Jay-jay's POV
The kind of morning where the first thing served to you is a sermon. Kuya must be in the mood—
in the mood to lecture.
"You haven't completed a full school day! You're always leaving early, and you're always late!" He scolded me while we were at the dining table.
I kept my head down as I ate my rice. Every now and then, I glanced at Aries, who was sitting across from me, but he didn't even look at me.
He was more interested in the hotdog in front of him!
"What the hell is going on at your school?! They already took away your classroom, and now they can't even give you proper classes?!"
Why was I the one getting scolded about this?
He could just go to my school himself if he wanted to know what was going on.
"Enough with the lecturing. Just eat." Tita Gema said with a smile.
She was in a good mood today. Kuya should be too, but the moment he saw me, he just snapped.
I mean, I look great today, so why did he suddenly get mad?
I overheard them talking last night—apparently, there are investors from the UK interested in Tita's company. Their meeting is today.
That's why they were up so early getting ready, and why they woke us up early too. Even though we have nothing to do with their investor drama.
But whoever this investor is, may they be blessed. From the UK—UKay-UKay—I mean, the United Kingdom, traveling all the way here just to meet Kuya Angelo. Pak na pak! No wonder he looks so handsome today—
as long as his nose doesn't start fuming with anger.
"Ma, you're really not coming?" Kuya asked before he started eating.
"No, you can handle it."
"Alright, I'll just call you right away to give you an update."
Tita didn't say anything else. She just patted Kuya's arm and went back to the kitchen. I turned back to look at Aries just as he suddenly stood up.
"I'm going to take a shower. Hurry up." He said to me before leaving.
He left me at the table with Kuya. He left me? HE LEFT ME!!
I'm doomed!
I hurriedly ate my food because I already knew what was coming.
"Hey, Jay-jay, I'm telling you! You're about to graduate! Stop doing things that will get you in trouble!" He warned me.
I felt like I was in a race, shoveling food into my mouth at top speed. I was practically swallowing it whole.
"Are you even listen—."
"I'm done eating!" I said, my mouth still full.
I jumped up from my seat and walked away from the table. I almost choked when he shouted my name, but I ignored him.
I know I was being rude, but damn it, I was in no mood to listen to another one of his lectures.
I couldn't even tell him the truth about what was happening at school. I couldn't tell him that we had our own problems. If he found out, things might just get worse.
He wouldn't understand either.
I went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. This time, I was going to get ahead of Aries. I wasn't about to let myself get left behind again like yesterday.
Yuri called me last night. He found out who the damn bastards were that tried to take me. They were R. Sato's men.
But what I don't understand is that they didn't seem serious about kidnapping me.
Usually, the ones who try to take me knock me out first—
hello?! That's happened multiple times, and it's always the same. But these guys didn't even try. It was like some kind of joyride to them.
Their way of life is really something else.
I quickly got ready after my shower. I checked the time on the wall clock, and seeing that it was still early, I sat at the edge of my bed and opened my phone.
I had a text from GagongBaliw and one from Yuri.
I checked the message from the President of the Shunga Lovers Club first—
just in case it was important.
From: Pres. Yuri
Message: Do you want me to pick you up?
I pouted. I was riding with Horoscope. I quickly typed my reply.
To: Pres. Yuri
Message: Wg na. Saby aq ky Big Bro.
From: Pres. Yuri
Message: Wow. Haha. Ingat! I'll wait for you at the school gate.
What an idiot! Wow? Is this red-haired guy teasing me? I ignored it and checked the other message.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: Almost
What the hell? What does almost mean? Was this guy high when he sent this?
People these days really have the weirdest hobbies. What the hell are they on?
I didn't bother replying to that lunatic. I might catch his craziness if I do. I just shoved my phone into my bag.
While putting on my shoes, I heard a knock on my door followed by a shout.
"Hurry up, Jay! I'll be waiting outside!" It was Aries, carrying my fate in his hands.
"Ge!" I called back.
I quickly picked up my pace before my brother went horumintado with rage. Horoscope gets into moods, and I didn't want bad luck today.
After getting ready, I grabbed my bag and left my room.
I ran into Kuya in the hallway, and he was glaring at me.
"Jay! I'm telling you! Behave yourself!" He said, pointing a finger at me.
I just flashed him a peace sign and gave him a wide grin as I walked past him.
The moment I passed by, I bolted.
Aries was already outside, leaning against his car. Damn. He looked cool.
"You're so slow." He said before getting into his car.
I pouted. Slow?! I already moved as fast as I could! I even ran! What, did he want me to turn into The Flash just so I could be considered fast?!
I got into his car as well. He didn't say a word while driving. There were moments when I would look outside and at the cars behind us.
I needed to stay alert in case those pests working for Sato made another move.
Would Swiper no Swiping work on them?
I noticed the car slowing down until we turned into a subdivision. The place was unfamiliar to me, and I had no idea who lived here.
But my question was answered when I saw a girl not far away. She was wearing an HVIS uniform. Her long hair swayed with the wind, her porcelain-like skin gleamed, and of course, her angelic face.
