Yuri's POV
Jay-jay's acting weird. All of us kept glancing at her. She couldn't sit still in her chair, looking like she wanted to do something.
"Is Jay-jay okay?" Felix asked.
I shrugged. Even I couldn't answer that. She was so cold to us this morning, and now she's acting like this after lunch.
"Son of a—!" Jay suddenly yelled, making us all look her way. "...It's so hot!"
But it was actually kind of chilly.
The weather had been cloudy since morning, so it really wasn't that warm. Jay took off her necktie and unbuttoned her blouse slightly.
Her undershirt peeked through because of it.
I stood up immediately and approached her. She was starting to flash everyone.
"Jay... Fix your uniform," I ordered, but she just rolled her eyes at me, fanning herself with her hand.
"Jay-jay smells like alcohol," Ci-N whispered to me.
Alcohol? How did...
"Who gave you alcohol?" I asked calmly.
"None of your business," she replied flatly.
She kept fanning herself. She wasn't drunk, just a little tipsy. I could tell from the way she was acting.
"Fix your uniform. You're showing—SHIT!" I cursed when she fully opened her blouse, exposing what shouldn't be seen.
I quickly took off my polo and covered her with it. She tried to remove it, but I slapped her hand away. She glared at me.
"I said it's hot!" she yelled.
That's the alcohol talking... Thank goodness she wasn't completely wasted.
"Who gave you the alcohol?" I asked, more irritated this time.
"Your bald grandpa," she spat.
I rubbed my temples at her behavior. She was being cold, snarky, and impossible to talk to.
That's the price, Yuri. That's the price.
"Damn it! It's so hot!" she shouted and threw my polo right in my face.
"What the..." I heard Keifer's voice.
I turned to see him just as he walked into the room. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Jay-jay.
Then he turned his furious gaze on me.
"Why is she like this?" he demanded.
"She's tipsy."
His scowl deepened. He took off his polo shirt just as Jay-jay started stripping again, and we both panicked.
I wrapped my polo around her, and Keifer did the same with his. Before Jay-jay could react, Keifer scooped her up like a sack of rice.
"Put me down, you asshole!" she screamed.
"Keifer..." I called after him. "...What are you going to do?"
"I don't know!" he shouted back, taking a deep breath. "...But I need to stop her!"
He stormed out of the room with Jay-jay still struggling in his arms. I followed right behind him.
He kept walking until he suddenly turned toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Where are you taking her?"
He didn't answer and just kept going until we reached the farthest room—the one with the photos of the past Section E members.
"Put me down! I'm gonna throw up on you!" Jay-jay threatened.
Keifer struggled to get the key from his pocket, then threw it at me. I caught it instantly.
"Open this goddamn door!" he barked.
Confused but obedient, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Keifer went straight inside. I turned on the lights.
He set Jay-jay down on the couch in the middle of the room. As soon as he did, she kicked him hard.
"You're always such a pain in the ass!" Jay-jay yelled at Keifer.
"Calm down, Jay," I said, trying to approach her, but she threw our polo shirts at me.
My eyes widened when I saw her chest—her uniform was wide open. I swallowed hard and looked away immediately.
Get a grip, Yuri!
"Ahhhhh! Why is my uniform open?!" Jay-jay shouted angrily.
"You're the one----!"
Keifer didn't even get to finish his sentence because Jay-jay immediately threw a pillow at him. She adjusted her uniform and shot us both a glare.
"Why are you two here?! You're planning something against me, aren't you?!"
I could only tug at my hair in frustration. I was sure Jay-jay wasn't drunk, but judging by how she was acting, I wished she was.
"Are you sure she's not drunk?" Keifer asked me.
"She's not asking for a virgin to sacrifice. So, no, she's not drunk."
Keifer seemed to understand what I meant. Maybe she was only one bottle away from actually looking for a virgin to offer in exchange for eternal life.
I turned back to Jay-jay just as she lay down on the sofa and started rolling around.
"It's so hot," she mumbled, covering her face with a throw pillow.
