Jay-Jay's POV
"Marianne doesn't know about this, so keep your voice down," Drew said as he continued folding the clothes.
We deliberately slowed down our movements so we could talk properly. I wasn't sure if Yuri, who was busy playing chess, could hear us. He was smart, so I knew he could handle fighting a champion.
"You mean to say, the debt left to you reached 39 million? Now it should have only been 9 million, but because of the shark loan, it became 15 million?" I repeated what he had just told me.
He nodded while shaking off the dust from the clothes he was holding. "I don't know where that shameless person is or how they still manage to rack up debt even while in hiding."
"Where did they spend the money?"
"Gambling and... men," he answered before putting the basket back inside their house.
My jaw dropped at his response. That much money was lost to gambling and... wait, what?
Drew came back with the now-empty basket. He continued what he was doing while I was still stuck thinking about his last statement, holding the same piece of clothing I had picked up.
"Don't you mean women?" I corrected, but he shook his head.
I didn't mishear him after all.
"Men. I caught them several times before, but since I was still a kid back then, I didn't really understand it," he explained casually, as if he was talking about something ordinary.
His reaction reminded me of when Kit confessed in front of the class.
"Is that why you got mad at Kit back then?"
He stopped and took the piece of clothing from my hands. I let him have it and watched as he carefully folded it.
"It all came back to me when he confessed. I couldn't control my anger, which is why I said those things. I regret it, though," he admitted.
I knew they had already made up since then. I also didn't see any resentment or irritation in him whenever he looked at the couple—unless, of course, he and Mayo were teasing each other again.
Drew then moved on to the blankets. I helped him take them off the clothesline, shake them out, and fold them.
I glanced at Yuri when I noticed the silence between them. Both of them were deeply concentrated. Only a few chess pieces had been captured from each side, and it seemed like it took them minutes before making a move.
It really was a complicated game—definitely meant for smart people.
I turned to look at Drew's mother before facing him again. "I know this is a personal question, but... what happened to your mom?"
"That's not really a personal question. A lot of people know about it—it even made it to the tabloids back then because of her condition," he said, pausing his work to look at his mother. "I thought she could handle everything. She sold our properties, insurance, business, even used her pension to pay off debts. Then, on my graduation day, they didn't show up. When I got home, only Marianne was there. We didn't know she was already struggling mentally and had gone missing. Thankfully, a kind person took her to the police station. Unfortunately, a reporter recognized her there."
He stared off into the distance and wiped his face. I was about to tell him to stop talking, but he gestured for me to stay silent.
"I could accept her illness, but the ridicule from people—I couldn't take that. The news headline read: 'Former Filipino Representative at the Chess Olympiad Loses Her Mind.' I didn't know what to do. We had no one to turn to. Reporters knocked on our door every day, debt collectors harassed us, and our own relatives stole from us."
And he carried all of that on his own. He found a way to support his sibling and mother while also paying off the debts left behind. That was what we never saw in him because we all assumed he was using the money he borrowed from us for gambling.
I didn't realize I was crying.
Now I understood why he always answered that he gambled to pay off debts—because that was really what he was doing. That was where he got the money. I thought he only said that to stop us from questioning him about the money he borrowed.
We both tried to calm down and stop crying. I wiped my face with my palm while he used the sleeve of his shirt.
My snot was everywhere.
"Believe me, I never intended to put you in danger. If I had any other choice, no matter how hard it was or how much more debt I had to take on, I would have chosen that. I was just so exhausted from thinking and trying to find someone who could help... I'm sorry."
I smiled, trying to hold back my tears. I took a deep breath before speaking.
"You're such an idiot. You should have talked to me. You should have come to me too."
"And what? Would you have loaned me millions?"
"Screw you," I replied, making him laugh. "We would have found someone."
"Like Keifer?"
I chuckled. He was indeed the first person that came to mind when thinking of someone who could afford to shell out millions.
Our emotions bounced between crying and laughing. He looked like he could finally breathe a little, even just for a moment.
As long as he didn't do it again, we wouldn't have any problems.
I'd punch him myself if he ever betrayed me again.
"If possible, you should just tell the truth to everyone. Because right now, we all think you're in debt because of your gambling," I told him.
He nodded while wiping his face. "I'll try. I'm just embarrassed. I don't want them to think I'm just playing the victim to avoid paying my debt."
"If you've been using gambling to pay off debts, then where did you spend the 5,000 you borrowed from me?" I asked.
