Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-jay's POV

"Ahhh!" Ci-N shouted. "…Why do your eyes look like that?"

I touched the skin under my eyes. My dark circles had their own dark circles—just great.

I barely slept last night. Ever since Percy sent that last message, he hadn't replied again. I almost grabbed David's phone out of frustration, but I didn't want to rely on him anymore. Instead, I dragged myself home, exhausted and upset. I didn't even get to give Ci-N his food—he was already asleep when I arrived.

"I didn't get much sleep," I muttered, heading straight to the bathroom.

I really hadn't slept. I tried everything—counting sheep, goats, horses, frogs, buffaloes, even dogs—but nothing worked. My mind kept circling around that message. Why did Percy say that? Was it a mistake? But that seemed unlikely.

He mentioned Yuri and the ring. Did he not know about the engagement? But then… how did he find out?

Ugh! There it was again—the headache.

I quickly washed up, brushed my teeth, and tied my hair into a bun. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed Ci-N searching for something, flipping over the mattress on the floor.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"The thing that rings."

As soon as he said that, my eyes widened. My phone!

I frantically searched my bed, but it was nowhere to be found. Then, my eyes landed on the trash can.

Crap.

I actually threw my phone away last night in frustration. In my emotional state, I had decided it was useless and chucked it in the bin.

I fished it out immediately and checked the caller ID.

King Ulupong Calling…

I glanced at Ci-N before answering.

"Hello?" I said hesitantly.

["Kindly explain why you've been answering my phone calls and text messages?"] His authoritative tone made me gulp.

"H-huh? W-what… W-because… Eh," I stammered, rubbing the back of my neck.

He had called me last night too, but I had been too preoccupied crying to answer.

["Tss."]

I froze. Somehow, hearing that simple 'Tss' made my heart ache. I missed it—though I didn't want to admit it.

["Are you going grocery shopping with Eman?"]

Oh, right! I glanced at the clock—thankfully, it was still early.

"O-oh… Yeah, I'll be there. Why?"

["See you later."] He ended the call abruptly.

How rude!

I sighed, trying to shake off the irritation, and turned to Ci-N. I was about to remind him about our grocery trip, but he was staring at his phone with an unusually serious expression.

"Hey… what's wrong?" I asked.

"I can't go with you," he replied.

"Hmm?"

"I have to meet Rakki, Sister."

I nodded in understanding, resisting the urge to pry. Something about it felt serious.

He went straight to the bathroom to get ready while I quickly changed into my clothes. When he came out, I called him for breakfast. We even ran into Aries, who—as usual—gave us a nasty look.

As we ate, I couldn't help but noticed how quiet Ci-N was.

"What time will you be home? Are you staying out late?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure, but I'll call you when I'm back," he answered with a forced smile.

I didn't push further and focused on my food. He finished before me and went back to my room.

What's going on?

When I returned, he was already dressed—looking way too stylish for a simple meetup. Wow. He really knew how to clean up.

I took a quick shower and got dressed as fast as I could. We left the house together, but he was the first to leave, hopping into a ride. I was left waiting on the street corner, hoping for a pick-up.

While I stood there, I noticed a group of men smoking at the other end of the street.

Here we go again.

They were staring at me, whispering among themselves. Just as they started moving toward me, a loud car horn blared through the street.

The sudden noise made me jump.

"Get in!" Eman shouted from his car window.

Passenger Seat! Surprise!

I eagerly got into the passenger seat, excited for the ride—like someone ready for action in the shotgun seat. But wait… who else would be a perfect fit for handling a shotgun?

Blaster?!

"What are you doing here?!" I asked in shock.

I had expected Eren, Rory, or Kit—one of the usual troublemakers.

"I was bored at home," he replied nonchalantly, staring out the window.

"You have competition," Eman commented, nodding toward a group of men on the other corner.

"What? Should I call for backup?" Blaster asked.

I quickly shook my head. "No… they haven't done anything to me."

Starting a fight first thing in the morning? Not necessary. They seemed harmless—at least for now.

Eman just shrugged and started the car, driving us straight to a nearby mall.

