Jay jay's POV:
Ci-n pats my hand like I'm some war veteran. "Don't worry, Jay. If Aries buries you alive, I'll dig you back up for pudding breaks."
"CI-N THAT'S NOT—"
"You think you can just bring a circus into my house?" Aries yells
Keifer doesn't flinch. "It's her house too."
…
OH MY GOD.
The tension is so thick I could butter toast with it. Even Felix lowers his camera a fraction, eyes darting between them.
Ci-n whispers, "I think we should run."
"YES, FINALLY YOU'RE SMART—"
But before we can move, Aries' gaze flicks past Keifer. Right at me.
I freeze mid-breath.
"Jay."
Oh no. Ohhh no. I'm fried rice. Burnt toast. Expired milk.
I squeak, "...yes?"
Aries tilts his head slightly toward Keifer. "Explain."
Keifer smirks. Like this is a game.
What the flip!?
AND SOMEHOW NOW IT'S MY TURN TO PLAY?!
Why. Is. This. My. Life.
"Uh…" My brain short-circuits. Words? Never heard of them. Vocabulary? Deleted. "Well… you see… Section E… group project?"
Felix gasps loudly. "LIES. There is no group project."
I spin on him. "DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE?!"
Ci-n waves a pudding cup like a white flag. "Wait, wait! It is a group project—on… um… nutritional research! That's why I'm eating this pudding. For science."
Aries doesn't even blink. His eyes stay locked on me, sharp enough to slice through my soul. "Jay."
I laugh nervously, hands flailing. "Uh... yeah"
Keifer finally speaks, voice steady. "I told you. She doesn't have to explain anything."
OH. MY. GOD. He did not just cut in like that. He did not just make this more intense.
Aries' jaw tightens. "And who are you to decide what she explains in my house?"
The room goes still.
Even Ci-n stops chewing.
Keifer takes a step forward, unbothered. "Not deciding. Protecting."
Aries and Keifer. Both staring at each other like they're seconds away from blowing up my living room.
And me?
I'm crouched behind the counter whispering to Ci-n: "Write on my tombstone—'Here lies Jay Jay. Murdered by the tension of the staring contest'"
Ci-n whispers back, "Relax, I'll put a pudding cup on your grave too." He raises his pudding cup
"CI-N THIS ISN'T FUNNY—"
Before I can finish hissing, Aries finally moves. Just a shift, one step forward, arms crossed tighter.
"Protecting?" His tone is low, dangerous. "From what?"
Keifer doesn't break eye contact. "From anything that hurts her."
HELLO??? Did he just—?!Did he seriously—?!
Aries' gaze flicks to me, then back to Keifer. "That's my job."
Edrix mutters like he's narrating a boxing match. "In the left corner, the protective older brother. In the right corner, the overconfident fiancé. Who will survive?"
"STOP CALLING HIM THAT!" I shriek, popping up from behind the counter—then immediately regret it because now both Aries and Keifer are looking at me.
Help. Someone. Anyone.
This is it. This is how I die.
Both of them are still staring at me. Me! Like I'm the prize in some rigged raffle no one asked for.
I laugh nervously, clutching the counter like it's my shield. "Soooo… anyone want snacks? Tea? World peace?"
No one answers.
No one answers.
Not Aries. Not Keifer. Not even Ci-n, who normally would've yelled "PUDDING FOR WORLD PEACE!" by now.
The silence is so thick I want to crawl into the sink and live there forever.
I clear my throat, forcing another weak laugh. "Cool, no snacks. Totally fine. Love starving in awkward tension. My favorite."
Aries finally moves—just one step closer, but it feels like an earthquake. "Jay," he says firmly, "you're going upstairs. Now."
My jaw drops. Upstairs? Alone? With the stare-off still happening downstairs?! That sounds like the WORST plan ever!
Before I can protest, Keifer speaks, calm but sharp. "She stays."
OH. MY. GOD.
Aries' head turns just slightly, enough to pin Keifer with that CEO-death-glare of his. "This isn't your call."
Keifer doesn't back down. "Neither is controlling her like she's ten."
My soul leaves my body. Section E collectively gasps like this is a reality show finale.
And me? I'm gripping the counter so hard my knuckles are white, whispering to myself: I did not sign up for the Aries vs. Keifer death match.
I start to walk as I hear
The doorbell.
Everyone jumps. Even Aries, which is saying something.
Ci-n bolts upright, pudding still on his cheek. "SALVATION!"
The bell rings again, louder this time.
Aries growls, stalking toward the door. Keifer doesn't move, still watching him like this is a chess game.
The rest of us? Frozen.
What if it's another black car guy? What if it's my gravestone? What if I actually die today?
Finally, Aries yanks open the door.
And standing there is—
…a very sweaty delivery guy.
"Uh," he mumbles, holding up three massive pizza boxes. "Order for… uh… 'Jay Jay's Last Supper'?"
…
WHAT.
The entire room turns to Ci-n.
He throws up his hands, grinning. "What?! Emotional support pizza!"
I slam my head into the counter. "CI-N I HATE YOU."
Felix zooms in on me with his camera. "And there she is, ladies and gentlemen—Jay Jay, regretting every life decision that led to this exact moment."
