Jay-Jay's POV
"Drink this first," Ma'am Cindy ordered after placing the glass of water in front of me.
She let me inside the house after seeing my condition outside. I couldn't calm down even though Sir Alvin was trying to continue the lesson. Adding to that, Keifer refused to leave my side, making the other Ulupong uneasy.
I drank the water. I calmed down a little, but my hands were still shaking.
"Stay inside for now. Help me prepare lunch," she said.
I nodded. I didn't want to go outside and face them yet.
Once Ma'am was sure I was okay, she stood up and walked toward the fridge. I followed her.
"Wash these first, then cut them," she instructed after handing me a bag of vegetables.
I went to the sink to follow her instructions. I stayed silent as I washed the vegetables, but I still couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I hated that Ma'am could see it.
She might think my brother was mistreating me.
After washing the vegetables, I grabbed the chopping board and knife, but since my hands were still shaking, Ma'am took them from me.
"I don't think it's safe for you to cut those veggies," she said, motioning for me to step aside.
"I can do it. This will go away soon."
She let out a soft laugh. "You're just like Angelo."
"Huh?"
I heard what she said, but I didn't understand why she was comparing me to my cousin. Do I look like I'm pretending to be an angel? Or breathing fire? I don't even look like I'm always angry.
I choke people, but not in bed.
"You and Angelo were alike in high school—stubborn, a bit impulsive, slightly innocent, and often getting into fights," she explained.
Kuya and I, alike? No way. I don't like that.
She started chopping the vegetables. Her hands moved so fast, as if she was used to handling a knife. Maybe she used to be a cook at a restaurant. That's how the hands of chefs look on TV and the internet.
"That's probably why he treats you that way," she added, making me pause. "Because he sees himself in you. Maybe he's afraid you'll end up like him."
I frowned. "What's so bad about me ending up like him? His life is fine."
"Maybe his life is fine now, but before, he was completely lost. We left him behind. While we were already starting our careers, he was still studying."
Kuya was left behind? That was surprising.
I couldn't help but notice the sadness in Ma'am's eyes as she talked about my cousin. From what I understood, only Sir Alvin and Kuya Angelo were friends back then. But it seemed like Ma'am Cindy was also a friend of my cousin who pretends to be an angel.
Maybe she knows a lot of gossip about his life. Spill it, Ma'am.
"Maybe he just doesn't want you to feel what he felt back then."
Maybe. Maybe Kuya just doesn't want me to fall behind like he did. I remember that time when he came home drunk and was apologizing to Tita Gema. It seemed like a huge failure to him—and it was partly my fault because I asked Yuri to end our engagement.
But it's hard to imagine that someone like Michael Angelo Fernandez didn't graduate on time with his friends. He must have been so disappointed in himself during those times. He looks like the type who's very prideful, after all.
Super proud. Surprised?
But how did he fall behind? Aries said he was smart. He never had trouble understanding his lessons. From what I know, my brother even taught Aries, which is why he's doing well in school. I'm the only one he couldn't teach, and that was because of a dead lizard.
"What happened? Why did he fall behind?" I asked, and Ma'am suddenly stopped chopping.
She looked at me and pointed to something beside me. "Pass me the container," she said, and I did.
She placed the chopped vegetables inside the container, then resumed chopping.
"He was lost. He couldn't find himself—to the point that he didn't even know his own identity."
So that's why some people say they're looking for themselves?
I didn't get the part where he didn't even know his identity. Was it really that bad?
"I don't understand," I said, and she forced a smile.
"Something happened. He was brokenhearted. Everyone turned their back on him. I can say that he lost everything," she said without looking at me.
Kuya got his heart broken? So that's why he's so grumpy. But he already has Honey now. Even if I don't want them to be together, my cousin should already be happy.
Or maybe Honey doesn't make him happy?
Is choking in bed not enough?
"What he did to you was too much. You don't have to forgive Angelo if you don't want to. But maybe try to understand him. He just wants you to graduate on time and not get left behind."
I lowered my head. It's not like I won't forgive him. I always try to understand him. I just want to be upset with him for a while.
As I listened to Ma'am Cindy, I didn't even realize my hands had stopped shaking. I volunteered to finish chopping the vegetables. I knew we wouldn't finish quickly if she did all the work herself.
After all, She is cooking for an entire barangay again.
