Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

"Jay… Ice cream…" Ci-N whined, but I ignored him.

"Ice cream… Ice cream…"

I had been teasing him for a while now, frustrated that I had to bring him food. He didn't know how to prepare anything himself—and worse, he was too lazy to even try.

"Jay… Jay… Jay… Jay… JAY!" he suddenly yelled.

I slammed my hand on the study table, my patience wearing thin.

"Enough! It's late! Go to sleep!" I snapped.

Out of nowhere, he flopped onto the floor, sobbing dramatically.

"Jay-Jay is being mean to me!" he wailed.

Oh, for crying out loud!

Why does this Kumag Boy keep getting weirder?! A cat bit him once, and now he acts like this?

Wait… could it be rabies? Maybe we were too late, and it had already reached his brain?! That's bad! Should I take him back to the hospital—or just straight to a mental facility?!

"Fine! I'll get it!" I blurted out, storming out of the room.

Like I had a choice.

I headed straight for the kitchen, but when I got there—no ice cream. Aries had taken the last one. I caught him mid-scoop, the ice cream tub in one hand.

"Can I have that?" I asked, trying to sound polite.

He just gave me a look and walked past me.

Pfft! Selfish jerk!

With no ice cream left, I had no choice but to return to the room. I carefully opened the door, hoping Ci-N had fallen asleep by now.

No such luck.

He was still wide awake. This mud was full of energy!

"My ice cream!" he demanded.

"There's none left," I replied.

Immediately, he started whining again, rolling around on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. I scratched the back of my neck, exasperated.

"I'll go buy some," I sighed, grabbing my phone and wallet from the table.

He instantly stopped crying and stood up.

Huh?

"Get me some midnight snacks too," he said, handing me money.

"If you want snacks, come with me!" I shot back.

"No need… You managed to survive 17 years without me. You got this!" he said, stretching out on the bed. "...Now hurry up."

Wow.

I had no words. This Kumag Boy was something else!

With an annoyed sigh, I left the house without telling anyone, figuring they were already resting. I grabbed my bike from the garage and set off.

The road was dark, but the streetlights gave just enough illumination. I made a mental note to buy a bike flasher soon—it would make night rides less nerve-wracking.

That lazy mud!

I headed straight for the 24/7 Mini Mart nearby. At least I could buy ice cream anytime.

After parking my bike, I stepped inside. The place was nearly empty since it was so late.

Looks like I had the Mini Mart all to myself!

As I picked out the ice cream, I suddenly sensed someone behind me. I stayed still, waiting to see what they would do.

I glanced at the refrigerator's glass door, trying to make out their reflection—but their face was hard to see.

"Of all times to be shopping, you chose now?" a familiar voice said from behind me.

Wait… that voice—

"David!" I spun around, eyes wide.

He grinned at me, but I immediately smacked his chest.

Jerk! He scared the life out of me!

"Ouch! What was that for?!" he asked, rubbing his chest.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, you idiot!" I snapped.

He burst out laughing. "You looked way too serious just now—staring at the ice cream like it owed you money."

"I'm shopping!" I huffed, turning back to the fridge.

Annoying!

"Got plans after this?" he asked casually.

I shook my head without looking at him, still focused on finding Ci-N's favorite flavor.

Rakki— obstacle, Rocky Road!.

Where's the Rocky Road?! That brat's going to throw another fit if I don't find it.

"Want to grab a bite? My treat," David offered.

I turned to him with a bright smile. "Sure! The ice cream can wait."

He chuckled, shaking his head. Well, who was I to refuse a free meal?

Besides, it's not every day you stumble upon good luck.

I grabbed a juice and a pre-heated sandwich, not wanting to overeat since I had already had dinner earlier.

"You came out just for ice cream?" he asked, amused.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's for someone back home."

"Ci-N, huh? Why didn't he come with you?"

"Oh please! That boy is ridiculously lazy!"

David laughed. "Can't argue with that."

I unwrapped my sandwich and waited for it to cool.

"What about you? Why are you out so late?" I turned to David.

"Couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind," he replied, lowering his gaze.

"Why?"

"Not sure."

"Thinking about what?"

"A lot of things."

"Then tell me," I insisted.

"You wouldn't understand. Just random stuff."

I snorted. If he didn't want to talk, there was nothing I could do about it.

