Yuri's POV
I didn't wake up well. I stayed up late thinking about what Keifer had said. I know he's hiding something. The difficulty is that I still have to guess what's on his mind.
I was about to go to Otosan's office to say goodbye. I didn't want to be late for school, so even though I was still sleepy, I was going to class. I also needed to pick up Jay-jay. I stopped when I noticed that there were many maids in front of Otosan's office door. Auntie, the oldest of all the servants, was also there.
"Good morning Young Master." Auntie greeted me while showing respect.
"Good morning." I greeted her back. "...What's going on?"
Auntie was about to open her mouth to answer but I heard a familiar voice from inside.
"Yuri-kun, is that you?" Tanda asked.
This was a very early start for me! With furrowed brows, I opened the office door, but when I saw who was inside, I became as meek as a lamb.
"Yuri..." The Head Master called me.
I didn't know he was here. He's Tanda's brother and the current Head Master of the entire Hanamitchi Clan. Without hesitation, I paid my respects in the traditional manner. I knelt on the floor, placed both hands in front of me, and bowed until my forehead touched my hands.
I stayed like that until the Head Master told me to stand up. This hurts my legs and knees.
Why now?! I don't understand why the Head Master is here. All of a sudden, I feel nervous for----I don't know the exact reason. Please don't call me for training----not yet!
Jay-jay and I are still not married. If I go back to Japan without her, I might never be able to come back to the Philippines. That will be a problem.
A very huge one!
Now is the time when I will no longer have to rival for Jay-jay. Right when I've decided to help her forget.
"Tachiagaru (Stand up)", The Head Master said.
I stood up but remained with my head bowed. Sweat was beading on me as I stared at my feet.
"Anata no kami ni nani ga okotta nodesu ka? (What happened to your hair?) "
Oh shit! I forgot my hair. Why didn't I dye it yet?
"W-watashi wa tanoshī tame ni sore o chakushoku." (I-i colored it for fun)
I wanted to slap myself for my answer. Stupid Yuri! It looks like I'm going back to Japan bald. Suddenly the Head Master laughed. I raised my head slightly to see him. He was the one sitting behind the desk. Otosan and Tanda were on the side while seriously bowed while sitting on the legs.
"Sore wa watashi no tame ni yoku meiro. Iro no subarashī sentaku." (It's look fine for me. Great choice of color.) He said while keep laughing. I don't know if I should feel at ease with what he said. This is the first time he just laughed at my foolishness. But what if he finds out about my other antics? I might have to face his samurai.
"Ani." (Big brother) Tanda interjected.
"Naze koko ni iru no ka tazuneru no wa daijōbudesuka?" (Is it okay to ask, why are you here?) The Head Master stopped laughing and looked at Tanda with a smile.
"Yumori... Watashi wa anata no kazoku o hōmon shitai." (Yumori, I just want to visit your family.) He looked at me.
"Watashi wa wakaku natte inai." (I'm not getting any younger.)
We looked at him at the same time. I could clearly see the worry on Tanda's face. It seemed like he was hinting at stepping down from his position.
No!
I'm next in line to become HeadMaster. I'm not ready to go back yet. If the training starts now, he'll be able to step down early. But if I do that.....I'll be far away from JayJay.
"Oji. Anata wa sore o itte imasu ka----" (Uncle. Are you saying that---)
The Head Master immediately cut off Otosan's words. "Īe. Īe. Son'na koto wa omowanaide kudasai." (No. No. Please don't think like that.)
Tanda smiled at him. "Anata wa watashitachi o kowagatte iru." (You're scaring us.)
The Head Master immediately burst out laughing loudly. Tanda and Otosan laughed along with him, but I just kept staring at them. The entire Hanamitchi Clan is led by the Head Master. The position is usually passed down to the eldest son. It is given once the heir's training is complete. It was passed early to Tanda's brother. He was the same age as me back then.
His own son was supposed to inherit the position, but he died in an accident when I was still a child. They looked for a suitable replacement in the entire clan, but no one could match the current Head Master's wishes. Until I----the so-called lucky boy----was chosen. I hadn't thought about it yet, but my name was already listed as the next HeadMaster. This was also the reason why Tanda couldn't do anything I wanted. I learned right away what I was capable of.
