Keifer's POV
The drive home from Eman's was the quietest thirty minutes of my life, followed by the loudest three hours.
Keiren wouldn't shut up. Usually, he was a kid of few words, content with his LEGOs or his sketchbooks. But tonight? Tonight, he was a radio stuck on the "Jay and Jane" frequency.
"And then Jay-ate told the mean boys to leave me alone, Kuya! She didn't even have to shout. She just looked at them and they got scared," Keiren chirped, swinging his legs as he sat on the kitchen island.
I leaned against the counter, nursing a glass of water that tasted like ash. My mother, beautiful and sharp-eyed as ever, was humming as she arranged flowers for her party. She paused, her head tilting.
"Jay-ate, hm?" Mom asked, a playful glint in her eyes. "This is the girl you found Keiren with, Keifer?"
"She found him," I corrected, my voice sounding more like a growl than I intended. "And she didn't 'find' him so much as she hijacked the situation. She's... a handful, Mom. You don't need to be excited."
"But she's a warrior!" Keiren protested, hopping down. "She kissed my forehead and said I was a little warrior. And she's coming to the party, right? You promised!"
"I promised," I muttered, the words feeling like a weight in my chest.
"Well," Mom said, walking over to pat my cheek. "If she's the one who made my youngest son smile like this after a bad day, I'm already halfway in love with her. I can't wait to meet this Jay. Is she as pretty as Keiren says?"
"She's a menace," I said, turning away so they wouldn't see the way my pulse jumped at the memory of her in the diner—soft, maternal, and then suddenly lethal.
That night, I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her hand on Keiren's shoulder. I heard her laughter. But mostly, I felt that strange, ugly green monster Keiren had sparked. Why was he allowed to see that side of her? Why did Cin get to laugh with her?
I was the one who was supposed to break her. But as I stared at the ceiling, I realized the only thing breaking was my own resolve.
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Jay's POV
The next morning, the air at school felt charged. Like the humidity before a thunderstorm.
I walked into the classroom, my combat boots clicking rhythmically against the tile. I was braced for a prank—a bucket of paint, a tripwire, something. But as I crossed the threshold, I stopped dead.
Keifer was already at his desk. And he wasn't glaring. He wasn't plotting.
He was smiling.
It wasn't his usual "I'm going to ruin your life" smirk. It was... soft. Welcoming. It sent a shiver down my spine that I absolutely hated. I narrowed my eyes, checking the floor for grease and the ceiling for traps.
"Morning," he said, his voice smooth as silk.
"What did you put in my seat, Keifer?" I snapped, stopping beside my desk. "Acid? Glue? Or did you just decide to stop pretending you're a human and start acting like a creep?"
He chuckled, leaning back. "Nothing. Just a peaceful morning, Jay. Can't a guy be happy to see his guest of honor?"
I sat down slowly, my muscles coiled like a spring. I didn't trust this. Not for a second. The Section E boys were up to something, and this "nice guy" act was the bait.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The caller ID flashed a name that made my heart skip a beat: BABY 😚
I didn't even think. I stood up abruptly, the chair screeching. "I have to take this," I muttered, not looking at Keifer.
I ducked out into the hallway, leaning against the lockers. "Hello? ... Yeah, I know. I miss you too. I'll see you soon, okay? Stay safe. Love you too ."
When I walked back into the classroom, the atmosphere had shifted. The "peaceful" Keifer was gone. He was staring at me, his jaw so tight I thought it might crack. His eyes were dark, swirling with a look that was part confusion and part... fury?
"Who was that?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"None of your business," I replied, sliding back into my seat.
"You caller id was 'baby,'" he pressed, leaning closer until I could smell the faint scent of rain on his skin. "Is that why you're so hard to get to? You've got some guy waiting for you at home?"
"Jealous, Kuya Keifer?" I whispered, my lips curling into a taunting smile.
Before he could respond, Mam Cindy walked in, dropping her books onto the podium. The class started, but I could feel Keifer's gaze burning a hole into the side of my head. He wasn't taking notes. He was vibrating with a silent, restless energy.
Was the big, bad leader of Section E actually jealous? The thought was delicious.
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Keifer's POV
The classroom felt like a pressure cooker. Keiren had spent all morning at home vibrating with excitement about "Jay-ate," but seeing her in person was a different kind of torture.
When she walked in, I couldn't help it. I smiled. It wasn't a plan; it was a reflex. But then her phone rang. "Baby." The word felt like a physical slap. Watching her rush out to answer it with that soft, private look on her face sent a surge of pure, unadulterated jealousy through me.
"Was I jealous?" I heard a whisper in the back of my mind. Hell yes, I was jealous.
When she sat back down, I couldn't stop staring. "Who is he, Jay? Some guy you're hiding?"
"None of your business, Kuya," she shot back, her eyes flashing with that familiar fire.
Mam Cindy walked in and started the lecture, but I didn't hear a word. I was too busy staring at the back of Jay's head, wondering how someone who looked like a warrior could sound so sweet to someone on the other end of a phone.
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Jay's POV
I could feel Keifer's gaze burning into my side. He thought he was being subtle; he wasn't. He was vibrating with a silent, restless energy that I knew was pure jealousy. Good. Let him wonder.
My phone buzzed again under the desk. I checked it—a text from Baby 😚 ( A/n:Ava)
Ava: "Baby,Are we still on for the arcade later?"
