JAY-JAY'S POV
Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy are married?
Are they really married? Why? When did it happen? And why wasn't I informed? If I hadn't seen Ma'am Cindy here at Sir's house, I wouldn't have known.
They're married. That means Sir is the real reason why Keiren is here—not because Ma'am and Keifer are close.
"Fix your face," Kuya ordered, noticing my frown.
"I'm just thinking about something," I replied.
"Do you even have a brain?" he suddenly asked.
I clutched my chest, pretending to be hurt and shocked by his question. Too heartbreaking.
"You wound me, brother."
"Are you awake?" I asked, annoyed. "Did someone hurt you?"
"No. But I got into a fight because of your rudeness," he answered, about to ask me something.
I thought for a moment, then remembered the gun he had been holding earlier. That wasn't just any gun.
"Why do you have a gun? Where did you get it?" I asked, firing off questions. He was momentarily stunned.
"I have a lot of sidelines," he answered quickly.
I was about to ask more when an oncoming car caught our attention. Two cars were arriving in a row. I knew the King of Snakes was in one of them, but the other was unfamiliar.
Both cars stopped in front of us. I wasn't mistaken—Keifer was driving the first car. I waited for the driver of the other car to step out, and I was slightly surprised to see Sir Alvin.
He doesn't look like the type to be a fast driver.
"What's with this chaos, Angelo?" Sir asked Kuya.
His tone was different. He didn't sound like Sir Alvin. He sounded strict, as if he was ready to punish someone for answering incorrectly. This was far from the gentle, always-pleading Sir Alvin I knew from school.
I observed him closely while he spoke. His mannerisms and speech were different, but his style of dress remained the same. His posture was slightly hunched, yet his frame seemed taller than Sir Alvin's.
Twins?
Maybe Sir Alvin has a twin brother, and they look alike.
I waited for their conversation to end, but I couldn't take my eyes off Sir. Until finally, he walked closer.
"What's your name?" I asked him.
He gave me a strange look. Kuya and Keifer also seemed surprised by my question.
"You're twins with Sir, aren't you?" I added.
Keifer shook his head, smiling, while Kuya sighed.
"I… I don't have a twin," he answered.
I was dumbfounded. "Then why do you and Sir look exactly alike? Are you his doppelgänger?"
Keifer burst into laughter. "It's not a 'doppelgänger hanger.'"
I realized my mistake.
"Oh, whatever! You're always gone anyway," I said, annoyed. Then, I turned back to Sir. "Brother, don't meet Sir face-to-face. They say if a double and the original meet, one of them dies."
"I'll keep that in mind," Sir replied before walking towards the car where Yuri and the red-haired girl were.
He opened the door and gently shook Yuri, who had fallen asleep during our flight. I peeked inside and was shocked to realize the woman was no longer there.
"Brother Angelo, the girl isn't there," I reported, and he also came to the car.
"Who?" Keifer, who was next to me, asked.
We stepped away from the car, and I started explaining what had happened earlier—how the red-haired woman and I wrestled, fought, and slapped each other. In the middle of my story, I suddenly felt him hug me.
"Oy! Oy! Why?" I asked nervously.
What if Kuya is here?
"Please, don't do that again. Don't get involved in gunfights. You have nothing to defend yourself with. You survived this time, but what if you don't next time?" he said, his voice filled with worry.
"I'm just thinking about Yuri. I can't just sit back and hide in a corner."
"For once, Jay, put yourself first," he said, his tone changing, which irritated me.
I immediately stepped away from him. "If I put myself first, then what about my friends—our friends?"
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Listen, you can ask for help from others. Call the police or someone trained to handle gunfights. That way, you can still help without putting yourself in danger."
I couldn't help but let out my frustration. "Do you think I had time to think about that? I was in a hurry, I was panicking, and my priority was making sure our friend was safe!"
"And if you die, who will prioritize you?"
I was stunned. He had a point. I had been in the middle of a shootout, and it was just Kuya Don and me. Yuri didn't even know where I was. What if I had been hit?
