JAY-JAY'S POV
"THERE IS NO ESCAPE!" I screamed so loudly that I almost choked.
These guys are animals.
"Let's all clean up!" I added before they could reach the door.
"This room is small, and it's already clean," Calix said while glancing at his phone. "Mica is waiting for me."
I pointed a broom at him. "I'll smack you! Flirt later!"
All they wanted to do was escape. You'd think I was sentencing them to death. Calix scratched his head and moved away from the door. I glared at the others, silently ordering them to do the same. Some grabbed rags, and others started sweeping. David picked up the mop and bucket before heading out. I kept a close watch. I felt like a butler in a huge mansion, ensuring no one escaped.
"Hey, Ci-N! Where do you think you're going?" I called out to the young boy.
He was trying to crawl toward the door, thinking his small size would help him go unnoticed. The moment he realized I had caught him, he quickly stood up and shook his head.
"I'm going to follow David," he answered innocently.
"David can handle it. You stay here and wipe the windows," I ordered, pointing at Kit, who was already cleaning them.
"I'm going to follow David," he repeated.
"Don't argue!"
"I'm going to follow David."
"Why?"
"I'm going to follow David."
I shot him a glare. "Do you want to get hurt?"
He shook his head. "I'm going to follow David."
Is this kid a broken record?
"Damn it! Just go already! You sound like a skipping CD!" Felix snapped, pretending to throw a rock wrapped in a rag at him.
Ci-N grinned like he had just won the lottery and bolted out the door. I turned to Felix with a sharp look.
"Why did you let him go?"
"Couldn't you hear him? He kept repeating the same thing!" Felix huffed.
"Are you mad at me?" I asked, matching his tone. I widened my eyes at him.
Felix immediately shook his head and returned to cleaning.
Hmph. That's what I thought.
"There's no escape, huh? Keep cleaning," I said, pointing at Josh, who was sneaking toward the door.
"You tricked us," Drew muttered under his breath.
You little—
"What did you just say?"
He quickly shook his head and cleared his throat. I looked around and realized that someone was missing. I knew David and Ci-N had left, but I hadn't even counted their King. He wasn't in my calculations because he never was.
And I don't want him coming back either.
His birthday is over, and that traitor still hasn't returned. He just left us hanging. London Bridge should've collapsed on him while falling down.
Because of him, I remember the bullet wound in his back, so I'm still being kind. But if it were up to me, I'd blow up every plane from the United Kingdom just to make sure he never returns.
I went back to my headcount. Someone was definitely missing. My attention snapped to the door when Ci-N suddenly barged in, riding the mop like a horse, followed by David, whose hair and clothes were dripping wet.
Did he take a shower or something?
"Are you done sweeping? Here's the mop," David said, dropping the bucket of water and soap.
"HAAAAAAA!" Ci-N yelled, still pretending the mop was a horse.
"Alright! Since you broke it, we'll use your face as a mop!" I scolded him before turning to David. "How's the water? Refreshing bath?"
The others snickered softly. David sighed, clearly trying to contain his frustration. He glanced at Ci-N before looking back at me.
"Do I even need to tell you what he did?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
I burst out laughing. That little brat must have tripped him up again.
"Never mind. Poor you," I said with mock sympathy before turning to Ci-N. I tried to snatch the mop from him.
"It's mine!" he protested.
He refused to let go, but I simply smacked the back of his neck. He groaned and reluctantly handed me the mop—er, I mean, his "horse."
"Can we go home now?" he asked.
I shook my head. "We're not done yet."
"Then why did Eren leave? I saw him go."
I froze.
So that's why I felt like someone was missing.
That bastard escaped!
I nearly snapped the mop in half, but then I remembered we didn't have a replacement. And right now, we had nothing else to clean with. I had no intention of shifting my focus to finding another mop.
"Oh, he didn't leave yet. That's Eren coming back," Ci-N said, pointing outside.
I turned, ready to yell at him, but then I saw something else— A group of angry women was chasing him down.
There seemed to be trouble.
"Hide me!" Eren said, panicking as he looked for a place to hide.
He was about to enter the room but changed his mind. Then, just as he was about to step back, he hesitated and entered the room again—only to change his mind once more. Finally, he decided to hide behind me.
"Get out of there! I might actually feel sorry for you," I said, trying to push him away. But it was too late—the group of angry women chasing him had already stopped in front of us.
"Hey, you!" someone shouted at me.
"Hey, it's me!" I responded in shock.
