Jay-jay's POV
I don't want to drink right now. I don't feel like it and I'd rather think positively about what Ella said to me earlier.
She made a mistake...
With her mistake, the person she really loved was gone. She lost Aries thinking that Yuri was still the one she loved.
I didn't want to listen to what she said. What did she care about me and what did I care about her? Then I was still so affected by what she said about Section E.
Haaizztt!! It's annoying!
"Isha pa!" Percy shouted at the bartender. "...Pour out... all of your... expensive... alcohol!"
I just shook my head at his look. He said he would only drink a little. This is the little he had, he's already drunk.
"That's enough." I said and was about to take his glass but he immediately pushed it away.
"No!... No... It's mine! You get yours." He said and pointed to the wine on the shelf.
I shook my head at the Bartender to tell him that I wasn't asking for wine. I felt like he recognized me. He kept looking at me. Anyway, it's only been a few nights since I last went there. That's why I came back today because of this crazy person I was with.
"I fell in love... I was hurt... I ate..." He said while lowering his head.
No more... I'm so embarrassed!
I'm embarrassed by the people looking at us. Besides all the noise he was making, he was also fidgeting in his seat.
"Jay..." He called out to me. "...Have you ever fallen in love?"
He didn't seem to know the answer, did he? I didn't answer. I just let him continue. It looked like he was about to vent his anger.
"I thought... she would still accept me." His tears started to fall. "...He-she doesn't like me."
I grabbed a tissue that was nearby. I handed it to him and he took it to wipe his tears and cold. He again signaled the Bartender for another drink. He poured her a glass.
"It's too late. Don't order." I said and he smiled at me.
"I'm concerned about my brother." He was teasing her.
No, no! I just don't want to get drunk. I just gave him a hard time and looked at the dance floor for a moment. As usual, there were still many people. Dancing to the loud music. I looked back at Percy and he was currently staring at the glass he was holding.
"She's beautiful..." He said seriously. "...she's so beautiful."
Is that me?
"...The first time I saw her, I said 'she'll be mine'.
I didn't disappoint..." he smiled as if he was talking to her face. "...they were practicing dancing then her hair clip came off. It splashed at my feet. I was about to take her home but she saw me."
It seemed like the force of her hit on Freya.
"...Her voice was beautiful when she talked to me..." she raised her glass of wine. "...I've been watching her for a long time. I even stalked her for a few weeks before I got the courage." She laughed a little. "...that's when I found out that many of us like her."
I heard she's the town's fantasy.
He had finished the contents of the glass. He motioned for the Bartender but I immediately stopped him. I shook my head at her as a 'no more' signal.
"Let's go home..." I told him.
"It's late... It's still early." He said with a smile.
I stood up from the stool I was sitting on and approached him. I grabbed his arm to lead him. He was so drunk that he couldn't even stand.
I faced the Bartender first. "W-how much?"
He shook his head at me. "Did you forget? Boss, you're free here."
At the same time, he pointed to Tiger's office. Free?! I swear! I wish you had said that right away!
Shutanginames! I wish I had taken advantage of that free time. It wasn't because he made it clear to me that it was forever. I thought it was just the other night.
I just smiled at him and thanked him. I was already helping Percy to walk. While walking among the crowd, my crazy Stepbrother kept fidgeting. I was having a hard time!
"Don't be fidgety!" I shouted at him.
I was already having a hard time supporting him because of the crowd and then he would fidget. He was so good at hitting me. We were out the door. I was panting because of him. This man was making me so sad!
"You're so stupid! You're making me so sad, you animal!" I shouted at him.
Suddenly he raised one of his fingers and sang. "🎶...Just like animals, animals... Awwooohhhh!🎶"
It's gone! This is so bad!
I looked around for a moment. There was no taxi passing by. It was already dark and I guessed it was 10pm. I was annoyed with Kuya Angelo. Percy didn't bring his car because he was already here. A taxi suddenly stopped on the road earlier.
I leaned him against the wall and looked at the road again. I felt like I had no choice but to call someone to come pick us up. I took Percy's cellphone from his pocket.
"What are you doing there?" he shouted.
Oh, putarages!
I immediately shot him because of his noise. What will those who hear him think of me? They might think I'm crazy, but this one feels like someone can touch it.
