Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

"Where is it?" I asked Yuri urgently.

We were still driving, but we couldn't seem to find the Japanese restaurant Yuri had been talking about.

I think we're lost. Food turned to stone!

"We're almost there," he replied with a smile.

When is that 'almost'? That's always his answer. Annoyed, I looked out the window. We were far from the city—somewhere in the Philippines.

The houses had disappeared, replaced by towering trees. I knew we were on a highway, but I had no idea where Yuri was taking me.

Please don't let this be like Final Destination!

Even though I knew I had no reason to be scared, I still felt uneasy. The car slowed down and turned onto a hidden road, almost concealed by the dense trees.

The road was unpaved, just dirt and gravel. It was clear that very few vehicles passed through here—there were no tire tracks or signs of traffic.

"Is there really a Japanese restaurant here?" I asked, even though the answer was obvious.

What is this Judas planning?

I glanced at the sky. It was getting dark, and we were still in the middle of nowhere. When I looked at Yuri, he just smiled.

Son of a— Could he be up to something bad? No, that didn't make sense. He was wealthier than me—what could he possibly gain from this?

Shaking off my paranoia, I reminded myself that I had given him my trust. I had no reason to doubt him now.

Up ahead, I noticed a construction site. Bulldozers, diggers, cement mixers—this was obviously a large-scale project.

Maybe the Japanese restaurant hasn't been built yet…

Yuri parked the car next to several others and got out. I followed, looking around. A large tarpaulin caught my attention.

"Opening Soon: Paradise Resort"

"Paradise," Yuri said, reading the sign. "It means Paradise Resort."

I nodded but kept my eyes on the banner. The resort seemed to have a Japanese theme. The illustration showed a woman in a kimono standing at the entrance, slightly bowing.

I scanned the other details: Spa, Salon, Bar, and Restaurant—under construction.

My eyes narrowed as I turned to Yuri in annoyance.

"Where are we supposed to eat? The restaurant you mentioned isn't even open yet!"

He simply grinned. "Surprise."

Food turned to stone!

He suddenly grabbed my hand, making me suspicious. I immediately pulled away.

"Why are you holding my hand? What was that for?" I frowned at him.

Yuri looked surprised, then scratched his neck awkwardly when he realized what he'd done. "Sorry."

I smirked, deciding to make him suffer a little. "So… where are we?"

He hesitated, then pointed in a direction. I followed his gaze but saw nothing. Annoyed, I gestured for him to walk ahead.

"Go first," I instructed.

He obeyed, leading the way. As we walked, I glanced at the sky again. Darkness had completely taken over.

I expected him to take me to an unfinished building or a house, but instead, he suddenly stopped in front of a tunnel covered in thick vines and flowers.

I frowned. It was pitch-black inside—I could barely see the path. The tunnel seemed just the right height for him, but for me…

"What now? Are we just supposed to stand here?" I asked irritably.

Yuri smiled and chuckled softly. At that exact moment, small lights flickered on inside the tunnel—tiny bulbs in different colors, twinkling like fireflies among the flowers.

I stared at those. Because that light grabbed all my attention. It was the last time I noticed that Yuri had already put a flower crown on me.

Where did it come from?! He didn't hold anything before!

I looked at him but he kept smiling. He gestured with his arm as if to say that I anchored. Even though I was full of wonder and doubt, I still held onto him.

I looked up while walking. The lights are beautiful. Add some vines from the top of the tunnel. When we came out, a big tree wrapped in a small light appeared before us.

There is a signage hanging there with an arrow but a heart at the end, it points to a small bridge. We went there.

I'm nervous because I don't understand.

When arriving at the bridge, there are also lights on the handle on the side. I was afraid to touch it and I might be electrocuted. At the end of the bridge I stopped completely.

A familiar song started playing and the pathway was very bright because of the lights on the side and it was also full of petals. I wanted to ask questions or complain but my body seemed to automatically agree to the situation.

🎶 Oh thinkin' about all our younger years

There was only you and me

We were young, wild and free 🎶

We started walking and followed the pathway full of petals. My hand is still anchored on his arm.

🎶 Now nothing can take you away from me

We've been down that road before

But that's over now

You keep me comin' back for more 🎶

I looked at him when he started singing and accompanied the part of the male vocalist.

🎶 And baby you're all that I want,

When you're lyin' here in my arms.

I'm findin' it hard to believe.

We're in heaven,

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

And it isn't too hard to see,

Were in heaven 🎶

I couldn't smile or sing along with him. I know what he is doing and I seem to know where we are going.

The vegetation gradually replaces the lights on the side of the pathway. And if the end is touched, it points to a Gazibo surrounded by colorful flowers.

🎶 Oh once in your life you find someone

Who will turn your world around

Bring you up when you're feelin' down 🎶

But that's not our destination. Because Yuri just picked up a bouquet of flowers that was on the table. He reached out to me and we started walking again.

🎶 Now nothin' can change what you mean to me

Oh there's lots that I could take

But just hold me now

'Cause our love will light the way 🎶

We no longer follow a pathway. We are stepping on pure bermuda grass. He accompanied the song again.

