Author's POV
The tiny commercial kitchen of Eman's restaurant was not designed to accommodate a dozen wealthy, highly chaotic teenagers, let alone the sheer magnitude of their egos.
Within thirty minutes of opening the doors for the lunch rush, the small dining area transformed from a sleepy neighborhood joint into a bustling, high-stakes battleground.
The brass bell above the door jangled continuously, a frantic rhythm that kept pace with the growing line of hungry customers spilling out onto the sidewalk.
At the center of the storm were Jay and Jane. Despite the suffocating heat radiating from the kitchen and the relentless noise of clattering plates, the two girls moved through the dining room with absolute, practiced efficiency.
Jane handled the seating and the order pads, her bright, genuine smile acting as a natural balm for the impatient office workers.
Jay managed the register and the drink stations, her sharp eyes tracking every table, ensuring that no water glass remained empty and no bill went unpaid. They were a flawless team, anchoring the chaotic energy of Section E, which was currently threatening to tear the restaurant apart at the seams.
Ava was practically buzzing with excitement, bouncing from booth to booth while delivering dishes with a level of theatrical flair that belonged on a stage rather than a local eatery.
"Here is your extra spicy tofu, gorgeous! Eat up!" she cheered, nearly knocking over a napkin holder as she spun around to wave at Rory.
Rory, for his part, was treating the narrow aisle between the booths like a Parisian runway, balancing three trays of hot soup on his forearm while winking effortlessly at every group of college students that caught his eye.
Cin was in the corner, still treating his broom like a military-grade weapon, meticulously sweeping the exact same square foot of linoleum for the tenth time with an intensity that terrified anyone walking past the restroom.
But the real trouble didn't start until a group of loud, rowdy men from a nearby construction site walked in and took over the large corner booth.
Jane approached their table, her notepad ready, keeping her voice light and professional. "Hi, welcome. What can I get started for you today?"
The man sitting closest to the aisle—a burly guy with a greasy cap and a missing tooth—looked Jane up and down with an oily, completely inappropriate grin. Instead of looking at the menu, his eyes locked onto her face, a slow, greasy smirk stretching across his lips. "Well, aren't you a pretty little thing? Forget the food, sweetheart. What time does your shift end? Maybe you can show me around the back instead."
Jane froze, her fingers tightening around the edge of her plastic notepad. The friendly smile vanished from her face, replaced by a sudden, cold wave of discomfort. She opened her mouth to snap back, but before she could utter a single syllable, a shadow fell over the table.
Jay stepped in, sliding smoothly between Jane and the customer, her body completely shielding her friend. Jay didn't look angry; instead, she had an incredibly dry, sarcastic expression plastered across her face, her eyes dripping with absolute disdain.
"Oh, wow. Did you really just use an line from a 1980s direct-to-video movie?" Jay asked, her voice dripping with mock admiration as she crossed her arms. "I'm genuinely embarrassed for you. Did your last remaining brain cell have to run a marathon just to put those three sentences together?"
The man's smirk faltered, his face instantly turning a dark, ugly shade of red. "What did you say to me, little girl? Watch your mouth."
"I would tell you to watch yours, but I'm afraid the smell of your breath might actually violate public health codes," Jay shot back, her tone completely calm, sharp, and lethal.
She tapped the pen against her clipboard with a rhythmic, patronizing click. "Look, sir. We serve food here, not your sad, middle-aged delusions. You have exactly ten seconds to order the cheapest thing on this menu, eat it in total silence, and leave a fifty percent tip for the emotional distress you've caused this establishment. Otherwise, I will personally throw you out into the gutter, and trust me, it won't be a polite eviction."
The man opened his mouth to shout, but he took one look at Jay's icy, unblinking glare and decided that his life wasn't worth the argument. He muttered a string of curses, threw his menu onto the table, and shoved his way out of the booth, his friends scrambling to follow him out the front door.
Jay let out a sharp scoff, turning her head back toward the counter. "Pathetic," she muttered.
As Jane let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her eyes naturally drifted back toward the kitchen entrance. Her relief quickly morphed into pure exasperation.