"I'm getting your cellphone! This is so loud... Your mouth is making such a noise!" I said annoyed.
He was smirking while rubbing the back of his head. In my annoyance, I only took my cellphone out of my bag. I just wish I had more charge so I could call.
While I was tapping on my cellphone, Percy kept on hitting me.
"What?!" I said annoyed. "...I'm going to kick you."
"I have a joke, listen to it." He said and laughed. "...What do you call a banana mom?"
"Eh?!"
"Wrong!" He said and laughed. "...Banana!"
Facepalm! I can do this! I can do this! I've been through a lot so I know I can get through this. Even if it's corny, I'll survive!
I pretended not to hear anything. I sped up my search for a name I could call. David was the first one that came to mind, but when I tried to call him, the call was cut off after just one ring.
Maybe he's busy?
If he's not available, then who else? I didn't know anyone else. I didn't know the people he lived with, and I didn't have their numbers either.
Maybe Felix?
Tsk! It's not that I'm being stubborn or anything, but I felt like he wouldn't be able to help me right now either. The crazy person beside me tapped me again.
"What now?!" I said, annoyed.
"What do you call a test for eggs?" he asked, laughing.
Here we go again!
"Tsk!"
"Egg-xam!" he answered, laughing by himself.
I can handle this! I can take this! Even if it's corny! My God! I was this close to banging my head against the wall because of this one.
In my frustration, I didn't realize I had already pressed 'Call' on Felix's name. It was too late to cancel since he had already answered.
["Hello? Jay?"] Felix's voice came through.
I glared at Percy, who was still laughing. This was his fault! I had no choice but to talk to Felix. It would be a waste of my load if I didn't say anything.
"F-Felix."
["Jay-jay… Why? Is there a problem?"]
"We just wanted to ask if you could pick us up here at Kingsground."
There was a brief silence before he spoke again. ["Alright. We're on our way."]
I was about to ask who the "we" was he was talking about, but he ended the call immediately. I just shrugged.
I put my phone back in my bag. I was about to sit next to Percy against the wall when three guys approached us.
"Hi Miss!" greeted the tallest one. "…What's a beautiful girl like you doing here?"
Sleeping!
I was about to open my mouth to answer and drive them away, but this crazy Percy beat me to it.
"Her? Beautiful?" Percy asked the guys, pointing at me. "…You've got to be kidding!"
We all just stared at him in confusion. He was obviously too drunk to stand straight.
"You're drunk, bro…" one of the guys told Percy.
"Me?! Drunk?! No way!" he replied boastfully.
I just shook my head, covering my face in embarrassment. He was making a scene.
"Miss… Is he your boyfriend?" the guy I was talking to asked.
I quickly shook my head. "He's my stepbrother."
"Miss? Who's Miss?" Percy interrupted, stepping between me and the guy. "…This one? She's not Miss! She's Mister!"
Unbelievable! Now he's calling me a guy.
The guys burst out laughing, clearly not believing him.
"She's a transginger, bro! Transginger!" Percy added, making their laughter even louder.
I give up!
I was seriously considering banging my head against the wall. I couldn't handle his craziness anymore. I thought I could endure his corny jokes, but this was a whole new level.
"You should probably take him home," one of the guys told me.
I nodded in agreement. "I'm really sorry about this."
"It's okay… He made us laugh," the guy in front of me said. "…But if you need any help with him, just call us inside."
As if I'd be able to find you quickly in there.
"Alright… Thanks."
They smiled and walked away. It was only when they were gone that Percy seemed to realize they had left.
"Hey! Where'd they go?! I wanted to tell them my killer joke," he said, looking around.
I dragged him back to the wall he was leaning on. "They're gone! They left because they knew your jokes were corny!"
He pouted and looked down. "Oh…"
If this crazy guy keeps acting like this, I'm never letting him drink this much again. Or maybe I just won't go with him next time. His corny jokes might drive me crazy early.
"I'll just tell my joke to you then!" he said excitedly.
Please, no!
"Just keep quiet already!"
Of course, he ignored me. He started laughing by himself again.
"What do you call a horse with wings?" he asked, still giggling.
"Tsk!"
"Stupid! That's a Pegasus…" he answered, his laughter getting louder.
Please stop… I'm begging you. I silently prayed for our ride to arrive soon. With his nonstop corny jokes, I might just collapse.
