JAY'S POV
I turned around to see who had called my name. The moment I saw him, my eyes widened. And then I practically screamed.
"ROBIN!!!"
A huge grin spread across my face as I rushed toward him. He laughed before opening his arms. The next second, we were hugging each other tightly.
God. I hadn't seen him in years.
Robin was my childhood best friend.
Back when life was a complete mess, he had always been there for me. When my mother's husband made my life miserable. When I got into trouble. When I needed someone.
Robin had always stayed by my side. He had even transferred to Holy Saints with me. But halfway through the school year, he suddenly had to move to California because of family issues.
And after that...We slowly lost touch. When we finally pulled away, I smacked his shoulder.
"You idiot! Where have you been?!"
Robin laughed.
"Oh, please. I thought you forgot your best friend."
"Excuse me? I crossed my arms. You're the one who disappeared! When did you come back?"
"A few days ago."
Then his eyebrows furrowed.
"Wait. Why aren't you studying at Holy Saints anymore?"
I groaned.
"Long story short...I got transferred because of my amazing record in fighting."
Robin nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah. That sounds exactly like you."
My jaw dropped.
"Hey! You're supposed to defend me!"
"Why? You really are a troublemaker."
I pointed at him dramatically.
"Don't forget. You were my partner in crime."
"Fair."
He laughed. Then he glanced around.
"So what are you doing here?"
"Shopping with my brother."
Robin froze. Completely froze. His eyes widened.
"Your WHAT?"
Several people turned to look at us. I immediately smacked his arm.
"Shut up! Why are you yelling?"
"Because I leave for two years and suddenly you have a brother!"
He pointed at me accusingly.
"That's important information! You owe me an explanation."
I rolled my eyes.
"Fine."
A few minutes later, we were sitting at a nearby table with two large ice creams.
And while Robin aggressively attacked his chocolate ice cream, I explained everything. Well...Not everything. Just the important parts. When I finally finished, Robin stared at me. Then he shook his head.
"Jay Jay. Your life genuinely feels like a soap opera."
I immediately kicked his leg under the table.
"Shut up."
"Idiot."
He laughed. Then pointed his spoon at me.
"Fine. My turn. Still single?"
I asked. Robin sighed dramatically.
"Unfortunately. Then a smirk appeared on his face. Single and ready to mingle. Especially with you."
I nearly choked on my ice cream. Typical Robin. Nothing had changed. He had always been flirty. With everyone. Including me.
"Don't even think about it. I pointed my spoon at him. I already have someone."
Robin blinked.
"WHAT?"
"You have a boyfriend?"
"No."
"Then what?"
I thought about it for a second. Then smiled.
"It's complicated. But you can say I have a future boyfriend."
Robin stared at me. Then slowly nodded.
"Yep. Very complicated."
The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice.
We continued talking while stuffing our faces with ice cream. Everything felt normal. Comfortable. Familiar.
Then suddenly...I frowned. The air felt different.
Colder.
Much colder.
Robin seemed to notice it too. He rubbed his arms.
"Jay Jay...Don't you think the temperature suddenly dropped?"
I nodded.
"I was thinking the same thing."
For some reason, I also couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was staring at us. Intensely. Like really intensely. So I slowly turned my head. And immediately regretted it.
Because a few feet away...Stood Section E. All of them. Every single one. And right in the center...Was Keifer.
Staring directly at Robin.
Correction. Glaring.
Actually...No
Murdering him with his eyes.
Oh God. Oh shit.
Robin followed my gaze. The moment he saw them, he visibly stiffened.
"Jay Jay...His voice suddenly sounded nervous. Why do I feel like they're planning my murder?"
Without taking my eyes off Keifer, I answered honestly.
"Because they probably are."
"WHAT?"
Robin nearly dropped his spoon.
"Who are they?"
"Section E."
Robin looked back at them. Then at me. Then at them again.
And finally...His eyes landed on Keifer. The realization hit him instantly. He pointed toward Keifer.
"Wait."
"Don't tell me...That guy is your future boyfriend?"
I looked at Keifer. Who was still glaring at Robin like he had personally offended his entire bloodline. Then I smiled awkwardly.
"Well...Yeah."
