Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

"This is for real… I'm gay."

No one moves. Ci's smile disappears, and the others sit up straighter. Some furrow their brows, while others seem unsure how to react.

He believes what I said.

"Ahahaha…" I force a laugh, though it's obviously fake. "…Kit is really a joker."

I step closer to him, grabbing his arm to pull him away from the rest of the Ulupongs.

"Let's talk first," I whisper, but he doesn't budge.

He looks at me as if saying everything is fine. I feel like I'm going crazy over what he's doing.

"Kitty!" Mayo calls out angrily, standing behind the others. "...What are you talking about?!"

"Yeah! What are you saying?!" Drew adds, fueling the tension.

"Is there a problem?" David asks, sounding worried.

I glance at the group sitting on the floor. Josh raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. Eren looks concerned, as if he wants to stop Kit.

"You're kidding, right? That's a bold joke, Kit." Denzel chuckles, but his laughter fades when he sees Kit's serious expression.

"Get a grip, Kit. That joke isn't funny." Rory shakes his head.

Shit. I don't feel good about this.

I pat Kit's arm and look at our confused classmates, forcing a smile.

"We're just messing with you. Don't believe—"

"No." He pushes my hand away. "I said it's for real." He cuts me off.

He looks at me and smiles. I shake my head, silently pleading with him to stop. This isn't the right time for him to reveal this to everyone.

"It's okay, Jay. I'm tired of hiding."

He turns to face Mayo. Eren stands from his seat, as if trying to talk him out of it.

"I've been hiding this for a long time. I've always known I was different." He takes a deep breath. "...I'm different because I'm attracted to the same sex."

"Shit." Calix stands up. "...You can't be serious."

I try to speak, to stop them from jumping to conclusions, but they all stand up one after another, making their own comments.

"Bro! We c-cr together." Edrix exclaims angrily.

"Maybe you just think that," Felix suggests.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually gay," Blaster scoffs, pointing at Ci. "...But you? Seriously?!"

I glance at Ci-N. He doesn't react. He just observes, as if unsure of what's happening.

"We've been together for so long, why are you only confessing now?" Eman asks calmly.

"What the hell?! Are you really gay?!" Rory blurts out in disbelief.

"Can you all shut up—"

David doesn't get to finish because Drew suddenly shouts.

"YOU'RE DISGUSTING!"

His voice echoes throughout the auditorium, silencing everyone. All eyes are on him. His brows furrow, and he steps closer to Kit.

Before anyone can react, a strong punch lands on Drew's face. He falls to the floor, immediately helped up by Denzel and Blaster.

Things are about to get messy!

"What's your problem?! Why are you hitting him?!" Denzel snaps at Mayo, who had just punched Drew.

Eren and Josh rush to hold Mayo back. It's clear he's about to start a fight.

"He had filth coming out of his mouth!" Mayo shouts, pointing at Drew.

I take the opportunity to talk to Kit. I grab his shoulders, turning him toward me.

"Are you crazy?! Why did you take what I said seriously?"

"That's not the only reason I did it," he replies, removing my hands from his shoulders. He grips them tightly in his own.

"But even so... I hope you think of something you can do first."

I can't help but worry. As I expected, the Ulupongs are in trouble.

"Jay, I'm tired. I don't care if others judge me," he said with a smile.

Even though he says there's another reason, I still feel like it's my fault. If only I had thought before speaking.

If only I hadn't sent that message in anger!

I hugged him tightly. "No matter what happens, I'm here."

I heard his faint laugh. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"You snore," I replied with a smile, even though I felt like crying.

I broke the hug and looked at him. His once sad eyes now seemed empty, as if he could no longer hide his true self.

"SHUT UP!" someone screamed.

When we turned toward the source of the voice, Mayo and Drew were nearly at each other's throats. If the other Ulupongs hadn't stepped in between them, they might have started fighting.

"I won't back down! You idiot!" Mayo yelled angrily.

"That's enough!"

"Stop it!"

"I'm betting 1,000 on Mayo!"

"500 on Drew!"

Three people were holding them back just to keep them from attacking each other. It was chaos, and the rest were just standing around like idiots, watching.

"Why are you defending him?! Are you two in a relationship?!" Drew shouted.

"You idiot! I'm really going to break your face!" Mayo shot back.

