Jay-jay's POV
I felt so bad for David. I used to see him as strong and impressive, but now he looked like a wilted vegetable. Not to mention, I was one of the people who teased him earlier.
So, to make it up to him, I bought him a drink while we waited outside the bookstore. The troublemakers had scattered because there was an event happening nearby. A lot of girls in skirts and fitted blouses were dancing.
I approached David, who was sitting on a bench in the middle of the walkway. He kept punching his shoulder and arm like he was trying to massage them.
"This is for you." I said, handing him a milk tea.
He looked at what I was holding but took the water bottle in my other hand instead.
"Water is fine." He said as he twisted the cap open.
That made me smile. I actually couldn't afford to buy two milk teas, so I had planned to give him the water and keep the milk tea for myself. But I felt guilty, so I was about to give him the milk tea instead.
Good thing he made the decision for me.
I get to enjoy this.
I sat beside him. "Are you sure? You don't want it?" I asked again before poking the straw through the cup's lid.
He smiled and shook his head. "I'd rather not see you not getting what you want."
I squinted at him. "Wow. Spoiling me now? Your girlfriend must be so lucky."
"If we were still together, maybe."
I froze at his words. "W-what?"
He took a sip before quickly closing the bottle and answering. "You haven't heard?"
I shook my head. But honestly, I had my suspicions because of the things I'd been noticing about him.
"Well, when I got back from New York, she was colder than the American weather." He said, shaking his head. "At first, I thought it was just jet lag."
"W-what happened?"
"She found someone else."
Ouch...
I suddenly lost my appetite for milk tea. But only almost—of course, I still drank it.
What a situation. David even worked for Percy because of her, and yet this is how it ended. It's sad. He put in so much effort and endured so much.
"S-she didn't even talk to you properly?" I asked, a hint of accusation in my tone.
"She did try to talk to me. But obviously, she felt ashamed, so it took her multiple attempts."
I shook my head. So she does know how to be embarrassed. But I still felt bad for David.
"Then what? How did the truth come out?" I asked, completely invested in the gossip. I sipped my milk tea and chewed on a pearl. Chew, chew.
"I was the one who opened up the topic. That's when she finally had the courage to tell the truth."
I sipped my milk tea again while looking at him. He glanced at me as I slowly chewed on the pearl.
"I just accepted it. I was the same with her, anyway." he said, gradually locking eyes with me.
It took me a while to realize. A while before it sank in. A while before it became clear.
I fell silent at what he said. I almost swallowed the pearl whole. My eyes stayed fixed on him, widening as I fully processed his words.
The same with her?
"Y-you too?"
He didn't look away either. I could see his lips part slightly before closing again. I even noticed his Adam's apple move as he swallowed.
"J-Jay..."
"You also fell for someone else..." I let out a deep sigh. "You liked someone else too?! Damn these feelings! Why are they like this?!"
I saw his expression ease up. It was as if a huge burden had been lifted from him. He even let out a quiet exhale.
Why was he reacting like that?
"So even you?" I asked again.
He nodded. "At least we're even, right?"
I nodded. He had a point. No one got hurt, and there was no blame. They were both setting each other free. There was regret, but at least they ended things properly.
"And neither of us will be liked back by the ones we fell for."
I looked at him in confusion. "Why not? You're David—you even beat Goliath."
He chuckled and shook his head. "It's no use. The person I like is already likes someone else."
Ouch.
"That's sad. Want me to play you a tune on the world's smallest violin?" I said, raising two fingers and rubbing them together, making a fake sound.
Thank you, Mr. Krabs.
He laughed heartily. "Thanks for the free music."
I smiled. At least I lightened his mood. He might not have been hurt by his breakup, but he was hurt by the person he liked.
"What about your ex-girlfriend's crush? Do you know who it is?" I asked, taking another sip of milk tea.
He nodded. "She fell for someone unexpected. Percy."
Oh, for—
I suddenly swallowed the pearl whole. I started coughing, and he immediately helped me.
"Shit," he muttered, opening the bottle in his hand and handing it to me.
I took it without hesitation and drank quickly. I didn't care if he had already taken a sip from it.
