Chapter-214
Birthday
Jay-jay's POV
Happy Tangina Day! You thought it was the day of hearts today. I felt my chest, maybe because I don't have a heart, I don't know. I looked at my cellphone when it rang. I expected Rakki at ï¬rst so I was a bit in a hurry, but it was just GagongBaliw. From: GagongBaliw Message: Happy Heart Day! Give me your heart! 😙 I winced. This animal's face is also so stiff. I 'm about to change my cellphone number. I typed a reply to him. I was really thinking about what to answer him. To: GagongBaliw Message: Pakyu! I just laughed because it looked like he wasn't going to reply. I put on my shoes and tied my shoelace. I stood up and faced the mirror. I looked at my new haircut. My long hair that reached my waist was gone. I chose to have it cut to my shoulders. I'm not used to having my hair so short. I also looked at the few scratches and bruises on my face. They were still obvious even though I was taking medication. After all, when was the last time we had a ï¬ght with Jason's group? It felt like only a day or two had passed. Today is Ci-N's birthday, she's lucky because we haven't had school since yesterday. There was some special visit at school today and Section E students weren't allowed in so that the residue would go away for a while. Our school was really kind to us. My cellphone rang again. I picked it up and the person I was waiting for was texting. From: Rakki Message: Ready? Where are we meeting? He has the gift I'm going to give Ci-N. The truth is, I'm still thinking about whether I'll forgive him or not. It's clear to me that Ci was just forced to follow the wishes of the Dimunyung Hari. But of course it still hurts... I typed a message to reply to Rakki. It's on the ground floor of Ci-N's condo unit. We'll just have to wait there. I pocketed my cellphone and wallet before leaving the room. I stopped in front of Kuya Angelo's room door. I hesitated whether to knock or not. I took a deep breath... In the end, I still knocked and waited for him to answer. "Come in!" He ordered. I slowly opened the door. He was facing his laptop and the table was full of papers. He slightly turned his swivel chair to face me. "Hmm... K-kuya, I'm just going to Ci-N's birthday party." I said goodbye. I waited for him to remind me like he always did, but he just nodded while giving me a cold look. "Be careful." He added. It's cold... I got cold. I bent down while playing with my ï¬ngers. "C-can you take me home?" He turned the swivel chair around behind me. "I have a lot to do. Just take me to Aries, tell me what you want." It was like I was stabbed ten times. The way he looked at me was so cold. I felt like it was my fault why he was like this to me. "S-okay. Sorry for bothering you." I said and walked out. My shoulders slumped as I bit my lip. Did what I said to him hurt that much? I didn't know that this would have this effect on him. "Jay-jay! Where are you going?" Mom asked me. "To the birthday party." I had no answer. "What time are you coming home? Don't stay up late." "Okay." I answered and walked out of the house. I knew he was going to get mad at me again. That's what he did when he found out I got into a ï¬ght at the tavern. Instead of sharing his anger, I just kept quiet. Like the other day, I looked around to see if anyone was waiting or me. It's hard, aren't my wounds and bruises healing completely? The coast is clear... When I was sure that there was nothing suspicious, I just went out. "Jay-jay!" Aries called to me, making me stop. I turned around to look at him. "W-why?" "I thought you were going to take me?" He said bored. Did he hear us? "W-because..." "Get in. Brother might get angry if I don't take you." I was confused by his attitude. Could it be that he was possessed by some kind of demonic animal? Or maybe an angel. It was so sudden. Maybe he hadn't taken his medicine. He opened the door of his car and was about to get in but stopped when he saw that I wasn't moving where I was standing. "What? Are you just going to stand there?" He asked a little irritable. I was still a little confused as I approached and got into his car. He was quiet and didn't look around while driving. Come on! Aries the Horoscope might be going crazy! "Where are you going?" My eyes were still blinking as I savored his words. He was asking. Normal. No anger or irritation. Normal. Normal. Normal .... Oh, he's sick! He must have a fever. I approached