Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Keifer demanded, arms crossed in frustration.

I scratched my neck and avoided his gaze. "Uh... I woke up late."

"Ci-N said you went to meet someone," Yuri added.

I quickly scanned the room for him. That crazy kid! He should've just stuck to my excuse.

"W-well, yeah… That's why I took so long," I mumbled, hoping they'd let it go.

But Keifer still looked at me suspiciously. Lowering my head, I tried to slip past him.

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" he asked, his tone firm.

"B-because… well… I knew it was you calling," I admitted before dashing off.

Hehehe… Am I being bad?

"Next time, just tell us right away. We were worried. What if something like what happened with Rory happens again?" Yuri scolded, his concern evident.

I sighed and nodded. "S-sorry... I promise! Next time, I'll let you know." I raised a hand in a pledge.

"Wooohhh... Promises, promises!" Eren teased, making me glare at him.

"Promises are meant to be broken," Ci-N added with a smirk.

Oh, really? Should I smack them? Annoying!

"But seriously, where were you, Jay?" Kit pressed.

"Cough… W-well… just… around…" I mumbled.

I couldn't think of a proper excuse. My mind went blank.

"What?" they all asked, leaning in.

"Aaaahh… just… somewhere…" I dragged out my words, hoping they'd drop it.

Keifer sighed, clearly irritated. "If you don't want to say it, then don't." He walked away to his seat.

The others gave up and followed suit, just in time for our next class.

As the lesson went on, I found myself stealing glances at Edrix, remembering what Kiko had told me. It seemed like he had fallen for the wrong person.

But how did he end up caught between the three of them?

Rakki once mentioned something about Aries and Freya having history. Was that what Kiko was referring to?

I didn't know what to say about Edrix's situation, nor did I plan on getting involved. It wasn't about being indifferent—I just didn't think Freya was right for him.

Maybe I was being judgmental, but I wasn't even sure what really happened between them. I just didn't want him to end up hurt again.

The lesson ended without me learning much. It was hard to focus with so many thoughts running through my head.

"Jay-Jay…" Eren called out to me as we left the classroom.

I glanced at him and gestured for him to speak. Instead, he led me toward the staircase.

"W-what is it?" I asked.

"It's about Mayo…" He glanced back at our classroom door before continuing. "...I was teasing him earlier, and I was talking to Kit about helping him out."

"Then help him," I said flatly.

Why was he dragging me into this?

"I can't. Kit threatened me—if I interfere with Mayo, he'll report me to my girlfriends. So…" He trailed off before giving me a hopeful look. "...You should talk to them instead."

Me? Seriously?

"I don't think so," I replied instantly. "I wouldn't even know what to say."

"Just talk to them properly. They're the kind of guys who respect confidence."

I winced. This wasn't about dealing with some rude, crazy person.

"You want me to tell them to be real men? In their situation?!" I asked Eren, clearly irritated.

He rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward smile. "Yeah, exactly. You got it."

I slapped my forehead. Honestly, it would be better if I handled this myself. If Eren tried, things would just get messier.

"Fine... I'll talk to them," I agreed reluctantly.

Eren clapped his hands in excitement. Clearly, he was more worried about his girlfriends finding out than actually helping Mayo.

Thank you!

Still, I was concerned about those two as well. Their situation was complicated, and they weren't handling it properly.

As we returned to the classroom, I spotted our next teacher coming in. On the way, I noticed Mayo stealing glances at Kit—acting as if nothing was wrong.

Good…

The class eventually ended, and it was lunchtime. But once again, our meal was just canned food. The proper dishes still hadn't been served, so Eman wasn't able to buy anything decent.

"I could really go for some soup…" Ci-N mumbled, staring at his food. "...Maybe porridge or stew."

"Maybe this weekend, Eman and I can go grocery shopping," I suggested.

I usually tagged along when he shopped since I'd once promised to cook for him.

"Jay-Jay…" Ci-N whispered, calling my attention. "...How did your walk go?"

I leaned in slightly. "It was fine… A bit far from Benedict Hospital, but the place was beautiful."

"Must be for rich people if it's near that hospital," he commented.

I nodded. The whole area had a private, upscale feel to it.

"And Kiko? How's he doing?" Ci-N asked again.

I shot him an annoyed look.

"Why are you asking about the one you beat up?" I reported sarcastically.

Ci-N scratched his neck, pouting. "Just curious…"

"He's not doing great. Still limping and barely able to move."

"Ahh… Too bad…" he muttered under his breath.

Too bad?! What the hell?!

Without thinking, I grabbed his ear and yanked it. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Aaahh! J-Jay! That hurts! Ow!" he yelped.

"You were whispering something shady!"

"I wasn't!"

I finally let go, and he rubbed his ear while glaring at me, looking like he was about to cry.

"You were whispering," I repeated, still annoyed.

"I'm telling Keifer!" he threatened, mimicking my tone.

