Jay's POV
At the age of only 17 how does it feel to babysit two other seventeen-year-old crazy teenagers?
It feels pretty much like being the only adult in a room where the children have already set the furniture on fire and are now arguing over who gets to hold the match.
Currently I am sitting in a café with my two biggest headaches beside me—one of them the crazy shameless king of Ulupong, and the other equally shameless: my best friend Alys.
And to make it even more interesting, Percy has chimed in like extra mayonnaise on already-greasy fried chicken.
I ordered quite a lot of food: four buckets of fried chicken, four colas, two boxes of chocolate-chip cookies.
As for the payment... don't ask me. Right now the war between them is about who will pay.
Keifer looked straight at Alys.
"Jay, there will always be people in this world who try to buy you off with a little money by paying for food. Never fall for those scams—especially the ones with blonde ginger hair, a fake smile, and a dress that's practically dragging the boobs 🍒out of it."
Percy grimaced.
"Wait, Keifer... aren't you describing Alys? Then why aren't you speaking to her directly? Are we playing guessing games? English or Spanish?"😃
Keifer and Alys both snapped their heads toward him and screamed,
"Shut up!"
Alys slammed her hand on the table and locked eyes with Keifer.
"I swear, Jay... today I'm sending someone to the hospital. Some people think they're too smart and can manipulate their girlfriend. But maybe he doesn't know that boyfriends rank way lower than best friends. And the shameless one currently sitting here is wearing that smug face and black shirt, trying to look handsome—but failing and looking like a wet puppy."
Woof!!! Woof!!!🐕🐾
Suddenly a real puppy at the next table barked, staring right at us.
Keifer smiled, slow and sharp.
"Jay, it seems the dog just recognized its own breed. Someone got slapped by her own words. If I were her, I'd change my name to Doggy Doggy."
Alys: "The dog barked at you."
Keifer: "At you."
Alys: "At you. You're blind!"
Keifer: "At you. You're a fool!"
Percy, ever the helpful idiot:
"But doesn't that dog bark at both of you? So are both of you dogs? Should I call Keifer Doggy 1 and Alys Doggy 2?"
Alys: "Wait, why would I be Doggy 2? I'm Doggy 1. He's Doggy 2!"
Keifer: "Alys, try to accept that you can never defeat me. I will always be number one."
Alys: "I will be Doggy 1!"
Keifer: "I am—"
Alys: "I am!"
Are they serious?
Two seconds ago they were arguing about who is not a doggy... and now they're fighting over who is?
Are they mentally ill? Or am I the one who's not normal?🙄
Suddenly the realization hit them both at the same time. They stopped mid-argument and stared at each other.
Keifer: "Wait... I'm not a doggy."
Alys: "Neither am I."
Then both of them turned and shouted at Percy together:
"You're the doggy!!"
Percy: "But I -"
"Shut up!!!"
They glared at each other for a long second before both aggressively taking a huge bite of chicken wings.
Alys (chewing): "Jay, you shouldn't be with someone who comments on other girls' boobs."
Keifer (also chewing): "Jay, you know damn well if I look at any other woman. Honestly, I'm more concerned about you being attracted to her curves than about me commenting on her dress. I don't want you looking at anyone's curves."
Wait.
Wait.
Why are they both talking while pointing at me? Can't they just talk to each other instead of using me as some kind of passive-aggressive microphone? I just want to eat. As long as my bill is paid, I genuinely do not care who paid.
Alys:"Wow. Trying to cover? So fake. Shameless."
Keifer: Wow. Trying to fake your curves? Brainless."
Alys: "Who told you they're fake? They're my exclusive property, presented for my crush who's coming."
Keifer: "And you're forgetting I saw you in your teenage years. You're going to make me believe your so-called flat chest like a plain suddenly grew into two big melons in less than two years? Where are we? In some kind of drama where the Y/N suddenly becomes sexy for her beast CEO?"🙄
I looked at him in pure shock.
Wow. Keifer knows those stories?!! My boyfriend is going to be my greatest partner when we read them together...
Alys: "It's hormones..."