Eddie spoke.
He stepped closer, took both of my hands, and brought them to his lips, kissing them.
Did I even wash my hands after using the toilet?
"You can't blame me for worrying. That's why I left—to make sure you'd be safe. So, please, listen to me."
I nodded slightly. "I can't promise, but I'll try."
"That's good to hear," he said, smiling at me.
He held my hands for a moment longer. I was about to pull away when we heard Kuya calling, and we let go at the same time.
"You two, get inside!" Kuya called as he started walking toward the house.
I scratched my head before following him. I glanced at Sir, who was slightly adjusting the buttons of his clothes.
They really look alike… Sir Alvin and him. What if Sir's brother is actually missing, and they just don't know?
I turned to Keifer. "Why does Sir look exactly like him? I thought they weren't twins?"
He chuckled. "That's Sir Alvin."
"What?"
He nodded. "He just acts differently at school."
I really thought they were two different people.
That made sense—Sir always had a way of surprising us. But he never clarified anything. He just let me believe he was someone else entirely.
Viper, too.
I kept walking, secretly throwing annoyed glances at Sir and muttering weak curses under my breath. I should hit him for this.
As soon as I entered the house, I sat down on the sofa. I had already memorized the entire place from our last visit. Kuya Angelo and I had just gone outside to wait for Keifer.
I thought we were going to talk in the living room, but they kept walking toward the back of the house. I was about to follow when Kuya Angelo blocked my way.
"Stay here. We'll handle this."
"W-wait… Why am I not included?"
He shot me a sharp look. "I said, stay here."
I didn't argue anymore and just let them go. Frustrated, I sat back down on the sofa.
It annoyed me that I wasn't part of their discussion. I wanted to know what Yuri would do next and where he would go. His house on top of the building had burned to ashes—what would happen now?
Where will he live now?
I looked at Ma'am Cindy, who seemed to have just come from the kitchen since she was still wearing an apron. My eyes widened when I saw what was next to her—she was gripping the red-haired girl by the hair. I thought she had already left since she had suddenly disappeared inside the car.
"L-let go," the red-haired girl said.
The mask Ma'am Cindy had been wearing earlier was gone. I could now clearly see her smooth face, and there was no mistaking it—she was the same girl from the mall who had bumped into me and was teased by Yuri.
"Not until you tell me who you are and why you are on my property," Ma'am Cindy said angrily, pushing the woman's face against the wall while holding one of her arms behind her back.
"Where are they?" she asked me.
Shaking, I pointed to the back door. Ma'am Cindy shook her head and dragged the woman outside. I had no choice but to follow them—I needed to see what would happen.
Yes, the spirit of gossip.
They all turned to look at us as soon as we approached. The door slammed loudly behind me when I let go of it.
"Who is that?" Sir Alvin asked Ma'am Cindy.
"I saw her loitering outside," she replied.
Kuya and Yuri turned their attention to me. I didn't know what to say, so I just scratched my head.
"She's with us," Yuri said while looking at the red-haired girl.
Ma'am Cindy was reluctant to let her go, but Kuya Angelo confirmed what Yuri said. The red-haired girl immediately stepped away, glaring at Ma'am Cindy while rubbing the arm that had been restrained earlier.
Their conversation seemed to trail off as they walked inside one by one. Sir Alvin went in first, accompanied by Ma'am Cindy.
"Are you hurt?" Sir asked his wife.
"What's wrong with this? Every time Angelo is here, I have a bad feeling," Ma'am replied.
I couldn't hear what they said next as they had already entered the house. Kuya and Keifer followed them. Just as King was about to approach me, Kuya pulled him by the collar and dragged him inside.
"Hey!" the King of Serpents yelled.
He looked at me as if pleading for help, but I just shrugged.
I was about to go inside when I heard Yuri speaking. I didn't quite understand, as they were talking quietly. It seemed like he was trying to get to know the red-haired girl.
I didn't get it.
