Chapter 13 Free

Chapter 13 Free
“Nihon e yōkoso!” Samantha suddenly shouted the moment we stepped out of immigration in Japan. She bowed dramatically to all of us, acting like a proud local.

“Yamete kudasai,” Caleb shot back, making everyone burst into laughter. This idiot really never left his foolishness back in the Philippines.

As planned, we were in Japan for a three-day trip. I had asked Angela to invite Ethan, but she said he refused because he still had work.

We were all waiting outside Fukuoka Airport for Kuya Dave.

The girls sat on their suitcases while the guys stood around, busy with their phones or chatting.

We were supposed to book a villa, but when Kuya found out we were coming, he offered to let us stay at the house where he was living.

“Your brother’s almost here, bro,” Yohan muttered, still typing away on his phone.

“Wow, you two are texting now? Yohan’s finally becoming a man,” Martin chimed in even though no one was talking to him.

“When we get back to the Philippines, I’ll take you to get circumcised so you can finally become a real man,” Caleb fired back, approaching Martin for a high-five.

“Are you still uncircumcised?” Samantha asked.

We all exploded with laughter. Almost everyone outside the airport was now staring at our noisy group.

“I’m already circumcised. Mine’s even bigger than some of yours,” Martin answered, eyes still glued to his phone screen.

“Kian, did you hear that? Yohan said yours is small,” Caleb teased without restraint.

I saw Kiefer shoot Caleb a sharp glare while Caleb was already doubled over laughing on the floor.

“I wanted to show you how big it is, but I won’t. You might get shocked,” Kian said, suddenly draping an arm around Kiefer.

“Seeing is believing,” I added, joining in on their nonsense.

It didn’t take long before Kuya arrived driving a white van. The guys loaded the suitcases into the back while TJ helped with the girls’ luggage and bags.

TJ, Sydney, Martin, Caleb, and I sat in the backseat. Yohan chose to sit in front because he wanted to enjoy the scenery. Kiefer, Kian, and the three girls rode in the other vehicle.

The drive took about thirty minutes before we reached Kuya’s house.

I looked around and saw a sleek two-story glass house. The design was simple yet elegant. Before entering, there was a front yard garden with a fountain in the center.

I was surprised by how the house looked in person. This was the first time I had seen it up close. I had only seen it during our video calls, but it looked completely different in real life.

I walked over to Kuya as he stepped out of the driver’s seat. “Is this your house?” I asked. It looked very different from what I had seen on calls.

“Yes. I did some renovations last month, so it changed a bit,” he answered calmly, then slung an arm around my shoulders.

We didn’t stay outside long. Once inside, I immediately noticed Kuya’s Star Wars collection in the living room—a tall five-foot cabinet filled with figures, lightsabers, and other memorabilia. When did he start collecting Star Wars? I couldn’t remember.

Since the house had limited rooms, we had to share. TJ, Kiefer, Kian, and Caleb took the room on the first floor. Martin, Yohan, Sydney, and I stayed in the room next to Kuya’s on the second floor. The three girls shared one room together.

I was exhausted from the flight, so I excused myself and went upstairs to sleep. I left the others in the living room, chatting and asking Kuya for recommendations on places to visit.

Once inside the room, I sat on the bed and pulled out my phone. I checked my messages, hoping Ethan had replied, but there was nothing.

He had told me he had already blocked my number. So before we left the Philippines, I bought a new SIM card and messaged him with it. The last time we spoke was at Angela’s unit, and I knew he was angry about what happened.

After that day, I wanted to apologize, but Angela said Ethan wasn’t mad at me—he just didn’t want to see or talk to me right now.

I tossed my phone onto the bed. I took a quick shower in the bathroom so I’d feel fresher before sleeping.

“Bottoms up!”

Kian made a face as he downed the shot Martin handed him.

I had just woken up and found them drinking by the pool area. All the guys were topless except for Kian, while the girls sat on the edge of the pool, dipping their feet in the water.

“You guys are having fun without me. I thought we said no one gets left behind in this group. No one even woke me up.”

“You’re not that special. Why would we wake you?” TJ replied, eyes still on his phone.

This was exactly why I preferred it when he stayed quiet and just read his books. Once he started talking, he could destroy you if you were easy to provoke.

I scanned the pool area. Everyone was there except Yohan.

“Where’s Yohan?”

Sydney approached and offered me a drink. “He’s probably still sleeping. He went up to the room earlier and hasn’t come back down.” She draped an arm around my shoulder.

I didn’t take the drink. I hadn’t eaten anything yet, and I didn’t want an upset stomach.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Kian smiling widely while staring at me intensely.

“You get sulky so fast. Come here, I’ll kiss you so you won’t be mad anymore. Next time we’ll wake you up.” Kian stood and walked toward me.

The moment he leaned in to kiss my cheek, I kicked him lightly before his lips could touch me.

Kiefer quickly stood up to help Kian get back on his feet.

“He doesn’t want your kiss, bro. He wants mine. I’ve been feeling it for a long time, but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Come here and taste these lips first,” Caleb teased.

I walked toward Caleb, who was grinning widely. So he wanted a kiss? Here—taste my fist instead.

When he saw my clenched hand ready to punch, he immediately jumped into the pool. The girls screamed as water splashed all over them.

“Oh my god! I didn’t plan to get wet, you fucker!” Samantha yelled, grabbing disposable cups and throwing them at Caleb.

“It’s Lucas’s fault. Blame him.” The nerve of this guy—blaming me after jumping in himself.

