Keifer's POV
Keiren was slung over my back as we got off the plane. Fast asleep—probably from the long flight. We arrived in the Philippines just before dawn.
As expected, our pickup was already waiting. He was leaning on his yellow car, arms crossed, creasing his forehead. I walked toward him.
"How long have you been waiting?" I asked him.
Tiger looked at me. "About half an hour, I guess." He yawned and didn't even bother to cover his mouth.
He opened the backseat door of his yellow car and helped me settle Keiren inside. When he closed the door, I noticed the way he looked at the plane we just came from.
I turned my head too and saw the flight stewardess coming down from the aircraft. She was carrying the things I completely forgot. I rubbed my face with my hands.
Damn this woman.
Her chest was bouncing with every step.
"Mr. Watson. You forgot this," she said in a sweet voice.
I took the items and placed them inside the car. I noticed Tiger's wide grin. Looks like his sleepiness disappeared the moment he saw the stewardess.
"Hi, Miss," he greeted, and the woman waved back at him.
I rolled my eyes. She really has a way of making men fall for her. I'd been praying nonstop the entire flight. Called out to every saint I could think of—and even though I'm not religious, I might've prayed every kind of prayer that exists.
I belong only to Jay-jay. She's the only one allowed to touch my body, and she owns my entire being. I get tempted because I'm a man—but I can fight it.
"That's a chick, man," Tiger said, looking at me while wiggling his eyebrows. "What did you guys do during the flight?"
"Slept," I answered before getting into his car.
I was stunned by the decor inside his vehicle. His steering wheel was covered with yellow fur. The dashboard had the same texture but a different design—still with that yellow touch. The interior was a headache to look at.
The head pillows were yellow, shaped like the face, eyes, and tail of a Pokémon.
I think this is Pikachu.
Tiger got in as well. He was grinning wide while driving.
"You really didn't do anything with that girl? What a waste."
"It'd be a bigger waste if I had done something."
He shook his head. "Why are you so hung up on Angelo's cousin?"
"Excuse me?"
"No offense. But there are a lot of girls way prettier than her—and way more feminine too."
"Jay-jay is a woman," I said, crossing my arms. "Maybe boyish, but still a woman."
"She's a tomboy."
"No, she's not."
"She totally is!"
"She is not."
"Tomboy, I said!"
What the...
"Why do you keep insisting that she's a tomboy?"
I was getting really close to losing my temper. Jay-jay, of all people—he had the nerve to call her a tomboy.
Yes, she does move like a man, fight like a man, punch like a man, eat like a man, trash talk like a man— Okay! Almost like a man! But to me, she's still a very beautiful woman.
"I've seen her before," he said, which made me look at him. "Back when we visited Angelo's province. I saw her there."
I didn't know they went there. Even if I did, they wouldn't have let me—or us—tag along. Angelo's friends kept insisting we were too young to hang out with them. But they had no problem treating me like their errand boy whenever they saw me.
"That was a very long time ago. How do you even remember that? I thought you had a weak memory."
"Ay, harsh," he said and smirked. "You're underestimating my memory."
I squinted slightly as the lights of an oncoming car blinded me for a second.
"No, but I do know your brain is small."
He suddenly slammed on the brakes. I nearly flew forward from the sudden stop, but my first concern was Keiren, who was sound asleep just behind us. It's a good thing he didn't fall and is still sleeping peacefully.
"What the hell is it?" I snapped at him.
His head was sticking out the window, eyes locked on something behind us. I looked in the same direction, but all I could see was the dark road.
"What are you even looking at?"
He turned to me, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"I think I just hallucinated. I swear I saw Raffy and Ion," he said, visibly shaken.
"Who?"
He frowned a bit. "Now who's got memory issues?"
"Okay fine! I remember Raffy—Rafael. He's that friend of yours who wears glasses and does nothing but laugh and smile."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It really looked like them."
"How could they even be here? I thought Rafael and... Ion were missing."
