Jay-jay's POV
Each step was slow and careful. Like a ninja, no one should see me. Hiding in the darkness and behind the plants. No one should notice.
"What are you doing?" the King asked me.
I looked at him beside me. He was standing out in the open, where anyone could easily see him. Meanwhile, I was stealthily hiding like a ninja.
"Don't stand there. Someone might see you."
Camouflage, man!
"Jay... it's midnight. Everyone is asleep."
He had a point. Who would be awake at this hour—except us? But where on earth did that Yuri go?
We turned toward the hall when we saw a faint light. It was small, seemingly coming from a tiny flashlight. There was also something reflective, as if light had bounced off a glass surface.
The light moved, and that's when we saw what it was. It was coming from a cellphone, which Yuri was holding to light his way. Meanwhile, the reflection earlier must have come from his glasses.
"There's Yuri." I whispered, about to follow him, but Keifer immediately held me back. "W-why?"
"Too close. Wait for him to get farther."
I followed his instruction. This King of Snakes sure knew a lot. He only started moving when he was sure there was enough distance between us and Yuri.
Yuri headed toward the back of the hall, so we followed. There was only one place he could be going—to the fishpond, where there was a bridge leading to the gazebo in the middle of it.
And I was right. We hadn't even gotten close yet when we saw Yuri and… Ella?
I glanced at Keifer, but he showed no reaction. He quickly looked for a place where we could hide near them.
Kumag positioned me to crouch behind the thick bushes, while he stood behind a tree. I looked at Yuri and Ella, but neither of them seemed to be speaking yet.
"What do you want?" Yuri finally broke the silence. "...Does Aries know about this?"
Ella shook her head. "I-I just really wanted to talk to you."
For what?!
"Yuri deserves to know the truth." —Ella (Chapter 174)
So this was what she and Mica were talking about in the bathroom? They planned to meet. That means this is it. But what is this truth she's talking about? What is it about? I was itching to know what it was.
I felt a mix of worry and unease. Part of me was debating whether we should be listening in on their conversation. A big part of me was telling me to leave and not eavesdrop. I also had a strange gut feeling.
Socialite's instinct!
"About what?! Can't this wait until we're back at school?" Yuri asked, irritation laced in his voice as he adjusted his glasses.
I understood him. Who would be happy to meet someone at 12 AM? Even I would be pissed.
You should be sleeping, right?!
"Yuri!" Ella suddenly raised her voice. "...listen to me. This is important!"
Yuri didn't speak and just waited for her to continue. Ella lowered her head multiple times and played with her fingers. It was obvious she was anxious.
"Do you really love Jay-jay now?" she asked.
W-wait!
Yuri let out a deep sigh, and I could see him holding back his irritation. He even let out a fake laugh.
"You asked me to meet you for that?"
"Please answer it." Ella pleaded.
"Yes, I do!" Yuri answered proudly.
I looked at Keifer, but his eyes were also fixed on the two. Even though his attention was on them, he couldn't hide the way his fists clenched tightly.
"...and if you have nothing else to say, I'll leave now." Yuri added, turning to walk away.
"Yuri!" Ella called out again, and at this time, tears started falling from her eyes. "...I'm sorry."
Yuri stopped, but he didn't turn to face her. I didn't understand—I was confused by Ella's behavior. Why was she apologizing? Was it because she hurt Yuri before?
What was it for?
"I lied—No! We lied to you." Ella said, crying, and slowly, Yuri turned to face her.
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Your mom talked to me. She told me to stay away from you and said she would never allow us to be in a relationship." Ella explained through her tears.
"I-I don't understand." Yuri said, clearly confused.
"She said I wasn't good enough for you. She said that if I didn't leave you alone, my family would never be able to set foot in Korea. I was scared... I was scared, Yuri."
"I don't get it! Cut to the chase, Ella!" he said angrily.
"It was you I truly loved, not Keifer!"
Shutanginames!
It felt like something had punched me right in the chest. A heavy weight settled inside me. Slowly, I turned to look at Keifer.
He had his back to them, leaning against the tree with his head lowered. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I could feel his anger. His fists remained tightly clenched. I wanted to approach him and talk, but I didn't know what to say.
Now I understood the depth of his resentment toward Yuri.
I looked back at the two. No one spoke. Ella kept crying, while Yuri was clearly in shock.
So that was why. That was why Ella spoke the way she did when she was in my room. It was as if she still cared about Yuri—because she did. I couldn't believe it. Everything was so messed up.
What really the truth here?!
"W-why?" Yuri asked. "W-why are you telling me this now?" His voice was full of despair.
"Yuri..." Ella murmured.
"Usotsuki!" Yuri suddenly shouted in anger. "Usotsuki!"
(A/N: Usotsuki = Liar)
I didn't understand what he said. Even Ella looked confused by his words. Yuri ran his hands through his hair several times. He paced in circles where he stood, looking completely lost. He took off his glasses and pressed his fingers against his temples.
" I-I don't understand... Yuri."
Yuri walked up to her and pointed at her. "Urusai!"
(A/N: Urusai = Shut up)
"I don't understand!" Ella shouted back at him.
You're not alone! I think he's cursing at you!
Yuri took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He covered his face with his hands several times.
"Why now? Why are you only telling me this now? Why not before?" He asked Ella in a controlled tone.
Why only now? What was the reason?
"Because I was scared... You know how my family is struggling, right? If Appa couldn't return to Korea, we'd lose everything." Ella explained, wiping her tears.
"So you chose to hurt me?" Yuri asked, taking a deep breath. "...Do you think I'll believe you?"
"That's the truth... Keifer knows about this too. Your mom talked to him... And I told him everything the day he beat you up."
My eyes immediately went to Keifer. This time, he was staring off in another direction, his hands buried in his pockets, clearly deep in thought.
"You knew?" I whispered.
"I don't want to talk about it." He quickly replied and sighed.
Suddenly, my conversation with C-in came back to me—when I asked if he had ever seen Keifer truly angry.
Flashback...
"Ci..." I called out to the little troublemaker.
"Hm?" He responded while continuing to devour his ice cream.
"Have you ever seen Keifer get really mad? Like, truly furious?"
Since he had been with Keifer longer, I couldn't help but ask him.
"Of course... Many times." He answered.
"Really?"
"Yeah... But the one I'll never forget is when he got extremely angry at Yuri." He said, pausing his eating.
I adjusted my seat to properly face him. "W-what happened?"
"We didn't know the reason. He was just so furious and wouldn't stop punching Yuri. Ella was crying nonstop, trying to stop them." He explained.
(See Chapter 134: Anger)
End of Flashback...
So that was the real reason. Keifer was enraged because Ella never loved him. Because, once again, the girl he liked preferred Yuri.
I felt like I couldn't listen any longer. I wanted to leave, but my body wouldn't move. I looked back at them when I suddenly heard Ella call out Yuri's name in a loud voice.
"Enough!" Yuri shouted back.
I didn't understand myself anymore. It was like something was aching inside me as I watched them, seeing how much the past still affected them.
Because it shouldn't anymore.
"Answer my question! Why are you only telling me this now?!" Yuri asked angrily.
"Because... Because I can't keep it from you any longer. I waited for so long, hoping you'd talk to me again. I waited." She wiped her tears from her cheeks. "...That's why I left Section E—to move more freely and find a way to talk to you. But you avoided me."
"Because there was no reason to approach you anymore! You were already with Keifer! You were my friend's girlfriend!" He took a deep breath. "...Do you know how painful that was for me? How many times I wished I were Keifer instead? I nearly destroyed myself in Kingsground."
Yuri's tears fell. My chest felt even heavier seeing him like this. I could feel how much he wanted to let out all his pent-up anger toward Ella.
"...It hurt so much." He pointed to his heart. "...I changed myself. I became someone else, hoping you'd choose me too. But still, you didn't... because then you chose Aries instead!"
"I'm sorry, Yuri."
"Sorry?" He let out a bitter laugh. "...Do you think your sorry changes anything?"
Ella tried to approach him, but he immediately stepped away. "Yuri... Please."
"Why? Ella, WHY?!" Yuri shouted again, his tears falling once more. "...Why didn't you fight for me?"
My tears fell on their own. I couldn't help but feel hurt by what he said. I also didn't understand why he had to ask that.
Do you still love her?
"Jay..." Keifer called me.
I quickly wiped my tears. I also took a deep breath to lighten the heaviness in my chest. I looked at him and forced a smile.
Keifer took a deep breath and turned back toward Ella. I saw how his eyes suddenly widened, and he stood up straight. My heart started beating faster, and I almost didn't want to look at them. I hoped I was wrong about what I was thinking.
My head turned on its own, as if it had a mind of its own. My eyes landed on them.
Why do I have to feel this way?
Something inside me wanted to stop them. Wanted to separate them. Wanted to pull them apart from the embrace they were sharing.
"ELLA DIANNE!" Aries' voice echoed.
Yuri and Ella immediately pulled away from each other. Keifer and I both turned our attention to Aries. His face was full of rage as he slowly walked toward them.
I immediately stepped out of my hiding place—though I had forgotten that they didn't know I was even there.
Yuri looked at me in confusion. "Jay?"
"What is this?!" Aries asked angrily, making all of us shift our attention to him. "...What is this, Ella?!"
Fear was evident on Ella's face. "A-Aries... B-because..."
"Explain yourself, NOW!"
Even I felt afraid. This was the first time I had seen him like this. It was terrifying to see him so angry. They really were all the same—hot-headed.
"Aries... I-I just told him the truth." Ella explained, her tears falling again.
"What for?" He glanced at Yuri for a moment before looking back at Ella. "...Do you still have feelings for him?"
Ella didn't answer. Even I was waiting for her response. But at the same time, I was afraid to hear it.
Is that the reason?
