JAY-JAY'S POV
"The reindeer is injured."
"You idiot! Are you really not going to stop?" I said, annoyed, but he just laughed.
From the moment he wakes up to the time he eats breakfast, that lazy reindeer always has his mouth open. I guess he wasn't satisfied and wanted a second helping.
Trample again.
"I'm warning you!" I threatened, pointing my spoon at him.
"How are we going to make our firstborn?" he asked teasingly.
I wanted to throw the plate in front of me at him, but it would be a waste of food. He really won't stop until he ruins my morning.
"I've already chosen a name for him," he said with a smile.
Him?
"How do you know our firstborn will be a boy?"
"I'll make sure it's a boy. I'll even decide the position for it."
Are shutanginamers.
I suddenly spat out the rice I had just eaten. I didn't know how much patience I had left. I knew I was guilty of kicking his reindeer last night, but it was just too cute. I'm only human—I stomp when I'm frustrated.
"Do you want to know his name?" he asked, and I nodded just to get it over with.
"Well, my name comes from a verb, so I want his name to be the same. I want something similar to mine. Since I'm Keifer, from the word keep, his name will be..." He paused for a moment, smiling at me. "Caretaker."
I suddenly burst into laughter, almost falling off my chair. When I looked at him, he was grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying his own foolishness.
That's an animal! What sane father would name his child like that?
"You're panicking!"
He continued laughing, shaking from amusement. I guess he had thought about the name for a long time.
"Then, if we have a girl, I'll name her... Watcher."
Not even trying to be subtle.
I covered my face with one hand, feeling exhausted just from listening to him. No matter how much nonsense he spouted, he was still an idiot. If he didn't stop, I might actually throw the spoon I was holding at him.
"Please... just let me have breakfast in peace," I pleaded.
Even though he still had a silly grin on his face, he finally nodded. At least he let me eat properly.
After breakfast, I washed the dishes. It was a shame that he had to fix the stove just so we could use it again. I had no idea what kind of repairs he did.
It's really the fish's fault.
"Are you done?" Kei asked.
I wiped my hands before nodding. He gestured for me to join him in the living room, where a pile of papers was scattered on the table.
"What's all this?" I asked as I sat down on the bamboo sofa.
"Contracts, deeds of sale, land titles, and some laws regarding ownership," he explained.
This was what we had discussed yesterday before we ended up crying in front of the bonfire. We were going to name the island. I wasn't sure how big the island was or what it had to offer, but it was going to be ours.
I know because there are islands named after landmarks or trademarks found in the area. Right now, all I see is a coconut palm.
"Island Palapa," I said, and he looked at me. "Your name here on the island."
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Not so appealing."
I snorted. He had a point. If that's the basis, then the entire Philippines should just be called the Republic of Palapa.
I looked at him for a moment. "Kumag Island."
He frowned. "Definitely not."
"Tukmol Island," I followed, and he winced.
"How about Jay's Island?"
I shook my head again and again.
"Barracuda Island?"
I looked at him sharply. "You want to be buried alive on this island?"
He just laughed at me. It felt so good that he even caressed the table. Next time I get a chance, I'll slap his face. The snake is really a viper!
I was stunned for a moment when something came to my mind. I already had a good name for this island.
"Ulopong Island! Tangina! That's a killer! It fits because you're a stupid snake!" I screamed as I poked him.
He just looked at me, blinking.
"It's just an island snake. You're going to have a hard time thinking," I insisted.
He scratched his eyebrows for a moment. "Are you sure about that?"
"Sure."
"That's what we're going to name your island?"
I nodded. "Yes, the name of—" I stopped, thinking about the last thing he said. "Whose island?"
"Yours," he answered.
"Mine?" I repeated, pointing at myself.
He nodded innocently. "This is actually for you. My welcome." 🩷🏝️
Is this island straight from London?
My eyes widened as my hand slowly covered my mouth in shock. I didn't know if I should say thank you or say no.
