Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

["I don't have it anymore! Keifer deleted it,"] Ci-N answered from the other line.

Yuri sighed and brought the cellphone slightly closer to his mouth.

"Didn't you keep at least one?"

["Nothing, really."]

"Alright, thanks."

The call ended, and Yuri pocketed his phone. He was looking for videos of their pranks on Ci-N. It was said that Edrix used to hide them, but he had gone to Young Snake.

That's why I had seen the video of them beating up Kiko. They called it the One Hit Rule. Yuri admitted that they didn't do it just once.

In total, it happened over 30 times. Each incident was recorded as a souvenir. We tried to borrow the videos so I could see who they had hit, but unfortunately, they were all gone. Since Yuri's phone was on speaker, I had overheard the conversation.

I'm not blind—wait, I mean, deaf.

"Why do you still have that?" I asked, irritated.

"We've had many fights. They always come back whenever they think of retaliating. That One Hit Rule was our way of making sure they wouldn't return..." He scratched the back of his neck. "...It gets boring when they're the ones picking fights."

"Wow... The enemies get tired, but the fights never end." I sounded amazed.

He smiled. "We will never lose. We're Section E, Jay."

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" I shook my head in disapproval.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. I crossed my arms and looked away. I couldn't get Mykel out of my mind. Whoever did that to him… why did they seem so angry? If they really were the ones responsible. Because I had a strange hunch.

"Look, who really did that to Mykel?" I asked him.

He didn't answer. He kept staring into the distance, lost in thought. I placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed my index finger at his face to grab his attention. When he turned, my finger poked his cheek.

He chuckled slightly. "W-what?"

"I'm asking you, idiot."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about what happened to Mykel." He took a deep breath. "...I have this weird feeling that it wasn't a group that did that to him."

"Like just one person?"

"Just one person."

We spoke almost at the same time. We exchanged looks. That's it! My hunch was right.

"W-who do you think it was?" I asked.

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to mention a name. Then, he leaned in and looked at me.

"Keifer is on my mind."

I nodded. He was one of my suspicions too. But there was someone else—the Gagong Baliw ! He had threatened Mykel via text.

"I have a suspect too," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. "...Maybe you recognize this number."

I handed him my phone, displaying the name and number of my anonymous texter.

He raised an eyebrow. "Gagong....Baliw?"

I named it that! Unique, right? Unique, bes!

"Forget about the name!"

He shrugged while taking out his own phone. He dialed the number, but after a moment, he shook his head. No match. I took my phone back.

"Who is that?" he asked again.

"This guy has been texting me. He won't introduce himself, but he knows me and you. Then, when I was hospitalized, he threatened Mykel."

I opened our conversation and showed him the messages. He read them, but he didn't seem satisfied. He scrolled further, reading the earlier messages.

"Can I start from the very first message?"

I nodded and let him go through them. It took a while, so I sat on a plant box nearby.

"Jay, when did he kiss you while you were blindfolded?" he asked, his tone slightly annoyed.

"When I was kidnapped… and then Keifer stabbed someone."

I looked at him, and he seemed worried about something.

"There was no one else standing there when we arrived. Only Keifer was conscious."

I already knew that. That was my first thought too. I stood up and approached him.

"Yes, but that's impossible. Keifer was far from me when you arrived."

"No."

"Huh?"

"He was standing near you when we arrived."

I frowned. I was starting to get confused again.

"B-but removing the plate from me…."

"He was standing. He tried to walk, but he collapsed immediately because of his wound."

Holy freaking shit!

What does that mean? Was he the one who kissed me? Is he the one who's been texting me and paying attention to me? But why? First, Shine! Son of a— bitch!

But what if he wasn't? What if this gago is just claiming to be the one who kissed me when he really didn't? Or maybe he really was, and the King of the Snakes just happened to stand up when he left.

"I think it's better if you don't replay that part for now. We don't know who he really is," Yuri said, handing my phone back to me.

I nodded at him, even though I had no intention of following his advice. How would I figure out who he really was if I couldn't talk to him? I needed clues—something to lead me to him.

"Come on, I'll take you home. It's getting dark."

I looked up at the sky. It wasn't dark because of the night—it was dark because it looked like it was going to rain. I confirmed it when I heard a faint rumble of thunder. Yuri quickly walked to his car, and I followed, immediately trying to open the door.

"The rain's about to catch up with us," he said.

He started the car and went silent. Within minutes, heavy rain poured down. That's when a random thought crossed my mind.

