--: Author's POV: --
The morning sun was blazing over Ulupong, but the heat didn't stop the undercover operation currently disguised as "punishment duty."
Eman was in the mansion's kitchen, humming as he prepped a massive tray of breakfast. Since David wasn't a chef, his real penance was purely psychological. He had to stand by the counter and watch Eman sear a thick, marbled steak—knowing that by the time it reached the table, he'd have to hand over half of it to Jay-Jay without a single complaint.
"It's torture, Eman," David whispered, leaning over the counter. "It's a violation of human rights."
"It's a violation of the Barracuda incident," Eman reminded him, expertly flipping the meat. "Now go check the cooler. The special delivery from the mainland needs to be moved to the room above before she leaves the cottage."
Outside, Mayo was finished with his standing orders and was now acting as a human shuttle. Because they didn't want Jay-Jay wandering near the North Cove, Mayo was forced to run back and forth under the hot sun, delivering "supplies" while pretending he was just doing cardio laps.
Meanwhile, Yuri remained the most visible victim. He was stationed by the outdoor pump, scrubbing Jay-Jay's laundry in a bucket of soapy water. His back ached and his hands were pruning, but he was actually a lookout. Every time Jay-Jay's cottage door creaked, he'd hiss into a walkie-talkie hidden in the laundry basket.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I stepped out onto the deck, squinting against the bright morning light. I was hungry, I was suspicious, and I was tired of being treated like a ghost.
"I'm going to the mansion," I announced, looking at Keifer, who was leaning against the railing. "I want to see if David has my steak ready, and I want to know why Mayo is running like he's trying to outrun a hurricane."
"David is just... mentally preparing for his loss," Keifer said, his voice smooth and calm. "And Mayo is training. It's a health kick, Jay. Stay here. The view of the ocean is much better from this deck."
"I've seen the ocean, Keifer. I'm going."
I marched down the steps, but I didn't get far before Ci-N and Rakki practically tackled me. They were dragging a volleyball net behind them and looking frantic.
"Jay-Jay! Just the person we need!" Ci-N shouted, blocking my path.
"Not now, Ci-N. I'm going to get my breakfast steak."
"But the match of the century is starting!" Rakki blurted out, grabbing my arm. "It's The Squad versus The Sand! And we need an official referee."
I stopped and stared at them. "The Squad versus... the sand? What does that even mean?"
"It's a survival match!" Ci-N explained, gesturing wildly at the empty beach. "We—the Squad—versus the literal terrain of the island. The sand is the opponent, Jay-Jay! It trips us up! Itgets in our eyes! It's a psychological battle! We need you to stand there and blow the whistle every time the sand 'commits a foul.'"
"You want me to referee a game where you play against the ground?" I asked, completely deadpan. "Are you two having a heatstroke?"
"It's a very tactical game!" Rakki insisted, trying to shove a whistle into my hand. "Please! If we don't have a referee, the sand is going to win by default!"
I pushed past them, my blood starting to boil. "You guys are weird. Get out of my way."
I headed toward the mansion's side kitchen, but Kavin and Kaning stepped out from behind a large potted palm. Kavin had a clipboard, and Kaning was holding a stack of floor samples.
"Jay-Jay, wait!" Kavin said, flashing a bright, distracting smile. "The kitchen is off-limits. Eman accidentally spilled a massive jug of... oil. It's like an ice rink in there. Verydangerous for your coordination."
"I'll wear cleats, Kavin. Move."
"Actually," Kaning said, stepping in front of the door. "We need your help! We're changing the mansion curtains. We can't decide between 'Sand Dollar White' and 'Seashell White.' It's a design emergency that requires your immediate attention—in the opposite direction of the kitchen."
I looked past them. I caught a whiff of something that definitely wasn't "Seashell White." It was the unmistakable, heavy scent of Belgian chocolate and fresh strawberries.
"That smells like cake," I whispered, my eyes narrowing.
"Seaweed!" Kavin shouted. "Premium, cocoa-scented seaweed from the deep trenches! Keifer had it flown in for aromatherapy. It's very trendy."
"You guys are the worst liars I have ever met," I snapped. I turned to go through the front door, but a wall of muscle blocked my path.
Aries.
He looked down at me with his arms crossed. Behind him, Ella and Gorya stood like sentries.
"Go back to the cottage, Jay-Jay," Aries commanded.
"Aries! Why is everyone acting like I'm a prisoner? Is there a secret party? Why am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?"
