Jay-Jay's POV
Percy was quiet. He hadn't said a word since he arrived, bringing my lunch with him. We were on the second floor again.
I had already finished eating and was now staring at his back. He was standing, leaning his elbows on the metal railing. I sighed and stood up to stand beside him. I also rested my elbows on the metal and looked down at the trash below.
It would be nice to hang out here on the second floor, but the trash really ruins the view.
"Percy..." I called out to him.
"Mm?" he responded.
"You seem quiet. What's up?" I said, pretending to tease him, but it clearly had no effect.
He just looked at me and shook his head. That's unusual! It feels so weird, like he's sick or something.
"Hey... Percy," I called him again and nudged him slightly.
He smiled. "It's nothing... Just tell me a story."
Even though I was confused by his behavior, I did what he wanted. I told him about what happened that morning. Between me and Ci-N.
I had ditched him earlier after he turned his back and got more food. I stayed in the CR (comfort room), and only when I felt like Sir had already arrived did I go back, acting like nothing happened.
"Wow, that's harsh..." he commented.
"I couldn't stop my anger," I muttered almost in a whisper.
We both closed our eyes as the cold breeze touched us. It really was refreshing up here. Thanks to the trees around us.
"I want to ask you something," he said, and I waited for what he would say."...How did you manage to last in that section?"
Last?
"T-the truth is..." Because they made me feel like I belonged. Because they valued and protected me. Because they embraced my quirks. "...I don't know."
He let out a deep sigh. I let him be since he seemed to be deep in thought. We stayed silent for the next few minutes.
I still couldn't get Ci-N's expression out of my mind—how he looked while wiping his tears. Have I really become this heartless? Have I changed? Am I a bad person now? Am I turning back into the person I used to be?
"Percy…" I whispered, unsure if he even heard me. "…how do you forgive?"
He didn't say anything. That made me pretty sure he hadn't heard what I said. I'll admit, a part of me wonders if my suffering is even worth it.
What's the point of enduring all of this?
"It's hard."
I looked up when I heard him. He had spoken so softly it was almost a whisper, so I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly.
"It's hard," he repeated. "...Especially when what they did hurts so much."
Is it just me, or does he sound like he's speaking from experience? His serious expression made it seem like his words carried a lot of weight.
"You have a problem, don't you?" I asked him. "...It's obvious."
He lowered his head slightly and grinned. Seeing that somehow made me feel a little lighter.
"It's unfair..." he said, turning around to lean his back against the railing. "...I told you before, didn't I? That I resented my mama?"
I nodded, and he continued speaking.
"She left us when I was little—just like what your dad did to you. And when we met again, it was in the hospital. The worst part? She let everyone believe I was dead..."
He sighed and looked up at the sky. "...She took me away from here and gave me a new life, but she never even asked me if I wanted it."
She made a decision without telling him.
I know that feeling. Like you don't have a say in your own life. They do that to me too, and honestly, it's really hard.
"H-how did you forgive her?"
"It just happened... One day, I woke up, and realised the anger inside me was slowly fading away," he answered with a smile.
Just like that?
"What do you mean, it just happened?"
"She showed me she was trying to make up for it. Not a single day passed where she didn't take care of me, even though I often pushed her away."
I lowered my head. They're doing the same for me now, but every time I think about forgiveness, all the things they did to me come rushing back.
They placed bets on me, ganged up on me, and made me believe them.
"...And now she's starting again," he said.
I turned to him, confused. Is that why he's like this? Is that what he was thinking about?
"W-why?"
"Because she knows I've shown myself to everyone. She got mad—said I shouldn't have come back." He shook his head and bit his lower lip. "...So uugghh!"
I just stared at him. It was obvious how irritated he was by what his mom had said. But there was one thing on my mind that I really wanted to ask him.
"W-when is dad coming back here?" My voice carried a hint of pleading.
The irritation disappeared from Percy's face and he gradually became serious. He slowly turned to me, swallowing hard.
I'm scared of what you're going to answer.
He took a deep breath. "He's not coming back…" He coughed slightly. "…He's not coming back here."
I straightened up without taking my eyes off him. Not coming back? What the hell? He told me so many times that we would meet again, and now he's saying he's not coming back?
"…Because you're going to him." He added, making me frown. "…You're going to New York."
I took a deep breath. I couldn't understand. I was confused, even though Percy's words were crystal clear.
"W-what…"
"I was just waiting for your birthday... You'll be of legal age and Angelo's group won't have control over you anymore, so you can come with me."
I swallowed hard and slowly shook my head. My eyes never left him, even though I blinked multiple times.
