JAY-JAY'S POV
"Grazel Jay?" I asked.
"Didn't we tell you that we'd use your name?" Denzel replied, and I nodded as I remembered.
Oh, right. They did mention that before when they came to the house with the other Snakes out of concern.
"Where did 'Grazel' come from?" I asked again.
"Grace and Denzel," Grace answered while adjusting the baby in her arms.
"The bastard," I muttered.
I peeked at the baby she was holding. He looked much cleaner now compared to before when he was covered in water and a few stains. His skin tone was fine.
"Do you want to hold him?" Grace offered, but I hesitated.
I might drop him or break one of his bones. He still looks so fragile, as if he'll break if I hold him the wrong way. I don't want to deal with crying babies anymore.
"It's okay, Jay. Hold him. You need the practice," Denzel teased, making me glare at him.
"What? What? Did I say something?"
He just laughed and shook his head.
I turned to the baby and gently took him from Grace's arms. She guided me on how to hold him properly.
He was really small.
I rocked him slightly while we continued getting ready. A smile crept onto my face when I saw his tiny lips move.
"Looks like Grazel has some competition," Denzel teased again, but I ignored him.
I focused on the baby and started talking to him.
"Hello, baby. I'm your Godmother," I said, but Grace immediately reacted.
"Who said you're the Godmother?" she teased.
After everything I went through? And I'm not the Godmother?
These two are definitely a couple—they love teasing me. If she hadn't just given birth, I would have gone back to blocking and cursing at her.
But cursing is off-limits now. The baby might hear and that would be the first thing he learns.
Denzel smirked. "I said Godfather, not Godmother. Kit can be the Godmother."
I shot him a glare. "Do you want me to teach your son how to fly?" I asked, stepping toward the window.
"Hey! It was just a joke!" Denzel panicked and rushed over to me.
"Just try it!" Grace warned.
They both tried to take the baby from me, but I refused. I was still enjoying playing with him. As long as he didn't cry, we were good. Otherwise, I might actually throw something at him.
I lost track of time while holding Grazel. I didn't even notice someone entering the room until I heard exaggerated sobbing.
"Jay-Jay has given birth! I'm not her baby anymore!" Ci-N wiped away fake tears.
Who gave birth?!
Calix smacked him. "How can Jay-Jay give birth if she's not even pregnant yet?"
I winced. The Snakes were here—all of them. And with them was Yuri, who looked fine.
I glanced at Keifer, who was simply smiling at me, as if he was deep in thought. My gaze shifted to Yuri, who leaned against the wall and gave me a small smile.
I couldn't help but worry about that smile of his. I really wished we could talk longer.
I turned to the Snakes. I could see the excitement of the crooks holding the baby, but I had to put him down because of the hook. I placed him back in the crib under the lamp. His future godfathers immediately approached him.
"You look like Denzel. It's over!" Eren commented, and we laughed.
"Baby! Don't be a damn man," Mayo said, and Grace threw a pillow at her.
"When you start walking, let's play. I have a lot of toys," Ci said.
"What's your bet, Drew? I win! Their daughter is a girl!" Rory said, and Drew disappeared like a bubble.
"She looks better than Grace," Josh said calmly.
"I can't see properly; my face is still wrinkled," Edrix replied, and the others laughed softly.
"I hope Mica's son will be as cute as this," Calix said sweetly.
"That's my son," Eman teased, and Calix immediately hit him.
After teasing each other, they turned to Grazel Jay and started talking.
"When you speak, don't swear," Felix told the baby, then they looked at me.
My smile disappeared as I looked at them. I met their gazes with a challenge, which immediately earned a laugh.
"Don't be greedy either," Eman added, making their laughter grow louder.
"Hey! I'm not the mother, so why are you telling me that?" I said, annoyed.
"You might get infected. You've been carrying him for a long time," Blaster replied, and I shook my head.
What was supposed to be their visit to the mother and daughter turned into a teasing session. They were forced to leave soon after because the nurse forbade too many visitors. Besides, Grace also needed to assist Grazel, so they hurriedly left.
"We're heading out first," Keifer and Yuri said as they bid farewell.
I didn't stay long either and said my goodbyes. I apologized again for what happened but kept receiving words of gratitude from them.
Once the door closed, I let out a deep breath. Grace's childbirth complications had finally been resolved. I really thought I was going to fall in love with Denzel.
But I shouldn't be complacent. Next time, I really have to be more careful. The lives of both mother and daughter were put in danger because of my recklessness.
"What are you thinking about?" a voice suddenly asked, startling me.
A lamb among the white sheep!
I clutched my chest and took a step back. When I realized it was the King of Snakes, I immediately raised a fist, ready to strike.
"You scared me!" I said, annoyed.
