(All scenes like pan cake scenes are same so I skipped to results. Jay accepts the truth and follows her plan. You know what it is.)
JAY'S POV :
My anger toward Keifer surged back like a tidal wave, hot and unrelenting.
Here I am, standing in the suffocating heat of the main building, waiting for results that I already knew would crush me.
Damn Percy—why did he have to blurt it out that day? On the night before exam? Fuck! I don't even want to look. Zero. A big, fat zero staring back at me. All because of… ugh, who the hell do I blame now?
If Aries finds out, he'll bolt from home again, just like before. God, why does this shit always happen to me? Why can't I catch a break?
The crowd buzzed around the bulletin board like a swarm of bees, laughing, cheering, high-fiving over their scores. Lucky bastards—they don't have brothers like mine.
I hung back, a safe distance from the chaos, heart pounding. What's the point of checking when I know it's zero? Might as well slink away before anyone sees. I turned to bolt, but a strong hand clamped my arm and yanked me toward the board.
Keifer.
I wrenched free, fury exploding.
"What the fuck do you want?" I yelled, my voice slicing through the noise.
Every twisted thing he'd done—his scheme, his revenge—flashed in my mind, fueling the fire.
"Tss. Just come," he muttered, grabbing me again.
I yanked harder, but his grip turned ironclad, unyielding.
He bulldozed through the crowd, dragging me like a ragdoll. Bodies pressed in, elbows jabbing, voices overlapping in a chaotic roar. We couldn't get close enough.
"Tss. GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Keifer bellowed, his voice a thunderclap of rage.
The students scattered like startled pigeons, parting instantly. Nice. That's my Keifer. Wait—no. Jay, get a grip!
We shoved to the front, eyes scanning Section E's list.
Jasper Jean Mariano—97.8.
I blinked hard, rubbing my eyes raw. Hallucinating? Brain fried from that fever? My finger traced the line—97.8. Real. Undeniable. What the hell? Typo? Miracle?
Heart slamming, I whipped to Keifer. He leaned against the wall, smirking like he owned the damn world.
"How the fuck did I get this?" I whisper-shouted, jabbing his chest.
"How would I know?" His tone was ice-calm, the kind that screamed I know everything, but fuck you if you think I'll spill.
I glared, reading him like a book. You're behind this. Somehow.
But panic overrode it—Aries. If he sees 97.8 instead of 100, he'll lose it. I promised Kuya exactly 100. No excuses. Fuck, I can't face him. Time to ghost.
I spun and bolted, weaving through stragglers. Keifer tailed me like a shadow.
Barely ten steps in, Aries materialized—flanked by his gang, Ella glued to his side like a leech. His eyes narrowed; he hadn't checked the board yet. Still lethal.
"How much did you get?" Aries demanded. Venom dripped from every word.
I stared at the grimy floor and mumbled the truth. "97.8."
He smirked with that 'I knew you couldn't get it' face.The gang exchanged confused glances; Ella feigned shock—she knew everything, the snake.
"I knew it! Knew you couldn't hit 100." He stepped closer aggressively and towered over me.
"You made a fake deal from the start. You tricked me into coming home—not for Mom, but for your precious image.You kept me around so you would not look bad. You are useless. You're just a worthless—"
"SHUT UP!" Keifer roared.
Veins bulged in his neck. His fists clenched tight. I grabbed his arm tightly and shook my head furiously at him. No, Keifer—stay out of this. This is my hell. He ignored me, eyes blazing. Angry… for me? Progress? Or trap?
"Stop insulting her!" Keifer snarled through gritted teeth.
Aries laughed—cold, mocking.
"You're her personal bodyguard now? Do not fall for her tricks. She is a filthy manipulator—Flirts with your whole class. She's a slut. A whore."
"Enough of this shit!" Keifer's voice cracked like a whip through the air.
"If you wanna trash her, do it at home. Here? She's Section E. She is one of us. I will not let anyone disrespect my section."
"She's my cousin first," Aries shot back.
"I do what I want."
Keifer's fist rose high and fast. His knuckles gleamed white under the harsh lights. I dove between them desperately and shoved my palms out against both chests.
"Keifer, calm down! This is my mess—not yours."
"Don't stop me, Jay."
"Look at her—flirting right in front of everyone," Aries sneered.
His voice dripped with poison.
Whispers exploded into a frenzy around us. Phones flashed relentlessly and captured every humiliating second. Freya smirked from the sidelines like a vulture. Ella and Kiko showed fake concern.
Keifer lunged forward with murder in his eyes. I shoved him back harder and sweat beaded on my forehead. Desperation clawed at me because I had no choice left now.
"MARK KEIFER WATSON!" My command voice boomed out.
Raw power rippled through the air like an electric shock. Silence crashed down instantly. Everyone froze in stunned horror. Keifer halted dead and locked eyes on Aries. My power pinned him in place, unmovable.
"Go to class! right now!"
I signaled our classmates urgently. They stood like cowards and looked scared shitless of the fallout. None of them budged a single inch. Keifer's eyes burned into me with raw frustration. Defiance twisted his features.
"I order you to back down, Keifer"
He glared at me with a tight jaw. He had no choice. He stepped back slowly. He obeyed the title I had earned through blood, sweat, and unbreakable loyalty.
Claps echoed mockingly through the stunned crowd. I turned sharply. Aries stood there and applauded with dripping sarcasm.
"Wow, you just proved my point perfectly. Order him? Who are you to order him? Keifer is still the president. Did you seduce him fully already? Huh? Your slutty little plan worked."
