Jay-jay's POV
I woke up early. Not because I had a good sleep but because someone slapped me.
Ouch!
Ci-N moves around so much in his sleep that he accidentally smacked me. I wanted to hit him back, but I held back. If I did, he'd probably get a bruise from how hard I'd hit him!
I just got up and peeked outside the tent.
It was so quiet, and I didn't hear anyone moving yet. The only sounds were birds chirping and leaves rustling.
I stepped out of the tent and stretched—something I instantly regretted. My body ached, especially the parts that got beaten up. I rested for a bit before grabbing my toothbrush and some water to wash my face.
I didn't bother going to the bathroom since it was too far. It was such a hassle, and I was only washing my face anyway. I'd take a proper shower later.
While brushing my teeth, I noticed Yuri's hammock move. Someone was lying there, completely wrapped in a blanket.
Wait!
Did Yuri sleep there? I stared at the hammock for a while, and my suspicion was confirmed when the person lying there sat up.
Yuri blinked sleepily and looked at me. How is he still so handsome even when he just woke up?
"Good morning." I greeted him.
Instead of responding right away, he just stared at me like he was trying to recognize me. Then, he reached for something beside him—his glasses! He put them on and looked at me again.
"Oh, it's you." He said with a smile. "...Good morning."
I wanted to smile back, but for some reason, my lips wouldn't move. I felt too shy around him—way too shy! I was trying to fix what was left between us, but it felt like I couldn't do it anymore.
He climbed out of his hammock and grabbed his toothbrush from his bag. Then, he walked over to me and took some water from the jug beside me.
"Sorry... I didn't recognize you." He said before starting to brush his teeth.
"It's okay... But why are you wearing glasses again?" I asked.
I didn't want to completely distance myself from him. If anything, I owed him a lot. It would be wrong to ignore that just because of our situation.
"I take out my contacts before sleeping. I can't see clearly without them, so... I have to use these for now." He explained, pointing to his glasses.
I nodded. Is it hard to wear glasses? But I guess it's harder to have blurry vision. A blurry world.
"My parents were asking about us, by the way." He suddenly said, making me freeze.
I glanced around for a moment. If someone overheard us, it would definitely turn into another conversation or even an argument.
"W-what did you tell them?"
He smiled at me. "I told them we're fine."
But we're not fine.
"Y-Yuri—"
"Don't say it." He cut me off. "...I know you're going to ask to call off the engagement."
I couldn't look at him. Am I that obvious? I just didn't understand why this had to continue.
I finished brushing my teeth and immediately returned to my tent. Ci-N was already awake, blinking sleepily at me with a grin.
He even has a bruise.
"You woke up early." He said.
"Well, if someone slaps you in your sleep, let's see if you don't wake up." I muttered while grabbing some clothes from my bag.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
I set my clothes aside. I planned to shower right after breakfast, but that wouldn't be until later since Eman was still asleep.
I stepped out of the tent and saw that some of the others were awake as well.
Josh walked past me, and I don't know why, but something felt off about the way he looked at me.
I watched him walk away.
What's his problem?
I saw Felix picking up small branches. It looked like he was gathering firewood. I quickly approached him and helped.
"You're up early?" he remarked.
"So we can gather more." I answered with a smile.
"But our cook is still asleep." he said, laughing.
I laughed along with him. None of us could eat until Eman woke up—he was the only one who could cook well among us.
I had tried to learn from Eman before, but I eventually gave up. One time, I held the knife incorrectly, and he smacked my hand so hard.
And that was just for holding the knife!
"Felix! Jay-jay!" Someone called out to us.
We both turned and saw Rory walking toward us.
As we approached, we noticed that everyone was already awake, and it looked like there was something serious to discuss.
"Is everyone here?" Edrix asked.
We all looked around. Once it was confirmed that no one was missing, almost everyone answered at the same time, "Yes."
"Okay... We need to prepare early. The retreat program starts at 9 AM. Lunch will be at 12 PM, and then at 1:30 PM, there will be a recreational activity," Rory explained. "...but we're not included in that."
We all had the same reaction. What do you mean we're not included? What was even the point of us being here if we weren't part of it? Were we just here to be extras?
