Jay-jay's POV
Happy hearts Day!
Can you believe it's Hearts Day today? I placed a hand over my chest, just to check—maybe I don't even have a heart and I just don't know it.
I looked at my phone when it buzzed. I thought it would be Rakki, so I grabbed it quickly— But of course, it was just GagongBaliw.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: Happy Heart Day! Send me some love! 😙
I grimaced. The nerve of this creature. One more message like that and I might just change my number. I took time to think of a response before replying.
To: GagongBaliw
Message: Screw you!
I ended up laughing. Looked like he wasn't going to reply anymore. I put on my shoes and tied the laces. Then I stood up and faced the mirror.
I stared at my newly cut hair.
Gone were the long strands that used to reach my waist. I chose to have it trimmed up to my shoulders. I wasn't really used to super short hair anyway.
I looked at the few scratches and bruises still visible on my face. They were still noticeable even though I kept applying medicine. Well, that fight with Jason's group only happened a couple of days ago. So I guess it makes sense.
Today is C-in's birthday, and lucky for him, we didn't have classes yesterday or today. There's some kind of special visit happening at school, and they really made sure Section E stayed out, just to clear the air a little.
Our school is so kind to us, huh?
My phone buzzed again. I picked it up and saw a message from the person I'd been waiting for.
From: Rakki
Message: Ready? Where should we meet?
She had the gift I was going to give to C-in. To be honest, I was still debating whether or not I should forgive him. It was clear to me that C-in was only forced to obey the will of the Demon King.
But still, it hurt...
I typed a message to Rakki. We'd just meet at the ground floor of C-in's condo unit.
I stuffed my phone and wallet into my pocket and left the room. I stopped in front of Kuya Angelo's room door. I hesitated—should I knock or not?
Deep breath...
In the end, I knocked and waited for his response.
"Come in!" he called out.
I slowly opened the door. He was facing his laptop, his desk cluttered with papers. He turned his swivel chair slightly so he could face me.
"Hmm... K-kuya, I'm just going to C-in's birthday party," I said.
I waited for him to give me one of his usual reminders, but he just nodded and gave me a cold look.
"Take care." he added.
So cold... I shivered.
I looked down and started fiddling with my fingers. "C-can you... drive me there?"
He turned his swivel chair away from me. "I have a lot to do. Ask Aries to take you. Tell him it's my order."
It felt like I'd been stabbed ten times over. He was being so cold to me. It felt like everything was my fault—like I was the reason he was acting this way.
"O-okay. Sorry for bothering you." I said, then walked out.
My shoulders were slumped, my lower lip caught between my teeth. Was what I said to him really that painful? I had no idea it would affect him this much.
"Jay-jay! Where are you going?" Mama asked me.
"To a birthday party," I replied lifelessly.
"What time will you be home? Don't stay out too late."
"Okay." I answered and started walking out of the house.
I knew she was going to scold me again. That's exactly what she did when she found out I got into a fight at the gotohan. Instead of matching her anger, I just stayed quiet.
Just like the other day, I checked my surroundings first to see if anyone was waiting to ambush me. It's hard to heal when your bruises and wounds keep getting reopened.
Coast is clear...
Once I was sure nothing was suspicious, that's when I stepped out.
"Jay-jay!" Aries called, making me stop.
I turned to him. "W-what?"
"I thought you were asking me for a ride?" he said, sounding bored.
Did he hear us?
"B-because..."
"Get in. Kuya will be mad if I don't drive you."
I was confused by how he was acting. Did some kind of demon possess him? Or maybe an angel?
The sudden change was just... weird. Maybe he forgot to take his meds.
He opened the door of his car and was about to get in, but stopped when he saw I wasn't moving.
"What? You're just gonna stand there like a statue?" he asked, a bit irritated.
I hurried over and got in the car. He was silent, not even glancing my way while driving.
Oh no! Aries the Horoscope might be losing it!
"Where are you headed?"
I blinked several times, trying to absorb what he just said. He asked a question. Normal. No anger, no annoyance. Just… normal. Normal. Normal...
Oh no, he must be sick! He's probably running a fever.
I leaned in slightly and placed a hand on his forehead. He immediately smacked it away in surprise.
"What the heck?!" he snapped.