It doesn't make any sense. It's only now that this is starting to click. Rafael and Ion are both missing.
Angelo's friend and his girl have been gone for—I don't even know how long.
If Angelo finds out what Tiger saw—even if it was just a hallucination—he'll go ballistic and likely make reckless decisions.
"Maybe your eyes are just playing tricks on you. The driver I saw looked old," I lied.
"It really looked like them," he muttered to himself.
"You're just sleepy. I'll drive instead," I said, reaching to open the door.
"Iihhh no!" he whined dramatically, hugging the steering wheel. "Only I can drive Baby."
Baby? He called his yellow car a baby?
"Did you just call your car a... f*cking baby?"
He suddenly smacked my arm. I was stunned—he acted like some sulking girlfriend.
"Don't curse my Baby!" he said, kissing the steering wheel before hugging it again. "Don't worry Baby, Daddy loves you."
I cringed. Damn! Maybe this is why he doesn't have a girlfriend—he loves his car more than any of the girls he meets.
He started the engine again and began to drive off. I went quiet while he kept on talking.
He mentioned again how he had seen Jay-jay before. He only realized recently that it was really her. I smiled as I pictured what she might've looked like back then.
"She was messy, barefoot, and playing with boys—she even got into fights."
It made me wonder—what if I'd met her back then? If Aries had introduced her to us? Maybe we would've become friends—or enemies—just like the first time we met. Maybe things wouldn't be this complicated.
While he continued rambling, I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. The sky was already light when I woke up.
"Breakfast?" I heard Keiren ask as he handed me a piece of bread.
I accepted it and thanked him. I looked at Tiger, who was eating too while driving.
"Are we still far?"
"We're here," he said and pointed to a house not too far away.
Now that I saw it, I began noticing the area. The surroundings were covered in tall, towering trees. It really looked like the house was hidden from the public. There were no other houses nearby. The long road led to one destination only.
That creepy house.
We stopped right in front of it. At first glance, it looked like an old provincial house—but it's not. The wooden posts and capiz windows were just for show. If you looked closely, the wood was just painted on. The windows were actually glass, colored just to make them look like capiz.
Tiger got out, but Keiren and I stayed inside his car for the moment. He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door.
We waited for a few minutes, but no one came. Tiger repeated what he did and added knocking this time.
The door finally opened—but instead of a person, a gun greeted him. Tiger immediately raised both hands as he stepped back.
"You're such a nuisance, Leo!" said the woman holding the gun.
One of our teachers at HVIS. The only teacher both feared and adored by Section E.
Ms. Cindy Smith.
Leo grinned wide. "Did I interrupt your lovebirds' moment?"
Ms. Cindy narrowed her eyes and cocked the shotgun in her hands. Tiger quickly backed away—still laughing.
"Hey! Hey! Don't scare people like that!" he said while looking for something to hide behind.
"I'm not scaring you. I'll really shoot you."
But this Tiger guy didn't seem scared at all—he just kept laughing.
"Kuya, who's that?" Keiren asked.
"That's my teacher."
The two didn't stop bickering until I saw the person I actually came here for step out the door.
"Cut it out." His serious voice was so deep. "...Leo's just messing with you."
"Tsk! It's Tiger, not Leo," Leo said, annoyed.
I opened the car door and got out. All three of them looked at me.
"Sir Alvin," I greeted.
"Just Alvin, we're not at school," he said, then turned around and went back inside the house.
Ms. Cindy and Tiger followed him in. I helped Keiren out of the backseat and grabbed his things.
This is why I asked Honey to find me a disposable phone. I needed a place to hide Keiren—far from our monster of a father.
But Keigan doesn't know anything about this. Our original plan was to send Keiren somewhere in the United Kingdom, which I think is dumb. That man has too many eyes—he'll find out where my brother is.
I also knew they'd oppose it if they found out I was bringing Keiren to the Philippines. We have nothing here. That's why I thought of asking for help from people who aren't ordinary.
Like Angelo.