After parking, we headed directly to the supermarket. With just the three of us, the trip was quick and hassle-free. Eman held the grocery list while Blaster and I pushed the cart. As we moved through the aisles, my eyes wandered to Blaster's phone.

His wallpaper caught my attention—it was a picture of a beautiful woman.

I nudged him with my elbow. "Who's that?"

"H-huh? Oh… she's my best friend," he stammered.

His best friend?

"The… the one who's Keigan's girlfriend—"

"Yes," he cut me off abruptly and walked away.

Ah, so that's why Keigan is so protective. Best friend? Yeah, right.

We continued shopping, finishing quickly since Eman only grabbed the essentials—unlike the chaotic trips we had with others, where everything turned into a battlefield.

While picking snacks, I stopped in front of a jar of lollipops.

Lollipop. Lollipop. Silly. Silly. Lollipop.

The sight instantly reminded me of the King of Serpents. The first time I saw him, he had a lollipop stuck in his mouth.

That's right—we were meeting later today. An idea popped into my head, and I grabbed the jar.

"You're paying for that," Eman reminded me.

"Of course… it's for me, after all."

Once Eman confirmed we had everything, we headed toward the cashier.

The line was ridiculously long.

"Hey…" Blaster turned to me. "…Come with me for a bit. I need to buy something from a stall over there."

I glanced at the queue. It wasn't moving fast, and it looked like we'd still be stuck here for a while.

"Alright, but later," I agreed.

"What now?!" Eman grumbled.

"Then come with us," Blaster said casually.

Eman shot him a glare but didn't argue. We left the supermarket and wandered into the mall.

For someone who usually stayed calm, Eman had a temper when things didn't go his way. But he wasn't like others who picked fights for no reason—he was just… intense.

Blaster led us to a perfume shop. While he browsed, I glanced around and spotted a fast-food restaurant across from us.

That's when I saw him—Ci-N.

Wait… was that his older brother sitting with him?

I frowned. He told me he was meeting Rakki. But there he was, sitting with his brother at the same table as Rakki and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to them.

She looked sophisticated, elegant—definitely related.

I wasn't sure how long they had been talking or how long I had been staring, but their expressions were serious.

Then suddenly, Ci-N stood up and leaned toward Rakki. I thought he was just whispering something—until their faces got closer. Closer…

Until their lips met.

"Ohhh… Ohhh…" I gasped, calling for Blaster.

I was so shocked I forgot his name for a second. The shopkeeper he was talking to also turned toward me in confusion.

"What is it, Jay?" Blaster asked.

I couldn't speak. I just pointed toward Ci-N and Rakki's table.

"Nice! Looks like Section E's youngest finally found romance," Blaster chuckled, immediately pulling out his phone to snap a picture.

That idiot!

"…Let's go before they see us," Blaster said, grabbing his purchase from the shopkeeper.

But I couldn't move. I wanted to see what happened next.

Maybe another kiss? A confession?

Sergeant! This was thrilling! Who knew Ci-N could be such a smooth operator?

"Come on!" Blaster called, forcing me to follow.

But as we walked, I couldn't stop smiling.

Blaster gave me a weird look. "Jay… you're grinning to yourself. People are going to think you're crazy."

I ignored him. If only they knew—the scene I just witnessed was worth smiling about!

When we returned to the supermarket, Eman was already at the cashier. We hurried toward him.

"Emaaaannn…" I called excitedly.

"What now?" he asked, unimpressed.

"You won't believe what we just saw—Ci-N and Rakki—"

Unexpected News

"They kissed," Blaster cut in before I could finish my sentence.

Excuse me?!

I shot him a glare. That was my news to share! Annoyance bubbled inside me—I was about to explode.

"Nice!" Eman commented casually.

Blaster smirked. "Good for Ci-N. Meanwhile, someone else is still just holding hands while walking with his girlfriend."

There were only three of us there. He obviously wasn't talking about me—I didn't have a girlfriend. And he definitely wasn't referring to the cashier, since we didn't even know him.

I turned to Eman, who was already glaring at Blaster.

"Stop talking," Eman commanded firmly.

Blaster just laughed, clearly enjoying himself. But that wasn't what concerned me the most.

What was Rakki and Ci-N's relationship status, anyway?