I tried to touch his forehead again but he swatted my hand away once more.
"You're sick."
His brows furrowed and he glanced at me for a second. "I'm not sick! Maybe you are!"
Ah, he yelled at me. He's back to normal.
"Okay... you're not sick anymore," I muttered, but it seemed he heard that too.
"What's your problem?!"
"Nothing... I'm going to Ci-N's condo." I said, pointing to the tallest building I could see.
He let out a deep sigh. I didn't say anything else. He was back to his normal self. No need to question it.
He's normal to me when his craziness starts showing.
We reached the building I pointed to. I also spotted Rakki standing by the entrance, holding our gifts.
"Hey!" Aries called out in annoyance. "...Don't ever call me crying again."
"W-why?"
Are you worried?
"Your voice is so shrill! It hurts my ears! I feel like all the hairs inside fell off!" he complained.
Gago you...
"I'll just call you when I'm about to die," I replied and quickly got out of his car.
I waved at Rakki. She waved back with a smile the moment she saw me. I ran toward her.
"Aries gave you a ride?" she asked, a bit surprised. "...That's a miracle!"
"Yeah! That's why come with me later. I'm having a mass said at church," I said with a laugh, and she laughed too.
I picked up my gift from the ground. She did the same with hers.
"Maybe he's sick?" she asked.
I laughed. "He is. But it went away fast."
We kept laughing together. We reached the elevator and waited for it to open.
"Do you think Ci-N will like this?" she asked.
I smiled at her. "Of course. As long as it's from you—even if it's just a rag, he'll accept it."
She smiled like she was giddy. She looked so happy. She really dressed up just for Ci-N. Rakki's taller than me, and she's got nicely shaped legs. With her figure, she could totally be a model.
The elevator bell rang and the doors opened. David was there in a plain white t-shirt.
"You're here already," he said. "...We thought you weren't coming. I was going to pick you up."
Rakki and I stepped inside and let David press the floor number.
"Why? Won't the party start without Jayjay?" Rakki asked, slightly annoyed.
"Seems like it," David replied with a laugh.
Ci-N's probably having one of his episodes again—that's why David said that.
I looked up toward the top of the elevator door, watching the floor number. It felt like we were going to the wrong one. I knew Ci's unit was on the 8th or 9th floor, but we were already at the 12th.
"W-where's Ci's party being held? Why does it feel like we're way past his unit's floor?" I asked David.
"On the rooftop," he replied quickly, still fiddling with his phone.
How sharp...
We reached the top floor. Rakki was like an excited child—she was even ahead of David and me.
They said the only way to the rooftop was through the fire exit, so we went that way. Rakki opened the door and went out first, but I stopped. I hugged my gift tightly and bowed my head.
"Is something wrong, Jay?" David asked, coming over to me.
I looked at him, then at the Fragile Jar I was holding. I slowly handed it to him.
"I-I can't face Ci... Can you give this to him instead?" I pleaded.
"But why?"
I just shook my head. I didn't know the reason either. It felt like something was pulling me not to go through with it. My original plan kept playing in my head— The last time I'll see his real smile.
David took the jar from me and looked at me sadly.
"His birthday won't be happy," he said, forcing a smile.
I tried to return his smile, but I couldn't. He turned away from me and headed to the fire exit door. Only when he was completely out of sight did I begin walking down the stairs.
I exited on the same floor we came from. My shoulders drooped, and I couldn't help but feel the sadness from what I'd done.
Because now... there really was no way to take it back.
I was getting close to the elevator when I heard someone shouting. At first, I was going to ignore it, but the yelling came again and again—until the words being shouted became clear.
"JAY-JAY!" came a hoarse voice from someone.
I turned around—and I was completely shocked when I saw Ci-N in the air. Literally in the air, because he had jumped straight toward me.
Oh my gosh...
He looked like a bird with his arms and legs spread out. The only problem was, he didn't know how to fly— which meant he was going to fall… going to fall… on me?!
It was too late to step aside, and I crashed to the floor with Ci-N landing on top of me. My elbow even slammed against the ground, and it felt like my whole arm got electrocuted.
"Ugh! Ouch..."
"Jay-jay!" he yelled while hugging me.