I never actually planned to punch him. How could I hurt a friend who felt like family? I only wanted to tease him, and the idiot actually jumped into the pool.

I excused myself and went back to the room. I really wasn’t in the mood to drink.

While walking toward our room, I noticed Kuya’s door was slightly open, so I decided to close it. Before I could, I heard him talking inside.

“When did you plan to tell him?”

Tell what? Was he hiding something?

I didn’t want to eavesdrop, so I gently closed the door. It wasn’t my habit to stick my nose into other people’s business.

Once inside my room, I did nothing else and went straight back to sleep.

I was wearing a sleek black leather jacket with a glossy finish that gave me a sharp, modern look. Underneath was a graphic white T-shirt. I paired it with loose, wide-legged trousers for comfort and a simple black belt with a silver buckle. On my feet were polished black shoes. To complete the outfit, I wore bold square-framed glasses.

Today was our second day in Japan, and we decided to go out and enjoy the trip. Yesterday we had all been too tired from the flight to leave the house.

“Woah. It’s so huge,” Samantha said, pointing at a dolphin performing tricks.

“Mine’s even bigger, Sam,” Caleb replied.

We were now at Marine World Uminonakamichi, one of the most famous aquariums in Fukuoka. Kuya had suggested we visit since it was a popular tourist spot.

The first thing that caught my eye was the massive panoramic tank. It felt like standing in front of the ocean itself. Schools of fish moved in perfect unison, their silver bodies flashing like scattered coins, while a giant ray glided gracefully above, its wings moving in slow motion. I pressed my hand against the glass, and for a moment, it felt like there was no barrier—I was part of their underwater world.

Since I loved animals, this was the perfect first stop for me. My passion for animals had even rubbed off on my friends.

They were busy watching the dolphin show when I excused myself to explore the facility on my own. I wanted to see everything they had.

A poster said they had over 350 species, which made me even more excited.

I walked toward the penguin exhibit. The moment I got close, I almost forgot I was in Japan and not the South Pole.

Penguins waddled awkwardly on land, bumping into each other like clumsy little soldiers. But once they slipped into the water, they transformed into elegant, fast swimmers. I crouched by the glass, grinning like a child as one darted past me in a blur.

I took videos and photos of the penguins with my phone.

After that, I kept walking without a specific direction until I found the jellyfish area.

The moment I stepped inside, the world seemed to slow down. The lights were dim, and the tanks glowed like floating galaxies. Dozens of jellyfish drifted silently, their translucent bodies pulsing gently. I pressed my hand against the glass, completely mesmerized. It felt like staring at living lanterns floating in endless water.

I wandered around for about half an hour before deciding to return to my friends.

We didn’t stay long at the aquarium because we still had many places to visit that day.

Next, we went to the Marine World Uminonakamichi Seaside Park.

The park was divided into sections: a beautiful flower garden filled with endless rows of tulips, roses, and sunflowers, cycling paths, and a playground full of children.

We rented picnic mats and settled in the designated picnic area.

They had cooked food at Kuya’s house before we left, so we had a proper picnic.

We all sat down and ate, enjoying the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the park.

After eating, everyone went off to do their own thing.

Kian, Kiefer, and Martin rented bicycles and rode around the park with the three girls riding on the back.

“Go slower!” I heard Gabriella shout while hitting Kian’s back as he sped up.

That left me with TJ and Yohan. TJ was reading a book with his legs stretched out, while Yohan was busy on his phone.

I rested my head on TJ’s legs and looked up at him. In our group, no one was shy about showing affection. After years of friendship, we treated each other like brothers. One person’s problem was everyone’s problem.

I suddenly remembered the penguins from the aquarium earlier.

“I wish we could all be like animals,” I said.

TJ stopped reading and looked at me. Even Yohan, who was focused on his phone, glanced over.

They both stared, waiting for me to continue.

“I like how they can live freely,” I added, closing my eyes.

While walking around the aquarium earlier, I realized how peaceful animals’ lives seemed. The penguins didn’t care if people judged them. The jellyfish simply glowed in the dark without worry. If humans could adopt that kind of mindset, we could live in a much more peaceful society—free to do what we wanted while still respecting one another.

TJ coughed, so I opened my eyes and looked at him. “People can live freely too, Lucas. The problem is us.”

I stared at him, not fully understanding what he meant.

“On average, if someone gives a negative comment, people take it too seriously. It’s as if their whole world revolves around that one opinion. You need to learn not to let other people’s words control you. Sometimes criticism can help us improve, but most of the time, people are just trapping us in that cycle.”

“How?” I asked curiously while he gently brushed my hair, my head still resting on his legs.

“Think about it, Lucas. You try to do what makes you happy, but people stop you because, in their eyes or in society’s eyes, it’s not acceptable. We all know the difference between right and wrong. If you know what you’re doing is right and it makes you happy, why should you stop just to fit into someone else’s standards? Fuck their opinions. They’re trying to lock us into what society has standardized. Why stop doing something that makes you happy if you’re not hurting anyone?”

I shifted my gaze to Yohan, who was listening carefully.

“We’re in a new generation. We respect the older generations, but we’re also evolving. We must set our own standards. Never change yourself just for them. Real change starts with us. If we can embrace who we truly are and what we truly need, then we can live free, Lucas.”

“Our future attorney is really eloquent,” Caleb suddenly said. We hadn’t noticed that the others had already returned.

“Not yet,” TJ replied, immediately going back to his book.

That’s where it’s heading, and if it happens, I’ll be the first one to be happy for you. I know what you’ve been through, and I’ll be genuinely thrilled when you finally get what you’ve been longing for.