Keifer: "Hormones my foot. You're not like my wife, who has natural, perky, sexy boobs that are juicy and edible and sensitive enough to make me hard."🌚🌝
I nearly choked on my food so violently I almost died.
What the hell is wrong with him?!!!
Jay: "Keifer!!!!!"
Percy covered his ears, whispering, "Holy moly..." while Alys stared at us with wide eyes that were currently throwing daggers.
Alys: "You mean you saw my best friend's boo—"
Keifer (not letting her finish): "I just haven't seen them... I've also devoured them multiple times. And for your information, they were too big for one to fit in my mouth so—"🌚🔥
My face was burning.
But before I could say anything, Alys stood up and attacked Keifer. Keifer attacked right back.
Both of them started pulling each other's hair and screaming.
Alys: "You asshole! I will kill you for touching my best friend!!!"
Keifer (yanking her hair harder): "You punk, stop third-wheeling between me and my girlfriend! Go spend time with your brainless crush!!!"
They were full-on pulling each other's hair, shouting at the top of their lungs. The entire café was watching us. I tried to stop them.
Jay: "Both of you calm down!!! Everyone is watching!!"
Percy: "Guys, peace, peace!!"
Jay: "Both of you stop!!!!!!"
But no one was listening.
I was seriously thinking of calling Alys's dad when suddenly a single voice froze everyone in place.
Alys and Keifer looked toward the source of the voice with wide eyes, still holding each other's hair.
"Alys. Keifer. What are you both doing?"
All four of us shouted at the same time:
"Yuri?!"
Keifer's POV
Dolly the cloned sheep only had sixty days to live.
That's the exact thought that hit me while I sat in the driver's seat of my own car, watching four people turn the back seat into a crime scene of fried chicken bones and cola stains. The café owner had kicked us out five minutes ago. Apparently "hair-pulling, screaming, and almost committing mutual murder over chicken wings" is against the café rules. Who knew.
For your information it was all Alys's fault!!! Except her none of us had done anything wrong.....
Jay is in the passenger seat beside me, legs crossed, looking like she didn't just watch her boyfriend and best friend try to scalp each other in public. The rest of them—Alys, Percy, and the newly arrived Yuri—are stuffed in the back, still devouring what's left of the four buckets like nothing happened.
I should start buying lottery tickets.
Seriously. Who knows? Maybe the ticket seller turns out to be my unborn uncle's sister's son, and somehow he sells me the winning ticket. Then the guy who announces the prize is my nephew's brother-in-law, and he just has to make me win a ridiculous amount of money. Because the amount of coincidence I'm dealing with this week is already illegal.
Alys—my personal nemesis, the human equivalent of a migraine with legs—is my girlfriend's best friend.
My best friend is dating my girlfriend's best friend... which means he's dating my nemesis.
What kind of sick cosmic joke is this?
Everyone always says "life is too short to argue."
No one ever warned me that life is too long to survive this many coincidences.
I wouldn't even be surprised if I found out Keiran and Keigan are dating Yuri and Alys's sister next week. At this point the universe is just being dramatic for fun.
Jay finally spoke, taking a long, dramatic slurp of her cola.
Jay: "So, Alys... you're dating this rooster?"
I turned my head so fast my neck almost filed a complaint.
Keifer: "And Yuri—you said you have a crush on someone named Alys. So this is her?!"
Yuri looked between all of us like he had just walked into the wrong dimension.
Yuri: "I still can't understand how we ended up like this. How can the person I was talking to online be known to both of you...?"
Alys cleared her throat.
Then she spoke in the softest, sweetest, most disgustingly fake voice I have ever heard in my life.
Alys: "Jay is my best friend... and Keifer... well, he's my father's business partner's son..."
The entire car went silent for half a second.
Then Percy, Jay, and I all choked on our food at the exact same time.
Was that her voice?
The same girl who was screaming "I'll kill you" five minutes ago is now doing soft-spoken angel cosplay?
I wiped my mouth and stared at her through the rearview mirror, eyes narrowed.
Keifer: "Wow. Look at that. The demon finally learned how to speak like a human. Should I clap? Or should I be scared that you're practicing for when you eventually push me out of a moving car? Yuri, don't fall for that voice—she's a real-life bitch. She is pretending."