Not wanting to disturb them, I decided to turn around and head inside. However, I had barely taken a few steps when someone grabbed my hand. When I turned back, Yuri was facing the woman and slightly pointing at me.
"Y-Yuri?" I called him in shock.
"She was with me that day. You accidentally ran into her," he said while looking at the red-haired girl.
Yuri seemed to be reminding her of our first encounter. The woman stared at me from head to toe, then smirked. I even flashed a peace sign, despite knowing we had been kicking each other earlier.
"I remember," she said, eyeing me up and down before raising an eyebrow.
I smelled trouble. Was this round two?
I stepped slightly closer to Yuri and whispered, "I'm still mad at her. We kicked each other earlier."
He frowned at first but gradually seemed to recall the scene from earlier—right before he knocked the woman unconscious.
"Why did you fight?" he asked innocently.
I immediately pulled my hand away from his grip and hit his arm. He winced and held the spot where I had struck him.
"Why is she in your house? Isn't she an accomplice of those guys who attacked you? Maybe she's a thief too!"
"A thief?"
I stared at Yuri in disbelief. Was he so stressed that he had forgotten the whole thing?
"You were robbed! You caught them, so you shot them! Remember?" I tried to remind him.
He blinked before shaking his head and smiling.
"Y-yes, you're right. Those are thieves," he confirmed, but I still didn't seem convinced.
"Why do you have a gun?"
His smile faded, and he became slightly serious. He glanced at the red-haired girl before looking back at me and smiling again.
"I need it for protection."
I nodded, accepting his answer. "I thought you were just my sideline, like Kuya," I said, offering him a small smile. "But you haven't killed anyone yet, have you?"
He froze for a moment, and I noticed a slight paleness wash over his face. My shy smile disappeared, quickly replaced by worry. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, but it vanished as soon as he smiled sweetly at me.
"Of course not. I only do enough damage to escape," he explained, and I let out a relieved sigh.
Still, I couldn't shake my doubts. I didn't want to push him, but I was struggling to understand what he was trying so hard to hide. I wanted to help him, but how could I if he refused to help himself?
I was slightly startled when I noticed the red-haired girl. She raised an eyebrow as Yuri glanced at her. She must have been annoyed that we were ruining her moment.
"M-maybe we should go inside," I suggested, starting to walk.
I felt Yuri following me. As we entered, I immediately noticed Kuya waiting for us. He gestured for us to follow him into the living room, and we quickly complied. I sat in the corner of the sofa, and Keifer moved to sit beside me—but before he could, Kuya stepped in between us.
"Move," he ordered threateningly.
"Shh," Keifer simply replied, shifting forward to give Kuya space.
If I weren't annoyed with Yuri, I would have laughed at Keifer. He looked like a child who didn't get what he wanted—but at least he knew his place.
You won't win against Kuya Angelo. Hehe.
I looked up to see Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy walking toward us. The couple exchanged a glance before speaking.
"Keifer," Sir Alvin called, addressing the King of Serpents. "Are you taking Keiren home?"
Keifer nodded. "Yeah, it's safe for him to go home now."
Ma'am Cindy didn't seem convinced. She nodded sadly and chose to remain silent beside Sir Alvin.
"As we discussed, Yuri will stay here for a while. We can't say for sure if it's safe for him to leave yet," Sir added—but he was interrupted when the red-haired girl spoke up.
Way to steal the scene. What are you, a VIP?
"Is it okay if I stay here with Yuri?" she asked in hesitant English.
We all turned to Yuri, who looked surprised by the request. We were just as taken aback.
"It's a no. We don't know you, and I don't like strangers staying in my house," Ma'am Cindy responded quickly.
"But Yuri knows me—"
"Wait! I literally just met you today," Yuri interrupted.
He said something in Japanese that none of us understood. The red-haired girl stiffened, showing no reaction at all.
I was impressed when Ma'am Cindy suddenly joined their conversation, responding in Japanese. Yuri looked a little surprised, and after a brief exchange, the red-haired girl quickly agreed to whatever had been decided.
