--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The months leading up to our departure for college were a strange, bittersweet paradox. Time seemed to move both at a snail's pace and like a high-speed bullet train. The Watson mansion had become the official headquarters for Section E, a fortress of chaotic energy and final summer memories. Almost every day, the gates would buzz, and the familiar, noisy squad would spill into the living room, bringing with them a sea of snacks, half-finished plans, and the constant hum of laughter.
Keifer was busier than I had ever seen him. The massive merger involving the Watson Company was in its final, most grueling stages, and he was often buried in stacks of paperwork or locked in high-stakes international video calls until the sun went down. There were days when I only saw him through the glass of his study, a headset on, his expression cold and professional—the true "Machine."
But no matter how exhausted he was, or how many millions were on the line, the second he stepped out of that room, his focus shifted entirely to me. We'd spend those late, quiet hours curled up on the sofa or walking through the moonlit gardens.
Sometimes we'd talk about our fears for the future, but mostly we just sat in a comfortable, heavy silence that said more than words ever could. He was my anchor, and I was his peace.
Then, the day finally arrived.
We didn't do the traditional dorm experience. With Keifer Watson involved, "traditional" was a word that didn't exist. Instead, he had secured several luxury apartments in the same high-rise building just a few blocks from the LSE campus. It was perfect. The building felt like a private club for us.
The couples—stayed together in their respective units, while the younger Watson brothers, Keiran and Keigan, stayed with Keifer and me. It felt like our own little village in the sky. And the single squad paired up together.
The move-in day was a total spectacle. Section E, Aries, and the girls landed first, turning the lobby into a luggage-filled war zone. Shortly after, the F4 crew, Gorya, and Kaning arrived, completing the circle. Seeing everyone gathered in a new city, standing in front of the massive LSE gates, felt like the beginning of an epic new chapter.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The first morning of university felt electric, the air crisp and smelling of old books and fresh coffee. The LSE campus was massive—sprawling green lawns, ancient stone buildings covered in ivy, and modern glass architecture reflecting the morning sun.
Thousands of students were rushing about, but our group was a walking parade that made people stop in their tracks.
Section E and F4 walking together was enough to make the entire student body turn their heads. We were a sea of designer bags, loud banter, and enough "main character energy" to power the whole city.
"I'm telling you, my schedule is a work of art," Ci-N bragged, swinging his bag with a wide grin. "I have 'Introduction to Anatomy' and then 'Flight Simulation' right after. I'm living the dream of the Flying Doctor!"
"Just don't try to perform surgery on the flight simulator, Ci-N," Felix joked, shoving him lightly. "We don't need a virtual malpractice suit on day one."
Yuri was trailing slightly behind the pack, his nose buried deep in his phone as he tried to navigate the complex digital campus map. "I think we take a left at the fountain... or is it a right? This GPS is lagging because of all the people."
"Yuri, look up before you—"
CRASH
It happened in slow motion. A girl with vibrant, fiery red hair came sprinting around the corner of the humanities building, her arms clutched around a mountain of heavy textbooks. She wasn't looking where she was going, and Yuri definitely wasn't looking up from his screen.
They collided with a heavy, bone-jarring thud.
Yuri went down hard on his back, his phone skidding across the pavement. Because of the momentum, the red-haired girl lost her balance entirely and tumbled right on top of him. The world seemed to stop spinning. She landed squarely on his chest, her face inches from his. Due to the angle of the fall, their lips didn't just graze—they slammed together in a clumsy, shocking, and very public accidental kiss.
The entire group went dead silent. The hundreds of students walking nearby also slowed to a halt.
Yuri's eyes were wide, staring up at the girl in sheer, unadulterated shock. The girl's eyes were equally dinner-plate sized, her face turning a shade of crimson that actually matched her hair.
For a solid five seconds, neither of them moved.
Then, the silence broke into a roar.
"OH MY GOD!" Ci-N screamed, jumping up and down like he'd won the lottery. "YURI! YOU SMOOTH CRIMINAL! FIRST DAY! FIRST HOUR!"
"AND A KISS!" Rory hollered, clutching his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. "Yuri, you absolute legend!"
I stepped forward, my eyes narrowing as I looked at the girl. She looked familiar. The fiery red hair... the slightly panicked but feisty expression... the way she held her books...
"WAIT!" I screamed, pointing a finger at her. "Yuri!! Isn't she the same girl we... you know! The one from months ago? The one you bumped into when we went to the mall!"
The laughter from the group died down for a split second as everyone looked at me in confusion.
"WHAT??"Ci-N barked, his eyes bulging. "When did you go to a mall? When did this all happen? We don't know anything about this!"
"Wait, you guys had a secret mall date? Did you both cheat on Keifer??" Josh added, looking betrayed. "And there was a girl involved? Why are we just hearing this now?"
