Jay-jay's POV
"WAAAAAT?" Drew screamed right in my face.
I immediately raised my hand, ready to slap him. If David hadn't slightly blocked his arm to stop me, I would've hit his mouth for sure.
"Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy are really married?" Eren asked, almost in tears.
"Yeah, duh" I answered irritably.
"NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" Rory shouted in distress.
"Our future with Ma'am is ruined!" Blaster cried out next.
"She's my crush, you know," Josh said quietly, making me glance at him.
You've got feelings too?
I thought that was all there was to him. If he wasn't snapping at me or picking a fight, he was teasing me. Turns out, he knows how to have a crush too. He's human after all, not a ghost.
Eman just scratched his head while watching our classmates freak out over what they'd just learned.
While we were hanging out outside the house, Ma'am Cindy arrived with Yuri, but the Red Hair Girl was gone. I didn't ask where she was because the ulupongs immediately bombarded Ma'am Cindy with questions about why she was there.
I told them the truth — that Ma'am Cindy and Sir Alvin were married, just like I had found out. They were instantly shocked and clearly couldn't accept what I said. Each of them started dramatically overreacting in their own way.
I already knew they'd had a thing for Ma'am for a long time. Even from my first day in Section E, I could feel it. She was the only reason they were motivated to attend class back then. But it seems these guys got hit way harder than I thought.
"I have a crush on Ma'am too, but I'm not that over-the-top," Calix said, shaking his head.
"Why is it that every crush I have is never meant for me?" Edrix complained.
Maybe there's still hope for a friend.
"You never know…" Rory teased. "You just never know."
I chuckled a little at his comment but quickly hid my smile when I noticed Edrix looking at Rory closely, clearly assessing his friend. Good thing Rory's good at pretending nothing's up.
He really needs to keep it up, or we're doomed.
"Don't worry. I have a crush on Ma'am, but I love you more," I heard Mayo say as he followed Kit, who was completely ignoring him.
"I have a crush on Ma'am too," Ci-N said, raising one hand. "You, David? Do you have a crush on Ma'am too?"
David glanced at us briefly. "I only have one crush. And I have no plans of adding more."
Wow. If only everyone was that loyal to their crush.
I could never do that. Imagine, I have a crush on grilled pork belly, but I also have a crush on roasted chicken. How would I choose? So, to avoid the struggle, I just want them all.
I looked up briefly when I felt someone's hand on my waist, gently pulling me. Keifer was staring straight ahead, his grip on me firm. I followed his gaze, but all I saw was David looking at our classmates.
What's going on?
"When did Ma'am and Sir get married? No one even noticed. Not even the people at school," Felix asked.
"Before they started working at the school. Not sure why they kept it a secret, but it would be best if we respect their decision without prying," Keifer answered, and I nodded in agreement.
Ma'am and Sir must have their reasons for keeping their marriage private. It would be rude of us to keep digging when they clearly didn't want it known. They haven't done anything to violate their marriage either. I've never heard about Sir being too close with any of the female teachers. I've seen some guys approach Ma'am Cindy, but she never seemed interested.
So even if their marriage is a secret, I don't think they have any bad intentions. Maybe they just prefer or need to keep it private.
That actually sounds nice.
It seems kind of exciting to have a secret relationship like that. The only downside is that you'd have to hide your jealousy, as well as your affection, your sweet moments and even your arguments. It's like playing hide-and-seek.
"No! Ma'am Cindy! Why didn't you wait for me?" Drew wailed, even throwing himself on the ground.
I cringed. As if Ma'am would ever go for him—aside from their huge age gap, he's got a ton of debts.
Pay up first.
Suddenly, I thought of Kwanan. If almost all our classmates have a crush on Ma'am, maybe he does too. He once praised Ma'am in front of me, back when I had just joined our section.
It wouldn't be surprising if he also had a crush on her too.
"Keifer," I called out seriously. "Do you also have a crush on Ma'am?"
He quickly shook his head, but Ci-N answered for him.