I wanted to ask more about Kuya Angelo and why he fell behind, but it was clear Ma'am was avoiding certain details. It was like she was carefully choosing her words and couldn't afford to say the wrong thing. So instead, I asked about their high school days.
"I was in Section A. Your Sir Alvin was in Section E. There were only about 8 or 9 students in their section, and some of them were always absent," she began.
"It was like a special section for your class—just a safety net for the wealthy students."
That's what Kuya used to tell me about Section E too. But it must have been boring to attend class when there were only eight or nine of you in the room. Even the teacher would probably feel lazy teaching in a situation like that. What exactly did Kuya's classmates do to end up there? I already know Kuya used to be a troublemaker.
There's even a picture of him on the second floor of our old school building.
"What did Sir Alvin do? Why was he placed in Section E?" It was hard to believe Sir would end up in a section like that. He's too kind.
"He got into a fight with a teacher after they said I had a future in a nightclub," she replied. I froze mid-task and looked at her, but she suddenly laughed. "What Sir Alvin didn't know was that the teacher meant a fight club. They said I had a good physique for boxing. He almost got expelled, but after some pleading, he was only suspended and transferred to Section E."
I chuckled a little. "So you and Sir Alvin have been together since high school?"
"We weren't together back then."
I literally gaped at her words. She was serious, so I knew she wasn't joking.
"H-How did you two…?" I couldn't even finish my sentence.
It was hard to imagine that they were married but were never actually together or dated before. Did they not have a label back then?
Is this what the future holds for me and Keifer?
.
Oh, I don't think I want that. That's too fast—getting married right away. I want to be in a relationship first, enjoy going on dates. Fight, break up, then get back together. I want relationship problems, the kind that give you headaches.
"We don't usually talk, but we've known each other for a long time. I grew up in their household; I even worked there as an employee."
What kind of love story is that? They barely interacted, and then suddenly, they got married.
"Was it an arranged marriage?"
She laughed loudly. "Not exactly."
"So you just got married without any feelings involved?" I asked, clearly intrigued by their story.
She laughed again. "Of course, feelings were involved. It's kinda complicated."
I still wanted to pester her about their story, but it seemed like she didn't want to give more details. So I just let it go and asked about something else—like why they decided to become teachers.
"My adopted mother was an undergraduate secondary teacher. I just continued her dream," she answered with a smile. "How about you? What course are you planning to take?"
"I haven't decided on one yet."
"The entrance exams are coming up. You should pick one soon. It'll be harder if you're undecided when you have to take the exam and enroll in college."
.
That made me nervous. It suddenly felt like there was a timer stuck to my forehead, and when time ran out, I wouldn't be able to go to college anymore. There were so many courses to choose from, but I might just end up giving up on them.
I wanted a course that didn't require exams. But of course, that didn't exist.
After I finished chopping the ingredients, she asked for my help gathering them. She started cooking while I just watched. I wanted to interfere at the stove, but I might end up causing a fire—I was that unlucky.
My role was really just to eat.
Once we were done preparing, we cleaned up and set the table, arranging the plates, glasses, spoons, and forks. She checked everything twice before telling me to call the others.
I hesitated at first because the embarrassment from Kuya's scolding in front of them still hadn't gone away, but it was already time to eat, so I still did it anyway.
When I went outside, they were still busy with the lesson in front. This time, it was Yuri standing in front of the whiteboard teaching Math. I looked at the Ulupongs. Some of them were following the solving, but of course, there were those who were asleep in the middle of the class—like David, Eman, and Mayo. Some were just staring at the board without writing anything.
I grimaced. They really are ulupongs.
I raised my hand to get Yuri's attention. He immediately noticed me and stopped.
"It's time to eat," I said, and it was as if they had just heard the best news ever.
They all turned to look at me. Even the ones sleeping woke up and looked in my direction.
"The food is ready inside."
They suddenly got up and raced to get inside. Drew almost tripped because Blaster stuck his foot out to trip him. Ci-N was pulled back so he wouldn't be able to stand. Kit was about to leave Mayo behind since he was still sleeping, but Mayo woke up on his own. Felix and David stayed behind, probably too exhausted to join in the chaos.
"You guys are so hungry!"
"Fine, don't eat then."
I just stood aside. It was like a stampede with how wild they were acting. They didn't even try to hide how hungry they were.