"G-get off me! You're heavy!"
Ci-N slowly got off of me. He was smiling as he waited for me to get up. I faced him with a frown.
"Are you out of your mind? You think you're Superman or something?" I asked, clearly annoyed as I dusted myself off.
"That's Eman..." he replied, referring to Eman's real name. "...at least I caught you."
Fair point... Though now my body hurts.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me. "Let's go to my party."
He dragged me all the way to the fire exit. He didn't give me a chance to speak or even protest.
As soon as he opened the door to the rooftop—cue music. It was like I had arrived in another world. Like I was in a fun house or a play area.
There was an inflatable slide, a pool filled with colorful balls, mascots of various characters,
a table overflowing with candy and chocolates, balloons scattered everywhere, and colorful lights all around.
I saw David smiling at me while sipping juice. He probably knew this kid would come chasing after me.
You crazy David!
"Jay!" Rakki called as she approached. "...Where did you go and suddenly disappear to?"
"J-just went to the restroom," I lied.
I glanced beside me—and Ci was gone. Looked like he'd already joined his little guests. Literal little—they looked about seven to nine years old. I could also see some adults, but they were in the corners, away from the playing kids.
Watch your kids, will you? If anything happens, it's the party host's fault.
"Let's sit there..." Rakki said, inviting me.
We walked toward one of the round tables. I nearly stopped in my tracks when I saw the entire group of Ulupong was complete. Including their King.
"Hi Jay!"
"New haircut!"
"Long hair suited you better!"
"What happened—why the haircut?"
They each had their own question for me. I chose to ignore them all. Rakki and I found an empty seat, a bit away from their group.
I don't know why, but I couldn't stop feeling nervous. I had convinced myself so many times that I needed to move on. And now, sitting across from him… I felt like I was backing out all over again.
"Hi Jay!" Mica greeted me as I sat next to her.
I thought it was someone else...
"Hello..." I replied and glanced at who was sitting beside her.
No Calix? I scanned the area and spotted him sitting far away, close to the rest of the Ulupong.
"They're at war," Rakki whispered to me.
She must've noticed I was looking for Mica's labidab. But Mica had her head down, pretending to be busy on her phone.
She was just playing a game…
We looked like fools as we watched the kids giggling and playing with the mascots. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar mascot near us.
"It's Snorlax!" I shouted without thinking.
I was already on my feet, pointing at it. I didn't think twice. I quickly ran toward Snorlax and hugged it tightly.
"Oh my gosh, Jay! You're like a little kid!" said Rakki, who apparently followed after me.
"It's so cute! Let me take a picture—quick!" Mica said excitedly as she aimed her camera at me.
I really want a Snorlax this big.
I held onto it tight while she took the picture. It felt like I didn't want to let go. I was ready to take this thing home!
"Can I take this home?!" I asked Rakki and Mica.
They just shrugged. Ci-N passed by in front of us, holding a plate loaded with food. He did a double take when he saw me, then stopped.
"Oh no! You're in trouble!" he said, sounding almost like a warning. "...There's a guy inside that costume."
My eyes automatically darted toward the Ulupong. And then—they widened even more when I saw The King walking straight toward us. His fists clenched tight, ready to murder a mascot.
"Quick! Quick! Get him away!" I yelled without thinking at Rakki and Mica.
They immediately helped me push the mascot away as fast as we could. Kids stared at us like we were crazy.
"What's wrong with you?!" I heard one kid shout after we nearly bumped into him.
"Sorry," Mica apologized.
We ended up going who knows where until we found a pile of stacked chairs and tables. There were also random things like fabric and balloons there. We hid there until The King was no longer in sight.
"He's gone! He's gone!" Rakki said, catching her breath.
The person inside the mascot finally took off the Snorlax head. He was dripping with sweat as he faced us.
"W-why did you bring me here?" he asked while wiping his sweat. "...My boss might scold me."
"It's okay… We'll talk to your boss for you," Mica assured him. "...What's your name again?"
"Clefford Mills, ma'am."
He looked so young. He seemed to be around our age, but already working.
"Sorry about that, okay? If we hadn't dragged you away, you might've gone home bleeding," I said while wiping sweat from my own forehead.
"E-eh?" he replied, clearly nervous.
