JAY JAY POV
Jare finally pulled the ribbon and opened the lid. I held my breath, leaning as far back as I could without falling over... but instead of a spring-loaded clown or a face full of flour, something small and fuzzy poked its head out.
My heart didn't just melt; it turned into a puddle of strawberry syrup.
It was a puppy! A tiny, furry, chocolate-brown ball of fluff with big, sleepy eyes and ears that looked too large for its head.
"Awwww! Give me, give me!" I squealed
I shoved past Jare and scooped the little guy into my arms.
The puppy immediately licked my chin and let out a tiny, high-pitched 'yip' that made everyone in Section E let out a collective, very unmanly 'Awww.'
"It's so cute! Jare, Percy... thank you!" I said, snuggling my face into the puppy's soft fur. It smelled like baby powder and new friendship. "He's so fragile, you were right! Why did I even doubt you guys?"
"Because your brain is 70% suspicion and 30% donuts," Jare teased, though he looked proud of himself.
"Sorry, sis. We couldn't exactly smuggle a tiger or a lion into the dorm for you," Percy chimed in, grinning. "But hopefully, this little guy satisfies your weird wildlife dreams for now."
I shot him a glare, even though I was busy snuggling the fluffball.
"You know what? I actually wouldn't mind a lion cub," I muttered. "Actually, I want a lion cub."
"Percy," Jare sighed, shaking his head.
"What did you do to her this time?" Keifer asked, stepping closer.
"While you were away in London, we made the mistake of taking her to the zoo," Aries explained, looking exhausted just from the memory. "She saw the big cat exhibit and decided she needed a predatory feline as a roommate."
I ignored them and looked up at Keifer. He was watching me with an expression that was unusually soft—almost... vulnerable?
"Look, Keifer I have a baby!" I beamed, holding the puppy up like Simba from The Lion King.
Keifer's gaze shifted from the puppy to my face. His usual smirk softened into something dangerously sweet—the kind of look that makes my heartbeat do a weird gymnastics routine in my chest.
"Yeah," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "But don't forget who the King of this house is, Jay. I'm not sharing your lap with that furball forever."
ASUNGOT! Jealous of a puppy? Typical Keifer.
But as I hugged my new little friend, I realized that despite the chaos, the insults, and the sheer insanity of Section E, this might actually be the best day ever.
Fine, Keifer. You can be the King. But the puppy? He's definitely the Crown Prince.
"What are you naming him?" Ci-N asked, his hands twitching like he was dying to snatch the puppy away from me.
"Brownie," I said proudly, hugging the little guy closer. It was classic. It was simple. It was perfect.
"Eww, Jay. Please, not a food name," Mayo groaned, looking at me like I'd just suggested naming the dog 'Sinigang.' "Every brown dog in the Philippines is named Brownie. Have some class."
I made a face at him. "What's wrong with it? It's cute!"
"Jay, how about Goku?" Drew chimed in, pointing a finger in the air.
"Get out of my face, Drew. I am not naming my dog after a Saiyan."
"Jay, how about Kokey?" Jare suggested with a completely straight face.
I paused. Kokey. It had a ring to it. It sounded... sophisticated. Like a seasoned performer.
"Kokey... I don't know who she is exactly, but I think she's a great actress, right?" I asked, nodding to myself. "It sounds vintage."
Jare let out a snicker that he tried to hide behind his hand. "Yeah. Exactly. Because you're a Kokey, Jay."
Keifer immediately whipped his head around and glared at Jare, his eyes practically shooting lasers.
"Kokey!" Ci-N started chanting, pointing at me and laughing. "Bagay na bagay, Jay! Kokey!"
"What is wrong with you guys? I'm sure she's a legendary actress!" I defended myself, feeling my cheeks heat up.
David sighed, looking at me with pity. He pulled out his phone, typed something in, and showed me the screen. "Jay... this is Kokey."
I looked at the screen. My eyes widened. It wasn't a beautiful veteran actress. It was a green, big-eyed, pot-bellied alien from a 90s movie.
