Jay-jay's POV
So loud. It sounded like a riot, people arguing. I could even hear someone singing. They were so noisy, and even if I wanted to keep sleeping, I couldn't because of the racket.
What a disturbance! So annoying!
I opened my eyes— and was greeted by the faces of the Pesteng Ulupong.
"You're so loud!" I snapped irritably.
"Hey, you're awake!"
"Awake, awake!"
"How are you, Jay?"
I scowled. It was the first time I'd seen someone ask how I was while their mouths were stuffed with food. And their hands were still holding food, pushing it into their faces.
"Back off for now! She says you all look hideous! She's disgusted!" David said, and they quickly moved away.
Where did all that food come from, anyway? Why are they just constantly eating?
I tried to sit up. Yuri immediately adjusted the bed so that the head part was slightly elevated. He also placed a pillow behind my back. He was completely attentive to me while the other rascals were busy chewing their food.
I glanced down at my hands when I noticed they were completely wrapped in bandages—
but I didn't feel anything. That's when I realized there was also a bandage wrapped around my head.
Why am I like this?! What the heck—Ci-N!
That was the only time the memories came rushing back. Why I was in the hospital and why my hands were bandaged. Ci, Mykel, and the chandelier.
I looked at the Ulupong. I searched for the face of the Little Brat but couldn't find him anywhere.
"Where's Ci-N?" I asked, full of worry.
David answered, "In the other room. He's fine, that kid's tough."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought something bad had happened to him. I closed my eyes and leaned my back against the bed. Thank goodness nothing bad happened to him.
I tried to recall everything that happened before I ended up in the hospital. It felt like something was missing... like there was something I couldn't remember.
I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Yuri, peeling an apple.
"Who brought us to the hospital?" I asked, and he looked at me briefly before going back to what he was doing.
"We did."
"W-where's Mykel?"
He suddenly laughed and bit into the apple he had just peeled. Honestly, who's the one that's sick here? Why are they the ones eating all the food?
"What's so funny?" I asked, a little irritated.
"You already asked that earlier. You're repeating yourself."
My forehead creased. "I just woke up. How could I have asked that?"
He paused from eating the apple and stared at me with utter confusion.
"Jay... you already woke up earlier while everyone else was asleep. You were even staring blankly before you spoke."
Yuri and I stared at each other for a long moment, both confused. I couldn't remember being awake. I couldn't even recall what happened after the—the blood!
"Yuri... c-can you take me to Ci-N?" I asked in a panic.
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"B-because... it's just... because..."
How could I tell him that it came back? That thing that happens to me. The thing I've been trying to avoid for so long. That thing. It's terrifying!
We heard a knock on the door. All of us turned toward it at once, and then it opened. Tita Gema entered, smiling warmly at me.
"How are you all?" she greeted the Ulupong and me.
"We're good, Tita," Eren replied with a smile.
"Thank you for the food, Tita," said Denzel.
Tita?! Since when did they start calling her Tita Gema? These Ulupong really have some nerve!
"How did you cook this pancit, Tita? It's really delicious," Eman chimed in.
"Tita, this menudo is great too," Kit added.
I could only grimace. They were acting so close to Tita, like they were family. And wow—seriously?! The audacity to eat like that too!
"Thank you. Good thing you're all here to watch over Jay-jay," Tita said as she placed the paper bag she was carrying onto the table filled with food.
"Ooh, what's this, Tita? Looks tasty," said Drew while poking around the paper bag.
"That's adobo. Help yourselves," she replied, walking over to me. "...How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay now, Tita," I answered. I looked over at the Ulupong eating behind her. "...Why is there so much food?"
She glanced back at the Ulupong behind her, then smiled and looked back at me.
"Since they brought you here yesterday, they haven't gone home to eat... so I just brought them some food." she explained.
Since yesterday? That means I've been unconscious for a whole day.
