Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

Days passed without me realizing it. I haven't left my room—I'm too ashamed to face Kuya.

During these days, the only people I talked to were Percy and the Gagang Baliw over the phone. All they did was annoy me.

Speaking of my phone...

It rang, and when I checked, Percy was calling. I answered right away, thinking he might need something. He still hasn't come out of his room.

"Hello," I said casually.

["Jay... it's Felix."]

I glanced at my phone screen for a second to make sure I had read the caller's name correctly.

"Why? And why are you holding Percy's phone?"

["Because... Kuya Percy is—"]

Suddenly, I heard someone yell, "I'm not going out!"

Persing Baliw has literally lost his mind.

I scratched my head. "Tell me, does he know Honey's address?"

["Who's Honey?"]

"The one in the group of..." I hesitated before mentioning the name. "...your King."

["Ryder? The nephew of Keifer's lawyer?!"] Felix asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Yeah," I replied lifelessly.

["Why is she involved in this?"]

I sighed, too lazy to explain. I was still getting ready for school.

"Just tell him!"

Felix didn't reply, but I could hear some movement on his side. Then, I heard a door slam.

["Hey! Get out now... I'm going to school,"] Felix said.

Percy was probably standing in front of him.

["I'm not coming out!"] Percy replied.

["Fine, suit yourself! Honey knows my house."] Felix said, and I heard another door slam.

["Jay?"] he called me. ["Told you."]

"What reaction am I supposed to have?"

Suddenly, I heard loud banging on a door from Felix's side, followed by heavy footsteps.

["I'll take you!"] Percy's voice came through. ["I'm going home to Uncle Jasfher's house first."]

Dad's house?

Yeah. That's where he was originally headed, but when he and Felix made up, he returned to their house. Suddenly, I got curious about what Papa's house looked like.

["I don't care..."] Felix replied in a bored tone. ["Jay, see you at school. Bye!"]

The call ended. I put my phone down on the bed before slipping on my shoes. It was Monday—time to go back to school. We were the only ones who had missed school.

I had no idea what was going on at our school. Every time a guest with money came to visit, we were suddenly not allowed to enter.

After finishing up, I grabbed my phone again, picked up my bag, and left the room. I headed straight to the dining area, where they were having breakfast. As soon as I entered, the room fell silent, as if an angel had passed by.

Mama wasn't there—she had gone to check on Andy's apple first.

"G-Good morning," I greeted them.

Aunt Gema and Uncle Julz smiled at me. Kuya Angelo kept his head down while eating. Aries just smirked at me.

Go ahead, keep smirking. Just don't forget, when karma hits, you'll be the one sleeping through it.

"Good morning, Jay. Are you coming in right away? Eat first," Tita said, but I immediately shook my head.

"Thank you... I'm just letting you know. I'm about to go in."

"Just bring some food," Aunt added and was about to call a maid, but Aries stopped her.

"Let her go, Ma. If she's leaving, let her leave," he said without looking at us.

I bowed but forced myself to smile. "I'm leaving."

I didn't wait to hear what they had to say. I walked out of the house. I have to admit, Aries' words hit differently. It felt like he wanted me to leave.

As I stepped out of the gate, I felt... different. Like something was missing, though I couldn't quite understand what. I was used to having someone pick me up.

Time to get used to being alone again.

I kept walking towards our corner, intending to wait for a ride, but then I remembered—I hadn't had breakfast yet. So, I headed straight to the mini-mart and bought a sandwich.

While standing in line at the cashier, I noticed a man who had just walked in. I don't know why, but I couldn't look away. He looked like he had just woken up—his messy hair and slightly red eyes gave it away.

I quickly turned my gaze and focused on choosing food.

Yuri's explosion.

After paying for my food, I sat on the bench next to the glass wall, eating quietly. That's when someone approached me and stopped in front of me.

"Hi, Miss. Can we share a table?" Yuri asked, as if he didn't know me.

I stared at him, confused. He adjusted his glasses and smiled. My eyebrows furrowed at him. Without hesitation, he quickly sat down on the bench opposite me, dropping his food on the table between us.

"Are you also from HVIS? What year are you in? I'm Yuri. You?" He bombarded me with questions.

I was about to curse at him, but then I remembered something—he wanted us to start over. A fresh beginning, as if we had never met before.

Alright. I'll play along.

"I don't talk to strangers," I said lifelessly.

He chuckled a little. "Well then, let me introduce myself properly."

He wiped his hand on his pants and extended it toward me.