Keifer bristled with barely contained rage. Section E growled as one unit behind me.
"Jay, give us one word. We'll end him," Ci-N snarled. His fists clenched.
"We'll beat the shit out of him"
"He deserves it anyway, Jay." Calix added.
"Enough! Stop this now!" I shouted. My voice cracked from the strain.
"No one gets involved. This is my problem."
"Wow, look at you—controlling the whole damn class," Aries mocked. He laughed bitterly.
"Big-time flirt. Master manipulator pulling every string."
"Stop it right now, Aries. You have said enough."
"Why should I? Are you scared I will expose all your dirty secrets?"
"Tss. I am not a flirt. I have never been one in my life. The ordering thing? I earned it. I did not seduce anyone for power. Keifer is president, sure. Yet he follows me because I won against him. And they are my friends. Real friends rage when someone insults me like this. You would understand if you had even one true friend. The deal we made? Not for my image. Not for some fake bonding bullshit. I did it for Tita Gemma. She is your mother. And I did it for myself too. I want out of that house more than anything. I did not hit 100 because I was sick"
"That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard," he chuckled with utter disbelief.
"Believe it or not—it is the absolute truth. I do not need to prove shit to you. I will beg Kuya for one more shot if I have to. Stay home—not for me, but for Tita. She will shatter into pieces if you leave again. You are her son. She needs you. Just give me one more chance. Next time, no perfect 100? It is your call completely. I will not fight you on it."
He paused there. His eyes narrowed as he calculated every angle.
"Fine. One last chance. If you didn't get, I'll leave home."
I turned and walked away firmly. Section E trailed me like a fierce, loyal army ready for war.
I did not head to class. I went straight to the music room. Before going, I ordered Section E firmly.
"Stay back—all of you."
They obeyed without question. I collapsed on a bench, fishing pills from my jacket. Swallowed one dry, and stashed it back.
I lit a cigarette, inhaling deep. Smoke curled lazily in the air. I closed my eyes tight. Every insult replayed in my mind. I heard "slut," "manipulator," "useless" over and over. Why, God? What did I do to deserve his hate? Was I born wrong?
Footsteps echoed softly. I snapped my eyes open. It was Keifer, of course. He sat down too close to me.
"I told you not to come," I said in an ice-cold tone.
"You don't waste power for ordering small shit."
That stopped me. He spoke the truth. Power served big stakes. It served good causes. I use it only when necessary.
"You smoke?" he asked quietly.
"Only when I am stressed," I replied coldly.
He nodded once. I offered him the cigarette pack. He took one without hesitation. I handed him the lighter. He lit it up. He handed it back to me.
"Why did you stop me back there?" he pressed suddenly.
"It's not your mess."
He fell silent.
"What is the deal exactly? What was he talking about?"
I took a deep breath. Should I spill or shut up?
"Aries and I… we're toxic together. Tita Gemma brought me home. Aries threatened to leave unless she ditched me. She refused—he bailed. It broke her…It was my fault entirely. So, I made a deal with him. He returns home. In exchange, I leave home. He came back as promised. But Kuya won't let me go so easily. I promised him a perfect 100 score. He would approve then. I failed this time. He will leave again now. I begged for one more shot. It's my only chance left. Fuck this fever."
Quiet hung heavy. He processed every word.
"It's my fault, right?" he asked softly.
I frowned. How does he know?
"Why do you think that?"
"I kissed you. You got the fever after that."
I laughed out loud.
"That is flattering, but you are wrong."
"Then what caused it?"
I closed my eyes. Percy's warning echoed in my head.
"Tss. You ask too many questions."
He rolled his eyes at me. Peaceful silence settled in. It felt comfortable, not awkward.
"Jay?" he said after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"I have many questions to ask you."
"Save them all. I won't answer now anyway."
"Just answer this one."
I groaned.
"Fine. Make it quick."
"I saw you take those pills. What are they for?"
"They…control my anger," I said.
He nodded again, accepting the answer. If only he knew the truth. Those pills tamed more than anger.
I flicked ash from my cigarette. Suspicion pierced the smoky haze.
"You wrote my exam, didn't you?" I asked.
He nodded. I knew it!
"What were your marks?"
He exhaled a slow plume of smoke. His tone stayed casual.
"99.9."
My brain short-circuited in an instant. He got 99.9?
He stared back at me calmly. Rage boiled up slowly inside me.
I kept my voice calm. Venom laced every word.
"If you can pull a 99.9 and you wanted to help me, why the fuck did I not get 99.9? I could have spun that to Kuya. I could have begged or twisted it somehow. You are a fucking asshole."
"Hey," he shot back immediately.
He raised his hands in defense.
"I did not know the full drama back then. I answered a few questions wrong on purpose. I did not want to overshoot what you usually score. I thought 97.8 was safe. I figured it was close enough."
I glared at him with daggers in my eyes. My pulse thundered in my ears. Smoke burned the back of my throat. My fists clenched tight. I wanted to deck him right there. I wanted to erase that smug look from his face. But 97.8 still beat zero. It gave me a lifeline, however fucked up it was. I took a deep breath. The pills kicked in fully. They cooled the storm inside me. I had to accept it, Jay. It was better than nothing. For now.
"Fine," I muttered through gritted teeth.
I snatched the cigarette back from him. I took a long drag.
"It works. It barely works."
He watched me with a tense expression. Silence stretched between us. The quiet was not empty. It felt charged with unspoken tension. What now? Was he still the enemy? Or had he become something like an ally?