Jay's POV
Hospitals have a sound.
It is not silence. It is not noise. It is a soft humming in between, like the building itself is breathing.
But today?
Today my room sounded nothing like a hospital.
It sounded like chaos.
The door burst open before I could even brace myself.
Ci-N was first in, dramatic as ever. "NO SCHOOL!" he announced like he'd personally negotiated the shutdown with the universe.
Behind him came Ciel, Calix, Edrix, Adrian, Percy,rory , Yuri, and blaster infact every boy came and Aunty Gemma trailing with that tired but relieved smile. The room filled instantly. Shoes shuffled. Chairs scraped. Drew knocked into the IV stand and apologized three times.
The news had officially broken earlier that the university was closed until further notice. No classes. No lectures. No exams looming like dark clouds.
The mood? Suspiciously celebratory for people who had almost died a week ago.
Ciel climbed onto the edge of my bed before anyone could stop her and hugged me carefully. "We were bored without you," she whispered dramatically.
"Liar," I croaked, my voice still a little scratchy. "You were probably enjoying the peace."
She gasped like I had insulted her entire bloodline.
Keifer stood near the window at first, arms folded, pretending he was not smiling at the chaos. He looked better now. Rested. Less like he might collapse at any moment. The faint dark circles under his eyes were fading.
I noticed it.
I always notice him.
Aries had somehow taken over the remote and was flipping through channels like he owned the hospital. Calix was explaining something about how he had slipped on the hospital floor earlier. Percy was laughing too loudly. Ella kept reminding everyone not to make too much noise.
Even Yuri, calm Yuri, was smiling.
For a moment, it felt normal.
Not hospital-normal.
Life-normal.
Keifer eventually walked over and sat beside me on the bed, careful not to disturb anything. His shoulder brushed mine lightly.
"You tired?" he asked quietly.
"From them?" I nodded slightly toward the circus in front of us. "Yes."
He chuckled softly. That low, steady sound that always makes my chest feel… different.
The nurse peeked in at one point, probably to tell us to keep it down, but even she ended up smiling at the sight of everyone arguing over what movie to put on.
"Since there's no school," Edrix said dramatically, "we should plan something."
"Plan what?" Adrian asked.
"Celebration," Ci-n answered instantly. "Survival party."
"Inside a hospital?" I blinked.
"Why not?"
Keifer leaned slightly toward me. "They're impossible."
"You're part of them," I whispered back.
He gave me a sideways look. "Debatable."
Hours passed like that. Laughter rising and falling. Stories retold. Overdramatic reenactments of who screamed the loudest during the incident. Aries denied everything.
For the first time in days, the heaviness in my chest felt lighter.
And then the door opened again.
This time, no dramatic entrance.
Just a quiet click.
A guy stepped in slowly. Tall. Familiar.
His arm was wrapped in a white cast, resting in a sling against his chest and a small bag in his hand .
The room's volume dropped a few notches.
I stared at him.
He looked different. Not just because of the cast. Something in his eyes.
Recognition hit me like a spark.
My lips parted before I could stop myself.
"Mike"
The room went completely silent.
Even Ci-n froze mid-sentence.
The Mike gave a small smile.
And just like that, the air shifted.
Something new had entered the room.
Something that did not feel like celebration.
Something that felt like a chapter turning. 📖✨
End of Chapter