Jay-Jay's POV
Elara let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"I'm done," she muttered, her battery hitting zero. "I am tired. Wake me up when the food is here."
Without waiting for a response, she flopped her head down onto the table, resting her face on her crossed arms and facing away from us.
She looked like she had disconnected from the world.
Beside me, Keifer didn't waste a second. Under the tablecloth, I felt his large, warm hand find mine.
he interlaced our fingers tightly, his palm pressing against mine with a possessive heat that made my heart skip.
He leaned back, looking casual to the rest of the table, but the way his thumb was slowly stroking my knuckles.
It's been more than a month we are official and more than a year we know each other but still everytime he touches me , everytime it felt different.
Wow jay ! You are a philosopher now. Hihihi.
I looked at the back of Elara's head. Even though it had been many months, maybe 6 or 7 or....etc, since she transferred to our section, she was still such a mystery. My curiosity finally got the better of me.
"Hey... Elara?" I whispered.
She didn't respond.
Should I try once again.
Before I could think again, my mouth automatically got open and let out a sound more loudly than expected, dragging everyone's attention.
"Elara"
"Hmm," came the muffled, bored response.
I decided to get directly on point.
"Don't you have a boyfriend?"
Elara didn't move.
She didn't even lift her head. "No," she said simply.
"Why?" I pressed.
"No one ever tries to approach me," she replied, her voice flat.
I hummed, feeling Keifer's grip on my hand tighten as he listened in.
I can feel every eye on our table.
"But did you ever try to approach someone? You know, someone you thought was interesting?"
Elara finally shifted her head slightly, though she remained face-down.
"No. I love my sleep far too much to waste it on late-night phone calls.
"Still, didn't u ever feel like you also need someone, your life lacks drama ?"
I know it could sound stupid, but what can I do, I had asked.
"I've been fed up just by watching everyone else's chemistry. Between the drama, the crying, and the constant 'need' for attention... I've never felt like I need it. It looks like a lot of work for very little reward."
Her theory have logic.
Felix: (Nodding aggressively) "She's right! Being single is a choice! A choice I make every day because no one chooses me!"
Mayo: (Deadpan) "No, Felix, you're single bcoz u are single. Elara is single because she wants to be single. There's a difference."
I tried to process what heeans but still I am confused if he means the same what I understood or he means what I don't mean.
Rakki: (Smirking) "Honestly, I get her. Watching you idiots fall in love is better than watching a soap opera. Why participate when you can just watch the comedy from the sidelines?"
Akari: (Tilting her head sweetly) "But Elara-san, love is like a strawberry cupcake! It's sweet and fluffy! Don't you want a cupcake?"
Elara: (Voice muffled from the table) "I'm lactose intolerant to stupidity, Akari. No cupcakes for me."
All start laughing.
We're still half laughing when keifer stood up.
"I'll be back."
"Where are u going?" I asked
He smirked, said " just wasn't but if you can't resist, you can accompany me." And winked .
My face turned red , I smacked on his shoulder "idiot."
He chuckled and disappeared.
Keifer's POV
I walked out of the washroom, adjusting my sleeves and thinking about how much I wanted to get back to Jay.
Suddenly, a girl blocked my path.
She was wearing a dress so revealing it practically defied the laws of physics and common decency.
She leaned against the wall, striking a pose that was clearly meant to be seductive.
"Hey, handsome," she purred, her eyes scanning me like I was a prize on a game show.
"You look like you're having a boring night. Want to make it... interesting?"
"Hi," I said, my voice as flat as a pancake. "But I'm taken. Move."
She didn't budge. Instead, she let out a dry laugh and stepped closer, twirling a strand of her hair.
"It's okay. I don't mind. A guy like you shouldn't be tied down to one girl all night."
"But I do mind," I snapped, my patience already thinning.
She ignored my tone completely. She started showing off her body, leaning in so close I could smell her cheap perfume.
"I'm staying at the hotel next door. Why don't you spend tonight with me? I promise I'm a lot more fun than whoever is waiting for you at that table."
I felt a nerve twitch in my jaw.
Seriously? I tried to back off, but she was persistent, stepping into my personal space and reaching out to touch my chest.
I was about to lose it and call security-or worse, I saw a familiar shadow stomping down the hallway.
Jay-Jay's POV
Keifer had been gone for twenty minutes. Twenty minutes! I know he likes to check his hair in the mirror, but this was ridiculous.
