The café was too loud.
Not because of the actual noise—clattering cups, squeaky chairs, coffee machines screaming for help—but because my heart was punching my ribs like it wanted a jailbreak.
I had just confessed.
Loud.
Bold.
Messy.
Tears everywhere.
Like a broken fire hydrant of emotions.
And Keifer…
He had just stared.
Not the response a girl hopes for, you know?
But then everything exploded.
Like literally.
Because Angelo—my overprotective, dramatic cousin—burst into the café like a storm with legs.
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" he roared at Keifer.
Before any of us could blink—
BAM!
His fist connected with Keifer's jaw.
Chairs fell.
People screamed.
Barista dropped a whole tray of iced coffees.
Section E gasped dramatically from their hiding spot like gremlins in a theater.
Keifer stumbled back, touching his jaw, eyes wide—not in pain, but in irritation.
"What now?" Keifer snapped, wiping a smear of blood at his lip. "You still think you can act like you didn't leave her crying at that party?"
My breath got punched out of me.
Keifer wasn't talking about me…
He was talking about Ion.
The girl currently standing beside Keifer looking like a Pinterest model.
Angelo froze.
His anger cracked—revealing something raw beneath.
Keifer continued, voice stabbing each word:
"You walked away from her when she needed you the most. You don't get to show up now acting like some hero—"
"Shut up," Angelo growled.
"No," Keifer fired back, stepping forward, "YOU shut up. You left her. You broke her. And Ion—"
That name again.
Ion.
Angelo's eyes flinched every time.
"You didn't even look back," Keifer hissed. "And she—she cried herself numb. You don't deserve her."
My eyes darted to Ion.
Her hands trembled.
Her eyes glistened.
She wasn't pretending now.
Angelo clenched his jaw.
"I left because… because I didn't want to ruin her life."
"You ruined her heart instead," Keifer shot.
Silence.
Thick.
Suffocating.
Then Angelo spoke—small but full of thunder:
"I love her."
And that single confession cracked something in Ion.
Her voice came out trembling but fierce:
"I love you too."
Time froze.
I literally forgot to breathe.
Keifer did too.
Section E all did that synchronized "OH MY GOD!" face.
Angelo's shoulders dropped, disbelief flooding in.
"You… still…?" he whispered.
Ion nodded through tears.
"I never stopped."
He didn't think anymore—
He hugged her, lifting her slightly.
Then—
He kissed her.
Right there.
In the chaos.
In the middle of spilled coffees and broken hearts.
I panicked.
Covered my eyes dramatically—
But obviously peeking through my fingers like a certified creep.
Mind your business Jay…
No, don't—peek—okay peek—BUT DON'T LIKE IT.
Section E cheered like they were watching a movie premiere.
David: "FINALLY, the side couple is complete!"
Rory: "Who needs Netflix when we have Section E?"
Cin: already writing fanfiction in a tiny notebook.
Ion and Angelo pulled away breathless, whispering apologies and promises only lovers could translate. Then she grabbed his wrist:
"Let's go."
He nodded and they left the café hand-in-hand, hearts glued back together.
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Suddenly, I remembered:
I was still crying.
Still heartbroken.
Still CONFESSED.
Keifer turned to me.
The world turned to slow-motion drama mode.
His jaw was bruised.
His eyes—shaken but soft.
"Jay."
One step closer.
"Why did you cry like that?"
I tried to act strong.
Failed miserably.
"You asked me why it matters to me," I sniffed. "But it always mattered. You always mattered. And I hate it. I hate how much power you have over me."
He didn't interrupt.
"I hate that I can't think straight when you smile. I hate that my stomach does somersaults when you look at me. I hate that when you ignore me… my whole world collapses."
A tear escaped again—traitor.
"I tried to stop loving you," I whispered. "I failed."
His expression shattered.
I laughed—broken and bitter.
"You were going to kiss another girl. I thought I was too late."
Keifer closed the distance in two steps.
"Jay," he said quietly, "look at me."
His fingers gently lifted my chin.
"I wasn't going to kiss her."
He leaned closer — warmth, breath, heartbeat —
"Because I only want to kiss you."