I know he's rich, but this is still shocking. Why would someone give away an island? How much is it? Is it just loose change for him? Is it raining islands? Is this an inflatable island? Cool!
I was confused about what I should do. Nothing came to mind until I suddenly noticed myself running out of the house, shouting...
"THIS IS MY ISLAND! THIS IS MINE!"
There was no place for my joy. I rolled around in the sand before standing up and running toward Kei-Kwanan, who was standing on the terrace, looking at me.
"Is it really mine?! Is it really my island?!" I asked him, smiling. He nodded.
I ran back to the sand, jumping up and down.
Look at me! I'm rich!
"YES! THIS IS MY ISLAND! YOU CAN'T SCARE ME ANYMORE, BROTHER ANGELO! I HAVE AN ISLAND!" I screamed, out of breath. "YOU CAN'T BRAG ANYMORE!" I added while laughing. I looked at the beach, where there were two birds, and spat.
I glared at them before pouncing. "GET AWAY! MY ISLAND! RAAWWRRR!"
You are not allowed here!
The birds flew away, but I coughed because of the shouting. I just ran again and went back to jumping and rolling in the sand.
When I got up, I tossed sand into the air, but suddenly the wind blew it back into my face.
That's it! Blind!
I screamed as I fell. I couldn't open my eyes, so I couldn't walk back home. I couldn't even move from where I was standing.
"I'M BLIND! KWANAN! I'M BLIND! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING! KWAAAANNAAAANNN!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs just so he could hear me.
Because I didn't know if he could hear me, I just crawled. That's why I wasn't sure if I was heading in the right direction.
"Kwanan..." I called out, crying. "I'm blind… It's dark."
"What the hell," I heard Kwanan say not far away.
I lifted myself slightly and reached around, trying to feel my surroundings.
"Kwanan, where are you?" I called again, still crying.
Make yourself known!
I heard his soft laugh. A moment later, he took my hand and helped me stand up.
"Let me see," he said, trying to open my eyes, but I only cried from the pain.
"It's just water," he muttered.
He let go of me, and suddenly, I felt his hands on my leg and back as he lifted me from the sand.
He started walking, occasionally laughing. Even if I wanted to be annoyed, I couldn't—I was too overcome with self-pity.
I froze when I felt something press against my forehead.
Was that… lips?
"My crazy, boyish, war-freak, big-eater Queen. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said with a hint of laughter.
I immediately tried to hit him, but I only managed to smack my own thigh. He burst into louder laughter. He stopped for a moment before slowly setting me down and tilting my head forward.
"Hold still," he instructed.
I heard the sound of a faucet turning on, followed by the rush of water. I nearly cursed when the warm water touched my face. I almost swallowed some in the process.
"Try to open your eyes," he ordered.
I obeyed but immediately shut them again as the water's sting intensified. I instinctively moved away from the stream.
"That's enough," I said, quickly wiping my face.
Slowly, I tried opening my eyes again. As soon as I could see properly, I found myself staring at the self-proclaimed King of Snakes.
"Still blind?" he teased.
"You're brilliant!" I snapped in an annoyance.
"You're welcome."
He turned off the faucet and approached me, using the hem of his shirt to gently wipe my face, then my neck and chin.
"You're such a child. Stop being reckless—that's how you ended up blind in the first place," he scolded in a motherly tone.
"Yes, Mom," I replied sarcastically. He chuckled.
"Alright. Get back to running, jumping, and rolling around." He gave me a little push.
"I don't want to—"
"JAY-JAY!"
"What was that?"
We both turned when we heard my name being shouted. The voice was loud but distant, echoing as if coming from deep within a forest.
Together, we walked toward the beach, scanning the sea.
"You heard that too, right?" Kwanan asked.
"Yeah, I—"
"JAY-JAY!"
"There it is again!" I gasped, looking around in shock.
"BARRACUDA!"
Oh, Gogo!
Whatever creature was screaming like that, I swore I'd wring its neck.
"LOOK!" I shouted urgently.
