JAY JAY POV
After the dinner chaos settled, it was finally time for the gift exchange. The room was buzzing with anticipation as we prepared to reveal who had drawn which code name. David was sitting right next to me, while Santa-Keifer and Elf-Yuri remained slumped together on the opposite sofa, looking like they'd just survived a 24-hour shift at a retail mall.
"Who did you get?" I whispered to David, nudging his shoulder.
David checked the slip of paper in his hand. "Bumblebee," he muttered.
I immediately burst out laughing, clutching my stomach as the image of my brother's face flashed through my mind.
"Why?" David asked, looking genuinely confused. "Is that actually someone I should know?"
I nodded, trying to catch my breath between wheezes. "It's my twin," I managed to say, laughing even harder. The thought of Jare being branded as Bumblebee was the highlight of my Christmas.
David's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He looked over at Jare, who was currently preoccupied with trying to stack empty soda cans into a precarious tower on the coffee table.
"So, what did you get him?" I asked, leaning in closer, my curiosity piqued.
"A leather belt," David said, looking a bit unsure now.
I lost it again. The mental image of David handing my brother a belt for a naughty gift exchange was just too much.
"What? What happened?" Jare asked, noticing my fit as he came over and flopped down on the seat next to me.
I just made a pufferfish face, puffing out my cheeks and refusing to say a word, lest I accidentally spoil the surprise and die of laughter right then and there.
"Anyway, who did you get?" David asked, turning the tables on me.
I looked over at Keifer, who was watching us with that hooded, possessive gaze from beneath his Santa hat. "Bluetooth," I said, my voice dropping as I realized I still had to figure out which one of these idiots was the recipient of my reindeer-themed silk boxers.
Rory and Drew were back on the microphone, causing a total ruckus as they called out names for the gift exchange. Honestly, I wasn't really paying attention to the mountain of wrapping paper or the idiots shouting. I had moved over to sit with Mica in a quieter corner, finally getting a breather from the guys' chaotic energy.
"Jay," Mica called out, her voice dropping into that tone—the one that meant girl talk was about to happen.
"Hmm?" I hummed, leaning my head back against the sofa.
"Is there something... happening between you and Keifer?" she asked, tilting her head with a knowing look.
I instinctively shifted my gaze across the room. There he was, still slumped in that ridiculous Santa suit, but his eyes were locked right on me. Even from across the room, the intensity of his stare felt like a physical weight. Stalker alert.
"Why is everyone asking me that same question?" I groaned, looking back at Mica.
"Because every time you see him, it's as if you've already claimed him without even telling anyone," Mica teased, a playful glint in her eyes. "And then there was that thing I saw back at school—some girl was just trying to talk to Keifer, and you basically glared a hole through her head. You were totally territorial!"
I felt the heat rush to my cheeks instantly, turning a shade of red that probably matched Keifer's velvet sleeves. Damn it.
"I think you're imagining things, Mica," I stammered, trying to regain my composure. "Me and Keifer? We would never."
Mica just laughed, clearly not buying my denial for a single second. "I don't believe you. I'm calling it now—I bet by the time you're twenty-five, you'll be married to Keifer with a little baby in your arms and another one on the way."
My heart did a violent somersault in my chest. I suddenly thought about the pharmacy run, the physical penalties, and the way he'd whispered wifey in my ear.
"Shut up, Mica! That's more like a nightmare than a prediction!" I hissed, though the thought of a "mini-Keifer" sent a weird, terrifyingly sweet shiver down my spine. "Twenty-five is a long way off. Let me survive this Christmas first before you start planning my nursery!"
"You're not denying it though," Mica said, her grin widening as she saw me struggling to find an comeback.
I was about to protest when Rory's voice boomed over the speaker, cutting through our conversation. "Next up... for the gift from Mutya!"
I blinked, looking around the room in confusion. "Mutya? Who the hell is Mutya?" I whispered to Mica.