I gasped for air after drinking. He looked at me with concern. That was shocking. If he was joking, it was a terrible one. And Percy of all people.
"Don't joke about things like that," I scolded, handing him back the bottle.
"That wasn't a joke," he replied seriously.
My eyes widened as I wiped my mouth. "Seriously?"
He nodded. "They used to see each other a lot in New York. Percy's friendly, so I'm not surprised."
"D-does Percy know?"
"As far as my ex knows, Percy doesn't."
But he definitely knows. It's Percy. He's probably even more full of himself now that he's aware. His ego must've leveled up again.
Signal No. 7.
"I kind of feel bad for you," I said, trying not to laugh.
"What for?"
"Of all people, why Percy?" I replied, and he laughed too.
My stepbrother is handsome. But since he's too caught up in admiring himself, he just ends up looking like a comedian.
"Well, what can I say? My handsomeness is on another level," he said, making us laugh even harder.
"What's so funny?" Yuri suddenly asked, catching us off guard. I hadn't noticed that he had already approached us. It seemed like they had just come out of the bookstore. Behind him were Mica and Calix, while Josh was waiting for Eman to finish at the cashier.
"We're talking about Percy," I said, shifting my attention to the paper bag in his hand. "What did you buy?" I asked, taking the bag from him.
"Some books," he answered lifelessly, making me glance at him.
His gaze was serious as he looked at David. The tension grew stronger when David stood up to meet Yuri's stare. I instinctively stood up as well, watching the two of them.
"W-why?" I asked them, but no one answered.
I looked at Calix, who was now standing beside Josh and Eman, hoping they knew what was happening. But they seemed just as clueless as I was.
"Know your place, Braselton. Know your place," Yuri said, making the atmosphere even heavier.
David smirked. "I know exactly my place. Do you know yours?"
What is this about now?
I knew Yuri had a certain hostility toward David, but I didn't expect it to escalate like this. I felt like something had happened that we weren't aware of.
"D-David. Yuri," I called out to them gently.
I didn't want another fight in our section. We had just gotten over one issue, and now we had a new enemy to deal with. We wouldn't stand a chance if we were divided while our enemies were targeting us.
Almost at the same time, the two of them broke eye contact. Yuri stepped closer to me, and I thought he would take the paper bag, but instead, he grabbed my hand.
"Let's go," he said.
I had no choice but to follow him. I tried to glance back at David, but Yuri pulled me closer. I knew the others would follow us, but I didn't like the tension between us.
"Yuri," I called his name. "What happened?"
He took a deep breath and slowed his pace. "Why do you have to be so innocent?"
Huh?
What was he talking about? I looked at him in confusion, but he just forced a smile. His steps became normal, and the tension in his shoulders disappeared. But he was still holding my hand.
As we approached an event happening in the middle of the mall, we saw the Ulupong enjoying the performance. They cheered every time the skirts of the female dancers lifted. But something caught my attention. Someone had an arm draped around Felix's neck, practically restraining him.
"Felix," I said, pointing at him.
Felix tried to fight back, causing them to turn, and I finally recognized who was restraining him.
"Hey, Percy!" I called out, my voice slightly raised.
Both of them stopped and turned to face me.
"Jay-Jay, buddy! How's it going?" Percy greeted me while still holding onto Felix.
Buddy? Did he just call me his buddy?
As I got closer, Felix kept struggling to break free.
"Let go of me already," Felix complained.
Percy smacked him on the head. "I'm not letting you go. We're sending you to school so you can study, and here you are, watching girls dance."
"You were watching too!" Felix retorted, and they started wrestling again.
They only stopped when they were right in front of us. Percy immediately noticed Yuri holding my hand. He let go of Felix and turned to us with a grin.
"What? Are you making the most of your time now?" he teased Yuri. "Better enjoy it while you can."
I looked at them in confusion. The tension was starting to rise again.
"Why are you here, Percy?" I asked, trying to divert his attention. Thankfully, he turned to me.
"I was going to buy something, then I saw this idiot—" he smacked Felix again. "—just standing here watching."
