JAY-JAY POV
*****THE NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL*****
I basically drove like a criminal because I overslept.
And whose fault was that?
Right.
That idiot.
That emoji‑using, heart‑sending, sanity‑destroying idiot.
I was smiling the whole way like a deranged person.
I reached school, grabbed my bag, and sprinted to class like my life depended on it.
But when I pushed the door open—
Darkness.
Pitch black.
What the hell.
The curtains were drawn, the lights were off, and the whole room felt like a horror movie waiting to happen.
"What is happening here?" I muttered, patting the wall for the light switch like a blind raccoon.
My fingers brushed the switch—
And before I could flip it—
Click.
The door behind me shut.
Loudly.
I froze.
Slowly… very slowly… I turned around.
Nothing.
Just darkness.
"Okay," I whispered to myself. "If this is a prank, I swear I'm drop‑kicking someone."
I reached for the switch again—
Then the lights flicked on.
"Surprise, Jay!" Section E yelled in unison.
I jumped so hard I almost dislocated my soul.
All sixteen idiots were standing there like they were posing for a group photo nobody asked for.
Confetti poppers in hand.
Grins way too wide for 8 a.m.
I blinked at them, completely stunned. "What… what is this?"
Ci‑N stepped forward proudly, arms spread like he was presenting a masterpiece. "A surprise."
"No shit," I muttered. "For what?"
Eman waved a spatula he somehow brought to school. "For you!"
"That doesn't answer anything," I said, still trying to process why my classroom looked like a birthday party hosted by hyperactive toddlers.
Felix stepped out from behind the group, adjusting his glasses like he was the only sane one here. "Jay, we wanted to do something for you."
"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.
Drew smirked. "Because we wanted to ask for your forgiveness."
I blinked. "Forgiveness? For what?"
Sixteen boys suddenly avoided eye contact like they were guilty toddlers caught stealing cookies.
Edrix scratched the back of his neck. "You know… for being idiots."
Calix nodded. "For not being there when you needed us."
David crossed his arms, jaw tight. "For letting things get that bad."
Josh whispered, "For making you cry."
"I DID NOT CRY," I snapped automatically.
Josh whispered again, "You did."
I glared at him. "Traitor."
Rory stepped forward, expression soft but steady. "Jay… we messed up. All of us. And we know it."
Eren sighed dramatically. "We're not good at emotional stuff, okay? We're good at flirting, fighting, and failing exams. Not feelings."
Blaster raised his hand. "Speak for yourself. I'm good at all three."
"Shut up," Denzel muttered, smacking him lightly.
Kit stepped closer, his voice gentle. "We didn't want to lose you."
Rory nodded. "We didn't want you to think you were alone."
Eman lifted his spatula like it was a sacred object. "So we made breakfast! But they wouldn't let me bring the stove."
"BECAUSE YOU ALMOST BURNED THE DORM LAST TIME," Felix snapped.
Ci‑N took a deep breath, stepping right in front of me. "Jay… we're sorry. For everything. For not protecting you. For not listening. For not being the brothers you deserved."
My chest tightened.
He continued, voice quieter. "We don't expect you to forgive us instantly. We just… wanted to try."
Sixteen pairs of eyes stared at me.
Hopeful.
Nervous.
Guilty.
Soft.
I swallowed hard. "Guys…"
Ci‑N leaned in. "Please don't hate us."
"I don't hate you," I said, my voice cracking just a little.
Sixteen boys exhaled at the same time like they'd been holding their breath for hours.
Drew grinned. "So you forgive us?"
I nodded.
Just then, the door swung open and Keifer walked in like he owned the entire classroom.
"About me?" he asked, grinning like he already knew the answer.
I pointed at him immediately. "You, I still need time."
The entire room went, "OHHHHHHH."
Keifer clutched his chest dramatically. "Wow. Public rejection. Painful."
"Shut up," I muttered, cheeks heating.
Yuri stepped forward, eyes wide. "So you forgive everyone in Section E now?"
I nodded again.