"Who gave her alcohol?" Keifer asked as he walked to the couch across from Jay-jay.
"I don't know. She was already acting weird when she came back after lunch."
Keifer sighed deeply, rubbing his face with both hands. I sat beside him, watching Jay-jay, who now seemed fast asleep.
This was definitely better than her almost stripping in front of the whole class earlier. She didn't eat lunch with us either. According to Felix, he tried talking to her, but she brushed him off.
I checked my watch. We wouldn't make it to the next class. Another deep sigh escaped me. This was our fault. We should never have let Jay-jay end up like this. Now we were the ones struggling with the consequences of her actions.
I glanced at Keifer, who had his eyes closed and head resting back.
"Can you..." I started, but he still didn't move. "...just tell me the truth?"
"Truth about what?" he asked nonchalantly.
He was avoiding the question again. It was so obvious he was hiding something. Maybe they believed his act, but I didn't.
"I'm not stupid, Keifer."
"If you're not stupid, then what exactly are you trying to do? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm out of your way now? You'll finally get the girl you want," he said, looking me straight in the eyes.
That was true. I should be celebrating this situation. Keifer was no longer in my way. Anytime now, Jay-jay could be mine. But not like this.
I looked at Jay-jay, sleeping peacefully. Not when she was like this. Not when she was so far from us, even though she was right in front of us. Not when she was so angry at all of us.
"I still want to know the truth."
"What for?" he asked, lighting a cigarette. He offered one to me, but I shook my head. I had quit smoking months ago.
Keifer chuckled. "You're really serious about quitting? I thought you were just kidding."
"Don't change the topic. Please answer me, Keifer."
He exhaled smoke and looked away. His attitude was starting to irritate me.
"You already know the answer, so why are you asking?" he said, taking another drag.
"I don't, Keifer. I don't know the exact answer."
"You were there when I planned all this. I thought you were part of it, but you backed out halfway."
I laughed bitterly. "Your plan. Again?" I shook my head. "That's your reason for this mess? That's your reason for hurting Jay-jay?!"
I couldn't help but raise my voice. His response was so ridiculous, it made me furious.
"That's the truth," he said indifferently.
I laughed again, but this time without any humor. Talking to him was so frustrating—might as well be talking to a wall.
"I should be the happiest guy around now that you've backed off from Jay-jay. Finally, I have a chance with her. But when I saw her hurting..." I clenched my fists. "...I wanted to punch you. I wanted to blame you for everything and make you pay."
"Why didn't you?" he challenged.
"Because I know there's something more."
"And what's that?"
"You're lying," I said, watching as his hand froze mid-drag. "You lied to us. You lied to Jay-jay. And you lied to yourself."
"I lied to no one."
"I told you, I'm not stupid!" I took a deep breath to calm myself. "You stopped your plan a long time ago. That's why the whole Section E backed off. We're not oblivious—we felt it."
He didn't respond. He just finished his cigarette and lit another one. It was hard to read his mind when he was like this.
"Keifer," I called his name, trying to keep my voice gentle. "...If you can't tell Jay-jay or the rest of Section E, at least tell me."
"I have nothing to tell you."
I couldn't hold back anymore. I grabbed him by the collar.
"Damn it, Keifer! You're in love with Jay-jay, but you chose to hurt her! Why?! What's the real reason?!"
His lifeless eyes met mine. "I'm not, Yuri. I'm not in love with her."
I punched him hard. He didn't fight back or even try to block it. He just sat there on the floor, wiping the blood from his lip.
So frustrating! Damn!
"You know I can tell when you're lying, but you just keep doing it!"
"I'm not."
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. There's really no point in talking to him about this anymore.
I'm about to leave when I remember something. "If you don't have feelings for Jay-jay, then why do you get so angry whenever other guys approach her?"
He couldn't answer. I smirked secretly. I knew he couldn't deny it when it came to jealousy. He stood up from the floor and looked at Jay-jay.
"I'm just playing around," he said and walked away.
I was left staring at the door he passed through. I thought I could finally make him admit it, but I guess I was wrong.