Drew suddenly burst into loud laughter, surprising us all. His tone was grating, almost mocking.

"I almost forgot. You hit men too," Drew said with a mischievous grin.

Mayo was obviously stunned. It took him a moment before he lunged at Drew again, but Josh held him back tightly.

"Your ex-girlfriend told me you dumped her for a guy," Drew added, laughing even harder. "...It was Kit!"

Shit! Stop it!

"That's enough, Drew!" Felix shouted.

But he didn't seem to care. He was clearly provoking Mayo, testing his patience.

"What?! You have nothing to say?! Because it's true—"

It happened so fast. It was as if Eren had intentionally let go of Mayo. With just two steps, Mayo reached Drew and landed a strong punch on him.

Everything turned into chaos. I covered my mouth in shock. Ci-N, who had been unconscious earlier, suddenly stood up and tried to break them apart. Kit also rushed over to stop Mayo.

"Stop it! Break it up!"

"Mayo, that's enough!"

"You're done! That's enough!"

I didn't know what to do. Everything was a mess. Even students from afar were watching out of curiosity.

I pulled at my hair in frustration before finally stepping in to intervene. But before I could react, a warm palm struck my cheek.

Damn it!

I was slapped so hard that I immediately fell to the floor.

"You idiot, Mayo!" I heard Kit scream.

I touched my numb cheek, feeling someone grab my arm to help me up. When I looked up, I saw Yuri and Kit.

"Are you okay?" Yuri asked, worried.

"Are you stupid? Why did you hit Jay-jay too?!" Ci-N snapped angrily.

I looked at Mayo, who was standing there while his friends restrained the other Ulupongs. I couldn't understand why he had hit me.

"You were panicking! I didn't even see you there!" I said in frustration as I stood up.

My cheek still stung.

"I want to punch you in the face, but you're still a woman," he told me. "...Are you really so mad at us that you want to turn this into a joke?!"

"Don't blame Jay for your stupidity!" Felix said, annoyed.

Mayo is still looking at me, and it's obvious that he wants to hurt me out of anger.

"Did you think I didn't hear you earlier? You ordered Kit to confess just so you could forgive him! You idiot!" He struggled against the hands restraining him. "…It's okay for you to ruin our lives just for that pathetic excuse!"

"That's not why I confessed! Don't blame Jay!" Kit explained, but Mayo didn't seem willing to listen.

I freed myself from Yuri's grip and stepped closer to Mayo. Does he want an argument? Fine, I'll give him an answer!

"You want to know how much I hate you?" I said calmly, looking at everyone before turning back to him.

"Have you ever been alone? At school? At home?" He didn't move. "…Because I have. Yes. I've been alone my whole life. Mayo, I have no friends. You know that." I took a deep breath, feeling the lump in my throat. "…Then you came along, but only to hurt me. And do you know how painful that was? It hurt so much! So much that I almost wished I could disappear from this world."

Tears streamed down my face. I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop myself. My voice cracked, but I kept my gaze locked on his, even though he tried to avoid mine.

"It hurt so much that I hate you! I'm so angry! I wanted to retaliate, to make you feel what I felt!" I bit my bottom lip. "…But I didn't do it. Because I don't want to be like you."

I lowered my head, wiping away my tears, and took another deep breath before looking at them all again.

"You're mad because Kit is gay? Then you should be mad at yourselves, too. You're no different from him!" I turned back to Mayo, who was now staring at the ground. "…Because being a real man has nothing to do with being with a woman."

"Jay…" Yuri called from behind me.

"Now, tell me, Mayo—don't I have the right to call you out for what you did to me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Kit, who was standing behind me. After a few moments of silence, he turned and walked away. As he passed me, he deliberately bumped my shoulder before disappearing from sight.

I watched him leave, then felt an arm wrap around me. When I turned, I saw Yuri's sad expression.

"Jay…" Kit called softly. "…Maybe it's best if you rest first. We'll take care of explaining things to the other teachers."

"No," David interjected. "…It's better if we all take a break. I'll talk to Sir Alvin."

"I agree with David," Yuri added.

The others nodded, and David walked away. I glanced at the Ulupongs, who were now talking amongst themselves.

I noticed Ci-N standing apart from the rest, deep in thought. He looked troubled, as if he was struggling to process what had happened.

