Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

The noise. It sounds like someone is arguing and fighting. I can also hear someone singing. What a mess! Even though I want to sleep, I can't because of their commotion.

So annoying!

I opened my eyes, and the annoying Ulopong appeared in front of me.

"You're so noisy!" I said, irritated.

"Hey, wake up!"

"Wake up!"

"How are you, Jay?"

I was shocked. This is the first time I've seen someone say hello with their mouth full of food. What they're holding in their hands is different from what they're actually eating.

"Stay away for a second! You look awful! You're so—so—abandoned!" David said before quickly stepping back.

Where did that food even come from? And where did they eat it?

I tried to sit up. Yuri immediately adjusted the bed so the headrest was slightly elevated. He placed a pillow behind my back and focused on me, while the talipandas were busy chewing.

I glanced at my hands, noticing they were wrapped in bandages, yet I didn't feel any pain. Then, I realized there was a bandage around my head too.

What is this?! What the hell happened?

Just then, memories started coming back. The reason I'm in the hospital. The reason my hands are wrapped. Ci, Mykel, and the chandelier.

I looked around at the Snakes, searching for Young Snake, but I couldn't spot him.

"Where's Ci-N?" I asked, worried.

David answered, "In the other room. He's fine. That guy is strong."

I let out a sigh of relief. I thought something bad had happened to him. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the pillow. Thank God, nothing serious happened to him. I tried to recall everything that led to me being here.

Something feels off… Like there's something missing. Something I can't remember. I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Yuri peeling an apple.

"Who brought us to the hospital?" I asked. He glanced at me for a moment before returning to what he was doing.

"We did."

"M-Mykel… Where is he?"

He suddenly laughed and took a bite of the apple he had just peeled. Honestly, who's the sick one here? Why are they the ones eating all the food?

"What's so funny?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"You already asked that earlier. You keep repeating yourself."

I frowned. "I just woke up. Why would I ask that?"

He stopped eating and looked at me, puzzled.

"Jay… You woke up a while ago while everyone was still asleep. You even talked before passing out again."

Yuri and I stared at each other for a long time, both confused about what was happening. I don't remember waking up. I don't even recall what happened after the—

The blood!

"Yuri… Can you take me to Ci-N?" I pleaded.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"B-Because… I… I…"

How do I tell him that it's happening again? The thing I've been avoiding for so long. That thing, that terrifying thing.

Just then, we heard a knock on the door. We both turned toward it as it slowly opened. Aunt Gema walked in with a warm smile.

"How are you?" she greeted, addressing me and the Snakes.

"We're fine, Aunt," Eren replied with a smile.

"Thank you for the food, Auntie," Denzel said.

Aunt? Since when did Aunt Gema become their aunt? The audacity of these snakes!

"How did you cook these noodles, Auntie? They're delicious!" Eman asked.

"Auntie, this menudo is amazing," Kit chimed in.

I cringed. They seemed so close to Tita all of a sudden. And wow, just wow! They're really shameless, still eating as if they belong here.

"Thank you. It's good that you're here to support Jay-Jay," Tita said, placing the paper bag she was carrying on the table filled with food.

"Hey, what's that, Aunt? It looks delicious!" Drew said, eyeing the paper bag.

"That's pickled. Just eat it," Aunt replied before turning to me. "...How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Aunt," I said, then glanced at the snakes behind her. "...Why is there so much food?"

She followed my gaze toward them, then smiled before facing me again.

"Since they brought you here yesterday, they haven't gone home to eat, so I just brought them some food," she explained.

Yesterday? That means I've been unconscious for a whole day.

I turned to Yuri. "You were here yesterday?" I asked. He nodded. "...Haven't you showered yet?"

They all froze. Even Aunt looked surprised at their reaction. David, who had just stuffed puto into his mouth, stopped chewing.

"That's fine. We're used to not showering," Mayo joked, quickly grabbing Josh by the neck.

"Just speak for yourself. Don't include us," Felix retorted.

As they teased each other, I felt strange. It was as if I was floating, even though everything around me was clear.

"Jay?" Aunt Gema called, gently patting my arm. "...Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "Yes, Auntie."

"I was asking you something, but you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry."

"Maybe she's just hungry," Yuri commented.

Aunt Gema laughed. "Maybe so. That's why she can't eat yet."

What?!

My eyes widened as I looked between Aunt Gema and Yuri.

"S-Serious?"

Aunt Gema adjusted the pillow behind me, still chuckling.

"We have to wait for the doctor's approval before you can eat."

Hhhhhuuuwwwwaaaaattttttt????!!!!!

Why?! There's so much food right in front of me, yet I can't eat? This is unfair!

"But why?"

"Because that's what the doctor said."

I turned to Aunt with tears in my eyes. "But sometimes, doctors aren't always right!"

