Jayjay'sPOV
The entire night was basically spent with me badgering Keifer to book his flight to London. He finally relented and booked it, but now, sitting together in the car, he looked infinitely sadder than me. He was dropping me off at school first before heading straight to the airport. Honestly, he had spent the whole night refusing to let me go. Even this morning, when I told him I needed to get up and get ready for school, he practically glued himself to me.
Flashback
I woke up to the annoying blare of my alarm clock. I immediately tried to wriggle out of Keifer's iron grip to grab my phone from the nightstand, but he wouldn't budge.
"Keifer, let go. I just need to grab my phone," I muttered sleepily. He didn't say a word, just shook his head stubbornly, burying his face deeper into the crook of my neck.
Sighing, I somehow managed to drag myself a few inches forward and snatched the phone. I quickly turned off the alarm and tried to slide out of bed to get ready for school, but his arms wrapped right back around me, locking me in place. Like, seriously?!
"Keifer, I'm going to be late for school, and you're going to miss your flight," I warned, but he didn't move a single millimeter.
"It's fine," he mumbled against my neck, his voice thick with sleep. "You can just skip one day of school, and I can miss my flight."
"I'm going to count to three. Let me go right now, or I am literally going to kick you," I threatened, starting the countdown. "One..." No movement. "Two..."
Before I could even shout three, he instantly let go and whipped around, turning his back to me completely in a silent pout. I chuckled softly at his dramatic reaction. The guy was behaving like an actual child.
Shaking my head, I walked into the washroom and took a long, relaxing shower. When I finally came out, I noticed he had gone to get ready in one of the guest rooms. I walked over to the bedroom door, ready to head downstairs, but before I could even twist the knob, two arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Without putting in any effort at all, Keifer lifted me right off my feet, carried me over to the bed, and tossed me onto the mattress. Before I could even protest, he lay down right beside me and hugged me so tightly I couldn't move a single muscle—not even my legs.
"Keifer! I am getting late, and you are completely ruining the iron on my school uniform! Get up!" I ordered in my sternest voice.
That finally did the trick. He slowly sat up, looking thoroughly miserable. "I don't want to go," he complained.
I stood up from the bed, smoothing out the wrinkles in my uniform, and looked down at him. "Just go, attend that one important meeting, and come right back," I said firmly, turning around and walking out of the room.
End of Flashback
Ever since that moment, he had been completely quiet.
When the car finally pulled up in front of the school, I didn't get out right away. Honestly, a part of me didn't want to leave either. I turned to look at him, only to find him already staring intently at me. Cupping my head gently in his large hands, he leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against my forehead. Then, he reached over, grabbed my school bag, and stepped out of the car. I followed him out, and we walked side by side toward the classroom.
"Hi, Jayjay," some of our classmates called out as we walked through the doors. The rest of the squad noticed our arrival and greeted us too. Keifer walked straight to my usual desk and carefully set my bag down on the chair.
Once that was done, we walked back out of the building together and stopped right in front of the parking lot. He just stood there, staring at me.
"Go," I urged softly. He shook his head. "Keifer, seriously, move."
"I don't want to," he muttered, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes. "Why are you forcing me? Do you really want me to leave you that badly?"
I sighed, stepping closer. I placed both of my hands on his broad shoulders, forcefully turned him around so he was facing his car, and tried to push him forward. He didn't move an inch. Pushing against him was like trying to move a literal brick wall.
"Okay, fine," I relented, giving up on the pushing. "The exact second you land there, you call me. We'll stay in contact the entire time, okay?"
Hearing that, he finally turned back around to face me, a faint smile touching his lips. "You don't even need to say that. You know we always will be."
I let out a genuine laugh at his stubbornness. "Okay, now go. Bye, and take care of yourself."
"You too. Take care. Bye," he whispered. He finally turned around, took one or two steps toward his vehicle, but suddenly stopped. Whipping around, he marched right back over to me and pressed yet another warm kiss against my forehead. When he pulled away, we just stood there, sharing a long, quiet look.
Finally, he spun around, hopped into the driver's seat, and started the engine. I watched as his car smoothly pulled out of the school gates and disappeared down the road.
I walked back into the classroom and went straight to my seat without uttering a single word. The classes passed by in a complete blur. I couldn't bring myself to listen to a single lecture; my mind kept wandering, zooming out completely as I stared blankly out the window. I lost count of how many times I yawned during just one period. Even lunch was strangely suffocating. The entire Section E squad was so quiet it looked like someone had literally stolen their tongues.
