Chapter 49 – "Don't Call Me That"
Keifer had been back in Manila for barely a day.
And already—
he was failing at something extremely important.
Work.
Or more accurately—
ignoring it on purpose.
---
Morning Chaos at the Mansion
The mansion was already alive again.
Cin was arguing with Yuri about who finished the milk first.
Yuri, as always, looked personally offended by existence.
"That was mine."
"It was labeled COMMON PROPERTY," Cin argued.
"There is no such thing as common property in this house," Yuri replied calmly.
Felix walked past them.
"I want to sleep."
"No one cares," Percy said instantly while eating something aggressively.
Aries was already outside on a call, clearly trying to pretend he wasn't surrounded by chaos.
Ella sat nearby scrolling her phone peacefully like she lived in a different universe.
Grace was laughing with Mica and Rakhi while Denzel looked at her like she was made of air and responsibility.
Keigan and Keiren were chasing each other around the couch.
And JJ—
JJ was sitting on the stairs.
Watching Keifer.
Because Keifer Watson, CEO of "I run countries in London," was currently sitting on the floor with JJ's snack packet open.
Ignoring a very expensive laptop beside him.
JJ squinted.
"…you're not working."
Keifer didn't even look up.
"I am."
"That's chips."
"Emotional support work."
Yuri from the kitchen:
"He's unemployed mentally."
Keifer finally glanced at him.
"Leave."
Yuri smiled.
"No."
---
Honey Bee Rider Enters Again
The air shifted slightly when the doors opened.
Again.
Honey Bee Rider stepped in like she never missed a beat.
Sharp suit.
Tablet in hand.
Expression unchanged.
"Mr. Watson," she said immediately, "your London team is waiting for confirmation on the merger proposal."
Keifer nodded slightly without looking up.
"Delay it."
JJ blinked.
"…you can just delay things?"
Yuri snorted.
"No one tell her how capitalism works."
Honey didn't react.
But her eyes flicked briefly toward JJ.
Then—
calmly:
"Keifer, this requires your signature."
Silence.
Small.
But noticeable.
JJ froze slightly.
Aries paused mid-call outside.
Percy slowly turned his head like he smelled drama.
Keifer finally looked up.
"…don't call me that here."
Honey tilted her head slightly.
"It's your name."
JJ blinked once.
Then twice.
Then slowly looked at Keifer.
Very slowly.
Her expression changed in a way that no one noticed immediately—
except Percy.
"Oh," Percy whispered. "Oh no."
---
The Problem Called Jealousy
Keifer stood up now, taking the file.
"Just send it digitally."
Honey nodded.
"Understood, Keifer."
JJ's jaw tightened instantly.
That was it.
Small thing.
Stupid thing.
But it hit her in a very specific place she didn't want to admit existed.
Keifer didn't even notice at first.
He was already distracted again.
By her.
Always her.
He walked over casually and sat beside JJ on the stairs.
"Want to go out later?"
JJ didn't look at him.
"…maybe."
Short answer.
Suspicious answer.
Keifer frowned slightly.
"Why do you sound like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you're planning a crime."
JJ finally looked at him.
"…I'm not."
Yuri from behind:
"She is."
JJ threw a pillow at him instantly.
"SHUT UP."
---
Honey Notices Something First
Honey Bee Rider stood quietly near the doorway observing everything.
The chaos.
The people.
The boy who controlled corporations but was currently arguing over snacks.
The girl who pretended she didn't care but kept watching him every second.
She understood it quickly.
Too quickly.
But she didn't say anything.
Instead—
she simply spoke again.
"Keifer, your schedule—"
"Later," he cut in immediately.
No harshness.
Just final.
Then softer, almost instinctively:
"Not now."
Silence.
JJ looked at him again.
That line landed differently.
Not work.
Not responsibility.
Just…
choice.
And she didn't know why that made her chest tighten.
---
The Moment It Escalates (Quietly)
Honey didn't push.
She simply nodded.
"As you wish, Keifer."
And left.
That should've ended it.
But it didn't.
