Chapter 58 - Good Morning

Jay-Jay's POV

My body ached. I felt like I was going to help them get back to their old ways, but it was Freya's fault. They tortured me. Yes... it's just me! We've been trying to get Keifer to come back to the table. So, I took part in the suffering of others.

Yuri stopped his car in front of the house. It's also a good idea to get rid of the tires to avoid getting tired while driving.

"Thank you, Yuri... I'm sorry if you had to take me," I said.

"It's okay... I know you're safe at home," he replied, smiling.

"Sure. Good morning... Wait, it's morning." It had been two hours since the restaurant closed. The number of customers had dwindled. It was also a good idea to get back to the team quickly and get a new one.

"Good morning too," Yuri said.

I got out of the car and waited for the car to leave. The door was open, and they knew I was going to be there one day. I was about to get someone to help me with my arm, but when I looked, I was surprised to find that it was just a kid.

"I'm sorry... Did I scare you?" he asked.

"Oh-yes... I was just shocked," I said, smiling.

"... Why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were home. I can't text you, you don't have my number. Aries doesn't want to give it to me," he explained.

"Ah... Aries may have been a bit of a mess," I said. "No, it's not, really."

"Jay... That's what I asked earlier."

"Ahh... I haven't figured it out yet."

"It's okay... I'll wait," he said, smiling.

That's the only reason he's here. Can't wait? Just to bother me?

"What are you going to wait for, Kiko?" We were both stunned. I recognized the voice from behind me. It was Aries. Why was he awake?

"Why can't you answer?" he asked Kiko again.

Kiko turned away.

"Because..." Kiko started, but Aries cut him off.

"After all, it's here. Let's clear things up right here, right now," Aries said, moving slightly toward Kiko.

"Do you really like Jay?"

Kiko took a deep breath before nodding. "Actually, I'm planning to court Jay."

Aries chuckled. "Not going to happen."

He turned to me. "Get inside."

I didn't want to, so Aries looked at me with anger. I looked at Kiko and gave him a reassuring smile. I walked in through the door, but I didn't move away—I still wanted to hear them talk.

"There's nothing wrong with me being able to win her over, right?" Kiko asked.

"Jay is not allowed to have a boyfriend. End of story. You can go now," Aries said with repulsion.

"It's not your decision!" Kiko shot back.

"Yes, it is. Leave!"

"Why... What's the problem? You know me," Kiko said, his tone softer now.

Aries sighed. "That's the problem... I know you too well."

Aries went in, and I immediately ran into the house. I wasn't sure if he saw me, but I waited inside.

"N-Kiko is gone?" I asked, excited to see what would happen next. Aries arched a brow.

"Are you really trying to mislead him?" I asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

I shook my head. "W-nothing..."

" You're ashamed of yourself, you were in the hospital after you've been taken care of again." he said before leaving in front of me.

I went to my room. My body felt tired. I didn't want to think about it, but I felt so bad every time Aries mentioned my past. I fell onto the bed. I didn't bother getting dressed anymore. I wanted to sleep and rest. We weren't supposed to meet tomorrow—but maybe we could. I could sleep until noon. After lunch, I'd go to the restaurant for a conversation.

I closed my eyes and stopped thinking. I was too tired to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I didn't want to open my eyes, so I took my phone out of the bag. I saw I missed the caller's name, but I answered anyway.

"Hello?"

["Where's that Jay?"] Ci-N's voice came through.

"At home..."

["Hurry up. We've been waiting for you here."] he said, sounding impatient. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Oh no! It was already 3 p.m. I got up and rushed to the bathroom. I had lost track of time while talking on the phone. I quickly got dressed. How embarrassing!

"Jay-jay! Eat this!" my aunt called as I walked past. My stomach rumbled in response. I was late, so I grabbed four slices of bread and a bottle of water from the kitchen and ran out again.

As I opened the door, I saw Keifer's car pull up.

"You know I've been here before?!" Keifer said angrily as he leaned against his car.

"H-No... Sorry," I apologized.

"Get in," he ordered before driving off.

I followed without saying anything, not sure why he was angry. Why did he do this? Why was he so mad at me?

"Why did you pick me up?" I asked, breaking the silence as we drove.

"I woke up late. Yuri texted me, asking if I could pick you up since he's still busy and can't get to you," Keifer explained.

Ah, that makes sense. Yuri was thoughtful. I ate while we were on the road. I was really hungry.

"Can I have one? I haven't eaten anything yet," Keifer asked.

I felt sorry for him, so I handed him a slice. He didn't take it, just nodded.

The ice cream was disappointing, so I cut it and tried it again. Suddenly, I felt something strange when I put my finger on her lips. What was it? I ignored it and tried again.

Keifer seemed a bit uncomfortable, so I took a sip of water.

"Jay..." he started.

"... You don't have any intention of misleading Kiko, right?"

"Nothing... I don't want to have a boyfriend first. They're right, and I don't want to have it," I answered.

We didn't stop talking until we arrived back at the store. The others were already there, and Yuri was just about to come.

"Yuri! Good mor----oh, it's afternoon!" I waved at him.

"Good afternoon too," he smiled back.

We went back to the restaurant together, where the others were waiting. "Isn't it fashionable to comb your hair?" Ci-N joked as he came to me.

"I was in a hurry!" I replied, stroking my hair as I sat next to him and grabbed a few snacks from the table. Eman had already eaten them, but they were still better than nothing.

The three men came out of the kitchen. Their boss followed them.

"I have good news!" Eman's announcement made everyone quiet.

"... My dad is fine and can work again. I can go to class without any problems."

We all clapped. Even if we try to get things back to normal, there's still a chance thing might not work out. We were all busy, so we took a quick rest before heading in.

"... Mom got a loan..." Eman continued.

"... This means our original crew members will be back."

Everyone fell silent. No one seemed too happy about the news.

"We're not working here anymore?" Eren asked, sounding regretful.

Eman remained silent.

"Yeah... It's good news, but I'm tired of these creations," Eman muttered.

Suddenly, there was shouting.

"You're terrible!"

"Your harshness is ridiculous!"

"Bully!"

"... Lastly, I'd like to thank you all! I don't regret going to the E..." he said, smiling.

"... As a thank you, I'll cook for you!" Everyone cheered.

We were all excited to hear that, but there was a catch.

"... At school every lunch!" he added before looking at me, and the others turned to look at him too.

"My friend and I have been talking about the need for a cook because you're lazy. He didn't like it at first, but of course, I'm mischievous!" he explained.

"Honestly? I think you're just trying to help Don," I said.

"At first it wasn't... But after a while, yes," he answered, smiling sheepishly.

The moon came to me and forced me to do it. I just fell to my knees and begged for mercy. He agreed, but said he needed a helper. And who else but me?

"So, get ready, guys! We're opening in 40 minutes!" Eman shouted.

Everyone jumped into action. Someone stretched and yawned. It seemed like they had been waiting for a long time.

"Can we eat first?" Keifer asked.

"It's paid for. I've already fed them!" Eman replied.

"Yes, that's it! Yes, that!" Keifer looked at me.

"... Eat cold?" I jumped at the nod.

Even though I was eating a slice, I was still hungry.

"Two of us! Jay-jay will pay!" Keifer shouted.

He's unbelievable. I thought I was going to be free, but then suddenly I was told I had to pay. Awesome! I couldn't believe it!

I gave him a hard time, but in the end, I had the money to pay for it. I couldn't escape the fact that I owed my friend. Pisti! I don't really owe anything to these animals anymore!