Alys's soft smile twitched. The real her was already clawing to get out.
Alys: "Keep talking, puppy. Maybe if you bark loud enough someone will finally adopt you."
Keifer: "I'd rather stay stray than get adopted by someone whose personality is ninety percent fake and ten percent is showing her melons."
Jay groaned and dropped her head against the window.
Jay: "Can we not start Round Two inside a vehicle? I still have chicken to finish."
Percy raised both hands like a referee who had already given up on life.
Percy: "Guys, peace. We're all stuck in the same car. If someone dies, the rest of us still have to smell the body until we reach home."
Yuri blinked slowly.
Yuri: "...Is this normal for you people?"
Alys and I answered at the exact same time, voices overlapping...
"Yes."
"Absolutely not."
We glared at each other through the mirror.
I leaned back in my seat, one hand on the wheel, the other lazily drumming on the gear stick. My voice turned sarcastic.
Keifer: "You know what's actually funny, Alys? You spent the whole café acting like some protective best friend ready to commit murder... but the second I said I have devoured her, your whole face changed. Tell me—does it burn that much knowing she chose me?"😈
Alys's fingers tightened around the chicken bone in her hand until it cracked.
Alys (smiling sweetly, eyes pure poison): "Oh, Keifer... the only thing that burns is the secondhand embarrassment I feel every time you open your mouth. And for the record—Jay is my best friend. You're just the temporary attachment that came with her. Attachments can be removed."
Jay made a strangled sound somewhere between a laugh and a cry for help.
I glanced at her, then back at Alys, voice dropping into something sharper.
Keifer: "Temporary? Cute. I've already memorized every sound she makes when my hands are inside her making her moan. How temporary does that feel to you?"🌚
The temperature in the car dropped ten degrees.
Alys's smile turned razor-sharp.
Alys: "Keep talking. I'm already deciding which hospital bed you're getting after I push you out of this moving car."
Jay finally snapped.
Jay: "Both of you shut up! One more word and I'm throwing both of you out of this car. And Keifer—have some damn shame. Stop telling people how you fuck me."
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.
Keifer: "Why so flustered, baby girl? You weren't this shy in the storage room that day when you were—"
Yuri (leaning forward like he'd just heard the gossip of the century):"Storage room? When the hell did you two go to the storage room? Why am I always the last to know?"
Jay spun around so fast her seatbelt jerked.
Jay :"Why would I take you there, Yuri?! Don't you already have a girlfriend? Why are you suddenly so invested in what we do behind locked doors?"
Yuri (genuinely offended): "Because you're stealing my best friend! First you corrupted him, then you and him tasted white sauce together and he didn't even tell me. I've never tasted it! How could you do this to me?"😖😭
Alys and Percy both choked at the same time.
Alys:"White sauce?"
Percy: "What white sauce?!"
Yuri:"Percy, stay out of it."
Percy: "Why am I always the one being shut down? You people are ganging up on me again!"
Alys leaned between the front seats, eyes locked on me like she was ready to commit a crime.
Alys: "Keifer. You're seriously making my would-be boyfriend and my best friend fight right now? What the hell is this sauce? Jay, did he drug you or something?"
I kept my eyes on the road, voice lazy and deliberately annoying.
Keifer: "Alys, you've got Yuri. Let him produce it for you. Don't come asking me for recipes."🌝
Jay looked like she was two seconds away from opening the door while the car was still moving.
Jay: "Can everyone just shut up and let Keifer drive before I lose my mind?"
Naturally, no one listened.
Alys scoffed.
Alys: "Look at him. Acting all experienced and smug. Jay, open your eyes. This man will narrate your private life to the whole school just for fun."
Keifer: "Funny coming from the girl who third-wheels so hard she almost got us kicked out of a café. Maybe if you spent less time third-wheeling and more time actually dating your crush, you wouldn't be this bitter."
Alys: "At least I don't brag about storage-room activities like a teenager.... you are taking my girlfriend away from me..."
Keifer: "Jealousy is eating you alive, Doggy 2. It's honestly entertaining."
Yuri raised his hand like we were in class.
