Chapter 179 - Truth and Dare

Jay-Jay's POV

That little Kumag boy is crazy. The scene is chaotic. His karma is just as fast.

"Rakki! I love you!" Ci shouted while chasing Rakki.

"Stay away from me! You're annoying! You're embarrassing!" Rakki shouted back while running away.

We just watched them. The other people around us also looked on, shaking their heads. They always have a way of stealing the scene.

We are currently standing in line for lunch. The organizer gave a long speech, but I didn't understand a single thing. He just kept talking about love keneme (whatever that means). Some even started confessing their feelings, but of course, no one could outdo Ci-N.

"Jay..." David called out to me while handing me a tray.

I took it and immediately went to get something to eat. Even from a distance, I could already see the lechon. Bess! Lechon!

Getting greasy!

While piling food onto my tray, I couldn't take my eyes off the lechon. And since our group was taking forever to leave the queue, I started eating right there.

"Woooooohhh!! Bes, food!"

"Sit down first," Keifer told me. "...We haven't even gotten out of the queue yet, and you've already eaten half."

"Why do you care?" I snapped at him.

He shook his head while reaching for a bottle of water. "Greedy."

I ignored him and continued eating. We were still waiting for the others, especially Ci-N—who was the last one in line—so by the time we were ready to leave, my food was already halfway gone. I couldn't help it! The organizer's speech had made me too hungry.

"It's finally over," Calix muttered in frustration.

"Touch it! Touch it!" Edrix teased.

As we walked back to our seats, I was only a few steps away when—suddenly—my tray flew into the air and landed directly on the floor.

My food!

"Oops! Sorry," Freya said, laughing.

I wanted to get mad and yell at her, but sadness overwhelmed me instead. I felt devastated because the floor was now benefiting from my food instead of my stomach.

"Here we go again," I heard David whisper.

I stood there staring at my overturned tray. Even though I had taken more than ten bites of rice and meat, it still wasn't enough. And now, the rest of my food was gone.

I know there are many hungry people in the world. Food should never be wasted. Lechon should never be wasted! Did she even think about what that pig went through before it was slaughtered? The effort it took to make it taste so good? It went through so much—oil, fire, heat, and bamboo! And now, all of that was wasted because of Freya the Impakta!

I glared at her. "You fool!" I shouted.

Her eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "Excuse me?!" she snapped.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was for that pig to get fat just to become lechon?!" I pointed at the fallen pieces of lechon on the floor.

"What?!"

"The lechon."

Jay-jay just pulled something out of the lechon.

"...He almost wasn't chosen because there was someone bigger than him! He nearly drowned in sadness!" I continued.

Almost everyone was now staring at me and the lechon I was pointing at. I couldn't control my frustration.

The lechon!

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Freya asked, clearly annoyed.

"You wouldn't understand!" I shot back. "Did you ever stop to think about how happy that pig must have been when it was finally chosen to be a lechon?"

"Huh?!" everyone around me said in unison.

Heartless people! All they know is eat, eat, eat!

"Now imagine how it would feel knowing it wasn't even eaten! That it just got dumped on the floor!" I continued. "That would hurt! Of course, you wouldn't understand because you only think about yourselves!"

Everyone looked at me, dumbfounded. They were clearly confused by my outburst. Freya blinked a few times before speaking.

"What... the... fvck?!" she raised an eyebrow. "What does any of that have to do with me?"

I scowled at her. "Connect? No connect! No internet, no charge!"

Just then, a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned to see Ci-N, who bowed slightly as if sympathizing with me.

"Jay..." he started, sighing. "...Whatever you're going through with that lechon..." He took a deep breath. "...Just eat it, because we don't understand."

I was about to argue again when Yuri suddenly put his arm around me, practically choking me. I shot him an annoyed look.

"Come on! Don't be dramatic," he said, dragging me away.

I tried to fight back, but his grip was too tight.

"Crazy," I heard Freya mutter.

I had no choice but to walk away with these ulupong troublemakers. I'm not done yet! I still have more to say about what that lechon went through!

Back at our place, I sat down with my arms crossed, glaring at Section A.

You just wait… You and Piggy will be haunted!

Suddenly, someone handed me a tray of food. I looked up to see Keifer, who was staring at me with a serious expression.

"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked.

"So you don't sulk," he replied flatly.

"Did you cook this?"

"I'm full. I ate too much rice this morning."

I hesitated. I didn't want to take his food. But at the same time, I was still craving what I had eaten earlier. If only Freya hadn't ruined everything!

"Let's split it," I suggested.

He sighed and sat next to me. Smiling, I took the tray from him and started eating. After two bites, I handed it back.

It felt just like the first time we shared a meal—taking turns eating, sitting close together, having no choice but to split it.

But why did I divide it with him?

Suddenly, he flicked my forehead. I immediately grabbed it and glared at him.

That hurt!

"Oh! What was that for?!" I snapped.

"You were smiling to yourself," he said, smirking.