"What? Why?" I asked.
"How did that happen?" Denzel questioned.
Rory chuckled. "You guys act like this is something new."
He even scratched his head. "...Of course, we were never actually part of it. The only reason we're here is because of Sir Alvin."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Blaster asked, annoyed.
Even I was starting to get irritated. Were we just here as decoration so they could say that all of the fourth years were present?
"For the 9 AM program, we're still included. Then we'll have lunch. After that, we'll just take a siesta," Rory explained.
"Boring," Calix said in a dull tone.
"Then just go join your girlfriend," Ci-N suggested to Calix.
"If I could, I would."
It really was boring. A siesta? We already got plenty of sleep at night, and now we had to nap again?
"There's nothing else we can do," Eman said as he opened two packs of hotdogs. "...We can't go out anymore, or we'll get scolded."
"Do you guys want to go swimming?" I asked absentmindedly, causing everyone to look at me.
Truthfully, I still remembered a lot about this place, even though it had been a long time since I last hung out here.
"Is there a pool here?" Ci asked.
I shook my head. "There's a small waterfall and a river."
The troublemakers suddenly perked up and gathered around me. I could see their interest in what I had just said.
"Really? Let's go there instead!"
"Wait! What if the organizers don't allow it?"
"Then let's not tell them!"
"Is it far from here?"
"Let's just go swimming!"
"We can go there if you want, but the path is a bit overgrown," I said.
I could see the excitement on everyone's faces—except for Keifer, who was still yawning, Yuri, who was just smiling at me, and Josh, who didn't seem to care.
"That's fine! Let's just go there!" Ci-N said excitedly.
"Let's talk about this later!" Eman said before turning to me. "...Help me out here."
I immediately went over to assist him with cooking breakfast. He had prepared two packs of hotdogs, five packs of bacon, and a dozen eggs. He also fried some leftover rice from last night's meal.
Meanwhile, the others were busy drinking coffee while waiting. I had a feeling that the food we brought wouldn't be enough with the way everyone ate.
They really eat like crazy!
After cooking, we fed the troublemakers. It was obvious that the little rascal was excited about swimming—his hands were even moving as if he was already paddling in the water.
Go ahead. Keep swimming!
I just wasn't sure if the path we always used was still there. The area had been developed, so it might have disappeared.
After eating, everyone rushed to the restroom, knowing they'd have to compete for a spot. As for me, I took it easy. I just had to wait a little longer before I could take a bath.
I wasn't disappointed—when I arrived, there were only a few people in the bathroom. As I was preparing my clothes and towel, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What Ella said.
What truth was she talking about? What was it about? My brain was itching to figure out what she meant.
What is it? And when did they even talk? As far as I knew, Ella had stopped approaching Keifer and Yuri—except for last night… Shit! That's right!
When Yuri took Snorlax, Ella said something, and Yuri seemed to nod. Could that have been it? Segway!
Damn it! I can't sit still because of this so-called truth! If this turns out to be meaningless, I swear I'm pulling Ella's hair out! Even if it means fighting with Aries!
I continued bathing since I could hear more people entering the restroom. I finished quickly and left right away.
When I got back to the site, only a few people were there. The others were still missing, and it looked like they'd take a while.
"Get ready, Jay! Let's go ahead!" Eman said.
I nodded at him and went straight to my tent. I dropped off my things and got ready. Then, I went over to Eman and Edrix, who were waiting for me.
"What about the others?" I asked as we walked.
"They'll follow. Our seats are at the back anyway, so they'll find us easily," Eman replied.
We continued walking until we reached the hall. Eman was right—our section was seated at the very back.
A huge sign reading 'SECTION E!' was placed on the bench in front of us, so there was no way we'd get lost. As soon as we sat down, Josh and Mayo arrived, followed by Ci-N, who immediately sat next to me.
Soon after, the others arrived. We were now complete, all facing the stage where one of the organizers was standing.
"Good morning, everyone!" the organizer greeted.
"Good morning!" everyone responded.
He smiled and looked at all of us. "We would like to start the program with prayers. So please, everyone! Stand up."