Standing right by the pick-up window, completely stationary, were Yuri and Keifer. They hadn't moved a single inch to help. Instead, both boys were standing side-by-side like two massive, terrifying statues, their arms crossed tightly over their chests.
Their eyes were narrowed into dark, murderous slits, their lethal glares directed entirely at the remaining customers in the dining room. They looked less like restaurant staff and more like high-society hitmen waiting for a signal to eliminate the entire clientele.
Jay noticed it too, standing next to Jane with a hand on her hip. "Look at those two," Jay whispered, shaking her head. "They're going to scare away the people who actually want to pay."
Jane shook her head, a mix of amusement and annoyance bubbling in her chest. She walked straight past the front counter, marching right up to Yuri, who was still boring holes into the back of a random customer's head.
Jane stopped right in front of him, blocking his view. She tilted her head, a playful yet firm expression on her face. "Excuse me, sir. Is there a newly enacted tax on smiling that I wasn't made aware of?"
Yuri's eyes blinked, his dark glare breaking as he looked down at her. He blinked, looking genuinely confused. "What?"
"Then why aren't you laughing, helping, or doing literally anything useful, rather than glaring at our customers like you're planning a mass execution?" Jane asked, raising an eyebrow. She reached out, grabbing a clean, folded apron from the counter and shaking it out in front of him. "Smile, Mr. Hanamichi. It actually looks good on you."
Yuri stared at the apron, then down at Jane's challenging, beautiful face. He let out a long, defeated sigh that seemed to vibrate from his chest. "Fine," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rumble.
He took the apron from her hands, slipping the loop over his head and tying the strings around his waist with a fluid, effortless motion.
He grabbed a fresh menu from the stack, and for the first time all afternoon, he let a soft, genuine smile break across his lips—a rare, breathtaking expression that completely transformed his usually brooding face.
He turned and walked toward a table near the window where a group of young female university students were sitting. "Welcome. What can I get for you?" he asked, his voice smooth and polite.
The moment Yuri smiled, two of the girls at the table literally gasped aloud, one of them letting out a high-pitched, involuntary squeak of excitement, burying her face in her hands while her friend frantically nudged her under the table.
Jay, watching from the register, leaned over and whispered loudly to Jane, "Well, look at that. The ice prince actually knows how to serve his lady."
Ava suddenly popped up out of nowhere, leaning over Jane's shoulder with a massive, wicked grin. "Ooh, Jane! He is looking kinda hot while smiling like that. Seriously, nice choice! You scored big time!"
Jane's face instantly flushed a brilliant, deep crimson. "Ava, stop! People can hear you!" she hissed, trying desperately to hide her blushing cheeks behind a stack of order pads.
But while the girls were teasing Jane, something shifted drastically in Keifer's expression.
He had been standing just a few feet away, hearing the entire conversation between . His jaw tightened so hard a small muscle ticked in his cheek. His dark eyes flicked between then
"Ava is right. He is kinda cute",Jay said looking at Yuri smiling.
Why was she looking at him like that? Keifer thought, a sudden, inexplicable wave of possessive irritation twisting in his gut. Why was she complimenting him? Why doesn't she compliment me ?
A dark, dangerous competitive streak flared to life inside him. Keifer let out a low scoff. If Yuri thought a simple smile was enough to win the room, he was sorely mistaken.
Without saying a single word to anyone, Keifer reached up, unbuttoning his black jacket and tossing it carelessly onto a nearby chair. He pulled at the collar of his shirt, a look of pure, unadulterated arrogance settling over his features. He grabbed a spare apron, tying it around his waist with an aggressive snap, and marched out into the dining room, grabbing a water pitcher.
The absolute second the female customers caught sight of Keifer walking out into the light, a visible wave of excitement rippled through the restaurant...
Two girls at a booth near the center of the room actually squealed, clutching each other's arms as Keifer leaned down to refill their glasses, his smirk sharp and entirely devastating.
Ava watched the display, her eyes wide as she chuckled. "Wow. Look at him go. He's got a really nice body too, honestly. Section E really doesn't skimp on the visuals."