"Ahh.. you all were not there and I forgot to tell you guyss. Sorry!!" I said awkwardly, waving my hands in front of my face. "It was definitely not a date! And I'm not cheating on anyone!!! We just ran into her and it was a whole... thing. I totally forgot to mention it!"
Reality finally hit the two on the ground like a lightning bolt. They scrambled apart with frantic energy. Yuri pushed himself up with shaking hands, and the girl jumped to her feet so fast she almost tripped over her own discarded textbooks.
--: Yuri's POV: --
My brain was completely short-circuiting. My lips were tingling, and my heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I looked at the girl—really looked at her—and my jaw dropped. It was her. The girl from the mall. The one Jay-Jay had teased me about for weeks because I had accidentally pulled her hair when we went to mall.
"You..." I stammered, my face burning so hot I thought my skin might actually melt.
"You!" she squeaked, her voice two octaves higher than normal. She looked like she wanted to evaporate on the spot.
The squad was absolutely erupting behind us. F4 and Section E were hooting, whistling, and making exaggerated kissy noises. The red-haired girl looked like she was about to explode. Without a single word of apology or explanation, she gathered her books in a frantic, messy pile and took off, speed-walking so fast she was practically a blur.
"Yuri!" I turned to see Jay-Jay leaning toward me with a wicked, triumphant smirk. "You didn't get her name again, did you? Last time you pulled her hair, and now you literally kissed her without even knowing who she is!"
"I... I didn't kiss her purposely!" I shouted, my ears turning a deep shade of purple. "It... it was an accident! She ran into me! I was just standing there!"
"Suuure, Yuri," Drew laughed, throwing a heavy arm around Eman's shoulder.
"An 'accident' that landed perfectly on the lips. You've been practicing your aim, haven't you?" Felixchimed in.
Laughter echoed through the courtyard as we continued toward our first lecture. I tried to shake off the feeling, but the ghost of that "kiss" wouldn't leave me. Every time I blinked, I saw red hair.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
We reached the lecture hall, a massive, steeply banked amphitheater that was already humming with the voices of hundreds of students. As we filed in, I scanned the rows, looking for our seats. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw a familiar flash of red.
Sitting in the third row, her head buried in her notebook and her ears still bright pink, was the Red-Headed Mystery Girl.
"Oh, this is destiny," I whispered to Gorya, who giggled and nudged me.
The guys saw her too. As Yuri tried to find a seat, the teasing reached a professional, elite level. Every time Yuri moved toward an empty chair, one of the guys would move faster, sliding into the seat with a smug, knowing smirk.
"Sorry, Yuri, I need this spot for my... aesthetic," Ci-N said, lounging back.
"This seat is specifically reserved for my left elbow," Felix added, placing his bag on another chair.
One by one, they strategically filled up every available seat near our group. I watched Yuri look around frantically, his face falling as he realized there was only one seat left in the entire middle section.
It was directly beside the red-haired girl.
Having no other choice, and with the professor already walking onto the stage, Yuri slunk over and sat down. He looked like he was sitting on a bed of hot coals. I watched from two rows back, and it was better than any movie. Yuri kept sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye, his neck stiff.
Even better—she was doing the exact same thing, her eyes darting toward him for a split second before she pretended to be intensely interested in the syllabus.
I was so focused on them that I jumped when a warm, familiar breath hit the shell of my ear.
"My Mendler, what are you thinking about again?" Keifer whispered.
I flinched at the sudden closeness, my heart skipping a beat. I turned to see him watching me with a dark, amused expression. "Look at them, Keifer!" I whispered back, pointing subtly.
Keifer followed my gaze to where Yuri and the girl were sitting in agonizing silence. A slow, rare smirk spread across his face—the kind of look he only got when he was genuinely entertained.
"Looks like someone is finally going to have a girlfriend," Keifer murmured, his arm sliding around the back of my chair to pull me firmly against his side. "Maybe now he'll finally stop being a third wheel. Someone for whom we both won't have to fight for his attention."
I bit his shoulder playfully through his jacket, feeling the hard muscle beneath. "Don't be mean! But seriously... I'm really happy for him. Look at him, he's actually blushing. He deserves someone who makes him feel that way."
Keifer chuckled, his eyes softening as he looked down at me, his thumb tracing a small circle on my shoulder. "As long as he doesn't expect me to give him 'dating advice.' My methods involve more intimidation than conversation."
"I know," I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder. "But look at them. They're already acting like a married couple that just had their first fight."
As the professor began the lecture, the tension between Yuri and the red-head was so thick it was practically its own entity. University hadn't even been in session for an hour, and Section E was already the center of a romantic comedy. I smiled to myself, settling into Keifer's side. LSE was going to be an unforgettable ride.