Jay-jay's POV
I want to leave my room. I want to open the door and step outside. I want to—because I'm hungry.
I didn't get to eat dinner because of what I found out. I thought my appetite would disappear after everything that happened, but apparently, my stomach wants no part in the drama of my life.
But I'm scared—scared that the moment I open that door, I'll discover yet another secret.
What if I have a twin I never knew about?!
I looked at the time on the wall clock—11:39 PM. I was sure everyone in the house was already asleep, but even so, I was still afraid.
My stomach growled loudly, almost as if it were screaming, "Damn it! Feed me!" There's no way I can just sleep off this kind of hunger, especially when I didn't even eat properly at lunch.
Even though I didn't want to, I turned the doorknob and slowly pulled it open. I peeked outside—the lights were off. I grabbed my phone and used its flashlight to guide my way.
Such poetic lighting!
I took careful steps forward—wait a minute! I look like a damn thief sneaking around like this! I quickened my pace and went straight to the kitchen. I even saw a few of the maids heading to their rooms.
When I reached the kitchen, I turned on the lights. I wasn't even close yet, but I could already see the one thing that could bring me back to life. The thing that could heal all my pain. The one thing that could bring joy to my lonely heart.
The refrigerator!
A portal that would transport me to a different paradise.
I opened the fridge and clapped my hands in delight at what I saw. There was so much leftover food—and there was even cake!
I took some food and put it in the microwave to heat up. While waiting, I searched for something else to eat. That's when I spotted a Chuckie chocolate drink, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
Pfft... Childish!
I knew exactly who that Chuckie belonged to. It was Kuya Angelo's—he often drank it when he was stressed.
I wondered if I could take one, but then again, Kuya might get mad.
Then again, he wouldn't even know who took it.
A wide grin spread across my face. I grabbed one and shook it a little. I was about to remove the straw attached to the back when my eyes landed on the kitchen door.
Aries was standing there, arms crossed, staring at me with a blank expression.
I quickly shoved the Chuckie back into the fridge and shut the door. Playing dumb, I turned back to the microwave to check on my food.
I heard his footsteps approaching.
For some reason, my nerves got the best of me. I couldn't move—I felt like I was going to pass out. I could sense his presence behind me, so I closed my eyes.
I waited to see if he would say or do anything.
When I realized he wouldn't, I opened my eyes again and saw his hand reaching toward the microwave. He pressed a button, and the inside lit up as the machine started humming.
Idiot! I forgot to select the settings.
I scratched my head and glanced at him—only to find that he was no longer behind me. He had grabbed a mug and was now making coffee.
The microwave beeped, signaling that my food was ready. I grabbed a plate to transfer it onto.
I thought he would leave after making his coffee, but he stayed—still standing near the sink.
After gathering everything I needed, I started eating. I probably looked ridiculous, constantly sneaking glances at him with every bite.
He wasn't even looking at me, so I had no idea if he noticed.
As I continued eating, my mind kept replaying what had happened earlier.
It felt... different.
But there's something that's been bothering me. His age and mine—they're the same. I'm sure we're not twins because they said my Kuya is a year older than me. Now I'm even more confused.
"Stop staring at me." He said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"S-sorry..." I mumbled. "...Ari—what should I even call you?"
I wanted to slap myself for asking that. Seriously?! One of his eyebrows raised, making me look down.
"Nothing will change." He said firmly.
Okay... so he's still Aries. Aries the horoscope! How's Taurus doing?
I just couldn't get the thought of our ages out of my head. I didn't want to bring up things like this with him yet since everything was still fresh, but I couldn't stop myself from asking.
"Aries... w-why are we the same age?"
His eyebrow arched again. He sipped from his cup while shooting me a sharp glare. He was better at raising his brows than I was—at this point, all he needed to do was shave them off to look really intimidating.
He put down his cup and let out a sigh. His eyes were empty as he looked at me.
"I'm a year older than you. I only told you we were the same age so you wouldn't start thinking I might be your Kuya." He explained.
I just nodded, accepting his explanation.
No wonder he used to laugh at me whenever I greeted him on his birthday—I had always been saying the wrong age.
A wave of sadness hit me. Even back then, he really didn't want me to know. I had no idea why he was given up for adoption. Our relatives said it was for both of our own good.
But things didn't turn out for the better.
I didn't say another word. He finished his coffee and left.
I was left alone, staring at the food in front of me.
This situation was so frustrating! I knew he was mad at me. A huge part of me felt sad that we still couldn't get along despite everything we'd been through. But at the same time, I was also angry at him.
I had always thought of him as a cousin, so I just let things be and only responded to him when necessary.
