Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

11:48 PM. My eyes were wide open. I couldn't sleep because of the photo crazy man sent me. What's even more painful is that he's not answering my texts anymore.

"Bwisit!" I muttered in frustration at my phone.

If he's not Keifer, then who is he? There's only one thing I'm sure of—he's close to the King of those Snakes.

And what is that Kumag wearing? Why does he look like he's at a party? His birthday party? Wow. Unbelievable. He's out there celebrating while we're here, losing our minds.

"You're insane! You're having fun while we're crying here."

I stood up and picked up my phone again. I searched for Ci-N's number—he's the only one I know who has access to that world.

But just as I was about to press call, I suddenly remembered—I don't have balance. It was just a text message.

Jay-Jay, you poor girl.

I frowned at my phone. If this thing could react, it would probably be cringing at my stupidity. I guess I should ask Percy for some credit. But then, he'll tease me again. Ugh, whatever.

I sighed deeply. My shoulders slumped when I noticed there were only ten minutes left until midnight. That means it's February 29. The King of Serpents' birthday.

So annoying! Infuriating! Just too much!

I had only one hope left—to call that crazy person, Gagang Baliw.

I stood up and slowly opened my bedroom door. I was hesitant about what I was about to do. Every step I took toward Aries' room was slow and careful. I just need to borrow his phone. That's all.

I knocked softly at first, but there was no answer. I tried again—still nothing. I grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it. My heart almost leaped with joy when I realized that Aries forgot to lock his door.

Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe…

There! I spotted my prize—the precious cellphone of the Horoscope King! This would determine my fate. This was my key to calling Gagang Baliw.

I picked it up and tried to unlock it.

Oh, great! Of course, it's an iPhone. High-tech, huh? I need his fingerprint to unlock it.

I turned to Aries, looking for his hand. I carefully pulled the blanket down to his waist—he was topless again. But then…

Wait. Wait. WHAT?!

His hand was resting on… that.

Inhale, exhale! Breathe!

I needed his fingerprint. That's all. Just his fingerprint. Why did he have to be holding onto that?! This was too much to handle.

"I can do this," I whispered to myself.

I slowly moved his arm away. I managed to do it without waking him up. I tried his thumb first—nothing. I tried his index finger—still nothing. Middle finger, ring finger—no effect. I nearly screamed in frustration. My last hope was gone.

Just as I was about to try again, his hand suddenly moved—right back to that spot. I tried pulling his arm again, but he just kept moving it back.

I was so frustrated that I punched the air in silent rage. But because of my stupidity, I accidentally dropped his phone.

It flew through the air, and—

RING!

The phone's loud ringtone echoed in the room.

I froze.

I'm so sorry, future children of Aries. I'm shorrey! I'm so shorrey!

"Fuck!" he shouted as he suddenly sat up.

I was so scared and shocked that I huddled on the side of his bed. I could hear him groaning in pain.

"What the hell! Aaarrgghhh!" he screamed.

I wanted to apologize, but he was too angry. If I did, I might end up killing him in frustration. And that would probably cost me my life.

"How on earth...?! Argh!"

I started crying because of what I had done. I had a feeling he might never be able to have children after this. For a few minutes, all I could hear were his groans and curses.

When he finally quieted down a bit, I cautiously peeked at him on the bed—only to be shocked when I saw he wasn't there. Panicked, I quickly stood up and pulled off the blanket.

Gone. Even his cellphone.

"Where did he go?" I muttered.

"Is this..." a voice suddenly spoke behind me. My eyes widened. "...what you're looking for?"

Slowly, I turned around, already feeling guilty. I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut.

"What the fuck are you doing here?! In the middle of the night!" he snapped, emphasizing the last words.

I nervously played with my fingers. I couldn't tell him the truth—I just wanted to borrow his phone to call Gagang Baliw.

"And seriously?! Why did you hit my... my... my THING?!"

"How can you accuse me of that?!" I protested, pretending to be annoyed. "Besides, I didn't mean to!"

He let out a loud snort. "So, you're admitting it!"

I really didn't mean to!

"It happened because it fell on your—never mind. I'm sorry," I mumbled, still looking down.

"And what do you need this for?" he asked, handing me his phone.

"I needed to make a call. I don't have balance in my phone."

He let out a deep sigh, pressed something on his phone, then handed it to me. I glanced at him before taking it. I pressed the round button, and the phone unlocked—no password!

"I removed the password. Just put it back after you're done," he said as he walked back to the bed. "And PLEASE! Next time, wake me up properly."

He lay down and pulled the blanket over himself. I grinned as I looked at my hand, clutching the phone.