Felix seemed to get annoyed and was about to retaliate, but Percy raised a fist to stop him. I immediately stepped in between them to prevent a fight.
"We don't have classes anymore!" I clarified before pulling Felix away. "Maybe ask first next time!"
Percy clutched his chest dramatically, as if my words had wounded him. Here he goes again with his theatrics.
"My own siblings are ganging up on me!" he whined, pretending to cry. He then walked over to David and rested his head on his shoulder. "They're so mean to me, David—oh hey, milk tea, can I have some?"
"That's mine!" I shouted, but he had already taken it and sipped.
Unbelievable. The audacity.
I had completely forgotten that I had put it down earlier. If I had known David brought it for me, I would've grabbed it first before this annoying stepbrother of mine did.
"Delicious!" Percy said with a grin. "Want some?" he offered.
"No thanks! I'd be embarrassed to take it from you!" I huffed in frustration, but he just laughed.
I hope you choke on it.
We waited for the performance to end because the others were still enjoying it. Ci-N even started copying the dance moves, waving at the girls. And of course, Eren was acting like a politician, only talking to the pretty and sexy ones.
Yuri and I were standing next to each other, and I noticed that he seemed deep in thought. I nudged him lightly to get his attention.
"Why are you so quiet?" I asked.
He smiled and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. "I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"You," he answered quickly.
I cringed. "I'm right in front of you, and you're still thinking about me? Aren't you tired of seeing my face?"
A sweet smile appeared on his lips. "Never," he said before kissing my forehead.
Before I could even protest, an empty milk tea cup suddenly flew at him, hitting the back of his head.
"Oops. My hand slipped," Percy said with a mischievous grin.
I saw Yuri getting irritated but trying to stay calm. When I looked at my annoying stepbrother, he was already laughing with David.
Idiot.
"Just Let it go, Jay," Yuri said as he wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief.
I couldn't help but look back and forth between him and Percy. Ever since my annoying stepbrother returned, I never saw him smile at Yuri the way he did with Aries and Kei-Kwanan.
Yes, they were together, but it was casual, as if they barely knew each other. I once asked Percy why, but he refused to tell me, and we even argued about it.
"Yuri, why does it feel like Percy has something against you?"I asked worriedly.
He paused for a moment, staring at the floor. I thought he was finally going to tell me, but when he looked up, he just shrugged.
I kept my gaze on him. Why did it feel like something was off with him lately? His restlessness, his unexplained absences, hiding his problems, and now, lying to me.
What's happening to you, Yuri?
I heard the event host thanking everyone over the speaker, but a familiar voice caught my attention—actually, everyone's attention.
"Hello? We had fun watching! I'd like to give a shoutout to my friends! Section E!" Ci said happily into the mic while jumping up and down. "Grandpa Dabid! I hope your back doesn't hurt anymore! Eren! Got yourself a new batch of girlfriends again?! Eman—he's the man of steel! Kit and Mayo! Haha, they're so flirty! Josh! No reason, just wanted to say your name! Blaster! Don't explode! Rory, Rory, Rory, rawr! Drew! Give me back my 7! Denzel! Hope your kid's a boy! Or a girl! Or maybe Barbie!"
He kept looking around for more people to greet. "Edrix, Calix, Felix! They all have 'Lix' in their names—wait, where are they?!" He finally spotted two of them near us and waved. "Oh, there they are! Wait, who's that?! Someone's uncircumcised!"
I saw Percy about to step forward, but Felix quickly stopped him. He didn't even hear his name, yet he was so affected. He's so obvious.
And to think he always says Ci is annoying.
"Oh! Jay-jay!" Ci called out to me while waving.
I grimaced, especially when I noticed people turning to look in my direction. I wanted to just cover my face so they wouldn't see me.
Ci-N kept jumping up and down. "Wave over here, Jay-jay!"
I reluctantly waved a little.
"Don't be sad! Don't worry, soon—!"
His words were cut off by a high-pitched noise from the speaker.
When we looked over, Edrix and Rory were already dragging him away. His feet were lifted off the ground since the ones carrying him were taller.