Hearing Ava's comment, Yuri's head snapped toward Keifer. A flash of competitive rivalry flared in Yuri's eyes. He wasn't about to let Keifer outshine him in front of Jane.
With a low grunt, Yuri reached down, unbuttoning his damp shirt entirely and pulling it off, tossing it onto the kitchen counter, exposing his fully toned, muscular torso and broad shoulders to the entire room as he picked up a heavy tray of food.
The restaurant erupted.
Several girls in the back corner literally started screaming into their napkins. The atmosphere instantly shifted from a casual lunch spot to something resembling a high-profile fashion show.
One particularly bold girl at Keifer's table actually reached out, her fingers lightly brushing against his flexed bicep as he poured water, before quickly pulling out her phone and clicking three rapid pictures, her friends giggling hysterically in the background..
On the other side of the room, the temperature dropped to absolute freezing.
Jay and Jane were standing behind the main counter, their expressions completely identical—filled with pure, unadulterated disgust and mounting irritation.
They were absolutely not liking this ridiculous display.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Jane muttered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the wooden counter. "Why do they have to do this stupid stunt? Can't they just serve a plate of noodles normally without turning it into an exhibition?"
"Wow," Ava sighed dreamily next to them, completely oblivious to the murderous aura radiating from the two girls. "Seriously, they look so good. We should charge an admission fee at the door."
"Shut up!" both Jay and Jane snapped simultaneously, their voices cutting through Ava's giggles like a pair of whips.
Ava didn't care; she just kept grinning wickedly, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the absolute chaos unfold.
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Jane's POV
My chest felt like it was about to physically explode from a toxic mixture of heat and pure, unadulterated jealousy.
I couldn't even look at the tables anymore. Every single time I turned my head, all I saw were groups of girls staring at Yuri with wide, starry eyes, giggling and whispering as if he were some kind of prize on display.
And the worst part? He was just letting them do it! He was walking around with that soft, rare smile still hovering on his lips, carrying trays of food while his bare, muscular chest practically glowed under the warm restaurant lights.
I watched as a girl at table five tried to hand him her phone, clearly asking for his social media handle, her face completely flushed. Yuri paused, tilting his head as he listened to her.
That was the absolute final straw.
A sudden, fierce surge of possessiveness hit me so hard it made my vision blur. Before I could stop myself, before my brain could even register the sheer irrationality of my actions, I marched straight across the dining room floor.
My shoes clicked sharply against the linoleum, a war drum counting down the seconds.
Yuri must have sensed the sudden shift in the air pressure because he turned his head just as I reached him. Before he could say a word, before the girl with the phone could even blink,
I reached out and grabbed his bare wrist with a grip of absolute iron.
"Hey," Yuri began, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Jane, what—"
"Kitchen. Now," I commanded, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous register that left absolutely zero room for argument.
I didn't wait for his response. I yanked his arm, dragging his massive, heavy frame across the floorboards. I pushed through the swinging metal doors of the kitchen, ignoring the startled look Eman gave us from behind the line, and dragged Yuri straight down the narrow back hallway until I found the small, dimly lit dry storage room at the very end.
I shoved the heavy wooden door open, pulled him inside, and slammed it shut behind us. The lock clicked into place with a sharp, echoing snap that sounded remarkably like the one from the guest room upstairs.
The storage room was quiet, smelling faintly of rice sacks and dried spices. Yuri stumbled back a half-step from the force of my pull, his back hitting the sturdy metal shelving unit.
He shook his head, running a hand through his messy hair, a small, amused but utterly confused smile playing on his lips.
"Jane, what is wrong with you?" Yuri tried to say, his voice a low rumble in the cramped space. "The lunch rush is still—"
I didn't let him finish the sentence.
I stepped forward, bridging the remaining distance between us in a single, aggressive stride.
I reached up, my hands clamping tightly around the back of his neck, and pulled him down toward me. I slammed my lips against his in a fierce, intense, and completely unbridled kiss.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't polite. I was completely consumed by the jealousy that had been clawing at my throat for the past twenty minutes. I was devouring him, my mouth moving against his with a desperate, wild hunger, marking my territory in a way that words never could. I wanted to wipe away every single lingering look, every giggle, and every starry-eyed glance those girls had thrown at him.