"Are you that animal's new girlfriend?!"
I quickly shook my head. "N-no, no!"
I noticed more Ulupongs appearing, peeking through the door and window, as if drawn by the commotion.
"What's going on?" Yuri asked, still holding a reed broom.
"Sopiea, what are you doing here?" Drew asked a woman standing nearby.
"Hey, Darlin'!" Rory called out to another woman, but she only glared at him.
"Elyanna Shielo? Why are you here? You don't even study at this school," Kit questioned a girl, but instead of answering, she suddenly started crying.
"Why are they all here? Even Hyacinth's brother showed up," Felix asked Eren, who was still cowering behind me. "And Princess Jane—she's from another school."
"Is that Michaila?" Mayo asked Kit.
I was utterly confused. Most of the girls seemed to know each other, but why were they all targeting Eren?
A suspicion started forming in my mind.
I tried to pull Eren from behind me. "Face them," I ordered. But instead of stepping forward, the shameless guy clung to my arm like a gecko.
"I don't want to… They're going to kill me," he begged, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Babe..." a woman sobbed. "Why did you cheat on me?"
Both Eren and I froze. Slowly, we turned to face the furious girls glaring at him.
"H-hi, Babe," Eren stammered, forcing a smile.
"It's true!" one of the women screamed, triggering a chorus of sobs from the others.
I cringed at their reaction. What's with all this drama? 'Babe' is just an endearment!
"W-wait, Irish Divine," Eren waved at the woman who had shouted. "I can explain—"
"Shameless! I'm not Irish Divine!" she yelled back, her voice rising in anger.
"Oh… uh… Clarisse?" Eren tried again.
"I'm Clarisse!" another woman shouted from the back.
Eren scratched the back of his neck, clearly struggling to remember the right name. Wow. Just how many were there? And he couldn't even remember their names?
"Diana Christine?" he guessed again, looking at the girl in front of him.
Her face contorted in disgust.
"It's me! What's wrong with you?!" another woman screamed, stomping her foot in frustration.
"You have no shame!" the girl in front of Eren snapped. "You can't even remember our names after leading us all on?! MY NAME IS JHULIA!" She swung her bag at him, hitting him squarely on the shoulder.
I had suspected as much. Denzel and Rory quickly stepped in, pulling Eren away before more blows could land.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!"
"Relax, we'll sort this out!"
"Eren, why did you cheat on me?!" another woman wailed, momentarily pausing the attack.
She collapsed onto the floor, crying even harder. The others, not wanting to be left behind, started sobbing even louder. It was as if they were in a contest to see who could cry the hardest.
"Jay-Jay…" Ci-N whispered to me. "Is Eren dead? Why are they crying?"
"Not yet, but soon. Let them cry first," I whispered back. He nodded in understanding.
"You told me, Eren, that you only loved me," another girl sobbed, dropping to her knees.
"Queen, don't cry," her friend comforted her, shooting daggers at Eren. "That scumbag isn't worth your tears."
"You're disgusting, Eren! You denied ever texting Angel, but it was true!" another woman scolded him.
"I'M Angel!" a woman declared, pointing at herself. "You're the one he's denying! He told me that Kate Kristine Joy was the one chasing him!"
"You're unbelievable!" another woman screamed, throwing her expensive phone at him. "Maybe Jackie Versoza was also your girlfriend!"
"And who the hell are Jean Jaya and Sophia San Diego in your phone?!" another girl demanded from the corner.
So many?!
Both Eren and I stared at each other, equally in shock.
"That's why Nezairah and Cyril told me to be careful around you!"
"You were really flirting with my cousin, Vanessa!"
"So, it's true you actually asked for Rain Jane's number?"
"And who is Shekina? Your wife too?!"
"That's why Rosilyn and Mikay started hating me! Because you were flirting with them too!"
"You even stalked Maribel Rael and Bea—was that your way of courting them?!"
"You actually planned to date Sandy, Gisela, and Shaira! Seriously? And you call yourself one of our Kuyas?"
This is intense.
"That's a lot!" Felix scoffed. "Are you even embarrassed? Or should we keep adding more names?"
Who did he think he was—collecting girls like trophies? We were all disappointed in him.
I knew he was a womanizer, but I didn't expect this level of absurdity. He had so many girlfriends that he couldn't even remember their names.
"Dad, I used to be a womanizer, but not like that," Calix said, shaking her head.
"It's like you collect clothes," Blaster commented.
Eren snorted at us. "What can I do? I'm just loving."
