Chapter-174 Operation Retreive 2.0

Jay-jay's POV

"Start cooking the rice!" Felix shouted as he walked toward us.

They were carrying a large bucket filled with rice. They had recovered it.

Nice! Rice!

Now, only one problem remained—the Section A situation. Our cooler, which they had filled with alcohol. I hoped Ci-N's plan would work on them too.

David and the others took a short break. They looked exhausted from going back and forth.

"Let's head to Section A next." Ci-N said, looking hyper again.

"Hold on a minute!" Calix complained.

"Take a break, Ci-N! You're way too excited about your plan!" Eman scolded him.

Ci-N pouted and sat beside me, though he was also laughing at himself. He was just too excited.

"Did you guys see my Snorlax?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Who in their right mind would want to hug a stuffed toy in a place like this?" he asked sarcastically.

I squinted at him. I'm the crazy one, huh? That's exactly why I brought it—so I'd have something to hug! How embarrassing!

David stood up and adjusted the fishing rod. The others started getting up too. Slowly, I stood to join them.

"I'm coming with you." I said, and they all looked at me.

"No. Stay here and have rest." Keifer ordered.

"I've already rested enough."

"Even so, Jay... What happened to you wasn't a small thing. You need to rest." Yuri insisted.

"But—"

"Jay." Keifer called my name with authority. "...don't argue."

"But my Snorlax... I need to get it back." I pleaded. "...Please."

He let out a sigh before running a hand through his hair. "Fine."

YES!!

"...but I'm coming too." He added, then looked at the others. "...Some of you stay behind. We'll go this time."

They nodded in agreement. So, it was me, Ci-N, David, Felix, Yuri, and Keifer who set off toward Section A's campsite.

We took a forested route. Even though my body hurt, I endured it all just to find my Snorlax.

We hid in the bushes while Ci-N climbed a tree, positioning himself on the sturdiest branch. David handed him the fishing rod where Bestie was still tied.

"Keifer, go over there..." David pointed to a spot not far from us. "...You'll be our backup in case we get caught."

"Tss." Keifer responded in boredom.

Ugh, could he at least answer properly?

Still, he walked over to the spot David pointed to. He was now close to where the cooler was.

"You stay here." Felix told Yuri. "...Keep an eye on Jay-jay."

Yuri nodded, glanced at me, and smiled.

"Let's go here." David said to Felix.

They moved closer to the cooler, with Felix grabbing some plant leaves—probably to use as cover.

My eyes scanned the area for my Snorlax. My eyes widened when I saw Ella hugging it tightly.

Hey! That's my Snorlax!

"My Snorlax." I said, pointing at Ella.

"I'll get it." Yuri said and walked toward where Ella was.

I looked at David and saw that he and Ci-N seemed to be waiting for a signal. They exchanged gestures for a moment before finally executing the plan.

Ci-N swung the fishing rod like he was casting a line. The Snake landed perfectly in the spot where the girls were chatting.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!" They all screamed, led—of course—by none other than Freya!

Chaos broke out. Even the guys didn't know what to do, especially when Ci-N wiggled the fishing rod, making the snake's head rise as if it were about to strike.

While everyone was in a panic and focused on the Snake, David and Felix seized the opportunity. They quickly pulled the cooler away. Keifer immediately followed to help them.

They hurried back to our spot, catching their breath. It looked like carrying the cooler had exhausted them.

I searched for Yuri and saw him slowly retrieving Snorlax from the grass. It seemed Ella had thrown it in shock.

After grabbing it, Yuri was about to run back to us, but Ella caught him! They seemed to talk for a moment, and then Yuri nodded before running back.

What did they talk about?

"Got it." He said, handing Snorlax to me.

"My Snorlax!" I hugged it tightly.

Suddenly, Ci-N rushed toward us, sweating and looking a little pale.

"We need to get out of here!" He said.

We all turned to the fishing rod. The Snake was gone. Only its head remained on Bestie.

My best friend!

"We'll talk later! Let's go!" David urged.

We quickly fled, taking the forested path again. It was quite dark, but thanks to the moonlight, we could still see where we were going—at least a little.

