Jay-jay's POV
"Oy, Aries."
He ignored me.
"Oy, Aries."
Still, he didn't turn around.
"Oy, Aries."
I saw him lean back in his chair, his shoulders rising and falling as if he had just let out a deep sigh. Then he went back to what he was doing.
"Oy, Aries."
I noticed his fist tighten around the pen he was holding. He also exhaled sharply.
He was muttering something I couldn't hear or understand. He looked like he was cursing me under his breath.
Our family must really be part demon.
"Oy…" I paused when he leaned back again. "…Aries."
He abruptly stood up and faced me. I immediately rolled myself up in his white blanket to hide, even though I knew he already knew exactly where I was. Now, I looked like a fresh spring roll at a feast.
Here he comes! Hide!
"What the hell?! You're so annoying!" he snapped at me.
I didn't say anything. I just wiggled like a worm that had been cut in half, twitching and writhing.
Then I felt him push me. I tried to fight back, but since I was wrapped up like a burrito, I could barely move. It was pointless anyway because I had already reached the edge of the bed.
"Waaah! I'm gonna fall!"
"That's exactly my plan!" he said, then let me drop.
I groaned as I hit the floor. Even though the thick blanket softened the fall, I still felt the impact. I struggled to sit up so I could glare at the jerk.
Just you wait! Taurus is never speaking to you again!
"And now you're the one who's mad?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of warning.
I gave him a sweet smile. "Nope. I'm actually really happy."
He turned his back on me and went back to what he was doing. Meanwhile, I struggled to untangle myself from the blanket. Once I finally managed to stand properly, I threw it back onto his bed.
Pouting, I moved to the part of the bed closer to him. I sat there and watched his back. I wanted to ask him something, but he clearly didn't want to be disturbed.
The diligent student.
"Oy, Ari—"
"The fvck!" he shouted, slamming his palm against the table.
"I give up. What do you want?" He turned to me, visibly frustrated.
Finally! He gave in.
"I just wanted to ask about what happened earlier. How did you talk to the guidance counselor?"
"I spoke. Have you ever seen people talk without saying anything?" he replied before turning back again.
What a damn pain to talk to!
Annoyed, I raised a hand as if I was about to pull his hair, but I held myself back. That would only lead to a fight.
"What exactly did you say? How did you settle things so quickly?" I demanded, stomping my foot.
He turned to me and stared. His expression was so serious that I stopped acting out. I waited for him to speak, and for a long moment, we stayed silent.
He let out a deep breath. "I asked them if they really wanted a Watson to speak with them."
It felt like a small hand had slapped my heart when I heard his last name.
That was the impact.
"A-and what did they say?"
"They said they didn't want a long discussion because everyone's too busy. So they agreed to let Yuri talk to them instead," he explained.
I nodded slowly. So they just didn't feel like dealing with it. I thought they were scared of that arrogant prick Keifer.
"So that was it."
"Are we done now? Can I continue what I was doing before you interrupted?"
I stared at him and grinned widely. "Can I sleep here?"
He shook his head. "No. Go back to your room." He turned his back on me again.
Frowning, I stood up and left the room. But not to follow his orders.
I grabbed one of my pillows and Snorlax. We were having a sleepover. I quickly walked back to Aries' room. He immediately turned when he heard the door close.
"I said no," he said irritably.
I ignored him and went straight to his bed. I arranged the pillows and blanket to set up our sleeping spots. Once I was done, I lay down and grinned at him.
"Goodnight!" I said.
He put his pen down on the table before grabbing a pillow. He was about to smack me with it, so I quickly covered my head with my arms and screamed.
"Ow! That hurts!" I yelled, even though he didn't actually hit me.
I heard the bed shift, and when I peeked, I saw him fixing his own spot to sleep in.
I grinned widely. He gave in.
"So annoying," he muttered before standing up and walking back to his table.
He picked up his phone and started typing. Looked like he was texting someone. He also tidied up the stuff on his desk before heading back to the bed and putting his phone down.
"I'm taking a shower." He went into the bathroom.
I quickly grabbed his phone. "Let me play a game."
"What are you, a kid?" he called out.
I ignored him and opened his phone. He still hadn't set a password. I grimaced when I saw his wallpaper.
It was a picture of him and Ella hugging. She was grinning ear to ear, while my brother only had a small smile. But even so, I could see the happiness in his eyes. I just couldn't tell if they were lying down or if the photo was just tilted and adjusted.
I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Aries and I didn't have a single photo together. Not even when we were kids. Maybe for others, it was just a simple picture, but to me, it was a big deal. Especially now that he was making an effort to be close to me again—I just wished we had at least one picture together.
I moved the phone away when it suddenly rang. Ella was calling via video.
"Aries! Your girlfriend wants to video call!" I shouted, hoping he'd hear me over the sound of the shower.
