Percy's POV
"Hurry up!" Felix shouted in my ear.
"Wait! I'm coming!" I shouted back.
If we weren't in such a rush, I might have given him a lecture earlier. He's starting to lose respect for me.
I'm your brother, brad!
"There's Keifer!" Calix yelled from the backseat.
I spotted his car speeding ahead as if there were no other vehicles on the road.
"Faster, Percy!" Felix shouted again.
Percy?!
I frowned. "Hey! Where's the 'Kuya'?"
"It's like my respect for you... it's disappearing," he answered sarcastically.
How disrespectful! This guy is testing my patience.
"Burn," I heard Denzel whisper from the backseat.
Bad trip!
I feel like they're ganging up on me. I don't like this.
"Keep that up... and your allowance will disappear too!" I shot back.
Silence.
"Solid burn," Calix whispered.
I smirked slightly—not because I declared victory, but because I genuinely don't want my brothers to lose respect for me.
I can't blame Felix, though. A lot happened while I was gone… and then one day, I just showed up out of nowhere. He even thought I lied to them.
I saw Yuri's car ahead. Here we go again! My head started to heat up.
I turned my gaze back to Keifer's car. He was still quite far ahead of us, but suddenly, he made a sharp left turn without signaling. The car behind him panicked and slammed on the brakes. The other vehicles did the same, causing a traffic jam.
"Why now?!" I yelled in frustration.
Even Yuri and David's cars were forced to stop. We lost sight of Keifer's car.
Damn it!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jay-Jay's POV
"Guess where we are?" one of them teased.
Creepy! Someone pulled a prank on me before, but this… this is different. The moment they untie me and remove this blindfold, I'm going to punch someone.
I don't remember much of what happened. I was just walking away from Percy, then suddenly, everything went dark. When I woke up, my hands and feet were tied, and I was blindfolded. Judging by my position, I was sitting on a bench.
Who are these people?!
"This is boring… don't you want to play with me?" the voice taunted, sounding childlike yet unsettling.
"Stop that, A," another man scolded. His voice was deeper and more authoritative than the first.
"Such a buzzkill," the one called A responded. "...AHA!"
I flinched as he suddenly yelled near my ear.
Are you trying to make me deaf, you idiot?!
"Let's check out your stuff, shall we?" he said smugly.
I remained silent. There's nothing interesting in my bag. I've been trying to feel around, but with this blindfold on, I can't see a thing.
I hate the dark.
"Are you really a student? It's just a notebook… and some clothes and—ooh! A cellphone!"
That must be from Mule. Just his luck—my password is strong, man!
"What's the password?" A asked.
I could sense him right next to me. I stayed still, but then I felt his hand brush against my cheek. I immediately turned my face away, but his hand followed.
"You've got such smooth skin…" he murmured, his breath hot against my neck.
What the—?!
My whole body shuddered, my heart pounding. I hadn't planned on saying anything, but I couldn't take it anymore.
"Get away from me!" I screamed.
"He spoke!" A cheered. "...K! I got him to talk!"
"Stop that," the deep voice—K—responded. "...Z is coming back. He won't be happy about this."
What is this? The alphabet mafia? A, K, and now Z?!
I heard the sound of a door creaking open. It screeched like it hadn't been oiled in years.
"What are you doing, A?" someone asked.
"Just having some fun," A answered.
I had a bad feeling. There were more of them now.
"I was just trying to get his phone password," A continued.
Yeah, right! And groping me in the process, you sick freak!
"Give it back," a new voice commanded.
A didn't argue, so I assumed he returned my phone. Meanwhile, the others continued talking among themselves.
I sensed someone else approaching me. My whole body tensed, afraid they'd pull the same stunt A did.
"Z! Should I remove the blindfold?" one of them asked.
"Don't," Z answered firmly.
"Z! If Keifer doesn't show up, can I have my fun with her first?" A suddenly blurted out.
My body trembled with fear. I knew exactly what he meant. This is it for me…!
Why am I caught up in this mess because of Keifer?! Why me?! They've got the wrong person!
My mind raced. I had to get out of here!
"W-what do you want from me?" I stammered, barely above a whisper.
I heard footsteps approaching. Someone stood directly in front of me.
"Your boyfriend," the person—probably Z—answered. "...I haven't gotten my revenge on him yet."
"He's not my boyfriend," I snapped.
I heard a few of them chuckle. What's so funny? This isn't a joke! Of course, they wouldn't believe me.