"His ex… well, he's a little unhinged. You never really know what he feels for her," said Rakki.
I grimaced. "He's not my ex… we weren't even a thing."
"S-sorry… b-but I'm really confused. Can I go back to work now?" he asked politely.
Keifer probably wouldn't do anything bad to him anymore. I smiled at him and nodded. He put the Snorlax head back on and left our hiding spot.
We looked like idiots just sitting there, tired. I could feel hunger starting to creep in.
"Wanna eat?" I asked them.
They looked at each other, then nodded and started walking toward the food table. It was a self-service setup, so we all helped ourselves.
I was too shy to show how hungry I actually was, so I only took a small amount. Just five scoops of rice and viand. Two plates.
Totally not embarrassing.
While we were eating, Calix suddenly sat beside Mica. He placed a plate down with a slice of cake on it.
"Mica..." Calix's voice sounded almost pleading. "...can we talk?"
Mica acted like she didn't hear anything and just kept eating. I was almost ready to pity Calix as tears began to well up in his eyes.
I nudged Mica slightly with my elbow and motioned toward Calix with a glance. She sighed while looking at me.
"I won't talk to him and he knows why," she said, then took a sip of water.
Calix walked away with his shoulders slumped. Both Rakki and I watched him go.
"What happened to you two? Lovers' quarrel?" I asked.
She shook her head and stared off somewhere. I glanced at Rakki, but she only shrugged.
"Jay-jay!" Ci-N called out to me while holding the glass jar gift I gave him. "...What is this?"
I smiled at him and opened the jar. "One surprise egg per day."
I took one of the surprise eggs and handed it to him. I knew it was his favorite and he always looked forward to what was inside those little eggs.
It was like getting one message per day for a whole year. That's why the jar was filled with enough for the entire year.
I just hoped he'd like it...
Suddenly, he burst into tears. Rakki, Mica, and I all panicked.
"Why? Don't you like it?" I asked.
He smiled while still crying. "I love it!"
We kept exchanging confused glances, the three of us. His reaction was so strange. He liked it, but he was crying.
"I love it… I really, really love it," he said while trying to wipe his tears. "...Sorry."
My heart ached when he said that word. It was the first time he said it like he was truly begging for my forgiveness, after everything that happened.
"Sorry, Jay... Sorry I let them hurt you. Sorry I agreed to their plan. Sorry I didn't even tell you anything." He took a deep breath. "...I'm really sorry."
Ci-N...
Right then I realized that the word sorry could actually mean something. Even if it couldn't change what happened or turn back time— it could still ease the pain I'd been holding in.
I stepped closer to him and gently patted his head. "It's okay now… Sis's not mad anymore. Happy Birthday!"
He smiled at me again and gave me a tight hug. Then he quickly let go and picked up the gift I gave him.
"I'll keep this safe!" he said happily.
We just stood there watching him. Mica excused herself to go to the restroom. Rakki went over to Ci-N's older sister. I stayed where I was, glancing around, until I spotted Snorlax again.
I walked up to it and hugged him. "Boo!"
Snorlax's head tilted slightly as if the person inside was looking at me. I smiled when he hugged me back.
Maybe he recognized me now.
"Sorry about earlier, okay? The King of the Ulupongs has a few screws loose," I said while still wrapped in a hug. "...He doesn't even know what he wants in life."
Snorlax was still hugging me, and it felt like his small hand slid lower on my back. I just ignored it.
"I wish real Snorlaxes existed in the world... so I could send them to crush the Demon Ulupong who keeps messing with my mind and heart."
Honestly, I didn't know why I was saying all this to a mascot. I knew there was a person inside, but I just couldn't stop myself from talking to it.
Maybe I'd just gotten used to the Snorlax in my room.
"...Never mind... I'll move on from that pest eventually. I'll fall out of love with him too, and I can't wait for that day," I added with a smile.
Suddenly, Snorlax pulled away from the hug, and I thought I heard Clifford's voice from inside.
"I won't let you!"
I let go of the hug and looked at him in surprise. He struggled to take off the mascot head—
and my eyes widened the moment I saw who was inside.
You're not Clifford!
"I won't let you move on. I won't let you fall out of love. I won't allow it."