Jay's POV
The sky had already turned a deep purple, smoke rising lazily from the crackling campfire as we clustered close for warmth. The laughter hadn't stopped since sunset — someone always teasing, someone always daring too much.
"Alright!" C‑in shouted suddenly, standing up with a devilish grin. "New rule. Group dare."
Everyone groaned at once.
"No way, not again," David muttered into his drink, but C‑in only smirked harder, spinning the bottle with exaggerated drama. The glass caught the firelight as it spun, all of us watching, half-dreading, half-curious where it'd land.
It slowed… then stopped, pointing directly between Jane and Yuri.
The group erupted in laughter and whoops.
"Nah, come on!" Jane protested, hiding her face in her hands — but Yuri just laughed, leaning a little closer. "It's just a dare," he said softly, voice amused but gentle.
The air around them shifted — quieter, softer. And before anyone could tease again, Jane kissed him quickly, a small, sweet press that drew every eye to the fire instead of them. A chorus of cheers broke out anyway.
"Alright, alright!" C‑in waved for silence and spun the bottle again, still grinning. This time, it pointed between me and Keifer.
The group went wild. "Oh, this is gold!" Rory shouted. Drew fell onto his back laughing.
I felt my heartbeat jump into my throat. Keifer didn't look away. The flickering light made his eyes seem warmer, softer, like the fire itself was leaning toward him.
"You can back out," he murmured, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
"Not a chance," I said before I could stop myself.
He leaned in — slow, confident, the world shrinking to just the glow between us. The kiss wasn't long, barely more than a breath — but it felt louder than the laughter that followed.
When he pulled back, Keifer's smile had changed; calmer, but full of something unspoken.
"Well," C‑in said, clapping once. "That escalated quickly."
The circle burst into chaos again — teasing, cheering, half‑mocking, half‑excited. But even as everyone laughed, I couldn't stop staring at Keifer across the flames... and the faint trace of a smile he tried (and failed) to hide.