We couldn't use a flashlight, or we might get caught.

"What happened? Why is only the head left of my best friend?" I asked.

Ci-N chuckled slightly. "Well, your crazy cousin suddenly slashed the Snake's head off with a knife! Of course, I panicked and pulled it back!"

We all stopped in shock. What if they saw us? Shit, we might get caught!

"Don't worry!" Ci-N reassured us, raising both hands. "...They all think the head just flew off somewhere!"

"Are you sure?" Felix asked.

"Of course!" He answered smugly.

"Then throw that thing away!" Keifer ordered in annoyance, pointing at the Snake's head.

"Are you sure? Jay-jay will lose a keepsake of his best friend." Ci-N said, guilt-tripping them.

Yuri and the others laughed, then glanced at me. I rolled my eyes at Ci-N, making them laugh even more.

We finally returned to our campsite. Ci-N didn't actually throw away the Snake's head—he hung it near the bonfire.

"Nice! I've been so thirsty!"

"Pass me a drink!"

"Why is there San Mig here?"

The others crowded around the cooler in excitement. I, on the other hand, sat near my tent, hugging Snorlax tightly.

"Enough of that! Let's eat first!" Eman said.

I noticed the rice was already cooked, and our meal for the night was ready. HAM!

HAM—mered eggplant in shrimp paste!

I felt a little guilty toward Eman. I couldn't even help prepare our food. Not that any of this even matters.

I felt a bit relieved when I saw Josh helping him.

Weird.

Josh used to be creepy, now he's just annoying. Ever since that fight, he's been giving me dirty looks. Every time he looks at me, it's like he's saying, 'This is all your fault!'

I still couldn't bring myself to talk to him. If I did, we might just end up arguing like before.

Someone suddenly handed me a plate of food. I looked up to see whose hand it was.

Keifer, that jerk.

"Eat." He ordered.

Even though I had no appetite, I took it anyway. I was sure he'd just argue with me until he got his way.

He sat beside me, holding his own plate.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in confusion.

He looked annoyed at my question and glared at me.

"You're seriously asking me 'what I'm doing here'?"

I slowly nodded, feeling like I had said something wrong.

"Am I not allowed to eat beside you?" He asked sarcastically.

Oooohh… So that's what he meant!

"I-it's not l-like that..." I stammered, automatically looking at Yuri.

He was lying in a hammock they had set up—one that he had brought—watching us.

After a moment, he looked away and just closed his eyes, resting his arm over his forehead.

"If you don't want me here, just say so." Keifer said.

His words unexpectedly hurt. That's not what I meant! Before he could get up and leave, I quickly grabbed his arm.

"N-no... W-what's wrong with you?" I forced a smile. "...Let's just eat! Stop being so dramatic!"

He didn't react, but he started eating. I ate with him too, though I felt uneasy. I noticed some people staring at us, as if eating with the King of the Snakes was some kind of crime.

Every bite and swallow felt like punishment. The side of my lip still hurt, and so did my throat.

But at least I could eat now. Back when Section D ganged up on me, even my own saliva refused to go down.

"Oi! You ugly people!" Felix suddenly shouted, but no one looked at him except me.

Did he just call me ugly?!

"You ugly people!" He shouted again.

"You're the only ugly one here!" Ci-N shot back.

"Handsome people!" Felix yelled this time, and now more people responded.

"WHAT?!" They all shouted in unison.

What a bunch of clowns!

"You guys are so full of yourselves!" Felix said, annoyed. "...Some tents got damaged, so you need to share!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!"

"Let's share!"

"I'll bunk with you!"

"Let's share, and I'll cuddle you!"

"Ew! Gay!"

Loud laughter filled the air. I wanted to laugh too, but I couldn't. My eyes automatically landed on Kit. His face looked sad as he quietly continued eating.

The thing he's crying over is just a joke to others. For me, that's hard too. It weighs heavy on my heart.

"Jay!" Ci-N called out to me. "...I'll share a tent with you."

"Sure..." I answered, bored.

"No." Keifer said with authority.

We all froze. Even the others, who were laughing just moments ago, fell silent. Yuri, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and looked at us.