"We're not stupid—"
"You are stupid!" I interrupted Z.
"What did you just say?!" he asked angrily.
"You're stupid!" I repeated.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my hair. I was caught off guard by the force of the pull. The pain was so intense that I couldn't even lay my head down.
"Don't mess with me, girl! If your boyfriend is scary, I'm even scarier," Z said, leaning in close to my face.
I could feel his hot breath. If I could escape from here, I wouldn't hesitate to fight back. If I were the same person I used to be, I would have already fought those who brought me here.
I should be at the amusement park right now!
"If Keifer is stupid, then you're even more stupid," I retorted. "...You don't understand. He's not my boyfriend."
They finally let go of my hair, and Z burst into loud laughter, as if what I said was the most amusing thing he'd ever heard.
"Don't tell me you're divorced?" he asked, still laughing.
"No," I answered, almost in a whisper. "...It was never us."
Z laughed even louder, and his companions joined in.
Oh, so funny! Happy birthday!
"Woman..." someone called out. "...Everyone in the group chats here knows you're Keifer's girlfriend. So why should we believe you?"
If only I could slap myself right now, I would. If only they could see my eyes, they'd be pierced by the blade of my glare.
I don't want to go back. I don't want to relive it. I don't want to say it. But—ugh! I have to!
"We weren't...," I took a deep breath. "...he just used me." 💔
Their laughter stopped. I could feel all of them staring at me. Looks like I have to explain everything for them to understand.
Alright! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!
"He just used him to get revenge on my brother," I admitted, feeling the familiar weight in my chest. "...Nothing more! I was an idiot. I fell into his trap."
"Ouch," someone commented.
"What did Keifer do to you?" A asked.
I shook my head and lowered it. I didn't want to cry. I had promised myself I wouldn't cry over him anymore. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears.
Come back, tears! Come back!
"He made me fall for him!" I said, annoyed. "The impact was huge, and when I fell, he just said—just kidding! Ha! Good thing my knuckles didn't crack. That boy almost got hit!"
"That was really dumb! Let's celebrate!" someone chimed in.
I heard deep sighs from a few of them, along with a couple of curses. Each one had something to say about what the so-called 'King of Deception' had done to me.
"Nice story."
I froze.
I recognized that voice. I knew it all too well.
Great! Just great! I didn't know whether to be embarrassed or pissed.
Should I throw a party?!
Suddenly, there was a commotion—either people moving away from or toward the speaker. I heard things falling to the ground.
"Shit..." I heard Z whisper.
"That was a heartwarming story," Keifer said. Then, all at once, chaos erupted.
Shouts and loud crashes filled the air. I couldn't see anything because of my blindness. I didn't even know if I would get hit. But I knew they were fighting.
"You're in!"
"Take this!"
"A!"
"B!"
"Oh wait, it's Z!"
After all the noise and commotion, everything suddenly went silent, as if an angel had passed by. I could still hear heavy breathing, so I knew people were still around.
"You idiot!" Z yelled.
"You just don't learn, do you?" Keifer said. "...I knocked you down before, and here you are again."
"What now?!"
"Feeling brave now, huh?"
I swallowed hard. A lump formed in my throat.
Not again. I'm going to cry again.
"You talk too much!" someone shouted.
What's happening?!
I could only rely on the sounds of their movements to figure out what was going on. But I had no clue. I kept trying to free my hands from the bindings, but no matter how much I struggled, nothing worked. I pulled hard, trying to break free.
"Now it's A's turn!" Z shouted.
More noise followed. I hadn't realized there were more than two people standing. Then, just like before, silence returned. I strained to listen, but it seemed like no one was left.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching me.
"W-who's there?" I stammered. "...W-what's going on? Where's K-Keifer?"
He didn't answer. The footsteps kept coming closer. Why do I have a bad feeling about Keifer? Did Keifer... fall? But then, who's here with me?
I hope he's fine!
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling. "...Keifer, is that you? Say something!"
Tears welled in my eyes. I didn't want to hear silence. I didn't want to believe it wasn't him.
Please Speak!
The footsteps stopped right in front of me. Whoever it was, he was breathing heavily, as if exhausted.
Whoever you are... stay back!
I felt his gaze on me. I nearly tipped my chair over, struggling against my restraints. My breathing was uneven, and I must have looked like an idiot, just sitting there and waiting.
I was completely shocked when I felt his palm caressing my cheek. Shit! Who are you?!
I tried to turn my face away, but his hand followed my movement.
Is this A?!