Smiling? Terrible! I just remembered when we shared food, and I smiled without realizing it. What was that?! Shame!

I grabbed the tray from him and ate. Maybe he was thinking about why I smiled.

After smiling—este, eating—we returned to our campsite because we weren't involved in their activity or whatever it was.

Suddenly, Ci-N, Eren, and Calix ran toward Yuri's hammock. We thought they were just rushing to get there first.

"I'm first!" Eren shouted.

"I can do it! Move aside!" Calix replied.

"Me! I'll bewitch you with Jay-jay Barakuda!" Ci shouted, and the troublemakers immediately burst into laughter.

Childish!

This kid is so annoying. Everyone was reminded of that. They weren't even able to lie on the hammock because Yuri came over and made them leave so he could have it for himself.

What are you doing now?! Good for you!

We all settled into our own spots. Some of the others went to sleep since they had stayed up late because of what I did last night. Some played cards—but without bets. A few were chatting, and of course, that included Ci-N and me.

"What did you tell them?" he asked about the school play I was in.

"I said I didn't want to do it. I don't know anything about that stuff," I answered, bored.

"How did they convince you?"

"They reported me to our adviser. They said they'd talk to my grandma if I didn't agree."

"Why did they choose you?"

"Obviously… to get revenge on me. My classmates were idiots."

"What was the play about?"

"They made it up. It was about a beauty whose beauty never fades. I played the witch version, while the prettiest girl in our class played the beautiful version," I explained, my irritation seeping through.

Because! I was even better than that classmate of mine, yet they made me play the witch! Seriously, they're just—ugh!

"I'll guess your lines from the play," Ci laughed.

I waited for him, looking at him blankly. He sat up properly before speaking.

"I'm Barakuda, and I need a virgin in exchange for eternal life," he said, imitating me.

I winced. He looked so amused by what he said, even raising his eyebrows dramatically while overacting.

"That's long! That's not even the whole line. I just forgot the rest."

"What did they say when you went on stage drunk?" he asked again.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Why nothing?"

"They found out too late. After the program ended, I suddenly disappeared."

"Where did you go?"

"To the bathroom. I threw up a lot. The rumor was that I was pregnant."

"What did you say?"

"I told the truth—I drank. But no one believed me. The pregnancy rumor spread faster."

He suddenly burst out laughing, even slapping his thigh. I can't blame him. My classmates aren't the brightest.

Even now, I doubt they've changed.

Because Cyrus was already my boyfriend, they assumed we did something scandalous. Jusme! We didn't even hold hands, yet they blew things out of proportion. And he was the one who brought the alcohol and made me drink it to calm my nerves.

We continued talking, though the conversation became more and more random. At some point, he started talking about his condo and his cleaner's niece—her name was Veronica.

"...She's younger than me. When her aunt isn't around, she cleans—"

"Why are you telling me about her?" I interrupted.

Because the conversation suddenly shifted to Veronica, whom I hadn't even met yet. This guy just talks about whatever pops into his head. I don't even notice when the topic changes.

"Nothing," he answered quickly.

"Maybe you have a crush on Veronica?" I teased.

I shot him a knowing look. Then I laughed when he suddenly blushed. Should I report this to Rakki?

"NO!" he shouted so loudly it almost sounded like he was angry. "...Don't say anything! Rakki might hear about it..." he added in a panic, his face turning even redder.

I just laughed at him. Guilty much?! I only asked once, and his reaction was that dramatic. It's just a crush—no big deal. Besides, he's still young.

I playfully pushed him, like how kids push their friends when messing around. Instead of getting annoyed, I just laughed. He bent down, trying to hide his face.

"Where's Rakki now? Veronica's waiting," I teased again.

"It's just a crush… I'm still Rakki's," he grumbled.

Ah, so you admit it.

I chuckled. But then, something suddenly crossed my mind—the night we had dinner with his family.

"Ci… do you remember what you told me when we had dinner with Kuya Angelo and your family?" I asked.

He went silent for a moment, as if thinking. There's no way he forgot. Because what he said that night has been haunting me ever since.

He told me I should forgive them because they had wronged me a lot. But he never clarified what he meant. So even now, I'm confused.

Suddenly, he stood up and looked straight ahead, his expression unreadable.

I frowned and stood up, too, brushing off my clothes.

"Why?"

"I just… need to use the restroom," he said hastily before running off.

Obvious much? He was clearly dodging my question again. Annoying.

Feeling frustrated, I took out my phone and checked the time. We talked about nonsense for four hours.

I glanced over and saw Felix about to light a pile of branches in the middle of the campsite. The sun was starting to set. Meanwhile, Eman had begun preparing food, so I went over to help.

"How long did you and Ci talk?" Eman commented while handing me paper plates—so we wouldn't have to wash dishes, just toss them into the fire.

"Forever!" I huffed.

He just nodded and continued his task. The other members of our group, like true vacationers, were just waking up from their naps and still looked drowsy.

