Chapter-173 Operation-Retreive

Jay-jay's POV

The bonfire we built burned brightly. Good thing I wasn't drunk tonight, or I might have started calling out random things again.

Like last time!

I shook my head, trying to erase that memory. Damn it! I looked like a complete fool back then, and worse, there's a video of it. I just hope I never do that again. So embarrassing!

"Still nothing?" David asked.

We turned to the lookouts, but they just shook their heads— a signal that there was still no sign of them.

We were almost certain we had been robbed. To confirm our suspicions, we decided to send spies to the other Sections. Section B was our main target since the owner of the handkerchief we found was from there. But Keifer thought it would be better to send spies to the other Sections as well.

Top-tier espionage!

"They're coming! They're coming!" Mayo shouted.

We immediately got ready. Rory and Edrix were the first to arrive from Section A. Right behind them were Kit and Eren from Section B. Last to arrive were Blaster and Drew from Section D.

We were still waiting for the ones from Section C.

"Why aren't they here yet?" Eman asked worriedly.

I was starting to feel nervous too. What if they got caught? We sent two people to each Section. It's not that we suspected Rakki's Section, but we needed to be sure.

"I see them!" Mayo shouted, and soon enough, we saw Ci-N and Felix approaching.

"Is everyone here?" David asked.

"We're all here!"

"Complete! Not a single one missing!"

"All good!"

Everyone gathered around the bonfire. It felt like we were in the middle of an important meeting. Well, it was important—after all, we were talking about food!

"Rory & Edrix! Did you see anything?" Keifer asked.

"We did!" Rory answered. "...They have our cooler!"

"Shit!"

"Why is it with them?!"

"What are we supposed to do now?!"

Yuri silenced everyone with a hand gesture. They all obeyed, and Rory continued.

"...And the worst part? They put alcohol inside the cooler. We can't report this to the organizer anymore." He took a deep breath. "...They might think it was ours."

Most of us agreed. We couldn't just accuse Section A because they would definitely turn the tables on us.

"How about you, Kit and Eren?" Keifer asked again.

"We found something," Kit replied. "...Our rice is with them."

"Did they divide our food among themselves?!" David asked angrily.

Even I was getting frustrated. Why did they have to steal from us?

We never did anything to them...

...Or did we?

"Our canned goods and noodles are in Section D. All six boxes we brought." Blaster added.

"Section C is all clear!" Ci-N said, raising his hand. "...Because Rakki me' loves is kind. He wouldn't do that to us."

Sigh... thank goodness.

That was exactly what I was thinking. Rakki would never do something like that to us. It seemed like only three Sections had our food.

But what about my Snorlax?

"Confirmed, they really have our stuff." Yuri said as he paced back and forth, deep in thought. "...But how do we get it back?"

Great question! But no answer!

"We can't report this to the organizer anymore." Rory reminded us.

"What if we confront them?" I suggested.

"They might turn the tables on us and report us instead." Edrix countered.

He had a point!

Out of nowhere, Ci-N raised his hand while jumping excitedly. "What if we just blow up their tents, take our stuff back, kill anyone who resists, and enslave the women?! Bwuhahahahahahaha!" he cackled like a madman.

We all grimaced at his suggestion. Was it just me, or was Ci-N becoming more brutal? What was he eating in his condo?!

"Did you eat breakfast?" Drew asked him.

Ci-N scratched his head and nodded, looking at us in confusion.

"Did you take your meds?" Eren asked.

"Meds for what?" Ci-N asked innocently.

"For your brain! You're completely out of it!" I snapped.

He just laughed at us. This kid must be sleep-deprived.

Rabies symptoms, perhaps?

"We don't have time for jokes! We need to figure out how to get our food back." Keifer said seriously.

Honestly, he was right. It was still early for dinner, but I was already getting hungry. If our stomachs started growling, we'd be in serious trouble.

Did anyone see my Snorlax?

Everyone started throwing out suggestions and possible plans. While we were brainstorming, Ci-N kept insisting that we should just follow his brilliant plan.

Then, out of nowhere, something fell behind him.

He turned to look, and before we could even ask what it was, he suddenly started screaming like a girl.

"SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!" he shrieked.

Chaos erupted as the Ulupong scattered in panic. Some even tripped and face-planted on the ground.

Because of my aching body and sore thighs, I couldn't get up immediately. From where I was sitting, I had a clear view of the snake's head as it scanned the area, searching for its next victim.

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!"

I forced myself to stand, but just my luck—Ci-N suddenly jumped onto my back, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Jay-jay's bestfriend! It's going to bite us!"

Bestfriend?!

Since when did I have a snake as a bestfriend? This is insane!

Because my body was aching and he was so heavy, I couldn't move right away.

"Ci-N! Get off of me!" I shouted.

"Make your bestfriend leave first!"

Oh, you little—!

My body couldn't take it anymore. We both collapsed onto the ground. I shut my eyes tight.

"Ouch!" I cried out as we hit the ground.

Damn it! My body was already sore, and now this idiot jumped on me and made us fall. Just great!

"Nobody move!" someone shouted.

I opened my eyes. Oh, shit! Face to face with my so-called bestie!

So that's why someone yelled for us to stay still.

The snake's head was right in front of me. I could see its tongue flicking out as it stared at me.

I was its target! I'm going to die!

"Nobody move!" they shouted again.

I saw Yuri reaching for a tree branch, but before he could use it, the snake lifted its head even higher—ready to strike.

We all froze. If I could stop breathing, I would. I couldn't even blink or look away. Then suddenly, we heard the snap of a broken twig.

That was enough to make the snake open its mouth, ready to sink its fangs into me.

