JAY'S POV
My head was still spinning like it had just run a 500-kilometer marathon. Even after taking medicine and drinking two cups of coffee, I still didn't feel any better. And it wasn't only because of the alcohol. It was because of yesterday.
Those words were still echoing inside my mind.
"He is engaged."
I kept trying to convince myself that it was only a family arrangement. That he was trapped there the same way I once was with Yuri. Maybe he would break it off. Maybe he would come back. But no matter how much I tried to comfort myself, the pain remained.
And so did the questions I was terrified to answer.
"What if he doesn't break the engagement?"
"What if he never comes back?"
"What if he doesn't love me anymore?"
"What if he already forgot me?"
Maybe that was why he never contacted me even once. I didn't even realize tears were already falling down my cheeks.
"Why? Why was I the one suffering? Don't I deserve love too? What was my mistake? Was it wrong that even after everything, I still believed he would come back for me?"
I didn't stop myself from crying. I just let the tears fall. After a while—maybe thirty minutes, maybe more—I finally wiped my face and took a deep breath.
"Get a grip, Jay-Jay," I whispered to myself. "You're not weak anymore."
I needed a distraction.
So I decided to go to school. Maybe being around everyone would stop me from thinking about him for a while. I took a long cold shower to clear my mind, got dressed in my uniform, and stood in front of the mirror. I looked better now. But my eyes were still red and swollen from crying.
"At least I look like a student now," I muttered bitterly, "instead of a broken girl crying over someone who probably doesn't even care anymore."
I grabbed my bag, got inside the car, and drove toward school while blasting loud music through the speakers. Right now, I didn't want silence. Because silence meant thinking. And thinking meant him.
I finally reached school and headed toward the main building since Section E had already transferred there while our old building was under renovation.
I was about to enter the classroom when I suddenly stopped. It was too quiet. There was no chaos. No shouting. No loud laughter. Only voices. Serious voices. Like they were discussing the start of World War III.
Curiosity immediately got the better of me, so I quietly placed my ear against the door.
"She still hasn't come to school. Is she alright?"
"Why don't we visit her house?"
"But she's still angry at us. I don't think she wants to see us." That was David.
"I miss our mutya so much."
"We all do." Calix.
"If we had just agreed to the plan, none of this would've happened. We really broke her trust… didn't we?"
"But that doesn't mean we should give up," Felix voice said firmly. "We should still try so she can give us a second chance."
"Yes, but what should we do? Should we write apology letters like Calix did?"
"I don't think that'll work," Calix sighed. "She never replied. She probably tore mine apart."
"Well, we should bring her food. She's a foodie."
"You know what she did last time? She threw the pancakes away. This time she might smash the plate on our heads." That was Drew. I couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped my lips.
"No! We'll bring lechon this time. She loves lechon. She won't refuse that. And I'll personally cook it for her."
Eman.
"Then I'll bake her a chocolate cake."
Kit.
"And I'll bring sushi. She loves sushi."
Yuri.
"Hey, I'm joining too!"
"Me too!"
Hearing them talk like that made my chest ache. Even after the way I treated them… they were still trying. Still waiting for me. Still hoping I would forgive them. Maybe I should give them a second chance.
After all, it was Keifer's plan, not theirs. And I knew none of them could really go against him. I didn't even know if Keifer was coming back or not. So why should I let my friends suffer because of his stupidity?
I took a deep breath, quickly wiped the tears that escaped again, and finally opened the classroom door.
The moment they saw me, their faces instantly lit up with genuine happiness. Like kids who had just won the lottery. Before I could even react, Ci-N practically launched himself at me and wrapped his arms around me tightly.
"Ateeeee! I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Ci," I laughed. "Now let go before you crush my bones."
He immediately stepped back.
"We missed you, Jay."
David spoke softly, almost nervously, as if he was scared of my answer. I smiled at them.
"I missed you all too."
The shock on their faces was priceless. And honestly? Kind of adorable.
"But," I said seriously, "I still have one important thing to tell you all."
Their expressions immediately turned nervous again.
"What happened, Jay-Jay?" Yuri asked worriedly. "Is everything okay?"
"Well…" I crossed my arms dramatically. After everything… I continued, "I suffered a lot because of you all, so I decided to—"
Their faces immediately fell. God. I couldn't hold it anymore. I burst into a smile.
"I forgive you all."
For a second, nobody moved. They just stared at me like I had suddenly announced aliens were real.
"Jay-Jay…" Felix spoke carefully. "Are you serious? You really forgave us?"
"I did," I answered softly. "What you did hurt me, but I can see how much you regret it. So I'm giving you all a second chance."
Before I could say anything else, they all pulled me into a tight group hug. And honestly… For the first time in days… I felt lighter. Like a huge weight had finally been lifted from my chest.
"Thank you, Jay-Jay!" they shouted together.
I grinned.
"Thank you isn't enough. I want lechon as compensation. And chocolate cake. Sushi too."
