Jay's POV
The thunder outside cracked again.
BOOM.
The storage room walls vibrated slightly.
I looked back at Keifer.
Something was definitely wrong.
He was sitting on the floor now, shoulders tense, breathing unevenly, his hands shaking more than before.
"Keifer…" I said carefully.
He didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed on the floor like he was trying not to hear something.
Another flash of lightning filled the small window.
CRACK!
The thunder came immediately after.
Keifer flinched again, his body stiffening.
That's when it hit me.
My eyes widened slightly.
Thunder.
Lightning.
I slowly crouched beside him.
"…You're scared of storms."
Keifer immediately shook his head.
"N-no."
Another thunderclap echoed outside.
His hand tightened against the mat.
"Really?" I asked quietly.
He looked away.
"…It's nothing."
But his voice betrayed him.
It was strained.
Unsteady.
I sighed softly.
"You have astraphobia, don't you?"
He didn't answer.
That silence told me everything.
For a moment I didn't know what to do.
Keifer Watson.
The student president.
The guy everyone listened to.
The one who never looked nervous about anything.
And now…
He looked like a completely different person.
Another thunder strike exploded outside.
This time he covered his ears slightly, like he didn't even realize he was doing it.
Without thinking, I moved closer.
"Hey," I said softly.
He didn't look up.
Another lightning flash filled the room.
Then—
BOOM!
Keifer suddenly grabbed my arm.
Not aggressively.
Just instinctively.
Like someone grabbing the nearest thing to stay steady.
I froze for a second.
Then looked down at him.
"…It's okay."
He didn't let go.
His breathing was still uneven.
"Sorry," he muttered quickly, trying to pull his hand away.
But before he could—
I grabbed his wrist gently.
"Don't."
He looked up slightly.
His eyes looked different now.
Not arrogant.
Not teasing.
Just… vulnerable.
"You don't have to pretend," I said quietly.
Another thunder strike echoed.
This time he flinched harder.
Without thinking, he moved closer.
His arms wrapped around me.
Like someone trying to block out the world.
For a moment I just sat there in surprise.
Keifer Watson was hugging me.
Tightly.
His head resting against my shoulder.
Another thunderclap sounded.
His grip tightened.
I slowly raised my hands.
Then gently placed them over his ears.
Trying to block the sound.
"Hey," I whispered.
"It's just noise."
Lightning flashed again.
Thunder followed.
But now the sound was muffled.
Keifer's breathing slowly started calming down.
"You're okay," I said softly.
"I'm right here."
He didn't respond.
But he didn't move away either.
A few seconds passed.
Then a few minutes.
The rain outside continued pouring heavily.
But Keifer's shaking slowly began to fade.
Then suddenly—
An idea crossed my mind.
I leaned slightly toward him.
And quickly placed a small peck on his cheek.
Keifer blinked.
"What was that for?"
I shrugged casually.
"Distraction."
He looked at me suspiciously.
"…That's a weird distraction."
"Did it work?"
He hesitated.
"…Maybe."
I smiled slightly.
"Good."
The thunder continued outside but not as loud as before.
Keifer slowly relaxed.
Then he shifted slightly.
His head ended up resting on my lap.
I blinked down at him.
"…Comfortable?"
He didn't answer.
His eyes were already closing.
Apparently storms were exhausting.
I gently brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead.
"President of the school," I muttered quietly.
"And scared of thunder."
He mumbled half-asleep,
"…Don't tell anyone."
I smiled softly.
"Your secret is safe."
The rain outside kept falling.
Keifer's breathing became slow and steady.
I looked down at him for a moment.
Then I sighed.
"Well…"
"Since you're awake…"
"I'll tell you a story."
Of course, it wasn't really a story.
Not exactly.
But I started talking anyway.
"Once upon a time," I said quietly, "there was a princess."
Keifer move.
I continued softly.
"She was very stubborn."
"And very angry."
"People said she had the worst temper in the kingdom."
Lightning flashed outside.
But Keifer stayed asleep.
"The princess had a friend."
"A prince."
"They grew up together."
"He always tried to calm her down when she got angry."
I looked at the floor quietly.
"But one day…"
"The princess lost control of her anger."
The rain tapped against the window.
"And because of that…"
"The prince got hurt."
My voice grew softer.
"And he… died."
The room stayed silent except for the rain.
"After that," I continued quietly, "the princess hated herself."
"She thought she was a monster."
"She promised she would never let her anger control her again."
I looked down at Keifer.
Still asleep.
Peaceful.
"So she left her kingdom."
"And tried to live a normal life somewhere else."
I sighed softly.
"That's the end of the story."
The rain outside slowly began calming down.
The thunder became distant.
Keifer shifted slightly in his sleep.
But he didn't wake up.
His head remained resting on my lap.
I leaned back against the wall.
Looking out the small window.
"…You better not remember any of this," I muttered quietly.
But somehow…
For the first time in a long time…
The storm inside my chest felt a little quieter too.
End of Chapter 25 🌧️