But before it could get any closer, someone yanked its tail, pulling it away from me.

It was Keifer!

He threw the snake, sending it flying against a tree. But of course, that wasn't enough to stop my bestie—huh?!

The snake quickly slithered back toward Keifer, ready to strike again, but he managed to dodge and ran away.

Jay-jay is so unlucky!

"Jay! Get out of there!"

"Jay-jay!"

It was really after me! Before I could even stand up and run, the snake was already coming straight for me. I thought that was it. I thought my life was over. But then, a Swiss knife lodged itself into the snake's head.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. Yuri helped me up and hugged me.

"Sorry... I couldn't do anything to help you." He whispered before letting go.

"I-it's okay... I survived, didn't I?"

Keifer ran over to me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Shit! I didn't realize you were still right behind me!"

I glanced at Yuri for a second. I could see in his eyes that he was hurt. He quickly stepped away from us.

"Jay-jay's bestfriend is dead." Ci-N announced like a news reporter.

Crazy!

"There are snakes here?! Why did the organizer place us in this spot?!" Mayo asked angrily.

He was right! Why were we put here? My suspicions were correct when I saw the tall grass not far away.

I saw David pull the Swiss knife from the snake's head. He wiped it clean before putting it back in his pocket.

"David!" I called out, and he turned to me. "...Thank you!"

"Anytime." He smiled.

Ci-N and the others approached the snake, poking it with a small tree branch to check if it was still alive. It twitched slightly, but only like a worm sprinkled with salt.

Suddenly, Ci-N grinned widely and turned to all of us. "I know how we're going to get our food back."

I had a strong feeling that whatever this brat was planning wasn't good. But we had to hear him out.

He gathered us all close and explained his plan.

"Are you sure about this, Ci?" I asked him.

"Of course! Just let me finish first." He said, annoyed, so I let him continue explaining our course of action.

After he finished, everyone agreed with the plan. We divided the group—some would go to Sections A, B, and D, while the others stayed behind to guard our campsite.

Drew left to fetch something, while David made sure the snake was completely dead and wouldn't fight back against our plan.

"Did anyone see my Snorlax?" I asked everyone.

They looked at each other, trying to figure out the answer, but it seemed like no one had.

"I'm not sure..." Edrix spoke, making us all turn to him. "...Ella was holding a stuffed toy, but I didn't get a good look at it."

Oh no!

No one else would bring a stuffed toy here—except me. That must be it! My Snorlax!

"It's here! It's here!" Drew shouted as he ran back, carrying a fishing rod.

David immediately prepared the snake, tying it securely to the fishing rod. They made sure it was firmly attached.

Once they were done, they got ready to move. Their first stop was Section D, to reclaim our canned goods and noodles.

I stayed behind with Keifer, Yuri, Josh, Mayo, and Denzel. They were struggling to fix the broken tents, and it looked like some people would be forced to share.

"Do you think Ci-N's plan will work?" I asked.

"It will... It's Ci-N, after all." Denzel answered.

I was worried. If they got caught, it would be a huge problem. We were already at odds with Section D.

We sat there for a few minutes, doing nothing. I watched the King and Yuri. They were mostly silent, though they talked briefly now and then.

Why does it have to be me?

If I weren't the only girl in Section E, would they still like me? Maybe at least one of them would've fallen for someone else instead.

Sigh... Now I feel sad. Their situation is tough. This is all my fault.

"Jay..." Mayo called my name and sat beside me. "...How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts when I move."

"Josh has pain relievers. Want one?" He offered.

I immediately shook my head. "No need... It'll go away eventually."

"You're really going to endure the pain?"

"Of course... It's not like I haven't been in fights before."

He simply nodded in response. We fell silent for a while. I had a feeling he had something on his mind—that's why he came over.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He forced a smile. "It's about Kit..."

"What about him?"

He took a deep breath. "He really doesn't want this anymore. Should I give up?"

Of all people, he had to ask me.

"I-I don't know. Your situation is really difficult." I answered awkwardly.

He took another deep breath. I could feel his sadness. It made me feel like we truly belonged in the same corner, both struggling.

Why do they both have to be guys? Why did it have to be best friends who ended up liking me?

"Maybe..." he started. "...I should just stop..." He smiled and looked into the distance. "...Maybe it's enough."

I don't know why, but his words felt painful. Like he was on the verge of tears, needing just one more push to break down in front of me and confirm how much he was hurting.

Suddenly, we heard loud noises. Mayo and I immediately stood up. They had returned, carrying the boxes filled with canned goods and noodles.

They were laughing and teasing each other as they placed the boxes in front of Keifer. He opened them to check if anything was missing.

"Some are missing... Looks like they already took some." Yuri said.

"That's fine. At least we got them back." David replied.

"Let's head to Section B next!" Ci-N said excitedly.

He was probably thrilled that his plan had worked.

The troublemakers left again, carrying the fishing rod with the snake still tied to it.

Poor bestie.

This time, Kit and Eren stayed behind. They arranged the boxes properly and used the broken tents as covers.

I glanced at Mayo, who was staring at Kit. I could see how much he wanted to talk to the person he loved.

I was shocked when I saw a tear escape from one of his eyes. He quickly wiped it away.

"I-I'll go with them for now." He told me before hurrying after Ci-N and the others.

I turned back to Kit and saw him watching Mayo as he walked away. Eren tapped his arm, snapping him back to what he was doing.

Did he see Mayo crying?

I felt sorry for both of them. I hoped they could talk things through properly. As much as I wanted to interfere, I couldn't. I had my own problems to deal with.

And right now, they were looking straight at me.