We immediately stood. One of our batchmates stepped up to the mic and began to lead the prayer. Afterward, we sat down again and listened to the organizer.
"Thank you so much for… Blah blah blah…"
For some reason, I started feeling sleepy while listening. I kept yawning and rubbing my eyes as they watered.
I leaned my head against Ci-N's shoulder for a moment. He didn't resist and just let me be. Slowly, my eyelids began to droop—it was just too damn drowsy in here.
I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. Even in my dreams, I could still hear something—it sounded like bees buzzing inside a bottle.
"Jay…" someone called my name.
I didn't answer. I wasn't sure if I was still dreaming. The voice disappeared, and suddenly, I heard applause.
Crap! It's over!
There was clapping, which meant it was over. I immediately opened my eyes and started clapping along. The only problem was, when I looked around after opening my eyes, no one else was clapping.
I stopped clapping and glanced around. Our batchmates were already standing up. I looked at Ci-N, who was beside me, giggling nonstop.
"Nice! Jay!" Drew said, laughing.
Damn it!
They pranked me again! Damn it! I looked like an idiot, clapping all by myself. I shot all of them a glare.
"Had a good nap? Looks like you stayed up late," Felix teased, and immediately, they all turned to look at the person beside me.
"Looks like you tired her out last night," Eren teased Ci-N.
Idiots! Animals!
"She really did," Ci answered casually, completely oblivious, and they all went silent.
They looked at me, then at Keifer. Even without speaking, I knew exactly what they were thinking. Their minds are so dirty! I glanced at the King, who already had his brows furrowed, clearly ready to punch someone.
"...Our conversation was really long. We talked about all sorts of things," Ci-N added, and the snakes finally looked relieved.
Green-minded fools!
"We thought you did something else," Blaster said, laughing.
"Enough. Let's eat," Keifer said and immediately stood up.
The others followed him. There was already a long line in front of the food table.
"Is it lunchtime already?" I asked Ci-N.
He nodded. "You were sleeping so soundly. We felt bad waking you up."
Wew.
We lined up for lunch. Luckily, it seemed like there was plenty of food prepared for all of us this time.
Unlike yesterday, when we were only left with scraps. Ci handed me a tray. The tray had curved sections where the food would be placed directly.
After getting our food, we headed back to our previous spot. But just my luck—someone bumped into me, and my food almost spilled.
"What a shame, it didn't fall," I heard the person who bumped into me whisper.
I turned to glare at them, and my irritation skyrocketed when I saw who it was.
"Freya… Don't start any trouble," Mica warned from behind her, standing with their classmates.
"Shut it, Mica!" she snapped before facing me again. "...So, what's this I heard? You and..." She looked over at Keifer, who was standing not too far from us. "...What a great choice!"
Drama again! Just great!
"I don't want any trouble, Freya," I said calmly but firmly.
"Oh really?!" she asked sarcastically. "...Well, that's too bad. Because trouble is exactly what I want."
"Freya! Please..." Mica pleaded.
Freya ignored her. I saw Ella standing beside Mica, smirking mischievously. I turned my gaze back to Freya, and suddenly, I had a bad feeling.
Are they doing this on purpose?
"Freya."
"You act like you're so beautiful," she said haughtily, looking me up and down.
"Stop it, Freya!" Yuri scolded, which made her sharp gaze shift to him.
"Shut up! Don't you dare interrupt me when I'm talking!" Freya snapped angrily.
Yuri didn't respond. I glanced at him, and I had to admit, I was surprised that he didn't fight back.
"Do you think I don't know about you two?!" Her eyes darted between me and Yuri.
Shit!
How does she even know about that? I looked at Ella, who had her arms crossed. Did she tell her?
I was afraid she might shout it out loud. There were so many people watching us.
I tried to walk away, but this crazy Freya wasn't done yet. She grabbed my arm, making me drop the tray I was holding completely.
My food!
I shoved her hand away and glared at her. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"You! Because you're such a slut!"
"Wow, as if I should be ashamed in front of you!"
"Ha!" She matched my glare.
"Can you just stop, Freya?!" Felix said, clearly annoyed.