"Yes, he does. He even has a picture of Ma'am on his phone," Ci-N said innocently.
Oh, excellent.
I kept my eyes off Keifer. "Liar."
Still shaking his head? Hope your neck snaps from all that denial. Someone else had to expose his nonsense.
"I-It's not what you think," he stammered. "Yes, I do have a picture of her, but that's just for contact purposes."
Why would you even need that? Since when do contacts require photos?
"Sure. Contact," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"For real, I add photos to contact information," he added.
"Of course, so you can answer quickly," I teased, and his reaction was like someone caught in the act.
"See? You can't even defend yourself."
He tried to grab my hand, but I stepped back and pulled my hands away. I also heard the soft laughter of David and Felix, who were watching us.
"Don't think of it like that. I had pictures of all of you in my contacts before I changed phones," he explained.
"Mine wasn't there," David chimed in, making Keifer glare at him.
Damn it!
I knew it. There's definitely something going on here. But I can't blame him. Ma'am is gorgeous, with a perfectly shaped body. She's obviously smart and has this cool, badass vibe, like an action heroine. She can also keep up with us students, and I've never seen her lose her temper with us.
Who am I, anyway?
I look embarrassing, clearly too lazy to fix myself up. Too lazy to comb my hair, and I don't even bother with powder or lip tint. Even my uniform is a mess. Add to that my big appetite with a bit of belly. Most of all, my intelligence isn't obvious—it's hidden, right? What chance do I have against Ma'am Cindy, who everyone admires?
Oh well, screw it.
"Go away," I said irritably, shooing him. "Go to your Ma'am Cindy."
Acting all sweet and generous, as if he'd give away an island. Keep your damn island, jerk! Pretending to be worried because I was dodging through a shootout, when he's hiding a photo all along.
"She's not my Ma'am Cindy. She belongs to Sir Alvin."
I was about to curse him out when the door of the house opened, and Sir Alvin stepped out. We all walked toward him, even the Ulupongs, who had been freaking out earlier because of what they found out.
"I appreciate the whole section coming here, but I'll be honest with you — I don't like the idea of my address or house being exposed to the public. So, if possible, let's keep this from spreading to others," he explained, sounding like the Sir Alvin we know from school.
"Your address is safe with us," David assured him, and Sir nodded.
"We're good at keeping secrets. Just like how you kept Ma'am Cindy's status hidden," Blaster said, and I nearly slapped my forehead.
His tone was practically dripping with betrayal, as if he was personally involved in their love life rather than just being their student.
"Don't worry, we're not traitors, unlike you, Sir," Drew piled on with his teasing.
This guy too.
"Do you know how cute you are, Sir? Can I get a hug—around the neck?" Eren said, almost getting a smack from Calix.
Sir just laughed and shook his head. "Some snacks might change your mind. Let's go to the back - Ma'am prepared some merienda."
"You can't bribe us with snacks," Edrix said — but he was already walking into the house.
"What's with the fake act, Rix?" Rory teased, following him.
The rest of the Ulupong went inside, and so did we. I glanced back at Sir and noticed he was staring off into the distance outside, as if checking if someone was out there or watching us. I didn't dwell on it since he'd already said he didn't want their house exposed to the public.
Maybe he's hiding from creditors.
They all went outside where Kuya Angelo had gone earlier to talk. Eman and David went straight to the kitchen to help Ma'am Cindy. I was about to join them when I saw Yuri arranging his belongings. He talked briefly with Kuya, but the moment he saw me, he immediately turned around and walked outside where Sir Alvin was.
I just shrugged off at his reaction and approached Yuri to help.
"Good thing you still have some stuff left even with all that fire," I said, picking up a bag from the floor. "Let me help you."
He smiled at me. "Thanks. Honestly, I was already moving out when they showed up at the house," he said, referring to those who entered into his house. "I'm having a hard time with the house's location."
Is that why his room was empty?