My lungs gave up.
"You confessed," he said, voice trembling, "but listen to mine."
He suddenly bent down on one knee.
EVERYONE drowned in shock waves.
Rory: "SOMEONE RECORD THIS!"
Cin: already crying like he's the bride's father.
I froze.
Completely.
Keifer took my hands in his.
"I'm not perfect," he began, voice raw.
"I get jealous, possessive, angry. I push people away. I ruin good things."
My heart punched again.
"But you…"
A shaky exhale.
"You make me want to be better."
My breath stuttered.
"I love you, Jay."
He squeezed my hands tighter.
"I'm yours. I've always been yours."
He swallowed.
"So please… be mine. Officially."
Tears—different ones—ran down my cheeks now.
"I get jealous too," I confessed. "I panic. I overthink. I fight everyone."
He smiled softly.
"I like all versions of you."
"And I want you," I finally breathed, "Every stupid, dramatic, intense part of you."
"So yes."
I let out a broken laugh.
"Yes, Keifer Watson. I'll be your girlfriend."
His chest rose—like he had been drowning for years and finally surfaced.
"We're official," he said, voice full of wonder.
"We are," I whispered.
Then he stood.
And kissed me.
Soft.
Slow.
Like a promise carved in stars.
Like his soul pressed into mine.
Section E lost their minds.
Mayo: "THIS IS CINEMATIC HISTORY!"
Josh: "MY HEART! MY HEART!!"
Yuri, silent, wiping a single tear like an action movie villain.
Keifer finally pulled back, resting his forehead against mine.
Then he turned towards section e
"But where is the master of this plan."
"Master of plan?" I asked.
"Yes"
__Flashback_____
I was standing at the school gates, leaning against the cold railing, eyes fixed on the entrance. I'd been waiting for Jay the whole morning.
My chest felt tight, like something was clenching around my ribs. Last night replayed in my head on loop — her voice, shaky… the way she snapped at me, the way I almost snapped back.
She wanted to say something.
I could feel it.
I could feel her hanging on the edge of words she was too scared to speak.
And then she hung up.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Jay… what happened to you? Why did you sound like you were breaking apart?"
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice someone walking toward me until—
THUD.
I bumped into a shoulder.
"Elara?" I blinked. "Sorry. I wasn't looking."
She smirked, brushing invisible dust off her uniform.
"You weren't looking because you were waiting for someone."
I didn't answer. I didn't need to. Elara already knew.
Her eyes softened. "You know… she called me last night."
My heartbeat stopped. "Jay did?"
Elara nodded. "And before you panic—she's fine. Just… confused. She said you two had a fight?"
I clenched my jaw. "Yeah. And it was stupid. I should've listened. She sounded… different."
Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"She wanted to confess, Keifer. She literally called me crying because she thinks she ruined everything. She said she wants it official. That she's tired of being scared."
My breath caught.
Jay. Crying because she wants us to be official. Crying because she thinks she messed up.
"She said that?" my voice cracked before I could stop it.
Elara grinned like she finally got what she wanted.
"So now you need to do something big. Something she can't run away from. Create the right situation. And maybe…" she tapped her chin, "make her a little jealous so she panics enough to confess."
I stared at her. "Jealous…?"
"She's Jay," Elara laughed. "Of course jealousy works. Tell the boys. Act like you're moving on. She'll combust in five seconds."
I rolled my eyes, but my heart was already racing with plans.
I was about to ask more when my phone buzzed.
ION flashed on the screen.
My stomach dropped for a second.
Ion.
Someone from a past I didn't expect to face today.
I answered. "Ion?"
Her voice came soft and nervous.
"Keifer… I'm back in the Philippines. I… need to talk to Angelo. I miss him. I made a mistake leaving without saying anything."
I swallowed. I could hear how much she meant it.
So Angelo still mattered to her.
And deep down, I knew Angelo still cared too — the way he froze whenever her name came up in old conversations.
I glanced at Elara. She raised a brow.
"Put it on speaker," she whispered.
I did.
Ion continued, "I just don't know how to face him. I don't want him to think I'm here to make trouble."