Since Keifer wasn't here, I was catching a ride home with Aries. The drive started in total silence until my eyes suddenly locked with Ella's in the rearview mirror. A wave of panic hit both of us, and we immediately whipped our heads away, pretending nothing happened. We definitely did not want Aries catching on to our secret mission from yesterday.
After dropping Ella off at her place, Aries drove me straight back to the mansion. I walked inside, spotted Tita, and gave her a quick, polite greeting before heading straight up to my bedroom. Exhausted from the emotional roller coaster, I changed into my comfortable house clothes and immediately crashed onto the bed, drifting off to sleep.
...
I was jolted awake by a loud, aggressive banging on my bedroom door.
"Ahhh... who is it?" I groaned in a heavy, sleepy voice, not even bothering to lift my head from the mattress.
The banging suddenly stopped. I strained my ears, but I didn't hear any footsteps walking away. A sudden chill ran straight down my spine. Feeling a bit creeped out, I forced myself up, walked over, and unlocked the door. There was no one in the hallway. Muttering to myself, I was just about to slam the door shut when a hand suddenly clamped onto the edge of the frame, forcefully stopping it from closing.
"AHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my heart jumping into my throat.
I whipped my head around to see the culprit. Percy.
I aggressively rubbed my chest, trying to calm my racing heart down as I glared at him. I marched back over to my bed and collapsed onto it face-first. "Go away. I am absolutely not in the mood to talk to you right now," I grumbled, burying my face deep into my pillow.
"But I have something incredibly important to tell you," Percy pushed, walking into the room.
I turned my head slightly, giving him a skeptical look. "What?"
"It's about Keifer," he teased, a smirk growing on his face.
My attention was fully caught now. "What about him?"
"Keigan and Keiran were the ones who told me," he added, dragging out the suspense.
"For God's sake, Percy, just tell me what it is!" I shouted, completely losing my patience.
Percy burst out laughing, completely amused by my frustration, and jumped right onto the mattress beside me. "Oh, you know what? I think I'll just tell you later," he grinned.
That was the final straw. I snatched the nearest fluffy pillow, lunged at him, and started whacking him with it repeatedly. I don't even know how many times I hit him, but I didn't show any mercy.
"Ow! Ow! Stop, Jayjay! Stop!" he yelled, shielding his face with his arms.
I finally stopped, breathing heavily and pointing aggressively toward the hallway. "Get the hell out of my room!"
Realizing I was about to throw a shoe at him next, Percy scrambled off the bed and ran out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him. I rolled my eyes, collapsed back onto my pillows, and pulled the blanket over my head, instantly falling right back asleep.
I jolted awake from a sharp, burning sensation in my stomach. It was that painful internal heat that only happens when I am completely starving, like my stomach was sitting directly on a hot stove. Obviously, since I had skipped dinner and gone straight to bed, my body was paying the price. I immediately scrambled out of bed and headed downstairs. I didn't even bother checking the time, but the entire mansion was dead silent and everyone was fast asleep. Not surprising, considering I had been knocked out for more than ten hours.
I opened the fridge, grabbed some leftover pasta, and popped it into the microwave. While waiting, I wondered if I had accidentally left my phone on both silent and Do Not Disturb, because it hadn't made a single sound all day. Once the microwave beeped, I took my warm pasta and headed back up to my bedroom.
I sat comfortably on the bed, pulling my phone out to find a movie to watch while I ate. The second I unlocked the screen, a massive avalanche of notifications exploded across the display. They were all from Keifer. There were 897 missed calls and a endless string of text messages. Panic spiking, I immediately clicked open the chat thread.
From: King Bingi
Hey, I just landed.
Jay, reply.
Jay, did you get home safely?
Where the hell are you?!
Jayjay, reply to me right now!
I was right. Your absolute favorite hobby is making your husband worry.
Why the hell are you not replying to me?!
If you're not going to reply to me, I am seriously getting on the next flight back.
Did you eat something?
Jasper Jeen Mariano Watson.
Jayjay, are you mad at me?
Did I do something wrong?
I stared at the screen, a mix of disbelief and guilt washing over me. Oh my god. I was literally just having a massive nap, and he had convinced himself that I was furious with him! I quickly began typing out my responses.
To: King Bingi
I got home safely. I'm literally in my room.
My favorite hobby is not making you worry, idiot.
Do not come back.
I'm just eating right now.
Mark Keifer Watson.
I'm not mad at you at all.
You didn't do anything wrong.
I hit send on the last text and picked up my fork, ready to finally enjoy my pasta. But before the metal could even touch my lips, my phone started blaring loudly in my hand. I didn't even need to look at the screen—I already knew exactly who it was.