They laughed at me again. This was pure suffering. The food was right there, within my reach, but I wasn't allowed to eat it. Why? Why?!

Would you like this?!

"You really..." Tita chuckled. "Alright, I'll go check on Aries. I left your mom with him, so they're probably arguing by now." She turned and walked out.

The freeloaders thanked her before she finally left. Yuri sat beside me and took my hand.

"What were you saying earlier?"

Oh, right! I glanced at the snakes. I didn't want to talk about it in front of them.

"Maybe next time."

He tightened his grip on my hand, making me look at him. I knew he could sense that something was on my mind. I tried to smile at him and squeeze his hand back, but the bandages got in the way. We stayed like that for a moment when suddenly, I remembered Percy. My eyes gradually widened.

"W-Percy? Where is Percy?"

Felix looked at me while drinking his Coke.

"At home. Why?" he replied.

"Is he okay?" I asked worriedly.

Felix gave me a strange look. "Of course. Why wouldn't he be?"

"Because when we were together—"

"He was here earlier," David interrupted before I could finish.

He looked at me differently, as if silently telling me not to say anything more. I turned to Felix, who was still confused.

I shook my head and smiled. "When will he come back?"

"I don't know. He and David need to talk."

I glanced at David, but he just shrugged and continued eating. Felix did the same. I decided to push aside the thoughts troubling my mind for now. Later, Yuri gave me a spoonful of water to quench my thirst, but I wanted to eat.

Food! Food! Food!

By the afternoon, the Ulupongs decided to go home. They weren't doing anything here except eating and eating. Only David and Yuri stayed behind. Just as the others left, Yuri's phone rang. He excused himself to take the call and stepped outside.I turned to David, who was focused on his phone.

"Hey, David!" I called out in annoyance. "...What happened to Percy?"

"He's at home. Resting," he answered flatly.

"Yes, but what happened to him after I left?"

He put his phone away and faced me, his expression suddenly serious.

"He called me. He said he was having an episode because of his illness. I was the only one who went because I knew he didn't want anyone else to know about his condition," he explained.

Worry filled me. What illness? He never told me he was sick.

"W-what illness? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He didn't want you to worry."

I lowered my gaze. "How long? How long has he been going through this?"

David leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his palms together and looked at me intently.

"After the accident. He suffered spinal damage. He couldn't walk and was nearly paralyzed. His mother did everything she could to help him," he said. I clutched my blanket tightly. "...She spent a lot of money trying to find a doctor who could cure Percy."

"But… isn't he okay now? He was just here with us."

"Not completely. There are side effects. His spine suddenly hurts, and some parts of his body become temporarily paralyzed."

I remembered how he looked in the car—how he screamed in pain. His hands, his speech…

"Can't that be treated?"

"They tried. That's why he was gone for so long. He asked me to look after you while he was away."

So that's why he went to New York with Papa… I never imagined that beneath all his jokes and playful personality, he was dealing with something this serious. Will I never hear another one of his corny jokes?

"That's his condition… Is there a chance..." I couldn't finish my question, but it seemed like David already knew what I meant.

"Yes... There's a chance. A high risk."

I covered my mouth with my hand. No… what David told me couldn't be true. I wished it were just another one of Percy's jokes, one that I could just laugh off.

I was given a brother, but now it feels like he's being taken away from me.

"That's also one of the reasons why his mother doesn't want him to come back here," David added.

I couldn't stop my tears. They fell on their own, making David panic as he rushed to me.

"Hey! Don't cry. Don't think too much. Percy is strong," he said, trying to wipe my tears.

"I-it's unfair… It's unfair," I sobbed.

David pulled me into a hug, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. Why does it have to be something in return for everything that is given to me? Why does it feel like every gift I receive comes at a cost? My father was given to me, but I can't be with him. I was given a brother, but he never got to accept me. Now, I was given another brother, and it feels like he's being taken away from me too.

It felt like I was starving for a meal, yet I couldn't eat it.

"I'm not dead yet, but you're making me cry."

We looked toward the door. The man with blue eyes was approaching us, smiling as if nothing had happened. Instead of feeling relieved or concerned, I was suddenly annoyed with him.

"You're lucky..." he said to David. "...Maybe you should just let go."

David pulled away from my embrace and returned to his seat. I glared at Percy.

"You suck!" I snapped as he approached. "...If my hand weren't bandaged, I would've punched you."

The crook grinned widely. "Good thing it is. I wouldn't want my beauty to be ruined."

David suddenly stood up and walked over to the air conditioner. "Why does the wind feel stronger when it's still set at number five?"

He could sense the storm too.

"Is there a problem, David?" Percy asked sarcastically. "...Maybe you should step outside so it's less windy."

He laughed before leaving the room. After closing the door, he sat down next to me. I wanted to hit him, but I might bruise my already injured hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice cracked as I spoke. "...And don't give me that 'I didn't want you to worry' excuse, because that's bullshit!"

