Jay Jay sat across from Yuri in a quiet café, stirring her iced coffee absentmindedly. The place smelled like cinnamon and fresh pastries, but the warmth didn't reach her. Something about Yuri's tone felt... off.
"I'm just saying," Yuri leaned forward, his fingers tapping against the table, "Keifer doesn't really respect our relationship, does he?"
Jay blinked. "What?"
Yuri sighed, shaking his head as if he were being patient with a child. "I mean, you're always with him. He acts like he has some kind of claim overyou."
Jay frowned. "That's not true. Keifer's just-"
"Your best friend," Yuri finished, voice tight. "Yeah, I know. But Jay, have you noticed how he always interrupts our time together? Like last week, when he called you at midnight just to 'chat.' That's not normal."
Jay hesitated. "Keifer doesn't mean anything by it. He's always been like that."
Yuri leaned back, exhaling sharply. "Exactly. He doesn't get that things have changed. You're in a relationship now. He should respect that."
Jay bit her lip. Keifer had always been part of her life. She hadn't thought much about how it looked from the outside. But now... was she being inconsiderate?
"I just want what's best for us," Yuri continued, reaching for her hand. His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I'm not saying stop being friends. Just... set some boundaries."
Jay nodded slowly. "Yeah. Maybe."
Yuri smiled, satisfied.
A few days later, Jay sat beside Keifer on the dorm balcony, the usual spot where they shared snacks and complained about life. Except today, she felt uneasy.
Keifer stretched his legs out, popping open a can of soda. "So, what's up? You've been weird lately."
Jay forced a laugh. "I have?"
Keifer shot her a look. "Yeah. You barely text back, and when you do, it's just one-word replies. What gives?"
Jay hesitated, fingers tightening around the hem of her sweater. "I've just been busy."
"With Yuri?" Keifer asked, voice neutral, but there was something else beneath it.
Jay swallowed. "Kind of."
Keifer didn't say anything at first, just studied her. Then he sighed. "Jay... did he say something about me?"
Her stomach twisted. She knew Keifer. He wasn't dumb. He could see right through her.
"He just thinks... we spend a lot of time together."
Keifer scoffed. "And that's a problem?"
Jay exhaled. "Not a problem. Just... something to be mindful of."
Keifer shook his head, jaw tightening.
"Let me guess-he thinks I'm interfering with your relationship?"
Jay flinched. "He didn't say it like that."
Keifer laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Of course, he didn't. He just planted the thought and let it do the work."
Jay looked away. "I don't want to fight about this."
Keifer sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Neither do I, Jay. But if you start pulling away just because he's insecure-"
"He's not insecure." The words came out sharper than she intended.
Keifer's expression darkened. "Right. Because a confident guy totally needs to control who you spend time with."
Jay exhaled slowly. "It's not like that."
Keifer stared at her for a long moment before looking away, shoulders stiff.
"Sure. Whatever you say."
The silence between them felt heavier than usual.
And for the first time, Jay Jay didn't know how to fix it.
At dinner that night, Jay sat across from Yuri at a quiet restaurant, absently pushing food around her plate.
"You okay?" Yuri asked, reaching for her hand.
Jay forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired."
Yuri squeezed her fingers. "You're doing the right thing, you know."
Taking space from Keifer." He gave her a reassuring look. "You have to think about what's best for you, Jay. And for us."
A part of her wanted to argue. To say that Keifer wasn't some kind of problem she needed to fix. But then she remembered the way he looked at her earlier-the disappointment in his eyes.
Maybe Yuri was right. Maybe she had been unfair.
So she swallowed her doubts and nodded.
If she kept the peace, everything would be fine.
Right?