Keifer's POV
Chaos.
That was the only word to describe my living room.
Books were everywhere — on the couch, on the floor, on the table. Ci-n was aggressively flipping pages like the book had insulted his family. Blaster was lying on the floor dramatically, one arm over his eyes.
"I'm finished," Blaster declared. "My academic career ends today."
"You never started one," Denzel replied calmly.
Jay sat beside me, her shoulder pressed lightly against mine, her fingers resting on her notebook. Every now and then, she would lean slightly into me, and each time she did, my attention drifted back to her without permission.
My wife.
The word still felt unreal.
Still felt like something I didn't deserve but was given anyway.
She glanced up at me briefly.
"You're not studying," she whispered.
I leaned slightly closer.
"I am."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm studying you."
She hit my arm softly.
"Keifer."
I smirked faintly.
Before she could say anything else—
"Kuya!"
Keiren's voice echoed through the house.
He ran inside, his bag hanging carelessly, his hair messy from school. Behind him walked Keigan and Eces.
They stopped the moment they saw the living room.
Everyone froze.
Ci-n was standing on the couch.
Blaster was on the floor.
Kit and Mayo were arguing loudly.
Books everywhere.
Eces blinked slowly.
"…What is this?"
"Group study," Yuri answered confidently.
"This is suffering," Mayo corrected.
Keiren ran straight toward me and shoved his book into my hands.
"Kuya, help."
I sighed softly but took it anyway.
Before I could respond—
"…Kuya."
The voice was quieter.
I looked up.
Eces.
She was looking at me.
She had said it.
Kuya.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
I had always protected them. Always stood in front of them. Always taken responsibility.
But hearing her call me that…
It meant she accepted me.
Not just as someone living in the same house.
As family.
Real family.
I didn't show it on my face.
But inside…
Something healed.
I nodded slightly.
"Come here. I'll explain."
She walked closer and sat beside Keigan quietly.
Jay's fingers slipped into my hand under the table.
A silent squeeze.
She knew.
She always knew.
I glanced at her briefly.
And in that moment, surrounded by noise, complaints, and chaos…
I realized something.
This wasn't just a house anymore.
It was my home.
Arrival of storm
The chaos lasted exactly—
Three seconds.
Because the front door opened.
And he walked in.
Angelo.
He didn't say anything at first. He just stood there near the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the room slowly.
Every.
Single.
Person.
And just like that—
Silence.
Ci-n sat down immediately.
Blaster grabbed a book and opened it upside down.
Kit straightened his posture like a soldier.
Mayo pretended to read with extreme focus.
Even Keiren froze beside me.
Jay's fingers tightened slightly around mine before she slowly pulled her hand away and picked up her notebook properly.
No one breathed.
Angelo stepped forward.
His shoes echoed softly against the floor.
"…Studying?" he asked calmly.
No one answered.
Because everyone knew Angelo wasn't someone you lied to.
His calm voice was more terrifying than shouting.
His gaze shifted.
From Blaster.
To Ci-n.
To Yuri.
To Eman.
To Felix.
Then finally…
To me.
I met his eyes.
"We are," I said.
He stared at me for two seconds.
Three.
Then he nodded once.
"Good."
Relief didn't come.
Because he wasn't done.
He walked further inside and placed his phone on the table.
"Continue."
No one moved.
He pulled a chair and sat down.
Watching.
Supervising.
Guarding.
And just like that—
The real study session began.
Pages started turning.
Pens started moving.
No one spoke unnecessarily.
Even Blaster was actually reading now.
I glanced at Jay beside me.
She was focused.
Her brows slightly furrowed, her lips pressed together softly as she wrote something.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Mine.
I forced my eyes back to my book.
Focus.
Angelo suddenly spoke.
"Ci-n."
Ci-n jumped.
"Y-yes?"
"Explain that topic."
Ci-n looked like his soul left his body.
But he explained.
Correctly.
Angelo nodded once.
"Good."
Then—
"Keiren."
Keiren stiffened beside me.
He looked at his book.
Then at Angelo.
Then at me.
I gave him a small nod.
He explained.
His voice shaky at first.
Then steady.
Angelo listened without interrupting.
"…Correct," Angelo said.
Keiren's face lit up like he had just won the world.
Beside him, Eces watched quietly.
She wasn't afraid.
She never was.
She was calm.
Strong.
Controlled.
Angelo's gaze shifted to her.
"Eces."
She looked up.
"Yes."
"Are you prepared?"
She nodded once.
"I am."
He held her gaze for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Good."
No praise.
But approval.
And that meant everything.
Hours passed like that.
Real studying.
Real focus.
Real effort.
The sun slowly began to set outside.
And for the first time…
Section E wasn't chaos.
They were serious.
Determined.
Strong.
I leaned back slightly, watching them all.
My family.
My responsibility.
My people.
And Angelo…
He wasn't just supervising.
He was protecting their future.
Chaos return
The silence stayed.
Heavy.
Disciplined.
Almost unnatural.
Angelo was still sitting there, watching all of us like a silent commander guarding his soldiers.
No one dared to slack off.
No one dared to whisper.
