Jay-jay's POV
Whose is this?
This suitcase is huge. I could probably fit inside it. This has to be the biggest one I've ever seen. But whose is it?
The moment I opened my eyes, it was the first thing I saw. I even blinked a few times, thinking I was imagining it.
I sat up and inspected the suitcase, looking for any identifying marks. I even tried to open it, but the zipper was a locked with a code.
I tried pushing and moving it out of the way. Its blocking the path.
So heavy!
Is there a person inside this?! It's ridiculously heavy—like an entire house was packed in there.
"Whose is this?" I asked irritably.
I just scratched my head. How did this even get here without me noticing?
I glanced at the wall clock. It was still early. I went straight to the bathroom to wash my face. After that, I changed my clothes and stepped out of my room, looking for Auntie.
Maybe she was the one who put that in my room.
I headed to the kitchen. At this hour, they were usually there, having already finished breakfast. Even from afar, I could hear Auntie's loud laughter.
I quickened my pace. They sounded like they were having so much fun. But when I stepped inside, I froze.
Ci-N?!
"..You little rascal. Hahaha.." Auntie laughed.
"But I'm handsome, though," Ci-N replied, making Auntie laugh even louder.
Even Uncle, who was drinking his coffee, chuckled. Even my brother, Kuya, was smiling and shaking his head.
"Hahahahaha... Just eat already," Auntie ordered.
"I'll eat later, I'll wait for—Jay!" He called out when he saw me.
"Good morning, Jay... Have your breakfast. Join your friend here," Uncle Julz told me.
Kuya Angelo just looked at me. I still didn't want to talk to him. He can do whatever he wants!
"S-sure."
"We'll head to the dining room now," Ci-N said.
I walked out of the kitchen, and of course, that rascal followed me.
Before we could even enter the dining room, I grabbed Ci-N by the collar.
"Aw.. Jay!" he yelped.
"You idiot! Why are you here!" I asked, irritated but also worried.
Who wouldn't be concerned about this troublesome kid? I barely got any sleep thinking about him—and Keifer and Yuri.
"B-because.."
"What?! What happened to you?!"
"K-Kuya almost locked me up." His voice was barely a whisper.
I froze, letting go of him as I stared into his eyes.
"..He said he's sending me to London. I refused, so almost he locked me up in my room." He explained.
Tsk!
I felt a surge of anger toward his infuriating brother. That guy doesn't think at all. Locking up Ci-N?!
"I-is that all he did to you? He didn't hurt you, did he?" I asked, worried.
I don't trust his brother at all. What if he did something else to Ci?
Ci-N didn't answer. He avoided my gaze and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ci. Talk! What else did you brother do to you?!"
He shook his head. "Nothing... But he did threaten me. He said he'd come after you if I don't behave."
Me?!Ha!
"Then let him! Does he really think that I'm scared of him?!" I snapped and continued walking into the dining room.
Ci followed behind me. If his brother thought I was afraid of him, he was wrong. In fact, I wanted to face him. We had a lot to settle.
We started eating, both of us silent. Probably because his mouth was full of food.
I was just about to take a bite of my bacon when Aries suddenly walked in, immediately shooting glare at Ci-N.
"What the..." he muttered. "..What are you doing here?!" he asked, irritated.
"Hhhhmmmm... Hmm... Hmmm." Ci-N mumbled.
Huh??
I didn't understand a word. His mouth was completely stuffed, yet he was still trying to talk.
Aries turned to glare at me instead.
"I-I don't know yet. I was just about to ask him," I answered quickly.
Aries didn't say anything else. He just sat down and started eating.
But every now and then, he would shoot sharp glares at me and Ci-N.
Ci-N's phone kept buzzing but he ignored it, I peeked at it. Who is Krissy?
Kristine's POV
The little kid called me earlier today and told me to come to this location. Before I could even say a word, he had already hung up. When I arrived, I found myself standing before a house that looked like a small mansion.
"I wonder whose is it.." I murmured.
The vibration of my phone snapped me back to reality. Ci-N's mom? I hesitated for a moment before opening it.
📩From Ci's Mother
[Hey Kris, do you know where Ci-N is? He ran off from home this morning. His brother almost locked him in his room — he wanted to send him off to London, but Ci-N refused. If you're with him, please tell him to come back home after school.]
He ran off from home? No wonder he called me here. Is this where he's been hiding? There's no way I'm sending him back — his brother's terrifying. He'd probably hurt him again.
📩 To Ci's Mother:
[I haven't seen him yet, but if I do, I'll make sure he's safe. Please don't worry too much.]
I replied with a lie.. sigh, I'm sorry.. I don't want him to get hurt Aunt.