Elara was still face-down on the table, basically in a coma, so I decided to go find him.
I rounded the corner near the washrooms and my blood instantly began to boil.
There he was. And there was some girl-if you can call someone wearing three inches of fabric a "girl"-practically glued to him.
She was flirting, posing, and looking at my man like he was a buffet.
The jealousy hit me like a freight train. Oh, no. Not today.
He is my official boyfriend now, and if this woman thinks she can just swoop in because he's wearing a nice shirt, she has another thing coming.
I didn't just walk; I stormed. Each of my footsteps echoed against the tile like a drumbeat of war.
"Keifer!" I barked, my voice cutting through the girl's giggling like a jagged blade.
Keifer looked up, and for a split second, he looked relieved, but then he saw the look on my face and his eyes went wide.
He knew the "Tigress" had been unleashed.
I stepped right between them, shoving myself into the space the girl was trying to occupy.
I looked her up and down-mostly down, because there wasn't much to see up top-and then turned my back on her to face Keifer.
"Having a good time, Watson?" I asked, my voice dripping with sweet, dangerous sarcasm.
"Should I leave you two alone so you can discuss... whatever 'interesting' things she was talking about?"
"Jay, wait-" Keifer started, a nervous smirk tugging at his lips because he secretly loved seeing me this protective. Yeah! Ofc I know that.
I turned my head slightly to look at the girl over my shoulder.
"he's taken. To be exact, he is mine. Move along before I decide to show you exactly how 'fun' I can be."
The girl didn't back down.
Instead, she scoffed, looking at my jeans and simple hoodie with a look of pure disdain.
She actually had the nerve to roll her eyes at me.
"And who are you? His babysitter?" she sneered, crossing her arms.
"Honey, a guy like him needs a woman who knows how to dress, not a little girl who looks like she's lost on her way to the library.
Why don't you go back to your table and let the adults talk?"
My vision went red. I felt Keifer's hand move to my waist, but I didn't let him speak.
"The adults?" I laughed, stepping closer until I was inches from her face.
"If being an 'adult' means wearing a dress that looks like a repurposed napkin, then I'm perfectly fine being a 'girl.'
But let's get one thing straight: This 'little girl' is the only reason he's still standing here being polite.
Because if it were up to him, he don't even needs security to remove the trash from the hallway."
"You-!" She gasped, her face turning a blotchy red.
Before she could finish her sentence, I felt a strong pull.
Keifer didn't just step in; he swung me around, pinning my back against the wall with his body.
He ignored the girl completely, acting as if she had suddenly become invisible.
Keifer's POV
I had seen enough. Jay-Jay was magnificent when she was angry-her eyes were sparkling, her face was flushed, and she looked ready to take on the world. I loved the jealousy, but I loved her more.
I leaned in, trapping her between my arms, my face inches from hers. I could feel her heart racing against my chest.
"You're very loud when you're jealous, Mutya," I murmured, my voice dropping into that low, husky tone that I knew made her weak in the knees.
"I'm not jealous," she huffed, though her breath was hitching. "I'm just... protecting my property."
"Property, huh?" I smirked leaning against to brush my breathe behind her ear.
"Then show her who I belong to.
Because I'm tired of talking."
I didn't give her a chance to respond. I crashed my lips onto hers, a deep, possessive kiss that claimed everything. It wasn't a "polite" kiss; it was a "this-man-is-mine" kiss, full of the fire and adrenaline of the night.
I felt Jay's hands fly to my neck, pulling me closer, her fingers tangling in my hair as she kissed me back with just as much hunger.
I broke the kiss just enough to look over my shoulder at the girl, who was standing there with her mouth hanging open, looking like a fish out of water.
"Get lost," I said, my voice cold and final. "Before my girlfriend decides she isn't finished with you."
The girl didn't wait. She turned on her heels and scrambled away, her high heels clicking frantically against the tile.
I turned back to Jay, my forehead resting against hers. "Happy now, Tigress?"
Jay smirked, wiping her lip with her thumb. "I suppose. But don't think you're off the hook for being gone for twenty minutes, Watson."
Jay's pov
He didn't let go of my waist. Instead, he leaned in, his nose brushing against mine. "You're still breathing pretty hard, Mutya. Still want to go back to the table and deal with Felix stealing your fries?"
"Not really," I whispered, my voice a little breathless. "I think I need a minute to... recalibrate."
