Chapter-148 How

Jay-jay's POV

"Yaaawwwwwnnnnn...." C-in yawned as he walked. "...I'm still sleepy."

"Me too... This is your fault! You're so annoying." I said irritably.

"If you had just told me right away who your 'I love you' buddy was, we could've both gone to sleep earlier."

I immediately shot him a glare. His mouth just wouldn't shut up. We had been like this since last night, and I had no idea what time we actually fell asleep.

"Keep your voice down! This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you!"

He rolled his eyes at me. "I'll report you to Keifer about this."

Hahaha… Go ahead, tell him!

We continued walking. When we arrived at school, the first thing that greeted us was a huge tarpaulin in front of the main building.

It was the schedule of upcoming school events. Valentine's Day was coming up soon. But before that, our retreat was scheduled. Why was it so early this year?

"Pffttt... A retreat this early? Lame!" C-in commented as he kept walking.

I followed him, and we ran into Calix, who looked like he had just walked Mica to her classroom.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked us.

The little brat beside me immediately pointed at me. "It's her fault!"

"What do you mean, me?! You're the one who's so annoying!"

"No, you are!"

"You!"

"You two are seriously going to fight here?" Calix interrupted, making us stop. "...You both look like idiots."

C-in and I looked at each other before silently arguing through gestures. I glared at him multiple times. We were repeating the same thing we did last night.

We reached the classroom, but just before I could step inside, I stopped walking.

"What?" they both asked.

I shook my head. "You guys go ahead... I need to check something first."

They both nodded at me and went inside.

The truth was, I wasn't ready to see Yuri yet. I felt embarrassed facing him.

I was really embarrassed...

I didn't know if I should tell him the truth or not. I didn't want to hurt him, but I also didn't want to give him false hope.

But keeping quiet would hurt him more. If I let him hope for nothing, that would be even worse.

Maybe it was better to just tell him the truth.

But I had no idea how.

Maybe I should think it through first. I didn't want to just drop it on him all of a sudden. I already knew how this was going to end.

He was going to get hurt, no matter what.

I finally went inside.

As usual, chaos filled the room—people were messing around, teasing each other, ignoring each other, or just doing their own thing.

Yuri was already sitting in his seat. The moment he saw me, he smiled.

I smiled back at him.

"Why did Angelo call me last night?" he asked right away.

"H-ha? W-well... T-that..." I stammered, hesitant to answer. He was clearly waiting for my response. "...H-he just couldn't find me right away. He thought we were still together."

He nodded as if he accepted my answer.

Whew!

How was I supposed to tell him?

I glanced at the King's seat. As expected, he wasn't here yet.

He'd probably arrive later—of course, it's him we're talking about! Even the school staff had a more consistent schedule than he did.

The teachers and staff arrived earlier than him, yet I couldn't blame him. He was probably making sure Keigan and Keiren were okay before coming to school.

But what I really didn't understand was how he managed to kick his dad out of their house. That was just weird. I'd never seen or heard of a son throwing his own father out.

How did he do it?

I suddenly remembered what he had said about Yuri.

I looked at Yuri again. He was reading his notes and marking down important details from the lesson.

Was Keifer jealous of Yuri? Or was he envious?

Well, compared to him, Yuri had a complete family. Keifer was envious because no one really worried about him. But I understood why.

He always looked so strong. People usually worry about those who appear weak or constantly need help. Maybe that's why most people think he doesn't need to be looked after.

And I was one of those people who thought the same way.

Sigh...

The King of Vipers Has a Soft Spot After All

Sir Alvin arrived, signaling the start of class. I glanced at the door, knowing that idiot would be arriving soon.

I had no idea how long I had been staring at the door, but there wasn't even a shadow of him.

Where was he?

"He's not coming to class," Yuri suddenly said.

I turned to him in confusion. "Huh?"

"Keifer isn't coming if he's the one you're waiting for. His dad is home and him facing a big problem again." He explained.

His father went home? Since when? He didn't say anything to me last night. Wait a second!

"What do I care... Besides, Keifer isn't the one I'm waiting for." I denied.

I didn't want him to notice anything. I wasn't ready to tell him yet. I hadn't even figured out the right words to use.

But why wasn't that idiot coming to class? I couldn't help but worry. This was annoying!

Class ended with Sir Alvin, and it seemed like Keifer really wasn't coming. He hadn't texted me or anything. Even during our next subjects, he was still absent.

I tried texting him, but I didn't get any response.

"You're awfully quiet..." Eren commented.

"Huh?"

"Totally spaced out," Felix added, earning a glare from me.

"Maybe she just misses Keifer," Drew teased, followed by loud cheering from the others.

I glanced slightly at Yuri, who was just focused on his notes. I knew he was listening.

"Maybe it's not Keifer she misses," C-in chimed in. "...Maybe it's her 'I love yo—'"

"HEY! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" I cut him off.

Everyone turned to look at me because of my sudden outburst.

