Jay-jay's POV
"Hey, Aries."
He ignored me.
"Hey, Aries."
Still no response.
"Hey, Aries."
I saw him lean back in his chair, shoulders rising and falling like he was letting out a deep sigh.
Then he went back to what he was doing.
"Hey, Aries."
I noticed his fist tighten around his pen. He exhaled loudly, clearly annoyed.
He started muttering something I couldn't make out.
He's probably casting a curse on me. Guess demonic tendencies run in the family.
"Hey…" I paused for a second when he leaned back again. "…Aries."
He abruptly stood up and faced me. I immediately rolled myself up in his white blanket to hide, even though I knew he could clearly see where I was.
I looked like a freshly wrapped spring roll at a family gathering.
Here we go! Hide!
"What the hell?! You're seriously getting on my nerves!" he snapped at me.
I didn't respond. I just squirmed around like a worm cut in half, twitching and wriggling.
Suddenly, I felt him push me. I tried to fight back, but it was hard to move wrapped up in the blanket.
It didn't even matter in the end because I reached the edge of the bed.
"Nooo! I'm gonna fall!"
"That's exactly my plan!" he replied and let me fall.
I let out a small yelp when I hit the floor. Even with the thick blanket, I still felt the impact.
I tried to get up and shoot him a glare.
Unbelievable. Taurus definitely wouldn't forgive you for this.
"You're mad now?" he asked, with a threatening tone.
I gave him a sweet smile. "Nope. I'm thrilled, actually."
He turned away and went back to what he was doing.
I struggled out of the blanket and stood up properly. Once free, I tossed it back onto his bed.
I pouted and moved to the edge of the bed near him, sitting down and watching his back.
I wanted to ask him something, but he clearly didn't want to be disturbed.
He's always so focused on studying.
"Hey Ari—"
"The fvck!" he suddenly yelled, slamming his palm on the table. "I give up. What do you want?" he faced me angrily.
Wow! He finally surrendered.
"I just wanted to ask what happened earlier.
How did you talk to the guidance counselor?"
"I talked. Have you ever seen someone have a conversation without talking?" he replied, turning away again.
What the hell kind of answer is that?
Out of frustration, I almost reached out to yank his hair.
Good thing I held back, or we might've ended up fighting.
"What exactly did you say? How did that even get settled like that?" I asked irritably, stomping my foot.
He turned to face me and stared. His expression was so serious that I immediately stopped acting out.
We fell silent for a while as I waited for him to speak.
He sighed. "I asked them if they wanted a Watson to talk to them."
It felt like a tiny hand slapped my heart when I heard his last name.
That's the kind of impact it had.
"A-and what did they say?"
"They said they didn't want to talk too much since everyone's really busy right now. So they agreed to talk to Yuri instead," he explained.
I nodded slowly.
So they were just too lazy to talk. I thought they got scared of that idiot Keifer.
"So that's all?"
"Happy now? Can I continue what I was doing before you interrupted me?"
I stared at him and gave him a wide smile.
"Can I sleep here?"
He shook his head. "No. Go back to your room."
He turned his back on me again.
I pouted as I stood up and went back to my room—but not to follow his order.
I grabbed one of my pillows and my Snorlax plushie.
We're having a sleepover.
I quickly walked back to Aries's room. He turned the moment he heard the door shut behind me.
"I said no." he grumbled.
I ignored him and walked straight to his bed. I fixed the pillows and blankets for our sleeping space. Once I was done, I lay down and smiled at him.
"Goodnight!" I said.
He placed his pen down on the table before getting up and grabbing a pillow.
He looked like he was about to throw it at me, so I quickly shielded my head with my arms and screamed.
"That's gonna hurt!" I shouted, but nothing hit me.
I felt the bed shift and when I peeked, I saw him fixing his own side to sleep on.
I smiled widely.
Couldn't resist, huh?
"Persistent," he muttered, then stood up again and returned to his table.
He grabbed his phone and started typing. Looked like he was texting someone.
He packed up his stuff from the table and came back to the bed, placing his phone down.
"I'm gonna take a shower," he said, then headed to the bathroom.
I immediately snatched his phone.
"Let's play."
"What are you, a kid?" I heard him say.
I ignored him and unlocked the phone.
Still doesn't use a password, huh?
I grimaced when I saw his wallpaper.
It was the two of them, hugging. Ella had a big smile, while my brother just had a faint one—but even so, I could see the sparkle of happiness on his face.
I couldn't tell if they were lying down or if the picture was just tilted and got straightened out before being set as wallpaper.
I couldn't help feeling jealous.
We don't even have a single photo together—not even from when we were kids. It might just be a simple picture for others, but for me, it means a lot. Especially now that he's trying to make it up to me… I really hope we could have even just one picture together.
I moved the phone slightly away when it suddenly started ringing.
Ella was trying to video call him.
"Aries! Your jowabels wants to video call!" I shouted, hoping he'd hear me—but the sound of the shower was louder.
"What?!" he replied.
"Your girlfriend! Video call!" I shouted louder.