"There is no party," Aries lied through his teeth. "We are busy with island maintenance. Go back to Watson. Now."
"I'm not a child!" I yelled, the frustration finally stinging my eyes. "If you guys want to hang out without me, just say so!"
I turned on my heel and stomped back toward the cottage, feeling like an outsider.
--: Author's POV: --
The moment the door to Cottage #1 slammed shut with a resounding thud, the "human wall" guarding the mansion collapsed. The stiff, military-like postures vanished, replaced by a collective explosion of frantic movement and panicked whispering.
"Chocolate-scented seaweed?!" Kaning hissed, hitting Kavin's arm with a floor sample. "Kavin, you're supposed to be the genius! That was the most pathetic lie I've ever heard in my life!"
"She was looking at me with those suspicious eyes!" Kavin defended, adjusting his glasses and checking his clipboard. "My brain went into survival mode! Besides, she's back in the cottage, isn't she? The mission is still alive."
"Barely," Gorya breathed, clutching her chest. "She looked like she was actually going to cry. I feel like a monster."
"We're not monsters, we're surprises," MJ said, appearing from around the corner with a walkie-talkie. "Aries, the boat from the mainland just messaged. The custom decorations are arriving at the north cove in ten minutes. We need the 'muscle' to help unload."
Aries remained standing at the top of the mansion steps, his eyes fixed on the dark wood of Jay-Jay's cottage. His jaw was tight. He hated lying to her, but the plan for tonight was too important to ruin now.
"Felix, Percy—go to the cove," Aries barked, finally snapping back into leader mode. "Mayo, you're on lookout. If her door so much as creaks, you whistle. Loudly."
"I'm on it!" Mayo chirped, already doing a light jog back toward the palm trees, his legs still a bit wobbly from his earlier laps.
Inside the kitchen, Eman was frantically moving a three-tier cake—covered in a thick, dark Belgian ganache—from the counter to the hidden walk-in freezer.
"David! Move the steak!" Eman yelled. "If she comes back for a 'surprise inspection,' she can't see the gourmet spread!"
David mournfully picked up the plate of perfectly seared meat. "I'm losing half of this tomorrow morning, Eman. This steak and I... we're having a moment. Let me grieve in peace."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I threw myself face-down onto the bed, the soft duvet muffling my frustrated scream.
I hated them. I hated the F4, I hated Section E, and I especially hated my brother. They were definitely hiding something, and the fact that they thought I was stupid enough to believe in "chocolate seaweed" or "Singles vs. The Sand" made it ten times worse.
I felt like an intruder. Like I was the uninvited guest at my own island where everyone else was enjoying.
A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the hum of the AC, until I heard the floorboards on the deck creak. I didn't look up. I knew the rhythm of those footsteps.
Keifer entered the room, his presence immediately making the air feel smaller, warmer. I felt the edge of the bed dip as he sat down beside me.
"Go away," I mumbled into the pillow. "Go help Kavin and Kaning choose between 'Seashell' and 'Sand Dollar' white. Go be referee for Ci-N and Rakki's 'The Squad v/s The Sand' volleyball match. And also what kind of seeweed is that.. aa..'Chocolate-scented seaweed' what the hell was Kavin even talking about.."
I felt a large, warm hand rest on the small of my back, his palm heavy and grounding. "You're still brooding?"
"I'm not brooding, I'm analyzing how many fake friends I have," I snapped, rolling over to glare at him. My eyes were probably red, and I knew I looked a mess, but I didn't care. "Why won't anyone tell me the truth? Are you guys planning to send me back to the city early? Is that it? And that to from my own Island? And tell me if you guys don't want to hang out with me, I'll leave myself.."
Keifer didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned over me, his arms locking on either side of my head, pinning me to the mattress with his gaze. "You think too much, Jay. It's exhausting. And don't think that anyone of us don't want to hang out with you."
"I think exactly the right amount! Something is happening at the island and—"
"Forget the island," Keifer interrupted, his voice dropping into that low, husky register that usually made my brain short-circuit. He reached out, his fingers tracing the collar of my dress before tugging me slightly closer. "Why are you so worried about what they are doing when I'm right here?"
"Because they're—"
"Shh," he whispered, leaning down until his lips were just a fraction of an inch from mine. "You're supposed to be resting. If you keep stressing about Kavin's seaweed, you're going to get a headache."
"I already have a headache!"
"Then let me distract you," he murmured. He didn't wait for a response. He leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss that was anything but 'restful.' It was deep, demanding, and calculated to sweep every thought of "chocolate seaweed" right out of my head.