"I'll take them to town so Yuri can grab his things, and that girl can go home," Ma'am Cindy said, pointing at the red-haired woman.
The girl suddenly walked over to me. I was taken aback when she squeezed herself into the corner where I was sitting, forcing Keifer and Kuya to move so we could all fit.
I stared at her in surprise, but she only raised an eyebrow at me. Seriously? Can't you just adjust yourself instead?
Once everything was settled again, Sir Alvin resumed speaking. "Yuri still needs to tell us what's going on," he said. I nodded. "We're not going to get involved in something we don't understand."
Yuri fell silent. It was obvious that he still didn't want to speak, but Sir and Kuya were impatient to hear his answer—and so was I.
"You don't have to get involved in my troubles."
"Don't give us that crap," Keifer replied, annoyed. "You called me for help, which means you can't handle it anymore. If you hadn't dialed the wrong number, I wouldn't even be here."
Yuri took a deep breath and rubbed his face. It was clear he knew he wouldn't win this argument with us.
"Okay, I'll tell you. But not now. Let me rest first, please," he pleaded.
The exhaustion on Yuri's face was evident. I couldn't blame him. The important thing was that he was willing to open up when he was ready.
"Don't force it," Ma'am said. "Let's focus on what we can take care of first."
She had a point.
Sir let out a deep breath. "I'll get his room ready," he said before walking away.
"I'll finish cooking," Ma'am added, turning to Yuri. "Then we'll eat before getting your things."
Yuri nodded in response, and Ma'am headed back to the kitchen.
I couldn't help but notice the girl next to me, who kept pestering me as if I were the source of all her misfortunes.
She nudged me, and her knee bumped against mine. I almost reacted, but Kuya was right next to me. He wouldn't be happy if he found out we were arguing.
Knowing that things would only escalate, I decided to stand up. They both looked at me at the same time.
"I-I'm just going to help Ma'am Cindy," I said as an excuse, even though I had no real intention of doing so.
I just wanted to get away from the red-haired girl. She really needed a haircut. Where were the scissors?
Kuya nodded, giving me permission to leave. I glanced at Keifer, who smirked at me.
"Again?"
"Are you really going to help?" he teased, making me blush.
"Let her be. She's hungry," Kuya answered, and they both laughed.
I sighed and walked toward the kitchen, but before I could reach it, the red-haired girl rushed past me. She got to Ma'am Cindy first and started talking to her.
I suddenly felt like going back to the living room. I had no chance of winning against her.
"Mariano, do you need something?" Ma'am Cindy asked when she saw me standing there, watching them.
"I was hoping to help," I replied.
She nodded and gestured for me to come closer. "Cut these," she said, pointing to the vegetables on the table.
I stepped forward and reached for the knife, but the red-haired girl beat me to it. Ma'am Cindy merely raised an eyebrow before turning back to the stove.
I grabbed a smaller knife and was about to chop an onion when the red-haired girl snatched it away again. I let her be since there was still another onion left to peel and slice.
After the onion, I moved on to the other vegetables—only to realize they were already chopped in half. Everything was done.
I looked at the red-haired girl, who seemed to be racing through the task as if there were some kind of competition.
"Done," she said, finishing up.
I sighed and finished what little remained for me to do. I wanted to ignore her, but I couldn't help but wonder what her deal was.
Was this a contest? What was the prize?
Ma'am Cindy took the prepared ingredients and arranged them by the stove.
"Clean the table," she instructed.
And, as expected, the red-haired girl rushed to do it first. I decided not to bother and just watched her.
There you go—make yourself famous.
Then Ma'am asked for the plates to be set on the table. And, once again, the red-haired girl rushed to do it before I could.
I wanted to laugh.
Because of her, I didn't have to do anything. I was relieved. I had no intention of showing off like she did—especially when there was no reward at the end.
The only thing I didn't understand was why she still seemed to be competing... even with the food.
It was tempting to grab those red strands and pull.