Jay-Jay's POV
I spent the entire night thinking about the Snakes and Keifer. I stayed up so late that I only went to bed at 4 a.m. And the result? I'm exhausted!
Young, damn, and broke…
I kept humming the song while twisting my body in frustration.
"Jay... eat now. You might be late," Aunt Gema said.
I simply sat there, eyes half-closed, feeling dazed. I thought I was imagining things until I suddenly felt something in my mouth. Startled, I opened my eyes wide and realized there was a piece of bread in my mouth.
"Who put this here?" I asked while chewing.
Too bad! It's already in my mouth.
Kuya Angelo and Aries burst into laughter. I shot them both a deadly glare.
"Don't stay up so late. That way, you won't trip over the table," Kuya scolded.
Did I want to stay up? No! I was just thinking about what to do with the Snakes. And, of course, their demonic King.
I ate in silence, not wanting to waste any more time. Aries was almost done, so I hurried to finish my food as well. I barely chewed—just swallowed when necessary.
As soon as Aries stood up, I did too. But before I could leave the table, Kuya called out to me. I turned to face him.
"What?" I asked, frowning.
He gave me a strange look, as if observing me closely, like he had something important to say but couldn't quite find the words.
"Nothing… just be careful," he finally said before going back to what he was doing.
What?!
Though surprised, I chose to ignore it and went to my room to take a shower. Maybe Kuya was just sleep-deprived too.
Just as I was about to enter the bathroom, my phone rang. A text. I picked it up from my bed.
It was just the usual—messages from Yuri and Gagong Baliw. The President of the Shunga Lovers Club had simply greeted me with a Good Morning. But one message stood out…
📩
From: Gagong Baliw
Message: I am loving you more each day!
I cringed. Here we go again. He's probably sleep-deprived, just like me. I chose not to reply.
Lately, no matter how many times he texts me, I never reply. Not because I don't have enough load—charot!—but because I just don't feel like it. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out who he really is.
Once I find out, I swear I'll throw a shoe at his face.
Shaking my head, I continued my shower, speeding up because I could feel the weight of time pressing on me. My horoscope today carries my destiny, after all.
I wasn't wrong. Just as I was getting dressed, I heard my name being shouted from outside my door.
"Hurry up, Jay! You're so slow!"
"Hold on!" I shouted back.
Men hardly take any time to get ready! Aries probably just took a quick splash of water and left the bathroom. Maybe a spritz of cologne to make it seem like he actually showered.
In my rush, I finally noticed my socks were mismatched. But I didn't bother changing them—I didn't have time to search for a matching pair. Hopefully, no one would notice.
I dashed out of my room and into the living room, where Aries was searching for something in his pocket.
"My keys!" he muttered.
"Wait!" he snapped, clearly irritated. "Just relax."
Wow. So now I have to be patient, but when I take my time, it's a crime?
"Found it," he finally said, holding up his phone. "Let's go! You're so slow!"
Wow, really? The irony!
I just poked him in the arm while following him outside. I didn't want to argue—it would only ruin my day.
I kept my horoscope in mind. Aries holds my fate today. I just hope it gives me some advice about my problems.
Quietly, I got into his car, and so did he. I would've liked to sleep, but the constant honking of cars around us made it impossible.
Yes! You, with the car horn—we hear you!
It's like now I regret ever thinking about that fate. Why do I have to suffer like this? Why do you have to torture me? You snake! SNAKE!
But somehow, I gained something from staying awake. Aside from my eye bags, I decided to become a K-pop idol—charot! It's hard to function without sleep, dude. SLEEP!
I decided to forgive the snakes. Yes! I will forgive them. Pabebe days are over; they are no longer fashionable. It's time to forgive and forget.
I know it's only a few months before we learn the truth, but I think a few days are enough for me to make them feel the pain of what they did. I know they are sorry, even if it's not obvious to the rest of them.
What should I expect? They're Ulupongs.
It's really hard to function without sleep! My brain is speaking English even when it's not necessary.
It didn't take long before we arrived at the school. After parking the car, I was about to get out when I noticed my brother looking for something again.
"Why? What are you looking for?" I asked.
"Did you see where I dropped my cellphone?"
That old cell phone.
"No. It might have fallen under your seat," I said, pointing beneath it.
He tried to reach under his seat. After a few moments, he raised his hand, holding his cellphone.
"You're so stupid!" I said, annoyed, before getting out.
I didn't wait for his response because I knew he'd try to say something back. I didn't give him the chance. If I did, I might end up swearing. I can't afford that today.
Jusme! Not happening. I have a good plan for today!
While walking, I spotted Yuri not far away. I ran to him and hugged him. He was surprised at first, but his face lit up when he saw me.
"Good morning," I greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning to you too. Looks like someone's in a good mood today," he said, smiling. "...Care to tell me why?"
I let go of his arm and walked beside him. Holding the strap of my backpack, I smiled brightly.
"Because... I'm ready to forgive the Serpents," I answered.
He stopped and stared at me before breaking into a wide grin. "You're saying that... shit! This is good news. They'll be happy when they find out!"
