EXAM WEEK — WHEN EVERYONE PRETENDS NOTHING IS WRONG
Exam week didn't feel like exams.
It felt like waiting for something to explode.
Section E occupied their usual back corner of the library, books open, notes scattered, bodies sprawled in ways that suggested studying was optional but loyalty wasn't.
Cin slept with his head on a physics book.
Felix highlighted nothing but vibes.
Yuri actually studied, which scared everyone.
Jay sat cross-legged on the table, pen moving fast, focused—too focused. Like if she stopped, something would catch up to her.
Keifer watched her over the top of his notebook.
Not openly.
Never openly.
She hadn't mentioned that night again.
Neither had he.
But silence had weight now.
"You're gonna ace it," Cin mumbled without lifting his head.
Jay didn't look up. "That's not what I'm worried about."
Keifer's pen stilled.
"What are you worried about?" Felix asked.
She hesitated.
Then smiled.
One of the old ones.
"Nothing."
Keifer hated that smile.
Because it meant she was carrying it alone.
Every exam passed like that—quiet focus, shared coffee, stolen glances, unspoken things sitting between Jay and Keifer like a loaded weapon neither of them touched.
And every time she laughed at something stupid—
He felt the plan tighten around his throat.
---
RESULT DAY — WHEN NUMBERS SAY MORE THAN WORDS
The hall buzzed like a live wire.
Students crowded the boards, names and numbers glowing too bright under white lights. Someone cried. Someone laughed. Someone swore loudly enough to get yelled at.
Section E stood together.
Always together.
Jay reached the board first.
She scanned it once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Keifer noticed immediately.
"What?" Yuri asked.
She swallowed. "I—"
Cin leaned over her shoulder. "Jay?"
"Ninety-eight," she said quietly.
The reaction was instant.
"What the—" "BRO." "Jay."
But before it could settle—
Keifer checked.
"99."
Yuri stared at his phone. "Same."
Felix groaned. "Show-offs."
Cin took the longest.
Too long.
Then—
"…100."
The noise that followed echoed.
Hands slammed backs. Someone lifted Cin. Someone almost dropped him.
Jay laughed again.
Unrestrained.
Keifer didn't join the noise.
He watched her.
Because she looked lighter.
And he smiled just..... enough....
AFTER CLASS — WHEN CELEBRATION TURNS DANGEROUSLY FUN
By the time the final bell rang, Section E was already buzzing like they'd won something bigger than grades.
"Okay," Felix announced, standing on a chair like he had authority. "We missed Halloween because of exams."
"So we resurrect it," Cin said. "Like emotionally unstable adults."
"Correction," Yuri added. "Like criminals with planning skills."
Jay slung her bag over her shoulder. "That's… not reassuring."
Keifer leaned back against a desk, arms crossed. "Party at my place."
That got everyone's attention.
"At your house?" Felix grinned. "Are we trying to get expelled or adopted?"
"Both," Keifer replied flatly.
Cin clapped. "Say less."
"Halloween-themed," Yuri said immediately. "Full send."
"Hot and illegal," Felix added.
Jay blinked. "Illegal how?"
Felix smirked. "You know."
She didn't.
But she also didn't ask.
They crowded around Keifer's desk like it was a war table—phones out, notes flying, ideas overlapping.
"Seven p.m.," Keifer said. "No late entries."
"Costumes mandatory," Cin added.
"Music loud enough to scare the neighbors," Felix grinned.
Jay watched them with soft amusement, shaking her head. "You're all exhausting."
"And yet," Yuri said, "you're smiling."
She was.
And Keifer noticed.
---
KEIFER & JAY — PRIVATE — WHEN WORDS GET DANGEROUS
As everyone filtered out, Keifer lingered.
So did Jay.
The classroom emptied until it was just them and the echo of noise fading down the hallway.
He cleared his throat.
"Jay."
She turned. "Yeah?"
"What are you… wearing tonight?"
The question came out smoother than he expected.
Her eyebrow lifted slowly.
"Oh?" she said. "Is there a dress code I missed?"
"No," he replied. "Just—curiosity."
She studied him for a second.
Then smiled.
Not the guarded one.
The playful one.
"That's classified information."
Keifer scoffed. "You're really going to show up unannounced?"
"Absolutely," she said. "Where's the fun otherwise?"
He tilted his head. "Illegal, remember."
She shrugged. "Then I'll dress like a problem."
That hit harder than it should have.
Keifer exhaled a quiet laugh. "You always do."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "And you?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"Something that doesn't look like me," he said finally.
Her gaze softened. "I think that'd be a waste."
Silence stretched.
Comfortable.
Dangerous.
"I'll see you at seven," she said, backing away.
"Yeah," he replied.
She paused at the door. "Try not to overthink it, Keifer."
Too late, he almost said.
But she was already gone.
And for the first time since this whole thing began—
He wasn't thinking about the plan.
He was thinking about the door opening at seven.
And what she'd look like when it did...
---
KEIFER'S POV — WHEN CONFIDENCE BECOMES ARMOR
Keifer stood in front of the mirror longer than he'd admit to anyone.
Black jeans. Low on the hips.
A fitted black shirt—unbuttoned just enough to show intent, not desperation. The kind of casual that took effort.
He rolled his shoulders once, testing it.
Muscle memory. Discipline. Control.
A thin chain rested against his collarbone, catching the light when he moved. Jacket discarded. No need to hide what already spoke for itself.