But now that I knew the truth, I wanted us to finally be okay.
Even if it wouldn't be like before, at least we'd know we were on good terms.
Even if he never acknowledges me as his sibling, that would be fine with me.
I held back the tears threatening to fall. I hurriedly finished my food and washed the dishes. I even washed the cup Aries had used.
I turned off the lights and quickly went back to my room. I cleaned myself up before finally lying down in bed.
My mind went blank until I fell asleep.
A loud knocking on my door woke me up.
It was as if someone was looking for me with a grudge. They didn't say a word—just kept knocking and knocking.
What a lovely way to wake up!
"I'm up!" I yelled in annoyance, and the knocking finally stopped.
Damn it! It's so early, and that idiot's already making a ruckus. They were knocking like there was no tomorrow.
I got up grumpily.
The first thing I did was check my phone—just in case.
A wave of sadness hit me.
I let out a deep sigh. He still hadn't replied to any of my texts. His phone was always off whenever I tried calling him.
Damn it!Keifer...
I stood up and headed straight—
I stood up and headed to the bathroom. I got ready so I could have breakfast.
As I stepped out of my room, Aries also happened to be leaving his. He looked at me lifelessly before walking away.
Before, whenever he looked at me like that, I'd just roll my eyes at him. But now, it felt so much heavier.
When I arrived at the dining room, Mama's voice was the loudest as she laughed and told stories.
"Good morning, Jay!" she greeted me with a smile.
There was nothing good about my morning!
"Good morning, too," I replied before sitting down.
Aries was sitting across from me, already eating. He looked like he couldn't care less about the people around him—head down, taking bite after bite.
I started eating as well, pretending not to care about anything. But I could still clearly hear their conversation.
"They'll be okay eventually… especially now." Mama said.
"It doesn't seem like it. Just look at them," Grandma replied, and I could feel their eyes on us.
At the same time, Aries and I looked up—our eyes met. I immediately looked away towards Grandma.
"W-why?" I asked, pretending to be clueless.
They just smiled at me. Honestly, they were terrible at pretending.
It was obvious that Aries and I were their topic. They probably thought we'd finally get along just because I knew the truth now.
But that was just their assumption.
Aries finished eating first. I wasn't far behind, so we ended up walking back to our rooms at the same time.
Just a few more steps and he'd be at his door, but suddenly, he stopped. I looked at him in confusion, but he didn't face me.
"Stop it," he said, making me even more confused. "...Don't hope like they do. We're never going to make up."
He didn't even wait for my response. He quickly walked into his room and shut the door.
I just stood there, staring blankly.
Don't hope?
I shook my head before heading back to my room. I took a quick shower and got dressed. The bruises from yesterday's accident were still visible. Every muscle in my body ached, but I was used to it.
The perks of always getting into fights!
I was walking toward the living room when I heard Kuya's angry voice and Aries complaining.
"I don't want to!" Aries said, irritated.
"Follow my orders, or I'll take your car back!" Kuya Angelo snapped.
When Kuya saw me, his gaze shifted.
"Ride with Aries," he ordered.
"Huh?"
"Ride with him. From now on, you'll go to school together, and if possible, come home together too."
I saw Aries run his hand through his hair in frustration. He had no choice, so he stomped out of the house straight to the garage.
"Why? What's this about?" I asked Kuya once Aries was out of sight.
"In case what happened to you yesterday happens again. It's better if you're safe," he said before walking away.
Safe? Yeah, right... Who are you trying to fool?
They were just trying to find a way for us to get closer and get along. They were only wasting their effort.
I walked outside, planning to just escape from Kuya's orders.
I already felt heavy because of my problems with Section E. Then, it got even worse when I found out the truth. Whatever they were planning, they should stop it. It was only making things harder for me.
I stopped at the gate when I saw Aries' car parked there. The driver's side window rolled down, revealing his scowling face.
"Get in," he ordered.
"No need... I have somewhere else to go," I replied lifelessly and started walking.
I hadn't gotten far when I heard the loud honk of his car.
When I turned around, he was right behind me, gripping the steering wheel tightly, clearly irritated.
"Get in!" he shouted in frustration.
I let out a deep sigh. I walked over to the back seat door, opened it, and got in before closing it.
I knew he didn't want me in his car, so I chose to sit in the back seat. I could feel his irritation, but I just stared out the window.
He started driving, and the only sound in the car was our breathing.
Annoying!
He wasn't doing anything, but it hurt.
Or maybe it hurt because he wasn't doing anything.
I was used to him yelling at me in anger and frustration, but now that he was silent... Damn it! I felt so worthless.
Aries stopped the car one street away from school. He didn't say anything, but I knew what it meant.
