Jay-jay's POV
I didn't change. I didn't lose consciousness. I didn't hurt anyone without knowing. But why?
"Jay-jay." Kuya Angelo called.
Oh, crap!
I hadn't even noticed him arrive. I thought he was just one of the many nurses and doctors coming in and out of our hospital room.
"Huh?" was all I could say.
"Where is Aries?" he asked, setting down his briefcase on the couch near Aries' bed.
"A-at the canteen. With Ella."
Kuya walked toward me and sat on Aries' bed, which was right beside mine. He looked exhausted from work again. But of course, still handsome.
"Sorry, Jay... I didn't watch over you properly, and now this happened."
I quickly shook my head. "I-it's not your fault. It was Sato's doing, that's why we're in the hospital now."
Even though, technically, we didn't really need to be confined. It was just Kuya being persistent. The moment he saw how both Aries and I looked, he almost had us sent to the ICU.
So actually, it was Kuya's fault we're in the hospital. Mind blowing!
"Why'd you come here? You could've gone home first." I said when I noticed him rubbing his temple.
"That Sato guy..." he began. "...he's a-a friend of Tiger's."
What the hell—PPAP?!
My eyes widened at what he said. That crazy dude who owns Kingsground. I swear I'll turn his yellow hair black.
"H-how?"
"That guy knows a lot of people. I wouldn't be surprised if they were acquaintances." He let out a deep sigh.
Acquaintances? That weirdo can't even remember names properly. His brain must've been devoured by his own tackiness.
I stared at Kuya's troubled face. He looked like he was thinking deeply. Like he was holding in a fart… or a burp.
"I-is there a problem?"
He shook his head and forced a smile. "Nothing serious."
I wasn't convinced by his answer. I could feel it—something serious was going on. I was getting nervous. What if some drama was about to unfold in my life again?
Shit! What if I won the lottery without even buying a ticket?!
"Kuya... What's the truth? You're making me nervous."
He looked at me seriously, and that's when I realized there really was something heavy running through his mind.
"I'm thinking about how to crack his skull open." he said seriously. "...he's the one who gave Sato the information about you."
Son of a—
I blinked several times. "Get me out of here. Please."
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"I'll be the one to crack the skull of that damn Tiger! That traitorous bastard!" I said angrily.
Kuya shook his head. "He's not a traitor."
"What do you mean he's not? He's the one who gave away our info!"
That's probably why Rakki and the others got dragged into this even though they weren't supposed to. Who knows what he told that Sato guy? Of course that fool believed him—he's too stupid not to.
May his soul rest in peace.
"Tiger is talkative. He's like a walking newspaper. I think he blurted out something about you without meaning to." Kuya explained.
Even if it was unintentional, he still shouldn't be giving out information like that. What if next time Death himself comes asking? That could be the end of us.
"I'm still slapping him!"
"I'll do it for you." he replied.
"Haizt!" I yelled as I messed up my hair in frustration.
Sato had been consistent in digging for information about us. No wonder that bastard knew exactly what to do. No wonder he seemed to know all the places we might go.
"I heard what happened to you." he suddenly said, which made me freeze.
"W-what do you mean?"
"You panicked again when you saw blood."
I looked away. I didn't want to talk about it. Even Aries had been nagging me about it, but I chose not to answer him.
Kuya must have noticed what I was doing because he let out a deep sigh.
He stood up and walked toward the door. "I'll go check on Aries and the others."
"O-okay."
The only thing I heard was the door closing. I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
I was relieved that I hadn't changed after seeing all that blood. But why? That was the question that kept circling in my head after we all ended up rushed to the hospital.
At that moment, I wanted to get away from all of them. From him... from Keifer. I really wanted to help him. I wanted to do what Yuri was doing, but the fear took over me. The fear of blood, and the fear that I'd black out and do something I wouldn't even be aware of.
I turned to lie on my side. I was ashamed of myself. After everything he did to save me, that's how I repaid him?
What a thick-faced jerk I am.