Yuri let out a low, startled gasp against my mouth, his entire body stiffening for a fraction of a second from the sheer shock of my sudden aggression.
But within a heartbeat, his instincts took over. His large, warm hands came up, gripping my waist with a fierce, possessive hold, pulling my body flush against his bare chest until I could feel the rapid, thudding beat of his heart against my own ribs.
He kissed me back just as fiercely, his tongue tangling with mine, tilting his head to deepen the kiss until my knees felt entirely weak.
We stayed like that for a long, breathless minute, the world outside the locked door completely non-existent, before the sheer lack of oxygen finally forced me to pull back.
I broke the kiss with a sharp gasp, my breath coming in short, ragged pants. My lips were swollen, and I knew my cheeks were burning a furious shade of crimson.
Yuri was staring down at me, his dark eyes completely clouded with dark, intense desire, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
A slow, smug smirk began to form at the corner of his mouth, clearly pleased by my sudden display of dominance.
Before he could utter a single smug comment to tease me, I narrowed my eyes, reaching down to poke a firm, unyielding finger directly into his hard, bare chest.
"Go wear your shirt, Mr.," I ordered, my voice shaking slightly from the adrenaline but carrying a lethal edge. "If I see you walking around out there without it for one more second, I will personally lock you in here for the rest of the day. Do you understand me?"
Yuri's smirk widened into a genuine, low chuckle, his eyes sparkling with pure amusement. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured, his voice incredibly deep and rough.
I didn't give him another look. I turned around, unlocked the heavy wooden door with a sharp flick of my wrist, and marched straight back out into the hallway, leaving him alone in the dim room to put his clothes back on.
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Jay's POV
I wanted to gouge those girls' eyes out. I wanted to take the heavy metal cash box sitting on the counter and throw it directly at the back of Keifer's ridiculously attractive head.
I stood behind the register, my fingers practically denting the plastic buttons as I punched in a transaction. My jaw was clamped shut so tightly it was starting to ache, matching the dull, annoying throb of my cramps.
Every single time I looked out into the dining room, all I saw was Keifer lounging against a booth table, showing off his toned torso while some college girl literally touched his bicep and took a picture.
Why the fuck was he not wearing his shirt?! I screamed internally, a furious, boiling rage twisting in my stomach. This is a restaurant, not a beach resort! He is an insufferable, attention-seeking asshole!
Just as the thought crossed my mind, Keifer turned his head. His dark, arrogant eyes locked right onto me from across the room.
Seeing the absolute, murderous fury written all over my face, his insufferable, teasing smirk widened by a mile. He deliberately flexed his shoulder, giving me a slow, challenging wink.
That did it.
I didn't care about the customers anymore. I didn't care about Eman's revenue. I reached down, grabbed Keifer's discarded jacket and his folded white shirt from the chair behind the counter, ripping them off the fabric with enough force to tear the seams. I marched out from behind the register, my eyes locked onto him like a predator targeting its prey.
As I passed his table, I didn't even look at the girls who were swooning over him. I grabbed the front of his apron, yanking him away from the booth with a sharp, aggressive tug.
"Come aside. Right now," I hissed under my breath.
Keifer didn't resist. He just chuckled low in his throat, letting me drag him into the narrow, quiet hallway near the back kitchen exit, away from the prying eyes of the crowded dining room.
The moment the swinging door settled, I spun around and slammed the bunched-up fabric of his shirt directly against his bare chest, forcing him to catch it against his ribs.
"Wear it," I ordered, my voice dropping to a harsh, icy whisper.
Keifer didn't immediately put the shirt on. Instead, he just gripped the fabric, leaning his upper body forward until his face was just inches away from mine. That familiar, dangerous smirk played across his lips, his eyes dancing with pure, unadulterated amusement.
"Why, wifey?" he teased, his voice a low, smooth purr that vibrated right through my chest. "Can't resist my charm? Is the sight of my body finally driving you crazy?"