Yuri laughed loudly.
"We'll give you a whole buffet of your favorite foods."
We were still celebrating when Ma'am Cindy entered the classroom. Everyone quickly returned to their seats. This time, instead of sitting alone in the corner, I sat between Ci-N and David like I used to before everything happened.
And somehow…
It felt right. The entire day passed in a blur. We talked nonstop like we hadn't seen each other in years. They told me how students and even teachers had started treating them nicely now.
We all ate together in the cafeteria too.
And honestly? Coming to school today might've been the best decision I made. It was already the last period of the day, and since the teacher was absent, everyone was doing their own thing.
David was sleeping as usual.
Ci-N disappeared somewhere.
The boys were busy planning my "forgiveness buffet" while threatening me not to interfere because they wanted it to be a surprise.
So I decided to check my phone. There were a few messages from GagonBaliw. I opened the chat.
FROM: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Are you feeling well?
FROM: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : I miss you so much, my queen.
FROM: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : I'll come meet you soon.
Sometimes I genuinely felt like this guy was mentally unstable.
My queen?
What the hell?
I quickly typed back.
TO: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : I'm perfectly fine. Why are you even asking?
TO: GagonBaliw
MEASSGE : And I am NOT your queen, so stop calling me that.
TO: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Also, I don't want to meet you.
He replied instantly.
FROM: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Because you were drinking last night when I called. You probably have a headache.
FROM: GagonBaliw
MEASSGE : And for me, you are my queen. I'm excited to meet you.
I rolled my eyes.
TO: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Yeah, I was drinking. But I'm fine now. Thanks for asking.
TO: GagonBaliw
MEASSGE : Still not allowing you to call me your queen.
TO: GagonBaliw
MEASSGE : My love life is already a mess because of Keifer Watson, so don't make it worse.
After that, he stopped replying. Maybe he got busy. Or maybe he finally realized how weird he sounded. I exited the chat and accidentally opened my gallery instead.
Empty.
Completely empty.
That's when I remembered throwing my old phone at Keifer. All my data was gone. My playlists. Pictures with Section E. Photos with my family. Everything.
I didn't realize I had been staring blankly at the screen until Edrix suddenly spoke beside me.
"Hoy, Jay-Jay. Why are you staring at your phone like someone died?"
"Nothing," I sighed. "It just feels empty. I lost all my data when I broke my previous phone."
Edrix looked offended.
"Seriously? Do you think I'm invisible?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"I'm Edrix Knight. The king of hacking," he declared proudly. "I can easily recover your old phone data."
My eyes widened instantly.
"Really?!"
"Of course," he smirked. "Just wait until tomorrow morning."
I nearly hugged him.
"Thank you so much, Edrix!"
"No need for thanks, Jay-Jay. Think of it as a small gift."
After talking for a little while longer, the final bell rang. We all left the classroom together. I got inside my car, buckled my seatbelt, and was about to start driving when my phone buzzed again.
Another message from GagonBaliw.
I opened it.
And froze. It was a picture of Keifer. Wearing a black suit. The photo was taken from behind, but I recognized him instantly. Beside him stood a girl. Too close to him. Uncomfortably close. Probably his fiancée.
Below the picture was a message.
FROM: GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Is it him?
TO : GagonBaliw
MEASSAGE : Do you know him?
Even though the answer was obvious… I still replied.
FROM : GagonBaliw
MESSAGE : Yeah. He's standing right in front of me.
I instantly locked my phone. I couldn't look at the picture anymore. Because it hurt. It only proved that while I was here drowning in pain… Keifer was already living his life without me. Maybe I truly wasn't important to him anymore.
Honestly, I wanted to move on.
But I couldn't. Because I didn't just love him. I devoted myself to him. That's why it hurt this much. Still… I knew one day I would heal.
"I'll move on from you," I whispered quietly. "Even if it takes time… I will."
And then I drove home. The moment I reached home, I collapsed onto my bed from exhaustion. A few minutes later, Ate Maya called me downstairs.
"Jay-Jay, come downstairs."
"Coming," I groaned into my pillow before finally dragging myself up.
When I entered the living room, Ate Maya and Kuya Cris were already sitting there. And judging by their expressions…
I was definitely in trouble.
"What happened?" I asked carefully.
Kuya stared at me.
"You're asking us that?"
His voice was filled with frustration.
"Do you know how worried we were about you?"
"Cris ,Calm Down."
"How could I calm down, Maya?" he snapped. "I found her unconscious on the beach after drinking almost fifteen bottles! And she still knows someone out there could kidnap her anytime!"
I lowered my head. Because they were right. I had been reckless. I made them worry so much. And now I felt horrible. Without saying another word, I walked toward Kuya and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry, Kuya," I whispered. "I promise I won't do it again."
His arms immediately wrapped around me.
"I'm just worried about you, Jay-Jay," he said softly. "You're my only sister. I can't lose you."
My chest tightened painfully.
"I promise," I whispered again. "I won't do it again."