"Kindly explain to me why on earth you have been ignoring my calls and messages all day?" Keifer demanded the very second I pressed answer.
"Hoi, slow down!" I replied, trying to calm his frantic energy. "I was fast asleep from the exact moment I got home, and I literally just woke up a minute ago. That's the only reason I wasn't replying to you."
I took a bite of my pasta, expecting him to apologize, but suddenly the line went dead. He hung up right in my face! I stared at the phone in shock. Why was he suddenly acting like the old, cold Keifer from when I first joined Section E?
But a second later, the phone started ringing again. This time, it was a FaceTime video call request. I swiped to accept, propped the phone up against a pillow, and went right back to eating.
"Jay," he called out softly.
"Hmm?" I mumbled around a mouthful of pasta.
"I miss you," he said.
I stopped chewing, looking up from my plate to stare directly at the screen. My heart did a little flip. "I miss you too, idiot," I said, a genuine smile breaking across my face.
Hearing that, a relieved smile finally spread across Keifer's lips, and he leaned back comfortably in his office chair.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was literally calling everyone in your family, but not a single person was picking up their phone."
I nodded understandingly. "Sorry na. They must have been busy somewhere, and like I said, I was completely knocked out."
"Okay, fine," he relented, his gaze softening completely. "But next time, just please pick up my calls a little sooner."
I nodded, giving him a reassuring look. "Alright, alright, I promise."
I went back to eating my pasta, and for the rest of the call, neither of us said a word. The comfortable silence settled over us—I just happily ate my midnight snack, and Keifer sat back on the screen, quietly staring at me with a soft, content expression.
I had just finished devouring my pasta. Since it was still pretty early and I was wide awake, I decided to just stay on the line and talk to Keifer. I looked at the screen and noticed he was wearing his reading glasses, his focus entirely split between typing away on his laptop and reviewing a stack of paperwork. I lay back down on my pillows and just quietly stared at him. Honestly, he looked infinitely more handsome with those glasses on. His brows were knitted together in deep concentration, his expression completely dead serious and cold—but it was a really good look on him.
Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed through his speakers.
"Come in," he commanded coldly, not even looking up.
A moment later, a woman's voice filtered through the line. "Sir, here is the file you requested," she said, her tone dripping with an obviously fake, seductive sweetness.
Keifer instantly rolled his eyes behind his glasses and went right back to his laptop, completely ignoring her attempt at flirting. But the girl just wouldn't take the hint and kept lingering around his desk, talking softly. A flame of jealousy sparked inside my chest.
"Show me the face of that girl right now," I demanded loudly through the screen.
Keifer actually flinched at my sudden outburst, and even the secretary stopped talking in surprise. But then, she opened her mouth to start babbling again. Keifer slowly tilted his phone, turning the camera toward her.
Oh, wow. A literal new canvas, I thought, holding back a sneer.
Her face was caked in a thick layer of foundation, and her blush was applied so heavily her cheeks looked exactly like a bright red monkey butt. Her eyes were completely glued to Keifer. He settled the phone at an angle where I could perfectly see both of them. The girl was talking nonstop, practically leaning over his desk, while Keifer just kept his eyes on his laptop screen, a small smirk playing on his lips. He knew exactly what was coming.
"Hoi, you!" I barked, much louder than before.
The secretary froze, completely snapping out of her trance.
"You bad woman, trying to seduce a married guy!" I scolded fiercely through the phone. "He is my husband, so back off and stay away from him, you freaking monkey! Get out of that office right now, or I swear I am going to fly out there myself and kick you out!"
The girl's jaw dropped. She quickly turned her head toward Keifer, putting on a pathetic, pitiful expression, clearly hoping he would defend her. But Keifer didn't even grant her a single glance.
"Didn't you hear what my wife just said?" Keifer stated, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy tone. "Get out."
The secretary flinched violently, snatched her empty folder, and practically sprinted out of the office.
The second the door slammed shut, I turned my glare back to the screen. "Why didn't you say anything to her in the first place?!" I asked angrily.
Keifer finally looked directly at the camera, his smirk widening. "Because I knew my wifey could handle it perfectly fine on her own."
"Don't 'wifey' me!" I snapped, crossing my arms.
"Why? Are you melting?" he teased, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"Screw you!" I yelled, and instantly slammed my finger on the screen to cut the call.