Because JJ stayed quiet after that.
Too quiet.
Keifer noticed now.
He always did eventually.
"Hey," he said gently, leaning closer. "What's wrong?"
JJ shrugged.
"…nothing."
Lie number one.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"The one where you lie badly."
JJ finally looked at him properly.
And for a second—
something sharp flickered in her eyes.
"Do you like it when she calls you that?"
Keifer blinked.
"…who?"
JJ tilted her head slightly.
"Honey."
Silence.
Then—
Keifer laughed once.
Soft.
Confused.
"You're jealous."
JJ immediately sat up straighter.
"I am NOT."
Yuri from the kitchen:
"She is."
JJ yelled:
"YURI I WILL END YOU."
Percy, immediately appearing like a witness in court:
"BABY SISTAH IS JEALOUS."
JJ turned red instantly.
"I AM NOT JEALOUS."
Keifer was watching her now.
And slowly—
he smiled.
Not teasing.
Not mocking.
Just warm.
Understanding.
"Oh," he said quietly. "You are."
JJ glared at him.
"…don't smile."
"Why?"
"Because it's annoying."
"You're cute when you're jealous."
JJ froze.
Entire mansion froze.
Even Yuri stopped eating.
Percy whispered:
"…this is how wars start."
---
JJ looked away quickly, pulling her knees up.
"…I don't like it."
Keifer leaned closer slightly.
"What part?"
Her voice was quieter now.
"…when other people sound closer to you than me."
Silence.
No jokes this time.
No chaos.
Just something real sitting in the middle of all of them.
Keifer didn't tease her.
Didn't laugh.
Just gently took her hand.
And said simply—
"You're not other people."
JJ didn't respond.
But she didn't pull away either.
And for once—
Honey Bee Rider leaving didn't feel like the biggest change that day.
It was the fact that JJ just admitted something she wasn't supposed to feel yet.
And Keifer… understood it completely.
---
At mall.
The shopping mall was too bright.
Too loud.
Too normal.
Like the world didn't know how close everything was sitting to breaking.
JJ walked in with the group anyway.
Because that's what she always did now—
show up.
Even when she didn't feel fully inside her own body.
---
The Chaos Squad Arrives
Cin was already hyped.
"I SWEAR I'M BUYING EVERYTHING."
Felix looked disgusted.
"You say that every time and buy one hoodie."
Rory nodded.
"He's financially unstable emotionally."
Eman was filming everything like it was a documentary.
Calix and David were arguing about shoe brands.
Denzel was quietly holding Grace's hand like he was afraid she'd disappear in a crowd.
Freya was already dragging Endrix toward the jewelry section.
Mica and Rakhi were laughing over something completely unrelated.
Ella stayed close to Aries, calm as always.
Percy declared:
"This mall is now ours."
Aries immediately replied:
"No."
Yuri, walking behind them:
"It already feels like a robbery scene."
Keigan and Keiren were running ahead screaming at escalators.
And JJ—
JJ stayed slightly behind Keifer.
Watching him more than the shops.
---
The Bridal Section They Shouldn't Have Entered
It started as a mistake.
Freya pulled Endrix into a luxury store "just to look."
And somehow—
everyone followed.
Bad decision.
Very bad decision.
Because it wasn't just clothes.
It was wedding sections.
Rows of white fabric.
Gold embroidery.
Soft lighting.
Mannequins standing like silent predictions.
JJ stopped walking.
Just stopped.
Keifer noticed instantly.
"JJ?"
She didn't answer.
Her eyes were fixed on one section.
---
Keifer followed her gaze.
And froze slightly.
Bridal dresses.
Not just any.
Displayed like futures.
JJ swallowed.
Something tight formed in her chest.
Because for everyone else—
this was just shopping.
For her—
it felt like something she wasn't guaranteed to reach.
---
Percy whistled.
"Why are we suddenly in a wedding arc?"
Yuri calmly said:
"Please don't narrate our lives."
Freya already had a dress in hand.
"I LOOK GOOD IN THIS."