C-in smirked mischievously. "Why so defensive?" he teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Ohhh! She still won't admit it—"

"C-in!" I snapped at him.

I was starting to get annoyed. He was practically exposing me in front of the whole class. And worst of all, Yuri was here. If he found out, it would be over.

Suddenly, there was a soft meowing sound from the door.

C-in instantly turned around to look.

It was Edy! Like a kid on sugar rush, he bolted toward the cat, but the cat had already escaped.

"I swear I'll kill you, Edy!" he shouted.

He still hadn't moved on.

"I told you, his name's not Edy!" Josh yelled, chasing after C-in and the cat.

Oh well, go ahead! Chase each other because of a cat.

That reminded me of Cecilio Susuman—I had a cat too!

"What was C-in talking about?" Felix asked.

"Nothing... We were just teasing each other at home."

"How's C-in been at your place?" Eren asked.

"He's fine... Just messy."

"Do you sleep next to each other?" Drew asked.

For some reason, the atmosphere around me suddenly felt heavy.

Even though he wasn't saying anything and pretended to be focused on his notes, I knew.

I knew it was Yuri.

He was exactly like Keifer.

"N-no... He has his own mattress on the floor," I quickly answered, and that strange feeling disappeared.

"But has he seen you naked?" Drew asked again.

Felix smacked him hard on the head. "You ask the dumbest questions."

"That hurt!" Drew complained.

If I were the one sitting next to him, I wouldn't have just hit him—I might have punched him.

Our next teacher arrived, so they all returned to their seats. Just in time, Josh also came back, dragging C-in by the collar.

The King really didn't show up today. He still wasn't replying to my messages either.

Tsk! So annoying!

That was all I could think about until dismissal. I couldn't even focus on our lessons—which wasn't really new for me—all because I kept thinking about him.

I didn't eat dinner properly either. I just played around with the food on my plate.

"What's wrong, Jay?" C-in asked when we got back to our room.

I shook my head right away. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure? You seem different." he said.

"Just ignore me." I replied. I immediately grabbed my phone and walked out of the room.

I tried calling him, but he wasn't answering.

What's happening to you?

For some reason, tears started to fall. I didn't even understand why. My frustration and worry for him were mixing together.

What if his dad had already done something to him without me knowing? Or maybe things at his house had completely spiraled out of control.

Ugh! My imagination was making things worse!

"Are you okay, Jay?" my older brother asked.

Just then, Aries stepped out of his room and looked at me too. I quickly wiped my tears away.

"N-nothing… I just got something in my eye."

My brother and Aries exchanged glances, clearly not believing me.

I didn't wait for them to say anything else. I went back to my room and headed straight to the bathroom. I washed up and changed into fresh clothes.

I didn't want to think about anything anymore. I just wanted to sleep. Luckily, my body cooperated. Probably from exhaustion, I fell asleep right away.

In the middle of my peaceful rest and my wonderful dream about Ice Cream Island, a call woke me up.

King Viper Calling...

I DIDN'T WANT TO ANSWER! But my stupid finger pressed the green button.

"Ba—"

["I miss you..."]

Oh, hell no!

I looked at C-in, who was currently snoring. Hopefully, he wouldn't wake up and hear me.

"What happened to you? Why are you only calling now?" I asked him.

Why should I beat around the bush? I just wanted to know if he was okay.

["Long story... What about you? How are you? Did Yuri make a move while I was gone?"]

"You're such an idiot... I was worried about you, and that's what you're concerned about?"

He chuckled slightly.

["I didn't mean it that way. I just had a lot to take care of, and I don't even know when I'll be able to come back to school."]

"What exactly are you dealing with?"

["Family problem."]

"You couldn't even send a single text?"

Suddenly, there was silence on the other end of the line. I thought the call had disconnected, so I checked my phone—but it was still ongoing.

"Hey... What happened to you?"

["You're actually really cute when you're like this."]

What did he just say?

"Huh?"

["When you're sulking. How I wish I could see your face right now."]

"Want me to send you a picture?" I offered, laughing.

Just like that, my annoyance vanished. Damn it! I couldn't even stay mad at him properly.

["Sure... Nude photo, please."]

Oh, you wish!

"How about I end this call and never speak to you again?" I said in irritation.

If I weren't sharing a room with someone right now, I would've screamed at him.

["Hahahaha... I'm just kidding. But seriously, what are you wearing right now?"]

I glanced at my clothes. Luckily, there was a bit of light coming from the lamp beside C-in's bed.

"Superman t-shirt, why?"

["Ahh... Well, I'm only wearing boxers. My favorite reindeer boxers."] he bragged.

Ugh! Why did he have to remind me of that? This idiot was putting ideas in my head!

"Whatever... I'm going to sleep."

["Okay... Good night, my life. I hope you have the sweetest dreams. I love you to infinity and beyond."]

If I could scream, I would. Holy crap! Holy crap! AAAAGGGHHH!!!

"Good night and sweet dreams to you too. I love..."

I turned to look at C-in.

He was awake, staring right at me.

"...Me."