Not even a minute passed before my screen started lighting up again. He was calling me repeatedly. I aggressively hit decline every single time, but he just wouldn't stop. I tried my absolute best to ignore it, but the constant buzzing finally wore me down. Huffing, I accepted the call and glared into the camera with the angriest expression I could muster.
"The love of my life, the sun of my universe, my dearest, loveliest wifey... please forgive this foolish husband of yours," Keifer pleaded instantly, putting on the most dramatically regretful face. "I should have just told her to go away in the first place."
I couldn't help it; my angry facade completely cracked, and I burst out laughing at his ridiculousness. "Okay, fine. But my phone is about to die and needs to be charged anyway. Bye."
Keifer nodded, looking relieved. "Bye. Love you, and take—"
I cut the call before he could even finish the sentence, honestly not even knowing why I did it. Just then, faint noises traveled up from downstairs. Realizing the house was waking up, I headed down to the dining room and found everyone gathered around the table eating breakfast. Since that small bowl of midnight pasta hadn't completely filled me up, I sat right down to eat some more. Wait, if everyone is just eating breakfast now, that means I actually managed to wake up earlier than the Horoscope today. Yas!
After happily devouring my food, I went back upstairs to do my morning routine and change into my school uniform. When I walked back down to the living room, I spotted the Horoscope himself sitting on the sofa, minding his own business while tying his shoelaces. A smirk crept onto my face. I quietly crept over and stood right in front of him.
The second Aries finished tying his shoe and looked up, he violently jumped backward, clutching his chest. "Jesus, Jayjay! You scared the absolute shit out of me!"
My smirk widened triumphantly. "Nope. I just beat you at getting ready early today."
I spun around and marched out of the house toward the car. Behind me, I could hear Aries letting out a heavy sigh of pure disbelief. I hopped into the backseat, making myself comfortable. As we pulled out of the driveway, I noticed Aries repeatedly staring at me through the rearview mirror.
"What?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Nothing," he muttered quickly, turning his gaze back to the road.
A few minutes later, we pulled up to pick up Ella. The moment she slid into the front seat, she leaned over and gave Aries a sweet kiss on the cheek.
Eww... wait, I thought, my nose wrinkling automatically. I don't even have the right to say eww. I've literally done that to Keifer multiple times. A sudden wave of secondhand embarrassment hit me. I am never, ever kissing Keifer on the cheek again. It looked so completely cringe! Eww, why am I like this? I blame everything on the king of ulupongs. He is the one who turned me into this cringe person! I fiercely regretted every single cheek kiss I had ever given him. Why did I do that, bro? Never again.
"I should probably tell Kuya Angelo that you're planning to live in the car today instead of actually going to your class," the Horoscope's voice suddenly snapped me out of my intense anti-kissing monologue.
Realizing we had already arrived at school, I scrambled out of the car. But the moment my feet hit the asphalt, a horrifying realization slapped me in the face. Holy crap. I forgot my phone in my room!
My stomach dropped. Keifer is going to worry himself into a literal panic attack if I don't reply to his texts all day. It's fine, I reasoned with myself. I'll just grab Ci-N's phone later and text him from there. I walked into Section E's classroom, and the scene inside was the usual, absolute chaos. Paper balls were flying through the air like missiles, people were shouting, arguing, fighting over snacks, and someone was literally trying to climb on top of the desks. Everything was completely normal—except for one glaring detail. Their king wasn't here to hold them back.
"Hi, Jayjay!" Ci-N cheered, notice me first.
In a fraction of a second, the entire chaotic room paused, and every single head whipped in my direction.
"Hello, Jayjay!"
"Hi, Mutya!"
"Hello, jay"
"Hi, barkuda!"
"Hello, Mrs. Watson!"
They all shouted their greetings at the exact same time, creating a giant wall of noise. I couldn't even tell who had said what, though I secretly wanted to slam the head of whoever called me 'barkuda' directly into the nearest desk.
"Hi, ulupongs," I replied flatly.
A collective groan echoed through the room as I calmly walked over to my desk.
"Good morning," Yuri said, flashing me a warm smile from his seat.
"Morning," I smiled back, sitting down.
"Well, the morning is definitely not good, because Keifer isn't here to keep you in check," Calix chimed in loudly, a mischievous grin on his face.
Instantly, the entire classroom erupted into loud, howling jeers, everyone jumping at the chance to tease me about my missing husband. I chose to completely ignore them, pulling out my books just as Sir Alvin walked through the front door.
"Morning, class," Sir Alvin announced, setting his briefcase down.
"Morning, Sir," we all chorused back. The boys finally scrambled back to their respective seats, and the first lesson officially began.
The End 🌸.