"Yuri… Can you check on Ci-N? Something seems off with him," I requested.

He smiled at me before heading towards Young Snake. I then turned to Kit.

"Let's talk," I said.

Together, we walked away from the Snakes. Absentmindedly, I touched my cheek. The pain was still there.

Damn it! I really want to get back at Mayo.

Kit seemed to notice. He reached out and touched my cheek, making my whole body tense up. I nearly passed out from the shock.

"Does it hurt? I'm sorry," he said.

I shook my head. "N-no. You just surprised me."

He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. I watched him closely. Despite everything, his demeanor made it clear—he was still a man.

Seriously! Good looks can rival K-pop idols, but even guys would admit it. I was stunned!

"I apologize for what Mayo did. I didn't know he could hurt a woman," he said sincerely.

"Anyone is capable of that," I replied with a deep sigh.

I wiped my nose as I felt a cold coming on. Ugh, great! I cried in front of them again. I didn't want that to happen.

Of course, it was embarrassing.

"What are you planning now? It seems like you don't like gay people," I asked cautiously.

He smiled. "Sometimes, the people closest to you are the ones who judge you the most."

I smiled back. "But I don't."

I put my arms around him and hugged him. I even laughed as he walked away. I just hope he won't be allergic to women like some others.

I felt his hand patting my back.

"O-oh, it's okay. You can let go. Keifer might see this—I need to be a badass again."

Oh my, he even mentioned him!

I immediately pulled away. He was still smiling, but it disappeared the moment he looked behind me. A sudden nervousness crept up, making me turn around instantly.

I almost jumped in shock. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked as if he was ready to stomp on someone at any moment. Is this my fate for today?

"A-Aries…"

"Didn't I tell you to text me?" he said, clearly annoyed.

My mouth formed an "ooh." I had completely forgotten because of what had happened earlier. And that's another thing—I couldn't even tell him about it.

"I forgot. Sowrey," I said, glancing at his hand.

That styrofoam bag… it had food inside. Food! It looked like he had bought it from the school cafeteria.

"Is that for me?" I asked, pointing at his hand.

"No," he answered quickly. "…I just happened to be holding it."

Oh… and here I was, hoping!

I noticed him staring at me for a long time, as if he knew something. I felt uneasy and quickly looked away.

"Did you cry?"

Oh no! I glanced at Kit, but his face remained expressionless. I couldn't even ask him for help.

"Why are your cheeks red?"

Oh no, not again! I had forgotten how quick he was at noticing things. Just like when I woke up—

"W-what… that… to what… d-don to… what—"

"It was my fault," Kit interrupted before I could finish my panicked rambling. "…I accidentally hit her face earlier."

My eyes widened. What was he saying?! Aries might misunderstand and get mad at him! As expected, my brother immediately turned to him with a sharp look.

Maybe he'll start yelling any second now.

"Harington, right?" Aries asked.

Kit nodded.

"Next time, be more careful so you don't hit her." He stepped closer. "…And if I ever catch you hugging my sister again, I will break your bones."

I quickly stepped in and pushed Aries away from Kit.

"What are you saying?! What nonsense is this?!"

I glared at him. "I'll tell your classmate."

I pushed him again. "Go now! You're threatening people!"

He smirked, amused by my irritation. "It's not a threat, it's a warning."

I groaned. "That's the same thing!"

I pushed him again, but he barely moved. He was obviously getting fed up with me. I was just waiting for him to flick my forehead at this point.

"Fine! I'm leaving!" he grumbled, shoving the styrofoam container into my hands. "…It's yours, you glutton. You should be ashamed."

What a—

I quickly grabbed it and beamed at him. "Thank you!! Mwah! Mwah! Sup! Sup!"

"Ugh, gross! Get away from me!" he cringed dramatically.

I snorted. This guy! Acting all high and mighty when he's the real drama queen here. I turned back to Kit, who was smiling at me.

"Are you and your brother okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's a good thing he talked to me."

Silence settled between us. An eerie silence. Little by little, the events from earlier started coming back to me.

What now? Where is he now?

"Everything will be okay, right?" Kit asked.

I wanted to say yes, but I didn't feel that way. Instead, I lowered my gaze and gave a weak reply.

"…Hopefully."