"I'm Yuri Hanamitchi, 18 years old. I'm Japanese with Filipino blood. Single and ready to mingle. I like the color red, and no, I'm not related to Hanamitchi Sakuragi from Slam Dunk."

I just stared at him as he smiled at me. He looked ridiculous, but a part of me found it amusing.

I tapped his outstretched hand. "I'm not interested," I replied.

Yuri lowered his hand, but his smile didn't fade.

"Nice meeting you, NOT INTERESTED" he said.

Okay... he's lost his mind.

He's seriously committed to this starting over thing. Let's see how long he keeps it up.

"What kind of game is this?" I asked him, irritated.

"Hmm?" he responded while unwrapping his food. "This is delicious. Want some?"

I wanted to slap myself. I was referring to whatever he was doing to me—not his food!

"Idiot," I muttered, making sure he could hear me.

He just smiled before taking a bite of his sandwich and sipping his juice. He stared at me like he was waiting for my reaction.

Bit by bit...

"NOT INTERESTED, what year are you?" he asked again.

Every chew felt heavy as I looked at him with sheer boredom.To be fair, I had to play along. That was part of our agreement. I sighed, put down my food, and shook my hand before leaning slightly toward him.

"My real name is Jasper Jean Mariano. My nickname is Jay-Jay. I'm a fourth-year high school student, 17 years old, turning 18 in May. I love foooood because food is life..." I exaggerated the word food, dragging it out. "...I love kicking, stomping, and trash-talking. Every breath I take is accompanied by a cheap insult. And lastly... I DON'T WANT to act like an idiot!"

I mean, seriously. What are we even doing? Let's be real. He just stared at me, seemingly shocked by my last words.

It's the truth—it makes us look ridiculous. We've known each other for months. We even kissed! And now, we're sitting here introducing ourselves like strangers?

What the heck?!

His head turned slightly. "So, your real name isn't NOT INTERESTED?"

I ended up slapping my forehead. This is crazy! I even knocked on the table. Why am I torturing myself like this? I almost forgot—this guy is from Section E.

He's also a viper...

I raised my head and continued eating. I was already done, but honestly, I was still hungry. I glanced at what Yuri was eating. It looked like he had bought a dozen sandwiches.

I needed a way to get some food from him—at least this time, he owed me one.

"W-why are you talking to me?" I asked, pretending to be indifferent while eyeing the sandwiches in front of him.

"I just want to make acquaintances. You're wearing an HVIS uniform, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to befriend a schoolmate." He explained, looking directly into my eyes.

I nodded, but in reality, I quickly grabbed a sandwich and took a bite while he was talking.

"You said you're in 4th year. What section are you in?" he asked.

I took another bite of my dry sandwich. I'm on a budget, so I didn't want to buy extra food—times are tough!

"Section E," I replied between chews.

His expression changed slightly, as if surprised. "Really? That's great—I'm in Section E too!"

Huh?

I just went along with it and acted surprised.

"Really?! What's so great about that?" I said while sneakily inching another sandwich closer to me.

"We can go in together," he suggested.

That means I can save on transportation costs!

I nodded eagerly, grinning. "All right!" I grabbed another sandwich.

He kept smiling at me as he picked up one of his sandwiches and ate. He didn't seem to notice that he had bought them at a discount. As we continued eating, he suddenly handed me the remaining sandwiches in front of him.

"Take these," he said. "...so you don't have to take them one by one."

I flinched. He knew exactly what I was doing. But I wasn't embarrassed. I took the sandwiches and stuffed them into my bag before continuing to eat. He did the same.

Once we finished eating, I followed him to his car. He had insisted that we enter the school together. He looked like an excited child who had just made a new friend—smiling, brimming with happiness.

Maybe if he had been like this when we first met—the very first time—we would have become friends right away. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way.

I don't know...

When we arrived at school, I waited for him to park properly before getting out. As I did, I noticed students whispering while glancing at us. Their expressions were serious.

"What's going on?" Yuri asked, looking at the gathered students near our building.

I ran ahead, pushing through the curious crowd.

A large tarpaulin banner stood before me, attached to a plywood board supported by two wooden poles.

NOTICE OF DEMOLITION!

I couldn't read the rest of it. My heart pounded as I sprinted toward our classroom. That's when I saw Sir Alvin running after the Guidance Counselor and some teachers.

"Sir!" I called, but he rushed past me.

"Sir Alvin!" The Guidance Counselor shouted, trying to stop him. "...That's an order from the higher-ups. There's nothing we can do."