He was about to run to the auditorium when I stopped him, gripping his arm tightly. He looked surprised.
"W-why?" he asked.
"Just wait! Don't worry!" I said before letting him go. "...I need some time before telling them."
He nodded. "Okay. You must have a plan, right?"
I raised a finger, ready to respond with a confident "Yes!"—but then I realized something.
What exactly is my plan?
Matsing's son! I'm so tired that I forgot. Even my plan disappeared from my mind. That's right! I stayed awake thinking about it, and now—gone.
I forced a smile at him. "There is… maybe?"
His face quickly filled with doubt. "Seriously, Jay?"
"That's it! It's hard to explain! My mind is a mess because I haven't slept."
He nodded, accepting my answer. We walked together toward the auditorium, where our classroom was. Hayzt! When can we finally get out of here?
"Hello, Jay!" Ci greeted me.
I noticed he seemed okay, almost like his old self. Maybe he's not thinking too much about what happened to his cousin. Or maybe he's just keeping it to himself.
I'll talk to him about it someday. It's hard when you have no one to confide in about your pain. I speak from experience.
"How are you?" I asked as I approached.
I glanced at Kit and Mayo. Eren and Josh were still with them, but this time, other Ulupongs like Rory and Edrix had joined the conversation.
They were talking like before. That was a good sign that things were getting better between them and Kit and Mayo. But of course, not everything was back to normal. Drew, for example, was still talking separately with Denzel.
"Jay... why are your socks mismatched?" Felix pointed at my feet with wide eyes.
I thought it wasn't that obvious. Another Ulupong, who was close to us, looked at my socks.
"Maybe she's still sleepy," David said, laughing a little.
"Closed eyes while looking for socks." Fueled by Ci-N.
I fell in love with them. They really have the power to tease. It's nice to be hit by a shoe when you're blooming. I'll feed them my socks later.
I saw Yuri smiling at me. His smile was strange, as if saying, I know something. I just fell in love with him.
I don't know how to find the right time to say what I want to say. But I know now isn't the time, especially since I can see Sir Alvin approaching us.
We each returned to our places. I couldn't stop myself from looking at them all. It felt like my stomach was tickling with excitement.
I'm so excited!
I think everyone is here—except for their pest of a King. Haizt! You're such a skinny guy! I'll hit you when we meet again. I'll never be afraid like that again. Just wait! I'll pull the hair out of your nose!
"Mariano?" Sir Alvin suddenly called my name.
What?!
"Nose hair, Sir," I blurted out without thinking.
The Ulupongs burst into loud laughter, led, of course, by the biggest bullies. Even Sir laughed while shaking his head.
"It's attendance," Yuri said.
I scratched my head in frustration. Bad trip! How was I supposed to know?! I was deep in thought, Sir. You're such a distraction.
"Market," Sir called out next.
Drew quickly responded, "Nose hair!"
Oh, Gaga! Here they go again!
"Peñaflor!"
"Nose hair!"
This is their thing now! They've replaced present with nose hair. They're all unbelievable!
"Peralta!"
"Lots of nose hair!"
The Ulupongs kept laughing at every answer. I just bowed my head while snorting in frustration. This is insane!
"Ramos!"
"Nose hair!"
I noticed Yuri laughing nonstop beside me. If he doesn't stop, I swear I'll punch him in the stomach.
"Venites!"
"Nose hair!"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I couldn't take their teasing anymore.
"Ahhh! Stop it already!" I said, almost in tears.
They only laughed harder, clearly enjoying how annoyed I was.
The attendance finally ended, and Sir Alvin started teaching. He had my full attention now—he might call on me again, and who knows what I might accidentally say next.
Maybe hair again.
Our class with Sir ended, and I decided it was time to put my plan into action. I didn't really have a proper plan on how to tell them that I forgave them, but I figured I'd start somewhere.
I stood up from my seat and walked around like I was campaigning. I played with the edge of my sleeve as I moved.
I didn't realize Josh was about to stand up from his seat. Without meaning to, I swung my hand and accidentally hit his face.
"Ouch!" he shouted, immediately sitting back down.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't see you!" I panicked, holding the spot on his face where I hit him.
"Look at that! Jay kicked Josh!" Eren said, pretending to be scared.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't know he was going to stand up!" I explained.
"You meant it. I saw it," Felix teased, making me shoot him a glare.
"That's because Josh holds a grudge," Blaster added fuel to the fire.
Wow, what a big help you are.
I just fell on my forehead. It's really hard to talk to these snakes. Instead of helping me, they're making the situation worse.
"I'm fine, Jay," Josh said as he stood up. "...Be careful next time."
He turned his back on me and walked away. I was left with no choice but to return to my place and sit down, hugging my knees.
So frustrating! So frustrating! SO FRUSTRATING! How should I handle this? Should I just shout? I stood up from my seat again.
"HEY! SNAKES!" I shouted while still holding my waist.
The troublemakers turned to me, looking surprised.
"What?" Young Snake asked innocently.
I was suddenly taken aback by their stares. My tongue retracted, and I forgot what I was about to say.