I tried to stay mad, I really did. I kept my hands balled into fists against his chest for a few seconds, but the way he was holding me—like I was the only thing on the island that mattered—made my resolve crumble. My fingers uncurled, tangling in the front of his shirt as I kissed him back.
He pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes, his own dark and swirling with mischief. "Better?"
"No," I lied, my breath hitching. "I'm still suspicious."
"Then I guess I'll have to try harder," he smirked, leaning back in to trail his lips down my jawline to the sensitive spot just below my ear. "Stay in here, Jay. Whatever is happening out there isn't worth missing this."
I let out a shaky breath, my head falling back against the pillow. He was doing it on purpose. He was distracting me because he was part of the conspiracy, but as his hands slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him, I found that I didn't actually mind being played.
_______
The atmosphere in the cottage had shifted from a battle of wits to a battle of senses. The air-conditioning hummed a low, steady drone that only made the silence between us feel heavier, more electric. Keifer wasn't just distracting me anymore; he was claiming every ounce of my attention until the rest of the world—the mansion, the boys, and the suspicious "chocolate seaweed"—was nothing but a blurred memory.
"Keifer..." I breathed, my voice trembling.
He didn't give me a chance to finish. He leaned down, his lips crashing against mine with a hunger that was almost desperate. It wasn't the soft, teasing kiss from before. This was deep, demanding, and dangerously intense. His hands, large and hot, slid from the mattress to my waist, pulling me upward until I was flush against his solid chest. I could feel the erratic, heavy thud of his heart against my own, matching the frantic rhythm of my pulse.
My hands flew to his shoulders, my fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as he pushed me back into the pillows, his weight a crushing, welcome heat. He broke the kiss only to trail his lips down my jaw, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin beneath my ear before he moved lower.
I let out a sharp, choked gasp as I felt the slide of my dress being pulled down, the cool air hitting my bare skin for only a fraction of a second before his mouth replaced it. He peppered my collarbone with wet, searing kisses, his hands wandering with a possessive intent that made my entire body feel like it was on fire. Every touch was a silent command to stop thinking, to stop questioning, and to just be there with him.
"You're mine, Jay," he rasped against my skin, his voice a dark, velvet growl that sent a shiver straight down my spine. "Forget everything else. Just focus on this."
His lips found mine again, more urgent this time, as his hand slid upward, tracing the curve of my ribs with an agonizing slowness. The intensity was overwhelming—a tidal wave of sensation that made my head spin. I felt my resolve completely dissolve, my eyes fluttering shut as I lost myself in the friction of our skin and the scent of the sea clinging to him.
But as the minutes stretched on, the sheer emotional and physical overload began to take its toll. The adrenaline that had been keeping me upright since the morning started to drain away, replaced by a heavy, numbing exhaustion. My grip on his shirt loosened, my fingers slipping as my brain finally succumbed to the darkness I had been fighting.
The heat of his body was the last thing I felt—a safe, grounding weight—before my consciousness flickered and went out, plunging me into a deep, oblivious sleep right in the middle of the storm.
--: Author's POV: --
The room fell into a sudden, heavy stillness. The only sound was the distant crash of waves and the soft, steady breathing of the girl pinned beneath Keifer's hold.
Keifer stayed perfectly still, his forehead resting against hers, his own breath ragged and uneven. He waited for her to stir, for her to mutter another protest, but there was nothing. She was out—completely, utterly exhausted.
A slow, complicated expression crossed his face—a mixture of raw desire, lingering intensity, and a sudden, fierce protectiveness. Very carefully, as if he were handling the most fragile glass on earth, he began to move.
He didn't just pull away. He untangled himself with excruciating patience, sliding his arm from beneath her neck an inch at a time. When her hand shifted in her sleep, searching for the warmth that had just left her, he gently tucked the duvet around her shoulders, covering the skin he had just been worshipping with kisses. He replaced his chest with a soft pillow, and she snuggled into it with a tiny, contented hum.
Keifer stood by the bed for a long moment, buttoning his shirt with steady, silent fingers. He looked like a man who had just narrowly escaped a fire. He smoothed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, his touch lingering for a second too long, before he turned and ghosted out of the room.
The second the deck door clicked shut, five shadows lunged out from the darkness of the trees.
"Is the coast clear?" Aries hissed, his voice tight with anxiety.
Kavin, Thyme, MJ, and Mayo surrounded Keifer immediately, their faces illuminated by the pale moonlight.