Yuri: "Can we please go back to the white sauce? I feel emotionally left out and I demand answers."
Jay: Yuri, I swear to god if you say 'white sauce' one more time—"
Percy: "I'm still waiting for someone to explain the sauce. Is it food? Is it code? Am I the only sane person left in this car?"
That did it.
All four of us turned on him at once.
Me, Jay, Alys and Yuri:
"Shut up, Percy!"
Percy froze mid-bite, chicken wing hanging in the air.
There was a short, heavy silence.
Then the four of us muttered at the exact same time, completely done with everything:
"Damn it."
In my room (evening)
It was 6:30 in the evening. I was sitting in my room trying to study after dropping everyone home in the afternoon. Alys and Yuri were currently staying at Yuri's house.
I had messaged Jay earlier, asking her to come stay with me tonight since my parents and brothers had gone to my aunt's house. I was alone. Jay told Percy she was going to meet Alys for a girls' night in Alys's hotel room. Thankfully Percy had no idea that Alys was actually with Yuri.
While waiting for Jay, my phone suddenly buzzed. I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"You brat! It's been months and you suddenly don't call me anymore. What, got a girlfriend?"
"Well... yeah, Angelo. I'm pursuing her currently."
"Who is it?"
"One of my childhood friends. By the way, why did you call?"
No way in hell was I telling him I was dating Jay. If he found out, both of us would get chopped in half. It wasn't that Angelo didn't like me, but he would definitely forbid us from doing the... uhmm... stuff. If he knew I was wrecking her pussy with my hands while she stroked me, I was pretty sure we'd both end up ripped apart.
So I didn't take the chance.
"Keifer, the leader is retiring soon. New Year's Eve is coming. He plans to transfer the leadership before next year."
My voice turned serious.
"I know."
"The leader wants us to gather at King's Ground this week. He wants you to be the leader of the Eclipse gang."
"Angelo, we all talked about this before. I still think you are more capable—"
"Keifer... just because I'm older doesn't mean I'm able to suppress you. I know I scold you and beat you, but I also know you're the strongest person I've ever seen. Not just in strength, but in anger management and ditching enemies."
"I understand... but I fear disappointing everyone."
"Keifer, none of us are perfect. But with all of us behind you, I know you'll be the perfect leader."
"Okay. I'll do my best. But when will we meet our main leader?"
"Keifer, Eclipse is just a Branch of the most powerful mafia gang in the world—Phoenix. It dominates even Japan's top gangs. Honestly, I don't know much about them because they're highly secretive. But from what I've heard, the current leader is an old man who's dominated for years and is now retiring. His granddaughter is the one who's supposed to take over after him. He's been grooming her since she was young."
"How old is she? Everyone says the granddaughter is a mystery. Tiger told me the other day."
"She's a full mystery. No face, no name. Even the most trusted members have never seen her. But I heard she's more ruthless than her grandfather."
"When will she take over Phoenix?"
"Only they know. But we'll all be invited to her takeover ceremony."
"Got it."
"Okay, Keifer. Contact me this week. Don't forget to come to King's Ground. You need to look at the files before taking over. The clock is ticking."
"See you this week."
I hung up.
Honestly, I still wasn't sure how I would handle the gang. But for my mom, for Jay, and for the future ahead of us... I had to do it. I needed the power to take the CEO position at Watson Enterprises and rip every last share away from my so-called grandfather and uncles.
Jay's POV
I rang the bell at Keifer's house. Within seconds the door swung open and he stood there with a huge grin, practically pulling me inside before I could even say hello. He took my bag off my shoulder and locked the door behind us.
Keifer: "Baby, I finally got you alone... I missed you so fucking much."
I hugged him back. Honestly I missed him too. Four days without kissing him deeply felt like four years.
Jay: "You saw me two hours ago."
Keifer: "It was two hours, thirty-eight minutes and twenty-one seconds ago. And I couldn't even kiss you properly because of that bastard Alys."
I rolled my eyes and laughed as he dragged me upstairs to his room and locked the door again.
He smiled at me then—so innocent it immediately made my eyes twitch. Pure evil wrapped in puppy packaging.