But she had a devilish mind.
I looked at Aries. The guy was completely serious, as if he had no idea that I had an issue with this girl. I wasn't even sure if we had resolved things because, as far as I knew—we never would.
The car stopped in front of her. In front of Ella. So, it turned out that Horoscope was picking up this girl. She smiled as she approached my side and opened the door.
But her smile quickly faded when she saw me. Hehe. I was the one who smiled at her this time.
"You should sit in the back." I said teasingly.
Her forehead instantly creased. "I... no... you have to move. Aries and I have something to talk about."
Almost at the same time, we both looked at my brother, who seemed to have been born out of pure annoyance. He just raised an eyebrow at us.
"What?"
I stared at him, hoping he would understand what I wanted to say—that I should stay here, and Ella should sit in the back. But this guy really didn't care. He just rolled his eyes at us and looked ahead.
"Please, Jay." Ella said, but it was obvious she wasn't really asking.
I exhaled sharply like an angry bull. This girl was something else! With a huff, I stepped out and moved to the backseat. I nearly slammed the door shut.
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they'd fall out. This girl was seriously making my blood boil.
I swear, I'm going to slap you. Just once.
Aries started the car again, but I turned to Ella when I noticed she was handing me something. I frowned.
"What's that?!" I asked irritably.
"An MP3 player and a headset. So you won't hear anything from us." She said haughtily.
I rolled my eyes again out of frustration. "No need! I have my own."
I grabbed my headset and phone from my bag. I plugged it in and nearly maxed out the volume. I was so annoyed, I could kick this brat in the face. So infuriating!
Fine, she's the pretty one, whatever.
I was so pissed that I played whatever song was queued up without realizing it.
🎶 Mahirap talagang maging T.A.N.G.A. 🎶 (It's really hard to be a fool.)
Oh, damn!
Was this song mocking me? It seemed like the perfect theme song for our club.
I ignored the two in front. They could talk all they wanted. No matter what they did, I didn't care anymore. They could even kiss or—ugh, no.
But it didn't seem like they were doing anything like that. I even considered lowering the volume to eavesdrop on their conversation, but I didn't want to risk being caught.
Better not try and just avoid trouble.
Before long, we arrived at school. I got out of the car before they did, not even bothering to say goodbye. I removed my headset and stuffed it back in my bag along with my phone.
"Jay." Someone called my name while grabbing my elbow.
I turned to see Yuri grinning at me.
"Oh yeah. I forgot you were waiting for me." I said, scratching my head.
"See? When someone's not important, they're quickly forgotten."
I blinked at him a few times. "What are you even talking about?"
"My love for you." He replied with a big grin.
I chuckled, half amused and half teasing. "Ha. Ha. Did you skip breakfast?" I asked, smirking at him.
He smiled like a little kid. "I actually did."
The guy was crazy from hunger.
We both laughed and shook our heads. Then, we started walking toward the auditorium. The closer we got, the more I couldn't stop feeling anxious. I didn't know why! I just hoped there wouldn't be any chaos like yesterday.
As we stepped inside, I found something different from what I expected. The entire place was silent, almost like there was a church mass going on, judging by everyone's expressions.
The only thing noticeably different was that the Ulupong members were divided into two groups. Mayo and Kit were separated from the rest, sitting alone while the other Ulupong members stayed on the other side.
Instead of approaching the others like Yuri did, I chose to go to Kit.
"What's going on? Why are you guys here?" I asked.
"What's it to you?!" Mayo snapped, glaring at me.
Kit elbowed her to shut her up.
"I wasn't talking to you." I replied.
Kit turned to me and smiled. "I distanced myself from them to avoid more trouble."
I gestured toward Mayo. "What about him?"
"He just followed me."
I lowered my head. He really had to adjust for these narrow-minded fools.
"Honestly, you're not the one who should be adjusting for them. They should be the ones doing that for you."
I heard Mayo let out an insulting laugh. "As if they'd ever do that."
My brows furrowed completely. "Why do you keep butting in? Am I talking to you?"
He rolled his eyes at me. "Just leave already."
"No!" I sat beside Kit. "I'm sitting here."
Kit suddenly looked at the Ulupong, so I turned to them as well. They were all staring at us, and some, like Drew, were glaring at Mayo.
What I didn't understand was why Eren and Josh, who were supposed to be their friends, were with those wretched Ulupong.
I saw C-in, still looking as clueless as ever about what was going on. Just like yesterday when we went home. I tried talking to him, but he didn't say a word.
Sir Alvin arrived, and although he seemed puzzled by our seating arrangement, he chose to ignore it and started teaching.
There were times when I glanced at Kit out of concern for him. I couldn't help it—almost the entire Section E was here.
Good thing that damn King wasn't around yet.
Our class with Sir Alvin ended. I actually understood a bit of the lesson. I won't say what it was—I'd rather keep it to myself in case I forget.
As I packed my bag, which barely had anything in it aside from a few notebooks, I heard the idiots calling me.