"Yuri-san... Anata wa ima sugu deru koto ga dekimasu. Anata wa gakkō ni chikoku surudeshou." (Yuri... You can leave now. You'll be late to your school.)
I nodded before bowing and backing away slightly. I was about to leave when the Head Master said something that made me stop.
"Raishū anata no fianse o tsurete kuru koto o wasurenaide kudasai. Watashi wa kanojo ni aitai." (Don't forget to bring your fiancé next week. I would like to meet her.)
I'm dead!
"Hai, Heddomasutā" (Yes, Head Master.)
I had no choice but to agree. That's what he wanted, and I had to do it. I have no choice but to bring Jay-jay here and introduce her to the Head Master.
I quickly ran to the elevator, almost forgetting my shoes and belongings. I swallowed hard several times while feeling restless inside the elevator.
How am I going to introduce Jay-jay to him?
And why now, of all times, when there's a problem? I wiped my forehead several times with the back of my hand. I was still sweating despite the cold air from the air conditioner.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, I walked quickly toward my car. I was in such a hurry that I looked like someone whose wife was about to give birth. I was almost holding my breath.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
The drive was quick because of how much I was rushing. I arrived at Jay-jay's house, but it was their maid who greeted me.
"She already left?" I asked.
"Yes... Since Angelo isn't here, so Jay-jay was like a bird that escaped from its cage. She disappeared quickly." the maid replied.
"Alright. Thank you," I said before immediately heading back to my car.
I just hope she doesn't do anything that will get her into trouble, or this might reach Tanda and the HeadMaster. I stopped by Mina Mart just in case she was there, but she wasn't..
I continued driving, but I suddenly slammed on the brakes when I nearly ran over some men who were running across the street.
The hell! Of all times to be in a hurry!
I let the men cross but then noticed something on the other side of the road. They were chasing a girl.
IT'S JAY-JAY! FVCKING HELL!
I immediately turned the car, causing a series of honks from the other vehicles. I didn't care about them—I had to catch up to Jay-jay.
They ran into an alley. I tried to force the car in, but it wouldn't fit, so I quickly got out and chased after them. I ran fast and managed to catch up to some of them.
"Hey!" one of them shouted after I bumped into him.
I just pushed past them to reach Jay-jay. And I wasn't disappointed—I found her fighting off some of the men, throwing punches.
"Jay-jay!" I shouted just as he landed a punch to one guy's stomach and another to his face.
She shot me a glare. Then her eyes shifted behind me, so I looked too. It was the men I had just passed. I moved closer to Jay-jay and partially shielded her behind me.
"Damn! You really made us run!" one of them said, panting.
"Then why the hell were you even chasing me?!" Jay-jay said mockingly.
I looked at her and signaled for her to stay quiet, but she just rolled her eyes at me.
I faced the men again. I didn't recognize them, which meant we hadn't clashed with them before.
"Sir… Maybe you could just leave this to me so you won't have to tire yourselves out anymore," I said calmly.
I couldn't afford a fight, not when the Head Master was around. He'd definitely hear about it.
"No way! That girl's insane! We were just asking her name, and she suddenly punched my buddy!"
"You do look like a bunch of monkeys!" Jay-jay yelled, making them even angrier.
"You little—!"
I quickly stepped between them before they could charge.
"Sir… Just let it go. She's just… really like this, always looking for a fight," I tried to reason with them. But it didn't work—they just shoved me aside.
No choice!
Before they could get past me, I grabbed the arm of the one I had been talking to earlier. He looked at me and tried to shake off my hand.
I looked at him seriously. "I asked you nicely, but you wouldn't listen."
"Let me go! I'm not wasting my time on you!"
"Don't worry… I won't waste your time." I said before punching him in the face.
He dropped to the ground, staring at me in shock. The others were just as stunned. I took a step forward, and suddenly, they all lunged at me.
I punched them one by one, landing blows on their faces. Some tried to fight back, but I quickly dodged. It was obvious they were amateurs when it came to this kind of fight. I even kicked one of them because he managed to dodge my punch.
