Still Into You

8 - Smokes,Secrets, and Cake

YUNAH's POV

Their laughter finally died down when the orders I placed earlier arrived. A staff member carried the food into the living room, forcing the boys to scramble, straighten up, and clear the mess they’d made.

I stood and began checking the delivery, transferring some dishes into plastic containers so they’d last until the evening.

“That’s a lot,” Rai murmured in a low voice.

“Huh?” I blinked, distracted, and glanced at him.

“The food,” he clarified, his gaze still fixed on the paper bag I was holding. “You ordered a lot.”

“Oh. It’s for the whole day—until tonight. We’ll just reheat it later,” I said while arranging the dishes on the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the faintest trace of amusement in his otherwise serious expression.

But when I opened the refrigerator, I froze and took a startled step back. “Oh my gosh… what is this?!”

I turned toward Rai, silently asking if this was some kind of joke.

He stepped closer, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh… I think they only bought alcohol.” His tone was sheepish, almost embarrassed.

Suspicious, I reached up and opened the overhead cabinet—only to find rows of canned goods. Sardines, corned beef, meatloaf, tuna, Vienna sausage. Two lonely packs of instant noodles sat on the top shelf.

I pressed a hand to my forehead. “Seriously? This is it? This was Ej’s big plan for his birthday? We’re staying here for three days, and the only food in the house is canned goods?” I had actually expected them to be more organized after all these years. Clearly, I was wrong.

“I don’t know… I was asleep when they went grocery shopping,” Rai admitted, and I could tell he was only now realizing just how ridiculous this was.

Sighing, I turned toward Kit, who was already digging into the fried chicken. “Kit, please—wash your hands first before you start grabbing food.” He sheepishly stood and slunk off toward the sink.

One by one, the others came in, and I made all of them wash up before touching anything. At this point, I felt less like a guest and more like a mother herding six overgrown children.

“You know, I’m actually stressed with all six of you,” I said as we finally sat down to eat. Everyone froze mid-bite—everyone except Rai, who continued eating unbothered. I’d already scolded him earlier.

“You can rent an entire resort but can’t be bothered to buy real food? The fridge is full of alcohol!” I shot them a look, and they immediately began pointing fingers at one another.

“What’s the plan? Get drunk on beer and gin for three days straight?” I shook my head. “Tomorrow, we’re going to the market. Whoever stays behind will clean the entire rest house. Any objections?”

Jacob looked like he was about to speak, so I added sweetly—but with enough steel to make my point—“Whoever complains will pay for all the groceries tomorrow.”

“That’s torture!” Justin groaned.

“Ry, I didn’t see you do a single useful thing today. You’ll wash the dishes and clear the table tonight,” I said, pointing at him.

“For crying out loud… this is torture,” he muttered under his breath, but he sat back down without further protest.

When the meal was over, I excused myself and went upstairs. I’d reached my limit for the day. My room was blissfully soundproof—quiet, cool, and perfectly neat. Closing the door felt like stepping into another world.

I lay down, deciding I needed a nap.

I woke up to the sound of loud pounding on my door.

“YOUR HIGHNESS, RISE AND SHINE!”

“IT’S EIGHT O’CLOCK, YOUR HIGHNESS!”

“TIME TO EAT, YOUR ROYAL MAJESTY!”

Oh my God. The three idiots were at it again.

Dragging myself out of bed, I splashed water on my face so I wouldn’t look like I’d just woken up. The moment I opened the door, all three of them tumbled to the floor in a heap.

“Ow! Damn it!” Ej groaned.

“You’re crushing me, Edgardo!” Ry yelled.

“Your butt is in my face!” Kit complained.

I shook my head. “Get up. You’re impossible.”

They scrambled to their feet, pretending to be bodyguards.

“This way, Your Majesty,” Kit said, only to be smacked on the head by Ej.

“It’s ‘Your Highness,’ i***t!” Ej corrected.

“Same thing, moron!” Kit shot back, and they started bickering all the way down the stairs.

In the dining area, Justin and Jacob were setting the table.

“Yunah, sit down. Let’s eat,” Justin said, already playing host.

The others filed in, and for a moment, I thought we might actually eat in peace.

“Hey, Kit! You’re cleaning up later!” Ry shouted suddenly.