"I-I don't think… that's going to happen." His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "…B-because I'm getting married on my birthday."
That's why I won't be able to go to Papa.
"…To Yuri," he said.
At first, I wasn't sure if he knew about the engagement, but of course, the whole Section E knew about it, so it wasn't impossible for him to find out.
His fist clenched when I didn't answer. It looked like he was starting to get annoyed again. I knew he had a problem with Yuri, but he never said what it was exactly.
Freya was the first person who came to mind, but it felt like there was something more.
"That matchstick is unbelievable. I just wanna set his head on fire." He muttered while looking away. "…Such a coward, moving in secret. He even tricked you just to get you to agree to that marriage."
He really acts weird whenever it comes to Yuri. It seems like all his irritation and resentment come pouring out of his mouth whenever that guy is mentioned.
"What did Yuri do to you?"
"Damn it!" he suddenly shouted and started pacing. "…He's a coward."
I furrowed my brows. I wasn't taking Yuri's side, but it just sounds unfair to me. He's not even explaining the reason for his anger.
"He's not a coward," I said, and he instantly shot me a glare.
"Do you even really know Yuri?" he asked irritably.
I wanted to say 'yes,' but I couldn't. I remembered everything Ci-N told me and everything Yuri had done to me. The truth was…
"N-no"
"Then don't say he's not a coward."
"But——."
I couldn't finish what I was going to say when he suddenly kicked a broken chair lying nearby.
"I fucking hate him," I heard him whisper.
I let him walk around and vent his frustration first. He took deep breaths multiple times. They really are all alike—they struggle so much to get rid of their anger.
After a while, he returned to my side. His face was still serious, and it didn't seem like his irritation had faded.
"Can I ask you something?" he asked.
I was about to block him with a "You're already asking," but I stopped myself because of the look on his face. It seemed like he would punch me if I didn't answer properly.
"W-what is it?"
"Did Felix say anything about a gang war?"
Gang war?
A war between gangs who have nothing better to do, so they decided to fight each other. Felix and I haven't talked, so I haven't heard anything from him about that.
"N-no…" I said, slowly shaking my head.
"That's another thing that's pissing me off! I heard him last night talking to someone over the phone. I tried to talk to him but he refused to tell me anything. We argued about it and I almost punched him" He explained while clenching his fists.
So that's why he's acting like this…
"W-What were he and the person talking about?"
"I couldn't understand it clearly. He just said they're going to join that gang war."
I couldn't recall Section E ever being part of a gang. That's why I didn't understand why they would get involved in something like that. They were just a section or a group of people who liked to get into fights, but they weren't a gang.
"W-when is this gang war happening?"
He looked at me seriously. "Later."
So soon?!
"…I'm going to try and stop Felix. Damn it! I leave for a little while, and my brother turns into a troublemaker," he added.
I watched him for a moment until my phone rang. I checked it and saw a text message had arrived.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: my life…
Here we go again again. That unknown number that keeps texting me. I don't even reply anymore because it's a waste of time. I already saved the number with a name so I could recognize it right away.
I checked the time on my phone. Only 15 minutes left. I turned to Percy, who currently had furrowed brows.
"I have to go back. It's almost time." I told him as a goodbye, and he nodded.
We first cleaned up our food and threw the trash in front of the room. We were going to walk away anyway, and the front of the room already looked like a garbage dump.
I turned to head back to the room, but I stopped when I saw Percy following me.
"What are you doing? Your way is over there," I said, pointing in the other direction.
"I'm staying in your room for now. I'm too lazy to go home," he said and walked toward our room.
I followed him and just let him do what he wanted. When we entered, everyone's eyes were on him. Their faces were filled with shock and confusion—except for the king.
Where are you sitting?" he asked while scanning the room.
"Here." I answered, pointing at my desk, which was right next to the door.
He looked at it, then glanced at Ci-N, who was sitting beside me. The only available seat close to me was the chair behind me.
"Kid..." Percy called out to Ci-N. "...move. I'll sit there for now."
Ci-N just stared at him. He looked at me, then turned back to Percy.
"No." he replied.
"Come on… Just this once. Tomorrow you can sit here again." Percy pleaded.
"No."
"I'm just going to sit there. I'm not stealing your spot."
"No."
"Just for today."
"No."
Here we go! A battle of two childish minds.
It was obvious Percy was starting to get annoyed by Ci-N's stubbornness.
He could have just taken the chair behind me, but no—he had to insist on Ci-N's spot. Good luck getting him to move.
"What's so special about that seat that you won't give it up?" Percy asked irritably.