"Uh... The weather is nice today, isn't it?" I said, scratching the back of my neck.
They continued staring at me, blinking. Suddenly, Ci-N stood up, grinning widely.
"The weather is really nice, but it just got even better!" he exclaimed before running off.
I turned to see who he ran toward and spotted Rakki approaching with a stack of papers in her hands. Ci-N stopped not far from where I was standing, raising both hands as if expecting a hug.
I could clearly see Rakki grimacing and dodging him like he had the plague. Instead, Rakki came straight toward us and smiled at me.
"How are you?" She greeted.
"I'm fine. You?"
"I'm good... and I have great news for you," she said, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.
"What is it?"
"Is it free food?"
"Did someone give us money?"
The snakes grew curious and gathered around us, nearly knocking me over with their sudden excitement.
"Can you all back off for a second?" Rakki said irritably.
"Just tell us the good news," David demanded.
Rakki sighed, adjusting the papers in her hands. Meanwhile, I noticed that Ci-N still had his arms raised and was grinning. How long is he going to stay like that?
"Close your mouth. It might start smelling," Rory told him.
But Ci-N ignored him. We all just let him be—arguing with him would be a waste of energy.
"Here..." Rakki finally said, holding up a paper full of signatures.
I was about to read it, but the snakes swarmed around me, practically burying my face into Rakki.
"Look! Look!"
"Read it! I can't see!"
"Don't! You can't read anyway!"
"What is that? A land title?"
"Damn it!" I complained.
Rakki seemed just as fed up with them. She pulled the paper back and glared at the troublemakers.
"You guys are such a mess!" She snapped. "...This is a permit signed by the Board members and the Principal."
"A permit? For what?" I asked.
"It's a permit allowing you to use one of the vacant rooms in the main building," she explained. "...So, grab your things and move."
"YOOOOOOON!" The troublemakers erupted into loud cheers.
My eardrums felt like they were about to burst. Even Rakki covered her ears. Everyone quickly grabbed their equipment. Since Ci-N still hadn't moved from where he stood, I picked up his things. Just then, Josh arrived, and the situation was explained to him.
"Seriously, Ci? Is this how you are?" Rakki asked.
"Hug me," Ci-N whined.
Rakki and I looked at each other as if we were thinking the same thing about young Snake.
He was no longer himself.
"I hope you hug me," he said before walking away.
I forced Ci's hands down and handed him his bag.
"Come on... You can ask for a hug later," I said, pulling him along.
We followed Rakki to the main building. We passed by people who looked at us with curiosity, but we paid them no attention.
"At least we finally have a proper classroom to use," Denzel said.
Truly...
It was hard sitting on the floor, using our legs as tables to write on. It made them tingle and go numb.
Rakki led us to the fourth floor of the main building. We walked to the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a door.
The excited murmurs of our group were like a snake's hum—restless, eager. They kept smiling and shifting around, barely able to contain their excitement.
And who wouldn't be?
Even I was excited. A new room with proper facilities! We had put up with those outdated tables in our old classroom for far too long.
Still, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. As old as they were, those tables had witnessed everything—our fights, our laughter, and everything in between.
"Are you ready?" Rakki asked.
We were all about to answer when Ci suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I'M READY TO LOVE YOU COMPLETELY!" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear.
I winced. Yeah, he's definitely okay now. Saying stupid things again. Hey… Bow down, Young snake!
"Let's just pretend we didn't hear that," Edrix said, and we all nodded in agreement.
We turned our attention back to Rakki, who was clearly focused on Ci. I could feel it. She shook her head before grabbing the doorknob and turning it. As soon as the door opened, the light from the large window hit me square in the face.
It was as bright as our future in this classroom.I'm blinded! Aaaargghhh...
"How are you?" someone asked.
When I turned to look, I saw Mica holding a broom and a rag. Beside her, Ella stood with a garbage bag.
"Baby!" Calix called out as he rushed to his girlfriend. "…Why are you here? Why are you holding that? You're going to get your hands dirty."
We stepped inside to take a look around. Everything was brand new. The entire room was air-conditioned, and it almost looked like Section A's classroom—except theirs had a flat-screen TV.
"It's fine," Mica replied to Calix. "…We cleaned the room for you."
"You shouldn't have done that. It's embarrassing," I muttered.
"A simple thank you will do," Ella said, crossing her arms.
Ouch…
"T-thank you," I said, looking away.
I glanced at the others. They were all busy finding a place to sit. Meanwhile, Calix was clinging to his girlfriend as if they hadn't seen each other in ten years—despite the fact that he dropped her off every morning.
Those two are really something. It's a relief they're okay now. I honestly thought they'd break up because of me.
I turned back to Rakki and Ella, ready to thank them again. I caught them smiling as they watched the nonsense unfolding in front of them.
"Be patient with those two," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "…And thank you for letting us use the classroom."
They exchanged glances before answering.
"Don't thank me. Mica and I just cleaned up," Ella said.
I looked at Rakki, but she quickly shook her head.
"Don't look at me. I just delivered the news," she said.
News from whom?