I was still pissed about that 5,000. But what could I do if he really had nothing? Even if I fought with him, it wouldn't change anything.
"Entrance fee and starting bet. I would've won big that time, but Tiger caught me. I almost got beaten up, so I had no choice but to call a friend. And that's when I called you out of sheer panic," he explained, laughing.
That was why Yuri and I rushed to Kingsground.
Thinking back on it still scared me, especially Yuri's fight in the ring. Then again, the whole place had a terrifying atmosphere.
I only later found out that Kuya Angelo's "friend" was running an illegal business. That explained why they let us in so easily even though we were minors—they didn't follow any laws.
Tiger really looked the part of an illegal operator. But there was something in Drew's story that caught my attention.
"What do you mean caught you?"
He scratched his head. "The truth is, the reason I win at gambling… is because I cheat at cards."
I grimaced and nearly smacked him. As if gambling wasn't already dangerous enough, he had to add cheating into the mix.
"Are you insane? Of course, you were going to get beaten up!"
He quickly dodged when I raised my hand. He also signaled me to lower my voice in case his sister heard us inside the house.
Why? Gambling is unfair too, so I might as well cheat along," he reasoned.
"Then you shouldn't have gambled in the first place."
"Money comes faster through gambling, but I have some sidelines too."
We turned to look at his mother when she suddenly clapped her hands. She seemed pleased to have found a worthy opponent in chess.
"You still haven't taken your mom to a psychiatrist?" I asked Drew, and he let out a deep sigh.
"I have, but I can't afford her medication. Her pension was supposed to cover it, but a huge portion of it goes to paying off debts, and whatever's left is for our daily expenses. We even moved into the maid's quarters to cut down on electricity costs, but we still struggle sometimes."
That explained why, despite having such a big house, they didn't live there. But their current place was fine; he was just being practical.
"I feel like I'll never finish paying off these debts," he added. "Sometimes, I even want to track down my dad just to punch him."
He chuckled bitterly. I knew he resented his father—who wouldn't be angry at what he had done? He left behind a massive debt and dumped the burden on them. If he really wanted to leave, he should've just gone without making their lives harder.
Just like Keifer's father. I hope my dad won't be like that—I hope he won't leave me with a headache.
"Let's finish this before we run out of time," I said, pointing at the two remaining blankets.
He just laughed and continued what we were doing. Once we were done, he brought the basket of folded clothes and blankets inside the house. I walked over to Yuri, who was still focused on the chess match.
I wanted to laugh at him—he looked so stressed trying to think of his next move.
Drew stepped out after putting down what he was carrying. We were in the middle of watching the game when a loud bang suddenly echoed from their gate. Even from a distance, we heard it, followed by men calling out for Drew.
"Who's that?" I asked, but before I got an answer, Drew called his sister.
"Marianne, it's Mom!"
Marianne rushed out and immediately grabbed their mother by both arms, but she struggled against her. I had no choice but to help and followed them.
"Game, game, game," their mother sobbed.
"Mom, there's an opponent outside. We have to hide first," Marianne coaxed, but the fear in her voice was evident.
Seeing that she still wouldn't listen, I joined in.
"Let's play hide-and-seek," I said. Their mother looked at me, and thankfully, she stopped resisting.
We headed straight for the main house. The backdoor leading to the small kitchen and dining area was open. The mother and daughter hid in a room, but I stayed behind and peeked through a crack in the closed window.
Yuri stood beside Drew, watching as the men entered. They didn't take long to show themselves—a group of men with tattoos on their arms and necks. They looked like the kind who wouldn't hesitate to get violent.
Who the hell were these guys?
"Kid, your payment is due," said one of the men, holding a cigarette.
"I just paid!" Drew retorted.
"We raised the interest for this month. You haven't paid the added charges yet."
What kind of scam was this? So Drew owed these guys money, but they were the ones cheating him? This must be what they call a loan shark. The interest rates they imposed were insane.
One of the men slung an arm around Drew, but he shoved it off and stepped away.
"You said the interest would only go up if I missed a payment. I've been paying on time," Drew said angrily.
"Kid, I'm making too little from you because my interest rate on your loan is too low. I'm at a loss here, and you'll still be paying me for years."
"You can't just raise the interest whenever you want! Your lending is already illegal, and now you're scamming people too?" Yuri butted in, making me slap my forehead.