I looked at Yuri. "You've been here since yesterday?" I asked, and he nodded. "...So you haven't taken a shower?"
They all froze at once. Tita Gema looked puzzled by their reaction. Even David, who had a piece of puto in his mouth, suddenly stopped.
"That's fine. We're used to not taking showers," Mayo said, only to get a quick smack on the back of the head from Josh.
"Speak for yourself. Don't include us," Felix shot back.
While they were busy teasing each other, I found myself deep in thought. Something really felt off. I felt detached, even though everything happening around me was clear.
"Jay?" Tita Gema called, gently tapping my arm. "...Are you sure you're really okay?"
I nodded. "Y-yes, Tita."
"I was asking you something, and you didn't respond."
"I'm sorry."
"Maybe she is just hungry," Yuri cut in.
Tita Gema laughed. "Could be. But she still can't eat yet."
What do you mean I can't eat?!
My eyes widened as I stared at Tita Gema and Yuri. "A-are you serious about that?"
Tita Gema adjusted the pillow behind me, still smiling while she did it.
"We still have to wait for the doctor's go signal. We can't just let you eat right away."
Whaaaaaaatttttttt????!!!!!
Why like this?! There was so much food in front of me, and I couldn't eat any of it. Why? This is so unfair!
"But why?"
"That's what the doctor said."
Tears welled in my eyes as I turned to Tita. "But sometimes the doctor isn't telling the truth."
They all laughed again. This is painful. The food was literally within arm's reach and yet I wasn't allowed to eat. Why not? Why?!WHYYYYY?!
"You silly... Alright, I'll go check on Aries now. I left your mom with him, so they're probably arguing by now," Tita said, then walked out.
The Ulupong thanked her as she left the room. Yuri came over and sat beside me. He held my hand.
"What was that thing you were saying earlier?"
Oh right!
I looked at the Ulupong. I didn't want to talk about that in front of them.
"Maybe next time."
He squeezed my hand a little tighter, and I looked at it. I knew he could feel that something was on my mind. I forced a smile and tried to hold his hand too, but the bandages got in the way.
We stayed like that until I suddenly remembered Percy. My eyes slowly widened.
"P-Percy? Where's Percy?"
Felix, who was sipping on a Coke, looked at me.
"At home. Why?" he replied.
"Is he okay now?" I asked with concern.
Felix looked confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't he be okay?"
"Because when we—"
"He was here earlier," David cut in.
The way he looked at me was different. It was like he was telling me not to say anything more. I turned back to Felix, who still looked puzzled.
I shook my head with a small smile. "Did he say when he'd be back?"
"I don't know. He and David were the ones talking."
I looked at David, but he just shrugged and kept eating. Felix did the same. I decided to hold off on all the questions running through my head.
From time to time, Yuri gave me spoonfuls of water to help ease my thirst. But what I really wanted was to eat.
Food! Food! Food!
By afternoon, the Ulupong finally decided to go home. They weren't doing anything here except eating anyway. Only David and Yuri stayed behind.
Just as those goofballs walked out, Yuri's phone rang. He excused himself, saying he had to take the call, and stepped outside.
I turned to David, who was busy playing on his phone.
"Hey, Dabid!" I called out to him, irritated. "...What happened to Percy?"
"He's at home. Resting," he answered, clearly bored.
"Yeah, I get that! But what happened to him after I left him?"
He turned off his phone and looked straight at me. His eyes were serious as they met mine.
"He called me. Said he was having an attack because of his condition. I was the only one who went because I know he doesn't want others knowing what he's going through," he explained.
A wave of worry crashed over me. What condition? He never told me he was sick.
"W-what condition? Why didn't he tell me?"
"He didn't want you to worry."
I looked down. "Since when? When did he start experiencing this?"
David rested his elbows on his knees, rubbed his hands together, then looked back at me with the same seriousness.
"After the accident. He suffers from spinal damage. He couldn't walk and was almost paralyzed. His mother did everything she could to help him." I gripped the blanket tightly. "...She spent a lot of money just to find a doctor who could cure Percy."