him slightly and touched his forehead. He immediately slapped it in shock. "What the hell?!" He said angrily. I tried to touch his forehead again but he slapped it again. "You're sick." His forehead furrowed and he looked at me for a moment. "I'm not sick! Maybe you are!" I was about to shout. He was normal. "Okay... You're not sick." I whispered but he seemed to hear it too. "What's your problem?!" "No... I'm at Ci-N's Condo." At the same time, he pointed to the largest building I could see. He let out a deep sigh. I didn't speak anymore. He was normal. There was no need to be surprised. It was normal for me when his temper flared up. We arrived in front of the building I pointed to. I also saw Rakki standing at the entrance with our gifts. "Hey!" Aries called to me annoyed. "...Don't call me crying again." "W-why?" Are you worried? "Your voice is so high! It hurts my ears! I feel like all the earlobes have fallen out of my ears!" He said annoyed. You idiot... "I'll just call when I'm about to die." I replied and immediately got out of his car. I waved at Rakki. He waved at me too while smiling when he saw me. I ran to him. "Aries took you?" He asked a little surprised. "...A miracle!" " Yes! So come with me later. I'm going to church." I said laughing and he laughed too. I picked up my gift that was on the floor. He did the same thing to the gift he was going to give. "Maybe he's sick?" He asked. I laughed. "He was. But it went away quickly." We continued laughing. We reached the elevator and waited for it to open. "Would Ci-N like this?" He asked. I smiled at him. "Of course. As long as it's from you, he'll accept it even if he reads it." He smiled as if he was thrilled. It was funny to look at him. He really went out of his way just for Ci-N. Rakki is taller than me and has nice legs. She could be a model because of her body shape. The elevator bell rang and it opened. David appeared, wearing just a simple white t-shirt. "You're here." He said. "...we thought you weren't coming. I was going to pick you up." Rakki and I went inside and let David press the floor number. "Why? Won't the party start without Jay-jay?" Rakki asked a little annoyed. "It seems like that's how it is." David laughed. He must have been teasing Ci-N again, which is why David said that. I looked at the top of the elevator door. I checked the floor number, as if we were going to the wrong floor. I knew Ci's unit was on the 8th or 9th floor but we were already on the 12th floor. "W-where is Ci's party going? Why do we seem so far from her unit floor?" I asked David. "On the rooftop." He quickly answered while ï¬ddling with his cellphone. Oh my.... We arrived at the very last floor. Rakki was like a restless child . He was ahead of David and me. He said the only way to the rooftop was through the ï¬re exit, so we went through there. Rakki opened the door and went out ï¬rst but I stopped. I hugged the one I was going to give as a gift tightly and bowed. "Is there a problem, Jay?" David asked, who immediately came to me. I looked at him and the Glass Jar I was holding. I slowly handed it to him. "H-I can't face Ci... Maybe you can just give it to him?" I asked. "But why?" I just shook my head. I didn't know the reason either. It was like something was pulling me not to continue. My original plan was coming to mind. The last time I would see his natural smile. David took my hand and looked at me sadly. "His birthday won't be happy." He said and forced a smile. I tried to return his smile but I couldn't. He turned his back on me and headed straight for the Fire Exit door. When he disappeared from my whimpering, I only walked down the stairs. I came out on the same floor we came from. My shoulder sank and I couldn't help but feel sad about what I had done. I really couldn't take it back... I was about to get to the elevator when I heard myself scream. I didn't want to ignore it anymore but it repeated itself until the words being shouted became clear. "JAY-JAY!" Someone shouted hoarsely. I turned around and was just as shocked as I saw Ci-N in the air. Literally in the air because she suddenly jumped towards me. Son of.... She's like a bird because of her open arms and legs. That's why she doesn't know how to fly so the ending was she's going to fall... she's going to fall....on me?! It was too late for me to step away because I kept falling to the floor with Ci. My elbow hit the floor and