"I want to sit next to Jay-Jay."
"I want to sit next to her too."
"You want to sit next to her?" Ci-N asked in a mocking tone.
Percy turned to me, his brows furrowing. The temper from earlier hadn't disappeared yet, and it looked like it was about to increase.
"I swear, I'm gonna pick a fight with this kid," he muttered, but Ci-N must have heard because he furrowed his brows too.
"Just sit over there," I said, pointing to the seat behind me.
"No. I want to sit here." He stubbornly replied.
I sighed and shook my head. His childishness was kicking in again.
He turned back to Ci-N, who was now glaring at him. At this rate, they were going to start a fistfight in front of me.
"Just let me sit there. You can have it back tomorrow." Percy insisted.
"No."
Percy let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm gonna flick your forehead! You've been annoying me for a while now!" he shouted.
"I'm gonna kick you! You've been annoying me for a while now!" Ci-N shouted back, mimicking his tone.
"Oh, so you're brave now?"
"Oh, so you're ugly now?"
Percy turned to me, pointing at Ci-N. "This kid is bullying me!" he whined like he was tattling to a parent.
I sighed and leaned slightly toward Ci-N. "Just move for now. You can sit here again tomorrow."
He pouted and blinked a few times. "But I want to sit next to you."
I turned to Percy with a bored look. "He's not moving. There's nothing I can do."
"This kid is so stubborn! And he's tiny too." Percy grumbled.
Ci-N immediately glared at him. "And this guy is ugly! And uncircumcised too!"
Laughter erupted from the Ulupong guys. They had been listening to their argument the whole time. I glanced at Percy, who had tears welling up in his eyes as he pointed at himself.
"He called me ugly and uncircumcised! I swear, I'm gonna fight this kid!" he raged.
I cringed. These two really couldn't be together. Not only were they both childish, but someone would definitely end up crying if they kept bickering.
"I don't care." I said, unimpressed, before finally taking my seat.
Percy had no choice but to sit behind me. From time to time, he and Ci-N would throw insults at each other. I considered stopping them, but I knew it would just be a waste of my breath.
My phone buzzed again. Another text from that crazy unknown number, "GagongBaliw." It was empty, so I ignored it. But a few moments later, another message came through.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: I love you, my everything...
Tsk! Who the hell is this idiot?
To: GagongBaliw
Message: Idiot!
I smirked as I hit send. This person was really messing around but wouldn't reveal their identity. If I ever found out who it is,I'm going to beat his face with my fists.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: I'm not an idiot, but maybe an Ulupong.
I immediately glanced at the Dimunyung Ulupong guys. None of them were holding a phone, nor did any of them look suspicious.
So annoying! Who is this?!
To: GagongBaliw
Message: Who are you? Stop texting me, you're not funny.
I waited for a reply, but none came. He didn't reply. It seemed like he actually listened to what I said and stopped.
Our teacher arrived, so I put my phone away and pretended to focus on the lesson. In reality, nothing was actually sinking in.
From time to time, I glanced at the two sitting beside me. They wouldn't stop messing with each other. Occasionally, they even threw pieces of paper at each other.
"Shorty."
"Uncircumcised."
They hissed insults at each other under their breath. I couldn't get any peace with these two around.
I probably shouldn't have let Percy come here, or maybe I should just send Ci-N away.
This is such a mess!
While waiting for the next class, I took out my phone, planning to play a game. But I stopped when I saw I had a new message.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: I'm your savior. I saved you from your kidnapper and claimed my price on the same day.
My forehead creased. What was this idiot talking about? He's insane! He must be insane. No doubt about it.
To: GagongBaliw
Message: You're crazy, man!
His reply came almost instantly.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: I miss your lips. Can I claim them again?
My heart started pounding.
What the hell is this psycho saying? Could it be Kei—NO! This isn't the King of the Ulupong. He wouldn't waste his time doing this.
To: GagongBaliw
Message: Who the fvck are you?!
From: GagongBaliw
Message: I told you. I'm your savior. I saved you while you were blindfolded.
Blindfolded? There was only one instance I could remember being blindfolded. That was during my kidnapping, when the Dimunyung King got stabbed.
To: GagongBaliw
Message: Were you the one who kissed me?
My hands were shaking while I typed that. So it really wasn't Keifer who kissed me that time. If that's the case, then who the hell is this creep?!
From: GagongBaliw
Message: You got it right. 😉
Pakshit!
Who the hell is this idiot? I felt anxious even though I shouldn't. My hands were still trembling. I didn't reply to him anymore and just put my phone away in my bag.
Whoever this is… they better pray I never catch them alive.