Jay-jay's POV
I wanted to ask her. I wanted her to clarify what she said earlier.
I really, really wanted to.
But I knew this wasn't the right time.
I watched her for a moment longer. Not because I enjoyed seeing her cry, but because I was seeing a different side of Freya.
The real her.
I was about to walk away, knowing that what I was doing wasn't right, but Freya noticed me first.
Crap!
She glared at me, as if waiting for me to explain myself.
I couldn't say a word. It felt like my tongue had tied itself into knots.
"What do you want?" she asked seriously.
It was obvious she didn't want to argue anymore—and neither did I.
But I still couldn't bring myself to speak.
"If you're here because of what happened earlier, just leave! I'm not in the mood for an argument!" she snapped, turning to walk away.
"Freya." She froze.
Finally! I managed to say something!
"What?!" she asked, annoyed.
Tsk! This is frustrating!
As embarrassing as it was, I wanted to know the truth.
Since I was already here, I might as well clear things up.
"T-the thing you said earlier... I just don't... understand it." I muttered.
She let out a small laugh.
"I thought your friends already told you."
I shook my head slightly.
Freya eyed me from head to toe.
"Well, I'd be more surprised if they actually did." She smirked mockingly.
And just like that, she was back to being the btch Freya!*
"What did you—"
"Yuri and Keifer are my exes." she cut me off, putting emphasis on the word ex.
Kiko already told me that.
I didn't speak. I waited for her to continue.
"When Percy died, Yuri was the first one to approach me. He comforted me, showed me he was always there for me..." she said, her eyes welling up again. "...but what that asshole did is unforgivable!"
Her tears started falling freely, but she didn't seem to care.
She wanted me to feel her pain.
"He made me fall for him and took what he wanted—like every guy does! And when he finally got what he wanted? HE THREW ME AWAY!"
Impossible!
Yuri isn't like that.
I couldn't process anything she was saying.
I wanted to believe she was lying...
But I couldn't.
Because it was the truth...
She closed her eyes as if the words she had just spoken were too painful to bear.
"He left me." she whispered.
I wanted to go to Freya and hug her. I wanted her to know that I was willing to listen. But who was I to do that? I'd be a hypocrite if I even tried. Besides, this was Freya Hidalgo—weaker than me was the last thing she was.
She wiped her tears and took a deep breath.
"And then Keifer showed up. Taking the spotlight." She shook her head slightly. "...At first, I thought I should be grateful to him, but I was wrong."
She turned to me again, and for a moment, I almost took a step back because of that look in her eyes.
"It was too good to be true. He was the ideal boyfriend every girl wanted. He treated me like a queen, even though only a few people knew we were in a relationship." Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes once again. "...but everything changed when he realized I still loved Yuri. The bastard let his jealousy consume him! It even reached the point where he raised a hand against me!"
Damn it!
Is this what Rakki was talking about? That Keifer is capable of hurting a woman?
But why? I'm so confused!
"What's worse? He controlled me! I was like a prisoner!" She took a deep breath to stop herself from crying. "...Don't talk to this guy! Don't go there! Don't come here! Don't leave your house without my permission! Never ever try to disobey me!" she mocked, imitating Keifer's voice.
She ran a hand through her hair and looked into the distance, taking deep breaths.
"Picking me up and dropping me off at home and school—people thought it was sweet. Ha!" She shook her head. "...It was torture! He did it to make sure I wouldn't go anywhere else."
She fell silent for a moment. It seemed like she didn't want to talk about it anymore. But despite my hesitation, I asked anyway. I needed to understand what was going on.
"W-what d-did you do?"
She smirked at me, as if boasting. "I went out with other guys. Until he got tired of me and broke things off."
She slept with other guys? Not just one—many? What the hell is this?!
"...Then people started calling me slut, bitch, and whore. Ha! If they knew—if you knew!" she said, pointing at me. "...Would you still judge me?"
I lowered my head. If only I had known… Maybe she could have been my friend. Maybe I would have tried talking to her back then. Maybe I would have just understood why she acted the way she did.
"I'm pathetic, right?" Her tears fell on their own.
I was about to walk closer to her, but she held out her hand to stop me.
"Don't! I don't need your fake sympathy." she said before quickly walking away.
She even bumped into me, but she didn't bother looking back.
I didn't know what to say. I wanted to blame Yuri and Keifer, but for what?