"But, Ma'am! Can't you at least wait until the students graduate? Just a little more time!" Sir Alvin pleaded.

"There's nothing I can do. You know the Board Members have wanted this building demolished for a long time, but you kept opposing them," she said while adjusting the books in her arms. "...And now that Mr. Fernandez is gone, there's no one left to support you. Nothing can stop what the Board Members want."

Mr. Fernandez? That's Kuya Angelo. Gone? What does she mean by that? I don't understand.

"But Ma'am… look at this building! It's solid, well-built. Why are they tearing it down?!" Sir asked, clearly frustrated.

The Guidance Counselor let out a small laugh, which irritated me. There was nothing funny about this. Sir was right. The walls, though covered in dust and smoke stains, were sturdy despite their faded paint.

"It may be strong, but look around," she said, gesturing around us. "There's garbage everywhere! The walls are covered in vandalism! And the students? They don't even act like students!"

"…If I am followed, including Section E, I will fire them! They are only here because they have a backer or come from wealthy families. But they are polluting this school with their behavior!"

Sir took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "Section E is not the reason why this building is in this condition. You are the ones who ordered the broken tables, chairs, cupboards, and old books to be piled here. Other students soiled it, not them." He ran a hand through his hair. "Why are you blaming the entire Section E?!"

Ma'am's eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you keep defending that section?!" She looked Sir up and down. "…What else can we expect from you? You came from the same section."

Ma'am turned and walked away, following the other teacher. Sir was left behind, washing his face several times. I felt someone's presence behind me, so I turned around.

It was Section E—except for their King.

"Where are we going?" Ci-N asked sadly.

"As long as we graduate early, it's fine with me," Eren said, but Calix immediately slapped him.

I glanced at Yuri and noticed his serious expression. He stepped closer to Sir.

"I thought Angelo was blocking the Board Members. Why does it seem like he's done nothing now?" Yuri asked.

Sir shook his head. "He didn't attend the last meeting. We also found out there's a problem with their company."

It turns out Kuya is Sir Alvin's assistant in preventing the demolition of this building. But what does that have to do with their company? What if something is really wrong?

Sir looked at us sadly but forced a smile. "Go back to your room. I just need to call someone."

The Snakes walked away one by one. Yuri grabbed my arm and gently pulled me back to the room, but his eyes remained fixed on Sir Alvin.

If the building is demolished, where will we stay? And what about the pictures upstairs?

Everyone was quiet upon entering. Even Ci-N seemed drained as I sat beside him. The news was awful. And it was only Monday.

"Sir Alvin used to be in Section E," Drew said, catching our attention. "I saw him in the pictures upstairs. I also saw a picture of Tiger and his table in the faculty room."

So it's true. He and Kuya Angelo know each other. That must be why he opposes the demolition. Everything here is important to him too.

"Annoying! Every time we need Keifer, he's gone!" Edrix complained.

Keifer is gone?! Should I celebrate?!

"Why would Keifer disappear?" Ci-N asked sadly.

"Yeah, he didn't say anything to us," May added.

Edrix sat down, propping his feet on the table. "He submitted a letter to the school committee. He'll be gone for a month."

A month?!

"I'm giving you space." Keifer's words.

I remembered what he told me. Is this the space he meant? One whole month? Is it his birthday? Is he studying abroad?

I glanced at his usual seat at the back and caught Yuri staring at me. He smiled when he saw me looking.

"What's he doing that he'll be gone for a month?" David asked.

"Preparing," Rory answered, bored. "His birthday is on the 29th. All the rights to his inheritance from his grandfather and grandmother are being transferred to his name."

So that's why it's a whole month. And here I thought it was just about 'space.' That jerk.

"But maybe he won't come back," Blaster said. "Would you still return to this trashy school if you had billions?"

I noticed how some of them were looking at me. I turned my back on them and went downstairs. I didn't want them to see how affected I was by what Blaster said.

Even if it was true.

A dull pain settled in my chest as I thought about the possibility that he really wouldn't come back. He's a billionaire now! He can leave all this behind. He can buy a new school, new classmates, and a new girl to love. He has too much money.

"Keifer will come back," Ci-N whispered, looking at me. "…I know he will."

I ruffled his hair and smiled. "Maybe not anymore," I joked.

He frowned while trying to fix his hair. I'm really confused by what he expects. It's a lot of trouble. So I don't want to believe him because he's a mess.

I just hope that when he comes back, he fixes all the damage he left behind. I also hope he returns early because of the severity of the situation he caused. Maybe there's no turning back.