it felt like my arm was electrocuted. "Ugh! Ouch..." "Jay-jay!" She shouted while hugging me. "U-get out of there! You're so heavy!" Ci-N slowly moved away from me. She was still smiling while waiting for me to get up. I frowned as I faced her. "Are you crazy? Do you feel like Superman?" I said a little annoyed while trying to calm down. "That's Eman..." She referred to Eman's real name. "...at least I caught up to you." Yes, that's right... My body just hurt. He grabbed my hand and pulled me. "Let's go to my party." He kept pushing me until we reached the ï¬re exit. He didn't give me a chance to speak or protest. When the door to the rooftop opened. Cue music. It felt like I had arrived in another place. It felt like I was in a fun or play house. There was an inflatable slide, a pool full of colored balls, mascots of different characters, a table full of candy and chocolate, balloons were also scattered and colorful lights were all around. I saw David smiling at me while drinking Juice. He knew or sure that this kid would chase me. You're crazy David! "Jay!" Rakki called out to me as he got closer. "...Where did you go and suddenly disappear?" "I-I was just doing CR." I excused myself. I looked at the person next to me and Ci was gone. He looked like he was already mingling with his young guests. As in a kid who looked like he was about 7 or 9 years old. I also see some adults but they are in the corner away from the playing children. Keep an eye on your children! If something happens, it's the fault of the partygoers. "Let's go..." Rakki told me. We approached a round table. I almost stopped when I saw the complete Ulopong. Including their King. "Hi Jay!" "New haircut!" "Long hair is more appropriate!" "What's wrong, why did you get a haircut?" They asked me one by one. I chose to ignore them. We found an empty seat a little away from them. I don't know but I couldn't help but feel nervous. I convinced myself several times that I should move on. And now that he was in front of me, I think I was backing away again. "Hi Jay!" Mica greeted me as I sat down next to him. I wondered who... "Hello..." I greeted and looked at the person next to him on the other side. Calix wasn't there? I looked around and saw him sitting ar away near his fellow Ulopong. "They're war." Rakki whispered to me. It seemed like she noticed me looking for this little Mica. She was just hunched over while apparently busy with her cellphone. She was just playing... We looked at each other blankly as we watched the kids happily playing with the mascots. My eyes widened when I saw a amiliar mascot near us. "Snorlax!" I shouted out of nowhere. I was still standing there while pointing. I didn't think twice. I quickly approached Snorlax and hugged him tightly. "Hala Jay! You're like a child!" Rakki said, who was following me. "So cute! I'll take a picture of you... Hurry!" Mica said excitedly as she pointed the camera at me. I want a Snorlax that big. I hugged her tightly while taking pictures. It was like I didn't want to let her go anymore. I'm going to take this home! "Can I take this home?!" I asked Rakki and Mica. They just shrugged. Ci-N passed in front of us while carrying a plate full of food. She looked at me twice before stopping. "Hala! You're angry!" She said threateningly. "...There's a man inside ." My gaze automatically shifted to the place where the Cobras were. My eyes widened even more when I saw the King walking towards us. His ï¬st was clenched and ready to kill the mascot. "Quick! Quick! Let's get him away!" I shouted at Rakki and Mica without thinking . They immediately followed me while pushing the mascot somewhere . The children looked at us because of what we were doing. "What's that?!" I heard a child shout as we almost hit him. "Sorry." Mica said to her. We went everywhere until we saw piled up benches and tables. Even other items like cloth and balloons were here. We hid there until the King was out of sight. "Gone! Gone!" Rakki said while chasing the wind. The mascot head he was wearing was removed while he was inside. He faced us, sweating profusely . "W-why did you bring me here?" He said while wiping his sweat. "...my boss might scold me." "That's okay... We'll just talk to your boss." Mica said. "...What's your name?" "Clefford Mills." He looked young. He looked like he was the same age as us but he was already working. "Excuse me, huh? If we hadn't kept you