I wasn't even embarrassed in front of him. He got shot trying to protect us, and that's how I acted. That's why I didn't care anymore about the judgmental looks from the Ulupong. They had every right. I deserved it.
Even though I was worried about him and wanted so badly to see him, I decided not to. I'd just stay here in our room and wait for updates.
"Psst!" Someone hissed.
I froze in place. There was no one else in the room but me. Kuya Angelo had just left. So no one should've been here to hiss like that.
"Psst! Jay-jay." the voice whispered my name.
I clutched the blanket wrapped around me up to my stomach. Dear God! This is exactly why I hate hanging around hospitals—because of things like this.
And then, I felt the presence of someone behind me.
That persistent whisperer was getting closer.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.
Damn it! Don't you dare show yourself to me!
Suddenly, something smacked my arm. I screamed and nearly jumped out of bed.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME! GHOST!" I yelled, flailing around.
"Ghost, my ass!" A familiar voice said, making me stop and look.
Or more accurately—look at them.
Grinning widely beside me was the Brat kid, with Felix standing nearby and, of course, his brother who always carried around an aircon.
"Didn't you hear us knocking and opening the door?" Felix asked, laughing.
"Of course not. She was out of it." Percy answered for me.
He walked over to Aries' bed and laid down. Let's just hope no horoscope shows up or he might actually get hit. Ci, meanwhile, sat next to me, so I sat up as well.
"I thought you were asleep," he said.
"I can't sleep in this place. I want to go home," I complained. "...why are you guys here, anyway?"
The three of them exchanged glances before turning back to me to answer.
"He's awake," Ci said with a smile. "...He's looking for you."
I turned my gaze away. I was happy to hear he was awake, but I couldn't face him. Probably not anymore.
"T-tell him I'm resting." I said.
"No way!" Felix replied quickly.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"He's asking for you." Percy said flatly, eyes still closed. "...If you don't go there, he'll come here."
That guy's really stubborn.
"So just come with us! We even brought a wheelchair for you."
Ci said cheerfully, pointing to the one beside Felix.
I scowled. "What am I? Crippled?!"
"We just need to make sure we take you to him safely." Felix replied.
"I told you guys, we should just wrap her in bubble wrap." Percy muttered as he scratched his foot, then sniffed his fingers.
Disgusting!
"Then let's just pack him in a balikbayan box, too. Genius!" Ci said sarcastically.
I could only smack my forehead. I already knew where this conversation was heading. Even Felix let out a deep sigh.
"At least I understand the concept of being careful. You? A wheelchair? You basically made Jay-jay a cripple!" Percy snapped, pointing accusingly at Ci.
"Better than you! Overreacting much? You turned Jay-jay into luggage!" the Brat Kid shot back, refusing to back down.
Percy looked like a kid who was about to lose a fight. He stood up from where he was sprawled on the bed and pointed a finger at Ci.
"Y-you!" he said in frustration, but couldn't think of anything else to say. "...SHORTY!"
And there it was—the low blow!
I saw Ci's nostrils flare. Looked like he took that one personally. He stood up straighter, clearly ready to strike back.
"UNCIRCUMCISED!" He retaliated.
Suddenly, Percy grabbed his belt and made like he was about to take it off.
"You wanna compare right here?!" he challenged.
I quickly grabbed my pillow and covered my eyes, while Felix immediately jumped in.
"Hey! Hey! HEY! Are you out of your mind?! There's a girl here!" he shouted at Percy.
"It's his fault!" Percy pointed at Ci like a child and adjusted his belt back into place. "...talking about uncut—he's probably the one who is!" he added, glaring at the Brat Kid. "Honestly, you're probably the one who's uncut, since you haven't even grown yet!"
"I'm only fifteen, okay?!"
"Hey! I wasn't like that when I was fifteen!"
"Yeah, I heard you were the shortest one in your group," Felix chimed in, laughing.
"I was already tall back then!" Percy defended.
I could only shake my head at the three of them. They really didn't know when to stop. What started out as a simple pick-up mission turned into a height competition.
They're giving me a headache.
Bunch of lunatics!
