JAY-JAY'S POV
Earlier, my eyes were mischievously darting everywhere, but now they are fixed on a spot on the wall in front of me. I don't even blink.
Bad. Don't blink.
"I'm asking you," Aries said calmly, but with emphasis.
I looked at him and met his piercing gaze. I almost turned to stone.
"Is this a text from a sane person? Are you even human?" he asked irritably.
I nodded, resisting the urge to blink. His expression confused me. My text message was fine—even if they didn't understand it. But here he was, furious with me.
"What country are you from? Because these words don't seem to be from Earth," he continued, holding up his phone to show me my message. "Are you an alien? Are you?"
I shook my head and lowered my gaze. His reaction to my text was extreme, as if I had sent him a cursed chain message and he was panicking because he hadn't forwarded it to ten people.
Not that such curses actually exist.
"By the way, you look like Kokey," he added before slipping his phone back into his pocket.
He gave me one last intense look before walking away and entering Grace's room. I turned to Ci-N and Felix, who were laughing at my misery. I knew they were enjoying the way my horoscope-obsessed brother was scolding me.
Annoyed, I walked over to David and leaned against the same wall he was leaning on.
"Still mad?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Just a little. He's only mad because he didn't forward the chain message to ten people. He's afraid of being cursed."
David chuckled. "Does he really believe that?"
I snorted and nodded. "Of course. He's a fortune teller, after all."
David's soft laugh turned into full-blown laughter. He even shook his head, as if my joke was funnier than I had intended. If I didn't know better, I'd think he had a crush on me.
Well, that would be nice.
"Kokey..." Ci-N muttered between fits of laughter.
I turned to him, already irritated by their teasing expressions. Eren, Felix, and Rory were laughing along with him.
"What's your problem?" I asked, annoyed.
"Do you really look like Kokey?" Felix said, still laughing.
I felt like pulling my hair out. "Yes, Kokey looks like me! An actor looks like me. Big deal!"
Their laughter grew even louder. David and the other Ulupong members near us were laughing too. I couldn't help but feel even more annoyed. It was like I was being made fun of for something I didn't even understand.
"Do you even know what Kokey looks like?" David asked.
I shook my head. "In my mind, she's beautiful. An actress."
Their laughter turned into hysterics. Some of them were practically rolling on the floor.
David took out his phone, still chuckling, and pulled up an image. He showed me the screen. Staring back at me was a bald, noseless, eyebrow-less creature with large, strange eyes. I froze. It finally hit me… He was an alien.
"Who is that?" I asked.
"That's Kokey," he answered.
What? Does that look like me?
"Seriously? That's Kokey?" I asked, annoyed.
I don't know if they're just messing with me or if it's true, but I can't accept that this is my face.
No offense, Kokey.
"Learn to use Google, Jay," David added before hiding his cellphone again.
My eyebrows furrowed in anger. I can't believe my brother's horoscope has deceived me for so long. Even though he reads fortunes, he's still cheating me—how does that even work?
It's a photoshoot!
I immediately approached the door to Grace's room. Crossing my arms, I waited for that tukmol to come out.
"Jay?" Keifer called.
"Whaaaat?" I replied impatiently.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for my fortune-telling brother."
He chuckled. "Should I expect a war?"
"Watch out for a boxing match!" I answered, annoyed.
It wasn't long before the bedroom door opened. Aries and Ella were about to step out, but they froze when they saw us. My brother looked at me with a mixture of irritation and surprise.
I immediately noticed Ella sneaking glances at the King of Snakes. Good thing he looked away when she sensed my death glare.
"Let's go home."
"Let's talk first!" I snapped at my horoscope-loving brother.
"About what now?"
"You told me I look like Kokey!" I shouted. "Kokey is an alien!"
Suddenly, they all burst into laughter. Even the grumpy, demonic King of Snakes laughed out loud. Shameless! I glared at him before turning back to my brother.
"Haven't you watched TV? Even kids in grade school know about Kokey," Ella said, shaking her head.
"I don't watch drama!" I huffed.
I'm strictly an afternoon anime fan.
"You should be proud—you have a famous face," Aries teased.
My nostrils flared. I was practically breathing fire from anger.
I have to admit, I felt flattered—until I found out what Kokey actually looked like: an alien in a red hood.
"You're mean!" I screamed, nearly in tears.
They kept laughing at me, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"At least your looks are out of this world," Keifer added shamelessly, making me even angrier. "I'll call you Miss Universe."
"You're Miss Universe!" I shot back and tried to kick him, but he dodged.
I'm not amused by their prank. They even teamed up against me. I was about to retaliate when my brother's phone rang.
He answered it, glanced at me briefly, then spoke.
"Yes, we're heading home. I'm with her." He said a quick goodbye before hanging up. "Kuya is picking us up."
Should I prepare a hospital room?
"I-I'm just saying goodbye to Grace," I muttered as they stepped aside, allowing me to enter.
Inside, Grace and Denzel were sitting together, talking. Baby Grazel Jay was asleep in the hospital crib. I approached them to say goodbye.
