Jay jays POV ☆☆☆
I was on break.
The lunch room felt smaller than usual.
Too quiet, even with people around.
The hum of the vending machine, the faint clatter of utensils, low conversations in the background—it all blended together into something distant. None of it really registered.
Because all I could think about—
Was the news.
Yuri was dead.
I stared down at my phone again, rereading the report like something might change if I looked at it long enough.
It didn't.
It stayed the same.
Declared as a suicide.
A note left behind.
A confession.
Case closed.
It should've made things easier.
Cleaner.
Simpler.
But it didn't.
Because something about it—
Felt wrong.
I leaned back slightly in my chair, my fingers resting loosely against the table as I stared ahead, unfocused.
The note.
The wording.
The timing.
Everything lined up too well.
Too perfectly.
And that was exactly the problem.
Real cases didn't end like that.
Not this one.
Not after everything.
My thoughts shifted.
Slowly.
Carefully.
To him.
Keifer.
I already knew what he was capable of.
I already knew what he had done.
Zoren.
That night.
The truth I couldn't ignore no matter how much I tried to push it away.
So what if—
The thought stopped halfway.
I didn't want to finish it.
Didn't want to say it out loud, even in my own head.
But it was already there.
What if this wasn't a suicide?
What if this was another one of his?
My jaw tightened slightly.
It made sense.
Too much sense.
He knew Yuri was blackmailing me.
He knew I was involved.
He knew the situation was slipping.
So he handled it.
The way he handled everything.
Clean.
Quiet.
Controlled.
But—
My fingers curled slightly against the table.
His own childhood friend?
For me?
Yeah—
No.
That didn't make sense.
Did it?
My thoughts tangled, conflicting with each other, refusing to settle into one clear answer.
Because both things could be true.
And that was the worst part.
Ding.
I blinked, my attention snapping back to my phone.
A notification.
I picked it up, my brows furrowing slightly as I saw the name.
"Kulot 🖕" (Keifer)
Of course.
I hesitated.
Just for a second.
My thumb hovered over the screen, my mind already running through reasons not to respond.
Reasons to ignore it.
To shut this down before it got worse.
But instead—
I opened it.
Kulot 🖕: I miss you. 😢
I stared at the message.
"…Seriously?"
Me: ???
The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.
Kulot 🖕: Can't I just come over to your house atleast one time?
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Me: wtf no 🙄
There was no pause this time.
No hesitation.
Kulot 🖕: I'll be there
I froze for a second.
"…What?"
I stared at the screen like that message would somehow take itself back.
It didn't.
Of course it didn't.
I let out a long, annoyed sigh, dropping my phone onto the table as I leaned back in my chair.
"I swear…" I muttered under my breath.
If he actually showed up—
I dragged a hand down my face, shaking my head slightly.
"I'm moving to Jupiter," I mumbled.
He wouldn't.
He wouldn't actually do that.
Right?
Right.
I pushed the thought away, standing up as my break ended, forcing myself to focus on anything else.
Work.
Files.
Anything.
But the thought stayed.
Lingering.
Uncomfortable.
Unsettling.
✿—timeskip—✿
By the time I got home, the sky had already darkened.
My body felt heavier than usual, exhaustion settling in from the day, from the case, from everything I was trying not to think about.
I pulled into the garage, the familiar creak of my car filling the space before I turned it off, sitting there for just a second longer than necessary.
Just a second.
Then I got out.
Normal.
Everything felt normal.
Until it didn't.
I stepped up to my front door, reaching into my pocket for my keys.
And stopped.
The door was already unlocked.
My brows furrowed immediately.
"…What?"
I was sure I locked it.
I always locked it.
A small, uneasy feeling settled in my chest as I slowly pushed the door open.
The lights were on.
Every single one.
My grip tightened slightly around my keys.
"Hello?" I called out, my voice cautious, controlled.
No answer.
I stepped inside carefully, my eyes scanning the space.
And then—
I paused.
The living room.
It was—
Clean.
Too clean.
The old stains on the carpet were gone.
The clutter that had been there this morning—
Gone.
Everything looked… perfect.
Like someone had come in and erased every sign of mess, every sign of normal life.
"What…" I muttered under my breath.
"Did you notice anything?"
I jumped.
Actually jumped.
My heart slammed against my chest as I spun around, my breath catching instantly.
Keifer.
Standing there.
Like he belonged.
Like this was normal.
Like he hadn't just broken into my house.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" I yelled, my voice louder than I intended.
He didn't even flinch.
Just smirked.
"Well, you did leave your door unlocked."
My eyes narrowed immediately.
"I did not leave my door unlocked."
"Are you sure?" he asked lightly.
I opened my mouth to argue—
Then stopped.
Because I knew I locked it.
I always did.
"Wait— how do you even know where I live—"
"I have my ways."
Of course he did.
Of course he did.
I stared at him, my brows furrowed, my expression somewhere between confusion and disbelief.
And then—
He stepped closer.
Too close.
His hands came up, gently cupping my cheeks.
I froze.
"You look cute when you make that face."
My brain stopped working for a second.
Actually stopped.
"W-what f-… face?"
Before I could process anything—
He leaned in.
Soft.
Quick.
A light peck against my lips.
And just like that—
He pulled me into a hug.
My body stiffened immediately.
"Keifer— h-hey!" I stammered, trying to push him back slightly. "You can't just walk into my house unannounced and clean everything!"
"I missed you so much."
The way he said it—
Low.
Close.
Almost quiet—
Made something in my chest flip.
Just a little.
And I hated that it did.
I pulled back slightly, my hand moving to his, the one still resting against my cheek.
I held it.
Lowered it.
But didn't let go.
Our fingers stayed interlocked.
"If anyone catches us," I said, my voice quieter now, more serious, "I'm dead meat."
"I don't care," he replied without hesitation.
Of course he didn't.
That was the problem.
"Let me stay," he added, his gaze steady on mine.
A pause.
"Please. For the night."
I stared at him.
Really stared at him.
Trying to read him.
Trying to understand him.
Because this—
None of this made sense.
Yuri was dead.
The case was closing.
Everything should've been falling into place.
But instead—
He was here.
In my house.
Looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
And I didn't know if that made me feel safer—
Or worse.
My grip on his hand tightened slightly.
Just for a second.
Because part of me—
A very small, very dangerous part of me—
Didn't want to say no.
And that was the problem.
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