Kiefer POV – Before Sunrise
The sun hadn't risen yet.
The sky was still painted in deep shades of blue and grey, the world quiet… almost like it was holding its breath.
But we—
We were already awake.
Or maybe…
We just never slept.
Cold morning air brushed against my face as I stood there, hands in my pockets, staring at the empty pathway ahead.
"Kief… he isn't here yet," I muttered.
Aries stood beside me, calmer than usual but still tense.
"He will come," he said.
Yuri yawned loudly. "Who are we even waiting for?"
Before anyone could answer—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Lazy.
Unbothered.
We all turned.
Percy.
Still in his night suit.
Hair messy.
Expression… annoyed.
"…So," Percy said, scratching his neck. "What exactly are we discussing this early in the morning?"
We all exchanged glances.
Then nodded.
Yuri raised a brow. "Why are you all looking at me?"
Percy smirked slightly.
"Because maybe… we should ask you."
"…What?" Yuri frowned.
"For staying silent," Percy said, voice turning serious. "While we were all breaking apart."
The air shifted instantly.
Yuri froze.
"I—I didn't—"
"You did," Percy cut in. "You saw everything."
Yuri's breathing grew uneven.
"I was scared!" he snapped. "I was just a kid too! I didn't know how to react!"
Silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
I stepped forward.
"…Explain from the beginning," I said.
The Truth About That Day
Percy exhaled slowly.
"That day…" he began, "I pushed Aries."
Aries stiffened.
"But not because I wanted to hurt him," Percy continued. "He wouldn't let go of me. If we had stayed there any longer…"
He paused.
"…we both would have died."
My chest tightened.
Aries looked down.
"But after you disappeared," Aries said quietly, "everyone believed I killed you."
He clenched his fists.
"For four years… I lived with that guilt."
Yuri shook his head frantically.
"I only said what I saw! You pushed him—I saw that! I didn't know the reason!"
I stepped closer.
"You told me Aries did it."
Aries looked at me.
"I never did it."
My voice dropped.
"…Then why didn't you fight back?"
Aries laughed bitterly.
"What was the point? You would've believed Yuri anyway. He was your best friend."
That hit harder than I expected.
Yuri dropped to his knees.
"I never meant it like that!" he cried. "I was just scared… Percy was gone… I couldn't accept it…"
Tears streamed down his face.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
I clenched my jaw.
"…I'm responsible too," I admitted. "I never asked for the truth. I just… believed what I wanted."
Aries nodded slowly.
"I'm responsible too. I should've explained."
Silence.
Then—
Without another word—
We hugged.
All three of us.
Tightly.
Like we were trying to fix years of broken trust in one moment.
Percy Joins
"…Hello?" Percy's voice came from behind.
We pulled back slightly.
"I'm here too, you idiots," he said, voice cracking.
We laughed softly.
Then pulled him into the hug.
And for the first time in years—
All four of us stood together again.
Laughter Returns
The tension slowly melted away.
Yuri sniffed. "This is embarrassing."
Percy smirked. "You crying is always embarrassing."
"Shut up!"
Aries laughed.
"…I missed this."
"Same," I whispered.
Percy suddenly grinned mischievously.
"You know what I missed the most?"
"What?" Yuri asked.
Percy leaned forward—
And kissed Aries on the cheek.
"THIS."
"WHAT THE—" Aries jumped back.
Before he could react—
Percy grabbed me and kissed my cheek too.
"PERCY!" I shouted.
Yuri burst out laughing.
"This is why we stopped talking to you!"
Percy shrugged proudly. "Affection."
"DISGUSTING," Aries said, wiping his cheek aggressively.
Jane Walks In
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
We froze.
Jane stood there, arms crossed, raising a brow.
"…I never knew you all were this close," she said.
Her gaze shifted between us.
Especially Percy—
Who was still smiling proudly.
Aries stood up quickly.
"Don't misunderstand—"
"It's not what it looks like," I added.
Percy interrupted.
"Four best friends reunion."
Jane smirked. "Ohhh… is that so?"
Percy narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here without security?"
Jane shrugged casually.
"I don't need any. I'm strong."
She paused.
"Besides… I came for a walk. Then I found you all."
Yuri smirked. "No. You came to spy."
Jane pointed at him. "You're smart. I like you."
Then—
Her gaze shifted to me.
"You're the one, right?" she said.
I froze.
She stepped closer.
"Everyone knows why you pushed her away."
My throat went dry.
"But," she continued softly, "I think you and Kuya Aries… can bring her back."
Silence.
Heavy.
Aries and I looked at each other.
Then nodded.
Jare & Jay Enter
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
We turned.
Jare walked toward us, annoyed.
"You guys are partying without us?!"
Behind him—
Jay.
Quiet.
Unreadable.
She glanced at Jane.
"I told you to jog. Not to talk."
Jane grinned. "Hey, I lost 1 kg."
Jay looked her up and down.
"…Without touching the floor?"
Yuri burst out laughing.
Jare rolled his eyes. "Don't act innocent. I was the one who dragged both of you out of bed."
Jay made a weird face.
"…You talk too much."
Breakfast Scene – Family Table
By the time the sun rose—
We were all seated at a long breakfast table.
For the first time—
It felt like a family.
Jay sat between me and Aries.
But she didn't look at either of us.
Not once.
Jasfer sat at the head.
"So… tell me," he said. "How have you all been?"
We exchanged glances.
Then slowly—
Started talking.
School.
Life.
Struggles.
Angelo watched Jay quietly, giving her a pleading look.
Please… soften up.
Jay ignored it.
Completely.
After Breakfast
Jay stood up.
"Jane. Let's go."
Jane stretched lazily. "Work already?"
Jay didn't respond.
They both left for the company.
Boys' Time – Car Ride
Jare clapped his hands.
"Alright! Since we're all here—let's hear your childhood stories."
Kevin stepped forward.
"I'm Kevin. Percy's older brother."
We greeted him.
Then—
The fun began.
Funny Story 1 – Percy
Percy grinned.
"Okay. First story."
He pointed at me.
"This idiot once cried for 3 hours because his ice cream fell."
"IT WAS MY FAVORITE!" I defended.
"You were 12," Yuri added.
Everyone laughed.
Funny Story 2 – Aries
Aries smirked.
"Percy once kissed me in front of the whole class."
"HEY—" Percy protested.
"And said, 'This is how you show love.'"
Everyone BURST out laughing.
Kevin shook his head. "I'm not surprised."
😂 Funny Story 3 – Yuri
Yuri grinned.
"Kiefer once tried to act cool in front of girls… and slipped on water."
I groaned.
"…And fell face-first."
Laughter exploded.
😂 Funny Story 4 – Kiefer
I smirked.
"Percy once dressed as a girl to enter a restricted area."
Silence.
Then—
"What?!" Jare laughed.
"And?" Kevin asked.
"He got complimented."
Everyone LOST it.
😂 Funny Story 5 – Percy Again
Percy pointed at all of us.
"You all are forgetting the biggest one."
"What?" Aries asked.
"You all cried when I didn't come to school for one day."
"…We were worried," Yuri muttered.
Percy smiled softly.
"…I missed this."
Ending – Kiefer POV
Laughter filled the car.
Memories returned.
Broken bonds…
Slowly healing.
But deep inside—
I knew.
This was just the beginning.
Because somewhere between laughter and pain—
She was still hurting.
And this time—
I won't let her go.