"Scared? Of my love?" he asked with a teasing smile.
I glared at him. "You know, sometimes I wonder how you're still standing without getting punched."
"Give me a kiss," he replied, and I nearly took off my shoe to throw it at him.
He just laughed loudly. One laugh after another, and before I knew it, I was falling for him again—until I noticed that Yuri, who had been with him earlier, was gone.
The other Snakes were talking to the nurses, clearly flirting with them. Some seemed bored and had already left.
"Where's Yuri?" I asked Keifer.
"He said he was just going somewhere," he answered with a sigh.
"Is he coming back?" I asked again, noticing a shift in his expression.
"I don't know," he said calmly, but I could sense the emotion behind his words. "You should stop worrying about him. Yuri is a grown man; he can take care of himself."
"But he's still human—he gets tired too. Think about your friend," I replied, my annoyance creeping into my voice.
Keifer laughed. "Why do I feel scared every time you worry about Yuri like this?"
What does he mean by that?
"Can you not be jealous right now? This is just a conversation between friends. We're just friends."
He looked at me seriously. "This is more than jealousy, Jay. And how I wish this were really just jealousy, like you think." He took a deep breath. "Because if I don't, I'll go crazy."
I wanted to talk to him. I didn't like what he was thinking. I was hurt. I thought he had changed, but why does he still not trust me? Why is he still so quick to get jealous and think of me as someone else?
He was about to hold my hand, but I pulled away.
"I'm just going to find Yuri. I have something to ask him," I said before turning away.
I immediately noticed David staring at me, but I chose to ignore it. I did as I had planned and looked for Yuri. I thought of checking the ground floor since the hospital exit was there.
I wasn't disappointed—I saw him walking out with Freya.
They were together. That wasn't good.
I quickly followed them. Fortunately, they hadn't gone far from the building. They were clearly arguing, and Yuri was trying to grab a large white envelope. It was obvious that Freya didn't want to let go of it.
I wanted to hear what they were talking about. And where there's a will, there's a way. I looked for an excuse to get closer to them without making it obvious that I was eavesdropping.
I smiled when I saw an old man in a wheelchair. He was alone, so this was a good opportunity. Besides, he couldn't speak either.
I pushed the wheelchair closer to the two of them. I pretended to be assisting the old man, taking him for a walk. I sat nearby but turned my back to them. I also acted like I was talking to the old man, who was obviously afraid of me.
I'm really sorry!!
"Stop it! This is not you!" Freya said angrily.
"Do you think I have a choice? If I don't follow them, where will they pick me up?" Yuri's voice sounded full of despair.
"To hell with your family honor!"
"This isn't just about honor! This is also about my mother."
"That's not you!" Freya's voice was on the verge of tears.
"What's the point? What if I throw my life away? And don't lecture me about my life when you threw yours away."
I covered my mouth in shock at Yuri's words, and I heard the old man react, too. We looked at each other, both unwilling to accept what we had just heard.
The old man is nosy, too.
"Yes, I did throw my life away. For you!" Freya shot back. "That's why I'm always here for you, because I know that messed-up feeling. I'm trying to save the little part of you that's left, even when I have nothing left myself." She took a deep breath. "But obviously, I'm just wasting my life, myself, and my time trying to save someone who never wanted to be saved in the first place."
"Stop using me as an excuse, Freya," Yuri replied calmly. "You chose to be like that. After our breakup, Keifer tried to save you, and all he asked for was to be loved back. But you denied him that."
"How dare you…"
"You ruined your life because you wanted to. So tell me, how can you save me when you're already broken beyond repair?"
I wanted to interrupt their conversation. Maybe what Yuri was saying was true, but I couldn't understand why things had to be like this.
It was hurting for Freya.
"You're right. I've been wasting my time on you. I should have been focusing on saving myself from this misery."
I heard Freya sniffle and let out a soft cry. I wanted to react, but when I glanced at the old man, he was still listening—probably annoyed that the scene had been interrupted.
"I'm done with you," Freya said.
I almost wanted to applaud her. She had done the most painful yet bravest thing—ending a relationship that only brought them pain, even though they didn't seem to be in one anymore.
"You should be. While you still can, save yourself."
Freya took a deep breath and coughed slightly. "I did all those things because I thought you would care, but it turns out I wasted my life for nothing."
"I always care for you. I just don't want you to know," Yuri said calmly.
"But not in the same way you care about her?" Freya started crying softly again.
"Jay-Jay is different."
What? Why did I feel sorry?
Hearing my name, my ears seemed to perk up. I just didn't want to make it obvious.
"Why—?"
"We've talked about this. Just hand over the envelope."
The old man patted me. When I looked at him, he pointed at something. That woman is looking for someone. She looks like his guard.