My head snapped toward Jare. "JARE! HUMANDA KA SA AKIN!"
("JARE! GET READY FOR ME!")
"Peace!" Jare yelled, ducking behind Percy as I tried to kick him.
"How about Bingo?" Keifer's voice broke through the chaos.
I stopped mid-lunge and looked at him. He was looking at the puppy
"Bingo?" I repeated. I looked down at the puppy. He actually looked like a Bingo. It was cute, classic, and didn't involve me being compared to a green alien. "Okay. Bingo it is."
"Of course! Todo-agree agad basta si Hubby ang nagsalita!" Felix teased,"Wala na, under na under talaga ang Mutya natin."
("Of course! Everyone agreed as long as Hubby spoke!" Felix teased "No more, our Mutya is really under control.")
I glared at Felix, my face turning a shade of red that definitely wasn't from anger. "Shut up, Felix! It's just a good name!"
Keifer didn't say anything, but the smug, satisfied look on his face told me he knew exactly how much influence he had over me. Asungot talaga.(It's really annoying.) But fine... Bingo it is.
"Bingo!" I chirped, lifting the fluffy little chocolate ball high into the air as if I were about to present him to the entire animal kingdom.
I didn't care if I looked like a complete weirdo in front of the most feared guys in school. I had a puppy, the sun was shining (metaphorically), and for once, my life didn't feel like a survival horror movie.
"B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! And him is a Bingo!" I belted out at the top of my lungs, shaking him gently to the beat.
I was so out of tune that even the puppy gave me a slightly concerned look, but did I stop? No. I even added a little shoulder shimmy for extra effect.
"Hoy, Jay. Stop that, he's going to get dizzy," Keifer warned. But when I looked at him, he wasn't actually angry. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me with that look—that look that always made my heart do a triple backflip.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" David asked, chuckling while the rest of the guys started joining in on the clapping.
"Of course! He's my son now!" I declared, ignoring the way Keifer's eyebrow arched at the word 'son.' I hugged Bingo back to my chest, my face probably glowing with enough excitement to power all of Section E.
I looked down at the tiny ball in my arms. He was wagging his tail so hard his entire back half was vibrating.
"See? He loves his name! And he loves my singing!" I said, sticking my tongue out at Jare and Felix.
"Yeah, or maybe he's just praying for you to hit the right note," David muttered, though he was clearly smiling.
"Jay-Jay dear! Oh my goodness, what a precious little creature. Let me see him!" Tita Serina cooed, her eyes sparkling as she approached.
Reluctantly, I handed Bingo over. I didn't really want to let go of my new "son," but you don't exactly say no to Tita Serina.
"Aww, such a sweet gift! I honestly thought Keifer was the one who bought this since his late birthday gift for you was a little delayed," Tita said, cuddling the puppy. Then, her expression shifted into something more serious—that 'wedding planner' mode she gets into. "But anyway, this is cute… however, boys, the wedding is fast approaching! We need to move."
My heart did a little somersault. The wedding. It still felt like a dream—half fairy tale, half nightmare because of all the stress.
Keifer and I locked eyes. He didn't say a word, but his gaze was intense enough to melt lead.
"Come with me. I have something to show you," he said, his voice low and commanding.
Before I could even ask 'What?' or 'Where?', he grabbed my hand and led me toward his room. The guys started whistling and making teasing comments behind us, but Keifer ignored them entirely. Once we were inside, he did something that made my breath hitch.
Click.
He locked the door.
Wait! Why are we locking the door?! Keifer, my heart isn't ready for this!
He walked over to his bed where a large, expensive-looking suitcase was lying. He knelt down, unzipped it, and slowly lifted the lid.
I forgot how to breathe.
There, nestled inside like a cloud made of silk and dreams, was a wedding gown. It was breathtaking—an off-the-shoulder design with delicate lace that looked like it had been woven by fairies. The fabric shivered under the light, shimmering with tiny, hidden crystals.
"Keifer…" I whispered, my hands flying to my mouth.
