Playful teasing.
Jealous tension under the surface.
Keifer POV.
Chapter: "Tease Game: Level Section E"
(Keifer's POV)
If there's one thing Section E is good at—
It's destroying peace.
Lunch break had just started.
Which means: Noise. Drama. No self-control.
Calix was sitting unusually straight today.
Too straight.
Too quiet.
Suspicious.
Cin noticed first.
He adjusted his glasses and leaned back slightly. "Why is Calix acting like a disciplined student?"
Jay followed his gaze.
Calix quickly hid his phone.
Too late.
Jay's eyes narrowed.
"Ohhh," she dragged out. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing," Calix replied too fast.
Felix immediately grabbed his bag. "HE SAID NOTHING. Which means SOMETHING."
Rory jumped onto a chair. "Expose him!"
Blaster clapped dramatically. "Public trial!"
I stayed quiet.
Watching.
Jay walked toward Calix slowly.
That dangerous smile on her face.
"Calix…" she said sweetly. "Show us."
"I said it's nothing."
Cin stood up calmly.
"If it's nothing, you won't mind showing it."
Calix looked trapped.
Jay suddenly lunged forward and snatched his phone.
"JAY!" Calix panicked.
Too late.
She looked at the screen.
Then her eyes widened dramatically.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh."
The whole class leaned in.
"What?" David asked.
Jay slowly turned the phone toward everyone.
On the screen?
A chat window.
With Mica.
And not just any chat.
Long messages.
Smiley faces.
Heart emojis.
Section E exploded.
"CALIX AND MICA?!" Eren shouted.
Felix clutched his chest. "BROOOO YOU NEVER TOLD ME!"
Rory dramatically wiped fake tears. "He's grown up."
Blaster screamed, "Our boy is in love!"
Calix tried to grab his phone back.
"Give it!"
Jay held it high.
"Micaaaa~" she teased. "So that's why you were smiling at your phone!"
Cin added calmly, "Interesting. You reply faster to her than to group messages."
"Traitor behavior," Drew declared.
Calix's face was red.
"It's not like that!"
Jay raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it like?"
Silence.
Exactly.
She grinned triumphantly.
"Don't worry," she added dramatically. "We support you and Mica."
The class started chanting:
"MICA! MICA! MICA!"
Calix finally snatched his phone back.
"I hate all of you."
Felix threw an arm around him. "No you don't."
Everyone was laughing.
Except Cin.
He was too quiet.
Jay noticed.
Her eyes shifted slowly toward him.
Oh no.
I knew that look.
Danger mode activated.
She walked toward Cin casually.
"So…" she started.
Cin didn't even look up. "No."
She blinked. "I didn't even say anything."
"You're about to."
Felix suddenly gasped dramatically.
"WAIT."
The entire class turned toward him.
He looked at Cin.
Then at Jay.
Then smirked.
"Ohhhhh."
Cin finally looked up slowly.
"What."
Jay's lips curved.
"Since we exposed Calix…"
Cin sighed.
"…No."
Jay crossed her arms.
"What about Rakki?"
Dead silence.
Absolute.
Silence.
Rory froze mid-laugh.
David slowly turned his head toward Cin.
Blaster whispered, "She said Rakki."
Cin adjusted his glasses.
Calm.
Too calm.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Jay tilted her head.
"Really? Because every time Rakki walks past Section E…"
Felix added dramatically, "You suddenly become very interested in your notebook."
Eren pointed. "FACTS."
Denzel grinned. "And you fix your hair."
Cin blinked once.
"I do not."
Jay stepped closer.
"You do."
Cin looked at her calmly.
"And how would you know that?"
She froze for half a second.
Then recovered.
"Because I observe."
"Oh?" Cin said.
The class went silent again.
Interesting tension.
Felix grinned wickedly. "Jay observes people a lot."
Yuri shouted from behind, "Especially certain people!"
I didn't react.
But I saw her glance at me for one second.
Just one.
Then she looked back at Cin.
"So," she continued confidently, "When are you confessing to Rakki?"
Cin stood up slowly.
The room went quiet.
"I don't confess based on teasing."
Jay smirked.
"So there is something to confess?"
Blaster screamed, "GOT HIM!"
Cin exhaled lightly.
"You're bold today."
Jay crossed her arms.
"I'm always bold."
Felix added, "She's fearless."
Cin looked at her steadily.
"For someone fearless, you get quiet when teased about Keifer."
Dead.
Silence.
The class slowly turned toward Jay.
Then toward me.
Oh.
This just flipped.
Jay's confidence flickered.
"That's irrelevant."
Cin adjusted his glasses.
"Is it?"
Rory whispered loudly, "Counter attack successful."
Felix burst out laughing.
"UNO reverse card!"
Jay glared at all of them.
"You all are annoying."
Blaster smirked. "Says the girl who started it."
Calix raised his hand dramatically. "Justice for me!"
The class laughed again.
Jay shook her head.
"Fine. I'll stop."
Cin sat down again calmly.
Victory face.
But Jay leaned slightly closer to him and whispered—
Not quiet enough.
"At least I tease openly. You hide."
Cin paused.
Just for a second.
Interesting.
Felix nudged me.
"You're very quiet, Keif."
I shrugged slightly.
"I'm enjoying the show."
Jay turned toward me suddenly.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"Say something then."
The entire class waited.
I looked at her calmly.
"You're good at teasing others."
She raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
"But you hate when it's about you."
The class went "OOOOOOH" again.
Her jaw tightened.
"Keifer."
Not full name.
Just warning tone.
I leaned back in my chair.
"Careful, Jay."
"Or what?"
"You might slip again."
Section E exploded one more time.
She grabbed a paper ball and threw it at me.
Missed.
Felix laughed so hard he fell backward.
Cin shook his head slightly.
Calix muttered, "I'm never bringing my phone again."
And in the middle of all the teasing—
I noticed something.
Jay was smiling.
Bright.
Comfortable.
Like she belonged here.
And maybe…
That's why I don't stop them from teasing.
Because when she laughs like that—
Section e feels completed