Jay: "Keifer, we are here to study. No funny business. Exams are knocking on the door."
Keifer: "I promise, Jay. We will only study. No funny business."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Jay: "Remember... keep your dick in your pants."🤧
He nodded like an obedient puppy, the picture of innocence.
We sat down on the bed. Keifer had already stacked piles of snacks on the side table. I immediately opened a packet of chips and started solving maths while he pretended to study chemistry.
It wasn't even five minutes before he started slowly moving closer.
I glanced at him.
Jay: "What are you doing?"
Keifer: "Just sitting."
Jay: "You have a whole huge place left on the other side of the bed."
He suddenly made the biggest, most ridiculous puppy eyes I had ever seen.
Keifer: "Jay baby... you remember you promised you would compensate me and my little monster because you ditched me and went to see Alys?"😭
Jay: "Excuse me? You were also there. And I never promised. You texted. I just didn't reply."
Keifer: "Silence means agreement, baby. Please... I just want to kiss you. Please."
Jay : "No. Study first."
Keifer: "Just one peck and then we go straight back to studying. Have I ever lied to you? I promise my dick stays in my pants. I just need to taste you a little."🥺
I looked at those fake crying eyes and couldn't help laughing. Not gonna lie... I was dying for a kiss too.
We both leaned in at the same time.
Our lips met—soft, warm, and so familiar it made my chest ache. He didn't rush. He just pressed his mouth against mine gently at first, like he was savouring the feeling of finally having me. Then his hand came up to cup my jaw, thumb stroking my cheek as he deepened the kiss, slow and melting. His tongue brushed against mine once, lazy and sweet, tasting like the cola he had earlier and pure Keifer.
The warmth spread from my lips all the way down to my toes. I melted into him without meaning to, fingers curling into the front of his shirt. He made a low, quiet sound against my mouth—half growl, half sigh—like he'd been starving and I was the only thing that could fill him.
When we finally pulled apart just enough to breathe, his forehead rested against mine, eyes dark and soft at the same time.
Keifer (voice low and rough): "Fuck... you taste even better than I remembered. One peck is never enough with you, baby. You make me want to ruin every textbook in this room just so I can keep kissing you like this."
I was still trying to catch my breath, lips tingling, heart hammering.
Jay (whispering): "You promised... no funny business."
He smiled against my mouth, already leaning in again.
Keifer: "I said my dick would stay in my pants. I never said anything about my tongue."🌝🌚
Keifer's POV
Finally getting Jay alone felt like winning the fucking lottery after starving for weeks. The second the door clicked shut behind us I couldn't keep my hands—or my mouth—off her.
I pulled her into my room, locked the door, and the moment she laughed at my fake innocent smile I was already leaning in. Our lips met soft at first, the kind of sweet, warm kiss that made my chest tighten. She tasted like the chips she'd been eating and pure temptation. I cupped her face, thumb stroking her cheek while I deepened it slowly, tongue brushing against hers in lazy, deliberate strokes. She melted into me with a quiet little sound that went straight to my dick.
I backed her down without breaking the kiss, laying her down carefully so her head rested on my pillow. I hovered over her, still kissing her like I had all the time in the world, then trailed my mouth down her jaw to the soft spot under her ear.
"Missed this so fucking much," I murmured against her skin, voice low and rough. "Missed the way you go soft for me the second I put my tongue on you."
I sucked gently at first, then harder, leaving a dark mark that would definitely show tomorrow. Jay's fingers tangled in my hair as I licked over the fresh hickey, biting just enough to make her breath hitch.
"Keifer..." she whispered, half warning, half needy.
I grinned against her neck. "What? You told me to keep my dick in my pants. Never said I couldn't mark what's already mine."
Her hands slid under my shirt, impatient, pushing the fabric up. I sat back just enough to let her tug it over my head and toss it somewhere on the floor. The second the cool air hit my skin her palms were on me, tracing every ridge of my abs like she was memorizing them all over again.
I watched her face, eyes dark, voice dropping into something filthy and shameless.
"Like what you see, baby? Keep touching me like that and I'm going to forget every promise I made about studying. I'll have you moaning so loud the neighbours will think someone's getting murdered in the best way possible."
