JAY-JAY'S POV
If I didn't feel so bad about what happened—or if I didn't feel guilty for what I did—I would probably spend the whole night admiring Kuya's unit.
I thought it was just a standard condominium unit.
But I think his place takes up half the floor. I'm not even sure if the door I saw last night belonged to a neighbor. I hardly felt any presence in this building, but there's a lot of security downstairs.
I hugged the two Snorlax plushies I brought with me tightly. I can't sleep without them. I can't even leave my cellphone behind, let alone these two.
I'll help you sleep, I thought.
I stared out of the big window in the room for a moment. Since we're high up, even without curtains or blinds, it's fine. I think it's early morning now, since the sky is starting to lighten.
I took a deep breath.
I got up and grabbed my cellphone from the bedside table. I was right—it was 5:29 AM. I didn't sleep well. It took me a long time to fall asleep, and I kept waking up. Even in my dreams, my conscience—and memories of Aries' father—kept chasing me.
I'd better get up and make the bed.
The bed here is huge compared to mine at home. Since I didn't sleep well, the blanket and sheets didn't move much. I couldn't help but glance around the room. It was obvious that a man lived here—everything from the colors of the walls to the decor had a masculine vibe.
I walked over to the study table where I had placed my things. I had also dragged in a huge travel bag and crammed most of my clothes in it. I took out my uniform and tried to smooth out the wrinkles.
Looks like I'll need to borrow an iron from Kuya.
I left the room to see if he was awake. I wasn't disappointed—he was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast and talking on the phone.
"She'll be fine with me…" he said, switching the phone to his other ear and holding it in place with his shoulder. "...I'm not sure. It depends on how long she wants to stay."
It sounded like he was talking about me.
I sat on one of the high stools in front of the island counter and waited for him to finish.
His kitchen was spacious. Like the bedroom, the paint color was dark and masculine. It was fully equipped with appliances—a large oven, a double-door refrigerator, and all the gadgets you'd usually see with chefs on TV.
"Please look after Aries and Tita Jeana. Bye," he added, before finally putting his phone down.
He turned toward me and looked slightly surprised to see me there.
"Good morning," I greeted.
"Good morning. It's obvious you didn't sleep well," he replied kindly.
I touched my face. "My sleep was broken."
He continued cooking breakfast. It didn't take him long to finish and set a plate in front of me—with fried rice, hotdogs, ham, egg, and bacon.
I was a little surprised. It seemed like too much food for just the two of us. I know I have a big appetite, but this is still a bit much.
"Please move to the table," he told me, and I obeyed.
He followed with three cups of coffee. The placemats, plates, and utensils were already set. Judging from the amount of food and tableware, it was clear someone else was coming.
"Who's the other one for?" I asked.
"Someone you know."
I snorted. Who is he referring to? I don't know anyone who would come here and be close to him. Almost everyone I know who knows him is afraid of him. Who would even have the courage to come here just to eat breakfast?
Is it Ci-N?
It feels vague. He doesn't know I'm here, and he doesn't know Kuya's unit address. Besides, he already had a lot of food with him, so why would he eat here? Unless he ran out of supplies at the restaurant.
He turned his back on me and went to his room. When he came out, he was holding his iPad and sat down on the bench. I sat too and started spooning food. I hadn't even taken a bite when the doorbell rang.
There it is. Who could that be?
Kuya got up to open the door through the intercom. The first thing I heard was a loud scream after the door opened.
"I miss you, pogi!" A familiar female voice.
I frowned. Did I hear that right? That sounded like Honey's voice. But why is she here?
My feet moved on their own as I stepped forward to see who had come. I walked fast despite feeling weak. As I got closer, I suddenly backed away when I was hit by the scene in front of me. My eyes widened as I saw them—Kuya and her—kissing. Kuya was even holding her waist. I wanted to scream, but only a breathless gasp escaped my lips.
Kuya is kissing someone. YAAAHHH!!
