching him off guard. He didn't move or try to stop me—just stood there, completely insulted.
"I'll stomp on your wound!" I threatened. He looked between Yuri and me.
You're brilliant! I just know you did something!
"W-what... While you were unconscious, I paid you a visit," he began hesitantly. I waited expectantly.
"Then I—" He coughed a little. "I... I... I k-kissed you." ❤️
My eyes widened. He stole a KISS from me. And at that time, I was still furious with him!
"You're an animal!" I exclaimed in shock, grabbing a pillow to hit him.
His only response was a loud laugh. Until I thought of poking his wound—he let out a loud scream before collapsing to the floor.
Yuri and I burst into laughter.
"Karma has been served," Yuri said, making me laugh even more.
Kumag slowly stood up, trying to smile even though it was obvious he was still feeling the pain of what I had done.
Try to squeal.
"Yuri," he called out seriously, now standing next to me.
"Please leave us."
Yuri and I exchanged surprised looks.
"For what?" the SLC President asked.
"We're just going to build CARETAKER," he answered, making my eyes widen. 👶🏻🤰🏻
Oh, stupid!
I immediately rushed to him and covered his mouth. Yuri looked at me innocently, clearly waiting for an explanation.
"Who?"
"I-it's nothing. He's just teasing me. It's getting annoying," I said, forcing a smile while pressing my hand against his mouth. "Maybe you should step out first. We'll follow."
Yuri glanced at Kei-Kwanan for a moment before nodding and leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, I let go of the hudas.
I was about to hit him again when he suddenly hugged me tightly. At first, I thought he was just teasing me, but he held me firmly, as if his concern for me wouldn't go away. ❤️
I thought he was just playing around.
"It's okay. We're here for you, no matter what," he whispered, pressing a gentle KISS on my head.
I don't know why, but my arms just wrapped around him. I'm afraid of what will happen when it all comes back to me. But when they remind me that they are here, I feel like I can face the past.
"How could they do something to me that goes against my character? Are you still going to stay?" I asked.
"Is there anything painful against your dancing in the fire while looking for a virgin to be sacrificed on impact?" he asked again, making us laugh a little.
Should this be a concern?
"I'm serious," I said.
"I told you, whatever it is..." He turned to face me and brushed a few strands of hair behind my ear with one hand. "...our friends and I will stay here for you." He held my chin, gently lifting my face to meet his gaze. "Understand?"
I nodded, and he smiled.
"Now KISS me." His command made me squirm.
Tangina indeed!
"I'll stomp on you!" I threatened before pulling away from him.
"KISS first, before kicking," he teased, trying to pull me back toward him.
I immediately pushed his face away while his lips were still pouting. I wanted to laugh, but I didn't want him to think I was making a fuss. If I willingly KISSED him, it would mean I had already forgiven him for a lot.
But that wasn't the case—at least not yet. He would have insisted, but the sudden banging on the bedroom door interrupted us.
"Are you done?! Let's go downstairs and grill!" Ci-N screamed from outside.
"Coming!" I answered.
I heard heavy footsteps moving away from the door. We followed as I said. While going down the stairs, the King of Serpents stayed close by. Every time I looked at him, he made a sign with one finger and snorted at me.
I glared at him in warning, but he just repeated the gesture until we reached the living room.
There, we saw Kit putting on a top while walking—obviously fresh from a shower. But I froze when I saw Mayo behind him, still shirtless and drying his hair.
Did they shower together?
I was about to ask when Eren suddenly entered the room, shooting them a sharp look.
"Why did it take you so long?" he asked, annoyed.
"Please?" Mayo replied nonchalantly.
"What? There are innocent people here!"
"You innocent ass," Kit retorted, blocking Eren. "We didn't do anything. I took my bath first, and he just waited for me."
Eren glared at them, clearly not convinced. The two seemed unwilling to elaborate, and Mayo looked like he might collapse under the scrutiny.
I decided to interrupt their conversation.
"Hey, what are you guys fighting about?" I asked.
"This is Eren, dirty-minded as always," Mayo complained.
"You two are being obvious. Even if my mind weren't dirty, I'd still know," Eren countered.
"Why? What could they have done?" I asked, and suddenly, everyone stared at me.
It was as if they couldn't believe my question. Some even reached out to touch my head, as if checking if I was okay.
Kit shook his head. "No, Jay, nothing."
