Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

Weird. So weird. Super duper weird. Super duper ultra weird. Super duper ultra omega to the highest level of weird!

Your face is weird, Jay-Jay.

I stood in front of my desk, staring at the food. Yes, at some food. A box of doughnuts sat on my table, along with a Starbucks coffee.

"Jay-Jay!" Ci-N greeted me as he approached.

He immediately noticed the box of doughnuts, his eyes widening with excitement as if the food in front of him was meant for him.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, reaching for the box. But before he could grab it, I smacked his hand.

"...Ouch!"

"Don't just take it! We don't even know who it's from!"

"Of course, it's from one of our classmates! You don't have a secret admirer out there who'd send you something like this!" he retorted, rubbing his hand.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I know it's from one of your fellow Serpents! But who among them?"

Together, we turned to look at the Serpents. The first person that came to mind was Eman—since he's our designated cook here. Our eyes met, but he simply raised an eyebrow at us.

Okay, not him.

Next, we looked at Yuri. He just smiled and waved at me.

Alright, not him either.

I turned to my left, where the rest of the group was messing around and playfully arguing.

Edrix was my first guess—he was busy on his phone—but that idiot didn't even notice us. He looked too absorbed in whatever game he was playing.

Not him.

Next to him, Rory was writing something in his notebook. He glanced up at me, then quickly returned to his notes, scribbling away like he was recording something I wouldn't understand.

Not him either.

Definitely not him. He's way too stingy—if the doughnuts were from him, I would've only gotten one, not a whole box.

I moved on to Mayo. He seemed to glance at Kit but quickly turned back to his conversation with Josh.

He doesn't seem like the type either.

The one he was talking to—Josh—became my next suspect. But I quickly ruled him out too. If it were him, he would've given his pet cat something before thinking about me.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

I was about to check the other side when I noticed Ci-N. The box was already open, and he had a doughnut in his hand—his mouth full as he chewed.

"Wow! I looked away for just a second!"

"It's... good," he mumbled, mouth stuffed.

I frowned. "What?!"

He just continued chewing in response. And as if one wasn't enough, he grabbed another before plopping down in his seat. I sighed and scratched the back of my neck. All this over some food. Haizt.

Curiously, I peeked into the box. The doughnuts did look delicious—various flavors from what seemed like an expensive shop. I could only afford ones that cost eleven pesos each.

I glanced at the Serpents near me. They were watching, but the moment I looked at them, they quickly looked away—like they were waiting to see if I'd eat or not.

Thank you very much! If I take one, of course, I'll get to eat. And honestly? I don't care what they think. Doughnuts are delicious. But if I do what they expect me to do—just eat! Why overthink? It's food! Food is life! My life, to be exact.

Roomy kung roomy!

I don't care if they think I lost by accepting the gift. I grabbed one and took a big bite. I heard someone yell, but I ignored it. I just focused on eating—Ci-N was already on his second piece.

Then, David arrived. He raised an eyebrow at us, silently questioning where the food came from.

"You want some? Go ahead," I offered.

"Maybe just the coffee," he said, picking up the cup and taking a sip.

He looked more awake now. Not that it mattered—he's always awake. He'd probably stay up all night again. David has social instincts, but he's always closed off.

We were almost done with the doughnuts when I looked into the box again. A note had been hidden beneath the last doughnut. I picked up the remaining pieces and handed them to Ci-N so I could read it.

📝

Congrats,

Because you ate the doughnut, it means you've agreed to go on a date with me.

Later after School

~Felix.

📝

My eyebrows shot up. Felix? Felix sent it? What the hell?! And what date?! Son of a— I was tricked!

I shot up from my seat and hurled the box at Felix, who was now smirking deviously. He dodged just in time.

"I never said I agreed!" I yelled in frustration. "...Besides, Ci-N was the one who ate most of it!"

"But you ate too," Felix said, still grinning.

"Ugh! I am not going on a date with you!"

I sat back down, arms crossed, fuming. Around me, the others were laughing and teasing. These idiots really thought they had me there.

Hey, no! It's a shame, man!

Sir Alvin arrived, and our class started. He began by discussing our upcoming exam until...

"You only have half a day today," he announced.

I sat up straighter. One ear wasn't enough to process what Sir had just said properly.

"...The board members and faculty have a meeting."

The Ulupongs quickly celebrated. Some even clapped and cheered as if they had won the lottery. Sometimes, aside from being snakes and dead weight, they were also overly dramatic. Sir continued teaching, though my focus remained on his announcement.

Hehehe...

Time passed without me realizing it. As soon as our class ended and school was dismissed, I quickly packed my things. I was about to leave the room when I heard Felix calling me.

"Wait for me! We still have a date!"