And when they stopped, I stared even more. I wanted to disappear, to be scared, to cry. The voice I heard earlier was right. It was Honey—who was now clinging to Kuya and had just kissed him while holding his neck.
"You didn't miss me, pogi?" she asked sweetly.
I wanted to throw up. I hadn't eaten since last night, so I might just throw up my intestines and liver. Maybe even my lungs and heart.
Heck, maybe even my brain.
"I guess... I did," Kuya answered, though it sounded forced. "My cousin is here, by the way."
"Who?" she asked, but got her answer quickly when she saw me standing not far from them.
Still gaping at the scene I had just witnessed.
I can't erase that from my memory. I want to gouge my eyes out. I feel guilty for seeing them like that.
If I lose my memory again, can that memory be erased too? I'll probably carry this image into my dreams. I can't handle it if it comes back and haunts me when I'm older.
Can I just hit my head?
They let go of each other and the witch approached me with a smile.
"Now you know. Should I call you cousin-in-law?"
Oh, hell no!
I turned to Kuya, silently begging him to kick her out of the unit. But he ignored me and just went straight to the dining table to sit in his previous seat.
Honey winked at me before following him.
My eyes burned from watching her shamelessness. She was wearing a tight skirt and an off-shoulder crop top. The design was flawless. Her bare back and pierced navel were on full display.
I stared daggers at her as I returned to the dining table and sat down. Kuya focused on his iPad while Honey started fixing his food. She even tried to feed him.
Kuya looked like he wasn't enjoying what the witch was doing. He was too focused on reading his iPad.
I tried to eat even though I badly wanted to kick someone in the face. She kept smiling and doting on my cousin. I couldn't stop watching them even as I tried to focus on my food. Honey kept sniffing Kuya's shoulder.
"You smell so good," she said, then leaned in to sniff his neck. "Smells like choking on the bed."
I literally spat out my rice. Not only did it burn my throat because it was hot, but I also couldn't believe what I just heard.
Tangina. That's bullshit!
I immediately drank some water and stood up. "I'm done eating," I said as I carried my plate.
I brought it to the sink but left the rest of the dishes on the table. I quickly entered the room. As soon as I closed the door, I shook myself as if I'd been infected with bacteria. I was even trembling, as though I hated the air that had touched me.
I was just horrified. I don't hate Honey or Kuya, but I just can't stand it—especially knowing that flirty. That's why Percy got tired of chasing; now Kuya is the one she's after.
I was stunned for a moment. Is Kuya Angelo the boyfriend she was referring to?
IMPOSSIBLE!
Kuya never gave me any sign that he had a girlfriend. Tita Gema didn't mention anything either, so there's no reason to think he's hiding a relationship. It's just too hard to believe.
I fixed my clothes and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. I'm used to rushing because Aries would be waiting for me, but now… there's no need. And he doesn't have to wait for me either.
I looked down. At least now, he has nothing to worry about. Nothing to slow him down. No one to nag him. And most of all, he doesn't have to endure being with me. He's free to be mad at anything I did.
I'll never complain.
After showering and getting ready, I realized I couldn't iron my uniform. How could I borrow a scaffold when I'm already busy being flirted with? It felt embarrassing to disturb anyone. I just tried to stretch my blouse with my hands.
Once I was sure everything was in order, I stepped out. I winced when I saw Honey being all sweet with Kuya. I pretended not to notice and walked straight to the door.
"I'm leaving, Kuya," I said without looking at them.
"Wait, who's taking you?"
"My classmate," I answered quickly and immediately opened the door to leave.
I knew he was going to ask who. I also knew it was still risky for me to go alone, and he knew that too. That's why I didn't want to waste time answering more questions. I didn't want that bee to see them any longer.
I took a breath and started walking, but stopped when I heard a door open. I thought Kuya had followed me, but it turned out to be a different door—his neighbor's. I forgot there were two units on the same floor. My eyes widened when I saw who stepped out of the other unit.