"But isn't he better now? He was even right in front of us just a while ago."
"Not totally. There's a side effect. His spine suddenly acts up, and parts of his body become paralyzed again."
I remembered how he looked in the car. How he screamed from the pain. His hands… even his speech.
"Can't that be treated anymore?"
"They tried. That's why he's been away for so long. He asked me to look after you."
So that's why he ended up in New York with Papa. I couldn't imagine that behind his mischievous and corny personality, he was silently suffering from an illness.
No more corny jokes.
"That condition... Is there a chance that..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the question, but it seemed David already knew where I was heading.
"Yes... There is a chance. High risk."
I covered my mouth with my hand. Everything David was telling me felt unreal. I wished it was just a joke—something I could help him laugh about.
I was given a new brother, only to feel like he might be taken away from me again.
"...That's also one of the reasons his mother doesn't want him to come back here," he added.
I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. They fell on their own, and David panicked, immediately rushing to my side.
"Hey! Don't cry. Don't start thinking all kinds of stuff. Percy's strong." He tried to wipe my tears.
"It's just so unfair... It's so, so unfair," I said, sobbing harder.
David hugged me and gently rubbed my shoulder. Why does everything given to me come with a price?
I was given a father, but I couldn't be with him. I was given a sibling, but he didn't accept me. Then I was given another brother—only for him to be taken away too. It's like I was tempted with food I could never eat.
"I'm not even dead yet and you're already crying for me."
We both turned toward the door. There he was, walking toward us with his blue eyes shining.
He was smiling like nothing happened. Instead of being worried or sad, I suddenly felt annoyed at him.
"Taking advantage, huh..." he told David. "...Maybe it's time you let go."
David scratched the back of his head, awkwardly pulled away from hugging me, and went back to his seat. I gave Percy a death glare.
"You jerk!" I snapped as he came closer. "...If my hand wasn't bandaged, I would've punched you!"
That fool grinned wide. "Good thing it is, then. Wouldn't want this handsome face ruined."
Suddenly, David stood up and went over to the air conditioner. "Why does it feel windier all of a sudden when it's just on number 5?"
So he felt the storm too.
"Got a problem, David?" Percy asked sarcastically. "...Why don't you go wait outside so it's less windy in here?"
He laughed before finally walking out of the room. When he closed the door, he sat down beside me. I wanted to hit him so badly, but I didn't want to risk breaking my bones.
"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice cracked as I said it. "...And don't you dare say it's because you didn't want me to worry. Coz that's crap!"
He didn't answer. He just looked at me. So I let it all out.
"It's unfair to me... I thought I finally had someone on my side. I thought I had someone to lean on. But why does it feel like it was just for a moment? Why does it feel like you'll be taken from me too?" Tears streamed down my face again. "...How am I supposed to move forward when every hour that passes could be the hour you're taken from me? What am I supposed to do? Huh?! Answer me!"
Percy held my cheek. He wiped away my tears and leaned slightly closer to me.
"You already know the reason why I didn't tell you." His eyes were serious, staring right into mine. "...Remember this. I will never leave you. Nothing will be taken away from you. No one will snatch anything from you. You won't have to do anything because I will never let myself be taken away from you."
I saw the tears welling in the corner of his eye. I had never seen him like this before. Except for that one time he drank too much because of his issue with Freya. But not like this—not this raw, not this real.
"I've already escaped death once, Jay. I'm ready to do it again. And I'll do it again and again. You know why?" I shook my head.
"...because I'm handsome."
Ugh! This guy is seriously crazy!
"Annoying!" I said, frustrated, smacking his chest. But he remained serious.
"I can't leave you guys. Especially not you. I haven't even taken you to your dad yet. Just trust me, I'll live longer than you expect." He smiled. "...you might even go before I do."
