Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

"Yaaawwwwwnnnnn...." Ci-N yawned while walking. "I'm still sleepy."

"Me too... And it's your fault! You're so annoying," I said to him, irritated.

"If you had told me right away who your 'I love you' was meant for, we would have both been asleep earlier."

I immediately shot him a glare. He was so loud! That's exactly why I didn't want to tell him.

"Stop being noisy! It's irritating! This is why I don't want to tell you anything!" I struggled with him.

"I'll report you to Keifer."

Hahaha! Report me then!

We continued walking, and as soon as we arrived at school, a large tarpaulin in front of the main building caught our attention.

It displayed the schedule of school events. Valentine's Day was coming soon. But before that, we were going on a retreat. Why so early?

"Pfft... A morning retreat? Lame!" Ci muttered and kept walking.

I followed him, and we were soon joined by Calix, who had just dropped Mica off at their classroom.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked us.

Ci immediately pointed at me. "It's her fault!"

"What?! You're so unfair!" I retorted.

"Believe me, it's you!"

"No, it's you!"

"Ugh, are you two seriously going to argue here?" Calix sighed, shaking his head. "It's like you don't know each other."

Ci and I exchanged glances, silently signaling to each other. I glared at him a few more times, just like we had done last night.

When we reached our classroom, I stopped just before stepping inside.

"Why?" they both asked.

I shook my head. "You guys go ahead... I just need to check something."

They nodded and walked in without another word.

The truth was, I wasn't ready to see Yuri yet. I felt embarrassed.

So embarrassed...

I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth or not. I didn't want to hurt him, but I also didn't want to give him false hope.

If I kept quiet, he would end up suffering for nothing. Maybe it was best to tell him the truth. But I just didn't know how.

I needed to think everything through first. I didn't want to shock him. No matter what, he would still get hurt.

Taking a deep breath, I finally walked in. As usual, the class was chaotic—people were arguing, teasing, and laughing like always.

Yuri was already seated, and as soon as he saw me, he smiled. I forced myself to smile back.

"Why did Angelo call me last night?" he asked.

"H-huh? W-what? U-uh..." I stammered. It was obvious he was waiting for an answer. "...I-I didn't see it right away. He thought we were still together."

He simply nodded, accepting my response.

Wow... What else could I even say?

I glanced at the King's seat. As expected, he wasn't there yet. He always arrived late, as if he outranked the school staff when it came to attendance.

Even the staff and teachers arrived earlier than him. But I couldn't blame him—he was probably busy taking care of Keigan and Keiren before coming to school.

Still, something didn't sit right with me. If he had kicked his own father out of their house... That was strange. I'd never heard of a son kicking his father out before.

Why did he do that?

I glanced at Yuri again. He was reading his notes, carefully marking down important details from the lesson.

Is he jealous or envious of Yuri? After all, Yuri's family is complete, unlike his. He's also jealous because no one really cares about him—but I understand why.

His strength comes from the fact that people often assume that only the weak or helpless need support.

That's why so many people think he doesn't need to be worried about. And that's exactly what crossed my mind.

Hahaha…

Even the King of Snakes has a soft spot.

Sir Alvin has arrived. Class is about to start. I looked toward the door, expecting the usual noise.

I don't know how long I kept staring, but I couldn't see his shadow.

Where is he?

"He's not coming," Yuri suddenly said.

I turned to him in surprise. "Huh?"

"Keifer won't be coming if that's who you're waiting for. His dad is back home, and he's dealing with a big problem again," he explained.

His dad is back home? Since when? He didn't mention anything last night.

Wait!

"W-why would I ask about him... Besides, I wasn't even waiting for Keifer, I was —" I said, trying to play it cool.

Maybe he'll notice something if I don't act natural. I'm not ready to tell him the truth yet. I haven't even figured out the right words.

But why isn't Keifer coming? I can't help but feel worried. This sucks.

Our class with Sir Alvin ended, and Keifer still hadn't shown up. He didn't text me or anything. Even during our next classes, he was still absent.

I finally tried texting him, but there was no response.

"You seem quiet today..." Eren commented.

"Huh?"

"You're spacing out," Felix added, making me glare at him.

"Maybe she just misses Keifer," Drew teased, and the whole class erupted in laughter.

I glanced at Yuri, who was still focused on his notes. But I knew he was listening.

"Or maybe it's not Keifer she misses," Ci-N smirked. "...Maybe it's—"

"HEY! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" I cut him off before he could finish.

Everyone turned to look at me because of my sudden outburst. Ci-N just stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Why are you so defensive?" he teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I huffed.

"Oh? You don't want me to say it yet—"

"Ci!" I glared at him.

I was getting really fed up with his nonsense. He was going to expose everything in front of the whole class. And worst of all, Yuri was right there. If he found out, it would be over.