I got out of the car on my own and let him go ahead to school.
Only the exhaust fumes of his car were left in front of me as he drove off. At least the smoke stuck around... Sigh...
I started walking into the school. Even from the gate, I could see students staring at me.
"He was completely humiliated!"
"No one even defended him."
"Poor thing."
The students whispered among themselves.
I already had a clue as to why they were staring.
Rumors spread fast like fire, so I wasn't even surprised anymore.
After everything that happened to me yesterday, I wasn't in the mood to care about them. Everything that happened was already too much to bear. Worrying about their useless comments would only add to my stress.
To be honest, I was scared to go inside.
I was scared of Keifer's anger. I was scared because I didn't know how to face all of them. I was scared...
When I reached our building, I paused to assess the situation.
It was quiet. It seemed like nothing was happening... But that was just what I thought.
"Just tell the truth!" David shouted.
I was already beside the door when I heard it. I froze and listened to their conversation for a moment.
"Stop ordering Keifer around!" Rory responded. "...He'll say it eventually. He just needs the right timing."
"I feel bad for Jay-jay," C-in said, making my heart pound faster.
Feel bad?! Seriously?!
"I already said to stop this plan!" Eman yelled angrily.
"Stop pretending! You were one of the first ones to go along with this damn plan!" Denzel shot back.
A plan?!
Their words swirled in my mind.
I was confused! I couldn't understand what they were talking about.
It was about me, about a plan, and now they wanted me to know the truth because they felt sorry for me.
"Just say it properly, then let's apologize," Blaster said.
"You think it's that easy?" Drew said sarcastically.
"Jay-jay won't forgive us," Yuri said.
"We'll make it up to him," Rory added.
"It's not that simple," Edrix replied.
Their words only confused me more. I wanted to know the truth, I didn't want this anymore.
Would the people around me always keep secrets?
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the room—like a shot in the dark.
They all turned to look at me, their faces filled with shock. I forced myself to hide my emotions.
My gaze landed on Keifer.
He had no reaction.
"J-Jay-jay..." they whispered my name.
They were all here. Even Kit, whose face was swollen, was here too.
"W-what truth? What plan?" I asked weakly.
I wanted to know the truth, but at the same time, I didn't. The fear was there—fear of getting hurt again because of what I'd find out.
Something felt off. They all looked at Keifer.
He remained expressionless, arms crossed, sitting straight in his chair.
"What's the plan? What's the truth?" I repeated, not taking my eyes off him.
Say something!
"Keifer... please talk," Yuri pleaded.
"Keifer! Just say it!"
"Speak up!"
"What's the plan? What's the truth?" I repeated, my voice breaking this time.
Damn it! Say something!
He remained unresponsive, just staring at me. It was like he didn't care about what was happening around him.
Like he didn't care about me.
Tears started welling up in my eyes. Each breath I took felt heavier, my throat tightening. I felt like I was being strangled.
"Keifer! WHAT IS THIS PLAN?!" I screamed as my tears finally fell.
I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was struggling with how he just kept staring at me in silence. Even the others looked taken aback by my reaction, but they chose to look away.
"You sure you want to hear it?" Keifer asked seriously.
I tried to stop my tears and nodded.
He gave me a bitter smile and shook his head. His lips slowly parted, but I couldn't hear anything. It was like I suddenly went deaf. A few seconds passed before his words sank in.
"I used you."
I stood there, frozen. Waiting for what else he had to say. Another wave of tears streamed down my face.
"...and the whole Section E knows it."
It felt like my heart was being beaten to a pulp—helpless, defenseless. All I could do was cry and stare blankly into space.
U-used?
Keifer stood up and slowly walked toward me.
"I used you to get back at your cousin—oh wait! Your brother, actually."
I trembled at his words. He knew about that too?
They all did? How? How did that happen?! And why did it feel like I was the last one to find out?
I shook my head, still staring at him. His expression remained unchanged.
"I-I don't u-understand." My lips trembled.
Keifer stopped just a few feet away from me. Our eyes met, and only then did I notice the cold, dark look in his eyes. The way he was looking at me now was exactly the same as when we first met.
"Then I'll explain it to you." His voice was calm.
"...The moment Aries showed up in front of me, acting like he cared about you, the plan started—" he paused. "To be exact? That was the time we made fun of you at the gymnasium."
That was when they hit me with the ball. My nose bled, and just before I blacked out, Aries arrived, stopped me, and asked me to go home.
"...We made sure we had your information—thanks to Rory here."
I turned to look at Rory, but he immediately lowered his head to avoid my gaze.
"...We found out that you and Aries are siblings."
Damn it! They knew!