But he'd definitely ask for payment. So it was better to ask someone else. And Sir Alvin came to mind.
The door shut on its own when we stepped inside. The house was big, and while it looked old-fashioned from the outside, the inside was modern. There weren't too many displays or figurines, but it had everything we needed.
I set the bags down first on their black sofa. We headed straight to the dining area beside the kitchen. Tiger was already seated at the table, starting to eat.
"What's your brother's name?" Ma'am Cindy asked.
"Keiren."
She nodded before placing a plate full of fried rice on the table. She also got an empty plate and a glass.
"Keiren, sit here and have breakfast," she said as she pulled out the empty chair for my brother.
Keiren looked at me like he was asking for permission. I nodded briefly and let go of his hand. He walked over to the chair Ma'am pulled out.
"Eat up, Keifer junior," said Tiger.
Bits of food flew from his mouth as he spoke. His mouth was full like he was scared the food would run out. He kept scooping food even though his plate was still loaded.
I sighed. I wasn't here to observe them. I decided to look around and find Sir—Alvin, I mean. We still had something to talk about since our phone conversation didn't go too well.
I noticed a shadow move from an open door. I peeked through and saw the person I was looking for.
"Mind if I disturb you?" I asked after knocking briefly.
He glanced slightly. "Come in."
I stepped inside as he instructed and saw what he was really busy with. He was cleaning his guns. They were lined up on the table, along with all the tools he used for cleaning them.
By watching him now, I was starting to see the other side of Sir Alvin. Very far from the teacher who used to plead with us to behave.
"How long are we supposed to look after your brother?" he asked without looking at me.
He cocked one of the guns and aimed it in different directions.
"After my birthday, I'll take him back."
"Just want to remind you, my wife is not wife material, so don't expect anything." He explained. "Besides that, he might see us holding guns from time to time. My wife doesn't know how to cook properly—she knows how to use a bazooka but doesn't know how to use a vacuum." He sighed and rested his hands on top of the table. "I don't really like having kids in the house, but I owe you, and I want to pay you back. That's why I'll let your brother stay here for now."
My lips formed a smile, but more like a smirk. "Are you and your wife having some kind of couple issues?" I asked, crossing my arms.
He sighed again before facing me. "She wants a child."
"But you don't?."
He chuckled. "No one even knows we're married. My grandfather would have her killed if they ever found out."
"Family issues are tough."
He shook his head. "You said it."
A brief silence passed between us. He turned to the guns and began placing them one by one into bags.
"I'll just collect my inheritance. When I'm capable enough, I'll help you too."
"Don't bother. I don't want to owe you anything."
I smiled. He's really a man full of pride. It's amazing how he can swallow that pride to become someone else.
"You're still going to work?" I asked him.
"Yeah. Looks like you'll have to come too."
It did seem that way.
He finished what he was doing and took the bags out. I followed him and watched as he placed the guns into his secret storage. It seemed like every corner of the house had one.
"Does Angelo know you brought your brother here?"
"I don't see a reason to tell him."
He shrugged and continued hiding the guns in different places—under the table, in the ceiling, under the tiled floor, and in many other unexpected spots. We had practically made a full round of the house. Even the second floor and their bedroom were stocked.
The kitchen was our final stop. I found Ma'am Cindy attending to Keiren, and her expression quickly shifted when she saw us.
Alvin opened one of the drawers and placed a gun inside.
"Damn! So guns are your kitchen tools here, huh?" Tiger said while eyeing us in the kitchen.
"Watch your mouth!" Ma'am Cindy snapped.
Alvin finished fixing the gun. He patted me on the shoulder before walking over to the table to eat.
"Eat up, Keifer," Tiger offered.
He sounded like he owned the house the way he invited me. I just joined them at the table. While we were eating, Alvin explained the setup in the house now that Keiren was staying with them.
Their schedules didn't align, so they could take turns being home. This morning, it was Ma'am Cindy who'd stay with my brother. By noon, it would be his wife.
After we ate, I took Keiren to the living room to talk.