"Hey, you feel better now?" Yuri asked me.
I smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm okay now."
"Sorry, we couldn't stop Angelo."
I smiled again. I knew they were all familiar with Kuya—when he gets angry, he drags in everyone who can possibly get involved.
"It's fine. Go eat."
He smiled and went inside. I turned around to look for the King of the Ulupongs, but it seemed I didn't need to, because he was already right in front of me.
.
.
"It's time to—" I didn't even get to finish my sentence because he suddenly hugged me.
He didn't say anything. Instinctively, I hugged him back. And for some reason, I felt like crying.
I had already cried earlier, and I was already calm, but because of his hug, I suddenly wanted to sob again. Why did I give in so easily to him?
I really have it bad for him.
"I'm embarrassed," I whispered.
"You don't have to be. We all understand. We've all been embarrassed in front of each other before."
I buried my face in his chest. "I can't help it."
"Would you feel better if I told you an embarrassing story?" he asked, but I didn't respond. "In front of all of us, a debt collector cussed out Drew. Ci-N would get insulted by his brother every single time he saw him happy with us. Felix was once called 'dirt-poor' by his aunt, who denied being related to him."
I looked up at him. All of that happened in front of them?
Yeah, I was annoyed at Drew because he owed me money, but if I saw some random person cussing him out in front of us, I would probably feel bad for him. I had already witnessed Ci-N being humiliated by his brother. And I couldn't help but feel sorry for Felix, knowing what he had been through.
"You have every right to feel embarrassed, but I want you to know that you're not alone. So don't worry about what our friends are thinking," he said and kissed my forehead. "Even I have felt embarrassed in front of you all. Remember when my dad brought you all to his house? I was so ashamed that you had to meet him. He's a monster."
I remembered that. That was the first time I saw his father. We were suddenly picked up from the house, and Aries and I got into the service vehicle since the ulupongs and Ella were already inside too.
That was also the day Dylan pointed a gun at my head. I was so full of myself back then, but my knees nearly gave out.
"I don't remember you looking embarrassed."
He smiled and brushed a few strands of hair away from my face. "If only you knew, I wanted to run him over just to get rid of him and send you all away."
"I remember you were tense and worried about your brother."
He smiled again. "Priorities." Then he suddenly pinched my nose. "And there was someone here who decided to act all heroic and challenge Dylan."
"O-Ow!" I complained and pulled away to get his hand off my nose. "At least they were caught off guard. But I won't do that again—it was terrifying."
He chuckled. "As you should. Did you think your body was made of a shield and could deflect bullets?"
"No. I was just brave because death is my relative," I said with a wide grin.
He often pretended to be an angel.
"Yeah, but you're not exempted from death. So be careful and don't go looking for danger."
I froze for a moment. Suddenly, I saw the Keifer I used to argue with all the time—the grumpy, lecturing King of the Ulupongs. I couldn't help but stare at him.
He was still scolding me now, but not by yelling as if he were talking to a stray kid. Now, I could actually feel his concern.
Then he suddenly smiled. I thought it was because he was just appreciating our time together, but when he leaned in toward me, my eyes widened, and I quickly turned my face away.
"Hoy!" I scolded him.
"What? No one is around."
I looked around. He was right—everyone seemed to be inside already. But I just shook my head at the King of the Ulupongs.
Hugs were fine for now—I wasn't in the mood for anything else.
"Maybe next time. We might run out of food," I said, and he laughed.
I invited him inside. Luckily, we made it in time to eat. The others were already in chaos, competing to get food.
I felt bad for Sir and Ma'am, who were eating while standing, watching us. They just shook their heads whenever someone stole food from someone else's plate.
Ci-N led the charge.
Like earlier, the ulupongs volunteered to clean up and wash the dishes.
"Where's your Kuya? Did he leave?" Ci asked me.
Oh, right. I just realized he'd been gone for a while. He probably left after scolding me to cool his head.
I just shrugged in response. After cleaning up, we went back outside to study. This time, I was serious. Wow, so I can actually be serious about studying.
Wow, so I can actually be serious about studying.
I really tried to listen. David even sat beside me to teach me. Thankfully, he explained things easily. We still didn't escape Keifer's sharp glare, though. Yuri, for his part, just raised his eyebrow at us as if he was watching us.