Instead, I focused on my sandwich. As I was eating, my phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw the name Plague of the King of Ulupong flash on the screen.

📩

From: King Ulupong

Message: Where are you?

I stiffened. No way was I replying to that. Since when did he care where I was? He acted like some overprotective boyfriend—fiancé, technically, but still.

"Something wrong?" David asked.

"Nothing… Just a wrong message," I lied, continuing to eat.

"Isn't it from Keifer?" he asked, and I nearly choked.

"How *coughed* do you know that?" I asked, trying to recover.

"Instinct," he replied smugly.

Damn it! David's people-reading skills were always on point. How does he do that?!

I quickly took a sip of juice to clear my throat.

"Are you and Keifer…?"

The moment the words left his mouth, I spat out my juice, nearly choking again.

What the—?!

My throat burned from the sudden cough attack. Shit, that hurt!

"S-Sorry!" David said, quickly handing me a tissue and steadying me.

"King-cough... Because he's a royal King!" I grumbled, wiping my mouth.

David burst out laughing. If I wasn't already suffering, I would've shot daggers at him with my eyes.

Why was he even asking that?! Ridiculous!

Once I calmed down, I gulped down another sip of juice, hoping to avoid any more surprises. My throat still stung.

"You spilled on yourself," David pointed out, handing me another tissue.

I took it and wiped the juice off my chest. Noticing my necklace felt wet, I pulled it out to dry it.

That's when I caught David staring.

What the hell?!

"I'll gouge your eyes out!" I threatened.

"Huh?" He blinked.

"Stop staring!"

"S-Sorry… It's just your necklace. Why does it have a ring on it?"

I gripped the necklace tightly. The engagement ring. No one knew about it.

"I… uh… It was given to me. I don't wear rings, so I put it here," I said, hoping he'd buy the excuse.

He nodded, accepting my answer.

"...Who gave you that necklace?" he asked.

I quickly changed the topic. I wasn't ready for that conversation.

"You're slow," he said, shaking his head. "...You still haven't figured it out, huh?"

Damn it!

"Just tell me already!" I groaned.

David sighed deeply before leaning in.

"What was in the box?" he asked.

"Nothing… Just a symbol of Poseidon's Trident," I answered.

"Exactly. That's your clue."

Huh?

I racked my brain for anything related to Poseidon. But seriously—Poseidon? Who the hell do I know with that connection?

Since Christmas and New Year, I had been trying to figure it out. Nothing. No clue.

"Eh?" I muttered in confusion.

David smacked his forehead and sighed in frustration.

"Do you know any of Poseidon's children?" he asked.

I shook my head. "There are tons of them in Greek mythology."

"You don't know anyone?"

"I mean… I only know the fictional character Percy Jack—"

I froze.

Oh. My. God.

I turned to David, who was grinning like he had just won a bet.

No way.

Why didn't I think of this earlier?! Google exists, and I didn't even bother to use it! Ugh!

Wait… If Percy was the one who sent it—

"You and Percy talk?" I asked.

"No… He just sent it through me."

"B-But you do talk, right?" I pressed.

David stared at me, his expression unreadable. Crap. My brain is going into overdrive.

"He calls when he feels like it. We don't have regular communication," he finally said.

I almost deflated.

What kind of nonsense was this?! Annoying!

I grabbed David's hand, gripping it tightly.

"David, please… I-I want to talk to him," I pleaded.

His hand was cold, and I wasn't sure how long we stayed like that until he slowly pulled away, exhaling deeply.

"I can message him… but I can't promise he'll reply," he said, pulling out his phone.

He typed something, then suddenly lifted his phone.

"Smile," he said.

Before I could react, I heard the click of the camera.

"You sneaky—!" I started, glaring at him.

"Sent," he said, placing the phone on the table.

We both stared at it in silence, waiting. I was itching to grab the phone and send a message myself.

Come on, Percy! Reply already!

Minutes passed. I finished my sandwich. I even stole some of David's food. Still nothing.

Then, suddenly—his phone lit up.

A notification. 1 New Message. 📩

David picked it up, reading the screen. His expression shifted as if he was debating whether to say it out loud.

I stared at him, waiting. When he finally spoke, his words sent a chill down my spine.

"Remove that ring from the necklace… or I will kill Yuri when I get back there."