The reaction was instant.
Ci‑N gasped so loudly it echoed. "JAY. I NEED TO TELL RAKKI THIS. SHE WILL BE SO HAPPY."
He was already pulling out his phone like he was about to broadcast the news to the entire planet.
I rolled my eyes at him.
"Clean this mess up," I said, pointing at the confetti explosion around the room. "Before the others and teachers come in."
Sixteen boys froze.
Like statues.
Like I had just spoken in ancient Latin.
Then—
"Jay, come on!"
"Please!"
"Have mercy!"
All sixteen idiots were inching toward the door like cockroaches fleeing the light.
"NO," I said, voice sharp enough to cut glass. "Clean. Now."
They froze mid‑escape.
"Jay, why do you hate us so much," Denzel whined.
"Yeah, come on, Jay, you just forgave us," Eren added dramatically.
"Shut up and start cleaning," I snapped.
I reached for the broom—
But Keifer's hand got there first.
He took it from me with that stupid confident smirk. "Let me clean. You just monitor, my queen."
I rolled my eyes so hard I saw another dimension. "Don't call me that."
He leaned in slightly. "Then stop acting like one."
Before I could throw the broom at his head, the classroom door opened again.
Section B walked in.
Mia stopped dead in the doorway.
"What the hell happened here?" she asked, staring at the confetti, the balloons, the chaos, and the sixteen boys pretending to clean but actually making it worse.
Ci‑N waved cheerfully. "Morning!"
Mia blinked. "Why does it look like a birthday party hosted by toddlers?"
Felix pointed at me. "Ask her."
"EXCUSE ME?" I yelled.
Mayo held up the chicken balloon. "It's for emotional support."
Mia stared at the balloon. Then at me. Then at Keifer holding a broom like a knight with a sword.
"…Jay," Mia said slowly, "are you running a cult?"
"Mia, no," I groaned. "They just gave me a surprise asking for my forgiveness."
Ben walked in right behind her, eyebrows raised like he already knew drama was happening. "And what did you say?"
Before I could even open my mouth, Keifer cut in, voice loud, proud, and absolutely shameless:
"She said she forgave us."
Sixteen idiots cheered like they'd just been pardoned by the president.
I slapped my forehead. "KEIFER—"
Ben blinked. "Wait… all of you? She forgave all sixteen of you?"
Ci‑N threw his arms up. "YES. WE ARE FREE MEN."
Felix corrected him. "Technically, she forgave us. Not Keifer."
The entire room turned to look at Keifer.
He froze.
I pointed at him. "Exactly. He still needs time."
Section E exploded.
"OHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"BRO GOT LEFT OUT."
"PAIN."
"SUFFER."
"NO FORGIVENESS SPEEDRUN FAILED."
Before I could even react, Caleb sprinted toward me like he was escaping a zombie apocalypse.
"Pres!" he yelled.
"What?" I asked, already tired.
"You need to practice for tennis," Olivia said, appearing behind him like she was my personal manager.
Ci‑N blinked at me. "Jay… can you play tennis?"
I stared at him. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
Ci‑N opened his mouth, but David beat him to it.
"Because the one time you used a tennis racket," David said slowly, "you used it to hit Drew and Eren."
The entire room went silent.
Drew gasped dramatically. "SHE DID."
Eren rubbed his shoulder. "I still have trauma."
I rolled my eyes. "You two were being annoying."
"We were breathing," Drew argued.
"Exactly," I said.
Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jay, tennis rackets are not weapons."
"They are if you swing them hard enough," I muttered.
Caleb looked horrified. "Please don't swing them today."
Olivia nodded quickly. "Yes, please. We need you to play, not commit assault."
Ci‑N raised a hand. "Wait—why does Jay need to practice tennis?"
Caleb blinked. "Because she's representing Section B in the mixed doubles match."
The room exploded.
"WHAT."
"WHO APPROVED THAT."
"JAY WITH A RACKET AGAIN?"
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE."
"SECTION B IS BRAVE."