They all went down, their angry expressions earlier, were replaced by fear.
"D-dude! L-Let's go!" one of them shouted, and they all scrambled away, struggling to move.
I turned to Jay-jay, who was clearly not happy with what I had done. Her eyebrows were furrowed deeply as she crossed her arms.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"You're so nosy, huh?" she said irritably. "...That was my fight! Why did you interfere?"
I looked down, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was just defending you."
"I don't need your protection! I'm not a princess who needs a prince to save her!"
No, you're not a princess. But soon, you will be.
"Yeah… But—Jay!" I couldn't finish my sentence because she suddenly walked away.
I followed her, picking up my pace to catch up. She still had the same expression. I had no intention of letting her get into fights alone. Even if she didn't ask for help, I would still help her.
I needed to think of an answer for the Head Master.
I glanced at my car. It had become an obstruction on the road, and many vehicles were honking. I walked over and opened the passenger door, then looked at Jay-jay, waiting for her to get in. She stared at me with irritation, clearly debating whether to ride or not.
"We might be late... Come on!" I urged.
She let out a deep sigh before getting into the car. I quickly ran to the driver's seat—my car was seriously causing a huge inconvenience on the road. Thank goodness there weren't any cops nearby.
I needed to talk to her about the Head Master.
"Jay-jay… Can we talk?"
"You're already talking," she replied, bored.
Patience… Patience.
"Remember our Family Tree? The Hanamitchi clan with the Head Master?" I asked.
I had explained our Family Tree and traditions to her once before, but she said she didn't understand a thing. She thought our family was too complicated.
She slowly turned to face me with one eyebrow raised. Even with that expression, I somehow felt a bit relieved.
"Well… somehow, somewhere, something came up, and now the Head Master is at our house," I tried to explain quickly but clearly. "...And he wants to meet you."
Her sharp expression disappeared, but she kept looking at me. I couldn't tell if she was afraid of the clan's Head Master.
"Yuri…" she called, and I glanced at her. "...Can you do me a favor?"
"W-what is it?"
"Please find my care about what you're saying. I seem to have lost it," she said sarcastically.
I let out a sigh. I knew it. I could feel she had a sarcastic remark ready for me, so even though I was puzzled by the word "favor", I just let it go.
How long are you going to stay like this?
I knew this was our fault, but I couldn't help but search for the Jay-jay we used to know. Maybe this is what pain does—it changes a person.
We arrived at the school. She got out of the car before I could even park properly, just like she always did.
It was disheartening. If this keeps up, I might have to talk to Tanda and Angelo. Maybe I should call off the wedding.
Jay-jay's POV
Red-haired nerd!
This Yuri is so annoying! He just ruined my day. I really thought I had escaped him, but he still managed to find me. He's unbelievable! He's just like his best friend—always talking like a wise guy. They're both infuriating! They should be cursed. Maybe they should grow three eyes or just one nipple.
I hadn't even reached our classroom yet, but I could already smell something familiar. I quickened my pace because the scent seemed oddly recognizable.
When I reached the room, they were all gathered at the back where our kitchen-like area was—well, their kitchen. We didn't have one.
"Pancake! Pancake! Pancake!" Ci-N chanted while banging on the table. "Pancake! Pancake!"
"Alright, alright! You sound like a broken record!" Eman complained.
I knew it! The smell was familiar. They were cooking pancakes. The scent was mouthwatering, and I suddenly felt hungry. But I had no intention of joining them.
I sat in my usual spot and grabbed my phone. I plugged in my earphones, shoved them into my ears, and turned the volume all the way up. I just listened to music, like I always did.
I kind of missed my old phone.
It had tons of games and all sorts of things. It even had movies. Ugh, this is all the fault of that Demon King of Vipers. Because of him, I even had to change my phone number.
I decided to text Percy. I was already getting bored here.
To: Percing...
Message:What are you doing?
At first, I thought he wouldn't reply, so I smiled when a message popped up.
From: Percing...
Message:Take a guess. 😆
Ugh, what an idiot.