"Wife my foot, asshole!" I snapped back, crossing my arms over my chest to keep myself from slapping that smug look right off his face. "We are here to help Eman save his family business, not for you to expose your body to a bunch of random strangers like a cheap street performer! Put the damn shirt on!"
Keifer's smirk only grew wider, a dark, knowing glint appearing in his eyes as he stepped even closer, completely invading my personal space until his heat radiated against my skin."Just admit it, wifey. You're absolutely miserable because those girls were looking at me. You love to kiss me, that's why you keep cursing to hide it."
"I do not—"Before the lie could fully leave my mouth, Keifer leaned down, his large hand cupping the back of my neck, and pulled me into a sudden, deep kiss.
His lips were warm and firm, moving against mine with an arrogant, practiced ease that made my brain instantly short-circuit.He expected me to push him away. He expected me to fight him off like I usually did.
But the residual anger and the suffocating jealousy still burning in my chest completely overrode my common sense.When he tried to pull back after a few seconds, a slow smirk already forming on his lips, I reached up and grabbed the collar of his apron.
I held him back with a fierce, iron grip, pulling him right back down to me and deepening the kiss with a sudden, intense ferocity that caught him completely off guard. I poured all my frustration, my irritation, and my weird, confusing anger into the kiss, devouring his lips until I heard a soft, sharp intake of breath from his nose.
And right before I pulled away, I tilted my head, sank my teeth directly into his broad shoulder, and bit him.
Hard.
"Ahh! Jay!" Keifer groaned aloud, a sharp, ragged sound echoing through the quiet hallway as his body jerked back.
I released his apron, stepping back a full pace with a cold, triumphant smirk on my face.Keifer reached up, his hand instantly clamping over his shoulder, his fingers pressing against the skin.
He pulled his collar down slightly to look, his eyes widening as he stared at the perfect, deep purplish mark forming right on his skin—a clear, unmistakable bite mark that would definitely leave a bruise for days.
"Good," I said, my voice completely calm and smooth as I dusted off the front of my apron. "At least now you will wear your shirt, Keifer."
Keifer stared at me, his breath coming a little faster, his expression a chaotic mix of shock, pain, and intense arousal.
He let out a low, rough breath, shaking his head as his smirk slowly returned, though it was a little more strained this time. "Why does it bother you so much, Jay? Why did it matter that those girls were staring at me? Why did you bite me?"
The question hit me like a physical blow to the chest.Why?
The same exact question started spinning wildly in my own mind, a chaotic loop that made my throat tighten. Why did I do that? Why did I care so much? Why did the sight of another girl touching him make me want to burn the entire room down?I knew the rules. I had established them clearly in my own head a long time ago. I couldn't fall in love. Falling in love was dangerous, it was messy, and it was something I absolutely refused to let happen to myself. This couldn't be that. It couldn't be.
I forced my expression to remain completely blank, swallowing the sudden lump of panic rising in my throat.
I looked him dead in the eye, raising my chin defensively."Because... because you were not wearing your shirt, and you... you kissed me without my permission," I stammered slightly, hating the way my voice tripped over the words before I quickly recovered my sharp tone. "I was punishing you. That's all it was. A punishment."
Keifer let out a sudden, loud chuckle, the deep sound vibrating through the narrow hallway as he shook his head in sheer disbelief. "A punishment? Really, wifey? Because I distinctly remember it was you who held me back and deepened the kiss."
"Now you are just being delusional," I snapped quickly, my face burning so hot I was certain it was glowing. "I didn't do anything of the sort.And stop calling me wifey."
Without waiting for his reply, without giving him another second to dissect the absolute panic written all over my features, I turned around and ran out of the back hallway, pushing through the swinging doors back into the safety of the busy kitchen.
But even as the noise of the dining room flooded my ears, I could still clearly hear the echoing, deep sound of Keifer's arrogant laughter following me all the way down the hall.
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A/n
I hope this chapter was worth your wait. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Amd don't forget to comment your favourite part 〽️
See you soon ❤️
Bye ✨