JAY'S POV :
"Guys, Jay and I had a deal," Ci-N announced.
My stomach dropped. I lunged forward before he could finish, fingers clamping over his mouth. He squirmed, muffled protests vibrating against my palm.
"Mmmph," he struggled against my palm.
He tried to remove, but I held it tight. He suddenly spit saliva on my palm. Ewwww. Wet warmth hit my hand. Eww—I recoiled and yanked my palm away.
"She said—if I get exactly 99.8, she'd tell who's her type and kiss him," Ci-N blurted, voice tripping over itself.
The room froze for a breath, then erupted.
"Pick me! Pick me!" The chorus was instant, greedy and loud. Even Felix's voice rose above the rest. What the hell—Felix? My brother?
My face went hot. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. It stubbornly refused.
A chair slammed on the floor. Keifer's single, sharp gesture cut through the chaos like a blade. The room snapped quiet.
"Let her speak!" he ordered.
Oh God. Give me strength. Should I say it's Keifer. No. Never. I'm not gonna say that. He made a plan against me. Even though I know he stopped it, but still. He hurt me. Even I have ego, and it got hurt. Let him be the first one to confess. He'd wounded my pride, and I wasn't about to hand him the satisfaction of a confession.
I scanned the cluster of expectant faces. Eren glowered, mouth pressed into a thin line. Drew dabbed at his eyes like a melodramatic fool. Keifer looked…tensed, and trying to hide it. Like he is scared I might not pick him.
An idea flickered, sudden and delicious. I pulled my phone from my pocket, thumb slipping to the camera app. Everyone leaned forward, hungry. I snapped a selfie, pressed my lips to the screen, then flipped the phone around and held it up for the whole room to see.
Silence—then a collective gasp, followed by groans and outraged shouts.
"Jay, that's cheating!"
"You were supposed to kiss one of us!"
"I'm one of us." I said, smirking.
"Bro, she cheated in ultra HD."
"Traitor!"
Accusations rained down, half sincere and half theatrical. Drew let out an exaggerated sob, hands over his face. David barked a laugh that didn't reach his eyes. Through it all, Keifer's smile widened, slow and smug, as if he'd taught me this exact move.
For a second I worried I'd misjudged him; maybe this pleased him because he thought I looked ridiculous. Then I realized the truth: he was proud because I'd taken control. That small victory felt hot and sharp in my chest.
"You guys are overreacting," I said, voice steadyer than I felt. "Ci said to kiss who's my type. I'm my type, so I kissed myself."
Heat rose in their faces, then confusion, then a grudging sort of respect. Eman's jaw worked; he wasn't sure whether to laugh or punch me. Drew sniffed theatrically and wiped his nose. Keifer kept smiling, but there was an edge now—pride braided with something like annoyance.
"Whatever," i muttered, but the tension had shifted. The dare had been defused—on my terms. And for once, being brazen felt better than being beaten into honesty.
I lowered the phone, meeting Keifer's eyes. He lifted one brow. We both knew the game wasn't over. But for now, I'd staked my claim: selfish, clever, and perfectly ridiculous.