To: Percing...
Message:Trying to look handsome?
From: Percing...
Message:No need! I'm already handsome. 😎
I grimaced at his reply. This guy's face is really thick. Sometimes you need to slam it against a wall just to thin it out a bit.
To: Percing...
Message: 😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒
I was sure he was laughing at me again. My phone beeped again. I thought it was him, but it was actually from an unknown number.
From: +639*********
Message:My life.**
Huh?! Wrong send, maybe?
To: +639*********
Message:Wrong send.
From: +639*********
Message: Jasper Jean Mariano.**
I almost dropped my phone. I immediately looked around just in case one of them had sent this. Maybe they were just messing with me. I also carefully checked the number, but it wasn't familiar.
To: +639*********
Message:hu r u?
From: +639*********
Message:You're my everything.**
Is there seriously someone named "You're my everything"?
People these days really can't come up with proper names anymore. They want unique so bad that they even use 'You're my everything'.
I was about to continue replying to him when I stopped because a plate was suddenly shoved right in front of my face. Ci-N was smiling as he handed me the plate filled with pancakes.
It still looked hot from the little bit of steam I could see. The butter on top had already melted, and the syrup was all over the place. I took off my headset and faced him.
"I don't want any. You eat it," I said, uninterested, and pushed the plate back toward him.
"This is delicious! Remember when you cooked this for me?" he said cheerfully.
I remember. That was the day grades were posted, and it was also the day he got accused of being a thief. I chose to ignore him, but of course, this was Ci-N Peralta we were talking about, so…
"Just take it!" he said, grinning while pushing the plate toward me again.
I pushed it back to him once more.. "I don't feel like eating right now."
He slid the plate back to me once more. "But it's really good!"
Oh, for crying out loud…
I'm starting to get annoyed with what he's doing. I pushed the plate away again, but he just did the same thing. He was still smiling while facing me, and that only added to what I was feeling.
"Ci, I don't want it. Just eat it yourself or give it to someone else," I said calmly.
"But this is for you."
"I don't want it."
"Just try it first. Promise you won't regret it."
"I said no."
I was close to losing my patience. I was trying to calm myself down, but if he didn't stop, I might not be able to hold back anymore.
Calm down, Jay. Calm down.
He picked up the fork resting on the plate and took a small piece of the pancake. She held it up to my mouth, trying to feed me.
"Come on… Say ahhh," he coaxed, the fork with the pancake hovering near my lips.
I moved my face away, but he still followed. I was really getting annoyed! My hand automatically moved on its own to push his hand away, but I accidentally hit the plate he was holding as well.
"I said I don't want it!" I snapped.
he stared sadly at the plate that had fallen onto the floor. I looked at it too.
Shit! Why does it feel like this?!
A sharp pang hit my chest. I took a deep breath and looked away, but then I noticed the Ulupongs staring at me. They all had different reactions.
"O-okay… I-I'll just get you another one," Ci said, and I looked back at him.
Her voice was shaky, and it was obvious he was close to crying. He forced himself to smile even though tears were already welling up in his eyes. My brows furrowed. My irritation disappeared and was replaced by anger.
Anger at myself—for feeling hurt.
"Stop this already! Can't you see? We're never going back to how things were, so just give up!" I said angrily.
"Jay-jay," David called out to me to stop me. I shot him a glare.
I heard Ci-N sniffle. Slowly, I turned back to him, and it felt like a punch to the chest when I saw him wiping his tears away with the back of his hand.
"Why?" he said "...Why should I give up?" He lifted his gaze to me. "…Did you give up back then when I was accused of being a thief? Did you give up on Calix and Mica, on Denzel and Grace? On Eman? On Drew or Felix? Did you give up on any of us?"
Just stop already!
I bit my lower lip and looked away. I won't deny that this is hard for me too. I don't want to ignore them, but it hurts.
"...So don't tell me to give up! Because you never gave up on us, so I won't give up on you either," he added, taking a deep breath. "...Stay right there! I'll get you another pancake."
He walked back to where Eman was. I saw the others pat him on the arm, as if telling him he was right.
Damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this!