Yuri… She loved him, but he only took what he wanted and left her.
Keifer… An abusive boyfriend, capable of hurting the person he was supposed to love.
Impossible!
"Jay-jay!!" Someone called out to me.
I turned around and saw C-in, David, and Felix approaching. I composed myself and forced a smile. I didn't want them to notice that something was wrong.
"We thought you went somewhere far." C-in said as he reached me.
"I-I didn't really go far."
"Did you see it already?" Felix asked.
I looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"
"The small falls and the river. We thought you were checking out the path?"
Tsk! Deaf!
"Ahh… Y-yeah. I-I saw it. Are we going now?"
I glanced at David. His expression was different, as if he was silently telling me something's off with you.
"Sure. We've got nothing else to do." C-in said excitedly.
"I'll go get the others." Felix said before walking away.
The three of us were left there. C-in spotted the gazebo and immediately ran toward it. David and I just watched him as he peeked into every corner and post.
"We ran into Freya. Did you two talk about something?" David asked.
I deliberately avoided looking at him because I had a strong feeling he'd be able to tell if I was lying.
"Just the argument we had earlier."
He didn't ask any more questions. That's just how he was—he wasn't the type to pry or push for answers. But until now, I still couldn't figure out how he knew Percy.
C-in came running back to us, smiling widely, clearly excited.
"Is the falls far from here?" he asked.
"Kind of."
"I'm egzoyted!" he said, pretending to swim.
Throw him into the fishpond!
"They're here." David said.
I looked at the rest of the group. They all looked excited as well. But then I noticed something.
The King and Yuri weren't there. I looked in the direction they came from, thinking maybe they were just lagging behind.
"Josh, Keifer, and Yuri stayed behind." Felix said. "...They said someone had to watch over our spot."
I just nodded. Watch over? More like they just didn't want to be questioned. Those guys had a way with excuses. And as for Josh… who knows what he's up to.
"Let's go! Let's go!" said the most excited one of all.
I led the way since I was the one who knew the path. We took the overgrown route by the side of the fishpond. Just like I had seen earlier, there was a big Keep Out sign.
"We have to cross here." I said while squeezing through the wires.
"Be careful." David said, assisting me.
Once I was on the other side, I waited for the others to cross. I made sure everyone was there before continuing. We followed the pathway—the part without plants since it was frequently used.
When I said it was overgrown, I was expecting just tall grass. But what met us was much worse. The path was slippery, and there were fallen branches scattered everywhere.
"Are you sure we're on the right path?" Calix asked.
No!
But I couldn't say that. They might get mad at me—especially since I was the one who confidently suggested this trip.
"Y-yeah… This is the right way."
We continued walking. I was starting to get nervous because I had a bad feeling that we were heading the wrong way.
You're in trouble, Jay!
What I feared even more was running into a snake. That would be a new best friend for me!
My fear disappeared as soon as I heard the sound of rushing water. It grew louder with every step we took.
And just like that, their amazement showed the moment they saw the small waterfall. The water was clear, shimmering as it cascaded down and flowed away.
"Time to swim!" C-in shouted excitedly, running toward a large rock nearby.
His fellow troublemakers followed suit. The guys immediately took off their shirts—except for C-in, who was already down to his boxers. I could only slap my forehead at the sight of him.
"Damn! Looks like it's not just your height that's small, huh?" Eren teased C-in.
We all burst into laughter, which only got louder when C-in covered his lower half in embarrassment.
"Hey! That's a guy too! Try pissing him off!" Felix shouted while laughing.
"Hey!" I scolded him.
He must've forgotten there were girls around. He quickly made a peace sign and walked away.
I walked over to the large rock where they had placed their clothes. Sitting down, I watched them, looking like a bunch of kids who couldn't contain their joy.
"Jay! Come on!" they called out to me.
I just nodded at them. The truth was, I wasn't sure if I was in the mood to have fun after everything I had heard earlier.
"Don't you want to join them?"
I turned to see who spoke. David stood beside the rock, hands in his pockets, smiling as he watched the guys.
"Maybe later." I answered.
"Suit yourself." He said before taking off his shirt.
Why did it suddenly feel hotter?
He immediately joined the others in the water. C-in climbed onto his back, and they almost slipped.
As long as the organizers didn't catch us, we were safe. Otherwise, we were doomed. Let Batman deal with us. Or maybe Superman—though he seemed too busy swimming with his fellow troublemakers.