"Hey, do you like this place?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Am I staying here for now?"
"For a while. When everything's settled, I'll come back for you."
"It's okay. I know you have a lot to do. Kuya Keigan keeps saying that I shouldn't bother you. I don't want to be a burden."
"No, you're not a burden. My mind's just a mess. I don't know what to prioritize. I just need help from a friend."
"I understand, Kuya," he said and hugged me. "Just come back for me."
"Of course I will," I said and hugged him back.
He let go of me and looked at me. I smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
"Don't go outside. Don't answer the phone. Don't talk to strangers. Don't open the door. And don't be naughty. Ma'am Cindy might shoot you." I said and laughed.
He smiled and nodded. I handed him his bags and let him go to the room they said they'd assign to him.
I watched him run upstairs. I couldn't help but think about so many things. We were traumatized back then when Keigan was taken from us—different circumstances, but it had the same effect on me. I didn't want to send him away, but it was necessary.
I took the disposable phone from the paper bag and texted one of the people I came back to the country for.
Angelo.
To: Demon
Message: any updates about the initiation?
I looked at Tiger as he walked toward me. He plopped down on the long sofa and sprawled across it.
"Aren't you leaving yet?" I asked him.
"Hold on. Just gonna rest a bit."
I looked him straight in the eyes. "Tiger, make sure you don't say a word about this."
He held two fingers to his lips and mimed zipping them shut.
He was quite the chatterbox, so I had to make sure he kept quiet. Both of us looked toward the stairs. Alvin was coming down, followed by his wife and Keiren.
"Let's go," Alvin said.
He headed straight to the door, and Tiger followed after him. I turned to Ma'am Cindy and Keiren.
"We're leaving. Please take care of him," I said, then turned to Keiren. "Please behave. I'll call from time to time."
He waved his hand and said goodbye. I turned my back on them and left. I went straight to Alvin's car, holding the disposable phone, waiting for a reply.
This place was far from the actual city. The ride took us nearly two hours. No one was talking, and the only sound was the noise from the radio.
When we got to school, it was like the person beside me had transformed. He was already smiling and seemed totally relaxed. Typical him inside the school.
"Where are you going?" he asked while removing his seatbelt.
"I'll stay here for now. I'm waiting for the students to clear out."
He nodded. "Okay. Got to go."
He opened his car door and stepped out. He even greeted a few students he passed by. I stayed inside his car until classes started and no more students were hanging around outside.
I stepped out and briefly looked around. Once I was sure there were no other students around, I started walking. I headed toward our building and was met by a Demolition Notice printed on tarpaulin.
This can't be serious.
I really need to talk to Angelo before heading back to London. This demolition can't be allowed to happen.
I continued walking. I almost went straight to our room, but thankfully I remembered that I wasn't supposed to show myself just yet.
So I headed to the second floor instead. Just like before, the breeze was strong in this area, probably because of the tall trees. I looked around and saw that not much had changed.
I thought of checking out the picture room at the end. But first, I grabbed the key hanging from one of the broken benches scattered in the first room. No one really comes up here, so no one notices the things I leave behind.
I got inside and switched on the light. I closed the door and locked it from the inside. My body collapsed on its own and I ended up lying on the sofa.
I feel exhausted.
There's still so much I need to do. So much that I don't know if my body can handle it anymore. I closed my eyes and eventually fell asleep.
I woke up on my own because of the pain in my stomach. I grabbed my phone and checked the time. It's almost lunch time. Maybe my stomach hurts because I haven't eaten yet. I sat up and stretched.
I checked the disposable phone. Still no message from Angelo.
I think it's better if I pay him a visit.
I opened the door and was about to step out when I suddenly saw Jay-jay.
Out of sheer shock, I slammed the door shut again.
Fvck!
My hands were ice-cold as I held onto the doorknob. I'm sweating like a pig.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when the doorknob moved. It's her! It's her!
Yes, I do miss her—but it's not the right time to face her.