"ANSWER ME!" Aries demanded angrily.
"N-no... It's not like that." Ella answered, trying to hold Aries' hand, but he pushed it away. "Please... Aries."
Aries shook his head and looked away. The way he was acting now was exactly how Yuri had been acting earlier. He turned in place and ran his fingers through his hair.
"You told me before. You explained to me—made it clear to me that you would forget your feelings for him." Aries said calmly, pointing at Yuri. "...Then what the fvck is this?"
"Aries..." Ella continued to cry.
"You begged me. You asked me to save you from Keifer because you didn't want to end up like Freya... I gave you what you wanted so you could be happy." Aries suddenly broke into tears.
It hurt me more to see him like this. It hurt more than seeing Yuri or Keifer cry. After all, we were still family, and we had once been close. That's why I couldn't help but be affected.
"...In exchange, we agreed that you would stay away from those Section E people! That you would forget about Keifer, and most of all, forget your feelings for Yuri!" He took a deep breath. "...But what is this?!"
Ella collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn't answer; she could barely even breathe. Aries shifted his gaze to Yuri and, without hesitation, punched him.
I was shocked by what he did and immediately ran over to stop them. Yuri fell to the ground, and just as Aries was about to throw another punch, I stepped in between them.
"Get out of the way!" Aries shouted at me as I tried to hold him back. "Move, Jay-jay!"
He shoved me aside, and I nearly fell face-first onto the ground. The two of them started throwing punches at each other. I didn't know what to do— I was spinning in circles, trying to figure out how to stop them.
Push him into the fishpond!
"Stop it! What the hell?!" I yelled.
Shit! Keifer! I quickly turned to the tree where he had been standing. He was still there, watching as if he were enjoying an intense movie scene.
"Keifer! Stop them!" I ordered.
He didn't react or move closer. I thought he was going to break up the fight, but instead, he suddenly punched Aries. Aries fell to the ground, almost losing consciousness.
Damn it! I said stop the fight, not join in!
"Aries!" Ella screamed and immediately ran toward him.
I was about to scold him, but I froze. Keifer and Yuri were now facing each other. Their glares were sharp, and at any moment, they were going to start fighting too.
"You knew... but you didn't tell me anything." Yuri said calmly.
"For what? Why would I even tell you?"
Keifer's tone was almost taunting. I wanted to step between them, but I was afraid they'd take their anger out on me instead. Their fight might escalate even further.
"What did Hahaoya tell you?"
Keifer took a deep breath. I knew he didn't want to say it. But why did Yuri's mother have to get involved?
"She told me to keep Ella away from you. That's all."
Yuri tilted his head back and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. He stayed like that for a few moments until—
"FVCK!" He suddenly shouted and stormed off.
I was about to follow him, but then I saw Ella, crying and shaking Aries.
I quickly rushed over to them. "Aries."
"Jay... H-he's not waking up." Ella sobbed.
I looked at Keifer. Was his punch really that strong that Aries couldn't wake up?
"...He said he couldn't breathe, and then he just lost consciousness." Ella added.
My chest tightened with fear. I didn't know what illness Aries had, but I knew he had a problem with his lungs.
"Keifer... Help us." I pleaded.
He didn't say a word. Instead, he lifted Aries onto his back with all his strength. We supported him as we hurried straight to the organizers' office.
Unlike us, who slept in tents, they had actual rooms—with roofs, walls, doors, windows, and air conditioning.
This is totally unfair!
Before I could even start complaining about it... Before I could even complain about their sleeping arrangements, a loud banging on the door caught my attention. Ella was pounding on it so hard it was as if she were picking a fight with someone.
Even the people in the next room could probably hear her knocking.
"Help us, please!" she shouted.
The light in the room Ella was banging on flicked on, and the door opened. One of the organizers looked at us with a scowl.
"Please help Aries." Ella repeated, and the organizer's expression immediately changed to one of concern.
"What happened? Bring him inside! I'll call an ambulance." The organizer helped Keifer carry Aries into the room.
I stopped at the doorway. Aries was going to be okay. They were calling for help. I probably wasn't needed here anymore.
I quickly turned around and ran back to the fishpond. I tried to think about where Yuri could have gone. He didn't head straight to our campsite—he turned somewhere.
Shit! HE TURNED INTO THE FOREST!
I sprinted in the same direction he had taken. It was dark, and I could barely see anything, but I had to find him. He was alone out here, with no one to help him.
But where was he?!
"YURI!" I shouted, but only my own echo answered me.
"YURI! ANSWER ME!"
Still, there was no response from him. I kept walking forward, struggling to see the path ahead, nearly tripping several times.
Then, I saw something glowing in the darkness. I ran toward it, hoping it was Yuri—but it was just a cellphone. I picked it up and looked at it.
It was Yuri's phone!
That meant I was on the right path! He must have come this way. He might not be too far.
"YURI!" I shouted again.
To be honest, I was scared—but I was more afraid of what might happen to him.
Where are you?