"I hope you don't regret this," Freya said, and I heard the sound of paper and plastic hitting the ground.
It was as if she had thrown a stone at the envelope they had been arguing over earlier. I didn't hear any more words, just the sound of heavy footsteps.
I glanced at them and saw Freya walking away. I was about to return the old man to his place when I heard Yuri whisper,
"I'm really sorry, Freya." Then he quickly walked into the hospital.
I just stared at his back. Did he hurt Freya on purpose to push her away? What was inside that envelope that made them fight? It even looked like a package from online shopping.
"Hey! What are you doing with my grandpa?" A woman approached me. My eyes widened, and I immediately let go of the wheelchair.
"Is that your grandfather? I thought he was mine. That's why I didn't make a scene," I replied before walking away as she reached for the old man.
I was about to head back when I heard someone calling my name. I turned to see a group of students approaching. I greeted them as soon as they reached me.
"Jay-Jay," Mica greeted me. "How's Grace?"
I smiled. "She's okay. So is the baby."
"What's the gender?" one of their classmates asked.
"A girl," I said, and I could see their excitement.
They immediately wanted to visit Grace, but Ella objected.
"The law has spoken," she said.
"Let's wait for Aries. He just parked the car," she added. There was a bit of confusion, but soon, her phone rang.
I saw her frown as she read the message. Whatever it said, it didn't seem good. I had a feeling she was about to explode.
"Let's go. He said he'll catch up," she said and turned away from us.
Mica and I exchanged glances but followed along. We went straight to the elevator. Luckily, it was empty, so we had it to ourselves.
While waiting for the door to open and take us to the right floor, they kept asking Ella questions, clearly irritating her.
"I think I saw Freya earlier. Did Aries see her?" someone asked.
"What if they run into each other?" another responded.
"Nothing. Doesn't Aries always look after Freya?"
"They seem to have something going on," someone suddenly commented from behind.
"Shut up!" Ella snapped, silencing them.
Is that jealousy?
I wanted to laugh at her. That's karma. She always annoys me when she sneaks glances at the King of Snakes. Now, it's my turn to enjoy this moment.
When the elevator doors opened, Luka was the first to step out. The Serpents immediately raised their eyebrows at him.
"Baby!" Calix called out to Mica.
Sure!
Mica quickly ran to her sulking boyfriend. I wanted to be bitter about it, but I was too busy enjoying Ella's frustration.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Ci-N asked me.
"Nothing… I just found something funny," I replied, and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
I ignored him and leaned against the wall next to him. We let Grace's former classmates enter first.
I looked toward the other end of the hall and noticed Keifer and Yuri engaged in a serious conversation. The white envelope Keifer was holding earlier was nowhere to be seen.
"They're busy," Ci said when he noticed me looking at them.
"That was a while ago, when Yuri came back."
"You think they're talking about something important?"
"Yes, stay away. There might be something going on," he answered innocently.
Something?
I suddenly turned my attention to Kit and Mayo, who seemed on the verge of arguing.
"I do want a baby," Mayo insisted.
"Study first. Do you think you can provide for a child?" Kit replied, annoyed.
Something like that?
"Oh no!" I quickly protested.
Ci-N and Felix, who were right next to me, turned to look, along with a few others. Even Snake glanced at me.
"W-why?" Kit asked when they noticed me staring at them.
I looked at all of them, unsure of what to say. It was difficult for me to voice my suspicions about Yuri and Keifer.
Think of an answer. Come on!
"Y-you can't have children yet. Focus on studying first," I replied, and Mayo raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, thanks for the concern," he said sarcastically.
I just nodded, even though it was obvious they were making fun of me. I leaned back against the wall next to Ci. His eyes were still wide as he stared at me.
"Jay-jay? Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.
I playfully raised a fist at him. "Just stay put."
He laughed softly. I turned back to Keifer. They had been talking for a long time. Then, he glanced toward us and met my eyes. His gaze turned sad before he looked back at Yuri.
I had a feeling it was still about what he had said earlier. I bit my lower lip.
He still lacks confidence.
Not long after, Mica stepped out of the room, leaving Ella inside. This gave their classmates the confidence to gossip about her.
"Her temper," one of them said, laughing. "That's what makes Freya so jealous."
"She just can't accept it. Even with Aries, Freya is still the queen," another added as they continued walking.
"Bitter," someone commented before they finally left.
Earlier, I found Ella's jealousy amusing, but now I didn't. I really disliked their classmates' behavior.
I looked at Mica, who was hugging Calix. I knew how she felt about what their classmates were saying about Ella. It wasn't really her responsibility to defend her, but I could tell she wanted to.
Ella is strong, so I know she can handle her classmates. I feel lucky to be in Section E. Even though they always tease me, they always make me feel like they have my back.