“Why me?!” Kit protested.

“Because you didn’t help earlier, you lazy—” Ej started, but was cut off by Justin dropping a plate in exasperation.

And just like that, the peace was gone.

“Fine,” Jacob said, smirking. “Whoever’s the last to run upstairs after eating will do the dishes.”

Chairs screeched as they bolted from the table, stampeding toward the stairs. Only Rai remained seated, watching the chaos with a sigh.

“Idiots,” he muttered.

“I’ll wash the dishes. You can just clear the table,” I told him. He nodded quietly and helped.

For a moment, as we worked side by side, I found myself studying him. There was something unusually still about him tonight—something quieter than his usual calm. It made me feel… oddly warm.

The next morning, a loud knock rattled my door.

“YOUR HIGHNESS, TIME FOR THE MARKET!”

It was far too early. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. I showered quickly and dressed simply—plain white shirt tucked into mom jeans, white sneakers. No point dressing up; it was just the market.

Last night during an UNO game, we’d made a bet: the three losers from the first three rounds would go grocery shopping the next morning, while the rest stayed behind to clean.

Of course, I lost. Along with Rai and Ej.

Ej was already outside my door when I emerged, tossing the car keys to Rai.

Rai drove, with Ej in the front seat and me in the back. I couldn’t bring myself to sit beside him—it felt… too close. Ej gave directions, claiming he knew Batangas well enough to navigate without trouble.

We parked in an open lot across from the wet market, where stalls were just opening for the day. The air was thick with the scent of fish and fresh produce.

Ej showed Rai the grocery list on his phone.

We wove through the noisy aisles, buying vegetables, meat, spices—everything on the list. Rai frowned, muttering that several essentials were missing. No surprise—Kit and Justin had been in charge of the list.

After the market, we stopped at a bakeshop to order a cake for Ej’s birthday.

“What do you want?” Rai asked.

“Chocolate cake and coffee,” Ej said.

“Cookies and cream cake with hot chocolate for me,” I added. Rai ordered while I helped Ej choose a design from the menu.

“I want a Minecraft cake!” Ej announced.

“Ej, you’re twenty, not seven,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Okay, fine—Clash of Clans!” he offered brightly.

“Edgardo Javier, you’re twenty years old. Hand it over—I’m picking,” I said, snatching the menu.

Rai returned with our drinks and a vanilla cake topped with Oreo cookies for himself.

“Still haven’t decided?” he asked.

“You pick,” I said, handing him the menu.

I slid into the seat beside him so we could look together. “Oh—how about this? A bucket of Chivas?” I pointed.

He chuckled, apparently amused. “Alright.”

The staff handed him the order slip for the dedication, and I watched as he wrote: AL4 for the design code, and “Happy 20st Birthday Edgardo Javier.”

“Are you serious? ‘20st’? Not ‘20th’?” I laughed.

“Better this way. It’ll be a surprise,” he whispered, leaning slightly toward me.

Ej dropped his spoon with a clatter. “Great, I’m third-wheeling again!”

After breakfast, Rai arranged for the cake to be delivered to the resort.

Our next stop was a party supply store. Apparently, the others wanted decorations—and had suggested a Ben 10 theme.

“Are we really buying Ben 10?” I asked while pushing the cart.

“We’re not following those lunatics,” Rai said, grabbing a huge blue poster featuring a smiling baby. He added letter balloons, party hats, and a giant banner reading Welcome to Christian World.

I burst out laughing. His sense of humor was dangerous.

“Wow. I’m bitter now,” Ej complained. “Not only am I third-wheeling, I’m also the one pushing the cart.”

We paid for everything and drove back to the resort. The others had already cleaned the rest house, and helped carry in the groceries.

Kit, Rai, and Justin went straight to the kitchen to cook. Jacob and Ry busied themselves inflating balloons, while Ej and I started hanging the ridiculous decorations.

“What the hell, Rai! Is this my baptism?” Ej shouted, holding up the Welcome to Christian World banner.

“I told you to buy Ben 10!” Ry yelled from across the room. “But this works too!”

“Amber and Iza are on their way,” Kit called from the kitchen. “They’re bringing a friend.”

Amber?

The girlfriend?