Why did you have to say that? You're just supposed to be the backup!
The men were clearly annoyed. The guy with the cigarette gave Yuri a nasty look and stepped closer, but the redhead didn't even flinch.
"Kid…" the man said, pointing at Yuri's hair. "Are you a cosplayer? What's with that hair?"
He reached out to touch it, but Yuri was faster—he grabbed the man's hand and twisted his fingers. The man cried out, dropping his cigarette.
"Hey, Yuri! Let go of him!" Drew tried to intervene.
The other men tensed up, ready to step in, but the guy in Yuri's grip screamed in pain, keeping them at bay.
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hand," Yuri said coldly.
He looked at the men, then at Drew. When his gaze returned to his victim, I finally got a good look at his expression. He looked completely indifferent, as if he felt nothing about what he was doing.
I used to see this look on Keifer before—back when he enjoyed brawls and breaking bones.
The only difference was that Yuri seemed to care even less. No hesitation about what he was doing, no concern about whether this would endanger him or Drew, no regard for the consequences.
What was happening to him? I had never seen him like this before.
"What's your problem, kid? Don't you realize what we can do to you?" one of the other men growled.
Yuri glanced at him briefly, as if he were beneath him. He was calm, but his stare was deadly. It felt unfamiliar, unsettling.
"Listen here, let's make a deal," Yuri said, lifting one leg just enough to reach his sock.
Everyone, including the men, watched curiously as he pulled something out. When he raised it, even I felt alarmed.
A black pocket knife.
"Yuri!" Drew warned, trying to stop him, but Yuri ignored him.
What was he planning? Should I step in?
Yuri raised the knife for everyone to see, then pointed it at the hand he had been twisting.
"I'm not getting involved in Drew's debt—I don't have the money to help him anyway. But here's what I want you to do: keep the same interest rate—"
"You don't make the rules here!" the man in his grip shouted furiously.
Without a second glance, Yuri stabbed his hand.
I clapped a hand over my mouth in shock. Drew staggered back, and so did the others. Blood immediately dripped onto the floor.
Holy shit, what did he just do?
I was relieved that Marianne and their mom weren't here to witness this. They probably wouldn't be able to handle it.
"I said, let's make a deal," Yuri repeated, pulling out the knife again.
The man's screams of pain filled the air. I felt a mix of fear and worry, and I could tell Drew felt the same.
Was this the first time he had seen Yuri like this too?
"Keep the same interest rate for Drew's debt. No increases," Yuri ordered. "Because the moment you raise it again, I'll cut off one of your fingers for every increase you make."
The man could only groan and struggle to pull his hand away.
He raised an eyebrow while waiting. It had only been seconds, but he already looked impatient. He pointed the pocket knife at the man's finger, and just as the people around him were about to lunge, the man finally spoke.
His face was a mess of snot and tears as he repeatedly said he agreed. It was a good thing he answered because I was already planning to run outside to stop Yuri.
Even though it seemed impossible to stop him.
"Are you an idiot? You don't know what these people are capable of!" Drew angrily told him.
He laughed. "And they don't know what I'm capable of either."
He let go of the man's hand. A few of his companions approached and helped him stand. Before the man could issue a threat, Yuri immediately cut him off.
"Don't even try. I will visit your office to seal our deal. If you don't comply, I'll cut off your entire hand."
The men could only glare in response. They left without doing or saying anything else.
Was that it? They were scared of Yuri?
There were so many of them, and they were even bigger than Yuri, but not one of them fought back or even attempted to charge at him. This red-haired guy didn't even look scary. Compared to Keifer and Kuya Angelo, he could even pass as kind. So why did they leave without a word or a fight?
I opened the door and slowly walked toward them. Drew was clearly frustrated by what had happened. He even ruffled his own hair while staring at the departing men.
"How did you do that?" I asked Yuri, though my tone was accusatory.
He looked at me innocently before hiding the pocket knife behind him. "Luck, I guess."
"They didn't even fight back against you?"
"Because they'll come back for him—or for me," Drew said, looking completely stressed out.
"They won't do that. I'll handle it," Yuri replied.
We all turned toward the big house when we heard things crashing inside. Drew immediately ran through the back door. I was about to follow, but I stopped when I noticed Yuri still standing motionless in place.
"I'm just going to wash my hands. I'll follow," he said, motioning for me to go on ahead.