They were heading toward us, followed by the rest of the gang. I raised an eyebrow when I noticed Eren talking to a girl. They were exchanging sweet smiles. The girl handed him her phone, and he typed something on it before handing it back with a charming smile.
Another new girl. Another basher for me.
"I wasn't done talking!" Ci complained before they unceremoniously dropped him.
"Hey, David! Take care of your grandson!" Blaster said.
Ci walked over to him, but David just smacked him with a bottle.
The brat turned to me with a sulky face. "Are we eating now?" He asked, pouting.
I pinched his cheek. "Yes, we're eating now."
Everyone started suggesting places to eat. Some wanted fast food, while others preferred something more filling.
"Let's just go for an eat-all-you-can buffet." Percy suggested, making us turn to look at him.
Wait, you're included?
"Wow, the audacity. You don't even belong." Someone muttered.
And just like that, the battle between Percy and Ci-N began. A heated exchange of insults, mixed with heavy name-calling.
"Shorty! Shorty! Shorty!"
"Uncircumcised! Uncircumcised! Uncircumcised!"
"This is taller than you! These are lightsabers!" Percy argued.
"Still uncircumcised!"
People were already staring at us. The gang just stood there watching, while I scratched my head in frustration. Mica and Calix walked up to me, clearly fed up with the two as well.
"We'll go find a place to eat first. We'll text you." Calix said.
"We'll probably look for one too." Yuri replied.
In the end, we split up to find a place to eat. Calix's group searched one side of the mall, while Yuri and I checked the other.
We passed by so many restaurants, but most of them seemed like they wouldn't be enough to fill us up. Percy was probably right—maybe we should just go for an eat-all-you-can.
Guess we should include him. It would be rude not to.
"I'll call Calix." Yuri said as he dialed his phone.
While he was talking, I noticed people suddenly running in different directions. The crowd walking through the mall quickly dispersed.
Yuri also turned to look. "What's happening?" He asked, raising his arm slightly in front of me as if to shield me, gently pushing me behind him.
I was about to answer, but before I could process what was happening, someone suddenly bumped into me—so hard that I literally rolled on the floor.
"Damn it..." was all I could say.
Splat!
"Jay-jay!" Yuri shouted, rushing toward me.
"I'm so sorry!" A girl said, her accent sounding unusual.
I feel like I've heard that accent before.
The first thing I noticed was her long hair—so long that it touched the floor when she knelt down to help me. And it was red—naturally red.
I thought hair like that only existed in anime. But I guess I was now seeing it in real life.
When I lifted my face, I was met with her smooth, flawless skin. No pores! My face, with all its scars from past fights, was nothing compared to hers.
"Are you okay, Jay?" Yuri asked as he knelt down to help me.
But instead of either of them helping me up, they just froze—staring at each other like they were trying to recognize one another. Like in those movies where the leads fall in love at first sight.
But why was I stuck in the middle?
I thought they were having a moment, but then the woman's eyebrows slowly furrowed, as if she were insulted by Yuri's hair. That's where her gaze had landed now.
She turned to me and gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry again." She was about to stand up, but Yuri stopped her.
"Wait!" he said, grabbing at her—but instead of her arm, he accidentally pulled her long hair.
"Itai!" the woman yelped, falling on top of me from the force of Yuri's tug.
"Ouch..." I groaned, still unable to get up.
Uh, could one of you please help me first?
Now I realized why her accent was familiar—she was the same nationality as the person next to me.
I saw the shock on both their faces, especially the woman's, who hadn't expected her hair to be pulled like that. She glared at Yuri, and he quickly let go.
Then, she started speaking rapidly in Japanese. I raised an eyebrow— I didn't understand a word, but I knew she was cursing him out. She was absolutely roasting Yuri, who just sat there, stunned.
The woman quickly stood up and ran off. She didn't even bother helping me anymore—not that Yuri, who looked like he had just seen death, was any help either.
I had to get up on my own while he remained seated on the floor.
"What? Are you just gonna sit there?" I asked, dusting myself off.
He stood up, but his expression didn't change. I couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Hey! What happened to you?"
"I'm dead."