"What?!" he yelled back.
"Your girlfriend! Video call!" I yelled even louder.
"I can't hear you! If Ella calls, answer it! It might be important!"
Oh? He said to answer? Fine, then.
I did as he said and picked up the call. Ella's flawless face immediately filled the screen. Unlike me, whose phone camera probably captured my nostrils first.
Pretty girls always get the best angles.
["Jay? Why are you holding Aries' phone?"] she asked irritably.
"Playing a game," I replied innocently.
["Can you give the phone to Aries?"] she ordered.
I shook my head. "He's in the shower. Do you need something?"
I could see the irritation in her eyes, and she almost rolled them at me multiple times.
Honestly, I wasn't happy with how she was acting toward me. I'd been annoyed at her for a long time, but I let it slide.
But I wasn't about to let go of how she refused to share her food with me before we left the hospital. She's dead meat. I'm going to piss her off.
"Aries is taking a shower because he's getting ready to sleep… with me," I said sweetly.
["Sleep… with you?"]
Here we go, almost there.
"Yeah, we're sharing a bed," I bragged, watching her jaw slightly drop.
["I don't think it's a good idea for you two to sleep together. You're a boy and a girl. What would people think—"]
"Hey, we're siblings. What's wrong with that?"
["Even so!"] she snapped, raising her voice.
She looked like she was getting really pissed. I wanted to smirk and laugh at her, but I held back. I had to make this moment worth it.
"You have such a dirty mind. We're not doing anything bad. We're just sleeping… while hugging."
She was completely livid now. It looked like she wanted to pull me out of the phone screen and rip my hair out. She might as well pull me away from the phone and start a catfight with me.
"You know, today has been too long for Aries. He did a lot, and he needs to rest. You sleeping there won't help."
Smart, but I'm smarter.
"No. I'll help him sleep. I'll give him a massage. I'll knead his—"
"Oh my God!"
"—his muscles." I pretended to be confused by her reaction. "Why are you reacting like that? It's not like I'm going to do something indecent to my own brother."
She gave me a sharp look before forcing a fake smile.
"Of course not. Keifer wouldn't like that."
Damn it!
Why did she have to mention that nuisance? Does she not realize that's an offensive word? Is this a personal attack? She really won't accept defeat.
Well, neither will I!
"Even if he doesn't like it, there's nothing he can do about it." My tone carried a hint of arrogance. "And I don't care about him. You two can be together for all I care."
"Wow, so bold." She said, clearly sarcastic.
"Of course. So don't worry about Aries. I've got him covered. I'll hug him tight tonight so he won't be able to escape." I flashed a wide grin.
She raised an eyebrow for a moment before returning a smile—one so sweet I felt like ants would swarm her. Hopefully, the big ones.
"Go ahead, hug him. He actually moves a lot in his sleep, unlike Keifer, who barely stirs." She even winked.
What? Excuse me, say that again!
I blinked a few times. If I hadn't thought of annoying her as revenge for not letting me sleep here, I would've already cursed her out.
"Unlike Keifer, Aries falls asleep quickly when he's not hugging anyone." She added. "Neither of them snores, though."
Damn it.
"But Keifer sleeps more soundly." She continued.
"They both prefer sleeping without a shirt on."
Damn.
"But Keifer prefers the lights off."
You...
"And, of course, he likes a tight hug when he wakes up."
Ella...
"Oh, and he also likes getting kissed when he wakes up." She added.
My plan was to annoy her to get back at her for being selfish with Aries, but it seems things have turned around. Looks like I'm the one getting pissed off.
"Oh, why? Did I say something wrong?" She asked, feigning concern.
I stared at her intently before blinking. I had the urge to scratch her flawless face. She was probably born without pores.
"You know what?" I said, seeing her anticipation for what I'd say next. "At midnight." Her eyebrow arched. "I'm going to grab Aries' thing."
Her nostrils flared in anger and shock.
"His what?!"
I heard the bathroom door open, so I quickly ended the video call. Aries walked out wearing boxer shorts and a blue tank top, towel-drying his hair.
"What are you going to grab?" He asked, looking at me.
Oh, so he heard.
"Did you hear what I was saying earlier?" I asked in return.
He shook his head. "Just the last part. But I didn't understand it." He tossed the towel into a basket near the bathroom door. "So, what were you going to grab?"
Your thing.
"Your blanket." I answered, making him frown slightly.
"Why?"
He shook his head before messing up his hair. He was about to sit on the bed when someone knocked, and the door opened. Aries and I both turned to see who it was.
It was Kuya… Did I do something wrong?
"Hey, Kuya!" I greeted.
His forehead creased when he saw me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm sleeping over."
"Whatever." He turned to Aries. "I need a hand."
Aries nodded and started walking toward him. I quickly stood up to follow, but Kuya stopped me.