"Can you guys argue outside instead? You guys are making me dizzy." I said, and they all three of them turned to look at me at the same time.
"Should I call a doctor?!" Percy asked in a panic.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Just go outside. I'll be better that way."
"What about Keifer?" The Brat kid asked.
"Just tell him I'll come by later when I'm feeling better." When I'm ready to face him.
"O-okay. Rest first." he said, then walked out, followed by Felix and Percy.
Finally! Peace at last!
I fluffed up my pillow and laid down again. I was planning to go back to sleep, but then I felt my stomach growl. I was hungry—definitely not a good sign.
They were taking too long. They promised to buy me food, but there was still no sign of them. Kuya already went to check on them, but he hasn't come back either.
I heard my phone buzz from the bedside table. Finally found it—thanks to those fools. They said they picked it up from the school grounds where I bumped into Freya. I reached for it and saw the sender's name flash on the screen: GagongBaliw.
From: GaganBaliw
Message: Can't wait to be with you!
Here he goes again. Still texting me diligently even though I haven't replied at all. I stared at the message for a while, then scrolled back through our old conversations.
Every message he sent was a slap in the face—reminding me that he was Keifer. But how was that possible? On his birthday, he had a picture from this GagongBaliw.
There's still one way I could find out who you really are. But it would come at a steep price. A large amount of load.
Where could I get some load, anyway?
I checked my balance first, hoping maybe, just maybe, I had at least a peso left. If not, I'd just text Kuya and ask him to load me.
While I was waiting, the door suddenly slammed open like a hurricane. Like someone was ready for a fight. I flinched in surprise and almost dropped my phone.
"Son of a..." I muttered under my breath as I waited to see the shameless intruder who slammed the door.
And I didn't have to wait long because out popped... The Bee!
"Where's Percy?!" She demanded angrily as she stormed inside.
She didn't even wait for me to answer. She immediately scanned the room and even opened the bathroom door. What is it this time?
"Where is that Percy?!" she asked again as she approached me.
I raised an eyebrow at her outfit. The lunatic was wearing a trench coat while carrying her huge, expensive bag. Is it cold in the Philippines now? Is it raining hard or something?
"I-I don't know. But why are you dressed like that?" I asked, pointing to her outfit.
She tightened the belt around her waist and rolled her eyes at me. What's her problem? Should I yank her hair out?
"That annoying Percy! I even wore my favorite costume for him and now he's hiding from me again!" she said, sounding like she was about to cry.
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. She really goes all out for Percy, but he keeps dodging her. That guy's nuts too. He should just talk to her seriously so they can stop this endless chasing and hiding.
"Why are you even in a costume? Are you crazy?"
She rolled her eyes at me again. "Obviously, for Percy."
I cleared my throat and got serious. If Percy couldn't say it, maybe I should say it for him.
Honey really did seem pitiful.
"You know… if I were you, I'd stop chasing after Percy. He's just stringing you along—haven't you noticed?"
She shot me a sharp glare but didn't say a word. I continued.
"We're not friends, and I shouldn't even be getting involved with you. But honestly, you're starting to look pathetic in front of all of us. People are just laughing at you now. You're too pretty to keep this up."
Though of course, I'm still prettier!
She still hadn't looked away from me. Until I noticed a tear fall from one of her eyes. She quickly wiped it away.
"It's just so frustrating!" she snapped, plopping herself down on Aries' bed with a huff. "...I really like him. It's rare for me to fall for someone." she said like a child. "I don't normally do this! I've only ever done this for him!"
She set her big bag down and pulled something out of it—a white t-shirt and a pair of short shorts.
I glanced at the door, relieved to see it was shut tight. She slipped off the trench coat… and that's when I saw what she was really wearing underneath.
The lunatic was in a bunny costume.
Why does that outfit look familiar to me? I paused, thinking.
Bunny? Bunny? Bunny?! BUNNY?!
Son of a—! Last year's Halloween party! That's where I first saw her! Not at the dinner during Keigan's girlfriend's birthday.
But wait, something else suddenly came to mind.
