Jane's POV
Section E never forgot anything—especially not a kiss.
By first break, Jay was a walking headline.
"Mrs. Keifer!" Felix called across the courtyard, grinning like he'd just won an award.
Edrix chimed in without missing a beat. "Swear they should put it on the school announcement board!"
Rory clapped his hands twice. "Honeymoon in the gym, right?"
Jay groaned, burying her face in her locker. "You're all insufferable."
That earned a chorus of dramatic Oooooohs from the group. C‑in nearly fell off the bench laughing, and even Jare, passing by, muttered a warning glare sharp enough to slice through steel.
I tried to bite back a smile. The teasing, the noise—it was classic Section E chaos. Loud. Messy. Comforting. But somewhere in it all, my gaze drifted past the laughter… straight to him.
Yuri sat a few tables over, half-listening to the jokes, head tilted, headphones sitting just around his neck. His eyes flicked up and found mine—and suddenly the rest of the courtyard faded to a watercolor blur.
My heartbeat stuttered. One look, and the rest of last night flooded back: the whisper of his voice, the pressure of his hands, the way my name sounded in the dark.
He glanced down, almost shy, then back up, one corner of his mouth tugging in that small private smile that always seemed meant only for me.
Dangerous. My stomach flipped. I looked away fast.
After last night, I'd promised myself I'd forget it. Pretend it was too dreamlike to have really happened. But pretending got a lot harder when Yuri was now standing beside me, smelling faintly of soap and mint, his arm brushing mine as he reached into the same locker row.
"Morning," he said quietly, voice still a little rough around the edges.
"Hey," I breathed, trying to act casual. "Sleep well?"
He chuckled, low. "Not exactly. Keifer wouldn't stop asking questions after your sister's, uh… performance last night."
I rolled my eyes, laughing despite myself. "You mean the screaming?"
He nodded, smile growing. "Yeah. Honestly thought it was a fire drill until I realized it was just you and me getting caught."
"Just us?" I echoed, eyes narrowing playfully. "Pretty sure Jay's lungs made national news."
"Probably," he said, inching closer. "But no one seemed to mind. Except maybe your brother."
I tensed a little at that. "Jare can never find out."
He leaned in, voice dropping. "Your secret's safe with me… if you stop pretending last night didn't happen."
I turned to face him fully. His expression was unreadable—half teasing, half serious.
"Oh?" I said, heartbeat racing. "And if I keep pretending?"
He smirked softly, eyes glinting. "Then I'll have to remind you."
Flustered, I shoved his shoulder lightly, but he just laughed—that quiet, confident laugh that always made my chest tighten.
Across the courtyard, Jay was still being teased by Section E, yelling about how she hated all of them. But out of the corner of my eye, I could see her sneaking one quick, soft glance at Keifer. Then she walked away after jare had yelled at them all.
I knew that look.
Because I felt the same one forming in me—when Yuri's hand brushed mine, lingering for half a heartbeat longer than it should've.
The bell rang, cutting through everything. I grabbed my books, whispering, "Better get to class before anyone else sees us."
He tilted his head, grin too easy. "Who said I mind being seen?"
I walked off before he could see how wide I was smiling.
But I knew he noticed anyway.