Endrix groaned.
"Please don't start planning."
Mica and Rakhi were giggling over matching sets.
Ella looked amused.
Grace softly said:
"…they're actually pretty."
Denzel nodded quietly.
"They are."
---
Keifer Notices JJ's Silence
Keifer stepped closer to JJ.
She hadn't moved.
Just staring.
Too still.
"Hey," he said softly. "You don't like this section?"
JJ blinked.
Then shook her head.
"…it's not that."
Her voice was quieter than usual.
Not her normal sharp tone.
Not her sarcastic one.
Just… softer.
Keifer frowned slightly.
"Then what is it?"
JJ didn't answer immediately.
Her fingers lightly touched the edge of a display veil.
Then pulled back.
Like it burned.
"…nothing."
Lie again.
Keifer didn't call it out this time.
But he didn't like it.
Not at all.
---
The Moment It Hits Her
Freya suddenly shouted from across the aisle.
"JJ! THIS ONE IS SO YOU—WAIT YOU SHOULD TRY IT—"
JJ immediately shook her head.
"No."
Too fast.
Too firm.
Freya blinked.
"…why?"
JJ hesitated.
For half a second.
Then forced a small smile.
"Not my style."
Percy leaned toward Yuri.
"She's lying."
Yuri nodded.
"She's very bad at it."
---
Keifer looked at JJ properly now.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Just observing.
And slowly—
he understood something wasn't being said.
Not about dresses.
About time.
---
JJ's Mind – The Silent Collapse
JJ kept looking at the dresses.
But her mind wasn't there anymore.
It was somewhere else.
Somewhere quieter.
Somewhere heavier.
Five months.
Less.
Maybe less than that now.
She didn't know the exact number anymore.
She stopped asking.
Because knowing didn't help.
It only made everything sharper.
And standing here—
seeing clothes meant for futures she wasn't sure she had—
felt like someone had pressed a hand gently on her throat.
Not choking.
Just reminding.
---
I shouldn't be here.
The thought slipped in again.
Not dramatic.
Just real.
I shouldn't be imagining this.
I shouldn't be seeing this.
I shouldn't be feeling anything about this.
Because I don't get that version of life.
---
But then—
Keifer's voice broke through.
Soft.
Right next to her.
"You don't have to look at it if you don't want to."
JJ turned slightly.
He wasn't joking.
Not even a little.
Just… present.
---
And that made it worse.
Because now—
it wasn't just dresses.
It was him.
A future that felt so close it hurt.
---
The Breaking Point (Quiet One)
JJ suddenly laughed once.
Small.
Not happy.
Just reflex.
"…you're acting like I'm about to cry over fabric."
Keifer didn't respond immediately.
Then:
"You are."
That made her freeze.
Because he said it like he already knew her.
Too well.
Too clearly.
JJ looked away quickly.
"…I'm fine."
But her voice cracked slightly at the end.
Just enough.
Just enough for him to hear.
---
Keifer Doesn't Push
He didn't ask again.
Didn't force her.
Just stepped slightly closer.
Not touching.
Just near.
A silent decision.
I'm here.
Even if you don't say anything.
Even if you lie.
Even if you disappear inside your own head.
---
Percy suddenly yelled from the other side:
"WATSON WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT WEDDING DRESSES LIKE YOU'RE PLANNING A BUSINESS DEAL?"
Freya added:
"OR A LIFE DECISION???"
Yuri calmly said:
"He is emotionally investing."
Aries sighed:
"Everyone shut up."
---
JJ finally exhaled.
Long.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then quietly said:
"…can we leave this section?"
Keifer nodded immediately.
"Yeah."
No questions.
No jokes.
Just agreement.
---
Ending Beat
As they walked away from the bridal section—
JJ didn't look back.
But Keifer did.
Just once.
Then he looked at her instead.
Like the real thing worth noticing wasn't behind them.
It was walking beside him.
And JJ—
for the first time that day—
didn't feel like she was just shopping.
She felt like she was running out of time in a place that still expected her to plan a future.