Suddenly, my name was being called repeatedly. That's when I realized it wasn't just one voice—it was multiple.
I turned toward the other side of the island, the place where I had run earlier. My eyes locked onto a figure running toward us.
I squinted, trying to make out who it was. The person was jumping and waving excitedly.
"YAY-YAY!" They kept shouting, and little by little, I began to recognize them.
"Ci-N? CI-N? CI-N!!" I screamed in joy and jumped excitedly. "CI-N!!"
Finally! There were other people here besides us!
I immediately ran to meet him, and my happiness doubled when I saw that he had company—his fellow Snakes!
"Jay-Jay!"
"You're so cute, Jay!"
"You're black!"
"You're a sea person now!"
I felt like drowning them one by one. But since I missed them too, I'll just ignore their nonsense.
"Jay-Jay!" Ci greeted me happily before pulling me into a hug.
"Ci-N!" I responded cheerfully, jumping up and down as we hugged.
It felt like we were bouncing together in excitement, laughing non-stop. Looking at each other, it was as if we hadn't met in ten years.
We only stopped when we both got tired, panting as we waited for the stunned Vipers to catch up.
"I missed you all! I thought I'd never see anyone again," I said dramatically before hugging Yuri.
He smiled and returned the hug.
"We don't usually see each other on weekends, huh? What were you even doing there?" Eman asked, and I had the urge to slap him.
I pulled away from Yuri and shot Eman a glare. "Have you ever experienced drowning? Do you want me to help you with that?"
Their response was loud laughter. But honestly, I had missed these guys—I felt like punching them all in the face. Who would've thought I'd end up missing these snakes?
Of course, we don't see each other much on weekends, but knowing they're nearby, just a call away for a spontaneous hangout, makes a difference.
"Keifer!" They greeted their soon-to-be king.
"What happened to your leg?" Felix asked, making everyone turn to look at Keifer's leg, which had a fresh wound.
"Slipped on a rock," he answered.
"Aw, that must hurt," Ci said with sympathy.
They all stared at the wound in shock, some shaking their heads. But of course, they couldn't resist teasing.
"How dumb," David muttered.
"I hope the rock is okay," Yuri added.
I had to hold back my laughter. These guys had no mercy for Keifer. I could start a corporation with these three—or maybe invite David to join Yuri and me in our exclusive club:
The Shunga Lovers Club.
"Tss..." The King of Serpents huffed, annoyed.
I glanced at him for a moment. It had been a long time since I'd heard that from him. I couldn't help but smile.
"Anyway, how was the trip?" he asked.
"I'm dizzy!" Eren groaned, exhausted, before plopping down on the sand—only to jump back up because of the heat.
"I thought you were used to shaking?" Blaster said smugly, making them all exchange glances.
Suddenly, they all pointed fingers at each other, grinning mischievously. They looked like they were about to sneak out to steal panties in the middle of the night.
I grabbed a handful of sand and sprinkled it over them.
"We're late," Felix complained. "We should've been here earlier, but someone slowed us down—lying around like a dead body in the middle of the road."
Felix shot Rory a glare.
"That guy over there!" Rory pointed at Drew. "He said he was just going to buy something, but a girl ended up following him!"
"That's still better than this fool!" Drew snapped, pointing at Denzel. "He just went to pee, but he ended up taking a dump!"
"Idiot!" Denzel retorted, annoyed.
And just like that, they all started blaming each other for why they were late. But let's be real—I knew they were all responsible.
Except for the guy next to me, who was already playing with the sand.
"He's up early," Yuri noted, noticing how I was watching Ci-N.
"Too excited, I guess. I don't think he even slept."
"Excited for what?"
He shrugged. "To see you—or maybe the island."
Ci-N looked around, clearly in awe of the island's beauty.
"Yeah… this place is amazing," he murmured in admiration.
"You look nice there! It's so beautiful!" Ci countered while shaking his hands.
"Keifer's a great choice of place!" Edrix said angrily and whistled again.
His Ulupong fellows applauded. Why did his praise seem silly? There was another layer to it.