"I-it's okay with me. Ci-N and I have shared a room before." I explained.

"Jay... Your room is wide and your tent is not." He looked at me seriously. "...You're a girl, and Ci-N is still a guy."

Wow. What a dirty mind. Please, clean it up!

"So what? Ci-N isn't a stranger to me." There was a hint of irritation in my voice.

The truth was, I missed our late-night bonding. I also wanted to hear more stories about where he lived.

"No. No one will share a tent with you—except me, of course."

Oh, this bastard!

He's really trying to piss me off. No one will share? But he can? Wow, dude. Unbelievable.

"Excuse me." Yuri suddenly spoke up, sitting upright in the hammock. "...Just because you're in a relationship with Jay doesn't mean you can share a tent with her." He stood up and walked a little closer to us. "...No one is allowed to share a tent with her. It wouldn't look right for a girl and a guy to be sleeping in the same tent."

What?!

Keifer stood up, giving Yuri a challenging look. Oh no! I thought they were on good terms? Why does it feel like there's tension again?

"Fine. Jay-jay will sleep alone in her tent." Keifer finally said seriously.

"Why don't you just let Jay-jay decide?" David suggested, and they all turned to look at me.

Why me?!

If I said the wrong thing, they might suddenly start brawling right here. I looked at Keifer and Yuri, then at the others.

"Maybe Ci-N..." I said softly. "...i-if that's okay."

Keifer took a deep breath. "Fine. If that's what you want."

"That's fine." Yuri answered.

I didn't really want to choose, but… Ci-N was giving me those pleading eyes. He had no one to share a tent with since his was also damaged.

After eating, the others cleaned up. Calix and Eren washed the dishes. Since the bathroom was far away, some just brushed their teeth and went straight to bed.

I chose to go to the bathroom. I also wanted to see how I looked in the mirror. I asked Ci-N to come with me, but he was busy playing with a rock.

"Behave yourself." I scolded him after he kicked the rock, almost hitting someone.

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

He ignored me and just kept walking. There were some students from other sections walking alongside us, each engaged in their own conversations.

"Wow! There were snakes here?"

"Yeah! One even showed up near us!"

"Same here!"

"Not us."

Ci-N and I exchanged glances, barely holding back our laughter.

If only they knew!

"Rakki!" Ci-N suddenly shouted, waving. "...mi'loves!"

Rakki furrowed his brows and walked toward us, raising a hand as if she was about to smack Ci-N on the head.

People were staring at us because of what Ci just did.

"You're so loud!" Rakki scolded, but Ci just laughed at her.

Then she looked at me, so I immediately smiled. "Hi."

She stared at me for a moment, as if examining my face. "Is that a bruise?"

I slightly turned away so she wouldn't see it clearly. The lighting wasn't great where we were, so I knew she wouldn't be able to get a good look at it.

Rakki gave Ci-N a sharp look. "Are you guys hurting Jay-jay?"

"No way! She's the one who hurts us!" Ci-N quickly defended himself.

"If I find out you hurt Jay, you're done for!" Rakki threatened, then turned to me with a smile. "...Let's go to the bathroom together."

I slowly nodded. It's not like that annoying kid could come inside the bathroom with me anyway. Ci-N smiled at me and signaled that he'd wait outside.

The sound of water rushing from the showers echoed through the bathroom, blending with the laughter and chatter from students of other sections.

Their topic? My best friend!

"Were there snakes at your site too? We didn't have any." Rakki asked as he stood in front of the sink.

"T-there was." I answered almost in a whisper.

The snake really did show up on our site first. We just… used it for our own advantage. Hehe!

I turned to face the mirror, and from my position, I could clearly see the bruise on the side of my lips. I also saw the mark on my neck from when Cyrus strangled me.

"I knew it. That's a bruise." Rakki said, examining my face. "...Did someone hurt you?"

I shook my head. "N-no... It's nothing. I just hit myself when everyone was panicking about the snake."

She clearly didn't believe me, but she had no choice, so she just nodded. She put toothpaste on his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth.