"Here's another one! Here's another one!" he said, struggling to contain his laughter. "…What do you call a flying ant?"
He leaned his face close to mine, clearly waiting for my response to his ridiculous joke. I just wanted this to end, so I played along.
"What?" I asked, bored.
"I don't know… That's why I'm asking you!"
Damn it! I really give up!
Maybe I should just leave him here. I honestly couldn't take his corny jokes anymore. They were more exhausting than everything I'd been through.
"Haha… My jokes are really funny. It's because I'm so handsome," he said, winking at me.
Out of nowhere, I burst into loud laughter. "Hahahahaha… Of all your jokes, that one's the best." I was laughing so hard I started hitting my thigh. It took me a while to calm down, and that's when I noticed he had gone quiet, now staring at me seriously.
"That wasn't a joke."
"Yes, it was… The part where you said you're handsome! Damn! That one really got me!" I teased, laughing again.
He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I'm not talking to you anymore. You're bullying me!"
I just shook my head at his appearance. Finally! His corny jokes were over. I really thought I'd have to leave because of him. Hahahaha… So he gets easily annoyed too!
We heard a car honk. We both turned at the same time and saw an SUV stop in front of us. The passenger door opened, and Felix stepped out.
I stood up straight and was about to help Percy get into the car when I froze at the sight of the person getting out of the driver's seat.
So that's why he said "we"—he brought this idiot with him!
"Jay-jay," Yuri called my name.
I just stared at him in response. He must've noticed I wasn't happy to see him here because he lowered his head a bit, avoiding my gaze.
"Hey! Stick!" Percy shouted, making us all look at him. "...What are you doing here?!"
He was looking directly at Yuri while saying that. He tried to approach him, but because he was so drunk, he nearly fell over. He quickly clung to me for support.
"S-stand up straight! You're heavy!" I said, struggling to keep him upright.
Felix came closer to help me get Percy on his feet.
"Bring me closer to Stick! I'm gonna hit him!" Percy demanded, trying to walk forward.
Stick?!
"Cut it out already!" Felix snapped.
Percy looked at him suspiciously. "You're taking his side now too?! Even you are with him?!"
"You're drunk, bro! Let's just get you home!" Felix tried to change the subject.
"I'm asking you—are you on that idiot's side?!" Percy shouted, and we all froze.
There was something different in his voice this time, like his anger came from somewhere deep. I glanced at Yuri, but he stayed expressionless.
"Percy… enough," I said, trying to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge. "...Percy."
"Is it always like this?! He always takes everything from me?!" Percy shouted again.
He kept pushing forward toward Yuri. No matter how much we tried to hold him back, he wouldn't stop—our only option was to keep him from falling. He reached out and grabbed Yuri by the collar.
"Stop it, Percy!" I pleaded.
But Yuri didn't do anything—he just stood there and let it happen. He didn't even try to move away. It was easy for Percy to grab his collar.
"What?! Where's all your arrogance now?! You coward, Yuri!" Percy yelled right in his face.
Felix and I struggled to pull Percy's hands away. His grip was too tight, and he kept shaking Yuri by the collar.
"Enough, bro!" Felix shouted, but Percy wasn't listening anymore.
"Are you happy now?! Huh?! You've taken everything that should've been mine! Keifer's trust! My brother! And Freya!" Percy screamed, his words confusing me even more.
I didn't understand what he meant—he was saying Yuri took what was supposed to be his.
"I didn't take anything from you," Yuri replied calmly. "...I was just trying to protect everything you left behind."
"Idiot! Protect?! Is what you did to Freya part of protecting her?!"
So Percy knew about that too.
"I-I didn't mean for that to happen," Yuri answered weakly.
Without warning, Percy punched Yuri in the face. I froze in shock, not knowing what to do. I wasn't drunk, but I felt completely out of it.
Yuri fell to the ground. Percy was about to land another punch, but Felix stepped between them. Percy's body finally gave out, likely from exhaustion and the alcohol, and he collapsed.
Yuri stood up, wiping the blood from his lip. He looked at me before lowering his gaze. I don't know why, but it felt like he wasn't the same Yuri I had once known—the one I'd had a crush on, the one who asked me to marry him. He felt like a completely different person now.