Keifer didn't say a word. He stood there, leaning back against the railing, and glared at them with such cold intensity that Mayo actually took a step back.
"She's asleep," Keifer whispered, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous edge. "And no thanks to you idiots. Seriously, do any of you actually know how to lie? What the hell is 'chocolate-scented seaweed'?"
Kavin looked down at his clipboard, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. "I was under pressure! The smell was leaking out of the kitchen!"
"And 'The Squad versus The Sand'?" Keifer leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "She thinks you've all developed heatstroke. You're lucky she was tired, or she would've interrogated the truth out of us in three minutes. You almost ruined the whole thing before it even started."
"It worked, didn't it?" Thyme muttered, crossing his arms.
"If any of you make a single loud noise and wake her up before the signal, I will personally throw you into the north cove with the sharks," Keifer warned, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Keep your voices at zero. The 29th starts in almost 1 hour."
Aries checked his watch, his face turning serious. "10:50 PM. Let's move. Everything is in the grotto. The boat is waiting for the signal."
The group moved like a pack of silent predators across the sand, heading toward the hidden path. They had almost one hour to turn the island into a paradise before the clock hit midnight and Jay-Jay's world changed forever.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I woke up shivering.
The deep, heavy fog of sleep lifted just enough for me to realize that the bed felt far too large. The space beside me—the place that had been radiating enough heat to keep the entire cottage warm—was empty. I reached out blindly, my palm hitting the cool, smooth sheets where Keifer had been lying just a lifetime ago.
The air-conditioning was humming, blowing a steady stream of chilled air that made the skin on my bare shoulders prickle. Even under the duvet, I felt a sudden, hollow coldness.
"Keifer?" I croaked, my voice thick with sleep.
Silence.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes and blinking against the darkness. The moon was still high, casting long, silvery shadows across the floorboards. My mind was a mess of half-remembered sensations—the weight of his body, the intensity of his kisses, and the way the world had seemed to stop right before I blacked out.
A flash of annoyance sparked through my grogginess. Did he seriously leave me here to go back to whatever secret meeting they were having?
I wasn't going to sit around and wait like a lost puppy. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cool floor beneath my feet. I quickly gathered my clothes, my fingers fumbling with the buttons in the dim light. Once I was dressed and feeling a bit more like myself, I moved toward the bathroom.
"Keifer, if you're hiding in there, it's not funny," I whispered, pushing the door open.
Empty. The marble tiles were cold, and the mirror reflected nothing but the shadows.
I turned back to the main room, my suspicion returning in full force. Just as I reached for the door handle to the deck, the lock clicked. The door swung open, and a gust of humid island air rushed in, bringing with it the scent of salt and expensive cologne.
Keifer stood in the doorway. He looked slightly disheveled, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, his hair windblown. He stopped dead when he saw me standing in the middle of the room, fully dressed and wide awake.
"When did you get up?" he asked, his voice low and cautious.
"Just now," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. "I woke up and you were gone. I was looking for you in the washroom, but clearly, you were out 'monitoring the seaweed' again."
My eyes dropped to his hands. He was carrying something—a large, elegant garment bag that looked far too heavy to be just a shirt.
"What is that in your hand?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "Is that another prop for your weird 'Squad vs. Sand' game?"
Keifer didn't smirk this time. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and walked toward me. The intensity from earlier was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but there was something else now—an anticipation that made my heart do a nervous little skip.
"No more games, Jay," he said softly.
He held out the garment bag to me. I took it, the weight of the fabric feeling rich and substantial in my hands. I unzipped the top just enough to see a flash of deep, shimmering fabric—a dress so beautiful it looked like it had been woven from the night sky itself.
"Wear this," he commanded, his gaze locking onto mine. "And come out when you're ready. I'll be waiting on the deck."
"Keifer, what—"
"No questions," he interrupted, reaching out to brush his thumb against my cheek one last time. "Just put it on. It's time."
He turned and walked back out onto the deck, leaving me standing in the middle of the room with a dress and a heart that was suddenly beating way too fast.
I unzipped the bag, and a stunning glittering black mini dress shimmered in the dim light. Its surface was encrusted with sequins that caught the shadows like a cluster of distant stars, featuring a sophisticated high neckline and a sharp, form-fitting silhouette.
The real masterpiece was the dramatic, cape sleeves made of sheer, ethereal fabric. As I lifted it, I realized this wasn't just a dress; it was a bold, party-ready statement that signaled the end of the boys' ridiculous lies.
(A/N: Dress pic →→)