Did I shower today?

Never mind. I'm already here, heading home. Does it even matter? Maybe it's not obvious. Yuri hasn't said anything. I subtly sniffed my armpits. Fragrant! When was the last time I shaved?

"Jay? Are you okay?" Yuri asked.

He saw me!

"O-oh... I was just checking something," I said, adjusting my seat.

He smiled at me before focusing on the road again. The car stopped at a red traffic light. As I watched people passing by, something came to mind.

"Yuri, didn't you say more than thirty people have experienced your One-Hit Rule?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you still remember who they were?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Hhhmmm... Some of them. Mostly the ones who hurt you and tried to kidnap you."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Those monkeys who came after me? The ones I fought on the way? Seriously?

Joke! Joke. Joker and Yuri.

"... Why do you think the rest never came back for revenge?"

I thought about it. Yeah, right?! They know where I am—so why not?

"Is that the reason?" I asked.

He nodded. "There's only one person we didn't deal with…" He coughed lightly. "...your ex."

My eyes widened. "Cyrus?! Has he already faced Keifer?"

Yuri tilted his head slightly. "N-no. He was… hanged."

Damn!

That's brutal. Cyrus didn't even get the chance to fight back. Not even in a hospital. And he got hanged?! What a shame. I let out a deep sigh. These snakes are really something else. The rain grew heavier, and I noticed water starting to rise on the streets. Suddenly, Yuri turned into a parking lot. It was spacious and covered, keeping us safe from the rain.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"The rain is too heavy. We might get into an accident," he said, stopping the car. "...Let's eat first. My treat."

I quickly unfastened my seatbelt. "Come on! You're so slow!"

I got off before him. He was shaking as he opened the door of his car.

"Libre to men!"

He locked the car door before approaching me. There were many people at the entrance and exit of the mall. Maybe because of the rain, they couldn't leave either.

I was forced to huddle with them. When I got inside, I noticed people still wearing turbans, so I did the same.

As I stood in the middle of the crowd, someone suddenly walked up to me. I was startled and was about to kick, but I stopped when I saw who it was.

"Don't walk away from me," Yuri said, looking ahead. "...You might lose me."

I frowned. Why did that sound different? I chose to ignore it.

Once we passed through the crowd, I immediately let go and walked away from him, shooting him a glare.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked teasingly.

"That's exactly why! You're up to something," I threatened.

He only responded with a loud laugh, catching the attention of some people nearby.

"Kuya's laugh is so nice."

"So manly... my heart can't take it!"

"Ugh, we're done for!"

I turned to look at those who said that. What the heck? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The moment they saw me staring, they quickly scattered.

"Jealous already?" Yuri smirked.

"Excuse me? I'm not jealous. I was just shocked by what they said."

"Why are you reacting? I never said it was about you," he teased.

I raised my fist toward his face. "Do you want one?"

He shook his head. "No thanks. I was just saying, let's go. Let's eat at Tokyo Tokyo."

"Now we're talking!"

We walked toward the Japanese-themed restaurant he pointed out. He told me to find a seat while he placed our order.

As I waited, my phone rang—a text message. I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the sender. The first thing that came to mind was that crazy idiot. And I was right.

📩

From: GagongBaliw

Message: Why are you with Yuri again?

How did they know that?

I quickly scanned the area, expecting someone to reveal themselves, but what was I even expecting? There were a few guys on their phones, but I couldn't tell who it was.

I quickly replied.

To: Gagong Baliw

Message: How did you know? Are you here? Where? Show yourself!

📩

From: Gagong Baliw

Message: I don't want to! If you want to see me, come find me!

To: Gagong Baliw

Message: No! Later, after dinner.

📩

From: Gagong Baliw

Message: Scared! Scared!

I was about to curse at them, but Yuri arrived, so I quickly hid my phone.

"Are you texting someone?" he asked innocently.

"N-no... I was just reading something."

"Oh? Wattpad?" he guessed. "Stop that... It's addictive."

I looked at him. "You know Wattpad?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I read there sometimes. Sci-fi or fantasy."

"Are you addicted to Wattpad too?"

He shook his head. "I only read when I have free time. But when I have things to do, I put it aside."

I smiled. Who would've thought a guy like him was a Wattpader? He always acts tough, yet here he is, reading Wattpad.

"Keep it up. It's attractive."

"Are you attracted?" he asked with a smirk.

I've been attracted to you for a long time… but my feelings for the King of Snakes always win.