"Jay..." It was Rory. "...sit here. Don't sit there."
I rolled my eyes. "I want to sit here."
"Don't sit there." Denzel said, annoyed.
"Mind your own business."
"You're so stubborn! Sit here already." Edrix said, irritated.
"Oh wow, so stubborn! I said I want to sit here."
Let's see who's more hardheaded.
"Jay-jay..." Kit called me. "...maybe you should just sit with them."
"No way! I told you, I'm staying by your side no matter what happens."
"Yeah, but... not literally."
"Come here, Jay-jay." Drew said. "...or you might catch their gayness."
Oh, this bastard.
Before I could even curse at him, his face met Mayo's fist.
Chaos broke out again, and everyone scrambled to stop whoever they wanted to stop.
"Son of a b*tch!"
"Gay!"
"You asshole! Watch your mouth!"
I could only grab my hair in frustration. These people just attack their classmates out of nowhere. Then again, what else could I expect? They areUlupong.
I let out a deep sigh. It took a few minutes before the two of them were finally separated.
Drew's bruises and wounds from before were now layered with fresh scratches and marks. It was obvious that Mayo wanted to beat him to a pulp out of anger.
"Are you done now? Is it over? Have your lips kissed each other's fists enough? Can you stop now?" I said sarcastically.
"He started it!" Mayo pointed at Drew.
"You're just mad because it's true!" The other shot back.
Mayo tried to lunge at him again, but five people were already holding him back. Yuri and David stepped in between them.
"Is there something wrong?" C-in asked, making me and the others turn to him. "Is there something wrong with them?"
C-in...
"Isn't being gay when a guy dresses like a girl?" He asked, and immediately, the others shifted their attention to him.
"Y-yeah..." I answered hesitantly. "...but it's not just that—."
"I know." He cut me off. "...I know that even if they don't dress like girls, there's a chance they could like other guys."
"What exactly are you trying to say?!" Mayo asked irritably.
"I have a cousin. We were close because he was kind to me—."
"Now's not the time for storytelling." Josh interrupted.
"—he killed himself."
We all fell silent.
"...because people around him judged him just for being gay."
Is that why you've been so quiet? I asked in my head.
He nodded as tears fell from his eyes. "I don't understand. I don't understand why people have to judge someone just because they're gay." He looked at me. "...they're still people, right? They're still the same ones we hang out with. They're still the same ones who help us. They're still the same ones who make us laugh. Nothing changed about them, they just admitted who they are. So what's wrong with that?"
Silence. That's what engulfed all of us.
Even if I wanted to answer his question, I couldn't. I didn't know how to explain it to him.
I didn't know what was wrong.
"Do I have to wait for Kit to kill himself too before I get an answer to my question?" He said as he wiped his tears. "...I already lost a cousin. Am I going to lose a friend too?"
Ever since I met C-in, he always managed to amaze me with the things he did and said. His intelligence, his skill, and his perseverance.
And now, he amazed me again with his words.
It was clear that what he said was a slap in the face for these Ulupong. Some of them avoided his gaze, while others looked down.
"Don't worry." Kit said, smiling at him. "...I'm not going anywhere."
I patted Kit's shoulder before walking toward C-in. I hugged him tightly.
Now, I could finally explain it to him.
"There's nothing wrong with them. There's nothing wrong with your cousin or with Kit."
I looked at the Ulupong. "...the ones who are wrong are the people who judge them without even knowing what they're going through. Those people are wrong because their minds are closed. They're wrong because they only care about their own understanding. They are the ones who are wrong—not Kit... not your cousin."
He hugged me too. He really was still a kid. So young in the way he thought about things. Too innocent about matters that, at this point, he should already have some awareness of.
"Jay-jay is right." Edrix said. "...honestly, we shouldn't have judged Kit so quickly."
"But you can't really blame us either. We've been with him through everything, and then one day—just like that." Rory said.
"Maybe we just need some time to adjust." Calix added.
"Yeah... Kit is still our friend. We'll accept him eventually." Blaster said.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered the Ulupong I once knew. Those idiots who, despite being jerks, were actually reliable.
Something tugged at my heart. I wasn't supposed to feel this way, but I couldn't help it.
"Sorr—."
"Hey, you!" A sudden shout interrupted what I was about to say.
I frowned. What was this girl doing here?
"I-is that Honey?" Felix asked, staring at the girl who was walking toward us furiously.
She stopped right in front of me. Even C-in was startled by her, quickly hiding behind me.
"Jay-jay, right?" She asked in an annoyingly posh tone.
"Y-yeah."
"Where is your stepbrother?"
I frowned and looked at Felix, who was just as confused as I was.
"Y-you mean Percy?"
She raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you have another stepbrother aside from him?"
I shook my head. What's her problem?
"Then, answer my question." She demanded.
Something snapped in my mind, and I immediately started getting irritated at her face.
"Why do you care? What do you need from him?"
Her eyes widened at me. "Your. Step. Brother. Owes. Me. A. Lot."
Shit!
What kind of mess is this, Percy?