[Jayjay's POV]
The chatter and laughter at Eman's restaurant were interrupted when the door swung open. A girl walked in — confident, poised, and scanning the room until her gaze landed on Adrian.
Jayjay felt Keifer's hand tighten slightly around hers. He must have felt it too — that familiar tension that always surrounded Adrian when things got complicated.
"Whoa…" Rory muttered under his breath. "She's… definitely something."
Ci-N leaned forward, whispering to Ciel. "This has 'trouble' written all over it."
Ciel's eyes followed the girl, curiosity sparkling. "She's… the reason Adrian is here, right?"
Jayjay raised an eyebrow, teasing. "Curious, huh?"
Ciel flushed and looked away, mumbling, "I'm not…"
[Adrian's POV]
The moment she walked in, Adrian's chest tightened. This was the reason he had left his old school, the one who had made his life… complicated.
"Yeah," he murmured to Ciel beside him. "She's the reason I transferred to HVIS. Things back home… weren't easy."
He cleared his throat and decided it was time to tell the truth — finally.
"I suppose introductions are in order," Adrian said, voice steady but with a faint edge of nervousness.
"I'm Adrian Voss Delacruze," he stated clearly, watching the group's reaction carefully.
"And I'm Ciel Voss Delacruze," Ciel added.
Jayjay, Keifer, and the others froze for a moment. Eman almost dropped his fries, Rory's eyes widened, and Ci-N blinked rapidly.
"Wait… Voss Delacruze?" Ci-N finally cut in, interrupting Adrian mid-sentence. "You mean… Voss Interactive Arcade Corp?! The largest gaming company in the Philippines?!"
Section E collectively gasped. Jayjay felt her jaw drop slightly.
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed. "Uh… yes. Our grandparents run it. Our parents… passed away. Now we live with them."
Ciel nodded, smiling softly. "They're strict, but… very powerful. And they own a huge mall too."
Rory leaned back, awed. "No way… that Voss? The gaming empire?!"
Ci-N clapped his hands together, practically bouncing. "I can't believe it! Section E has been casually hanging out with future billionaires all this time!"
Adrian and Ciel chuckled softly at the group's reactions, still slightly embarrassed but relieved to finally be honest.
[Jayjay/Keifer POV – back to reactions]
Jayjay couldn't stop laughing softly. "Guess our quiet day just turned into a legend, huh?"
Keifer squeezed her hand, his eyes warm. "Told you Section E days are never boring."
Ciel's eyes drifted back to the red-haired boy across the restaurant, barely noticing Adrian and Rory teasing each other.
"And just like that," she murmured, still staring, "our quiet day turned into another Section E legend."
From the corner of her eye, Jayjay noticed Adrian's ex watching silently. Something told her this wasn't over — not by a long shot.
Keifer leaned closer, brushing his thumb over her hand. "Looks like the real story's just beginning," he whispered.