While Eman was cooking, Ci-N came running back—sweaty, panting, almost out of breath.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Let's play!" he grinned.

"Acting like a kid again."

"I know what we should play!"

"Just eat first."

Ci stomped his foot like an impatient child. I raised an eyebrow at his eagerness.

"Alright! I saw some people in the hall! They were playing truth or dare!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Who are they?" Calix asked.

"They're the participants in the activity."

The other sections. We're the only ones who aren't joining.

"Alright! Please..." Ci insisted, looking at me as if expecting me to respond.

"O-I'm fine. I'm not doing much," I said, glancing at the others.

Bored, the others agreed. I looked at the King, who also nodded. Yuri smiled, and the rest, clearly forced, went along with it.

We ate first before starting the game that Ci-N wanted to play. We also cleaned up the surroundings and then gathered around the bonfire.

Someone took a bottle from the wine cooler. They all looked at me simultaneously and suddenly burst into laughter.

Go ahead! Oppress me.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," I laughed sarcastically.

"That's fine," David said, ruffling my hair before sitting next to me.

"Here it is! Here it is!" Ci-N shouted, making everyone turn toward him.

He was shaking a Pepsi bottle as if trying to release the "spirit" inside. We just watched him until he finally opened it and mixed it with soy sauce.

"Hey! In-N!"

"That's disgusting!"

"Hala-Ola!"

"Is it disgusting? This will be the drink for those who refuse to do the Dare or answer the Truth." He smirked, handing us the bottle of Pepsi mixed with soy sauce.

"You're disgusting. Let's just get this over with," Josh said, sounding bored.

"Explain the rules," Felix added.

"Alright, here's how it works..." Ci held the bottle out to Drew, who was sitting beside him.

"...We'll sing while passing the bottle around. When the song stops, whoever is holding the bottle has to choose between Truth or Dare."

"Real original," Denzel commented sarcastically.

"Let's begin!" Ci said excitedly and sat down next to me.

He grabbed his phone and played a song. We sang along, clapping at times.

The bottle was passed around. Some handed it over quickly, while others deliberately slowed down, seemingly planning to trap someone with it.

Suddenly, the music stopped. We all fell silent.

The bottle had stopped at...

Josh.

"Truth or Dare?" we asked in unison.

"Truth," he answered without hesitation.

The person next to him was supposed to ask first, but if they had no question, they could pass it on to the next person.

It was actually a fun game!

"Are you gay?" Blaster asked bluntly.

Loud laughter erupted. If that wasn't inappropriate... I glanced at Kit and Mayo, but they were just laughing along. I wasn't sure if they were pretending not to be affected or if they truly weren't.

"No," Josh answered casually.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend yet?" Drew asked.

"Because of her..." Josh replied seriously, staring into the fire. "...Some of you probably already know why."

I didn't.

Suddenly, the mood changed. Everything became serious. I barely knew anything about Josh's past.

I did know that he had a sixth sense—a third eye. He had a girlfriend once, but she died in an accident.

Is that what he was talking about?

"But... bro, she's been gone for a long time. Maybe it's time to move on?" Felix suggested.

So, that was what he meant. Josh smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Easy to say, but hard to do."

No one spoke. It was unsettling, as if an old wound had been reopened and salt rubbed into it. Even though he said nothing more, I could feel the pain resurfacing in him.

"Come on, ask your questions and let's get this over with," he broke the silence.

"T-Then... do you really have a third eye?" Mayo asked hesitantly.

The turn order no longer mattered. Some didn't want to ask, while others jumped in.

"Yeah," he replied, sounding bored. "...I guess it runs in our family. My brother, cousin, and uncle have it. Only my parents don't."

Ci-N raised his hand. "What's the most unforgettable thing you've seen?"

Josh's expression darkened as he stared at Ci, as if the question had hit a nerve or shouldn't have been asked.

"The death of a man," he answered bluntly, making my skin crawl. "...And I wish I hadn't seen it."

Damn! Creepiness level: 10000.

"Shit, that's creepy," Eren muttered.

"I have a question," I said, grabbing everyone's attention.

Josh turned to me, his eyes burning with anger. I didn't want to ask this in front of everyone, but I had no chance to talk to him privately.

"Why are you angry with me?"

Everyone turned to him, waiting for his response. I was waiting, too. They had all noticed his sudden hostility toward me.

"It's simple... Our section is falling apart because of you."

"Josh!" Yuri and the others shouted in unison.

I wasn't hurt by his words. I wasn't even surprised. I already knew it—it was just the first time I'd heard it said out loud.

"It's the truth... You're ruining us," he added.

"Enough!" Keifer's voice echoed.

We all turned to him. Intense! This was the first time I'd seen Josh glare at someone like that. It was also the first time Keifer stood up to him like this.

Damn, the tension!

"If no one else has a question for Josh, let's just get back to the game," Yuri said, and we all adjusted our seats again.

I wasn't sure where this game would lead us, but I had a strong feeling it wouldn't end without trouble.