Keifer, who had been leaning against a desk watching all this unfold, finally spoke.
"She's playing," he said simply.
Everyone turned to him.
"Why?" Felix asked.
Keifer shrugged. "Because she's good."
I blinked. "You've never seen me play."
He smirked. "I've seen you hit people. Same energy."
I threw a pencil at him.
He caught it without looking.
Of course he did.
"I still don't have my clothes with me," I said to Section B, already mentally preparing to run home and back in ten minutes.
"Actually, I got them for you," Mia said, already digging inside her bag like Dora the Explorer on a mission.
I blinked. "Wait—what?"
She pulled out a neatly folded set of clothes like it was the most normal thing in the world. "You oversleep every time you're stressed. I came prepared."
Caleb nodded proudly. "She literally packed it last night."
Olivia added, "She said, and I quote, 'Jay is going to forget something tomorrow, I can feel it in my soul.'"
I stared at Mia. "Are you psychic?"
Mia shrugged. "No. You're just predictable."
Behind us, Section E collectively gasped.
Ci‑N pointed at her dramatically. "SHE KNOWS HER TOO WELL."
Felix nodded. "That's friendship."
Eren smirked. "Or telepathy."
Keifer crossed his arms, watching Mia hand me the clothes with a look that was way too unreadable for 8 a.m.
Mia zipped her bag. "Go change. We'll wait."
I took the clothes, still stunned. "Thanks… I guess."
Mia grinned. "Don't thank me yet. You still have tennis practice."
Section E immediately panicked.
I glared at them. "I'm not going to hit anyone."
Drew raised a hand. "You said that last time."
"And then you hit me," Eren added.
I rolled my eyes. "You two were flirting with the girls in the mall."
The room went silent.
Then—
Drew gasped. "WE WERE NOT FLIRTING."
Eren pointed at himself. "Jay, I was literally asking for directions."
"Yeah," I said, crossing my arms. "Directions to their phone numbers."
Drew threw his hands up. "I WAS BEING NICE."
"You winked at them," I said.
"That's just my face!" Drew protested.
Eren nodded. "He can't control it."
I stared at them. "You winked at the grandma too."
The room went dead silent.
Then Ci‑N fell to the floor laughing. "DREW. YOU FLIRTED WITH A LOLA."
Felix sighed. "This is why Jay hit you."
Drew covered his face. "I WAS TRYING TO BE POLITE."
"By winking?" I asked.
"It's a reflex!" he yelled.
Keifer, who had been leaning against the wall watching all this unfold, finally spoke.
"Jay," he said, voice low, "if they flirt with anyone again, hit them harder."
Drew and Eren screamed.
"Jay, go change. We don't have much time," Ben said.
Keifer shot him a glare.
I nodded and headed off to change. After getting dressed, I made my way to the gym — and Rakki was already there.
"Hey, Jay!" she said, pulling me into a hug.
"Hi, Rakki."
"So… Ci‑N told me you forgave Section E," she asked.
I nodded.
"Good. Now you can deal with him. That kid has been bothering me nonstop since you left Section E," Rakki said, rolling her eyes but smiling anyway.
"Wow," I said. "You can't just talk like that about your future husband."
I teased, and her face immediately turned red.
Just then, both Section E and Section B walked into the gym.
"Rakki!" Ci‑N called, immediately rushing over to hug her.
"Let me go, Ci‑N, I have to practice," Rakki said, slipping out of his grip with practiced ease.
I couldn't help laughing.
Once Rakki slipped out of Ci‑N's grip, we headed to the net and started warming up.
The moment I picked up the racket, Section E — who absolutely should've been minding their own business — decided to turn into my personal cheer squad.
"LET'S GO JAY‑JAY!" "SHOW THEM YOUR POWER!" "DON'T HIT ANYONE THIS TIME!" "YOU GOT THIS, QUEEN!" "SECTION B REPRESENT!"
I groaned. "Can you all NOT be loud for five seconds?"
"No," Ci‑N yelled immediately.