He ran a hand through his hair, letting it fall messier than usual. Less heir. More temptation.
"You're not ready for tonight, Jay," he muttered, smirking at his reflection.
Not because of the party.
Because of him.
Because tonight, he wasn't the strategist.
He wasn't the plan.
He was just a problem waiting to happen.
And for the first time—
He didn't care who noticed.
---
JAY'S POV — WHEN THE DEVIL WALKS IN HEELS
My wardrobe betrayed me.
Soft dresses. Casual tops. Safe silhouettes.
Nothing that said Halloween.
Nothing that said danger.
I groaned, phone already in my hand.
Damian picked up on the second ring.
"I need help," I said.
A pause. Then amusement.
"What kind?"
"Something hot. Halloween. Jaw-dropping."
Another pause—shorter this time.
"…Say less."
Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang.
The box was sleek. Heavy. Intentional.
Inside—
Leather. Black and red. Sharp lines. Structured curves.
A devil costume that didn't pretend to be cute.
It commanded.
I stepped into it slowly.
The leather hugged where it should. Sculpted where it mattered. The neckline was daring without begging. The skirt short, unapologetic. Red accents like warning signs.
I slid on the Louboutins.
Looked up.
And froze.
The mirror reflected someone else.
Not Jay the quiet genius.
Not Jay the girl everyone underestimated.
This was a demon queen.
Eyes darkened. Spine straight. Power settled into my bones like it had always been there, waiting.
I added the horns last.
Just for fun.
"God help them," I murmured.
Because if Keifer Watson thought he was the problem tonight—
He was about to learn.
I wasn't dressing to be noticed.
I was dressing to dominate the room.
And when I finally stepped out—
Red lights. Black leather. Heels clicking like a countdown.
The devil had arrived.
And hell?
Was about to get very interesting.
---
WHEN THE NIGHT HOLDS ITS BREATH
Keifer barely noticed the music anymore.
The bass thudded through the floors of his house, lights flashing red and violet, shadows moving like something alive. Costumes filled the space—cowboys, devils, angels fallen on purpose.
Josh wore blood-splattered scrubs. David had gone full vampire aristocrat. Cin looked illegally charming in a half-buttoned pirate fit. Felix committed to chaos as a fallen angel with ripped wings. Yuri, sharp and lethal, wore all black—no costume, just intent. Calix and Drew argued loudly about who looked hotter. Edrix had chains. Rory had fangs. Blaster and Eren were already tipsy. Denzel laughed too loud. Mayo danced too hard. Kit filmed everything.
It was loud. Crowded. Alive.
And yet—
Keifer felt it.
That absence.
His gaze flicked to the driveway for the third time in five minutes.
"She's late," Cin noted, sipping his drink.
Jay wasn't late.
Ever.
Keifer lifted his glass, took a slow drink, eyes still locked on the front windows.
Then—
A sound cut through the noise.
Low. Smooth. Mechanical perfection.
An engine.
Not just any engine.
Conversation faltered.
Someone muttered, "No way."
Headlights swept across the driveway, white beams slicing through smoke and darkness as a McLaren rolled in like it owned the night.
The car stopped.
Silence fell in waves.
The door lifted.
And the world tilted.
Jay stepped onto the driveway.
And just like that—
Every single boy forgot how breathing worked.
Black leather caught the red lights spilling from the house, glossy and dangerous. The dress hugged clean lines, sharp cuts balanced with precision, stopping high on her thighs without apology. Red detailing traced the edges like warning marks.
Not messy. Not desperate.
Controlled.
Her heels hit the pavement—slow, deliberate.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Her hair fell in dark waves down her back, polished but wild enough to promise trouble. Makeup was bold, flawless—dark eyes, sharp liner, lips painted like a secret you weren't meant to keep.
The horns sat perfectly, subtle enough to be arrogant.
Jay didn't rush.
She didn't look around.
She knew.
Inside the house, Felix whispered, "Holy—"
Cin's drink lowered an inch. "That's… Jay?"
Yuri didn't blink. "Yeah."
Keifer didn't move.
Couldn't.
She walked toward the entrance, red light washing over her like a crown. When she finally lifted her gaze—
Straight to him.
Direct. Unflinching.
A slow smile curved her lips.
Not sweet.
Triumphant.
The door opened.
Music surged back in.
But the damage was done.
Jay stepped inside.
And the room shifted around her.
Conversations died mid-sentence as she passed.
Someone knocked into a table. Someone else spilled a drink. Phones came out—then were promptly forgotten.
Jay moved like she owned gravity itself, every step steady, confident, untouchable.
"Okay," Felix said weakly, "I need a new personality."
Cin shook his head. "I need a new religion."
She stopped in front of Keifer.
Up close, the contrast was lethal.
His dark cowboy fit—hat low, jaw sharp, confidence carved into stillness. Her fire-and-shadow presence, unapologetic and precise.
"Cowboy?" she asked softly.
His voice took half a second longer than usual to respond.
"Devil."
Her smile deepened. "Figures."
He leaned in just enough for only her to hear.
"You knew exactly what you were doing."
She tilted her head. "And you thought I didn't?"
For a beat, everything else disappeared.
The plan. The noise. The crowd.
Just heat. Challenge. Something unspoken curling tight between them.
Jay stepped past him, brushing his arm—not an accident.
Keifer exhaled.
Slow.
Dangerous.
Yeah.
Hell had officially arrived.
And no one in that house was walking out unchanged.