Elara mouthed: Use this.
I sighed. "Then meet me at the café later. I'll bring Section E. I'll… figure something out."
Ion exhaled like she'd been holding her breath for months. "Okay. Thank you, Keifer."
Call ended.
Elara shoved my arm. "That's it. Fake girlfriend. Perfect."
I glared. "She's not my girlfriend. She's Angelo's problem."
"Exactly," Elara smirked. "And Jay will go nuts seeing you with someone else. Use Ion for the plan. Just acting."
I hated the idea.
Using Ion. Hurting Jay.
But I kept thinking about Jay crying because she thought she ruined everything.
Jay, who has loved me longer than she could admit.
Jay, who I love so much it terrifies me.
Elara smirked like she could read my heartbeat.
"So? Are you in or not?"
I exhaled sharply. "Fine. But I'm telling Ion the truth. She's acting — nothing more."
I typed a message to Angelo:
"Ion's back. We're going on a date today. Café, 5 PM. If you don't want her anymore, don't come."
And I added, because I knew Keigan would find out eventually:
"Before Keigan starts planning anything, I'm not marrying Ion. Clear?"
Then I turned to Elara.
"If she gets hurt because of this—"
"She won't," Elara assured. "Because Jay will show up before that happens. Trust me."
I shoved my phone in my pocket and stared at the café sign across the street.
Hands trembling.
Heart loud.
Scared and excited and stupidly hopeful.
Jay, this better work.
Because I'm running out of ways to pretend I'm not already yours.
End of Flashback.____
Then suddenly my phone buzz, there was a message from elara, I read it aloud to tell keifer
"Hey Jay, thanks me later but now I have to go somewhere urgently, maybe I won't be coming school tomorrow. Bye"
My brain: …processing… processing… ERROR.
"Wait—so this was all a plan?"
He nodded slowly.
"Me, Ion, Elara… and Section E."
I glanced at the boys.
They all waved innocently like toddlers caught stealing cookies.
Eman: "We did it for love!"
David: "It was a scientifically strategic operation."
Cin: "It was beautiful. I cried three times."
I turned back to Keifer.
"You made me jealous on purpose."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Guilty as charged.
"You made me think you didn't want me."
"Yes."
Much softer this time.
"And you let me cry like a crazy desperate woman."
His expression broke completely.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
I glared.
Then punched his shoulder.
Hard.
"OW—"
"That's for making me cry!"
He rubbed his arm, smiling.
"You looked cute though."
I punched again.
"OW—okay okay stop—"
Section E clapped like I won a war.
I sniffed.
Then finally let the smile come back — the real one.
"But thank you," I said quietly, staring at our joined hands.
"For fighting for us. Even when I was scared."
He leaned his forehead against mine again.
"I'll always fight for us."
I exhaled—a shake of relief, disbelief, joy.
"We're really official now," I whispered.
He grinned.
Cocky.
Soft.
Mine.
"Yes, Jay. You're my girlfriend."
The butterflies in my stomach threw a victory parade.
"And you," I grinned back, "are my boyfriend."
Section E immediately screeched and tackled us into a chaotic group hug.
Yuri muttering threat-level vows like: "If Watson hurts you I bury him."
Cin sobbing: "I waited MONTHSSS for this!"
Rory: "First Section E couple: UNLOCKED!"
Felix: already planning wedding playlists.
Amid the chaos, Keifer whispered against my ear—
"You know this means…"
I looked up.
"What?"
He smirked.
"I'm never letting you go anymore."
I rolled my eyes.
But my heart said:
Good.
Don't.
ENDING NOTE OF THE CHAPTER
JayFer is OFFICIAL ❤️
Ion & Angelo reunited ❤️
Section E = Cupid Army of Chaos 💥
Elara = mastermind 💅
Jay-jay = finally confessed 😭
Keifer = loves her openly 😌
Alright. That's all for today.
Tell me in comments how was it.
And also sorry for yesterday as I can't upload a chapter yesterday as I want something really spicy.
Be ready for the next chapter, I promise your Wait will worth,
Bye bye