Nice! Now I can call Gagang Baliw!

"Thank you!" I said cheerfully before dashing out of his room.

There was only one step between his room and mine. As soon as I got inside, I searched for my own phone, which was scattered somewhere on the bed.

I hurriedly dialed the number. My hands trembled slightly as I brought Aries' phone to my ear.

It was ringing! My excitement grew. I nearly jumped when the call was answered, but, as expected, no one spoke.

"Hey... Gagang Baliw," I said, slightly annoyed. "It's me—Jay-Jay, the gorgeous one."

Still, silence. But I had a strong feeling he was smirking on the other end.

"Who are you, really?! Your mind games are too much for me! It's too late for this nonsense!" I huffed. "Tell me who you are! You're stressing me out!"

My beauty is being ruined because of you! I heard a faint gasp. It was quiet, but I knew it came from him.

"Can you please say something? My throat is drying up here, and you're still silent!"

This guy was driving me crazy! I wanted to drag him out from the other side of the phone. If it weren't for… haizt!

I glanced at the wall clock. 12:09 AM. It's the damn snake's birthday.

I took a deep breath. I still didn't know who Gagang Baliw really was, but one thing was for sure—he was connected to the Pisting King of Snakes.

"Hey! Whoever you are, I know you're close to Keifer. So maybe… um… what I'm trying to say is..." I scratched the back of my neck, frustrated. "...Nyyyyappi Brrritttday."

Wait—what did I just say?!

I quickly covered my mouth. Holy crap! I couldn't even say Happy Birthday properly!

I heard a soft laugh. Gago looks like he's laughing at me. Did he think I couldn't do that on purpose?

"Alright, laugh. Enjoy yourself," I said, annoyed.

His laughter gradually faded, and silence filled the line once more. I lowered my head—I still had so much to say to the King.

"...Perhaps you could also tell him..." I took a deep breath. "...please let him know that he is needed. His friends, Ulupong, are already struggling..." I'm struggling too. "...Section E needs him..." I need him. "...so many people depend on him..." I still hope for him. "...he should be near his friends, too..." I want him to be here.

For some reason I couldn't understand, a tear slipped from my left eye. My breathing grew heavy. I only wanted to deliver a simple message, yet my emotions were betraying me.

"Please tell him… whatever he's dealing with, he should hurry." It felt like I couldn't bear it if he stayed away any longer. "...Also, for his birthday, I wish for him to be true to his feelings..." To be true to me. "...I also hope he can forgive me..." Because I feel like I'm about to give up. "...for what I did to him."

I wiped my tears discreetly and cleared my throat to ease the tightness there.

"I really hope he comes back soon... but if he can't, that's okay. We'll accept it." Even if it hurts... even if it hurts so much. "...Please tell him all of this? I'll be waiting."

I glanced at the time, even though I knew our conversation hadn't been long.

"...Alright, I'll hang up now. My brother might get mad—I've used up all his credit."

As expected, there was no response from the other end. I was about to remove the phone from my ear when I heard something—faint, unclear. Was it a bad signal?

Someone was crying.

I was about to speak when the call disconnected. I immediately tried calling the number again, but the phone was switched off.

I didn't understand what had just happened.

Was Gagang Baliw crying? But why? Did I say something wrong? Did I do something?

I turned my head toward the door when I noticed it slowly opening. Aries stood there, looking at me with curiosity.

"Did something happen?" he asked, sitting down beside me.

I quickly wiped away the tears on my cheeks, swallowed, and coughed lightly.

"N-nothing... I just got caught up in the moment," I replied, making an excuse.

I felt his arm wrap around me, gently pulling my head onto his shoulder.

"Is this about him?" he whispered.

It was as if a switch had been flipped. My tears fell faster, and before I knew it, I was sobbing uncontrollably. Without thinking, I clung to him.

Why? Why was I doing this?

"I'm struggling... even though he's not doing anything." Why does it feel like he's doing nothing? "...I'm hurting even though he's not here." Why isn't he here? "...W-why do I have to feel this way?"

"Shhh... that's normal. Do you love Keifer?"

His words irritated me.

I hit him lightly on the chest, making him laugh. But soon, I noticed the seriousness in his expression. His arms tightened around me.

"I warned you before—it's hard to love that man."

"You say that like you know him so well. Have you ever loved him?" I asked, annoyed, while wiping my tears.

He suddenly pulled away and gave me a mocking glare. I raised my fist, pretending to hit him, but he quickly blocked it.

"Seems like you don't know the story of Freya and Ella, huh?"

"Of course, I do!" I huffed.

"But they never loved Keifer," I added. Not like I do.