I glanced at the girls who were showering. They were so loud, talking non-stop. Even though I really wanted to yell at them, I held back and just continued brushing my teeth.

After that, Rakki and I both waited for an available shower cubicle. It took a while since the girls in the showers were taking their sweet time.

Once inside, I showered quickly, knowing Ci-N was waiting outside. He might get annoyed at me if I took too long.

"...That snake earlier was crazy." I heard someone say outside the shower cubicle. "...Good thing Aries handled it so well."

The voice sounded familiar. I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling it was—

"Mica, your towel fell."

Ella's voice!

Why was that? I recognized Ella's voice instantly, but not Mica's. Maybe that's what happens when you dislike someone.

They continued talking for a bit while I continued showering. I was almost done when I heard them again. For some reason, I suddenly had a bad feeling.

"...Are you sure about this? Won't Aries get mad?" Mica asked.

"I don't know. But I'm sure he'll understand."

"But… it's over now. You shouldn't bring it up again."

Ella sighed. "Yuri deserves to know the truth."

Yuri? Truth?

"When are you meeting him?" Mica asked again.

"I'm not sure yet, but I told him to wait for me."

They're talking? What truth? Why do they have to meet? I was getting confused.

I didn't hear them talking anymore. I peeked slightly through the cubicle door. They were no longer in front of the mirror.

I immediately stepped out and grabbed my stuff. Just then, Rakki also came out of his cubicle. She looked at me, and suddenly, her brows furrowed.

"Whoa! Why is your neck red?" he asked worriedly.

The other people in the bathroom turned to look at us. I quickly wrapped a towel around my neck.

"I-it's nothing." I answered and walked out of the bathroom.

Rakki followed closely behind me. Once we were far enough, she suddenly grabbed my arm and turned me to face her.

Her eyes were filled with anger. "Keifer did this to you, didn't he?!"

"No." I answered quickly.

"Jay… You don't have to hide it from me. I already know you and Keifer are in a relationship." She looked around, checking if anyone else was nearby. "...So if he hurt you, just tell me."

"Keifer didn't do this. Yes, someone hurt me, but it wasn't him." I scratched my head. "...Why would you even think Keifer did this?"

He took a deep breath. "Because he's done it before. That lunatic is possessive!"

My heartbeat suddenly sped up. I couldn't tell if I was nervous.

"D-done it? To who?"

She avoided looking at me. I knew she didn't want to say it. But just like Ci-N, I also knew she wouldn't be able to hold it in.

"T-to... to Freya."

To Freya?

Shit! He and Freya used to be together. But it's hard to believe Keifer would actually do something like that.

I fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. When I kissed Yuri at the side of our room, Keifer grabbed my chin. I was scared of him then, thinking he might hurt me. Maybe… he really could.

But still, it was hard to believe.

"...Freya was starting to act out at that time. Maybe that's why Keifer did what he did." She added.

But even so, that wasn't a good enough reason. No matter how much Freya looked like a coloring book, she was still a girl—just with a face that looked like a foot.

"Hey! There you are!" Ci-N shouted as he ran towards us.

For a moment, I forgot about what I was thinking.

"I've been waiting for you over there." He said, catching his breath.

"You weren't even there." Rakki replied, annoyed.

"You're just blind with love for me, that's why you didn't see me."

"You're just small, so you're hard to notice."

Ci glared at Rakki. "I'll grow taller too! And when I do, we're getting married!"

For a moment, their noise distracted me from my thoughts. It was already so dark, and I could hear the organizers calling us.

"Let's go, Ci. You two can continue your wedding talk tomorrow." I told him.

"Good idea. But before that... I will kiss the bride." He said, quickly kissing Rakki on the lips.

What the—!

If it weren't so dark, I probably would've seen Rakki turning red. He was completely frozen, and Ci had already run away before he could recover.

"You bastard!" Rakki shouted, annoyed.

I just laughed and shook my head. "We're heading back. Good night."

"Alright. Good night. Give Ci-N a smack on the head for me." He requested.

We walked in opposite directions. I spotted Ci hiding behind a tree, clearly giddy over what he had just done.

"Crazy."