Freya turned to him. "Why are you talking to me like that? Your brother wouldn't like it."
Brother?!Was she talking about P-Percy?
Why was Percy being dragged into this? What did she mean? Did she know Percy was alive too?
"Percy has been gone for a long time! You two have been over for a long time!" Felix shot back.
Gone for a long time?!
"...Freya's boyfriend died, and then she was passed around by Keifer, Yuri, and Aries." —Kiko Evans (Chapter 135, Unexpected Visitor)
HOLY SHIT! IT WAS PERCY! Percy was Freya's dead boyfriend. Damn it! My mind reeled at the realization.
"P-Percy?" I muttered, but it seemed Freya heard me.
"So, you know him too?" she asked irritably. "...Let me guess, your 'friends' told you?" She put emphasis on the word friends.
It really is Percy. But what happened? How did she end up with Keifer and Yuri? Did they know too? How did it happen? Did they do it on purpose?
I looked at Yuri and Keifer. Both of them averted their gazes, clearly unwilling to be questioned about it.
"Did your friends also tell you what they did to me?" Freya asked angrily, glaring at the two.
What they did?
"That's enough, Freya," I said, but it was obvious she wasn't going to stop.
"Why? You don't want others to hear?"
"What do you want?!"
My fists were beginning to clench. If she didn't stop, I might actually hit her.
She crossed her arms and looked at me straight in the eye. "I want to see your reaction when you find out what those two did to me."
Even though I wanted to know, I felt like I couldn't handle it. My chest tightened, and a big part of me screamed not to find out.
"Students! What is happening here?!" our guidance counselor suddenly shouted.
Freya didn't take her eyes off me, but the other students started leaving. They seemed afraid of getting involved in the commotion.
"Ms. Hidalgo and Ms. Mariano," Sir Alvin called out to us. "...What's going on?"
Freya smiled and walked away. Her classmates followed after her. Mica looked at me apologetically.
"Section E, return to your campsite," Sir ordered us.
We had no choice but to obey. The worst part was, we still hadn't eaten.
As soon as we got back, I immediately faced Yuri and Keifer. I didn't care if the snakes were watching us.
"What was Freya talking about?" I asked, irritation clear in my voice.
I tried to stay calm, but my emotions were all over the place. I wasn't the only one who wanted answers—Edrix was listening too, I could tell.
"We're all tired and hungry. Can we talk about it later?" Keifer said firmly.
That only made me angrier. I knew he was just avoiding the topic. He'd say the same thing later.
"Why not now?!" I couldn't hold back my frustration anymore.
"Jay... Please," Yuri pleaded.
"What the hell is the problem?!"
"Because that was a mistake!" Keifer suddenly shouted, making everyone freeze. "...It was a mistake we made back then! Why do you need to know about it?! It's not like we can fix it anymore!"
Yeah, right!
Why was I even asking? Why was I even getting involved? I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head in front of them. There was no point in asking anymore. I turned around and walked away.
"Where are you going?" Yuri asked, sounding worried.
"I don't know... Just somewhere far from you guys."
"Jay..." Ci called out to me. "...I-I thought w-we were going swimming."
I knew Ci was just trying to change the topic. Maybe he was afraid things would escalate even more.
"I'm just going to check if the same pathway we used before is still there," I said, forcing a smile.
They let me leave. The way back led to the hall, but that wasn't where I was headed. Behind the hall, there was a fishpond. It was just a short walk away.
I wasn't disappointed when I reached it. The water was immediately visible. It looked like even the fishpond had been developed. In the center, there was a large gazebo that looked like a small island. A long bridge led to it.
I only glanced at it briefly before continuing to walk along the side of the fishpond. Then, I finally found what I was looking for. I headed toward the wooded area, but I was immediately greeted by barbed wire and a large Keep Out sign.
Pffttt...
That wouldn't stop me. I peeked past the barrier and saw the pathway we used to take.
I smiled when I saw that it was still there. We could still go to the small waterfalls. I was about to head back to invite them when I suddenly stopped. Someone was standing by the bridge.
She was crying, but her expression was filled with rage. I never expected to see her crying.
Freya.