"I didn't want the designers or mom to be the only ones choosing for you," he said, standing up and looking at me with an unreadable expression. "I wanted to make sure it was perfect. Because I'm the one who's going to be watching you walk down that aisle."
I looked at the dress, then back at him. My eyes were already starting to sting with tears. Asungot talaga. He acts like a jerk most of the time, but then he goes and does something like this.
"I chose it," Keifer whispered, standing behind me. "For the Mutya."
I felt hot tears prickling my eyes. "It's... it's so beautiful, Keifer. I—I don't know what to say."
"Try it on," he commanded softly.
I just nodded, too stunned to come up with a witty comeback. I took the dress and scurried into the bathroom like a mouse hiding from a very handsome cat.
As I slipped into the gown, I couldn't help but stare at my reflection. It was majestic. My reflection looked like a stranger—someone elegant, someone who belonged in a fairytale instead of a classroom full of rowdy boys. But there was a problem. A big, lacy, complicated problem.
The back.
The laces were a nightmare. No matter how much I twisted and turned like a gymnast, I couldn't reach the middle sections. With a huff of frustration, I gathered the front of the dress and stepped back into the room.
"Here... fix the back," I muttered, feeling my face heat up.
Keifer froze. For a second, he just stood there, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. The air in the room suddenly felt very thin. After what felt like an eternity, he stepped behind me. I could feel the heat radiating from his body as his fingers slowly started to work the lace.
"Is this too tight?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear.
"No. A little bit tighter," I whispered.
He didn't say anything, but I felt the dress cinch around my waist, hugging my curves perfectly. He was surprisingly gentle, his movements careful, as if he were handling something made of glass.
"Now?" he asked.
"Perfect," I breathed.
"You're perfect," he countered.
Before I could process that, I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder, looking at our reflection in the mirror.
"I think the angels are jealous of you right now, Jay," he said softy.
Lupa, kainin mo na ako! My blush was so intense I was worried I might actually catch fire. How could he say things like that with a straight face? Asungot talaga. He knew exactly what he was doing to my heart.
Keifer's lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. He didn't stop there. He leaned in and placed a soft, lingering kiss on my exposed shoulder. When he started trailing his kisses upward, along the curve of my neck, my breath hitched.
The room was silent except for the frantic thumping of my heart. I closed my eyes, my head tilting slightly to give him better access.
He slowly turned me around, his hands moving from my waist to my shoulders with a gentleness that made my breath hitch. When I finally looked up at him, the teasing smirk was gone. His eyes were dark, intense, and filled with a look that made me feel like I was the only person left in the world.
My heart wasn't just beating; it was practically performing a drum solo against my ribs.
"Jay," he whispered, his voice so low it sent a shiver straight down my spine.
Before my brain could even process a comeback—before I could call him an asungot or tell him to stop making my face turn into a tomato—he leaned down.
And then, he kissed me.
It wasn't like the quick, teasing kisses from before. This was different. It was deep, lingering, and tasted like a promise. My eyes fluttered shut as the world around us completely faded away. The locked door, the boys shouting downstairs, the puppy—everything vanished.
Without even thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. I wanted to be closer. I needed to be closer.
As if he could read my mind, Keifer's grip on my waist tightened. He pulled me into him, pressing me against his chest until there wasn't a single inch of space left between us. I could feel the heat of his body through the expensive lace of the gown, and the steady, heavy thumping of his heart that matched my own chaotic rhythm.
I was officially a goner.
I had spent so long running away from these feelings, trying to survive the madness of Section E, but in his arms, in this dress, everything finally made sense.
He pulled back just a fraction of an inch, his forehead resting against mine. We were both breathless, the air between us thick with a tension that made my head spin.
"Tell me again," he murmured, his thumb grazing my lower lip. "Whose King am I?"
I let out a shaky breath, a small, helpless smile tugging at my lips.
"Fine Keifer," I whispered, my heart overflowing with a kind of kilig I couldn't even put into words. "You're the King. My King."
He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. He just smiled—that rare, genuine smile that he only ever showed me—and leaned back in to claim his kingdom all over again.
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