I tucked my phone into my hoodie pocket and waited for them. A few minutes later, the gate creaked open, and I saw Jay-jay dragging Ci-N out. My heart dropped. I rushed toward them and quickly checked Ci-N for any bruises.
"Are you okay? Did that asshole hurt you?" I asked, voice filled of worry.
"I'm okay…" he murmured, trying to sound calm. "He didn't hurt me."
I let out a long sigh and met his gaze. "How did you escape?"
A mischievous smirk curved his lips. "He was about to lock me up, but I pushed him… and, well, I ran away from home."
"Clever," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. Relief washed over me, warm and quiet, knowing he hadn't been hurt.
Ci-N turned toward Jay-jay. "You guys just have a little chit-chat. I'll go ahead," he said, already moving before I could say anything.
"Ci!" we both called, but he didn't stop.
"See you at school!" His voice carried over his shoulder, light and teasing, as he disappeared from view.
I scratched my head, avoiding her gaze. "I'm Kristine… I guess?" That weird jitter in my chest — I always get it when I'm nervous — made me wish the ground would just swallow me whole.
She turned to me, a little awkward. "I'm Jaspe… just call me Jay-jay."
I nodded, trying not to grin. "I already know your name. Ci-N's been talking about you nonstop."
"That idiot." She murmured, chuckling.
"Soo… should we just go?" I asked, gesturing toward the road. She nodded and we walked together.
"So, what's your real relationship with Ci-N? I know he's your childhood friend, but… how did you guys meet?" Jay-jay asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"Well…" I hesitated, a small smile tugging at my lips. "His mom is friends with my mom. We met when we were just about two years old."
"So, you guys were born in the same year?!" she asked again, her eyes widening in surprise.
I chuckled softly. "Yeah… same year, same chaos," I said, a small grin forming as I remembered all the trouble we used to get into. "We both share the same IQ level, that's why we're in 12th at the age of 14.." I added.
"Woah…" she muttered, shaking her head like she couldn't believe it.
My eyes drifted to the necklace she was wearing. Something clicked, and I met her gaze with a sharper look.
"Jay-jay… you're engaged to the red-haired guy, right?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Her eyebrows knitted together, and her face flushed. "H-how did you know?"
"I… might have overheard you guys," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry."
"But… you're only seventeen. Isn't it… forced?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, guilt and concern mingling in my words.
She said nothing at first, her gaze fixed on the road as if avoiding mine. "I have to do this," she murmured, a hint of strain in her voice. "My family's company is at stake. The Hanamitchis promised to help… so, there's no other choice."
"But… they could have asked for help from other companies instead of just agreeing to this," I scoffed, shaking my head. Families these days… willing to give away their own daughter for the sake of a business.
"I know you like Keifer," I murmured, exhaling slowly. The words felt heavy on my chest, but I couldn't keep them in any longer.
"I-I don't like that idiot!" she stammered, shrinking back a little.
"Uh-huh, sure," I said, unable to hide the teasing lilt in my voice. "I totally believe you."
"Also… you guys kissed in the bathroom," I blurted, unable to hide the smirk creeping onto my face. Her entire face went scarlet.
"It wasn't a kiss! He just tried—" she sputtered, glaring but clearly embarrassed.
"Nuh-uh! I saw it all," I teased, chuckling at how red she was.
"You know… you're being way too obvious," I said, trying to keep a straight face, though I couldn't hide the smirk tugging at my lips.
The entire walk to school turned into a teasing game. I kept nudging, joking, and making her squirm, and she kept shooting me those flustered looks that were somehow more entertaining than anything else.
Jay-jay's POV
When school ended, Ci-N, Kristine, and I walked home together. Kristine had promised to keep the engagement a secret, and honestly… I felt a little more comfortable around her now.
"Uhh… Jay," Kristine began, fidgeting slightly. "I know it's kind of embarrassing to ask, but… can I stay at your house for a few days?"
Ci-N's eyes went wide as he glanced at me. "Please, Jay! Let her stay with us for a few days!" he pleaded, practically bouncing on his feet.
"Tsk… hold on," I said, looking at Kristine. "Why exactly?"
She scratched the back of her head, avoiding my gaze. "My mom's not home, and my brother is bringing his girlfriend over… so yeah. So.. can I?"
"Hmm… ask Kuya," I said casually.
Ci-N practically jumped up and down. "I'm so excited!"
"Ci-N… chill," I scolded lightly, smirking. "We haven't even reached home yet."
As soon as we got home, Kristine and Ci-N went straight to Kuya. Ci-N was on his knees, practically pleading, while Kristine just lingered awkwardly behind him.
"Alright, fine!" Kuya finally sighed. "But you're staying in her room," he said, gesturing toward me.