Mica didn't answer. She just turned around, and I realized the entire room was already staring directly at me. The silence was heavy, filled with a weird kind of expectation.
"Mutya," Mica repeated softly, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.
I raised an eyebrow, my sass kicking in. "What? Why are you all looking at me like I've grown a second head?"
Rory stepped forward, looking unusually shy as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's you, Jay. We changed your code name. You're our Mutya now."
"Our Mutya," Drew chimed in, nodding solemnly.
"Wait, back up. Since when?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"We decided on that name because... well, ever since you crashed into Section E, it felt like we actually mattered," Rory explained, his usual loud-mouthed energy replaced by something sincere. "You meddled in our lives, fixed our messes, and stood up for us. We wanted to honor you with a name that actually meant something."
I felt a sudden, unexpected lump in my throat. These idiots actually had a heart?
"Wow. I'm so moved," I said, dramatically placing my hands over my heart. "I didn't know you guys were actually capable of independent thought. It's a Christmas miracle."
"Even though we all know Keifer is totally going to marry you in the future, we just wanted to spend more time with our Mutya first," Ci-N piped up from the back, his eyes dancing with mischief.
The sentimental moment died instantly. I grabbed the nearest throw pillow and launched it at that brat's head with professional accuracy.
"Gago! How did that even enter this conversation?!" I barked, glaring at Ci-N, who had scurried over to hide behind Keifer's massive Santa-suit-clad frame.
"Keifer! Your wife is getting mad again!" Ci-N teased, peeking out from behind Keifer's shoulder. "I think her hormones are acting up—hurry and control her before she kills us all!"
"My sister is no one's wife," Jare snapped, his voice cutting through the laughter like a blade. He stood up making it crystal clear to the room that the twin-protection-protocol was officially back online.
I glanced at Keifer, expecting him to join in on the teasing or tell Ci-N to shut up. Instead, he just sat there, looking at me with that dark, possessive smirk, as if he silently agreed with every word the brat had said.
I took my gift from Rory, still feeling the heat in my face from the whole "Mutya" revelation. But the sentimental atmosphere didn't last long—not with this group of lunatics.
"Next up... Bluetooth!" Drew announced, his voice cracking as he laughed. "Who the fuck put Bluetooth as a code name? Is it because they catch every single piece of gossip in the air?" he teased, waving the wrapped box around like a trophy.
I froze. My heart skipped a beat, then started racing for an entirely different reason.
No way.
Keifer stood up. The "King of Assholes" himself shifted his weight, the red velvet of his Santa suit rustling as he stepped toward the center of the room. My grip tightened on the edge of my seat. Out of everyone in Section E—out of every single idiot in this house—he was the one who had drawn my name. He was the one about to open the box containing those reindeer silk boxers.
This was going to be an absolute disaster. A glorious, scandalous disaster.
"Bluetooth... of course, it's our amazing President!" Drew chirped, handing over the gift with a theatrical bow.
Keifer took the gift from Drew, offering him a glare so sharp it could have sliced through the wrapping paper on its own
"Alright, enough talk! On the count of three... everyone open your gifts!" Drew shouted, jumping up and down. "One... Two... THREE!"
"Alright, enough talk! On the count of three... everyone open your gifts!" Drew shouted, jumping up and down like he'd consumed way too much sugar. "One... Two... THREE!"
The room erupted. Wrapping paper was flying everywhere, and the sound of ripping cardboard filled the air. I stayed perfectly still, my hands resting on my own gift, eyes locked on Keifer. He didn't move either. He just sat there in that ridiculous Santa suit, holding my gift with a dark, expectant smirk, waiting for the initial wave of chaos to settle.
"Puta! Since when was a spoon considered naughty?!" someone yelled from the corner, holding up a wooden kitchen utensil like it was a cursed artifact.
"I got slippers! Plain, boring slippers!" Mayo grumbled.