Robin slowly looked back at Keifer. Then at me. Then at Keifer again. A long silence followed. Finally, he sighed.
"Ah. Now I understand why I almost died today."
KEIFER'S POV
After debating for another half an hour, we finally agreed on one thing.
The arcade. A nearby mall had one, and surprisingly, nobody started a war over the decision. That alone felt like a miracle.
Still...I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Jay Jay wasn't coming. Of course, I understood why.
She already had plans with Percy. And honestly, I didn't exactly have the right to complain. Not when she still wasn't talking to me properly. Not when I was still trying to earn back her trust. So I simply accepted it.
For now.
After getting ready, I headed downstairs. Half of Section E was already waiting. The rest were supposed to meet us at the mall.
As expected, chaos had already started.
"Move, Rory!"
"I was here first!"
"Nobody cares!"
"David, stop eating my chips!"
"Finders keepers."
I rubbed my temples.
This was going to be a long day. A while later, we arrived at the mall. The group immediately started heading toward the arcade.
I was walking behind everyone when my eyes landed on a familiar figure near the clothing section. Percy. Standing in front of a mirror. Admiring himself. Again. Typical Percy.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
Wait.
If Percy was here...Then Jay Jay had to be here too. I immediately stopped walking.
"Guys."
Everyone turned toward me.
"Percy's here. Which means Jay Jay is also here."
A second passed.
Then—
"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The entire mall probably heard them.
"Boyfriend mode activated."
Rory announced dramatically. "Keifer can't survive a day without Jay Jay."
Edrix added. "Of course not."
Felix nodded seriously. "I call them husband and wife for a reason."
"Bro is completely whipped." Blaster said.
"Absolutely gone." David agreed.
The teasing continued. And continued. And continued.
Until finally—
"SHUT UP!"
The entire group immediately went silent.
Thank God.
Peace.
Finally.
I sighed.
"If all of you are done..."
I glanced around the mall.
"Let's find her. She's obviously not with Percy right now. She's probably somewhere near food."
Ci-n nodded. "We just have to find food."
"Jay Jay and food are inseparable." Drew added.
"Let's find our Mutya. Calix grinned. The king is getting impatient."
"I hate all of you."
I muttered.
A few minutes later, we started searching. Food court. Snack stalls. Coffee shops. Milk tea shops. Anywhere food existed.
And then...We found an ice cream shop. For some reason, I immediately knew she was there. Call it instinct. Call it obsession. Whatever. I was right.
Because the moment we looked inside...I saw her.
Jay Jay.
Sitting at a table.
Eating ice cream.
Laughing.
Smiling.
Happy.
For a second, my chest softened. Then I noticed something else. She wasn't alone. There was a guy sitting across from her.
A guy I had never seen before. And they looked comfortable together. Way too comfortable. They were talking. Laughing. Sharing stories.
Meanwhile...I had spent the last two weeks getting nothing but cold stares. The sight instantly made my jaw tighten.
God.
I hated how jealous I felt right now. I knew I had no right. I knew I was the reason she treated me this way. I knew I was still making up for my mistakes.
But still...Watching another guy make her laugh so easily? It bothered me. A lot. More than I wanted to admit.
Then suddenly...Jay Jay turned her head. And saw us. Immediately. Her eyes widened. She said something to the guy beside her. And he turned around. Looking directly at us. At me.
My grip tightened.
A dangerous thought crossed my mind. Who is he?
Another one followed. Why is he sitting so close to her?
And then— Why do I suddenly want to throw him into the nearest fountain?
I immediately shut that thought down. No. Absolutely not. Control yourself.
You're not that person anymore. You're not going to let jealousy control you. You're not going to ruin everything because of your temper. Not again. Especially not with Jay.
I took a deep breath. Then another.
Slowly forcing myself to calm down.
"Keifer?"
Edrix spoke carefully. "You okay?"
"No."
I answered honestly.
The group immediately burst into laughter. "At least he's self-aware."
David said. "Bro is fighting demons."
Rory wiped away imaginary tears. "Look at his face."
Felix whispered. "He's already planning the wedding and the murder."
The group exploded. Meanwhile, I seriously considered pushing them all into a fountain.
Then, before they could get any worse, I started walking toward the ice cream shop. The others immediately followed behind me. Like a group of curious vultures.