He didn't respond, just stared at me, so I continued venting my frustration.

"It's unfair... I thought I had someone on my side. I thought I had someone to lean on. But why does it feel like it's only temporary? Like you're going to be taken away from me at any moment? How am I supposed to move forward if every time I do, you might be gone? What am I supposed to do?! Answer me!"

Percy reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek as he wiped away my tears. He leaned in slightly.

"You already know why I didn't tell you," he said, his gaze serious as he looked into my eyes. "...Remember this—I will never leave you. No one is taking me away. You don't have to do anything because I won't let you lose me."

I saw tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. I had never seen him like this before, except when he drank over his issue with Freya. But even then, it wasn't like this.

"I escaped death once, Jay. I'm ready to do it again. And I will. Do you know why?" I shook my head. "...Because I'm handsome."

Annoying! This man is seriously crazy!

"Bwisit!" I huffed, annoyed, as I smacked his chest, but he remained serious.

"I can't leave you. It's too soon. I haven't even delivered you to your Papa yet," he said with a smile. "Just trust me, I'll live longer than you expect." He smirked. "...Maybe you'll go before me."

I laughed at that, finally feeling a little better. I wiped my tears and hugged him.

He hugged me back. "Just trust me. I won't disappear again."

I nodded, knowing he could feel my silent agreement. I believed in him. He wouldn't leave us. As we pulled away from the hug, we became aware of another presence in the room. We turned toward the door—Yuri and David were standing there, watching us.

"We have to go," David said.

Percy nodded before turning back to me. "I'll be back tomorrow. I just have to take care of something."

"Alright. Be careful."

He kissed my forehead before walking over to David. Yuri and Percy exchanged a strange look before leaving. I had no idea what their problem was. Yuri walked over and sat beside me, smiling.

"Sorry I took so long," he said.

"It's okay."

We talked for a while about what happened yesterday. I wanted to tell him it had happened again, but when I was about to speak, my tongue suddenly felt heavy.

Mama arrived around 7 PM to watch over me. Yuri said he would go home for now and return tomorrow. Since I still couldn't eat, I had only swallowed a few spoonfuls of water. If only I could eat the spoon itself just to fill my stomach.

"You, Jay! Stop getting into fights! No university will accept you if you keep this up!" Mama scolded while wiping me with a wet cloth.

I wanted to argue back.

"Are you listening?!" She asked, annoyed.

"Yes," I replied lifelessly.

After she cleaned me up, she fixed the bed so I could lie down. I chose to face the wall to fall asleep quickly. But because the light was on and there were so many things in the room, my eyes kept wandering, making it hard to sleep. Mama must have noticed my restlessness, so she turned off the light and opened the window curtain, letting in some light from outside.

Soon, I fell asleep on my own—perhaps because of my sleepiness this morning. I hadn't slept for long before I was woken up by a soft knocking. It was strange because the sound wasn't loud enough to wake me up completely. It wasn't urgent either.

"Mom! There's someone at the door," I said, pulling the blanket over me.

How annoying! People sleep so peacefully, and now I'm being disturbed!

I was startled when I didn't hear Mama respond. Instead, the knocking came again. Lowering the blanket, I turned to Mama with annoyance.

"Mom! Don't you hear—" I stopped mid-sentence.

She wasn't there. The sofa where she had been sitting earlier was empty. I was alone. The knock came again.

"Who's there?!" I called out nervously, but no one answered.

The doorknob rattled. Slowly, the door creaked open, letting in a faint light from the hallway. Something—someone—was peeking through the gap.

My chest tightened with fear. The door could open fully at any moment, allowing whoever was outside to step in.

"Is someone there?" I asked, my voice trembling.

The figure disappeared. I waited for a few minutes, expecting someone to enter, but no one did. I was about to get up to close the door when the hinges creaked, and it slowly opened wider. But there was no one there.

A sudden realization struck me—I remembered what Josh and Mayo had been teasing about earlier. They joked that something lurked in my room. A girl who played under my bed. I swallowed hard. Sweat trickled down my back despite the air conditioning.

I shrank back against the bed when I noticed a hand gripping the edge of the door. A head peeked slightly from behind it.

Terror gripped me as I heard my name. My body went weak, and I couldn't make out the rest of the words. The only source of light was from the open door.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

I was so scared that I curled up on the bed, pulling the blanket over me. My lips moved in silent prayers, calling on every saint I knew. Just as I was about to recite every prayer that came to mind, I heard the door close.

I trembled, though the air was still. My courage crumbled completely when I heard the sound of metal scraping—a rusty, ungreased wheel dragging across the floor. The noise grew closer and closer.

My heart pounded violently, the sound thundering in my ears until—

"This is...."