"That's because they feared him," he said, surprising me. "...It's strange that that fool even likes women."

I paused, remembering something. Someone had told me that before—that when he liked someone, he would keep them close and never let them go.

"Prince... why do you seem to know him so well?"

I looked at Aries, who ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Even back in grade school, he was like that with girls. It's a good thing he lost interest quickly."

I frowned. No matter what, that man had a strange way of treating women. It was as if they weren't even human to him, as if he always had to be one step ahead.

I glanced at Aries, who was staring blankly at nothing. I wasn't sure if this was the right time, but I had to ask.

"A-Aries... can I ask why you hate Keifer so much?"

I could see the tension in his jaw. He swallowed and quickly averted his eyes from me.

"S-sorry. It's okay if—"

"He never listens to me," he said, still not looking at me.

"…He blamed me for what happened to Percy without even knowing the full story."

I lowered my head. "That's another thing that annoys Keifer. His mind is closed off to explanations."

"He has a narrow mind," he added.

"You're still pissed."

"Obviously."

"Spoiled."

"Huge asshole."

"Still a woman."

He suddenly burst into laughter. For some reason, I found myself laughing too. Suddenly, we were agreeing on insulting the King of Snakes.

But in the middle of our laughter, I started crying. Again. I was crying again because of him. Aries stopped laughing and quickly hugged me. I buried my face in his chest.

"Jay," he called softly.

"It's his birthday today, and he didn't even tell me. He didn't call or message," I said as if reporting it to him. "...It's unfair! It's unfair! It's unfair!"

Keifer, you're really cruel.

I felt my brother's hand rubbing my back.

"Stop, Jay. Stop crying over him. You have to accept the truth."

"W-what truth?"

I tried to look up at him, but he stopped me. Instead, he kissed the top of my head.

"There's a chance that Keifer…" He sighed. "…that Keifer might never come back."

I shook my head. "N-no. Why would you say that? You're just making things up—"

"Kuya Angelo is leaving tomorrow," he interrupted. "He received an invitation from Watson Enterprises. They're introducing the company's new major shareholder. With the responsibilities he now has, do you really think he'll come back?"

I cried even harder.

He's right. Keifer might never come back to me. He already has a life that I no longer belong to—that we no longer belong to.

I shouldn't hold on to false hope… but why do I still believe?

"He will come back. I know he will," I insisted. "He promised he would."

He has to come back. He should come back. Because if he doesn't, then what? What will I do when he's gone from my life forever?

I didn't understand why Aries was telling me this. I thought we were okay, so why would he say something like that?

Does he still want to hurt me? Maybe he's really mad at me. Maybe this is his way of getting back at me.

No, it's not that.

"Take back what you said! He will come back!" I shouted at him and tried to punch him.

"Jay! That's enough!"

"Take it back! He will come back!" My voice broke. "…Because I can't handle it."

We stayed in that position for a long time. I didn't even know how long I cried. At some point, I realized I was lying down, using Horoscope's thigh as a pillow. He ran his fingers through my hair gently.

In that simple gesture, I found comfort.

"Let me tell you something funny," he said, but I didn't look at him or respond. "…Did you know that I don't actually know my real age anymore?"

I glanced at him in confusion. What? He doesn't know his age?

"That's why I told you before that I never revealed my real age—to keep you from suspecting we were siblings. But that wasn't the truth," he admitted, smiling even though he wasn't sure if I was looking at him. "…Because I wasn't adopted. I only know your age. You were three years old when I first knew you. Yes, I'm older than you, but I have no idea by how many years."

I stared blankly into the void. His ridiculousness was oddly amusing.

How dramatic. Let's laugh… Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

"What made things worse was that I didn't have a birth certificate. So even Kuya Angelo thought I was only three when they took me in."

"How did you find out your real age?" I asked in a whisper.

"It was because of your mom. But I only found out when I was in grade school. Percy even laughed at me, saying I was stupid—for not knowing my own age."

I smiled at that part. We really have the same brain cycle. But maybe it wasn't his fault. I thought it was just because he was a bit of a shunga.

He would've known if an older person had taught him. But Mama never told me how old he was either.

"Are you happy?" I asked out of nowhere. "...Are you glad you didn't grow up under Mama's care?"

He sighed. "I can't say. My life is a mess."

I lay down and watched him. He looked at me, sensing my gaze. Then, he smiled and continued combing my hair.

"Sleep. Kuya will watch over you."

And those words made me smile. Despite everything that had happened, I still heard something good.

"Aries..." I called his name. "...The size of your nostrils—I can see your brain—ARAY!" He flicked me on the forehead.