JAY-JAY POV
Morning started normal.
Too normal.
And I've learned by now… that's always a warning.
I woke up slowly, did my skincare like always, and got ready for school.
Clean face.
Neat uniform.
Same routine.
Nothing special.
Aries was already downstairs, holding his car keys like patience didn't exist in his body.
"Let's go," he said. "I'm not waiting all day."
"You say that every day," I muttered, walking out.
Ella was already in the car, smiling softly like she had no stress in her life.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning," I replied.
Aries started driving.
"Don't cause trouble today," he warned.
I looked out the window.
"I don't cause trouble."
Ella laughed immediately.
"She just finishes it."
I didn't answer.
Because something about today felt… off.
But I ignored it.
SCHOOL – SECTION E
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
All of them were there.
Cin, Calix, David, Rory, Edrix, Eren, Mayo, Kit, Yuri, Denzel, Eman, Josh, Keifer, Felix, Blaster, Drew.
My whole section.
My chaos.
My people.
And him.
Keifer.
Standing slightly behind everyone.
Quiet.
Watching me.
Like always.
But today… I couldn't read him.
Not properly.
And I didn't like that.
Because he used to be easy to read.
Teasing.
Flirty.
Confusing.
Now it felt different.
He felt… distant and close at the same time.
And that annoyed me more than I wanted to admit.
LUNCH BREAK – CORRIDOR
We were all walking together.
Talking.
Laughing.
Normal noise.
Normal chaos.
Cin was joking loudly.
David and Rory were arguing again.
Eren looked exhausted.
Mayo and Kit were messing around.
Yuri and Denzel were calm.
Eman and Josh were loud.
Felix and Blaster were being idiots.
Drew was already hyped.
And Keifer…
Walking behind me.
Silent.
Close enough for me to feel him.
But not close enough to reach.
That distance irritated me.
More than it should've.
Then—
someone bumped into me.
Hard.
I stumbled slightly.
Not fully falling, but enough to feel it.
I turned instantly.
"…What was that?"
A Section D boy smirked.
"Relax. Accident."
Cin stepped forward immediately.
"You pushed her."
David's voice dropped.
"Watch yourself."
The boy laughed.
"It's not serious."
Silence.
That sentence.
Again.
Something in me snapped.
I stepped forward.
But before I could move further—
someone grabbed my wrist.
I froze.
Keifer.
His grip was firm.
Not rough.
Not hurting.
Just stopping me.
"Don't," he said quietly.
I pulled my hand back.
"I can handle it."
He looked at me.
And for the first time today…
he wasn't joking.
"Not like this," he said.
Before I could answer—
another Section D boy rushed forward.
And Keifer moved instantly.
Fast.
Clean.
He blocked the guy and pushed him back hard.
Silence hit for half a second.
Then chaos started.
But this time…
it wasn't random.
Because Keifer stepped forward fully.
Between me and them.
Protecting me.
Another came.
He hit him too.
No hesitation.
No playfulness.
Just control.
Anger.
Focus.
And I stared at him.
Frozen for a second.
"…Keifer," I whispered.
He didn't turn yet.
Just said:
"Stay behind me."
Another guy came.
He blocked again.
And suddenly…
Section E reacted.
All of them.
Cin, Calix, David, Rory, Edrix, Eren, Mayo, Kit, Yuri, Denzel, Eman, Josh, Felix, Blaster, Drew—
all of them rushed in.
Not for chaos.
Not for fun.
For me.
But Keifer was already in front.
Already fighting.
Already protecting.
And for the first time…
it didn't feel like confusion.
It felt like certainty.
He wasn't playing with me.
He wasn't confusing me.
He was choosing me.
And I didn't know what to do with that feeling.
Because I had spent so long thinking I didn't matter enough.
And now suddenly…
he was proving I did.
END OF CHAPTER 26