🎶 And Baby you're all that I want,

When you're lyin' here in my arms.

I'm findin' it hard to believe,

We're in heaven 🎶

He smiled at me.

🎶 And love is all I need,

And I found it there in your heart,

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven 🎶

Actually, my palm itched when it hit the nape of his neck. I want to ask him too. I'm confused by what he's doing but I know it's all for me.

We stopped in front of a picnic set surrounded by small lamps. I slowly made him sit and he continued to smile at me.

"For the boyish yet so beautiful girl that I love."

I bit my lower lip. I couldn't say thank you even though to be honest, I was impressed by what he did.

"Y-yuri..." I almost whispered but he ignored me.

Yuri held my cheek and rubbed it with his thumb. I can see the sincerity in his eyes but also sadness. He came to me and kissed me....

On the forehead!

I was nervous when he kissed my forehead. My heartbeat has not been normal before. It feels like dribble inside my chest.

He confronted me again "Give me another chance and I'll prove to you how much 'I love you".

Little by little he came closer to me and I knew this time. My lips are his aim. I quickly dodged slightly away from him. I can see his disappointment. He chose to bend down to hide them.

"Yuri." I called him to face him but he chose to stay like that. "...Yuri...Look at me."

He sighed and forced himself to look at me with a forced smile.

"I appreciate what you did, but..." It felt like something weighed on my chest. "...it's too fast! We talked about starting over, but it seems like you suddenly rushed things."

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. It was true, but it didn't involve us introducing ourselves at the Mini Mart.

I must have looked like a fool, introducing myself to him like that!

I want us to start over as friends, not like this—where he's asking for another chance so suddenly.

"S-Sorry. I thought it was..."

I sighed and took the bouquet of flowers from him, also removing the flower crown he had placed on my head.

"Thank you for this. You did a good job," I said, and his face quickly brightened. "...but you're still rushing things!"

He laughed, and for a moment, everything else seemed to disappear.

"Alright, I won't rush anymore," he said. "...I'll just wait for you to woo me."

What the heck?!

I raised an eyebrow, and before I knew it, my hand was already in the air, ready to slap him. He quickly shielded himself with his arm, still laughing.

"Oh, sure. You'll just die waiting," I said sarcastically, and he laughed even more.

Somehow, I felt lighter. There was always something comforting about being around Yuri. No matter how awkward things got, the tension just faded away.

"Sorry if I was too hasty... I forgot about our conversation," he said with a smile. "...So, that means for now, we're—"

"Friends," I finished his sentence.

His smile widened. "Friends with benefits?"

Without thinking, I raised my hand again, aiming another slap at him. He blocked it, still laughing. I hit him again—this time with both hands.

"You idiot! Crazy!" I yelled, annoyed, as I kept hitting him.

I only stopped when my palm started to hurt. His arm had taken all the blows.

He really is a piece of work. Even his jokes are nonsense! I don't know what to say about him anymore...

"J-Just kidding! I thought you'd say, 'We're classmates,'" he said, his eyes glinting with something—hope, maybe. "...But I'm happy you accepted me as a friend."

A strange sense of ease settled inside me, as if there was no problem between us anymore. That's how I felt now. It really did feel like a new beginning.

"You really don't want benefits?" he teased again.

I threw the bouquet at him.

"Tsk! You're asking to get hit!"

He laughed again, looking so ridiculously happy. There were times when he was just plain weird, and this was one of those times.

Lying back on the picnic blanket, he turned to me. "I'm happy to have you back," he said softly. "...Even if it's just in the friendzone."

Maybe that's how much it meant to him—for me to forgive him. I returned his words with a smile. I wanted us to stay like this. I wanted us to be happy with what we had.

He sat up, still watching me. "Let's eat."

Oh! Finally! That's what I had been waiting for him to say.

"Of course! It's about time... Where's the food?" I asked, eyeing the picnic basket he was reaching for.

He opened it and took out plates, saucers, glasses, and cutlery. I waited for him to bring out the food... but nothing. He just kept setting up the utensils neatly.

I frowned. I was starving! I had been craving sushi for a while now. Yuri was seriously testing my patience.

"That's our food? Air?" I asked, irritated.

He laughed again. I was really starting to get annoyed. Not to mention, I was hungry. If I lost my patience, he might actually get hit.

Then, he pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a small cellphone with an antenna. He pressed a button, and it flipped open.

"Is the food ready?" he asked into it.

There was a bit of static before someone on the other end responded, "Ready, sir."

"Good. Time to feed the beast," he said before slipping the radio back into his pocket.

Feed the beast? Was he talking about me?!

"What beast?!" I glared at him.

He just grinned and looked off into the distance. What a show-off! First, he calls me a beast, and now he's acting all cool?

Ugh! He's really asking to get smacked back-to-back today!

After a while, people came to us. They brought large plates, which they placed beside us. One of them had a bucket filled with ice and a bottle of wine.

Once everything was in order, they bowed before finally leaving.

I thanked them.

"Let's... eat," he said slowly.