I'm not trying to make him confess to humiliate him. I'm doing this because it hurts. It hurts me to see Jay-jay like this. Every time she looks at Keifer, I feel her pain, and it kills me.
I never knew it would hurt so much to see someone you care about suffer. I thought I should be happy because there was no one left standing in my way. But I was wrong again.
I wiped my face with my hands and was about to approach Jay-jay, but I stopped when I saw her sitting on the sofa, hugging the throw pillow tightly.
Fvcking shit!
That means she's been awake this whole time. She heard everything!
"Jay-jay…" I called out, taking a step toward her, but she stopped me.
"P-please… just leave me a-alone for now." Her voice cracked as she spoke.
Instead of following what she said, I sat beside her and pulled her into a tight hug. She tried to push me away, but her tears started falling, and she eventually gave in.
Jay-jay cried like a child who had just been robbed of their favorite candy. I let her pour out all her pain—pain caused by us and by Keifer.
I'm so sorry you had to hear those words.
"Damn it!" she screamed in between sobs. "I told myself I wouldn't cry anymore, but here I am again!"
"I'm sorry, Jay. I'm so sorry."
She kept crying until she finally fell asleep. Her head rested on my chest while her body remained curled up next to me.
I gently brushed her hair with my fingers. I could smell the alcohol on her breath from this close. Whoever gave her that drink probably didn't mean to get her this drunk. But if I ever find out who it was, they'll definitely feel my fist on their face.
"K-Keifer…" I heard Jay-jay whisper in her sleep.
Even in her dreams.
It hurts me to see her like this. Even in her sleep, Keifer is still the one she's thinking of. If I could help her forget him, I would.
"Aishiteru…" I whispered.
I let her sleep for a while longer. By the time she woke up, classes were almost over, so we just decided to go home. I drove her home, just as I had promised Angelo. She was quiet the entire ride. When we stopped in front of her house, I grabbed her arm before she could get out.
"Jay… I'm sorry—"
"Stop apologizing, Yuri," she cut me off.
"…Your sorry won't change anything."
She slowly pulled her arm away from my grip. I didn't want to let go, but I knew I had to—for her sake. She quickly got out of the car and went inside the gate of their house. I saw Aries watching me from the porch, but I ignored him and drove away.
Halfway home, my phone rang. I immediately pulled over and answered the call. It was Hahaoya.
["That's good to hear."]
"Is there a problem?"
["Keifer is here. He's waiting for you."]
At home? Keifer?
"Okay… I'm almost there," I replied and ended the call.
I quickly drove the rest of the way home. After parking the car, I went straight to the elevator. I had a weird feeling about this. Our conversation earlier didn't end well, so I found it strange that he was here.
When I reached our floor, the maids greeted me, but I didn't wait for their formalities. I walked straight to my room, and sure enough, Keifer was there—standing on the balcony. The balcony was right next to my room. From there, you could see the entire city. The wooden floors and plants at the corners gave it a serene vibe.
"Keifer," I called his name.
He looked at me and tossed his cigarette away. He gave me his usual cold stare.
"Do me a favor," he said without hesitation.
Even though I was confused, I waited for him to continue.
"…Keep Jay-jay safe."
My forehead creased. Out of nowhere, he came here just to ask me that?
"Why are you saying that?"
"You love Jay-jay, don't you?" he asked, making me freeze. Of course, I do!
"O-of course…"
"Then here I am, letting her go. I'm stepping aside for you."
I shook my head slightly. "What are you talking about? What's going on with you?"
He didn't answer. He just stared out at the city and shook his head. Slowly, he turned around to face me and smiled. I thought he was about to say something else, but instead, he walked toward my room.
I followed him immediately. "Keifer."
"This is the only way," he said, stopping in his tracks. "The only way I can save Jay-jay…" He let out a heavy sigh. "…Is by hurting her."
He quickly left the room and disappeared.
I didn't want to overthink things, but I couldn't help but feel that his family had something to do with this.
What have you done, Keifer?