"We're heading out. Death is calling," I said quickly, making Grace frown.
Denzel chuckled and shook his head. "Jay, please don't teach Grazel things like that."
"It'll take a while before she learns," I replied, stepping closer to Grazel with a smile. "Grandma is going home now. I'll visit you again."
She was sleeping soundly—like a doll wrapped in a blanket. It was so tempting to put her in my bag and take her home. I'm sure she'd fit. My bag has plenty of space. No one would even notice the missing baby.
Next time, I will run away from her.
I faced the couple again and said my final goodbye before turning away. When I stepped outside, Keifer was already waiting for me.
"They will wait for you at the parking lot," he said.
I nodded and walked away. I also bid farewell to the Ulupongs. David was still shaking his head while laughing, so I hugged him before leaving.
The King simply followed me. I felt restless inside the elevator. It was just the two of us, and I couldn't help but remember everything that had happened there before.
Maybe later—
Suddenly, someone approached me.
"Don't touch me!" I shouted, instinctively kicking up.
The people about to enter the elevator immediately screamed—nurses, doctors, and patients all stepped back, startled. I quickly put my foot down and looked for Keifer, who was now crouched in the corner of the elevator, trying to avoid my kick.
"W-why are you acting like that?" I asked, trying to sound calm.
"It's here. Let's go out," he replied, pointing outside the elevator.
We had already arrived.
I hesitated before offering a small, apologetic smile to those waiting for us to exit. I mumbled a weak apology as I walked past them, then quickened my pace, almost running out of the hospital.
From behind me, I could hear the soft laughter of that annoying brat. I turned to face him, ready to land a punch, but he immediately caught my hand.
"You're so happy, aren't you? It's your fault, yet I'm the one who got embarrassed!" I shouted at him.
"I just touched you. You're too tense," he replied, clearly annoyed.
I glared at him. "Why are you acting so irritated?! You could have just called me!"
"I did! I called your name, but you were too preoccupied."
"Because—"
"Because what?"
I hesitated for a moment, struggling to come up with an answer.
Think!
"Because I was thinking about a lot of things!" I finally blurted out and quickly turned away. I kept walking toward the parking lot, occasionally glaring at the smug King as he continued to tease me.
I was so annoyed that I almost kicked him.
He still wouldn't stop, even as we reached the parking lot. I even considered taking off my bag and hitting him with it. I pointed at him one last time, but before I could walk away, he suddenly got serious and pulled me to the side of a black Hiace.
I wanted to yell at him, but he covered my mouth and signaled for me to stay quiet. I shot him a deadly glare. Then, I froze when I heard Ella's voice.
"Isn't it true? That's why you can't answer me!" she shouted angrily.
"It took me a long time to answer because there's nothing to say or explain about me and Freya!" my brother replied, frustrated.
It seemed like a major lovers' quarrel. I couldn't help but listen in on their argument. This was the first time I had seen them fight.
Should I buy some popcorn first?
Can I record this?
"Why won't you tell me what you two talked about earlier?"
"Ella! Learn to understand the meaning of respect! What Freya and I discussed was personal. It would be disrespectful of me to share it with others after she trusted me!" Aries replied angrily.
"I'm not just 'others' to you! Why can't you trust me?!"
"This isn't about trust—it's about respecting Freya's privacy. Maybe I should be the one asking you about trust," my brother answered, calm but firm.
I had to admit, I agreed with him. If something isn't meant to be shared, you shouldn't force it.
"Can you blame me? Everyone in our class notices how you take care of Freya. And now people are bringing up the fact that she's your ex!"
"We're going around in circles. Do you want me to repeat it? We were never together! Whatever rumors were spread about us—they aren't true!"
I turned to Keifer with a questioning look, but he seemed just as confused as I was. I really thought they had dated—after all, Rakki once said she caught them alone in a room, and Freya mentioned that her friends had set her up.
"Okay, you're not anymore! But why are you still like that with her? Why do you seem to worry about her so much? Why do you worry about her as if she were your girlfriend?" Ella asked, a mixture of pity in her voice.
Aries sighed heavily. "Freya. Is. Nothing. But. A. Friend," he answered slowly.
I never heard anyone speak to them. The King of Snakes and I peeked almost at the same time. The two were gone, so we stepped out of hiding.
I immediately turned to my partner. "Didn't they?"
"I-I don't know." He moved away slightly because of my approach. "As far as I know, they were a couple."
But my Horoscope brother refused. He could have denied it just to suppress his anger. But it isn't his habit to cover one foolishness with another lie. If he's telling the truth, then what did Rakki see in them before? A prank?
"Whatever you're thinking, don't act impulsively," Keifer said. When I looked at him, his eyebrows were furrowed as if he were accusing me of something.
"I'm not planning to do anything!" I replied with difficulty.
I simply walked ahead and searched for my drama brother's car.
I must have circled the parking lot before finally finding it. The two were still waiting and obviously still having a lover's quarrel. I quickly said goodbye to the angry Snake before rushing to the car. We got in immediately and drove off.