"Just Aries. Stay here and go back to your room. Sleep there. You're just being a nuisance." He scolded before turning away and leaving.
So grumpy!
I just grimaced. Aries shook his head before following him. Left alone, I just rolled around on the bed. I only stopped when I accidentally hit Aries' phone.
Looks like he really left it behind. Time to continue annoying Ella.
I quickly grabbed the phone and opened Aries' Messenger. I was planning to message Ella, but Aries might see it and scold me.
He'd curse me out. That's his horoscope.
I thought about playing some good games instead. I was about to leave Messenger when a message suddenly popped up from that living coloring book. I wasn't planning to read it, but I couldn't understand why she sent this:
"I need money."
I frowned. Is she asking for a loan? Why is she borrowing money from Aries? Is she struggling that much?
I know this girl is well-off—she even has her own car.
Is she related to Drew?
I shrugged and was about to continue what I was doing when another message from her came in. This time, I couldn't help but read the whole thing.
"Keifer is not givin...."
The message got cut off. My fingers itched to tap her name to see the full message, but Aries would know I read it. Freya would also think Aries was online.
I bit my nail, debating whether to read it or not.
Whatever. Batman and Robin can deal with it. Two of them are enough for backup.
I tapped Freya's name, and the full conversation appeared. I checked the latest message.
Freya:
"Keifer is not giving me money anymore. I'm blaming your cousin-turned-sister."
Keifer was giving her money?!
I couldn't understand why that damn snake king was giving her money. I know it's his money, and I have no right to interfere, but I still couldn't wrap my head around it.
A strange pang hit my chest. My lips trembled, so I bit them. Aries might scold me later, but my mind was filled with questions that desperately needed answers.
I scrolled through their previous messages, trying to find a clue—any answer to my questions. I even tried going back to their very first conversation, but it was too far back. Even though their chats were sparse, sometimes months apart, the start was still too distant.
I didn't stop. I had to find out.
Freya:
"I have a new car. He gave it to me.❤️"
Aries:
"What did you give in return?"
Freya:
"Nothing. He has no right to ask for anything in return."
Aries:
"When will you stop? Leave Keifer alone."
Freya:
"He promised this to me."
I dropped the phone and rubbed my face. Even her car—Keifer was the one who gave it to her.
But why? What kind of promise was that?
I continued reading their conversation.
Freya:
"She's eww. Stop talking to her."
Aries:
"Ella hasn't done anything to you."
Freya:
"My new phone from Keifer was delayed because of her!"
Aries:
"Just stop."
Freya:
"She's a silent bitch. I can sense her."
If I'm not mistaken, this was the time when Ella had already moved to Section A. Looking at the dates, there were long gaps between their messages, like they only talked once in a blue moon.
Freya:
"You okay? How's your face?
Which one hurt more?
Keifer or Yuri's fist? 😂
You're really standing by your decision.
At least choose a decent girl.
You really prefer a classy market vendor?
She's a fcking social climber."*
Aries:
"One more insult. I might forget we're friends."
Freya:
"Whatever."
I kept scrolling, searching for clues, but it felt like the answers to my questions were slipping further away. Until one message completely shattered me.
Freya:
"I think I'm pregnant."
Aries:
"You let him use you?"
Freya:
"Jeez. Stop using that word—'use'."
Aries:
"When will you learn?
Every time you message me about him, I badly want to puke."
Freya:
"It's like you were never friends.
And besides, Keifer said he's ready to support me financially.
Maybe I should just make him the father. He will never say no to me."
Aries:
"Delete his contact and go to sleep.
I'll go with you to the doctor tomorrow."
Freya:
"No need. I can take care of myself."
I clutched my face as tears fell on their own. I didn't know why everything I read felt so heavy on me. Even though it wasn't clear if they were really talking about Keifer being the possible father of her child.
It could be that he wasn't—since Freya said she would make him the father.
But I still didn't understand. Why did he have to be involved in Freya's affairs? Why was he giving her money? A car and a phone, too? And Aries knew about all of this.
I wiped my tears and forced myself to calm down. I checked the date of the messages. If I wasn't mistaken, this was during the time I was still engaged to Yuri—and Keifer already knew about us.
I understood nothing. I tried to see if Freya had sent any more messages about her pregnancy, and I let out a breath of relief when I saw the picture she had sent.
Negative.
Yes, she wasn't pregnant, but it still hurt. My chest still felt heavy and painful. I was so confused. What if Freya was actually the one he wanted all along? Maybe I was wrong to be worried about Ella when, in reality, it was another woman Keifer was obsessed with.
I collapsed face-first onto the bed and cried. It was so frustrating not having any answers to my questions.
He needed to come home and explain. This had to end—if I wasn't really the one he loved.
Come back already, you idiot, so I can punch you!