Chapter 37 – The Announcement
Rain tapped softly against the classroom windows while Section E pretended to study.
Keyword:
Pretended.
Cin was drawing dinosaurs on Rory's notebook.
Felix slept openly.
Denzel and Grace whispered in one corner.
Yuri somehow finished an entire advanced mathematics worksheet in fifteen minutes then looked bored afterward.
And JJ?
JJ sat beside Keifer stealing fries from his lunchbox like she legally owned them.
Keifer watched her in disbelief.
"You know those are mine."
JJ nodded calmly while eating another one.
"Our fries, Watson."
"Marriage language already?"
JJ kicked his chair lightly.
"Gago."
Keifer immediately leaned closer.
"Profanity."
JJ pointed a fry threateningly.
"Try it in class and die."
Rory sighed dramatically.
"One day I'm going to transfer schools because of these two."
Too late.
Keifer already kissed JJ anyways.
When they broke the kiss,
Cin slammed his notebook shut emotionally.
"I HATE LOVE."
---
The Announcement
But later that afternoon—
things changed.
Because after classes—
Keifer called everyone to the rooftop.
And strangely—
he looked serious.
Not angry serious.
Not flirt serious.
Heavy serious.
JJ noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
Keifer stayed quiet for a second.
Then finally:
"I'm leaving next week."
Silence.
Cin blinked.
"…like emotionally or geographically?"
"London."
That got everyone's attention instantly.
Percy frowned slightly.
"For what?"
Keifer leaned against the railing quietly.
"My inheritance hearing."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Because everyone knew what that meant.
Serina Watson's company.
The multinational empire Kaizer wanted control over.
And now—
Keifer turning eighteen next week meant legally becoming eligible to fight for it himself.
Yuri's expression darkened slightly.
"You're going alone?"
"I have lawyers there already."
"That wasn't my question," Yuri answered calmly.
Keifer stayed silent.
Because honestly?
No.
He probably wouldn't be safe there either.
---
The Weight Of A Name
JJ watched him carefully.
"You'll be there how long?"
"Three weeks maybe."
A pause.
"Possibly a month."
Something inside JJ tightened painfully at that.
A month.
That sounded longer than it should.
Keifer looked toward the city quietly.
"The board wants official ownership transferred after I turn eighteen."
Aries crossed his arms.
"And Kaizer?"
Keifer laughed coldly.
"He'll fight it."
Of course he would.
Power like that didn't disappear quietly.
Especially not from men like Kaizer Watson.
Keifer rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"The inheritance includes company control, property rights, international shares…"
Cin blinked slowly.
"…bro you're basically becoming Batman."
"Rich traumatized men don't automatically become Batman," Rory muttered.
"Tell that to Yuri."
Yuri didn't even look offended.
---
Later That Evening
JJ found Keifer alone in the gym later.
Punching the training bag harder than necessary.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The sound echoed violently through the empty room.
JJ leaned against the doorway quietly.
"You're going to kill the bag."
Keifer didn't stop immediately.
Another punch.
Then finally—
he exhaled sharply and stepped back.
"You shouldn't be here."
JJ ignored that completely.
"You're stressed."
"No shit."
JJ walked toward him slowly now.
Keifer looked exhausted again.
Not grieving this time.
Burdened.
Like the moment he turned eighteen—
his childhood officially ended.
And honestly?
Maybe it already had.
"You don't want to go," JJ said softly.
Keifer laughed once quietly.
"I have to."
Silence.
Then more honestly:
"If I lose this inheritance…"
He didn't finish.
Didn't need to.
Kaizer would win.
Serina's company would become his.
Everything she built—
destroyed.
JJ stepped closer slowly.
"You won't lose."
Keifer looked at her carefully.
"You sound very confident."
JJ shrugged lightly.
"You're terrifying when motivated."
That made him smile slightly.
Then his expression softened.
"I don't wanna leave you here."
JJ froze slightly.
Not because of the words.
But because of how genuinely he said them.
Like the idea itself bothered him deeply.
"You'll come back."
Keifer looked down quietly.
"…I know."
But something about his voice sounded uncertain.
And JJ suddenly hated it.
Hated this feeling.
Like time kept separating them.
First funerals.
Now London.
And secretly—
deep down—
JJ feared something else too.
What if he returned one day…
and she wasn't there anymore?
The thought nearly made her sick.
---
The Birthday Problem
Two days later—
Section E became completely obsessed with Keifer turning eighteen.
Mostly because Cin treated it like a national holiday.
"We need a massive party."
"No," Keifer answered immediately.
"We need cake."
"No."
"We need dancers."
"Absolutely not."
JJ laughed watching the chaos while sitting on Keifer's desk.
Percy suddenly appeared dramatically.
"BABY SISTAH."
JJ blinked.
"What now?"
Percy pointed accusingly.
"You're the wife. Fix his emotional issues."
Keifer looked deeply satisfied hearing that.
JJ immediately threw a notebook at Percy.
"SHUT UP, you Asshole."
"Profanity," Keifer whispered near her ear.
JJ glared instantly.
"I swear to God—"
Keifer kissed her quickly before she finished.
The classroom exploded immediately.
Felix screamed into a pillow dramatically.
Grace hid her face laughing.
Even Yuri looked traumatized now.
Aries stood up immediately.
"Watson."
Keifer didn't even look scared anymore.
"Fernandez."
"Hands off my sister."
"She kissed me back."
"I WILL PUSH YOU OFF THE BUILDING."
Cin whispered emotionally:
"Ah yes. Family bonding."
---
Quiet Fear
That night—
JJ sat alone in her room again.
Darkness.
Letters scattered around her desk.
And in her hands—
medicine.
Too many medicines.
She stared at them quietly.
Then at the calendar.
One week until Keifer leaves.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Because suddenly—
time felt terrifying again.
What if her condition worsened while he was gone?
What if she forgot him before he returned?
What if—
JJ immediately shut her eyes tightly.
"No."
She refused to think like that.
Refused.
Then her phone buzzed suddenly.
Keifer.
> Wifey.
Are you awake?
JJ smiled weakly despite everything.
> Unfortunately yes gago.
Instant reply.
> Profanity.
Come balcony.
JJ blinked.
Then quickly stood and opened her balcony door.
And there he was.
Standing on the balcony outside her room like an absolute criminal.
JJ stared in disbelief.
"…you climbed three floors."
Keifer grinned slightly.
"You sounded sad."
That sentence hit harder than it should've.
JJ looked at him quietly for a second.
Then finally whispered:
"You're an idiot."
Keifer stepped closer gently.
"But I'm your idiot."
And honestly?
That scared JJ more than anything.
Because she was falling in love with him completely now.
Right when time was becoming the cruelest thing in her life.