"I don't understand you! When Ella calls, answer it! It might be important!"
Oh, so now I should answer it? Fine.
I did as he said. I answered the call, and her flawless face immediately filled the screen.
Unlike mine—my nostrils are always the first thing the camera captures.
That's the thing with pretty girls—their nose always makes the entrance.
["Jay? Why are you holding Aries' phone?"] she asked with a hint of irritation.
"Playing." I answered innocently.
["Can you give the phone to Aries?"]
She ordered.
I shook my head. "He's in the shower. Do you need something?"
I could see the annoyance in her eyes. She was practically rolling them at me non-stop.
Honestly, I wasn't happy with how she was acting toward me.
I've been annoyed at this girl for a while now—I've just been letting things slide.
But I'm not letting go of that time she refused to share food with me before we left the hospital.
You're done for. I'm going to get under your skin.
"Aries is still showering—he's getting ready for our bedtime," I said with a sweet smile.
["Your bedtime?"]
There it is. She's getting close.
"We're sleeping next to each other." I bragged, and I saw her lips slightly part.
["I don't think it's appropriate for the two of you to share a bed. You're a young man and woman—what will people think—"]
"Hey, we're siblings. What's wrong with that?"
["Even so!"] she raised her voice.
Looks like she's really getting irritated now.
I wanted to grin and burst out laughing at her, but I held back so I wouldn't push her over the edge just yet.
This teasing has to be worth it.
"Your mind is so dirty. We're not doing anything inappropriate. We're just going to sleep… cuddled up."
Her irritation finally broke through.
She looked like she was about to reach through the screen and yank my hair.
["You know, Aries had a really long day. He's done a lot, and he needs to rest. Having you there won't help with that."]
Clever move. But I'm even more clever.
"No. I'm going to help him fall asleep. I'll give him a massage. I'll knead his—"
["Oh my God!"]
"—his muscles." I finished, acting confused at her reaction.
"Why are you reacting like that? I'm not going to assault my own brother."
She gave me a sharp look before flashing a fake smile.
["Of course not. Keifer wouldn't like that."]
Oh, damn it.
Why bring up that jerk's name? Doesn't she know that's practically a curse word?
So this is personal now? This girl really doesn't want to lose.
Well, neither do I.
"Even if he doesn't like it, he can't do anything about it." I said, my voice laced with defiance.
"And I don't care about him. You two can go be together for all I care."
["Wow, bold,"] she replied, clearly sarcastic.
"Of course. So don't worry about Aries. I've got him. I'll hug him tight tonight so he won't escape." I said, flashing a wide grin.
She raised an eyebrow briefly, then gave me a sickeningly sweet smile.
It was so sweet, I felt like a swarm of ants might carry her away. Preferably the giant ones.
["Go ahead, hug him. He does toss around a lot in his sleep, unlike Keifer—he hardly moves at all when he's sleeping."]
She even winked.
What?
The hell did she just say? Say that again.
I blinked rapidly for a few seconds.
If I hadn't remembered my plan to annoy her, I probably would've cursed her out already.
["Unlike Keifer, Aries falls asleep quickly when he doesn't have someone to cuddle."] she added.
["Neither of them snores, though."]
Damn.
["But Keifer sleeps more soundly."]
She went on.
This is—
["Both of them prefer sleeping without a shirt."]
—too—
["Keifer just prefers the lights off."]
—much,
["And of course, he never misses a tight hug when he wakes up."]
Ella.
["Oh, and he also likes being kissed awake."] she added.
I had planned to annoy her so I could get back at her for refusing to share food with me.
But it looks like things turned the other way around.
It looks like I'm the one who got annoyed by my own teasing.
["What? Did I say something wrong?"] she asked, pretending to be concerned.
I stared at her intently before blinking again.
I swear, I want to scratch that flawless face of hers. It's like she was born without pores.
"You know what?" I said, and I could see she was waiting for what I'd say next.
"At midnight tonight."
One of her brows rose.
"I'm going to grab Aries'… thing."
Her nostrils flared wide from shock and rage.
["His what?!"]
Just then, I heard the bathroom door open, so I quickly ended the video call.
Aries came out wearing boxer shorts and a blue tank top, towel-drying his hair.
"Grab what?" he asked, looking right at me.
He heard me?
"Did you hear what I was saying earlier?" I asked him back.
He shook his head. "Just the last part. But I didn't really get it."
He tossed the towel into a basket near the bathroom door.
"So, what is it you're going to grab?"
Your thing.
"Your blanket." I said. He frowned for a second.
"Why?"
He just shook his head and ruffled his hair.
He was about to sit on the bed when there was a knock and the door opened.
Aries and I both turned to see who it was.
Oh no… it's Kuya. Did I do something wrong?
"Olah, Kuya!" I greeted.
He frowned when he saw me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm sleeping over."
"Whatever," he replied before facing Aries.
"I need a hand."
Aries nodded and started walking toward him.
I immediately stood up, planning to follow, but Kuya stopped me.