She bit her lip, fingers still exploring, and I leaned down to kiss her again—deeper this time, messier, tongue sliding against hers while one hand slipped under her shirt just to feel her warm skin.
Then suddenly the doorbell rang.
Loud. Sharp. Impossible to ignore.
We both froze.
Jay's eyes went wide. My heart slammed once against my ribs.
Who the fuck was at the door?
Jay's POV
If I kill Yuri and hide every single piece of evidence, is there still a chance someone finds out?
Keifer and I were currently sitting on the couch in the living room, both looking extremely done with life. The two living disasters who had just ruined our evening were standing right in front of us like they owned the place.
I had been enjoying myself. Things were just getting started. And then my best friend and her gay boyfriend decided to show up and destroy everything.
Damn it.
Alys mouthed a quick "sorry" at me and gestured that she had tried to stop him, but Yuri still dragged her here anyway.
Keifer didn't even try to hide his annoyance.
Keifer: "Why the fuck are both of you here?"
Yuri (smiling like an idiot): "Well, Keifer, I thought no one was home so why not keep you company?"
Keifer scoffed.
Keifer: "Didn't I clearly say Jay was here with me? Why did you still feel the need to interrupt us?"
Alys narrowed her eyes.
Alys: "Wait. What do you mean by 'interrupt'? What exactly were you two doing?"
Yuri leaned forward with way too much interest.
Yuri: "Were you guys doing something... something?"
I stared at them, completely done.
Jay: "What do you think a couple does when they're finally alone in an empty house? Play chess? Discuss the weather? Solve math problems together while holding hands?"🙄
Yuri's eyes went huge.
Yuri: "WOW. You guys are taking this relationship so fast!!"
Keifer raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
Keifer: "Fast? Sorry Yuri, but compared to you I've been moving at the speed of a retired snail. If I followed your pace Jay would already be pregnant with our second child by now."😑
I choked on air.
Jay: "What the hell do you mean by that?!"
Alys snapped her head toward him.
Alys: "Watson, speak clearly!"
Keifer smirked, completely shameless.
Keifer: "How many condoms did you two go through? A whole box? Or did you just give up halfway and start praying?"🌚🌝
The three of us coughed so hard it sounded like a small explosion. Yuri and Alys both turned bright red.
Yuri: "Hey, I—"
Keifer held up a hand.
Keifer: "Don't. You've got scratch marks on your shoulder and Alys has a very obvious hickey on her neck. I've known both of you since childhood. It would be a bigger shock if you two hadn't already done the deed. Don't try to play innocent with me."🥱
My eyes went wide. I looked at Alys, who was desperately trying to cover her neck with her hair, but it was already too late. The hickey was clearly visible.
Gosh. Keifer really had terrifying eyesight.
Yuri and Alys both stood there looking flustered and guilty as hell.
Jay: "OMG Alys!!! You—!"
Alys gave me the most awkward, sheepish smile known to mankind.
Keifer rolled his eyes and muttered,
Keifer: "One day I'm just going to kick one of you out of my house the second you dare interrupt again. And Alys, just so we're clear—you're first in line."
The living room fell into pure chaotic silence for three full seconds.
Then Yuri, for some reason, decided to dig the hole deeper.
Yuri: "Technically we only used half a box—"
Alys slapped a hand over his mouth so fast it made a loud smack.
Keifer and I just stared at them.
This evening was officially ruined.
And somehow, I still wanted to laugh... and kill Yuri at the same time for interrupting us.🤧
*********************************************************************
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬! 💗✨
First of all, I'm so sorry for the late update! 🥹💕
So, did you enjoy the chapter? 👀💖
Will the engagement happen on New Year's Eve? 👀💍 And the biggest question of all... WHO IS THE LEADER OF PHOENIX?! 🔥🖤
So many questions, so little time! 🤭✨
I'm expecting at least 40 votes and 120 comments from you all! 🥹💗 Let's see if we can reach the target, shall we, Sweethearts? 🫶🏻💕
Until then, bye-bye! Take care of yourselves and keep smiling! 🌷💖
Lots of love! ♥️🎀