Then I noticed something. They were all running toward me.
Before I could get up from where I was sitting, they had already surrounded me.
"W-why?" I asked nervously.
W-wait a minute!
I had a bad feeling about this.
Felix and Rory grabbed my wrists before I could escape. They pulled me into the waist-deep water of the river.
They stopped and encircled me. Then they let go.
"Let the initiation begin!" C-in shouted, and they all splashed water at me at the same time.
Damn it!
I could only cover my face. There was no escape—they had completely surrounded me, laughing their heads off.
Great! I didn't even need to wade in. I was already drenched!
One by one, they stopped as they started feeling tired. I took the chance to catch my breath. I felt like I had drowned from what they did.
"Damn! Were you planning to kill me?" I asked them.
They just laughed. These animals!
"Don't be shy! Take your shirt off!" C-in teased, but he immediately received a hard smack on the head from David.
"You're really insane!"
"Why? I don't see the problem. I've already seen her naked." C-in explained while rubbing the back of his head.
My eyes widened at what he said. The others were just as shocked. Seriously? He's seen me naked?
"We're telling Keifer on you." Edrix threatened.
"Are you serious?" I asked C-in.
He innocently nodded. "I saw your bare back."
"Oh, come on!"
"He's crazy!"
"This is getting out of hand!"
Even I could only shake my head at the nonsense coming out of his mouth. He was pure chaos!
"I even saw that big birthmark on your back." He added, pointing at me.
Without realizing it, I reached for my back. A birthmark? A big one? But as far as I knew, I didn't have one.
"Are you sure you're talking about my back?" I asked him. "...I don't have a birthmark."
"You do." He insisted.
I looked at Felix, who was the closest to me.
"Can you check?" I ordered, and he stepped closer.
I lifted my shirt slightly at the back, just enough for him to see what C-in was talking about. The others also leaned in to take a look.
"There really is something." Felix said.
"Is that a birthmark? Why does it have a shape?" Edrix asked.
"Idiot! It's probably a scar." Eren countered.
"Birthmark! It's unclear, see? And if it were a scar, it should be smooth and dry by now." Calix chimed in.
"Why does it have a shape?" Eman asked.
A shape?
"It looks like the bottom of an iron." David said.
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over me—colder than the river itself. I quickly pulled my shirt down and gripped the hem tightly.
They seemed surprised by my reaction. They all turned to face me, looking at me curiously.
"Jay?" C-in called.
I lowered my head and bit my lower lip.
"I-it's not a birthmark, C-in." I almost whispered. "...i-it's a scar."
Even though they weren't saying anything, I could feel their concern. They wanted to ask questions—I knew that. But I had no answers for them.
Even I didn't know where that scar had come from.
That was one of the things Grandma had tried to treat when I woke up in the hospital. Whenever I asked about it, they never answered. I used to think the mark had completely disappeared. We had gone to the doctor many times to have it removed, but it seemed like it never wanted to go away.
"A-ahh... W-wow, your scar is so fancy. It even has a shape." He forced a response, though his awkwardness was obvious.
I forced a laugh as well, even though, in reality, this was extremely awkward. I knew that wasn't really what he wanted to say.
"...Maybe you're just too lazy to scrub properly, that's why it didn't come off." He added, making the others burst into laughter.
That little rascal!
Since when does scrubbing remove a scar? This guy is insane! But I knew he was only saying that to ease the awkwardness between us.
"That's why we should wash Jay-jay again!" Felix shouted before splashing me with water.
The shameless ones joined in. I was nearly drowning in their assault. I tried to fight back, but it was useless against their relentless splashes.
We stayed in the water for a long time. If hunger hadn't hit us, we probably wouldn't have stopped. My whole body and clothes were drenched. The others were only soaked from the waist down—except for C-in, who was in his boxers earlier, so he was a little more covered.
Exhausted, it felt like it took forever to get back to the fishpond. My body felt so heavy.
"Was your swimming worth it?" I asked them.
"Not enough!" C-in said.
"I think you're the only one who feels that way!" Felix teased him.
They continued their playful banter, as if they never ran out of energy.
We were nearing the hall when I suddenly stopped.
Confused, I turned to look at the person Sir Alvin was talking to. When the Ulupong noticed me staring, they also turned to see what I was looking at.
"Why is your cousin here?"