I frowned. He really thought I would agree to this so-called "date."

"You have a date?" Ci suddenly appeared in front of me.

I nearly bit my tongue in shock. He popped up even faster than a mushroom. Annoyed, I glared at him.

"No! Let's just go home!" I said, tugging on his bag.

Taking large steps, I hurried away from our classroom to avoid Felix. He could do whatever he wanted—I wasn't going on any date.

When we reached the gate, we merged into the crowd of students. I could still hear my name being called. As soon as I stepped outside, I let go of Ci and ran. I knew he would follow me. I only stopped when I grew tired. We were already far from school.

"Hey! Jay-jay!" Ci called.

I caught my breath before answering. I had run so fast earlier that I might as well have been in a marathon. I feel like I have long legs.

"Jay-Jay!" he called again.

Annoyed, I turned to him, ready to snap, but my words got stuck in my throat when I saw who was standing next to him.

Felix was leaning against a car, while Percy peeked out from the window. Both of them were grinning at me. I scowled at Ci.

"Keep running! They have a car!" he said, exasperated. "I was calling you earlier!"

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"You really thought you could escape me," Felix teased."That's right, bro, right."

I rolled my eyes.

"You really thought I would agree to a date with you?" I mimicked his tone. "That's right, bro, right."

"Let's go for a walk," Ci suggested.

I shook my head. No matter where they took me—whether it was Enchanted Kingdom or Disneyland—I wasn't going.

"Let's go shopping," he added.

I shook my head again. Even if they bought the whole Philippines, I wouldn't care.

"How about food?"

I still shook my head. Even if they laid out a feast in front of me, I wouldn't give in.

"Free food."

Just as I was about to shake my head, I stopped.

Wait.

I looked at Ci, who was smiling mischievously. Felix and Percy, meanwhile, were holding the car's steering wheel, watching me expectantly. This was a trap. I knew it.

No! I won't fall for it!

"Alright. I want pizza," I finally said and quickly got into the car.

Ci and Felix cheered in victory. I sat in the backseat, and Young Snake followed me in.

"Who said you could come along?" Percy asked Ci irritably.

"Jay-Jay," he answered quickly, clinging to my arm.

Did I say that? No I'm not replying to anyone.

"That's fine. At least Jay-jay won't be out of my sight," Felix said while fastening his seatbelt.

He turned to face me and winked. I just sighed in frustration.This cat is infected with the same arrogance as the King. Or maybe he was actually a snake in disguise, which explained everything. A cat—Felix the Cat.

If I weren't hungry, I wouldn't have gone with them. I would just pretend that Percy and Ci invited me. I knew this was part of their plan to trick me. Felix probably thought I would turn him down again, but he underestimated my love for free food.

I still felt a little bitter. He used to hate me because I was connected to Aries—the one he blamed for Percy's death. Maybe that's why he was so insistent on their plan now. My chest tightened at the memory. I glanced at the two brothers in front of me. They must have planned this.

Whenever Percy and I were together, he always found a way to bring Felix into the conversation. He'd ask if I had forgiven his brother yet or try to force us to talk.

Another setup! I shouldn't have eaten that donut earlier!

The car gradually slowed down. I looked out the window and saw a vintage-style pizza house. The car turned right into the parking lot. Felix and Ci-N got out first. Percy and I followed.

"We'll go find an empty table," Felix said, quickly walking inside.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" Ci chanted, following Felix.

"Hey! Are you paying and eating?" Percy yelled at Ci.

The young snake didn't pay attention to him until he got inside. I quickly turned to Percy and glared at him.

"What is this?! This was your plan, wasn't it?!"

He smiled at me, placing his hand on my neck. "I'm just helping my brother. I want us to be a happy family."

I pointed at his face. "Look, Happy Family! You're my only brother, not Felix!"

Percy is my stepbrother because he's the son of my dad's wife. Felix is his stepbrother because his mom is married to his dad. So, how exactly is Felix related to me?

On the roof?

"Let's adopt Felix. Let's make him a Mariano. After all, he's not really a Collins."

I threw a punch at him, but he dodged it quickly. As far as I know, Felix was only given the Collins name because of Percy's dad. They say he was taken to America by chance.

I walked toward the restaurant entrance, but before I could touch the door, Percy stopped me. His eyes were serious.

"If you force me to adopt Felix—"

"It's not that," he cut me off. "...Just give Felix a chance to explain."

I frowned. "Even if—"

"Jay, everyone makes mistakes. Felix made a mistake, but don't deny him his rights."

"Rights?"

"The right to be forgiven and given a chance," he said with a smile. "...It's a shame my brother is so good-looking. But he's mine, so give him a chance."

That really stuck.