"Just Aries. You stay here and go back to your room. Sleep there. You're just being a nuisance."
He scolded me before turning and walking away.
So rude!
I just grimaced and shook my head. Aries looked at me apologetically before following him.
Left alone, I flopped down on the bed and rolled around.
I only stopped when I accidentally hit Aries' phone.
Looks like he really didn't take it with him.
Which means… the teasing continues.
I quickly grabbed the phone and opened Aries' Messenger.
I was about to message Ella, but I stopped myself—what if Aries sees it and gets mad at me?
He'd curse me for life. That's in the stars.
So I decided to find a good game instead and just play.
I was about to exit Messenger when a new message suddenly came in—from the living, breathing coloring book.
I wasn't planning on paying attention to it…
But I just couldn't understand why the message said:
"I need money."
I frowned.
Is she borrowing money? Why would she ask Aries for that?
Is she really struggling that badly?
I knew this girl was well-off—she had her own car, after all.
Could she be related to Drew?
I just shrugged it off and was about to go ahead with my original plan when another message came in from her.
This time, I couldn't help but read it in full.
'Keifer is not givin…'
The message was cut off.
My fingers itched to tap on her name to see the full message.
But Aries would know I read it.
And Freya would think Aries was online.
I bit my nail as I wrestled with the decision.
Should I read it or not?
Whatever happens, Batman and Robin can deal with it. There are two of them, anyway, for backup.
I tapped on Freya's name, and their entire conversation opened.
I first looked at the most recent message.
Freya:
"Keifer is not giving me money anymore. I'm blaming your cousin-turned-out-sister of yours."
Keifer was giving her money?!
I couldn't understand why the King of All Snakes would give her money.
Sure, it was his money, and I had no right to interfere… but I still couldn't make sense of it.
There was a sharp sting in my chest.
My lips began to tremble, so I bit them.
Even if Aries got mad at me for snooping, I had too many questions that needed answers.
I started reading through their earlier messages.
I tried scrolling all the way back to the start, but it was too far.
Even though their conversations were few and far between—sometimes months apart—it still felt endless.
I didn't stop searching until I found some sort of clue, something—anything—that could explain things.
Freya:
"I have a new car. He gave it to me."
Aries:
"What did you give in return?"
Freya:
"Nothing. He has no right to ask for anything in return."
Aries:
"When will you stop? Cut Keifer off already."
Freya:
"He promised this to me."
I dropped the phone and rubbed my face.
Even her car—Keifer gave that to her?
But why? What promise?
I continued reading their conversation.
Freya:
"She's eww.
Stop talking to her."
Aries:
"Ella hasn't done anything to you."
Freya:
"My new phone—also from Keifer—was delayed because of her!"
Aries:
"Just stop."
Freya:
"She's a silent bitch. I can sense her."
If I'm not mistaken, this must have been around the time Ella transferred to Section A.
Looking at the dates, the gaps between the next messages were huge.
They really only talked once in a blue moon.
Freya:
"You okay? How's your face? Which hurts more?
Keifer or Yuri's fist?
You're really standing by her?
You really went for a classy market girl? She's a freaking social climber."
Aries:
"One more insult,
and I might forget we're friends."
Freya:
"Whatever."
I kept scrolling, searching for more clues, but the answers just seemed to drift further and further away.
Until one message shattered me completely.
Freya:
"I think I'm pregnant."
Aries:
"You let him use you again?"
Freya:
"Jeez. Stop with the word 'use.'"
Aries:
"When will you learn?
Every time you message me about him, I badly want to puke."
Freya:
"It's like you two weren't even friends.
And besides, Keifer said he's ready to support me—financially.
Maybe I should just make him the dad. He'll never say no to me."
Aries:
"Delete your contacts and go to sleep. I'll go with you to the doctor tomorrow."
Freya:
"No need. I can take care of myself."
I could only hold my face in my hands as the tears fell on their own.
I didn't even know why everything I just read felt so heavy.
Even though it wasn't clear if Keifer was the one they were talking about—the possible father—
it still hurt.
It could've been someone else,
because Freya did say "I'll just make him the dad."
But I still didn't get it.
Why is he even getting involved in Freya's mess?
Why is he giving that girl money?
A car? A cellphone?
And Aries knows about all of this?
I wiped my tears and forced myself to calm down.
I checked the date of the message.
If I wasn't mistaken, this was around the time Yuri and I were still engaged—
and Keifer already knew about us.
I couldn't make sense of any of it.
I tried searching if Freya had sent anything else about the pregnancy,
and I finally breathed a little easier when I saw the photo she had sent.
Negative.
Sure, she wasn't pregnant—
but that didn't erase the pain.
It still stung.
It still weighed heavy on my chest.
I was so confused.
What if Freya was the one he really liked all along?
Maybe I was wrong for worrying about Ella, when in truth, it was a different girl he was obsessed with.
I collapsed onto the bed, sobbing.
I was hurting—because none of my questions had answers.
He needed to come back and explain everything.
This needs to end, especially if he never really loved me.
Come back, you jerk, so I can punch you in the face!