"Damn it! Get away from me! Don't touch me!" I screamed, twisting my face away.
What if it's A?! No, no, no! Maybe Keifer really is down. If that's true, then... his plan will happen. No! Tears of frustration and fear rolled down my cheeks.
"Keifer" I called him "Please speak..."
I had no intention to call him for help, but what can I do! He's here!
I was even more shocked when I felt his warm breath near my neck. I lost my mind even more. It is not possible! Whatever is his plan, Not Possible!
I'm losing my mind, I'm losing it because of mixed feelings. I was crying because I'm annoyed I was completely powerless with my hands and feet tied up.
Then, what happened next made my heart stop beating at the same time, It was as if my soul left my body.
H-he-he- kissed me. ❤️
It sent a strange shock through my system. I couldn't sit still. I couldn't even turn away.
Why is this happening?! Familiar to me!
I am very familiar with what I feel. Even the lips pressed against mine are familiar. But I don't know why.
Like Kei—no! He's not Keifer! He wouldn't do this. He has no reason to kiss me.
I wanted to believe it's him. I really wish it were him. But I know it's impossible. I know it's not him because he would never kiss me again.
"Don't... please." I barely managed to speak when his lips finally parted. "...Have mercy on me."
Silence.
He said nothing. The quiet between us grew heavier, suffocating. Fear gripped me even more because I had no idea what he was planning.
The silence was terrifying—worse than being surrounded by a crowd. This was madness!
Then, suddenly, a loud crash.
"YAY-YAY!" Someone screamed.
I let out a breath of relief. That voice—I knew it. I could count on it.
"P-Percy," I called out, and someone removed the blindfold from my eyes.
It took a moment for my vision to adjust to the bright light. Then, I saw them—Section E.
Ci-N looked worried, with David standing beside him. Felix, Rory, and Edrix were focused on the fallen bodies. Denzel, Mayo, and Drew were still working to open the locked doors, making sure no one else was there. Eman, Blaster, and Kit were untying the ropes around me.
But my eyes froze on Yuri and Josh. They stood in front of Eren and… Keifer.
Keifer had collapsed. They were trying to help Eren up, and blood was seeping from his side.
W-what happened?!
As soon as the ropes were removed, Percy helped me to my feet. I wanted to go to Keifer, to see him, to make sure he was okay.
But then, his cold stare met mine.
"Stay strong... We'll take you to the hospital," Yuri said before glancing at me from head to toe, as if checking for any injuries. Seeing none, he turned and left first.
"Are you okay, Jay?" Ci-N asked.
I could only manage a small nod. My gaze remained on them as they walked out the door. And that was when it hit me.
He wasn't the one who kissed me.
The distance between us—the wound he had—it would have been impossible for him to move back and forth like that.
It wasn't him!
"Let's get out of here," Percy said, supporting me as we walked.
I wasn't physically hurt. They hadn't laid a hand on me. But my mind—my heart—felt paralyzed by everything that had happened.
Outside, they placed Keifer into a car. The others quickly followed. As they drove away, reality sank in.
I ended up here because of Keifer.
If it weren't for the people he constantly fought with—the ones who took me to get back at him—this wouldn't have happened.
How many more times?
Is it always going to be like this?!
"Let's go," I whispered to Percy.
He nodded and helped me into the car. As I sat down, I noticed Ci-N's shoulders slump as he glanced at me. I immediately looked away. I was grateful they came for me. But at the same time, it still hurt. I felt like a pawn in their game.
Everything we've been through—was it all meaningless to them?
"Should I take you home?" Percy asked as he started the car. "You need to rest."
"I-It's too early," I sighed. "...Maybe later."
He didn't respond, just kept driving. Even in silence, I knew he could sense what I was feeling.
Because this is exhausting.
It's exhausting to get caught up in their mess. It's exhausting to care.
I wish I didn't care.
I didn't even know the people who kidnapped me, yet somehow, I knew those snakes would come for me.
And they did. But why did it feel so forced?
From the way Keifer and Yuri looked at me, it felt like they didn't even want to be there.
Was it guilt?
"Don't cry."
Percy's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was focused on the road, but his words were meant for me.
"You said you wouldn't cry over them anymore."
I lowered my head. I did say that. I said I wouldn't cry over them anymore.
No matter what happens to him—to them—I won't shed another tear.
The next time I get caught up in their fights .... I won't ask them to save me. I'll find my own way out. Because whatever they once meant to me…
I won't depend on them anymore.