"FELIX—" I grab for his phone, but he ducks behind Edrix, who's dramatically holding the broom like it's Excalibur.
Meanwhile, Aries is still by the door. Silent. Unmoving. His glare heavy enough to sink the whole house.
"Dinner?" he repeats, slow and deadly.
Ci-n grins wider. "YES. Family bonding! Nothing fixes tension like pizza!"
OH MY GOD.
Before I can stop him, Keifer steps forward, plucks a box right out of Ci-n's arms, and flips it open. Steam rises. Pepperoni. Extra cheese. He takes a slice like he's the king of the world and says, "Guess we're staying."
Aries' jaw tightens.
And me? I'm already drafting my funeral speech in my head.
"Here lies Jay Jay. Victim of Section E's stupidity and Keifer's zero survival instincts." I really don't know how many speeches there will be at my funeral but DAMN- there will be alot.
"Here lies Jay Jay. Victim of Section E's stupidity and Keifer's zero survival instincts."
I really don't know how many speeches there will be at my funeral but DAMN—there will be a lot. Ci-n will cry for pudding breaks, Felix will play my embarrassing bloopers on a projector, Edrix will narrate the whole funeral like it's a live documentary, and Keifer—
…Keifer will probably smirk at my coffin and say, 'Told you so.'
'told you so' my foot
I drag my hands down my face. I'm not dead yet, but mentally? Buried. Six feet under. Flowers and all.
I look at the dining table full of chaos and the whole section e gulping down a feast. Section e- but not the whole section e... something feels missing. Yuri... he hasn't been around for days, now that I see it im worried, very worried! What if something happed to him!? I don't even know where he is?
What if he is in danger? What If he needs us?
I take my phone out to see if anyone's looking—phew. No one for now! Everyone's too busy inhaling pizza like they haven't eaten in years.
Quick, fast. My thumbs fly.
To: Pres. yuri
Yuri, where are you? You've been gone for days. Are you okay? Please answer.
Send. Heart pounding. Okay. Done. Safe.
"OOOHHH, who's that?"
I almost choke. CI-N. Of course. His face is right there over my shoulder, grinning like he just found buried treasure.
"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" I slap my phone to my chest, glaring at him.
Ci-n tilts his head, grin growing wider. "Looked like a 'Y'. Maybe… Yuuuri?"
OH. MY. GOD.
"Don't. You. Dare." My voice is a whisper scream.
He leans back, smug as ever. "What if I tell Keifer you're secretly texting another guy?"
My soul leaves my body.
"CI-N!" I hiss, clutching his sleeve. "If you even think about it—"
He shrugs innocently, already spooning pudding into his mouth. "I dunno, Jay. Keifer's right there. Bet he'd love to know who's keeping you up at night."
I swear I'm going to strangle him with his own spoon.
"Jay."
OH. NO.
That voice. That tone. Aries.
I peek through my fingers. He's not even looking at Section E anymore—he's looking at me. Direct. Sharp. Like the pizza doesn't even exist.
Keifer chews calmly, smirk tugging at his lips like he's enjoying this more than the food.
And me? I squeak. Literally squeak. "...yeah?"
Aries tilts his head slightly. "Kitchen. Now."
My soul collapses.
"Here lies Jay Jay. Victim of Section E's stupidity and Keifer's zero survival instincts."
I really don't know how many speeches there will be at my funeral but DAMN—there will be a lot.
Aries finally moves. Not toward the pizza. Not toward Keifer. Toward me.
"Jay." His voice is calm, but it's the scary kind of calm. The calm that means he's this close to exploding.
I straighten so fast I almost knock Ci-n's pudding out of his hands. "Y-yes??"
"Kitchen. Now."
The others freeze. Ci-n's spoon hovers mid-air, Felix lowers his phone a fraction, even Edrix shuts up.
Only Keifer doesn't flinch. He takes another bite of pizza like this is all a joke. "If she doesn't want to go, she shouldn't have to."
OH. MY. GOD.WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM.DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH!!?
Aries' gaze cuts to him instantly. Sharp. Dangerous. "I wasn't talking to you."
"And I wasn't asking permission," Keifer says evenly.
The air crackles.
And me? I'm in the middle, clutching a pizza box like it's a bomb about to go off
The room is seconds away from bursting into flames.
Aries. Keifer. Both staring each other down like the house isn't big enough for the two of them.
And me? Clutching a pizza box like it's my only chance at survival.
Then—
Click.
The front door unlocks.
Everyone freezes.
The sound of steady footsteps. Confident. Familiar. My stomach drops.
No. Way.
"Jay?"
My head snaps toward the doorway.
Standing there, crisp suit, loosened tie, travel bag slung over one shoulder—
Kuya Angelo.
Home.
…
OH. MY. GOD.
I'm actually dead this time.
Ci-n drops his pudding spoon. Felix nearly drops his camera. Even Aries takes a step back.
And Keifer? For the first time today, his smirk falters.
Kuya Angelo's eyes sweep the room once—over Section E, over Aries, and then finally landing on me.
"What," he says slowly, voice calm but terrifying, "exactly is going on here?"