The crooks gave me a thumbs-up. I forced a plastic smile out of annoyance. I had apologized earlier out of happiness at seeing them, but if they didn't stop, I would feed them to the sea.
"Just the two of you and Keifer here?" Ci asked innocently.
Little by little, Ulupong's friends stopped teasing, but they were still making noise from a single conversation.
I nodded in response to Ci.
"Have you done it yet?" he asked again, and suddenly, everyone fell silent.
Huh?
I was taken aback by their reactions. Even Yuri was innocently waiting for my answer.
"Wh-which one?"
"Talk," he clarified, and we all reacted in unison.
I thought he meant something else.
"Yes, we talked," I answered and glanced briefly at Kei-kwanan.
He smiled at me. I turned back to the Snakes, who were starting to tease again.
"You didn't try?" Ci asked innocently once more, making his fellow Ulupongs fall silent again.
What now? And why do they keep getting quiet?
"What?"
"Take a walk," he clarified again, and we all had the same reaction.
"Just around here."
He nodded in acknowledgment of my answer. The Snakes were becoming lively again, and I knew they would start teasing soon. I shot them a sharp glare, making it clear I wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"Are you tired?" the young man asked again.
His unfinished questions were beginning to irritate me. I wanted to shoot him. I could hear faint laughter from the others—both of them were insane. I just didn't want to get mad, or they might think I was affected.
This is getting ridiculous.
"Tired from what?" I asked, slightly annoyed.
"From walking," he answered, and the Hudlongs nodded, but with teasing smiles.
"Be careful with your wording, Ci," Eren said, but he was obviously enjoying himself.
The young troublemaker innocently scratched his head. I wasn't sure if he truly didn't realize our friends were setting us up or if he had something else in mind. Or maybe he was doing it on purpose.
I knew he was smart. There were still things he was clueless about, but because of the friends he kept, he was becoming more aware of the world.
"Why? I was just asking," he replied with a smirk.
"Let him be. You know Ci—he's always curious about new things," Kei-kwanan defended before turning to Ci. "You can keep asking questions."
The young man nodded and faced me again.
Here we go again.
"Is it big?" he asked, without context.
"W-what?!" I stammered in shock.
The Snakes immediately burst into laughter. Even David and Yuri were blushing as they tried to suppress their chuckles. They looked away, but I saw their ears turning red. Eman and Josh were kneeling in the sand, while Calix kept pushing and hitting Kit.
"The island," he said innocently.
I wanted to slap him. His unfinished questions kept catching me off guard. I didn't want him—or anyone else—to misunderstand my thoughts.
Even though that was exactly what I had been thinking.
"I-I haven't seen the whole island yet," I replied.
"It should be seen in full," Rory teased.
"Show it to Keifer—it should be seen whole," Mayo added, fueling the teasing.
"Whole because—HA! Tangina!" Eren rolled around in the sand, laughing hysterically.
"Maybe later," the King of Serpents replied. I shot him an evil look, but he just winked at me.
"What are they saying?" Ci asked innocently.
I just shook my head. "Nothing. Let them be. Let's go home." I walked toward him, pulling his hand along.
"Wait a minute. It might hurt," he countered, and the others burst into laughter again.
"Keifer got hurt!" Edrix teased, so I kicked sand at him.
I turned to Ci, annoyed. "Where will I get hurt?!"
"Walking barefoot."
A strong gust of wind blew past me. I didn't want to show that Ci's silly questions were affecting me, but they were too much. I couldn't help but laugh at these shameless people. Seriously, don't stop! You guys!
"Jay, is it good?" he asked again.
"That's enough! My stomach hurts from laughing!"
"Kiss Ci—N!"
"Right question!"
"What are your questions? Ask them properly!"
"Vacation here on the island?" he finally asked, flashing that mischievous grin.
I knew it. He did it on purpose!
I raised my hand, threatening to smack him on the head. He quickly raised both arms in defense.
And just like that, all my stress came rushing back.