But earlier, he said that thieves broke into their house. Maybe he was in the middle of moving when they tried to rob him, which is why he managed to save his belongings.
"Where's Red Hair Girl?" I asked as I picked up some boxes and envelopes from the floor.
"We left her in the city. She can't stay here." Yuri replied, adjusting what he was carrying before heading toward the second floor.
I followed him, holding the stuff I picked up. "Surprising she agreed to that."
I heard his soft laugh. "You should probably ask Ma'am Cindy how she managed that."
I was about to ask why when I stopped in front of a room. The door was open, and I clearly saw Keiren sleeping soundly. He was wearing pajamas and a white tank top, hugging a mushroom pillow.
This kid's actually so cute. Only when he's asleep, though.
He's incredibly grumpy—like Keifer when I was new to our section. I hope his attitude changes as he grows up; otherwise, he'll have a hard time getting a girlfriend.
I resumed following Yuri. He opened the door to a room and entered. I quickly followed him.
"Just leave them here, Jay. I'll sort them out later," he instructed, and I did as he said.
He turned to get the remaining stuff left near the living room. As I was putting down what I was carrying, the envelopes and papers on top of the box accidentally fell. The contents flew out, and I quickly picked them up.
I froze when I saw a familiar envelope. It looked like the one Yuri and Freya were arguing over when we were at the hospital after Grace gave birth. I bit my lower lip. I shouldn't meddle, but when I saw the contents scattered, I couldn't help myself.
I quickly picked them up and looked.
I was stunned when I saw a paper with a photo of a man. It had a large red circle marked on it. I couldn't read anything because it was written in Japanese. I didn't like the look of the man in the photo. It was clear he wasn't a good person and didn't seem to do anything good for others. I glanced at the bottom and noticed a burn mark.
I looked through the other papers and froze again when I saw the face of Sato, the man who had kidnapped us before. Like the other one, it also had a red circle mark. I was starting to get curious about the meaning of those red circles.
I put the papers back into the envelope since Yuri might come back soon. I placed it back on top of the box.
Just in time, Yuri entered the room, carrying the rest of his stuff.
"That's everything. I'll arrange them later," he said while placing what he was carrying on the bed.
"O-Okay. Let's go downstairs," I invited, and he nodded.
He turned his back on me, and my eyes widened when I spotted a paper at the foot of the bed. I quickly looked away so Yuri wouldn't notice what I was staring at. He started walking, and I followed.
I couldn't stop thinking about that paper. Yuri would find out I had gone through his things. He might think I'm snooping for information.
I'm screwed—nosy much?
I glanced toward the room where Keiren was sleeping. An idea quickly formed in my head.
"Yuri, you go ahead downstairs," I said, making him stop and face me. "I'll just check on Keiren for a sec."
He peeked inside the room before nodding. "Just hurry up, or you might miss out on snacks."
He smiled at me before walking away. I waited until he was completely downstairs before rushing back into the room. I grabbed the paper but froze when I saw the photo attached to it.
"K-Keifer?"
I whispered.
There was no red circle mark, but there were a few English words, so I clearly saw the details. His full name, address, phone number, and other personal information about Keifer. But aside from that, the rest was in Japanese.
I couldn't help but feel anxious. Why did Keifer's face and details appear here? Why wasn't there a red circle? This was the paper was with the other papers in that envelope, but what for? I was dying to know what else was written. I wouldn't be able to rest until I got answers.
Learn Japanese.
That would take too long. There was only one solution I could think of—to ask someone else to read it. Aside from Yuri, the only person I could think of who could read this was Ma'am Cindy.
I folded the paper and hid it in my clothes. I rushed out of the room and down the stairs. I went to the kitchen first, but no one was there, so I headed outside where the others were. I wasn't wrong—Ma'am Cindy was with them.
"Jay-Jay!" Ci called out to me. "Snack time!"
I forced a smile and tried to push away my anxiety. "You probably already ate my share," I joked, pretending.
Turns out, they really did eat my share.
"There's none left, Jay. You took too long," Eman said.