The King of Snakes.
He is still in uniform and with messy hair, came out first. Behind him were his two brothers, who looked like they had just hurriedly gotten ready.
They looked surprised to see me standing there, staring at them.
"Jay? What are you doing here?" the King asked and glanced at the door behind me. "Oh, are you with Angelo?"
I nodded. "You? Why did you come from there?" I asked, pointing to the door they had just exited.
"We stayed here last night. There was an emergency at our house," he explained.
I nodded to show I understood, but I couldn't escape Keigan's intense stare. It felt like he was peering into my soul.
"Come with us. I'll give you a ride after dropping them off," Keifer offered.
I couldn't take my eyes off his brothers. "I—If it's okay with them?" I said, a bit hesitant.
"Like I have a choice," Keiren grumbled.
"It's fine," Keigan replied shortly, giving me a smile.
I couldn't help but feel like his smile meant something else—like he was judging me or thinking something negative.
What's his problem with me?
"Let's go," Keifer said, beginning to walk.
We followed him. Since Keiren walked beside him, I ended up walking with Keigan. He still looked at me that way, even now. From the hallway to the elevator and down to the parking lot, I kept catching him glancing at me.
When we reached the car, there was a bit of confusion over who would sit where—next to the driver and in the passenger seats. In the end, Keifer made the final decision about our seating arrangements.
"Keigan and Keiren are in the back. Jay-Jay will sit beside me because we have the same destination," he said, and I could see the annoyance on Keiren's face—but Keigan didn't care.
Getting into the car, I had a strange feeling, like someone was watching me. I looked in the rearview mirror and quickly caught Keigan's eyes. He smiled at me, but it was obviously fake.
The wall is ringing.
"Hey, are you okay?" Keifer asked, noticing my silence.
I nodded and forced a smile.
First, we went to Keiren's school. Even this early, there were too many cars. It was inevitable that we'd get stuck in traffic. Keiren and Keifer were forced to get out and walk to the school entrance. Keigan and I were left behind—which I immediately regretted.
"You're trash, you know," he said, which surprised me.
I immediately turned around but stopped myself when I saw that he was talking to someone on his cellphone. I just sat back properly.
But why does it feel like he's talking to me?
"You're fucking disgusting. I don't understand why you're with us."
I felt strange hearing what he was saying. I could see in the rearview mirror that he was still talking to someone—but it felt like his words were meant for me. I couldn't take my eyes off him in the mirror.
"Your existence is an eyesore."
"You're a worthless piece of shit."
"You smell like rotten garbage. I can smell you from here."
"You're more disgusting than a dead, rotting animal."
"Someone like you shouldn't be anywhere near us."
"We shouldn't even be breathing the same air."
"I really hate seeing you walk around, alive and smiling. You don't deserve it."
I was taken aback by what he said. Even though he wasn't looking at me, it truly felt like those words were meant for me. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
Do I smell bad?
I discreetly smelled my clothes, but it was hard to tell—my nose was already used to my own scent.
Keifer arrived and quickly got into the car. "Hey, is everything okay?"
"I-It's fine," I answered, even though it clearly wasn't.
"Yeah. We're good," Keigan answered and gave his big brother a sweet smile.
I looked at him in the mirror for a moment, and our eyes met. He gestured with his hand near his nose, as if smelling something awful. I frowned, but he only responded with another sweet smile.
I chose to look out the window, even though I was really irritated.
I don't know what problem he has with me, but I'm not stupid—I can feel that he doesn't like me. It's likely that the hurtful things he said to the other person were actually meant for me.
To be honest, the Keigan I'm with now is very different from the one I met before. The first time we met at their mansion, he was kind and polite. He's nothing like the person in this car.
There's something wrong with him.
Next, we went to Keigan's school. Unlike earlier, traffic was light, so he quickly got out and walked through the school gate.
