JAY'S POV
I was feeling everything at once.
Happy… because Aries and I finally made up.Sad… because of what I did to him.
And somewhere in between, I found myself thinking about my brothers.
I'm lucky I have three of them. Though honestly, they feel like three completely different species.
One acts like he's always ready for war—like he could tear anyone apart without hesitation.But with me? He's soft. Protective in a way he'll never admit.
Another is completely lost in his own handsomeness. His world revolves around him, like he's the main character in everything.In reality? He's just living in his own delusion.Still… he loves me.
And the third? Always grumpy. Always annoyed at me.Acts like he can predict my entire future just by looking at me.But somehow, he still cares.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize I had reached the classroom.
The moment I stepped in, all eyes turned to me.
I rolled my eyes and walked to my seat, already knowing what was coming.
And right on cue—
"Jay, where were you?"
"Are you okay?"
"How did you get injured?"
"Please tell us, we were worried!"
"Did you get into a fight?"
"Does it hurt right now?"
"How did it happen?"
Their voices piled up all at once.
God. These people never learn.
"SHUT UP!" I snapped.
The room fell silent instantly.
"Why the hell are you even asking me?" I continued, my voice sharp. "Didn't I tell you not to bother me? I can take care of myself."
"B-but Jay…" Ci-n hesitated, "we were worried. We just want to know."
"Yeah," Calix added softly, "we care about you."
I let out a dry laugh.
"Oh please. I've heard enough lies already."
Their faces shifted.
"If you actually cared," I went on, "you wouldn't have made plans to use me. You wouldn't have waited this long to tell me. Instead, you enjoyed it—making bets on me, watching me walk straight into your stupid plan."
Silence.
Heavy, suffocating silence.
I could see it on their faces—guilt, regret, sadness.
But it didn't move me.
Not anymore.
…Except for one.
Keifer.
He was trying to look cold, like none of this mattered. But I could see it—the crack in his expression. The pain he was trying so hard to hide.
That was the only thing that almost got to me.
Almost.
"I don't think we have anything left to talk about," I said flatly. "And about my arm? Got injured in a street fight. Now stop bothering me with your unnecessary questions."
I sat down, pulling out my phone, cutting off any chance of further conversation.
No one spoke after that.
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
After school, I decided to walk home.
I needed air. Space. Something to clear my head after everything that happened.
For a while, it was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
And of course… life doesn't like being quiet for long.
A group of boys stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
One look at their faces—and I knew.They were confident.
Too confident.
Too bad for them.
I was already looking for a way to let my frustration out.
I didn't care about my injured arm.I only cared about wiping that smirk off their faces.
"What the hell do you want?" I said coldly.
One of them scoffed. "You've got some nerve, you bitch."
"Careful," I replied, my voice low. "You're going to regret that."
Another one stepped forward. "You're the one who's going to regret it. We're here for revenge."
I frowned. "Revenge? I don't even know you."
"Maybe not," he said. "But your friends do. Especially Keifer."
That name again.
"We want revenge on Section E," he continued, smirking. "And you? You're going to be our pawn."
Pawn.
Again.
Something inside me snapped.
"Let's see who regrets it," I muttered.
And then I moved.
My fist connected with his face before he could react.
Another came at me—I dodged and drove a kick straight into him. He dropped instantly, screaming.
Pain shot through my arm—but I ignored it.
One by one, they went down.
Within minutes, all of them were on the ground.
I stood there, breathing hard, my arm throbbing.
But I smiled.
Satisfied.
I gave them one last glance.
"Section E is no longer my friends," I said coldly. "So stay away from me. Next time, I won't stop at this."
I turned and left.
By the time the adrenaline faded, the pain in my arm came rushing back.
So instead of going home, I went to the hospital.
The doctor told me not to put pressure on it. No movement. Let it heal.Prescribed some medicine.
Simple.
After that, I finally went home.
I stepped inside the house with a bright smile on my face.
Not because everything was perfect… but because I didn't want them to worry about me. They had already done enough for me. The last thing I wanted was to give them more stress.
From the living room, I could hear voices.
Kuya and Ate were sitting on the couch, talking about something. The moment I saw them, I didn't even think twice. I ran straight toward them and wrapped my arms around both of them.
"Ate! Kuya! You wouldn't believe what happened today!" I said excitedly.
Kuya pulled back slightly and held my shoulders.
"Whoa, breathe, breathe, barracuda," he said, laughing. "Why are you this excited?"
Ate smiled softly as she looked at me.
"Yes, Jay. You look much happier today."
My smile widened.
"Because I am. Because… me and Aries finally made up. We're okay now."
Ate's eyes softened immediately.
"Really?" she said warmly. "That's wonderful. You finally got your brother back."
Kuya raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Wow. Are you sure you two made up… or did you just force him?"
"Kuyyyyyyaaaaaaa!" I groaned loudly.
He laughed and raised his hands in surrender.
"Hey, hey, relax. I was just joking. Now tell us what happened."
They both listened carefully as I told them everything.
When I finished, Ate smiled proudly.
"I'm really happy for both of you. You made a great choice—letting go of your past mistakes and moving forward."
Kuya nodded, his expression softer now.
"I'm very proud of you, baby."
My chest warmed.
"Yeah! And one more thing… Percy and Aries are coming tomorrow. I want to introduce them to you. They've been asking me way too many questions."
Kuya nodded easily.
"Sure, Jay. We'll meet them."
Ate agreed immediately.
"Of course. If you want us to."
I grinned.
"Thank you. Both of you are the best."
"I know," they both said at the same time.
I laughed.
After that, I went straight to my room. I freshened up, changed into comfortable clothes, and then collapsed onto my bed.
The silence of the room wrapped around me as exhaustion finally caught up.
I stared at the ceiling and whispered to myself,
"It's not even been a week… and I've already gotten into three fights… and successfully got kidnapped once."
A small tired laugh escaped me.
"I don't even know what's going to happen next."
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and finally let sleep take over.