Confused feelings.
Jay POV.
Chapter: "What Are We?"
(Jay's POV)
I don't know when it started.
The silence between us.
The kind that isn't awkward.
The kind that feels… heavy.
Section E was unusually calm after school. Most of them had already left for practice or club activities. The classroom felt bigger without the chaos.
I was near the window, packing my bag slowly.
And he was there.
Keif.
Sitting two rows behind me.
Not talking.
Not teasing.
Just watching.
"Why are you still here?" I asked without turning around.
"Why are you?" he replied calmly.
I rolled my eyes. "I asked first."
"So did I."
Typical.
I zipped my bag and stood up.
The sun was setting outside, golden light spilling into the classroom. It made everything softer. Quieter.
I started walking toward the door.
And somehow…
He was there too.
At the same time.
We stopped.
Too close.
Not touching.
But close enough that I could feel his presence.
"Move," I said quietly.
"You move."
"There's space."
"Not enough."
I looked up at him.
His eyes weren't playful today.
They were… searching.
"For what?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"For what?" he repeated.
"For whatever you're looking at me like that for."
Silence.
The air felt different.
Like something was about to change.
"You fight with me every day," he said softly.
"You start it every day."
"But you never walk away first."
I blinked.
"That's because I'm not scared of you."
"I know."
His voice dropped slightly.
"You're not scared of me."
"Should I be?"
He shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"Then why does it feel like you're running?" he asked.
My chest tightened.
"I'm not running."
"Then what are we doing?"
The question hung between us.
What are we?
Friends? No.
Enemies? Not really.
Something else?
I swallowed.
"We're classmates."
"Just classmates?"
"Yes."
"Then why does it bother you when I talk to someone else?"
I looked away.
"It doesn't."
"Liar."
My heart started beating faster.
"You're imagining things."
"Am I?"
He took one small step closer.
Not trapping.
Not forcing.
Just closing the space.
"Then look at me and say you don't feel anything."
The sunset light hit his face perfectly.
Annoying.
Unfair.
I forced myself to meet his eyes.
"I don't—"
My voice failed.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
"You don't what?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know," I admitted before I could stop myself.
Silence.
Real silence.
Not teasing. Not chaos. Just honesty.
"I don't know what this is," I whispered.
"Me neither."
That surprised me.
"You don't?"
He shook his head slightly.
"I don't know why I look for you first when I enter class."
My heart skipped.
"I don't know why I get irritated when someone makes you laugh more than I do."
I stared at him.
"I don't know why your full name sounds different when you say mine."
I felt my cheeks warm.
"And I don't know why," he continued softly, "it feels wrong to call you just a classmate."
The world felt smaller.
Like it was just us.
"What if we ruin it?" I asked.
"Ruin what?"
"Whatever this is."
He looked at me for a long moment.
"Maybe it's already ruined."
My stomach dropped.
"Because I don't think I can go back to pretending you're just someone in Section E."
My breath caught.
"You're confusing."
"So are you."
"You argue with me."
"You argue back."
"You annoy me."
"You stay."
A small smile appeared on his face.
And I hated how much I liked it.
The hallway outside was empty.
The sky was turning darker.
He slowly lifted his hand—
Then stopped halfway.
Like he was unsure.
Like he didn't know if he was allowed.
I noticed.
And instead of stepping back—
I stayed.
His fingers lightly brushed against mine.
Just barely.
It felt louder than thunder.
Neither of us pulled away.
"We don't have to label it," he said quietly.
"Then what do we do?"
He intertwined his fingers with mine gently.
Not possessive.
Not dramatic.
Just… real.
"We figure it out."
My heart was beating so fast.
"What if I say I don't want to figure it out?"
"Then I'll still stand here."
"And if I walk away?"
"I'll let you."
That made me look up at him quickly.
"You would?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because whatever this is," he said softly, "it shouldn't feel forced."
The honesty in his voice scared me more than any argument ever did.
I squeezed his hand slightly.
He noticed.
"You didn't walk away," he murmured.
"No."
We stood there like that.
No teasing.
No full names.
No Section E chaos.
Just two people who didn't know what they were—
But knew they didn't want to stop being whatever it was.
And for the first time…
Not knowing felt okay.