Oh wow.
"You love too much," I said, annoyed.
He stepped closer and held my arm again. He was about to say something when one of them suddenly pointed at us and shouted.
"I told you! You're his new girlfriend!" She turned to her companions. "He replaced all of us!"
They glared at me angrily before rushing toward us. Yuri and David immediately moved to help me, but one of the girls still managed to grab me.
Eren, still behind me, used me as a shield. The other Ulupong tried to hold back the aggressive woman, but chaos ensued. Drew hugged a woman around the waist from behind, while Blaster had his arms wrapped around another.
"Shameless! You flirt!" a woman yelled, still trying to reach me.
Thankfully, Yuri blocked her, preventing her from getting too close. However, I still got scratched earlier.
My skin stung.
Since the other women couldn't reach me, they turned their anger toward those trying to hold them back. The chaos escalated, and the room was filled with loud complaints. Some resorted to pulling hair, probably due to the revelations that had just come to light.
That's when I realized there were other students watching.
"Jay-Jay!" I heard Ci-N's voice. "Help me!"
"Ci-N!" I shouted, trying to locate him. "Where are you?"
"Here!" he yelled.
I spotted him on the floor, being attacked by a woman.
"David! It's Ci-N!" I called out, pointing at him.
David, however, was too occupied fending off a woman attacking him. I had no idea how to get to Ci-N. If I tried moving toward the center, it would be like stepping into a pit of crocodiles.
That could be the end of me. I turned to Eren, who was still behind me—the very reason we were in this mess.
"Help Ci-N!" I shouted at him.
He shook his head furiously. "I'll die."
"I'll kill you if you don't help him!" Yuri yelled angrily.
I was slightly surprised by his reaction, but he had a point. And if Eren refused, I might end his life myself.
"Ughhh..." Eren groaned in complaint.
I slapped him—lightly, but enough to snap him out of his hesitation.
"Go! Are you going or not?" My voice carried a clear threat.
Even close to tears, he was finally forced to move into the brawl. He hunched down, covering his head with both hands, but he still didn't escape unscathed. Before he reached Ci-N, he endured scratches, hair-pulling, slaps, and kicks. When Ci-N finally saw him, he clung to Eren for support, allowing him to escape the fight.
I was so focused on them that I didn't notice another woman sneaking up on me. She suddenly yanked my hair.
"Ahhh!" I screamed, struggling to pry her hands off me.
"Yes!" Yuri cheered.
"What's wrong with you?! Why did he choose you and not me?!" the woman shrieked, still pulling my hair.
"He didn't choose me! There's nothing between us! That idiot is just my classmate!" I tried to explain.
"Liar!" she screamed, raising a hand to hit me.
As if on instinct, I grabbed her wrist and twisted it away. She let out a pained gasp, loosening her grip on my hair. Seizing the opportunity, I freed myself and stepped back. Realizing what had just happened, she turned toward me again, furious.
"You! I'm not done with you yet!" she growled, moving closer.
Panicked and terrified, I instinctively raised my fist to defend myself.
Oh no!
She collapsed onto the floor, her nose and mouth bleeding.
"Why did you kick her?!" Eren shouted, furious.
He quickly ran to the woman's side. I felt Ci-N's grip on my arm and glanced at him—his face covered in scratches, his hair a mess.
"Apple Pie! She kicked me!" the woman whined to Eren, tears spilling down her face. "It hurts!"
"Apple Pie, don't cry. It'll only get worse," Eren said, searching for something to wipe her face with.
Apple Pie? Seriously?
That's when I noticed that the entire fight had stopped. Everyone was staring at Eren, tending to Apple Pie. I could see envy and jealousy in the other women's eyes. Ulupong really had that kind of impact. They were cheated on, yet they still fell for him.
"This is her fault!" one of the women yelled, pointing at me.
"So what now?!" I retorted. "Do you want to get hit too?" I clenched my fists threateningly.
She instantly shut up and backed away. The others followed suit.
"Section E?" a voice called out.
We all turned to see Sir Alvin.
I suddenly felt a wave of worry and nervousness. If this had happened in our usual room, I wouldn't have been too concerned. But this was a different room, a different building—where actual rules applied.
He took a deep breath and turned to a student beside him. "Get their names," he ordered before looking at us again, disappointment written all over his face.
"Clean up this mess. I'll be waiting in the Guidance Office."
We were all stunned. We had fought countless times in our old room without being called in. And now, we were about to be disciplined so quickly?