I laughed at what he said, and somehow, the heaviness in my chest started to lift. I wiped my tears and hugged him.
He hugged me back. "Just trust me. I won't disappear again."
I nodded, and I knew he felt it. I trusted him. I truly believed he wouldn't leave us.
We let go of the hug, and that's when we finally noticed the presence of others. We turned toward the door and saw Yuri and David standing there, both watching us.
"We have to go," David said.
Percy nodded at him before turning back to me. "I'll come back tomorrow. I just need to deal with something."
"Okay. Take care."
He kissed my forehead before finally walking toward David. There was a strange exchange of sharp looks between Yuri and Percy before they exited the room.
I really don't get what's up with those two.
Yuri came over to me after the two of them left. He smiled and sat beside me. "Sorry if I took so long," he said.
"It's okay."
We talked briefly about what had happened yesterday. I wanted to tell him that it happened again. But for some reason, the moment I was about to say it, my tongue felt like it shrank back.
Around 7 PM, Mama arrived, saying she'd stay and watch over me. Yuri said he'd head home first and come back again tomorrow.
Since I still wasn't allowed to eat, I was surviving on spoonfuls of water. If I could've eaten the spoon itself, I would've—just to get something into my stomach.
"You, Jay! You better stop getting into fights! You might not get accepted by any university!"
Mama scolded me while wiping me down with a damp towel.
As if I wanted to get into a fight.
"Are you even listening?!" she snapped.
"Yes." I answered lifelessly.
After cleaning me up, she fixed the bed so I could lie down. I chose to face the wall so I could fall asleep faster. Since the lights were on and I could see everything around the room, my eyes wouldn't stay still—and I couldn't sleep.
Mama must've noticed I was having a hard time sleeping, so she turned off the lights and pulled the curtain aside to let in a bit of light from outside.
It didn't take long before I eventually fell asleep. Probably because my sleep earlier this morning was cut short.
I hadn't been asleep long when I woke up to the sound of soft knocking. It was weird because the knock wasn't loud enough to really wake me. It wasn't urgent either.
"Ma! Someone's at the door." I said and pulled the blanket over my head.
So annoying! I was sleeping so well!
What puzzled me more was that I didn't hear Mama respond.
I heard the knock again and pulled the blanket down. I turned toward Mama, annoyed.
"Ma! Didn't you hear—" I didn't get to finish what I was about to say… because Mama wasn't on the couch where she had been sitting earlier.
I wasn't with anyone?!
Then I heard the knock again.
"Who's there?!" I yelled, but no one answered.
I heard the doorknob turning. A sliver of light crept in through the door as it slowly cracked open.
I noticed someone seemed to peek in through the gap. I started to feel nervous. Whoever it was could've just opened the door fully and entered if they wanted to.
"Is someone there?" I asked nervously.
The figure that peeked in disappeared. I waited for several minutes to see if someone would come in—but no one did. I was about to get up to close the door when the hinges creaked and it slowly opened even wider.
But why was no one coming in?!
I suddenly remembered what Josh and Mayo were talking about earlier. They had been teasing each other, saying there was someone in my room. A little girl… who plays under my bed.
I swallowed hard—several times. I was sweating even though the air conditioning was on. I started to back up on the bed when I noticed a hand gripping the edge of the door. A head slightly peeked in at me.
Chills ran down my entire body—especially when I heard my name. But the voice was so faint, I couldn't catch what it said after that. The only light in the room was coming from the open door.
Sht! Sht! Sht! Sht!
Out of pure terror, I lay back down on the bed and curled up tight. I pulled the blanket over me and shut my eyes. I was this close to calling on every saint I could remember.
I almost recited every prayer I knew when I heard the door quietly close. I was trembling even though I wasn't cold. All the courage I had left me—especially when I heard a creaking metal sound.
Like a rusty wheel... or a seesaw lacking oil. It was getting closer and closer to me.
My heart was about to explode. Its pounding was deafening until…
"Here she is."