They quickly looked away from each other before heading outside. I glanced at Kei-Kwanan, feeling like he'd just dumped his burden onto me.
Why? What could they have done?
"Why do you look like that?" he asked.
"Nothing. Let's go outside," I said.
I let it go and stepped outside. Everyone was already gathered around the bonfire they had set up, preparing for our barbecue dinner.
Yes... Barbecue.
"Here, Jay-Jay!" Ci called, waving at me.
I ran toward them. Felix and David were adjusting the firewood, ensuring the flames weren't too strong or too weak. Eman, Denzel, and Blaster were busy preparing the meat—clearly eager to start grilling.
Josh was busy holding a guitar—I had no idea where he got it from. Next to him, Calix was teaching him how to play it. Meanwhile, Edrix and Rory seemed to be arguing.
"I'll report you to Fre-friend!" Rory threatened.
"Shit! Next time, I won't tell you who I like! You're teasing me!" Edrix shot back bluntly.
Drew immediately stepped between them. Eren was still teasing Mayo and Kit, but the two ignored him.
Yuri was busy with the drinks. I thought I noticed some alcohol, but I wasn't sure because he quickly shut the cooler.
"Has it started?" I asked Eman before sitting next to Ci-N.
"Soon—Blaster! I swear, I'll stab you with a barbecue stick!" he snapped as Blas messed with the meat.
"It's taking too long! I'm hungry!"
"Shut up and sit down!" Denzel ordered.
Blaster snorted but obeyed, standing up and heading toward Josh. Before he could even get comfortable, he started scolding Calix and Josh again.
"Stop that, or I'll hit you," he warned in a lighthearted yet threatening tone.
Josh simply pointed at the guitar.
That was enough to scare Blas away. He wandered off to find trouble elsewhere—until our eyes met. The shameless guy grinned before running over and sitting beside me.
"How are you?" he asked teasingly.
"You want to go home with a broken face?" I responded seriously. His playful smile instantly disappeared.
"Jeez… I was just saying hello." He pouted.
"You were teasing me."
"No, I wasn't."
I rolled my eyes at him. He raised his hand as if making a solemn vow.
I decided to let it go and allowed him to stay beside us. Surprisingly, he didn't tease me anymore, especially as we got deeper into our conversation.
Then, our discussion shifted to Keigan and his best friend who is Keigan girlfriend. She had been avoiding him for a while, but he was still worried about her. He finally approached her, but what he said next shocked me.
"Sometimes, it feels like she's dealing with someone else. It doesn't seem like Keigan is really her boyfriend."
His concern for his best friend was clear in his voice. I wanted to say something to comfort him, but I chose to just listen instead. I was afraid I might say something I shouldn't.
"If I had it my way, I'd want them to break up. I'm worried about her," he added.
"Why?"
He leaned closer and whispered, "Keifer doesn't want to admit it, but his brother actually has a brain injury."
I lowered my gaze. I wanted to be mad at Blaster for saying that, but what did he really know? Still, I couldn't stop the ache in my chest.
Keifer once told me we had the same symptoms. If Keigan is crazy, does that mean I am too?
My breathing became heavy, and a lump formed in my throat. I quickly excused myself and walked away.
I headed to the beach and stared at the setting sun. The sky was darkening, the last traces of light fading. I focused on the view, using it as a distraction—it worked.
"The sunset is really beautiful," Calix commented. "Next time, I'll bring Mica along."
It's you!
After watching the sunset, we returned to the bonfire to wait for the barbecue. The teasing, the laughter, the songs—everything continued.
"Who wants some?" Edrix offered, holding a bottle of wine.
Almost everyone raised their hands, so he eagerly started passing it around. I raised my hand, too.
"Me too!" I said eagerly.
Everyone suddenly paused, looking at me. I knew exactly what they were thinking. I shot them a glare.
"You know, Jay," Rory said, "water is good for the body. There's also coconut juice."
I scoffed. "Just one bottle."
Edrix handed me a bottle—of cold water.
I had meant the wine, but they clearly had other ideas.
"No alcohol for you," David declared.
Their laughter erupted around me. Soon after, they started dancing near the bonfire. Ci-N even joined in with a ridiculous chicken dance.
Despite my annoyance, I couldn't help but laugh. I let them tease me.
Who would've thought we'd all be here together for this small trip—complete with food, laughter, and endless teasing?
Above all, we were complete.
But for how long?