I didn't regret where we stood now. If anything, they were the ones who ruined this—those two best friends. So if anyone should be feeling this pain, it shouldn't be me—it should be him. I helped Percy to his feet. I just wanted to go home—far away from them.
"Let's go home," Felix said.
"No! I'm not done with that Stick yet!" Percy shouted, still struggling.
I pulled him toward the car with all my strength. Felix did the same, and despite his resistance, we managed to get him inside. I sat beside Percy in the backseat, with Felix in the passenger seat and Yuri driving.
"Freya…" Percy mumbled before his head suddenly dropped onto my shoulder. "...She doesn't want me anymore."
I glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw Yuri looking at me through it. I rolled my eyes at him and turned my attention back to Percy.
The entire drive was silent—except, of course, for Percy, who kept challenging Yuri to a fight. At one point, his hand flailed around and nearly hit me. One more time and I swear I'll hit him myself. When we reached Felix's house, his mom was waiting at the gate, clearly expecting us.
"Mom…" Felix greeted her as he got out.
They talked for a moment while the rest of us stayed inside the car. Every now and then, I caught Yuri looking at me again, but I kept choosing to ignore him. Felix and his mom approached the backseat door. They opened it and worked together to pull Percy out. He perked up the moment he saw his stepmother.
"Mom!" Percy shouted and ran to hug her. "...I missed you, Mom!"
Felix's mom chuckled. "Didn't we just see each other a week ago?"
"For me, it felt like a year," Percy replied, laughing. "...Let's sleep next to each other again like we did before—with Felix."
"I don't want to sleep next to you!" Felix protested immediately.
I smiled at the sight of the three of them. Even though Percy wasn't their blood relative, they never treated him like an outsider. Especially Felix—he might not say it, but I could feel how happy he was to see his brother. Their mom helped Percy into the house. Felix turned to us and thanked us. We waited until they were inside before we finally left.
The awkwardness! This is it!
Silence hung over us. There were moments when we'd steal glances at each other, but we'd quickly look away. We looked so ridiculous doing this. Why was I even acting like this?
He stopped the car right in front of my house. I didn't wait for him to open the door for me, even though he quickly got out to do just that.
"T-thank you," I said and started walking away.
"Jay-jay," he called out, making me stop and look at him. "I-I… um…"
My eyes drifted to the side of his lip—it was starting to swell and bruise. I glanced at the house; most of the lights were off, meaning everyone was probably asleep.
"Come inside for a bit," I told him.
I didn't wait for his response and went inside. Not long after, he followed me in. I headed straight to the kitchen, turned on the light, and searched for the ice bag.
Once I found it, I filled it with ice and walked over to where he was sitting. I gently pressed the ice bag to his face.
He let me help at first, but when I glanced at him, I was surprised when he held my hand—the one holding the ice bag.
I tried to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened.
"M-my hand," I said softly.
He didn't answer. He just kept staring at me while holding my hand. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Yuri, my—"
"I miss you," he interrupted.
I yanked my hand away with all my strength, causing the ice bag to fall to the floor. I glared at him.
"You can leave now," I said coldly.
But he didn't move. He just stood there, looking at me with eyes full of sadness and pleading. I shouldn't have let him inside. My pity always got the better of me.
"Jay… please," he said, stepping closer. "Let me explain—"
"Yuri," I cut him off. "I just want to rest."
He grabbed my hand again, and I didn't have the energy to fight anymore. The longer this dragged on, the harder it became for me.
"Let's talk, please," he begged.
I didn't know if I was ready to hear what he had to say. I shook my head, ready to finally tell him off, but Aries suddenly walked into the kitchen, looking at us angrily.
"What are you doing here?" Aries asked seriously.
I quickly pulled my hand away from Yuri's grip and avoided looking at either of them. I could already feel the tension rising, and I knew they were about to start another fight, so I hurried to clean up the ice bag from the floor and set it on the counter.
"I'll just walk Yuri out," I said flatly and pulled Yuri toward the door.
When we reached the gate, I stopped and watched him step outside. He looked at me with sad eyes, but I didn't give him a chance to say anything.
I'm not ready yet.
I shut the gate and went back inside the house. I headed straight to my room and collapsed onto my bed. I didn't want to be rude to Yuri, but I couldn't help it. Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too…