I leaned back, a small smile playing on my lips. Ava was my "girl boyfriend"—my best friend, my ride-or-die, the person who knew me better than anyone. We called each other "baby" as a joke that had stuck for years, a shield against the world. She was the only person allowed to see the girl behind the hunter.
Jay: "Count on it. Just dealing with some Section E idiots. Keifer looks like he's about to implode because he heard me call you baby."
Ava: "Lol. Let him simmer. See you at 4, handsome. 😘"
I tucked the phone away. Keifer was still staring. I leaned over, my voice a mere breath against his ear. "Still looking for secrets, Keifer? You might find something you can't handle."
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Jane's POV
While Jay was dealing with a brooding Keifer, I was dealing with a walking twilight zone.
Yuri was sitting across the aisle from me, and for the first time since we met, he wasn't trying to steal my pens or sabotage my notes. In fact, he had spent the first ten minutes of class smiling at me.
Not a shark smile. A polite, genuine smile.
"Jane," he whispered, leaning over during the lecture. "Do you need a highlighter? I noticed yours was running out yesterday."
I stared at the neon yellow pen he was offering as if it were a live grenade. "Who are you and what have you done with Yuri?"
"I'm just being a good classmate," he said, his voice disturbingly gentle. "I realized we started off on the wrong foot. I'd like to make it up to you. Maybe after class, I could help you with those physics equations?"
I felt a flush creep up my neck. He was being... nice. And Yuri, when he wasn't being a jerk, was unfortunately very handsome. His dark eyes were fixed on mine, and for a second, I forgot we were supposed to be enemies.
"I... I can handle physics, Yuri," I stammered, turning back to my book.
"I'm sure you can," he replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "But it's more fun with company."
I spent the rest of the hour feeling like I was being watched by a predator who had suddenly decided to become a house cat. It was unnerving. It was confusing. And worst of all, it was working.
As soon as the bell rang for break, Jay and I practically sprinted to the girls' washroom. We locked the main door, turning to face each other.
"They're possessed," I said immediately. "Yuri offered me a highlighter. He was polite, Jay. He smiled at me like a normal human being."
Jay paced the small space, her eyes flashing. "Keifer is worse. He's acting like a jilted lover because I took a call from 'Baby.' He's staring at me like he wants to kidnap me or interrogate me. Or both."
"Who was on the phone, anyway?" I asked.
"Ava," Jay sighed. "But Keifer doesn't know that. He thinks I have a boyfriend."
"They're cooking something," I said, my voice dropping. "This 'gentleman' act? It's a strategy. They want us to drop our guard for the party tomorrow. They think if they make us blush, we'll forget they're the snakes of Section E."
Jay stopped pacing, a dark, sharp grin spreading across her face. "They think they're playing us? They've forgotten who they're messing with. They want a game? Let's give them a war."
"What's the plan?"
"We play along," Jay whispered. "We let them think their charms are working. We go to that party, we look like perfect guests, and the moment they think they've won... we burn their 'war plan' to the ground."
We walked out of the washroom together, heads held high, only to find the "War Council" waiting for us in the hallway.
Keifer was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with Yuri standing beside him looking smug. Felix and Cin were hovering in the background, looking like they were watching a championship match.
"Done gossiping?" Keifer asked, his voice tight.
"Just discussing how boring your 'nice' acts are," Jay shot back, stepping into his space. "It's pathetic, Keifer. The smiling, the jealousy... it doesn't suit you. You're better at being a jerk."
"Jealousy?" Keifer laughed, though it sounded forced. "I'm not jealous of some 'baby' you have on speed dial. I just hate secrets in my territory."
"I'm not your territory!" Jay yelled, her temper finally snapping. She shoved his shoulder. "Stop acting like you own the air I breathe!"
"And you!" I turned to Yuri, who was still wearing that infuriatingly polite expression. "Stop smiling at me! It's creepy! I know you're just trying to get me to mess up my physics grades so Section E can take the top spot."
"I was being nice, Jane!" Yuri argued, his politeness finally cracking. "Is it so hard to believe someone might actually like your face when you aren't scowling?"
"Yes!" I shouted.
"You're all the same!" Jay added, gesturing wildly at the four of them. "You think you can play these psychological games and we won't notice? We see right through you!"
"You don't see anything!" Keifer roared, stepping closer to Jay until their chests were almost touching. "You're so busy being a 'warrior' that you don't realize when someone is actually trying to—"
"Trying to what?" Jay challenged, her eyes wet with anger. "Try to trap me? Try to humiliate me at your mom's party?"
"I wouldn't let anyone humiliate you!" Keifer yelled back.
The hallway went silent. The other students were staring. Even Felix looked shocked.
Keifer realized what he'd said and stepped back, his face turning a deep shade of red.
Jay stared at him, her mouth slightly open, the fire in her eyes flickering into something else—uncertainty.
"Tomorrow," Keifer muttered, looking at the floor. "Seven o'clock. Don't be late."
He turned and stormed off, the rest of Section E following him like a confused tail.
Jay and I stood in the hallway, the silence ringing in our ears.
"Okay," I whispered. "That was definitely not part of their plan."
Jay didn't answer. She was staring at the spot where Keifer had stood, her hand resting over her heart. "The war just got a lot more complicated, Jane."
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A/n
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