I shot him a glare. Like I'd be scared of that.

"KeiferSiJay-JaySwearing!" he blurted out so fast it was almost incomprehensible. I quickly covered his mouth before he could say more.

"What's going on?" Felix asked, looking at us suspiciously.

I turned to see several of our classmates watching.

Ah sweetie!

"What did Ci-N say?" Rory asked, curious.

I forced a smile. "N-nothing! We're just messing around."

"But he called my name," Keifer pointed out, frowning.

I shook my head. "No, he didn't."

"Ci-N?" Yuri called out to him, but Ci-N couldn't answer—since my hand was still clamped over his mouth.

"Hhmmm… hmmm… hmmm!" he mumbled, struggling.

"Huh? What? You wanna go outside?" I asked, pretending to misinterpret him.

"Hmmm… Hmmmmmmmmm!"

"Come on, let's go out then! Let's go! Let's go!" I exclaimed, quickly dragging him out of the room while still keeping his mouth covered.

Once we were outside, I finally let him go.

"I never said I wanted to go out!" Ci-N complained, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, you were being a pain! You were about to ruin me!" I shot back, still annoyed.

I turned and walked a little ahead of him, deciding to skip the rest of my lunch. Thanks to him, I'd lost my appetite.

And speaking of food, I noticed Josh feeding a black cat. Curious, I walked over and sat next to him, pulling him closer.

"Did you eat that? Why are you feeding it to the cat?" I asked.

Ci-N also approached, watching the cat eat.

"I wasn't hungry, so I just gave it to him," Josh replied casually.

The three of us stared at the cat as Ci-N started poking it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Josh warned.

"Why?" I asked.

Josh just smiled in response. Honestly, this guy was weird sometimes. I'd catch him staring at me and smiling for no reason. He wasn't as loud as the others—he mostly kept to himself, only speaking when necessary.

"You're so greedy, Edy," Ci-N muttered at the cat.

Josh and I both looked at him.

"Who are you calling Edy?" Josh asked.

"This cat."

"He doesn't have a name. Don't call him Edy."

I glanced at the cat, still busy eating. Even though its fur was black, I could see the dirt clinging to it. It seriously needs a bath.

"Where did you even get the name Edy?" I asked Ci-N.

"Because of its color... It reminds me of the black cat from the Eveready battery commercial. So, Edy!" he explained with a grin.

Seriously? I vaguely remembered the commercial, but was the cat even black? This kid's logic is on another level.

"No way! Don't call him Edy!" Josh protested, visibly annoyed.

"Did you give him a name?" I asked.

Josh shook his head. Just then, the cat—Edy—finished eating and rubbed against my leg.

Ci-N suddenly jumped up and sprinted toward the classroom. Probably off to grab more food for the cat.

"You know about them now," Josh said unexpectedly while petting the cat.

"Huh?"

"The people you saw at the festival that night."

Mayo and Kit.

"Hmm… yeah," I murmured, running my fingers through the cat's fur.

"Now that you know, what are you going to do?"

I looked away. Truthfully, I had no idea how to help them.

"Just let it go. If Keifer finds out about their relationship, he'll be furious," Josh warned, looking straight at me. "...You've never seen him angry before."

What's with this guy? He sounded almost like he was against them. Like he had something else to say but was holding back.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Mayo and Kit are my friends… It'd be better if they stopped this madness. They're the only ones who'll suffer in the end," he said, his voice laced with concern.

I could tell he cared about them, but why was he so adamant about keeping them apart?

It reminded me of Ella. I once had a similar conversation with her, telling me to stop Mica and Calix.

Before I could say anything else, Ci-N came running back, shouting, "Edy! I got more food!"

Josh and I instantly broke eye contact. It was a relief that Ci-N was too focused on feeding the cat to notice the tension between us.

As the cat ate, Ci-N kept poking its head playfully. Until…

Snap!

"AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!! IT BIT ME!" he screamed, yanking his hand away.

The cat, clearly angry, kept its teeth sunk into his finger.

"I told you not to do that!" Josh scolded.

"Argh! Get Edy off him!" I yelled, shoving Josh.

"His name is NOT Edy!" Josh shot back.

"WHO CARES?! GET IT OFF!" I screamed in panic.

"Jay! It hurts!" Ci-N wailed, tears forming in his eyes.

Josh quickly grabbed the cat and stroked its fur, making it finally release its bite.

"THERE'S BLOOD!" I shouted, pointing at Ci-N's finger.

"I'm gonna die! Rabies!" Ci-N cried dramatically.

"Don't be so overdramatic!" Josh snapped.

"What the hell is going on here?!" an angry voice interrupted.

I turned around and realized the others had already come out of the classroom.

"What happened to Ci-N?" Yuri asked, concerned.

"The cat bit him," I explained.

"That could be serious! We need to take him to the hospital!" someone said.

Ci-N burst into even louder sobs at the mention of the hospital.

"I don't want an injection!" he wailed.