away, you might have come home bleeding." I said while wiping the sweat from my forehead. "P-po?" He said a little scared. "Because it's his ex... He's a jerk, I don't understand what feelings he has for her." Rakki said. I rowned. "He's not my ex... We never became friends." "P-sorry... P-but I'm confused. Can I go back to my job now?" He said goodbye to us. Keifer probably won't do anything bad to her. I smiled at her and nodded. She put the snorlax head back on and came out of the hiding place. We looked like we didn't know we stayed there because we were tired. I was also feeling hungry. "Let's eat?" I asked them. They looked at each other before nodding and walking towards the table full of food. Their peg was self-service so we each took our own. I was embarrassed to show how hungry I was so I only took a little. About ï¬ve spoonfuls of rice and dal. I brought two plates. It was so embarrassing. While eating, Calix suddenly sat down next to Mica. She put down a plate with a slice of cake. "Mica..." Calix's voice sounded pleading. "...let's talk." Mica didn't seem to hear anything and just continued eating. I almost felt sorry for Calix because of the tears she was holding back. I lightly elbowed Mica and nuzzled Calix to point. He sighed while looking at me. "I won't talk to him and he knows why." He said and drank water. Calix's shoulders slumped as he walked away. Rakki and I were still looking at him. "What happened to you? LQ?" I asked. He shook his head and looked somewhere. I looked at Rakki but he just shrugged. "Jay-jay!" Ci-N called to me while carrying the Glass Jar I gave him. "...What's this?" I smiled at him and opened the jar. "1 surprise egg per day." I took out a surprise egg and handed it to him. I knew it was his favorite and he always looked forward to what was inside the egg. This equates to 1 message per day that lasts for a year. So the contents of the jar are also for a year. I just hope he likes it... He suddenly started crying. Rakki and Mica and I were confused. "Why? Don't you want it?" I asked. He smiled while continuing to cry. "I liked it!" Rakki and Mica kept exchanging glances. Her mother's behavior was weird. She liked it but she was crying. "I like it... I really like it." She said and tried to wipe away her tears. "...Sorry." My heart felt like it was squeezed when she said those words. It was the ï¬rst time she had said them as if begging for my orgiveness, after everything that had happened. "Sorry Jay... Sorry if I let them hurt you. Sorry if I agreed to their plan. Sorry if I didn't tell you anything ." She took a deep breath. "...Really sorry." Ci-N... Now I've proven that the word Sorry can do something. Even though it can't change what happened or turn back time. That's why it can heal the pain I'm holding. I went up to her and held her by the head. "It's okay... Sister isn't angry anymore. Happy Birthday!" She smiled at me again and hugged me tightly. She immediately let go and took my gift from her. "I'll hide this for now!" She said happily. We were left just looking at him. Mica said goodbye or a moment to go to work . Rakki went to Ci-N's sister. I was left just looking around until I saw Snorlax again. I went over there and hugged him. "Bulaga!" Snorlax's head bowed slightly and it seemed like the one inside was looking at me. I smiled at him as he hugged me back. Maybe it was because he knew me. "Sorry about that earlier, huh? The King of Snakes has a bump." I said while still hugging him. "...I don't understand what life wants." Snorlax still hugged me and his little hand seemed to go down my back. I just ignored it. "I wish there was a real Snorlax in the world. So I could run away from the Dimunyung Snake that's been bothering my mind and heart." Honestly, I don't know why I'm saying this to the mascot. I know there's someone inside but I can't help but talk to him. I guess I'm used to having Snorlax in my room. "...Never mind... I can move on from that pest too. I'll lose feelings for him too, and I can't wait anymore." I added with a smile. Suddenly Snorlax pulled away from my embrace and it seemed like I heard Clifford speak from inside. "I won't let you!" I broke away from the embrace and looked at him in surprise. He forcefully removed the mascot's head and my eyes widened when I saw who was inside. You're not Clefford! "I won't let you move on. I won't let you fall out of love. I won't allow it."