I did as he said because I knew he didn't want me to see his bloodstained pocket knife. I left him and entered the big house. I quickly looked for Drew and Marianne. It wasn't hard to find them, since despite the many doors, the layout wasn't too complicated.
Drew was on the stairs, heading up. I followed when I saw Marianne enter a room.
"Ma!" I heard Drew call out.
I hoped nothing bad had happened.
I was out of breath when I reached the second floor. As I entered the room they had gone into, I stopped and stared at the scene.
Nothing bad was happening, but their mother was cleaning as if she were a normal mom.
"Andrew's room should be clean…" she said as she struggled to straighten the sheets on one of the beds. "My son is messy."
I scanned the room. It was clear that nothing had been touched—like the bed, sofa, study table, and closet—but strangely, the room was relatively clean, with little dust compared to the hallway and other areas outside. The wall paint was faded, and some furniture was worn, but everything was still in decent condition.
There was a picture frame on the bedside table, but the glass was broken, so I couldn't see the faces in the picture.
"Andrew's room should be clean… it has to be clean."
I looked at Drew and Marianne. Even without words, I could see that they were struggling with what they were witnessing. Exhaustion was evident on their faces, but there was nothing they could do. I could tell they were hoping she would return to her old self or finally get better.
Their mother stopped cleaning and walked out of the room. They immediately followed, trying to stop her, but she only got angry at them, so they had no choice but to let her go. She entered the next room.
Like the previous one, this room wasn't very dusty either. A cabinet next to a study table was filled with dolls and books.
"Marianne's room is always clean, but it should still be cleaned," their mother said as she started wiping the bedside table.
She dusted off the pillows and straightened the sheets and blanket. She was murmuring things I didn't really pay attention to because something else caught my eye—the last room in the corner. Its door was open, and I could clearly see the things inside.
I left them for a moment and peeked inside. The room was filled with memorabilia. A large portrait of their mother hung on the wall. Big trophies covered in dust and grime stood in the corner. Boxes were filled with picture frames, newspapers, and what looked like documents.
Their mother must have been really famous.
"Jay…" Drew called my name before glancing at the room I was looking into. "Do you want to go in? It's a mess, though."
I shook my head. "Probably not. I'd just add to the mess, and it looks like it'd be hard to sort through all of that."
"It's messy because I was trying to find the house and land title. I was thinking of selling it to Keifer, but I couldn't find it," he explained while walking into the room, picking up scattered items and placing them in a box.
"Does Keifer know about your situation?" I asked. He turned to me for a moment before shaking his head.
"Not everything. I feel embarrassed telling him everything," he admitted, scratching his head. "It's not that he's strict with money, but he wants it to be used for the right reasons. So yeah, I haven't told him everything—he might get mad."
I pouted. He was right about how Keifer handled money. I just couldn't understand why, when it came to my food, he seemed so quick to pull out his wallet. I even remembered that time I borrowed money from him to pay Mykel for humiliating Ci-N, and he never asked me to pay him back. I couldn't bring myself to remind him about it.
It was like the money he spent on me didn't matter to him.
I wish I had as much money as he did.
"I think he'd understand. You're not the one who made those debts," I told him.
"Hopefully," he replied before closing the door.
We walked away. Marianne and their mother were no longer in the room we had left them in. We headed outside the house, where we found his sister picking up chess pieces from the floor.
"Where's Mom?" Drew asked.
"She's inside. I made her lie down—hopefully, she falls asleep."
Drew went back inside their house, while I chose to help Marianne pick up the chess pieces. After putting them back on the chessboard, we counted them to make sure they were all there. My eyes didn't miss the worn-out part of the board.
"This chessboard is really old. It's falling apart."
Marianne looked at what I was pointing at. "Oh yeah. But I heard this chessboard is lucky. Mom used to say it helped her win her first tournament."
I examined the entire chessboard. I removed the pieces before checking both sides. It seemed like the outer and inner parts weren't of the same thickness. I noticed earlier that this one looked thicker compared to the cheap ones from the market. From the outside, it looked bulky, but inside—where the chess pieces were placed—the space seemed very small.
Maybe it was just designed that way to make it more durable.
"What is it?" Marianne asked.
"I was just checking if the damage was worse than it looked, but it seems like it'll still last," I replied, and she accepted my answer.
We packed up the chessboard, and I let her take it inside the house. As she did, she passed her brother, who was looking around.
"Where did Yuri go?"