🌙 Chapter: Same City, Different Distance
Jay's POV
Coming back to school felt strange.
Not because I missed it.
Not because I was nervous.
Just… strange.
The black car rolled through the gates of Higher Value International School while the morning rush was still happening. Students walked across the courtyard, laughing, talking, pretending life was simple.
For them, maybe it was.
For me, things had changed too much.
I stepped out of the car and handed the keys to the guard without saying a word.
The moment I started walking toward the building, people noticed.
They always do.
Whispers followed me through the courtyard.
"Is that Jay Jay?"
"She's back?"
"She looks different."
"Prettier."
"Damn… I'd date her."
Some of the boys stared like they had never seen a girl before.
I ignored them.
Attention was never something I cared about.
The glass windows along the corridor reflected my figure as I walked past them.
For a moment, I looked.
They weren't wrong.
I did look different.
Healthier.
Sharper.
And colder.
I reached the classroom door.
Section E.
My hand paused on the handle for a second.
Memories are annoying like that.
Then I opened it.
The room went silent.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough for everyone to notice.
All eyes turned toward me.
David.
Ci-N.
Felix.
Calix.
Eman.
Denzel.
Kit.
Mayo.
Blaster.
Rory.
Edrix.
Eren.
Josh.
Drew.
And him.
Keifer.
I didn't look at him.
Not yet.
I walked into the classroom calmly.
No hesitation.
No greeting.
Just another day.
I placed my bag on the desk near to the door .
New desk.
But now it's.. ...
My seat.
I sat down.
Opened my book.
And started reading.
The silence stayed.
It lasted long enough to become uncomfortable.
Finally—
"Jay?"
Ci-N.
I flipped a page in my book.
"Yes?"
My voice sounded normal.
Calm.
Maybe too calm.
"You just came back like that?" he asked.
"Yes."
"That's it?"
I looked up at him.
"What else should I do?"
Blaster scratched his head awkwardly.
"Maybe… say hi first?"
I closed my book slowly.
"Hi."
Then I opened it again.
David let out a quiet laugh from his desk.
Even Drew looked confused.
Ci-N leaned against my desk.
"You disappeared for weeks," he said. "You can't just act like nothing happened."
I glanced at him.
"I had things to handle."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Ci-N leaned back slowly.
"…She's scarier when she's calm," he muttered.
A few students laughed quietly.
I turned another page.
But I could still feel it.
A stare.
Heavy.
Intense.
Keifer.
Of course.
I didn't want to look.
But curiosity is annoying.
So I did.
Just once.
His eyes were already on me.
There were too many emotions there.
Anger.
Pain.
Regret.
Something else I didn't want to name.
For a second, my chest tightened.
Then I looked away.
Immediately.
I wasn't ready to deal with that.
Not here.
Not now.
Break time arrived.
Section E slowly gathered around my desk.
Blaster leaned against it.
"So," he said casually, "London was fun?"
I looked at him.
"I wasn't in London."
Blaster blinked.
"…Right."
Drew scratched his head.
"So where were you?"
"Busy."
"Doing what?"
"Things."
Ci-N burst out laughing.
"She's giving us NPC dialogue."
Even my lips almost twitched.
Almost.
But the moment passed quickly.
Then I heard his voice.
"Jay."
Keifer.
I slowly lifted my eyes.
For the first time since I walked in.
Our eyes met.
And for a moment—
everything around us disappeared.
The noise.
The classroom.
The people.
Just him.
Just me.
And everything that happened between us.
My expression stayed calm.
"What?"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"We need to talk."
No.
I already knew where that conversation would go.
I wasn't ready for it.
"No."
One word.
Simple.
Final.
His eyebrows pulled together.
"This isn't optional."
My lips curved slightly.
"It actually is."
Then I stood up.
Picked up my bag.
And walked toward the door.
No hesitation.
No explanation.
I could feel everyone watching me.
But I didn't stop.
I opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
The noise of the school returned instantly.
Students talking.
Footsteps echoing.
Lockers slamming.
I walked down the hallway slowly.
For the first time since I arrived—
I finally exhaled.
Coming back to this school wasn't the hard part.
Facing them was.
Especially him.
Because the truth is—
I don't hate Keifer.
That would be easier.
What I feel is much worse than that.
And until I figure out what to do with those feelings—
Distance is the only safe option.
For both of us.
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