Ci-N's grin stretched from ear to ear as he led Kristine toward my room. Unbelievable… he acts like he owns the place, I thought, smirking to myself.
When we stepped into the room, Ci-N suddenly ran toward the massive suitcase sitting beside my bed.
He laid it down and started unlocking the lock on the zipper.
So it was his?!
"That suitcase is huge, how long are you even planning to stay?" I asked, heading toward my wardrobe.
"Anyway, Kristine, you didn't come prepared… like, no clothes or anything. What are you going to do?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She turned to me, shrugging. "Well… I just need some clothes. Ci-N can share with me… I guess."
Ci-N flinched instantly. "No way! I only have a couple of clothes."
"Really… in that massive suitcase?" she asked, giving him a teasing look.
"Fine…" he grumbled, though I could tell he was secretly annoyed. Figures, she's not going to let this go easily, I thought with a smirk.
(The next morning)
Last night, Ci-N had kept talking about how he escaped from his brother… over and over again. We barely slept. He and Kristine had ended up on the floor, each on separate beds.
A loud alarm blared suddenly, jolting me awake. I groaned and sat up, spotting the source—Ci-N's phone. Seriously? That loud? I thought, rubbing my eyes. Yet, he was still sound asleep, completely oblivious, like nothing had happened.
Kristine gave him a sharp kick, and he shot upright instantly, eyes wide with confusion.
"Why is your alarm so loud… and yet you're still sleeping soundly?" Kristine asked, clearly irritated, her arms crossed.
Ci-N yawned, still groggy. "I'll just go take a bath," he mumbled, dragging himself toward the bathroom.
Kristine leaned toward me, a mix of disbelief and amusement on her face. "Seriously… is he always like this? I can't believe it," she scoffed.
Kristine peered around, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anyways… do you happen to have any spare toothbrushes?"
"Yeah… I have some in the bathroom," I replied.
🎶 Bubble butt… Bubble, bubble, bubble butt… 🎶
Ci-N was already singing, completely oblivious to our presence.
We couldn't help it—we both burst out laughing, clutching our stomachs. Ci-N continued singing, completely oblivious to the chaos he'd caused.
"Oh my god!" Kristine gasped, still giggling. "I haven't laughed this hard in my whole freaking life!" Her face was flushed from laughing so much, and I couldn't help but grin at how easily she was letting loose.
📩 From Yuri
[Good morning..]
I sighed and tapped out a quick reply: Damnit, Yuri.
📩 From King of Snakes
[Get up! Your pillow is already soaked with your drool.]
I groaned, Of course… just what I needed.
Kristine leaned over to glance at my screen. "Damn…" she said, a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips. I could tell she was thoroughly entertained.
Ci-N suddenly stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel.
"Your turn," he said, grinning.
I grabbed my clothes and stepped inside, letting the warm water wash over me. As I showered, I could hear Ci-N and Kristine talking to someone. Curiosity got the better of me, and I paused the shower to listen, but they went silent the moment I focused.
I finished quickly, put on my uniform, and stepped out—only to find Aries glaring at Ci-N and Kristine. Kristine, unflinching, returned his glare with equal intensity.
"W-what are you doing here?!" I snapped, my heart racing and anger bubbling up. Why now? I thought, glaring at him.
Aries didn't answer. He simply left the room, his eyes still fixed on Ci-N and Kristine. I quickly moved toward them.
"What did he say?" I asked, but neither of them answered.
Tsk!
Kristine finally broke the silence. "I asked my brother to bring some of my clothes. I'll go grab them," she said, leaving the room without another word.
Ci-N started slipping on his shoes, and Kristine reentered the room, carrying a bag. She disappeared into the bathroom for a moment and came out shortly after, freshly changed.
"Shall we go?" Ci-N asked, glancing at us expectantly.
We nodded, picked up our bags, and headed downstairs together.
I wasn't used to seeing Ci-N like this. What the hell did Aries even say? I tried teasing him on our way to school, but he kept giving me forced smiles that didn't reach his eyes.
Kristine, on the other hand, stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. One hand was clenched tightly at her side, betraying the tension she tried to hide.
We were almost at our classroom when both of them suddenly fell silent, their eyes fixed somewhere past me.
"What's going on?" I asked, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.
Ci-N's voice cut through the quiet. "Is it true? Are you leaving Section E?"
"W-what?!" I stammered. Who said that…? Damnit, Aries must have told him!
"He said that we need to stay away from you," Kristine explained quietly.
"No… don't—" I started, but my words caught in my throat.
"Who said that?!" an angry voice thundered from behind me.
I froze. Chills ran down my spine. Even without turning, I knew exactly who it was.
"Who said Jay was leaving Section E?!"