Keifer smirked, that arrogant, beautiful look that usually annoyed me but currently made my knees weak.
He just scoop me in bridal style.
My one hand around his neck and another on chest.
We slipped through a set of heavy glass doors that led to a secluded, second-floor balcony overlooking the entire amusement park.
The view was breathtaking. Thousands of neon lights twinkled below us like fallen stars, and the distant screams of joy from the rides sounded like a faint melody. The night air was cool, a sharp contrast to the heat still radiating from Keifer's body.
Keifer's POV
I leaned against the railing, pulling Jay-Jay back against my chest.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.
The scent of her hair-something sweet and uniquely her-was better than any expensive perfume.
"You know," I murmured, my voice low in her ear. "Watching you stomp over there to claim me was the highlight of my night. Even better than the Giga-Coaster."
I felt her relax against me, her hands resting over mine on her stomach. "Don't get used to it, Watson. I just don't like people touching what's mine."
"Yours, huh?" I turned her around in my arms so she was facing me. The moonlight caught the silver in her eyes, making her look ethereal.
"I like the sound of that. Because for a long time, I didn't think I belonged to anyone.
I was just the 'King' or the 'Watson heir.' But with you... I'm just Keifer."
I reached out, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. The tension from the hallway was still there, but it was softer now, more intimate.
I leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, then her temple, before finally hovering over her lips.
"I love you, Jay-Jay," I whispered, the words heavy and sincere. "And I don't care how many 'revealing dresses' walk by. My eyes are only ever going to see you."
Jay didn't say anything at first. She just reached up, cupping my face with both hands, and pulled me down into a kiss that was slow, deep, and tasted like a promise. It wasn't about the jealousy anymore; it was about us.
Jay-Jay's POV
"Still jealous?" Keifer whispered, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that made my heart skip.
"Still yours," I managed to say, my cheeks burning.
I was about to lean back in when a strange sound reached my ears. A muffled snicker. Then a sharp shush.
We both froze.
I looked over Keifer's shoulder toward the shadows of the large decorative plants near the balcony doors.
Slowly, like a scene from a comedy movie, a row of heads began to pop up.
Section E was there. All of them.
"I told you they were here!" Ci-N squealed, jumping out from behind a giant fern with his phone out.
"Look at their faces! They look like they just got caught stealing cookies!"
Akari was right behind him, her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Oh, Jay-chan! You look so flushed! It's like a scene from a shoujo manga! So romantic!"
Rakki leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Twenty minutes in the washroom, ten minutes on the balcony... Keifer, your stamina for drama is impressive."
I felt my entire face turn a shade of red that matched the "Exit" sign.
I tried to hide my face in Keifer's chest, but he just laughed, his chest vibrating against my ear.
Unlike me, he didn't look embarrassed at all; he looked like the cat that got the cream.
The Big Four Reactions
The "Big Four" were standing slightly back, and their reactions were a complete spectrum of chaos
Aries: (His arms were tightly crossed, his protective brother-mode activated) "Watson, step three inches back. Now. I don't care if you're the 'King,' I still have a very heavy shoe and a very good aim."
Percy: (Fanning himself with his hand) "The tension! The scandal! My camera didn't even capture the lighting properly, but the vibes? Immaculate. Jay, honey, your hair is a mess, but the 'just-kissed' glow is definitely your color."
Aries was looking protective but there was no anger.
Yuri and david were just smiling, genuinely
Keifer's POV
I didn't let go of Jay's waist. In fact, I pulled her closer, looking at the group with a triumphant grin.
"Don't you guys have lives?" I asked, though there was no real heat in it. "Or do you just follow me around to take notes on how to actually get a girl?"
"We were hungry!" Felix shouted from the back. "But then we saw you two sneaking off and Ci-N said it was our civic duty to investigate!"
Elara, who had apparently woken up from her table-nap, stepped through the crowd, looking bored as usual. She glanced at me, then at Jay's red face, and sighed. And most amazing thing was that she was holding baby grazel who was also looking bored and sleepy, totally like elara.
"Can we go eat now?" Elara asked, her voice dry. "The 'Ugly Animal' has finished his mating ritual and I'm starting to consider eating my own grip socks. Let's move."
I rolled my eyes, grabbing Jay's hand and leading her through the gauntlet of teasing Section E members.
As we passed Aries, he gave me a look that said 'We're talking about this later,' but I just winked at him.