During the ride, it felt like a contest of "who stays silent the longest loses their pectorals" because the two were completely quiet. I couldn't stand their silence, and my stomach felt uneasy.
I wanted to fart.
It felt like I was also part of the contest. Was there a prize?
Nothing changed, even when we dropped Ella off at her house. She went inside, but Aries was still acting the same. I had no intention of asking him anything, but he suddenly pulled out his phone and called someone.
"Are you home yet? Get some rest and don't do anything reckless," he said into the phone.
He's hooked!!
I covered my mouth, staring at him in shock. I waited for him to finish the call. As soon as he put down his phone, I leaned in closer to him.
"You traitor!" I shouted, making him immediately pull away.
"What the hell?!" he snapped at me, clearly annoyed.
I quickly moved to the seat next to him. I didn't even get out of the car—I just squeezed between the two seats.
"You already have Ella, and now you're calling someone else? Traitor! Blasphemy! Outrageous!" I accused, poking his face.
"What? Where are you getting this from?" he asked, clearly confused.
"You are a disgrace to our race!" I suddenly declared, before he smacked me.
"Ouch!"
"I don't understand what you're saying!" he exclaimed.
I held my neck, pretending to cry as I looked at him.
"Kingina! You have a girlfriend, don't you? Who were you calling?" I asked, annoyed.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down before starting the car again. As I looked at him, I noticed how serious his expression was as he focused on the road.
Does he really have someone?
"Are you really hooked on her? Are you a two-timer?" I asked, a mixture of dismay in my voice.
"No. That was Freya. I was just making sure she was okay," he answered.
"W-why? Did something happen?" I asked, pretending not to know anything.
I should be given an award for my acting. I want the gold, and I will cry when I receive it. I want a Grammy Award—given to good grammarians.
"Something like that," he muttered.
"It doesn't look good. You don't worry like that." You're not like that with me, either.
I scoffed at the thought. I knew he was getting back at me, but sometimes, when I saw how he treated me differently from others, I couldn't help but compare.
"That's how it is."
"Freya must be important to you," I almost whispered.
He chuckled. "I used to have a real crush on her."
I nearly choked on my own saliva. He was really proud to say that in front of me.
But it seems like now is the right time to clarify who is really mediating between them—whether their connection was real or just rumors, as he claimed.
"You dated her?" I asked, intrigued.
He shook his head. "Just a crush."
"Just a crush?" I repeated.
"Just a crush," he answered casually.
"Just a crush?"
"Just a crush."
"Did she like you back?"
"No crush back."
My nostrils flared. "Really?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Not at all?"
He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Well, almost. But I stopped because I saw the broken side of her."
What? Almost?
"How almost?" I asked, intrigued.
Gossip is gossip, but this is my chance to get some answers. I want clarity on what's going on between them because I'm stuck.
I'M BACK!
"Well… One time we…" He coughed a little. "We… almost…" He seemed to struggle with his words. "You know… when people get drunk, and things… turn… Something like that led us to a room… and we took off our clothes—"
"You're an Aries!" I cut him off before he could finish.
He shot me a glare for a moment. Good thing the car was still moving, but I had already dodged his evil look.
I had a hunch he was referring to what Rakki had seen before. But no one seemed to know that nothing actually happened, just like my brother had said—he was waiting for the pieces to fall into place.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
"You already know what I mean. My point is, we didn't actually do anything," he clarified, and I nodded.
"Then you became best friends?"
"Not right away. But I managed to. That was the only way I could fulfill Percy's order."
I looked at him in surprise. "Percy's order?"
The car stopped, and he smiled at me. "Before he disappeared, he entrusted his family and Freya to us. Sadly, I couldn't fulfill the first part, so I focused on the second."
I couldn't help but feel sad at his words. If he couldn't get close to Felix's family, how could he possibly follow their friend's final request?
"I'm not Percy, but thank you for what you did. It looks like you're the only one who followed his orders."
His eyes were filled with sadness as one hand remained on the steering wheel.
"I wish I could have done more. But seeing Freya destroying herself makes me feel like I failed." He shook his head. "Dying for a man she'll never have." He let out an annoyed laugh. "She was almost pregnant."
My eyes widened. Yuri almost got her pregnant? What were they doing? Were they even thinking? And what's going on with Yuri? Why do I feel like I don't know him anymore? Or… did I ever really know him?
"I didn't know Yuri could do such things," I whispered.
Aries looked at me. "What did you expect? Yuri isn't a saint," he said as he opened the car door and stepped out.
I followed him, and that's when I realized we were back home. I had been so caught up in our conversation that I hadn't even noticed the surroundings.
We entered the house almost at the same time. I hadn't even taken more than a few steps inside when I heard Kuya Angelo's thunderous voice.
"Where the hell have you been?!" I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him.
"And what kind of language was your text in?! Alien?!"
I already knew what was coming next. I had to save myself.
Ninja moves: TAKВО!