University Campus – Morning
The sun was bright. Students walked everywhere. But today, everyone was whispering about one thing.
Jay and Keifer.
Word spread fast after Yuri's joke yesterday. Now everyone thought something was going on between them.
Jay walked into the courtyard. Immediately, people stared.
Mia grabbed her arm. "Everyone is looking at us."
Ben nodded. "Yeah. This is weird."
Jay tried to ignore them. "Just walk normal."
They sat at their usual spot. The Section E boys were already there.
Ci-N ran up. "JAY! Everyone is talking about you and Keifer!"
Jay sighed. "I know. It's because of Yuri's joke."
Drew grinned. "Was it a joke though?"
Jay opened her mouth to answer. But then she stopped.
Keifer was walking toward them. He looked cool as always. But his eyes were on her.
He sat down. Right next to her. Closer than usual.
Everyone noticed.
Mayo whispered to Kit, "Oh my god. Here it comes."
Keifer looked at Jay. "Morning."
Jay nodded. "Morning."
Then Keifer did something unexpected. He reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
Jay froze. Her face turned bright red.
"You had hair in your face," Keifer said softly. "It was bothering me."
The Section E boys lost their minds.
Ci-N screamed. "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
Drew yelled, "I BET 10,000 PESOS THEY'RE DATING!"
Eren fell off his chair. "KEIFER JUST TOUCHED A GIRL!"
Mayo and Kit hugged each other. "JAYFER IS REAL! IT'S REAL!"
Even quiet Josh's eyes went wide.
Jay's face was burning. "Keifer! What are you doing?!"
Keifer shrugged. His face was calm. But his ears were a little red. "Fixing your hair. Is that a problem?"
Jay sputtered. "I— You— We—"
Mia patted her back. "Breathe, Jay. Breathe."
Ben laughed. "Our girl is gone."
Around the Campus
The news spread like fire.
"Did you see? Keifer Watson touched a girl!"
"He tucked her hair! Like in a drama!"
"Who is she? The New York girl?"
"She must be special. Keifer hates girls!"
Freya heard the news. Her face twisted with anger. She was standing with her friends.
"That little New York girl," Freya muttered. "Stealing all the attention."
Her friend nodded. "What should we do?"
Freya smiled meanly. "Wait. I'll find a way to ruin her."
Back at the Spot
Jay finally calmed down. But her heart was still beating fast.
Keifer was acting normal. Like he didn't just cause a huge scene.
Ci-N wouldn't stop. "Keifer! Why did you do that? Do you like her? TELL US!"
Keifer looked at Ci-N. "Maybe."
Everyone gasped.
Jay's jaw dropped. "Maybe? What does maybe mean?!"
Keifer looked at her. His eyes were soft. "It means maybe I like tucking your hair. Maybe I like sitting next to you. Maybe I like your smile."
Jay's heart stopped.
The Section E boys went wild.
"MAYBE! HE SAID MAYBE!" Ci-N screamed.
Drew was counting money. "I'm going to be rich! I knew it!"
Calix smiled. "Good for you, Keifer."
Yuri watched from the side. He nodded slowly. "He's got it bad."
Percy and Aries walked up. They saw Jay's red face. They saw Keifer's soft eyes.
Percy groaned. "What did I miss?"
Aries crossed his arms. "Looks like our best friend is in love with our sister."
Percy covered his face. "I need a drink. And I don't even drink."
Jay finally found her voice. "Keifer, you can't just say things like that!"
Keifer tilted his head. "Why not? It's true."
Jay sputtered again. "Because— because—"
Mia finished for her. "Because she likes you too and she's scared."
Jay whipped around. "MIA!"
Mia shrugged. "What? It's true."
Keifer's eyes lit up. He looked at Jay. "You like me?"
Jay wanted to disappear. "I— no— maybe— I don't know!"
Keifer smiled. That rare, real smile. "Maybe is good enough for me."
The crowd of students watching them all squealed.
"THEY'RE SO CUTE!"
"JAYFER! JAYFER! JAYFER!"
Jay buried her face in her hands. But she was smiling.
Keifer gently pulled her hands away. "Don't hide. You're too pretty to hide."
Jay's heart exploded.
Ci-N fake fainted. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS!"
Drew yelled, "BEST DAY EVER!"
Even Percy smiled a little. "He's good to her. I'll give him that."
Aries nodded. "Yeah. He is."
The sun shone bright over the campus. Two people sat close together. Friends surrounded them. Love was in the air.
And everyone knew it.
This was just the beginning of Jay and Keifer's story.