Jayjay's POV:
HVIS FESTIVAL DAY 5
The so-called Jay Warriors completed their dance and the battle of the bands, Yuri's solo performance ended. (April was NOT cheering at all; she just held a sign that said: MASARAP MO, YURI! Which literally means.. YOU'RE DELICIOUS, YURI! I have confirmed my suspicions that April is a cannibal.)
It was prize distribution time.
Keifer and his band (I don't want to call them with their original name) and other bands waited. The host, Freya, was sighing. As if her whole life was a lie.
Well, seems like it is.
All of them settled down. Section E was standing in the back. Of COURSE, we didn't have seats.
The judges came to the stage to announce the winners. Damn, I'm so nervous.
Keifer turned back. He looked at me, smiled, AND.. AND.. AND.. HE GAVE ME A WINK?!
System reset.
System loading.
System error.
No.
No, no, no.
He did NOT just wink at me.
I blinked rapidly, like that would rewind time or delete the last five seconds of my existence.
Nope. Still there. Still real. Still… him turning back around like he didn't just casually destroy my nervous system.
"What happened to you?" Josh whispered beside me, poking my arm.
I slapped his hand away. "Nothing."
"You look like you saw your grades before results day."
"Shut up."
But he squinted at me. "Wait… why are you red?"
"I AM NOT RED."
"You are literally glowing like a tomato under stage lights."
I turned away immediately. Abort mission. Abort eye contact with humanity.
Up on stage, Freya and Mykel were hosting.
"Alright," she said into the mic, "let's start the winners announcement. I call the judges on the stage to announce it!"
"The winners for the Battle of the Bands…" The judges started
My heart started racing again, but this time for a valid reason.
"Third place…"
Some band I didn't know. Cheers erupted anyway.
"Second place…"
Another band. Louder cheers.
I swallowed.
This was it.
I didn't even realise I was clutching the edge of Drew's sleeve.
"First place."
Pause. Dramatic. Unnecessary. Illegal.
"...goes to…"
Why do judges do this.
"…Jay's warriors!"
The crowd exploded.
Section E? Even louder.
"AYYYYYYYYY!""LET'S GOOOOO!""KEIFERRRRRR!"
"WOOOOOOOOAH!!"
I didn't even notice when I started smiling.
Actually. No.
I did notice.
Because he turned again.
Through all that noise, all that chaos, all those people.
He looked straight at me.
Not at Section E.
Not at his band.
Me.
And this time… no wink.
Just a soft smile.
Like I was part of that moment.
Like… he wanted me to see it.
My chest did that weird, tight thing again.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
"BROOOO YOUR MAN WON!"
"HE IS NOT MY MAN!" I snapped instantly.
"Denial is a river—"
"Shut!"
Traitor.
On stage, they were handing the trophy to them.
I didn't notice.
Because my brain was still stuck on:
He winked at me.
And then.
My legs betrayed, I went forth.
"Jayjay!" April yelled. "STOP FLIRTING AND GO! WE'LL GIVE YOU THE TROPHY, OKAY?"
"I AM NOT FLIRTING!"
Keifer smirked.
I hate him.
I turned and walked away before my dignity completely dissolved.
But even as I went back to the chaos of Section E
One thought stayed stuck in my head.
Like a glitch that refused to be fixed.
Why does he look at me like that?
They stepped down, and various people took selfies with him. What's so nice about him? Why does he get their attention?
April was laughing with Yuri, both of them grinning with Ci-N.
April got the boys' attention, Keifer got the girls' attention. Honestly, NONE of them deserved this attention. They got their own fellas, you know?
Their photo session was over, and Keifer FINALLY stepped toward me.
"Here."
He simply handed me the trophy, smiling softly, yet that smile spoke a thousand words.
He was SO handsome today, god gave them extra beauty when he was born, I guess.
"Thank... you", I managed to speak.
"Anything for YOU, only you."
My heart was already full; this only made it overflow with more love.
LATER THAT DAY (SETTING: JAYJAY'S HOUSE:)
I was half-awake. Time decided not to show me mercy.
I was trying to close my eyes and sleep so badly. Someone knocked on the door. "COME IN!"
"Someone's waiting for you, po." The tita who works told.
Huh? Who could it be?..
I pulled on a hoodie and a pair of jeans. Wore it quickly, and I sprinted towards the entrance. Hope it isn't Keifer.
And when I stepped outside, yes. It was Keifer.
Leaning against his car like he owned the road, maybe he does, who knows? Like he hadn't just casually appeared at my house without warning.
I trusted the universe.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
He looked up at me with that half-smile.