They act like David is doing something wrong. They should actually be thanking him because he's helping me and even repeats the topic whenever I don't understand it. The only problem is that he kept repeating the law of attraction a few times, which is probably why those two are getting annoyed at him, and then the Vipers would laugh.
.
"Does manifesting that she'll like me fall under the law of attraction?" David asked, making us look at him. "Then that means there's a high chance she'll like me back, right?"
Who was he referring to? His crush?
"That doesn't count," Yuri answered seriously.
"If she doesn't like you, don't force it," Keifer added.
"I'm not forcing it," David grinned widely. "I'm just manifesting it."
The Ulupong burst into laughter. Some of them even clapped, waking up those who were about to fall asleep, like Ci.
Since the two were clearly irritated, I just asked about a different topic, and they quickly helped me. The three of them took turns teaching, but Sir usually explained everything. Ma'am Cindy also joined in teaching so we could understand better.
By 6 PM, they stopped teaching. Eman and Denzel went inside to help Ma'am cook dinner. I wanted to help, but Sir gave me worksheets to answer—and most of them were Math problems.
Sir, seriously? Math again?
Keifer and Yuri wanted to help me, but Sir stopped them.
"She needs to learn on her own. You can't always be guiding her," Sir said, and I agreed.
They had no choice but to leave me alone in the living room, struggling with never-ending math problems. An hour must have passed when I heard them calling for dinner, but I couldn't leave my spot. I didn't want to lose my train of thought and forget the lesson.
Because let's be real—I'd probably forget everything once I saw the food.
The Ulupong kept calling me, but I ignored them. Ci even came over to tease me by showing off his food. Even though I wanted to eat too, I couldn't.
"You don't want any?" Ci asked. I shook my head. "That's good then."
I grimaced. I thought he was concerned about me. But no, he just grinned widely while chewing on a piece of grilled pork before walking back to the table.
"Don't mess with her!" Felix shouted at Ci. "Barakuda might lose it!"
WHAT DOES BARAKUDA HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?!
I could hear their laughter, but I wasn't amused. Just wait until I'm done.
I was in the middle of counting on my fingers when someone placed a plate in front of me. It had rice, grilled pork, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I looked at who put it down and immediately went back to solving when my eyes met Kuya Angelo's.
"Yes, I want you to study, but I don't want you to starve," he said before walking away.
I bit my lower lip. I stared at the food in front of me and then at Kuya, who had already turned his back on me. I was sulking at him, but I wouldn't sulk at food. It was like I was already sulking at life itself.
Because food is life.
I set my exercises aside for a while. Just then, Keifer approached me carrying a glass of drink.
"They're ignoring him," he whispered to me.
"Who?"
"Your cousin."
Wow, so brave.
I was actually impressed that the Ulupong really ignored my cousin. But they didn't have to do that. Good thing Kuya didn't seem bothered by it.
"Let me know if you need help," Keifer said and sat beside me.
I shook my head. "No, I got this. I'm almost done."
He smiled at me and watched as I ate. When I finished, he took my plate and said he'd put it in the sink. I went back to solving the problems Sir gave me.
I completely lost track of time. The Ulupong passed by in front of me multiple times, but I ignored them. Ci wanted to tease me again, but Sir stopped him. When I finally finished, it felt like winning the lottery—except the prize was back pain.
Is this what arthritis feels like?
"Are you done?" Keifer asked, apparently waiting for me.
"I didn't even notice you were there."
"I purposely stayed here quietly so I wouldn't disturb you," he said with a smile and moved closer to check my work. "Let me check your answers."
Here comes the judgment.
He took a pen and started marking my answers. I bit my lip every time he put an X on a wrong one. I lost count of how how many were correct versus wrong.
I covered my eyes when he started counting.
"Here's your score."
I slowly peeked at the paper, and my face lit up when I saw I got 39 out of 50. Not bad! That's a high score for me.
I clapped my hands. "I got 39!"
I grabbed the paper and stared at my score before proudly showing it to the King. I gave him the biggest smile. I wanted him to see how proud I was of my score. It wasn't perfect, but I knew I worked hard for it.
I'll aim for a perfect score next time.
I couldn't stop feeling happy, especially since the math problems were really difficult. Keifer smiled widely as if he was so proud of me.
"Congratulations. I'm so proud of you."