"Sir! Wait!" I called out and tried to chase after him, but an arm grabbed me, stopping me.
"Stop, Jay," David said, releasing me. "We'll be the ones to deal with Sir."
He walked after Sir, and Yuri, Felix, and Calix followed. Why do I feel like Calix is heading somewhere else?
"Son..." I muttered in annoyance. "It won't be long before we're removed from this room."
The Ulupongs exchanged glances. I wanted to swear—about a dozen times. It was creepy! We were silent here, so why did they decide to show up now?
I looked at Eren, who was currently focused on his Apple Pie. I wanted to slap them with a map as soon as they appeared. Could I wipe their faces with it?
"Apple Pie, he looks so bad," the woman complained upon noticing my glare.
Eren turned to me. "What's wrong, Jay? Are you still standing on your heels?" he asked, annoyed.
I immediately raised a fist, threatening to punch him. But before I could, Ci-N stopped me. He barely reached me.
"Don't… poor guy," Ci whispered.
How did we even end up here?
"This is your fault!" I snapped, pointing at Eren's face. "You should have dealt with your girls outside!"
"Jay-Jay! I was scared! There were too many of them!" he whined tearfully.
I stared at his face, stunned. I would have been willing to help him, but thanks to his foolishness, we were going to get kicked out of here.
"Get rid of your girls! Instead of finishing our cleaning, we now have even more work to do," Edrix grumbled, grabbing a rag from the floor.
The others immediately started searching for the cleaning tools they had earlier. The girls stood huddled in the corner.
"You should clean up here! Oh, you girls!" Mayo angrily threw a rag at their feet.
The women immediately backed away in fear. Some were on the verge of tears.
"Come on! That horse is for a map," I heard Ci say, making me turn to him.
He was holding the map, now split in two. I pinched myself in frustration. We're going to have to replace that today. Remember that!
"You know, I usually don't comment on your nonsense," Josh said calmly but seriously to Eren. "But now, you're on your own."
I was a little startled by his sharp words. He rarely spoke, so he must really be pissed at Eren.
"I think it's best if you send your girlfriends home," Kit suggested calmly. "Or, better yet, let them clean up. After all, they had the nerve to cause this mess."
Eren looked at his girls. Some showed remorse, while others remained defiant.
"Clean up!" he ordered them sternly.
"Why should we—?"
"Shut up!" he cut off one of them. "All of you! We're done!"
I could see the shock and sadness in their eyes. Were they really heartbroken over Ulupong's breakup? They should be the ones getting dumped—they were the ones who cheated. Unbelievable.
"No way! You said you loved me!" one of them cried out.
"You should choose me!"
"Eren! I'll forgive you! Just leave them!" another pleaded.
"I was here before all of them! You should choose me!" another whined, pointing at herself.
We were all left speechless, staring in disbelief.
Unreal.
"Bro, you've lost your charm," Denzel joked to Blaster, laughing.
Edrix elbowed him to shut him up. Meanwhile, Eren's girls started crying again. My head was beginning to ache from all of it.
"For the love of—just send them away," I said, but Eren ignored me.
"Clean up here first, and we'll talk later!" he snapped at them before helping Apple Pie to his feet.
"Eren…" they called out one by one, as if praying to a saint for a miracle.
Unbelievable.
Eren quickly turned away, leading Apple Pie with him. The girls tried to follow, but Rory blocked their way.
"Oi! Oi! Clean up first! You're great at making a mess, but now you want to run away?" Drew scolded angrily.
The others forced Eren's girls to stay. They handed them rags and brooms, and I simply watched.
I had a bad feeling about Sir Alvin calling us to the guidance office. Maybe he'd have us removed immediately. Or suspend us. I really wanted to follow and find out what they were talking about.
I turned to Ci-N, who was currently trying to glue the broken map handle back together.
"Ci-N, I'm going after Yuri and the others at the guidance office. You handle this for now," I said before walking away.
"Alright. Welcome, new map," he muttered as I left.
Welcome?
As I headed downstairs, I saw David and Yuri coming back up. Wondering why they had returned so quickly, I immediately approached them.
"What happened?" I asked.
"It's fine. Your brother spoke with the guidance counselor and Sir Alvin," David replied.
Aries?
Yuri smiled at me as if confirming David's words. I blinked in disbelief.
Wait, really?
"S-seriously?"
They both nodded. I had no idea how they had managed to settle everything, but I was incredibly grateful the issue had been resolved.
Aries really pulled through.