"Did you check on Keiren?" the King of the Snakes asked me.
I couldn't hide my nervousness as I looked at him. I felt the sweat dripping down my face. I quickly wiped it off and nodded in response to his question.
"Yeah, he's still asleep, so I let him be."
He studied my face for a moment. It seemed like he noticed my unease.
"He's probably tired. He was playing PlayStation until dawn," Ma'am Cindy said, drawing our attention. "There's still some snacks inside. Go grab some before they're gone."
I nodded. "Okay, Ma'am."
"I'll come with you," she offered, already walking toward the house.
Perfect. This was my chance to show her the hidden document. I followed silently, taking long strides to keep up.
When we reached the kitchen, I didn't waste any time. I took the paper out and quickly handed it to her.
"Ma'am, I need your help. Can you please read this for me?" I pleaded.
Her eyebrows shot up, but she took the paper anyway. Her sharp expression gradually turned blank as she read.
"Where did you get this?" she asked, her tone laced with anger.
I was about to answer, but I closed my mouth again. I had a bad feeling about this paper. My suspicions only grew stronger because of her reaction. If the contents were bad, Yuri and Keifer could both be in trouble. I couldn't let Ma'am find out, and she might not even tell me the truth.
"Can you just tell me what it says, ma'am?"
My hands were trembling, and I struggled to keep them still. I silently prayed that I was wrong about what I thought the paper was.
"Answer me first," she insisted.
"I-I can't just tell you," I insisted back. "Please just tell me what's on the paper."
"You don't understand—"
"Then help me understand! I'm freaking out right now because that paper has Keifer's face and his personal details on it. I need to know what in it because it might be something serious." I struggled to keep my voice steady, even though I wanted to scream.
I tried to stay calm, but my fear was evident in my voice. I wouldn't get the answers if I acted rashly—I just needed to push Ma'am Cindy to tell me the truth.
"Alright, I'll tell you—but you have to tell me from whom or where you got this paper."
I clenched my fists before nodding in agreement. I was desperate to know.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the kitchen door that led outside the house.
She stopped not far from the door. She looked around before leaning close to me and whispering.
"This..." she said, referring to the paper and holding it up to my face, "...is a hit list."
I covered my mouth in shock. I couldn't even speak.
"It doesn't say who it's from, but it states that the executor can set the price for the job."
I stood there, stunned, unable to process what Ma'am had just said. Keifer was on a hitlist. But why? Who would want that? And the most confusing part—why did Yuri have this list?
Yuri...
What if....no. Impossible. I shouldn't accuse him. They've been friends for years, been through so much together. My thoughts couldn't be right. It's also possible the list isn't even his. Maybe he was just holding onto it or keeping it for someone.
Sato and what he did to us back then came back to my mind. He told me that he committed suicide. So why was he on the list too, like Keifer? I was completely lost.
Yuri wouldn't do this.
"Tell me where you got this?" Ma'am pressed.
I stared at Ma'am. She can't know that it came from Yuri or his stuff. What if he reports it and causes trouble? Yuri already has too many problems and I don't want to add to them. What if I was wrong, and my meddling ended up being the spark that causes disaster?
"I-I picked it up outside earlier... Near Yuri's building." I lied, but she clearly didn't buy my answer.
"Listen here Ms. Mariano. This is a matter of life and death." She said, holding the paper up to me. "Tell me the truth so we can find out who has plans for Watson."
I quickly grabbed the paper, crumpled it, and stuffed it into my pocket. She glared at me and was about to snatch it back when we heard Sir Alvin's voice.
"Cindy? Mariano? What are you two doing out there?" he asked.
"Nothing, Sir," I answered quickly before heading back into the house.
I didn't hear any words from them but I knew Ma'am Cindy wouldn't hide what we talked about from Sir Alvin. I had to make sure they wouldn't find out where I got the paper.
I didn't want Keifer to get hurt, but I also didn't want that to happen to Yuri.
How could I help them?