"Here to kidnap you."
No context, just.. "Here to kidnap you?"
Bro, I'm tired of getting kidnapped. It's always me.
But I'm okay if he's the kidnapper.
I'd kidnap myself and surrender.
But, he'd be too annoying as a kidnapper.
"My phone-"
"Don't care, come."
I got into the car, hoping he had his phone.
Huh. (No Sabrina Carpenter reference)
I should've said no. But, yeah. I didn't.
The drive was really quiet.
We both had things to say, but neither of us knew where to start.
"What?" he asked, eyes still on the road.
He has a third eye or what-
"Hm.. um.. nothing."
I couldn't decide if he huffed or laughed.
I stared out the window, the trees were so beautiful, wow. Nature.
He parked the car just then.
In front of a cafe.
Of course, a cafe!
Because clearly, my life has decided to become a full drama series.
We went inside and sat across from each other.
We stared at each other. A woman came up to us with a smile.
"Orders, ma'am and sir?"
"Two cold coffees," Keifer ordered blankly.
"Sure, po. In five minutes, right at your table!"
"Thank you, po," I said.
She smiled at us, and went to bring us the order.
Just then-
Two loud voices.
Very loud.
Familiar voices.
"AND I'M TELLING YOU, THAT WOMAN WAS AT MY HOME AS IF IT WAS HERS!"
I froze. Oh.
That was April.
"April-"
"Shh"
Keifer leaned forward slightly. "Quiet."
April dropped onto the couch and sat with legs crossed beside Ci-N as if she had come out of a war.
"You know when Keifer and Jayjay went to take my guitar from my house? So, like.. she was there. At my house. In the kitchen, no wonder my Icecream runs out so quickly!"
"What'd she say?" Ci-N immediately straightened.
"She told Keifer, 'No hellos to mom?'" April scoffed, "Since when, bro? Since when? Even if his dad and my mom accepted the marriage, and we're technically half-siblings. WE don't accept them as parents!"
"What about Keifer?" Ci-N asked.
"He was UTTERLY disgusted; he hates that woman. You know who sends me money every week? My dad. Not like.. the stepdad. My biological dad. And the woman whom I call mom? She only scolds me, tries to steal my money that my dad gives, and knows to be possessive over someone who's not even hers."
"Damn." Ci-N blinked.
"Yes, damn!" April muttered. "And she had the freaking audacity to act sweet after that."
Ci-N shook his hand slowly, he knew everything, didn't he?
"How could she visit MY house without my permission?" she snapped, "I don't even live with her anymore! She's too much."
April laughed, but there didn't seem to be any humour in it.
"If someone else were my brother, they would've burst out by now and left me."
She paused to breathe. Her fingers were absentmindedly tapping the table.
"..Lucky it's Keifer."
My gaze fell on him.
He did not move. His expression was softer.. heavier.
He carried more than he ever showed.
"Did she try to start anything else?"
April sighed, "Oo nga, I called her and asked her about this. She is emotionless, I swear! I hate that woman."
Mother issues? Familiar issues, eh?
The woman who took our orders went to their table, "Two, you know what? Emotional support: three chocolate icecreams, po. Thank you."
I looked at Keifer. He looked at me. Didn't look away.
"Yeah?"
I swallowed.
"...Why didn't you tell me?"
He exhaled slowly.
"I was supposed to say it to you today, well.. it ended up different."
A pause.
Oh.
So this was supposed to be that conversation.
"I'm her.. half-sibling.. her mom and my dad married when we were 13."
I wasn't able to digest. My brain was stuck.
Keifer's half-sibling.
Half-sibling.
That day, she hugged him? That moment she immediately looked at Keifer when she needed someone to bring her the guitar? The way he knew her PIN?
All of it.
Were not what I thought.
Not even a bit.
Across the cafe, April was still talking.
"..and I swear, if she comes again without telling me-"
Ci-N raised his ice cream spoon. "You'll what?"
"I'll change the PIN. And never let anyone inside my home. Exceptions allowed."
"You already forgot it once."
"SHUT UP-"
Ci-N was mid-bite into his ice cream when his eyes drifted lazily across the café, and then snapped back.
He froze.
Then slowly… very slowly… his entire face lit up like someone just turned on festival lights inside him.
"April," he whispered, not even subtle, kicking her under the table.
"What, wait, I'm making a call to Yuri. I'm calling him here-"
"Don't look now," he grinned, already failing his own instruction, "but your two favourite idiots are here."
April stiffened.
Ci-N leaned forward, eyes sparkling with chaos.
She called and spoke to Yuri anyway-