JAY-JAY POV
After the drama ended, the house didn't feel normal for a while.
Cin was still replaying scenes in his head.
"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WERE LIKE THAT!"
Rory pointed at me.
"You were literally the MAIN CHARACTER."
"I know," I muttered.
Felix sighed.
"I need silence."
Denzel was still staring at the projector.
"…We were actually good."
Yurii nodded slightly.
"We were."
Robin stretched his arms.
"I miss being dramatic on purpose."
Cyrus replied calmly.
"You still are."
---
Luka was sitting on the floor, swinging his legs.
"Ate, why are you so serious now?"
I looked at him.
"…Because I grew up."
He thought for a second.
"That's boring."
Cin immediately gasped.
"HE INSULTED CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!"
---
I stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
Eman was already cleaning plates.
"You okay?" he asked without looking up.
"…Yeah."
"You don't sound convinced."
I paused.
Then shrugged.
"…Just thinking."
He nodded.
"That happens after old memories."
I didn't answer.
Because he was right.
---
Behind me, footsteps followed.
Keifer.
Of course.
He leaned against the kitchen counter.
"…You avoided me."
"I didn't."
"You did."
I turned.
"…You're imagining things."
He stared at me for a second.
Then said quietly,
"You looked different in that drama."
I frowned.
"That was years ago."
"I know."
A pause.
Then he added,
"…But you still looked like you."
That made me stop.
"…What does that mean?"
He shrugged slightly.
"You were just louder back then."
I blinked.
"…I'm still loud."
"No," he said softly.
"Now you choose when to be."
Silence.
I looked away.
"…That's not a bad thing."
"I didn't say it was."
---
From the living room—
Cin shouted,
"THEY'RE HAVING A MOMENT AGAIN!"
Rory screamed,
"SHOULD WE LEAVE?!"
Felix replied instantly,
"Yes."
---
I tried not to smile.
"…They're annoying."
Keifer nodded.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Then he added,
"But they stayed."
I looked at him.
He wasn't joking.
Not teasing.
Just… honest again.
---
Before I could respond—
The front door opened.
Everyone froze.
Aries walked in first.
Then Kuya Angelo.
Then Tita Gema.
Cin screamed instantly.
"THE LEGENDS ARE BACK!"
Rory ran.
"WE SURVIVED!"
Luka immediately shouted,
"WHERE WERE YOU?! I ATE ALL THE SNACKS!"
Aries blinked.
"…Of course you did."
---
I stood there watching it all again.
The noise.
The chaos.
The people.
Everything coming back together.
And for some reason…
I felt something settle inside my chest.
Keifer stood beside me.
"…You're smiling."
I didn't realize I was.
"…Maybe I am."
He nodded slightly.
"That's better."
I glanced at him.
"…Better than what?"
He looked forward.
"Than disappearing into old versions of yourself."
Silence.
---
Then Cin shouted again,
"OKAY EVERYONE GROUP HUG OR I'M LEAVING!"
Rory added,
"NO ONE IS LEAVING!"
Luka jumped up.
"I WANT CHOCOLATE!"
And suddenly—
the house exploded into chaos again.
---
I looked at all of them.
Then at Keifer.
And quietly thought…
Maybe I wasn't going back to my old life.
Maybe I was building something new.
Right here.
With all of them.