But I was already eating before he could even say that. It's his fault! He still has surprises up his sleeve. I wish I had fed him first.

"Come on! Eat!" I said, taking another bite.

He also started eating. At first, we were both angry, and there was no conversation. With the amount of food we had, I felt like I was going to burst. But I didn't care, as long as there was plenty of food!

Food is life, baby!

At some point, while eating, Yuri asked a question, which led to a conversation. Sometimes we talked about Aries, Mama, and, of course, Kuya Angelo.

"Did Brother Angelo ever have a girlfriend?" I asked, taking a sip from the glass of wine Yuri had given me.

"I think so... I'm not sure."

I frowned. "Why aren't you sure? Were you always tailing him before?"

He shrugged. "I don't know much about his personal life anymore. He taught us to be strong."

I drank more wine until I finished the glass. Then, I put it down and took a piece of chocolate from the plate beside me.

"Do you hold a grudge against Kuya?" I asked innocently.

He looked at me strangely. "Why do you ask that?"

I looked away, slightly raising my knee to hug it.

"B-because... I noticed something before, like Keifer had a grudge against him."

Yuri quickly sipped from his glass, finishing it as if he were drinking water.

"A lot happened between the five of us. I can't blame Keifer for being mad at Angelo. That was the day Percy disappeared." He poured himself another glass.

I watched him as he took a deep sip of the wine, his expression serious, as if he was recalling everything that had happened.

"W-what really happened?" I asked hesitantly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yuri's POV

I looked at Jay-Jay when she asked. Honestly, a part of me felt happy—we were starting to be okay again.

Even if it was just friendzone.

"If you're not okay, we won't talk about it—"

I quickly cut her off. "Keifer was furious." I paused. "...Keifer was extremely angry when he found out Percy was gone."

*Flashback*

My hands trembled as I drank water. My body refused to accept the medicine the nurse had given me. But in reality, it wasn't just the medicine—my entire system was rejecting everything that had happened. It all happened so fast.

"Yuri." Hahaoya called me. "...Keifer is awake."

Even though my legs and thighs ached, I forced myself to walk toward the other room where Keifer was being treated. We had only spent a day in the hospital. Even though I had no visible wounds or fractures, Hahaoya insisted on keeping me under observation.

That accident was a nightmare.

Keifer had lost consciousness after being thrown from the car. Now that he was finally awake, he was about to learn the truth.

"Get this thing off me!" Keifer shouted angrily at one of the nurses, even though he was clearly still dizzy.

He tried to pull out the IV needle attached to the back of his hand.

"Keifer! Please! Stop! You need to rest!" Hahaoya scolded him.

He calmed down a little, taking deep, uneven breaths. At one point, he clenched his jaw as if he was trying to endure the pain.

I stepped inside and walked toward him.

"Leave us," I ordered the nurses.

I glanced at Hahaoya, and she understood that she needed to leave as well. I knew she would stay outside, just in case something happened. As I closed the door, Keifer's furrowed brows greeted me. I could tell he was completely confused.

"What the hell is going on? Why are we here?" he asked irritably.

I wanted to tell him this calmly. But knowing Keifer, he can't relax when he doesn't understand something.

"Keifer—"

"Where are Aries and Percy?"

I gulped at the mention of Percy's name. I didn't know where to start.

"Keifer… Aries is in a private room on the next floor." I bit my lower lip. "…Si… si… P-Per… Percy."

"Yuri." His voice suddenly turned serious.

I knew he had a clue. It was so hard for me to deliver the news about Percy.

"Percy is…" My throat tightened, making it hard to speak. "…Percy is…" A tear slipped from my eye. "…d-dead."

Keifer didn't respond. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears. He just stared at me, as if he couldn't process what I had just said.

"This is a joke, right? Is Percy messing around again? He really likes teasing you. He'll hit me later for this." He scoffed, looking annoyed. "…Just tell me his room number. I'll visit him later and make him pay."

I couldn't answer. I didn't know if he truly understood what I had said or if he just refused to believe it.

"K-Keifer… I'm not joking. What I said is true."

He shot me a death glare. I almost stepped back but held my ground. He needed to understand that I was telling the truth. He clutched his head tightly, groaning in pain. I moved to help him, but he suddenly ripped out the IV. He tried to stand, even though his body was too weak. As I reached out to support him, he grabbed my arms and pulled me close.

"Damn it, Yuri! You know how much I hate unfunny jokes!" His voice was laced with frustration.

I removed his grip from my collar, watching the storm in his eyes.

"This isn't a joke! Percy is dead."

He clutched his head again and collapsed onto the floor. I was about to call a nurse when he grabbed the hem of my hospital gown.

"W-what happened?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"W-we'll talk about it later. You need to see a doctor first." I placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to help him up.

"I don't care! I need to know what happened!" he yelled.

Pain and fury swirled in his eyes. I didn't want to talk anymore. He needed medical attention—this pain he was feeling wasn't normal.

"Yuri!" He shook me slightly, his voice desperate.

"K-Keifer… the car fell…" I swallowed hard. "…and Percy was in it."