I quickly felt isolated. I chose to tease him rather than reveal my true feelings. In response, I laughed at him. Not long after, a waiter arrived with his order.

I shifted my attention to the food, pretending to be busy eating, though in reality, my mind was preoccupied with the tension between the three of us.

Just as I was about to finish eating, my phone rang again. Someone was calling me, and when I glanced at the screen, it was Gagong Baliw.

"Who is that?" Yuri asked.

I didn't answer his question. Instead, I chose to take the call.

"Hello…" I answered. "...Do you need something?"

I expected a response, but I heard nothing on the other end. Then, as I glanced at the glass wall of the restaurant, I froze. Not far away, standing there, was the person who had been on my mind just moments ago.

Keifer.

"Jay… is something wrong?" Yuri asked.

My phone slipped from my hand as I slowly stood up. Yuri tried to follow my gaze, but just as a group of young people passed by, he was gone.

"Who are you looking at?"

I couldn't be mistaken. It was really Keifer. I quickly stepped out, searching for his familiar face, but he was nowhere to be seen—not even his silhouette. I hadn't realized Yuri had followed me.

"Jay! What is it?! Did you see something?!" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I-I saw him… He was just here."

"But who?"

"It's… its… K-Keifer."

I continued looking around, desperately hoping to see him again.

"Maybe you just imagined it," Yuri suggested.

I shook my head. "No, he was here. He was looking at us."

I could still picture him clearly—his furrowed brows, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a phone. That's when I remembered my own phone. Yuri was holding it, and I quickly grabbed it back. There was a message from Gagong Baliw.

📩

From: Gagong Baliw

Message: Don't.

I immediately tried calling him, but his phone had already been switched off. I tried several more times, but nothing. What if… what if he was Gagong Baliw? I bit my lower lip.

"Naze…?" (Why…?) I heard Yuri whisper.

I didn't understand why he said that, but the way he looked at me was full of unspoken questions. As he stared at me, my tears fell on their own. Without hesitation, Yuri pulled me into his arms. I collapsed against his chest. I knew people were watching us, but I didn't care.

"Kare no tame ni naite inai." (Don't cry because of him.)

Seriously? Even in a moment like this, he was speaking Japanese? Did he forget that I don't understand? For a few moments, we stayed like that before I gently pulled away.

"Sorry… I couldn't help it. I was overwhelmed," I explained, wiping my tears.

"It's okay… I'm always here for you."

He placed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair slightly. He forced a small smile, and as his hand left my head, it trailed down to my wrist. He held it gently. Without a word, he started walking, and I followed. My eyes were fixed on our hands. His grip wasn't too tight, yet I felt its effect on me. It was as if my wrist was burning under his touch.

We reached the parking lot, and I opened the car door. He even fastened my seatbelt for me before stepping back and smiling once more—though it didn't quite reach his eyes. His expression looked… lifeless. As he got into the driver's seat, he let out a deep sigh, secured his seatbelt, and started the car. We drove in silence for several minutes until I finally spoke.

"S-Sorry," I whispered.

"You don't have to apologize," he said, his eyes fixed on the road.

"But I'm hurting you again."

He glanced at me briefly before pulling the car over to the side of the road. I stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak.

"I want to blame you," he admitted. "...I want to be mad at you. I want to scold you. But that would be wrong because, from the very beginning, I already knew. I always knew it was Keifer."

Please… Yuri…

I lowered my head. "Then maybe… maybe you should stop. I don't want to keep hurting you."

"That's not possible," he replied firmly.

I turned to look at him.

"When have you ever stopped loving?" he asked.

I didn't answer. Instead, I shook my head. His words hit me hard because, deep down, I knew he was right. I understood why he was doing this… but why was I still confused?

He unfastened his seatbelt and leaned slightly closer to me. Taking my hand in his, he pressed a soft kiss against it.

"Hurt me," he whispered. "Hurt me as many times as you want. Hurt me whenever you want. I don't care. Hurt me until I go numb." His grip on my hand tightened."…I'd rather endure the pain than lose you."

I bit my lower lip. Why? Why couldn't it just be him and me? Why wasn't he the one my heart had chosen? Why did my heart still long for someone else?

"You really are the president of our club," I muttered.

He raised an eyebrow. "What club?"

I looked at him and smirked. "The Shunga Lovers Club."

He slowly smiled while still holding my hand. He kissed it before speaking.

"And you are the vice president."