Keifer suddenly smirked, and his whole aura changed. I couldn't tell if he was angry or if he was planning something.
"...But the plan was pointless. That asshole doesn't care about you, so my revenge was useless." He let out a slight chuckle.
The Keifer standing in front of me felt like a completely different person. His eyes were dark, filled with rage.
"K-Keifer... s-stop it." Yuri tried to intervene.
My legs and feet felt frozen in place. I wanted to convince myself that this was just a joke. But it wasn't. He wasn't joking, and he wasn't the type to joke around.
Tears continued to fall down my cheeks, soaking my skin. I couldn't even bring myself to wipe them away. It felt like something heavy was crushing my chest.
"Y-you just used me? D-did that include making me f-fall for you?"
My voice barely came out. I didn't want to ask that question. I was terrified of his answer. But I still wanted to know the truth. I hoped what I was thinking was wrong.
Suddenly, he laughed—as if I had just said something funny. He walked back to his table.
Maybe… maybe this really was a joke.
Maybe they were just messing with me.
Maybe he was just getting back at me.
Maybe after laughing, he'd say the words I was waiting to hear— "Just kidding, I was just messing with you because you're funny when you're annoyed." And then he'd say he could never do that to me because he loved me.
I hoped everything I was thinking was right. But deep down, I knew it wasn't.
My heart shattered completely when he finally spoke after laughing. And the words he said changed everything for me.
"Of course, it was part of my plan."
Oh my God!
I covered my mouth as a loud sob escaped. I didn't care about how I looked anymore. My knees buckled, and I stepped back, grabbing onto a table for support.
DAMN IT! THIS ISN'T A JOKE!HE MADE ME BELIEVE HE WANTED ME TOO!HE LET ME FALL FOR HIM!HE JUST USED ME! ARGH!
YOU'RE SO STUPID, JAY! SO FREAKING DUMB FOR FALLING FOR HIM!
"Jay..." Yuri called my name and started to approach me, but I glared at him.
"Did you know?" My voice shook with restrained anger. "...Were you part of the plan?"
Yuri froze mid-step. It was as if his tongue got tied—he couldn't say a word. He couldn't even deny it with a simple shake of his head. His reaction made me cry even harder.
ALL OF THEM!
I turned my gaze to C-in. He was crying too, looking at me as if he were begging.
"You were in on this too?" I asked weakly.
He sobbed, frantically wiping away his tears. "I-I'm sorry, Jay."
So that's why he apologized to me before—because of this.
From the very beginning, they had already been playing me for a fool. I couldn't believe it. I trusted them so much. I looked at the others, but they all avoided my gaze. Only David held my stare for a long time. But even at him, I felt nothing but anger.
Did I do something wrong?!Why did I have to be played like this?!
I turned my eyes back to Keifer, whose face remained completely unreadable. There wasn't a trace of pity or remorse in his expression.
"W-why, Keifer? W-why?"
He didn't answer. I couldn't stand being in front of him—being in front of all of them. What was the point of crying in front of them?
Even though my knees were shaking, I forced myself to walk away.
"Jay! Wait!"
"Jay-jay!"
"Hold on! Jay!"
I had already stepped out the door when I felt someone grab my arm. I immediately yanked it away and shot him a glare.
"What more do you want?!" I snapped at Yuri.
"I-I'm sorry..." He took a deep breath. "...Please. Let me exp—"
"Don't even try!" I wiped my cheeks. "...You really are best friends! You're both so damn good at manipulating people!"
"Jay... believe me, we regret—"
"That's why you finally admitted it?! Because your conscience was eating you alive?!"
I looked past him and noticed C-in following closely behind. He was still crying. As much as I wanted to feel sorry for him, I just couldn't.
"You too..." I shook my head in disbelief. "...I treated you like a brother, and this is what I get."
"Jay... I'm sorry," he said.
I saw the others watching us. I glared at them, my stare lingering on Yuri.
"Enough..." I whispered before I turned and ran.
I ignored the burning pain in my legs and thighs. But nothing hurt more than what I was feeling inside. The word shattered wasn't enough to describe how painful this was.
I could hear Yuri and the others arguing behind me. It sounded like they wanted to chase after me, but someone was stopping them.
I ran faster. I was almost at the school gate when I saw Aries standing there, looking at me.
They wanted revenge on him…
That's why I was going through all of this—because of him. Because they wanted to get back at him. They used me to hurt him.
IF IT WEREN'T FOR HIM, I WOULDN'T BE GOING THROUGH THIS!
Pain hit me all at once. My vision blurred from the tears. I didn't even know if I had already stepped past the gate when—
A loud honk froze me in place as a car rushed toward me.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP