Chapter-356 Choose a Friend

Jay-Jay's POV

"You give the letter and the gift to Freya tomorrow," Rory whispered.

Since I wasn't able to attend class earlier, I didn't get to give Freya her gift and letter as originally planned and as we always do.

"Alright. But who gave it to her earlier?"

"Me. She gave me such a dirty look, like she thought I was messing with her," he explained. "So tomorrow, it's you. She might pick a fight with me otherwise."

I chuckled slightly and shook my head. He really didn't look trustworthy. Plus, he was always messing with Freya, so I wasn't surprised by her reaction to him.

That's what he gets.

For a moment, I glanced at Kuya Angelo, who was talking to Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy. I noticed they've been looking at me for a while now. I wouldn't be shocked if Kuya already knew what Ma'am and I were talking about.

I just have to do well so Kuya won't catch me. No matter what happens, no matter what happens.

"Time to go home," Keifer said as he carried his brother's things.

Keiren followed him with a pout, glancing back at Ma'am before heading to his brother's car. It was obvious he didn't want to leave this place yet.

Looks like he enjoyed being here.

If that's the case, I shouldn't worry about Yuri's situation anymore. He'll be taken care of here, just like Keiren, and he won't lack company. I just hope no one follows him here and tries to mess with him.

After Keifer closed the car door, he approached me.

"We're heading home. You'll be safe, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "Kuya Angelo might be with me." I bragged.

He chuckled slightly. "Please call me when you get home."

I was about to respond, but the Ulupong, who had apparently been watching us, beat me to it.

"Yes, Keifer, we'll call you," Edrix said.

"We'll be careful, thanks for worrying about us," Rory added, smiling mischievously.

"We exist too, Keifer. Thanks for not forgetting about us," Felix said with a slight laugh.

"Thanks for everything," Ci-N chimed in with a wide grin.

I laughed and looked away. Why did it feel like they were sulking just because Keifer didn't say the same thing to them? They were acting like jealous girlfriends mad at their boyfriends.

The Ulupongs really are something else—so demanding.

"Sure. Thank you for following us here," Keifer replied sarcastically, making Edrix laugh quietly.

He paused for a moment as if recalling something. Then, he faced me again.

"You were saying something earlier, right? Before they arrived," he asked, looking at me intently. "Something about what you see, and then you mentioned courting and something like—."

He didn't get to finish because his car suddenly honked loudly. It looked like Keiren was getting impatient inside. Keifer scratched his head and signaled to his brother.

I got nervous.

I don't think I can bring myself to repeat what I said to him. I felt so shy and anxious, even though what I wanted to say was so simple. I might need to muster some thick skin before I can say it out loud.

He let out a deep breath before facing me again. "We'll talk about it some other time. We need to go now."

I nodded, and just as he leaned to kiss my forehead, Kuya's palm suddenly blocked my face. We both jerked back at the same time.

"That's not needed. Leave," Kuya ordered, annoyed.

Talk about driving someone away.

I wanted to be mad at his tone. He sounded like he was chasing away a stray puppy.

Keifer briefly turned to Sir and the others who were just behind Kuya. He said his goodbyes and thanked them before facing us again.

"Jay, please call me," he reminded me before finally turning around and heading to his car.

I watched him go, but quickly looked away when I felt Kuya's piercing gaze from beside me. He looked like an eagle eyeing its next prey.

What a stare.

"Go ahead, keep flirting," he muttered.

"You're just bitter because no one is flirting with you," I mumbled back, but I guess he heard it because he immediately flicked my ear.

"Ouch..." I whined quietly.

I pouted while holding my ear. If I hadn't noticed Ci-N and David approaching me, I probably would have cried.

"We're going home now, Jay-Jay!" the little brat said as he bid me goodbye. "Take care, and you too, Kuya." He also reminded Kuya Angelo.

Oh, so you and Kuya are siblings?

Kuya simply nodded at him. Ci even hugged me before walking away—but the audacious little brat also ran after Kuya Angelo for a hug. We were shocked, but Kuya just laughed it off.

That kid's got some guts.

"Call us if there's another emergency, and please be safe," David said, patting my arm.

"Yeah, I will. Take care," I replied before he turned away.

The other Ulupong also said their goodbyes. Some, like Josh, just waved before joining Eren as they walked off.

I paused for a moment, wondering how they got here since it's obvious no vehicles pass through this place. My question was answered when they all climbed into a pickup truck driven by David. They squeezed themselves in just to get home.

I waved at them before they completely disappeared.

"Bye! Take care!"

"Such t+roublemakers," Kuya muttered. "Just like you."

I pouted again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, but since he didn't have a lighter, he just put it back.

He let out a deep sigh. It felt like I had caused him a huge problem.

Sorry about that.

"Are we heading home too?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Yuri. I have something to ask him," he replied, briefly staring at me, making me quickly look away.

I hope I'm wrong about Kuya suspecting Yuri. I didn't leave any clues with Ma'am Cindy, so there's no reason for him to think about the President of the Shunga Lovers Club. I just nodded subtly.

We waited a few more minutes before Yuri came out. He had already changed his clothes.

"Have they left?" he asked us.

"Yeah, you didn't get to say goodbye," I answered.

"I did before going upstairs. But I forgot to thank them."

"Then just do it tomorrow. We'll all see each other again anyway."

He nodded in agreement. I looked at Kuya Angelo, who seemed to be just waiting for our conversation to end. I stepped back a bit to give them space, but he was still staring at me, so I had to move farther away.

I glanced at Ma'am Cindy and Sir Alvin, who were just watching us. I approached them to observe Yuri and Kuya's conversation too.

"It's better if you just tell the truth," Ma'am said to me, making me look at her. "Watson might not be their only target."

"If you're scared of Angelo, we'll explain it for you," Sir added.

I knew they were talking about the paper I showed them earlier. I had a feeling they'd keep pressing me about it.

Try me.

"W-what I said earlier was true. I found it in front of Yuri's building," I answered.

I had to stick to my answer. I couldn't just throw Yuri under the bus. I was afraid of making a mistake and putting him in danger.

"What do you think?" Sir asked Ma'am.

"Maybe it's from the people Yuri clashed with earlier," Ma'am replied.

They exchanged a look, and I could tell there was meaning behind it. Their moment was only interrupted when Sir called Kuya Angelo over. Ma'am and I were left behind, watching them from where we were.

"I'm not stupid, Mariano. If you really picked that up before coming here, you should have asked me about it earlier," Ma'am whispered.

I froze. I hadn't considered that she would notice that detail. I did have plenty of chances earlier, true. But I couldn't afford to slip up.

"I-I didn't get the chance," I reasoned.

She stared at me. I met her gaze head-on, determined to stand by my answer, even though I knew it was hard to believe.

 But no one warned me that Ma'am doesn't blink during a staring contest. My eyes were practically drying out from trying to match her.

My suffering finally ended when Kuya Angelo approached us to call me over. He said goodbye, and so did I. The last person I bid farewell to was Yuri, who smiled sweetly at me.

Yuri...

I forced myself to return his smile before turning my back on him. I got into Kuya's car, and we stayed silent during the drive. I almost fell asleep if it weren't for the honking of the vehicles around us.

The car stopped briefly at a red light. Through the window, I caught sight of Yuri's building in the distance. Even from afar, I could still see the black smoke rising from it. It was probably all over the news since the building was in the business district, clearly visible to everyone.

I couldn't get the paper out of my mind and why it was in Yuri's possession. The thought kept running through my head that he might have some kind of plan, but I didn't want to believe that. They had been friends for a long long time. Out of the four of them, theirs was the only remaining friendship. If Keifer couldn't bring himself to doubt him, then I knew I shouldn't either.

"Your silence is starting to bother me. Let me know if you're hungry; there are plenty of drive-thrus around here," Kuya said, napping me out of my thoughts.

Wide awake now.

"Just a burger, maybe three," I replied, and I heard him chuckle softly.

The car moved forward and turned into the nearest fast-food drive-thru. He quickly placed the order and lined up for pickup.

My mind wandered to Kuya's side hustles. What if he knows something I don't? What if he and Yuri are in on this together? I know so little about what Kuya does—so much that every new detail I learn still catches me off guard. Including the fact that he carries a gun.

Bang. Bang.

Sir wanted me to tell Kuya the truth. I don't know the real reason, but could it be that he can help Keifer? And if he can help Keifer, could he also help Yuri? Do I trust Kuya enough to tell him?

"Kuya…" I called his attention, and he looked at me. "What if someone close to you tried to take your life?"

I saw a smile creep onto his lips. "I will personally congratulate and thank them."

Why so arrogant?

I don't get what he meant. Why would he congratulate and thank someone who was trying to kill him? It was like he was daring them to try.

"Eh? Someone would try to kill you, and you'd congratulate them?"

He gave me a cocky smile. "Because they chose to die by my hands."

Well, right. Who in their right mind would even try to take him on? Just his look was intimidating enough —imagine facing him head-on. No wonder he's so smug.

Kuya Angelo, indeed.

He grabbed our order and handed mine to me—burgers, fries, and ice cream—while he only took a soft drink, probably still full. I happily dug into the food, even though we'd just eaten at Ma'am Cindy's earlier. No way I'm wasting this though.

We arrived home just as Aries pulled up in his new car — a car I was tempted to scratch just like his face. As soon as I got out, I went straight inside and into my room, still carrying the leftover food Kuya had bought me.

"Where have you been, Angelo? I thought you were coming right back after dropping Jay-Jay off," I heard Tita ask.

I didn't catch his reply as I shut my door behind me. I finished off the food first, then pulled out the crumpled note I'd hidden earlier, smoothing it out on my study table.

I exhaled deeply.

In my hands was proof that someone wanted to take Keifer's life, and the painful part—it came from his best friend. My legs gave out, and I sank onto my bed. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to talk to Yuri about it, but what if she doesn't tell me the truth again?

This is so messed up.

I couldn't ask anyone for help because I knew the issue would blow up, and it might just be a huge mistake. Yuri would be the one implicated if that happened. He was already going through so much, I didn't want to add to it.

I could tell Keifer about this, but what if he thought differently? What if he got angry at his friend, and it started a rift between them? I saw only one solution for now: to keep an eye on Yuri and wait for a chance to get him to confess.

I grabbed my phone from my bag and sent Yuri a message, checking on him and letting him know I was home. I stared at my inbox for a moment when I noticed Keifer's unread text—complete with a heart emoji and a smiling face.

I felt even weaker as I recalled his smiles at me. His teasing, his affectionate — no, clingy — ways. His playfullness and our small small bickerings. All the shit load of chaos that happened between us. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face, quiet sobs escalating into full-blown wails at the thought of losing him.

I heard a knock on the door, and it opened.

"Jay, can we — what's wrong?" Aries asked as he saw me.

He closed the door and approached me.

"It's Keifer! Aries! I'm going to lose him!"

He quickly hugged me. "Lose him? Is he leaving? Is he abandoning you?"

"No! Someone wants to kill him!" I sobbed. "I'm scared, Aries!" I cried as I hugged him back.

"N-no… hush now. That won't happen. You know him, right?"

"I'm still scared! I love him! I don't want to lose him!"

He held me tighter, rubbing my back in comfort — but it only made me cry harder.

"Sshh… He won't let himself to just disappear that easily. He's not one to back down or lose," he said, trying to soothe me. "So you shouldn't think like that—it's like saying you don't trust his abilities."

"But how can I not be scared? We're talking about his life here."

He pulled away from the hug and immediately wiped my face, seeing my tears and runny nose.

"He'll come up with a plan. He won't let himself be taken from you. So stop crying — you look ugly when you cry."

I lightly hit him, and he just laughed. He really was good at predicting people's fate. He immediately guessed what Keifer would do in situations like this.

Yes, horoscope of the day.

I forced myself to calm down and wiped my face. He was right. That guy wouldn't let himself lose, and he wouldn't allow himself to just disappear like that.

"Where'd you even get the idea that someone wants him dead?" he asked.

I stared at him, thinking carefully about whether I should trust him with this or not. He had so many secrets from me — so many things he hadn't told me — so it was hard to trust him. But on the bright side, he was really good at keeping secrets.

Incredibly good.

I took the paper from my desk and handed it to him. He looked curiously at the Japanese characters written on it. But it was clear to him that the paper was about Keifer because of his name and photo.

"They say it's a list of people to be killed," I said, about to cry again — but his next words stopped me.

"This is Hanamitchi's symbol," he said, staring at the mark at the bottom of the paper.

I quickly grabbed the paper back and looked at it too. The symbol was faint and red. It looked like the letter 'A' without the middle line — or more like two lines forming a mountain shape. But those weren't just lines. Two swords. Inside a circle.

"This isn't theirs. I've seen their real family symbol at their house."

"It is theirs. I know this stands for 'Ha'—the first syllable of their surname. But only certain members of their family use it."

"Then why would it be on this—?" I cut myself off when I realized—he already understood.

He immediately snatched the paper from me and was about to rush out of my room, but I quickly blocked his way.

"Jay! You're about to involve yourself in more trouble!" he scolded.

"You don't understand!"

"This came from Yuri's family! You have no business getting involved!" His tone carried a hint of pleading.

"But this is about Keifer!" I pleaded.

"I told you — Keifer can handle himself. Please don't get involved."

Frustrated and weak-kneed, I slumped onto the floor. Why couldn't he understand? The life of someone important to me is at stake here. And Yuri's name could be dragged as well—this could ruin him. I know Aries would do the same if it were Ella in danger.

Probably worse.

He sat on the floor too and gently turned me to face him. "Leave this to Kuya. They'll find a way to handle it."

"What about Yuri? He's in danger too. Two lives are on the line here. Please…" I begged, holding one of his hand.

He looked at me, and I begged even more. I didn't know what was going through his mind, but I hoped he'd listen. He let out a deep sigh before handing the paper back to me. "I'll leave it to you, but it would be best if you told Kuya."

I quickly took the paper from his hand and smoothed it out before facing Aries again.

"Please, don't tell Kuya Angelo anything," I pleaded.

He sighed. "I can't promise. But you need to tell Kuya as soon as possible."

I nodded. "I'll try to tell Kuya Angelo."

He looked at me with pity in his eyes. I quickly pulled myself together because I didn't want him to think I was neglecting myself because of my worries. I still look good, right?

"Please, Jay. Listen to me. Let Kuya and the others handle this," he pleaded, pulling me into a hug." he pleaded and pulled me into a hug. "How many more times do you have to get hurt just to stop?"

"I don't know. But I won't stop for the people who matter to me."

He chuckled softly. "Of course. You wouldn't be Jay-Jay if you weren't so stubborn."

"And you wouldn't be Aries if you didn't predict the future."

He laughed out loud. "Don't be mad at me anymore."

I poked him in the side. He groaned loudly but still kept his arms around me.

"You didn't even say sorry, and you haven't made up for it."

He took a deep breath and let go of the hug. "Okay. I'm really sorry for hiding things from you. I won't explain why because it's pointless, but I want you to know I want to make it up to you."

My face lit up. "How?"

"I'll convince your mother to let you meet our Dad."

"First of all, our mother, and second, he's only my dad," I corrected, but he just shrugged.

I like the way he's going to make up. He's going to help me.