Even Blaster hadn't made a single useless comment in the past thirty minutes—which, honestly, was a historical event.
Then—
Angelo's phone rang.
The sound cut through the room like a blade.
Everyone froze.
He looked at the screen.
His expression didn't change, but I knew that look.
Work.
He stood up.
"I have to take this," he said simply.
No one replied.
He picked up his phone and walked toward the front gate.
Before leaving, he stopped.
Turned slightly.
His eyes scanned all of us again.
"Continue studying."
Not a request.
An order.
Then he left for his office .
The door closed.
And for five seconds—
Nothing happened.
Silence.
Stillness.
Then—
Eren slowly lifted his head.
"…Is he gone?"
Josh peeked toward the door cautiously.
"I think so."
Felix whispered dramatically,
"Check the windows."
Rory actually stood up halfway, like he was about to scout the perimeter.
Ci-n didn't even look up from his book.
"He left."
Blaster immediately leaned back in his chair and exhaled loudly.
"I survived."
Drew clutched his chest.
"I saw my entire life flash before my eyes."
Yuri didn't even react.
"You're overreacting."
Denzel nodded calmly.
"He didn't even say anything."
Blaster pointed at him.
"Exactly. That silence was personal."
Mayo laughed.
"He was judging your intelligence level."
"That's rude," Calix said, offended.
Jay beside me tried to hide her smile.
I leaned slightly toward her.
"They were studying like national toppers two minutes ago."
She whispered back,
"They were studying like hostages."
I almost laughed.
Then suddenly—
Keiren raised his hand seriously.
"I have a question."
Everyone groaned instantly.
"No," Eces said without even looking at him.
Keiren frowned.
"What if the exam paper doesn't like me?"
Silence.
Felix blinked.
"…What?"
Keiren defended himself.
"Sometimes papers are unfair."
Ci-n finally looked up.
"Paper isn't alive."
David added calmly,
"Paper doesn't have emotions."
Yuri spoke simply,
"It reflects preparation."
Blaster leaned forward and translated helpfully.
"You're finished."
Keiren gasped.
"Ate Eces!"
He turned to her like she was his last hope.
"Help me."
Eces slowly lifted her eyes toward him.
Her face calm.
Cold.
"Study."
Single word.
Execution complete.
Calix snorted.
Josh laughed.
Eman shook his head.
Felix clapped slowly.
"Motivational speech of the year."
Keigan smirked slightly from his seat.
"You should listen."
Keiren looked betrayed.
"No one supports me."
Drew added helpfully,
"We support your failure."
The room burst into laughter.
Keiren raised his hand again.
"I have one more question."
Everyone looked at him.
He looked serious.
Very serious.
"What if… in the exam, the question comes from the page I didn't study?"
Eren gasped.
"That's illegal."
Ci-n smacked his own forehead.
"That's called your fault."
Keiren frowned.
"But what if the examiner personally hates me?"
Yuri spoke calmly without looking up from his book.
"The examiner doesn't know you exist."
The room burst into laughter.
Keiren looked offended.
"I exist!"
David adjusted his glasses slightly.
"Statistically speaking, if you study properly, the probability of questions coming from the studied portion increases significantly."
Felix blinked.
"…I didn't understand anything, but it sounded smart."
Ci-n leaned back in his chair lazily.
"Simple. Study everything."
Blaster stared at him.
"Are you insane?"
Ci-n smirked.
"I have a high IQ. You don't."
Blaster clutched his chest.
"That was personal."
Even Jay laughed beside me, her shoulder touching mine.
Warm.
Soft.
Real.
I looked around.
Keigan was calmly reading beside Eces, but Keiren turned toward her next.
"Ate Eces."
She looked up slowly.
"Yes?"
"…What if my brain stops working during the exam?"
She stared at him.
Blank.
Unimpressed.
"Then start using it now."
The room exploded again.
Even I chuckled.
Keiren groaned dramatically and collapsed onto the table.
Jay laughed softly beside me.
Then Blaster suddenly raised his hand.
"Yes," Ci-n said sarcastically. "What is your stupid question?"
Blaster looked serious.
"If I write the answer confidently… even if it's wrong… will the examiner give marks for confidence?"
Ci-n stared at him like he was witnessing evolution in reverse.
"No."
David answered calmly,
"You will get zero. Confident zero."
Yuri added without emotion,
"Confidence doesn't change facts."
Blaster looked betrayed by the universe.
"This education system is unfair."
I leaned back, watching them.
Ci-n already solving questions faster than everyone.
David and Yuri calm and precise.
Denzel focused.
Edrix and Rory whisper-fighting over answers.
Blaster pretending to understand.
Felix being dramatic.
Kit and Mayo quietly studying.
Eman, Eren, Josh and Calix discussing seriously.
Keigan and Eces — sharp, controlled, observant.
Keiren — suffering loudly.
And Jay…
Beside me.
Safe.
Happy.
Mine.
Chaos had returned.
Noise had returned.
But something else remained too.
Determination.
They were still studying.
Still trying.
Still moving forward.
Together.
+++++++++++++
The second chapter of today....