"You've been quiet for a while. Is there a problem?" Keifer asked while driving.
I snorted. "Do I smell or something?"
He looked confused at first, but then understood what I meant and told me to smell my clothes.
"Well, you smell like 99.9% of dead germs."
I winced. I think he was referring to my soap.
"That's it? I don't smell like garbage or dead animals?"
He shook his head. "Of course not. Why would you smell like garbage or dead animals?"
Your brother said so.
"N-Nothing. I just thought I smelled something earlier."
He turned his attention back to driving. We stopped for a while because of the red traffic light. I immediately noticed that his hand was wounded and red.
"What happened there?" I asked, pointing to the wounds on his hand.
"Casualties. Someone rushed to the house."
I was immediately filled with worry. "Who? None of you got hurt?"
He smiled at me as if to say everything was okay. He even managed to take one hand off the steering wheel to reach for mine and kiss it.
"Nothing serious. Luckily, my brothers weren't affected either."
My concern still hadn't gone away. "Who rushed at you?"
"Monster's staffs," he said in a serious tone.
He was referring to his dad. I stared at the hand holding mine. I don't understand why the dads are like this—willing to hurt their own children just to get what they want.
His dad… and Aries' dad.
It's true that all children should have parents, but there are parents who shouldn't have children. So sometimes, I'm thankful that all I suffered from my real dad was his absence. Just being far away and never around. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to handle it if he and Mama had a bad relationship too.
I'm also in awe of people my age who are able to survive even without their parents— or even with broken relationships with them. They manage to keep going even when those who should've supported them have abandoned them.
"May I know why you're in Angelo's unit?" he interrupted my thoughts.
I slowly withdrew my hand. I secretly pressed my fingernail into my palm.
"Because... I made a mistake again," I answered almost in a whisper. "Aries got mad at me because I brought him to his dad. I also found out that he raped Mama, and that's why my brother was born." I bit my bottom lip to try to hold back the tears.
Keifer immediately stopped the car. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and hugged me. I cried softly in his arms.
"You didn't know your mom's story with him. You just wanted to know if his apology was real, and you wanted him to do it in front of your brother and mom. You never meant to hurt them."
I held his arm and cried harder. I didn't like this feeling. I never wanted to hurt them, but I accept if they're angry with me. That's their right.
Especially Aries.
"I feel so bad."
"No, you're not," he said, then kissed the top of my head.
He let me cry and cry. I don't know why, but my weakness always shows in front of him. I'm not afraid to show this side of me to him. I feel like he won't judge me even if I look like a mess when I cry. I've only done this with him. I can cry in front of Aries and the Serpents, but it's limited, and I can't let go like this. I'll pour all my tears only for Keifer.
"I don't know if I'll be able to go home. I'm ashamed of what I did."
"Then don't. You can stay with me. I wouldn't mind," he said, and I heard his soft, teasing laugh.
I bit his arm, and he immediately screamed. He didn't even push me away because he was hugging me. He just let me bite him.
I wiped my face before giving him a look. "This is a serious conversation, you know."
"I'm serious too," he said while rubbing his arm.
"My brother and I are staying in my unit."
"I'll visit you. We're neighbors anyway," he replied and smiled.
I snorted. It would be great if Kuya allows him to visit. Even better if I ask for permission. Eh… do you want that too? I took a deep breath and straightened myself.
"Are you okay now?" he asked before starting the car.
I nodded. "A bit. Thanks for listening."
"Anytime. I'm always here for you."
I fell silent. The reasons I should say 'yes to Keifer' flooded my mind. He does almost everything for me—takes the first step, apologizes, proves himself, empathizes with me, and gives advice. And the fact is… I love him.
Hehe, dear.
What am I waiting for?
"Keifer..." I got his attention. "I just want to say..." I swallowed, looking at him.
He was obviously waiting for what I would say next, even though he couldn't meet my eyes.
"Let....us"