Just then, a cat meowed at the door. Ci-N instantly turned to look.

It's Edy!

Faster than Sonic, the kid bolted toward the cat, but the feline quickly escaped.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, EDY!" he screamed.

He still hasn't moved on.

"He never said his name was Edy!" Josh yelled as he ran after Ci-N and the cat.

Go ahead! Chase the cat. It reminded me of Cecilio Susuman. I have a cat too!

"What was Ci-N talking about?" Felix asked.

"Nothing… We were just messing around at home," I answered.

"Ci-N stays over at your place?" Eren asked.

"Yeah, sometimes… But he's messy."

"Do you guys sleep in the same bed?" Drew asked.

For some reason, an odd heaviness settled over me. A strange feeling I couldn't quite explain.

Even though Yuri wasn't saying anything and seemed busy with his notes, I knew him.

Just like I knew Keifer.

"N-no... He has his own bed on the floor," I answered quickly, and that strange feeling disappeared.

"But has he seen you naked?" Drew asked again.

Felix smacked him hard. "What a dumb question."

"That hurt!" Drew complained.

If I were sitting next to him, I wouldn't just slap him—I might actually punch him.

Our next teacher arrived, so everyone returned to their seats. Josh came back, dragging Ci-N by the collar of his shirt.

The King really didn't show up. He also wasn't answering my texts.

Tsk! Annoying!

Even when I got home, that was all I could think about. I barely understood anything in class today—not that it was anything new. My mind was too preoccupied with him.

I didn't have a proper dinner either. I just played with the food on my plate.

"What's wrong, Jay?" Ci-N asked when we got back to the room.

I quickly shook my head. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure? You're acting weird," he said.

"Just ignore me," I replied.

I immediately grabbed my phone and walked out of the room. I tried calling him, but there was no answer.

What's going on with you?

For some reason, I started crying. My frustration and worry for him were all mixed up.

What if his father did something to him? Or what if something bad is happening at home?

Ugh! My imagination is running wild.

"Are you okay, Jay?" my older brother asked.

Aries stepped out of the room at the same time, looking at me with concern. I quickly wiped my tears away.

"I-it's nothing… I'm just going to bed," I said.

My brother and Aries exchanged glances, clearly not convinced.

I didn't wait for them to say anything else. I went back to the room, headed straight to the bathroom, cleaned myself up, and changed into my pajamas.

I don't want to think about anything. I just wanted to sleep. Thankfully, my body cooperated.

I must have been exhausted because I dozed off quickly. In the middle of my beautiful dream about an ice cream island, my phone started ringing.

King Ulupong Calling... 🐍

I DIDN'T WANT TO ANSWER! But somehow, my finger pressed the green button. Bad trip!

"Not—"

["I miss you..."] he said the moment I picked up.

Oh, come on!

I glanced at Ci-N, who was snoring away. I didn't want him to hear this.

"What happened to you? Why are you only calling now?" I asked.

Why do I sound so desperate? I just wanted to know if he's okay.

["Long story… What about you? How are you? Has Yuri been making moves while I was gone?"]

"You're crazy... I'm worried about you, and that's what you're asking me?"

He chuckled softly. ["I didn't mean it like that. I've just been dealing with a lot. I don't even know when I'll be able to come back."]

"What's going on?"

["Family problems."]

"And you couldn't even send a single text?"

Silence filled the other end of the line. For a second, I thought the call had dropped, but when I checked, it was still connected.

"Hey... What's wrong with you?"

["You're so cute when you're like this."]

Huh?

"What?"

["When you sulk. I wish I could see your face right now."]

"Should I send you a picture?" I joked, laughing.

Just like that, all my annoyance faded away. Ugh! I can't even stay mad at him.

["Sure... Nude photo, please."]

THIS IDIOT!

"If I could reach through this phone, I'd strangle you. Then I wouldn't talk to you for the rest of your life," I said, annoyed.

If I didn't have a roommate, I would've screamed at him.

["Hahahaha... I'm just kidding. But seriously, what are you wearing right now?"]

I glanced at my clothes. Luckily, there was a bit of light coming from the lamp near Ci-N's bed.

"A Superman T-shirt. Why?"

["Aahh... I'm just wearing boxers. My favorite reindeer boxers."] He sounded smug.

Ugh! Now I'm picturing it! This guy is messing with my head!

"I don't care... I'm going to sleep."

["Okay… Good night, my life. I hope you have the sweetest dreams. I love you to infinity and beyond."]

If I could scream into my pillow, I WOULD! Queen! Queen! Aaaaggghhhh!!

"Good night and sweet dreams to you too. I love…" I glanced at Ci-N, who suddenly opened his eyes and stared at me. "...me." 😅