"I got a broom," Yuri announced, holding it up with a lanky, dramatic flourish. "Who should I smack with this first?"
"I got a leather belt," Jare said, his voice dropping into a try-hard 'naughty' tone as he whipped the leather through the air.
I couldn't help it. I leaned over with a wicked grin. "Maybe Mica will use it on you, Bumblebee," I teased.
Jare's face went from pale to a vibrant, glowing red in less than a second. He sputtered, nearly choking on his own spit as the guys around him started hooting. I doubled over, laughing so hard my lungs started to burn.
"I got a condom!" Calix announced, holding the small square packet up like a trophy.
"Give it to Denzel! He might make another one if you don't!" Felix teased, referencing the whole Grace situation. The room absolutely exploded into a fit of breathless laughter
Amidst the chaos, I happened to glance over at Ci-N. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw what he was holding. It was a gift that was definitely not for kids. I lunged across the rug and snatched the magazine right out of his hands before he could even flip to the first page.
"Gago! Which one of you idiots gave this to the kid?!" I shrieked, waving the scandalous cover in the air like a weapon.
"Come on, Jay! He's not a kid anymore," Eren countered, leaning back with a lazy, mischievous grin. "He even plays jackstone with us! He's one of the boys now."
I turned a lethal glare on him, the kind that usually makes people start writing their last will and testament. "He is still developing! Do you want to warp his brain before he even hits his growth spurt?"
I turned back to a very disappointed-looking Ci-N. "I will buy you another present, okay? Something that won't get me arrested for child endangerment."
"Jay! At least give it to us if you're taking it from him!" Drew shouted, reaching out his hand greedily. "Don't let good educational material go to waste!"
"No one is getting this!" I barked, pivoting on my heel and launching the magazine straight into the depths of the trash can. I dusted off my hands with a satisfied huff, ignoring the collective groan from the "men" in the room.
"Keifer, open yours!" Edrix prompted, leaning forward with a wicked grin.
The room went quiet. All eyes shifted to Santa-Keifer, who finally started tearing into the wrapping paper. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to keep my face a complete mask to prevent myself from erupting into laughter.
He pulled them out. For a second, he just stared. Then, he held them up for the whole room to see: silk boxers, vibrant red, with a reindeer positioned... well, right where a reindeer shouldn't be.
"Wow! Now that's something naughty!" Drew hooted, clapping his hands.
Keifer held the boxers up high, his gaze cutting through the room like a laser until it landed directly on me. I didn't flinch. Rule number one of the London streets: never let them know you're the one who pulled the trigger.
"Whoa, Jay-Jay... was it you who gifted this to Keifer?" Yuri asked, his eyes darting between me and the scandalous silk.
"What? No way! I got someone else," I lied through my teeth, putting on my best 'offended' expression.
I felt a pair of eyes burning into the side of my head. I didn't even have to look to know it was Jare. My twin knew my shopping habits all too well, and he was currently sporting a massive, mischievous grin. He opened his mouth, clearly about to sell me out for a laugh.
I whipped my head around and sent him a glare so lethal it could have stopped a train. If you say one word, Bumblebee, you won't live to see New Year's.
Jare snapped his mouth shut, but the smug look didn't leave his face. I turned back to the room, trying to look innocent, but I could still feel Keifer's heavy, possessive stare lingering on me. He knew. Of course he knew. He just wasn't going to say it—not in front of everyone, anyway.
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Hey lovies 🤍✨ Thank you SO much for all your wishes — because of you guys, I passed my geometry test 😭💗 I even got an A on it!! (Well… on part 1 😭✨)
But now there's part 2 on Monday, and honestly… my teacher hates us. Like why would they do this to us 😭📚💀 The test I took on Friday and the one coming up are literally the hardest ones of the whole semester, and I'm already stressed again 😭💔
Please wish me luck, lovies — maybe with all your blessings I'll survive part 2 too 😭🌿✨