I was about to slap him, but he quickly stepped inside. My hand almost hit the door, and I barely avoided the pain just in time.

I sighed and followed him in. The restaurant wasn't very crowded. The interior design was outdated—from the tables to the ceiling lights.

I spotted Ci-N and Percy in a corner, pushing each other as if fighting over something. People were starting to stare at them.

"I said I'm sitting next to him!" Ci snapped.

"No! Me! I'm his brother! I should sit there!" Percy shot back.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, annoyed.

They quickly pulled away from each other, almost pointing fingers at the same time.

"I said I should sit next to him," Young Snake explained.

"I'm his brother, so I should be the one sitting there," Percy argued.

I just shook my head. These two really couldn't be together without bickering. Instead of adding to the chaos, I chose to sit at a two-person table beside them. Before the two troublemakers could start another fight over who would sit across from me, Felix took the seat opposite me.

That seat was meant for one person.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked innocently, as the other two glared at him.

"Thief," Percy muttered.

Ci-N pouted, looking like he was about to cry. Left with no choice, they grabbed another table near ours. The two immediately turned to each other.

"What do you want to eat?" Felix asked.

"I feel like eating a live chicken," I said sarcastically. "...Probably pizza. Didn't I already tell you earlier?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry."

He waved at a nearby waiter and asked for a menu, which was quickly handed over. Even the two troublemakers received one.

I told him my order, and of course, the other two wasted no time bombarding the waiter with theirs. They ordered so much, it was like they were preparing for a feast—arguing over which dish was tastier.

They were truly the center of the chaos.

Good thing the restaurant wasn't too crowded. I had a feeling the food here wasn't great. Hopefully, it wasn't bad either. I was already not enjoying my company—if the food turned out terrible too, it would be unbearable.

"Jay-Jay," Felix called my name.

I pretended not to hear him, looking around and examining the restaurant's design. I even stared at the ceiling light for no reason.

"I know you can hear me," he said. "...I hope you'll listen to my explanation."

I gasped for air. It was a mistake for me to come here. This is completely unfair!

"You look so free," I muttered, watching them.

They're as twisted as snakes—taking advantage of my weakness. I should come up with a strategy to avoid their nonsense.

"I'm sorry, Jay." It was just the beginning. "...I'm sorry if we lied to you. But you can't blame me, right? I was mad at you. Every time I see you, I remember Aries. Everything comes rushing back."

"I already know that," I replied, my voice void of emotion. "...You don't have to repeat yourself."

"Yes, but I don't think you understand yet—not everything that happened between us was a lie."

I raised an eyebrow, confused by his words. He smiled and reached for my hand, but I pulled away immediately.

"What happened with Section E wasn't a lie," he continued. "The times we laughed together, the days you helped us through our struggles, the moments we shared with Jay-jay... That was all real." He shook his head with a small smile. "All of it."

Sweet words are nice to hear, but terrifying to believe. I glanced toward Ci-N's direction. They were clearly listening, yet they didn't seem to care. I turned back to Felix, this time looking at him properly.

The same way I had felt about Yuri and Ci-N when I tolerated them... I felt it now. A dull ache in my chest.

"How can you say that?" I asked, bitterness lacing my voice. "It was a lie, wasn't it? A form of deception." I let out a hollow laugh. "That's the whole point, right? Making someone believe in something that isn't real."

Felix's face darkened, as if my words had hurt him. I couldn't blame him, but that's what I had believed back then.

I had blamed myself for being fooled. Thought I was stupid for falling for it. But something was wrong with that logic—because even the smartest people in the world get deceived.

The truth is, deception isn't just about lying outright. It's about making someone want to believe. It's about showing them enough truth to mask the fraud lurking beneath. That's how manipulation works.

Back then, I had truly believed in the moments we shared—the laughter, the teasing, the way they stood by my side. To me, all of that was real. But beneath our laughter lay the thing that would eventually break me.

"I know it's hard to believe," Felix said softly. "But we started letting go of the plan. Keifer stopped a long time ago. We think he stopped because... even he..." He smiled faintly. "...Even he started feeling something real for you."

Damn!

My mouth fell open. I wanted to say something, but my tongue felt heavy. I blinked, unable to meet his gaze.

Ci-N looked at me with the same expression—smiling, as if proud of Felix's words. As if to say this is the truth.

"Honestly," Felix admitted, "I see women differently because of you. We became friends, and you cared for me even when I tried to push you away."

He reached for my hand again, and this time, he didn't let go.

"My classmates and I are sorry. I regret forcing that plan onto Keifer. I accept your anger, but... I just hope you can give me, give us, a chance to prove that you matter to us... that you belong with us."

My tongue remained tied. Everything was a mess. A complete disaster. I didn't know what to believe anymore.