"Honey..." I called her while she was struggling to reach the zipper of her outfit. "...Do you remember when we saw each other at the Halloween party last year?"
She glanced at me. "Did we see each other then?"
"Yeah... And then the next time was at the dinner for Keigan's girlfriend's birthday."
"Oh, right! When you punched me! I almost ran to a plastic surgeon after that."
She was still trying to reach the zipper on her outfit.
"But why did you act like you didn't know him when we saw you back then? Didn't you say you were working for him?"
She stopped what she was doing and sighed. "His orders. He told me never to greet him in public. Maybe because of this costume or whatever." She tried again to reach the zipper. "...He's so over the top, like I'd even be into someone like him. I don't even like guys who are that grumpy."
So that's why he seemed so indifferent when Honey was flirting with him right in front of me.
That guy really is out of his mind. He's all over the place.
Figures. That guy's full of crap.
"Help me take this off!" Honey suddenly ordered.
Finally, she asked for help. I was getting frustrated just watching her struggle.
I wanted to grab that zipper ages ago, but I was scared she'd bite my hand off if I tried.
I was just about to reach for it when the door suddenly swung open and Kuya Angelo walked straight in.
"Jay-jay, have you eaten—" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Honey. "...Sorry."
"Angelo... Nice to see you again." the Bumblebee greeted him with a smile.
"H-hi." Kuya greeted back awkwardly.
He kept forcing his eyes to look at me, but they automatically went back to Honey's body. My brows furrowed. Men are really something else. Even Kuya's not exempt. Men, seriously!
"My food!" I said in annoyance.
He handed me the paper bag, then quickly returned to where he had been standing earlier.
"I-I'll just go outside for a bit." he said, then hurriedly walked out.
I looked over at Honey, who was grinning from ear to ear, clearly giddy for reasons I couldn't understand. Here we go again! Looks like she has a new target.
"Why do I have this weird feeling?" she said, making me raise an eyebrow at her. "...When I look at Angelo, it's like I'm seeing Keifer. Especially during Keifer's birthday party. They looked like brothers."
Well, that's natural. They were always together before.
"Even Yuri and Aries have some similarities to Kuya Angelo in their mannerisms."
She looked at me as if she was deep in thought. "You don't get it. Keifer has this intimidating aura that I also feel every time I see Angelo. It's like they're connected."
I thought about it. There were times when Kuya seemed like Keifer. But I also noticed that in Aries and Yuri. Sometimes even Percy, but not as often.
"Maybe it's just your imagination," I said.
"You know, he could totally pass as their brother. Keifer, Keigan, and Keiren's. And they even look alike. What if he's their long-lost sibling?"
I swear I'm going to punch this girl! The things that pop into her head—unbelievable.
"Do Keifer and his brothers look like they're missing a sibling?" I said sarcastically.
"Whatever. Just unzip this." She commanded and turned her back to me.
I did as she asked. I was almost done when the door opened again. I thought it was Kuya Angelo returning, but it was someone else.
"What are you doing here?!" Honey asked angrily as Felix stepped inside, eyeing her from head to toe.
"Why are you wearing that?!" he shot back, equally annoyed, before shutting the door.
He immediately approached Honey, grabbed the trench coat from the bed, and forced her to put it on.
"Cover yourself up! You're embarrassing!" he added.
"What the heck?! I'm changing!" Honey protested.
"Go change somewhere else! I like what you're wearing—I mean, it's embarrassing in front of Jay-jay! What if her brother arrives?!" he said while continuing to put on the coat.
What the hell?
Honey couldn't do anything as Felix grabbed her clothes and her bag. He also took hold of her hand and forcibly pulled her outside.
"What's your problem? Let me go!" she struggled, but Felix was still stronger than her.
Before they could reach the door, I suddenly remembered something. I just shouted it out so I wouldn't disturb them.
"Felix! Load my phone!" I shouted.
"Sure! I ll send you 1000 pesos!" he replied.
They finally left, and I was surrounded by peace and quiet once again. Time to do what must be done.
Eat! Let's eat!